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It's all about Guerlain - and Saks!

I've always known Guerlain as a famous old perfume brand from Paris.  But wandering through Saks Fifth Avenue this summer, I was stopped by an intuitive salesperson who told me about Guerlain's brand new double-ended mascara, Le 2 Two Brush in a gold tube, for $35.  I fell in love with the mascara right away - the larger brush applies a great coat of mascara to your upper lashes and lengthens them, but it also does not clump - at all.  The bottom tiny brush is for lower lashes, and for refining all your lashes and making them pop.  It looks like you've got falsies on - false lashes, that is.  But the realest, most expensive ones.

Last weekend, I made another trip to Saks Beverly Hills, and headed straight for the Guerlain counter.  There, I had a field day with the Kiss Kiss Extreme Lipstick ($29) in Chocolate Kiss and Rose Salsa, and the mosaic blush and eyeshadow duo that includes a wet eyeliner for $52.  I even fell for the foundation.   And the lipliners.

Needless to reiterate, I am now a Guerlain junkie.  So when I learned that TheFind is doing a promotion with Saks were you can win a thousand dollar gift certificate at the new Guerlain spa at the Waldorf Astoria in NY on Park Avenue, I wanted to find out - what can you use that thousand for if you win?  Well, a fabulous customized facial, a massage, and yes - makeup!!!  So ladies, I say to you - take a few minutes and enter this contest, because the win is big - and you get to be creative in the bargain. 

To win, simply write your own blog post of a minimum of one hundred and fifty words that talks about Saks "Want It" promotion and link the post here:   blog.thefind.com.  You may want to include a mention of the exclusive Marc Jacobs makeup kit that I'm going to tell you about, but it's not required.   Then, send a link to your post at wantitpromo@thefind.com and they will send you an entry confirmation....and you're done!  TheFind will randomly choose a winner from the pool of qualified entrants.  One entry per website, please.

Here's the deal on the kit:  Saks Fifth Avenue has unveiled the latest iteration of its award-winning Want It! campaign, which highlights Fall 2008's most notable trends for both men and women.  Saks has chosen the "Polished Face Kit" as its Want It! beauty item for the Fall, and in turn Saks has created "The Polished Face Kit" for customers.  The Polished Face Kit brings together products from top brands to get the look of the Fall Season. 

The Polished Face is about being perfectly put together.  Seen on all the Fall 2008 runways, the trend is the perfect look of the season.  All of these items come in an exclusive Marc Jacobs Italian leather clutch for the retail price of $198 and will be available in all Saks stores and saks.com beginning the first week of September.  To get that defined eye, the kit contains the AWESOME Guerlain Le 2 Mascara - that two-brush mascara that enables you to get every last lash to create the fullest lashes possible . So get busy writing your post!

Trends from the European Collections

THE SKINNY SUIT

We saw it everywhere - a fitted, tapered long jacket - NOT stiff, but not slouchy either - and cigarette pants.  Of course, YSL did it best, in champagne silk - but there were lots of black ones, too.

THE PAJAMA PANT

Dolce & Gabanna did it best - polka dot pj pants in silk.  How decadent - but also, how comfortable!  We have a feeling we're going to see lots of chic girls grabbing their guy's dotted pajama pants and pairing them with heels and tight t-shirts or camisoles.  And when the Commes des Garcons line with H&M debuts on November 13th, look for polka dots to be all over that collection.  Navy and white, black and white - just go for it!

ORANGES, YELLOWS, OCHRES - THE COLORS OF SUNSET AND SAND

Burberry, Prada, and Bottega Veneta all did it.  Even Marc Jacobs did it at Louis Vuitton.  Instead of busy floral prints for spring, go solid - but solid sunshine.  Prada used the color for a simple skirt and floppy jacket that was  a cross between the sexy secretaries of "Mad Men" and vacationing bombshells in St. Tropez.  Bottega Veneta gave us rust tones, but in another trend I call:

THE CHIC LITTLE SOLID COLOR BELTED DRESS

...in a very strong color.    There were lots of strong dresses in every collection, and the best ones were orange, yellow, rust or in shades of pale green or pale pink.  Sonia Rykiel's dresses were the real stand out of the Paris shows - but in Milan, it was Bottega Veneta's chic little dresses, which are always classics.

4) A NEW WAY TO WEAR PANTS
This is another big trend, which had kind of disappeared into the land of leggings for so long.  For spring, the legging is dead, and pants have gone softer - some even have dropped crotches that look like harem pants, or almost like skirts that gather around the legs.  It may sound strange - but a lower crotch and billowing butt - soft fabric gathered all around the thigh area - is the hot look for trousers for spring. It may not be the sexiest look - but it IS comfortable, and it looks new to the eye.  We also saw a lot of jumpsuits on the European runways - it just shows that pants are loosening up and getting more fun, more roomy - and when times are tough, well, it's nice to be able to eat!!!

Next week, we will tell you how to take these trends and find the early, in every price point, on TheFind.  In the meantime, get busy finding belts!  The belts for fall and spring are less wide than in season's past, and sometimes made of fabric, and wrap.  Type in "Marni belts" and "Banana Republic belts" to find some of the best.  Use the chart to the left to punch in your desired price point.  Happy hunting!

Now that we've seen Spring in Europe - what does it all mean?

The European fashion shows in Milan and Paris for this spring 09 have just ended - and while there was a smattering of glam one-shoulder gowns with beading, what we saw - just in time - was a return to realism.  No more runway fantasy for a world that loves its visual escapism, but can no longer pretend world crises - economic, environmental - don't exist.  Yes, there were some new silhouettes and looks and colors - but the spring clothes were far less dramatic than this fall's pallette of rose buds and wild prints and chunky beads.  The clothes were tamer, chicer, more tailored - but not tough or too sexy or trying too hard to make a statement.  These clothes make a nice backdrop for putting your life, your causes and your family first - and letting clothes be more organic, instead of yelling your arrival.  These clothes can actually be worn for many years - they follow some new trends, but don't scream out a particular season.

We've put together a little guide of the major trends from the European shows that can help serve as bellweathers for you - so when the fall clothes go on sale next month (yes, it's not that far away!), you can shop and know that the pieces you're buying will carry you all the way into summer 09. 

A few tips: Everything is belted, even jackets.  Pants are either slimmer and shown matching long sculpted jackets ("the skinny suit") or made out of silk or chiffon, flowing like men's pajama bottoms.  The big colors are ochre, orange, yellow and rust - and simple black is looking very chic for spring, for those who like a utilitarian aspect to their wardrobe.

Coming tomorrow - TRENDS FROM THE EUROPEAN COLLECTIONS...

Emmy Fashion Wrap-up

By watching the 60th annual Emmy Awards,  you got a good all-at-once overview of what the new trends are in fashion, whether it's eveningwear or daywear: ruffles, color, full skirts, body hugging sheath dresses, asymmetrical shoulders, and lace details.   You'll see this in the fall magazines, sure - but it's very much what we saw at the spring 09 fashion shows, both from NY earlier this month and right now, in Europe.

Here are TheFind's and my picks for the Top 5 at the Emmy's - you may have your own ideas, but this is how we saw it - and we will include a few looks you can find on your own, if you want to go in this direction yourself.  As always, it's all only one click away...

Emmy Top 5 List:

NUMBER ONE:  JANUARY JONES in White Dolce and Gabanna
We know a lot of critics were hoping to see Ms. Jones, a spittin' image of Grace Kelly, channel her character Betty Draper from "Mad Men" - and we can understand why:  Betty is beyond chic in her Hermes riding looks and lovely pencil or full skirts or sweaters.  However, we applaud January for going modern instead.  She braved a white Dolce and Gabbana fishtail gown - she is one of the few women in the world who could look good in something this figure-hugging and bombshell-like.  She was channeling old Hollywood blondes like Carole Lombard in this super slinky mermaid shape, looking every inch the Hitchcock blonde ice princess - with a sexy undertone.  We also loved the Grecian headbands she wrapped around her askew up-do, totally staying away from Betty Draper's little wavy flip.

Get this look for less:  Type in "white evening dress" on TheFind - Nicole Miller's antique white sating evening gown is $595 from edressme.com.  The Phoenix evening dress series offers a slender cut white gown for $171.98 from Good Orient.com.  White is NOT just for wedding's anymore!


NUMBER TWO: MARCIA CROSS in Elie Saab Beige Lace Ballerina Dress
We've heard a lot of flack about Marcia's pale lace and tulle couture cocktail dress by Elie Saab - but we LOVED it.  So what if it's the same color as her skin?  There is no rule that says that's a crime, as long as it looks good - and it did.  (The red hair helped).   We loved the lace insets, which is a huge trend for Fall - and the full tulle skirt, which is exactly what we saw on the spring runways of NY Fashion Week.  Nothing desperate or housewifey here at all.   We also love that it was tea length, not full length - this is the new chic length for evening - it's much more modern.  Yes, this was  risky choice - it wasn't tight or slinky, and it was much more New York than LA.  Only real fashion insiders got it.

Get this look for less: Type in "beige lace cocktail dress" and there are a couple of cute cocktail options that are less black tie than Marcia's: The fab beige drop-waist cocktail dress at everpretty.com is just $49.99.  Then there's a beige lace and organza dress for $195 at pinkywolman - mid century chic for $195 with a slightly puff skirt - and lots of other interesting lacey looks for you to peruse.  Any color lace is good this fall - but beige makes  a real understated statement.

NUMBER THREE: HEIDI KLUM in Metallic Asymmetrical Armani Prive
Project Runway's Heidi Klum knows how to work a look,  and years of practice have taught this ex-supermodel how to work it head to toe.  Because her metallic one shoulder tiered Armani Prive gown was a stunner - and had a lot of fabric - she pulled back the hair, and worked a low-key makeup look.  With the wrong makeup and hair, this dress could have been a disaster - but Heidi knows the golden rule of flamboyant dresses: take everything else down a peg.  It came off like a charm - and she made a major dress look almost simple - and chic.  She actually looked comfortable in that dress - a hard thing to pull off.  The dress NEVER wears Heidi - Heidi ALWAYS wears the dress.

Get this look for less: Type in "metallic tiered dress" and there are a number of cocktail versions of this kind of look: a Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic lace dress for $428 at eluxury.com.  Burberry has a super chic version of the look for $1,995 at Burberry.com.  And if you want to try a version just for fun, check out the one for Charlotte Russe for $28.99.  Heidi never had it so good!

NUMBER FOUR: MARISKA HARGITAY in Caroline Herrera Asymmetrical Yellow Sculpted Gown
There's yellow, and then there's sunflower marigold.  Mariska's Carolina Herrera asymmetrical gown was a bold choice, and went well with her skintone and her haircolor.  We also loved her cute French twist, which was chic and made the dress look more high fashion - but not TOO high fashion.  Yellow IS hard to wear, and best on brunettes.  Somehow, it didn't work on Teri Hatcher, in her yellow Monique L'hullier - she looked like she went out in her nightgown and forgot to change.  But Mariska made it exotic and modern.

Get this look for less: Type in "yellow dress" on TheFind, and check ou the Alice & Olivia long dress with interesting strap detail at Net a Porter for $276.50 (on sale!).  It could be worn day or evening.  The Whitley Julie cut out dress in yellow is a cute, short number for $99 (on sale from $198) at RevolveClothing.com.

  NUMBER FIVE: BROOKE SHIELDS in Fuschia Badgley Mischka
LOVE the color of this Badgley Mischka fuschia floral lace gown, and only a woman as tall and chic as Brooke could pull this off.  It took some nerve - and she's got it.  With a skirt this big and full, a tight bodice is the way to go.  She was a colorful tigress, even in the lipstick jungle.  This full fuschia number on a 6 foot tall woman could have looked like Hawaiian Punch got spilled on her - or it could have looked trashy.  But the shape of the dress - and Brooke's height  and carriage - made it work. Thankfully it had a tight waist or she would have resembled a rose bush.

Get this look for less:  Type in "fuschia dress" and how 'bout this?  An adorable tunic fuschia dress with a belt for $128 at Couture Candy- it's only to the knee, but with great black pumps, it's color will steal the thunder in any room. 

AND JUST IN CASE YOU LIKED:  EVA LONGORIA PARKER'S Bow and Fringe Marchese Mini
Well, it wasn't exactly dignified enough for the Emmy's - more appropriate for the MTV Music Awards, but when has Eva cared about dignified?  The woman adores attention - ANY kind of attention.  Clearly, Victoria Beckham is having a big effect on her!!!  But, if you're under 30 and want to try a cute fringed flapper dress, type in "fringed dresses" and let's hope you had better luck than she did!  We like the sequined fringe hem dress by Scala for $238 at edressme, the silence & noise lace fringe tank dress for only $59.99 at UrbanOutfitters, and the Love Moschino fringe mini dress (VERY Eva, darling) for $358 at Saks.com. 

And for heaven's sake, if you wear fringe - move that fringe, baby!  Shake it up!!

Spring 09 Trends

Better late than never - let's get to the Spring 09 trends:

Ruffles:
There were ruffles at the hem, ruffled skirts, ruffled blouses, ruffled dresses - even ruffles that were vertical.  A ruffled gown is where it's at.

Color:
We saw a lot of goldenrod yellow, rusty red, poppy red, and strong, clear blues.  These are not your same old, same old colors.  Check out the new aqua, too.

Cigarette Suits:
Is this like the YSL's classic "Le Smoking"?  Well - yes, and no.  You don't need to smoke to wear a cigarette suit. But you will be smoking hot in one this spring, instead of doing the Hillary Clinton baggy pantsuit thing.  Since leggings are DEAD (yes, we said DEAD) this is the new, simple chic way to wear pants - super skinny pants, in a fabric that is NOT denim, with a matching jacket that is usually long, belted, and while very sharply tailored, and also hangs in a soft, light way - nothing bulky about it.  Oscar de la Renta's tan belted cigarette suit is drop dead chic, as are Matthew Williamson's cigarette suits in bright colors.

Beading on Clothes:
Some of the necklace detail was already on the dress - beading is back, usually as a cluster at the neck, a la necklaces.  Vera Wang both beaded her thin stiff chiffon layers AND created fabulous jewelry to go with it. 

New Prints:
They're daring, different, a little hippie-like, and they are nothing like the new artists' prints we saw for spring 08, or the dark florals of fall 08.  They are smaller, have more infusion of color, and then seem to be washed out a little.  Matthew Williamson did it brilliantly, as did Jenni Kayne, and it showed up on Diane von Furstenburg, on Barbara Tfank's evening dresses, and on a top of Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti.  We even saw printed pants. 

Fit n' Flare Dresses:
This is one way to describe a dress with a tight bodice, and a full flared skirt - that is either short or just over the knee.   This spring, f n' f is a big look: very reminiscent of the fifties, and more innocent times - and lots of the best ones were strapless.  But they also came in one shoulder, round necks with no sleeves, or short sleeved versions, in solids or prints.  Oscar de la Renta did it best, as he always does: a floral f n' f is very chic.  We also liked Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti's tan chiffon ballerina f n' f dress, with one shoulder and a full chiffon tulle skirt.  Ballerina is also a trend - check out Jonathon Saunders beautiful tulle looks and Rodarte's punk ballerinas.  Are they meant to be ironic?  Are they influenced by Carrie Bradshaw?  Or are they just pretty - and slightly new looking?  We're not sure, but we get a kick out of them.  Wonder how long it will take Paris Hilton to score one.

Must-haves for Fall

Low Boots/Shoes:
I typed in "Steve Madden shoes" because I know they're well-priced - and found THE NY fall trend:  the cut out gladiator style called simply "Steve Madden" available at Jildor Shoes for $110.  I typed in "booties" and loved the Michael by Michael Kors at Bloomingdales for $169.  But if you want to go ALL the way type in "YSL shoes" and the black satin platform open toe shoe is high - in every way - but chic, chic, chic.  $695 at Bob Ellis.

New Handbag:
Let's start with the affordable ones.  Type in "Marc by Marc Jacobs handbags" and I love the "Lil Riz" for $428 in black from Bloomingdales- it looks like any thousand dollar bag, with very good leather.  But if you want to go expensive and trendy like all those NY girls with their great discounts, type in "YSL Handbags" and check out the brand new "Muse 2" in purple and black from Style Drops - for a cool $2,356!!!!  The other ultra chic bag this fall is the Valentino petale tote, that looks like a leather rosette, in black, red or purple - $2,395 at Saks.  Okay, it's a lot - but it looks like a big rose!!!!

Dress:
Type in "BCBG dresses" and check out the lace v-neck in black at Macy's for $180 - it would have been outstanding at fashion week.  Type in "Rebecca Taylor dress" and up comes the dress that looks like a skirt and blouse - Rebecca Taylor's white topped grey skirted bit of chicness that would fit quite well on "Mad Men" - $345 at Shopbop.  Now, if you want to go the full Anna Wintour, type in "Thakoon dress" and look at the plaid floral neck tie dress in a beautiful print, for $1,640 at Saks (it will be on sale if you can wait until November).

Jacket:
There's a new look in fall jackets, which is  a combo of the double - breasted peacoat look, and a tux jacket, which is a cropped short - type in "Marc by Marc Jacobs jackets" and find the felted cropped tux jacket for $358 at Bloomingdales.  Type in "Banana Republic jackets" and the grey tuck stitch short sleeve double breasted jacket is adorable at $89 from Banana Republic.

NY Fashion Week kicks off September

Attention, shoppers!  You know it's really fall when New York Fashion Week arrives - even though Bryant Park was showing the collections of Spring 09.  But it DOES herald that it's time to shake off the summer doldrums and start thinking seriously about fashion once again.

One of the major points of visual interest, outside of what was on the runway, was what the editors and retailers were wearing to the tents.  It was warm in NY, with a tiny bit of fall briskness just blowing in - so what did the NY'ers wear to show off their best chic to other women trying just as hard?

Dresses - the new slim cut sheath dresses, worn over the knee, often belted.  Most NY'ers wore them in solids, like grey, black and dark green - but there were some, like Vogue's Anna Wintour, who ventured into the new floral prints we've seen so much of in the magazines.  The shoes were short boots, gladiator shoes with less strap and more leather, thicker heels, and lots of ankle detail.  Leggings were GONE.  But thin opaque tights were BACK.

Jackets were back - tailored and fitted, and sweaters seemed to be on hiatus.  Handbags were handle bags, not shoulder bags (too many chiropracters probably effected that trend), often in colors like grey, purple and dark green.  Despite the big lace trend of fall, we did not see much lace.  We did see a lot of belts, and while pencil skirts proliferated, a-line flare skirts are definitely on the comeback trail.  And large statement jewelry - costume or real or both - is definitely a MUST to complete a look.

In the next few posts, I will compile a list for TheFind shoppers of what new items they really MUST have for Fall...

Favorite Summer Skirts

BluGirl's khaki straight short skirt is super summery and easy, and is $94.50 at Anastasia.com. However, a narrow short skirt is NOT going to hide ANY sins. (So pair it with Spanx.)

L.A. Designer Karen Zambos' short striped skirt is a real summer romper-- perfect for those ninety degree plus days. Its $187.00 at Couture Candy. But it is SHORT. Good for beachy vacations.

I LOVE Redoute's flirty double tiered black short skirt, which is stretchy and has two tiers of ruffles-- this one can be paired with black or colored or grey tights in the winter, boots and a big sweater. And check THIS-- its only $7.99, marked down from $29.99. Do not let this one go!!!

If you want to go for that tutu Carrie-Sex-in-the-City look, you might want to order a skirt off a dance web site. Aida has $57.00 dancer skirts that, when worn with just a black vest and a fedora, will look much more low-key than if paired with anything with sequins. Leave the sequins for the prom, please.

If you want to up the ante and get a little more designery, I suggest The M Missoni ribbed cable short skirt in strips of dark and light blue, with a little rainbow thrown in for good measure. The great news about Missoni knit skirts is that you can bend, fold and hike them so you can shift the length to your mood of the day, which means in the winter, they will look great with high boots. $325 at French Corner Soho.

Every girl, particularly those under 35, must own a short denim skirt. Its almost like an insurance policy for a summer day. You can wear it over your bathing suit, pair with leggings, or wear a t-shirt dress over it.The Hudson Bliss Double Slit Short Skirt- which will even work on casual dates is a steal at $60 at The Hip Chick.

If you want a dressier short skirt for the office and I think thats fine in the summer but NOT if youre a lawyer (remember Ally McBeals skirt length issues?) just be careful to wear the A.B.Lambdin straight black short tight skirt with low heels or flats, and a crisp jacket or sweater or you WILL be Mariah Carey. Its $49 at A.B. Lambdin and looks almost as hot as Mariahs Dolce ones. Oh, OKAY, wear it with heels if you MUST but only at night, PLEASE!!!! Gwyneth you can wear it with anything. Even On the Coldplay tour this summer.

WHO WEARS SHORT SHORTS?

Remember when there were all kinds of rules about who at what age could and could not wear short skirts? Way back, oh about three years ago, maybe such rules actually existed. But that was before black tights and leggings were perfected, and before the stairmaster, spinning classes and the treadmill became almost every day occurrences. Any forty year old who does pilates three times a week is more than entitled to wear a short skirt even in the summer. Hey, she could probably go bare-legged in the winter.

In fact, could any season be more perfect for short skirts or dresses than right now, mid summer? A million times more comfortable than wearing jeans on a hot day let alone leggings they are always impish and flirty, and you can match them with a t-shirt and flat sandals, pull your hair back, and you've got a low maintenance look that is still a little glam as long as those gams are in shape. And the right hue-- pale white legs in a summery short skirt looks like match sticks poking out from beneath your outfit. Black and blue legs wont cut it either. But a little bit of self tanner (Clinique is the best-- it leaves a bronze hue on right away, then subtly tans your legs in a natural way) and a shine stick  or even body oil can have those gams looking hip-hop dancer-like in no time.

I typed in "Short Skirts" on TheFind's general search, and found some cute summer styles at great prices. Order them now, and pair them with white oxford shirts, a pink t shirt, a mens black vest over a white t, or two t shirts layered together. My advice about footwear with short skirts: NO HIGH HEELS. I mean, do you want to look like Mariah Carey? Perhaps Gwyneth Paltrow can get away with this look as she did to the Iron Man premier but I read she works out three hours a day. Unless you work out three hours a day, stick to gladiator flats, flat boots, flip flops, sneakers, or even low heeled wedges with your short skirts. Otherwise you are going for the Mariah look which might be okay in a video, but not on the street. And Im not even sure about videos . . . .

Time Travel - Home Away from Home

Travel ipod speakers - those might not seem like a necessity when you have an ipod and headphones, but they recharge your ipod and fill a hotel room with music when you take a bath or are working - and can create a fast party anywhere you want.  The Logitech white portable speaker sets is $57.99 at Overstock.com, and the iboom speaker set in black is $92.99 at eCost.com.

A travel candle might seem a rather unnecessary item - but in fact, a nice smell and pretty light can make a trip more romantic and relaxed.  And there are so many good smells and designs:  The Green Tea and Ginger Essential Blend burns for 20 hours - on sale for  $6.13  at Perfume.com.  Paper Source has a peony travel tin candle for $4.50.  Bergdorf Goodman has a basil candle travel collection for $80 that could make an urban trip more garden-like.  I also like the Tea Travel Collection from Jo Malone at Neiman Marcus for $95.

Travel Blow Dryers- sure, you can drag out the giant hair dryer - but chances are, you might need a converter or adaptor for it in another country, and chances are, it's going to take up a whole lot of room.  Small travel hair dryers are a great investment because you can keep them in your suitcase, they fold up, and they're small to begin with.  The BaByliss Pink Turbo Dryer  is $59.95 at Folica.  But if you want one in Europe, go with the Travel Hair Dryer European 1200 watt for $35.00.  If you want a less expesnive one, Revlon has a $14.82 one at Walmart with 1875 watts of power.

Happy Organized Travels!!!