Rebecca Minkoff is giving away ten Morning After Clutches (M.A.C.) over the next three days here in the Big Apple. To win simply follow Rebecca Minkoff on Twitter and Foursquare and be the first to "check-in" via Foursquare to the locations as they are announced. It is probably easier said then done, but given I had some luck with the Jet Blue/Twitter giveaway count me in. Plus me, sprinting down a NYC street with my blackberry in hand, is, sadly, becoming pretty standard.

According to WWD, M.A.C. Cosmetics will be teaming up with DC Comics for a Wonder Woman limited edition color collection set to launch in Spring 2011. This one should be good, I can't wait.

When the M.A.C. Venomous Villains collection was announced I expressed my desire for Ursula to be one of the "chosen" ones, given that my love for The Little Mermaid is to this date unrivaled. I expected Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Cruella de Vil (101 Dalmatians), and The Evil Queen (Snow White), but I didn't expect the new villian Dr. Facilier (The Princess & The Frog) to make the cut. If there had to be a man I would have guessed (not to mention, preferred) it would be Jafar or Captain Hook over this recent addition. I'm guessing this is an effort on Disney's part to push this villian into the the villain hall-of-fame. While I can't help but be a little disappointed that M.A.C. ignored my calls to include my favorite octo-villain (the nerve of them!) the color collection line-up and packaging images have me intrigued. 

The collection will hit M.A.C. stores, counters, and website beginning this coming September. The color collection will fit in nicely with fashion's Fall 2010 color palette.

I love a good red lip, so I will be checking out the lipsticks. The nail lacquer, Mean & Green, has caught my eye and the beauty powder "Oh So Fair" seems like it might just be my cup of tea. The pigments might be poison for my pocketbook, but that is why they call them villains, no?

Toxic Tale bright coral (Satin) (Limited Edition)

Sinister soft brown plum (Lustre) (Limited Edition)

Strange Potion soft coral pink (Limited Edition)

Hot House deep raspberry with pink pearl (Limited Edition) (Repromote from Strange Hybrid)

Eyeshadow $15.50

Her Alter Image light violet (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition)

Vainglorious bronze burgundy (Frost) (Limited Edition)

Vile Violet deep blue purple (Matte) (Limited Edition)

Oh So Fair mid-tone pink with gold pearl (Limited Edition)

Bite of an Apple soft coral pink (Matte) (Limited Edition)

Violetta violet purple (Amplified) (PRO)

Dark Deed burgundy plum (Amplified) (Limited Edition)

Revenge is Sweet light yellow purple (Limited Edition)

Wrong Spell deep plum with pink purple (Limited Edition)

My Dark Magic deep pink with pink pearl / deep plum with purple pearl (Limited Edition)

She Who Dares deep navy with blue pearl / deep forest green with lime pearl (Limited Edition)

Briar Rose soft violet pink with pearl (Limited Edition)

Bad Fairy red with multi-changing pigments (Limited Edition)

Formidable! teal green with pink pigment (Limited Edition)

Mean & Green purple with teal pigment (Limited Edition)

Innocence, Beware! light yellow pink (Cremesheen) (Limited Edition)

Heartless cherry red (Amplified) (Limited Edition)

Wicked Ways light nude with gold pearl (Limited Edition)

Devilishly Stylish deep fuchsia with pink pearl (Limited Edition)

De-vil rich copper (Veluxe Pearl) (Limited Edition)

Sweet Joy creamy pale gold (Frost) (Limited Edition) (Repromote from Passions of Red)

Carbon intense black (Matte) (Permanent)

Rapidblack true black (Permanent)

Her Own Devices cool nude (Limited Edition)

Darkly My Dear mid-tone brown plum (Matte) (Limited Edition)

Resort Life off-white with pink pearl (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

Slick Black True carbon black (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

French Quarter Black green with multi-colour pearl (Limited Edition)

Melon bright golden peach (Permanent)

Brash & Bold bright magenta (Limited Edition) (Repromote )

Push the Edge deep bright purple with pearl (Limited Edition) (Repromote)

Truth and Light sheer shimmer reflects silver and pink (Limited Edition)

Cajun sheer bronze reflects gold (Limited Edition)

I’m So Vain  decorative compact mirror (Limited Edition)

{Source: LATimes, Spectra)

I'm 5'4, so nearly every pair of jeans I own need to be altered. This of course means that I have a stack (yep, a STACK) of jeans that are acceptable to wear with flats, and another stack that are meant to wear with heels due to their longer hem. If my fave denim calls for heels--my hot new gladiator sandals are out, and my feet may or may not have to suffer through the night. With these cute rivets and studs from "Hem Gems" I can wear heels with my jeans, throw my sandals in my bag, and do a quick switch when my feet can't take another minute without damaging or permanently altering my jeans. Hem Gems are available in a classic rivet or pyramid stud in silver or gold. The pyramid studs are my favorite!

$19.99 each @ Hem Gems

Cynthia Rowley took her 2011 resort collection presentation to the streets...pulling up in a van with models in tow in front of Conde Nast headquarters effectively bringing the show to them! Smart, no?

I adore the chunky heels. The printed leather make them statements in their own right!

Here are some of my favorite looks from the collection:

{images via Cynthia Rowley}

With all the fuss over M.A.C.'s Mineralize Skinfinish Stereo Rose and Petticoat from the In The Groove collection I feel like the fantastic pigments in the Alice + Olivia collection aren't getting the proper attention despite being sold out online. 

Call me crazy, but I think the MSF's might be over-hyped to the extent that I don't see why one would need to spend double or more of their hard earned cash on eBay to get it. There are plenty other fantastic blush and beauty powders out there. Admittedly, none of which have quite reached the mythical proportions that Stereo Rose reached. Now, if NARS Orgasm blush was suddenly discontinued (*knock on wood*) then Stereo Rose might get some competition in that department. Maybe I'm only calling it hype because I am one of the few who DOESN'T own Stereo Rose, Petticoat, or even By Candlelight at this point. Everyone I know who does own one of the three MSF's from In The Groove have been raving about them non-stop. Even so, it seems that the original Stereo Rose (from M.A.C. Goldplay 2005 collection) still reigns supreme (visit these blog posts for swatch comparisons: Beauty Look Book & BeautyMarked).

Now back to the task at hand, the Alice + Olivia for M.A.C. collection! Being a huge fan of Alice + Olivia I had to check out the cosmetics collaboration with M.A.C. I fell immediately in love with the pigments (and damn M.A.C. forever for the smaller packaging!) with Later. being my absolute favorite. While it is true the pigments are sold out on the M.A.C. website, you can still find them at a lot of counters and stores (I recommend calling ahead so as not to waste time traveling). Otherwise, the best and most affordable way to try these pigments is to order samples from the Body Needs, a site I use all the time to order my pigments, provided that it will take me close to a century to actually finish these pigments. As of today, they have samples of all three Alice + Olivia available.

I purchased all three pigments at my local Henri Bendel for my own personal use, and have taken some photos of my haul and swatched them for your viewing pleasure. As I mentioned before, Later. is my absolute favorite when applied wet, using a bit of M.A.C. Fix +. If It Sparkles... is very similar to M.A.C. Pink Opal, so if you have Pink Opal, I would say skip this one. Partylicious is gorgeous and is nothing like M.A.C.'s teal pigment (which I adore and have in a sample size from the Body Needs), but is definitely in the same color family as M.A.C.'s Aquadisiac e/s or M.A.C.'s Too Dolly e/s from the Hello Kitty collection). Later. is unique and beautiful (check out my wet swatch to truly appreciate it)--buy it if you can!

M.A.C. Alice + Olivia pigment packaging

I love the tiny details like the zebra print on the inside of the packaging sleeves.

{left to right} If It Sparkles..., Partylicious, and Later. Pigments from the M.A.C. Alice + Olivia Collection

Details:

If It Sparkles...

Partylicious

Later.

Swatches:

Dry:

{l to r} Partylicious, If It Sparkles..., & Later (applied dry over Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Original)

Wet:

{l to r} Later., If It Sparkles..., Partylicious applied using a spray of M.A.C. Fix +

View the entire Alice + Olivia collection at M.A.C.

My friends from the Gap sent over a cropped sun-bleached denim jacket which has that perfect, worn-in, "I've had it for years" look. The jacket is lightweight making it ideal for layering over sequined tanks and pretty summer dresses. Here are few more pics of me wearing my new jacket.

This particular jacket is currently on sale at the Gap, while their other denim jackets are available here. The Gap's upcoming line of denim looks quite intriguing as well judging strictly by the new ad campaign with jeggings, bleached always skinny, and a screen printed cuff on a pair of the "real straight" denim. I can't wait to try them on in the upcoming weeks!

FTC disclosure: I received the denim jacket pictured for free from the Gap.

Once my zebra nail art started to lose its luster I went for a nail design that would do Harry Potter proud...a single yellow thunderbolt on each purple nail. It made me feel strong like Zeus :)

I applied three coats of Revlon's limited edition Grape Icy. The formula was slightly watery and has a very slight grape scent when dry. 

Revlon Grape Icy Scented Polish available @ Drugstores (I purchased this polish at my local CVS. This specific shade is from the Scents of Summer 2010 Revlon collection & is limited edition, other Revlon shades can be purchased at Drugstore.com)

I chose Milani nail art polish because of the amazing nail art color selection available. The brush makes a line based design like this one very simple to apply. The formula is also on the watery side, but this proved to be a good thing as it made application much quicker!

Milani Nail Art with Precision Brush in Yellow $3.99 @ Walgreens and other drug stores

I'm taking a few days off to try to enjoy my summer (for once!), and this is exactly what I would like to wear from head-to-toe! Don't you love the look?

169: Sweet Summer by platinumblonde featuring Dolce Vita shoes

Cynthia Rowley Sample Sale

376 Bleecker St New York, NY 10014 

Friday, July 16 - Sunday, July 18, 2010

Friday - Saturday 10am - 9pm

Sunday 11am - 8pm

Up to 80% off on clothing and accessories

Cash and all major credit cards accepted

All sales final

Britney Spears may not always be camera ready on her off time, but when she is on, the girl looks GOOD! Candie's seems to be so pleased with their partnership with Brit, that they have tapped her to design a limited-edition collection. The first pieces (which Britney is wearing in the photo above) are very cute. Personally, I love the studded dresses and minis. Some of the collection has already been rolled out to Kohl's stores and kohls.com, with more to come as fall approaches.

Watch Britney behind the scenes at a shoot for her Candie's line of clothing and accessories, which she helped design. Be sure to check out Britney's interview with In Style.

Lately, I have found myself drawn towards rough rocks, quartz, minerals and other gems. More than anything, I would love to own a amethyst cocktail ring! Check out my current sources of inspiration and my ever-expanding wish list.

{l to r} DuJour Magazine; Amethyst - Colorado by adamantine; Amethyst 2 painting by Carly Waito; Minerals by Davide Bignotti; untitled by Sarah Kate;

1) Rock Crystal Lamp $2200 @ Anthropologie; Medieval Series - Rutilated Quartz set in a 14k gold filligree setting $470 by Smoochy Angels; Giant Rose Quartz Ring € 350 by Natalie Dissel;  Soo Ihn Kim Rimma Cluster Ring $135 @ Shopbop; Ring by Natalie Dissel; Seriously Pink (Pink Sapphire Ring) $2140 by BMJ NYC

2) Crystal Votive $38-58 @ Anthropologie; Smokey Amethyst Geode ring $350 by Michelle Lenáe;  Unearthed Trivet $78 @ Anthropologie; Amethyst Rough Cubic Rock Ring by Natalie Dissel € 420

Now that summer is fully upon us, I have been spending my weekends wearing shorts, summer dresses, and cute rompers.  Riding my bike to town to get ice cream cones while wearing a printed romper would be an ideal summer day for me! Check out my romper roundup below:

{top} BCBGeneration Ruffle Trim Romper $78; Jenny Han Tie Shoulder Romper $90 @ Couture Candy; Printed Drawstring Summer Romper $89 @ Bebe; Roxy Peace Time Romper $33.99; Lazy Days Floral Romper $88 @Madewell; Charlie Jade 'Greneda' Printed Silk Romper $115 @ Nordstrom; Laundry by Shelli Segal Ruffled Silk Romper $195 @ Bloomingdales;

{middle} Silk Pleat Front Playsuit $135 @ TopShop; Angie Super Romper $48 @ Nordstrom; Flower Zip Playsuit  $55 @ TopShop; One Shoulder Ruffle Romper $59 @ Arden B; Alice + Olivia Flounce silk-chiffon playsuit $295 @ Net-A-Porter;  Velvet by Graham & Spencer 'Rilara' Jersey Romper  $97 @ Nordstrom; AKA Print Romper $222.60 @ Shopbop;

{bottom} Tropical Print Playsuit $135 @ TopShop; Jasmine Floral Romper $184 @ What Goes Around Comes Around; T-Bags Romper in Hot Rocks $193 @ Revolve Clothing; Seneca Rising Holland Romper $150 @ Steven Alan; Parker Cami Romper $187 @ Shopbop; Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Cami Romper $275; Rory Beca Cassady Strapless Romper $161 @ Shopbop;

Alice + Olivia has teamed up with M.A.C. cosmetics to create a limited edition color collection. The collection is set to hit M.A.C. stores, counters on July 8th and will be available online on July 6th. These colors are perfect for your upcoming summer parties! I am obsessed with purple nail polish of late, and given that I have yet to encounter a blue or teal pigment I didn't like I am sure to love this collection. The details:

Dazzleglass Creme $18

Pigment $19.50

Nail Lacquer $12