A style blog for the fashionably, socially and financially conscious.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Brands We Love - Gorjana

This brand might not come with an enormous list of celebrity fans (even though a few of them have been seen sporting the brand), but it definitely deserves adoration.  Instead, it was discovered because of Hippi's tendency to gravitate towards Yugoslavian names (as her married name is one of the most famous Yugoslavian names of the 20th century and she is married to, in her opinion, the most handsome Yugoslavian-American on earth.)  The founder, Gorjana Reidel, is the reason Hippi - previously someone who was sort of anti-jewelry - now wears jewelry all of the time.  SPiCY can probably testify that a good 90% of Hippi's jewelry is from this designer.  Prior to the discovery of Gorjana, she pretty much only wore jewelry that had a deep philosophical or philanthropic meaning to her (like her favorite Me & Ro necklaces that support Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation).

Now, any day, you are likely to find Hippi sporting the G-ring earrings, the cyan wrap necklace, the feather drop earrings or the feather lariat necklace.  She has had a longstanding crush on the Graham wrap bracelets all summer, but is afraid to allow herself to buy any as she fears she will end up buying them in every color.  She has discovered Gorjana's belts in the last couple of days and now loves them as well.  Hippi infected SPiCY with her obsession by showing SPiCY all of the Gorjana jewelry she loved so much.  If you are a regular reader, you may even recall Gorjana being mentioned in at least 4 previous posts.

Over the last few days, Hippie has found that the feather lariat necklace (shown right) is an amazing piece that spices up any dress, jumpsuit or shirt with an unassuming front.  She has found it (and the G-ring earrings) to be especially fitting with Madewell's Romantic Ruffle Dress (unbelted) in blackberry.  The combo received so many compliments, she has decided to snap up the dress in true black and has decided to go for the Gorjana Knox wrap necklace she has been eyeing for months.  (Hippi is planning to update the dress & necklace duo for fall and next spring with her J. Crew infinity/forever and Jackie cardigans and booties like those we discussed in a previous post.)

SPiCY, expert bargain hunter that she is, found that Gilt Group currently has Gorjana on sale right now, many of the styles for 50% off.  Hippi found that Gorjana has styles for sale where 60% of sales go to charity - including breast cancer.  Hippi, a huge supporter of organizations that fight chronic hunger, loves that Gorjana's Team Hunger fights for the same cause.

We definitely suggest looking into both the Gilt Group sale and the new fall styles available on the Gorjana website, ShopBop, PiperlimeBlueBee, Clay Pot, Willow St. Boutique, Luna, WiNK, Neiman Marcus's CUSP and Revolve Clothing, as long as you leave at least one Knox wrap necklace for Hippi.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Olive Oyl

This is going to sound completely strange to most people, but this post is all about how wonderful oil is for your face.  Yes, you heard correctly, I said "oil."  I'm sure that all of us have used an oil-based, eye make-up remover  at one time or another and are probably at least vaguely aware that oil-based cleansers are great for breaking down make-up.  Oil cleansers have more benefits than just make-up removal, though.  It is also good for washing away other skin care products (like sunscreen) at the end of the day and some oil-based cleansers are supposed to be great for getting rid of sebum and other oils on the face.

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, apparently it is true.  I am told that this is how it works: the oils in the cleansers attract the oils that are on our skin already and when we wash off the oil-based cleanser the oil on our face goes bye-bye along with it.  I am also told that Biore Pore Strips work on a similar principal.  I have also learned from a few sources that the wash-rinse-repeat routine that most of us do with our shampoo is also the best way to wash our faces.  Skin-care specialists refer to this as the "double-cleanse."  The double cleanse is supposed to be most effective when you first wash your face with an oil-based cleanser, rinse and then wash your face with a cleanser targeted to your skin type.

I have tried three oil-based cleansers before and liked all three of them.  My personal favorite is Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil.  The reason I prefer it to the other two is that there are different ones for different skin types.  To be honest, it is quite expensive and I found it to be no more effective than Dermalogica Precleanse.  The third one that I tried is really an exfoliator (St. Ives Olive Scrub).  Though I absolutely loved it, it is not really ideal to use as a first step in the double-cleanse process.  I have learned that St. Ives also makes an Olive Cleanser, but I have not personally tried it.  If it is anywhere near as great as the Olive Scrub, it would be a very inexpensive alternative to the Shu Uemura and Dermalogica.  If any of you try it, please let us know what you think.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fuchsia Slingbacks

Fuchsia Slingbacks
Fuchsia Slingbacks by Stacey Puma Chesser on Polyvore.com
So if you're a regular follower, then you've seen these shoes before and you're beyond aware of my obsession with them. I'm a firm believer in letting a statement shoe, make it's statement, loud and clear, front and center. And though this Giuseppe Zanotti sling-back is without a doubt that kind of shoe, I think in this instance, the limelight is better shared with an amazing, statement making dress (or six).

Free Gypsy

Gypsy 05 is having a contest asking their fans to show how they wear their Gypsy by creating sets on polyvore full of their Gypsy faves.  Hippi made this set based on the suggestions on how to accessorize her favorite Gypsy 05 styles in our August 30 post on the brand.  The prize is $250 worth of Gypsy 05 clothing.  Go ahead and set your inner stylist free for free Gypsy 05 styles.

Brands We Love - Nation Ltd.


We have mentioned a few brands we love in the past and now have decided that this should definitely be a regular feature for Sequins.  In the past we've told you about SPiCY's discovery of Nightcap Clothing, our crush on some of the styles from Dollhouse Jeans, the fabulous magazine clutches from Paparazzi and Hippi's new love Gypsy 05.  On the facebook page and on twitter, Hippi has repeatedly made reference to how enamored she is with Nation Ltd's Central Park dress and added a link to the slideshow of Nation Ltd's Fall 2010 styles which are now in stores.

Running down a list of celebrities that are fans of Nation Ltd. would be just as ridiculously long as the one in the Gypsy 05 post.  It includes mega-stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Anniston, Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Simpson, Katherine Heigl, Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christina Aguilera and more.  Quite a few fashionistas have been seen sporting Nation Ltd, including Rachel Zoe, Whitney Port, all the Kardashian sisters, Mary Kate Olsen, Nicole Ritchie, both Hilton sisters, Leighton Meester, Lauren Conrad - the list goes on and on.

Hippi's favorites from Nation Ltd are the tee shirt comfy styles that are more than just their basic tees.  What sets them apart from other t-shirt brands that are popular among celebrities, like LnA and Wildfox, are styles like their Nice tunic, the Cairo dress, the Delaware wrap, the Grecian dress, and the Central park dress about which Hippi keeps raving.

They are also pretty widely available both online and in boutiques nationwide.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

What a Barbarian!


You said you wanted to hear about deals on low heels and flats and, today, I've found one for you. Nine West's "Barbarian" sandal is on sale for $23.97 at Nine West's online store.  Endless, Amazon, 6pm, Overstock and ShoeMetro have them on sale as well, but not nearly for such a good price.

Weekend Update

If you have liked us on facebook, then you are probably aware of the massive reorganization effort going on here at Hippi House.  After moving more than 100 shoe boxes and several boxes full of out of season clothes into the extra closet, I have now moved onto one of the bathrooms.  (I shudder to even think about the next task coming up... THE BEDROOM)  While I struggle to meet my early October deadline of a home without clothes, shoes, beauty products and books all over the place, I have had less energy to dedicate to Sequins.  In the coming days, I hope to make up for neglecting you with quite a few posts that have been on the back burner.  There are still regular updates on the facebook page, however, including the announcement of the Rachel Pally sale that started at Haute Look this morning which has her draped jersey designs for less than $100.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Straighten You Out

About three weeks ago, I flat-ironed my hair for the first time in eight or nine months.  My complaints and rantings on facebook about fighting with my very thick mane sparked a conversation amongst my friends about their preferred methods of straightening their hair.  My text message to my father (you have to love a 66-year-old man that texts!), who has a HUGE thing about long hair, about how long my hair had gotten sparked a similar conversation amongst family members about straightening hair.  My rekindled love affair with CHI was briefly mentioned in a post a week ago about my September crushes.  To my surprise, that was the part of the post that received the most feedback.  SPiCY included John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon in her top ten of the moment.  It seems that dealing with our hair is a universal area of frustration for women.

There are a few ways to permanently, semi-permanently or temporarily straighten hair for those of us with naturally curly tresses.  Some of the more expensive ways are Thermal Reconditioning (also know as Japanese Hair Straightening) and Keratin Treatment (also known as Brazilian Hair Straightening).  Relaxers and Hair Texture Softeners are much less expensive methods.  However, I am a fan of the ever-popular flatiron, despite the time and energy it takes to use it.  My primary reasons are that Thermal Reconditioning is not appropriate for my hair texture, both Keratin Treatment and Thermal Reconditioning are extremely expensive, relaxers are, for the most part, too strong for my hair type and cause dryness and breakage and (though I am a big fan of hair texture softeners) I like to wear my hair curly at times.

I have had the same 1" CHI ceramic flatiron for the last 7 years and strongly advocate paying the extra money for this long-lasting quality iron.  It is worth the money.  I also use and am a HUGE fan of the CHI Straight Guard, 44 Iron Guard and Infra products.  (These are only my recommendations for straightening hair.  I'm sure a future post will get into my deep abiding love for Mixed Chicks products and the Naturally Curly website).  A non-CHI product that I highly recommend using as a deep-conditioner is Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner.  It is a brand aimed at Curly Girls of all races and ethnicities and the deep-conditioner is fabulous whether you are going straight or staying natural.

What are your preferred methods of straightening wavy or curly hair?  What products do you like best and recommend?

My apologies to all of you naturally straight girls out there.  All of my 25-years experience in hair care has been focused on curly hair.  I will leave the discussion on naturally straight hair to SPiCY.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Flat as a Pancake

We have been asked for posts on shoes for women who do not worship 4-inch-heels the way we do.  Today, I do my best to deliver.  Here are some cute flats I found.  All of them are on sale.  Some of them for extremely good prices.

Gabriella Rocha Brigitta sandal - $24.75

Via Spiga Veronia moccasins - $69.30

Fergalicious Alana ballet flat - $27.99

Sam Edelman Calypso ballet flat - $80.47 ($94.05 at Amazon)

Gabriella Rocha Neve ballet flat - $28.18

Marc Jacobs MJ14402 ballet flat - $229.75

B. Makowsky Rene ankle wrap flat - $65.40

Chinese Laundry Annabella jelly flat - $27.30 ($32.05 at Amazon) (I hate the attempts to bring back jellies, but I really like this shoe!)

Gabriella Rocha Fitzroy gladiator sandal - $24.38

Bella Vita Limit Skimmer - $19.95

ALDO Pilcher flats - $16.98

Patagonia Bandha gladiator sandal - $63.00 (note: these shoes run large, you may want to order a size down)

Charles by Charles David Canary ballet flat - $47.57

Sketchers Dreamgirls moccasins - $22.00

Kate Spade Jump ballet flats - $189.00

Elizabeth and James Myra ballet flat - $184.28

Calvin Klein Zanza ballet flat - $52.00

Söfft Parma skimmer - $34.95

Donal J Pliner Eda peep-toe flats - $112.00

Volatile Bindy moccasins - $24.00

There were so many cute flats, there were far too many for one post.  I limited the number included in this post to a few good deals from 6 pm.com and plan to bring you more flats in the future if I get feedback from readers that you want more.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

September's Crushes

I am one of those people that falls completely in love with something and is obsessed with it for a bit, then totally gets over it because I become obsessed with something else. My husband refers to them as my "crushes." Since many of my "crushes" are beauty and fashion related, I thought it might make a nice monthly post for the blog. These are my top ten must haves that I cannot live without at the moment.

Gin Wigmore's Music

Benefit Boo Boo Zap


Madewell Rail Straight Jeans

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier
Paparazzi Emma Magazine Clutch

Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer

ALDO Gorrill Sandals
Gypsy 05 Adela Jumpsuit

Gorjana Lariat Necklaces

CHI Straight Guard

Friday, September 3, 2010

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's the return of the cape/poncho. Again.







Dating back to the ancient peoples of the Andes, the poncho and/or cape, has been a fashion staple that comes and goes like the frigid cold weather of the Midwest.
Originally designed as a necessity for keeping the body warm and/or dry, it is now known in over 150 countries over the world, as a modern day fashion DO. From early Native Americans, to the military, from the ladies of the 18th century, to the fashionistas of today,
ponchos and capes have always and will forever remain in vogue. (Info taken from "A Cloak, Coat, Cape, Mantelet and Jacket Fashion History from 1800" by Pauline Weston Thomas for http://www.fashion-era.com)




With the return, yet again, of the cape/poncho this fall, I wanted to take a look at some of the updated versions (with updated prices to match) that are popping up. These are a far cry from the ponchos of old; but, the beauty of a poncho is in the diversity. Dress it up with a pencil skirt and stilettos; dress it down with a pair of distressed jeans and riding boots. Wear it over the currently in again turtleneck or as a light fall jacket replacement on those cool nights in the city. However you choose to rock it, make sure you OWN it.

Here's a look at some of our favorites:

1. Temple Poncho - $129.44 (I could actually LIVE in this poncho it's so soft!)

2. Skull Poncho - $495


4. Dark Grey Melange Studded Poncho - $335 (Another personal fave!)


6. Military Knitted Cape - $67.40 (in Navy or Khaki)

7. Nube Long-Sleeved Wrap - $220 (Not really a cape, not really a poncho, but who's gonna care when it looks this good?)

8. ASOS Contrast Trim Cape - $134.80 (A HippiChickiNiki fave.)

9. Army Cape Jacket - $110 ($10 Flat Rate Shipping to all 50 US States!!!)

10. Rainwave Animal Waterproof Festival Kimono - $75.83 (Cuz even when it's raining, you still gotta look your best.)



13. Southwest Poncho - $298 (Traditional in every sense of the word...)

14. Stella McCartney Knitted Wool Cape - $1377.94 (The color is just too exceptional to pass up!)

15. Steppe Cape - $1,535.60 (Who can resist 100% FOX fur? Except maybe vegans and well anyone with a heart or who doesn't have a trust fund or a rich hubby! This little guy stole my heart. And all the money from my bank account.)


Finally, this lovely piece is (probably) not for sale, but let me tell you, NO ONE can rock a Kermit the Frog cape like Miss Gaga!



Thursday, September 2, 2010

Fruits of Your Labor

Labor Day Sales are popping up everywhere and, thanks to feedback from a reader or two, we thought we'd tell you about the ones we run across.  This will be a constantly evolving post that will be updated as we find more and more deals for you.

ALDO has an extra 30% off all clearance sandals (online only) and free shipping on all orders over $75.

Think Her has 25% off Dogeared Jewelry (a fave of mine) with the coupon code LaborDay10 until September 6 and 20-50% OFF brands such as Ella Moss, PJ Salvage, Melie Bianco, Deux Lux & more.  Plus, they have free ground shipping on orders over $100 and they do not charge sales tax if your order is being shipped outside of California.

Benefit Cosmetics has free US shipping on any order for the next five days with the promo code LABORDAY at checkout.  If you've never tried Benefit, start with High Beam, That Gal and Lemon Aid.  You'll thank me later.

BCBG Max Azria has an additional 30% off all markdowns for their Labor Day Sale both in-store and online until Tuesday.

Madewell has added more styles to their End-of-Summer Sale and are offering free shipping on orders over $100 with the coupon code SCORE at checkout.  If you're new to Madewell, they are J. Crew's sister store. I particularly recommend the rail straight jeans, the neon lights belt,the scarfi creazioni panarea sandals, and the petal shoulder dress.  My blackberry romantic ruffle dress is a favorite of mine.

Gorjana's Private Sample Sale is today and there are a few really good deals left (up to 65% off).  Keep in mind that these are all final sale.

Our new friends at Dollhouse are also having a Labor Day Sale today through September 7, with 20% off all full-priced items using the code 20X5N6 at checkout.  They are also having a $10 Off Jeans Sale that ends tonight using code 1YF8YA at checkout. Some items we love there are in our last post.

Shoes.com has a 15% sale (with some exclusions) if you use the code 15OFF at checkout. They are also having a Labor Day Sale with an extra 25% off all sale shoes with promo code 25SALE until 11:59 p.m. CST September 7.

Heels.com is having a sale as well.

Sephora has a few treats for shoppers at the present time.  They have an exclusive Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit for $60 and 20% off on this kit thru 9/13 using the code SEVENTEEN at checkout; quite a few free with purchase deals on different fragrances; a few pages of items on sale; a free sample of Murad Acne & Wrinkle Reducer using the code ANTIACNE at checkout; free samples of three Benefit Crescent Row scents using the code SCENTTRIO at checkout; free mini rollerball of Bliss Eau de Toilette using code BLISSFUL at checkout and Tarte Double Gloss for just $6.

This week's Philosophy offer is a free 4-week supply of the microdelivery peel with any purchase of $50 or more using the code FREEMDPEEL at checkout.

Ideeli is having an M Missoni sale, starting tomorrow.  If you don't already have an ideeli account, they do have a free option.  The paid option gets access to sales 1 hour earlier and I would imagine some other perks.  Ideeli is also currently having sales on dolce & gabbana, d & g,  Versace, Jil Sander, Donna Karan shoes, Emilio Pucci shoes, Chloe sunglasses, Big Buddha shoes, da-nang, buco, Julie Brown, and blank nyc.

Tarte cosmetics is offering $10 off a purchase of $20 or more until sept. 6 using the promo code BDAY.  If you haven't tried this eco-friendly line, try the Tarte Starter Set, the Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer, and the 24-7 Lip Sheer.

Dermalogica is offering a free Antioxidant Hydramist with the purchase of Dynamic Skin Reovery SPF30.  If you've never tried this one, start with one of their skin kits to try this amazing line of skincare products.

ShopBop is having a Summer Sendoff Sale with discounts of 30, 50 or 70% on hundreds of items, including some faves of ours from Joie, Nightcap, Nili Lotan, Jeffrey Campbell, Alice + Olivia, Young, Fabulous and Broke and more.

CoutureCandy is having a Labor Day Sale. Save 25% on any purchase with code: FALL

ASOS is offering 15% off ASOS Collection dresses with code AWDRESSES at checkout.

Banana Republic is offering up to 30% off some merchandise in their online store until September 6.

My favorite, Gypsy 05, also has a sale going on currently.

The Trend Boutique is offering 10% off with the code LABOR10 and free shipping until Monday.

Rachel Roy has an extra 30% off sale merchandise until September 6.

Bliss Spas is offering an extra 20% off already reduced Bliss and Labratoire Remede sets with the code LABORDAY until September 8.

Melie Bianco is having a Labor Day Sale offering 20% off some of their purses until September 17.

Neutrogena has up to 20% on a lot of their bestselling products.

Kenneth Cole has a 40% off Labor Day Sale until September 7.

Since this type of post announcing sales is a new idea, please let us know what you think of it.

Have a happy holiday weekend!


Update Sept. 3 10:00 p.m.:

Skinny Purse also has a round-up of Labor Day Sales on their blog. Their list includes Bliss Spas, Banana Republic, eBags, Max Studio and French Connection.

They Are Literally Dolls!

Screenshot of Dollhouse Jeans blog
We are über-excited to have Dollhouse Jeans mention our post from Friday on their blog!  We ran across their Rhone sandal in blue, about 6 months ago, and liked it as a great addition to our shoe closets full of black stilettos.  Shortly after that, I discovered it in red and was truly enamored.  It was the perfect fit for me, at the beginning of my love affair with colorful embellished platforms.

Intrigued by this introduction to the brand, we went exploring on their website and found the Tano pumps and the Tish pumps, which are similar to a pair you saw Carrie Bradshaw wearing if you saw Sex and the City 2.  We spent a lot of time (as we are wont to do) sending messages to each other with links to various styles.  We especially liked the creative, sculpted-wedge heels on the Tali sandals and the Kimo sandals.  That was the excitement created only by the shoes!  I must admit to a bit of a crush on the Faux Leather Blazer Jackets, the Belted Denim Shirtdress, the Mariah Open-Toe Bootie and the Denim Romper.  Then, recently, Glamour's Daily Style Blog, Slaves to Fashion, put up a blog post with 148 pairs of wallet-friendly (i.e. under $50) jeans.  Featured in that post were Dollhouse's Catalina stretch skinny jean; now those are another crush of mine.
The sandal that started it all: Dollhouse "Rhone"

Already having come to love the eye-catching, unique pieces from the brand that add personality and distinctiveness to any wardrobe, we were pleased and flattered when we learned that the people at Dollhouse liked our name.  Today, we are even bigger fans of Dollhouse Jeans.  In response to them blogging about our post from Friday, we would like to do our best Wayne and Garth imitation and just say, "We're not worthy."

Update 7:15p.m.:

I have just learned they have those sculpted-wedge heels I adore on a fall shoe called the Tiller.  SPiCY has fallen for their Zest heeled work boots.  Plus, today through September 7, you can get 20% off those shoes and any other full-priced items using the code 20X5N6 at checkout.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Twisted

During a mad search to find a pair of raffia platform sandals that you will probably hear me raving about in a later post, I came across a very interesting, creative, yet wearable trend.  Usually, in fashion, you often find that the most creative and artistic designs are not things most of us would wear (take, for example the Balenciaga shoes for fall 2010 that one of us adores).  This one, however, is interesting, eye-catching, distinctive and unique, but I can actually see the average women wearing it on the street.  Plus, the mostly closed vamp is just enough coverage for that transition between summer's heat and winter's frigid temps.  It is also a creative way to add a splash of color to an outfit full of neutrals.  I was able to find the following examples and there are sure to be more.

1. BCBGirls Devon - $45.53

2. XOXO Brit - $44.99

3. Pelle Moda Venecia - $52.69

4. Miss Me Garnet-23 - $45.95

5. Fergie Blast - $55.37 - $62.96

6. Nine West Ebbytide - $32.75 (at Amazon), $43.24 (at 6 pm.)

7. Charlie My Love Amiga - $80.00

8. Charlie My Love Adina - $150.00

9. Donald J Pliner Eda peep-toe flats - $112.00