Brands We Love - Michael Antonio

Michael Antonio by Hippi Chicki Niki featuring stiletto boots

Inside, dressed completely seasonally inappropriately in protest of the loss of the amazingly beautiful weather from the beginning of January (50 and 60 degrees), I am in a shoe-obsessed mood.  I have been putting on heeled sandals for no good reason (I am currently loving the way these tan Michael Antonio Jayda sandals make my legs look with this black mini) and "window shopping" online.  SPiCY must be in a similar mood, because she just posted links to Miu Miu and L.A.M.B. shoes on her facebook page.  Since we're on the same page at the moment, I suggested to SPiCY that we collaborate by introducing you all to one of our favorite, reasonably-priced, stylish brands.  Considering that I am wearing that brand at this very moment, it seemed positively providential that it be the subject of this week's post.  So, here are the current favorites of the two main Sequins girls from Michael Antonio's eclectic line of shoes.

SPiCY Recommends
Hammer
Oliver
Logi
Mosado
Trinity
Melody
Gower
Meris
Gabby
Makar
Tazia
Mantika
Jimmy
Monica
Mercy

HiPPi Recommends
Tremain
Miki
Luna
Tahan
McKey
Kelso
Theta
Moe
Lloyd
Braiden
Miksa
Tierra
Matteo
Tuva
Odon

Brands We Love - Linea Pelle

Thanks to an unexpected mid-November heatwave (you have to love the Southwest), I am running around in Gypsy 05's iconic Simple Organic Maxi Dress in peach and pink lemonade Trove Tkees sandals.  Tuesday was freezing, however, so I piled on one style trend after another to keep warm.  To top off my tights and sweater and booties, I cinched my waist with my favorite Linea Pelle belt.  Even though I haven't quite admitted to myself how much I splurged on that belt, I've worn it quite a bit, making it one of my most used purchases this fall.  This makes perfect sense, since the belt trend is one of the most visible ones around.  Basically, add a belt on top of any sweater, shirt or dress and you're suddenly on trend.

Though just about any belt will do to get you on trend (especially if you tie it instead of fastening it properly), this brand has stolen my heart because of their unique styles that you see nowhere else.  From the Vintage Pieced Leather Belt with its decidedly seventies, hippie feel to the very modern Pyramid Studded Hip Belt seen on Gwen Stefani, I love them all.  Plus, they make the most HiPPi of all accessories, the cuff bracelet.  Though I'm mentioning them almost as an afterthought, Linea Pelle purses are hugely popular with celebrities and for good reason.  Basically every item made by this brand is just perfect.

Brands We Love - Betsy & Iya

Remember us talking about the chain trend a couple of weeks ago?  Well, one of our favorite jewelry brands does the chain trend, among other gorgeous jewelry looks, amazingly well.  A designer discovered by SPiCY, Betsy Cross makes all of her jewelry by hand.  As you can see if you go to the Betsy & Iya's Etsy store or one her her stores (all on the East and West coasts) you will see that Ms. Cross's hand is a very talented one.  Here are some of our favorite styles from her.

Art Nouveau Romantic Fan Earrings $25.00
Black Deco Drips $39.00
Long Lingering Locket Earrings $44.00
Kelly the Empress Brass Golden Shield Necklace $59.00
The Hooded Wonder Earrings $49.00
Deco Darling Darling Leafy Lady Earrings $25.00
Rockstar Chain Drip Earrings $39.00
Large Filigree Square Earrings $35.00
Golden Feather Hoop Earrings $25.00
Link Me Up Silver Bamboo Tube Earrings $35.00
Black Scarf Necklace $49.00
Long Feather Chain Earrings $44.00
Gold Bar Brilliance Earrings $25.00
Slinky Spherical Sexies Earrings $39.00
Deco Burst Earrings $19.00
Fancy Love Dangle Earrings $39.00
Wind Chimes Camera Lens Earrings $69.00
Bodacious Beetle Wings Earrings $19.00
Golden Egyptian Triangle Earrings $25.00
Sexy Circle Flower Bomb Earrings $25.00

Only one of everything is for sale.  I am unsure if this means that everything is one of a kind or not; Bu it probably means that, if you like something, you shouldn't wait to buy it.

Saint Nicholas

A pair of his shoes are more expensive than most of us pay for our  mortgages; but, the architectural detail of his designs are more distinctive than those of most of our houses.  When British designer, Nicholas Kirkwood, opted to design shoes, he deprived the worlds of sculpture and architecture of a great talent.  Here he is in an interview discussing the pumps he designed for Sarah Jessica Parker that are available exclusively at My Theresa.  Below are some of our crushes from this unique, avant-garde designer.

Style A0103C

Style A0110A

Style A0111C

Style A0114A
Style A0116A
Style A0116C
Style A0118A
Style A0538A
Style A0514B
Style A0518

Style A0519

Style A0520A

Style A0521A

Style A0525

Style A0526A
Style A0535B
Style A0539A
Unknown Style A
Unknown Style B
Unknown Style C
Unknown Style D
Unknown Style E
Unknown Style F

Brands We Love - Benefit Cosmetics

For the last couple of months, I have fallen back in love with Benefit Cosmetics.  If you've never tried this San Francisco-based brand with adorable packaging, you are in for a treat!  Despite the names that are plays on words and the whimsical packaging, the women behind this brand are serious about their stuff.  The correctors are some of the best cosmetics you will ever use.  You might remember the pimple-pounding potion they call boo-boo zap being mentioned in the post on my September Crushes.  I also listed "That Gal" face primer as one of my top ten crushes for this month.  In the past, I have regaled my friends with my lovesick praise for the brand's, now discontinued, Dr. Feelgood's lipscription.  Those are just a few of the amazing products this brand makes.

Plus, those correctors I mentioned, they are so wonderful I have discovered a way to get my face looking great with no concealer or foundation!  Normally I cannot show my face without concealer because of hyperpigmentation scars, so this is quite a feat.  After playing around with different products in different combinations.  I have found that using "That Gal" face primer with a little High Beam and a $1 elf brand powder is enough to make my skin look phenomenal!  It takes all of five minutes to put on these 3 things.  All I need after that is a little blush (I'm most fond of their Hoola) and if I remember I'll put on mascara and that amazing lip balm.  If I really want to make myself up well, I use their eye cream (called Eye Con) and some of their Lemon Aid and Erase Paste.   They have other great products, but the ones I mentioned are so over the top amazing that I thought I'd share.  They also give beauty lessons on how to use all of their great products.

I'm not the only one raving, either.  Just take a minute to read the comments on their facebook fan page.  Their products have also won a bunch of beauty awards from Allure, Real Simple, Self Magazine, O Magazine, totalbeauty.com, Temptalia, Brides Magazine, Latina Magazine, In Style, Elle, Town & Country, Marie Claire, Sephora (full disclosure, Sephora & Benefit are both owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A.), Cosmopolitan, Life & Style, Women's Health, 7x7 Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Redbook, Siempre Mujer, Star Magazine, and Fifi Magazine.  These are cosmetics that make you feel as good as a new hot pair of shoes does and they're definitely worth it.  

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, Piperlime, BlueBee, 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.

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.

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.

Gypsy Queens

One brand we have fallen hard for this summer is Gypsy 05.  It is a special favorite of HippiChickiNiki whose handle is quite an apropos description for her easy boho-chic style.  Apparently, Niki isn't alone since this brand has been seen on Vanessa Hudgens, Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge, Christina Aguilera, Denise Richards, Taylor Spreitler, Shay Mitchell, Sarah Drew, Lauren Conrad, Lisa Rinna, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nicky Hilton, Kelly Rutherford, Khloe Kardashian, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kathleen Robertson, Vanessa Minnillo, Jennifer Stone, Kendra Wilkinson, Lady Gaga, Jana Kramer, Brianna Brown, Jessica Hart, Ashley Tisdale, Beverly Mitchell, AnnaLynne McCord, Whitney Port, Tori Spelling, Anna Kournikova, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Momsen, Kim Kardashian, Haylie Duff, Lindsey Lohan, Hayden Panettiere, Selena Gomez, Ali Fedotowsky, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Jessica Alba.

HippiChickiNiki's particular favorites are the Bella Silk flutter maxi dress and mini dress, the Adela jumpsuit, the Nelly tube jumper, the Simple Organic maxi dress, the Rena Flutter-sleeve minidress, the Giselle maxi dress, the Marlee minidress, the Fara dress, the Emma tube long dress, the Gara silk flutter mini dress and the Horizon belted dress.  All of these would go beautifully with the ALDO Gorill gladiator sandals (now on sale!) that she wears quite frequently or her favorite Pedro Garcia Gem ankle wrap flats.  One of the Rebecca Minkoff Nikki bags we discussed on Friday would be a perfect match.  We also envision pairing them with Gorjana wrap necklaces or lariats, lots of bangle bracelets, huge hoop earrings and messy side ponytail or loose side bun to complement the effortless hippie style of the clothes.

Gypsy 05 is for sale at Singer 22, Shop the Trend Boutique, Black Label Boutique, REVOLVEclothing, ASOS, Amazon, Blue Heaven Boutique and on the brand's own website.

Have a Nightcap?

"Equal parts cozy and chic with a healthy pour of gypsy panache. Shake with a twist of beach babe and serve chilled..." That is how REVOLVEclothing.com Magazine describes the Nightcap clothing collection.  This Los Angeles based brand does exactly what designer, Carisa Brambles, set out to achieve.  It is full of pieces that are "comfortable and easy" and "that you want to wear out" just as she described.

We are in love with just about every piece in this collection.  They are all so comfortable and sexy.  Most notably, SPiCY (the trendsetter with eclectic, edgy style) loves the Trench Dress (in stone), the Twisted marine dress (which is what brought her to this brand in the first place), the Garter tights (which she wants to wear with EVERYTHING) and the Penny Pocket tank.  HippiChickiNiki (our resident boho-chic hippie) loves the Trench dress as well.  She is enamored with the Flamenco skirt, the Foldover short, the Baron dress, the Foldover tights, the Penelope dress, the Lace Cowl top and the Rosarito dress.

Nightcap clothing can be found at REVOLVEclothing, ShopBop, Pink Mascara, Black Label Boutique, The Trend Boutique, Saks Fifth Avenue, Singer 22 and on the brand's own website.

Post co-written by SPiCY and HippieChickiNiki