Milan Fashion Week F/W '13: Aquilano Rimondi, Dolce & Gabbana, Just Cavalli, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Versace

Despite their current status, Dolce & Gabbana's latest offerings have been some of my favorites. As a history/art history nerd, I really like the use of Byzantine influences here. It's slightly different from the usual religious tropes that designers use. For example, over at Givenchy, the religious icons are usually more Catholic, while these here are kind of Orthodox.

Long story short, the most easily translatable parts of this are probably not the iconography, but you might still be able to get away with wearing a distilled version of this look in public.

Of note: Metallics, especially gold and bronze, religious icons, head to toe lace, jewels and pearls.

I had to include some detail shots from Dolce & Gabbana, because this was just amazing. The flower cage heels...!

I love that the clothes were printed to look like mosaics. It really gives off the feeling of "wearing church", if you know what I mean. And the crowns! They might be my favorite pieces of all from this collection. Who doesn't want to be royalty, even if it's just for a day, or just in your head?

Moving on to Just Cavalli, which seems to be more street-inspired as time goes by. I always feel like I never know what to expect from this line. This time around, it seems to be luxe puffer jackets over a global mix of fabrics and prints from China, India, and maybe France as well?

Moschino Cheap and Chic is also one of my favorites, just because they always seem to be having fun with the designs. This collection seems to be straddling the line between punk and prep, with its tartan overload and tailored shapes.

Not too much to say about this collection. I just like latex. *shrug* Time to bust out those liquid leggings again!

London Fashion Week F/W '13: Burberry Prorsum, Clements Ribeiro, Duro Olowu, Holly Fulton, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Joseph, KTZ, Peter Pilotto

I'm hardly ever into Burberry Prorsum, unless they're doing something a little punky/gothic, but I really enjoyed the plastic (vinyl?) pieces, and all the different textures and patterns used this time around. My absolute favorite is the khaki trench with leopard print sleeves. If I had to wear a trench coat, it'd be that one.

Of note: Kitten heels, pencil skirts, fabrics with shine, and leopard print, of course.

Good ol' Holly Fulton, always bringing the geometric patterned hotness. The cube print shown on the first two skirts is one of my absolute favorite patterns/optical illusions. I guess that's the neuroscientist in me talking, because who has favorite optical illusions? Anyway...

Of note: Cube print illusion (H&M had some pieces this past fall with this print, and you can often find it in other high street stores), all over prints with black to anchor the outfit.

My fault, I accidentally wrote "Jean-Paul" on the picture, when it should be "Jean-Pierre". My apologies! No apologies needed for the clothes though, with their geometric designs that bring to mind a pagan feel, along with those awesome deer-head necklaces.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I have become a huge fan of KTZ, and also that it is everywhere in the K-pop world. Back to the collection at hand, what really caught my eye was the playing card imagery (best seen in the bottom row, middle two outfits). Playing card imagery is a favorite of mine, since I collect playing cards, so I was really excited to see it in some outlandish, yet relatively wearable clothing. In addition, I feel that it's a continuation of KTZ's previous use of tarot imagery (see the first outfit) in their men's collection.

Of note: Bold -- and I mean bold - playing/tarot card imagery, oily leather, layered bottoms, volume.

NYFW F/W '13: Prabal Gurung, Preen Line, Rachel Roy, Red Valentino, Sea

Admittedly, I totally fell off the blogging wagon. I was feeling a little burnt out. But I'm back, and I plan on catching up to all of the runway collections that've happened in the past few months. I do have a question for you though: Is there something new/different you'd like to see on this blog? I'm open to any suggestions. You can drop a comment here, email me, tweet me -- whatever. Thanks!

Now on to the clothes that'll be relevant in a mere three or four months (that's a frightening thought, isn't it?)...

There's a definite military/bondage theme going on here at Prabal Gurung. I like it, but overall, this outing didn't really capture my heart like PG usually does. Regardless, there's still plenty here to like/covet/buy, like the military parkas and peplum jackets.

Of note: Olive drab, buckles galore, appliqued prints.

I pretty much posted this just for the leather and shearling jacket at top left... I know people who'd probably give a toe to have that.

Rachel Roy's clientele are usually working women, or so I've heard. But looking at the above collection, I think her collection might be best suited for art curators or other creative, yet still somewhat formal workplaces. There are certainly a good number of work-appropriate separates, like the long pencil skirts and the short-sleeve t-shirt.

This isn't my usual taste (anymore), but it was so cute, I couldn't resist including Red Valentino.

Beauty haul review! Skincare products, haircare products, and makeup

A few months ago, I received/bought some beauty products that I wanted to review. It took me a lot longer than I thought, though, to review everything, so here we are.

Clarisonic Plus

When I moved back home to go to grad school, my skin started breaking out like crazy, and the pimples never seemed to go away. I finally broke down and bought the Clarisonic because I was so tired of all the blemishes and clogged pores. I bought mine on QVC, and it came with a bunch of other products -- I'd definitely recommend buying it that way.

(Source: Clarisonic)

I started using it once a day, and saw awesome results, though I was pretty wary. (A colleague had told me her sister got a staph infection from using a handheld face brush.) Still, I could see all the dirt that regular washing left on my face -- the Clarisonic got mostly everything.

*gross-out warning*

Then, the honeymoon was over: I started getting these huge individual pimples that were full of pus, like whiteheads. The rest of my skin was clear, but these giant pimples scared me, since I'd never had anything like that. I stopped using the Clarisonic until they all cleared up. Now, I only use the Clarisonic every now and then, and I am extrememly gentle with my face otherwise. My skin is pretty clear, with only the occasional flare-up. Overall, I'd say I am pleased with the Clarisonic. Just make sure that when you use it, you don't overdo it. At the first sign of irritation, I would say either stop use completely, or at the very least, by 50%.

Bliss products

 (Source: Bliss Spa)

Like I said, my Clarisonic came with a bunch of products. I got the Bliss Paraben-free Lemon + Sage Body Butter, the Lemon + Sage Soapy Suds Body Wash, and the Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. I still haven't used the face wash (I'm currently using a glycolic acid wash from my dermatologist, and Murad) or the body wash more than once, but I have used the body butter, and let me tell you...

It sucks.

(Source: Bliss Spa)

This has to be one of the least moisturizing lotions/creams I have ever used. From the moment I squeezed it into my hand, I knew it wasn't going to be the one for me. It's a little watery, and I felt like it just evaporated off my skin after I applied it. I had to reapply lotion a few minutes later. If you like the smell of lemon, you might be able to use it just for that... Since I don't like wasting things, I will probably mix it with some other lotions or baby oil gel to get a more moisturizing effect.

Murad Clarifying Acne Wash

(source: Murad)

The tea tree scent definitely makes my eyes water and my face tingle a little bit, but overall, the product isn't irritating and it isn't drying. I will probably continue using this.

Ojon Hair Oil

(Source: Money After Graduation)

Hated it. Ugh, I don't even want to go on. I don't think this product is made for relaxed black hair (and maybe not even naturally textured black hair either). The smell was gross too.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

(Source: Sephora)

This eyeliner took some getting used to because it's not as liquidy as I expected. However, it gives you a lot of control, and thusly, good results. Unfortunately, my eyeliner pen broke, and I had to throw the whole thing away. :(

Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

(Source: Embryolisse)

You might think this is just a moisturizing cream, but actually, it's also a primer and make-up remover! That's pretty cool, because it isn't particularly cheap. So yeah, I liked this product, but it seemed like it was making my forehead peel a lot when I used it on a daily basis. I think it's supposed to promote cell turnover, and my forehead peels easily to begin with, so maybe that would explain the results I got. Honestly, I really liked this product, and if it weren't for the peeling, I would say this is a must-have.

Overall, I would recommend the Clarisonic and the Murad face wash. The Embryolisse is okay, so you can try it if you really want to, and finally, I would NOT recommend the Bliss products.