I'd like to point out that virtually everything enjoyable and luxurious in our modern world was brought to us by the Italians. Espresso, Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Loro Piana cashmere, Italian leather, amazing textiles, pasta, prosciutto, mozarella, pizza, gelato the list goes on and on - and my favorite shoe designer - Giuseppe Zanotti. Video courtesy of Net-a-Porter.
The shoes of Giuseppe Zanotti are a mix of elegance, edge and art. If I had to choose only one brand of shoe to wear for the rest of my life, it would be Giuseppe Zanotti. Yes, everyone loves the red bottoms of Louboutins, and women swear by Manolo Blahnik, but my heart belongs to Zanotti. The craftsmanship and design are gasp inducing.
My style mantra has always been quality not quantity, and this virtually applies to every category of goods that I purchase. I would rather purchase one pair of shoes that I can wear and cherish for years than four pairs of a lesser quality that will wear out in one season. Not to mention, lesser quality usually means knock offs, and I can't describe how much I despise knock offs - this is a whole other post on its own. I always look for high quality leather and materials and a design that is either timeless and classic or very interesting. Don't confuse "interesting" with tragically trendy. Some of the lesser quality "designers", and I use the term loosely, will combine 85 fads in one shoe, and the results are well, tragic.
Thankfully, the holidays are perfect opportunities to score beautiful designs for less! Giuseppe Zanotti now has many styles of the Fall/Winter 10-11 season on sale at 50% off! We are barely into the winter season, so it is a perfect time to purchase these styles on sale and get an opportunity to wear them before we see the first blush of spring.
On Sale for $325
The perfect print and the most elegant heel. Picture these with a full skirt and a chic cardigan set paired with an orangey, red lip. Or a sleek jean/blazer combo.
On Sale for $528
Perfect military inspired boot without being too literal. Pair with a lace dress, a mini or a waxy coated jean and a textured coat or sweater. I'm thinking all about contrasting textures with this shoe.
On Sale for $465
For some reason I think of winter white and chunky turquoise jewelry with this suede stunner. It's so versatile, you can wear it with anything!
On sale for $598 - Have you seen Jane wear these on Sea of Shoes? Perfection! One of my all time fav blogs by the way.
If you are in need of some resort wear, or live in a tropical locale, you can also pre-order designs from Spring/Summer 11
Pre order for $695 - The description on the website is switched with the other shoe of this material, so you may want to call to order!
The time has come - I've reverted back to my 8th grade days of coloring my own hair. I absolutely adore my hair stylist, but he is in San Diego and I'm in L.A. and, well, our long distance relationship is just not working for my hair. Typically, I am more of an all-over color gloss type of person, so I decided to take on the challenge of self coloration. I am a student after all, so saving money where I can is essential. I have never purchased my color from a grocery or drug store, so I made the journey to Wilshire Beauty Supply to pick up some product. Click here to see Yelp reviews.
I decided on Wella Color Touch demi-permanent color. Recently, I've read that mixing two or more colors will help to achieve a more salon worthy look, so I knew I wanted two different colors. I've been obsessed with red hair color, so from the Vibrant Red shade category, I selected the 6/4 dark blonde/red and the 6/47 dark blonde/red brown. I also purchased the 1.9% developer. The two colors and the 1L bottle of developer were only $30. I could have used one and a half tubes of color for the length of my hair. It is fairly thick but not long. After coloring, I used a color seal conditioner to rebalance the PH in my hair. I'm not a professional, but the woman who worked at the Beauty Supply recommended it, so I decided to give it a try - it was $2.99 for the single-use packet of conditioner.
I absolutely adore the shine and brilliant color, but I think next time I will purchase a color from the Rich Natural category and combine it with the 6/47. The color is a little intense, but it is pretty! That is the beauty of the demi-permanent color - you can play with color and not be committed.
Pssssst! Dry shampoo and yes it is spelled with 5 sssss and an exclamation mark, is another tried and true tool that keeps its place on my "must have" list. You've all heard of the artful mix of highs and lows in fashion...having some expensive pieces and some not so expensive. Well Pssssst! is a part of my beauty regime that costs less than $7, and is purchased at CVS along with my Q-tips and cotton balls. I've tried many other, more expensive dry shampoos and they just don't perform like Pssssst! Also, for nearly a $15 price difference, the other dry shampoos just don't make sense. It must be said that Pssssst! is the kind of dry shampoo that builds volume and leaves a more matte finish to the hair, so it may not be for you. I find it necessary for my second day hair so I don't need to shampoo and restyle.
P.S. you may feel strange saying the word Pssssst! when you start recommending it to people.
