Fashion for everyone

A disclaimer: This post is not meant to be preachy or whiny. I'm simply thinking "out loud" (in the form of this blog) and will take no offense if you find the following thoughts to be little more than internet chatter. Regardless, thanks for taking the time to read (or not read) my ramblings.

Look at this photo. What comes to mind when you see these women? Disgust? Awe? Surprise? Familiarity?

I stumbled upon this article on Glamour.com today and it got me thinking a whole flood of thoughts, most of which I'm going to attempt to make sense of.

Let's start with the beginning. Ever since I can remember (probably around 10 or 11), I've felt as though my body was an alien, hideous thing. As the only black girl most of the time, I had my mostly Caucasian friends to compare myself to, and found that I could never quite look like everyone else (as desperately as I wanted to). I felt as though there was no way that anyone could ever accept it if they knew what my body really looked like, so I had best find other reasons (like cute clothes, nice things, being funny) for people to even want to talk to me. All of this was obviously not true, but that's how I felt. Of course, part of this was simply preteen angst, and feeling like my body was betraying me as it changed and grew.
Flash forward to the middle and end of high school, after 10 years of mentally berating myself at almost any chance. An example of my thoughts? Looks in the mirror, wearing a seemingly cute outfit. Brain: "Wow, you have really fat legs. Like enormous legs. You probably should change, that's disgusting." I would think these thoughts virtually any time I looked at myself in a mirror (keep in mind that I was actually about 25-30 pounds thinner than I am right now). Any compliments I was given was countered with a "Thanks, but you don't know that ____ (fill in self deprecating excuse here)." I never felt pretty or in shape, even though I look back now at pictures and see that I was both of those things.

I'm happy to say that lately I've been trying to counter negative thoughts with positive ones, and taking all the sweet compliments from everyone on the Internet (thanks yet again!) into account. When I started outfit posting almost a year and a half ago, I was surprised by the positive feedback. Perhaps I wasn't as hideous as I thought, and maybe, just maybe, my average figure didn't repel people from reading my blog or liking my outfit. Slowly but surely, I became a little more confident, and although I must admit there are many days that I look in the mirror and wonder why I was born with the body I've been given, I try my best to stay positive and realize that who I am is unique and beautiful, no matter how little resemblance I have to a lithe, Nordic model who is 6'0 feet tall. Part of this confidence is also due to seeing all the inspiring bloggers who are so pretty and stylish, but most of which wouldn't meet the current fashion industry standard of beauty, albeit height or sizewise. Seriously, there are so many gorgeous bloggers out there, it's astounding. (A very great example of a fearless, creative and beautiful blogger is Zana. If you haven't read her blog already, start now! She blows my mind regularly, and is so confident in herself, it's quite inspiring.)

So now, back to the picture.
Glamour is proposing a revolutionary idea: filling their magazine with a wide (no pun intended) range of models, showing more diversity and (most likely) appealing to a great range of the general public. When I saw this picture, the first thing I thought was "Wow, they are all drop dead gorgeous." The second thing I thought was "Hey, wait a second...some of them look like *gasp* me!". There is no denying that these plus size models are all stunning, even if they aren't cookie cutter issue models. This would a good time to mention that I love straight size models just as much as the next fashion blogger BUT one must admit that it would be interesting and different to see high fashion clothes on various bodies, not just those which are closer to resembling clothing racks...

I think that if magazines keep going in this direction, the world of fashion (and blogging) will become stronger and more creative. As the editor in chief of Glamour, Cindi Leive said..."Beauty can exist in many sizes". Who knows? Maybe the next big thing in the blogging world will be a curvy girl of Ugandan descent from a smallish town in BC?*

*A girl can dream, right?

happy monday everyone!!! no really, i mean it ~ i've got lots of marvelous news to kick off your chic week in high style...

firstly, i'm excited to announce that today marks the premier of glamporium morn!! from now on, instead of adding things randomly as they're readied, i'll be refilling the etsy shop at 12am (EST) every monday. for the inaugural launch, i've debuted two new rings and four pairs of sunnies:

secondly, as a result of my harried hunt for jade-hued hands, i believe i have finally found the perfect polish:

thirdly, you may recall that i've also been seeking olive stockings. my search (and my lovely readers) led me to the holy grail of hosiery hues: welovecolors.com ~ a store that stocks all the colors you could wish for!

finally, i'm proud to say that my hunky hairstylist, lennie vega, has just been snatched up by senses ~ a hot new salon in nyc. and he's not alone ~ they've also lured my clever colorist, callie. this dynamite duo are welcoming all glamourai readers to their new home by offering 20% off their skillful services ~ just make sure to tell them who sent you!

the fruits of my first foray into jade lacquered nails turned out a bit... grassy.

upon reader cory's suggestion, i wanted to try OPI's 'hey get in lime.' from what i could ascertain online, it looked closest to the chanel color i've been lusting for ~ but it was unavailable at my local beauty supply. the best alternative, which i ended up testing, was OPI's 'green-wich village.' it's not quite what i was going for, but it's growing on me.

thank you for all the sweet comments on my new hairdo! i must remind you that the man who deserves all credit for my coif, the inimitable lenny vega, is offering $25 off your next haircut, all summer long (details here)! he's a true talent, who can tame even the hairiest mane. enjoy!

one of my favorite accessories is bold-toned nail polish. it's the unsung hero of many outfits ~ the extra touch that can tie two prints together, punk up a fairly square look, or simply bestow a fresh sheen to any old ensemble!

for the last year, i've flaunted a fervor for blue hues on my hands and toes ~ from navy to cobalt to aquamarine.

however, since i first glimpsed photos from the chanel fall 2009 runway (above), i've been itching to 'go green' and get their revolutionary jade lacquer onto my hands. rumor has it this coveted color will be released in a limited edition sometime in october, but should any of you know a knock-off already on the market, please do share!

enjoy! xoxoglamourai

One of the most beautiful illustrated shoots I've seen in a long, long time.

source

I have more than 50(!!!) followers now! Thank you SO MUCH for being even mildly interested in my blog, I know that there are so many good ones out there. Speaking of which, the lovely CaliVintage posted an interview with yours truly over on her blog! Check her blog, she's got great vintage pieces and a whole bunch of sweet interviews with other bloggers like Ringo, Have A Banana (one of my favourites!). And she also made me look all cool and stuff, which is a feat ;)

P.S. I thought you should know, you're beautiful. This means you!

i get a lot of questions ~ in the comments and via email ~ about my makeup routine, so i thought i should open up my beauty bag and let you all in on my face painting practices. for starters, here is all the waxery i wear in a day:


{clockwise from left: cargo bronzer, mac powder, prescriptives mascara, julie hewett blush, vichy concealer, revlon lipgloss, bobbie brown eyeshadow, revlon eyeliner, drugstore brow liner}

let's break it down, shall we?


my 'under painting' begins with mac's studio fix powder foundation. it is light, seamless, and never flaky or cakey. i've been wearing it as long as i can remember, and have never been tempted to change. for undereye and spot coverage, i use vichy dermablend concealer. my dermatologist recently recommended this product and it is a miracle! it seriously gives you a photoshop face.

i fill in my eyebrows with a generic drugstore pencil. when selecting a color, i suggest going one shade lighter than your natural brow tone (mine is called 'cougar brown' ~ LOL!). this helps achieve the look of a naturally full eyebrow. i then brush a bit of cargo bronzer over my cheek and brow bones, and rub a spot of julie hewett's rosie into the fullest part of my cheeks. on a nonchalant day, this is often where it ends...

...but more often than not, i like to layer on a few extras...


any professional makeup artist will tell you to play up your strengths. i was born with big bulging eyeballs, so that's where i focus most of my makeup endeavorlies. for my skin tone, bobbie brown's velvet plum eyeshadow palette takes care of nearly every occasion. i like wearing one color over the whole eyelid and sweeping a slightly darker color across the outer corners of my upper lash line. for casual occasions, i layer the first two colors, for dressier days, the second two colors, and for evening i use the last two colors. when i really want to make a statement, i run a line of revlon color stay liquid liner across the upper lash line as well. it's as easy to use as a ballpoint pen!

every look is finished with a sweep of prescriptives lash envy volumizing mascara, applied to the top lashes only. never, ever wear mascara on your bottom lashes. trust me, it is not a good look.

now i don't know about you, but i've never been very good at keeping lipstick inside the lines, so i save it for special occasions. if ever there appears to be color on my mouth, i owe it to revlon's super lustrous lipgloss in pearl plum. it looks darkish in the tube, but once i put it on it transforms into a slightly more saturated, shinier version of my natural lip tint. i tried a TON of different products before i found this perfect fit.



i love accentuating my mood with scent, and have at least 25 perfumes on my dressing table. many of my favorites are actually men's colognes! most days, i wear two layered together {in keeping with my general mode of dress, i guess}. right now, these three are my mvp's:

{left to right: juicy couture, chanel allure homme, prada amber pour homme}

besides cosmetics, there are a few other products that i rely on to maintain my mug:

morning and night, i wash my face with patricia wexler's exfoliating cleanser {not pictured}. afterward, i moisturize with nars lipid support skin cream. this combination keeps my skin pretty clear, but when blemishes appear, i treat them overnight with md skincare's spot treatment. in the wintertime especially, i constantly keep solar oil and chapstick on hand to prevent my cuticles and lips from drying out.

and that's what works for me! i am by no means a beauty expert, just a girl who after a LOT of trial and a LOT of error has figured out a reliable routine, with room in it to play around. what works best for you?