Cheap Eyeshadow Find

Well, I was so encouraged by my drugstore mascara find that I decided to see what other drugstore makeup products I could find to substitute for more expensive versions. I tried this Maybelline Stylish Smokes Eyeshadow Quad and I love it! The colors are so pretty, and as you can see from the picture, application directions are stamped right into the eyeshadow, showing you which colors to apply to your brow bone, lid, crease and corner. The formula wears really well, it really lasts all day. And it's only $5 at drugstore.com! I tried the grays shown above, but they come in other colors too, including browns, purples, and greens. I'm having great success with the drugstore brands.

Multi-strand chain necklace at Target

I love this chain necklace by Hollywood Intuition, at Target for $15. It's really chunky and fun, and does not feel cheap at all, it has a nice weight to it that is unexpected in a $15 necklace. I really love that it mixes silver, gold and bronze, so it will go with any other jewelry you have on. If you like it, hurry, they are selling fast at stores. If you can't find it in the store, get it online.

Cover Girl Lashblast Mascara

Okay, you guys know that I LOVE Diorshow mascara. It's the best I've ever tried, it's supervolumizing, never clumps, and is just generally fabulous. Well, I ran out of the stuff the other day, so headed to the mall to buy a new tube. When I got home, I realized the salesgirl had given me a different formula than the original. I was in a hurry, so I ran up to the drugstore to pick up a temporary replacement and grabbed this Cover Girl Lashblast. Uh...I really like it. I mean, really like it. Do I love it as I do Diorshow mascara? I do not. However, it's $8, versus $24 for the Diorshow...I can learn to love it.

It has an enormous brush, which I love, but the brush is tiny little plastic spikes. Sort of weird, but it definitely works, it made my lashes really thick without clumping. Okay, there was a little clumping, but not bad at all. Now, I applied two coats, whereas with Diorshow you only need one. But it stays on all day and I love the way it looks. I like it so much that I haven't bought a Diorshow replacement. This may be my new everyday mascara.

Pink Patent Pumps

Okay, I love these pink patent leather pumps from Cole Haan, on sale right now for $111 at Smart Bargains. I love colorful shoes like these--if you're worried about what you'll wear with them, don't. They'll look great against a lot of colors, and will really make an outfit of neutrals pop. They would especially look gorgeous with grays. And they have the Nike Air technology that I love so much.

Project Runway is BACK! Here's the recap

I was so excited for Project Runway premiere night that I decided to do a recap for you guys! The change from Bravo to Lifetime was pretty seamless--not too many changes to the format. They did change the workroom with the move to L.A.--I liked the old one better, I thought the new one looked really cramped.

The night started off with a two hour all-star challenge. Santino, Sweet P, Mychael, Daniel, Uli, Chris, Jeffrey, and Karto were the all-stars from past seasons competing for $100K. It was really fun to see the contestants again. Roughly 1/6 of the show consisted of images of Chris snoring. Chris snoring while everyone else sketched madly. Chris snoring while everyone else fights over models at the casting. Chris snoring on runway day while everyone else runs around madly sewing dresses on models. I guess it worked for him because he was one of the top 4.

Korto and Daniel were the two finalists. I loved Korto's collection, which was full of gorgeous prints, textures and shapes, but the judges chose Daniel as the winner. Eh. To me, his collection belonged in a gross, 80's gym. I loved his red carpet dress, which was a short cap sleeve dres made out of a black fabric with a beautiful sheen and bright white side panels. But the other looks were basically athletic tops alternately paired with a bubble skirt or tight pants, all based around a garish sort of teal color. Maybe it was too visionary for me, I just didn't get it.

Then we were on to the premiere of the new season, hurrah! The challenge was to create a red-carpet look. Apparently, Malvin doesn't know what a red carpet is: "I don't differentiate between different colors of carpet." Uh...sure you don't. Oh Project Runway, how I've missed you and your pretentious designers! Which brings me to Ari, who does a handstand against the wall while everyone else sketches, because she does not sketch. She "just sort of mediate(s) on the mood of where the garment will be and who will be wearing it." Awesome.

I love Shirin, who is from Richardson, Texas and is adorable--my love for her is completely based on the cute little vintage hat she wore on Day 1 and the fact that she is from Texas. It takes very little to win me over.

Johnny, who said he previously battled a meth addiction, had a mini-meltdown on Day 1 when he changed his design like 5 times, and sort of broke down to Tim. He finally confessed to Tim that he was afraid to fail. After a pep talk from Tim ("You can do it Johnny!!!"--love him!), he got it together and went to work, and ended up sending out a really pretty draped dress.

Malton tried to describe his dress, but really couldn't. "No one can describe the type of garments I do. There's not really a vocab for them yet." (eye roll) Um, Malton, you sent out a sleeveless dress. Calm down. (It was a cute dress though)

Out on the runway, out walks guest judge...Lindsay Lohan? Kinda weird, but okay.

Ari's outfit was...I don't even know what it was. It was hectagon shaped tiles out of silver metallic fabric sewn together to make a sort of halter tunic with a hood. In the workroom, Tim expressed his concern that the top was going to look like a "halter diaper." No Tim, according to Michael Kors, it ended up looking like a "disco soccer ball," which at least beats a halter diaper, IMO. When pressed by Nina Garcia to specify which red carpet her model would be walking, Ari cited the VMA's-- in 2080. Oh, and apparently the model is also receiving her nobel peace prize the same night. (At this point, LL bites her lip worriedly, as though concerned someone is going to make her wear this thing)

Christopher, who is a self-taught designer, won with this really cute, short, textured dress with a fun high-volume skirt. In the end, Mitchell, who sent out a completely sheer neck to floor caftan, beat out Ari, and she was sent packing. Honestly, I think I would have sent Mitchell home--at least I felt Ari's outfit was interesting (and would not get you arrested while wearing it in public, which I always feel is a plus). I will miss her, she was wacky and wonderful.

Overall, I thought the dresses were mostly really interesting, and it makes me really excited for the new season. You can check out profiles of the designers and see all the looks from last night's show at the new PR website. I don't love the new website, I find it really hard to navigate--just trying to find pics of the outfits from episode 1 was painful.

Tax Free Weekend

So, the Texas tax-free weekend is this weekend, August 21-23. Clothes, shoes and school supplies under $100 are exempt from state sales tax. I'm excited because the list of exempt items includes baby clothes and diapers - woohoo! Now, don't get all crazy, it only amounts to an 8.25% discount, but combined with the sales a lot of retailers will be having, it definitely makes a big difference. Be prepared -- it's going to be a madhouse out there. Last year, I dragged my husband to the outlet malls in San Marcos on tax free weekend - I still don't think he's forgiven me, and I'm shuddering just recalling that horrific experience. Go early. Wear elbow pads. You'll be fine. Good luck out there.

Shrunken Blazer

I've been on the hunt for a shrunken blazer for fall, and I find this one at Gap, only to discover it's totally sold out in every size under 8! Whaaaat??? Uncool Gap. Uncool.

If you wear an 8, 10, 12 or 14, you still have a chance at grabbing this for $98. I'm going to have to start doing some store searching. Or maybe I'll just go raid the boy's department, I dunno.

Bootcut Jeans

Check out this great blog post from Intellectuals Read Vogue, Too (I love this blog by the way) about the way the fashion world studiously ignores bootcut jeans, while in the real world it's pretty much what everyone wears. So true!

Intellectuals Read Vogue, Too: Four Kicks

Striped Jersey Scarves

My friend Ilyse and I went into J.Crew the other day and we both LOVED these super soft striped jersey scarves, for $29.50 (above). That's not too bad a price, but I was really excited to see these great jersey scarves on sale at Old Navy for $7--I call that a bargain people. They're really cute and come in several colors, but personally I like the navy and gray.

James Perse Tees On Sale at Bloomies

Here's your Friday sales fix! Bloomingdales has some really great James Perse long sleeve tees on sale, just in time for fall. This Vintage V-Neck tee is on sale for $33.75, off of $60 (this price reflects an extra 25% off applied at checkout). They have a couple of other styles on deep discount as well, so go check it out!

Striped Boatneck Top

I'm so excited to see "Coco Avant Chanel", the new biopic starring the gorgeous Audrey Tautou (above). One of the classic Chanel looks shown in the film is the classic navy and white striped boatneck sailor top. It's a classic piece you can wear forever, and there are some great looking, affordable versions out there. Here are a few of my favorites--the L.L.Bean version is a steal! Just be careful how you wear it. If you pair it with white pants, boatdockers, and a straw bag...let's just say you've gone overboard (yes, pun intended). I'd style it with skinny jeans, bright colored flats, and a big leather hobo.

Navy Striped Boatneck Tops by austinshopping featuring Calypso

Rachel Roy's Collection for Macy's

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Rachel Roy, her ultra-feminine, high end clothes are typically carried by places like Neiman Marcus and Saks, and most pieces retail for over $1,000. So I was really excited to hear about her new, more widely accessible "Rachel Rachel Roy" line for Macy's.

To the right is a dress from her original Rachel Roy line, which retails at Neiman Marcus for $1,395.

Above are a few pieces from the Rachel Rachel Roy line which are available now at Macy's: the beautiful, softly sculptural, black origami dress (above, left), at $109, and the pretty but kind of tough looking chain tee (above, right), at $59. Great style and incredible prices. Check out all the currently available pieces here.

T3 Bespoke Featherweight Hairdryer

This is not a post for those of you with stick-straight, smooth, glossy hair. This is not a post for those of you who let your hair dry naturally every day, or for those of you who blowdry your hair and don't have to finish it up with a flatiron or curling iron. You will read this post, roll your eyes, and ask who in the world would pay $200 for a hairdryer.

No, this is a post for those of you with hair that is curly/wavy/frizzy/coarse/thick or all of the above. This is for those of you who dread humid days, would never set a foot out of the house with even slightly damp hair, and have thrown out a shoulder in an effort to blowdry your hair into submission. You guys will understand my love for the amazing T3 Bespoke Featherweight tourmaline blowdryer.

Okay, let me first say I received this as a gift--I'm not sure I could have shelled out $200 for it, because I didn't know how awesome it was. Now that I know, I can tell you, it's worth it.

First, it is incredibly lightweight, which is so necessary when you have really thick hair that takes a while to dry. By the time I make it to the back of my head with a regular hairdryer, I just feel like giving up. The T3 is so effortless to work with, it takes a lot of the work out of drying your hair. It's incredibly quiet. And it dries hair so quickly, 60% faster than normal hairdryers, according to the T3 website, and I believe it. It has significantly shortened the time I spend drying my hair.

But most importantly, it leaves you with shiny, smooth hair. I still sometimes flat iron the ends, but that's it. Once it's dry, my hair stays smooth even in the humidity. So it lets you keep the volume in your hair, which I always miss when I flat iron from roots to tip. On top of all that, it's supposed to be less damaging to your hair than regular dryers.

Here's the explanation of how it works from the T3 website:

The Tourmaline negative ions seal the cuticle, locking in moisture while eliminating static and frizz. The far infrared heat penetrates the hair strand drying from the inside out— without over-scorching the surface of the hair.

If you're happy with your hairdryer, you don't need this. But if your hair is on the frizzy side, I think you'd love the T3 Bespoke Featherweight. Yes, it's expensive, but it's that much more effective than every other dryer I've tried.

Inspiration for my fall makeup look

So, I was flipping through a catalog the other day and I was struck by the makeup the models were wearing - super flushed cheeks and rose stained lips, with a more neutral eye. They looked really fresh and young...because they were. Here's the thing - it was the Boden Kids catalog, which as a new mom I now receive.

Now, I don't know if this is an indication that I am becoming obsessed with youth, or if Boden Kids just employs an exceptional makeup artist. Regardless, I am taking these looks as inspiration for my fall makeup. I'm thinking a lip and cheek stain, like this one from Benefit, $24 at Sephora.

Is it wrong that I also love her little polka dot coat? And don't even get me started on her horse tote!

RIP John Hughes

So sad to hear about the death of John Hughes, director of so many 80's movies that I loved. His movies had so many fashion moments that were imprinted on me, but none more than the pink prom dress Andie crafts from a secondhand dress her dad gives her in Pretty In Pink. Not only did the girl have to go to prom alone, she had to sew her own prom dress! But she did it with style. May have to watch it this weekend--the only danger is that every time I watch it, it makes me want to pull out my sewing machine and start ripping apart old clothes that I know I will somehow sew together into a fashionable new piece. Which if you sat by me in Home Ec., you know is extremely unlikely.

Ikat print skirt from Banana Republic

Okay, I tweeted this a few days ago, but I think it deserves its own blog post now that the price has dropped. This super cute ikat print silk/cotton blend skirt from Banana Republic is on sale for $39.99, off of $70. I love the elastic waist and big volume with the short length. It would look great with a more fitted tank or tee. Comfy and chic! Hurry, I think this one may sell out pretty quickly.

My fave new sunscreen for face

You guys know I'm a little crazy about sunscreen. I am like the fairest person in the world (in an extremely pale sort of way, not a Snow White/Magic Mirror sort of way), so sunscreen has always been a priority of mine for health reasons--no skin cancer please! But I've also become suddenly and extremely afraid of wrinkles. So on summer days in Texas, when the temperatures are as insane as they have been recently, I feel my regular SPF 30 is not enough, and I pull out the big guns--SPF 70!

This Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion for Face is so great. It's oil-free, and not greasy at all, so it won't cause breakouts. The scent is very mild, so you can definitely wear it to the office, but it's also waterproof, so it's perfect for the pool as well. SPF 30 already blocks about 97% of UVB rays, so SPF 70 doesn't increase the protection that much, but every little bit helps--I figure why not get the best protection I can? And it has broad spectrum coverage, so it protects against both UVB and UVA rays (if your sunscreen doesn't say that it protects against both, it may only protect against UVB rays, so look at the packaging before you buy). It also lasts through 80 minutes of sweating or swimming. Not much is getting through this stuff! $10.99, at Drugstore.com (a bargain compared to the plastic surgery you will need later if you don't protect your skin now!)

Adorned Headbands

I'm sort of obsessed with the headband collection of Blair on Gossip Girl. In fact, I'm not sure I can recall an episode in which she did not at some point sport a headband, many of them very dramatically adorned. I have a feeling that character has a lot to do with the embellished headband trend happening right now, and I am loving it! Trim choices range from feathers to flowers to bows. Think of adorned headbands as jewelry for your hair--even when your hair is pulled back in a ponytail, they make you look completely pulled together.

And best of all, there are a lot of affordable options. My friend Ilyse found this cute version with a gorgeous burgundy flower with feathers at Luxe Apothetique at the Domain this weekend for $15! (Isn't she adorable?)

Here's a selection of some other options, all at great prices.

Headbands by austinshopping featuring Forever21 accessories

Skinny Jeans Found!

Well, I screwed up my courage and ventured out to find skinny jeans today. I was not too excited about trying on anything with a tapered leg and skintight fit, so I grabbed my friend Ilyse for moral support.

I've resisted this trend pretty vigorously, but I ended up finding some great jeans. I settled on this pair at Martin & Osa from the "Slim Fit" line--they're skinny, but not scarily so. They're fitted enough to wear under boots, but they have enough room to still be flattering and not cut off my circulation. I actually think I might be brave enough to wear these with flats.

They come in a ton of washes, and are very well priced, at between $80-$120, depending on the wash.