marios schwab: dresses with a shapely silhouette

Design crush and collection obsession of the moment- check out the latest from the relatively new, London-based designer, Marios Schwab.  His style is uber frame-hugging, body-con chic and I’m loving his overly constructed designs reflecting the inner structure of a garment on the outside.  From hardware embellishments to sleek leather bodices, the details and mix of feminine hardness Marios puts into each piece really make each garment stand out.  I’m dying to get my hands on several of these items -but not at full price, these dresses to not come cheap!  More information is available here.

  

xo,

Lauren

lovesit or leave it: style trends

Some of the trending late fall/ early winter styles I’m loving and loathing – and my pics to recreate the looks:

1. Emerald clutch-  Loving

Try:  Harper Ostrich Evening Bag by DVF (splurge) or Zara’s Basic Leather Messenger Bag for under $50

2.  Leopard Loafer- Love

Try: Zara’s Flat Furry Court Shoe (under $75)

3. Leather Mini Dress- Love

Try:  Vince Leambskin Leather Mini Dress (splurge) or Zara’s metallic offering for under $200

4.  Lacy Red Mini-Dresses- Not Loving (sorry Kate!)  My alternate pick- this gorgeous black asymmetric lace dress.  Zara ($99.90)

5. Sheer Corset Mid-Sections – Not Loving.  My alternate pick- a sleek and sophisticate v-back black shift with a small sheer panel in the front.  Zara ($79.90)

6. Double buckle belt- Loving

Try: Double Buckle Stretch Belt from WetSeal (under $10.00!)

  

xo,

Lauren

spotlight on my favorite up & coming british starlett

Ever since being sucked into the British version of Skins (which involved a lot of re-watching and obsessing over each episode like a 13 year old) I totally fell in love with my favorite character Effy, played by the uber-talented and stunning Kaya Scodelario.  Her dark & edgy style on and off-screen is so inspiring – I love the way she pairs tomboy items like clunky boots, moto jackets or a baggy tee with really fitted and girly pieces.  While this combination is is nothing new, it really works for her and she’s able to pull it off in a way that makes it look fresh and new- and she can rock messy bed-head hair (one of my all-time favorite looks) like none other.   I don’t care how young she is, I would love to rain this girl’s closet- but it’s not just her style that’s made me such a fan.

Why hadn’t I seen or heard of this fresh-faced, talented actress before stumbling across Skins thanks to a suggestion from Netflix?  At 14, she was cast as Effy with no prior acting experience whatsoever, but was nominted twice for the British TV Quick Award in the category for Best Actress for her stint in Skins.  This show helped her fine-tune her acting chops and has lead to bigger and better roles, modeling gigs and magazine features.  Recently, I read an article on her in British Vogue and wasn’t at all surprised to learn that she had landed the role of Cathy is in the latest film adaptation of Wuthering Heights (after Natalie Portman gave up the role.)  Her charatcter on Skins was so gritty, damaged but beautiful (much like her personal style), I cannot wait to see her in her role as Cathy, which was hailed as a ‘heart-wrenching revelation’ at the Venice Film Festival.  Wuthering Heights was released mid-November in the U.K. but it’s U.S. release date has yet to be announced.  Regardess, I’ve already checked out the trailer which is available online and I can’t wait to see it once it finally does hit theaters.  Here’s a spectrum of her style below- from 19th century classic beauty to hard as nails Effy to sultry and sophisticated editorials, she can do no wrong.

Stills from Wuthering Heights:

 

Leather and lace in high school:

All glam & grown up:

 

 

xo,

Lauren

all that glitters

Before you wake up and your holiday parties are mere days or hours away, here are some fabulous sparkly numbers sure to put you in the holiday spirit- and make you feel like a million bucks.  From off the runway to off the rack , here are my picks for what to wear this winter on any budget.  I am especially loving the sequin gowns from DVF- they are just so luxe and so glam.

$$$$

 

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xo,

Lauren

look of the day

From the Marie Antionette-esq mules, to the structured bag, disheveled blazer and bed-head locks, I am really loving this ensemble Ashley Olsen recently wore to a benefit in NYC.  Her bag is by The Row and I found it on Net-a-Porter with a price tag that makes Chanel bags look like a steal.  Here are my picks to re-create this look.

  

    AAAADOlMAVkAAAAAAXy-yQ 

xo,

Lauren

finally! the most perfect nude pump

 

I’ve been looking far and wide for the perfect nude stiletto and other than the uber-gorgeous but uber-luxe Louboutin offerings, (above) I haven’t really seen any nude pumps I immediately loved.  I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to find a great nude pump to add to my collection of dressy footwear staples until I really started looking for a pair.  Not impressed with most options out there, I was slowly coming to terms with the possibility of  having to settle for something I wasn’t really excited to wear, or in some extreme cases, something that resembled a dated clunky beige pump my 7th grade math teacher would have worn.  Until…I recently found the Selby Multi Snake Pump in Taupe from Elizabeth & James, featured below & available here.  I love any shoe or accessory with a little snakeskin- whether its kept natural or dyed, it add’s such a glam touch (ie: my favorite shoe I wear almost EVERYday are my Lambertson Treux snakeskin tipped ballet flats- bottom photo.)  The Selby has the most delicate and feminine heel, at  just the right height (I’m not much of fan of heel’s under 3.5 inches) and the grosgrain bow detail at the front of these pointy-toe pumps adds the right amount of sweetness and charm without being cheesy.  I’m planning on using a Piperlime coupon I’ve been holding on for just the right item to scoop these up and wear them with everything from the office and beyond.

 

my favorite snakeskin staples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xo,

Lauren

Haute Couture for your face

Fashion designer extraordinar Tom Ford has successfully transitioned his high fashion offerings from one wearable art form to another- from clothes to sunglasses to perfume, so it was only a matter of time before he expanded his beauty brand to include make-up.

From the runway and now the make-up counter, Tom Ford has created a brand that is synonymous with high fashion, glamour, extravagance and beauty.  Before seeing previews of his make-up collection, I envisioned something luxe, bold and highly pigmented.  I had a feeling his color palette’s were not going to be for the faint of heart and with lip shades with names like ‘Bitter B*tch and Love Bruise I quickly realized how right I was.

The 132 piece line features makeup, skin care, 2 new scents and brushes.  I was fortunate to receive three lipsticks which I’ve been loving and I’ve provided swatches of each below.  Each shade was bright, bold and even more gorgeous and flattering on my than anticipated.  Originally, I didn’t expect to be able to get away with wearing any of these during the day, but when applied with a lighter hand, they give off a gorgeous, light stain that looked really pretty and was very wearable for day.  At night, the heavy pigment gave my lips a dramatic pop of color that didn’t need to be re-applied every 20 minutes- this stuff stays!  My only issue is the packaging- while so glam, the tops fall off too easily and the first time I left home with these lipsticks, I discovered them floating around my bag uncovered - thankfully unharmed (but slightly dented as you can see in the first image.)  My favorite shade?  ALL of them. 

From left to right, each photo features the lip colors Wild Ginger, Violet Fatale & Cherry Lush.

Since they look SO different on vs. in the tube or on my hand, I had to show what each looked when applied with just one swipe.  On my lips, the colors alter a bit; Wild Ginger is much more of a coral, Violet Fatale is more pink than purple and Cherry Lush is just the most perfect shade of a blue red for my fair skin.

   

xo,

Lauren

outfit & artist spotlight: That’s Chic

I’m really loving the flowy pirate blouse, black skinny jeans, platforms & congac belt with gold hardware Rachel from ”That’s Chic’ modeled in her latest blog post, Simplified.  The accessories chosen add the perfect finishing touch and I especially love the bracelet’s she’s chosen to stack on.  I would wear this exact outfit anyday.

Juicy Couture jeans, Style Stalker top, Seychelles shoes

xo,
Lauren

best of beauty vlogs part 1

I used to look to my favorite magazine for lessons in make-up applications but now that most celebrity makeup artist have posted their how-to’s on the web, I turn to YouTube instead and search whatever make-up look I’m trying to master.  From everyday, ‘no make-up’ make-up, to high-drama editorial make-up, learning how to recreate any look you want is so much easier when you’re able to watch every little detail of the transformation instead of  reading a summary of each step.  I never realized how much blending was really involved in a dramatic smokey eye- or how many brushes and types of brushes you really need to achieve a certain look.  All those little details are nonexistent in magazine write-ups which left most looks I wanted to recreate falling flat.  I’ve become a huge fan and YouTube subscriber to several different make-up artists (some professional- some just lovers of make-up) and I’d like to spotlight each of them separately since they are all so different and fun to watch.  I stumbled across each of them while searching for a specific how-to look and found myself drawn in to their large collection of videos which cover topics beyond make-up such as product reviews, personal favorites, tips, tricks and skin care.

#1  Lisa Eldridge     http://www.lisaeldridge.com/

Highly regarded international make-up artist on the beauty and fashion circuits today.  Her signature look is “fresh, flawless skin and an understated modern approach to beauty.”  She’s worked with fashion houses such as Chloe, Prada and Donna Karen and has made up Cameron Diaz, Kate Moss and Heidi Klum just to name a few.  Where can you see her work?  She recently did Emma Watson’s Elle UK Cover look.  Here’s a sample of some of my favorite video’s from her:

 

 

 

 

 

xo,

Lauren

lovesit: splurge or steal

An assortment of high end loves from shoes to tops I’ve recently found good dupes for.

Theyskens’ Theory Ankle Strap Wedge vs. 7 For All Mankind Oksana Wedge:

theory

$465

$160

Lulu Frost vs. Lulu Frost for J.Crew:

$200+

$75.00

Camilla Skovgaard booties vs. Elvis by Report

$595.00

$135.00

xo,

Lauren

lovesit: missoni madness

   

I’ve been looking forward to the launch of Missoni’s collection for Target for weeks – September 13th had been highlighted, starred and scribbled on in every calendar and daily planner I own.  Although I was working yesterday, I planned ahead to get up a little earlier and try my best to score a few items from the highly anticipated collection online.  I wanted to grab everything – the prices were almost too good to be true but the speed at which item’s I was quickly trying to get into my virtual cart were selling out was not so good.  As much as I love target, I was beyond frustrated with the fact that their site crashed for almost the entirety of the day.  Somehow I was able to access my online shopping cart and quickly proceeded to checkout before being kicked offline again- even though it meant I was unable to access some more items I wanted to add to my bundle:

     

I was thrilled about the item’s I was able to buy but I still wanted more.  Last night after doing some errands with my boyfriend I found an excuse to stop by a Target on our way home.  Somehow this Target still had a decent but limited selection of the Missoni goods.  I was expecting the collection to be featured together on one display- all the home goods, kitchen ware, bath, apparel, etc but it was separated throughout the store in each item’s designated department which made me feel like I was on an easter egg hunt trying to track everything down.  A couple of the kitchen items I had ordered online were in stock and they were even better in person than I had expected so I can’t wait to get them in the mail.  However, some of the other items I had been considering  but didn’t have the opportunity to add to my cart, were really less than stellar and looked more cheap than chic.  In particular, the glass vases looked very budget as did the black pumps, the paper-lined picture frames and framed swatches of the Missoni print.  Basically any of the item’s that had Missoni-printed paper involved looked like it had been glued on by a 5-year-old.  They had a lot of the girls/ infant collection available which, frankly was cuter than most of the women’s collection.  A lot of the women’s lingerie/loungewear was still available but I wasn’t really dying for any pieces from Missoni’s women’s collection except for the yellow bikini, scarves and belted cardigan which were sold out early on.  I think their home and kitchen collection was really their best offering and I’m still holding out for one of the throw blankets which are one of the highlights of the collection.  After speaking with a Target employee I was told most of the stores would be restocking their Missoni inventory later in the week but there was no word yet on the website getting more.

Lust list:

 

xo,

Lauren

taste the rainbow: a splash of color from head to toe

    

After a dark and dreary week of non-stop rain, I’ve been stepping out of my mostly neutral wardrobe and throwing in a pop of color with each ensemble to brighten things up and give my spirits a lift.  Here’s a compilation of brights I’m loving and using as an inspiration board for my current color cravings.   Although I’m obsessed with each and every item below, the orange mini by Paul & Joe Sister is on my absolute get list.  This gorgeous and versatile piece will be fabulous in the fall with my leather biker jacket, in the spring with a crisp white top and in the summer with a tank and flip-flops. 

                            

 xo,

Lauren         

   
 

  

lovesit: summer edition

It’s been a few month’s since I’ve been able to contribute to artlovefashion.  Somewhere between apartment hunting, moving, interior decorating, countless weddings, summer holidays, local weekend getaways (like our trip to Block Island, above) and spending as much time outside as humanly possible, I’ve fallen behind…but my next few posts will be filled with items and ideas I’ve been working on for a few weeks now.  To start the ball rolling again I wanted to share with all of you my mid-summer obsessions.  Here are a few of my favorite things right now :)   Happy August everyone xoxo

1. It doesn’t get any easier than this- for perfect daytime, day-night or straight night-time glam this little compact has it all.  Just mix, blend and play until you arrive at your desired level of impact.

Sand Tortoise Shell Eye Palette

2. The prettiest, punchiest vibrant matte lip color I’ve ever encountered.  Instantly dresses up any outfit and it’s the perfect pop of color for my mostly neutral wardrobe.

 

3.  There’s no such thing as a streak-free self-tanner no matter how much you spend or what it promises- but with this little accessory you’re getting the closest natural glow possible without the streaks.

St. Tropez Applicator Mitt

4.  A wardrobe staple I can’t get enough of right now is my uber chic riding jacket in grey.  Personally I love this version of a grey blazer by Rag & Bone.  It’s the perfect throw-on for a cooler summer night and it looks so great with distressed jeans, jeggings, shorts or a dress.

 

5.  I love the beachy, tropical, sea-glass colored hues of this Ombre Wooden Bead Necklace by Danielle Stevens I recently purchased on sale.  It’s the perfect colorful accessory for your summer whites or favorite black maxi.

     

xoxo,

Lauren

lovesit: wrist candy

(What I have on today from left to right: Good Charma, Chan Luu, Tiffany Atlas Cuff)

After I get dressed in the morning, I don’t feel like my outfit is totally complete until I’ve decorated my wrists with the right amount of bling and baubles.  I love loading on bracelets; mixing and matching old ones I’ve collected over the years with new ones, as well as mixing up different textures and materials, from silver, to gold, glass and wooden beads, to leather wraps and waxed linen (a la Dogeared.)  Each one has a little story, a memory and adds a personal touch to any ensemble.  I’m always buying new types of bracelets and I don’t think I’ll ever have enough.  Lately, I’ve been on a silver kick to compliment a new watch I was gifted and I love the way sparkly, delicate bracelets contrast my older, chunkier silver pieces.  Here’s a list of really pretty bracelets, from delicate (my current favorite) to funky that add just the right amount of sparkle and girliness to any collection.

  

   

  

 

xo,

Lauren

lovesit: new twist on an old classic

There are few items in my closet that I wear more than my favorite fitted black blazers.  They instantly polish and add the perfect touch of sophistication to any outfit, for any occasion.  It’s no secret that I have an over the top obsession with Theory, but there’s a reason- their clothes are just SO functional and flattering.  Recently I came across this updated twist on their classic black blazer so unlike anything I’ve seen from them.  The Bennira wool and silk-blend jacket has a draped collar which hangs just right over any blouse or dress and its slightly cropped in the back, making it a little more edgy than your classic jacket.  I can’t wait to wear it on the weekends over dresses and out for dinner over my favorite tops.  During the week I’ve been wearing it to work to dress up an ordinarily basic ensemble and over my favorite sheath dresses.  It’s featured on Net-a-porter.com for full price but the Theory outlet’s are currently selling it for $99.  For more details, visit here.

xo,

Lauren

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