The Lust List

I'm convinced that if tested, it would be a scientific fact: You are more likely to window-shop & find things that you "have to have" when you don't have the money to get them. I have a running list going of "Things I Will Buy Someday". Some of these items are not unreachable. They're even pretty attainable. Others are to be filed under the "If/When I Win the Lottery" file. (C'mon. You know you have one of those lists, too. I'm sure most people put cars/houses on that list. I put shoes & bags. DON'T JUDGE ME!)

With that being said, here's what's currently on my list.

Reachable



Ever since my friend, Sara (from Waitin' Round to be a Millionaire) introduced me to Blood is the New Black, I have lusted, drooled & even pet the screen looking at the t-shirts they carry. The designs are SO damn unique and badass. Their prices, while not unreasonable, are just out of reach of what I can afford to spend right now, so I hope these beauties will wait for me someday.

1) Owl Jacket Women's Crew ($44): Like they say on the store page, this shirt seriously makes me want to find a mini leather jacket for my cat. She'd hate me for life, but it would almost be worth it.

2) No War for Heavy Metal: Faded Black ($10): Obviously, $10 is NOTHING for a shirt, but they only have size XL left. I'm keeping an eye on this one to see if it comes back in stock in my size. If it doesn't, I might snag this & slice it up to fit me.

3) Wood Holly Women's Crew ($44): YOU GUYS. I CAN'T EVEN. This is the mother of all shirts. This one WILL be in my closet someday. It's too fucking amazing NOT to be.


Not Really Reachable



Yes, I understand that to be a fashion blogger, you have to like ugly shoes. Well, guilty as charged. Ever since I saw a picture a long time ago of the Olsen twins rocking those Balenciaga boots, I've been determined to have them. Obviously, that's not in my price range. BUT! These Sam Edelman "Zoe" boots aren't completely out of the realm of possibility someday! The price keeps dropping (albeit slowly) so maybe, someday, if I'm really good...

Sam Edelman 'Zoe' Boots from Zappos ($198.98)


Ain't Gonna Happen



What Is Reality Anyway has always been one of my all-time favorite fashion blogs. Always. Krystal Simpson is seriously a freakin' inspiration to end all inspirations. In a world where chiffon & "flowy" things seem to be the norm in the fashion blogging world, Krystal takes edginess to a new level. She can rock out a pair of jeans, a blazer, boots & feathers in her hair like none other.

When she announced she would be collaborating with Coach to design a bag, I was hesitant. I HATE Coach bags. The logo is everywhere and they just bore me to tears. Then, she released this beauty. You guys, I literally almost cried when I saw it. The buttery-soft leather, the heart & feather charms, the knee-length LEATHER FRINGE?!?!?! It's just...it's me. I'm not going to lie - seeing it depresses me a little bit knowing that paying $500 for a purse just isn't something I can ever do.

But a gal can dream, right? (I pray for sales. Seriously.)

Krystal Simpson for Coach Black Fringe Shoulder Bag via Hillary Rush ($498)


We all have those pipe dreams. What are yours??

Patience, Young Grasshopper

Some people get high off of the adrenaline of exercise.
Others feel a rush when they take that first bite of their favorite food.
Me? I get so freaking high off of a good SALE.

Yes, I know that sounds completely lame, and maybe even like something that Cher Horowitz would say, but it's true. I can be a cheap bastard, so when I know that I've gotten a crazy good deal, I feel empowered. I feel like I can conquer the world, one shirt/purse/pair of shoes at a time. HUZZAH!!!!!!

*ahem* As I was saying..

In December, I got a fabulously pimp present from my boss - a gift certificate for Betsey Johnson. Since I was a kid, she has always been my favorite designer. Her fun use of color, shapes and her love of leopard print makes her a girl after my own heart. I saved that gift certificate, convinced that I'd find JUST the right thing to use it on.

In February, that "right thing" appeared. This dress popped up on the website:



I might have shrieked or perhaps shed a tear when I saw it. I was in lust...but at a price tag of $268, I just couldn't swing it. I made a pact to myself to stay strong. Be patient. Hope that it would go on sale.

And it did! Within about a month, the price dropped to $186. Good, but not where I needed it to be. Still, I waited. About a week ago, the price dropped again: $134. I (literally) chewed my knuckles on this one, forcing myself to wait. "Slow down, Young Grasshopper", my inner voice commanded. (What? You guys don't have an inner voice?) I held my breath.

Today, I opened up my email to see a special offer. 40% OFF ALL CLEARANCE! Within the span of approximately 3-5 minutes, I had bought and paid for the dress.

$268 (original price)
$186 (1st reduced price)
$134 (2nd reduced price)
$80.40 (40% off sale price)
$30.40 (Price after using my gift card & all discounts!!!!)

Yep. I snagged my dream dress for $237.60 off the original price. Pardon me, I'm still up on my cloud.

Now comes the best part: Basing an outfit on it! What would you guys pair with this dress?

Badass on Etsy: Dreampop Designs

Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! It's time for the next installment of...



When I look at my friends, I realize that I am damned lucky to be surrounded by style at every turn. We all have different styles and ways that we look/dress, but I truly believe that I have the greatest, hottest & most talented friends in the world. One friend whose style who I've always admired is my friend, Nicole. She looks like a completely fabulous mash-up of Louise Brooks, Victorian-sensibility and edginess. I don't think that just anyone can pull this off, but she manages to do it and damn - she makes it look good.

When she started designing jewelry under the name Dreampop Designs, I was completely blown away. She mixes metals, textures and shapes in ways I could never dream of, and her pieces are beyond unique. They're feminine, yet hardcore. All of them have this antique-looking quality to them. I feel like all of her jewelry looks like priceless family heirlooms handed down through generations.

Here are some noteworthy pieces:



1. Pearl Tree Necklace with Aqua/Gold Damask Design ($60): What's not to love about this piece?? I love the delicate, almost rosary-like pearls, and how amazing is that hand-clasp?

2. Bird Skull Bottle Pendant ($80): This is one of my favorite pieces. The little bird skull is hand-shaped out of polymer clay, so No Animals Were Harmed In The Making Of This Necklace. I love the copper wiring at the top, the jewels, the moss - pretty much all of it.

3. Antiqued Octopus Necklace ($125): The detail on this one is breathtaking. My favorite parts are the green glass "drop" at the bottom and the netting around the beads near the top of the pendant. Plus, it has another one of those hand-clasps I love.

4. Copper & Turquoise Bird Nest Necklace ($35): So freaking OMGprettyandadorableandOMG. I love the delicateness of the eggs/beads buried in the rawness of the copper wire. I die.

5. Bird Cuff Links for Women ($25): You guys, how ADORABLE are these?! I can just see these being that final touch on a pretty, silk blouse...or hell, even for a feminine touch on a badass leather jacket. Why not?? And for $25, how can you resist?

6. Lightbulb Pendant ($50): I saved the best for last. This is by far my most favoritist thing in the shop. Cracked lightbulb? Check. Moss INSIDE the lightbulb? Check! A freakin' treasure inside the moss?!? I'm sold.

You can also follow her blog here.

I'm not bad...I'm just drawn that way.

Oh my god, you guys. I swear that I have the most talented friends on earth. When my girl Sara (of Waitin' Round to be a Millionaire fame) started sketching pictures of herself in various outfits, I asked her if I could give her some money to make one for me.

All she asked for was a few ideas for clothing vibes I was feeling right now, and she came up with this:



Topshop jacket, Amplified Vintage tee, Girlprops fringe earrings, All Saints ring, Cheap Monday studded-knee jeans, Jeffrey Campbell platforms, MAC lipstick

Seriously. Not only did she NAIL my style, but she gave me damn good ideas for things I want to snag for myself! (I'm 100% buying those Girl Props fringe earrings next paycheck. I'm also trying to figure out how to DIY stud my own jeans at the knees without hurting myself.) Plus, she's only charging $10 per person for these! That's cheaper than a few gallons of gas at this point, and oh so fun. ;)

She's taking requests, so if you're interested, hit her up on her blog and request one!

IMATS NYC

I had a VERY good Christmas this year. Amongst the amazing presents I received was a gem of a gift - a two-day pass to IMATS (International Makeup Artists' Trade Show). I had heard stories from online friends about how amazing IMATS was in LA and London, and now that they were doing one in NYC, I could finally go. Being that this blog is about both fashion and makeup, I'm going to give a review of IMATS and how I felt about everything.

First, there was the line. If you go, be prepared to wait in line for 30-45 minutes at least. Everyone in the line was so happy and excited to be there, though, that the time flew by for me. Once I was in, I immediately became a moron. I walked into a sort of..hmm..let's call it a "museum". There was a display of a bunch of pure GORE and movie magic. While it looked fun, I was anxious to shop my ass off. (We'll ignore the fact that it took me a good 5+ minutes to figure out how to get to the shops. haha)

Once I was in the vending room, you couldn't beat the smile off of my face with a damned stick. It was nuts-to-butts crowded in there, and I was able to keep my claustrophobia mostly in check, but it was hard. There were people pushing and straining to get to each table. Once you got to the tables, though, it was SO worth it. The prices of everything were SO discounted, it's not even funny.

The first day, I got to meet Lauren/Queen of Blending and was pretty much floored by her. She knew who I was from Twitter (which still surprises me) and was just AWESOME in every way. We won't even talk about how absolutely stunning she was, too.


Lauren's makeup was obviously bangin'.

Shortly after that, I was walking around and got to meet the BEAUTIFUL Beth (uk_beth on Live Journal). We've chatted on the MAC Community online for years, and it was so great to finally meet her. Such a sweetie! We walked around and shopped together, snapped a few pics outside and parted ways.




The beautiful Beth!

I decided to go again the next day, but only because there were a few things I wanted to pick up, and a lot of people I wanted to see were going. Namely, these people:


Left to right: Josh/Petrilude, Lauren/QueenofBlending, Brooke/SayAnythingBr00ke, and Joy/JoyMeetsWorld.

It was funny as hell to watch Josh getting stopped every 30 seconds by another adoring fan. ;) I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed with how friendly he still is to every fan, though.

In all, I got...
- 2 glitters & glitter sealant from LA Splash
- 9 brushes & a brush belt
- 6 (!!) lip tars & a loose shadow from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
- 8 shadows in a palette from Mehron
- 1 mixing palette
- 8 pairs of eyelashes from Miss Adoro

Would I do it again? YOU BET YOUR ASS.

Here's all of the video footage I took over the two days (Warning: it's a bit long):

Badass on Etsy: Missy Industry

I'm starting a new feature here on Wrapped in Pink. I'm calling it...



That's right. I'm looking for the most badass things that Etsy has to offer. I'm determined this year (and every year following) to buy as much handmade stuff as I can. There are so many hidden treasures on Etsy, and once you sign on, you're sure to be browsing for AGES. I mean come on! Where else can you find turkey leg earrings or a necklace pendant with a boob on it? BUY HANDMADE!

For my first feature, I didn't have to think twice before I decided on Missy Industry. About a year ago, I purchased a necklace from her, and since the day I received it in the mail, it has been my #1 favorite piece of jewelry OF ALL TIME. (I suppose I should offer an apology to my wedding ring, but oh well.) The craftsmanship is amazing.

In her profile, she coins her creations as "Rockin' Bling for hip boys n girls". I love how all of her pieces are completely unisex! Also, she crafts all of her jewelry out of hardcore sterling silver, so they're sure to last. My necklace has taken a beating with how many times I've worn it and it still shines.

Here are some noteworthy pieces:



1. Misfit necklace ($58): This is the necklace I own. It's hardcore, heavy metal, but it's not so heavy that it hurts the back of your neck. Completely badass and amazing construction! (Plus, I have to mention that when I met Slash, the FIRST thing he commented on was this necklace.)

2. Cameo Skull Necklace ($90): You guys, how freaking adorable is this?! It has an edge and a sweetness all at the same time.

3. Champagne Ring ($90): Whenever I see this ring online, it makes me inexplicably happy. I blame the bubbles.

4. CARDIO Silver Anatomical Heart Necklace - Mini Version ($52): The normal heart-shape on a necklace is so played out. I love the twist of having this one be anatomically-correct. I would sit and poke the aorta all day.

5. Bull Skull Necklace ($74): I die. I completely die. This is next on my "to buy" list. I MUST HAVE THIS NECKLACE!!!

6. Chainsaw Necklace ($68): Am I the only one who'd clutch this little chainsaw, make "The Chainsaw Noise" (y'all know what I'm talking about) and run around terrorizing people? Anyone?

7. Sugarskull Ring ($82): Since I started looking at her shop, this ring has ALWAYS stopped me in my tracks. The details are ridiculous.


I'm going to be featuring Etsy shops I love regularly! Let me know what you guys think!

Sugarpill!!

By now, the name Sugarpill has become synonymous with OMG FABULOUS AND BRIGHT!! shadows. If you like a touch of color in your eyeshadows, or you like to rival the fanciest drag queen out there, you need to have Sugarpill in your life.

In truth, this entry is copied-and-pasted from one that I did about a year ago, but with a few updates (and a few better pictures).

(from February 2010)
When Amy/Shrinkle's new makeup line, Sugarpill, went online, I think I literally SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!ed outloud. I clicked on that link in a manner that people passing me might have thought I was insane. (Clicking, maniacally giggling, huge grin on my face. Yeah, I'm sure I looked insane.)

If anyone thought *that* looked like Crazy Town, they should have been there when I got my package in the mail last Friday. This is seriously the most amazing makeup line I've seen in years.

Everyone likes pictures, so I'll give my reviews to go along with the pics!


First of all, even the box it came in was adorable!! It was stamped with the cute Sugarpill kitty logo and had a bunch of stickers on it. Everything was packaged really well and nothing was rattling around.


I think that opening the box was the point at which I actually started clapping little claps and bouncing. Yep, I'm that lame. Again, everything was neatly and securely packaged with hot pink tissue paper. And the packaging...oh, the packaging. Every box that an item came in was BEAUTIFULLY and artistically done. The drawing is adorable. Plus, I have to admit that I liked seeing items in boxes like this. So many smaller makeup lines just throw things into little plastic baggies nowadays. The packaging alone of this line helps to make it look high-end. I'm a loser and love this packaging so much that I plan on keeping everything in the boxes.


Here are some cute promo items that came in the package. I got a GORGEOUS, glittery Sugarpill logo sticker and two "business cards". The photography on the business card is stunning.


The individual packaging is great, too! The lids of the shadows and the Chromalusts (loose shadows) all have the Sugarpill logo STAMPED on them. No stickers here, folks! And really...LOOK AT THIS PURPLE!! There's a slight hint of shimmer, but it's not overpowering. One swipe with your finger and the color is nearly opaque. It's brilliant.


Are you drooling yet?! Left to right: Buttercupcake, Poison Plum, Afterparty, Flamepoint (my favorite thus far!), Midori, and Love+. Truthfully, I've only swiped these shadows so far, but every.single.one went on smoothly and with such high-pigmentation that I was stunned. Makeup Forever? You have a serious competitor here.


Midori


These loose shadows - Chromalusts - I can't say enough about them. Even though I DROPPED ONE OF THEM seconds after opening it (and yes, I almost cried), there is so much product in these that it's not even funny. No dumpy little sample jars here, folks! You get a FULL 5-gram jar of these babies. The colors are...god, can I say "stunning" again?? I personally prefer to use these with mixing medium because it makes the colors THAT much more vibrant and opaque. If you use these dry, though, the color and shimmer still comes through like crazy! Left to right: Absinthe, Magpie (the one I dropped. *sniffle*), and the shining star of them all - Goldilux.


I have NEVER seen a more brilliant and perfect gold pigment in my life. When used wet, it literally looks as if you had melted gold and applied it to your eyelids. Since ACTUALLY melting gold and putting it on your skin would be, yanno, BAD, everyone needs this loose shadow.

Here is a pic from when I wore Goldilux to my work party:

(And in case you were wondering, yes. That pizza was delicious.)



Sorry that this is so wordy, folks! I just wanted to get the word out there about how amazing this line is.

Bucket List

Since I had taken a hiatus from this whole "blogging" thing, maybe there's something I should fill people in on who don't know me too well.

When I was a youngin', more than anything, I looked up to my best friend's sisters. She had three of them, and all of them embodied what I think was awesome about the 80s. Their hair defied gravity, they wore anything that was rock n' roll, and the music they listened to was loud. I wanted to be them. Naturally, when they made 7-year old Linda a mix tape, I listened to it like it was my bible. I remember one song standing out to me in particular: "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns n' Roses.

The second the song started playing, I was sold. I remember running into the oldest sister's room and thanking her, telling her that I loved that one song. She pointed to a poster of them on the wall behind her...and my eyes zeroed in on one person in the poster.

The mess of black curls. The leather tophat. The mirrored Aviators. The lone cigarette. These are all things that a 7-year old should NOT EVER be attracted to...but oh, I was. That's when my love for Slash started. As I got older, the admiration just grew. The way the man played blew me away all through my teens and into my twenties. It became an item on my Bucket List to someday at least shake the man's hand. The respect I had just grew and grew.

In August of 2010, I was just about to delete my My Space account when I got an email: "Send us a video saying why you should be picked to see Slash in concert in Seattle and meet the man!" I figured 'Why the hell not?' and carefully made a video. Then...I got the call. I.FUCKING.WON. They were sending my husband and I to Seattle, WA to MEET THE MAN.

It was the best moment of my life to date. To know me is to see my love for Slash & rock n' f'n roll.