weekend warriors: arm candy edition

well, it is a holiday weekend, and we're only at the halfway point, but here are the accessories that haven't left my wrist so far

from top to bottom: dream collective, giles & brother, tiffany & co.

if we're ever out shopping and you happen to lose track of me in a boutique/department store/retail establishment of any sort, just beeline for the accessories section because that's where you'll find me. 

i have a lot of thoughts/feelings/opinions when it comes to jewelry. but what's most likely to be the clincher, the major selling point for me, the variable that leads to me swiping that overworked credit card, is the meaning of that ring, bracelet, necklace etc...

i'm a sucker for symbolism, and what draws me most to a piece of jewelry is what it stands for. i do love clothes (clearly) and i do appreciate the transformative power a certain dress or top or jacket can have on a person, but i think when it comes to really, i mean really personalizing your look, the accessories have the final word. 

so what's the meaning behind these bad boys?

let's start with the one that goes 'hissss' aka the dream collective snake bangle. it stands for rebirth and the creative life force, and given that we're just getting started with 2014, and i'm hoping to make some significant changes/renewing my whole outlook on a whole lotta things, it's no surprise this bangle has a permanent spot around my wrist for the foreseeable future. 

next, the giles & brother skinny railroad spike cuff. i'd always had my eye on it - it's the perfect androgynous piece to balance out an ultra-girly outfit or bright pink nail polish or whatnot. a few months ago, intermix hosted a meet 'n' greet type event where you could have a cuff engraved by one of the creators of the line (Philip Grangi). the chance to personalize a bracelet? that obviously sealed the deal for me. 

i'm not embarrassed to admit that when it came to picking what to have engraved, i mulled it over quite a bit. i even brainstormed with my co-workers (they loved that. im sure.) - i thought about the date that i moved to new york (8/2009) or a lucky number or my birthday and vetoed them all. i finally decided on the word "chance" because aside from enjoying its english definition ("a possibility of something happening"), in both farsi and french, "chance" is also the word for "luck" and well, i like that very much.

and finally, the tiffany & co. heart chain bracelet. the symbolism here is comparatively less complicated. it was a birthday present from a very awesome person, which makes it very meaningful, plain and simple. 

rag & bone realness because mondays...

(my Christmas surprise to myself)

i wasn't expecting to be able to break this out till late march at the earliest, but since nyc weather has decided it makes perfect sense to plummet to 3 degrees one week then channel spring-like temps the next, it looks like this bomber gets to make its debut in january :-)

i'm in a new york state of....freezing....

...and you would think i built up a more admirable tolerance living in Chicago for 3 years. but whatever tolerance i had, it's long gone by now. or just absolutely frozen on account of the incredibly rude temperatures nyc has been experiencing. 

i know this term has been on repeat for the past week but, polar vortex. seriously. that is the most succinct way to sum it up.

anyways, i blame the aforementioned term on the reason why i haven't worn anything remotely stylish so far this week. i know, i know, a lot of you are exceptionally talented at looking trendy and terrific even with a -12 degree wind chill, but im still a newbie at all this and ive basically been living in sweatshirts layered over zip-up hoodies plus a pair of winter leggings from american apparel (you might be doubtful about american apparel being able to create an item of significant warmth and/or coverage, but i assure you these leggings are intensely insulating).

but THEN, today, i received a little something in the mail - something that i treated myself to as an early birthday present. so in case anyone's keeping track, this week it's been 3 unstylish looks, 1 winner:

Rebecca Minkoff Tee

ny, i love ya, even at your most brutal

your beauty counter should not be ugly

that has been one of my main epiphanies for the start of 2014 (i will get more profound as the months go on, i promise).

the top of my dresser is home to my beauty stash, and, ironically, it was looking fairly hideous. so to celebrate the start of the first week of the new year, i figured i should pretty up my spot. 

the end result (note: this does not contain my nail polish collection, which is embarrassing in its multitude and is another beast to tackle later on):

organizing my (beauty) addiction is the inspiration for this post - i inevitably had to toss products that were im-scared-to-think-how-old. what remained were my all-time favorites and essentials, which i could go on and on about, but i'll spare you and just provide a snapshot of what makes them must-haves (in my opinion).

• for the best overall lip look: chanel rouge double intensité (Bright Rose)

    
 i have ridiculously high expectations for lip products. they can't be drying (and if they're actually hydrating, well, ill take one in every shade); they shouldn't require countless re-applications/touch-ups/etc; and i would really really love it if they didn't leave a mark on every coffee cup, fork or glass i use throughout the day. 

ive made peace with settling for 2 out of 3 (sometimes even 1 out of 3 if it's a truly fantastic color), but this dual-ended miracle from chanel meets all 3 criteria so maybe it's time to get back to maintaining high standards. the breakdown:
             -the base color has the PERFECT amount of pigment that wears comfortably and actually hydrates.
            -the glossy top coat amps up your look for a gorgeous finish (but be sure to wait for the base color to dry before slicking on the top coat, otherwise its brush just turns into a colored mess).
            -thanks to the magical interaction between base coat + top coat, the color does NOT budge at ALL. seriously, i am still happily surprised by how well it stays put with every sip of coffee i take.

• for the most effective way to go incognito, ie, best concealer: clé de peau

unsurprisingly, i love what it does while actively resenting its price tag.

• for the sassiest cat eye: stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner

i swear, it basically has a mind of its own - all you need to do is flick your wrist up at the corner of each eye, and this ultra-thin pen draws a flawless, flirty, feline-inspired line.

• for the prettiest snow white shadow effect: benefit longwear powder shadow (milk it!)

it's a well-known beauty fact that if you want to appear more awake than you are, you should dot a luminizer or white shadow in the inner corner of your eyes. if doing that succeeds in perking you up by a factor of 10, this shadow is a pearly white shade that perks you up by a factor of 100, at least. 

• for the sweetest daytime shadow look: nars duo eyeshadow (alhambra)

a stunning rose gold hue meets a sophisticated champagne neutral. it's the most effortless way to look made up, but not made up.

and those are the tried-and-true favorites thatll carry me into 2014!