Down Vest Roundup, Part 1:

So the weather hasn't dipped much lower than about 43 degrees or so in LA, but I am definitely feeling a chill.  As most of my winter clothes are still strewn about the country in various boxes and closets and such, I've been trying to rebuild my winter wardrobe with a few key purchases.  And every winter/fall I have the same melancholic longing for a particular down vest that has since been reclaimed by my mom.

Yes, it was my mother's original down vest from her college days in Ann Arbor, MI.

It looked like this:

Apologies for the blur, it's cropped from a large group pic

 Did I mention it had detachable sleeves?  I think one accidentally got lost during a hotel flood in Cairo.  My mom was sad.  She loved the jacket more than I did believe it or not.  Talk about a well constructed garment.

I still ask her if she's willing to give it away.  The answer is still no.

So, without further ado, a rather thorough down vest (and a few others) roundup!

1. Madewell Penfield Stapleton Tweed Vest ($270)
2. CLICK Reversible Hooded Padded Vest ($63)
3. Rugby by Ralph Lauren Puffy Down Sweater Vest (for Men) ($348)
4. Kiwi Shop Fleece-Lined Padded Jacket ($58.50)
5. Monob Padded Knit Vest ($68)
6. Forever21 Quilted Woven Vest ($29.80)

Personally, I am completely in love with all of the Rugby by Ralph Lauren clothes, men and women's both.  I mean, this:

image via Rugby blog

C'mon, right?  Also here's clip from the Rugby blog about One Vest Three Ways, courtesy of blogger The Style Student.  Just a taste:

 

Happy weekend!  Look for Part 2 of the Down Vest Roundup very soon!

Yours,
Edith

Glitter Heels!

I've been a little busy, which is no good excuse.  But I've still been scoring the internet for beautiful things.

A while back, I got pretty enamored (along with scores of others) with these whimsical Miu Miu shoes.

Available here

Pictures via Fashion Gone Rogue

I am already a huge fan of Hailee Steinfeld.  After seeing True Grit, who isn't?  And may I add, perhaps my favorite performance by Matt Damon to date.

I digress, the glitter shoes are adorable.  And she is beautiful and a perfect brand ambassador for Miu Miu.

All that said, I was tempted to make my own version of the $900 shoes (yikes!).  Out of my broke-ness and my strong DIY urges, I prefer to find cheap ways to curb my designer appetite.  But others beat me to it.   Here are some great DIYs for glitter shoes!

1) Burda Style's chunky glitter heels

2) Gok Wan's glitter heels

Alas, I have no current pair of shoes to glitter at the moment, but I think I'd like to find a way to make any of these:

picture via Shoe Digest

 Happy Sunday, Folks!

Yours,
Edi

Product Review: Cantu Shea Butter

So....this is my debut. I have been sitting around intimidated by Edith's insatiable ease with words and inherent creative ability. But, that's what best friends are for, right? They push you to be better in ways that no one else can.

I thought I'd start simple, with a product review. So, black natural hair is my thing. It's what I do. It's what I love. I have spent these past 9 years re-learning and re-loving the au natural. One of my favorite products that I have come across in my journey is Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Conditioning Cream. Moisture is a huge component of maintaining natural tresses, so I am always on the search for a new leave-in. Cantu Shea butter is an awesome, lightweight leave-in that is also beautifully scented (always a bonus).

I apply it to damp hair at night time, sectioning my hair into 4, and making sure to get complete coverage to each section. I then finger comb my hair back into a ponytail, and let my hair air dry while I sleep. In the morning I have soft, moisturized tresses that can be styled accordingly for what the day holds. I recommend stopping by your local Target and seeing if it works as well for you as it does for me. For 5.99, you can't really afford not to. Good luck ladies!

Easy Like Sunday Morning

It's been a long week.  Perhaps more accurately a long series of weeks, so my Fridays have turned into something extra special.  Me and a pot of coffee watch the latest Project Runway while I paint my nails.  Whatever has happened during the week slowly melts away in the loveliness that struts down the runway.

But it's Sunday morning and I am clinging to last vestiges of another weekend by sipping coffee and throwing together a few things that make me happy.  Enjoy!

A very cute, very clever video of 100 Years of Fashion in 2 mins. 

Painter Elizabeth Chapin's House Tour via Apartment Therapy.  It's like a museum of amazing.  Her choice of paint, textiles, and art make my mouth water.

Photos from Apartment Therapy

 

Amazing right?  This is by far my favorite house tour ever posted on Apartment Therapy.  It just oozes with personality.  And, because as I mentioned above I am hooked on Project Runway, I would like to take a moment to drool over Anya Ayoung-Chee's style.  Perhaps it's that she is a fellow island girl who incorporates that aspect of herself in her garments or maybe it's her eye for print (and her gorgeous under-cut hair!), but I have been a fan from day one and I can't wait to see the collection she showed at New York Fashion Week. 

I would love to raid her closet:

Photos via mylifetime.com

I think some of her best looks are the ones she wears for the runway, so watch the episodes and see Anya rock her style.  

I hope you all have a great week!

Yours,

Edith

A Word on BB Creams

I've been putting off this post for a while now for many reasons, one being that I think most product reviews require a lot more background on the individual reviewing them than the actual product itself.  There are a lot of factors involved that could make a product favorable or not in the eye of the user.

I'm new the to BB Cream arena.  I'm actually quite new to the tinted moisturizer/foundation world in general.  I'm more of a 'spot treatment' kind of facial makeup girl.  Some under the eyes, some to cover blemishes, some as eyeshadow primer.  Not sure if my makeup was meant to multitask like I ask it to, but what the hell, I'm a firm believer in multi-use products.  Why buy a curling iron when a flat iron can achieve the same look but also straighten hair as well, right?

Back to BB Creams.  After years of googling "best tinted moisturizer for Asian skin," somehow I finally stumbled upon this article that explained a brand new product I had never heard of.  Primer, foundation, blemish corrector and SPF?  Helloooo!

via Amazon (as sold by seoulglamor)

Being the product junkie that I am, I was beyond excited.  When it arrived in an adorable red box all the way from Seoul (and quickly, I might add!), I rushed to the mirror to try it out.  I should have gotten a sample really, but it was cheap (or at least cheaper than most foundations bought locally) and so I figured what's the harm?  Most reviewers on Amazon had commented that while the product went on light, it oxidized within ten minutes to the perfect shade of your face.  I was hopeful, but also nervous.

Why?  Because I am tan.  I was born tan.  I am Japanese but I was born and raised on the beaches of Waikiki.  No matter how much I try to stay sun-free, I will never be as light as Asian models.  Okay, let's be real.  I love the sun, I love being tan.  When I read anything that talks about "whitening skin," my anti-Eurocentric beauty alarm goes off and I go find a sunny spot to read a book.  My skin tone is somewhere between Golden Medium and Golden Tan in Bare Minerals, depending on the season and where I'm living.  

pictures via Amazon

So, hope as I might, after a full hour of wishing and waiting and wondering why I ever thought my definition of "tan" might fit that darn reviewer on Amazon who assured me that even tan Asian girls could wear it, I accepted the reality that my purchase was a bust.

Most BB Creams lighten blemishes by whitening skin (yeah, I compromised on this one) and to achieve the whitening affect have a gray-toned base.  The biggest pitfall of BB Creams however is that they don't offer a very broad range of colors.  You just have to pray to God that your skin tone matches your cream.  Seems counter intuitive to me but perhaps my thinking is a little too American.  Fit me, I say!

There's so much to love about this particular BB Cream:  Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in Natural Beige (#23).
Pros

•  The smell (which some call grandma-ish?) is delicate and lovely to me.  It's a light floral scent that is at the same slightly medicinal, which sounds like the ideal cocktail for old-woman smell, but I love it.  Call me crazy.
• My skin actual seems to love it too.  My blemishes are noticeably lighter after about a month of usage.
• It is fool-proof to apply.  Clean hands (my favorite tool!):  I squeeze a little on the back of my hand and use my ring finger to dab it on.  

Cons

• It is a heavy coverage BB Cream, which is more than I like
• It doesn't have a dewy finish in my opinion.

Thankfully, the cons were a pretty easy fix.  I decided to try a thinned out version of the BB Cream and see if it would blend better as a tinted moisturizer.  I added a pea size of equal parts BB Cream and moisturizer.

via Amazon

My weapon of choice is LUSH's Imperialis.  I absolutely love this product.  I was using Philosophy's Hope in a Jar and ran out and the product junkie in me wanted something new to play with, so I went to LUSH.  I love everything about LUSH, from their simple black tubs to their natural products to those little stickers that tell you who made what.  Granted, I'm not a huge fan of all their products, but I absolutely adore Imperialis.  Growing up in Hawai'i, I never really understood the need for moisturizer until I went to college in the Midwest.  Most of me still tries to deny that I need it, but in all truth, I think that from the harshness of hard water to our evolving bathing habits to the collection of chemicals that are being added to our daily routine, moisturizer is just one of those necessary evils.  Our skin needs a little help.  My combination skin needs a lot of help and Imperialis helps keep my oily parts in check and gives my dry parts a healthy swallow of moisture.

So, half BB Cream, half Imperialis and voila!  A near-perfect tinted moisturizer.  For the summer months, I'll probably end up blending in a bit of darker tinted moisturizer as well for added color, but as my summer skin fades, this is perfect for the fall and winter.  Also, dust with a bit of bronzer if the gray-ness of the BB Cream is too much.

I hope that's at least a bit helpful.  I know I've been trying to recklessly navigate the waters on my own and using tidbits of knowledge where they come in handy.  Thanks for listening!

Yours,
Edi

iConic

iConic by edithandruby

It's strange how death affects us all in different ways.  The recent passing of Steve Jobs has made us all reflect how his vision has affected our own lives:  A generation swept by understated, that is to say simplistic, design.  When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, what developed was the birth of aesthetics in technology.  Gone were the clunky, boxy, yellowing plastic home computers, born anew into the most iconic line of electronics.  The PC vs. Mac commercials (which are still parodied today, so many years later) divided tech-users into the camps of dowdy vs. dandy in a sense.  

I still remember my very first iBook that was bundled for students (I was going away to college!) with an early model iPod.  I remember the strange looks I got for my tiny white laptop and then returning to campus next year only to find them suddenly everywhere! 

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I thought I'd make an effort today to celebrate the life and achievements of a great American genius, a man who knew no bounds.  

More to come later (I promise!).  

Yours,
Edith

Lions and Tigers and... Bargains! Oh My!

Sidebar: Spotify is changing my life and may or may not be affecting my thoughts as I post today-- Read: super happy with oodles of music.  I'm trying to balance this effervescence with tomorrow's sure melancholy, as it rightly should be.

So.  Today, I feel unaffected and want to celebrate my compartmentalization of fear and grief with a post about nothing important.  And yet, like sports and movies, fashion in strange ways helps make the world go 'round, makes us forget, unite together, learn to forgive, and feel silly and happy again.  Yeah, you better believe it.

Let me begin with this:

Leopard Print Scarf from Redopin via Yesstyle.com

I'm not a fan of animal prints in general, but like color blocking, I can appreciate it in baby bursts.  Animal print accessories?  Okay.  And then there's this:

Dior's Leopard-print Bronzing Powders

Model a la Mitzah Bricard, long-time muse of Christian Dior

Dior's Mitzah inspired nail polish

Photos courtesy of Marie Claire

And of course, this mouth watering spread from Vogue Korea featuring the gorgeous Arizona Muse.  Oh that name...

That fur looks real... and so beautifully styled with this burnt orange blouse.  Photo from Vogue Korea

Check out the rest of the article about this spread at Who What Wear. 

I digress, this was supposed to be an excited retelling of all my recent thrift store finds.  Now, briefly, I present:

Look What I Found by Edith:
Seems like most thrift stores are full of barely worn F21 clothes, BUT every once in a while you stumble across a gem.  Here's what I've recently snagged from discount and thrift stores:
1) B.B. Dakota Olive Green Parka at Crossroads Trading Co.  ($20) after reading this article at The Beauty File and deciding it would be my summer/fall transition jacket.
2) Ann Taylor Oasis Dot Print Tiered Dress ($15, from $168) at Goodwill.  
3) Tucker Silk Poppy Print Tunic Dress ($8) from Goodwill.
4) Joe's Jeans Lion Print Raglan T-shirt ($5) from Goodwill.
5) Magdalena Wide Leg Pants ($30, from $198) at Anthropologie.
6) Franco Sarto Woven Cork Wedges in Cream ($30) from T.J.Maxx.

Needless to say, I need to post pictures.  I'll try to get on that.  But for now, happy thrifting, my friends!
Yours,
Edith

Color Blocking

Color Blocking: Accessories by edithandruby

So I'm not the hugest fan of color blocking, but it seems to be lingering...  It all makes me think of Mondrian for some reason and I feel bored, and oddly restricted.  But it seems to be everywhere and leaking into fall soooo, I figure the only way I find my way into trends is through accessories.  Baby steps, or Baby Blocking if you will...

The possibility of Baby Color Blocking excites me.  Why you ask?  Well, let's turn to the brilliance of much cooler bloggers than yours truly.


1. If you haven't checked out Honestly...wtf, do it out right now.  The DIYs are positively wonderful.  For example:  Color Block Moccasins.  

2.  Another from Honestly...wtf:  Nail Art that's a little more tribal than color blocking, but you can adapt appropriately. 

Something like this maybe:

Photo courtesy of Beautylish.  Check out their nail tutorial.

3. ipad Clutch from P.S. I made this:  Feels very Kate Spade.

4.  And last but not least, lest we forget makeup in all the color nonsense:  Sephora's Dare to Play collection is nothing but fun even though I'll be the first to admit that my color palate ranges from a broad spectrum of neutrals.  There has never been a pastel or neon anywhere near my eyes.  But, like I've said before, I'm trying to learn to be a little braver in my daily routine.  

photo via Sephora

That's all I've got today.  Hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day!
xo,
Edi

dictionatomy: TEXTBOOK

There are a million correlations between fashion and literature, but my favorite of late has been the ever popular tumblr feed of John Jannuzzi called Textbook.

Maybe I'm just overjoyed to see that I am not the only dork who imagines my protagonist to be an active persona in my modern life.  But better than my literary fantasies of sitting them down for coffee (and choosing an appropriate mug for his or her personality), Jannuzzi styles them! Helllooooo!

Check it:

This is Henry VIII.  Love the middle ("On the hunt for a wife" look)

Queen Elizabeth I.  Gorgeous. 

Tinkerbell.   Ah-freaking-mazing.

Undine, water sprite.

All photos courtesy of Textbook

Let me also just say that his character notes for their outfits are just wonderful.  I could wander through this tumblr forever.  Specifically anything inspired by pre-Edwardian England.  Sigh.

Hope you find Textbook as glorious as I do.  Fashionable literature, literature in fashion, and the witticisms of an obviously well-read writer, I don't know what more I could ask for in a blog. 

Last one, because it's just lovely...

Mercedes from The Count of Monte Cristo (Full Disclosure: I haven't actually read this yet, I'm trying to find an original French copy.  Homework!)

Get lost in the dreamy, literary couture.  I did...

xo,
Ed
p.s.  Scout Finch.  Oh yes.  Now, Atticus maybe?

 

edit:  I just found Atticus, glory be.

edithloves: Fairydrops Scandal Queen

I'm about to do something I haven't done in years: buy the same mascara twice.   I'm picky, I'm demanding, and I have impossibly high expectations for mascara. 

It's sad really that my epic search for the perfect concoction has taken so long and all the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of dollars spent testing blends and wands that never quite fit the bill, but I'm pleased to say that I am running out of mascara and I can think of nothing else but the same little silver and pink tube of Fairydrops Scandal Queen.

photo courtesy of Sephora

So much has been said about this Japanese import, but I'd like a moment to wax poetic about the mascara that has concluded my years of research.  No, back up a bit.  Let me walk you briefly through my lash saga.

My eyelashes mirror my pin-straight hair in all aspects except that where my hair is dense and thick, my lashes are hopelessly sparse.  Sparse, stubborn, short and reluctant to curl.  Instead of framing the windows to my soul, they seem to shade them.  So, the minute I started shopping for my own mascara (as opposed to stealing from my mother whose beautiful, open lashes need only the slight prompting from drug store brands), I turned to department store beauty counters for my cure.  My first love was Lancome, of course.  The posh French brand has always appealed to me.  After a few years of heavy Lancome use, Definicils mostly, then Hypnose, I ventured out.

I tried...
- Dior DiorShow Iconic Extreme (Great mascara, hard to remove)
- Givenchy Phenom'Eyes (sadly, such a let down for me, both the 360 brush head and the formula)
- Imju (which has since changed to d.j.v beautenizer?) Fiberwig (lengthens but that's about it)
- Two Faced Lash Injection (doesn't hold a curl)
to name a few....  Like Goldilocks, I found everything lacking. 

Enter Fairydrops Scandal Queen: the brain child of Japanese TV personality Aya Yasuda with a patented brush that helps to fully coat the lashes.  Water resistant, sweat-resistant, formulated without sulfates, phlalates, GMOs, etc, this little tube is worth every dollar.  I have been wearing the mascara on my eyes for about 36 hours (I didn't wash my face last night, I was lazy), and it still holds a curl.  I use my Shu Uemura curler to crimp it, swipe on two or three layers and I'm good to go.  I can sweat, swim, and rub my eyes.  It doesn't irritate my contacts and it only comes off at night when I wash my eyes with warm soapy water.  And when it does finally relinquish its hold, it comes off in those lovely little tubes (like Fiberwig) and not a big raccoon smear.

LOVE.   Yes, let me emphasize that edithLOVES Fairydrops Scandal Queen.  After years of searching, my Japanese peepers have found their favorite mascara and I cannot be more satisfied. 

Hope my journey helps you just a bit.  What do you use? 

xo,
Edith

Simple Saludos

You know those stories that just make you want to cry? Make you feel like you should do something substantial with your life? Live out those dreams, thoughts that you've spent countless hours thinking "what if?" I was watching 60 minutes tonight with my husband (like the old people that we are) and I was truly inspired by the story of this woman who helped to incredibly transform the lives of troubled teens in NY. What if we stopped thinking "what if" for just one moment and pursued those dreams?

That's why I love this blog. It's our what if moment realized! What if we blogged about things we loved? Black natural hair, Asian hair, fashion, beauty. Amazing. Well, here it goes. You get to walk with us as we explore the topics near and dear to us, as some that just make us smile.

My journey to having black natural hair started early in my college career. I had contemplated this decision for almost a year. At the time, it seemed like such a provocative idea, to don my natural tresses. I had spent my entire formative suburban years trying to fit in with my white counterparts, begging my mom to give me a relaxer as soon as I wad old enough. Heavily affected by the subconscious struggle towards a eurocentric standard of beauty, I longed to feel accepted. But, at some moment, something clicked. To feel truly accepted, I had to love me! Love me just the way that I was created to be. It just took a few good friends (Edith) to support me, and I was on my way to beauty! I cut off all of my hair on a glorious trip to the city, and I haven't looked back since! So, this is my chance to finally talk about the journey, the joys and struggles, the amazing products, the hair do's and dont's. I've tried so much and have so much to share. Thanks for listening to our rambles!

Best,
Ruby

By Way of Hellos

There's something eternal about summer.  Whether it's the pervasive heat, the long days, the good timey feeling that we hope might last forever.  The same goes for winter; that inescapable thought that this snow and slush and bone chilling cold will never go away.  Autumn and Spring, however, are acutely fleeting.  We cherish every fallen leaf, every new bud.  Time is palpably finite.

All that said, it's HOT and while the September issues are hitting the stands with the promise of sweater season round the bend, all I can think about is summer.  And more summer.  And chopping off my hair.

I have that brand of Japanese hair that notoriously clogs sinks and ruins expensive vacuum cleaners.  The kind of hair that lies wonderfully flat and thick and shiny and feels like a wool blanket over my neck and shoulders in the heat.  Drawn up into a bun or a ponytail, it gives me headaches.

My hair has grown into its own kind of personal enemy; the love-hate relationship every woman seems to carry for her locks.  For minorities, I feel the paradoxical nature is amplified by personal and cultural expectations.  I feel burdened by this instant symbol of my Asian heritage displayed on my head, which turns the question 'to cut or not to cut?' into a introspective spiral.

Not to mention the ghosts of haircuts past that haunt me still.  My childhood mullet-esque chop, the time I saw The Babysitters Club movie and begged my mom to take me to Supercuts and get the Rachel Leigh Cook bob that turned out lopsided, the "I'm a cheap student" haircut from the Vidal Sassoon Academy where no matter what I asked for I was given the haircut they were learning at the time.  Two of my friends went at different times to the Academy and we all ended up (magically) with the exact same haircut.  Not pleasant.  Then there's the "old lady" haircut I seem to get whenever I do my bi-annual hair donation cut that never looks quite like the Sienna Miller shag pixie I imagined.  And of course, the DIY jobs in college that looked exactly like they were done in front of a poorly lit mirror with blunt scissors after watching All the Real Girls, no thanks to the hopelessly adorable Zooey Deschanel. 

I'm trying to teach myself that life is short and beauty is fleeting, so walk properly.  One foot rooted in the ground, while the other steps forward.  Yes, my hair is my glory and I am fiercely proud of my heritage, but a modern woman, a modern minority woman, should embrace the adventure of fashion and step out of the mold that was crafted by generations past.  Isn't that how you give your roots wings?

That said, I will get my hair cut soon.  And make a blog-day of it.

Yours,
Edith