October 2013 - Red Soled Momma

MOMMA KNOWS… beauty tips for tired eyes

So, yes, sleep is no longer a given. I’m lucky if I get 4 hours straight without my little man waking up and wanting to come into our bed (where he likes to sleep horizontally between us kicking one of us while head butting the other). There is no question, the eyes are the windows to how much or how little we’ve slept the night before. So here are my beauty go-to’s for tired eyes…

1) EYEDROPS: Having been on set with some of the most amazing makeup artists in the world I noticed they often had these incredible blue eye drops which take the red out of eyes instantly and better than any other product out there. They are french and whenever I was in France I would buy it in bulk… well, I have found them here on Amazon and make no mistake – these are a GAME CHANGER!

Innoxa Gouttes Bleues eyedrops $28.99 (for 2 boxes) available on Amazon

2) UNDER EYE CREAM: look for one that helps moisturize, reduce the look of fine lines and lightens dark circles. This one from Clinique is brilliant.

Clinique even better eyes $39.50 available at www.sephora.com

3) TWEEZERS: invest in a truly great pair of tweezers – I could not live without my Tweezerman tweezers – clean brows immediately brighten the area and give an over all more manicured look. I believe that the eyebrows are the window frames to the face and having a clean brow can change your entire look from tired and worn to fresh faced and rested.

Tweezerman tweeters $22 available at www.sephora.com

4) EYE BRIGHTENER: the YSL Touche Eclat is THE luminizing pen that just brightens the orbital area. It is tried and true and has been around forever (because it WORKS). It can be used in many areas (under brows corner of the eye, under eye, even between brows and alone the nose to add contouring if needed) – it adds light and radiance for an over all more rested appearance. From years of working in fashion, I don’t know a fashion editor, makeup artist or model that doesn’t keep one of these in their bag at all times.

YSL Touche Eclat $40 available at www.sephora.com

5) CONCEALER: There are so many great brands in every price bracket (the key is to find the right shade for your skin tone and one that doesn’t dry up or look cake-y). For me, there is only one. The concealer that in undoubtably the best in the business (as confirmed to me by my celebrity makeup artist friends time and time again) is by Cle de Peau. It is pricey (because its the best) but it lasts a long time and I could not have gotten through the last 16 months of sleepless nights without it… If I wear no other makeup I still wear this.

Cle de Peau concealer $70 available at www.neimanmarcus.com

6) WHITE EYELINER: This may sound insane but I line the inner rim of my eyes with a white eyeliner (warm it up on the back of your hand first to soften the pencil so it glides on easier). The white helps conceal the redness from lack of sleep and adds additional light to the eyes. Just how black liner can close the eye and give that sexy smokey cat eye affect – the white liner (again on the inside rim of your eyes) makes the brighter and whiter. You can also add a bit to the inside corners of the eyes which makes the eyes look bigger and more radiant as well.

take the red out of eyes white eyeliner Makeup Forever eyeliner

Makeup Forever eyeliner (in white) $17 available at www.sephora.com

7) EYE LASH CURLER: Another way to open your eyes is to lift and curl those lashes. Shu Uemura is universally known to be the best eye lash curler and I’ve been loyal to mine (I think I’ve had 3 or 4 now) over the last 15 years. Beautifully curled lashes just open up the eye and give you a bit of extra glamour when you just feel like crawling back into bed.

Shu Uemura eyelash curler $20 available at www.shuuemura-usa.com

8) MASCARA: Distract with amazing lashes! Eyes look brighter next to your beautifully curled and mascara-ed (is that a word?) lashes. Maybelline’s Great Lash has been THE tried and true go-to mascara that you can find in every singe makeup artist’s kit. Its inexpensive and after all the years that it has been around still holds up against all the expensive designer mascaras out there. Mascara just adds that bit of extra polish to tackle your busy day after your sleepless night. Just because you feel like a zombie doesn’t mean you have to look like one…

Maybelline Great Lash mascara $6.09 available at www.soap.com

MOMMA PLEASE??? superheroes and princesses

Since the beginning of time kids have enjoyed playing dress up… and as long as there have been stories of superheroes and fairy princesses, these have been the go-to characters little boys and girls have loved to dress up as. We often laugh at how our son, Max, looks like a young Clark Kent (Superman curl and all) and this year I was hoping to dress him as superman for Halloween. Sadly, the costume I wanted didn’t come in his size… so we went with Spiderman. Thus, in honor of Halloween and all the kids out there getting dressed tonight as their childhood heroes, I wanted to feature some of my favorite superhero and princess themed clothing (added bonus – it’s a lot less of a battle getting them dressed in the morning when their outfit features one of their favorite characters!)

first the princesses:

H$M t-shirt 2 pack $17.95 available at www.hm.com

Disney puffer jacket $39.99 available at www.target.com

Disney sleepwear $34 available at www.diapers.com

Couture Clip tutu $28 available at www.shopkitson.com

Disney t-shirt $12 available at www.oldnavy.com

Disney ballet flats 19.99 available at www.target.com

Snurk Girls duvet and pillow set $80 available at www.jcrew.com (not clothing but WOW is this cute!)

and the superheroes:

Old Navy sweatshirt $24.95 available at www.oldnavy.com

Old Navy t-shirt $16.94 available at www.oldnavy.com

Junk Food hat $24.95 available at www.gap.com

City Threads onesie $14.40 available at www.diapers.com

Batman sleepwear $13.49 available at www.target.com

Superhero sweater $22.99 available at www.gap.com

Junkfood t-shirt $22.39 available at www.diapers.com

MOMMA NEEDS… the wedge sneakers

I am not a sneaker girl. I have never been an athlete, always did everything I could as a kid to get out of gym, and was baffled by the hiking culture in LA when I moved here, so clearly I am not going to be anyone’s fitness role model… I am a high heel girl… since I was in school I was obsessed with them. I would practice, practice, practice around the house and breeze the hallways in my high heels – walking in heels really became my sport… That said, I would TRY to find cute sneakers. It seemed like something everyone should have in their closet and the practical choice to wear for those long days standing on set or running around on appointments, but I just couldn’t figure out how to make sneakers look cute… And then Isabel Marant came on to the scene with her wedge sneakers and I couldn’t figure out if I loved the look or hated it. I liked the idea of having the extra height while still being comfortable. I even kind of liked the bizarre contrast of the chunky shoe with skinny jeans but I also thought it looked a bit ridiculous. So, I decided to go for the Zara version of the wedge sneakers and I’ve never looked back. My lord are they comfy!! I could run up hills while carrying my baby, I could schlep all those heavy garment bags around town, I could even go out to dinner with my husband and feel as though I looked pulled together. These shoes were life changing! The number of compliments I got were off the charts – oddly, mostly from men!! Seriously, even my Fedex guy commented “hey, are those the Isabel Marant’s? They’re hot.” I was pretty floored… and impressed by his fashion knowledge. And so, as fall approaches once again, I’ve dusted off my trusty Zara sneakers and I am looking forward to another cold season in comfort… I have even been contemplating making the jump and going for the Isabel Marants… These wedge sneakers exist at every price point and I have selected some of my top picks below…

Isabel Marant sneakers $695 available at www.netaporter.com

Zara sneakers $99.90 available at www.zara.com

Chloe sneakers $760 available at www.netaporter.com

Aldo sneakers $90 available at www.aldoshoes.com

H&M sneakers $49.95 available at www.hm.com

Steve Madden sneakers $160 available at www.nastygal.com

Ash sneakers $300.79 available at www.asos.com

MOMMA NEEDS… the ultimate jackets

I am a jacket girl. I cannot have enough jackets. I have a particular addiction to blazers (but that addiction shall be highlighted in a future post) but today I am talking about the biker jacket. The idea of “biker” jacket might strike fear into the hearts of many of you, but I’m not talking about some Harley Davidson heavy utilitarian jacket – these biker jackets are form fitting, incredibly designed and beyond special. I dreamt for years of a Rick Owens biker jacket which my husband surprised me with 2 years ago and it is still (and probably always will be) one of my most treasured items. These are the jackets that transform your jeans and t-shirts in to an outfit. Dressed down or dressed up every one of us needs a gorgeous motorcycle style jacket in our wardrobe and there are SO many to choose from this season. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Yigal Azrouel jacket $1490 available at www.intermixonline.com

McQ Alexander Mcqueen jacket $1045 available at www.netaporter.com

YAS jacket $391.56 available at www.asos.com

Helmut Lang jacket $1195 available at www.netaporter.com

Zara jacket $99.90 available at www.zara.com

Phillip Lim jacket $950 available at www.netaporter.com

Top shop jacket $85 available at us.topshop.com

Karl Lagerfeld jacket $335 available at www.netaporter.com

Nasty Gal jacket $88 available at www.nastygal.com

Rick Owens jacket $2575 available at www.netaporter.com

H&M jacket $49.95 available at www.hm.com

MOMMA LOVES… the skull motif (for us and them)

So, in honor of Halloween week, I wanted to do a post featuring one of my favorite trends (which has been around since the beginning of time) the skull motif. The punk movement made skulls rock and roll and over time they have become a mainstream style staple. This is largely in part to Alexander Mcqueen using the skull motif repeatedly in his high end designs. We can now find the skull print not only in the expensive market but at all price points for both ourselves and our mini-me’s. Everything for clothing to accessories to jewelry and even furnishings – skulls are here to stay and they’re a great way to inject a bit of edge to your look and a bit of humor into theirs. Here are some of my favorites:

First for us…

Alexander Mcqueen tank $295 available at www.forwardforward.com

360 Sweater cashmere sweater $297 available at www.revolveclothing.com

Frye boots $598 available at www.shopbop.com

Equipment top $238 available at www.intermixonline.com

Alexander Mcqueen clutch $1525 available at www.alexandermacqeen.com

Alexander Mcqueen bracelet $330 available at www.netaporter.com

Only sweater $56.95 available at www.asos.com

Be&D sneakers $138 available at www.shopbop.com

and for them…

H&M jacket $24.95 available at www.hm.com

Butter hoodie $98 available at www.shopkitson.com

Nununu sweatshirt $44 available at www.ronrobinson.com

Zara leggings $14.90 available at www.zara.com

Ralph Lauren $45 available at www.shopkitson.com

H&M sweatshirt $14.95 available at www.hm.com

Cherokee hat $7.99 available at www.target.com

Nununu playsuit $54 available at www.ronrobinson.com

Yosi Samara shoes $48 available at www.shopkitson.com

Old Navy sweatshirt $10.99 available at www.oldnavy.com

Autumn cashmere tank $98 available at www.shopkitson.com

Old Navy top $6 available at www.oldnavy.com

MOMMA ANNOUNCEMENT… sale happening right now!!

Gilt.com is having a massive sale on Nununu right now! It’s one of my favorite cool kidswear designers – super soft, comfy and cute! This stuff hardly EVER goes on sale so its a big deal. go now, everything is on its way to being sold out – but you’ll have to fight me for what’s left!

http://www.gilt.com/sale/children/joah-love-6452

the Nununu No! t-shirt and other iconic nununu pieces for a fraction of the price!

Nununu skull print yoga shorts $24 (down from $40)

Nununu Control Freak romper $34 (down from $57)

I could go on but I’ve got a sale to be shopping!

MOMMA’S BEST… style deals for under $150

Happy Friday everyone – thank you so much for checking out my new blog. I thought it might be fun to start a feature on my top picks of the week for under $150. Here you go ladies..

Zara shoes $99.90 available at www.zara.com

Top Shop dress $110 available at us.topshop.com

Blank NYC jeans $88 available at www.revolveclothing.com

Zara jacket $99.90 available at www.zara.com

New Look cardigan $44.48 available at www.asos.com

Phillip Lim for target top $18.88 available at www.target.com

Asos dress $39.16 available at www.asos.com

MOMMA NEEDS… the carry-all bag

It doesn’t matter if you’re a mom on the run or a woman who carries everything but the kitchen sink with you everywhere you go, women need of a giant bag to lug around all of our miscellaneous stuff. From wallets, sunglasses, cell phones, our partner’s phone and wallet, sippy cups, a sweater in case it gets cold, cosmetics, snacks, tissues, wet wipes, diapers, ipads, keys, a bottle of water, I’m surprised designers haven’t put wheels on these enormous bags we’re labored with! The problem I find often is these large bags are crazy heavy (due to the structure and hardware on the bags) before we’ve put anything in them! No wonder we’re all walking around with chronic shoulder pain! Anyway, I am on the quest for the best carry-all bags that look cute, can carry all of our stuff (as well as that of our partners and children) and won’t necessarily weigh us down. I must also note that the FEED brand bags are the brain child of Lauren Bush and the proceeds from the sales of the bags go towards feeding children around the world. I am featuring one that will feed 50 children in India for a day but there are tons of options in different designs that will feed children in various places around the world including here in the United States. So, here are a few of my favorite carry-all shoppers:

Feed bag $75 available at www.saksfifthavenue.com

Furla bag $695 available at www.saksfifthavenue.com

Zara bag $35.90 available at www.zara.com

Prada bag $2200 available at www.saksfifthavenue.com

MICHAEL by Michael Kors bag $280 available at www.netaporter.com

Zara bag $59.90 available at www.zara.com

Topshop bah $30 available at us.topshop.com

Valentino bag $1995 available at www.saksfifthavenue.com (special note – I am obsessed with this one)

H&M bag $49.95 available at www.hm.com

Smythson bag $995 available at www.smythson.com

Jerome Dreyfuss bag $410 available at www.saksfifthavenue.com

bonus shopper that I wish I had seen for my star print page…

Gucci bag $1150 available at www.netaporter.com

MINI-ME… boots

Here you go ladies – ankle boots for you and mathching ones for them. Here are the little booties you and your little ones have to have!

First for us:

Isabel Marant boots $650 available at www.netaporter.com

Zara boots $129 available at www.zara.com

And for the little ladies…

Zara boot $55.90 available at www.zara.com

Cherokee boots $19.99 available at www.target.com

and for the little guys (girls shouldn’t have all the fun!)…

Kenneth Cole Reaction boots $48 available at www.diapers.com

MOMMA LOVES… the bat, cat and other animal prints (for us and them)

Inspired by Max’s trip to the pumpkin patch (in his halloween bat tee) I wanted to do a feature on animal prints. I’m not talking about leopard print – I’m talking about actual prints of animals. Miu Miu had a big hit a couple years back with a cat print which was featured on the runway on everything from jackets to shoes and now its a fun trend that is adorable on our little ones but equally chic for us to wear. Here are some of my top picks, first for us: