A non-fashionista's guide to "Cruise Season"

Cruise Season (a non-fashionista definition) - that time of year when the weather is dismal and you just can't wait to get away...anywhere, but preferably somewhere warm (or at least sunny!)
Cruise Season (official definition, according to www.FashionUnited.info ) - "an obscure [and uniquely American] fashion season known as cruise and resort. Initially...meant for northern well to do women who spent a considerable amount of time holidaying in warm-weather spots, to escape the wraths of winter. " The season runs from late Summer until Spring styles hit stores in February.

As I contemplate a post-holiday invitation to the South of France, I figured now was the prefect time to blog about the little-known and often forgotten Cruise Season. And, more importantly, what to do about it!

Here in Cincinnati, its pretty difficult to locate a retail outlet that can help you out when you need to, say, buy a pageant-worthy bathing suit in February or a dinner outfit for your cruise.
So my number one travel packing tip is to limit your core pieces to just one or two colors. Why? Because shoes are heavy and take up a lot of room in that suitcase that you could have used for shopping. I also heartily believe in the travel budget and also, of course, being stylish so remember not to spend so much on your travel wardrobe that you can't shop to your heart's desire abroad.

So, you ask, what styles are grand for this year's getaways?
stripey prints
tapered-leg denim (if you must be an American and wear denim everywhere, at least you can dress up the close-fitting sexy dark wash variety)
metallics (after all cruise season = holiday)

This all being said, I found a collection that embodies all my holiday requirements at Macy's.
Lauren by Ralph Lauren "is for the woman who seeks a distinguished yet attainable look.
Perfectly polished and pragmatic, it has a deep-rooted town & country sensibility that
lends well to work and weekend activities."
The best parts? Sean & Ski has mix-and-matchable pieces for warm and cool weather, priced under $300. (Click here to view the Virtual Trunk Show and see the Glamour Glam Alert site for more looks and a live chat with a Glamour Fashion Expert from 11/30-12/4!)

when you try to do something nice...

This past Saturday, some of my cronies from school and I attended Ballet Tech's Gala. My friend Christine is their new board member, so we decided that rather than let her attend dateless we'd go and support her as the fabulous entourage that we are. From the international fare at the pre-party to the dancers, everything was simply amazing.
Jeff, Chloe and I headed to the after-party at Via Vite on the square along with our new friend we met at the event, Yulia. We had a few drinks and hobnobbed with the dancers and Ballet Tech staff, volunteers and "family". However, I discovered yesterday much to my suprise and HORROR that the bartender decided to add a few digits to my bill and give herself a larger tip. Seriously? First of all, it really "fries me" (as the cop said) that this pathetic excuse for a bartender, Michelle, who kept me waiting even though I was the only patron at her bar and never once during the course of our evening sent a server to our table to see if we needed a refill, decided she DESERVED a tip that was more than our entire bill. If you ask me, she didn't deserve ANY tip at all...especially after she forged my tip on her copy of the check and stole $83.15 from me.
I called the restaurant to find out what happened and was called back (6 hours later, mind you) and told that I had signed off on a "very generous" tip. I informed that manager that I had MY copy of the receipt that showed a total of about half of what was charged to me and he said he'd "investigate". I later got a voicemail message stating the amount I was charged was "correct" and the restaurant would not be able/willing to refund the amount that I was overcharged. So, of course, I took their copy of the receipt to the police. The office actually laughed at the poor forgery and couldn't believe the restaurant would rather face theft charges than refund to me what they stole. Word to the wise, don't patronize Via Vite - they are thieves. (This based on the fact that they also tried to slip an extra dessert onto my fellow diner, Yulia's, check.)
Clearly, overcharging and fudging patron bills is how they roll.
Ballet Tickets - $47.00
Parking - $5.00
Pre-party - $25.00
After-party - $54.85 (+ the alleged $55.15 tip and bank fees, for a grand total of $142.00)
Police Report - PRICELESS!

Makeup for your Back-to-School shopping pleasure...

All summer I've been reviewing new products and have found some really great ones at budget prices. Since its back to school time, I'll give you those favorites from Wet 'n Wild first and then stay tuned because there are more to follow...


MegaEyes Creme Eyeliner:
THE BEST eyeliner I've tried for all day staying power. In the summer months its critical not to have eyeliner that will melt (either in its container or on you) and this stuff is amazing. MegaEyes even stays through gentle washing, which is necessary on these dog days. I'm a big fan of the super true-black color - it made my hazel eyes pop, even when blended for a smoky effect. Usually not a fan of the included applicator, in this case the brush was just the right size to toss in my makeup bag and was a little stiffer than traditional angled eye brushes which worked well with the thick creme eyeliner.
Drawbacks - If you're not a pro at applying eyeliner with a brush, you may need some practice before you get good enough to leave the house. This product stays where it is put and dries quickly so you will need to act fast if you make any mistakes in applying, or accidentally get some on your finger. I made that mistake at my boyfriend's house and got black gunk all over his sink....which was nearly impossible to remove with soap & water. (Seriously, it looked like an eyeliner crime scene with carnage everywhere.)

A good match for the eyeliner was also within budget...
Lash Intense Mascara
Great true black color, definition and no clumps thanks to the extremely high-tech applicator that has a brush on one side and a comb on the other. This mascara is a winner and the price is right! I also loved that this mascara was not hard or brittle and did not flake after a few hours of wear. Like the MegaEyes creme eyeliner, the mascara also withstood a gentle washing but amazingly came off cleanly when you needed it to (no heroin chic raccoon eyes)!

I also tried the Ultimate Minerals Blush
and I must admit I was a little put off at first by the pink color because I thought there's no way "Pinched Pink" is going to fly with my skin tone (which is a slightly yellowy neutral). The glaring pink color the blush was translucent enough to give my cheeks a just-been-out-in-the-sun pink or, exactly as the color was described on the package, like someone just pinched your cheeks. It gave me the sort of sweet, all American look I don't usually go for but at least the package was true to its word! I've always been a fan of certain Wet 'n Wild products (beacuse they're cheap, duh) but the fact that someone had the brilliant idea to put a second lid on the loose blush just made my day. When I've used all the blush I'm actually going to sanitize and recycle this container for my loose mineral foundation so I can put it in my purse without having all my junk covered in mineral dust.

"girl trunks"

This morning I am at work, happily checking my Facebook messages (while my boss goes to lunch) and saw a disturbing ad pop up to the right of my message box for GIRL TRUNKS. Wait, what? Bermuda-style swimming shorts for women. What the...?
And in a fash, before I could click on the link to find out more about this disturbing and for-sure fashion faux pas, the link morphed into some Army ad.
But rest assured, I will find out more!

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