Beyonce Starts Kooky Style Trend We Just Can't Get Behind

woensdag 11 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 10 hours ago

From the robot glove she rocked in the famous "Single Ladies" music video to her trompe l'oeil "breast-baring costume," Beyonce has rocked TONS of seriously kooky styles over the course of her career. Some deserve to be adopted by the masses, sure. Others, notsomuch. One of the latest: Mani rings, also referred to as fingernail rings. Bey wore a snake-style $36,000 version in her "Sweet Dreams" music video, and now, the nail bling is called one of the next big things.

The design -- described as across between a ring and a false nail -- is cropping up all over Instagram. Fans claim they're a quick, fun way to accessorize and "stand out from the crowd." Plus, they can be a quick way to hide a broken nail in a pinch! But let's be real ... Are they actually sensible or even pretty?!

I can't think of one place where I could get away with wearing something like this and not looking like a complete fool. Come on. Of course it works for BEYONCE in a surrealistic music video! But I kiiinda have a feeling the diva's wacky accessory is simply not gonna translate for most women -- whether you're picking up groceries or the tab at a trendy restaurant on date night.

Plus, how comfortable or practical is wearing one or more of these suckers? Won't they get in the way when you're trying to carry out everyday tasks? Not that I'm advocating nonstop smartphone usage, but most of us can't take a five-minute breather from texting or Instagraming or Facebooking. Now how does that work while trying to sport a mani ring, hmm?!

Hey, maybe someone criticized nail polish in the same way several decades ago, but I'm willing to go out on a limb to say mani rings are just plain ridiculous. If it helps some people make a statement, more power to 'em, but I have a feeling that even five years from now, they'll be looking back at all those Instagram snaps, cringing, and wondering, "What the ... was I thinking?!" (And by the way, when a style has made its way to Claire's and retails for $3.25 on clearance, it has probably jumped the shark!)

What do you think about "mani rings"? Would you ever wear one, two, 10?!

Image via Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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6 Ways to Rock the ‘Coated Jeans' Trend but Is It Worth the Crazy Price?

dinsdag 6 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota

Coated denim jeans (also known as "waxed denim") are super stylish and just the right amount of edgy to still be wearable for the average person. They have the sexy look of leather jeans, without actually BEING leather jeans, which are just a little too much (and too impracticle) for me -- at least on about 354 days of the year. The drawback? Coated jeans are fairly pricey: You can find bargains, but a quality pair that actually looks they way they're supposed to look (and not just cheap and shiny) is probably going to set you back close to $100. And if you get into the designer arena, think double, triple or quadruple that!

So, is a good pair of coated denim jeans really worth it?

I say, if you can swing it, yes! For one thing, this trend has already been around for a little while, and it's not going anywhere soon, so it's not like you're spending money on something that will look totally outdated by Christmas. For another, they're really flattering and hot looking, without being over the top. And last but not least, they're JUST as versatile as regular denim, if not MORE, so you'll get a lot of use out of them.

Here are some tips on totally rocking your investment:

1. Make sure they fit you really well. The wax coating makes these jeans not as stretchy as most denim is these days, so you won't have as much forgiveness if you size down. The benefit though, is they'll keep their shape really well. Try them on, and don't settle for a pair that you don't love!

Madewell skinny ankle coated moto jeans ($135 at Madewell.com)

2. Get over your need for jeans to be ultra-comfy. Yes, sorry to say, but these just won't be as soft and snugly as your favorite, go-to pair of jeans. But that's OK because they look great!

 

Elie Tahari Azella waxed denim jean in "midnight dream" ($228 at elietahari.com)

3.  Dress them down. You can pretty much wear your coated denim jeans in place of a regular pair of jeans, but your whole outfit will be just a little hotter. (And by hot I mean HAWT.) A casual tank top and sandals; a long-sleeved tee with ballet flats; a printed blouse with ankle boots ... all of these would look great with your slick denim for a slightly revved up but still casual look.

Victoria Beckham "stovepipe" jean with a "slight wax finish" (Marked down to $194.40 from $317.34! Um, yay?)

4. Dress them up! Take the same pair of coated denim, add a pair of sparkly high heels or sexy sling-backs and a slinky top, and you're ready for va-va-va voom date night.

BARGAIN! These G by GUESS Women's Suzette Coated Black Jeans are on sale for $34 at Amazon. They could be our steal!

5. Wear them to the office. Unless you have a really, super strict corporate dress code, you can wear coated denim jeans to more than just casual Friday. A sharp pair of coated denim black jeans  will look sleek and put-together with a blouse, blazer, and low heels.

6. Go for (muted) color. These NYDJ "Sheri Skinny" coated denim jeans in oxblood are on my fall wish list. SO on trend and chic. ($130 at NYDJ.com)

What do you think about the coated jean trend? Can you see yourself in a pair?

Image via NYDJ

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The 'Chalkboard Manicure': We Have All the Dirt on the Hot New Trend

zaterdag 13 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota

I knew as soon as I saw the Ciate Chalkboard Manicure kit that I had to try it! I love to doodle, and I love nail polish and manicures ... match made in heaven! Plus, it seemed somehow more easy to accomplish at home than some other DIY nail art kits and designs I've seen. So, this afternoon my daughter Isabella and I decided to test it out. Here's how we did:

The kit ($25 at Sephora.com) comes with the "chalkboard" paint pot, a "mattnificent" top coat, and four "chalk pens." They also include a handy instruction booklet and a bunch of fun design ideas.

It's pretty simple -- the hardest part is thinking of the designs and them drawing them on (trickier with your non-dominant hand, obviously!).

Step 1: Apply two coats of "chalkboard."

The chalkboard paint goes on really glossy but dries almost instantly into a super matte finish. I couldn't believe how fast it dried!

This stuff is super matte!

2. Once the black is dried (seriously, it's almost instantaneous), use the chalk pens to draw your designs.

Child's play!

Now, they say in the instructions that you can erase chalk mistakes with a paper towel and water, but only the pink seemed to come off really easily. I wanted to get rid of this failed moon and stars:

... but this is what happened after I wiped the nail off:

Hmm. I ended up trying again and scrubbing pretty hard; I got most of the white off and then just painted another quick coat of black over it.

3. Finally, you just paint a coat of the top coat over your nails, and admire your handywork!

Isabella loved it!

So did I:

I took a shot outside too because the colors looked more vibrant in the light:

I love this kit - I think you could really do some great looks with it. And what a fun idea for teachers, or kids going back to school! Or a bride-to-be at a bachelorette party (I would have loved painting MRS HUSSAR or something fun like that). You could also do a cute "French manicure" in color, or stick with a theme related to a holiday. The possibilities are endless!

Would you try the chalkboard manicure?

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