Vera Bradley Sunglasses

While researching for my Vera Bradley post, I stumbled across some of their other products. The Vera Bradley eyewear is actually....kind of cute! Their usual grandma-ish floral patterns translate well when used sparingly on the side frame of a pair of sunglasses. And it's fun! The sunglasses are about $75 on the Vera Bradley site, but on ebay, they average about $45. I've seen them as low as $20, but I'm sure that's a rare occasion. So if you're in need of some cute sunglasses, be sure to check them out!

French Designer Pierre Paulin Dies

Pierre Paulin inspired me throughout design school as well as my previous "Crazy Chairs" post. As a designer, the biggest thrill is to see the look on your client's face when you unveil their new home. To open their eyes to the art you've created is an unexplainable feeling. Imagine if you did that to the whole world of design. That's what Pierre Paulin did. Born in Paris, it's hard to imagine where he got his inspiration from. French design is all about the traditional heavily gilded chairs and furniture that is super ornate. But Pierre was inspired by the simplicity of Japanese drawings and American Designers Charles and Ray Eames. So with that, he shook up the traditional french design world and brought it into the future. His designs are ultra sleek, sophisticated but no doubt ultra fun and unique. So unique, he was asked was chosen by two former French presidents to furnish the presidential palace.

Pierre Paulin died in Montpellier, France on Saturday, June 13th at the age of 81. Although I am sadden to hear of his passing, his legend lives on in many museums in New York, Paris, and London.

View some of Paulin's designs:

Best Foundations For Oily, Flakey Skin

Foundation is probably one of the hardest things to shop for. Your face is the first thing people see, and flawed skin is highlighted by the wrong choice of foundation. I can go the day without eyeshadow, blush, whatever...but don't make me go without foundation! A little mixed with foundation is the perfect blend for days when you want to go without makeup (like weekends) but don't want to look like you've been partying all night.

Here are my favs. I do have to note that I probably have the hardest skin type to match: very oily, but flakey. How does that happen? I can't add too much powder or else it highlights the dry flakey parts. I can't use a moisturizing foundation or else you could fry an egg on my face. These ones are great for the hard-to-match skin types.

Estee Lauder Equalizer
This foundation is brilliant (if a bottle of liquid can get a PhD). Somehow it knows when you're skin is extra-greasy or when it needs some hydration. It won't clog pores either, which is a plus when you've got skin that already won't cooperate enough as it is. It's not very thick or opaque, so the end result is a fresh look without the appearance of caked-on makeup. The only downfall? It's not very long-lasting. Expect to re-apply if you're heading out after work.

Lancome Teint Idole
The only way I can describe this foundation is to say that your skin feels pillowy-soft. Whatever they have inside it works wonders for your skin's texture. It's like having your own personal airbrusher with you at all times. If you're going to be taking photos all night, this is what you want to be wearing. Teint Idole is a little thick, so use my mix-with-moisturizer trick if you need to lighten it up for summer.

Prescriptives Flawless Skin
Ask anyone: this is a tried-and-true favorite. It's the little black dress of foundations. It's not sheer, so don't expect your freckles to be shining through, but it still looks like you have no makeup on at all. Prescriptives is known for their wide range of color options. Still can't find your color? They've got a fancy-shmancy Colorprint system if you still can't find your shade so there's no excuse to walk around with a mismatched face/neck combo.

Prescriptives Virtual Skin
This is my all-time favorite of them all. With sheer-to-medium coverage, your skin still looks natural while giving it a healthy glow. Absolutely perfect for summer. Since it's so lightweight, depending on the oiliness of your skin, you may need to re-apply later in the day.

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
Before you start questioning my judgment on "foundation", hear me out. The purpose of foundation is to make your face look flawless while looking as natural as possible, right? Then this powder hits the mark. You don't even need liquid foundation when using this fantastic powder. It applies easily (use a kabuki brush for the best application), provides great coverage, and imparts a healthy glow to your skin. In a nutshell: just trust me. Really.

Honorable Mention: Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer
Not quite foundation, not quite moisturizer, this lightweight liquid can be applied when you just want your skin to look refreshed without putting on foundation. My favorite trick is to apply it after foundation; your skin still gets the coverage it needs with a hint of shimmer to make people wonder how you look so luminous at 8am on a Monday morning.

Love It or Hate It: Vera Bradley Bags

Seeing these bags is a little bittersweet and comes with many stories for me. First I'd like to start off by saying, "bag be ugly." Alright. I am from Kentucky and these bags were so incredibly huge when I was in high school and still now. All of the preppy girls had a Vera Bradley bag and they totally thought they were awesome. I wanted one so bad, not because I thought they were cute, but I wanted to be cool too. But my mom couldn't justify spending $50 on a bag she could quilt herself for less than $10. So she went on a rampage and started sewing me her version of Vera Bradley totes, luggage bags, duffle bags, purses, cosmetic bags, etc. Looking back on it, they aren't even that expensive. But instead of Vera Bradley's, I sported 'Momma Bradleys' and no one knew the difference.

 

Fast forward after high school, I moved to California and attended FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising). A very swanky high fashion Los Angeles Fashion school that's overpriced and filled with extremely trendy, high fashion, and creative girls. Vera Bradley's were no where in sight. "They must be behind the times." I thought. For a class project, I had to bring in a lot of supplies which only my 'Momma Bradley' duffle bag could hold. I threw everything in there and didn't think twice. No one will even knows what kind of bag it is. As I sat in class waiting on my turn on the presentation, a girl looked at my bag and asked, "Is that a Vera Bradley?" and I was surprised! I replied, "You know what a Vera Bradley is?!". And in the nicest way she could have said it, she says, "Yea, my grandma has one." From that day forward, I removed the bag and never used it again. I never thought it was cute and I should have gone with my instincts! The best thing I could take from it was that my mom was very sweet to make all of her bags for me and I'm glad she didn't spend money on this overpriced southern grandma purse. And for that, I truly appreciate her.

But here I am in 2009, faced with the Vera Bradley bag once again. Like any award show, the attendees get gifts galore and Vera Bradley has made it's way into the Lipton Gift Lounge at this years Tony Awards. They even had something for the guys. It's not as grotesque as I remembered it, but still kind of burns my eyes. So here are my thoughts.

There's only 3 exceptions to getting a Vera Bradley:
1. You have grand kids and you are obsessed with quilted things.
2. You live in the Midwest and Louis Vuitton bags are just too expensive for you to indulge in.
3. You're 10 and you love pink. This pink bag is actually kind of cute for a little girl and therefore acceptable.

It's cool to totally disagree with me here, so if you must purchase a Vera Bradley bag, I suggest ebay. So much cheaper that way.