S E O U L D I V A

My friend @focrazio is in Tokyo this week for work, so she HAD to go hit up one of the local nail salons while she was there!!

It’s no secret that the Japanese LOVE nail art.  And I love them for loving it.

In Japan, they have SUCH a larger variety of nail accessories!  Rhinestones, studs, bows, metallic tape, metal hardware, nail piercings…all in different shapes and sizes!

Here’s Amy’s LUST-WORTHY NAILS!  (please excuse the photo — she snapped it from her BB to make me jealous!):

*sigh*

Maybe one day I’ll get some fly designs in Tokyo too!!

Until then, I have Nail Lust!!

There are a million body piercing/tattoo places in NYC.  Turn a corner and there’s a neon-lit parlor that’s just waiting to fulfill your every whim or fancy, drunk or sober.

But for as long as I’ve been in NYC, I’ve always frequented NY Adorned for my every body adorning need — from hardware to inkware.  One of the reasons why I love this place: the people are CRAZY NICE.

Let’s face it. There’s the tough gal underneath us all, who wants to be able to walk into a place and be accepted by the brutish, gruff tatted attendant at all those other places…but let me tell ya — I’m too old & tired to pretend I’m that tough.

I’d just like to walk in, ask a few questions and not be judged for being nervous or inquisitive.

In addition to the regular body services, NY Adorned has some of the most beautiful jewelry. It ranges from traditional Indian pieces to some great pieces from up-and-coming local designers.

I was just browsing through their site, and here are a few of the pieces that caught my eye:

If you’re ever walking around downtown, pop in and say hi…stay a while…get something done….

I must be somewhat difficult to shop for, because over time, I’ve amassed a stockpile of gift certificates to various places.  Today, I attempted to use one up to Henri Bendel.

The Goal: to get simple, edgy stud earrings. (since my hair has been shorter, I’ve not been rocking earrings as much, so wanted something small)

But then I spied THIS specimen of fabulosity, by Dannijo:

HO MY GAH.

Technically, this is 2 necklaces merchandized together, but according to the Dannijo Website, the one that I’m swooning about is called the Cosima:

But it came with a hefty pricetag: $595. OUCH.

(definitely not enough on my gift card for that one!)

But I can still swoon. 

I’ve made it blatantly clear that I want to wear glasses. Don’t ask me why, just always have.  I love eyewear as an accessory, but I refuse to be “that girl”. You know, the one who wears clear-lenses glasses.

I’ve tried everything in my power to try to mess up my eyesight and make me eyewear-eligible: I read in the dark, I’m always on my computer…hell, if I liked TV more, I’d be sitting a foot away from it every night.

But alas, I know I’ll be cursed with good vision until I need reading glasses.

This morning, I met @styleit at Ilori to help her select her newest pairs of Chanel frames. Naturally, I had to try on a few pairs of my own hypothetical frames.

I fell in LOVE with these Oliver Peoples frames. $325. I don’t know the style number, so I’ll lovingly refer to them as my “If I Were a Hipster” glasses:

Then there were the “If I Were a Russian Prostitute” glasses:

*sigh* Even if my eyewear fantasies can’t be fulfilled soon…at least a gal can dream and continue to try them on!!

www.oliverpeoples.com

While looking for bra options at my fave site — American Apparel — I stumbled across this new item:

The American Apparel Leather Bustier.

SWOON!

I’m not sure how I would ACTUALLY incorporate it into a regular wardrobe without having it look too costume-y.

I can totally see it paired with stilettos, skinny disco pants, a beret, matte red lipstick with a cigarette hanging loosely from the lips.  Kinda like Olivia Newton John à la Grease:

Nonetheless, I’m up for the wardrobing challenge!  Will probably get it in the new year…

American Apparel Leather Bustier, $46

The Twitterverse was all a-buzz today with how amazing Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance video is.

The song itself is infectious, but between the hair, the clothes, the styling and the fashion – it’s probably THE most inspirational video this year.  It’s in a league entirely of its own!  ART.

One thing I noticed today after watching this video repeatedly, were these adorable earbuds Gaga was rocking:

Upon closer inspection, I realized they were her own brand of Beats by Dr. Dre earbuds, called Heartbeats by Lady Gaga.

When Dre launched his headphones a few years ago, they were easily recognizable by their distinctive logo, but also their distinctive price: $200 – $350!

But these Heartbeats by Lady Gaga are too fierce-looking to pass up!  And they go for a standard $120 (similar to the Bose In-Ear headphones, which run around $100).

They also come in 3, fashion-forward colors:

And who can resist a personalized note from La Gaga herself?

To be one step closer to Gaga, go and get your own Heartbeats!

In elementary school, when everyone else had effed-up teeth & got to wear those super “cool” retainers…I was SO jealous.  (I mean, when you’re 9-years old, who wouldn’t want to wear a plastic retainer, custom-molded to the roof of your mouth?!)  I used to un-fold a paper clip and stick it on my teeth, just to pretend that I had a retainer.  (lame!)

These days, my accessory of desire: glasses.

Glasses are all the rage.  Hell, if retailers like Forever 21 and American Apparel sell clear-lensed glasses for $40+, then it’s definitely hipster-approved.

My dilemna is: I have 20/20 vision, and I refuse to be a poser and wear clear-lens glasses.

I’ve tried DESPERATELY to qualify for reading glasses, to no avail.  I even lied on my eye exam once, but I think they caught on to me and I got denied.

If I were to qualify, my frames of choice would most definitely have to be Sol Moscots.  Sol Moscot is a NYC institution; it’s been around since 1915, and is a family owned & operated store that specializes in eyewear & eyecare.  Their shops have an incredible selection of Sol Moscot designs, as well as a healthy designer selection.  With 2 locations in Manhattan, original Sol Moscot frames are also carried at various international retailers.

To me, Sol Moscot is an eyewear CLASSIC.  Here it is, in SAT-analogy terms:

• Sol Moscot : Eyewear
• Burberry : Trench Coats
• Hunter: Rain Boots

If you need celebrity approval on “cool factor”, ya can’t get much cooler that Monsieur Johnny Depp:

The 2 frames I would rock, if my eyesight were compromised:

(Frame style:  Yale)

(Frame style:  Zelig)

For more info on Sol Moscot: www.solmoscot.com

I never thought I’d ever utter these words, but:  I have e-Book Reader ENVY!

This past July, my parents were generous enough to buy me the Amazon Kindle for my birthday.  Since I have a 45-minute subway commute to work, and I travel a lot for my job, a Kindle was the perfect gift.  I read more books on there in 2 months, than I did ALL of last year.

Then, last night, my friend @brooklynbum had to go and spoil my contentment by showing me this story on Gizmodo about the new Barnes & Noble e-Reader, Nook.

←DROOL

Just from everything I’ve read online, here’s what I can gather about these 2 devices.

Of course, the Nook boasts a lot of the SAME standard features the Kindle offers:

• e-Ink Screen
• Sample e-Books
• Free Wi-Fi or 3G to download books
• 2MB of built-in Memory
• Built-in Dictionary
• Page Mark-Up ability
• Kindle & Nooks both have FREE versions for BBs, Handhelds and iPhone

How is the Nook BETTER than the Kindle?

• Touch Screen (sexy!)
• Color Book Cover preview window (extra sexy!)
• Memory Slot Card for expandable memory: you can carry your entire bookshelf on 1 memory card!
• MP3 Music listening capabilities
• No Keyboard (I think this is an advantage, because I don’t often use mine and I’d rather devote the space to an enlarged screen)
• e-Lend Program: Ability to “Lend” a book to a friend for 2-weeks.  Very much like an old-school library system.  Books can be shared & read on any B&N e-Reader platform: on a PC, Mac, iPhone or Blackberry.  Sharing is caring.  (extra EXTRA sexy!)
• No International version…yet.

How is the Nook is NOT better than the Kindle?

• Limited Wi-Fi book-browsing:  at least for the launch, you can only access the free Wi-Fi and browse books in their entirety AT Barnes & Noble store.
• Limited Title Offering:  Amazon will offer a more extensive title offering, so if you are looking for obscure books, you still need to buy an “old-fashioned” paper version.
• e-Book prices are slightly higher on B&N.com than Amazon.com

Honestly, I’m kicking myself a little for copping the Kindle in July.  I’m a sucker for all gadgets, shiny & new.  I’m sure there will be kinks/bugs that will need to be worked out – as with any new device.  But the initial specs look very promising.

Very drool-worthy!

You can place a pre-order for your Nook on the B&N Site.  Expected ship date November 2009.

What do you think about the new Nook?  Are you going to get one?

As much as it pains me sometimes to admit it: I am my mother’s daughter.  Yes, I like to dress in cheap Forever 21 clothing in the “style du jour” as my every day wear.  But I always hear my mother’s voice in the back of my mind, saying: “Classic will always be IN STYLE.”

That credo has definitely stayed with me whenever I buy something above a $100 price bracket.  I tend to lean towards trusted “Classic” brands.  If I want boots, I look to invest in a pair of Frye or Dr. Marten boots – because I know they are guaranteed a certain level of quality.  They are, in a sense, “Classic”.

My mom would like nothing more than for me to dress like a Stepford wife every day: pleated khakis, a sweater/cardigan set, pearl earrings, mocs, topped off with a Vera Bradley bag.  In the past, she’d always BUY me things she’d hope to see me wear.  One such thing was a Barbour Coat.

Barbour is another such “Classic” line of coats.  They’re standard wax-cotton coats are what you would imagine Europeans walking around in the countryside, flanked by their sheepdog, smoking a pipe…in their Barbour coats.  Kinda like this:

Maybe I was too young and rebellious to appreciate a Barbour. OR maybe Barbour has come out with a few more “contemporary” designs.  But I’m kinda itching for one of these coats:

Barbour Cameron Coat:

← $479 USD

and the Barbour Ladies International Parka:

←$430 USD

What do you think?  Is it me? Or are these coats worth an investment?  They do not come cheap, but these are the types of jackets you wear for a lifetime.  They’re extremely well-made & timeless!

www.barbour.com

The last time I was at Sakura, I got a Calgel Fill-In for the first time.  Although it took an inhumanly LONG time to do, I DID get a chance to look through all the nail magazines at the salon.  And I chose a few designs that caught my eye.

Just thought I’d share my nail eye candy with y’all: