Essentials

Once upon a time, I found basics to be the ultimate bore. Black, cream, grey, navy sweaters? Button down shirts? Basic pumps? Zzz.

Not so much anymore. It's probably just the evolution of my own personal style (and age and maturity, but let's not think about that), but now I find the same pieces to be sophisticated and chic. Sure, they still aren't as exciting to shop for compared to sequined dresses and snazzier items, but I wear them constantly and I love their simplicity. Because of this, I've gone from trendier cheaper things from places like H&M, to a main focus on quality. Since sweaters, button down tops and the like are so simple, poor quality stands out much more with them than in some busy top with a crazy cut. And because they're classic and worn often, it makes better sense to buy the higher quality versions. A craptastic white button down from F21 will be made of poorer materials, not fit as well, and won't hold up. Below is a list of items I find essential for a basic wardrobe foundation. They go with everything, require little to no effort to throw in the morning, and always look expensive and stylish. From here, you can leave as is or add the fun stuff for days that require a little more pizzazz - Miu Miu yellow pouf skirt, printed maxi dresses. These are just my basic necessities.

Silk button downs
Solid colors, collar styles varying. I have point collars, rounded collars, and collarless. They can be worn casually with cuffed denim, slightly dressed up with skirts, under dresses, worn with trousers or cropped pants professionally, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Everlane is great for affordable versions, and Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and the like sell Equipment Signature, Brett, and other popular styles for about $60-$90. No need to pay $200 for the same top at Bloomingdales. 

Fine knits
I've been on a cashmere kick, and have started with the super basics - an oversized black v-neck by some no-name on Gilt, and a cream colored v-neck from Uniqlo. They say cheap cashmere isn't worth it, that it isn't as finely milled, but Uniqlo's versions had decent reviews, so I went for it. They have a giant selection of colors and I bought mine in a large, since I wanted an oversized, roomier fit.  I'm pretty new to the cashmere world, so we'll see how these hold up. If poor, then I'll save up and invest in some Brora or some brand known for its high quality.

La Robe Noire
I dislike the term "LBD," but whatever you want to call them, they are a necessity. No matter your body shape or size, there are countless ways to make black dresses work for your personal style. You also can't deny that black makes everything look more expensive.

Half of my closet is black, and about a quarter of that is made up of black dresses. They're mostly classic styles - a-line, shifts, little to no prints. My favorites are from Comptoir des Cotonniers and a pleated skirted version from Zara that everyone and their mother had when they were in store. I actually loved the Zara version so much I hunted down the same one in red on Ebay.

Good flats
Every brand makes flats, but not every brand makes them well. A lot are too wide, unrefined, and overall look poorly made. For me, I find it imperative to invest in great flats. As much as I love my heels, I tend to wear flats more often (work, shopping, anything that requires excessive walking).

Repetto is the original. I have a red patent pair from my trip to Paris in 2009, and though now totally beat up, they still look great (as long as you don't investigate them too closely). The toe is the perfect almond shape - not too round or square or pointy. It's slimming and very feminine on the foot. To some people, they may look like any basic ballet flat, but they so are not. They are much superior than your average no-name ballet flat. They also run small, so best to try on in person.  I was fitted to a 38, when my typical shoe size is a 6-6.5.

For a slightly dressier ballerina, Ferragamo Vara flats are tres chic. Available in several colors, materials, widths, and even customizable, they are super versatile. I will say though that the sizing is a bit off. I have the patent "new bisque" pair in a 5.5, which is rarely ever my size. Apparently I have narrow feet (read: bony) but still fit a regular width in a smaller size, so be sure to try these on in person before buying. I actually love these so much I plan on eventually getting them in regular black, patent black, and patent red. The slight heel also makes them more exciting than your average flat.

And of course, Chanel makes a great flat. The basic tan/black toe ballerina is on my must-have list.

Quality black bag
I don't think anyone can argue the importance of a great black bag. Doesn't matter the brand, as long as the quality and style is there. I prefer mine with gold hardware, made of amazing leather.

My black bags are the Chloe Paraty and two classic Chanel flaps. The Chloe may eventually look passe, but so far, so good. I've had it for three years, worn it almost daily, and it has held up great, and goes with almost all outfits. The Chanels... well, no explanation needed. I bought mine vintage from the mid-90s since I can't afford brand new ones and can't support the ridiculous price increases. Benefits to vintage Chanel aside from price:

• 18k gold-plated hardware (new ones don't have this)
• Supposedly, the new ones have parts made in China and overall are of poorer quality than vintage
• Discontinued styles - one of mine is the jumbo with the giant ass gold CCs

So new + more $$$ + poorer quality, or pre-owned + real gold-plated hardware + superior quality - you choose. The only downside with vintage is finding a reputable seller and getting one in good condition. But I don't mind. I love the hunt and the history that comes with vintage.

Great jackets/coats
Ah. There is little that beats a perfectly fitting jacket or coat. The classic styles are always the best to invest in, of course. Trench, peacoat, basic blazer. Interestingly enough, Zara's coats and jackets fit me better than any other high end brand I've tried. The shoulders are PERFECT. My current two favorites are a red jacket and a brown coat, and though I haven't worn the red yet, the brown always gets me compliments. I had been searching for a great red jacket for a few years, so I was uber excited when I found one at Zara a few months ago. I'm ready for real fall temperatures to bust it out, but I live in LA and it's still high-70s. Lame.

Well-fitting jeans
Any brand without all the tacky stitching or embellishments. Thanks to Emmanuelle Alt, Topshop's Baxter jeans are my favorite to cuff and they're only $70. They're the perfect relaxed skinny jean. Rag & Bone jeans are also great for your basic, full-length skinny jean in a great wash.

Shoes
Heeled sandals and pumps: black, nude. Single-soled or slight covered platform. Comfortable, genuine leather. Mine are Louboutin Decolletes, Zara, Aldo (Isabel Marant Poppy wannabes but SO comfortable), and Schutz.

Clean, streamlined, minimalistic boots. Stuart Weitzman 5050 in nappa or suede.

Quality jewelry
This is where I need the most help in. This help will come with more money. Quality jewelry for me unfortunately also means significantly higher costs, and this is a category I don't like settling on. One of my jewelry dreams? A gold Rolex with white face. I can't even get myself to buy more inexpensive gold watches, because I feel it'd just be a temporary solution. And I'd rather wait for the holy grail.

Accessories
Black belt with gold hardware. Brown belt. Some scarves. It's really all I need.

And as I've posted before, none of this matters if the fit isn't there and your beauty routine isn't perfected. Great hair, skin, and makeup. It should look natural and healthy. If it doesn't fit right, pay the extra $ and go to a tailor. It is well worth it. If you have both of these, your simplistic, high-quality wardrobe will just accentuate your natural beauty. It's what I feel a wardrobe should do, anyway. People shouldn't notice your wardrobe more than they notice you.

Easy Breezy Beautiful...

Typically, beauty and fashion go hand in hand. While I'm not completely clueless, my forte has never been makeup. Like style, it's something that's always evolving, that I'm learning more about as I age. It started with nail polish in middle school, then extended to eyeliner/eyeshadow in high school, and didn't go much further than that for many years. When my friends would buy makeup, I'd emulate them by getting the same products and applying them similarly, unaware that my face was complete different from theirs - it's Asian. It's no wonder many of my past pictures are quite the embarrassment! Alas, after many years of makeup-testing and understanding my individual needs, I've determined which colors and types of products work best on me. I don't wear the below everyday, but I do like to whip them out for special occasions.

Eyeliner - Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner
After testing gel formulas and typical liquid liners, I've realized pen-style liners are ideal for me.  I'm the type who wakes up 20 minutes before having to go to work, so ease of application is especially important. Pen-style eyeliners are easy to apply, with no need for additional tools. This Maybelline one is excellent, though it could possibly be darker. No need to splurge on the Chanel version, this one satisfies for a fraction of the cost. I use this everyday.

Kiss me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara (Volume & Curl works as well)
This is the ultimate Asian-eyelash mascara. Naturally curly-lashed girls may find this mascara unimpressive, however, for the gals like me whose lashes are stick straight and point DOWN, this is the absolute best at holding a curl. It's extremely waterproof, so buying the mascara remover by the same name is necessary. But it's SO good. I've never had a mascara hold my curl all day like this. And by hold a curl, I mean it looks the same as when you first curl them in the morning. Sometimes you get a half-assed curl, where it's somewhere in between fully curled and fully flat. This mascara keeps them totally curled and lengthens as well. It's amazing.

Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Eyeshadow Palette
This palette is available at Target and about $20 for twelve highly-pigmented neutral shades. Perfect for someone who likes natural looks. While I admire those MAC employees with purple glitter eyelids, it's just not my style. This palette is inexpensive, and the colors can be mixed and matched for many looks. I don't wear eyeshadow everyday, so this will last me forever!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 5.75
I've been lucky with my skin in that I don't need to use any foundations or powders on a daily basis. On days I want to look especially polished, however, I use this. It evens out my skin, and gives it a fabulous finish. It's very natural, and not overly matte or dewy. It's probably best for dryer skins like mine, and I've read that it's light to medium coverage. I apply this with a Sonia Kashuk brush. I don't have tons of experience in foundations, but this works well for me. I'd definitely repurchase.

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Powder in Medium Plus
I was recommended this at the MAC counter when looking for a powder to finish off my foundation routine. I know MAC gets a bad rep for its skin products, but I've honestly never had a problem with them. This one looks pink in the pan, but applies beautifully. It's great to use on its own as well. Only problem with this is that it doesn't come with a mirror or puff for application. No problem though, I buy the puff things at a Japanese beauty store and slide them into the compact.

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in 1.5
This is my newest discovery and I love it. There seems to be debate on whether this is a highlighter or concealer, but I'd say it's a combo of both. It's more of a highlighter than a concealer, but it does conceal minor imperfections. I bought it as a highlighter for under my eyes and the bridge of my nose. It covers my not-too-dark circles and awakens my face. I was unsure about the color since you're supposed to go lighter if using it as a highlighter, so I was matched at Nordstrom to 1.5. Originally I thought I'd be a 2.5 or 3.5, but 1.5 is perfect. People complain that it's pricey for the amount, but it's been worth it in my short experience. Plus, it comes in a pretty gold tube. I love gold.

Tom Ford Lipstick in Indian Rose
Excellent moisturizing lipstick for my pigmented lips. It's a "my-lips-but-better" shade, which works well for me, since my lips are kind of big, and I don't really like calling attention to them with bright colors. I must admit though, I don't use this as often as I should.

Milani Liquid Eye Eyeliner - black or brown
Previously called Liquifeye, this is the softest, smoothest, pigmented pencil liner. Screw Urban Decay 24/7 that everyone loves, this one is $10 max and glides on so easily. Repurchased several times over.


There are many other items in my makeup bag, but these are the standouts. Makeup products differ for everyone so greatly that their performance is highly subjective. With my increasing age comes new discoveries. Until next time...

Eminence Organics

Beginning approximately five years ago, I started paying more attention to skincare. I think I wrote about it in a previous post (since I never post anymore, I don't remember when it was), but I do believe the sudden awareness came from a combination of living in vain-city (Los Angeles) and my inevitable aging. So I went from using just Oil of Olay SPF15 once a day to Jason's 25,000 IU vitamin e cream at night, Thayer's Witch Hazel Rose toner, and SPF35 during the day. Recently, I've even tried incorporating a homemade vitamin C serum to the mix.

In the last year or so, I've become even MORE into skincare, and just health overall. I've been making it a point to avoid processed food, anything with chemicals. I'm not super strict with it though, and do occasionally have pizza, fast food, etc. But I'm specifically trying to be more serious with skincare, and in my quest for magical moisturizers and the like, I stumbled across Eminence Organics. I think I just searched "organic moisturizer" in Amazon, and Eminence was one of the brands that came up. The line had great reviews, and I loved that it was organic and free of sulfates, parabens, etc.

For reference, my face is normal to dry, doesn't have many issues, and I like my nighttime moisturizers thick and heavy - the Jason's cream I use is a good example of that. I feel they're really doing their moisturizing job when they're heavy, and the additional moisture doesn't make me oily or breakout. Since LA weather is so dry anyway, the more moisture, the better. The Jason's cream is great too, but I wanted to try other more sophisticated moisturizers since I had really only ever tried the Jason's.

I received the Blueberry Soy Night Recovery Cream for Christmas. It's super luxurious and smells like blueberry Hi-Chew. I used it for the first time last night, and woke up with super soft, smooth skin. It was soft in a different way than other moisturizers had previously made it feel. I can really only describe it as baby-ass soft. It felt delicate, though it wasn't. It didn't look much different, but I don't have wrinkles or dullness begin with, so I don't think there was that much the cream could have done in that department. Overall? A fabulous night cream. Smells great, leaves skin super soft and hydrated, no adverse reaction, and even comes with a little spatula to scoop out the product.

I also bought various Eminence samples, and have nothing but positive reviews for them. They have a variety of products for all sorts of skin types, so I'd recommend doing some research (Amazon, MakeupAlley) or getting some samples (here) before purchasing full-sizes. I've also tried the Wild Plum Eye Cream and that's equally as amazing and delicious-scented. It's my next purchase in my attempt to maintain eternally youthful skin.

I know most people have their beauty routines down and are resistant to change. But I really think those big brands with heavy price tags are mostly just that - big names. I'm sure they have higher quality ingredients than your average drugstore product, but how well can they really perform to justify the $100ish price tags? Not very well, in my opinion. I prefer the simple, natural route, instead of one filled with mysterious chemicals and I don't know, gold flakes and diamonds (keep that ish in your jewelry). Shop Eminence here.