pretty please

My New Suit

After several hours shopping (and forcing myself to focus on finding a suit rather than buying yet another shirt)...I found my outfit for my interview this week.  I splurged on a houndstooth two-button blazer and wide-leg pants from Banana Republic, along with a gorgeous purple top to go underneath (finally, I have some purple in my life!).  I think the outfit is both professional and contemporary and yes, I plan to stand like the model in the picture at all times.

What to Wear for an Interview?

Some of you may already know that Chris and I are moving in November (or rather, on Halloween) to the Bay Area.  Chris will be transferring to the San Francisco office of his company but I will be finding a new job.  So far, I've interviewed in person for three jobs resulting in one job offer I declined, one job that declined me, and one that I have not yet heard back from.  For all three of these interviews I wore the same thing - black and white long-sleeved, jersey, knee length patterned dress, black peep-toe heels, and minimal jewelry (just wedding and engagement rings).  I thought long and hard before wearing the dress instead of the standard interview uniform - a black suit.  I just don't feel like myself in a suit.  But after not getting the job I wanted, I'm reconsidering.  I'm interviewing for Development Director of a major treatment center that's part of a medical foundation on Wednesday and I think I need to step up my game a notch - so I'll be out looking for a new suit this weekend.  I think the jacket in the picture might look good - but it's still not a classic suit jacket.  What do you wear to interviews? 

Online Personal Shopper

I love the idea of a personal shopper - someone who knows my style and where to find the perfect clothes for me.  (I also secretly love the idea of being a personal shopper - it's so fun to get to shop for someone else's body and style for a change!  You see the store in a whole new way.)  Anyway, there are a number of websites out now that act as online personal shoppers - you fill in some boxes with your preferences and they search for them and notify you when items you will likely want are available.  I just signed up for one site called www.shopittome.com (thanks for the invite, Mer!) which does just this and sends you an email at your desired frequency containing the items that fit your preferences (only items in your size and from the brands you specified).  I just found another site that looks even better called www.personalshopper.com that not only lets you list your own preferences but also preferences for your family members and gift needs.  Now, this is a great idea.  I love Christmas shopping but there are just some people in my family that are impossible to shop for (my Dad and my father in law) and I'd love to get more ideas.  Anyway, I like the idea of these sites - you get all of the fun of only looking at items that you probably like without the cost of hiring an actual personal shopper.  Try out one of these sites and tell me what you think. 

Do you fill in your brows?

I'm all about makeup.  I wear what some would call a "full face" of makeup everyday (although, I don't lay it on thick): lotion, foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss.  The one part of my face that I do nothing to is my brow area.  Now, every makeup artist I've seen does something to the client's brow - whether it's clear gel to keep the hairs in place, or brow pencil and powder to fill in sparse areas.  I just...can't.  Everytime I try it I think I look so bizarre and intense - this is even when I try to have a really light hand with it.  But the thing is, I'm a perfect candidate for paying more attention to my brows - I have light colored, sparse brows that could use a little umph - if it didn't look so weird to me.  What about you?  Do you fill in your brows?  With what?

CARGO blu_ray High Def Makeup

Have you heard of the new CARGO "blu_ray High Definition Make-Up" line?  According to the promo matierlas, this line was created for make-up artists working on high definition projects - ie, since high def picks up on the most minute details on everybody's faces (eek) they wanted a make-up line that provided great coverage but looked natural.  Seems a little gimicky to me but I've got to admit that I like their lip gloss.  I tried a pretty peachy, pink color with a touch of shimmer and pearl color.  Now, it does smell exactly like minty floss but that could be a good thing.  I really liked the sheer coverage and the hint of color - I always struggle with any product with strong color - it just looks funky on me and seems to make my little lips look smaller.  This color was subtle and soft.  Now, the packaing does claim that the gloss uses all sorts of crazy technology ("hyaluronic acid derivative spheres and a peptide chain") to plump lips and smooth out fine lines, but honestly, I couldn't see any difference.  The lip gloss is being sold in a set of four for $29.  I think it might be worth trying.

Fall Trend Review: Full Skirts

A major fall trend that I am seeing everywhere is the full skirt.  Now - I think this can be a nice look - especially for work and while weaing high heel...and this Banana Republic version is pretty adorable. I'm concerned about looking a little dumpy if worn with flats.  But here's my concern - the full skirts that I've seen tend to have a high waist and seem to be made to show that waist rather than cover it with a blouse.  What do you think?  Do you have to tuck in shirts into high waisted skirts?