The opposite of green

Previously on the fashionblog, I mentioned playing with the newest hue of inspiration: Jade. Well, what began as harmless curiosity soon lead to an adventure of absurd proportions.

In the wee hours of the night I began my transformation from average college undergrad to... quasi chemist. I needed my Jade fix, whether or not that meant I had to recreate it myself. At the end of this story, I am left valiant with a Jade-inspired manicure in hand. (Literally).

Well, that would be the most simplistic way of saying: I spent hours in the bathroom with hazardous chemicals (read: of the acetone kind, and from my own personal hoard of polishes - and who knows what kinds of carcinogens those contain).

I mixed and blended until i was out of patience, polish to use, and a few brain cells. I even created a painting with the leftovers: 

I call it Asphyxiation, and I think it conveyed my feelings of that night to an accurate degree.

The overall result of this adventure, however, pleasantly surprised me. I was able to create 2 beautiful colors, one a sort of robin's egg blue with a hint of Jade, the other a dusty lavender. I shall call them Uranium and Mutation.

Featured in stelbell's spring 2010 RTW line

If you are interested in digging your nails into these new hues (pun intended, unfortunately), then that's too bad for you because these custom-made nail embellishment products are limited and one-of-a-kind. And there is no way in hell I will ever go through the trouble of doing that again.

See, Lagerfeld? My "Vernis" are more exclusive than yours. 

...But seriously, I wouldn't recommend mixing nail polish colors. Ever. To anyone.

xxoo

stellbell

It's not easy being green

I must admit, there is one particular trend, or shall I say frenzy, that has sparked my curiosity lately. For Chanel's Fall 2009 collection Karl Lagerfeld infused pretty pastel greens ("jade") and soft pinks perfectly with the classic blacks and whites of the Chanel aesthetic and legacy. It is always easy to find inspiration in Lagerfeld's collections, so what happened next only reinforced my adoration for all things Chanel & Lagerfeld.
But FIRST, take a gander of some of my personal faves from this collection:

Images via www.style.com

Now on to the juicy stuff...
In October 2009 the Chanel website and a few exclusive boutiques began carrying a limited-edition nail polish duo inspired by the latest collection, Jade & Jade Rose Le Vernis nail color. But let's focus on the true star here: a minty, pastel Jade, a color so unexpected and new it's refreshing, sold out in 40 minutes flat. The rest of the world had to suffer until someone found a worthy substitute. These days I hear Jade is still being sold on ebay for over $200, so I wouldn't hold my breath if you want to nab the real thing without going broke.
It's so unfair.

What recently brought me thinking about this travesty was during a trip to the drugstore, where I began to notice more and more green polishes slyly popping up, in their almost-but-nice-try pastels. The people have spoken, and they still crave their Jade fix!

I decided to try one out yesterday, and decided on one of the lower-priced versions, since I didn't yet know if green would live up to my expectations. And secretly, I really, really wanted it to. We're at the ideal point to bite a new idea in fashion: no one really knows about it yet, so you don't have to feel lame when everyone else starts wearing it cause YOU were the first.

Anyway, I chose a nice little bottle of "Lime Freeze" by Petites at a budget-friendly $1.99.

(WARNING: this is where it gets ugly)

The color certainly wasn't and Jade, but it wasn't completely awful, either (depending on who you ask). It had too much "lime" and not enough "freeze," and mostly the yellowish pale green failed to complement my fair complexion. The product itself didn't suck, and as we all know Petites comes in in more colors than ice cream flavors at Baskin-Robbins, so perhaps our 2-dollar relationship is worth saving (at least for emergencies).

So, being the ever-curious and somewhat shameless person I am, I began to play with my new toy. My reasoning, as a forewarning, was that I wanted to see if I could transform the garish lime green into something more useful.

Sorry to leave you hanging at such a moment of suspense, but you will just have to wait and see what I wound up doing! Don't worry, entertainment is a guarantee.

xxoo

stellbell

As promised...

Let me reiterate how much fun I had at the Playboy Pajama Party, even though Madelyn & I somehow missed the "pajama" memo, we both looked fab as usual. (Details below).

A few of the transvestites, & a few of the best outfits of the evening!

The two on the right seem inspired by Lady Gaga (including a darker version of Gaga's infamous hairbow)
I loved the (I hope) faux fur stole on the lady to the left - I believe her name is Desiree? She was playing with the dark bunny persona.

Playboy Playmate Laurie Fetter with the Twister coat-man

Me & Barbie. She is SO tall!

On a side note: why do transvestites have the most amazing legs? It's not fair.

P.S. major props for being able to walk in those shoes (although they aren't quite my style)

So gorgeous!
(& I'm thinking of getting that outfit for next Halloween)

What we wore:

• Madelyn was sporting her shiny new blue snakeskin clogs & a silver metallic scarf, which popped against & added interest her otherwise all-black ensemble.
• I wore a mid-sleeve zebra print-block mini dress with a cowl neck and exposed back zipper from the affordable Franchesca's in Shadyside. I accessorized with a white patent purse from Nine West (they have great non-shoe items too!) and black velvet ballet slippers from, gasp, Gap Kids. Hey, when you're small enough, why not?

Images courtesy of Madelyn Roehrig

Playing with Bunnies

Just got back from the Warhol museum with Madelyn for their Playboy bunny party. Met a couple fab transvestites, took a few pictures with a Playboy bunny/ playmate Laurie Fetter, sipped a couple free beers, and saw a whole lot of interesting get-ups. Andy would approve.

Will post pictures ASAP!

What's in Drugstores

I, for one, find immense pleasure in aimlessly strolling the aisles of drug stores. There, you find everything you need juxtaposed with everything you don't really need at all.

i.e. flower pots disguised as joyful, oversized tea cups (CVS)

Play a game: as your basket fills find how many items you actually need, and how many you have convinced yourself you actually need. If you, like I, are on a budget, now would be the time to slowly and shamefully return those items to their respective shelves. (Unless of course you really, really want them)!

That being said, I have come across numerous things in these stores that have brought me joy and fulfillment. Without impulse purchases, I never would have come across a few fabulous accessories. Case in point: hair accessories.

Allow me to introduce the Scünci product line. Every purchase from this brand (impulse, or not) has never disappointed me. In fact, I would go as far as to say I am dedicated to the Scünci brand while shopping for hair accessories (in a drug store). Their products are fashion-forward, well-made, and most importantly, highly functional.

I have tried the other brands available.... well, brand: Conair (I challenge you to find a company with a more extensive line of hair grooming products). This company simply has never satisfied any of my needs. When I say, "Dear Conair, I want a good brush!" they give me an aesthetically appealing piece-of-crap. "Conair, I want a good-quality hair straightener/ curling iron/ blow dryer!" they ignore my "good-quality" request and give me some sort of an appliance that may show promise to deliver on its claims, but give me results so baffling I don't even know how to describe how crappy they are.

Don't let their good looks fool you.

What does all of this have to do with fashion?
Well, I would like to share a recent purchase that is both functional, well-made, cute, and most importantly, inexpensive.

I have searched online for this product (no thanks to the um, dense website of Scünci), but have not yet found anything. Maybe you will have better luck? I'd like to help but these fab barrettes were never given a proper name at birth. I shall call them Vintage Metallic Genious.

These, my fellow stellbells, are exquisitely functional and fashionable at the same time.
Allow me to demonstrate (although there are many more ways one can use them!):

The mini-Snooki poof

Add playful twist to a deep side-part

Play, enjoy, and please, find them to add to your wardrobe!

What do you think about drugstore finds?

Cherry Pop

Hey! This is my first post on what will be known some day as a good, even great fashionblog. I claim not to be an expert, but a passionate lover of all things beautiful. I aim to share my sometimes unconventional thought, which may appear provocative to those who favor a narrower view. At the same time I am always open to new ideas, and love to hear your thoughts, whether it be constructive criticism or agreeable encouragement. Thank you, always, for reading!

xxoo

stellbell