Are Bloggers The New Black?

I wasn't around this Fashion Week. My brother-in-law, the Blond's little brother, got married last week, so we were away for the entire time. I missed all the shows, parties and events, not to mention FNO festivities. I was a little disappointed, but in the grand scheme of things it didn't really matter. I saw the photos on WWD, skimmed some articles and took a couple of notes for future reference. I admit to not reading 95% of the PR emails giving detailed breakdowns of hair and makeup looks from the shows. I don't post this stuff, after all, and I doubt most of my readers are losing sleep trying to figure out how to recreate this:

Or this:

Something that has become very clear in recent years, though, is that bloggers (fashion, beauty, hair or nail) are now an integral part of the scene. It makes sense, after all. Why should we wait for the magazines (and incestuous relationship with various corporations) to tell us what's going on? I'm not sure why Abe Gurko of I Mean... What?!?, a fashion/pop culture bloggers who is even crankier than me, was surprised:

Leading up to fashion week I was inundated with news about fashion bloggers. New ones, old ones, newly famous ones, bloggers photographed by Anna Wintour, a blogger that actually hired a publicist, others touting their front row-ness, bloggers who were cast in ad campaigns, bloggers sponsored by major fashion brands, bloggers with capsule collections, bloggers hosting events…and then I realized…that fashion bloggers are the new black. And that’s not necessarily a good thing.


The phenomenon of fashion bloggers rising to power has surprised me as much as it has magazine publishers. Who would have thunk that in many cases bloggers would be deemed more relevant than established fashion editors; replacing them in the front row and dressed up as the new guard?

Abe is worried this might be a passing fad. I'm not sure why, really. The world and the media have shifted in a very fundamental way. It will take years until we will be able to fully assess the change and the depth of its impact. I don't know where we go from here, but definitely not away. Black is black, no matter who brings you the commentary on how to wear it, and I plan to stay around and tell you which lipstick goes best with it.

Top photo: myvintagevogue.com
Fashion Week photos: WWD

Grace Coddington is Vogue's secret weapon (or last hope)

It's no secret that most (all?) magazines are struggling. Vogue has done very little to remain relevant in recent years. As a matter of fact, the most publicity it probably got was when Meryl Streep donned a pair of Manolos to play Miranda Priestly, a character based on Anna Wintour in The Devil Wears Prada. Then came another movie. This time a documentary, The September Issue, which has brought to the public's attention that Vogue is more than Wintour and Andre Leon Talley with their society obsession and celeb anti-culture. The movie allowed Grace Coddington, Vogue's wonderful creative director, emerge and shine from behind her boss' tiresome bob with her dry sense of humour and dry red hair.

It looks like someone in Vogue's PR department has been paying attention, which explains the email I and other subscribers got yesterday. The message, titled "What's Your Story" was signed by Grace Coddington and featured the above picture (photographed by Didier Malige) as well as a longish blurb in which Coddington told about her Welsh childhood and how Vogue has inspired her dreams and made her move to London and become a model.  Apparently, the magazine is finally trying to engage readers and urges us to send them our own personal Vogue stories, promising that the best ones would be published in the April issue.

You know what? I'm sending them mine. After all, who can resist either one of the faces in the photo?

The One Hundred by Nina Garcia- Book Review

Nina Garcia's Little Black Book Of Style was a fun read, though not the iconic fashion guide it aspired to be. Her second book, The One Hundred- A Guide To The Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, might be even more ambitious, but is also delivers better.

Basically, it's a wardrobe checklist of one hundred items Ms. Garcia believes every woman must have in her closet. From the A-line dress to a zippered hoodie, she goes through classics and modern clothes (and also shoes, accessories, gadgets and beauty items), explains their importance, offers advice on how to wear them, where to shop and also tells stories and expands on their history, making this a more detailed and in-depth book than one would expect.

There's a lot of valuable information about brands, when to buy high-end and when it's OK to skimp, noteworthy designers, how to shop for vintage. The chapters are peppered with little quotes, bits of trivia and Nina Garcia's typical dry quips ("From time to time, you may see a girl wearing her black opaque tights as pants. There are, in fact, not"). It all contributes to making The One Hundred both informative and fun to read. As for her choice of these 100 items, for the most part I think she is spot on. Garcia names the cuts, styles and landmark designers (DVF, Pucci, Missoni) one should collect to build a stylish wardrobe. She doesn't forget the simple things, like basic white t-shirts (here she goes for Hanes), Spanx or sneakers (where she allows both Converse and Vans). I'm not sure what Champagne is doing as part of this guide and the beauty advice is flawed (only red, pale pink or black nail polish?). As a perfume nut, I'd rather ignore the recommendation to find a signature scent and stick to it. And, of course, I hate that fur is included (though she isn't against fake).

In the introduction, Nina Garcia reminds us to adapt each item according to individual style, body and personality. She states that there is no ultimate list and true style allows a woman to assert herself through her choices. Thus, we can make personal choices, edit according to our needs and make these items our own. I prefer my t-shirts and sweaters to have a v-neck, I don't own even one pair of khakis and I favor biker boots over cowboys. As long as one remembers to make such adjustments, the book can be a great resource.

The One Hundred by Nina Garcia ($21.95, about $15 on Amazon) is available from every bookseller online and in store. I bought it from my local Barnes & Noble.

Photo by Paulo Roversi

The Bad Marketing Syndrome

Or: How to lose potential clients and alienate a blogger or two

Apparently, I'm lacking sass. Because I'm Jewish (it's the nose, I'm telling you). But don't fret. A press release from the PR company that handles makeup artist Ramy Gafni and his product line has the cure for me: A pink lipstick.
Confused? Don't be. Here's the brilliant pitch I received today:

What Do A Male Makeup Artist And Jewish Author Have In Common?
Author Taps Makeup Guru RAMY For Creative Spark, Inspires Limited Edition Lipstick

Do Shiksas really have more fun? Ramy Gafni, NYC’s celebrity makeup artist and brow guru thinks so. He has partnered with author Laurie Graff, to create a limited edition Shiksa Goddess Lipstick to coincide with the debut of Graff’s novel The Shiksa Syndrome. This lipstick has so much sass, you are sure to forget about the Challah!


SHIKSA: n. Yiddish
1. A non – Jewish woman
2. A quintessential blonde beauty
3. The polar opposite of the quintessential Jewish mother
4. A type of woman who instills deep longing in Jewish men
5. A Jewish boy’s dream
6. A Jewish girl’s nightmare

Seriously?

Would the lipstick make me tall and blonde? Is it going to make my nose smaller? Should I change my blog's name to something sexier for the sake of Jewish boys who dream of Shiksas?

Does anyone really think that it's a good idea to push a product with the message that one needs to hide/change/deny their heritage in order to look more appealing?
(At least they didn't mention gefilte fish. We should all be thankful)

I was asked earlier today if I'm offended by this spiel. I'm not. Ramy Gafny is Jewish and I doubt he or anyone at the PR firm had any bad intentions. I just find the whole thing beyond stupid. And challa has too many carbs, anyway.

Edited to add: Follow Up (and more bad marketing) here.

Image: from Segment no. 3 of New York Stories, Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks. The Jewish mother appears in the sky to berate her son until his relationship with the shiksa (Mia Farrow) falls apart and he replaces her with a Jewish psychic (Julie Kavner). Woody has made a career of lusting after blonde shiksas only to marry Soon-Yi.

Let's hope the people at Lauder have a healthy sense of humor

From Yahoo news.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080814/earns_estee_lauder.html?.v=1

Edit: The link now shows that they fixed their typo. My screen capture above is how it appeared originally.

Excuse me while I snicker

Earlier this year, when the NY Times went straight for the Pulitzer by revealing that beauty bloggers sometimes get free samples, there were people who questioned our ability to review products in an objective manner (despite all the evidence to the contrary, in this blog and many others).

A big part of why that article felt so insulting was the underlying accusation that bloggers have no ethics, unlike print media that has strict rules, and therefore is more objective. When I say it was insulting, I mean insulting to readers' intelligence, because (just like many of my commenters noted), one look at the traditional media is enough to confirm its obligation and dependence on advertisers.

That's why I couldn't help myself from feeling a smidge of schadenfreude when reading Natasha Singer's much braver article over the weekend. This quote says it all:

“Boy, they really sold out — Hearst — didn’t they?” said Allan Mottus, a beauty industry analyst who publishes the Informationist, a trade publication. Mr. Mottus added: “You have to take your hat off to Lauder. It is an enormous coup.”

The Little Black Book Of Style by Nina Garcia- A Book Review

I didn't expect to like Nina Garcia's book, The Little Black Book of Style. As a matter of fact, I bought the book months ago but haven't touched it and let the pile of books sitting on top of it grow so tall until Miss Lizzy Kitten knocked them all down every time she jumped on top. The truth is that while I love Project Runway, Nina Garcia isn't the reason. She doesn't annoy me nearly half as much as Michael Kors does, but honestly, aren't we all there for Tim Gunn?

I tried to remember anything special she wore on the show, but only came up with "sleeveless", "black" and " an oversized necklace". My impression was that she's always well put together, but doesn't steal the show, which is probably a sign of both good taste and common sense. When you think of it, the 42 year old future fashion director of Marie Claire (Elle Magazine gave her the boot recently) is a pretty good source for style guidance. And she's a proud non-blonde, despite the perfect highlights.

The book puts some flesh on the glossy image. There are a few biographical notes from her Colombian childhood and New England prep school education. We get a glimpse of the elements that shaped Ms. Garcia's fashion sense, and I found myself becoming fond of her, despite her endorsement of fur. Probably because I share many of her ideas regarding style: wear things that fit you perfectly and make you look good while ignoring ugly trends, don't be a fashion victim, don't play safe unless the occasion demands it, go for interesting accessories that speak to you personally, mix things up and buy lots and lots of shoes.

The book expands on all of the above, explains the basics every woman needs (very similar to Tim Gunn's ten essentials: trench coat, cashmere sweater, the LBD, a well-cut dark pair of jeans, a white shirt and more), speaks about finding inspiration (actually, I'm getting fed-up with the Audrey Hepburn talk. Yes, she was amazing. Yes, she was gorgeous. Yes, she was the chicest of them all. But, in reality, unless your name is Natalie Portman, you can't pull it off).

I loved Nina Garcia's definition of a fashion victim (besides her obsession with the "it" bag, a concept she and I both despise): "...count the designer pieces she's wearing. She'll usually help you out by putting the labels on conspicuous display". It reminded me of this photo from two weeks ago (courtesy of Hollywood Rag):


There's some good advice about dressing right for different occasions (Q: What to wear for a wedding? A: Don't be a bridesmaid), she deciphers the mystery of event dress code (what exactly is "creative black tie" or "smart casual"?), encouragement to invest in lingerie and cliff notes of fashion history (I wish this section of the book was longer and deeper, as I find it more inspiring than talking about Uma Thurman's white shirt in Pulp Fiction). The part I found most useless, though, was the brief interviews with designers and other prominent fashion figures (blahblahblah confidence blahblahblah be yourself blahblahblah Audrey Hepburn blahblahblah black turtleneck. You've heard it all before).

Bottom line: a fun read that actually makes sense. A fabulous gift for the young or for yourself if you've been stuck in a rut for too many years and need to find a new path. Worth reading if you find yourself having to pass some time at Barnes & Noble on a rainy afternoon.

The Little Black Book of Style is available from every book seller. I got mine from Amazon (cover price is $17.95, you'll probably find it for less).

In His Words: Perez On Blogging

Think what you may about Perez Hilton, he is a phenomenon and sets the standards for what is successful blogging. Click on this link to watch a clip of an interview he gave last Friday.


Image: Perez Hilton

No, mascara didn't make me do it: My response to the NY Times article

In a display of brave and brilliant journalism, the NY Time has uncovered the truth about beauty bloggers: We get free samples!

Take a second to absorb the fact. I'll wait.

This comes after an interesting week for bloggers in the media. First there was that WWD article in which a rep for Sephora told us we must have the right credentials in order to to express our opinions. Then came Target, announcing they do not respond to inquiries from bloggers and only willing to deal with the traditional media.

But it was Thursday's article by Kayleen Schaefer that has managed to get to us. Being portrayed as a group of opportunistic gold diggers was especially insulting in the wake of all the coverage from Sundance Festival. You know what I'm talking about: the gossip blogs kept running pictures of the most loathsome D-listers posing with loot from various "gifting suits", while the previous prestige of the Utah event flew out of the window. So, let's face it: having parallels drawn between Kim Kardashian and me was not exactly the highlight of my week.

I started this blog nearly two years ago because I felt I had something to say. There were already about two dozen successful beauty blogs around in early 2006, but after reading them for months, it seemed to me that I had a somewhat unique point of view and was eager to express it, even though I wasn't exactly sure who might be interested in reading it.

Somehow I found an audience, and as it grew and as my name got out there, I was found by various companies and PR reps who offered me samples.

Now, let's make a couple of things clear:
*I have never ever made the first contact or reached out to a company.
*I have never asked, nor have I begged, for a freebie.

I still buy the majority of the items you read about here. I do accept products to test and in most cases write about them. I also review things I get as a gift-with-purchase during beauty events at my favorite stores, samples that a nice sales assistant tosses into my shopping bag and beauty items that I get as gifts from friends and relatives.

While I don't put a disclaimer in each post, I don't hide the fact that some products were sent to me for review (if you want to know, just ask). I try to make my writing interesting and not formulaic, while offering as much information about the pros and cons of each cream and makeup item. Getting something for free doesn't make me blind, and I've written when a face cream I was sent made me break out, when an eye shadow creased and flaked or when a body butter left skid marks on my sheets.

I also make it a point to say again and again that while I have some holy grail products, they come from different companies, and even my favorites have their stinkers here and there. I wasn't shy telling the world what I thought about Lancome's dead-people-lips Proenza Pink, an opinion that actually made its way to the NY times. Same goes for that ridiculous Smashbox mood blush, O-Glow.

In case anyone wondered, there's no "hand that feeds me perfume", and when it comes down to fragrance, I buy most of the high-end samples I write about. In some cases I even used my middle name in those purchases, so that a perfumer wouldn't know who I was and wouldn't feel pressured to give me anything for free.

The idea that my opinion on a company can be bought with a free mascara or shampoo is insulting. Not just to me but also to my readers. I like what works for me, and if I don't you'll hear all the reasons why. Laurice Rahme can show up on my doorstep in person with a basket full of kittens (that's the real way to my heart, not lip gloss), but I still think of her company, Bond no. 9, as shady.

I don't take advertisement, never sell posts and all requests to "help promote" whatever product or service (I kid you not. I get these kind of emails every day) are politely but firmly declined and I also tell them why. As for big swag, I was never offered any, and the one time someone wanted to send me a purse I had to tell them their stuff was really not to my taste (it was ugly as hell).

The point of all this is that I write for fun, and only about what interests me. If "notoriety" means receiving feedback and communicating with readers, then yes, I love it. If you mean coloring my hair blue and playing Perez Hilton on TV, then not so much.

Images of Gary Coleman and his loot at Sundance: Quick's Catch Up

Beauty Blogs Making Headlines

Women's Wear Daily has a semi-interesting article about beauty blogs, their growing influence on consumers and the way companies, retailers and traditional media are coping with us. Some are learning to live with it and even develop respect for independent opinions, others are launching their own blogs, trying to reach out more directly by skipping the usual purple prose of an ad campaign.

Here's the link, but you need a subscription to read the full article.

I had to stifle a little giggle when reading this quote by Stacy Baker, editorial director of Sephora: "A blogger has to know what she's talking about and have the résumé — or at least citations — to backbone her opinion,".
(For the record: My issue with Sephora was never with their beauty products, of which they still offer a great selection. My gripe is with their perfume department that is sinking deeper and deeper into the realms of Pink Sugar and the lowest common denominator)

What do you think? What bothers you more: lack of formal beauty credentials or the obvious obligation traditional media has to its advertisers?


Image: The Little Writer by Raccoon with a Cigar, from deviantArt

What's wrong with this picture?

Apparently, 18 month old Suri Cruise has a recognizable (and popular) enough face to sell a gossip magazine.

In which I get nitpicky

Staying on topic of the November 2007 Vanity Fair issue.

At first, I considered saying something snarky about the nude photoshoot of Victoria's Secret models as a promotion for the annual VS show. But, why bother? I'm not the target audience, so have them cover the soft-core porn with Patrick Demarchelier's reputation and let's move on. I'm much more annoyed about inaccuracies in an otherwise well-researched article. Not really beauty-related, but worth a mention.

Lisa Robinson's story about the late French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg is interesting to anyone who has even a little interest in French culture and music, past and present (his daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, is a talented singer and fashion icon in her own right). I'm not the biggest Francophile ever, but even I know that making a broad statement like "France's most beloved and important songwriter" might be pushing it just a little, since I doubt Ms Robinson has polled the crowds to see how Gainsbourg measured against Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, or George Brassens. Not to mention that while Yves Montand, who died the same year as Gainsbourg, didn't write his own songs, he was every bit as iconic, famous and adored.

Much more annoying is a little historical oops: "...who escaped czarist Russia in 1919." Russia in 1919 was a very unhappy place, deeply torn by a civil war, but it was no longer czarist. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate in 1917 and was executed in 1918.
Not a huge issue, but some respect to readers with good memory for historical facts has never killed anyone.

Vanities

I found several annoying things in the November issue of Vanity Fair (more on that later), but Nigella Lawson isn't one of them. She's one of my favorite non-blondes of all time, even if I'm not going to buy her latest cookbook (let me know when she comes up with a vegetarian cookbook. Or another one about baking). There's something deliciously retro about her, but not in a grotesque Dita von Teese way.

We're not here to talk cake, though. I got very curious about the beauty products she mentioned. Several of them are exclusive to the UK, so I'd like to hear from my British readers: Are you familiar with them? What do you think?

Photo: VanityFair.com

Little Pleasures

Fabulous coverage of fashion week:

• NY Magazine has photos, videos and interviews and blogs. They also added “The Model Manual,” a guide to over 200 models, with career bios, quotes, video, and photos (50 per model on average), and “Runway Rankings,” live updates of the top 100 favorite (and least favorite) looks from the collections, as voted by readers (http://nymag.com/runwayrankings). A great time waster if there ever was one.
  


• InStyle magazine isn't bad, either, with live coverage, photos and videos. More reasons not to do any work this week.

Also, tonight is the premier of Tim Gunn's Guide to Style on Bravo (10pm/9 C). My TiVo is giddy with anticipation.


(photo from BravoTV.com)

They tried to make me renew my subscription, I said no no no

Between Lindsay Lohan appearing on the cover of the September issue of Elle magazine and talking about her successful rehab and how she'd never drive drunk, and this news story about Amy Winehouse making the cover of Vogue at the personal request of Anna Wintour, I'm getting more and more cranky.

I'm not taking beauty and style tips from a 21 year old who tops every list of celebs most likely to die before they turn 30. Or from someone who seems to belong to the Kirsten Dunst school of personal grooming.

End of an Era?

August will see the last issue of Jane Magazine (and its website). I imagine that things are getting tough for print media when we no longer need to wait for the monthly fashion and beauty fix they offer us, because we all get it daily from reading the blogs. Not to mention, designers who know what's good for them allow streaming their shows online in real time.

I can't see myself giving up my subscriptions any time soon, and some magazines seem to be adjusting to this new reality better than others. I hope this is the last closing we have to witness.

Do you still read the monthly glossies? do you see yourself stopping reading them? What do they need to do to keep you as a reader? How many beauty and fashion blogs do you visit regularly?

A Socialite's Life has this related little story about the going-ons when a magazine is about to lock its doors (and its fashion closet).

Jump the Shark

In the fashion section of Life & Style's new issue (out today and worth looking at. There's a few other interesting articles) there's a story about 80s and 70s inspired jumpsuits and the stars who wear them. While Jamie Lynn Spears is 16 and related to you-know-who, and J. Lo is, well, J-Lo, I expect more than this from the lovely Sarah Michelle Gellar. It's only marginally better than this bright fashion moment Scarlett Johansson had last September:

(photo courtesy of The Superficial)

Glamour Magazine's website has a nice fashion & beauty section that offers advice, tips & tricks and everyone's guilty pleasure: Celeb dos and don'ts (and they don't even bother with Britney Spears). Since I've been talking (obsessing?) lately about fall looks, I found the video clip of two of the beauty editors playing with new fall makeup very interesting.

Speaking of the beauty editors, they maintain their own blog on the site. It's fun and refreshing because they're keeping it real, talking about whatever beauty issues on their mind, including their personal mishaps.

The cover of Vogues July issue offers a nice surprise: Not another actress hawking her latest movie, but a real, honest-to-god model. The gorgeous Natalia Vodianova epitomizes the "Return of Megawatt Beauty", an old Hollywood-like glamor. All her makeup is by Lancome, and I especially love the dark, sexy lips.

Quoted

Remember Lancome's Proenza Pink? It's still making headlines. This time, The New York Times has something to say about it, and in the process they quoted several bloggers, including me. I'm tickled (pale, chalky) pink.

P.S. thanks to Kerry from Lancome for letting me know.