Look of the Week: Erin Heatherton at Mercedes-Benz Sydney Fashion Festival

Victoria’s Secret model Erin Heatherton hit the red carpet and then the runway earlier his week during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival in Sydney for Australian designer Maticevski. Have you ever seen red lipstick, a white dress and “geeky” glasses go together so much?

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Dreaming of Haute Couture from Giambattista Valli

It’s so close to the weekend, I can’t hardly stand it. Around this time each week, I start planning my weekend wardrobe. Now, however, I’m planning my dream weekend wardrobe, and this time it’s full of haute couture perfect for galas and expensive dinners (if only!). I hope you love the Giambattista Valli Fall 2013 Haute Couture collection as much as I do.

Clothes Crush: Erdem

It started with this skirt:

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And then it continued with this skirt:

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And then there were my favorites from the Fall 2013 Ready to Wear collection:

But it didn’t end there…I don’t usually like the cold weather, but Erdem has turned me into a fan of fall with these pieces from their Autumn/Winter 2013 collection:

Here’s to being ready for (Pre-) Spring 2014:

Beauty Buy: Creating Cat Eyes with Pearly Green Lagoon Eye Pencil from MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Aqua Collection

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I’m loving the new Aqua collection from MAKE UP FOR EVER, especially the Pearly Green Lagoon Aqua Eyes liner pencil. Such a pretty color! I made sure to wear it with my emerald-colored sweater today. Drawing a cat eye took a little longer than I’d hoped, but this liner drew on easily. Since it’s waterproof, I expected a bit more resistance in applying it, but got none. Love!

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If This is What 30 Looks Like, It Can’t Be That Bad

Today, Mila Kunis turns 30. And she looks like this. Sunday, I turn 30. Though I won’t wake up looking like the fashion goddess Ms. Kunis is, exiting my 20s is something to look forward to. More on that later. For now—beautiful photos to wind down your Wednesday.

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Los Angeles Times Magazine, February 2011
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W, March 2011
Harper's Bazaar, April 2012
Harper’s Bazaar, April 2012

Fast Five: End-of-Summer Essentials

Most Angelenos will readily admit that summer never seems to end here, but rather, the temperature dips a bit (68 degrees—so cold!) and the Santa Ana winds whip through town every once in a while. But in most parts of the country, the leaves are turning orange and red and it actually is starting to cool. No matter where you are, the end of summer is quickly approaching, and FMLA has your end-of-summer essentials.

kate spade1. A Light Sweater

Because it’s cooling down—but not so much that you can wrap up in that fall jacket you’ve had your eye on for a few weeks now—you’ll need a soft sweater to keep you warm in the evenings. Especially this adorable one from Kate Spade (it’s the KSNY X Darcel). Her latest batch features punchy, girlish colors that still feel adult. I love the cyclops with a bow, but there are also clothes with donuts—sprinkles included.

night film2. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Marisha Pessl’s second novel, Night Film, is out August 20. Pessl’s debut novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, is one of my favorites. The after her stunning debut, she made her readers wait almost seven years for a follow-up. No doubt that, much like her first book, Night Film will be perfect for any day, including the ones when you’re lazily sitting by the pool or ocean but are too sluggish to actually go in the water.

aveda3. Hair Repair

You sat in the sun all summer long and loved every moment of it. Except maybe those moments when your hair was ravaged by pool or ocean water, wherever you may be. Get to the salon! Or, take the easier route and apply Aveda Damage Repair. My stylist and good friend blessed me with a tiny sample to take home, but I’ve already got its full-size backup on the way.

Screen Shot 2013-08-16 at 10.44.53 AM4. Weekender Bag

For those quick weekend trips out of town—San Diego, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Las Vegas—to enjoy the warm weather just one more time, you’ll need to pack light. I love this colorful bag from Stela 9, the Isabel. To give you some perspective, it’s about as tall as your knees.

vichy spf455. Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 45 Sunscreen

OK, this is more of a year-round essential, particularly in Los Angeles, but my point: Never go without sunscreen. Never. Not even in the dead of winter on the cloudiest day. I’ve been using this particular sunscreen since I discovered it in May, and I’m addicted. It’s so light that you can wear it under makeup and it doesn’t smell like sunscreen.

The Incredible Advantage of Google Glass in Fashion

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Nina Garcia explores Google Glass for NYFW. Photo courtesy Marie Claire

I’ve been going back and forth on this whole Google Glass thing. As much as I love technology, there is a point where it will be too intrusive in our daily lives. But I don’t think Google’s latest contraption is (yet), only because I can see the benefits of what may come from it for the fashion industry. Marie Claire Creative Director Nina Garcia plans to wear it during New York Fashion Week come fall, and it’s going to be extraordinary. That might seem like too grand of a word, but think about it: We’ll be sitting front row with Garcia during the biggest fashion event of the year. Most of us would have to work for decades to get that seat—not that I’m not going to try—and I’m thrilled that we can have the next-best thing.

And that doesn’t have to be all of it: photo shoots, first looks, interviews, shopping—there are so many glimpses to be had into the lives of the fashion elite.

According to WWD, Garcia’s photos, videos and other fashion week insights will be beamed live across several of Garcia’s and Marie Claire’s social media channels, including Vine, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and marieclaire.com. Hearst is tagging the event “Be Nina.”

“Usually I have lots of devices during fashion week. Google Glass Expedition is controlled by your voice or a tap of your finger. It’s a very different device than the iPhone. It’s like wearing a little computer,” Garcia said to WWD‘s Rosemary Feitelberg. “It’s a hands-free experience which is kind of liberating. I can go to a show and just be and not be looking down at my iPhone all the time.”

Despite the “liberation,” Garcia did note that the device’s short battery life of one-to-two hours will be hinderance, as fashion week demands closer to a 12-hour workday. Nina problems, right?

Rihanna and River Island Debut Second Collaboration and It’s Hideous

Yet again, Rihanna’s “designs” are bland, boring and ordinary. There’s just so much camo, which I hate to begin with. This is another example of why celebrities shouldn’t call themselves designers just because their stylists dress them well. I won’t make you sit through the entire collection, but I will entertain you with the worst offenders.

I mean, it’s very possible this is an elaborate joke, in which case, well played, Rihanna.

Wind Farms and Whimsy: A Weekend in Palm Springs

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Even in the stifling heat of August, Palm Springs, despite its smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-the-desert location, is a fantastic little place. It has lots of charm and character and, even better, wind farms! I was at a bachelorette party Saturday and Sunday, and we spent most of our time swimming and sunning and kind of playing pool volleyball. Great times! I also felt the need to include a photo of this really cute fabric-covered camera (film camera. With a giant flash. Love!).

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