Versace//Eyes

Makeup by Pat McGrath

Wonder Woman: Fierce heroine or infantilizing cosmetics marketing tool?

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was perch on the edge of the tiny bathroom sink of my childhood apartment and watch my mother apply her make-up. My mother was a notorious cosmetics hoarder, and lipsticks, eyeshadows, pencils and blush spilled from the medicine cabinet. In the morning, as she was readying herself for work, my mom would go through the complicated process of "putting on her face." It involved a tedious routine of blending, and brushes, and smudging. Applying her face meant as much as erasing her perceived flaws as accentuating the features she thought were acceptable. There was nothing fun about it. Putting on her face was a utilitarian act.

As a girl I had my very own make-up, from brands like Bonnie Bell and Tinkerbell and Barbie. It was scented like strawberries. I too spent time at the bathroom mirror, painting my lips and experimenting with peel-off nail polish. I wanted to look older, and glamorous, and chic, just like the models on magazines. I subjected my younger cousins to spontaneous make-overs, and we staged complicated photo shoots involving enough make-up to supply a Broadway production of Cats. Make-up was fun, and colorful, and a delightful way to practice at being a grown-up.

Somewhere between my childhood experimenting and growth into an adult, I lost the playful quality which cosmetics used to contain. Now, when I'm in front of the bathroom mirror in the morning, I too "put on my face."My routine includes eyeshadow primer, shadow, liner, mascara, foundation, and blush. I smudge and line and contour, all with the intention of covering flaws and accentuating the features I deem positive.

When the New York Times wrote about the growing market of women purchasing cosmetics featuring cartoon and comic book characters, I was intrigued. MAC, the innovator of such lines, has produced collections inspired by Hello Kitty, Miss Piggy, Wonder Woman and villainous Disney characters such as Cruella De Vil. According to David Gager, the brand's senior vice president and group creative director, cartoon-based collections generally sell very well and tend to become "very coveted and special" to consumers.

There is certainly an element of nostalgia behind the popularity of these cosmetics collections - I have fond memories of watching Wonder Woman on TV during rainy Sunday afternoons. But the cult love behind cartoon-inspired cosmetics might signify more.

Steve Stoute, an advertising executive who helped broker a collaboration between MAC and Lady Gaga said, “I think that anytime you find a way to incorporate the essence and glamour of the beauty business, but also find a way to touch a woman and make her still feel like a girl, is beautiful. It creates a healthy tangent between a little girl and a sophisticated woman.” There is something about these collections that taps into the playful, creative element of cosmetics. A glimpse of Miss Piggy on the case might remind women that cosmetics are not only functional, but also fun. In addition, swiping on a shadow from a Wonder Woman palette could inspire a woman to be sassy, or fearless, or powerful, just like her heroine was.

Some might see these collections as a baffling form of infantilizing women, and products such as Maybelline's Baby Lips lip gloss and Hello Kitty bubble bath certainly hint at it. But marketers are becoming increasingly crafty at injecting products with an emotional element. To some women, items that hint of a more innocent time resonate deeply. A Wonder Woman compact might remind these women of a time when life was simple, and their heroine was a a fictional superhero who was strong and glamorous.

So what do you think of these cartoon-inspired makeup collections? Have you ever bought cosmetics from one of the MAC lines? Are you intrigued by these collections? Do you see make-up application as a chore, or a way to be creative? How much make-up do you wear on a given day?

Snow Patrol ...

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                                                                                                coat: jovana markovic (young designer),
                                                                                                boots: zara,
                                                                                                pants: pull&bear,
                                                                                                t-shirt: primark,
                                                                                                cardigan: non branded,
                                                                                                scarf: pashmina,
                                                                                                bag: parfois,
                                                                                                gloves: terranova,
                                                                                                sunglasses: accessorize,
                                                                                                watch: michael kors,
                                                                                                ph. Jovana Tomasevic



Photos arrived last night, and i as i promised you yesterday, here they are! ;)
Im showing you finally my new coat which i bought two weeks ago at Jovana Markovic store ( she is a young and talented designer, you can check her collection Here) , woolen with lots of studs and golden zippers, how not to love it?! This will be probably my new favorite piece for the upcoming months! ;)
I  wanted to ask you about designer sunglasses , do you have any suggestion which one i should get? Aviator, oversized or cat eye?
Huge thanks to Jovana Tomasevic again and these wonderful photos that she made!
Hope you will like it!

snap!

well hello… time for another Snap! This one is colour saturated and takes no prisoners. Certainly not for those who prefer pastels.

I wonder what my morning coffee would taste like in these multi-hued Anthropologie latte bowls? (not that I’ll ever know since Anthro is another amazing store which we do not have in South Africa. sad face.)

And just imagine how bright you’d feel in this lecture hall… stylish learning indeed.

Short preview ...

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Last week i made some  photos with dear Jovana Tomasevic ( photographer)  , and here is a little preview of what is waiting for you! ;) You will see a lots of great shoots made on snow and finally my new black coat (which i bought two weeks ago) with studs and golden zippers! Until then, follow me on twitter or Facebook page! ;)

p.s. i wanna thank you for all your lovely comments about recipes, im so glad  that you tried it and really, really liked it!

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Sure footed 1.30.12

Forever 21 denim jacket; vintage thrifted Wrangler shirt; Gap legging jeans; Target satchel; Jeffrey Campbell 'Lita' ankle boots; Michael Kors rose gold watch; Buffalo Exchange necklaces

As a child, I was struck with the terrible affliction of having flat feet. This meant not only a need for orthopedic inserts for my shoes, but truly ugly shoes to hold them. These were shoes my mom bought at Buster Brown - sensible, solid things that were the equivalent of wearing a station wagon on my feet and made me feel clumsy and awkward.

Fortunately, as a grown woman, my flat feet are no longer a problem. So I can wear the footwear equivalent of a Jackson Pollock painting without hesitation. These Litas are surprising comfortable and made me feel supermodel tall. Six year-old me would have been insanely jealous.

Bernadette Pascua

loving Bernadette Pascua’s fashion illustrations, a perfect way to kick-start the week. What caught my eye about this Brooklyn-based illustrator’s work, apart from it’s awesomeness, was the happy interplay of positive and negative spaces. Not every part of the illustrations have been filled in or overly detailed. A successfully quintessential example of less is more.

seen via miss moss. images from bernadette pascua

2nd Look//

On Sundays I Smile - Week in review 1.29.12

On Sundays I review the past week and I Smile. I share these moments with you.

Last night I was invited to a charity dinner at III Forks in Dallas in support of the North Texas Food Bank. I'll admit that the thought of digging in to a delicious steak was almost as enticing as supporting such a worthwhile cause. Luckily, my friends Julie and Chastity were there as well, and we spent the night catching up. There was also chocolate cake to, but I ate it before taking a pic. It was that good.

What does one wear to a charity dinner? Sequins, of course. Loads and loads of sequins. Because if you want to shock a room full of women and inspire outright staring and have your picture taken a lot, nothing less will do.

Also related: I had the tattoo on my neck touched up this week. I was too freaked out to get any pics, but let me just tell you that getting a neck tattoo hurts more than childbirth. Fact. But it looks really great now, so it was worth it.

I spied this adorable 1970's latch hook wall hanging in the Salvation Army on Thursday and had major grabby hands for it. However, the mocking I was sure it would ensure from my husband kept it from coming home with me. I have a dream of covering my walls with eclectic thrift store art, and this totally would have fit the bill. Maybe someday.

This is not a photo taken inside a thrift store. No, this is my personal stock of vintage pieces about to be listed on my new Etsy shop. After months of hemming and hawing, I've decided to take the plunge and start selling. Stay tuned for more details!

 Now it's your turn: What are some things that made you smile this week? Grab my button and blog about your Sunday smiles; share your weekly smiles in the comments; or smile just because it makes you feel good.

While I'm petting my sequins and popping Advil to ease the pain of my new ink, catch up on everything from Dress With Courage this week:

• I joined a legion of 1980's celebrities and Dungeon and Dragons geeks and wore a vintage suede Members Only jacket;
• Described my complicated relationship with food;
• I ventured out of my backyard and braved curious stares of passerby for outfit pics in a scalloped blazer;
• Continued my Thrifting 101 series with a post exploring thrift scores that got away;
• and compared a simple outfit of boots, flannel and leather jacket to cereal.

I have one giveaway running on my blog right now:

• Win a vintage Coach Willis satchel! Giveaway ends this coming Friday, February 3rd, so there's still plenty of time to enter.

Thank you for supporting me by following my blog, continuing to leave thoughtful and introspective comments, and dropping by every day. I am so appreciative that you are here.

If you're visiting my blog for the first time, think about following me through Google Friend Connect, and tweeting with me on Twitter (@dresscourage). You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram under Dresscourage and on Facebook.

{Almost daily outfit of the day} Coco crunch 1.27.12

Thrifted J Crew leather jacket; vintage thrifted Pendleton shirt; Gap legging jeans; Frye 'Heath' boots (eBay)

Allow me, for a moment, to pontificate on cereal.

Cereal is the world's most perfect food. Think about it. When you don't feel like cooking, cereal is there. When you want something sweet and crunchy, cereal satisfies your craving. And when you need a snack, cereal is ready to nibble straight from the box. A comforting beacon in a world full of complicated choices, a bowl of cereal will never let you down.

When I was a kid, cereal came in two options. There was the boring, tasteless, unsweetened variety that languished in the back of your pantry and needed to be doctored with a hearty dose of sugar and raisins and maybe even bananas to be palatable. This is where the Rice Crispies, Cheerios, Special K and Shredded Wheat fell. Then there was the sugary stuff. This was the packaged crack you begged your mom to buy, the kind with cartoon characters on the box and marshmallow stars and a toxic level of corn syrup and turned your milk an interesting shade of pink or blue. This was cereal so lethal it gave you instant diabetes and essentially turned you into a hyperactive brat.

I wasn't allowed to have those delicious bowls of chemical delight. No, I was stuck with Rice Crispies. I hated Rice Crispies, and I was insanely jealous of anyone my age who was allowed to eat the good stuff. I spent many a morning daydreaming about when I would finally be a parent myself, and thus allowed to eat whatever the hell I wanted for breakfast. I intended to stock my pantry with Coco Puffs and Captain Crunch and Trix and my mom wouldn't be able to do a damm thing about it. I would show her.

So what did I eat his morning, as I huddled in vintage Pendleton wool to chase away the winter chill? A big, hearty bowl of Rice Crispies. Because much like my outfit of oversized shirt, skinny jeans and boots, it's tough to beat the classics.

Emporio Armani s/s 2012

Giorgio Armani himself, along with photographer Alasdair McLellan, jetted off to Hong Kong to direct this elegant S/S 2012 Emporio Armani Ad Campaign captured in black & white.

The label’s designs for the new season were inspired by early 20th century cruise wear, and the timeless quality of this era is mirrored flawlessly in the styling and simple monochromatic looks of the campaign.

images via trendland and fashiongonerogue

Lindsey//JPG