Happy New Year!

In a few hours a brand new year will begin for us all (well, it's probably already 2009 somewhere in the world).  I hope all of my readers and their loved ones celebrate in a safe and fun way tonight - with a designated driver. Ok, so maybe it's not so much fun for the designated driver....

Thanks for a great 2008 and a hopefully an even better 2009!  Happy New Year!

Gibblet

I found some photographs of Prince William from Christmas and thought he looked strangely familiar - no, not like the child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but perhaps the love child of Barry Gibb and Princess Diana....

Wonder if he can do a falsetto?  The Gibbs are down two brothers (Andy and Maurice) so they can always use a voice.

Happy Holidays!

I would like to wish the happiest of holidays to all of my readers here at Opalescent.  May you all be safe and healthy, and receive all sorts of wonderful designer goodies. :)

Dapper Cats

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Eeek!

Goldie Hawn should just give up on trying to be cute. She was, for a long time, but that's no longer true. Time for a facelift!

Flaunt's Anniversary

Flaunt Magazine celebrated its 10th anniversary recently by having a party. Among the nobodies in attendance...

Kelly Osbourne, looking extremely cute.

Kanye West, looking extremely pretentious, is wearing the cover from his Louis Vuitton shoe buffer as a scarf, and a big-ass 70s-style bow-tie.

Exhibitionist and absolute nobody, Bai Ling, actually looks nice for a change.

Let's Go Buy Shoes!

see Sarah Palin pictures

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That....

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M.A.C. Loves the Drag Queens

Makeup company M.A.C. loves using drag queens in their campaigns. First it was RuPaul, then Fergie, now Dame Edna Everage.


I suppose they're trying to be less-edgy and more fun? More edgy and less-classy? Um...

Dancing

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I think I'd rather watch this show.

The Curious Case of Cate's Dress

What the hell is she wearing to the premiere of her movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"? It looks heavy and stiff and painful.

Tilda Swinton doesn't look too bizarre, for once.

Angelina couldn't get more plain and simple with her elegant black gown, and she needs a little powder.

Matt & Nat

Mat & Nat is a Canadian company that produces a line of entirely vegan accessories for men and women. Yesterday on Ellen, Matt & Nat's eco-chic products were featured in her holiday audience giveaway.

Vegan and responsible though they may be, Matt & Nat handbags are certainly fashion-forward and just plain great-looking. And there are several styles on sale!
Marais, in a texture that resembles Japanese washi paper, is marked down from $260 to$156.

Jorja is made from 100% recycled materials, and marked down from $225 to $135.


Not on sale, and featured on Ellen, is the 100% recycled Camden bag at $275. ...
...and Fifty Five, $250.

More info can be found on the Matt & Nat site.

Liza With a Z

Ms Minnelli may be a mess, but at least she hired good plastic surgeons. She looks terrific! Well, maybe not when she's smiling so hard it's a grimace, but still.

Perfume Pushers

This weekend, both Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilara launched their new fragrances. Jessica's is "Fancy," and from sniffing a magazine strip, I'd say it was decent enough for a department store fragrance aimed at teenyboppers.  Or whoever actually cares about Jessica and her career. Christina's scent is called "Inspire," no doubt meant to inspire children to load on the eyeliner and act like a tart.  I haven't smelled it, so can't give an opinion one way or the other.

I thought Jessica's coat and hat were pretty darn cute and appropriate for the holiday season. Not so sure about the outfit underneath, which is kind of a tacky mess.

These photos of Aguilara actually shocked me - although she's got a ton of eye shadow and mascara on, she actually managed to look fresh and young and, for once in her life, age-appropriate.   Bravo to her stylist for pulling off this feat!

Project Runway Canada

Who knows when we'll get the next installment of Project Runway, but never fear, the Canadians are back at it starting February 2. There should be videos available online at some point, and Blogging Project Runway is sure to have information on the show.

Can Iman be any more airbrushed?

Style icon and international supermodel, Iman, returns as Host of Project Runway Canada. Iman leads a panel of expert industry insiders who will judge the talent and skills of 14 promising new designers from across the country. Legendary Canadian Fashion Designer Brian Bailey reprises his role as mentor to the competitors.

Vying for top-spot as the next Canadian fashion star, contestants compete in dramatic challenges hoping to seize their breakthrough moment. Faced with do-or-die tasks and extreme pressure, aspiring designers must endure the added stress of living under the same roof. Personalities will clash and tension will rise over the 12 episodes, culminating in a two-part finale.

Only one designer will win it all – a cover and feature spread in ELLE Canada, a professional portfolio photo shoot courtesy of L'Oréal Paris, a 'Runway to Retail' business mentorship with Winners, and $100,000 to start their own fashion line.

Malan Breton On Sale

Designer Malan Breton is having a sale on selected items in his online shop. Here are some of my favorites (click to embiggen):

Black Diamonds
Item# noir1428
Regular price: $995.00
Sale price: $605.00

Black Austrian Crystal clutch with gunmetal chain strap and gunmetal gorgeous closure.





Simplicité
Item# 943402
Regular price: $3,995.00
Sale price: $2,796.50

Pearl and 8mm trilliant cut Citrine Bracelet set in 100 percent Sterling Silver





Perles de la Mer
Item# 942402
Regular price: $1,495.00
Sale price: $1,046.50

8mm trillion cut Citrine and Pearl Earrings set in 100 percent Sterling Silver

Christmas List - Continued

Michael Kors Python ID Chain bag, $2,995.00

Prada Medium Nappa Stripe bag, $2,195.00

Valentino purse $1,895.00

Santa Cat

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All I Want for Christmas

It's officially the first day of the Christmas Shopping Season (although I usually start in March) so I wanted to share with you some of the things on my Gimme List this year.  Here's a good start.

Ebel Mini Beluga in 18K yellow gold with 28 diamonds on the case and 12 diamond markers on the face, only $10,692.49 at Amazon.com!

Pomellato Pom Pom rings of gold with precious gems, starting at $38,300. I like the green one best, but any will do.

18K white gold snowflake pendant by Tous, a reasonable $906.

The Grass is Greener...

Is Madge trying to make a "green" statement with that As(s)troturf dress? Or is she playing poor since Guy Ritchie is getting about 70mil from her in divorce proceedings?

Ugh

And it never will be.

A Very Boucheron Christmas

Boucheron is celebrating its 150th year by giving away fabulous Boucheron jewelry, watches, and fragrance. All you need to do is pick an item you want and place it under their virtual Christmas Tree.

The party starts today, Monday, November 24th and concludes December 19th, after which time Boucheron will choose, by random drawing, the lucky winner of one of sixteen Boucheron star products.

Wanna see some of the gifts you can choose from? Well looky below. I'm rather fond of the little porcupine dude with ruby eyes. Diamond rings and necklaces too. Heck, I want it all!

So what are you waiting for? Go to Boucheron and put your heart's desire under their tree. Who knows - it may someday be yours!

Top Chef!

My Top Chef post can be found on my food blog.

5th Anniversary of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund

To celebrate my birthday, and the coincidental 5th anniversary of the CDFA/Vogue fund, celebrities and models converged on Skylight Studios in NY on Monday.

Anna Wintour played matchy-matchy with her shoes, hose, and her glittery argyle-gone-awry top, while Andre Leon Talley channeled all of his favorite clowns at the same time.


Speaking of clowns, the lovely Charlize Theron looks even lovelier standing next to designer John Galliano, who is never afraid to get dressed up for an occasion.

Wacktress Juliette Lewis doesn't look half bad in a shiny jumpsuit, but her feet look like they're shedding in those buff-colored fringed shoes.

Did Blake Lively get new boobs? And why is she channeling Little House on the Prairie?

Quantum of Solace

I'm rather interested in this dress that Gemma Arterton is wearing in a party scene during Quantum of Solace. I couldn't find an image of the whole thing, but the splatter effect reminded me a bit of the Narciso Rodriguez that Michelle Obama wore on election night (but prettier and subtler). Anyone know the designer of Gemma's silver and black number?

Happy Birthday to Me!

HEY!

Go read my Top Chef post here!

Possibly One of the Most Ridiculous Things Ever

I think this dude needs his own reality show. "Reality" meaning "if you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you...."

Classic Fashion

Check out the lovely portraits here at List of the Day. Oh, don't they bring back such fond memories?

Apropos of Nothing

I found this poem I wrote in September of 1998. I've always liked it and thought I should share it with you.

Running my fingers along the length of you,
I admire your size,
your veiny maleness,
Holding you in my hand, I imagine the
pleasure yet to come
As I inhale deeply,
breathing in your pungent aroma
which fills my nostrils with its earthy sweet scent.

Flirting,
I touch my tongue lightly to your tip,
feel its smooth curve.
I test the opening there
which will soon be moist
from the wetness of my lips.
I cannot wait to take you into my mouth
To taste you.
My lips part with anticipation.
Not resisting any longer,
I suck gently,
igniting the flame.

Soon my desires are filled
and you are spent,
lying on your side in the ashtray.
And I contemplate my next cigar.

(Ha! Got you there, didn't I?)

By Kilian Prelude to Love Invitation

Notes :bergamot, Seville orange, lemon, neroli, orange blossom, ginger, pepper,Florentine iris

Kilian Hennessey,known for the romantically named and conceptualized fragrances in his L’Oeuvre Noire (The Black Masterpiece), has produced a seventh scent for the line. Created by Calice Becker, author of four other By Kilian scents, as well as Dior’s J’Adoreand Hilfiger’s Tommy Girl, the scent is meant to evoke an olfactory memory of a first encounter. Fragrances are indeed excellent mnemonic devices, and Prelude to Love makes me think of my first (and second, and third, and ninth) encounters with the richly fragrant place known as the Beauty Floor at Bergdorf Goodman. A place with which I am indeed in love. It is a place that, in my mind, is redolent of iris (even if it really isn’t).

Prelude to Love Invitation opens with a light yet bright bouquet of bergamot,orange, and lemon that is pleasantly soapy. Presently we encounter neroli which is immediately followed by a lovely soft iris note, buttery and soft, not at all rooty. It lingers on the skin softly and sweetly, bathed in subtle floralcy with a clinging hint of citrus.

Prelude to Love speaks in a whisper. It’s lovely and subtle, a scent that stays close to the skin and that will draw in those around you for a closer whiff. Perhaps a first encounter.

(Originally published in Sniffapalooza Magazine)

So True

more the engrish!

Only a real fashionista (who doesn't speak English) would dare wear this in public.

CdG at H&M!

Huh, you say? CdG is Comme des Garçons, the unconventional clothing label owned by Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. H&M is a world-wide purveyor of fashion-forward but inexpensive clothing. Together, they're sure to cause a frenzy! Well, certainly more of a frenzy than Madonna's line for H&M did.

H&M will launch the collection of tailored jackets, polka dot knits and even a “showpiece” coatdress adorned with Victorian ruffles, this Thursday, November 13th. They're limiting customers to 2 pieces of any style so hopefully they won't completely sell out in the first fifteen minutes.

Save a c0uple pieces for me, willya?

Potential Wardrobe Malfunction

Actress Razan al Moghrabi shows off her ta-tas at the 2008 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo yesterday. How does she keep those things in the obviously too-small bodice of her dress? Also, the boob-veins are a nice touch.