Plump it up

I've always been a bit skeptical of lip plumpers and I've also never been a fan of something that causes even the least bit of sting. Then I finally tried Buxom from Bare Escentuals.

It's officially my new favorite lip gloss, which is hard to achieve.

It's great when used with MAC's lip gloss liner. I'm in love with Buxom in Trixie and liner in Pink Edge.

The perfect day to night

Tis the season of events. Beginning in November it seems there's always some kind of after work gathering and what's a girl to wear when she doesn't have time to change after work?

Victoria Beckham's vest combo is a great day to night look. For a day look keep the shirt all buttoned up with the sleeves down and the vest open. Wear a pair of sensible shoes and basic jewelry.

For an evening roll up the sleeves, pop the collar, undo several buttons and button up the vest. Don a pair of serious shoes – think super tall patent, animal print or a surprising color like red or purple.

Sandals and hose? Really?

Wearing hose or tights with sandals or open toe shoes may seem like a faux pas. But, it's really alright.

And it's a great way to keep wearing those summer items throughout the fall and winter months.

Kate Hudson does it right with a fall hue in rich mustard and platform shoes.

THE soap

I'm always on the quest for the perfect face soap. And I have tried about a million.

My issue? I tend to have oily skin, which can breakout if I don't really get the grime. But, simultaneously, am fast approaching 3-0 and want to prevent the first signs of aging.

I've also been on an organic kick, which is why I was thrilled when I came across Organique . (Check out the October issue of FACE for more info about this Lafayette business and their fabulous products.)

The peppermint soap is THE BEST for my face. It keeps my breakouts at bay while not drying me out. And the bonus is that it's fantastic for the entire body. 

The essential transition piece

As the first subtle chills of fall show up each year I peruse my closet perplexed by what I wore last year.

My closet never seems to have anything worthy of wearing from last year and I'm still in love with my summer frocks. Enter the perf transitional piece – the blazer.

Vanessa and Ashley pull off the look without looking like they simply misplaced part of a business suit. The shape is key and both of these girls hit the nail on the head.

Vanessa is a great example of the traditional almost 80s blazer that's a bit sharp. Roll up the sleeves to make the look more relaxed.

Ashley shows off a tuxedo-inspired jacket, which works thanks to a rocker belt and bracelet that are studded out.

The Carrie shoe

The affordable Steve Madden gladiator

Carrie rocks a higher priced pair.

So Sex and the City: The Movie might feel like old news. But, Carrie's gladiators are far from out of the fashion headlines.

All things gladiator-inspired continue to be hot, which is why I was thrilled to find her killer heels redone by Steve Madden, which means a price point even us unpublished fashion lovers can afford.

These heels can work with a flirty floral dress or a more severe structured look. When cooler weather arrives try them with opaque tights in a surprising hue.

The perfect combination

I can't get enough of combinations that are unexpected, contrasting and bold. To that end, I became a bit of a Vanessa Hudgens fan (although I've never actually seen High School Musical) when I saw her spot on fashion combo.

Everything about this look works. A flirty dress with tulle peeping out, a rough motorcycle jacket with an abbreviated length and wicked heels with double ankle straps.

A long earring and hair away from her face are a great compliment. 

Gucci, gucci aaaah

Gucci rocked Milan with a Ready-to-Wear collection that flowed with silk and a luscious color palette. 

Low slung belts with abbreviated lengths equaled sexy/effortless.

The more formal pieces were a study in fluid sophistication with draping silks and soft lines. They are the kind of dresses that could go with flat gladiators or mile high sexy strappy footwear.

Military jackets get a salute

I am a lover of the jacket and perhaps my favorite is the military-inspired and rivaled by that is the 70 rocker jacket.

To my delight, both can be found at Balmain's show in Paris. While I'm not quite in love with the jeans that are so distressed they might have been worn to a New Kids concert, the look does work. I'd be more likely to do the embellished black pants.

More Balmain

The combination of tough girl (check the belts and shoes) glamour and chic ballerina/salsa dancer create the most delicious of dresses at Balmain's show in Paris.

I could wear the white dress every day. 

Coveting is a sin

There are things I love, things I adore and then there are those fashion items that go one step further. These are the ones I covet. And in during Fashion Week in Paris Balmain delivered a whole bevy of covet-worthy items.

In fact, there are so many that I'm going to have to divide them into three categories: the jacket, the fabulous dress and the high drama fancy dance fabulous dress.

The green and pink that wove throughout the collection were so rich and pitch perfect I could hardly stand it. And the asymmetrical lines are divine, especially in combination with the strips of fabric that are like the most glamazon of bandaids. The spiderweb of shimmer running through some of the dresses and the beaded embellishments are the touch that will keep me dreaming of these dresses.