Lusting for Leather

     Leather, you old fickle friend. One minute your uncomfortable and not willing to make me look good, next your making my closet sad for not having any. What is it with you, that makes me keep coming back? Mostly, I think it's the cool factor. Like from the 80's and then the 90's and now I want a leather jacket that says "I have bike to go with it". It's seriously become very trendy and chic. I am literally having cravings for it. If I see a shirt with a leather patch I want it. Yeah it's that bad. Thank god for these AA meetings right? Helps me acknowledge my problem.

Leather in how many ways? 
Well, let me count them for you:

Leather Leggings:

From: Club Monaco Tasha Leggings

From: Kirna Zabete for Target: Leather Pant

From: TopShop Matte Leggings

From: Zara: Leather Jeggings with Zips!











*Note: Piperlime has a great selection of Leather like denim: Piperlime Leather Denim

Leather Applique's: 

AA*s pick: Fall color + leather = amazing!
From: Combo Tee

From: Zara: Faux-Leather sleeves T

From: Leather Sleeve Dress


















     Now onto my personal favorite, leather sweater/ leather jackets. I don't know what it is about this season, but I really want cold weather to come quickly. I'm so over this 80 degree weather we're having here in California. I know I should be thankful, but all I want to do is bust out my sweaters & boots. This season there are so many chic and edgy sweater with leather patches, sleeves, pockets and what not!! It's so hard to decide what I want!!

***This is on my wish list ***
 This perfect cardigan with leather sleeves that looks so cozy, I just want to wrap myself up in! How can anyone walk out of the house with out this?!
On the down side, if I have about 1500 to drop; this Donna Karan Leather Knit Cozy would definitely be mine. 













In the meantime, I could settle for this Zara Sweater with Leather sleeves 

not bad huh?



















Got any leather cravings? Share with us your picks!!

xX,
Mar

NOTD: OPI's Call Me Gwen-ever

I have been trying to find the perfect orange polish for me all year. Who would have thought I'd find it in OPI's Spider Man collection? Call Me Gwen-ever is my perfect orange, not too bright, but still clearly orange.

What makes me love it even more is that it's so great as a transition color into fall! While being great for summer it is also (as my friend so aptly described it) a "Starbucks fall season decorations orange." I can't wait to wear this polish on thanksgiving!

I hope you all are enjoying these transition months! What are your favorite orange polishes?

Iman

NOTD: Mod About You + A Cut Above

This manicure is a bit more girly than my normal taste but every one loves a little glitter so I thought I'd share it with you all. As the base I have OPI's Mod About You, a bright cool tone pink color. It is a part of their permanent collection so you should be able to find it where ever OPI is sold.

This is one of the first times I was slightly disappointed by the formulation of an OPI polish. I found it a bit goopy compared to their normal perfection. Still, the color is fun! I thought a little pink glitter would go nicely so I added some of Essie's A Cut Above in a slightly fade away style.

This Essie polish was from the Luxe Effects Top Coat collection and is still available where Essie is sold. I love this collection and I really want to add the silver version of this polish, Set in Stone, to my collection. Hope you enjoyed this!

Iman

Designer of the Moment: ZOE KARSSEN

      Anyone whose anyone that claims to know fashion, should know about Zoe Karssen; and how she's driving us mad with all the sold out signs we're seeing. This "Creme de la Creme" sweatshirt, has become so iconic, that it is now causing a widespread pandemic to acquire said piece. For me however, I fell in love with Zoe, back when the Dark Knight Rises came out, and I wanted some kind of bat shirt. WELL, she also happens to do a series of bat shirts. SURPRISE!!!! You can probably guess the amount of excitement I had when I saw this. Back in July, the infamous "Creme de la Creme" clothing was still available. Sadly I did not purchase it and it has officially come back from the dead is now haunting my ass & wallet for not buying it. 

It also didn't help that Net-A-Porter paid homage to Catwoman by curating a collection, inspired by this fierce feline femme a.k.a Anne Hathaway. Knowing myself, I was literally craving this shirt. Plus the Louboutins & McQueen clutch add a nice touch, don't you think?

But my problem doesn't end there. I also am in LOVE with their other sweatshirt; which is also on the verge of selling out….literally as I speak I feel like it's slipping through my trackpad on my mac. 

This FABULOUS sweatshirt in this DELICIOUS pale pink color. Oh my…Oh La La…to be exact. Now excuse me while I go count my pennies and buy this before it sells out. But, of course I won't leave your with out an image...

Yeah you want it too… Game on, Betch. 

*P.S: if your still looking for anything "creme de la creme" - the best bet would be start on ebay. 

xX

Mar 

Art Deco

      I believe I was born in the wrong decade. Seriously. I should have been alive and enjoying the amazing Gilded Age and what not. Way back in high school, I encountered my first taste of art deco. It was an image of a woman most fabulously dressed in a long black gown with a fur stole (tres chic!) and her grey hound dog with emerald cut stones in his collar….oh la la! It most definitely ignited an instant interest and obsession.
      Since I can not live in the most stylish decade…I can however, buy art deco jewelry. Why jewelry? Well if I buy flapper-esque dresses and feather headbands, I can only wear those during halloween/costume party. But jewelry can be everyday, anytime. But I am not, in anyway…putting down playing dress up. By all means…let's get dressed up!

Here are a few of my picks for Art Deco inspired jewels: TA-DA!

I think my jewelry box is suddenly craving some bling.
So are you 1920's girl? or not...

Itching to have me? Buy me!
1. Pave` Dome Ring $36
2. Art Deco Shield Ring $22
3. Gold Chain Collar $42
4. Iced Triad Necklace $36
5. Lava Deco Cuff $42
6. Art Deco Pendant $38
7. Art Deco Drop Earrings $22
8. Jeweled Bangle $28
9. Chrysler Necklace $80
10. Pendant with Ribbon $39
11. Statement Necklace $60
12. Sparkling Medieval Bracelet $12
13. Rhinestone Pyramid Bracelet $19
14. Lulu Frost for J.Crew Crystal Bracelet $118
15. Lulu Frost for J.Crew Bracelet $85
16. Rent the Runway: Emerald Ring $25 (rental)
17. Rent the Runway: Clear Stone Bracelet $65 (rental)
18. RTR: Badgley Mischka: Decadent Deco $60 (rental)
19. RTR: Adia Kibur; Skyline Necklace $20 (rental)
20. RTR: Dannijo; Marguerite Necklace $95 (rental)
21. RTR: Ben-Amun: Victorian Crystal Necklace $45 (rental)
22. RTR: Tom Binns: Pearls in Peril $85 (rental)
23. RTR: Emerald Statement Necklace $95 (rental)

xx,
Mar

NOTD: OPI's Just Spotted the Lizard

Okay. I'm going to start this post by warning you: this polish is not everyone's cup of tea. At first I thought it was a pretty ugly color. To be honest, I still do. BUT, it's just so cool I can't help but like it! I've been craving some duochrome in my life and I think that is why this appealed to me.

Pictured above in direct sunlight is OPI's Just Spotted the Lizard from this years Spiderman collection. It is a metallic green color that shines golden and teal depending on how the light hits it. I think it looks a lot nice indoors, like the photo below.

You can really see all the dimensions of the polish when you look at the bottle. I love the foil-like finish this polish can have. The changing colors catch my eyes so much through out the day.

Do you have any polishes that you might think are a bit "ugly" but still love wearing? :)

Ode to Deborah Lippmann

       I'm sure you all recognize the photo above; it's Twitter. But more specifically, it's THE Deborah Lippmann twitter. On the auspicious day of Labor Day ( monday that just passed, for some us under the NYFW stress) she retweeted a tweet from yours truly Acetone Anonymous! Thats right, RETWEETED. I know I maybe a little too excited, but I am a HUGE fan of Deborah Lippmann. I liked her way back when her nail polishes used to say Lippmann Collection, instead of her today revamped collection: Deborah Lippmann.

      I know some of you may think that paying almost $20 for a nail polish is absurd. However, your not paying for the bottle, your paying for quality, color and the dimensions of the glitter ( if your purchasing glitter polish.) My best friend is a real stickler. She will look high and low for a cheaper version of anything. She did almost come close to one of Deborah's "Superstar" nail polish, but the quality was crap and the shimmer/metallic color was separating. 

     Now I'm not saying that you should own every nail polish bottle by Deborah Lippmann (seriously though... if you do, BRAVO!) But when the right color comes along, you can bet your whole nail polish collection that your not going to find something like it anywhere else. 

L-R: Daytripper, Dancing in the Dark, Just Walk Away Renee, Across the Universe

      This is my collection ( not all of it, but just the Deborah Lippmann one's), I know it's not cohesive. But I love these colors. I can't find anything similar or close to it in any brand.  So this past weekend, I wanted to wear Daytripper which is a neon/coral color. Anyone who knows me, knows that coral is my favorite color, like I'm obsessed with coral. So it doesn't come as shock that I love this nail polish. It is a little brighter than normal coral colors, but it looks phenomenal in the sun/summer time!  Usually 2 coats does the trick. 

      Unfortunately I also have major commitment issues, and I can't really commit to one nail polish color for a whole week. I also happen to be obsessed with Glitter+Sparkle, literally anything that shines like a million diamonds. A while back I came up with this B-E-A-U-tiful combination. The OPI color is "The One That Got Away" which is the from the Katy Perry collection. If anyone is familiar with this polish, it's a gorgeous pink maroon color with shimmer mixed into it. I do love this color on its own, but I decided to pair it with Deborah Lippmann's "Dancing in the Dark". Now this color was originally in a set of 3 mini bottles over the last christmas holiday (circa 2011 & only available through Nordstrom). I'm so happy she decided to make it into a full sized bottle, because it's kinda THE BEST gunmetal glitter polish out there. 

Here's my formal for this gorgeous combo:

• 3 coats Opi-Katy Perry "The One That Got Away"… Let it dry fully.
• 2 coats Deborah Lippmann "Dancing in the Dark" …  I only apply in the middle of the nail, I like how the OPI color shows through.
• Topcoat it, I usually use Seche Vite, but right now this Orly Super Shiny top coat is working it's magic on me. 
• & Voila! You have one insane sparkle-tastic manicure!

      

Hope you discover your love for Deborah Lippmann polishes as I did. 

xx

Mar

Happy Labor Day

      Happy Labor Day Acetone Anonymous!!! As usual we had a lovely picnic/barbecue today. While walking in the grass I came upon two lovely daises and just had to snap a picture. They looked absolutely perfect and reminded me of how summer is coming to an end. 

Till next time bonfires, sunsets, bbq's, picnics, lunches, late night horror movies & coral nail polishes. We bid you Adieu. 

Tell us how you spent your weekend, and how much your going to miss summer?

Love

Iman & Mar

Fall Fest - Lace

Fall Fest - Lace

      When it comes to lace, nobody and I mean nobody  does it better than Duchess Catherine ( nee` Kate Middleton). I mean, we've all "ooh, & aaah" all her outfits and google imaged her every time she steps out in public (at least i do.) But I've come to realize that sadly I am not a royal and I have no where to wear such gorgeous lace dresses; I've opted to wear lace modestly. After this sad reality check, I also had another realization: I'm a Lace Snob. I don't just like every kind of lace. Some of the lace shirts use the kind you see at a vintage doll store, or belong on your grandmothers coffee table. Some of the prints are repeated in a non-flattering kind of way. Sometime the lace color option you are given "ehm..orange." is not what your looking for. It almost like Mission Impossible to find THE perfect nude lace color that doesn't wash you out. God, sorry I feel like I'm ranting. But before this become an Ode to the Lace dress/shirt, I've searched high and wide (on the internet..so far), for stores that do Lace just fine. 

• Zara - since they're from the UK and a favorite of the Duchess. This should be your first stop. every season they do a different kind of lace, not all of it is perfect but you can find "The one". The price is pricey, but if your willing to spend a fraction on this piece instead of the authentic Alexander McQueen, you have AA's blessing (because I wouldn't want you to have buyer's remorse, which might need some therapy…and honey this isn't a therapy session, it's a support group. So I support your decision to buy that dress!)
• TopShop - I have a history with topshop. Before it became ever oh-so popular ( circa the frenzy created by Kate moss) I was in NY for one summer and I went into topshop and for some reason…didn't buy anything. I know, someone please give me the Anna Wintour cold glare that might send me to my fashion grave. Anyways. Topshop has a mix of things and they do really nice chiffon/silk/lace tops & dresses. Again shuffle through the mix and you shall be rewarded with an amazing find.
• Piperlime - somehow this is my last resort when I desperately need to find something, and it never disappoints. But I really need to stop making this my last resort, because they have spectacular options and in affordable prices. Plus it's always on trend+season.
• Shopbop - If your looking to spend a few hundreds…like 2 or 3 maybe? Shopbop's got you covered, and they always have the right lace dress. Always. The end. But if it makes your wallet un-comfy the next one might make it happy.
• Forever21 - BEFORE you judge. I have not been to a forever 21 in 2 years & I know the quality is not the best. BUT I did happen to stumble into one after seeing some nice blouses on the display window. I was a little shocked to see they've stepped up a little and started to be on trend. This fall they have really nice lace shirts for amazing prices. If you want one just for kicks and not pay a lot this is definitely the place for you.

So with out further ado, Here are my picks for fall:

Zara:

1. 

2. * kinda reminds me of the 1920's. Halloween costume anyone?

TopShop:

3.* The print isn't obsessive and its Peplum!! Plus midnight blue color is gorgeous 

 4. * Black Lace LBD??! WHAT? ….yes please buy me!

Piperlime:

** First I want to share with you the dresses I'm literally seeing in my dreams at night ** 

5.

* Paging: Duchess Catherine!!!*
How can you not love this? & the Back is to die for!
& also comes in a gorgeous purple color! *Check it!

6.

* The lace print isn't as amazing as the dress above, but this plum color is making my closet go into depression.

7.

* In a pickle? Don't know what to wear to a wedding? Graduation? Date night?

This is the dress for you? Lace is enough and the nude creates the perfect canvas for jewelry, blazer, heels. and guess what? It's only $60!

8.

* Perfect to wear with anything!! & its on SALE! Better hurry!


Forever21:

9.

* I love the nude/lace combo. This overlay blouse is great for everyday or to any job interviews/dinners. 


10.

* I actually own this blouse, so there maybe some sort bias of opinion here. I love the sheerness & the lace all down the center of the shirt. The bow tie is perfect because it's in trend!







Did you think I would leave you without links? Credit cards ready? Set… SHOP!

Zara:
1. Lace Dress $99
2.Lace Skirt -$59

TopShop:
3. Lace Peplum Top $56
4. Black Lace Cap Sleeve dress $64

Piperlime:
5. Madison Marcus Lace Dress $328 - Hunter Green
6. Trina Turk Geddes Lace Dress $328 - Plum
7. Sabine - Lace Dress $60
8. Sabine Lace Tank $23.97

Forever 21:
9. Overlay Blouse $22
10. Lace Trimmed Blouse $19.80


Love, 
Mar

NOTD: Essie's Penny Talk

As Mar said, fall is around the corner so I chose a more fall appropriate polish today. To me, some of the most autumn type colors are warm colors and this polish is a good example, not to mention absolutely gorgeous!!

Please, allow me to introduce you to Essie's Penny Talk. This polish, from Essie's 2012 Mirror Metallics collection, is a coppery metallic color. People have been calling it rose gold and I agree, it matches perfectly with my MK watch! In the sun you can see the micro shimmer particles (as you can see in the picture above) and in less intense light (for example indoors as in the picture below) it really looks like a matte foil on your nails. It is unlike any polish I own.

 Let's talk formula. As with most metallics, this is kind of hard to apply. It is very thick, dries very fast and the streaks are very visible. If you work fast and make sure to not cover the same spot twice while painting the same coat, you should be fine. The finish was semi-matte and even after I applied my beloved Seche Vite, my nails do not look glossy. While this is perfectly okay with me because the color looks good, I still thought it was worth mentioning.

I can't wait to wear this color during the holiday season! It'll be a great polish year round for sure. Tell me fellow AA'ers, would it be crazy for me to buy a backup even though I've only worn this once? I think I just might!

-Iman

P.S. Sometimes when my nails chip or I get bored, I like to freshen up my manis with a little nail art. This one turned out so well I couldn't wait to share with you! Penny Talk, some cut up tape, and a very old peach polish from Icing and we have...

Hope you like it!

Fall Fest 2012

Fall Fest 2012

*

    

     Happy September 1st!!! Now that Fall is almost upon us, it's time to embark on new trends & colors. For me personally, September marks the end of summer (sadly). Even though I am sad to see the nice weather go away and usher in the slightly colder months ahead, I am pretty excited about fall. I love the colors, the sweaters, the boots, its like everything is somehow new. Since being in school I always feel like September is my second January of the year. I always want to set new goals for myself before school starts. So this September I want to embrace the Fall atmosphere. I've made a list of things that I want to do for this month and I shall be sharing with you. Most of it is making delicious warm drinks, and buy warm chunky sweaters but nonetheless it makes me feel like the season is changing.
       Since we're all keenly looking into what's next in fashion, I've comprised a few posts on what's going in magazines and tv shows and what have you. So stay tuned for a comprehensive guide on Fall. By the time I'm done your gonna want to buy all these things. Trust me.

*P.S- I don't want to upset anyone over using their image, I got it from 
http://inspired-design.tumblr.com - which I highly recommend everyone go to and spend a few days looking at all the aesthetically pleasing images. I know I have. 

P.P.S - Let us know what addictions, cravings, or feelings you get about fall? 

- Mar