Let's talk about fashion...

Food and fashion.
Krisatomic's post about what fashion week actually looks like made me laugh.
Toby and I went to the NARS store recently (it's dangerously located across the street from the playground) and I was psyched to get the beautiful red Vesuvio for the summer.
What to do when your kid is embarrassed by your fashion sense.
A summer trend: Knot your shirt!
This gold watch is at the top of my wishlist. Chic and timeless.
Summer hair idea: Teeny braids.
Part Nouveau is an amazing blog that reveals how current fashion photography is inspired by old paintings, art and movies.
Funny descriptions of what 13 people wore to interview with Anna Wintour. And have you seen The September Issue? The documentary takes a fascinating peek behind the scenes at Vogue. The takeaway: Anna Wintour is scary!

P.S. Tomboy style, and a tote bag for grammer lovers. Plus, 16 hair tutorials.

(Part Nouveau and knot shirts via Honestly...WTF; braid photo by Stockholm Style)

Let's talk about summer...

Fake tattoos.
Wine sippy cups for sneaking on picnics.
Double wine tote, if you’re going the bottle route.
Picnic bag that unfolds into a blanket. Plus, 101 picnic dishes you can make in 20 minutes.
9 clever ways to top a sausage.
If you're looking for a summer uniform, ASOS has been killing it lately! (Above: grey tee, lace detail dress, embroidered tank, colorblock dress, sexy blank tank, floral midi skirt.)
Aviators are the most flattering sunglasses. Even Woody Allen looks cool in them.
If you can't play private ping pong at the Chateau Marmont, here's a fun tabletop alternative.
The proper way to make a Ben & Jerry's ice-cream sandwich. Awesome.
Three-tiered drink dispenser for summer entertaining.
A sweet book to read to your child.
And my good friend Gemma just published a book about five girls in Brooklyn. It's a hilarious and uplifting summer read. Congrats, Gemma!

P.S. My favorite summer sandals and sneakers.

(Ping pong table photo by David Swanson; wine sippy cups via Swissmiss)

A trick to feeling pretty

You know those mornings when you look in the mirror and start analyzing every flaw? Well, I heard a great trick a while back: Pretend you’re a friend instead. Suddenly, you look in the mirror and see yourself as others see you. You'll look much prettier and won't be nearly as critical. Now, instead of stressing about my old-lady under-eye wrinkles, I'll suddenly think, oh, she looks friendly, her hair is pretty nice, let's hang out!

Honestly, go try it and report back! I've been amazed by how well that little trick works in changing your perspective.

P.S. You're gorgeous. :)

(Illustration by Gemma Correll for Cup of Jo)

8 new rules for sunscreen

Growing up, I'd lie out on my dad's back deck and try to get tan (it never worked) or use fake tanner (which made me look orange and glittery). But two years ago, I finally embraced pale skin, and it has been easier and obviously much safer. So, I was glad to read the 8 new rules for sunscreen from the New York Times...Read More >

Parody: Men are less beautiful than they think.

By now, I'm sure everyone has seen the viral Dove beauty campaign showing that women are more beautiful than they think. In the three-minute ad, a forensic scientist draws women twice—once from their own description and once from someone else's description. By comparing the two photos, the women can see that they're overly critical of their looks and prettier than they realize.

Well, this parody video—about how men are less beautiful than they think—made me laugh out loud.
(Via NYMag)

Packing for the beach

In the past, I've posted about a few vacation outfits, just for fun, but here's what we're actually packing for the beach this weekend...
J.Crew swimsuit: When I was pregnant with Toby, I was shy about wearing a two-piece swimsuit, and I still am a little bit. I mean, there's just so much belly. But for our babymoon trip, I decided just to go for it and chose this pretty one. I've been loyal to J.Crew swimsuits since I was in my early 20s. The cuts are always flattering, and they actually cover your bum:)
Straw sunhat: Four years ago, on our honeymoon, Alex gave me a sunhat and insisted I wear it everyday to protect my alabaster skin from the harsh sun. Have you ever worn one? They're great for reading on the beach. Ever since, I've toted one on every trip.
Yellow tote: Obviously, you don't want your nicer bags to get wet and sandy at the beach, so this $35 tote comes in handy! It's the ideal size for a picnic, books and towels.
Natural sunscreen: I wear Josie Maran's face moisturizer with SPF 40 everyday. It's chemical-free, goes on smoothly, and makes your skin glow. (We use Badger for our bodies.)
NARS multiple stick: You can look instantly pretty with pink rosy cheeks on the beach.
Leather flip flops: Flip flops are the perfect beach shoes, but plastic pairs can look cheap. Then, SEVEN YEARS ago, I bought a leather pair, and they've lasted every summer since then! They look pretty with sundresses and you can wear them to restaurants without feeling like a five-year-old.
A good book: Have you ever read The Newlyweds? I just picked it up at a bookstore this week and can't wait to dive in!

What do you always pack for a trip? Any other book recommendations?

Do or don't: White polish

My friend Yolanda recently spotted this bright white nail polish, which I love. She joked that it looks like White Out, but it feels so fresh and modern for spring. The prettiest matte polish seems to be Amazing Grace (and Revlon's Spirit is similar, if you're on a budget). Would you try it?

P.S. Nail polish inspiration.

(Via Momfilter)

How to get perfect beachy curls

Today I'm excited to share a second hair tutorial for curly hair (here's the first!). My hair-stylist friend Reagan agreed to reveal her secret to getting loose bohemian curls. How gorgeous is her hair, above? Here's her easy trick...
Read More >

Watercolor nail polish

One of my New Year's resolutions was to stop biting my nails like a five-year-old. I already bought this crazy stuff (which makes your nails taste bitter). But after stumbling upon these beautiful watercolor nails, I feel even more inspired. And they're surprisingly easy: the tutorial just calls for a few pastel colors and a sponge. Will you try them this spring?

P.S. Navy nails and galaxy nails.

(Photos by Small Good Things, via Shoko)

Amazing mascara

I secretly used to think all mascara was created equal; drugstore brands seemed fine. But recently I was walking down a street in Soho when I saw a sign for the world's best mascara. Intrigued, I stepped into the store to try it out. The mascara was Benefit's They're Real, and after a couple coats, my eyelashes looked ten times thicker and longer. Check out this before-and-after photo of British blogger Charlotte for proof of how well it works...
Have you ever tried it? Crazy, right?

(Bottom photos by the wonderful Charlotte)

Half-up braided crown

Whenever we did hair tutorials in the past, we got tons of comments requesting curly hair and short hair tutorials. So we've put together four new posts—two for curly hair and two for short hair. Thanks for the encouragement! Here, my hair-stylist friend Reagan, who has gorgeous curls, shows how to do a half-up braided crown. Here are her steps...Read More >

Do or Don’t: Dark red lipstick

My friend Caroline recently posted a few instagram photos of herself wearing dark red lipstick. How gorgeous and sultry does that color look? It would look beautiful on a winter evening or a date to a cozy restaurant.

The trick is to choose a color that has enough red and isn't so dark that it looks scary. Caroline's color is sold out, but two other fantastic colors are the burgundy MAC Diva (below left), and the black cherry NARS Terre de Feu (below right):
Thoughts? Would you wear dark red lipstick?

P.S. Caroline's 14 hair tutorials, and more do or don'ts.

Gold nails

Have you ever worn gold nail polish? It's such a pretty color for the holidays (and New Year's Eve!), and I love that even if you're wearing pajamas, this nail polish makes you feel celebratory. I'm a big fan of West End Wonderland (and if you take a bottle home, you could do family manicures on Christmas morning:) Thoughts? Would you wear it?

P.S. Navy nails and galaxy nails.

(Photos by Alpha Smoot for A Cup of Jo. Styling by Kendra Smoot. Gold necklace from Madewell)

Hair tutorials

For holiday parties and dinners (and even the flight home), feel free to look back through Caroline's hair tutorials. Wouldn't it be pretty to wear three twisted buns with a sparkly dress, or a mermaid braid with a wool sweater? You can find all fifteen tutorials here...

Braids:
* Mermaid tail braid
* Half-up braided crown
* Braided top bun
* Four-strand braid
* Braided crown
* Pretzel braid

Ponytails:
* Messy side ponytail
* Ponytail twist
* Sleek parted ponytail

Buns:
* Three twisted buns
* Top knot
* Rope bun
* Gibson roll
* Chestnut bun
* Messy French bun

P.S. Also, this year's holiday gift guide will kick off this Thursday, I hope you like it:)

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo)