Granted, that doesn’t mean to look otherwise dowdy while resuscitating your outfit with one trendy piece, so it’s important to find a good balance. Today’s post will show you some great new accessories we’ve been lusting after, and then offer you some simple yet chic suggestions of what to wear them with.

We’ll start with my absolute favorite new item from up and coming accessories designer Erika Pena. Pena was born in Puerto Rico, and educated at NYC’s prestigious Parsons School of Design. Her bio says her accessories were designed to capture the feelings of her move from NYC back to Puerto Rico. They must be some pretty bold emotions, judging by the presence of her pieces. This piece here has to be my absolute favorite. It appears to be a big chunky piece of Lucite (one of my favorite things in this world) that also happens to be shaped like a bird (another of my favorite things!). The bold beading on this piece keeps it from looking too ‘Claire’s’ and childish, and makes it a bit more versatile with the hint of pink coloring. To wear a necklace this big and bold, you definitely have to keep the clothing simple. For this particular piece, I’d try to stick with a long, solid colored dress- perhaps a black maxi-dress like this one.

A great store that sells some unique pieces is Fragments. Fragments is regularly featured in the fashion magazines, so you may already be familiar with them. Their pieces run a bit higher because they use precious and semi precious stones and metals, but if you’re looking for quality, they’re the place to be. They carry a bunch of avant garde designers who are quickly developing a cult following, but who are at present time far enough under the radar that you can still buy some pieces now and be early enough to claim you ‘knew them when’ when they hit it big. One such designer is Mauri Pioppo. Pioppo’s signature look is a single chain necklace adorned with delicate round disks with tiny gem details around the top. The disks can be imprinted with initials, paw prints and even religious symbols. These are great dainty pieces that allow you to be a bit more daring with your wardrobe, or even just at a pretty detail to an already dainty outfit. The key word is versatile. I would wear this piece with anything from a crew-neck button front cardigan and a floaty skirt to a tank top and jeans. If you love Pioppo’s stuff but just can’t afford the luxe price tag that goes with it, I’ll let you in on a little fashion secret of mine, (don’t laugh!) which is QVC. Now, before you click off this page, hear me out. Sure, the Q has some ugly granny jewelry and those holiday themed sweaters, but they also have some of the top names in fashion working for them (think Michael Kors, Kathy Van Zeeland, Dooney and Bourke, Kenneth Jay Lane and Judith Ripka). Still with me? Good, because they also have an up and coming designer named Satya, who makes the most adorable version of Pioppo’s pendants, sans the 1k plus price tag. That’s right- for a mere 30.84 (plus applicable tax and shipping) you can have Satya’s etched lotus birthstone pendant with chain. It obviously comes in 12 different stone colors, and the lotus engraved in the front stays the same from month to month, so no need to worry about wearing an incorrect zodiac sign if you were born in May but want to wear peridot. Heck, for that price, you can buy all twelve and still spend less than one Pioppo necklace! The Satya necklace is sterling silver and comes with a chain, but if you love the look of the Pioppo leather cord, you can get your own leather cord at sites like Etsy for around five bucks. Even better, most Etsy sellers will let you customize the length and color. I plan on doing an entry just on Etsy soon, so stay tuned! If you’re interested in the Satya pendant, I can’t link to specific items on QVC (and trust me, come birthday time, I have certainly tried!), but just go to QVC and enter item number J5292 in the search box. Voila!

Another great site for celebrity inspiration is Intuition’s website. Their online shop is jam-packed with accessories seen on some of H-wood’s biggest names and A-listers. Right now we’re loving the Saylor Sage Amazonite Ana earrings, which were apparently featured in “Life and Style Magazine” (which we don’t read, but good eye, L&S) They also sell clothing, shoes, handbags and beauty loot like products by Ole Henricksen and Kai. The nice thing about these earrings is that they add a dash of color right near your face, so if you have blue eyes or olive skin, they’re muy complementary. Even better? They can be worn with anything from jeans to evening wear. To wear them in a fresh, unexpected way, pair them with something red like this.

If you’re really on a budget but are tired of the usual, another great jewelry site is All the Rage Online (ATRO). We’ve been shopping here for two or three years now, and have been consistently impressed with the selection. Granted, the quality isn’t on par with the real stuff (rhinestones are sometimes plastic, as are cameos and pearls), but it’s worth the price, and even more worth it during one of ATRO’s many online sales. This week, everything you buy is 10% off! You can find out when ATRO’s sales are happening by signing up for their email newsletter, or by checking their site every week or so. That’s how often new products are added, and ATRO doesn’t scrimp on quantity- they add tons of new stuff every week. This week we love the Big Apple Pendant (which looks sooo Marc Jacobs, but for only 27 bucks!), the Vintage Flower ring ($24) (which looks an awful lot like the Kenneth Jay Lane version which is more than double ATRO’s price), and the Sweet Symphony pendant, $27, which reminds me of those uber-pricey Kacey K monogram necklaces, but several hundred dollars less! When searching for outfits to pair these with, remember- look for monochromatic, minimalist pieces that aren’t too trendy. Wouldn’t the ATRO Vintage Flower ring look perfect with this? How Jackie O!

And speaking of the aforementioned Kenneth Jay Lane, for those of you who love his fruit pendants, my spies tell me that he’s once again collaborating with Avon Products on a darling little strawberry necklace that will retail for only $19.99 when it debuts in the first few weeks of January 2008!

I mean, just LOOK at it! How cute is that?

And it sure doesn’t hurt that it looks an awful lot like THIS, which retails for $110! These fruit pendants are great because they’re childish enough to be worn with casual wear, but rock’n'roll enough (because of the studs!) to be worn by adults (perhaps with something like this).

They don’t call the Holidays “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” for just one reason. For beauty fans, its the time of year where you can get some of the best deals on beauty products. Why? Gift sets, of course! While big-box department stores are busy trying to offload $30 dollar DVD players and aromatherapy diffusers, cosmetic companies are trying to lure gift-shoppers with added value gift sets, too. A quick stop by popular beauty websites like Sephora can yield some fantastic deals for those looking to get more for their money. One set we’re loving this holiday season (that is also a perfect example) is the Too Faced Lights Camera Glamour Set . This set, which is a $150 value is only $40 while supplies last! And that’s just one of the multitude of sets that sites like Sephora and others are offering, (in addition to other perks, like free shipping, free giftwrap and free samples!). While your budget might be tight this time of year, if you can spare some extra cash for yourself (its not that hard!) its a great time to stock up on favorites, or even to try new sets that come with mini versions of best selling products you never knew you needed.

If you’re slightly more daring than we are, you can try to wait til after the holidays (typically December 26 and beyond) and check back at your favorite sites for markdowns and sales on some of these sets, but keep in mind, they go tres quickly, so if you absolutely must have that item, you may be better off buying it before it goes on clearance. You can always try to call customer service or drop by the store and see if they’ll adjust your price if you paid full price close enough to the markdown date (usually within 14 days). It works with Urban Outfitters and is always worth a shot if it could save you more money!

If you just can’t finagle it for the holidays, don’t despair. You’ll get another chance come Mother’s Day, when gift sets (especially fragrance gift sets) dot the flyers to all the major department stores. Typically, you can get great deals like free lotions, shower gels, compacts and purses with your purchase of a regular-priced fragrance, though keep in mind in the case of fragrance, these gift sets don’t usually ever go on sale.

In the meantime, here are some great suggestions for holiday gift sets we’ve seen this season:

• Sarah Jessica Parker’s newest fragrance, Covet, retails for $52 for a 1.7 ounce bottle, but if you buy the gift set at Nordstrom, you’ll pay only $46 for not only the same 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum, you’ll also get a 2.5 oz. body lotion and an adorable 2.2 gram solid perfume compact, featuring the same adorable jeweled design that’s featured on the perfume bottle’s cap!

   

• For $62 at your local Macy’s, you can get the Christian Dior scent J’adore in a 1.7 oz bottle, or for just $4 dollars more, you can get the J’adore Gift Set, which includes the 1.7 oz fragrance, 1.7 oz perfumed body lotion, 1.7 oz perfumed bath and shower gel, and (and this is fantastic!) a Dior clutch purse!

   

• For the girl who longs for the simpler days of her Bonne Bell Bubble Gum flavored Lip Smacker, Sephora offers the Napoleon Perdis Lip Couture Set (a $100 value), a set of five chic bubble gum flavored lip glosses for only $25! Don’t be scared off by the color- these glosses wear beautifully- nothing like the neon zinc oxide gunk your mom used to make you wear on your face at the beach.

   

• The delicious scented lotions, potions and soaps at Philosophy can add up quickly, especially when you can’t decide which fragrance to get and start buying them all. A perfect (and fat free!) way to get into the holiday spirit (whether to give or keep) is their Cookbook Value Set which comes with three separate scents (eggnog, apple cider and double rich cocoa) in three 6oz shampoo/shower gels and 3 bars of soap – all for only $38. Philosophy soaps, when available, run around 9 dollars each, and the shower gel/shampoo bottles usually come much bigger and more expensive (think 16 dollars for as many ounces!), making this set an over $45 dollar value!

Whether you’re a biological or trans woman, the desire to look your best is something we all have in common. This blog aims to help women of all kinds – white, black, Asian, young, old, rich, poor, trans, biological, etc.- look and feel their best.

Makeup Trends Makeup trends are one of those trends you have to be extra-careful with. As implied by the word “trend” there’s a reason they change quickly and are only seen in fashion magazines: most people look ridiculous in them. If you want to look natural and timeless, here are some common danger zones you should avoid:

• Avoid, avoid, avoid super-glossy lips: Glossy lips were huge in 2004, but it’s not 2004 anymore. Lip gloss itself is great if you’re not looking for super-dark or bold lips, but try to avoid lips that look too ‘patent’ or goopy. In contrast, a nice, liberally applied gloss with a slight shine always looks timeless and classy.

• Put down the glitter, and back slowly away: Glitter is so cute on 15 year olds, but if you’re not 15, it can make you look desperate and actually older than you really are. Its like those clearly-middle-aged women you see wearing those white tees with the word “Bebe” written across the bust in rhinestones. Scary. If you must go for sparkle, look for a subtle shimmer, and restrict it to the eyes only. One company that does this quite well is Bare Escentuals.

• Strong blush: Every few months without fail, one fashion magazine or another will pay homage to the 1980′s and run fashion spreads with models in neon colors and technicolor blush applied heavily to the apples of their cheeks (as seen here on Emmy Rossum. No matter how many magazines tell you this is ‘in’, (unless you actually live in a Dynasty rerun) they’re wrong. Cosmetic companies won’t tell you this either, but not everyone needs blush. If you apply foundation lightly enough, you can get by without it. That being said, if you are a blush fan, and you absolutely must wear it, try finding a color similar to your natural ‘blushing’ color. Do this by standing in front of a mirror (sans makeup) and pinching your cheeks. See that flush of color? That’s all you need!

• For transgender women (pre and post op) my best advice to you is to take it easy on the makeup. Trans-heroine RuPaul may have been the spokesmodel for MAC, but remember- she is a performer, and has to look (over)done all the time. Unless you too are a performer, you do not. Take cues from women you see in the workplace and out and about. Natural looking makeup (think Halle Berry) will draw attention to your best features, while overdone makeup can draw attention to you in all the wrong ways, and can in some cases make passing as female even more difficult than going makeup-free.

• If you add emphasis to one area, de-emphasize the other: A key area where this applies is eyes and lips. If you go for a bold eye, wear a nude/soft lip, as seen here or if you go for a bold lip, wear a softer eye-look, like Gwen Stefani (does.

These tips are “timeless,” e.g., they will always look good, no matter the current trend. Trends are another story entirely!