LE CATCH

$180, river island

The flower-embellished neckline is totally in sync with all the whimsically offbeat accents seen in and around the fashion shows. More to come on that later!

1. Band of Outsiders silk sweatshirt, $425, netaporter.com
2. River Island embellished jacket, $180, riverisland.com
3. Vivienne Westwood Anglomania clutch, $114, asos.com
4. Nine West sandals, $109, ninewest.com
5. J.Crew Selvedge jeans, $188, jcrew.com

When it comes to beauty, I've long prided myself on being a minimalist. I have always tried to get away with as little makeup, lotions, etc. as possible, even though my bathroom cabinets (and random drawers and closets around the house) are filled with expensive, coveted beauty products thanks to my years as a Conde Nast editor. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all that stuff as much as the next girl, but something about slathering all sorts of stuff of unknown chemical origin on my body dampened my enthusiasm. But I confess as of late my minimalist ways are starting to feel more like neglect! In order to keep up my, ahem, appearance, I am finding it necessary to do more: more moisturizing, more exfoliating, more serums, more makeup, more taking care. Thankfully, a friend of mine recently launched an awesome line of chemical-free skin-care products and cosmetics called Beautycounter that caters to my purist ways--i.e., they're safe, straight-forward and effective. I am officially obsessed with Beautycounter's Lip Sheer in Coral to the point where--shocker!--I will apply it every morning even when I know it'll just be me interfacing with the computer all day long. It's a gloss that's thick enough for a subtle shine yet sheer enough to feel barely there, with just the prettiest hint of orange-y red. True perfection. I also love the Rosemary and Citrus Lustro Body Oil, an intensive moisturizer that instantly soothes my winter-dry skin and has worked a miracle or two (such as on the cracked hand variety when I was skiing in Colorado for a week earlier this year). I also reach for the facial hydrating creams day and night. Without getting too infomercial on you, I have to admit that now that I have to do "more" for myself, I am glad that I am doing it with products that are clean and 100% good for me.


P.S. My twin sister photographed Beautycounter's latest campaign, including the pic, above. Clearly, this is a family affair!

$250, shopbop

I'd love to watch the minutes tick by on this delicate watch/bracelet!

1. Equipment silk tunic, $230, netaporter.com
2. Etoile Isabel Marant cotton jacket, $600, matchesfashion.com
3. Iris & Ink leather pants, $595, theoutnet.com
4. MAC Tinted Lipglass in Russian Red, $15, nordstrom.com
5. Kate Spade pave stainless watch, $250, shopbop.com
6. Vetta pearl bracelet, $58, anthropologie.com
7. Charles David suede boots, $160, nordstrom.com

There was a time where my party dress acquisition process went something like this: (1) receive invitation, (2) eventually get around to shopping for said dress, (3) run out of time, (4) settle for something good enough but often not fantastic, and then (5) repeat. And, of course, the problem worsened after I had kids and my shopping time was in even scarcer supply. Eventually, I found my solution: I just resolved to buy fantastic party dresses as I came across them, regardless of whether I had an actual party on the immediate horizon. I must tell you--it works quite nicely. Thus, when I recently stumbled upon Self Portrait, a new UK-based nicely-priced line of dresses, I did not simply bookmark the site, I immediately bought not one frock, but two (!): the lace pleated one on the left and the red cut-out, above. This sweet success put me in the mood, and I've since found a few more festive options including this BCBG Max Azria, this Milly, this Jay Ahr, this Christopher Kane, and this Victoria Beckham. Now I just need some fun invites!

$78, madewell

This striped tunic is so me-on-holiday! (Wish I was actually on one.)

1. Madewell striped tunic, $78, madewell.com
2. Forever 21 mirrored sunglasses, $5, forever21.com
3. Topshop palm tree print pouch, $20, topshop.com
4. Tibi sandals, $295, shopbop.com
5. Colette by Colette Dinnigan lace shorts, $300, netaporter.com

Because everyone's outfits were concealed under layers and layers of outerwear in frigid New York last week, it was often their bags that basked in the spotlight. Each tote newer, better and more fabulous than the next! My big takeaway... I need more statement bags! I love buying them, but they can be bank-breakers, so I am not at all above acquiring super nice ones second hand. I thus found myself this weekend inspecting the goods over at Shop Hers, a high end consignment website I've featured here before (and whose warehouse my friends and I periodically raid since it's nearby). They seem to consistently stock the latest and greatest investment bags, some of them new and others gently used, and my latest trip did not disappoint: I uncovered a gold mine of incredible options, which I thought I should share. (Think the equivalent of what you'd see on the first floor of Bergdorf Goodman!) Among the standouts, all priced below retail, of course, are this never-used-before black suede Balenciaga (50% off retail), this drop-dead red Chanel (a serious collector's piece!), this chic bucket Hermes tote (which a friend of mine sported the other day, only to compound my bag envy), this ever-sleek chain link-strap Celine (30% off retail), this never-worn color-blocked micro Celine Luggage bag, this classic chocolate brown Hermes Constance bag (40% less than retail), and this pristine (tags still attached) red Celine Trapeze Coquelicot.

Photo: The Cut

$178, nordstrom

These sandals have an offhand glamorous air that I find irresistible. They also have the insta-outfit-making gift!

1. Peter Pilotto for Target dress, $44, netaporter.com
2. Selima Violet sunglasses, $165, clubmonaco.com
3. Antik Batik clutch, $127, shopbop.com
4. Dolce Vita sandals, $178, nordstrom.com

Having received loads of queries about the provenance of my red coat in the last post (it's H&M from two years ago!), I thought I'd round up some recent snaps from New York and London to prove (a) I'm not the only devout fan and (b) that this bold topper remains a must. I also hunted down some shoppable scarlet standouts, including this belted/ruffled Cinzia Rocca (50% off), this textured Asos, this single-breasted Club Monaco (30% off), this double-breasted Oasis, this trench-inspired Giambattista Valli (76% off), this bright boyfriend Topshop, and this funky faux fur Ainea.

Photos: Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue

My trip to New York was action-packed! Lucky me, I landed at JFK right before a snow storm hit and departed before another. In between meetings, photo shoots and fashion shows (that's me before the Phillip Lim show, above--I clearly have my game face on!), I managed to treat myself to some yummy meals, most notably at the Marlton Hotel, Sean MacPherson's new fashion crowd hot-spot (try the kale salad, sunchokes, and burrata); Terra, a cozy neighborhood Italian in Tribeca; and Bergdorf Goodman's tried-and-true epitome of chicness BG restaurant, where I indulged in a late day lunch for one (this allowed me to gawk at all the fancy ladies and their major handbags, spot Anne Hathaway, etc.), complete with a glass of rose champagne and more kale salad. My Fall 2014 runway watching and trend spotting--picture cropped wide-leg pants, over-the-top fur, more pink, and plaid, plaid, plaid!--inspired some personal shopping, of course. Along with friend and stylist Amanda Ross (below in the cute fur trapper hat), I checked out the recently opened Dover Street Market, Rei Kawakubo's must-see seven-story store situated in Kips Bay, featuring a Louis Vuitton pop-up shop with exclusive pieces, along with masterfully curated selections from Prada, Thom Browne, Gaia Repossi, Saint Laurent, etc. It also houses a branch of Rose Bakery, the British-style bakery/restaurant with a cult following that serves up the most delicious scones, quiches, and pound cakes. I also made pit stops at Topshop, where I snagged this scuba print top and at J.Crew and got these wear-everyday jeans. It was a whirlwind tour per usual, with an extra side of cold, but as always, I loved it.

Fyi, I am standing on a table above i.e. I am not in a dollhouse!

$70, asos

Valentine's Day (happy, happy!) has me fantasizing about a romantic tropical getaway wearing this short off-the-shoulder dress over a very cute bikini. Hint, hint, hubby!

1. Asos ruffle dress, $70, asos.com
2. Sunday Somewhere sunglasses, $260, shopbop.com
3. Dolce & Gabbana floral print reversible bikini, $485, netaporter.com
4. Venessa Arizaga bracelet, $84, theoutnet.com
5. Kate Spade gladiator sandals, $228, shopbop.com