POCKET LINT.

ONLINE (AND BEYOND): THE BEST CRUMPLED TWENTY

The Best Link Today:

If you're anything like me, you spend significant amounts of time marveling at people's inappropriate Facebook status updates from "Sally is deeply depressed and crying out for help" to "Tom is sleeping on the bathroom floor between puking bouts."

Anyway, I heartily approve of this website's "How To Suck at Facebook" instructions (although maybe he should have added something about the new "post your celebrity doppelganger" trend).  Why does everyone think they look like Kursten Dunst?

Now, I'm off to shamelessly "market" my site.  Become my fan!  Become my fan!  BECOME MY FAN!!!

xo - N.

 

PARIS (NYC, LA AND BEYOND): THE BEST BODICE (TO AVOID)

Growing up, my sister and I obsessively watched Gigi.  We sang along, imitated scenes and gawked at this extravagant "French" world (where everyone oddly spoke English).  Our favorite scenes to mimic, though, were between Leslie Caron as Gigi and her agoraphobic, but elegant, worldly and snooty "Aunt Alicia" (A-le-Cee-A), who would coach her in everything from table manners to recognizing precious gems ("A topaz?  Among my jewels?  Are you mad?") to choosing the best cigar for a date.  She would criticize Caron's PERFECT face and go on and on about how "impossible" the task was of transforming this gawky young girl into a beautiful woman.

Yeah.  She's ugly.

Anyway, I will stop going on and on about the movie, but the point is that there is this scene (always my favorite), where Gigi tries on all of these incredibly elaborate dresses (most of which are amazing, but just too over-the-top).  Most memorably, one has such an absurdly large appendage at the bodice that it actually covers Leslie Caron's face.

In Golden Globe recapping last night with my sis, she couldn't help but allude to that very dress.  And I couldn't help but laugh and concur.  It seems that this was the year of the strange and unflattering bodice, especially the bizarre, stiff and almost avant-garde bodice with single dip in the front.  And the thing is that, while the dresses were almost cool, they were ultimately mostly super unflattering.

Case and point:

Anyway, in Gigi, she discards all the other beautiful dresses with crazy bodices and chooses a simpler one (see below) with sort of wild birds perched on the shoulders and it is just as flattering as can be.  I'm still learning from that movie today.  Maybe, in Hollywood, we should hold a free screening.

xo - N.

 

P.S. I would like to watch Ricky Gervais' introduction of Mel Gibson and Meryl Streep's acceptance speech like thirty more times.  LOVE!  Anyone else?

FRANCE (AND BEYOND): THE BEST CHAPSTICK (WELL, OKAY, LIP CONDITIONER)

When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand.  And nothing, oh nothing is going right.  Close your eyes and think of me and soon . . . well, soon nothing really.  I'm not going to like appear out of thin air every time you're grouchy.  Gawd.

BUT when I am down and troubled, I like to treat myself.  Maybe retail therapy is sort of twisted, but I'm here to tell you that it works.  Plus, it has no calories.  In fact, I always imagine that you must lose weight shopping.  After all, that's like a couple hours when you're not eating.  Just saying.

Anyway, since the impulse to shop is always inexplicably strongest when one is most broke ("Oh, am I overdrawn on my account?  I guess I'll go shopping!"), one must carefully choose said purchase.  Buyers remorse is no good.

Often, I'll go for a Mistral lotion or soap (which I know you're all sick of hearing about from me).  But it is true that cosmetics are easy purchases that you can use for a long while and don't generally cost as much as say, a new pair of shoes.

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of heading over to the Beverly Hills Hotel to sample and test out some of La Prairie's newest products, including a new line of makeup.  First of all, though the serums and creams can be pricey, the lip colors are not insanely expensive at all and they also serve as lip conditioners (anti-aging and all that).

But I am MOST obsessed with their Cellular Luxe Lip Treatment with SPF 15.  First of all, it has an SPF which just makes me feel virtuous.  Secondly, it has this insanely smooth texture that I just love.  It glides on, it smells nice and it's "conditioning."  Now, I know normally $50 might seem like a lot for a glorified Chapstick.  But, first of all, this is justifiably glorified.  And, second of all, you'll use it constantly and it will make you feel all fancy and well-groomed over and over again.  No matter how broke you may be.

I even love the weight of packaging: It's heavy and feels substantial in a certain way.   Substantial like this post about lip treatment.  Gawd.

Happy weekend, folks!

xo - N.

NYC/PARIS (AND BEYOND): THE BEST GOAT & RAW MILK SALTY FRENCH CARAMELS (WITH ROASTED BUCKWHEAT?)

I know.  I know.  I'm the worst.  All I do is travel and whine about living out of my suitcase and then depart again and leave you poor LINTERS all alone to fend for yourselves.  But I'm sure you've all been busy too, plowing your way through turkey, stuffing, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes and stuffing.

What?  I like stuffing.

Well, like you all, I was eating my weight in starches, but in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. (with Obama, mais oui--yeah, we totally hang out all the time and play ball and talk policy and stuff) and finally back to good ole NYC.  I was also reading my LA Times story about NYC designers using LA as a testing ground (the whole front page of the style section) and my Martha Stewart story about honeymoon destinations.  Sorry, I felt that I had to slip that in:)

The good news is that I come bearing gifts.  Well, gifts in the form of information, that is, which I will unveil throughout the rest of this week and next:

To begin, in Brooklyn (so working backwards and starting with my final destination, I suppose) at AMAZING foodie heaven BKLYN LARDER: cheese & provisions (where I would like to move in), I discovered a life changing sweet: Beurre et Lait de Chevre (AKA: goat milk caramels)!

Two words: SHUT. UP.

If you're suspicious (and many of you non-lactards may be so), just try them and you will be in heaven.  See, I love a chocolate.  But I REALLY love a caramel and this is one I can eat guilt free.  Also, there seems to be some buckwheat component, so I guess what I'm really saying is that these are a health food.  Voila!

Health food that tastes like a buttery, condensed milky, salty, sweet heaven of caramel greatness.

Thanks to the very friendly folks at BKLYN LARDER, who are very helpful and totally unpretentious (and make a mean broccoli too BTW, not to mention selling amazing cheeses and their own pickled veggies), I tracked the caramel mofos.  First, they get a bunch of their amazing imported Frenchie products via Crossings French Food, who gets these particular caramels via a company called Paris Caramels.

'Nough said, at least in my book.  Of course, you should take that with a grain of salt because "my book" is most likely U is for Undertow, which came out this week.  Yup.  I said it.  I love you, Sue Grafton!

And, yes, I know that made no sense.

xo - N.

P.S. BTW--If you're in Brooklyn and looking for sweets, you should also stop in at new chocolate, wine and coffee bar (and boutique) Nunu Chocolate on Atlantic Avenue.  The owner is from South Africa and sources her cacao from a sustainable farm in Columbia, so she has interesting influences.  They say you have to cross the Atlantic for the best chocolate anyway.  This Atlantic is just a little less vast.

LA (THIRD STREET): THE BEST DENIM LEGGINGS

You all know, from that recent ELLE article, that I've got a soft spot for all things J Brand.  Well, I have a soft spot for awesome denim leggings and LA shop Diavolina too (usually for shoes).

Is it me or is "soft spots" starting to sound weird?  I'm like starting to envision baby's heads or something.  Creepy. Whatever.

Anyway, all my favorite "soft spots" come together, as Diavolina has the exclusive on J Brand's new Mulberry, Charcoal and Navy Denim Leggings.  Don't worry non-LA LINTERS, you'll also be able to buy the leggings online at ShopDiavolina.com.

Between these and some of the new Wolford tights, I think I'll have my legs covered for fall.  Punny punny girl.

So, bring on the falling leaves.  Or, in the case of LA, 70 degree weather.

xo - N.

LA (AND BEYOND): THE BEST NEW BLACKBERRY

After a very unfortunate incident with my Blackberry Curve (it experienced a quick painless death and never suffered, I am told and I choose to believe), I went to my corner Sprint store and was quickly talked into a brand new Blackberry Tour instead of the inexpensive replacement.  BAD, LINTY!

I felt guilty for like a millisecond (jeez, thank goodness that's over--I almost broke a sweat).  But then I went for it and since then it's been a love affair of epic proportions: I'm talking sweeping music, feeding each other chocolate dipped strawberries, late night phone calls for hours on end, butterflies in my tummy etc. 

Ew.  "Feeding each other chocolate dipped strawberries"--that is so cheesy and molested and Bachelorette.

Anyway, that's all.  I just wanted to tell you all how much I love it.  The icons are cooler, the design is sleeker, the keypad is this great rubbery consistency and has these impressions for your fingers, so typing on a hand-held has NEVER been easier.  (I find an iPhone very tricky in that regard).  Instead of just Brickbreaker, the thing has a word game (love!) and even Texas Hold 'Em.  It's just the bestest Blackberry a girl could ask for . . . Oh, so dreamy.

xo - N.

LA (AND BEYOND): THE BEST NEW SUMMER TREATS TO TRY AND REPORT BACK TO ME ON

So, I'm too hot to be inventive or to change the sizes of all these great other pics I have in my arsenal.  Instead, I'll just tell you that Claudette and I spotted the above ice cream-filled Rice Krispy treats at Whole Foods the other day and Mike & Ike popsicles at the new shmancy Pavilions.  I'm expanding lately, so I'd really appreciate someone ELSE trying these sweet new mofos for me.  Yup, then I'll ask you to pee for me too.  Also, would you mind cleaning my house?

xo - N.

LA (AND BEYOND): THE BEST WAY TO GET JOLLY

Like a regular Coke (for diet soda drinkers), French Onion Dip (maybe on July 4th or at a Super Bowl party) or cherry Lifesavers, Jolly Ranchers are delectable old standards that one only eats now and again.  Still, each time I come across one and pop it in my mouth, I remember how damn good they taste.  Ah, the flood of (mostly camp) memories: wanting to go home, hating sports, waking up to a horn at ungodly hours.

Jeez.  It's a wonder I still like them.

One of the main reasons I so seldom come across those Jolly old candies, though, is that they come in separate little individually wrapped situations inside bigger bags.  So, when I spotted this new Jolly Rancher packaging a la Orbit gum for something, I had to grab it.  And, seriously, the whole made me so happy yesterday.  Is that sad?  Don't answer that.

Anyway, what could be more genius? Now that. ladies and gentleman (and lint puffs, ahem), is what we call "PROGRESS."

xo - N.

JAPAN/FRANCE (AND BEYOND): BEST NEW ISSEY SCENT

In 1992, when designer Issey Miyake launched his first fragrance, L'Eau d'Issey, we were still innocents.  We didn't know from a second Bush.  We couldn't give a crap about some chick Monica Lewinsky's soiled dress.  (Not that we really care now either.)  Teenage boys wore Starter jackets (or flannel plaid shirts in Seattle).  Girls wore bamboo earrings and a bad attitude (or at least posed that way).  And the concept of unisex fragrances was just coming into vogue.  CK One was just a dot on the 1994 horizon.

Other Issey scents have followed, but now (for the first time in seven years) the designer is launching a new fragrance simply dubbed: a scent by issey miyake. (That's all lower case folks, like the cool kids on iPhone and Crackberries do).  And, although times have changed, the designer has stripped the fragrance and design down to its core, just as he did the first time around.

Just look at the transparent bottle--how cool, right?  Miyake has conceived the fragrance and packaging concept like he has his newest clothing endeavor, a line called A-POC (A piece of Cloth), which also strives to strip the concept of clothing down to it's most basic level.

Personally, though I experiment more than the average person, the fragrances I love tend to skew "fresh" or "green." That is actually not just a descriptor, but a technical category of fragrance (and is not to be confused with "green" like "eco" cause there ain't no patchouli here).  And, as Miyake's goal seems always to create fragrance that smells like air, we're a sympatico match.  I like scents that smell like clean, if that makes any sense.

This fragrance is in the vein of the first, which is good with me.  I was a devout wearer.  It's described as "green-floral-woods" with notes of verbena, hyacinth and jasmine.  But it has a slightly more herbal, earthy note that recalls this current moment's preoccupation with a return to the land, back to basics, local farms, organic growing, low maintenance bohemian living, dinner parties served to cushion poised guests reclining on the living room floor, jewelry and crafts made by hand.  Miyake seems to project all this and then modernize and sterlize it, underlining the simplicity with the cleanest lines (the fragrance's bottle) and a crispy scent.

a scent by issey miyake actually doesn't launch until September, but I feel fortunate to share the goods with you now.  I know I'll be sporting a new fragrance.

Have a very Zen day.

xo - N.