Fall Makeup Trends: Dark Lips

Deep purples were all over the fall 2010 runways, and there are several ways to wear it ranging from totally tame to a slightly risky. Nail polishes in deep plums are the easiest way to wear this trend, but if you're up for it, wearing a purple lipstick or gloss is trés chic. Personally I'm a huge fan of this look, and I'm all about wearing it at the office or to an evening happy hour. Below check out of list of ways to pull of the perfect purple lip.

1) Make sure to exfoliate your lips. Many companies make exfoliators that you can buy, but I prefer the DIY method using things from around the house. Use an old toothbrush with a little sugar on it to gently exfoliate any dead skin off your lips.

2) Use lip balm (something that's isn't greasy ) to act as a base or a primer for the lips. This way you are sure that the dark lips don't show cracks and creases. Again, you can always buy lip primers, but I prefer to go the cheaper route.

3) Decide which color you are going to use. There are tons of great ones out there such as Chanel's Rouge Noir or MAC's Odyssey. Apply lipstick with a lip brush in order to be precise with your application.

4) Apply a clear gloss to finish the look. Something like NARS lip gloss in Triple X works perfectly.

Annnnd voila! You have a chic dark lip that can go from day to night all winter long.

Going (Faux) Fur Crazy

One of my favorite fall trends this year is fur, of the faux sort of course. Faux fur has been popping up in coats, shoes, handbags, and tons of accessories. Personally I'm still on the hunt for the perfect fur vest which has so far has not been a successful one since there are hardly any that I've found in stores that I can try on. So what's a girl to do? Online shopping of course! There are tons of fun faux fur options available on sites like Piperlime and Shopstyle. Check out a few ways you can rock the cozy fall trend below!

Arden B- Faux Fur Belted Vest $69

Forever 21- Furry Wedge Heel Boot $29.80

Forever 21 Fur Scarf- $10.80

Guess-Bountiful $139

BB Dakota- Janika Vest $69

**Yves Saint Laurent- Palais Mohawk Pump $935

** I realize these are waaay out of my budget, but what's the harm in a girl dreaming of having these s-i-c-k shoes in her closet...on display in a glass case so everyone can gawk at them (too far?).

What's Old is New Again

New clothes are great. Trends are ever-changing and I am always a fan of keeping up with the ones that work on me, HOWEVER, some of my most favorite pieces in my closet are vintage. With a plethora of vintage stores around Austinit's not terribly difficult to find great pre-loved pieces, but the keeper of my fashion heart is by far Feathers Boutique on South Congress. The space feels like something straight out of NYC, and the two owner's have an amazing eye for fashion. So many other places seem to simply take whatever they can get, but the pieces at Feathers are clearly hand-picked by people that really know what they're doing. While you peruse the 4 rooms where clothes are separated by color (which makes shopping so much easier!) you're likely to be met by the friendly faces of one of the two owners, Masha and Emily. I often find myself asking them for fashion advice and they are always happy to oblige. One of the greatest things about this store is that they will ship pieces to you if you are not lucky enough to live in the Austin area (or 2 miles away like I do)! Whether you're a resident of Austin or of Hong Kong, you can have one of their pieces hanging in your closet. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, hats, bags, scarves...this place has it all! Visit http://feathersboutiquevintage.blogspot.com/ to get constant updates on what's "new" in the store. Below are just some of the amazing things I've found there recently.

This scarf is actually brand new- Feathers carries a few new things on top of all the great vintage

Vintage YSL silk blouse- this thing is to die for in person! The photo really doesn't do it justice.

Halston Slingbacks

Teal Paper Leather skirt-again the photo doesn't do it justice. This skirt is amazing on.

Black Leather Skirt

This is the newest piece to be added to my closet. They've got someone who tie dyes corsets for them which turns them from drab white underwear to beautiful tops that can be worn alone or peaking out from under something.

I really can't say enough good things about this quaint little shop in the heart of Austin. With prices that are totally reasonable, anyone can add a little piece of something old to their wardrobe.