The Joy Formidable

The other night, bored out of my mind...I YET AGAIN found myself randomly downloading music off i-tunes. Frantically trying to find something that would, dare I say, catch my attention. From one click to another, I randomly stumbled upon-The Joy Formidable. As the 30 second sample of single "Whirring" methodically dove through the speakers, I decided I had to hear more. The song had a child like happiness that tagged along, with the precisely scripted lyrics that followed the melody.
I naturally, after hearing the entirety of "Whirring", decided I could not go on with out here the whole album. Yes, this album did come out in January, and maybe I am a little late, but it never can be too late to recognize something great. The Joy Formidable's debut album Big Roar, is yelling for your attention. Don't ignore it.

Yes, wear Black, and No, You don't have to feel GOTH.

Working for MAC cosmetics since I was 19 I have accumulated quite the collection of black clothing. In fact, some of my favorite pieces happen to be black. It seems from about mid-September to the start of Spring that I have no qualms about wearing my favorite omniscient color. As soon as the leaves start to reappear on the trees, and flowers begin to bloom in gardens on my street I begin to feel a little out of place in my attire.

This summer, I have decided to not let my gothic threads go to waste. Instead I feel empowered to tie in black, with all my favorite S/S trends.
Here are my BLACK MUST HAVES:

1.) BCBG BLACK MAXI- Perfect for work. Very in TREND for the summer. I like mine with a stripped cropped shirt, or any shirt that has a little color and is a little bit baggier.

2.) CK JUMPSUIT- I love this! There is so much you could do with this piece. Give it some color with some bright colored necklaces, and my favorite Jeffery Campbell leopard flat, from Nordstrom.

3.) ESSENTIAL BLACK LEATHER JACKET- No matter the season, a black leather jacket is always going to be a sexy outwear option.

4.) DEEP V- V neck's are one of my favorite shirts to wear in the summer. I LOVE this black one. It's perfect with a pair of leggings, or pair with a pair of cut off denim also from urban outfitters.

5.) Cropped Denim- Cropped denim is always a must, give it a little bit of color with this cute button up from Bloomingdales.


Black is always sleek, it makes you feel thinner...so why not incorporate in your summer wardrobe?

STUNNIN LIKE MY...

If you know me on a personal level at all, you know that I possess a small obsession with a certain rapper that goes by the name of, Lil Wayne. When I hear his voice blaring through speakers, I can't even begin to describe the phenomenon that takes place...(unless you have witnessed it yourself). Basically, I can feel Weezy coursing through my veins. It's like he's physically present, and most times I can hardly contain myself.

Now that I have let you in on my little secret, you can imagine how I felt as I was midway through doing a winged liner on a customer, and I heard "Stunnin like my daddy" repeat three times over through the speakers at work. It's like the ground below me jolted, the room spun for a moment, and than everything paused. I snapped out of my trance, as I heard the sweet voice of Ellie Goulding..."Hit, Hit, Hit, Hit me with lightening...".  I had to know more. Who was this, what was this? Was I dreaming, for months it seemed we had been plagued with unidentifiable "indie" music, and now this?! I tried to act cool, quickly finished the winged liner and ran over to the cupboard that hosted our playnetwork system.

"Basic Physics-Starry Eyed" scrolled across the screen...

Nightlife in the Northwoods, is the must hear mixtape from Basic Physics. Basic Physics is the creation of Madison, WI DJ/ Producer Alex Syse, and Minneapolis, Minnesota's DJ, Eric Mitchell. Founded in 2010, they have brought a fresh new face to the DJ/Mashup game.


Alex provided some insight into the mixtape. "Nightlife in the Northwoods is a compilation of 15 Basic Physics mashups. When we went to the drawing board to create this mixtape, the first thing we laid down was that this was going to be about quality. We are not a mashup group that releases tracks just for the name behind it. We wanted to produce a mixtape that kept the listener into it 100% of the way, that flows from start to finish. Eric and myself have so many influences, including the production quality of Xaphoon Jones, the addicting sound of Wolfgang Gartner or Afrojack, the brilliance of Daft Punk, and the creativity of artists like Pretty Lights, Ellie Goulding, and Lupe Fiasco. Having the ability to make a mashup is one thing, but making it memorable and something worth listening to is our main goal. What started as a passion for music has become something that we are pursuing. We are going to continue to produce mashups, but we also plan on diving into other projects including an original EP and producing for various artists. This mixtape is something that we hope will elevate our ability to achieve the things we want to do and the music we want to produce."


Starry Eyed E.T. (Katy Perry // Ellie Goulding // Lil Wayne) by Basic Physics


Visit BASIC PHYSICS FACEBOOK TO DOWNLOAD "NIGHTLIFE IN THE NORTHWOODS"

MUST HAVE: TURBAN SCARF

One of my #1 "MUST HAVES" for summer is a turban style tied scarf. It's been seen on Mary Kate Olsen, and highly recommended in Rachel Zoe's own fashion blog. You can use any random old scarf you have laying around to create this simple look. (I even used a sash of an old bridesmaid dress of mine) It can be a simple head band as seen on Mary Kate below, or a full head wrap. EITHER WAY, don't be caught this summer without knowing how to do this fashion MUST. I found the video below very helpful as well.

FIGURE 8's and a Needle in the Hay

Smith performing in Los Angeles, February 2003.

I can still vividly remember the strums of the guitar as Richie exited the scene into the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror as he shaved off his beard, head, and as he whispered "I'm gonna kill myself tomorrow"....I was sixteen the first time I saw the Royal Tenenbaums, and the first time I heard the depressing vocals of Elliott Smith. I felt this instant connection with each stroke of the guitar, each whisper of the lyrics. I felt this gravitation toward Smith, and this melodic expression of my own depression. Depression and thoughts of suicide were no news to me, as I had been transported to the depressing skies of Portland only a few short months before I heard the enchanting tones of Smiths music. For me, it is where it all began. Smith's lyrics, cascaded through every corner of my mind, and spoke to the very depths of my tortured teenage soul.

Elliott Smith, and Portland is where music really began for me. I had always had an interest in the popular, but didn't really understand what "great" music was. It was moving to Portland, and finding this depressive identity that began to open up the doors musically for me.

As ten years have passed, I still find myself having such a deep connection with Smith's songs. He has seen me through years of darkness, tragic breakups, nights in bars, between the bars. Each song relates to the songs of my heart, the very essence of my soul.

Even though the rain, and the dark skies of Portland, soundtracked my the depressive tones of Smith's voice made me a recluse in my early twenties, I am thankful for the journey of discovery it bestowed upon me. It opened up the doors to a vast universe, I never knew existed.

A Modern Day Brenda Lee

Madeline Follin at first sounds child like and demure, but gets some real passion behind her lyrics at the chorus of the song. The band has all the qualities of a 60's pop group, with a much heavier weight on there shoulders. Maybe the impending doom of SAID armageddon in 2012? YA RIGHT. Either way pop was a lot easier and happy go lucky in the 60's, and CULTS somehow finds that in these darker days.

Cults - You Know What I Mean by cultscultscults
[from Cults' debut full-length; out in May on In the Name Of/Columbia]

GOTTA HAVE IT! SEASONS HOT HUES.

Last fall when I first feasted my eyes on the stammering selections of S/S 11 runway fashions, my heart seemed to palpitate as I could not stand the thought of wearing scarves and jackets, instead I was ready for maxi skirts and dresses, rompers, high waisted wide leg denim, and artful tailoring. There seemed to be a battle of vintage and eye catching, and soft and subdued for this seasons fashions. S/S 11 will definitely be a battle between vibrant and relaxed.

S/S 11 takes a glamorous spin, glamorous hues in everything bright and nude. 

First things first, there was COLOR everywhere...one color not to go with out this season...

TANGERINE....whether it's heels, a pair of Marc Jacobs high waisted shorts, or a perfect tangerine lipstick S/S 11 is screaming for this HUE! As a makeup artist I recommend a number of lipsticks to create this MUST HAVE look: Lady Danger by MAC, So Chaud by MAC, Red Square Velvet Lip Pencil by NARS, and Happy Days Velvet Gloss Pencil by NARS.

MARC JACOBS S/S 11

Lady Danger Lipstick MAC Cosmetics

Everything IS bright this SEASON!

Bleach out the bold  hues, and everything becomes white. It seemed every single show had at least something white. Give your white a 70's twist like at Salvatore Ferragamo, and you'll be right on point. 

Salvatore Ferragamo S/S 11

Salvatore Ferragamo S/S 11

S/S 11

I chose this Cheap Monday top in white! A definite MUST HAVE this season. Cheap Monday clothing can be found at Urban Outfitters!!