Per-féktion.

As someone who was (go ahead, throw tomatoes) born with near-perfect skin, I seem to have missed that vital stage in adolescence when one is introduced to the notions of foundation and concealer. Here I was, trotting around my high school harvesting compliments in nothing but mascara and moisturizer; taking for granted my blemish-free existence and judging friends who had yet to master blending along the edges.

So imagine my displeasure to now, at age 20, be tossed unarmed into the wild world of, well...oil. I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice to say that I've been looking a little shiny in photographs lately. What's the deal, glands? Quitting so soon? Two measley decades and you throw in the towel? Whatever the cause - stress, hormones, not diet because I eat better now than ever - but I'm not bitter - karma has gotten the last laugh, and it seems the time has come for me to take a nosedive into the skincare aisle. First on the list: a lightweight foundation that can stand up to summer in sticky Washington, D.C. (which was built on swamplands, for the non-locals among us). Gulp.



Disclaimer: this stuff is not cheap. While I'm willing to skimp on things like white ribbed tank tops (Target, little boys' section - ya can't beat 'em!), anything that goes on or around the face is, to me, worth splurging on. Having had bad reactions to drugstore foundations and the mid-range, widely-loved Bare Minerals starter kit, I find that a pricey tube that will last me months is less costly than the loss of dignity that results from poorer-quality products.

But on to the positives: I'M IN LOVE. WITH A LITTLE BLUE BOTTLE OF $58 FOUNDATION. I have never tried any product that appears so natural but makes such a world of difference. My skin not only looks amazing - zero redness, invisible pores - but because Per-fékt foundation is silicone-based, it feels incredible too. We're talking baby's bottom territory. And I hate that phrase, so you know it's serious.

A couple of caveats: a little bit goes a long way, so have a salesperson show you how it's meant to be applied (start with the nose and spread outward, and don't use too much or it'll begin to flake). And test-drive it in the store first, because it is very lightweight - great for those of us who can hide our blemishes behind a sprinkling of freckles and a few swipes of bronzer, but not designed to mask more intense skin problems.

So maybe my skin, even at age 20, can no longer be perfect. But with a little cash, it can stay per-fékt for some time to come.

Evanesco, wizard robes. Accio, high fashion!

Yule Ball be damned. Look at little Miss Hermione Granger, all grown up and gracing the pages of Teen Vogue:













What a gorgeous editorial, shot by Norman Jean Roy and styled by Havana Laffitte (which sounds like the name of a Potter character, if you ask me). I a) want all of the clothes and b) am so impressed with Emma Watson! She looks beautiful. Total girl crush. I had given up on Teen Vogue when they said smoky eyes were back for the thirty-four thousandth time, but I may have to buy this issue just to cut it up and stick it on my wall for inspiration.

I'm currently in the process of rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to get psyched for July's movie adaptation of Half-Blood Prince. I generally take issue with the Harry Potter films. I can't figure out who exactly they aim to please: fans of the novels are left disappointed by abandoned storylines, while those unexposed to the brilliance that is the book series enjoy them, but wonder what all the hype is about. This English major and self-professed Potter nerd thinks that Rowling's books are nothing short of masterful - and I wish the movies did them more justice, for the sake of both halves of the crowd.

I think they would have had a lot more success (artistically speaking, because God knows these things do just fine at the box office) had they waited, à la Lord of the Rings, for the right time to make these movies - for the full storyline to be released, for the perfect cast, for that one perfect director who understood the books completely. It does the story a disservice, really, to have made it subservient to so many different people's visions. Despite the fact that every notable British actor of the past half-century (minus my boyfriend, Colin Firth) has managed to worm their way into the project, I have to wonder if Potter's adventures could have been better immortalized had Warner Brothers not been so antsy to cash in.

...That being said, the trailers for Half-Blood Prince look epic and we all know I'll be seeing it at midnight. Who's with me?!

Quizically yours.

I skimp when buying:
...Tights? Let's be real here, I'm not much of a skimper.

I splurge when buying:
Underwear, perfume, make-up, high heels. Any clothing item I can justify to myself. So everything, really.

I always break this fashion rule:
Wearing black and brown together. Wearing black and navy together.

I never break this fashion rule:
Wearing a Canadian tuxedo that matches my significant other's.



Must-have item for Summer 2009:
Metallic gladiators, navy men's blazer, multi-chain necklace, tons of v-neck t-shirts. Jersey dresses in every color of the rainbow.

Favorite store:
H&M. Urban. American Apparel. Any boutique or vintage shop.

Style icon:
Carrie Bradshaw (not to be confused with Sarah Jessica Parker).

Most cherished accessory:
Gold necklace with tiny sun charm, cubic zirconium stud earrings, emerald and citrine cocktail rings - all courtesy of my late and terrifically elegant French grandmother, Jeannette Cavalier.

Favorite item of clothing:
Red Keds, watercolor Matty M top with braided neckline, any of my 1950s prom dresses from eBay.

Favorite "fashion-y" movie:
The Devil Wears Prada.

Guilty pleasure:
Black high-waisted skirts. I own at least four.

Describe your personal style:
Girly and eclectic.

I feel best wearing...
A day dress with platform heels.

Personal style quirk:
Wearing a broken watch.

Most overrated item:
Crocs. I don't care how comfortable they are: you look like a dumbass.

Most underrated item:
A great skin-colored torture thong.

Most stylish city:
Paris.

When I was high school I wore...
Freshman year: Pretty minis, my cropped jean jacket and a side ponytail with a hair ribbon.
Sophomore year: Lots of sparkly clothes that were in retrospect entirely inappropriate for daytime.
Junior year: Victorian tops. Preppy classics. Cowboy boots.
Senior year: Vintage dresses with black footless tights and ballet flats.

Shine your own shoes?
Never. But I've colored scuffed toes with a Sharpie.

Favorite fashion magazine:
Harper's Bazaar and Elle.

Perfume:
Betsey Johnson for spring and summer, Tocca "Stella" for fall, and Lolita Lempicka "L de Lolita Lempicka" for winter. All of which are composed of some combination of orange and musk/praline/vanilla. At least I'm consistent.

I always dress my best for...
Whenever I know that cameras will be present.