La Parisienne.

I love everything French. (Okay, not French dressing. I’m actually morally opposed to salad dressing. Don’t get me started.) I took five years of Spanish in middle and high school after being told it would be more useful in the "real world" (attention to all those with aspirations in a fashion-related industry: this is a lie), but I’m one-eighth French and exceedingly proud of it. When it comes to design, food and general worldview (okay, maybe not military tactics), there’s no denying that the French know best.

No surprise, then, that I spritzed on my YSL Parisienne perfume this morning and left my apartment feeling decidedly fierce.





If I'm going out, I usually strap on a cute balconette bra under this dress and embrace the cleavage buffet approach. For work, I layered it over a lace tank to make the ensemble a tad more office-appropes. Even Condé Nast has its limits.



If you're into this look, you would die over Paris-based Denni Elias's blog, Chicmuse. She's all about the legs, lips and massive platforms (and even heart-shaped sunglasses in her latest post). Her charming, quirky style is one of my favorite pools to dip into when I need a little style inspiration. Or workout inspiration. Those legs. No homo.

Tank: Kimchi Blue.
Dress: Kimchi Blue.
Shoes: BCBGirls.
Sunglasses: H&M.
Bracelet: Gifted.
Ring: Inherited.

A new scent-sation.

Today's is the soupiest of mornings. I almost drowned on the way to get my coffee, felt decidedly adventurous for venturing out at all, and opted (adventurously) for Irish Cream syrup instead of my usual Sugar-Free Vanilla. Despite the soggy skies, I had gone to the trouble of spritzing before leaving Evanston Place - so I was super pumped when the barista complimented me on my new perfume, a fruity "floriental" by the kooky but irresistible Betsey Johnson.



My perfume obsession began a few weeks ago, when I used up the last of my Aquolina Pink Sugar and decided it was time for a more mature signature scent. My wish list is a long one, but Betsey was my first indulgence - and I have to say, I couldn't have picked a better fragrance for myself. With top notes of grapefruit, tangerine, and blackcurrant berries undercut by a blend of floral bouquets and sensual amber, it's flirty and funky without being overpowering - and wins bonus points for its adorable art deco bottle. Sephora.com describes its personality as "eccentric, wonderful, tantalizing" - and while my perfume collection has a long way to go, I think this purchase was the perfect place to start.