May

In which I am made over…

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What else would have me at Saks Fifth Avenue with a makeup-free face?

When Trish McEvoy artist Kimberly Black-Crawford offered to give me a fresh face before The Birmingham Chapter of The Links, Inc. gala fundraiser last Saturday, I was a little nervous (although she’d previously gotten me to try the lippie seen HERE). Confession: I haven’t had a makeover since I first bought makeup with my mom, at Gayfer’s Fashion Fair in Cordova Mall! Now, I’ve definitely had my makeup professionally applied since then, but I hadn’t had a custom makeup session.

After trading some messages and a picture of my chosen outfit for the evening – and with a little trepidation, a freshly washed face and a big pair of sunglasses – I headed to Saks. Kimberly immediately put me at ease and gave me a look that literally made me teary-eyed! I didn’t realize I could look so…glow-y! You know how you have an image of you’d like to look in your mind? For me it’s dewy skin and dramatic eyes, and Kimberly brought that to life.

She also skillfully introduced me to products I’d never considered by Estee Lauder, Chanel and Yves St. Laurent (I’d gotten into a product rut.). Kimberly used the following to craft my look:

To prep my moisturized face, she applied Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Cream ($90) as a primer on my cheeks and Laura Mercier Secret Finish Mattifying ($27) on my nose to eliminate shine. Then for sheer coverage she used Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Makeup ($37), Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup SPF10 in “Rich Caramel”($36) to absorb any oil, Yves St. Laurent Radiant Touch Highlighter to brighten my eyes and lightly contour my cheekbones, ($41) and CHANEL Joues Contraste Powder Blush ($45) in 89/Canaille to highlight my (newly-contoured) cheeks. She used Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess eye palette for shadowing(for a similar look, try Estee Lauder Pure Color Intense Eye Shadow Trio in “Amber Alloy,” $36), and applied lashes I’d chosen. Kimberly’s tip for applying them? DO NOT use hair glue! If you’re doing that, STOP! Use Duo lash adhesive instead! I finished with my own MAC lipstick in Freckletone later.

Three peole stopped toask me where/who I’d gotten my makeup from that evening, which NEVER happens. And yes, the look lasted all night long! I was sad to wash it off at the end of the evening. What I loved most was I still felt like myself, not like an overly-contoured caricature. As Kimberly says “Blend, never beat!”

She is available to do your makeup too (seriously, go check her out!), either at Saks or at your home. To schedule your session, email her at kimcrawford88@gmail.com or call (205) 612-9788.

(Wondering what I’m wearing? Remember THIS dress?)

12 years ago Short URL 4 Comments

Birmingham Live!/C'est Si Bon/First Person Fabulous/Haute or Not?/Love That!/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Kimberly Black-Crawford/Saks Fifth Avenue/Same Chic Different Day

Apr

First person fabulous: Roxy Rabb

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I first met local jewelry designer Roxy during Fashion Friday at the Birmingham Public Library and am so excited that she showed at this year’s Birmingham Fashion Week (BFW)! Her craftsmanship (featuring materials such as leather, hammered silver, and semi-precious stones like coral, smoky quartz and turquoise) is amazing, and this conversation is long overdue. She’s yet another example of the fabulous talent we have right here in the state, and if you’re in the market for unique statement jewelry and accessories I hope you will check out her pieces.

How’d you get started? It’s been 10 years. At first I just did it to play around and do something for distraction because I had little kids at home. I’ve always loved making things, and making something out of something else. When my kids were really little I made all their clothes. As they grew up I started dabbling with jewelry and I loved it. People are like “How long have you been doing this?” FOREVER, is what it feels like.

Do you design full-time? No. I eventually would love to solely survive on my jewelry business and to be able to help more people in the community by hiring them. That’s my dream: to have a substantial business. I teach classes for a lot of techniques and I enjoy that. I’ve also been working on the Betsy Prince Charity Bazaar every moment I’m not with the kids, getting things ready for that. We have ten racks full of gently used or never worn donated clothing, tons of shoes and accessories, and more scarves than I’ve ever seen donated. It’s an exciting night. [The Bazaar will be held May 2-3 and benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama For more info, click HERE.]

Her inspiration? You know, I don’t have one particular thing. Sometimes I look at a bead or and I just think “This is how I’m gonna do it.” I’m visual and have tons of ideas floating in my head. I might see one bead and an entire piece comes together, and then when I sit down to make it, it changes.

How’d you get involved with BFW? I worked with Elizabeth Singleton; she was named an Emerging Designer last year. So she was the up and coming designer this year. One of her favorite models is a friend of mine, and one thing just led to another through talking. I offered [to provide jewelry] and she readily accepted.

She sent me her mood board and pictures of the fabrics and told me what her inspiration was. So I made double the pieces that she needed just because I didn’t know what would go for sure. But I had certain pieces that I knew for sure she’d use. I had a lot of vintage, big glass pearls and just some unusual pieces. I had these giant copper beads, lots of vintage golds, blushes and coppers which went along with her color board so I thought it’d be perfect.

What was the day of the show like? I was excited, I was nervous, I was apprehensive. My heart was pounding as the first girl turned the corner, and I was nervous for Elizabeth too. But it was amazing! Elizabeth did a great job. I was so incredibly excited that I could’ve jumped up and down and screamed, but I just sat there quietly and took pictures. (Laughs)

Why do you think BFW is so important to the Birmingham “scene”/fashion industry? I think it’s important becausea lot of people don’t know how to market themselves. The opening night of BFW was all about up and coming local designers. Everybody kind of needs help in the beginning. I think it promotes that camaraderie between artists and that’s what we need. There’s enough to go around for everybody. There shouldn’t be cattiness or extreme competition. No two people think the same. I think we need to have each other’s backs – we’re all artists. I think BFW promotes that.

Roxy’s pieces can be found at Betsy Prince in Brookwood Village, Harper Lane (Riverchase Galleria and at Huntsville’s Parkway Place Mall), at Gallery One in Montgomery and via her Etsy shop 7th Avenue Turquoise. Prices range from $20-$500 depending on the location. She also designs specialty pieces for weddings and accepts custom orders. Also, if you’re interested in learning how to make jewelry you can take one of her classes at Bead Biz in Helena (check the website for class schedules and sign-up information).

Images courtesy Roxy Rabb

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Birmingham Fashion Week/Roxy Rabb/Same Chic Different Day

Apr

We love: Sophia Webster for J.Crew

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Have you ever just spotted a pair (okay, an entire line) of shoes you need RIGHT. THIS. SECOND?

That’s how I felt when I heard fab London footwear designer Sophia Webster was partnering with J. Crew. And now the collaboration is live, via jcrew.com. The stiletto and kitten heels feature J. Crew’s unique prints and luxe fabrics with Webster’s affinity for craftmanship and whimsy (somehow she strikes just the right note so that these shoes don’t read “trying to hard to be a hipster/trendsetter/attention-getter”). Prices range from $320-$695; if anyone is feeling particularly generous, I’ll take the Poppy, Riko and Lola pumps in a size 8.

Worried about how to style a stand-out shoe? Keep the rest of your ensemble simple: destroyed denim and easy tees for casual dressing or your neutral sheath dresses, tailored pants or suits (okay, is anyone actually still wearing suits?) for the office will look great with these. They provide just enough “pop” to keep your look interesting.

Check out the designs HERE.

Screenshots via J. Crew

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

C'est Si Bon/Haute or Not?/Shopping is My Cardio/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/J. Crew/Same Chic Different Day/Sophia Webster/spring 2014 fashion

Mar

First Person Fabulous: Charlene Dunbar

I am so excited to share my profile of suakoko betty designer Charlene Dunbar! Her line of day and cocktail dresses is now available in select Belk stores, and you should run – not walk – to check them out. Dunbar’s custom and red carpet work has been worn by notables such as Atlanta broadcasting legend Monica Pearson. I’ll be rushing over to Belk’s Girls Night Out this evening to try on buy the peplum dress!

Who is “suakoko betty”? ‘Suakoko’ means place of new beginnings. ‘Betty’ represents the western connection, the every day woman. My line is the junction of African aesthetic and the everyday woman – where the two collide. Most of my aesthetic is print and color; that’s my core. I encourage women to be adventurous with their style – just be bold and confident. For me it’s a fun way to be confident and express myself. I want people to feel sophisticated, to feel elegant, to feel put together.

What is this collection’s story? The line is inspired by the women who have inspired me: my mom and my aunts who left Liberia without anything and still had this sense of dignity and style. It comes from my seeing their ability to rise to the occasion and be pulled together. You know they’ve been through hell and back, but they’re not wearing that [emotion or strain]. It’s tough but they’re making it. That spoke to me. A lot of the dresses are named after women I know. That’s how I learned about being a Liberian woman: from the women I watched hold each other down and how they wore their African clothes.

Why did you choose to work with wax fabric? Wax print started as an imitation of batik fabric and it became an industry unto itself. Many of the designs are inspired by proverbs, and a lot of the African prints speak to our lifestyle: we’re going to rock color; we’re going to rock crazy prints. It’s also a bit of making lemonade out of lemons. Early on my uncle would just sent me fabrics. What he sent was what he sent and I had to make it work. That suitcase would show up with pumpkin, eggplant and fuchsia and I just had to make it work. A lot of times I was just making things fit. That’s how a lot of my designs come about. One thing will catch my eye and I’ll look for a color or print that’s surprising.

Will the fabric used in the Belk line incorporate fabrics sourced from Africa? Yes. For the Belk line, that fabric was printed in Ghana. I was very proud of that, that most of the fabrics were made in Ghana. Yes, some [wax fabric sold in Africa] comes from Holland, some from China, but the fact that this stuff was made by someone in Ghana who gained employment from these designs is awesome.

You have a full time job. How do you balance it all? (Laughs) I don’t. Perfection gets put on the altar of “get it done.” My blog has gone silent, there are times when the online store is stale, but I keep putting one foot in front of the other. The most important thing is just staying in the game. My husband is super supportive, and my mom is a r great administrator; she’s cracking the whip and making sure things are moving along as we expect.

What legacy are you leaving your children? I hope the message they’re picking up on is just the idea of building their own thing. My generation was about going to school, getting a good education and getting a good job. Yes, I want them to be well-read and go to college, but I want them to learn they can build something of their own and the second piece is that it will take sacrifice. You can have these great dreams but no one is going to serve them to you. I know they’re proud when they see the success, but they see when Mommy was cutting patterns on the floor and calling people. (Laughs)

***

Without further ado, the winner of our suakoko betty giveaway is Malia Marbury! Thank you to everyone who entered!

Images via Belk

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

C'est Si Bon/First Person Fabulous/Love That!/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Charlene Dunbar/Same Chic Different Day/suakoko betty

Mar

Are you #SuakokoBettychic?

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Happy Friday, darlings!

Yesterday I told you one of Spring’s hautest looks will feature multicultural prints and influences. Today I’m happy to share a new label you should know: suakoko betty. This line is the brainchild of Charlene Dunbar, an Atlanta-area designer who marries traditional West African textiles with contemporary silhouettes (“suakoko” means “place of new beginnings” and to Dunbar, “Betty” represents the everyday woman).

Born in Liberia and reared in Atlanta, Charlene’s design sensibilities have been shaped by the strong, stylish women in her family as well as Liberian and American culture. Her work caught the eye of Belk when she entered (and won!) their Southern Design Showcase. Her thoughtfully conceived, artfully crafted pieces will launch in select Belk stores (yes, including Birmingham!) and online at belk.com this month.

When I saw the designs, I knew you would love them too, because suakoko betty embodies confident, bold women who express themselves through their personal style (if that’s not you, darlings, I don’t know who it is). The silhuoettes flatter a variety of physiques, and are so eye-catching that you’re sure to stand out when you enter a room. I can’t wait to get the Peplum with Skirt dress! What also makes this line special is Charlene travels to Africa herself to source and choose the fabric, but the pieces are made in the United States. You can shop the line ahead of the launch via the suakoko betty website and Etsy shop and at The Beehive Atlanta.

In anticipation and celebration of line’s launch at Belk, I am giving away a suakoko betty clutch, similar to the ones shown in the slideshow (which won’t be a part of the Belk collection). I have one, and it is a definite statement piece that I know will transform the simple palette I normally stick to.

There are SIX ways to enter:

Comment on this post: “I want to be #suakokobettychic!”;
Share this post on Facebook (tag me and use the hashtag #suakokobettychic);
Share this post on Twitter (tag @SameChicSouth and use the hashtag #suakokobettychic);
Sign up to follow this blog;
Like SCDD’s Facebook page; and
Follow @SameChicSouth on Twitter.

The winner will be chosen on Monday, March 24 at 5 PM; stay tuned for my conversation with the designer herself next week!

Images via suakoko betty

12 years ago Short URL 8 Comments

C'est Si Bon/Love That!/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Belk/Same Chic Different Day/suakoko betty

Mar

Spend or Splurge?

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These will put a definite SPRING in your step…

I’ve said before that a nude pump is an essential part of a well-considered wardrobe, but I’m adding this Spring’s hot sandal – the open-toed bootie – to the list as well. Yes, it elongates the leg just like its more subdued sister, but it adds a touch of undeniable sizzle that makes a basic black pencil skirt or even denim and a tee look fresh and edgy.

I’ll take either of these: The “Lexington” by Rachel Roy, originally $325/now $199, in natural leather with a 4″ heel or ZARA’s Leather High Heel Ankle Boot sandal with scalloped detailing, $129.99. The intricate cutouts adorning both shoes add visual interest and keep these booties from reading “Little House on the Prairie.” At such a great price there’s really no “spend or splurge” debate; you should get the Rachel Roy’s in black and the Zara pair in natural!

With a shoes that make such a bold statement, it’s best to keep the rest of your ensemble simple, and the neutral shade means you’ll get a lot of mileage out of them this season. And it should go without saying that a recent pedicure would also be essential.

I wear an 8, if anyone’s feeling generous! *wink*

Happy shopping!

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Love That!/Shopping is My Cardio/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Rachel Roy/Same Chic Different Day/spend or splurge/Spring fashion/Zara

Feb

To Do: Beauty Night Out at Saks Fifth Avenue

Do you need to brush up on the latest in makeup? Join Saks Fifth Avenue for a Beauty Night Out tomorrow from 5:30 to 8:00 PM!

The Beauty Night Out will include a reception and teach the basics of makeup:
-skincare
-brush techniques
-highlight/contour
-day to night eye makeup

Tasha Deyampert and Tamarous Reynolds will facilitate the class and the reception will be hosted from 5:30 to 6:00 PM. The makeup class will begin at 6:15 PM.

To connect via social media, follow @Bhambeautys5a on Twitter, Birmingham Beauty at Saks Fifth Avenue on Facebook and @Birminghambeautyats5a and @tashasmakeupbeautique on Instagram.

Saks Fifth Avenue is located at 129 Summit Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35243.

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Birmingham Live!/Haute off the Press/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Saks Fifth Avenue/Same Chic Different Day

Feb

Best-dressed: Super Bowl XLVIII

Y’all know when Broadway Joe shows up, he shows out! Yesterday was no exception, as the University of Alabama grad appeared at the Super Bowl to handle the coin toss before the face-off between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. Today we honor Mr. Joe Namath’s sartorial choices with a look at the very best of his winter style statements. We do love our fur coats!

And warm wishes to everyone in Birmingham who survived last week’s “light dusting”….bring on Spring!

Images via Google

12 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

First Person Fabulous/Haute or Not?/Random Acts of Fashion/The Look

Dec

Tip of the day

Want to try a matte lip but hate the drying effect some of them have?

Try prepping your pout with a moisturizing balm first; I like Blistex’s Silk & Shine, which has real silk extracts and SPF 15.

Oh, and give “duck lips” a rest, please. They wrinkle your lips!

Smooches!

12 years ago Short URL Comments

Learn From My Mistakes!/The Look

Alexis E. Barton/Same Chic Different Day

Dec

Who says you can’t wear white after Labor Day?

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Let every other girl wear what’s expected; we’ll take sleek, chic winter white any day! This vintage, avant garde cocktail dress is simply perfect for making an entrance and turning heads during Birmingham’s social season.

Alas, darlings – this one is sold. *Wink*

Via Gravel Ghost Vintage at Etsy.com