• Mary-Kate Olsen on the cover of Elle UK — j'adore couture
• Sweatshirt + sequins = comfy — Little Molly Cake
• The Katie Holmes denim odyssey — Denimology
• Barneys New York sale: Online only — Shop Diary
• Friday shoe history corner: French chestnut crushing clogs — Shoe Blog

I’m all about utilitarian shoes nowadays, glued as I am to the Olympic coverage. These don’t exactly qualify as athletic shoes, but they did invite a great deal of stomping and qualified as food-processing appliances. From The Bata Shoe Museum: “Clogs like these were used in 19th century France to de-shell acorns and chestnuts. The meat from the nuts could be ground into flour or used as pig feed. France, 1800-1900.”

Authentic Shops:


Designer Shoes at Zappos.com

I read a lot of product reviews and I have seen more adverse reactions from anti wrinkle eye cream, than from other cosmetics. They tend to cause irritation, burning and/or itching, either of the skin, the eyes, or both.

Most manufacturers warn that you should avoid contact with the eyes, but that can be pretty difficult because you are apply this anti wrinkle eye cream all around them. The worst reactions seem to come from the ones that are designed for use at night.

It’s a good idea to use a night cream, because most of the damage that is done during the day is repaired while you sleep. Your body is an amazing rejuvenating machine, as long as it has the right tools, and sleep is one thing that it needs.

But, if an anti wrinkle eye cream interrupts your sleep, then it won’t be effective. In fact, it might even make you look worse.

Most companies suggest that you should use something different if you skin is naturally too oily or too dry. But, the best anti wrinkle eye cream works well for any skin type. It’s all about the ingredients.

Ingredients to AVOID-- *Alcohols *Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly) *Mineral Oil

Most of the major manufacturers rely on alcohols and petrolatum. Alcohol is drying, so they may include less of it for dry skin. When used as an ingredient in anti wrinkle eye cream , it will cause irritation and make the eyes water. You’ll end up with red eyes and still have those crow’s feet.

Petrolatum is a mineral oil derivative. It is not very compatible with the skin’s own oil or sebum, so it clogs the pores and changes the pH balance. If use on a regular basis, it may increase either oiliness of dryness, because it is just not the right moisturizer for people.

One popular designer anti wrinkle eye cream contains paraffin wax, which is the primary ingredient in chap-stick. It’s supposed to “lock in” moisture. All it does is clog the pores and night creams that contain it “migrate” into the eyes while you sleep, so you may have to get up and wipe the whole thing off. What a waste!

Best Manufacturer That I Found

There is one anti wrinkle eye cream that contains two ingredients that have been evaluated by the Electronic Self-Regulating Program for effectiveness. The system reported that the claims made by the company were valid.

This anti wrinkle eye cream targets the main cause of bags and puffiness, which is fluid build-up, caused by decreased circulation. It also targets the dark circles, which is also due to decreased circulation. You should see the before and after pictures.

Ingredients You MUST Have:

The active compounds are called EYELISS and HALOXYL, but the company also includes an ingredient called Functional Keratin and a vitamin like substance called COQ10. This is not a department store or designer anti wrinkle eye cream. It is actually manufactured by a supplement company in New Zealand.

You may have to do a little searching to find it. See Resource Box. It is only sold directly by the manufacturer. But, if you want a safe and effective anti wrinkle eye cream, it is worth the effort.

Margaret Bell is a dedicated advocate of living a healthy lifestyle and diligent researcher of skin care systems. Visit her site at: http://www.Healthy-Radiant-Skin.com to discover which genuinely natural skin care line Margaret recommends and uses after extensive comparisons. Be sure to sign up for her free health newsletter. This article may be reprinted on a blog or website if this resource box is included.

Vera Wang’s Lavender Label has signed a three-year shoe license with Brown Shoes, set to launch in 2009.  The collection, targeting the Lavender Label cliental, will include a full lifestyle of shoes, offering flats, espadrilles, sandals, clogs, pumps, and boots.  

This expansion of the label intensifies Wang’s focus on accessories.  Other non-clothing options under the label include fragrence, home, eyewear, fine papers and a line of handbags and other small leather goods, launching this spring.

“Clearly, with the Lavender Label apparel business growing at the pace it has, we felt that extending into accessories, especially shoes, is such an important component to not only complement apparel, but really help fuel growth for the overall brand,” said Susan Sokol, president of Vera Wang Apparel.

Sokol estimated that, within the next five years, accessories could account for 60 percent of the line’s volume. According to industry estimates, the shoe collection is expected to garner $35 million to $40 million at wholesale in the next three years.

Related Articles

• Vera Wang to launch new fragrance: Look
• Vera Wang blogs for Brides.com
• Vera Wang to launch a new accessory line

Amanda Visell’s work conjures up images of childhood folklore and fantasy, but with a naughty “not quite fit for the tuck-you-in-with-a-nice-bed-time-story crowd.” Many of her characters like Drunky McSkunky or The Pink Elephant are given a decidedly PG-13 rating. Along with her unique illustrations, Amanda has ventured into the toy world as well with her own plush company, My Switcheroo, which has released a plush Frank Kozik monger that stands over 2 feet tall! To see more, check out My Switcheroo.

“I’m a little obsessed with how futuristic the past is. The old Tomorrowland in Disneyland is an example. It’s still more forward-thinking than what we can come up with now. I try to work on things that feel timeless; I don’t really want you to be able to put your finger on when it was made.”

Format: You chose not to go down the art school path, but did you always want to be an artist?
Amanda Visell: Well I would say I never thought about being anything, it was always just my identity. It took me a while to realize that I could support myself as an artist.

Format: How did you first get into painting?
Amanda Visell: Actually painting clogs. I hand-painted wood and leather clogs–sometimes little scenes, sometimes flowers. We used cell vinyl animation paint which I still use, not because I’m stubborn, I just think it’s superior. When I was trying to break into animation I started painting scenes I thought were funny and playing with techniques and developing characters.

Format: A lot of your artwork has an old-timey, kitschy, retro vibe. What do you think inspires your creations?
Amanda Visell: Old-timeyness. I’m a little obsessed with how futuristic the past is. The old Tomorrowland in Disneyland is an example. It’s still more forward-thinking than what we can come up with now. I try to work on things that feel timeless; I don’t really want you to be able to put your finger on when it was made.

Format: Do you ever choose a favorite character, like Drunky McSkunky or the Pink Elephant?
Amanda Visell: Sure, but it changes. Right now I’m into griffins, gnomes, and bats: battle scenes!

Format: Why did you decide to move into the designer toy stream?
Amanda Visell: Well it’s a dream come true. Who doesn’t want to make toys? I can just think something up and POOF, it exists! It’s magical! I think it’s really more of a question of how did I end up here. I was desperately trying to get a job in animation and totally failing. In the process I was really developing my style and building my world. I’m really glad to be where I am now.

Format: I read somewhere that you were afraid your toys were not going to look like or reflect your art. Do you still feel this way?
Amanda Visell: Always. The best products retain the charm and style of the original art, but I think it’s a hard thing to pull off.

Format: Last month, the mega- auctioning house Christies included your “Gnome Eating Bat,” Munny, into its Pop Culture Auction. How did it feel to have your work included, and do you think this marks a more open acceptance of toys as art objects in the larger art community?
Amanda Visell: Did you see how many Sopranos outfits were in that auction? Then what do you do with a velour jumpsuit? If you put it on a mannequin, it just looks like a scary outfit. It’s not like Superman’s costume or a Planet of the Apes costume, guests will know what that is right away.

Format: What is it like working with a giant like Disney?
Amanda Visell: Giants are people too, they just eat more.

Format: With painting, toys, apparel, books, and stationary already underway, do you think you will one day return to animation?
Amanda Visell: Well, I just worked in stop motion which was a lot of hard work. I wouldn’t do that again. I do occasionally do some development work though.

Format: Can you tell us what you’ve got cooking these days, and what we can expect to see in the future?
Amanda Visell: Vinyl, wood, metal, plush, plastic, paper, canvas. A stew of things you don’t want to eat.

images courtesy of BIG Pictures UK/KEYSTONE Press

It’s about time that Steven Gerrard stepped up to the layered-look fashion gauntlet his designer-loving wifey, Alex, has thrown down.  (Remember her inspiring ode to excess fabric a la 2007?)

We like his choice of layering and satin-blend fibres. Very uni-chic, SG.  Not too sure about the headwear for a night out in Liverpool, though.  It’s possible you may be bullied or have your beer money taken.

Random: Stevie G falls into the sweet/sexy category for us.  Formerly, he was of the meh/maybe variety, but we’ve grown to appreciate.  You?

The stamp of “I don’t know how to dress myself” and the dirty little secret of many, the colourful abomination known as Crocs has actually spawned a copycat, reportedly. Crocs Inc. filed a lawsuit on July 10th against sneaker giant Sketchers USA for basically duplicating their signature design and logo. Foam clogs with “Nano Lite” construction sold by Sketchers with names like “Low Tide” and “Wooly Bully” (shown above on the right) are a direct infringement of their patented design, Crocs Inc. claims (their shoes on the left). The Sketchers shoes also feature “Cali Bear,” an animated bear logo which supposedly mimics Crocs’ crocodile logo. Trying to imitate Crocs… if that isn’t a slap to the face, I don’t know what is. Ripoff or not, points lost from Sketchers for creating something that even remotely resembled shoes for people who have given up in life.

“We believe that this lawsuit is completely without merit and will vigorously defend ourselves against such baseless allegations,” says Philip G. Paccione, General Counsel and Executive V.P. of Sketchers. “We believe that this lawsuit is nothing more than a never-ending attempt by Crocs to monopolize the molded footwear market by bullying competitors and customers and misusing the United States Patent Office and federal courthouse.”

Crocs Inc., whose stock fell 83 percent in the past year, has been fighting to prohibit copycats of its shoes. As they should; with numbers like those, they’re going to need every penny that they can get.

Related Articles

• Lohan’s 6126 Leggings Sold Out!
• Lohan’s Leggings On Sale At Shopintuition.com
• eBay’s $61,3 Million Payout to Louis Vuitton
• MK Olsen Insures Her Designer Wardrobe
• London Launch of Mischa Barton’s Handbags
• Lindsay Lohan Premieres her 6126 Leggings Line