unpredictable and very memorable.

Posted on February 1, 2013 by londoncamille

Fashion is exciting for me, as I assume it is for many of people. However, the thing that is most exciting is the excitement that is layered on top of that initial excitement. That is, that it is a different experience and type of excitement for everyone for varying reasons but we all kind of get it. Like love. No one can really define what that feeling is, as it is a different experience for everyone, but somehow we all know what we mean when we talk about love. My personal experience with fashion is that it is two things, the first being unpredictable. I read a statement from Garance Dore on The Coveteur that hit the nail on the head. She something along the lines about a piece in her closet, that she had loved it so much on the rack but she rarely ever wears it. You can think, “I have got to have that! I have to or I’ll just be so sad!” I may even save and save and then fork over two or three months rent to get it and then…crickets. Then I can buy a simple little nothing from a thrift store or H&M and want to wear it every single chance I get. Funny isn’t it? I also love those moments when you tell someone to try on something they’d never wear much less buy and when they step out of that dressing room you see a sparkle in their eye. They just received a little surprise gift. A moment of enjoyable shock perhaps. Sure enough, they buy it, love it, and never doubt your wacky suggestions again. It is this unpredictable game that is only too dangerous to pay if you refuse to buy anything other than high-end designer.

Secondly, fashion is very memorable. I probably have more vivid memories surrounding fashion moments than anything else. They say that memories that stick with you are due to heightened emotion like excitement, fear, elated happiness, agony. That says something, doesn’t it? It says to me that fashion is not just about labels, high prices, coveting pieces, or just the clothes you wear every day. I have always felt it is an extension of a person. An expression on the outside of what is going on in the inside. It is also a two way street, which just adds another layer to the complexity of its excitement. What do I mean by a two way street? I mean it has the ability to express how you are feeling on the inside and it has the ability to change the way you are feeling on the inside. I can wake up one day and feel very bold and dramatic, like a southern movie starlet (I associate my emotions with different characters I’ve created in my head). I will dress to fit that persona that I am feeling. I either do that to dress the part or maybe to intensify the emotion. I don’t know, but it happens. On the other hand, I can wake up and feel like shit. I don’t want to get dressed or brush my hair. I can’t stand the idea of looking at my reflection in a mirror. I just want to sit and be a puddle of pathetic by myself, but you can’t do that whenever you please. So I put on pieces in my closet that make me feel amazing and empowered. I brush my hair and put on make-up, not for me, but out of respect for my favorite piece that is “holding my hand” for the day. Viola! Attitude is transformed. Style is a relationship for me, like a dear friend you can count on and friendship is very similar to that two-way street that fashion walks. You can feel amazing, have a lovely day and it is all due to spending hours doing whatever with your best friend. Or you can feel down in the dumps, lowest of the low and the only person that can you pull you out of the wreckage is your best friend. Having those feelings parallel…it makes me believe that my love of fashion and style is real and important.

Bombshell Salon and Pop Rocket Cosmetics

Posted on September 17, 2012 by londoncamille

a few weeks ago, i had one of the best nights out on the town with some girlfriends. Karen, who happens to not only be my boss but a long time friend and mentor was writing a food and wine pairing piece for a local magazine and she asked me to tag along. free food and wine? sure, why not! then we got an invite from Skye, to stop by Bombshell Salon for a customer invite party. so we decided we’d make a night of it starting in Carytown with our Bombshell beauties and ending downtown with some scrumptious late night bites and wine for Karen’s article.

karen and i have both been longtime customers of Bombshell. i would dare to go so far and say before they had hair stylists and were strictly waxing and skin care. my point is, we have both watched this salon grow into a mega trend in RVA. i know people from all different areas in my life that attend Bombshell for some part of their beauty regimen. some people get spray tanned, some get waxed, some get their hair colored/cut, and heck, some do the whole sha-bang. it is the type of place that you can get everything done in one spot, get it done right, and without paying an arm and a leg. where’s the last place you went to that gave you great value at a great price?

the mastermind (right), Melissa, and her other half (left), Annelies. let me just say, i have major hair envy of Melissa’s pink tipped tresses.

just walking into Bombshell you instantly feel sexy and girly. Pink, black, and white pop all over. 1950s-1960s films like Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, A Very Private Affair play on the flat screen in the waiting area for your viewing pleasure. lucite chairs, pink walls, slick black chandeliers, glass jars full of colorful gum balls and pastel mints, pretty little nail polishes from Butter London and Nailtini line the counters, colorful baubles for your neck and wrists adorn the shelves. you get the picture…a girl’s fantasy land.

we were happy to attend their event but were ecstatic when we found out that it was the launch party for Bombshell’s own makeup line! they’ve teamed up with the original founders of MAC Cosmetics (that’s right, kiddos, i said MAC) to bring the world: Pop Rocket Cosmetics. just as you’d expect from a MAC lipstick or eyeshadow, the quality is high and the pigment is banging. it is full line with mineral powders, liquid foundations, eyeliners, lipsticks, glosses, and brushes and other beauty tools. i purchased a bright, baby pink lipstick that gets me compliments every time i wear it (it is called Beatrice just in case you want the same reaction) and i can’t wait to go back and buy more Pop Rocket for my makeup bag.

in typical Bombshell fashion, there were girly drinks in pink glasses, free makeovers, giveaways (Karen won a free spray tan, lucky lady), pretty little lacey things for sale, and totally awesome discounts on all of the products in the salon. these gals are too good to Richmond. thank you for brining us an awesome salon that treats you like a princess, never makes you feel inferior (like a lot of overpriced RVA salons do), and doesn’t take advantage of our wallets. they truly believe everyone deserves to feel fabulous, no matter the size of your check book.

skye getting her hair “chalked”. a non-permanent way to spice up your hair style for the day. she got a hot pink strip that looked super fab with her strawberry-blond hair.

skye and i.

what a night. we got to celebrate our favorite salon’s new success and then pranced downtown for a night of wine and food, topped off with Skye joining us after the party for some late night paella. sometimes (often times) you need nights like that to lift your spirits and feel as if life is not just full of long hours at work, errands, and other obligatory stressors. sometimes, life is about just indulging in beauty, friends, and wine.

if you haven’t had the pleasurable experience of a Bombshell treatment, i suggest getting your fanny over there ASAP! if you are in the West End area of RVA or just love to frollick in Short Pump, they will be opening their second location soon. you can like them on Facebook to stay up-to-date or join their fan club for e-mail updates.

Bombshell Brazilian Waxing and Skincare Studio

10 South Crenshaw

Richmond, VA

Phone: 804-342-0051

Hours:

Monday: 9am-7pm

Tuesday through Thursday: 9am-8pm

Friday: 9am-6pm

Saturday: 9am-4pm

New Orleans [part three]

Posted on August 29, 2012 by londoncamille

took a break from NOLA posts to give you the pajama post, but i’m back with the third installment. these photos are from my second full day in new orleans. liz and i went to a clothing optional pool that i had heard her rave about for months. actually, almost a full year. she went to this place when she was visiting Guy last summer and fell in love. i must say, i did too. it might be the epitome of the Big Easy. anything goes. shared bathrooms. clothing optional. happy hour when it rains and no one tells you to get out of the pool.

liz and i rode bikes all around the city. here we are on our way to the bywater area, also known as the arts district. we enjoyed mimosas poolside here two days in a row. let me just say, you have to ride a bike in NOLA. it is so much fun, you get around quicker while getting to taking in everything. plus, it is pretty easy to bike since there are no hills.

The Country Club is a restaurant and clothing optional pool.

poolside lunch was a pizza topped with fried green tomatoes. yes, please!

that evening we showered up, ate dinner on the balcony, then headed to the hotel monteleone to enjoy drinks at the carousel bar. that’s right folks, a carousel bar. the seats make a full rotation around the bar every 15 minutes. we asked the bartenders how they get in and out of the bar and they said they climbed over. we didn’t believe them until we caught them an hour later doin just that. hopping over a bar in a classy joint in their barkeep tuxedos. quite a sight.

then we rode the trolley to visit another part of town. the trolleys are gorgeous with solid wood seats and details and windows that you can lower for a nice little breeze. another nice touch to this historic city.

this is the ceiling of a hole-in-the-wall bar. my favorite kind of bar. they only took cash and if you needed they had an ATM in the back circa 1992.

a hotel/bar where we had drinks. we rode the trolley specifically to visit this place. when we got here, Tulane was having some type of graduation party so we had kill time until 10pm. that led us to the hole-in-the-wall bar and another place stock full of bourbons and craft beer.

inside The Columns hotel/bar.

we ended our night at The Columns drinking Abita (native to New Orleans) beers outside on the patio and sharing stories. definitely, one of my favorite nights. just thinking about it makes me wish i were there right now.

the walk…er…race to the trolley resulted in missing it. we walked along the tracks for a good bit hoping to catch another trolley car as it came along. i looked up and noticed mardi gras beads still hanging from the wires some three months later. New Orleans, such a good place to be.

New Orleans [part two]

Posted on August 22, 2012 by londoncamille

there are going to be so many posts on New Orleans, you’ll be sick of the place. i am going through these photos from my trip in May and it is funny how you forget so many good moments. guess that is why photos are so dear, they take you back to that moment in time. i recently read a favorite fashion blogger’s post on how she looks back through her blog and it is such a reminder of her life. some posts she can’t bear to look at and some she adores. obviously, she sees beyond the pictures and remembers moments surrounding them. i do the same. there are some photos and posts i can’t look at because they bring back heartache. then there are some that make me giggle because i remember the fun day surrounding those photos. i am pretty sure all of my New Orleans posts will always warm my heart and bring a smile to my face.

the end of my first day in NOLA. we rode bikes to mid-city, a charming part of the city that you wouldn’t imagine being the Big Easy. we rode our bikes to the art museum and sculpture gardens where we took a comedy tour through the gardens and then watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s after the sun set.

this was actually a bell.

creepy.

and in NOLA fashion, there were bars setup in the gardens. kind of like a cash bar at an outdoor wedding. hence, the cup full of bourbon in Liz’s hand. there were also food trucks setup and i don’t mean corndogs and cokes. i’m talking fancy flavored kettle corn truck, crepe truck, spanish tapas truck. for real.

while waiting for the movie to start Liz, Rich (their friend), and I walked down to the local store for an ATM (remember, cash bar). the ATM didn’t work for all of us, so what do you do? buy a six pack and drink it on the walk back. on our walk back, i caught some photos of these holy grounds. the holy grounds are just as beautiful as the sculpture gardens.

house in mid-city.

after the movie we rode back to the quarter to get the obligatory bourbon street walk out of the way. seen here left to right: Rich, Liz, Guy. how approp is that sign?

great signage on Bourbon Street.

Lafitte’s is the oldest bar in America.

guy’s face after trying my gross frozen irish coffee/mudslide thing. it was pretty tough to get through. everyone helped me. thanks, guys.

end of my first full day in NOLA. Buonasera!

New Orleans [part one]

Posted on August 14, 2012 by londoncamille

carrying beers, listening to music from the sidewalk.

back in May i wrapped up my third semester of studying fashion merchandising with a little treat to myself. i flew down to the Big Easy to see one of my best friend, ol’ Lizard (Elizabeth). she had moved back in November for a fabulous guy named Guy. liz always believed that in our past life we were a duo act singing and knocking back whiskey in a smokey jazz bar in the French Quarter. after visiting…i think she was right. New Orleans is probably my most favorite place, ever. better than Paris. better than Hawaii. better than any other place i have visited. you must, must, must go before you die.

a piano in a bathroom.

words of wisdom.

Glen David Andrews. BEST time listening to these guys. music is the heart of this city. it pops out from every open door, every corner. you can’t help but bop along and have a great time.