A [Best Dressed] Affair

This past weekend, two friends and I had the privilege of attending a lovely soirée featuring the most fashionable in Birmingham. Yes, Birmingham, Alabama.  It was sponsored by B. Sharp as well as The BlaqueBook, an amazing blog, fashion guide, and brand founded by a couple of my dear acquaintances. Be sure to follow them on twitter for continuous updates.


And I'm such a genius, I left my camera at home before the event, but here are a few photos of my friends and me before we departed.

Yours Truly

My ensemble: 

Dress -- Betsey Johnson

Shoes -- Jessica Simpson

Belt -- Earthbound Trading Company

Jewelry -- Icing and Forever 21

Portia

Her ensemble: 

Blazer -- thrifted

Dress -- Forever 21

Shoes -- Forever 21

Jewelry -- vintage

Portia & Andie (respectively)

Andie's ensemble:

Shirt dress: thrifted

Bowtie: Claire's

Shoes: Steve Madden

Jewelry: borrowed

*Album Review* Jay-Z & Kanye West -- Watch The Throne

Upon my first listen, the word that kept coming to mind was "originality."  I tend to listen to an album or  mixtape as I write the review for it so I can be totally enveloped in it and nothing else but the crazy thing is that this album draws you in subconsciously.  When I first looked at the tracks I thought, ooh wee these are some long songs, how will I make it?  But each and every track provides enough variety in the subject matter, production, and featured artistry to keep those with even the shortest attention spans and most critical attitudes enthralled.


Before listening to 'Watch The Throne,' I had absolutely no expectations whatsoever, not good nor bad.  I felt it wasn't fair to limit the creativity of artists such as Jay and Ye by placing expectations on them because there is no way to foretell what they may have up their sleeves.  One reason I respect these two artists is the fact that they can be defined as "mainstream" by their album sales and fan base, however, the sense of timelessness in their music says otherwise and they remain true to that, which is what has brought them so far. 


The duo features contributions from Swizz Beatz, Kid Cudi, Beyonce', Q-Tip, Curtis Mayfield, No I.D., Frank Ocean, LMFAO, Charlie Wilson, Lex Luger, Otis Redding, Mr. Hudson, The Neptunes and more.  Some featured vets include Elly Jackson of the English pop duo La Roux and Justin Vernon of American indie folk group Bon Iver who both provided vocals on 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.'


Fun Fact: The creative mind behind the album cover art, as well as the H•A•M single cover, is Ricardo Tisci; Italian fashion designer and  creative director of the Haute Couture, ready-to-wear, and accessories lines of Givenchy.


My favorite tracks are "N***** in Paris," "Gotta Have It," and "Illest MF Alive" for various reasons which I won't get into since I decided to spare you all and keep this review as concise as possible.

Salvatore Ferragamo FW 2011 Collection

Characterized by bold patterns and long precise lines, the Fall 2011 collection presented by Salvatore Ferragamo is certainly an eye-catcher.  For the campaign, models Lancôme spokeswoman Daria Werbowy and Mathias Lauridsen, who has previously modeled for Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Hugo Boss and Lacoste, effortlessly flaunt these practical yet extremely chic garments.

*New Song* Frank Ocean -- "Back"

Such a sweet ballad this is indeed.  This song displays the typical pleasant and laid-back delivery that Frank Ocean so often provides.

*New Song* Big K.R.I.T. ft. Yelawolf -- "Happy Birthday Hip Hop"

Man oh man, this is an amazing collab.  Due to the soulful beat I had a hunch that K.R.I.T. had something to do with the production and lo and behold he did. I'm a fan of his rhymes as well as production and the two together are like peanut butter & jelly.  Then Yelawolf's additional Southern spice is the icing on the cake. All these food references, I must be hungry...

Funky Fresh

Once again I took my ideas to Pretty Please Nail Salon and they were able to execute it p e r f e c t l y!  These are my natural nails, she just shaped them like this.  I have gel on the two index fingernails since they were cracked -- couldn't have em looking all uneven and raggedy. Oh & that neon yellow is "Funky Limelight" by Essie.


And don't forget to "like" the Pretty Please Nail Salon page on Facebook!

Nicki Minaj & Ricky Martin for MAC Cosmetics 2012 Campaign

Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin have been chosen to be the faces of the 2012 Viva Glam campaign that MAC Cosmetics presents every year.  They have already begun shooting in Miami with noted fashion and art photographer David LaChapelle and the campaign is set to launch in February.  Past representatives include celebrities such as Fergie and Lady Gaga and 100% of profits of Viva Glam products are donated to the MAC Aids Fund.