Boulder and the Beautiful

Check out storyofcosmetics.org to see a film about how major loopholes in U.S. federal law allow the $50 billion beauty industry to put unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing, no monitoring of health effects and inadequate labeling requirements — making cosmetics among the least-regulated consumer products on the market. Think twice before putting on that lipstick, you might be putting on lead!
(taken from the Web site storyofstuff.org)

Here’s a creative way to spice up your wardrobe. Embellish your ankles.

$48, * ciaraobscura.etsy.com

$45, * liaison.etsy.com

$90, * moxvox.etsy.com

$365, * BoudoirQueen.etsy.com

$30, * greenbelts.etsy.com - Made out of a recycled leather belt.

$85, * redpanda.etsy.com

$45, * greenbelts.etsy.com

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But since it’s not, I’m trying to come up with good excuses to wear these outfits. So far, I’ve come up with:

1. Halloween.

2. A picnic on Mt. Sanitas.

3. Work.

$155, www.olgaitaly.etsy.com

$155, * tusejolie.etsy.com

$47, * ciaraobscura.etsy.com

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I don’t actually speak French, but my dreams last night were in French. Or at least what my brain thought was French. All of my dreams were based in France, too (where I have actually visited).

A past life flashback? A subconscious hint? I’m not sure, but it has sent me hunting for French fashion, you know, to wear in the real world. Here are some inspirations.

$90 from French Connection

Parisian Princess dress, $765, clairelafaye.etsy.com

Striped French pierrot, $198, www.ouma.etsy.com

French courtyard necklace, $19, www.swakdesigns.etsy.com

Market bag, $42, www.bayousalvage.etsy.com

$300, www.dutchpearl.etsy.com

$45, www.ShopMinette.etsy.com

$85, www.mojospastyle.etsy.com

From Chanel's 2009 fall collection

From the Chanel ready-to-wear '09 collection

From the Chanel ready-to-wear fall '09 collection. Minus the hat... it's a little Oscar the Grouch.

From Chanel's spring '09 ready-to-wear collection.

From Chanel's spring 2010 ready-to-wear line

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Afraid that his new men’s fashion line looked completely ridiculous, American designer Thom Browne must have realized the way to redeem his stylish dignity and save the line was to ask all male models to wear glittery gold lipstick.

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Back when I was a tortured middle-schooler, it was hip to wear boxer shorts out into the public sphere.

We wore boxers to school. We paired them with baggy Esprit and B.U.M. Equipment tees. We also ratted up our bangs to look like spider-web-covered cinnamon rolls. Sometimes I put so much hairspray in my hair that it left a white snow, clinging to the spider web like arthropod egglettes.

Apparently, according to D&G — as recently unveiled at Milan Fashion Week — this style in en vogue once again. So now we can all walk around looking like we’re tortured middle-schoolers with no fashion sense.

Bonus points for wearing your boxers with a cheesy screen-printed shirt, made in only one hour at the Walgreens photo counter! (Necessary exclamation mark.) Super bonus points if you’re coked out enough to think it’s a reasonable request to wear said outfit on a runway.

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It was awesome.

Read about it in my column on Friday.

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Deal of the week: Wallaroo Hats is giving away 200+ free hats at Weekends on Friday (June 18). www.weekendsboulder.com, www.wallaroohats.com.

Why? Promoting summer skin safety. Keep out of the sun, you little vamps.

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