Vanity + Wearables | Door Sixteen

Calgel manicure.

Aug 27, 2012

It’s no secret that I love having fancy fingers and toes. There’s just something about having nicely painted nails that makes me feel complete. I like looking down at my hands and feet and seeing shiny little jellybeans of color. It’s fun. I don’t wear much jewelry, so colored polish functions as an accessory I can’t lose. It makes me feel pretty and done.

I very seldom pay for manicures or pedicures—maybe once every couple of years, tops. I’m good at doing my own nails. It’s one of those things that seems really tricky and messy at first, but with practice it gets easier and the results are very satisfying. Doing your nails is an easy way to FINISH a project, and that can have a pretty profound effect on my state of mind. (And yes, I do realize we’re talking about nail polish here.) Also, I’m loathe to pay someone else to do what I can do myself, especially when even the best manicure tends to chip within a few days.

Lately, though, I’ve been really busy working on freelance work at night, and I’ve been defaulting to bare or clear-coated nails most of the time. I decided to pay someone to give me a special manicure that will last longer than one done with regular polish. (Funny—exactly one year ago, I was experimenting with another long-lasting manicure option! There’s just something about late August, I guess.) After doing some research into the various options, I decided to go with a Calgel manicure. If you’re curious about what Calgel is, exactly, this site has a detailed description.

One salon name comes up over and over again once you start looking into Calgel-certified salons in NYC: Sakura. After reading a bunch of reviews on Yelp, looking through their impressive gallery of wacky-cool nails on Facebook and, of course, soliciting feedback on Twitter (Gala actually replied to me from the salon, which is a pretty good endorsement!), I went ahead and booked an appointment.

My nail stylist was Selina, and she did a great job. I usually wear my nails short, which sometimes prompts a pitch for extensions of some sort (if you haven’t seen comedian Anjelah Johnson’s routine about nail salons, watch it right now—it’s dead on), but Selina was fine just giving me a natural, rounded shape to go with my bright orange-red color selection (it’s #59). The whole process from start to finish took less than an hour, and considering my nails were totally DRY at the end of that hour, that’s pretty impressive. Calgel needs to cure in layers under a UV light, so there was a lot of switching hands and rotating of thumbs…and then it was all done!

My nails look really nice. The finish is so smooth and shiny, and the edges around my nail bed are flawless. I’m very happy with the outcome! The total cost was $40 for a solid color (stuff like gems, glitter and gradations obviously cost more), and I was given a customer card for a discount after I earn a certain number of points from repeat visits. I like stuff like that.

Calgel manicures can last as long as month (!!) without chipping, but since I have such short nails and chose a solid, bright color, new growth will be really noticeable—so I’ll probably go back in two weeks for a color fill-in at the base. Once my nails are longer, I’ll try something fancier like a black-to-sheer gradation (amazing, right?) that won’t show regrowth as much. Knowing I’ll get an entire month out of a pricey manicure makes the cost sting a little less!

It’s only day one with my Calgel manicure, but I’ll let you know how things are looking after a couple of weeks. I have high hopes…

My pants are electric.

Aug 4, 2012

Vanity + Wearables

25 comments

A while back, Jessie posted a photo on Instagram of her new lighting bolt pants, and I knew immediately that I was going to have to copy her and make them my own. They remind me of two people: My friend, Nubby Twiglet and my sometime spirit animal, David Lee Roth. Honestly, that’s not a bad place to be. I mean, is it possible to say, “I feel like David Lee Roth in these pants,” and have it be a bad thing?!

Jessie bought hers at Trash and Vaudeville (Isn’t it amazing that T&V still exists? Other than Yaffa, I think it’s the only thing on St. Mark’s Place that hasn’t turned over since I was in high school), and I was able to find mine for about 50% off at Karmaloop (sadly sold out). They’re made by Tripp, naturally!

I’ve had these pants for a couple of months now and I still haven’t managed to leave the house with them on. I think once it’s a little less stiflingly hot and humid outside, I’ll feel more confident since I can pair them with boots and a giant cardigan…

Fancy hair stuffs.

Jul 27, 2012

Vanity + Wearables

34 comments

Oh, hello there! Yeah, I took a little time off from blogging. I’ll talk a little bit about why in another post soon. It’s nice to be back! Hello! Let’s break the ice with some frivolity, shall we?

It’s been a long time (more than four years!) since I’ve written a post about hair products, and given how much different my hair looks now than it did back then, I think it’s time for me to do an updated rundown of what I’m putting on my head.

The biggest change in my hair recently is that it is long. Like, not just medium-length longish hair…it’s full-on LONG. I haven’t had hair this long since maybe 1990. Long hair is a tricky beast. It’s nice when the air outside is dry and cool, but the second there’s any humidity in the air or the temperatures reach into the 80s, it’s not dissimilar to wearing a giant wool cowl that just came out of the dryer still half-wet. Because I’m still growing out this haircut from last summer, I can’t really pull it back yet—the side is still too short to reach nicely (I also don’t really like wearing ponytails or braids, so there’s that). My hair is also really fine but full—and prone to tangling.

Side note: As I write this, I’m waiting to get a haircut (yes, I’m still going to the amazing Mariko at Dlala!)—the ends of my hair are super-straggly and my bangs are way too long—and I have NO idea what I’m going to have done. So maybe it won’t be long anymore in a few hours? We’ll see!

The shampoo/conditioner combination that seems to be working really, really well for me is from the Italian company Davines. They have a pretty extensive variety of products designed to suit a lot of hair types and styling needs, and I’ve been using Love Smoothing Shampoo and Love Smoothing Conditioner. The combination leaves me with hair that’s not over-stripped (I like to wash my hair daily, so I have to be careful about that) and that feels soft, smooth and minimally frizzy. It’s a bit on the spendy side, yes, but I only need to use the tiniest amount each time. I expect to get at least six months of use out of one bottle/container.

As a side bonus, the scent is faaaaaantastic. My hair smells pretty all day.

I usually don’t blow-dry or straighten my hair at all on the weekends (I’d prefer to let it air-dry all the time, actually, but I don’t like leaving the house with wet hair), but on workdays I still use my trusty, no-frills Conair Yellow Bird dryer and a Chi flat iron. I’ve had both of these things for years, and I recommend them highly. I don’t use the iron to straighten my hair, really—I really just smooth it out a bit so there are fewer flyaways. I’m very casual with the whole styling process.

Once my hair is dry and neat, I set my bangs with Bumble and bumble Spray de Mode, a hairspray that doesn’t really behave like a hairspray. It keeps everything in place, but it’s not hard or crunchy or anything like that.

For a finishing touch, I rub in a dab of my latest favorite thing into my roots: Davines No. 4 Glossy Modeling Putty for Wizards. Yes—despite not actually being a licensed wizard in the state of New York, I was able to obtain a tube of this stuff. It is glorious. It magically turns my fine hair into something with texture and substance without feeling waxy or sticky or dull. You only need the tiniest smidgen, too, even on long hair. It’s really good stuff, and just like the Davines shampoo and conditioner, it smells great.

Okay, it’s time for me to hop on the subway and head out for my haircut now!! My pre-snip jitters are at a minimum, so that must mean I’m leaning toward something closer to a trim than a major change…

Designing myself.

Apr 27, 2012

Vanity + Wearables

91 comments

I thought about titling this post “ME ME ME ME ME ME (and a little more ME),” because let’s face it—this is a whole bunch of ME. I don’t post a lot of photos of myself on the blog, I guess because it just always feels awkward. I hate having my picture taken by other people, and I don’t like taking a photo of myself unless the camera/phone is visible in the picture as well. Having the camera visible makes the resulting photo less about documenting the subject and more of a marker of that specific moment—which is the act of taking the photo.

Am I over-thinking it? Maybe, but all of that over-thinking made me realize something: I am my own design project. Here are some Instagram snaps from over the past few weeks.

So yeah. I mean…I pretty much look like my house. I don’t really draw any distinction between designing myself and designing anything else. I have a set of limitations that I need to work with, and a knowledge of how to use certain tools and materials in order to achieve the results I want. I never think about what would be perceived as “sexy” or whatever, that’s just not something I’m concerned with. I do like to look attractive, of course, but for me physical attractiveness (in anyone) is determined not by a specific set of features, but by a series of proportions, contrasts, textures and colors—exactly the same things that make a room or a book cover or a garden appealing to me.

OH, AND: Here’s me matching my dorm room 18 years ago.

I’m curious: How about you? Do you “match” your home? If you’re an artist or designer, do you feel like there’s a correlation between your professional work and, say, your hair?

Favorite patterns + textures + colors.

Feb 6, 2012

Greed
Handmade
Vanity + Wearables

77 comments

There are certain things that come up over and over again in my (very small) wardrobe: Geometric shapes, black, white, grey, saturated colors, heavily textured knits, furry stuff, golds…and, of course, scarves. I have a lot of scarves. It can be 95° out, and I’m in a scarf.

My Bookhou bag and I continue to be best buddies. I’m also wearing my most favorite scarf of all here—it comes from the amazing Martha McQuade at the aptly-named Scarf Shop (GIANT size; mustard). I’ve had this scarf for a little more than a year now, and I’ve definitely worn it in every season!

And yeah, that’s a new watch I’ve got on. It’s from the Issey Miyake men’s GO line (I always wear men’s watches), and it’s the first non-Swatch watch I’ve owned. I still think Swatches are the best watches around (I have about a dozen of them that I’ve acquired over the past 25 or so years—and they all still work!), but it’s fun to have another option that’s a little bit more elegant. I’ve very very brand loyal when I like something a lot, though, so my heart will always belong to Swatch in the end.

(Is it weird that it never occurs to me to check my phone for the time? I always wear a watch.)

Oh, and? NEON PINK NAIL POLISH. I’ve had a bottle of this stuff for ages (it’s some weird generic brand), but I’d never tried it until last week. I wasn’t sure if it would look too garish or weird, but I wound up loving it. I don’t think I’d feel the same way if my nails were really long, but on stubby talons like mine, it’s pretty nice.

1. That totally incredible cape/poncho was a birthday present from Jen, and it’s from Pendleton’s Portland collection. It’s kind of the greatest thing in the world—thick and warm and beautifully made. I’ve worn it at least three times a week since October, and it’s one of those things I’m sure I’ll have forever.

2. My favorite favorite favorite earrings! They were a Hanukkah present from Evan a couple of years ago, and I’ve worn them almost every day since receiving them. They’re made by Lila Rice in Brooklyn.

3. Those rad superhero lightning bolt socks were also a present from Jen (clearly the girl knows how to give a gift), and they come from Sock It to Me. She got a red pair for Evan!

4. Ahhhh, yes, the Wookie coat. This thing is totally ridiculous but I also completely awesome. It’s basically like going out in a Chewbacca costume. (It’s surprisingly warm, too! Too warm for this Global Warming Winter™ we’re having in New York this year.)

OK, this is just silliness, but when I was thinking about the textures I love most, I realized that I’ve been a fan of superfake fur for a while now. The photo on the left is on my Wookie coat (earrings by Fay Andrada—Brooklyn ladies make nice jewelry!), and the photo on the right was taken almost exactly ten years ago. I was modeling my “nylon squirrel” muffler, which I still have and wear. And I had no bags under my eyes.

Haircuts, rambling, and a drifting attention span.

Jan 25, 2012

Four Legs
Friends + Family
Newburgh
The House / Newburgh
Vanity + Wearables

80 comments

Is it just me, or it next to impossible to snap back into work mode this year? Maybe it’s because I took two weeks in a row off in December, but I just don’t feel like I’m fully present and engaged in what I need to be doing every day. I think the weather might be partly to blame—it’s been unseasonably mild in lower New York this year, and I constantly feel like it’s either late fall or early spring. I’m just sort of floating from one day to the next.

I did just have a really great weekend, though. Jen from Honey Kennedy came to stay at my house in Newburgh for three whole days, and we had a wonderful time. Jen is terribly sweet and funny and really, really nice to be around (just ask Fritz and Bruno, who fell deeply and madly in love with her), and I’m happy to have finally met her in person.

Aside from holding the very first semester of Anna’s School for Unicorns (a.k.a Photoshop classes), I also made us some very very thick and rich and spicy and almost too delicious hot cocoa using Vosges Aztec Elixer. And tofu scramble. And burnt kale chips. And reheated pizza. I’m pretty sure it was like going away to a fancy resort for Jen! (Or, um, not…)

I got my hair cut again, too. More of the same! I’ve been back to Mariko at Dlala Salon four times now since I got the best haircut ever 8 months ago, and that has to be a record for me in terms of frequency. Can I add that NOT ONCE have I taken a pair of manicure scissors to my bangs in a fit of midnight desperation since I started seeing Mariko? Her cuts look so good growing out that I don’t have to.

It’s pretty neat having LONG hair, too! I haven’t had this much hair since I was a freshman in high school, which was…um…23 years ago. I’m going to just let it keep growing. Now that I know about layers and deep parts and stuff, it’s nice to have waves and partial buzz cuts and long bangs.

On a side note, I just want to put this reminder out there: Much like paint is just paint, HAIR IS JUST HAIR. The great thing about it is that even if you do something stupid and it looks terrible, you can always just cut your hair short and eventually it’ll grow out. As a side bonus, you get to have a million different hairdos as it gets longer. If you want a fun haircut, get a fun haircut. It’s just hair.

Fritz turned four years old a few days ago. I can’t believe he’s four already! It seems like it was just yesterday that were were bringing home this insanely adorable, sleepy lump of fur. He was so cute! (And then he ate our sofa.) Fritzy is so good now. Yes, he has his moments when he does an ultra-annoying Chewbacca/seagull vocal impersonation for seemingly no reason at all and for lengths of time that are highly unnecessary, but he’s a total snuggle bug and just an all-around great dog. He’s also really warm and he likes to sleep under the covers at night, so our heating bill is less with him around. And he’s still really cute.

Oh, clothes! I found that nice triangle-print shirt at Target! The proportions really aren’t as weird as the photo on their website makes it look. It’s quite flattering, actually. And Martha has a the same one of course.

Yeah, that’s a new black + white iPhone case. I ordered one from Society6 because I’ve been thinking about selling some stuff through them and I wanted to know what the quality is like, and I’ll be honest…as cute as the illustration (by Dawn Gardner, whose work I love) on my new case is, the quality is really, really sub-par. I’ve had a capsule case from Uncommon since I got my phone in May (that’s the multicolored one in the top photo, designed by Marco Cibola), and I love it. The plastic is smooth, strong and durable; the edges are smooth and comfortable to hold; and the design is actually embedded in case. The case from Society6 is unbelievably flimsy, and you can literally scratch the printed image off with your fingernail. I fully expect it to look terrible in a couple of months. Both cases were about $40, and while that’s pretty steep for something so small and made out of plastic, it’s definitely way too much for the ones from Society6. Bummer! It’s definitely cute, though, so I’ll keep using it until it breaks.

UPDATE: Society6 contacted me after reading this post, and they have very kindly offered to send me a replacement case as they believe I may have been sent a defect. Fingers crossed that the new one is better. I’ll update this post when I receive it!

UPDATE 2: I received the replacement and it’s exactly the same. The quality is too poor for me to recommend it, sadly. It should also be noted that Society6 has a no-return policy except in the case of defects, so if you’re disappointed by a product upon arrival, you’re out of luck.

(Like I said, RAMBLY.)

If I were a bag, what kind of bag would I be?

Jan 12, 2012

Greed
Handmade
Inspiration
Vanity + Wearables

43 comments

When Julie saw that I’d bought this triangle-print day bag from Bookhou, she said, “If you were a bag…” And she’s totally right. Really, “old bag” jokes aside, this is me in bag form. Aside from the perfect print (which I blogged about in tea towel form a while back), the size is ideal. I have a reputation for dragging around huge, heavy bags that make my back feel miserable, so I’ve been looking for a smaller, cotton bag for days when I expect to be walking around a lot but want something fancier than a tote. This is exactly it.

Of course, now I also want the matching loop scarf (thanks to Victoria, who knows an Anna-scarf when she sees one!), and maybe also this beautiful pouch to store the iPad I don’t have…

Speaking of Bookhou, have you seen founders John and Arounna’s Toronto home in the latest issue of Covet Garden? It’s every bit as lovely as you’d imagine it would be.

I want to be the person who can dress like this and not look (and feel) like a total idiot.

Jan 4, 2012

Greed
Vanity + Wearables

31 comments

Photos via Marimekko

Noora Niinikoski’s Tivoli knitware line for Marimekko’s Fall 2011 line was pretty spectacular. And also pretty wacky. When I look at the composed outfits, my first thought is that I want to wear all of it, including the red clogs, immediately. I’m pretty sure I’d literally look like a clown, but you only go around once, right? I tend to be extremely subdued in my dress (though contrary to popular belief, I don’t only wear black), mainly because I prefer to blend in to my environment rather than stand out. For some reason, the opposite extreme is also appealing to me!

I’m pretty sure the last time I ventured into the world of “funky” (OH, HOW I LOATHE THAT WORD) legware was a good 20 or so years ago (as evidenced here), but maybe it’s time to go down that road again. Am I old enough to have reached that point where I can look like an idiot but have it get written off as eccentricity? I hope so, because I’ve always wanted to wear a pom-pom scarf around my head like a turban. There is always the fear that I’d wind up looking like a giant infant, of course.

A few pieces from the Tivoli line are on sale right now at Kiitos Marimekko, and I am seriously tempted. Maybe just the knee socks…

Newer Posts >< Older Posts

Calgel manicure.

My pants are electric.

Fancy hair stuffs.

Designing myself.

Favorite patterns + textures + colors.

Haircuts, rambling, and a drifting attention span.

If I were a bag, what kind of bag would I be?

I want to be the person who can dress like this and not look (and feel) like a total idiot.

My name is Anna.

I love my sponsors!!

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