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Sponsored Post: Simply Stylist x Dove Dry Spray

By |December 4th, 2015|Beauty & Trends, Sponsored Post|

dove dry spray simply stylistIt’s true, I do have the luxury of sleeping in later than most nine to fivers, but on those days where things are jam packed and hitting the snooze button isn’t even an option, I find that every minute counts.  From the moment my feet hit the hardwood, I’ve got each and every second accounted for– from mixing up my morning health potions to hitting the gym for a quick HIIT, to making my way uptown for important client meetings.  A queen of to-do lists, I make it my mission not to miss a beat, but there are times when even the most organized individual fails to remember the minutest detail.

And nothing stinks more than forgetting something- namely your antiperspirant.  That’s why I was so excited when Simply Stylist introduced me to working with Dove Dry Spray, a spray that goes on instantly dry, protects against wetness and odor for 48 hours, and as an added bonus, leaves your skin soft and moisturized with all the benefits of skincare for your underarms.  So, even in the tightest time crunch, there’s no need to skimp on the essentials while waiting for your antiperspirant to dry.  Even better, Dove Dry Spray won’t leave behind any visible residue. Another way to take care of yourself and look amazing is through Advanced Dentistry!

So, while rushing around the city to and from meetings, errands, and events– even on those days where nothing seems to be going according to plan, Dove Dry Spray makes it no sweat.

Why Did You Wear That: Blurring Lines in Gempicket

By |November 30th, 2015|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

gempicket whydid kirsten smith2Upon entering my apartment, one of the first things people notice, besides the fact that it took them twenty minutes to navigate the maze like hallway to get there, is the collection of nightgowns hanging on the handles of my closet doors on the left side of the hallway.  Some of them are vintage, some of them I’ve never worn, others I wear all the time.  You could say that my obsession with nightwear began while watching Golden Girls as a little girl.  That’s right, instead of Big Bird and Mister Rogers it was Murphy Brown, Sam Malone, and Blanche Devereaux.  I still fall asleep to the sounds of Nick at Nite and all of this ties back nicely to the potential narcolepsy I suffer from.  Another hypothesis as to my penchant for boudoir attire is the time I spent buying lingerie for Henri Bendel.  One never knew she was missing a waspie or the imperative need for an embroidered kimono until she spent time in a showroom full of silk, chiffon, and lace.  I only have one dresser in my apartment and its sole purpose is to house my bras, panties, and bathing suits.  You may be wondering why I ever even bother getting dressed.  Spoiler alert, I rarely do.

Working from home most days doesn’t require putting on much more than a whisper of clothing.  Other than slipping into something spandex to catch a yoga or pilates class, I’ve become quite comfortable in the very basics– as have all of my deliverymen.  My freedom in dresscode and days of solidarity have taken some of the stress out of my normal work day, but it has also left me somewhat socially awkward and also in a panic when it comes time to piece together an outfit fit for public consumption.  And this is when the beauty of blurring the lines between “your eyes only” and “all eyes on me “comes into play.  When you can pair a Gempicket silk cotton batiste cami with your favorite skinny jeans or throw a vintage t-shirt on with your delicately demure tap pants, you’ve perfectly bridged the gap between wallflower and woman of interest.  Or you could just call the whole thing off and stay home in your skivvies.

gempicket whydid elodie cami

gempicket elodie cami grace tap pant

gempicket grace tap pant

gempicket loungewear kirsten smith whydid

whydid gempicket kirsten smith

gempicket loungewear whydid

gempicket new york whydidGempicket Elodie Cami, Grace Tap Pants, and Suki Socks

Photos by Michael Stiegler

Why Did You Wear That: American Splendor

By |November 17th, 2015|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smith why did blog denim skirtSaturday afternoons during the fall in Manhattan often involve something some lovingly refer to as and others scoff at called “brunch.”  This past Saturday presented me with an especially relevant reason to partake in daylight libations because my oldest (not in age, but in duration) friend was in town for work.  Upon his arrival, we wandered down the street without an actual location in mind– this is an analogy for my life.  Stopping in front of a restaurant to inspect the menu, deeming it acceptable, and ordering a bottle of rosé as soon as our seats touched the chairs (I refuse to believe it’s out of season), we were off to a running start.  I thought myself clever asking for a turkey burger sans bun only to later find out that many restaurants use bread crumbs as a binder in their patties, canceling out all of my gluten free intentions.  We met up with a few friends at a neighborhood watering hole a few blocks down and much to my chagrin, said establishment was out of rosé, so Sancerre it was.  Typically dead on a Saturday afternoon before the evening rush of anyone but locals, the bartenders thanked us for making them laugh and keeping things “interesting.”  As we parted ways with one group of friends, we met up with another at a cash only joint that can almost lead you to believe you’ve been transported from the West Village to Southwest Detroit, almost- the plaid shirts and Patagonia vests are dead giveaways as to your geolocation.

At this point, I was fading fast and knew that the only last glint of hope for me was to order pizza (since I’d already fallen from the gluten wagon).  A few people are privy to the fact that in most instances of ordering pizza, I’ve fallen asleep before it’s been delivered.  Basically, I pay my doormen’s holiday bonuses in literal dough.  But alas, I was still standing when it was time to tip the delivery boy.  Unfortunately, even a Pandora dance party and pepperoni slice could not save my sad, sloshed soul.  I waved my friends on without me- okay, I fell asleep with my arm in the air- and called it a night, all before 9pm.

I sat straight up in bed around 1:30am and realized that I had slept the entire night away and wondered where my friends had ventured off to and whether I should gather bail money now or later.  I didn’t have to wonder for too long before my best pal was haphazardly trying his luck with the key to my door and Smitty all but lost it at the prospect of an intruder.  I rescued him from himself and he stumbled in to tell me what I’d missed (hint: not much).  After a chat session worthy of a highschool sleepover, and a critical dissection of our relationships, he passed out snoring on my couch and I found myself wide awake on Saturday night at 4am watching American Splendor.

kirsten smith whydid denim skirt

denim skirt whydid kirsten smith

kirsten smith whydid fall 2015

whydid kirsten smith denim skirttop: American Eagle, skirt: American Apparel, sweater: Henri Bendel, shoes: Steve Madden, bag: Chanel, dog: Smitty


Photos by Richard Smith

Red Carpet Recap: Academic Achievment

By |February 22nd, 2015|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

dakota johnson rosamund pike behati prinsloo Dakota Johnson in Saint Laurent, Rosamund Pike in Givenchy, Behati Prinsloo in Armani

The red carpet was red hot this year at the 87th Annual Academy Awards.  While it poured down rain in Los Angeles, causing a hot box effect with plastic tenting literally wilting A-list hairstyles and melting perfectly made up faces, nominees and future winners did not let us down in the dress department.  While there was nothing truly offensive, there were also very few that inspired any standing ovations, which would be saved for John Legend, Common, Patricia Arquette, and Graham Moore.  Saint Laurent on both Dakota Johnson and Margot Robbie were two of my early favorites.  When Rosamund Pike arrived in a perfectly fitted Givenchy frock only two months after giving birth, I shed a tear and poured out a little bit of alcohol, which my dog quickly lapped up.  A few debatable dresses were worn by Lupita Nyong’o, Nicole Kidman, and Felicity Jones.  I’m not sure why, but Khloe Kardashian was recruited by E! for her opinions on red carpet arrivals, to which she held nothing back.  I zoned out from the actual awards show after Neil Patrick Harris’s first failed joke, but I did catch Julianne Moore’s well deserved acceptance speech, Common’s freckles, Lady Gaga’s epic cover of The Sound of Music, and the absence of Joan Rivers in the Memoriam.

Citron Sirens:

nicole kidman emma stone oscarsNicole Kidman in Louis Vuitton, Jennifer Hudson in Romona Keveza, Emma Stone in Elie Saab

Blushing Beauties:

jennifer anniston jennifer lopez oscarsJennifer Anniston in Versace, Zoe Saldana in Atelier Versace, Jennifer Lopez in Elie Saab

Petal Pushers:

kiera knightley gwyneth paltrow chloe moretz oscarsKiera Knightley in Valentino, Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph and Russo, Chloe Moretz in Miu Miu

White Hot Women:

faith hill zendaya jenna dewan oscarsFaith Hill in J. Mendel, Zendaya in Vivienne Westwood, Jenna Dewan Tatum in Zuhair Murad

julianne moore lady gaga lupita nyongo oscarsJulianne Moore in custom Chanel, Lupita Nyong’o in Calvin Klein, Lady Gaga in Azzedeine Alaia

 Metallic Mavens:

laura dern naomi watts oscarsLaura Dern in Alberta Ferretti, Anna Faris in Zuhair Murad, Naomi Watts in Armani

felicity jones chrissy teigen

Felicity Jones in Alexander McQueen, Chrissy Teigen in Zuhair Murad, Kerry Washington in Miu Miu

Black Betties:

margot robbie sienna miller oscarsMargot Robbie in Saint Laurent, Sienna Miller in Oscar de la Renta, Cate Blanchett in Margiela

Black and White Babes:

reese witherspoon meryl streep arquetteReese Witherspoon in Tom Ford, Particia Arquette in Rosetta Getty, Meryl Streep in Lanvin

Navy, Baby:

rita ora jessica chastain oscarsRita Ora in Marchesa, Jessica Chastain in Givenchy

Why Did You Wear That: An American Girl in Paris, Part Trois

By |February 18th, 2015|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

whydid kirsten smith blog

Right before I left for Paris, one of my favorite clients (I moonlight as a social media and branding consultant) read my chart for me.  I had never had someone read my chart and finding out what time I was actually born from my parents was harder to find out than unearthing my ex boyfriend’s grandmother’s maiden name.  As she informed me that I couldn’t be more of an Aquarian if I sold all my belongings and moved to an ashram, she also mentioned something that I’d heard a time or two before in horoscopes for my sign, I used to Learn Astrology Online.  She told me that the man for me would be foreign or that I would most certainly meet him while traveling.  She also mentioned he’d be a little older and then she suggested something I’d never heard– he, too, should be an Aquarian, because as I’ve experienced, very few men can even begin to understand me and it might take meeting someone just as free spirited and strange to fully appreciate all of my quirks.  I still figured all signs pointed to Lenny Kravitz and carried on with overpacking and planning for Paris. Art of Style and Makeup has a wide range of creative and professional modules. You can learn them easily at https://styleandmakeup.dk easily.

As I walked home with my Parisian pal, he questioned why I had opted for a slicked back bun, barely a trace of makeup, and a somewhat buttoned up look.  I explained to him that getting gussied up was the easy way out.  Almost any woman can pour herself into a tight dress and push up bra, layer on liquid eyeliner and hide beneath a bonnet of big hair.  As a matter of fact, that used to be my go to going out attire.  Eventually, I realized that this look attracted a certain type of attention and many of the men who I had attracted were totally confused when they realized that I was a lot more of a challenge than removing a bandage dress.  My friend digested this statement for a moment and then nodded in understanding.  If I’m being completely honest, a little bit of my appearance was due to jet lag, dirty hair, and an uncertainty as to what was appropriate attire for a Monday night in Paris.

After crossing the Seine and strolling down the Avenue de la Bourdannais, he swore we’d get into a bit more trouble before he had to fly back to New York for another job on Thursday.  My girlfriend would be arriving very early the next morning and I wanted to be well rested to greet her, though I would have liked nothing more than to linger in the moonlight and golden glow of le Tour Eiffel.  Right before the sweetest kiss goodnight, he informed me his own birthday was only a few days away.

kirsten smith

kirsten smith paris fashion blog

kirsten smith paris whydid blog

kirsten smith

kirsten smith blog

 

why did blog paris kirsten smith

paris perfect chambertin

dress: Kimchi Blue Bethany Linen Apron Dress, tights: similar by Falke here, boots: Pour la Victoire, similar by Proenza Schouler here, bag: borrowed, similar by Whiting and Davis here, lipstick: Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural in No. 50 Aubergine