There is one word to describe the first-time collaboration between Converse and French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela. Breathtaking. These shoes are more than footwear. They are literally wearable works of art. The collection includes the Chuck Taylor All Star and the Jack Purcell sneakers, each completely hand-painted in Maison Martin Margiela’s iconic white paint. Initially, the paint will cover all canvas, eyelets, laces and soles, but over time they naturally crack and shed their outer coat of paint to reveal the original shoe colors beneath. Genius! The styles are available in four color ways based on heritage colors from the Converse archives: red, black, navy, and Margiela-exclusive vintage yellow.

The sneakers will be available for purchase globally in September at Margiela stores, and at select Converse First String retailers for a suggested retail is $200USD.

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I know I gush about another cosmetic brand but honestly my heart is huge enough to love other brands equally. Urban Decay is one of those brands that owns a portion of my heart - I’d say upper right side. I love their eye pencils, liquid liners and awesome eye shadows. I am also a fan of their minty fresh lip glosses but I soon noticed their lipstick was lacking and then the collection disappeared.

Until recently. The lipstick collection came back late this Summer and they came back HARD! The reviews from my fellow bloggers all raved just how awesome they were and this really piqued my interest. But I, QUEEN of the most sensitive lips had another thought - “I’ll be the judge of that!”

I did and what can I say? It’s LOVE!

What makes this so wonderful?

Well aside from 22 colors to choose from - the most demure nude beige to the most sultry devious plum and sexy, gorgeous reds. I would challenge you not to find a shade that would disappoint! It also has tremendous staying power. I only have to reapply this twice (after lunch) if I wear this lipstick to the office. UD’s Pigment Infusion System gives the formula a super creamy texture, superior color dispersion and long wear.

Urban Decay also launched new 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils that coordinate with these shades. For ultimate long wearing power, pair the lipstick with it’s matching lip pencil. The pencil is also nice, creamy and very easy to apply. This is also comfortable on my lips. I have worn this lipstick by itself and while it may not be as opaque it still lasts for quite sometime.

Long wearing power, universally flattering shades, what more could I ask for? It keeps my lips soft and comfortable even when wearing this lipstick on consecutive days. Sometimes I can’t wear certain brands of lipstick consecutively because in the end my lips become raw and peel. I have yet to face that problem with this formula. That said, I really hope I didn’t jinx myself just now.

Here’s a swatch of the colors I went with - it was a really hard choice!

Jilted, deep fuchsia with blue shift, Lipstick and Venom, rich plum, Lip Pencil (far right)

A sensible beauty consumer would have chosen the safe nude pink, or rosy mauve for the office but since this lipstick’s tagline is Creamy Badass Luxury, I just couldn’t resist this fuchsia shade. Plus the subtle blue shift brightens my smile.

The color is actually brighter in person. I apologize for the bad lighting.

It’s fragrance free and like all Urban Decay products, they are cruelty-free.

I was really hoping that this lipstick was going to fail me but I couldn’t be further from that. My downfall will be choosing the next shade for my collection.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick ($22/USD) and 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils ($19/USD) are now available online at  www.urbandecay.com,  Sephora, Ulta and Selected Macy’s.

Takes customization your case to a whole new level

LEGO, purveyors of miniature plastic bricks that double as tools for creativity and tiny choking hazards, has linked up with Belkin on collection of cases for fifth-generation iPhones and iPod Touches.  Each case features a semi-flexible plastic frame that absorbs shocks from random spills, but what makes the case noteworthy is the official LEGO base plate on the back.  You can customize your case to your hearts content using LEGO’s iconic little bricks, with the only real limit being your own imagination.  You can grab your own LEGO Builder Case for either the iPhone 5 or the fifth-generation iPod Touch for $39.99 and $29.99 respectively at Belkin’s online store.

The wedge sneaker trend is in full swing and Reebok is finally taking advantage. Soulful songstress Alicia Keys chose the silhouette as the signature shoe for her fall 2013 Reebok collection. The two sneaker line features the A. Keys Wedge, a fusion of the Freestyle and Chi-Kaze, and the Freestyle Hi Wedge A. Keys Reptile. Stepping away from the traditional colorway idea, Reebok changed it up and introduced the idea of shoe themes. The A Keys Wedge comes in 4 themes: Reptile, Tribal, Military and Crocodile.

Interested in purchasing a pair of these limited edition kicks? All of the styles will be available in September at Nordstrom stores, Nordstrom.com and Reebok.com.

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We’re on the brink of the fall fashion season which means we have to prep our closets and pockets for the influx of warmer fashions to come. One major item that we’ll all need as the chilly temps approach is a cute and comfy weather appropriate footwear and Canadian brand SOREL‘s upcoming collection fits the bill. After all, who knows more about cold weather than our northern neighbors? The well crafted shoes the company is known for is intelligently fused with a modern, street smart style we all can appreciate. In these shoes we can welcome Old Man Winter and look sophisticated doing it.

You can view the entire lookbook here.

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