Spotlight: Butter London's Animal Testing Policy

Good news from London that has nothing to do with that silly wedding people keep talking about... Butter London's adorable nail polishes are completely cruelty free and vegan. All polishes are also "3 Free" -- No Formaldehyde, No toluene, and No DBP (Phthales). Sweet!

I picked up a colour from their new S/S 2011 collection called "Teddy Girl" this week. It's a cute pastel pink. Totally opaque and long wearing. The collection was inspired by the impressionist painting style, especially Monet's work.

What Makes a Person Ugly?

The Huffington Post, has a great piece by Robert Tornambe called "What Makes a Person Ugly?" I think he does a great job explaining how personality traits affect how physically attractive people may appear.

Listed below are his five "flawed" personality traits. If you have the first one, then you'll appear uglier. If you have the second, then you'll appear more attractive. I think he's pretty bang on. Think about Mr. Samberg over here - not conventionally attractive, but so funny and charming that he becomes very attractive.

1) Conceitedness vs. Confidence
2) Grimness vs. Humorousness
3) Selfishness vs. Honest Interest In Others
4) Cynicism vs. Optimism
5) Narcissism vs. Healthy Vanity

More here.

Spotlight: Chanel's Animal Testing Policy

I did some readin' on the Chanel website and here is the scoop: no testing on animals - sweet! However, they do use some animal derivatives such as beeswax and lanolin.

I wasn't sure what lanolin was so I did some digging on wikipedia. OK, so it's not a scientific journal, but hey. Turns out it comes from sheering sheep. It's a wax that is extracted from the freshly shorn wool. Some people say this is "OK" for vegetarians and some people say it's "Not OK". All depends on how you feel about wool products.

Spotlight: Urban Decay's Vegan Policy

Urban Decay, the beauty brand best known for bright colours and goth-y names like Asphyxia and Oil Slick, turns 15 this year. Their "vegan palette" is featured on the left.

Style Junkie is launching something new, too! We're going to spotlight different fashion/beauty brands and check out whether they are animal friendly. Ratings will be out of 5 paws.

Urban Decay's website says they never test on animals: "Urban Decay is, and always has been, a cruelty-free company. You’ll notice that every box bears our cruelty-free credo: “We don’t do animal testing. How could anyone?” We insist on producing beautiful, irreverent, high-end cosmetics without conducting animal testing." Nice! They've also flagged which products contain no animal ingredients. Some do, some don't. Their website has some animal rights symbols to help identify products. Urban Decay now has a “Marley Approved” symbol to identify vegan products on their website.

I'm giving them 4.5 paws out of 5. They aren't completely vegan, but the site is full of enough information to help people make vegan choices. And, I love their no animal testing policy. Nice work, Urban Decay!

Matt & Nat are having a sale!

Our favourite Canadian vegan hand bag desigers Matt & Natt are having a giant sale - up to 70% off. Check it out here.

This bag, Muse, is on sale for $115.50. Adorable!

Natalie Portman is Engaged!

Reps for the vegan Goddess extra-ordinaire, Natalie Portman, have confirmed to People.com that she engaged to choreographer Benjamin Millepied and that she is pregnant with the couple’s first child. The couple met filming of Black Swan, where Millepied served as both the choreographer and dance partner to Portman and co-star Mila Kunis. Congrats!

Portman was also recently named the new face of Dior's Miss Dior Cherie fragrance. Dior remade all their fabulous shoes in vegan-friendly fabrics for Portman. Amazing! If only they were available for the rest of us!

America's Next Top Model, errr... Summer Associate?

This is a bit of an older story but somehow no one I know picked up on it...
Sara Albert (now Sara Hallmark), who made it to the final four on America’s Next Top Model – Cycle 6, has managed to snag a summer associate position in the Washington office of a major international law firm. I guess her OCI was really "fierce." Above the Law has the full story here.

The City's - Allie Crandall

Yikes, have you guys seen recent photos of Ms. Crandall? The blue dress image is particularly upsetting. I remember Kelly Cutrone asking Allie on the show if she was "OK". Hope she gets well soon. Recently, fashion e-commerce site Revolve took the unusual step of saying "We are working closely with both the model and her agent to get her to a healthier size. She won't be appearing in any of our new product batches or in any of our fashion editorial photos moving forward until the issue is adequately addressed." Read more over at Jezebel.

Kate Moss Might Open a Modelling School

Move over Tyra and Miss J, Miss Moss is thinkin' about opening a modelling school. “I think I could open a modeling school,” Moss told the UK’s Company magazine (as reported by the Telegraph). “In Britain’s Next Top Model they put the contestants through the torture of what modeling can be like. And it honestly can be humiliating.” Wow - she watches Top Model just like the rest of us! I'm in favour of the idea, but only if they make a reality TV show out of it. Otherwise, meh. Either way, this seems like a better idea than her forthcoming jam line, Kate’s Damson Jam.

Chanel Gondola

Merry Christmas everyone! Here's a snap of the colour I chose for my festive manicure: Chanel Gondola. It's a lovely dark berry red with pretty gold and red shimmer.

I got my nails done while on vacation in Boston at MiniLuxe after reading a great review from InStyle magazine. Very happy with the service and the place was immaculately clean. Like surgically clean. Which is what you want to see when trying out a new place in a foreign city.

Chanel Riva Nail Polish

I know, I know... I've been terrible at updating this blog lately, but exams are upon us so I'm back in full gear looking to procrastinate!

Check out this GORGEOUS Chanel polish in a dreamy blue color called Riva that debuted at the 2010-2011 cruise collection show in Saint-Tropez.

Holts at Yorkdale didnt have any yesterday, but I'm hoping I'll have time to hit Holts on Bloor shortly.

All Lacquered Up has a swatch, review and comparison here.

Chanel Les Khaki Nail Polish

Chanel has new khaki-inspired nail polishes for fall. The military trend is hot, hot, hot - and this is right on point. It's chanel's fabulous take on the trend.

The three colors will be available starting Sept. 10. I can't wait to try these out at Holts!

Alice + Olivia Career Collection

Alice + Olivia has come out with a new line called "Career". According to LAT's All the Rage, "The line launches this fall (and is hitting stores now), is for the work-minded lady who may still wear the sparkly, short mini dresses from the Alice +Olivia line at night or on the weekend, but now has job interviews or perhaps even a job to see to during daylight hours."

Career is pretty straightforward – black blazers, pencil skirts, boot-cut pants, white blouses and fitted LBDs, but still with that slightly sexy, frilly vibe Bendet’s designs are known for. There are various pant styles -- skinny, cropped, slight flare, which all come only in black. Blazer styles range from traditional and tailored to military-inspired -- again all in black.

Apparently, Alice + Olivia designer, Stacey Bendet wanted to make sure us career gals didn't have to wear "frumpy brown suits" to work... I've never seen anyone wear a brown suit at my work - or, anywhere for that matter. Even so, that skirt and blazer look on the left is hella cute!

Gossip Girl Nail Polish

Nicole by OPI has a new line of Gossip Girl inspired shades. I think they're kind of... meh. Mostly because the girls of Gossip Girl would never be caught dead in Nicole by OPI. More here.

Vegan Shoes and Bags for Professional Women

Gotta Love Corporette, they've got a fab post on animal-friendly fashions for professional women. Here are some of the companies mentioned: Moo Shoes in NYC, VeganChic, UK-based Neon Collective, Neuaura, Beyond Skin, olsenHaus, and Charmone.

I've found that you actually don't need specialty stores all the time to get vegan goodies. Nine West makes a whole line of gorgeous purses, I wear flats by Soda to work a lot, and both of those brands are available at most malls. Not everything those companies make is vegan though, so you gotta read the labels!

Lady Gaga in Vanity Fair

Lady Gaga has done it again - she's totally re-invented her look for the cover of this month's Vanity Fair. I think it looks 70s-ish with a splash of wizard thrown in.

I once interviewed with a woman who looked like Lady Gaga, or really a lawyerly version of Lady Gaga. I managed to not mention how much I thought she looked like Lady Gaga in the interview. Phew...!

Punk Rock Pearls

New York magazine rounds up some alternative, dare I say... "punk rock" pearls.

I'm in love with this piece by Rachel Roy. Probably not appropriate for Bay Street though...

New Luxury Webstores

The NYT has a piece covering the newest luxury labels to hit the web. Included in their list are Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, Hugo Boss, Vince, Lancôme, St. John, Theory, Kiehl’s, Lilly Pulitzer, Donna Karan and La Perla —better technology and a world-wide economic downturn have created web-believers out of these retailers.

The article has this quote, which is sooo true:
“The classic luxury brand Web site is basically a Flash site with lots of beautiful imagery, but no one ever goes to it.”
Ever tried to visit Chanel online? Don't bother...

What Courtney Wore Today

Courtney Love new has a style blog. It just started on Tuesday, but there is already 20 pages of content. Amazing!

You better believe that I'll be following this feed.

Wow - Alice + Olivia Designer Stacey Bendet is a fur-wearing Vegan

Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet, who launched M.A.C.'s alice+olivia collection at Beauty Bar, arrived in a head-turning red number topped with a Mongolian Lamb vest, one of her own pieces. The designer admitted to NY Mag's The Cut that she has somewhat mixed feelings about the fur pieces she makes. "I'm vegan, actually," she said. "I don't eat [animals], I don't put meat in my body. So every once in a while I think it's okay to wear it. But I made it — I'm probably going to hell."

Wow, I'm speechless.