Fabulous Faux

I love the cozy fur vests out there this season - a perfect topper to a myriad of outfits from jeans and a turtleneck to a holiday dress - but as an animal lover, I don't love the idea of wearing the real thing. Not to worry...savvy designers have fabulous faux versions that in appearance and durability are actually better than the real thing, not to mention the thanks you'll get from your furry friends.  I love Michael Kors' faux coyote vest.  I bought it in black at Belk at the Summit.
Michael by Michael Kors vest, $125

Beauty Update

What colors of nail polish are stylish for Fall 2009?

I personally like dark polish in the Fall and Winter: deep eggplants, burgundy, etc. These hues look best if you have relatively short nails - and, incidentally, keeping nails shorter than longer continues to look more current.  One of my favorite new polishes is Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri in "Uptempo Plum." It's a metallic shade, which I don't always like, but the sparkles hardly show. It advertises one coat, one swipe with the special brush and a 60-second drying time.  I prefer 2 coats (though I have worn one when in a hurry and it looked fine, just a bit lighter than I like) and for larger nails like my thumb, I use more than one swipe so it takes a little bit longer to dry, but in general I think this is a great product.  I don't have the patience for regular nail polish, so it's perfect for me. At the nail salon, I usually choose Opi's "Lincoln Park After Dark" or their new for Fall 2009 shade, "Give Me Moor."  

If you just don't like dark polish, sheer nude or pink is always classic.  I wear shades in this color palette in Spring/Summer, but think it is fine for Fall?winter, too.  For some reason I don't think I do a good enough job painting my own nails when "going nude," so I always default to the salon and usually choose Opi's "Bubble Bath."  Opi has a great site for checking out their latest and greatest shades.