The Good, the Beautiful and... the Bad

The Good

And with this I mean something that is not only nice but also useful and smart.

The Heel condoms are, in my opinion, a stroke of genius. 

They're not really my style, I usually wear more simple things and I almost never wear high heels but I think that for girls who love high heels and like to change shoe style often but don't have billions to spend these are a must have.

theheelcondoms.com

They cost from 20 to 30 dollars and you can buy them here.

And with this price don't tell me they're not the perfect Christmas gift for your fashion-addicted friends!

The Beautiful

When I saw this Nars limited edition I had a face like a kid in front of a toy megastore in the Christmas period.

It's actually no surprise: how couldn't a Japan-freak-beauty-addict-new-follower-of-the-red-lips-religion go crazy for something like this??

Basically, they are two lipsticks, highly pigmented, held in a "bentou box" (the japanese lunch boxes). 

I haven't tried them (if you look at the price you'll guess why...) so I don't know if they are that super quality they claim to be (and that Nars products usually are) but I find that the concept behind the design of these lipsticks is just great.

They found a way to melt together many aspects of the traditional Japanese aesthetic, which has always been one of the symbols of simple, perfect elegance.

First of all the colors. They are exactly the vivid shades that you can find on ancient Japanese fabrics and accessories. Moreover, the red is the same in which the Shinto temples are painted, the color of geisha's lips and the shade of the traditional wedding kimono.

Plus, they added a very typical element: the wooden black box which, as the name of the collection suggests, reminds the lunch "bentou" boxes that are essential for every Japanese.

In the end is what I think is the most ingenious detail of the ensemble: the brush, which reminds the traditional calligraphy tool, art in which Japanese are masters.

So what is more beautiful and chic than painting your lips like a geisha, taking the pure pigments from an elegant black bentou box by using a calligraphy-inspired tool as a brush?

For me, this is the best of the chic (and the luxe, given the price and the ultra-limited edition) that I saw this winter up until now.

The Bad

Because I can't always only speak about the things that I like, can I?

I will try to be brief. And clear. 

Then I'll go straight to the point.

The december issue of Paris Vogue is a total "what the f**k???" for me. Almost disgusting.

And it's not a problem of morals. I think I am the less moralistic person in the world (sometimes even too much) but here is really my sense of aesthetics that's being touched. And my taste. And common sense, if you really want to add it.

I had the first feeling of disturbance (is this word OK? No because I think you noticed that my english is not exactly spotless...) almost immediately, with the "cadeaux" reportage.

For pages and pages there are these eleven/twelve year old girls, heavy make-up on, dressed with haute couture clothes, shoes and jewels that play at the "sophisticated lady" game. That can sound original and slightly provocative. But no. There is no trace of amusement in their eyes, they don't look like they're playing, there's no fun, no beauty in these pictures. The shots are dark, the girls look like they've been forced to play this game. 

Shots like these in the hurricane-era of pedophilia? For a Christmas gift guide? I guess they wanted to be provocative. Well, they just managed to show bad taste. 

Second, there are these Tom Ford's photo shoots. 

I state a budget of around 25 euros maximum a month (except special occasions, like when I find japanese magazines somewhere) for fashion magazines and I usually choose the ones that looks better every month between UK Elle, Vogue USA, Elle USA, Paris Vogue, Nylon, Glamour UK, Vogue Italia (and I buy Elle Italia always, every month. I think it's the best Elle out there and not because it's my mother tongue). I bought this Paris Vogue MAINLY because Tom Ford's pictures were featured.

And... what a disappointment. 

Even in a provocative shoot, with a controversial message to read in between the lines, from Mr. Ford you would expect at least some elegance.

In these you see old people having sex. But really, sex. They're 70 year old. And they look bad. And it's not for the wrinkles.

I mean, you can do it, it can be even a good idea to start from. But I don't know why, his shoots look only ugly and nasty. No provocation. No message. Nothing.

Ah, and did I tell you about the shoot after the "geriatric porn"(smart two-word description courtesy of styleite.com)? It's a woman that just had plastic surgery, still with her bendages on and guess what?? Having sex (with a younger guy who looks a bit lobotomized). 

And apparently I am not the only one that is a bit perplexed about these shoots. Here they call  the geriatric porn "gratuitous" and here is a nice article about the plastic surgery one.

In the end, I still think that there's nothing less provocative than wanting to be provocative at all costs. 

And you? Did you read the issue and what do you think? I am really curious!

Al