F-hootress of Solitude

Bez

Flusser's In D.C. and I've got "Cracker Charm"

Quick update folks....LFG and I are in Gotham on Spring Break. Just a quick up and back on the train to see Phantom of the Opera. More on that later...it was great to see it again especially since LFG asked specifically for Phantom. She's growing up so fast! American Girl Store-FAO Schwartz and then LFG wanted to go over and say hello to Alanflusser. Remember-LFG monikered him several years ago with just one run on name-an amalgamation of first and last. We found Alan meeting with a few cohorts so our hello was brief and anyway-we'll see that entire gang of sartorial bandits in D.C. tomorrow. LFG is having lunch today with TinTin...."that man who worked at the Statue of Liberty...of London.

If you are anywhere near D.C. late this afternoon, all day tomorrow or half the day on Friday, drop on on the Flusser crew for a great deal....and I mean great. I won't be partaking because I'm now a Target man mydamnself-plus, I've gotta buy a car and I don't finance them-I pays cash. One suit purchase gets your three free custom made shirts. Or if you opt for their Flusser Made to Measure line, you'll save $600.00 off the MSRP. 

Now you may or may not have "Cracker Charm" but that makes no difference. The Flusser fixers can swath anyone. Just because you aren't white, garish and proud of it doesn't exclude you. Cracker Charm was assigned to me when I checked email this morning and I'm diggin' the name. Here's an excerpt from said email...."had a miserable Passover at a restaurant with some friends. I took a break this year (from hosting it at home) and realized I cannot do that.  Maybe you will come out for it.  Add some Cracker charm". I'd be glad to my friend but please realize one thing. You and your guests are going to have to hear my (brief) lecture about how if y'all hadn't have messed up Baby Jesus so badly you wouldn't have to do that Flyover thang over and over and over year after year after year. Kiddin' jus kiddin' ole buddy.

Here's the invite to the D.C. gig but worry not, if you can't make it to D.C.-just drop in  on them at the Gotham lair because they'll offer you the same deal through April.

Sartorial Health Reform

Themes are important, they can anchor stuff. As such, we intend to make our way down to your fair burg next week, ending up at the AKA White House from Wednesday March 31st at 2PM, to Friday April, 2nd until 1PM.

With the capital reeling in the aftermath of the health care debate and passage, it seems like an opportune moment to remind folks of another aspect of personal health.

Fortunately, the debate over the putative benefits from a spanking new custom set of threads transcends political persuasions and party lines. The feeling of confidence and hopefulness that a new suit of clothes can bestow is not a controversial subject…it might well be one of the singular issues that all political types can find common ground with. I think our theme is doing swimmingly, don’t you?

As to the particulars, here are a few: let’s use the Spring promotion and its timely savings as added inducement for mandatory attendance.

Accompanying will be new fabric collections featuring suiting’s in 7 oz. super 130s and silk, 6.5 oz. wool and silk solids, as well as well as new wool, silk, linen sport coatings in 7/8 oz. weights

The success of our Belseta raincoat compliments of a feature in ForbesLife reminds us to remind you that it may be time to replace that yellowing London Fog with something more suited to your elevated station in life. Available in 24 colors.

And naturally, a selection of new Spring/Summer haberdashery will be in tow, along with the typical bonhomie and heightened esprit of the Alan Flusser Custom envoys.

Please Come and Bespeak to Us

AKA White House 1710 H Street NW Washington, DC 20006

Phone 202 904 2500, Mark R. Cell #201 707 3000

Softening the Peacockery Pinch This illustration has always been one of my favorites because the artist has his subject sporting a dressing gown that actually clashes with his necktie, as if he threw it on the minute he got home. It's a sensibility about male style and its intimacy that's as different from today's designer culture as root beer is from beer. What's all this got to do with our latest salutation, I'm not sure. But we are looking at a gent coordinating some bespoke dress shirts for a business or holiday get-away. And if his taste in his dress runs true, he's as much at home in and around high-brow clothes as he is hobnobbing with other bespoken shoulders from Wall Street to Palm Beach.      Okay, recognizing that life of late has likely distracted your sartorial focus, no less budget, we'd like to propose a bit of personalized banking down at your favorite bespoken branch. Place a custom suit order between now and the end of April and you'll be entitled to three complimentary custom-made shirts... a $1,300 windfall. Should you desire a stronger position in your free dress-shirt holdings, each additional two-piece warrants its own three-shirt dividend. And not to overlook our Made-to-Measure devotees, we invite you to take the same liberties with each two-piece sheathing - a $600 savings. Now, we understand that such a sartorial bonanza is not likely to improve your business stature overnight. However, can anything bestow a more kick-ass optimism than waking up and slipping into the best suit of clothes in your wardrobe. And last but not least, we want each of you to know how much we appreciate your support during these very challenging times. Please Come and Bespeak to us. 3 East 48th Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10017 Tel. 212 888 4500 · Fax 212 888 0430 alanflussercustomshop@yahoo.com www.alanflussercustom.com

We Hoot Your Blog

We're famous on the internet! Four months ago. Awesome.

Bonus owl:



From Otto, done by Elie Falcon in Worcester Ma at The Tattoo Project. I bet people called Otto don't email We Hate Your Blog. Splitters.

Batoverload

Holy Bat-Tattoos, Randy Engelhard!

Hooter Island

Awesome tattooist submissions from Christopher Bettley

Ballyhoot

Shauncey Fury

Foundations I'm trying to use up and the would-I-repurchase test

Even when I've find a foundation that I like, I'll keep on trying out others. And as I'm incapable of waiting to buy until I've finished what I'm currently using, I end up with - dare I say it - too many. The good thing about this is that I can compare products side by side.

My favourite foundations are MAC's Studio Sculpt in NC25-30, mineralize compact in NC30 and Face and Body in C4. But they are the darker end of the spectrum for me. So in the winter months I have been using (and trying to get rid of!) the 'older' products that also happen to be lighter in colour. These are:

1. Laura Mercier's oil-free tinted moisturizer in Nude

When I first got this, I was really impressed that my t-zone didn't shine as much or as quickly. I was using her powder to set it, which I don't anymore, and I'm using a different moisturizer under the foundation so the effect isn't quite as wow now. I don't find the coverage to be too low or sheer; I think the name 'tinted moisturizer' is misleading.

Would I repurchase? Yes, in another colour, perhaps. But I still have a back-up that I got when I was really into Laura Mercier...

2. Bobbi Brown's Moisture Rich foundation in Beige 

I like that it comes with a pump but I don't like the way the cap gets dirty. That's a minor complaint that has nothing to do with the product itself, which is fine. I use so little - half a squirt - that I get quite sheer coverage (similar to Laura M's tinted moisturiser). The glass bottle is fine for using at home but obviously not for travelling.

Would I repurchase? No.

3. Bobbi Brown's Luminous foundation in Warm Sand 

I was given this (tester) and this is too light for me so I'm not using it at all (I thought I'd mention it, though). There's also the risk of pouring out too much product. But the coverage is better, if that's what you're looking for, and more moisturising, with anti-ageing properties. I do like the creamy formulation and overall finish.

Would I (re)purchase? In theory, yes, but probably never will.

4. Shu Uemura's Face Architect in 764 

Another glass bottle. It comes with a pump (good) and the cap is much bigger and doesn't fit so snugly onto the pump so it stays clean - not a smudge of old, crusty foundation anywhere. Nice creamy formulation with good coverage.

Would I repurchase? Yes. And I would prefer to get this than Bobbi's Luminous but in a different shade (sometimes I think it looks too rosy).

Swatches of the above four foundations.

Laura Mercier, BB Moisture Rich, BB Luminous, Shu Uemura

5. Foundation sticks from Bobbi Brown (beige, warm beige) and Chantecaille (Camomile) 

I just don't like foundation sticks. I never re-apply foundation during the day (especially when I'm out) so I don't need it in solid form. Some people might find them useful for applying around the nose when you have a cold and need to blow your nose all the time. Anyway, looking at the swatch of Warm Beige, I think it's too pink. Camomile is too light for me. I should put this together with my concealers so I'll remember to use it.

In the swatch photo - look how they emphasise my pores! Ugh.

Would I repurchase? Never.

Foundation sticks in Beige, Warm Beige, Camomile

6. Bobbi Brown's Smooth Skin fondation in Beige 
Another tester that I was given. I've never used it. I used to hear such negative reviews about this product that I'm quite honestly scared to use it. I know that it doesn't sell well, either, so I'm not surprised it's being discontinued - isn't it? It says 'last chance' on their website.

Would I (re)purchase? Never.

I completely forgot to swatch this foundation when I was doing the others - it goes to show how unloved this is by me - so on its own:

When I look at all of these swatches, they colours look so different that I'm rather horrified - how could I never have gotten strange remarks?!

Do you try and finish products, even if they are no longer right? 

My yoga ritual

Yoga is something I want to enjoy and look forward to doing.... with a little help from these friends.

1. Brew some tea. 
It's always good to drink and I never drink enough. So I make a pot of Aveda's comforting tea.

If you make it right, it can taste really sweet, even though there's no sugar in it. It's still a matter of trial and error for me but it has to do with using the right amount of tea leaves - the more the sweeter. But it's quite an expensive tea so you don't want to use too much. Trying to get the right balance is not easy. Also, infuse for longer and it becomes sweeter.

2. Keep a scented room spray within reach.
I have another product from Aveda.

There are different scented sprays for each of the chakras. I only liked the smell of chakra 2.

There's so much breathing through the nose in Kundalini yoga that it's nice to spray it in the room. I do find that I have to re-spray it every now and then because the scent is quite light and doesn't linger.

3. Have a blanket ready.
I love the fleece blankets from Ikea. Even if you only do the short warm-up sequence, you should relax afterwards - lie on your back in Corpse Pose with eyes closed. My body cools down so I stay warm with a blanket.

4. Music.
Only if I'm not doing a full session (one whole DVD), I like to have my yoga music playlist ready for the relaxation part. It really helps me relax, unwind and not get bored. As Maya Fiennes says in her book, "(relaxation) is when the body processes the information it has received, rests and absorbs the changes and the healing."


All we have to do is make time... maybe that should be number one on this list.

1930’s Riviera Homeless…..Courtesy of Liberty-Target

I don’t think I could have contrived a better description of my Liberty of London inspired rig. That was the response I got when I emailed a picture of my contrivance to ….a girl…for an opinion. Girls. How much of what a guy does is tethered back to girls. Sounds like a topic for someone more grounded and sage in their blogging posits. I nominate Toad. Speaking of nominations-awards-contests etc. … I’ll be posting later this week about a rampant scandal-rip-off going on in the blogosphere. Don’t panic, your hard drive is not in peril but there are a few less than ethical things abounding out there right now.

So my LFG weekend begins with the usual fun and frolic. About an hour of it was spent at this photo caricature website. Go there-you know you want to. We endorse it and will go back again for sure. Here are our before and afters.

And her Liberty of London twenty four dollar Wellies….a home run of immense proportion. Do home runs have proportion?

Tell me that this isn't my child. The randomness of this contrivance seems to be compelling evidence to support that sartorial GTHeckness is inherited. I love you LFG.

To the movies and then Target, Jeeves!

Target. Am I the only one who says that regardless of the reason for walking in-there’s a one hundred dollar cover charge? I could go in there to buy one lightbulb and end up with a cart full of random shitake. It’s an ADD person’s nirvana-nightmare. So after LFG and I see the brilliant Alice in Wonderland in 3-ADG, we walk over to Target for some odds and ends. I have a cupboard full of delicious home made jam that my favorite Aunt makes but LFG prefers good ole Welch’s Grape. We also needed some ghastly non-butter spread, peanut butter and a new measuring cup. I blew my other one up-literally-when using it to boil the remote control. Amazing the germs that accumulate on the TV remote.

Now I’m not trying to get too far above my raising here folks but I’ve spent enough money on clothes since college to retire the national debt. I actually did a little projection a few years ago that looked at how much money I’d have today if I had dollar cost averaged my clothing spend into a couple of fairly aggressive funds…I threw up a little bit in the back of my throat-god forbid the emesis actually landing on the three hundred dollar Flusser shirt I was wearing. After boiling the calculator I swore I’d never do that again.

Howsoever-as my stepfather used to say, I never in my life thought that I’d be purchasing a shirt that in transition from being theirs to mine, would ride a rubber conveyor belt to bar code Ellis Island with peanut butter, jelly and a Pyrex measuring cup. Damn. Shut up. Damn again.

LFG and I looked at the Liberty of London 100% cotton shirts and at $19.95 LFG said “get one daddy”. And so I did.

Twenty minutes later and I’m figuring out the appropriate rig for this shirt-as if appropriate is ever a criteria for my sartorial assemblage. I know I promised to get rid of these linen trousers last summer but I just can’t. I can’t do it and nobody’s gonna make me.

I remember wearing these trou …drinking too much at The Columns one night in New Orleans with a date who later climbed through the little zip down window of my weekend car-a Miata-shut up…and scratched the sh_t out of the rear trunk lid I the process.

I remember also that her level of intake was such that further activities involving zippers and scratching were not in the cards that night. That’s how old these britches are. Stubbs and Rootin' Tootin' Wootton  needlepoint shoddings from at least as many years ago. When you could buy the things for a buck ninety five-before they got so proud of these cheaply produced girlie shoes from Spain and started axking three fifty for them. Please, that's the price of a pair of Belgians. Shut up.

So for $19.95…go get yourself one…if you can pull it off-after you put it on. Stay tuned for Spring Break antics with LFG…including the train to Gotham for almost front row seats to see Phantom of the Opera.

Adios…from my little Riviera. Homelessly ADG.

Hoot Let The Dogs Out

Another reader roundup for Monday...

Well, a tattooist submission starts us off, by Luke Whitmire


Saludos desde Argentina!!! Done by Diego Bert. Thanks Miriam!


Benjamin's owl was done by Kelly Barr at Chameleon tattoo in Cambridge, MA.


And finally, this very blog inspired Letty to get this fella, done by Mike Miazio.

Got it: Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle

I had the impression that #5 in Mademoiselle was one of the, if not the most popular colour from the new Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick line. Vanessa Paradis does such a convincing job of selling the je ne sais quoi with this that even I had to get my hands on it.

Generally, I'm more into playing up the eyes and going lighter on the lips, so I was worried that Mademoiselle might be too strong a colour. It can be, if you apply several layers - see the swatch on the right - which can be handy for day-to-night transitions. But just one quick swipe or smacking the lips together when applied to the upper lip will give you a healthy-looking stain.

As with any lipstick, you can change the colour and effect with lip gloss. Out of curiosity, I swatched Mademoiselle first on its own (very left), then applied four different MAC lip glosses.

L to R: Chanel #5 Mademoiselle, MAC Lustreglass Love Nectar, Cremesheen Glass Partial to Pink, Dazzleglass Goldyrocks, Dazzleglass Moth to Flame 

I like it best with Love Nectar, which isn't a surprise because it's my favourite gloss. It gives it some shine and deepens the colour a bit but otherwise stays relatively true to the lipstick colour. Partial to Pink is a pink gloss so unsurprisingly it takes Mademoiselle into a girlier category. The last two are just extremely glittery and don't appeal to me. In fact, I don't like the Dazzleglasses anymore, they are too shiny and way too sticky.