street style trends


The return of frosted lipstick

MAC Frost Lipstick

mac frost lipstick review

The return of frosted lipstick. Pictured from left: MAC Frost Lipstick: Angel / Plum Daddy / Fabby / nail polish /

Frosted lipstick is back! Remember in the late 1980s and early 1990s reaching for blue eyeliner and pink frosted lipstick? A can of hairspray nearby? Large hoop earrings and crop tops? Oh yeah, that look is back, minus the hairspray; and the crop tops aren’t boxy, they are form fitting. Oh, and that’s how teenagers dress, not us; except for the make-up. So, let’s talk frosted lipstick!

Frosted lipstick cycles in and out of fashion, which is fine, because we don’t invest in lipstick expecting it to last years. I mean, ew.

The look of frosted lips is iconic when tied to 1960s style and late 1980s/early 1990s style. It even had a mild resurgence in the early 2000s. Now, in 2024, it is back and the trend is strong.

Unlike the 1990s, you are not relegated to one color of frosted lipstick. Your hue doesn’t need to be pink, just a frosted color which works for you and your wardrobe, as well as your coloring. Love that!

We learned in the early 2000s that MAC cornered the market on the perfect frosted lipstick. I stand by that discovery from twenty years ago. The best way to rock the frosted lipstick trend is with a color from the MAC Frost Lipstick collection. I found three hues I love, and I will be wearing these this summer into fall.

MAC Frost Lipstick goes on smoothly and gives you just the perfect frosty coverage. Fabby reminds me of the late 1980s and early 1990s while Plum Daddy is a great hue for evenings, as well as moving into the fall season. Angel is a great alternative and perfect for daytime during the summer. Love these hues!

What do you think of the return of the frosted lipstick trend for 2024? Will you rock a frosted lip once again?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy


Price does not equal luxury for handbags

mulberry handbags price does not equal luxury bay area fashionista

Pictured: my favorite mini tote by Mulberry /

Have you noticed a backlash on social media as well as the streets against spending a ton of money on a so-called luxury handbag? The current trend is to steer clear of logo embellished handbags, as well as handbag styles which are over-saturated. There are some handbags out there which are too recognizable and have been over produced lately. Those seeking luxury handbags have started to steer towards high quality and thoughtful handbag brands and styles. Gone are the days of the so-called “status” bag, which right now, looks tacky. The chic handbag look is high quality, quiet branding, and feeling like you scored a beautiful investment bag that didn’t break the bank.

While we have been talking about the anonymous handbag here at Bay Area Fashionista over the past several seasons, there is more to this discussion than just a mere street style trend. It goes deeper than a trend. The anonymous handbag is intertwined with what consumers deem to be luxurious in both perception and reality.

There are so many brands in the world which have superior advertising and marketing strategies. They have made us believe through imagery, celebrity and tastemaker endorsements, lifestyle images, and more that luxury is something which can be bought. I assure you; luxury cannot be bought.

Let’s take designer handbags for instance, since “handbags” is a favorite topic of mine. Many “IT” bags can be thousands of dollars while many mid-market brand handbags are in the hundreds. Is there a difference in quality? Well, funny you ask. . .

If you asked me fifteen to twenty years ago if price equaled quality I would have jumped up and said yes! Now, so-called luxury items from designer brands have increased production and cut costs resulting in lower quality products at higher prices. I don’t want to name names, but I will say there is a designer I used to purchase bags from multiple times per year about twenty years ago. Once their bags hit $3000 I stopped buying them. It seemed like I had enough bags and knowing the same bag had been under $2000 just a few years prior to the price hikes, I couldn’t justify the new, higher prices. I dodged a bullet there! That same designer brand now charges $6000-$10,000 for the same bag I purchased for under $2000 fifteen to twenty years ago. In addition, the quality has gone down and my bags are better made than the new ones.

Now, in the past few years, I have found mid-market brands are making better quality bags than so-called “IT” designer brands. Coach, for example, is still killing it with high quality bags. I have also fallen in love with Toteme, Mansur Gavriel, Mulberry, and more. In fact, Mulberry is higher quality than any other designer bag I have experience with.

There are designer bags priced in the high thousands, as well as in the five figures, which don’t hold a candle to Mulberry’s quality. I found Mulberry bags to be the ultimate investment and they offer a feeling of luxury no other designer offers me. Love that!

Here are a few of my favorite high-quality handbags which won’t break the bank:

I have always looked at purchases as investments, not status symbols. Finding better quality at lower prices is the most luxurious thing for my bank account, and me! What do you think about price and luxury? Do they go hand in hand or are they two separate entities?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy


National Sneakers Day 2023

Happy National Sneakers Day 2023! Today is a fabulous day to celebrate sneakers! We all love sneakers because they are comfortable and casual. Of course, in modern times, sneakers are also a fashion statement!

Are you a fan of designer sneakers? Then you might be wearing Gucci or Dior sneakers as we speak! Or maybe you are a cool, street style star. Then you are rocking your Nike Dunks or Air Jordan’s. Perhaps comfort, or always going to the gym is your jam., then you are rocking your Hoka sneakers!

Whatever your sneaker style, wear your favorite pair today and celebrate the fact that we are in 2023 and can wear sneakers and look fabulous!

Today is also a great day to give your favorite sneakers a little TLC. Here is my guide to keeping your sneakers clean and white!

A few of my favorite sneakers from around the web:

What is your favorite pair of sneakers? Do you have any sneakers on your wish list?

Happy National Sneakers Day 2023!

XOXO
Cathy