Last year Jennifer Love Hewitt (Or J-Love, as I will call her for the rest of this post) did NOT get a passing grade on her Emmys outfit. Looking back on it, I guess it was alright. It just lacked punch.

Imagine my astonishment, then, noble readers, in seeing her in this getup:



According to her IMDB profile J-Love will be 28 this coming February. She's not the teen queen she once was, but time has been good to her. We've already discussed how much stars are retouched in photos, but it's not likely that these photos have been altered. Red carpet photos tell all, and J-Love passes with flying colors this year.



I love this dress. It highlights a soft, womanly side of her that we miss in her typical Audrey Hepburn numbers. Her skin is perfect, her hair is polished to perfection, and I love the beginnings of crow's feet. (It's an odd quirk of mine, but I find crow's feet attractive. Go ahead. Laugh.)

There's nothing to snark here. She's thought of everything--nothing is out of place, nothing is overdone. She's in the prime of life--not too young to be green, not too old to be cynical. Best of all, she looks happy and balanced.

As Louisa May Alcott once said, it is the little details that make up the pleasing whole. A great maxim for starlets and fashionistas alike!


Note: The Fashionistas are taking Monday off to spend time with friends and family. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

We do our best to supply you with original material here at Las Fashionistas, but sometimes a colleague or a magazine just hits it out of the ballpark, and we gotta give ‘em props. This month's issue of Real Simple magazine has absolutely rocked my world.

Not only does it have awesome reader-produced “beauty timesaving” tips (many available on the website), it also has a rundown of the best pressed powders and the best corduroys (perfect for fall!) for your body type and price range. They also have a full article on how to make getting ready in the morning faster and easier.

Best of all (and sadly, this was not available on their website), they have an incredible feature called “The Well-Balanced Wardrobe," that essentially tells you exactly what you need for a well-rounded, easily mixed and matched wardrobe. Seriously great article.

I'm not the "super-organized, super-creative mommy" type this magazine seems to cater to, and I only read Real Simple for the product reviews and fashion tips, but this magazine is worth the subscription--or at least a buy just for this month. Get 'em while they last, ladies!

Photo: Real Simple's September cover photo by Monica Buck.

Have you ever dreamt of a high-profile job as a handbag designer? Any fantasies of creating trends and watching them grow to fruition?

Recently, I was invited to a "purse party," where I was told that I would be designing my own handbag. I was very excited at the prospect, but a bit intimidated and wondering if it meant honing my skills on a sewing machine.



Much to my surprise, the process was not only easy, but fun, and sparked my inner-fashion goddess. Basically, you start with a handbag design, choosing from many different styles. Then you choose your fabric, mixing and matching from over hundreds of different options. Some bags are even made to be reversible! The company does the rest, constructing your handbag to your specifications, and the bag is delivered to your door in a few short weeks.

Here are a few links to get you started:

1154 Lill Studio This company hosted the purse party I attended. I can vouch for the quality construction, the wide variety of trendy, seasonal fabrics, and professionalism.

Anna William

freddy&ma

LeSportsac

Meleana

Well! I have a confession to make. My hubby and I don't own a TV, and therefore I'm not always up on the latest celeb awards/promo of the newest 15-minute darling until the day after it happens. But I have to say, dear readers, I love the fashion aftermath. I was highly encouraged by F. Nashville's retouching piece. There's something vindicating about realizing that these people are just like us.

I don't have any theme with these pictures--I just posted what I could find. Some are trainwrecks, others are poetry in motion.






I can't decide how I feel about this number. Tyra is a beautiful woman, but mermaid skirt?? The bigger problem, I see, is the nude fabric underneath. For some reason it makes her look bigger than she is.


Paula Abdul looks like she ripped off the curtains from Bobby Trendy's dressing room.

Now...these pictures I LOVE. Love. Heidi and Seal are beautiful together, and she looks beautiful too. I love her hair, I love her smile, I love the elegant crows-feet, I love her understated makeup.
Did I mention they're beautiful??

Every time I see Eva Longoria, two thoughts come to mind: 1) "Good grief, won't she go away? and 2) I think of this. Swan lake, anyone? All she needs is a feather hair ornament.



And then there's Minillo. Words fail to describe what I feel about this dress. I'll leave it to you.



What about you? Any great frocks or great trainwrecks? Share them in the comments!

Thanks for all the Sephora suggestions, gals!

I ended up purchasing:

-Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer (We--the gals at the store and me--actually liked the texture and coverage better than the more traditional foundations I was also trying.)

-Sephora All Over Skin Pressed Powder in Warm Nude

-Stila Convertible Color (lipstick and blush in one) in Gerbera

-Sephora French Tips and Toes Manicure Pen

I wish I would have bought:

-Stila Lip Glaze Sticks in Apricot (because it was the perfect pinky-peach shade...I'm off to order it online!)

As a self-professed make-up cheapskate, I can say I was pleasantly surprised at how much higher quality the more expensive make-up is. It lasts longer on your skin, and the pigment is more intense than your average drugstore brand, so you don't need to use as much. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for!

Special thanks to Priscilla, at the Anaheim Sephora store, for an awesome makeover and all the great tips! She helped me find the right colors for me, took her time to make me look great, made me feel like I was the only customer in the store, and showed me how to apply foundation and blush just the right way for my face. Thanks!