a swing and a miss

Oh, poor Harper's Bazaar. The magazine just ran a piece in its October issue with the tagline, "Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci went from a rocky start to rock star. Now he's one of fashion's most exciting designers." Then, on October 1st, the designer presented his 2009 ready-to-wear collection to perhaps the worst reviews of Paris Fashion Week. New York Times fashion critic (and my personal idol) Cathy Horyn gave the show a scathing write-up, describing the collection as short on design value and questioning whether Tisci has any original ideas at all. Pretty brutal. Robin Givhan was on the same page. Though Tisci's performance at Givenchy has been uneven, I thought some of his previous collections showed flashes of brilliance (if not a clear point of view). But this season was really a low point for the designer. I keep looking back at these leather-crotched trousers and wondering, who the hell was he designing this collection for? Who is his customer? And what planet is she from?

image: style.com

better late than never: my favorites from the 2008 emmys

Sandra Oh gets a lot of flack for her red carpet choices, but this Oscar de la Renta gown is universally appealing. It's chic enough to please her more conservative fashion critics, while still maintaining her unique and often off-beat style.

Rose Byrne looks, well, a bit emaciated for my taste. But she still looks radiant in this delicately draped Calvin Klein Collection gown.

My favorite look of the night was unquestionably Emilie de Ravin in Matthew Williamson. It reminds me of something Michelle Williams would wear, which is never a bad thing. I wish she'd gone with a stronger lip, but I might just feel that way because of my red lipstick rediscovery.

images: style.com

kicky kirsten and red lipstick lust

I am adoring this editorial from the October issue of Harper's Bazaar. Ms. Kiki Dunst looks like she's having so much fun (despite the editors photoshopping her teeth for the cover). The clothes are fantastic, the setting is beautiful, and this shot makes me want to take a dip in a hotel pool while wearing a Marilyn Monroe-esque bathing suit and costume jewelry.

These photos are also triggering my red lipstick lust. I rarely wear dark or bright lip color during the summer (though Mr. Dunst makes it look extremely appealing), but as soon as fall rolls in, I'm ready to break out the tubes.

Poppy King wrote a cute little red lipstick tribute in this month's Marie Claire, which inspired me to wear Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square to the My Morning Jacket show last night. My plaid shirt and skinny jeans blended seamlessly (and annoyingly) into the sea of hipsters, but my bright orange-red pucker definitely made me feel like I stood out.

tis the season...almost

Halloween is right around the corner. What better way to celebrate than carving a pumpkin in honor of one of your favorite science fiction characters? Personally, I'd like to create a Doctor Who jack-o-lantern. Though Mal from Firefly is pretty tempting. Maybe someone will release Dr. Horrible templates!
Aside: What's up with the DVDs of Doctor Who being so insanely expensive? Eff you, BBC!

lily, my one and only

I've mentioned my love of Playboy France before and I was especially psyched when I heard doll-faced British model Lily Cole would be posing for the October cover. I am desperate to get my hands on this magazine. I wonder what my landlord would think if my mailbox began overflowing with European pornography.

best. hair. ever.

Christian Dior Ready-to-Wear Spring 2009

images: style.com

where is tyra when i need her?

I need to marathon some America's Next Top Model and practice smiling with my eyes. I've been on a not-so-great picture streak as of late, and I think I need to start paying more attention to Ms. Banks' words of wisdom. And perhaps create some new rules of my own.

1) Watch the bitchface. Why so serious?

2) It's okay to smile. When you're nervous about getting your photograph taken and you try not to smile, you can easily look pinched. (Does the outfit look familiar?)

3) Use eyecream. I'm no Lauren Conrad, but I think I see something developing at the outer corners of my 27-year old eyes.

4) The most important rule of all is actually a two-parter.
a) Modest above-the-knee dresses become significantly shorter when sitting.
b) This indecency is made infinitely worse by SITTING ON A MIRROR!

And now that I've scarred you by almost showing you my ladybits, I'm off to Silver and Gold!

the last two photos are by Digital Crush, from Sugar and Creative Context, respectively

hello, babies. welcome to earth.

Well, I'm back. A lot's happened since I was last posting regularly. Voluminous trousers took over the runway, Dollhouse went batty, Jemma Kidd launched her cosmetics line at Target, the future of Project Runway got all confusing, the Large Hadron Collider was fired up, and I got this Go International Richard Chai dress on super sale. But the big story, for me anyway, the one that had me postponing my return to blogging even further since I couldn't figure out what to say about it, was the death of David Foster Wallace.

I can't bring myself to eulogize Wallace. I could never do him or his work justice, and I could never adequately explain how dearly I loved his writing. What I can say is that with Wallace's suicide and the loss of Kurt Vonnegut last year, I'll never be able to read a new work by my two favorite science fiction writers again (though to call them science fiction writers is such a gross over-simplification). They have left such an incredible gaping hole.

So instead of trying to say something that would do Mr. Wallace's memory justice, I'm just going to share my favorite Vonnegut quote that I always repeat to myself when things are dark. From God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater :

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’

David Foster Wallace 1962-2008

and...i'm ranting

Hello friends. Just wanted to give you a heads up that A Tiny Machine hasn't disappeared forever. I moved into a new place in August and had a plan to share wireless with my neighbors. However, after a few weeks that fell through, and because of my difficult schedule, Comcast couldn't come by until this morning. I went straight home after the Walker After Hours last night to be certain that I would be awake and available between the hours of 8:00 and 12:00. But apparently, the internet guy didn't ring my buzzer when he came by. He called me and my phone didn't ring. So as I was waiting patiently to finally have to have blogging at my fingertips, he was outside my apartment canceling my appointment. Needless to say, I'm a little frustrated. They'll now be coming by in a week and a half and I'll be back to blogging about beauty, fashion and general nerdery. In the meantime, check out my article about New York Fashion Week on The Rake.

bad blogger

Sorry I haven't been posting much the past few days. I'm currently mid-move, so I have a lot to do and spotty internet access. I should be back to regular posting next week. In the meantime, check out this promotional photo for MAC's upcoming fall collection Cult of Cherry. I am obsessed with that lipstick.

And the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.