THE BEAUTY EDIT: The Prettiest Picks for Fall and Holiday 2013

Cara Delevingne for the Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Holiday 2013 Campaign.

 Originally posted in The CLOSET

It's not easy being pretty. Sure, we all know that true beauty comes from within but let's be honest - it's nice to have a glowing face, shiny hair and clump-free lashes as icing on the cake, don't you think? Luckily, all it takes to look 'naturally' beautiful is a little cleanser, concealer, BB cream, CC cream (??), toner, primer, foundation, blush, mascara, eye makeup remover and night cream. Oh, and don't forget the nails - from basecoats and topcoats, to ring finger nail art and perfect polish remover. Oh wait, then there's the hair - shampoos, conditioners, detanglers, hair oil, waxes, pomades, dryers, straighteners, curlers, stylers. Um, anyone else ready to tear their hair out yet?

To sift through all the confusion and to take the guesswork out of picking the right products, I headed to Sephora, the pantheon of beauty, the hallowed halls of all things pretty, and edited it down to my top beauty picks for you...

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Fall's Top Pastel Picks. Really.

Pretty in pink in the Oct '13 issue of Marie Claire UK. Photo by Patric Shaw.

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Fashion is a lot like life. Once you think you've got it all figured out, as soon as you feel comfortable somewhere, something inevitably comes along and spins you around. The lesson (in life, and fashion), is to not let the hurricane of change paralyze you. It's about getting back up and facing the next challenge head on because if you don't, 20 years will fly by and there you'll sit, Jennifer Aniston circa Friends-era hair and tacky '90s pumps intact. This has happened to so many great people - please don't let it happen to you.

For Fall '13, the big colour story is all about lightening up. While pastels have historically been a spring thing, designers threw us for a loop, sending soft pinks, powder blues and minty greens down the fall runways. Forget everything you thought you knew about colour; here's how to incorporate this very current trend into your wardrobe right now...

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BREAKING PLAID: 3 Ways to Wear It Now

A sweet look from the ASOS Fall/Winter '13 Lookbook. Photo via ASOS

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Let me preface this post by saying that I don't have a problem with lumberjacks. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with small towns (if you saw where I live, you'd understand that small doesn't even begin to describe it.) But between bearded axe-wielding dudes, Highland flings and buttoned-up cowboys in dad jeans, plaid can quickly become the punchline of a bad fashion joke.

If you haven't noticed, plaid is everywhere right now. The print was one of the most favoured on the Fall '13 runways of NY, Milan and yes, even Paris, with dresses, skirts and suits covered in très chic tartans of every stripe and colour. Between the mix-and-match plaids at Céline and the 90's grunge vibe at Dries Van Noten, plaid is the print to pick up this season, whether super chilled out for a Saturday afternoon or primped up and polished for a day at the office.

Love plaid but not sure how to wear it? Here are 3 chic ways to get all tartaned up this fall...

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Your Fall '13 Denim Guide

Dree Hemingway and her boyfriends for Gap Fall '13 - photo via Gap

I have a confession to make: I haven't bought 'normal' jeans in years. I've picked up pairs upon pairs of brights and pastels in practically every colour and printed skinnies, too, but standard issue jeans? Nope. Not since I splurged on a pair of Sevens almost 7 years ago. Blame it on my job (the occupational hazard of always wanting the newest, latest trend) and having a few kids along the way, but I guess I've somehow forgotten my roots - or at least the roots of every girl's wardrobe. 

So, I finally pulled out my old jeans that have been hiding away in my closet and since I'm too embarassed to show you a pic, let me break it down for you. Super low rise, old-school bootcut from the front and from the back? OMG, enormous. It's like the pockets forgot they were pockets and had instead morphed into massive magnifying glasses for my bum. I'm going to blame that all on the jeans. The rearview offenders were promptly tossed into a giveaway bag (ha! that'll show 'em), leaving room for a few new pairs to take their place.

Ready for new jeans but not exactly sure where to start? I've sorted through the piles of denim out there, from ultra-distressed jeans to the coolest new denim jackets, guaranteed to bring you right up-to-speed for Fall '13...

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3 Cute Ways to Wear Camo

A cool camo look from Michael Kors Fall '13. Photo via Fairchild Photo.

Originally posted in The CLOSET

In fashion, and in life, there are some things you can do without a whole lot of thought - little black dresses, striped shirts and watching Real Housewives come to mind. Camo, my budding style mavens, is not one of these things. Unless you live in a shady forest dwelling, camo is not so easily hidden in the urban jungle; One careless misstep and you're a total fashion goner, ready to be stink-eyed, mocked or promptly enlisted.

For Fall '13 some of my fav designers, from Alexander Wang to Rebecca Minkoff to Michael Kors saluted camouflage in a seriously chic way, showing us that camo is officially on the front lines of fashion. Toss it into your wardrobe mix for the coming season and you'll be a total style soldier, ready to boldly take on anything life throws at you - from a mundane day at the office to weekend brunch with your besties. Check out these 3 cute ways to wear camo this fall...

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