Rising Indian actress Sonam Kapoor joined pal Freida Pinto at the Chanel Paris-Bombay show at the Grand Plaza in Paris on Tuesday. She, of course, wore Chanel — choosing a frock from the Spring 2012 line.

The dress is typically Chanel, in white with black accents and ruffled details. The actress paired the dress with black tights and black pumps.

Things I like: The fact that she has made a very Sping-y dress look perfectly wintery with the black tights and shoes. In fact, it almost looks winter-perfect. Very festive! I also quite like the dress. I love the shoulder details. It looks fabulous on the catwalk, but it just doesn’t translate too much to real life.

But I don’t like the accessorizing. The necklace is just too much, and adds colour that isn’t really necessary to the outfit. It’s just all a bit too-much with such a stand-out dress. I would also have taken the earrings out. As Chanel herself said, take a piece of jewellery off before you leave the house.

I would have loved to see long flowing locks here, but I do like the makeup. Some have said it’s too heavily applied but I think it complements her face nicely.

I’m gonna go with fab dress on the catwalk, but not so much in real life.

But what do you guys think- hot or hot mess?

I can’t physically express my envy in writing this post.

As a poor, fashion-obsessed college student, my one dream is for some Chanel. A Chanel bag would be the dream. Just one beautiful piece of black and white monogrammed beauty. Or a vintage Chanel tweed jacket. Or a dress. Or even just some tights…

I digress. Lady Gaga stepped out at Barneys, New York to celebrate the opening of the Gaga Workshop Holiday Window, in an outfit designed for her personally by the God of fashion, Karl Lagerfeld. The gown involved a classic Chanel white and tweed jacket and a full, Victorian-style skirt with an asymmetric hem. Gaga accessorized with her trademark red lips and shades, black gloves, a homage to Coco Chanel herself with an amazing black-and-white headpiece and pearls and, of course, insane shoes.

This is a really classy look for Gaga, with no skin on show, and is perfectly Chanel while also being 100% Gaga. It’s so classy, but also a dream princess gown that lights up the little girl in me. She looks like the fairy on top of the Christmas tree. I absolutely adore this dress, but I don’t think it’s for everyone.

So what do you think, hot or hot mess?

I would never know, but I always imagine it’s quite a challenge to look less than perfect in Chanel. However, looking less than perfect in Chanel is better than no Chanel at all. Well, usually.

When I look at this Chanel dress, worn by Blake Lively at the Green Lantern Premiere, I just…don’t get it. The top half is good. I am a little distracted by the fact that there is a huge flower on her nipple, but I can get past that. It’s perfectly fine. And then there’s the weird, chiffon-y skirt bit. I don’t get it. It’s a little bridal, very floral and just seems to be doing way too much at once.

She wore the dress with (surprisingly pretty) silver glittery shoes (akin to ones I wore as a seven year old to the school disco, but probably closer to the price of an apartment) and lots of gold jewellery. She wore layered bangles and two cocktail rings, and a pretty gold hair piece.

One of the big complaints of this outfit is that it doesn’t scream “Superhero Movie Premiere”. It’s a little too serious. It’s a little too “Chanel party on a yacht.” The dress is very elegant but the jewellery is a little clunky. I love her hair and makeup though; her one-shoulder hair is lovely, and her makeup is pretty and simple.

I think this would have been much cuter as a mini dress and would allow Blake to show off those amazing legs of hers. I think it’s the sheer skirt part that puts me off.

But what do you guys think? Hot or hot mess?

After spending money on a lot of products that don’t live up to their promise, I can attest that the following four are definitely some of the best products on the market. If you know what’s good for you (and your kisser), get thee to the mall and stock up on these ASAP:

Lip Buffer: C.O. Bigelow’s Soothing Lip Buffer,  made with aloe extract and coco butter, will make your lips perfectly soft and smooth. If you apply the lip buffer onto your lips and take a warm wash cloth and rub the buffer in, you will not only exfoliate your lips, but you will rub in its relaxing peppermint extract. For $4.99 you can pick up a tube that will last you months and months. Although you can buy C.O. Bigelow products through their website, Bath & Body Works also carries them.

Lip Gloss: Nothing gets better than Yves Saint Laurent’s Golden Shimmering Gloss. This YSL lip gloss stays on for hours, and it actually protects the lips with natural oils instead of drying them out like most glosses do. Each tube of lip gloss has real 24-carat-gold flecks (baller!), which cause extra shine and luster on your lips. Although this lip gloss is expensive – $30 a tube – the quality and 31 different shades make it 100% worth every last cent. 

Lipstick: Every girl should find her color and own a fancy tube of lipstick. And if she’s smart, that tube will be one of the many shades of Chanel Hydrabase Creme Lipstick. Chanel is a timeless classic when it comes to lipstick and after trying it just once, it was easy to see why. The product actually makes your lips feel good and look amazing while making your teeth look whiter and your smile look brighter. (Yes, this stuff really does it all!) With a moisturizing finish to it, you are truly getting your $28.50′s worth.

Lip Balm: Lush, known for its handmade and organic products, has one of the best lip balm products around. For $6.95, you should indulge in the Whipstick Lip Balm. This product lasts like nothing else I’ve ever used. If you are looking for a product to put on before bed that will keep your lips moisturized all night long, this lip balm will do the job. Despite a full night of sleep (and drooling) it’s still on my lips when I wake up. And to top it off, the chocolatey-orange scent and taste is to die for.

So there you have it: the best of the best in lip wear.
Your lips are an important part of your life (from smiles to smooches) so give them the love and attention they deserve.

The following post is courtesy of our uber fashionable friends at CollegeFashion.net!

So after the mixed reviews of last week’s article on Zara looks for less (clearly I’m more frugal than I thought), this week I decided to focus on a designer that we can all agree is out of the average college girl’s budget – Chanel.

This week, the Chanel 2011 Resort collection debuted in Saint-Tropez and it definitely did not disappoint:

It was like something out of a quintessential Riviera movie. With the sun setting over the sea, hundreds of Chanel’s invited guests sitting in the red wooden chairs of Saint-Tropez’s famous Sénéquier, and many more onlookers piling onto balconies and pressing against barricades, Natasha Poly, Anja Rubik, and the rest of Karl Lagerfeld’s cast arrived at Quai Jean Jaurès via speedboat.

And like the carefree starlets and jet-setters they were channeling, the models traipsed down the street-cum-runway often barefoot, wearing seventies-ish diaphanous caftans, long crocheted dresses, ruffle-lapelled silk jersey trouser suits, and patchwork denim skirts. Tanned and toned midriffs peeked out beneath a cropped sweater here or a button-down there, its hems tied in a saucy bow. – Style.com

Doesn’t that description just make you want to jet off to some exotic island (decked head-to-toe in Chanel, of course)? Although most of us probably can’t afford the wardrobe or the trip, I’ve tracked down some pieces to help you capture the Chanel Resort 2011 vibe without breaking the bank.

Want to channel Chanel? Click here to find out how.

I'll take 20 of you, please.

This week I celebrated a birthday and for the first time in my life I couldn’t think of one thing that I really wanted. I had already gotten all of my friends together (and to dress up in ridiculous costumes) for a party, I got a half dozen cupcakes (and 3 full cups of frosting!), and I spent the entire day on the phone with the most important people in my life. Oh, and my oldest friend took me out for all-you-can-eat sushi. What more could a girl want?

When my mother called to ask me what I wanted, then, I was stumped.

“Uh, I have no clue. I can’t think of anything.”
“Can’t think of anything? Are you drunk?” She asked.
“No, mom. Why do you always ask me that?” I replied, now realizing how inappropriate it would be to ask for booze….
“Well, just think about it. If you could have a room full of anything right now, what would it be?”
“Paul Rudds.”

I got a Starbucks gift card and an “I Love You, Man” DVD in the mail the next day.  Clearly, her little experiment failed (no matter how hard she would try, I know she’d never get Paul Rudd to agree to be cloned… and then stand in a small room to wait for me), but I realized what a great question it was. It’s just so telling about a person. So this week I posed the very same question to the CollegeCandy writers:

If you could have a room full of anything, what would it be?

What’s your answer?

Emmy – Loyola University Chicago: Ghiradelli dark chocolate filled with caramel, and New Orleans beignets from the Grand Luxe Cafe!

Sarabeth – University of Texas: It might not be creative, but MONEY!

Jill – Universtiy of Wisconsin: I would want a room full of chocolate chip banana bread that tastes so bad for you but – surprise! – is totally calorie free. And if the Backstreet Boys and/or Jason Segel could be in said room spoonfeeding the B-bread to me, well, that’s just bonus points.

Jasmin – University of Missouri: York Mints! York Mints and freshly groomed puppies!

Leah – Ryerson University: A Marc Jacobs boutique with everything in my size.

Brittany – University of Saint Thomas: Is it fair if we can take as many things from this room out as possible? If so, definitely round trip tickets to anywhere around the world. Nope. Change my mind. My answer is puppies.

Ness – Sheridan: My dream room would just be the biggest mattress, a grotesque amount of pillows and blankets, and bookshelves all over the walls filled with books and DVDs. Oh, and a plasma screen would be nice. Sleep, sex, relaxation, movies, and reading? I don’t think a room could get any better than that. Okay, so it’s not a room full of one thing, but DAYUM.

Alex – Lakehead University: A room full of PURSES! Designer ones, of course. I’m a total bag lady.

Lauren – University of Michigan: Chanel bags filled with Lucky Charm marshmallows. OMG, I just drooled thinking about it.

Katie – Michigan State University: Money. No joke, that would be awesome. Or designer shoes in my size. Same thing really.

Zahra – Northwestern University: I’d want a roomful of all the books that I’ve heard about and wanted to read but either forget their names or don’t have time to.

Christie – NC State: Clothes! Duh.

Meg – University of Delaware: I’d have a room full of cars: one for the weekend, one for weekdays, summer car, winter car, classic, new, you name it.

Kelly – Simmons College: Hundred dollar bills.

Brithny – Duke: Those plastic wrapping bubble things. I always pop every single one (minor OCD tendencies).

Charlsie – Hollins: If I could h ave a room full of anything, it would be a room full of Jelly Bellys. But only the flavors I like!

Jackelyn – San Francisco State University: A room full of food that is free of calories, but still fills me up with nutritional value. Yeah, that would be the life!

Norah – Drake University: Books. Oh wait, that’s a library, isn’t it?

Carly – Grinnell: Probably a room full of nonperishable baking ingredients. Flour, sugar, chocolate (oh, chocolate) . . . yes . . .

Kelly – University of Iowa: Kittens!

And here I thought the discount Absolut was the best part of my Costco membership...

Chanel at Costco? STFU.

I thought the only thing of value they had there was the 40-pack of Trojans for a mere $10. Who knew that between the 80 rolls of Angel Soft toilet paper and the caskets, a myriad of designer brand names could be found at your local Costco warehouse?

New York City residents celebrated the opening of its first Costco by rushing the doors and buying out their stock of Louis Vuitton and Chanel handbags. Oh, did I forget to mention they had Burberry and Coach available for purchase as well? Shock me, shock me, shock me, Costco, with your fabulous merchandise. As if the Costco brand wasn’t designer enough already.

And it doesn’t stop there. 7 For All Mankind jeans? You got it. Michele watches?  No big deal. Paris Hilton’s latest perfume… well I’ll pass on that, but if I ever get the urge to smell like a Can Can dancer, I’ll know where to go.

Costco people are a special brand of human. We live life large. Extra large, if possible. Our carts are always filled to the brim with giant boxes of whatever we can get our hands on. And just when we thought life couldn’t get any better, Costco delivers us the crème de la crème of a shopper’s paradise.

These goodies aren’t available at all Costco’s nationwide (…yet), but I’m just happy to live in a world where it’s OK to purchase a discount case of hot dogs and a Chanel purse at the same time.

God, what did we ever do without the internet? Besides the amazingness that comes from sites like this, there’s online shopping. And it rules! You can get all your favorite things without leaving the house and online stores can charge less for all of it since they don’t have to spend all that extra money on actual storefronts. That means lots of fabulosity without spending lots of money.

And one of those great stores is a recent CollegeCandy find: Anique Michelle. It isn’t well known – yet – and might just be one of the best kept secrets of the world wide web.  The selection is small, but everything Anique stocks is adorable and affordable. Nothing costs more than $60! I’m totally digging the accessories and can’t wait to spruce up a few of my outfits with some of these.

Envelope clutches are great for those nights out because they’re big enough to carry the essentials, but not so big that they’re a nuisance.  Love, love, love the purple (it’ll look great with a LBD) and the contrasting details.  Definitely worth $19.

These earrings a great statement piece and can add a little edge to any outfit. It’s no wonder they’re named after me.

I find big, funky rings are the easiest way to add a little punch to any look. And with three color options (black, gold and silver) you can find one for any outfit…

I’m a big fan of the studs and bright color choices on this over-sized wallet (or undersized clutch?). Now you can carry your ID, money and credit cards in style.

Chanel is one of my all-time favorite designers and this homage to Coco is a whole lot cheaper than buying the real deal. Not to mention, it would look just divine over a loose white v-neck tee.

Leather + gold + giant bangle = the perfect accessory.

Vests are like fashion magic. You just slip one on and your outfit is instantly cooler, especially when you’re talking about this studded little guy.

Despite what Jenny Humphrey may say, headbands are still a hot accessory this season. I’m loving the rich color of the flower on this one. It will look good with just about any hair color and easily update a simple ensemble. Plus, it’s only $9! Take that, overpriced Urban Outfitters accessories!

Don’t forget: CollegeCandy readers get another 15% off at Anique Michelle through November! Just enter “collegecandy” at checkout! Yay!

But I do follow GG fashion. It’s cute, it’s fashion forward… and it’s so expensive I think my entire college tuition could be paid off in one of Blair’s Chanel ensembles. But regardless of price tag, I want it.

So imagine how happy I was to see that kick-ass designer Anna Sui made a “Gossip Girl” look for Target. (Sure, some people aren’t sure about it, but I am. 100% sure, in fact.) From great fall dresses paired with opaque tights and riding boots, to perfect over-size cardigans, Gossip Girl Fashion + Target = one “damn I look goooood” me (and you).

From dresses to tops, Anna has some great and, most importantly, affordable looks for fall.

So shop happily, ladies!

XOXO,
BS
(That’s Budget Stylista not bullsh*t. Just wanted to clarify.)

The Girls:

[There are some women out there that we just can’t get out of our minds. No, we aren’t switching teams - yet - but we do have some serious crushes on some pretty fierce females. These ladies are all special in their own right and we aren’t ashamed to tell the world we love them.]

As a self-proclaimed Harry Potter nerd, I’m super excited for the next movie to be released in July.  After watching all the trailers multiple times, (as well as recent TV viewing of the older movies), one of the actors has me crushing.  While I was always drawn to Harry Potter in the books, in the movies it’s Hermione, played by the fabulous Emma Watson, that caught my eye.

Emma Watson was cast as Hermione at the ripe age of 9 and has really grown up (into one hot tamale) in the spotlight. Unlike her other under-20 peers, though, she’s grown up right. The worst things we’ve seen of her are some awkward fashion choices and picture of her drinking a beer; not her lady parts sticking out under a skirt, or her doing some illegal drugs in a bathroom.

So Emma is more than deserving of her position at #15 on the Forbes 20 Top Earning Young Superstars in 2007. The girl is worth $16 million!

Like our many other girl crushes, Emma has brains that could rival those of the character that made her famous.  It’s reported that she’s going to take an acting hiatus after Harry Potter wraps and will either be going to Yale or Brown in the fall.  Her backup plan is to be an artist, though with all that money in the bank and the rumors that she’s going to be the next face of Chanel, I’m not sure she needs a backup plan.

But back to why I love her.

I think Emma Watson is truly a great role model for young women. She is well spoken, talented, beautiful and totally devoted to the family that has always supported her. She even starred in a TV movie, Ballet Shoes, with her twin half-sisters playing the younger version of her character.  And we are always seeing her photographed at premieres with her adorable little brother (who I’d love to kick to the curb so I could walk the red carpet with her!).

Oh, and she loves the older men. While rumors have constantly been surfacing about her having a relationship with one of her co-stars, Emma is just friends with the other members of the Golden Trio. (Editor’s Note: Which means Ron Weasley is available for me?!) Instead, Emma has recently been linked to a financier nine years her senior.  And yes, he may be older, but this girl is totally an old soul so it all just seems to fit.

Emma Watson proves that you can have success in Hollywood and not turn into a totally hot mess. She seems like the kind of girl we’d all want to be friends with and, hey, that whole accent thing isn’t too bad, either. I heart Emma Watson and if she’s reading this, I’d totally heart a day in her closet.

I’m adding that to my vision board.