Today’s Fashion Flashback—Marc Jacobs’ Spring 1993 Grunge Collection for Perry Ellis That Got Him Fired

    I have been reminiscing of my younger days when there was a lot less to worry about and fashion was fun and carefree. Flashback to 1993 when GRUNGE was the scene. Music was loud. Plaid was everywhere. And dirty hair was acceptable. Ahhhh, those were the days.    

    In November of 2025, I found the fashion show for Marc Jacobs' Spring 1993 Collection for Perry Ellis on YouTube. I had never seen that full fashion show, and there I was, seeing all the outfits for the Spring 1993 collection. Wow!!!  It was EPIC !!! Back in 1993, I could only see fashion shows on STYLE With Elsa Klensch on CNN. And they never aired full fashion shows; only highlights. For the first time, I was seeing every outfit, a high-end version of Grunge! Plaids were turned into diaphanous silks. There were beautiful granny see-through dresses. Outfits were paired with Doc Martins or Birkenstocks. And every outfit was layered upon layered as was done during the early 90's. Sadly, this collection got Marc Jacobs fired from Perry Ellis, but the firing catapulted his career.

    Since November of 2025, I have been recreating some of my favorite looks from the show by gathering what I can find on ThredUp and The Real Real. I have found some beaded cocktail dresses, crochet cardigans, and long ethereal silk or silk-like dresses. Not Marc Jacobs or Perry Ellis, but other brands.

    Here are some of the iconic looks from the Spring 1993 Perry Ellis Collection that Marc Jacobs designed. 

  

  

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite look is the first one pictured. I was lucky to get 2 beaded cocktail dresses and some crochet sweaters/cardigans. Another favorite look is the floral granny dress. I found a couple of silk and silk-like floor length dresses. I will be mainly be wearing these outfits to church on Sundays. Alas, I live in a small town now, and there aren't too many places to go to except the grocery store. And church.

    For a better look at the collection, check it out below.

 

Easy Lip Care & Color -- L'Oreal Paris Hyaluron Tint Lip Stain Serum

     This product is the easiest way to keep your lips hydrated and healthy with a flush of long-staying color. The minute I saw the video ad on YouTube with Kendall Jenner, I had to get this. I have been wearing lip stick for decades and swore by them for my go-to face (I don't wear make-up on a daily basis. Just serum and moisturizer on my face, then lipstick. That's my simple, daily look.) But now, I am adapting this lip stain serum as a more youthful, more natural go-to face.

    It applies light and glossy but not sticky like a gloss. It feels like what it says -- a SERUM. It is very hydrating. When you let it dry, it feels like your lips are absorbing the product. Then, you are left with a long wearing stain that lasts, as advertised, up to 12 hours. For me, I vape with a JUUL vaping device, so I do have to reapply sooner than 12 hours. I have to reapply after 5 or 6 hours to maintain the moisturization and the stain/color. I use the product like this: apply, let it dry for 1 to 2 minutes, then go about my day. I must say, when I vape soon after letting it dry, the lip stain serum does not transfer onto the JUUL device. So I am impressed! Because most of my lipsticks transfer onto surfaces, especially my vape device.

    You can use it like how I apply it, or you can blot with a tissue after application, then reapply for a richer, deeper stain. 

    This is a lazy girl's solution to healthy lips! And I am a lazy girl!!! I don't like to fuss about my face, but I am lucky I have good, clear enough skin that I look OK without foundation. (I think. I look OK to me, and that's all that matters!)

    You can even use it on your cheeks for that all-natural flush! I haven't used it on my cheeks yet, but I'll give it a try one of these days.

    This Hyaluron Tint Lip Stain Serum comes in 8 shades from a nude to a bold bordeaux:

Color:

217 Smoky Mauve (dusky pink)

420 Le Rouge Paris (universal red)

490 Berry Jolie (rich deep berry)

521 Bordeaux Please (deep wine red)

601 Worth It (pinky nudy)

635 Worth It Medium (medium berry nude)

640 Tea Time (corally brown nude)

680 Nude Espresso (medium brown nude)

My favorite shade is the Berry Jolie. I am a medium, tan tone, and the Berry Jolie looks like my natural lip color but more alive and healthy. It looks like my lips, but better, giving me a very natural, no fuss look. I have 4 of the shades: Berry Jolie, Worth It, Worth It Medium, and Le Rouge Paris. Honestly, I love all 4 colors for different purposes, occasions, and outfits. I want to also purchase Tea Time and Bordeaux Please to add to the collection.

    The price is an affordable $11 to $14 per item and available at most drugstores, big box stores like Walmart and Target, Ulta, Amazon, and more. I found it cheapest at Walmart for $10.97 and Target for $10.99.

    Its key ingredients for hydration are Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Jojoba Wax, and Vitamin E. For a list of the full ingredients, go to L'Oreal Paris Hyaluron Tint Lip Stain Serum .

    L'Oreal Paris succeeded with this product innovation combining lip care with lip color. Applause!!! 

    In my opinion, you can't go wrong with L'Oreal Paris Hyaluron Tint Lip Stain Serum. It's easy, affordable, and works. It does what it advertises for the most part, and I am so thankful for products like this that make me look good, feel good, and make my life easier!

My Lip Color Picks for Spring 2018

Nude lips are the supposed lip trend for Spring 2018 from the Runway shows, but it's not my pick. What I will be wearing this Spring 2018 are Coral Lips and Violet Lips. Neither have really made a major splash this upcoming season, but so what. These are my picks. What are yours???

My favorite outfits to pair with these lip colors are crisp white ones. Girly silhouettes for Coral and clean lines for Violet. What do you think and plan to wear for Spring 2018???

Lancome Gift with Purchase Pandemonium!!!

I just treated myself to three Lancome lipsticks on Bloomingdales.com and to my surprise received 4 FREE Gifts with Purchase!!! I knew I would receive one Gift with Purchase, but the three additional ones just put me over the moon!

I expected to receive this one for sure:

Gift with any $39.50 Lancôme purchase ($139 value)! Choose your cosmetics bag

But then I also got these:
 
 

Choose your day & eye cream duo Gift with Purchase 

Choose your face & eye palette duo Gift with Purchase

Plus, spend $75 and choose your second gift!

I can't wait to get all the loot in the mail. It was a nice treat and a very nice surprise!!!

Finally! The Lookbook is Out! Altuzarra for Target

Back in May, I blogged about two collaborations to be excited about in the Fall: Alexander Wang for H&M and Altuzarra for Target.  Fast-forward to now, just a half a month away from the official start of Fall, Target finally released the Altuzarra for Target lookbook.  Released on Thursday, the 14th of August, exactly one month before the release of the collection.  Expect to wake up early on Sunday, September 14th to either line up at the nearest Target store or to madly shop Online.

Oh, I will be up early to line up at my neighborhood Target once again as I did last Fall for the 3.1 Phillip Lim capsule collection for Target. I don't think it will be as crazy as the 3.1 Phillip Lim collab due to the very popular handbags, but I'm gonna go earlier anyway, since there are some tops I really want to get my hands on. And I must have that long black dress with the white flowers! Although the slit on the side goes a little too high, and the largest size might not even fit me, I still must have it. Yes, I know, I'm insane!!!

My Picks/Hottest items from the collection:

To view the entire lookbook, visit Altuzarra for Target Lookbook.

The collection is composed of almost 50 pieces with prices ranging from $17.99 to $89.99 for apparel and lingerie, and $29.99 to $79.99 for shoes and accessories. The collection will be available at most Target stores in the US and Canada, as well as Online (to ship only to the US and Canada.)  Luckily for the rest of the bargainistas outside of the Americas, a curated assortment will be available globally at NET-A-PORTER.COM.

Switching My Daily Moisturizer to EUCERIN Everyday Protection Face Lotion, SPF 30

I am beyond sold on this daily moisturizer.  I've only been using it for two days, but I love how it makes my face look and feel, the good amount of SPF, and most importantly, the price.  It is sold at your nearest drugstore or discount retailer.  Target has it for the cheapest everyday price of $6.99.  I just happened to get it at Walmart yesterday because I had other items to buy there, and as it so happened, it was on Rollback for $6.96.  For 4 fl. oz, this bottle will probably last me 6 or more months, and I apply face moisturizer on my face, neck and upper chest.  The broad spectrum SPF 30 is the highest SPF I've seen on a face moisturizer, which is perfect for Summer.  For me, it's good for year-round face protection and hydration, since I live in sunny Miami.  It's very light-weight, great for people with normal to oily skin.  If you have extra dry skin and live in a dry climate, I would probably recommend a thicker and richer daytime moisturizer.  There is a light fragrance from the sunscreen, typical of what other sunscreens smell like, but it does dissipate after application.  This moisturizer actually lessens the appearance of spots on my skin due to the milkiness of the sunscreen (I think it's from the sunscreen,) but it does not leave streaks or anything like that.  The best part is that my skin feels silky smooth after it dries.

I owe my Mom for introducing this daytime moisturizer to me.  She saw it on Dr. Oz this week, and they even had a giveaway Online, which we both missed out on.  Oh well, but it doesn't matter.  At about $7, it is incredibly affordable.

I was using Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford for about a year now and cancelled my membership because something in the formulation was giving me rough patches on my face.  Although not visible, I hated how my face felt.  I think everyone wants their face to feel smooth, right?  For about $30 a month, Meaningful Beauty ships products every 3 months for a 90-day supply.  Their daily moisturizer is only 1 fl. oz. and that lasts me a little over 90 days.  Before Meaningful Beauty, I was using the Mary Kay Timewise (Normal to Oily formula) skin care regimen for years, almost a decade.

I believe in keeping your face-care the same brand to ensure product compatibility, but I am going to go rogue for a bit and see how mixing and matching my skincare products work out for me.  Since I will soon be running out of my Meaningful Beauty supply, I went ahead and bought my skincare products:  Clean and Clear day and night face wash combo pack, L'oreal night cream and eye cream, and the EUCERIN Everyday Protection Face Lotion, SPF 30 as my day moisturizer.  All of these cost me about $40 and will probably last for at least 3 or so months, which beats the $90+ to $120+ I was paying for before for a 90 day supply.  I'll see how it goes...

How to Make the Art Print Work for Everyday Wear

Yesterday I posted some inspiration for a big trend this season in Artful Fashion for Spring/Summer 2014.  You may be wondering, "how can I make it work for me?"  You probably don't want to be walking around looking like a big canvas, ready to be hung on a wall somewhere.  The best thing to do is tone it down with neutral colors such as white, black, nude or beige.  Follow these ladies' lead by wearing it with black.  It really tones it down and makes this trend very wearable for almost any size.  Even I can attempt this look on my plus-size frame -- black clothing is my best friend after all.

Matching your art print finds with a black T-shirt, cardigan, turtleneck, pencil or full skirt will give your outfit just the right amount of a statement and not the "Hey look at my loud, very loud outfit!"  Also keep in mind that minimal accessories work best for this trend. 

Buying just one key piece is all that is needed for this trend, since you can work it with basic, neutral items already in your closet.