One of my favorite French designers is Claudie Pierlot, whose boutiques I always check out when I am in Paris. Her style is casual but very chic with a French twist. She has several shops in Paris but my favorite is on 1, rue Montmartre. Check out my other favorite Paris shopping destinations.

I love the dresses on the television show, Mad Men. But it’s not easy to find them (although sites like ShopMadMen.com are trying to help). I decided I would try Etsy.com and guess what, there they were: three elegant vintage dresses. The first two look very 1950s or early 1960s Dior and I can imagine myself floating down the Champs Elysees with white gloves and stilettos, stopping by a cafe to have an espresso.

This short sleeved black dress with buttons down the front and a size zipper is perfect for New Year’s Eve parties, the opera or the ballet. It costs $145.

This sophisticated navy blue dress with a big cream linen collar is something one might have worn for an outdoor soirée on a warm summer night in the south of France. It costs $145.

The third dress looks more swinging 60s in London. The high belted waistline and pleats suggest a carefree, girlish attitude. I love this dress because it looks serious (gray-blue) but very flirtations at the same time. Made out of a wool-polyester blend, it costs $88.

Comptoir des Cotonniers has opened a flagship store on the Place St. Sulpice in a space formerly occupied by the Yves St. Laurent men’s store. CdC has a lot of boutiques in Paris but this one is huge. It even has a library! I love CdC’s clothes which are very French like agnes b. but cost less.

Comptoir des Cotonniers
12 Place St. Sulpice
75006 Paris
France

*Check out our Paris shopping guide.

I love white coats in winter. They are impractical and therefore, highly desirable and decadent. The stylish ladies of Gossip Girl were having a winter white moment in Episode 12 (The Debarted) which showed Serena in a short white Blugirl coat; Blair in the most stunning off-white Escada knee-length coat; and Lily in a jeweled 3/4 sleeve cream jacket by Red Valentino (click on the image below).

It’s that time of the year when we have to attend a lot of holiday parties and galas. We’re tired, have too much to drink and not enough sleep, and our skin may not look as bright and cheerful as the holiday decorations around us. My skin rescue secret is none other than Clarins’s brilliant Lisse Minute (Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Makeup Base). You apply it before you put on your foundation. The result is visually stunning. Every time I use Lisse Minute, my skin looks radiant, smooth, and dare I say, “photoshopped”.

But once you get used to the magic of Lisse Minute, you’ll find yourself using it everyday, not just for parties. Sometimes I use it alone (without foundation) just to give my skin an instant boost.

Click on the image below to buy Clarins Lisse Minute:

Naughty or nice? Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, the Japanese Lolita fashion brand, has its first US flagship store in Japantown San Francisco. The original store opened in the Shibuya district of Tokyo in 1988 and has been the destination for girls who want to doll themselves up in cute fluffy pink outfits, knee-high socks and frilly bags that channel Bo-Peep. The boutique is located in New People, a funky four-story modern emporium dedicated to eclectic Japanese fashion, paper goods, and art.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright
New People
1746 Post St,
San Francisco, CA 94115
www.newpeopleworld.com

Check out our restaurant recommendations for San Francisco and specifically Japantown. Here is a Google map of our favorite San Francisco restaurants.

Just in time for the holidays, here’s Paperless Post, an online stationer that allows you to design your own invitations and holiday cards, send them via email, track responses and more. Unlike invitation sites like Evite, Paperless Post does charge for sending cards via what they call Paperless Stamps. The cost is pretty minimal, starting at $5 for $40 stamps. I got the first 25 stamps for free.

You ask, “why pay for this when Evite is free?” Well, because Paperless Post looks better. It is more stylish and classy. Go to: www.paperlesspost.com.

Fans of Bobbi Brown cosmetics have an extra incentive to get the new holiday palettes now and to stock up on items they use regularly: 20 percent off all orders from the Bobbi Brown website between November 30 and December 2. The savings are quite significant given that there is no shipping charge if you order $65 and more, and there is no sales tax (note: in California, the sales tax is almost 10 percent). My top pick is the Chrome Palette which consists of gorgeous silvery colors for the eyes and lip shades that would look good on most skin tones. I have worn Bobbi Brown’s makeup in the past and I consider it to be consistently good. The shimmery eye shadows are not too sparkly. 

But if the colors are too “cool” for your skin tone, or if you already have too many shadows like these, try the Earth Metal Palette below which has warmer colors.

Go to www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

The Christmas holidays are just around the corner. If you are looking for real holiday cards, the ones you actually have to write on and send via post, check out Rifle Paper Company. I like their collection because the cards are so different from what you would find at Hallmark or other mass greeting card retailers. Rifle Paper also carries stationery, invitations, wrapping paper, prints, recipe cards and more. You can buy gifts AND greeting cards all in one location.

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Check out our sister site, Mapplr.com, for travel news and reviews of the coolest boutique hotels and restaurants around the world.

I’m keeping my eye out for the best Black Friday deals. Drugstore.com (and its affiliate Beauty.com) are holding amazing sales. These are the items I have my eye on:

(1) Borghese Essentials Holiday Set: this includes the Fango Active Mud, Tono body cream, Bagno di Vita foaming bath gel, two facial moisturizers (the moisture intensifier and day lotion with SPF 15) and more. This was already being offered for $47 at Drugstore.com and now it’s on sale for $34.99. If you were to purchase these products separately, it would cost you more than $150.

(2) JimmyJane Massage Candle: originally $55, this is on sale now for $38.50.

(3) Avalon Organics Hand and Body Lotion, Lemon: on sale for $8.24.

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Please click on the link below on Black Friday to get even more amazing deals.