I have a confession: 

I shave my arm hair. 

Eek!  I said it.  I started shaving it earlier this year and I haven't talked about it because I was a little embarrassed.  I don't know anyone else who does it and I felt like I had to keep it a secret.  It all started because of some pictures I had done earlier this year where the photographer was going over the shoot on the computer and doing some photoshopping and he started to photoshop my arm hair out of the picture.  And he casually said, "You know, you might want to think about shaving your arms" (Full Disclosure:  he, himself, is an arm shaver). Of course, I was wildly offended.  But then I looked at the computer screen and saw what he meant - my dark arm hair really stood out in the shot.  Now maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was the white backdrop, maybe I was having a really pale day.  But whatever it was I suddenly became very aware of my hair.  And I decided to shave it.  And I gotta confess more:  I love my shaven arms.  They are so soft and silky and smooth and pretty.  I only have to shave them once a week and I even tried letting the hair grow back out but decided I liked my arms better hairless.  

The reason I feel bold enough to share this with you is because this past Monday I was out with a group of friends and somehow, the art of arm shaving came up.  And of the three girls having this conversation - me and two fair-headed friends - ALL of us admitted to shaving our arms!  I was shocked.  I always assumed my blond friends were naturally hairless but no - they described it as having a halo of hair on their arms, like their arms glowed from the hair.  And suddenly I realized I wasn't alone.  One friend said she gave up shaving though because she would always miss a strip of hair and look, as her mom put it, like she "had mange."  So she switched to Veet and swears by it.  I've been wanting to try this, so it's next on my list.  I've been using my Venus Breeze razor with aplomb but I'm all about trying new techniques.

And, of course, now I'm wildly curious:

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I am loving Reese's entire look while running errands the other day.  The slouchy black dress with the brown belt, the gold pendant necklace, the quiet gladiator sandals and in particular the black and brown Lanvin bag.  I love the versatility that the bag has by incorporating both a cross-body strap and a shoulder strap.  Perfect for getting in and out of and balancing a day of errands.  Since I'm not in the market for Lanvin, I found this comprable bag over at Banana Republic: 

The coloring is reversed from Reese's, which actually goes with more of my wardrobe.  It is slouchy yet structured and would be perfect for everyday use.  At $190, it is still a little high for my budget, but I'm going to keep looking for this style in more affordable places.  And for a bag that could replace most of my other bags, maybe $190 is worth it so I can downsize my closet...plus BR is always having sales...plus, Christmas is coming up and I always seem to get a gift card or two from there...

My new must-have is Stila Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain.  I love the look of flushed skin and berry lips and after seeing the results of Allure's test pictures, I'm  sold.  They have an article in this month's issue (pg. 164) about products that are out that claim to be universal.  As in, flattering to every skin tone.  Melissa and I did our own test with Almay's Smart Shade Blush, with not-so-good results, so I was interested to see how their test products panned out.  They have three models with three different skin tones (fair, medium and dark) testing out each of these products.  Stila's stain was the one product of four products tested that really looks great on all and that the girls unanimously liked.  I tried to find pictures online to share with you but no luck.  Looks like you'll have to get Allure to see more!   Since it's two products in one, I am willing to spend $24 on it.  Plus, it is seriously pretty.  Has anyone out there used it yet?  I'd love to hear what you think!

Decisions, decisions. How does one choose which shoe to indulge in? Maybe all? That's crazy talk...or is it?

You're looking at some of the Sigerson Morrison for Target collection which means nothing is over $39.99, which means decision making just got a little easier. Big shout out to Tara for bringing this awesome collection to my attention!  Holla!

I've picked out my favorite designs, but that doesn't mean I have one of everything pictured. You'll have to go check it out for yourself to see which ones tickle your fancy. I'm thinking I have to have those blue booties in my life. I'd wear them as if they were a neutral to pump up any outfit. They are too electric to not indulge in. What do you think?

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I will admit: If given a choice between heels and flats, I'll choose flats every time. My feet do not like heels - they hurt too much and I don't want to build up a tolerance to the pain.

But sometimes, every once in a while, a high-heeled shoe is what an outfit requires. I'll suck it up like a champ and put on heels when I need to.

This isn't to say I don't like heels - I am a great appreciator of high heels and those that can wear them effortlessly. I think most heeled shoes are beautiful and I wish I didn't have such a pain issue. Which is why I love these tips in this month's Self from Dancing With The Stars pro Karina Smirnoff:

I love the first tip because that also happens to be one of my favorite hamstring stretches. I also love the idea of soaking my feet in ice and then sleeping with them on a pillow because one of the worst things about a long night in heels is the morning after when it hurts to walk flat-footed. And baby powder! Duh! I have really thin skin on my heels and hate to wear closed-in shoes because of my blister-making ability. Why didn't I think of that solution sooner?

Do you have any high heel wearing tips to add to the list? Please share! My aching feet beg you to...

Christina Ricci's Versace dress had it coming and going last night at the Whitney Museum American Art Gala. I love love love the high neck line, the cap sleeves, the black embroidery and the gun metal sheen of this dress. The back being completely cut out adds major drama to this glamourous gown, as well as major sex appeal. Never underestimate a beautiful back on a woman. We so often want to accentuate our cleavage when we want to 'sex up' a look but I think an open back on an outfit can be just as flirtatious. By showing restraint and accenting her natural beauty with minimal makeup and a side-swept up-do, Christina masters the look of classic siren.

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One of the goodies the presenters of the Emmy Awards received was Lierac's Coherence Age-Defense Firming Eye Cream. I've never really felt the need to employ an eye cream until this past weekend. I had a long week of late nights and my skin was showing the evidence of that. My "smile lines" were showing up whether I was smiling or not. So I decided to give this cream a-go to see if it could work some magic.

The answer is....yes. It may just be magical. It has virutally no scent (great for my sensitive nose), is not greasy at all and after using it two nights in a row, I can already see a difference. A little goes a long way, so it will last many nights of application. It also says you can use it in the morning as well but I was unsure of how it would layer under my makeup. Since it's so light and soaks into the skin quickly, you definitely could, but I haven't tried yet. I'm just so pleased with this eye cream after two uses, that I had to pass on the recommendation to you as soon as I could. If you're in the market for a good eye cream, I recommend this one.

Do you have a favorite eye cream you use? I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share the love...

While my weekend consisted of errands, rollerskating and caramel apples, Victoria Beckham's weekend involved these out-of-this-world spiky heels from Christian Louboutin for Rodarte. Seriously, who else could pull these off like Posh? She paired the shoes with a simple black lace dress, giving the heels centerstage billing. Check out her entire look at PopSugar. 

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(Photo: PopSugar)

I am all about the deals today.  Old Navy is (already!) clearing out their fall stock with markdowns up to 60% off, so now is the time to bulk up your looks for the season.  The color block cardigan Melissa loves?  Down to $20.  This bauble bracelet I have pictured?  $3.99 (from $14.99)! Shoes for $10.  Yoga pants for $10.  Shirts for $5.  I love a good Old Navy sale because you can really get a lot of bang for your buck.  The sale is only online, so start clicking.  Happy Weekend!