image via Refinery 29

I used to pluck the hell out of my eyebrows. I admit it. These days, I'm more likely to smear RevitaLash on them in the hopes they'll grow in faster and thicker. I credit my newfound brow bravery to Kristie Streicher, eyebrow guru. When I first went to Kristie a few years ago, frail eyebrows and all, she helped me get over my fear of looking like Groucho Marx and convinced me to let hair return to places on my face where it hadn't appeared for a decade.

So, I was happy to see that bold, bushy, otherwise large-and-in-charge brows remained the look of choice in at a spate of New York Fashion Week shows, from Narciso Rodriguez to Erin Wasson x RVCA. It might seem a little counterintuitive to go for this heavy, big drama look when spring is right around the corner. But if you're trying to nurture yanked-out follicles back to life, trust me–you'll need a head start.

When I was in my own fake-it-till-you-make-it stage of eyebrow regrowth, Kevyn Aucoin's The Precision Brow Pencil was my go-to product. And it still is. The formulation is soft, creamy and has none of that waxy hardness that most of us associate with brow pencils. It's sharp enough to be precise, smooth enough to smudge, and comes in natural, flattering shades. Usually it's all that's required to build up big, chunky brows. (It even comes with a little brush on the end to tame any erstwhile bits.) But I'm also a big fan of Lorac and Sephora eyebrow powders, which are a lot less precise and much more dramatic. (These make for a great night look, but speaking from experience, should not be used with alcohol.) And, if you're a hairspray junkie, Anastasia's brow gel is the perfect cement to hold the final look in place.

It's not easy to stop abusing your eyebrows if it's been your m.o. for years. But I promise that once you do you'll never go back. Break the cycle, ladies!

I'm trying to look for the upside of spring fashion; past the safari jackets and linen and other adventurer-in-Africa looks that are destined to dominate the season.

One spring mini-trend I'm genuinely into is white booties. A few prime examples: these woven Giuseppe Zanotti shooties (top), Madison Harding's perforated, lace-up wedge (right) and Jeffrey Campbell's grunge-inspired take on the Dr. Marten (left.) What a welcome, literal bright spot in a season full of Earth tones.

images via Lascivious

Fact: Valentine's Day is approaching. Fact: Finding truly amazing lingerie without spending a bundle isn't easy. Solution? Lascivious.

The British brand is a slightly sweeter and more trend-oriented counterpart to Kiki de Montparnasse. (Despite the name, there's really nothing lewd about it.)

For example: tassels and fringe in lingerie usually call to mind pasties or the Old West. Not exactly understated or sophisticated on either count. Lascivious has a better idea: a suspender belt with a graduated length of fringe that wouldn't look out of place at cocktail hour, either. And the frame bra to the left there is pure genius worn with other layers underneath a blazer.

Lingerie that can be worn beyond the budoir? I'm on board. And, because sexy underpinnings are supposed to bring pleasure instead of agony, Lascivious prices their items accordingly.

But I've kind of resigned myself to buying a pair of sandals in preparation for this trip. And if I have to buy a pair, I'm buying jellys, which remind me of running through sprinklers and summertime and the smell of Bonne Bell bubblegum lipgloss. (Remember how they used to sell them in those giant bins? Like rubber balls? Loved that.)

Of course, jellys these days are a lot more grown up and a lot more effing expensive. Ever since Marc Jacobs made the cute and overpriced $95 gladiator version a few summers back, labels from Givenchy to Gucci have been hopping the jelly train. It's a great way to get people to spend $100+ on an item specifically known for being cheap to produce, totally disposable and easily mangled, right? Anyway.

I thought the black versions of these new $150 Gucci Marolas that just hit stores were kind of cute from the bottom with their ghetto-fabulous logo stamp. Perfect for walking in the sand. But they're kind of fug and matronly on top. And, did I mention, $150? But it did get way worse. There were these $160 stunners below that I initially just assumed were from the Shauna Sands Sensible Shoe collection for QVC:

Things were not looking up, but after my exhaustive search for the least-offensive jelly, I ended up finding a pair I genuinely liked. They are See by Chloe. Hot pink. Not totally flat. Thong free. (Hate that feeling.) And they remind me of a pair of neon-pink Givenchy heels I drooled over for months. Sandals I actually want to wear? Apparently anything is possible.

images via Nitrolicious and Bloomingdales

image via Tom Palumbo

“Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” -Ernest Hemingway

French Breeze (Gourmet, July 1961):

There are too few cocktails made with Calvados. And there are too few cocktails made with grapefruit juice. Here’s one with both. Unless you’re a big fan of bitter orange, go easy on the orange-flower water.

Pour 2 ounces each of Calvados and fresh grapefruit juice into a cocktail shaker one-third full of cracked ice. Add 2 dashes orange-flower water and 1/4 teaspoon fine granulated sugar. Shake the drink well and pour it into a chilled 12-ounce highball glass. Fill the glass with chilled Champagne and stir lightly to blend.