Month: March 2022

As a fashion editor, I have a keen eye for spotting expensive-looking details. Since I spend hours a day looking at both designer pieces and affordable buys online, I’ve gotten well-acquainted with certain details that happen to look really luxe. It could be the wide cut of a blazer, a wrinkle-immune fabric like plissé, a bias-cut silhouette, or a rich espresso brown color. Regardless, I pride myself on spotting these elevated finds even at the most affordable price points and today I’m sharing 42 such buys from none other than Nordstrom.

I think it goes without saying that if given the option you’d want to avoid looking “cheap” even if your clothing budget says otherwise, right? (Speaking from personal experience, my shopping receipts are between me and God). Which is why on my latest visit to Nordstrom’s site, I curated a bunch of cool finds that low-key look triple their price. While many of these pieces fall around or under the $100 mark, I wouldn’t blame you for assuming otherwise.

Next: Nordstrom Has Spoken: These 3 New York–Approved Trends Will Be So Big This Fall

Even though I love my fair share of affordable beauty products, I sometimes feel cursed that so many of my favorite mainstays have eye-popping price tags. Like, of course, my favorite vitamin C serum has to be the most expensive in the aisle, right? If you’re like me and dread the day when you’re down to the last drops of your investment-worthy beauty staples, I have some great news for you: Dermstore’s highly anticipated Beauty Refresh Event is upon us, and between March 1 and March 10, you can save up to 20% off on some of the most covetable (and yes, V spendy) brands in the business like Dr. Dennis Gross, SkinMedica, Slip, NuFace, Foreo, and more.

Simply head over to Dermstore to start shopping, and use code GLOWUP at checkout. Oh, and if you need some inspiration as to how you can save all of that money, I’ve included 20 iconic products below that are practically begging for a spot in your shopping cart. Keep scrolling!

When I was in college, I got it in my head somehow that I needed a signature scent. Up until that point, I’d been wearing Victoria’s Secret Noir Tease, unless I stole a spray of my mom’s perfume before a big event. But I wanted to find a smell that people would remember me by, that people would smell and instantly think of me. 

I went to Sephora and took a fragrance quiz. I knew I didn’t want anything too floral or sweet. I’ve never been one for sugary or flowery scents. I wanted something dark, spicy, and different. My quiz came back with one perfume that was my top match: Tom Ford Black Orchid. I smelled it and was instantly sold. 

I pooled together my babysitting money for my first bottle, and though I now have an impressively large fragrance collection, I always find myself going back to Black Orchid. I wore the scent exclusively for a few years, and I’m sure if you asked anyone who knew me between 2015 and 2019, they would instantly recognize the scent as my “signature,” as I originally intended. 

Black Orchid was born from Tom Ford’s quest to find the “perfect flower.” It’s not a typical orchid scent—black orchids are rare and mesmerizing. (If you’ve read The Orchid Thief, you know how special orchids can be.) In nature, there’s no orchid that’s truly black, but some are dark enough to look almost black, and they’re hard to find.

Tom Ford’s Black Orchid perfume is the perfect dark perfume. It blends together florals and spices in a way that’s genuinely hypnotic—to me, no other fragrance comes close. The heart of the fragrance is black orchid, while black truffle, bergamot, black plum, noir gourmand accord, and patchouli round everything out. 

While I’ll happily wear this fragrance every day, this is the perfect special-occasion fragrance. Wear it on a date, a night out, or whenever you want to feel confident. It’s luxurious, sophisticated, and modern while also feeling timeless. I’ve been wearing it for years, and I’ve honestly lost track of how many people ask me what scent I’m wearing when I have it on—it’s that good.

I’m a sucker for the original Black Orchid Eau de Parfum, but that makes the Parfum even more alluring. The gold bottle is described as the “most potent version of Black Orchid ever made.” It’s basically an amped-up version of the black bottle, with the addition of ylang-ylang and golden rum to make the scent even more intoxicating. The fragrances are very similar, but the Parfum is more intense and reads a bit more masculine than the Eau de Parfum.

When it comes to beauty and fashion month, pretty much anything goes. And as self-professed hair-and-makeup obsessives, we pretty much live for it. (In our eyes, the weirder and more outlandish, the better.) The sparkling shows in New York, London, Milan, and Paris have come and gone, but the artistic visions of designers (and the leagues of über-talented makeup artists and hairstylists) are still swirling in our inspiration-starved brains. 

We’ve taken a beat to ingest everything we saw—from glitter-crusted earlobes and limbs to bumblebee-stamped complexions—and put together a comprehensive list of the most notable (and actually try-able) beauty looks we spotted repeatedly in each and every city. Y2K inspirations continued to pull their weight via glitter, center parts, crimps, and bite-size braids, as did futuristic nods towards galactic facial embellishments, rainbow-striped eyelids, and chrome-finished everything—an elite assortment of beauty fodder if we’ve ever seen it.

To give you a taste of the magic we saw on the runways, we’re sharing 13 of the most prominent trends of the spring/summer 2022 season below plus the easy-to-use products to help you channel each aesthetic on your own. Keep scrolling—you’re in for a treat. 

Spotted at Ludovic De Saint Sernin, Altuzarra, Coperni

Also known as a pin-straight center part. Of course, middle parts have always been a thing (despite Gen Z’s outspoken bias for the style), but according to the majority of runways across New York, Paris, Milan, and London, the center part is officially It for the foreseeable future. (Nary a side part did we see!) What’s more, switching up your part is probably the most effortless way to transform the look of your strands in seconds, and people will probably ask if you did something way more drastic. 

Spotted at Jonathan Simkhai, Chanel, Lanvin

Say hello to yet another overwhelming hair trend we spotted across all four cities: classic (and sometimes not-so-classic) slicked-back hair. Whether models wore their hair in sleek chignons; wet, glitter-lacquered waves; or back-grazing lengths, the look of glossy strands pulled back and away from the face was unanimously favored.

Spotted at Drome, Bora Aksu, Anna Sui

Pink- and russet-flushed eyes have remained an unwavering trend in the last few years, but spring/summer 2022’s take is lighter, brighter, and a bit more whimsical via complexion-popping shades of coral and peach. Try the shade as an eyeliner or allover shadow. You really can’t go wrong.

Spotted at Simone Rocha, Tom Ford, Victor Glemaud

It’s hardly surprising that statement-making headpieces and hair accessories have always been an important part of a designer’s artistic vision when it comes to showcasing a new collection. And 2022’s displays were no different, with tiaras; chunky, stackable barrettes; and bubble ponytail holders all making head-turning appearances. 

Spotted at Michael Kors, Saint Laurent, Naeem Khan

Red lips never go out of style per se, but their fever-pitch popularity does come in waves. Try it shiny, try it matte, or, if you’d rather dip your toe in versus plunging headfirst, try a tinted lip oil (like Merit’s in Cara-Cara) for a subdued yet still on-trend take. 

Spotted at ACNE Studios, Mark Fast, Duncan

Disco purple, gothic black, and sequin studs aren’t perhaps the most wearable of lip aesthetics to try day-to-day, but hey, there are absolutely no rules when it comes to beauty, and we deeply enjoyed the transportive, fantasy-like quality of the celestial inspirations above. 

Spotted at Patbo, Altuzarra, Ottolinger

Fashion week isn’t always about Mars-transported makeup looks. We took note of plenty of shows that displayed models’ fresh-faced, barely made-up complexions. To really help your skin sing next spring and summer (or, you know, now), opt for an airy tinted moisturizer or a light, creamy foundation (if you want a little more coverage) that will look invisible the second it melts into your skin.

Spotted at Simone Rocha, Etro, LaQuan Smith

From the not-so-subtle embellishments freckling models’ faces at Etro to crystallized cat eyes at LaQuan Smith in shades of ruby, sapphire, and turquoise, gleaming metallic accents could be spotted across countless runways. Usually, it was to accentuate an otherwise bare complexion. 

Spotted at Rodarte, Paul & Joe

Whimsical designs such as flowers, clouds, rainbows, and galactic extraterrestrial made nostalgic appearances at shows like Rodarte and Paul & Joe. Think of the face paint of your childhood but so much cooler.

Spotted at Blumarine, Collina Strada, Osman

Glittering hair and skin practically dripped off the fashion month runways, and we couldn’t help but make the comparison to the Cullens’ infamously sparkling skin. Body glitter (as seen at Blumarine) has been on our radar for a while now as one of our favorite re-emerging Y2K beauty trends, and we love seeing the spread to strands, eyes, and even ears. Try it if you dare.

Spotted at Versace, Prabal Gurung, Kim Shui

We’re used to seeing smoldering smoky eyes and dramatic inky liner grace the faces of fashion week models, but spring/summer’s 2022 take was noticeably more technicolor and—dare we say—Rainbow Brite–inspired than the traditional black. The multicolored strokes at Versace were our personal favorite, but the vibrant looks at Prabal Gurung and Kim Shui were close followers.

Spotted at John Richmond, Francesca Liberatore, Yohji Yamamoto

Nothing makes a statement like allover white (be it on the lips, eyes, lashes, or cheeks), which lends stunning contrast to rich skin tones and an icy finish to lighter complexions. For a more wearable take on the looks we saw on the runways, try a dash of white liner on your lids or an icier hit of highlighter to add some glam to your cheekbones and Cupid’s bow. 

Spotted at Brandon Maxwell, Blumarine, Altuzarra

Last, but certainly not least, blush. But not just any kind of blush—a warm, borderline-feverish flush that feels reminiscent of the natural rosiness you get after sitting a tad too close to the campfire, drinking a glass (or three) of wine, or even just going for a brisk walk in the cold. Depending on your coloring, you can go more orange or pink. Just add an extra layer than you normally might to really give your at-home version runway-inspired legs. 

We’re constantly enamored by what Parisian women wear. You know, that whole je ne sais quoi thing. Yep, this set often steps out in the exact effortless ensembles we want to try. In fact, we recently highlighted the seven items fashion people in Paris routinely turn to when they create their pared-down outfits. On that note, many of the looks we’re into feature jeans as one of the key items. So we thought we’d dive into the pieces French women will probably wear with denim this season to inspire our spring wardrobes and yours.

Based on what women in Paris are wearing already on IG, it’s the simple trends that stand out most because they’re easy to style and just work flawlessly with jeans. In fact, some of the items in question overlap with pieces mentioned in the above story. As a preview, we’re talking about versatile outerwear picks and comfy basics. Keep scrolling for more, including styling references and a range of shopping recommendations. 

Next, check out more spring trends French women are wearing.