Ask Belle Roundup Vol. III, No. Twenty-Six
Aug 19, 2013
Hi Belle!
I have been on the hunt for a solid pair of cognac flats to absolutely no avail for quite some time now. I would like a pair with an almond or pointed toe so they a bit more structured than a basic round toe. Every pair I find seems to be some hideously ugly pair or have a ridiculous embellishment. Any good suggestions?
Best, Christina
Unfortunately, the options for un-embellished cognac flats are limited. Â I found this Aldo pair with a pleated front that have structure and a pointier toe. Â I also found this textured pair in a dark tan from Miz Mooz.
I also found a handful of options that have a sleek look but a round toe. Â This Aldo Chason pair is nice, and Steve Madden has their ever popular Heaven skimmer. Â Madden also makes a similar shoe with the oh-so-hot ankle strap.
Dear Belle,
I’m headed to Costa Rica for my honeymoon and I’m looking for a great sunscreen for my face. I tried the Neutrogena product made for the face and it made me break out. Â Do you have one to recommend?
Carrie
I like Supergoop sunscreen for face. Â It doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy and doesn’t cause breakouts. Â I also wear the Clinique BB Cream in SPF 30.
Hi Belle,
I’m hunting for a leather jacket for fall. Â Grey, taupe or light brown. Â I’d like to spend between $250 and $500, but the lower the better. Â Can you give me some options to look at? Â Everything in the stores is either cheap PVC or out of my price range.
Love the blog! Edie
Bluefly is a great place to shop for leather jackets. Â This slouchy Elie Tahari Andreas jacket is a nice choice, as is this grey Alexa jacket. Â I also liked this quilted Hinge jacket, and this Muubaa jacket from The Outnet.
Looking for the look of leather for less? Â This Studio M jacket looks pretty good. Â I also like this Calvin Klein moto jacket in tan.
Hi Belle!Â
I’ve been a long-time follower of your blog and have recently roped my closest co-workers into fandom. I write on behalf of one of them, and hope you can help because we’ve been loving your work-sized bag suggestions so far, and they are helping us immensely in our fall/winter bag deliberations. She is looking for a gray work bag under $150. She just returned a real doozy that had texture, making it look like it had come off a skinned rhino, so preferably the bag would be smooth-ish?Â
Thanks, Anna
Gray bag are especially difficult to find. Â Anne Klein makes a Jazzy Geos dome satchel that might fit the bill. Â This inexpensive Liz Claiborne bucket satchel is nice, Â as is this studded leather tote from Nordstrom. Â But my favorite bag is this medium-size top handle satchel from Sole Society.
honeymooner in costa rica, also pack a lot of water proof items. I lived there for 8 months and you’re going (presumably) in the rainy season. It starts at the end of July and goes until December. If you’re going in September – October you can expect A LOT of rain. If you’re headed to the Caribbean side you should be fine and get a good bit of sunshine. Have the best time! Also, tipping is not expected. Pura Vida! i’m jealous!
Thanks for the tip!
Madewell has some great cognac flats:
https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/SHOESANDBOOTS/skimmers/PRDOVR~04664/04664.jsp
https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/SHOESANDBOOTS/skimmers/PRDOVR~04666/04666.jsp
Skin Medica sunscreen is the amazing! I’m the palest of the pale and it totally protects, layers really well under makeup and isn’t greasy. I never used anything other than drug store stuff but when one of my girlfriends worked in a derm clinic she gave me some samples. Game changer.
https://www.skinstore.com/p-17948-SkinMedica-Daily-Physical-Defense-SPF-30.aspx?affiliatecode=ppc_ggl_pf_SM091&s_kwcid=PTC!pla!!!21594190100!g!!9406932056
Madewell’s “sidewalk skimmer” is my FAVORITE flat shoe and it comes in a beautiful cognac right now: https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/SHOESANDBOOTS/skimmers/PRDOVR~04664/04664.jsp
This is totally off topic but I blame Belle for tempting me over to Nordstrom.com via links above.
Nordstrom has a DVF silk wrap dress for just $145. Free shipping, free returns. https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/diane-von-furstenberg-new-julian-2-silk-wrap-dress/3523414
This is all part of my evil plan to make people dress better. 😉
Nordstrom Rack on L Street had a few leather jackets today. Leather jackets tend not to be my thing, but they were nice. A friend also bought one from the store at Pentagon City a few weeks ago as well.
Thanks for the info. I haven’t been to a Rack in forever.
Belle, do you only do two posts on Mondays now? Just wondering 🙂
Just having a bit of brain drain. The weekly favorites will go up Wednesday. Then we’ll be back to three posts next Monday.
For the honeymooner in Costa Rica, a couple months ago I received a sample of the COOLA sunscreen for your face in my Birchbox and it was amazing. It wasn’t greasy, it was 70% organic, full of anti-oxidants, and it smells like cucumbers, a much more pleasant scent!
Just a note about the Coola, I also got one in my Birchbox and got totally burned when I used it as my primary sunscreen. I also have a friend that had the same thing happen to her so I don’t know if I’d trust it. I’ve always used the Aveeno face sunscreen and had good results in terms of sunscreen and no skin irritation.
Good to know! I always use the COOLA or any other sunscreen on top of my Origins facial moisturizer that has SPF 25 in it. I never had any burning or irritation with the COOLA and I have very sensitive skin.
As a fellow fan of the structured, pointed-toe flat, I’d like to recommend the Frye Regina Ballet Flat. I have them in black and am seriously considering picking up a pair in cognac.
Agreed! I love my black pointy toe Reginas!
As to leather jackets, I would also recommend going to one of the leather outlet stores at Arundel Mills or Leesburg. I got a fantastic and stylish leather jacket there for a fairly affordable price. Not normally a place I would shop, but I figured I would browse, and ended up striking gold.
Check Nordstrom’s when they’re having a sale. I got a killer deal on a timeless black leather jacket there and I’ve had it, I kid you not, since 8th grade (I’m 26 now)
For the honeymooner, have you tried any of the products from La Roche Posay? Specifically, they make a high SPF mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin. It’s dear, but it’s paraben free! Hope this helps 🙂 And best wishes!
Here is the link: https://www.laroche-posay.us/_us/_en/consumer/catalog/ByCategory/Treatment/anthelios-50-mineral-ultra-light-sunscreen-fluid.htm
If you the shoe doesn’t have to be completely flat, I love these Seychelles 1″ wedges:
https://www.seychellesfootwear.com/Home.tpl?page=singleitem.inc&cart=130807197754&sku=skipabe9sl&H_P_Special=skip%20a%20beat
Autocorrect fail: “you” shouldn’t be there.
For the honeymooner – GM Collin High Protection Cream SPF 30 is fantastic! I honeymooned in the British Virgin Islands last May and exclusively used this sunscreen and never burned. It’s a mineral-based sunscreen. In particular, it worked extremely well on my face, which often burns, and kept my freckles under control. There was no irritation at all.