Quite Possibly the Perfect Girl Day: Sex (and the City) and Shopping

A few days ago I was worried I would be going to the Sex and the City movie all alone. Then I found I had many co-workers who were almost as excited about it as I was. And last week my company instituted "summer hours" out of the blue whereby the office closes at 3 o'clock on Fridays. Suddenly there was an opening day matinée in my future with my office girlfriends!

I had to plan my outfit. I started with the shoes. I'd been waiting for the perfect occasion to debut these sequined Tahari slingbacks my sister bought me for my birthday:



I paired them with black cropped pants from the Gap and this Philip Lim top Cheapy bought me in Miami, also a birthday gift.



An oversized black and white vintage clutch I got from an eBay seller in Australia completed my outfit. (It was big enough that I could fit my makeup bag and my Entertainment Weekly issue devoted to Sex and the City which I've been reading for several weeks gearing up for the movie.)


The outfit was good; the movie was better. It was wonderful. It was satisfying. It was just right. It I'd see it again tomorrow. (And oh--the outfits!) I'm still excited about it (which is partly why I'm blogging it 5 a.m.). Choosing the matinée was a good move. There was a nice crowd, but there were plenty of open seats. When we came out, the line for the 7 p.m. showing was huge--down a hall and out through the lobby. The theater had a concessions cart set up selling goodies to the ladies in line. And there were a lot of ladies--nary a Y chromosome in site.

Eight of us saw the movie at The Mall, and afterward three of us hung around. And of course we went shoe shopping. I picked up this pair of J. Vincent animal print heels at Dillards, MSRP: $180, sale price: $29.99. This is the actual shoe on my actual foot complete with a few lovely bug bites (bugs find me delicious) and my lavender pedicure.



Next we headed off to Victoria's Secret--my friend had a free undies coupon. I don't believe I've been inside a Victoria's Secret store since the '80s. It was very busy and lacy and sheer and it scared me just a little. A bought some briefs which were five for $25. They look just like this on me:




As were were browsing undies, I found that one of my shopping companions had never been to Sephora! We had to remedy that. Plus I had new shoes and new undies--some new makeup in my bag would make it a shopping trifecta! Sephora is the ultimate girly place to shop, perfect for my day of everything girl.

I'd been going to The Mall Sephora store for ages, and shopping at the tiny Benefit diplay, and I always wondered why they didn't have a bigger selection of Benefit products. So I asked a Sephora sales person (the same one who recommended the perfect shade of Laura Mercier lipcolor to me) and she walked me over to a giant Benefit display on the other side of the store. I had no idea it was there. I bought Dandelion face powder that's the most lovely shade of pink for my fair skin. It's a fatastic blush color for me.

To top off my perfect girly day, we had some food and a round of cosmos. Because who could go to see Sex and the City and not have a round of cosmos? I bet there were a record number of this ubiquitous pink cocktail served on May 30th. I was already buzzed on the movie and the shoes and the makeup and the drink made me over-the-top joyed out. Spending two hours and fifteen delicious minutes with Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, and a few hours at The Mall with real girls...ahh, it makes me so glad I don't have a penis.

The One Thing (Besides Boots) That Gets Me Through Winter

Lately (for the last few months) I've been complaining about winter/longing for spring. It's not just because I want to wear sandals. The cold weather and my hair do not get along. All day long I fight the static. I curse the static. I dread the static. The static keeps coming back like a no-good boyfriend.

I'm not into the rubbing dryer sheets on my head thing. Static Guard smells weird and I don't really want in my hair clashing with the Aveda products. Instead I lightly spritz my head with my Evian Brumisateur Mineral Water mister and that does the trick--bye-bye static.

I've spied an Evian Brumisateur in Samantha Jones' medicine cabinet in a Sex & the City episode. J Lo had it in her toolbelt in The Wedding Planner. I have it in my bag, in my travel bag, and in my bathroom at all times.

In addition to the magical static busting, it's lovely to mist your skin (it's intended use) with Evian during those dry winter days, and it's refreshing anytime. In a pinch, you can wash your hands with it. And I guess if you were stranded in the dessert you could spray it down your throat (although that situation has not arisen).

I Never never never get on a plane without a travel size bottle, and I never go shopping without it. (Trying on a pullover sweater without a Brumisateur in my bag is unthinkable.) This is a pricey ($15 for the 14 oz. bottle; $16.50 for 3 travel size) yet essential staple and I don't leave home without it (and my AmEx).