Opium and Tea Leaves by jachanothergirl featuring Meissen

Note: I am not advocating any consumption of illegal substances, but the early thirties Shanghai is pure romantic bohemia of the East.

The actual history of the opium trade in China is, however, devastating.  In the nineteenth century, the opium trade was a highly lucrative industry for the British from the poppy fields to the prevalent commercial consumption. Yet, with the increasing infamous rise of opium in public popularity, the Opium Wars soon followed, along with famine and political upheaval. 

Although, opium has declined in popularity--the nineties witnessed the return of the opiates in the modern form of heroin. 

To Read:

Thomas de Quincy's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. 

"There is always a need for intoxication: China has opium, Islam has hashish, the West has woman."
-Andre Malraux

“Opium: that terrible truth serum. Dark secrets guarded for a lifetime can be divulged with carefree folly after a sip of the black smoke.” 

“In general I strive for greatness and rational achievement, but I admit to you I’ve a terrible fondness for women, a tendency towards drunkenness, and a weakness for the fumes of the poppy—opium and other miserable beauties.” 

-Roman Payne

Violet Baudelaire by jachanothergirl featuring a brass lamp

Jach:

“To those who hadn't been around Violet long, nothing would have seemed unusual, but those who knew her well knew that when she tied her hair up in a ribbon to keep it out of her eyes, it meant that the gears and levers of her inventing brain were whirring at top speed.”  -Lemony Snicket


“but it's far too late for us; ring, hair, letters, photographs--all traces of our love will be scattered then, like an anagram...”   -Lemony Snicket

I have been looking at different color lipsticks. I seem to be stuck in trying to figure out what kind of color to buy. The blue lagoon is an awesome dark green color that would look really good on a pale complexion and platinum hair. If you wore black clothes, apply blue lagoon to heighten the dark mysterious look. Red wine just screams out sexy. It is not too bright that it would seem scarlet, but just dark enough for people to see the sultry lips that you have. Istanbul and Tokyo are the lightest lips of the spectrum. It gives the face a natural look and makes the lip look more shimmery and moisturize.

Before applying on the lipstick, ALWAYS put on chapstick. Chapstick will help keep the lips from chapping and conditions the color, so it will be long lasting.

Cruella by enterwonderland featuring leather gloves

Retro Twist by snowy3847 featuring colorful eye makeup

Ooo Bee-have! Do you remember Ausitn Powers, the very first movie? Well, I was inspired by how the retro clothes are coming back and my favorite period is the 60s. The big hair, bold contrasting colors, and long lashes are only a few aspects of 60s fashion were at the time. My favorite fashion clothing they had in the 60s were the go go boots. You can take those high heels short boots, for example, they bring out the platform in platform boots, but still retain a modern style by being suave and ankle boots. Mary-Kate and Ashley, who are one of my role models, brought back the coolness of large round glasses from the 60s. This outfit is a fun for the night out and a great way to mix a singe of old and modern.

"Long hair, long coats, fashion boots for the Gals and Wellington for the Boys"

Marbled Monet by jachanothergirl featuring a tufted chair

Jach:

Although Claude Monet is most well known for his series of paintings of water lilies, Monet's paintings of the French bourgeois "street style " remains a personal muse for translating haute couture into terms of restrained lace and muted elegance.

The Morning after Halloween by jachanothergirl featuring scented candles

Jach:

This is an accurate representation of my current afternoon. Although, Won'derland is undoubtably being productive this Saturday afternoon.

A Late Bloomer in Paris by jachanothergirl featuring charbonnel et walker truffles

Degas. Degas. Degas.

To the point, Degas is solely responsible for my irrational fervor for ballet-inspired pieces, especially tutus and ruffles.

Saturday mornings and afternoons should consist of ruffles, parisian scarves, and the chicest white ankle boots. There should be pink Monet champagne in elegant glass flutes, and perhaps a violin concerto outside a nice cafe. Instead, I am lounging around in a black t-shirt dress in bed, snacking on potato chips, scrambled egg sandwiches, and an assorted blend cereal.

In terms of maturity and sophistication, I am the quintessential late bloomer.

Jach:

The final Halloween portrait is a blend of renaissance whimsy and that lush color of gold.

The heels have an unique cage detail at the heel with entrapped brocade flowers, the heels manage to flawlessly balance "kitsch" with Victorian glamour. Since, the miller's daughter was primarily trapped throughout the fairy tale, I continued with the "cage" details with the brushed gold clutch. For the rest of the outfit, I went a bit overboard with the embellished gold details and brocade details. Doesn't brocade has always equate antiquated luxury? Also, as per usual, I included the quintessential headband--for this outfit, a stunning bronze crown. Well, the miller's daughter did eventually become royalty...

Current Mood:

Gold. Gold. Cash Flow. 

Jach:

For a while, my nickname was "monster." I was an absolute terror as a child, and even well into my adolescence. Okay, the truth is that I still have a tendency to display rather deplorable social manners. In reference to Monsters Inc, I also have a tendency to occasionally hide in the closet. Closets are simply preferable to any social gathering of unknown individuals--any personal attempts at small talk is a complete "real horror show." Although, I won't be appearing as Sully this Halloween, the holiday is an opportune occasion to showcase that one piece of clothing that is simply too outlandish for the rest of the year or "a stroll around town."

What are you dressing as for Halloween, let us know in the comments below. 

Jach:

I adore gothic-esque lolita style portraits. Besides, Wednesday from the Adams Family is simply flawless. I realize that lace isn't everyone's cup of tea, but lace always provides an eerie component to any outfit if paired with a monochromatic color palette. Also, I have recently been delving into weapon-themed accessories (including a pair of tights etched with a certain machine gun).

I added the lacy rabbit ears, just in case the overall outfit appeared too restrained, or prim and proper.

Or as to paraphrase a la Mean Girls, the necessities for Halloween is simply a pair of animal ears and an undisclosed quantity of clothing.

Fall Lust Outfit by snowy3847 featuring Marc Jacobs

On a nice autumn day in the city, I would like to wear an outfit that screams out chic, but still retains a sense of elegance. The ROW sunglasses and the Saint Laurent duffle bag makes the outfit appear more elegant, while the dress and boots retain the look of a girl-next-door. If I were to wear this outfit, I can imagine myself walking down main street. I'll stop and smell the waft of yummy Greek food from the nearby street vendors, mixing with my perfume--Daisy by Marc Jacobs. The smell is too hard to resist, and I head over to buy myself a hot dog. As I bite into the food, I'll smear my NYX butter gloss lipstick, which I'll quickly reapply after eating. Throwing away the hot dog foil into the trash, a gust of wind will whiplash my hair, almost blowing away my fedora hat. I'll pull my Reagan Elizabeth and James coat closer to my body and continue to explore the beautiful city of New York.