You pulled an all-nighter yesterday, and I’m not talking about the studying kind, and now it’s time for that dreaded walk of shame back to your dorm room. You managed to find your bra, but your low-slung jeans and barely-visible top couldn’t look more obvious as you wobble in your heels across the quad, and the eye makeup that looked smoky last night now looks like a finger painting. You knew this might happen, but short of bringing your backpack filled with your overnight kit to a bar, you didn’t have a choice.

Now, thanks to handbag designers like Rebecca Minkoff, you don’t have to choose between looking chic the night before or the morning after, instead, you can be prepared like a boy scout while not losing your mystique.

Rebecca Minkoff’s Morning After Bag was seen on the arm of Lindsay Lohan, a girl who takes her walk of shame not just watched by the morning joggers, but by tens of paparazzi and millions of tabloid readers. The bag comes in black mesh and black patent or tangerine (a favorite of Vanessa Hudgens) and is roomy enough for a change of shirt, face wash, maybe even a breathalyzer. $595.

For a more affordable option, check out the Urban Expressions Peterson Tote. The sleekly structured bag has front pleating, braided handles, and gold-toned hardware accents. The bag comes in tan, black, and brown, and at only $58 (currently on sale for $32), you can buy two or all three to match different outfits. Read More »

You’ve got your life.
Your social circle.
Your intellectual endeavors.
Your means of generating income.

So you’re busy.

And believe me, I’m a perfect example of a girl with naturally great skin who screws it all up on the grounds of being “busy”.

I pass out with my make up on, don’t stop to wash my hands after eating the most disgusting slice of pizza ever OR after manhandling the railings in the New York City subways all day long.

However, I have finally learned how to combat these horrible habits that seem to come along for the busy ride of life. It’s not exactly impossible, you just have to make certain things more accessible for you in order to attend to your basic beauty needs as frequently as you can.

So here are some tips: Read More »

Andy Rooney, a super old guy who used to make movies and now just sits in an office and lets 60 Minutes totally take advantage of his oldness, recently ranted about how Americans are carrying “more stuff than they used to”.

The Duhness factor of his rant notwithstanding (I mean, what did people carry around in his day? Keys to a car they powered with their feet?), I decided to take a cue from Jezebel and go through my own purse to see if all the crap shoved inside was stuff I actually needed.

(This is a day when my bag is not splitting at the seems from carrying my giant, heavy laptop.)

1) Burt’s Bees hand cream: Totally needed. Since I can’t ever hold onto a pair of gloves longer than a week, my hands take a beating every winter. Unless I want the skin to rip off, I gotta moisturize at least twice a day.

2) Three tubes of Chapstick: Okay. Three might be an excessive number…but sometimes I want my lips fruity, other times I want serious moisture action, and every once in a while, a little instant caffeine. Read More »

Walking the streets of New York, you’re bound to see the newest trends out in full force.

Prints, reds, navy blue…they’re all mking a huge comeback this fall. But one color is hitting the streets in a surprising way.Yellow is gaining popularity as fall’s breakout trend, but how to wear it?

It’s easy! The key is to use it as an accent and not having to make it a main statement in your outfit. Wearing yellow as rain gear usually envokes visions of plastic-y rubber galoshes, but it doesn’t have to! Check out Miss Selfridge and it’s amazing yellow raincoat! It adds a punch without needing to be your entire outfit. Read More »

If I had to choose two things that I am totally obsessed with right now they would be handbags and recycling. The former is a given. And, lately, as our earth begins to head down an ugly and hot path, the latter has become a huge part of me. Come visit me at my house and you will find me either 1) shopping for bags online or 2) separating my paper and plastics.

When I was sitting home tonight doing some online bag shopping (after taking my empty Diet Coke bottles out to the recycling center, of course), I came across a designer who takes my two favorite things in life and blends them together beautifully. May I present to you my new fashion idol:

Ashley Watson

A Fine Arts student from Canada, Watson has added an element of conservation to her line of innovative and unique bags. Unlike her fellow designers, Ashley takes old leather jackets to craft her line of handbags, wallets and beautiful accessories. Each bag is designed by Ashley, handmade and completely unique; no two Ashley Watson bags look the same. Read More »

As much as I love a great outfit, I’ve never really loved the process of shopping. Especially living in New Jersey, shopping can be a tedious day of avoiding teenybopper mallrats, parking lot rage, and bad dressing room lighting.

It seems though, despite my lack of love for the sport of shopping, somewhere along the line, I have become a bag lady.

After reading that the average woman owns 111 bags in her lifetime, I decided to survey my own collection. And for someone that’s not crazy about shopping, I have a crazy collection of purses.

I currently have 37 bags in my possession. From clutches to oversize totes, bright red to basic black, I can pay off a good chunk of my student loans if I opened up a used bag boutique.

Out of the 37, I only regularly wear a handful and have never even touched a few of them after buying them. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t own any fancy (read: hideous) designer bags; most of my totes come from H&M and flea markets. My current favorite, a bright red leather oversize bag was gleefully excavated from a table full of bags at a Pennsylvania flea market. For $2.50. Seriously. I carry a purse that costs less than a Happy Meal. Read More »

Your bag is an extension of your person. Well, not literally, but come on, we know all one of the hypothetical worst things that could happen to a girl is to lose her purse.

So, that’s why what you carry in your purse can either make your life even more stressful than it already is…or it can make everyday THAT much easier!

First, you need to clean it out. With school on the horizon, a fresh start is mandatory. Really it is, even if the freshness fades in a week—like you stop going to the gym, waking up early and cleaning out your bag everyday—at least you made the attempt, right?

After you rip out the gum that some how rolled out of its Orbit’s container and shake out all the loose change (now you have money for coffee!) here are the essentials that you’ll definitely find yourself needing at some point: Read More »

Confession: I have a closet at home that is filled with handbags, and handbags only. Not a drawer in my dresser, not the top shelf in my coat closet—an entire closet, filled with bags.Now, when I say that my closet is filled with bags, I’m not referring to those envelope-sized purses flaunting a designer logo that spoiled teenagers sport with hideous velour sweatsuits.

I’m a fan of big, shapeless, and most importantly, cheap totes. Let’s face it—a typical college student’s wallet is a lot chummier with the letters H&M than with D&G. With my budget, splurging means hitting up smartbargains.com for a discounted leather hobo from Liz Claiborne.

But the New York Post’s roundup of fall’s hottest bags is having my peek at my savings account to see what, if anything, I can afford. Sure, their absurd idea of a “mid-range” bag ($500-$1000) bemuses me, but if loving them is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

My favorites:

Isabella Fiore “Let Go My Deco” Satchel
What’s hotter with a chic all-black outfit than red pumps? A red patent bag! This shiny satchel is eye-catching and functional, with side pockets for easy access to your cell phone and iPod. Pick it up at Saks Fifth Avenue for $625. Read More »