Dear Katha,

eShakti asked me to choose one of their lovely spring designs and customize it to a style of my choice. 

I loved this dress with embroidered sailboats. It was originally shown as strapless, but I ordered it in a halter style. I have broad shoulders and have never loved the way strapless dresses look on me as they tend to throw of the balance of my outfit. I’m so glad eShakti offers custom styling because otherwise I would have had to pass this pretty sundress up.

Custom styling is offered for many pieces and is available with both standard size (0-36W) and custom size orders. My favorite part about custom styling is the ability to change a neckline or sleeve. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I’m actually a rather modest dresser– I tend to favor sleeves when possible and I don’t like to wear very short dresses or skirts any more. All of my eShakti pieces are also custom size, which is an option I highly recommend. You can get something proportional and with a hemline that’s the correct length for only an extra $7.50. No trip to the tailor required.

One of the best parts about this dress? It has pockets. I love pockets. But if you don’t love pockets, you can have a piece made without them.

Interested in seeing more of eShakti’s lovely creations? View them here.

Alex

Disclosure: I received this dress c/o eShakti. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

As I get older, I’ve noticed that my skin becomes increasingly drier and more sensitive every year. What worked for me six months ago might not work now, and what worked during summer definitely won’t during winter. I need something that will be gentle and moisturizing without feeling heavy.

Things I like about Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream:

• Oil-free! Not that I’m against products that do contain oil, but my skin is so dry that I only wash my face at night and my makeup stays on better the next day when I use oil-free products.
• It’s formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex with vitamin B3, which helps reduce the appearance of discoloration, uneven tone, and blotchiness. If you’re a longtime reader of Delayed Missives, you know that I suffer terribly from uneven skintone and hyperpigmentation because I have a lot of melanin in my skin. I haven’t noticed any brightening, but I typically wouldn’t expect to see those results until month two or three of using the cream.
• Very rich and moisturizing. It actually feels like a night cream– many so-called night creams I’ve used don’t feel any different from regular moisturizer.

Things I don’t like:

• If you can believe it, I actually think it’s too moisturizing for my skin– I use the night cream on my face and neck (as directed) and find that my skin feels sticky in the morning.
• Initially caused an increase in breakouts during the first two weeks of testing. I’m now using a tiny bit of the cream very sparingly. Either that worked or my skin got used to it because the breakouts tapered off again.
• Scent. The floral scent is very strong and bothers my spring allergies. I’m so allergic to the scent of flowers that I couldn’t see myself using this product on a regular basis. A fragrance-free option would be great.

Have you tried Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream? And what are you thoughts on using a special night cream in addition to your daily moisturizer?

Disclosure: I received a sample from influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Remember this old favorite? I’m taking about my treasured black cardigan in the style of Katy’s Frequent Flyer series, which focuses on the many different ways one piece of your wardrobe can be worn. Read more about this very special cardigan on ModlyChic!

Dear Shen Dove,

I have been waiting forever to wear this outfit. I picked up this dress from Anthropologie when it was still freezing out, but this outfit is the end goal that I had in mind. As soon as I saw the dress I knew it would be perfect with a trench coat and bare legs for spring. Have you ever imagined an outfit and for one reason or another had to wait ages before wearing it?


Club Monaco Harper Trench (current version) | pure + good/Anthropologie striped dress (relatively current) | ZARA Studded Cowboy Ankle Boots (past season) | Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby Groovee Satchel (so far past season it might be back in style, current version) | Erickson Beamon for Bauble Bar necklace (also past season) | photos: star-crossed smile

I’m very glad it appears to be warming up– put away all my tights so I have my fingers crossed that I won’t have to unpack them again. I love living in a city with seasons but I think up a lot of outfits that just look so much better with bare legs.

Benefit Benetint, my favorite lip stain. It’s more subtle than my usual MAC Russian Red and I wear it almost every day. This bottle is c/o Benefit from a fashion week party last fall.

A Greenleaf candle in the scent First Blush. I think it’s Yuna Yang’s signature scent because I picked this candle up during the F/W 2013 show, but I remember the scent from S/S 2013 as well. 

The Selby is in Your Place is a great book for some interior decorating inspiration. I’ve had my copy for several years but always flip through it every few months for some new ideas. 

I truly don’t like smiling for photos and it makes me deeply uncomfortable whenever someone insists. My teeth have been bothering me more and more as I get older, and I began to avoid smiling in general starting when I was eighteen or so. As a young girl, I remember my friends disliking their metal braces and the lifestyle changes associated with them. However, a few years later they all ended up with beautiful, even teeth. I can remember begging for braces to straighten out my crooked teeth… and I didn’t get them. I wanted straight teeth, too, and I won’t lie– I thought being able to change the color of my braces every few weeks would be fun. What can I say? It was 1990s. Fashion trends can be weird.

For whatever reason, my dentist wouldn’t recommend braces to my parents. There’s nothing seriously wrong with my teeth, but now as an adult I have problems with taking proper care of them as they’re not spaced correctly. I actually love going to the dentist (I know, what a weirdo), although the cost of all my dental problems has definitely added up over the years.

I finally decided to have my teeth straightened earlier this spring. I saw a cosmetic dentistry specialist for a consult for Invisalign, which has only recently become widely available as an alternative to metal braces. At twenty-six, I really couldn’t imagine having traditional braces and if not for Invisalign, I most likely would have ended up with costly veneers. There was no way I was going to go for traditional braces over Invisalign’s invisible braces.

photo credit: Invisalign

Invisalign’s clear braces are an especially appealing option for adults, but with the release of Invisalign Teen they’re also now an option for kids as young as ten or eleven. It’s easier to keep teeth clean and healthy with Invisalign, there are very few food restrictions, and far less soft tissue damage occurs with injury due to sports, accidents, etc. And gone are the days of extremely uncomfortable impressions taken with plaster and molds. Invisalign impressions are taken digitally with scanners. Having had plaster impressions taken three times during my life, I can personally attest that digital imaging is much easier. You can do some further reading about the advantages of clear braces on Invisalign.com.

Invisalign was definitely the right choice for me. Could it be right for you, too? If you’re thinking about straightening your teeth, I recommend taking the Invisalign Smile Assessment online to find out if Invisalign is an option for you.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Invisalign. I received compensation for this post but not for Invisalign treatment. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dear Mia,

It’s been a while since I’ve photographed this dress, which honestly… seems to photograph terribly. I’m not sure what it is– could be the lighting, could be the lace is just too busy to show up well. I don’t know. Every so often, something I wear just does not look the same on camera as in the mirror. Even the color didn’t come out quite true and had to be corrected. Do you ever have moments when you photograph an outfit and then see photos and think …what? I think this is another case of “the photos you take and the photos you think you take” difficulty that often plagues bloggers.

Free People Handkerchief Hem Lace Dress (still available in black) | Forever 21 belt | Aquatalia by Marvin K. boots | Hanes Seasonless Control Top Tights (c/o) | ZARA Quilted Tote (not current) | AMY O. Jewelry ROCKER Sammy Rex Necklace

Also, I don’t know about you, but I really like our poses.

If nothing else, they’re a source of amusement. Maybe we should start a dramatic outfit of the day photo club.

What, you don’t think it’ll catch on?

If you can attend only one charity event throughout the entire year (and are also prepared to eat a lot of meat), you should make it the Bronx Academy of Letters Benefit. Tickets aren’t inexpensive, but the range of good food from so many good restaurants is staggering.

The benefit got me eating things I don’t even like, and taking chances on others. I ate roe, and I haven’t touched it since I left Japan in 2008. I gobbled down most of a piece of pizza from Roberta’s… and I’m lactose intolerant. Interestingly I was fine, meaning their mozzarella is made seriously right. Wasn’t about to try my luck with any of the dishes made with ricotta, though.  

“…without those language skills, we are lost.” -Anthony Bourdain, host of this year’s benefit.

Students from Bronx Letters spoke about how much the school has empowered them and changed their lives for the better. Additionally, they mingled with guests throughout the evening, introducing themselves and sharing information about their school.

First dish of the evening: bo ssäm from momofuku. I topped mine with kimchi. And went back for a second. That fork? Didn’t get used.

Danny Bowien (chef at Mission Chinese) gives bunny ears to his unsuspecting fellow photo subjects. This tartine from involved pesto, roe, and many other things I don’t remember. Too busy eating to type details into Evernote!

Tacos made by Julian Medina (of Toloache, Yerba Buena, and Coppelia). I’m not sure if everyone at the benefit was aware, but chefs from almost every restaurant were present and accessible. They were all busy preparing food or I would have been tempted to ask for quick interviews.

Gabrielle Hamilton (center), chef at Prune. This restaurant has been on my list for almost a year now. Prune doesn’t take reservations for brunch, so one day I’ll just have to stick out the wait.

Melt in your mouth brisket from BrisketTown. Still regretting not going back for a second plate.

Erin McKenna of BabyCakes. I didn’t get a cake pop, but that cake was seriously good.

Chex Mix and apricot sorbet from Del Posto. Brilliant. Perfect last plate of the evening.

I attended this year’s benefit on a media invite but was not compensated for any event coverage. I did bid (and think I was outbid at the last possible moment) on a great silent auction item. Well, there’s always next year. 

As a special treat to readers, Epiphany is giving away one 18-piece box of the Pretty in Paisley collection to one lucky winner. They’re also offering 25% off (use code MOM25 at checkout) and running a free shipping promo through May 6th, so you can treat someone you love to an 18-piece set for just under $30. Or just get them for yourself as a nice pick me up– you deserve it!
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