Madame Lolo • Bright Life, Big City

Hairy legs

March 15, 2012

In the era of affordable laser hair removal everything (thanks to Groupon, Living Social deals offers) I have discovered that hairy legs in the winter could actually be your most sexy option.

furry feet — My snow white furry boots taking the bus

Indeed, this winter I have decided to go fully haired on the legs , opting for a chubaka look, and I have never been so popular ! As I was getting tired of the UGG boots for winter (…and to be fully honest, Monsieur Popo, my male counterpart, put a veto on the UGG look) I decided to buy last summer the long hair goat boots fur, that if you are old enough were trendy in the late 70’s in Courchevel and other uber fashionable ski-stations.

The only thing is I decided to get them in white, which for NY streets might not be the easy way, but I found out that you can just put them in the washing machine, and after don’t forget to give them a Blow-dry other wise you will have 2 wet dogs at your feet!

You can find some affordable ones on ebay and etsy, or where I got mine a ski accessories site for $200 or less.

Now if you add a heavy & precise eyeliner to your look you’ll get close enough to Linda

Fashion

Double Smoking

August 7, 2011October 4, 2011

Well it is about time for another post about smoking dear “alternative” readers, right on time for the law that passed in NYC, that means you can not smoke in public outdoor places such as Tompkins (???) Park, Coney Island , and any other parks or beach in the city… except for my secret beach ( it is a federal beach, so legal terms here, bla, blah, we can smoke!!!)

Kinda depressing, just when the summer kicks in, when they finally install free wi-fi in parks… So long to my morning coffee-cigarette-reading emails in Union Square on my way to the office…

So dear (French) tourists please note that you will get a $50 fine for smoking in Central Park, Battery Park, Times Square ( yeah even if there is no tree or grass, it is a considered a park, go figure….) So I say, instead of a no smoking post, I’m gonna double it that’s how Pro-smoking I am !

Smoking & Fashion :

A love story that never ended. Fashion magazine is the last place you can see hot smokers blowing on your face, as nowadays you see more the I-am-missing-throat-4fingers-and-3toes smokers in picture 😉 also because in French the tuxedo is called smoking and it is for sure one of my favorite outfit for a woman, sooo fucking sexy !!!!

And what did I noticed first when I was at the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Met ? His very first serie of smokings…

Alors les filles on assorti son paquet de Saint Laurent à aon smoking (in case you didn’t know the “inventor” behind the smoking for woman, and this awesome pack design by the fantastic Marc Atlan):

Double smoking baby : it can’t get better than that !!

I am telling you cigarette is the ultimate fashion accessory, check out the latest VOGUE (and guess from which country it is …)

Featured

Streets as your living room

July 1, 2011September 19, 2011

One thing that I noticed and fully embraced the minute I’ve started living in NYC is the way we people of nyc take over the streets here, and make them as their own living room.
Not sure if it is due to the small size of a typical New York apartment or maybe it is due to the weather : after 6 months of hibernation during the winter, you just wanna enjoy the concrete jungle and its dirty streets even though the summer are insanely hot!! Or maybe it is just the pleasure of sitting on stoops that makes up for the pain of climbing the steps…

Anyhow, on summer nights, it is a habit I really enjoy, with my girls, or by myself , or just stooping in my block with my neighbors and all of a sudden, the Big Apple turns into a really small village.. How Magic is that ?

Fashion

Hat-ever

June 3, 2011June 12, 2011

Hats are everywhere this summer ladies, and it is trend that I really enjoy, and the we shall fully embrace for several reasons :

1. ONE SIZE FITS ALL … you feel me ? For once I don”t have to worry how fat girls looks in hats ( contrary to skinny jeans, micro-shorts, mini skirts , leggings, and multi-layers style…)

2. It is the MOST EFFICIENT WAY to cover your party (work in my case) all night face, your biggest pimples issues, and for my American ladies your “bad hair day”.

3. STYLE U UP : no matter what you wear ( and trust my experience) put a hat on, and all of a sudden, you become “OMG soooo Stylish !!!!”

Note : all styles of head accessories works this summer, with the exception of :

– Bandanas : unlees you are from New Jersey, and still a fan of Gun and Roses this is an absolute no-no

– Visor caps : Hello Jackie Collins….

Plus with hats, I can play around easy on Madame Lolo’s avatar

Foulard-Chapeau : my favorite look this summer

Fashion

Shop And The City

April 23, 2011April 23, 2011

Welcome to New York the Shopping Mecca ! Here is a short list of shopping spots for the ladies handpicked by yours truly

View Shop And The City in a larger map

1.The Apple Store

Central Park – 59th Street & 5th Avenue

You know you are gonna go there, it is the only place you can drag your boyfriend into and then while you’re there you can stroll along to Barney’s, Tiffany’s, Bergdorf Goodman, and even H&M ! Best part about it is that it’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it has the cleanest bathroom, and you can check your email or skype your mom from there. What more can you get ??

2. Bergdorf Goodman

754 5TH AVE & 57th Street

Beautiful windows and the best shoes department in New York to experience a Sex and the City moment !

3.H & M

51st Street & 5th Avenue

No need for an intro here, it is just the best h&m in town, with 3 floors, and of course ya know it is a NYC standard opened 7 days a week…

4.Barneys

Another place to hang out and enjoy, not sure about spending though…, but you can totally pretend to be Carrie Bradshaw or Blair Waldorf up in here !

5. Forever 21

Or Forever 51 it depends who you shop with : from pre-teen to menopause girlfriends you can always find something to (hot) flash to Bieber or Clooney : Super-cheap and borderline tacky but cool if you mix with more upscales brands.

6. Bigelow

414 6TH AVE & 9th Street – West Village

The only Pharmacy in NYC that reminds me of France , I usually go there when missing my favorite French Beauty products or just to see what’s new in beauty-land.

The Strand

828 BROADWAY & 12th Street -Union Square

Le Gibert Jeune de New York , great place to buy books of course but also postcards to send to grandma and get the ultimate hipster look with their cotton shopping bags, better than the I love NY bag.

8.Ricky’s

44 E 8TH ST & 20 more locations

Needs a drag queen touch? Perfect for anything that involve glitters, wigs, cosmetics, hair lines, and sexy costumes you will find at Ricky’s , Plus theere are always some fun gadget to buy. Definitely a NYC spot.

9.Patricia Field

302 BOWERY- NOLITA

To stay on topic Drag Queens meets Sex and The City fans it is THE New York Fashion Place!

10.Uniqlo

546 BROADWAY-SOHO

Always finding something in here, especially the J+ collection ( Jill Sander)

11.Topshop

478 BROADWAY-SOHO

A bit more expensive than H&M and Zara, but a good spot to get accessories & shoes that have a London Hipster touch

12.Muji

455 BROADWAY – SOHO

The only Japanese size I can fit in , actually that my apartment can!

13.Opening Ceremony

35 HOWARD ST- SOHO

The Colette of NYC and the destination for fashionistas.

14.CB2

Broadway & Grand – SOHO

Nice and affordable home decoration store ikea like for new yorkers

15. Steve Madden

I love Steve MaddenChina shoes can’t beat them for “inspired” replicas and awesome colored shoes at their outlet on Rivington ( 2 pairs of uber sexy wedges for the summer for $40)

16.Century 21

22 CORTLANDT ST – FINANCIAL DISTRICT

I thought I should put it on the map anyway because you, dear tourist will go there for sure.

17. MANICURE & PEDICURE

Renew & Relax Inc
50 3rd Ave between 10th & 11th street

Or best mani-pedi as we say here. You will find that in NYC there is literally as many mani-pedi salon as there are Boulangerie in Paris, one on each block, the price is really cheap around $10 for a mani, but the quality varies. I love RENEW & RELAX because all their tools are uber clean, the staff doesn’t change , and my manis are always awesome! Definitely a must do when you are visiting NYC.

And finally some tips to make your shopping experience even better :

Do not wear heels, you are going to walk like never before here, so dear Frenchies use your Converse, dear Italians rock your Puma’s.
Duane Reade is your friend: I can guarantee you , you’ll buy something in it from Tooth whitening, to shampoos, to nail polish or Cinnamon Chewing-gum.
Free WiFI at any Starbuck’s & Apple Store : useful stops if you came with your iPhone or iPad
Choose one neighborhood per day and stick to it : NYC is very dense but huge at the same time, there is no way you gonna see everything in a day or 2. just pick one and enjoy!
Time Square is over-rated : If you must go just pass by and take a couple of pictures, stop by the M&M’s store with your kids and move on!.

Fashion

Euro Blondes

April 12, 2011April 28, 2011

In the home country of Barbie, Pamela Anderson, Jessica Simpson, and many other insignificant blondes,

I thought I should give some credits to the original, and spicy ones that mostly came from Europe:

★From Italy : Monica Vitti ★ From Austria : Romy Schneider ★ From France : Brigitte Bardot

Design

Consistency

April 3, 2011April 4, 2011

Sometimes in life, you are blessed with serendipity, and it is from my experience that I have the luck to randomly meet more that extraordinary people jut like that.
Marc Atlan is of course one of them. I didn’t know him until I met him ( duh!!!) but I realized afterwards that I have liked and bought almost every single items he has designed:
I frenetically wear and search the web for my favorite fragrance Helmut Lang Eau de Parfum (discontinued 10 years ago)
If I had pictured a pack of cigarettes in a post it would be with the Yves Saint Laurent one.

Marc Atlan is one of the most consistent designer, all his creations are noticeably stamped by his talent yet, stays always minimalist and uber-clean at the service of the iconic brand ( YSL, Helmut Lang, James Perse, Comme des Garcons, Prada, … )
And recently, for the first time, Marc designed and created his own perfume: Petite Mort that condensed in my opinion all of the essence of Marc:

From the concept ( the most sexual scent you could imagine) to the execution and design bien sur, this is a true UNIQUE and powerful creation inspired by one Woman, of course she had to be some woman, one of kind…

Petite Mort captures the emotion and excitation (literally) of a Woman, l’émoi d’une Femme in French:

Geekland

Madame Lego

February 8, 2011February 23, 2011

As A true Geekette and street art lover, I could resist posting this NYC discovery : Lego and street art mixed together.

It all started yesterday when I went to the Social Media Week kickoff Party at the NY Public Library, when i saw this on the wall:

and after a little research I found out that there was many like this spread all over the city:

Central Park:

It is actually a global project and featured in many cities such as Tel aviv, Berlin, Amsterdam, and much more.

I have no idea who is behind it but I think it’s pretty cool – Visit their site http://www.dispatchwork.info/

And if you can find legos in NYC Concrete Jungle , why not get Concrete Lego ? Found on Etsy

NYC

American Beauty

January 29, 2011

As much as I am addicted to some French beauty products such as Bioderma Crealine, there is some great stuff here as well that I would recommend you to buy and bring back to your home country.

1. ROSEBUD LIP BALM $6

You can find this cult non greasy lip balm almost anywhere, from Ricky’s to Duane Reade & Sephora.
A must-have for all the dry lips out there, perfect for a glossy effect, non sticky, a great base/moisturizer to get the perfect red lips!

2. MAX FACTOR COUTURE MASCARA $9

It is now hard to find as they are discontinuing it, but by far the mascara I have had in years ! I owe this discovery to Maud Laceppe, Rock-Star Make-up artist

3. MOROCCAN OIL Hair treatment $40

I love the smell (non ca sent pas le couscous boulettes…), works great on damp hairs or dry, and a can’t do without for extremely bleached hairs like mine !

4.Crest 3D White Whitestrips Professional Effects

Well so Effective that I have never used the whole box ( or is it that I am too lazy to do so ???) You can find them at almost any drugstore in NYC ( Duane Reade, CVS, etc)

5. OPI & ESSIE NAIL POLISH

You can of course find them in France now, but number one they are cheaper here around $6, and 2 I doubt you have all the crazy collections like the OPI Glee collection, or even Shreck…

If you want a classic natural color go for ” Sugar Daddy” by Essie, I know a few that are totally addicted to this sheer color.

And if you need the perfect red go for OPI “Big Apple Red” after all, you are in NYC no ?

6. Per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel $57

The make-up trick that smooth out and photoshop your skin …

Design

La Poule et ses Coqs

January 3, 2011April 15, 2011

Fashion

Obsession of the Month

December 22, 2010February 13, 2011

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red leather pants - leopard coat - eyeliner- crazy sex hairs — Obsession of the Month

So I have fallen in love with this total look :

Red Leather Pants
Leopard Jacket
White Shirt
Heavy Eye-Liner
F@#k-All_Night Hairs

For number 3, 4 & 5 no issues there, easy to find …

But an alternative to the Dolce & Gabbana leopard Jacket , and Balmain Red Leather pants had to be found !

So here are my trophées :

Zara Leopard Jacket – $129

Take it a size smaller it runs big, and it looks nice when fitted

H&M Red Leather Pants with zippers – $149

Et Voila ! Now I just need to buy Kate Moss’ face & Body at a discounted plastic Surgeon Clinic , and I am all set !!

Fashion

Shopping list

December 4, 2010February 22, 2011

Mustache pillow

pour Monsieur Popo

Geek Girl Necklace $2.80

Pour les French Geekettes

Leopardess Necklace : $9.80

Pour mes Leopardesses

Marc Jacobs Jelly Bracelet Set $15

Pour les Uber fashionistas Mamas

DJ Ring $17

Pour les girlfriends de DJ

LEOPARD PASSPORT HOLDER $28

Nothing better than leopard to get you through customs

Leopard Luggage Tag $20.00

So that nobody mix your black suitcase anymore

Xmas Labbit $24.95

‘Cos I collect them

Smoking Teddy Bear $29.95

Sold Out already

Zipper Pulls $5

My nephew loves them

Dolce Vita Fur Boots $308

to warm up your NY winter look

Zara Leopard Jacket $129

looks better a size under ( I already got it ! )

Asos Red Skinny Jeans $55

still looking for those in leather

Gap (kids) Sweater $34

Kids size works even on me ! I am a big one

Gap Boyfriend Tuxedo Pants $69

Love tuxedo pants for the winter

Victoria’s Secret Tube Win ter Dress $78

Very “Marion” like with uggs and black tights

Victoria Secret Gold or Black Sequin jacket $139

‘Cos you always need a little Bling in your life !

Asos Silk Jumpsuit with Open Back $100

Always loved the Open Back clevage, easy sexy

Featured

Money Island

November 4, 2010April 4, 2011

Winter is too long in NYC, so today will be a day for a denial post… And the first image that comes to my head ‚when I think about summers in New York, is Coney Island. I love this place, even though I wouldn’t get in the water over there, nor lay down on the sand !

It can get a little crowded as well during summers’ heatwave:

The Iconic Wonder Wheel…

…Reminds me of Paris (jardin des Tuileries)

I like also all the handmade typography you can spot there , very retro feeling :

Freaky 🙂

Even in the winter, it keeps a very cinematographic look & feel:

And in the summer it has amazing saturated colors:

Featured

Only in NY

November 2, 2010April 2, 2011

After reading the article from the Voice about the 50 reasons I love living in nyc I though I could add up the typical NYC images that still makes living in NYC

The NYC Skyline

Chinese take-out boxes

sound of fire truck police car sirens

Red Brick WallsNYC Sewer

NYC Steaming Streetsfire escapes

Hot-Dog Cart

“NO PARKING” SIGNS

Something’s always happening here. If you’re bored in New York, it’s your own fault.-Mirna Loy

Fashion

Red, Rouge, Red

October 15, 2010October 28, 2010

This Fall I want & see everything in ROUGE , mon amour:

RED LIPS:

I have been rocking the Red lips ever since a true Make-up Artist ( Maud Laceppe) taught me how to do it like you’re on the runway :

Hydrate lips
Carefully line the lips with REDD lip pencil from MAC, or True Red By Laura Mercier (for example) drawing a little outside for bigger lips
then just fill it in and hopefully you will get something like that 😉

RED PANTS:

From Isabel Marant red leather pants, to Zara tailored pants, to Gap Corduroy , I want them all !

And of course Red Shoes & Red Clutch …

And some red images to match this whole post :

[nggallery id=7]

Featured

Stuff Tourists Like # 3

October 11, 2010August 22, 2011

This is the peak season for Tourists : dear Nouillorqueur, I am sure your couch is booked till Labor Day ( and trust me I feel your pain…), and just in case you were wondering how they would spend their day in NYC, I can bet you that they will end up in 2 spots :

Tourists Like to Stop in the middle of a street : Move to the side

Using a Pedicab to get to the Apple Store

this is a no-no using a pedicab is a tourist thing, no New Yorker would ever do that.

Apple Store : la tourneee des grands ducs

Oh lawwwd , where to start ??? I guess with the iPad crazyness, I can tell you I have already shipped several of those giant iPhones to the motherland, and thank you Steve for releasing the iPhone 4 in France at the same time as here …and even if we have 4 Apple stores in NYC, this not a reason to go to every single one and compare the price with the euro/dollar rate, because at the end, it is gonna be hard to carry your 27 inches iMac in your luggage back to France.

So of course , Thank you Steve, with the new Mac Book Air at $999 and 999 euros in Europe, I am gonna have a lot of orders as the Euro /Dollar rate is around 1.40 …

Featured

New York Best Kept Secret

August 5, 2010June 29, 2012

New York’s Best Kept secret is NOT Century 21, trust me on that one, but the fact that it has so many beaches all accessible by public transportation. Here are some few options if you are spending your summer in NYC & still want to get a carribean tan!

☼ ROCKAWAY BEACH :

How to get there ? Take the blue line, the A train to Broad Channel, transfer to the S to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St. (Last Stop).
How Much ? $4.50 Round Trip, Subway ride.
What to do ? Get a beer & a slice at the Sand Bar on the beach, or even order chinese take out and get it delivered on the beach.

☼ RIIS LANDING/ FORT TILDEN

How to get there ? it’s a boat ride & it only works on week-end. Take the Ferry on Pier 11 (same as Ikea boat), click here more infos and schedule.
How Much ? $30 Round Trip on the American Princess. add $5 more if you bring your bike.
Tips: Bring your own picnic to the beach and drinks as it is a wild beach with no lifeguards neither. The boat ride to get there is 45 mins and is amazing , you get to see the Statue of Liberty, Coney Island, and the Verrazano bridge.

☼ FIRE ISLAND:

How to get there ? Take the LIRR train in Penn Station to Bay Shore, then the Ferry to Fire Island .
How Much ? around $60 RT -> $26 for the train & $12 for the ferry (round-trip)
What to do ? try to spend the night there, or the weekend, as it is an 1.5 hour away from the city, and it is a little corner of paradise there, no cars, almost no stores and beautiful sunsets.

Et Voila ! Now You know how I spend my summer in the city 🙂

Featured

New York Photo Booth

July 29, 2010December 30, 2010

In the era of all digital images, it became more fun to play with analog pictures, and as I got my summer tan on, it means I am eligible for picture time without the ususally mandatory Photoshop retouching … Here is a quick round-up of the Photobooth (or Photomaton in French) in NYC:

1. Coney Island

Deno’s Wonder Wheel – 3059 W 12th St. Brooklyn, NY 11224- Color

2. 7B

7B – 108 Avenue B – New York, NY – B&W Only

3. Ace Hotel

Ace Hotel – 20 West 29th Street, New York, NY‎ – Black&White Only

And some others I haven’t tried yet:

Lakeside Lounge – 162 Avenue B New York, NY 10009- Black & White

Otto’s Shrunken Head – 538 E. 14th St.New York, NY 10009

Featured

Walk on the West Side

May 9, 2010May 11, 2010

On a bright but chilly sunday afternoon, I decided to take a walk on the West side of the city , and here is my West Side Story in pictures with some amazing Street Art characters.

Mickey loves NY

WWest Side Ride

@grenadeboyjc2

One of those day

Elle

Che and Mussolini

Beautiful Brunette

Colors on the Corner

Love this

U just got BrainWashed

BEAU

Wall Kicks

Gay Paris

Monsieur Moustache

Through Tears the Pain

Doggy Style

Monsieur Alec

Madonna

Outie

Lapin aux Chiottes

She Ain’t Nothing to Mess With

Bright Drips, Big City

Dr Spock

DickChick

Hakula / Kardashian

Hello

No!

Even Cops stick on the Block

‘Sup

Parking Sign

Blowing All Up

Red Lights District

Stop in the West Village

Village Paris in NYC

Sure & Faust

Matching Vespa with the House

Str8 From the Sewer

The Dogs are Watching

Freeze

Love Me in Blue

Nobody Cares

Featured

$how Me the Money

May 8, 2010May 10, 2010

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell stacks dollars tattooing celebrities, so he can laser cut his piles of cash, go & check his first NY exhibition called “If You Don’t Belong, Don’t Be Long” – April 29 – May 30, 2010 at 109 Crosby Street (between Prince & Houston).

Shepard Fairey

The final exhibition at Deitch Gallery, is with one of the top money maker of Street Art, Shepard Fairey, aka Obey. The opening was the it event of the year, the whole block was packed, and filled with celebs’. “May Day ” at Deitch Projects, 18 Wooster Street, May 1 – 29, 2010.

Banksy Exit Through the Gift Shop

The best movie/documentary I have seen in a year. Period.

Mister Brainwash

The biggest con artist ever, it make sense to see his exhibition just if you have seen the Banksy Film, I won’t tell more asides that MBW is a Frenchie 😉 – ICONS REMIX – Opening Sunday May 9th at 3pm – 415 W 13th street, NYC, until the end of May. Muchas Gracias @foodrap for the picture, and check out his blog he has super nice pictures on a daily basis.

Featured

Welcome to America

April 10, 2010October 19, 2010

★ INTERNET : From the country that brought you Apple, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter , you would think that Mega high-speed would be the norm here ; but NO, it is actually really bad! Check the numbers below, on top of it , it is pretty expensive compared to France …

★ PHONE : from the country that brought you the iPhone you would expect 4G everywhere, but no !!! Even 3G sucks and it gets worst here, in NYC, where basically your iphone is on EDGE 50% of the time, or worse doesn’t even get signal. To cut it short: your iPhone is a mini iPad, you can make calls when using wi-fi on Skype.

★ TV ADS: Even if I’m a big fan of Mad Men, advertising here kinda sucks, compared to MTV era , and French commercials I grew up with:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOSnA7alx6c[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VvRPIZn2c4[/youtube]

And one my favorites Etienne Chatilliez for Eram (French Payless shoesource):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDlGmTzMb1g[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVnrHx87IjM[/youtube]

★CREDIT CARDS : “There’s a credit card for that” In average, an American owns 4 credit cards, and NONE of them is secured by a Smart Card, just a signature and a magnetic stripe… Another retarded American move by orchestrated by those A$$hole from Walla Street and the Financial institutions here …, For the story when I was a kid I wanted to be Roland Moreno , I thought he had the cooolest job ever, and he was always very nice with me letting me draw on MacPaint all day … And now he even put a comment on my blog, and put me in his , that is sharing 🙂

Fashion

In the Army

March 8, 2010March 8, 2010

This Spring/Summer fashion trend is all about the military ( Army or Navy) but I am kinda over already the navy stripes, I have seen too many, so I’ll just focus on my obsession of the month Army Green ( Khaki in French) :).