My Best Friend

I swear, this stuff has been keeping me company in the winter for almost half my life. Every year, I find myself looking more and more forward to the day when it finally starts getting cold so that I have an excuse to get this. It makes me so happy; I'm already on my second box of the season.

If you haven't tried it, something is wrong with you. If warm fruity goodness isn't enough to get you interested-- all you drunks out there, you can do SO MUCH with this. I've just been using it with hot water for years and years and obviously, I am doing it wrong. You can make sodas, cocktails, pretty much anything that is appley and delicious, and you can probably secretly pour rum into it without creeping anybody out (hey, it's your thing).

Um, they have HELLA recipes here. I've fallen in love with the possibilities. OMG, you can make a CAKE!

How badly do I want to try this with champagne?

(The correct answer: real, real badly. New Year's Eve, plz?)

"Mumbai is burning, and the world keeps turning..."

The Mumbai killings are just... absolutely heartbreaking. As the sad, three-day death toll rises and rises and rises, I've actually just now found a surprising pair of names in the casualties.

Loumia Hiridjee and her husband Mourad Amarsy, founders of the French lingerie brand Princesse Tam-Tam, of which I have long held a very great deal of admiration and respect, were found dead in Mumbai. [The Times of India]

I have no words. I know that nothing I can say can even compare to how unbelievably... earth-shattering this all is. I cannot even imagine the magnitude of this tragedy.

God bless India, and may all this horrible violence please, for the love of anything, end as quickly as possible.

Stay safe.

I love you all.

Y Lolita Hazed

EDIT: It's over now. Thank GOD. [MSNBC]

Agent Provocateur. Free perfume. WANT.

Agent Provocateur is giving free 50mL bottles of their famous Maitresse parfum for every online order above £100. Considering how wonderful their new(ish) collection, Pirate Provocateur, is, not to mention how curious I've always been about their fragrances, I would TOTALLY hop on this deal (lasting until December 15, while supplies last).
You know. If I had money to do so with.

But you can, as well as find out more about this special promotion, here!

The Lolita Hazed Seasonal Playlist: Winter 2008/2009

It's the day after Thanksgiving! Do you know what that means? ALMOST WINTER!

In my mind, winter is hands-down the best season for music. Somehow, I keep on finding songs that sound wonderful against the pristine white background of the chillier months, when it's time to get cozy and sip some tea by the fire with the people you love most. So for your personal enjoyment, here's my compilation of all the occasionally dark and always beautiful tracks I have on repeat this time of year:

1. Stereolab "Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Southern Baptist Remix)"
What a happy tune! Seriously, I don't understand how Laetitia Sadier & Co. could ever fail to bring on the smiles. With its warm reindeer bells, this is an obvious choice for chiming in the holidays.
2. The 6ths "Falling Out of Love (With You)"
I would make this the music for a montage of a snowball fight between lovers-- which is ironic, considering the song's context, but somehow, it fits the idea perfectly.
3. The Walkmen "We've Been Had"
Can't even describe how wintery the feel of this song is. I remember having it on loop in my head during French class four years ago as I daydreamed of running alone through a lit-up Utica Square.
4. Idaho "Levitate"
This is a very cozy little track that I can see playing in a dim cafe at night, the people inside drinking coffee and watching others shuffle through the snowy city streets.
5. Badly Drawn Boy "Walking Out of Stride"
The amazing Damon Gough used the whole of the very wintery About a Boy score to create something that felt strangely intimate. This makes me think of a bundled-up couple doing, well, what do you think (refer to title)?
6. PJ Harvey "The Devil"
My #1 Girl Crush PJ released White Chalk at the perfect time last year, and while fans of her more guitar-driven sound were disappointed, I was very much entranced. The album was gloomy and hollow, and in my favorite song, she sounds like a ghost appearing in the curtains of an occupied house, a melodic warning reverberating from her throat.
7. Bat for Lashes "Tahiti"
Last winter, my town was hit by a freak icestorm that scattered pieces of the strongest trees onto the roads and kept thousands of houses across the state without power for a least a week. On the first night without electricity, two of my friends came over for a quiet night by the fire, looking for what we could to stay occupied. Something about how the house felt provoked me to grab Bat for Lashes' Fur and Gold and play it on the battery-powered stereo, and this was the first thing I wanted to hear. It caught the atmosphere perfectly, and I feel it whenever I hear this.
8. Asobi Seksu "Stay Awake"
Yuki Chikudate sings like a cherub in distress, and this beautiful almost-single shows the always entrancing shoegazers heading in the direction of romantic '60s girl-pop. This is one to snuggle under the covers to.
9. My Morning Jacket "Mahgeeta (Edit)"
Jim James' voice has this sublimely airy quality about it, and this feels like a snow-day anthem waiting to happen. When it plays, I can see the heavily-dressed citizens of a small, deep South town walking to a nearby burger joint upon salted sidewalks that have retained a storm's moisture.
10. Otis Redding "Cigarettes & Coffee"
One of the most wonderfully emotive legends in soul conjures up a perfect image of happiness that can be found in the simplest little things. It's a song that makes me want to take a few friends to Village Inn on a restless night and do exactly this.
11. The Pipettes "A Winter's Sky"
Duh, right? This is a sadder, Shangri-La's-inspired ballad of theirs that reminds me of Elijah Wood in The Ice Storm, and I can almost imagine the trio singing this out in the cold like unmeddling angels, watching as the tragic heroine plunges to her death.
12. PJ Harvey "Silence"
PJ continues with White Chalk's eerie, piano-driven beauties that hang in the air like a cold breath. It's divinely personal, reflective and hauntingly resonant.

BONUS: Panda Bear "Bros"
This is one that I didn't think really fit anywhere else, but still think is a really great winter song. I read that this was recorded in an indoor pool, which makes it have a uniquely wintery quality. I would like to sled to this at night, even though I have fallen off my bike to this (yes, I'm five).

The best sale of Thanksgiving weekend...

Net-a-Porter.com is FINALLY having a sale. No more guilt! 50% off, um, ERRTHANG!

Hit it up NOW.

Vendredi Noir @ Locher's

The fabulous ladies at Locher's are giving us a reason to shop online and stay out of the crowds this Friday-- all tops on their website are 25% off! Go get something ironically pretty to wear when you're at Sweetiepie this weekend!

Y Lolita Hazed

Absinthe bar opening in the Meatpacking District!

How girlishly badass does the new restaurant Sweetiepie sound? Just from the name, you can tell little girls would totally dig this... meaning, boozed-up little girls. In other words, me. This place is both a confectionary and an absinthe den! It's written up to be sensously dim, delicately decorated, and lavishly equipped when it comes to desserts-- a $50 sundae may not beat the cost-level of Serendipity 3's ridiculous 1K dessert, but it's got at least twenty scoops. Talk about childhood dreams! If Marie-Antoinette lived in New York City, you'd be sure to find her here. Ooh! And you can eat your dinner in a golden cage! This place seems sexy in an almost babydoll-esque way.

This is like the Lolita Hazed restaurant. I'm hitting this place up the next time I stay at The Gansevoort.

Hit up Sweetiepie, opening tonight at 19 Greenwich Avenue.

JUST slutty enough: Round 2

This hoodie. Is. Unbelievable. It's almost crumbelievable.I've always looked at hoodies and thought, "Huh. This needs to be made a little sluttier somehow." Shepard Fairey knew what I was talking about. That man knows exactly what women want somehow. I am convinced. How is this so? This might be one of the hottest hoodies I've seen... ever.

Don't care if it won't keep me warm. Want. And it's, um, $10 cheaper on Karmaloop? (Shame on you, Shep! You know there's a recession! I'm only kidding. Not really.)

Lily Allen's new album is called...

...It's Not Me, It's You.
Perfect. So Lily. Much better than Stuck on the Naughty Step.

Here's the tracklisting:
1. Everyone's At It
2. The Fear (or "I Don't Know" / the new single, as you may know)
3. It's Not Fair
4. 22
5. I Could Say
6. Go Back to the Start
7. Never Gonna Happen
8. Fuck You (AKA "Guess Who Batman")
9. Who'd've Known (awesome, as I thought that wouldn't be released due to copyright issues)
10. Chinese
11. Him
12. He Wasn't There
(Order most likely not confirmed-- see here)

Preorder it here and you'll have it by February 10! I personally am waiting for Insound's pre-order to come around, as they always have adorable little presents that come with the CD's.
Couldn't. Be. More. Excited.

OMG OUTDOOR ICE SKATINGZ!!

As I walked past the famous Wollman Rink in Central Park two weeks ago, it was hard to not get at least a tiny bit jealous. I eagerly snuck the lens of my camera through the metal gates, taking quick snapshots of adorable little groups who skated happily to '60s girl pop. I sighed to myself, wishing I could do something like this anytime I pleased...
...which is why I full-on SQUEED upon reading the local headlines of today's Tulsa World. Dude, the BOK Center is opening an outdoor skating rink!! With a giant Christmas tree, just like Rockefeller!! OMG OMG. THIS FRIDAY. I am going to dress up so damn cute for this.

I'll be expecting/performing hijinks of this caliber:

Cool Mag Alert: Flavor City (France)

When I was in New York this month, I discovered this amazing little magazine store called Universal News Cafe right down the street from my hotel (which I plan on writing about later). Stepping in, I was in awe-- every magazine I could think of and MORE was there-- except for one, a magazine I fell in love with in France this summer. A little magazine by the name of Flavor City.

I got this at Relay upon my arrival at the Paris train station, immediately intrigued by it's gorgeous cover flecked by singer/supermodel Micky Green (above, third). This thing kept me entertained the entire bus ride and then some. Ladies, if there's a magazine that is seriously WHERE IT'S AT, Flavor City is it. It's basically like a girly teen magazine for stylish French women, with page upon page of hot fashion, celebrity gossip, street style, sexy French boys, beauty tips and OMG QUIZZES. They're also down with the hottest spots in Paris so you can be sure to hit the city in style-- AND they make sure their socially-savvy little readers know what's going on in the world (big plus). This is some of the most fun I've had in a foreign-language magazine, and I've come across a few. Um, SUBSCRIPTION. WANT. This baby needs more love.

Get to know Flavor's flavor at their awesome blog here (French skills required, unless you'd like to read with Babelfish). Totally adding to blogroll!

Okay guys so GUESS WHAT.

It's official-- the Secret Diary of a Call Girl Facebook (yeah, I'm a nerd, whatevz) has confirmed that the Peach Pit's TV obsession will start its second season for Showtime on January 18 at 10:30 ET/PT! You know what that means-- more Hannah/Ben sexual tension funtime! Get pumped!And in case you've ever wondered what hot items Belle's wearing in the show like I have, the website has a brand new style feature! Check it out here.

Huge La Perla sale next week!

You ladies know I'm allll about fancy lingerie. However, I've never been a chick who freaked out over La Perla-- they've just never really held my attention is all. Buuut they are having a massive sample sale (up to 75% off, ladies) on 5th Avenue starting Monday the 24th and ending that Friday. So if you're a La Perla kind of girl, I advise you head on down there and get something pretty and recession-friendly!

La Perla 5th Avenue: 260 5th Ave (between 28th and 29th), 9am-6pm

Happy shopping, darlings!

In other lingerie news, the amazing Journelle is going to be featured on Tim Gunn's Guide to Style tonight on Bravo at 10/9 C. I'm tuning in, how about you?

Here comes Lily Allen!

Lily Allen was in Bedfordshire yesterday filming the video for her brand-new single "The Fear", which I'm very excited for as this is one we haven't heard! I thought Lily said "Everyone's At It" was going to be the new single, but I guess this proves otherwise (second single, mabes?). Either way, it looks like this vid is going to not only be fun as usual, but also very beautiful. Lily's back in full swing, baby! These next four months are gonna be totes Lily-dominated, so get ready, 'cuz this album is gonna be hot! Isn't she as well? *Sigh*. Lovely Allen indeed.

[See what she's wearing and more at ASOS Today]

I forgot how much I love Britney Spears.

2008 has been awesome for Britney Spears, hasn't it? "Womanizer" kicks ass, not to mention I listened to the Circus leak and I'm totes loving it. No joke, that shit is so good, search it on Hypemachine ("Lace and Leather" is my personal fave)!
Some chicks from that era are not allowed to have "greatest hits" albums. However, Britney just had so many good ones... which brings me to this amazing claymation imitation of one of those jams, "Stronger".

I am now so angry that I can't find my copy of Oops... I Did It Again!. Must find.

Found courtesy of stopmotion wunderkind and total hottie Michael Mouris' YouTube (did not make this).

CRAZY FACT: I met Britney AND Jamie-Lynn at Urban Outfitters in Chicago when I was nine. It was awesome.

The Awesome Bath I Haven't Had

I'm pretty sure every kid has dreamed of immersing themselves in Jell-O at least once. Hell, adults probably do, too! Either way, I know that when I read about Jellybath in ELLEgirl (R.I.P.) six-ish years ago, childhood dreams squeed in my brain, skipping happily at the prospect of being fulfilled. I was unmistakably intrigued (I even think the onomatopoeia "floomph" was used at one point-- it drew me in) and determined to one day try this baby out for myself.

Though further inspection of the product has proven that no, it's not like taking a bath in Jell-O, I still found myself wanting to chill out in a pool of blue goosh. Come on, it requires a separate pack of mix to dissolve this stuff! How much fun is that? It also apparently stays warm for a super long time, which is awesome, considering the fading warmth of bathwater is a problem I face frequently. ELLEgirl went so far as saying it feels like a blanket. Um, water blanket? "Inconceivable!" cried Wallace Shawn. This sounds like the best idea for a Christmas present that anybody ever had, and I don't know about you, but I sure as hell could use some. Check out a video of some chick trying it out below!

Notice how when she pours on the powder, it sounds like she's emptying a bag of Pop Rocks. Awesome.

Buy Jellybath at locations listed here, or at their Paypal shop here. Either way, if I try this, I'm def posting about it!

New Asobi Seksu OMG!

If you're not aware of Japanese shoegaze band Asobi Seksu's greatness, you best get schooled! Today, they put out a single with two brand-new songs: "Me & Mary" (which you can hear below) and "Breathe Into Glass". James and Yuki have confirmed that this will be the first single of an upcoming album, apparently called Hush, so get excited!

You like? Get new single on iTunes 'kay!

Duke-Spirit-loving fashionistas REJOICE!

To say that Liela Moss has remained "under the radar" is an understatement. She and her band, The Duke Spirit, have been critically acclaimed by a very, very small audience. As a huge fan, it has gotten to me, as The Duke Spirit are much better than the shit that gets hype these days-- especially considering the magnitude of greatness that their second album, Neptune, possesses. However, since Liela has decided to fully embrace her love of fashion, she's gained the attention of a cool dude who agrees with my woes-- none other than fashion Olympian Alexander McQueen. I have been ALL OVER the idea of his line for Target and not only was his cosigning of my beloved frontwoman enough to get me excited-- he pretty much MADE the line FOR her. And he's got the girl modeling. Um, he's even got her picture from the Neptune cover on a SHIRT! A shirt that I'm BUYING!Monsieur McQueen, if this love of Liela was a marketing ploy to get me to buy your now cheaper (thank you, thank you so much) digs of high-renown, you already had me at Target. And now it looks like I'll be at the opening... on, um, THURSDAY. THIS SHIT COMES OUT ON THURSDAY. I will so be wearing that shirt with my Tatty Devine Duke Spirit necklace!!

[Picture courtesy of Highsnobette]

Fred Flare = Best Christmas Shopping Evz.

Yeah yeah, it's obnoxious, but it's about that time to start shopping for friends. I have a lot of fun with it, and I pride myself on being a hella good gift-giver. Fred Flare never fails to be a #1 gift source-- after all, they're one of the quirkiest shops out there, and they've got some crazy stuff! I got most of my presents for friends from there last year and they were a huge hit (their talking Japanese watch being one of them). Their gifts are stylish, original and make for some awesome stocking stuffers. Here are my favorites that I would totes get for myself if I were my friend:

If I could be an animal, I would so be a hummingbird. They're tiny, have freaky flight patterns, are super colorful and live on juice. Also, they have the fastest heart rate of any animal out there, so if you ever tried to shoot one, it'd be all Matrix-like. Hummingbirds are badass, and this $10 gold-plated necklace is tiny and adorable. Do want!
These Lucid Studio necklaces are GORG. The cupcake necklace is more popular but I have absolutely no idea why because, hello? PRETZEL NECKLACE! AMAZING! They're also made of fancy-shmancy vermeil, so you know they're quality. I couldn't really afford to get this for a friend as it's $50, but that's quite cheap for vermeil.
These gloves are so '80s goth that I was spellbound on sight of them. Considering most of my clothes are black, these babies and a black veil are all I need to start dressing like Lydia Deetz on the daily. So pretty! So cheap! Gimme!
The ultimate Lolita Hazed pick, and a tres necessaire part of my Peach Pit Justice League superhero uniform. While they're not as accurate as the more high-couture Cutler & Gross glasses they're knocking off, these shades are cute and easy on the wallet.

Don't you know there's more fun to be had? Check out What's New for the holidays @ FredFlare.com!

Covers That Aren't Boring

You know what? Covers are getting so old. I'm kinda sick of them-- especially the recent trend of covering a song that came out one day ago is no longer progressive or surprising-- it just seems dumb, especially when it's been done before. If you want to be progressive, do something different, right?
Which reminds me of something amazing I found a few winters ago. This might have become one of my favorite covers ever, ever, EVER. It's SO BADASS, and it's resonated with me. Yes, year after year I come back to it. It includes wonderful deadpan singing action and some intense blond headbanging madness. This is a video that will make you want to learn how to play the ukelele. It may become your life ambition.

Obviously, this video is perfect in every way.

Um, WHAT THE HELL.

The super-hot and highly-buzzed Married to the MOB x Nike Dunks hit Nike's 21 Mercer in SoHo November 8. I was reading about it just now and thinking, "Oh, well, that was after I came back home, right?"
Dude. I was totally in New York then. WHAT. DUMB.

So mad I didn't know. If you're in NYC, you should hit up 21 Mercer so you can tell me the price tag and make me jealous. I'm scared it'll be in the three-hundred's range, but if it is, I can at least look at them and say "These shoes are three hundred dollars. These shoes are three hundred dollars," and so on.

I just want to see what they look like on my feet. And maybe sigh a little.

OMG, Claw!

I am all for chicks who do their own thing, so I've obviously got a soft spot for America's graffiti queen: the inimitably awesome Claw Money! The bitch is back with a vengeance in her AW08 collection. Some of my favorite tees are below:

God, I love feminism in streetwear, and with ladies like Leah McSweeney and Claw, there's so much of it now to just bathe in. (See also the HAWT "Gangster Bitches" tee and hoodies.)

Come on, sing along!
Um, tiny claw-shaped braces. I'm officially in love.

I usually limit my fashion pic-posting to three, so you can save the rest of the fun for yourself. It's so wonderfully '90s, with its Nike rips, old school rap references, totally Tribe-Called-Quest-esque patterns. And for her more high-line, notorious outerwear collection, it gets even more badass with, um, sportswear copyright infringement (Red Satin's my pick, but I personally couldn't give two shits about team sports). That's right. This girl's not afraid of your lawyer. In fact, she's already sharpening her weapons...

Get the new goods from AW and her highly covetable collab jewelry (DO WANT) with artist Gabriel Urist here.

More Love, Please: Maps "It Will Find You"

This song is so arresting in every way. It's a well-written mix of contradictions: melancholy and hope-inspiring, soft and chaotic, paralyzing and almost dance-worthy-- it's a shame UK act Maps hasn't gotten more love, especially after being nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2007 (through which they helped fellow noms Bat for Lashes and Fionn Regan do a cover of Primal Scream's classic "Higher Than the Sun"). A song that truly stops me in my tracks with its quality is rare, so this is a song I keep coming back to on the dark nights it fits so well with. It's also awesome for driving on the rainiest of days. And I know that because I totes discovered this song through the Skins finale, in which characters drove in rain. Anyway.

Dear Earth: Give Maps more love. Start here.
Download: Maps "It Will Find You"

MoveOn.org & Shepard Fairey want to celebrate!

This couple, the awesomeness of whom I'm sure you're already well aware of, want to share their happiness of Obama's election with you by giving you a special limited-edition Shepard Fairey sticker! For free (shipping too)! As you probably know, Shep made campaign history with his now iconic "Progress" Obama poster, so of course it's pretty sweet that we can all have a piece of it.I just ordered mine. I want to put it on my car.

Get one by clicking here, and go ahead and tell your friends about it!

P.S. Back for realz this time! It's been a busy week but I have several drafts to update this baby with! Lolita Hazed's systems are go again!

OMFG WE DID IT!!!!!

I'm back kids!! YES WE CAN AND YES WE HAVE!!!!

See you in New York loves!!
Y Lolita Hazed

(Video idea totes courtesy of Jezebel liveblog)