Courtesy of HarperCollins

Truth be told, I am a complete organizational freak. I color coordinate my closet, tape Polaroids of each pair of shoes to the outside of my Container Store shoe boxes, and fold every sweater uniformly. I’m the first to admit that it’s a bit obsessive, but damn my closet looks good!

In the spirit of spring cleaning—which I’ve been late in getting to due to life moving way too quickly—I felt compelled to share a new and useful find. Recently, author and former Style.com editor Melanie Charlton Fascitelli paid a visit to Jackson Square’s luxe clothing boutique, Carrots, for the launch of her new book, Shop Your Closet: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Closet With Style (HarperCollins, $19.95). This is a book I can really get behind. With such enthusiastically titled chapters as “Bye-Bye, Pack Rat!” and pages garnished with cute illustrations, Fascitelli lends tips on sweater folding, the right (and wrong) hangers to use and the containers you’ll need to rid your closet of clutter.

After plowing through the easy read, I was inspired to recreate outfits mixing old and new items. An hour later, I was hardcore cleaning and filling bags of garments for Goodwill (my rule of thumb: donate items that haven’t been touched in three months or more). Before I knew it, I had completely reorganized my closet. It was exhausting, but totally liberating, and the perfect way to prepare for the season ahead.

One of my favorite tips Fascitelli shares? Tuck a lavender sachet between your piles of sheets and linens for a lovely whiff of aromatherapy.

Find Shop Your Closet at Carrots, 843 Montgomery St., 415-834-9040 or harpercollins.com

I finally found time to sneak in a few vacation days to see family this week in Ohio (and yes, dear GlamWatch readers, I am still faithfully blogging!). One of the challenges I faced packing for a red-eye flight at the 11th hour? Quickly downsizing my arsenal of beauty products to fit into a compact carry-on. Thankfully, my obsession with finding the ideal make-up palette to match just about any occasion--and purse size--left me with plenty of well-researched options. Here are my three on-the-go favorites:


Size Matters


Courtesy of Sephora.

Sephora's new Summer Blockbuster Palette ($30) is the mother of all travel-friendly combos. With 24 pressed eye shadows, a dozen lip colors, two cheek colors and one bronzer, the array of color options will have you dipping into it even if you're not on the road. Available at Sephora, 33 Powell St., 415-362-3960, sephora.com



Power Exchange


Courtesy of Nordstrom.com

Go anywhere with Trish McEvoy's new customizable Power of Make-up Page: Simply Pretty 1 palette ($65). This tightly edited magnetic compact comes with four versatile eye shadows, a coral gloss, a sheer lip color and natural-flush pink blush. The bonus? Once you're done, it can be refilled to suit your next travel adventure. Available at Nordstrom, 865 Market St., 415-243-8500, nordstrom.com


Pretty in Pink


Courtesy of Fresh.com

Best for a far-flung tropical getaway (or at least looking like you just returned from one), Fresh's new Island Reverie Face Palette ($55) has three complimentary eye shadows, a shimmering bronzer and a peachy blush that gives you that relaxed, just basked-in-sunshine glow. Available at Fresh, 301 Sutter St., 415-248-0210, fresh.com

Courtesy of Nau

Sometimes the best things never come to those who wait. You’ll know what I’m talking about if you’ve noticed the Nau storefront on Chestnut Street, which has been in-the-making for several months, complete with job posting fliers spotted in its papered windows within the last few weeks. You can imagine our surprise when— after meeting with their marketing director less than two weeks ago, who came into town to deliver an inspired pitch on their fall line—we received an email letter notifying us that the Portland-based eco-friendly clothing company is going under after less than a year in business. The reason? “The current crisis in capital markets.” Plenty of companies come and go, but we can honestly say that Nau, with its truly philanthropic bent and its sustainable (yet fashionable) casual wear, will be missed. If you’re up for landing a potential fashion collector’s item, the retailer is closing out its entire online stock at half off. We’re planning on snatching up the versatile Chrysalis dress—a cool cross between a water-repellent/windproof jacket and A-line dress with an adjustable-length hemline and zip-off sleeves.

Two pieces from Bryna Nicole's fall collection

We just finished our June Best of San Francisco issue today (coming soon!), which we’re excited to report is jam-packed with an assortment of local finds. While we’d like to say we’re unbiased, our favorite section is, of course, Fashion + Beauty, which required us to scout around the city for all things supremely stylish and quintessentially SF. We couldn’t fit absolutely everything we loved into the print issue, but we’re happy to bring the added extras to you online to whet your appetite for the grand issue to come. One local designer whose handbags we crave? Bay Area native and FIDM-grad, Bryna McMills. We’re especially big fans of the Panhandle resident’s spring/summer collection of bags in classic shapes and buttery leathers in such bright of-the-moment hues as electric blue, lime green and hot pink. For fall: watch out for McMills’ more muted color palette incorporating neutral shades on bucket bags, chain-strap clutches and slouchy hobos. McMills began designing her utilitarian-chic line, Bryna Nicole, two years ago, and hasn’t looked back since. Here, McMills gives 7x7 the lowdown on “It” bags, fall trends and her dreamy inspirations.

What are the key details you look for in a handbag?
A great shape—slouchy or structured, a unique combination of textures, materials and leathers. Also, I look for excellent quality and any surprise details.

What qualities do you think an “It” bag should possess?
An “It” bag should have a sophisticated style that isn't too trendy.  It should be classy enough to be worn now, but then also by your daughter in 15 years. Any “It” bags should be strong designs that are recognizable without overtly advertising the brand.

What trends in handbags can we expect for fall?
I still see oversized clutches as a strong shape.  I see bold, but muted colors transitioning from the bright colors of spring and summer.  The overall size of bags is still big. I see patent leather and less-is-more in terms of hardware for another season as well.

What inspired your fall 2008 collection?
Fall for me was a big step from my past collections.  I brought in a few new styles and decided to use bold, but muted colors, even though fall is typically more subdued.  The inspiration, believe it or not, came from a dream I had one night of painting on a huge canvas. The design that showed on the canvas led me to the design of the Prentiss and Dore bags which are both new style for fall.  I woke up super early and started sketching… and had the collection done by the end of the day.

Other than your own, what handbags do you carry?
I own some others brands like Chloe and Miu Miu, and also a bunch of vintage bags, but I really only carry my own designs.

What bag are you currently lusting after?
I really admire Lanvin and Marni's collections for spring, although Miu Miu's Coffer bag is still at the top of my list.

Look for Bryna Nicole handbags at Muse Ten, 1820 Fillmore St., 415-922-6873; or Mingle, 1815 Union St., 415-674-8811.

Images courtesy of Bryna Nicole

Sure, the standard flowers are nice. But pampering presents and sparkly jewels for mom? Even better. For those of you who still haven’t come up with that perfect Mother’s Day gift, we’ve got a few extra last-minute suggestions.


Queen for the Day


Anthony Nak crown-stepped round scroll ring ($1,900) with rose cut natural brown diamonds in a satin-finished 18-k gold setting. Neiman Marcus, 150 Stockton St., 415-362-3900



She’s a Charmer



Juicy Couture Botanica Charm yellow-gold plated Bracelet ($168). Juicy Couture, 105 Grant Ave., 415-391-1362.



Get Personal



Tiffany & Co. engravable oval locket chain 14-k yellow-gold necklace ($525). Also available in sterling silver. Tiffany & Co., 350 Post St., 415-781-7000.


Flower Power



Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol Union Square fragrance in limited-edition Robert Lee Morris Warhol-inspired 36-inch sterling silver Flowers necklace ($195 for 100 mL; $135 for 50 mL). Saks Fifth Avenue, 384 Post St., 415-986-4300.


Images courtesy of the manufacturers.

courtesy of Rusk

For all 7x7ers, this month is full of Best Of madness. All hands are on deck to compile a hearty list of all the things we love—from outdoor activities, nightlife, food (of course), even beauty products and services. So when our uber-chic fashion editor Nerissa asked me to try out the Rusk Radical Anticurl for a potential nod in the Best Of issue I jumped at the chance to be a hair guinea pig. I have naturally wavy hair, so I figured it might be a fun to feel what it’s like to be a straight-haired gal for a while.

Arriving at Mane Frame Salon on a sunny Wednesday afternoon—which just so happened to be my birthday—I was a little nervous. I was ushered to the back of the quirky salon where I met Rusk Master Stylist Emily who was to be administering the service. Her extensive knowledge of the procedure instantly put me at ease. After a quick consultation Emily chose the right strength for my wavy, color-treated hair and went to work. The process, which only took an hour, involved three steps. For the first step, Emily applied the actual semi-permanent Radical Anticurl solution by combing it through my hair until it was the right texture—kind of like whipping egg whites and waiting for the right stiff-peaked consistency. After the Radical Anticurl was washed out thoroughly, Emily next applied another solution that smelled similar to the crazy home-perms of the early ‘90s—yes I had a spiral perm circa ‘92—followed by a final solution.

Once the product was completely washed out of my hair I noticed an immediate difference. As all us wavy ladies know, when your hair is wet that’s when it’s at its curliest and unruliest. My wet hair was completely lank and straight in a way that I’ve never seen before and once Emily blew it dry I could notice a profound change. My hair was sleek and frizz-free and virtually perfect. The one major downside though was that my color was really affected and my ends got pretty frayed. Another major precaution is to avoid this treatment if you have bleached hair. According to Emily, the interaction of the Radical Anticurl and the bleach will result in a “chemical haircut,” which will severely damage your mane and give you an unwanted trim. Emily also recommends that you make sure your Rusk stylist has practiced the service and is fluent with the product. For a list of Rusk salons who perform the service check out their website. Although my experience didn’t make it into the Best Of, I’m very happy with my hair—although the color turned from a flashy crimson to a brassy copper—and I would definitely do it again.

Courtesy of Mama Mio

Mother’s Day is just around the corner (May 11) and if you’re mom is like most, she seems to have just about everything. For that decadent treat, we suggest London-based Mama Mio’s new Supermama Kit for that little gift of pampering—something moms are happy to receive any given day. The treasure trove of a box ($99) holds some of their best skincare products: the Supersmooth Body Buff, Moisturizing Shower Cream, Super-rich Body Cream and Wonder-Full Balm. Pop into Due Maternity for the goods or put in your online order by May 5 to guarantee it arrives by Mother’s Day. Due Maternity, 3112 California St., 415-674-9854; duematernity.com