Fashion + Beauty Editor Picks

Associate editor Nerissa Pacio gives her best of seven eyelashes, plus a whole lot more.

posted May 17, 2007 2:49PM

It’s never a good thing to overextend yourself—except when it comes to your lashes. Here, my seven eye-framing favorites.

For that girl-next-door look, you’ll want these natural-looking individual Thí Cosmetics Lush Lashes ($15). (Alexander G Salon, 3115 Clement St., 415-876-4688.)

Feeling noncommittal? The adorable Diane Brill Lash Lingerie ($38) kit comes with three pretty pairs and a tiny bottle of glue. beautyhabit.com

The long and lush Smashbox Maxi Eyes lashes ($12, including glue kit) would make Betty Boop proud.

Wear the rhinestone-dotted Japonesque Shimmer Lashes ($7.50) for just enough sparkle to catch someone’s eye. (Nordstrom, 865 Market St., 415-243-8500.)

Add these Vincent Longo La Dolce Vita lash tips ($14) to the outer corners of your eyes for instant old Hollywood glam. (Bath and Body Works, Stonestown Shopping Center, 3251 20th Ave., 415-753-0719.)

Completely, utterly, ridiculously over-the-top chic: Shu Uemura Brown Feather false eyelashes ($25). At Shu Uemura (1971 Fillmore St., 415-395-0952).

For the girls’ night out that spills over into morning, arm yourself with the Benefit Cosmetics Strip Lash ($15) application, which uses Ardell Duralashes that last up to 48 hours. Available at Benefit Cosmetics (2219 Chestnut St., 415-567-1173).

(FROM TOP LEFT): Shu Uemura Brown Feather false eyelashes, Vincent Longo La dolce Vita lash tips, Smashbox maxi eyes, Thi lush lashes, Benefit Cosmetics Strip Lash, Japonesque shimmer lashes

PLUS: More Best of Fashion + Beauty

Most Buzz-Worthy Boutique

Chrissy Bee feels like a shop that was on its way to the Marina or Cow Hollow and somehow got lost in the Haight. And, hey, that’s not a bad thing. The recently opened, postage-sized boutique is for the San Francisco girlie girl—with an edge. Think pretty party dresses by Helen Wang, silk-kimono minidresses by Yumi Kim, Josh Podoll shrunken jackets, Orange Button fitted T-shirts and Denim of Virtue jeans. Adding to the neighborhood vibe, co-owners Anya Zebroski and Deborah Genet host the occasional cocktail-hour trunk show and art opening—their walls also serve as a makeshift gallery for local artists.

Chrissy Bee 622 Shrader St., 415-221-3020

Best “New” Vintage

Michele Janezic may be a designer, but she’s channeling actress Jane Birkin out of her Cole Valley home studio. “She’s my muse for [my fall 2007 collection], which has a late ’70s aesthetic,” says Janezic. The new designer, who was an intern for Erica Tanov before launching her own line, expresses her love of fashion’s past through her fresh take on the present. Janezic’s floral and retro-plaid dresses for spring can be found in Tanov’s Fillmore Street boutique. “I like creating sophisticated designs with a bohemian feel,” Janezic says. “I’m into redesigning vintage in a modern way.”

Michele Janezic 415-412-7796

Most Gravity-Defying Accessory

We’ll get your arches back into vertical shape, even if we have to wrench those stretchy ballet flats off your feet to do it. Just one glance at these statement-making Yves Saint Laurent Barbare platform sandals ($575) in silver leather will make you want to stand tall again.

Yves Saint Laurent 166 Maiden Ln., 415-837-1211

Most Imperfections

At her rented workbench inside the Mission’s Scintillant Studio, Joy Opfer makes jewelry by hand that has a delicate yet rough-hewn quality. The local designer left a graphic-design job at Yahoo to start her one-woman business, Joy O Designs, crafting gorgeous earrings and necklaces from silver, gold and precious and semiprecious stones sourced from all over the world. Her newest collection, which includes natural wampum shells, is ripe for summer. Our pick is the pair of rough-cut aquamarine earrings on gold fill ($168) that looks earthy and luxurious.

Best First Date

It’s typical—after your first date with Dean Scheben, masseur at Therapeia Spa, you’ll fall in love. Book a session (therapeutic deep-tissue, hot stone or sports) with the German-born Scheben, who has worked at the Bush Street spa for nearly five years, but don’t blame us if you get hooked.

Therapeia Spa 1801 Bush St., 885-4450

Best Discount Westwood

We’ve been drooling over Vivienne Westwood’s fearless designs at the de Young, but now San Franciscans can snatch up her edgy clothing at Billion Dollar Babes, our favorite traveling designer-sample sale, which breezes through town twice a year. Arm yourself with a glass of bubbly and score a mini makeover (the event includes complimentary cocktails, as well as hair and makeup services) while scanning the racks for such labels as Missoni, Diane von Furstenberg and Catherine Malandrino. The next invite-only event takes place June 1 and 2; get on the list by signing up online.

Billion Dollar Babes Regency Center, 1290 Sutter St.

Best Retro Skivvies

With Father’s Day around the corner, treat your dad to the best that money can buy. At $75 a pair, Birds Outstanding Boxer Shorts, made from 100 percent Sea Island cotton, will land him in the lap of luxury. The 140-thread-count undergarments are soft enough to sleep in, and come in two fits: classic, with a flat front and a back waistband, and custom, which comes in tailor-made waist sizes and has a longer, leaner leg.

Divine Girls 340 Presidio Ave., 415-409-4901

Best Found Treasures

San Francisco designer Rachel Smith, founder of Azul Jewelry Designs, has carefully mastered the art of combining found objects, such as tarnished vintage coins, antique keys and keyholes, with delicate gold-chain necklaces. “I love hunting for treasures in antique shops and creating an entirely new piece of modern jewelry out of something from the past,” says Smith. The funky, one-of-a-kind wares, available at boutiques like Dress, Dish, and Heidi Says, are not only a nod to the Old World but also guaranteed to be a haute topic of conversation.

Best Up-and-Comer

She still works out of her Mission District home, but indie women’s-wear designer Rita DiLorenzo’s small, debut fall 2007 collection for Black Label San Francisco is taking off. Named after the physical process she went through early on of “blacking out” original labels on vintage clothing to create custom designs, her line has ranged as far afield as Fred Segal in Santa Monica and Neda in Brooklyn, but you can still find it locally at the CandyStore. We’re swooning over the eco-minded designer’s billowy custom-printed silk charmeuse tops and tucked dresses that can easily shift from day to night.

Best New Riff on Layers

Layered cuts are so 1999. But what’s a babe in search of body (or just a snazzy cut) to do? Ali Salahshoor, co-owner of Nob Hill’s Oüd salon, uses a simple pair of shears to work invisible “fragments” into all hair types. The finished product has more texture and movement within a smooth, unlayered silhouette. You won’t look like a flashback, but catcalls on the street will make you want to party like it’s … well, you know.

Oüd Salon 930 Bush St., 415-929-7683

Best Nine-day Pedi

At Bamboo on Union Street, you’ll be transported to a lush, tropical oasis. The Japanese-inspired nail-and-skincare spa—outfitted with a small Zen garden, reclining leather chairs, and wooden foot baths with floating lemon slices—offers signature treatments such as the green-tea pedicure with a white-tea hydrating leg mask. The best part? The meticulous polish application will keep toes looking for at least a week as if you just stepped out of the salon.

Bamboo 2284B Union St., 415-567-8812

Best Reason to Blow Your Bonus

We dare you to stash that extra cash for your 401K after seeing Vicente Agor’s new Moroccan Garden jewelry collection. The SF-based designer handcrafts sculptural beauties from 18-carat gold, precious and semi-precious stones that are ornate and exotic. We crave the White Topaz Moroccan Garden Necklace ($2,010). Simply gorgeous.

Vicente Agor 415-986-4300

AND: Best Multitaskers

Between your hectic work schedule, your Treo, your millions of errands, and your buzzing social life, it’s nearly impossible to focus on doing one thing at a time anymore. That’s why we love these shops and services that do double duty, catering to even the busiest of style mavens.

Levande Nail Spa recently renovated its Polk Street location into part day spa, part ladies’ shoe closet. Now you can get a pedi and walk out with a new pair of peep toes to show off your summer ready feet. We’re eyeing their rainbow bright collection of flats and wedges by Pink Studio and Poetic License (2139B Polk St., 415-931-7389).

We still adore Hayes Valley neighborhood favorite Azalea, a boutique and nail bar where you can shop for designer denim and cute tees while letting your polish dry. The shop recently added organic brands Del Forte and Mission Playground Clothing and Pangea and Red Flower skincare products to the already eclectic mix (411 Hayes St., 415-861-9888).

At Elevation Salon + Cafe, stop in for highlights and a free make-up application, and grab a soup and sammie while combing through email on your laptop at the wireless café. The Union Square mainstay will also be one of the few salons in SF to carry the new Shu Uemura hair care line (514 Bush St., 415-392-2969).

It doesn’t always have to be about work. At Bliss Spa, tune out at one their mod mani and movie stations, where you can get buffed and watch chick flicks, Curb Your Enthusiasm or Sex and the City reruns on a personal flat-screen TV (181 Third St., 415-281-0990).

Soak in art while perusing accessories and casual wear by local designers at Porcelynne, a boutique and gallery owned by lingerie designer Jennifer Lynne. The shop carries her one-of-a-kind undergarments along with collections by eight local designers. Stop in for a cocktail during her monthly art openings or drop by later in July, when Lynne plans to convert the shop into a designer co-op (487 14th St., 415-861-2647).