Trash? No, treasure
In your closet, do you have a bunch of clothes with the tags still on? Wendi Smith feels your pain.
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Wendi Smith’s consignment event, Leftover Luxuries, can help you earn some extra cash for the junk in your trunk—and even the trunk itself! |
Smith, an interior designer by trade, runs Leftover Luxuries, a consignment event that takes your odds and ends and resells them. “I’d hear from clients, ‘I want a new sofa, but my husband won’t let me spend the money,’” she says. And so, Leftover Luxuries was born. Smith says her service is perfect for people who want to make some extra cash for things they don’t need, and for those who don’t want to pay store prices for stuff they do.
Here’s how it works: You notify Smith, who comes to your home to approve the quality—not style, she says—of the goods you want to dump. If approved, you walk away with 60 percent of the profits. Smith will even coordinate movers.
The next Charlottesville event begins Friday, February 19 at 5pm and runs through Sunday, February 22 at 135 Seminole Ct. Seminole Square Shopping Center. You can expect to find everything from Prada shoes to slipper chairs. “It could be a beaten up coffee table or a fur,” Smith says, “but it might be a luxury to someone else.”—Caite White
Fur trade in
Listen up, fur lovers. The Green Lantern, an environmental column from Slate, reported last month that all the tar and feathers thrown your way for donning animal pelts might not be warranted. Fake fur, as we know, is made of nylon, acrylic and polyester. Those materials are produced from nonrenewable petroleum, and it takes energy to turn that juice into fibers. Doesn’t sound so green, does it?
Don’t start gloating quite yet, fur lovers. Dressing and dyeing animal pelts means using harmful chemicals. And, says The Green Lantern, a fur coat made from a wild animal takes 3.5 times more energy than a fake. Of course, the synthetic fibers on a fake can take anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years to break down.
The solution? When in doubt, fashionistas, go vintage. It’s always better to use something that already exists, rather than create something new, yes?—C.W.
D.Eye.Y
Hitting the mark between tasteful and tacky eye color can be tricky. But, if you choose the right shade, eye shadow can subtly enhance the color of your eyes.
Sephora makeup artist Emily Swinson says the easiest way to begin the hunt for the perfect shadow is to find colors that complement your eyes. For blue eyes, bronze, gold or peach hues are best. For brown eyes, apply earthy tones such as browns, charcoals or greens, and experiment with purple for an enhancing effect. If your eyes are green, try browns with reddish tones, such as mocha. “Purples tend to enhance the color of anyone’s eyes,” Swinson says.
She warns, “You can’t tell what [eyeshadow] will look like on you just by looking at it in the package,” so try to visit a counter where you can test the color first.—Locke Hughes
Romantic at art
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Fine print: We’re loving these tiny works of art. |
February may be the month for romance, but there’s something to be said for celebrating the occasion of your love in small ways every day.
Megan Nolton, of Art Shark Designs, creates small (6"x9") prints of a lovey-dovey couple in different locations around the world. Maybe you were smitten in San Francisco, gaga in Chicago or even bewitched in Baltimore. Or, like the artist herself, maybe your love blossomed at UVA.
For four and a half years, Nolton traveled between JMU and UVA to visit her now-husband, which serves as inspiration for her prints. Eventually, he proposed on a rainy day under an umbrella. (Hence, the couple in the picture.)
The prints aren’t available in Charlottesville yet, but until someone starts stocking them, you can buy your own at her Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/artsharkdesigns. She’ll even customize the umbrella color.
Place a framed print on your desk to brighten up your work day. Or, spring for a second one to give to your sweetheart. Now that’s love.—C.W.
All made up
Mary Hunter understands the restorative, even therapeutic, aspect of her work: She started her tattoo makeup business, Eyebrow Renovation, after having reconstructive surgery during breast cancer treatment. Hunter offers services to reshape and recolor the areolas of women who have had breast reduction surgery. “In the case of cancer patients,” she says, “it’s the end of a long and difficult process, and I know what that’s like. It makes me happy to give back in that regard.”
Hunter also offers coverage for thinning eyebrows, lip coloration and permanent eyeliner—which she has on her own eyes. We wonder, does permanent makeup hurt? Hunter admits there can be discomfort. As with all tattooing, there is a prickly sensation. “But,” she adds, “you have to think about what you get for it.”—Carianne King
Drip, drop, detoxify
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Need an excuse to break into that rainy day fund this month? Lack of sun, recycled air and generally blizzardy conditions mean weak immune systems—not to mention a desire to hibernate until June.
Sounds like perfect spa weather, if you ask us. One unique option offered by Escapes Day Spa is Raindrop Protection Therapy. The treatment involves dripping “highly microbial herbal essential oils” (spring drizzle style) at different points of your body. It’s said to detoxify you while fortifying your immune response—ideal for winter protection.
One hour of herbal pampering goes for $100 a pop. To schedule or learn more, call Escapes at 973-9440 or check out their website, escapes07.com.—Lucy Zhou
