Brenna Egan

Brenna Egan is the new editor of Refinery 29 Los Angeles. She is one of the hardest and busiest working people I know, and Im honored that she generously donated her Sunday morning for Closet Visit. She has a dog named Mick Jagger. Describe your personal style. I dont have a particular "style," but if I had to characterize it, Id say hyper-emotional and eclectic. Phyllis Neffler meets Anita Pallenberg meets Peggy Guggenheim. I dont buy anything Im not emotionally attached to, or that moves me in some way, shape, or form (no pun intended, ha!). I am an intensely sentimental person, and since I have very little time to draw or write for fun lately, my clothing is how I denote how Im feeling on a particular day. I wear many hats at my job for Refinery29, and I know its cliché, but my wardrobe is really how I express myself, whether Im feeling bohemian and free-spirited, structured, polished and editor-like, or just plain old artsy, I believe your style must be fluid with your mood or days activities. Who are your favorite designers? Oh boy, how much space do you have?!? On a contemporary level, Im loving the Aussies! Alice McCall and Zimmermann are killing it. Antipodium, Rachel Comey, Shakuhachi, Popomomo, Madewell, Nola Singers jewelry, and Iosselliani are other contemporary designers I love. High-end wise I love Celine, Alexander McQueen, and Miu Miu never fails my schizophrenic style tendencies. Ports 1961 makes the BEST architectural outerwear. Givenchy always for accessories. And, VINTAGE, VINTAGE, VINTAGE. What are your favorite places to shop? Pixie Market online is the first url I hit when Im feeling a shopping itch. Creatures of Comfort , TenOverSix, and Opening Ceremony are my fave physical storefronts in L.A. For vintage, Resurrection, The Way We Wore, and a super secret warehouse that isnt open to the public (sorry!). Other than that, its wherever is having a sale! I never buy anything at full price, no joke. I live for the Barneys Warehouse Sale for my years shoe staples, and I was a brand ambassador for Gilt Groupe, so I used to go on weekly sprees there. Who are your style icons? Diana Vreeland. Kelly Wearstler. MK&A. Phyllis Neffler. Are there any key pieces you find yourself wearing constantly? Not really. Im a firm believer in heavy rotation. I have a pair of Alexander Wang black peep toe crazy cutout booties (bought on sale at Barneys) that get a ton of use, and I wear a vintage Cartier watch that belonged to my late father every day. What is your most recent purchase? I went nuts at the Barneys Warehouse sale on Saturday. I got a new Givenchy bag for $200! Its a little damaged, but nothing my man Pasquale (the best shoe spot in town) cant fix! Do you have any stories about amazing deals youve gotten on awesome pieces? I once found a Courreges dress in perfect shape for $20 at the John Muir flea market on Lincoln in Santa Monica. I also snapped up a YSL safari blazer for $10 at a thrift store somewhere in the Mojave desert — that ones for the archives! Can you give us smart shopping advice? Dont spend money on things that dont speak to your soul. If something is out-there and maybe a little weird, but it thrills you, buy it! Life is too short to not take fashion risks:) Whats the best thing about your job? Its all about discovery and sharing. I went into this business because of my constant curiosity about whats new, fabulous, and interesting. Theres nothing like sharing insider knowledge with people, and affecting positive change. I wrote a story about the holistic gurus in L.A., and when I went to see one of the acupuncturists for my personal needs, she shared that she had gained 10 new clients the day the story went live. I got a little teary that made me so happy! Another new e-tailer told me that my story increased her traffic to the site by tenfold. Those success stories are why I stay up crazy late, and get up before the sun with a beaming smile on my face! Here and here Which beauty products do you recommend? Kate Somervilles Hydra Quench is a major miracle-worker. LOréal Voluminous mascara CURVED brush I will never forget the day my mom taught me how to apply mascara. She was blessed with eyelashes so long that people stop her on the street to ask if theyre real (even in the pre-Latisse days!). Little did they know that her key (and now mine) is one of the cheapest mascaras on the market. LOréal Voluminous is the cats pajamas—the key is to buy the curved brush and blink as hard and long as possible into it. I guess you could call this product a time-honored Target tradition in my family. Sachajuan spray Volume Powder and Got2bs dry shampoo are my hair saviors! Kiehls Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer When Im working or playing too hard, my eyes are the first thing to suffer aesthetically, and boy do they suffer! There are entire days when I am afraid to take my sunglasses off for fear of people thinking Ive been in a cat fight! With a caffeine concoction that instantly wakes my eyes up and magically works wonders, Kiehls Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer is my faces savior. Seriously, this is the stuff miracles are made of. TNS Serum My dermatologist raved forever about TNS Serum before I actually took the plunge. I was hesitant because of the expense, but it has absolutely transformed my skin (I also ended up finding a deal online). Apart from eye creams, I dont need any other anti-aging product—this babys packed with it all. Red Flower Peony blossom lotion Peonies are my absolute favorite flower, and no one captures their scent better than Red Flower. I am completely obsessed with this entire line. Years ago, when it wasnt as widely distributed, I remember only having a few free hours on a trip to NYC, and I spent them roaming the streets desperately seeking the Red Flower store! The candles also come with actual petals that can be used as sachets or bath accents. YSL Rouge Volupte #29 My moms motto is "have lipstick, will travel," and Ive definitely adopted the phrase as a motto of my own. Whether bright pink is in or out, I like to think that YSL #29 is my signature color. My friends joke that they always know when Ive been in their cars because tiny traces of it will be left on the outsides of their passenger mirrors—clearly I like to leave my mark, ha! 5 things you cant live without. 1) Wrinkly clothes are my biggest no-no. My Jiffy travel steamer goes with me everywhere (I keep one in my trunk!). 2) Books. I am a huge reader, and always make sure to keep libros on-hand in case I get trapped somewhere, or am waiting for always-late people! My favorite book is Beach Music by Pat Conroy. I also love Haruki Murakami anything, am still reeling from Keith Richards Life, and would highly recommend Truth And Beauty by Ann Patchett. 3) The jewelry that my mom has given me over the years. I dont even always like to wear it a lot for fear of losing anything. She gave me a circular ring that has magnets, which rotate around each other, and it moves with my every move. So special. 4) My Blackberry and Ipad. I really hate to say it, but I have panic attacks when they go missing even for a few minutes. Its uber-important with my job to be connected at every minute of the day and not to miss a BEAT. 5) My family, boyfriend, and friends. Theyve been so supportive lately — I really and truly dont know what Id do without their kind words and constant uplifting. And I have SO MANY fun memories with all of them throughout the years. I have over 10 journals filled with all of our juicy scoops together that Id be devastated if they were lost — Ive even thought about putting them in a safety deposit box for my daughter someday.