First Look: David & Victoria Beckham for Emporio Armani
I opened up these ads that David & Victoria Beckham shot together for Emporio Armani’s Autumn Winter 2009-10 underwear campaign during work and had to minimize my screen immediately because they were borderline NSFW (at least in my office – open floor layout with my bosses sitting BEHIND me, which is the worst setup ever).
Leave it up to this couple to make plain cotton underwear ads look so, so sexy. I left the racier one behind the cut in case you suffer from the same office fate as me (though which one of the two, that is is hard to decide!). More »
Eye Hope
I’m no stranger to eye creams, thanks to my hereditary under eye circles. Most are pretty pricey, and I know how it sucks to discover afterwards that what you just splurged on is nothing more than glorified moisturizer. Wouldn’t it be great if an eye cream could treat anti-aging issues as well as brighten and de-puff the eye area? That’s where philosophy’s new Eye Hope comes in.
Eye Hope is supposed to reduce fine lines, circles, and puffiness to create a smoother looking eye area. I began testing it recently and am especially tough to please since I’ve tried so many. I apply Eye Hope every morning and night and am happy to report that my eyes do look much less puffy! I do still use concealer since I’m not sure if the brightening effect will take on, but I’m really pleased with the results so far. It’s great to have your eyes actually look less tired. Has anyone else tried Eye Hope? I’d love to hear your results!
Are You a Poppy Girl?
Coach launched their Poppy Girl collection recently and I’m totally enamored with some of the pieces as I’m sure you will be, too! But first you have to figure out what kind of Poppy girl you are. (Take the quiz here.)
First up are the bags. The New Spotlight bag looks like the perfect tote for daily use. As for shoes, I personally love the Skyla flat, which are ultra girly and fun, but can be worn everyday. But the really surprise and standout are the jewels. The Poppy Three Strand Necklace and Poppy Floral Bib Necklace are these 
decadent floral pieces; both are ultra glam and whimsical. Want to play dress up? Get even more playful with the Daphne Flower Tiara, which is a combination of metal, enamel and pave, for a vintage princess look.
What are your favorites? Head over to www.coach.com and report back! Also, make sure to check out their campaign where you can create a Poppy scrapbook page and win prizes.
Elle Video Star
True story: On multiple occasions, I have watched amateur Youtube videos standing in the bathroom over the sink of non-speaking 15 year olds from France demonstrating how to use a curling iron. The thing about Youtube, however, is that I never know if it’s going to be hit or miss – not to mention I hate it when something with an enticing title turns into a random spam video.
The good news is, I can now move my video tutorial needs over to a legit beauty source: Elle Magazine. The new Elle Video Star launched by the magazine is a mecca of beauty tutorials that range from applying red lipstick to how to look beautiful while undergoing chemo. And there are already multiple vids on how to curl hair…with audio.
Elle Magazine realized that their readers are some of the most beauty savvy experts out there so they created the opportunity for their readers to share beauty tips to the Elle audience. All you have to do is dig out your tricks, make an at-home video, upload to Elle Video Star and pimp to your friends. Every week the owner of the video with the most ads get a stash of beauty loot from Elle editors as well as the opportunity to be featured in Elle Magazine. In fact, the July issue, out now already includes their favorite beauty-how-to video stars.
Any tips on at-home blowouts would be extremely appreciated.
Basic BDG
If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you’ll know I’m a sucker for a great silk top. I can’t help but go “ooh” over them and am always on the lookout for fantastic ones that I can wear everywhere for any occasion.
Right now, I’m totally coveting this BDG Silk Tunic from Urban Outfitters, which is very basic yet versatile. This blouse has a loose scoop neck and oversized cuffed square sleeve, which gives it an effortless look. Belt it over slim jeans and heels for date night. Tucking it into a skirt makes it perfect for work. Throw it on with shorts and flat sandals, and you’ll look totally breezy for a weekend brunch. So many ways and places to wear it!
It retails for only $48, which I think it’s fairly affordable for silk. After trying it on this past weekend, I totally loved how it looked so it might just be a blouse that I actually end up buying. This top comes in four hues (magenta, green, black and white) at www.urbanoutfitters.com.
Crush on Stila’s Summer Collection
I am such a Stila fan. I was so upset a few months ago when it seemed like they might go out of business; but luckily, they got everything sorted out, and they’re back and better than ever. Their new Indian Summer collection is to die for. It’s all about bronzes and golds, punctuated by streaks of bold color, and I can’t stop wearing it. I pretty much love every thing in the collection, but here are my standouts. More »
36 Hours in Athens
After a 30 minute flight from Naxos, we checked into the Herodion Hotel, which I chose because of its ideal location, comfortable accommodations, and beautiful roof deck. The fifth floor of the hotel offers a spectacular view of the Parthenon, along with sweeping views of the city itself. There were many chairs and ample shade, so one could go and enjoy the scenery at any time of day in comfort.
While we were only in Athens for a day and a half, I think we saw more sites and covered more ground then most people could do in at least double our time. I literally mapped our most logical route through the city, marking museums, sites, boutiques, and restaurants which could not be missed.
Even though we arrived to our hotel in the late afternoon, we were determined to visit the Acropolis before sunset. Late afternoon happens to be an idea time to visit the Acropolis, as the heat isn’t as extreme and the light is some of the best for photography. Embarrassingly, we rode the Happy Train and briefly toured the Plaka before disembarking at the Acropolis stop. While the Acropolis itself is a collection of structures dating back to the 432BC, the monument is best known for the Parthenon, built by Pericles in the fifth century BC. The Acropolis was one of the most beautiful sites I had ever seen, and it was surreal knowing that I was standing in history dating back thousands of years. Unfortunately, age and pollution have taken a tole on the Acropolis, and many parts of the sites have been replaces with replica casts. However, one can view many of the original pieces at the new Acropolis Museum, which we JUST missed the opening of! Disappointing to say the least, but I guess we’ll just have to go back! More »
Extend Your Color
Since coloring my hair, I’ve noticed that my hair texture has just not been the same. Prior to coloring, I used to pride myself on having naturally soft, fine hair without even the use of conditioner! But one shower spent trying to use my normal shampoo left my hair feeling everything opposite of what it used to be: non lustrous, non silky, and non smooth.
Thank goodness for my discovery of Redken’s Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner, especially designated for color treated hair, with its blend of proteins, anti-oxidants Vitamin E, and sunscreens, which have treated my hair malaise. This was the first time I felt instant results with a shampoo. Immediately after using, my hair suddenly felt softer, more bouncy, and more manageable, especially after a liberal helping of conditioner. My hair was easy to comb through, and felt light, and fluffy, advantageously showing off the layers in my hair.
As any experienced hair color junkie will tell you, sulfates are bad for color treated hair as they can easily strip away your color. Redken Color Extend doesn’t contain any sulfates and extended my temporary box color beyond its 26 recommended washes to almost twofold. It’s been about 2 months and only now am I beginning to feel like I should color my hair.
Redken’s Color Extend Shampoo retails for $16 and the Conditioner for $15 and can be found at drugstore.com.
Zip It
I was cruising my favorite fashion blogs this morning when I happened upon these Bolling Zipper Sandals from Aldo featured on Nitrolicious. Now Wendy usually uncovers cool stuff, but I actually stopped and stared for a while when I saw these.
Fashionistas will most likely have one of 2 reactions:
1. Isn’t this kind of reminiscent of Christian Louboutin zipper sandals from a few seasons back?
2. The zipper trend is in this summer, I love I love!
Truthfully, the second we saw this picture, I immediately thought of the Louboutins but the shocker is, I actually like the style of the Aldo shoes better. Not to mention, waaay more wallet friendly at $110. They are not quite so annoyingly similar that I’d automatically peg it as a knockoff and Aldo did unveil these a few seasons after Louboutin. The only beef I have is that the material is entirely synthetic (which I kind of hate) but you can’t beat that price for that style.
Photo credit and for more images, check out Nitrolicious.com.
Insider’s Obsessions: Rachelle Hruska
Rachelle Hruska is probably a familiar name to you if you’re one of the millions of people who visit GuestofaGuest.com, one of the most fun New York nightlife blogs on the Internet. Hruska is the widely loved founder and editor of the site – identifying hot spots before they’re even open, regularly hanging with (and reporting on) the city’s social and media influencers, and blogging before most of New York even wakes up so we can get our daily dose of gossip and glamour with our morning coffee. We caught up with Hruska to find out the current obsessions of this pretty girl-about-town. More »
