Archive for January, 2009

You’ve no doubt heard about Chanel’s Moscow Collection and I’m here to tell you that it’s definitely a winner nail collection.  Developed by Peter Philips, Chanel’s Global Creative Director, this collection was first seen on the nails of models at Karl Lagerfield’s pre-fall Paris-Moscow show.  

The base of the colors for this collection is black (which you’ll clearly be able to tell when you take the polish off your nails) and they proceeded to add rich sparkles to three colors: red, blue and gold – intending for the effect to mimic fireworks in the night sky.  ”The Feu de Russie shade is intense and reflects passion. Or de Russie has a slight gold patina and evokes richness, while Nuit de Russie blue is full of mystery.”  The polishes are truly fantastic-looking in the bottle and even better on the nail.  One coat will achieve the bottle color and the formula is quite smooth.  The colors catch light brilliantly despite the deep black base.  Like others, I’ve been totally obsessed with Feu de Russie for its brilliant burgundy hue and have been known to stare at my nails from time to time.

While the $30 price tag might deter some, true polish lovers know that this one is totally worth it.  The collection is available at Chanel boutiques and Chanel.com.

Ever since I watched Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush, I have harbored this small fantasy of being a surfer chick.  I already love the look of beach hair – so looking fierce, tanned and mastering the waves was obviously the next natural step.  And I got my first taste of the life of a surfer girl (for two hours anyway) during a trip to Playa Jaco in Costa Rica.

About two hours away from San Jose, Playa Jaco is just one of the many renowned surfer towns in Costa Rica and one of the closest.  Because of its proximity to San Jose, hardcore surfers can often de-plane and surf on the same day if they head to Playa Jaco. (more…)

Although I stayed at the Four Seasons when I was in Seattle earlier this month, I was also hoping to check out another hotel that was hot on my radar: The Hyatt at Olive 8.  The hotel opens today so I obviously wasn’t able to book a night’s stay when I was there, but was able to go on a very cool hard hat tour.

I used to go to Seattle on business quite a bit and have spent many nights at Seattle’s Grand Hyatt down the street, which to this day, remains one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed at – from it’s rich elegance, to top notch service, to their huge bathrooms.  From what I could gather, the Olive 8 Hyatt certainly meets or perhaps even exceeds the quality and amenities of the Grand Hyatt, but delivers a completely different feel. To put it in a different way, if the Grand Hyatt best suits the corporate crowd, the Olive 8 attracts the young techies, the startup crowd, and modern entrepreneurs who may not necessarily wear suits to work.  Instead of deep mahogany tones, the Hyatt at Olive 8 is designed in light tones, which creates a general cheerful and expansive feel.   This is not to say that the Olive 8 needs to create the illusion of expansiveness; their facilities are already some of the largest I’ve seen.  Their spa contains 12 treatment suites (named as such because they are larger than standard rooms), the grand ball room is over 6200 sq ft, and they have an 2,400 sq ft gym (twice the size of my entire New York apartment!).  Now that’s a gym! Not a closet with three treadmills that you often find at many hotels. (more…)

Tired of the winter weather? We are, too! Get ready for spring with the Hands Bergamot set from Space NK.  

This set contains a Hand Wash and Hand Lotion (both 300ml); each bottle is filled with a wonderfully fragrant scent inspired by the bergamot fruit.  The oil for the formulations of these products were created from “rinds of nearly ripe fruits in the sun soaked orchards in Calabria, southern Italy.”  The soap gave a nice lather and the lotion was wonderfully emollient – but what really stands out is the scent.  This New York apothecary is well-known for their lovely and complex in-house fragrances, so it should be no surprise that this bright scent will delight the masses.  Whether you want to pick this up for yourself or as a hostess gift, you can be sure that you’ll fall in love with the scent like we did!

Available at the Space NK website.

It’s no secret if you check out my obsessions that I am officially a fan of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (and not just because they are alumna, or rather un-graduated alumna of my alma mater).  I know people have mixed reactions regarding the bohemian chic look that they made popular, but I always give them credit for wearing interesting and original looks.  I grew up watching them on Full House like everyone else, and even ran into Ashley Olsen one time on the street back in my college days; I’m pretty amazed at how these teenage millionaires have created not only one, but two carefully created fashion lines (The Row and Elizabeth and James) and also a new, interesting coffee table book all about the creative process. (more…)

I’ve heard raves from friends about philosophy’s when hope is not enough hylauronic acid/peptide single dose capsules. (Whew – that’s a long name for a product!) Well, when my skin was looking a little sad and dull from the winter elements, I picked up a jar of these little capsules and thought to try them out.

First, I was particularly drawn to this because of its oil-free formulation, and for someone who has combination skin, this was important. These pills “contain a cutting edge blend of hylauronic acid and peptides designed to nourish skin that is stressed due to climate changes, hormones or illness.” Ultimately, it helps replenish moisture and bump up collagen production.  I love that these are so convenient and small that they’re a breeze to use anytime – at work, for trips, etc.

To use these, simply twist the capsule to break open and squeeze the serum onto your palms.  (I adore the genius behind philosophy’s products; they make taking care of your skin fun!)  Apply to your face in an even layer.  The texture is silky smooth (it feels a bit like Smashbox’s primer), so it goes on evenly and the dry time is quick. Voila! Your skin just got an extra boost.  After using these on and off for a month, my skin definitely has its glow back and overall, it just feels much healthier.

If your skin needs a bit of help after the winter blahs, definitely check these out. A jar retails for $50 at drugstore.com. P.S. Hey – you know, their tagline should be: “Because when hope is not enough, philosophy is there to save the day” (or something like that).

We’ve all seen those ubiquitous infomercials for very, very large cloak-like blankets that you essentially “wear.” As hilarious as those infomercials are, I recently discovered a very nice alternative called the Nuddle Blanket. The Nuddle Blanket (because nap + cuddle = nuddle) is actually a very soft, warm blanket – that does not make you look like a strange wizard or monk when you’re using it!

The Nuddle is made of plush microfiber that is machine washable. It has two openings for your hands or arms and a hand pouch for extra warmth. My absolute favorite part is that the blanket has pockets for your feet! My extremities tend to get cold really easily, so I love that with the Nuddle, I can tuck my hands and feet away for even more warmth. It’s a functional blanket, not a cape, because it doesn’t need to be more than that. It measures 55 inches wide by 71 inches long, and you can definitely take a nap, cuddle with your honey, or both. That’s what I’ve been happily doing with my Nuddle here in frosty Chicago.

Another plus is that the Nuddle comes in two neutral, lovely colors so that you can easily fold it over your couch without it looking out of place. You can save 20% off your order with the code COZY8 before Valentine’s Day at nuddleblanket.com!

As I mentioned last Friday, I was planning on checking out Pure Yoga, the newest (and arguably nicest) studio to land in New York,  this past weekend. Though I wasn’t able to make it to the public workshop they held, I did get my hands on a three day guest pass and subsequently maxed it out.

When I mentioned last time that Pure is very upscale and exclusive, some readers thought that didn’t quite fit the message a yoga studio should send.  The Pure studio in New York is opened by Equinox Fitness, and they follow the same model as the gym – an intiation fee and annual membership. The classes are members-only (no drop ins), but their club model keeps the facilities impeccable, the class sizes small, and the instructors top notch. Unlike other  yoga studios, Pure offers 19 various yoga disciplines and are one of the very few studios in New York that offer a hot vinyasa class.  Other types range from Jivamutki to Pure Core, a fusion of downward dogs and traditional body sculpting. An average of 16 classes are offered per day, starting as early as 6am and as late as 8pm.  The 20,000 sq feet space includes six separate studios, gorgeous Zen waiting/ meeting spaces, a small shop, and perhaps the most expansive locker rooms I’ve ever seen in New York. (more…)

At night, I like to wear bright, cold lip colors, but during the day, I’m all about the subtle, more low key shades.  Sometimes, those are even harder for me to find than the bright colors, but right now, I’m loving Becca’s new Sheer Tint Lip Colours. 

The collection is a palette of nude shades that are meant to be flattering for all skin tones, and because they contain tons of different moisturizers and antioxidants (like shea butter, cocoa butter, honey, and Vitamin E) they’re super moisturizing and hydrating, so it’s almost like wearing a lip conditioner, but with a streak of color built in.  They all have the most delicious scent – it’s a mixture of vanilla and caramel that makes me just want to keep sniffing the tube whenever I take one out.  And they have a feature that I totally love and wish all lipsticks had – a lid that twists up and then locks into the base, so there’s no way the cap can come undone in your bag and fall off.  It’s genius!  There are seven shades available, but my favorites are Milla, a sheer black currant, and Gisella, a sheer caramel nude that is perfect for wearing to work.  I haven’t taken it out of my bag since I got it! You can check out all the shades at beccacosmetics.com.