Archive for March, 2009

You may only know Big Bowl as a place to enjoy fresh, delicious Chinese, Thai, and Pan-Asian foods. Well, the next time you stop in for dinner, stay to try the yummy new desserts! They cost only $3.95 and are such a pleasant way to end your meal. My absolute favorite is the Warmed Asian Pears, pictured above. I love Asian pears for their crisp graininess and was surprised to find how tasty they were softened and sauteed with cinnamon butter. Served with vanilla ice cream, it was pastry chef Jessie Oloroso’s take on a deconstructed apple pie. My date and I polished off the entire dish happily. Jessie Oloroso worked at Top Chef Stephanie Izard’s first restaurant in Chicago, Scylla, and her use of Asian influences in dessert dishes is interesting and fun.

For such a low price, you won’t feel guilty wanting to try the entire menu. Through the rest of March, you can actually have one for free! Just mention to your server the pastry chef’s name and that you saw the free dessert offer on Big Bowl’s Facebook fan page. That’s the easy part — the hard part is trying to decide between the Chai Creme Brulee, Banana Cashew Egg Roll, and Spiced Ginger cake! Find your nearest Big Bowl so you can try these delicious desserts.

If there’s one area of my life that I try not skimp on, it’s my skincare routine. So when spring emerges, I look for a new moisturizer that is lighter yet still hydrating. When I discovered Chanel Hydramax + Active Moisture Gel Crème, I realized it was the perfect option. The product is formulated with a “Hydrabarrier System complex…that aids the ‘waterproofing’ proteins and lipids that trap water, helps restore skin’s barrier function and stave off water evaporation so skin’s moisture reservoir stays optimally filled.” What does this all mean? It means that it not only moisturizes, but helps keep your skin hydrates and prevents dryness from occurring.
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If you’ve been following TDO for the past few years, you will know that Loeffler Randall is one of our favorite designers.  The Spring/ Summer collection recently came out and we wanted to highlight some of our favorite pieces.

We’re totally obsessed with the Sable Sandals, which features pale gold and vachetta leather. So gorgeous! This goes right on our wishlist and you can bet we’ll be stalking this to see if it goes on sale. The other sandals that we favor are the Genevieve for its chic mod look, as well as the Adeline Sandal and Margo Sandal. For clothing, we’d love to see the Confetti Sleeve Top, Little Boy Knit Blazer, Metallic Full Skirt, Elastic Belt Dress and Inset Tank in our closets. Actually, can we just have it all? That would make us supremely happy!

Recently, we also received the Loeffler Randall AW09 lookbook and we must say that we were over the moon for some of the pieces. Below is a sneak peek of some of our favorite looks for the upcoming fall season: (more…)

I noticed during a recent shopping trip that Banana Republic had noticeably expanded its fragrance selection. After spraying all the different scents, waving around samples in the air, and testing them all, I’ve found my favorite one. It’s called Rosewood, and it’s a very romantic floral with amber tones. I found myself really liking the natural wood packaging and the pretty pink bottle for its simple, sophisticated look. And despite a headier, powdery floral feel upon first spray, the dry down was subtly sweet and alluring. The warm tones of the bergamot champagne and white tea leaves began to blossom, and that’s what lingered on my skin.

Be sure to check out Rosewood the next time you’re by a BR store, or you can do some browsing on bananarepublic.com — a mini EDP of Rosewood is available for $10!

Last Thursday I discovered what may be one of the coolest hair spaces I’ve ever come across - ION Studio, located slightly off the beaten path in the back of an unassuming building on Wooster St.  The salon has been getting a lot of buzz lately from various glossies and I most recently spotted it on one of my favorite blogs: The Moment.  So I made an appointment to check it out myself before the weekend festivities started and instantly fell in love.  No doubt, ION is the place to go for gals in the know, but with the salon’s friendly, unpretentious nature you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a well-kept secret. (more…)

Just found out that one of our fav publicists Kerry Diamond (also the former beauty director at Harper’s Bazaar) is blogging at the newly launched Lancome Beauty Blog. Not only do we love Lancome, but we’re also excited that Kerry will be lifecasting a little bit too so we can all take a peek at her fabulous day to day self.   For example she was just at the premiere of Duplicity which we’ve already heard good reviews about and can’t wait for her pictures.  Also she’s introduced us to ‘Running in Heels” which I’ll admit as a non-TV watcher I’ve never heard of but am now intrigued.  Of course there will be lots of Lancome giveaways and hopefully lots of scoop from brand ambassadors Kate Winslet and Anne Hathaway. Make sure to add her blog to your daily reader!

Editor’s Note: We sent one of our Fashion Week correspondents to get the scoop from design maven Yigal Azrouel. Read on to find out what the designer has to say about his current work and of course, his obsessions.

By Christine Cameron

The Daily Obsession: First of all, I love your work. How do you feel when you see women wearing your clothing?
Yigal Azrouel: I find it really rewarding when I see that women are relating to my designs and going out and buying my pieces. It is such a good feeling.

TDO: What is it like designing in this economy? Is it difficult to find inspiration in these trying times?
YA: I have given this question a lot of thought actually and I think that during a recession, for me as a designer, I push myself more. I look at it like a challenge and like to take it to another level. As far as inspiration, when it comes to each collection, I try and weave in the influence I get from traveling and experiencing different cultures. But, it also comes from the fabric. I love to start out by draping right away and experimenting by mixing and matching materials and fabrics. Like I mentioned before, I am very hands on and very visual, so I don’t just work from my sketches, I need to feel the material. I need to go visit showrooms and see it for myself, and then it just begins to evolve from there. It is a very exciting process for me. (more…)

I really like Stila’s new spring collection, but out of all the items, I think my favorite are the Pearl Shimmer Glosses.  The glosses are available in four different shade: Ocean Currant (a shimmering deep berry),  Pearlescent Pink (a shimmering pale pink), South Sea Coral (a shimmering soft peach), and Pearl Kitten (a shimmering warm pink champagne that’s a lip version of Stila’s best-selling Kitten eye shadow).  They’re actually infused with genuine crushed pearl, which is totally decadent and results in a gloss that catches the light from every angle, making your lips almost seem to sparkle.  Unlike other shimmer glosses I’ve tried, these are super moisturizing due to the emollient oils in them, as well as the presence of Vitamins A, C and E. so you won’t have to sacrifice having chapped, dry lips for great color. 

At $22, the shades are great for spring because they’re sheer and pearlescent and go perfectly with the lighter shadows that everyone will be wearing.  The only question I have – do you think it’s overkill if I pair my Kitten shadow with my Kitten gloss?  Nah…

Inspired by the healing properties of both dance and music, Dr. Christine Rodgers founded En Pointe skin solutions.  A surgeon since 1978, she has studied the effects of stress upon the skin, and has focused her line to concentrate upon skin stressors that lead to wrinkles, age spots, redness and irritation.

Continuing the with ballet theme, all of Christine Rodgers’s products are named for classic ballet positions, such as encore, adagio, and pas de trois.  I had the opportunity to try the trio, which contained the Encore Renewal Serum, Pas de Trois Age Delay Eye Solution, and Fouette Firming Moisturizer.

The Encore Renewal Serum contains anti- inflammatories, anti-oxidants, and brightening agents to minimize skin hyper pigmentation, while the Pas De Trois Age Delay Eye Solution has a combination of the latest peptides, botanicals, shea butter, and moisturizers nourish and refresh the delicate eye area to prevent dark circles and reduce puffiness.  Rounding out the trifecta, the Fouette Firming Moisturizer uses Dr. Rodger’s Bio-Energy complex to stimulate collagen production to help skin retain its youthful appearance.  I like to apply this firming moisturizer over my neck (often a forgotten area).

After applying this trio of products right before bed, I awake to smooth and refreshed skin, looking as youthful as an ingenue in the ballet corps.

You can find the En Pointe products at the website here.