Archive for June, 2010

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I normally don’t make a fuss about sales, but it’s payday and I couldn’t resist some seriously glam accessories like this Large Gold Turquoise Bubble Klimt Ring, $116.25, above. Pick it up along with a pair of Miss Havisham Clear Liquid Lucite Earrings, $145, (my fave) for 25 percent off at Alexis Bittar’s annual summer sale, which kicks off July 1st (tomorrow!) online at alexisbittar.com and in his NYC boutiques.

You’ll be able to get discounts on the Spring/Summer 2010 collection, full of sculptural, ethereal, fun and funky pieces made of semi-precious stones and metals. (Inspired by his antique-collecting parents and NYC club days in the ’80s, Bittar makes jewelry fit for the likes of Bergdorf’s, Saks, Burberry, Estee Lauder, Michael Kors — and Sex and the City’s stylist Patricia Field. So this is one designer you’ll want to add to your wardrobe.) Go, go, go!

Summertime means that it’s swimsuit season, which is both fun and dreadful. Who doesn’t love lounging at the beach or pool? On the other hand, who actually enjoys shopping for a bathing suit and being forced to examine your body from every possible angle? Blech. No matter what your body type, we all have those problem areas with cellulite, dimples, or just plain flabby skin.

Nude Skincare reached out to me to try a sample of their Smoothing Body Refiner, a lotion that aims to smooth and firm your skin, especially in the thigh, hip, and waist areas. It contains no parabens or sulphates, and instead uses a combination of peptides, amino acids, fig, mountain ash, green coffee, ginger, and natural probiotics. Independent clinical trials have actually shown that using the Body Refiner regularly over 3 months may result in weight loss and inches off! I jumped at the try it and have been using it for about a week now. So far, I can report that it does make my skin appear tighter and smoother, though it does have a bit of an unusual smell (maybe like clay?).

The Nude Skincare Slimming Body Refiner is available for $70 at Sephora–as well as at nudeskincare.com, where you can get a second bottle free by entering in the code SLIMDOWN at checkout! Let me know how it works for you if you decide to try it, too.

All you other makeup junkies out there looking for new brushes, look no further.  The new I.T. Brushes at Sephora are my favorite tools I’ve found in a long time.  (And I’m not usually one to get excited about brushes, so you know it’s serious when I want to write about them).

The I.T. Brushes are a collection of 15 different brushes that were designed by world-renowned architect Philippe Di Meo and tested by the Sephora PRO Beauty Team both backstage and in the studio.  You can’t get a better pedigree than that, right?  Philippe wanted to reinvent the makeup brush and used functionality, sensuality, and luxury as inspiration when he was working.  As we all know, when you’re using your brushes, the way you position your hand makes all the difference, so on these brushes, the handles were made from ultra-light, balanced aluminum and are longer than on most other makeup brushes I’ve seen.  This way, you can hold them close to the bristles for very precise application or by the other end for a less intense look. (more…)

Back in April, EFFEN Vodka hosted a fun event at the ROOF at theWit, focusing on meaningful and sustainable design. What’s the connection between EFFEN and design? EFFEN chooses to be different from other vodkas by design, featuring all natural ingredients. Its bottle was also designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional–the patented rubber sleeve that it is encased in provides insulation to keep the vodka chilled longer, as well as easier handling.

I asked one of my girlfriends to come to the event with me and we loved enjoying the amazing views at ROOF, the lounge on the roof of theWit Hotel. We met a lot of Chicago foodies and bloggers, like Better With Butter and the Local Tourist, and heard about Chicago architecture and sustainability from Jonathan Boyer. We also got to enjoy some delicious cocktails by mixologist Jonny Abens (featuring EFFEN, of course). Now that summer’s in full swing, I wanted to share these drink recipes with you so that you can bust them out at your next warm weather get-together!

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I’ve written before about my friend, the Kiehl’s addict, who is always trying new products and giving me tons of recommendations. I totally trust her judgment on all things Kiehl’s and beauty-related, so I wanted to share another one of her finds that has worked for me. If you suffer from allergies that make your eyes look dead tired all the time, this may work for you, too!

My hereditary undereye circles have plagued me forever, so I’m always looking for products that help alleviate the darkness/puffiness. My friend suffers from major allergies that cause her eyes to look tired as well, and she told me about a product she swears by: Kiehl’s Line-Reducing Eye-Brightening Concentrate. The cream contains a high concentration of Vitamin C and a patented ingredient called Haloxyl that not only combat dark circles, but fine lines as well. My friend gave me a spare tube of hers and it’s been part of my morning routine ever since. It’s great because it helps someone with hereditary dark circles, as well as circles caused by allergies. Have you tried this, or do you have any other remedies you want to share? Let us know in the comments!

Editors’ Note: Ever wonder what makes it out of the beauty closet and into our personal beauty routines? Despite the numerous samples we’re lucky enough to test, some of us are very selective about what we use everyday while others like to have a bit of fun! Our new feature, “Editor’s Closet,” will highlight a few beauty products a TDO editor is using that month…hope you enjoy and we welcome your feedback! (more…)

Ladies, to be honest here, I don’t have that much experience with getting jewelry from men–but I do have enough to know that what men think women want and what women really want don’t always sync up.  As if buying jewelry for someone else isn’t already hard enough, what woman hasn’t chattered amongst her girlfriends about “what would you do if you got an ugly engagement ring?” Yikes. I prefer not to think about that. (more…)

Hosting dinner parties with the company of good friends, delicious food, and plentiful amounts of wine is by far one of my favorite ways to spend a Friday or Saturday evening. While our conversation and spontaneous dance parties are surely enough fun to last well into the wee hours of the morning, I thought it would be fun to add another dimension to my friendly gatherings. Enter TableTopics Cubes, which I’d been eying for a while at a fabulous Beacon Hill boutique, Flat of The Hill. TableTopics Cubes are available in a variety of topics, including Family Gathering, Girls Night Out, and even Book Club edition. Each card is printed with a question that’s meant to inspire, make you think, or even make you embarrassed! I opted for the “not your mom’s dinner party” theme, which I thought would be versatile enough to use for all sorts of get-togethers. Even political questions like “should we have a national healthcare system?” are interspersed with less mature, more personal ones like “what alcohol can you never drink again?” (My answer? Raspberry Stoli.)

TableTopics Cubes are the ideal game to play with family and friends; easy to transport, basically no rules, and literally anyone can play! Retailing at $25, they aren’t the cheapest game you can buy, but will provide hours of priceless entertainment for you and your friends.

I look forward to adding another TableTopics Cube to my collection of games. Next? The Gourmet Edition! TableTopics Cubes are available on their website, as well as Amazon and local stores near you.