Archive for July, 2011

Travel and PR guru Sarah Evans is one of the most worldly and savviest people we know.  As the managing partner of J Public Relations, Sarah represents amazing hospitality clients from global luxury brands like Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to special boutique properties like Windham Hill Inn. She’s also incredibly stylish to boot- a product of being both an avid world traveler and sophisticated New Yorker.  We sat down with Sarah to get the deets on her latest obsessions: (more…)

If you’re heading out of town for a summer vacation (the latest east coast heat wave has sent everyone packing!), we’ve got a couple travel essentials for you:

By now, we’re all used to slathering or spraying ourselves up with a minimum of 30 SPF before leaving the house. What about all those overexposed areas like your lips, nose and ears that need touch ups throughout a steamy hot and sunny day? Ideal for any sun-worshipper or cautious nature-lover during the summer – Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream Targeted Sun Defense Stick SPF 50 fits the bill!

What better way to accessorize your beat-up suitcase or weekender than with LaLucca’s leather luggage tags? Available in seven bold colors (with hot pink lining!), these little leather tags will help set your luggage apart while you travel in style. Available at www.lalucca.com for only $31 each.

Is it too early to start thinking about Fall?  Not for diehard fashionistas- who have been pre-ordering (or at least planning) their fall wardrobe for months already!  Today I got a preview of the new fall campaign for Donna Karan, which if you’ve read my style blog The Hsu Closet, you’ll know is a designer that I’ve recently become totally obsessed with! Just take a look at the photos and you’ll understand why: elegant, feminine, and oh so gorgeous! P.S.  My favorite colors grey and taupe are totally in! (more…)

Decorate beautifully while loving the earth! These repurposed, imported wine bottles from West Elm make for a generous hostess gift for a summer shore or cottage visit. Understated yet chic, they create an artful display with tall taper candles or flowers and greenery, especially when displayed en masse as pictured. Available for $12 each, coordinating with West Elm’s Recycled-Glass Collection.

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I love the fun and funkiness of Benefit’s products.  They just always make me smile, with their cute names and interesting packaging.  If I had a makeup company, I would definitely aim for it to be like Benefit because, seriously, how fun do you think their meetings are?  The newest additions to their lineup are two collections – Eye Wanna! and Eye Gotta! that each represent one of their Global Beauty Authorities.  (Side note – how can I get that title?)

The Sephora exclusive palettes each contain three new Velvet Eyeshadows and two new Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners, so they’re great whether you’re a new Benefit fan or an old-timer who already has most of their shades.  Eye Wanna! is Maggie Ford Danielson’s collection and the blue shadows are gorgeous.  Skyline is a blue silver and Inked is a midnight sapphire and they’re paired with Deco, a fresh plum shade.  The two cream shadow/liners are Static, a shimmering pewter and Airbrush, a pink pearl, both very neutral and versatile.  Eye Gotta! is Annie Ford Danielson’s creation and has shadows in Canopy, a warm nutmeg, Purple Haze, a gilded purple, and Spiced, a golden olive, with Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners in Flash, a platinum fawn, and foiled, a shimmering sand.  I really, really like all the new Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners.  Not only are they totally wearable shades, but they lift right out of the package, so you can take them with you if you want.  Although with packaging this cute, you really won’t want to.  Maggie and Annie teamed up with Barcelona-based illustrator Pietari Posti to design the eyeshadow kits and they’re completely adorable with their bold patterns and colorful designs.  They definitely aren’t the kind of boxes you’d want to hide away in a drawer, more like something you’ll feel compelled to display on your vanity.

Much like people, certain cities have an indescribable indie cool-factor.  Austin, Texas is one of those cities, with serious street cred for the live music scene, its fervent support for local artists, friendliness, and laidback vibe. Mention Austin to anyone and inevitably the response will be, ‘OMG, I LOVE that city!!’ or ‘Is that where Friday Nights Lights is filmed?’ The answer is yes, and clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. I took the opportunity to form my own opinion  for New Year’s, trading NYC and its overpriced, crowded, cold bars for breezy Spring temps in the midst of January, let’s-just-have fun demeanor, and uniqueness.  I wish I had gone for South by Southwest, but there’s always Austin City Limits! Below, some of my favorites from checking out the town: (more…)

Even though it’s still the middle of the summer, in the past few weeks I’ve gotten to play around with a bunch of the upcoming fall collections.  One of my favorites is Bobbi Brown’s Tortoise Shell Collection.  I love that Bobbi built an entire season around tortoise shell.  My favorite pair of sunglasses are tortoise shell and I still love them as much today as I did when I bought them three years ago.  (more…)