Royal Blue Baby Fever…

I love William and Kate! I love that they were friends first, I love that they dated a long time and I love that they truly seem to adore each other. And the recent christening of Baby George has me in a blue mood all over again. Royal blue!

gorjana studded leather wrap bracelet, $65 at charmandchain.com.

vegan leather oversized tote, $59 at urbanoutfitters.com.

Each X Other Limited Edition Robert Montgomery wool top coat, $1178 at barneys.com 

belgium cotton/velvet pillow, $60 at etsy.com.

overdyed blue wool rug, $2165 at rugsusa.com

(photography courtesy of barneys.com)

Nancy Answers: What can I do about bedhead?

Dear Nancy, I wash my hair at night and end up pulling it back in the morning because of crazy looking bedhead. Any suggestions? Sincerely, K

Dear K, Pillowcase friction is the culprit! Since you’ve been pulling it back I’m assuming you don’t want to just shake it, add a little product and own it, sometimes a good decision. Either way, you do have options:

  •  You can invest in a silk pillowcase. It won’t rub hair the wrong way so you’ll wake up with smooth, like-you-just-styled-your-hair in the morning hair. Check out the LovaSilk Pillowcase set, 2 for $75 at amazon.com and the NK Home Silk Pillowcase, $30-$60 each at cuddledown.com.
  • Pulling it back might not be such a bad thing to do if you switch things up a bit with ponytails, braids, chignons and topknots for a bit of variety.
  • If your hair is naturally curly, get rid of the morning frizz by using mousse to get back some control. Comb it through your hair and scrunch or twirl it and allow to air-dry before touching.
  • If your hair is straight or wavy and and on the shorter side you might wake up with it sticking in every direction. Rub a bit of gel in the palm of your hands and gently work it through your hair into your desired style.

Good luck! xoxoNancy

 

(photography courtesy of pinterest)

Got Grease?

Product Review: Klorane Dry Shampoo with nettle, $18 at Klorane.com

My friends with oily hair can’t imagine that I only wash my hair twice a week. It just doesn’t get greasy (even on day 3 or more) but that’s when it starts to feel dirty so I know it’s time for a shampoo. For those with oily hair who spend an awful lot of time sudsing and styling, dry shampoos can be a game-changer!

Klorane’s new Dry Shampoo with nettle, $18 at Klorane.com instantly gets rid of the grease. You simply spray it on the hair, leave it on for two minutes and then brush through for clean, refreshed hair. It contains corn and rice starch (powerful cleansing agents), silica (an absorbant microsphere) and the standout ingredient nettle extract (a sebum regulator). Nettle’s quick oil-controlling power is clinically proven to normalize sebum production after just 3 months of continuous use! How’s that for game changing!

You’ll want to use Klorane Shampoo with nettle, $18 at Klorane.com regularly and switch to Klorane Dry Shampoo with nettle, $18 at Klorane.com between washings.

If you’re like me and your hair doesn’t get greasy, you’ll still want it for its volume-boosting abilities. Use it on clean or dirty hair. A quick spray at the roots plus a quick brush through equals instant va va va volume!!!!

 

Details, Details…

When your outfit has interesting detail to spare (think studs, fringe or sequins), forego any extra adornment and keep your jewelry and any other embellishment clean and minimal to keep the look modern.

photography courtesy of dreamyourownlife.tumblr.com

 

Who’s a Pretty Boy??!!

Why should you have all the fun? Make this October 31st your dog’s best day ever by dressing him up in Fine Featherhead’s Pet Plumes. He’ll look sweet as candy and will get so much attention that he may stop begging for scraps and will instead beg to wear these Pet Plumes again!

You’ll also want to check out Pet Plumes with a Purpose where 10% of the proceeds gets donated to a corresponding assigned charity.

To purchase Pet Plumes and Pet Plumes with a Purpose, $10 and up, www.finefeatherheads.com

(photo courtesy of Fine Featherheads)

What Stylish Girls Know That You Don’t

The mixed-temp days of fall makes it very hard to give up some of my summer wardrobe faves entirely. I might even take things a bit too far by wearing flip flops until the first snowflake hits the ground…but that’s just me. Though summer shoes should most definitely be tucked away until at least Spring, you can make your warm-weather clothes work overtime and look extra-stylish in the process. Here, some savvy layering know-how.

Keep your summery, flowy dresses, skirts and even shorts and pair them with opaque tights, boots or booties and your choice of the following add-ons:

 

(photography courtesy of Pinterest)

 

 

Wake up to Better Skin

Product Review: Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial, $45 at www.sephora.com.

I’m a superstitious chick so when a good friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen in a while told me how great my skin looked I knew it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. Well, wouldn’t you know it, 48 hours later my complexion did a 180. It went from glowing and radiant to ruddy and stressed.  I know it  couldn’t have had anything to do with the sleepless night, dry heat and the delicious chocolate covered salted caramels I’d been consuming. It had to be her comment!

It was the perfect opportunity for me to test Korres Greek Yoghurt Sleeping Facial, said to repair stressed skin overnight. Before trying, I was a bit of a non-believer since it usually takes more than a few days to see a difference with a skincare product but I was willing to give it go. I applied liberally, crossed my fingers and went to bed early. In the morning I was back to bright, fresh, healthy looking skin. Really!

Maybe it works so fast because of the soothing greek yoghurt concentrate or the combination of ingredients that include Tumeric extract, Sunflower Wax, Jojoba oil and Vitamin E. Whatever the reason, I’m just glad it does!

Tuck in Guaranteed

When I’m getting dressed I usually leave my shirt out or in that half-tucked limbo because whenever I fully tuck a top it doesn’t stay and I end up looking disheveled. Thanks to a recent press event where I came across Bradamant bodysuits (a blouse-bodysuit hybrid) I can now tuck with the best of them!

Designed by Tamar Daniel, Bradamant bodysuits are a sleeker, smarter, way cooler version of their super-skintight cousins that were around in the 90’s, but instead of spandex the fabrics are silk, chambray, jersey and lambskin and the fitted or blousy styles are all modern. Better yet, they’re slimming since they add no volume to the hip area and they’re designed to add lift to your bottom without any visible panty lines. You’ll feel comfy and look polished and pulled-together all day long, no matter how much bending and reaching and stretching you do.

www.bradamant.com, $58 and up.

 

blogshot-bradamant

 

Nancy Answers: How do I keep my eye makeup from smudging and smearing?

Dear Nancy, I don’t wear a lot of eye makeup but what I do wear always ends up smeared under my eyes. What can I do to stop this from happening? Sincerely, A

Dear A, There’s a very fine line between good intentional smudgy-smeary (think Carine Roitfield) and unkempt smudgy-smeary (think Courtney Love). It works on Carine because she’s polished and french and can get away with more…it’s a confidence thing! Since you don’t want to risk looking like the later, here’s an easy fix.

Chances are your makeup is smearing because you’re using cream based formulas like undereye concealer, cream eyeshadow and/or creamy eyeliner. Oil-based formulas can break down your mascara and cause it to smear. To prevent this use a small makeup brush  to dust translucent powder over the entire eye area after you’ve applied your products. It will help set your makeup and keep it in place. Still struggling? Toss a corrector pen in your bag to easily erase any smudges that might appear. Dior’s new Diorshow Flash Corrector works well. xoxoNancy

(photography courtesy of weheartit.com)

Blow & Go!

You know that feeling after you leave the salon. Your hair has body, bounce and shine and you know you look great. But no matter how hard you try to replicate that look yourself,  you can’t quite master it. Enter Blow In Blow Out.

Tara Galatt, CEO and Owner of the soon-to-debut Blow In Blow Out in Summit, NJ knew this was something she had to do after experiencing a blow dry bar while on a trip to Los Angeles. She set about finding the perfect location in a walking town where women like to take care of themselves and would appreciate this affordable luxury.

Blow In Blow Out aims to be the best at one thing. The perfect blowout. With a menu including aromatherapy scalp treatments, shampoo and conditioning serums and six signature styling options (all for only $35!) plus braids, ponies and updos, Blow In Blow Out is poised to take the town by storm. I for one, can’t wait!

Blow In Blow Out, 330 Springfield Ave., Summit, NJ, 07901, (908) 273-4947 www.blowin-blowout.com