Category Archives: Style

SPEC-TACULAR SUNNIES

The purpose of sunglasses? Protecting your eyes. Looking cool is just the icing on the cake!

Here’s how to choose wisely:

  • Choose sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection to shield your eyes from damaging UVA and UVB rays.
  • Oversize lenses are the best choice. The more surface area your sunglasses cover the more your eyes are safeguarded.
  • Color matters. Grey-toned lenses keep color true. Green lenses enhance vision. Amber and brown tones improve contrast and reduce glare. Avoid red or pink which make everything look rosy-toned and blue or purple shades which can distort traffic lights, size and distance.
  • Think thin. Sunglasses with thick sides could block your peripheral vision.

3 YOU’LL LOVE:

Warby Parker Upshaw (starting at $145) has polarized lenses and is also available in single vision and progressive prescriptions.

Chloé Carlina Oversized Sunglasses ($346) cover a lot of territory and look so glam you won’t want to take them off.

RayBan Original Aviator ($200) is a classic that is just as cool now as when it first debuted and best of all, this style flatters all.

A LITTLE ADORNMENT…

Laid-back luxury is so much better than being primped to perfection. When your hair is less than perfect add a touch of adornment instead of taming every last strand.

Hair jewelry can help you embrace the frizz, the flat, the untamed and elevate it to something spectacular indeed. After all…perfection is overrated!

 

(featured image, jenniferbehr.com)

Pop-Up Braid Bar

If you’re in the NYC area this Saturday, October 25th, 2014 you won’t want to miss this cool Pop-up Braid Bar, hosted by KLORANE at the Birchbox Store in SoHo (433 West Broadway, New York, NY) from 2-6 pm.

Top editorial and celebrity hairstylists Casey Geren and Adam Maclay will be on hand to deliver the hottest braids of the moment using Klorane products, including their award-winning Dry shampoo with oat milk! With the purchase of any Klorane product you’ll also receive a full-size Shampoo with flax fiber ($15 value), a must-have for sexy, voluminous hair!

To RSVP directly: http://join.birchbox.com/storeevents/

 

(photography courtesy of Pinterest)

Another reason to LOVE Ikea!

I know I’m not the only paper lover out there and I know you’ll be as excited as I am about Ikea’s new Paper Shop that hit US stores earlier this week. It includes stationery and party decor and notebooks and tissue paper and gift wrap and gift boxes. You’ll find ribbons and tags and notepads and sticky notes and everything you could ever desire, changed seasonally in new colors and styles and in plenty of time for the holidays.  Have fun!

To stock up, click here.

(images courtesy of Ikea)

 

The Top Knot

The Top Knot can (and should!) be your go-to hairstyle when you need to look gorgeous in very little time. It’s actually best when done on “dirty” hair and looks just as great running around town as it does at a formal event. Jenny Balding, NYC Cutler/Redken Stylist, shares how to create the perfectly imperfect topknot:

  1. Start with day two hair onwards as your hair will be easier to manage with an already ‘lived -in’ texture.
  2. Mist hair with dry shampoo, focusing primarily on the roots for more texture, grip and volume.
  3. Then mist a light hairspray throughout for some hold and extra grip.
  4. Sweep your hair into high ponytail. Check what it looks like from your profile so you can position your ponytail at the most flattering point of your head for your face shape.
  5. Take the ponytail and back-brush from the underneath lightly to create a slight disheveled texture.
  6. Sweep around the base of the ponytail and pin using U shaped hairpins. These really anchor the hair best which means you will only need 2 or 3 to secure.

Consider:

  • Clean Dry Shampoo ($10), a talc-free, paraben-free and sulfate-free formula that absorbs excess oil and leaves behind a light, fresh scent.
  • Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode ($15) is a quick-drying, flake-free, flexible hold hairspray, perfect as a working or finishing spray.  (image via pinterest)

 

Summer Must-Have: The Tunic

I don’t know about you, but every summer I live in tunics…and this summer is no exception. They muti-task over cutoffs, jeans, swimsuits and depending on the length can even be worn as a dress. Ahhhhh…what summer dressing all about!

Here, what I’m coveting right now:

Enza Linen Striped Tunic Tank, $69 at calypsostbarth.com

Lem Lem Striped V-Neck Tunick, $200 at barneys.com

Lilla Stripe Tunic, $240 at shoplatitude.com

 

Ballerina Girl

Product Review: Linge Shoes Ballet Flats

I love sky high heels as much as the next girl…as long as I’m sitting down. The moment I have to walk around in them, I’m miserable, which is why my flip-flops get more than their fair share of play time. Looks like my summer staple has some competition.

Enter Linge ballet shoes. They’re made from soft, top-quality leather so they’re super comfy and a breeze to slip on and off. They’re really light (ie. portable!) so perfect to pop in my bag for easy, quick access if I need to step out of my heels and into something that’ll show my feet some love, plus they look great with skirts, dresses, jeans and shorts.

I definitely found a new shoe to get me through the summer. Linge Shoes Ballet Flats are light, super-stylish and come in 12 gorgeous colors–just what the foot-doctor ordered!

Linge Shoes Ballet Flats, $59 at lingeshoes.com.

(photography courtesy of lingeshoes.com)

4d8382f3d1da8f8b3ac8ba48dd2a8982

 

Hot Buns How-to

When it comes to beauty, Emily Blunt can do no wrong! She always looks smart, sophisticated and sexy. Her look at the “Edge of Tomorrow” NYC premiere is certainly no exception.

Celebrity hairstylist Laini Reeves of Tomlinson Management Group  created Emily’s sleek, simple, side bun to echo the modern lines of her sleek, lipstick red Prada gown.

Here’s how she did it:

  1. First, Reeves prepped Emily’s wet hair with René Furterer VEGETAL MOUSSE and gave it a smooth blowout with a soft-bristle round brush.
  2. Then, she misted Emily’s hair with René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY before giving it  a low side part and securing the ponytail.
  3. Another spritz of the FINISHING SPRAY guaranteed extra hold before she twisted the ponytail into a bun at the nape of the neck behind the ear and secured it with bobby pins.

Laini Reeves Troubleshooting Tips:

  • To create texture lightly back-comb the ponytail to make the hair easier to secure.
  • When styling your own look, always make sure everything is perfect before preparing the bun.
  • A small amount of René Furterer STYLING WAX will smooth flyaways.

 

For more information on René Furterer products click here.

 

The Power of Red

Colors have different meanings in different cultures and they’re even known to change over time but right now in the U.S., researchers have found this to be true about RED:

  • Red is an intense, extreme color known to affect all who see it.
  • Men and women are seen as more attractive when wearing red.
  • Red is the color of confidence but too much can be interpreted as aggressive.
  • In clothing, decor, wildlife and more, red always gets attention.

The best way to reap the benefits of red without inviting negative reactions is to take your red in small doses. Just a hint will make you that much more appealing, add visual interest and jump-start any outfit. Check out these ruby red accent pieces:

Zoya Nail Polish in Tamsen, $9 at zoya.com. I love this for fingers and toes. Orange undertones make it a Spring/Summer staple.

Eugenia Kim Chiara Headband, $90 at shopbop.com. The ombre shading and center-knot take this to another level.

Gahara Links Transfixion Necklace, $58 at anthropologie.com. Go global with this Rwandan made, hand-beaded pendant necklace.

Super Ciccio Eyeglasses, $169 at madewell.com. Oversized, retro frames in a “notice-me” color.

Cole Haan Jen & Oil Mary Jane Suede Platform Sandal, $125 at lastcall.com. Because red, grown-up Mary Janes are hot!

Award-Worthy Hair!

We asked Jenny Balding, NYC Cutler/Redken Styling and Grooming Expert for her favorite Oscar hair and tips for getting the look at home. Here’s what she had to say:

Olivia Wilde – “This is a stunning, swept up, Brigitte Bardot inspired style and compliments her gown beautifully.  Her graphic black eyeliner adds a 60’s inspired feel to the whole ensemble.” – Jenny Balding
To Do:
  • Start by blow drying hair with a round brush to create body, volume and slight wave to the ends.
  • Separate into two sections.  Take the crown and front section and pin to one side then leave the underneath section out.
  • Sweep the underneath section into a chignon that hugs the curve of the head.
  • Take the top section and back brush under the crown area to create padding and volume and twist lightly and secure into chignon.
  • Finish by gently loosening some shorter pieces to frame the face and mist with a light hairspray –  I love Redken fashion work 12 and it is very versatile and light to work with.
Cate Blanchett – “This beautiful, classic vintage Hollywood style is refreshing as it isn’t a faux bob or very long but it’s just right, at the shoulder.  The key to this look is to create the wave just through the front section and throughout the perimeter of the hair.” – Jenny Balding
To Do:
  • Create a deep side part wherever works best for your face shape and hairline.
  • Blow dry smooth and keep to just a natural volume for this look.
  • Mist hair with a light and versatile hairspray like Redken fashion work 12
  • Use a medium size curling iron and start by creating the front section first as this will set the tone.  Create the wave from underneath the cheekbone.
  • Hold the iron vertically and wrap from mid-length to the ends.
  • Finish by setting the hair with a stronger hold hairspray.  Redken control addict 28 is perfect for this as it holds and creates shine.
Charlize Theron – “Charlize is simply stunning with her sleek, smooth, grown out pixie which complimented her sleek gown with clean lines.  If you have a shorter hairstyle you can style it in so many ways, this, being one of them.” – Jenny Balding
To Do:
  • Apply a smoothing, straightening balm, Redken align 12, to clean wet hair.
  • Blow dry smooth and wrap the hair back and forward to prevent creating volume.
  • Create a deep side part which works best for your face shape and hairline.
  • Sweep and tuck behind ears.
  • I love Cutler Flyaway stick which is perfect for keeping your strands sleek and glossy all over.

 

(photography courtesy of Michael Buckner/Getty Images, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

find us elsewhere

subscribe via email

Enter your email address: