How to Fake a Winter Vacation: Go Fabulously Faux! (They'll Never Know)

According to recent studies, one-third of working Americans will not use all of their allotted vacation time this year, and the rest seem unable to decompress, taking working "breaks" that involve bringing blackberries, email, and piles of work along. The economy is rough, and many of us are holding onto our jobs for dear life, but vacations are a physical and emotional necessity, not a luxury, helping you to sleep better, feel more energized, and look 100% better..and besides, no one really cares about seeing the same ole' photos of palm trees and ubiquitous tropical sunsets.

If you hear yourself wishing for "Belize, please!", and find that - but for the price! - cruises and island getaways entice, why not consider a few days of R&R Chez Toi, taking some time to discover what's fun (and affordable) to do right in your own backyard. 

Here's what you'll need to look and feel as vacay-fabulous as possible:

GET THE GLOW:

Steal Some Style Inspiration from Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Dita Von Teese

During Awards Season, it's fun to ogle all the over-the-top styles sashaying down the Red Carpet, but is it realistic to consider making such adventurous fashion choices in real life?  Why not! While we're not advocating you rock glittery Rihanna'ish pasties, experiment with Dita-style corsetry outside the boudoir, or leave the house sans pants a la Gaga, these lovely ladies really are a great source of fashion inspiration for real life. “Beneath these celebs' over-the-top styles lie great style tips for the everyday shopper," explains SALE.com's shopping guru, Julia Balfour. "Lady GaGa knows how to accentuate her best features, Rihanna keeps it young and playful with statement accessories, and Dita oozes style with snugly-fitting dresses.”

Balfour created three looks inspired by each star - for work (Gaga), weekend (Rihanna), and on a date (Dita) - all of which help a girl steal some A-list style for under $250 per ensemble:

Meet "Les Fideles de Chanel" - the Modern Ambassadresses of the Brand

Coco Chanel was famously visionary, both in lifestyle and aesthetic, and her iconic Maison still celebrates strong women of (stylish) substance.  Chanel recently selected five such women as brand ambassadors, including photo agent Jen Brill, Caroline Sieber (stylist & brand consultant), girl-about-town Vanessa Traina, Leigh Lezark (the Misshapes), and Poppy Delevingne (model/actress).

Learning about their various influences and icons they admire is almost as fun as checking out their style:

Barbie Slips on Her LBD From the New Barbie Basics Collection

The newly-launched Barbie Basics collection gives girls of all ages permission to play by celebrating every fashionista's must-have wardrobe staple: the iconic Little Black Dress. Twelve fab dolls each sport their own distinct silhouette of the fashion classic, along with a variety of hairstyles, facial features and skin tones.  Ultra-chic accessory packs - including shoes, scarves, jewelry - allow the dolls to inspire creativity and be further customized to represent your own personal style, be it glam, urban, bling or girly.

Punk Luxe from Michelle Trachtenberg for Coach Poppy

Pegged as having a uniquely "Marie Antoinette meets Blondie" vibe, this eyecatching Coach Poppy collaboration with everyone's fave Gossip Girl fuses hand-set Swarovski crystals in amethyst, black diamond, and clear gemstone colors together with ivory pearls and bold mismatched hardware. A heart-shaped crest and antique key charms are the centerpieces of the capsule collection, and, apparently, the key to her heart! Available at Coach.com.

- Lesley Scott

Guerlain's New Star Fragrance: Tonka Impérial

The ongoing love affair between a single note and a perfumer continues with the seventh fragrance in the coveted L’Art et la Matière line: Thierry Wasser's Tonka Impériale.

A woody oriental, it is composed around the tonka bean. Said to originate in the Northern area of South America, including the forests of Venezuela, the tonka bean - with its almond, cinnamon, clove & creamy sweetness - is historically one of Guerlain's star ingredients, and particularly dear to the House. From Jicky to Shalimar to Habit Rouge, it is one of the key components of the “Guerlinade", the mysterious signature accord whose exact composition is known only to the Company and has been a Guerlain legacy since the 19th century.
 
Tonka Impériale is well-named indeed: a royal blend of rich scents, with nuances of honey, gingerbread, almond, hay and tobacco.

Maison Pierre Cardin Turns 60 & Continues to Inspire Innovative Design

Born in 1922 in San Biagio di Callalta (near Venice), Pierre Cardin immigrated to Paris in 1924.  After working briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli, Cardin joined Dior in 1946. In 1950, he opened his own couture house.  A pioneer from the start, his geometric motifs, asymmetry, oversized trims, hooped dresses, and vinyl inserts reflected his architectural aesthetic and futurist sensibilities; and many of his innovations are still slavishly copied today (Balmain's novel pagoda-shoulder, Pam Hogg's too-good-for-mere-bloggers catsuit, or AsFour's "oh-so-original" circle bag, anyone?)

Hair is the Word: Ric Pipino Introduces Revolution in Cut

The Broadway play Hair changed formulaic musicals on stage. Meanwhile, backstage - on the catwalk, at photoshoots, and on the Red Carpet - international celeb stylist Ric Pipino has spent most of his career cutting hair, creating the award-winning locks of Eva Longoria, Jodie Foster, Lindsay Lohan, Fergie, Kelis, Kate Beckinsale, and most recently at the Golden Globes, Jaime Pressly.

And he's now ready to revolutionize your Hair...the way you wash it, style it, even how it smells.

With the introduction of Revolution In Cut, Pipino's new hair care line cuts through the clutter of a thousand products - typically targeted to the condition of our hair rather than the cut itself - which he identifies as six signature hairstyles: bob, layered bob, crop, short layer, long layer, and blunt (no Mohawks or mullets need apply). Just as a whole generation has a Proustian moment when remembering the unforgettable smell of Clairol's Herbal Essence, Pipino is the first to "layer" fragrance in haircare and turn it into a multi-scentual experience: recalling a trip to Sicily with his father, the shampoo, conditioner and primer waft scents of pettigrain, orange blossoms and Neroli.

The No-Crepe Zone: Illumin8 Eye Shadow Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills

The delicate skin around our eyes is prone to aging. A heavy hand with eye shadow creates a heavy lid, and just drapes the crepe. And we were more than a bit skeptical about a newly-launched color cosmetic from Anastasia Soare - browmeister behind the lovely arches of Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum, Sienna Miller, Kim Kardashian & Megan Fox - that promises to tighten and brighten in as little as an hour, all without surgery. According to the company: "After only one hour of application, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced, and in just 28 days of use, 100% of participants saw an improvement in overall eye beauty!"

So we invited four of our favorite beauty cynics to test the new Illumin8 Eyeshadow Palette, that can be used wet or dry...and there is no hoodwinking these mavens.

And the results? Three of our four testers reported a noticeable difference within 3 days! Our last tester reported, "Maybe, I think so." All four aficionados agreed to stay the course of 28 days, and happily invested $40 on the illumin8 shadows which are available exclusively Sephora.com.

Want Some SpaghettiOs on Madison with Your Lisa Perry?

Madison Avenue is the street of every window-shopper's dreams. From the iconic windows of Barneys NY (whose creative director Simon Doonan decorated the White House this past Christmas) to the chic elegant dressings of the finest shoppes - Valentino, Donna Karan, Anne Fontaine, Dolce & Gabbana, to name a few - and beautiful mannequins, adorned from head to toe in the ultimate of pricey chic beckon. And like modern-day Holly Golightly's, we sip our Starbucks lattes and press our noses to the glass.

Designer Lisa Perry, who counts Dylan Lauren as one of her fans of her pop fashion and accessory collection inspired by the 60s, stopped us in our tracks, and we felt right at home.  In honor of Donald Goerke, creator of SpaghettiOs who recently passed away, Lisa has put SpaghettiOs in her windows and her store, tempting customers to come inside for a spoonful. We love her clean lines, geometric shapes, primary colors, and minimalism fashion - and enjoyed shopping from her whimsical vintage-inspired collection...and ate more than a few spoonfuls courtesy of Lisa and Campbell's Soup.

- Michelyn Camen, Editor at Large