Bang, You're It! Marc Jacobs Launches his New Men's Fragrance with a Provocative Campaign & Fun Facebook Game

It's his first new men's scent in almost a decade, and the launch of the newest fragrance creation is proving as flashy as its shiny, faceted glass bottle which Jacobs co-designed with award-winning designer Harry Allen. Juergen Teller shot the cheeky campaign at the Mercer Hotel in NYC, featuring the designer oiled up and in the buff (and looking very buff) on a shiny mylar-covered bed clad only in a strategically-placed giant bottle of Bang.

 

Some Modern Skin Care Magic Thanks to an Ancient Papyrus Scroll & a Tenacious Plastic Surgeon

On a whim, Bay Area facial plastic surgeon Stanley Jacobs bought a 600 page tome from the 1930s and discovered a recipe promising to "make an old man into a youth" from a mysterious Ancient Egyptian scroll dating back 3,600 years. Dubbed the "Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus," it had been discovered in the early 20th century, but never fully translated; most intriguing was the fact that the long-forgotten skincare-serum formula had, according to the hieroglyphics, been “proven good a million times.” A highly advanced civilization, Egyptians were also master chemists and physicians who mixed medicines and performed surgeries - and guided by their belief in everlasting life, these early pharmacists to the queens and pharaohs formulated a royal ointment to keep skin smooth and youthful.

So Jacobs enlisted the translating help of a prominent Egyptologist, and nearly a decade of archaeological travel and research later, he was finally able to discover the key ingredient: "hemayet" or mandelic acid. An alpha hydroxy acid and close cousin of glycolic acid that is derived from the bitter almond, the mandelic acid molecule is larger which means it penetrates the skin more slowly - making it less irritating and its beneficial action more sustained. It also means it can be used on all skin types and with varying skin pigmentation, both to diminish brown spots and to neutralize acne bacteria for fewer breakouts.

To recreate the Egyptian serum, Jacobs then teamed up with Jules Zecchino, a former Vice President of Innovation and Applied Research at Estee Lauder and longtime industry vet responsible for skincare classics like Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide Capsules, Estee Lauder’s Fruition, Resilience, Idealist, Perfectionist and Illusionist, Vaseline Intensive Care Lotions, and Clinique’s All About Eyes & Turnaround creams. Together, they brought the ancient potion back to life as Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum with Mandelic Acid which appears to deliver sufficiently dramatic results that they are being submitted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal, "Archives of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery."

Step Out in Blair's Stylish Gossip Girl Shoes

This super-chic summer look makes it easy to beat the heat in style. The brown of the belt and these Donald J Pliner sandals look luxe against the blue of her Theory chambray shirtdress, however, the only tweak we would make is to the bag by leaning more toward the brown family and going a tad more flashy. And of course, jewelry! These rose gold & diamond studs would play nicely off the brown accessories, and a Cartier Louis Tank Watch is truly a forever classic - anywhere & any...time.

Where to snag the look:

A Fabulous Face & Body SPF 30 Suncream from Erno Lazlo

Ever since the derm had to remove a benign basal cell starting to sprout on our forehead - penance, no doubt, for a few too many college afternoons spent lounging lazily in the mid-afternoon sun slathered in baby oil - we've become certifiably sunblock obsessed. We've tried almost every one on the market, from pricey to drugstore to organic & all natural - and in our (totally non-scientific) guess'timation, at least 9 out of 10 sun protection lotions & creams feel too greasy, render you disco-ball shiny, or worst of all, leave you shiny and broken out!  So after one too many broken promises of "comedogenic" and "matte", we approached this Erno Lazlo Total Face & Body Protection SPF 30 with a healthy amount of been-there-done-that skepticism. 

Which is why we were more than a little pleasantly surprised at how lightweight and relatively non-shiny this powerful broad-spectrum sunblock is (just follow with a light dusting of powder or a quick touchup with your fave blotting paper). It contains Shea butter to nourish and moisturize, green tea extract to calm your complexion, antioxidant vitamin E to fight premature aging, and mineral-rich sea water to help retain your skin's natural moisture. Because it actually lives up to promise, we've even started using it to moisturize and protect our hands after we wash them.

At $42 it's not exactly cheap, but the tube is generous and because you'll actually use it regularly, what it will save you in future anti-aging procedures: priceless! Available at ErnoLazlo.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Cute Flats for the Price of a Few Lattes...Plus Win a VIP All-Fashion Pass to Fashion's Night Out in NYC

Cute right? Guess where they're from! Give up...already? Oh, alright: CLICK HERE to find out and snag yourself a pair (or three).  These same fab footwear folks are also giving away an All-Fashion Pass to NYC during Fashion Week and a chance to participate in this year's Fashion's Night Out festivities.

- Lesley Scott

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By All Means, Shop Online Already! Just Be Sure to Do it Safely with AVG Antivirus Protection

The hunt for playful wardrobe additions, snagging those early fall previews, snapping up steals & deals - and all sans annoying crowds, lines and other annoyances of shopping offline. Plus there's the fact that all your new treasures are delivered right to your door. Fabulous.

Not so fabulous: while you're busy stalking online bargains, hackers are busily stalking you and setting sneaky traps that ensnared a good 20% of online shoppers last year alone, according to Consumer Reports.

Fortunately, you can fight back, and for free!  AVG Technologies has been in the anti-virus protection biz for years, and currently helps over 110 million people around the globe stay safe. Their AVG LinkScanner software analyzes the web pages behind any links or sites you're viewing to make sure they're not one of those 24-hour "here today, gone tomorrow" web threats lurking almost everywhere these days, from small sites to government pages to well-known brands. The AVG Identity Protection feature keeps an eye on how programs on your computer interact and if something seems fishy (or phish-y for that matter) shuts that activity down to protect your credit card numbers, passwords, banking info and other private data. And AVG Internet Security 9.0 combines a firewall, identity protection, and antivirus detection against developing new threats. In other words, they help you and your files stay safe whether you're surfing, searching, emailing, chatting, social networking, banking, or, yes, shopping.

Here are a few tips from AVG Technologies to help you stay smart and sexy while you bargain hunt...and avoid becoming the hunted:

Tie-Dye Goes Upscale at the Cross-Cultural Exhibition "To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color"

With so much tie-dye on the runways of late, it's fun to explore the history of the technique which spans both the centuries and the globe. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) is investigating the trend in "To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color," a new exhibition opening at the de Young on July 31 which features over 50 textiles and costumes from a variety of cultures and historical periods that include a diverse array of resist-dye examples from Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Tie-dye is just one example of the resist-dye method, an inclusive term used for the process of dyeing textiles to form patterns by preventing dye from reaching specific areas of the cloth. Methods of resist dyeing include tie-dye, stitch-resist, batik or wax-resist dyeing, stencil-resist, mordant-resist, and ikat (warp- or weft-resist dyeing). “To Dye For not only highlights the museum’s impressive permanent collection of textiles, but also shows how cultures across the world have used similar techniques for centuries—with results that are sometimes similar, and at other times startlingly different," explains FAMSF textile curator Jill D’Alessandro. "The end result will be a stunning array of textures, patterns and color.”

Exhibition highlights include:

Central Saint Martins Partners with Pringle of Scotland on its 195 Year Old Archive

Since it was founded in 1815, Pringle of Scotland has always been known for their signature argyle pattern and iconic knitwear.

They have been knitting cashmere since the 1870s - even helping to coin the term "knitwear" - and their innovative intarsia argyle design was popular with the jetsetting Duke of Windsor and his fashionable set of the day. Style icons like Grace Kelly and Brigitte Bardot were also fans of their sporty two-piece cardi from the 30s which became the classic twinset that remains timelessly stylish to this day.

The brand has now partnered with London's prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design on a two-part project dubbed "The Pringle Archive 1815-2010".

Shop Net-a-Porter Off Your iPad with their Snazzy New Magazine App

NET-A-PORTER.COM recently released the first edition of their new magazine app for the iPad - available to download from from Apple's App Store. In addition to video of runway shows and designer interviews, the app includes high quality pix of various lustworthy items, shopper feedback, and the ability to share your own product suggestions with fellow fashionistas. What a fun way to enjoy their weekly magazine, plus if one of the featured looks catches your eye - you can buy it on the spot! “We are extremely excited to be launching our iPad app," adds Alison Loehnis, Net-a-Porter's VP of Sales and Marketing. "With it we are giving our customers the amazing opportunity to shop through the NET-A-PORTER magazine in a new and innovative way with the ability to interact with the product whilst on the go."

Read it, watch it, and, wherever you are, shop it - and of course download it at Net-a-Porter.com. Plus, since you'll need somewhere chic to store your gadget, they've also conveniently stocked up on a selection of iPad cases from Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Gucci & Marc by Marc Jacobs.

- Lesley Scott

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Snap up Some Minimalist-Chic Pieces from Leyendecker on Gilt Group - Tues. July 27

Since launching their line in 2006 with a simple six-piece collection, Leyendecker designers Jessica Moss & Lisa Lamar have become known for their refreshingly minimalistic aesthetic which lends shape, contour and length to girlie curves. Their leggings in particular have become their signature piece - sexy, peekaboo, and perfect for pairing with their slashed tees and backless blazers. They recently whipped up some special pieces including a black lace boyfriend tee and loose tank frocks in on-trend shades of smoke and champagne for Gilt Group which go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday July 27 at 9am Cali time.

- Lesley Scott

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