NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!!!
This blog has moved to a new location! You can now find it at www.la-story.com.
I haven't left Fashiontribes.com. I am still part of the staff. It was to streamline the blogs.
Why the move?
So you can find it easier and the pages will load faster.
There's a ton of new podcasts and features waiting to go up. So check out the new location and let me know what you think!
Stevie Wilson
Tom Ford has created some phenomenal products for Summer 2007. Not only is there a great fragrance (blog post coming), but the Azuree Soleil color cosmetics collection makes the most of sunkissed colors and gives you a workable collection for day or night (or both!). You can choose from the Soleil collection (lighter in tone) or Bronzee collection (brown tones) in the color products. So the Soleil has more mauve-bronze lip colors and a soft pale lavender/purple shadow duo while the Bronzee has the champagne and golden bronze lip colors and a brown and soft caramel eye duo.
The Sunbronzer is a lighter workable bronzer powder that would do for giving you that golden tint rather than that orange-y look that's so often prevalent. This HUGE compact is heavy and includes a gorgeous mirror. $75.00.
The Face Sheen is a creamy golden shimmer highlighter that will work on eyes, cheeks, shoulders and lips in a compact. Cheek Glow is a stick highlighter and Face Glow is a liquid "glow" for your face. There are glosses, lacquers and lots more to this collection-- so heard over to Esteelauder.com or your local Estee Lauder counter to check out these gorgeous products. The packaging is so beautiful-- it reflects the azure tones of the Mediterranean sea.
Stevie Wilson
It's crunch time boys and girls! Shop till you drop or find the perfect gift for your mom. Here are some quick ideas that you can find online and in stores NOW!
If it's jewelry that catches here eye, Check out Tadam for some amazing pieces at affordable price points.
Bellmore Earrings are a smash hit for summer wear and into fall and would be a memorable gift.
Mom would be star struck with this fab necklace called
appropriately "Star Struck" also from Tadam Jewelry.
What mother wouldn't love a gorge robe like this? Silk Charmeuse bi-colored embroidered long kimono robe features a detailed embroidered peacock on the back with Chinese characters embroidered on the front symbolizing long life, prosperity and good health. Three color combinations peach/ivory, lavender/pink, sage green/celadon from Shirley of Hollywood .
Moms love handbags-- well who doesn't? Check out this adorable piece from Kipling-- a duffle in a hot RED called Anatomy that is perfect for spring/summer!
It's spring time! Magazines and the weather have you thinking about new clothes, accessories, beauty products-- and oh yeah-- don't forget about the couple of holidays like Mothers Day coming up along with weddings and even baby showers! So check out the deets on the most interesting posts for the week!
Aspiring Handbag Designers: eBelle5 wants you to be discovered
Girlawhirl readers save $50 on new Stella McCartney totes at Intermix
LA STORY Gets Into Hot Water--with Spongeables and Spongelles Infused Sponges!!
Papierblog looks at Singapore designer Khoon Hooi from Singapore's Spring fashion week
Second City Style on designer Cyndi Chan. Just in time for Spring/Summer '07..
SheFinds - -Fashion, Beauty, FINDS -- Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Lo.'s bangles
Styleaholics, get to know YANA Handbags, an artistic, luxe collection of beautiful bags.
The Jewelry Weblog is passionate about Passion Works' jewelry, which will put a smile on your face.
Bag Snob digs the anaconda bag from Devi Kroell, the bag designer du jour!
Because any boss lady - including Kristopher - sometimes lives in a Bubble" (Louis Vuitton Ring)
Christina is lusting after the perfect fake tan at eBeautyDaily
Showering is a daily necessity.. some even take multiple shower/baths in a day-- both for the enjoyment and also just to ditch the daily grime.
Spongeables and Spongelles are an easy way of cleaning up with sponge infused with gentle soap that comes in a variety of scents-- some more girly, some a bit more masculine, some kid friendly and some unisex.
Spongeables are an easy way of cleaning up with sp onge infused with gentle soap that comes in a variety of scents-- some more girly, some a bit more masculine, some kid friendly and some unisex.
The different colors indicated different scents which include: Sweet Jasmine, Sunkissed Fig, Sweet Lavendar, Marine Sunrise, Cucumber Melon (both great scents for men), Peony Passion, Citrus Basil, Tangy Grapefruit, Lemon Berry and Unscented. These cutely shaped sponges lather up after getting wet and last really well. There are adorable shapes for kids too!
What's really great about these cool sponges is that they come in different sizes depending on how long you want them to last. Want to test out a scent or going away on a trip? Try the 7 day sponge for a quick trip that you can toss. It's perfect to share on a weekend trip and toss it as you pack up to leave. Want to give an amazing gift for Mother's Day, Bridal or Baby shower? A couple of these sponges with some exfoliating scrub or tasty lotion would be a luscious gift.
Now you might be wondering about Spongelles.. since I just talked about Spongeables. There is a difference.
This is a higher end, more skin nuturing, nourishing, soothing, anti-aging product that includes extra ingredients like shea butter and more interesting fragrance blends and they feel (and smell) heavenly. No matter which flavor or size you choose, you can get a great treat -- and treatment!
Using patent-pending technology, SPONGELLES™ infuses natural glycerom and olive oil-based soap into a hypoallergenic sponge for rich, soothing lather. Shower or use it in the bath and escape to your own private oasis. Available in: Papaya Sandlewood, Peony Casis, Lily of the Valley, Green \Tea /French Lavender, Meyer Lemon /Citrus Accord, and Musk Hot Spice Ginger. One of the newest products out is the combo scrubby side paired with a sponge. It's the perfect treat for your feet if you are short on time for a pedicure or want to scrub dead skin from knees or elbows!
So check out the web for Spongeables and Spongelles. Find Spongeables at Drugstore.com! Check spas and select locations for Spongelles and their website. Maybe we can make this a bit more enticiing? Check out this cool offer:
In honor of Mother's Day and in conjunction with the release of Dreamgirls on DVD, Glam.com would LOVE to send one LUCKY reader and their mom to New York City for a day packed with pampering and fun.
What the winner gets:
* A trip for him/her and his/her mom to New York City (Airfare for 2)
* at the luxurious Dream Hotel ( 1 room/1 night)
* Makeovers for him/her and his/her mom (2)
*Tickets to a Broadway show (2)
* Dream Big gift bag
* Dreamgirls 2-disc DVD
* Dreamgirls 2-disc Soundtrack
* Exclusive Dreamgirls Playbill
* Dreamgirls Coffee Table book
When?
This promotion is in progress NOW and will run until May 31st.
For more information AND TO ENTER THIS CONTEST, you can go to www.glam.com/dreamgirls
Start DREAMING Chiquitas and ENTER this contest! It never hurts to dream and this is a BIG dream, so dream BIG!
Back in the "dark ages" of the web, there emerged tons of new sites for women-- particularly beauty ecommerce sites for women. Remember Eve.com? Beautyscene? Beautyjungle? Eve and Beautyscene died ignominious deaths. Beautyjungle was swallowed up by Beauty.com which was in turn swallowed by Drugstore.com but still maintains as a distinct identity. Sephora emerged first as a brick and mortar store and then launched online. Gloss.com emerged as a viable alternative because it was created by a collection of former execs from a variety of high end department stores who sold out to Estee Lauder but since developed a cooperative with cosmetic, skincare and fragrance giants: Clarins, Chanel and Thierry Mugler.
Brands involved from Estee Lauder included Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Darphin, Estee Lauder, Jo Malone, La Mer, LAB Series, MAC, Origins, Prescriptives, and Rodan+Fields along with several MAJOR heavy hitting fragrance brands (Missioni, Sean John, Kors and more) -- each a major brand and entity in its own right and owning a chunk of beauty real estate.
Prepare yourself for some bad news and (hold onto your holy grail Gloss products).. because Gloss.com is going to fold come June 2007. YUP.. That's right. While it was intimated in WWD earlier last month, it's official and I have held the lid on this story till now.
Why are they shutting down? According to the "powers that be" at Gloss.com, their market analysis showed that the online business was growing dramatically, but unfortunately Gloss.com business was the least competitive and showed the least growth amongst its competitors including their own brand sites and partner brand sites. Rather than keep slogging through the quicksand that Gloss has become mired in, they are going to focus on those sites doing well and skip the rest.
While Gloss.com has shown double -digit sales figures and Clarins in particular has seen significant sales (approximately $3,000,000.00 in 2006), the website seems to be faltering in showing a return on its investment. While it was created during an internet boom time - and survived the dot com/e-commerce crash-- it has required significant time and dollars to keep it going.
When one factors in the Estee Lauder Corp sites along with the Chanel sites already operating, one wonders what took so long for Gloss.com HQ to wake up and smell the lip gloss.
Fret not if you are a Clarins or Thierry Mugler lover! Websites for both brand will be launching soon in France and the U in May with other global web portals rolling out over the next couple of years. For Clarins customer base, it will be a more user friendly site.
For those Thierry Mugler fans, there is a site coming this month, shopthierrymugler.com, that is launching both in the US and France.
So my peeps, if you are a Gloss fan or have outstanding orders, get to it and stock up. Don't think there will be any sales of outstanding stock since these are high powered brands that can shift stock to stores. However I could be wrong in that assumption.. but I wouldn't put rest my mascara on that one.
The next question is how will this affect the other beauty e-commerce sites out there and those that are shaky, will they be able to stay the course? How will this affect the Chanel relationship with Sephora? Will this affect ANY of the Estee Lauder relationships with Sephora and will you see any beefing up of the cosmetic entities mentioned here in the different department/specialty store websites? How will this affect Beauty.com as well since they are known for their niche brands. Lots to think about boys and girls.. lots to think about.
Remember-- you heard it hear first.
Bag Snob picks the best of Jil Sander's Spring 2007 bags!
Coquette highlights the colorful shoes of Poetic License that shouts spring is here!
Girlawhirl Gift Guide: great gifts for spring holidays
A Designer Snapshot:: Carolina Herrera Talks to LA STORY.
Papierblog looks at the trending toward black for the Spring season
Check out Second City Style's Interview With Celebrity/Fashion Manicurist, Deborah Lippmann
SheFinds has products that help you avoid blisters
Styleaholics find out why dirty underwear is the best place to hide your valuables
Stylebites shares 5 super tips to getting the most from your handbag collection.
The Jewelry Weblogs says let's hop onto some cute Easter jewelry as well as a good cause.
Stevie Wilson
Check out the latest from Avon-- they've gone high tech with their skincare and innovative to boot! Get the latest products and delivery system to smooth lines, plump lips, refine your skin with these cool little products!
I am not going to tell you it's going to shave off years but you will look better, with better skin texture and less tired. Think of it as you-- only much much better! (We heart that!)
ANEW Retroactive+ Youth Extending Creams are designed for the twentysomething-to-35 crowd and specially formulated to prevent sun damage from surfacing and to prevent fine lines from turning into full-blown wrinkles.
ANEW Clinical Plump&Smooth is a unique product in a double-sided click pen with a smoother on one end to be applied around the lips to smooth over fine lines and a plumper on the other end to be applied on the lips to plump. This rocks my world!
.
ANEW Alternative Intensive Eye Cream is clinically proven to lighten dark undereye circles by up to two shades. (This is my new personal favorite -- I have hereditary dark circles and I swear it helps!)
is clinically proven to lighten dark undereye circles by up to two shades. (This is my new personal favorite -- I have hereditary dark circles and I swear it helps!)
Check it out at avon.com or your local representative
One of the things we all notice when we look at models or celebrities is their skin. If it's on a magazine, you know it's been "photoshopped" till the skin has no lines, wrinkles, pores or any other discolorations. One would think that the person had perfect genes. Nope-- it's all courtesy of the photographer.
Celebrities and models work hard to look good and sometimes they slack off and they eat, drink, smoke and work long hours which takes its toll on their skin. So what do they do? They visit spas a lot for treatments. From lasers to plastic surgery, from peels to microdermabrasion, there's a lot that can be done to achieve perfection. However what about us-- mere mortals that we are-- who lack the unlimited bank accounts that some have? How do we get better looking skin.
1) make sure you eat right-- a balanced healthy diet along with vitamin and mineral supplements makes a huge difference
2) drink lots of water, refrain from alcohol whenever possible and make sure you skip the carbonated beverages too.
3) investigate medi-spa treatments like peels, dermaplaning and microdermabrasion.
Now that sounds pretty easy till you hit number 3. That last one can be pricy and requires ongoing trips and treatments that can add it to a healthy $$$$ figure investment. I am not saying don't go-- but choose what you want to do wisely!
Here's one thing you can do easily for a relatively small price tag-- Crystalift.
What is Crystalift?
It's a home version of the same machine used to perform microdermabrasion in a medi-spa or regular spa. This little machine is just like the lifting/vacuuming machines used in the spas and it's so easy to use! You will be surprised at the difference you will see in the texture and quality of your skin in a month.
This is not a "daily use" machine: it's a once a week treatment that takes 10 minutes! What makes this machine so special? It's the technology behind it and the micro-crystals that you use.
Crystalift’s™ “Dual-Action” design is revolutionary. It gently sprays a stream of micronized mineral crystals against the skin while vacuum-lifting the dead and damaged skin cells. This process removes surface cells which often contain pigmentation that emerge as age or sun spots.
Using Crystalift™ on a regular basis allows younger, newer cells to emerge to the surface and leaves skin radiant with less visible lines and wrinkles and a smoother, younger-looking you. It's an "all in one" simple to use system available for home use for the same price as one visit to the spa. Now that is something amazing! For the cost of ONE spa microdermabrasion treatment, you can buy a machine and do it yourself at home.
By using Crystalift™ every week, you will notice that your skincare become more effective. Why? Because it can penetrate into the skin better and faster and thus actually be more effective and thus you get better results. You can order the refills of the micronized crystals as needed or you can join the Crystlift Club to get regular shipments and you will see that your skin looks and feels better. Continued use can
Here's the real kicker-- if used regularly for a longer period of time, you will see some firming action. I can't say how much and I am not saying use this daily for 30 days and you will see it. I am saying try using this with your skincare on a regular basis as suggested on the website and I have seen some differences in my skin, it takes the skincare better. It has a finer texture that my friends have noticed, the sun damage has been fading, and also there has been some firming.
Results may vary from person to person and I am not saying you will see the same results but I also know that someone who had some issues with breakouts saw a decrease in breakouts and less oily skin because she used this machine.
With regular usage, you will see improvement in the look of your skin-- even sensitive skin types can (like me). The controls are adjustable and you can use less or more spray/suction power depending on your skin type. I started at the lowest and s l o w l y worked up to a stronger level
It's definitely worth a look-see-- especially since it is the same cost as a microdermabrasion treatment and it's returnable.
Check out Crystalift!
Bag Snob loves R & Y Agousti's line of eye catching clutches!
Coquette shows you the latest fashions in Nude, the new "in" color.
eBelle5 discovers the new Limited Edition Coach Straw Basket filled with L.E. Fragrance Line accessories
Fashion Blogosphere: 1, Steve & Barry's: 0. Fashion blogs scoop the traditional media & the media tries to bite back (unsuccessfully) as Fashiontribes discovers.
Kristopher's Fave: For Your Boy: “Kiss” Fornasetti Cufflinks handpainted porcelain shines, promising a slick "Thank you."
Girlawhirl's Fall 07 Fashion Wrap Up
My Fashion Life has exclusively snagged two pairs of straight leg jeans from the new Men’s N-Series line to giveaway courtesy of Nautica Jeans.
Papierblog looks at the Indian Fashion Week that was including a look back at Manish Arora
LA Story Gets the TIMELESS SECRET for FAB Skin at Studio at Fred Segal Santa Monica
Hayden-Harnett is out of the bag and into apparel. Second City Style has the interview with the designer about this super cute new line.
SheFinds Asks You: Toe Cleavage, Hot or Not? Nothing ruins a good pair of cute flats or sexy pumps like toe cleavage. Agree or no?
StyleBakery.com finds double duty multi-tasking cosmetics that do not disappoint
Styleaholics Najwa Moses checks out urban nomad designs by indie designer EEnamaria
Britney Spears hires Rachel Zoe, or at least Stylebites is sure of it
Stylehive brings you the 411 on the JCREW Wellie boots.
The Jewelry Weblog suggests that it's not always necessary for your earrings to match.
At last! eBeautyDaily discovers why our hair turns gray!
We heart our Web Snob peeps! They give us the cool things to check out and hot news.
Coquette loves the sleek look of dressed up bermuda shorts and gives her favorite picks.
Rejuvenate your skin for spring with microdermabrasion and eBeautyDaily!
eBelle5 the designer handbag blog recommends hitting the courts in style this spring with the designer Louis Vuitton Damier Azur Badminton Set and Pouch.
Girlawhirl loves the sugar scrubs from Diana b
Be "Under the Influence" of a musician "Undiscovered"--James Morrison. ( podcast) -- LA Story suggests you catch James Morrison on NBC Today Show today and on Jay Leno next week!
My Fashion Life tests out Condé Nast's new online baby, Stylefinder
Nail Tech Secrets shows off some cool blue nails for spring!
SheFinds once you go Brazilian – you never go back -- Funny Video!
Styleaholic checks out the first ever hip-hop throw pillows for your home.
Read Stylehive's interview with Jennifer Sarkilahti for Odette NY jewelry who handcrafts elegant and pretty jewelry with an artisan feel from wax carving and casting.
