A Comfortable Airplane Outfit - Flying in Style

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving!

I received a wonderful request last night to write a blog post on what shoes to wear on an airplane. I understand this is a puzzle in itself; where do you find a shoe that can easily slip on and off when you go through security, stay comfortable and warm while you fly, and not look sloppy?

I perused through many websites, and looked for ones that I would buy, struck me as a special shoe to add to my wardrobe, received positive reviews and wouldn’t break the bank. There are tons of versions of the shoes I show below; colorful patterns, slightly heels, etc. If you like what you see, definitely check out the website and you may find the one that is perfect for you.

Just to let you know, Target.com has some really cool UGG-like boots and moccasins. So definitely check those out for a budget friendly, comfortable option.

Since I did the research last night, on Cyber Monday, the prices may be slightly skewed from what is shown below. Hopefully they are pretty close.

So here are my top picks (geared toward the winter months with the exception of Toms Shoes):

Minnetonka Women's Kilty Suede Moccasin

$36.95 - DSW

UGG Australia Dakota Moccasins

$100 - Bloomingdale's

Natural Burlap Women's Classics

$54 - Toms Shoes

UGG Australia Evera Leather Sneaker

$99.95 - Nordstrom

UGG Australia Broome II Leather Boot

$219.95 - Nordstrom

INTERNN

$180 - SteveMadden.com

Van Eli Rowan Leather Boot

$130 - DSW

Enzo Angiolini 'Zelden' Boot
$100 - Nordstrom

Buckle Riding Boot

$79 - Victoria's Secret

Suede Slouch Boot

$59 - Victoria's Secret

Black Vegan Women's Wrap Boot

$98 - Toms Shoes

The North Face 'Fleece High Rise Boot'

$70 - Nordstrom

I also want to add, that when I fly, I wear leggings and a long sweater (I wear double leggings in the winter months). It is so comfortable, keeps me warm throughout the whole flight, and I am able to wear the sweater throughout my entire trip.

The best part is, when you wear a bulky item during your flight, you are foregoing the annoying folding and squishing of a favorite item. Most importantly, you are allowing more room in your suitcase for more fun bags and shoes!

Here are some comfy, stylish picks that I found during my search for the perfect airplane shoe.

Rubbish Fair Isle Sweater Coat

$58 - Nordstrom

Kensie 'Huggable' Slouchy Neck Sweater

$88 - Nordstrom

Cotton & Cashmere Hooded Sweater Dress

$59 - Nordstrom

Hinge Jacquard Blanket Cardigan

$98 - Nordstrom

Quotation Vintageous 'Classic Odds' Sweater with Removable Cowl Collar

$90 - Bloomingdale's

Cowlneck Sweater

$78 - Victoria's Secret

Versatility is key when you’re traveling; wear as much as you can to prevent lugging extra pounds of unnecessary clothing.

Good luck and safe flight!

A Look for the Holidays – Lesson by a Hollywood Makeup Artist

Friday, November 19, 2010

I will be taking a little blogging break, so I would like to leave you with this idea for a new look for the holiday season.

A stroke of luck hit one day when I was traveling back to LA from NYC.

I was bumped to first class and had the luxury of finding my seat next to a Hollywood makeup artist.

I immediately discovered her talent when I took one glance at her amazing eye shadow. That one compliment made the next five hours fly by.

For most of the flight she gave me makeup tips, wrote down products I should try, and then invited me to her studio for a full makeup application and lesson.

She worked with Bobbi Brown for 10 years, and two years ago, ran with her own talents and branded herself in Hollywood.

Here are some of the products she suggested with instructions below on how to apply them:

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in “Cement” - $22

Bobbi Brown Mica Sparkling Eyeshadow - $35

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - $42

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - $30

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener - $38

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - $38

Bobbi Brown Blush (Pale Pink) - $22

To create a fun, everyday look for the holiday season:

First begin with a clean face.
Start with your eyes, so if any shadow falls on your face, you can easily clean it up before applying your moisturizer/foundation
Begin with the inner corner of your eye towards your nose, and apply the Long Wear Cream Shadow with an eyeshadow brush. (I personally use the brushes from NARS, but there are many good brushes out there).
Once you completely cover your eyelid, take your ring finger and pat the Mica glimmering shadow lightly. Coat the eyelid with one layer of sparkle.
Apply mascara (To be honest, I’ve tried a ton of mascaras, and I find Dior, Chanel and Mac to be my favorite. However, I’ve also have tried Revlon and other CVS brands, and they have been great too. I think it just depends how much you want to spend and how much patience you have with your eyelashes).
Wash your hands well to ensure the makeup is completely off and you will not smudge any on your face.
Now we begin the application of the tinted moisturizer. During the day, I use this instead of foundation. Not only does this mask any imperfections, but it also has been good to my skin and lets it “breathe.” I put a dime sized dot on each cheek, my forehead, chin and nose, and run it in from the inside out to the neckline. Blend as much as you can.
Next I take a dime sized dot of Primer on my pointer finger, and rub it on all of my fingertips so it is as evenly distributed as possible.
I then apply it all over my face using my fingertips only. The Primer helps to keep the moisturizer tightly locked onto your face all day.
Wash your hands again and with the applicator, rub the tinted eye brightener under your eyes to lighten any darkness. Use your ring fingers to blend this in on both sides by lightly dabbing the concealer.
Now take a blush brush and cover the bristles with all of the colors on the shimmer brick (I personally use “Nude,” but you need to select whatever block looks best for your skin tone). Begin with your forehead, and lightly brush the color out and down the perimeter of your face and bring it in right above the cheekbone, and without lifting the brush, bring it back out to the perimeter and down to your chin. So you will be making a “3” on both sides of your face. The key to this product is to create color where natural sunlight would hit your face. These are the accents that usually get the most color.
To finish off this look, grab another blush brush (or wipe this one off with a tissue), and generously cover it with blush (I use “Pale Pink”). Now, smile, and dab the brush onto the apple of your cheeks (while you’re smiling).

If you have any questions, the Bobbi Brown website actually has an artist that you can speak with 24/7 (www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com).

I give many thanks to my wonderful airline for the upgrade!

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Why Are You Not Engaged Yet (Part 2)?

Thursday, November 18, 2010

If you haven't read my post on the "future proposal" of Prince William and Kate Middleton, please click on "Why Are You Not Engaged Yet?" under the Archive section prior to reading this.

So now that Kate finally got the proposal, what are the most recent headlines saying?

"Don't Be Jealous of Kate," "Pains of Royal Life," "Kate's Royal Prison..."

Geez.... can she get a break?

I mean really. She's made a fool while she's "waiting" for Prince William, and now that she finally got the proposal that the world has been so closely scrutinizing, the press is erupting with a different angle of disparagement.

She can't really win.

Hopefully the press will tread a little lighter than they have in the past, but so far, that outlook doesn't look promising.

Handcrafted, Brilliant Bags from Around the World

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

For those of you who love unusual and extraordinary handmade bags for less than $300 (many are less than $100), this post is for you.

One of my jobs includes working for a company called Novica, and sometimes I come across special items that I feel a need to share!

They are a brilliant team of art lovers who grew such an appreciation for artisan craftsmanship, that they created a portal for the world to access the hidden work of these talented artists throughout the world.

The partners of Novica personally travel to these villages and handpick the items to sell (which is a factor that I love most about the company).

They sell all of these bags on their website (www.Novica.com), but many of these items are also sold on eBay for 30% off the regular price.

Their collections include items from Brazil, Bali, Thailand, India, Mexico, Ghana, and many other countries that do not have the appropriate avenues to sell worldwide.

Since holidays are coming, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect time to share these beautiful bags! I also included the eBay link so you can check each item out in more detail and learn more about each individual artist.

Red Leather Hobo Bag ~ Brazil

$195 on eBay / $260 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310270370441

Bronze & Silver Leather Hobo Bag~Brazil

$230 on eBay/ $328 on www.novica.com
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360320042579

Bronze Leather Hobo Bag ~ Brazil

$200 on eBay / $275 on www.novica.com
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380289881216

Black Handmade Leather Handbag ~ Brazil

$254 on eBay / $363 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380289881583

Suede & Leather Tan Handbag ~ India

$59 on eBay / $76 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310271495230

Suede & Leather Soft Beige Hobo Handbag ~ India

$50 on eBay / $72 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360320044392

Ivory Leather Shoulder Bag ~ Brazil

$245 on eBay / $350 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360320529215

Functional Chic Leather Handbag ~ Brazil

$259 on eBay / $370 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310271916967

Princess Silk & Leather Clutch ~ India

$81 on eBay / $115 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310271916983

Black Evening Clutch ~ India$107 on eBay / $153 on www.novica.com
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360320528456

Teal Velvet Clutch (My Personal Favorite) ~ India

$50 on eBay / $80 on www.novica.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360320529490

Black Beaded Clutch ~ India

$77 on eBay / $99 on www.novica.com
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310271916311

Skin Secrets That Don't Break the Bank

Thursday, November 11, 2010

So I just got the news that I will be attending a black tie event on Saturday night. Unlike many people who may find these events burdensome, I love them!

These nights are always an opportunity to mingle, and since I am marketing myself as a freelance writer (or marketing consultant, stylist, etc.), I really want to make sure that I am confident from the time I walk in to the time I leave. Unfortunately, sometimes my skin plays a factor in this equation.

In order to ensure smooth skin on my face and body for a strapless dress, I begin my skin preparation a couple of days before.

Since I was not blessed with naturally smooth skin, I use Proactiv religiously.

I know this may sound like an infomercial, but I swear by it. My boyfriend and old roommate can attest for my insanely long product routine; I always do it even when everyone else is passed out at 4am. You can bet that I will still end the night by washing my face....

I've tried everything for my skin: prescriptions, top NYC/LA spa treatments, tons of facials (don't get me wrong, I LOVE facials, but at the end of the day, the products sold there have not proven to make any significant impact on my skin). Thousands of dollars later, I've still come to realize that Proactiv does the best and most consistently reliable work.

So, I’ve been sticking to this plan since college (with a few detours, but I always come back), and it has been recently affirmed by my very good friend who is in her third year of med school for dermatology, that it works well. I shall go by that, and continue to pay a fraction of the price to keep my skin clear.

So each night, I have a routine with the face wash, toner, and repairing lotion.

I follow those with Avon’s PM moisturizer and eye cream. This is definitely another cost effective way to keep your skin smooth and young. Avon usually has a special every few months to buy two or three items for the price of one. (www.avon.com) And if you're skeptical, check out the reviews...

Twice a week I exfoliate with Avon’s ANEW micro-exfoliant, and then apply a Hungarian mud mask by Alexandria (http://www.studioalexandriala.com/).

This combination is awesome! I have gotten compliments on my skin, and that just has never been my thing, so it may be worth a try.

I then exfoliate my entire body in the shower two to three times a week, and apply a fragrance free moisturizer followed by a cotton ball of alcohol on any problem areas.

That's about it.

Since I've been fortunate to get skin advice along my path, I thought it was worth sharing to anyone out there looking for a new skin routine that doesn't break the bank.

It's much better to smile in pictures than to hide your face.....

Boots on a Budget for the Incoming Cold Front

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Welcome the winter wardrobe….

Holiday time is always a fun time of year (my favorite time actually). We have yummy sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, homemade apple pie (or bought and delivered by Harry & David), the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, "Black Friday".....

Bright lights, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, classic holiday movies on television, joyful moods, gingerbread cookies, gift giving, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas!”…

But with all of this wonderful seasonal fun, the cold front also begins….

The key to looking great in the winter months is to make sure you're warm! There is nothing worse than stepping outside at 7:30am and starting your day with wet, cold feet (literally).

There is plenty of winter fashion to explore in future posts; however, my goal this week was to find the perfect rain boot and snow boot to bring with me to Europe and back to NYC for the holidays.

After spending hours searching for a durable, high rated boot that will keep my feet toasty and dry, I decided to share my top picks for rain & snow boots under $100.

These can be found at Bloomie's or on www.bloomingdales.com.