Saturday, September 25, 2010

Bibhu Mohapatra at NYFW - Upcoming Designer

A star in the making, Bibhu Mohapatra, recently showcased his Spring 2011 collection at New York Fashion Week and we must say we were impressed with his collection. Born and brought up in India, Bibhu has worked with the likes of Halston and J. Mendel under Gilles Mendel.

For Spring 2011, Bibhu put a swingin' 60's spin on classic dresses and separates by adding giant, white-rimmed and oversized sunglasses and colorful caps. His collection contained several architecturally structured pieces that were chic, stylish and wearable.

There was something charmingly retro about some of the garments themselves: an amethyst satin cocktail dress featured large, bubble-like inlays, and a smock-like trench in crisp white could have been swiped from a Jackie O exhibit at the Kennedy Center. The color palette was soft, tones like grass, stone, dusk, plum, and black, which were feminine and mysterious.

The dresses felt feminine but still fresh, and with crisp origami folds wrap-around belts, would be perfectly suited to a chic work setting.
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Bibhu’s label launched with his first collection during New York Fashion Week in February 2009. The Bibhu Mohapatra collection is currently sold at select boutiques around North America including Bergdorf Goodman. In January 2010, he was awarded the “Women’s Apparel 2010 Rising Star Award,” by The Fashion Group International.

We love his collection, which was fashion forward yet feminine, wearable and youthful with a chic element to it.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Celebrities' Preferred Hair Salons

We all know how important our hair are to us. Hair is one outfit you will never take off, take back to the shop or leave at the back of the wardrobe. Your hairdo can make or break your look irrespective of how you dress. So we find out the Hair Salons (in US, UK and India) that the style conscious celebrities visit for getting those sexy locks.
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(l-r) Hilary Duff, Cameron Diaz and Mischa Barton at Byron & Tracey Salon in LA, US

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India
b:blunt Hair Salon in Mumbai is a chic space to get your hair cut while sharing space with some of the celebs. The salon is frequented by some of the who who's of Bollywood celebs including Preity Zinta, Aamir Khan,Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal. Adhuna Bhabani Akhtar and Avan Contractor are the hands behind the beautiful looks given to these gliterrati, but their other stylists are also well-trained and experts to take care of your styling needs.
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Mad O Wot Hair Salon, a store cum salon run by the funky Sapna Bhavnani is another famous hair salon visited by the likes of Bipasha Basu, John Abraham, Koena Mitra and Yana Gupta. Her colourfully messy, delightfully named salon, Mad-O-Wot, is tucked away in Bandra, Mumbai. Contact: +91.(0)22.652.902.88.


United Kingdom
Andrew Barton Salon in Covent Garden London belongs to one of the Hairdressing Industry’s most experienced and highly regarded figures Andrew Barton. Some of the biggest stars include the clientele list of this salon including Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, The Olsen Twins, Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson. Contact: +44.(0)20.7112.5998
Special Offer: Make a booking before October 1st, 2010 and get 30% off on your first hair appointment, quote '10YY' when you book to avail this offer.


United States of America (USA)
Byron & Tracey Salon is one of the most popular hair salons among the Hollywood Celebs. Their clients include: Fergie, Cameron Diaz, Mischa Barton, Hilary Duff, Ashley Tisdale. The salon is located in Beverly Hills, LA. You are sure to spot some famous face in this celebrity packed salon. Contact Number: +1.310.276..440
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Neil George Salon in Beverly Hills, LA is listed in Elle 2010 America's Best Hair Salon list. The chic, open space has welcomed the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Heidi Klum, Kristin Cavallari and Angelina Jolie. Contact Number: +1.310.275.2808
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Kristin Cavallari coming out of Neil George Salon

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Garren New York Hair Salon is a very plush 3,500 square foot space at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on 5th Avenue with sweeping views of Central Park. This salon's client list includes Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy. Garren, the celebrity hair stylist who runs this salon also has long counted designers Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui among his legion of fans. One has to usually wait several months for Garren's signature, razor-sharp layers and ultra-precise short cuts (think Isabella Rossellini), but a handful of more accessible stylists on-staff have less-dense booking calendars. Get your haircut ith Garren himself (costs over $700) or book Brian Devine or Jason Quinn known for their skillful and creative work-of-art. Costs vary between $105-$305. Contact Number +1.212.841.9400.

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You can also try Hiro Haraguchi Hair Salon in NYC located on prestigious 57th street and Madison Avenue in the historic 1929 Fuller Building along with PRADA, Coach, and numerous fine galleries.

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Eliza's Eyes, is the best place to get perfectly shaped eyebrows. Eliza Petrescu is New York's eyebrow shaping guru with a client list that includes JLo and Oprah Winfrey. Eliza costs $120 first visit/$88 follow-up. An "e-ssociate" costs $85/$65. Contact Number: +1.212.757.0702


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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Key Looks from Spring 2011 Runway

Spring 2011 Collection was presented by the designers at the New York Fashion Week. The Collections were amazing with lot of colours, mutes, floral prints, feminine silhouettes and chic detailings.

We present some of the key trends and key pieces from designers - Victoria Beckham, Rebecca Taylor, Jason Wu and Donna Karan. Loved the playful, lovely and exciting pieces from Donna Karan, classy pieces from Victoria Beckham.

Victoria Beckham Spring 2011 Collection:
Gorgeous hourglass cocktail dresses, classic silhouettes, chic detailing, muted hues of blacks, greys and white and unexpected flash of brights was how we'll describe Victoria Beckham Spring Collection.
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Rebecca Taylor Spring 2011 Collection
70s glam was seen on Rebecca Taylor's runway Spring 2011 Collection. Bright hues were skillfully muted with nudes and peaches. Polka dots, prints, harem styled pants and breezy fabrics were feminine and Springish. Lots of tan was added by way of accessories to toughen up the girly look, in a muted way.
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Jason Wu Spring 2011 Collection
Explosion of cuts and colours, prints, monochromatic looks, ruffled edges, brights (purples and fuchsias) and styles borrowed from stylish eras of 40's and 70's was the Jason Wu's collection.
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Donn Karan Spring 2011 Collection
A refined young Parisian lady having fun with colours was what the Donna Karan's collection spoke out loud. Floral, tiered skirts and dresses, in multiple shades of ocean and turquoise blue. Scarves, belts, coloured platform pumps were used for creating a truly Parisian look and the result was absolutely lovely.
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Key Takeaways from the Spring 2011 Collections:

- Stock up on Bright Colours in next Spring (they're in even for the winters)

- Team your brights with nudes, nudes are huge this autumn/winter and would be your wardrobe staple even in the Spring/Summer 2011.

- Monochromatic looks were seen in runway collections of most designers. Wear a printed skirt with same hued bold t-shirt or girly top.

- Platform closed-toe pumps and high heels- wear them in nude (for lengthening legs) or bright colours. No blacks please.

- Lots of prints: look for 70's style like florals, polka dots.


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Monday, September 13, 2010

Gossip Girl: GET THE LOOK

Leighton Meester in Booties
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Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester (Blair) was seen fliming for the episode in NYC. She looked uber stylish wearing Marc Jacobs Gilded Sunflower Top and Alice + Olivia High Waisted Skirt.
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Get the look:
Marc Jacobs Gilded Sunflower Top for $455.04; Jean Paul Gaultier Mini Skirt; La Diva Lauren Handbag for $105.00 and Ash Honey Lace Up Heeled Ankle Boot for £139.00
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Leighton Meester in Céline

Leighton Meester was spotted wearing two tone nude Céline shirt dress with nude ankle boots while arriving at the set of Gossip Girl. To set off her neutral outfit, she added another colour in the mix by wearing red trim Balenciaga sunglasses and a red Celine box bag. Casual, trendy and chic, she looks perfect.
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Get the look:

1) Nude Shift Dress for $140

2) AJ Morgan Boom Rectangular Sunglasses for $20

3) Style&co. Ambitious Convertible Crossbody Bag for $28

4) Nine West Bag

5) Civico 10 Milan Bootie for $59.95

6) Madden Girl Revva Bootie for $59.95

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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Beauty: La Roche Posay Sunscreen Review

La Roche Posay - Anthelios XL (Fluid)
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It can be a huge disappointment when you do a lot of research to find a good product that is recommended by the experts and it does not give good results.
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That is how it feels when you buy La Roche Posay - Anthelios XL Sunscreen. It is claimed to be one of the best sunscreens, for even the sensitive skin, as it provides perfect protection against wrinkle causing UVA rays and harmful UVB rays. It has a special chemical called "Mexoryl" that protects the skin from sun damage and is found in only a few sunscreens in the world. Many dermatologists and beauty experts recommend this product.
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On the functionality front, we don't doubt the product because of its high recommendations and the famous French beauty label. However, on the application part this sunscreen is a total disaster. On application, it leaves white flakes on the skin (which looks like you have dandruff all over the face), no matter how carefully you apply this sunscreen. Moreover it leaves a very prominent white cast that looks very fake. It takes a lot of time to blend this sunscreen and then remove all the flakes from the skin.

One good part about this sunscreen is it does not cause breakout even on oily skin, like most other sunscreens. Overall would rate it an average product because of the flakiness. Ultimately, applying a product like this is pain.

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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Victoria Beckham Nominated Best Designer Brand

Victoria Beckham's brand nominated for the Best Designer Brand of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Posh is one of the most stylish women of the world and her design label re-emphasises the fact.
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In a short span of time, her designer brand dVb has been so popular that not only celebs are donning it (Leightin Meester, Robin Antin, Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria Parker to name a few), but her hard work has finally paid off as she has been nominated in the said category. The other designers who have been nominated in the category are: Burberry, Mulberry, and Pringle of Scotland.
Congratulations Posh!!!!
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Victoria Beckham

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Katherine Jenkins in Victoria Beckham's Fall 2010 Dress
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

French Secrets: Beauty and Style

What makes the French woman tick? It's their attitude to nutrition, beauty and accessories. French women are naturally sophisticated. They are inherently chic and their sense of fashion revolves around personal style. They do not slavishly follow trends if they are inappropriate to their figures or lifestyle.
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Understatement is key, never too much of anything. This also applies to food. The French indulge in a little of everything, satisfying the taste buds and keeping cravings at bay. The key to French women's beauty is the check on their weight. If a French woman happens to see an additional kilogram or two on her bathroom scale, she will do whatever is necessary to force the needle back where it belongs. They tend to keep their weight steady, no ups and downs and eat all kinds of food in small portions.
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When a French person diets, it is rigorous; green tea and a bowl of berries for breakfast (to up the protective antioxidant levels), lean white protein for lunch and dinner accompanied by leafy green vegetables. Do this every other day, until the desired weight loss has been achieved. Alcohol is avoided, and water with bubbles is reserved for special occasions, as it can be loaded with sodium (which causes fluid retention and high blood pressure) and depletes magnesium (which regulates blood pressure, promotes muscle tone, is needed for protein synthesis and counteracts negative effects of stress hormones in the body). Seasonal dieting is de rigueur, and body prep starts before Easter, so the French are in the best shape possible for the summer season. This totally makes sense.
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When it comes to beauty, the French take care of their skin – it is the starting point for everything. They chose products that suit them and have both morning and evening routines. Performance and efficiency is paramount – extra radiant skin with the smartest products ever. They say that the French women spend on skincare is total of the women in Germany, Britain and Spain put together. French women start using anti-wrinkle and anti-ageing products at the age of 15-19, and continue to do so.

As for makeup, the starting point is clear radiant skin (achieved naturally or through imperceptible enhancements such as natural concealer), luxuriant glossy lashes and plumped lips – nothing too extravagant, but always shades that are above all flattering to the wearer. A red lipstick is a must-have in every French Women's wardrobe!

For the French, makeup imparts a certain sophistication, provocative yet contained. In the evening, they totally understand the inimitable power of seduction of red lips.

The key to French beauty is to remain true to yourself. The antithesis of the American Barbie doll, but rather a combination of European sophistication and natural allure.

Beauty shines through attitudes, gestures and expressions, it comes out of fashion and a love of luxury.

French style is a long process of learning – the French woman knows how to dress, how to be noticed when she enters a room and leaves just the merest trace of fragrance in her wake. From their teenage years, French women start to develop a certain chic and personal style. It is all about the nuance. Simply emphasizing the best features, and letting imperfections fade into the background. Each woman adapts her look according to her needs, tastes, desires and moods. Fragrance is the final touch, used to enhance and beautify personalities, rather than trying to become someone else.
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What really sets French women a part from the rest is their sense of style, and not necessarily sense of wearing the hottest trends. Style and fashion are two different things. Style is more of how mix clothes to present your personality and not to mention your best features.

So there you have it, no fragrance on this earth will morph you into Audrey Tatou or Vanessa Paradis, however, you can certainly adopt some style references for the upcoming season from Catherine Deneuve and the French makeup.
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Article Source: Nicky Blog post The French to the Rescue

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