Self Tan

When it comes to self tanners there are so many to choose from on the market. Where do you start? I've always turned to St Tropez when my mind was wondering else where. I always approach self tanners from a cautious angle, you never know what kind of streaks you may end up with. That's why I am a big fan of tinted self tanners that provide a guide color.

There are many types of self tanners out there; gradual, instant, airbrush...the list goes on. Dry skin normally works better with liquid formulas and oily skin can benefit from a fast drying formula. It's always a good idea to purchase a tanning mitt to avoid those 'giveaway orange hands'!

Which self tanners do you like?

Do Jellies Right This Summer

Jellies have been re-emerging in the fashion world for a while now, but the warm summer weather has inspired designers to add an abundance of colors and styles to the jelly sandal realm and adding more ways than ever to get in on this trend; without reverting back to those blister-prone chunky jelly sandals of your adolescent years. Steve Madden has created one example of this in a brilliant flat-style interpretation (above, left) for his Steven line. The Jellys come in a variety of colors and I recommend using a site like www.Zappos.com that lists them for $69.95. Another cute option is the Jelly Jangle thong sandal from Poetic License (above, right). It has a hint of color and the flower applique is a cute way to add a little somethin' somethin' without going gaudy. They are listed for $42.00 at www.Endless.com.

Chanel for Free!

Chanel is giving away 100 Rouge Allure Lipsticks in Audace, worth $32. How often do you get a free lipstick?

Lily Allen Shows Off New Chanel Handbags

Karl Lagerfeld has had Lily Allen photographed to promote a new line of Chanel handbags for September 2009, where she is wearing a tiara similar to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Lagerfeld has always tried to have Allen sit front row at his fashion shows and she has also developed a line of dresses, shoes, and accessories named Lily Loves. She won Glamour of the Year Award, the Highstreet Fashion Award, as best dressed celeb, and the 9th best style role model in British magazine "Look". She also has a talk show, Lily Allen and Friends. She was born in England into a musical family and her best known music is "Smile", "Oh My God, and "LDN".

Sensai Celebrates its' 5th Anniverary with an Ultra Expensive Creme

Sensai's fifth year penetrating the U.S. market is now debuting what they call "The Creme" selling for $650. It is supposed to bring the same results as a face lift without the burden and risks of surgery. It is a complimentary product to Sensai's EX anti aging product which came out in 1989. The price tag hopefully reflects the extraordinary quality it provides.

Prada at the Place Beauvau

Prada just announced its' opening of a five month temporary shop at Place Beauvau in Paris which is inspired by French poet Apollinaire. The designer, Robert Baciocchi, uses references to Mirabeau bridge in his decor, the inspiration for one of Apollinaire's most well known poems. The carpeting and sofas are done in lilac mixed with modern bronze and metal display cases. The floor is chequered in black and white, modeled after the original Milanese Prada store from 1913. A magnificent combination of both beautiful prose and soft colored and modern decor. Hopefully the store will remain at this location longer.

(credit given to Mauro Morello, creator of Bluetramonata Style blog)

Top Ten Reds

Red lipstick has always been a traditional color for lips and is well renowned in Hollywood. Guerlain , founded in 1870, introduced Ne M'Oubliez Pas (Don't Forget Me"), the world's first based wax lipstick in a tube, currently the it color is Gala. Elizabeth Arden, in 1912,supplied red lipstick for participants in women's suffrage marches in NYC. Max Factor, the makeup line to the starlets, had Clara Bow's Cupid's bow launching a new brand. Katherine Hepburn epitomized the 1940's with the first indelible lipsticks. Another pair of well renowned ruby lips are pictured in an Andy Warhol painting which is an homage to Marilyn Monroe. In '79, Debbie Harry used red lipstick to go punk and play at club CBGB in NYC. This year is no exception from the vivid crimson worn at YSL to a tomato shade created for the MAC show. The TV show Mad Men has office vixen Joan Holloway's flaming red hair and lipstick jump off the screen. Madonna's favorite is MAC's Russian Red and Courtney Love wears bright red. Kate Moss has a portrait in red and her boyfriend's blood is smeared on it, later it sold at an auction. It has always been a color representing power, lust and vamp-like sexuality. Another theory states when the economy is not doing well, women rush for an inexpensive mood uplift. The chairman of Estee Lauder coined the term lipstick index in 2001, when he noticed a spike in lipstick sales that corresponded to the economic slump. Rosie the Riveter and the U.S. Director of Economic Stabilization ordered lipstick for powder rooms to boost productivity during war time. The femme fatale look seems to be reoccurring, time after time.

DKNY Billboard will Remove the NYC Skyline

The famous NYC billboard advertising Donna Karan/DKNY is going to be removed in July and replaced with one for the Hollister building. It will be a brown background and on the right hand side will have Hollister, its' founding date and logo. Abercrombie and Fitch will be moving into the location as well. The DKNY ad has a famous scene of the NYC landscape including all the landmark sites; the World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty. The DKNY sign has been there for the last twenty years and will erase some of New York's iconic history, especially since 9/11 has captured much sentiment. The billboard also featured the designer's name and the NYC scene within the DKNY letters. A committee was going to petition the removal of the well recognized ad, but let the new replace the old.

Love and Luck is more than Tattoos

Ed Hardy, tattoo artist, has designed two cologne bottles for men. One is a bottle with playing cards with the the letter A in hearts, spades,cloves, and diamonds, two dice and a heart with a question mark drawn inside, and the tag line reads Love is A Gamble. The other bottle has a roaring tiger with a black background. The vintage tattoo inspired fragrance is available at departments stores such as Macy's. The fragrance is made by Christian Audigier. Men must have a preference for a primal animal and playing the game of love and luck.

Llamasqua Cosmetices from the UK

A makeup brand from England, Llamasqua, is promoting their Siren line. Greek mythology has inspired the company to make the look Greek goddess. There are two bronzers named Glint, peach toned, and Burnish more of a brown or golden color. The popular lipstick is a seductive magenta named Resist. There is a liquid gold metal collection for eyes, cheeks, and lips. Enrapture is a gold sparkly color which makes one sparkle like Aphrodite. One picture shows a woman with eyes done in a dramatic shade of exotic rainbow colors. This brand is not as high end as some others and ranges from $25-35 for the products.

L.A. Candy makes for Sweet Reading

Lauren Conrad has just released her first book L.A. Candy, just in time for beach reading. It has references to Conrad's Teen Vogue work experience, but is not autobiographical. The heroine of her story is 19 year old, Jane Roberts, who moves to Hollywood and ends up the star of her own reality show. Art must imitate life. The Hills star says it is fictional. "Some of the characters may symbolize people in my life, but it is no way calling anyone out." Jane deals with relationship issues such as a guy who approaches her with the I am new to the San Francisco area line, want to get a coffee. The book came out on June 16th and this is the 1st edition of three.

New Blue Bvlgari Campaign

Bvlgari has just completed a new perfume campaign for Blv eau de Perfum which centers around the theme of the color blue. The ad stars model Laetitia Casta and the blue color of her eyes and fragrance bring a feeling of clear blue light and optimism for the coming summer season.

Missoni Designs Hotels

The Italian fashion designer Missoni, known for their exotic woven geometric patterns and lines, has also designed a few brand new hotels. They will have the same fabric style and patterns that Missoni is known for, but this time it will be in locations for business and pleasure. One hotel will be opening in Kuwait, the other has already opened in Edinburgh, Scotland. There are plans for another opening in Oman by 2012. The hotel is a reflection of the clothing, but is more layered. They have all the amenities a fashionista would want to reside at. To learn more about the look, go to the site; www.missionihotels.com.

R.I.P. Max Factor

The legendary makeup line is done in the U.S., Proctor and Gamble announced this month."The Makeup of Makeup Artists" will cease to exist in the states in early 2010, while it will still be sold abroad in more than 70 countries. Started by Max Faktor, a makeup artist who worked with the Royal Russian Court, the brand began as a wig shop and laboratory where Factor created greasepaint cream in twelve shades to be used on movie sets. He had success on silent movie sets and solved the problem of melting pomade from studio lighting. Technicolor film began his foray into pancake makeup which he applied with a damp sponge and gave a matte finish. The company was known for doing makeup for Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and Greta Garbo. The U.S. market will have to leave its' legacy to countries with a large following such as China. Lights, camera, action, take two.

Bold and Beautiful

A big trend for makeup this season is bold colors for lips, eyes, and cheeks. L'oreal HIP (high intensity pigments),Make Up For Ever's Flash Color shadow pots, Wet N Wild, and China Glaze are the brands to look for now. Women's Wear Daily named this bold makeup as one of its' top eight beauty necessities. The bright and bold colors are oriented to warm weather and accentuate the clothes of the summer heat.

Chanel's Fall Jardin/Garden Collection

Chanel always starts the new season, in this case fall 09, with a new color palette. This time it's with an evergreen eyeshadow palette which features rose, sienna, gold, and jade. The line is inspired by Venetian palaces and arches with gondolas which is a green and earth toned jeweled inspiration.

Aspen at the Peak of Fashion

The first annual Aspen Fashion Week showing winter resort wear is the grand slalom for this locale. "Fashion Meets Function" was the buzz term at this spring's inaugural runway show. The four day event featured 2009-2010 resort, ski, and technical-outerwear collections. It's founder, Lisa Johnson, planned chic in-store presentations, apres ski celebrations, and a fast paced runway finale. Fashionistas also saw the film Valentino The Last Emperor, produced and directed by Vanity Fair editor Matt Tyrnauer, at the Wheeler Opera House. Valentino signed autographs at the backstage finale with his design and partner Giancarlo Giametti. The film engaged talk of both the film and fashion industries.

Some of the other notable designers were Cirque Snow,glamorous snowboard outerwear, Dennis Basso's exotic and hand crafted goods, Ed Hardy Snow with whimsical Oriental motifs, Fendi's silver lame slinky apparel, and Isaora's snowboard inspired line. Other fashion gurus such as Gabriel Conroy, created classical French cuts with a Bohemnian edge, technical ski wear by newcomer Kastle, Obermeyer's playful colors and shapes, Rossignol, and Under Armours mountain take on fabrics. Next year's Aspen fashion week will be a week long event which will be under tents, similar to New York City's shows. The designers are speeding down the fashion slope quite quickly.

When Film and Fashion Collide

Fashion designer Valentino is going to be the star of a new documentary which will soon be released;Valentino:The Last Emperor. He is shown in both a personal and professional light. There are clips of him at home, in the design room, with the models, and recognition for his groundbreaking designs. It is a tribute to his contribution to the fashion world and illuminates his style with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, his famous signature red gowns, and his perpetual Italian flair and sun tan. Valentino felt it was important to make a woman look beautiful.

Guess Who's Jumping on the Premium Denim Bandwagon?

Guess jeans have changed their design and logo. Instead of their triangle with Guess and a question mark, they have a peace symbol on back with metal studs around the pockets, it says Guess Premium. They have a dark haired green eyed model wearing a jeans bustier and jeans jacket, the bling is prominent as well. The other page of the ad shows a man holding the female and her back is slightly revealed with a short jeans jacket. The red lipstick and nail polish scream seduction and boldness.

Southwest Airlines Flying Out of Bounds?

Southwest Airlines has joined with Sports Illustrated in a promotional campaign to draw attention to their swimsuit edition. Bar Raefeli is painted on the side of these planes, posing in a seductive bikini clad shot. There are people who object to this advertising, especialy in the case of childrens' possible misinterpretations and others who object to the sexism and other "moral" value issues. Some do not mind the ad and do not view it in a derogatory way.  Passengers are worried it could lead to minors accessing internet pornography on board. Why some see it as a harmless promotion and others ae worried about possible ramifications is up in the air.