bankrate.com
A great site to check out where you can compare rates, get advice, there are calculators all sorts of stuff to help you save your money wisely. Thanks Suze
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
O.P.I. - Greenwich Village Green
I saw this color at a local pharmacy by my job which carries all colors of Essie and O.P.I. nail lacquer (lol). I have it on my nails and have gotten many compliments from friends. It's like a bright olive/ fern kelly green (see how I made up a color lol). This will definitely be a color I will be wearing this fall.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Beauty Product - essie nail polish "Shorty Pants"
Essie, as we know has a summer line called "neon collection" which consists of four bright and vibrant colors. I've used yellow nail polish before so when I saw this shade I was like ... ooooooooo I want yellow nails! I've also tried "Bermuda Shorts" which looks really great on the toes.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Nail Polish Remover pads
I'm pretty sure I'm not the first to post about this product but I just had to post this. I just went and purchased this at Walgreen's during my lunch break because I seriously do not have the time to remove polish at home (sad I know) and sometimes I can't wait till my mani/pedi day. So I used it while walking back to work. There are six pads but one can take off the polish on your hands and toes. These pads are definitely something that everyone woman should have in they're bag, better to have bare nails then to have chipped nail polish ... not cute.
Friday, June 20, 2008
I just tried...
Essie's Sheer Bliss and Tangerine when I went and got a mani/pedi today. Last weekend I purchased this Laura Mercier lipgloss called "Brownberry" it is soooo yummy and looks and feels great!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Yves Saint Laurent
One of my idols and a great coutourier has passed.
PARIS, France (AP) -- Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent, who reworked the rules of fashion by putting women into elegant pantsuits that came to define how modern women dressed, died Sunday evening, a longtime friend and associate said. He was 71.
Infamous designer Yves Saint Laurent has died, a spokesman said.
Pierre Berge said Saint Laurent died at his Paris home following a long illness.
A towering figure of 20th century fashion, Saint Laurent was widely considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.
In the fast-changing world of haute couture, Saint Laurent was hailed as the most influential and enduring designer of his time. From the first YSL tuxedo and his trim pantsuits to see-through blouses, safari jackets and glamorous gowns, Saint Laurent created instant classics that remain stylish decades later.
When the designer announced his retirement in 2002 at age 65 and the closure of the Paris-based haute couture house he had founded 40 years earlier, it was mourned in the fashion world as the end of an era. His ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, which was sold to Gucci in 1999, still has boutiques around the world.
In October 2006, Saint Laurent slipped and fell outside a Paris restaurant during Fashion Week, suffering slight scratches but reminding fans of the perennially fragile designer's advancing age.
Saint Laurent was born Aug. 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria, where his father worked as a shipping executive. He first emerged as a promising designer at the age of 17, winning first prize in a contest sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat for a cocktail dress design.
A year later in 1954, he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale school of haute couture, but student life lasted only three months. He was introduced to Christian Dior, then regarded as the greatest creator of his day, and Dior was so impressed with Saint Laurent's talent that he hired him on the spot.
When Dior died suddenly in 1957, Saint Laurent was named head of the House of Dior at the age of 21. The next year, his first solo collection for Dior -- the "trapeze" line -- launched Saint Laurent's stardom. The trapeze dress -- with its narrow shoulders and wide, swinging skirt -- was a hit, and a breath of fresh air after years of constructed clothing, tight waists and girdles.
In 1960, Saint Laurent was drafted into military service -- an experience that shattered the delicate designer, who by the end of the year was given a medical discharge for nervous depression.
Bouts of depression marked his career. Pierre Berge, the designer's longtime business partner and former romantic partner, was quoted as saying that Saint Laurent was born with a nervous breakdown.
Saint Laurent returned to the spotlight in 1962, opening his own haute couture fashion house with Berge. The pair later started a chain of Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutiques.
Life Magazine hailed his first line under his own label as "the best collection of suits since Chanel."
Berge has said that Saint Laurent's gift to fashion was that he empowered women after Chanel had freed them.
Nowhere was Saint Laurent's gift more evident than the valedictory fashion show that marked his retirement in January 2002.
Forty years of fashion were paraded in a 300-piece retrospective that blurred the boundaries of time, mixing his creations of yesterday and today in one stunning tribute to the endurance of Saint Laurent's style. He also designed costumes for theater and film.
There was the simple navy blue pea coat over white pants, which the designer first showed in 1962 when he opened his couture house and kept as one of his hallmarks.
His "smoking," or tuxedo jacket, of 1966 remade the tux as a high fashion statement for both sexes. It remained the designer's trademark item and was updated yearly until he retired.
Also from the 60s came Beatnik chic -- a black leather jacket and knit turtleneck with high boots -- and sleek pantsuits that underlined Saint Laurent's statement on equality of the sexes. He showed that women could wear "men's clothes," which when tailored to the female form became an emblem of elegant femininity.
"More than any other designer since Chanel, YSL represented Paris as the style leader," The Independent of London wrote in an editorial after Saint Laurent's retirement. "By putting a woman in a man's tuxedo, he changed fashion forever, in a style that never dated."
In his own words, Saint Laurent said he felt "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
Some of his revolutionary style was met with resistance. There are famous stories of women wearing Saint Laurent pantsuits who were turned away from hotels and restaurants in London and New York.
One scandal centered on the designer himself, when he posed nude and floppy-haired for a photographer in 1971, wearing only his trademark thick black glasses, to promote his perfume.
Saint Laurent's rising star was eternalized in 1983, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted a show to his work, the first ever to a living designer.
Subsequent shows at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and in Beijing made him a French national treasure, and he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 1985.
When France basked in the glory of its 1998 World Cup soccer final, it was Saint Laurent who took center field pre-kick off with an on-field retrospective at the Stade de France.
In 1999, Saint Laurent sold the rights of his label to Gucci Group NV, ceding control of his Rive Gauche collection, fragrances, cosmetics and accessories for $70 million cash and royalties.
Industry insiders cited friction between Saint Laurent and Gucci's creative director, Tom Ford, as a likely factor in the fashion guru's decision to retire three years later. Ford stepped down in 2003.
advertisement
When he bowed out of fashion in 2002, Saint Laurent spoke of his battles with depression, drugs and loneliness, though he gave no indication that those problems were directly tied to his decision to stop working.
"I've known fear and terrible solitude," he said. "Tranquilizers and drugs, those phony friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober."
PARIS, France (AP) -- Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent, who reworked the rules of fashion by putting women into elegant pantsuits that came to define how modern women dressed, died Sunday evening, a longtime friend and associate said. He was 71.
Infamous designer Yves Saint Laurent has died, a spokesman said.
Pierre Berge said Saint Laurent died at his Paris home following a long illness.
A towering figure of 20th century fashion, Saint Laurent was widely considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.
In the fast-changing world of haute couture, Saint Laurent was hailed as the most influential and enduring designer of his time. From the first YSL tuxedo and his trim pantsuits to see-through blouses, safari jackets and glamorous gowns, Saint Laurent created instant classics that remain stylish decades later.
When the designer announced his retirement in 2002 at age 65 and the closure of the Paris-based haute couture house he had founded 40 years earlier, it was mourned in the fashion world as the end of an era. His ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, which was sold to Gucci in 1999, still has boutiques around the world.
In October 2006, Saint Laurent slipped and fell outside a Paris restaurant during Fashion Week, suffering slight scratches but reminding fans of the perennially fragile designer's advancing age.
Saint Laurent was born Aug. 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria, where his father worked as a shipping executive. He first emerged as a promising designer at the age of 17, winning first prize in a contest sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat for a cocktail dress design.
A year later in 1954, he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale school of haute couture, but student life lasted only three months. He was introduced to Christian Dior, then regarded as the greatest creator of his day, and Dior was so impressed with Saint Laurent's talent that he hired him on the spot.
When Dior died suddenly in 1957, Saint Laurent was named head of the House of Dior at the age of 21. The next year, his first solo collection for Dior -- the "trapeze" line -- launched Saint Laurent's stardom. The trapeze dress -- with its narrow shoulders and wide, swinging skirt -- was a hit, and a breath of fresh air after years of constructed clothing, tight waists and girdles.
In 1960, Saint Laurent was drafted into military service -- an experience that shattered the delicate designer, who by the end of the year was given a medical discharge for nervous depression.
Bouts of depression marked his career. Pierre Berge, the designer's longtime business partner and former romantic partner, was quoted as saying that Saint Laurent was born with a nervous breakdown.
Saint Laurent returned to the spotlight in 1962, opening his own haute couture fashion house with Berge. The pair later started a chain of Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutiques.
Life Magazine hailed his first line under his own label as "the best collection of suits since Chanel."
Berge has said that Saint Laurent's gift to fashion was that he empowered women after Chanel had freed them.
Nowhere was Saint Laurent's gift more evident than the valedictory fashion show that marked his retirement in January 2002.
Forty years of fashion were paraded in a 300-piece retrospective that blurred the boundaries of time, mixing his creations of yesterday and today in one stunning tribute to the endurance of Saint Laurent's style. He also designed costumes for theater and film.
There was the simple navy blue pea coat over white pants, which the designer first showed in 1962 when he opened his couture house and kept as one of his hallmarks.
His "smoking," or tuxedo jacket, of 1966 remade the tux as a high fashion statement for both sexes. It remained the designer's trademark item and was updated yearly until he retired.
Also from the 60s came Beatnik chic -- a black leather jacket and knit turtleneck with high boots -- and sleek pantsuits that underlined Saint Laurent's statement on equality of the sexes. He showed that women could wear "men's clothes," which when tailored to the female form became an emblem of elegant femininity.
"More than any other designer since Chanel, YSL represented Paris as the style leader," The Independent of London wrote in an editorial after Saint Laurent's retirement. "By putting a woman in a man's tuxedo, he changed fashion forever, in a style that never dated."
In his own words, Saint Laurent said he felt "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
Some of his revolutionary style was met with resistance. There are famous stories of women wearing Saint Laurent pantsuits who were turned away from hotels and restaurants in London and New York.
One scandal centered on the designer himself, when he posed nude and floppy-haired for a photographer in 1971, wearing only his trademark thick black glasses, to promote his perfume.
Saint Laurent's rising star was eternalized in 1983, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted a show to his work, the first ever to a living designer.
Subsequent shows at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and in Beijing made him a French national treasure, and he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 1985.
When France basked in the glory of its 1998 World Cup soccer final, it was Saint Laurent who took center field pre-kick off with an on-field retrospective at the Stade de France.
In 1999, Saint Laurent sold the rights of his label to Gucci Group NV, ceding control of his Rive Gauche collection, fragrances, cosmetics and accessories for $70 million cash and royalties.
Industry insiders cited friction between Saint Laurent and Gucci's creative director, Tom Ford, as a likely factor in the fashion guru's decision to retire three years later. Ford stepped down in 2003.
advertisement
When he bowed out of fashion in 2002, Saint Laurent spoke of his battles with depression, drugs and loneliness, though he gave no indication that those problems were directly tied to his decision to stop working.
"I've known fear and terrible solitude," he said. "Tranquilizers and drugs, those phony friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober."
Monday, May 26, 2008
Book Review: The Beautifall Fall
I picked up a book yesterday on Astor Pl. at Shakepeare & Co. booksellers
"The Beautiful Fall" is a fascinating story about Paris fashion in the 1970's and the beginning of the careers of greats such as: Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint - Laurent, Christian Dior, Balmain, Gaston, Chanel to name a few. Just started reading the book and already feel that it's a great read. to be continued...
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Pink or Purple
It's funny how when Spring comes around I get all girly and want to wear nothing but colors from my jeans to my bags. I've been real fond of pink since before it started getting warm. So I found a few bags from pale pink to hot pink to purple.
Marc Jacobs Collection
"Blake"
"Party Clutch"
Docle Gabbana "Miss Silky"
Botkier "Isis"
Kenneth Cole
Valentino Collection
Marc Jacobs Collection
"Blake"
"Party Clutch"Docle Gabbana "Miss Silky"
Botkier "Isis"Kenneth Cole
Valentino Collection
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Natural Skin Care
Found this article on Yahoo...
Pomegranate
The hundreds of ruby-colored seeds inside pomegranates were once thought to symbolize fertility, and given the fruit's proven powers as a strong antioxidant, it has given birth to a huge number of products, including designer juice and high-end skin-care creams.The pomegranate's power comes from ellagic acid, a type of polyphenol, which is an antioxidant found in red wine and green tea. Antioxidants seek out and neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that come from the environment (pollution, UV rays) and from the body's natural aging process. Ellagic acid has been shown in some studies to neutralize free radicals more effectively than the other polyphenols found in green tea and red wine. It's also more stable in skin-care products than some other antioxidants, like vitamin C, which can lose potency when exposed to light and air
Find It In:
Murad Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15, $30, murad.com
Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Therapy SPF 15, $16, murad.com
Archipelago Pomegranate Creme for the Hands, $26, 800-399-4994 for stores
GrapefruitUntil the 19th century, grapefruit was grown purely as an ornamental fruit. Rarely eaten, it was known only for its looks - an interesting harbinger of its modern-day promise to improve ours.
A 2005 study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, in Chicago, showed that the scent of grapefruit on women made them seem an average of six years younger to men. Grapefruit's main use in skin care, however, is as a citric acid. Like any alpha hydroxy acid, citric acid loosens the bonds between skin cells, allowing dead ones to fall away, revealing smoother, more radiant skin.
Find It In:
Fresh Pink Grapefruit Petite Soap, $12, fresh.com
Boots No 7 Radiance Revealed Exfoliator, $10, Target
Mushroom
No wonder the Super Mario Brothers got a jolt of evil-fighting power whenever they ate a mushroom. Mushrooms have long been used in Asian cultures as remedies for everything from low energy to cancer.The extract of several Japanese mushrooms has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can affect collagen in the skin and contribute to changes associated with aging, such as the appearance of fine lines. Reducing that inflammation keeps skin cells vital and functioning and also suppresses irritation so that other active ingredients, like antioxidants, can do their jobs.
Shiitake mushrooms have multifaceted benefits for the skin. They contain antioxidants that block proteins known to cause cell breakdown; they provide chemical exfoliation; and they also contain kojic acid, which has a lightening effect on age spots and discoloration, making skin appear brighter over time.
Find It In:
Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Serum, $65, origins.com
Aveeno Positively Ageless Daily Moisturizer SPF 30, $20 at drugstores
Pumpkin
Despite its prevalence in favorite sweets, such as pies and muffins, pumpkin is quite acidic. And the enzymes in pumpkin act like salicylic acids, chemical exfoliants that encourage skin cells to turn over more rapidly.Pumpkin is also a carotenoid, a derivative of vitamin A, which is indicated by its orange color, and that makes it an antioxidant in addition to having exfoliating properties.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and have been used as a natural remedy for acne. Studies show that zinc has an effect similar to that of the common antibiotic tetracycline.
Find It In:
Jaqua Pumpkin Papaya Purée Enzyme Face Masque, $16, jaquabeauty.com
Joico Skin Luxe White Pumpkin Renewing Body Cleanser, $12, 800-805-6426
BambooBamboo is one hardy plant. Not only is it one of the fastest-growing plants on earth (some species grow more than three feet a day) but its strength and sustainability have also made it a favorite of architects looking for environmentally friendly building materials.
Although the Chinese have used bamboo for centuries (the hardened secretion from the stalks has been taken internally to treat asthma), its popularity is only now growing in the United States. Bamboo pulp is being woven into fabric that retains antibacterial qualities even after it is washed. And in skin care, finely milled bamboo powder is used as an exfoliant in cleansers and scrubs. The smooth bamboo particles are less harsh than the scraggly, uneven grains made from salt and nuts, making it safer and less irritating to sensitive skin.
Find It In:
Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub for New Skin, $33, clarins.com
Red Flower Japan Ohana Gingergrass Bamboo Scrub, $62, redflower.com
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Live Healthy
Women's life expectancy drops in some US counties
WASHINGTON (AP) — Women's life expectancy declined significantly in 180 U.S. counties, mostly in the deep South and Appalachia, between 1983 and 1999, according to a study being released Tuesday.
Researchers blamed the decrease in women's life expectancy on high blood pressure as well as chronic diseases related to smoking and obesity, such as lung cancer and diabetes.
The decline, averaging 1.3 years in the 180 counties. Men's life expectancy declined by 1.3 years in only 11 counties.
In another 783 counties, women's life expectancy declined by 0.5 years, but the researchers said those results were not statistically significant because those counties were relatively small.
The study, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, was designed to analyze disparities in life expectancy between different counties with different social conditions and health programs.
Overall, life expectancy rose for both men and women between 1961 and 1999. For men, it increased from 66.9 years to 74.1 years; for women, it rose from 73.5 years to 79.6 years.
Between 1961 and 1983, no counties had a statistically significant increase in mortality, the study said, noting that the reduction for both sexes was caused by a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.
From 1983 on, however, "The worst-off counties no longer experienced a fall in death rates, and in a substantial number of counties, mortality actually increased, especially for women," the researchers wrote. Life expectancy of women in those counties was 75.5 years in 1999.
"The study emphasizes how important it is to monitor health inequalities between different groups," the researchers wrote, "in order to ensure that everyone — and not just the well-off — can experience gains in life expectancy."
The analysis was conducted by researchers at Harvard University, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Washington. It was posted Monday night in the online journal PLoS Medicine, a publication of the Public Library of Science, an organization of scientists and physicians.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Women's life expectancy declined significantly in 180 U.S. counties, mostly in the deep South and Appalachia, between 1983 and 1999, according to a study being released Tuesday.
Researchers blamed the decrease in women's life expectancy on high blood pressure as well as chronic diseases related to smoking and obesity, such as lung cancer and diabetes.
The decline, averaging 1.3 years in the 180 counties. Men's life expectancy declined by 1.3 years in only 11 counties.
In another 783 counties, women's life expectancy declined by 0.5 years, but the researchers said those results were not statistically significant because those counties were relatively small.
The study, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, was designed to analyze disparities in life expectancy between different counties with different social conditions and health programs.
Overall, life expectancy rose for both men and women between 1961 and 1999. For men, it increased from 66.9 years to 74.1 years; for women, it rose from 73.5 years to 79.6 years.
Between 1961 and 1983, no counties had a statistically significant increase in mortality, the study said, noting that the reduction for both sexes was caused by a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.
From 1983 on, however, "The worst-off counties no longer experienced a fall in death rates, and in a substantial number of counties, mortality actually increased, especially for women," the researchers wrote. Life expectancy of women in those counties was 75.5 years in 1999.
"The study emphasizes how important it is to monitor health inequalities between different groups," the researchers wrote, "in order to ensure that everyone — and not just the well-off — can experience gains in life expectancy."
The analysis was conducted by researchers at Harvard University, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Washington. It was posted Monday night in the online journal PLoS Medicine, a publication of the Public Library of Science, an organization of scientists and physicians.
Monday, April 21, 2008
MIA 08'
So I'm back and kind of wish it was longer but glad to be in NY. We had lots of fun and I got sick off of half of some concoction my love made up when went to see my moms. I just felt that we could've done more especially for the ones that had never been (four of my friends, I'm good with just eating seafood and going to the beach but next time we'll show them more. I love to go to South Beach, it's been my lil local getaway since 99'. Some good things about this trip were when we had dinner and cake at Mango's, the time at the beach was great! Time spent with my moms and siblings was cool too she cooked us a great meal and let us swim in her pool and jacuzzi! We had a great trip and laughed a lot.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Summer Nights
I never really understood why people make a big deal on Jimmy Choo ... I mean don't get me wrong I like some of their sandals. I do think it may be just a tad bit over priced.
But this sandal made me think of nights in Morocco (not that I've ever been) with a long halter beach dress, some bangles, hair pushed back in a bun. Divina!
But this sandal made me think of nights in Morocco (not that I've ever been) with a long halter beach dress, some bangles, hair pushed back in a bun. Divina!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sandals 2008
I would like to buy a pair of gladiator sandals for this summer and can't seem to decide on which ones look at these although I've included different types:
Dolce Gabbana Tory Burch
Banana Republic
Prada
Anthropologie
Dolce Gabbana Tory Burch
Banana Republic
PradaAnthropologie
When to Throw Away Make-up
Ever wondered how long make-up lasts or rather when does it expire?
Uh I do all the time because I like to buy make-up but I don't use it everyday just not me
so it' sits in my make-up til I have a function to attend. Well I went online and googled the
question and found some answers.
Uh I do all the time because I like to buy make-up but I don't use it everyday just not me
so it' sits in my make-up til I have a function to attend. Well I went online and googled the
question and found some answers.
• Cleanser: 6 months
• Eye shadow: 6 months
• Foundation: 6 months
• Moisturizer: 6 months
• Concealer: 6 to 8 months
• Blush: 6 to 12 months
• Lipstick and gloss: 1 year
• Powder: 1 year
• Toner: 1 year
• Nail polish: 2 years
*Bear in mind that natural cosmetics, and those that have no preservatives, may expire sooner than others.
Friday, March 21, 2008
My Top 10 Scents for Spring/Summer
- Chanel Coco Mademoiselle
- Valentino Rockin' Rio
- Gucci Eau de Parfum II
- Burberry Eau de Parfum
- Givency Very Irrestible
- Stella Mcartney Stella
- Marc Jacobs Splash Basil
- Vera Wang Princess
- Vera Wang
- Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena Splash
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