EMU Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

Posted 01/14/2012 by Lara

EMU? More like, OMG! Up until now I thought of EMU Australia as an UGG-like brand that made ultra warm sheepskin boots, now after seeing their Spring/Summer 2012 I realize they are so much more! For starters, they have a full line of shoes (men’s + women’s) that stretches beyond their classic Stinger sheepskin boots, as well as a clothing line, accessories and the most draw-dropping adorable kids collection of boots.

I mean seriously, can you handle it?

Besides taking a few cuteness moments over the kids collection (I mean look at those Little Grubs Koala bootie!!!), I was really impressed by the variety of styles and color assortment.

New for spring is a their collection of sandals (pictured below). However, I’m all about the boots! They recently introduced the strawberry shade to their Stinger Mini sheepskin boot and I NEED IT (pictured below right)! How fun is that color!?!?

Earth-tone boots are always high on my list!

Although my absolute favorite new style for Spring is their Leeton Mush Boot (pictured above and below). That and the Stinger Mini boot in Strawberry need to make their way into my closet.

Did you know EMU sheepskin is water resistant? They actually let me put a pair of their boots in water and within seconds they were dry! That’s more then I can say for a lot of their competitors…

Some of the styles featured in this post are currently available on EMUAustralia.com. The rest you’ll just have to wait until spring!

Leave a Comment

Butter London Celebrates Pantone’s Color of the Year with Jaffa

Posted 01/11/2012 by Lara

Pantone Tangerine Tango

I do love me a rich shade of orange (especially when it has a tint of red) so when Pantone announced Tangerine Tango as their 2012 Color of The Year, I was delighted. The shade was all over the runway in the Spring/Summer 2012 shows (check out my photos from the Nanette Lepore S/S 2012 show) and bold lips have been such a strong trend in beauty, that I’d love to see this shade made into a lipstick shade.

And considering Pantone is the international color trendsetter, it’s no surprise the beauty industry was quick to embrace the shade in their collections. butter LONDON celebrated the Color of the Year with their shade Jaffa.

butter LONDON in Jaffa

It’s a very pretty, lustrous juicy orange shade with a lighter formula so while two coats will get you an even application, I prefer to add a third for some extra coverage. The shade also appears to be a little brighter then Tangerine Tango and void of the red tints. None-the-less it’s a very happy and bright orange that I’m thrilled to have in my collection. Plus I LOVE butter LONDON’s packaging, and that all of their formulations are “3-Free” (meaning void of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP). And I appreciate their cheeky shade names — the dictionary definition of Jaffa is a type of seedless orange (and it’s also a British slang word for an infertile man. Live and learn!

butter LONDON Top & Tails Set

Now all you need is a good base and top coat for extended wear and nail protection (I like their Top & Tails set) and your manicure is complete.

Expect to see a lot more Tangerine Tango in the near future. In addition to beauty brands adapting their spring collections to have more orange hues,  it was recently announced that Pantone is partnering with Sephora this spring to present the first-ever Color of the Year beauty collection. I may just get that Tangerine Tango lipstick yet!

For more information on butter LONDON and shade Jaffa 3-Free Nail Lacquer ($14) visit www.butterlondon.com

DISCLAIMER: A complimentary sample of Butter nail shades was given to Pretty Connected for post consideration. Pretty Connected was under no obligation to write this review.

Leave a Comment

The Best Time to Buy… Everything!

Posted 01/10/2012 by Lara

I find it so annoying when I make a big purchase, and then see the same item is on sale the next month! Which is why I thought I’d share this article on About.com which lists all the good times to buy just about anything by month.

Here’s a look at January:

Non-food:

Food:

  • Chocolate (Christmas clearance)
  • Soda
  • Oatmeal
  • Diet foods
  • Frozen finger foods

For the complete month-by-month guide on About.com, click HERE.

Additionally, If you’re purchasing from a larger retailer like Macy’s, I recommend going to their website to see if they have posted any additional in-store or online coupons for some extra savings. And if something catches your eye while shopping, putting it on hold (or break out the smart phone) and run a quick search on the item to see if it’s cheaper to purchase it with one of their competitor. Plus most retailers will match prices if you show them the listing.

Leave a Comment

NYC INVITE: 1/12 Join Juicy Couture for their Juicy Resolutions Party

Posted 01/10/2012 by Lara

WHAT: You’re invited to the Juicy Resolutions Party!

WHEN: Thursday, January 12th 5-7pm

WHERE: Juicy Couture, 860 Madison Avenue, NYC

 DETAIL: Start the year off right with BluePrintCleanse cocktails and light bites. 20% off all full-priced purchases during the event.

RSVP at RSVP@juicycouture.com

Leave a Comment

Mane Boost Delivers with Serious Hair Volume

Posted 01/09/2012 by Lara

You might not be familiar with the company Mana Products or Xania Labs but they are a source of innovation for the beauty world and work with many top brands to help make quite a few of your favorite beauty products.  Branching out from their behind the scenes station they have created a line of hair care products called Mane Boost that works to volumize your style and give your hair the perk it needs to look full – especially during these cold winter months.

The line is made up of 4 products: Amplifying Cream, Volumizing Foam, Root Lifting Spray, and Defining Paste. They are only available in salons and affordably priced at $12 each.

I have wavy hair and I like to wear my hair curly but am challenged with my curls and roots turning flat by the end of the day.  On the other hand my sister rocks a straight style, so on a recent family trip, I put this collection to the test — on us both.

I used a combo of the moose and the cream. I only needed 2 pumps of the moose and a quarter size dollop of the cream on my shoulder length hair. My sister Continue Reading…

Leave a Comment

Anything but a Faux Pas: Illamasqua Nail Varnish

Posted 01/08/2012 by Lara

Pretty Connected contributor, Elizabeth Borenstein finds a new nail polish line to add to her collection…

Illamasqua shades Kink and Faus Pax

Nail polish changed my life the day it stopped me from biting my nails. This obsession with painted nails took on a whole new level when I was treated to a nail art manicure by the supremely talented Miss Pop of www.misspopnail.tumblr.com (check out her site and prepare to be amazed!).

As soon as I received lllamasqua nail varnishes in shades Faux Pas (blue violet) and Kink (bottle green) I promptly ran over to visit Miss Pop and get the skinny on what she thought about the new formula, which promises a “unique rubbery finish”.

Manicure by Miss Pop

After sampling the nail varnish and working her artistic magic Miss Pop gave her seal of approval,

“Great brush, polish applies evenly, and the color is rich and unique-you only really need one coat (although they recommend two). The finish is not matte or shiny it falls somewhere in the middle, it’s like nothing I have seen before.”

I agree. I love the shades (I’m so into muted jewel-tones at the moment) and the finish, and after wearing the polish for a few days I noticed my nails felt stronger and grew faster than with regular polish.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish ($14) is available exclusively at Sephora

DISCLAIMER: A complimentary sample of Illamasqua was given to Pretty Connected for post consideration. Pretty Connected was under no obligation to write this review.

1 Comment

Tips on What to Eat and Avoid for Healthier Skin

Posted 01/07/2012 by Lara

There’s always all this chatter about how stressful the holidays are, however for me it’s usually the period right after new years that gets me. Something about adjusting back into work and getting myself on a schedule after a weeks of over eating and sweat pants shocks my system.

However, the holidays are over, and hopefully my not-so-great eating habits have gone with them. I’ve already taken the first step and joined Equinox, now I just need to pay more attention to my diet. Skin Expert Dominique Tinkler (of OMIC Skincare) shares her tips  on what foods to eat and avoid for healthier skin:

For Breakouts

What to eat – Bright red and orange fruits and vegetables have beta carotene which your body converts to oil reducing Vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables contain Vitamin B6 which minimizes swelling, so pimples are reduced.

What to avoid – Iodine rich salt, shrimp and seaweed stimulate oil glands, inducing irritation of pores.

For Stress-Induced Wrinkles

What to eat – Fruits rich in color (such as berries) have Vitamin C which help to promote anti-aging, skin firming collagen and Continue Reading…

Leave a Comment

So you think you can DJ? Enter for your chance to perform at New York Fashion Week

Posted 01/05/2012 by Lara

Elettra DJing. Photo Credit: Stella McCartney

Supermodel, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann returns this February with her pop-up restaurant, GOODNESS for Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. This season she has teamed up again with The Daily Front Row magazine and is partnering with Talenthouse and world renowned DJ Zen Freeman to invite aspiring DJ’s to submit a sample of their set for the opportunity to perform live at New York Fashion Week. One artist will be selected to DJ at GOODNESS and for an event at RLife LIVE in a New York Renaissance Hotel between February 11th – 14th, and offered travel and five night hotel accommodations in NYC, together with $500 (courtesy of Renaissance Hotels).

To enter, participants must submit a sample by January 18th of their DJ set which demonstrates their versatility, diversity and ability to offer a range of lounge music and remixes to suit both daytime and evening environments.

This is an awesome opportunity for DJs around the world to perform at New York Fashion Week and showcase their talent in front of the fashion elite. So get in on it and enter or send this article to your DJ friends and lets see what they got!

For more details and to enter visit Talenthouse.

And for all you foodies, get excited for another season of GOODNESS! They just released the line-up of this season’s chefs that includes Mario Batali, Alain Allegretti, Julian Medina and Leo Forneas.  I’m salivating in anticipation.

UPDATE: Please note this post has been updated to note the submission phase has been extended to Wednesday, January 18th.  Voting will now take place from Thursday, January 19th through Thursday, January 26th and the winner will be announced on Monday, January 30th.  For more details and to enter visit Talenthouse.

Leave a Comment

8 Interesting Shopping Trends we Learned From 2011

Posted 01/05/2012 by Lara

It’s amazing with all the advancements in technology and the increased competitive climate of the retail industry how much our shopping habits have evolved in the past years. Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert and she shared these 8 shopping trends learned from the 2011 holiday shopping season with us:

1. Clicks Beat Bricks
This was the year e-commerce beat the pants off brick-and-mortar retailing. Although traditional stores did better than expected — up an estimated 3.8 percent — online shopping surged 15 percent over 2010.

2. Free Shipping Was Everywhere
Consumers clamored for free shipping offers and often abandoned their online shopping carts when such deals weren’t offered. That explains why nine out of 10 retailers provided free shipping during the holiday season. This prosperity no doubt will spill over into 2012, as websites like FreeShipping.org continue to attract bargain shoppers.

3. Free Return Shipping the Next Big Thing
Zappos and several shoe stores began offering free return shipping years ago, but this year even Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus got in on the trend. According to a MarketLive study, 73 percent of respondents named free returns as a deciding factor in their online purchasing.

4. iPads Rule
Laptop shopping is so passé! More than 18 percent of all e-commerce hits were initiated from a mobile device. That’s up of 8.4 percent from Christmas Day 2010 and an astounding increase of 117.8 percent. Yes, that figure is 117.8, not 11.78.

5. Dumbbell Shopping
Americans weren’t flocking to weight lifting; they were shopping early and late and avoiding the in-between, creating a dumbbell-shaped graph. As expected, buying surged on Continue Reading…

Leave a Comment

NYC Event 1/6: The Nidasii Beauty Lounge

Posted 01/03/2012 by Lara

Happy new years friends!

I have been terribly out of touch and hibernating! The cold weather has kept me indoors with some quality self time to disconnect. However, it’s a new year and a great way to always celebrate is with some much deserved pampering!

This Friday (1/6), our good friends at GoodGirlPR are hosting The Nidasii Beauty Lounge at the Nadia Vassell Salon.

Complimentary cocktails, sweet treats and manicures by Chauna Brown, and Nidasii giveaways!

WHEN: Friday, January 6th, 6:30-9:30pm
WHERE: Nadia Vassell Salon, 110 Suffolk Street (between Delancy & Rivington)
RSVP at rsvp@goodgirlpr.com

Happy new years!

 

Leave a Comment
newer posts       older posts

Recyclebank - AVEENO