The Birthday Girl

The handmade sign my love made for me.

Yes, today is the day I turn 29. This is it; the last year of my twenties. I can't believe it. It is a little sad, but as Oprah always says, the older you get the better you feel. I think everyone can see some improvements in the way they dressed then compared to now no matter who you are. I chose the new it color, blush, for my Birthday Brunch at Gaslight! I am obsessed with the color and backless cut-outs lately. This dress had both!

DRESS: Forever 21; TIGHTS: Calvin Klein, SHOES: Aldo

The dress is still available at Forever 21 now.

It Girl

Sometimes you have to love a great, comfy shirt. This find is from Forever 21 and I paired it with leather leggings and ankle booties. We all have a little rocker in us, right?

STYLE FILE: Kate Sims

Kate is the Brand Manager at Avanti Salon and always looks adorable when I see her. Sequins are still VERY in. I love the simplicity of the way Kate put this outfit together. The sequins are perfect for a day to night transition by pairing simple accessories and clean lines.

Top: VINCE
Pants: KAREN MILLEN

Brenda and Sonny's Wedding

I can honestly and maybe embarrassingly say that I have been waiting for soap's hottest couple, Brenda and Sonny, to get married since tenth grade. I would race home and make sure I was in front of the tv with my uniform still on to watch GH everyday. So much for homework, right?

It's been over twelve years and finally Brenda and Sonny said I do. Vanessa Marcil doesn't need much to make her gorgeous but Oscar De La Renta created her exquisite white and pink gown. The top bodice is a soft pink and leads to a big bow and train in the back. The rest of the dress is an innocent white with lace and floral detail. It is insane.

"It’s Oscar De La Renta and it’s insanely beautiful. I really love it. Mary Iannelli, our wardrobe girl, found it. They did a lot of custom stuff. It’s really incredibly beautiful.  Brenda’s never been super caught up [with clothes]. I think she could care less. She actually says at one point she’d marry Sonny in her jeans. She doesn’t care too much about the décor and the dress and the details and the flowers," says Marcil.

Nail File: Shellac Shine

The second I found out what the words shellac manicure meant, I was hooked. As most of you know, I am a nail fanatic. I've tried every color, length, shade, and decal and now SHELLAC; fourteen days,  no-chip, highly intense, glossy nails.

The posh MiniLuxe on  Newbury Street was kind enough to set me up with a shellac manicure at the relaxing boutique salon. This is not a polish but a gel that is layered and dries within a minute under a UV light hardening the gel for zero chips. MiniLuxe uses CND's formula that comes in twelve colors. I chose Fedora, a Merlot like red. This coming Month, they will be featuring more colors which is great!

The whole process was forty five minutes and not as much soaking/filing. Once the layer is under the lamp, it is dry. You can dig for car keys right then and there. The results were amazing and I have never seen my nails so glossy. The compliments started right away and two weeks later, I can say no chips. My nails really were stronger and healthier.

To remove, you can have them professionally taken off or use 99% acetone.

Event File: Trunk Show at Alibi

50-70% Off

Cures for the Winter Rut

It's that time when we all start to feel a little, well, yucky. The snow is taller than you are and your skin looks like you've suddenly decided to join the cast of Twilight. With no end in sight, here are a few tips to get yourself out of that winter rut. I have spoken with some top beauty pro's and tested some fab products to feel a little more like myself.

Day Creme
Dry skin anyone? This is when our faces feel like we have numerous botox injections. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!!!! Today you can never be more prepared. A new line I adore is the Easeamine Skin Care Collection Day Creme ($76). What is the secret you ask? It is a compound found in all of us called Adenosine which travels to the lower layers of skin where experts have turned it into "a powerful weapon of rejuvenation, working from the inside to create healthier, smoother, younger looking skin." After three days my skin literally looked more radiant and felt smoother. I am very impressed.

Next, makeup can use an extra pop of color around this time of year. Celebrity Face Designer for Armani, Tim Quinn, whom has worked with everyone from Gwen Stefani to red carpet regular Michelle Trachenturnburg is all about "richening your palette and keeping that glow". He always suggests the Luminous Silk Foundation which is insanely sheer but provides the most coverage I have ever seen. It is dewy and beautiful. Tim's go to lipcolor for winter is plum. Try Rouge D'Armani in #6002.

Dry hair? Bad color? Bad cut? It's time to head to the salon for the big change. Alex Iacbocci recently featured on Bravo's Tabatha's Salon Takeover at Avanti Salon on Newbury says a "great cut can take years off and a beautiful shade can either richen or brighten the face". A month ago,  I added bangs to switch up my do and add some dimension to my hair. I am so happy with the results! To refresh winter hair on a no wash day, use Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. The smell alone will have you hooked.

Available at Avanti Salon

As for my expertise, go grab something you have been dying for whether big or small to get you through the rest of the season. A new pair of shoes, a fresh haircut, or a manicure can really grab attention and add a kick in your step.

New bangs and some Armani plum lips!

A Little Lamp Goes a Long Way

Just as I was looking to add a little modern decor to my apartment, CSNStores.com contacted me to partner up to review a product from over 200 of the stores on the website. Perfect timing. Candles and soft lighting is my way to relax after a long day. I love adding little votives and vases to my collection, which is constantly evolving. You never know when a candle might take you to aother place.

iittala Glow Oil Lamp

All Modern is the store that had just what I was looking for. Shabby chic is more my style but adding modern twists is what makes interior decorating interesting. Now one of my new favorite rituals when stepping in from the snow is lighting the iittala Glow Oil Lamp I found on All Modern. It is ethereal and elegant. The designer/architchect, Thomas Sandall, was right in the the lamp to inviting you in and taking a moment to reflect with its warm glow.

Check out CSNStores.com for more information on their website and amazing stores they feature.

A Valentine's Day Fixture: The Tiffany and Co. Locks Collection

Whenever I am invited to Tiffany and Co. to view a new collection, I get butterflies. What have they come up with next? We all know Tiffany's as classic and timeless, but who knew how trendy and modern they could be? This last trip was to view the new Locks Collection. Blake Lively is already a fan, wearing a gorgeous combination of two Tiffany locks to several events. Many pieces are variations of their past jewels, a testament to their craft. The Locks collection was based on a litany of previous archival designs. I absolutely fell in love (notice the word “love” boys) with the Tiffany Locks bracelet. It reminded me of the classic heart I had many years ago. Oh well, just another thing to pine for. 

Tiffany Locks Arc lock on a round clasp link bracelet in sterling silver.  Prices from top:

$500, $150

Tiffany Locks Arc lock on a round clasp link bracelet in sterling silver.  Prices from top:

$500, $150

Tiffany Locks pendants in sterling silver (from left): Emblem lock, large heart lock, mini round lock with a pendant chain.

$125, $135, $100

Tiffany Locks pendants in sterling silver (from left): Emblem lock, large heart lock, mini round lock with a pendant chain.

$125, $135, $100

Tiffany Locks in 18 karat yellow gold (from left): heart lock, arc lock.  Oval link clasp bracelet sold separately.

$1,350, $1,350, $1,800

Tiffany Locks in 18 karat yellow gold (from left): heart lock, arc lock.  Oval link clasp bracelet sold separately.

$1,350, $1,350, $1,800

I am so into the heavy chains used on the Locks necklaces which are striking and current. The collection also features several other detailed pendants and charms such as vintage, heart, arc and round shapes in 18 karat yellow and rose gold or sterling silver. Some even function as real locks which is so fun. It is the perfect gift for any lady this Valentine's Day. Each lock is something to keep forever and defining why each Tiffany's collection is so special. The collection also starts at $80 which is a steal and can be engraved! If you don't know what to get your significant other, any of these pieces will do. Not only do they have a meaning (key to my heart anyone) but they are all gorgeous. Hint, hint.

Tiffany Locks on an oval-link bracelet (from left): vintage lock in sterling silver and 18 karat rose gold, heart lock in 18 karat rose gold, arc lock in sterling silver, emblem lock in 18 karat yellow gold, round lock in sterling silver.  Bracelet sold separately.

$350, $850, $150, $950, $150, $475

Tiffany Locks on an oval-link bracelet (from left): vintage lock in sterling silver and 18 karat rose gold, heart lock in 18 karat rose gold, arc lock in sterling silver, emblem lock in 18 karat yellow gold, round lock in sterling silver.  Bracelet sold separately.

$350, $850, $150, $950, $150, $475

Tiffany Locks pendants in sterling silver (from left): Emblem lock, large heart lock, mini round lock with a pendant chain.

$125, $135, $100

Tiffany Locks pendants in sterling silver (from left): Emblem lock, large heart lock, mini round lock with a pendant chain.

$125, $135, $100

Available at the Copley Mall location.

Bubbles and Bodywear

Look out Kim Kardashian. Your famous asset may not be so unattainable anymore! Now girls everywhere can have that derriere they desire, no gym necessary. Bubbles and Bodywear has created this magic little collection that turns even JLO’s head when you walk by. Used by stylists on the sets of Vogue, these little padded miracles have made their way through the fashion scene everywhere.

The creator, Karen Jones, was fed up with her lack of........a booty. Bang, the Bootiful Boyshorts which act as a push-up bra for your butt. Bootiful Boyshorts are specially designed to give that realistic shape and act with “reversible undetectable, removable pads”!  Bubbles and Bodywear has worked wonders for a few of my clients who have always sought that "curvier than though" shape. The line also has everything to keep you from a fashion mishap like Everyday Pasties which cover your, um, you know.   These are perfect for those especially hard to wear tops that require a plunging neckline, strapless, or backless designs. Dare to bear.