It always feels like a victory when you find a great designer piece for a steal.  But the days of digging and shuffling around vintage shops, fleas and markdowns at department stores to score a designer item at an acceptable price are over.  It’s becoming more and more common for top, celebrated designers to team up with popular mass market outlets to create diffusion lines.  These lines target a much larger audience and create limited edition pieces that are affordable but don’t skimp on the style.  Luckily this spring gives way to some noteworthy lines: Marni for H&M, Doo.ri for Macy’s and Aldo Rise.

Popular store H&M has been a budget friendly and trendy go-to fashionistas all around, however it’s anything but new to the designer collaboration game.  Housing popular diffusion lines with Jimmy Choo, Versace and Lanvin in the past, this Thursday (March 8^th) H&M is to debut its latest collaboration with Marni.  The celebrated brand has bought its funky, quirky and feminine aesthetic to H&M at affordable prices ranging from $9.99 to $149.  The line will include accessories (bags,belts, shoes, etc), jewelry, clothing and swimwear.  This line is to debut in select stores this week. As learned by the horror of mad shoppers during past designer collaborations, I suggest heading over to H&M’s website and plan accordingly to avoid lines and madness--as I’m sure it will be around NYC, especially the stores in Herald Square (yikes!).

I love that a major department store, like Macy’s is also trying its hand at diffusion lines.  Working successfully in the past with Matthew Willamson, Karl Lagerfeld and Giambattista Valli, Macy’s has paired up with established, Korean-American designer Doo-Ri Chung.  The line is currently at Macy’s and features comfortable and trendy creations in cool colors all retailing under $85.  This has to be one of the better diffusion collections I’ve seen  and personally must purchase the painterly a-line dress ($65) and the geometric printed wrap dress ($75). Luckily, this line can be shopped online from the comfort of your own home here

Shoes are always a tricky area for me, as quality is always preferred.  But quality doesn’t always mean more money.  I’m especially excited for this project because it celebrates designers, their ideas and bringing them to audiences that wouldn’t otherwise purchase or see.  In the Aldo Rise project, designers like Christian Cota, Preen, Cushnie et Ochs among many others, collaborated with ALDO and created shoes that frequent the runway and brought them to the streets where style is truly born.  Shoppers can get their hands on these designer styles on aldoshoes.com, asos.com and Aldo stores worldwide starting Thursday, March 8^th.  The shoes sell for $155 (Usa, Canada) and 125 pounds in the UK.  I love the Mark Fast Cregger cutout pumps; they’re such a trendy update to the classic court shoe and happened to be the highlight of his SS’12 show. 

  

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February is a month devoted to all things related to the heart, and I’m not talking love and heart shaped treats for Valentine’s Day.  February also happens to be American Heart Health month.  A highlighted effort is shown during this time to raise awareness about heart health and actions to move towards living a safer, stronger heart healthy life.  

Heart disease and stroke claim more lives than any other disease, especially in women.  Surpassing breast cancer, heart disease remains the number one killer of American women.  

Heart disease is an equal opportunity killer and everyone should take additional steps to care for their hearts. I cannot stress enough how important it is to pay attention to your heart & keep it healthy, even the most unlikely of individuals can be targeted. 

Here's to shinning a little light to subject 

stop by and familiarize yourself with helpful information heart health

Like all pretty paintings, your lips need to be a smooth bare canvas before any color application.  However, maintaining a perfectly hydrated, smooth pout during the winter season is sometimes complicated. Harsh temperatures, strong winds and snowy showers can do a number on the condition of your lips, but fear not, there are simple solutions to get the pop back in your pucker and make them picture perfect. Familiar items like petroleum jelly and other interesting mixes can transform you lips from cracked and dry to hydrated and full.

Sugar and Spice

Prep

Classic lip softening tactics involve a trusty dry fighting product: petroleum jelly.  Start with lathering bare lips in jelly and take either a towel or toothbrush and work onto lips in a small circular motion.  When done gently wipe away.  Both items are perfect for this task as they are tough enough to get the job done but gentle enough to not hurt the surface. 

Another sweet trick to combating chapped lips is sugar.  Functioning as a scrub, sugar fights seasonal dryness and pairing it with petroleum jelly helps gently pull way dry bits of skin without irritating the lip itself.  Start with coating a finger tip in petroleum jelly and dip into some sugar, once coated pull to lips and gently scrub. If you want to avoid a slight mess, just apply jelly to lips, take a cube of sugar and work on lips in gentle circular motion, then wipe away with a towel. Another plus to using sugar, it leaves a yummy taste after use. J

Plump

Now that you have a perfectly prepped base, it’s time to boost that pout.  Of course there are countless lip plumping products on the market, but you can concoct a little mix right at home (recipe on bottom). Including skin nourishing oils, the main star in this product is a little spice (cayenne).  While there is a multitude of health benefits to this pepper, like boosting your metabolism and lowering blood pressure, cayenne pepper adds a little pumping property to this lip mix.

With a simple prep and little plump, your lips are ready to be coated in a hue of your choice.  If these alternatives are not your thing, there are a few products that get the job done sans any effort.  I’ve always been drawn to Fresh lip products, as they get the job done and come in array of alluring colors. 

Shop 

Lip Scrub --  Fresh Sugar lip polish (fresh.com, $22.50)

Lip treatment (with SPF 15) – Sugar Rose (fresh.com, $22.50)

Lip Gloss – Sugar kiss (fresh.com, $18)

Best lip plumper -- Dior Creme de Rose Lip Balm SPF 10 (Bloomingdales.com, $26.50)

Natural Lip Plumper

Combine:

Vitamin B3, B3

Cayenne

Cinnamon leaf oil

Clove oil and honey to Coconut oil

One completely mixed – apply a thin layer to lips and let the tingle plump your lips J

Its sort of been a century and a half since I last updated this little blog of mine.  So in celebration of me being alive and well in beauty life I thought I’d update on some of my current favorites.  From mascara to hair products and every worthy mentionable in between, every reader can find something appealing in this post. 

Hair

Let’s start from the top--the hair.  As you all know summer weather, especially in New York City , is very unforgiving to your hair.  The unruly frizz and inability to hold a curl or a polished style are signature hair woes during this season.  After a long battle with products, I’ve found that you should work with your hair rather than fighting it.  Fredrick Fekkai’s wave spray (fekkai.com, $24) is a prime product.  A lovely, light, summery coconut scented spray gently coats your locks and creates a perfect after-beach wave.  To achieve that perfect wave, spray in small sections and scrunch hair with your hands.  Once dried take small sections and wrap hair around your finger in a spiral, this will help define the wave.  To create a tighter wave, spray hair and use a diffuser. 

Now if you’re anything like me, you love a little curl in your hair regardless the weather.  The humidity and strong moisture in the air loves to strip the hair of a pretty curl, leaving it puffy and dull.  Don’t punish your hair because of the heat, just try a different tool.  The Sultra (sephora.com,  $130), and irons of this design really create a strong curl that stand up to the heat.  It might seem a little scary to normal curl iron users but The Sultra and similar irons are easy to use, really cut the time of styling in half and create a lovely more relaxed styled curl.

Face (Skin, SPF)

In the warmer season, the  hair is not the only area extra protection is required.   The skin is more sensitive to sun rays during the summer which makes SPF application a necessity.  Although there is an array of products on the market, there are many that leave a shiny, white film over the skin, ultimately making makeup application a nightmare.  Kate Somerville’s SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen (sephora.com, $45) makes for a perfect product.  A smooth, silky, oil free cream that absorbs into the skin, leaving it hydrated and packed with powerful protection against UV rays. 

Eyes

Minimal makeup is key during the hot months.  The last thing any girl wants is having her face melt off before she walks into the office. But heat should not be a reason to skimp on pretty, defined eyes.  Here’s where you break out the angled eyeliner brushes.  Opt for a chocolate brown shadow rather than a heavy liner.  Using an angle liner brush, softly blend close to the top lash line, slightly flicking it outwards at the end to give it a little shape.  Using shadow still adds definition and drama to the eyes without the fear of having liner run down your face midday. To add a little pop of color you can use a jewel toned shadow and lightly sweep it along your lower lash line.

For mascara, less is more. Use a light, non clumping mascara that still adds length, volume and hold during the day.  My current favorite is Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara (sephora.com, $22).  A newly styled wand provides coverage, major length and volume to lashes all while giving the illusion of false eye lashes.  My trouble during the summer is that mascara flakes on me during the day and this product proves staying quality. 

Lips

Lips are the best part of summer.  However, many forget that they are even more sensitive than the skin and require a layer of SPF protection as well.  My fave is Fresh’s Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 (sephora.com, $22.50) it glides on and coats the lips in a cute, pinky hue. 

Lips, like nails, often times get the best of summer.  You get to coat them in poppy hues ranging from pinks, to corals to bright reds and subtle peaches all in celebration of the warmth and fun in the sun. 

Hopefully a few of my suggestions will help you the next time you step out in the heat! And I can’t stress it enough, ALWAYS remember to wear a sufficient layer of sunscreen( and reapply) and coat your face and lips in SPF protecting products as well.  AND go wear a bright lip; it’ll brighten up a summer rainy day like today. 

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