Hair New Era

Priced at $40. Will mail!
Will fit a 13" and smaller MAC or PC. Outer shell is firm and also has a zipper inner pocket for extra storage.

I came across this line while on Facebook. The glasses line, created by Charlie Brianna have graced the faces of Amber Rose, Rihanna, Chris Brown and the like. The locs (slang for sunglasses) are definitely fresh and are for sure worth checking out.

When Nadja Swarovski - heiress to and figurehead, VP of Communications and Creative Director of Swarovski - was asked what she wished L.A. had more of that her current city of London had... she shared...

"Grounded People, people with the ability to laugh at themselves, and internationality"


Sounds about right, don't you think?!


via GENLUX Magazine, Spring 2011  / photo courtesy of style.com

If you've been paying any attention to the trends of Spring/Summer 2011, I'm sure you've gathered Neutrals, 70's, lace and metallics are just a few of the looks you'll be seeing too much of on your local streets and in clubs in your neighborhood during the coming hotter months. And as many of you also may already know, trends don't stop at clothes, they slither right on into hairstyles, accessories, bags and shoes. My friend recently requested a post about sunglasses for the summer. The following includes my take on finding the right pair for you.


[top row] Decorated Sunglasses are huge this season; they give much character to the face. However, unless you're going to a really retro event, or retro is just your everyday style, I wouldn't invest too much money in a pair of these #onlywearforoneseason trend poppers.

[bottom row] The round rounds are also big. These locs are often credited to the late John Lennon in the 70's due to his donning of the round rounds and making them a popular must-have way back then. Now I find these to be more practical, however, please beware! You MUST know your face shape before purchasing. Yes, they're fun, yes, they can be cute on the right face but everyone does not have the right face for these bottle tops. If you do choose to move forward, pick a color you will be able to wear in 2012, 2013 and 2027. When shopping in trends its important to pick a style, color, shape that will last longer than the trend's listed tenure on style.com

The moral of this post was to shed some light on what's "in" this season and what to look for when shopping sunglass trends. But, let me say this, as I'm getting more seasoned in age and wisdom, my suggestion is to buy classic. Sure, it's fun to indulge in trend from time-to-time, however, please don't spend your whole paycheck or tax return on all the latest defined popular picks you saw or read about in a magazine or on a website. The moral to truly looking and feeling good about yourself, is to really KNOW yourself inside and out and realize what you've been given and finding items out in the world that will help you accentuate the assets you have. The goal is to pump up what you're proud of and camouflage what you're not, {notice how I didn't say replace, cut off, suck out, or file down.} If you're really looking to get a pair of sun-blockers that you will be able to wear for years and years to come, please, Don't Go Trend! Research your face shape, and find all the styles that enhance your natural beauty. Classic goes a long way and since the overall goal is to always be more than happy with a purchase, its imperative you take the time to find what really works..... for you!

photos courtesy of anysunglasses.com, style.com, and various internet searches

If it's one thing that women of all ethnicities have in common, it's their love and time spent on doing and maintaining their hair. We seek out the best products, the best hair stylists, the best wraps and it seems like the search NEVER ends. My Grandma is STILL looking for products that best work for her hair. Of course there are tride-and-true items that have and will always work, but the difficulty is in finding what that item is for YOU.


For me, finding a good, reliable and DIY flat iron has always been a quest. I've fallen for irons from infomericals, print ads, to whatever, I've tried it. Recently, my cousin came over and saw my flat iron in my bathroom. She no different than any other woman asked if I liked my flat iron and if I felt it worked for me. My reply was "O YEA." The iron we were speaking about was the CHI Hair Straightener. The Chi iron is a must have and a great investment. If you have been searching for a tool that will get hot enough to make even the thickest hair straighten up, the CHI is the way to go. I got one from the site above, and right now they're having a sale on CHI iron's for GREAT prices. I would hop on that pronto. You really will not be sorry!

Love Love LOVE Jordi Labanda notebooks. Received my first one as a gift from my grandmother. A nice play on the regular notebook. Thick plastic or cardboard cover, illustration and the pages inside were lined with the colors pink, green, blue and black. Today I came across MORE Jordi Labanda notebooks at FedEx and also discovered they can be found at Target. (My only peeve is the need for more women of color and also ceasing to draw the small amount of women of color with afro's all the time.)



Labanda is a male designer with a love for designing contemporary women. Visit the site here  website



For the holidays, if you're buying for the writer in your family or group of friends, surprise them with a Labanda notebook or of course the old tried-and-true Moleskine. Moleskines can be found at mostly all bookstores, both big and small. They have daily planners, small pocket books to hold small things such as receipts, open notebooks, music writing notebooks, journalist layouts, regular layouts and a lot more.

Try it and see the response, trust me, you cant go wrong.

http://www.melodyehsani.com

Gloria and Beatrice event... if you're in Los Angeles December 10th come out and support.
8478 W. 3rd Street Los Angeles, CA (323) 655 - 2630

For the 5th Anniversary of the Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF, Creative Director Frida Giannini has commissioned acclaimed author and illustrator Michael Roberts to create a magical new children's book. SNOWMAN IN AFRICA, which will be launched together with exclusive Gucci accessories and a Gucci Gift Card to benefit UNICEF.

From November 16 to December 31, 2009, Gucci will donate 100% of the retail price from the book, and 25% of the retail price from the dedicated accessories collection and Gift Cards, to UNICEF.

*Please support this, the books are $25.00 dollars and it supports child literacy as well as international child advocacy efforts through UNICEF.

A new line filled with pretty spectacular headbands is on the scene. Creator & Owner, Kristen Turner has turned the thought of regular head-wear into a glamorous and have to have accessory, especially for the Holidays. "Nothing in the collection is over $50 so it makes for a perfect gift and it's a great way to dress up your fave little black dress so you'll look great for all those party's and not break the bank," says Turner. And I say - what reccessionista and fashion savvy girl doesn't want that? Enjoy a few pics of a few items in the Holiday collection and make sure you check out the site, www.gloriaandbeatrice.com

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

We have a really exciting offer for your readers. We'd love to extend an offer for your readers to design their own scarf! The winner (selected by us) will have their scarf created by us as per their specifications and sent to them. We will provide pictures of the winning scarf (once completed in Nepal) for you to show your readers.
Your readers can draw or photoshop or create their scarf any way that is electronically transferable so we can read their instructions. They cannot copy an existing design directly but can made variations on an existing design. They can use our color chart to indicate their color selections on their scarves, located at: http://www.tdmdesigninc.com/pages/color-chart The scarf can be created from any of the natural fiber content that we use in our high quality scarves at Nepali by TDM. To remind your readers, we use: 1. Cashmere2. Silk Chiffon3. Cashmere/Silk blend4. Bamboo5. Cashmere/Bamboo Blend
Scarves can be designed by using style, dyeing techniques, weaving techniques and/or print designs. Length and width needs to be specified on the design.
If you are able to run the "design your own scarf" contest in November/December, we will be able to have the scarf created and sent by the first week in January. If you are not able to meet this time line, but are interested in a "design your own scarf" contest, please contact me and we will work within your schedule.
Please note that we have had quite a few requests from fashion bloggers/media to offer this exciting event so your readers will be included in a group of other readers for the final selection. I look forward to hearing from you so we can set the final date for this event.
Kindest regards,Michelle Baldwinwww.tdmdesigninc.com

I LOOOVE SCARVES. Between scarves, broaches, shoes and bags (my top 4 favorite things) scarves place 2nd, very close behind shoes. Nonetheless, a semi-new scarf line caught my attention back in 2008. I learned of a scarf line co-created by 2 women, both named Michelle, based out of Maryland called Nepali by TDM Design. This discovery came during a time where trend was not just a word but a way of life in the world of fashion and clothes. As I read more into this line I found there was a purpose behind it and it wasn't just to make money. I found... NEPALI by TDM Design provides sustainable income to Nepalese women and helps weavers and their families break the cycle of poverty by providing them above market compensation and access to education and health care. NEPALI by TDM Design assists in empowering Nepalese women, their families and their communities.

Fashion with a greater purpose was something that struck me as remarkable. Sometimes us humans can be very selfish and un-willing to help others, but there was a reason why I discovered this line when I did because I was going through my own personal tribulations and it helped to show me there is still compassion and concern in the world. You may have to really search for it but it does exist.

I Digress.

So, a year later I finally have had the privilege to experience a scarf from the Nepali by TDM Design line. My Bambi Grande Scarf in black and white (favorite binary combo) is as big as it is comfortable. It is very light in weight and my first thought was this is not going to keep me warm but to my surprise it kept me very warm and did not hurt my neck. (Sometimes when I wear my scarves - all day - they can be somewhat restricting that my neck gets stiff) The bambi grande scarf did not do that. It is EXTREMELY soft which shocked me because it is 100% Bamboo. When I think of bamboo, I think of pandas and sticks (slightly ignorant but true) I would have never thought of creating a scarf out of it, but the masterminds behind TDM Design have accomplished the unthinkable. I would definitely recommend this scarf, especially with the holidays fastly approaching. This would be a great way to give to loved ones while giving back to strangers in need. It's funny because the design and texture allow for this scarf to be dressed up with a shift dress, tights and heels or dressed down with skinny jeans and riding boots. Versaility is what everyone should look for when purchasing key items for the wardrobe. I can add my scarf to that list and am very excited about it.

"Affordable, high quality, natural, eco-consious scarves – NEPALI by TDM Design"

WELCOME SMYTHSON...

I came across Smythson looking at the net-a-porter site today. Right on the homepage, there it was, one of my many weaknesses, fancy stationery. Anyone who knows me knows I really enjoy fancy stationery, almost as much as I love Charlie Wilson or Anita Baker. So I clicked on the link only to find I would probably never own anything from Smythson except for maybe a shopping bag I luckily found on the street. This nice little "Fashion Diary" costs $"FROM 330.00" I think that's outstanding in a recession. And the "FIVE DRAWER DELUXE JEWELLRY BOX" to the left is a mere $3,360.00.

You know, I love my precious stones and items as much as the next girl, but there's no way I'm spending that much on what I CARRY my items in when I can spend that on WHAT my items are. This blew my mind, I guess if I had the funds to spend on extravagant luxury, this post may have read with a different tone but as for now my heart is pretty set. I am very content with my moleskine and my *undisclosed name* carry-on. What do you think?

Today I paid a long overdue visit to a place where it all started. A past internship with The Trend Boutique is where my quest began, I like to say. Where lots of knowledge, lessons and laughs were shared. Natalie - the owner of TTB - shared a very hot item with me and informed me of the high demand items from Nicole Richie's House of Harlow jewelry line are receiving. I now am a part of the super trendy HOH following with my new House of Harlow 1960 14kt Rose Gold Thin Stack Ring. *Look Out* Please note - They DO run small.
to buy now please click the photo
I've already gotten a compliment on my ring and plan on getting many more. *smiley face*
Thanks Natalie!!!!

Sorry Californians, Python is not to be sold or shipped to California, so if you are swooning over this bag I regret to inform you you will have to travel a ways to get it. *sad face*

Brazilian jewelry designer Patricia Candido's Baby bracelets

Each Alex and Ani piece is environmentally conscious and hand crafted from recycled metals that inspire the spirit by designer, Carolyn Rafaelian. This effort to incorporate environmental consciousness while staying fashionable is extremely important in the world we live in. The line consists of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, and hair accessories, and fuses glamour and consciousness. The Alex and Ani’s expandable concept allows for each piece of their jewelry to have a perfect custom fit!!! visit Alex and Ani website for more as well as their daily updates on astrology... (tonight is Capricorn moon)

THURSDAY, JUNE 25—THURSDAY, JULY 9
WHO: Claw Money at Fred Segal Flair
WHAT: Pop-up shop and party with cocktails from Belvedere vodka
WHERE: 500 Broadway, Santa Monica, 310-451-7139, Party Thursday: 4pm-9pm