SICKA THAN AVERAGE

Doing The Do With ban.do — Buy A Hair Accessory And Donate To the Kenya Self-Help Project

Forget being stuck on Band-Aids: I'm stuck on ban.do! My curiosity regarding the hair accessories brand was planted last year, when I saw a photo of Taylor Swift rocking the ban.do No. 101 headband, which features an ivory ribbon adorned with a row of five bow appliqués, each encrusted with clear crystal stones. Once I toured the ban.do universe, it felt like I'd taken center stage inside Swift's own "Love Story" song — except that, instead of sneaking out to a garden, I was lurking online to gaze upon my Romeo (or rather, Romeos, since there were several objects of my affection).

One of the greatest aspects of the ban.do brand is that it features several collections that vary in price point. Aside from the core ban.do collection, there's: heart by ban.do, which features pieces priced at $50 or under (such as the beaded peacock feather headband pictured second below); ban.do bridal, which offers dainty ivory, ecru, peach, and blush pink hair combs, pins, and headbands; and ban.do black label, a stunning array of limited-edition and, in some cases, one-of-a-kind pieces with an avant garde feel.

Most of my favorites, predictably enough, belong the the ban.do black label collection. It was love at first glance for the "Let Them Eat Cake" headband and "She Knows Perfection" hair comb, pictured first and third from top. The "She Knows Perfection" piece is a dreamy, fairy tale-worthy work of art, with hand-sculpted layers of ruffled chiffon in royal blue, black, teal and mauve-ish pink sewn together and adorned with a vintage brooch featuring faceted sapphire blue stones framed by tiny round aqua crystal stones and milky white, teardrop-shaped stones. The hair comb is particularly useful when you want to spice up a low chignon or braided updo and take it to couture heights. The "Let Them Eat Cake" headband, meanwhile, features a stretchy pink ribbon adorned with a long, turquoise blue ostrich feather with curled edges along either and, atop it, a crystal-adorned brooch and earrings set.

Other standouts include the "Beverly Hills Garden Party" (pictured above, second from top), a chartreuse green chiffon headband with a necklace made of emerald green rhinestones sewn along its center and a pink, leaf-shaped rhinestone brooch adding a springtime femininity to the piece. For a more free-spirited and Southwest-inspired look, you can also try the "Bohemian Beauty" headband, which includes rounded, vintage marble cabochon stones in coral and turquoise colors hand sewn onto a sky blue chiffon fabric. These ban.do black label pieces are mostly one-of-a-kind but the good news is that, if you like a style and it's sold out, you can write in and request a similar one. Score!

Best of all, thanks to a partnership with the Kenya Self-Help Project, whenever you visit ShopBanDo.com and enter the code GIRLPOWER at checkout, you'll receive 20% off your purchase and a portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the KSHP.

So what do you say? Want to join the band of ban.do babes?

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Posted at 04:28 PM in Beauty, Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 28, 2010

Olavie Le Vin Chardonnay Antioxidant Sugar Body Scrub — Finding Polish In The Winery

As soon as you twist off the silver cap of the Olavie Le Vin Chardonnay Antioxidant Sugar Scrub, you'll feel slightly inebriated — that's how deliciously potent the Chardonnay scent is. As I scooped some of the sugar scrub out of its container, working it onto my skin in gentle circular motions, I imagined I was walking through the Montrachet Grand Cru vineyard in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy, France, harvesting the ripened green grapes in preparation for the fermentation process. My fertile imagination even transported me to that scene in A Walk In The Clouds where the women hike up their skirts and stomp barefoot inside a vat of grapes, crushing them with their feet while dancing and giggling. If you love Chardonnay, this scrub will prove to be an olfactory fantasy (and will likely inspire you to visit your local wine store).

The scrub feels gentle on the skin, featuring an applesauce-like consistency but including tiny sugar particles to successfully exfoliate. Aside from sugar, which works to exfoliate but also boasts moisture retention properties, the Olavie Le Vin Chardonnay Antioxidant Sugar Scrub features moisturizing and smoothing grapeseed, sweet almond, jojoba, avocado, olive and safflower oils. Plus, of course the Chardonnay grapeseed extract is loaded with antioxidants (specifically flavonoids) that protect the skin from free radicals.

Like many sugar-based scrubs, this one leaves a moisturizing, oily veil that coats the skin (the result of the six aforementioned essential oils in the formula). It's an issue of personal preference, but I find the balminess of this oil residue a bit unpleasant so, to counteract it, I make sure to cleanse thoroughly with a shower gel after exfoliating. By doing so, I manage to eliminate some of that oiliness, but I still benefit from the skin-loving ingredients in the scrub's formula. The only drawback of having to do this: the shower gel ends up disguising that fresh, fruity Chardonnay smell I find so intoxicating.

Maybe it's time to invest in the Olavie Le Vin Chardonnay Antioxidant Shower & Bath Gel? Yes, I think so!

Olavie Le Vin Chardonnay Antioxidant Sugar Body Scrub, $31.50. Available at Olavie.com

Posted at 11:59 AM in Beauty | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 28, 2010

Zoya Fall 2010 “Wicked” Collection — An Evil Genius

They say the sinners have more fun — and, if that's the case, then Zoya's Fall 2010 Wicked Collection should be part of their beauty arsenal, a colorful electric bolt of naughtiness for their scheming little fingers. Not only do the shades in the nail lacquer collection feature a metallic sheen, but they're packed with glitter particles for maximum sparkle.

The Wicked collection includes the following six lacquer colors: Carrie Ann, a holiday-ready ruby red worthy of Dorothy's famous shoes; Julieanne, a Joker-ready purple saturated with iridescent magenta and silver glitter particles; Karina, a deep garnet red with iridescent apple red and gold glitter bits; Cheryl, a reddish, coppery brown painite gemstone color with lighter coppery glitter particles; Kym, a Carnelian red hue with a brownish tint and gold, copper and pink glitter; and Edyta, a tarnished, steely, olive-meets-myrtle green hue with a transformative sheen and tons of emerald green and antique gold particles.

The best shades in the collection, in my opinion, are Cheryl, Carrie Anne, Julieanne and Edyta. Carrie Anne, of course, has a natural charm given it's Maraschino cherry red hue and the holiday-ready sparkle. Julieanne, too, lures you in from the very beginning, wrapping you in purple tentacles like those from Ursula, the octopus villain in The Little Mermaid. Cheryl was much more of an unexpected surprise for me: on nails, it recalls the darker shade in the furs of wild foxes or coyota wolves, giving hands a feline charm. But perhaps the biggest surprise was the Edyta hue. When I looked at the lacquer in its bottle, I found the color slightly revolting, like the type of toxic waste you'd find in a sewer. And then it occurred to me: either the polish would look superb on nails or it would be the most hideous shade ever to appear on my fingernails. Lucky for me, the hue takes on this tough military vibe on nails, making you feel like a drill sergeant diva. To the left, to the left!

One caveat about these shades: they tend to have a shorter lifespan than most Zoya shades (possibly because of thei high glitter content). Typically, my Zoya manicures last quite a bit of time (one of the many reasons why I adore the brand), but every time I painted my nails with one of these shades, the chipping commenced within a day or two. That being said, if you want sparkly nails, it's worth the extra touch-up time.

Below, you'll find swatches of the lacquers in the collection, so keep reading to check out the photos!

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Posted at 09:07 AM in Beauty | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 27, 2010

Jerome C Rousseau’s Got Next — A Footwear Designer With Plenty of Promise

Who doesn't love a fresh new perspective? Every realm of art and culture relies on both the old and new guards, on the gatekeepers and the gatecrashers, the seasoned and the raw, the old and the new. In the realm of footwear, masters like Manolo Blahnik and Brian Atwood keep serving us top-notch, toe-loving treats, while younger, lesser known designers with innovative design approaches stir up a sense of excitement and intrigue. Every master was once an apprentice, and so there's a captivating sense of promise surrounding a new designer, that sweet taste of potential fulfilling its destiny. But, of course, these new designers often need a push to receive the type of exposure and financial backing necessary to fulfill their visions — which is why Yoox.com collaborated with Alataroma and Vogue Italia on their "Who Is On Next?" competition, aimed at scouting new fashion design talent.

This year, once the competitors had been narrowed to a pool of finalists, Yoox.com selected the winner: footwear designer Jerome C. Rousseau. The Quebec-born designer spent a decade in London and New York, honing his design skills under the tutelage of such greats as Matthew Williamson, Isabella Fiore, and John Rocha before finally launching his eponymous footwear line in Fall 2008.

Now, as the winner of the "Who Is On Next?" competition, Rousseau is presenting designs from his Spring/Summer 2011 collection on Yoox.com. The crowning jewels of the collection are the "Antinea" booties (pictured first and second above), which are available in Poison, a metallic emerald green hue, and Purple. These Italian leather peep toes feature a 4.7-inch heel and sculptural, fin-like details grooved along the sides and popping up along the arch of the foot. My favorite detail is the curved groove along the back of the ankle, which reminds me of an upturned robe collar or an Elizabethean ruff.

The "Zauber" style, a caged high-heeled sandal, also stands out thanks to the interesting patterns created by the strips of black patent leather. If you examine the front of the shoe, you'll notice a rounded, spiderweb-like motif but as your gaze moves upwards you'll notice the orientation of the strips start to change, moving from one side of the shoe to the other in a half-moon arc. The shoe itself, then, is a visual cage in that you can't seem to escape its intriguing design.

To shop these styles and more, head over to Yoox.com!

Jerome C. Rousseau Antinea booties in Poison and Purple, $795 each; Jerome C. Rousseau Zauber sandals, $695; and Jerome C. Rousseau Aizza pumps, $495. Available at Yoox.com

Posted at 12:49 PM in Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 27, 2010

Marchesa Crystal Quartz Clutch Exclusively on Ahalife!

In the spring, red carpet favorite Marchesa launched a line of evening bags that captured the same sense of glamour and fantasy that we associate with the brand's romantic and posh evening gowns. For fall, Marchesa is unveiling a second handbag collection that beats the sophomore slump and, instead, proves that some things are better the second time around. One of the marquee products in the collection is the above-pictured minaudiere, which is covered in hand-stitched and hand-beveled clear crystals and features an elongated shape, rounded edges, and a star shape with burst-like strips along the front.

Inspired by the latest Irish-born actress and dancer Lola Montez, courtesan of King Ludwig I of Bavaria from 1846 to 1848, this crystal minaudiere just launched exclusively on Ahalife.com, a new members-only site. Only four bags are available and, since all these clutches are hand-crafted, each is unique in its own way, so you'll literally be holding a one-of-a-kind Marchesa in your hands.

Marchesa Crystal Quartz Clutch, $2795. Available at Ahalife.com

Posted at 09:42 AM in Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)