Nordstrom at NYFW

Ciao ciao!

Signing off from Fashion Week...Pamela, Debbi, Gina and Anna Rosa

She did it again!

Everything that Donna Karan creates - works. Not only does it work - it does wonders on our bodies. Everything from her iconic draped and wrapped jersey pieces to her charmeuse gown reads as effortless beauty. You might have heard someone say, "Donna Karan designs for women."  Well, she does. She is a woman, and she knows what we need to look effortlessly beautiful. Her Spring 2009 collection is no different from the last when it comes to fabric. Her fabrics are heavenly, luxurious and feel incredible against the skin. The colors in this collection are earthy and calm. There’s a dress jacket piece (Look 11 on Style.com) that I find very sophisticated and powerful as well as this flowy pant look (Look 13 on Style.com) that I need to study in person (it's sometimes hard to study from just pictures).  The undertone is pale sky blue – it’s another goddess look, but this goddess seems to be a bit more fierce than the others. Donna’s folding and draping is exceptional. I have few pieces from previous collections that I adore. What I find to be so loyal of Donna Karan is how she lets us mix pieces from one collection to another and the shades, the textures and the silhouettes all play together (also makes it easy on the wallet). When you check out her collection on Style.com - do study the detail shots. These double platforms are to die for, and how excited are you that Nordstrom now carries Donna Karan handbags? This collection is a true Donna Karan collection - it's for every woman that wants to look and feel like a goddess. That said, I'm going to hang out in my walk-in while I drink my morning coffee and pick out a Donna piece to wear to the grocery - because I can. Oh, don't you just LOVE fashion?

 

Do-it-yourself hair for Spring 2009

I love hair styles that are easy to do at home and look like you did it yourself. In many of the shows for Spring 2009, hair trends seem to be simple and pretty with ponytails, up-dos and loose soft waves. All of these looks must start with texture to the hair; it's the first step in creating any great hairstyle.  I met up with the team from Fredrick Fekkai backstage at Brian Reyes to get the tips on how to create a loose messy chignon. This is a great look to pull off on the morning when you're not having a great hair day but you still want to look chic.  Start with Fekkai Coiff™ Magnifique - Ultra-Light Finishing Crème to create texture and volume to the hair.  Then bring texture down into a middle ponytail, wrap around and fasten with a few bobby pins.  Don't worry about tucking the ends.  You want it to look a little un-done like it only took you minutes to wrap and pull together. Finish with Frédéric Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray to keep it all in place and you're good to go! 

Backstage Beauty Spring 09 - Pamella Roland

The Fresh Face at Pamella Roland was created by Luis Soto, National Makeup Artist for Laura Mercier.  Here are his tips on how to re-create this look at home. 

Face:  Start with the new Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer to create a beautiful, flawless look to the skin.  Apply with fingertips and blend. This is a great product when you don't want to look like your wearing makeup but you want your skin to look amazing.  It's a must.  If you need more coverage, layer with your regular foundation to give your skin a glow. 

Eyes:  Across the lid blend a mauve eyeshadow for a wash of single color then take Laura Mercier Matte Eye Colour in Coffee Ground and use on the lash line to give a slight smoke to the eye.  Define eyes with tons of mascara on upper lashes only. 

Cheeks:  Dust Laura Mercier Cheek Colour in Blushing Apple onto the cheek for a flushed look to the face. 

Lips:  Finish the look with Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Bare Beige to keep the lips young and fresh.

             

                                                   

Lippmann & Posen - a fashionable combo

Beauty and fashion go hand in hand.  It's when all the details come together that create a look that is brilliant.  It's the perfect fit, an amazing shoe, out-of-this-world outfit, beautiful makeup, stunning hair and let's not forget polished nails. 

Nail polish has made a comeback and is now the new "it" accessory. Just days before the Zac Posen show Deborah Lippmann was at the makeup test to complete the look with the perfect nail color.  The meeting soon became a collaboration between Deb and Zac that created a completely new shade of polish.  He wanted a color unique to his collection so Deb started mixing and matching on the spot.  The finish result...at the show they had two different shades of polish.  Half of the girls wore "Icing on the Cake" (a new shade launching next month) with "Whatever Lola Wants" over it.  (one coat of each)  The other half of the models wore the custom shade that Zac Posen conceptualized and Deb created.  It doesn't even have a name yet but the inside scoop from Deb is she is going to put it out as a part of her new spring colors for 2009.  Can't wait to see it.