Hey, Kristin: apology NOT accepted!

Lady Gaga…before she got all kinds of crazy.

Back-to-school fashion at its finest.

Oh you know. Rihanna looking fabu as always.

Now THOSE are some lashes.

Wear your perfume. Literally.

The first time I heard about Lush cosmetics I blew it off as an expensive Bath and Body Works. Little did I know, I would become a fanatical Lush fan. Earlier this summer, for a “just because I love you” present, my boyfriend sent me a huge package of Lush products. (He’s cute, I know.)  And now I’ve found something I love more than him: anything and everything Lush.

Although I have fallen in love with Lush’s unique products and packaging, it is the company’s goals and mission that keeps me coming back (and spending the extra cash).

They make it their business to use fresh ingredients, make the products by hand (how many places actually do this anymore?), not partake in animal testing, and protect the planet by making the products ‘green’ or vegetarian/vegan friendly. With minimal preservatives in their products, I have truly been refreshed by the products I have tried and I believe that using fresh products like seaweed and avocados has made a difference in the way these bath bombs and gels work.

Buying cosmetics is important to every girl, but in the current state of the economy, spending money on lavish products may seem silly. However, with a company promising to help the environment and its customers with the freshest and hand-made products, dishing out the extra few bucks is worth it… especially when it comes to these guys: Read More »

Upon receiving my September Vogue, I settled in with my 587-page magazine to read about the excitement of the fall fashion world.  The only problem being that the magazine’s actual writing doesn’t begin until page 207 (no joke).  Luckily, the beautiful ads for Oscar de la Renta, David Yurman and Diane von Furstenberg are more exciting than words could have described.

Oh, if only I could gather the courage to rob a bank. Sigh.

Luckily there were also some ads for the fall’s amazing new perfumes that don’t require me to go all Dark Knight on a neighborhood bank!  No, they aren’t exceptionally cheap, but they are from great designers and smell wonderful. And they last forever, so they really aren’t that expensive in the long run. Besides, it’s about time I accept the reality that it’s nearly fall and put away my “Instant Vacation” perfume.

The new fall scents below are so delicious (and their bottles so adorable!) that the transition into fall will be an easy one. You might even start counting down to it.

Marc Jacobs – Lola: Marc Jacob’s Daisy perfume bottle is so pretty it almost doesn’t matter what delicious scent is inside, and the same can be said for his new perfume, Lola.  At first I thought it was a bit over-the-top, but on the right girl it can be simply lovely.  The notes include pear, grapefruit, rose, fuchsia, and geranium.  Right now it is exclusive to Bloomingdales, and is between $65 and $85.  It smells so good and will look so pretty on my dresser that I’m considering the hour-long drive to my nearest Bloomies. Read More »

Summer is just around the corner!

Err, well, kind of, anyway; it turns out that being home for summer vacation does not mean that it’s actually summer weather.  So, unfortunately I am not sitting on a beach (I tried, but the wind was cold and my leg hair grew back in 4 seconds) and went on a hunt to find fragrances that remind me of the beach (and that have super cute summery bottles!) instead.

So take a timeout from your finals, put on a bikini and spray one of these summertime fragrances. It won’t make the 80 degree days come any sooner, but you’ll smell so good you just won’t care.

Lilly Pulitzer Beachy: Nothing screams summer to me more than a Lilly dress, and the perfume is the same way.  It comes in an adorable bottle and includes scents of watermelon, citrus, and flowers. This scent will really take you from late-night-in-the-library to iced-tea-with-sand-between-your-toes in just one little spritz.

Mark (by Avon) Instant Vacation Costa Rica: This fragrance is worth more than its $16!  Its tropical fruit aromas can easily make you feel relaxed and take you away from your finals. In fact, this may be the exact thing to throw into that bag before heading off to the ‘brary for another all-nighter.

Michael Kors Fiji: Michael Kors has four summer island scents; Fiji, Hawaii, Bermuda, and Capri, but Fiji seems to be the best rated.  Fiji has scents of waterfalls, birch wood, mangos, and kiwis. A cheap “trip” to Fiji? Thank you, Mr. Kors! Read More »

According to studies (and common sense…no pun intended) smell is the most powerful sense known to trigger memories. Each different scent can give us flashbacks to certain times and nostalgic moments past and, hell, even a season.

If you, by chance, decide that you would like to smell like “Spring 2009,” some of the fragrance trends for this season include:

-Limey (But who really wants to smell like the aftermath of a tequila shot?)

-Sandalwood with creamy lactones (Such as coconuts, which your nose considers synonamous with the beach)

-Deep, dry amber notes (Yes, the gem)

-Rose Violet (Featured in almost all perfumes)

-Tuberose orange flower (Huh?)

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking. “Thanks? Am I supposed to go a market now and rub a tuberose orange flower all over myself?” Well, you can if you want to, but an easier way to create that spring scent-track (like a soundtrack for your nose) is to hit up your local Sephora and check out the newly featured perfumes created for Spring ‘09. Here are a few of my favorites: Read More »

[Post courtesy of out friends at StyleBakery.com. For more awesome fashion, style and beauty news, check them out!]

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you beauty gift ideas galore! Each week, you’ll discover gifts of a certain category. Up this week are the most fabulous fragrance gifts money can buy. You’ll not only want to give these to others … you’ll so want to gift yourself a bit too.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Refillable Purse Spray Set

The sweet and sexy fragrance — infused with notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, amber, caramel and vanilla — takes on a new twist in a set of three purse sprays and a refillable atomizer. You’ll be good to go for months — and best of all, the atomizer will look beautiful when you pull it out of your clutch!

$50 at sephora.com

Clean Rollerball Fragrance Set

Shower Fresh. Ultimate. Warm Cotton. One smells better than the next in this set of three rollerball fragrances — though our fave is definitely Warm Cotton, which smells exactly like fresh laundry.

$48 at cleanperfume.com

Read More »

I love Fordham. L-o-v-e it. I’ve got my school t-shirt and my string bag and, yes, that might have been me you saw at the basketball game singing along to The Ram. If you asked me to describe the essence of Fordham, I could tell you about the Jesuit education tradition, or the hard-working student body, or the thrill of studying in New York. Or I could just buy it for you.

Thanks to a new company called Masik Collegiate Fragrances, you can now purchase the scent of your school in perfume form. If scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, the kind folks at Masik have now made it possible to capture the memories of the best years of your life with just a whiff of their product. Want to show off your school pride in a stylish, subtle way? Buy a bottle of your school’s perfume!

I know what you’re thinking: how did they capture the distinctive smell of public-bathroom-disinfectant and Natty Light with just a pinch of mildew? And who on earth would ever wear that? But their methods are much more creative than that. Masik creates specific fragrances based on a variety of factors, such as school colors, traditions, and flowers found on campus. The goal is not to recreate a scent with which students are already familiar (i.e. spilled laundry detergent and leftover pizza), but a new scent that students can adopt and wear and begin to associate with their college memories. Not a bad idea.

Currently, they have developed fragrances for UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State, with Auburn, UF, Tennessee, and others on the way. (Note to Masik: anytime you want to get started on Fordham’s, be my guest.) So if you’ve got any Tar Heels or Nittany Lions fans on your holiday gift list this year, $60.00 will get you a bottle of their school perfume/cologne. And be on the lookout in case your school is next; perhaps you, too could be spritzing a bottle of Eau du Alma Mater in the near future!

Gossip Girl keeps us on our toes…and we love it!

Ever wonder what Santa Clause’s inbox looks like?

The cutest thing about this Christmas card is the dog…yikes!

Imagine smelling a fragrance via your compooper!!

Adorable ideas for winter dates with your hottie…

Gifts that keep on givin’!

This woman sets back feminism about..forever, but I feel bad.

Tina Fey lookin’ mighty fine (and patriotic) on the cover of Vanity Fair…

Hugh Jackman at gay clubs?! WHAT?!

Just because we like seeing people fall…

Miranda Kerr..we hate her cuz she’s beautiful AND dating Orlando Bloom!

Donatella Versace is always entertaining…cuz she looks like a man.

The holidays are the best time to get great beauty bundles for your best girlies, or – umm – yourself. What could be better than getting the best makeup brands at the best prices? Adding a little shimmer to your holiday look could never hurt, and these beauty kits will help you create the perfect look for the year to come. Even better, you can break them down and give the individual components out to lots of people (now that’s some smart shopping!).

Below are some of the best beauty bundle deals out there right now. I’d just wait until the lines die down at the mall (or stick to online shopping) to get these; you don’t want to end up like that Wal-mart employee.…

The Sephora Brand Ultimate Blockbuster: This amazing kit includes 84 eyesshadow colors (both cream and powder) and 60 lip glosses. Also included in this mega make-up kit are blushes, face powders, and brushes. Customer reviews rate the $50 kit at 4 stars, making it a great deal. While some reviewers complain about poor makeup quality, overall I find it hard to complain about such a diverse kit. While you may not find bright blue to be useful on a daily basis, I assure you it will come in handy one day for an 80s party.

Bare Escentuals: Bare Pleasures Kit- This kit includes 9 Bare Minerals eye shadows in neutral and bright tones. These shadows are blendable and easily layerable. They are also easy to convert into eye-liners with a touch of liner-sealant. If you’re an even bigger Bare Minerals fan, I would suggest checking out Nordstrom’s exclusive Bare Escentuals Ultimate Indulgence Collection. This collection is exclusive to Nordstrom and features 20 eye and face powders. These hues, ranging in color intensity, are a $200 value at only $75! That makes it quite easy to justify picking up one for a friend (and yourself.) Read More »

Paris Hilton has a new fragrance that’s called Fairy Dust (note: it is not white, and you cannot snort it), and supposedly, one little spritz smells like:

“…top notes of sparkling Prosecco accord, orange blossom, and pink peony. The middle notes will consist of spring gardenia, water lilly, and peach nectar, and the blend will finish off with bottom notes of cashmere musk, sueded patchouli, and vanilla cream“.

Now, we thought P. Hilton’s new scent was going to smell more like sweat, tanning lotion, and tepid fame, but water lilies and sueded patchouli it is.   What about you?  If you could guess, what would you guess Fairy Dust would smell like?