Style+Life+Fashion is the brainchild of Kimberly West, a consultant, and on-air lifestyle expert. Although Kim started blogging as a hobby due to her love for Fashion, she quickly gained a loyal following as a respected industry expert and contributor for numerous fashion websites. She seeks to provide the latest trends as well as educate consumers about all aspects of fashion. Kim has hosted television segments as a fashion and lifestyle expert with ABC 33/40, WBRC Fox6, ABC2 News, Fox 45 WBFF, The List Baltimore, and WBAL News. Her fashion interviews include well-known industry experts such as Tai Beauchamp, Tomima Edmark, Julie Weiss, Clinton Kelly, Gianni Rich, Darius Gibbs, Dean Banowetz, and Lilliana Vazquez. In addition, she’s interviewed reality star Queensly Felix and R&B Artist, Keyshia Cole. She has also collaborated with online features for Glamour Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Macy’s, and worked to stream digital content and video for New York Fashion Week 2010.
As we move forward with the Spring season, I wanted to share a few of the beauty products that I am currently using. The products discussed in this video can be purchased at any local Sephora or department store.
Director Baz Luhrmann’s film The Great Gatsby debuts on May 10, and with it, The Great Gatsby Collection by Tiffany & Co., inspired by the film and created in collaboration with Academy Award®-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin.
The spectacular jewelry is based on designs from the Tiffany Archives and worn by the film’s all-star cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, who appear as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. “The jewelry symbolizes the story’s themes of wealth and privilege, and we approached its design with the utmost style and luxury in mind,” said Jon King, executive vice president of Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany’sdazzling creations illuminate the characters’ rarefied world of New York penthouses and Long Island estates. Ms. Mulligan’s Tiffany wardrobe includes tassel necklaces and jewels with lustrous conch pearls. At evening soirées her blond bob is circled with the Savoy, a headdress of diamonds and cultured pearls, and her gestures are accented by a hand ornament in a daisy motif and diamond rings with the Tiffany® Setting. The daisy is also featured in earrings of Tiffany Yellow Diamonds and a long-stemmed brooch.
Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Jordan Baker, wears chandelier earrings of rose-cut diamonds, bracelets of diamonds and seed pearls, and Art Deco-inspired rings of sapphires and diamonds in platinum. At posh parties her elegant ensembles are accented with fluid diamond necklaces and earrings of cushion-cut black onyx or emerald-cut aquamarines.
Mr. DiCaprio’s custom Brooks Brothers shirts are finished with oval cuff links of black or green enamel on 18 karat gold. Essentials such as a slender card case and flask in sterling silver fit smoothly in the pockets of his tailored linen suits and tuxedo.
I have to admit that I will fall in love with anything that’s embroidered. Not sure if this has to do with my childhood or the fact that I grew up watching my mother sew and create custom made clothing. And no, she wasn’t a tailor or semstress but she too had a true love for fabrics, textures, and design.
So with that being said, my love affair with fashion began at a young age (partially because of the obvious reasons) but mostly because of the connection/bond between myself and my mother. When I was five years old, she taught me how to sketch paper dolls and design clothing. At the age of seven she bought me my first sewing machine and said, “today you will learn how to sew clothing…for your Barbie dolls.” On my sixteenth birthday, she arranged for me to learn makeup application (at the cosmetics counter.) My sophomore year in college, I decided to leave my Psychology major for a degree in Fashion Merchandising and she encouraged my decision (even though in the back of her mind she wanted me to become a Child Psychologist.)
Last month, I decided to travel “home” to visit my parents and of course, my mom had something special for me. As I opened the shopping bag, I see a pair of embroidered jeans. She began to explain where she purchased the jeans and how much she paid for them (which is something we like to do!) Immediately I became excited because I knew that I could (or at least) try to “pull” off these jeans.
In lieu of the upcoming holiday (Mother’s Day) I wanted to write this post for my mom and show her how I “styled” my embroidered jeans. Like the quote says, “April Showers brings May Flowers!”
To read more about where to find a pair of embroidered jeans, click on the link here: Lucky Magazine
About Faces is one of my favorite day spas and salon. While living in the Baltimore metro area I’ve had the opportunity to partake in a variety of their services, from having an all day birthday package, to enjoying a “mommy and me” spa day, and coordinating a “girlfriends” pedicure with a glass of wine (over looking the harbor.)
I have never been disappointed with their level of professionalism, products, and services. Most importantly, their day spa and salon caters to all skin and hair types. The best shampoo, straighten, and blowdry service I’ve ever had, happened (on my birthday) at About Faces in Towson.
And while every spa/salon has their own set of services, each location provides a tranquil atmosphere which encourages rejuvination and relaxation.
Of course as we approach Mother’s Day, I have to acknowledge their top picks when we consider gift giving! According their facebook page some of their selections are actually a few of our favorite beauty products:
Lastly, don’t forget to enter their Mother’s Day Photo Sharing Contest! The guidelines for the spa/salon include following their Instagram site, share a photo of yourself with mom, and hashtag #aboutmom and tag @About Faces.
Are you currently searching “high and low” for great Mother’s Day gifts? Thanks to the Towson Town Center Guru, Rebecca has provided us with tips when shopping for that special lady.
Whether it’s a pair of designer purse, stylish pair of sunglasses or a delicate necklace from Tiffany & Co. she gives us classic gift ideas for this upcoming holiday. To learn more about shopping tips, visit towsontowncenterguru.com
I tried Philosophy 27 Wishes for the first time this week! The idea behind the brand is, “we live in a world of to-do lists. Multitasking is no longer a talent; it is a required skill. Don’t you wish on thing could take care of everything? your wish is our command.”
Philosophy 27 Wishes is a skin nurturing, multi-purpose balm that helps to moisturize cracked heels, dry elbows, rough cuticules, fly away hairs, and much more.
Additional products that are apart of the Philosophy brandincludes cleansing gels, eye creams, fragrances, and much more.
PHILOSOPHY 27 PRODUCT REVIEW
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To find more skincare products from the QVC beauty department, click on the link: skincare category
Tabitha Bethune, longtime actress and award-winning playwright, is releasing her new evening wear collection, La Playbill. With the desire to reignite interest in elegant formal wear, Tabitha Bethune of The Wild Life Reserve, decided to create beautiful, timeless clothing under the LA PLAYBILL brand. Looks from the collection will be previewed at the Bal des Artistes event presented by the Creative Alliance of New Orleans.
About LA PLAYBILL:
Tabitha is a lover of the arts, and for this reason, LA PLAYBILL is a tribute to the arts. A LA PLAYBILL gown is the perfect marriage of timeless beauty and comfort. LA PLAYBILL’s signature is 18 Karat gold stitching at the hem of the gown to accentuate its level of excellence. Therefore, a LA PLAYBILL gown is to be handed down to the next generation. Because Tabitha is a New Orleans native and NOCCA alum, her fabric choices tell a story with an exquisite voice. A LA PLAYBILL gown celebrates all the important moments in a woman’s life while allowing her to feel confident, beautiful, and splendid. LA PLAYBILL gowns don’t just make statements but tell stories.
About Tabitha Bethune:
Tabitha Bethune, designed LA PLAYBILL to pay homage to the arts and her undying love for the theater. Making use of rich, smoldering fabrics, Bethune constructed remarkable gowns each inspired by some of the world’s favorite plays, artists and movies from both the present and past. In addition to the 18 karat gold stitching found in every hem of LA PLAYBILL gowns, Bethune’s signature line contains dramatic cuts and tailoring.
The daughter of a seamstress, Tabitha Bethune was introduced to sewing at an early age. Beginning when she was five, Bethune regularly assisted her mother by threading needles and cutting patterns for her as she sewed clothing for her seven children. Bethune soon recognized her passion for designing garments, which flourished in her adult years.
In 2006 Tabitha married Micaiah Bethune, designer and owner of the locally renowned men’s clothing line, The Wild Life Reserve. Collectively under the umbrella of The Wild Life Reserve LA PLAYBILL’s mission seeks to preserve elements of raw fashion that have been eliminated by mass production void of personal style. Bethune’s LA PLAYBILL comes to fruition as a result of today’s relaxed fashion culture that has been stripped of black-tie standards and has lost sight of the respect once paid to the stage by simply dressing up.
Tabitha Bethune would like to thank her two wonderful children Jasmine and Olivia Bethune as well as her husband Micaiah Bethune .
Imagine a watch or piece of jewelry with an innovative design that includes metals so precise that NASA uses them in satellites. Or, an accessory adorned with metals in remarkable hues that are 500 times thinner than a human hair. These are just a few of the cutting-edge innovations LuxeFoil™ will debut this month at BASELWORLD, the world’s largest watch and jewelry show.
“LuxeFoil™ offers luxury brands a powerful combination of technologically advanced and breathtakingly beautiful materials that differentiate them from the competition and deliver up a competitive advantage, says Travis Ayers, LuxeFoil™ President. “The luxury watch and jewelry market already values precision, rarity and unique items. They also value craftsmanship and reliability. Those are all the things that are the heart of Luxel’s corporate culture and have been for 40 years. So it seemed like a natural place to start with LuxeFoil and take that into new markets. We look forward to launching the collection to the world’s pinnacle brands at BASELWORLD in a few weeks.”
For more information about LuxeFoil™ please visit:
INTERVIEW WITH LUXEFOIL DESIGNER/COMPANY PRESIDENT
TRAVIS AYERS
What inspired you to enter the luxury watch industry?
I love watches but most of all I love innovation. One day I was flipping through a catalogue, I think it was Nordstrom, and was immediately drawn to the accessories and watches. Around the same time, back in the lab, I was examining a foil through a microscope and realized it wasn’t just functional, it was beautiful. The shine, color and reflection it produced, along with the quality that I know we’re able to achieve seemed the perfect fit for the watch industry.
How long have you been working in this?
We have been producing material for the aerospace industry for nearly 40 years but are very new to the watch and luxury goods industry. It’s quite a different world and we’re learning so much as we prepare for Baselworld.
In your opinion, what makes your materials unique? How can they help watch brands?
LuxeFoil™ materials are produced with a patent-pending process that involves the latest nano fabrication techniques, similar to those in semiconductor and photovoltaic industries, can are used as a design element to enhance the face of a watch. We makes foils 500x thinner than a human hair, in approximately 20 different materials. For example: Gold, Platinum, Titanium. We even offer more exotic materials such as Zirconium, Niobium, Boron, Palladium, Silicon, Rhodium, that routinely survive rocket shots launching them into space.
What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
We have been tasked by major space agencies around the world, including NASA, The European Space Agency (ESA)and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. In fact, our materials will be launched on ESA’s first mission to Mercury in 2015. Our biggest fashion-related accomplishment at this point is showing at Baselworld, the largest watch and jewelry show in the world which takes place this week in Basel, Switzerland. We’ve received great response from our initial outreach and are looking forward to the many meetings we have scheduled with some of the top watchmakers in the world.
What’s your favorite watch or watch companies?
I have a Rolex Submariner that my wife bought me when I finished my MBA but I am also drawn to several IWC designs.
What other experience do you want to share about working in the fashion industry (stylist, retail, marketing, etc.)?
The outreach and brand positioning in the luxury market is entirely different from dealing with Space Agencies. It is such a vast market and branding is much more intentional. It is very exciting to learn.
What’s in the future for LuxeFoil?
We expect to offer our stunning materials to watch companies from around the world.
Alexander McQueen is one of my favorite designers. The clothing/designs from this (fall 2013) collection is the epitome of couture and represents “all” that we love about high fashion.
Most importantly, the quality of the garments and ornate details can not be replicated.
Take a look at Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2013 Lookbook. Click on the link for more details about the collection: Refinery 29.
Brandy Gomez-Duplessis is a New York and Connecticut Makeup Artist. Brandy, a native New Yorker, has worked at Estee Lauder in New York, the first M.A.C. Cosmetics counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans, and owned and operated her own makeup boutique BGD Beauty Bar in New Orleans.
In demand as a freelance makeup artist, Gomez-Duplessis relocated back to New York and this is where this fashion forward maven began to craft her brand. As a New York Makeup Artist, Brandy Gomez- Duplessis is always moving between celebrity clients, red carpet events, fashion shows, and various makeup assignments.
Gomez-Duplessis has worked with: Kerry Washington, Golden Globe & Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Kim Kardashian, Malin Ackerman, Angela Bassett, Khloè Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Jordin Sparks, Reggie Bush, Chris Paul, and Usher. 
Additional Credentials: The View TV Show December 2012 Key Artist for Sherri Shepard Wig Segment L’OREAL Paris “Women Of Worth Awards” December 2012 Beauty makeup on honorees L’OREAL Paris USA November 2012 Glam Holiday Makeup Magaschoni Showroom November 2012 Beauty Makeup MTV 10 On Top Fashion Special November 2012 Key Makeup Artist Stila Cosmetics November 2012 Winter Makeup Looks L’OREAL Paris USA November 2012 Glamour Magazine #WOTY Awards Imagine Dragon Music Video November 2012 Key Makeup Artist Stila Cosmetics October 2012 Fall Makeup Looks 
The Fly Cut October 2012 Beauty makeup on guest L’OREAL Paris Project Runway Collection Party October 2012 Beauty makeup on guest L’OREAL Paris Product Launch September 2012 Makeup on L’OREAL Executives Cesar Galindo Fashion Show September 2012 Beauty makeup on models Project Runway Finale September 2012 Beauty makeup on models Limelight Shops Fashion Night Out September 2012 Special Guest Makeup Artist did beauty makeup on guest 
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