butter LONDON + The Knot at Kohl’s

Wedding season is upon us and what better way to celebrate than with butter LONDON’s newest collaboration with The Knot. Join us next Saturday, May 20th, at Kohl’s Caesar’s Bay for complimentary manicures and makeup touch ups.

 

butter LONDON + The Knot Beauty Spotlight Event at Kohl’s

Saturday, May 20th

11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Kohl’s Caesar’s Bay

8973 Bay Pkwy #1, Brooklyn, NY 11214 (Beauty Department)
RSVP for manicures and makeup touchups – 718.266.6357

Eavara Botanical Facial Cleanser and Pure Paradise Day Cream | Beauty Review

Most women want to appear naturally beautiful without the dependence of makeup.  On this site, I am always an advocate for glowing skin because it’s the foundation (or the base) of cosmetics application.

Eavara has a new Botanical Facial Cleanser and Day Cream.  The company’s philosophy is organic and natural skin care.  This means, there’s no chemical ingredients that could potentially irritate the skin.  

I had the opportunity to review the product line.  My first impression was the botanical scent and soft texture of the cleanser.  This particular product can be used both day and night, which is the proper skin care regimen.

After washing my face and patting dry with a towel, I applied the Pure Paradise Day Cream.  The directions on the bottle states use after cleansing and before makeup.  

After using the product (for a week) my skin had a natural, radiant appearance and received fewer breakouts due to the climate change.  To learn more about the product for yourself visit Eavara.com 

Memorial Day Beauty Must-Haves

With Memorial Day just around the corner, upgrade your beauty routine for the new season and only pack the essentials! Look your best all weekend long with these beauty must-haves.

Cool off after a few days in the sun with the KORRES Greek Yoghurt After- Sun Cooling Gel. An ultra-cooling cream gel that immediately provides long-lasting freshness and comfort to the face and body. Ideal for after sun exposure, nourishing Greek Yoghurt hydrates the skin, instantly relieving excessive heat and stinging. Cooling Gel helps reduce skin redness and prolong suntan ($26; Sephora.com).

Store the Lavanila Laboratories Mini Sport Luxe Deodorant in your beach bag for long lasting freshness all weekend long. This deodorant was created for life in motion. Lavanila’s proprietary, award-winning beta glucan technology is infused with SmartSport™ for high-performance defense and nourishment, and bursts with long-lasting vanilla breeze freshness to break down sweat molecules and deliver superior, invisible, all-natural odor protection. ($9; Lavanila.com).

Take your Cuvée Essentials wherever you go while traveling this long weekend. A three-piece travel set to help prolong any style, the Shampoo, Conditioner and Styling Balm are the basics for the girl on the move. Shampoo and Conditioner to gently cleanse, add shine and hydration. Styling balm will help protect, tame frizz, without weighing hair down. Now that’s glamour on the go! ($30; CuveeBeauty.com).

Keep your hair up and out of your face in the summer sun, while still looking chic with the Hairdo 23” Long Wave Pony – which clips right over your own ponytail! This 23” Long Wave Pony features Tru2Life® heat-friendly synthetic hair that can be flat-ironed, curled or blown out, and has a long, smooth band of wrap-around hair that securely attaches with a hook-and-loop fastening strip for a look that’s seamless. ($59; Ulta and Ulta.com).

How-To: Advice For Fashion Start-ups

It might seem daunting setting up your own fashion business, but our advice can help!

 Featured Photo from H&M.com

Launching your own business can be very rewarding, but also very demanding. You’ll need to juggle many balls in order to get the business launched and trading successfully. Therefore, it’s important to do some thorough research and planning. With a large amount of competition out there, it’s essential to have a business strategy in place that is clear and on point.

Create a business plan

 

A business plan is like a personal roadmap, that outlines your goals, visions and objectives. It will be central to the business development and will be a helpful tool to measure progress and success.

You also need to work out how much finance you will need to set up and run the business until it starts generating income. Fees can include the cost of sample collection, marketing materials, professional fees, insurance and any deposits required for rent or utilities.

Plan your collection

 

It is tempting to get carried away when designing a collection of clothes or accessories, but for the first few seasons, it’s better to create a small focused section to target a specific group of people. Once you’ve built up a reputation and have a good sales history, you can expand the collection more.

You could hire an image model to model the clothes in photo shoots, as a way of promoting the range. Image models are beautiful women who have a unique charm, grace and energy and can adapt to any situation they are in. They look after themselves well and of course photograph well, so you would be able to have a collection of professional photographs ready for your clothes line.

 Check out competitors

 

Don’t be afraid to research and find out about your competitors, it helps to learn what other people in the market are doing and you can learn a lot from analyzing a competitors business model. It will help you to identify your USP and helps to give your business a slightly different edge to others in the industry.

Keep on top of your finances

 

Make sure to monitor your cash flow on a regular basis. Doing so well help you foresee any potential problems from happening and will give you time to find suitable solutions. Rather than being faced with a bill that you cannot pay.

Marketing

You’ll need all the help you can get, so it would be an innovative idea to join groups where you could meet people and forge collaborations with other like-minded people, such as designers, entrepreneurs, social media influencers and bloggers. Anyone that can help promote and get the word out for you about your brand is a big help. Always carry business cards with you to help build up a database of useful contacts, because you never know who you might meet!

Starting a fashion business isn’t easy, but if you feel passionate, are driven and have a clear vision, it can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling industries to work in.

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FIVE TIPS FOR HAVING A HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY from Lauren Smith Brody

For many of us, Mother’s Day means a bouquet of flowers, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, or—if we’re really lucky—a lovingly-and-slightly-burned breakfast in bed. And those things are all great!

But parenthood is all about making memories, and that traditional trifecta (flowers, candy, toast), can start to blur year to year. Studies have shown that experiencing new things for the first time together is very bonding—and memory-making. Every other day of the year, you’re the one teaching your kiddos how to do something you already know how to do. Why not share a completely new experience together? You’ll walk away with the gift that lasts longer than the hardiest construction paper heart: A real memory to treasure.

Featured Photo from SouthernLiving.com

Our phones are often an integral part of making memories—whether it’s calling our loved ones or taking photos. That’s why I’m teaming up with Total Wireless to talk about how to do Mother’s Day like a “boss.” Here are some unforgettable ideas:

  1. Create a family playlist and have a dance party.  The internet is your friend here. Choose a hit song from the birth year of every member of your family, from great-grandparents down to the baby, for a uniquely-yours mixtape. And then, obviously, dance! Or karaoke. Or both, your call.
  2. Move it! It doesn’t matter whether it’s a 5K race, a family yoga class, or an easy stroll around the block, a little exercise is good for everyone. Bonus points territory is ordering matching exercise gear (go ahead and be That Family). Search online for “custom t-shirts,” or do a deep dive into Etsy for inspiration. Yelp may have some suggestions for a local vendor too.
  3. Play food stylist. You know those time-lapse recipe videos? Why not try making one as a family? Best-case scenario, you’ll end up with shareable directions your little sous chefs can send to their friends. Worst case? You’ll have some messy laughs…and order in pizza.
  4. Dig in the dirt. It’s Mother Nature’s day too, after all, so honor her with a visit to a local garden, or plant one of your own. (Window boxes count if you live in an apartment like I do!) According to proflowers.com, May is the perfect time to plant roses, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and more.
  5. Set a hug alarm. Cheesiest idea on record…and yet, we dare you not to enjoy it. Most mornings of the year, your alarm is go-time for the morning rush/panic. Today, let everyone in the family set his or her own alarm on your phone for a family hug session. Don’t forget to reach out to your far-away family members. Video hugs and screen kisses count too.

Lauren Smith Brody is the founder of The Fifth Trimester movement to help businesses and families improve workplace culture together. Her book, The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom’s Guide to Style, Sanity, and Big Success After Baby is just out from Doubleday. Prior to launching her own business, Lauren had a 16-year career in magazine publishing, most recently as the executive editor of Glamour magazine at Condé Nast, overseeing the magazine’s features, beauty, and fashion content, as well as brand and digital extensions and editorial events, including Glamour’s annual Women of the Year awards. She’s partnering with Total Wireless to share her “total boss mom” strategies—hectic schedule, two little boys, messy home, and all. Check out TotalWireless.com to learn more about their affordable plans and high-end smartphone selection.

Amazon Prime Now Celebrates Mother’s Day with Free Two-Hour Delivery of Fresh Flowers

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Prime Now, Amazon’s superfast delivery service, will be offering FREE two-hour delivery of fresh flowers starting on 5/13 through Mother’s Day, 5/14.

 Featured Photo from Passion for Savings.com

Fresh flowers are always a great way to show the moms in your life how much you love and appreciate her. Whether you want to save time by skipping a trip to the store, you can’t be with your mom on this Mother’s Day and want to send her a gift, or you just forgot to get a gift until the last minute, Prime Now has you covered!

 

In addition to fresh flowers, Prime Now offers one and two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items from Amazon, including awesome last-minute Mother’s Day gifts such as jewelry, cards, candy and beauty products.

 

Amazon Prime members can shop all items available in their area and place orders via the Prime Now app or on www.primenow.com. One-hour delivery costs $7.99, and two-hour delivery is free.

Spring into summer with Caposaldo Cocktails

What better way to cool off during the warm summer months than with a cool and refreshing summer cocktail?

Whether you are grilling in the back yard, throwing a summer party or just chilling out, Caposaldo cocktails are sure to refresh as well as impress.

Feeling inspired? Share your own #CaposaldoWine cocktails with us on Instagram and Facebook @caposaldowine!

To find a retailer near you that sells these wines, please use the Kobrand Wine & Spirits retail locator: Kobrand Retail Locator

 

 

FROZEN PEACH BELLINI

5 oz Caposaldo Sparkling Peach

2 oz Peach Fruit Purée

Ice

GLASS: Coupe Glass

GARNISH: Peach or Strawberry Slice

PREPARATION:

Combine ingredients except ice in blender. Fill serving glass with ice and pour into blender.

Blend until smooth. Pour blended beverage into serving glass. Garnish.

 

BUBBLY RAZZ

4 oz Caposaldo Moscato IGT

1 oz Caposaldo D.O.C Prosecco

Splash of Crème de Cassis

GLASS: Champagne Flute

GARNISH: Fresh Raspberries

PREPARATION:

Pour Moscato and Prosecco into flute, splash Crème de Cassis on top. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

 

WILDBERRY SPARKLING SANGRIA

4 oz Caposaldo Sparkling Peach

1 oz Wildberry Fruit Purée

1.5 oz Cranberry Juice

.5 oz Brandy

GLASS: Red Wine Glass

GARNISH: Whole Berries, Citrus Slices

PREPARATION:

Combine ingredients in shaker in the order listed, minus Caposaldo. Cap and shake vigorously.

Pour into serving glass and add any needed ice. Top with Caposaldo, gently stir to mix and garnish.

Summer Styles Are Getting Cheeky – STS Blue Denim

With summer approaching and temperatures getting hotter, shorts are getting shorter! What’s hot from STS Blue this summer is cheeky too: short shorts with messy frayed hems, high-rise, super destroyed, exposed button flys, color block, and just in time for Memorial Day, white side slit shorts. To kick off the summer season, STS Blue will be having a “May madness” giveaway, where they will be giving away a pair of shorts every day, all month long.

The STS Blue denim line has become a favorite of Millennials due to the fact that the brand is always on trend with affordable pricing. “We want young girls to be inspired by their peers, so we partnered up with Instagram sensation Ava Lane (@Avaalanee) to design an exclusive style of denim shorts girls will love,” says STS Blue creative director Evelyn Ober. “We love working with girls like Ava. Bringing out their creative power is what STS Blue is all about.”

The Ava Pali Fray short is star studded, literally. STS Blue teamed up with actress, photographer and designer, Ava Lane, who stars in the web series aptly named “Summer Break,” to curate a limited edition design collaboration. The Ava Pali is the newest body out there this spring, the curved hem elongates the leg and ups the cool factor. This short is packed with details: star embroidery, copper hardware, deconstruction and an extreme fray hem. This can be a unique stand out piece in your wardrobe as quantities are very limited. Reserve your size here: http://stsblue.com/ava_pali.

Other trends in shorts you’ll see this summer include slouch styles, super destroyed, high-rise, low rise, extreme fray hems, special embroidery, and button fly short shorts. Another one to watch for, and continuing in to the fall, is color blocked designs, featuring looks that alternate between light and darker indigo blocks. You’ll see rises from 8 ½”-10 ½” and inseams from 2-2 ½” in washes such as white, black, destroyed, tinted, and dark washes.

Stock up now on the hot new trends, before they are gone and selections become limited. To shop new summer styles and find out how to enter STS Blue’s “May madness” giveaway, follow @STS_Blue on Instagram and visit STSblue.com for contest rules. To grab your pair of The Ava Pali Frey short before they sell out, because only fifty will be produced, reserve your size here: http://stsblue.com/ava_pali.

About STS Blue:
The STS Blue denim line is inspired by the casual LA and Southern California vibe. They live, breathe and love denim! STS Blue styles are true to size, and are made in a variety of fabrics to execute perfectly authentic washes while maintaining a flattering fit. They offer cotton, polyester, spandex and rayon blends for that comfortable, laid back, and effortlessly chic SoCal look. STS Blue is sold at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, and Von Maur, as well as online at STSblue.com. Styles include skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans, denim shorts, and more; all with a friendly price point, averaging $50.

For more information, visit the site at: STSblue.com and follow the latest Cali trends @STS_Blue.

Eye Health with Glasses and Shades | Sarah Bernard

Our eyes are windows to the world, and we’re not doing enough to protect them. Constant exposure to the sun ‘and’ screens is taking a toll on our eyes.

We don’t think twice about grabbing sunscreen to protect our skin from harmful U-V rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer. But, most people don’t realize our eyes can also suffer sunburn; causing both short and long-term damage.

But the great outdoors isn’t our only concern. On any given day for approximately 8.5 hours, our eyes are fixated on TVs, computer screens, iPads, e-books and smart phones. The Vision Council reports that blue light penetrates deep into the eye, which may result in:

  • Long-term vision problems, such as macular degeneration, cataracts and damage to the retina
  • Sleep disruption, due to the suppression of melatonin

It’s time to keep your eyes on the prize! The world’s leading provider of eyewear solutions is focused on helping you see your future with lines specifically designed to protect your eyes from sun and screen exposure!

Lifestyle and Fashion television contributor, Sarah Bernard discussed:

  • Limiting blue light exposure with the 20-20-20 rule
  • Foster Grant’s protective eyewear  — 4 collections specifically designed to protect eyes, including readers!  With consumers age 35 and up now using them, it’s no longer an “age thing”. Think fun, fashion option!
  • The in-style specs for the summer

Sephora Inside JCPenney Grand Opening Recap

Sephora hosted their grand opening inside of JCPenney at the Riverchase Galleria. There was live music, demos, and customers received a clutch bag with samples. A few of the featured beauty brands included Urban Decay, NARS Cosmetics, Beauty Blender, La Mer, GlamGlow, and Marc Jacobs.

Grand opening visitors could receive free mini makeovers; creating a Smoky Eye, Essential Eyeliner, Polished Brows, and Contouring.

I purchased Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss and Sephora Collection Mink Eyelashes for my beauty arsenal.