[FashionRatty] tag: personal

Come Together for World AIDS Day 2008!

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:13:52 +0000

Today is World AIDS Day 2008, which is held each year on December 1st. It is a day when everyone comes together to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic. This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. As the organization’s site says, “Whilst we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done.”

If you’re looking for a way to get your beauty on and raise some awareness, check out:

Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 ($8.50), which sports the symbolic red ribbon. During the entire month of December, 100% of the proceeds of this lip balm will be donated to YouthAIDS.
MAC Cosmetics’ Viva Glam Products are available year-round and 100% of the selling price goes to MAC AID Fund. Several choices in lipglasses and lipsticks are available.

What can $14 do?

$14 would produce 28 copies of free treatment and prevention information
$14 provides round-trip transportation for three people to attend support programs
$14 buys pantry items for nutrition program serving women living with HIV/AIDS
$14 buys formula for 15 babies
$14 covers the cost of school supplies for five teens affected with HIV/AIDS
$14 provides materials to support four volunteer tutors
$14 buys one unit of Therapeutic Recreation for one client
$14 pays for one food pantry bag, containing enough food for a family of three for one day.
$14 purchases one Hospitality Kit, containing personal hygiene and grooming products,
given to clients upon entering a housing program.

– MAC AIDS Fund Factsheet

Do We Need To Follow Fashion Trends????

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:39:45 +0000

Fitting in- slavish, sensible or sensational?

Renato Palmi from The ReDress Consultancy-South Africa asks if following trends is a good practice for young South African fashion designers.

Seasonal change cues fashion media editors to present the public with "must-have" and "no-no" listings, which, no matter how individualistic or judicious we might think we are, subtly compel us to reconsider the stock in our private wardrobes.

In these times of economic strain and budget adjustments, does "fitting in" with rapidly changing fashion cycles not pose challenges to designers and consumers alike? Are we prisoners of fashion dictates, or could we consider co-creating new looks with minimal expense? How can local fashion designers sustain themselves by working around and within global and local market forces?

Through aggressive marketing, our individual identity can become effaced by homogenised clothing, a veneer that suggests we are part of a recognisable whole. Trend forecasters, retailers and brand conglomerates launching new styles, fabrics, cuts and colours stoke the coals of peer pressure that conditions us to be seen in the latest ranges. As social beings, we are construed as a collective commodity travelling in a continuum of design renovation that is dictated by a few but embraced by the masses, often with little thought to suitability or personal imagination.

Being seen in the right brand wearing the "in" label of a particular designer neutralises our individuality and leads to a contradiction of the purpose of fashion: individual style portraying human uniqueness; instead, we become fashion clones.

By conforming to seasonal trends, are we not impeding the innovation and growth of young fashion designers emerging in the market? There are a few designers who have created distinctive aesthetics and have steadily built a brand following. These looks are not confined to the examples seen on catwalks at Fashion Weeks events; idiosyncratic, semi-mass-produced, wearable garments are also available.

The old saying, "catch them when they are young" can be applied to fashion education. For example, when experts visit fashion colleges and advise students on the latest European trends - as if these are the unassailably essential forms of good design and as such, critical to design success - are we not diluting their imaginative resources?

Both student and established designers are required to be in touch with global fashion directions, but is it a prerequisite to emulate these trends without any re-interpretation? The colours for 2009 are, according to the style forecasters, moving away from metallic finishes to a more earthy, subdued colour palette; ripped denim might resurge, and for younger women, appropriation of men's jeans (known as "The Boyfriend Jeans") will be in vogue and Deep-V-T-shirts and jerseys could be the 2009 new style for men.

We need to respect the genius of our learner designers, and support them in steering away from reliance on European trends. This information is available for reference, so rather than delivering lectures on trend templates, their curricula should cover instruction in sourcing, assimilating, and interpreting the data, with a view to redefining trends in the local context and according to their own design sensibilities.

Continue Reading At...........
Image Credit : myddnetwork.com

Kirsten Dunst is on Stalker Alert

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:16:00 +0000

Kirsten Dunst has obtained a restraining order against alleged stalker Christopher Smith.

The declaration states, “Mr. Smith has repeatedly shown up uninvited at my place of residence in Los Angeles, going so far as to ignore police warnings, bypass my personal security measures, trespass on my property, and attempt to gain entry into my home.”

“Mr. Smith’s sudden, aggressive, and harassing efforts to contact me are extremely frightening. I fear not only for my own personal safety, but also for the safety and well being of my housemate and assistant.”

A private security guard adds, “[Mr. Smith was] arrested and subsequently placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold.”

For more, tune into ET later today.

I can design!!!!!!!!!!

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:55:00 +0000

Victoria Beckham is launching today her own fashion line. After trying hard to sell her jeans she has gone a bit further with a cocktail dresses collection that it's really in line with her personal style plus some influences such as Herve Ledger or Roland Mouret. you can sneak a look at it here.

Yes! I know, she is another I-can-desing-celebrity... you know what I think about them, but it seems this is seriously and I personally approve the collection and find it very stylish. I'm wondering who else is behind it...

Just an advice for other celebs with too ambitious minds: why don't you try with your own collection too? I seems easy, doesn't it?

(I just hope you can notice the irony on my words)

pictures from style.com

Bobbi Brown - The A-List

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:31:00 +0000

Filed under: Celebrities with Style, Contests & Giveaways, Beauty Tips

Bobbi Brown - The A-List

Celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown and her fantastic range of beauty products have been helping you look gorgeous for more than a decade. Now she's sharing her behind-the-scenes beauty tips in a new book, Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual. Browse the gallery for Bobbi's personal style secrets, then leave a comment below to win a free copy of the new book.

People might be surprised to know that my secret beauty weapon is: Concealer, its the secret of the universe.

Getty Images/Bobbi Brown

The drugstore product that I've been using forever is: Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap.

Dr Bronner's

My favorite skincare product/trick is: In cold dry weather, use olive oil on skin and hair to keep it moisturized and healthy looking.

Getty Images/SXC

The best hair care is: Leonor Greyl or Bumble and Bumble's Crème de Coco products.

Bumble and Bumble/Leonor Greyl

I never travel without: My iPhone.

Getty Images

My fashion staple is: Hudson jeans.

Getty Images

My latest shoe obsession is: Prada loafers.

Prada

The biggest beauty risk I have ever taken is: Cutting off all my hair when I was 21.

Bobbi Brown

What makes you feel your best? I feel my best right after I get off my spinning bike.

Kettler

Win a copy of Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual -- here's how to enter:

Leave a confirmed comment below telling us which one of Bobbi's A-List tips you found most useful.
The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Friday, December 5, 2008.
You may enter only once.
One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
One winner will receive a copy of Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual; valued at $32.
Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and over.

Click here for complete Official Rules.

Winners are notified by email, so double check to make sure we have the right address!

Bobbi Brown - The A-List originally appeared on StyleList Blog on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gordon Ramsay's Wife Turns to Victoria Beckham Amid Affair Claims

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:15:19 +0000

Gordon Ramsay's wife, Tana, has turned to pal Victoria Beckham amid claims the TV chef has been having an affair.

Tana is said to be struggling to come to terms with the claims her husband has been cheating on her - and has been pouring her heart out to Victoria over the telephone.

Posh, 34, was left reeling in 2004 after it was claimed her husband, David, had been having an affair with his personal assistant. And she told devastated Tana: "I'm here for you day or night, whenever you need to talk."

Calmitude Hydrating Solution - Bioelements

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:05:06 +0000

When I first heard about the Calmitude Hydrating Solution ($26), I thought it was something similar to Fix +, and it kind of is…both are meant to be a hydrating spray for the skin, but Fix + has, I think, a bit more to do with the makeup end of the daily routine than the hydrating end.

Meant to be sprayed on the skin after cleansing, Calmitude Hydrating Solution hydrates the skin on contact with soothing ingredients including licorice root extract, white tea extract, betaglucan, and allantoin. Licorice root extract reduces redness and inflammation, while white tea extract protects against free radicals and stress. Betaglucan & white tea extract work together to protect against antioxidant depletion & to stimulate the skin’s natural defense against environmental stresses, and the allantoin is known for its healing properties.

I’ve got dry skin, and winter winds in Texas aren’t a joke, it’s not particularly cold here but the wind bites through and sucks ALL the moisture out of every exposed piece of flesh. It’s not uncommon for my skin to truly HURT from how dehydrated it can get because of the wind…I started spraying the Calmitude on two or three times a day, especially after showering/washing my face, and before putting on my makeup…and my face doesn’t get quite as chapped or feel anywhere near as tight.

If your skin is sensitive, or you’re like me and on the drier side of the coin, having Calmitude Hydrating Solution on hand as another layer of defense against the elements is an excellent thing. Check Bioelements.com for availability and spas near you!

Copyright © 2008 Specktra Beauty News. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@blog.specktra.net so we can take legal action immediately.
Plugin by Taragana

Britney Spears - The Glamour Interview & Photo Shoot

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:01:53 +0000

Britney Spears will be gracing Glamour magazine in it’s January issue. The pop princess also spoke to the magazine about her life these days, saying she is stronger and more focused than she has been in some time.

GLAMOUR: OK, the VMAs. Three awards, that standing ovation. How did it feel?

Britney Spears: It was awesome. It was really cool.

GLAMOUR: What was going through your head while you were standing onstage?

BS: This whole year has been a hell of a year for me. I have been working so hard on my album, but…I didn’t know exactly where I stood with everyone. When I received the awards and [the audience] stood for me, it showed me how much love is out there.

GLAMOUR: You seemed so confident.

BS: This has been a crazy year for me. I got a lot of strength from it.

GLAMOUR: If you could send a message to your longtime fans who aren’t sure about buying your new CD, what would it be?

BS: Well, I have been working on this album for a while now, so it’s really close to me. I think they will get a taste of where I’m coming from. Hopefully it will be my best work yet.

GLAMOUR: How does it feel to come back?

BS: I have “come back” so many times, people are just like, Is this another one?… It’s kind of like a joke to me now.

GLAMOUR: How are the lyrics on this album different from your earlier songs like “…Baby One More Time”?

BS: I think they’re a bit older because I’ve experienced more. [The album’s] got a cooler vibe.

GLAMOUR: I just heard “Womanizer.”

BS: That’s a really empowering song. There are so many guys who take advantage of girls and play girls all the time. The song is basically saying that we’ve got your number—we know what you’re up to.

GLAMOUR: Describe Circus for us.

BS: It’s really personal, and I think people will feel that when they hear it. It’s me talking to them, instead of just singing a song about something.

GLAMOUR: I’d like to know a little bit about a day in the life of Britney. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

BS: I fix breakfast for my kids when they’re here. And then we’ll go for walks. During the day I spend most of the time with my children. At night is when I go to work.

GLAMOUR: What is one of the last things you do at night before you go to bed?

BS: Watch TV. I love Sex and the City.

GLAMOUR: Speaking of kids, do you feel like you have the same body confidence now after having kids?

BS: I’m getting there. Recently I started to appreciate my body a bit more from before I had kids. But it completely changed, and I have had to work hard at getting it back to where it used to be…. I used to be obsessed with working out…. But I can’t get motivated right now because I’m so focused on my music.

GLAMOUR: You shouldn’t feel guilty about not going to the gym every single day.

BS: It isn’t fun [for me], so to do it every day would be horrible. Three days a week is cool, even two. It makes me feel good and feel like I’ve done something. It’s important to take care of your body.

GLAMOUR: What was it like for you when Jamie Lynn [Spears’ sister] had a baby?

BS: It was mind-boggling!

GLAMOUR: Do you have advice for her?

BS: As a mother, the one thing that always goes through your head is, You’re never enough. You never can be enough—or do enough—for your kids. It’s a never-ending issue for me. I had to learn: Don’t beat yourself up so much…. You have to take it one day at a time, do the best that you can and enjoy yourself. I notice that if there are some times I’ve been stressed, because I’m human and stress about things, that affects your kids. So you have to make sure you’re a happy mom so they can be happy.

GLAMOUR: What do you plan to teach your boys about how to treat women?

BS: Hopefully they will respect me by the way I carry myself, and in doing that, they will know how to respect other women.

GLAMOUR: How do you feel about the example you’ve been setting?

BS: We have a nanny in the house, but there are always times when one of my kids does something bad or wrong and they’ll listen to me more than they do the nanny. So I think it’s important to set up that boundary of respect for them at a young age, so they will know, I better listen to Mommy.

GLAMOUR: If there’s one thing that you want them to remember your telling them, what would it be?

BS: That I love them unconditionally.

GLAMOUR: Everyone seems to have an idea of what you are like. What does everybody get wrong about you?

BS: I don’t like going out. I hate clubs. I hate being around too many people. I love my home and staying in bed and watching Dancing With the Stars or reading a Danielle Steel novel. I’m kind of boring.

GLAMOUR: Did you say you’re kind of boring? I think people will be really happy to hear that! How do you envision your life five or 10 years from now?

BS: I would love to have a lot of albums under my belt. And a couple of movies…. In five years I would like to be married and have a father figure for my kids, someone who is a provider and can be really stable. It’s hard doing it on your own.

GLAMOUR: Who understands you most?

BS: Probably my mom. We butt heads the most, but we understand each other the most too. It’s a weird thing.

GLAMOUR: This is appearing in our January issue, and that’s when we all make resolutions. After everything that’s gone on, what will some of yours be?

BS: I would like to stop worrying so much, because I worry all the time. And to learn how to be happier, just in general. I have to learn to take things not so seriously. And to stop biting my nails!… Recording this album has helped take my mind off certain things. For me, my music is therapy.

GLAMOUR: How do you feel about the tradition of New Year’s resolutions?

BS: I end up breaking them. It’s hard.

Related Smacks

Weekend Beauty Read

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Lilan from The Daily Cookie adds a little sparkle to her holidays with Givenchy Pop Gloss Crystal in two new LE shades!

A Touch of Blusher talks about major trends in Japanese cosmetics.

Felicia at ThisThatBeauty is doing her own personal rendition of the MAC and HELLO KITTY collection. Check out Felicia's HELLO KITTY Face of the Day.

The Makeup Divas reviews and tells you about a scrumptious selection of bath and body care products, that are perfect to use as stocking stuffers!

Beauty411 shares time-saving tips and styling suggestions for holiday hair without the hassle!

Beauty Anonymous brings you Shiseido's Majolica Majorca Holiday 2008 Collection.

Beauty Junkie in SF discovers Diptyque's luxurious candles in San Francisco's Maiden Lane.

All Lacquered Up ponders whether men can wear nail polish or if it's only acceptable on rock stars.

The Beauty Blog Network shares maybe the best post ever.

Elke finds a Holiday Gift Set for $25 that even Dr. McDreamy would approve of.

Face Candy helps you choose between the Lancome's Holiday Beauty Box and Estee Lauder's Holiday Blockbuster.

Beauty Banter dishes on the must-have Holiday Hair... all the celebs are sporting it!

Head on over to Beauty in Real Life to find out which fabulous new skincare products make the cut in Christine's morning routine.

TJ Maxx: The World of Off-Price Retailing

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:46:37 +0000

Last week Monday, TJ Maxx put up thirteen reputable bloggers for a daylong event at their Farmingdale, MA (near Boston) offices to demystify the world of off-price retail. No magazine editors—just bloggers and it felt empowering for our medium.

Chatting with the likes of Shoe Smitten’s Anna Basham, Fashion Bomb’s Adriana Nova and the lovely duo of Angie and Greg Cox of You Look Fab let me know that there are likeminded bloggers passionate about style and fashion!

On the evening prior to the fun-packed proceedings I’m soon to speak of, TJ Maxx put us up in the impressive Fairmont Copley Plaza for the night, (I didn’t get any personal pictures sift through the site for your own viewing pleasure) and took us for a bite to eat at Skipjacks. Both the hotel and dinner were a fantastic prelude to Tuesday’s activities which saw the TJ Maxx President, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Manager of Media Relations spend their time unravelling TJ Maxx’s elusive business structure for us bloggers.

For a few of us, myself included, the world of off-price retail was a mystery. The mantra behind the fashionomics (as TJ Maxx so eloquently terms it) of off-price retail is simple: selling clothing and accessories from major-label brands at low prices. The economics is even simpler by virtue of

1. the solid relationship TJ Maxx’s buyers have with a plethora of vendors the world over.

2. the opportunistic buying strategies TJ Maxx employs in favour of more traditional department store methods of buying.

When a department store reneges on orders due to poor sales or errs in forecasting trends, overrun is the end result and this excess product is snapped up by TJ Maxx from vendors at a slashed price. In turn, this marked down price TJ Maxx receives is generously extended onto the consumer in the form of close to rock-bottom prices for choice, high-end items. Moreover, this expedient type of buying occurs year-round unlike department stores that purchase merchandise seasonally so you, as the consumer, never really miss a beat. Now if you can wrap your head around this concise little spiel, then you have a firm hold on the nuts and bolts of off-price retailing.

The model however does have an adverse effect. Karen Coppola, the Senior Vice President of Marketing, spoke of the negative perceptions TJ Maxx receives when it’s pitted alongside discount or high-end department stores. Quite frankly, I can admit to having a difficult time putting my finger on which category TJ Maxx falls under. Is it a discount store? Well, technically yes when you can score a purple silk Marc Jacobs’ dress for $79.99!

Does TJ Maxx compare to Macy’s, Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus? Naysayers are quick to disagree and quip about the quality and the brands at TJ Maxx being comparable to Walmart. Granted, less than five percent of TJ Maxx’s merchandise has unnoticeable irregularities, a minute hallmark the company has been unable to shake over the years.

However, the fact is that carrying a characteristically prim Marc Jacobs dress or a cream and black Michael Kors tunic dress is not mark of a fashionably fledgling brand and when TJ Maxx can afford to stock the likes of Catherine Malandrino, Vera Wang, Versace and a host of other high-end brands, it’s kind of a slap in the face to be contrasted stores such as Walmart and a slight to be excluded from the rung of high-end department stores.

Despite the misconceptions, none of these issues truly faze TJ Maxx. They take pleasure in their gutsy off-price business model and it came across in each respective presentation made by the executives.

All this talk of off-price retailing was capped off with a themed game titled the “The Price Is Right” in which items from TJ Maxx were modelled and we all had to guess the price to claim each coveted item. As a man amongst women, the odds were stacked against me. Pregame jitters got the best of me as I overshot my first four guestimates by a good $100. Nerves were one thing, but I was equally hard done by the fact that some of the prices were just too good to be true. Eventually I nabbed a Michael Kors bejewelled tunic dress that was originally priced at $157. My guess: $49.99!

Afterwards we were off to do some heavy duty taste-testing at the TJ Maxx outlets just beside their headquarters. Having already spoiled us (the swanky hotel, the care packages filled with goodies, and the giveaways) our hosts granted each of us a $250 shopping spree.

Based on the day’s events, it’s evident that the folks at TJ Maxx are working hard at shaking the “cluttered store” stereotype that has plagued them over the years. I’d never considered TJ Maxx as a shopping destination and truth be told their menswear department could do with some touches of avant-garde, but I was mightily impressed with what they had to offer in terms of womenswear.

Dainty dresses galore could be spotted in the newly implemented boutique area called Runway at the Maxx. Similar to The Cube, Runway at the Maxx is a space set aside for appeasing the shoppers’ cosmopolitan shopping tastes. The space is stocked with not only stunning designer evening wear, but it’s teeming with casual and career minded ensembles and fashion forward footwear and accessories.

I’m hopeful that a boutique space for men will surface in the not so distant future….