FAB 5 OF THE WEEK: Five outfit pieces I gotta have for my next snazzy event or night on the town (that won’t break the bank, of course).
1. C&C California Geo Sequin Tee, $30
Ahh, the blingy drapey’ness.
2. Wayf Crepe Track Pants, $55
Just the right mix of comfy casual and chic sophistication (no MC Hammer here).
3. MICHAEL Michael Kors ‘Brena’ Bootie, $250
Outfit maker. ‘Nuf said.
4. Leith Bold Silver Cutout Cuff, $34
Modern, architectural… check, please.
5. Leith Bold Silver Spiral Band Ring Set, $30
See comment above.
FAB 5 OF THE WEEK: Five products you gotta have on your radar for Spring
I admit, unashamed, that I’m a beauty products junky. I’m known to spend untold amounts (I’ll never tell!) on irresistible creams and elixirs to fill my insatiable need. I’ve got warm-weather skin on the brain and these products are on the must-have list to gear up for spring:
1. Murad Active Radiance Serum with Resilient-C™ Complex
In a word, this stuff’s magic. Vitamin C and AHA’s get down and dirty to brighten and protect against the environmental stresses that jack up your skin on a daily basis. And it’s gentle enough for my sensitive skin. My face was noticeably dewier after just one day of using it. But, get ready to buck up cuz it’s a bit pricey–$89 for 1 oz (ouch!). A little goes a long way, though. And skinstore.com is now offering 20% off site-wide, so that helps the wallet some. Buy it now.
2. Mario Badescu Azulene Calming Mask, $18
Soothes/hydrates your winter skin in 20 minutes and its clay base minimizes pores. Every time I use it, my face is as soft as a baby’s tush. Buy it now.
3. Philosophy Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20, $38
I’ve tried a lot of tinted moisturizers. This one literally has it all–an airy, souffle-like texture, serious staying power, doesn’t make my sensitive skin break out, and comes in 8 shades from extra light to dark so finding my exact (multi-racial) match was no problem. I’m totally hooked. Buy it now.
4. Mineral Fusion Eye Pencil, $14.99
I have insanely sensitive eyes but a girl just wants a little definition. It took years of trying all kinds of eye liners touting “hypoallergenic, all-natural minerals, yada-yada” (and some seriously itchy, red, and even swollen peepers) to finally find Mineral Fusion eye pencil in coal (black). I happened to picked it up in my local Whole Foods on a whim (kept my receipt of course). And, by george, it works! It’s apparently formulated with chamomile, meadowfoam and vitamin E to soothe delicate skin around eyes and it’s free of gluten, paragons, artificial colors, fragrances and talc. But I think the real trick is that it actually stays put and doesn’t end up running into your eyes at the end of the work day or night on the town. Miracles do happen. Buy it now.
5. Benefit “Watts Up” Highlighter, $30
When I set out to find a subtle highlighter that gives the perfect dewy “red carpet” glow, I didn’t realize this was much easier said than done. Too glittery, too greasy, too thick/chunky…need I go on. I FINALLY stumbled upon Benefit Watts Up. The cream-to-powder formula goes on flawlessly and application is easily controlled depending on how much glow you want. It literally melts lightly into the skin leaving the perfect luminous sheen. There’s even a spongy tip for blending, but I find my fingers work best. Buy it now.
FAB 5 OF THE WEEK
1. Cool Indy-Accessory Lines
Accessories are the easiest–and cheapest way to update your closet. Here are a couple of intoxicating and addicting indy designers who take DIY-chic to the next level:
Best Friends Brooklyn, a new jewelry line made by Charlotte Greville and Danielle Mayer, features drool-worthy necklaces of vintage glass beads and oversized emerald-cut blocks of exotic woods like marble ebony, bocote, and burl, all hung from delicate chains or sturdy wax cotton cords. Prices start at $65. Go to Best Friends Brooklyn.
Boo + Boo Factory’s Christina Anton hand-makes her funky geometric leather jewelry in her downtown Los Angeles loft. Her background in architecture influences her unique, brightly-hued recycled leather creations. You’ll make a real statement in these intricately free-form necklaces, earrings, brooches, hairclips and rings inspired by scientific elements like molecules, cells, and vertebrae. Gotta see ’em to believe ’em. Prices start at $18. Go to BooandBooFactory on Etsy.
2. The 13 Healthiest Snack Foods by Details Magazine
Finally–some tasty (and interesting) choices in nutritious-packaged snacks. Go to Yahoo Shine.
3. The Best of the Best in Summer Beauty Essentials by WhoWhatWear
Top new products on the market from melt-proof makeup to must-have hair care products. These amazing items will keep you looking pretty and polished all summer long. Go to WhoWhatWear.com.
4. Affordable AllSaints (say what?)
Love me some AllSaints. Their celeb-fave leather jackets are to die for, but there’s lots mo’ to love from the label including ridiculously luxe cashmere and wool blend sweaters, jersey knits, shoes and accessories. But the price tags can be daunting. Don’t fret–hit the AllSaints’ Archive online store and grab some great deals on some way awesome stuff at 50% off. Check out the sweet kids gear, too, for back to school. Better hurry, though, stock doesn’t last long. Got my eye on the black suede cropped “Lowe” jacket (now $165 down from $330) and brass cabochon ring set (now $30 down from $60). Go to AllSaintsArchive.com.
5. Eco-Money Savers Hiding in Your Own Home by Yahoo Finance
I’m always looking for effective ways to going green and saving bucks. Def trying a few of these idea gems for around the house including using cheap coffee filters to clean glass instead of pricey paper towels and mixing a small dish of baking soda with a few drops of essential oil and placing wherever a little freshening is needed. Go to Yahoo Finance.
Cravin’: Organic Sculptures From Element Clay Studio
2. 
Designer Kimberly Ovitz: Edgy-Chic and Simply Fab
Kimberly Ovitz Uriah Tank
If you’ve never had the pleasure of feasting your eyes on designer, Kimberly Ovitz’s clothing line, you’re in for a real treat. In a word, she’s FABtastic. Known for her sense of “sophisticated androgyny,” Ovitz, who holds an art history degree from Brown and completed an intensive design course at Parsons, honed her skills apprenticing with J. Crew and Karl Lagerfeld at his Rue Cambon studio. In 2009, after designing for edgy-chic lines like Imitation of Christ, Ya Ya clothing, and Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent, the L.A. native launched her drool-worthy collection of womenswear.
K.O.’s Fall ’10 collection is inspired by a redefinition on equestrian, adding texture and geometric shape through sheer fabrics and cut-out silhouettes. Her signature black and white palette rings true through the entire collection. My fave piece is the stunning Uriah Knit Tank with its slightly sheer knit top and asymmetrical raw cut contrast hem. Paired with a varietal of sleek, clean-lined leggings–from shiny, to sequined to leather to even gray denim–the look is a battleship hull-bustin’ force to be reckoned with. Excuse me while I catch my breath…
I’m not gonna lie, her collections are pricey, but worth it if you can swing it. If not, use the pieces as inspiration to assemble more wallet-friendly looks.
Rad Grad Gifts
Gyms and stadiums everywhere are filling with gown-wearing, mortarboard-donning grads and their puff-chested families this time of year. And you’re likely racking your brain for cool grad gifts. Why resort to the same old boring stand-bys–e.g. frames, photo albums, lockets, gift cards to Borders–when you can give a gift that’ll really wow. Here are a few ideas that are sure to make your grad feel rad without putting a deep dent in your bank account:
Tokidoki Makeup Gift Set from Sephora – hands down, this is the cutest makeup line you’ll ever see. Creator and Italian artist Simone Legno (love this guy!) brings his cult-favorite designs and colorful interpretation of life to a new makeup and accessories line available exclusively at Sephora. A complete line of eyeshadows, liners, lip stains, bronzers, luminizers, and more are packed in gorgeous containers adorned with Tokidoki’s insanely lovable and colorful characters. The formulas are flawless, too, with ingredients like nourishing rice lipids and soothing kudzu and marine extracts. Snag an adorable coordinating makeup bag and fill it to the brim.
($8 and up, sephora.com)
Stylish Travel Luggage – Your grad may be jet setting this summer and they need to do it in style. These uber-chic hardside travel cases from Heys USA are just the ticket. My faves: the perfectly-sized carry-on XCase and the 12″ VCase Beauty Case. Choose from a rainbow of colors and prints to suit any taste.
($70 and up, heysusa.com)
Cool Fujifilm Instant Camera – Instant (Polaroid) photos are back and this white retro-inspired instant camera from Fujifilm with flash, retracting lens, and over-sized viewfinder looks way cool and is super-easy to use.
($69, amazon.com)
Classic with a twist CC Skye bracelet – Nix the cheesey tennis bracelet, this one is MUCH cooler. The elegant 24-K-gold plated Mini Spike bracelet from hip accessories designer to the stars, CC Skye, makes a bold statement without being over the top.
($125, ccskye.com)
Cravin’: Doma Leather Jackets
I am jonesin’ for Doma leather jackets . You’ve probably seen them on celebrities like Megan Fox, Taylor Momsen, Lindsey Lohan, Dakota Fanning, and more. The South American company’s leather jackets have A-listers drooling over the flawless, cutting-edge “shrunken” fit, buttery-soft, broken-in, all-weather leathers, and huge selection of colors you can’t find anywhere. But these gems don’t come cheap–starting around $400. So, I’m still savin’ for my Doma cravin’.
Fresh and Clean Spring Scents
Spring is my fave time of year. The weather is perfectly temperate and the air is so crisp and clean you can see from the ocean to the mountains (a big deal in L.A.!). All this fresh air got me thinking about perfumes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big perfume’y person. But there are a few that I stand by–all of which let you bask in the glow of the clean, natural freshness of spring every day, all year long. These three timeless, light fragrances don’t arrive in the room before you do, and most importantly, won’t break the bank.
Musti Eau de Soin (3.3 oz., $29), a fragrance by the fab’est baby skincare company on the planet–Mustela–is a delicious, alcohol-free scent for all ages–from infants to teens to adults. It has super-airy and sweet notes with extracts of plants renowned for their skin softening properties. You won’t believe it until you try it.
Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Green Tea (1.33 oz Eau de Toilette Spray, $59) is pure and natural luxe in a bottle. It’s Bvlgari’s original signature scent (since 1992) and hands-down their best. The beautiful green bottle hints at what you’re in for before you even open it–a delicate and discreet, yet lively and citrusy scent of green tea. Delish.
CLEAN Ultimate Eau de Parfum Spray (1 oz., $38) says it all in the name. It has juicy notes of Italian Bergamot and Provencal Lemon with Lavender, Jasmine, White Rose, and Muguet with sensual Neroli and Musk. It’s one of those fragrances that smells better and better as the day goes on–clean, fresh,and warm.
The FabMonster 
