Thursday, December 24, 2009

Vera Wang Spring 2010 Wedding Gowns



Many of the wedding gowns that will be featured in shops in their 2010 spring collections were premiered several months ago. Today I thought I’d post the spring collections of dresses from one of the most popular wedding gown designers, Vera Wang.


Here is Vera Wang’s 2010 Spring Collection. The gowns feature lots of light and dreamy layers, some asymmetrical one shoulder gowns, and many gowns with a more fitted look. There’s even some color, from a steely gray, to a mystical green.
resource: spendicity..com

Lindsay Lohan Shows Off Spring 2010 Sexy Leggings

Back in October you’ve seen the first look at Lindsay Lohan’s 6126 Leggings spring 2010 ad campaign featuring Lindsay on a stripper pole wearing a pair of her cut-out leggings, here’s more of the campaign plus a look book. The ad campaign was photographed by Markus Klinko & Indrani in New York during fashion week.
Lindsay’s 6126 Leggings collection is currently available at Revolveclothing.com, 80sPurple.com, FreePeople.com, Nordstrom.com, Macys.com and Singer22.com.


























Saturday, December 19, 2009

Colors for Spring 2010

Pink is one of the key colours in fashion this season


Pink is one of the key colours in fashion this season

Pink is one of the key colors for Spring 2010
Some people think that pink reveals bad taste, but other find the real femininity and innocence that the color brings.

The stylists however are convinced that the pink color and all its nuances will become a synonym of fashion this season.

For a bigger proof you can take a look not only on the fashion podium, but also to the red carpet.

Many stars were influenced by the "explosion in pink" and are not afraid to show it.




Pink is one of the key colours in fashion this seasonPink is one of the key colours in fashion this season
Pink is one of the key colours in fashion this seasonPink is one of the key colours in fashion this season

Pantone Unveils Color of the Year for 2010:
PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise

Turquoise Transports Us to an Exciting, Tropical Paradise While Offering a Sense of Protection and Healing in Stressful Times
CARLSTADT, N.J., Dec. 8, 2009 –Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the color of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”
Whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.
In fashion, Turquoise makes a statement that can look elegant and dressy in fine silk and gemstones, or casual and fun in cotton and athletic apparel. Because of its versatility, Turquoise is a great accent color in jewelry, purses, shoes, hair accessories and even nail polish for women, and ties, shirts and sportswear for men.

For brides wanting a flattering choice for attendant apparel and accessories on their big day, Turquoise is now one of the nearly 200 PANTONE WEDDING Colors available from Dessy, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid, social occasion and flower girl dresses, as well as destination wedding gowns under the labels Dessy Collection, After Six, Alfred Sung, Lela Rose Bridesmaid and Sandals Destination Wedding Dresses. PANTONE WEDDING exclusively from Dessy provides a collection of color tools to make it easy for brides to achieve perfectly color-coordinated weddings – from inspiration to “I do.”

Additionally, Turquoise is one of 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE Paints combine the accuracy of PANTONE Colors with the beauty of high-performance Dutch paints. Perfect for a powder room or bedroom, Turquoise is an evocative, spa-like hue that adds an undertone of warmth and excitement to any cool space. In the kitchen, Turquoise adds a unique flare to tabletop and appliances.




“Splashes of sunshine” is next season’s motto inspired by vibrant hues seen on New York runways.
Lively bright shades: soothing Turquoise, Amparo Blue, romantic Violet, gleaming Aurora yellow and refreshing shades of orange (Fusion Coral) and red (Tomato Purée) add a sense of joy while luxurious but practical neutrals (bubbly Pink Champagne, warm beige Tuscany, the ultimate green Dried Herb and the cool gray Eucalyptus) complement what you already own in your wardrobe.
Pantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: TurquoisePantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Tomato PuréePantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Fusion CoralPantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Violet
Statement pieces for spring 2010 from New York designers’ perspective are, among oh so many!, the red cocktail dress (Badgley Mischka), a purple jumpsuit (Catherine Malandrino), a blue jacquard sheath “that can take you from day to evening” (Peter Som) or the drapey tie-front tan leather jacket (Erin Fetherston)
Pantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: TuscanyPantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: AuroraPantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Amparo BluePantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Pink Champagne
The report also gathers thoughts on the modern consumer’s perception of color in fashion. So, for spring 2010, color will be an important "mood lifter" and a great investment tip offering that unique value that everybody searches for.
A very interesting insight is what Cynthia Steffe's designer Shaun Kearney says: "I think spring is about wanting to be carried away by clothes, finding the fantasy in them, but never leaving the ground. The color palette reflects that in fresh, airy, hopeful colors, grounded by a soft shade of Gray that feels ethereal and practical at the same time". That holds true for the other three neutrals, also, I’d add.
Pantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Dried HerbPantone spring 2010 fashion colour report: Eucalyptus
Image source: pantone.com & style.com

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wrinkles - Let's get rid of them - Use Infrared LED Light Therapy

By Nigel James

Who does not want to look younger? Wrinkles on the skin always prevent a person from looking younger. Wrinkles tell us that old age has set in. Taking into consideration the fact that the human body requires the optimum amount of nutrients, it is obvious that a lack of these nutrients or vitamins result in aging of skin and formation of wrinkles.

The right amount of nutrition gives the skin a well toned look. A wrinkle or age line is a noticeable crease on the facial skin. It is the result of aging and improper nutrient intake. Wrinkles in combination with folds of the skin make the facial features unappealing.

Today, people don't have enough time for themselves, thus they are unable to pay proper attention towards their skin or their body. A young person has more fat cells as compared to an old person. As a person ages, the number of fat cells in the skin decrease, the skin however continues to grow and sags, thus forming wrinkles.

The daily grind subjects a person to a lot of activity and anxiety, resulting in aging of the skin, and setting off of wrinkles. The work and toil makes the skin loose its suppleness, thus showing the brittle bones underneath.

In response to the movement of facial joints during activities like chewing, the face muscles move and tend to subject the facial skin to expansion and contraction, thus causing wrinkling. A less tedious schedule in combination with proper recreation will give your facial skin proper space to revitalize.

To counter aging, there is a vast array of beauty products in the market. Sunscreen not only protects your skin as you move around, it also prevents aging that occurs due to harsh weather conditions. Skin cleansers clean the pores that can gather substances that irritate the skin. The dull look of an uneven skin due to dryness can be countered by a moisturizer. Alpha Hydroxyl Acids (AHA) or fruit acids detach dead skin deposited on the surface leaving your skin smooth and glowing. Apart from all these cosmetics, one thing that really helps wrinkles to stay away is facial exercise. Facial exercise keeps the face muscles well toned giving the skin a firmer look and a younger feel.

Scientific research tells us that the rate, at which skin cells renew themselves at young age, slows down with age. This results in uneven and greasy looking skin. Also, due to the decreased water holding capacity of the skin, it loses its plumpness, resulting in wrinkles.

While wrinkles are a natural phenomenon and they will happen eventually, we do have at our disposal a number of remedies at hand that can help curb the development of these wrinkles. All this is possible thanks to the growth and development in medical science. A number of companies have come out with various products that contain DNA and RNA, that are beneficial in combating the growth of wrinkles and delaying the aging process. Natural proteins such as collagen and elastin are also used widely as they help in rejuvenating the skin. Ceramides are also used to help hydrate the skin, and prevent it from shriveling up due to dryness.

About the Author:

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Why does skin show signs of aging?

As we get older the components of our skin—especially the proteins collagen and elastin—degenerate, which sets the stage for the appearance of wrinkles, creases, folds, and furrows. The breakdown of collagen and elastin, which is accelerated by sun exposure and gravity, results in sagging skin. Over the years, skin is also damaged by other factors such as pollution, harsh soaps and chemicals, cigarette smoke, drinking alcohol, and eating unhealthy foods.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), as skin ages its cells begin to produce excess amounts of free radicals—unstable oxygen molecules. Under ideal circumstances, these free radicals are removed by naturally occurring antioxidants within the skin's tissues. However, antioxidants are in short supply in aging skin cells. Thus, a growing number of free radicals are left unchecked to cause damage to cell membranes, proteins, and DNA. Free radicals eventually break down the skin's collagen, a protein substance in connective tissue, and release chemicals that cause inflammation in the skin. It is a combination of these cellular and molecular events that leads to skin aging and the formation of wrinkles.

Considerable research has been done in an attempt to understand the aging process, and studies show that products producing bioactive effects (those that interact with living tissues or systems) can benefit sun-damaged, discolored, and aging skin. The effects of the red and infrared light from LED Technologies' DPL™ Therapy are giving people new, non-invasive, healthy choices for restoring their overall appearance.

How does LED light help aging skin?

Laboratory studies have shown that skin cells grow 150-200 percent faster when exposed to certain wavelengths of light. More than 40 years of independent research has shown that red and infrared light produced by LEDs can deliver powerful therapeutic benefits to living tissue. These red and infrared lightwaves are absorbed by the skin, and have been shown to effect at least 24 positive changes at various levels.


Visible red LED light penetrates to a depth of about 8-10 mm, and because of the skin's high blood and water content, red light is readily absorbed and can deliver enough energy to stimulate a response from the body to heal itself. Red light is beneficial in treating problems close to the surface such as wounds, cuts, scars, trigger and acupuncture points, and infections. Invisible red light (infrared) penetrates to a depth of about 30-40 mm and is used as a source of energy to stimulate fibroblast cell activity in the skin, which increases the production of those critical anti-aging proteins—collagen and elastin. Infrared light is also effective for treating joints and deep muscles.


LED photons must be absorbed to produce a biological response. All biological systems have a unique absorption spectrum, and this uniqueness determines which wavelengths of light will be absorbed to produce a given therapeutic effect. The visible red and infrared portions of the light spectrum have been shown to be highly absorbent and produce unique restorative effects in living tissues. It is thought that as light photons are absorbed by the skin and underlying tissue they trigger biological changes within the body in a process know as photobiomodulation. Although the exact mechanism of action is still being studied, it is known that this light increases oxygen and blood flow, which facilitates wound healing.


The application of LED light is a non-invasive therapy that activates skin cells with low-level, non-thermal light energy. LED therapy converts light to energy within the skin cells—similar to the process of photosynthesis in plants, which takes sunlight and converts it into food energy. This therapy is one of the only non-invasive tools available today that can reverse the visible signs of skin aging. LED Technologies' DPL™ System provides a proprietary lightwave design that penetrates deep into the skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, crow's feet, irregular skin tone, and other signs of skin aging.

See for yourself how you can enjoy younger and healthier skin in just 9 MINUTES A DAY...without surgery, laser treatments, peels, injections, or expensive creams and lotions.







Sunday, December 13, 2009

Derek Lam Spring 2010 Collection

zimbio.com -Who doesn't dream about the warm summer days filled with color and joy. If you are longing for those days, Derek Lam can sooth your soul with an incredibly warm, fun and feminine fashion collection, so don't hesitate to take a glimpse.

Derek Lam, the well known American fashion designer has managed to create a bolder fashion collection for the 2010 spring summer season. Colorful, fun, elegant and flirty are the 4 basic words that come to mind at the collection's sight.

There has never been a better time to rely on color and Derek has managed to transpose the summer feel into his collection perfectly. Because his sources of inspiration were all about warmth and open nature, Derek Lam spring 2010 collection is wrapped in a certain sunny, breezy and sexy air.

Derek LamDerek Lam 2010
Nothing else could have stated femininity at it's best than a collection in which dresses and skirts dominate the runway. The dresses and skirts had very distinct cuts in order to underline diversity. Short cuts helped emphasize the sexy style of the collection in a very classy and elegant manner. Derek Lam wanted to create a feminine collection without leaning towards too much, outrageous or vulgar. Assorting the simplicity of the dresses with the gorgeousness of the blazers and boleros helped Derek create a very distinct and lovable fashion collection.


Derek LamDerek Lam 2010Derek LamDerek Lam 2010













Flirty playsuits and shorts gave a certain casual look to the collection, a look that could easily be associated with warm summer days. The colors featured in the collection, warm pastels and colorful flower prints almost took you towards a dreamy vacation on a tropical beach. The amount of color used and the combinations of colors balanced beautifully to create a perfect beautiful looking fashion collection.

Derek Lam spring 2010 collection can be a great source of inspiration for the spring summer season as it is everything women could hope to obtain from a fashion collection.
Photos via style.com

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Eyebrow Threading - How to Thread Eyebrows

Eyebrow threading is a depilation technique which originated in India, although it is also widely practiced in the Middle East. Salons in Western nations offered the service to Middle Eastern clients for decades before European and American women became interested and the popularity of eyebrow threading skyrocketed. The hair removal technique is not just for the eyebrows: threading can be used to remove other facial and body hair as well.

The technique is sometimes listed on salon menus as khite or fatlah, which are both Arabic words for threading. Eyebrow threading involves twisting a piece of thread, usually cotton, into a double strand. This double stranded thread is used to pick up a line of hair and then remove it, creating a very clean, precise hairline. Eyebrow threading is the technique preferred by Indian movie stars, who are often distinguished by their crisp brow lines.

Eyebrow threading can be used to eliminate a unibrow, raise the arch of the eyebrow, or add shape and definition to the brow. Because it removes hair by the follicle, it is a reasonably long lasting hair removal technique as well. Repeat visits after three to four weeks are standard. The technique is also not terribly expensive because it is easy to do quickly and does not require costly chemical ingredients. For women who would like to pursue a more natural beauty regimen, eyebrow threading is a good choice, since it does not use harmful products.

Eyebrow threading is a preferred hair removal technique for a number of reasons. Unlike tweezing or plucking, eyebrow threading removes one clean line of hair all at once, making it much quicker and easier to shape the brows. Eyebrow threading also will not harm the skin like wax and some depilatory creams can. If done correctly, the skin should not be red or irritated for more than a few minutes after the eyebrow threading session. Some aestheticians also find it easier to shape eyebrows using this technique than other methods available.



HOW TO THREAD EYEBROWS

How to Get Full and Thick Eyebrows


Here's a new look to try just in time for Christmas festivities and easy to do. Making your brows Fierce, will give your look an extra oomph! and give your eyes the extra framing for a little added attention to that sparkle in your peepers.

It doesn't matter if you have very little to no brows. In fact, the sparser the brow hair you have, the more  beneficial learning basic brows can be to your everyday look. Once you master the added perfection that eyebrow kits can do, you'll wonder how your look ever went with out.

Use this diagram by Beauty and Sexy Tips to find out where your brow should start, arch, and end.

The first thing to do is to determine what your eyebrows should look like. This is done wit some help of a ruler or a very long pen, if you have it.
To determine how long your brows should be, hold a ruler parallel to your nose. Level the ruler with the inner corner of the eye, and you’ve found where your brow should begin. Mark the correct point with a dot using a kohl pencil or similar.












The tricky part is the arch, or where the highest point of your brow should be. Avoid creating an unnaturally exaggerated arch; the shape you’re aiming for is thicker at the inner corner, tapering out over the brow bone. The best way to do this is by holding a ruler from the edge of the nostril past the outer edge of the iris (the colored part of the eye) and up to the eyebrow. Mark the spot with a dot.








‘Connect’ the nostril and the outer corner of your eye with a ruler and you’ll find where your brows should stop. Now link up the dots in a gentle arch to draw the ideal shape of your eyebrow. This will give you a guideline to go by waxing and tweezing.





The perfect products and tools will help you create your desired eyebrows. Though there are plenty of mascara wands and pencils made especially for eyebrows, I find that the best eyebrow product to create "the full and thick look of "Fierce Brows" is the powder and wax combination pans that more and more cosmetic lines are creating.  Here are a few of my favorite eyebrow kits:

Pur Minerals "Mineral Brow Perfection" ($16.50) - The most affordable and impressive of the brow kits. It is best for those with sensitive skin and comes with a clear wax and a universally flattering powder that goes with any skin tone and type.



Smashbox "Brow Tech" ($24.00) - An award-winning eyebrow product (Best of Sephora) that comes in a variety of six different shades. The brow powder has a luxurious and velvet feel. Also comes in a wax and powder pan.



Urban Decay "Brow Box" ($29.00)-The only brow kit that is complete with tweezers, an angled brow brush, and mirror.  With four shades to choose from, each kit comes with two powder shades so that you can create your own most natural combination (or go from light day to dramatic night) and a large pan of wax slides out from the bottom.


If the desired look is that of Audrey Hepburn rather than Sasha Fierce, adding a little pencil on top will do just the trick. Here is a great video by Beauty Guru, Kandee the Makeup Artist,  which shows exactly how to pull off the Audrey-brow-look as well as a couple of tips on how to get your eyebrows looking in tip top shape:





Grecian Dresses: Why The Goddess Style Endures

WSJ.com -Bad times are good for goddesses.

Designers say the economic downturn and resulting implosion of the luxury market has resurrected the Grecian dress, which in the last few decades has emerged as the go-to look at times of financial or social turmoil. Valerie Steele, director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, notes that Grecian dresses were big in the 1970s, after the social revolution of the 1960s, as well as in the 1990s, after the excesses of the 1980s. "We've been in this time of excess and we're in a clean moment now," says Zac Posen, "The Grecian dress is part of that clean moment."
One could be forgiven for never realizing that Grecian dresses had gone out of style. The look has come back twice this decade, on the heels of two economic busts. In 2002, after the dot-com bubble and the terror attacks, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York selected goddesses as the theme for its annual Costume Institute gala for the following year. "In a difficult economy, how do you create something new that is flattering to women? You go to a classical style of dressing," Met curator Harold Koda said at the time.


Characterized by draped or pleated fabric, ruching and shoulders reminiscent of a toga, Grecian dresses appeared on runways and presentations of designers including Donna Karan and Monique Lhuillier during New York Fashion Week last month. "In times of great uncertainty it's natural to be inclined to invest in pieces that are not trendy and bound to be quickly out of fashion," says Carmen Marc Valvo, who showed a number of models wearing Grecian-style dresses at his New York Fashion Week presentation.


Toga-like togs were out in full force at September's Emmy Awards, worn by celebrities varying from Elisabeth Moss of "Mad Men" (Reem Acra) to Hayden Panettiere of "Heroes" (J. Mendel) to Tina Fey (Gucci). At one point, two stars from "Gossip Girl," Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, stood on stage side by side in Grecian-inspired dresses by Versace and Bottega Veneta, respectively, as they presented an award. Ms. Lively even sported a Grecian-style long, braided hairdo.

Another reason women flock to Grecian dresses time and again is that their drapes can accommodate a wide variety of body types and ages. Paula Garces, an actress who stars in the ABC show "Defying Gravity," wore a one-shoulder Carmen Marc Valvo Grecian-style dress for the first time at an award show last month. The actress, who says she is 5-foot-4 and 125 pounds "on a good day," sported "really high" Christian Dior platforms to help pull it off. "The dress had a train and had all these tiers to it. All those things, if you're not really tall, the dress can be really unflattering," she warns, adding that she also put her hair in a long ponytail to lengthen herself. And when it comes to accessories, Ms. Garces believes less is more. "With this kind of dress, everything else should be very simple," she says.
While a Grecian dress can be flattering for all types of women, it can venture into Greek tragedy if one isn't careful. Ms. Meester received mixed reviews; some critics thought the tied fabric at her shoulders overwhelmed her petite frame.

The Grecian dress has been around since, well, ancient Greece. Its earliest-believed true fashion moment was shortly before the French Revolution in the late 1780s, when it symbolized both political freedom and freedom from constricting corsets and hooped skirts. "Many French people identified the style with democracy in ancient Greece, which contrasted with monarchy in France," says Ms. Steele. The look ended with the French Revolution and remained dormant until the early part of the 20th century, when artists like dancer Isadora Duncan and writer Gertrude Stein adopted robe-like garments more as a freedom than as a fashion statement. "It looks like they are at a toga party," Ms. Steele says.

By the 1920s, the classic goddess dress began inspiring fashion designers such as Madeleine Vionnet and Madame Grès, in synch with a revival in appreciation of neoclassical art. Their Grecian dresses set the standard for future designers.






















Sophia Kokosalaki, a Greek designer, was among those who helped popularize the latest craze for Grecian dresses, when stars like Drew Barrymore wore them to events in 2004, according to Jamie Thomas, markets editor at style-trend forecaster Stylesight. Max Azria has since adopted the style into body-hugging mini dresses for women who wanted a more fitted look.



Kristin Cavallari, best known for starring in MTV's reality series "The Hills," says she likes to wear Grecian dresses to events because they're "comfortable and effortless and kind of timeless." "You can be in not the best shape and there are things you can hide with this dress," she adds. But 5-foot-4 Ms. Cavallari never goes without her high heels.