With the holidays just around the corner, the age-old question of what to wear to the festive parties begins. What you choose to wear is important, but what is equally important is how you choose to accessorize.
To brighten up the dark winter drab, FameCherry says, “Micro color-blocking with color rich bangles and rings injects a fun twist into the color-loving trends. Not only do we get to color-block our outfits, we are at a height of a fashion season that promotes color-blocking through jewelry.”
eff.Y.bee Designs does just that with their Smoky Quartz Dahlia bracelet, which comes in a variety of colors. Courtesy of fybdesigns.com
People Style Watch says that for the season, bigger is better- they forecast that statement necklaces, big cocktail rings, and chunky bangles are going to be the “it” jewelry to wear.
Lia Sophia offers a versatile piece, the Inked necklace, which can be worn with a suit or dress. Courtesy of liasophia.com
Whether you are in the office or at a party, remember that your choice of jewelry can really make your outfit. Be bold!
Twenty years ago, the only way to buy jewelry was to go to a store, pick it out, and purchase it. With the advent of new marketing distribution tools and the ever-popular Internet, the variety of ways to purchase jewelry are endless.
Lia Sophia, formally known as Lady Remington, began its current marketing model in the late 1980′s, when owner Victor Kiam and his son Tory discovered “that direct selling provided great earning opportunities, flexible working hours and enhanced self-esteem for those involved. In essence, it was an industry for and about entrepreneurs.”
A distribution model that begins with a woman buying a piece of jewelry, and has the potential to end with her owning her own successful business is a truly notable one. Tracy Leigh, of Clifton, NJ, has carved her own business out of Lia Sophia over the last five years. A STAR Unit Manager, she oversees a team of 25+ ladies with another Unit Manager.
In the following video, Leigh discusses how jewelry is sold through Lia Sophia, and the new social media strategies they are taking.
Brands like Stella & Dot have taken similar approaches to jewelry distribution; their line offers an “innovative social shopping concept which brings together the best of e-commerce, social media, personal service and passionate earning to create the ultimate home based business for today’s modern woman.”
With jewelry companies branching out and moving into both a face-to-face platform as well as an e-commerce setting, it is no surprise to see start-ups blossoming.
eff.Y.bee Jewelry founder Alyssa Kuchta
A recent line to launch is eff.Y.bee Jewelry, whose founder Alyssa Kuchta sat down to discuss her company.
Original eff.Y.bee necklaces
The company profile declares, “The name of our company is eff.Y.bee, acronym for “follow your bliss”, as we seek to inspire individuality and personal style through our unique designs as well as the broader message to our consumers to always pursue what makes them happy. Our designs are handmade by our team of young women in our NYC & DE studios, and many pieces from the line are one-of-a-kind.”
Kuchta displaying the handmade eff.Y.bee jewels
What also makes eff.Y.bee unique is the fact that they are reaching out to college students to represent their line. By making interested and sociable girls representatives of the eff.Y.bee brand, the company outreach blossoms.
eff.Y.bee necklaces and packaging.
Though you can become a Lia Sophia representative at the appropriate age, it is unique of a burgeoning company to target students and have certain guaranteed sales be generated by sororities and charity events. With innovative marketing plans like this, eff.Y.bee is sure to be a hit.
On display, eff.Y.bee jewelry
It is no wonder that both established brands and up and coming brands are taking initiative and utilizing all outlets. Lia Sophia is using more social media marketing tools to generate a larger audience, while at the same time retaining their special hostess system, for a genuine experience when you buy jewelry. Smaller brands like eff.Y.bee are reaching out into a college-campus market that has so far gone untouched.
To contact your local Lia Sophia advisor, you can click here to purchase jewelry or find out how to become an advisor yourself. If you want to purchase eff.Y.bee jewelry or are interested in selling, look no further. Having so many options and different ways to purchase jewelry, there’s really no excuse not to!
Clifton, NJ- On November 3, the annual Holiday House Boutique will open up in Clifton’s treasured landmark, Lambert Castle. Run by promoter Nancy Davis, the boutique is now going into its 25th year.
Merchandise at the Holiday House Boutique
The Holiday House boutique features quality crafts, collectibles and jewelry. Handmade seasonal decorations and festive holiday gifts are also offered, as well as a wide selection of gourmet foods. Displaying the merchandise takes on its own art form- “All the rooms have themes; a vintage room, a jewelry room, two Christmas rooms, and more,” says Davis. A new feature this year? A mancave room, “to keep up with the times.”
The staff and volunteers begin prepping Lambert Castle in the middle of October, though Davis notes that picking merchandise to be in the show is a yearlong process. “We’ve really been trying to pick nice, affordable things–I’m like the personal shopper for Christmas–and it’s not just local, there are items from all around the United States.” With about 100 different vendors showing their wares, you can count on diverse and unique products.
Holiday House Boutique promoter, Nancy Davis
The six-dollar admission fee and the raffle proceeds go to funds for the upkeep of Lambert Castle, notable because Davis says the Holiday House Boutique typically sees between 7,000 and 8,000 customers. “I think it’s the combination of the venue and the experience of merchandise that we show that makes the Holiday House Boutique so special.” Indeed, it is certainly a unique experience to shop through a holiday-decorated castle.
Before the grand opening on November 3, interested customers can preview the boutique on the 2nd, during a wine and cheese night. For $15 a person, you’re also getting two return visits to the boutique. For everyone else, the Holiday House boutique runs from November 3 to the 25th, open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visit the Holiday House Boutique at Lambert Castle, and have a wonderful experience in a truly unique venue while you shop.
Christmas decorations at the Holiday House Boutique
I am an avid user of makeup, and have been since I was about two. Lucky for me, I no longer have the cheap pink plastic kits you get in the toy aisle; I’ve graduated to more mature products. Any beauty product that does not live up to my expectations usually gets returned or tossed, but there is one product that my face never goes without– the NARS Multiple.
In 1994, after brand creator Francois Nars became frustrated with limited cosmetics, he designed his own makeup line to rectify his personal idea of beauty. NARS became synonymous with chic.
narscosmetics.com
“Today, NARS has grown to a full spectrum of fashion-forward and classic makeup shades, advanced complexion products, professional artistry tools and a complete skincare line”.
Advanced complexion products indeed, for NARS has created the magic stick, The Multiple, for (as its name promises), a wide range of uses. With 18 different shades (three of them are bronzers), The Multiple can be used as eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, lipstick, body contour, and more.
narscosmetics.com
What I love most about the product is the easy application. The Multiple is a chubby stick, almost the size of a piece of chalk, but even directly applied does not overwhelm. I use a combination of the colors South Beach and G-Spot as a bronzer/blush duo. In the summer, Lamu, which has glitter in it, is my go-to for nighttime; I can’t tell you how many compliments I’ve gotten on my bronzed, sparkly skin.
Another great thing about them is they really last forever. I started using them three years ago, and have only recently had to restock. I find that the only drawback to the magic stick is its asking price, of $39.00. Still, I’m a firm believer in paying for quality, and I can safely say that this is a quality product. To get your own Multiple, visit the NARS website, www.narscosmetics.com.
Side partings and vintage hairstyles are making a comeback
As a fashion-fanatic, you would have seen a whole range of hairstyles being modelled down the runway or featured in magazines – some better than others. Even though it’s the clothes everyone is admiring, it is also important to get the right hairstyle and make-up to compliment the outfit.
This is why so many professional make-up and hairstylists are called in from all over the world; their job is to prune and prim all the models before they hit the catwalk. During huge fashion showcases such as Milan or London Fashion Week, a team of professionals are called in – there might be a hairstylist whose work has been featured on Rush.co.uk, a make-up artist who has done work for Dior, or even a top hairdresser from Toni and Guy. So what can we expect to see on the catwalk this year?
Partings
Side partings are becoming more and more popular at the moment. This neat style sees the hair being parted drastically to one side and smoothed down with serum or gel to give it a shiny and sleek look. It can be worn when your hair is down or even when it’s tied up which makes it even more slick. This style has been adopted by the likes of Diane von Furstenberg and British fashion designer, Victoria Beckham. It’s ideal for the catwalk because it is simple and plain which means the clothes still stand out.
Vintage-inspired styles
All retro and vintage styles seem to come back into fashion – we’ve had floral dresses, big bows and pointed stilettos in the past, but now vintage hair is making a return. This style sees bits of hair being twisted and pinned back against the head. In addition, the bouffant hair-do and the prim flicked bob style which is worn with small clips and Alice Bands, has been used by many designers including Peter Jensen. This retro hairstyle has found its way onto catwalks in all four fashion capitals.
The infallible Kate Moss was the center of Vogue US’s April 2012 photoshoot. I just saw these shots, but my favorite one was this:
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Though Kate’s clothes in this spread seem more Great Gatsby-esque, the whole shoot was reminiscent of the Vogue September 2006 shoot. Annie Leibovitz photographed Kirsten Dunst in Versailles, to promote Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette. My favorite photo from that shoot was this one:
lulugracevintage.blogspot.com
John Galliano designed it entirely out of garbage bags. Insane!
There was something notable to mention on Mad Men last Sunday. (There always is, and Roger’s LSD trip was the funniest scene I’ve watched on the show, except when Ken ran over the guy with a lawnmower).
REGARDLESS, it was Jane’s kimono. She wears this when she tells Roger their marriage is over, and I loved everything about it. The deep v-neck, the slit up to there, the green blue color…it was the best outfit of the show, in my humble opinion.
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This was the best picture I could find, but it looked best when her and Roger were talking in bed the next morning.
The best outfit of Mad Men has easily been Megan’s dress during Zou Bisou Bisou. Janie Bryant, the show’s costume designer, said of the dress,
“It was all about the sleeves,” she says. “I knew she would be singing a song and I knew that she would dance and I talked with Matt [Weiner] about how it would be choreographed. So it was about the arms and also the legs, because this was when the miniskirts were invented. Actually, I just read that Courreges invented them and it was Mary Quant who made them popular. There is always that battle going on between designers.”
I’ve heard of them before, but I never really listened to them. I listen to Sirius XM or Sirius XMU for almost all of my new music, and I heard this a few times and loved it.
“Gun Has No Trigger”- Dirty Projectors
Getting a spot on the playlist? We shall see how many times I listen to it.
