In the Nude

As the mercury rises this summer, consider going nude - manicures, that is!

The Wall Street Journal had a great article this weekend about the trend away from wild and crazy nail art towards simple nude manicures. We love this trend for summer since, while we often admire avant-garde manicures on other people, we are way too uncoordinated to pull of such complex works of art on the mini-canvas of our fingernails.  It's just so easy to give yourself a DIY manicure using these colors, and the best part of a nude mani is that the inevitable chips don't show up as badly, making these manicures last so much longer. 

The Journal highlighted five high-end designer nude shades which manage to look super-glamorous even as they are barely there. We'd love to try all of their picks! 

• Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Nudite: (Nordstrom, $20) The Journal mentions that this shade is totally opaque, which is great since we love shades that provide total coverage.

• By Terry Terrybly Nail Lacquer in Skinny Latte: (Barneys, $30) This polish has the added plus of containing Okoume resin, which strengthens and protects nails, so while it looks sheer and barely-there, it's actually improving your nails while you wear it. 

• Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Beige: (Chanel.com, $27) The Journal says that this color is reminiscent of the brand's iconic quilted bags in beige, which sounds to us like reason enough to covet it. 

• Dolce & Gabbana Intense Nail Lacquer in Nude: (Saks, $24)  This made-in-Italy shade is described as soft, creamy and easy to apply.

• Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Toasted Sugar: (Bergdorf Goodman, $30) The Journal advises that this shade combines beige and pink tones and looks great with a summer tan.

Spring Ahead with Ulta Makeup Steals & Deals

As we changed our clocks today, let's spring forward with fresh, coveted makeup!

Ulta is among our favorite beauty destinations- especially during its yearly "21 Days of Beauty," which begins today, March 10th and ends on March 30th. Some of the most coveted brands are on sale, both in store and online.  You can text "ULTA21Days" to 80565 to receive daily reminders during the duration of the sale.

If you shop today, the "steal" of the day is bareMinerals 100% Natural Lipgloss or Lipcolor regularly $15 is on sale for $9 and Philosophy Just Release Me Makeup Remover,on sale for $12, regularly price $18

Here are a few more of our favs:

• Friday, March 15th - Butter London Nail Lacquer for $9, regularly $15 
• Thursday, March 21st - Stila Stay All Day 10 in 1 HD Beauty Balm regularly $38 for $20
• Friday, March 22nd - Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Greed - 50% off, on sale for $10
• Monday, March 25th - Anastasia Tinted Brow Gels 50% off $11
• Saturday, March 30th - Smashbox Lash Layer Prmer and Full Exposure Jet Black Mascara Regular $18-$19.50; sale $10 each

Also, remember that online you can print a $3.50 coupon off a purchase of $10 or more; while that does not apply to their "Prestige" makeup, they are great for Ulta's many shampoos and other makeup and skin care. There are also many fabulous gifts with purchase on steal days.

Also- Ulta shopping is worry-free since the store honors returns with receipt for makeup mistakes!

Wear These Shoes, Get Compliments

Prabal Gurung for Target $29.99

 
It's been a while since we've been able to blog but we had to take time today to tell you about these shoes. As you know, we are fans of the Target designer collaborations, and this week the retailer debuted the new Prabal Gurung for Target collection and the footwear is fabulous!

The red wedge sandals above look amazing on and literally caused a random fellow patron at my local Starbucks to yell out, "Great shoes!" And that was just the beginning of the compliments that ensued throughout the day.

These multicolor heels below also make an amazing statement. There are lots of other fabulous footwear fashions; check out your local Target store or Target.com!

Prabal Gurung for Target $39.99

Be Seen in Green

From "A Year in the Emerald City," WSJ

 

According to an article by Christina Binkley in today's Wall Street Journal, the color green will be the color pick of the year for 2013 --- a retro throwback to the 1980's in fashion, jewelry, housewares, furniture and even cars!  

 

Green was designated the "it" color by Pantone, a company who sells codes that manufacturers use to replicate colors that will determine the "it" color each year based on surveys, sales of color swatches and the opinions of the general public.

Deep greens were seen on fashion runways of the spring 2013 collections of labels such as Valentino, D&G, Marni and Roland Mouret.  

 

Akris Spring 2013 Runway / WSJ / Getty

 

Accessories such as sunglasses by Oliver Peoples will also be making you green with envy this spring:

 

Oliver Peoples / WSJ

 

For some emerald inspiration, check out Jennifer Connelly (below) and other celebrities in green in this Marie Claire gallery.

Dana's Dream Buy of the Day: Philip Lim's "All Eyes on You"

3.1 Phillip Lim All Eyes on You T-Shirt $550

I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a photo shoot and one of the highlights on the experience was getting to check out the fabulous fashions that were flown in for the shoot. One of my personal favorites was a fantastic look from 3.1 Phillip Lim, dubbed "All Eyes on You."

You can see the "All Eyes on You" T-shirt above, but you really need to see the amazing detail up close, so take a look at the image of the exquisite embellishments below as well.

I am totally coveting this look, but with a $500-plus price tag on the T-shirt version (Lim also has dresses in the "All Eyes on You" collection), for now I'll just be dreaming of all eyes on me in one of these amazing garments.

Susan Says: Narciso Rodriguez for Kohl's

 

Katie Holmes in a Narciso Rodriguez for Kohl's Dress ($70)

 

On November 7th Kohl's DesigNation will launch a line by Cuban-American designer Narciso Rodriguez. This limited-time collection will be available exclusively online at Kohls.com and in Kohl's stores.

 

In 1996, Rodriguez garnered international fame when he designed Carolyn Bessette's wedding dress for her wedding to John Kennedy, Jr. On November 4, 2008, Michelle Obama chose to wear a dress from the designer’s Spring 2009 Collection to celebrate her husband's election. For the Kohl's line, Rodriguez was inspired by his love of Istanbul. Pattern interplay and minimalist design make the line irresistible and the pieces are crafted to fit flawlessly and gracefully. 

 

 

 

 

 

Stars such as Katie Holmes, Emma Roberts and Julianna Margulies stepped out in New York City in gorgeous dresses from the new line to celebrate the imminent launch.  Margulies, who wore a two-tone dress (retails at $64), is such a huge fan of the designer that he even created her wedding gown. Margulies told InStyle, "(Rodriguez)... cuts dresses to look best on a woman's body.  He loves a curve. And this dress?  It's just not going to go out of style." 

Juliana Margulies in Narciso Rodriguez for Kohl's /Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America

 

There are lots of great, wearable styles in the Kohl's collection.  A black peplum top is  on my immediate wish list.

Star Struck

Giant Dwarf Starlette Sparkler $18

We were star struck when we spotted these star sparklers. These accessories are beautiful for side swept bangs or as a crown of stars for evening glam.  Bobby pins will never be the same!

 Lucky Magazine's November 2012 issue featured these Giant Dwarf Starlette Sparklers in silver or gold ($18 for one large star or for two smaller stars; $48 or $78 for an entire crown of stars). The felt stars are spangled with actual shards of glass and sterling silver.

The Giant Dwarf designs are inspired by early 20th century hair adornments and each piece is hand-crafted using fine materials  like German glass glitter, reclaimed wool from sweaters & their own line of wool blend felt.  Their web site says the designs are "guaranteed to make any woman feel glamorous whenever worn." To see the complete selection visit Giant Dwarf's web site.