

Recently I've been buying a lot of house warming presents for friends, and there is a definite trend cropping up in design stores towards animal-and- insect-inspired objects for the urban home. These ironically translated yearnings for the natural world can be seen in objects as tiny as a bud vase with a painted dragon fly, to large couch pillows featuring photo realistic wolves and owls. I haven't gotten on the menagerie band wagon quite yet, but I've been scoping out some options for when I move into my new pad in September. This canvas Pigeon Tote by Marlow & Sons, featuring the quintessential example of NYC fauna, will be perfect for toting groceries from Chelsea Market and will look chic hung on the doorknob of my closet when not in use. Harry Allen's Pig Bank in hot pink is totally bizarre, and while I feel it might be too edgy for my taste, has a modern sculptural appeal and a shock value that make it definitely worth a second look as a design piece. Lastly, this "diorama"-style accordian Aquarium Card is whimsical, has a wonderful antique quality, and will look beautiful displayed prominently on my desk.
photo credit tote: http://www.marlowandsons.com
photo credit pig bank: http://www.designpublic.com
photo credit aquarium card: http://www.curiosityshoppeonline.com


Mix yourself a White Peach Bellini with prosecco and Cipriani Bellini Mix, and get set for the start of the hottest month of summer with these cocktail inspired beauty products:
1.) Chantecaille's Lip Gloss in Bellini with SPF 15: This hydrating gloss is the color of a Venetian sunset and is perfect for girls that want a luscious Claudia Cardinale-esque pout. The ripe peachy-pink hue will keep your lips looking naturally lush and will simultaneously protect them from the sun's harmful rays. 2.) Brazil Beauty Products' Caipirinha Exfoliating Body Scrub: Based on the traditional Brazilian drink made with white rum, lime, and sugar, this invigorating body smoother contains many of the same ingredients as the cocktail. It will leave your skin smooth and gleaming and is perfect for a pre-self-tan exfoliation, so that you can hit the beach with confidence.
3.) Demeter's Gin & Tonic Fragrance: Whether you favor Hendrick's or Bombay Sapphire, this refreshing unisex splash is the perfect remedy for the hot weather blues. Spritz the light yet bracing scent onto pulse points, and you'll feel cooler instantly. It's especially nice to wear this fragrance on an alfresco dinner date on a hot August night. photo credit exfoliator: http://www.brazilbeautyproducts.com
photo credit lip gloss: http://www.eluxury.com
photo credit poster: (http://www.thevintageposter.com). Anonymous Artists, Badoit, ca. 1940's, ad for mineral water.

There's something insanely appealing about multi-tasking beauty products that are also organic. Moon Valley's Lotion Bar with Calendula and Comfrey comes in an appealing minimalist tin, and it is made of completely natural ingredients. I especially like the idea that I can use this Lotion Bar, something of a misnomer because it's actually more like a rich balm, on everything from chapped lips to blisters from stilettos. However, my favorite thing to do with this bar is to rub it on my cuticles before bed. I wake up with soft and beautiful nails that look as though I've just gotten a manicure at a high-end spa. The best thing about this product is the strangely addictive and comforting scent that reminds me of my childhood, categorized on the website as lemony vanilla, but more accurately described as Play-Doh.
photo credit Lotion Bar: http://www.balmworks.com
photo credit Play-Doh: http://www.amazon.com



The irreverent and always spectacular Jeff Koons currently has a show up on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum. Radiant in the glaring sunlight, his monumental works that would be most at home next to an aqua Hockney-esque California swimming pool, are at once a dichotomy of opposites: familiar and unfamiliar, original and unoriginal, conceivable and inconceivable. I've always been specifically attracted to the Pop-Art-whimsy of his inflatables and balloon sculptures, because in these works he has succeeded in transforming the temporary object into a permanent icon of mass culture, while still retaining a sense of the object's ephemeral nature. Subsequently, when I stumbled upon the multi-colored large-scale balloon sculptures created by the blow-up artists at Tribeca outpost Balloon Saloon, I immediately thought of the work of Koons. The Balloon Saloon's unique helium bouquets and decorations, many of which feature a colorful cast of television characters and superheroes, are awe-inspiringly creative, fun, and surprising. However, their appeal and value also lies in the knowledge that they will eventually deflate, making them a special (albeit fleeting) emblem of a cause for celebration.
photo credit bunny: Jeff Koons, Inflatable Flower and Bunny (Tall White, Pink Bunny), vinyl and mirrors, 1979. (http://www.jeffkoons.com)
photo credit dog: Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog (Yellow), High chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating, 1994-2000. (http://www.metmuseum.org)
photo credit balloon "Animation" bouquet: http://www.balloonsaloon.com/birthdays.html
photo credit balloon "Ice Cream" column: http://www.balloonsallon.com/columns.html

I've recently become obsessed with New York Magazine's website, and I'm especially smitten with their beauty and shopping sections. Ladies, if you haven't checked out the thoroughly addictive Shop-A-Matic yet, I'll start you off with one appropriately devoted to Beach Items. I am totally loving the psychedelic Moroccan Swim Tube by DesignRoom Group and the Revolotion body bronzing moisturizer with sunscreen by DuWop. Gentlemen, I haven't forgotten about you. See if your shaving cream of choice scores high marks in NY Mag's unofficial survey.
photo credit for both images: http://www.nymag.com

Washing your hands is usually a mundane chore, but Claus Porto's hand soaps dramatically elevate the pleasure derived from this everyday activity. The soaps are not only visually stunning, they also creates a luxurious smelling lather. My favorite soap is the Melodia (Melon). It comes packaged in plastic bottle decorated with an Art Nouveau design. The scent smells exactly like a ripe honeydew melon, and it is perfectly refreshing for summer. If you are looking for a great gift check out Claus Porto's new Fantasia Collection of bar soaps. Each package decorated with exquisite vintage prints (click on the picture to enlarge it), ranging from a 1920's era couple dancing the tango to a scene from Carnaval, is sure to delight even the most discerning beauty maven.
photo credit hand soap: http://www.lafcony.com
photo credit bar soaps: http://www.clausporto.com

A few months ago I noticed that I had developed two deep wrinkles on my forehead. I think that dermatologists refer to them as "expression lines," which sounds harmless enough. However, I am still determined to eradicate them as soon as possible and preferably before my 25th birthday this August. There are a plethora of expensive department store creams out there, some costing upwards of $500, but I have chosen to spend under $100. My nightly routine after cleansing and applying eye cream now includes an application of Annemarie Borlind Orange Blossom Energizer followed by Face Stockholm's Orange Cream. The Energizer is made by naturalistic German skincare brand Annemarie Borlind and is a well guarded beauty secret among the international model set. It contains delicate plant and flower oils, and it comes in a small glass bottle that you shake in order to combine the ingredients before applying. Face Stockholm's Orange Cream is loaded with orange oil and Vitamin C, and it exfoliates and moisturizes your skin simultaneously. I dot the Orange Blossom Energizer onto my forehead wrinkles with my index finger and rub it in only slightly. Next, I apply the Orange Cream on top in the same manner. This combination of products produces outstanding results. The wrinkles are virtually gone after three weeks of nightly applications, and I look younger already.
note: Annemarie Borlind's Orange Blossom Energizer is available at most Whole Food's Whole Body Stores in the New York City Area.
photo credit Orange Blossom Energizer: http://www.shopstyle.com
photo credit Orange Cream: http://www.facestockholm.com

Like many other twenty-something aspiring fashionistas, I can't wait for the season premiere of Project Runway on July 16th. Adding to my anticipation, Stylista premieres this fall on the WB. I can tell that there will be a lot of good quality tv watching/
procrastination
in my near future.
In honor of the impending fashion shows, I've been on the lookout for clothing and accessories that allude to the creative process. Recently, I stumbled upon this graphic sewing machine tee (overly made up hipster model not included) and amazing miniature silver scissor pendant. Both are perfect gifts for yourself or any aspiring designer you may know, not to mention a great gift for any FIT grad.

Last night I watched Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. The splashy technicolor mystery combined two of my favorite things: diamonds and intrigue. It also got me wondering, in true beauty blogger fashion, what Grace Kelly's favorite products were. After some research I learned that Creed created a perfume for Kelly to wear on her wedding day that Prince Rainier had specially commissioned for her. The perfume is called Fleurissimo and contains light notes of tuberose, Bulgarian rose, violet, and Florentine iris. The scent conjures up images of Kelly fastening her diamond necklace as she prepares for a glamorous night out on the French Riviera, the picture of elegance and grace. Considering the circumstances behind its creation, this perfume would be a perfect engagement present for a best girlfriend on the eve of her wedding day.
photo credit bottle: http://www.hamptonct.com/index.cgi?pid=17&r=gb
photo credit Grace Kelly: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/77/039_69583~Cary-Grant-Grace-Kelly-Posters.
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