In my book everything Victoria Beckham turns to gold — except in this case where it’s red and white! I’m referring to the designer’s new collaboration with Nails inc of which she’s created two unique limited edition polishes inspired by the look and feel of her Spring/Summer 2015 collection. Formulated with Nails inc’s new Stretch-to-Fit technology and Bamboo Extract with Silica, the polishes promote nail growth, reduce imperfections, and help to ensure a smooth application.
If there’s one beauty trend that’s proved it’s not going anywhere, it’s big, bold Cara Delevingne brows! I have spent countless hours testing, growing, filling in, and learning about what it takes to have bodacious brows and the good news is with the right tools, better brows are possible for everyone.
I started a tradition last year, where I do a recap post of all my big moments. And it’s something I suggest for everyone — well maybe not a post but at least to take some time to look back at the year you’ve had. It’s a great opportunity to relive some big moments and reflect. I’m always moving so fast that this is really my chance to look back and remember some of the great experiences I’ve had in 2014. So here we go…
Top 2014 Moments:
January – I rang in the new year in Africa (literally on the plane). My first trip there where I toured Uganda and Zanzibar (and got to be in a wedding wearing a traditional gown!).
February – An exciting month of hosting events starting with the launch of GrandCentralBeauty’s new serum with Orange is the New Black star, Jessica Pimental at Henri Bendel. As well as an Oscars party in Washington DC for the Four Seasons Hotel! I also met Joan Jett and Bill Cunningham during Fashion week, which just about made my life.
This is also the month where I got to take my little sister, Renee to her first concert to see Christina Perri thanks to MINKPINK.
March – I’m announced as Skype’s Global Beauty Ambassador! We have an exciting beauty series we’ll be launching soon! I also become an ambassador for Lavazza Coffee. I also have an amazing morning with Tim Gunn and my friends at P&G.
April – my first time to Coachella. A magical weekend of music, parties and fashion. My first time seeing so many amazing acts including Lana del Ray, Solange, Beck, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Nelly, Gwen Stefani and so many more!
It’s also the month where I met Patricia Field, who I’m now honored to call my friend. And we’re going to be doing Coachella this year together!!!
I also attended the launch of Beauty Within Magazine with Gabby Reece (remember her? Talk about my old school sports hero).
May – I host the official launch party my charity Share Your Beauty. As a division of the non-profit, Family-to-Family, we collect unused beauty products from editors, bloggers, and beauty enthusiasts as well as brands who have excess products and donate them to homeless and women’s shelters in the NYC tri-state area. In less then a year since launching we have collected over 20,000 products!
I also look forward to heading to the White House Correspondents weekend every May and partying down with all my favorite celebrities. The highlight this year was President Fitz of Scandal.
June – My video campaign for L’Oreal goes live on StyleCaster! And I get to judge the ICMAD beauty awards! I also launch my second blog, In His Clothes!
July – I get to celebrate Patricia Field’s 2 year anniversary of her store with her and the opening of Birchbox’s first store on the same night.
August: I have a horse filled week! I head to the Hamptons to film an episode of the House of DVF at the Hamptons Classic. And then get invited to the Saratoga Races with America’s Best Racing.
I also get a private tour of the Jeff Koons exhibit at the Whitney after hours when it was technically closed!
September – The big moment where I had a 2 page feature for COVERGIRL in Cosmopolitan Magazine for the September issue! Now I’ve been in a lot of major magazine’s, but this was by far the most mind blowing and such an honor. If I could dream this big in high school, I would say it was a dream come true.
We also enjoyed another wonderful fashion week in NY, where I got to go backstage at Jeremy Scott for Miley Cyrus’s jewelry/art debut. I also had the pleasure of joining Caravan Stylist Studios to host an event for Save the Garment Center with the cast of Orange is the New Black.
October – I’m featured in an advertorial for L.A. COLORS in Life & Style and In Touch Weekly! I also get to go backstage at Hedwig, thanks to the shows makeup artist, Mike Potter and hang out in Neil Patrick Harris’ dressing room and play with the wigs!
November – I was so honored to be invited by Alive Magazine to sit front row at St. Louis Fashion Week.
November: A month in Australia, visiting Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney.
While I was there, I was featured on Century 21’s website (so flattered!) and on my good friend, Patricia Field’s blog where she wrote “I live for creativity. Creative people inspire me, entertain me, and teach me. Hopefully it’s a two way street, and I offer them something in return.” Obviously, she’s one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met and this quote means so much since it’s exactly how I live my life and she’s such a role model for me.
December: What a month… I spent the first half still in Australia, a week in LA with a 2-day camping trip at Joshua Tree (which I’ve always wanted to do). And in major news! I was on an episode of the House of DVF!
The there’s the perfect close, spending NYE in Times Square with the official ball drop sponsors, COVERGIRL and Cosmopolitan!!
I’m so excited for what’s the come in 2015, thank you all for reading and being apart of my adventures.
xoLara
In my 13years in NYC I have never watched the ball drop live from Times Square! This year that all changes.
Cosmopolitan Magazine is partnering with COVERGIRL to co-sponsor the 2015 Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration with special guest Kat Graham. Get ready as they are turn up the volume and paint Times Square red HOT! And celebrate the launch of COVERGIRL’s new Colorlicious Lipstick in what’s sure to be the most #colorfulcountdown Times Square has ever seen.
The lineup was just announced and musical performances will include Taylor Swift, Idina Menzel, American Authors, O.A.R., Magic! and Florida Georgia Line. See the full line up at timessquarenyc.org and join me live from Times Square with Cosmo and COVERGIRL where I’ll be live tweeting and instagramming from @prettyconnected.
We wear her bras, lust after her clothes, and now — just in time for the holidays — her fragrance is here! Josie Natori recently launched her JOSIE by Josie Natori fragrance, available in an Eau de Parfum Spray (3.4oz/$94, 1.7oz/$75), Rollerball (.25oz/$22), Body Cream (6.8oz/$58) and Body Lotion (6.5oz.$45). The intimate scent is a beautiful musk with fruit and floral notes, opening with Asian Pear and Bergamot followed by a bouquet of Sampaguita flower.
The holidays just got even more merry! Pamper yourself (or a friend) with L’occiBox, L’Occitane’s first beauty sampling box! Discover the brand’s best-sellers and iconic must-haves and embark on a magical journey to Provence…
The beauty sampling program, L’OcciBox (pronounced “LOX – EE – BOX”) is a $15 sampling box that will offer L’Occitane shoppers mini versions of their favorite L’Occitane products once per season. The best part? No sign-up is required and each box will debut with a beautiful, pre-selected assortment of L’Occitane items and an exclusive gift from a special partner. Partners will change each season, launching with ELLE (so, you can expect the bonus gift to be highly coveted!)
The first L’OcciBox is wrapped as a present and available for purchase at L’Occitane boutiques nationwide. Consider us your Secret Santa because we have an exclusive offer for readers: visit this L’OcciBox link and enter the promo code, ‘DISCOVER’, at checkout for a MAJOR discount.
*Please note the box is listed on the website at its full retail value ($50+), but when the code is applied, the box becomes $15. Also, it can not be combined with any other promotions.
Combining the power of science with the desire for beauty, Redken will unveil a new line of styling products in April 2015. The collection, which consists of Braid Aid 03, Stay High 18, Short Sculpt 19, and Metal Fix 08, is inspired by Guido Palau’s iconic runway hairstyles.
Meet Guido
Redken’s creative consultant and global styling director is responsible for creating iconic runway hairstyles for Alexander Wang, McQueen, and Marc Jacobs. When creating the new Redken products, he had a singular mission: to streamline the styling process, making it faster and easier to translate to “real girl street styles”.
Meet the Styling Collection
Braid Aid 03 is a styling balm made specifically for braiding and twisting your hair (think Lauren Conrad). Applied to damp hair, the solution makes it easier to weave hair back and forth without getting strands tangled together.
Stay High 18 is a volumizing gel-mousse for women with fine hair and was inspired by toothpaste that goes from gel to foam. The root lifting technology turns from strong-hold gel into a mousse, providing both hold and lift without buildup.
Short Sculpt 19 is a texturizing gel for for pixies and bobs, making it the perfect prep tool for this season’s hottest hair trend: the lob.
Finally, the most unique and fun product, Metal Fix 08 is a metallic liquid pomade that comes in silver and gold to create the illusion of highlights. Even on the dreariest of days, your strands will shine like a beach bombshell.
We can hardly wait until April….
In other news, Redken just announced their newest brand muse: top model, street style star and trendsetter Soo Joo Park! In 2015, Soo Joo will take her hair to new lengths with an exciting innovation from the Extreme haircare line. Stay tuned!
Even though the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting hasn’t happened yet, the holidays are in full swing at Nordstrom. PC got a chance to jumpstart our shopping list at The Standard – Highline. This year, we weren’t telling Santa our Christmas list, we were vying to get on Nordstrom Beauty Directors’ nice lists.
This season, Nordstrom Beauty is a one-stop shopping destination for everyone on your holiday list. Seasonal offerings and exclusives include top cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skin care and men’s grooming brands from Bobbi Brown, Clarisonic, Diptyque, Chanel, MAC and more!
Here’s what’s topping the wishlist this year:
Diptyque Mini Candle Set: Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive – $130
Bobbi Brown Travel Brush Set: $135
Dolce & Gabbana Beauty Light Blue Eau de Toilette Purse Spray Set: $50 ($75 value)
Laura Mercier Into the Wild Look Book Collection: $125 ($276 value)
NuFace Little White Dress Mini Facial Toning Device: Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive – $199
YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch: $41
After you’re done shopping, be sure to make a pitstop with Nordstrom’s Beauty Stylists. Similar to personal shoppers, Nordstrom Beauty Stylists offer complimentary services to customers to help them find the perfect makeup, skincare and fragrance products across ALL brands and counters! Nordstrom Beauty Stylists are available in-store, by phone at 1.800.7beauty or via live chat.
Happy Shopping!
On Monday night, Neutrogena threw their annual holiday party, turning Paintbox in SoHo into a glittering white “Beauty Wonderland”. The event, in partnership with Rogaine, Rembrandt, BaubleBar, and Band-Aid, was hosted by Neutrogena brand ambassador Emma Roberts. Between mini makeovers with Amy Oresman, holiday hairstyling with Neutrogena Brand Ambassador Sam Leonardi, and polishing our fingertips with Paintbox, we caught up with the gorgeous star of American Horror Story, Emma Roberts to chat about winter beauty!
PC: What is your #1 seasonal beauty transition tip?
Emma Roberts: “Keep using SPF! So many people stop using sunscreen in the winter for some reason. I’m fair skinned and I made the mistake once when it was overcast and I never will again! I burn at the sight of the sun. “
PC: Do you stick to a fall/winter routine?
Emma Roberts: “Yes, always stick to a routine. If you’re not washing your face every night, it’s going to make dryness worse. Wash your face nightly and put your moisturizer on every morning. Don’t ever forget to take off your make-up. That’s why I keep Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes in my purse, in my bathroom, and everywhere else so I have no excuse not to take it off.”
PC: What do you think of the “bare face” trend?
Emma Roberts: “I like the bare face especially because so many girls hide behind a ton of make-up. It’s nice when you have make-up on but look like yourself. You’re accentuating your features instead of hiding behind the product.”
PC: How do you achieve a natural look?
Emma Roberts: “I use Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup in Classic Ivory. You can use it all over your face but I also use it just as concealer under my eyes and around my nose and chin. Then, I use the Healthy Lengths Mascara. It’s so easy and looks naturally pretty. I also carry the MoistureSmooth Color Sticks in every color in my bag to change my look by my lip color. They are so sheer you can also layer them on top of each other.”
PC: Since you’re always traveling, do you do any beauty treatments on the plane?
Emma Roberts: “I see girls in full-face make-up and I’m scrubbing mine off in the bathroom. Since most beauty products get confiscated, I carry the Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes, which they can’t take away from me! Once, I saw a girl putting stilettos on to get off the plane and I was putting on fuzzy socks from Target. I wondered if I was missing something. “
On Tuesday, Saks Fifth Avenue unveiled their first permanent, one-stop location for Blink Brow Bar, Trish McEvoy, and Nails inc. Housed within a modern installation, Beauty on 5 allows customers to receive expert advice, throw their own Beauty on 5 pamper party, shop exclusive products, and experience an artistic manicure while sipping tea and savoring a curated British menu of light snacks. In beauty junkie terms, it’s a one-stop primping and pampering mecca!
Services Offered:
Blink Brow Bar: Blink Brow Bar offers specialized services and expertise in bespoke threading, tint, lash and eyebrow services for both men and women. Here’s how they transform your brows!
Trish McEvoy: Trish McEvoy offers an exclusive menu of make-up services, access to the limited-edition Easy Smokey Eye Collection*, and for the first time ever, custom monogramming on any Makeup Planner purchase.
Nails inc.: Nails inc. introduces “The Paint Shop by Nails inc” as the destination for a fast fashion fix for nails in New York. The shop hosts a unique nail art menu designed in collaboration with celebrity nail technicians Lisa Logan and Pattie Yankee.
Which service will you be indulging in before holiday party season?
