Spring to Summer Dresses Under $150
The Polka Dot dress: This dress is called “the Sunny Dot” which is available at Bloomingdales. Who does not like polka dots? They are feminine, classy, -and I have saved the best for last- they are fun! The dress has a soft A-line skirt with a fabric belt to cinsh the deal. Fabulous!
The Shauntel Floral Tube Dress is available at Ardenb.com. I like the overall print of the dress because they are such soothing colors. I coud see myeslf enjoying this dress for a nice dinner out or throwing a blue jean jacket over it along with a pair of flats to catch a movie.
I simply love this Halter Maxidress that you can find at Vistoria Secret. From the stunning vibrant colors to the full length skirt, it has everything to make a girl like me comfortable.
There are a lot of variations you can get with the peasant dress. It has a jazzy and playful pattern has possibilities of being paired with capri leggings or even skinny jeans.
Still reminiscent of the 50′s? I picked this pencil lined retro dress from XOXO, the Belted Sheath Dress, at Macy’s. the color and the cut is fabulous, as well as the belt that cinches in the waist for a polished touch.
Fashion Tips: Best Skirt For Your Shape
If you are petite, like most Americans, then here are some helpful tips to pick the perfect skirt. Skirts that work best for short women are prints, ruffles, and geometric prints. Shapes and geometric prints at knee-length add inches to your frame while bringing out a personal style.
For full figured women, there are also skirts that flatter the body. Choose colorful skirts with full or straight lines. Another suggestion to try is textured fabrics that have bold designs like big pockets to work with your assets.
Some great stores to visit are Jones New York Collection, Ann Taylor, and Old Navy.
How to Wear a Headband Now
A lot of famous actresses have been seen wearing precious adornment in their hair. Headbands seem to be making a comeback. Whether it is floral, bejewelled, or asymmetrical in design, the accessory has made its way back into the forefront of fashion trends. That is not all. There is a growing trend to bring forth a sense of style them too. Like this beaded headband, ornate leaf or the links. I think the headband adds personal style and flare, especially to hair with soft waves or a blunt haircut.
Merona Has Style
Merona has brought back ruffles in his line available at Target. There is a shirt version of the BCBG ruffle dress now. The shirts come in brilliant colors like salmon, yellow, black and white.
This dress is affordable and adorable at the same time. I like the shimmering fabric
and party length of it. I could wear this for a nice evening at a jazz concert or dinner with my boss. A cardigan and black handbag will certainly finish the look to near perfection!
How about this exception dress. Perfect for work or lunch with your best friend this summer. I especially like the cowlneck with daffodils make for a masterful piece of artistry.
Merona has donned this cardigan in ruffles and gold buttons. Just another fav to add to my long list of “surefire keepers”. I see this cardigan as a mainstay to fashion and not a fad. It is classic.
All of these fashionable pieces were made affordable and available at a Target store near you.
Top Five Beauty Tips That Really Work
So, we are in a recession, right? Well, here are a few tips to polish off your beauty regime. Really. I have actually used most these tips and they really do work. These tips not only work but the are very affordable and you may just incorporate them as get get ready for each day.
First, Baking Soda has small granules that can help smooth out the rough spots when taking a bath. (Do not use the one that has been sitting in the fridge for a couple of months!) This product is much cheaper than some bath salts.
Second, give your favorite body lotion an boost by adding olive oil or baby oil. It even helps the scent last longer.
Third, got a surprise pimple? You can dry it out by using a simple toothpaste (not the gel, paste works better) before going to bed at night and you may not go back to those higher priced acne creams. I am telling you, this really works!
Forth, try petroleum jelly on your cracked heels with a soft pair of socks before going to bed and like magic, the dryness is virtually gone in the morning.
Lastly, fabric softener has come a long way now. I like to keep the sheet I used and place it in my drawer to make the smell of the lavendar last a little longer.
You can get more helpful hints and odd beauty tips from Real Beauty.
Prada Designs
Miuccia Prada took on her father italian leather business in 1978. However, in 1988, she began making nylon bags that piqued the interest of many and afterwards, launched a women’s ready-to-wear clothing. Prada did not begin designing menswear until 1993. The Prada S.p.A. collection consists of tailored with geometric cuts and prints inspired by her husband. Other lines to complete her collection were eyewear, fragrances, Home Decor, handbags, shoes to soon follow.
I think people like Prada because no matter who you are, you can have a chic yet futuristic look. Prada has been known for its beautiful schemes of color and dynamic in design and fabric. Some could say there is more ”deliberate study in the design” that makes her collection an all time favorite. She made turbans, backpacks, dirndls, and anoraks a most memorable fashion statement. Look for Prada stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Barneys New York.
Crushed Gemstones are the New Facial Treatment
What would you say to your favorite spa using crushed gemstones for a facial? Trendy spas are using these treatments as a part of the youthful agents for clients in cities like New York. Gems like emeralds, rubies, pearls, and even gold are being used to plump, lift, brighten, purify the skin. New York Fashion found three new gemstone facials you’ll find around New York City:
• At Townhouse Spa, the jewel of choice is amethyst, which the aestheticians claim reduces skin inflammation and radiates infrared rays in order to stimulate healthy cell growth. The $275 Amethyst Purifying Gem Facial begins with a thorough cleansing, followed by penetration of an amethyst serum with an LED light, and finished with an eye cream aided by a sonic frequency device. The final step is a mask containing 63 percent amethyst powder. The skin is supposed to be instantly firmer and brighter.
• The Pierre Michel will introduce the $275 Cornelia Lumina Facial on May 1. Emeralds are used to correct skin tone imperfections; rubies and gold are supposed to hydrate and smooth; citrine is supposed to plump lips; and sapphire is supposed to lift. The gems are mixed with anti-aging pentapeptide and the treatment is supposed to leave a shimmer on your skin.
• Dorit Baxter Day Spa, a $120 value of the Natural Pearl Exfoliating Facial, uses pure pearls smashed into a paste to exfoliate. “Pearls are also known to contain amino acids, vitamin B complex, and calcium,” says Baxter, “and they prevent dark spots on the skin by slowing down the growth of melanin.”
Vera Wang Designs at David’s Bridal
The fashion just got pumped up by volumes as Vera Wang will create a bridal collection for David’s Bridal. Next spring, the line will hit David’s Bridal stores next spring, displaying a collection of twenty wedding dresses, along with bridesmaids dresses, and children’s wedding attire. Gowns will be valued between $600 to $1,500, the average dress will be under $1,200.
Vera Wang’s regular bridal line ranges from about $4,000 to $25,000. Most people go to New York to get her gowns at the sample sale, so I know her fans will be relieved to find this news. The President, Mario Grauso agreed to this partnership after the closing of several department stores that carried the Wang line.
“Our modern girls are not going to be turned off because we do something less expensive,” Grauso said. “That’s not something people today are embarrassed by.”
Wang’s goal is to make her dresses more afforable, but will not compromise the intricate and inspirational designs of her more pricier offerings.
She maintains that at least when it comes to classic fabrics — crepe de chines, for example — she and other top-tier designers source from the same mills as many designers further down the food chain. “Even for my lower price point of ready-to-wear, I do the basic CDC program,” she said. “We do wash it, and we do things to it … The truth is, we’re all using [certain] fabrics. And by the way, a lot of the [designers] who do those [mass] chains use the same fabrics, only they get them directly from the mills in China. You can’t compete unless you have a big company behind you because, let’s be honest, they’re not going to pay the same for the fabric. The truth here [is that] most of us in America who are upper-end designers use Symphony. [For David’s] I will be using Symphony and other things. I’m sure there are poly versions [of various fabrics] — which a lot of designers on the upper end [of bridal] use, too.”
Be Happy With Your Hair
Studies show that only 60% of women are truly with their hair. The truth is that many women do not like their natural hair. Today, we can make so many changes to our hair such as straight hair to curly or curly to straight.
Consumer Reports showed that ”the average woman spends about $195 a year on haircuts and $260 on color”. One third of women have the salon experience less often to depend on home styling products. Yet, only 40% of women are happy with their hair.
So, what makes for a bad hair day? The study interviewed over 1,000 women and found that 44% of women had bad hair days according to their mood, 26% cried after a haircut, 14% just don’t like their hair type, and 10% dislike their hair color at all. One out of four women are frustrated with the thickness an the color because they think their hair is either too fine or too thin.
Yahoo Shine has some interesting facts that people discussed in this survey:
- 19% of women love their hair, 41% like it, 5% dislike it, 4% hate it and 30% are neutral
- 49% have naturally straight hair, but 10% of them style it curly
- 23% have naturally curly hair, but 19% of them style it straight
- On average, women pay $39 for a haircut and $65 on salon color
- 53% regularly color their hair
- On average, women spend 15 minutes or less styling their hair, and wash it 4 times a week
In my opinion, there is nothing we can do to be satisfied with our hair but to accept the hair we were born with. To embrace who we are and work with it!To be content should be the goal because the grass is always greener on the other side. No matter what we do, the only way to be truly happy is to accept what we have and not focus on what we do not.
Five Foods To Fix (Almost) Anything
For More Energy, Try: AN APPLE WITH PEANUT BUTTER
To beat fatigue, experts at Glamour recommend an apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter. The combo is a carbohydrate, rich in fiber with a little protein that takes time to digest so you will ultimately have more energy throughout the day. This is a better snack than a snickers candy bar. If you are in a pinch at the office, try a bag a peanuts from the vending machine instead of sugary or salty snacks, says Keri Gans, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
For Acne, Try: FISH or WALNUTS
Dr. Nicholas Perricone, adjunct professor of medicine at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine: Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help control inflammation throughout the body, including inflammatory acne,” he says. Do not consume mostly refined white flour, or processed carbs like white bread and sugary cereals. Dr. Perricone suggests that halibut, walnuts, flaxseeds and salmon should be the foods incorporated in every woman’s meal plan.
For A Bad Mood, Try: HEALTHY CARBS
Many of us crave sweets which are simple carbohydrates . Kelly O’Connor, R.D., of the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore says, stress and depression can be eased by the hormone secreted by the brain called serotonin. Foods that boost your mood are complex carbs like chickpeas, lentils and whole-grain bread. If you do succumb to sugary sweets, you be sure that your bad mood will increase along with a crash in your blood sugar.
For PMS, Try: MILK or CHEESE
A New York City endocrinologist, Susan Thys-Jacobs, M.D., notes that women can experience more severe cramps without sufficient calcium in their diets. A lack of calcium causes severe cramps, mood swings and bloating. Her research found that 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day is enough to reduce premenstrual symptoms by 48 percent. Two slices of Swiss cheese plus a glass of milk and yogurt will suffice for this recommended dose of calcium. If you normally get headaches at this time, then a quarter cup of almonds or cashews can help boost your magnesium levels by 30 percent.
For Bad Breath, Try: PLAIN YOGURT
Did you know that yogurt can alleviate bad breath? Breath mints may pose to be a quick back up plan, but they do not rid the mouth of the bacteria that causes bad breath in the first place. The bacteria build up on your tongue, in between your teeth and in the back of your throat from food debris when not brushing thoroughly is the root cause. Needless-to-say, the breath mint may help temporarily but the sugar it contains will only worsen the bad breath by feeding those microbes. Japanese research has found that eating plain, sugar-free yogurt will eliminate the odor causing sulfur compounds.
