Kitten Lounge

Fashion Week Edition Spring 2010 ~ Michael Kors

KittenCouture — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:52:52 -0700

Stephen Dweck Black Agate, Smoky Quartz & Sterling Silver Earrings $370 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Lois Hill Hammered Silver Scroll Cuff $448 - Nordstrom

Elsa Peretti® Sevillana™ lariat $295 - Tiffany & Co.

Michael Kors Look Fashion Week Spring 2010

The other day I had a comment on my site that said I was too young to wear Michael Kors. Now MK is the epitome of classic American pieces that work so well with various generations! Yes I recently turned 30 and have been a long time fan of the accessories and many of his dresses have caught my eye. I love that he brings the Audrey to the everyday which is something that I strive for in my outfits on a daily basis! What do I love about this dress? It's simple and so sexy. The ruching is such a feminine element and the color of the material is so whimsical that you're ready for dinner with a significant other, partying in Vegas, taking on a show - this is a basic that EVERYONE should have in their closet! I love that when it hit the runways, it was accessorized in a translucent way which is one way to go but if I wore this I would love to have sterling silver with pops of whatever gemstone I happened to gravitate towards at the time. With all the ruching, I love the idea of pairing it with a lariat and have a cuff that has a little bit of weight as it adds the slightest edge and of course the earrings pick up elements of whimsy while also adding elements of the gemstones again! I know that this dress is a part of his collection that must join the rest of the items in my ever growing closet!

Trendy Thursdays: Beam Brings You Into the Daylight

KittenCouture — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:00:00 -0700

I have to say that one of the things that I love most about Fashion Week above and beyond the shows is that it's a time when people come together to see people you run past daily or who you only talk to via emails. It's also a time when you have the opportunity to meet others through people that you already know. This can take place at shows, in the tents, parties and so much more. Simply put, it's a great way to relationship build!

Well, the night before Fashion Week, Total Beauty kicked off this week of events by throwing a party and via Sam from Dark PR, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea and Liza Young, the Brazilian sister duo that is behind New York's prominent, Beam Laser Spa (1841 Broadway Suite 806). The night that I met them, I knew that not only did they look adorable but I was definitely intrigued to learn more about the services that were available at this spa. Fortunately, we were able to meet again and I settled on a date and time to not only have an appointment but to learn about the spa!

Trust me when I say that I was a little nervous to have my appointment. Although the idea of never having to shave under my arms again seemed like a dream, the idea of having a laser on me was a little too Goldfinger for my taste. But my apprehension was calmed by being greeted by Liza who has such a great calm personality, I love that she chatted and explained my forms and one look in the office makes you feel a bit of Zen. Andrea has such an amazing personality and beyond having a bubbly personality, knowing that she is a molecular biologist with an MBA and has worked within the hair removal industry for many years, made me feel that she was knowledgeable about various techniques and had seen the evolution of them.

My initial concern was the obvious - pain, I love how she explained that in areas that had less hair, you wouldn't feel as strong of a sensation as denser areas. In fact, the sensation would be temporary. Seeing her demo the laser and watching the puffs of air that came out that cooled the areas that had received the laser was very calming. But another issue that still remained was that I had always heard that African Americans were not able to have this treatment or that many people felt it simply wasn't for them. Even my mom was shocked that I had received this treatment as she explained that back in the 70's she had had laser treatment in her face and that later her dermatologist had explained that it wasn't for women of color. In fact when Googling on various message boards, I found this response along with warnings of scars and spots appearing on the skin as a huge warning against doing this.

Andrea's knowledge and answer to this question was shocking to hear. In spas that have these laser treatments, those who are olive to darker skinned should find out what kind of wavelength is used in terms of the procedure. Those that are darker need to make sure that their facilities have a dual laser machine which has an Alexandrite and a Yag wave. The YAG wave is for those with darker skin and although it penetrates deeper into the skin layer bypassing the skin color, it has a slightly reduced effect that still removes the hair without lightening our color. I found this amazing and was pleased to know that laser treatments could be an option for all skin tones.

Andrea explained everything, answered questions and continued to make me comfortable. Now for those who are thinking of getting this treatment, they offer a free consultation where they do a patch test. This is where you choose a small area and they do the procedure so that you can have a sample. In many cases, over 90% of those who do the consultation, come back to actually get it done. With all this knowledge and hearing this percentage, I was ready.

Prior to this, I was not able to shave about a day or two before coming in and (to my grossed out dismay) I didn't have deodarent on. Since I was doing my underarms, Andrea, shaved the arms to make sure it was clean, drew the area that would be treated with a white pencil and then used the laser. This procedure probably only took 10 mins total. At first the sensation of feeling the beam and then the cold air on my arms just felt different as you don't usually have this on you; however, when it got to the denser areas, there was slight discomfort. I love that she guaged my reactions and when I needed a slight breather she stopped. She continued to chat with me and you were able to continue. When it was over, aloe was placed under my arms.

I was shocked that it was over so quickly and after she examined my arms, she said that it didn't look aggravated. I felt a slight discomfort but absolutely nothing major. Now when you sign up you know that you will have to do somewhere between 6 - 8 treatments and they are spaced out by 6 weeks. Each time the hairs are growing in less and you can see the difference. In fact, within 3 weeks, both sisters said that I would notice hairs under my arms but that they would literally fall out. Although I am not a fan of stray hairs, the idea that I am one step closer to not having to shave is AMAZING.

When I got home, I checked under my arms and each day (as this took place on Sun) I am amazed that I haven't really seen anything! They offer so many services and I would start with doing your underarms. Because this is such a new thing for me and I have my next treatment in Nov, I will keep you guys up to date on how everything is going. Three weeks from now (actually from this past Sun), I will let you know if I see any hairs. The sisters reminded me that if I have hairs that are growing in by then and have not fallen out, they would take away the stray hairs at no cost.

The care they take from the time they walk in the door to when you leave is amazing and being comfortable is half the battle! Beam Laser Spa is definitely a place that I will refer to my friends and if you guys go there, you have to let me know your thoughts!

Sippin Saturdays: Patriotic Tea

KittenCouture — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:00:00 -0700

Can you believe that June is almost over? Fourth of July is days away and so you have to think about what you're doing, what party you will plan and more. Well here is a drink that you could make for your guests during your party - American Patriotic Tea! I love that this recipe on Cocktail Times is one that you can modify with a variety of flavors! If you love this recipe, you'll have to visit the site to find a lot more that would work with a number of dinners, events and more that you'll host! For me, I would add raspberry liquer in this as well as I think that that would be a refreshing flavor. I think even adding in a molasses taste would be nice as well. So definitely try it like this and then let your creativity kick in!

AMERICAN PATRIOTIC TEA RECIPE

Ingredients:

- 4 cups water

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 8 black tea bags

- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

- 2 cups American Honey liqueur

In a large saucepan, boil 4 cups water. Add 1/2 cup sugar; stir to dissolve. Remove from heat; add 8 teabags of black tea. Steep 10 minutes; discard teabags. Add 4 cups cold water; transfer to pitcher and chill. Mash or muddle lemon wedges and add to pitcher. Add 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves. Using a wooden spoon, crush mint until fragrant. Stir in 2 cups of American Honey liqueur. Serve over ice.

Sippin Saturdays: Crave Ceviche Bar

KittenCouture — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:42:42 -0700

When I was in South Beach, I fell in love with ceviche. This is a style of food that is Latin American food that typically has lime juices, chopped vegetables and more. It is refreshing and perfect to have with cocktails and wine. Well there is a place in Midtown East that has focused on this style of food! Crave Ceviche Bar brings SoBe to Manhattan and is refreshing! Earlier this year due to a crane accident, various shoppes and restaurants were affected and closed temporarily. Now that we are in half day Fridays, this is a great place to visit and to support as it has a great clean and minimalistic look and is perfect to go out with friends to relax. Take some time to check out their restaurant and visit their site to see what ceviche is all about.

Crave Ceviche Bar
946 2nd Ave
NY, NY 10019

Wearable Wednesday: Rock American Apparel

KittenCouture — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:00:00 -0700

One of my favorite places to buy from is American Apparel! I love the idea that many of their pieces allow you to wear items in a few ways so that you can have your own look! That being said, every now and then, I like to visit their site to what is coming out soon. Take a look at this High Waisted Jersey Skirt. I love that this is so cute with the shirt that they paired with it, tanks and so much more. This is definitely cute for work or to attend an event!

Now here is this High Waisted Jersey Skirt worn as a halter dress with a cute short skirt portion on the bottom! This is so something that I would wear during Fourth of July, the Hamptons and so many more places. Put on your Grecian flip flops and you're set for shopping, brunch and so many more events in the city. How can you not love when one piece can have at least two options and you can only imagine how many colors this will come in as well! Take a look at this site and see what else you'll pick up online or in a store near you.

Fashionable Fridays: Michael Kors Runway Show

KittenCouture — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:00:00 -0800

I am such a huge fan of Michael Kors. I love his classic American style and the fact that Michael has clothes that have that modern feel with elements of old world Hollywood glamour. Watching clips from this years Fashion Week runway show, you can definitely see that look within his collection. I love that this year there is an element of the American Jet Set group. I love the warm caramel colors and it seems like a touch of the 60's brought forward. Enjoy the footage courtesy of Coutorture and I definitely love seeing the accessories (most of you have seen me in my MK sunglasses and gloves).