Kitten Lounge

Trendy Thursdays ~ Kaleidoscope Beauty

Kimmie Smith — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:00:00 EST

I love my beauty trunks as there are a number of goodies that are in there for any given situation. Since I'm always receiving mascaras, eyeshadows and more prior to their release, I know that whatever look I'm going for is bound to be in one of cases! With that said, sometimes I go for what speaks to me in theory - it's not even lifestyle specific. Right now I'm definitely loving a few pieces that will be included in future outings from traveling, brunch and just being out and about.

ACCESSORIES INSPIRATIONS

My inspiration comes from this fabulous multi colored cocktail ring which reminds me of a kaleidoscope from Sharon Khazzam who is known for her one of a kind pieces. I love a great ring and many of you know that it's my signature without a doubt. This ring has a number of colors in it which also inspired me when I'm thinking of looking great for whatever the occasion happens to be.

GET THE BEAUTY LOOK

Last week, I attended HSN's Oz Preview which had a number of brands that had created products for the launch of the movie which is coming out on Friday (so excited). Urban Decay created two kinds of color palettes and I have been loving the one I received which embodies Glinda the Good Witch! The collection comes with eyeshadows, eyeliner and a lip pencil. It's such a great number of hues and I love that everything (minus the lip pencil) can be stored within the case. Another eyeshadow favorite (which is perfect for smoky eyes) of mine is Sue Devitt and although I have the purple version of this, the green Marine Minerals is definitely on trend and a great series of hues to have. Another eyeshadow that I love is YSL's Ombre in Topaz Blue! When I feel that it's a bit bright, I love blending it in with charcoal. Another beauty fave that pulls tones of the ring into this selection is Deborah Lippmann's Ruby Slippers which is a rich garnet with a bit of shimmer.

Obviously great skin is maintained skin! I LOVE cleansing wipes and have a number of brands I use that are amazing in a number of ways. I also carry a to go version with me as there are times where I have to change from one makeup look to another - these Sephora Express Cleansing Wipes are perfect! I think it can never be said enough but SPF regardless of whether the sun is out, regardless of the season and DEFINITELY regardless of your skin tone is an essential. I just started trying out Murad's Age-Proof Suncare Oil Free Sunblock. I love that it has pom in it and is great coverage for the skin.

Mingling Mondays ~ My Office Travels Light

Kimmie Smith — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:48:22 EST

Now like many of you, I have so much tech it's a bit crazy when it comes to putting things together when I'm running around the city or seriously traveling on a trip! So when I am working with my clients I have a series of items that I love taking with me so I can stay connected and sometimes pass the time as well. As you guys know I'm a member of the Tablet Crew which is a great way for me to use my Samsung ATIV in my day to day life!

I use my tablet to draw sketches for my jewelry line as I love one of the programs that comes pre-loaded on the tablet, Autodesk Sketchbook Express - this is a fun program whether you're doodling or seriously making some sketches. For a number of files that come my way, it's super easy to navigate them and keep them organized with Box and Dropbox! In addition, I use my Sky Drive a lot which houses my pictures and recently I downloaded Office 365 (courtesy of the fabulous Microsoft team) that allows me to have all of my office programs (as I'm always creating something whether invoicing my clients, reading a document etc) and it allows these items to not only be in the cloud but it allows me to download this program to all of my tech (my phone, laptop and more). You can win a one year subscription of Office 365 for your very own! Simply let me know how you would use your Office 365 to keep your tech connected and to get your work done! I also love my Unit Conversion as when I'm running to my stores buying jewelry components I can convert the measurements! When I'm in some down time, I love Pianotime and Mahjong! In addition, I actually work out from my tablet as I'm doing a fun 12 week challenge for Revolt Now Fitness, each Friday I will share what I'm up to as I work on the challenges and get ready for Spring and Summer!

I'm all about accessorizing! When I first got my tablet, I spent a week trying to figure out the perfect cover for it! Interestingly enough, this tablet is slightly longer then the iPad so it doesn't fit with a lot of brands! BUT I realized that this tablet which is 11.1", can fit in cases that are perfect for Apple's laptops especially their thin ones! One of my favorite places to go to for my tech when it comes to keeping it away from harm is Piel Frama which is a phenomenal leather case house out of Spain! This morning my case finally arrived and I love that this brown leather case (which smells amazing) is almost like a folder/portfolio as my tablet can slip into it.

As you guys may know, my sister's fiance is a DJ and has spun internationally and at a lot of events here in the city! Although you will not see me doing this at any level that he is, I do love Urbanears that turns your tablet and phone into your own DJ tools where you can mix your music and feel like you're rocking it like a world class DJ! It comes in a number of colors and just fits right in my tablet and allows me to play! Of course, when playing this OR when listening to my music, Sol Republic is a must whether it's my headphones that sit on my ears or the ones I use when I'm running around that sit in my ear - it keeps the sound perfect while also allowing me to use it to talk on regardless of the kind that I am using! Finally, I can't say enough how much I love using my Go Smart Stylus which allows me to navigate my tablet from the tip of it when my fingers are tired! I'll continue to loop you in on what I use to keep me connected as it's always good to know what's out there as well as what apps are awesome!

Wearable Wednesdays ~ NYFW Must Have Accessories

Kimmie Smith — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:00:00 EST

My tech is pretty important to me no matter where I go but during NYFW it's such an essential that I double check to make sure that I have everything. Although I'm so fortunate to live a few streets away from Lincoln Center (one of the areas that NYFW takes place), I can't bank on being able to swing by my apartment when I'm off to shows, presentations, gifting suites and so much more. So I ensure that everything is not only fashionable but I can run my office from anywhere and still hang out with my girls as we touch base between sushi and cocktails (love TB'ing with Raijean, my sister, Makeda, Kitty and more).

So to stay fab and connected, I suggest the following! Like many my iPad allows me to do a number of things from staying on schedule, taking notes, taking some pics etc. Keep it fab by including it in my Linea Pelle (love that they are sponsoring me this season and that you will see me rocking their bags, belts and of course my case) Dylan Croco iPad Case. I'm not an orange girl per se but it's Paul's fave color and I love rocking hues that he loves seeing. I love the Go Smart Stylus which allows me to work on my iPad without using my fingers and to accurately selecting what needs to be done. As I never know when I'm traveling, my passport is always on hand and I enclose it in a vibrant holder by Lodis. All of this can fit into my Bottega Veneta bag which is a fab hobo in a caramel color.

My key accessory is a scarf and I love this one by Guess that works well with a number of looks or if there is a slight chill in some of the presentation areas. I am a huge fan of sunglasses and love this retro oversized pair by Miu Miu. Since I love to do touchups or to build upon a look, I always bring a few more cosmetic items than normal and this cosmetic case maintains a great pop of color by Givenchy cosmetic case. Finally, it's all about a fab wallet as you'll be pulling it out a number of times for whatever reason - no need to stop accessorizing, love this one by Alexander McQueen.

UPDATE: We have a special giveaway for our bloggers - Go Smart Stylus wants to give 4 of their fab instruments away! To enter to win, you must leave a comment below that includes your name, your blog and your Twitter handle. 4 winners will be selected to receive the Go Smart Stylus which allows you to navigate your tablet! We will announce a winner on Feb 7th (the first day of NYFW FW2013).

Snazzy Sundays ~ Your Own Decor Escape

Kimmie Smith — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 07:00:00 EST

It's the long Martin Luther King Jr weekend and inaugural weekend as well! For many, there will be no work on Monday so it's a great time to not only think about freedom in general and how far we have come but also getting some work done whether it's setting up your business, prepping for NYFW, catching some shows, and more. I am a multi-tasker in all that I do and I do a lot of work from the comfort of a number of chairs and couches while I have my shows (E!, Bravo, WE, Style and more in the background). It's so important that your workspace whether you work from home or in an office, you need to have a zen space as we work hard but should do so comfortably. As you know, I'm a huge fan of grey and like to bring it into my wardrobe as well in to my decor.

It's all about the chair, I love a great leather one that I can work upright in as well as to curl up in and this one available at Neiman Marcus is perfect. This retailer has a number of other great finds including this Giorgio Armani weekender in embossed croco. I love that it's such a fabulous traveling companion that it's perfect to accessorize your space with this great piece which ensures you're always ready to travel.

Pop in some color with this fun Chaps Seychelles pillow from Kohl's which has a nice worn look to it. Kohl's also has a coffee table from Sonoma Life + Style with storage baskets which is perfect in the home office. For additional storage which also serves as an ottoman, is from Martha Stewart. Continue popping in other grey elements with a cashmere throw from Design Within Reach which has a fab herringbone pattern. Curl up under this lamp from Ylighting with your tablet that is inside this Tod's iPad case. While sitting in my zen space, I enjoy drinking a lot of tea and having it with this Jonathan Adler cup is a perfect way to plug through your day. Finally, it's about the smaller details such as a vase form Venini which is perfect for your arrangements as well as this box which is great for odds and ends (I put my jewelry in them as I think it's essential to have a jewelry box to put your items in in every room) from Ethan Allen.

Trendy Thursdays: His Style ~ Beauty Travels

Kimmie Smith — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EDT

Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer $48.00 - Beauty.com

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Men's Body & Face Lotion with Pump $5.99 - drugstore.com

John Varvatos Artisan Black Limited Edition $80.00 - Bloomingdale's

Burberry - Coalburn Classic Check Toiletry Bags $375.00 - LUISAVIAROMA

Dove Men Care Active Clean Dual Sided Shower Tool $5.49 - Walgreens

Dove Men Care Body and Face Wash Clean Comfort $4.99 - Walgreens

It's definitely a trend for brands to create products based on gender. Now Paul loves using whatever I use and it's actually tough to get him to use his own products as he loves the smells of my products. Above includes a few items that he does like that are within the men's category and items that I would like for him to try.

I have been a Dove girl since high school when it comes to me deodorants. So I was super glad to see that we have a number of men's Dove producst for him. I like that in terms of simplifying, some guys may like that they have a body wash for the body as well as the face. Personally, I like to use separate products but can see how this would be a time saver. In addition I love this two sided shower tool by them that has a sponge on one side and a loofah on the other! When it comes to lotion, I'm a huge fan of Palmer's Cocoa Butter. I definitely want to see about having this for Paul as he he likes the smell and this lotion will definitely keep his skin soft. Jack Black is a men's line that actually has a number of lip balms that I obsess over and this face moisturizer is the perfect item for your guy no matter the season. To keep a great smell, I suggest this John Varvatos limited edition cologne. When traveling he can put everything in this Burberry toiletry bag!

Wearable Wednesdays: His Style ~ Packs Light

Kimmie Smith — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:00:00 EDT

Tom Ford Charles $360.00 - Barneys New York

Obey - Rollers Messenger $76.00 - Zappos

Vstr Visitor Vneck Tee $40.00 - Swell

mobileexpressions Textured iPad 2 Case in Tan $39.99 - Target

Mustard Contrast Turnup Stretch Skinny Jeans $70.00 - Topman

Gucci Leather Driver $440.00 - Neiman Marcus

I love when it's time to travel (as you saw yesterday) and I love planning his outfit too. I love keeping it simple as you want to be able to access everything as well as to ensure that he's comfortable. I love these mustard stretch skinny jeans by Topman. Pair this up with a white tee by Vstr Visitor and is available on Swell. Let him slip into this Gucci leather drivers which are as comfortable as one can be on a flight and then hitting the ground running! With Tom Ford's sunglasses the look is nearly complete and a guy in aviators is never a bad thing!

Being a guy on the go, I'm all about protecting his iPad and interestingly enough, I make sure he has a number options. For this look, I love how he's rocking caramel and mustard tones so mobileexpressions by LuxMobile's textured iPad case is exclusively available at Target. They have you covered for a number of your most important tech items. He can slip this into his Obey Messenger bag which keeps everything stored and within hand reach!

NY Fashion Week F/W 2011: Swoonfest Saturdays ~ Rebecca Minkoff

Kimmie Smith — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST

So far the show that has given me goosebumps and swoonfests from start to finish would be - Rebecca Minkoff! You know that I am a fan of her accessories (I've been working from my iPad this Fashion Week and of course it is protected by her Python Black case with gold beading and I love my matching coin purse) and when she added apparel and shoes, I was definitely all over her boho chic sensibilities as well! Yesterday I tweeted throughout the show talking about all the looks that I loved with shades of grey, green, black, cream and of course fur and amazing outerwear. Now I have to say that the ones above are my favorite look. Guaranteed, you'll see me in this shearling with fab cigarette pants (which is what she focused on a lot with this collection) and I love that as dark as this dress is, it's see through - phenom!

Trendy Thursdays ~ Beauty Musts To Have & To Hold

Kimmie Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:07:01 EST

Sephora Brand Mono Eyeshadow Kit - Brown Eyes II $40 - Sephora

NARS 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' Mini Nail Kit $30 - Nordstrom

Urban Decay Cosmetics 24/7 Super Stash Eyeliner Set $36 - Ulta

Purple Labs - Huge Lips Skinny Hips Lip Gloss** 5 Colors ** $20 - Kitson

Whether your stingy, able to share or your thinking gifting - you can never go wrong with a Beauty Bundle. Beauty Bundles is a term that means beauty gift sets (or at least to me). If I love a brand I like having more than just one of something and even if a few shades may not work for me, then you can place them in a gift for someone else. You're not only passing on the gift of beauty and good taste but it's just good Girlonomics! Whether this means that it goes in as a stocking stuffer or becomes a thank you when you're staying with one of your girfriends half way across the country (I'm know as the person who when packing, I pack up a lot of product that I'm sent to my friend who I'm staying with during a trip).

Today's goodies are brands that I could not go without! You know that I'm super passionate about Purple Lab's Huge Lips, Skinny Hips gloss as my lips stay super moisturized and the smell is so yummie - you feel like a glamazon just applying it!. I became obsessed this time last year with the 24/7 Eyeliner from Urban Decay. My eyes are ALWAYS lined with their Kohl color. If I happen to go to a Sephora and they have run out of that color, I will stalk every Sephora in the city to get it! Nars Cosmetics is another passion that I have for almost 2 years! I love their body polish which keeps me glowing, their eyeshadows, gloss and more but I also love their nail colors as well. Any shade that has a pop of vixen in it, I'm all over it. Finally, when it comes to Sephora, I could spend all my hours in there with so many brands to play with. In addition, I love their private line as well. Many times when I'm unsure of a color I start with their brand as they have so many colors!

Whatever your reason, buying a few things here and there and having multiples is an awesome way to build your beauty cases or massive trunks - whichever way you organize it! Start thinking about gifting yourself and others this holiday season!

Snazzy Sundays: We Need a Bookcase

Kimmie Smith — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

Ah moving in with your Food Editor who also has quite an eye for design means that I don't have complete say so on what goes within our space! I love that we agree and disagree and we are definitely learning. So we have an interesting space that is upstairs and downstairs. We decided that upstairs, which is our living space, will be very Japanese like. Our bed is a beautiful platform bed that is known as Espresso in color. This is great since I love that the wood is black with a hint of brown but I find it difficult to find additonal wooden pieces. We also have gorgeous wood floors that are more a of a cherry stain so the problems continue. We need a bookcase badly and probably a few as we are piling up on books and interesting items. But what to get? Below are some shelves that I am thinking of and believe that this can add to our theme! This weekend we went to Pearl River and we bought our first sake set!

Snazzy Sundays ~ Queen of the Bakers

Kimmie Smith — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

I saw this the other day and knew that it would be the perfect item to feature on the Snazzy Sundays segment. As you know, it's all about the decor of your home and making sure that you're not only comfortable but that you have a great resource to see what else you may need in addition to the obvious! Being someone that is getting into the notion of baking, I think that this Cupcake Courier that is currently available on Dillards.com. I love that after you have worked all day on your cupcakes for your work event that they can safely be put away in your car and of course if you're not a cupcake girl, this can carry cakes. I think this is so cute and in such a anxiety induced hue that this is a must and definitely and amazing piece to purchase with hopes of a great product extension as well!

Trendy Thursdays ~ Baked Lovelies in All Varieties

Kimmie Smith — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Laura Geller is one of my favorite beauty brands. I remember just a few months ago when I began revitalizing my beauty collection, I saw this collection in Sephora. I loved the eyeshadow (I ended up getting Moonstruck) which had hues of blue, black, olive, silver etc. Then I came across the bronzers. I got the Blush-N-Brighten in Berry. I absolutely love it and I love the shimmer that it leaves behind. But sometimes I wonder if I should have purchased more. Laura Geller solves this problem maximizing your beauty and keeping it economical in the same sense. The Baked Basics, contains three hues in Blush-N-Brighten Berry, Bronze-N-Brighten and Balance-N-Brighten. In addition, there is also a brush that comes with this kit. This set is $48 and is absolutely an essential to make sure that you look amazing as if the sun goddess herself came down to make sure you were ready to go out and about. Take some time to visit a Sephora or to go online to see the entire collection and what elements you're missing from your cases and bags!