Super Bowl Sunday is always a big deal as I'm a football fan and even if my team isn't playing (Colt's), I can always find a team to cheer for (this year it will be the Ravens), enjoy the commercials, nibbles/bevvies and of course Beyonce and Destiny's Child during the half time show! I'm definitely excited and as I think about what I'm wearing, I love that the beauty choices are definitely exciting. Deborah Lippmann has phenom hues that you can wear to support the San Francisco 49ers (Like a Virgin, Nefertiti, Stop and Stare) or the Baltimore Ravens (Fade to Black, Believe, Call Me Irresponsible). Check out the fab hues and what colors you can wear in order to support your team. Feel free to tweet @KittenLounge to show us your mani art!
I'm all about a minimal look but looking fabulous when it comes to my beauty routine and although I have stated before what I wear, I had to have everything in one spot! I love looking like I have a flawless look as if I don't wear makeup but I promise you - I am always wearing foundation! So, I wear two things by Dior, I live for the caramel hue of their Diorskin Nude Creme Gel Compacts as well as Diorshow mascara (this is what I wear when I really want my lashes to pop). I used to wear Urban Decay for a number of years but recently have been wearing Avon's Kohl Eye Liner which looks amazing. On my cheeks I wear two bronzers a very pinky (not shown here), Pure Color Blush from Estee Lauder along with my standby fave, Laura Geller and I always wear some kind of a dark hue from Butter London and my lips are always amazing in EOS
Just before I left for HSN I had the opportunity to spend some time at Soho Sanctuary which is in a fabulous building on Mercer St that has a number of floors. On the main floor is a nice sitting area as well as the coziest chairs that one can have when getting a mani and pedi (if you loved the shade that I rocked on air, then you saw Deborah Lippmann's Billionaire. The other floors have a spa as well as an area where you can do yoga! When I arrived, I was there to check out the new collection for fall for Jane Iredale. With an eco focused line with nothing but the good stuff, I was excited to learn about items that were new to me! I'm such a fan of keeping my face clean and this Magic Mitt was amazing to use when I want to not only ensure that my face is makeup free but that it is being taken care of in a very gentle way. In addition, the primer and brightener not only allows for moisture on the face but right before I went on air, I applied it to my hands for an even dewier look! Finally, when you want to have fun with your eyes and play with color, these eyeliners are perfect!
Kimmie's Gimmies Spring Break Tweet Event ~ 04.14.11 @ Polished Beauty Bar 8pm
Above image provided by Seafolly, photographed by Max Doyle
Forget about the up and down weather that we have been having lately, we know that Summer will come to us or we will go to it! I can't lie that I am super excited to be heading to the DR later on this month for a few days to soak in some much needed sun! With that said, we may not be in college anymore but Spring Break reminds us of the times when we would pack up to fun locations where you only needed bikinis, maxis and more to be dressed for any and all occasions. Now this same theme reminds us to book our long weekends, take a week off and to also prep for consistently warm weather!
With that, we're super pumped to launch Spring Break on Kitten Lounge starting next week on April 18th - the 29th! You'll find out what bikinis we're loving, how to dress it up and you won't have to wonder what travel accessories and coverups are a must for your upcoming trips! We're loving the beach loving look of Seafolly and you'll be introduced to more brands coming up over the next two weeks so you're set for Spring and Summer! We'll have fun videos and more and I'll connect to you via Dominican Republic as I will be enjoying my own days away while designing my upcoming Spring 12 collection for Sebago! But a proper kick off would be nothing without a party! This Thursday night we're kicking off Kimmie's Gimmies Spring Break Tweet Party in the most essential way possible, 10 bloggers that I'm loving right now will join me for manis and some "getting Spring Break ready" advice by Celebrity Nail Stylist and Polished Beauty Bar owner, Susan Nam at her UWS salon. After getting our nails done, I'm sharing some of my must have's for the Spring/Summer of 2011. We'll include beauty, apparel and fashion brands (we have some fun brands that we can tell you about including Batiste and Skagen Denmark but will let you know day of who will be joining in on the fun) and we'll let you know what to keep an eye out for while also being able to give you opportunities to win giveaways. We'll stream as well as tweet away! Then come back on Mon as we start sharing our daily style spreads for Spring Break! We'll be tweeting and following the hashtag #KLSpringBreak.
The day before I left for the DR to design my Fall 11 Kitten Lounge x Sebago line, I made sure that I beautified before I left. Apart of the process was heading to Polished Beauty Bar on the Upper West Side. Now I had heard great things about this via friends and have to say that more than a week later I only have the tiniest of chips on my nails - it is work the trek for sure to go to this super zen place. No detail is left wasted. I loved meeting the owner, Susan Nam who definitely makes you feel like you're at home. We gabbed about our mutual love for cardigans, maxis and layers. I selected Indigo a gorgeous blue black polish with sparkle. I have to say that I am now a dark color girl for not only my pedis BUT ALSO my manis! After selecting my color, I enjoyed sitting in these massage chairs pictured above that also massage your butt - super amazing! For this alone, the chairs make everything feel like it's ok! Located at 250 W 78th between Broadway and West End, you'll find a number of services with my fave ones being manis ($12) and pedis ($30). Another fab service is the fact that they have these little sanitizers for your shoes. As you get your pedi, your shoes are cleaned and disinfected - supposedly they smell like ocean breezes when you get them!
Beyond being a chic spot and the new place to enjoy some time to hang out with your girls as you gab over the weeklies. I love that this place is green! The fact that they use Zoya and have quite a bit of their 300 collection, you know that your polish doesn't have all the chemicals in it. In addition, their nail polish remover is soy based which is perfect. Find out more about the salon, new colors that are coming up and specials by signing up for their tweets at @PolishedBB! I can tell you that this is officially my fave salon and that I am not interested in going in any other salon after my amazing polish!
Who knew a little color would rock my world. I have to say that when I get mani's (my pedi's I love being daring) it's always something that matched the tones of my nail. I have always been happy like that but here lately, I have realized that I do want to step it up. Last week I headed to Polished Beauty Bar and fell in love with Zoya's Indigo. Then, when I had lunch with my mom the other day, she actually said - you look so much better with a darker nail color so now I am all about it. Above are some fab hues as I am actually drawn to items that have an element of black in it for the super chic macabre look. Above, you'll also find a package of colors from FLIRT Cosmetics! What I love about this is that I love the grey color and was able to share with friends on the others!
Beyond the Blackberry (yes many of you are reading my site via this fab phone) that keeps us connected and the fruit that we eat, there are other ways that blackberries are useful to us! Today, we dedicate one of our posts to the fragrant and visual components. As you're reading this, I'm about an hour into my flight as I head to the DR to begin designing my very first collaboration line with footwear! I'm beyond thrilled so as I always do before I head out on a trip, I ran to get a mani/pedi at the Polished Beauty Bar (details on that to follow soon)! Now usually, I have a fab color on my toes and I do something neutral on the nail. Yesterday I decided to rock dark nails as it's nice to change it up and I loved how it looked this summer when I did it! I love the berry colors which made me think of glosses, perfumes and lotion! How fun and so perfect for the season!
No seriously can't everyday be Poppy? So let's back track a little. We're all aware of Coach as it's something that we have grown up with but what we think we know about Coach isn't all inclusive. It's a brand that continues to take on new dimensions. This was definitely clear to me when last year they reached out to me to be apart of the Coach Holiday Blog a Day campaign where each day within 30 days was featured on their site styling their Holiday Collection and of course we had the fab giveaway! So now bringing it to the present, we have Poppy this quirky, girlie collection that's definitely Coach but with a fun twist! You've seen me cover various tote bags from them and I was honored to be selected to do some fun things with their fall collection which I will let you know about when it launches but it is soon!
So with the fall project for Coach Poppy with the leathergoods, I felt totally immersed in Poppy when I went to the launch of their fragrance for Poppy which is available in stores on July 1st! We were invited this past Tues to the Rescue Beauty Lounge in the Meat Packing District which was decorated with not only the bottles of the product but also fun punchy colors and sequin pillows. We really delved into the Poppy fragrance by learning about the notes that were involved to create a scent that was classic but also had this juicy, airy and fun quality to it. The Poppy girl is that fun girl about time who has a fun quirky sensibility that makes you want to be around her. It's a scent that's all its own and has definitely taken a prominent placement on my shelf! in a few words spritzing some on you have released cucumber flower, mandarin, freesia, jasmine, lily, creme brulee, cedarwood, sandalwood and wait for it - marshmallow. This has the sophistication of Coach while also having fruity and floral elements that make it all its own.
After the presentation of the brand the Poppy love continued. Upon entering, I sipped on a Ginger and Prosecco beverage but now that it was lunch and the other half of the girls were getting their treatments, we had the chance to enjoy cucumber sandwiches, salmon sandwiches, a lobster salad with mango and hearts of palm - all very tasty and perfect to be in this fabulous space. It also gave us a chance to talk to other bloggers (Aly and Kristin) as well as the publicists from the brand, fragrance end and more.
Now when it was my turn, the Rescue Beauty Lounge is a fabulous space of zen and even when you get your treatments there are little pods where four people can sit so if you and your besties want to do this together you feel like you have your own little section to go over the day. Even our mani/pedis had the Poppy spirit! I enjoyed the Poppy Mandarin manicure (I loved Sheer Nude which is from Rescue Beauty Lounge's line) which was inspired by the fragrance's juice mandarin notes and finished with a touch of Poppy scent. The Poppy Cucumber Pedicure (I loved Black Noir which is one Rescue Beauty Lounge's hues) was inspired by the fragrance’s bright cucumber flower notes and finished with a touch of Poppy scent as well. The treatments were phenomenal and it was truly a luxurious feeling. It was amazing to smell all of this poppy and I loved the cute Coach flip flops we received to show off our pedis. Afterwards it was just fun to chat as we were at the event for four hours! Above is an image of the fab goodie bag! You'll see the Coach Fragrance which is in a cute little box, the rollerball fragrance for your purse, the lotion which is beyond smooth, the cosmetic bag which is apart of the Poppy collection for fall and finally a bracelet in purple from the Poppy Collection as well. It was an amazing way to spend the day and yes life should be infused with Poppy!
I have a new obsession and it's called Townhouse Spa. I kicked off last week with one of my first pre summer mani/pedi sessions. I have always had conversations with Jeannine friend and Editor in Chief of Beauty Sweet Spot about her amazing experiences at her favorite spa. So with a little downtime between appointments, I finally headed over and fell in love with my favorite spot! Now you guys know that for years I have also went to Dashing Diva as there were various locations around town and I loved the super cute pink vibe; however, I was so relaxed with the luxe wood an enjoyed my chair massage as I got my pedicure that I decided that this would be my new location to come.
After a morning of heading over to Jimmy Choo for an Editor appointment and more to follow, I sipped my cucumber infused water and felt as calm as I could have possibly felt during the hectic week! In fact, I was super pleased to be reconnected with Essie as it was also available at various salons I would go to prior to Dashing Diva and of course if you're in between sessions, you can get at your local Duane Reade. So as a rule, I picked a fab pink shade and great deep tone for a pedicure!
Whether you're looking for an amazing spa (and they have a variety of services that are available) or you have your favorite place that you love visiting when it comes to getting your nails done - there is something so peaceful when you're able to take time for yourself either alone of friends in one of summer's biggest rituals!
Today I am in mani/pedi mode. So we have some great giveaways. Mon's winner has been chosen - Yes to Carrots has been given to a snazzy reader who enjoys wearing her hair up and putting little sparkle adornments in it - which is very cute and something I may think about doing. Jenn, another reader, has won a nice shade of nail polish from our Holiday Gift Guide Sponsor, Dashing Diva! Yesterdays winner has not been revealed yet for a nail polish from Dashing Diva but will be named soon!
Today we have Kiss and of course our amazing sponsors from Dashing Diva. What are your pedi rules for the winter? Do you get them as often do you still have interesting color choices? Let me know and in return we have various items to give you. First off, Dashing Diva has gorgeous shades that are perfect for the holiday season so one of you will win this. If you happen to be in NYC or a city that has this salon, take a moment to get your nails done. My sister actually went to the one in Tokyo on a recent trip as she and I love the one here. But a few of you will win a number of interesting must have tools from Kiss who allows your nails to look glam shot ready by providing you a nail transformation with full cover nails for hands and toes. We have various goodies to give out RED by Kiss Pedicure Kit, RED by Kiss Toenail & Nail Clipper Duo, Kiss 3D Nail & Toe Art, Kiss Featherlight Nail Kit, Kiss Flawless Crystal, Clear Nail Kit, Kiss French Manicure Kit, Kiss Express On Nail Kit, Kiss Washable File, Kiss Wide Board Grinder and Kiss All Purpose File & Smoother. This is perfect for the girl who loves to do it herself and knows that she wants salon ready tools within her reach!
When I get my weekly mani's and my bi-weekly pedi's, there is only one place that I run to (I simply refuse to go anywhere else)! Dashing Diva has multiple locations all over New York City and they are definitely my sanctuary when I need a little time out! I love their pink colors, plenty of colors, fun events and so much more. I do enjoy going on Fri's to get my pedicure and manicures with a nice cosmo (I was also a huge fan of their wine pedicure as well) Recently, Kitten Lounge attended Dashing Diva's event which had the cast of Legally Blond the Musical in attendance doing a Bend and Snap competition. The pictures included below are courtesy of Sarah Conley which you can see more of her coverage on Style It! This location which was off of Union Square is my favorite one to go to! It was really cute to see the cast members together and to see the winners of the Bend and Snap competition!
Dashing Diva definitely loves the Kitten Lounge and its readers and is providing 3 Elle of a Pedicures (fit for Ms Elle Woods herself) which we will be giving away on this site on Fri the Fourth of July at noon! Getting a complimentary pedicure at the 3rd Avenue location (149 3rd Ave btwn 15th/16th) is definitely an amazing treat and a great way to enjoy the summer as well. To be one of the three winners, simply tell me your favorite pedicure shade (regardless of brand) as many of us go a little daring on our toes when it's the summer! All entrants must have access to NYC as it is valid here and all entries must be included as comments within this post. With so many shades, you're bound to find a favorite - my favorite "Chelsea in the Buff" or Vanilla -Rama (when it comes to mani's) and anything deep and vixen like when it comes to my pedi's.
She's Kimmie is a virtual scrapbook and is the best way for fans of Kimmie to connect with her, see where she's heading next and of course to get fab insider info!
As an Accessories Expert, Kimmie appears on HSN, designs, is quoted/featured in various publications talking about style from an Accessories Forward perspective! To work with Kimmie or to see project portfolio, visit her site here.
Kimmie is the Co-Founder/Creative Director of Shoe Week which launched during NYFW Sept '12 and is styling a number of shows as well as having evening leading up to our second season of shows during NYFW Sept '13.
Co-Founder, Kimmie, connects brands with bloggers in intimate event settings via Style Tweetup.
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