Kitten Lounge

Snazzy Sundays ~ Women in Need

KittenCouture — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Since 1983, Women in Need has assisted homeless families by ensuring that they have housing. Last week a group of bloggers were brought in to preview homes that were made by various notables for the Home for the Holidays Campaign within the fashion and entertainment industries including Vera Wang, Isaac Mizrahi, Sean Combs, Debra Messing and more. Once these homes were unveiled here, they were placed within Saks windows here in NYC from Nov 5th - Nov 9th (if you're in the area today and looking to see them in person, definitely check it out) to be auctioned in order to assist the organization to continue working with families not only as a means to have a place to live but to move forward with their goals for the future through stable housing, education and more.

The depth of the program and the continuing services that WIN provides is astounding. From the beginning of being included within the program to the point where many families receive transitional or permanent residences, they can receive valuable information on employment training/placement, HIV/AIDS prevention, domestic violence prevention and more. Learn more about the organization and how you can help by visiting Charity Buzz, you can see the houses that were made and also put in a bid for one of the houses as well. Above is a video from the CEO and Founder Bonnie Stone, and a few designers that participated in this project!

Fashionable Fridays: 302 Designs Is The Answer to the Great Tee

KittenCouture — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:18:58 -0800

I love when you can have a great tee and there are so many reasons to embrace it! 302 Designs is sweatshop free, organic and is perfect for men and women. I love the designs of this shirt and feel that it is a great way to have casual comfort that is also green friendly at the same time. Most of all, I enjoy that it is tag free! Take some time to check out the amazing designs and considering that the holiday season is upon us, it is very wallet friendly as well.

Wearable Wednesday: Get Your Vote In

KittenCouture — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:00:00 -0700

I love it! Blume is known for the fact that they have customized items for women, men, babies and even your four legged friends! They have so many styles that are perfect to wear - all you need to do is decide what name you want to put on the apparel! What has really caught my eye is their election collection. I think they are so cute and they have great pieces for Republicans, Democrats and Independents - what's not to like. In addition to the vote you will give on Nov 4th, you can vote on their site about the shirts (what I also love is that these 3 images can be placed n various shirts). Take some time to check out the site and to order your Election Collection items and then of course, get some items that will be perfect for gifting as well.

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!

Fashionable Fridays: I'm All About Nobis

KittenCouture — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:00:00 -0700

When something is cute, it has to be shared and Nobis has a cute line that is perfect for men and women - which is generally a rare find. Fortunately, Nobis has a great look for those that are looking to enhance their metro chic and when you want to add more to your look, you need to look at their apparel as well! This hat, known as the Maxie, is a grey newsie that has cute little details! I love that under the brim there is a bit of plaid and around the hat there are little loops that pick up this plaid as well. Nothing is better than wearing something that is seen as being a little masculine and then being femmed up with little details. I love the logo of the Nobis which is placed as a button on the side. This is so the look you can rock when you're having a great hair day or when you simply need to have something to cover a do that you would rather not have to deal with today. How cute is this when you're heading out for a game, taking a walk with your sig other or you're just out and about with your sunglasses. Either way Nobis has a great collection and one that we should all embrace no matter what our look!

Trendy Thursdays: Quattro Women

KittenCouture — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:00:00 -0700

For the past 2 or 3 years, I have to admit that I have been a huge fan of the Schick Quattro! It may have had to do something with the fact that my sister and I were promo models for a marketing firm and we went all over the city and Connecticut spreading knowledge and love for this razor. At first, I must admit that I thought that the fact that it was a pink beauty product - it was the primary selling point of this razor. But after that summer, I grew to love the four blades that ensures your super soft wherever you shave! I always have this hanging in my shower and ready to use and one if always in my bag for emergencies as well. Since being introduced to this razor, I have yet to put it down and anytime that I am running low, I always have another easy to change head (note that easy to change doesn't mean that the head falls off every time you use it!). This sleek razor is a must for my beauty prep and it has yet to make me have to switch to another brand pr style. Take some time to check out the site to learn more in depth facts about this razor and why you may feel the same as I do! Check out their fun site - Quattro For Women!

Wearable Wednesdays: Don't Be Too Sure

KittenCouture — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:00:00 -0700

I love that we live in an age where many rules of fashion are meant to be broken and what we took to be truths at the time, are being reinvented. Yes, it is true that in fashion we are all learning new tricks and many of us that may have always been able to wear something are just coming into the realization that we can wear a number of styles, colors and much more.

The other day as I was on Facebook, I happened to learn about a Petite Fashionista Show that will take place in Canada. Christa Jean is a Petite Stylist and has put together this show with tickets still available It's aim is to showcase the beauty of models that are 5'4" and under. In addition to being intrigued by this event, I came across one of the sponsors - 5ft2in. This fabulous company makes pants for women within this height range! In addition as I talked to the designer, Sunny, she was so excited to show me her most popular pant style! This capri pant is not only popular but she definitely wanted to let me know that it is a complete and total myth that petite women are unable to wear this length of pant. I think that those who strive to focus their efforts on certain demographics of women that may have a harder time in shopping are absolutely amazing and should be commended without a doubt! Take a peek at her site and contact her directly if you are in need of having a pair made for you or someone that you know. I am always a fan of attainable fashion and love presenting those that make that dream a reality for women everyday!

Treasure Tuesdays: We Love Beads

KittenCouture — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:00:00 -0800

You know that I am a fan of using beads and stones, this is why I love making my jewelry so when I saw the super cute pieces from Girlie Girl Jewelry Studio, I had to share with you. I love handmade pieces and definitely think that these are items that should be in your wardrobe! These savvy and stylish women utilize tones of mossy green and shiny red apple with pops of other natural tones. Rhyolite and Apple Jasper work together with lampwork beads to make this cute necklace. To add a bit more of bling, there are Swarovski Crystals that separate each stone from one another. This is perfect to pair with denim and cute dresses since it is 25" long. Of course don't be afraid to layer a charm necklace in with this. Support these fabulously indie women in California who make the cutest handmade pieces. For more looks that are so you - check out Girlie Girl Jewelry Studio.