HP x Project Runway Party

Last week I went to the Style Coalition lounge for an HP x Project Runway viewing party. The party theme was color-blocking. Being a lover of color, this was a fun challenge and I found some blue pieces in my closet and made them pop with yellow tights and necklace.  I have to admit it was fun to see color again, and the perfect start to my Easter weekend.

The reason for the theme was based on a Project Runway challenge, where contestants created a look inspired by mid-century art at The Guggenheim.


We got to actually compete against other attendees to create the best design as well with this premise by draping fabric on a dress form. The winning design by Jenny from I-Spy-DIY won the latest HP ENVY X2! It's a PC that transforms into a Tablet for life on-the-go. To be perfectly honest, maybe I now have a little bit of envy. The convertible factor has me a bit awed plus it's the same PC that contestants use on the show.

Project Runway contestant Carol Hannah attended the party to watch this season's competitors send their designs down the runway. You can see all the designs here.


After our competition we sat down to watch the show while snacking on some delicious treats and Pomegranate / St. Germain cocktails. As bloggers always do, there was plenty of witty commentary throughout the show as we tweeted the night away. Thanks to Style Coalition and HP for a colorful lift to my week.

Mani Party with Sally Hansen x Elle Magazine

A couple of weeks ago, I got to watch the Golden Globes in style with the lovely ladies of the Style Coalition. Sally Hansen and Elle Magazine hosted a mani party celebrating Sally Hansen's new Salon Insta-Gel Strips.

We got the chance to walk our own red carpet complete with mani cam after being treated to some gel nail treatments. I had a hard time choosing with 24 different colors and patterns to choose from I really wasn't sure what to pick. In the end I had to try Perfect Poison - a metallic silver snake skin that looks really luxe.

Although a nail technician helped me get my gel tips on, it seemed simple enough. After removing my nail polish and filing down my nails to the desired shape, the nail technician gave my nails a light buff, removed all excess oils with some a cleanser pad (all included in the kit) and then peeled off the nail strips and pressed them onto my nails carefully using an orange stick. She removed the excess strip using a nail file. When all the nails were complete, she did a quick coat of gel top coat before sticking each nail one at a time in the UV light machine where my nails took about 30 seconds each to be cured. The machine turns off the light when finished each nail so it is really easy to make sure you get it right. Once my nails were cured, we removed the excess sticky residue using a cleanser pad, just like at the salon. After that, my nails were fully dry! The whole process took probably 10 minutes or so.



After getting my nails done I had a blast sipping cocktails, tweeting like a maniac about red carpet fashion and hanging with some lovely style and beauty bloggers over some delicious hors' devours including some oh so appropriate golden globe cake pops (which I dutifully avoided). I admired and compared nails with some of the other ladies and found myself really attracted to the Spot On polka dot look color.

At the end of the night, I was gifted a Sally Hansen Salon Insta-Gel Strips starter kit and 2 colors of nail polish so that I can try this on my own - I can't wait to try more patterns.
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I decided to show you the results of the mani that is supposed to last for up to 2 weeks.

The results after 8 days were pretty darn good. If I didn't lift a printer at the office earlier in the day, I don't think I would have caught the edges that lifted from my right index finger and my left middle finger. Otherwise the mani is still shiny and in good shape aside from my nails growing out. Unlike regular nail polish strips or even Shellac, these feel firmly adhered to my nails and don't feel like they will all start peeling if you catch an edge.

By day 14 these are definitely ready to come off.  The nail polish stayed shiny and put for most part, but my nails grew out so much at this point, I wasn't crazy about how they looked. Next time I will try to get the strips closer to my cuticles than the technician did. While the edges I caught on my index and middle finger didn't seem to grow, some spots close to the base of the nails started to flake off a little. However, this nail polish can't be easily removed without an acetone remover, cotton and foil. Armed with these readily available products, you can get your nails clean in about 5 minutes.

Overall I was very happy with my nails. They looked fabulous and I received multiple compliments and people were asking me how I had achieved the unique python effect. It is a much more cost effective and time saving solution vrs going to a salon with results that are definitely comparable.

Make Up For Ever Holiday Party at Style Coalition

Last week Style Coalition Lounge hosted a holiday gathering with the talented ladies from Make Up For Ever. While sipping cocktails, we had our chance to get make-up tips from professional make-up artists. When it was my turn I asked about false eyelashes as they are my beauty nemesis. They always add a lot of drama to special occasions but I always have trouble applying them.

The first step is to apply some eyeliner at your lashline to disguise where they will be attached and create a more natural look. She also curled my lashes because my natural lash growth is very straight. Then gently remove the lashes from the packet using only your thumb and a sweeping motion so as not to damage the lashes or put a kink in them. In my case for a more comfortable and customized look, the make-up artist cut the lashes into 4 equal sections but only applied 3 to my lid, with the longest segment at the center of my eye. Before applying them she had me open my eyes with the faux lashes resting on my natural lashes to check for perfect positioning. She applied the segments, using the glue that came with the package.


Make-Up Forever provided these additional steps:
Apply a thin bead of lash glue along the entire band of one of the lashes.If the lash glue doesn’t come with an applicator you can use the end of a make up brush as a glue applicator. Allow the glue to get tacky before applying the lash – about 60 seconds.

Tilt your head back so you can see the base of your lash line then place the lash strip at the very base of your natural lashes. Before pressing the lash into place firmly, you may need to work it down further into the lash
base. It is generally easier to connect the faux lash to the center of the lash line then press the inner and outer corners into place. Use the end of a make up brush or the blunt end of a pair of tweezers to press down areas of the faux lash firmly.

As the lash glue continues to dry you may continue to shape how the lash rests on your lashes by either pushing from underneath to make the lash stand up and curl or by pushing down from above to flatten the lash.

Once the glue is dry, apply another sheer coat of mascara just to blend the natural lashes with the faux lashes.

Soon I had very lovely eyelashes but out of the corner of my eye I spotted glitter and I couldn't resist and I asked to add some glitter, which the lovely make-up artist applied using the ever useful Make Up Forever Aqua Seal. Aqua Seal is a magical solution that can be used to rehydrate dried up make-up, create liquid eyeliner with powder and apply glitter. It makes all makes all powdery make-up waterproof and intensifies colors and pearl effects. Although I've attempted glitter eye make-up in the past I never knew how to make it stay in one place before.

I had a blast learning about holiday make-up and hanging with the lovely ladies at the Style Coalition Lounge. I will leave you with the How-To instructions for Holiday Glitter below.


HOLIDAY HOW TO: GLITTER 101

SUBTLE: Glitter Eyeliner
1. Choose your favorite shade of glitter and mix it with MAKE UP FOR
EVER Aqua Seal to help it adhere to the lash line (Pro Tip: you can
use the cap of the glitter container to mix it).
2. Using a firm bristled eyeliner brush, like MAKE UP FOR EVER’s #1N
brush, start in the center of the eye and trace to the inner corner, and
then extend to the outer corner of the eye.
3. Finish by lining under the lower lash line for an added pop (optional).

GLAM: Glitter Shadow
1. Mix a dab of MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #12 in golden copper
with Diamond Powder #4 in bronze and then add two drops of MAKE
UP FOR EVER Aqua Seal.
2. Apply the mixture directly to the eyelid and blend through the crease.
3. For added dimension, finish the look by applying MAKE UP FOR
EVER Eye Shadow #17 in espresso through the crease.

SULTRY: Shimmer Eyes
1. Apply MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #15 in taupe brown shimmer
to your eyelid and blend through the crease.
2. Mix MAKE UP FOR EVER Star Powder #929 in bronze khaki with
MAKE UP FOR EVER Diamond Powder #15 in taupe grey shimmer
and then press the mixture on your eyelid.
3. Finish by blending MAKE UP FOR EVER Eye Shadow #138 in dark
chocolate brown through the crease and smudge under the eyes.

Alexandre Herchcovitch x HP Launch

A few nights ago I had the honor of meeting famed designer Alexandre Herchcovitch at the Style Coalition Lounge for the exclusive North American launch of HP’s newest Designer Edition.  Following in the footsteps of designers like Vivienne Tam and Tord Boontje, Herchcovitch designed a beautiful laptop that was inspired by his autumn/winter 2012 collection featuring black lace on an olive/gold pearlescent background and vice versa on the interior chassis and keyboard that reflects the custom designed screen saver.  This is a laptop that is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside and comes with a matching travel mouse and embossed sleeve.


While sipping on a Caipirinha and snacking on Brazilian inspired snacks like Brazilian BBQ Chicken and Pão de Queijo I had a chance to sit down with Alexandre for a chat about his development process of the laptop, his mom and his opinions on how American and Brazilian women dress.
SRC: How did your collaboration with HP first come about?
AH: They approached me almost 2 years ago because the development process takes a while.  In the past they (HP) had worked with other designers so we had some examples like laptop they did with the Vivienne Tam.  And then we were very happy to do it because we have a lot of products that are not clothing like sunglasses, Band-Aids and so we said why not.  There is a huge connection with technology and technology is something that we apply to clothing when we design and when we develop fabrics.  So we started to think about what would be a good product.  The first thought was to do something unisex but what came out was a woman’s product.  I designed a lot of different ideas for HP and we wanted to do something that related back to the last collection that worked with the timing of the launch.  So it was more than 10 months ago.
SRC: Do you use computers in your everyday life?
AH: Yes, but I don’t let the devices take over.  I am not a slave of the computer or the iPhone.  I only use the computer to communicate.  I don’t touch the computer when I wake up in the morning until I step into my office.  I don’t leave emails with no answers so I am very quick and very focused.  I use it every morning and before I go to lunch but not all the time.
SRC: I’ve heard that you first became interested in design because of your mother.  How did she influence you?
AH: When I was a child, I used to observe my mother. My mother used to make clothing for herself.  So I was fascinated by seeing her transform a piece of fabric into something 3-D, something sculptural.  So I asked her to teach me how to sew and how to take measurements.  I was like 12 years old.  Then I started to make clothing for me and for her.  I think it’s a very ordinary history amongst designers – most of them are inspired by their mom or their grandmother.
SRC: So you must have a very close relationship with your mother.
AH: Yeah I have a very close relationship with her, I admire her, she is the most important woman in my life.  She is with me all the time.  We like to see each other 2 or more times a week.  She is also here with me – I brought her to New York.
SRC: Are you going to take her sightseeing anywhere special?
AH: Actually I’ve been here a lot but she came here 20 years ago so it’s been very different for her.  So I took her to Brooklyn to Williamsburg and I showed her the new neighborhood.  When she was here all those years ago it wasn’t a place where young people lived.  It was industrial so she never imagined that people to live in Brooklyn.  (But I told her) “No mom it’s different now we have to go there you’re going to see a lot of different people and a lot of interesting people.”  She was amazed by Williamsburg.  I’m leaving on Thursday and she is gonna be here for 10 more days so I am going to write a little guide for her.  She wants to go to very touristy places and also to interesting places.  She wants to balance it out.  I see it in her eyes when she tells me “Oh this building is so beautiful” even though it might be something common.  I’m very very happy that she is enjoying it here.  Sometimes when you grow old and you have to work a lot, sometimes you don’t have time to travel with your parents.  It’s been more than 10 or 15 years that I didn’t travel with my parents.  So it’s been a very very good experience to share with them the places that I like the most here.
SRC: What do you think the biggest difference is between the way that Brazilian women dress and American women dress?
AH: You know I think the differences between women all over the world are getting to be less.  Everybody is wearing the same.  It’s getting to that point.  Except for Japanese people because they don’t care about the body shape – not that they don’t care but they don’t want to show the curves and everything.  I see a lot of American women and Brazilian women dressing the same.  Here I think though that women like to wear tight clothing but they also want to wear loose clothing.  In Brazil most women want to wear tight clothing but here women are open to wear two different clothing types loose and tight.  In Brazil women want to show off their body to show off their curves to show that they are skinny.  They want to show.
SRC: Thank you for talking with me
AH: My pleasure. It’s always nice to meet new people and I like to talk to people.

Standing with the beautiful gold lace dress that inspired the laptop I couldn’t help but admire the end result.  The perfect intersection of fashion and technology designed by a down to earth designer that loves people, loves his mother and above all beauty.
Weighing only 3.5 pounds with up to 9.5 hours of battery life, the ultraportable special edition Pavilion dm1 is perfect for browsing the internet or accessing files, photos and video while on the go. The stylish PC features an 11.6” LED display, AMD processor, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, USP, HDMI, RJ4 and VGA ports and Windows 7 Home Premium for a fashionable yet functional experience. Loaded with Beats Audio™ for quality sound, HP TrueVision HD Webcam for quality images in even the lowest lighting and HP CoolSense technology that automatically adjusts temperatures for a noticeably cooler PC, the Pavilion dm1 by Alexandre Herchcovitch is the latest “must have” fashion accessory.
For photo and video editing, the special edition PC comes equipped with Arcsoft Perfect 365 instant makeover, Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Adobe Premiere Elements 10. The notebook installed with the online game It Girl by Crowd Star allows users to become virtual, professional fashion designers, creating their own looks and attending mainstream fashion events. The stylish PC also includes HP ProtectSmart and one year of Norton Internet Security for the ultimate protection to data and files.

The Pavilion dm1 by Alexandre Herchcovitch notebook PC is available in the United States, exclusively at QVC with a starting price of $629.95. The special edition Pavilion dm1 will also be available in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.
All photos except very very first one are courtesy of the lovely ANA SCHECHTER Photography

See Alexandre share about his laptop in his own words.

The 3rd Annual Fashion 2.0 Awards–February 2012

Last night I had the chance to attend the 3rd Annual Fashion 2.0 awards at the SVA Theatre.  Since I first attended 3 years ago the event has grown exponentially along with the advent of social media as part of our everyday lives.  The event was bigger than ever with bloggers from Style Coalition, social media enthusiasts, social media superstars (like @dkny) in attendance and mingling over cocktails and appetizers.  I got to meet ladies I've seen only through their blogs or twitter and finally have a chance to put a face to a name.

As for the awards ceremony it was hosted by the most adorable, energetic, charming and hilarious Robert Verdi who began the show by tossing a couple pairs of sunglasses from his brand new HSN line to the audience.

There was no surprise when the award for Best Twitter went to @dkny for her witty and constant Tweets!  Best Facebook Award went to Bergdorf Goodman.  Best Blog award went to DKNY.  A special new visionary award was presented to the Gilt Groupe co-founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson to acknowledgement of their achievements and leadership as e-commerce game-changers and their tremendous impact on the way the fashion industry/luxury brands, perceive the online space.  Best website award went to Marc Jacobs international.  Best Mobile App went to Tiffany and Co.  Top Innovator Award went to Kate Spade NY.  Last but not least the Best Online Video Award went to Prada for their Real Fantasies Spring/Summer 2011 video I've posted below.

And while not everyone took home awards I was glad we got a chance to sit back and pause and appreciate some of the other videos like Bergdorf's Unleashed, Lanvin with Pitbull, Norma Kamali in 3-D and Rachel Roy's Casual Friday campaign.

We also got a chance to listen to Norma Kamali herself talk about her love of technology and her journey into fashion and tech starting in the 60s.  Kamali stated, "Fashion is not about the clothes today.  What matters and where innovation is, is how we tell the story.  How we personalize it and humanize it...I used to say the 60s were the most exciting time in my life, but it's not anymore.  It's about today and tomorrow."  Kudos to Ms Kamali for her inspiring words and for always looking forward to the future and embracing it.  Can't wait to see her next 3-D fashion video bring fashion to life on the screen.