Fashion Salad

The weather is getting warmer, which means sexy summer dresses, strappy tops, and tube tops will be making their debut yet again. Keep your cool in the hottest of weather with Nippies by Bristols 6.

Eve, Gwen Stefani, Pam Anderson, Paris Hilton, and the Pussycat Dolls all love Nippies, and we are sure that you will too! Nippies are luxurious and stylish nipple covers for fashion lovers of every size and shape. Nippies come in 3 different sizes- A, B, and C- to give every woman support, comfort, and a stylish alternative to traditional nipple covers.

In sequined, satin, lace, or printed styles and 4 shapes, you can find a Nippie that suits your mood and your style. If you would like to go the more modest route, Nippies Basic or Nippies Silicone are a great option. Plus, Nippies Silicone are washable and reusable up to 50 times! Adhesive backed and totally painless to remove, you can wear Nippies under bathing suits, dresses, tops, or alone!

And for the girls who need another kind of sticky solution, try Stylin Tape! It secures plunging necklines, slipping straps, and holds up strapless bras and dresses. Stylin Tape comes in 3 sizes in an easy to use precut black croc envelope. Totally clear, flexible, and skin safe, Stylin Tape is a girl’s best friend! To get your own, check out www.bristols6.com!!!

What’s now ready to make it from the runway to your closet?

"Fluid flares, draped dresses, skinny belts and something see-through” is “What you’ll be wearing next summer”, according to Charlotte Sanders of Marie Clarie, January 2008 UK edition, in their article of the same name.

Marie Claire’s trend picks also include Grecian Gowns:

This is bound to be a favourite fashion trend this year because “goddess dressing” can work well with so many different girly shapes and sizes…thin or curvey. With a variation on styles, Grecian glamour is achievable with tunics, toga-style mini dresses or floaty and sophisticated full-length gowns.

For a couture splurge – at the Grammy’s 2008 Nelly Furtado went bold in a cerulean strapless Arthur Mendonca gown. The draped silhouette and gold choker call to mind the Grecian influence.

For a frugal find – For something more casual than the red carpet Shake Hip Hugging Top at Fashion Rome.

Another fluid option is the P&P long knit dress – very sexy in brown and blue stripes.

Nelly Image: StyleFrizz 

This is the second article in Texere Silk’s Caring for Silk series. The previous post covered cleaning and washing silk. This article is on Green Organic Dry Cleaning, which, being an environment friendly process, is in line with our ethics of ecological responsibility and thus, is an important part of information that we would like to share with our customers, and with public at large. Silk Care: Green Organic Dry Cleaning Most silk items should be hand washable, and should not need dry cleaning.

Nevertheless, some “Dry Clean Only” fabrics (rayon, lace etc. etc.) are delicate and should not be washed because they either cannot withstand the agitation of a washing machine or would shrink drastically if washed in water (Wool, for example).

The “Dry Clean Only” label on silk items might mean that the fabric was not preshrunk or chose dyed fabrics that were not colorfast. Most of our garments are washable and the fabric used is guaranteed to be pre-shrunk.  After hand painting, every garment goes through a comprehensive process of steam curing to ensure color fastness.

If you prefer dry cleaning for your silks, Texere Silk recommends green or organic dry cleaning for the following reasons:
* Ordinary dry cleaning most commonly entails the use of Perchloroethylene (also called “perc”) a highly toxic and carcinogenic solvent.
* Chemicals used in the solvent damage the fabric and discolor it.
*  Non-toxic materials such as liquid CO2 or silicone based solvents used in Green Dry cleaning are safer and more effective cleaning agents as compared to controversial and toxic cleaning agents.  (established in a test conducted by the Consumers Union).

Links on alternate cleaning sources and the test report on harmful aspects of Perchloroethylene ; Organic / green dry cleaners in your area that use silicone based solvents by going to the website of Green Earth Cleaning (organic / green dry cleaners); Liquid CO2 cleaning (a green / organic dry cleaning system) available on the website of Cool Clean Technologies:

For More detailed information and instructions on silk care, Washing and Cleaning Silk.

If you don’t want to wear bright colors this spring, that’s fine. You can do what many of the designers are doing and add a splash of something different to the rest of your fashionable look.

If you are wearing Spring 2008’s shining blues, you may want to add the contrast of a deep red garnet pendant. It will jump out from the blue, but still go well as a completing piece of your outfit.

If you want to be in the season, but not necessarily wearing trendy colors of the season, maybe something a little more whimsical like a diamond flip-flop mini pendant. Unlike other colored pendants that may change by the season, this pendant will be perfect anytime you are ready to show off that you’re hitting the beach, or at least thinking about it. You also don’t have to worry about what you wear it with because diamonds match anything.

Just as the spring is a time to do a little spring-cleaning, this year it’s also a time to brighten your wardrobe and your jewelry box with a little splash of color that will help you forget about the cold days of winter.

Lighting plan is of vital Importance to your home decoration project. Indoor lighting complements different moods, feelings and every-day shades, practically telling the art of living. With shades of light, you can change the ambience from special to occasional and even extravagant, and create magic with special effects

Lighting – Making Your Home Look Brilliant

Home lighting can dramatically influence the feel of a room, making it warm and inviting, cozy and comfortable, or cold and distant at the flip of a switch. If chosen correctly, it can have just as much influence on the look and feel of a room as your best piece of furniture. See some of the functions the lighting performs:

Focus Pocus: Put lighting to work creating focal points. Add lights to direct the eye in a new direction by focusing on a piece of art, furniture or the mantel.

Dim Some: Dimmers are an inexpensive trick-of-the-trade. They help set a special mood in the home by allowing you to manipulate the light. Install them at the wall for ceiling fixtures and even buy them for table lamps.

Space Case: Add more drama to a space with accent lighting. By illuminating the top of a bookcase, adding under-cabinet lighting or hanging a colored pendant over the kitchen island, you can create islands of light that bring the grain of the wood, the print of the wallpaper or the color of a wall to life.

Showing Personalized Taste: Every home is special. So is every individual, with his peculiar taste for shapes, patterns and inherent aesthetic sense. With all the decorative options out there today, you can use them to introduce your neighbors and guests to your taste when they are introduced into your home.

Don’t Wait: To buy lighting fixtures, it is important to plan earlier than other decorating ideas because there are frequently decisions that need to be made relative to the location and type of electrical outlet installation during construction. These decorative fixtures often are built according to individual order, so it needs time. For the purchase on line, You can choose from the china manufacturer directory.

Design Trend for the Decorative Lighting                                             Image [source]

Winter is stressful for skin. Cold temperatures and winds outside combined with low humidity inside result in stressed, irritated, dehydrated skin. Here are 7 rules which will help you to "winter-proof" your skin.

1. Go easier on peeling/exfoliation and cleansing in your skin care routine
Winter weakens skin’s protective hydrolipid barrier which makes it hypersensitive and susceptible to free radicals and dehydration. Save your skin the additional stress and do not indulge into exfoliation procedures. Too much peeling strips your skin of protective lipids and weakens its ability to retain moisture.  Do peeling only twice per week during the winter period.
For your daily cleansing choose milder products that won’t be too stripping. For example, use hydrating cleansing milk instead of washing gel.
If you use mild cleansing products and do not do daily peeling but your skin is stressed and irritated anyway. Perhaps you are using a serum or moisturizer with peeling ingredients such as Retinol, AHAs, Vitamin C. If so, stop with those for winter.

2. Say No to alcohol!
Exclude toners with alcohol, they are too harsh and stripping for your skin and contribute to skin’s dryness.
Note, a couple glasses of wine or a cocktail also lead to skin’s dehydration. From time to time you might want to go with a soft drink with your dinner or make sure you drink plenty of water to counteract the dehydrating effect of alcohol.

3. Upgrade your moisturizer
Go with a richer moisturizer that will not only provide hydration but also help your skin to retain it. Look for moisturizers based on emollient ingredients such as shea butter, lanolin, squalene. Emollients soften, hydrate the skin and build a thin protective layer on its surface to prevent loss of moisture.

If you have an oily type of skin and use oil absorbing products, consider stopping for winter. In winter skin type often shifts so oily skin becomes normal and normal turns dry. By continuing using oil absorbing skin care products or makeup you may contribute to your skin’s dryness.

4. Take vitamins and antioxidants
In winter our skin and body lack vitamins and minerals. This can really reflect on your complexion and skin’s immune system. The following vitamins and minerals are vitally important for your skin’s beauty and health: Omega 3, 6, B Vitamins, Vitamin C, E, A, Zink and Magnesium.

5. Use UV protection
Sun in winter is not so intense but it does not mean that you can stop using UV protection. It is especially important on snowy days or when you go skiing in the mountains. In fact, sun reflects off the snow more intensively than off the sand on a beach in summer.

6. Take special care of lips and hands
Lips are very sensitive to colds and wind. To protect them and prevent from chapping apply a rich moisturizer with jojoba butter or avocado oil every time before going outside as well as before going to bed. Skin on the hands is thin and is always subject to “life’s hazards”, that is why hands are usually the first to show signs of aging. Apply haand moisturizer at least twice a day but ideallt every time you wash your hands. Treat your hands to a nourishing mask once or twice a week.

7. Humidify
Due to heating, air at home and office is very dry and causes skin to dehydrate. To balance humidity level you can either use a humidifier or just buy some house plants that are known to be able to balance humidity level in their environment.

Sources:

Winter Skin Care
Beauty Blog

A model displays a creation as part of Gianfranco Ferre’ Fall/Winter 2007/08 men’s collection.
Photo: Reuters

When you started your business, you probably imagined never having to suit up for an interview or conform to someone’s dress code ever again. Right? Wrong. As an entrepreneur, your style of dress is more important than ever before. Here are a sample of Jessica Hupps rules to show clients that you’re a professional…

   1. Wear what makes you feel confident: This one’s important, because if you don’t appear confident, no amount of tailoring and shoe shining can make up for it.

   2. Always wear nice shoes: Run down and scuffed up shoes will make you look like you’re sloppy and can’t pay attention to detail. Clients do not want to see this.

3. T-shirts just won’t work: You may think that your client is charmed by the witty saying on your shirt, but he’s laughing at you, not with you. Instead of a t-shirt, wear a polo or a comfortable button-down. This rule goes for flip flops and Crocs, too.

4. Keep a spare in your car: Keep a few key pieces in the trunk of your car in case you find yourself roped into a last minute meeting and need to take your appearance up a notch. A wrinkle-free jacket, shoes and a belt should suffice. Make sure that they’re versatile enough to work with just about anything you’d normally wear.

Read More Rules.

By Jessica Hupp

Photo [source]