LUXE TIPS!™

My Salon: Fluer Elysee Salon, Grant Park, GA

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:21:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your weekend was wonderful. I had to travel New Orleans this weekend to attend a funeral. Not a particularly happy occasion, but it was good to see my family.

Before I traveled to New Orleans, I went to visit my stylist, Bizette, at Fluer Elysee salon to get a wash and press before my trip. I have been going to Bizette for over two years and she took my hair from a perm to a natural. Since going natural my hair is much healthier and it grows faster!

What I love most about Fluer Elysee is the super comfortable and posh atmosphere plus the fast service. Bizette always gets her customers in and out within 2 hours...sometimes less. She is super professional and very efficient. Plus she has early morning hours that work super with my busy schedule. If I have a 6 am appointment, I am usually done between 7:30 am and 7:45am. Fab!

The salon is decorated in rich tones of burnt orange and browns. This built in sofa is the absolute best piece of furniture in the salon. It is so comfy!

There is also free Wi-Fi. This is a huge plus for me, because I need to stay connected!

Fluer Elysee is a Phytospecific salon and I just love their products! Bizette uses Phytospecific Optimal Hydration Shampoo and Optimal Hydration Milk on my hair. These products are formulated with pro-Vitamin B, shea butter, and vitamin E. These products leave my hair super soft, shiny, and manageable. Also according to Bizette, the Phytospecific hair vitamins are her number one sellers. She can't keep them on the shelf. Her clients swear by them. She has noticed significant hair growth in her clients who use them consistently. I might have to try those vitamins!

Whenever I visit Bizette my hair is shiny and bouncing! I love it! Here is the finished product.

A wash and press is $60.00. She also offers relaxers, custom color services, cuts, and trims. Fluer Elysee is located at 1040 Boulevard SE Atlanta, GA 30312. Call (404) 622-4696 for appointments.

Toodles!

Fun Fridays! Lumene BOGO, NARS 15th Anniversary Set and more....

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is as gorgeous as you are!

One of my absolutely favorite drugstore skin care lines,Lumene, is having a buy one get one free sale starting next week! You guys know how much I love their products. The day cream with Vitamin C and SPF 15 is one of my favorite products! It prevents aging, moisturizes, and protects your skin from the sun! Fab! Visit any CVS to take advantage of this offer and make sure you bring your CVS extra care card.

NARS Cosmetis is celebrating 15 years of color innovation with the release of two gorgeous palettes! Palette Everlasting Love contains make-up to create a bold eye and a nude lip. The Wild at Heart Palette contains colors to create a bold lip with a more subdued eye. These palettes contain: 4 eyeshadows, a blush and a multiple for cheeks, and 4 lip colors. Nice!

Sephora has introduced their Holiday Gift Sets for the Holidays! You can purchase gifts featuring Tarte Cosmetics, Philosophy, Smashbox, Lorac, Clinique, L'Occitane, and more! If you are on a budget, there are tons of sets $25 and under!

Toodles!

New Winner of the Perricone MD Cold Plasma Giveawy

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is filled with sunshine! I waited 48 hours, but I have to pick a new winner of the Perricone MD Giveaway!

The new winner is......funkidivagirl! Funkidivagirl you have 24 hours to contact me to claim hour prize.

Toodles

Jurlique Love Balm: Moisturizer and Fragrance on the go!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:41:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your Monday is simply beautiful!

I am a sucker for lotions, body butters, and oils. I love it when my skin is silky smooth! Currently, I am obsessed with Jurlique's Love Balm. This balm is not only for lips, but you can use it on your hands, elbows, feet, neck....anywhere where you need a little moisture. This balm is made with Vitamin E, Olive, Soybean and Safflower Oil. This balm is super hydrating and it smells heavenly. It smells like an orange grove and it is actually scented with Tangerine! You guys know how much I love Citrus scents! Sometimes I will apply the balm to my pulse points for a nice fragrant scent. I always receive so many compliments whenever I use this balm. Love it! Plus it is so compact and travels easy. It will fit into any pocket and it is solid. So no airline restrictions here. A .5 oz pot of Jurlique's Love Balm retails for $15.00 and you can purchase it online here or at any Sephora.

Toodles!

Winner of the Perricone MD Cold Plasma Giveaway!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I finally picked a winner of the Perricone MD Cold Plasma Giveaway. It was a hard hard decision. All of you had fantastic comments! And without further ado, the winner is Harlow! Harlow contact me within 24 hours to claim your prize. If not, I will have to give it to the next runner up! Congrats!

Toodles!

Clinique's Even Better Skin Tone Corrector: A Life Saver!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope everyone is having an awesome day!

If you have been reading my blog, you know that I have been experiencing extremely severe breakouts. Too much stress in my life! I am working on removing all negative elements in my life, so hopefully the breakouts will cease.

During my breakouts, my skin was scarring pretty bad from the acne. I know I needed a skin tone corrector or lightening cream to get rid of the scarring. While reading Shake Your Beauty, one of my favorite blogs, Ms. Tia raved about Clinique's Even Better Skin Tone Corrector with SPF 20. She too was experiencing breakouts and she said this cream evened her skin tone in 4 weeks! Nice!

I knew I had some Clinique samples in my beauty arsenal, so I searched and found the Even Better Skin Tone Corrector. Now this version does not include SPF 20, but I was eager to give it a try. I am happy to report that after 5 weeks of use, my dark marks are almost gone! This cream really really works. Now I am used to using Retinol cream which works within 14 days, but this cream does the job slowly but beautifully over time. Since I have been using this cream, I have not experienced any breakouts and my skin is so very smooth! Love it! My skin tone is brighter, my skin's texture has improved, and it is more even. What is there not to like?

Unfortunately, I just ran out of the sample, so I am running to the mall tomorrow to purchase an one ounce bottle of Even Better Skin Tone Corrector. It retails for $39.50. If you spend $25 or more at any Nordstrom's or Bloomingdales you will receive a free gift with purchase!

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: CVS Round Cotton Pads

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your Wednesday is fantabulous! It is sunny in the Atl today. Yeah! It is such a nice break from the constant rain.

Divas I am out of my favorite facial cotton pads. CVS Round Cotton Pads are the best cotton pads I have ever used. Why are they so good? First I love the price. You get 80 pads for $2.25. Plus sometimes they are on sale for much less with your CVS card. In addition, I only need to use one pad to completely remove all the excess oil, dirt, and makeup from my face. Previous brands I used would take 2 pads to completely clean my face, not the CVS brand. I firmly believe the pad' thickness and slightly large size contributes to why it works so well! These pads do a whole lot! A 80 pack will last me for at least 2 months. I am getting mucho bang for the buck! You can purchase CVS Round Cotton Pads online here or at any CVS. Divas make sure check to your CVS circular so you can catch them on sale!

Toodles!

YSL's Parisienne Eau de Parfum: My Review

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:31:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your Monday is wonderful. Remember life is what you make it so make it grand!

Recently I was given the opportunity to try Yves Saint Laurent's new fragrance, Parisienne. This fragrance is a floral scent with hints of Blackberry, Rose, and Sandlewood. This parfum comes in cute packaging and the ad with Kate Moss is insane! How does she look so good after all of these years?

But, I am not a fan. I traditionally like light florals with a hint of citrus or parfums with hints of musk or vanilla. Parisienne smells like a scent my grandmother would wear...... not my kind of scent. Also I felt the scent contained a bit too much alcohol to be a Eau de Parfum. Eau de Parfums usually contain less alcohol and more of the actual scent. Eau de Toilettes have more alcohol. However I digress. Most importantly, this scent did not work well with my body chemistry at all. After wearing it for a few days, I felt the scent was a bit overbearing. But if you are a Diva who loves strong floral scents or think this is a great scent for your Mom or Grandmother then Parisienne may be the perfect scent.

A 1.6 fluid ounce of YSL's Parisienne retails for $65.00 and you can purchase it here or at any Sephora.

Now this post has prompted me to ask you Divas a question. What parfum did you try that you absolutely did not like? Please share! One of your duds may be my favs! LOL!

Toodles!

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Body Lotion

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your week is fantabulous and you are living the fabulous life!

Considering the size of my body lotion collection, I believe I have found the absolute perfect body lotion. Kiehl's Creme de Corps is, in my humble opinion, the best body lotion on the market. It is so rich and creamy. Believe me when I say this: a little goes a very long way. After one application, there is no need to re-apply. This lotion will keep your body soft, smooth and hydrated all day long. I have been using this lotion since I left NYC Fashion Week, and it has made a tremendous difference in my skin's texture. My skin is just smooth, smooth, smooth! This lotion is specially formulated for dry flaky skin. However, it is perfect for all skin types. It is especially great for the cold winter months! Some of the key ingredients in Creme de Corps are cocoa butter, sesame oil, and shea butter.

A 8.4 oz of Creme de Corps retails for $26. I know the price is a little steep for body lotion, but I still have 3/4 of the bottle remaining and I have been using it for over a month. It is worth every penny! You can purchase it online here or at any Kiehl's boutique.

Toodles!

Perricone Cold Plasma Giveaway

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your weekend was a blast! It is officially cold in Atlanta....brrrrr! Time to break out the Uggs.

Dr. Perricone is known for his anti-aging skincare products. He has been a frequent guest on Oprah and women swear by his products. In fact, my friend funkidivagirl has flawless skin and she uses Dr. Perricone's PerriconeMD skincare line.

Recently, Dr. Perricone created a new revolutionary skincare product called Cold Plasma. Cold Plasma is a universal skin care product that claims to work with every skin type! As stated on Perricone MD's website "Cold Plasma works through a patented ionic suspension carrier system which allows for your skin to extract from Cold Plasma’s formula according to your individual, unique needs."

Also this cream is proven to improve your skin's firmness, elasticity, clarity, radiance, wrinkles, dryness and skin tone. It sounds like a winner to me! A 1 fluid ounce of this product retails for $150! Ouch! However, the kind people at PerrconeMD are giving away a full size sample of this product to one lucky Luxetips reader. Whoohoo!

Simply leave a comment on this post stating why you feel you will benefit from using Perricone's Cold Plasma. The Cold Plasma Contest starts today and will end next Friday, October 30 at Midnight!

Good luck and Toodles!

Fun Fridays!: New A.J. Wright Gift Card Winner and the Fashion Incubator

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:23:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your world is filled with love and joy! It raining cats and dogs in the Atlanta! Whoo! I need some serious sunshine!

Unfortunately I never heard from Carmen, so I had to pick a new winner of the A.J. Wright $50 gift card. The new winner is.....Jessica! Jessica contact me via email to claim your prize!

Also the Atlanta Fashion Incubator will host their Second International Conference of Fashion Incubators, November 12-14, in Atlanta at the W Buckhead Hotel. Seminars will include: “Fashion Tourism,” “Global Trends,” “Size Inclusivity,” “How to Start a Fashion Incubator,” and more. Also on November 13, the AFi will cosponsor the House of Diehl “Style Wars,” at Opera. The deadline for advance registration is October 31, 2009. If you are a fashion maven or you are interested in breaking into the fashion industry, this is a must attend conference! Click here to register online.

Toodles!

Poule de Luxe Vanilla Fruit Sorbet Solid Parfum

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

Life is beautiful so lets enjoy it!

Recently I have become fascinated with solid parfums! They travel well, are compact, and so convenient to use. And because they are solid parfums, the scent is insanely intense. During Fashion Week, I attended a beauty blogger tweet-up and a representative from Crazylibellule and the Poppies Parfum Company put a cute tube of solid parfum around my neck. The packaging was crazy cute, but I did not think anything of it. Well once I returned home, I smelled the parfum and thought WOW this is nice! So I threw it in my purse for a "freshen up" moment. One day while at work, I whipped it out and rubbed some of the parfum on my wrist and my neck. Immediately, I was engulfed in this rich vanilla fruity scent! Yummy! Everyone in the office kept asking "what is that smell?!!" Seriously, people were flipping out over the scent. I promptly fell in love! The scent is Vanilla Fruit Sorbet and it contains rich notes of vanilla, raspberry, rose and musk. Delicious! Plus the parfum is paraben and sulfate free.

Crazylibellule and the Poppies Parfum Company sells several different scents in the same compact packaging. Although you only receive 1.7 oz of product, you only need to use a small amount to get a beautiful scent. I have been using mine for 5 weeks now and I still have plenty of product left. The parfums retail for $18 and you can purchase them at Sephora.

Toodles!

Winner! A.J. Wright $50 Gift Card!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope all is well! My day is going so so, but it will get better!

The Winner of the $50 A.J. Wright Gift card is: Carmen!

Carmen you have 24 hours to contact me via email at latoicha007@gmail.com. If I don't hear from you, the card will go to the runner up!

Carmen you are going to love this store! Woot!

Toodles!

Q&A Thursdays! Pretty Peach and Bright Red Lipstick

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:52:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your world is just fabulous!

Today is Q&A Thursdays! One of my fav Luxetips! readers, Chamele, had a very good question regarding the best peach or bright red lipstick for skin with warm undertones. Here it is:

Question: Please help me find a pretty peach and bright red for my skin tone that won't make me look too 80's or clownish. Most pretty reds and bright peaches appear to be made for people with cool undertones, and I have warm undertones, thus I generally stick to darker colors.

Answer: Chamele during Fashion Week I discovered a bright red lipstick that looks fantastic on skin with warm undertones. Maybelline's Color Sensational Lip Color in Red Revival looks phenomenal on darker skin tones. I love it! It is the perfect red. Not too bright and not too dark. To create the perfect red color, I line my lips with my MAC lip pencil in Chesnut and then apply Red Revival over it. I then blend my lips together and the red is just smoking hot! I love it! Maybelline's Color Sensational Lip Color comes in 48 wonderful shades and they retail for $7.50. You can purchase it at CVS!

As far as a pretty preach lip color, I am current IN LOVE with Lancome's Color Fever Gloss in Hotness. It is actually a bronzy peach but it is my current go to lip gloss. The color is crazy insane! It looks fantastic on darker skin tones. I actually use it alone without lip liner. This gloss is super moisturizing and has tons of shine! Chamele you will absolutely love this color! It retails for $25 and you can purchase it from any department store.

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Neutrogena® Oil-Free Acne Wash

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I tell you! My life has been one big roller coaster ride for the past month. My plate is full and I need a mental break from everything! LOL! I hope your life is more peaceful and calm!

Divas, my skin is going through an ugly phase. I have been having the WORST ever breakouts for the past 2 months. I have been trying to alleviate the problem on my own, but I think I have to call in the professionals...a Dermatologist. I have an excellent one in Boca Raton, FL but a trip to Florida is not a possibility in the near future. In the interim, I have discovered Neutrogena® Oil-Free Acne Wash. I usually do not use facial washes with Salicylic Acid because they tend to dry out my skin. But desperate times call for desperate measures and I had to give it a try. What I love about this facial wash is that although it contains Salicylic Acid, it does not dry out or irritate your skin. It also leaves me skin feeling super clean and it controls the oil production. Since I have been using this wash, my acne has calmed down a wee bit, so I am pleased! A six ounce bottle of Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash retails for $6.29 and you can purchase it at CVS.

Toodles!

Fun Fridays! A.J. Wright $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

You know what??? Life is simply beautiful! It can be difficult, but you have choose to be happy. No one can make you happy...it is all internal and God can only make you TRULY happy.

Now that I am done preaching...LOL! Remember when I did my post on A.J. Wright? I am in LOVE with that store. Well they are offering one Luxetips! Reader a $50 gift card! Woot! Simply leave a comment on this blog and I will pick a winner at random. A winner will be chosen on Friday, October 9. I tell you Divas, you will simply love this store. It has something for the whole family!

Toodles!

Salon Week: Curltopia Salon in Smyrna, GA

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:47:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your day was filled with hope and promise!

Remember this week is Salon Week on Luxetips and today I am featuring Curltopia Salon in Symrna, Ga. Smyrna is a very nice and hip suburb of Atlanta and Curltopia is doing their thing!

I first blogged about Curltopia when they hosted a Miss Jessie's Meet and Greet Event. I was truly impressed with the decor and the customer service. So when I was offered an opportunity to receive their Steam Hydration Treatment and Styling Service, I was super excited!

What I love about Curltopia is the decor! The salon is decorated in rich turquoise and black tones and is very spacious! Curltopia has a very comfortable "lounging at home" feeling and as soon as I entered I was instantly relaxed!

I had an appointment with the famous Taz. Taz is a legendary natural hair care stylist and does several of my friends hair! He specializes in locs and twists. Natural hair Divas swear by his services. Since I get my hair blow dried and pressed regularly, I was curious to see what he would do with my hair.

There is Taz in the background!

His assistant immediately offered me a cup of hot tea! Boy do I love good customer service! Considering it was raining that day, it was the perfect relaxing drink. She then washed my hair using Deva Curl Shampoo. Afterwards, she applied Miss Jessie's Rapid Recovery Treatment and then placed me under a "Steam Machine" to receive a Steam Hydration Treatment. The treatment lasted about 20 minutes and once it was over and the product was rinsed out of my hair, my hair felt like pure silk. No kidding! My hair was so soft, moisturized and manageable, I could not believe it! In addition, my natural curl pattern was enhanced and I actually am considering wearing my hair in its naturally curly state! Fab!

I had to wait a long while for Taz because as I stated he is in high demand. But the employees at Curltopia made sure I was comfortable and offered more tea. Plus they also have free wi-fi! Once I was in his chair, he began to educate me on maintaining healthy natural hair and the steps I need to take to wear my natural curl pattern. He definitely knows his stuff! I learned so much during my visit. He also blow dried my hair wet and told me to make sure to use Ceramic flat irons to straighten my hair. He said it would minimize the breakage. He informed me that I needed a trim and gave me a slight trim on the ends of my hair. I was sad to see my hair go, but I know it was much needed.

Nice and Healthy Hair!

The price of a blow-out and press is between $45 and $60. Haircuts are $40, which I thought was very steep. However, If you get a press and hair cut, the cost is between $55 and $75, which is a pretty sweet deal! Locs and Twists range from $70 to $90. The hydration treatment is $25 and well worth EVERY PENNY! It is recommended that naturally curly hair Divas receive the treatment once a week.

After my styling service, I received many compliments on my hair. Although it is shorter, it is more healthy and super shiny. In addition, the Steam Hydration treatment had my hair so soft and silky all week! Divas this treatment is a must, must, must.

Curltopia is located at 3150 Highland Pkway, Suite 203, Smyrna, GA. The phone number is 770.434.5585. They also offer excellent coloring services, relaxers, and other styling services. Visit their website for more details!

Toodles!

Salon Week! Lux Salon in Grant Park

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:19:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope everyone is having an awesome week!

This week I will feature several salons I have visited in the past month! I will give my honest opinion regarding the services, prices, and customer service.

Before I ventured to New York for Fashion Week, I was offered the opportunity to receive styling services from Lux Salon in Grant Park, Atlanta, GA. I had previously blogged about Lux Salon's "First Impressions of Style." They were offering $10 styling services for anyone who had a job interview. Since the salon is literally in my neighborhood and offers services for ALL hair types, I was eager to check it out.

First the decor is lovely. I immediately fell in love with the color scheme, furniture, and location. Also they offered free wi-fi so it was all good! In addition, the receptionist immediately offered me a glass of wine. Lovely!

Adrienne Mitchell, the stylist I was seeing that day was extremely busy. She had several clients ahead of me. Although I had to wait a bit, I figured this was a good sign that she was a good stylist and in demand. Plus the receptionist offered me more wine, so the wait was not that bad.

Adrienne specializes in Ethnic hair and used Sebastian products on my hair. She used Sebastian penetrating shampoo and conditioner. She said these products are great for detangling naturally kinky hair. She then blow dried my hair wet. She pointed out that blow drying the hair wet minimized breakage. The hair is more elastic and will give. If you blow dry the hair after it has dried, it is less elastic and will break. Who knew?? She then flat ironed my hair with FHI ceramic platform professional flat irons.

Adrienne mentioned that she is an advocate for strong healthy hair. She recommends regular trims and minimal heat to maintain a healthy head of hair. She also recommends Nioxin recharging complex vitamins to grow healthy hair. Adrienne swears by these vitamins! She said she has noticed amazing hair growth with her clients after only two weeks of taking the vitamins. Uuummmm why am I so getting these vitamins! LOL! You can purchase a 30 or 90 count bottle of these vitamins at Lux Salon. They are in high demand and always stocked!

Adrienne charges on average $65 for a blow out and press and $45 for a cut and trim. I must admit the cut and trim is a bit steep for me. My stylist only charges $20, but I was very pleased with my hair. As a matter of fact, I left the next day for NY Fashion Week and my hair pretty much looked like this the entire time I was there. Fab!

Lux Salon is located at 452 A Cherokee Ave, Atlanta, GA 30312 in Historic Grant Park. However, October 1 they are moving to their new location only a few blocks away at The JANE"(next to Six Feet Under on Memorial Drive),318 Cherokee Avenue Suite 108, Atlanta, Ga 3031,(404)222.0244.

Come back tomorrow to read my review of Curltopia Salon! They have an insane intense hair treatment that I have to share!

Toodles!

Q & A Thursdays!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope you are living life to the fullest!

Considering I get many emails from my beautiful readers seeking advice on fashion and beauty, I have decided to have a Q&A post every other Thursday. I hope you will find these posts helpful and if you have any advice or recommendations to share please do! Also if you have any questions, you can email me at latoicha007@gmail.com or leave a question in the comment section.

Today's question is from So Not a Fashionista.

Dear Luxe Fashionista,

Help! I could really use a fashion 411. I have been pregnant and/or nursing for three years and finally decided to rid my closet of my maternity clothes. Yippee! However, the unfortunate side is that my body is completely different than it was a few years ago, so my pre-baby clothes don't fit my post baby/nursing body. Not only that, but I don't think my clothes were particularly fashionable--safe choices (sweater sets and dark suits) for sure, but nothing exciting. So, can you give me some tips on staples to update my wardrobe?

Yours Truly,
So Not a Fashionista

Dear So Not a Fashionista:

I have been there myself. As a matter of fact, Luxetips was created because I too felt un-pretty and drab after having my son. I was constantly wearing jeans, a big t-shirt, and a ponytail. I felt I needed to get back to living the luxe life!

Here are my suggestions:

1. Spanx. Buy Spanx to hold it all in until you have the time or energy to work out. I wear Spanx all the time because my body will never be the same post children! LOL!

2. Wrap Dresses. They are simple, stylish and classic. I have several. You can dress them up or down with heels, flats, sandles or accessories. Plus they are designed to compliment any figure.

3. Shift Dresses. Shift dresses are great too! Since they don't hug the body, no one can really see those areas you want to avoid. A great trend for fall is to wear a cute shift dress with colored tights and high heels or open toe booties...I saw this look all day in New York and it was too fly!

4. Great pair of Jeans. Sylish jeans are always good. You can wear a tunic over the jeans. The tunic is loose enough to hide problem areas while also being stylish.

5. Shop at at TJMAXX, Marshalls or Target to find this items for less.

Toodles!

Christian Siriano and Victoria Secret Beauty

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday! Only two more days and then we all can just relax!

Today's post will conclude my New York Fashion Week coverage. One of the "hottest" shows around was the Christian Siriano show. As you Divas know, Christian Siriano was an instant hit on Project Runway and since he won the grand prize he has become a major celebrity and fashion designer. I tell you backstage and the line to get into his show was insane! Plus he did not disappoint. The clothes were GORGEOUS!!

I had the opportunity to interview Polly Osmond, the Lead Make-up Artist for Victoria Secret Beauty. Polly said her inspiration came from Siriano's collection which derived from his love of the beach and water. Polly also stated her inspiration came from the Almafi Coast which is Christian's favorite beach in the world! Nice!

To create the look for the show, Polly used Christian Siriano for Victoria Secret Beauty products! Yes, Christian has created a make-up line for Victoria Secret! She used Black Mascara, White eye pencil, bronzer and a highlighter for shading and pale lip gloss. I was particularly fascinated with the lip gloss. The color is called Embrace and it is a pale champagne color.

Here is the look

Polly working her magic

Here are the clothes!

Toodles!

Lacoste: American Classic!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope you had a super Monday. It is flooding like crazy in Atlanta! This is something I have never seen before. Wowza!

Well in the next couple of posts I will wrap up my coverage of Mercedez-Benz New York Fashion Week. What an amazing experience! Another show I was able to sit and view was the Lacoste show. Now I don't necessarily think of Lacoste as high fashion, but the Spring 2010 collection proved me wrong. Seriously it was one of the best shows I saw during Fashion Week. The clothes were American classic yet still beautiful and stylish. The Spring 2010 Collection featured beautiful sportswear, swimsuits, and rompers. Love! Here are some pics. There are not the best pics, no front row seats here. LOL!

Twins! They were too adorable!

Loving the romper with the hoodie!

Urban Cool.

Lacoste used lots of head wraps in the show....is this a new trend for Spring 2010?

I am loving the yellow. My favorite second favorite brown model, Chanel Iman, (Arlenis is my first), was in the show. I tried to get a frontal pic. I only caught her from the back!

Toodles!

Mercedez-Benz New York Fashion Week: Miguel Antoinne Show: Metro Fab!

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your weekend has been fun and relaxing! Mine was good...besides the constant rain, I really enjoyed spending time with the luxe kids.

While at New York Fashion Week, I had the opportunity to attend the Miguel Antoinne Show. Miguel Antoinne is an up and coming American menswear line that is cutting edge and what I call "Metro Fab". The textures of the clothes are outstanding and the tailoring is impeccable. It is simply beautiful. Miguel's inspiration for his Spring/Summer 2010 Collection was the beauty of thunder and lightning. This is the one show I was able to get a front row seat and I am so glad I did. I could really see the details in the clothing close-up. And oh..Derek Luke and Janelle Monáe apparently are fans. They were so there and fab! Enjoy the pics!

Michelle Smith of Milly Discusses Her Signature Bag for Clinque

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope all is well and fabulous in your world!

As I previously blogged, I met Michelle Smith, designer and creator of Milly during New York Fashion Week. Milly is one of my favorite designers. Her clothes are comfortable, luxe, and so pretty! Her resort wear and swimsuits are outstanding! Clinique commissioned Michelle to create a cosmetics bag and Michelle did not disappoint. The bag is absolutely gorgeous! The design contains Milly's signature pink color and a flirty pattern. This cosmetics bag is available exclusively at Bloomingdale's and is yours with a purchase of $25 of more at the Clinique counter. In addition, the bag contains all of Milly's favorite Clinique products including Rosy Blush for cheeks and Blushing Nude lips. The colors definitely match the bag! HOT! I asked Milly a few questions about her inspiration for the Cosmetics bag:

Luxetips: Ms. Smith what was your inspiration when creating the Milly One of A Kind Clinique Make-up bag?

Ms. Smith: The Clinique warm watermelon color pink lipstick and Milly's signature pink was my inspiration.

Luxetips: I am in love with this bag it is so creative and fun! What is your secret to success?

Ms. Smith: Work really really hard. Do not take short cuts and don't take no for an answer!

And Divas Michelle looked fantastic! She just had a baby and did not have one inch of fat on her body. Amazing!

Toodles!

Stila for Beauty.com at Julie Haus

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I hope your Friday is fantabulous!

During Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week, I had the opportunity to interview Stila Lead Make-up Artist, Sarah Lucero. She created the look for the Julie Haus show and the look was all about purples and lilacs. Sarah said her inspiration for the look was all about "teenage mania." The woman who wears this look is feminine, street smart, and organic. I think I like this woman! Sarah used navys, plums, and grays to create a soft look with a little bit of edge.

Sarah used the following Stila products:

Face: Stila Oil Free Foundation and Perfecting Concealer

Eyes: Pigalle Eyeshadow, Montmarte Eyeshadow Quad, and Bauquet as a base color. Plus Black/Brown Clumpy Mascara.

Cheeks: Powder only.

Lips: Stila Perfecting Concealer with Lip Balm

Here is the look! I love the eye color!

Here is Sarah. She should actually be on the catwalk herself!

Divas soft purples are all the rage for Spring 2010!

An Interview with Michelle Smith of Milly and more fashion show pics to come!

Toodles!

Vivienne Tam Goes "Twiggy"

latoicha007@gmail.com (Luxe Tips) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:59:00 +0000

Hello Divas!

I am back in the ATL, but I still have lots to report from Mercedez-Benz New York Fashion Week.

One of the hottest looks was the make-up from the Vivienne Tam Show. The look was very reminiscent of the 1960s! Think Twiggy all the way! Gina Brooke, Artistic Director for Shu Uemura and world renowned creative makeup genius, drew inspiration from nature, feathers, and freedom! I hate to gush, but Gina is a baaaaadd Diva! She created the lashes for the show! Did you know that she also created custom diamond lashes for Madonna's Confessions Tour? The lashes for the Vivienne Tam Show are called Farfarling and she applied them to the top and bottom lashes. She then applied a little bit of blush and lipstick and that is it! There is really no need for anything else because the lashes are the stars of the show! Check them out!

Here is Gina putting the finishes touches on a model.

I am telling you Divas, those lashes were absolutely Amazing! Gina has true talent!

Stay tuned for more posts on my experience at New York Fashion Week!