Style Bust
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Fine Featherheads
14 years ago
A new trend that’s catching steam is adding feather extensions to your hair. In several local festivals I’ve seen booths offering feather bundles, but most of the time they’re offering the thick, straight feather you would most likely use for crafting. Which can look dramatic since those are normally thicker, but the ones I’m in love with are Fine Featherheads.
This is one of those things that spreads like wildfire, a co-worker got them and within weeks, me, her sister and her best friend got them as well and we all love them. I used to dye my hair black and now I’m waiting to outgrow the dye and be able to add other colors to my hair. Using the feathers has been great, it gives me the hint of color I’ve been craving.
What makes these different from normal feathers is that they can be brushed, blow-dried, straightened or curled to match your hairstyle. The site Photo Gallery has great pics of real women, kids, dogs and one guy with their extensions
There are different types of Featherheads and the price will vary depending on which extension you choose.
Original Featherheads – Seven feathers pre-bundled together and bonded at the tip.
Wispers – Individual feathers for a small statement, which can be combined in a bundle of 3 or more.
Accents – These have the look of a traditional feather for a bigger impact.
Because I was unsure if I would like them I went for a subtle look I could easily hide for work meetings, but next time I’m going for the Original Featherheads. When you make your appointment, check with the hair stylist first to see which colors or types she or he has to offer. The website offers a list of Local Providers. The following is a clip where I show you my friend’s, and my own extensions.
Update to this post. I just saw on Sephora’s site the Sultra Feathers, which are do-it-yourself clip-ons. Great concept, saves you a trip to the hair saloon and you can take them off whenever you want.
And one more update to this post. Now that feather extensions have become so popular it has come to the blogosphere attention the possible mistreatment of animals, mainly roosters, for their feathers. Fine Featherheads posted this information on their blog “Where do Fine Featherheads’ feathers come from.”
American Idol: Top 5 Recap
14 years ago
This week we had Sheryl Crow as the Idol mentor. Ironic because not too long ago she bashed the show in an interview with MSNBC saying, “Let’s face it, it undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism, I am sad people love it so.” I wonder what made her change her mind. I enjoyed her nonetheless and I thought she gave some decent advice. The contestants sang two songs each this week and overall I thought it was a good night for everyone, with the exception of Jacob. Who ended up being the one voted off. So now we are left with James, Scotty, Haley and Lauren. Here’s what I thought about the performances Wednesday night:
James did, “Closer to the Edge,” a 30 Second to Mars song. It gave him some relevancy in my mind of where he would fit in post Idol. When he sang “Without You,” it took me right back to the first time I heard Kelly Clarkson sing it. Her vocal performance on that song in particular has been cemented in my head since the day I heard it. Obviously his sound is very different than Clarkson so the two didn’t compare. I sort of liked the vibe he brought to the song. It wasn’t even close to being his best vocal performance but the crying kind of pulled me into the performance. Even with his rocker swagger he finds ways to make himself vulnerable and relate to the audience. Not easy to do. Despite the fact that he sounded probably his worst the judges ate the performance up, per usual. The audience is practically brainwashed into voting for him with the constant praise from the judges. It would be so shocking if he went home anytime soon.
I do worry that he is going to struggle after Idol. Whether he wins it or not, I see him going for a genre that is not the easiest to break into. There are so many barriers and the audience is a tough crowd to please. I think the general population is going to have a hard time accepting him because of his Idol background. Adam Lambert was able to find his niche but James won’t be able to follow that path. He seems to be getting a lot of support and praise from the bands he’s been covering. That will help him.
Two weeks ago I would have said there is no way for Scotty to win the whole thing. But man he’s had some strong performances when it has really counted. I’m thinking Scotty might be here to stay. His Montgomery Gentry performance was so good. Then he followed up with “Always on my Mind.” Both performances showed how well rounded he is as a country artist. He had a great night. They haven’t crowned a male, country singer for the top prize. I mean he’s going to thrive post Idol in the country scene, so then AI can take credit for launching both Carrie Underwood and Scotty McCreery. It would give the show more credibility. How can they not have him win?
I loved Lauren. I think its incredible the turn around shes made in the last 3 weeks. She has taken all the important steps to move forward in this competition. You can absolutely tell that she’s putting in the work to try and win this thing. I think she would be one of the most exciting people to watch win it. You can tell that it’s her dream. She broke down tonight when she found out she was one of the bottom two. It will be interesting to see if she can bounce back from that or if she will play it safe next week out of fear of elimination. I was disappointed to see her in the bottom two after she had just pushed herself with her two songs this week.
Ah, Haley… what a breath of fresh air. I completely disagree with what Randy and JLo said about her needing to find a song that the audience already knows. It was completely risky, but it paid off. I always refer to Idol as a glorified karaoke contest. Here Haley comes in and just kills this unreleased Gaga song, that for the most part no one has heard. Haley did such a phenomenal job that it could easily be her first single. It didn’t sound like anyones song but her own, which has got to be one of the most important things to me. All the contestants sound great and record the tracks week after week, but the ones that I choose to buy and download are ones that are unique. I don’t want just another decent cover of a song. I want one that makes people forget that it’s a cover, that they really have to sit for a second and think about what the original sounds like. Season 8 contestant, Allison Iraheta did “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and whenever someone I’m with hears it play they think its killer. Haley closed the show with “House of the Rising Sun.” People are saying that it’s the best performance on the Idol stage of all time. It’s right up there for me. At the moment I can’t think of another performance in all the other seasons that I like better. It was just beautiful.
On to the results show. I was concerned about Jennifer performing on the show. She’s using Idol to her personal advantage and some seem to have mixed feelings about that. I think they chose the perfect time to let her perform. Had she of done it too early I don’t believe the audience would be as accepting. On the flip side you don’t want her performing too close to the finale. So I guess if she was going to have to make her appearance they chose the best time for it. I didn’t find it too entertaining. It’s difficult because she needed to sing live since it is “American Idol” and she would have received an insane amount of criticism if she didn’t. However, Jennifer is an incredible performer mostly because of her dancing. We didn’t get to see all that. She did what she could with it, but for me it just wasn’t enough.
Wednesday, Jacob finally received the criticism that he needed to hear. He says that he can relate to all kinds of music. I disagree. He oversold himself. One minute he’s telling us he can’t sing a Marvin Gaye song… the next he’s trying to tell us his direction is Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown. The kid belongs on Broadway, in Gospel music, that’s his niche and because he didn’t tap in to that completely thats why he went home. I’m very surprised he made it as far as he did. So yeah, goodbye Jacob. I’m sorry to say that I have been awaiting your departure for some time now. Not sad at all to see you go.
Perfectly accessorized
14 years ago
As I’ve mentioned in my post The Bold and the Beautiful,this Spring is all about color. I’m trying to get into wearing bold and vibrant colors, but I’m finding it to be a little tricky. Until I find a color that actually looks good on me, I will stick to my neutral color palette and accent my boring ensemble with bright accessories.
Adding vibrant accessories is a great way to ease your way into the bold trends of the season. You can find inexpensive colorful bracelets on Etsy.com. Wear them stacked with vintage gold bangles. The mixed media creates an interesting combination of textures and patterns that will have onlookers coveting your style! But remember – wearing a stack of bracelets means minimizing the rest of your jewelry (you don’t want to look like you’re wearing everything from your jewelry box).
Carrying a bright colored bag or wearing a bold shoe are probably the easiest ways to add color to your wardrobe. We tend to buy black or brown shoes and bags, because they “go with everything.” But contrary to what most people think, colors like cobalt blue and even coral go well with your wardrobe staples (like those everyday neutral colors). When buying brightly colored bags or shoes, pick out classic styles like the Kitty St. James Satchel by Marc by Marc Jacobs or Chic Suedette Pumps from Forever21. Since color trends change from season to season, it’s best to have something classic in your closet so it doesn’t look outdated in the future.
Conversation with the founder of Indeeyo
14 years ago
Indeeyo is the ultimate online destination for unique clothing, gifts & accessories. With a well curated assortment of the best indie labels and more established brands, Indeeyo provides shoppers access to rare and innovative styles that aren’t available in traditional shops including items designed exclusively for Indeeyo.
Jasmin co-founder of Indeeyo sat down with me to answer a couple questions about the company.
Style Bust: What was the inspiration behind starting Indeeyo?
I previously designed a line of handbags as well as jewelry. In that journey, I met a lot of other indie designers along the way. We had participated in local shopping events in SF and LA and wanted to bring this experience online so shoppers across the country could have access to unique goods.
Style Bust: With tons of online stores, how did you come up with your unique niche?
Indeeyo embodies an eccentric aesthetic for discerning tastes. We have a carefully curated line with exclusive pieces that you won’t find anywhere else. We also love to travel and find unique things from all over the world. We recently went to Thailand and discovered a jewelry designer that makes beautiful handmade necklaces . This is one of her truly a one-of-a-kind necklaces.
Style Bust: How did you come up with the name Indeeyo?
The idea behind the boutique was to provide shoppers a unique selection including exclusive or one-of-a kind pieces from designers. So in Thai, the word “un-deeyo” means “unique or the only one”. We combined that with “indie” (from “independent designers”) to create the name “Indeeyo”.
Style Bust: Tell us more about your focus on independent labels.
It all started with a few designer friends that we knew and loved…one if which is Jennifer Dekoeyer jewelry. She hand makes a beautiful line of nature inspired jewelry. I get compliments on her pieces every time I wear them.
Style Bust: How do you meet and select the designers?
We’re continuing to bring on new designers each week so it’s an exciting time. Aside from traditional trade shows, we try to discover new designers through friends and other networks. We also travel abroad in search of coveted finds that we share with our shoppers.
Style Bust: How do you choose items to feature? Do the items portray your own personal styles?
When we shop, we look for pieces that, at the end of the day, just make you feel good…whether it’s because it a very flattering dress or it’s the softest French terry tunic or it’s for a good cause (see Falling Whistles blog post).
Our personal style is definitely reflected in our selections. I would describe my style as playfully sophisticated and refined. I love the juxtaposition of grit & glam and a blend of modern & vintage.
Style Bust: What kinds of trends are you seeing for Summer 2011?
Lots of lace and florals. Maxis and rompers are still staples that embody a carefree style.
Style Bust: Jasmin and Sancha, fill us in on your backgrounds.
I (Jasmin) previously designed my own line of handbags and jewelry so I understand the needs of the designers and work with them to highlight their brands. Sancha, a self-professed “hat-junkie,” studied luxury and fashion brand marketing in Paris where he was inspired by the creative innovation growing from cultural heritage. We both try to understand the shoppers as customer service is a key focus. We both have an MBAs in marketing and leverage our past experience in building global brands to build our site.
Style Bust: What are some of the perks and challenges about running your site?
We feel fortunate to have an opportunity to work on something we feel so passionate about. Setting our own schedules is a major perk…but on the same token, work never ends because it’s our own business.
Style Bust: How do you promote Indeeyo? Have you seen an increase in sales or traffic by using a particular marketing tool?
Indeeyo has been growing organically and we continue to outreach to the community.
Style Bust: If some fashion guru is out there right now dreaming of starting their own online boutique, what advice would you give them? What are some good first steps to building the brand and starting this business?
Network and seek advice from mentors or others in the industry as they can help you avoid some unnecessary mistakes. Building a brand takes time but the first step is to understand who your audience is and why would they want to buy from you. Hone in on what differentiates you.
Style Bust: What are some future plans for Indeeyo?
We’ll continue to build up our list of designers and finds from abroad. As we grow and evolve, we’d also like to eventually carry home décor items.
Style Bust: How can Style Bust readers stay connected with you? Anything else you’d like our readers to know about Indeeyo?
Join our facebook, twitter and email newsletter to get the latest scoop. We’re constantly adding new designers and must-have pieces to our site, and articles to our blog!
Lastly, here are a couple of examples of items found on Indeeyo.com.
American Idol: Top 6 Recap
14 years ago
I strongly dislike theme weeks. I understand the purpose, challenging the contestants, providing some sort of organization so you don’t feel like your sitting at a karaoke bar where they can get up and sing just anything. But oh Carole King… this week concerned me. My expectations were extremely low so naturally last night turned out to be better than I thought it was going to be. Thats always a good thing.
Alright so let’s get at it. Last night I loved Scotty, James, and of course Haley. I almost feel bad for getting it in on Scotty last week about him not being versatile. He killed his performance last night singing, “You’ve Got a Friend.” So last week, I was wrong. I mean the reality is he’s going to be singing country music after Idol, so does it really matter if he’s extremely versatile? Overally versatility doesn’t concern me, which is why I find theme weeks to not have such a great purpose. Because everyone ultimately has their niche and if your good at it your going to sell records. Your not going to sell an album because you can cover Elton John, Carole King and a little Mo-town. Ah, I digress. Something about last nights performance just moved me. I’m very happy we got to see that side of Scotty.
James, surprisingly, I liked last night. Probably the first time and quite possibly the last you will hear those words from me. He sang “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” It was pretty much the performance I’ve been waiting for from him the entire season. I get really overwhelmed with the constant over the top screaming and big productions week after week with him. Last night he was more on my level. However the judges praise really irritated me. Thank you Randy for continually steering the viewers to vote for him. I would be surprised if James doesn’t make it to the finale. Didn’t Steven Tyler mention performing with him if he won? I think people want to see that.
Haley’s duet with Casey didn’t really compare to their last performance of “Moanin.” But their style and voices complement each other really well so I thought it was enjoyable. By far the best duet. Last night Haley sang “Beautiful” for her solo. By now everyone knows that I’m wanting her to go all the way. I’m so surprised by all the bloggers that dislike her. Her range and control of her voice is just phenomenal. I need her to stick around, otherwise I will have no desire to watch Idol anymore.
Ah, Lauren. It’s not that I wasn’t impressed with her vocal performance. I thought she sounded great. I think it was the random boy on the stage that really bothered me. It made the performance corny. With that being said, last week I wrote about her needing to get confidence on stage otherwise she is going to be let go. She was like a different girl on stage last night. I thought she did great in that department.
So that leaves us with Jacob and Casey. I’m so ready for Jacob to go home. I’m sorry but he irritates me. I will not even be close to being upset if he goes home. And I have replayed Casey’s performance of “Hi De Ho” so many times today. I don’t know why I just feel indifferent towards his performance. It just didn’t excite me in the least. But then again I also didn’t hate it. I haven’t read many other reviews from last night so I’m curious to what all of you are thinking.
So there you have it, Top 6 recap. I have to miss the results show tonight because I have a concert and broadway show tonight. Hopefully I will have some reviews up of those by this weekend. On a completely other note… did anyone catch Hanson on Dancing With The Stars this week? Great exposure for them! Of course I really enjoyed it but I’m definitely curious to know how the general public is responding to their music… let me know if you seen it.
Men in Gingham for Spring 2011
14 years ago
Dolce & Gabbana are at the forefront of mens fashion. Sometimes we love the mens collections they design, other times its repulsive. This season I was happy to fall in love with their 1950’s Americana suburbia look. They did a fantastic job of tying the collection together with gingham. There were gingham pants, shorts, shirts and jackets in hunter green, black and shades of red. The look was preppy, but not Glee club or ivy league preppy.
Here are a couple of my favorite mens looks coming down the D&G runway.
The mens looks above generally work for any guy with an average build (or smaller). If you’re a bigger guy, the extra clothing dimensions plaid and gingham’s add will not work in your favor. If you can’t afford the designer brand labels, or just prefer something a little more mainstream, Voi Jeans Clothing sells great plaid and gingham mens shirts at affordable prices.
How to pull the look off based on climates:
For a colder climate try a loose-fitting plaid shirt paired with a vertical stripe blazer in contrasting colors along with a pair of well made khaki slacks (cuffed at the bottom if you prefer), and flats.
For a warmer climate go for a fitted plaid shirt with a presentable undershirt, for when you get too warm. This shirt should go with khakis pants or flat front shorts and braided leather sandals. The belt will complete this casual look.
Lalicious: All-Natural Bath and Body Line
14 years ago
Recently on our Style Bust Fashionistas brought to our attention an all-natural bath and body line called Lalicious.
Lalicious is a line of high-end bath and body products which contains scrubs, body butters, oils and soaps in eight different scents like Sugar Kiss, Brown Sugar & Vanilla, Island Guava and others.
This line is available mostly online and in selected beauty spas. I was fortunate to find a local salon that carries that line and sampled the Sugar Scrub Souffle and the Body Butter since they had sold out of the rest of the products.
I tried the Tahitian Flower Body Butter and it was sensational, it feels very creamy but non-greasy. The scent was very light on my skin, nothing that would overwhelm and after a couple of hours I noticed the scent was gone, but the smooth feeling on my skin lasted a lot longer.
I also tried the Coconut Cream Sugar Souffle Scrub and from now on this is the only scrub I will use. The ingredients are all natural (cane sugar, coconut and other oils, honey); the first thing I noticed was that the scrub was dry and not full of oil. This
makes opening and closing the jar very easy since it doesn’t get slippery. I love it.
Once you put it on, the sugar souffle transforms itself into a soft moisturizing scrub which leaves you feeling soft without the oily feeling with a very nice scent. I adore this product and want more!
Lalicious also offers soaps and body oils which I didn’t have a chance to try yet, but will probably purchase the travel set so I can have the complete line and be able to take them with me when I travel and when I need to shower at the gym.
A special Thanks to Bollare for giving us this great tip and please keep them coming!
Project Ethos in San Francisco
14 years ago
Project Ethos Successfully Launched in San Francisco
Local Industry and Consumers experience Fashion, Music and Art under one roof
San Francisco, CA – Ruby Skye played host to over 600 bay-city attendees on hand to witness the largest display of local fashion, music and art on record Thursday night, April 14th.
Project Ethos filled the multi-story venue with a dynamic array of talent. Entering the venue revealed that this was no average night with a 50 foot long white runway and large projector screen displaying custom graphics, a live band set up, nine local artists on display, a brightly lit red carpet and press banner, Carlton Hair booth with free goodie bags, vitaminwater zero™ bar, photo station and a Meet and Greet with the participants sponsored by Absolut vodka with cupcakes by That Takes the Cake.
Carlton Hair Experience Winner Elena Dvorochkin hit the red carpet with three lucky friends looking glamorous from receiving VIP treatment at a local Carlton Hair Salon. After being escorted past the red carpet for photos, Elena, her newly made-over straightened locks and the whole group were treated to bottle service compliments of Absolut, a sponsor of Project Ethos. Prior to the event Elena exclaimed, “As a working artists myself, the juxtaposition of the influence between the genres is an interesting thing to witness. So, needless to say, I’m thrilled to get this awesome opportunity!” The melodic tones of the indie rock band Geographer swept through the venue before the fashion show as they played popular songs from their buzz worthy record “Animal Shapes.”
Excitement grew as the fashion show commenced where garments presented as part of the “vitaminwater zero™ Flavor Fashionista Challenge” were presented as the last look by the five local emerging designers. The text-in votes resulted in the award going to custom swimsuit designer team Lucy Bea and Ashley Hayes (Lucy Bea Swimwear). Brand Manager Hayes stated, “Our flavor was vitaminwater zero™ Rhythm. We were inspired by the vibrant green color. We wanted to capture that summer color and incoroporate movement to translate the upbeat feel of our pieces which is why the ruffles on the bikini were the centerpiece.” When asked what it meant to Lucy Bea Swimwear to win a $3,000 prize of their choice she replied with great enthusiasm, “It’s so exciting! We’re still new and we were competing against designers who were more established so we weren’t expecting it but it inspires us to keep moving towards our goal.” After the fashion show the crowd was ready to party to a DJ set by the Limousines.
Many local members of the industry attended the lively event including buyers from stores such as Cranberry Boutique and Fiat Lux and curators from local Gallery Hijinks and Modern Eden.
Project ETHOS produces red carpet events showcasing all emerging Millennial Generation forms of creativity in one house, on one night. By merging fashion, music, and art concurrently, Project Ethos brings into existence a unique avenue for artists. The goal is to give opportunity for featured participants, as well as arrange a truly invigorating experience for an attendee.
*Images by Kevin Sam. Story by Brianne Bear.