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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Beauty: Bikini Line Blunders

So you have the new suit, you are even contemplating wearing it on that vacation coming up or the first day of the weather snapping into summer zone. One thing you can't forget or ignore is the bikini line. PrivyDoll wrote about skimpy swim line, 1SolSwim this week and a wax is definitely in order to rock it. PrivyDoll brought in the master. Daniela, our go-to skin care and wax professional to answer questions. Some are more prone to Ingrown hairs on the bikini line.  What kind of ingrowns you get makes a difference when it comes to how to get rid of them. Daniela, owner of Daniela's Facial Studio in Chicago knows the difference and she knows how you get them and how to get rid of them.

First thing's first: How you get them.

"Ingrown hairs are basically caused by three things. One, skin being pulled while shaving, causing hair to point in the wrong direction when it starts to grow. It grows instead into the skin and the body thinks it's an invader. It goes to war and boom, major zit with a hair inside."

Second, friction from clothes that have any kind of texture, like denim, or lace or mesh underwear. You walk around or exercise with these textures rubbing constantly, your skin responds as your pores get more and more irritated, and the hair can't come through the swelling. Some of the worst cases of ingrowns I've seen have been on people who wear thong or go commando with jeans.

Third, pressure from tight clothes worn while sitting, whether in a car for long periods or cross legged at your desk."


What are the different kinds of ingrowns ?
"From irritation, small or large red bumps with or even without a hair inside. These are the ones that hurt like hell whether you squeeze them or not. They very often get infected. The remedy is to calm the skin with a combination of Salicylic Acid, anti-inflammatory products (not hydrocortisone, though, that thins the skin over time), using corn starch to absorb moisture (talc is not good for us down there !), and wearing only smooth cotton underwear that covers all affected areas at all times (sorry, ladies).

From pressure, bumps that look like large blackheads that occasionally get red, that only hurt when you squeeze them. The stuff that comes out is actually blackhead material. The remedy for these is a combination of Benzoyl Peroxide which you can experiment with in either a wash or a topical lotion, exfoliation every shower with a pair of exfoliating spa gloves (the poofy "loofa" thing isn't enough and scrubs can't get everywhere and can lead to irritation because they're too scratchy), Alpha Hydroxy Acid either gel or lotion in a concentration of 10-15% (remember only 10% or less can be used on the face), and wearing only smooth cotton underwear that covers all affected areas at all times (sorry again, ladies)."


So as you can see, if you go to a derm doc and you're told it's from waxing, wrong answer. It's either shaving or your clothes. For more info, go to Daniela's web site to read more and check out her amazing products here : http://www.daniela.com/All_About_Ingrown_Hairs.html. You can even order samples to see how it goes, all you pay is shipping (if you're ordering only one or two samples, you can email Daniela and she'll send 'em out at no charge). Enter Discount Code "Privydoll" at checkout and get $5 off your first order ! If you make an appointment in her Chicago location, tell her PrivyDoll sent you!
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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Insider Interview: 1 of the Best Swim Suits is Your 1Sol!

PrivyDoll has posted blogs about gearing up for bikini season, how to dress for your body and what beauty regimins you need to start in order to be bikini-ready. Now that you are ready, PrivyDoll wants to introduce you to a designer I fell for. Meet 1Sol swimwear. The brand has pieces beyond their brazilian pieces (my personal favorite fit) they offer one pieces, tankinis and full coverage as well as cover ups. The collection is broad and tells a story among its collections. I caught up with the designer of the line, Jenny Pyle to learn more about her inspiration and some insider bikini advice.
PrivyDoll:When shopping for a suit what are your suggestions to look for in a suit that fits your body type?

1Sol: 1st thing is to know your body. I am very petite so I sway away from things that have too many horizontal seams or lines. It breaks up my body and makes me look short.
A couple examples of swimsuit no no’s would be:
Short legs= never wear boy shorts or boy briefs
Ruffles= enhance, not camouflage (total myth) if you have narrow hips or small bust ruffles will make you look curvier but not the other way around
Shearing = in the tummy is the best way to hide belly bulges
Bandeau tops and Halters= are the most universal silhouettes. They contain large chests and push up small ones
Full Coverage= isn’t always the best way to go. Pull out your most flattering bra and panties and search for similar things when shopping for swim.

PrivyDoll: That is great advice! I have to write these pointers down next time I shop for my own next suit!!

PrivyDoll: 1 sol has many parts of the collection: who is the 1 sol women?
1Sol: We are a TRUE contemporary line for fashionably active women ages 25-45. We have sexy silhouettes that have a wide range of coverage but the main thing you will see consistently throughout the collection is it’s fashionable styling and quality of fit.


PrivyDoll: What is the inspiration for this season's collection?
1Sol: My inspirational trip this year was to the Dominican Republic. I have never seen such vibrant greens and blues. The prints are all nature inspired and the art in the Dominican showcases lots of color and beautiful ombres so our color palette from 2012 reflects that.


PrivyDoll: We often don't talk about color trends for suits, but what colors do you think work best in bathing suits? and for this season?
1 Sol:  I honestly think women are more daring when it comes to swimwear colors. But what works best in my opinion are jewel ones and earth tones. The junior contemporary market is full of brights but for a contemporary woman we want complimentary colors that aren’t too loud.
For the entire collection and to buy one of these suits go to http://www.1solswimwear.com/
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Monday, March 28, 2011

Fashion Radar: Spring Goes Tribal

Tribal prints remind me of an exotic vacation where you found some unique wearable from a local handmade nook and brought it home to remind you of the experience you discovered while away. These tribal printed accessories are so fresh for this spring to pair with solids. Layer, and look for diversisty in the accesories to make it your own. Don't just do one bangle or just a pair of shoes, pair them with feather earrings and a graphic African print tank or dress.


Take a look at Prada's new shoe campaign that encompasses this trend for inspiration in prints.

Get a touch of exotic this spring like this beaded cuff found on Cusp for $20. Pair it with some wooden bangles and a maxi dress and the look is complete!
Try this beautiful, handamade necklace from designer, Jousjous for $68
A tribal lust! Just arrived on Net-a-Porter, these Jimmy Choose for $1,600 are amazing!!


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Friday, March 25, 2011

Fashion Radar: Highlight Your Spring Wardrobe

The color of the season.. highlighter yellow. And no pun intended, use it to highlight your spring wardrobe. It looks great with denim, or just a pop of color in your shoes or accessories like the bangle below. You can pair it with the other big trend of the season with nude or beige and great to layer. It is a little bit 80's, a little  modern but the way you incorporate into your wardrobe will be all you.



The bangle below is an easy way to start stacking the trend. This one found on Asos is a great way to introduce the trend solely or match it with the highlighter sweater to the left.
You can see here when a simple highlighter color top  matched with Gray harem pants the look is easy but still trendy. for only $12.80 at Forever 21.These are some great sandals from Blue Fly. The touch of highlighter yellow is perfect to go with all your summer shorts and dresses.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Fashion Radar: Back on The Chain Gang

Jump on the chain trend for this summer in eye wear. Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Medina has been seen sporting the chains but it has gone mainstream. Collections from Nicole Richie's House of Harlow to Chanel have shown some chained sunglasses for the season.The look is retro yet modern from rimless to aviator to thick, black frames. You can get the Chanel's for $499 or some inspired lenses from some of the below finds.

PrivyDoll herself couldn't help but jump on the look inspired by Medina's new video. Click below for the amazing video!

You can achieve this look with easily with these frames below for $20 found on GirlProps.

The House of Harlow by Nicole Richie thing chain glasses are a great find for $139 found on many sites such as Shopbop.


Get these PrivyDoll approved Chain frameless glasses for $14 Here!
 I also saw these in the AKIRA stores in Chicago! (check back on ShopAkira for online shopping)
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Fashion Radar: Spring Shoe Porn Plus New Shoe Stats

Spring shoes are in the stores and as always there are some to lust over. Nudes, Brights ,metallics peep toe and wedges to name a few. Weaponed heels have even been shown in Chanel's 2011 collection. Lagerfeld shown using the gun-heeled shoe as a weapon could be more than a weapon of style.  One of my favorite lust sites, Net-a-porter released new weekly shoe launches including this amazing pair from Brian Atwood for $595.
Bring these Fendi platforms home!
One thing is for sure.. sky is the limit for shoes in 2011 and the higher the better. We are seeing a lot of  platforms whether it be wedges or pumps. We have all been there with Jennifer Lopez made a bandaid spotting at this years Grammys.


New stats came out today from our friends at Shopsmart.com came out with these poll results on the PrivyDoll's favorite things, shoes! How do you match up?

" -For everyday footwear, women prefer flats as 39 percent of women indicate that it is the preferred heel height. Only 8 percent of women wear heels over 2 ½ inches on a regular basis.

-Despite a preference for flats, one quarter have worn heels 4” or higher on at least one occasion.

-Forty-six percent of women have bought an ugly pair for comfort, but more women are willing to tolerate pain for fashion—60% vs.49%—than they were in 2007.Women take precautions for the pain as 61 percent have carried a second pair of shoes to a party or event to change into.

Love Hurts
-Forty-eight percent have had a shoe-related injury (blister, break, sprain, etc.).Thirty-five percent of women had an evening ruined by an uncomfortable pair of shoes.

-Twenty-four percent have fallen because of their shoes
 
Shoe Addicted?
-Nearly one-fifth (19%) have gone shoe shopping to cheer themselves up.


-Although the majority of women (86%) are up front with their spouse or significant other about their shoe purchase, 14% admit to hiding at least one purchase.

-Over one quarter (28%) feel shoes are an important part of their outfit indicating that they put a lot of thought into selecting them each day. Plus over half of women (51%) typically notice shoes other people are wearing."
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Monday, March 21, 2011

Fashion Radar: Bikini Body Hang ups From the Celebs to Your Closet

One thing is for sure, as the weather starts turning (did we see 60's in the midwest and 70's in NY this week?) we celebrate the thought that spring may be poking through, but that means one dreaded thing for most women.. bikini shopping.Isn't it on the top of most lists including public speaking and heights? PrivyDoll covers many of the top suits and designer finds for this fashion category but I reached out to stylist, Jene Luciani who shared some of your favorite celebrity's bikini fears and how we can over come them. Take note, many of these celebs fear the same body issues we all have.

Fear #1 "Bootys got back"- "I didn't even know how it happened. And there all these rumours whether its fake or its real."- Kim Kardashian

Jene's tip: There are ways to accentuate your assets, without baring too much.  Stick with darker bottoms and higher-waisted cuts like Rosa Cha’s Plaid Bikini Bottoms.  $178 at Shopbop.com.







Fear #2: "Trend whore"- "I have learned to accept that I cannot just wear anything that is in fashion...not everything, you know, fits!" - Sofia Vergara




Jene's tip: Conquering trends for your age can be difficult.  I love this ruffled one-piece that still say sexy from Longitude.  $69.99 at JCPenney.com.









Fear #2: "The Una-boob"- "You start out happy that you have no hips or boobs. All of a sudden you get them, and it feels sloppy. Then just when you start liking them, they start drooping.” - Cindy Crawford





Jene's tip: Fix drooping boobs with a swimsuit that lifts.  Diane Von Furstenburg’s Floral Print Bikini Top with Built in Cups is great. $155 at saks.com.
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Friday, March 18, 2011

Fashion Radar: Playmate Hope Becomes Tshirt Brand Ambassador

PrivyDoll is always on the hunt for the perfect Tee. One you can go from Yoga, to layer under everything. I am very excited about Tees by Tina and so is this year's Playboy playmate. You can see the Playboy playmate, Hope Dworaczyk on this season of Celebrity Apprentice and as the new spokes model for new the T shirt line called, Tees by Tina. The super comfy, stretch T shirt line also includes leggings, ribbed and smooth tanks as well. Prices are between $25-$48 and available on http://www.teesbytina.com/. Hope quotes, " I am very excited to be partnering with Tees by Tina. The company understands how to make stylish clothing that makes me look great and is also comfortable. Tees by Tina have already become the equivalent of the LBD." You can see Hope every Sunday on the Apprentice and often rocking one of the Tees by Tina in the episodes!
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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Entertainment: Chicago Fashion Incubator Designers Showcase in Pop Up

Last night, the 900 shops were buzzing with local Chicago fashion talent. The CFI (Chicago Fashion Incubator) showcased the grand opening of the pop up shop located on the 5th floor of the 900 shops on Michigan Avenue. The six talented designers that were apart of the program have an opportunity to sell their items in this boutique designed especially for them until April. We had a sneak peek of the talent when PrivyDoll covered the Macy's Fashion Focus runway show last year. The room was decked out with platforms with a model from each collection. 

Even PrivyDoll was seen shopping at the pop up shop! Caught on camera by Your Trendy, where they also reported the fabulous event. I fell in love the the free style, reversible hoods by Anna Hovet. I plan on sporting it with a dress for a little extra surprise.
I love the showcases of each of the CFI designers throughout the night. I am a huge fan of the limited edition Made in Chicago T shirts and Ipod cases sold exclusively at the pop up shop, and like the message across the chest every part of making this shirt and ipod case was indeed made in Chicago! Love it!! Support local design and the CFI community!



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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Fashion Radar: Cut It Out!

Cut out dresses are back this Spring/Summer and have been seen on celebs on the red carpet this week. Rihanna even was seen behind the scenes in a cut out swimsuit for her April Vogue cover shoot. Tred carefully on this trend. Don't start taking scissors to your LBD, find some structured dresses with hints of slits instead of sharing too much with the public it could turn into looking like people should be throwing singles at you. This look is chic and can be subtly sexy with strategic cut outs. Check out these celebs seen this week rocking the cutouts.  Below is where to find these dresses on a budget. Enjoy PrivyDolls!

Get your own red carpet wearable LBD with cutouts found here on ShopAkira for $49.90 !


This true blue cut out dress is a steal for only $48 on Edressme.com .
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Fashion Radar: Maximize Your Spring Maxi Dress

A huge spring trend is here. The maxi dress. The floor length, often cotton dress is the must have spring piece to get you through til summer. Great movement and a great color or pattern is key. I have found some of the best bets to achieve this look. Think of pairing it with a long boyfriend-style cardigan in chilly afternoons or a bright pashmina around your shoulders or tied like a scarf is a perfect accessory. Check out this great exaggerated paisley pattern, racer back maxi from ShopAkira for $84 on the left. I love the pattern and paired with brown, rustic gladiators is a perfect spring outfit.




This is a great basic maxi with a Tshirt feel found on Piperlime for only $59.

I adore the green belted maxi found here on Asos for $67.

Combine another huge spring trend with the color nude maxi dress found on NastyGal for $58. Pair it with a skinny, braided belt to complete the look.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

Insider: Behind the Scenes Shooting a Lookbook

We see them in retail stores, sometimes get them in the mail if you are a frequent fan and as press, I receive them in press releases and emails daily. Look Books. They are the final images from the designer's blood and sweat of the season, sharing their collection to the world. It must speak the emotion and energy that will propel the collection through the season. If you have ever wondered what it looked like behind the scenes shooting or creating a look book I have put together a behind the scenes piece with the help of Christina Fan of C/Fan designs. PrivyDoll has wrote about her line in the past on the blog,  but this piece is a bit raw, that shows the process of putting together the lookbook that will debut her next collection.
The photographer is a huge part of the process with his eye through the lens he has to capture the movement and feeling the designer wants the clothes to portray.
Last month C/Fan shot her Fall 2011 look book in NY's JK studios.  The 15 looks were shot in a long, nine hour day. Fan described the set "it was extremely hectic. Due to the proximity to fashion week and the stress of everyone coming down with the flu." Christina let photographer, Andrew Boyle do his thing on the set and develope the inspiration for the shoot. Catching up with Andrew about the shoot: "I'll admit I am addicted to having models move and jump and stride to create shapes and movement, so and I was pretty excited to see all the garments I would be able to play with for the C/FAN FW 2011 look book.  Opting for a somewhere between a hard contemporary lighting style and the softer style seen in U.S Vogue studio editorials, we kept it clean and warm while letting the garments take on a life of their own. Christina's furs, coats and skirts moved freely while retaining an elegance. And of course no shoot comes without any kind of drama in pre produciton, as we lost our studio option the afternoon before and our model to hospital (of course we wished her well!). But in the end after sourcing a gorgeous shooting space in Tribeca and a wonderful subject to model the collection, it seemed the curve balls thrown at us resulted in a better shoot anyway. As they say in the classics; 'It'll be all right on the night..."
And we can't wait til we all get to see her Fall 2011 collection the team has put into this lookbook. Next time you come across a lookbook remember all the hard work and collaboration that goes on behind the scenes.

Lookbook credits:
Photographer: Andrew Boyle
Art Direction an Styling: Justin Min
Model: Loni at Fushion Models
Hair and Makeup: Krystie Poulin
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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Insider Interview: Laura Lombardi Handcarfter Jewelry Designer Talks Privy Style

PrivyDoll has a soft spot for vintage jewelry and always on the hunt for the prefect piece. There is a fine line of vintage meets new. Enter Laura Lombardi's jewelry line. The unique, metal vintage line is a great find at some very reasonable prices. the handmade line is designed by Chicago local, Laura Lombardi and PrivyDoll caught up with her for an exclusive interview to learn more about the inspiration and what vintage means to the modern fashionista.




 

PrivyDoll:What are your favorite materials to use to handcrafting a line?
LL: I almost always exclusively work in vintage metals. One of the things i find most enjoyable about the design process is recontextualizing seemingly dated pieces.



PrivyDoll: I love that you are a local Chicagoan, how do you see Chicago as a fashion vehicle?
LL: I don't really see Chicago as a vehicle for fashion, but that's not to say that there aren't people here doing interesting things. Fashion here has a much more local and personal feel to it.


PrivyDoll: Do you design based on one inspiration for a collection or design per individual item?

LL:I design a whole collection with a main inspiration in order to maintain a strong narrative.


PrivyDoll:The collection is so rough but delicate, how do you achieve the antique look with making it modern?
LL: The pieces look antique because the materials themselves are vintage, but what makes them contemporary is how I choose to appropriate said vintage materials. I never want things to look vintage per say, but more have a worn in look to them.


PrivyDoll:What are you favorite clothing lines that compliment your jewelry line?
LL:Alexander Wang, bodkin, something else, complex geometries, maison Martin margiela are a few of my favorites.


PrivyDoll: Where can we find this "privy" find?
LL: My Line is at many stores:Eskell, dovetail, and workshop in Chicago, old Hollywood and life:curated in Brooklyn, redeem in DC, magpie and rye in sanfrancisco, totokaelo online, robber in toronto, the shining in Dallas and Spartan in Texas to name a few. Check out http://www.lauralombardi.com/ for more information and the entire collection.
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