Summer Beauty

The extended days of hot summer calls for long lasting make-up to take you from day to night. The key to having a flawless face is moisturizer and foundation. Moisturizing your face is extremely important when it's hot outside, it keeps your face refreshed and hydrated giving you a smooth, untouched look.

Foundation is your next step. You always want an extra special glow to your face, beginning with basic foundation. Christian Dior's Capture Totale has a range of different shades for all skin types. For $76 this foundation will last you and make you feel flawless.

The next step to a perfect summer face is a highlighter on your cheeks. Peach and pink tone blushes are so in this season. Bronzed faces and thick powders are no longer the trend. Make sure to emphasize the features you already have by adding simple blushes to the apples of your cheeks. A simple tip, apply blush two fingers away from the bottom tip of your nose for a sexy cheek bone.

Now for the eyes. The most attractive thing on a woman is her alluring eyes. With a simple liquid liner on the top lid and long lashes, your eyes will stick out in a crowd. For a day time look, an all over shimmer eye shadow on your eyelid and mascara can be natural and beautiful. You don't want to look overdone in the summer days. As night falls, amp up your look by adding a dark shadow to outer crease of your eye and eye liner to the bottom lid. This smokey eye look is perfect for a night out.

Your last step to being a perfect summer beauty is a nude lip. This season nude lips are popular. This simplistic and clean lip allows attention to go to your dreamy eyes and flawless skin. Nouba by Nars is a sexy nude lip with a hint of sparkle in it. Adding Turkish Delight pink lip gloss really brightens your lip and finishes off the look.

There you have it, your summer tips for beauty. Remember to not go to heavy on make-up, especially in the summer. Enhancing the features you already have is what will make you feel beautiful. Walk with confidence and remember that you wear the make-up the make-up doesn't wear you.

A Designer to Know

Giselle Ghofrani (center)

As a child, everyone has their dreams of being something amazing when they grow up. For some, their wishes never come true, for others, they live out a dream they never knew they could.

Giselle Ghofrani is a 22 year old fashion designer, something she never imagined to be true. Throughout high school, Ghofrani had a passion for art. Being so spirited on the idea of art, she attended Columbia College in Chicago, majoring in art history.

Throughout college, Ghofrani's mother worked in the alterations department for Vera Weng in Chicago. She was two years into college when her father became very ill. Ghofrani's mother felt obligated to take care of her husband, causing Giselle to take her mother's position at Vera Weng. After about six months of working with alterations, Giselle's adoration for fashion caused her to switch her major at Columbia.

Soon after becoming a fashion major, the owner of the Vera Weng Boutique took notice of Ghofrani. She was asked to create a show piece gown for a show in Indianapolis. Her design was a sensation and people wanted more.

Ghofrani began listening to the needs of her clients. Women would request dresses with sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, or a detachable bottom. She soaked all of these great ideas in, leading her to create her own line of gowns.

Ghofrani's inspiration did not only come from people, she used her art history background to incorporate designs and textures in gowns that people had not seen before.

"I was inspired by a painter in my art history class in high school, Poulouse Lautrec," Ghofrani said.

"After using some of his work, I went to Turkey for a while to absorb the architecture and scenery," Giselle said.

She drew ideas from the beauty she embraced around her, dreaming of making women feel their absolute best.

Now, Ghofrani is a person everyone should know. She has completed her very own collection, Giselle, sold at Belle Vie Boutique in Chicago. She is currently interning at W Magazine and Vera Weng in New York City. She works with accessories, where she draws more inspiration from the stitching and folding of new fabrics and handbags. The techniques she is learning at W Magazine have caused her to design accessories as well.

Ghofrani is an entrepreneur at the very least. She is a focused young women with enough drive to get her anywhere she desires. To contact Giselle or view her designs, go to http://giselle-couture.com/home.html and send her an email, or go to Belle Vie Boutique on 34 Oak Street in Chicago.

Size Matters at the Golden Globes

Did everyone watch the Golden Globes this past Sunday? For fashion lovers, it was definitely an extravaganza! Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive, Sandra Bullock wearing Bottega Veneta and Anna Paquin in Stella McCartney.

One of my favorites was Mad Men's Christina Hendricks wearing a Christian Siriano strapless peach organza gown. The gown was custom-made for the curvy, Hendricks, displayed adorable ruffles and I thought it complimented Hendrick's curves quite well.

So imagine my dismay when I read a brief write-up by the New York Times' Cathryn Horne in which she quotes a stylist that remarked, "You don’t put a big girl in a big dress. That’s rule number one.” Okay, I know Ms. Hendricks is not the Hollywood size 2, and I readily accept that. I don't take issue with whether or not the dress was right for Hendricks--perhaps the color didn't compliment her fiery red hair well or the ruffles were just too much overall. I take issue with using Hendrick's size--which is not a Hollywood norm--to say whether it the right dress for her or not. The dress fit her perfectly; and she has said commented that she was happy with the results. So what's the problem?

I also take issue with the clearly doctored photo (which has since been removed from the NY Times website, which distorted Hendrick's size to (perhaps?) make their point a bit more clear?

2010 in Fashion

Welcome to 2010! With this new year upon us and an ever so fickle fashion industry, you know that means the trends are bound to shift. While latex leggings, thigh-high boots and the vamped-up look ruled the trends of 2009, rest assured that 2010 will look a bit different. Here are a few trends to look out for in 2010--well first, please note that you can spot some of the 2009 trends to continue. The most important one? As Karl Lagerfeld famously declared,

"Bling is dead."

So yes, bling will remain in it's resting place for now. However, the color palettes of Spring 2009 which were decidedly bright and bold are being replaced by subdued grays and blacks this season. Girly dresses, lace and any article of clothing that can be accurately described as being "cute" are still in; but androgynous and masculine pieces, leather and any article of clothing that can be described as "edgy" are definitely in. For spring, a sharp blazer, a smart trench and a nice pair of oxfords are a great start to begin building with.

This Paul and Joe Congo trench coat is timeless and very subdued.

And this Alice and Olivia cascade front blazer may not be your "standard" blazer, but it definitely has flair.

And oxfords are fast becoming all of the rage for those who seek a pair of comfortable shoes. These Jeffrey Campbell oxfords from Free People are made of soft leather and look very comfortable. For a more feminine edge, buy a pair of high-heeled oxfords.

High Fashion Is Invading Chicago: Chifa Elite Fashion Explosion

The must anticipated fashion show, Chifa Elite Fashion Explosion, took place on Saturday evening in a swanky loft in the West Loop of Chicago. The crowd was diverse as ticketed patrons and press entered the beautifully decorated loft. The empty spots on the floor were filling in quickly as many gathered towards the runway to view the latest designs.

The anxiety came to a halt when the catwalk started. Dozens of male and female models glammed in hair, makeup and fashion trends represented a line-up of designers and retailers. The look for the season seems to be 80’s chic. Outfits from Akira Chicago included lots of bomber jackets for men and women, leggings for the ladies, sleek casual prep for the men. Forever 21 made a debut with their fall fashion line which included beautiful party dresses for the ladies. Kiwi Boutique & Eye Candy Boutique also featured some fashionable wear for the season

ChiFa also highlighted some of today’s top Chicago designers: Macy’s Incubator Designers’, Anna Hovet, Alonzo Jackson known as the (Fashion Geek), Nora Del Busto, Chicago Fashion Resource- Alice Berry, Gen Art (Fresh Face Nominee), Jenny Pfanenstiel, Sneaker shoe pimp - Dave Jeff and Kevin Hill known as the (Fly Nerd).


As the flicker from the array of flashes illuminated the room, in sync with the Jazz Fusion beats that erupted through the room. The crowd was impressed, cheering and clapping after each scene. Local talent kept the crowds entertained during intermission along with the timely wait at the bar. The light hors d'oeuvres were delicious, especially the assorted cheeses, sushi and spicy beef skewers. It was hard to resist the urge to go back for seconds. The polite and friendly wait staff was there to keep the serving dishes replenished.

Crystal Jones is founder of the Bumblebee Network. The BumbleBee Network is a full service events planning company with focus on hosting events to enhance the arts in the market place. Jones’ decade experience in advertising, sales, marketing and publishing coupled with her passion and wisdom have allowed her to hone in on her gift as a collaborator and event producer. Her love of enriching the community has allowed her to birth BumbleBee Network. Chifa Elite, which is the acronym for Chicago Fashion, was a spiritually inspired project.

Crystal and her staff worked the room making sure her guests were comfortable, full, and having a good time...and they did. Check out the photos from the event.

Some of that White House Magic

Many congratulations are in order to French-born, New York-based designer Sophie Theallet for winning the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America)/Vogue Fashion Fund design award on Monday night. If her name doesn't ring a bell immediately, the designer's young label caught the eye of a very fashionable First Lady, Michelle Obama, who has worn Sophie Theallet's clothing on more than a few occasions in the past year.


Theallet is also known for going against the norms in the fashion world as she only choose to cast black models for her 2009 Spring runway show. The designer, who describes her look as "Bohemian luxe", has won 200,000 and a year of mentoring from the CFDA/ Vogue. This should be a sign of great things to come for Ms. Theallet in the future. Need proof? Just see last years recipient, Alexander Wang.

Are you Ready?

Tonight is part two of the season finale of Project Runway. The season began with 16 designers and now they are down to the final 3.

We have Irina Shabayeva, the New York-based designer who is definitely not there to make friends. In the last episode, Irina was forced to revamp her T-shirts as she had been using copyrighted material. But, she has always been in the top and she is in it to win it.

Then there is Carol Hannah Whitfield, the young designer from North Carolina, who has constructed beautiful dresses. Bad luck struck Carol Hannah in the last episode when she became sick with a stomach virus. Can she can pull through and take the prize?

And Althea Harper, the designer from Dayton, Ohio and she has been consistent with her designs and pretty low-key. Could she be the dark horse and pull an upset?

Who are you rooting for?

Must Haves

Ok so summer is ending and I feel it is my duty to give you a list of "must-haves" in your closet for the fall. I'm not going to ramble on so here ya go!!

You must have a black jacket. It is imperative to the life of your wardrobe. It must be funky, fashionable and functional. Keep it hot with some sexy boots and a fab bag.

The Jacket

The Bag

What we be, ladies, without a sexy handbag. I say go big don't be afraid of this trend. Fashion and functionality go hand and hand. You can throw everything into a monster bag. You know how much stuff we carry unnecessarily sometimes. Don't try to match the bag with what your wearing. Spruce it and find a fun color to make your look pop.



The Cardigan

I don't care what color you have it in or how many you purchase. Ladies!!! For the love of all that is righteous in the world make sure have cardigans in your closet. Cardigans are classic. They fit very feminine at the waistline and are comfortable to boot. You can even wear a sexy tee underneath. They are versatile because you can wear them at work or just on the go.



The Jeans

Nothing is more sexy than a form fitting jean. No your body type ladies and what works for you! The jeans I recommend are the Julie jeans (pictured below). They are comfortable and flattering. The skinny's that you can cuff are a must have. They run 37 inches. I'm a tall girl so I'm loving that. If these are a little out of your price range, check Forever 21 they have inexpensive, great style skinny's to rock with your boots.

The Boots

I don't think I need to say anymore where the walkers are concerned. THEY MUST BE FIRE!! In case you are wondering about the gorgeousness below. Those would be thigh-high Louboutin's. I know. I dropped a tear too. Do what you can with the budget you are working with, just make sure the boots are the hotness!!



So there you have it. The hottest must-haves for fall. Go get your Flair on!!

Miss Rhi Rhi

The young starlet that is Miss Rihanna has been under the microscope these days as she is undoubtedly dealing with alot in her life. On a lighter not, paving the way to be the next fashion icon is not out of her reach. She always manages to look super gorgeous. She was seen leaving her good friend Kanye West's Manhattan dwelling in this sexy frock. Am I the only one loving the bouffant? So 60s retro. It is beautiful chaos!!