Hipanema Makes the Friendship Bracelet a Timelessly Cool, Must-Have, Wardrobe-Transforming Staple

I discovered Hipanema at the ENKCircuit/Intermezzo show I attended in August. I was drawn to the brand’s booth from an aisle away, its brilliant colors radiating and sparkling stones, well, sparkling. I thought I was over friendship bracelets, but I was wrong. Hipanema showed me that friendship bracelets aren’t just a trend (well, not from this brand) but a new, here-to-stay genre of jewelry that can be intricately and beautifully woven in eye-popping palettes, for a look that’s bohemian yet modern and impossibly cool. And when you add unique embellishments like pearls and seashells like Hipanema does? Pow. Glamour – but casual, wear-everywhere glamour. I was sold on Hipanema’s color-pop, cool, effortlessly glamorous approach and how they made something I previously thought trendy actually quite timeless. These are accessories you can wear forever, always reinventing your look.

Hipanema was created by designers Delphine Crech’riou and Jenny Collinet after the two met in Rio and decided to bring Brazil’s free-spirited chic to the States in the form of swimwear and bracelets. They say the collection is “European-inspired, with the flair of South American sensibility and versatile luxury.” And learning that each bracelet is handcrafted with 32 hours of work confirmed my instant thought that these bracelets are different from any other and true investment pieces. You can find these amazing bracelets, prices $58 to $118 so you can get one or a stack, as well as the vibrant swimwear at HipanemaUSA.com, Henri Bendel, Bloomingdales, Shopbop and about 400 brick-and-mortar stores throughout the United States. Get shopping and color-popping, people.

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

What We're Wearing September 27th, 2013

This week has been crazy - my schedule has been packed with events, dinners and parties, plus getting up at the crack of dawn to meet my trainer at the gym. I am exhausted! So, I am obviously, slathering on the eye cream to make up for my lack of sleep. This week I had to whip out emerginC's Lighten-Up Under-Eye Circle Fighter. The super potent and ingredients cause my dark circles to disappear. It has topical lighteners and skin strengtheners to really make a difference. I knew it was a must-have after using it once and seeing an immediately drastic difference. Now I am totally ready for more late nights!

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

I found this A-FREAKING-MAZING skirt at the Opening Ceremony sample sale, it's Rodarte for Opening Ceremony and it has a FURNITURE PRINT, y'all. It was very Mary-Katrantzou-first-collection to me. And I love the drama of its length made effortlessly wearable by its high front slits. I had to tailor it to be about three feet shorter - which I did by myself, woot! I'm sure it'll fall apart soon and I'll have to take it to a professional, but for now...I've been playing around with tops, either downplaying the print with a classic white top, or clashing it with something a bit different like this vintage Megadeath tee.

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

Worst Celebrity Falls - Guest Post by Catherine Lavinia

Worst celebrity tumbles

When it comes to cringe-y moments, falling over in public is up there with getting locked in a friend's toilet and spilling food down yourself at a fancy dinner. We've all been there, so have a little sympathy for celebs whose fantastic face plants will soon be spread over the internet for all to see. Check out our list of the worst celebrity falls, and pick up some tips on how to style out a stumble. Start by avoiding similar disasters in style with a classy pair of flat boots.

(Image from ABCnews.com)

Jennifer Lawrence at the 2013 Oscars

Winning the Best Actress Academy Award is probably the greatest moment in any actress' career, and J-Law made hers particularly memorable when she tripped on the way to claim the prestigious statuette. The 22-year-old laughed it off with grace and even made fun of her clumsiness in her acceptance speech, making us love her that little bit more. 

 (Image from ABCnews.com)

 

Jennifer Lopez at the 2009 American Music Awards

J-Lo's big comeback performance was her chance to remind us all of the slick dance moves that we'd been missing. This plan was potentially jeopardised when she landed pretty hard on that famous behind of hers. A cynic might suggest that it was too soon to try jumping off a topless model's back, but to her credit, she got right up and carried on dancing in those mega-high heels like it never happened! What a pro...

 (Image from CultureBully.com)

Beyoncé on tour

Queen Bey’s fabulous hairdo famously got the better of her during a performance of 'Ring the Alarm', when she delivered a full-on tumble down a flight of twelve steps. And that's not the only time the bootylicious singer has fallen on stage – in 2010 she slipped at a show in Brazil, and just about managed to prevent herself from sliding straight into the crowd. Bey may be a pro when it comes to performing in heels, but it’s nice to know that she’s not immune from embarrassing moments!

DIY Gift: Decorated Box



I needed a birthday gift for a friend who has everything. What was I left to do? Obviously make her a gift. I needed something cute, yet practical. So I went to the craft store for some inspiration and supplies.

I purchased a plain wood photo box at the craft store. The top of the box is glass, but you could also use an all wood box for this project.

I started by using a screwdriver to remove all of the metal pieces.

 

I painted the outside of the box white (except for the glass) and painted the inside purple.

Once the paint was dry, I use to screwdriver to replace all of the metal pieces.

 

I purchased a strong glue and flat backed, blue, glass marbles. Applying a dot of glue to each stone, I started gluing the stones onto the glass.

 

 

I glued different sizes and colored stones randomly across the top of the box.

 

 

Voila finished! I wrapped up the box and it was the perfect gift!

 

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

Four Things You Never Thought You'd Wear

There are weird trends every season, things you wouldn't expect. But lately, the trends seem to be stretching beyond fashion. Maybe designers and tastemakers have grown bored with all things conventionally fashion-related, and they're getting resourceful. A lot of looks seem to be pulled from the closet of your jock brother or German tourist friend. Are the trends just refreshingly unconventional or just plain weird? You be the judge.

These:

 (image via sun-burned-urn.blogspot.com)

Are now these:

(image via WhoWhatWear.com)

This:

(image via aliexpress.com)

Is now this:

(image via Zara.com)

This:

 (image via buzzowrthy.mtv.com)

Is now this:

(image via chadsdrygoods.blogspot.com)

This:

(image via wardogsafe.com)

Is now this:

(image via Le-21eme.com)

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

DIY Dream Catcher

I am, as always, doing some redecorating of my apartment. I decided to make my own (super girly) dream catcher to hang by my bed.

Items you will need:
Circle hoop (I used a wood, cross stitch frame)
String (The more colors, the more fun!)
Beads
Feathers
Glue (Easiest if you use a hot glue gun)

I started by using a pink string to tie a knot around the hoop, and then applied a dot of glue to hold it in place.

I zig-zagged the string around the hoop; using dots of glue to hold it in place so it didn't slip. After a few wraps I started adding beads.

I continued until I was satisfied with the center of the dream catcher.

Next, I used a shimmery blue string to start wrapping the outside of the hoop.

I thought it would be cute to do the blue string three quarters around the hoop and then switch to a shimmery yellow. (FYI I ran out of blue string didn't it come out cute though?)

I bought some pastel colored feathers at the craft store. I added a dot of glue to the tip of the feather and used a shimmery green string to wrap the tip of the feather. 

I strung some cheap pearl beads, (purchased from a craft store) to the string attached to the feathers. Finally, I used another dot of glue to secure the green string to the hoop and then kept each string (attached to the feathers) a different length.

Totally loving the finished product!

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

Sheila Johnson Fall 2013 Collection: Vérité

You know my thoughts on accessories. They make or break your look. Without them, the most extravagant outfit is boring, with them, even the most boring outfit is suddenly incredibly chic - and it's totally effortless. Especially with a great scarf. That t-shirt's not just a t-shirt, that jacket's not just a jacket with a great scarf. Its texture and pattern will make your outfit instantly curated and street style star-worthy. This is why I love Sheila Johnson. Her scarves are stunning. At $395, they're investment pieces but just that - an investment because you will literally have, love and wear them forever. The price is justified when it's something you can use to transform your look everyday, season after season. Plus, proceeds from sales benefit the Lady Salamanders, the women's division of Street Soccer USA.

Sheila Johnson just relaunched her site, just in time for her fall 2013 collection, Vérité.

 

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

What We're Wearing September 20th, 2013

Today my skin looks great because I used MDSolarSciences Evening Facial Repair Serum last night. Daily sun exposure wreaks havoc on your skin, this serum helps to repair that. My skin is brighter and more even this morning because of it. Not to mention it includes Retinol, green tea extract and chamomile for anti-aging and soothing properties - what more could I ask for? No wrinkles or redness for me, please.

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton




With summer winding down but temperatures still warm-ish, it's the perfect day for this Johnny Was dress. It's summery in its breezy, bohemian lace, and easily made fall-ish with ankle boots - my H by Hudson navy boots happened to the be the perfect complement to the dress's intricate blue embroidery. I'm happy this dress came into my life (we're really happy together) because I used to love Johnny Was aesthetically but think it was a bit too bohemian for my personal style, but now I see how easy it is to transform any piece with your own spin. I love that it's just a tad hippie-ish but instantly feminine-yet-downtown with a belt and boots.

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

DIY Makeup Brush Holder

 

I love the website PS I Made This. It's jam packed with DIY ideas, from accessories to jewelry to fashion, this site has it all! They have projects for every level of crafter and I end up copying a ton of their ideas. So, when I saw their makeup brush holder, I had to have one of my own and I think you should too!

 

It was so easy to make - all you need is chalk, a glass and salt. PS I Made This used regular street chalk, I didn't have any of that at home, but I did have some soft pastels. (From a semi-unsuccessful attempt at hair chalking.)

First, I poured the salt onto a plate, PS I Made This shows that you can just wipe the chalk onto the pile of salt. This did not work with my soft pastels so I just crumbled the pastel into the salt and mixed it up.

 



 

PS I Made This did an ombré effect with purple chalk - I chose to use layers of different colors. I started by pouring in plain salt followed by pink, green, and purple.

 

After I poured all the salt into the glass I stuck my makeup brushes into the salt. (I cover most of my brushes with Brush Guards.) Now I can display my makeup brushes in style, much more fun and practical then hiding them in a drawer!

If you try this DIY, I would love to see pictures! Email me at SuttonVanB@gmail.com

 

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton