From Sporty to Ladylike, Find Your Way to Work the Sheer Trend with this Sweet Relish List

Made another Sweet Relish list! This one's all sheer - sheer madness! Okay, sorry. Anyway, sheer is a major trend and I kinda love it, especially now that there are so many options for wearing it without being rather indecent (camis, leggings, cropped tanks - all my best friends now). It can be tricky to wear, but if you look hard enough, you'll find some key pieces that you can pick up for an instant wardrobe update. Sheer jackets, sheer skirts with leggings, sheer dresses with slips - it can be effortless yet cutting edge. Head to my list for some shopping inspiration - preview below!

Sheer jacket, $67.50 at Nasty Gal

Adidas Originals X Opening Ceremony sheer skirt, $191.25 at FarFetch

 

Vince sheer pants, $345 at Cusp

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

Getting Your Hair Done is a Glamorous Affair at Salon Ruggeri

Located in a brownstone in Murray Hill, Salon Ruggeri may be one of the most beautiful spaces I have seen, not just in a salon. After being there I decided that I hate my apartment and need to redecorate immediately. (I explained my dilemma to my daddy and apparently getting a crystal chandelier isn't a 'life necessity'). While sitting in the salon I felt like I was just sitting in someones beautiful brownstone, which is basically what this salon is. Style and colorist Gregorio Ruggeri and interior designer Craig Longhurst worked together to create my new favorite hair salon.

I met with Cassie, an Australian-native who is a colorist and stylist (of over ten years!) who looked at my hair before doing anything. Salons that first shampoo your hair and look at it wet while you try and describe what kind of cut you want just don't cut it, excuse the pun. Whose hair looks the same wet as dry? For that matter who wears their hair wet all the time? Right, no one. Anyway, she spent a long time with me discussing how I like to wear my hair and making sure she totally understood the kind of cut that I wanted and thoroughly explained what she was thinking before doing anything. Sometime I wear my hair straight, sometimes curly and sometimes I'm lazy and just let it dry. Clearly I am a complex person and I needed a complex cut.

The salon is by appointment only and they only allow one appointment/customer at a time. Because this salon caters to its customers we were able to chat while she cut my hair instead of listen to other people talking and blow dryers, running water, etc. Everything from interior design, decorating tips, where to shop and more. Completely felt like I was just sitting with a friend!

One of my favorite parts of this experience was the tips that she shared with me. My favorite one: I complained that my hair is too greasy and she gave me a tip that was totally new to me which pains me to admit. She suggested that I shampoo my hair TWICE when I wash it (and how I should be only washing three to four times a week). Apparently, when your hair is naturally oily the first shampoo removes the oil and product buildup but doesn't actually clean your hair and scalp! Being that she gave tips for me specifically, who knows what you would learn!

She also went over different products that I should be using and how to use them. Anyone can recommend a product but most wont take the time to explain how it works and how it should be used.

As you can see, I was thrilled with my haircut and couldn't wait to show it off!

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

Henri Bendel Fall Collection Preview

Last week, Sutton and I got to preview the Henri Bendel Fall 2013 collection. It was no surprise to us that we liked what we saw, it is Bendel's, after all. From the timeless and sophisticated to the statement-making and on-trend, the collection had something for everyone, all tied together with the signature Bendel polish.

These gorgeous, glittering bracelets would look sick stacked.

Every wardrobe needs a dose of the signature Henri Bendel stripes.

Kinda Margiela-ish but more timeless - these watch bracelets were one of my favorites.

Ear cuff! This one's done as only Bendel can do it - yes it's edgy, but still elegant.

The bracelet bar was nothing short of addictive!

Such a classic way to wear color, that yellow bag is a serious must-have pop.

I obviously need all of these necklaces to wear just like that.

Timeless yet trendy, edgy yet elegant, stand-out yet understated  - this could be the perfect bracelet.

Denim is one of the most important style stories this season, and this is one chic, unique way to wear it.

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor



SOF Scoop: Pampadour

Pampadour is a new social networking site geared towards beauty. Was it made specifically for me? I like to think so, I couldn’t have made this site better if I was the creator! Add collections, ask questions and clip products! You can make a profile and create collections to and add your favorite products – I have ‘Everyday Makeup’, ‘Achieving Perfect Hair’ of course ‘Perfectly Glossed Kisses’ and more! Add me “Sutton Van Brigsby”.

Our interviewees name is Jennifer Hakimian.  She co-founded Pampadour with Roy Hakimian, her brother-in-law!

 

Sobbing On Fifth: How did the idea for this site come about?

Jennifer Hakimian: I have always been passionate about beauty and my friends would ask me for product recommendations. I use so many different products that it was hard to remember them all, and when I would check the packaging for the name and number, the label was often faded. I'd eventually find it and text it with a blurb, "make sure you use a clean angled liner brush and steady your hand above your cheekbone, and follow your lash line and angle out to create an illusion of a lift..." They would then do a search, find out where the product was sold and then purchase it, if they made it that far! I thought, how inefficient is this? What about a place where I can store and catalogue all my beauty products and be able to easily exchange advice with friends and beauty enthusiasts like me? This is how the idea of Pampadour was born. It took some time but with our amazing team we were able to make Pampadour a place to discover, collect and share beauty a reality.

SOF: What would you say to new Pampadour users about the site?

JH: Welcome to your beauty adventure! The first thing a user sees is our feed, which includes images of products, posted questions, and inspirational photos. Real conversations happen and the beauty discovery is never ending. I would recommend to take the time to browse for products and looks, start building your profile, and engage your friends and the community by starting a discussion and commenting on posts. You will find that the Pampadour community is very eager to share their beauty secrets!
Some of our best features include the ability to tag photos and videos with products. So you can find out, for example, the breakdown of a celebrity look or you can post your own photo and tag it with the make-up you used. Another great one is the ability to attach a product in a comment; if you ask for a recommendation, users can literally respond by sending you the product.

SOF: What lies in the future for Pampadour?

JH: For the immediate future we are launching our Brand Pages. We are so excited to offer brands the opportunity to use our platform and utilize our tools in a new way to connect with beauty enthusiasts. Our mobile site is also in the process of being completed. Having launched our beta, we are always looking for ways to enhance our users' experience and offer them features that will make sharing beauty easier. We are constantly growing and looking to expand our following.

SOF: What is one beauty product you can't live without?

JH: Its so difficult for me to choose one!! But if there is one product I use everyday, without fail, its Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation. It's light, has SPF and evens out my skin tone. 

SOF: Do you have a favorite makeup trend for spring, anything you are particularly excited for?

JH: For the Spring I always look to try fresh new colors. For the younger girls I love bright shadows. For myself I love to play with colored eye pencils. I just bought Estee Lauder Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliner Duo in black and blue. I discovered it on Pampadour and bought it right then and there. I love it!

SOF: The possibilities for collections are endless, do you have a favorite?
JH: My most useful collection so far is one called "products I'd like to try", this one is really for me because I love to experiment.
Some of my other favorites are my summer collections and party looks. Collections are a great way for others to see how I group products together, and everyday I come up with new ones to create. I love that I can add videos and photos to these collections as well. I even have a birthday wish list! Now my husband has no excuse being empty handed for my birthday!

SOF: What is the last thing you bought?

JH: The last thing I bought is  Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. My make up tends to fade when I'm out all night and I needed something to make it last. I started a discussion on Pampadour and this came up as a recommendation. The two recommendations were this Urban Decay product and one by Skindinavia. It turns out that the Urban Decay one is made by Skindinavia!!