Running Hollywood Pin-Ups and Original Bombshell, two emerging companies that are equally successful in their own right, Amber LeVonne can easily be characterized as a thriving entrepreneur. She has taken her interests and brought them to the public, while creating an ever-growing buzz among everyday consumers and celebrities alike.

If being a self-starting businesswoman sounds appealing to you, follow LeVonne’s advice, “Have faith in your God-given talent and don’t ever give up. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”

Always happy to support people and products that we believe in, Beauty Chat is proud to introduce you to LeVonne’s endeavors:

After being asked to use her rhinestone-applying abilities at a 2002 Academy Awards event, she decided to go into business for herself. Then, Hollywood Pin-Ups was born. Adorning items such as clutches, hair brushes, lip gloss tubes, and much more with Swarovski crystals, her work represents a refined, sophisticated beauty.

LeVonne personally designs the pieces herself, developing creations and/or fulfilling the requests made by customers such as Ashlee Simpson and Eva Longoria. The Hello Kitty clutch pictured with Paris Hilton above was even featured on VH1. LeVonne dished about Hilton, “Paris is a very polite and a sweet customer, and has a lot of my designs.” More »

Amy — congratulations! You are our randomly-selected winner for the La Loop accessory. Be sure to check back with Beauty Chat often. This spring will be filled with giveaways that are sure to put a smile on your face!

Again congrats, Amy! Be sure to let us know how it has worked out for you.

Hair care is important to all us, whether you have a fear of hair loss and you need for a hair transplant, or you just love to pamper your hair and scalp. So I am happy to say that I have a new favorite product that has really helped my dry, damaged and thinning hair.

                                               (Photo Courtesy of Yes to Carrots)

Yes To Carrots is a company that uses the juice from orange colored produce, Dead Sea Mud, vitamins, and minerals in skin and hair care products. We all know these items can do amazing things inside our bodies, but who would have thought to put them in our hair?     

Yes to Carrots did! More »

In today’s world, children are becoming more and more informed of “grown-up” things at a much earlier age. For example, my 6-year-old niece asked me if I had a cell phone because she wanted to add my number to her contact list. I don’t think I even had a cell phone until I was in college!

So you can imagine my surprise when I saw an article on a new children’s book about plastic surgery. My Beautiful Mommy (Big Tent Books) by Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a Florida plastic surgeon, is an illustrated book aimed at children ages 4 to 7. I remember reading “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Goldstein Bears” when I was six – not books on what my mom was going to change on her body. More »

a’ris’to’crat (noun): a member of the nobility or the highest social class in the county.

And just like the name, Aristocrat, is a refined, high-quality denim line that is a cut above the rest. Even more, this brand is eco-friendly and celebrates going green year-round.

Created by Bob Bak, an innovative designer/chemist who obtained a degree in chemistry at London University College, Aristocrat promotes the importance of quality denim. An added bonus — it is done in an earth conscious, chemical-free manner.

Before introducing Aristocrat in Spring 2007, Bak worked as an independent developer in Italy. During that time, he came up with denim dyes and washes for a handful of impressive brands, such as Chanel, Cavalli, Diesel, and others. Now that he has stepped out with his own line, Bak is able to have full control over his own design process. More »

The way I see it – the heart and soul of a company largely contributes to its success, and I love learning about the brains behind fabulous products. This is why I excitedly wanted to chat with Terry Carter of Travertine Spa – a line of natural botanical body care products and lovely loungewear. With a HUGE celebrity clientele base with products and apparel that is tailored for both and women, Terry wholeheartedly believes in what Travertine Spa stands for. With personal satisfaction using one of his “moisture therapy” products (as well as owning a comfy Yoga Wear top), I have to share one of my new favorite skincare lines with you.

Check out our exclusive Beauty Chat interview:

Elana: How did you develop the idea for Travertine Spa?

Terry: I was a corporate attorney who really didn’t like the atmosphere that I was working in; it was a hostile environment that I did not enjoy. I got away from my stresses in the workplace by going to spas. I wanted to share with people what I had learned and experienced by just taking time to take care of myself, so I decided to create Travertine Spa in 2005. More »

Melissa! Congratulations to our randomly-selected winner. And of course, thank you to everyone else who entered this contest. Be sure to check back with Beauty Chat often, this spring will be filled with giveaways sure to put a smile on your face!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Every woman needs a complementary coat that displays her attitude and flatters her body. However, finding that special jacket isn’t always so simple…until now!

Mackage is an amazing line that values the beauty of outerwear. Never a disappointment, the creators Elise Dahan and Eran Elfassy (who began their design aspirations as grade school friends) consistently develop stylish, yet classic, pieces. Their coats embody sophistication.

More »

We’ve all heard that “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Well, in my beauty-conscious mind, so is good skincare. I have admittedly battled that frustrating thing called acne, which actually isn’t just “frustrating” – it can feel more like utter torture.

For me, I had the clear, porcelain-like skin in high school, wearing anything so much as face powder. Those were so the days. But then came college. While discovering eyebrow threading and chic fashion styles, pimples were actively finding me! Fun times? Guess again…

Much like my neurotic hunt for curly hair products, my search for good skincare remedies have not gone unwarranted, especially if Dr. Susan Evans has anything to do with it.

Located in Beverly Hills of Southern California, Dr. Evans is known as a premier dermatologist who is simply “good at what [she] does” (you might recognize her from Dr. 90210 on E!) More »

“Fruit Salad,” “Purple Gummy Bear”…“Jelly Donut?” These don’t sound like your typical lip balm flavors, do they? That’s because they aren’t!

They are the creation of Beck Rustic, founder and owner of Bag Lunch. Beck was fascinated with lip balm, but felt they were mostly geared towards kids, in both flavor and packaging. So she created her own! She wanted them to be creative and carry a simple, yet stylish, look.

With lip balms remaining one of the most popular cosmetic items today, she was right in time! Being a product that you use everyday, a gal’s lip balm habit can get quite expensive. Thanks to Beck, we are free to be addicted to lip balm at a reasonable price (don’t you love that?). Beck only uses the simplest of ingredients: sweet almond oil, beeswax, shea butter and vitamin E. Also, Bag Lunch never tests her products on animals – I like that. More »