After scouring the internet, magazines, and shops for the latest and greatest “Handbag of the Month” to bring you, I stumbled upon a wonderful, innovative company called Solas at the recent Shecky’s Girls Night Out event that my fellow Beauty Chatters Leeann, Jacquie, Stephanie, and I attended.

Catching my attention for not just its stunning style, the Lush Tote by Solas, as I came to find out, had much more to offer. First created in 2004, by Kara Kurcz and her then boyfriend (now husband) Brian Lee, the idea behind Solas was developed when Brian, seeing Kara stumble through her purse for her keys in the dark, suggested she use his cell phone light to help her see better.

And thus, Solas was born.

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                                                  (Kat Von D — up close and personal)

Ever since her days on Bravo’s “Miami Ink,” I have found it hard to not be a fan of Kat Von D. Why? Because she is passionate about what she creates and breaks all stereotypes of what most of society may regard a tattoo artist to be like. She’s female, girly, gorgeous, and now – a Reality TV star turned a sought-after Hollywood celebrity.So of course when I heard about the creative merge of Sephora and the famous LA Ink tattoo artist and owner of High Voltage Tattoo – I wanted to scream (in excitement, of course!). I always thought that Kat’s makeup was fabulous and her fashion sense was shockingly cool. And now, I’m proud to say that I have three of pieces of her new collection that add a classic, yet edgy, style to what I already have in my makeup bag.

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Over the weekend, Kate Bosworth attended an OmniPeace charity event in Los Angeles, and the actress was spotted in a Rory Beca Double Layer dress. And that’s just the tip of the fashion iceberg. With fans such as Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, Nicole Richie, Fergie, and a number of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities, Rory Beca is definitely on the fashion radar. More »

Well, my fellow guys and gals, you had to see this one coming – a “Sex and the City” (hereinafter SATC) movie review from your very own Beauty Chatter who trampled through a crowd of determined fans to see the premiere on opening day.

Standing amongst the crowd of SATC die-hards (as well as some men forcefully brought to the event by their ladies), I couldn’t help but mentally describe the event as the female’s version of the Super Bowl, minus the hot wings and a cold brew, plus Cosmopolitans and Fendi bags. It was quite a sight to see – hundreds of diverse women, all partaking in a pseudo-historic event in honor of the powerful, sexy woman. As an SATC follower myself, not attending the premiere would’ve been an exercise of futility.

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The Kardashian sisters: You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I, personally, think they’re great. But then again, I am addicted to Reality TV. For me, watching “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” on E! is a guilty pleasure that I embrace.

If you know who middle sister Kim is, then you are probably aware of her well-endowed backside. It has been debated if her bottom is natural, or if she had it enlarged with butt augmentation. After watching a recent episode entitled “Kim’s Calendar for Reggie,” I am leaning toward the conclusion that her rear is real.

In this installment of the show, we see Kim go in for cellulite treatment to tighten up the area around her buttocks, thighs, and stomach. Maybe it’s just me, but if I were worried about having a slender figure, there is no way I would want to make my bottom half larger with cosmetic enhancements. More »

Okay, what I’m about to tell you may be shocking so don’t get crazy…I’m not a Sex and the City fan. Before you jump to conclusions and assume that I’m out of my mind, let me explain. It’s not that I dislike the show and am dreading the movie premiere, it’s just that I never got into it. So, you can categorize me as a girl who doesn’t know what she’s missin’.

Despite the fact that I know little to nothing about the characters, I do know that their fashion is superb, despite the sometimes out-there outfits. The few clips that I have seen of the pop culture phenom (television and movie) reflect the couture styles that most women only dream of draping themselves in. However, the clothes may be more easily attained than you think.

Take, for example, this Maggy London Printed Silk Dress. Miranda is pictured in it above, and you can purchase it for $150 on Dillards.com. So maybe the wardrobes of the Sex and the City starlets aren’t outrageously priced. More »

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 »

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 »

I work for a buzzing plastic surgery marketing company. I move non-stop, all day. I spend most of my day going through countless photos of breast augmentations, and tummy tucks. I also run the customer service department. I wish I could say I stayed firmly planted in my seat, but I don’t. I run from meeting to meeting, department to department. In doing this, I tend to lose lots of pens, my keys, and occasionally my glasses.

After sending many “Anyone find my glasses?” in mass e-mails to the entire office, I figured I had to do something, and fortunately I came across La Loop. What a great find this was! La Loop is a concept that came about from Debbie Zoullad and Elizabeth Faraut. They had envisioned “a high-end, piece of jewelry with a purpose.” Following this inspiration they came up with an idea, one which has patented hinges that use a 360-degree swivel technology. This patented technology ensures that your glasses stay in one place. More »

While I browsed through my weekly Avon catalog (yes, I am addicted to catalog shopping), I came across this simple, yet cute, bracelet. As I continued to read about it, I became more interested as to what this little bracelet stood for, Woman’s Empowerment, and helping improve the lives of women across the world.

“As honorary chair of the Avon Foundation, I’m very excited to introduce Avon’s first global charity product designed to save and improve women’s lives worldwide. Purchase the Women’s Empowerment Bracelet for yourself and your friends. It’s a symbol of unity that represents a future without limitations for all women. Show your support; show your solidarity, show off your bracelet.”- Reese Witherspoon: National spokes woman for Avon More »