Now as most of you have come to know, I am obsessive with my feet. Pedicures, Blister Block, reflexology, Yoga Toes – you name it, I do it! I am super aware of my feet and how they feel. However, I am new to wearing so-called “cute shoes.”

I used to wear the cloggy, unattractive-yet-comfy shoe. It was safe, and I knew my feet would be happy all day. Well enter my friend, co-worker, and personal shopper, Elana.

She introduced me to a whole new world!

…But along with wearing cute peep toe heels, my feet grew unhappy! They were constantly sore and cramped. So wanting to keep up with my newfound cuteness, I started to do some research on shoe accessories. I came upon Foot Petals (as a suggested product to look into from Elana). More »

Once you get a taste of “BITTEN Sarah Jessica Parker,” you will want to go back for seconds! Among the celebrity clothing lines that are popping up throughout affordable retails stores (such as Vera Wang at Kohl’s, Isaac Mizrahi at Target, and Roberto Cavalli’s new collection at H&M), BITTEN proves to be a bit different. Pricing on all items fit into the range of $19.98 or less!

Featured at Steve & Barry’s chains throughout the U.S., the goal of this wonderful retail store and Sarah Jessica Parker, the celebrity designer, is to give customers the ability to purchase fashionable clothing, minus a large price tag. Parker’s catchphrase says it all, “Fashion is not a luxury, it’s a right.” Agreed!

Previously a shop for men’s casual clothes, Steve & Barry’s first real launch into women’s clothing is with BITTEN. Other famous females who have recently followed Parker’s lead and joined the Steve & Barry’s team include Amanda Bynes with her line “Dear” and Venus Williams with “EleVen.”

Aside from the amazing prices, Parker has taken into account that not all women are the same size, tailoring the clothing to fit differing body types. BITTEN features sizes XS-XXL in tops, bottoms ranging from 0-22, and sizes 5-11 in shoes. Infusing her personal style into her line, this star has developed a multitude of pieces, some of which include outerwear, sweaters, suit separates, jeans, lingerie, bags, accessories, footwear, and much more.

My co-worker and fellow Beauty Chat gal, Andrea (“Dre”), is the resident Steve & Barry’s expert here in the office. Dre has visited the store and purchased some hot trends from a few of their lines. Here’s what she had to say about her BITTEN jeans and Dear t-shirt: “The jeans are comfortable and great for casual wear, or you can dress them up for a night out.  The tee is comfortable as well and goes great with the jeans.  I would definitely recommend both clothing lines!”

 Sarah Jessica Parker is a busy woman these days! With her perfumes “Covet” and “Lovely,” a “Sex in The City” reunion, this clothing line, and her recent appearance on “Project Runway” a few weeks ago, she seems to be dabbling in a bit of everything. And lucky for us, we can all enjoy these endeavors. To shop for her wallet-friendly, deliciously attractive line, check for Steve & Barry’s locations, and get BITTEN!

Check out this recent YouTube video featuring her line:

[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=QZ1hWLTQtMQ[/video]

P.S.…You can still purchase the dress/vest duo designed by Project Runway’s Victorya, I just saw it at my local Steve & Barry’s last weekend — the Ontario Mills in the Inland Empire. The pieces look adorable worn together or separately!

~ Leeann 

I apologize for the absence of my Project Runway summaries, I just recently returned from my trip to the wonderful Riviera Maya (look for my blog about it later this week!). Now I’m back in full force, and here’s the scoop on Episodes 3, 4, and 5:

                                                (Tiki Barber)

Episode 3 featured semi-recently retired New York Giants football player Tiki Barber as the guest judge. Now a correspondent for NBC, he is asking the Project Runway contestants to design menswear that is appropriate for his position as a television reporter.

A difficult task for the designers, since they are far more accustomed to dressing women, many struggle to produce a runway-worthy style. In fact, Carmen couldn’t even finish her design — sending her model in front of the judges without a shirt. This, inevitably led to her dismissal from the show. On the other hand, Jack did very well, designing a pinstriped outfit that Tiki selected as his favorite.

The following week (Episode 4) the designers were given a “blast from the past,” and instructed to revamp a style from a previous decade. After each of the cast mates selected an outfit that they felt they could modernize, they were then told to split off into groups of three. These partnerships were to make a cohesive collection using the three of their styles.

Well, the group containing Ricky and Victoryia was anything but cohesive, ultimately leading to Ricky’s spot in the bottom two, alongside Chris. Neither of their designs were too impressive, but the judges felt that Chris’s was the worst of the two and sent him packing. Ricky is safe for another week (this wasn’t his first time on the chopping block). The winner was Jillian, who updated overalls in a sassy way.

                     (Chris gets sent home…but is it for good?)

Finally, on to Episode 5, originally airing on Wednesday, December 12. The models last week were women who have lost significant amounts of weight, and their old clothing were the basis of the designs. Using their favorite outfits from the past, the designers were challenged to transform the over-sized items into better-fitting, stylish pieces.

Just when the episode is about to get good, things change…for the worse. Jack, the fun-loving, drama-free designer who won top design on Episode 3 is forced to remove himself from the competition. An infection of the face proves to be dangerous (he is HIV positive). In order to get well, he must leave the show to receive medical attention.

This was definitely an emotional time for all; Jack, the other designers, and the viewers. Since there was a model without someone to create clothing for them, Chris is asked to join the show again and given a second chance.

The biggest design difficulty this episode was felt by Steve. He was to transform a wedding dress into something that his model could wear day to day. Despite receiving help from Kevin and Victorya, it wasn’t enough to keep him around. While we said goodbye to Steve, it was a big congratulations to Christian (the fan favorite of the season).

So, now that we’re all caught up, how does everyone feel about the season?

I know that my co-workers have definitely been enjoying the episodes thus far. Here is a little bit of what they had to say during a Project Runway e-mail conversation in the office…

Chuck: “I was so crying when Jack had to leave. Ohh but I heard a juicy rumor about Jack !!!!!! I read an outzonetv.com interview with Jack and it seems that he is kind of dating Dale from another Bravo show – Top Chef. Juicy huh?

Jacquie: “Jack was one of the best!!! I was so sad he left.”

Chuck: “I love Christian, he is so talented, and I loved his last outfit. I would so buy that for one of my sisters right now.”

Join in on the conversation — I appreciate the opinions of all of my readers!

~ Leeann

Photo Credits: http://www.bravotv.com

Every day, I connect to Fashion Frenzy – a fashion-driven blog that profiles our favorite stylish celebrities, the latest industry juice (such as the recent “fat” comment Janice Dickinson made regarding Tyra Banks…can you believe that? Was she really joking?), and magazine cover models to discuss.

So of course I contacted Nikki Maria, my now new friend and founder of Fashion Frenzy. She, in turn, is also one of Beauty Chat’s most loyal readers. Nikki Maria is totally in tune with the concept of loving your image by feeling good, and looking good. And of course, we are totally in tune with what she has to say!

Elana: So tell me how you started writing blogs for Honey Magazine…

Nikki: As a freelance writer, marketing yourself is a must. So one day I decided to submit one of my articles to various publications; Honey was one of the magazines I submitted to. I wasn’t expecting to get a response from anyone, but [I was] hoping to create a buzz that would circulate my name throughout the magazine industry. The same day I submitted the article to Honey, someone contacted me with an even better opportunity … I was asked to be the blogger for my hometown Boston, Massachusetts. So exciting! Honey magazine stands for everything that I believe in – sisterhood, culture, fashion, beauty, and success. It’s a great feeling to have been offered such a wonderful opportunity, and the exposure has been fantastic.
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E: As a writer and editor myself, it can get challenging to equally balance all of my projects!  So how do you allocate your time for each of your editorial responsibilities?

N: Juggling writing and editorial projects can be challenging, especially for freelancers with a day time job (ME!). Honestly, I can’t live without the “task” feature in Microsoft Outlook. Without receiving the alarming alerts that a project is coming due, I’m nothing! But overall, I would have to say that I’m super organized about making sure that I set aside enough time to work on a project. However, I do find myself working on stuff at the last minute. You know … life simply gets in the way. But I love what I do, so locking up in the bedroom with my laptop to get work completed for my clients (on time), is not asking for much. Pressure is a good challenge sometimes—and I stress the sometimes!   

E: Speaking of projects, tell me about Fashion Frenzy, your newest blogging venture?

N: I’m so glad that you asked. Fashion Frenzy is going really well. Coming up with fashion-related content for the site is so much fun. In a nutshell, the mission of Fashion Frenzy is to keep a close eye on haute trends, fabulous wear, designer labels, and inspirational style. Additionally, Fashion Frenzy is giving its readers the resources to determine and embrace [their] own personal style. I wanted to create a space to give information that everyone can benefit from—not just the size 0s to 2s, but the size 10s and up as well. Fashion Frenzy has a solid mission to inspire and embrace.

E: Thus far, what would you say about the success of Fashion Frenzy?

N: The response has been great. The readership is increasing everyday. The last time I checked the stats, I saw over 50 visitors to the site in just one day! As you can imagine, I’m totally happy about this because the site only launched about a month ago. But I’m not the only creative mind behind Fashion Frenzy – the readers e-mail me great ideas and leads for new blogs all the time. I also have a few teenagers that I recently brought on board to keep my content ideas fresh and fabulous for the younger population. 

E: If you could snap your fingers and make it happen, which celebrity would you love to spend all day shopping with?

N: Gosh, that’s a tough one because I would love to shop with so many people. But if I had to choose, it would be Tyra Banks. I just love her waste-cinching techniques. Tyra’s overall look is so sophisticated and exudes confidence. But … if I could snap my fingers a second time, me and Reese Witherspoon would get our fashion frenzy on. Reese’s curvy dresses, solid colors, and fabulous handbags always have her looking absolutely stunning.

E: If you didn’t write and love what you do, what other type of career would you consider?

N: What a fun question, Elana! Let’s see … I think I’d be one of those detectives on CSI. The whole crime lab thing fascinates me. *Laughing*

E: In closing, what would you like to share with Beauty Chat readers and your Fashion Frenzy fans?

N: I absolutely heart Beauty Chat, the level of professionalism and positive approach is refreshing. Lastly, I have to thank all of my readers for the amazing support with Fashion Frenzy—you rock! Keep sending your ideas, feedback, and bundles of love.

 ~ Elana

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Nikki

My self-professed love for H&M has become much stronger after they announced that they are having a friends and family sale, and making it open to the public!

All you have to do is register for a 25% off coupon that you can print out and take in to any of their U.S. stores Friday, December 7 through Sunday, December 9. And that 25% coupon is good for your entire purchase, not just one item!

Don’t forget: the Roberto Cavalli collection is currently available at various locations. Hello?! Reduced savings on already budget-friendly designer clothing? It doesn’t get much better than this!

Please do some shopping for me. Unfortunately (and not so unfortunately), I will be vacationing in Riviera Maya, Mexico and Atlanta, Georgia during the sale. 

I guess sandy beaches and historical monuments are good runners-up to this incredible H&M discount…but only barely!  

~ Leeann                    

Photo Credits: www.myspace.com/hm and www.iberostar.com

…Stephanie Gruelle of Steph’s Beauty Buzz! You may remember the recent interview I had with one of our fave cosmetic experts regarding fashion, makeup products, and a few new rules on what to keep in a mini-clutch!

As for the amazing gift exclusive that Denice (our foot rejuvenation connoisseur) arranged, the Beauty Chat crew chose Steph’s answer due to the great insight and tips she provided. (By the way, check out Steph’s collection of cosmetics…WOW.)

In response to this question:

“How do you keep your feet stylin’ and comfy at the same time?

Steph said:

“I admit, so many of the shoes I love are less than kind to feet. But rather than give up fashionable shoes, I’ve learned to pamper my feet in gratitude for the abuse I put them through. Regular pedicures are a must, and I always make sure to include a callus treatment to repair any damage I may have done. The pedicures are also a must for keeping those pesky ingrown toenails at bay. I also make sure to use an extra rich lotion on my footsies nightly.

Right now I’m loving “Breathe At Night – Intense Hydration Body Cream,” available at Bath and Body Works. Last but not least, I always use Band-Aid’s Blister Block to keep my feet from blistering, especially when wearing a great pointy toe shoe. I think in the end its a fair trade off: my feet look great, and with a little extra work they can still feel great too.”

Our Top 3 runner-ups were:

Terri D.: “I get by with a little help from my friends. Good shoes, good scrubbers and good doctors, my friends don’t let me down. Now with Yogatoes, I’ll need less friends around!”

Beth: “Since I am on my feet all day, I have to wear comfortable shoes. In the classroom, I wear my chic comfy Avon slippers with sequins. I save my ‘big girl’ shoes for when I have to leave the room and look professional. I’m a big fan of Clark mules. I have both black and brown suede.”

Gabi: “This is a perfect question for me as my first contest entry. I am a dancer and didn’t really start dancing until I was older. I never had the usual ballet as a girl. I am going to start ballet soon. I dance NIA, Modern, belly and African. Keeping my feet beautiful has sort of become an obsession for me. I’m a bit prone to obsessions anyway. I absolutely have to have my toes perfect. I have a pedi once a week and sometimes still touch them up.

Your question also touches on another obsession of mine and that is my shoe collection. I have over 50 pair of shoes and probably only 3 pair of flats. Since my toes are such an obsession I wear open toes whenever possible.This time of year that is more difficult however so this is my boot season. 15 pair of those in addition to my shoes. I also take yoga once a week by the way.”

Thanks you for entering Denice’s fabulous gift giveaway (she worked hard to bring you such refreshing products!) We gotta say that it was such a pleasure reading the responses to this question, and although the contest has ended, please feel free to respond with your own thoughts!

~ Elana

Product Images: www.spongeables.com and a PlasticSurgery.com photo of Denice wearing YogaToes from our very own Kevin!

Due to the skipped post last week (sorry Thanksgiving  threw me off), I was looking forward to presenting you with a double dosage of Project Runway. But, um, I sort of fell asleep. So here is a look back at episode 2.

First off, can I retract my previous statement that Marion was going all the way?! Uh, yeah…got that one way wrong. Maybe by me dubbing him as a finalist this season I jinxed him, because Marion is no longer with us. Oops!

So why was he cut? Well, his design wasn’t exactly attractive. The assignment was to create a 2-piece outfit for Sarah Jessica Parker’s BITTEN clothing line (found in Steve and Barry’s stores nationwide). One of the designers, Chris, was ecstatic, crying at the sight of the starlette. He revealed to viewers that he actually moved to New York City because of “Sex in the City.” Although many may have thought that Chris was being over-dramatic, I thought it was cool that he was able to meet his idol.

 After pitching their ideas to Parker, she decided upon her favorites and those were the pieces that were created. Paired up in two’s, with the winners picking their partners, teamwork seemed to be abundant. The only team that was in real danger of clashing was Sweet P and Elisa. Despite some amazement with the spitting (yeah, Elisa spits on her garments to measure them!), the two cranked out a design that the judges really ate up this week. Heidi, however; didn’t appreciate the spitting too much either.

 Victorya’s design was selected as the winner, executed perfectly by her and last week’s winner Kevin. The outfit was definitely the best, kudos to the judges’ decision. The dress and vest is to be produced under the BITTEN line and is currently being sold at Steve & Barry’s stores nationwide.

I look forward to watching episode 3, which I’ll probably catch a rerun of tonight. Because I am going on a two week vacation, look for my thoughts on the following episodes lumped in with the sixth show recap when I get back.

Seems like I’m going to be gone forever, but I promise…I’ll be back with a Project Runway vengeance!

~ Leeann

I often reminisce about the glory days of magazines like Sassy and Jane. And while I’m a little older than that demographic now, I still like the idea of a niche magazine founded by a female entrepreneur who has fought to put her message on the market – something that reads in the same friendly, unpretentious tone.  Hence, my search led me to Eliza, a quarterly publication that promotes maintaining a balance of sexiness and modesty in fashion.  As a mommy of two girls, the premise is right up my alley.

Ironically, when I spoke with Eliza founder/editor-in-chief Summer Bellessa, I learned that she was inspired to launch her own magazine by her friends who have young children.  They noticed that their little ones were always attracted to the bright pictures in Mom’s fashion magazines – but they were the wrong kinds of pictures.  “They had to throw away the magazines they loved because of nudity and explicit content,” she says.  This led Summer (who’s also a model), along with girlfriends Kelly McCann and Michelle Budge to “start a magazine with high fashion, great photography, and interesting, positive articles.”
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So, is it mission accomplished?  To start, the amazing photo spreads showcase perfect marriages of chic yet demure fashion – proof that there is something to be said for keeping it classy and covered.  Also, regular installments such as “Smart Art” and “Saving the World One Issue at a Time” are perfect for the Thinking Woman who would rather not leave a cover that screams “50 Ways to Drive Him Wild!” out on the coffee table.  The unexpected treat, however, was finding that many of the clothes featured (I promise, you never knew modesty could look this hot) are reasonably priced.  Case in point: I actually OWN the top that’s on the Fall cover!  Can you say that about your favorite mag?

Don’t let the mom factor freak you out – Eliza is for modest women at all stages.  In fact, Summer and co. were recently asked to participate in L.A. Fashion Week!  Eliza is available at some newsstands and high-end boutiques in select regions, but your best bet in getting a hold of your own copy is by subscription.

~ Brook

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Summer!

Ever heard of Spongeables Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer and YogaToes? 

If you have, you know how fabulous they both are! If you haven’t, then now is the perfect time to enter a contest to win this duo gift package… for FREE!!

All you have to do is answer this question:

“How do you keep your feet stylin’ and comfy at the same time?”

THAT’S IT!!!!! We (the Beauty Chat team) will pick our favorite answer. Contest runs through November 30th, and you must enter through our homepage. (Just look to the right for the picture of the black Carlos Santana heels!)

Good luck friends! 

~ Denice

As I was looking through my latest edition of US Weekly, I noticed an advertisement for “YogaToes ®”  At first glance these appear WEIRD!! They are oddly-shaped jelly toe separators that are meant to give your feet (and toes) a workout!  Well, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to try them.

According to YogaPros.com, YogaToes ® Toes Stretchers work while you relax. They stretch, strengthen, and align foot muscles. This increases circulation, can straighten bent toes, and even realign the bones. YogaToes seem  truly revolutionary. They relieve foot pain while improving strength, flexibility and appearance. Plus, they are said to tackle problems at their source, keeping your feet healthy, naturally.

So I ordered my YogaToes and waited for them to arrive.  I made sure that I had been wearing my peep toe heels and pointed toe shoes leading up to the arrival of my YogaToes. I was preparing my feet for their much needed workout!  Not that it was hard to prepare my feet; I am always looking for “the next best thing” to pamper my feet with.

I received the YogaToes on a Tuesday and was ecstatic to try them when I got home. I read the directions and put them on.  OUCH! It hurt at first, but as soon as they were on, and I relaxed on the couch, they felt much better.  I left them on for about 10 minutes; they began to become a bit uncomfortable.  The directions stated that it may take time to work up to having them on…I would say so!

I tried them for the next few days and they became more comfortable with each wear. I do not have MAJOR foot problems, so I did not notice any real problem fixes just that my feet were, I guess you could say…happier!

One thing that the packaging stated was to try the YogaToes hot or cold. I have yet to do that, but Beauty Chat’s Leeann did, and she preferred hers warm and toasty.

Needless to say, YogaToes will make a great holiday gift for the winter season! Amidst your shopping, however, I’d suggest ordering your own fabulous pair.

~ Denice

Photo Credit: My feet! (photographed by one of PlasticSurgery.com’s awesome designers – Kevin.)