Events in Boston: Nanette Lepore & PopSugar!

(Photo Via PopSugar)

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of joining designer Nanette Lepore and PopSugar for a celebration of her SS 13 collection benefiting The One Fund at her charming Newbury St boutique!

Nanette was one of the first designers I was actually aware of growing up in the suburbs so it was exciting to actually meet her. Nanette's clothes are very distinct to me; I always recognize her feminine, colorful pieces right away.

I was lucky enough to speak to Nanette for a few minutes (in between bites of delicious macaroons and sips of sparkling lemonade) and ask her a couple of quick questions!

(Interviewing Nanette Lepore!!)

Bostonista:
You clothing is always very distinct. How do you balance that signature feminine look while keeping things fresh every season?

Nanette Lepore:
Well, that's a really hard question! It's my challenge!
I always really want every one to look very modern but have that femininity.
I try to cross that line to make things sharp and crisp but still be really feminine.
You start off trying to feel like capturing the essence of the moment and putting your own spin on it.

Bostonista:
When you begin designing a collection do you have a specific woman in mind?

Nanette Lepore:
What I do is I work a lot from what I need. What I feel like I'm missing or what I'm looking for in the stores that I didn't make or what silhouette that feels really fresh. I put on something and it feels like, "Wow that's really exciting!"
So I do a lot of trying on clothes; There are always heaps of clothes on my floor. I do a lot of vintage shopping and I just design what I like!

(The BBF Scorpion/Disco and I at Nanette Lepore courtesy of Lux & Concord)

Even if you weren't at the event you can still donate to The One Fund online.
The One Fund, created by Mayor Menino and Gov. Patrick, benefits victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Be Styled: A Blow Dry Lounge

(Be Styled's Grand Opening Fete!)

Today, I was lucky enough to check out Boston's latest blow out lounge, Be Styled.
I was in Florida during their grand opening so I was excited to be invited to see the brand-spanking-new salon today!

Up until now the lounges have only been in Boston proper, mostly in a cluster on Newbury St. making most of them a bit of a trek to get to.

If you're a little further out, you'll be happy to hear that Be Styled is located in the lovely new/re-built The Street at Chestnut Hill. Suburbanites will be happy to hear that locations in Wellesley and Lynnfield will be opening up this summer.


At Chestnut Hill the space is light filled, with white marble counter tops and a clean, sophisticated feel.
I love that their motto is elegantly displayed on the wall!

Be Styled offers a selection of signature blow out styles or you can have fun testing out the latest look with their "Be Trendy" option which changes monthly.

I decided to go for a mix of the "Be Sleek" and "Be Soft" offers (signature styles are all $35) and my stylist, Teresa nailed it.

First, of course, was the shampoo. The sink area is super darling with adjustable chairs and sinks so you can actually be comfortable and not strain your neck.
Teresa recommended a deep conditioning treatment (my ends are always fried) and gave an awesome mini scalp massage while applying it. The treatment is an additional $15 but if you color your hair as often as I do its definitely worth the splurge.

(A busy day at the bar!)

Next, its off to the luxurious bar where, while you get your hair done, the Be Styled girls walk up and down offering treats, drinks (sparkling lemonade, tea, coffee, champagne) and iPads to keep you entertained. Two built in TVs play fun, girlie movies with captions (blow drying is loud after all) and I have to admit I got sucked into 13 Going On 30!

The only thing that gave me pause was the use of a drug store brand for styling products.
To me, they don't really fit with the whole "luxurious experience" that they seem to be going for.
EDIT: I'm told that BeStyled exclusively uses L'Oreal Professional products as owner Nick Penna has a longterm, exclusive partnership with them.  SalonCapri, Penna's other salon, is recognized as one of L'Oreal's Black Elite partners.


(Yummy treats!)

(Unfortunately, it's also prom night so the salon was super busy with teenage girls.
It was sort of flattering to be asked, "Are you going to prom too?")

So how did my hair turn out?

(Please ignore my makeup free face...It definitely explains why she thought I was 17! My bunny phone case probably didn't help either.)

I loved it! I was flipping my hair around for the rest of the day. I'm definitely planning on making Be Styled a regular on my blowout roster! 

Thank you to everyone at Be Styled for having me!

What I'm wearing: Cleo Black Tank Top C/O Joe's Jeans, Millau Cropped Denim Jacket, MADE for Impulse Printed Skirt C/O Macy's (Available Soon!), super old Jeffrey Campbell ballet flats; I wish I had these instead!

(Photos courtesy of BeStyled)

Bostonista's Best Dressed: Costume Institute/MET Gala 2013

(Sid Vicious)

This year's Costume Institute exhibit at the MET is a celebration of the punk subculture.

PUNK: Chaos to Couture is running now through August 14th at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

As is tradition, Vogue celebrated the launch of the exhibit with it's annual gala where fashion's stars shine (or disappoint) and celebrities pose like their lives depend on it. It's like the Oscar's of the fashion world and my most anticipated red carpet every year. 

Now, the Anna Wintour approved invite always suggests that guests dress to the theme. So, I was expecting some vintage Vivian Westwood, Comme des Garcons and a lot of Sid & Nancy references.
Of course you have to roll your eyes a bit at the establishment celebrating the anti-establishment movement. After all, whats more mainstream and easy to swallow than a museum exhibit and Vogue magazine?

Unfortunately, most red carpet regulars are more worried about US Weekly slamming their fashion then they are willing to take risks. 

It wouldn't make sense for someone like, Taylor Swift, to turn up completely punk. It would be a costume. But I was hoping that more people would take the time to fuse their own personal style with a punk twist. 

I'll stop rambling and move on to the Best of the Best.

In no particular order I loved...

Sienna Miller in Burberry

Now, a lot of people are saying she went way too overboard with the spikes but I think she did an excellent job of staying true to her own personal style while having fun with theme. Plus, her manicure was just to die for!

Another woman who knows her own style is Voguette Taylor Tomasi Hill (She's also one of the creative directors at Moda Operandi). She chose a Thom Browne New York ball gown with a twist.

Zippers, spikes and a train? That's my kind of punk.

And, just for her new bleached hair and this super sexy dress, I have to go with Anne Hathaway in Valentino. 

This look was just so unexpected and shocking coming from her. 

No one had any hint that she'd done her hair and I don't think anyone would have pictured her looking this sexy on a red carpet. Sometimes doing something completely different is the most punk rock thing of all.

 

(Images via The Fashion Spot, Vogue, and Instagram)

Events in Boston: Girls Night Out/ONE FUND

A Model Moment: Anja in Paris

Just because.

(via Shit Models Say)

Bostonista Beauty: Mitchell John Salon

(Mitch DeRosa owner of Mitchell John Salon)

With everything that has been going on, I've been hesitant about posting. 

But, I'm Boston Strong and we need to go forward. Especially as I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone who has been so amazing to me!

On that note, I have to tell you about the great experience I had at Mitchell John Salon two weeks ago. 

My roots were crazy and my ends were fried so when Jacquilyn invited me into the salon for an appointment with their hair color specialist, Meghan, I couldn't get the Financial District fast enough!

(My hair before my visit. Look at those roots!)

Opened twenty years ago by owner Mitch DeRosa, the salon is a bit of an institution in downtown Boston. But don't assume that it's stuffy; the salon and it's stylists are on the edge of the latest trends and techniques so you leave the salon looking thoroughly modern and like your best self. Mitch is also one of the founding partners of cult favorite line, Living Proof, so it's a great place to test out the line (recently invested in by Jennifer Aniston) and see what will work best for your hair. 

(Inside Mitchell John Salon)

I'm always a little nervous before going to a new salon; What if the vibe is completely wrong? What if the stylist doesn't get what I want? What if they try to convince me I want something else?

My fears were calmed as soon as I walked in. It's a sophisticated, open space but everyone is so friendly (oddly, not always the case when it comes to salon receptionists) and laid back that I was immediately comfortable. I slipped into a robe, was given a warm cup of tea and sat down to discuss my "look" with Meghan.

I had a picture of Kate Upton to try to explain the color I'm always chasing after: cool, almost white but with depth. I knew I needed a toner to get the gold out (I'm somehow always being talked into settling for a warmer blond by stylists...) and my roots needed to be covered. Meghan wasn't stumped. She knew exactly what to do: cover roots first (Mitchell John Salon uses both Goldwell and Wella for color. We went with the lightest available Wella shade) then highlights followed by a toner/gloss treatment. 

It's quite a process!

The Wella color is fabulous, it doesn't burn the way a lot of color does. It also lifts and dyes so it needs to process for an hour. But the chairs are comfortable, I had my tea, and a stack of magazines. But I was relieved when Meghan's assistant brought me over to the sink. The first shampoo including an amazing scalp and neck massage so I was crazy relaxed as Meghan started my highlights.

Rather than foil, stylists here "paint" highlights freehand. It gives them a lot more creative control and allows them to layer, add, build and move highlights in a way that fits the client best. I have to say, this is the first time I've really appreciated the importance of a good highlight! It really helped to achieve the overall look that I wanted.

After all that (I think we were going on two and a half hours at this point...) I still needed to be toned! The treatment helped add softness and shine to my hair while also getting rid of any gold and keeping my hair pale.  Then, of course, I needed a blowout.

(Annnd after! Glossy, blond waves are so much better than frizz!)

So, a mere four hours after arriving, I emerged with bouncy, smooth, super blond, Kate Upton hair. I've never felt prettier. I was whistled at multiple times on my way home. And, thanks to Living Proof's Prime, it stayed that way until I washed it a full seven days later. Seriously. It didn't even feel greasy but I knew I needed to break the spell at some point! Worth the time investment? Most definitely! Besides, I usually spend at least three hours at a salon without the results that I want. 

If you're looking for a new salon (or even if you're not...) I can't recommend Mitchell John more. My only complaint is the location since I'm never down that way but I think I can handle a longer walk from the T in exchange for such glorious hair! 

Interested? Mitch has been super generous by offering an exclusive discount to Bostonista readers! Just mention The Bostonista for 25% off your first visit. 

(These services were provided complimentary in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own. Believe me, if I had a bad experience I'd tell you!)

Boston, You're My Home

On Monday, April 15th 2013, at 2:50 PM, two bombs went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killing three and seriously wounding countless more.

I actually had a lot planned for my blog this week and I've started a bunch of posts. It just feels inappropriate and disrespectful to talk about hair and fashion and shopping when my beloved city is in such a state of shock and mourning. I'm certainly still on edge.

If there is one thing I know about Boston and Bostonians it's that we're a city of incredibly strong, compassionate and good people. Everyone keeps saying that whoever did this picked the wrong city, and even though it's a bit of cliche at this point, they did.

We're a city of fighters and, while life goes on, we will not forget.
Boston has been forever changed but we'll rise from this stronger and closer than ever.

My heart and prayers are with all the victims, their families and the amazing first responders.

How You Can Help:
Donate to The One Fund
Mayor Menino and Gov. Patrick launched this to specifically aid all victims of this tragedy.

Donate to The Richard Family
8-year-old Martin Richard was killed by the blast. Both his mother and younger sister are seriously injured and remain hospitalized.

Make an appointment to donate blood via The Red Cross.

(Thank you to The Boston Globe & Bill Greene for the photo!)

Fashion Anxiety

(T-Shirt from Skreened)

If you know me offline, you probably know that I'm an anxious person.
Although as I've gotten older, I'm better at controlling and hiding it.
Still, I can't sit in a restaurant for too long, meet someone new, take a long road trip or have too much "excitement" without a panic attack.

It's okay. Seriously.
But it really shouldn't come as a surprise that all this bottled up anxiety also frequently manifests itself in my fashion and style choices.

So when one of my friends suggested I start talking about my "fashion anxiety" on Bostonista, I knew it was a good idea. I mean, other than the fact that sharing my style insecurities with the world makes me a little anxious, it's totally an excellent idea.

Today, my fashion anxiety is about a lack of clothing.
Okay, obviously, I have a lot of clothing. It's just that I never seem to have the clothes I need to create the outfit in my head or it doesn't fit the right way or it just doesn't look the way I think it will.
So then I have to start all over.

The crazy thing, is that I'm really great at dressing other people and styling for shoots. (Of course, it's easy to style when you can pull literally anything and put it on a size 2 model.) It's just that when it comes to styling my own closet  I over think things and end up choosing something boring.

For example, last summer Kate Middleton (I know, I know but just stick with me here) wore a red blazer to the London Olympics. What could possibly be so difficult about a boring old red blazer?

Looking at this outfit now, I have no idea why I latched onto it because it's not that great. It's as conventional as you can get. But whatever...I was on the hunt for a red blazer.

Kate's was from Zara but it was sold out by the time I hunted it down so I guess I wasn't the only girl who loved it. Anyway, after a relentless search I settled on one from Nasty Gal.

It did not look like this one me. It certainly didn't look Middleton-y. So I brought it to be tailored and now...well, it looks better but not great. I think it's the fabric that gets to me.

 I wore it to a panel I sat on at Bentley a few weeks back and grew increasingly uncomfortable. All I could think was "These college girls are probably looking at me and thinking, "SHE'S the Bostonista?! How disappointing. I'm not taking style advice from HER!"

I was so preoccupied with what I SHOULD have worn that I sounded like a complete idiot when answering questions. 

I'm hoping that if I start writing a little bit more about my own outfits and maybe eventually posting some personal style shots that I'll start to get a bit more confident in my own fashion choices. Has fashion blogging (either as a blogger or a reader) made you more daring when it comes to your style?

And The Winner Is....

And the winner of my giveaway with the fab new brand Jaleh is...

Colleen!

I love that she pinned Jaleh's draped back blazer with bright color from a salmon tank and a large, citron necklace. But my favorite part was her liquid glitter eyeliner! 

Quite the bold choice!

As a thank you to everyone who entered, Jaleh has extended an exclusive 20% off for Bostonista readers!

Just enter code "bostonista" at checkout. The code is good until April 15th! 

Congratulations to Colleen! 

Boston Ballet's Sleeping Beauty

(Princess Aurora and her court)

 Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of the Boston Ballet's Sleeping Beauty. If you don't normally go to the ballet or only go to The Nutcracker every few years you might ignore this post. But don't! 

I'm a bit biased. Sleeping Beauty happens to be my favorite fairy tale (Aurora is obviously far superior to Cinderella...) and I'd been dying to see the show after seeing the ads plastered around the city for weeks. So when the Boston Ballet reached out and invited me to opening night I practically squealed with excitement! 

Sleeping Beauty is pretty much everything I think a ballet should be: It's visually stunning, the music is mesmerizing and the 384 costumes are exquisite. 

I want to be swept away into a fantastical and beautiful spectacle and the BB certainly delivers here!

(The Lilac Fairy bestows a gift on baby Aurora)

As always, the skill and athleticism of these dancers left me breathless. Especially Misa Kuranaga who danced the part of Princess Aurora (AKA Sleeping Beauty) on opening night. 

Her take on "Rose Adagio", considered one of the most technically difficult and exhausting sequences ever in classical ballet, was graceful, powerful and seemingly effortless. 

The story is a little different then you might remember it (very different from the Disney version) and the show runs a bit long but once the curtain rises it's easy to fall into the storytelling. The four year old princess sitting next to me was as mesmerized as I was for the entire show though we both agreed that the candy during intermission was very helpful too!

(Prince Desire leads his men through the woods...)

Boston Ballet's Sleeping Beauty is only running through April 7th so if you haven't seen it yet please go this week! 

(Thank you so much to the Boston Ballet for welcoming me to opening night and for providing the images seen here!)

Don't forget to enter my contest to win a $100 at Jaleh before Monday April 8th!

Bostonista Giveaways: Jaleh Gift Card!

To celebrate the fact that Spring is finally upon us, I've teamed up with recently launched Jaleh to give one of you lucky girls $100 gift card towards your spring wardrobe! 

I've put together a Pinterest board showing how I would style my favorite Jaleh leggings this Spring! 

To win the $100 Jaleh giftcard:

1. Follow The Bostonista and Jaleh on Pinterest

2. Create a board around your favorite Jaleh piece! I want to see how YOU would style it! 

3. Leave a comment here with the link to your board and email address!

I'll be choosing my favorite look on Monday, April 8th and announcing the winner here! 

Good luck! 

Bostonista Beauty: BirchBox

I'm sure by now you've all heard of BIRCHBOX,  the beauty sample subscription that women and bloggers love.

I had a disappointing experience when I ordered my first BirchBox a year ago but when they offered me a preview of this month's box featuring a gift from Madewell I thought it'd be worth a second chance.

This month they featured three samples of Caldrea's body lotions, a printed emery board from Madewell (plus $25 off $75 at Madewell), Nick Chaves Beverly Hills Color Saver Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner, and MAKE's eyeshadow and face primer.

I really liked the Caldrea body lotions. They were light and absorbed quickly. Of the three scents, I liked the Coconut Fig Leaf the best. I realized that one of my favorite regular body lotions also has fig in it so maybe I just have a thing for it.  I'm definitely planning on picking up the full size bottle of Caldrea when I run out of lotion. BirchBox lets you go on their website and shop all your favorite products from past boxes.

The Nick Chavez Color Save shampoo was nice. It has a lemony, medicinal scent and, even though its sulfate-free, it did lather more than I expected. I'll get a few more shampoos out of it but I prefer using a purple one to keep my hair blond. The conditioner sample was pretty small and I used it all in one swoop.

I haven't tried the MAKE face primer yet but I did check out the gray-blue shadow. It's pretty, goes on smooth, and leaves a subtle wash of color that you can build up or leave sheer.

Overall, it was a good box. It introduced me to a product I definitely want (The Coconut Fig Leaf lotion) and it's fun to come home and have a "surprise" waiting for you!
After looking around online though I saw that different subscribers receive different boxes. I'm not sure how they decide who gets a super packed one, or who gets a sparse one but if I were paying for a subscription I think I'd be annoyed that they weren't all the same. I suppose it comes down to what they have available but I think they should find a way to ensure that each box is as similar as possible to the next.

Are you a BirchBox subscriber? What did you think of your box this month?

Bostonista Obsessions: & Other Stories

H&M's latest venture "& Other Stories" is super cool.

It's also not available in the US making it even cooler. 

Every good fashionista loves a hint of exclusivity after all.

The contemporary line (yes, the pieces cost more than your average H&M duds) is designed in two ateliers in Paris and Stockholm where each collection is crafted around fashion "stories".  The ready-to-wear line is complimented by & Other Stories own accessories and in house beauty ranges.

The online store, curated to look like a mash up of your stylish friend's Pinterest and Tumblr pages, includes videos, behind the scenes moments and detailed explanations (occasionally accompanied by the photograph that inspired a piece) about the collection. 

I'm in the mood for spring so the Modern Dandy story, with it's masculine shapes and ditzy florals, really made me deliriously happy. 

Actually, it made me a little depressed because it's about to snow a bunch more so even if I could get my hands on any of these pieces I wouldn't be able to wear them anyway. 

(Striped Sweater £39, Pleated Silk Skirt £45, Rhinestone Pendant Cuff £39, Satchel Bag £45, Lace Up Pumps £89 All by & Other Stories)

(Behind the Scenes styling of the Industrial Evolution story.)

Of course my obsessive love for this new venture does me no good as you can't even register for the site with an American address. 

Considering how long it's taken H&M to not bring online shopping to the US I'm pretty sure my only hope of ever scoring those Lace Up Pumps is to visit the brick and mortar stores in Copenhagen and London. 

One of my friends is headed to the UK for business next month and I'm SO going to send her on a shopping mission! 

In Europe you can shop online or visit & Other Stories in person:

256-258 Regent St, London, United Kingdom

29 Amagertorv, Copenhagen, Denmark

(All photos courtesy of & Other Stories)

A Model Moment: Cara D Covers LOVE

Not to be exactly like everyone else but I love Cara Delevigne! 

LOVE Magazine loves her too!

Alternative Cover: 

I like the top one best.

Bostonista Beauty: Emerald Liner

I'm not usually one to go crazy with my makeup. A bright lip color here and there? Sure.

But for the most part I'm all about a natural look with highlighters, blushes, BB creams and foundation.

So, normally, I steer clear of things like emerald eyeliner. But I also had a lot of Sephora BeautyRewards points to use up on Saturday and the Graphic Lift liquid green eyeliner from the Pantone Universe collab was the only thing that wouldn't hurt my skin.

For 2013 Sephora teamed up with Pantone Universe to create a line of exclusive products in the color of the year: Emerald.
Emerald falls right between true blue and true green on the color spectrum making it flattering for every skin tone and eye color!

Maybe it was the gloomy weather or the thought of putting on boots and a winter jacket but this afternoon I needed a punch of color. What better way to wish for spring to come along then to perk up eyes with some green?

I was aiming for a street friendly version of the lids at Karen Walker's FW 2013 presentation as seen here:

(Photo via Rachel Scroggins/The Greyest Ghost)

Please forgive my XoJane/XoVain style snapshots.

I meant to grab some pictures at the Nordstrom Rack event tonight but forgot and then got rained on so these creepy MacBook shots will have to do!

To get the look I blended neutral colors Insane Jane and Tempting Tara from The Balm's Shady Lady Palette #2. I also tapped Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl illuminator under my brows. Then I carefully traced my lash line with the Graphic Lift Liquid eyeliner, counted to five seconds while it dried and then traced the same line again with a slight cat eye. I always dab Sephora's Pure White eyeliner into the corners of my eyes to make them look bigger. (It also makes you look more awake on a Monday morning!) Then finished off with two coats of Maybelline's Volume Express Falsies Flared mascara!

I really liked that from a distance it was pretty similar to my usual makeup routine but up close it added an exciting pop of color. I got a lot of compliments on it so I think I'll continue experimenting with it!

Do you ever integrate runway trends into your beauty routine?