BFF Friday!

This BFF Friday without a doubt goes to one of my very best friends and creative director of Gigi Ouf, The Blog. Justine Macfee has been a friend since childhood although in the last 3 years she has been a roommate, co-worker, travel companion, partner in crime and sister I never had!

 Without Further Adue...

The Chronicles of Justine & Gigi

 

Our younger years, getting ready for a night out in San Francisco

4th Of July, Lake Tahoe 2008

Trying to scalp tickets at the Slightly Stoopid Concert, Truckee Summer 2008

Reminiscing the night before over a PBR, Lake Tahoe Summer 2008

Me attempting to pop a bottle of bubbly on the boat. Justine thinking its funny

Working the Rubicon Booth at the Boat Show Summer 2007

Sushi & Saki Aprés Ski Winter 2009 Lake Tahoe CA. 

My Birthday weekend in Aspen Colorado, Fall 2008

Oscar de la Renta Fashion Show Summer 2008 with her sister Lindsey

Enjoying a lovely dinner & cocktails in Lake Tahoe

Captain Jazzy Fresh

Justine is a powerhouse on her own, creating Low Budget Rockstar's, a company providing the life of luxury to the mid 20-30 year olds living paycheck to paycheck. Justine also works along side her mother "Coco" at Catherine Macfee & Associates as an Interior Designer & in their retail store in Lake Tahoe California, Rubicon Collection! So excited to pick Justine up at the airport in Vail tomorrow to enjoy a night out in the mountains. You can find us at the Bachelor Gulch Ritz Carlton sitting at the bar :)

"For a Woman to Love and a Man to Remember"- Diane von Furstenberg

It's been proven that the part of the brain which processes scents is indeed a key part of forming long-term memories, especially involving other individuals. There is something so beautiful about a fragrance. Made up of many different "notes", to produce the "juice" no two fragrance's are exactly alike. After working for Stila Cosmetics i transfered to the Fragrance counter at Nordstrom and had the opportunity to meet with "noses" as they call them (perfume extrordinaire's) to learn a little bit about the process of making of a fragrance. 

 The scent i choose to wear really depends on the day and occasion. 

 Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle is a scent i will forever love as it reminds me of a trip i took to Paris with my dad when i was just 15. I have been wearing this scent ever since, it is described by the house of Chanel as a feminine and sexy,young and exciting interpretation of the irrepressible spirit of Coco Chanel. Coco Mademoiselle is a modern oriental fragrance, fresh & sensual.

CHANEL COCO MADEMOISELLE

The other scent i wear regularly is Victor & Rolof's Flowerbomb. This scent also reminds me of a trip i took with my family to London. I bought this fragrance in the duty-free shops of Heathrow Airport as i was rushing to catch my flight. In contrast to their avant-garde clothing, with Flowerbomb Victor & Rolf opted for a fragrance with wide appeal. This scent, really a mélange of creamy florals,warm base of patchouli and vanilla is not only a beautiful mixture of notes, but its funky grenade shaped bottle is a great contrast to its feminine and lovely smell. 

Flowerbomb's Pink Sparkle Holiday Bottle 

Not only do i love a wonderful fragrance but some bottles are so beautifully designed and make for great decoration! I save all my perfume bottles & display them on a vanity in my room. Everyone loves to search for their favorite fragrance, but getting it as a gift from a friend or significant other is even better!

Below are Women's & Men's fragrance's which i love. I chose them not only because of their elegant bottles but also for their irresistible and memorable smells. 

Guys, Take "notes"...pun intended ;) 

WOMEN'S

YSL

Gucci Flora

Marc Jacobs LOLA

Michael Kors Very Hollywood

Gucci Envy Me # 1

Pucci

MEN'S

Aqua de Bvlgari

Chanel Allure Sport

Givenchy Play

Faconnable

BFF Friday!

This BFF Friday is dedicated to someone who is not only a wonderful person & friend but he is also my cousin and really, a brother to me. Born in London, Magdi moved to the US when he was a kid and we first met when we were just little wee ones when our parents lived near each other in Orange County. Other than seeing home videos and pictures I don't remember much of our younger years together, although from watching the videos I saw that Magdi always treated me like a little sister. He was very protective at times, and a bully at others...not much has changed! :) Magdi moved back to London and I did not get to see him again until he was about 16 years old. Mags and his older brother Tamer would come to America to visit our family and stay for about 2 months during the summer. When they were here all they would do was shop for records and 'sneakers' as they called them. We would get in so many arguments regarding his accent and the different words we would use to describe things. I insisted they were called Tennis Shoes although Magdi insured me that they would only be called Tennis Shoes if you actually played Tennis in them. Totally Bullox. Tennis shoes, sneakers whichever you prefer to call them Magdi obsessed over finding the pair or pairs he came to America to get. Years passed and the collection of sneaks Magdi had acquired were no longer fitting in the storage unit he had behind his house, that's when SlamminKicks was born. Mags set up shop in London's SoHo area on Beak St. and shared his collection to the town. Tons of people started to come by to check out these one of a kind sneakers he had been collecting over the years. The store attracted many famous rappers, NBA players and soon enough if you hung out in the shop long enough you could spot guys such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, DJ Premiere, Lupe Fiasco, Baron Davis and more. After his huge success selling sneakers Magdi launched CrossOver, a clothing company worn by these dudes...

The HOV Jay-Z

DJ Premiere

Lupe Fiasco

+

Other people who passed through SK...

.

Beyoncé

Black Eyed Peas

Kanye West

Out Front SlamminKicks

Recently, Magdi has introduced WEAREHQ, a website featuring vintage sunglasses, watches, CrossOver clothing and sneakers. I am so excited to go visit Magdi in December in London-Town. We will be celebrating his birthday at a club where he will be DJ-ing and drinking all the red-bulls his heart desires! Magdi is a GREAT catch, and did I mention he's available...Calling all the single ladies...! Sorry Mags, I just had to brag about you :) xo

Here is a fun fact:

 Magdi puts his sneakers on before his undies.Watch this video and you'll see what I mean.

Bring on the Bling!

Whenever i thought of J.Crew i thought, pea-coats, Sandals (who remembers those platform ones that everyone had in high school,  i do!) and plain sweaters. Well, not anymore! I have been hitting up J.Crew a lot lately to accessorize a few of my clients with their new array of fabulous jewelry. The collection is very vintage inspired with a mixture of pearls & crystals to beautiful stones & gold, i LOVE it all. The price points for the most part are pretty reasonable and the quality thus far has not disappointed me. Get a necklace, ring, bracelet or a pair of earrings to add a little pizzaz to an outfit! Check out all the fabulous items here at www.j.crew.com. I hope you love it just as much as i do :)

PS. Its almost BFF FRIDAY! Stay tuned! 

Singing in the Rain

Let's face it, the rain boot has never really been an attractive look....Until now. After the whole Kate Moss Hunter Boot Hooplah, this season designers have given the Rain Boot a chance to make its comeback. You know you want to release your inner toddler and run around singing in the rain, jumping in the puddles all the while keeping your feet warm & nice leather boots out of it! Check out my Top Six Picks of the must have rain boots. At the end of the day, Rainy Days call for Rainy Wears!

Jimmy Choo for Hunter

Aquatalia By Marvin K. 

Burberry Patent Chain Rain Boots

Kamik Ellie Rain Boot

Marc by Marc Jacobs Tall Shaft Boots

KORS Michael Kors Stormy Engineer Boots

Oh, Just 1 more for good luck : 

Givency Western Knee Rain Boot

Tuesday Tunes-Day Volume II.

(Gigi Rap Supahstah at it again...this time in Hawaii)

On The Replay As Of Late...

1. Gifted - Ministry Of Sound
2. Better Man - Pearl Jam
3. Green Eyes - Coldplay
4. Labels Or Love - Fergie
5. Rehab - Rihanna & Justin Timberlake (check out the music video, it is Hawt!)
6. Happy - Leona Lewis
7. I Cant Wait To Get You Home - Shwayze feat. Cisco Alder
8. Video Phone - Beyoncé feat. Lady GaGa
9. Russian Roulette - Rihanna
10. Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundations
11. Blue Jeans - Jessie James
12. Meet Me Half Way - Black Eyed Peas
13. The Reeling - Passion Pit
14. Sweet Dreams - Beyoncé
15. You Got It Like That - Pharell & Gwen Stefani

Ten Under Twenty

You know that feeling when you really just want to BUY something but don't want to have a guilty conscious about spending a lot of money? Or your just plain broke? Here is a list of 10 items under $20.00 that i can't live without. Trust, after you get them, you wont want to live without them either! 

1.Boots No.7 Advanced Hydration Day Cream  $14.99 -  With the winter rapidly approaching, the air gets a little more crisp, dry & sometimes can take a tool on our skin. This cream is truly a life saver for me. It has the perfect texture and it will give you a natural hydrated glow. Apply it in the morning before you put on your makeup and you will be amazed at how beautifully your makeup will glide on your face. 

2.Black Applique Headband $18.00 -  Free People has the whole Hippy Glam thing down. Pair this headband with any holiday party dress,simple black blazer or just a tee to add that extra show-stopping appeal. Great stocking stuffer too :) 

3.Holy Floral Net Tights  $16.00 - Statement tights are all the rage these days. TopShop did it right with these vintage/flapper girl inspired tights. Add a little flair to a little black dress & throw on some heels. voila! 

4.Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make-up Remover $5.99 - It took me about 10 years to find the perfect eye make-up remover. I know it sounds silly but ladies, i am sure some of you are agreeing as we speak...Right? Its either too oily, too harsh, stings your eyes or just plain does not work. Boots has created a soothing eye make-up remover that contains natural ingredients that not only works in removing your eye make-up it also repairs your eye lashes! Lets hope this product NEVER gets discontinued...my eye lashes would never forgive me. (also sold at Target but amazon is cheaper)

5.Stila's Kitten Collection $18.00 - When i lived in Santa Barbara i got a job at Nordstrom working for Stila Cosmetics. I always loved Stila for their amazing color palate's they come up with, but Kitten, its shining star and our best seller has always been a must have in my collection of eye shadows. The illuminating shimmer can be used all over as a eye shadow or just highlighting around your cheeks & eyes. This is a great deal that it comes with the lip glaze as well. The color is very subtle but adds that perfect pop to your look! 

6. Lattice Mirror Wall Jewelry Rack $19.99 - I love buying fun costume jewelry, although if its not real gold or silver it tends to tarnish very quickly. The key to keeping your jewelry from tarnishing is to not pile them on top of each other mixing metals. With this Jewelry rack you can avoid cramming all your jewelry in a small case & instead hang it up. This will help you see what you have and accessorize easily. The mirror is just an extra touch that gives you & your jewels a chance to shine. 

7.ShaveMate Diva & ShaveMate Titan $9.99 - This is a true Girl-On-The-Go or Guy-On-The-Go's dream! They come as a set of 3 and each razor holds enough shaving cream in its handle to be used up to 10 times. The razors feature 6 blades to give you an extra-smooth shave! Ladies,even in the winter when your not showing your legs as much, pamper yourself and make sure you keep them smooth and moisturized for your fella! :) 

8. Claribel Ruffle Ballet Slippers $11.49 - These will put those ugly house slippers to shame! Its faux fur lining and cushioned insole will give your feet that rest & comfort it needs after a long day in boots or heels. Comes in this blush pink, white & grey.

9. Chain Cuff Bracelet - Ok i cheated... $29.00 - This cuff puts the perfect gold touch on any outfit. I had to put this on the list because i bought it for one of my clients and we paid $58.00 for it thinking it was a good deal. The layers of chain really do give it a bold and expensive look where people will think you spent way more on it than you actually did! Thats a recession-ista! 

10. Happy Birthday Nail Polish $18.00 - Truly a Party in a Bottle. This glitter polish is perfect for the holiday season giving your nails that twinkle twinkle so you will be shaking hands in style. I am actually in love with all these colors although Happy Birthday is in a league of its own. All Lippmann nail lacquers contain Okoume which is a natural nail strenghener from a tree in Africa,Biotin ( a cell regenerator) and Green Tea. This color has already sold out once this season and i know it will again, so get it while it lasts!

Cheers!