July 28, 2015

A “summer nights dream”

After hours of preparation, excitement and few gallons of hairspray later, the VIP Exclusives Fashion Show was underway at the Tampa Convention Center making it a “summer night’s dream”. Founded in 2004 by business man and entrepreneur Terrance Shaw, VIP has brought nothing but top notch service since day one. And that is exactly what they brought to Tampa Bay. The evening started off with celebrity performers opera singer and ballet aerialist, Jacqueline Valdez & Jason Rex of Infusion Remax. A beautiful duet that reminded me of cirque de Solei meets opera. Jacqueline and Jason are also survivors of cancer and Sjogren disease.

Infusion Remax's Jacqueline Valdez & Jason Rex

Infusion Remax’s Jacqueline Valdez & Jason Rex

After that the designers & models started things off with a bang and a few feathers. The show featured designers Lacie Cupani and Cupani Fashion, David President, MEROCKI, Jacqueline Saldana, Jackie Hutcherson, Nailuj Villarroel, Aleksandra Salo, Jessica Rios All Brides 2 Be & Formalwear & Adreamrocks! We had everything from formal wear, bathing suits, blinged out bathing suits and towels and so much more. Sometimes words cannot express just how amazing these shows are! Some designers and models even flew in from out of town just to participate. At the end of the night awards were given to the best designer & best international model. US Gold & Silver donated rings to the best designs, All Brides to Be by Jessica Rios and Best International Model Abby Marie Santiago. Congratulations ladies!

Male Model showcases David President Attire

Male Model showcases David President Attire

VIP Exclusives was all I hoped it was and more. I am so honored and excited that I got to join this incredible evening, meet some new people and even see a few familiar faces. I cannot wait until next year. In the meantime check out all the awesome designers on their personal websites (listed below) and VIP Exclusives itself at www.vip-exclusives.org

Model showcases design at the VIP Exclusives Fashion Show

Model showcases design at the VIP Exclusives Fashion Show

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blog “It all started in Tampa” for more photos of the event featuring models in the designs showcased.

All Brides 2 Be LLC– www.allbrides2be.com
Adreamrocks– www.adreamrocks.com
Cupani Fashions– http://www.cupanifashion.com/
David President Attire– http://www.dpresidentattire.com/
MEROCKI– http://www.merocki.com/
Jacqueline Saldena– http://www.elegantstylesbyjacka.com/
Jacqueline Hutcherson– http://www.onlyjackiestantrue.com/
Nailuj Villarroel– www.NailujVillarroelDesigns.com

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July 27, 2015

Sally Hansen, You have out done yourself

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One of my favorite brands of Nail Polish is Sally Hansen. Why? Because Sally Hansen Nail Care Products have never let me down. Whether I’m using “Hard as Nails, Insta-Dry, Big Glitter Top Coats or using one of their amazing manicure tools, I always have excellent results. My recent experience with Sally Hansen has been with their new Miracle Gel. Sally Hansen, you have out done yourself. This application requires no gel lights but when complete, the polish looks and feels like it’s a real gel manicure. The best part is you can use regular nail polish remover to take it off, NO SOAKING!!!

Use Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in just two simple steps for long lasting color and beautiful shine. The hardest part was choosing from over 50 gel polish colors. Apply two coats of your favorite color, allow to dry for 5 minutes and then add one coat of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat. The natural light will dry your nails to a hard surface and your nails will look beautiful.

sallyhansen.com

Jenna Raheb

 

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July 27, 2015

Have fun and be cheeky in a Courtney Allegra bikini!

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When it comes to swimwear and 18-year olds, most of the time the big decision is which bikini bottoms to pair with which bikini top. However, when it comes to 18-year-old Courtney Allegra, the big question is which swimwear designs to launch this season.

At 18, Courtney Allegra has achieved more success in fashion that many designers who have dedicated their whole lives to the field. With her unique sense of style, paired with true design talent, it is no wonder that Courtney Allegra is fast becoming a household name for her sexy and fun swimwear that makes women feel good and look fabulous.
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Designing fun and flirty swimwear that is inspired by all the beautiful places in the world, Courtney Allegra has her finger on the pulse of what fashionistas want in their swimsuit designs. Edgy and feminine style that never sacrifices comfort or quality! Each swimwear design by Allegra is a work of art that combines beautiful patterns, sexy cuts, and high quality fabrics, including modern and sophisticated metallics. All of Courtney Allegra’s designs are created in San Diego and made in Los Angeles, so they are true California girl wear!

Not only is Allegra an amazing designer, but she gives back to the community that gives to her with partnerships with many charitable organizations such as The Cancer Survivors Fashion Show, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Never Leave One Behind, just to name a few!

When it comes to swimwear this summer you could go with the run of the mill swimsuits that look the same year after year, or you could choose something with flair that shows off your style and is sure to turn heads, while keeping you comfortable and feeling amazing. The choice seems pretty clear: have fun and be cheeky in a Courtney Allegra Bikini!

courtneyallegra.com

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July 25, 2015

As cool as a cucumber

When it comes down to snacking, I seriously cannot get enough cucumbers. With so many different ways of preparing them, their taste and texture is always changing making them “fun” to eat. Of course the best way to eat them, health wise, is just straight up raw. Of course with all these different ways of eating and preparing them, there are also many different ways of using cucumbers for your skin.

cucumbers

cucumbers

We probably remember our grandmothers or even our mothers telling us how they would put slices over their eyes to reduce puffiness & dark circles right? Throughout time, research shows that now cucumbers can be beneficial for cooling sunburn (which now makes them my best friend), reduce pore size and can fade freckles. Many skincare products are even incorporating cucumbers into their ingredients. Even though my skincare routine is very disciplined, I have always found that my skin benefits more with what I put into my body. With switching cucumbers to my snack my skin’s texture has improved, it’s thoroughly hydrated and glows. When I touch my skin it feel so smooth its almost feels brand new.

Its amazing how something that can be grown in your back yard is not only beneficial for your health but is great for rejuvenating your skin and much more. So next time you pick up this giant green log just think of all the things it can do for you. Get your cucumber on 🙂

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July 23, 2015

Create an affordable fashion statement for your lips with Gerard Cosmetics Lip Products

We all want to be fashion savvy, but it can be an expensive venture if you purchase an item that’s trending, and a bit pricey for your budget. I’ve done this myself and have found that by the time I’ve paid for my trendsetting item, there is already something new on the market to replace it! How about a very affordable fashion statement for your lips that will give you an ongoing fashion forward look? Gerard Cosmetics Lip products will help you achieve that look.  After all, the first thing someone notices as they approach you is your face, and your lips.

Gerard Cosmetics lip products will give you that fashion edge with their amazing variety and versatility of shades, and textures. You’ll find Color Your Smile Lighted Lip glosses the perfect choice for any situation from daily wear to the most elegant event! I was delighted to receive two of the Gerard Color your Smile Lighted Lip Glosses, and a tube of the Gerard Lipstick to use and review.

                                                                  

The Gerard Color Your Smile Lip Glosses & The Gerard Lipstick used in this article

The Gerard Color Your Smile Lip Glosses & The Gerard Lipstick used in this article

Here they are in the in the picture above. The first two are the “Lighted Lip Glosses”, and the third product is a “classy gold tone tube’ of the Gerard lipstick. I found the Gerard Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Glosses terrific! You can see the mirror on the second product in the above picture, and the nifty light in the cap right next to it. The packaging is so portable and convenient! With these unique Lighted Lip Glosses you can quickly and easily do a touchup in the dark! (I’ve done it!) The gloss stays put and has an excellent texture. It’s not heavy, or sticky but provides a perfect coverage that beautifully enhances your lips.

The Gerard Lipsticks in their classy gold-tone tubes are also an excellent choice. They offer an additional choice if you ‘d like a more traditional look to your lips. The coverage is exceptional, yet light in weight and has terrific staying power! As with the Gerard Lip Glosses, the lipsticks have a variety of colors, as well.

To view all of these Gerard Color your Smile Lighted Glosses, and Lipsticks, please visit:  http://www.gerardcosmetics.com/shop/lips.html?limit=all

Below  you’ll be able to see how the Gerard Lip Glosses and Lipstick looked on my lips:

#1. Gerard Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in SPRING FLING -$24:  This is a perfect color for me.  It’s understated, soft, and natural.  SPRING FLING is a great color to wear alone, layer over a darker shade to soften a look, or add a cooler tone to any color.

SPRING FLING - Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss

SPRING FLING –
Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss

#2. Gerard Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in WILD ORCHARD- $24: If you’re looking for a fashion trending color to enhance your stylish jewel tone ensemble, this is your color. I liked the color and was pleased with it’s staying power and  feel on my lips.

WILD ORCHID- Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss

WILD ORCHID-
Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss

#2a. Here is an example of how I adapted this great color to my personal softer color tone preference.  All I did was take the first color SPRING FLING, and put a coat of it over the WILD ORCHID, and this was my result. It maintained the beautiful, brilliant undertone of WILD ORCHID, but with a softer look for me!
Apply : WILD ORCHID and top with -SPRING FLING

Apply : WILD ORCHID and top with -SPRING FLING

#3. Gerard Lipstick- NUDE-$19.00 The Gerard Lipstick is great. It’s so smooth and applies so easily. NUDE is a more neutral shade that gives a beautiful full-color finish and is a real “go-to” shade you’ll use on a regular basis.

NUDE - Gerard Cosmetics Lipstick

NUDE –
Gerard Cosmetics Lipstick

These three Gerard Lip colors have been just a sampling of the beautiful shades that are available at Gerard Cosmetics. The versatility of their Lipstick and Color Your Style Lighted Lip Glosses is superb!  Gerard provides a gamut of colors from the jewel tones, along with the red, orange, and violet tones that are so in demand! Another plus is the fact that your colors will transition very nicely from summer into fall.   

You’ll be  pleased to know that “the top-grade ingredients used in creating the Gerard Lip Products , like collagen peptides to increase volume and reduce lip wrinkles, work hard to plump lips and moisturize without smudging.” Gerard’s glosses and lipsticks truly are “Timeless”!   

I’m delighted to give Gerard Cosmetics™ a 5-Star Review for their Gerard  Lipstick and Color your Style Lighted Lip Gloss! 

For additional information about Gerard Cosmetics please visit:  http://www.gerardcosmetics.com

 

 

(Any quoted or paraphrased information in this article was obtained from a provided PR-Fact Sheet regarding Gerard Cosmetics, Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss, and Lipstick, and www.gerardcosmetics.com. My personal commentary is my opinion from my use of these Gerard Cosmetics provided to me.)

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July 23, 2015

BACK TO SCHOOL 2015 FROM SINFULCOLORS – A CLASS A

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Get ready to hit the books and go back to school in style with the latest collection for Back To School from SinfulColors, A Class Act. The extensive array of fresh shades are perfectly on-trend with the latest fall fashions and will ensure that your mani is top of the class. Dusty pastels and pops of color come in a demi-matte finish that feels soft yet looks striking and is deserving of nothing but straight A’s. Denim blues and ready-to-burst brights capture an effortlessly cool and rebellious vibe, while shimmering silvers, purples and teals with eye catching 3D glitters look just as chic during a night out on the town as they do in class the next day.

We think you’ll agree that all of these 27 SinfulColors shades deserve straight A’s:  Visit www.sinfulcolors.com/ProductMain/colorLanding and view the beautiful array of colors.
$1.99 each at Walgreens and other mass retailers for August & September 2015.

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July 23, 2015

VIP Exclusives is ready…are you?

Time has come for the VIP Exclusives Fashion Show at the Tampa Convention Center. Models are getting fitted, everyone is setting up and excitement is filling the arena. With everything from fashion, awards, entertainment and chocolate ;), it is a night you will not want to miss.

This Saturday, July 25, is fast approaching and we would love to see you all there for this eventful night. Check out the VIP Exclusives website here: http://www.vip-exclusive.org/tampa-convention-center for information on how you can get your tickets. Hurry the chocolate is waiting, UHHHH I mean the fashions!

VIP-Exclusives Fashion Show logo

VIP-Exclusives Fashion Show logo

Please stay tuned for pictures and an overall coverage of the event! 🙂

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July 23, 2015

derma e is Natural Skincare that Works

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As a frequent user of BB Cremes (short for Beauty/Blemish Creme), I have three favorites that I interchange frequently. One of them is derma e BB Creme. Because of their exceptional BB Creme, I knew derma e was a winner and was thrilled to try derma e Deep Wrinkle Peptide Serum. Derma e offers a variety of serums, and when I looked in the mirror, I knew I needed derma e Deep Wrinkle Peptide Serum.

derma e Deep Wrinkle Peptide Serum is a lightweight non-greasy serum that has a refreshing fragrance. Let’s face it, if your facial products do not smell great, you will not use them. I use it morning and night, and I love that I can use it under derma e BB Creme as my skin looks so much smoother. derma e Deep Wrinkle Peptide Serum also works perfectly alone as a hydrator which is how I use it at night. Simply dot a small amount of serum to the deep lines around your mouth, eyes and forehead and gently massage into your skin.

derma e Deep Wrinkle Peptide Serum was formulated to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As stated a their website dermae.com, their “formula contains two of the most powerful and effective peptides that bio-science has to offer: Peptide Matrixyl® synthe‘6® tells the skin to synthesize new key components such as collagen and to restructure itself while Peptide Argireline® helps relax facial muscles, smooth wrinkles and discourage the formation of new lines.”

derma e Deep Wrinkle Peptide Serum also contains anti-aging antioxidants Pycnogenol®, Vitamin C and Green Tea. Reducing the look of wrinkles, improving skin tone and texture is what this serum was formulated to do.  This serum is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, Paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, lanolin-free, gluten-free, GMO-free, truly a plus!

We all want the best skin possible and would like to look a little younger without having to go through to much expense or other types of options and derma e provides the best option, “Natural Skincare that Works.”

ABOUT DERMA E®
Family owned and operated for 30 years, derma e® has pioneered the development of vitamin-rich, high-performance antioxidant skincare solutions. The award-winning line features over 80 doctor-developed and clinically-test products that are free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil and petrolatum. derma e® products are cruelty-free and 100 percent vegan. Manufacturing and operations are offset 100 percent by wind power. derma e® can be found in over 8,000 retail outlets across the U.S. with additional distribution in 25 countries internationally and on dermae.com.

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July 22, 2015

FROM THE PROS: Can a Fitness & Wellness Regimen Empower Women

Celebrity Trainer Holly Perkins Explains 3 Reasons Why It Can

From an early age, women have foisted on them images of the “ideal” female body, and self-esteem can plummet when they fail to measure up.
But celebrity trainer Holly Perkins says it’s time women stop buying into those societal pressures.

“There’s this perception that all women need to look like perfect runway models,” says Perkins. “They can feel the anxiety building when they are trying to meet someone else’s expectations. That’s when the effort to lose weight or get fit can add to the stresses of life instead of relieving them.”

Certainly, women should want to improve their health, get fit and look gorgeous all at the same time, says Perkins, who recently released a home-exercise system designed specifically for women called baladea (http://baladea.com), with regimens she developed to fuse fitness and wellness exercises.

But getting in shape needs to be something women want for themselves, and not an effort to mimic some airbrushed image on a magazine cover at the supermarket, she says.

Perkins realized several years ago that her clients met their weight-loss goals faster when she created programs that addressed both their fitness and wellness needs at the same time.

They also felt happier about themselves. So she incorporated yoga and other stress-relieving and relaxation techniques into the baladea program.

Perkins offers three reasons why the right fitness and wellness regimen can empower women and emancipate them from society’s image pressures:

• Because looking good makes you feel good. That’s especially true when you’re trying to look good to please yourself and not others, Perkins says. “There’s this sense of empowerment when you exercise, eat a healthier diet and lose weight because it’s what you want and not because of peer pressure or societal pressures,” she says.

Self-esteem rises when you improve your image on your terms, she says, and as a result “looking gorgeous never felt better.”

• Because the science says so. Research shows that stress can keep you from losing weight and might even cause you to add pounds. Even if you eat well and exercise, an excessive amount of stress can counteract all your efforts. That’s why meshing fitness and wellness works so well, Perkins says.

“Stress reduction and relaxation can significantly improve weight loss,” she says. “That allows you to look and feel your absolute best.”

• Because while improving your look, you also become healthier. You will feel amazing not just because of elevated self-esteem, but because your body really is functioning better because of the diet and exercise, Perkins says. Your energy level will rise and “you will feel ready for anything,” she says.

“You can look awesome and you can feel happy at the same time,” Perkins says. “It’s all about letting your true self shine.”

About Holly Perkins

Holly Perkins is a national fitness expert and developer of baladea (www.baladea.com), a customizable fitness and wellness system for women. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), one of the most prestigious certifications in the industry. She believes that making fitness a fun lifestyle is the best way to achieve true change. As one of the nation’s leading weight-loss experts and a highly sought-after celebrity trainer, she has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and on national TV shows.

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July 22, 2015

Coming in for a “Soft Landing”

I love doing my nails, I mean all us women love doing or getting our nails done am I right? But the only downfall of doing our nails is the mess we have to endure with all the nail filings, glitter, and spilled nail polish the chaos seems never ending. That is until you find that you can now come in for a “Soft Landing” mani/pedi with Soft Landings Towels. Owned and operated by Kathy Weltman, Soft Landings makes clean up a breeze.

Soft Landings Towels Logo

Soft Landings Towels Logo

I wish I had known about these when I was a little girl. I can remember my mom would always get a little panicked when I painted my nails especially when designs got involved. Not much has changed but also this time with Soft Landings Towels, everything gets trapped within the fibers and can just be scooped up and tossed out. Soft Landings is also very beneficial for the salon professional when doing acrylics, and natural nail mani/pedis. Of course in the salon using the entire towel is the best so that it can cover the entire table top. But when I’m doing my nails at home, I cut the towel into sections big enough for one hand. That way you can have more than one.

Soft Landings Packaging

Soft Landings Packaging

Not only does Soft Landings Towels offer their line of Table Towels, they also have individual squares for removing gel or shellac polish. But that’s not it. Oh NO! A product like this is the true “jack of all trades” when it comes to uses. When in need grab them for your facial room or even for cosmetics. In fact some well known names proudly use the Soft Landings towels such as Essie, Milday Text books, Footlogix and Dazzle Dry… just to name a few.

So if you are tired of the mess, and don’t want to deal with anymore nasty lint bugs, or staining etc. check out www.softlandingstowels.com “Put your hands on these”

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