fffabulous

loeffler randall aspen nude platforms

I have a thing for Loeffler Randall shoes. I discovered this brand last year, and it seems that they cannot release a pair of shoes without me going totally gaga over it. I got the Yvette booties and the Luna platform boots last Winter and I adore them; they are just so comfy and so sexy! But now that the weather is warming up and I get to wear a lot of yellow (eheh!), a pair of nude shoes is in order. Well, Loeffler Randall once again delivered with this pair of Aspen Nude Platforms. I love the height (4.25" heel with 1.25" platform), the tan color that goes so well with cute dresses and white or distressed jeans, and the leather ruffle detail that is so in this season. I also love it that they are so comfortable and easy to walk in. Thank you, Loeffler Randall! And they do fit true to size.

And we have a surprise for you guys. You can get these fffabulous Loeffler Randall Aspen Nude Platforms for 20% off using the coupon code Fffab20 on habitatshoes.com. Or any new spring Loeffler Randall shoes, for that matter. Yay! Offer valid until Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 at midnight CST. Note that the coupon code is case sensitive and can only be used on regular priced shoes.

j.crew rosette-ruffle cardigan

One of my colleagues always wears the cutest, most colorful outfits. Every time I ask her where she got that top or cardigan, she replies: "J.Crew", and every time my response is always: "Lady, you've got to teach me how to shop there!". Next thing you know, she gets this beautiful cardigan at J.Crew, wears it to work, and of course, I fall in love with it! I love the cardigan look to start with, and the feminine touch with the chiffon and tulle rosettes at the neckline and placket give it just the perfect touch. Plus, it's made of silk and linen, and I am sucker for luxurious fabrics. And it is on sale for $100, instead of $148. Throw this cardigan on top of a white tank top, pair it with some jeans and flats, and you'll be all set. Classy and comfy!

And take an extra 20% off all items in the J.Crew spring sale through Friday, May 1st, 2009 by entering EXTRA20 at checkout.

you got me at yellow

A few weeks ago, I started to have cravings for anything yellow. Next thing I know, everyone I 'run into' online or on TV wears that yellow cardigan that I want so bad. Rachel, Michelle, Oprah, even Kelly Ripa in her Electrolux commercial—they all wear yellow. After browsing a few shopping sites, I narrowed down my choices to a J.Crew long sleeve classic yellow cardigan and a Vince cashmere yellow cardigan. I polled my fffabulous readers to help me decide which one to get, silently hoping the Vince sweater would win, hehe! Yes, that's how much I love cashmere.

While the fffabulous readers were voting—and fffavoriting the Vince cardigan over the J.Crew one (yay!)—Vicky and I went to the popsugar party at the top floor of Saks Fifth Avenue a few weeks ago. We were sipping champagne and shopping for the latest and greatest fashion items displayed on the mannequins when I saw a splash of yellow a few rows down. The Vince yellow cardigan was calling my name! I grabbed a few sizes and a couple of tee-shirts, and next thing you know, I am trying out the Vince yellow cardigan (pictured here). And guess what? The first try was a charm. My yellow cardigan fits perfectly; it is soft, comfy, fitted and I love all the details about it: the rushed v-nceck line, the half sleeves, and the patch pockets at the low hip. Me happy!

house of harlow black leather ring

I was checking the House of Harlow look book on popsugar the other day and I couldn't help but love the clothes Nicole Richie wears on it. Aren't they fffabulous? I love the hippie-chic, colorful style. I can see myself wearing these dresses all summer long—in the South of France, with gladiator flats and all. But I digress...I finally checked out the House of Harlow jewelry collection and I was seduced: each model is original, each piece looks unique, and everything is so affordable. Next thing I know, my girlfriend Lynn pings me to let me know she ordered the House of Harlow Black Leather Ring. Lynn always wears big, beautiful and bold rings, and I always love them. I don't think it will be any different when she wears her black leather ring: it is so different from any rings I've seen around, and I love the fact that it combines leather and Swarovski crystals. It's the perfect ring to accessorize a casual outfit or a little black dress. And for $70? Hello!? We should all wear one and compliment each others, ha!

fffabulous sale: inhabit cotton tops

Inhabit is having another fffabulous sale. Woohoo! And this time, all their cotton tanks and tops are on sale (70% off and up) from April 20th to April 24th, 2009. What's not to like? I love their essential cotton tank; I got it in black in the fall, and I wear it all the time. It looks better and classier than a regular cotton tank top, and I love pairing it up my Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse Shawl. So sexy! I also love their wide strap cotton tank—the beewax color is so pretty, and the thin strap tank—the fig color is one color that is so unique to Inhabit; I like! And of course, their cotton cardigan, cotton crew, and cotton v-neck are the perfect tops to ease into summertime. And for this price, who would even think twice about getting a few?

natura bisse glyco peeling

Okay, I haven't invested in this fancy Glyco Peeling 25% by Natura Bissé (yet), but I've tried it out and I love it! My girlfriend swears by the Natura Bissé beauty product line (Diamond Cream, Vitamin C Cream, etc.) and introduced me to the lady that works at the Natura Bissé counter during one of our many Neiman Marcus dates—these happen quite often, I have to admit. I asked to try a few of their bestsellers and she gave me a few samples of the Glyco Peeling 25%. The Glyco Peel 25% renews damaged, dull-looking skin, and it stimulates cell renewal and is recommended for all skin types. I tried it and I was sold right away. You put the gelly lotion all over your face and neck and will experience a tingly sensation at first (I love it; it proves that it works!). Then you wait for ten minutes for the product to do its job before rinsing it off thoroughly with water. After using it a couple of times, my skin started to get clearer and smoother, and my carnation got brighter. The dark spots I was getting from swimming so much outdoors—also known as "freckles"—were so much lighter. I'd recommend anyone to get a few samples of this magic potion the next time you are shopping at Neiman Marcus!

fffaqs: is crème de la mer really worth it?

Bonjour fffabulous,

I trust your advice on skin care, and I keep seeing La Mer advertised in all of my favorite skin care shops. Since you are French, and you are fffabulous, do you happen to know first hand if the product actually works? I am trying to make my skin feel and look a little more fffabulous, but hate to spend the hundreds of dollars. Any advice?

Yours,

Hil

Hi Hil! Thanks for your email. I've always been skeptical of super expensive moisturizers; perhaps it's because every time one of those sounds-too-good-to-be-true commercials used to come on, I would always hear by dad say: "I'd want them to try this on Auntie Tataite, and if it works on her, then it's worth buying." But Auntie Tataite happened to be 95 year old at the time, so it probably wouldn't have worked. However, I have to admit that I was tempted to try the La Mer Crème de la Mer after a couple of my girlfriends started using it and couldn't stop raving about it. I went to Neiman Marcus and asked for a sample (always ask for a sample before spending the big bucks on just any moisturizer!); I got a very nice tiny jar of the La Mer Crème de la Mer (and of the Eye Concentrate, too) as well as instructions on how to apply it: take a tiny amount of moisturizer with the tip of your finger, warm it up between your fingers and press the moisturizer all over on your skin. Once this is done, you can massage the Crème all you want, but not before having gone through the 'pressing' exercise, which is the key to making the most out of your Crème de la Mer.

After using Crème de la Mer for a couple of weeks and loving it, I decided to buy my big jar of youth. Since I started using it, my skin is smoother and my expression wrinkles are less obvious because my skin is now more hydrated than ever. And I rarely have breakouts now! All in all, Crème de la Mer is worth every penny, and I recommend it to all of my girlfriends now – I have even sent some samples to my sister for her to try it out. So go get some La Mer samples, try it out, and let us know what you think!

got fresh lips?

I can't believe I have never heard of the fresh beauty brand! Now, that's why you have girlfriends to share these beauty secrets with, right? Alex uses the fresh sugar lip treatment and the fresh lip shine in claret every day:

"The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is such a luxurious lip balm, and it's sugary too! Clearly, most lip balms don't cost $22 but the moment you put this on your lips you will see why this baby's expensive! It's sweet and softens your lips. As for the Fresh Lip Shine in Claret, it is truly the most universally flattering lip gloss I have ever seen. So much that you can step straight out of the shower with no makeup on, swipe this gloss over your lips and look like a million bucks. Don't fear the deep burgundy color of the tube, it is much lighter once applied: although this lip gloss looks very dark in the tube, you put it on it's the most universally flattering gloss I have ever seen and it truly looks great on everyone. All in all, this product is an absolute must. Ladies, keep this one in your handbag and you'll always be ready for an impromptu photo, date or whatever fate brings your way!"

the benefit effect

Alex has some fffabulous beauty recommendations for us, ladies. I have never tried the Benefit make-up line (I am a MAC addict!), but lots of my girlfriends keep raving about benefit's products, and I sure have heard of the Benefit brow bar—what a fffantastic idea, by the way!

Alex recommends the Benefit high beam luminizer and the Benefit benetint blush for the most luminous and prettiest face ever: "The Benefit high beam luminizer always gives my skin a nice glow, while still looking natural enough for every day wear. And I wear the Benefit benetint classic blush—which can be used on cheeks or lips—as my everyday blush. Since it's a stain, you don't have to fuss around with any palettes of powder that may crack and break if you drop your cosmetics bag (not that I ever do that :P) and it lasts all day."

pearls of perfection

My friend Becky always has the most perfect glow. I asked her which blush she uses, and I was surprised to hear that it's the Physicians Formula Pearls of Perfection Multi-Colored Bronzer: "The Pearls of Perfection Multi-Colored Bronzer is great for morning and evening wear, although if I really want to glam it up, I pair this bronzer with a shimmer bronzer, such as the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Bronzer...it makes cheekbones pop!"

I also love the pearl 'packaging', and the fact that this powder is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, and suited for all skin types! And Becky gets this bronzer at Walgreens for $12.99. It can't get any better than that!

cle de peau eye cream

One of my girlfriends was in town a couple of months ago, and one of our favorite activities—besides shopping—is to share our latest beauty product acquisitions. I love it because I get to try new beauty products on the spot and decide whether it works for me or not right then and there. My friend kept raving about her new eye cream, the Eye Contour Essence Anti-Dark Circles from Clé de Peau. It couldn't come at a better time because I needed to get serious about moisturizing the eye area—we are not 20 anymore, ya know.

I tried it out and loved it right away. The Clé de Peau eye cream has a light texture, and is slightly scented and the best part of it: my fine lines disappeared right away. Just kidding! Seriously, I've been using this creamy essence for a few weeks now and it does hydrate the eye area skin thoroughly and my skin doesn't mark wrinkles as easily when I smile. Good thing as I was about to resign myself to stop smiling from now on, or invest in Photoshop Pro. Eheh! Also, I got sold on the name (gotta love French names with accent and all), and the packaging: the pump provides just the right amount of product to apply, which is really cool because for the price it costs, you want to make sure you don't go overboard, and preserves this creamy essence from air oxidation, etc. And the 0.5oz bottle lasts about 3 months when applied nightly, which means you'll put about $120 / 90 / 2 = 66cents on each eye every night. Cheaper than a latte! Plus, we are so worth it!

the best hair dryer ever!

If I were to tell you that this hair dryer dries hair faster than any other hair dryer available on the market, you probably wouldn't believe me. That was my exact reaction when Vicky told me that the T3 Bespoke Labs 83808-SE Featherweight Professional Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Hair Dryer was far better than any other hair dryer she's ever tried. But then I tried it out and I was convinced. This hair dryer is super light (it only weighs 13 ounces), it is extremely quiet, and it gets water out of your hair faster than you'd ever think possible—thanks to the tourmaline negative ions and infrared heat technology. The best part? There is no need to repeat the same movement 20 times to straighten your hair: you do it once or twice and your hair stays in place, and if you spend just a bit more time on each bang, your hair looks as if you went to the hairdresser for a professional blow dry. And the next best part is that it is on sale for $100, instead of $200 on amazon.com. The only bad news is that I have absolutely no excuse not to blow dry my hair anymore! Aaaaaaaaaah!

kiehl's ultimate brushless shave cream

Great minds think alike, and in this case, great wives think alike! Vicky recommended the Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream for our last fffabulous guy week; and it seems that Zoe's hubby is a big fffan of this shaving cream as well.

"And speaking of my honey...a girlfriend of mine recently commented that her husband had started using this after receiving it for Christmas. Allegedly, the Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream had transformed his skin, so I picked some up for my husband. He's not much into skin care rituals, but this is something he's sold on. It's softened his beard and the shave is much much closer now. It has also never created those nasty little red bumps he used to get with the drugstore shaving foam. He's almost run out of the first tube, and he will definitely be buying it again. Next time, I might swipe some to try on my legs..."

got physical chemistry?

More fffabulous recommendations from 'Miss' Zoe! Who would have thought microdermabrasion could be done in the comfort of your own home/bathroom? Not me!

"I tried this at-home microdermabrasion product last year when I wanted to go for the full spa style treatment before my wedding but was advised against it in case I had a bad reaction. However, I gave it a try, and DERMAdoctor Physical Chemistry was gentle enough to not cause any bridezilla based rampages, but strong enough to make a difference. In fact, it worked so well that my husband noticed the difference; and you know that it takes a big jump for a man to realize when your skin tone has improved. It has the typical warnings to not use more than once a week, but I think you can use it two to three times a week for a few weeks prior to a big event and see a significant difference. After that it's good to use occasionally for maintenance and way cheaper than a trip to the spa."

neutrogena make-up remover towelettes

 I am a big fffan of the Crealine H2O Cleansing Solution by Bioderma, but I have to admit that there is nothing more practical than these Neutrogena towelettes. Here is another fffabulous review from Zoe!

"I'm terrible at taking off my makeup at night, but the Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes make it so easy, it's ridiculous. These towelettes remove every trace of mascara and smoky eye; every trace of under eye concealer and lipstain in under 60 seconds. You can do it with one hand while brushing your teeth with the other. They leave your skin moisturized enough that you don't have to use night cream if you don't want to, but not so slippery you feel compelled to rinse. They are perfect for travel as there's no issue with taking them through airport security in your carry-on luggage, like other cleansers, and the reseal-able package the refills come in keep them moist, so you never have to shell out for their display case. Genius, fast, and cheap – what more can a girl ask for when she's falling into bed after a hectic day?"