V-Style

The Perks of a Sunless Tan by Artesia Day Spa

Looks like this is my week of beauty. Yesterday the haircut and now a sunless tan at Artesia. I am good looking!

I stopped by the tough-to-find Artesia Spa & Salon (very end of Fifth Avenue and up the large staircase) to get a sunless tan spray. Now, I have never gotten a fake tan of any sort before, but with the threat of cancer and wrinkles nipping at my heels its time to think a little differently.

Do I want to be tan? Yes. Do I want sun damage and an early death? No. So hello Spray Sun from Artesia.

The spa’s decor is beautiful, both chic and relaxing with large windows in the hair salon and comforting darkness in the relaxation room and private rooms. Candles, paintings, swaths of fabric, incredibly lush furniture and a tame waterfall adorn the place.

It is no wonder then that, there was quite a bustle of clientele there when I arrived this afternoon with San Diegans getting highlights, massages, and haircuts. I also saw that there was an impressive manicure and pedicure room that although empty today, was quite impressive.

Since I was a virgin to this tan process I did not have a clue what to expect. I was lead to the relaxation area while Olga prepped my room. I was then instructed to loose my robe and lie down in a 5-inch deep bath to be rubbed for 15 minutes with exfoliating creams that were rough, but still left my skin feeling soft after it was washed away.

The whole tub event was both relaxing and soothing. I felt like I was being baptized and cleansed or something. It was the décor and tub. They had a spiritual tone. Got to love that.

The actual spray was detailed and effective and I felt very welcome by both women I interacted with. Also, my esthetician made me feel very at ease in general and incredibly comfortable with being nude. A+.

Another Fabulous Week In Chic

If You Kiss A Frog.....He May End Up On Your Handbag! A Few Goody Gumdrops shows us the new Marc Jacobs Rena Pouch Evening Bag,Frog Included. Maybe Your Frog Will Turn Into A Prince!

Coquette gets crafty for the DIY Paper Hermès Kelly Bag.

Stylenotes shows you how to give your wardrobe a dose of bright color this spring.

The Fashionable Housewife is searching for the perfect pair of Gladiator Sandals. They are going to be the hottest item for summer.

Katie Holmes Wears The One Shoulder Dress

Showing off one shoulder is absolutely hot as both a trend and a sexual thang. And the asymmetry is always attractive and stylish. Symmetry can be a bore sometimes.

Particularly fabulous is the one shoulder look on a dress. Katie Holmes in her neutral colored Lanvin looked absolutely ravishing at the 13th Annual Critics Choice Awards with the gathered fabric on one end and the bare skin on the other.

Kate Hudson is another who embraced the one shoulder look while looking ravishing in her yellow Dior. I always say yellow looks fabulous on everyone and looks even better on blondes. Beautiful.

I recently purchased an adorable one-shoulder dress in wild summer colors from Buffalo Exchange. If you go to my Portfolio you will see that I used it in a photo shoot on a charming blonde.

San Diego's AlphaMale Brings On The Barber Shop

When I first heard about AlphaMale, the luxuries barber shop for men in downtown San Diego. I was very intrigued. Needless to say, I was quite excited when Rebecca Bamburger of Bam Communications told me that they were going to make an exception for me, as a woman, to come in and experience their lavish service.

The ambience was fabulous; thousands of small grey rocks made the walls, sleek leather couches sit in the waiting area and ceilings reached a tall height. I especially liked that they didn’t play trendy pop music, but instead had on some light rock from a few years ago including Nirvana and Jewel.

Everything there whispers masculine sophistication, except of course the hair stylists. For some bizarre reason I expected to be surrounded my men when I walked in there. I must have been drunk. Why would men want to see more men? Of course they would want to have a young hot woman cut their hair and massage their head, which is exactly what they get.

My hair stylist was Mish, an edgy beauty who gave me a fabulous haircut. Now what I am about to say may not mean much since I so very rarely get a nice salon cut (5 times tops), but it is the best haircut I have ever received. Imagine what she could do with a man!

I took passport pictures today and I actually wore my hair down. Many of you know…I never wear my hair down in pictures or on camera, but I am downright conceited with how my hair looks down right now. Yea!

Besides reasonably priced haircuts, other services AlphaMale provides are hot lather shave, shoe polishing, door-to-door service, highlights, hand detail, color and brow wax. All reasonable priced. What accompanies these services are bar service, personal HDTV’s and hot hair experts that have even enthused some of San Diego’s non-heterosexual males.

Unique Pyramid Purses on E-Bay

With so many trendy purses looking the same I can’t help but want something different for a night on the town. I am always on the look out for anything fashion forward or unique but lately I have not been able to find any purses that really fit into that category... until now.

On my usual monthly glance at E-bay (more than monthly and I would be broke) I came across some fabulous, totally inexpensive, evening bags. I bought two, one in striking blue and one in a mustard color.

These sturdy pyramids purses are made from raw silk and never loose their shape. I can fit my cell phone, my “party” wallet, my keys, business cards and all my necessary make-up. I have been loving the compliments I have been getting.

It could also be used as a gift bag or make-up carrier, but I prefer it as a purse.

Something else I love is the E-bay seller I bought it from has 100% positive feedback. I usually don’t like to buy online but with this seller I feel so confident. Now if you will excuse me I have to make up a reason to go out so I can show off my bag.

All the Lovelies of Week In Chic

A Few Goody Gumdrops: I'm Feeling "Ele-phantastic." Pair Hermes Wide Enamel Bracelet With Eelephant Design, Dolce & Gabbana Elefante Hobo Bag and Elephantastic Nail Enamel.

Cheap JAP finds a way to wear leather and still be green.

Coquette loves grey handbags for Summer.

Fashiontribes heads South of the border for a taste of fresh fashion design talent from Mexico.

I'm Not Obsessed shows off Michelle Trachtenberg’s Jewelry Line “Bella Veritas.”

You feeling lucky? Visit Stylenotes for the chance to win a $100 Lucky Brand Jeans Gift Certificate!

The Coveted opens a European Vintage Shoppe

The Fashionable Housewife is giving away a FREE Missouri Creve Coeur Bag!

San Diego's Favorite Image Consultant

As an image consultant and personal stylist I have to be able to create different looks for all kinds of people with a variety of lifestyles.

When I am particularly busy it is quite interesting to go from a meeting with an extravagant Bette Midler impersonator to an appointment with a conservative lawyer. There is a never a dull day…

If you are interested in hiring a personal wardrobe stylist here are the services I offer to both men and women:

CLOSET OVERHAUL:
I will help you eliminate what doesn’t go with the look you want and identify the clothing that still works.

CLOSET ORGANIZATION:
Once we have decided what to keep in the closet I will organize your clothes, shoes and accessories so that everything is orderly and accessible to you.

PERSONAL SHOPPING:
I find the key pieces your wardrobe is missing. I can shop with you or I can shop for you and then bring the purchases to your home or office.

CREATE OUTFITS and PORTFOLIO:
I will create outfits out of your existing wardrobe and new purchases, take pictures of each combination and make a portfolio of the photos so you can refer to it at any time.

EVENT STYLING:
If you need help creating or purchasing an outfit for a special event like a holiday party, New Year’s Eve, Work Party, a Speech, etc.

REFERRALS:
I will refer you to trusted professionals for tailoring, make-up, etc.

You may chose as little or as many of my services as you like. Men and women welcome. Contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Knee-High Gladiator Sandals at Bebe

I had recently written about Chanel’s fabulous knee high gladiator sandals and I must say I have been looking for a less inexpensive pair ever since.

I did not discover them until yesterday. As I browsed through a Bebe catalogue I saw them… winking at me.

Priced at $129, these Tatiana leather knee-high gladiator sandals are available in light brown, black and brown snake combo.

Although not yet in stores I have put it in my schedule to try on these babies. I only hope they are as comfortable as they are fabulous.

Now, I know not everyone is as excited as I am to own these dramatic flats, so if the knee-high is a bit much for you, stroll into JEP boutique in La Jolla, San Diego and pick up the ankle high version.

Calla Cut Diamonds for Your Ring Finger

... Or for any finger for that matter. Whether it’s for marriage or wealthy fun, diamonds are a classic, but it is always nice to take something classic and add a little something different.

My good friend Annette recently became engaged to a wonderful man who gave her a lovely engagement ring. It was stunning because it was unique. It is a princess cut diamond set in an antique inspired, stair step white gold band with an interesting design carved into the side.

This of course started me to thinking about diamond rings and what is available on the market for the brides-to-be and Marilyn Monroes out there.

Although diamonds are beautiful and twinkly, I must admit I got a bit bored looking at all that bling. What woke me up were diamonds set in filigree and this Calla cut diamond pictured here. These are worthy of a gander.

Win a Twisted Silver Bracelet!

There are three Twisted Silver bracelets that have been rumored to be on the Top 10 accessories list recently and will be released for on-line sales this Tuesday, May 6th… but you may not have to buy them.

You can enter to win one of these hot cuffs. In order to be the victor you must first go to Twisted Silver.com and take a gander at their collection. Then you return back to V-Style and add a comment to this post stating which Twisted Silver piece is your favorite.

You then sit back, relax and wait for me to contact you on Wednesday May 7th and declare you the winner. Good luck ladies! --> Contest is Closed, thank you all for your submissions. Congratulations Lauren!

Week In Chic -- Wow!

A Few Goody GumDrops Goes Green We Can Go Green,Too! Pair Green Marni Slouchy Fabric Tote With Nature Girl Green Body Lotion & Eyelashes Inspired By The Butterlfy.

Cheap JAP finds Crocs that are actually cute.

Clothes-Pin Go green for under $100 with Pursuit of Harmony

Coquette is falling for the look of stylish headbands.

Fashion, evolved. It's all about Priorities

Is the press ruining fashion? Fashiontribes investigates.

I'm Not Obsessed shows you how to get Nicole Richie's BoHo look for less.

Stylenotes sites the high contrast of black & white as a huge trend for spring, and shows you how to get the look.

The Coveted Finds 23 Stores to Watch on eBay

The Fashionable Housewife tells us how to get your feet ready for sandals in time for Summer!

The natural accessory no savvy woman should go without. The Organic Beauty Expert gives the lowdown on lube!

Natalie Portman Wears Ugly Wayfarer Ray-Bans

The appearance of Wayfarer Ray-Bans on celebrities, or anyone else, has not left me grinning.

These sunglasses did not look good on Tom Cruise in the movie Rain Man and they do not look good on Natalie Portman or Keira Knightley now.

It seems that the 80’s made a comeback a few years ago and is currently trying to butt its little head back into fashion.

You can see 80’s punk inspiration popping up all over T-shirts, sunglasses and jeans with the help of super models like Agyness Deyn, celebrities and individualistic designers.

In some cases retro punk can look fabulous but when I start seeing these ridiculous Ray- Bans, I am not happy.

These style of glasses have only looked good on one person and that was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

James McAvoy Wears YSL's Vest & Slacks

There is the occasion in a man’s life that calls for a suit. Perhaps it is a business meeting, a nice night out, a work party or even the mood to dress up.

Now a fabulous suit looks fabulous, but I often get the complaint from my many male clients that they get too hot in them.

I hear this all the time from men in general, so imagine the sweating going on underneath all that suit material.

The solution to this problem is both a classic and fashion forward look: the matching vest and slacks. When you wear nice slacks with a vest in the same pattern and material you are creating the “dressy” look that a suit does but without all the extra fabric.

Your body can breathe while you still look sexy and sharp, not to mention unique, just like James McAvoy does here wearing Yves Saint Laurent in his spread for GQ. You don’t even need a tie.

Thandie Newton Wears Jonathan Saunders Dress

I have to admit, I love to find fabulous things at a very low price. I am that person who will find something I love (no matter what it is; a dress, a day planner, a flat screen, shoes or blender) and then research the shit out of it in order to spend the least amount of money on it.

A penny earned is a penny saved, no? If I plan on owning a horse I have to pay attention to such things…

Anyhoo, Thandie Newton wore a multi-tiered Jonathan Saunders organza dress to the premiere of, “No Country For Old Men” that runs for about $1500. A cute dress yes, but I won’t be paying that much. Instead I will be paying $22.80 for an incredibly similar dress from Forever 21. My apologies to Jonathan Saunders who was robbed of his design, but mama’s on a budget.

Heidi Klum Wears Ray-Ban's Aviators

Nothing is cooler than aviator sunglasses (except when a cop wears them). There has never been a time since their invention by Ray Ban for government pilots in the 1930’s that they have not been fabulous.

From Tom Cruise in Top Gun to Heidi Klum strolling the streets, nothing says badass style better for both men and women. The best places to get them is through Rayban or any discount sunglass hut. Marvelous.