Scene of the Infamous: Salacious Tales of America's Greatest Hotels

As a child while other children played cops & robbers or with dolls - I was begging my mother to take me to The Carlyle for tea! I've since become an enthusiast of Grand Hotels and my fascination for the rich history of America's greatest hotels has just been heighten with AMERICAN HOTEL STORIES (Assouline). This intriguing tome reveals an insider glimpse of a world of unique hotels and it's captivating & infamous guests.

From Palm Beach to NYC, author Francisca Mattéoli explores each Haute Spot of the rich & famous with such great detail you will think you've experience it yourself! The epic tales of the glitterati and the stunning backdrops of these magnificent and unique hotels you will be enamoured with this tome de force from beginning to end.

Assouline Publishing has created fine illustrated books, luxury editions and an exquisite gift line dedicated to fashion, photography, art and design. Starting today, all LPB readers will receive a 10% discount on this titles exclusively on http://www.assouline.com/. Go on to http://www.assouline.com/ use LAPETITEBLOG at checkout for an uber fab discount!

Draw the Line with LORAC

When paired with barely there matte make up, heavily lined eyes are extra-sultry. Follow these fool-proof steps to get the look with LORAC!

THE LOOK

THE TOOLS

Matte Eyeshadow in Nude, LORAC, $18

On Screen Duo - Powder Highlighter & Cream Eye Shadow/Liner in Fame & Fortune,
LORAC, $24

Couture Shine Liquid Lipstick in Vintage, LORAC, $22

STEP I

Brush nude eye shadow over your entire lid, up to the crease. Dab the high lighter in the upper parts of the eye just under your brow line.

STEP II

Line your upper and lower lash lines with a black creamy eyeliner, extending it a quarter-inch beyond the outer corners for a cat's-eye effect.

STEP III

Apply a sheer beige liquid lipstick to keep the focus on your eyes.

Viola! You're absolutely stunning and ready to conquer the world! To get your hands on these must have items check out www.LORACCOSMETICS.com

Beauty Rx

There's nothing we like better then playing amateur dermatologist- here's what we'll be prescribing to all our friends!

BeautyRx: Emjoi Emagine

Cure For: Hair Removal

The Scoop: With double heads & 72 tweezers discs the Emjoi Emagine us the ultimate when it comes to epilators. The Emagine weakens follicles so hair grows in sparser and thinner. You can see results after 3 at-home treatments.

Cost: Emjoi Emagine retails for $119.95 going to a pro takes at least six visits at $100 - $1000 each - it's an investment ladies!

Ouch Factor & Risks: Some mild discomfort but it's best to prep your skin with a full body exfoliate to loosen the skin....

ShopList: Emjoi.com

BeautyRx: Pure Radiance Mask with Cherry Pit Oil by Renee Rouleau

Cure For: Dry, Rough, Sluggish Skin

The Scoop: Luxuriate your flaky, dull skin with the Pure Radiance Mask loaded with cherry pit oil, shea butter, green tea and soybean feels like cool silk on your skin and moisturizes instantly you will be luminous in no time.

Cost: Pure Radiance Mask with Cherry Pit Oil retails for $60.50

Ouch Factor & Risks: Little to none - the products are formulated by renown esthetician Renee Rouleau and with more then 20 years of experience her products are void of harsh ingredients.

ShopList: ReneeRouleau.com
BeautyRx: ANSR

Cure For: Acne

The Scoop: This handheld LED with it's accompany cleanser, AM & PM treatment treats and revitalize even the worse case of acne prove skin. The combination of the pulse light treatment and the parabeen free cleanser (don't forget to follow with the AM & PM regime) clears complexions to perfection.

Cost: ANSR retails for $185 - compared with $150 - $250 per session for the recommended in-office treatments this is a BeautyRx steal!

Ouch Factor & Risks: None- if you're prone to cold sores - light therapy could trigger an outbreak.

ShopList: www.ansr.com, www.drugstore.com, www.skinstore.com , and select Exhale Spas.

Keeping Up Appearances

Looking good has just gotten easier with these wallet friendly finds!
JustFruit Bars, Gorge Delights, $2
http://www.gorgedelights.com/

I can not go anywhere with out a JustFruits Bar from Gorge Delights! These on the go all natural fruit bars are so delicious they literally melt in your mouth!


Cheerful Mild Balm, Badger, $8
http://www.badgerbalm.com/

The latest from Badger - the premiere connoisseurs in everything organic has done it again! Cheerful Mild Balm promotes relaxation and restores vitality to body, mind, and spirit. Massage a little onto hands, temples, forehead or anywhere you need a little soothing & breathe it in....perfection!
Fresh Blueberry Oval Cushion Hair Brush, BrushLab, $8.98
http://brushlove.com/

This mixed synthetic/natural combination makes hair net & static-free while retaining runway worthy texture.


Vitamina E Soap, Casa di Valobra Italia, $12.50
http://www.kalastyle.com/

This refreshing soap is infused with the finest oils & vitamin E. Luxuriate in this amazing soap as it sloughs away your lackluster epidermis leaving behind soft, succulent sweetly fragranced skin.

Nail Lacquer in Good Morning Sunshine, Milani, $3.00
http://www.milanicosmetics.com/

This rich metallic hue looks amazing on any & every skin tone - at $3 how can you go wrong?

THE TREND: Pale Pink Lips

Once a playful eighties staple, zinc pink lips have made a serious comeback. Here we share 3 simple steps for achieving the look at home.

Pale Pink Lips at Gucci's Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear Show

THE TOOLS

Health Couture Vitamin Infused Lipstick in Bikram, Tarte Cosmetics, $22
www.TarteComestics.com

Painstick in Cool Pink, MAC, $20
www.maccosmetics.com

'Flawless Fix' Pencil, Laura Mercier, $20.00
www.Nordstrom.com

Lip Buff, BioElements, $26
www.Bioelements.com

Lip Brush, adesign, $16
www.adesign.com

How To Get It:

Step I: Because pale lipstick accentuates imperfections, like chapped skin, prep lips with a moisturizing exfoliate- the tiny beads slough off dry patches and helps to smooth out vertical lines. Rinse and use a tissue to blot lips completely dry.

Step II: Trace & fill in lips with a creamy nude pencil for extra definition and to help the color stay put.

Step III: With a flat brush, swipe on a bubble-gum pink lipstick, making sure to blend the edges. To create a semi matte finish. gently tap the color in with your fingertip or kiss a blotting paper.

Bring on the Sun

There’s no time like gloomy weather to convent the warm weather of the summer months! We’ve decided to transform our LPB studio to a summer wonder with….

Eric Fischl: Beach Painting by Eric Fischl, A.M. Homes (Rizzoli New York)

Eric Fischl: Beach Painting

by Eric Fischl , A.M. Homes
Rizzilo New York

A decadent day of sunbathing may be weeks away but with Eric Fischl: Beach Paintings (Rizzoli, New York) you will be entranced by the brilliant monograph of one of America’s foremost painters – With vibrant colors and immaculate details you will be captured by the vibrancy of Fischl’s work with or without the beautiful summer days.

Kai Skylight Candle

Here at LPB we are firm believers that candles create an instant atmosphere and what better way to transform our cold winter studio to a tropical oasis then Kai’s Skylight Candle – the fragrant votive fills the studio with an intoxicating aroma of summer at it’s best….

ShopList

Eric Fischl: Beach Paintings
Eric Fischl
Rizzoli New York
Available in May 2009
Rizzoli, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com

Kai
Skylight Candle
www.kaifragance.com

Calling All Curly Girls!

Lorraine Massey - author, curl advocate and one of the masterminds behind DevaConcepts - the premier curly hair experts are teaming up with NaturallyCurly.com the leading online community for curlies for a match made in curly girl heaven... The Deva Curly Girl Challenge!

The 1^st ever curlfest contest invites the female curly hair population (12yrs & older) to “Do the Deva 3-Step” and write a paragraph about what they learned and how it changed their hair. Simply put, the Deva 3-Step is all that curly girls need to achieve healthy, bouncy, frizz-free and enviable hair:

DevaCurl No-Poo

Step I: Give you curls a “suds-free” cleanse with DevaCurl No-Poo. Forget those lather-producing detergents that dry out curls! No-Poo uses gentle botanical cleansers, providing healthy, frizz-free, lustrous curls.

DevaCurl One Condition

Step II: Hydrate with DevaCurl One Condition. This ultra-creamy conditioner keeps curls shiny & manageable all day while providing maximum hydration for all curl types.

DevaCurl AnGel

Step III: Style with DevaCurl AnGel, a lightweight, moisturizing curl-defining gel for maximum frizz prevention that holds without feeling stiff or sticky.

CURL-abration!!!!

The grand prize winner will win a trip to New York City for a 2 night stay & 1 day of total beauty at the Devachan Salon and Daparture Lounge. The originally curly girl herself, Deva co-founder Lorraine Massey, will tend to the winner’s tresses (now I’m jealous!) – as part of a photo shoot for Lorraine’s new book on curly hair. Two lucky runners-up will also be featured in the book and will win $200 worth of DevaCurl products.

The Deva Curly Girl Challenge starts today April 1^st and will end on May 31^st running exclusively on NaturallyCurly.com. Curl-challenged contestants will need to write a short paragraph about how doing the Deva 3-Step has changed their hair and include a photo of their hair before doing the Deva 3-Step and afterwards. The first 50 entries received will receive a signature “Are you Straight or Curly” Deva Curly t-shirt.

Dolls, being a ‘Curly Girl’ myself I’m so excited about this challenge and will follow the proceedings very closely – more updates to come!