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Event_Estee_Lauder_offers_free.zip (244 KB)

When you hear something is being offered or given away for free people go into a different mental state, they become instantly alert as if the piercing sounds of a dog whistle has been blown and they quickly scramble to get what is being offered. This is somewhat of the feelings I and many ladies experienced when word spread online that Estee Lauder was offering a free professional makeup application and photo to women to update their social media profile photo.

I signed up for a session at Holt Renfrew and when I arrived for my appointment the Estee Lauder section in the department store was buzzing with ladies being primed and painted. The staff was pleasant and attentive making sure all the customers were having a good time and were happy with their results.

The makeup artist assigned to me was Amna and I asked her to create a very natural look since I had a meeting that afternoon. She applied the following Estee Lauder products on me:

• Foundation, Double Wear
• Concealer, Double Wear
• Powder, medium
• Eyes, Arctic night shadow and Pink Shimmer
• Mascara, dark brown
• Cheeks, Sunset Coral
• Lips, Sweet Kiss

I didn’t get the chance to take a good before and after picture but I was satisfied with the end results.

This is event is happening all over the country, for more details and locations visit the Estee Lauder Facebook page.

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Shoes_of_the_moment_Christian_.zip (129 KB)

We all require a little colour in our shoe closet, but there needs to be a balance between footwear that is fashion forward and eye popping with ones that are subtle and can be worn with multiple outfits and on multiple occasions.

Shoe specifications:

• Outer, panama straw-covered leather
• Colour, neutral beige
• Heel height, 12 cm

Why I chose these shoes: recently, I was out with several girl friends and our conversation turned towards the topic of footwear. We all agreed that a good pair of high quality, practical dress shoes is hard to find. For me, I’ve always had a difficult time looking for a pair of nude/neutral coloured heels – I still do. Therefore, when I saw these Christian Louboutin Titi 120 Panama straw pumps my jaw dropped opened, they are a dream. I love how Louboutin paired the neutral colour with the textured straw-covered leather, and his signature red sole puts this almost normal looking shoe on the edge.

What about you? What type of shoes do you have a difficult time looking for?

Images from the Net-A-Porter

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Beauty_Safari_the_hunt_has_jus.zip (1589 KB)

While exploring the Niagara region during its annual Ice Wine Festival I stumbled on a hidden gem of a store called Beauty Safari.

Beauty Safari is packed full of amazing and luxurious bath and beauty products, and accessories from high-end lines, such as L'artisan Parfumeur a niche perfume house from France, Penhaligons one of the few true fragrance houses in the world and Akhassa which is a line of natural skin care remedies from Thailand.

I had a pleasant chat with one of the owners, Alex Campbell, who told me that Beauty Safari opened in May 2008, which I was surprised to hear since the store’s atmosphere and level of sophistication appears that they’ve been in operation for much longer.

I could have spent hours in Beauty Safari going through their stock, touching and smelling all their products – a really good sign of a company and its owners who take meticulous care in the items they purchase and present to their customers.

If you’re in the Jordan/Niagara region, Beauty Safari is a highly recommend stop for all those make-up and beauty fanatics, or if you just love beautiful things.

Location: 3836 Main Street, Jordan Ontario

Phone: 905-562-0260

Hours of operation: winter hours – January/February (10am-5pm, closed Mondays), March (10-5pm), April to December (10-6pm)

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Images courtesy of Beauty Safari and some photos taken by Kimberly

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I’m beginning a series of blog posts titled, Fashion in Film which looks at elements of fashion in some of my favourite motion pictures.

For my first entry, I’m taking a look at the legendary talents of Edith Head (1897 –1981), American costume designer of old Hollywood.

     

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Fashion_in_film_Edith_Head_Ame.zip (162 KB)

Part of my holiday tradition over Christmas is to sit in front of the fireplace and watch the 1954 classic film White Christmas. Watching old Hollywood musicals always puts me into a good mood no matter the time or place, because the storylines centre around good natured human relationships not caught up in highlighting sex, violence or all that other bad stuff.

I’m always in awe of the song and dance routines performed in White Christmas, as well as the gorgeous costumes worn in the many scenes by its cast members. These beautiful creations compliment the storyline of the film from its beginning, middle and to the end. The creative mind behind the outfits for this film and many others is Edith Head.

A few facts about Head – she entered the costume industry in her late-twenties (1924) after working as a language and arts teacher. Head worked for two of the largest films houses of the period, Paramount Pictures for 44 years and then at Universal Pictures. During her long career she was nominated for 35 Academy Awards and won eight times for costume design for films such as Sabrina (1955), Roman Holiday (1954) and A Place in the Sun (1952).

I came across a short film biography that recalls Head’s time at Paramount Pictures. It provides insights into her personality, working style and rise in the costume industry.

White Christmas (1954) 

This musical number out of White Christmas is sultry, moody and filled with restrained passion. The black velvet evening dress designed by Head and worn by Rosemary Clooney in the night club scene works as a type of armour shielding Clooney’s character from the effects of a broken heart while at the same time conveying feelings of disappointment through the song, “Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me.” 

The jagged neckline of the evening dress fits this musical piece perfectly reflecting the shattered pieces of a broken heart and the addition of the rhinestone broach on the lower back of the dress shows spontaneous creativity.

Funny Face (1957)

In Funny Face, Head worked alongside couture designer Hubert de Givenchy to dress Audrey Hepburn in this movie.

This is one of my favourite scenes in the film showcasing how the various outfits worn by Hepburn fits with the setting of each photo shoot and the emotion prescribed to her character; a classic A-line dress to fit the fashionable locale of Tuileries Palace, subdued brown wool in a train station pretending to be Anna Karenna and a playful print dress in a flower shop.

Images from IMDB and videos from YouTube

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Event description: Toronto-based jewellery line Bijouxbead has teamed up with upscale fashion boutique Magnolia for a special cocktail reception to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Guests can shop while enjoying a glass of wine and delectable cupcakes and mingle with an eclectic group of Toronto’s fashion industry insiders, media and artisan lovers.

Bijouxbead designer, Darlene Martin will be in-store to greet customers and help them find the perfect piece of wearable art as a Valentine gift for a loved one or a special treat for themselves.  

Bijouxbead’s wearable jewellery art consists of earrings, bracelets and necklaces (ranging in price from $70 up to $1,300 for custom pieces) and is also available for purchase online at www.bijouxbead.com/shoponline. For those who can’t make the event, Magnolia will have select pieces from Martin’s collection available for purchase in-store until February 14, 2010.

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Location: Magnolia, 333 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario

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Shoe_of_the_moment_jewel_platf.zip (247 KB)

The first thing which comes to mind when looking at this shoe is Christian Louboutin must have been inspired by a rainbow and then went nuts (in a good way) when using his bedazzler on this shoe to recreate the meteorological phenomenon.

Shoe specifications:

• Outer, blue spechio with all over multicolour jewels
• Heel height, unknown but it’s high!
• Peep toe with a hidden platform
• Made in Italy

Why I chose this shoe: I’ve been in a colourful footwear mood lately (as seen in last week’s Shoe of the Moment) and the Jewel Platform Slingback by Christian Louboutin is an indicator that it's time for spring to start. This is a fun statement shoe that should be worn with a very simple outfit, all black or with a pair of dark jeans and with minimal jewellery. If you have $2,830 USD in your back pocket to spend at Bergdorf Goodman then go nuts and buy this shoe.

Images from Bergdorf Goodman.

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I’m very excited to announce Balisi, one of my favourite shoe stores in Toronto, will be opening its fourth location in the Yonge and Eglinton area. They are extending their fashion footwear reach from downtown to uptown Toronto in a new flagship store. Yeah!

The date of this grand opening also coincides with their four year anniversary in the business. Congrats to the Balisi team, here’s too many more years of fashion and successes. See you on February 10^th.

Please RSVP to info@balisi.com by February 5, 2010. More details can also be found on the Balisi Facebook page.

Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Location: 2507 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario

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Contest_for_shoe_lovers_Erica_.zip (65 KB)

I’m excited to announce the very first contest being held on The Souls of My Shoes courtesy of Erica Giuliani.

Erica Giuliani is a footwear accessories company operated by two sisters, Patricia and Nadia Macri, They came up with the brilliant idea of creating fashion accessories for footwear allowing woman to develop their own do-it-yourself shoes and customize their looks. The accessories range from $20 to $125 per pair and can be purchased online at www.ericagiuliani.com.

I’m giving away two sets of the Suede Fringe, pictured above.

*** To enter: ***

1)    E-mail me at thesoulsofmyshoes@hotmail.com

2)    Answer this question, “What is your favourite pair of shoes and why?”

3)    Please make sure to include your name, phone number and address in your e-mail entry.

4)    You must be currently residing in Canada to participate.

Contest closes on February 17, 2010 and I will be notifying winners via e-mail. Thanks and good luck!

Images from Erica Giuliani. Shoes not included

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Rachel_Roy_comes_to_Canada_cou.zip (384 KB)

The Bay is kicking into fashion high gear this spring and will be the exclusive retailer of three of Rachel Roy’s clothing collections in Canada: Rachel Roy New York, Rachel Roy Signature and Rachel Rachel Roy – that’s a lot or Rachels.

This is a great acquisition for the Bay showing their seriousness of redefining itself as a fashion forward Canadian retailer offering customers greater access to luxury goods, particularly Roy’s line which is carried in high-end stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom in the United States.

Roy’s designs are unique and eye-catching, and I’m really excited to know that they’ll be available for purchase in 18 select Bay stores across the country. This spring is definitely going to be a fashionable one!

Images courtesy of Rachel Roy

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Event_invite_Socially_Connecte.zip (128 KB)

I’m taking part in an event called Socially Connected, brought to you by OOMG MUSIC INC., in collaboration with its partners, to make use of social media and bridge the gap between your online and offline world.

Both worlds come together as your offline night life meets your online social network. Throughout the whole event, we stream live video, mixed with a live Twitter feed from people in attendance, as well as a live feed from viewers watching online. Projectors and a TV screen will display the feed to the people in attendance.

Bring your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, iTouch, Palm Pre, Android) and take advantage of our free WIFI access to login with your favourite Twitter client and tweet about the party, the performances, the people in attendance or whatever is on your mind.

Our goal is to provide an opportunity for people to network with the many connections they have made online but never met in person. It is also a way to make new connections online with viewers who are participating from their home computer or their smartphone.

Socially Connected will also provide artists and producers a platform to showcase their work not only to the people in attendance, but also to those watching online.

When you attend our events, you will have a great time with your friends, enjoy great music and performances, and make new connections at the event and online. Invite your friends who couldn’t make it to see you online…LIVE!

You can RSVP:

• Using twtvite - http://twtvite.com/4zmorc OR
• On our Socially Connected Facebook event page

Start Time: Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 9:00 p.m.

End Time: Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 2:00 a.m.

Location: The Central, 603 Markham Street (Bathurst & Bloor), Toronto, ON

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