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Hunting for the Perfect Shades with Jennifer Rade

How do you choose the right sunglasses for your face? We didn’t know, so we asked Jennifer Rade, Angelina Jolie’s stylist and ambassador to new sunglass boutique, ILORI. (She’s pictured left with the head of gorgeous curls.) Here’s what she had to say:

Why did you decide to partner up with ILORI?
I decided to partner with ILORI because the Luxury Sunglass Boutique has its finger on the pulse of trends in both fashion and eyewear, and is a true arbiter of style in both realms. Eyewear is that final piece that finishes off a look, and can be the extra touch of glamour and sophistication, or the edgy accessory that pulls everything together.

What is the trick to finding the right lens shape for your face?
I do feel that analyzing your face shape is a good place for consumers to start when selecting sunglasses, as a more rounded pair of sunglasses can soften a strong jaw line and a more squared style can help add definition to a rounded jaw line.  But I don’t feel that face shape is the only factor to choosing the right pair(s) of sunglasses.  (more…)

Skinny Bitch Author at The Joule for Vegan Desserts and Book Signing

In honor of the launch of her website HealthyBitchDaily.com, Kim Barnouin, New York Times bestselling author New York Times of Skinny Bitch, will host a happy hour celebration downtown with vegan desserts and organic wine. If you haven’t checked out www.healthybitchdaily.com yet, it’s a straight-forward healthy living advice blog without the sugar coating and with a dollop of fun sarcasm. To toast to the author behind it all, head to The Joule Nov. 4 from 6 pm to 8 pm. 1530 Main St. 214-748-1300. To attend, RSVP to RSVP.03321@luxurycollection.com.

Ali Landry in Dallas Today to Introduce Belle Parish, Her New Children’s Clothing Line

Ali Landry (a.k.a. “The Doritos Girl”) is at the Dallas Market Center today to launch her new children’s clothing line, Belle Parish, at Holly Hannon’s showroom – Hope’s Chest. Ali was inspired to develop the line after having her first baby, Estela (pictured at left in a BP frock) in 2007. She and friend, Annie Kate Pons (a former journalist), design the Southern-inspired line that features “classic and vintage styles with a modern twist”. Read more about it here and here. I am sure Ali will be making a stop to visit one of our favorite facialist’s, Renee Rouleau, while in town – the brunette beauty is a loyal client (see photo below).

Renee Rouleau & Ali Landry

Shop for the Cause: Breast Cancer Healing & Wellness DVD

It’s mid-October and with Breast Cancer Awareness month in full-swing, we’ve been blowing up our blogs and web site with plenty of beauty loot to benefit the cause (check out our BCA shopping guide). Now, La Prairie & Guess have partnered to create a new DVD aimed at pampering the spirit of those affected by the disease called Breast Cancer: The Path of Wellness & Healing. This comprehensive guide features well-known survivors (including Sheryl Crow and Christina Applegate), the world’s top oncologists, and renowned wellness experts offering their advice for dealing with every facet of the disease, from accepting the diagnosis, considerations in choosing both holistic and traditional treatment options, entering support groups, the optimal diet, and the benefits of meditation. With 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to charity, this 2-disc set is a must for anyone battling the disease, and the caregivers, family members and friends of those touched by the illness. Get it for $31.49 at Amazon.

Thanks to intern, Kara Koloini for this blog!

Opening Party for Ilori at NorthPark: Come Find the Right Frames for your Face

Ilori will be the boutique-style home of designer sunglasses. Their goal is to keep limited edition shades and hard-to-find styles in the shop. This Dallas location will mark Ilori’s 25th store in North America. Brands for men and women will include Chanel, Oliver Peoples, Ray-Ban, Tiffany & Co., and emerging artists like Proenza Schouler and Derek Lam. Come celebrate the opening with their Wednesday, Oct. 21 party. Gracing us with her presence will be stylist Jennifer Rade (who deals with her highness Angelina Jolie). She’s teamed up with the boutique to keep eyewear as fashionable an accessory as any other. On Wednesday night you’ll have the chance to find the perfect sunglass shape for your face with knowledgeable in-store consultants. And if you decide to buy a pair, all purchases made will be donated to The Elisa Project, an organization dedicated to spreading eating disorder awareness and treatment. NorthPark Center, Level One. Wednesday, Oct. 21. 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. RSVP to the event at 917-553-1217. Photo of limited edition Tom Fords from Ilori’s 2009 lookbook

My Fifteen Minutes of Glory with Rihanna’s Stylist

Rihanna and stylist, Mariel Haenn enter the Vivienne Westwood show during Fashion Week.

Coughs, sneezes and hoarse voices have been rampant at the D offices recently. Illness runs amuck this time of year and alas, it caught up with me last week. Fortunately, we have fantastic interns to take over when duty calls and we can’t get out of bed. Editorial intern, Kara Koloini was there for me when I needed her to take the reins and intervew Rihanna’s stylist, Mariel Haenn. With just a few hours notice and rain coming down in buckets this super-intern made it to the appointment and did a fabulous job as my substitute. Check it out:

While I typically spend my days at D performing a myriad of very non-glam tasks (fact-checking pieces about dog summer camps, for instance), I had a stroke of luck Wednesday when Kristin Hull got sick (sorry Kristin!), and was gracious enough to let me fill in for her interview with superstar stylist, Mariel Haenn.

You may not be familiar with the name (yet), but you certainly are with her work – besides a crazy impressive client roster including Will & Jada, Jeremy Piven, Rachel McAdams, Lauren Conrad and countless more, she’s the pro behind Rihanna’s trend-setting style.

 Follow the jump for the details on our interview, her picks for fall, and how you can take advantage of her stellar style advice!

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I Got Minxed

Yes I did. (Although, that’s not me over there on the left obviously.) Minx is a nail covering, kind of like wallpaper, which covers your nails in a layer of fun, funky prints and colors. Unlike with nail polishes, you can get a serious tinfoil-like metallic look, pictured left, or an ornate design, like the one also pictured left. Minx, made a hit probably by Beyoncé and Rihanna is still not available in all salons, though. I got mine done at Annice Spa in Grapevine in the fun black and silver polka dot print also pictured left (but pretend the dots are tinfoil silver). It was gorgeous! For the closest salon near you, check out the Minx spa finder. Or contact Annice Spa at Reflexology2009@gmail.com for an appointment.

Sue Monk Kidd is Coming to Town

Sue Monk Kidd fans, get your books out for signing. She’s coming to visit us tomorrow. (For those who aren’t fans yet, she’s the author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair.) The Dallas stop on Kidd’s nationwide tour is sponsored by the Dallas Museum of Art as part of its Arts & Letters Live Series. Kidd will be discussing her newest novel, Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story. This memoir comes from the perspectives of both Sue and her daughter Ann as they experience the world, trying to discover their true selves and reconnect with each other. As with her other books, Kidd offers an inspiring, female-empowering tale that almost all women can relate to on some level. If you want to get in on the Q&A with Sue and Ann, you can order your ticket here. Girls, bring your mommas. Mommas, bring your daughters. $30 for the public or $25 for DMA members. First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. 408 Park Ave.

Sylvie Chantecaille, Woman Behind Prescriptives and Founder of Chantecaille, will be at Neiman Marcus on Saturday

It is rare these days that the founder of a cosmetic company is still around, choosing each palette for every season and visiting the labs and spas, making sure each product and treatment is up to par. But Sylvie Chantecaille of Chantecaille is. This amazing makeup/skincare/fragrance line relies on ingredients plucked from nature and chosen through scientific research to create luxurious products that are good for skin and the environment (like the whale palette we used in D Beauty) and make you look beautiful. The eye shadows are creamy, the fragrances therapeutic, and the skincare miraculous. And the woman behind it all will be at Neiman Marcus on Saturday, helping customers get in touch in products and choose the best foundation colors. To be part of Sylvie’s personal appearance, head to Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Saturday, September 12 from 11 am to 4 pm in the Level 1 cosmetics area.

Keith Lissner, Lunch at Craft, and Shopping

Another Fashion Dish event is here. This one includes lunch at Craft Dallas with Keith Lissner (left–not a bad looking guy, huh?) and shopping of Lissner’s fall/winter collection. A portion of proceeds from the Pink Memo’s Dish event will go to Two by Two for AIDS and Art. Wednesday, September 30. 11 am at Craft. $45 per person. Reservations are required: 214-397-4106.

The Solution to Great Skin May Be “The Solution”

I know it’s a personal favorite of Willa Ford. (She told me so herself after mentioning the stuff to one of our style editors at a shoot for D Home.) I looked it up and noticed ten percent of proceeds from each sale of The Solution supports charitable projects in developing countries. It also is free of parabens, ethyl alcohols, or synthetic ingredients. So far, the stuff’s a winner in theory. Then, I was sent a sample of the stuff. And I have to tell you it’s good in reality, too. The formula is meant to replace moisturizers and serums, and all day, night, and eye creams. I can actually see how that’s possible. The texture of the cream is light, almost like a serum, but applies smoothly like a moisturizer. The aftermath is a clean, hydrated feel, rather than a gooey or greasy layer. I have applied it under makeup (works great) and before bed (works great there, too). Here’s what I think The Solution is good for: downsizing the junk on your bathroom counter, simplifying your beauty routine, saving yourself some money, and getting some probably-much-needed hydration to your face. What have you got to lose? It’s $74—which, when you think about all the products you use on your face combined, is inexpensive—and no matter your skin type, you can use it until it’s gone. Get yours here.

Friday Giveaway: Kate Somerville Glow Kit

It’s nearing the end of summer, but a fresh face glow is never out of season. Congrats ahead of time to the winner of this giveaway, because this one’s a good one: Kate Somerville’s Glow Kit. Kate Somerville, esthetician to the likes of Paris Hilton, Kate Walsh, Felicity Huffman, and Jessica Alba, knows what she’s talking about, and she didn’t mind a bit sharing all the top secrets with me to pass along to you. Follow me after the jump to learn how to enter this giveaway and read up on the products. (You’ll want to, to understand the true power behind the Glow Kit.)

*Update: We’re giving away two sets! You’ve got until noon today, Monday, Aug. 31.

Congratulations Fern and Kathy!

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Shannon Wynne + Lower Oak Lawn = Meddlesome Moth

It’s really happening – Michael Ablon promised three restaurants in the Design District,( or what he likes to call Lower Oak Lawn), last spring.  I was pretty wowed by his ambitious promise for three restaurants when it’s been pretty hard to convince any local restauraneur to open in a week day only locale like the Design Center is, but Shannon Wynne has taken the plunge and is opening the Meddlesome Moth (crazy name) next spring.  In the Dallas News article he admits he may be crazy, but a) Ablon seems to get things done, b) there are really aparments right next door, and  c) designers and showroom people are notoriously fond of drinking and eating.  Plus, the old Ann Sacks place is really cool with all the mosaic and tile displays still inlaid in the floor.  Does it worry anyone that the Moth doesn’t end in O?

Cookie Johnson Launches A Denim Line For Curvy Girls—And She’s Going To Be At Sussie’s July 31

Yes, it’s true. The entrepreneur wife of former basketball star-turned-entreprenuer Magic Johnson has launched CJ by Cookie Johnson, a jean line that is, according to Sussie’s owner Rory Boyd, “made for butts.” The line features jeans of all cuts and sizes–all the way up to 38. Prices start at $150. The designer herself will be at Sussie’s at 4 pm tomorrow, July 31, and at Norstrom on Saturday. Stay tuned for a full report from Raya, who’s going to Sussie’s tomorrow to get the scoop.

Re: Win Rascal Flatts Tickets and Meet the Band

If you haven’t entered for your chance to win the Rascal Flatts concert tickets, do it now. The winner will be announced Friday morning.

Win Rascal Flatts Tickets and Meet the Band

Darlings of country radio Rascal Flatts sure have been busy. Not only have they gone on tour to support their new album Unstoppable, but they’ve also teamed up with JCPenney on the retailer’s American Living clothing line. Lucky for you, in honor of this partnership, we have a pair of tickets to give away for the band’s Saturday-night show at Superpages.com Center. Courtesy of JCPenney and American Living, which bills itself as “an affordable, all-American lifestyle brand for the entire family and home,” the tickets also include passes to meet the guys at a pre-show meet-and-greet at the JCPenney hospitality tent. Winners will get to check out the boys’ threads—all from American Living, of course—up close and personal. To enter, click on my name and send me an e-mail. I’ll choose the winner at random and notify him or her first thing Friday morning. Good luck, y’all!

Jessica Simpson to Talk Beauty on New Reality TV Show?

The Fug Girls of NY Mag’s fashion blog (one of my faves), The Cut, stick up for the Dallas blonde in regards to Us Weekly’s latest report that she is working on a new reality show, titled The Price of Beauty, in which “she and a friend travel the world in search of what people find beautiful and why”, tackling body-image issues and the perception of beauty. What do you think ShopTalkers…do you want to know what J.Simps has to say about the subject or not?

Laura Bush Visits UP Elementary

As noted on sister blog Overheard, Laura Bush visited UP Elementary yesterday after receiving a note from a student. The best part: I hear he also urged her to bring along the “old president” if she so chose. Anyway, I hear she was perfectly lovely–both inside and out. And she—and the secret service detail—happily signed autographs.

Meet Tim Gunn at Kate Spade Galleria April 30

While we’ve been chained to our desks all day, our friends have been hobnobbing with Tim Gunn of Project Runway, who’s in town to promote the new spring collection at Kate Spade. This afternoon he made an appearance at NorthPark; tomorrow he’ll be at Galleria Dallas from 6-8 pm. Those spending $100 or more are guaranteed a photograph and meet-and-greet. Here’s a report from today:

Tim addressed the question of how to be fashionable in a recession without feeling guilty or breaking the bank by saying that it’s “all about the accessories.” Stick with tried-and-true pieces in your wardrobe and splurge on less-expensive pieces such as jewelry, handbags, and shoes to take an outfit from day to night. He then gave a style show using outfits that “everyone has in her closet,” such as jeans and a white t-shirt and a little black dress to illustrate his style points—and to show off the Kate Spade collection, which is varied, bright, and fun!  When asked about what colors would be hot for spring, he answered, “Look around the store!  It’s all about oranges, yellows, fuschias—bright color!” When asked what about the biggest fashion mistake, he responded, “Wearing the wrong size. People tend to buy larger than they really are for comfort or because they’re afraid to show off their shape. Wearing something too big will make you look heavier than you really are. And who wants that?”

Stay with me after the jump for some more photos from the event. (more…)

Fashion + Technology + Art + Music = Fun

Last night I attended a fab party for the Old State House of Design and Development (web, that is) I must admit going into it, I was unsure what to expect. On the invitation it said “attractions include a fashion show, charity art auction, live music, and an interactive experience highlighting technology and design”. Quite a lot going on all at once. The main attraction for me was, of course, the fashion show. To sum it up, the event was put on to showcase the creative work of the Old State and local talents, and to raise money for the Goss Michael Foundation. An added bonus was the music performances by DJ Guillaume (see pic after jump…love him!), and bands Smile Smile and Radiant. A very pregnant and adorable (she’s due  in June) Amy Vanderoef and “surprise celebrity” host, Jeremy Anderson (of “The Bachelorette” fame) kicked off the fashion show that featured models from Campbell Wagner Runway clad in the latest by Commes des Garcon (compliments of Forty Five Ten) with avant-garde hair designed by the Shampoo Beauty Shop, make-up by MAC and styling by Tammy Theis. Models emerged from a giant ornate frame which displayed a screen that flashed images and testimonials from OS clients such as Woly Wake, Premier Transportation, Centre, and Bell Invito. Some models even carried mini-framed screens that displayed the various web designs. It was a multi-media extravaganza and the crowd was a refreshing mix of creative individuals. Jump for some photos (sorry for the quality, still mastering the iPhone). (more…)

BORBA Facials by Scott-Vincent Borba!

Scott-Vincent Borba (right), the creator of BORBA, will be in town next week giving HD-Iron Diamond Anti-Aging Facials. You don’t have the opportunity to get a facial by a line’s founder very often, so grab this one. The facial is free, too, when you purchase $75 worth of BORBA goods. (Kim Kardashian, along with other celebs, is a fan, by the way.) Scott-Vincent will be here April 23 from 10 am to 2 pm at Dilliard’s in NorthPark and April 24 from 10 am to 2 pm at Dillard’s in Stone Briar mall.

Re: Meet Katrina Szish

As I promised, here are some tidbits from my interview with style guru, Katrina Szish who is in town for an event tonight at Martin + Osa. Here is a pic of Szish sporting head to toe Martin + Osa in the boutique at NorthPark last night. Aside from dishing style advice, Szish is currently working on a web video interview series called “Your 2 Minutes”, inspired by Andy Warhol’s quote about “15 minutes of fame”, two-minute (to appeal to the “shrinking attention spans” of today’s audience) up close and personal video clips on artists, designers (Diane Von Furstenberg), celebs (Justin Timberlake!), and other “fascinating” people. Look for those to come soon on her website. Jump for Szish’s favorite M + O pieces for spring/summer. If you don’t make it out tonight, Store Manager, Tommy Stockton, is always on hand to help you find just what you’re looking for to spruce up your wardrobe. Guys, there’s plenty for you there too! (more…)