The Secret's Out: Pantone's Spring 2014 Colors

The Secret's Out: Pantone's Spring 2014 Colors

Dec 7, 2013

I have been following the Pantone color reports for a few years now and love how they help us understand the proper wa to mix colors. Radiant Orchid and Dazzling Blue are my go-to colors for any season as it is so I'm glad they're "IN" again.

Click here for a video of Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute explaining what makes all the Spring 2014 Pantone colors so great.

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Skin Care Stocking Stuffers- $50 & Under!

Skin Care Stocking Stuffers- $50 & Under!

Dec 1, 2013

Let's face it, no one likes unsolicited skin care advice. It makes them feel blotchy, insecure, and a bit annoyed that someone is examining their skin. However, everyone loves to receive presents which is why I've created a list of holiday gifts to solve every major skin care issue below. Who can be mad at something that's wrapped with a pretty bow? I know I can't! Check out some of my favorite items for skin care issues such as blotchy skin, redness,
hyperpigmentation and my ultimate enemy: dryness!

Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 3% Facial Wash- $38
This facial cleansers 3% of glycol acid is perfect for exfoliating the dead layers of the skin in a gentle way. The receiver of this gift will be thanking you for weeks to come as well as begging you for more! 

dr. brandt pores no more cleanser-$35

Dr. Brandt's pores no more cleanser is great for oil control and minimize large pores. Don't let your oily prone friends ring in the new year with light reflecting off their shiny foreheads! Oil free skin will had with just a few weeks of using this product.

Fresh Soy Face Exfoliant-$42

The mild microdermabrasion exfoliator by Fresh helps to give off a fresh, radiant complexion that'll mask the evidence of post holiday party bar hopping!

Ole Henriksen Ultimate Life Eye Gel-$38

I can guarantee that every female friend of yours is constantly begging to a cure to dark under eye circles and bags. I have finally found the solution and am here to spread the news. Pair this eye gel with the Fresh Soy Face Exfoliator and that receiver of this gift with thank you for ages!

Philosophy Help Me-$47
On of my absolute favorites! This is the entire package for those that are starting to complain about how partying is aging them. This product has taken the years off of my face that I carelessly put on and now people don't believe I'm a day over...well, that's for me to know!

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Beauty Stocking Stuffers- $50 & Under

Beauty Stocking Stuffers- $50 & Under

For those of us who currently have a bigger budget to spend on stocking stuffers for Christmas, below are some awesome items that come in at around $50 or less and will be guaranteed to make that lucky person on your list dazzle with delight! Many of these gifts come with great cosmetic bags that are a gift in itself so it's like two in one! The majority of these items are limited edition, so get them while they last!
 

Lancome Mascara Set-$33

Nothing screams the holidays like Lancome! For a limited time Lancome is selling their Hypnose, Star, Drama and Defincils mascara in a set. Pick up any of these 4 sets for $33 each at any Lancome counter. The set includes the mascara, mini bi-facil cleanser and their artliner. Great gifts for any Lancome fanatic lover on your list!

Mac Cosmetics Stroke of Midnight: Eye, Lip & Brush Kit- $39.50

One of Mac's holiday gift sets this year is their Stroke of Midnight: Eye, Lip & Brush Kit which comes in three colors: nude, gold or violet.  Pick up any of these gift sets as they go great with just about any skin tone!

Sigma Paris Palette-Limited Edition-$49

This Sigma palette is a prefect gift for the holiday season.  It comes in beautiful hues of blue and two Sigma makeup brushes are included in the kit. Pick one up for the Paris lover on your list!

Sigma Eye Shadow Palette-Flare & Dare-$29  

Sigma is currently also offering two of their Flare & Dare eye shadow palettes in some nice purple and pink tones to make that receiver on your Christmas list dazzle in the New Year! I dare you to give them a try!

Beauty Blender (Double) Sponge-$28.95

Everyone who wears makeup knows that the right tools are everything. The beauty blender, which has caused a massive phenomenon amongst makeup artist, is currently selling their sponges in a variety of colors: black, white and their signature pink! Great stocking stuffer for the artist in your family!

Prescriptives Super Chic Set -$35

For this holiday season, Prescriptives is offering their Show-stopper gift set which includes their Colorscope Lipcolor Lipstick in racecar red, False Eyelashes Mascara in black and a sample of their Super Line Preventor serum all in a beautiful gray and sliver cosmetic bag. 

Blank Canvas Cosmetics Nude Palette-$21

Blank Canvas Cosmetics is offering an 88 Matte/Shimmer Neutral Color palette for the holidays.  This palette offers you 88 stunning colors that will wow anyone on your gift list. The company is based out in Ireland but they have great shipping prices and delivery is super fast. 

Too Faced All I want For Christmas-$45

Too Faced is currently offering a six piece holiday collection to dazzle anyone on your list! The kit includes Too Faced Exclusive Blush/Eye Shadow Trio Compact, La Crème Lip Cream in Believe, Perfect Eyes Eye Liner in Perfect Black, Lash Injection Mascara, Shadow Insurance and the cutest cosmetic bag I have ever seen! 

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Beauty Stocking Stuffers- $25 & Under

Beauty Stocking Stuffers- $25 & Under

Nov 30, 2013

Nothing says the holidays like spending money on gifts for others when you know you'd rather be spending it on yourself. However many of us have a large list of people we need
 to buy gifts for in order to make them happy. The best thing ever invented during Christmas was the idea of stocking stuffers. You know,  those cute little things you hang off the fireplace (or window) and fill with small gifts for everyone! If you're looking to save money this year and buying great quality gifts, then check out the list below for some awesome ideas for the people on your list (or yourself).

Victoria Secret Holographic Makeup Bag-$25
VS is selling an assortment of makeup bags this holiday season for $25. This holographic
bag comes in a beautiful pink tone and is small and sturdy enough to carry around your purse. These bags come in different shapes, sizes and colors for everyone’s taste.

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Double Domination Stocking Stuffer-$18
bareMinerals is packing up their lash domination mascara as a double holiday gift. For $18
at Macy’s you can buy a full size tube of this mascara plus a mini one to drop in your
purse or as a stocking stuffer for the women in your life who are in need of some “Domination” mascara. This mascara offers volume, length, thickness, lift and pure domination for larger-than-life lashes. Wear this mascara to your next holiday party or
family Christmas gathering and dominate the room with your lashes! Or at least try too!

Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit For Her in Metallic Silver-$15
Nothing says Christmas like surviving the holidays and now you can give a gift that helps with that! For $15, Sephora is selling their “don’t go to grandma's house without this” 17-piece kit that includes everything you need for your beauty, fashion, and personal care holiday survival gear. This kit has everything you need, plus it’s small enough to fit in
your hand as you discreetly pull it out of your purse and walk to the bathroom! If you plan
to make it through the holidays then this kit has everything you need when you are
caught
in a holiday “pinch”!

Avon Pretty in Neutrals Makeup Palette -$25
One thing that I have always loved about Avon is their gift sets for Christmas every year.
 If you like neutral makeup colors then this gift set from Avon is perfect to keep or give
out.  The palette comes with eyeshadows, bronzers, blushes and glosses in a two tier pull
out compartment. Everything you need to look awesome for the holidays! For under $25 dollars, this “me” gift is right for you or for anyone on your gift list! But come on, you
know you're gonna keep it!

EOS Lip Balm-$9.99
The first time I saw this lip balm, I knew I had to have it right then and there! EOS is
offering this lovely egg shape like sphere in a trio as stocking stuffers. They come in
Vanilla Bean, Pomegranate Raspberry, and Sweet Mint flavors in a lovely Christmas ornament tin.
  

E.L.F. Essential Holiday 9 Piece Glossy Lip Gloss Cube-$10
E.L.F. has packaged up these nice lip glosses in a lovely Christmas cube box that you
can hang off your tree for that “wow, what exactly is that on your tree” effect as people
walk into your home. These lip glosses come in 9 different shades varying from clear to
a very dark plum. These can be purchased online or at their flagship store in NYC. Great
as a gift for one person or to bulk up anyone's stocking (or your purse!).

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Stila Lip Glaze Set

Stila Lip Glaze Set

Stila Color Me Glossy Lip Glaze Set

Now that Thanksgiving is over it's time to start buying gifts for the people you care about the most. I for one mainly buy beauty gifts for the beautiful ladies in my life that take my advice to heart. This year is no exception and I have already started my holiday gift giving shopping with this Stila Lip Glaze Set. For just $28 you can purchase this stocking stuffer for the lovely ladies in your life that either love lip glosses or that fear them because they think all of them are created equal and leave the lips sticky and tacky.

I love to wear this over my lip stains because it adds a bit of dimension to my lips or I wear them alone for subtle yet fun look. I recommend buying one set for yourself and another to use as stocking stuffers. 

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Posh V Pinch: Pink Lip Stain

Posh V Pinch: Pink Lip Stain

Nov 29, 2013

         

When one thinks of the house of Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) very seldom does  L’oreal come to mind. However, would it surprise you to know that L’Oreal actually owns YSL? Yes you heard me right. L’Oreal owns YSL and not the other way around.

Nonetheless having these two makeup lines being part of the same company does, on occasion come with perks that lie on your lips! When YSL came out in the summer of 2013 with their Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain, (aka lip stain) it literally revolutionized the way lip stain worked.  

For those who don’t know what lip stain is (because you live in chapstick land), it is like a lip gloss with the staying power of facial primer. When you apply a good lip stain, it should stay in place regardless of eating or drinking for the next 5-7 hours. It cuts down the constant need to reapply lip gloss or lip stick and can endure just about anything you throw at it. However the biggest complain about lip stain in general was that when it started to fade, it looked like a bad stain was left on your lips, left you with a ring around the collar effect and for many made their lips very dry and settled into the fine lines of their mouth. Not attractive at all if you ask me.

A few years ago YSL came out with their lip stain and it sent the ladies running to their nearest Sephora to pick one-or two or three-up. Their lip stain was offered in 40 different shades that resembled a beautiful prism of a rainbow. Moreover, the color never travels when eating, drinking, talking or kissing your significant other and doesn't fade uneven. The main deterrent though is that for an attractive 0.20z size bottle, it retails anywhere between $34-$36 dollars. A bit steep for many if you ask me, but this is where L’Oreal comes in.

In late 2012, L’Oreal came out with Color Caresse Shine Stain. This lip stain comes in 12 different shades that are very pleasing to the eye. These shades boast a 4-5 hour staying power that does not travel while eating or drinking, doesn’t dry your lips out, settle into the fine lines or fade unnaturally. Just like YSL it comes in a very attractive bottle with a very similar lip wand. L’Oreal’s lip stain measures at 0.21z and retails for anywhere between $7-$10 dollars a bottle. A total steal!

Now, here is the catch….YSL and L’Oreal’s lip stains are basically the same formula. They are what is considered in the makeup world a dupe of each other. So if you want to spend $34-$36 dollars on YSL, then go right ahead. Just know that for a lot less, you can get the same exact lip stain from L’Oreal. Granted, YSL has more shades (40) than L’Oreal (12) so if YSL is out of your price range, keep in mind that L’Oreal boast the same lip stain for less than half the price. 

Below are a few pointers to help make lip stain of any color or brand last longer:     

 After brushing your teeth, brush your lips with your tooth brush to get rid of any dry and dead skin cells. If you have dry lips, then sadly any lip stain will reflect it.

Dry your mouth before applying lip stain and DON’T wear lip balm underneath it. In order for the lip stain to work, your lips must be dry and clean for the formula to stain your lips.

Both YSL and L’Oreal take about 1 minute to set. So don’t touch your lips, add lip balm drink or eat anything or keep pressing your lips together during that time.

If you want the lip stain to look darker then apply 2-3 coats in order to get that darker effect.

Lastly if you want to add lip balm because your lips feel dry, and then add it on AFTER the lip stain has dried so that you don’t disturbed the setting process. 


Keep smiling :-)

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Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

Nov 24, 2013

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en/travel-information/delta-partnership.html

This past August I had a terrifying experience. I was calling Virgin Atlantic to ask about exchanging money at their counter thanks to my Flying Club membership and while I waited on hold for about 15 minutes I read on their site that they had a new partnership with Delta. It was a few days before my flight and my heart sank. Yes, I am an anglophile but that's not the reason I fly Virgin. I fly with them because the service is impeccable and if I'm going to be on a 7+ hour flight, sitting in economy, I want to be as comfortable and pampered as possible. Virgin Atlantic offers that. American based airlines, in my experience, do not. These days I will do anything to avoid flying Delta, American Airlines or Continental when I go overseas. Their flights are usually less expensive but that doesn't sway my decision on who to fly with. I normally begin my European trip in Paris and have gone as far as flying into London and taking the Eurostar into Gare du Nord OR heading over to Luton Airport to catch the Easyjet into Charles de Gaulle on the same day just to avoid those carriers.

My fear in August was lifted as soon as I spoke to a representative and I happily hoped on a Virgin Atlantic plane and experienced the amazing service that always leaves me landing comfortable and happy in the UK.

But this morning the fear came back. I was looking up flights to head back over to the UK in April and saw that they had flights from NYC-LHR-LAX for $651. YAY!!! That's LESS than I ever paid for my NYC-LHR round trip flights! But then I saw why it was so cheap: the flights are direct to London but then have layovers on the way back where I'll end my journey with Delta. For $400 more and inconvenient times (who has the energy to be at Heathrow for a  9am flight?!?!?!) I can fly Virgin direct but any of the flights under one thousand dollars use the Delta partnership. It sucks, I wish there was a more middle ground but the money isn't what scares me, it's the fact that Delta is taking over US routes and I fear that I'll end up always having to make a connection and suddenly be on an aircraft with sub par service all the while missing out on the whole Virgin experience. Would I still have the option of free wine/liquor drinks for the second half of my flight? Will snacks and meals be provided as part of my ticket cost? What about pillows and a blanket on the house for the portion of the trip that is flown via Delta? So many questions!

I'd like to know if anyone has flown Delta via Virgin. Is the experience the same? Do they try to match the great level of service that Richard Branson and co. have developed and that has made Virgin Atlantic what it is? I'm hesitant to try it. One would think that a $400 savings is reason enough to give it a try but flying for 12+ hours in one day means that if I can have comfort even in economy then I would want it for the entire trip and not just the first half. After all, it's at the 7 hour mark that delirium starts to set in for me!

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Tis the Season to be Sparkly!

Tis the Season to be Sparkly!

Nov 20, 2013

Tis the Season to be Sparkly!

The holiday season is my second favorite time of the year because it means it's time to pair all that sparkles with white hot dresses. Check out this NYE look. A Grecian dress with a loose undo, a contrasting statement necklace and smokey eyes are all you need to a timeless NYE look. Pair it with gold pumps and a cuff wristlet and you're ready to ring in the new year!

A line mini dress
ricketyrack.com

Oscar de la Renta white satin pumps
theoutnet.com

Sabine vintage jewelry
piperlime.gap.com

Henri Bendel Deb Cuff Wristlet
henribendel.com

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Lining it Up

Lining it Up

Nov 15, 2013

 

Hello Beauties! A few weeks ago I began putting focus on budget beauty tips because one of my many goals is to make the world a prettier face no matter what. That way of thinking has had me try out and praise one brand that years ago was, in my eyes, a joke. Wet 'n Wild Cosmetics has done wonders with their formulas over the past few years and I am more than happy to spread the word.

About a week ago I stopped by my now local Walgreen's and came across their holiday makeup collections. Nothing caught my eyes except the Wet n Wild Icon-o-last! Color Icon Eyeliner Collection. Not only were they colors that I adore but the price tag can't be beat. $5...not bad! The first thing I did when I got home was wash my arms up to my elbows and test out the colors. While I like all the colors and will wear them all out within a few months the purple and cobalt blue are the ones that stand out the most for me. Those, along with a hunter green, are my absolute favorite colors to line my eyes with along with a black layer on top. I like how the shades compliment my dark skin thanks to my yellow undertones and how I only needed to pass the colors once to get the right color. 

Sadly, the shades have no names but here are the 5 in the collection

Which is which? Wet n Wild is on the left and Tarte's Onyx is on the right.

Can you spot the difference? The top shade is Deviant by Urban Decay while the bottom one is Wet n Wild's version

All in all this holiday collection is great. The colors are on par with brands that are much pricier and their staying power is pretty great. Just like my Urban Decay and Tarte liners, once they set it takes elbow grease or makeup remover to get the shades off but they do come off a bit quicker. Regardless of that though I highly recommend running to your nearest drugstore to purchase this set for $5 because sadly, they are not sold online.

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Thinspiration is a Way of Life

Thinspiration is a Way of Life

Jul 4, 2013

We all have to do little things to trick ourselves into eating a little less or working out more. Some have upcoming trips, specials events or, like me, just have a wardrobe that they're dying to fit into perfectly again.

I've been pretty dedicated to my workout schedule but I don't buy it when people say that my body wants to work out because it gets used to it. My body will never crave working out because my mind just wants a couch, Netflix and some pizza. My personal solution to all this is to use visual aids as constant reminders of what I want.

For the past few weeks my dresses have been hung up around my apartment as daily reminders to not overeat, workout and to kick myself when my laziness wins and I go straight home after work. 

We all need a little thinspiration. How do you get yours?

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Shopping in Your Girlfriends Closet

Shopping in Your Girlfriends Closet

May 25, 2013

A few years back when I was still living in NYC my friends and I would go out constantly and were always photographing our events. The downside to going out 3-4 times a week was that we didn't want to be photographed wearing the same outfits within a month of eachother. Life in NYC is pricey and fashion isn't cheap so my friend Maria, the founder of The Closet Fashionista, started to invite a bunch of ladies over for clothing swaps.

We picked a Sunday everyone 2-3 seasons and got together at her place with wine, light food and bags of clothes. It was the definition of girlfriends. It was not limited to just the ones in NYC or even by specific sizes. We had a girl that came from Philly with her almost 6 ft model type body. Me, who stood at 5'4 (okay 5'3!) that was super curvy and had a pinup type rack, others that were barely 5 foot and teeny....different bodies, different styles, yet we always came and left with bags full of 'new to us clothes'.

Since a new season is approaching and we're very into the idea of shopping without spending we think all groups of women should have a clothing swap at least once a year. They are always fun ways to get together with a group of friends that you maybe don't get to see all the time because of the circles you run in all the while going home with a couple of new items to wear to work or at an event.

Here is best formula for any hostess of a swap. This always seemed to work for us:

1. Send out feeler dates and have everyone vote on the date that works best. Sundays work great because they are usually lazy days for everyone.

2. Set a menu. Of course as the hostess you should always plan a few dishes but always encourage others to bring/make a dish and of course their favorite bottle (or two) of wine.

Finger foods and wine are a must for any Sunday event. Superbowl excluded ;-)

3. Create the space. If you have coffee tables in the way just make sure to set every aside because when the swap begins everything gets dumped into a pile and the grabbing begins.

4. Always have extra bags in case someone gets lucky enough to go home with more than they brought.

5. Do it again in a few seasons!

If you want to host a clothing swap in NYC or LA and want some tips and/or personalized attention feel free to contact us at diane@theclosetfashionista.com (LA) or maria@theclosetfashionista.com (NYC) and we can help you host a swap that ladies will be dying to attend season after season.

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A Hairy Situation

A Hairy Situation

May 16, 2013

I have hair issues. My hair is frizzy and thick yet fine. It grows super fast but when I don't use the straightener and let it dry naturally it losses about 8 inches. It's just as fickle and indecisive as I am. I've cut my hair three times throughout the past 10 years and it always grows back super slow until I start threatening it with another haircut. I've been leaning towards a bob cut in the past few weeks and made my appointment for this coming Saturday. I'm going to spend 3 hours getting a keratin treatment then will lose about 6 inches of hair. It's scary but I'm excited.

To prepare for this I figured I'd straighten it myself one last time and really think about it. Do I really want short hair? I never really cut it unless I trying to start over and kill off all the dead ends and lose bad hair habits so lately I've been second guessing myself but I'm sticking to the plan and giving it the chop.

Being that I am frugal and always on the hunt for inexpensive yet wonderful things I discovered the wonders of VO5 products. I've always seen them at the drugstore but my hair always needed special treatment so I always opted for more specialized products. Clarifying shampoo was always scary because I didn't want anything to strip away the bit of moisture that my hair had but it works wonders for makeup brushes which is why I snatched up a bottle of it a few months ago. For $.99 I couldn't go wrong.

My reason for owning the conditioner is because I was low on cash and wanted something moisturizing. The scent was also intriguing. I adore the scent of true vanilla and shea makes me melt. Together which the promise of being moisturizing and a good price I gave it a shot.

Blow drying my hair always leaves me with a puffy mess. I do more harm than good and then straightening it is a mission. I finally developed  method that works well for me and helps cut down on the pointless blow drying that happens when I don't have a keratin treatment.

First I wash it with my VO5 Tea Therapy Clarifying Shampoo and Silky Experiences Moisturizing Conditioner. Leaving the conditioner on for about 10 minutes and sometimes stepping out of the shower and applying heat so that it could sink in a bit more.

Last night I used Garnier's Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment for the first time. This worked wonders and I really like how it soaked into my hair without leaving it greasy. I first learned about Moroccan oil when I was desperately needing a hair stylist in Manchester after a heatwave in mainland Europe and the wonderful people at Reuben Wood used it on me.

after that I pull my hair back into a loose bun and blow dry it on medium heat. I call it advanced air drying. I don't want the heat to kill whatever moisture I've got in there. This can easily take 30 minutes so i just sit and watch Hulu.

With my hair totally dry I then begin the straightening process. That can easily take an hour but because my hair was able to 'air dry' it's a bit less puffy, curlier and easier to separate in order to straighten.

 Below is some of the result from last night. I did a collage to show my friends the result of the Moroccan oil. I was surprised at the length even though there's about half an inch that would need to get cut regardless. My hair, when heat is applied a specific way, is always super silky and people are always surprised at the before and after, especially when it's a new person doing my hair. It really is like magic.

What a difference straightening makes!

I think I'm going to miss my hair. I spent so many years wishing for it to just get past my shoulders and when I washed it last night I felt a thick lump on my shoulder and it was my hair begging me to let it stay. Sadly, it won't. I'm starting my second year in LA in a few days and I want to start it fresh.

Besides, it's only hair. It always grows back.

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How to Stay in Touch When You Travel Abroad

How to Stay in Touch When You Travel Abroad

May 13, 2013

                               

 As some who enjoys international travel more than anything I am always on the hunt for ways to make communicating with people back home and in visiting countries easy and affordable. Over the years I've found simple and affordable solutions to this problem and thanks to things like iMessages, GoogleVoice and other methods there is no reason to have anyone worry about your whereabouts if you're traveling to a major international city.


1. Wi-Fi. Gotta love wifi. When I went to Paris in 2010 I was going to get an Orange sim card like I had in 2004 but my brother gave me the best words of advice I ever received while traveling: Find a McDonald's. Lucky for me the apt I rented was three blocks away from one that offered free wifi and I was able to let everyone know that I had made it before even dropping off my bags. I did have wifi at the apt I rented but it was nice to walk around the city, stop and upload photos every time I was near a McDonald's or Starbucks as well as keep in contact with my travel companion that was due to arrive a few days later.

 2. Lebara Mobile. In London, as soon as I get off the train on St. Pancras I get myself a Lebara sim card. These allow me to have internet access while on the go while also allowing me to keep in constant contact with my friends while in the UK. Their little kiosk is my saving grace and I get 10mb of free data daily whenever I top up my card with 10£ or more. Not bad for basic usage but I wouldn't recommend constantly checking in on Facebook or Foursquare with such limited data that could best be used for maps or looking up train/bus schedules. Now they offer separate data charges but you don't travel to be glued to social media so I recommend what comes standard with any top up. Also included: Free incoming calls. If someone has a free VOIP like Talkatone then the call will be free for both parties. Not a bad deal.

 3. Google Voice/Talkatone- Best combination for travelers that don't want to buy a sim card and only want to touch base with people back home. Getting a google voice number is free and along with the other perks that it comes with (texts get sent to email, voicemail transcriptions) it works swimmingly combined with Talkatone. Talkatone is a free app that allows you to makes calls via wifi unlike the standalone google voice app that requires data. I tested this method and haven't had a problem with it. The calls are clear, they don't drop (so long as there's a decent signal) and it gets the job done. Google voice does work well with text messages as well as Talktatone but I prefer to stick with Google's native app for that. Texting on Talktatone is a bit slow for me.

 4. T-mobile. T-mobile now allows you to make calls using wifi. How awesome is that? I would have listed this as #1 but I realize that not everyone has T-mobile although a lot of people seem to be making the switch now that they finally got the iPhone! Not much to say about this other than it's pretty cool. About 10 years ago I had to practically beg them to let me use a different sim card when I was traveling to France. Oh how times change!

 5. iMessages. If you have an iPhone then you can communicate with other iPhone users without needing to start a thread with a new number. This also works with data/wifi so it makes keeping in touch easy.

There you have it. Ideally an iPhone with T-mobile pretty much wins in that respect as long as you have wifi but I haven't come across it in the cities that I've frequented in Europe. The other options are great if you have an iPhone with another carrier or a different smart phone all together. I'd recommend setting everything up prior to leaving so that all you have to do when you arrive is buy a sim card and pop it in.

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The Great Lace Debate-Spring/Summer 2013

The Great Lace Debate-Spring/Summer 2013

May 8, 2013

Summer 2013 by theclosetfashionista-nyc 

Lace shorts was a hot topic between some ladies and I in a group that we have where we discuss everything under the sun. I have to accept that not everyone is fashion forward so when the topic of lace shorts was brought up with a bit of nonacceptance I was a bit shocked. It's spring and 'tis the season for white hot lace short. Now when I talk about lace shorts I mean ones that have a lining, not just straight up crochet because that's only appropriate for the beach or a boardwalk as a cover up. White lace, as a main attraction or accent, adds a bit of delicacy to any look. Paired with this seasons hot colors, white or nude shoes and minimum accessories it's one of the easiest trends to wear year after year without looking dated.

I can't wait to put some extra bronzer on my legs, throw on some espadrilles and rock my lace shorts for a brunch date or a beach party down on Playa Del Ray or Santa Monica. Here's an outfit that I put together on one of my favorite sites, Polyvore, to showcase just not stylish white lace shorts can look when not thought of as lingerie.

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