Stay fabulous and warm on New Years

New Years Eve is an evening when many Fashionistas find themselves attending a semi-formal or formal event where keeping warm just is not on the agenda. Most party attire does not offer long, warm sleeves; rather, they bare the shoulder or provide little coverage in the form of a short sleeve. For an evening such as this, a wrap is in order.

The one type of cover up Fashionistas should have their closets, or invest in for New Years this year, is a black formal wrap. A formal wrap is an easy way to keep warm and not hide your entire outfit underneath a large coat. If you have a black wrap in velvet, silk or cashmere buried in your closet, then you are all set for keeping warm this New Years Eve without sacrificing your fabulous outfit. If you do not already own a wrap that works with your holiday attire or is basic black, then it is time to go shopping.

There are several classic yet festive wraps on store shelves right now that will also make great investment pieces. Iiana Wolf has a sequin silver and black wrap that is perfect for New Years and can easily be an investment piece for years to come. Gucci has a festive black or lavender animal print wrap that features fringe on the edges. Loro Piana has a wool scarf that features animal prints. Although not a formal wrap, the Loro Piana wrap can easily be worn for a semi-formal event and with any pant outfit.

The thing to look for in an investment wrap is longevity and quality. Wraps should be classic and in a color that you know will integrate well with your current wardrobe. The quality should also high since a wrap is on the outside of your outfit, it will be the first impression someone has of your ensemble. Look for quality wools, velvet and smooth silk. Happy shopping, Happy New Years and have a fabulous night  

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Loro Piana wrap from the winter 2010 collection. Photo courtesy of Loro Piana

Chanel nail polish “IT” list for spring 2011

Chanel nail polish is iconic. Every season Chanel dictates to the Beauty world what color should be on the fingertips of Fashionistas everywhere. Whether or not a Fashion-savvy or beauty-savvy shopper decides to follow the “IT” nail color of the moment is a personal choice. In the 1990’s Chanel introduced Vamp, which instantly took candy pink and cherry red off the fashionable fingers of the world and painted them a dark, controversial, brownish-red. Vamp is still on Chanel stores today and is arguably one of the biggest nail polish trends in finger tip history.

The past few years dark nail polish has been a mainstay on the finger-tips of the fashion savvy. With a few pops of pale pink and candy pink as well as last spring’s dark beige Particulaire, extremely dark polish has withstood the test of changing fashion trends. Some Fashionistas may be pulling out their carefully maintained locks at the thought of the high maintenance quality of dark nail polish. The chips show right away and can create a “hot mess” look with one major chip. While wearing dark polish, many beauty-savvy Fashionistas find they need to carry the bottle with them in their handbag; just in case of emergency.

Chanel has dared to test the patience of the fabulous, busy finger-tips of Fashionistas for spring 2011 with the introduction of Black Pearl. Black Pearl has already been named the “It” color for spring 2011 by many fashion publications and has garnered a waiting list upon its release on December 20, 2010. Fashionistas, who desire Black Pearl, might need to run in their 4” Christian Louboutin’s to the nearest Chanel beauty counter in order to snag a bottle. Thankfully, Black Satin from a few years is still on store shelves and Steel from the Chanel resort collection is also available at Nordstrom stores nationwide.

So for those who desire the Chanel “IT” nail polish of the season, there you have it. Black Pearl is the polish for your finger-tips. Of course, if you cannot get your hands on Black Pearl, or you feel $23 for a fleeting trend is too high of a price, check out the various black and steel polishes at Target. Sally Hansen has a fabulous color called Gunmetal which is a metallic black and only about two shades lighter than Chanel’s Black Pearl. For under $10, you can be right on trend with over $13 to spare. Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

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From left to right: Sally Hansen Gunmetal, Chanel Black Pearl and Chanel Steel

Platinum wedding band trends for 2011

Platinum is back. The last few years the recession halted many consumers from buying high end platinum setting for their wedding rings. Instead, many consumers went for less expensive 18K or 14K gold settings. Over the last year, many consumers have recognized that jewelry is an investment that appears to be more stable than the stock market, that being said, platinum settings are more popular than ever.

More than ever, celebrities have influenced platinum wedding sets in 2010, which means the ring settings that graced the ring fingers of Hollywood starlets will be front and center for 2011. Celebrity stylist and jewelry expert Michael O’Connor has pointed out the top six wedding setting styles from 201 that are sure to be the most requested styles as we move into the 2011 wedding season.

  1. Colored Center Stone: Gone are the days when American women feel the need to have the largest and clearest diamond on Earth. Colored stones are all the rage; as they have been in Europe for centuries. With Kate Middleston and Penelope Cruz wearing blue sapphires, Carrie Underwood in a yellow diamond and Kristina Bell in a colored diamond, the non-clear center stone is all the rage.
  2. Vintage or vintage inspired: Platinum rings with filigree or engraving work are increasingly popular. As seen on Megan Fox, Miranda Lambert and Christina Applegate.
  3. Ultra-Modern diamond cuts and bands: Asscher cuts with trapezoids and cushion cuts with split shanks; mixing and matching less common cuts is hotter than hot. Vanessa Minnillo and Maria Sharapova have both opted for unique mixes of cuts.
  4. Eternity bands: Emily Blunt, Megan Fox and Carrie Underwood have chosen eternity bands with their settings. The eternity band is a sparkling edition to any engagement ring.
  5. Pave and micro-pave: Nicole Richie and Zoe Saldana opted for pave settings to enhance their enter stones. Pave is an understated way to add sparkle without telling the world, “Here comes my hand!”
  6. Classic band: a return to the simple times. Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Dave Annable have opted for simple, platinum wedding bands which are shiny or brushed. The classic platinum band is the ultimate wedding band when it comes to understated elegance.

Platinum is classic. In the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s platinum wedding sets were extremely common. In the 1950’s through to the 1980’s, the cost of platinum and ever-changing tastes in fashion made yellow gold wedding sets all the rage. In the 1990’s the platinum setting returned to the center stage and is still going strong today despite a slight drop during the recession.

If you would like to get the celebrity look, check out www.preciousplatinum.com/designgallery?celebrityengagements

SOURCE Platinum Guild International-USA

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Carrie Underwood’s durable platinum engagement ring www.preciousplatinum.com. (PRNewsFoto/Platinum Guild International-USA)