LITTLE ROCK — Ladies, have you gotten - or are you expecting - a very important question this holiday season, one that will have you shopping a very special January “White sale”?
If so, you might be interested in the spring 2013 collection of White by Vera Wang making its way exclusively to David’s Bridal stores.
It’s via this line that Wang, known for her celebrity wedding gowns, creates designer looks that are attainable for noncelebrities. The spring collection introduces six new wedding gown styles, ranging in price from $600 to $1,700. It also includes several colored-gown options, such as an ombre-print tulle ball gown available in blush or stone, and a charcoal strapless fit-and-flare style. The Spring 2013 Bridesmaid Collection also includes six new looks, $158-$198, in various shades.
So now you can be the celebrity who was “married in a Vera Wang gown.”
COLOR ME EMERALD
In the Oct. 28 column, I announced, based on news releases, that Monaco Blue was the Pantone Color of the Year for 2013.
Imagine my surprise to get e-mails stating that on Dec. 6, Pantone had named emerald green as “the” official color for 2013. Oooookaaay.What happened to Monaco Blue? Well, it appears Monaco Blue was just the “color of spring” for 2013. I even made reference to “Pantone’s other colors for spring,” although I didn’t specify Monaco Blue as a spring shade.
Anyway ... the Carlstadt, N.J., company, hailed as “the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries,” indeed announced its color 17-5641, Emerald, as the Color of the Year for 2013.
“The 2012 Color of the Year, ... Tangerine Tango, a spirited, reddish orange, provided the energy boost we needed to recharge and move forward,” according to the website. “Emerald, a vivid, verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight, as well as promoting balance and harmony.”
SEALED WITH A KISS
“Forget the bevy of beauty products currently in your shower. All you need for a good cleanse is the Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap.”
Having used Kiss My Face products a bit too long ago and in need of some heavy hitters among products catering to dry winter skin, I heartily agree.
Free of animal ingredients, artificial colors and unnecessary chemicals, this natural bar soap is imported from Greece and made with 86 percent pure olive oil.
Bob MacLeod and Steve Byckiewicz, founders of Kiss My Face, recognized olive oil’s benefits back in the early 1980s and began selling the Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap as their first product. Today, the soap, friendly to the most sensitive skin, has a lot of flavorful brothers and sisters (Olive and Aloe, Olive and Honey, Olive and Lavender),but is still the best bar in the bunch.
The Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap is available for $2.99 (4-ounce) and $3.99 (8-ounce) at Whole Foods and KissMyFace.com.
SUITED UP
Suitly.com, a new online custom menswear company, is introducing a new collection of wool blazers and pants “designed to keep wind out, warmth in and look like they belong on the cover of a men’s fashion magazine,” according to an electronic news release.
Every order from Suitly is custom tailored to the client’s body measurements, which can be taken with the help of another person using Suitly’s video guide. Every winter blazer offered by Suitly has up to 12 different customization categories ... from the style and width of the lapel to the lining inside the jacket.All winter wool blazers are made from pure wool with an insulating canvas lining.
“Typically when winter rolls around, people break out bulky clothing to keep warm but they just don’t fit right,” chief executive officer Matthew Krizsan says in a news release. “We wanted to create something that was both functional and stylish, outside of the realm of just standard suits.”
Each order is delivered within three weeks and comes with a perfect fit guarantee. Prices start at $289.99. If a suit doesn’t fit right, it can be locally altered anywhere. Suitly will reimburse the cost up to $75, or remake it at no additional charge.
Visit Suitly online at Suitly.com.
HAIR TODAY ... AND TOMORROW
Worried about dry air causing frizz, damage and breakage to your hair this winter? True, winter air is drier due to the cold conditions outside and the heated air inside. Hair can suffer.
Experts from hair-restoration company Hair Club have provided the following advice to get you through the season.
Choose a sulfate-free shampoo. A common ingredient found in shampoos, sulfates help remove buildup and debris. But, especially in the winter, they can also irritate and dry the scalp, strip color and shine, cause split ends, and cause the hair cuticle to become rough and coarse. Sulfate-free shampoos help attract moisture back to hair.
Use a round brush, a styling tool that helps to create lift, volume and the appearance of fullness. Choose one that has soft bristles and holes in the barrel to help circulate air and protect from intense heat.
Take a multivitamin that contains these four essentials for healthier, stronger hair: biotin, vital for hair growth and strengthening hair and nails; vitamin B, to enhance looks and fullness; vitamin C, which influences how hair maintains its color and the right level of moisture; and vitamin D, which works hand in hand with calcium to enhance hair growth and prevent drying and breaking.
Go easy on the hair care products and use the right ones. Too much of a product can limit natural hair movement, clump the hair together, weigh it down, and makeit look greasy, increasing the appearance of thinness or less hair. Stick to a dime-size portion of product, avoiding contact with the scalp so as not to clog pores or cause flakes. Use gloss drops to help reduce static.
In winter the key is moisture. When hair is wet it stretches, and as it dries it will shrink. If hair becomes overly dry and lacks moisture, it can snap and break during the drying process. Healthy winter hair is all about deep conditioning. Using conditioners with a lower molecular weight will allow for moisture to be delivered deeper into the hair, and won’t weigh hair down.
Limit artificial heat: Not only can heated beauty tools actually burn your hair, they also dry it out, leaving it susceptible to breakage and split ends. Only use a dryer once hair is damp (not dripping wet) and keep it at least 6 inches away, moving it continuously over different areas. Never leave irons on hair for more than 15-20 seconds. Heat protectors and/or a leave-in conditioner are always recommended to help protect your strands and increase volume but if possible, skip the tools a couple days a week and go au naturel. For more information about hair health, visit hairclub.com.
Dressing Room is published biweekly. Got fashion and beauty news? Contact Helaine R. Williams, Dressing Room, ArkansasDemocrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail:
High Profile, Pages 37 on 12/23/2012