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Emmy Looks for Less From Azazie
Television’s elite rocked the red carpet to celebrate the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards and a rainbow of fashion frocks took center stage. If you want to sport a similar style, but not sure you can handle the price tag, don’t fear! Azazie.com – an online bridal wear retailer that boasts made-to-measure dresses at a fraction of industry costs – has an array of stunning styles to make sure you look like a million dollars, without spending it. For some style inspiration, highlights of the night include:
Wonderful in White – With summer wedding season barely in the rearview mirror, many celebrities – such as Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) and Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) – opted to wear white for television’s big night. Trying to extend her newlywed status a little longer, Sofia Vergara joined the club, donning a beautiful strapless white Marx Zunino mermaid gown that showed off her amazing figure. For a similarly stunning look, Azazie’s Misty ($249) gown is a flattering sweetheart tulle strapless gown with a full pleated bodice and corset back that is sure to fit you like a glove, without breaking the bank.
Red Carpet Ready – Red is always a sizzling color that ensures you’ll stand out in a crowd. Helping her to do just that, Edie Falco wore a beautiful one-shouldered red gown that accentuated her curves in all the right places. Similarly stunning, Azazie’s Carissa floor-length one-shoulder chiffon dress boasts a trumpet/mermaid silhouette, twisted flare in the back and one-sided ruching at the hip, all for the incredible cost of $129.
Orange is the New Black – Color dresses were abundant at the award show and Viola Davis is always one to embrace a bold hue. Tonight was no exception, as she wore a bright orange Zac Posen gown with thick straps and front detailing. Azazie carries several similar styles that offer a ton of bang for your buck. The floor-length Melinda dress (shown in Tangerine; $129) features spaghetti straps leading up to a halter neckline, pleating throughout the top of the bodice and pockets to stash some money and your favorite shade of lip-gloss. Kaitlynn (shown in papaya; $119) is a floor-length, empire style dress with a heavily pleated bodice that is sure to flatter any figure.
Back to the Basics – Celebrities were looking to make their mark at the Emmys and did so with interesting necklines (plunging galore!), embellishments and back detailing. Shailene Woodley showed off her sexy side, wearing a green spaghetti strap dress with double back strap detailing for a little edge. Azazie’s floor-length Kailyn ($119) dress boasts a similar strappy look, featuring an overlay of chiffon for an illusion halter neckline and back straps held together with a jewel button.
All Azazie.com dresses range in size from 0-30, as well as custom sizing and come in over 60 colors.
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Let’s Talk About “Bodega”
Earlier this week, Paul McDonald and Ashwath Rajan, two former Google employees, launched their start-up “Bodega”. The goal is to make corner stores, also known to many on the east coast as “Bodegas”, a thing of the past. Safe to say Twitter lost their minds! Almost immediately, “Bodega” started trending on Twitter. Their idea was to “combine the convenience of online ordering with the instant gratification of real world retail.”
There’s only one problem: you can’t replicate the Bodega experience.
A Bodega is defined as a small grocery store, commonly found in a low-income, urban areas, and Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. They sell everything from cold-cut sandwiches to nail files and toys.
To many New Yorker’s, their local Bodega employees are like family. These are the people who will make your bacon egg & cheese at any time of the day/night. This is the place where you find things you didn’t even know you needed. They understand the concept of “I O U (I-owe-you). When you don’t have any money to eat, they always have your back. Now it is time that we come together to help them out.
A big shout out to The Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development in New York for addressing the matter in a statement. “The awful irony of naming the company ‘Bodega’ after the very brick and mortar institutions they aim to displace, to say nothing about the cat their logo is based on that will similarly be displaced, is offensive, utterly misguided, and frankly disrespectful to New Yorker’s,” it said.
All in all, I am all for building a future, but let’s try not to eradicate and gentrify such an important part of many urban communities. More importantly, the vending machine could potentially put many mom and pop stores out of business. Minorities/immigrants own majorities of these small businesses, and depend on this as their source of income. Speaking from a personal experience, I grew up seeing my family work their butts off every day at our own Bodega where we serviced many poor communities and made sure everyone could afford to eat and buy whatever they needed. Using the term “Bodega” is offensive to the Hispanic immigrants who established their businesses in the 1960’s and 1970’s and built their legacy off serving their locals. Bodegas are all about the human interaction. Some fancy vending machine carrying cups of noodle soups and stale candy bars won’t give you that warm experience provided to you at your local corner store.
Check out the best Twitter reactions below:
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The Art of Mastering The Perfect Blowout
It is time to drop your weekly hair appointment to the salon, and pick up the blow dryer yourself! You know what they say, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Okay so maybe it’s not that big of a deal, but what if your favorite hair dresser is on vacation and you have an important date? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep these skills in your pocket for a rainy day. Mastering the perfect blowout isn’t as hard as you think. Check out my tips below!
The perfect blowout starts in the shower with a shampoo and conditioner specifically designed for your hair. I have fine and frizzy hair so I like to use sulfate-free shampoos. My personal favorites are the Moroccan Oil Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. The gentle hydrating shampoo and conditioner has antioxidant argon oil & replenishing nutrients to help cleanse & hydrate dehydrated hair. Make sure to get all the product out of your hair to make sure you have a long-lasting blowout. The conditioner leaves an oily residue in your hair that makes your blowout look greasy.
Price: $9.50/$10.00 for a 2.4 oz bottle
Apply a heat protecting spray to damp clean hair to avoid damaging your hair when using the dryer. I love the TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Leave‑In Spray. I have used this spray since High School when I flat-ironed my hair daily *cringe*. You can get it at Target for $4 and it works just as well as any fancy brand.
Price: $3.99
Next up, divide the hair into small sections. I divide my hair into 5 sections because my arm gets tired quite fast( I really need to hit the gym) and my hair is very thin making it easier to dry. There is no magic number for how many sections you can have but stick to working with a small amount of hair at a time to make sure that the hair is properly dried.
Here’s a more visual description provided by NEXXUS:
Start in the back of your head and using a large round brush wrap the hair around the brush. Start drying your hair with the brush vertically. Make sure the blow dryer isn’t directly touching your hair to avoid damaging your strands. Take your time with each section and add volume by putting the brush under the hair at the crown of your head. Twirl hair away from your face for that desired bouncy effect.
Conair – Infiniti Pro Hair Dryer Price: $32.99
Ceramic + Ion Thermal Hairbrush Price: $19.95
Spray your hair with a finishing spray to avoid any fly aways. I personally use HASK Flexible Finish HairSpray- Light Hold. It helps seal my hair without making my hair stiff.
Price: $4
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Game of Thrones: Daenerys Targaryen’s Best Outfits
If you haven’t heard of HBO’s Game of Thrones yet, I don’t know what rock in bikini bottom you’ve been living under. Just this past Sunday alone the show pulled in a total audience of 13.64 million viewers. That’s more people than the population of New York City and Los Angeles combined! Based off George R.R. Martin’s best-selling book series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, the show takes you through every single emotion possibly imagined. The costumes are also pretty incredible! One of my favorite parts of the show is how fan favorite, Daenerys Targaryen, has a new outfit for literally every situation. The queen is truly ready for anything! I mean did you see her snow queen outfit this past week?! Elsa who? From her draped dresses to her sexiest fits, Here are some of her best looks throughout the Game of Thrones series!
Let’s us know what you think of Daenerys Targayen’s outfits! Who’s best looks from Game of Thrones do you want to see next?
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NY + Company: Gabrielle Union Collection Review
After months of teasing on Instagram, Gabrielle Union FINALLY debuted her highly anticipated New York + Company collaboration this week. The collection is available exclusively in store and online. The 51-piece collaboration is described as polished, sophisticated, smart and edgy and includes everything from pencil skirts, peplum jackets, Kimonos, cropped pants, blouses, shells, and dresses. Did I mention that every single piece in this collection retails for less than $150?
Gabrielle Union’s impeccable style was a driving influence in this collection. It features versatile separates in bold prints and modern silhouettes, with a trendsetting twist. So if you are looking for pieces to spice up your work wardrobe this fall, I highly suggest you check out this NY + Co x Gabrielle Union collection. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Here are some of my personal highlights from the collection!
Cutout Jumpsuit
Price: $89.95
V-Neck Sheath Dress
Price: $79.95
Choker Blouse
Price: $54.95
Sleeveless Turtleneck Sweater
Price:$49.95
Long Floral Kimono
Price: $129.95
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Best Summer Beauty Products
There are so many great things about summer, but one thing I can completely live without is the damage it does to your skin. Everything from the sun burns to the excessive sweating makes it hard to keep your traditional skincare routine during this time of year. It is important to tweak your skincare routines in the summer to meet your needs. Here’s a list of the best beauty products to try this summer!
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Lotion – SPF 100
This sunscreen offers the highest combined UVA/UVB protection, and is proven to protect skin from over 99% sunburn damage. Plus, with an unbeatable PFA, nothing provides better UVA protection. Infused with a light, fresh scent, this elegant formulation is fast-absorbing, non-whitening, water resistant and lightweight. Neutrogena’s Dry-Touch technology provides an ultra-light, non-shiny finish and leaves skin soft and smooth.
Price: $9.79
Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea
An invigorating mist formulated with an infusion of nutrient-rich botanicals and cucumber essential water to revive dull, tired skin. Aloe vera and cucumber – both rich in essential vitamins and minerals – deliver a cooling boost of hydration as green tea provides powerful antioxidant protection. Skin is left feeling refreshed and revitalized.
Price: $7.00
Confidence In Your Glow
Get the look of an instant all-over vitality-filled glow, plus a boost of brightening and radiant warmth, in one simple step! From the sensorial experience of the fresh orange scent to the powerful vitamin C-infused radiance-boosting and brightening formula, Confidence in Your Glow transforms your complexion with high-performance, anti-aging ingredients and talc-free, ultra-luxe pigments.
Price: $32.00
Sunscreen Lip Balm SPF30
Sun Bum Lip Balm SPF 30 protects your lips from sun and wind damage. Aloe vera soothes dry, chapped lips while cocoa butter softens, repairs and enhances skin renewal. Use over bare lips or under your favorite lip color for added skin protection.
Price: $3.99
City Block Purifying Charcoal Clay Mask + Scrub
A 5-minute dual-action detoxifying and exfoliating clay mask. Appropriate for all skin types.
Purifies and polishes skin for a delightful deep-clean treatment. Natural bamboo charcoal and kaolin clay help remove pollution and impurities, while natural silica beads gently refine texture.
Price: $28.00
Ultra Facial Cream
This ultra facial cream helps reduce moisture loss while drawing and absorbing moisture from the air. It is the best you are constantly sweating. With continuous moisture replenishment throughout the day, leaves skin smooth, soft and healthy-looking.
Price: $27.00
Camera Ready BB Water SPF 30
This multitasking BB water with SPF 30 is an ultra-hydrating and oil-free formula that creates a sheer, radiant finish that lasts all day. It delivers a demi-matte complexion that’s never flat, creating a natural-looking canvas, and it minimizes the look of fine lines, pores, and blemishes. This unique BB water allows you to build coverage and does not cause any drying, cracking, or caking during wear.Price: $42.00
