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Tag Archives: Neiman Marcus

Mom-to-mom life hacks from designer Rebecca Minkoff

11 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in ATX Events, Fashion, Interviews, Shopping

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

designer, handbags, Kids, life hacks, mom-to-mom, monogramming, Neiman Marcus, Rebecca Minkoff, silver gel, tips

rm-interview-pic-1

Earlier this Fall, I received an invitation to interview Rebecca Minkoff before her meet & greet event at Neiman Marcus – Austin.  Rebecca Minkoff is an industry leader in accessible luxury handbags, accessories, footwear and apparel.  Her playful and subtly edgy designs can be spotted around the world on young women and celebrities alike.

Guests enjoyed light bites, cocktails, and hip beats while shopping a well-curated selection of Minkoff’s Fall ’16 line across all categories.  The space was full of booties with embroidery and clutches with colorful tassels!  A local artist was on-hand customizing pieces with monogramming, plus the designer herself signed purses for fans.  At first I was a little embarrassed to bring in my ancient canvas & leather tote, but turns out  Minkoff loved seeing this little blast from the past (it’s like 9 years old & bears her old logo)…and she even snapped a pic of it to share with her team!rm-bag-pic

Meeting her up close & personal was such a fun opportunity!  She is everything you’d imagine an international fashion designer to be:  tall, slender, styled all fashion-forward, but totally funny & charming, too.  She runs a legit major fashion line with her brother and seemingly rocks her role of wife & mom, too.  Of course, I couldn’t help but ask her about being a mom:rm-interview-pic-2

–What’s one thing every mom should have in her M.A.B.? (the ‘Morning After Bag’ that propelled her brand into the limelight)

RM:  A paci and silver gel.

–Silver gel?  Never heard of it!  Is that like colloidal silver?

RM:  Yes, it’s like this (gestures to a bottle of Purell on our table) but it’s natural.  It’s great for kids because they’re always touching everything.  You can put it on their fingers and just under the nose.

{Awesome tip for keeping the little ones healthy, right?  Apparently it has powerful antimicrobial properties.  Check out some brands & types of silver gel here on Amazon.}

–So I read somewhere that asking a woman “How to you balance it all?” is the new “What are you wearing?”  …I still think it’s a very relevant question for moms, so I’ll go ahead and ask it anyway.

RM:  It’s relevant because we’re all hoping someone has the answer, hoping someone’s got it all figured out.

–That’s comforting to hear that maybe even someone a successful as you is still perhaps feeling the same way as the rest of us!  You totally seem to have it all together, though.  What’s a mom-to-mom life hack you can share?

RM:  Hmm, that’s a hard one!  I try to do a very conscious job of not fitting kids into a mold.  I let them be free as kids, rather than this force of boxing them in.  I try & stay calm…just be a sea of calm, because they feed off how you react.  Comfort is greater than sympathy.

3 skincare lessons I learned from natural beauty trailblazer Tata Harper

27 Monday Jun 2016

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Au Naturale, Beauty, Product Reviews, Shopping

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Tags

Daily regimen, Elixir Vitae, green tea, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrating Floral Essence, Natural Botox, Neiman Marcus, Non-toxic beauty, skincare, Tata Harper, The Steeping Room

Tata Harper event.jpg

Early last week I had the opportunity to sit in on one of Tata Harper’s ‘master classes’ at Neiman Marcus Austin.  While sipping iced coconut green tea from The Steeping Room (my favorite!), a small group of beauty influencers got to experience Tata Harper‘s amazing offering of next generation beauty products.  The morning’s events were quite hands-on:  Tata herself flew in from Vermont and guided us step-by-step as we removed our make-up, double-cleansed, multimasked, moisturized, and even inhaled our way through her full line.Multimasking

Here are the top 3 takeaways from my morning with Tata Harper:

Check for antifreeze:  Non-toxic active ingredients matter more than we probably realize.  A popular ingredient found in many ‘anti-aging’ skin care products is propylene glycol — which basically antifreeze.  When are we going to stop putting this stuff on our FACE?!  Tata imagines one day we’ll look back on chemicals like this in our homes as we look back on lead paint now.  Tata says of her products:  “We provide clinical anti aging results without a single drop of synthetic chemicals.”

Formulations matter:  Say you do find a product without antifreeze or other nasty synthetics, now you have to look at the amount of good stuff they’re putting in to fill that bottle.  For example:  Hyaluronic acid is an active ingredient in Tata Harper’s Hydrating Floral Essence, an ingredient that costs a whopping $9,000 euros per pound!  Many products may tout Hyaluronic acid in their contents, but are only using a teensy-tiny little bit and watering it down with fillers.  100% free of fillers is crucial to getting real results from these high-quality active ingredients (and is important in getting the most bang for your buck!)

Daily regimen:  They have a prescribed set of steps for beautiful, youthful skin:

  1. Cleanse:  she recommended double cleansing with an oil cleanser first and then a regular cleanser to follow.
  2. Essence:  No more alcohol based astringent — spritzing an illuminating or moisture boosting ‘essence’ takes the place of old-school toners.
  3. Anti-aging serum:  If you’re serious about getting results from your serums, you need to use them a.m. and p.m. = every 12 hours.
  4. Moisturizer:  In the summer months, I usually forego moisturizer in lieu of my sunscreen or foundation, knowing my natural oils will soon take over in this heat.  However, Tata stressed that oily skin absolutely NEEDS moisturizer, too.
  5. Eye Care:  Tata takes time during this step to lightly massage her eye sockets & under eye area during application to reduce bags & puffiness.

Safe to say, I walked out of Neiman’s that morning feeling like I got the world’s finest organic facial.  I also absolutely LOVE the scent of everything…I noticed one of the lines on their brochure says their fragrance comes from flowers, not chemicals and you can really tell the difference!

Selfie from Tata Harper event

Mid-mask selfie!  In the middle of my Purifying Mask treatment.  This was actually step 4 in our process: first, Nourishing Oil Cleanser; second, Purifying Cleanser and third, the Resurfacing Mask.  Tata suggests keeping the Purifying Cleanser on under the Resurfacing Mask to heighten your glow.

So yeah…I want pretty much everything they make:  it’s all 100% free from synthetics, GMOs, fillers, gluten and synthetic fragrances.  Now, higher price points come along with that higher quality, so I limited myself to getting my one favorite thing from class which was the Hydrating Floral Essence to join my Elixir Vitae (natural botox, I swear!) at home.  So, have you tried Tata Harper skincare?  What’s your favorite product?

Camp Gorgeous at Neiman Marcus begins tomorrow

08 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Beauty, Shopping

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Tags

Camp Gorgeous, Hot weather, Neiman Marcus, Summer Beauty

Summertime & the living is GORGEOUS

As a wannabe beauty blogger, I must remind y’all that tomorrow starts the annual Camp Gorgeous event at Neiman Marcus.  Starting Thursday, June 9th, make a $100 cosmetics or fragrance purchase in store or online and receive a beach-ready tote with summer samples.  Couldn’t have been better timing…we’ve been out of town the last two weeks and the weather back home has officially shifted to melt-your-face-off hot.

I really adore the beauty department at my local Neiman’s (Neiman Marcus Austin in The Domain) — I feel like I can rest assured that they are offering the absolute best beauty products out there.  Plus, their gifts with purchase are usually pretty awesome and this summer’s Camp Gorgeous tote is no exception.  I love both colors, and looking closer at the pic, I can see at least three deluxe samples.Camp Gorgeous Totes

What products are on your summer beauty wish list?  Moisturizers & makeup with SPF?  CC creams?  A new summer scent?  I’m in the market for some new non-shimmer bronzing powder and easy-glide eyeliner that stays put.  Let me know your haute weather faves!

Fashion Trends for Fall ’15: my favorite looks

21 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Fashion, Shopping

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Tags

Fall '15, fall fashion, fashion shows, flare-legs, layering, Neiman Marcus, red, runway to real-life, Trend Event, winter white

Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting front-row for The Fall ’15 Trend Event at Neiman Marcus, Austin.  The evening centered around an intimate & comprehensive runway presentation where upcoming seasonal-appropriate looks were shown in addition outlining little details like earrings, tights, and even lipstick.  The main event was accentuated with sorbet cocktails by Frost 321 (think boozy ice cream!) and chic light bites.  Neiman Marcus has a way of not only cutting through the clutter by perfectly predicting next season’s big trends but also showing us ways to wear them.  Really, Fall is such a big season for both fashion in general as well as building a personal wardrobe so I always pay close attention to their annual fall forecast and plan ahead.  Here are shots of my favorite looks from their list of Fall 2015 fashion must-haves:

  • Folklorica:  A global array of embroidery, patchwork, lace, and fringeNeiman Marcus Fall '15 Trends: Folklorica
  • The Last Layer:  Dusters, ponchos, and capesNeiman Marcus Trends for Fall '15:  The Last Layer
  • Full-bodied Reds:  Crimson, carmine, claret (and for lips, too)Neiman Marcus Fall '15 Trends: Full-bodied Reds
  • White Out:  We’re forecasting a wintry mixNeiman Marcus Trends for Fall '15:  White Out (winter whites)
  • The Return of the Flare:  Jeans and pants with a leg-flattering kickNaiman Marcus Trends for Fall '15:  flare legs

 

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