Growing up a 90’s child was great for the toy era… Those were epic times – the 1995 mermaid Barbie was classic whimsical Barbie, the Polly Pocket by Rose Art board game that came out in 1994 (maybe the most epic board game created of all time?), and last but not least, sand art. For some reason, I found the concept of sand art to be so awesome when I was little – and honestly, I still do, today! Also, let’s never forget the technicolor wildness of Lisa Frank and the oh-so-popular ’89 release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Ariel is still my favorite princess). Well, the 90’s are long gone, but hopefully the nostalgia and colors galore can live on!
Bora Bora… The most fabulous spot to be if you’re ever in French Polynesia. In ancient times, islanders referred to it as “Pora pora mai te pora,” meaning “created by the gods.” I think that is aptly described; listening to my mother’s descriptions of her travels to Tahiti growing up were so magical that it put Bora Bora right at the top of my list of places to explore and travel to. Four Seasons Bora Bora has become a notable wedding destination as well. The turquoise waters and overwater bungalows are no doubt a place everyone needs to spend time in.
ILYSB by LANY is my current favorite jam… I thoroughly enjoy how their album cover is of a rosy pink colored flower bush. So, what does “ILYSB” and “LANY” exactly stand for? ILYSB stands for “I love you so bad,” and LANY is one of the hippest Indie pop bands around, their name standing for the cities LA and NY merged together, but pronounced “Lay-nee.” Paul Klein, their front man is currently dating actress Nicola Peltz, daughter of famed businessman Nelson Peltz. Nicola’s brother, Will Peltz, is currently signed with IMG Models Worldwide and has been taking the fashion world by storm. It’s quite the creative family. Paul Klein perhaps wrote “ILYSB” for another special lady, but I’m sure it applies well to his relationship with Nicola…
The Palm Court, one of the most glamorous places in all of New York City is located at The Plaza Hotel. They recently revamped their services and even had a partnership with VENUS ET FLEUR which offered a rose themed summer tea time! The fabulous fictional character Eloise is also infamous for her adventures living at The Plaza, so it’s always charming to take a young girl who loves Eloise for an Eloise themed tea party. The San Francisco equivalent, The The Palace Hotel’s Garden Court is equally esteemed and lovely to go to during the holiday season or if you just want a wonderfully historic and glamorous place to enjoy tea and have light conversation with your friends. When I worked at The Palace Hotel, I always found the Garden Court to be one of the best spots to visit in San Francisco, its glittering chandeliers and ambience is so lovely. I think there are some places that will never go out of style, and these are couple of those places.
Alec Monopoly, otherwise known as Alec Andon, is a graffiti artist who is best known for his depictions of of the Monopoly Man (a.k.a Rich Uncle Pennybags) set in a graffiti style world. Alec’s artistic ability to contrast the well-known cartoon’s placement as the scion of capital against the urban landscape that graffiti is known for has a distinct social dynamic at play that allows for viewers to consider the implications of recklessness in the financial world (Bernie Madoff was Alec’s inspiration for Monopoly Man) and its greater relationship to its role in society. Alec’s work has also been used for advertising purposes (ironically) for brands such as Samsung and TAG Heuer and also purchased by celebrities including Snoop Dogg. His works have been shown at Art Basel in Miami as well.
His most recent collaboration with The Beverly Hills Hotel was profiled by the LA Times with the article entitled, “Street artist Alec Monopoly is a blinged-out, social engaged paradox” and discusses the artist’s main influences (Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring), as well as the evolution of the Monopoly Man character itself in his life and art. Now, Andon feels consumed by painting him and living a “performance art” life, this forces us to consider how the Monopoly Man became an image of wealth to be proud of rather than a form of social critique, especially exemplified when he painted Khloe Kardashian’s Birkin bag and painted Adrien Brody’s Rolls Royce. To me, the art still stands as an opportunity to discuss a taboo topic for so many wealthy people: how does their wealth affect them and what can they do with it?
Alec, as an artist, is never pictured showing his mouth – he always covers his mouth giving him a stylistic edge and helps him differentiate himself as an artist, and lets people ponder if the voice he has found for himself is through his art which speaks rather loudly. His upbringing in New York by his wealthy financier parents, as well as the reckoning that occurred during the 2008 financial crisis and with Bernie Madoff, Alec’s artwork has provoked the art world and individuals to consider how the perils of excess wealth is not as sweet looking as the adorable Monopoly Man appears…
What is the best way to give your lashes a break? Finding a fabulous red shade of lipstick of course! If you’re feeling like now is a good idea to put down the mascara wand (it’s actually never a bad idea) and are thinking about giving those lashes a break, go ahead and find a red lipstick to offset the less voluminous look of your lashes! Personally, I am a firm believer in natural lashes – that doesn’t just mean “natural looking,” I’m talking about natural natural, as in you do not have falsies permanently attached or glue on falsies.
Follow this link to Charlotte Tilbury’s lipstick shade finder for all skin tones, it’s a great help for visualizing the full range of colors that can match great with your skin tone, as well as identifying the right shade of red for you!
At the moment, I am currently loving “Best Red” by Milani – all of their lipsticks are vegan and cruelty free, and smell SO good! It is a matte shade, so I would recommend a dab of lipgloss in the center of your lips after applying, if you’re not super into the matte look like myself. I love that it has great staying power, and I always get compliments on it when I wear it to work or out of the office.
One the lash front, there are great, natural remedies to improve lash growth, even when your lashes are doing great, it doesn’t hurt to use the following remedy (Carli Bybel has a great step by step video of how to mix the oils together). If you use the mixture described in Bybel’s YouTube video or just use pure castor oil that you brush onto your lashes in the evening, I can say with confidence, you will see a difference! My lashes have stayed long and healthy when I have kept up with applying oil and was light with my mascara. As the holiday season begins, welcome the red lips!
One of my favorite possessions is a copy of Assouline’s The Proust Questionnaire – it’s a book where your friends and loved ones can fill out the infamous questionnaire that French writer Marcel Proust wrote (his magnum opus being In Search of Lost Time). Each month, the last page of Vanity Fair magazine features a Proust Questionnaire to celebrities, and it’s remarkable the amount of insights you are able to learn about someone from the questions asked. It’s a wonderful gift to give and it’s a wonderful book to have.
One of fashion’s truly rosiest designers is a man from Lebanon: Zuhair Murad. His designs are princess gowns come to life with countless lace details and creatively sexy placement of lace – his signature style. Young ladies can graduate from Sherri Hill prom dresses to Murad’s designs in the US, unless you’re one of the debs who attends Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris like Sophia Stallone, Sylvester’s daughter. In that case, you step straight into the atelier couture, as Murad resides in Paris. As the point of Le Bal is for young debutantes to be introduced to society, they are given the honor of wearing a famous designer (atelier Dior or Chanel or Armani etc.), but in this case, Zuhair Murad has made a name for himself in a few short years as a notable and valuable contributor to fashion, seen on the likes of Catherine Zeta Jones, Halle Berry, and Hailey Baldwin. It’s an honor to wear the fashion house. The newly crowned Miss Lebanon, Maya Reaidy will hopefully wear his designs at Miss Universe this year, a lovely way to show off Lebanon’s finest designs.
November 6th is quickly approaching and I can’t emphasize enough, especially if you are in California, how important it is to go out and vote in this election. Gavin Newsom is my choice for Governor, and I am very open in my support of him as I think he is the most viable candidate in leading California through incredibly tumultuous times. An essential part of civic engagement is getting out there and voting, so do the thing, and go mark your vote!
Growing up, the commencement of the holiday season began when my mother took out our family collection of Gmundner Keramik pieces from Austria. These are hand painted ceramic pieces made in Austria. My favorite part of Christmastime was the beginning of Advent and when we would light our Advent wreath, which happened to be a Gmundner Keramik wreath. I was always dazzled when we would light the first candle of Advent, there was a sincere understanding of what Christmas truly stands for during those Sunday evenings. Gmundner Keramiks have been created since 1492. That’s right. Since the Middle Ages. These pieces are truly an Austrian tradition and stand the test of time as a symbol of Austria. Artists such as Gustav Klimt have been inspired by the designs of the famous ceramic house – Gmundner is timeless, and I’m proud that the heritage of my country remains so strong. Gmundner pieces are the perfect addition to any holiday table!
rosybvm.com 