Sun, February 22, 2009 at 2:27PM Dazed & Confused takes us for a spin in this video by Tim Richardson, titled “Rotation”. The video features a David Bowie- esque model styled by Robbie Spencer in pieces from Tom Ford, Hugo Boss, Givenchy, Belstaff, DKNY, and Tommy Hilfiger, among other designers. It may have been designed for a man but I WANT that robe.
Sun, February 22, 2009 at 1:01AM 
The Spring 2009 nail polish collections are remindng us of bright and sunny days ahead. One of the stand out colors for the season is blue. Because blue is one of my favorite colors and I think the shade is universally flattering (though perhaps a bit risqué) I believe everyone can find the right shade for them this spring. Below are a few of the season's standout hues.
Essie’s, Mesmerize (above) is the true stunner in their spring collection. Normally Essie plays it safe with variations on beiges, pinks, and reds. This beautiful medium blue crème polish is a pleasant surprise. The application, as with most Essie polishes was very smooth, no streakiness, and I only needed two coats. I hope Essie turns out more offbeat colors like this one. This one ranks close to perfect, with a 4 bottle rating.
Available for purchase at Nordstrom
Zoya’s spring collection called “Twist” included Jo (above), which is a combination of cornflower, robin’s egg blue, and silver shimmer . Zoya is known for having a wide range of long wearing colors. Their “Color-Lock System” includes a base coat, top coat, and drying drops that keeps chips at bay for at least three full days. Talk about miracles since the average polish on most of us starts looking “worn” after 24 hours. This polish gets a "perfect" 5.
Available for purchase at Zoya
China Glaze came out with a two-part spring collection called “Romantique”. It features six cool colors and six warm colors. “Adore” is a beautiful metallic turquoise from the cool collection. In general, metallic polishes are notorious for leaving streaks, however “Adore” has a smooth and buttery application and only requires two coats to achieve an opaque finish. This shade is an excellent choice for fair skin tones since it’s super “cool”.
Available for purchase at China Glaze.
by Kelly Keeton, VampyVarnish.com
Fri, February 20, 2009 at 2:17PM 
The Castle Starr line is as dreamy as the label's name. Lush fabrics, jeweled necklines, and beautiful tailoring will make any girl feel like a pretty princess. We recently had a little sit down with the president of the company, Dan Castle to get the inside skinny on his company and of course, his iPod.
1) We love the fact you are a businessman who uses his financial smarts to partner with successful designers. Describe your typical workday? There is no typical day at Castle Starr. There are times when certain aspects of the business are more pressing than others. For example, I divide each season we create into three categories, Design, Sales & Production and Shipping. PR and marketing are a constant focus as well. Certain times of the year I will spend a lot of time with the designers going over fabrics, color and embellishment and print creation. Other times are less glamorous and I am at the factories overseas checking on production or at the distribution center making sure our stores are shipped correctly and each garment has been inspected properly.
2) How many designers at time do you work with? Castle Starr has a designer in Paris and 3 in NYC. Everything is a collaboration.
3) Castle Starr is a fantastic name- we get the Castle part - where did Starr come from? Castles connote wealth and luxury. Stars connote love and creativity. Our customer has fine taste and wants what nobody else has seen before. She has a passion for fashion, she truly loves getting dressed up. The extra "R" in Starr is my way of letting everyone know that we are different than everyone else and focus on originality.
4) What do you find inspiring? My inspiration comes from our loyal customers. Anyone can come to our showroom and shop with us and this allows me to see the reactions they have to each piece in the collection. They get a great discount and my team gets free focus groups. By emailing info@castlestarr.com anyone can make an appt to shop with my team directly at our offices.
5) Top ten tunes on your play list? This year I have been playing guitar a lot so my play list are songs that I have been learning lately such as: Grey Street - Dave Mathews, Stir it Up - Bob Marley, Smells like Teen Spirit - Nirvana, and lots of Rolling Stones and The Doors.
6) Most treasured item in your closet: A custom suit I designed with the company Astor and Black
7) Do you have Fashion heroes, if not financial heroes? My fashion hero is also my financial hero and that is an easy Q to answer, Jay Z and Russell Simmons. If you research the deals they have put together, each deal could be made into a course in grad school.
8) Favorite fashion time period? Favorite time period for me is the last 5 years. Young designers erupted into the scene with plenty of support from the industry, CFDA and fashion lovers. It also spurred new creativity from the long-standing labels from Calvin Klein to GAP.
9) What do you think will be the must have item for every women this summer? Gowns
10) Famous Last Words: Are you implying my time is up ?! J
Castle Starr will be on sale on ideeli, February 23rd. Tiaras are not included with purchase.
Sun, February 15, 2009 at 2:28PM 
Cycling legend Lance Armstrong is offering a reward for the return of his custom-made bike after it was stolen from his team truck. The seven-time Tour de France winner and serial dater posted an appeal along with a picture of the bike on his Twitter page. He wrote: "There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off. Reward being offered.” The bike was stolen from his Team Astana truck outside the team's Sacramento hotel. The bike has distinctive yellow-and-black wheels and the logo of Armstrong's Livestrong foundation. Currently, Armstrong is embarking on the biggest adventure of his life scouring the US mainland to find his beloved bike, a material object he desires above all human relationships- it has been reported that bike has been taken to the Alamo- oh, wait a minute- I think that last part is from a Pee Wee Herman movie.
Sun, February 15, 2009 at 11:24AM
Fifty designers created their own version of a must-have wardrobe item for Barbie, a doll whose fashion sense has been legendary since 1959. Rachel Roy’s “modernized” version of Barbie’s very first look, was a personal favorite. You can’t beat a chic black and white striped bathing suit with a glossy blond ponytail and Bridgette Bardot inspired eyeliner, especially when you add a pair of va va voom Christian Louboutin heels. Remember, the original Barbie was a "working girl". Talk about being all doll’d up. A floor-length gold beaded showgirl ensemble complete with ostrich feather headdress by Bob Mackie garnered the largest applause even though the outfit seemed better suited for a Cher doll. The Malibu Barbie portion of the show was the sexiest. The big teased hair reminded us of early Tom Ford. Fingers crossed that a Dawn Doll fashion show is scheduled for next year.
