Carolee LUX Fall

Lets take a look at  Carolee LUX  Fall  . Most of Fall is on sale now , the Art Deco collection will be available late September. I got to see many of these in person at the preview last month and wanted most if it.  Carolee LUX is a separate line from Carolee and filled with well, luxe pieces.

The jewelry  fits right in with the return to elegant dressing  that's starting to return as well as the Mad Men look that even has it's own line at Banana Republic now.

You can never4r go wrong with beautiful jewelry and Carolee makes in top quality. Pieces are heavy and well made. I've had some for 20 years ( I began my  love affair with beautiful jewelry very young) and they still look amazing.

This chain necklace comes in silver and gold. I like the silver. It's a lot like an Hermes piece I adored from afar a few years ago and one that you will  get loads of wear from . It can be  tough or elegant, depending on what you wear it with.  White T  , White button down, it all works.

The lariat necklace , station bracelet and large pin are from the  Art Deco line. I have an older bracelet similar to this  as well as some vintage ones ,  and again they make lots of appearances. The pin-  on your  winter wool coat, it will look fabulous and  seriously dress up  your every day look .

18 " Link Necklace  $150.00
Art Deco Lariat Necklace $ 150.00
Art Deco Bar Pin  $ 85.00
Art Deco Pearl Station Bracelet $ 85.00

http://www.carolee.com/ for more and where to shop.

Jessica Alba in Lia Sophia

We've been seeing a lot of pcitures of Jessica Alba in Lia Sophia jewelry lately. What's nice is they are personal time pictures meaning she choose to wear the pieces  as opposed to them being picked for her for an awards show etc. Her husband, Cash Warren,  tweeted the one  picture from a friend's wedding reception just days before she gave birth to daughter Haven.

Lia Sophia is a brand I got a look at last September's fashion week and really liked, especially the big industrial looking pieces. You have to shop via a brand advisor much like Avon,  but they have it all online to view.

In the Twitpic she is wearing the   Cabana Necklace priced at  $82 and the Sculptured Bangle Bracelet at $ 98.00

In the other she wears the  Global Tassel Necklace with Black Diamond Crystals and Moss   Tortoise Resin in Matte Gold priced at $375. Way to dress up a dressed down look.

http://www.liasophia.com/

Bargain Buy : Floral Enamel Ring From Macy's

I put this on my Tumblr but since that's so new, decided to share it here too. This ring was my weekend bargain find at Macy's. It was $7.00 before coupon and from C*C( City by City) on the clearance rack.

It's more cute than I usually go , but I love the late '60s vibe going on and the pretty coral enamel.  It's a fun, rest of the summer piece.

Fierce Feline Bangle at ShoeDazzle

I  adore anything in Panther jewelry. It's the Cartier thing. I 've got a nice collection going , no Cartier, but fabulous nonetheless.

So this new bangle from ShoeDazzle definitely caught my eye. Yes it's a shoe  website, but one that is branching out into jewelry and accessories with several pieces including this " Fierce Feline "  designed by Anya Sarre excusively for the site. Ms. Sarre is the Head Fashion Stylist for “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider   and is bringing some of her know how to ShoeDazzle.

Inspired by some of Ms. Sarre's personal collection ( I wonder if she has a panther collection too ?) the piece retails for $ 39.95 at http://www.shoedazzle.com/ beginning in September.

Ali's Collection Bold Cuff Bracelet

I posted on my Lucky Alpha Shopper page earlier this month a beautiful bracelet find. I love bold cuff bracelets and this one is from Chicago based Ali's Collection.

You can find more info at my page : http://stylespotter.luckymag.com/alpha/detail/692

My Summer Staples

Summer brings it's own special makeup , skincare and accessories. With my oily , perspiring skin, nothing heavy will do  and I like to get a bronzed glow on.   I  also love big bracelets as opposed to necklaces that sit on a warm neck this time of year.

Here are some of my every day staples of summer. Links lead back to my original review if there was one.

Havaianas- I used to think what's all the fuss about these flip flops? Then I got a pair. Now I have 4 and feel like I need many more. Far more sturdier than most and  very comfortable .

Guerlain Terracotta LipGloss- They release these in summer for a reason, they're totally right for the season. Usually they have SPF , unfortunately this time they don't. But the new bright coral shade is sheer and juicy,  and really not overly bright.  Perfect for a  pop of color. Still using last  year's more neutral bronze shade as well.  Doesn't hurt either that the packaging is so hot.

Dusting Powder- I live for dusting powder when it's hot. They refresh, cool and add light scent. Right now I am loving Caswell Massey's Lilac and Honeysuckle scents and Penhaligon's Violetta ( when do you ever see violet powder ? I've hoarded my tin for years now).

Citrus Fragrances- As much as I love fragrance, when it's really hot I can't do the heavier scents. I adore citrus always  but especially in summer. There are too many to show all of here, but Dior Escale a Pondicherry and Acqua Di Parma Arancia di Capri are two tops favs. Lancome's new O d'Azur  and Annick Goutal's Eau de Hadrien and Ninfeo Mio are  others that get a lot of use.

MAC Paint Pots- Cream shadow rarely  if ever lasts on me  but Paint Pots really work well. Better than powders often.  They are easy  and look great. Favorite  shade is  Indianwood.

Chanel Bronzer- I have two season's past version but they've released  one this year too. What makes this bronzer special is the bands of color. Just a hint of shimmer  and not too dark. You can skip the darkest ones if needed ( I  usually do) and just swipe across the shades that look best on you. I use the bottom ones for a nice light tan look.

Ray Ban Wayfarers- I wore these when they were cool the first time, I wore them when they weren't in style  and I wear them now that they are back again. I've never stopped loving  my Wayfarers and that's that. (  But somehow they got left out of the picture).

Clinique Acne Solutions Foundation- Kept my skin in top shape last summer, helping to hold back the oilies  and acne . It'll be back in the regimen this summer too. No messing with perfection.

Sunscreen (of course)- Hawaiian Tropic  Sheer Touch SPF 50 , this really holds up in water, best I've used for that. Anything with Mexoryl in it. It's the best SPF. Currently finishing my Ambre Solaire from France and have an Ombrelle waiting to be opened. For face- Clarins UV Plus HP  -no moisture, just SPF 40 , mineral and plant based. You never even know it's on. Skinceuticals Physical Fusion SPF 50 is my second fav  for face.

Bangle bracelets- Easy to wear when hot. Less sticking to your skin.  This one is  made of Mango Tree wood .  These are super fun, tribal looking, comfy and inexpensive. I also have a faux Ivory $3 one from H&M years ago that I wear all the time.

Blue Topaz ring- Thankfully I bought good jewelry  back when it was really well priced . This ring came from QVC at least 10 years ago and is Blue Topaz set in sterling. I have another similar one but set in a simple band. These are great for summer as the blue pops with a tan, is a summer color and  they are bold enough  to stand without other jewelry or look great with bangles  .

Phyto Sun Haircare-  For the past 2 summers the Phyto Plage Protective Sun Veil spray followed me to the pool. I use after swimming and run it through  my wet hair. It keeps it feeling soft and compensates for the drying and acidic effect of the water. If you have colored hair, it helps hold color in as well.

 What are some of your summer staples?  I'd love to hear .

Get the Royal Wedding Look - Carolee Earrings

When Kate Middleton walked down the aisle  Friday to become The Duchess of Cambridge she wore a lovely pair of diamond earrings. A gift from her parents, hers are oak leaves with a dangling acorn, though it's hard to see the details.

 Kate ( or her parents) chose wisely. The earring are just right for a wedding look. More than just a simple stud  which would get lost  and pale next to the dress and tiara, but not so big as to overtake the look from the  face or dress. A little dangle and subtle flash.

It's a look any bride can get and Carolee has the perfect pair.   These earring have a small dangle and while not an acorn, a  center pear shaped crystal stone. Just like Kate's, they are more than basic, but less than showy.

 What's nice is the price at $ 36.00 and knowing that you are buying a piece of jewelry that should last years. I have  Carolee pieces dating back to the late 80s that look as new as ever. Some were very unique and large so not worn a lot, but other got more use.  It's always been a line  for quality and there is a wide selection that not just bridal but also for anyone  looking for solid costume jewelry.

You can see more at http://www.carolee.com/

Dannijo Zwi Cuff

I love Dannijo jewelry. Love it. Usually because it's edgy and rock and roll . The Zwi cuff , made from Stingray, is a little edgy due to the studs, but a little elegant thanks to the  pink color . The shade fits right in with the "it" shade for the year -Honeysuckle  ( although the official shade name here is Raspberry).  It's also a great way to punch up an all neutral ( if you were me that'd mean black) outfit.

 $ 288.00 at http://www.dannijo.com/ ( available in 6 colors)

Kailis South Seas Pearl "O" pendant - Oprah Tribute

 South Seas pearls are a treasure and Kailis is an Austrailian family owned  company, who   harvest  these gems from their own beds located in Broome, Western Australia.

To commemorate and celebrate Oprah Winfrey's final show season and her  visit to the  country , Kailis has designed  a special pendant and charm just for the occasion.

Now whether you are an Oprah fan or not, you can still appreciate this beauty. The O medallion has an inner, separate circle with the inscription " Oprah, The Farewell Season. However,  this is not highly visible and not easily seen.

What you do see is a very modern piece of pearl jewelry. This is not your grandmom's jewelry . It's not fussy but carries that  inherent pearl elegance. I love pearls  and love how just right this looks .  It's  almost casual.


The pendant is  sterling silver  and has  a glowing 10-12  mm  baroque South Seas pearl   with 2 tiny black diamonds tucked into the bale on 2 sides (  a trademark of Kailis, they call it their "secret black diamonds" ). Each charm  can be worn together as shown or  on it's own.  The chain is long at 90 cm or approx. 34 inches.

  Most Kailis pearls are only available in Europe and the South Pacific as of now , but the Oprah piece is  available only is the US and Canada on http://ultimategift.kailisjewelry.com/ for $ 450.00

There you can also hop over to the main site and read more about the pearl harvesting etc, which I found really interesting.

Majorica Pearls

Pearls are almost always perfect. But these days I think many of us ( myself included) are not into wearing that basic traditional single strand. I adore pearls though and have many both real and fake.  They get pulled  out to look extra dressy or to dress up any outfit depending on the piece. 

A find last year was Majorica, these are what I call Modern Pearls. Majorica pearls are man made , not cultured , but they look very good.  Done in gold vermeil or silver there are many styles , few of which are stuffy. Mine is a gunmetal grey large pearl on a multi sterling strand. It's casual but dressy and goes with pretty much everything.

There are rings, bracelets and necklaces and most fall in  the under $165.00 range unless you go really big. My necklace shown first image was $ 125.00 I believe.

You can find Majorica at Nordstrom, Saks , Bloomingdales , Macys and more.

Joomi Lim Pearls and Spikes Necklace

This necklace from Joomi Lim is a perfect melding of chic pearls and rock and roll spikes. These are not your grandma's pearls. I love pearls and mixing them up like this, even more. The basic strand is usually not my thing.

There are also matching earrings and both are handmade in NYC.

The Joomi Lim pearl and spike necklace retails for $218 at http://www.joomilim.com/

Details per website:

14mm Swarovski Crystal based Pearl / 1" Brass Spike dipped in Antique Silver / Color: Lt. Cream / 15" - 17" / Handmade in NYC