Reinventing Beauty {Video!}

Have I ever mentioned to you that I have no concept of time?  Really, I don’t.  It annoys the heck out of people – even people who have known and loved me since I was a child want to shake me over this ridiculous lack of time-consciousness.  I’ll say I’ll be right back and I show up 4 hours later – tell you I’ll call you in 10 minutes and call you in 10 days.  I’m not denying that it’s annoying.  I live in Erika world, on Erika time.  It’s not one of my more charming qualities.

Speaking of never doing things on time – this brings me back to why I’m here.  Remember back in September I went to NYC to attend this little thing called Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week?  Well, while I was there I was invited to the CVS Reinventing Beauty Lounge – a pop-up spa like experience where I was basically pampered by having my nails, makeup, and hair all done.  While I was there, I was able to hang out with both Robert Verdi and Nigel Barker.  If it sounds like heaven…well, that’s because it is.

The highlight of the event was having my makeup done by Cover Girl Makeup Artist Jake Bailey.  He explained all of the different Cover Girl products to me, and gave me a rather stunning makeover with all of the products.  My absolute favorite of the bunch, which I have now incorporated into my daily routine, is the Outlast Lipstain.  It looks and works much like a marker — just paint it on your lips and go!  Jake also showed me a technique using a lip brush to get a lighter color from the lipstain that just made me look like I had these fantastic, naturally flushed lips.  I also fell in love with the Simply Ageless Foundation – and I am very loyal to my Clinique foundation, so that was a big jump for me!

Not that you are at all surprised, but I also made this video of my experience at the CVS Reinventing Beauty Lounge – it’s a lot of fun, and a little of me being silly (imagine that!) so enjoy!

Fancast is FANtastic

I enjoy unwinding by reading a book, watching TV, etc. but my biggest problem is always that there is nothing on TV that I am interested in watching at the time when I can actually watch it.  You know, like….at 3 am.  Usually I’m lucky to catch an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Can you sing all of the words to the opening song?  I can!) or maybe an episode of Friends.  That’s if I’m lucky.  Otherwise, I’m stuck with infomercials…which are neither entertaining or relaxing.

That’s where Fancast comes in.  It debuted in January 2008 and now has more than 10,000 hours of online video programming; with more than 60,000 videos available, including over 13,000 full-length shows.  That translates into “Erika can watch episodes of Glee at 3 am anytime she wants to.”  Squee!!  Also of note – tons of behind the scenes stuff, gossip, news on what shows are on the brink of cancellation, etc. I enjoy that stuff almost as much as I enjoy watching the shows themselves!

So, if you are looking for a place to catch an episode of one of your favorite shows, or if you are looking for something new to watch – check out Fancast!  Now, if you’ll excuse me…the cast of Glee is singing my name.

Monday Lust

No, no, no, I’m not lusting after Monday, but I did spend a good portion of my evening on Saturday falling in love with some of these amazing items.  My style is decidedly girly-chic with a dash of rock and roll and Audrey Hepburn mixed in.  No matter what your style is, I think you might find a piece here to lust after as well.  At the very least, it will lessen any case of the Mondays that you might have.  Enjoy!

1.  Net Ballerina Skirt from Lipsy.  $60 2. Leaf Clasp Waist Belt.  $29  3. Alexander McQueen Heart Peep Toe Pumps.  $835 $467.60   4.  Coach Madison ‘Juliane’ Tote.  $95/month  5. John Lewis Bow Leather Gloves.  $57   6.  Phosphorescence Bracelet. $42   7. Dolce & Gabbana dress.  $2,325 8.  Erickson Beamon Medieval Swarovski drop earrings.  $400.   9.  Charles by Charles David Fluster (in plum).  $125  10. MICHAEL Michael Kors ‘Berkley – Large’ Clutch.  $195.

See? I’m not the only one…

I swear, this is the last in my series of ohmygoshihavenoideawhattopacktothisconference posts.  I’m here.  I’ve worn jeans both days of the conference so far, and as Reem and I briefly discuss in this video (this was the 2nd take, my macbook ate the first one) – being comfortable enough to wear jeans?  Well, we kinda feel like we’re cool.  Oh, that and that we get to hang out in the special speaker lounge where we can do goofy things like make video.

Oh yeah, so I moderated this panel today on the Ethics of Mommyblogging with Colleen Padilla, Lindsay Lebresco, and Ted Murphy.  It was really cool, and tons of fun.  We didn’t have cupcakes like Shama – but let’s just say that we’ve learned our lesson for next year!  It went really well, so a huge thank you to all of them!

Speaking of cool – check out these two cool, yet exceedingly silly chicks. 

Wakin’ Up In Vegas {Video}

Don’t forget that you can win an iPod Shuffle for commenting on any posts during the month of October.  See the bottom of this post for details!

Yay!  Thanks to Collective Bias, I’ll be on a plane flying to Las Vegas for Blog World Expo in less than 10 hours!  Why am I not sleeping, you ask?  (By the way, that’s so sweet of you to be so concerned about me!)  Well, because I’m vlogging.  And also, because I’m a procrastinator.  Will I regret this in the morning?  Yes.

Ohh, but look!  I made you a video!

Now you can probably figure out why, after 6 days, I’m still not packed.

PS — Feel the urge to comment yet? How about some motivation? All comments left on my site for the month of October will be entered to win an iPod shuffle! To enter to win, just leave some sort of comment on any post from the month of October. You may enter as many times as there are posts, and get extra entries for tweeting. Comments that had a bit of thought put into them are greatly appreciated. Good luck, contest ends October 31st and 11:59 pm CST.

A Two Suitcase Kinda Trip

Don’t forget that you can win an iPod Shuffle for commenting on any posts during the month of October.  See the bottom of this post for details!

I’m so excited because I’m heading to Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this week – which sort of brings me back full circle to the beginning of my blogging days.  BWE was the first blogging conference I ever attended and is, to date, still my favorite of them all.  I’m excited to be returning, and even more excited to be moderating a panel on the Ethics of Mommyblogging on Friday.  If you’re going to be there, you should most certainly stop by, as I’m sure we’ll be discussing all sorts of hot-button issues (are you sick of hearing about the FTC guidelines yet?!).

Naturally, in order to do something like travel and attend a really cool conference, it is necessary for me to pack all of the vital items in my life into a little box to put under the plane.  Don’t worry, I’m flying Southwest, so it will be well taken care of.  The bigger issue is…UGH.  I have a closet full of nothing to wear.  And packing?  Well, packing ranks up there with sticking toothpicks in my own eyeballs.  Sorry to be so graphic, but it’s true.

I would totally pay someone to pack for me.  Know anyone who would and could handle it?  Make sure all of the outfits match?  Make sure I don’t forget anything?  Make sure it’s all washed and ironed, tucked away in neat little outfits as to avoid any confusion?  Is there a service for that?  There should be.  I’ll be their first customer.

You should see my bed.  It’s full of clothes, hangers, purses, etc.  I’m considering sleeping on the floor tonight, instead actually in the bed itself.  It would make things easier, don’t you think?

In the mood to giggle?  Watch me huff about hating to pack in the video below and feel free to poke fun at me in the comments.

PS — Feel the urge to comment yet? How about some motivation? All comments left on my site for the month of October will be entered to win an iPod shuffle! To enter to win, just leave some sort of comment on any post from the month of October. You may enter as many times as there are posts, and get extra entries for tweeting. Comments that had a bit of thought put into them are greatly appreciated. Good luck, contest ends October 31st and 11:59 pm CST.

Come Together With Macy’s {A Giveaway!}

Did you know that it is estimated that 1 in 10 households in America goes hungry or is threatened by the possibility of hunger? (via Oakland Institute)  This is an unacceptable statistic and one that we can fight together to change.  We need to help fund this effort, but we also need to help raise awareness.  Seriously, 1 in 10 homes?  Have you ever considered that you may have come across someone in your every day life that doesn’t have enough to eat?

Macy’s has launched COME TOGETHER, an innovative awareness and fundraising campaign that aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger. This campaign invites the public to host special dinners in their homes and asks their guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America.  The best part is that for every dollar raised, Macy’s will match it in kind, until the goal of 10 million meals is reached! 

Ready to get involved?!  Good!  There are three different ways to participate, and all of them help!

1)  Hostess with the Mostess! Host a party for your family and friends – think of it as a dinner party for a good cause!  You pick how formal or laid-back you want it to be – the point is just to “come together” for a good cause!  Instead of bring a gift for the host, suggest that your guests make a donation to Feeding America.  Plus, you can manage all of your details online!

2)  Give a little bit! You can donate $1 at any Macy’s register, and your dollar will provide dinner for SEVEN people.  I can’t think of many better uses for a dollar, can you?

3)  Shop ’til you drop!  On October 17th, shop your little heart out because you will get special in-store savings during Macy’s national Shop For A Cause day.  A portion of the $5 in-store ticket sales will benefit Feeding America.

To celebrate this fantastic initiative, Macy’s has offered to giveaway two $25 gift cards to two very lucky Chic Shopper Chick readers!  To enter, leave a comment below.  To score an extra entry, tweet this by clicking the button at the top of this page! Good luck!

This contest ends on October 18, 2009 at 11:59pm CST.  US entries only.  Winners will be chosen via random.org.

Bubbles and Bubbly {Video Recap}

If you’ve been keeping up with my escapades, you know that I returned to NYC for the second time in as many weeks. This time is was not to cover fashion, but to learn more about one of the things that enables me to take care of the clothing that I so thoughtfully invest in. Wisk and LaundryHE invited several of us social-media types to my adopted city to learn a bit about regular versus HE detergent.

Is this the part where I confess to you that I couldn’t even begin to guess the difference before Tuesday night? Now however, well, let’s just say you’re reading the random musings of a chick who is BUBBLE CERTIFIED. Oh yeah, no need to adjust your screen, you read that correctly.  The experts in effervescence gave me a major crash course in suds-ology.  I loved it.

All joking aside, I actually learned a lot about Wisk’s HE detergent at the event.  I heard the claims about HE creating fewer bubbles, and heard that too many suds can actually trap extra dirt and oils in your clothing and prevent them from getting clean — but it really clicked for the hands-on learner in me when I got to see it first hand.  I actually got to see the difference in the two detergents side by side, and had proof that HE got clothes just as clean with fewer suds, right there in my hands.

It was pretty cool.  I was kinda surprised at how much I learned!  Of course, I also learned all about Champagne from the sommelier who was on-hand.  Did you know that a good champagne should smell like toast or brioche?  Did you know that the better the champagne, the longer the taste will linger in your mouth?  Did you know that more pinhead-sized bubbles in your glass actually indicates a better champagne?  Now you do, and so do I!

Check out my video from the event below, and get an inside peek at the event.  You can also check out my Whrrl story for a better timeline.  Also, I wanted to let you know that you can enter to win a HE Washer and Dryer from Maytag and Wisk right now at LaundryHE.   Runners up will get a years supply of Wisk HE — so go check it out and enter!

Crazy About Harry {A Giveaway!}

I’m not sure how it works in other cities across the United States and other parts of the world, but here in New Orleans we feel a fierce loyalty to our city.  That loyalty, by all means, extends to well-respected local individuals who have found considerable amounts of success in larger markets.  That’s basically a lot of fancy words to say that we adore the celebrities that were born in our city (and even the ones who have adopted us, like Brad Pitt).  We like to claim them all, but we are especially proud of the musicians that are from our city.  What can I say; we’ve got a thing for talent!

Everyone here has a story about how they know a local celebrity.  They sat on a plane next to Robin Roberts, or shopped alongside of Jamie-Lynn Spears in Walmart.  (Please, she counts, ok?)  My story is that my 3rd grade teacher was Harry Connick Jr.’s godmother.  Heck, my best friend Emily from elementary school even dated her son and got to meet him on several occasions, if my 3rd grade memory serves me correctly.

See, the thing is…I don’t really get that excited about Ms. Spears in Walmart, but I’m pretty crazy about Harry.  See how I did that, there?  The whole calling him by his first name thing?  Yeah, that’s how I roll.  I’m sure it wouldn’t creep him out at ALL.

I love him in movies and on TV, but my favorite thing that he does, by far, is make music.  Flat-out incredibly amazing music, if it’s even possible to use that many descriptive thingies in a sentence.

Told ya I was crazy about the guy…I mean, ahem, his music.

Harry (more first name basisness) has just released his newest album, Your Songs, which is a) one of the best collections of familiar songs that I’ve heard in a while and b) really, really good.  I just caught a segment of him on the local news, and he seemed to think this was his 24th album to be released.  TWENTY-FOURTH, PEOPLE.  How many other modern musicians are this prolific?  Not only does the guy sing the most amazing Christmas music that you’ve ever heard (sorry, Bing, it’s nothing personal) but with this album he proves that he sings the classics just as well!

Anyone from New Orleans will immediately hear the influence of the city on the CD, even in these very classic songs.  My favorite track on Your Songs is “Your Song” coincidentally, enough – though “And I Love Her”, “And The Way You Look Tonight” also make me swoon.  Aw heck, the entire album makes me swoon.

If you’re not crazy about Harry, you should be!  Thanks to One 2 One Network I had the opportunity to get a first listen of this album, and now you can too!  One lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader will win a copy of his new album, Your Songs.  To be entered to win, leave a comment below letting me know why you are or want to be crazy about Harry!  You may also tweet about this contest for an additional entry (by clicking the little button at the top of this page!)

PS – Already crazy about Harry?  Then go check out some of the behind the scenes stuff that led up to making this album!

Contest ends October 15th, 2009 at 11:59 pm CST.  Winner will be chosen at random and notified via email.

“Wisk”ed Away to New York

Oh, things are so busy around the House of Chic.  (I just made that up, clearly it’s well past midnight and I’m still drinking coffee when the craziness hits the fan.)  I am so excited to be heading back up to NYC to spend Tuesday evening learning all about Bubbles!  Wisk has invited several bloggers up for a special event to learn about the inner workings of High Efficiency Laundry detergent – and I’ve gotta say that I’m pretty darn excited about it. As much as I’d just like to buy new clothes instead of washing and re-wearing the ones I already own, my limited budget prohibts such activites.  So…at the very least, it is extremely important for me to know the best way to take care of my clothing!

Naturally I’m really looking forward to it, as well as meeting some of the other bloggers.  Of course, before any of this can happen, I’ve got to get on a plane from my much beloved hometown of New Orleans to New York City.  And while that may sound like a simple little thing – it requires some form of goverment ID on my behalf.  Of course, as I discovered, there is one teensy, tinsy little problem.

My driver’s license expired a month and a half ago on my 27th birthday.  Oops.

So, first thing tomorrow morning, (oh wait, that would be in 5 hours) yours truly will be standing in line, waiting to get one of those eternally unflattering photos snapped for that little piece of plastic that tells the world that I passed a driving test at the tender age of 15.

Wonder if I should tell them that I drove into a ditch only 3 days later?

The good news is that I’m already packed!  Less than 48 total hours in NYC, and I’ve managed to narrow it down to 4 complete outfits, 5 pairs of shoes, 4 necklaces, 3 pairs of earrings, a blowdryer, curling iron, and flat iron.  Aren’t you proud?

I knew you would be.

TribeCon to rock Voodoo in Nola!

Calling all of my Nolaites!  If you live in or around the New Orleans area, I’ve got a huge treat for ya!  As a part of this year’s Voodoo Experience, the tech/web/interactive/cool kids community here in the city has pulled together an awesome one-day conference called TribeCon.

This is going to be one knock-it-out-of-the park (City Park, to be exact) kind of experience.  Plus, this year’s attendees will have the honor of saying “I attended the very first TribeCon” because you know something this awesome won’t just happen once.

So, if you are a social media lover, a brand enthusiast, a musician, tech geek, media maven, entrepreneur, marketer or just generally an all-around rockin’ person, TribeCon has something for you.  I mean, heck, check out the awesome lineup of speakers if you don’t believe me!

So, here’s what I think.  I think you should go.  It’s gonna be awesome, and heck, I’ll be there, so you’ll at least have someone to hang out with, right?  There’s no excuse.  Hey, even better – I scored you a discount code. When you buy your ticket you can use the code: NOLABLOGGER.  That little code right there will save you 25 bucks.

See?  Now you can use your savings to go out for drinks or dinner with everyone afterwards!  So go ahead, register for TribeCon!

(Don’t live in New Orleans?  That’s ok, you can still come, we’d love to have you!  We have quite the friendly city and we love meeting new people!)

Rocker Chick Chic

Fall looks are bringing back a bit of edgy glam with the Rocker Chic look.  Leather, motorcycle and bomber jackets, and metallic accents all hit the fall runways, and hopefully, your wardrobe.  If you haven’t already tried this look, I’ve put together a quick how-to with some pieces below!

Start with this adorable racerback Sphinx dress from ModCloth:

I took this dress and glammed it up with a black leather (or faux leather if you prefer) motorcycle jacket, some black tights, a pair of Nine West ankle boots, and some subtle silver jewelry for a look that is not only Rocker Chic, but just plain hot.  You will be stopping cars and motorcycles alike in this outfit, and I guarantee that you will have no trouble getting a cab!

Have you tried any rocker chic looks for fall?  If you have a picture, email it to me and I will post it here!