Proenza Schouler Exclusive Collection at Net-A-Porter.com

Lovely lads, Jack and Lazaro of Proenza Schouler have designed an exclusive collection for net-a-porter.com. So, jump for joy, and embrace such fashionable fortitude—every corner of the globe will be hustling online next month to purchase a piece of Proenza Schouler.

Since 2005, net-a-porter.com has sold the collection in over 70 countries, and in celebration of their established online relationship, Jack and Lazaro have designed a limited edition, ready-to-wear, first ever exclusive capsule collection.

The nine-piece collection is inspired by surf classics and favorites styles from pre-spring. Think Baja and board shorts, reinterpreted in luxurious styles that include a mini-dress, skirt, jacket, and a sweater and of course—shorts. Available online, and all mobile devices in May!

Spring Is Time for Spanish Wine

Spain has brought us more than bullfights and Raphael Nadal—the wines of Spain are some of the most expressive, dense and powerful wines in the world. From La Mancha to Rioja to Toro to Cataluna to Wine Enthusiasts “Wine Region of the World” for 2012, Ribera deDuero—the country thrives on great wine, many created with a base of Sangiovese (the key grape in Rioja with many offshoots dominating Ribera del Duero and Toro,) to Granacha and Carienna, to crisp white Albarino. Here are a few suggestions to try as well as an easy springtime sangria recipe to create for a crowd at your next rooftop barbecue. These wines are ideal for pairing with anything from grilled beef and lamb to fresh seafood, croquets and any of the many fantastic cheeses and Serrano hams from the region.

2011 Martin Codax Albarino: $13, Albarnio from the Rias Baixas region of Spain. Stainless steel fermented then aged on the lees (yeasts) for 4 months creating a wine that is crisp and light on the open, leading into a nicely rounded and balanced palate filled with lemon, green apple and herbs.

2007 Campo Viejo Reserva Rioja: $15, the Tempranillo grape is grown from the most recognized Spanish region and still one of the best regions for approachable, food friendly wines—ideal for everything from barbeque to hearty grilled pork and game. The Reserva has to be aged at least 3 yrs, and at least 1 year in oak. This one is 18 months in oak and 18 months in bottle before released, creating deep black cherry, blackberry, cedar, vanilla and caramel notes.

2007 Morlanda from Priorat: $48, one of the hottest regions in Spain producing killer Garnacha and Carinena based reds. This one blends 50% of both from the mountain fruit on the estate to create an intense, concentrated succulent and powerful red ideal with grilled meat or lamb.

Spring Sangria

1 bottle Rose of Tempranillo or Garnacha
1 bottle Moscato (borrowing a bit from Italy for a touch of sweetness)

1/2 cup triple sec or Cointreau

1/2 cup apricot brandy

2 tablespoons superfine sugar (optional)

1 cup orange juice or lemonade

6 ounces lemon lime soda or club soda

Garnish with fresh berries, lemon, orange and lime wedges and fresh mint

Birkin + Hermes at Heritage Auctions Spring Luxury Auction

This giant yellow glossy book arrived in the mail, replete with a rare Hermès Diamond Blue Jean Crocodile Constance bag on the cover—screaming Spring Luxury Auction. Now that got my attention! All I can say is, I LOVE Heritage Auctions.

Hermès Extraordinary Collection 18cm Diamond Blue Jean Porosus Crocodile Double-Gusset Constance Bag: 56185, opening bid $40,000

Hermès Ultra Rare 30cm Matte White Himalayan Crocodile Birkin Bag: 56124, opening bid $40,000

If you go barmy over a Birkin, the Heritage Auctions Spring Luxury Auction, which includes Fine Jewelry is going to set your wallet on fire. Last week the HA team hosted a private preview in Dallas, this week in Beverly Hills from April 19-21, and the preview in New York will run from April 26-27, with the live and online auction on April 28—fine jewelry will auction on April 29^th.

Chanel Natural Lizard Jumbo Double Flap Bag: 56231, opening bid $1500

Bulgari Stunning 18K Yellow Gold Melone Minaudiere Evening Bag: 56294, opening bid $25,000

The extensive collection of stunning luxury accessories features exquisite and rare items from names such as Hermès, Chanel, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels. Four of the world’s rarest Hermès bags are up for auction, along with two Limited Editions owned by Kim Kardashian: Hermès 40cm Limited Edition Veau Doblis & Barenia Grizzly Birkin Bag with Permabrass Hardware—opening bid $10,000 and the Hermès 50cm Orange H Swift Leather Kelly Relax Shoulder Bag with Palladium Hardware—opening bid $7,500.

Bottega Veneta Shiny Black Crocodile Tote Bag: 56379, opening bid $1000

Judith Leiber Full Bead Pink & Gold Crystal Cupcake Minaudiere Evening Bag: 56319, opening bid $1000

What more can I say! If you cannot attend the live auction in New York, you can simply start bidding now. Good luck.

Who: Heritage Auctions

When: Online bidding now, live auction on April 28

Where: Fletcher Sinclair Mansion, 2 E. 79^th Street, 10075

Visit: HA.com

Seven Days of Wonder: Rotation Skin Therapy

We all have fifty thousand skin care products lurking in our bathroom, and we’ve all done it—layer them on top of each other, trying to reach the perfect pinnacle of radiance, tone, luminosity and wrinkle reduction. Reality? Irritation, sometimes lots of it. And, unbeknownst to the most well intended skin care neophyte—some ingredients can actually cancel each other out. Say it isn’t so! Put vitamin C on top of vitamin A (aka retinoid) and POOF! You might as well have flushed your very expensive creams down the “loo” as the Brits would say.

Enter skin care line: Seven Days of Wonder—rotation skin therapy. What we do intrinsically for our hair (rotate those shampoos ladies!), Seven Days of Wonder will do for skin care. Eureka! It’s a bonafide miracle. The skin does not have a chance to accommodate.

Monday: Smoothes And Resurfaces, Tuesday: Softens Fine Lines and Wrinkles, Wednesday: Lifts and Firms, Thursday: Silken and Hydrates, Friday: Energizes and Radiates, Saturday: Lightens and Brightens, and Sunday: Protects and Repairs.

This skin care line has me raising a well Botox’d eyebrow; I am thinking that they may be on to something—I am most certainly going to give this a try.  Visit: 7 Days of Wonder.

Pucker Up: Vbeauté Has a New Dimension of Sex Appeal

Having recently reached bonafide beauty star status after celebrating its one-year anniversary at Bergdorf Goodman, vbeauté debuts its foray into color just in time for spring! The luxe skincare line now offers its coveted Lip Spread Color Glosses in six, sassy shades personally curated by founder and president Julie Macklowe.

With names like Naked, Truth, Vain, Dare, Virgin and Vixen, you’ll be certain to lose your inhibitions when you pucker up next. Each hue is formulated with a new blend of polymers that enrich your pout via a combination of three-dimensional shine and color, while a cushiony finish optically plumps to give fuller, more lusciously kissable lips.

Which mood are you?

Shop: www.vbeaute.com. Also available in Bergdorf Goodman stores.

Tiffany Leather Collection Blossoms for Spring 2013

This season Tiffany & Co. blossomed by expanding its signature shade of blue to include a bouquet of brightly colored handbags, straight from the minds of design directors Richard Lambertson and John Truex.

Tiffany Reversible Tote: $875

Function meets fashion in this collection, which includes everything from reversible tote bags to evening clutches, all inspired by looks from the runway. Bags take form in rich hues of daffodil, geranium, camel, and white made from luxe leather, wicker, and crocodile. Says Lambertson, “we were inspired by flower markets in the city and the sun-drenched countryside.”

Quinn Top Handle: $1,395

Ava Box Clutch: $1,195

The real gem, though, is the Central Park Picnic Basket. This one-of-a-kind basket contains all outdoor essentials like china, a sterling cheese knife set, corkscrew, bottle stopper, glass tumblers, and a park ready Merino wool blanket. There’s even a matching wine carrier with room for a bottle, two glasses, and cocktail napkins. Talk about luxury lunching!

Central Park Picnic Basket.

Tiffany Leather Collection items can be found in select store locations and range from $50 to $16,500. Visit: Tiffany & Co.

Zoe Kravitz Sparkles for SWAROVSKI CRYSTALIZED

It’s no surprise that Zoë Kravitz is an ‘it’ girl, of rocking proportions, with Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet as parents—even Alexander Wang is amused by his muse.

This week the savvy Swarovski peeps, launched their latest collaboration: The Zoë Kravitz for SWAROVSKI CRYSTALIZED.  A capsule collection of nine pieces, designed by Zoë Kravitz is inspired by tribal influences accented with turquoise, her birthstone, and feathers and crystals.

Zoe Kravitz and mother Lisa Bonet.

Dinner at The Gramercy Park Hotel Rooftop Terrace.

Alexander Wang, Zoe Kravitz and Ryan Korban.

Elisabeth Stark Vice President of Marketing for Swarovski hosted an intimate dinner at the Gramercy Park Hotel Rooftop Terrace and invited New York tastemakers within fashion, design, film and music.  Mum Lisa Bonet, along with actor Penn Badgley, interior designer Ryan Korban, designer Pamela Love, Kate Lanphear, Arden Wohl, Zani Gugelman, the producer of Silver Linings Playbook Bruce Cohen, and DJ Questlove, all dined at the exclusive celebration.

Zoe Kravitz Ring $90, Zoe Kravitz Earrings $103, Zoe Kravitz Bracelet $90.

The collection officially launched today and is available in New York, Vienna, Wattens, Innusbruck and London. Visit: Swarovski.

Photo: BFAny.com

Sparkling Wines That Bubble With Taste

Champagne is usually the preferred bubble when celebrating a special day or occasion—but there are hundreds of delicious sparkling wine options available that won’t break the bank—which means, more available funds for that latest stiletto, you’re coveting.

Make sure your bubbly is fermented using the high-quality traditional method—Méthode Champenoise; it’s the second fermentation that creates those glorious bubbles that takes place in the bottle. Here are a few options.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava is potentially one of the best Cava and sparkling wines made in the world, and it retails for roughly $10 a bottle. Made from the traditional Spanish grapes in Cava and in the traditional method, creating a lively, very dry and fresh sparkler filled with lemon and apple with a slightly toasty finish.

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs is the sister winery to Segura Viudas in the Carneros region of California. Their 100% Pinot Noir sparkling wine made in the classic method creates a lively bubble with layers of cherry, strawberry and cola ending with a very dry, elegant, bold and luscious wine.

Domaine Carneros Brut Cuvee blends the classic Champagne grapes of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir together for a delicate bubbly layered with ripe golden apple and pear mixed with honey and buttered brioche notes with a long, lingering finish.

Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blanc Méthode Champenoise Sparkling Wine is 100% Chardonnay fruit made in the classic method creating a crisp and textured California sparkler filled with green apple and tropical pineapple notes with just a touch of ripe pear on the finish. 
All delicious!

Get Beautiful at Net-A-Porter’s New Launch The Quintessential Edit

Today is a HUGE day for the beauty industry and online shopping. The London-based luxury fashion e-tailer, Net-A-Porter, launches a beauty section today called The Quintessential Edit.

Offering top beauty lines from every gals beauty A-list, who can resist e-shopping for lines such as 3Lab, Aesop, Beauty Works West, Chantecaille, Ilia, James Read, Joya Ames Soeurs, Phillip B, Sarah Chapman, and my two favorites Le Metier de Beute and Natura Bisse. I can’t wait for my skin care or foundation to arrive in their uber luxurious packaging.

My newest discovery is also available—my new go-to product for anti aging. Diamond Life Infusion Youth Biomarker Serum by Natura Bisse is on the cutting edge of nanotechnology. This serum is especially formulated for skin over 35 and, according to the company, “Provides and extremely effective rejuvenating action with “retinoid-like” effect of cell renewal, improved skin tone, skin texture and luminosity without the common side-effects of sun sensitivity, dryness, irritation and inflammation”

Natura Bisse is on the cutting edge of anti aging. This serum utilizes the most technologically advanced modalities known to science. These include bio-magnet nanosomes, stem-cell preservation biomarkers, telomere protection biomarkers, cellular-aging control biomarkers, oxidative damage regulation biomarkers and the revolutionary diamond delivery system. I don’t think it’s possible to squeeze any more technology into a single drop! And the results are fabulous.

AERIN: Garden Color Beauty Collection Induces Spring Fever

What does Spring look like in a compact box? Vibrant and fresh as ever, with soft golden touches, judging by AERIN’s limited edition Garden Color Collection for Spring 2013. It’s nearly impossible not to become completely besotted with the eponymous lifestyle maven’s endlessly wearable collection for cheeks, lips and eyes that are said to be inspired by the shades of early spring flowers.

Aerin Spring campaign.

Two aptly named color palettes each offering three eye shadows and a blush—A Garden in Bloom with nearly nudes and A Garden at Dusk offers striking bolder colors that truly make us want to wear pastel, no matter the shade.

A Garden in Bloom, spring style palette, $70.00.

Rounding out the collection is the Floral Illuminating Powder, a silky concoction of six soft pastels that swirls together into one beautiful shade to brighten any complexion; the Multi Color for Lips and Cheeks, universal creams in even sweeter names like Sweet Pea and Freesia; the AERIN Lipstick, a creamy pick-me-up for you to pucker up to; the AERIN Lip Gloss, in just-bitten hues of Poppy, Cassis and Pink Rose. And, every piece of the collection is infused with AERIN’s signature floral scent and prettily packaged up as per the brand’s effortless beauty ethos.

Lipstick in Garden Path, $30.00.

Simply the freshest spring launch I’ve seen so far, this collection has visions of cherry blossoms dancing in my head!

Floral Illuminating Powder, $55.00.

AERIN Garden Color Collection is available for a limited time now at select retailers and online at AERIN.com and esteelauder.com.