Budget Friendly Beauty Hack: Hask Hair Products

After years of trial and error, I have discovered that not all hair products are created equally. I have also learned that when a product is more expensive this does not necessarily mean that it is always superior than a lower priced hair product. In recent years, my overly-processed and damaged hair has grown much healthier by staying away from two key ingredients, alcohol and sulfates. When purchasing hair products, I always check the labels and stay away from two ingredients. I find hair products with sulfates and alcohol to cause my hair to become more brittle and dry. Recently, I have been impressed with Hask hair products. Not only do they repair damaged hair and smell great but, they are also relatively affordable. Hask makes a variety of hair products for frizzy, ethnic, damaged, and color treated hair. Below are my favorite Hask shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioners.
Shop Hask hair products on Amazon, Boots, or Superdrug Store.

 

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Sample Sale: The Kooples

Over the past few years, The Kooples has become one of my favorite brands. The Kooples combination of edgy and classic tailored pieces truly fit my personal style.With The Kooples sample sale in full effect, I stopped by 150 Greene Street in SoHo. Since the sale ends this Monday at 8pm prices were an additional 20% off the price list.

The space was neatly organized with employees restocking merchandise.Rolling racks separated aisles with women’s clothing on the right and men’s on the left. For womenswear, dresses, blouses, denim outerwear, and suit pieces were the main attraction. For menswear, suit separates were the main attraction. In the far back were accessories and shoes for both men and women.

The sale ends tomorrow at 8pm. See below for a price list and my favorite items from the sample sale.

 

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Sample Sale: BaubleBar

Yesterday, I stopped by one of my favorite sample sales spots, 260 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District of New York City. There was a bit of a line to enter the sale but it moved quickly. Statement necklaces were the main attraction  with earrings and rings in a close second place. While there were also a handful of accessories such as phone cases and hair accessories. Necklaces were displayed on tables and were color coated by price tag. Rings began at $5.00 and necklaces went up to $25.00. I believe that there will be reductions later on this week.

See below for items and my favorite peices from the BaubleBar Sample Sale!

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NYFW: Victorinox FW16 Installation

This past week I had the pleasure of stopping by the Victorinox Fashion Week Installation at 18 Wooster Street. The 130 year old Swiss company primarily known for their swiss army knives and travel luggage put on  beautiful installation mixing art, graphic design, and fashion. With the Victorinox company gravitating more towards the fashion sector, the main focus of the installation was geared towards menswear followed by travel, and a few select pieces of womenswear. The Victorinox fall/winter 2016 collection brought forth a balance between modern and heritage with structured fabrics of wool, moleskin, denim, and plaid. Below you will find a few of my favorite pieces from the F/W16 Collection. FullSizeRender-7FullSizeRender-3FullSizeRender-4FullSizeRender-6

 

NYFW: Hugo Boss FW16 Show

On Wednesday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending the Hugo Boss FW16 Fashion Show at Skylight Clarkson Square in SoHo. With artistic director Jason Wu, the fall/winter 2016 Boss Womenswear collection revealed an array of both free flowing and structured designs. Classic black and white, earth tones, magenta hues and floral patterns were featured among curricular and asymmetrical hemlines and seams. The fall/winter collection revealed both classic high necklines along with edgier low cut necklines. The main focal point of the fall/winter 2016 collection revolved around the the tea length hemline. Body flattering dresses and coats hemlines graced slightly between the ankle and knee. See below for my favorite looks from the fall/winter 2016 collection.

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NYFW: Dan Liu FW16

During the height of New York City Fashion Week, I had the pleasure of attending the Dan Liu FW16 Fashion Show at Skylight Clarkson Square in SoHo. Award-winning Canadian fashion designer Dan Liu obtained inspiration for his FW16 collection from his Chinese and Japanese heritage and mulitcultural upbringing. His FW16 collection featured romantic, lace, knit, structured and free flowing pieces that are not only beautifully tailored but practical as well. One consistency in the FW16 collection was the classic high neck line, which will allow for these pieces to be worn transitional from day to night. Accentuating the female form, the Dan Liu FW16 collection featured above the knee hemlines with a-line dresses and coats in both pattern and solid prints. See below for my favorite pieces from the FW16 collection.

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John Varvatos “Rock Is Dead” Men’s Fashion Week 2016 Installation

The other night to kick off New York Men’s Fashion Week, I stopped by the John Varvatos “Rock is Dead” installation on East 1st Street. Taking place in the heart of the Bowery, the John Varvatos installation featured an eclectic mix of music, art, and fashion while raising the question,’Is Rock Dead?’ Upon entering the dimly lit exhibit, coffins lined the perimeter of the entry way and bright red florescent lights display messages, questions, and song lyrics. Throughout the installation, the John Varvatos clothing collection was featured on masked models, mannequins, displayed on the walls, and suspended from the ceiling.The dimly lit exhibit and the rock music created a surreal ambiance and kept guests on their toes as they walked through the different rooms of the exhibit and had a difficult time differentiating masked models from the masked mannequins. Upon entry of the last room of the exhibit the entire ambiance changed. The last room, which was featured in bright white, had puffy  blue clouds on the ceiling and a large majestic unicorn statue in the center of the room . The message “Long Live Rock” was displayed in large letters on on the back wall. The suggestion oflife after death attempts to answer the question: rock isn’t dead, long live rock!

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Featured Flash Sale: Beyond the Rack

With so many luxury department stores opening discount outlets, including Saks Off Fifth, Last Call Neiman Marcus, Barney’s Warehouse, and Nordstrom Rack, flash sales have nearly became a thing of the past. Luxury retailers are finally beginning to understand the value of discount luxury resale. While I find many of my luxury items at these discount retailers, my favorite flash sale website is Beyond the Rack. Beyond the Rack is a Canadian-based flash sale website (they ship to the U.S.) which features a variety of items from mens, womens, children, accessories, and home in both the luxury and non luxury sectors. Over the last five years I have purchased a good number of my luxury handbags from Beyond the Rack and have at times saved thousands of dollars versus the retail price.

Sign up for free to become a member using this link: Beyond the Rack Sign Up

Here are a few of my favorite items that Beyond the Rack is currently featuring:

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Celine Micro Luggage $1699.99

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Burberry Heymarket Scarf $159.99

Online and In-Store Find: Club Monaco Everett Coat

Over the past two years I have been on the hunt for the perfect winter coat. Not only have I been looking for a winter coat that is practical enough to keep me warm during freezing New York City winters, but I also wanted a winter coat that is fashionable enough that I actually enjoy wearing. After desperately searching online and in-stores, I finally found my ideal winter coat at Club Monaco. Club Monaco is currently running a promotion both online and in stores for an additional 30% off already reduced sale and clearance prices. I fell in love with the navy wool and black leather Everett Coat. Not only is this coat made from a heavy wool but it also has genuine leather sleeves that give this classic coat a much more edgy style. The Everett Coat not only impressed me with the quality of wool and leather but also on the price. The original price of this coat was $595.00, and after going on sale for $419.00 and then applying a 30% discount the final price of the coat broke down to be $293.00!!

Shop the Club Monaco Everett Coat here and use code: ‘January’ for 30% off sale and clearance items.

 

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How to Save – H&M Wool-Blend Biker Jacket & 15% Off Your Purchase

I love H&M from fitted blazers to their edgy casual clothes and everything in-between. For the last two weeks I have been lusting over a black and gray wool moto jacket that I saw online for $59.99. I bit the bullet and  decided to stop by the newest H&M NYC location in Herald Square. To my surprise, I found the moto jacket in my size. Also to my surprise, it was marked down to $15.00. H&M is notorious for having different items on sale in the store and online. In addition to snagging the moto jacket for a clearance price of $15.00, I received 15% off of my purchased for partaking in H&M’s recycled textile program. At any given time you can bring a used garment of clothing (does not need to be from H&M) and donate it to H&M and score 15% off your total purchase. After receiving the 15% discount the total price of the moto jacket was $12.75 which is a tremendous savings as compared to the online price of $59.99.

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 H&M Wool-Blend Biker Jacket