NIKOLAKI at Rock Fashion Week LA and the Pink Dress Collection!

Lady In PinkNIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos and David Paul at The Pink Collection Fashion Show, Rock Fashion Week

Last week was Rock Fashion Week in Los Angeles, as part of the LA Fashion Week festivities--yes kids, LA Fashion Week was still going on! And Earlier in the month I received an invitation to provide one of my NIKOLAKI dresses for a fashion show being showcased as part of Rock Fashion Week--as well as for a worthwhile cause, the Susan G. Komen Foundation. My fellow NIKOLAKI partner and I headed to the Peterson Automotive Museum on Wilshire Blvd. , the site of Rock Fashion Week and where the show, The Pink Dress Collection was taking place.
Team NIKOLAKI: Designers David Paul and Nick Verreos at Rock Fashion Week

The venue was set up in a huge tent atop the Peterson where several fashion shows had been going on during the evening. I ran into the California Apparel News "gals", editors Alison Nieder and Jayne Seward. As we took our seats, we were excited for the show and soon a gorgeous model strutted the runway in black gloves and black pumps wearing our NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 Collection cocktail dress; a strapless number in salmon pink silk-linen-Lurex. She looked great! Model of The Runway: Nick Verreos and Tanisha Harper, backstage at Biatta Runway Show, Rock Fashion Week

Among the other designers who showed at the Pink Dress Collection/Rock Fashion Week included Tadashi, Betsy Johnson, Nanette Lapore, Nicole Miller, Karen Zambose, Jenny Han, and Petro Zillia. Biatta (a sexy lingerie line) showed right afterward and since we were there, both David and I decided to stay and watch the fashion show. I'm glad I did because I spotted one of my favorite Lifetime Networks Models Of The Runway, Tanisha Harper, who was modeling in the show of course.

Click Below for the Final Model Exits of Rock Fashion Week LA's "The Pink Collection":

Halloween Part Deux: Nick Verreos Interviews Perez, Paris, Kelly and more...

Nick-A-laddin Meets Modelinia!

<br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&vid=b5bf0d08-1f32-4db8-9d8b-eef79a48547f" target="_new" title="Heidi Klum's Halloween Party 2009">Video: Heidi Klum's Halloween Party 2009</a>

Here is the the video showing all the craziness on the Red Carpet for Heidi Klum's Halloween Party sponsored by MSN and SKYY Vodka. ENJOY!!!

Butterfly- Beauty in the City

Today I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Butterfly, a new beauty boutique conveniently located in the heart of the City (a two minute walk from Bank tube station).

The idea behind the salon is very simple- modern women deserve to feel beautiful! In today's fast paced society it is becoming increasingly difficult for women to find the time to pamper themselves, so the beauty treatments in this boutique were all created with the working woman in mind. These include make-up, hairstyling, quick facials, manicures and pedicures all completed within 30 minutes and at a reasonable price.

I really think this is a great idea (and wish I had thought of it first!). If you work in London this salon is a fantastic escape from the stresses of work at lunch time, if you want to relax and treat yourself, or after work, if you are going somewhere special.

I sometimes think it is so difficult for professional women, who work so hard to be taken seriously, to also be able to express their fun and feminine side. Having worked in the City before, I can appreciate how a male dominated environment can somewhat hinder evening plans. Perhaps your colleagues would not look too kindly on you spending the best part of an hour in the office bathroom and emerging in a ball gown, or that sexy little dress you have been saving for a special date. Fortunately, the Butterfly salon offers everything you would need to prepare for your special occasion including a handy changing room.

The boutique itself is small, but beautifully decorated, with a white french boudoir feel. As well as treatments it offers a small range of jewelry, Barbara Bort Italian luxury Make-Up and organic Pure Bliss Skincare. The skincare (which was used during my make-over) is absolutely fantastic and smells delicious. I am definitely going to research this brand further!

I was lucky enough to have my make-up and hair done on arrival. Normally this would be about £40, depending on the time required for styling. The make-up artist and hair stylists were both absolutely lovely and it was an extremely enjoyable and relaxing experience. I was also pleased to see that the whole make-over was very much customer orientated. At every step the MUA was making sure I was comfortable and liked the colours and products being used. This is not the kind of salon where they force you into looks that you would never wear. If you have a specific look in mind they will do their best to re-create it and if you are stuck for ideas, you can even pick something from their Butterfly look book :).

Here is a little photo, taken about an hour after the make-over

I did not have any preference as I had nothing planned that evening, so just let the MUA play around with a little colour. I really like this look, it is always fun having someone else do your make up and seeing what they come up with!

Overall, I was really impressed with the salon and the concept behind it. As I am currently applying for jobs in that area of London I have no doubt that I shall be popping in for a quick blow dry or manicure in the near future and taking full advantage of their loyalty card scheme. If you work in the City and find it difficult to find the time to pamper yourself I would highly recommend Butterfly for a post-work treat!!

What do you guys think of a pit stop style salon? Have you seen any in your area?

Halloween

In case you were wondering what I was for Halloween...

a playboy bunny! More accurately Bridgette (she is my favourite).

 

Guess which pumpkin I made ;).

Hope you all had a lovely Halloween weekend :) xxx

MAC Spree

As a bonafide bronzer addict, I have wanted to try MAC Bronzing Powder for a while now even though there have been mixed opinions on them. But the thought that always niggles me about these things is that I know that some products I like, some people may not like so I like to give things a try. I got MAC Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden and Bare Necessity Dazzleglass and Black Liquidlast Liner just happened to drop into my shopping cart accidentally (on purpose). You know how these things happen, you only mean to get one thing then you spot something else and think, well, it would be rude not to get them as well.

Above are swatches of the Dazzleglass and Bronzer. I didn't see much point in swatching the Liquidlast Liner since it's just black. As you can see the Dazzleglass is gorgeous! It's described on the website as a 'caramel apricot with red and gold pearl'. It will be stunning over my new Estee Lauder Vanilla Truffle Lipstick! The only thing that puts me off Dazzleglasses is the goo that sometimes forms where your lips meet...gross. As long as I don't put too much on I can control that.

The bronzing powder has a pearl finish and I kinda wish I had gone for the matte one now as I don't like shimmery bronzers for daytime. Sparkly does not equal natural! I prefer the soft matte look to try and fool people into thinking I have perfect skin. However, I think I could easily get away with this one at nightime. It's not the easiest powder to blend and it requires a bit more buffing than I'm used to but I do like the colour. All in all, I wasn't blown away by it, but it's quite nice for a glamourous nightime look.