Nick Verreos and John Wade Attend Oscar Party at East/West

Oscar Night Partying...
Last Sunday--Oscar Night--I was invited to the Out In Television and Film Oscars Viewing Party and Fundraiser at East West Lounge in West Hollywood, hosted by Linda Simpson and Jesse Archer and it was benefiting the Ali Forney Center. It may not be the Elton John or Madonna-and-Demi Bash--but it was fun nonetheless! Richard Morales invited and of course, i wanted to stop by and support!
Twosome: John Wade and Nick Verreos at the Out In Television and Film Oscars Viewing Fundraiser, East West Lounge

As my date (David had to stay home and do his Who-Wore-What Live Oscars Red Carpet Blogging for my blog here!), I brought my buddy, Marc Jacobs "L.A. Boy-toy" John Wade. We had a blast hanging out and watching all the awards madness. Eduardo Xol from ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

The place was packed with people enjoying all the yummy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. I spotted ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Editon" Landscaping expert Eduardo Xol, who was part of the same Sears Wish-Story Holiday Commercial/Ad Campaign I was a part of. Project Runway Sisters: John Wade (Season Two), Nick Verreos (Season Two) and Johnny Sakalis (Season 6), East West Oscars Viewing Party for Out in Television and Film

I was also excited to finally meet fellow Project Runway Alumn (and FIDM Graduate), Johnny Sakalis, of Season 6. He was extremely sweet, considering all the mean things I said about him back when I was doing my recaps for MyLifetime.com. We bonded over--what else--Project Runway, dish on fellow contestants, being Greek (me half) but not speaking it fluently, amongst other things. All in all, I had a blast hanging out with my Project Runway "sisters"!

ATTENTION San Antonio: Nick Verreos is coming to IADT!

Poster/Invite to IADT San Antonio's Imagine 2010 Fashion Show

Last year I co-hosted International Academy of Design and Technology's/IADT Imagine 2009 Fashion Show and I guess it was such a hit, they invited me back this year! This time around, I will be hosting the Imagine 2010 IADT Runway Fashion Event on March 19th (next week!) along with my beautiful sister Rita Verreos. Brother and Sister Act: Rita Verreos and Nick Verreos at the 2009 IADT Imagine Fashion Show

This is now going to be my 3rd time back to IADT San Antonio and they always put on a great event! And proceeds will benefit the non-profit Career Education Scholarship Fund. I love coming to San Antonio because my family lives there so it's a great excuse to see them!

DETAILS:
*Doors will open at 6 p.m. *Photo and interview opportunities also will be available beginning at 6 p.m. *7:00pm Runway Show *9:00pm Fashion Club After-Show Party *Tickets are $15 - $35 (great prices!!!) and are available for purchase on ticketmaster.com.

Come enjoy a fabulous night of fashion and support the San Antonio Designers of tomorrow! Hope to see you there!

FOTD: Nicole Richie at the 2010 Oscars

Loving the cut crease!

John Frieda Go Blonder- Guest Review

You may remember a few weeks ago I ran a competition to win a set of John Frieda Go Blonder Shampoo and Conditioner. The lovely winner Lovisa Devereux has been testing it out since and has kindly reviewed it for all you girls with blonde ambition :).

"I was lucky enough to win the competition Natalya held for the John Frieda Go-Blonder shampoo and conditioner!  I'd always wanted to try them out as i usually use Sunsilk blonde shampoo that is about £2 in shops (but funilly enough contains almost the same ingredients.)

Prior to using I investigated online to see what all the hype was and whether I was expecting unreasonable results. I was shocked by what I found. I was shocked by what some people where saying about acidity and hair thinning and brassiness, but call me foolhardy I decided to use them as I've ruined my hair over the years so I have nothing to lose. My hair has already been a multitude of colours!

Im glad those other reviews were wrong! After two days of using the shampoo and conditioner, I noticed that my hair felt a little gruffer, and really dry so I added in the purple john frieda conditioner (comes in a round gold tub) and that sorted that problem out- silky smooth again. I noticed that the shade of my hair was lifting in a way similar to that of when you go on holiday and the sun lightens, it wasnt dramatic so if you want lighter blonde that's VERY noticeable just bleach your hair, but if
you want a gradual, brightening of your shade (as long as you are champagne or lighter, NOT GOLDEN) then this product is great.

A week later and I've decided that I prefer using the go blonder shampoo with the frieda purple conditioner- I just dont think the go blonder conditioner did anything for me whereas the purple john frieda I already own sealed in the effects of the go blonder shampoo. I stopped using it for about 3 days and noticed that I was slowly returning back to my original shade which is a good thing as I wear extensions and hadnt been treating them with the go blonder, and there was starting to be a shade difference which also attests to the fact that this product works! It doesn't weigh hair down and smells lovely. Using twice a week has a nice effect, but obviously if you used it 3 or 4 times a week it would be more intense.

Negatives are that it takes a while to rinse out due to the consistency of the product, but I spend a long time in the shower anyway so this didn't bother me. Also there have been issues with peoples hair thinning... I already have thin hair so I didn't notice anything. Again everyone is individual and so if that happens, dont use the product.

As a clarifying shampoo it's great- if you have dark hair don't expect the same effects as peroxide as that isn't going to happen. My brown bits were cleaned and nothing more. Go Blonder products contain a significant level of citric acid and chamomile that have a lightening effect on blonde hair but very subtle effects which is perfect for people with my shade who don't want to mess with their highlights and lowlights too much.

In future I am going to repurchase the shampoo, but alternate between Frieda Go Blonder and the Sunsilk Blonde shampoo as they have similar effects. I wont be using the shampoo every week as it can be drying, but alternating should eliminate this :). I really didn't like the go blonder conditioner though and would recomend using the john frieda blonde hair repair conditioner that also doubles as a hair mask!"

To hear more you can find Lovisa's own blog here.

You can also join John Frieda's Facebook page for more info and contests :). www.facebook.com/johnfreidaUK

 Have you tried John Frieda Go Blonder? Did you notice any colour change. Don't be shy to share your experiences with the class ;p xxx

Nick Verreos LOVES Macy's: Nick Verreos Hosts Macy's Fashion Challenge Across America!!!

This Spring, Macy's and I ARE TAKING OVER AMERICA....one fashionista at a time!! I am so excited to announce that I will be touring many different cities across the US for the "Macy's Fashion Challenge"!!
Details:
The "Macy's Fashion Challenge" will be fashion shows put on at your local Macy's where the audience members/shoppers will be able to get involved and actually be part of a fashion show! Contestants will be paired with models and directed to create a complete outfit for a special occasion and the models will showcase the looks.
A Prize:
The winner of the "Winning Look" will receive a $100 Macy's Gift Card (hello!!!) to spend on their new Spring wardrobe.
Nick Extras:
You'll learn my "Do's and Don't's" (here's a hint: No Croqs on the Red Carpet!) and give you my "mini tips" on what's "In" or "Out" for Spring 2010. And of course, you'll enjoy being in an actual fabulous Macy's fashion show.

My First Stop: HOUSTON TEXAS!!!!
Deep In The Heart Of Texas: Nick Verreos will be at Macy's Houston Galleria at Hidalgo

To kick off my Macy's Spring 2010 Fashion Challenge "Tour", I will be at the Macy's Houston Galleria of Hidalgo, Saturday March 20th from 2PM-4PM!!!! Click HERE for more info and if you are in the neighborhood, come see me and say "Hi", enjoy a great fashion show and maybe get to win a $100 Macy's Gift Certificate to shop shop shop with!!!

I know it's Winter but...I love fake tan!

I seem to be struggling to get back into normality this week after being away in Norway. You know that feeling when you’re always chasing your tail and not making any progress? Roll on the weekend! I’m in need of a good lie in I think.

Now I know it’s still winter and a lot of people are embracing the pale look which is great but unfortunately, I always seem to look a whole lot better with a slight tan. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Whenever I’m feeling too pasty and my skin needs a bit of a lift, I always find that applying a bit of fake tan makes me look and feel so much more polished and healthy. I guess it really depends on your colouring but because I have redness in my cheeks and around my nose, I find that when I have a little bit of a tan, my complexion evens out and I don’t need as much foundation. That’s the main reason why I am addicted to the stuff. I have tried many over the years so I definitely know how to avoid the Oompah Loompah look!

As I had mentioned in a previous post, I have been testing out different self tans recently to find the perfect product to use for my wedding day. So far I have used the following products...individual reviews will follow in the coming days:

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Golden Perfection Self Tanning Milk
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Radiant Perfection Firming Body Creme

Clinique Self Sun Body Tinted Lotion (Light/Medium)
Clinique Self Sun Body Daily Moisturiser (Light/Medium)

Vichy Lipidose Nutri Sun

He-Shi Day To Day Gradual Tan
I wanted to try out gradual self tans as well as the ‘one time’ products that give you a lot of colour in one go. My logic was that I could control the colour more if I used a product over a longer period of time. Although, as you will all be aware, gradual tans can go patchy quite easily especially in areas like elbows, knees and under the arms. If you are using any type of fake tan (especially gradual ones) then it’s a good idea to get a good exfoliating product for your body.

That leads me onto a quick rave I wanted to share with you with regards to Loreal Exfotonic. I used to use this product years and years ago and I remember being mega impressed by it back then. But for some reason, I stopped using it…either I was hit by the beauty junkie curse of always being curious of what else is out there or it became harder to get hold of. I think it was maybe the latter as I can remember the product used to be sold in big tubs and then it seemed to disappear for a while (don’t you just HATE it when they do that with your favourite products!).
I was interested to see if they had kept the same formula as I often find that when brands repackage products, they claim it’s a ‘new improved formula’ and more often than not, it ends up being rubbish (yes, I’m talking to you, Herbal Essences!). However, Loreal didn’t disappoint with this one and it’s the same amazing formula as before. Now I would say that this exfoliator is kind of ‘scratchy’ but that’s what I like about it. I have tried other ones that contain salt or sugar and it all seems to disintegrate before I get a chance to exfoliate anything! This exfoliator really scrubs the skin and removes any rough or dry skin but I have never found that it makes it red or sensitive. I would never use this product on my face though as the skin is too delicate. It contains AHA’s which really smooth the skin and make it soooo soft. My skin felt amazing after using this and now I’m well and truly hooked on it! Another thing is that I love the smell…it’s hard to describe…it almost reminds me of a very subtle aftershave scent...a woody musk smell…sounds weird but it smells gorgeous! I am definitely going to buy a few back up’s when I’m at Boots at the weekend because this exfoliator is a must have for my wedding day skin prep regime!
A fantastic exfoliator for the face that I have just discovered is Oskia Micro Exfoliator. This is a relatively new English brand that have some amazing products. I love this face exfoliator because it has tons of small particles that feel so invigorating and they smooth the skin in a really gentle but effective way. The consistency is like a super thick paste and you don’t need a lot to cover the whole face. I just apply it in gentle circular movements, avoiding my eye area and massage it in for a couple of minutes. I have been using this for the past couple of weeks, together with the Clinique Comfort on Call moisturiser and my skin feels amazing.
Another of the Oskia products I really like is the Eye Wonder serum. This stuff feels like it’s going to last forever. It’s a watery gel consistency and you only need a teensy amount to cover the eye area. It’s really refreshing to use and I’ve noticed that it has cleared up some dry skin that I had right under my right eye. It contains……. This product helps to de-puff my eye area although I’m not sure it does anything for my under eye circles. Despite that, it’s really pleasant to use and I love that it’s going to last me for months and months.
Another product I have found that is great if you have forgotten to tan your legs before a special occasion is the St Tropez Wash Off range. The product I love is the………. It’s basically an instant tan gel formula that adds a really natural looking colour to your legs. Be warned though, it’s best to wear some gloves to apply this as it can stain your hands! (never a good look). I think everyone has spent a day trying to keep the palms of their hands facing downwards at all times after a silly self tanning mistake. I know I have! This product dries really quickly and doesn’t leave any sticky feeling at all which means you don’t have to worry about it rubbing off on your clothes. I also really like the Rimmel wash off instant tan products…they are a great budget alternative! I also love that they offer a shimmer version or matte version depending on your preference.

Obviously I won’t be touching the stuff for my wedding day though as the last thing I want is marks on my ivory dress!

So what are your fail safe self tanning products? What exfoliators do you love to prep your skin with?