On Our Radar: The Plaza Re-Opens

Back in the day when we were an intern before our senior year of college, we went to our very first grand event at the Plaza--an award show for the trade magazine we were working on at the time. We felt as if we were the epitome of glamour in the white spaghetti strap dress we had bought for the occasion. We still have the invitation in our scrapbook, along with some stirrers and matchbook with the original Plaza logo.

Since then, we've been fortunate enough to go to a handful of events and even had the opportunity to stay at the hotel. Unfortunately, this means we were also witness to the grande dame's demise: we were served out of chipped glasses and dealt with navigating around the tiny, outdated bathrooms that even had a speck of mold and no shelf for our toiletries.

Count us among the masses who will be lining up to visit the newly refurbished version, opening its doors tomorrow. The website promises that after the 2-year $400 million renovation, the hotel will keep all the fixtures we know and love (tea at the Palm Court, a lobby that duly impresses Eloise wannabes) along with some much needed improvements. We, for one, were excited to read about the 24-carat gold plated Sherle Wagner designed sinks and fixtures, which are certain to be mold free. Other highlights are a branch of the always fab Warren Tricomi salon and a the Oak Bar. But you'll find us at the Champagne Bar! Not only does it serve our favorite bubbly (anything served in a glass), the menu was created by Jean Georges' alum Dider Virot.

For reservations, click here.

A Place We Don't Want to Go: The Eastern Garbage Patch

You can't travel as much as we do without being in love with the planet and we mean in a big way. In fact one JSG member has a tattoo of the globe! We were stunned to read in the March issue of W magainze about the Eastern Garbage Patch, a giant mass of floating trash, in the Pacific. This "island" is reputedly twice the size of Texas! Debonair banking air, David de Rothschild will be journeying to it on a raft built out of water bottles later this year on his Plastiki project. David founded AdventureEcology, which is the sexiest green movement we have heard of to date. His site offers fun daily tips, that not only were new to us, but are things we actually plan to do. Take yesterday's tip: Pour the dregs from your bottle of wine (either colour) into an ice cube tray and freeze. Next time you feel like risotto, and some extra flavour with your ready-made stock cubes.

So think about this mound of trash next time you use a plastic bag, buy bottled water or run the water while you brush your teeth.

While we're on our soap box and speaking of ink, we hope you'll indulge us a little longer:

A Tasmanian Devil isn't just every frat boy's favorite cartoon character for a tattoo, it's also an animal that lives on Tasmania, an Australian island. We were dismayed while at a cocktail party recently to learn that the Tasmanian Devil is in danger of becoming extinct. The poor little guys are developing a deadly cancer which typically kills them in under 5 months. In areas of high density population areas, the disease has already wiped out 90 percent of the devils in only 10 years. No one knows what's causing the disease and the environment may not be to blame.

Researchers are hard at work trying to find a cause and a cure. For more information, go to Save the Tasmanian Devil.

Sexy V. Slutty

We’re still a bit perplexed about the differences between dressing sexy and slutty, so we checked in with our friend and fellow Jet Set Girl, Monica Diaz, expert and founder of Style Matters, for some advice. “Sexy is never loud it is more of a whisper,” says Monica. We're all ears!

Here’s Monica’s list for the top 10 sexy items every JSG must own:

1. Anything silk - the way it drapes and reflects light silk is very sexy and feels sexy. (JSG Note: Our S.O. actually prefers silk lingerie to lace)
2. Jeans - the right jeans look sexy on both sexes.
3. High Heels - They make your legs look amazing! Just make sure you can walk in them (JSG Note: So true! Our S.O. hates when he sees a woman who has a wobbly or duck-footed walk.)
4. Backless dresses or tops - I love the surprise factor of a top or dress that is completely covered in the front and then your back is completely exposed. Very sexy.
5. Low cut tops that show just enough to keep them guessing.
6. Red is very sexy and every woman should own a red dress.
7. Soft skin so a great body cream with a touch of shimmer is sexy. (JSG note: Our fave shimmer cream is Mario Badescu’s Summer Shine Body Lotion. It gives the perfect touch of shimmer—not to little and not so much that you look sweaty.)
8. Perfume worn so that the person needs to be next to you to get a whiff of your scent.

9. Earrings the right color and shape earrings can add life and sex appeal to your look
10. Dresses are so sexy, especially if they flow and move with you and especially when it has a slit. The slit when you walk or sit is like a game of peekaboo.

We think we got it now--Scarlett Johansson, not Paris Hilton.

Strong and Sexy

Gucci by Gucci: this is not a perfume for the weak at heart. Quite the opposite, it's bold and spicy, similar to our Narciso Rodriguez. We loved wearing it dancing with our girlfriends and also for a special night out with the significant other (who kept saying,"God you smell great!). It was perfect over the holidays and lasted all night. This may not be right for the office; but it turned heads when we wore it out. No doubt we'll have it on with our Jimmy's this weekend.

Available at Neiman's, Saks, and Gucci boutiques.

The Secrets to Being a Good Bridesmaid

We love planning bachelorette party getaways. So much so, that it inspired us to start this blog. We took everything we've learned from planning the perfect bachelorette party, with just the right mix of girl bonding and debauchery and made that the basis of The Jet Set Girls. (We've also taken 30th birthday trips, which morphed into taking annual trips, which morphed into taking trips whenever we can get away!)

Because we know we're good at planning bachelorette parties, we know we're also good bridesmaids. Between us, we've been in 16. We were stunned to read in yesterday's NY Post in "Brides Maid to Order" about a bride who makes her friends sign a bridesmaid's contracts that says they should not gain weight (we've been a pregnant bridesmaid); have no visible tan lines (granted, a suggestion Cameron Diaz could have used at last night's Oscars), and not drink at the reception until the bride says it's okay (total dealbreaker!). The kicker was this bride wanted to plan her own shower but still expected her 'maids to pick up the tab. Ugh!

We have our own, kinder, gentler set of rules which have served us well:

1. Never be a bridesmaid to an insane bridezilla.

2. Walk slowly and smile when you walk down the aisle. So many bridesmaids look at their feet as the hurry down the aisle. You may hate than you're in a coral strapless with a ginormous bow, but that doesn't change the fact that 100+ people are looking at you. Put on a smile and rock that frock!

3. Make sure the family of the bride are having a good time — they may not know as many people there, are going through familial stress associated with a wedding or are just shy. Trust us, if Uncle Fred is having a good time, everyone at the wedding is, too. We even went so far at our friend Shawna's wedding to have our date make sure her demanding mother had a drink in her hand at all times. It made everything easier for everyone involved.

4. Showers are inherently boring ("Oooooh, a toaster! A wine goblet!"). Try a co-ed cocktail party. Or if you must do a luncheon or tea, make sure the wine is flowing!

5. Planning a kick ass bachelorette party getaway? Not sure where to go? Email us your questions at jetsetgirls@gmail.com and we'll help you plan a party for the ages!

On Our Radar: The Sundance Resort

The JSG make no bones about loving the beach; but a couple of times each year we bundle up and hit the slopes. Leave it to still sexy Robert Redford to develop the most woman friendly resort we could find. Not only does Utah's Sundance Resort, not far from Park City, offer world class skiing (remember the '02 Winter Olympics?), but when you need a break from the slopes, there's still plenty to do. The town's Art Shack offers 2-hour classes on things like jewelry making, watercolor and pottery throwing (who doesn't still fantasize about being Demi More in Ghost), the Spa at Sundance uses traditional Native American healing techniques and shopping and restaurants abound. If you're looking to brush up on your skiing skills, the mountain also offers women only ski and snowboard clinics. What a great way to fine tune your skills without "distractions."

While we're at it, here are a few pointers to make the slopes more friendly:

1. Always wear high SPF- nothing makes your nose look bigger than a day on the slopes and a sunglasses line on the bridge of your nose. One of our faves is the Kiehl's All-Sport "Non-Freeze" Face Protector.

2. Always wear chapstick- rehabbing peeling lips is much harder than avoiding them.

3. Remember our tips for the perfect snow-bunny pony.

Now on to the important stuff:

4. If you tree ski, keep up with the guys, or have children, consider wearing a helmet. They're not as goofy on the slopes as they used to be and you can take them off as soon as you get to the chalet.

5. A drink at lunch is fun, but don't get carried away. You're not half as good of a skier/boarder as you think you are after multiple cocktails. The first aid room is full of people who have made that mistake.

6. Never exaggerate your abilities to a friend or prospect, once you are hovering over that mogul run you'll wish you'd kept your mouth shut. The mountain is a great equalizer.

Girls’ getaway questions to ask your friends before you plan your vacation

It goes without saying that you want a great group of girls who you’re psyched to hang out with for a weekend or longer. What makes a trip most successful is when you travel with a group of girls who define a good time the same way and are on similar budgets. A few questions to consider:

1. Can all of you veg out in a lounge chair for hours? Or does one of your pals need to chat, play card games and take walks at 30-minute intervals?
2. Are you OK with going out to nice dinners where entrees cost $30 or more? Or is one of you more the type who wants to scarf down Taco Bell in the company of her own hotel room?
3. Can you split up and do things separately? Or does everything have to be a group activity?
4. If one of you finds a guy to dance the night away with, are the others going to be cool entertaining themselves?
Some of these things you'll never know til you're in the thick of things and certainly none of them are deal breakers, but it never hurts to define your expectations up front.

Got any other questions to consider? We would love to hear 'em!

One More Reason to Watch the Oscars

We know, we know. There are hundreds of reasons to watch the Oscars from seeing who is going to dress Kiera, Reese and Drew, how crazy Johnny Depp’s tux is going to be this year to who will actually take home the big awards (our money is on There Will Be Blood). But here’s a reason not to run out for more ice or Cab Sav during the commercials (or at least if you do, push pause on your DVR)—the new Diane Von Furstenberg commercial for American Express.

We love, love, love DVF, an original jet set girl herself. Not only does she make some of the sexiest and most flattering clothes around (though we’re still not quite sure if the blue dress we bought last year was not in fact a top. Whatever—it worked in Vegas!), was disco fabulous as a Studio 54 fixture back in the day, but we once ran into her shopping her own sample sale where she gave us fashion advice—swoon!

Her commercial was shot by Bennet Miller the director of Capote and the print ads were shot by Annie Liebowitz. The commercial follows her around her home and design studio. We’re still cracking up over the Ellen DeGeneres commercial where her raccoon makeup artist gives her raccoon eyes, not to mention the Robert DeNiro commercial about NYC which brings tears to our eyes. Can’t wait to see what the Queen of the wrap dress comes up with!

"I'm on the List..." (and Other Ways to Get Into Clubs)

After our trip to South Beach, we happened upon a listing on Craigslist for folks who said they could help get you into the “exclusive” clubs. They promised to plan your night and get you on all the right lists for a mere $200, which didn’t include entrance fees ($20 on up).

We had to laugh. The first stop for getting into a club is to check with your hotel’s concierge. They can often get you on guest lists. If your hotel doesn’t have a concierge or you end up somewhere unplanned late night, here’s JSG’s foolproof plan for getting in:

1. Put your tallest friend up front. (Just one more reason stilettos are worth the splurge!)
2. She will need to catch the eye of the doorman and give him her friendliest smile.
3. Next, she holds up her fingers for the numbers in your group. Now, ideally this is going to be a low number (two works best, three and four are ok, five is pushing it.) Of course, we’re assuming you have all girls in your group.
4. Don't forget MILK!

A Lesson in Self Tanning

Twas the night before our trip to Miami. One JSG went to Mystic Tan, the other decided to experiment with a new product: Model Co’s Self-Tanning Glove from the makers of Airbrush in a Can. She loved that the single-use pouch had exact directions on how to use it, from starting with her legs first, avoiding elbows and other rough patched down to applying it to the back of her hands after she washed them. The glove, is pre-moistened with tanner and is said to contain the exact amount needed for one tan.
Our intrepid JSG washed and scrubbed in the shower, towel dried then was ready to give the glove a whirl. The self-tanner wasn’t sticky and glided on easily. She followed the directions down to a T, threw an extra pouch in her suitcase (Bonus, she thought: it’s in a pouch, so it won’t leak at high altitudes), let it dry for 10 minutes, put on lose pjs then went to bed. “This is the best self tanner ever,” she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep dreaming of pool boys admiring her savage tan while she sipped on a mojito.
The next morning the alarm blared frighteningly early for the am flight and the bleary-eyed JSG made her way to the bold lights of the bathroom. What to her wondering eyes did appear? Splotches and streaks along her legs and torso. LARGE splotches and LARGE streaks. “Oh no, this will not do!” She remembered that she packed an extra pouch and figured she would fix it once she got to Miami.
Sad to say, it only got worse from there. Even with the other half of JSG there to apply it to her backside, the splotches and streaking only got worse. She had to wear jeans out that night and pretend she didn’t hear the snickering at the pool.
Our verdict on the Model Co’s Self-Tanning Glove: We love the concept, but the clear self tanner is impossible to apply correctly. Perhaps if it was tinted?
The JSG who had Mystic? She was golden and gleaming (see her pretty feet at the pool?). Lesson learned.

Functionally stylish

When we were flipping through the latest issue of Travel & Leisure, we stumbled across this find: the Simply Vera Anorak Jacket from the Vera Wang collection at Kohl's. The magazine selected it as its winner of the 2008 Design Award for Best Fashion Travel. They like it because it's "As chic as it is practical" and "wrinkle resistant". We love it for those reasons, too, plus the fact that it has a drawstring waist, so we can stay warm and dry and look like we have a figure, it won't take up much room in a suitcase and it's on sale from $88 to $65 now at Kohl's. We recommend it in the gray, which was the color at the recent NYC fashion week.

While you're on the Kohl's site, take a look at these other fabulous finds. (Those of you who are lucky to have a Kohl's nearby probably already know how fab it is, we're a little behind the times.)

This belt is an glam new way to continue our obsession with gold. For $16, how can you not buy it?











These shoes would look great with wide leg jeans, shorts or a pencil skirt.

On Our Radar: Casa Casuarina

We never thought we'd visit Casa Casuarina, an exquisite property on Ocean Drive in Miami, owned until recently by Gianni Versace. It has been converted into an exclusive members-only club and ultra expensive hotel.

The Mandarin Oriental Miami is now offering access to Casa Casuarina's private beach cabanas, outdoor pool, relaxation areas and restaurants. The Mandarin will shuttle you from the hotel to the mansion, or you can opt for a 45 minute yacht ride along the Biscayne Bay to South Beach.

We've strolled down Ocean Drive and paused at the ornate gates wondering what was inside, now is our chance to find out! Would you care to join us?

For more information about this offer, visit the Mandarin Oriental Miami.

Get a Hold of These!

Red lace is cliche on February 14th, so let's stir things up this year. We haven't seen a pair of cuffs since the last bachelorette party we hosted and none were as special as these. They're sturdy and attractive and sparkle in candlelight. Our friend at Pleasure Happens recommends using them as a purse handle when they're off duty and why not? Make this Valentine's Day one he won't forget.

You can find them on line or in stores at the Pleasure Chest.

Our Pick: the Best Spa Treatment

We were weary to schedule our spa treatments in the morning on our recent trip to Miami; but we wanted a full day by the pool. The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Miami made it worth our while. We had the Ayurvedic Holistic Body Treatment and it was fantastic. It offered everything: starting with a ceremonial foot cleansing treatment (think rose petals in warm water), to the full body scrub (a great way to even out our patchy self-tanner), next a gentle facial, a light massage, and ending with the best scalp massage ever. Our aesthetician, Maite, was skilled and professional. She spoke enough to explain each step of the treatment; but never too much. We can't say enough about the experience, everyone deserves a piece of this luxury. Any men out there? This (or any other spa treatment) would make an excellent V-Day surprise!

Jet Set Girls are Glamour Gals

One idea that JSG believes in strongly is that when you look good, you feel better, no matter what your age. We were so honored to have been asked to speak at a recent Glamour Gals meeting on how to be a successful blogger. The group teaches teenage girls how to give facials and makeovers to women in nursing homes. We just love that idea so much: the women get some much needed glamour and attention while the girls get the chance to learn from the older generation.

If you’re looking for a good V-day gift for all the glamorous gals in you life, here it is. The lace bangle bracelet is not only totally wearable and packable, it benefits the Glamour Gals Foundation. At $20 each, we plan on buying an armful! We encourage you to support this wonderful organization.

Satisfy Your Chocolate Craving

Here's a terrific offer from Bare Minerals that will satisfy those chocolate cravings that are overbearing this time of year. Chocolate Decadence includes four scrumptious shadows with names like white chocolate, caramel delight, dark chocolate and mint glimpses. What a great way for us to indulge without the guilt!

Available from Ulta for $28 (a $56 value). Free shipping with a $50 purchase.

Valentine's Day Treats

We're on the fence about Valentine's Day--on one hand, it does seem like a made up holiday. On the other, we always approve of telling our loved ones how much they mean to us. With that in mind--these Philosophy bath products are perfect for Valentine's Day. Don't know what to give your partner? How about the "Soul Mates" grapefruit bath and body wash? Your mother can have the pomegranate "Gratitude," your daughter gets the lemonade scented "You Are My Sunshine," and your best friend who broke up with her boyfriend just before V-Day gets two--"let go, let love" and "begin again."


Purchase them at Sephora. There's free shipping on all orders over $75.

On Our Radar: Lenny Kravitz's Bar!

Here’s a few facts you may not know about Lenny Kravitz:

• He has reportedly sworn off sex til he remarries. (Does this mean he and rumored ex-fiancé Nicole Kidman didn’t do the horizontal tango?)

• He’s on our list of 5.

• His mom played Helen on the Jefferson’s.

• He’s even sexier in person.

• He’s Al Roker’s cousin.

• He kicked serious ASS in concert last week at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom (yes, we were lucky enough to be there!)

• He once checked us out with our friend Cari at Atlantis in the Bahamas.

• And he designed a bar in South Beach, which JSG is very excited to check out tomorrow night!

We’re headed to Miami tomorrow and top on our list of hotspots to check out is Lenny’s Florida Room underneath the Delano.

Lenny’s inspiration for the bar, in his own words: My aunt had a place in her house where everyone played, hung out, listened to music and where all the fun was had, called the Florida room. We decided to create a space with this theme in mind but that also had the feeling of the old piano lounges in the resorts back in the 50's in Florida, Cuba and New York City. I love the rich musical history of Miami Beach. The Beatles, James Brown and Frank Sinatra all spent time here. We see the Delano as having this same kind of rich history and also took cues from this to envision the place I always wanted at the beach, but hasn't existed here in a long time.

Here’s hoping Lenny shows up and checks us out again!

Can I have some fries with that shake?

JSG appreciates a good pick up line (and could probably use a few ourselves). JSG’s best one we’ve ever heard isn’t a line per se, so much as a story: One day while waiting to cross an NYC streets, a handsome man asked if we could hold his phone for a minute and proceeded to walk away. When we pointed out he was walking away from his phone, he casually and coolly replied, “I’ll call you to get it back.”

Now we’re married to each other.

Just kidding! While we admired the gent’s suaveness and ingenuity, we were in a relationship at the time, so we gave him his phone back then and there.

You're probably wondering by now what we're leading up to: If you have a funny pick up line, not only do we want to hear it, Kenneth Cole Reaction does as well. They’re sponsoring a contest and the grand prize is a trip for two to Vegas plus a $500 Kenneth Cole gift card and $500 in spending money, which will just about buy you a table at Pure. (We’re not entered in this contest, but we can still use your votes in the Tourism France contest)!

Click here to enter. It's running through the month of February. If you do enter, drop us a line--we'll vote for you!

Vote for JSG!

With Super Tuesday behind us, and election fever heating up, it's JSG's turn to join the campaign and we need your support! We were so excited to have been asked to enter a travel blogger contest: Color Me Martinique! If you vote for us, you could win a trip to this gorgeous French Caribbean Island. Full disclosure: if we win, we get a week in Martinique ourselves.

Our Entry is "Making Friends the Old Fashioned Way" and is written by Anne Fritz. We won't give too much away, but it does involve a drinking contest in Munich. Vote now! Tell your friends! The contest is open through March 1st. We appreciate your support!

Click here to vote!

Better Than Naked

JSG sits in front of a beautiful collection of muted colors, created to bring out all our natural beauty. Usually we turn to Bobbi Brown for our "everyday woman" look and save MAC for the impact, going out, vamp look. But Mac has out-done themselves with their new N Collection (N stands for nude). You can wear these colors during the day, like Bobbi's, but the bonus is they have a little extra punch--kinda like wearing your favorite pair of jeans with a rockin' pair of heels. Our favorite of the bunch is the Nanogold eye shadow--it's pinkish-goldish and fantastic. Wear it as a highlighter near the brow or over the whole lid.

The standout lip colors are the N2, pale with gold tones, the N3, a rich, fleshy petal pink, and the N5, a transluscent plum-brown similar to everyone's old favorite Blackberry from Clinique. And both creme stick lip liners are standouts that look great with all the lipsticks, changing and complimenting each color. If you're a fan of the Lip Glass, you won't be disappointed either. Our favorites are the 3N, plenty of color to wear over lipstick or liner, or by itself and the AA7. (True story: When we wore it out to a bar recently, three of our friends borrowed it and it looked great on ALL four of us!)

One complaint: We would prefer if the colors had catchy names, which we think are easier to remeber than numbers. Though, when we mentioned this to our friend Julie from All About the Pretty at dinner on Saturday night, she disagreed, saying the numbers are easier to remember than the names. You tell us!

Available now at department stores, mac stores and on-line.

Like Seeing an Old Friend

Clinique was the first skin care line we ever used. Remember how carefully we all followed the 3 step program? Cleanse, tone, moisturize. Somewhere along the way (and it's been a long road) we lost our connection with Clinique. This product brought us back. It has a wonderfully smooth texture and it's very moisturizing, just perfect for our dry winter skin. We even used some on our cracked hands. Can't confirm that it has erased any lines; but it has left us with dewy,fresh, healthy skin, which is hard to come by this time of year (think pale and pasty). If it had SPF 15, we'd give it a 9 or 10.

Cost ? find it ?

Ready, Set, Book Your Ticket

Imagine this: a friend calls saying she hooked you up with a great deal at a 5 star hotel in Miami next weekend. All you have to do is book your airline ticket. Pretty sweet, right? We just got that call and it sent us into a flurry of computer searches: Travelocity, Orbitz, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines. All promising to get you out of the freezing weather at home for $400+ (more than we'd like to spend on a quick two day trip). When all hope is you remember to check all combinations of the airports in our area and the two airports near Miami, and cross reference that with different date combinations (Friday to Sunday, Saturday to Monday, Thursday to Saturday). By this time you're so confused you can't remember which was the best deal; but one thing is certain- none of them was great.

Then there's a beacon, something called Spirit Air can get you down there for $250. You never heard of it, so you check out the reviews. One was literally, "Spirit Air is the worst airline in the world!!!!!" Feeling a little nervous, you go to their website where booking there saved an additional $50. It can't be that bad, right? Plus, there's something on the screen about big, leather seats. Just book it now, worry later. Important part is you'll be in Miami this weekend without breaking the bank.

Afterwards we spoke to a friend who said they'd used Spirit to get to the Caymans and had no problems. Good enough for us. Turns out they bill themselves as an ULCC (ultra low cost carrier) and service vacation destinations predominately. Cross your fingers.

Remember, even though Travelocity and Orbitz- type search engines offer the lowest prices, check the airline's homesite. You could get lucky and save yourself some $$- not quite enough for dinner at Nobu; but close.

On Our Radar: Super Bowl XLII Bound?

The only people we know who are going to the big game are on some type of corporate boondoggle, but in case you're lucky enough to be one of the chosen few, we wanted to share some of our recent posts on Scottsdale:

The Mondrian is all booked up, but it's worth it to stop by to check out Sky Bar or Asia de Cuba--especially to crash the Creative Artists Agency party where JSG fave, Cameron Diaz, is rumoured to be hitting. It's just too bad you won't get to peek inside their minibar.

Need a good place to eat? We found this awesome steakhouse. All booked up? Check out our friend Seth's blog, Feasting in Phoenix. He knowas all the trendy spots as well as those off-the-beaten path gems where you can still get a ressie.

When you're all pooped out from tailgating, head to the Spa Avania at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch for an energizing treatment.

Finally--cheer for the Giants! While our hearts will always belong to the Redskins, you gotta root for the underdog (which also happens to be our home team)! Editorial note: We JSG agree to disagree here: one will be rooting for the underdog, the other will be rooting for Mr. Perfect.