Jo Malone's New Fragrance Collection

We love Jo Malone's new Kohdo Wood collection. The Lotus Blossom and Water Lily is light and fresh, just the kind of scent we're looking for in the summer. The Dark Amber and Ginger Lily is richer and fuller; but not as heavy as our perfume that we wear in the winter. We'd wear this in the evening with a long, patio dress and an arm full of bracelets.

You can find these at Saks or on Jo Malone's website, which is offering free shipping, free gift packaging (with a chic cream colored gift box and black ribbon) and free samples.

On Our Radar: 80's Bands in Concert

The 80's revival has hit fashion- look at the short skirts and dresses, not to mention the bubble hems; hair styles- straight is out and curl is back and bangs are way in; nail polishes are bright and bold—love that neon from Chanel in honor of the Robertson Blvd. boutique opening in WeHo today; movies--though the newest Indy flick doesn’t quite hold up; and of course music.

In case you need another excuse to travel (handy when pleading your case to your S.O.) try this one: All our fave bands from the 80's are on tour this summer and it’s always more fun to catch them in a new and different city. Tonight, you’ll find JSG at the Duran Duran concert in Central Park singing along to “Rio”, “Wild Boys” and a “View to a Kill." Simon still rocks!

Other 80’s bands that are touring this summer: George Michael, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, the Eagles, the Police, Madonna and of course, New Kids on the Block!

(Photo from http://www.thesun.co.uk/)

SATC--We Loved It!

The clothes, the locations, the friendships--we LOVED the Sex and the City movie. Everyone in our NYC audience seemed to agree and even clapped at the end. No spoilers here--we'll just say the ending of the movie satisfied us FAR more than the ending of the show.

And--love how the Carrie and the gang go an all-girls' getaway when one of them needs some cheering up. Sun, sand and margaritas are a foolproof remedy for all of life's ills.

Spa Tapas by the Pool at the Ritz

How tempting is this: abbreviated spa treatments by the poolside at one of our fave mountain resorts? We were at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch this winter and had a fabulous afternoon. This summer, we'd really like to partake of their new spa tapas (and no, friends, these are not the kind you eat!): 15 minute sessions from their world class spa. We'll take the scalp massage, the hand and foot massage, and the sunscreen application to top it off. At $25 a piece, why not try a few?

Once the dog days of summer hit, wouldn't you love that cool, crisp mountain air? For more information go the the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch website.

The Best Summer Lip Glosses

In the hot summer sun, all you really need to transform yourself into a bronzed babe is a faux tan, a mascara that goes the distance and a swipe of lip gloss. But how to chose from all the options out there? JSG narrows it down:

Best for Lounging by the Pool
Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother cools on impact and is just the thing to get the pool boy’s attention. Just don’t leave it in the sun—these little guys melt quickly. JSG fave color: Glaze



Best Ice Cream Substitute
Prescriptives Tint Balm has flavor that’s sweet without being cloying and is easy to apply from the comfort of your lounge chair. JSG fave: Vanilla, which tastes like a ice cream cone.




Best for Arm Chair Travelers
Lancome Juicy Tubes World Tour works when you’re stuck at your desk but would rather be on vacation (Umm…basically everyday for us!). JSG fave: Moulin Rose, but that may be because we’re dreaming about hopping a flight to Paris.




Best for Flying
MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner is our go to formula on the fly. It’s super-hydrating and adds just the right hint of color to our high-altitude lips. JSG’s fave color: Strobe Current

Best for Tropical Vacations
We're still wearing our Clinique Long Last Glosswear with its SPF 15. JSG's fave color: Guava Gold for a tropical treat.

Best for a Yankees' Game
All About the Pretty shares the dish on the new Bobbi Brown Bare Lip Balm, a tribute Yogi Berra.

A Cure for Cellulite?

We try not to be to critical of our body--for the most part it does we want it to when we treat it right and bounces back relatively quickly when we don't. We also realize it's pretty futile to be envious of what someone else has got, be it an extra five inches of height; long, lush eyelashes or skin that tans easily. But, we have to admit, the other day in the locker room at the gym, we got a little pang of green when we spied our neighbor's cellulite free thighs and butt.

We've been in the beauty industry long enough to be skeptical about anything that labels itself as a "cure" for cellulite. About the only thing that has ever helped even a little was endermologie, which we had at the Wellpath Spa back when we were an on staff beauty editor. Even though the $120 sessions were comped and the girls at the spa were lovely, it was still hard to find the time to make it to our twice weekly sessions. Within weeks after we quit, our cottage cheese thighs were back. We've tried to convince ourselves since then that it didn't really matter.

Well--after last week, we're wishing our thighs were just a teeny bit smoother. It doesn't help that it's finally about 70 degrees and most dresses we see in the stores are still short enough to confuse with tops. So we're willing to give cellulite creams another shot. We were given a tub of Bliss Fat Girl Sleep at their recent blogger breakfast. Fat Girl Sleep is a nighttime version of their top-selling Fat Girl Slim. FGS got mixed reviews over at TotalBeauty.com (average rating was a 6). We've only used it for a few days, so we're not sure yet how well it works. We can give it props for smelling good--it's infused with lavender to help you sleep. Check back in a few weeks and we'll let you know how it's going. Til then--we're sticking with self tanners and longer skirts!

Would You Buy This Luggage?

We've been lusting after this bag since last summer. Those crabs are just too cute. Having grown up in the D.C. area where we summered in Maryland, we have a special appreciation for the little critters, especially when they're doused with lots of malt vinegar and Old Bay.

With our birthday around the corner and our SO asking what we would like as a gift, we're seriously considering requesting this Halsea wheelie bag. What's stopping us? Well, the price tag--at $335, it's not anywhere near as expensive as other bags we like--but it does seem a little pricey for a novelty bag. Which brings us to the next question: While this bag would certainly work in a beach destination like Miami or Mexico, would we feel silly picking it up off the baggage carousel in glitzy Vegas or chic Paris?

What do you think? Yea or Nay?

Clues from the Sex and the City Soundtrack

We’ve read a lot about the fashion and the locations of the upcoming SATC movie—and here we are, excited about the soundtrack. We are still clinging to one of our New Year’s Resolutions to do a better job of making more playlists. Obviously we’re lazy since the resolution about taking the stairs all the time fell by the wayside month ago, so that’s part of the reason we love soundtracks—they’re a ready made mix cd.

The soundtrack to the movie is released May 27—three days before the movie and…well, we’re not crazy about the original songs. Fergie’s Labels or Love has a fun sampling of the SATC theme song and will stick in your head if you’re not careful kinda like all of Fergie’s greatest hits (Glamorous anyone?). J. Hud’s All Dressed in Your Love leaves a lot to be desired, especially coming from a former Dreamgirl.

We are eternal suckers for a good remix, so we love India.aire’s Heart of the Matter and the Bird and the Bee cover or How Deep is Your Love.

POTENTIAL PLOT SPOILER...
For those looking for a clue to the plot lines: Auld Lang Syne is number 10 on the playlist. Should we look for a big New Year’s Eve ending a la When Harry Met Sally? The penultimate song is Al Green’s How Do You Mend A Broken Heart and the final song…Walk This Way by Run DMC. Hmmm…Does Carrie end up single?

If you’re still with us—it’s more fun to look at SJP’s, Cynthia Nixon's and Kristin Davis’ playlists on iTunes. Kim Catrall is conspicuously absent once again. SJP’s is a somewhat predictable mix of Guns N' Roses, Sade, and Janet Jackson. Cynthia Nixon threw us with her country selections Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Loretta Lyn while Kristin Davis surprisingly leans towards soul and hip hop with Kayne, Earth Wind and Fire and Natalie Cole. Now we’re inspired to make our Summer ’08 playlist!
(Picture from Amazon)

Go Commando: The New Way to Avoid a Panty Line

Do you go commando? One of us JSGs does, at least sometimes. You see, she never converted over to thongs 100%. They aren't as comfortable as her Calvins; though she's got a collection of Hanky Pankies for when she wears a dress. Then Friday a sample of Commandos came in the mail. They're constructed like a very thin, soft cotton pantyliner that sticks to your jeans, shaped like a double-butterfly. They protect your personals from the stiff fabric of your pants, there's no VPL, and there's no Monica thong view either. We wore them twice this weekend, to a concert and to a bar-b-que, and they were great. Better yet, no one knew we were going commando!

We also love endorsing companies like the Commandos Group. They founded Freedom's Children, a non-profit "dedicated to the teaching and support of Nonviolence philosophy."

You can order their products on-line as well as learn more about Freedom's Children. (Pictures from the Commandos website)

Commandos are perfect for traveling because they don't take up any room!

Don't Forget to Enter...

To win our collection of Clinique Skin Care products. Click here for details.

Sex and the City Trips

Here's a SATC-theme trip we would like to sign up for: The Ritz Carlton Naples Florida has put together a "Manolos and Mimosas" themed trip available 5/31-7/31.

Included is:
Two nights in a suite
A mani, pedi and Anastasia-trained expert eyebrow tweeze and an hour long beauty consultation
A massage
The DVD set of season six of SATC
$200 credit per person at the Signature Shop (we're not so sure about this one--does that mean Ritz Carlton logoed robes and polos?)
Dinner for four at The Grill
A limo ride with cosmos to the movie theater and 4 tix to see the SATC movie
Various other goodies

Rates start at $4,999. (To reserve a room, click here.) That's a heck of a lot better than the $24,000 SATC tour we told you about last month, but ladies, our offer still stands. We'll take any JSG readers on a SATC tour of NYC for the price of a cosmo--or two!

UPDATE: We just bought our tix for the 7:30 pm showing on May 29th!!! Care to join? We'll bring the popcorn!

On Our Radar: Really Last Minute Memorial Day Plans

Hey, there's nothing wrong with procrastinating. It just means you need to plan on driving or catching a train or bus to your destination instead of flying.

Here's an update of some of our greatest hits.

If you live in NYC, Philly, NJ or the D.C. area:
Hop a bus to Atlantic City. We had a blast when we went in October to hear D.J. AM play--you can catch him with Jazzy Jeff on Sunday night at mur.mur at the Borgata.

If you live in Cali:
Head on down to San Diego. Then get yourself up to one of the many roof top bars and find yourself a pool party!

Road trip to Vegas:
You could hit KOI at Planet Hollywood and Revolution Lounge at the Mirage. Send us a message when you get back and let us know how they were.

If you live near Austin:
Check out the Lake Austin Spa, take whatever appointment they've got available, you'll thank us later. For a special treat, go to Cafe Magnolia for brunch and a bloody mary. We never miss it when we're in town.

Louboutin and One & Only Resorts: Like PB&J

Louboutins are right up there with our main men, Manolo and Jimmy. While we don't exactly have a closet full, a pair of his Cataribbon metallic gold platforms were our go to pair all last summer. They're ridiculously high, but easy to walk in.

We love that Christian Louboutin, the king of red-sole shoes, is partnering with the luxe One & Only resorts to create a limited collection. (He's rumoured to be a fan of the Maldives resort.) The shoes, including the pair shown at left, are available at their breathtaking resorts at Mauritius, the Bahamas, Cabo, Dubai and the Maldives. We've only had dinner at the resort in the Bahamas and the resorts aren't exactly the place to go with your girls. As our friend All About the Pretty says, "You don't go to a One & Only with a boyfriend. You go with your husband. On your honeymoon." We would also add: Or with you celebrity boyfriend, like John Mayer.

Christian said of the shoes in the recent issue of Travel & Leisure: Espadrilles are the perfect shoe for dressing up on vacation. The festive colors of these flats, wedges and platforms are meant to be shown off under the holiday sun, but they make for a pretty nice souvenir back home, too." We couldn't agree more.

Fortunately for all of us who aren't honeymooning or famous, you can also buy their shoes at their NYC or London stores. These shoes are practically a vacation in themselves!

Get the Look: Gina Gershon's Cat Eye

A week or so ago, we hosted a small get together with our friends. We were thrilled to find out that one of them, Erica Wheelan, is the makeup artist for Tony nominated Boeing-Boeing--which we cannot wait to see! We begged her to share her tips on creating Gina Gershon’s sexy cat eyes. She did—and even threw in a bit of dish!

Tell us about Boeing-Boeing:
It is about an American playboy living in Paris who has 3 fiancées who are totally unaware of each other. Each women represents an emotion. The American represents sex, the Italian represents love and the German represents passion. So when I started designing the looks I had to incorporate these emotions into each character.

What does Gina play?
Gina Gershon plays Italian Gabriella. When you think of an Italian women you immediately refer to the greatest Italian women ever, Sophia Loren. That was the basis for the Gabriella look and we posted pictures of Sophia on Gina’s mirror. (Picture from AllPosters.com)

How do I recreate her glam cat eye?
Take a second to look at the shape of your eyes. Notice where your lash line ends and where your crease begins. You want to slant your eyeliner upwards. I recommend to start the slant about 2-3 eyelashes from the end of your lash line. This effect will give up an uplifted appearance and make you look 5 years younger.

For a true beginner, I would recommend lining your eyes using a black eyeshadow—it’s easier than gel or liquid to wipe off if you make a mistake--and an angle brush. Dot the eyeshadow along the root of the lashes following your lash line until you are about 2 to 3 lashes from the end of your eye. Take a second and visualize where you want your slanted line to end (usually just below your crease) and then make a tiny dot. That will be your ending point. Then simply draw a line connecting the dot and the liner. Repeat of the other eye. I find this is the easiest way to have the eyeliner come out the same on both eyes.

When you are happy with how the lines are drawn on both eyes go over the lines with black eyeshadow.

For night time, I would apply a dark eyeshadow on the bottom line and smudge it to give it a smoky effect.

Any tricks on getting it right?
Most makeup artists say to start from the inner corner and work to the outer corner. But MY foolproof trick to applying eyeliner is to start in the middle of the lash line. Sometimes you may apply too much product or the line is not quite thin enough to apply in the inner corner. When you start in the middle you have the ability to draw the line toward the outer or inner corner and blend out the product or get a handle on creating that thin line. I hate to wipe off my make-up and reapply. Who has the time!!

Shadow, gel or liquid?
I am a big fan of gel eyeliners. They have the same long lasting capabilities as a liquid liner but are easier to work with. On the show we use Bobbi Brown Gel Liners in Black Ink and apply it with a thin eyeliner brush. The women have to do their own make-up for the show. The women have more control on applying their line with a gel than a liquid. There is a lot of nervous energy backstage before a performance. You don't want to apply liquid liner with a shaky hand. That is a recipe for disaster. I also like the L'Oreal Voluminous Mistake Proof Pen. It is liquid liner in the shape of a felt tip pen. The pen has an angle design to make it easy to create that slanted line of a cat eye.

Can I try this with other colors?
Sure! It is fun to try using forest green, violet or indigo liner. The L'Oreal HIP line makes some cool colored gel liners. If you are going to use color keep the look simple. Apply a light shimmery eyeshadow in an ivory or bone (like Lorac Eyeshadow in Enlighten) to the entire eye and then draw the liner on the top only. Don't apply liner on the bottom. Use 1 coat of mascara on the top & bottom lashes.

Speaking of mascara…
For evening, it's all about the volume. My favorites are Diorshow in Black and L'Oreal Voluminous in Blackest Black. And if you are a make up diva then fake lashes are a must. I like Ardell Lashes # 110.

These Shoes Were Made for Travel

We're constantly in search of shoes that look great but are comfortable enough for all our travelling. We found these wedges by Corso Como on Piperlime and are thrilled with them. They have a good size wedge that will make our legs look long and lean whether we're wearing pants, shorts or dresses; they're black patent with suede sides which is dressy enough to wear day and night; plus they're totally comfortable. The best surprise was learning about Corso Como when the shoes came in the mail. They are committed to protecting the environment (a portion of all sales goes to charity), they use recycled paper for all packaging, and they have a long list of commitments to their workers (like no child labor, fare wages and safety). These shoes are good for your feet and your conscience!

The Ultimate Travel Dress

Since airlines including Delta and United are now charging $25 to check a second bag, it's that much more important to be a smart packer. Nieves Lavi dresses fit the bill--they're 100% silk jersey, are impervious to wrinkling, have ethnic-inspired patterns that are chic yet versatile and even come in their own coordinating travel pouch. This would be perfect for a quick trip this Memorial Day weekend.

We're picturing the above dress paired with a big floppy hat and gladiators for daytime--it could even be a beach cover up in a pinch, or with silver strappy stilletos and chandelier earrings for night time.

Available at ShopBop. The Nieves Lavi site is having a sale, but selection and size are limited.

Update: American Airlines just announced it will start charging passengers 15 bucks to check even one bag! It's more important than ever to pack wisely!

In Our Dreams: Louis Vuitton Luggage

In truth, we’ve never been big Louis Vuitton fans. We’re not the type to carry obvious “It” bags (looking at you YSL Muse) or anything with logos splashed all over it. That may soon change, if we hit the lottery, that is!

Last week we went to a breakfast for Louis Vuitton where we met the president of the USA division, Daniel Lalonde. The purpose of the breakfast was to discuss with the brand how we think they could best interact with bloggers, such as ourselves. We’re impressed and excited that such an iconic luxury brand is taking our medium so seriously. Rightly so, if we do say so ourselves. Everyone from the brand was lovely and really did listen to what we had to say.

Here’s what caught our attention: Louis Vuitton is headed back to their roots as luggage designers. We fantasize about the days when trunks were de rigeur and boring black wheelie bags were yet to be running over the toes of airport passengers everywhere.

We love the first add of the Journeys campaign that features Keith Richards. Some LV loyalists feel that Keith Richards is a poor choice for the iconic brand, but we love him! On the LV site, you can watch Keith talk about his favorite things about London, including the right way to eat Fish and Chips and his lifetime there. The tag line is just about perfect: Some Journeys Cannot Be Put Into Words.

Don't Get Burned: Clinique Suncare Giveaway

As Clinique says on its website: Safe is the New Sexy. While that sounds a little like a revamped safe sex ad from the 1990s, we're behind it 100 percent, especially as, we would like to add, sun damage isn't sexy.

To keep you at your sexiest, we're giving away the complete collection above. This includes: Lip & Eye Stick in SP 30, UV Response for Face in SPF 50, UV Response for Body in SPF 50; Body Spray in SPF 30; After Sun Rescue Balm and City Block Sheer in SPF 25.

Clinique sunblock is awesome for hanging out at the beach, playing sports and generally running around the city. We love the Lip & Eye stick in particular. We carry one with us in our purse wherever we go, so we never get caught off guard if we unexpectedly get the sunny seat at the café or stop to watch a group of hot guys playing volleyball.

But being safe doesn't mean being boring as Jemma Jameson surely knows. Scroll down for our post from earlier today on how to be a Bronze Goddess!

To enter, simply email us your contact info at jetsetgirls@gmail.com before this Sunday May 25 at midnight.

Clinique Giveaway Week...

Want more Clinique? For another great giveaway, head over to The Daily Obsession where you'll find more fabulous Clinique makeup and skin care. Double your chances of winning and enter both!

Looking for Cheap Airfares?

This NYTimes story had some good tips, one of which JSG posted in February. Really, NYTimes, we're flattered!

Bronze Goddesses

In our continuing effort to improve your tan (and ours!) in a healthy and non-orange or streaky way, we're sharing our favorite bronze powders with you. We use these daily, more in the summer and on beach trips; but even a light dusting in the winter makes you look great. Wouldn't you love to get the glow Charlize has on the left?

Our friend Heidi wins the award for the longest dedication to a single beauty product: Guerlain's Terracotta. We can't say just how long because that would totally date her; suffice it to say she started wearing it with big bangs, a kinky perm, and leggings. She's not alone, this was one of the first bronzers out there and remains a big seller. Bonus, for the hot, humid weather, Terracotta powder is oil-controlling.

JSG's Hope uses Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder in Natural because all of Bobbi's shades from lipsticks and glosses, to shadows and bronzers are the most natural and best fit for her coloring. There may be an element of habit here as well.

JSG's Annie has been using Nars Laguna since she was a beauty editor at Life & Style and a Sephora makeup artist recommended it. The artist's trick was to apply the bronzer as a "3" to each side of your face--meaning forehead, cheekbones and jaw line.

Try them yourself or let us know which bronzer works best for you. Notice that none of us use a liquid bronzer? Do you? Just remember, no matter how good it feels to get sun on you face (and how good it looks); it's not worth the wrinkles later on.

Check back this week when we'll be doing a Clinique Safe Sun giveaway!

Blogging as a Career

Here we are at the Total Beauty conference. We were on a panel talking about "Blogging as a Career". Above: Kirsten Lambertson from Beauty Riot, Nadine from Jolie Nadine, JSG's Annie, Tia from Shake Your Beauty and Annie from Bella Sugar.

On Our Radar: The Total Beauty Blogger Summit!

We're hopping on another Virgin America flight today to head back to the West Coast--this time Manhattan Beach for the Total Beauty Blogger Summit. We can't wait to connect with our friends, like Julia from All About the Pretty (she'll be leading morning yoga classes); Erika from Makeup Bag and Tammy from A Mom in Red High Heels and to connect with all the fabulous bloggers we haven't gotten to meet yet!

JSG is super-honored to be on a panel with Tia from Shake Your Beauty and Nadine from Jolie Nadine. We're all former magazine editors and will be talking about blogging as a career. Check back for updates and photos throughout the weekend.

And, since we are travel junkies after all, we're excited to check out the Ayres Hotel--a European brand boutique hotel. When we were in San Diego two weeks ago, we heard comparisons of that city to Manhattan Beach, a town we've only driven through up until today. Look for the redhead sitting at the beach underneath a big umbrella between sessions!

A Play for the Jet Set

While half of us lives in NYC, she doesn't often get to the theater much. For one thing, it's pricey, many modern musicals leave much to be desired and she's decidedly NOT a Clay Aiken fan. But after reading the reviews of Boeing-Boeing and hearing about its 6 Tony Nominations, we were inspired to walk the block from our Hell's Kitchen pad to the Longacre Theater to buy tickets for the show.

The show, which features bitchy fave Christine Baranski, the Showgirls diva Gina Gershon and the West Wing's Bradley Whitford, revolves around one man, Bernard, who is engaged to three different stewardesses (It takes place in the 60s in Paris, so it's okay to use the now non-PC term.).



The clip on the site is what convinced us it would be worth our while--it feels like a bawdy Carol Burnett show, which follows since Boeing-Boeing premiered in 1965.

We're going on June 3, so check back then to see what we thought about it.

In the meantime, we'll let you in on a little secret: Broadwaybox.com. It has all the discounts for every Broadway and off-Broadway show. It saved us about 40 bucks per seat!

Check back next week for our exclusive interview with the show's makeup artist Erica Wheelan who will dish on how she recreated all those gorgeous 60s inspired looks--including Gina Gershon's dramatic cat eyes shown above!

Sexy Beach Ponys

Summer’s almost here and that means one thing to us: It’s ponytail season! We don’t need to tell you why ponys are great, whether you’re at the beach or stuck in a steamy city--if you’re over the age of five, you already know that.

Even on the red carpet, our favorite surfer girl sports the perfect beach pony. To find out how you can do it like Cameron, we checked back in with our uber-talented, favorite stylist, Sarah, from NYC’s Bumble and Bumble (you may remember a few months back she shared her secrets on snow bunny ponys).

Sarah says:
On a beach vacation: keep it natural. Spray Does It All all over dry hair (Or even better air-dried hair post a dip in the ocean. All that salt water gives great texture), tilt head back and rake hair into the center of your head. Secure tightly at the base with a band that matches your hair color. Take a piece from bottom of pony, smooth into a flat ribbon and wrap around band. Keep it flat and use more spray to secure it. Finally, gently move your hair forward on top and sides to loosen up the style. If pieces fall out, or if hair wrinkles leave it. the more texture the better!

A Fashionista's Dream

Let’s face it: shopping while away is so much more fun than shopping at home. Somehow it makes much more sense to spend $200 on a bikini while in Miami or $150 on a necklace for our man while in LA. But even as much as we JSG’s travel, we do need help finding stores that are off the beaten path—those hidden gems where we can find the perfect flirty summer dress or vintage bakelite bangles.

Enter Storeadore.com. Founded by Meredith Barnett and Christina Miller, the site’s editors profile stores and users review them. You can also chart your own course and print out a map to take with you. Kind of like Lucky magazine’s Shopping Guides, which probably isn’t an accident since Meredith used to work there. But it’s better since it’s totally interactive and completely personalized.

Even better—the site frequently has discounts at online stores and an active user community who are happy to give advice and feedback on just about any store known to woman.

Storeadore currently features reviews on NYC, Boston, D.C., Princeton and L.A. We hear Chicago on Philly are close behind.

We can totally vouch for there review of Brooklyn boutique Zoe (shown above) which we just walked by on our way to work this a.m., where we admired a pair of silver wellies:

A one-stop shop for stylish, cutting-edge tops, tees, dresses and more, Zoë carries every line you would find on the fifth floor of Bergdorf’s—but every piece that wouldn’t be there.

Happy shopping!

And The Shoes Go To...

We're happy to announce that the winner of the Aerosole's shoes are:
Ann Buntz and foodjoyce8. Foodjoyce8--please email us at jetsetgirls@gmail.com to claim your prize! (Ann, we know where to find you!)

Congrats!

Special thanks to Maddey for picking the winners for us!

Special Post-Mother's Day Edition

We encourage girls of all ages to get away from it all and explore new terrain every now and then. Our most recent girls’ getaway---which is happening as we speak--included a new JSG inductee: Madeline, aka Hope’s daughter. (Note to our regular readers: Not to worry—we’re not turning in to Mommy Bloggers—not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

Madeline asked for a trip to NYC for her 10th birthday and Hope was only too happy to oblige! We stayed at the Muse Hotel (another Kimpton Group winner), which is situated close to Times Square and close to Rockefeller Center, Saks and the American Girl store (Guess whose request that was!). Our room was ready for us at our 10 am arrival, even though we had not requested an early-check in. What a dream!

Our highlight was lunch with JSG’s Annie at the Vynl Diner. We loved the Dolly Parton themed bathroom and still can’t get “9 to 5” out of our heads. After that, we enjoyed a cyclo ride through Central Park and down Broadway. We were proud when Maddey rolled her eyes at the long line of folks trying to get into the David Letterman Theater for the Survivor finale. Then it was off to the American Girl store to complete Maddey’s birthday trip.

We give Maddey major kudos for her city girl outfit. Love that she's already rocking the metallic!



Happy Day After Mother’s Day!

Last Chance!

To take advantage of our awesome discount at Philosophies stationery now until May 10 (hint: May 11th is Mother's Day.)

To win a FREE pair of Aerosoles. Simply comment--any comment counts--on any post from April 28 onwards and you'll be entered to win an adorable pair of Aerosole's shoes! The contest ends at midnight on Sunday.

Good luck!

On Our Radar: San Diego

Typically when we write about something that's on our radar, it's something we're planning on doing or fantasizing about doing, but this week, it's actually all about what we did last weekend. San Diego is one city worth breaking tradition for!

We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, which is at one end of the ultra-hip Gaslamp Quarter. The Hard Rock had large, well decorated inexpensive rooms and our facial at the Rock Spa put us in a good mood in the middle of an otherwise full-on crankmonster day (don't ask). It's home to a Nobu and a hotel store that is SO cute, our friend Carm and I bought the same hoodie (Black. Cashmere. On Sale.)

Now on to the good stuff! We couldn't get on the elevator without a friendly guy saying hello! No joke--and no matter what time of day! A cute Aussie even tried to flirt, but we were stone cold sober so we were embarrassingly tongue tied. The pool turns into a hot bar scene at night (Note to those who need to go to sleep before 2 am: Request a room far away from the pool!).

The Sunday Intervention party was a tad too wild for our taste. See the below photo for evidence. We're past our belly button pierced thong wearing in public days.

Would you have stayed longer than 5 minutes?



Many people we met lived in Sacramento or San Francisco and come down for the near perfect weather and party scene. S.D. has gone through a resurgence in the past couple of years. In addition to the Hard Rock, there's the Kimpton Group's Hotel Solamar and the oh-so-swank Ivy (our fave there was the leather columns).

So there's a reason it's On Our Radar--we want to go back, NOW!

High Shine for High Fashion

Dior Addict High Shine introduces itself as the first lipstick made for the runway. We think they made it for us too. The lipstick goes on smoothly with a sheer glossy finish. We're looking forward to snagging the Beige-a-Porter and Chestnut Chic; but if you're looking for pink try the Rose Show or Pink Protege. BTW, we know you shouldn't judge a lipstick (or a person) by the packaging; but Dior always does a beautiful job designing their lipstick cases. It's satisfying just to pull this one out of your bag.

Also new from Dior is the Glossy Lip Liner, which is a "wet look" liner. You can use it alone or with your High Shine to add definition. While we're pretty new to beauty blogging, we're definitely experienced (you'll never hear us say "old") when it comes to makeup, and we've never used a glossy liner before.

Buy them at Nordstroms and they'll throw in a deluxe sample of Capture Totale Serum.

It's Not Too Late to Get Mom Breakfast in Bed

One of our favorite things about staying in a hotel is ordering room service breakfast. There's something so decadent about having coffee and Eggs Benedict brought directly to you. We know mom would love breakfast in bed just as much. If you can't be there: order by 7:00 p.m. today to have this tasty breakfast sent to her. It includes everything she could want: coffee, tea, syrup, pancake mix, granola, and two mugs. Available on-line from Dean & Deluca.

Last Minute Mom's Day Gift

We’ve been a little preoccupied of late, what with two trips to Cali and one trip to NYC on our radar, our Aerosole’s giveaway not to mention all our other day to day stuff (but we’re not the type of blogger to whine about all of that).

The Bliss blogger event yesterday couldn’t have come at a better time for us forgetful daughters. (Sorry, Mom!) Lucky us, we scored the Youthgroup Skincare kit, which comes with the Youth as We know it Moisture Cream, Concentrate, Toner, Cleanser and Eye Cream. All are in handy travel sizes and it comes with the adorable cosmetic case, so mom can be an honorary JSG! You can buy it online at Bliss for $68 or at most Sephora stores.

Fortunately for all, Bliss is building new spas at a rapid clip—many are at hip W hotels including locations in NYC, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and soon to open, Scottsdale.

Mom not the spa-going type (Is that possible?) Take advantage of our discount for Philosophies Stationery.

Embracing the Europeans

We were a little irked last week when shopping at Saks in NYC at 4 on a Friday. What we thought would be an off time—before the masses got out of work, a week that wasn’t spring break—was anything but. The store was packed to the hilt—it was hard to find our size in any of the clothes we liked, the shoe sale rack was picked over save for a pair of size 5 totally hid pink Stuart Weitzmans, and the line for the dressing room was a mile and a half long. While waiting in that line, we heard French, Italian and British accents.

It's then that it hit us like a ton of bricks—the Europeans are taking over our city! Our work buddy Rich confirmed this the following Monday. He met a bunch of Italians at a bar over the weekend. And one of them had just bought EIGHT Ralph Lauren sweaters that very day. Well good for f-ing them! When the dollar is back up and breakfast in London won’t cost us the equivalent of those marked down Stuart Weitzmans, we look forward to traveling to Europe again for the sole purpose of buying all their cute clothes and leaving the dregs for them. Ha!

Sadly, that fantasy is probably still a decade away, so we’ve decided to embrace our new found friends, with a little help from our friends at NY Mag. They printed this helpful primer, "Find a French Boyfriend" on how to pick up EuroTrash in various spots around the city. May as well give it a go. Bitter is never beautiful.

Something Old, Something New

Skinsheen is available this month from MAC. It's a spray-on gel that you use as a bronzer for you legs, arms, and chest and comes in 3 different shades: medium dark, dark, and deep dark. We'd use this when we don't have time to self-tan or when we'd like some extra shimmer, which is always sexy when you're going out.

Available this month at MAC stores, on-line, and department stores nationwide for $22.50.


Now for the old. MAC released their Fafi line earlier this year and while we see tons of great products (and quite a few questionable ones), not many remain in our makeup rotation. Read here: we're still using these long after the new-ness has worn off.

First is the Fafi Eyes 1, a combination of four very wearable shadows: Howzat, Hey, Pink Venus and Vanilla. Also, for your eyes, we're using the Paint Pot in Perky. This warm peachy-pink goes on easily as a cream and dries to a powder finish and is the perfect everyday eye color. Use a little for subtle color, or a lot for more impact and it'll be there til nighttime.



Finally, our favorite of the whole Fafi line is the Iridescent Powder in Belightful. This falls somewhere between bronzer and blush with lots of shimmer. It looks great along the top of your cheek bone to give you a highlight and a healthy glow-- it simply lights up your face.

Cheers for Gwen!

Yesterday we told you about a pair of celeb designers who are on our s--- list, now let’s talk about one we love: Gwen Stefani.

We lusted after her convertible clutch last fall, but never did make the jump.

Well—this spring, we were wooed by her ombré Manchester tote bag. We realize it’s a risk buying something ombré as it’s a trend that might die out faster than movies about baby mamas. But we figure we’re on the start of the trend, so we should be able to use the bag for a few seasons at least. And the ombré is part of what we love—It’s dark, so we can wear it in fall and winter, but it’s light too, so we can wear it in spring and summer.

Plus the patent leather is so easy to clean--you could practically hose it down. This means it’s great for rainy days, hot days when we –ahem—perspire, and traveling.

We used this bag on our trip to San Diego last week. It zips so when we stow it under our seat there’s no risk or our lip balm rolling under 12C’s seat, it’s big enough that we can store our lap top in it and it has four inside pockets so we don’t have to search around for said lip balm, our hand cream or our pen for doing crossword puzzles. And—it’s light to begin with, so we don’t have to throw our shoulder out when we’re running to catch the Air Train from JFK.

It’s an attention getter, too. Last week, on the subway a 50-something woman asked if our bag was Prada. When we told her no, it’s from the fab Gwen Stefani’s line, she asked how much it cost. As gossip columnist Cindy Adams would say, only in New York, kids!

Shame on the Olsen Twins

When we were shopping for our upcoming trip to LA, we stumbled upon this dress from Elizabeth and James, the line designed by Mary Kate and Ashley. First off, we gotta admit—we do secretly like the Olsen twins. We loved Mary Kate as the Bible thumping pothead on Weeds and one of our best celeb sightings of all times was seeing the two of them at the Louboutin store in the Meatpacking District.

Back to the dress. We thought this frothy lemonade color dress would be the perfect thing to wear in LA, and you know we do struggle when it comes to dressing on the West coast. The color is sunny and happy, it straddles the line between casual and dressy and would rock with a pair of gladiator sandals. Off to the dressing room we went.

We slid on the strapless silk dress, turned to the mirror and…

WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN STARK NAKED!

The dress is completely see through. We’re not talking the sexy kind of almost see through where if you stare you can make out a panty line or slight outline of a nipple, we’re talking FULL ON SEE THROUGH—you could see our panties in their entirety. We wanted to like it so much, we thought maybe we could try to find a full boy short we could wear underneath it. But sanity regained its hold--there was no escaping the fact that the top was just as sheer and you could see our nipples. Ai-ya-yi!

Mary Kate and Ashley—listen up! If you’re going to charge $365 for a slip of a dress, at least make sure you can leave the house in it without getting arrested!

Don't Forget...

To take advantage of our awesome discount at Philosophies stationery now until May 10 (hint: May 10 is Mother's Day.)

To comment on any item to win an adorable pair of Aerosole's shoes!

On Our Radar: Luxury Spa in the Lone Star

JSG Hope went to college in Dallas and while she's only been there a couple of times in the past 10 years, she can't get enough of Austin. Not only is the city packed with culture-- like great food, live music, competitive sports, and groovy people (Whole Foods started here after all); it's also home to our favorite place to pamper - the Lake Austin Spa. We've been there many times because our great friend, Amanda, lives just minutes away. Each time we visit, this is on the top of our must do list.

Lake Austin Spa sits in the beautiful hill country just outside of the city and its buildings were designed to emulate a lake house--luxury at the lake. It's worth noting that Lake Austin is the most beautiful body of water we've seen inside the states. It's crystal clear blue, totally refreshing in HOT Texas weather, and if you're lucky you'll see a men's polo team diving off the cliffs and lounging on the rocks.

The Lake Austin Spa just won the #1 Destination Spa in North America by the readers of Conde Nast Magazine. Rightfully so, they've finished a gorgeous remodel including a new spa house with 25 treatment rooms, two pool areas, and 40 new guest rooms. The Blue Room which serves as the waiting room prior to treatment is gorgeous, comfortable and has a fabulous view of the 19 acre property. There are indoor and outdoor treatment rooms which are casually and tastefully decorated and spacious. Our favorite is on a screened in porch. Chef Terry Conlon provides the culinary experience at Aster Cafe where his philosophy is "nothing is forbidden." He uses healthy, organic ingredients (many from their own healing gardens) to rework favorite dishes like quesadillas, chicken salad, and paninis. There are two pool areas: the Pool Barn is an indoor jr. Olympic size lap pool and the Palm pool sits just outside the main building. They have over 100 treatments from which to choose. Their featured treatment is the Coffee Scrub and Massage, which promises to exfoliate, refresh and improve circulation, all the while reducing the appearance of cellulite- just in time for summer!

Lake Austin Spa even offers special events and discounts for girlfriends getaways. Hope to see y'all there!

Two New From Clinique

Clinique has two new products just in time for spring that will freshen up your face. First is the Shimmering Tones Powder Quad in Golden Bronze. These four colors range from beige/gold to bronze and can be used individually or in combination on your eyes or on your cheeks for a swipe of bronze-y glow. We've used it daily for a couple of weeks and find it very versatile. If you're a fan of Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks (like us!) then you'll enjoy this as well. It cost $28.50

Next up is the Long Last Glosswear. While we have a makeup bag full of glosses, this one stood out. We especially like the wand applicator (hate getting our fingertips messy or having to carry around a separate lip brush), the texture is smooth and moisturizing not sticky, it has SPF 15, and while we can't confirm just how long it lasts (Clinique claims up to 8 hours) it did last longer than our other glosses. We're using Rock Violet which is pinky, brown with a slight violet sheen. It costs $14.00.

Both products are available on Clinique's website and department stores nationwide.

You know how much we love Clinique's self-tanners. While you're on the Clinique website, you can register to win your own set of tanning products tucked in a beach bag. Enter by May 27th.