Looking good and feeling good with Activia by Dannon

Why do you love to shop? I love it because buying clothes, shoes and accessories makes me look and feel good on the outside. But what about the inside? Of course I consume my share of yummy (but unhealthy foods) but there’s also a bunch of healthy snacks that I eat, on an almost daily basis. One of which is yogurt. I’ve loved yogurt for as long as I can remember, and most recently I’ve become addicted to Activia by Dannon. I just love the taste of it – it’s smooth, fruity and creamy, just how I like my yogurts, and of course I love the fact that it’s healthy. Eating Activia gives me my daily dose of vitamins, dairy and a general sense of feeling good. So I start my day off with Activia and move on to shopping afterwards. Which makes me feel great, inside and out!

Have you tried Activia? Do you love it? Take the Activia 14 Day Challenge, the new taste of Activia, new recipes and fitting this healthy snack into everyday meals!

Sponsored by Activia

Fab Fashion + Beauty Link Roundup

Check out the Material Girl by Madonna official lookbook featuring Taylor Momsen (Hot Beauty Health)

A little tutorial on how to do boho without going overboard … (Already Pretty)

10 Questions You May Have About “Montenegro Style.” (Crushable)

Plus Blogger Gabi Gregg Wins MTV’s Twitter Jockey Contest. (Fa(s)t Fashion)

There is a Sex Pistols fragrance (The Gloss)

How to get Ashley Greene’s look at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. (Beauty Blogging Junkie)

Check out the 90’s Bracket – second round and help decide between the Rachel Green haircut and the Babysitter’s Club series. (College Candy)

Thursday haute links

Nikki Blonsky talks “Huge.” (The Frisky)

The worst photoshoots. Ever (The Gloss)

A real run-in with John Mayer (Crushable)

American Apparel’s weirdest fashion (College Candy)

24 Things Single Women Wish We Could Tell Men to Make Dating Easier for Everyone (Glamour)

Haute handbag of the week: Diane von Furstenberg Lytton Minaudiere Clutch (Handbag du Jour)

How to make sure that your hairstyle fits with your personal style (Already Pretty)

Runway for Under $25: Erin Fetherston Resort 2011(College Fashion)

Enter to win two tickets to the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour in What’s Haute Magazine’s 5 days of giveaways!

To usher in the 5^th month (May), and to thank you, dear readers, for helping us reach over 500 followers on Twitter, What’s Haute is celebrating with a weeklong giveaway! Our 5-day giveaway will consist of various prizes to thank you for your support.

Today’s prize is ‘BIG’! It’s a gift certificate for two tickets to the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour, which runs daily (an $84 value). The gift certificate never expires so you can use it anytime!

The Sex and the City Hotspots Tour incorporates more than 40 locations from the movie and the TV show including the shop where Charlotte bought her “Rabbit,” the trendy Meatpacking District, and a stop to drink a Cosmopolitan at ‘Scout’, the bar owned by Aidan. It’s the perfect mix of shopping, drinking, and sightseeing in the hip neighborhoods of New York City. There are also locations from Sex and the City: The Movie interspersed in the tour.

Tour highlights include:
• Shopping at the store where Charlotte bought her “Rabbit”
• A stop at “Scout,” the bar owned by Aidan
• Enjoying cupcakes like Carrie and Miranda
• Going on location to the art gallery in SoHo where Charlotte worked
• Shopping at the hottest boutiques & stores in Greenwich Village
• Visiting Buddakan, site of Carrie and Big’s wedding rehearsal dinner
• Seeing new locations from Sex and the City: the Movie

*To enter to win, simply click the links to follow What’s Haute Magazine on Twitter and On Location Tours on Twitter. You can also become a fan of What’s Haute Magazine on Facebook. If you’re already following or a fan, leave a comment below letting us know and you’ll be automatically entered!

For extra entries, tweet the following: “Please RT: I want to win 2 tickets to the Sex and the City Hotspots tour from @WhatsHaute and @onlocationtours!“.

(The contest is only open to those who live in Canada, the United States or Mexico.)

That’s it! The winner will be randomly selected on or around May 15, 2010.

Special thanks to On Location Tours for sponsoring this giveaway!

Click here to enter more giveaways on What’s Haute.

About On Location Tours, Inc.
On Location Tours, Inc. is a bus tour company based in New York City, specializing in TV and movie location tours. On Location Tours also operates the tour of Sopranos Sites and Gossip Girl Sites, the New York TV and Movie Sites, Washington DC TV and Movie Sites, and the Central Park Movie Sites. The company was founded in 1999, by Georgette Blau, a 1996 graduate of Skidmore College.

On Location tours has launched Sex and the City girlfriend getaways and bachelorette packages that include the tour of Sex and the City Hotspots by limousine, dinner at a location used in the show, and entrance into one of the nightclubs where scenes from Sex and the City were filmed!

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit On Location Tours or call 212-209-3370.

EXCLUSIVE: An evening with Bluefly and the winner of Project Runway season 7

Sadly, another season of Project Runway comes to an end, but I got the incredible opportunity to spend the evening watching the finale at a party hosted by Bluefly and this season’s contestant Anthony Williams and season three contestant Laura Bennett. Can you say amazing? The party was held at Bennett’s fabulous two-story loft and her husband and kids mingled with the crowd. The environment was intimate, yet fun and fab – with an assortment of chic fashionistas, sushi, cocktails and cupcakes and Project Runway fan favorites! I spotted Anthony and Laura, of course, Seth Aaron Henderson, Maya Luz, Kevin Christiana, Kelly Cutrone(!), Epperson, and Althea Gibson, along with some of my favorite bloggers – Kristin from Fashion.Style.Beauty. and Dina from Eye 4 Style.

Throughout the show the crowd was treated to Anthony’s entertaining sidebar comments and the fabulous garments coming down the runway. If that wasn’t enough to satisfy your fashion fix, pieces from Laura’s final collection were also on display in her loft and if you thought they were amazing on TV, they were even more incredible in person. Project Runway has discovered some truly talented designers. But back to the show – we were on the edge of our seats waiting for them to announce the winner – even Seth Aaron had to get a glass of wine! But when it was revealed, he and his wife and children shared a moment and the crowd cheered! His looks were definitely the crowd favorite!

I chatted with Seth Aaron right after his win was shown on TV. We spoke about what he’s doing now – currently a mix of media and press tours to talk about winning the show, and between the time the show ended until now, he was sewing original pieces and doing trunk shows throughout Portland, Oregon, which sold out every time! And I’m not surprised – who wouldn’t want a Seth Aaron original?

What’s next for Seth Aaron? Well, he said that he’s currently looking for a manufacturer in Los Angeles, hired a sales rep, and is already planning shows at both New York Fashion Week AND London Fashion Week! When I asked him about his inspirations, he said that he doesn’t go out seeking inspirations – rather, it just comes to him. And I asked him about his Tim Burton-style pieces. He said he’s a huge fan of both Burton and Rob Zombie films as well, and loves his own ’dark’ aesthetic that he injects into his clothes. I love it too – it’s fun and fanciful and stunning - on the runway and off. I definitely can’t wait to see what happens next for Seth Aaron. I’ll be watching. And wearing, hopefully very soon.

Editor’s note: I chatted with Anthony Williams who is designing a handbag line (check out his gorgeous gold jeweled bag below) and Kelly Cutrone about her new YouTube TV channel with BFF Justine Bateman. Both were absolute sweethearts!

My afternoon with Aveeno and the Ageless Vitality Collection

Last Wednesday, I spent the afternoon feeling much like one of the Real Housewives of New York. Cocktails, lunch and chatting with the most fashionable set of ladies on the open rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel – sounds just like the TV show, right? Actually it was a blogger/editor luncheon hosted by Aveeno.

In between cocktail sipping, hors d’oeuvres tasting and celebrity gossip sharing, we got the chance to check out the new daytime and nighttime Aveeno Ageless Vitality products. These elasticity recharging systems are designed to activate essential elastin in your skin, restoring skin vitality while increasing firmness and smoother skin, and reducing the overall appearance of wrinkles and age spots. In addition, the products contain SPF 30 to protect your skin from sun damage.

Over lunch, we got an added treat – the chance to chat with the actual scientist, Amy, who developed the products! Amy shared with us the process behind making the products, the use of natural ingredients (blackberry leaf extract and dill) in these products, myths about phtalates and parabens (which are NOT found in these products), and about her many patents and cool job at Johnson & Johnson!

Check out the Aveeno Ageless Vitality Collection and be on your way to healthier, more youthful skin!

Special thanks to Glam and Aveeno for hosting this event!

RACHEL Rachel Roy ushers in Spring 2010 collection with a performance by Estelle

Last week I was invited to attend a preview of the Rachel Roy Spring 2010 collection at Macy’s - Herald Square. The opportunity to meet Rachel was enough for me to be excited about, but on top of that, her friend, singer and jewelry collection co-designer Estelle was scheduled to perform as well. The two gorgeous and talented ladies came on stage and Rachel introduced Estelle, who then performed a set of several songs, including her new hit song ’Freak‘ and my personal fave – ‘American Boy‘. Then Rachel met with fans, posing for pictures and signing autographs while models posed in her latest collection.

I chatted with Rachel – who was an absolute sweetheart, by the way – about her fashion line, women entrepreneurs, and accessories. She complimented me on my necklace; I adored her Skull Two Finger Ring, which unfortunately is now sold out! I wore my RACHEL Rachel Roy 24hr Dress for the occasion, and spotted a new version of it for spring – the Mini Painted 24hr Leopard Dress. This has to be one of the most fabulous dresses I’ve ever owned because the fit is simply amazing. This modal dress hangs and drapes in all the right places, and you can dress it up with heels and jewels, or dress it down with flats. It’s extremely comfortable and flattering for any figure, and the leopard print adds a nice touch for the season.

Buy for $99 at RACHEL Rachel Roy online, or at Macy’s.

J. McCarthy/Wireimage

Relax, rejuvenate and refresh with Exhale Spa on Rue La La

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to meet with Rue La La insiders at their Exhale Spa event. I chatted with the Marketing head (who recognized What’s Haute Magazine immediately – I’m guessing I shop at Rue La La a bit much!) about the sample sale site’s designer offerings and company direction. She assured me that Rue La La was not your typical sample sale site, but rather a lifestyle site. Thus the sponsored event at Exhale Spa.

The evening was divine. Bloggers and editors gnoshed on champagne, fruit and cheese while we were treated to signature services from the Well Bar. I got a pretty pink mani while others received lip exfoliation, facials and a few even bravely participated in Exhale Spa’s Core Fusion class. It was the perfect event to usher in spring, a time to relax, rejuvenate and refresh.

Today on Rue La La, treat yourself to some holistic pampering, reconnect your mind and body and experience some essential core training in the Exhale Spa Boutique! Locations include New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Santa Monica and South Florida.

Packages will be available Thursday, April 1 at 11AM ET for 48 hours.

Click the link to sign up for Rue La La!

The Future of Fashion hosted by Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory: the ultimate New York Fashion Week retreat

Believe it or not, fashion week can be uber-stressful so any and all opportunities to take relaxing breaks are very much-welcomed. So I was thrilled to be invited to the exclusive New York Fashion Week retreat: The Future of Fashion hosted by Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory. Verdi organizes these fashion Week retreats with a specially curated group of partner brands in fashion, beauty and lifestylen to offer ‘exclusive services, little indulgences and innovative ideas that are shaping the future of fashion & the way we live’.

The Luxe Laboratory is set up in an intimate, studio-style setting, and if I could live in the cozy space, I absolutely would! I visited the lounge on Valentine’s Day, and upon entering, was greeted with a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere of food, drink, fashion, beauty, artwork (from Jen Bekman gallery), and fellow fashion bloggers milling about. I was served yummy Absolut Berri Açai champagne cocktails (sadly I just missed the healthy brunch from BluePrint Cleanse!) and gnoshed on my favorite kettle corn popcorn from Popcorn Indiana. On one end of the Luxe Laboratory was a Rock & Republic denim bar so we could take a peek at the hottest new styles from the brand, alongside custom fittings from Maidenform and ShāToBu™ shapewear, Carrera sunglasses and a furnishings by Modern Dose.

On the other side of the main room was a spa-like lounge area where we could get all dolled up! Ginger + Liz, two ladies who started their own line of fab nail colors, were there providing manicures using their haute collection. My fave was ‘Swagger’. Makeup was provided by Neil for Jouer Cosmetics. He did such a fab job on my face that I sorta hired him to duplicate the look for my upcoming wedding! A professional hair stylist from PHYTO was also there to provide blow-outs. Yes, I felt spoiled for the day!

The Robert Verdi Luxe Laboratory event was amazing! It was such a great space to relax, mingle with other fashion bloggers and editors and get up close and personal with the brands I already write about.

Thanks Robert Verdi! Hope to pay another visit to the Luxe Laboratory very soon!

Win it! One of 5 copies of House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival

He was one of the most prolific designers of our time, known for his incredibly opulent and flashy collections, and his strong, loyal celebrity following. Equally loved and criticized, Gianni Versace, the Versace label, and the man behind it, stayed on the fashion radar. But behind all of the glitz and glam was a lot more. House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival, by Deborah Ball, delves into the storied life of the designer, his family, and his rise to fame. Ball, a former Milan correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, conducted interviews with Versace’s family members, lovers, business rivals, fashion models and industry icons.

Want the book? We’re giving away five copies! To enter to win, leave a comment below telling us your favorite Versace memory. And for more entries, Join our Facebook group, become a fan, or follow us on Twitter. Contest ends February 28, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.

Versace. The very name conjures up images of outrageous glamour and bold sexuality, opulence and daring. All of course true, but only half the story. Versace is also the legacy of a great creative genius from a poor, backward part of southern Italy who transformed the fashion world through his intuitive understanding of both women and how a changing culture influenced the way they wanted to dress. The first book in English about the legendary designer, House of Versace shows how Gianni Versace, with his flamboyant sister Donatella at his side, combined his virtuosic talent and extraordinary ambition to almost single-handedly create the celebrity culture we take for granted today.

Gianni Versace was at the height of his creative powers when he was murdered in Miami Beach. The story was front page news around the world and the manhunt for his killer a media obsession. His beloved sister Donatella demanded no less than a funeral befitting an assassinated head-of-state to be held in Milan’s magnificent cathedral. In what was the ultimate fashion show, the world’s rich and beautiful – Princess Dianna, Elton John, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Anna Wintour and others – gathered to mourn a man already considered one of fashion’s great pioneers.

Deborah Ball vividly recounts the behind-the scenes struggles – both creative and business – of Donatella as she stepped out of her brother’s long shadow and took control of the House of Versace. The book offers the first inside look at the enormous challenges Donatella faced in living up to Gianni’s genius, her struggle with a drug habit, her battles with her brother Santo and the mystery of why Gianni left control of his house to Donatella’s young daughter, Allegra.

House of Versace is a compelling, highly readable tale of rise from obscurity, a painful fall and ultimate redemption as the Versace empire returned to health – for now.

Special thanks to Crown Publishing Group (a division of Random House) for hosting this giveaway!

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