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eye on style: elie of punctuation mark

Friday, January 27, 2012

This week's Eye on Style guest is Elie, a blogging friend who I was happy to meet up for lunch with this past weekend when she was attending a conference in Los Angeles. You may be familiar with Elie's blog, Punctuation Mark, always filled with lots of good links and ideas. I think you'll enjoy meeting her!

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name: Elie Fournier

location: Miami {though I'd like to say one day "the world"}

occupation: Interior Designer who loves everything about hotels

wearing: Jeans, Uniqlo; Top, Gilly Hicks; Shoes, AllStar Converse; Scarf and Handbag, Banana Republic; Sunglasses, Anthropologie

favorite designers: My whole life always loved Gucci because it's style was more tailored that other brands. When Tom Ford became the main designer he became my favorite not just because up until today he has created some of the best collections and accessories but also because he has a great sense for business.

what style means Elie: It is that unconscious decision we all make when we dress. It is something that has changed and evolved in my life as it has changed... when I was a design student it was very monochromatic as I never had time for anything, then I started working and it became much of or what it is today: colorful accents, tailored pieces, pairing basics with accessories, great shoes, and no matter what always be comfortable in my own skin.

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Friday, January 27, 2012 Post a comment:7 Comments

beauty on hold...

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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It's 80 degrees outside and the beach is calling my name! Today's post on getting and keeping beautiful tresses is going to be postponed until next week.

I will meet you back here tomorrow with a favorite blogger friend who is this week's Eye on Style guest!

* Make sure to enter to win the Naked At The Beach Trio - all you need to do is submit a Pinterest or Polyvore set using our new Naked at The Beach 4FREE Nail Color trio.

* If you haven't clicked over to On PCH in awhile, this week documents more color blocking, a shot of silver, and taste of the new heydey in men's shoes.

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Thursday, January 26, 2012 Post a comment:15 Comments

art inspired: claes oldenburg, lipstick on catepillar tracks

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Since this is beauty week at Trust Your Style, it seemed fitting that Claes Oldenburg's 24 foot tall sculpture would be today's art inspired pick. Lipstick has often been compared to war paint, and is it coincidence that this over-sized lipstick is mounted on tank treads?

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Claes Oldenberg, the son of a Swedish diplomat, grew up in Chicago. After he finished Yale University, he took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to New York City in 1956. Oldenberg met a group of artists, that included Jim Dine, Red Grooms and Allan Kaprow and became part of their theatrical Happenings, an alternative to the prevailing abstract expressionism. Eliciting public ridicule before being embraced in the 1960s as whimsical, insightful and fun, Oldenberg's large scale sculptures of mundane objects became associated with the Pop Art movement. One of Oldenberg's early sculptures was a soft sculpture of a tube of lipstick which would deflate unless a participant re-pumped air into it. In 1974, this sculpture, Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks, was redesigned in a sturdier aluminum form, the giant lipstick being placed vertically atop tank treads where it resides permanently in the Morse College courtyard.

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Oscar de la Renta blouse $1685; TIBI black blazer $505; Donna Karan stretch jersey pencil skirt $795; Alexander McQueen peep toe pumps, $895; Oscar de la Renta multi chain necklace, $1,150; Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Pure Color Lipstick SPF 15, $30; Valentino Rock Stud Flap Bag in Red, $1,595

Will you be wearing lipstick red come this Valentine's Day?


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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Post a comment:38 Comments

bellacures: beauty and the manicure

Monday, January 23, 2012

After the holidays wind down, the end of January feels like the right time to rejuvenate and repair hair, skin, and nails. I come across many amazing stylists, cosmetic developers, spa-owners, and beauty products working with Affluent Magazine, where I've been the beauty editor for almost 6 years. I thought it'd be fun this week to introduce you to a few people I've had the pleasure of meeting recently.

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We're kicking off our week of beauty with lovely Samira Asemanfar, the owner of Bellacures, one of the most stylish, super hygienic, and frequently acclaimed nail salons in Los Angeles. Featured among the "Best of LA" in LA Magazine, you may have read about Bellacures in Lucky, In Style, or Daily Candy. Last week I attended the opening of Bellacures in Newport Beach and was carrying one of my handbags that we had just finished that day. Samira immediately approached me about it, and as you can see, she now owns a Mary Jo Matsumoto bag!

Only 29 years old, Samira opened her business six years ago and has now expanded her 5 locations in Los Angeles to include a new sixth Bellacures on Balboa Island. Samira also has plans to open another salon in Laguna Beach next month. Since so many of you are entrepreneurs, I thought you'd enjoy her story not to mention her great nail tips.


ON STARTING A BUSINESS AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE:

As a little girl, every week I would tag along with my mom to get her nails done. Even though I wasn't allowed to get mine done, I loved looking at the luscious polish colors, watching my mom get pampered and more than anything, I loved the feeling of hope that filled me: hope that one day when I was older I too would get my nails done, wear colorful makeup and sparkle.

Towards the end of elementary school, I developed a horrible nail-biting habit. When I was twelve years old, I convinced my mom that I had to get artificial nails in order to stop biting my nails... and so began my weekly visits to the nail salon. Nail-biter turned manicure addict, over the next ten years, I visited nail salons from one side of town to the other and slowly began to realize that nail salons in Los Angeles lacked style, professionalism and most of all cleanliness! And so, I set out to change the culture of nail salons and opened Bellacures in 2006. My hope is that whenever you visit a Bellacures nail salon, you feel comfortable enough to focus on what really matters: remembering that the little girl inside of you just wants to sparkle... maybe with bright red polish?


BEST THINGS ABOUT RUNNING HER BUSINESS:
* Seeing customers enjoy our services and fall asleep in our chairs.
* Sitting at a cafe for lunch and hearing two girls talking about how much they love Bellacures at the table next to me.
* Manicurists appreciating an awesome work environment and the opportunity to be a part of a culture and brand.

MOST CHALLENGING:
Customer service. We keep over 95% of our customers happy and coming back. But the perfectionist that I am the other less than 5% always bothers me. Striving for 100% causes the most stress.


SAMIRA'S STYLE:

That's a difficult one. I dress by how I feel that day. The ones that seem to fall more in the rotation are:
* Sophisticated and tailored.
* Vintage and eclectic.
* Dainty and feminine.
* But always comfortable....


BEST NAIL/BEAUTY TIPS:

I used to be a French or Red only kind of girl and consistently required meticulous work (aka Manicure OCD). After six years of being in this business here are my three recommendations for getting the most out of the manicure experience:

* Have fun with your polish colors. The more you experiment, the more you liberate your mood and your style.
* If one nail is not perfect, don't ruin it for all the other nails. Relax... it's just a manicure. You will most likely get one next week.
* If you are going on vacation, get a Gelicure (our Gel Manicure). Don't stress with the mess of polish touch ups.


Thanks so much Samira for stopping by! Wishing you all the best with your business and hope to see you when the Laguna Beach salon opens!


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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Monday, January 23, 2012 Post a comment:35 Comments

eye on style: heather from style confessions

Friday, January 20, 2012

Heather, who writes the blog Style Confessions, is one of my local blogging friends, a doll designer, and frequent wearer of Mary Jo Matsumoto 4FREE Nail Color! She boldly embraces vivid color in her fashion choices and how can you not like that? I think you'll enjoy meeting Heather!

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name: Heather Fonseca

location: Hollywood, California

occupation: freelance doll designer

wearing: Red J-Brand Jeans, Black faux fur vintage coat, vintage leopard clutch, "Sisters" cardigan, and a black knit camisole from Target.

favorite designers: My all time favorite designer is Coco Chanel, because she was an individualist who created a look that was so fabulous, wearable and elegant it continues to this day. If I could wear any designer label it would be Dolce & Gabbana for their sophisticated combination of ladylike and sexy. There will always be a place in my heart for Jean-Paul Gautier. To me his work will always be the height of structured, eccentric cool.

what style means to heather: Style is pizazz. It's a mix of confidence, creativity, individualism, effort and good taste. I believe anyone can have great style if they want to.


p.s. You can catch up with 65 of Trust Your Style's previous Eye on Style guests on the right hand index.

* Happy weekend style lovers! Make sure to enter our Polyvore Naked State of Mind Contest, I'd love to see your take on a naked state of mind. If you've never used it, Polyvore's not hard to navigate--just sign up for an account and start putting your Naked State of Mind set together. Details below.

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Friday, January 20, 2012 Post a comment:39 Comments

naked state of mind + giveaway!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

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Why is it that January always feels a bit harsher than other months? Is it because the warmth of the holidays have passed? Or is it just that the fresh new slate is too squeaky clean and feels daunting? There's so much promise of things yet to come, and yet we're bundled up dreaming of spring. That's why I think it's the perfect time to be in a naked state of mind.


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So I had an idea...Forget about clothes, let's concentrate on our fingers and toes! Write me a poem, a visual one--on Polyvore. Tell me/show me what you think a naked state of mind is and you'll be entered in my Naked State of Mind giveaway! If you'd like to use a collage making system different than Polyvore, that's fine too! Just put together a set and send me the link. I will post as many entries as possible so that you can see all the creativity! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

All you need to do to enter the contest is include my new Naked at the Beach 4FREE Nail Color trio in your set. Click here to clip the images to your Polyvore set. The contest will last until the end of January. When you have your Naked State of Mind set finished, post it on your blog and email your link to trustyourstyle@gmail.com.

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The winner takes all! Okay, maybe not all, but at least you'll win a Naked at the Beach trio! And yes, international readers can enter--if you win, I will ship the polish by boat, due to US regulations, but it will get to you, so please enter!

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p.s. I wanted to thank Heather over at Style Confessions for her lovely review, The Best Natural Nail Polish, about my new 4FREE line of Nail Color. If you're interested in finding out more about what 4FREE or natural nail polish means, make sure to click over and read the interview.

* Also: if you have a photo of yourself wearing my new 4FREE polish, make sure to email it to me so I can post it to TrustYourStyle's tumblr!

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Thursday, January 19, 2012 Post a comment:14 Comments

art inspired: eric fischl, the bed, the chair, waiting

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

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In a season where neutrals shot with color is the banner trend, I felt inspired by one of my favorite painters of nudes. Eric Fischl's work depicting the dark side of suburban life was not originally embraced as legitimate art, but today he's considered to be one of the most influential figurative painters of this century. Fischl's work often has a hit of bright color tempered by light and shadow and seemed a perfect foil for some of resort/spring's newest arrivals, not to mention my new Naked At the Beach 4FREE Nail Color trio has just arrived!

How do you feel about nudes/neutrals with shots of color?


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Details: Amanda Wakeley Mikado printed silk coat, $1,615 - net-a-porter.com; Acne Lucille cotton-blend stretch-jersey dress, $530 - net-a-porter.com; Spanx Slimplicity strapless stretch slip, $72 - net-a-porter.com; Nars Lipstick in Jungle Red, $24 - Beauty.com; Mary Jo Matsumoto Naked At The Beach 4FREE Nail Trio, $36 - maryjomatsumoto.com; Kenneth Jay Lane Swarovski crystal cocktail ring, $235 - net-a-porter.com; Miu Miu cocktail sandals, $695 - net-a-porter.com; Miu Miu Matelassé Luxe leather clutch, $1,150 - net-a-porter.com.


* art/fashion lovers: if you want more art-inspired fashion posts, there are 32 previous posts to check out, just scroll down the right hand index to "art inspired fashion".

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Post a comment:47 Comments

the infamous p.o.c.

Monday, January 16, 2012

As much as I love color blocking, it's neutrals shot with the infamous P.O.C. {pop of color} that's the coolest/beyond stand-out trend for spring and summer 2012. I can't even describe how the turquoise piping on this LV bag makes my heart beat faster...

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Du Juan photographed by Wee Khim for Style Singapore January 2012


Happy Monday style lovers!

* For more P.O.C. goodness, hop on over to On PCH to see how these gentlemen are wearing it with flair.

* Bright fingers will give you the ultimate P.O.C. - check out our glossy new 4FREE Sea Creatures polishes to brighten up your winter darks.


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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Monday, January 16, 2012 Post a comment:25 Comments

eye on style: kizzy at the dainty doll's house

Friday, January 13, 2012

Kizzy from The Dainty Doll's House is a favorite stop on my blog rounds. I think you will enjoy meeting her!

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name: KizzyDoll

occupation: Mother, Photographer, Artist

location: Scotland

wearing: Green 'Mela Loves London' dress. Vintage Black Mary-Janes that I thrifted, a Bronze leaf tiara from Claire's & Jonathan Aston of London tights.

favorite designers: Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, Alexandra Grecco, BIBA, Dior, Lanvin. I like these designers because they appeal to the different aspects of myself, elegance, youthful, girlie, bright, mysterious and dreamy. I appreciate the textures and colours of their clothes, I feel like it's a party when wearing them and life should be a party everyday. I also wear a lot of vintage items, things I've picked up here and there or gotten from my Mom's closet (it's because of her I love vintage clothes).

what style means to Kizzy: For me style is all about expression & confidence. Saying to the world 'This is me'. You can either give off a positive reflection of yourself or a negative one. I think style is also very personal, it's an extension of one's self. It's not something you can find in a magazine or clothes rack. It has to come from within and flourish. It doesn't mean going out and buying a ton of designer items. You can find style everywhere, it's all down to you and how you carry the clothes out and make them your own. One should aways dress for their body shape too, not everything on the rack is tailored for everyone, know your shape, embrace it, wear what suits it, love what you've been given and let it shine. Colour is the first thing I see, so I pick ones that say something and I feel connected to them. I never wear anything, I don't feel connection to. Then I know I'll always wear it with confidence. And that is what everyone needs, not diets, or the outfit the other person was wearing but, confidence and love for who you are inside and out! Because no one makes a better you - than you!

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Friday, January 13, 2012 Post a comment:32 Comments

bold and bright: mary katrantzo

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Happy Thursday style lovers!

Before I jump into Mary Katrantzo's wildly creative Spring line, I wanted to quickly announce that On-PCH is officially back! I'm happy to be finally getting over the flu and able to shoot again. Hope you will hop over for today's post: The Pursuit of Luxury Hair.

So back to Mary Katrantzo--love that she was one of the few designers that didn't try her hand at a a spin on someone else's style this spring, but just blew out a slew of original looks. If you're not familiar with MK, you will be soon--she just did a super groovy bag collaboration with Longchamp that will be available at Colette later this month.
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Here are some looks from her Spring 12 line:

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P.S. Craving more pop rainbow goodness? Join me over at Trust Your Style's new Tumblr for some happy neon fashion and style!

P.S.S. I know some of you are not bright color lovers...sanity will return in the form of neutrals {with pops of color} in the near future. I promise!


images via Style.com

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posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at Thursday, January 12, 2012 Post a comment:33 Comments