Where Do You Keep Your Money?

Start saving your pennies now because there are so many fabulous fashions coming this fall that not getting at least one will leave you feeling sad and alone.
I've been browsing pictures of Stella McCartney's Fall 08 line and I just have to have the felted wool wrap coat. I don't even want to know what it costs. I just want to hand over my credit card and what will be, will be.
Of course I can't wear it much because anyplace you go out in this city people think they need to smoke! ARGH! What is it with this metro area? Can we please just go smoke free like the cosmopolitan cities so that we can actually WEAR our fashionable frocks and designer doo-dads? why do you think the men and women of places like NYC always look so good? They can safely wear their goods.
Thankfully, down here in the 'burbs, I no longer have to request non-smoking sections in which to enjoy my meals. But every time I leave my little haven to cross the border and venture downtown, I have to carefully chose my outfit, not so I can look as chic as possible, so that I can look chic in one of my B or C list outfits that I won't be in tears over if it's forever carrying the stench of second hand smoke.
Whew...I feel better with that soap-box-moment having been said and done.
For now, I follow the lead of Ms. Carrie Bradshaw, for I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet.
Happy Friday Fashionistas.

Playing Dress Up

I used to be the ultimate tomboy. I used to race my banana-seat bike against the neighbor boys on their dirt bikes, use a slanted tree stump as our ramp and still have the scar on my chin from wiping out in the middle of the street after using said tree stump. I'm sure that I wore dresses as a little girl, but I don't recall that and I'm guessing that I fought it a bit.
Maybe it's because I now live in an all male household that I'm asserting my independence and embracing my girliness. Whatever the reason would be (I find that wine is a better option than sorting all that out with a shrink) I now love dresses, dressing up and even looking feminine!

As I review the Spring 2008 fashion shows held last September in New York, I see oodles of dresses. This carried over to the Fall 08 shows as well. There were a surprising number of light, flowy dresses that can also be expected for this fall.

What can you expect and search for now? It's almost easier to tell you what not to wear because there are so many new ideas out there, and definitely some old things that need discarded.
No more shapeless women walking around town please! The tunic dress is done. The only way to salvage it if you have one is to find a way to belt it. Shape and fit are in. There is room for a lot of individual style, but the common element is that it's shaped to fit a female body and show some curves.

Bill Blass showed a collection of dresses that either stopped just below the knee, or went to the floor. Everyone of them showed off the waistline.
While Anne Klein has several looks showing off the knees as well as the waistline.
Even Betsey Johnson, with her flouncy skirts and bright colors, showed the waistline and were even accentuated with a wide sash.

I suppose that brings me back to the one fashion tip I always harp on...fit is it! Show your curves. If you're not very curvy, use a belt to accentuate the waist and give yourself some shape.

Don't miss our fun survey about the Oscar ladies and their dresses. Vote for your favorite.

Goodies Up For Grabs

Good morning! I have more goodies for fashionistas interested in testing some of my beauty product swag and being a guest blogger to tell us all about it.
Just email me at info@hautemarket.com.
Give me your name, age and why you should be a product tester and guest blogger for the Fashion 411 blog.

Now for a recap of bare minimum products several of my fashionista friends use. I think it's interesting to know what other women are using and loving. Especially those products that are their "essentials". I want to make sure I'm not missing out on some fab beauty secret!

Allyson, Director of Advertising/435 South Magazine, says:
What is your bare-minimum make up? - Bare Escuentals Bare Minerals foundation, Arbonne mascara, eye liner and lip gloss.
What products do you use no matter what?
I don't really have any no-matter what products. I am always open to trying new things.
Is it mascara that you won't go out without? Maybe just a quick powdering?
Always mascara - always foundation

"I'm in love with Bare Essentials-it all looks natural! I also can't go without my Mary Kay lip gloss-current color of choice is Cinnamon Raisin."
Jennifer-3rd grade teacher

My NYC gal-pal Sarah, works for L'Oreal in marketing - so I guess she can't go super bare. She says: "powder (Smashbox) a little shadow and blush (Lorac) and gloss (Vincent Longo) oh and mascara (Lancome)...and concealer (Smashbox)".
Ha ha...I don't see any L'Oreal mention here, Sarah. I know she washes her hair with it though, so she's safe :)

"My bare minimums would be my Neutrogena Visibly Firm foundation (20 SPF)– in the winter I like more of a cream–definitely my Almay eyeliner pencil and then Jane Iredale lip gloss in Cosmopolitan for light color. I ALWAYS have my MAC Studio Fix compact!"
Stephanie Chiles of S. Chiles Design/Graphic Design & Visual Communications

"My bare minimums are: under eye concealer, mascara, and eyebrow liner."
Michele - Office Manager/Development Associate, SAFEHOME

Score My Swag

Hopefully you're an avid reader of the Fashion 411 Blog here at Haute Market. It might help you win some fabulous swag I brought back from my trip last week to a huge beauty product event in New York. I cannot possibly try all of these products, especially since it can take 4-6 weeks to truly see results of anti-wrinkle creams, acne treatment gels, face scrubs, etc.

One product I tried and loved is the Dr. Michelle Copeland Ageless Skin Foundation. Recognize that name? If you scored a goodie bag at the Feb. 10th event, then you received some products from the doc too.

I was surprised that the light feeling foundation worked for me because my skin seems resilient to keeping foundation in place. It's as if it evaporates away. I usually use a very thick foundation. I'm alternating primers to see which works best for me. One is the Smashbox primer which has a thicker consistency due to it's silicone base. The other is Lorac which feels more like water, but in a good way.

Let's back up and I'll give you the complete regime. Normally I'd never do this much...but I'm not getting younger and it's here for the testing.

Face wash - Mary Kay Velocity. My skin tends to dry so after a while I have to use something without the scrubbing beads inside, just for a few days.
Next I'm experimenting with another swag item: Lancome Absolue Ultimate, replenishing and restructuring serum.
Next, La Roche-Posay Biomedic Facial Shield for moisturizing.
I let this all sit a while before I put on make up.
Next is the primer, either Smashbox or Lorac until I determine which helps my foundation stay on longer.
Foundation by Copeland.
I have bronzer and highlighter powder from Lorac that I'll use if going out.
Finishing powder is whatever I can find. I honestly have so many and need to pay attention because that can make a difference in staying-power too.

So now you have my regime. And last week I posted some faves of some of our fashionistas. You should have plenty of recommendations for your next shopping trip!

Now for the 'score my swag' part. I have two products from Garnier Nutritioniste-TM. Skin Renew moisturizer ($11.99 at drugstore.com) and Ultra-Lift-TM anti-wrinkle firming cream ($13.99 at drugstore.com).
I need two different ladies willing to test these and report back to be a guest blogger. You have to commit to using it every day for at least 4 weeks. I'd love before and after close ups of your skin too!
Email me your name, age, which product you want to test and why you should be picked to be my tester and guest blogger. Helps if you have wrinkles that need smoothing if you want to test the anti-wrinkle cream. :) I will pick based on best case pleaded to me. Winners will be picked and notified by this Thursday morning and swag will be mailed to you. info@hautemarket.com

Oscar and his Ladies

The ladies of Oscar night must have been planning these gowns for months in anticipation of this grand Hollywood ceremony.
My favorite is a tie between Jessica Alba and Penelope Cruz.
Jessica (glowing mother-to-be) in her merlot-colored Marchesa gown. The gorgeous feather bustline and demi-train gave her a goddess quality. All that was missing - a few cascading curls falling from her beautiful up-do hair style.

Penelope Cruz, also following the feather trend looked incredible in her gown. What I really loved was the way the back of her hair fell just to the top of the gown's back. Like it was cut "just so" to start the flowing look at the top of her head down to the end of her amazing train.

Obviously the weather wasn't cooperating (a tent was erected to keep the arriving stars dry) and the many buns and other up-do's were probably a result of that, and that is the easy way out. The few who let their hair down, literally, had a much tougher job of achieving the soft hair look. Kudos to the loose-haired ladies!

A quick glance at other blogs and I find a lot of people bagging on the feather dresses. I love them. Especially after seeing the Fall 08 Fashion Week runway shows. There were feathers here and there.

Vote for your favorite now. Vote for best dress then view the results of our reader survey.

Fab Friday

I swear that ULTA must plan their mailer for my Fab Friday chats. It always arrives just in time. ULTA has a free gift with purchase offer in the store, several buy two get one free products and sales. Check it out on this cold, cold Friday.

I'm still exhausted from my quickie with the big apple. And still pouting about not getting to shop. What was most agonizing is the cab ride down Madison Avenue. Passing all those fabulous designer boutiuqes at 9:01pm....it was killer.
But the huge goodie bag was so fantastic and provided me with dozens of products to review and share with my fashionistas! So keep an eye out for upcoming product test reviews and some contests to win some of my swag!

Happy Friday!

Good morning from NYC, again...

Hello fashionistas and good morning. It's 6am here in the fashion capital. I arrived last night at dusk, and I'm leaving when it's still dark. This is not a life I would want to live. Oh well...New York is most beautiful at night.
With no time to shop except running into a TJ Max to buy another piece of luggage, I feel like quite the jet-setter.
Why the extra piece of luggage then? Last night was the demo night for the CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) Network, and that means a HUGE goodie bag packed so tight with beauty products. I had to buy luggage to check all the lotions, perfumes, and other goodies.

Demo night is an evening in which all the fabulous brands we know, plus some newbies to the market, come together to show off their latest and greatest products so that we'll vote for them as the best in their categories.

Some women think Haute Market events are crowded. Holy cow. This was only two hours long, the aisles were about 5-6 feet wide, and tables for the demos were side by side as far as the eye could see. I didn't make it to 2/3's of the demo tables but I did score some fantastic freebies and great contacts in the industry. This means more fabulous swag for Haute Market goodie bags in the future! (don't you love the balloon wall?!)

And now for another installment of the bare necessities women we know use before heading out the door each day:
My bare minimums would be my Neutrogena Visibly Firm foundation (20 SPF)– in the winter I like more of a cream–definitely my Almay eyeliner pencil and then Jane Iredale lip gloss in Cosmopolitan for light color. I ALWAYS have my MAC Studio Fix compact!
Stephanie Chiles of S. Chiles Design/Graphic Design & Visual Communications

Thanks for reading and I'll see you in KC. We're boarding now!

Bare Necessities

I am a bit tardy posting today. So sorry. I was sure I could get dressed, get kids out the door, pack and have plenty of playtime. Wrong. I'm sitting here at our beloved KCI watiting to fly to NYC for a fabulous beauty-industry event. I'll get to sample new products on the market and even bring home a great goodie bag!
In honor of my beauty-related day, I'm posting the bare essentials that many area women use for their beauty regime.
Some make me laugh because they aren't very bare. You're lucky to see me at Walmart or Target with foundation and mascara on my usual days. :)

My friend Allyson, Director of Advertising/435 South Magazine, says:
What is your bare-minimum make up? - Bare Escuentals Bare Minerals foundation, Arbonne mascara, eye liner and lip gloss.
What products do you use no matter what? I don't really have any no-matter what products. I am always open to trying new things.
Is it mascara that you won't go out without? Maybe just a quick powdering?- always mascara - always foundation

My NYC gal-pal Sarah, works for L'Oreal in marketing - so I guess she can't go super bare. She says:
powder (smashbox) a little shadow and blush (lorac) and gloss (vincent longo) oh and mascara (lancome)...and concealor (smashbox).

More bare essentials from "real" gals about town, coming tomorrow!

The Vanity Fair Event

Good morning fashionistas!
I hope you are on the Haute Buzz newsletter list because today's issue comes with a fab coupon and great announcement.
The next Haute Market shopping party is..
the Vanity Fair, Wed. April 16th from 5-9 pm at the Ritz Charles.

The Vanity Fair will be a haute shopping party with a twist.
One area dedicated to beauty, pampering and vanity: The Beauty Bar, will surely be a destination for you to visit and indulge in some of your beauty wishes.
Plus some of our favorite designers and boutiques who focus on fashion. Women's apparel, handbags, and loads of handcrafted jewelry designs.

Learn about Botox, Restalyne, microdermabrasion, laser hair removal and more from three of our favorite med spas in Kansas City.
Treat yourself to a make-up or hair touch up, maybe enjoy a massage.
There will also be vendors specializing in beauty and body products. You an purchase make up and body cream developed by women right here in the KC Metro!

Shop with your girlfriends, support local businesses and designers, and allow yourself to fulfill a few of your own beauty wishes at the next Haute Market shopping party!

Eye Candy

I thought I'd get the week off to a great start with a little bit of eye candy.
Fashion Week was only a few weeks ago but the fashion world seems to have already moved on. Not me, I'm still reeling.
Little did I know, as I was crashing the R. Scott French show and making my way to the front row, that I'd be treated not only to some interesting menswear designs, but the boys of Make Me A Supermodel. Not to mention that I was sitting across the catwalk from Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford. It was smokin' hot in that room baby!

Fab Friday

It is always so difficult to choose what to write about. The fashion and beauty industries move so quickly that it's difficult to keep up. That is what you have Haute Market for! Too keep you in the loop.

Ulta has a 20% off offer for you to take advantage of on this fab Friday. Plus a sale page full of great deals.
Maybelline Great Lash mascara is a very popular one, often being top choice in magazine reader surveys. It's buy one get one free at Ulta. See site for details.

I've been expirimenting with other mascaras and Rimmel still comes out on top.
My recent go around was with L'Oreal's Telescopic mascara. The wand has a four sided comb for maximum lash grabbing. It does a fabulous job of coverage, however the wand is too long for me and it's too flexible. I like a stiff comb for preciseness. This one has too much give for when I'm trying to apply, so as I apply pressure, it bends. This was especially traumatic when I went to put the wand back in the container and I missed the opening so it bent. Now my comb is curved a bit - not in a way that helps application. So while the actual mascara itself looks fantastic on my lashes and did help lengthen the look, the applicator makes it too tedious to mess with for me. Rimmel Lash Maxxx is still on top of my lash bash list.

Happy Hearts Day!

Some of you love this day. It's full of love, kisses and romance. Lucky duck.
I suppose that some of you also dread this day. The wizardry of commercialism has worked it's magic to make you think that if you don't have a day filled with romance that there is something wrong.
I think it's a load of crap, but that doesn't keep me from expecting something romantic anyway. :)
Valentine's Day should be just for lovers. In our house we don't get and give Valentines to the kids, the neighbor, the delivery man. It helps that we have all boys I suppose. My husband simply forbids that the boys give out Valentines for fear that it will compromise their masculenity.
My clever love told me he "found some romance", then handed over a gift box of Ralph Lauren Romance perfumes. Silly and smart, that one is.
I still have to make a mad dash to get his gift. I had a sweet card but when re-reading it this morning before signing it, I realized it was for someone shacking up. Nice huh? "I love living with you because....". So now they even have cards for those 'living in sin' as grandma would say. How lovely.
So I scrapped the card and am heading out to brave the men of KC who wait until the last minute to show their affection.
Wish me luck!

The After Math

Good morning fashionistas. Which of you forgot to turn the heat up last night? It's COLD outside! I just want to curl back up under the covers and hide from my household duties I've neglected due to the Haute Market frenzy. My place is always a wreck when I come home and toss everything inside after an event.


Today is one where I wish I was back in New York where I could take my laundry to the woman across the street and it would be finished and folded for me when I picked it up. Where the taxi picks me up outside the front door and it's already warmed up inside. However....we do have a darn good metro area here in KC and we are pretty fortunate.

A lot of great things happen in this metro area and soon Haute Market will help make it more easy to find out about what'd going on. Keep checking the blog each week day for events, fashion and beauty tips, and even a few contests once in a while!

Long Haute Hangover

Whew...that shopping party on Sunday was intense! The place was packed and there was some serious shopping going on. So today, I'm still suffering from the Haute Market Hangover. It has nothing to do with alcohol, though I had a few sips (or twelve) to help endure my high-heeled boots a few more hours. :)

Today I'm just going to leave you with a few teasers so I can get some fabulous surprises ready for you, my fave fashionista!

Upcoming on the Fashion 411 blog:
~the scoop, including before and after pictures, of our fabulous make-over winner, Jamie! She was picked from the guests at Sunday's shopping party and given a make-over and a new outfit, plus loads of goodies. Over $600 value!

~interviews with fabulous women business owners: a magazine editor, a Project Runway fashion designer and more!

~more photos of fashion week to come. I bring the catwalk to you.

Tell your friends about Haute Market. Don't settle for the cheap imitations! Make Haute Market, the original KC shopping extravaganza, your place for fashion, beauty and pampering.

Fun Sunday

Wow. I am soooo tired today. Yesterday's Haute Market shopping event made for a wild and crazy Sunday afternoon. The Ritz Charles was jam packed with frenzied fashionistas grabbing great deals all around. Most of the designers and boutiques were offering huge discounts...clothing 15-60% off in some booths! Ladies left with gorgeous jewelry, fabulous home decor items and so much more!

Haute Market started it's first, of many, make-over give aways. With the help of Vilma, Xiphium Salon's owner, I picked one lucky guest to receive a full make over and will have photos of her transformation later this week. You'll see her new head-to-toe look which included a completely new outfit!

Thanks to everyone who turned out on a bitter-cold Sunday to shop, be pampered and get hot-Haute-hot!

Too Much Fun

Not too much fun = kids out of school today.
Deserves fun = hard working ladies, mom stuck with kids home all day.
WAY FUN = Haute Market this Sunday, 12-4, at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park, KS.

Grab your girlfriends and come to Haute Market this weekend. We work hard, we deserve to play hard!

This weekend you can enjoy fabulous shopping with discounts up to 50% from most of our designers and boutiques.
~Massages will be FREE courtesy of Massage Envy - but feel free to tip!
~Xiphium Salon will be touching up hair styles and can even give you a fabulous up-do.
~Did someone say "fewer periods"? Talk with Dr. Schroll, local OBGYN and find out more!
~Party pics to remember your gal-pal day by R. Schraeder Photography. Get your photo taken in front of our famous sign, then go online to order prints of you and the girls!
~Need a private chef for an upcoming event? Brian Christie of Personal Chefs will be giving samples of some of his most fabulous foods!
~Want to know about KC Nightlife and more? Watch KC's own late night talk show, After Hours. Meet some of the crew at Haute Market this weekend.
~Botox? Restylane? Microdermabrasion? Talk with the experts from Aestheticare Med Spa this Sunday and find out what procedures might be right for you.

All this PLUS fabulous music, great shopping and so much more = great girls' day out!
Get tickets now because we may sell out before the event!

Sales at Haute Market this weekend!

Haute Market is a fabulous event for shopping the latest trends, especially if you want something more than what everyone else is also wearing. But did you know that many of our boutiques, designers and vendors give Haute Market guests great sales too? Oh yeah baby! It's a Bargain-Betty heaven!

The fabulous coat I showed on FOX4's morning show Wednesday morning (scrolll down to yesterday's blog post), by Frankie & Jules...she has just a few left and they will be deeply discounted!

jennyLou boutique is putting EVERYTHING at 40% off! Yes, everything in her booth will be 40% off of the price shown. Original jewelry designs, trendy handbags, and those fabulous bra inserts many of us refer to as 'chicken cutlets'....hey a girl needs all the help she can get! All at 40% off.

Simply FaBOWlous will have everything at least 25% off of their website listed prices. Like this adorable Tutu Headband, regular price $16, sale price just $12! I know that many of you have little girls that would love this piece for Valentines Day

Go Girly will have two t-shirt styles marked 50% off! "You had me at howdy" and "if you don't like it, don't look at it". I love their wit!

Initial design will have many sale items, like this two sided crown necklace pendant, at 305 off will be just $25. Plus all PJ pants for $10!

Bigg Eye creations is offering half off select cards! Designs include: Chic Shopper, Domestic Diva, Martini Mama & Coffee Chic. Reg price $14.00.

These are just a few of the many, many items that will be on sale this weekend at the next Haute Market shopping party, at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park, KS. Get tickets now. Goodie Bags are nearly sold out!

Haute TV

Good snowy morning fashionistas! I hope you're all snuggly warm inside the house today.
I have to venture out very early today to be on FOX4 TV. It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to get from my house to downtown, usually takes me 25 minutes. The snow is deep and the roads are trecherous in Kansas City.

The treck was worth it to be interviewed again by Laura Thornquist. She is a fabulous fashionista! I'll post a link to the segment as soon as they have it online. For now, here are a few of the pieces I showed today.

The topic was about finding great "key pieces" for your wardrobe during the end-of-season sales, getting a good fit, and making them last through several seasons.

Fit is important, especially in pants. Pay a little to get a good alteration done if needed. It's so worth it. I have to alter almost every pair of pants or jeans I buy, so I search the sales in order to save a little, then put that savings towards the altering.

Once you acquire several great pair of well-fitted pants, you can wear them throughout the year. In spring wear a tank-style top with empire waist like this one I found at Macy's. For winter you can use a great jacket like this one I found at Lord & Taylor while in NYC last weekend.

With the weather we're having, I have no problem spending money on some great jackets and coats. The one I used on tv today I bought from Frankie & Jules, a Haute Market vendor. If she has any left she says she will have them on sale this Sunday at Haute Market.

Look now for styles that are more classic, less trendy, so that they will carry through the next season or two. Clean lines, solid colors and a great fit.

Buy tickets now for this Sunday's Haute Market before we sell out!

Fashion Week Buzz

I'm back from New York Fashion Week with loads of photos and video of the shows, the celebrities and the fab fashion forecast. It was such a treat to be among such fabulous fashion guru's and I can't wait to see all the Fall 08 fashions in the stores. Unfortunately that's a season away, but you can still enjoy the upcoming trends now.

Belts were definitely a common theme among the designers. The BCBGMAXAZRIA collection was all belted, not to mention beautifully feminine with it's soft flowing silk fabrics and muted jewel tone colors, plus lots of dresses and skirts. I love the bubble skirts with a peek-a-boo layer underneath of a brighter color. One outfit had a beige tone with a pink layer under. Very fun!
Many of the pieces featured layered ruffles. I know...it sounds crazy, but with such a soft fabric like silk, it laid well and looked fantastic!
It was a packed house as we all sat in anticipation of another successful show from the amazing Max. He definitely lived up to the expectations!

Stay tuned for more reviews this week. The fabulous Betsey Johnson had a heart pumping show and I'm working on some video of it to show you later this week!

Good Morning Kansas City!

It's my last day in NYC. There are a few more fashion shows before I have to catch a plane. I'm getting a late start due to a sleepless night. New Yorkers are pretty excited about the Super Bowl win and they were not quiet about it. It was so much fun to watch everyone spill out onto the streets, chanting, clapping and carrying on. At least 4 firetrucks passed down our street with lights blazing and horns honking. It was thrilling to be a part of this celebration but I'm raedy to get back to the girly business of fashion!

For now I have to get my Starbucks and hustle down to Bryant Park. Ciao!

Fashion Friday

Hello fashionista's. This is your KC Fashionista writing from NYC! Right now New York is wet, wet, wet. But not even a little rain can deter me from my goal of getting into some fab fashion shows.

The most amazing show this morning was opened by non other than Mrs. Laura Bush! I'd seen her on tv this morning promoting heart disease awareness for women. You've surely seen the little red dress logos.
I was thinking to myself as I waited for the Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection, that it would be so cool if Laura Bush was there. Well...she was. And showing off the beautiful red dresses were loads of fabulous female stars.

The audience gasped and cheered as each woman strutted down the aisle. Allison Janney is one of my favorites from the hit series, The West Wing. She was amazingly elegant in a fitted red gown by Donna Karan.
Sara Rimirez, Dr. Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy, looked like a bombshell in her Angel Sanchez gown and my did she strut her stuff!
It was so amazing to see these women in a different light, having a fun time rocking the runway. It was absolutely something you'd expect of New York.
But I never expected Liza Minnelli to float down the runway and I most certainly did not ever dream I would see and hear her LIVE, singing New York, New York. What a treat!

I have so many great photos and videos already. Check the Fashion 411 blog daily to see what's going on in the big apple and the fashion world!