Good Stuff

April 2, 2009

Show Mom You Love Her
New sterling-silver bangles from Carolee's LUX collection are sure to bring a smile to Mom's face on May 10.  The Carolee LUX Sterling Silver Sentiments "MOTHER" Bangle is engraved in five languages - Italian, German, Spanish, French, and English, and  retails for $115. The Carolee LUX Words to Live By Authors Collection Bangle is engraved with a quote by Danielle Steel - "Never give up your dreams," and retails for $100. www.carolee.com

  Elizabeth Arden Goes Bronze for Spring
Elizabeth Arden is introducing a new collection, Bronze Minerals, which infused with microlight minerals and natural extracts, are designed to bronze your face and blush cheeks with warm, rich tones and skin-enhancing benefits.
  
Now available are a Pure Finish Mineral Bronzing Power ($32), which comes with its own Kabuki-style brush, and Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor ($24). Both products contain light-reflective mica and skin-softening silica to assure a natural luminous look, plus aloe vera and chamomile - ingredients known for their soothing and moisturizing benefits.
    
For eyes, Elizabeth Arden is offering a Sunlit Bronze Beauty Kit with four limited edition eye shadow shades ($35) as well as Color Intrigue Gel Eyeliner in ocean teal ($22.50). New lipsticks in limited edition colors include guava Pearl, cheery pearl and cocoa bronze pearl ($19.50). For a high shine lip gloss, try tropicoral ($17), or rosegold, pink pout, maple and berrylicious ($15). Available at department stores or at www.elizabetharden.com.


Flabby Arms? No More!
Calling itself the best shapewear since Spanx, Tres Sleek (formerly FLABuLESS), is one of the world's first arm shapewear designed to be a quick fix for flabby, jiggly arms. Tres Sleek arm shapewear instantly lifts sagging skin while slimming and streamlining bulges and ripples to provide a sleek, slender silhouette under tops, dresses and jackets. It is available in two styles Pleine (long sleeve), and De Quart (short sleeve), five colors - black, copper nude, chocolate, bone, and navy - and seven sizes ranging from S-4XL. www.tressleek.com.

Do you have a 'Ya Ya Kid'?   
Would your child rather wear underwear on her head than on any other part of the body? Can almost anything become a cape, a sword, or a magic wand? Do you want playful, boutique-quality clothes for your captivating kid without paying boutique prices?

   
If so, then two Atlanta-area moms want you to show Ya Ya pride with a new line of clothing that celebrates life in the silly, creative, energetic world of these children. Ya Ya Kids was started by Amy Morris, a clinical social worker, and Beth Fucile, a self-described computer techie, who are moms of young children.

Ya Ya Kids' first exclusive printing will focus on four T-shirt designs that are available in children's sizes ranging from 0-3 months up to 4T. Matching designs for moms are also available. Shirts for children are $22, and shirts for moms are $27. www.yayakids.com.

TOCCA's Newest Fragrance Is Solid
TOCCA Beauty's newest fragrance, Brigitte, is available as  solid perfume, which is perfect for traveling. Inspired by screen siren and icon Brigitte Bardot, the fragrance's top notes include ginger, rhubarb and papaya, with middle notes of Moroccan rose, iris and saffron. Its bottom notes contain sandalwood and musk. Profumo Solido in Brigitte retails for $30 for 0.15.ounces and is available at Sephora, bluemercury and other fine retailers. www.tocca.com.

 
Moleskine Launches Atlanta Notebook
The Moleskine City Notebook, the first guidebook you write yourself, is now has an Atlantan version. The City Notebook represents a personal urban guide, created especially for travelers and city dwellers that connect with the people they meet and the places they visit.

 
Moleskine City Notebooks provide people with a new way to organize voyages and ideas, preserving memories of places. Each 228-page notebook is thread-bound, featuring a black cover, elastic closure, inner pocket and three cloth bookmarks in different colors. It includes a key map with the layout of the city, subway map, street index and city file, a tabbed organizer for food, drinks, people, places, books and 48 adhesive labels for further personalization of the contents. www.moleskine.com.

Who Doesn't Need a Wife?
From the author of Goodbye, Jimmy Choo comes Busy Woman Seeks Wife, a novel about every woman's fantasy - having a "wife" to run her life for her. When a marketing executive does just that, problems inevitably occur and she finds herself needing a "divorce." Although the author is listed as Annie Sanders, she is actually two women - Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders - who have written nine books together. $13.99. The Hachette  Book Group Inc. www.5-spot.com.

An Addition to the David Yurman Line
Delicately fragranced with the florals and enriched with accents of woods and the warmth of amber, David Yurman Luxurious Body Cream provides ultra-soothing and hydrating softness. Presented in a glass jar, capped with a stunning cushion cut and faceted gold cover bordered with the iconic cable trim, Luxurious Body Cream is an addition to the David Yurman Fragrance Collection.

 
Go Nude
Check out the Nude skincare line from the U.K. Started as a natural alternative to conventional brands, Nude skincare uses "natural" ingredients -rather than organic -because the founders say that many of their natural ingredients aren't available organically.

Ingredients in Nude's formulas range from naturally occurring peptides, to phytoactives to essential oils that deliver antioxidant protection, but are without ingredients that are potentially harmful to the body or irritating to the skin. Airless packaging is used minimize the use of harmful preservatives.

Nude's blend of pre- and pro-biotics maintains and supports the protective barrier of the skin, keeping it healthy, soothed and hydrated. For immediate radiance and a natural brightening effect, treat skin to a Miracle Mask, which speeds up circulation and cellular turnover, instantly smoothing and brightening the complexion. Natural alpha hydroxyl acids and mandarin extract exfoliate while red ginseng stimulates and revitalizes, leaving skin naturally radiant.
 
To nourish and protect skin while reducing the signs of aging, try Nude's Replenishing Night Oil, which renews and protects the complexion with a blend of Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9 essential fatty acids. Replenishing Night Oil is packed with antioxidant-rich raspberry, cranberry, avellana and kukui as well as nigella, camellia, vanilla and macadamia for a dose of nourishing ingredients. www.nudeskincare.com or at www.sephora.com.

New Swedish Potato Vodka is Gold
Karlsson's Gold, launched in September 2007 in the United States by Spirits of Gold, is now available in Atlanta. Created from the finest grade of virgin new potatoes - grown in Sweden's Cape Bjäre, home of the country's highest-quality new potatoes - and distilled as carefully as possible, Karlsson's Gold is distilled only once, a rarity in today's vodka market. The vodka is available in package stores throughout Atlanta and sells for $39.95. www.karlssonsvodka.com.


Keep Track of More than Calories - Nutrients!
With the EatSmart Nutrition Scale, dieters can analyze the nutritional content of any food by portion size. The database stores the nutritional values for about 1,000 foods. The scale calculates calories, carbs, fiber, sodium, fats, Vitamin K and six other nutrients from packaged foods and 999 whole foods. It also has a memory mode, which saves up to 99 entries for daily or weekly tracking. www.eatsmartproducts.com.



New Midtown Hotel
The 304-room Hotel Palomar Atlanta recently opened at 866 West Peachtree St., in Midtown. Its signature space is a living room-style lobby, which showcases an inviting fireplace, a floating 442-gallon salt water aquarium and a dramatic backlit onyx ceiling and wall. Local artwork completes the living room and includes a piece over the fireplace by Atlanta artist Todd Murphy. 

Adjacent to the hotel is a yet-to-be named chef- driven restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. In addition, there will be more than 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

The hotel features Kimpton's most iconic guest experiences, from the "Guppy Love" program that provides guests with a goldfish companion upon request to fluffy leopard- and zebra-print robes in each room and pet-friendly amenities for four-legged companions. Guests can also take advantage of in-room spa services to help them relax and unwind. A hosted wine hour in the lobby offers guests a chance to enjoy the company of fellow travelers while tasting wines from around the world. Complimentary morning organic coffee and tea service is provided.

San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is a collection of boutique hotels, throughout the United States and Canada. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, every Kimpton hotel features personalized guest services, comforting in-room amenities, specialty rooms and suites, and provides a range of culinary experiences through affiliated top-rated destination chef-driven restaurants. www.hotelpalomar-atlantamidtown.com.