Luxetips Best of 2011 Giveaways Day 5: GAP Super light weight skinny leggings

Hello Divas!

The winner of the Paris Amour Bath and Lotion set is Elisabeth. Congrats!  Please email at latoicha007@gmail.com to claim your prize.

GAP 1969 Super Lightweight Legging Jeans are a must have!  I love GAP skinny jeans. They are comfy, stylish, come in multiple colors and affordable! Win.Win.

The winner will receive a GAP certificate to purchase a pair super lightweight legging jeans.


The contest will run all day and end at 12 midnight. 

There are three ways to enter:  You can either:

1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Tweet this post
3. Follow Luxetips on Google.

A winner will be chosen randomly.  Contest will end 12 midnight!

Toodles!

Best of 2010 Giveaway Day 1: GAP Always Skinny Jeans!!!

Hello Divas!

Words to live by:  You can't live your life worrying about what people think of you!! Ditto!

Forgive me for not posting this on Sunday!  I attended and presented a presentation on the Legalities and Ethics of beauty and fashion blogging and was totally exhausted by Sunday evening.  Lavish was fabulous beyond fabulous! I can't wait to give you guys a detailed and thorough play by play!

Okay, I promised you Divas that some of the items on my "Best of 2010" list were going to be given away and here is the first one!  Leave a comment on this blog and you are automatically entered to win a pair of GAP 1969 Always Skinny Jeans.  I love them! I wore them at Lavish and if I say so my self, looked pretty hot with my skinny jeans and booties! Woot!  Don't worry about sizes, because GAP is going to send you a voucher for one free pair!

Contest ends tomorrow at midnight and a winner will be randomly selected via random.org.

Good luck Divas!

Toodles!

Q & A Thursdays!

Hello Divas!

I hope you are living life to the fullest!

Considering I get many emails from my beautiful readers seeking advice on fashion and beauty, I have decided to have a Q&A post every other Thursday. I hope you will find these posts helpful and if you have any advice or recommendations to share please do! Also if you have any questions, you can email me at latoicha007@gmail.com or leave a question in the comment section.

Today's question is from So Not a Fashionista.

Dear Luxe Fashionista,

Help! I could really use a fashion 411. I have been pregnant and/or nursing for three years and finally decided to rid my closet of my maternity clothes. Yippee! However, the unfortunate side is that my body is completely different than it was a few years ago, so my pre-baby clothes don't fit my post baby/nursing body. Not only that, but I don't think my clothes were particularly fashionable--safe choices (sweater sets and dark suits) for sure, but nothing exciting. So, can you give me some tips on staples to update my wardrobe?

Yours Truly,
So Not a Fashionista

Dear So Not a Fashionista:

I have been there myself. As a matter of fact, Luxetips was created because I too felt un-pretty and drab after having my son. I was constantly wearing jeans, a big t-shirt, and a ponytail. I felt I needed to get back to living the luxe life!

Here are my suggestions:

1. Spanx. Buy Spanx to hold it all in until you have the time or energy to work out. I wear Spanx all the time because my body will never be the same post children! LOL!

2. Wrap Dresses. They are simple, stylish and classic. I have several. You can dress them up or down with heels, flats, sandles or accessories. Plus they are designed to compliment any figure.

3. Shift Dresses. Shift dresses are great too! Since they don't hug the body, no one can really see those areas you want to avoid. A great trend for fall is to wear a cute shift dress with colored tights and high heels or open toe booties...I saw this look all day in New York and it was too fly!


4. Great pair of Jeans. Sylish jeans are always good. You can wear a tunic over the jeans. The tunic is loose enough to hide problem areas while also being stylish.

5. Shop at at TJMAXX, Marshalls or Target to find this items for less.

Toodles!

Fun Fridays! Cool Sale Events

Hello Divas!

I hope your Friday is fantabulous! I am very very sleepy but I have a busy day so I am going to take a shower with a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil to invigorate my senses and wake me up! Try it Divas, it works like a charm. I want to remind my Atlanta Divas about the kick off of A Clothes Encounter taking place tomorrow December 13 at 5pm. A Clothes Encounter is "a one-of-a-kind upscale consignment concept that sells designer and name brand fashions for up to 75% off retail at luxurious Fashion Exchange Parties." There will be fashion, music, and cocktails. For more details and location, click here.

Now this is for all of my Divas! Fabrik Boutique is having a super sale! Buy one pair of high end jeans ( Joes, Paige, True Religion) and get one FREE! Two pair of quality denim for the price of one! I am so there! Also Fabrik is having a 40% sale on select items. Fabrik Boutique is located in Atlanta, but they have an online shop. So Divas go online NOW to order your favorite denim for half price! Fantastic!

Jeans: Several variations of a Classic

Hello Divas!

I hope this week has been great! At a recent girlfriend gathering, we started discussing jeans and the different types and fits. One of my girlfriends wanted to know what was the difference between boot cut and straight leg jeans. Well we both thought that this would be a great post. Check out some popular jean styles below. What are your favorites?


1. Skinny Jeans. My all time favorite. Do you guys remember Jordache Jeans back in the 80s. The first skinny jeans. As a little girl, I coveted them then and I still think they are the best skinny jeans on the market. I wear mine all the time and get so many compliments. Plus they only retail for about $80.00. Considering the high price of jeans today, this is a bargain! Skinny Jeans fit snug to your body all the way down to your ankles. They look great with heels, flats, and of course you can easily tuck them into boots! Pair them with a fitted jacket, chunky sweater, or billowy top.

2. Straight Leg. Straight leg jeans have a straight narrow leg but do not flare at the ankle nor do they fit snug to the ankle. I call these the classic jean cut. I like to wear these jeans with high heeled sandals or pumps. I am not fond of them with flats..the jeans usually drag on the ground or with boots....it takes too much work to put them in the boot. Wear them with a jacket for a more casual look or with an embellished top for a night out on the town.

3. Boot cut. Boot cut jeans fit straight and narrow throughout the leg but they slightly flare at the bottom to make room for boots. When I was in college, I was a huge fan of boot cut jeans. We all used to wear those chunky ankle boots back then. Now I want to show my boots off because they are too fabulous! So I have given up on the boot cut. But they are still a classic. Pair these jeans with a cardigan or a fitted sweater.

4. Trousers. I love love these jeans. They actually look like trousers but are denim. I feel very comfortable wearing these to work. I pair them with a great pair of pumps and blazer and I am office ready.

5. Wide Leg. Of course I had to mention one of Fall's hottest trends, the wide leg jeans. I love the look of this style! So funky! You can pair these jeans with platforms and a cropped jacket or sweater. Hot!

Toodles!

Effective Discount Shopping

Hello Divas!

How is life treating you? Fabulous right? Well some of my girlfriends always ask me two questions: 1. Where did you find that item of clothing, shoes, purse, etc.? and then after I tell them what I paid for it, 2. How do you find such great deals? So this post is for them and the rest of you ladies who love to shop but loooove a bargain.

1. Consignment Shops/Thrift Stores: Based on what I am looking for, my first line of defense is always consignment shops or thrift stores. When looking for great deals on high end jeans or bags, I always shop here first. Usually, I can find very gently used or never used, jeans, bags, and shoes at the Junior League of Atlanta's Nearly New Shop. Check out my previous post on this fantastic thrift shop here. Junior League members, who are very posh and stylish women, donate tons of designer wear to this shop. The clothing is always in good shape and very reasonably priced. A $400.00 Bestsy Johnson bag sold for $75.00! Paper Denim and Cloth Jeans....$15.00. This is a MUST stop if you live in Atlanta. If not, check your local Junior League to see if they also have a thrift shop.

2. Discount Stores. My Second line of defense is discount stores that sell designer fashions for less. These stores include your Loehmann's, Sims, Ross, TJ MAXX, Marshalls, and Burlington Coat Factory. If I am looking for semi-formal or formal wear, cashmere, or shoes, I usually shop at Loehmann's. I shop at Ross if I am looking for dresses for myself or clothing for my son. I purchased my son several stylish but classic Ralph Lauren polo shirts at Ross for 13 bucks! You can't beat that! TJ MAXX and Marshalls are favorites for Jeans (True Religion Jeans at the TJ MAXX and Marshalls in Buckhead (Atlanta) usually go for $99.), suits, handbags, or high end bath and body products. Lastly, Burlington Coat Factory is excellent if you are looking for a high end but affordable coat or business suit. My favorite Burlington Coat Factory is located at Discover Mills Mall in Duluth, GA.

3. Department Stores and Speciality Stores. My last resort is Department Stores. Of course, If I am buying high end make-up or beauty products, I usually shop at Sephora or a Department Store. I like shopping for beauty products at Department Stores because they usually give you a gift with purchase. Love these! But I only shop at Department Stores for clothing or shoes if they are having a major sale.
For example, most Department Stores and speciality stores will have a couple of semi-annuals sales a year. This is a great time to get real bargains. Also, I shop at Nordstrom's for my Stuart Weitzman shoes. I discovered that Nordstroms will most likely have a sale on Stuart Weitzman's shoes that the boutique does not. In addition, I do frequent a couple of boutiques that I really like, but I have found that if I wait 2-3 weeks, an item I am in love with will usually go on sale. This is when I go in to swoop it up!

My motto is to never pay full price. Especially now that I have kids! LOL! And if you are not on a budget, effective discount shopping only gives you an opportunity to buy SO-MUCH-MORE!!!!

Toodles!