Last Chance: Lip Gloss!

Looking back on any recent purchases I've made, it's clear that I've foregone fashion for beauty in the last couple of months. This up-and-coming passion of mine has lead me to rediscover some of the magnificent make-up selections the Troc has to offer. 

One pretty little splurge that I've overlooked in the past is Scarlett Cosmetic's luscious lip glosses. Unfortunately for me, my new favorite product has a super-limited selection. These final four shades are the only ones we've been able to keep in stock - but with stellar shades like these, it's shocking that we have any left! 

I "swatched" the remaining ones for you to see! 

From left to right: (1.) Marquis, an a must-have nude with the perfect touches of peach and mauve, is stunning over the top of any lipstick, and just as pretty on its own. (2.) Dunes is next, a beautiful pink that's packed full of gorgeous gold-toned shimmer and would look killer over any nude or coral shade. (3.) Roman Candle is a brilliant berry shade that catches the light like you wouldn't believe. (4.) My personal favorite, Rose, is a shimmer-free baby pink that is just unbelievably pigmented, making it great on its own or extra-special for amping up another color. 

The best part about these lip glosses is the formula - it's a thick, semi-sticky application, but not in the uncomfortable sense you're probably thinking of - rather, they're created to last. 

When I say last chance, I mean last chance - we only have one of each shade left in stock! Get them now for almost half off of their original price, on sale for $10 (originally retailing at $18!). Although, if I was smart, I might just have to snap up all four....

Call us at (402)934-8389 to get one shipped to you! :) 

Overnight Luxury

I am all about adding bits of luxury into one's everyday life, so the news of Omaha's first and only luxury boutique hotel is all I have been able to think about lately. Hotel Deco XV opened its doors at 15th and Harney on May 20th. The 89 room development prides itself on high standards and elegant modern style for "the most discerning of guests".

With such amenities as in-room massage services, 37-inch flat screen HD televisions in each room, complimentary shoe shine service and indoor valet parking, and rooms complete with iPod docking stations as well as iPad rental, Hotel Deco is sure to become a relaxing getaway for in and out of towners alike. The rooms and suites are finished with a clean design. Plush beds adorned with fine linens are tucked away in each room-complete with hardwood floors, custom Belgium wallpaper, Italian bath tile and spa-inspired shower panels.

The building (formerly the Redick Hotel), was originally built in 1930 as an office building with interior parking and later converted to a full service hotel in 1989. In 2010, under new ownership, upgrades and renovations began, and now Hotel Deco XV is among those in the Preferred Hotel Group's collection of 650 worldwide luxe properties.

The hotel also houses Encore, described as "the heartbeat of the hotel", an in-house lounge with a focus on classic handcrafted cocktails. Local Chef Ryan Gish, of West Omaha's Ryan's Bistro, was enlisted to head The Zin Room an on-location dining site. The two-story, Americana Fusion restaurant is also open to the public. The menu features tasty morsels like stuffed dates, gouda chicken mac and cheese, mango shrimp, and Chilean sea bass.

Fine linens, good design, superb service, and delectable food. What more could you ask for? With a build-up this good, hopefully it will not disappoint. Check out what all the talk is about at Hotel Deco's Grand Opening Gala on Saturday, June 11, 7PM.


Photosource: Hotel Deco
_____________________________________________________________
Hotel Deco XV
1504 Harney Street Omaha, Nebraska 68102
402.991.4981 (t)
402.991.4982 (f)
Hoteldecoomaha.com

Warby Parker begins with a bang!

A little over a week ago, Trocadéro launched itself as the showroom for a product new to Omaha and fairly new to the industry. Said line happens to be the fashionable and philanthropic, Warby Parker. Before I jump into the recap of the event, I might as well remind you what Warby Parker is and why we love them so much.

Warby Parker is an eyewear company that adopts the idea of "buy a pair, give a pair" (similar to Tom's shoes) with their glasses. Meaning when a customer buys a pair of their glasses, they give a pair to a child in need. The glasses, made from the best materials, are sold in a variety of designs and come made-to-order with your prescription already in them! I know this may seem like the case for all eyewear companies, but the best part is they they do it all for you for just $95. If that isn't a great deal, then I don't know what is!

Moving on to the event, it went off without a hitch! We were expecting a steady flow of people to drop by for the first night of the showroom, but I believe everyone in the shop was pleasantly surprised to see the store full to the brim during our busiest hour! The Big Omaha convention was in town during that weekend, so a lot of the traddic from there was to than for our great turn out. Almost every person who walked through the door left smiling at the thought of their new glasses!

Speaking of the fashionable frames, I'm sure every pair was tried on and upwards of 50 pairs have already been ordered! The different shapes and colors of the glasses allowed each customer to tailor the eyewear specifically to their face, skin and hair. With our intern assistants helping find everyone's pupillary distance (the distance between one's pupils), the ordering process went very smoothly. We were and still are happy to offer a five dollar discount to anyone who comes to try the frames on!

At an even lower price in our showroom, I don't see why anyone wouldn't be itching to stop by and try a pair on. All the frames have been tempting me from the start, so I think it's about time I get to ordering some!

Billboard Music Awards 2011

Last night, Sunday May 22, the Billboard Music Awards aired for the first time since their last show in 2006. It was a star studded event with great fashion, performances and PDA (Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez shared their first public kiss! Yay!) As for the fashion, it was a hit or miss to me. I wasn't particularly wowed with any of the outfit choices because I feel like they have all been done before. I was hoping to see something fresh and new! Aside from the fact that I wasn't wowed, there were a few celebs that made it to my best dressed list. Here are my top three picks for best dressed:

Rihanna is pictured here wearing a monochromatic white pant suit by Max Azria, who, by the way, was one of the sponsors for the award show. I love this because I am a huge fan of neutrals. I always tell myself that I need to branch out and wear more colors and patterns, but I just don't. Neutrals go with almost everything and are easy to mix and match. Rihanna's outfit is very tailored chic with just the right amount of accessories. This outfit is all about "less is more." And who wouldn't love those beautiful nude, pointed toe Christian Louboutin shoes?!

Here, Selena Gomez is wearing a sexy, yet sophisticated, Dolce and Gabbana black dress. This girl is all grown up in this dress! The cut outs on the side, along with the high slit in the front, show just the right amount of skin without looking trashy. The blown out hairstyle adds for a sleek finish. The only thing I wish I could change about this ensemble is the shoes. I love red shoes and I love bows but I just don't like these shoes with this dress. To me it doesn't flow. I think something a little strappier and edgier would have fit better with this dress, or just a nice simple pump would have been fine too.

My third and last pick for best dressed is Keri Hilson in this bright yellow dress. I chose this dress, not because of the fit or style, but because the color is vibrant and I love that she paired it with a teal belt. Color blocking is a huge trend for this summer that people can have a lot of fun with!

These three ladies above were able to make it on the best dressed list, but some were not as lucky. Here are my picks for worst dressed:

I think this picture is pretty self explanatory as to why I chose it for the worst dressed list. Nicki Minaj is pictured here in a skin-tight, baby blue romper with sequins down the legs that resemble little scales. Her hair is a horrible, faded pink color with blonde roots purposely put in. I think its great that she is trying to be unique and different, but this outfit is just unflattering in all aspects. She is a pretty girl, but her crazy outfits are distracting.

This is just a HOT MESS in so many different ways. Ke$ha is wearing this navy dress by Jad Ghanour. There is too much going on here with the dress, hair and makeup. Ghanour got off to a good start with the top of the dress, but then failed with the bottom part. The thick band through the middle of the dress makes Ke$ha look wide and gives her an unflattering shape. The fabric choice for this dress does not look well thought out either. The fabric seems to be pulling and bunching at her hips and thighs. Also, I have no idea what she was thinking with that awful tulle train.

I know you're probably thinking "Why is Taylor on the worst dressed list? She looks beautiful," and you're right, she does look beautiful. I actually love this dress. I put Taylor Swift, in this Elie Saab dress, on the list because she wears the same style of dress to every award show and I can't stand it anymore! I could go on google right now and find numerous pictures of Swift in dresses that are this style, just in different lengths and colors. She also wears her hair and make up the same way. It is always modeled after the old Hollywood glamour hairstyle with the sleek waves and red lipstick. I just wish she would step out of the box and try something new!

Photos from huffingtonpost.com

Fascinating!

All I can say is that I've had this all planned...all along...really!

It's funny because I keep up with all my current celeb gossip because of my free lifetime subscription to People magazine. I do look forward to getting it in the mail to catch up on all that frivolous fun stuff that I don't pay much attention to other than that. Hard to believe that I used to not only read People, but at work had subscriptions to US Weekly, had stapled gossip packets that included stuff from the NY Post, Page Six, The Daily News, etc. And I used to watch shows like Entertainment Tonight and Extra! I don't know the last time I watched either of those programs. At my house, it seems to always to be tuned to ESPN Sports Center.

Art imitates life. Or in this case it may seem like life imitates art.

Being a woman in her 40s, I've been searching for a "wedding dress" that is not sleeveless and definitely not strapless. Let's just say it's close to impossible to find any evening dress that is not sleeveless and/or strapless, let alone something to wear to one's own wedding! It's amazing how many brides choose strapless. I've never quite understood the fascination as it doesn't look particularly great on anyone and the dresses are usually less interesting in my opinion.

When Ivanka Trump got married, I loved that her dress had sleeves. I loved the ever-so-slight high neck collar line. I loved the lace and illusion netting, which normally I am not a fan of at all. But this dress was so refreshing, classic and elegant. And yes, many compared her Vera Wang wedding dress to that of a certain Princess.

And then there's another Princess who also adopted her wedding look to that of Grace Kelly. It may be "attributed" to Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, but let's face it, there's nothing the House of Alexander McQueen about it whatsoever. Lots of people thought it was a big snooze-fest. To me, it was just an updated Grace Kelly dress and I liked it. But not as much as Ivanka Trump's dress.

Now, of course, everyone and their mother is churning out sleeved wedding dresses. While I can say I'm happy that perhaps this will create a new trend to offering some pretty sleeved versions, I'm not happy that it will seem like I'm copying a trend by wearing a sleeved wedding dress! I swear I was interested in this silhouette before Kate got married!

And then let's talk about veils. While Kate wore a traditional veil, it was the ubiquity of fascinators at the royal nuptials that really made heads turn...and headlines. Again, bucking tradition I had already decided to skip a veil and instead have some sort of headpiece with netting referred to as a "birdcage" veil. No, not like something that Beatrice wore on her head!

We are talking about something simpler, romantic, chic. Something close to this headpiece from etsy. Thank goodness for the internet. I thought I would have to have something made but lo and behold I think I found the perfect veil for my wedding day and I didn't have to leave my house! All these years, I had no idea that what I wanted was called a fascinator. Seriously, having been an accessories editor for so many years you'd think I know what it was called! (But to be fair, it hadn't really been a U.S. or celeb trend in the years I was an editor...)

Lastly, I decided to have no bridesmaids because let's face it, pretty much all my friends who I was a bridesmaid for are now married with children. Being a bridesmaid is fun in your 20s. In your 30s, it's a bit tired. But in your 40s? Forget it. Who in their right mind wants to subject your close friends to wearing matching dresses, or dresses in matching colors? I decided to ask my closest friends who have daughters to have them be flower girls instead. That way they can be a part of the wedding too by having their daughters be a part of the ceremony. Win-win situation. Little girl is thrilled to wear a dress; mom is happy to sit out and watch from the comfort of her chair, and more importantly, in a dress of her choice!

Apparently Reese Witherspoon also had the same idea. Damn, you celebs stealing all my ideas! And Reese also did long farm tables and simple flowers in short vases. I'm starting to think I might have....trend-making ideas. Fascinating!

photo source Beatrice: E! Online

photo source champagne veil: etsy

Hot Pockets

Between having a baby, planning a wedding and of course managing both a household with two kids, a dog and a husband-to-be as well as a business (the Troc, of course!), well, my time to surf the net and read fashion magazines has become pretty non-existent. It wasn't until the day before when I was searching for something to wear on my head for my wedding day that I stumbled across the just launched capsule collection by Derek Lam for eBay.

I love Derek Lam. I think his clothes are smart, timeless, super chic and just well-tailored. For Christmas one year, he gave us editors these amazing thick black cashmere jacket-cardigans. A shawl collar, no closure, hits at the right place at your hip and has pockets! I love pockets on anything and everything. Even my pajamas have pockets (two of them: one for the baby monitor and one for my cell phone). It's made by Simply Vera by Vera Wang (a brand I have mentioned numerous times before on this blog) available at Kohl's. It really is a must for new mommies. Plus, I think it's seriously chic enough to wear as a swimsuit coverup for the summer. I bought this tunic in an XS, S, M and L. Yes, you might find that excessive but if you're a new nursing mom, you know that you don't want your favorite and easy top to be in the laundry pile until the weekend. So for all you new mommies out there who are nursing, GO BUY THIS TOP! And even if you're not nursing, I recommend buying this ASAP! This is a great tunic for summer -- for sleeping, lounging and as I said before, as a swimsuit cover up.

But going back to Derek Lam, I had no idea about the new capsule collection and wondered how long it had been out. With my good fortune I saw that it just launched a couple weeks ago. I'm thinking about the short version of this dress seen on Rachel Bilson. What do you think? At $225, it's not exactly cheap. And I've heard mixed reviews on the quality...

But there is that huge selling point for me...it has pockets!

photo source tunic: Kohl's

photo source Rachel Bilson: Daily Mail UK

photo source Derek Lam dress: eBay

Six Summer Essentials

Here you have it folks, the six items I promise won't do you wrong or break your heart this summer:

1. Malin + Goetz lip moisturizer

Restore your smoochers and keep them hydrated! (Fragrance & color free, available at Trocadero- $12)

2. Jane Iredale Moonglow Golden Bronzer

24-Karat gold flakes to dust on your lips, cheeks and eyes as you please. (www.janeiredale.com)

3. Bond No. 9 Madison Square Park

Fresh & Floral, perfect for day or night. Voted the #1 new fragrance by Troc customers!

(Available in 50ml-$175/100ml-$250)

4. DV by Dolce Vita Dugan Woven Sandal

Pick your poison - the woven metallic rope in gold or silver. -$69

(www.dolcevita.com)

5. MZ Wallace Cardamom bedford

The one love of mine that's everlasting and durable. Pick it up before someone else does down at the Troc! -$395

6. Eugenia Kim Gold Feather Woven Fedora

Bringing myself to break the bank on this fedora will more then likely not happen, so I choose to admire it from my Mac computer screen. Fabulous isn't it? -$340

(www.niemanmarcus.com)

Meet the Intern

(Pictured in beautiful Brian Atwood pumps along with a stunning sequin MZ Wallace "Eve" clutch, all of which are available at Trocadero.)

Summer is here which means its time for new summer interns! Trocadero would like to welcome its newest member, Ellyse Coombes, to our team. We decided to sit down and ask Ellyse a few questions to get to know her and her obsession with fashion a little better. This is what we found out:

1. What is your major?

I attend UNO and I'm majoring in journalism with an emphasis in advertising and public relations with a concentration in business.

2. What is your dream job?

I'm not sure the exact job that I would like to do, but I do know that I want to continue working with clothing and accessories. I currently work for BCBGMAXAZRIA and I would love to continue my work for them at their corporate office.

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to be living in a bigger city and expanding my knowledge of the fashion world!

4. What are your favorite summer activities?

I love going to the pool and listening to my iPod while I bask in the sun! I also love to shop, but I do that all year round!

5. What is your favorite thing about being at Trocadero?

I like meeting all the new staff and customers and making new friends, but my favorite thing is getting to see all the one of a kind pieces Trocadéro has to offer.

6. How would you describe your style?

My style is very tailored chic. I love structered jackets and tops. I also like anything with embellishment! If it has any sort of sequins or studs, I have to have it!

7. What is your favorite accessory?

I love rings! If I'm not wearing any rings, I feel naked!

8. Who are some of your favorite designers?

I've always loved BCBG because it is somewhat affordable and they make beautiful dresses, but I also love Kate Spade, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Chanel just to name a few.

Come in and see Ellyse at Trocadero and check out all the great new products!

What to Wear: Day Wedding

Stand out with out taking away from the bride and you may find yourself with 4 dates on your arm. Simple and subtle nudes are brought to life with a touch of glimmer and bold accessories. Try pairing this with special vintage touches, like your grandmothers locket, for a sweetness people won't be able to resist.

MZ Wallace "Eve" rose gold sequin cross body/clutch, Alex & Ani expandable bangles

*Available at Trocadéro

Frames To Fit Your Face

Warby Parker will be showing their collection exclusively at Trocadéro from 5/13-5/22. Come preview the collection at our Warby Parker event Friday May, 13th.

Finding the right frames to flatter your face can be challenging. Follow these guidelines to help you find the perfect pair!

Round: Try styles with defined edges and angles that will balance your face. Square or rectangular styles usually work the best!

Oval: Oval faces are lucky, you can pull off pretty much any style you like! Have fun experimenting and trying new styles!

Long: Try an oversize pair that will add some depth and make your face more proportionate. Try to stay away from small, narrow frames.

Heart: Make sure to avoid frames that are wider than your cheekbones. Rounded styles look nice by making your chin look less sharp.

Square: Try to avoid sharp lines and stick to rounded frames that will soften your jaw. Aviators and wrap styles look great on you.

What to Wear: Beach Wedding

DV "Diana" rose suede sandals (NEW!) and MZ Wallace "Hamish" silver pouch both available at Trocadero; Matthew Williamson dress; Aldo earrings.

I love the way this dress draws in the colors of a beautiful beach sunset, making it perfect for a storybook wedding by the shore. Seaside weddings are all about casually chic flat sandals, a flowy dress, earrings that will blow softly in the breeze - and the perfect metallic leather bag to make the whole look a bit more formal.

What to wear: Evening affair

Introduce color into the evening without hurting anybody's eyes. This beautiful teal number such as the one Pippa wore to the Royal Wedding is so flattering with her olive skin tone and dark hair. Don't try to match too hard, this dress is enough alone. Instead try pairing it with neutral grey or black accessories such as the Brian Atwood "Yasmine" satin slingback with crystals or a vintage inspired classic black velvet clutch from Kara Ross.

*Brian Atwood shoes and Kara Ross clutch available at Trocadéro

Neutral Glam Hotel

Carry your wardrobe farther with timeless neutrals and add a touch of sparkle.

New Spring Arrivals!! MZ Wallace "Frankie" bag in cardamom, MZ Wallace "Eve" cross body/clutch in rose gold sequin, Dolce Vita DV "Jaquie" in natural leather, Dolce Vita DV "Regina" in black suede, Kara by Kara Ross enamel waterfall cuff. Available at Trocadéro.