On Our Radar: Vdara Las Vegas

This time last year, we were in Vegas celebrating Anne's bachelorette party and since then, the new City Center has opened. When we go this Spring, we're considering one of the hotels there, because of its location (hello center of everything!), the entire project's commitment to environmental sustainability, and its new-ness of course. The Vdara Hotel and Spa, which is next to the Bellagio for reference, is casino-free and non-smoking - two things we can definitely do without in our digs in Vegas.  Its boutique size would be respite in the monstrosity of hotels otherwise surrounding you on the Strip.

The Vdara also is an all suite resort with the smallest rooms starting over 500 square feet. We did get a chuckle hearing that the rooms come with stove and microwaves, because even though we promote getting a six-pack of Gatorade and munchies for your room, we've never had the urge to cook a meal in Vegas.

There is a pool, a holistic spa and smoothie bar and you're not far from the casino at Aria next door. With all that's available in Vegas, staying somewhere that shows some restraint would be a novelty! Rates start at only $159 per night.

Picture courtesy Vdara Las Vegas Hotel and Spa.

Web Snob October 29th, 2010

Stiletto Jungle found this season's must-have cashmere camel sweater, on sale for $59.

Did the Harry Potter costume designer rip off Alexander McQueen? Allie is Wired takes a look.

Bag Bliss Picks: Bags for the Fashionista in Training

This Burberry belted tote with chain detail at Bag Snob is super cool!

Beauty Snob has the anti-bacterial lip balm for flu season!

Coquette loves how her skin feels after a Intraceuticals Infusions oxygen facial.

Fashion Pulse Daily takes a close look at the Spring 2011 Swim Collection from Nautica.

The Jet Set Girls take a peek inside House of Glam's Amoy Pitters' carry on bag!

KRISTOPHER DUKES is wearing Semi-permanent brows by Amy Kernahan.

Second City Style looks to our favorite fashion icons for inspiration for Costumes for Halloween 2010

Shopping and Info bought this amazing and versatile Marc by Marc Jacobs sweater dress with detachable skirt and cuffs for Fall.

Want to know what the StyleBakery editors are loving this season? This week, they share their top 10 favorites for fall.

The Beauty Stop takes a look at the new Sephora iPhone app.

The Shoe Goddess finds the perfect over-the-knee suede boot!

V-Style has personal stylist, Vanessa Valiente, show you how to stop sales associates from interrupting your shopping.

Alice and Olivia Halloween Costume Contest

Think you've got the most creative Halloween costume out there? Share your photo with Alice + Olivia via Facebook or Twitter and you may win a $300 gift card to Alice + Olivia. We hear Heidi Klum isn't allowed to enter, so that gives the rest of us a fighting chance!

Club Monaco on Shop Bop

Fans of Club Monaco will be happy to know they can at long last shop for their favorite clothes on line at ShopBop.com. We're definitely excited that the affordable, trendy basics are available on the web, we do hope that the initial capsule collection currently featured will expand to include more pieces. For now, these sexy lace shorts are only available in stores. At least shipping and returns are free!

Make Up For Ever Tricks and Treats

Your costume this Halloween doesn't have to be elaborate if you use Make Up For Ever's Tricks and Treats set. It contains just about everything you need to make an impression. Use it to become your favorite genie, kitten, fairy, or (like so many will do) Snooki.

The set includes Aqua Cream in silver for your eyes and cheeks, Aqua Eyes in black for a liner, Glitter in light violet, Faux Lashes, and an easy to use tutorial. Available at Sephora.

Madonna to Open Gyms

Other celebs have fragrances, Madonna has a line of gyms. And seriously-why smell like Madonna when you can look like her--she is shredded at 52! Too bad her line of Hard Candy Fitness Centers currently have no plans to open up in the U.S. Could be reason enough to go to Mexico City.

Read more about Madonna's gyms.

A Peek Inside Amoy Pitters Carry On

As watchers of Oxygen's House of Glam know, hairstylist Amoy Pitters is constantly on the go, working with a diverse group of celebs including Alicia Keys, Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rutherford, Kerry Washington, Mary J. Blige, Joy Bryant and Selita Ebanks. Here's what the super stylist carries in her bag when travels to places like Cabo, Paris, and Moscow. On her wish list are Seychelles and to Shanghai!


I usually carry a Louis Vuitton carry-on pully suitcase.

My beauty must-haves for travel are: Amoy Couture Hair serum, Jo Malone Lip Balm, Christian Dior's mascara, and Biotherm's Body Milk.


I don't like to listen to music when I travel. I like to write in my journal, planning my life step-by-step. I love my iPad! On it, I read E. Lynn Harris, and anything Malcolm Gladwell. I also catching up on my old New Yorkers and The Economist is great.

To stay warm, I need my huge Chanel cashmere wrap. It's very soft and yummy.

I snack on almonds and drink LOTS of water. I am a sucker for jellybeans, though.

Seychelles and to Shanghai are on my wish list of places to go!

Last-Minute Halloween Ideas

Do you have your Halloween costume ready? We're considering being a Jersey Shore character because we're always looking for an excuse to tease our hair, look hot in animal prints and have a secret love of pickles. Not ready to break out the comb? JSG's Annie shared her top Halloween costume ideas with Lavalife.com. Read on for more suggestions. 

Alice and Olivia Discount

Alice and Olivia is our favorite go-to line for party girl clothes. No one knows quite how to spin a sequin or feather quite like designer Stacey Bendet. Now's the time to update your collection--get 20 percent off online and in stores through November 20 with code STYLEWATCHNOV, courtesy of People Style Watch.

The only hard part is narrowing down the choices!

Cayman Cookout

Now's a good time to plan a quick weekend getaway for January. It's such a dull and depressing month when we have a holiday hangover and little to look forward to. January 13th to the 16th, 2011, the talented (and sexy) chef Eric Ripert is hosting Cayman Cookout, a culinary weekend full of guest chefs, great food, wine and demonstrations. We'd love to see chefs Anthony Bourdain, Jose Andres and Charlie Trotter among others and sample some of their work at tastings scattered through the weekend. If you go, stay at the Ritz-Carlton, where we spent of fun few days with our girlfriends last year. Oh, and give Eric a big squeeze for us- we've only met once; but it was enough time to see what all the fuss was about!

Grand Cayman is easy to get to with Cayman Airways which starts non-stop service from New York, Chicago and D.C. in November.

Kenneth Cole's Spring 2011 Line

Last week, we were lucky enough to attend a dinner for select NYC bloggers at Kenneth Cole's showroom. We've been to a fair amount of these events throughout our years in the industry, so know that we mean it when we say that this was a really special evening.

In addition to previewing the spring line, we had the chance to chat briefly with Kenneth and at length with Kenneth Cole creative director, Ingo Wilts. That's Kenneth addressing the table, above.

Ingo shared with us that his inspiration for the line is the rain forest, the desert and the mountains. He said it wasn't any specific region, but when pressed, allowed that South Africa is a favorite retreat. The line features plenty of whites, a twist on cargo pants and a few pops of bright hues including tangerine and yellow.

And, of course, since it's Kenneth Cole, the bags and shoes were a main focus points. Expect more wedges, zip up shoes and mesh next spring!

To view more photos of the collection and the evening, check out the Kenneth Cole Facebook page.

OPI Burlesque

We can't wait for the opening of Burlesque starring divalicious Cher and Christina Aguilera. Until November 24, we'll have to make do with the glittery, glam Burlesque line from OPI. Sparkle-icious (below) is sure to be a best seller for the holidays! Available on Amazon.

The Cottages on Charleston Harbor

We fell in love with Charleston on a 24 hour trip a couple years ago. Charleston is decidedly feminine with beautiful buildings, great boutiques, and gourmet restaurants. The Cottages on Charleston Harbor would be a perfect place for a girls' getaway because of its location across the bridge from downtown with beautiful harbor views and plenty of space to spread out and catch up with your girlfriends. Each of the ten units has separate bedrooms and living areas, kitchens, and screen-in porches. They'll even arrange to do pre-arrival grocery shopping for you, so your fridge will be stocked with cheese, crackers and wine. What else do you need for a girls trip?

A car may make getting around easier; but there's also access to shopping and sights via the Charleston Water Taxi. Rates at The Cottages on Charleston Harbor start at $185 for a one bedroom and $292 for a two bedroom. Happy travels!

JFK Contraband

For those who have ever wondered what gets confiscated at the customs office at JFK airport, this exhibit is for you. Photographer Taryn Simon spent five days in a row (24 hours a day!) at the airport last year photographing all the items that got taken at customs or that were being mailed internationally. Among the confiscated items were jewelry, handbags, rum, the active ingredient in Botox and Heroin.

The exhibit is free at NYC's Lever House Art Collection and runs through the end of the year.

Cute Pretty OMG

Too cute for words!
Love this blonde scene hair with black and light purple underneath. This is one of the coolest scene hair pics I have seen in ages!

On Our Radar: Tempo Miami

Though we usually stay in South Beach when we head to Miami, the new Tempo Hotel, combined with the allure of the Miami Heat and superstar LeBron James may finally be enough to get us to stay downtown. The new 56-room hotel, that will have its grand opening in December, is within walking distance of the American Airlines arena. Add to that a 14th floor infinity-edge pool, Temp Spa, with music-themed spa treatments and Amuse restaurant serving Latin and Caribbean-style food we may not even see Ocean or Collins on this trip.

Plus, rumor has it that the management is actively trying to entice Miami Heat players to live in the Marquis-Residences that share the same building as the hotel, so we may get our Dwayne Wade sighting without hitting Prime 112!

Web Snob October 22nd, 2010

Stiletto Jungle is taking the fur trend casual with a faux fur sweatshirt for under $200.

Allie is Wired features the new pictures of Jennifer Lopez and kids for Gucci and UNICEF.

Shop for a Cause on Bag Bliss: Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A great bag for Bag Snob's younger snobs and for those of us who still act/look/feel young.

Beauty Snob loves Eucerin! The new Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Hand Creme is your hands best defense during the day.

Coquette thinks you should treat yourself to a candy-colored Louis Vuitton Inclusion Ring.

Fashion Pulse Daily says you CAN get Burberry 's coveted fall 2010 look for under $50

The Jet Set Girls check out the new Judith Leiber collection available on Rent the Runway!

KRISTOPHER DUKES is wanting Kose Medicated Sekkisei Whitening Cream .

Second City Style looks at the Spring 2011 offerings from the European runways focusing brands that are co-designed.

Shopping and Info covets the Vince black leather jacket Ashley Greene wore on the plane to shoot Breaking Dawn in Louisiana.

The Beauty Stop takes a look at the hottest new OPI nail polish collaborations.

Not sure what you want to be this Halloween? The Fashion Bomb offers 5 Fun and Fashionable Halloween Outfit Ideas to help take out a bit of the guesswork.

Don't forget to enter The Shoe Goddess' Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaway!

State of Dress

Thanks to the ladies of Shine who turned us on to Robin Barcus Slonina "State of Dress" project. In her own words, "Barcus-Slonina is an installation and performance artist creating a site-specific, interactive 'dress' sculpture in each of the fifty states in the USA." That's New York, above. Robin last blog entry in July 2009, we hope she picks back up again soon!

Crate and Barrel Purple Fleece Sleep Kit

This snugly Purple Fleece Sleep Kit from Crate and Barrel is just what we need for our upcoming overnight flight to Europe. The super soft pouch converts to an inflatable pillow and carries in it a generously sized fleece eye mask and blanket. The kit is reasonably priced at $29.95 and small enough to fit in our carry on. It's also available in cherry red and would make a great holiday gift for that JSG in your life.

No thanks on the beverage service, we'll be catching some zzzz's over the Atlantic. Happy travels indeed!

Poolside Etiquette

Thanks to the New York Times' Social Q column for tackling the question of the right to reserve a lounge chair. It drives us nuts when we go down (or up!) to a hotel pool and find all the lounge chairs have towels or magazines on them with nary a person in sight. Do these people wake up at 6 am to claim the best chair only to go back to bed until peak tanning hours? We think the Times got the answer just right.

Read Dirty Pool.

Rent the Runway Adds Judith Leiber Clutches

We've never considered investing in a Judith Leiber bag; but that doesn't mean we wouldn't rent one from our favorite new resource: Rent the Runway. Carrying one of these beauties to a holiday party would be a treat and they have thirteen to choose from (the most expensive of which has a retail value of $2,895!). So indulge your inner socialite and borrow one for a night. Rent the Runway will ship it to you and it's yours to carry for the next four days. Then just drop it in the the mailbox inside the return envelope RTR provides. It's very easy, trust us we've rented dresses from them numerous times. And if you see us with a Judith Leiber, shhhh! it's our little secret.

If you rent a bag between now and the end of the year, you may be one of the lucky winners of a Diamond Ticket, which can be traded in for an Everlon Diamond Bracelet. Read more about the giveaway.

In other Rent the Runway news, dresses from Vera Wang, Calvin Klein Collection, Missoni and more have been added to the selections.

The Dreamweaver Clutch is pictured above. Rent for $150, retail value is $1,695.

Christina Aguilera's Divorce

We were saddened to read that Christina Aguilera filed for divorce last week from her hubby of five years, Jordan Bratman. Not only because we believe in true love and commitment, but also because Page Six reported that the separation came hot on the heels of a girls getaway to Cabo San Lucas with friends Samantha Ronson and Nicole Richie. The gossip column reports that the duo were having problems long before the trip--and they do look miserable at the Lakers final championship game last June (above)--but the trip may have pushed Christina over the edge.

The Hudson's Vending Machine

Leave it to Manhattan's ubertrendy Hudson Hotel to create the vending machine to end all vending machines. The machine one ups the traditional Cokes and Snickers with offerings including:

• Classic paperback Catcher in the Rye
• A stylish toothbrush by Paul Smith
• A retro Ouija Board
• A luxe Dagger Rosary by renowned jewelry designer Pamela Love

• An Essential Travel Kit by Malin+ Goetz
• A chic black sequin mini skirt by Haute Hippie

• BluePrintCleanse
• A red Ferrari 599 GTB that you can rent on a whim from Gotham Dream Cars
• A personal portrait shoot with renowned photographer Ben Watts

How to Avoid Bed Bugs in Hotels

Now that even the storied Waldorf-Astoria in New York rumored to have bed bugs, the little itchy creatures are probably a lot more common than anyone would care to admit. What to do if you suspect your hotel has the little critters or you're particularly paranoid?

You could try a spray like Rest Easy that comes in a handy 2 oz. travel size. It's 100 percent natural and contains lemongrass oil and cinnamon oil. It's sold at Walgreens, Bed, Bath and Beyond and online.

But say you get to your hotel late or missed a connection and have to sleep at the skeeviest hotel known to man as Annie did on her way home from St. Lucia and there's no time to dash to the drugstore--try this trick we learned from a beauty editor friend at a major magazine who travels frequently: She suggests keeping your luggage in the bathroom, as bed bugs don't like tile and checking your luggage as they can't live at the cooler temperatures of the airplane underbelly. Hope this helps!

Katy Perry's Bachelorette Party

With Katy Perry and Russel Brand's wedding rumored to be less than a week away, we figure it's time we got around to dishing on her Las Vegas bachelorette party that BFF Rihanna threw for her in September.

Katy and friends reportedly romped at the Hard Rock Hotel's beach club during the day before checking out Cirque Du Soleil's KA at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino (above), then dinner at AGO, dancing at XS, and a late night visit to the Sapphire Strip Club.

Read all the juicy deets on People.com.

On Our Radar: ReTreat Yourself at the Osprey

Sign up no for the ReTreat Yourself ski and snowboard camp at the Osprey at Beaver Creek. The program includes everything we would want in a long weekend, including:

• daily ski/snowboard sessions led by professional women ski and snowboarders
• six yoga classes
• four sessions with a motivational speaker
• a cooking class
• daily breakfast and lunch
• and a B4BC (Boarding for Breast Cancer) party with mini spa treatments

The cost is $1567.95 per person, based on double occupancy.

Sign up for ReTreat Yourself.

3floz.com: The Place for Your Travel Essentials

When 3floz.com followed us on Twitter it took a week or so before we checked out their site. But when we did, it was a virtual Best of travel products that we have featured on The Jet Set Girls. 3floz.com was started by a couple of friends, Alexi and Kate, who bonded over travel just like us. Their struggle to find quality TSA approved travel sizes of their favorite products prompted them to start their on-line store; which in turn will save us from our last minute shuffle to Sephora and Target before our trips.

Here are some of the products they can ship to you or even directly to your hotel:
Phyto's Smooth and Sleek set (pictured above), Somme Institute's complete travel skin care set, GoSmile's Jet Set Kit (we're still waiting on a royalty check on this one), and Ted Gibson's Beautiful Hold hairspray.

Happy shopping!

Web Snob October 15th, 2010

Stiletto Jungle checks out the new Last Call by Neiman Marcus online store.

Allie is Wired previews Taylor Swift's new apology song to Taylor Lautner, "Back to December."

The latest craze in handbags? No, it's not crocodile or ostrich, it's.... paper bags! See for yourself at Bag Snob.

Beauty Snob reminds you to to not let the cooler months keep you from sun kissed and gorgeous looking skin!

Fashion Pulse Daily reviewsChanel's Spring 2011 Collection.

Ooh la la! The Jet Set Girls are giving away a decadent gift set from the French line Votre Vu which includes Amore D'Ore Vitamin Oil and Tarte D'Amande Body Souffle!

KRISTOPHER DUKES is using Bio-ionic Bluewave Nano-ionic conditioning brush with square barrel .

Second City Style's Shop Cops hit the streets of Chicago handing out fashion violations. It wasn't pretty.

Shopping and Info wants the Muuba black leather shearling jacket Kourtney Kardashian has been wearing in New York City.

The Beauty Stop takes a look at Philosophy's new Halloween treat inspired bath, body and beauty products.

The Shoe Goddess is completely obsessed with these Christian Louboutin "Larissa Plato" Platform Sandals in red suede!

eye4style gets excited for thethe Shopbop/Club Monaco collab .

Karl Lagerfeld's Dubai Hotel

Thanks to the ladies over at Cut Blog for sharing the renderings--and hilarious commentary--of Karl Lagerfeld's Isla Moda hotel and residence project off Dubai. If you can't live without Chanel surfboards or Louis Vuitton playing cards, so sounds like this is the place for you. Sex and the City 3, anyone?

View the renderings of Isla Moda.

Votre Vu Giveaway!

The La Boum gift set from Votre Vu is just what your dry skin needs this winter. Whether for yourself (because you deserve it) or for another great woman in your life, this combo pack of the Amour D'Ore Multi-Vitamin Oil spray and Tarte D'Amande Rich Souffle is sure to take your skin from parched to supple and soft. We have a set to giveaway to a lucky reader this week!

The Amore D'Ore is perfect after the shower for an all over body treatment. It's even suitable for your face and your hair. We'd use it to prep our legs before a night out for a nice glow.

The Tarte D'Amande body souffle is a great next step. Use it all over to look and smell like a dream thanks to its main ingredient: sweet almond oil.

For your chance to win this Votre Vu set valued at $91, send us an email at jsggiveaway@gmail.com by next Tuesday, October 19th, 2010. Good luck!

Carmindy's Tip on Looking Fresh After a Flight

We love this tip on looking fresh after a plane flight from celebrity makeup artist, author of Crazy Busy Beautiful and Daily Makeover blogger, Carmindy, that we found in an old issue of Glamour:

"Hydrate halfway through by spritzing your face with water, then reapplying moisturizer and lip balm."

3 Easy Ways to Update Your Makeup for Fall

Confused about what to ditch and what to keep when it comes to your makeup bag this season? Celebrity makeup artist, Sam Fine, who has worked with one-named beauties from Tyra to Iman to Latifah gives the scoop on 3 Easy Ways to Update Your Makeup for Fall on Daily Makeover.com.

Photo courtesy of Daily Makeover.

American Fashion: Designers at the Aldyn

If you're in NYC this fall, stop by the Aldyn, on the Upper West Side to check out the American Fashions show house. It features rooms designed by Nicole Miller (shown), Diane von Furstenberg, Jonathan Adler, Alabama Chanin and more. The $25 ticket price benefits the CFDA. The show runs through December 10.

While you're there, keep an eye out for A-Rod and Cameron Diaz. Rumor has it they scoped out the 21st-floor duplex.

View more photos of the American Fashions show house on Shelter Pop.

Bobbi Brown Beauty Rules

Bobbi Brown's new book, Beauty Rules, is written for young women to counsel them on their makeup of course; but goes on to inspire good health and wellness and meaningful life lessons. There are features from Jenna Lyons, Cocoa Rocha, and Hilary Duff as well. While it's geared for girls in their teens and twenties, there's plenty inside for women of all ages. Bobbi tells us among other things to take chances, care about something, and give back- things we all know; but lose track of in our busy schedules. This would make a great holiday gift; but spend a few moments browsing through it yourself!

The Beauty Rules Palette, which is available now, has three lip glosses, two Pot Rouge colors for lips and cheeks, four eye shadows, and a Jet Creamy eye liner. We're wild about palettes and always pack one on our girls' trips. This one is particularly wearable with colors you can use for both touch ups on the plane and dramatic night out looks.

You can meet Bobbi Brown at Bloomingdale's on 59th Street NYC this Friday, October 15th, 2010. Bobbi will be there from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and her team will be there 11:00 to 8:00 p.m. to share this fall's beauty trends. Call (212) 705-2055 for an appointment or stop by the counter.

You can also visit Bobbi's new website at http://www.beautyrules.com/ for a closer look at her book, behind the scenes insight, and a chance to win a trip to NYC.

Cute Purple Hair

All I can say is GORGEOUS!!!

Pret-A-Surf

The weather is turning colder and the days are getting shorter, which means only one thing--time  to start planning winter getaways. This romper from Pret-a-Surf should definitely find its way into your suitcase. The line was created by Jillian Demling, a Vogue editor and Karen Mulligan, studio manager for Annie Liebovitz, and includes 50s and 60s-inspired swimsuits and bikinis and board shorts, all sturdy enough for surf camp.

Snow bunnies, don't worry, a Pret-a-Snow line is in the works!

Chanel 2001 Spring/Summer Ready to Wear Beauty

Karl Lagerfeld earned yet another feather in his cap with RAVE reviews of the Chanel 2001 Spring/Summer Ready to Wear show in Paris last week. Here's a behind the scenes look at the makeup for the show.

"Karl Lagerfeld showed me a sketch he had drawn of a girl with smoky eyes, so it was clear that we would put the focus on the eyes for this show," says Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup. "The inspiration for the color came from the black-white-green French garden that was recreated in the Grand Palais, from the glow that we can find in black, grey and white pearls, and the enamel that Karl integrated into the costume jewelry. I created deep, dark smoky eyes on a luminous fresh face with tinted, dewy lips. Nails were graphic and strong, and a thin black line was drawn in the hair."

Products Peter used include:

• Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Regard Perlé (Spring 2011 Makeup Collection, available January 2011)
• Le Crayon Sourcils (available August 2011)
• Le Sourcil de Chanel Perfect Brows
• Mascara Inimitable Waterproof in Noir
• Oues Contraste Powder Blush in Espiègle (Spring 2011 Makeup Collection, available January 2011)
• Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Boy (available April 2011)
• Le Vernis Nail Colour in Black Pearl on the hands (Spring 2011 Makeup Collection, available January 2011)
• Le Vernis Nail Colour in Pearl Drop on the feet (Spring 2011 Makeup Collection, available January 2011)

Photos courtesy of Chanel/Vincent Lappartient