Instaweek 4.1.13

Happy April everyone! The beginning of the month always feels like a fresh new start for me. A chance to take on new challenges and push myself further. We're now in the second quarter of the year. Is this real? 2013 is breezing by! Here's some of the fun I got into last week:

Mondrian Inspired

I've never been a huge art buff, but there are a few historic pieces that I can call my faves. Last week, myself and the LBS resident nail aficianado Gracie were inspired by artist Piet Mondrian. My absolute favorite ring from Yumnah Najah is inspired by his work. Tomorrow's Style Play Polish will be the Mondrian nails you see on the left above. Looks difficult, but I promise it's easier than it looks!

Now imagine my delight when 3 days after shooting the tutorial, I went to the MoMA for a date and ran into Piet Mondrian's pieces up close. Clearly, it was meant to be.

Raving for Rachel Roy

You guys know how obsessed I am with Rachel Roy. This season, Rachel didn't have a traditional presentation but instead showcased her collection with a digital runway show that broadcast on Facebook during NYFW. So this season, the Rachel Roy team invited me to their showroom for a nice preview of her fall collections and boy was I in heaven. A review of the entire collection - including Rachel Roy, RACHEL Rachel Roy and accessories coming later this week!

Travel & Leisure

I have big travel news coming soon! I can't go into detail yet, but your girl will be vibing to indie tunes and snapping festival street style this month at the Coachella Music Festival! I'm beyond excited. More deets to come!

The Curl Update

Cece's Curls are doing well. They were starting to get on my nerves last week, so I had to calm them down with a little TLC. I've been experimenting with puffs & twistouts and using different products. I've announced the winner of the Karen's Body Beautiful giveaway so take a look and see if you won! This Friday, stay tuned for a giveaway with new natural haircare brand Anu Essentials.

Have an awesome week!

LoveBrownSugar Chic: Rachel Roy "Vote" Tee Giveaway

As the Presidential election is quickly approaching, influencers in every industry are stepping up to the plate to get the word out about the importance of voting. Whether you're voting for one party or another, we all have a responsibility to uphold our civic duty by exercising our right to vote.

One of my favorite designers Rachel Roy is giving me the opportunity to express how important voting is by allowing me to gift one of you lovelies with her exclusive, Limited Edition "Vote" tee ($39.00). Aside from the fact that it's super chic, affordable and goes well with a myriad of style option inside my closet, it does double duty by encouraging a very important message. This November, get out to the polls and voice your opinions by voting. Be the change you want to see.

You can head to RockTheVote.com to find out how to register in your area.

To enter for your chance to win a brand new Rachel Roy "Vote" tee, fill out the information in the widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest ends Monday,  October 15th at 11:59PM EST. Winner will be announced next Tuesday - good luck!

 Stay up to date with the latest RR news by signing up to be a Rachel Roy Insider here.

Confessions of a Shopaholic: Rachel Roy x Seu George

My favorite designer Rachel Roy is back with yet another collaboration collection. This time she partnered up with Brazilian musician Seu Jorge for a Brazil-inspired collection of fanciful prints, bright colors and intricately crafted jewels.

Related: Rachel Roy Fall/Winter 2012 Collection 

Inspired by casual 70's-era glamour, the RRR x Seu Jorge collection fuses the unbreakable spirit and tradition of the Brazilian people with a free-spirited beach vibe that's perfect for warm weather dressing.

In love with this amazing Brasil Tote, $79

Also loving this colorful Paula Blouse, $89.

Check out the collection's lookbook/inspiration video:

Shop The Collection Here!

Kickin' It: Rachel Roy Beauty Launch

Last Thursday, I was invited to the Rachel Roy designer studio to celebrate the launch of her new beauty palette; the Rachel Roy Eye Shadow collection! Of course, I accepted the invitation with excitement and headed to the studio to see what Rachel has in store for her new collection. For someone with such a strong presence in the fashion industry, it's a major leap to to jump into the world of beauty. But thankfully, as Rachel Roy assured us, she's no stranger to beauty. She has a mean smokey eye and it paid off. Here's what I got into at the event:

LoveBrownSugar Chic: NYFW Day 4

For Monday's look I opted for sophisticated chic in a little black dress with delicate accessories and leopard print shoes. That day I had shows like Rachel Roy and Chris Benz, so I knew i wanted to exude clean lines with a pop of animal (hence the leopard print shoes and python bag).

In My Bag: RACHEL Rachel Roy Collection

Launching this Fall, the RACHEL Rachel Roy empire has recently expanded and will now include a luxe collection of handbags. The lovely folks at Rachel Roy were kind enough to send me this Colorblock Python Large Satchel which I immediately fell in love with. Check out what I have inside my bag:

1. RACHEL Rachel Roy Colorblock Python Large Satchel, $99.99. 2. Vintage Aviators, Buffalo Exchange. 3. HP Touchpad Tablet, $499.99. 4. UPTOWN Magazine, on newsstands now. 5. Makeup Designory Eyeshadow in Moss, $13.50. 6. Blackberry Curve. 7. Jimmy Choo glitter coin purse (used as business card holder). 8. Maybelline Lash Stiletto, $8.95. 9. Cover Girl Queen Collection Lip Color in Paint The Town, $6.99. 10. Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Dry Spray. 11. Lifetherapy Hand Creme in Vacation, $18,50. 12. Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Check It Out, $7.99. 13. MAC Cosmetics Eyeshadow. 

With an entire collection retailing just under $99.99, RACHEL Rachel Roy is offering up what I love best this fall - chic style on a budget. Check out a few of the other amazing handbags they're offering:

Love these? Check out the full collection at RACHEL Rachel Roy.

So, what's in your bag?

LoveBrownSugar's Favorite Holiday Gift Guides

It's officially the holiday season! You know what that means? Time to shop! While I'd love to say I'm an expert on what to buy your favorite peeps this year, I won't lie. I need a little help deciding myself! This year, before you spend long tireless hours at the mall scouting the best digs for your loved ones, check out a few of LoveBrownSugar's Favorite Holiday Gift Guides around the web. There's a little something for everyone....

1. Our lovely friends over at LoweFactor have compiled a Women's Holiday Gift Guide for the uber chic lady on your list. With yellow suede pumps and YSL's Rouge Pur Couture making the cut, what more does a really lady need? Love it!

LoveBrownSugar's Fave Item: The Burberry Military Gloves. Buttery leather and on trend? Say no more.

LoveBrownSugar Feature: RACHEL Rachel Roy

Ok, my last bit of shameless promotion for a while, I promise! Just wanted to share this photo for you that the wonderful Steven Duarte shot of me last week...

 This is one of the printed scarves from the RACHEL Rachel Roy collection. She sent us one scarf and asked each Honey editor to style it their own way. I decided to do a trendy look and rock it as a turban.The pics turned out great! Some of us rocked it romantic, others edgy or funky fresh. To see how each of us styled the scarf, check out the article on Honeymag.com...