ELLA style

Finding the Perfect Scent


{this is glamorous}


Navigating the fragrance counter can be quite intimidating... Especially this time of year! And, with almost 600 perfumes for Women, where do you start?

For those of you that don't know my background, the quick answer is: I work with renowned perfumers to create fragrances for celebrities and designers. I know, it sounds pretty cool (and it is)! I've worked for Elizabeth Arden for five years on the product development side of fragrance licensing. And, in that time, I've developed seven fragrances, mostly for Britney Spears, Kate Spade New York and Taylor Swift. All of which I HIGHLY recommend.

My sense of smell certainly has intensified... And, has truly made me a perfume critic!

Therefore, without further ado, I'll give my two cents for how to choose the perfect perfume.

First of all, there are two types of consumers: One is looking to wear a brand and the other is looking to wear a scent. You must determine which one you are before even going to the store.

If you're the former, you're ultimately going to be satisfied because you're not choosing your fragrance primarily based on smell. Some people just want to wear Chanel No. 5 because it's Chanel.

However, if you're looking to wear a scent, you're in for a lot more fun!

Perfume has many intricate details. And, it's best to start with learning the major fragrance families: Citrus, Florals, Orientals, Chypres and Woody. This might not mean a lot at the moment, but it will come with practice.

Citrus
The Citrus family has very linear notes: Lemon, Bergamot and Orange, for example. These fragrances don't change much with wear... What you smell when you spray, is what you smell hours later. They are very light, clean and refreshing.


{Eau De Marveilles by Hermes}

If this describes your style, I would suggest: Eau des Marveilles by Hermes, Chanel Eau Fraiche, Clinique Happy, Jo Malone Grapefruit and D&G Light Blue.

Florals
Most Womens fragrances on the market today are Florals. However, they don't all smell the same, and they can have sub-classifications based on the other ingredients in the composition.

If you like the soft, yet rich, smell of Jasmine, Tubersoe and Gardinia, you're a white floral kind of girl. I promise you'll like: Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Twirl by Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Elie Saab, Chanel No. 5 and Bvlgari Jasmine Noir.

{Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle}

And, if you like spicier florals, like rose, I would suggest Chloe, Marc Jacobs Lola and Bulgari Rose.

Orientals
The Orientals are sweet, spicy, bold and intense... If that describes you, give the following a try: Opium, Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf, La Prairie, Angel, Fantasy Britney Spears and Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift.


{Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf}

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift just launched, so test it out and think of me!


{Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift}

Chypres
The Chypres and Woody families are quite small in the women's category. There are some great Chypres though! Actually, my favorite fragrance is a Chypre, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. A few other fantastic scents include: Stella McCartney, Narciso Rodriguez and Chanel Chance.


{Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel}

I'm not a big fan of woody fragrances for women, so I'm not going to recommend any.

I hope my perfume tutorial was informative... If you have any other questions or want additional recommendations, send me a note!



I LOVE SPINNING



{Soul Cycle Tribeca, NYC}


Hello, Lovelies!

We've been doing a fantastic job at making our Tuesdays a little bit healthier during the holidays... And, I think this should continue into 2012, don't you?

So, tonight I'm posting my "healthy tip" a bit early (in anticipation for tomorrow), so you have it well before your workout!

As you all know, I LOVE SPINNING! But, still cringe at the amount of money I've spent on Equinox and Soul Cycle classes... I honestly can't even begin to imagine, how scary?

While the classes are amazing, things occasionsly pop-up and you can't get there in time, or you feel like having a good workout on your own. And, sometimes I find I have the best rides when I'm all by myself, which is exactly what I did today... I burned 550 CALORIES IN 45 MINUTES!

Here's how I did it... I promise, all you need is some cute spin style and motivation!

{1. James Perse Tank; 2. iPhone; 3. Smart Water; 4. Nike Pro Compression Shorts; 5. Sidi Cycling Shoes}

I also recommend using a heart rate monitor, so you can measure your exertion. If you don't have one, no problem, just use your best judgement for how hard you're working.

This spinning session is 45 minutes long... Grab the playlist below and get ready to burn over 500 calories!

Playlist
"Set Fire to the Rain" Adele (4.03).
"Good Life" One Republic (4:13).
"We Found Love" Rihanna (3:35).
"For the First Time" The Script (4:12).
"Her Diamonds" Rob Thomas (4:39).
"Walking on a Dream" Empire of the Sun (3:18).
"Pumped Up Kicks" Foster the People (3:39).
"Marry the Night" Lady Gaga (4:24).
"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" Usher & Pitbull (3:47).
"Super Bass" Nicki Minaj (3:19).
"Raise Your Glass" P!NK (3:23).
"I'm Yours" Jason Mraz (4:03).

Spin Workout
"Set Fire to the Rain" Adele (4.03)... Flat ride, 60% resistance, increase cadence as song progresses, legs are moving quite fast.

"Good Life" One Republic (4:13)... Seated climb, 70% resistance, keep a smooth cadence that syncs with the beat of the song.
.
"We Found Love" Rihanna (3:35)... Standing jog, 70% resistance, try not to bounce, legs are moving quite fast.

"For the First Time" The Script (4:12)... Steep seated climb, 80% resistance, legs are moving SLOW, you're feeling the burn and you want to stop... Keep going!

"Her Diamonds" Rob Thomas (4:39)... Stand 'er up! Steep standing climb, 80% resistance, you're still feeling the burn, but only for a few more minutes!

"Walking on a Dream" Empire of the Sun (3:18)... All resistance OFF, recover for the entire song, drink water!

"Pumped Up Kicks" Foster the People (3:59)... Seated run, 60% resistance, you feel as if you're going slightly faster than what's comfortable... Should be breathing hard by the end of the song.

"Marry the Night" Lady Gaga (4:24)... HARDEST song of the class! 75% resistance standing jog to start, SEATED SPRINT DURING REFRAIN... Continue with 75% resistance during verses... SEATED SPRINT DURING REFRAINS...Run it, only 4 minutes!

"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" Usher and Pitbull (3:47)... Back off the resistance to 50%, but keep running! Your legs are moving FAST!

"Super Bass" Nicki Minaj (3:19)... Stand up, 90% resistance for the climb! You're legs are moving the SLOWEST they have all class and are hurting! Almost done!

"Raise Your Glass" P!NK (3:23)... Back it off, this is a seated sprint at 60% resistance! Last song of the class... RUN, RUN, RUN it out!

"I'm Your's" Jason Mraz (4:03)... Cool Down! Back off all resistance, let your legs just relax. Try and slowly recover throughout the entire song.


And, we're DONE... 500 calories burned, guarenteed!

Let me know how you did :)




Hair Help

It happens every week... The alarm rings loudly on Monday morning, you press snooze and wonder where the weekend went. It's a definite 'Case of the Mondays'...

Here's a quick and easy way to have chic, sophisticated hair... Even on a Monday!

The French Chignon

{this is glamorous}

{shoes and interiors to match}

The word chignon {shee-nyawn} comes from the French phrase “chignon du cou,” which means nape of the neck and refers to a large, smooth twist, roll, or knot of hair, worn by women at the nape of the neck or the back of the head. It's an effortless style. Classic, but always sexy.

Tools: Hair elastic and bobby pins
Products: Prep hair with a thickening hair spray; finger dry hair with a blowdryer.
  1. Dry spray hair with a thickening spray to give it some texture.
  2. Tilt head backwards, combing hair with fingers (use a brush for a more sleek bun) into a high pony tail and secure with an elastic.
  3. Wrap pony tail around elastic and secure the loose ends first with a bobby pin by grabbing some of the hair from the bun pushing down and then in.
  4. Secure the rest of the bun with the bobby pins using the same motion.
  5. Finish with hair spray... Et Voila!

    {this is glamorous}



December Darling


December Darling


December is my second favorite month, behind October. Decorations, Christmas cookies, Holiday parties, what's not to love? But when the first snowflakes fall, I seem to always ponder... What am I going to wear?

I've reached the point in my life where I'm not going to be cold anymore. When I was younger, I sacrificed warmth for style. But, after spending the last five winters in New York City, I've changed my ways.

My go-to casual, December staples now include: skinny jeans, winter white blouses, booties and accessories. Pair that with a wool peacoat or swap knee-high boots for booties, and you're set.

Happy December, lovelies!
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