Backstage at NYFW: Venexiana Show!

By: Tiffany Olson

Remember my article about the Venexiana show? Well, I had the opportunity to go backstage and get all the scoop on everything before the show! Here is your official backstage pass to all the behind the scenes fun!

Hair and Makeup!

Tons of photogs capturing the BECCA makeup artists at work!

Getting dolled up in BECCA Cosmetics!

Confessions of a NYFW Model: This gal above, said the Venexiana show was her 3rd of the day. At her first show, they put a lot of gel in her hair, for her 2nd show, she needed pin straight hair, so all the gel was fried out via straightening iron! She said she couldn't watch as her hair sizzled! Luckily for this show, it just went up, but she said it took over an hour to get this lovely look! We asked how she cares for her hair after fashion week is over, and she said she sleeps in conditioner over night to try to reverse all the damage! Phew! (I learned that male models have it way easier- no heels and no hair drama!)

Hair in progress...

And here's what the finished product looked like!

And here's the makeup guide all the BECCA Cosmetics gals used! I absolutely LOVED their makeup!

And here's a pic my friend snapped of me interviewing Venexiana designer, Kati Stern!

You can read my full interview with her {here}.

Here's Kati on the runway after the show! The crowd loved her!

Soo exciting! Thank you to the Venexiana team for letting me come backstage and play!

Shasta's Beauty Product of The Week! Bring Back That Brilliance!

By Shasta Moczulski, Fashion & Beauty Director

Cold weather and forced air heat will take a toll on our hair, usually making it dry and lackluster.  I have the perfect item this week to bring some brilliance back to your locks, L'Oreal Perfect Shimmer Shine Illuminating Mist!  Simply spray over dry, styled hair to bring back some shine!

Etsy Must-Have

We LOVE Etsy. Why so much LOVE? We adore supporting the handmade community and buying HANDmade. We know, when buying handmade, you won't show up next to someone wearing the same thing as you - which we just LOVE. Can we say LOVE enough? Well, here is one more for you - we LOVE the hair goodies in this Etsy Shop - Shirk Designs.
They sent us a sprinkling of samples to review & well, we fell in LOVE. 

cupcakeMAG picks! 

{what we LOVE} 

Vintage Red & Cream Headband, $8

Tartan Plaid Rosette Headband, $12

Have a Little? We just adore these sweet Baby Mum Barettes - perfect to add some sass to their wardrobe along with the Fabric Flower Clips. They are SO cupcakeMAG approved!

What are you waiting for? Head over to Shirk Designs now & get shopping! 

Posh Shasta gets a HAIR make-over and puts the CHIC in BOB!

By Shasta Moczulski, Contributing Writer 

Last February, my hair stylist, Monica, from Fringe Salon and Boutique (become a fan of the salon here) put So.Cap hair "Extensivies" in my very short hair.  "Extensives" are a type of hair extension that was formulated by So.cap.  This type of application is so much faster than other methods and I can honestly say DID NOT damage my hair at all. 

Why did I even get extensions?  My hair had been cut into a stacked bob style and was very short in the back, growing that crazy mess out made me insane.  I loved having the Extensives, they were a great product, easy to take care of and style, but it was time to have them removed, the crazy layers had grown out and I was ready! 

Yesterday was the big day and Monica, as always, did an amazing job.  I love my chic new cut and being able to run my fingers through my hair and you know, not get my fingers stuck in my 'stensions!  If you are trying to grow out your hair or just want to add volume or length, go to So.Cap to find a stylist in your area that does the "Extensive" application.    

I am ready to take this new look to New York Fashion Week in September!

OBSESSION -- blueeyedfreckle

blue.eyed.freckle. – three words you need to always remember. Why? This is the name of some of the cutest & most stylish handmade headbands for any fashionista. For any season, just throw on any blueeyedfreckle headband and it instantly gives your outfit that extra pop it needs. They aren’t your average headbands.

Pink & Green Coiled Wool Felt Headband, $15

Cluster of Feathers Headband, $15

Words from Katie, the designer of blueeyedfreckle:

"Each blueeyedfreckle headband is hand-cut and constructed out of various wool felts, including lots of vibrant colors that I have dyed myself. You might not see the same headbands in my shop all the time because I always love to come up with fresh, new designs (and custom orders/colors are always welcome). I love the way a headband can dress up a plain outfit, especially when you are on the run. As a new mom, I have been thankful many times that I had a fun headband to throw on when I was running out the door in an otherwise drab outfit. When you wear one of my headbands you instantly feel fabulous because regardless of what you are wearing, your hair piece is making a statement. Oh, and side note: they are actually comfortable. Most headbands hurt my head, so I have made sure that that is not the case with the ones I make!"

Get shopping: blueeyedfreckle is now available at FABU spa and boutique in Decatur, GA, Young Blood Gallery and Boutique in Atlanta, GA, and Quirk in Richmond, VA but also anytime at the blyeeyedfreckle etsy shop. And make sure you stop by Katie’s blog to get to know her some more!

Good Things Really Do Come in Small Packages…

Introducing the Travel mini Iron from Coppola Designer Hair Care

What will they think of next! The Keratin Complex team has taken their knowledge of the hair care industry to the next level, with the introduction of their private label mini flat iron. This petite tourmaline ceramic straightener will give you the sleek locks you’ve been looking for wherever life takes you!

The ultra light wonder comes with a thermal heat-proof travel pouch and tangle free cord – perfect to throw in your gym bag, suitcase or even your purse for an after-work touch up. This is the MOST compact flat iron on the market measuring only 19 centimeters in length.

The Travel Mini Iron delivers instant and EVEN heat while providing the perfect temperature to get the look you crave. With its on-the-go versatility, this iron is designed to create smooth hair without damage! It seals in your hair’s moisture and eliminates frizz and fly-aways.

And the fun doesn’t stop there! The Mini Iron is available in a variety of colors including blue, pink, fuschia and black – so no matter what your mood (or your wardrobe!) they’ve got a color for you!

Enjoy the benefits of the innovative products from Coppola Designer Hair Care. With only the hair’s best interest in mind, every product is designed to create the most beautiful and healthy results, leaving hair perfectly styled and healthy as ever.

Price: $59.00

Available at www.keratincomplex.com

the LITTLE things

Sometimes it is the smallest things in life that

make the biggest difference.

After reviewing quite a big assortment

we noted a few "little things"

we just CAN'T be without.

RuMe: A green label we love and great for moms on the go the NEW ReUsable Baggies ($4.50) & Pockets, only $3.95 each are not only fashionable with so cute prints like Spring 5th Avenue and Fall Hamptons but a functional replacement for plastic baggies. RuMe sent us one of each which we were able to use for SO many things from our little ones cheerios to a mini clutch for mom. No worries about spills either (unlike platic baggies) a zipper ensures a tight seal which also helps with the many uses.

ReUsable Bag Features:

• Handwash & dishwasher safe
• Zipper enclosure
• RuMe Baggie size is 8.5" x 7.5"
• RuMe Pocket size is 8" x 4.75"
• RuMe Baggies holds up to 1 liter
• Lab Tested, Food Safe

A great gift for the one person who has everything - stylish & eco-chic so whats not to LOVE?!

Need a unique idea for eco-friendly gift packaging? The Baggie firs 2 DVDs perfectly! Check out the many other great bags from Pretty in Pink Metallic only $18 to the Medium RuMe 3 bag collection ($30) in great prints to coordinate with your baggies!

USE COUPON CODE CUPCAKE to receive 20% off your order of $20 or more! That is just a FAB deal and grab them up before it expires on 11.30.09!

Next up..........

Stay with Me: We were excited to try out the recently launched Stay With Me Socks($6). We are really not sure how they do it but we are not complaining. These socks really are "wiggle and pull off proof" and won't come off until you take them off. No more hunting for that other lost sock you just put on your newborns toes. Of course they are made by a mompreneur!

One of the many things we LOVE; loop and wash. Stay with Me socks interlock keeping them together in the washer and dryer. If only all socks had this feature it would make laundry so much easier. The socks are made with mini Velcro (snag free) tabs that keep them secure in both the front and the back. You can't just have one - snag them up in great colors and stripes!

Another great brand in the sock category is Nowali: Over 50 years ago Nowa Li began producing traditional moccasins in Sweden. The high quality moccasins are still produced the same way today and the stitching is still sewn by hand. The slipper socks come in many different styles for not just kids but adults too. We just LOVED the few pairs we were sent for review.

Z.Daisy: BINKIE BUNGEE

Similar to The Little Lasso we love anything that keeps us from constantly picking things up. The Binkie Bungee ($12) is the perfect way to keep your baby's pacifier off the dirty floor all while looking baby chic the whole time. The Monica Pink Stripe fabric is exclusive to Z.Daisy and features a new unique elastic pacifier attachment that will work with any pacifiers (unlike other generic clips) that is pefect for your baby and moms.

MUST HAVE: Eco-Friendly Binkie Bungee comes in 3 great colors and retails for $16

*All products are Cupcake Mag tested and baby approved*

DIVADO: Get The 'DO Without The Damage

With the holiday season just around the corner we need to all start thinking about the many parties and events we have to look good for & what girl doesn't want to hit the streets with a little volume in her hair? We know we can't survive without or else it is a beyond bad hair day. So, what is a glamour-ista to do? The solution is the DivaDo.

DivaDo launched the extremely cost effective, do it yourself retro chic hair inserts - and no, they aren't anything like the bump-it infomercials filling the late night television. We were sent The Audrey in neutral and it was tried and tested many times. The first thing we noticed was how stable it is; you don't need to worry about fixing it a million times throughout the day. With its secure fit, sturdy construction and weather resiliency, DivaDo provides countless hours of beautiful hair. And for those eco-chic ladies it is manufactured and packaged in the USA, made of natural looking surgical-grade silicon and is BPA-free and hypo-allergenic which is always a plus.

The DivaDo offers an effortless and comfortable application and removal. It is perfect for your own red carpet moment because who does love to rock the "bump" style we have seen on all of our favorite stars. Featured in two styles, The Audrey creates a classic sophisticated hairdo while The Brigitte adds a little more va-va-voom to your look if you want to play up your alter ego rocker chic style.

“As a Southern woman, I’ve been to my fair share of weddings, galas, and cocktail events, and I’m painfully familiar with the time, effort, and money it takes to get the perfect glam do for those occasions. Not to mention the pain and stress it creates when undoing that perfect do! So, I created the DivaDo to help women everywhere have the perfect do without the damage,” said DivaDo Founder, Brandie Park.

The DivaDo Story

One New Year’s Eve a few years ago, DivaDo founder, Brandie Park, was in Chicago with several friends preparing to ring in the New Year. It was a typical winter night in Chicago with a mix of snow and rain coming down. One of her girlfriends had a really cute hairstyle with a front hair tease sprayed to perfection. Another friend wanted the same look, but when they started adding hairspray, gel, and a rat-tail comb to her formerly straight hair she protested that the end result was not worth the torture. It was then that Brandie decided every woman should be able to get that “diva” look without the salon price or the pain of teasing. Brandie’s come a long way from the original model she fashioned out of a bra insert, small comb, and some thread!

“It is my sincere desire that this product give women the look they want without taking the time of teasing and applying a dozen products.” “We are all busy women.” “The last thing we need to do is spend an extra half-hour styling our hair!” Founder, Brandie Park

SAVE WITH CUPCAKE

Both The Audrey and The Brigitte DivaDo are available in brown, black or natural. Products are priced affordably with recommended retail for The Audrey at $25 and The Brigitte at $30. DivaDo is available at fine, independent beauty boutiques nationwide as well as at www.divadohair.com. For more information visit www.divadohair.com or call toll free 1.888.8DIVADO.

You know we are all about spending money but we like to save too! DivaDo has offered CUPCAKE MAG readers an exclusive discount code. Use code cc20 and receive 20% off any order from www.divadohair.com. They make great gifts too!