StyleVise Blog

A week ago, Good Morning America aired a segment investigating counterfeit perfumes. The investigation found that many knockoff versions of your favorite fragrances are made with dangerous and disgusting substances like “urine, antifreeze and bacteria,” according to Valerie Salembier, senior VP and publisher of Harper’s Bazaar, who has been studying counterfeit luxury goods for more than six years now. It gets worse. According to the investigation, money spent on fake fragrances often ends up in the hands of organizations that support terrorism, drug cartels and child labor. Basically, buying counterfeit fragrances from street vendors, online or even the mall is risky. You don’t know where your money is going and, given that the product is applied to many sensitive areas of your body, you subject yourself to health risks (e.g. Contact Dermatitis). Check out the investigation below:

It’s often that I hear of women purchasing knockoff handbags from street vendors or kiosks. Although the fake fragrance market is nearly $7 million and rapidly growing (up from $1.2 million in 2007!), I haven’t heard as much talk of women buying them? Have you tried a knockoff version of your favorite fragrance for a cost savings? Keep in mind, by no means are we passing judgment. We’d love to know!

Click over to Harper Bazaar Magazine to  learn how you can spot a fake scent – from its color to its label to where you bought it.

This is sad. According to Bella Sugar, a 21-year-old woman in China is hoping to win her man back by getting plastic surgery so she looks more like Jessica Alba! Apparently, he is obsessed with Alba.

However, according to the video clip (watch it here), “It’s a natural fact that there isn’t too much stigma attached to plastic surgery in China. Looking better is viewed as a way to increase career or marriage prospects in a highly competitive society.”

Ladies, please refrain from going “Heidi Montag” on us, especially if it’s for a man. Did you see the recent over of People Magazine? We should celebrate who we are – inside and out. As quoted by Rosalind Russel, “taking joy in living is a women’s best cosmetic.”

Photo: Jeff Klein-KPA/ZUMA

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About a week ago, I posted about the new SPANX slimming swimsuits set to arrive in January, but I didn’t know if they would actually arrive in January or what they’d look like? Well, they’re here!

As I suspected, the collection consists of several one-piece suits and tankinis. However, there are also some bikini ($58), full-coverage ($78) and skirt bottoms ($98-$128), as well as a high-rise bottom ($98), which I’ve never seen before (see photo). I think some of the suits are really elegant and simple, particularly a few of the one-piece suits. But I question the legitimacy of this high-rise bottom as its unique style might draw more attention than a woman wearing a SPANX swimsuit wants. It seems a bit too obvious that the purpose of this high-rise swimsuit bottom is to mask the bulge…just go with a one-piece swimsuit.

The collection currently consists of 18 styles, primarily in three colors: pink, teal and black. Check out the entire collection online. What do you think of the newly released SPANX swimsuit styles?

Women swear by the SPANX hosieries, confirming that they actually “eliminate lumps and bumps, trim your tummy and smooth your silhouette.” And when Kim Kardashian was asked what fashion item she couldn’t live without in Life & Style Weekly, her response was “Spanx. Need I say more?”

So why wouldn’t the shapewear company launch a swimwear line? Well SPANX fans, wait no longer.

The SPANX collection currently includes everything from hosiery to socks to body shapers to bras and panties to slimming lingerie to apparel (including pants, tops, tanks, and skirts). But come January 2010, just in time for spring break, the collection will expand to include swimwear made of its patented shapewear technology. To the left are a few photos from the February issue of InStyle Magazine.

Click here to sign up for SPANX emails and be among the first to see the new collection.

We’ll have to wait a few months before finding out which celebs flaunt the new SPANX swimwear. However, below are a few pieces from the current SPANX collection worn by some of your favorite celebs, thanks to HerRoom.

Jessica Alba and Beyonce Knowles
Jessica Alba wore this Slim Cognito Shaping Bodysuit ($62) while filming “The Fantastic Four.” This was also worn by Beyonce and the rest of the cast while filming the movie “Dreamgirls.”

Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine is a big fan of this Spanx Camisole ($74) and relies on it when filming. According to HerRoom, this camisole was featured on “The View” and “Good Morning America” as a solution to back fat.

Gweneth Paltrow
After giving birth to her first child,  Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to wearing two Spanx Power Panties ($30) at the same time after giving birth to her first child, Apple.

Click here to see more SPANX pieces worn by your favorite celebrities.

Ugg, meet Jimmy Choo. Jimmy Choo, meet Ugg. Jimmy Choo, the luxury footwear brand, is pairing up with Ugg Australia to create a limited edition collection of women’s sheepskin footwear.

The collection, set to roll out October 2010, will consist of five styles in multiple colors and will be sold only in Jimmy Choo and Ugg Australia stores, as well as specialty and high-end department stores that carry the Jimmy Choo label. Many report that the collection will range in price from £495-£695 (around $800-$1,100). However, according to the Ugg Australia press release, it will range from $495 to $795.

Tamara Mellon, president and founder of Jimmy Choo, said, “Other than Jimmy Choo, UGG Australia is the only other footwear I have in my wardrobe.” Uh, Really?

This comes just shortly after Jimmy Choo’s collaboration with H&M. This past November, Jimmy Choo stocked 250 H&M stores with affordable shoes and bags.

But will this couple make it? I guess we’ll have to wait and see this fall. They say opposites attract.

The Body Shop has brought back 11 of its best-selling products from the 1980s. According to Lisa Gaynor, International Innovation Director, The Body Shop brought them back “in response to customers and store staff asking us ‘why don’t you bring back Dewberry’ or ‘whatever happened to Banana Shampoo.’”

The “Originals” collection includes long-time customer favorites like Ice Blue Shampoo, Dewberry Body Lotion and Banana Conditioner to name a few. This time around, these products are in 100% recycled PET bottles and feature fair-trade ingredients. Take a peak. For some of you, these products may conjure old memories, taking you back in time.

The Originals Collection

• Dewberry Body Lotion and Bath & Shower Gel
• Ice Blue Shampoo
• Banana Shampoo and Conditioner
• Carrot Moisture Cream
• Fuzzy Peach Bath & Shower Gel
• Cucumber Freshening Water and Cleansing Milk
• Green Apple Bath & Shower Gel
• Passion Fruit Facial Cleansing Gel

According to  T (The New York Times Style Magazine), the items went on sale January 11 (while supplies last). Learn more by watching the The Body Shop’s YouTube video.

We want to know which are your favorites and any memories you have from using these products! Post your answer on StyleVise.

As Uggs start to lose a bit of their luster, moon boots from the 90s may be inching their way back on the fashion scene, according to Grazia magazine. There are several styles and brands of moon

boots, from Technica ($99-$300) to Juicy Couture ($195) to Napoleon Dynamite Costume Moon Boots at WalMart ($13). I even searched online to find that Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s are out of stock. Piperlime has green, red and navy Technica Moon Boots on sale for $99, reduced from $130.

Does this officially confirm that moon boots are making a comeback? As temperatures across the country continue to drop this winter, they may be just the ticket to staying warm…in snow-friendly fashion (even if many women wear them with only leggings).

Let’s just say the students at Alameda Beauty College are not happy. According to KTVU.com in Oakland, CA, owners of the beauty school submitted a written proposal for a reality show about the school and registered it with the Writers Guild of America, but students from the school got hold of the pitch document and were angered by it.

KTVU says the pitch “outlines proposed episodes which mention specific people’s names. Some episodes detailed student successes, but others described students and employees as thieves, prostitutes, ‘ghetto’ or foul-mouthed people.”

Click here for the full story from KTVU.

I highly doubt this will come to fruition, but do you think a beauty school reality show like this could out-dramatize MTV’s Real World (the show many of us watched at one point in our lives and may still secretly watch)?

Post your answer on StyleVise.