Archive: Monday, 5, November, 2012Home
Election Day Nail PolishCourtesy

Election Day Nails: Try These Patriotic Polishes

Nov 5, 2012 @ 6:30 pm

Heading to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday, November 6)? While you’re making your vote count, consider pairing your ballot with a patriotic manicure. Just in time for Election Day, we rounded up our favorite red, white and blue nail polishes, which flatter the digits of both Team Obama and Team Romney supporters alike. Click “See the Photos” to browse our lacquer picks now, and happy voting!

Marianne Mychaskiw

Aimee KestenbergCourtesy Photos (4)

Aimee Kestenberg Launches Handbag Collection

Nov 5, 2012 @ 6:14 pm

Australian handbag creator Aimee Kestenberg—a Parsons-educated designer, two-time winner of the Independent Handbag Designer Awards, and collaborator with brands like Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, and Jill Stuart—has launched her own eponymous line of bags for Spring 2013! Sold under The Adoni Group, her on-trend Spring 2013 handbag collection (think satchels in vivid colors, leather hobos, and oversize clutches) is currently on view at aimeekestenberg.com and will be available to buy online starting in December. “Every woman should be able to own a contemporary, all-leather, functional designer handbag that exudes the same attitude and confidence as the woman carrying them,” Kestenberg said in a statement. “Just as important as the bags being trend-right and fashionable, they must be affordable.” True to that mission, the carriers will range in price from $128 to $328. Click here to see her designs, and stay tuned for more shopping information once December hits.

Plus, see more of fall’s most vibrant bags below!

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Meghan Blalock

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Mall of America Turns 20! That’s a Lot of Shopping…

Nov 5, 2012 @ 5:42 pm
Mall of AmericaAP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt

In a country where shopping destinations come and go with the seasons, there’s one mall that stands tall amongst all the others: the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, which—just in time for tomorrow’s ultimate American act: voting!—is celebrating its 20th year of operation. Otherwise known as the only mall in the country with a fully functional indoor theme park (roller coasters included!), the 4.2-million-square-foot retail mecca is one of the two largest malls in all of North America, along with the 6.1-million-square-foot West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada. Since the Mall of America opened in 1992, it has added a number of unique programs not on offer at most of its (much smaller) competition—like a fitness club for mall walkers who frequent the large space and educational classes for high school students yearning to study fields like the visual arts, law enforcement, hospitality, retail management, and business. So, tell us: Have you traveled long distances to visit America’s most famous mall?

Plus, shop our favorite fall-winter convertible coats!

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InStyle’s OpenSky Boutique
See Our Favorite Fall Coats!
This Season’s 6 Must-Haves

Meghan Blalock

The Biggest Celebrity Engagement Rings: See the Photos!

Nov 5, 2012 @ 4:58 pm
Celebrity Engagement RingsKevin Winter/Getty; Jason Thomas/FilmMagic; BEImages; Eric Charbonneau/Wireimage; Alex Gutierrez

It’s almost engagement season—that time of year around Thanksgiving, the holidays, and New Year’s when everyone seems to listen to Beyonce and Put a Ring On It. So, we’re getting in the spirit by taking a look at some of the biggest sparklers ever to grace the left ring fingers of our favorite celebrities. From Jennifer Aniston to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, to Blake Lively and beyond, click through the gallery to get all the details on the biggest and the best—because there are few things that rock our world quite like a big, gigantic…rock. Your celebrity engagement ring education begins now. Say yes!

Jennifer Davis

Hurricane Sandy reliefCourtesy (5)

Hurricane Sandy Relief: Where You Can Shop to Help

Nov 5, 2012 @ 4:51 pm

With devastation all along the East Coast and millions without power, heat, and hot water—if not without a home—in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and on the heels of a star-studded telethon that raised nearly $23 million, according to NBC, many fashion and beauty brands are offering shoppers ways to help with the relief effort. eBay has set up a hub where you can find retailers who are donating a portion of their proceeds to associated charities, thecoveteur.com is donating 100 percent of profits to Hurricane Sandy relief, and shoppers at Macy’s and macys.com are able to donate to Hurricane Sandy recovery at checkout, with Macy’s matching donations up to $500. But it doesn’t end there: Ralph Lauren donated $2 million to various charities associated with the cause and Nordstrom has donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross. Meanwhile, celebrity manicurist Jenna Hip—remember the wild cheetah nails from Miley Cyrus’s Halloween costume?—is donating 100 percent of the profits from her OpenSky boutique to the relief efforts. And she’s not the only beauty maven in on the cause. Chantecaille is donating 20% of their online sales to the Red Cross and ASPCA now through November 18, and Kiss My Face is giving 50 percent of online sales to the Red Cross through this Friday. And here’s a whopper: Anthony Logistics is giving 75 percent of proceeds from their best seller, the Hair and Body Cleansing Gel in Chamomile, to Sandy relief. Plus, Gap, Shopbop.com, Amazon, and Neiman Marcus have links set up on their sites, making it really easy to donate to the Red Cross. We love that so many within the industry are rallying around the Sandy recovery effort! Shop now to help however you can!

Plus, see how celebrities responded to Hurricane Sandy.

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Meghan Blalock

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Mindy KalingGetty Images (2)

Mindy Kaling: Hilarious Reason She Loves Jessica Alba

Nov 5, 2012 @ 3:30 pm

I’m presenting an award to Jessica Alba tonight, and I’m extremely nervous about it,” Mindy Kaling confided to InStyle.com at the Baby2Baby gala this weekend, which celebrated the non-profit’s mission providing essential baby gear to children in the L.A. area. After a little liquid courage, the Max Mara-dressed star of FOX’s The Mindy Project went behind the microphone and delivered a humorous speech of why she really loves the actress and activist before honoring her with the Giving Tree award. We’ve pasted the highlights below:

“If I looked like Jessica Alba, I would not give a crap about clean living. Like, I would not recycle. I would just drop trash on the street and just be like ‘Deal with it.’ I would let other people pick it up. Her husband is so handsome that his name is Cash Warren. They don’t give out names like that unless you are a Nascar driver or the star of CW show, or really handsome. What ethnicity are you even? I don’t know, don’t even tell me because I don’t want to know, I just want to spend time thinking about it.”

Too, too funny! Click below to see more photos from this week’s biggest bashes.

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— Kwala Mandel

Blue Eye ShadowGetty Images; Landov

Blue Eye Shadow: Two Ways to Wear the Trend Like a Star

Nov 5, 2012 @ 3:17 pm

Blue eye shadow certainly makes a statement, but it can be one of the most challenging makeup hues to wear. The color commands attention, but one wrong brush stroke can result in a tacky ’80s aesthetic. Recently, Mandy Moore and Skyfall Bond girl Bérénice Marlohe have given us major holiday beauty inspiration with their two different takes on the trend! Marlohe’s bold cobalt eye puts a fun twist on the traditional smoky look and is perfect for a night out. The actress concentrated most of the blue shadow on the inner corners, but if you want to elongate your eye, blend the shade into the crease for a winged-out effect. Looking for a less extreme option? Try Moore’s aqua eyeliner interpretation instead! When worn just along the lower lash line, the shade is subtle enough for daytime wear, and is a non-intimidating way for color novices to ease into the world of bold makeup. Try your hand at the look by dipping a fine-tipped shadow brush into your favorite blue, or pick up a bright azure liner. Our favorite? Urban Decay’s version in Deviant ($19; urbandecay.com).

Looking for more eye shadow inspiration? Get celebrity makeup tips in our gallery!

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• Bérénice’s Skyfall Premiere Dresses
• Mandy Moore’s Rag & Bone Blazer
Exclusive: Our Favorite Bond Girls!

Marianne Mychaskiw

Hollywood Moms Celebrate at Baby2Baby and More Party Photos!

Nov 5, 2012 @ 2:40 pm
Baby2Baby GalaStefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Baby2Baby

Some of Hollywood’s hottest moms came together for the first annual Baby2Baby Gala in Los Angeles this weekend, including Jessica Alba (in Valentino), Modern Family star Julie Bowen (in Naeem Khan), Nicole Richie (in Lorena Sarbu), Rachel Zoe (in Rachel Zoe), and Busy Philipps (in vintage from Decades). “I’m so proud to be part of the work that Baby2Baby is doing,” said Richie, a board member for the non-profit, which was founded by her pals Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof with the mission to supply families in need with clothing and other necessities for children. The event included both silent and live auctions as well as 299 cased diamond necklaces used as décor. Alba also received the first-ever Baby2Baby Giving Tree Award for her ongoing support of the organization and dedication to families in need in Los Angeles. “I didn’t think twice about joining Baby2Baby,” Alba said during her acceptance speech. “So many kids are going to have a better chance of becoming what they could be because of you guys.” Click through the gallery to see more party photos from this week’s biggest events.

— Kwala Mandel