After seeing the beautiful campaign featuring Kate Moss (and being a lover of all things Paris inspired), i couldn't wait to try  the Yves Saint Laurent "Parisienne" eu de parfume. It is a very very romantic and feminine fragrance of blackberries, damask rose and sandalwood - a great scent for snuggling close to someone this winter (I've already had it "guy approved"). Warm florals and berries are great winter fragrances.

When I walked into the department store I knew exactly what I wanted, and yet the sales woman insisted on trying to sell me a fragrance by Givenchy. Word to the wise - if you cant take rejection you probably shouldn't be in sales.

Here's a Tip: it's almost always more cost efficient (and just smarter) to buy the gift set, so i I treated to myself to the bottle plus a lotion and shower gel.

The holiday season is upon us, which for me means staying in more, dinner partys, lots of baking and lots of wine. There is

one wine in particular that i have taken a liking to - it is a Coppola (as in Francis Ford Coppola) called Sofia, Blanc de Blanc. The website description reads "delicately fruity and delightfully refreshing, Sofia Blanc de Blancs is a rare blend of Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat. The crisp flavors of apples and pears are made brighter by a hint of citrus and honeysuckle. Elegant in character, this wine is lightly textured and vibrant through the finish."

I first picked up this bottle because of it's pretty and delicate packaging and its light refreshing taste kept me coming back. But, I hadnt treated myself to a bottle in a while because after a glass or two the unfinished bottle would sit in my fridge and go bad. So I was happy when I found that my local grocery store  also carries the indivual 4-pack verison - 4 single servings in a cute pink can, each with it's own cute pink straw. I'm now even m

ore in lo ve with this wine simply because of how girly it is.

If you've seen any of Sofia Coppola's work (Marie Antoinette, Ms. Dior "Cherie" commercial) you know that her work is very dainty, feminine with a pastel parisian feel - Sofia Blanc de Blanc is exactly like that.

The next time you have a girls night in or before a night on the town with your girlfriends pick up a bottle or can to get the night started (both are about $16-$20). Hint: add a little passion fruit or pineapple juice and make it a spritzer!

Messing around with some fall looks over at H&M today. Seriously, Fall puts me in the mood to shop.

I'm so happy to finally share pic's of my new apartment with you! I couldnt have asked for a better place!

Whe I first began, I was aiming for slightly different look. I really wanted a lot of purple, but i ended up with a mostly blackand white color scheme with purple colored accents.  Because I have so little color in the main room, I decided to explode with color in the kitchen. I'm still adding as I go but I'm pleased with how everything has come together so far.

My builiding is currently undergoing some renovations, so It's becoming clear to me that I couldnt have moved in at a better time (altough i'm sure the rent will go up after my first year lease is up). They installed harwood and new lighting in all the halways. I hope that the outdoor communal area get redone by next summer!

Anyway, I love my little unit. I think the rounded shape (see below)  makes it really unique, and it's so large and spacey. Although i had to let Coco (my puppy) go, I think i may adopt a cat soon (i've already paid the pet deposit - cant just let that go to waste). Let me know what you think!

Luxe Living isnt just about fashion and shopping. A Luxe lifestyle includes the home and body as well. It would be nice to treat myself to a massage at the spa,  a pedicure and manicure on a weekly basis, and eat out 2 or 3 times a week, but lets face it times are hard. I enjoy a spa pedicure as much as the next girl but it just doesnt work with my budget any more. Here are more tips for  luxe living on a budget:

Dine In: Being back in school I've been spending more money then ever - eating and snacking during and between classes. I'm so tired after class that I'd rather pick up fast-food then go home and cook. But spending money that way is really hurting my pockets and I actually think some of that food has been making me sick. So I've made a promise to myself to cook my food in advance and start packing a lunch. I found a really cute lunch bag (on Etsy) that i hope will motivate me to carry a lunch every day.

 I  found easy-to make recipes on Real Simple, so I've made a grocery list and I am excited to stock my fridge with yummy food. Since fall is soon approaching, I plan on bringing out my slow cooker so that when i get home at the end of the day, I'll have a warm meal waiting at home. And, if you dont already know Trader Joe's has really good wine for less than $6, so you can treat yourself to a really luxe meal for an extra cheap price.

Forget the Spa and Nail Shop: I've started giving myself the spa treatment at home. No more manicures, I've been buying my own bottles of nail polish and doing my nails myself. Invest in a good base coat and a few colors that you really love and you'll save so much $. Sephora has really good polishes for about $6. Two or three colors will last you all season, and whenever you need a touch up it's free.

I really like to invest in my skincare although I cant afford the really luxiourious brands like Fresh and Clinque. But Sephora, Ulta and even Target have great budget beauty brands. I love the Soap & Glory bubble bath and body butter that I got from target. And i picked up some great facial masks and bath salts from Ulta. I even found an awesome exfoliating scrub on clearance at Pier 1 Imports. Good brands to try are Neutrogena, Booth's, Aveeda, Soap and Glory, and Earth Therapeutics.

I hope this has been helpful, but dont worry, more budget tips are on the way!

Luxe living on a budget is tough! Everyone is struggling in this economy, including myself, with reduced working hours and furlough days. To be honest, a smaller budget doesnt make wants and needs go away, but it does hamper your ability to satisfy those luxury cravings. With bills stacking up left and right, I've been forced to come up with some budget friendly options to obtain my luxe living facade. Many have already come in very handy, while others i haven't had the opportunity to try yet, but hopefully you'll find a few helpful tips. Let me know how they work for you!

Shopping Used/Thrift/Handmade: While in the book store the other day I picked up a hardcover book that was around $22. I really wanted the book but i knew i would probably need that money for something more important later. Then i remembered that i could probably find the same book 90% cheaper online. I'd ordered used books before but i'd always preferred to buy brand new, but this way was just smarter. I found the same book on the Barnes and Noble website for $1.99 + shipping.

Another great option is shopping handmade, like my friend Beth's online shop Salvage Life, which offers great restored vintage clothing, accessories, and decor. Etsy is another great online source where crafty people sell their handmade goods for reasonable prices. Jewelry, art, clothes, housewares, accessories, furniture - you name it, Etsy has it. Quite often, these handmade designers showcase their  goods at craft fairs like the Speakeasy Indie Craft Show hosted by the Handmade Brigade of Orange County.

Sample Sales: My Sassy City puts on great Sample Sales in Los Angeles, San Fransisco and San Diego. Made up of several designers and retailers, you get great deals and discounts all in one place. My girlfriends and I once went right before Christmas and got lots of gifts for family and friends for crazy low prices! These sorts of sample sales are better than those hosted by one designer or boutique because you get lots of deals in one place and usually a gift bag (and free cocktail).

DIY: I loathe Do-It-Yourself jobs but I've really been wanting some fashionable art for my apartment, and not only have i had very little luck finding what I'm looking for, but when I do find it it's usually pretty expensive. I've heard several times that I could use my own camera, take the photos that i want, print them and frame them, but i finally decided to give it a try and i must say it turned out better than i expected. I'm actually considering doing some more and selling them on Etsy. If you've got craft that your good at, I recommend doing the same. It's free to join and a really easy way to make a little pocket change.

More tips to come soon (i've got a whole list). In the mean time check out a few of the pic's i took below:

Don't you just love Fashion Week??? I do! I love trying to keep up with all the runway trends, celeb sightings and special events. Notice i said "try" because there is just too much going on and not enough time in the day! From sun-up to sun-down (and well into the night) Fashion Week is HAPPENING!

Today is not only  the first offcical day of Fashion Week but tonight another special event will take place and that is Fashion's Night Out hosted by Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Various retailers in New York and L.A will host in-store events featuring food & drink, demonstrations and style advice. Maybe you've seen your favorite fashionista sporting one of the awesome t-shirts? The events were designed to increase retail sails which, as you know, are slumping due to the poor economy. Maybe Fashion's Night Out will get shoppers shopping again!

In other fashion news, last night was the premiere of America's Next Top Model the Petite Edition, featuring wannbe models all under 5'7. It's already looking like it's going to be an interesting season. I havent watched ANTM in about 3 seasons, and I know this was meant to increase ratings, but nevertheless, I'm watching.

Last but not least, tomorrow the much anticpiated documentary The Spetember Issue is coming to a theater near you, unless you are one of the few who got to catch and early screening. So far the reviews have been raving. Cant wait! They've also just announced a special midnight premiere at the Arclight Cinemas.... ooooh.

Okie Dokie. I'm going to share the secret to my attempts to keeping up with the slightly overwhelming Fashion Week goings-on - the internet!

Fashion Week Daily

LA Times Image

Glam

FabSugar

DailyCandy Dossier

My Fashion Life

hi all,

FYI I have a new blog called The Dope Girl which focuses on hip-hop and urban art, entertainment and lifestyle so if you are into any of that, please check out me out at www.thedopegrl.blogspot.com If you like whta you see please bookmark and/or follow and tell all your friends.

I will continue to focus on fashion, event planning, in-home entertaining and design, books and life in West LA here on LuxeDelux. Thanks!

xoxo

Tiara

Yesterday my mom and I made an impromptu stop at the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa. While we were milling about, I remembered that I'd recently gotten an Teen Vogue It Girls email informing me that there would be a Haute Spot set-up at SCP for the next month.

The Teen Vogue Haute spot is a temporary shop set up by Teen Vogue magazine that features a lounge, clothes and accessories, free snacks and gift bags, and lots of special events. Store from all over the mall send over there hottest items to be displayed so It Girls can peruse whats hot and then go purchase the item in the mall.

Dragged my mom over so we could check it out and it was actually very cool! There were high school aged fashionistas having fun and helping out around the shop. There was a cool Internet lounge sponsored by HP, complimentary drinks from Izze and snacks from PopChips. There was even a Teen Vogue wall where you could take photos and have them printed on the spot.

The best part was if you purchase and item from one of their sponsors you got a cool gift big with  up $300 of swag! I persuaded my mom to make a purchase so I could get the bag I was rewarded with sports gear from Nike, nail polish, sunglasses, a Paul Frank Iphone case, perfume samples, jewelry from Charlotte Russe, a one-year subscription to teen vogue and much more!

They've got several events planned for the month of september including a screen of The September Issue, a lots of fashion shows featuring Vans, Ugg and other awesome brands so I know I'll be stopping by again!

As you will soon learn, I LOVE the Fall. New York is so lucky because they have my idea of the perfect fall season - Leaves falling, nippy weather good for a nice warm coat and boots -  pretty much the opposite of fall in L.A.

And it's not just the weather - with fall comes new everything. New music, great movies, new school semester and new seasons of my favorite TV shows! Yeah the second season of True Blood ends next week, but that's OK because I've got other shows to obsess over - Ugly Betty and Gossip Girl (both of which are set in New York). In addition, I'm also excited to check out the return of Melrose Place and The Vampire Diaries.

Let us not forget that we are finally being blessed with the much anticipated documentary, The Septembe Issue! The buzz is unbearable, I really cant wait. Also, we'll get to swoon over Taylor Lautner in the second movie from the Twilight saga, New Moon (my favorite of all four books! go team Jacob!).

I get like this at the end of every summer. I obsess over what fall clothes I'm going to buy, eagerly awaiting the day where I can pull out my warm quilt, rain boats and my lovely fall coats. And, every fall I am slightly let down because L.A wont allow me the fall I've always dreamed of. Ugh! New York is so lucky!

In the mean time I've been having a little fall fun over at Polyvore - I made this cute little set inspired by my favorite season and one of my favorite shows! Enjoy!