Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York

Dear Beauty & Fashion Bloggers,

Pierce Mattie PR has worked hard over the last five years to develop unique expertise in beauty, fashion and jewelry communications. We have long recognized the importance and potential of new media, and in 2002 we were one of the first PR firms in our media beat category to launch a blog and begin blogging. We have the highest respect for bloggers and their work, and we treat bloggers with the same attention and respect we have for editors from top print publications.

Last night, Jackie Danicki posted on her blog, Jack & Hill, a piece about Pierce Mattie PR “spamming” other blogs. Please be assured that it is not the policy of Pierce Mattie PR to “spam” blogs (or spam anyone else, for that matter). However, although we were taken aback by Jackie’s ill-informed post, we want to acknowledge some recent missteps on our part that may have led to a misunderstanding about the matter.

A bit of history first. From 2002 to 2004, only two people at Pierce Mattie PR – Pierce and I – were permitted to post on the Pierce Mattie PR blog. By 2005, however, we took note of the increasing importance of blogging to the public relations industry and began encouraging all of our brand advocates to submit blog posts. This eventually turned into a requirement that each brand advocate submit at least one blog entry per week. The project has been unequivocally successful: brand advocates are pushed to think creatively and they take pride in their submissions, and our increased profile has been great for the firm and our clients. Although our firm’s policy requires blog entries to be approved before they are posted, we encourage our brand advocates to push the envelope with their posts and we give them a large degree of freedom and license.

Here is the first segment of the Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Event. Unfortunately we had to brake it up into a ten-pack, 10 min segments because of the YouTube file size requierments. If you want to automatically be notified when we post the rest of the segments just subscribe to our YouTube channel. In this segment you will find:

- Introduction to Host and guest speakers - How did the the fashion and beauty blog community of 180 industry blogs start? - Who are the bloggers in the community? - Treating bloggers with the same respect as journalists and editors and what bloggers should do to earn that respect when a blogger has no formal journalism training or experience working with publicists. - The basics, fact checking - RSS feeds make it hard to retract bad facts in posts - The value to a blogger working with a publicist

We invite you to join the discussion on the site and participate in educating bloggers and publicists on how to work together professionally, ethically and effectively in this "new" publishing platform. Get more information at on the Public Relations Roundtable website.

Other links: Flickr | Myspace | YouTube |

As the end of summer is approaching and the intense heat is starting to fade, we all sit and wonder what we’ll be wearing once the fall season rolls around. Year after year, the end of summer always signals a change in fashion as women everywhere pack up their summer clothes and add some layers for cooler weather. Last fall, we saw an emergence of hip-slung belts, hobo bags, and rich hues of teal and purple. This fall, however, the fashion forecast is animal prints, skinny jeans, waist-cinching belts, and basic black, white, and red.

Independent writers, editors, thinkers and stylemakers, the voice of bloggers is loud and recognized by mainstream media. It's about time!

people.com, the online source for celebrity breaking news and gossip has added a blog to the StyleWatch section, complete with readers’ posts, a “Hot Finds” column and topics like “Can We Talk About Last Night’s Project Runway” to tear into. CNN launched a new blog like feature called "i report" where you can post your story, upload video and photos which then are boradcast live on CNN.

Bloggers the world over can give themselves a pat on the back, as they are in-part responsible for this leak into the mainstream. Those “in the mainstream” are finally getting the hint that the majority of the online community responds and interacts well with blogs, getting their news, fashion tips, recipes and other information from the open and honest posts of bloggers.

The people.com blog brings about an interesting complexity: unlike most blogs, this one is backed and funded by Time Inc. How honest and transparent can it be? How will readers relate? Will it be a trusted source for beauty news and fashion tips? Only Time will tell.

So go ahead, leave a comment to this post, share your favorite "obscure" blogs, or head over to one of the new mainstream blogs, we know you’re dying to let people.com know what you think of Cameron’s New Look.

Interesting interview with Cathy Horyn of the New York Times. Cathy shares Julie Fredrickson's viewpoint on the need to take bloggers seriosly. Also discussed, Cathy's take on personally blogging and the "imaginary" conflict that some luxury brands feel when it comes to blogging about luxury. I'm sure if Billy Daily was still working at KCD he would have let Julie from Coutorure Media in to see the Mark Jacobs show at the Spring collections fashion week. Other sources for coverage are: New York Magazine, Fashion Week Live website, with coverage by Lauren Ezersky

Remember the headlines around the world: View front page press (tuesday extra and p.m. editions covering the attack

Nine Ways to Commemorate 9/11 Media Orchard

If you're like us, when an anniversary as important as 9/11 approaches, you want to do something, but you're not sure what. So as often as not, you just spend the day like any other.

Here are nine suggestions for commemorating 9/11 that may help you reconnect with that terrible day, as well as some of the valuable lessons it taught us (if in some cases we've already forgotten them):

1. Fly an American flag. Outside your door, on your lawn, or on your car. It's the one symbol that binds us, and we're all in this together.

2. Take time to reflect on the loved ones you have lost during your lifetime. Think about how much they meant to you; it will help you relate better to the emotions of the 9/11 victims' families -- as well as the families of all those who have died in war and terror in 9/11's wake.

3. Treat people the way you did in the days immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Don't honk your horn in traffic. Smile and say "good morning" to strangers you pass on the street. Call your friends and relatives just to tell them you care about them.

4. Listen at least twice as much as you talk. If you have a disagreement or confrontation with someone -- over politics, religion, work or relationship issues, sports, you name it -- try this exercise. Count it off in your head if you need to. Listening is learning; talking isn't.

5. Don't watch the major cable news channels. They simplify issues and stoke divisiveness to attract ratings; they're about the heat of ego rather than the light of reason. If 9/11 taught us anything, it's that the world needs more light and less heat.

6. Don't listen to talk radio. Same reason.

7. Don't read political blogs. Ditto.

8. Read the 9/11 Commission Report. We can best pay tribute to those lost, to those fighting, and to our own children by accepting our duty to be an informed citizenry. As Lee Hamilton says well, "In a democracy, public misperceptions carry an enormous cost."

9. Finally, read the Bill of Rights. Consider it carefully, savoring every word.

The white tents are up in Bryant Park, which can only mean one thing – New York Fashion Week is upon us! While some of us aren't able to get those exclusive invitations, a great group of fashionistas did get invites this season – bloggers! The Wall Street Journal reported that many bloggers were invited to the shows this week including Badgley Mischka and Project Runway's Jay McCarroll.

Looks like bloggers are getting the respect they deserve in the fashion world, a topic that one of Pierce Mattie PR's favorite bloggers, Julie Frederickson of Coutorture, brought up during our Blogger Roundtable event a few weeks ago. Since bloggers are invited to some of the shows this week, I think that we'll all get to read about it right after each show. Not only will all of us readers get up to the minute coverage, designers will definitely get the attention and valuable exposure from the blog posts.

Julie was at Blair Delmonico's fashion show with hair by London Locks and makeup by Kevin Mendelson from jane iredale. Check out her video interviews with our clients at Coutorture as well as other Fashion Week posts from Coutorture bloggers.

Questions asked by Media Orchard:

Q: How do you think the the emergence of blogs has affected PR Week in terms of readership and revenues?

Q: PR Week is New York-centric in its coverage. Is this a valid complaint? If so, what are you doing to address it, and if not, where do you think this misperception comes from?

Q: How has PR Week changed over the past couple of years -- both in its print and online editions -- and what if any of these changes can be attributed to blogs and Web 2.0?

Q: Some blog commentators have suggested that blogs will ultimately make the traditional trade media -- across virtually all industries -- obsolete. What do you think of this point of view?

Q: How does PR Week set itself apart from other trades such as O'Dwyer's, the Holmes Report, the Bulldog Reporter, and the rest? Have your points of differentiation evolved at all over time?

Skinny Jeans blogger Stephanie gives us "the skinny" on RSS. The post is well written and might just be what you need to finally get your CEO to understand what RSS is. Stephanie has been blogging since December 2005, is a fellow Tom Peters fan, has podcast links, a skinny book store and more! Read her post ...then send her permalink to "that friend" who still doesn't get what RSS is, or how to use RSS.

BL Ochman's WhatsNextBlog is a daily read for me. Unfortunatly she has been dealing with a detached retna (ouch) and not posting as frequently as usual. I've been seeing the same Bazooka viral post since the 25th of September.

In agreement with her post headline Doing a Viral Campaign Right Ain't Cheap, or Easy but confused about the details of her post I decided to comment. Here is her post. I'm curios if anyone on the Bazooka campaign cares to respond.

The blogging A-list has been the subject of much discussion in recent months as the media industry has come to terms with the fact that the blogging isn't going away anytime soon (ever). Big blogs like those in the Gawker empire have made the careers of relative unknowns.

Jesse Oxfeld went on to New York Magazine, Ana Marie Cox moved to Time (and published a book.) Even mid-grade blogs like Jossip have allowed personalities a chance at a better career.

And now the newest blogger to be validated by the wider media industry is Jessica Coen. Coen recently announced she was moving to Vanity Fair as the online deputy editor sending New York's blogland into a veritable frenzy over her successor as everyone asked the inevitable question of who will take on Gawker.

The Simulated Lifestyle Game Is Almoste Here! Desperate Housewives, hitting stores October 5th (Nationwide), players can take on the role of the newest housewife and cheat, spy, sneak, and flirt their way through Wisteria Lane's seemingly perfect neighborhood.

"Unlike other "Sims Style" games -this game is compleatly different"

The Sims meets every woman's "guilty pleasure" in what looks to be a promising title.

For more on screen action view our Desperate Housewives Playlist with clips about how it is different from other SIMulation games and get a sneak peak about the new games shocking ending!

The game will give players control over their in-game persona and early reports suggest the title will resemble the hugely popular Sims series of games.

As another desperate housewife, players will be able to expose or engage in the domestic scandals that are the show's signature.

"You can be as nice or as mean as you'd like to be," said Mary Schuyler, lead producer for the game.

Buena Vista Games, which will distribute the title, said it was negotiating with other members over their appearance in the game.

The company said it hoped the game would prove popular with fans of the TV show and convert some of them into regular players.

The game is being made by Liquid Entertainment which is better known for its real-time fantasy strategy titles.

If there is one thing that America loves as a culture it is scandal. Celebrity culture is such a pervasive force that it substitutes for small talk just as well as the weather nowadays. High minded individuals may take offense to these subjects, but in truth we are all attracted to the destructive flames of perversion and excess. Many disdain the hoi polloi for their distractions, but I would contend that we all benefit from whiffs of scandal now and again.

Cathartic acts can heal , and now we can all engage in these sorts of behaviors without any of the consequences. The popularity of shows like Desperate Housewives takes all of us inside these dens of inequity that bubble away hidden in suburban utopia, confirming and arousing suspicions that we all secretly harbor. Of course no one really wants crazy murderous neighbors or philandering husbands in their actual lives, but some of us wouldn't mind a little "fake" drama now and again. Actually, we would all be better off because of it.

Thus, even if you are a New Yorker reading, Economist quoting, graduate degreed snob you could still use a little Wisteria Lane in your life. Isn't that why we all love Bree so much? Deep down below the perfect surface we are all a complete mess. That is why even when I find myself experiencing some revulsion at the mere notion of Desperate Housewives I still see a little value in immersing myself once in awhile. That is why I predict that the Desperate Housewives game will be a huge success - all of the scandal and perversion with none of the consequences. So when can I log on?

When I first saw these Ads I thought they were exploratory portfolio comps. Some of the most edgy stuff never makes it out into the public sector.

Hindu clothing chain High-Style The Fashion World creates relevant "shock-and-awe" advertising campaign that will definitely appeal to the younger audience. If you think about trends, this is nothing new, we've been incorporating more and more gore in our entertainment for years. Cobranding big name brands in goreiffic video games is old news. From my experience the more edgy and subtle the integration into the game the better it is received. Clients never like o hear this of course, they want blatant obvious placement which is not accepted as well as modest "easter-egg" style placement. Has anyone seen Michael C. Hall in Showtime’s new drama DEXTER? I'm not advocating that this is appropriate advertising for everyone. I do think you can take things too far, remember the Sandra Burnhard Mac cosmetics spot?

The gore is not from physical violence, just fashion descriptions supported by graphic images. It gets my attention, seems appropriate for the target market and the ads are "executed" well. Although I no longer fit the 18-34 demographic, I actually love first person shooters! I have several girlfriends who love them and UFC fights as well-go figure. Most of us worked in advertising or marketing which taints the demographics a little. So I understand that it takes "more" edge or shock-and-awe to reach an over stimulated generation of shoppers. Trends to keep in mind: Shock-&-Shop, Multicultural-Must-Haves and Gore-iffic.

Blog fights between bloggers need better insults! Keep in mind the world is watching... listening. The following insults defiantl make "You Jerk" pale in comparison. Thanks to the Reluctant Nomad, for getting these insults together.

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."
Winston Churchill

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."
Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
Clarence Darrow

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

It's been a few weeks since Good magazine launched. For those who are not in the know, Good magazine encourages and inspires conscious global citizens to band together and "give a damn." I was following up on the LA and NY launch parties via posts on GOOD magazines own blog (the site is integrated into a blog) and ran head first into a truckload of published spam comments.

I'm not talking about Astroturfing, or shameless plugs that help the cause. The really offensive stuff! It's like nobody has been on watch at Good for the last 15 days, and that isn't so Good after all. On September 25th Good's blog spambot sold out to the bankers, sex industry and drug companies! They all should make a large contibution todoy.

The Goods on Good Magazine: Clean website design, nice magazine layout. Both are easy to navigate/read –stimulating mix of content that will reach several demographics. Good Magazine Departments:

Cover, an arresting visual and verbal statement that presents insight and/or commentary on a current focal point of our culture.

Graphic Statement, a visual interpretation of the issue theme

Look, A bold visual tour of creative ideas around the world

Last week I was out for cocktails with a few other business owners in the service industry. One was a skin care manufacturer, the second was a clothing line designer and the third was the owner of a large fitness chain of health clubs.

We got into an in depth discussion about managing client relationships

We were discussing how to repair a client relationship where things have gone wrong, for example clients whose expectations are unrealistic, clients who are abusive towards the staff and those clients who for whatever reason have become dissatisfied with their service.

The Wall Street Journal had run an article on entrepreneurs a few years back where I was quoted by saying “My New Year’s resolution as a business owner is to only work with people, places and things I really care about and that respect my team, work and over-all business ethics.”

1. Choose clients carefully

4. Live Up To Your Own Standards. Give What You Expect, Set The Example.

If you have done all your work working with your clients and have defined what you can achieve and there are still insurmountable problems, then it is time to re-evaluate whether that client is appropriate to have.

About a month ago we had a client call the office and demand that I get on a conference call. The brand was new to the market, had very little distribution (only one salon in New York) and the consumer awareness was simply not there (she refused to do salon events with us). The owner had worked with two other PR firms before us (our biggest competitors) for about two years who both did not secure the regional and national glossy press that the client was looking for. We were given about 3 months to change her entire media platform and correct the damage that the other PR firms had done during the course of two years. Naturally I slipped off my dress shoes, undid my tie, sat back in my chair practiced my breathing exercises and then took her call.

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We will see a lot on this in the media over the next few weeks to come. I have witnesses many brands jump on the big pink ribbon band wagon. Our staff at Pierce Mattie PR encourages all of our beauty and lifestyle accounts to get active and donate. We walked last year in the Revlon Walk and raised some cash for the cause. And sure some perceive the pink movement as a gimmick that has become almost like Christmas and used as just another way for beauty brands to make money.

Increasingly the fashion industry is starting to acknowledge their complicity in a host of ecological ills. And while any industry has a responsibility for making the world a better place while adding to the bottom line, fashion has the potential to steer us towards not only a more beautiful future but a more sustainable one.

Excitingly there are many people already steering us in that direction. Fashion Blog Fiftyrx3 points fashion consumers towards some of the most exciting trends and designers in eco-fashion land.

Increasingly this blog will focus on trends in eco-fashion as we wish to show our commitment to a better and more beautiful future. We will explore innovative brands like prAna who use reusable energy powered by wind mills and and work to incorporate organic cotton, PET and hemp fabrics. Trendy denim line Bread Denim contributes with its environmentally conscious non toxic dyes at the wash house.

There are so many facets to living a more sustainable and conscious life. Little changes add up even while there are trade offs from one fabric choice to another. There are no clear cut answers on how to live consciously but exploring the many possibilities for a brighter future is a responsibility shared by us all.

Lest you think that this blog is only focusing on heavy subjects today such as ecological change and body image issues we though we would end today on a lighter note i.e beauty tips! Today is Friday and what does a girl need more than beauty tips before hitting the town right? Thus I bring you expert advice from Lulu Beauty spokesperson Shannon Lorraine.

As we saw on the catwalks recently bold lips are back! And what better siren to help us with that trend than Scarlett Johansson? Her look in Black Dahlia evokes not only the old 1930's Glamour that Lulu Beauty is known for but is a perfect example of where beauty is going in the future. Don't forget you can also get your favorite discontinued shade made to order from Three Custom Color, just send in that hard to find color and they will duplicate it.

* Blush is back. Don’t forget to give your cheeks a sexy flush with Lulu Beauty. Cream blush or lip color is an easy trick that works great when you are in a rush. Starlet Crème Rouge by Lulu Beauty is a perfect sheer crimson that is wearable on any skin tone.

* Luscious lips are a key ingredient to looking like a seductive starlet. True red lip color is hard to wear appropriately, but those who can master the look should use Marilyn Lipstick by Lulu Beauty. But red is not the only answer to recreating the look of a sexy 1940s vixen. For those who are a little more conservative, Myrna and Sophia are lighter shades that are just as seductive.

* Smoldering cat-eyes add the finishing touch to this look. Anyone can achieve this with the proper color. Lulu Beauty’s Glamour Girl Eyeshadow is a smoky shade the screams mystery.

Photo Cred: It's Elegance

Everyone wants to know what is going to be the "next" big thing. The idea that you will somehow be in the know before the guy sitting next to you is an incredibly tantalizing prospect. Fashion and beauty live for the thrill of the "next."

Of course, plenty of people claim to have their pulse on exactly what is happening in the here and now. Whole sites are dedicated to scoping out what is cool and happening. But in a world saturated by information it isn't surprising that it is nearly impossible for one individual person to keep up, no matter how good their taste.

One of the many intriguing realizations to come out of the Web 2.0 phenomenon is that we can harness the wisdom of many people such that we all derive benefit from our collective wisdom. Now us girls are certainly familiar with leveraging the wisdom of our girlfriends, mothers, and shopping buddies to make better style decisions so it should come as no surprise that we are equally willing to seek guidance from like minds no matter what their geographic origin.

Thus let me introduce you to ThisNext. Have a look at the ThisNext blog after you check out the site.

ThisNext is a shopcasting network where you can recommend, share and discover great products. ThisNext believes that better buying means better living. Great products can help us do, be and experience the things that make us happy. Our goal is to help people discover great and deeply gratifying products.

Spa Week is upon is in New York City and that means I will be a little more relaxed than average. And while treatments at hundreds of Saps in the city are reduced to a mere fifty dollars I still want to scour the best deal I can. If your not in the city, I recommend Spa Finder, it consistently offers the best to offer in global spa search. Dial in what you are looking for on the easy to navigate website and you'll find somthing that fits your price range, taste and expectations. The gift certicates come in a gorgious box! Check out Susie's blog on all things spa.

One trick to making Spa Week work for you is deciding what you wish to gain from Spa Week. Decide what your priorities are ahead of time to gain the most from the experience.

Is it to explore a new spa? Get relaxed? Improve your skin quality? Or try out a new treatment you wouldn't have dared at full price? Assessing your priorities can help you map out the perfect Spa Week experience.

If you are looking for relaxation try massages, salt scrubs, or aromatherapy. You can get a Mango brown sugar scrub and a Swedish massage at the Finesse Day Spa.

If you are looking to try something new explore new types of therapies like Qi-Gong Tui-Na Deep Tissue Massage or Hot Stone therapies. Graceful Spa is offering both during an extended Spa Week.

You can even try out pricey cellulite treatments on the cheap during Spa Week.

My personal pick? I want to get in both a relaxing massage and a facial. I plan to head to the Clarins for both.

I have received fully six invitations to the Maja Ferme "Nymph" Fashion Show.

Normally I am pleased to have a publicist follow up on a subject. As a blogger and online fashion editor it helps to be reminded of new and interesting subjects as we new media types are often inundated with information making it quite possible that things slip through the cracks. In fact, more often than not publicists ignore the new media altogether.

But I admit I reached a certain point where I felt I had too much information on the Slovenian designer. I received email invitations, personal invitations, and invitations in the mail. Everyday it felt like I was being subtly reminded that I simply must RSVP to the "Nymph" showing. I have actually gotten to the point where I feel slightly guilty that I haven't followed up. Disregarding the fact that it said opportunity to buy clothing after the show in small type at the bottom of the invite as opposed to cocktail reception afterwards which is a sure way to turn off any editor, is it wise to so constantly assert your client to the press? When does it become too much?

I am sure there are many schools of thought on the issue and few publicists would argue that gaining maximum visibility for a client is a bad thing, but is there an ideal level of communication? In this particular case, Maja Ferme may have gotten her wish. I feel I simply must attend the event if her publicist made such an extreme effort to gain my attention. I only hope that there are cocktails afterward.

Celebrities have long used their clout and visibility to promote products that they love just as marketers and publicists have leveraged star power to help promote their products. Suzanne Summers could be considered the ur-marketer of the stars from the Thigh Master to protein shakes. But her current project, a book about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has more than a few people worried.

The book, though, has raised the hormone levels of at least seven medical doctors. The doctors — three of whom are quoted in the book — generally support the concept of bioidentical hormone therapies but say that too little research has been done to assure that they are safe.

Further, they are outraged that Ms. Somers endorses a treatment plan created by T. S. Wiley, a former actress with no formal medical training.

They continued, “The so-called ‘protocols’ endorsed and promulgated throughout the book may expose women to serious health dangers.”

This all raises plenty of medical questions certainly but more urgently it questions how we as consumers should trust and interact with celebrity spokespeople. While we can all agree that Ms Summers looks just as good as always do we attribute this to her "juice of youth" or to her new makeup artist? There are so many factors that go into our perception of celebrities from our thoughts on their most recent relationship to our idea how how one should conduct oneself in public that all ultimately influence whether or not we take their advice. And when this perception comes up against troubling medical evidence then it is worth questioning our motives indeed.

Beauty Bloggers are welcome, space is limited! Bloggers outside of of the NYC area can register for advanced media kit to be sent day after the event.

In honor of the launch, Pierce Mattie Public Relations is hosting a cocktail party in her honor. In a true celebration of beauty, grace and style, Jane Iredale's GLOBAL BEAUTY event will highlight style influences from Cleopatra to Beyonce in the event of the year! We invite you to share in this iconic celebration. To RSVP, please contact Lauren Branche or Ivy Cartagena at 212/243.1431

I'm a geek who daily works on a PC and a Mac. While I'm very comfortable on a PC I'm a Mac lover and ashamed I didn't immediately recognize the model in the new Apple ad. Perhaps had I viewed the ad on TV I would have noticed, unless your watching HD quicktime clips you always miss a little detail in the compression. Thanks to Meg Wilson for the link to the model's career "mash-up" video.

View all the Apple ads here

Few decisions weigh more heavily on a young consumer than that of a watch purchase. We want something trendy, stylish, and edgy but equally we want something that is high quality. We don't need watches that will set us back as much as a down payment on a house, we just want something that fits our fashion or mod that day. Fom men it is a key accessory. And finally they have many affordable option to dress up that pair of jeans and t shirt. Please let me introduce you to STORM Watches.

All STORM timepieces are made with high grade stainless steel in matte, brushed or polished finishes. Models feature Japanese or Swiss movements, are anti-allergenic and use scratch resistant mineral glass.

They have quite the celebrity following as well with a storied brand history starting in the UK.

Jordan has a clean, well written blog called Media Rhythm and he believes:

media will be different. Ten years ago, there was a definitive line between friends, family, and coworkers and topical expertise. Open source media is blurring this line. Faster than you might think.

Don't like the life you have now? Get a second one! Perhaps you always wanted to be a Supermodel, beauty editor, the next Oprah with a twist. We've all been playing simulation games around the office lately with the recent October launch of Desperate Housewives: The game. A company called Second Life, has created something different, it's social networking in that familiar 3D simulated environment that is fun, but can be profitable as well. Users can create, design, own virtual land, meet people, engage in real business opportunities, convert virtual cash into real currency, own IP rights and much more.

More than 900,000 users have signed up to build homes, form neighborhoods and live out alternative versions of their lives in the 3-D, computer-generated world. This is not just for Generation L (liquid generation) audience/demographic, Second Life is sure to attract anyone who was labled a Generation Xer (1961-1981) to todays new Silent Generation (S 2001-). Players spend around $350,000 a day on average or a rate of $13 million a year. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about Second Life in the real world as advertisers and marketers are sure jump at ways to reach out to those who choose to build a second life for themselves online.

Pop!Tech’s mission is to inspire people everywhere to change the world by fostering visionary conversations about science, technology and the future of ideas. Held annually since 1997 in the seaside village of Camden, Maine, the Pop!Tech conference unites the world's most prominent thought leaders to network, share ideas, and discuss the effects of technology on society. The conference's roster of speakers and its unique format have earned international acclaim. For more information, visit http://www.poptech.org.

Do you ever find yourself watching infomercials from guthy renker or mesmerized at the celebrities launching there own line on QVC? I haven't made a purchase from any of the television shopping networks and yet I'll still watch 10-20, 30 minutes of the show observing the strong production and presentation skills in the program segment. Is it just me?

Have you noticed national advertising campaigns are starting to mimic the formats of the successful television shopping networks? The numbers don't lie, they're reaching a lot of people and putting quality consumer goods at a good value in the homes of millions via a convenient familiar medium. The television. Out of all of them, QVC is one of the best and If you're like me, a confessed infomercial voyeur, beauty addict or hair care / skin care blogger you may want to set your Tivo to record the WORLDWIDE LAUNCH OF OJON's NEW PRODUCT. Monday, October 23rd. To see the launch tune into QVC on October 23rd at 1am, 11am (2 hr show) and 10pm.

Ojon's worldwide launch of it's exclusive, brand new Ojon ‘Rare Harvest’ TAWAKA Ancient Tribal Rejuvenating Cream – the ultimate rejuvenating treatment for dry, aging skin and hair. Ojon will also be launching a new limited edition Holiday 5 - piece Ojon Hair Ritual Kits, they make the perfect gift for anyone on your list (or yourself)!

If you are like me, you hold onto that favorite shirt, skirt or pants that are geared more towards hotter temperatures than they are for the approaching 40 degree weather. Sometimes Fall can be tricky, warm in the 70's one day and somehow plunging down to the 40's the next as you stand there watching snow flurries out your window. Here in the Northeast, it is always a guessing game.

I have a very bad habit of just keeping those warmer weather clothes in my closet "just in case," and often still leave my sandals lying around holding out a glimmer of hope that I will be able to wear them one last time before the weather takes it's final plunge into the lower digits and remains there for the next few months. Can you relate?

Jane Iredale recently launched Global Beauty; mineral makeup colors that are geared towards ethnic skin tones. The above video, exclusively from Jane Iredale, gives step by step instructions on how to apply her products, and the benefits, for an African American woman.

Today I had the chance to get some input regarding the obstacles that African American women face when it comes to makeup and representation in the marketplace. You can read my post with Patrice from the blog Afrobella and Lianne from The Makeup Girl exclusively on Makeup Minute.

Spa-nyc.com is celebrating their 4th year online this November. Instead of receiving gifts, they are giving a gift to you. Spa-nyc.com and many New York City spa's are offering Spa Services at 50% off all November long.

As I am sure you know, a relaxing massage or just pampering yourself in general is great for your overall well being. So why not take advantage of some wonderful Spa Treatments while they are 50% off?

Spa-nyc.com has a calendar on their promotional page listing all of the Spa's participating and which treatments they are offering each day at 50% off. Why not get pamper yourself a little? You'll surely need to be rejuvenated in time for the Holidays (and maybe even after).

For our readers who cant get to New York to take part in this offer, punch up Spa Finder or if your a Mac user download the Spa Finder Widget to find great deals at spas near you!

"Antonio was seen as more of an alpha male. The brand was more keen to have a personality which meant more to US audiences."

WARNING! This is NOT a fashion trend update. With Halloween costumes costing a fortune these days, I’ll be donning a girlscout uniform for the fifth year in a row, equipped with real badges of honor, knee socks, and a box of thin mints. Other executives are going as celebrities, superheros and our creative department even made a template so that we could to go as Megaphone Man (Pierce Mattie), lol, talk about spooky!

Will the rest of the country be recycling their costumes? Maybe not. This year’s hottest television shows are making it easy for people to imitate their favorite characters. Some of the top Halloween costumes this year are sure to be…

- Ugly Betty
- Michael and Dwight from The Office
- Entourages fab 4 plus Ari
- Joy and Earl from My Name is Earl
- Borat
- Desperate Housewives.

Halloween hot spots in NYC are The Plumm on Friday and the 4th Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball Hosted by The Gastineau Girls @ Capitale on Saturday

I cannot believe that it is almost Halloween. Fall seems to be flying by. My children announced to me today what characters they are going to be to go out trick or treating. My 2 year old wants to be Superman, my 4 year old is going to be Buzz Lightyear and my 7 year old is going to be a Power Ranger.

Power Ranger? Are they even still around? I thought that was ancient history, so I inquired further why he would want to be a Power Ranger this year. I was surprised at his answer. You see, the Blue Power Ranger has “built in” muscles in the costume. My son, fully aware that there are a few girls at school that have a crush on him, wants to have muscles.

Ever since the new initiative in schools to keep kids healthy and fit across the US, I’ve noticed my two older sons wanting to exercise more and eat, “Sports Candy.” For those of you who are not familiar with the fitness superhero on Nickelodeon keenly named “Sportacus,” Sports Candy is fruits and vegetables. The school no longer allows parents to send any type of junk food in with their child for snack, the lunch menu is a healthy one and all children are required to run 26 miles before the end of the school year.

With all of these new programs in place to get kids back on the right track of being healthy and fit and carrying that over into the teens years and through adulthood, one would begin to wonder why beauty and fashion magazines still continue to create flawless superficial images of fit bodies and beautiful faces in their pages. Why continue to create this image of beauty that is unattainable (and sometimes the reason behind many eating disorders)? Some companies are catching on and understanding the issue.

The new commercial being seen in Canada by Dove is a real eye opener. I surely hope that it will be seen here for all teen and pre-teens to see. I've been noticing more and more commercials by Dove with their Campaign for Real Beauty to show not just underweight beauty queens, but real normal average women. Have you noticed this, as well?

While I fully support the new school initiative in my school district to get kids healthy and fit, I hope that beauty and fashion magazines can put Photoshop to rest, showing us that a true healthy and fit person of beauty needs no airbrushing. I realize that this may never go away, but certainly it would be nice to tone it down a bit. In fact, in their October and November issue, Marie Claire has an article called Beauty Road Show. It's where they photograph women of all ages and races, cross-country, and ask them what they love about themself. The photo's are fabulous, representing real women everywhere.

What are your thoughts on body image and the media and the new healthy schools initiative?

There’s something special about this time of year. As the leaves turn to burning hews of orange and red, and the days grow shorter, drifting into cold autumn nights, there’s nothing more spectacular than curling up by the fire and watching a gripping horror film – at least not for me.

In spirit of Halloween, I’ve compiled a list of ten of my all-time favorite horror films that are sure to freeze your blood and stop your heart. Please list your favorite horror flick in the comments section of this post.

10. Zombie – As a resident of Manhattan, the one thing that scares me more than anything is not being able to evacuate from the city should anything ever happen. In the film Zombie, the director exploits that fear. The movie opens with a shot of a boat, owned by a prominent scientist, drifting in the New York harbor. There is no sign of life on board, only the undead. The terror ensues as the daughter of the scientist travels to an island and finds a doctor who is searching for a cure to a mysterious disease that is turning the islanders into the living dead. This is a must see for zombie fans.

9. Suspiria – Perhaps one of the best works by Italian director Dario Argento, Suspiria is more than a horror film; it is moving art captured on celluloid. One of the last films shot on three-strip Technicolor, Suspiria is about an American ballet dancer who travels to Germany to study, only to find that the head masters have something in mind other than pliés and pas de bourrées. And while the entire movie is stunning to watch, the first 15 minutes features one of the most exquisitely crafted death scenes ever captured on film, and each murder is just as colorful. Suspiria is a ballet show on acid with some blood thrown in for good measure. Dance down to your video store to pickup a copy.

8. Oldboy – Imagine that you were kidnapped and held against your will for 15 years, only to be suddenly be set free one day, leaving you with more questions than answers. That’s just what happens in Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy. Equipped with some money and a cellphone, the main character Ho Dae-su sets out a vengeful rampage to discover who is captor was, only to realize that the game is just beginning. This is a must-see for anyone who loves Asian cinema.

Growing up an athlete, or what most might call a tomboy, I never had much time for beauty, my face cleansing regiment consisted of soap and water. As I have gotten older, I find myself experimenting with many different types of skincare products. As a result, I have discovered that my skin is very sensitive to most products on the market.

What really appeals to me about Skingenic is the infusion of the lychee extract, which the company has patented. Lychee fruit, which is indigenous to Southeast Asia, is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamin C and potassium, which are all essential for health.

Today's "exposure" was brought to you by Brown Harris Stevens Brown Harris Stevens is a New York institution older than the City itself. In 1873 when Charles S. Brown opened his real estate appraisal business in Lower Manhattan, New York City was still just one borough surrounded by four other places called Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and Brooklyn, It was not until 1898 that New York annexed the other boroughs, giving shape to the City we know today.

“It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they couldn't hear the barbarians coming.” -Garrison Keillor

In the past twenty years there has been a change occurring when it comes to Halloween. Back when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, Halloween was a specific children’s holiday. Then in the mid-eighties things began to change and Haunted Houses and adult costume parties began to take off.

Adult costume parties and Haunted Houses continue to increase in popularity every year. What has gone from a one night event, now becomes an entire weekend of parties solely reserved for the young at heart and a month-long event for Haunted Houses and Haunted Hayrides. Even farmers have cashed in by offering haunted labyrinths through a corn maze.

From around the blogosphere, here's what everyone is talking about:

Fashion: From The Blogosphere's "Best" Fashion Blogs

+ Fashiontribes offers offers tips on how to create Antonio Berardi’s Fall Runway Show for less.

+ She Finds talks about the latest trend; leggings.

+ The Manolo offers a reader a recommendation on which boots would look best with her sexy witch costume.

+ Almost Girl reports on Fashion Group International Night of Stars. In attendance: James LaForce of Laforce and Stevens, Constance White Style Director of ebay, Valerie Steel and Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman

Beauty: From Bloggers Who Are Passionate About Beauty

+ A Girl's Gotta Spa! reviews Joico's K-Pak Liquid Reconstruction.

+ Dorit Baxter New York Day Spa Blog tells you how to create your own Pumpkin Beautifying Mask.

+ Bon Bons in the Bath gives you step by step instructions on how to achieve the No Makeup--Makeup Look.

Jewelry: Jewelry Industry Posts

+ The Bling Blog talks about the lucky vacationer who found a Canary Yellow Diamond.

+ The Jewelry Weblog wants to know what you think of the new Ethnic Collection from Ethos.

+ The Jewelry Blog talks bracelets.

It's always hard when a client leaves your agency, especially ones that have been with you for a very long time. For those of you who have felt the hit this year as budgets get crunched in the fourth quarter, keep in mind that nothing - and I mean nothing is as bad as having a client of 20 years say "good-bye" - especially if that client is Wal-Mart and your name is Omnicom. I do wonder though with all of the changes going on at the low cost leader - if PR is something that they are tossing around? Not just any kind of PR, I am talking market placement editorial PR. Could they also be on the search for a new PR firm? Rumors that Metro 7 - their new fashion line was being cutand its distribution dropped have sent Wal-Mart watchers into a state of 'what's next?'

Did they really think the 'get skinny pant' would sell to their customers? I doubt the Barney's customer can barely fit into them. Seriously though, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is severing ties with another longtime ad agency as it struggles to communicate its new image of being both a trend purveyor and a low-price operator.

Ralph Falon Builders: At first glance, Fallonbuilders.com looks like a typical offering of Who We Are and What We Do. But instead of a copy-intensive approach it, like many architectural sites, relies on photography to tell the story of this builder’s work. The focus of the site is a 172-image gallery of notable projects. It’s an easy to update, XML-driven and -tagged compilation of photos with a related hierarchical format that connects project attributes. Because the result is the creation of unique, on-the-fly galleries (similar to Flikr and del.icio.us) it offers an interesting and engaging way for visitors to browse. And, because the content is easily updatable, it consistently offers an accurate representation of the company and its craft.

With its gallery-like presence, it’s neither superfluous nor trendy. It’s a great example of how to use simple and contemporary technology to create a unique experience for a small, niche business.

Dan Coe, creative director
Dave Snowball, interface designer
Mark Potnick, Flash developer
Coexist, site design and development

We all hear about the richest and most powerful people in the country, but one of them always seems to stand out. Not only is Oprah Winfrey one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, but she’s also one of the most generous. Always finding a way to share her wealth with others, she has just given away over $300,000 to her audience in what she calls her “favorite giveaway ever.”

Every year around Christmas, Oprah does a “favorite things” show in which she gives her lucky audience members hundreds of dollars worth of items that she’s fond of at the moment- goodies from last year’s show included Burberry coats and purses, iPods, UGG boots, Ralph Lauren sweaters, watches, and blackberries, as well as her favorite croissants, popcorn and cookie dough. In other shows, Oprah has given away cars, homes, vacations, eliminated debt, and paid medical bills for those who are less fortunate.

However, this most recent giveaway is unlike anything she’s done before. On Monday’s show, Oprah gave more than 300 audience members $1,000 debit cards sponsored by Bank of America for them to donate to a charitable cause of their choice. The surprised recipients have the choice of either giving the entire sum to one person (relatives not included) or splitting the money amongst several charitable causes.

On the show, Oprah said “You're going to open your hearts, you're going to be really creative, and you're going to spend it all at once on one stranger or spend a dollar on every person. Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000”. What a great message to spread, Oprah- using your wealth and influence to help others in need is one of the kindest things you can do.

Opulent, sophisticated, romantic, glitzy, glamorous – Art Deco style epitomizes a sense of youthful and lavish aspirations. The style was bold and beautiful with a sense of sophistcated geometric order; it pushed the limits in it's day as ultra modern and today the hot style being very popular with celebrities and jewelry collectors.

It has always been, in terms of design, architecture, fashion, etc., among my favorite periods. That said, I am ecstatic this season’s jewelry and accessory trends seem to be taking cue from the art deco, Jazz Age with daring geometric lines and angular shapes, brilliant opaque stones, and plenty of crystal and black lustery detail.

Even the November cover of W Jewelry features a model with a bold 1920s-esque bob. While platinum blond, she could certainly be the striking, edgier 2006 version of Louise Brooks. The November issue of Elle Accessories featured more razzle dazzle deco details than I’ve seen in quite some time. It made me dizzy. I loved it.

How many of you have purchased something that was a knock off? I admit it, I purchased knock off Chanel sunglasses this past summer from a vendor next to me at a local fair. Imagine my surprise when I came across this blog and the video it shows.

The buying and selling of counterfeit products is costing American businesses $200-$250 Billion dollars a year and the loss of 750,000 jobs according to The U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is not only the knock off of sunglasses, purses and watches you can find on any New York City street corner, but it also carries over into cosmetics, movies, music and even clothing and footwear like Air Jordans.

I have been in the beauty industry for about 12 years and doing beauty pr for about 7 years. And in all of my years of experience with press releases especially those that that go out on the wire I have never ever seen one as damaging as the one that Russ Fons PR in Las Vegas ran today about their client; National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation (NTEF) and their opinion on Clarins Cosmetics. You can view the horrific release here.

In this release the NTEF states in great detail on the extensive damage and misleading labels of the Clarins brand, so they claim.

What’s odd though is that John Sheppard the director of the foundation states that you are putting your health at risk if you use these products. I don’t know about you but I see a huge lawsuit taking place from Clarins. I am sure executives at Clairns are beyond miffed about this release. What’s even odder is that all of the ingredients used by Clarins are found in most other top selling brands. One would assume that NTEF is crucifying Clarins based on a personal agenda and not on logic.

However was John Sheppard not aware that Clarins recently acquired Kibio an organic skin care manufacture who has gone into negotiations on creating new products together? I posted about this on my other blog a few weeks back. You can view that post here.

In a previous post, I mentioned being all for the healthy kids initiatives being launched into schools. However, I also think that sometimes good intentions can turn into scaring parents.

Take this new ad from Birdseye, for example, that I found on Adrants. The ad documents a child growing in waist size each year instead of height. Their point is taken and in the fine print they let you know what they have been doing to make their microwavable dinners more “healthy.”

Instead of more positive ads, like showing healthy kids exercising or eating healthy as a model for children to mimic, it seems to becoming more the trend to scare parents into getting their kids “healthy.”

Still warming up to Second Life? I am asked about it almost daily and wanted to get some basic info posted for those friends who read our blog consistently. Backstory is here. Follow the links.

New World Notes

From April 2003 to February 2006, I was a contract writer for Linden Lab, creators of Second Life, primarily hired by the company to cover SL as an embedded journalist in an emerging society-- its controversies, its personalities, its innovations and ambitions, along with larger themes of identity, social norms and organization, and cultural expression important to online worlds in general.

That contractual relationship has ended, but the story continues here. -Wagner James Au

Second Thoughts Do's and Dont's for Big Business.

"Every human being is interested in two kinds of worlds: the Primary, everyday world which he knows through his senses, and a Secondary world or worlds which he not only can create in his imagination, but which he cannot stop himself creating." W.H. Auden

Second Life Herald The Second Life Herald was founded on October 23, 2003, by philosophy professor Peter Ludlow. Its mission, as described the next day, was to observe, record and study "the legal, social, and economic implications" of life in the virtual world. Originally established as the Alphaville Herald and reporting for the most part on life on the Alphaville server of The Sims Online, the Herald soon branched out into coverage of other massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds -- helped along by the murder of Herald publisher Urizenus (Ludlow's avatar) after Electronic Arts got wind of the stories the newspaper was printing about the scams and cyber-prostitution that were taking place within its game, and the company's indifference to reports of real-world violence.

Todays photo is from Patrick Marella. It's both cravable and breathtaking, reminds of growing up in Oregon, (Coos Bay) our high school track team would meet at 5AM to get a run in before first bell. Oregonians are big on running, Steve Prefontaine was from Coos Bay and of course Nike Global headquarters is located in the neighboring town of Beverton. Everything looks better in twilight. Think about it, all the coffee commercials that you've seen, they bask in twilight. Paris gets more twilight then any US city and It has been said lovers prefer twilight to daylight. Twilight represents hope, or if your a New Yorker you may think of the nightclub. But, I digress. New York is beautiful this time of year, thanks Patrick, for capturing so well a "feeling" I'm fond of. You can see more of his work on Flickr or JPG - The magazine of brave new photography.

Live Blogging isn’t something new, but it’s something that is beginning to pick up speed. I was a little clueless about this when one of my favorite blog reads, Joy Unexpected, mentioned the possibility of live blogging from an in home demonstration she was going to for an “adult” party plan company several months ago. In my naivety, I thought she meant she was going to make multiple posts throughout the party. Now searching the web, I realize that Live Blogging is something completely different.

From around the blogosphere, here is what everyone is talking about:

From those who live for Fashion:

Kristopher Dukes is talking about the Christian Louboutin Ankle Boot (that seem vaguely familiar from that of my youth).

The Bag Snob shows you a great little black dress for the Holiday's.

The Budget Fashionista exposes Isaac Mizrahi's Holiday 2006 line at Target.

From those who live for Beauty:

The Mineral Makeup Blog reviews Monave Mineral Cosmetics.

Hello Dollface discusses her review of Scott Barnes Beauty.

Beautiful Makeup Search lets you know that Covergirl Outlast, outlasts them all.

From those who live for all things perfume:

The Scented Salamander talks about Eau D'Italie Le Sirenuse Positano's Italian land and history's inspired scents.

Perfume Critic reviews Tom Ford's Black Orchid.

Indie Perfumes discusses the upcoming movie "Perfume, the Story of a Murderer."

Do you know of a great beauty, fashion, jewelry or perfume blog that deserves a little attention in the Weekend Pulse? Post me a comment so I can check them out!

Bloggers are the new media; there is no way around it. Companies are beginning to see that there is a goldmine waiting to be dug up in the blogosphere. Most Bloggers are everyday people, not corporate big wigs or media outlets with advertisers in their pocket. Bloggers will tell you how it is, from their eyes, with complete honesty.

Or do they? As blogging has become a way of life and is now etched into our society, marketers are finding that they can reach so many more people through a blog than through a billboard. We all know it's not just about exposure to the masses, but appropriate exposure to your target audience and influencers. Awesome traction means nothing if your not seeing the intended results!

For those reading this at the 2006 ISPA Conference & Expo, be sure to stop in the Professional Development Sessions at 2PM.

INDUSTRY TRENDS - Press Tactics & Topics for 2007 - Magazine Editors & PR Professionals Unite – Rona Berg & Pierce Mattie

I'm currently reading The Ten Faces Of Innovation (Tom Kelly) and thought Trekinetic’s K-2 All Terrain Wheelchair must have come from the cross-pollinator (a face of innovation identified in Kelly's book). It's part dirt bike and wheelchair, Makes me want to take it for a spin. It offers a design and beauty inspired departure from conventional manual wheelchairs.

• Front wheel driven with a singular rear trailing castor for stability
• The seat is of carbon fiber,
• A dynamic braking system for slowing down and steering
• Weather equipment is in the form of an attachable automatic umbrella

Professional trendwatchers are saying this falls under the Beauvalanche trend or could have easily been filed under Innovation Overload as well. Regardless, it does prove that everything can be beautified and reinvented! FYI, Trendwatching.com just released the Transumers briefing which is free to everyone.

Two years ago, by chance, I came across Elke von Freudenberg on a group that we both happened to be apart of. Without knowing too much about her, beyond her love for cosmetics, we began a friendship. One that I cherish deeply.

So when Elke told me she was asked to be the Makeup Artist for Harper's Bazaar China, I knew that when the November edition came out, I wanted to be the first to proudly boast about it to the world.

Today I had the chance to briefly interview Elke:

"Because there are things women need to know about breast implants and augmentation." For more information, please visit www.Breastimplants411.com

Cast Your Vote
(1). Size: 32 A
(2). Size: 32 B
(3). Size: 34 B
(4). Size: 34 C
(5). Size: 36 C
(6). Size: 36 D

• Communication Arts: This year’s interactive design winners were selected by our distinguished jury from a group of entries including Web sites, Kiosks, CD-ROM projects and PDA's.

• Strategic Public Relations: PR Industry: Improve Your Writing -Kevin Dugan

• Salon.com: Fake News, Fake Reporter: Why was a partisan hack, using an alias and with no journalism background, given repeated access to daily White House press briefings? -By Eric Boehlert

• Online Media Daily: Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Puts Edelman Public Relations on probation for creating fake Blogs (flogs) for client Walmart

• Customer Listening Blog: WOMMA Ethical Blogger Contact Guidelines: 10 Principles

New York Rain: Today's photo is from Vicky, a talented photographer.

The way I see it, if you want the RAINbow, you gotta put up with the RAIN. -Dolly Parton

A banker is a fellow who lends his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to RAIN. -Mark Twain

Many times when you say “Mom Blogger,” people automatically assume you write a “Mommy Blog," wear mom jeans and don't care as much about physical appearances. While it might be true for many of us, just being a mom does not automatically etch your space in the blogosphere as a washed up care-giver and provider to her family. At least when you peel back the layers of blogs out there, many blogs by moms are not about the trials and tribulations of raising little Johnny-in-diapers at all. Mom's are informed, have life experience, organically "real" lifestyle leaders, loyal consumers (more on that in another post), and above all else most moms who blog are very cool!

You're more your mother than your father:

Women have two copies of each gene on the X chromosome, while men have only the genes that they inherit from their mother's X chromosome. The genes that they inherit from their father on the Y chromosome contain the instructions for male development.

My favorite website to find intellectual, thought provoking, I have something to say women and mothers, is BlogHer. BlogHer is such a melting pot of women from all walks of life, from all backgrounds and all lifestyles. No matter who you are as a woman, you can find a Blogger to relate to on BlogHer.

The Copyblogger, a resource for guys like me who always need to refine and develop writing skills. I come from the advertising world, most art directors work in tandem with a professional "wordsmith" (copywriter), so I never had to worry too much about my writing skills, that is until now.

What I'm Reading Right Now: The Ten Faces of Innovation, IDEO's strategies for beating the devils advocate and driving creativity throughout your organization. I fell in love with the IDEO method cards a few years back and decided to pick up the book. What Sticks, Why most advertising fails and how to guarantee yours succeeds. I'm always looking to make the most out of our clients marketing budget. Sisomo, creating emotional connections in the market with sight, sound and motion. The follow up book to Lovemarks. What are you reading? Write it down in the comments and I'll check it out.

Skinny jean advertisements for woman are visible on every New York City street corner, men's denim companies are taking a much looser and subtler approach this season. Nonami Premium, a new line of men's high-end denim is focusing on an "American" fit, which is looser in the thighs giving men that breathing room they oh so desire. Even famous designers like Viktor & Rolf are focusing on the "relaxed" fit for their launch in H&M stores.

I guess unlike women's clothing companies, the men's designers realize that only small fraction of Nicole Richie's can actually fit into or adequately rock a pair of skinny jeans. I personally am not interested in seeing Rubin Studdard sport the skinny jean - so thank you Nonami Premium for recognizing somethings just won't work for both sexes.

Any woman can tell you the color and scent of a Victoria’s Secret store. Branding a business by color has been around forever, branding a business by scent deliberately is a rather new practice.

We have become inundated with never ending commercials, advertisements, pop-ups and infomercials, smart, progressive businesses realize that the use of scent is another way to make their business or brand not only stand out, but be remembered and associated with a certain positive experience or product.

While color may be an easy branding tool and will surely distinguish you from your competitors, such as that yummy, chocolate brown trademarked as "UPS Brown", scent can be a little touchier. Scent can either turn someone away or reel them in. It's a scientific fact that women are attracted to an ever so slight smell of skunk. Too much, and they are repulsed. Repulsion can be a good thing if your an international airport and you need to clear a building fast. Scents of danger need no interpretation. The scent of coffee can calm people, the new car smell increases sales of vehicles, Victoria’s Secret puts you in the mood the minute you walk into their store with the scent of a woman (or a man in drag) that remind you of romance and desire. Pierce Mattie's Media Oasis has a branded scent, complete with a high tech scent delivery system. Scents that relax you and put you in the mood to shop can increase a businesses bottom line.

Yesterday Microsoft labs announce the first public release of Photosynth Technology Preview. Photosynth takes a large collection of photos of a place or object, analyzes them for similarities, and displays them in a reconstructed 3-Dimensional space. With Photosynth you can:

* walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle;
* seamlessly zoom in or out of a photograph even if it's gigapixels in size;
* see where pictures were taken in relation to one another;
* find similar photos to the one you’re currently viewing;
* explore a custom tour or see where you’ve been; or
* send a collection to a friend.

Funny when I was in Las Vegas this week for the ISPA show the taxi driver that picked me up was complaining on how the town was blowing things up. Little did I realize that it was the famous Stardust. The home of my favorite cheesy movie; Showgirls! As most hotels turn into resorts and expand their spas like Caesars Palace did this month with their new spa tower, the old players cannot keep up.

The Stardust, the neon-wrapped casino with a mobbed-up past whose 1,065 rooms once set the standard for size on the Las Vegas Strip, witnessed its last roll of the dice Wednesday.

Wistful longtime employees and loyal gamblers gathered for a last farewell to the iconic 48-year-old institution, which is to be razed early next year to make way for Boyd Gaming Corp.'s planned $4 billion Echelon Place resort.

The Stardust opened July 2, 1958, as the world's largest hotel and catered to middle America with $6-a-night rooms and low-minimum stakes gambling.

But as bigger, classier casinos sprung up around it in the late 1980s and '90s and patrons began shelling out more for rooms, food and drinks, its luster began to fade.

"I'm really going to miss this place," said Jimmy Kunihiro, a 60-year-old Honolulu resident, as he took a last pass at the craps table. "It's a home away from home."

Three summers ago, the New York City Ballet returned to St. Petersburg, Russia, 20 years after the death of the troupe's visionary co-founder, George Balanchine, who was born there.

Director Richard Blanshard's film of the trip, the company's first to St. Petersburg since 1972, airs Sunday (Nov. 12) on 131 PBS stations across the United States.

On one level, the title "Bringing Balanchine Back" is a straightforward description of NYCB's return to Russia, which is captured in the film through a mix of interviews, performance excerpts and always-entertaining backstage footage. On another, not-so-subtle level, the title echoes the subtext driven home throughout the documentary: how well NYCB is thriving two decades after Balanchine died, leaving his company with an incredible wealth of ballets and an enormous pair of shoes to fill.

Here's what has hearts pumping around the blogosphere:

From those who love Fashion:

+ Coquette shows you different ways to wear a scarf.

+ I am Fashion bids Happy 90th Birthday to British Vogue.

+ eBelle5 The Bag Blog talks about the Spring 2007 Style.com Trend Report.

From those who love Beauty:

+ The Beauty Brains give you 5 ways to reduce enlarged pores.

+ The Beauty Hatchery reviews some mascara’s with the newest trend in plastic moldable wands.

+ The Organic Beauty Expert reviews Ablutions Spa Body Butter.

From those who love Perfume:

+ Now Smell This review’s Anat Fritz, a new fragrance at Luckyscent.

+ Aromascope reviews Metallica/Metalys by Guerlain.

+ Perfume Posse inquires what three fragrances you want for Christmas.

Know a great beauty or fashion blog that I need to take notice of? Please be sure to post it in the comments.

Today's photo sums up how I have been feeling as of late. So much to do, so little time to do it all and stay balanced. Mondays are always very busy days. It helps to look at "challenges" as opportunities and to address each opportunity professionally, creatively rather react negatively to the amount of "opportunities" before me. Now, where did I put my rose colored glasses?

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -Emerson

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” -Albert Einstine

A well planned exit without the use of a publicist? Atoosa Rubenstein, Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen magazine announced last week that she’ll be leaving the publication. Her next move is to launch several teen-centered projects including a web business, a book and a consulting firm.

She told the New York Post, “I’m a risk taker. I don’t play the game in a safe way. I’ve never been driven by power or money. I’ve always had a very strong relationship with our audience, and I hope to develop that in a more immediate and visceral way.”

Before her announcement to leave Seventeen, Rubenstein already started branching out of her Editor-in-Chief post positioning herself as an advocate for teens by appearing on MTV’s Miss Seventeen reality show and also as a guest judge on America’s Next Top Model, a favorite show among Seventeen readers.

Is Rubenstein leaving Seventeen another sign in the decline of teen publications? In the last two years, YM, Teen People, and Elle Girl have been shut down. Teen People and Elle Girl are still online – a good move since most teens are tech-savvy. At least we’ve still got COSMOgirl! and Teen Vogue! We’ll have to wait and see who will take over the EIC post at Seventeen.

Read more about her decision to leave Seventeen on her MySpace page and some speculations from Jossip.

• Beyond VC, By Ed Sim: Consumers want instant gratification, Google ran a user test where users wanted more search results. Surprisingly, traffic and revenue dropped by 20% and what Marissa discovered was that load times for less searches was .4 seconds and load times with more searches was .9 seconds. Despite the fact that users really wanted more results, in the end, according to Marissa and Greg, speed matters.

• Cool Hunting, a well known Trend site has had it's 4th site redesign: Here are a few new features we hope you’ll find useful:

* Added lots of date-based navigation, including an all thumbnail month view
* Improved the display of related stories
* Added a keyword navigator on the left side of the screen where you can view common, recent and random keywords
* Added individual author pages
* Brought back weekly Cool Hunting emails in addition to daily emails

• Media 2.0: Media+Marketing Business Trend Links. He has a nice collection of posts and a freaky "fleshtalker" Sitepal that I'm sure Scott over at Media Orchard would approve of. It blinks it's eyes! Creepy... but the links are a must read!

• Brand Autopsy, by John Moor. Bad Profits Dissected

Most Americans think Europeans, especially the Italians "dress up." The way Italians dress is getting more and more relaxed as the years progress, but they definitely look better dressed than most of us stateside. If you've traveled abroad you have noticed how business casual is not in vogue, in fact it's been said that westerners dress like cowboys. Do fashion labels in Italy know how to fit their people better then Americans? Is there a worse feeling in the world than slipping into a new garment in a fitting room and finding it just slightly off? Nothing kills the buzz of finding a fantastic item of clothing that you are just dying to own more than realizing that you are not just any "body" but have unique bumps, curves, and "fiddly" bits!

You see as much as we live in a world of "ready to wear" clothing, few of us have ready to wear bodies. Thus, I have to ask, why is it that we are so reticent to simply have clothing tailored?

We have no problem acknowledging that our personalities are unique, but when it comes to admitting that our bodies don't fit one given standard we get a little upset.

"Why it must be a fault in me that I can't fit into this blouse I picked up off the rack" we tell ourselves. But in truth few of us are ever going to have bodies that fit exactly into a given garment. I faced just that reality today when I realized it was better to spend a little bit more on a few quality pieces of clothing and have them refitted to my own body than to hopelessly buy tons of disposable fashion that only just "kinda" fits.

With the help of the Superfuture forums I found myself an incredible tailor on Mott Street named Ramone who not only helped me fit two dresses and a coat but he helped me refit my attitude as well. And you know what? Those clothes are going to fit me to a "T," making them actually "ready to wear."

As you can tell from my previous post about blogs becoming the new media, I absolutely believe that this is only the beginning. While companies are finding that sending products to a Blogger to review may increase revenue, they have also found that advertising on them can be just as good.

Any given company may not know how to advertise on a blog, be it not for all the companies popping up to support ads on blogs, and they sure are cashing in. One of the giants would be Google AdWords, which is not only website friendly, but blog friendly as well. Many niche blogs have found there is a great deal of money that can be made when placing Google Adsense (AdWords in action) on their blog, not only because of the advertisements, but because Google Adsense conforms to the content of your blog. The more focused your blog is on a particular subject, the greater likelihood that the ads displayed will fit in with your content and increase your chances of readers clicking. This obviously benefits the businesses placing ads through AdWords, as its target market sees their product or service.

According to The Blog Herald and the timeline on W3.org, the web turns sweet 16 today!The first web server was nxoc01.cern.ch, later called info.cern.ch, and the first world wide web page http://nxoc01.cern.ch/ hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html Unfortunately CERN no longer supports the historical site. Note from this era too, the least recently modified web page Blog Herald knew of, last changed Tue, 13 Nov 1990 15:17:00 GMT (though the URI changed.)

Today I had the privilege of attending Isaac Mizrahi's Couture Showing at his studio on 10th Avenue. It was quite the elite affair with editors from every magazine in town coming to pay their respects to one of the best known names in design.

While I was blown away with both the quality of the design and the craftsmanship of the clothing, it did bring up several questions for me. You see, we throw the term couture around a lot in fashion but few of us actually understand its true meaning. Many people even believe that anything we label "designer" can somehow also interchangeably be called couture. But in fact the definition is quite a bit more limited than that.

According to Wikipedia the term "Haute Couture" can only be used in very specific circumstances

Haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture based in Paris, France. Their rules state that only "those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves" of the label haute couture. The criteria to which a fashion house must adhere in order to be categorized haute couture were laid down in 1945 and updated in 1992.

According to the paper of note, fashion's most outlandish designer John Galliano will be the guest editor for French Vogue's December Issue.

After Kate Moss, Sofia Coppola and Catherine Deneuve, Dior designer John Galliano is the next guest editor to do his thing for Paris Vogue's December issue. The title, edited by Carine Roitfeld, traditionally invites a personality to tweak the holiday book by playing a hand in everything from styling shoots and choosing photographers to sharing their personal proclivities.

Such big news should surely warrant a bigger write-up, but alas there are no details to be found about how the funky fashion troll's influence will be found at the chicest book on the planet.

We can only hope he makes it out of this world!

Time Magazine has teamed up with the Geek Squad to list its "Best Of" inventions list for 2006. We will see many more of these lists as the end of the year approaches. Time lists best inventions for transportation, the home, meals and cooking, clothing, toys, medicine, safty, the military, and as well as using light category. Readers can then vote for what they think is this year's best of TIME magazine's best.

Other "Best Of" List for 2006: Best Books Of 2006 from Amazon.com. Best Colleges For 2007 from U.S. News & World Report. Best of New York City by The Village Voice.

• Edelman Public Relations Disclosure Follies (Raving Lunacy) Edelman to Fund a Second Life Business screams the headline over at Micro Persuasion.

• $6 Billion For MySpace? (The Blog Herald) Rupert Murdock, CEO of News Corp., told Australian investors that MySpace would sell for $6 billion.

• Users Respond To The Dove Evolution Viral I find the user created responses to Dove fascinating, it is as if through retouching themselves, and manipulating their own digital representation, users can reaffirm their feeling in their true body, and experience an apparent sense of liberation through mutating themselves, looking at it and being able to recognise how ridiculous and distorted standards have become.(Marketing Babylon)

• Pepsi goes organic with new product lines at Whole Foods Market (SpinThicket)

• B.L. Ochman Yawns At Big PR Firms Getting Into "Social Media" (B.L. Ochman)

Pervert place ... Jennings hid in a cavity under girl's bed

A paedophile seduced a girl of 12 — then lived in her bedroom for three months without her mother finding out. Scott Jennings, 22, cut a giant hole in the bottom of the youngster’s divan bed, then used it as a secret den to evade detection if somebody came into the room. This stuff actually happens! It's time to think Design=safety! I've listed one of my favorite sites below that is sure to help keep pervs, or the idea of the boogie man out of mind and out of reach.

Designer Abad Diseño Design Group From Design Within Reach
Most conventional leather beds, like their sofa counterparts, suffer from overstyling and excessive padding in order to denote luxury or comfort. Taking a more restrained approach is the Loja Leather Bed (2004), distinctive in its pared-down, sleigh bed form. Skillfully produced in Spain, the bed features light padding over the entire frame to create a soft, cushioned surface that surrounds the user. Large panels of silky, oil-tanned leather the warmest and most supple of cowhide leathers are used to upholster the frame and are neatly stitched with welted perimeter seams. The headrest features a slight pitch to accommodate comfortable reading or TV viewing. An inset wood-slat platform enables the mattress to nestle snugly in the frame and sit just slightly below the footboard. Inset metal legs prevent toe stubbing. Platform is delivered in pieces for easy maneuvering through doors and hallways. Compatible with the Sonno Mattress. Made in Spain.

Seasonal weather changes effect everyone differently. I wake up early and walk my dogs when it's still dark out most mornings. Today we had a heavy fog that made the entire city sound less like itself. Almost an eerie silence. I noticed I could hear the dogs pawsteps... I can never hear that on a regular day. They have nails longer then a drag queen! It's time for a trim. It made me think how getting out of our everyday routines is imperative to experiencing more, seeing things differently, getting another perspective and discovering new solutions to opportunities.

"Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems." - Anthony J. D'Angelo

" All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Like most girls err.... women (nothing but grownup sentiment here) I value my bathroom time. I am lucky if I make it out of the shower in thirty minutes between scrubbing, shaving, buffing, exfoliating, and other tub activities and that doesn't even include the time I am willing to commit to an actual bath.

Thus when I say that bathroom time is sacred you can see that I spend a lot of time "in prayer" on a given day. Thus when fellow blogger Sophia turned me on to her Holy Mud I had a real chuckle at just how appropro the name is for those of us that consider the bathroom a sacred space

Fresh from the Holy Land, this concentration of carefully sifted Dead Sea Mud is rich in highly absorbent minerals that draw impurities out of your skin's tissue like a magnet. Despite all of the incredible scientific advancements and the millions of dollars the cosmetic industry spends on research and development, few products have been able to cleanse the skin, remove excess oils and help people achieve a divine complexion the way an all-natural Dead Sea Mud Mask is able to do. There are roughly 6-8 professional quality facial mask treatments per jar.

Let me tell you this mud really does sucks all the nasty out and the feeling it leaves behind is nothing short of "divine." And yes I realize I am extending this metaphor a little far but come on this mud is like a little piece of heaven.

THIS JUST IN FROM THE MEDIA OASIS: Which Pore-Yanker Ad Campaign Came First?

Check out this "unholy" plagiarism of a "pore-yank-er" brand campaign. Who came up with the idea first? Oasis annalist dont know. If you do, please comment here or send us your comment via email at info @ Piercemattie com.

If your a true foodie then you're well aware of the brand name Viking, one of the original all stainless steel (I still prefer stainless steal finish to the new trendy bronze finish ) professional line of stoves, ovens and refrigerators. Viking has been around long before Chefs were rock-stars, the food network and it was trendy to have professional food industry preparation stoves in your home kitchen.

While they may have lead the trend in the early 90's, Viking might need to make a few new changes to the classic design if they're going to continue to be a leader. Viking is not the only choice anymore. I have cooked on many different Viking stoves and encountered this same flaw, you cant read the knobs, you have to get a leg workout squatting down to look at the flame and adjust the knob. It's true, it's not like the knob has detailed data on it, your looking at the flame and most Pros only need to calibrate by sight of the flame. However, the weighted line printed on the knobs IS NOT VISABLE. Why put any data on at all if you have an obstructed view? While I have many good things to say about Viking stoves, I share in Hayman's frustration.

Other "elite" prosumer kitchen stove brands are well designed and Viking would be smart to listen to loyal customers. If they don't, shame on them. In today's competitive market even mega status brands like Viking can't afford to ignore good design. I would choose and recommend another brand (I know many interior designers who would agree with me) if Viking chooses to ignore prosumers. Please check out Aza Rashkins Get Humanized blog where he discusses stove knob placement design.

It's Friday, time to peep the New York Times Personal Shopper for ideas on how to stash, aheem, organize your stuff for winter.

Up to 30 pairs of shoes can be stored in the Shoe Wheel, which tucks into a closet and then rolls out easily; $65 at rakkudesigns.com or (800) 517-2558.

Joining rock star, Playboy photographer and Zamboni driver on the list of dream jobs will be chief beer officer, courtesy of Four Points by Sheraton.

The Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand will launch an executive search starting today for someone with brew eloquence and a rich knowledge of beer as part of its Best Brew program. The job posting appears in a full page in the Wall Street Journal and on HotJobs.com and Monster.com. The new hire—who actually would be brought on as an independent part time consultant—will be showered with Starwood Preferred Guest points and a generous travel and expense account for fulfilling duties like attending beer fests, sampling more than 300 brews, touring breweries, hosting Oktoberfest and choosing beer menus for new hotels. The CBO will assume the post by mid-January and begin documenting beer-related activities while imparting knowledge to others through a Web blog. [Brandweek] -By Mike Beirne

Last night was one of the biggest nights in fashion with the awarding of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

Often called the Oscars of fashion, the winner takes home a $200,000 monetary prize to be used to further enhance their label. The winner also receives a Montblanc watch and a year’s lease on a 2007 Lexus, both companies of which were sponsors of this year’s Fashion Fund.

And who was the lucky winner? Doo-Ri Chung!

The list of this year’s finalists also included Jovovich-Hawk’s Carmen Hawk and Milla Jovovich, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of Rag & Bone, Justin Giunta of Subversive, Devi Kroell, Robert Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Costello of Costello Tagliapietra, Phillip Lim for 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman of Marchesa. The evening also marked Diane von Furstenberg’s first night as incoming CFDA president.

Interestingly, Chung was also nominated for the same accolade in 2004 but eventually lost to Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. Thankfully Chung has demonstrated the stick-to-it-ness required to be a success in fashion and last night she came out top dog.

The night's runner ups were Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy and Thakoon Panichgul of Thakoon.

Style.com has excellent coverage of the event as well as plenty of photos. (Photo From Style.com)

Personally I could not be more pleased with Chung's win. I was very impressed by her Fall 06 collection (at which I accidentally sat front row back when I was even more of a nobody blogger) and her work is only getting better each season. She has been a clear favorite of Anna Wintour which many have viewed as surprising given Wintour's traditional support of gay male designers. But with the sisters from Pasadena also being Vogue favorites and fellow winners perhaps the tides are changing in fashion towards being a more women friendly place.

I've been a Rocketboom viewer since the beginning (and persecuted for my advocacy of the lighthearted daily news by friends and colleages): I think I tuned in on her 3rd podcast on iTunes. Not a iTunes subscriber? Check your Tivo; Rocketboom is now available to most Tivo subscribers. Like many loyal followers of "citizen journalism," it was sad to see her leave Rocketboom. The good news is now everyone can see her on the boob-tube; watch for Amanda on ABC, maybe even prime time! Again, congratulations. Yesterday's headline read:

Amanda Congdon, the former host of the Rocketboom video blog, has been hired by US TV network ABC.

Congdon is also in the process of developing a show with US cable channel Home Box Office (HBO).

The Back-story: Congdon left Rocketboom in June this year claiming that she was fired, but Baron alleges that she quit to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles.

Baron apparently gave Congdon a 49 per cent share of Rocketboom. The two are currently in a dispute as to whether the agreement still stands.

In true Congdon spirit, here is an interpretation of perky quirky "news babe" memorable highlights. You may get a kick out of it if you watched Rocketboom since the beginning.

"I am going to be video blogging for Disney ABC, specifically ABC News," Congdon said in a video message on her Amanda Across America blog.

"I'll be the first person to fulfill that role for the network. Because ABC is continually pushing ahead and innovating, I'm super excited to be a part of their team.

"I'll also be appearing on ABC's News Now from time to time and occasionally I'll pop up on Good Morning America, Nightline and 20/20 to serve as an Internet correspondent."

Back in July when I came for a visit to New York, the one thing I asked my friend was, “Where are all the restrooms?” No matter which store you passed by, there were signs in the window stating that the restrooms were strictly for store patrons only.

It appears Charmin also took notice of the issue and will be capitalizing with a new marketing strategy. Starting Nov. 20th, through January 1st, Charmin has installed 20 deluxe, super-clean restrooms in Times Square.

This is a great way to solve an issue for consumers in New York, and resolving a consumer issue brings about brand loyalty. This is a winner: being able to have your brand "come to the rescue" in your potential customers' time of need, providing a super-clean, well-lit and even fun place to "doo your bussinasty" in the center of the universe is a fantastic way to make a great impression. As a matter of fact, I'll start buying Charmin now. What are you doing to increase your customers' loyalty to your brand? Publicity manifests itself in many ways. [via our trend partners at Trendwatchers.com]

What is Beauty? Many great visionaries, writers, poets, philosophers, and artists have tried to express in words or in images the meaning of beauty. These thoughts are rich in the wisdom they express and they resonate with each of us differently.

Man makes holy what he believes, as he makes beautiful what he loves. -Ernest Renan

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart. -Helen Keller

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. -John Keats

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. -Khalil Gibran

Beauty is not real. Beauty only exists in perception. -Unknown

Working in the beauty industry, our attention can be so focused on making the external beautiful - skin creams, lotions, lipsticks, mascara, hair extensions, serums, masks, gels, and the list can go on and on. These are products that help us feel beautiful, improve our looks, accentuate the positive, and give us confidence.

Women frequently struggle with how to integrate their external and internal beauty, and with all of the mass market imaging and airbrushed celebrity role models, it hasn’t been easy. But the times they are a changin’ and one of the foremost trends today is beauty integration. What does this mean? It means that women are more comfortable than ever with themselves and their looks. It means that when they purchase beauty products, they want them to look, taste, sound, and smell good - and the products must feel great on both the outside and the inside. External beauty has become experiential, it has become customized, it has become inclusive, and it has become multi-dimensional.

Being that as a nation we are about to celebrate Thanksgiving, a truly national holiday, meant for everyone, also integrative and inclusive, I suggest that we be thankful for how the meaning of beauty is growing to include what makes us feel good on the inside. Internal and authentic beauty will always remain rooted in our hearts, in our spirits, and in our ability to share ourselves with others unselfishly. Happy Holidays!

I often get asked where my phone skills come from -- as a publicist, I can pitch over the phone like no one's business (toot-toot, goes my horn). Little do some know that I spent my senior year of high school as a telemarketer selling timeshares on the beach over the phone. Yes, in less than two minutes, I would talk, pitch, book and invite you to come to a new condo complex on the Gulf of Mexico to meet with a realtor. Today those phone skills are used daily and I encourage our team to "get on the phone." Email over the years has replaced the pitch calls.

However, trends come and go and this season, the phone will re-establish itself to become "the new email." This holiday season, the next marketing call consumers receive may not be from a credit card company or a politician. A growing number of apparel chains are making personal-sounding phone calls to tout sales events or the arrival of new merchandise, according to Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at NPD Group Inc., a market research firm.

Automated calling services or store clerks who might otherwise be folding sweaters are dialing past customers - using phone numbers gleaned at the cash register - in an attempt to woo them back, he said. Some might even address the former customers by their first names to establish a kind of pseudo-familiarity. Cohen noted that the number of retailers vying for customers by phone has risen from about six to more than two dozen in the past year and a half. Chain stores such as Victoria's Secret, Limited Too and Lane Bryant started adopting the approach during the back-to-school period last year, he said.

Cohen said he expects a flurry of retailer calls after the holidays, when they will be trying to draw consumers into their stores to use gift certificates. "The bad news is the more stores that do this, the less effective this becomes" because customers may stop answering the phone or simply run out of money, Cohen said.

I often get asked where my phone skills come from -- as a publicist, I can pitch over the phone like no one's business (toot-toot, goes my horn). Little do some know that I spent my senior year of high school as a telemarketer selling timeshares on the beach over the phone. Yes, in less than two minutes, I would talk, pitch, book and invite you to come to a new condo complex on the Gulf of Mexico to meet with a realtor. Today those phone skills are used daily and I encourage our team to "get on the phone." Email over the years has replaced the pitch calls.

However, trends come and go and this season, the phone will re-establish itself to become "the new email." This holiday season, the next marketing call consumers receive may not be from a credit card company or a politician. A growing number of apparel chains are making personal-sounding phone calls to tout sales events or the arrival of new merchandise, according to Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at NPD Group Inc., a market research firm.

Automated calling services or store clerks who might otherwise be folding sweaters are dialing past customers - using phone numbers gleaned at the cash register - in an attempt to woo them back, he said. Some might even address the former customers by their first names to establish a kind of pseudo-familiarity. Cohen noted that the number of retailers vying for customers by phone has risen from about six to more than two dozen in the past year and a half. Chain stores such as Victoria's Secret, Limited Too and Lane Bryant started adopting the approach during the back-to-school period last year, he said.

Cohen said he expects a flurry of retailer calls after the holidays, when they will be trying to draw consumers into their stores to use gift certificates. "The bad news is the more stores that do this, the less effective this becomes" because customers may stop answering the phone or simply run out of money, Cohen said.

There is a new cult brand that launched about two years ago that has tech gurus and bloggers talking: Nooka. Marshall Sponder of Techcrunch 8 is one of Nooka's many fans.

Last night, my neighbor John Owens asked me to go to The Chelsea Art Museum for the launch of a new collection of timepieces from Nooka. Not expecting to buy anything, I went with an open mind. What did I find? The perfect gift for my best friend Shane Powers.

Shane is the hardest person on the planet to shop for. He never wears the conventional: no watches, jewelry, shirts with patterns, etc. Nooka is the ideal gift for that person who has everything. What are you giving them? A new way to tell time. Could Nooka be the next hot thing? I think so. On the design blog Core 77, Nooka is sponsoring a giveaway of 100 limited edition watches. Nooka watches work by battery operation and are largely made of steel or plastic. Nooka is made in the USA and starts at $175.00. What makes Nooka so special is the way that they tell time, by counting little blocks from left to right.

• Personal Care Appliances - Global Strategic Business Report : This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Personal Care Appliances in Thousands of Units.

• Spinduggery, The Flack: Peter Himler posts about Jeff Jarvis' snarky comment insinuating PR professionals have dishonesty in their DNA. Jeff Jarvis, being the 'spin'-ster he is, should love the quote "you can’t polish a turd."

• KFC Logo Relaunch - From Space, Near Area 51: I know all of you are saying "I thought of that months ago." Ever since Google launched satellite imagery on its maps, I've wanted to pitch this idea to a client. While not the first, KFC is doing it on a grand scale; a nice publicity stunt. For those of you who know my New York address, you can see me on the roof of my apartment building with my dogs, frozen in time from space.

• Loyalty VS. Advocacy CRM Lowdown: Most companies think that their job is done when they manage to convert a regular customer into a loyal customer. They tend to forget the guy because now ‘he can take care of himself.' Wrong! Once you’ve converted a customer, your job becomes even more difficult.

• Link Karma From The Copyblogger: 21 Surefire tips for a successful blog launch, 10 things to consider when choosing a site meter, and the five W's of great content.

• Hotels offer lots of freebies during winter (just not in New York City), The Mercury News: Winter travelers can take advantage of a number of hotel deals. Properties are offering free nights, free gift cards, special rates and other perks.

• How To Stop Comment Spam Without Lifting a Finger, Tubetorial: If you're a wordpress user, you have to visit tubetorial. Quick, easy-to-understand flash video - enjoy.

• The European Newspaper Design & Concept Awards Europe‘s most innovative newspaper 2006: Look and learn. This year, Europe’s best designed newspapers come from Belgium, Norway, Finland, Portugal and Spain. 287 newspapers from 26 countries participated in the eighth European Newspaper Award.

It’s always interesting what you can learn about someone by looking in his or her medicine cabinet. We decided to run a profile on this suspect by examining the content of her cabinet. All we know is that she is a blogger.

Clumsy white female with disposition toward obsessive compulsive disorder? Looking at suspect's top shelf, I wonder if she is clumsy. All the bandages, Neosporin, and anti-septic foam make me wonder. It’s like a first aid kit ready to go to Iraq.

Suspect will appear to be glowing year round: We detected ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can, Neutrogena Build-a-Tan Face, and Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. The suspect knows her stuff. It makes me wonder, does she just like a bronzed look or is she being health conscious by not soaking up the UV rays at the local tanning salon?

She works in a professional, somewhat stressful environment and has access to some of the best ingredients around. I can tell that she must have a stressful job, perhaps a frequent traveler due to the serums she uses on her face: Leontine Upset Skin Serum, Patricia Wexler MD MMPi Skin Regenerating Serum, Juice Beauty Green Apple Antioxidant Serum on row two, and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate in row three.

Suspect works hard and plays hard. Overwhelming evidence of being a night owl (or a late night partier?) exists. See the eye depuffing products such as Benefit’s Action Eye Gel, Kiehl's Light Nourishing Eye Cream, and Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment.

It appears suspect is a trained chemist, definitely more than just a beauty addict, but also obsessed with her hair. (See OCD indicators in my report.) She has more hair products than a myopic Sasquatch: Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray, Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Oil, Very Irresistible Givenchy Tender Hair Mist, Chi Silk Infusion, Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Hair Serum, Fekkai Technician Glaze, and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum.

Detail-Oriented And Possibly From The UK. At least we know she isn’t leaving white marks behind with her Dove Ultimate Clear Antiperspirant. The Crest Whitening Expressions Lemon Ice Toothpaste tells me that Kristen likes citrus, which is a mood booster and possibly a way to wake up in the morning from late nights? I spy Crest Whitestrips also and a Crest Toothbrush, but where is her your floss? I presume suspect follows the same dental hygiene program as The House of Carters.

Unattached. The biggest thing I can tell from suspect's cabinet is that she is single. My deduction is due to the many top of the line, brand name products peeking out at us. She also spares no expense when it comes to the care of her skin and hair.

Naturally this post is all in jest, as suspect is a good friend of mine. You can tell that suspect is a little more than just “a little obsessed with makeup,” and that is why the girl is so beautiful. Continue reading this post for suspect's identity...

When thinking about some of the biggest blog fights this year, it was semi-amusing to think that some of them were a blogger vs. a non-blogger. Yet it generated much ado about nothing throughout the blogosphere.

Some of the top blog fights this year:

Jared Leto vs. ALL of the blogosphere, but mainly his "handling" of Stereogum at the MTV Woodies. Some great places to read about this actor-turned-musician vs. the blogosphere are: VH1's Best Week Ever, The Feed and Gawker.

If you are not familiar with who Jared Leto is, you must have been in a coma throughout the 90s. He, of course, played iconic Jordan Catalano on My So-Called Life and went on to act in the films American Psycho, Alexander, and Requiem for a Dream, to name a few. Leto is now a muscian and frontman for 30 Seconds to Mars. Stereogum, one of the web's best-run music sites, is headed by Scott Lapatine.

When Stereogum decided to approach Leto at the MTV Woodies and film him explaining why he hated bloggers, Leto decided to get physical, which led security to remove Stereogum from the event. This ensued a Battle Royale in the blogosphere. I guess some celebrities don't quite get that they can't control the opinions of others.

Leto: 0 Stereogum: 1

Wonkette vs. Michelle Malkin. Wonkette is a D.C. gossip and satire blog. Malkin is an author, blogger, columnist and conservative political commentator. The fight began when Wonkette wrote a post that also included a photo found on Flickr of a college-aged Malkin doing her imitation of the typical "Girls Gone Wild" exposure in her bikini. While Malkin denied the photo was truly her, it's hard to ignore that it definitely appears to be. Didn't we all do stupid things in our youth, after all? It appears there is no love lost between Wonkette and Michelle.

Wonkette: 1 Malkin: 0

Joey Sweeney vs. Jonathan Valania. When Sweeney and Valania ended their blogationship, it started such a battle of the blogs that even Gawker took notice. Both Sweeney and Valania were writers for the Philadelphia Daily News and had a blogationship on Philebrity. Valania was suddenly "let go" without further explaination to the readers, which created speculation, and soon Valania re-emerged with Phawker. Readers took sides and the battle ensues. This one remains a tie.

Sweeney: 0 Valania: 0

Know of a good blog fight? Let us know in the comments!

I thought my client was very relaxed, until after the treatment I realized she died on the table during our session, and I thought to myself...were those moans of joy or pain!

Sometime blackheads aren't the only thing extracted at spas. A few souls have been extracted as well. While some of us have had wonderful experiences at a day spa, there are some out there that snap us back to reality that you really do need to heed warnings and pay attention to the reputation of spa's.

Some stories lingering around the internet:

Gut Feelings: A Kuwaiti woman tells of her awful experience at Al-Corniche Club Spa in Kuwait. Always go with your gut, if customer service is bad just from a telephone call, you must know it is going to be just as bad at the spa itself.

The Roach Treatment: What would your reaction be if you signed in at Eo Inn Spa with a roach crawling across the clipboard?

Sawful! Edges Salon and Spa get a pretty bad review from this spa patron. No shower available after an oily massage and waiting in the parking lot while the spa opened 30 minutes late are just some of the complaints.

About.com reminds you how important it is to tell a spa your medical history before having any spa treatments done, a story not for the faint of heart, but a message worth heeding.

If you've never experienced a spa before, but would like to, be sure to check out Spa Finder. You can really break down your search for the type of spa you are looking for to provide you with as much detail as you need to make an informed decision.

Have you had a bad experience at a spa? Let us know in the comments.

Think Black Friday savings can only be taken advantage of on Black Friday itself? I thought so until I came across an interesting post on The Personal Advice Finance blog. They outline some tips from their friend “Mark” on how to outsmart the Black Friday competition.

My tip would be to bring a friend who you enjoy to spend time with. It will help you keep your cool and keep you company in a stressful, even hostel environment! This Friday make it a fun time, breathe, enjoy the savings and the finds. Plan breaks, eat, hydrate, bring aspirin and choose NOT to stress out, it's that simple!

The Three Most Important Christmas Shopping Tips Mark Reveals:

Prepare the week before. If you know what you want before you get to the store vs. deciding only once you are there, it saves you time and money (from spending it on other items if they run out of what you want).

Know your store’s policy on returns. Should you know in advance what will be the big sale items at your favorite store, purchase them in advance for the regular price, then return to the store with your receipt to receive the price difference on Black Friday. This does two things: ensures that you can purchase the item before it sells out to the big crowd of over-anxious shoppers and still gets you the sale price on the item. While it sounds pretty tricky, if it is in the return policy, then it is not illegal.

Always use your credit card when making a purchase.

Utilize your computer. If a store has a website, chances are that the Black Friday deals are also offered online. Log on at midnight and scoop up the savings while others get up at the crack of dawn and wait for the stores to open while they battle each other for those must-have items.

You can read more of Mark’s tips on The Personal Advice Finance blog. Another fine checklist can be found at The Consumerist.

Have any Black Friday tips? Please post them in the comments.

Here is our first public service announcement. Car owners be advised, static charge or a "shock" can set off an explosion at the gas pump! I thought Mythbusters busted this myth a long time ago? However the Los Angele's Fire Department asks you to be aware of the danger. They posted this gas station footage on it's blog. Poor girl gets the shock, then slight explosion of her life at the filling station. Perhaps someone should design grounded gas pumps or at least a metal poll shoved in the cement (grounded) next to each pump that's says "touch me, I might save your life." Perhaps a car company could pay for it and capitalize on the issue, in exchange for a little positive press?

I hope you all enjoyed your turkey, now check out these delicious links from the past week:

The Fashionista's:

+ I Spy, Thrift Eye finds some beautiful vintage pieces for auction on ebay.

+ The Runway Scoop discusses how more companies are becoming health conscious.

+ Pretty Things reminds you to go get coffee and don’t forget the Holly.

The Beauty Addicted:

+ Beauty Secrets 101 gives you 10 beautiful things she is thankful for. I completely agree with #5.

+ eBeauty Daily reviews Bare Escentuals newest products, their Mineral Nail Infusion.

+ Kiss and Makeup enlightens us that you can now have false pre-designed nails on your toes. (I love the idea!)

I can think of many difficult inconvenient grocery shopping scenarios. If you live in the New York metro area and are a parent, it can easily become an three hour event. Most moms are amazingly efficient at these basic, but difficult tasks. However some days, and you know we all have them, something goes wrong in our system and when that happens it's choas. Trudging down from your apartment, taking the kids on the subway or in a cab... will it be snowing out?...yuck! You do know there is an easier way don’t you? It's celebrity endorsed and used by Spike Lee, Chef Bobby Flay, Chef Tom Collocchio, Paullna Porizokova and Cynthia Nixon to name a few.

Meet FreshDirect, I have got to say, they have saved the sanity of many families in NYC for the last few years. FreshDirect lets you shop online all from the convenience of your computer…so who cares if your rugrats are running around screaming? This is something you can do without worrying about entertaining your kids while you shop so that they behave and not cause chaos in the aisles. It can save you from episodes of knocking over soda cans or grabbing boatloads of candy yelling, “Mommy can we buy this?” (Not that this has ever happened to me of course.)

Ideas on how to take advantage of Fresh Direct:

(1). Order a weeks worth of fresh ready to eat meals for convenience. Just heat and eat- nothing fresher or with higher quality ingredients.

(2). Fast organic food. Sick and tired of the long lines at WHOLE FOODS? Have almost all of the same local organic products & brands delivered to you at the specific time when you get home from work.

(3). Zoned Out? Want a change from the food trucked around from a Zone Diet delivery service? Order from FreshDirect low calorie ready to eat meals.

(4). Party Pooper? Have Fresh direct deliver wine, soda, water, party platters and finger foods to the event location the day of the event, save time & $$ for the main course.

(5). Mans best friend. Order treats and dog food for your pets when your in a pinch

Challenge: Gas prices are super high, how do you build brand loyalty when oil prices are ridiculous?

Advice:Take advantage of the high gas prices, bring more value to the customer then your competitor with cravable experiences.

Heightened customer experience is where it at. By now oil hungry customers know the service station is not making a huge profit off the gas. But the consumer still feels the hit to the wallet. A smart business owner will try to offset that "emotional hit" by providing more perceived value. Lowering the price temporarily doesn't build loyalty or lasting value to a car owner it just causes him to bounce all over the place looking for cheap gas. You need to create "Cravable experiences," cravable experiences and convenience will create lasting emotional traction that will help win consumer loyalty.

• Get better premium coffee beans and take beverage service seriously
• Buy nicer, thicker, insulated coffee cups with better more secure lids
• Order Krispy Kreme donuts and but a display up near the cash register.
• Offer organic "fast food" options
• Boast about having the best restrooms in town with the softest tolet paper
• Start a policy that if they have to wait in line for gas more then 3 min, a free beverage is on the house.
• Provide "old-fashioned" white glove (celebrity) service. Checking under the hood, looking at the oil level and tier pressure can all be done in 2-3 min, the time taken to fill a tank of gas. Customers are more likely to re visit your station and trust you if your looking over the car frequently.

If you can apply this concept of cravable experiences to a filling station and see dramatic results, you can most certainly can apply it to your next business promotion and see success. Good luck!

As a woman I can certainly tell you what I think about men’s underwear. I like a man in a fresh pair of clean, crisp white underwear. I prefer boxer briefs over anything else and my man better not be wearing silly underwear or outrageously colored, or else I will have to ask him to put his pants back on. I like to be the one wearing all the colors! I often wondered if guy’s thought of their underwear as an important piece of fashion. I know my very first boyfriend did not, as evidenced by some animal print silk bikini number he used to wear..."eww!" Laughing when you see someone's underwear is a sure fire way to ruin the mood…just FYI.

So in order to find out what men really think, I asked a few fashionable men at Pierce Mattie their thoughts. I was surprised at some of their answers. I've included 3 of the 8 full interviews for your review. Here is a summary of my findings:

• Pierce Mattie men prefer briefs over boxers.

• They wont spend more then $35 for a pair of underwear

• Sex played a role in purchasing first pair of fashionable underwear

• They say marketing and packaging doesn't play a big role in what underwear they choose, however the industry data all says marketing & packaging plays a huge role and influences what girlfriends / boyfriends say they like on a man.

• The office leading brands: Old Navy, 2Xist & Calvin Klein

Jeremy Wright is a serial entrepreneur, some have even said a blogpreneur for his focus on communications-oriented ventures. He has been involved in IT, programming and the business side of IT for nearly a decade. Jeremy is the President/CEO of b5media, a prominent blog network. He is the author of Blog Marketing, a business book on blogging and writes Ensight, a popular business and technology blog. Jeremy consults on blogging, communication, IT and time management.

What was your vision when you first had an inkling that you wanted to start b5media?
While it'd be nice to say there was some grand vision when b5 started, the truth is that it was a simple idea by Duncan Riley: partner with a bunch of bloggers to get more advertising. Then if we were going to sell ads, why not join them into a network? And if we were going to start a network, why not start new blogs? And if we were going to do that, why not hire authors?

So yeah, no clear vision initially, just a bunch of guys trying to have some fun and make some money. Who knows where it'll go though? We certainly have a vision and an amazing team and a fantastic group of bloggers that continue to astound me every day, but who knows what the future will hold, eh?

What do you feel are the benefits of being a part of a network?
There are obvious benefits. More traffic. Better traffic. Better ads. More ads. Higher paying ads. All of these mean that a blog that joins b5, or is started for b5, will almost always earn more money than it would on its own. It's kind of like hiring a book agent: sure, you give up 15-20% of your advance and royalties, but if they get you a deal that's 80% better it's a real no-brainer. And if they take all the heavy lifting of landing a book deal off your shoulders so you're less stressed, all the better.

Beyond that, you get free hosting, access to some of blogging's leaders like Darren Rowse and Brian Clarke, and you get to do it all while blogging about something you're passionate about and making some decent bucks for the privilege! It isn't really that hard of a sell when we have to pitch bloggers.

The end of the year is near. Time to get more joyful, thankful, less self focused and pretend I'm not freaked out about all the stuff I haven't checked off my to-do list for 2006. It's a time to spin my emotions and think of happy things. For me, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree brings back many fond memories, of visiting friends and family. Christmas is a great time to visit New York City. Whether you're looking for window shopping, holiday events and performances. I just wish it was a little colder out. It feels like San Diego weather out- where is the snow?

Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? -Bill Watterson

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it ... -New York Times, 25 December 1937

From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it. -Katharine Whitehorn

So many great blogs to cover, so little time! Here are some fabulous blogs I've been reading:

Those with fashion sense:

+ The Fashionable Housewife reminds you to get involved with the online fundraising auction for, “Every BODY is beautiful” run by the National Eating Disorders Association.

+ Catwalk Queen spills the beans that Agent Provocateur will be launching a maternity lingerie line. (YES!)

+ The Sartorialist shows us some Philly fashion in NYC. (Scott, Philly does have fashion, I assure you!)

Where Beauty tops all:

+ The Homespagoddess gives her view on the marketing for the new Vaseline Cocoa Butter for African American Skin.

+ Girlpaint reviews jane iredale’s Amazing Base Loose Powder. It’s nice to see someone else who is a total fan of jane’s products.

+ Brain Spam gives us her review on Bourjois’s Bons Baisers de Paris Lip Stain Pens.

I'm always looking for fantastic blogs to spotlight here! Do you have a favorite worth checking out? Let me know in the comments!

Craving for a new look? How about hairlash extensions? That’s what a Japanese Blogger did when she recently cut her hair. She created extensions for her eyelashes with her left over locks (and created hair gloves, as well...eww!).

She looks a bit like Cousin It. Plus, those hairlash extensions have got to be pretty darn heavy. I wonder, do you still have to shampoo them and if you don’t, will they turn into dreads?

The December 2006 Trend Briefing is now online, and highlights GENERATION CASH, smart and creative consumers expecting to get paid (by you?) for their output. More on GENERATION CASH's context, examples, impact and opportunities at trendwatching.com

We're reviewing a few of the new game councils out on the market. We love our computer-platform lifestyle games, (Desperate Housewives, the game) but knew we were missing out on HD (1080i), surround sound, game-matching, leader-board enhanced experiences that the new counsels offer. So we've decided to fully immerse ourselves in the gaming lifestyle and it's become very serious (fun) research. I happen to have received one of the Xbox360 platforms so your probably going to hear more about it in the future then the Sony PlayStation 3 as I blog more then the other participating game platform "researchers." Look for some posts on our discoveries in the near future.

Above you can see my gamertag. Please comment here if you have an Xbox360 gamertag. I wanted to offer an invitation to add me as a friend or email me your gamertag if you don't want your tag to be posted publicly. Steve Rubel, I know you have one...how about a little friendly competition?

Joanna Roche is the Senior Managing VP of Pierce Mattie Public Relations. She has a proven track record of success and corporate experience. She is high energy and passionate about her work, which makes her direct, up front, realistic approach with Pierce Mattie PR clients what makes her a true asset.

Joanna is a married mother of a 2-year-old son, who loves to run, cook and travel. The best way to describe her is balanced. She loves to dive into her work, yet still maintain the proper balance of her hobbies and family life. Joanna is goal oriented and believes that nothing is impossible.

Tell readers about a typical day as VP of Pierce Mattie.

There is nothing typical about being a VP at Pierce Mattie PR! Every day is different and it is one of the things I love about my job. Most days include working on new business, coming up with creative ideas to promote our brands, meeting with clients, nurturing the staff and helping them develop pitches and reach editors, and keeping abreast of trends and happenings in the PR world.

As the Holidays are fast approaching, the one item most girls wish for are diamonds. Diamond jewelers know this and you can see it through the increase in commercials as gift giving season quickly falls upon us.

While most men give the basic colorless diamond (which if my husband is reading, I would not mind at all), why not be unique and set yourself apart from the status quo with a Natural Color Diamond? A Natural Color Diamond is one that contains color and its value is not placed on its carat weight, shape or clarity, but in the richness of its hues. The deeper the color, the rarer the stone. When you give a Natural Color Diamond you are making a statement to your giftee that she herself is a find.

These diamonds have been made popular in recent years by celebrities trying to impress their counterparts. Two that stand out are when Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez a yellow canary diamond and Kobe Bryant gave his wife a purple fancy diamond.

Color in your diamonds can also have a different effect on your giftee (besides complete giddiness) when it comes to the color you chose:

Red, which in a diamond is the rarest of all colors, also conveys passion, optimism, vitality and self confidence.

Blue, second rarest in color, conveys serenity, calming and harmony.

Pink exudes femininity, comfort and relaxation.

Which color best describes the person you intend to give the diamond to? It is something to consider when making such a purchase. To shop for one, be sure to visit Angara.com or visit Fantasy Diamond online or ask your local jeweler to see fantasy diamonds or endless diamonds.

There are many bloggers who started off their blogging career like any other and then there are those whose persistence and ambition spawned a blogebrity reputation and landed them at the top. Below are the stats on some of the top movers and shakers who jumped from "Blogger" to "Laughing all the way to the bank."

Jessica Coen
The Stats: Skipped going to Grad School at Columbia to write for Gawker as Co-Editor in August 2004. Made a name for herself and was then scooped up to be Deputy Online Editor for VanityFair.com. She made her debut in October 2006.

Steve Rubel
The Stats: Was a Vice President at CooperKatz & Company and had called it home since 2001. Has a blog called Micropersuasion which launched him into his blogebrity status for being a guy who knows his stuff. Eldelman took notice and Rubel joined their ranks in February 2006 to become Senior Vice President of Edelman's me2revolution practice.

Corynne Steindler
The Stats: Was the Editor of Jossip, a New York based gossip blog, since December of 2005. Less than one year later, in October of 2006, she began writing for the New York Post's Page Six.

Robert Scoble
The Stats: Worked for Microsoft since May 2003 where he was part of the Channel 9 MSDN Video team, in which he produced videos that showcased Microsoft employees and products. His blog Scobelizer earned him so much recognition that even Steve Rubel started a fan club blog and he left Microsoft to become Vice President of Media Development at PodTech in the summer of 2006.

Mark Evans
The Stats: Worked for the National Post as Senior Technology Reporter since 2001 and began with b5media in October of 2006 as VP of Operations. He was their first external hire since raising $2M in Venture Captial.

Eco-Fashion is an idea that has always been around, but really begun to take steam in February of 2005 at New York’s Fashion Week when Earth Pledge teamed up with 28 designers to create a special runway event called FutureFashion. This past Spring Oscar de la Renta, Halston and Elisa Jimenez showed off their echo-fashion designs at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) 2006 Conference. The response was overwhelming and the designs were again shown over the summer at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing, where Stephen Burrows and Heatherette also added dresses to the collection of designs to be shown. With such great designers coming to understand that fashion can be earth friendly and design friendly, it is sure to increase in popularity among the world of fashion designers.

Eco-Fashion is clothing that takes into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. You may not have know the exact term for this industry, but we have all heard and been up in arms over, the stories of big name celebrities having their clothing made in sweat shops only to sell them for top dollar. Taking into account the working conditions of the people who actually put the products together to get you what you purchase at the store is a part of Eco-Fashion.

Hanging out in the Beauty Blogosphere, you get to know some pretty interesting people. One blog that caught my attention simply by it's name is Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget. How many of us can relate just to that title alone? What's even better is the story behind its blog owner, Courtney Sauve, a published beauty writer and makeup artist.

On your blog Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget you call yourself Fitzgerald, for people who don't know your real name, is this your maiden name or nickname?
It's actually neither. When I started the blog a year ago and was writing more personal details about my life, I wanted to make sure that I still had a certain level of anonymity. So, I was in need of a pseudonym. And since I have always had this strange fascination with Zelda Fitzgerald, her last name seemed like a good choice. Her life was so tragically captivating, and it's sad that her talents were never fully realized because she was continuously overshadowed by her husband's success. At her prime back in the 1920's, I think she was the epitome of beauty, passion and intelligence.

You mention that the title of your blog came from a nickname your dad gave you when you are little, what were some of the things you desired that made this nickname stick?
A pink Barbie PowerWheels Jeep is what comes to mind instantly. I always wanted one of those things.

Describe your passion for writing beauty articles in magazines.
Where did it come from?
I don't remember exactly when or how I got so enamored with writing, it just seems like something I was always doing. I've kept journals since I was ten years old and as soon as my family got our first little Apple computer, I was constantly typing out ideas for stories. I do know for sure however, that I became a beauty product fanatic as soon as I was tall enough to reach the top of my mother's vanity. Most little girls played dress up in their mother's closet. But I was much more interested in rummaging through, trying on, organizing and re-organizing the eye shadow palettes, perfume bottles, powder puffs, brushes, pencils and lipstick tubes. As I became older, it seemed like common sense to combine my two loves and become a beauty writer.

The Fashion Guru's:

+ Iconique shows us some sketches of Madonna’s new fashion line with H&M coming out in 2007.

+ I am Fashion talks about her love for tees by Clu and they are not your average t-shirt.

+ The Purse Blog wonders what you think of the new Dior My Dior Large Pockets Handbag. Personally it reminds me of a bag my mother used to have in the late 80’s.

What an exciting week! A shameless plug before we move onto some great beauty links: Glamour Magazine liked my post on "Beauty Forensics." See what Stephanie Huszar said on their informative blog. It's nice to get some "street cred" from the girls in the beauty department at Glamour, thanks!

The Divas of Beauty:
+ Lipstick, Powder n’ Paint snags an interview with Maureen Kelly, the CEO and creator of Tarte Cosmetics.

+ Confessions of a Beauty Junkie discusses white eyelashes and tells you which product will help you achieve that look.

+ Blog for Beauty wonders if Allure’s recommendation to use Aspirin as a zit cream really works.

If there is a great Beauty or Fashion blog you think deserves some spotlight, please let me know in the comments!

In our continued effort to support bloggers and citizen journalists we are opening up our vote for Publicist of the Year to you. In the past we have only asked the media and producers to participate. If you've worked with any of our publicists, please vote today.

I’ve honestly never paid much attention to products that were celebrity endorsed, in high school, maybe a little, however there have been plenty of my friends who live by what products “Celebrity A List” says are the best. There was a time, back when I was very young, that I did follow what my favorite celebrities endorsed. One such product was Pepsi, simply because I was a very big Michael Jackson fan. Luckily, I wised up.

So when I saw one of my favorite fashion designers, Isaac Mizrahi, pitching StriVectin-SD in a commercial the other day I felt such utter disappointment. Strivectin-SD, which claims to be an anti-stretchmark cream turned anti-wrinkle cream, is trying to pitch their product to men through Mizrahi's popularity. Isaac is a talk show host and thus a "lifestyle advocate" however, as a person who admires Mr. Mizrahi for his outstanding fashion, I wonder why he had to go this route. Seeing him in a commercial promoting an anti-wrinkle cream made me lose a little bit of respect for him and I didn't want too. I'm sure I am not alone.

I believe there was a time when celebrity endorsements held clout, but the times have been changing, most especially as blogs have become more and more popular. There are so many blogs out there that review products and I am more apt to listen to the average Joe tell me their likes and dislikes over a product than to run out to buy a product because Mischa Barton has been using it. According to a survey done by Allure and Essence, the same holds true for many of their readers.

It seems that nowadays these two things can be easily emeshed and confused. On the one hand they are the same; affiliate marketing (word of mouth advertising) is when you recommend a product and are paid a commission if those you are marketing it to purchase the product and Flogs (fake blogs) are when the company, or someone they hire, post about the product (making a recommendation) and posing it in a positive light to increase sales. In both cases, neither the affiliate marketer nor the Flogger reveals that they are in some way being paid for what they are saying.

I see both sides of the issue on this one, as I use affiliate links on my beauty blogs. I may be in the minority, but I give honest reviews on every product I post about regardless of whether or not a good review could possibly earn me some cash. I certainly haven’t become rich using affiliate links, however there are plenty of Bloggers who have. While most of us never out and out say, “If you buy this product, I will earn a paycheck,” I do feel that it is obvious when I write about a product and upon clicking on the link it brings the reader to Amazon or a makeup store, that it is an affiliate related product. I also feel that most readers are aware of it. It isn’t said out loud, but the awareness is there.

Microdermabrasion is a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure that has been increasing in popularity in recent years. While many over the counter brands are now offering their products for the purpose of Microdermabrasion, it is still best to have the treatment done by a skincare professional and/or using the products developed by one.

While simply exfoliating your skin is something you should be doing on a weekly basis, Microdermabrasion is a more effective treatment to treat fine lines, crow’s feet and acne scars. It’s use of a polishing your skin with crystals to resurface your skin is a safe alternative to chemical procedures and can be successfully done on all skin types. This resurfacing of the top layer of skin removes the dead skin cells and helps with the regenerating of new skin cells. With this top layer of dead skin cells removed, application of lotions and creams are more effective at moisturizing your skin. Most treatments can be done in 30-60 minutes and do require several follow up treatments. To maintain that healthy glow, maintenance treatments should also be done.

Dermalogica on Montana offers exfoliating treatments like Microdermabrasion. As with any skin treatment you are considering, you should first be seen by a skin care professional to ensure that this is the correct treatment for you. Dermalogica offers Face Mapping in which licensed Dermalogica skin therapists analyze your skin from forehead to collarbone, identifying potential problems, unique needs, and how to treat them professionally. Face Mapping only takes 10 minutes and is free.

Take an inside look into a Skin Treatment Pod at Dermalogica on Montana (the brands flagship store):

Nothing brings in the holiday cheer more than high heels, short dresses, and tons of whiskey. On a recent trip to LA, I got to celebrate the holidays with socialite Kim Kardashian, who brought her Olympian step father, Bruce Jenner along for the shenanigans.

Avery Cardoza planned a classy event as usual with high end services for all party goers. At the entryway, guests were invited to enjoy free cigars and whiskey tasting. The main room featured shoe shines compliments of Michael Toschi and complimentary shaves provided by The Shave of Beverly Hills. Finally the bar region was equipt with decanters and wine aroma tests provided by OnTheFly.com. Sterling Steakhouse created elegant appetizers and tasteful martinis that the beautiful crowd enjoy all throughout the evening.

And as if this wasn’t enough, OnTheFly.com provided giftboxes worth hundreds of dollars for the guests, as well as VIPs received snowboards, and the first chapter of the $4,000 NFL