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Nordstrom Beauty Picks Cap Off 2014

It’s no surprise that Nordstrom has built its reputation as having something for everyone.  The Seattle-based company has 117 stores across the U.S. (making it the largest U.S. luxury department-store chain) and is set to open full-line Nordstrom stores across Canada. According to the Luxury Institute's 2014 Luxury Multichannel Engagement Index, Nordstrom came out on top in a ranking of luxury retailers, with the highest incidence of customers spending online (26%) and in-store (45%). It also led in its share of total fashion spend (17%) versus its competitors. Wealthy U.S. shoppers earning at least $150,000 a year rank Nordstrom highest among luxury retailers in the 2012 Luxury Consumer Experience Index (LCEI) survey by the independent and objective New York-based Luxury Institute.

macLCEI scores are based on customers’ evaluations of a brand’s store personnel, shopping environment and degree of satisfaction with the total experience. Nordstrom earned the top overall score of 8.41 out of 10, followed by Neiman Marcus’ Bergdorf Goodman subsidiary (8.37), and Barneys New York (8.23). It is also the most widely visited luxury retailer, with 36% of wealthy consumers reporting shopping at Nordstrom in the past 12 months.

“Retailers, especially in luxury, are selling experiences to customers more than they are selling any particular good,” says Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza. “In the case of a retailer like Nordstrom, we see that a program of continuous improvement in the customer experience can lead to higher degrees of loyalty and improved financial performance.” In addition to its top overall LCEI score, Seattle-based Nordstrom ranks first on two critical measures of customer loyalty: 96% of high-income shoppers plan to shop at Nordstrom again, and 94% recommend Nordstrom to family and close friends.

chanelNordstrom’s beauty department is a wonderland of sorts... a one-stop purveyor brimming with a cornucopia of options in terms of brands, prices and items exclusive to Nordstrom.   This season, Nordstrom has everyone on your wish list covered with of one-of-a-kind gift sets, seasonal offerings and Nordstrom exclusives from aromatherapy, cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, and skin care, as stocking stuffers or stand-alone presents. Gift sets are more popular than ever, and many of the cosmetic and skincare brands present a bevvy of sets that will have gifts lasting for a long time and used in a multitude of ways.
Some of the highlights include:

Chanel:

  • Give It Shine Glossimer Lip Trio:  $90:  
  • Into The Shadows Eye Set:  $125
  • Show Your Hand Deluxe Nail Set:  $220

Clarisonic Mia 3 Makeup Removal Expert – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $199 ($257 value): Features the Mia and a cashmere brush head, which massages away tough products on the skin, and the satin precision brush head, which targets smaller areas of the face

Deborah Lippmann Holiday Gifting Duet: Glam Rock in Ruby Red Slippers Glitter Bag – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $19

Diptyque Mini Candle Set: Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive – $130

DIY Nails Alphabet Nail Decals: Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive – $10:

Eyeko Alexa Chung Eye Do Mascara and Liquid Eyeliner Set – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $35: Designed by style icon Alexa Chung, this set includes award-winning Eye Do Mascara and Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner.

MAC Keepsakes Gold Lip and Eye Bag – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $59.50 ($90 value):

Molton Brown Festive Bauble Body Wash:  $15:  A beautifully boxed bauble with your favorite body wash

NEST Birchwood Pine Classic Collection:

  • Candles: 2oz ($14), 8.1oz ($38) and 21.2oz ($58)
  • Room Spray: $24
  • Reed Diffuser: $38

voluspaPhilosophy:

  • Sending You Holiday Wishes Hair and Lip Set – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $20:  
  • Blackberry Musk Hair and Body Sets – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $27
  • Vanilla Brown Sugar Hair and Body Sets – Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive: $27:  
  • Amazing Grace Perfume Sets: $55

Voluspa Maison Holiday Candles: $9 – $50:

Nordstrom’s Beauty Stylists are also what make Nordstrom a unique one-stop shop. Similar to personal shoppers, Nordstrom Beauty Stylists offer complimentary services to customers to help them find the perfect makeup, skincare and fragrance products across ALL brands and counters! 

Nordstrom Beauty Stylists are available in-store, by phone at 1-800-7beauty or via live chat at http://shop.nordstrom.com/beautystylist.

New Intimacy NYC Store Has More Better Bras

Would anybody wear shoes that didn't fit them? Of course not. The same logic applies to bras but according to Susan Nethero, founder of Intimacy (bra fit stylists), a shocking 70-85% of women wear the wrong size bra. A properly fitting bra creates a foundation for one’s clothes, whereas an improper fitting bra can ruin a look and can also cause back, neck, or shoulder pain. For this reason, Susan opened the first Intimacy store (a high-end lingerie boutique) over 20 years ago to introduce women to bra fit styling specialists and premium European designers in lingerie, shapewear and swimwear styles.

intimacy3Intimacy features lingerie from the world’s best brands, offering over 90 bra sizes, including Marie Jo (A-F cups), Panache (D-K cups), Epreinte (D-H cups) and Aubade (A-F cups), with a variety of styles and colors, matching bottoms, sleepwear, shapewear and even bathing suit separates.

Intimacy recently opened their NYC flagship store in the Flatiron District at 104 5th Ave., the third in the city. The 1,228 square foot space is your own personal boudoir, stocked with colorful intimate wear, nine fitting rooms to accommodate clients, and knowledgeable bra specialists whom I've dubbed "bra whisperers". Each stylists goes through an eight-week training program where they learn how to give each customer a personal touch - identify needs, make useful suggrestions, and create individual files for follow-up visits. The free personal consultation consists of the stylist determining your size based on their "holistic approach" of visual signifiers (rather than the oft-used measuring tape). The bras themselves are used as measuring tools. The expert at Intimacy fits the client in multiple styles and a few different sizes to both determine the ideal size and demonstrate the many varied silhouettes that are possible just by switching styles. In addition to the personal touch, Intimacy offer free alterations for the life of the bra!

intimacy1To look your best for any occasion, follow the professional advice of Intimacy’s stylists:

  • Ensure Firm Band
    Be certain your bra has a firm band that is positioned low in the back. 80% of the support comes from the band.

  • Confirm Cup Size
    Make sure there is enough room yet not too much room in the cup. If you can see a line in your fitted T-shirt, the cup is either too big or too small.

  • Maintain Flat Center Wire
    The center wire should lie flat between your breasts. It should be supporting the cup and be comfortable. If it is digging into your chest, either the band or the cup is the wrong size.
  • Allow One Inch Give for Straps
    Always make sure the straps aren’t too loose or too tight. They should always have one inch of give. You don’t want the straps supporting you!

  • Feel Great
    The right bra should always make you feel great by providing comfort and confidence.

To learn more about INTIMACY or to make an appointment to receive a personalized bra fit styling session, visit: http://myintimacy.com/

Intimacy
104 5th Ave
New York, NY 10011

Travel Essentials Previews Fashionable Footwear

With all the limitations that the FAA imposes on travelers, it’s hard to pack and look your best for your travel excursions.  For all the Imelda Marcos wannabes, of course we’d want to bring all our shoes.  But how can you bring all these shoes without requiring a personal Sherpa? Cambiami's (which cam3in Italian means “Change Me”) is the brilliant invention of is Diane Licht who was faced with the challenge of packing 10 pairs of sandals for a 12-day trip to Greece.  Cambiami is a line of sandals which allows you to create 24 different pairs of sandals with ONE sandal.  Completely removable and inter-changeable uppers and straps in various colors and patterns allow you to change up your look in three easy steps.  The comfortable base (available in black or tan) consists of a foam insole for added cushion and comfort, a flexible foot bed, and a rubber outsole for better traction.

Starting from $85, Cambiami's 'Build Your Cambi' option includes one sole and two upper sandal parts of your. The base on its own is available for $40.00 (from size 6-11), with uppers (in a myriad of colors, textures and prints) are available for $25.00 each.

Available at http://cambiami.com/

cam2

Clarks Spring/Summer '14 Preview

With all the walking that the average New Yorker does, British footwear maker Clarks is a panacea. Snce 1825, Clark’s have been known for quality, comfort and reinvention, offering fresh takes on classic styles earning them the reputation for quality footwear and exceptional comfort.  No wonder it has a following among celebrities such as model Suki Waterhouse, actresses Keira Knightly, Emma Watson, and Ashley Olsen and musician Pharrell Williams and Rihanna, who themselves are known for their own fashion forward sense.

IMG 1360For their Spring / Summer 2014 collection Clarks introduces an updated panoply of classic styles with unexpected materials, eye-catching details and bursts of bold color for the whole family. The latest collection highlights hot shoe trends: perforation, criss-cross vamp straps, double ankle straps, and sporty silhouettes.

With bright color blocking to exotic animal effect, pretty prints, patent splashes – the woman of today can have multiple looks for all occasions from work to frolicking on the beach.

Great flats include the ultra-modern Valley Lounge Smoking Flat - a silhouette borrowed from classic menswear but with edgy piping colors and butter-soft leather linings, and the Grayson Erica – a buttery-soft leather, lady-like slip on shoe.  For the more casual look, the classic boat shoe get a reboot with cool colors and unusual materials and prints (think croc, patent and metallic) in the Dunbar and Cliffrose Sail Boat Shoes.  Wedges, like the Amelia Avery and Caslynn Regina, give women a leg up on the fashion quotient with updates like laser cut etching, contrasting color, and printed heels.

Clarks continue its collaborations with contemporary artists who reinterpret their classics and introduce new trends, including hip hop artist DOOM, cutting edge creative consultancy Patternity, Oi POLLOI, lifestyle brand Wood Wood and fashion label YMC.

IMG 1341London-based style and pattern innovators Patternity create an exclusive print for the brand's iconic Desert Boot. The eye-catching print features a bold lacquered geometric graphic inspired by classic shapes (circles, rectangles, etc). For women, the Desert Boot is a slim-downed feminine design. The men’s collection stand out piece rightfully named the “Grimsby Craft” displays craftsmanship and comfort with an basket weave pattern.

Wood Wood‘s collaboration involves a new version of the Wallabee-inspired Tawyer silhouette, unusual cut lines with hidden stitches and a two-tone navy and burgundy colorway give a completely contemporary look to a classic style. Elements from Wood Wood’s own SS14 “Utopia” collection are visible on the printed insole and the embossed leather pull-tag.

To learn more, go to: http://www.clarksusa.com/

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