TV Dinner: Gossip Girl

Pass the saketinis! This tasty recipe for an economical girls' night in is high in drama 

and low in prep, for the ultimate Serena-inspired party.

Shrimp Lollipops
(serves 4)
Ingredients:
24 shrimp, deveined and butterflied
1 inch ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 scallion, green parts only
1 small handful cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil, plus extra for cooking
Salt and pepper
8 skewers
Grapefruit segments and Boston lettuce for garnish

1. Soak the skewers in water for at least 1 hour before assembling the lollipops.
2. Mince ginger and garlic. Chop scallion and cilantro. Combine ginger, garlic, cilantro, and scallion with canola oil for shrimp marinade. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Add the cleaned and butterflied shrimp to the marinade and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Assemble the lollipops, 3 pieces of shrimp per skewer. Take the remaining marinade and pour over the finished lollipops.

For the Sauce:
1 quart mayonnaise
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
4 ounces Ketjap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce*)
1/4 cup sambal
1/2 cup sesame oil
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
*Ketjap Manis may be found in some Asian food markets; can be substituted with soy sauce sweetened with brown sugar.

1. Combine all ingredients, except for the black and white sesame seeds, and mix in a blender.
2. Stir in the black and white sesame seeds.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Cook:
1. Sear two lollipops for each guest on a hot griddle or in a pan, with a tablespoon of canola oil, until golden brown.
2. Pour sauce into a small ramekin, one for each guest.
3. Garnish the plate with a grapefruit segment placed on a small leaf of Boston lettuce.

How to wear it: Statement Necklace

Add a statement necklace to a t-shirt and jeans and up your glamour factor immediately.

Start with great fitting jeans and the right t-shirt.  Zara, J.Crew and Michael Stars are my go-to stores for great fitting tees.  Add a flattering pair of jeans, preferably in a darker wash.  If you find that skinny jeans don’t work for your shape, consider a straight leg cut like this pair below. Keep your shoes and other jewelry neutral.   Beige ballet flats are always worth investing in during any season.

Now comes the fun part – the statement necklace.  I think this look works best when you truly choose an over-the-top piece with some serious bling. The combination of the plain white-t and the chunky, shiny necklace is fun and glamorous at the same time.  It’s a little bit like a grown-up game of playing dress up. I promise, you will have fun playing around with this outfit. Channel your inner royal and have fun necklace shopping!

Hairstyle of the week! Trandy Spiral Updo

In the youtube channel of one of our favorite bloggers Lilith Moon came across an interesting video tutorial that just could not help but share with you. In that charming lady video shows the procedure for making an effective hairstyle with hair up. It is styled in an impressive way, promising to turn you into a magnet for the eyes of others. 

See how to make your hair:

High School and College Outfit Trends

School calls not only small cuteies but also the college students, who soon begin the school year. 

Today I decided to dedicate a little collegiate style lesson. 

Wide jackets, sports shirts with inscriptions in letters and numbers, wedges, various prints, pleated skirts, jeans, jackets of course - lots of accessories. 

Elements of college style fit in an interesting way in the vision of many fashion icons and bloggers.

I present you some sample outfits, suitable mostly for lectures at the university.

Tell me which one is your favourite in the comments bellow!

Caring for Red Hair

Regular care programmes are sufficient for hair with just a tinge of red. However, if you are a redhead like Evan Rachel Wood then you must tenderly pamper and protect your hair

 

Please join me on a little tour into the world of colour pigments. In the final run, the mixture of only two pigment groups determines the colour of our hair, namely eumelanin and pheomelanin. Only a minimal amount of the small pheomelanin molecule will cause the red tinge. Quite a bit of this small pigment is however necessary for a gorgeous flaming red head.

In case you or your hair stylist has created the red colouring of your hair, the red colour will readily disappear and even slowly leach out when you merely rinse your hair with water. Born redheads certainly know how light will quickly bleach their hair colour. This is due to the fact that pheomelanin is degraded faster in the presence of UV light. Mere hair care and protection will not preserve the copper red colour. It takes active care to keep the red hair colour brilliant.

Red Hair is Trendy - Seven Care Tips for Red Hair

Tip 1:

Red pigments are light-sensitive. This is true in particular for the red pigments, which come in bottles. The natural abundance of red pigments in the hair is accompanied by the most UV light-sensitive skin type. Redheads should therefore stay out of the midday sun, use hair care products, which protect against UV rays, or wear a hat to cover their heads

Tip 2:

After colouring your hair red you should not enter a swimming pool for up to two weeks because the negative effect of chlorinated water on the colour is even stronger than the effect of tab water

Tip 3:

There are many nourishing and protective hair care series for blondes, brunettes and grey-haired women. In contrast, redheads must usually make do with general protective hair care products for colour-treated hair. No doubt, it pays to use them anyhow. Generally, hair care products for colour-treated hair contain a particularly high concentration of nurturing and protectiveagents, such as anti-oxidants

Tip 4:

Henna is a topic for redheads. Whether it is suitable for the care of red hair depends on individual preferences. Chemist’s shops offer quite a few Henna shampoos and rinses. Traces of plant extracts in Henna are considered beneficial and may make red hair shinier

Tip 5:

As soon as the red hair fades between colour treatments you can use a colour rinse in the matching shade. The rinse maintains the brilliance of the red colour

Tip 6:

Use a weekly cure or hair treatment to keep the red pigments and the lustre in your hair. Different from conditioners, hair cures contain hair care ingredients, which actually penetrate the hair and can fill out gaps in the outer hair structure, the cuticle. As a result, the red pigments remain in the hair for a longer time

Tip 7:

Red hair attracts attention and noticeably contrasts with the attire. Split ends are therefore noticed. We therefore recommend cutting the ends of red hair at least every two months

Credit: Schwarzkopf

New Book: Mest Read! The Social Code

What's so special about it:  Every time a new crazy popular app comes out, it's hard not to wish you were the person who thought of the billion dollar idea! Sadie Hayes's novel, The Social Code explores the interesting world of Silicon Valley, where one great idea can change your life forever.

What it's about: Twins Adam and Amelia had it pretty rough growing up, being shuttled from foster home to foster home. But when they start college at Stanford University, they realize that one great idea can give them a life of wealth and power that they never even dared to imagine before. But how far will they go to get there? Everyone at Stanford wants to be the next Silicon Valley mogul and the competition is fierce! Adam and Amelia quickly learn that lying, cheating, and back-stabbing is just part of the game to get ahead. Will they buy into it? And when Amelia finds out about her priviledged roommate's dark, family secret, will she expose it or keep it quiet? You won't want to put this juicy page-turner down!

The Social Code came out September 3 and is available in bookstores everywhere.

Last Minute Fashion Emergencies Cheats

Advice from the pros for their most tried-and-true tricks for any — and I mean 

any — last-minute beauty or fashion emergencies

1. Chipped Nails

According to L.A.-based manicurist Jenna Hipp, if it's minor, dab a touch of rubbing alcohol directly on the area to remove oils, then follow with a spot of matching color over the chip. Two minutes later, apply a top coat. If you're prone to post-mani chips, Hipp recommends trying a nude shade that mimics skin (like HIPPxRGB Nail Foundation Nail Lacquer, $16) so it's less visible. "Steer clear of metallic and matte finishes that tend to accentuate imperfections and are harder to cover up."

2. Broken Heel

Unless you have some serious secret cobbling skills, fixing a broken heel requires professional attention. "Depending on the severity, an emergency tube of ShoeGoo can be a temporary solution," says Chassie Post, lifestyle editor at Gilt.com in NYC. "Otherwise, the stilettos have to come off." She always tucks a pair of roll-up flats in her purse, just in case.

3. Fallen Hem

Keep a roll of hairpiece tape handy. "It's called TopStick [$4, try wigwarehouse.com] and it's a stylist's best friend, responsible for keeping J.Lo in her dresses, RuPaul in his wigs, and repairing hems in a jiffy," Post explains. "If I don't have it on me, I use masking tape, duct tape, even a stapler [paint the staples black with a Sharpie] to fix a rogue hem." A paper clip works in a pinch, says Shopbop stylist Aya Kanai. "If it shows, just roll with it as part of the look."

4. Loose Button

If you don't have time to break out the sewing kit, a twist tie can also do wonders on small buttons — "remove paper, thread wire through the button, and twist the tie in back," says Post.

5. Migrating Makeup

When lipstick or eye products begin to run, Uzo, the bicoastal and international lead makeup stylist for Nars, suggests forgoing traditional removers and using a primer instead. "Removers have a tendency to wipe away the entire look rather than just fixing one area," she says. "Place a drop of oil-free primer on the edge of a Q-tip and gently swipe away migrating makeup." Or, Uzo adds, try a concealer. Blending in a small amount will correct a minor mess.

6. Deodorant Mark

No matter how fervently the label emphasizes its non-streaking ability, most deodorants leave a residue, particularly on dark clothing. In those instances, Gilt.com's Post reaches for baby wipes. "They always do the trick," she says. "Look for travel-size containers [available in most drugstores] so they fit in your purse."

7. Stuck Zipper

Don't panic and tug too hard on the fabric — that never ends well. Shopbop's Kanai suggests instead using a bar of soap: Rubbing it gently along the stuck zipper should do the trick.

8. Flat Hair

The quickest body booster is dry shampoo (try Naturia by René Furterer, $24). "Turn your head upside down and spray the scalp area with the product, brush through from root to end, then fluff," suggests Sean Davis of Manhattan salon Tosler Davis. "Flip hair back, style if necessary, and add a bit of hairspray."

9. Perfume Overload

If you've spritzed once too many — generally that means no more than one pump on each side of the neck and one on each wrist — Kilian Hennessy, founder of fragrance line By Kilian, says it's best to grab a washcloth and quickly wipe away excess scent from anywhere perfume was applied. If the scent remains intense, try an unscented soapy towel.

10. Clumpy Mascara

Avoid the issue by waiting for the first coat of mascara to dry before applying a second. Or, use a lash comb. "Start from the base of the lashes and wiggle through to the tips until they separate," suggests Uzo. If mascara has already completely dried, comb through with a wand that has been dipped in a capful of makeup remover. "Make sure it's oil-free; otherwise, additional emollients can interfere with the product's durability."

Credit: Marie Claire