Luxe Life NYC - Part 20

Barilla Restaurant: Drop Dead Gorgeous (And Authentic) Italian Food At Drop Dead Prices

April 15, 2017

When most of us think of Barilla, we think of Italy's #1 pasta in a box and most of us have it on our kitchen shelves at home. But did you know about their three impeccably clean and authentic NYC eateries? I recently visited the Herald Square location at 108 West 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh and was entirely…read more

Lifestyle

Samsung Welcomes Dacor To The Company–And They Have A Gala Dinner!

April 11, 2017

Wow, what an experience I had at the Samsung store in the Meatpacking District in mid-March. I got invited to a gala event featuring Hilaria & Alec Baldwin that helped the media get behind Samsung's recent acquisition of Dacor Appliances. As I walked in a half hour early thanks to the PR firm Talk To Current sending a car for…read more

Beauty

Why My Skin–And Heart–Belong To Dermalogica

April 8, 2017

Dermalogica has been around a long time but what makes them great in my opinion is that you can visit one of their salons, get a super-customized treatment just for your type and get products that are keyed in just for your skin type. You go back and the store's wonderful staff checks to see how your skin is doing…read more

Entertainment

Planning Ahead: The International Montreal Jazz Festival Is Coming June 28th To July 8th, 2017!

April 8, 2017

I was recently lucky enough to attend a private luncheon at NYC's famous Gramercy Park Tavern in honor of the Montreal International Jazz Fest's co-founder Andre Menard (who was just 24 when the fest was started)--and to announce this year's lineup. Now's the time to start planning your trip to the festival, taking place 6/28-7/8. It is the 38th year of…read more

Travel

RENO (AND TAHOE) 411–Put These Fun-Filled Towns On Your Bucket List!

April 5, 2017

As a journalist who has been in the business thirty-plus years and who have been on dozens of press trips, what do you think the best one has been? Well, every destination has something unique to offer but I fell in love with the "Biggest Little City In The World" feeling of Reno and the breathtaking scenery of Lake Tahoe.…read more

Beauty

The Angelo David Salon: Midtown’s Brightest Salon Star!

March 28, 2017

I have personally been to Angelo David on several occasions--for haircuts and blowouts with the wonderful stylist Ivy, for NYFW editor's lounges and even for the wonderful events that they do to help cure cancer via The Samuel Waxman Foundation. By the way, the latter is the greatest place on earth to get $20 blowouts--and all the money goes to…read more

Lifestyle

Lovin’ On Lavazza: The Legend Continues At A New Eatery Called Condividere

March 3, 2017

Everyone loves Lavazza because it gives you the real Italian coffee taste at home. Lavazza beans just have an aroma that rich, dark coffee lovers wish that they could smell 24/7! (Well, you probably could if you have a new pot going every hour on the hour, LOL!) If you are a coffee lover and plan on visiting Turin, Italy towards…read more

Lifestyle

Dinos In My Hair + A Delicious Breakfast!

February 15, 2017

I'm always on the lookout for great kids' events and I have a rockin' time at the recent kids party to promote Dinosaurs Living In My Hair! at Dylan's Candy Bar. Not only did author Jayne M. Rose-Vallee read to the party guests (who were mainly 2-7), but they got to decorate dino cookies, have a healthy breakfast and ask Rose-Vallee anything they…read more

Lifestyle

It’s Adoro Lei For Valentine’s Day 2017–And Beyond! You’ll ADORE It!

February 9, 2017

Pardon the play on words, but I just went to Adoro Lei right before Valentine's Day and sampled their $35 Three Course Valentine's Prix Fixe Dinner--and ADORED it! Most of these items were created by the chef just for Valentine's Day but you can get the Burrati, Pizza (which they call "Lover's Pie" for Valentine's Day) and Skirt Steak on…read more

Beauty

Ultimate NYC Matchmaker Samantha Daniels Tells All At Saks’ First Kiss Event!

February 8, 2017

I was so excited to go to the new downtown Saks at 225 Liberty Street and check out an exciting event for both consumers and beauty bloggers alike called First Kiss! Not only was the great YSL Beaute team out to suggest great first kiss colors (my favorite being the legendary Color #1 which is a classic blue-based red available…read more

Lifestyle

Dylan Lauren Lives The Sweet Life!

January 19, 2017

Dylan Lauren recently invited celeb, society and press pals to a party at the Union Square location of her legendary Dylan's Candy Bar to celebrate her getting on the cover of The Resident magazine. She is featured on the cover of the March issue along with her rescue dog Jersey and that comes as no surprise as she is a longtime supporter…read more

Entertainment

My First Fender Preview Event Was Rockin’ Hard!

January 19, 2017

The Fender Musical Instruments Corp folks did a special press preview in NYC at 22 Little West 12th Street in a private event space there before moving onto NAMM in Anaheim on January 19th. They now have offices close to the Mann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, so lots of axeman stop in to talk guitars and play the new ones…read more

Lifestyle

Coffeemania Is Much More Than World-Class Coffee And Tea Drinks–It’s Cutting Edge Russian/Modern American Fusion!

January 16, 2017

What a pleasant surprise I had when attending a press dinner at Coffeemania at 40th Street and Sixth Avenue last week. It is gorgeous and spacious (it used to be the site of a Staples store) and has a nice taste of Russian applied to many of the dishes as the owner is from Moscow and has 30 successful Coffeemania…read more

Entertainment

The Smithereens At BB King’s: Don’t Miss It!

January 9, 2017

Pardon the pun, but for 35 years, The Smithereens have somehow managed to stick around without falling into “bits and pieces” like other bands in the "classic rock" genre. They are pretty much intact (well, three quarters intact if you count the change in bass players from Mike Mesaros to Severo “The Thrilla” Jornacion about 10 years ago). They are a band that started with an…read more

Lifestyle

Bettola: An Upper West Side Progressive Italian That Will Have You Coming Back For More

December 20, 2016

I really enjoyed my recent trip to Bettola--while it does not quite count as a new eaterie (it has been in business 12 years), it came under new management and got a new chef back in May 2016...and he is not your usual kind of chef. Vlado Kolenic was a huge rock star in Czechoslavakia who defected to the US in…read more

Beauty

Celebrating The Launch Of A “Pure” Fragrance For The Sophisticated Lady!

December 14, 2016

I was lucky enough to attend the extravagant launch of Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey Pure in the Issey Miyake offices in early June and was blown away not obnly by the scent, but by the fact that there was an official "fragrance launch" dance done by a few very talented prima ballerinas before the guests got to sniff this gorgeous…read more

Lifestyle

Holiday Kids’ Gift Picks Under 80 Bucks!

December 13, 2016

Never Have I Ever is my favorite game of the past year--I won't mince words. While it tends to be for older kids due to some slightly adult subject matter (I would say it is for teens and adults), it is one of those games that you can't stop playing, like charades. The game is a card version of Truth Or…read more

Lifestyle

Karine & Jeff: The Best Organic French Cuisine For When You’re In A Hurry!

November 28, 2016

The famous chefs' saying is that authentic French cuisine cannot be made in the hurry--so why not let Karine & Jeff serve it to you in a glass jar or bottle and you just heat it up. I was lucky to meet their team at the French Food Week press preview at Fairway last month, and I was so impressed--their products…read more

Beauty

Gucci Cosmetics: A Luxury Line That I Immediately Fell In Love With

November 28, 2016

I was lucky enough to check out the new Gucci Cosmetics line at Saks during their September Beauty Week and was mesmerized by the display even before I got to check out the actual products. I had a great intro to the line through one of their head makeup artists Aaron Smith Henrikson, who has done work on celebs such…read more

Beauty

Dial Soap Is Still #1–And We Helped Them Celebrate With The Launch Of Four Nature-Inspired New Products!

November 28, 2016

I had a ton of fun at Dial's recent beauty blogger breakfast at New York Pilates at 262 Bowery on the Lower East Side. The space was beautiful and expansive and seemed to be a small factory that was converted to loft spaces that took up a whole floor each. Dial treated the 20 or so bloggers to a complementary session…read more

Entertainment

Dateline January 2017: The Smithereens At BB King’s Times Square–This Is A “Don’t Miss” Legendary Annual Show !

November 27, 2016

There is only one rock show I MUST go to every year, and that is The Smithereens annual hoe-down at BB King's in Times Square. It brings together fans from all over the globe to see one of the few classic rock bands that has only GOTTEN BETTER with time, staying try to their original power pop, slightly garage-y sound…read more

Travel

FIRST PORT OF CALL: PUERTO PLATA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON FATHOM’S FIRST SOCIAL IMPACT CRUISE, APRIL 2016

November 20, 2016

I was lucky enough to be invited on Fathom's one-week inaugural cruise to the Dominican Republic in late April. Fathom is one of the dozen or so cruise lines owned by Carnival, which as you probably know is the biggest cruise line in the world. What sets Fathom apart is that it is the brainchild of its president Tara Russell, a…read more

Travel

SPICE ISLAND BEACH RESORT: A Fantasy Five Star Diamond Resort Better Than Your Wildest Island Travel Dreams!

November 20, 2016

OK, I will just come out and say it--my five-night visit to Spice Island Beach Resort in Grand Anse, St. George, Grenada, was my greatest island vacation ever! This Five Star AAA Diamond and Six Star AAHS Resort Award Winner--one of only seven in the Caribbean--is the only truly family-owned hotel of this calibre. Sir Royston Hopkin and family run…read more

Beauty

Grande Lips: Plump Up Your Pout Without Any Pain

November 18, 2016

I was lucky enough to attend the recent Grande Lips launch in the West Village a few weeks ago and was so excited to test it on myself. It does was it promises giving a huge volumizing effect in only three to five minutes that lasts for hours. I think everyone knows that our lips loose fullness as we age,…read more

Lifestyle

Lala Sahab: Marvelously Modern Indian In A Simple Yet Elegant Setting!

November 15, 2016

I fell in love with Lala Sahab at 489 Columbus Avenue (between 83rd an 84th Streets) the minute I walked through the doors. It has a loft-life feel as it is one very long L-shaped room with simple modern decor. While the cuisine is officially dubbed "Modern Indian" by the owners, all the classics are here. I started out with…read more

Lifestyle

I Fell In Love With The Moto Z And Now I Can Kiss My Old BlackBerry Goodbye!

November 14, 2016

People have been laughing at me for not giving up my BlackBerry, which as you know, except the Priv cannot take on any of the Android apps that you really need. I was hooked on the Qwerty keypad and could not make the adjustment to any of the latest smartphones, so I carried around both a BlackBerry Q10 for typing…read more

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