Team Louboutin vs. Team YSL

Two of fashions hautest names are exchanging jabs in court. Get the courtroom play by play here.

Countdown to Car-mageddon! = HOT Deals on Shopping, Dining & MORE!

For those of you outside of the L.A. area you're probably wonderin' what the heck I'm talking about. Well, the city of Los Angeles has decided to shut down a 10-mile stretch of the 405 freeway this weekend. Any1 familiar w/ Los Angeles knows about the torturous traffic-ridden freeway which is a main & vital artery to navigating this expansive city. Angelenos are in sheer panic over this ordeal. On a good day you can spend hours in bumper to bumper traffic just to drive the exact 10 miles that will be shut down so one can only imagine how awful this is going to be. And the city's best advice...(drum roll) STAY HOME! HA!!!! LOL! Like really? That's the best the gov't can offer! And of course this weekend I begin a project in the OC which is located where...(surprise) off the 405.

In the wake of disaster, one of my fave airlines JetBlue offered a glimmer of cheer by offering $4 YES that's $4 flights from Burbank to Long Beach. I would have jumped on it immediately, but of course I was 15 minutes too late. The tix sold out in hours! This is gonna be VERY interesting.

To cop your own "Carmageddon" swag, phone app (ridiculous), find out about other cool alternatives like air taxis & helicopter tours of the empty 405 & learn about amazing "Carmageddon" deal offers, like 5-star meals for $4.05 CLICK HERE & HERE.



Say a special prayer for every1 in SoCal this weekend...

"Real Housewife" Taylor Armstrong Joins BeautyTicket.com

Last night on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live," (following the dramatic season finale of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - I'm obsessed!) cast member Taylor Armstrong let us all know that she's got beauty AND brains. Unlike many of the other housewives (from all the franchises) Taylor has a new 9 to 5 as Chief Creative Director for BeautyTicket.com. Now if you recall we were JUST singing praises about this site. Check it out!

Lanvin + H&M Invasion Only a Few Days Away & Benefiting UNICEF

With Black Friday only a week & some change away, urbanistas are getting warmed up by hitting up H&M this Saturday when Lanvin's highly anticipated affordable collection hits select store locations. Check out the fashion feast here.

Also, Lanvin has decided to auction off 25 haute couture, one-of-a-kind versions of the popular crossover fashions in the name of UNICEF via online auction. For deets on this, check out Fashionista.com

Conspicuous Consumption: The World's First $1 Billion Home

Some say, "if you've got it, flaunt it" or more recently, "it ain't trickin' if you've got it." But others are outraged that India's richest man has built the world's most expensive home just miles away from the extremely poverty-stricken areas of Mumbai.

Mukesh Ambani, his wife & their 3 children will soon move into this 37,000 sq foot home which includes a 27-story monolithic structure complete with three helipads, a health club, dance studio, ballroom, 50-seat movie theater and underground parking lot for 160 cars.


What do you think? Is it his prerogative, somewhat obnoxious or downright obscene?

Source

This Gives Gold-Digging a New Meaning!

What the...

Ever wonder how safe it is to wear jeans more than once w/o washing them? Or why only some farts reak? Or why you get turned on when you're breast feeding? (yeah...I had no idea)"Health Magazine" Medical Editor Dr. Roshini Raj is answering these & other awkward questions in her new book, "What the Yuck?"

To avoid the embarrassment of asking these questions out loud get your copy HERE.

Equal Opportunity Marriage: Are you down with the Swirl?

No, I'm not talking about the overturning of Prop 8 (but I did do a victory dance last night). Not sure where I was when this was first reported in June, but I was very surprised (yet not) to learn that interracial marriage in the U.S. is at an all-time high! 14.6% of all new marriages in the U.S. in 2008 were between people of a different race or ethnicity. I find this very interesting in a country where in some parts I'm still referred to as "colored." Now anyone who knows me knows that I've ALWAYS been an equal opportunity dater. And I don't buy into the hype that there's a disproportionate amount of good eligible black men in the world. I know too many good ones. Now I will say that I've noticed a large increase in the number of brothas who are opting to date outside of the race. Love is blind, but 22% of black men who wed in '08 married outside their race. That's more than 1/5 versus the 9% of black women did the same. What's really good? Is there a reason for the "mass exodus" or is it simply that color lines are finally being erased?

Shopping Diets: Wear 6 Items or Less for a month?

So there's a new global movement to encourage people to go on "shopping diets" to "tame the urge to buy."Tamsin Davies of London (pictured above) and her friend Heidi Hackemer, a Manhattan advertising executive, wore just six items of clothing for a month.

Ok, now I'm all for "trimming the fat" but not sure if I could ever do this. I don't know, maybe b/c I think it's just downright triflin. Now you know these folks weren't washing the six items after every wear. I ain't buying that. There's 7 days in a week so can you at least make the restriction enough items to not have to repeat pieces in the same week? I'm just saying... But if you have the willpower & due diligence to do laundry EVERY night then go for it! Let me know how that works out for you...

Peep the vid for more deets:

Gluten for punishment

Greetings urbanistas & urbanistos...just wanted to share this interesting article on the harmful effects of gluten. Ch-check it out!

How You Can Help Nashville Flood Victims

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! As a Nashvillian, I'm devastated watching the coverage of the severe flooding in the Nashville area. It's time to do what we do best & that's extending a helping hand to those in need. To find out what you can do, please CLICK HERE. The Volunteer State needs our help!

M.I.A.'s new vid

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Check out M.I.A.'s new video. Directed by Romain-Gavras, it's provocative & disturbing the best way. It makes all the other videos focused on "Beamer, Benz or Bentley" seem downright ridiculous!

Vanity (UN)Fair "New H-wood" Issue Stirs Controversy

Vanity Fair's latest "New Hollywood" issue has many concerned due to the lack of diversity among the featured upcoming & up starlets. Check out this perspective on the situation & then speak on it.

Haute Beauty Trend: the Matte Mani

The latest haute beauty trend is the "matte manicure." From Kim K. to every other A-lister hitting up the upcoming NY Fashion Week, fashionistas everywhere are rocking matte nails. But you don't have to throw out all your shiny polish to get the look. Check out this vid to find out how to go from shiny to matte chic:

UPDATE: How You Can Send Immediate Supplies to Haiti

***UPDATE*** Check out this news piece on the Love a Child clinic then read below to find out what you can do to help...


LOVE A CHILD is a Christian humanitarian organization in the Port-Au-Prince area that operates an orphanage. They are posting updates to their website as often as possible to update the world on the still very dire conditions in Haiti. Currently their medical clinic is treating earthquake victims, but they are in desperate need of supplies. They are asking people to send supplies including:

*Band-aids
*Washcloths
*Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
*Dental Floss
*Deodorant
*Shoes/Flip flops
*Large t-shirts
*Non-perishable foods
*Multi-vitamins
*Tylenol
and MUCH, MUCH more...For a complete list of immediate supply needs please CLICK HERE.

Mail supplies to:

Love A Child, Inc.
Attn: Mike Essman – Haiti Earthquake Medical Donation
9304 Camden Field Parkway
Riverview, FL 33578-0520

*Please print your name, address and phone number on a piece of paper and place it inside each box sent.

You don't have to go out & spend a lot of $$$ on supplies to send. Just look around your house. If nothing else we all have t-shirts, shoes, etc. that we hardly, if ever, wear. I'm packing a box to send today. Since I'm visiting my parents, I'm raiding my mom's cabinets. I can't tell you how many vital supplies I've found that are just sitting around (some hasn't even been opened). She honestly won't even miss. In fact, I probably won't even tell her what I took - bet $$$ she won't even blink twice! So please, please get a box together today with a group of friends, neighbors, church members or co-workers and mail it no later than tomorrow. Remember Monday is Martin Luther King Day so post offices will be closed.

How YOU Can Help w/ Disaster Relief in Haiti

As you can see from the video above, rescue/emergency aid workers from all over the U.S. are quickly mobilizing to get to Haiti. Unless you've been hiding under a rock in the Sahara you should be aware of the devastating situation currently unfolding in Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake shook the Port-au-Prince area. For the full story please CLICK HERE. Yes, we all need to pray for those affected, but we can do more than pray. Put your $$$ where your mouth is to help assist with relief efforts. Unfortuately, we can't all physically go and lend a helping hand BUT we can make a small monetary contribution, which will help in major way. There are several ways to donate:

1. Red Cross - Text the word "HAITI" to 90999 & $10 will automatically donated to Red Cross (the donation will be charged to your next phone bill) or CLICK HERE

2. Wyclef Jean's "Yele" Org - Text the word "YELE" to 501 501 & $5 will be donated (again, the donation will be charged to your next phone bill)

3. Habitat for Humanity - Habitat is working to establish shelters for the many who are now homeless in Haiti. CLICK HERE TO DONATE

4. Save the Children - Donations will help provide urgently needed medical attention, safe drinking water, and other necessities.CLICK HERE TO DONATE

For a list of other ways you can help CLICK HERE.

Kim Kardashian Smells...

What doesn't this chick have? But she's just too darn cute to hate on. Don't front like you don't watch the reality show... Anywho, Kim K. is expanding her growing empire with a new signature fragrance that includes notes of tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, jacaranda wood, and more. The scent hits Sephora exclusively in Feb. and prices range from $16 for a rollerball wand of the perfume to $65 for a deluxe bottle.

"Sex And The City 2" Trailer!!!

Urbanistas, it's the most we've been waiting for since 5.08. Here's the first trailer for "Sex & the City 2." Get your best cosmo glasses ready now b/c on 5.28.10 when "SATC 2" hits theaters. For the love of all things SJP, start planning your haute wardrobe ensembles for the occasion NOW.

These Shoes Were NOT Made for Walking

The father of the now signature red-heeled shoe Christian Louboutin collaborated with champagne-maker Piper Heidsieck to create “Le Rituel” which is a crystal flute in the shape of a stiletto that accompanies a bottle of bubbly in a box that sells for $500. Believe it or not, but this concept has historical significane. Louboutin says he was inspired by Russian tourists in 19th-century Paris, who would drink vodka out of ballerina slippers to celebrate a ballerina's performance. You learn something new every day. Who knew? So for all of you showstoppers who'll be popping bottles on NYE, here's a sure way to ring in 2010 on a HAUTE note.



SOURCE

Real Houswives Spin-off => Real Gay Men?? + Hollywood Househubbies Hit the Small Screen

Three posts in one day? Chile I'm setting a new record! But this info was just too juicy to sit on. If you're a die-hard fan of Bravo's Real Housewives franchise (Team Lisa & Nene over here!) then you will LOVE this...according to GAWKER.COM the creative minds behind the franchise are looking to produce a gay version of the TV hit. Gubbies (gay hubbies) + fabulosity + drama = MUST SEE TV!!! And for those of you who grew up watching "A Different World" like moi don't forget to set your DVR for the premiere of Househusbands of Hollywood this Sat.on FOX Reality channel to see Dwayne Wayne's BFF Ron (Darryl Bell) taking orders from his boo Tempestt Bledsoe aka Vanessa Huxtable. Or peep the 1st episode below: