Trends | Your Shopping Experience is About to Get Noisy at Vero Moda

October 28, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

Everyone’s favorite Danish retailer is introducing a new line of clothing! Yes, this Fall Vero Moda introduces Noisy May in its Middle Eastern and European stores.

So, what is this new line all about? And what does Vero Moda aim to achieve with it?

Noisy May is a new jeans based brand that aims to provide young fashionistas with the perfect pair of jeans. Stemming from the jeans concept, the line also includes tops, shorts, skirts, knits, jackets, and dresses. To sum it up, Vero Moda is targeting all denim lovers who want to stand out and have some edge. This where Noisy May comes in, offering edgy designs, while still maintaining a feminine aspect to them.

The brand believes that Noisy May will give its clients a new offering, thus enriching their shopping experience in the store. Fashionistas- who are jeans junkies at the core- can now mix and match different styles under the same roof to come up with a unique look.

I went through some of the items on their website and I must say the jeans are my favorite- I’m really into the whole distressed meets boyfriend jeans trend right now. Check out my favorite picks below!

Look out for Noisy May’s collection to hit Vero Moda stores near you this month!

Dining In Style | Celebrating World Pasta Day

October 25, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

Since it’s World Pasta Day today, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I have found the best pasta dish in the country!

No for real. For over a year now, I’ve been going to Signor Sassi to enjoy their succulent Spaghetti Pomodoro with basil leaves. This extremely simple dish is so delicious that I’ve never ordered anything else in this Italian restaurant by the bay. The cherry tomatoes are perfectly cooked, but still taste fresh and the spaghetti is perfectly aldenté.

Sprinkle some Parmigiano Reggiano on the pasta and wash it down with the restaurant’s signature Italian white wine for a true Italian experience.

But leave some space for their tasty desserts; we had the crepes stuffed with creme and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Yum!

Signor Sassi is a great location for a cozy dinner with a special date on the weekend or a big family gathering on Sunday. Great service, excellent food, and a truly dedicated Italian manager. Dine al fresco for a view of the bay or choose a table inside and enjoy the soft Italian music.

Signor Sassi is located in Zaitunay Bay. Call 01 369 930 for your reservations.

Trends | A Blast From the Past: You’ll Never Guess who the new Face of Chanel No. 5 Is!

October 21, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

51 years following her death, Marilyn Monroe’s legacy still lives on! Yes, one of Hollywood’s late pinup girls has been chosen by Chanel as the new face of the brand’s Chanel No. 5 fragrance Fall campaign.

The brand just released the print version of the campaign (a video will soon follow) featuring a picture of Marilyn Monroe seductively carrying a bottle of the perfume. The picture was taken by photographer Ed Feingersh.

First introduced in 1921 by Gabrielle Chanel, who said that she wanted to create a “woman’s fragrance that smells like a woman”.

Past celebrity endorsers for perfume include Audrey Tautou, Brad Pitt in 2012, and Nicole Kidman following her mega success in Moulin Rouge.

So why Monroe? It turns out that the star was a big fan of the fragrance, even telling George Belmont, Marie Claire’s then Editor in Chief, “You know, they ask me questions. Just an example : “What do you wear to bed ? A pyjama top ? The bottoms of the pajamas? A nightgown?” So I said, “CHANEL No.5,” because it’s the truth… And yet, I don’t want to say “nude”. But it’s the truth.”

Sounds like a good enough reason to be chosen as the face of one of the world’s most iconic fragrances!

All Images are courtesy of Chanel.com and Google.

Dining in Style | Holiday Breakfast at Shakespeare & Co.

October 19, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

To celebrate the Adha holiday break this past Tuesday, Ralph and I decided to go out for a late breakfast in the October sunshine. I had been to Shakespeare & Co. right after in opened and honestly, the experience was less than good. However, I recently heard from a few friends that their breakfast is quite a good one, so we headed there to check it out for ourselves.

We arrived at Shakespeare in Dbayeh shortly after 11 AM; the place has a large indoor area as well as a charming outdoor venue with old English garden furniture and is decorated with green flowers and plants here and there. I thought that sitting outside would be noisy with the cars buzzing on the nearby highway, but it was actually very quiet and peaceful.

Shakespeare offers a variety of items for breakfast; pancakes and manakeesh are available and you can get almost any style of eggs that you can imagine. Ralph went for the salmon eggs which is basically a rich salmon and egg mix laid on two English muffins and served with baked potatoes and Hollandaise sauce.

I went for the Arabic breakfast combo; for around 20,000 LBP you can enjoy Labneh, grilled Halloumi, a few cubes of Halawa and a choice of Zaatar or cheese saj served with veggies. You also get a juice of your choice along with coffee or tea. Not a bad deal at all and a good meal in general, although I might recommend replacing the Arabic bread with fresh saj bread.

Our experience was a good one in general; I would love to return for another breakfast or maybe try them again for lunch or dinner, but I would really recommend that they train their staff more; they sure need to smile and be more courteous to their guests!

Trends | Victoria’s Secret Reveals this Year’s Royal Fantasy Bra

October 18, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

Every year, Victoria’s Secret takes it upon itself to create a multi-million dollar stunning bra made of the world’s most coveted jewels and shows it off during its annual VS Fashion Show.

Victoria’s Secret finally released an image of the stunning Royal Fantasy Bra, modeled this year by one of the brand’s most popular Angels, Candice Swanepoel.

Designed by international Lebanese jeweler Mouawad, the $10 million bra is made of 4,200 precious gems from all around the world including rubies, diamonds, yellow sapphires, all set in 18 carat gold. It also features a 52 carat pear shaped ruby in the center.

Simply put, it is a fantasy indeed!

Spotted! | Level is Every Girl’s Shoe Fantasy Come True!

October 17, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

On trip to Dubai last month, I had some time to finally visit the much talked about Level Shoe District, a department store introduced by the infamous Chalhoub Group in the Dubai Mall that is fully dedicated to shoes.

With multiple entry points, you really can’t miss this boutique that houses footwear from international designers including Chanel, Louboutin, Dior, Kate Spade, Miu Miu, Paul Smith, and the list goes on!

The displays are also impressive; an attractive light show in the Lacoste section, Louboutins displayed in a gold cage, and a shoe “fitting room”- yes, you can take all the pairs of shoes you wish to try on to a private room, complete with magazines and comfy sofas and spend hours picking the perfect pair (or two ;))

And if you get overwhelmed by all the shoe mania, you can always take a break in the Boutique’s trendy Vogue Café before you resume your shopping.

Level is also pretty active on social media and Instagram specifically. I for one get up every day and receive my daily dose of Nicholas Kirkwood’s designs which are enough to get me through any hectic morning!

Check it out for yourself www.levelshoedistrict.com

Dining in Style at the Fashionable Cavalli Caffé

October 16, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla 4 Comments

Cavalli Caffé opened almost a year ago in Downtown Beirut, but I actually didn’t have time to check it out until one rainy night this past September.

While the weather was going completely crazy on a Tuesday night, we decided to drop by for an impromptu dinner. Well all you need to know is that the place screams “Cavalli” – from the furniture to the chandeliers and not forgetting the portraits on the wall, the place completely embodies the Italian designer.

I loved that the restaurant was kind of empty; it made the experience more private and the atmosphere less noisy. We took our seats on a Zebra themed couch that was comfortable and cozy and started sifting through the menu. The dishes are mostly international; you can find a variety of starters, salads, sandwiches, mains, and desserts.

We ordered two glasses of what turned out to be a delicious Italian white wine and we chose the tomato bruschetta as a starter which was really tasty, but if you’re on a date, you may want to skip it since it contains a lot of onion.

For our main course, Ralph chose the Cavalli Entrecote complete with impeccably stacked French fries and fresh steamed vegetables. I must say that the portion was a pretty good one and the steak turned out to be pretty tasty! As for me, well I was delighted to find out that the Chef can cook almost any kind of Risotto of my choice, so I went for my favorite; safron Risotto with grilled shrimps.

We enjoyed our dinner as we talked and looked around the place taking in everything Cavalli. Every detail was considered in making this place what it is; the spotless utensils, the plates with the Zebra motif on them, even the chocolate squares were individually monogrammed with the venue’s logo.

As for the dessert, well I can honestly say that I found the best profiteroles in the country! The soft profiteroles were filled with yummy chocolate and vanilla ice cream and drizzled with the tastiest chocolate fudge that made every bite even better than the one before!

To sum it up, if you’re looking for a place to spend a quiet evening with a special someone, then Cavalli Caffé is the place to go to. The generosity, tasty dishes, friendly service, and overall atmosphere will make you want to come back and score major points with your date

Trends | Elie Saab’s Lace Garden

October 7, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

In between inking a deal with Evian for 2014 last week, Elie Saab found some time to showcase his stunning Ready to Wear Spring Summer 2014 collection at the Jardins des Tuilleries, as part of Paris Fashion Week.

Following the amazing Royal Affair Autumn Winter 2013 collection, Saab draws inspiration from nature and accentuates it with dazzling lace details. Vibrant Spring colors included white, soft rose, greens, blues, and new take on florals that made the trend seem more youthful.

Classy evening dresses were shown in the designer’s signature black with sexy and structured placements of lace all over as well as fully beaded gowns that added an edge to the whimsical collection.

You can check out more from the collection on Elie Saab’s Facebook fan page.

Trends | Fall for Fall’s Hottest Trends!

October 4, 2013 Carmel+Vanilla Leave a comment

I’m so proud to say that Carmel + Vanilla had its first feature in an Arabic publication yesterday! Reine Bou Moussa- who is a journalist for Nahar Al Shabab interviewed me a few weeks back and we talked about my love for fashion and how Carmel + Vanilla came to be, among other things. I also contributed with an article for the publication that discussed Fall’s latest trends.

In case you missed it, click here to read the feature and check out an extended version of my article below

With Summer 2013 clearly coming to an end, it’s time for us to focus on Fall and uncover its trends. Follow my tips and tricks for looking fashionably stunning this upcoming season!

Eye-Catching Coats:

Make a statement this Fall with trendy coats; fur, over sized parkas, and strong leather pieces are sure to get you attention. When opting to wear a certain style, remember to consider the rest of your outfit. So let your coat take center stage and keep the other pieces simple!

Classy Classics:

Spring and Summer were all about the floral print. This Fall, replace this trend with more classic prints such as Houndstooth. Known to be a designer favorite, this print is office appropriate and also fashionable for an evening drinks and dinner with friends or colleagues. Own this classic look like a lady this season!

Lovely Leopards:

The leopard print seems to never go away and yes the Fall runways were still buzzing with it; feel free to try it in classic brown and black. Feeling more confident about this trend? Then go for it in striking colors such as pinks and reds! Remember that the trick to nailing a leopard look is not to overdo it, so incorporate one piece (blouse, skirt, or shoes) into your outfit.

Model Cara Delevingne wearing the Leopard trend for DKNY

Emerald Queen:

If you haven’t heard yet, emerald was announced as the official color of 2013 late last year, which explains its excess appearance on the runways! Emerald is a great color that compliments almost all skin tones; wear it alone or mix it up with white or jewel tones to make a fashionable statement. You can also incorporate emerald into your wardrobe through eye-catching accessories; a structured bag or a pair of sexy stilettos will take you far this Fall.

White Chance:

We all start reaching for dark colors once the weather starts getting cold, don’t we? Newsflash: white is a classy and comforting color to wear during the colder months of the year. So make sure to include a white cashmere coat, a flirty LWD (Little White Dress), or even a pair of furry white boots to your Fall shopping list. To nail this look, opt for designs that are structured and fit your body; leave the loose and flouncy designs for next Summer!

I hope these tips add some glamour to your wardrobe this Fall! Trends aside, always remember to choose items that match your personal style and compliment your body shape. Happy shopping!

Carmel and Vanilla

Monthly Archives: October 2013