Sculpt your curves with shapewear

By Michelle, 8 March, 2010, No Comment

Its Sunday afternoon and I am watching the Red Carpet special for the Oscars. I am always amazed at how perfect celebrities look in their dresses. I know that their dresses are custom made for their body, but I am fairly certain there is another layer of “help” under that dress. I am talking about shapewear.

Shapewear has really changed a lot in the last few years. Most every woman I know has heard of SPANX, but in recent years a number of different brands have shown up in stores promising women flattened tummies or smooth thighs. I personally have always shied away from traditional shapewear because frankly, it’s not particularly sexy, but there are times in which I would like a little “help” to smooth my tummy under a fitted top or dress. Lets be honest with ourselves, after 1 or 2 or more kids, we all could use a little something to comfortably pull in and flatten our midsection.

I recently discovered Yummie Tummie shapewear that is meant to be seen. The basic Yummie Tummie tank will smooth your tummy under form fitting tops and eliminate “muffin top.” Its a layering piece that can be worn with every day clothes or that special item. A few styles have lace trim added to them for a camisole that can peek out from a jacket or sweater.

As a compliment to their tank, they also have a beautiful lace boyshort panty that shapes the tush and smooths the outer thigh area. These are pieces that I know would flatter my shape and I would not hesitate to show off to my hubby. Now that is what I call sexy!

Love heels? Save your feet with insoles

By kristen, 5 March, 2010, No Comment

I love a nice pair of heels, they just don’t always love my feet. They look SO great, but why is it such torture to stand in them for any length of time? It’s a cruel joke on women, I’m telling you.

I’ve tried countless pairs of insoles, but I think I’ve found the perfect ones. I’m so excited about these insoles that I had to share them with all the high heel lovers out there! The best insoles I’ve found are Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles and are widely available. I purchased them at Target and they are fairly priced at around $8.00 a pair. Pretty cheap price for some major pain relief, I’d say!

The balls of your feet take the most abuse when you wear heels, normally resulting in sharp pains after standing for some time. These insoles work by shifting the weight from the ball of your foot to the heel. They are clear gel insoles, and are padded from your heel all the way forward to the balls of your foot. They are invisible, so you’ll never notice them–even in the strappiest sandals.

I recently wore these in 2 different pairs of heels that are 3 -3.5 inches high and I was in heaven! Normally, I am hurting after standing in heels for an hour. I lasted many hours with the help of these insoles. Take my word for it…these will make your high heels much more comfortable for a much longer time!

Dr. Scholls, if you’re listening, I could use a lifetime supply of these Dr. Scholl’s For Her High Heel Insoles! Please?

Bored with your look? Belt it!

By kristen, 3 March, 2010, No Comment

I’ve been a big fan of belted waists since I was pregnant with my first child. I wore a wide belt with a plain black dress, as to proudly show off my full belly. Since then, I’ve never stopped wearing belts. I’m not talking just a belt with your pants, though. Belts have come a long way in the fashion world–it seems to me that almost every outfit is better with a belt!

Belt your dresses! Belts takes any dress up a notch and gives it edge. Here’s a belted dress look I love on Ellen Page. It’s a simple shift dress, made sophisticated with a rock n roll edge with a shrunken leather jacket and belt. Nipping in your waist gives the illusion of an hourglass figure and works with so many dresses of all styles.

Here’s another look worn by Cameron Diaz, it’s a sweet, sophisticated white dress made sleek with a red patent leather belt and heels. The red belt makes the dress absolutely pop.

Belt your tops! Now that we’ve seen a couple of belted dresses, let’s check out a couple possibilities for belting a top. I love to wear skinny belts with a button down top with a pencil skirt or trousers for a more businesslike, yet ladylike, look. This photo of Michelle Trachtenberg shows a few trends, including a belted blouse, a boyfriend blazer and leggings. She looks modern, yet light in this stylish look.

This is a look I love for a longer top, such as a tunic. Take a wide belt on a longer tunic and wear it low-slung over your hips. It makes the outfit. Neve Campbell wears the top as a mini dress, but you can also pair it with leggings and flats, boots or heels to wear it as a top.

Belt your coats! Lastly, take a look at another option for your overcoat. This season, the trench coat is super hot. Pair it with a belt and it’s even better. I know that trench coats always come with the standard belt–time to think outside the box and create a super stylish look with a belt.

Nude is the new black…

By Michelle, 1 March, 2010, No Comment

Have you ever wondered what color of shoe to wear with a red dress or a vibrant, funky print? I just picked up this BCBG blue ink colored dress from Ruelala.com and while I suppose I could wear black pumps, it seems boring and would likely take away from the dress which really should be the focal point. A nude shoe is a great alternative to black because it gives the spotlight to the funky print or vibrant colored dress.

The nude pump or sandal is making a come back this Spring and for good reason. As most celebs have learned, the nude pump will provide your legs with the illusion of added length because of the continuous color all the way to the end of your feet.

Nude shoes don’t have to be boring either. I found a few types of nude shoes that I would be happy to add to my closet this season and by no means are they boring! The first is a nude patent leather pump with a stacked heel. This shoe is simple but the patent leather really jazzes it up. I found these pumps on DSW.com for $49.95. Great for any occasion, even jeans!

This pair of Charles David pumps from Zappos.com is a real show stopper with its reptile embossed leather and peep toe design. Your legs will look miles long in these! They are on the more expensive end of the spectrum but the classic color and design should hold up for many seasons should you decide to splurge.

Lastly, this shoe by Nine West at Nordstrom.com not only encompasses the nude trend but also features the caged platform look which is very hot for Spring. The caged shoe works well with both cropped pants and shorter skirts or dresses and will be a go-to shoe this season.

This Spring… don’t be afraid to go nude!

The dress for every woman–the wrap dress

By kristen, 26 February, 2010, No Comment

Diane Von Furstenberg invented it in the 1970’s, and it’s still a wardrobe classic that flatters ALL women. It shows off your best assets and hides your worst. What is it? The wrap dress! Can you believe THIS dress is from the 70’s? It is still all the rage in 2010! Now THAT’s what I call a classic.

The beauty of a wrap dress is that it emphasizes a woman’s curves–it nips in at the waist and flows over your hips. This creates the hourglass figure that we all desire. Wrap dresses come in many styles, colors and materials. You can be guaranteed that whatever style you choose, it will have staying power in your closet and will be your go to piece for years to come.

My personal fave is a polyester or jersey blend, as I HATE ironing and it’s almost impossible to wrinkle them. Plus, the jersey material is so comfortable and hugs your curves in a flattering way. I am showing the same dress in a misses’

. and also a plus size,
to show how flattering a wrap dress can be on any body style. This dress is by Alfani and is available on macys.com. It’s a great pricepoint at $89, so affordable and can be layered with a blazer or a cropped jean jacket, whatever your mood! Versatility is always great in clothing choices, and this dress has it.

This dress by Jones New York at macys.com is a nice formal selection. I love the color and would be an ideal choice for a cocktail party or a formal night out.

This flirty dress is by Max and Cleo, also at macys.com, is a beautiful robin’s egg color and would transition from day to night nicely.

Whatever your personal style, there is a wrap dress out there for you! Embrace your shape and enhance it with a wrap dress.

Cool Mama Style is an affiliate of macys.com.

And the Fantasy Jewelry Box WINNER is…

By kristen, 24 February, 2010, No Comment

Congratulations to Deanna G! You have won a $35 from Cool Mama Style and Fantasy Jewelry Box!

You can choose any item up to a $35 value and it’s yours! Please email us at info@coolmamastyle.com and we will get you your gift!

You’ll love receiving your little velvet bag in the mail. Even if you didn’t win, Fantasy Jewelry Boxis a great place to go for amazing pieces at affordable prices.

Thanks to all of our readers who participated in this giveaway! We hope to bring you more of this type of promotion in the future, but until then…

Thank you for reading Cool Mama Style, where all moms can find cool styles that you can relate to.

Kristen and Michelle

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FantasyJewelryBox.com Giveaway ends TONIGHT!

By Michelle, 23 February, 2010, No Comment

Ladies, you have only a few more hours to enter to win the $35 gift from FantasyJewelryBox.com. See below for the best way to enter!!

Mandatory Entry (You must do one of these before other entries):

1. Head over to FantasyJewelryBox.com and sign up for their emails
2. Leave a comment here saying that you signed up.

1. Fan CoolMamaStyle on Facebook (one entry each)! If you are already a fan, get a friend to fan us!
2. Leave a comment here saying that you signed up.

Extra Entries (Please leave a separate comment for each entry or it will not count):

a) Follow CoolMamaStyle on Bloglovin’.
b) Write a blog entry about this giveaway, linking back to this page or the
CoolMamaStyle.com homepage. For credit, leave a link to your post in the comments.

c) if you don’t have a blog, you can also leave a comment on the FantasyJewelryBox.com blog

d)Tweet the following message (up to 5x a day) and leave a comment for
each tweet: “I’d love to win a necklace from Fantasy Jewelry Box from @CoolMamaStyle! Ends 2/23!

e) Add Cool Mama Styleto your blogroll.
f) Use the “Share This” button at the bottom of this post to share this on
any Social/Bookmarking site (Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc) and comment
on where you shared.

Good luck!

Kristen and Michelle

Banana Republic After 5 Event – Today (2/23)!

By Michelle, 23 February, 2010, No Comment

The weather outside makes me feel as though it will be an eternity until Spring arrives and I can start wearing some of the fantastic items that are cropping up at my favorite stores. I am longing to pull out the sundresses and get a little sun on my white legs. I fell in love with the sundress this past Summer and I fully plan to add even more to my wardrobe this year. Dresses are a cool and comfortable option over pants or shorts and they are very easy to dress up or down. Not to mention, they make your outfit selection for the day effortless which can really help when you are rushing out the door in the morning.

Since I am so pumped for Spring you can imagine how very excited I was to see that Banana Republic will be having an After 5 Sale today starting at 5PM EST. They have a number of great Spring dresses and with the code BR25AFTER5, you can get 25% off $100 or more. I fully intend to pick up one or 2 of their dresses (shhh… don’t tell my hubby) this evening before the sale ends at 11:59pm EST. Now, let’s pray for good weather!

Binge or Bargain: The Spring Trench Coat

By Michelle, 22 February, 2010, No Comment

A trench coat is a classic, staple in a woman’s wardrobe and while I personally do not own one, it is on my seemingly long “must get” list for Spring. The classic trench coat is another one of those items in which you have to ask yourself, “how much should you really spend on something that should stand the test of time and be part of your wardrobe for years to come?”

In my search of trench coats for this Spring, I found prices ranging from the obscene , with the classic Burberry Coat for $1000(pictured here) to the extremely affordable BCX Satin Jacket for $30 at Macy’s.

For the longevity of your budget, I would suggest looking for a more affordable coat similar in style to the Burberry Coat here. Here are a few of my findings that I thought fit the bill. This first coat is a Kenneth Cole Black Trench that I found at Nordstrom for $118. Again this coat is refined and classic for work wardrobe but can also work well with capri pants or jeans.

For a more modern but classic look, I really like the metallic bronze trench from Halogen at Nordstrom for $138. I like this Bronze metallic because it’s similar in color to the traditional Khaki trench but the metallic threading adds a polished sheen for a bit more pizzazz.

Lastly, for a pop of color in your Spring Trench, you might take a closer look at this Turquoise Trench from Nick and Mo, also found at Nordstrom for $78. This jacket is a breath of fresh air for Spring and again is something that can be paired with a simple tee and jeans or dressed up with your Easter dress.

Keep an eye out at some of your favorite department stores like Macy’s or Nordstrom and even online discount sites like SmartBargains or Ruelala and I am sure you will find similar styles within your budget.

Are you mourning the loss of your Prescriptives cosmetics counter?

By Michelle, 19 February, 2010, No Comment

If you are someone that uses Prescriptives cosmetics, you may have noticed that your local beauty counter no longer exists. Prescriptives made the difficult decision to close its retail counters globally in January. The good news is that you can still stock up and purchase your favorite products online at Prescriptives.com until inventory runs out. As an added bonus, Prescriptives is offering Free Shipping on any order from now until 2.22.2010 with code FEBFREE!

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