Bags

Tina Craig
Front is the new back. And pack is the new bag. When it comes to casual dressing, the latest celeb bag trend isn’t just the roomy backpack, from the classic and quilted to the rugged and safari-inspired. It’s carrying your backpack in the front. Think 360° and use the straps to your full advantage. Also, use your hands. While the appeal of the backpack has long been in its capacity to free you up, now is the time to take a hands-on approach.
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Tina Craig
Joseph Altuzarra is one of those uncommon designers who consistently and instinctively knows what women want to wear, whether it’s shearling bomber jackets, celeb-favorite fringed hobo Ghianda bags, crinkled linen dresses, or racy laced knee-high boots. Personally, I like to attribute it to the stylish Chinese women he’s surrounded by - his mother, cousin Lily Kwang, and grandmother, who hails from Shanghai like mine. In addition to being superbly talented, Joseph is the most well-mannered boy. He's a Chinese mama's dream!
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Bags

Tina Craig
Back in January of 1993, a company launched that would go on to become one of America’s leading handbag brands. That company was Kate Spade. Founders Kate and husband Andy Spade left the über-successful business in 2007 and have now gone on with two former Kate Spade colleagues to launch Frances Valentine, a design house with an eye for playful, feminine style. She is so committed to it that she’s even changed her last name from Spade to Valentine (though it’s worth noting that the latter is a family name; her grandfather's middle name, to be exact)! That’s some dedication. I once saw the two of them speak at an Amex forum and was very impressed with their story, so it was lovely to talk with her personally about what to expect from the new NYC-based studio. If you saw my post on the best beach totes, you know I’m already a fan!
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Tina Craig
‘Tis the season of the espadrille! With acutely-modern metallic leather Guccis and pompom-accented Aquazzuras, it’s easy to forget just how long this shoe has been around. The style dates back 4,000 years. Some of its best iterations come from Pyrenean Catalonia (Spain – France) and the Occitania region, where the footwear has been made since the 14th century. While the term “espadrille” is French, it has roots in the Catalan language, deriving its meaning from espart, a tough Mediterranean grass used to make rope. Clearly, today's designers have a rich history to draw upon, and they’ve immersed themselves in it to create some of the most gorgeous espadrilles yet. Whether you like yours embroidered or crafted from classic canvas, flat or towering, inexpensive or investment-worthy, there’s no shortage of shoes to pick up for summer!
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Beauty

Tina Craig
We all know what ingrowns look like - "unsightly" red bumps that many of us get after we wax, shave, sugar, thread, or pluck our bikini-area. As if wearing a bikini isn't stressful enough! What many people don't know is why they actually happen. They happen anytime hair grows back into the skin instead of up and out to the surface, and according to Dr. Neal Schultz, NYC dermatologist, host of DermTV.com, and creator of BeautyRx by Dr. Schultz, they're more likely to occur if you have curly or wiry hair. He also notes that just like the blemishes that pop up on our faces, picking them will make them way worse! I've never actually attempted to pick at them on my own, though there are countless Youtube videos of people doing just that (again, Dr. Schultz warns NEVER to do this), but when I wax, the lady who does it removes them for me (at least some of them...), which does help.
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