Summer Glam: Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez sizzles in swimwear in Vogue and ads for L'Oreal Sublime. The singer opens up behind the scenes of the Vogue shoot and talk about maintaining her curves and being happy with her body at different sizes.

Recently EverSoPopular asked J.Lo about her summer skin care. La Lopez stressed the importance of sun safety. 

“Protection from the sun is so important … I’m obsessed with the Sublime Sun collection because it not only has broad-spectrum protection but also comes in light and luxurious textures.” - Jennifer Lopez

Model Latina: South Beach Spolier Alert!!!

On last night's episode of MODEL LATINA: SOUTH BEACH the girls got hot and sexy with international superstar and Model Latina judge Carlos Ponce. 

The girls were thrilled to have the opportunity to model with the gorgeous Carlos Ponce. After boarding a yacht, the girls had to portray sexiness while managing to keep their anxiety and giddiness to a minimum. Set aboard the yacht, the girls used beautiful South Beach to try and capture photographs that would impress the judges. Meanwhile, cattiness amongst the girls continued to rise as they became more and more irritated with the lack of elimination last week.

Unfortunately for Cindy and Maytee, the judges felt that their photographs lacked a connection with male model Carlos Ponce. Unable to escape elimination, after being in the bottom for a second time Maytee was send packing. 

However, in a surprising twist, Cindy was sent packing as well in an emotional judge’s panel.

After failing to portray a sensual and appealing photograph Cindy and Maytee were sent home, making this another double elimination.

7 Ways to Save on Wedding Registry Gifts

Summer is wedding season and this year, no one knows that better than me. I'm in two weddings and attending four more, making my weekends all about dress fittings and bachelorette parties. In addition to traveling around the country -- Florida, California and New York -- I also need to budget for six wedding gifts.

Gift registries make this part of the process easy, but shipping costs and indecision often contribute to a stressful experience. Consider these seven ways to save on wedding gifts, six of which I'll definitely be using this season.

1. Buy a group gift with friends.
Most of my friends already have the small household items that comprise traditional registries. If this sounds familiar, consider going in on a pricey gift with friends. Not only will you be getting the couple something they really need, but you may end up spending less in the long run. Edivvy.com makes it easy to organize the group gift without the hassle of calling around and coordinating payment.

2. Shop discount retailers.
If your friends are registered for Cuisinart pans or Kitchenaid cooking utensils, find them for less at such discount retailers as Ross, Marshall's or HomeGoods. You can also find things like cookbooks, picture frames and bath essentials for a fraction of department store prices.

3. Look for coupons.
Macy's is the go-to registry for most brides, so I was pleased to find a coupon for $20 off $100 worth of registry items on CouponSherpa. Luckily, you don't need registry-specific coupons to save on your purchase, so search the Web before clicking "submit."

4. Frame the wedding invitation.
Brides and the occasional groom spend lots of time and money creating the wedding invitation, only to distribute them to others. Make it into a creative keepsake by framing it. You can even buy a double frame with space for the couple's favorite wedding portrait for an added touch.

5. DIY - literally.
Are you handy, artistic or gastronomic? Consider a gift you can give based on your own business or skills. Paint a painting for their new home, offer your makeup or hair artistry skills to the bride, or bake the wedding cake. Your friend will be grateful for both the thoughtful gift and for cutting down her expenses.

6. Use (or give) discount gift cards.
Gift cards are much appreciated by modern couples and are often found at the bottom of registries. Click here to avoid paying full price for these versatile gifts by comparing discounts on cards to retailers, restaurants and other establishments. If you'd still prefer purchasing a tangible gift from the registry, purchase a discount gift card for yourself to offset the cost.

7. Shop for daily deals.
If you know the person well enough, you can get away with using the registry as inspiration for the right gift at the right price. For example, one of my friends registered for a set of chef knives that I know won't last. That's why I was thrilled to find a great set of premium chef knives for 60-percent off at one of the daily deal sites I'm subscribed to. Check out Groupon, LivingSocial or Seize the Deal for daily offers.

Music Monday: Happy Birthday Paul McCartney

The Nike US Track and Field uniforms for Summer 2012 London Olympics

This summer US Track & Field athletes will be able take advantage of groundbreaking performance innovation: Nike has continuously evolved its Project Swift apparel, with the goal of maximizing athlete velocity. Incorporating over 1,000 hours of wind tunnel testing and insights from some of the fastest athletes in the world, the new Nike Pro TurboSpeed collection is not only Nike’s swiftest track apparel to date, it is also the most sustainable.

Nike Global Olympic Creative Director Martin Lotti comments: “Our overriding design principle is superior lightweight performance, and we’ve created innovations that can help make the athlete faster. For the UST&F team, we’ve incorporated modern graphics and bold colors that reflect US national identity. Combined with the fact that every piece of apparel is made from recycled plastic bottles, it adds up to true innovation.”

Zoned Aerodynamics: Just as a golf ball’s dimples are designed to help it go farther and faster, NIKE uses a similar idea to help reduce the aerodynamic drag of the athlete. Using revolutionary Nike AeroSwift technology, patterns and surface architectures informed directly by wind tunnel data are strategically placed on key areas of the athlete’s form. The result offers the greatest aerodynamic drag reduction of any NIKE uniform to date.

Minimized Distraction: Promoting focus by eliminating distractions, this new generation of Project Swift employs the new technology Nike AeroSwift to keep the interior surface of Nike Pro TurboSpeed as smooth, even and uninterrupted as possible. By placing elastics and edge finishes on the outside of the garment and incorporating an innovative flat, smooth waistband, bulkiness and abrasions are virtually eliminated.

Nike Pro TurboSpeed: Nike’s fastest ever: Based on wind tunnel data, it is up to 0.023 seconds faster over 100m than Nike’s previous track uniform.

Environmental Sustainability: Reflecting the NIKE commitment to considered design, Nike Pro TurboSpeed merges sustainability and performance. Uniforms in the Nike Pro TurboSpeed collection use an average of 82% recycled polyester fabric and up to an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles.

Superior Lightweight Performance: Specific products have been developed for distance, sprint, and field events while strategic color blocking is used to visually capture movement. Specifically for women, NIKE has developed a new approach to modular support, creating specific solutions for the distance, sprint, and field athlete, each offering a different degree of support and adjustability, and integrating Dri-FIT moisture management and premium quality detailing throughout.

Nothing But Net With Kevin Durant

All the excitment of the NBA playoffs has me craving more basketball. This weekend I'll be checking out the MTV original sports documentary “Nothing But Net” this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV2.

My friends at MTV sent over some previews. Two of the clips feature NBA finalist and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant interacting with the Douglass High School basketball team in Oklahoma City as they attempt to make school history and win a state championship. The other features the New York Knicks’ Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler with Wadleigh High School in New York City’s Harlem. Durant and Chandler provide motivation and inspiration on the hardwood while imparting wisdom on maintaining life off the court to the young players chasing their state championship titles.   Nothing But Net: Bowling With Kevin Durant KD teaches the Douglass team how to take it to the lane, the bowling lane that is. Watch the Nothing But Net finale Sunday, June 17th 1p/12c.   http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/791310/nothing-but-net-bowling-with-kevin-durant.jhtml#series=2216&seriesId=38688&channelId=1&id=1686647  

Get More: Nothing But Net, Full Episodes

  Nothing But Net: Kevin Durant As Referee Kevin Durant refs a competitive Douglass pick-up game. Watch the Nothing But Net finale Sunday, June 17th 1p/12c.   http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/791309/nothing-but-net-kevin-durant-as-referee.jhtml#series=2216&seriesId=38688&channelId=1&id=1686647  

Get More: Nothing But Net, Full Episodes

  Nothing But Net: Surprise! It's Tyson Chandler New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler surprises a stunned Wadleigh team and shares some words of wisdom. Watch the finale of Nothing But Net Sunday, June 17th 1p/12c.   http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/791307/nothing-but-net-surprise-its-tyson-chandler.jhtml#series=2216&seriesId=38688&channelId=1&id=1686647  

Get More: Nothing But Net, Full Episodes

What to Get for Grandpa this Fathers Day

Grandpa is the one who says "yes" when Mom and Dad say "no." He's always eager to hear from you, whether you're babbling incoherent nonsense as a toddler or consulting him about marital advice as an adult. Ultimately, Grand Dad is your go-to guy for perspective and practical advice, so give him the recognition he deserves this Sunday with a thoughtful gift. Consider these nine unique ideas to make this Father's Day one your grandpa will always remember.

1. Photo Book Grandparents love updated photos of their growing families, but gifting portraits year after year can get boring for both parties. Amp up the photo offering with a themed photo book featuring a photographic chronology of your favorite memories with Grandpa, or a collection of your best family candids.

2. Premium Goods My grandpa was a big coffee drinker. When he visited he'd walk to his favorite coffee shop near my house almost every day. For him, a premium bag of coffee beans and a sturdy new mug would be the perfect gift. Consider what your grandpa enjoys doing, eating or reading, and look for the premium version to offer him on Father's Day.

3. Magazine Subscription Is Grandpa an avid angler, history buff or political aficionado? Whatever his "thing," there's a magazine or journal offering the latest news, trends and profiles to keep him up to date. You can often find deals this time of year from subscription aggregators like Magazines.com and even daily -deal sites. Check these resources first before going directly to the publication's website.

4. E-Reader If Grandpa continually has his nose in a book, consider gifting him with an e-reader. Not only will he get access to his favorite books, he can increase the type size on the screen for tired eyes, or opt for audio books for the ultimate relaxation. Deal site FreeShipping.org is advertising $20 off plus free shipping on the Barnes & Noble Nook when you use your Master Card.

5. Webcam/Skype The best gift of all is your company, and that may be hard to come by if your grandpa lives in another state. Think about purchasing a webcam and offering to install it the next time you're out, along with Skype so you can video call him between visits. This is a great way to stay connected and feel like you see him more often than a few times a year.

6. Smartphone and Tech Session Baby boomer grandparents are a savvy bunch, and they'll likely appreciate the latest smartphone to keep tabs on their grandchildren. Verizon Wireless now offers an $80 prepaid plan for smartphones with unlimited talk and text and 1GB of data. Since there's a lot to learn about these gadgets, set him up with a tech session from a store manager.

7. Movie Tickets There are lots of great movies coming out this summer, and your grandparents might enjoy a few movie nights on you. You can buy gift cards to specific movie theater companies or online ticket sellers like Fandango. Be sure he takes advantage of senior discounts to stretch the card's value and point him to this article from the Miami Herald on other ways to save at the movies.

8. Car Wash/Detailing My grandpa's car was always immaculate, but I know it was harder for him to keep it up as he got older. If this sounds familiar, gift your grandpa with a car wash and detailing package to keep his ride as pristine as he'd like. You can often find daily deals offering this service, so scour Groupon and LivingSocial for deals in his area.

9. Virtual Keyboard Grandpa is pretty tech savvy, but maybe he's been complaining to you about the miniscule size of his tablet or smartphone keyboard. Launch him into the future with the Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard, compatible with iPhones, iPads, smartphones and most laptops. This matchbox-size device projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface, offering the convenience of a real keyboard without requiring you to haul one around.

How to Shine Like Tony Award Winning Actress Nikki James

Tony Award-Winning Actress and star of Book of Mormon, Nikki James, sparkled yesterday at the Tony Awards wearing Jacob & Co. diamonds, the perfect accompaniment to her Rachel Roy ocean-inspired dress. 

If you get the chance to see "Book of Mormon" its an amazing musical and Ms. James is fantastic, hence the Tony! The jewelry breakdown after the jump.

How to Hair: Add a Pop of Color with Neon Extensions

Put away the drab colored wardrobe because neon is back and can be found popping up everywhere in the world of fashion and beauty. The runway and celebrities have embraced this trend and so has SHE by SO.CAP.USA, one of the world’s leading hair extension brands. With over 90 different colors of clip-in and bonded extensions to choose from, these extensions will brighten up any beauty regime.

I love the look on Rachael McAdams and Glamour Magazine cover gal Lauren Conrad 

 

Inside Blog World & New Media Expo 2012

I am pumped to attend and cover Blog World. ICYDK, BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first, largest and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media.  That's a mouthful! 

The 3 days of seminars and keynotes presented by thought leaders, maverick online content creators and media moguls from across the globe. 

Some fun facts I've already learned:

- BlogWorld 2011 hosted more than 375 speakers, 250 conference sessions, and 150 exhibitors.

- In 2011, BlogWorld hosted more than 4,750 attendees from 40 countries and 335,000 online viewers across both events and breaking its previous attendance records.

- Attendees have a combined monthly online audience of 250 million (blog audience only, does not include Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc) and generate 400 million online conversations in 3-days.

- BlogWorld L.A.’s official Twitter Hashtag, #BWELA, generated 323 million impressions, 40,000 original

tweets reaching 30.4 million people over the course of the three-day show.

- In March 2012, BlogWorld acquired TBEX, the world's largest gathering of travel bloggers taking place

in Keystone, Colorado this June 15-17. TBEX Europe takes place in Girona, Spain, September 21-22.

BlogWorld Web Site, www.blogworldexpo.com - BlogWorld Blog, www.blogworld.com

Twitter, www.twitter.com/blogworld, www.twitter.com/blogworldexpo

Red Carpet How To Hair: Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron, the beautiful star of “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Prometheus,” ignited the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards last night as she wore a vibrant crimson Lanvin dress, Jimmy Choo sandals, and jewelry from Cartier. 

  

Yet, it was her easy and simple hair that caught my eye so I asked master stylist, Enzo Angileri, how he created the luminous, flowing, and very sexy style.

“At times, a simple look is so powerful,” said Angileri, ”but when you go simple you need to have hair that looks gorgeous – luxurious, silky, and shiny.  When you do an updo or more complicated look you can often get away with hiding the quality of the hair.  In a looser style like this one, the texture, shine and health of each strand becomes all important since you see everything in the lights.  To make sure her hair looked lustrous and moved naturally, I used Moroccanoil Treatment Light, Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream, and Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong.”

How to create the look:

“Moroccanoil Light was the essential foundation, since Charlize’s hair needed to have its own natural flow and move freely.   

I first applied Moroccanoil Light, and added a small amount of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream (since we started with Charlize’s naturally waved hair). I used this cocktail to instantly enhance the quality of Charlize’s hair and to give it an incredible luster.

Next I blow dried the hair smooth with two round brushes, a medium one close to the roots for more grip and a larger one on the ends.

When hair was almost dry, using the medium sized brush, I sprayed the sections close to the head with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong to lift them a bit and to hold the style from underneath to make it look even more natural.”

Where to buy: Moroccanoil is sold exclusively in salons. www.moroccanoil.com.

Red Carpet Style: Kirsten Prout

Actress Kirsten Prout walked the red carpet wearing Ista Jewelry at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 3rd, 2012. Kirsten wore Ista Jewelry's Rose Cut Green Chalcedony RIngand Signature Rose Cut Oval Aqua Ring to the awards.          Ista Jewelry is available at www.istajewelry.com and www.ylangylang.com.  Ista Jewelry Rose Cut Green Chalcedony Ring in 14K Gold and Diamond Set Leaves. $1200.00

Celeb Style: Kellan Lutz

Kellan Lutz was spotted at the Cannes Film Festival with a pair of John Varvatos shades! The Twilight hunk relied on his navy V760 aviators as he party-hopped around around the festival, $200, available at www.johnvarvatos.com

Model Latina South Beach: Meet the Models

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend! I spent the night checking out the one-hour premiere of Model Latina: South Beach.

Heres the break down: 10 girls are selected to live together in a fabulous South Beach mansion. In there first challenge the girls are put to the test when they are asked to style themselves for their first runway show. 

In case you missed it here's the rundown for the new season of MLSB: 
This season’s judge’s panel includes international, heartthrob actor and recording artist Carlos Ponce (Couples Retreat, Alcanzar Una Estrella), sexy Victoria’s Secret supermodel Ines Rivero and renowned fashion photographer Franco LaCosta. Puerto-Rican sports reporter and dazzling TV personality Jocelyn Pierce, will lead the series as the new host. This season Model Latina returns to America’s hottest destination for Latino style – Miami’s South Beach. Ten gorgeous Latinas compete for a chance to win a $25,000 cash prize, a role as nuvoTV’s spokesperson and a prestigious contract with international modeling agency Q Management.  

That was a mouthful! Let's meet the ladies of MLSB after the jump:

Celeb Style: Pippa Middleton

Pippa Middleton was spotted wearing a Catherine Deane dress while attending the wedding of her friends Katherine Phillips and David Marsham on Friday, May 25th at Guards Chapel in London, England. Pippa looked elegant in Catherine Deane’s Lori Dress from the Spring Summer 2012 collection.