I’m fairly excited about this show because I have coveted many Betsey Johnson pieces over the years–plus she seems like just a great lady who could can toss a cartwheel like the best of them. Betsey’s also a local gal who stumbled upon the thick of the fashion industry in the most awesome of decades (the 1970s) and guided my most misguided wardrobe choices throughout the 1980s. Her daughter, LuLu, has been working for her mother’s fashion empire for years. By the 1990s, Betsey Johnson had sixty-five stores worldwide, and business was booming. Until the economy bottomed out in the 2000s, ending in bankruptcy in April, 2012.

Betsey and LuLu live in the same apartment building, on the same floor. It’s a little too close for LuLu’s comfort as she tries to start her new fashion line out of her living room. Meanwhile, Steve Madden bought out the Betsey Johnson brand, with Betsey acting as the creative director to relaunch and expand the brand.

It’s the first kickoff meeting at Madden, so Betsey arrives in head-to-toe sparkles, right down to the gold shoes. Betsey starts the meeting by giving Steve Madden a neck massage, as all meetings should begin. Then, she meets the rest of the team, including Zina who seems to have her act together, and everyone else’s act as well. I get the impression that under Zina’s leadership, we’re about to witness a brand rise from the dead. Zina starts the relaunch with a series of appearances to show the world that the brand is still here, and sets the tone for the entire brand. And, there’s a launch party at the end of the week. But Betsey still hasn’t figured out if she is able to work for anyone else, after a lifetime of working for herself.

After the meeting, Betsey meets her former design assistant, Brandon, for drinks. She explains that Madden wants her to have a big presence, but she’s concerned about not being the person who calls all the shots. But Brandon explains that having a billion-dollar company bankroll your creative vision kind of sounds like a good thing. She then tries to recruit Brandon for another round of crazy, and he explains that he’s on hiatus at the moment, which is a polite way to say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” We then hear my new catchphrase, “Hail hiatus.”

LuLu’s line is in early stages, so Betsey takes that as an invitation to pop in and comment. All the time. They fight over needlepoint, but it’s more about Betsey’s needling. Somehow, Betsey ends up underneath an Eero Saarinen table and it’s covered in LuLu’s kids’ crayon drawings, which is sort of a great parenting tip: if you can’t stop your kids from coloring on top of the vintage furniture, let them color underneath it, where nobody will ever see it.

LuLu and Betsey go to couples therapy (Betsey in a shimmery fuchsia poufy skirt and a lifetime of bangle bracelets) to talk about individuation–which sounds like a made up word but is not. LuLu needs some separation, and Betsey likes the togetherness. What Betsey does not like, however, is therapy. Later, Betsey is off to dinner. “I’m a car service girl. You can get so much done in a car! You can sketch, you can call, you can drink champagne.” She’s drawing bunnies for her animal bags, and a multicolored straw pom-pom hat for girls to wear in Saint Tropez. She then decides that a five dollar bill would make a great scarf. And it would. I would wear the heck out of that scarf. The car drops her off at an Italian restaurant where she eats dinner by herself and flirts with the waiters.

LuLu and her partner, Allison, go shopping for her new line in one of those entirely overpriced vintage shops where everything is clean and organized. The salesgirl tells LuLu that, “We’re a big fan of your mother….” which must get annoying real fast. (Also, we’re reminded that XOX, Betsey Johnson was originally announced as Betsey + LuLu.) Back at her apartment, LuLu explains that a licensing agent will set up designers with manufacturers. In preparation for finding one, LuLu, Allison, and their assistant, Ashley, go over all of their design ideas to organize it into a presentation. They’re going for a high-end 1970s theme, and the three girls are pretty much pulling vintage clothes off of a rack and…I guess they’re having the assistant, Ashley, sketch knock-offs of them? I can’t quite figure out how this is fashion design, but maybe they will put some new spin on old looks.

Betsey tries to find her way to Penn Station so that she can take a train to New Jersey to find a trainer she met on the beach ages ago. Everybody knows Betsey, which makes her trip to Penn Station a very long affair. People chant, “Bet-sey! Bet-sey! Bet-sey!” and she responds with, “You GUYS! You GUYS! You GUYS!” She finally makes it to Nowheresville, New Jersey, but not much exercise happens because she has her water bottle with a mimosa.

While getting ready for her launch party in a gold lame vintage Betsey Johnson ruffled dress, Betsey wobbles around with what seems to be her umpteenth glass of champagne. Her new crew from Madden, and her old crew from the Betsey Johnson stores are at the party, and reporters jot down very important notes. The new crew buys her a whip, which makes Betsey happy because it means that they get her concept. There’s a lot of drinking, and spinning, and posing, and I kind of want to work for Betsey Johnson.

Next week, Betsey gets a retrospective fashion show together–including a trip to Japan–and Betsey questions Allison’s value to LuLu’s company.

Linda Sue Strong is the founder of entertainment blog TerribleTelevision.com and an occasional attorney. Her life has not yet been turned into a reality television show. Follow her at @themisslinda. 

The post XOX, BETSEY JOHNSON Recap: Season 1, Episode 1! appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

Linda Sue Strong is the founder of entertainment blog TerribleTelevision.com and an occasional attorney. Her life has not yet been turned into a reality television show. Follow her at @themisslinda. 

Don overhears his mistress, Silvia, fighting with her husband. It’s messy, and it makes him uncomfortable, because he would rather his affair stay neat and clean and tidy.

It’s the first day of the merged agencies, and Joan shows Peggy to Harry’s old office. (You remember, the one with the laughably large structural beam in the way.)  At the board meeting for the new merged agency, Roger announces an introduction with Fleischmann’s Margarine, and Pete Campell explains that the New York State Thruway account is a conflict with Mohawk Airlines because they are both transportation. Ted volunteers to fly Don and Pete up to meet with the client and smooth things over because he’s a pilot.

Peggy and Bert Peterson (Not Cooper), who had been previously fired from Sterling Cooper, meet with Don, but he gets a call from his mistress and cuts the meeting short. She’s in an orange terrycloth bathrobe and her hair is a mess, tied up in a red scarf. She tells him to come over immediately, with an ill-advised, “I need you, and nothing else will do.” He declines, but arranges a rendezvous at a hotel. After what Don heard that morning, he needs something a little less personal. Following an afternoon in bed, Silvia starts rambling on about her problems. Don tells her, “You can talk about your kid, but I don’t want to hear about your husband.” He orders her to look for his shoes, and she should “crawl on your hands and knees until you find them.” Then, he tells her to get undressed and get back into bed. She complies, because all women do whatever Don tells them to do. He takes the hotel’s key and tells her not to go anywhere. He could be back in a minute, an hour, a day…he’s Don Draper.

Back at the office, Bert Peterson (Not Cooper) meets with Roger Sterling, and Roger immediately fires Bert. Again. And he lets Bert know that nobody fought for him. Bert threatens that his clients will leave with him, but Roger laughs it off. Something tells me that this is going to come back to bite them all in the ass.

Ted does some free-association about margarine with the creatives. “Greasy, it’s not butter, it’s cheap, it has no smell, people hate it.” On a positive note, “it spreads easy because it’s soft,” and in walks Don. From the hotel. He just…left Silvia, alone in a hotel room, for an indeterminate amount of time. After the meeting, Ted chastises Don for being forty minutes late to the meeting. Don shuts his office door in Ted’s face and calls Silvia. “Are you still in bed?” he asks. He tells her that she’s going to wait there and not know when he’s coming back, and she is not to answer the phone again.

Okay, I need to have some real talk with Silvia: Lady, he’s a control freak. It’s all fun and games right now, but he’s going to keep pushing and pushing to see how far you’ll go, and eventually, he’ll tell you to take a long walk off of a short pier and you’ll find yourself clinging to a buoy in the Hudson River, wondering how you ever got there. Put your clothes on and go home while you still have one and consider this a bullet dodged.

Don brings Ted a bottle of something as a peace offering and they drink and talk margarine. Ted explains the margarine business in terms of Gilligan’s Island. Blue Bonnet is the Maryanne, and Don wonders which one is the Ginger.  Then, Don does his storytelling thing. “It’s morning. We know because we see the rooster crow. A farmer’s wife sets pancakes on the kitchen table, she puts a pat of margarine on the top…syrup…a smile….” Done. Except Ted is now drunk and wobbling all over the creative department. Not everyone can hold their liquor like Don Draper, and Peggy knows that getting Ted sloshed is all part of Don’s plan.

Silvia eventually emerges from the hotel room to find a Saks Fifth Avenue box waiting for her on the doorstep. It’s a red dress, and though it’s skimpy, it’s actually a tad on the fuddy-duddy side. She puts it on and continues the long wait. Don eventually arrives and she asks where they are going. Oh, silly woman. “Why would you think you’re going anywhere? You are for me. You exist in this room for my pleasure. Don’t ask me any more questions. Take off your dress. Take off everything for me.” Silvia, honey. No. Sigh.

Joan is vomiting in her office and she’s having pains in her non-appendix side. The account guy, Bob, walks her out so that nobody sees because Joan is all about never showing weakness. He takes her to a hospital and coordinates a babysitter for Joan’s son. She tries to get Bob to leave, but he explains that he has no place to go.

Don returns from his umpteenth roll in the hay to find Peggy in his office. She closes the door and tells him that she had hoped Ted would rub off on Don, and not the other way around. She then suggests that the merger was all about getting her back, and Don appropriately laughs it off because really, it’s not about you, Peggy. And that has always been Peggy’s problem—it’s never about her. She then tells Don to “move forward”, which is like asking a giraffe to shorten its neck. But she does it all in the most professional outfit we’ve ever seen on Peggy, which is a navy blue jacket with white piping on the lapels, white buckles for closures, and a matching (but not too matchy) pencil skirt with a navy and white geometric pattern. It’s a little stuffy looking, but it definitely puts Peggy in charge.

Don returns to the hotel, and Silvia asks what she is supposed to do next. He says that he has to go upstate and expects her to be there when he gets back, and he takes her book with him so that she can’t think about anything other than him while he’s gone.  When he returns to the office, he learns that Pete Campbell wants to move the meeting that’s supposed to show the client how important they are to another day because his mother has gone a little batty and may have burned down his apartment. He and Ted decide to go without Pete, in a rainstorm. With Ted flying the tiny plane. Like, really tiny. Shoulder-to-shoulder, with a backseat no bigger than the backseat of a Mini Cooper. The meeting goes well, which irritates Pete to no end.

Bob visit Joan at home to see if she is feeling any better and brings a gift for her son. Joan’s mother is, of course, thrilled to see a handsome gentleman caller. Joan does seem fairly charmed. When the partners meet to sort out who stays and who goes, Bob is on the kill list, and Joan saves him by offering up another head for the chopping block. I guess we’ll see whether Bob’s affection for Joan was genuine, or merely job-savingly convenient.

Don returns to the hotel room again to find Silvia dressed in her regular clothes, with the red dress he sent her strewn on the bed. “I think it’s time to go home, I think this is over.” She’s going back to her husband, to focus on her marriage, and wants Don to do the same. He begs, which is not a good look on Don. “Let’s go.” Now it’s Silvia calling the shots, as it should be. They return to the apartment building, each to their respective spouses. Megan chatters on and on about her day, but Don tunes her out because to him, she’s just a pretty face. Megan flips the television on and there’s footage of Senator Kennedy’s assassination. Megan is in tears, and Don looks annoyed that he now has to deal with this new development.

Next week, Don, Peggy, Roger, Don sleeping on his office couch, Pete, Ted, Roger, Ginsberg, and Megan in a very hot mini dress.

The post Mad Men Recap, Season 6, Episode 7: “Man With A Plan” appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

Make Up Forever #53 Aqua Cream Review via Temptalia – We’re in love with this shimmery seafoam cream shadow for summer.

I Tried Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet via The Cut – It actually sounds pretty good. Now if only we could afford to try it ourselves.

Vanity Fair Lands John Galliano Interview via WWD – The designer’s first major interview since his anti-Semitic rant in 2011 will appear in VF‘s July issue. We’re  sure this issue will sell well.

Maybelline Polka Dot Nail Varnishes via The London Lipgloss

The post Cocktail Hour Link Love 05.10: Seafoam Eyeshadow + Gwyneth’s Diet appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

If you already feel outdone simply by Suri Cruise’s existence, then we’ve got good news. Contrary to rumors, the seven year-old Hollywood spawn is not launching her own clothing line. Per a spokesperson for Katie Holmes, the gossip was “100 percent” false. Oh darn. We were particularly fond of this unattributed quote the Post ran: “A source said: ‘Suri is only seven but she is incredibly interested in clothes.’”

Allegedly Suri had signed a contract worth more than $2 million for a line of young girls clothing, which was supposedly going to launch in a New York department store in the fall. There was also rumored involvement of her mother’s brand, Holmes & Yang,

Excuse us. We’re off to drown our woes in a couple of rounds of vodka tonics.

The post Suri Cruise is Not Launching Her Own Clothing Line appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

Makeup bags are a dangerous territory. The few that aren’t gifts with purchase (here’s looking at you, Clinique of our adolescence!) are mostly inexplicably pricey, get grungy with incredible speed, and make it impossible to find/see anything. Upscale brushed end up battered and bent, and blushes and eyeshadows often get shattered.

But, there’s hope. We’ve discovered the makeup bag you product junkie jet setters unequivocally need: the Hold Me bag. Per the folks at Hold Me, here’s the impetus for creating this ingenious product:

After a lot of personal searching for that perfect fit, it took some time to develop the Hold Me Bag. The initial spark came from everyday lifestyle issues: many years living in a small beach cottage with one little bathroom; constantly packing for last-minute business travel; a promotion then a move, gaining a larger bathroom, but requiring more time at work so even less time in the morning to get out the door. So the quest for “that one bag” which would hold and organize cosmetics, brushes, and tools, keep everything at a glance, all the while saving time by streamlining the daily make-up routine, was on!

The Hold Me bag comes in two sizes, the original version (a full-service bag for errythang, with 15 brush sleeves, 10” by 7” closed, an impressive 22” when open) and the ‘Baby’ (a compact version for makeup minimalists, 7” by 5” closed, 16.5” fully opened).

Since most of our traveling is only a couple of days at a time and luggage space is at a premium, we opted to test drive the Hold Me Baby in the beautiful Melody print. The exterior is, like all the Hold Me bags, vegan black suede that’s a breeze to clean. The interior is lined with laminated cotton print fabric (you can choose from a harem of designs).

The zippered body of the bag features a pocket (perfect for sample packets), and a spacious zippered compartment with a removable designer that’s brilliant for separating palettes, foundation and blushes into two ‘levels.’

The brush section extends off the main body of the bag and boasts six brush slots (the classic version has 15), all of which are capable of holding one large brush, or a couple of smaller brushes or pencils. A flap that folds down over the brushes ensures that they’re protected.

The bottom line? This patented design is makeup perfection. The bag is of a gorgeous quality (handmade in the U.S.!) and makes accessing and perusing your products easier than ever. Still skeptical? Take a look at this review from Laura over at the Glossarie for another look at how much you can stash. For a review of the full-size version, head over to Gave That. In the meantime, we’re going on record with it: this one’s our new essential.

Hold Me Baby Bag, $55. Hold Me Classic Bag, $95. Available at Hold Me and these retailers.

The post We Review: The Hold Me Bag appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

Betsey Johnson Tells Us About Her Reality Show Fears via Fashionista - Betsy’s upcoming Style network reality show (featuring her daughter, Lulu) is going to be a trip.

First Look: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target via Broadway World - It launches in September, and to say we’re excited is an understatement.

Vogue Crops Kim Kardashian Out of Its Met Ball Slideshow via Jezebel - Oof. Poor Kouch.

Oscar de la Renta Will Now Sell You Fashionable Invitations via The Daily Beast - Pretty damn snazzy invites inspired by de la Renta’s

The post Cocktail Hour Link Love 05.09: 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target + de la Renta Stationary appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

In the aftermath of the Met gala, we’ve wondered the fate of Kim Kardashian’s latest stylist, who made the ill-fated decision to give Kim’s formerly short-sleeved Givenchy gown attached gloves. The result has been one of the more widely-trashed red carpet looks in recent history, earning Kim comparisons to 1) Mrs. Doubtfire 2) a floral couch 3) Homer Simpson. Now the dress’ designer, Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci, has come out in defense of the much-maligned look.

“I love Kim. Doing maternity was fantastic. I wanted to have a Kim Kardashian moment, because Kim always supports me,” Tisci told WWD, calling her “the future wife” of his friend Kanye West.

Per the Telegraph: “Kardashian reportedly trusted Tisci so much that she let him do whatever he felt right, which turned out to be a floral high-necked, be-gloved, slashed-to-the-thigh number that didn’t exactly stick to the event’s punk theme.”

“I said, we should give her our punk moment with a romantic beautiful flower-printed dress. I have dressed many pregnant women in the past. People can say what they want. To me, pregnancy is the most beautiful thing in the world, and when you celebrate something, you give people flowers,” continued Tisci. “I think she looked amazing. She was the most beautiful pregnant woman I dressed in my career.”

We’re stifling our laughter to the best of our abilities.

The post Riccardo Tisci Defends Kim Kardashian’s Met Dress appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

This post was originally published on BiteSizeWellness.com and is reprinted here with permission.

Dreary weather and dull complexion be gone! We are ready to shed our drab winter garb for a fresh spring look—in our closets and our beauty routines. Out with the dark colors, heavy winter skin protectants and chapped lips.

Try these seasonal swaps for your spring-focused beauty routine:

1. Spring Clean Your Face Routine

Your mind is chirping with praises for spring, but your dry skin is likely aching from winter blues. Give yourself a magical facelift by using a cleaner or moisturizer containing alpha-hydroxy or beta-hydroxy acid to rid your pretty face of those dead skin cells that are giving you a dull look.

2. Moisturize hose Neglected Areas

You have hid in winter boots and sweaters for several months which likely means you have neglected to moisturize those out-of-site places. Give your knees, elbows, heels and toes some much-deserved attention by upping your use of petroleum jelly. It can work wonders on the roughest and toughest areas and bring your dry skin patches back to life.

3. Indulge in a Full-Body Scrub

Loosen and remove all the dead skin cells that have been clinging on for life during the cold weather. You can run to your kitchen cabinet for your exfoliation routine. Gently rub your body down with brown sugar and rinse off in the shower. In a few days you will be as good as new!

4. Bring Color Back

Just like the grocery store produce aisle, colors are in. Don’t be scared to match your eye shadow to your floral dress or give your nails a pop with corals, aquas and blues. Add bright hues back into your makeup routine and your mood will quickly follow.

How do you give your spring beauty routine an overhaul? Share your tips below!

The post 4 Tips to Spring-ify Your Beauty Routine appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

Exclusive: Cara Delevingne, Anna Dello Russo and Others Get Sketched for V Magazine via The Fashion Spot – We’re pretty taken with these creepy-cool caricatures of the likes of Anna Dello Russo and Cara D.

Kanye West serenades Kim Kardashian at Met Gala: ‘You’re so awesome’ via POP 2 IT - Despite the fact that Kanye thinks Kim is just the tops, we’re going to go on record as voting

8 Reasons Jenna Lyons Is Just Like Us, and 8 Reasons She Isn’t via Racked – J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler installed an intercom in the J. Crew offices: “He’ll say, ‘Jenna, dial 001,’ and you know where-ever you are, even in the bathroom, you can hear you’re being paged.”

A Life-Size Dollhouse in Grand Central Terminal via Untapped Cities – Maybe if we asked nicely, they’d let us move in?

The post Cocktail Hour Link Love 05.08: Kanye on Kim + A Life-size Dollhouse appeared first on HauteTalk.com.

As far as we’re concerned? Cleansing oils are really the Only Way to take it all off. As a means to remove makeup, grime and extra sebum, nobody does it better. So when our beloved Los Angeles indie brand Roots Rose Radish debuted a new trio of oils (including one for cleansing), we were stoked. Fast forward two months later and we’ve given one of them the test drive treatment.

The Citrus Face Oil Cleanser is 100% natural, formulated with cold-pressed jojoba oil, tangerine and grapefruit oils, and lemon (for full ingredients, head to the bottom of this post). Here’s what the product description has to say:

Oil dissolves oil. One of the most basic principles of chemistry is that “like dissolves like”. This cleansing formula dissolves and distributes excess face oil and cleanses your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally though the antibacterial properties of the citrus family. While jojoba oil and emollient castor oil gently and effectively heal, protect and nourish your skin. This formula helps to clear the skin of issues like oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads and other problems caused by mild to moderate acne- while leaving your skin healthy, balanced and properly moisturized.

It’s a thicker, more viscous oil than many we’ve used, and takes slightly more effort to spread. Take a few drops (we use 3-4), rub all over damp skin, and use a damp washcloth (muslin is perfect) to remove the excess. When you’re done, the result is makeup-free, hydrated feeling skin. This doesn’t rinse quite as clean as some other oil cleansers, but since it’s formulated with all good-for-you oils (and no mineral oil) there’s no cause for concern. Add stunning packaging to the mix and you’ve got a new go-to product in our skincare regimen—one you can feel good about putting on your face.

Roots Rose Radish Citrus Face Oil Cleanser, $55. Available at Roots Rose Radish.

cold pressed, unrefined castor oil: an excellent source of essential nutrients such as vitamin E, antioxidants and minerals that boost skin health and help to trap in moisture.

cold pressed, unrefined jojoba oil: non-greasy natural anti-oxidant, wonderful for your skin because it has absorption properties like our skins’ own sebum.

tangerine oil: (Citrus reticulata)) rich in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene, it aids in lymphatic system detox and fluid retention. this sparkling scent helps with nervous irritability, uplifts the spirit and brings about a sense of security.

grapefruit oil: (Citrus paradisi) this uplifting and invigorating antibacterial and anti-viral oil helps also to relieve nervousness and depression while boosting one’s self-esteem. also prized for it’s antiseptic, disinfectant and lymphatic stimulant abilities.

lemon: (Citrus limon) Lemons were mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts as early as 800 BC, and sailors carried lemons and other citrus fruits with them during their arduous sea voyages because of their nutrient rich and healing abilities as an antibacterial and antimicrobial.

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