Courage for Kids spotlighted at Hela Spa

Holli Thompson, George Worrell, Emily Villalva

Courage for Kids was the beneficiary of Wednesday evening's "Mirror Mirror" event presented by Hela Spa in Chevy Chase. The salon, while no longer affiliated with NYC stylist Ted Gibson, hosted  guest speakers Holli Thompson of Nutritional Style and event-planner and personal stylist George Worrell. Each made a presentation as guests enjoyed an assortment of treatments ranging from the latest in nails--Gelish and Minx--to Botox, Juvederm and brow shaping. Guests who donated $20 to Courage for Kids were eligible to receive complimentary treatments. Barefoot Bubbly provided the sparkling beverage, while Sushiko provided, yes, the delicious sushi. We loved hearing about stylist George's journey from homeless man to style maven, his upbringing in Atlantic City and style dos and don'ts. We can't wait to read more in his book, On the Other Side of Style, available on Kindle and Amazon.com. Holli Thompson shared tips and her journey from Chanel to her current career as a nutritional stylist. We also learned that in addition to a physician who provides Botox, Hela Spa now has an acupuncturist available for treatments.

Holli Thompson and MC Andrea Rodgers

Love the belted vest.

Designer Robin Brouillette at Julia Farr--tonight

Get a jump on the holiday and gala season. Join Julia Farr from 5:30 - 8:30 in her new boutique to meet designer Robin Brouillette and enjoy champagne, hors d'oeuvres and a trunk show of her lovely evening gowns.

Get a Passport to Style

There are more than enough fabulous reasons to spend time at The Shops at Wisconsin Place--Adolfo Dominguez, Bloomingdale's, The Tasting Room and Sephora to name a few. But now there's even a better reason. "Passport to Style," a fashion extravaganza running from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 23 benefits  Hope for Henry, a local organization that benefits children with life-threatening illness, or the stylish Fashion for Paws, which supports the Washington Humane Society. Your $20 ticket goes to either charity and gives you entre to one-night-only shopping specials, entertainment, food, style and a swag bag.  Some events are listed below. Click here to register and get more details.

• Stylist Lydia Santangelo of TESstylist presents fall trends in an interactive fashion show featuring looks from Bloomingdale's, Adolfo Dominguez, Eileen Fisher, ILORI and White House/Black Market.
•  Meet the experts from cosmetic lines including Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Dior, Laura Mercier and La Prarie. Enjoy mini makeovers and skin consultations and take home a special gift while supplies last.
• Complimentary Bloomingdale’s AT YOUR SERVICE personal shopping service.
• Complimentary Oxygen Facial at Sephora, or let their makeup artists show you how to get flawless skin with their fabulous TEMPTU Airbrush system. Subject to availability.
• Circe Salon Spa, a luxury AVEDA lifestyle spa, will showcase the season’s newest hairstyles and will also offer complimentary chair and Chakra massages, facial demos and makeup advice.   Subject to availability.
• Pick up a famous Georgetown Cupcake for a $3 donation to Hope for Henry.   While supplies last…

Tashia Senn show at Hela Spa

Saturday night Hela Spa and Ted Gibson Salon in Chevy Chase hosted a Tashia Senn fashion presentation featuring the local designer's fabulous fall/winter 2010 collection. The architectural collars and structure combined with flowing fabrics and ruffles reminded me a bit of Akris meets Armani--feminine and strong. I appreciated the originality of the collection and how all the pieces--though different--worked together. A brick dress not only had striking lines in front, but enough detail in the back to make the dress a definite parting thought. Notable also was a subtle gray architectural jumpsuit with a strong collar that culminated in loose, long legs--and a big, red zipper going up the back. A soft, evening dress in a gray tone-on-tone stripes flowed softly in perfect contrast against the more structural pieces that highlighted the show. There was no shortage of fun in this elegant collection--a bright dress with a mini-skirt composed of yellow feathers was the eye-catching showoff. Hard to believe this young designer launched her first collection last fall; we'll be following her. The night wouldn't be complete with swag and food: Guests received goodie bags of salon products and Ruth's Chris steakhouse provided crabcake sandwiches and platters of munchies.


Tashia Senn with spa manager Emily Villalva


Post-runway poses


I want to swirl around in this dress. I love how it both contrasts and fits perfectly
with the orange dress next to it.




Most back views were as interesting as the fronts



Models mingled in the salon, post-show


Love this high-collared coat


Note the fun red zipper on the back of the jumpsuit that's also pictured below.

Sun Charms

Have you checked out ILORI at Wisconsin Place? The sheer number of unique designer sunglasses makes for some fun browsing. The last time I was there I was wowed by the royal blue gem-encrusted shades peeking at me from the window. Just in are oversize Tiffany & Co. frames with interchangeable charms--a heart, a "T" and the T&Co. logo. Frames come in black; black and Tiffany blue; brown and red; or pink and violet.

Cosmetic de-clutter

If you're a makeup junkie or have an assortment of cosmetics you're not sure how to use, let the pro cosmetic team at Saks Chevy Chase sort through your product congomeration now through Monday and show you what to keep, toss and buy. A $50 purchase gets you a free three-compartment cosmetic bag to help keep you organized back home. Call 240-497-5262 for more info or to schedule an appointment.

Gaga over Giggle

What a perfect name for a baby store: Giggle. When I dropped by the store in Chevy Chase, I was immediately drawn in by the whimsical window displays and bright, cheerful interior. I was impressed by the store's selection of streamlined strollers, clothes, organic linens and toys, organized and labeled on clean white wooden shelves. Standouts were a bright tea set from recycled plastic and a baby rocker made from sleek dark wood fit for the living room. Giggle also offers story time for the little tykes. But be careful, once they get inside this fun store, they may not want to come out. Nor may you. Click here to find 20%-70% savings during Giggle's summer sale.

I Second That

As a subscriber to CityShopGirl I am privy to the site's deals and specials around town and want to share Friday's  "Deal of the Day." I checked out the "up and coming" designer Francoise Olivas' website and fell in love--gorgeous retro-y romance with a social conscience. The best news is that the up and coming designer is having a trunk show in Chevy Chase today from 11-5 at De La Ines Salon. Here's the scoop from CSG:

Up and coming NYC based designer Francoise Olivas, whose design resume includes a stint at Nanette Lepore, will showcase her whimsical designs.  Francoise seamlessly combines ‘traditional craft’ and ‘modern industry’ to create an innovative line of socially conscious and earth-friendly garments.  Her spring and summer collection will be 20-50% off, with prices ranging from $20-150.  She will also preview her fall collection and show one-of-a-kind pieces.  Trunk show hosted at De La Ines Salon in Chevy Chase on Sat. July 24 from 11-5.

De La Ines 5520 Connecticut Avenue, #3 Washington, D.C. 20015 202-362-4280 www.francoiseolivas.com www.de-la-ines.com