Project: Nars

Happy 15th Birthday, Francois Nars! To celebrate the decade plus of his makeup and skin care line, Francois Nars has put together a limited edition book of fifteen of his favorite celebs and fashionable friends and photographed them in situations inspired by history, movies and the names of his products. As a devotee to Nars products, particularly his bronzers (Laguna in the winter, Casino in the summer), eyeshadows (Himalayas,Strada, Kalahari), and blushes (Torrid and Desire), I look forward to November 13th...when I can go to www.15x15project.com and purchase the new tome! Proceeds of the book will go to charity. Now isn't that beautiful?

I'll be getting the book just to see the striking Daphne Guinness wearing "Night Breed," a glittery black eye shadow. -BH

photos courtesy of www.style.com and Francois Nars

(Post is short and sweet this week and I'm getting ready to give you a treat! Monday will highlight something I've been working on for an amazing Halloween Charity shindig ...photographs to soon follow!)

Hallows Eve

With dark glamour, gothic decadence, True Blood and the fascination of Twight fresh on our minds, here are a few of my favorite luxe inspirations perfect for any wicked Hallows Eve. - KL

Andy Paiko's Bell Jars

The other day when I was researching Douglas Little I happily stumbled across Andy Paiko, master glass sculptor. Having collaborated with DL & Co in the past on an absinthe fountain, this visionary artist beautifully crafts organically yet luxe objet d’art perfectly fit for anyone who’s on the hunt for a glass piece that’s both aesthetically creative and well thought out with form and function. I j’adore his bell jars and if I owned a few I’m envisioning them displayed on a mantel surrounded by candles. That’s if I had a fireplace too!
www.andypaikoglass.com

Dark & Stormy
This Hallows Eve I’m entertaining some of my most mischievous friends and this update on the classic dark & stormy will be the night’s most wicked poison of choice.

Ingredients
• Black decorating sugar, for the glass
• Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime wedge
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup ginger beer or all-natural ginger ale
• 1 black gummy spider

Directions
Spread out the black sugar on a small plate. Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass; dip the glass in the black sugar, then fill with ice.
Combine the rum and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake well. Carefully strain into the glass, minding the sugar on the rim. Top the drink with ginger beer and add the gummy spider.
Photograph by Kate Mathis
Recipe by Claire Robinson, Food Network Magazine, www.foodnetwork.com

Fiancée du Vampire
I love this little story presenting one of Dior Fine Jewelry’s most inventive collections. Designer Victoire de Castellone sets a dark romantic stage showcasing gorgeous gems with part glamour and part goth. What vixen wouldn’t want a piece of that.

Once upon a time there was a vampire in love with a young maiden…
Alas, she wears a croix pendant that prevents him from getting too close.

In order to entice her, he offers her jewels:
A Coeur ring with a pink tourmaline but also…

A tete de mort pendant, like a Memento Mori reminding her of what keeps them apart.
But what if she is tempted by eternity?

Her heart won, the young maiden takes off her cross and is bitten. The Morsure necklace illustrates her sacrifice.
She is then caught in the trap…

In token of her love, she offers him her broken heart pierced by an arrow. Cupidon brooch and dripping with a drop of blood.

Happy at long last, she now lives an eternal love.
The Noces de Sang necklace is the ultimate offering celebrating the union of the vampire lover and his sweet young maiden.

The lovers had a daughter.
For her 18th birthday they offer her the Diablotin ring, a mischievous jewel.

www.diorjoaillerie.com

Photo courtesy of grandinroad.com

What’s your poison?

Leave it up to Martha... these witty wine labels were featured on style.com this week. I love how they can update any traditional bar with an added dash of wicked humor… let partygoers help themselves to some Rat Poison on the rocks or a nice glass of Transylvanian Red Blood.
Martha Stewart for Grandin Road mad scientist wine labels, $6 for a set of 12, available at www.grandinroad.com

Photo courtesy of www.vogue.com

Pumpkin D’Jour

This picture says it all, a true example of how to craft the most perfect pumpkin for Hallows Eve. Jeweler Eddie Borgo takes carving to a whole new level creating a couture pumpkin with a little spray paint and some glammed-up studs. Forget those common known stencils and run-of-the-mill faces, this pumpkin d’ jour has my name written all over it.

DL (as in Douglas Little)

House & Garden - April 2006
The editorial spread that introduced me to Mr. Douglas Little

There are a few who truly inspire me, and Mr. Douglas Little is by far one of them. The founder and creative director of DL & Company certainly keeps me captivated by his endless liaisons into the world of bringing objects of opulence and beauty to those who yearn for the uncommon and the exquisite. Yes, that would be me. And not only does Mr DL and The DL (The Deux Luxe) share the same monogram, we share the same aesthetic, to live a life that stirs each and every one of the senses, and a purpose of bringing a more vibrant way of living into the being. Best known for his signature candles, Mr. Little and DL & Company extend well beyond the common known senses, representing a treasure chest full of craft and imagination that’s inspired by the purveyors of curious goods from ages past. His work is a true testament of extraordinary design and talent that’s inspirational year round, yet his style of Edwardian, Asian, and rock and roll influences is the perfect fit for celebration come October 31st. As we all prepare for the week’s festivities of tricks, treats and the well… life of the unkown, here are a few of my favorite DL (Douglas Little) moments to help inspire, intoxicate and keep you living amongst the smallest delights of life. – KL

Photo courtesy of Dell and elle.com

Douglas Little's latest collaboration is with Dell (yes, as in the computer brand) custom creating a series of limited-edition Adamo laptop skins. "I wanted to create a provocative and subversive spin on this love story that visually bridged the gap between fashion, technology and the avant-garde." My 2 favorite styles are the Spiderweb, inspired by 1920s and ’30s design based on a Cartier brooch, and the Corset, caiman crocodile skin, hand-stitched and embellished with black-diamond Swarovski crystals. Bergdorf Goodman, who has collaborated with Little in the past, is currently showcasing these high-tech designs within their haute-couture windows until Nov. 9th.

Here's a series from one of Mr. Little's past collaborations with BG. Truely inspiring, these vignettes will always remain in my stacks of "Go To's" for creative inspiration for both fashion and still images.

House & Garden has featured Douglas Little numerous times. These images from the April 2006 issue were the first that influenced me to become a fan and will remain a timeless luxe inspiration for years ahead.

I adore the objet d'art displayed on the mantle, as well as the coral resting in the hearth flanked by owls on the watch. My Grandmother Lande was a devoted fan of the owl, often crafting her own versions with pottery. This vignette truly speaks to her.

Not sure why, but this set-up always reminds me of Freeman's, one of my favorite culinery delights located in the Lower East Side, NY

Here are a few my favorite DL & Co. curious goods

www.dlcompany.com
Bust of Dierdre Candle - This limited wax sculpture is presented within the Effigy Collection, a collaboration between Little and Dallas based artisan Mr. George Sellers, a classically trained sculptor and born aesthete.

www.dlcompany.com
Absinthe candle - Anise, Coriander, Armoise, Vetiver, and Mint give the olfactory illusion of being transported back to the world of Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and the lost Absinthe bars of old New Orleans.

www.modernalchemyco.com
Dia De Los Muertos Candle - Days of the Dead. The devotional notes of marigolds and frankincense tantalize and evoke both the living and the dead.

www.modernalchemyco.com
Skull Porcelain Plates - I would use these year round for cocktail mixers and sophisticated dinners. Just the right amount of lucid edge for any social gathering or intimate night for two.

In The Clear

Like graceful, transparent jellyfish, home furnishings and fashion are baring their souls and becoming an open book for all to see. Literally. One trend I see come and go alot is lucite or clear materials doing double duty as furniture or fashion accessories. I find that in certain applications, the lightness of a table or the disappearing act of a chair gives an environment the right amount of density without looking trite and dated. In fashion, just the hint of glossy reflection pressed upon your skin is all the nuance you need to inject in an ensemble that speaks for itself. Use your discretion and add a hint of translucence to your life...You might be amazed at what you see! -BH

Bocci 28 Pendant Light by Omer Arbel

Clear, white or frosted glass

http://www.bocci.ca/

Polycarbonate Chiavari Chair

OC Designs

Crystal clear finish

http://www.csnchairs.com/

Acrylic Desk Chair

http://www.rubybeets.com/

Milan Game Table

23x23x29h, 36"dia top

Star Fire glass top, acrylic base

McLaughlin Collection

http://www.mclaughlincollection.com/

Paragon Collection, DCOTA

paragoncoll@bellsouth.net

Invisible Light Switch Plate

forbesandlomax.com

(*personal favorite!*)


Prada Spring 2010 RTW;translucent handbag and heels

image courtesy of http://www.style.com/

Cara Croninger Resin Bracelets

http://www.rubybeets.com/

Frankford Clear Bubble Umbrella - no trim

http://www.amazon.com/

Polycarbonate Kayak

(Jellyfish photography: Michael Melford, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/)

Think Pink

In the fall of 1991, the Susan G. Komen Foundation starting handing out pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors. Susan G. Komen For The Cure - ww5.komen.org/

I happen to adore the color pink, all shades of pink in fact. My favorite pops of pink are either statement makers or small soft doses here and there that freshen up any interior, ensemble, tabletop or mood. This month we get an added dash of this rosy hue in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Every October pink represents the color of health and femininity by bringing an increased awareness of breast cancer and helps to remind women about the value of early detection. So this month get active and get involved, support your local and national organizations by wearing a pink ribbon and purchase products where costs are donated to support breast cancer awareness and research. And why stop at the month of October? Here are a few of my blush inspirations that can be symbolic year round. -KL

Style muse Kelly Wearstler featured in the foyer of her Beverly Hills house wearing a pink and white cocktail dress by Studio Giles, and showcasing her new pink and and white custom design hand-painted wallpaper by Porter Teleo

This Kelly Wearstler designed vignette composed of an assortment of pinks, blushes and rose says it all. Refined glamour at its finest.

My favorite flower has to be a peony. Whether it’s a single stem or multiple shades of blooms, to me this perennial represents understated elegance and simple beauty. I love how these two different varieties of peonies are arranged simply yet sophisticated in the interior of Katie Lee Joel’s home. A quick, easy and affordable way to brighten up any room.

This pink dress from the Lanvin Spring 2010 collection is on my absolutely would love wish list. I would wear this perfect pink confection of goodness for any occasion.

One of my favorite films is Marie-Antoinette, and one of the things that I love most about it is the glorious and scrumptious eye candy from start to finish. It even inspired the opening spread for the tabletop feature, Dinner and a Movie, which I styled for the April 2008 issue of Palm Beach Illustrated magazine.

www.palmbeachillustrated.com

On My Mind...

Often times I am asked what the Deux Luxe really is...obviously a blog, of course, but more so, what it represents. We are two writers that focus on many interests ranging from the world of fashion, interiors, entertaining, culture, and the culinary arts just to name a few. Aside from sharing our current loves and passions in these areas, we also try to share a certain attitude. The Deux Luxe is essentially our expression and mindset of what comprises our efforts on living in our finest environment while utilizing our knowledge, talents, and disciplines. We encourage you to live as well as you possibly can...whether that translates as playing ping-pong in Christian Louboutin booties, shaving black truffles into a martini, or splurging on Bernard Maisner stationery to send a bespoke thank you note - what is on our mind and in our hearts propels us daily to share our luxe finds and fantasies and convey them tongue-in-cheekly or literally. We hope you've enjoyed our 100+ posts so far as much as we've enjoyed writing them! - BH (and I know I can speak for KL!)

(photo: http://www.jjlocations.co.uk.com/)

Sweet to the Core

The Green Market in downtown West Palm Beach is finally back this Saturday and every Saturday for the next few months and I couldn't be more excited! This is the time to get your artisanal cheeses, heirloom tomatoes, fruits, cinnamon donuts (uuughh...guilty pleasure), fresh flowers and several other culinary delights. I particularly love this time of year as I've expressed in the past due to the bounty of wonderfully rich and flavorful foods that can be prepared during this holiday season. One fruit in particular that most people love and is in season of course, is the apple. I eat apples regularly but only bake with them during the holidays. I couldn't resist the photo of the glorious dark, lacquered syrup-y apples shown above - shot by one of my favorite bloggers and photographers, Matt Armendariz of www.mattbites.com and www.mattarmendariz.com. The recipe for making his red and black candied apples is on his blog and sounds amazing...everyone should check it out! These would be ideal for a seriously wicked and chic Halloween party! Another delectable dessert that is incredibly easy and a crowd pleaser during this time of year are baked apples. If you're someone that is daunted by the idea of baking or simply has no time to roll out a pie crust, try baking apples with a twist. This is just one idea...but cranberries, apricots, walnuts, granola can all be added toppings! Be creative and have fun!-BH

Vanilla-Bean Baked Apples

You will need:

4 semi-sweet apples - Rome Beauty or Gala
3 Tbls dark brown sugar, packed
2 Tbls unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbls finely chopped toasted pecans plus more for topping
1/2 large vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped of beans
1/8 tsp salt

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Core the apples and fit snugly into an ovenproof skillet or loaf pan. Stir together sugar, butter, nuts, vanilla seeds, and salt in small bowl. Divide sugar mixture among apples. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake until apples are soft ~ about an hour. Serve warm with pan syrup spooned on top and vanilla ice cream on the side.

Photo and recipe courtesy of www.marthastewart.com

6 in 1

I’m a definite girl on-the-go, no doubt about that. So for me, getting dressed each and everyday, for each and every occasion has to be about simplicity. Yet it also has to represent my personal style as well. In order to pull off this fine-line of coordinating quick and simple ensembles all while looking trés chic day to day, I have a few key pieces that I turn to in those moments of fashionista panic, or sometimes just pure styling laziness. Once you have a good foundation of the necessary ensemble basics (dark denim jean, crisp white button down, little black dress, well fitted blazer… you get the point) it’s all about the play of mix and match. And of course amazing accessories are always a necessity, every girl loves Jimmy, Christian and Giuseppe. Here are a few looks that I recently created on Closet Couture using the same James Perse black tee dress as the perfect foundation for each outfit. This cotton dress is great to go from day to night and work to weekend. – KL

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Weekend Away
This is the perfect relaxed look for a casual weekend away. On my days off from styling I'm always running around in a chic pair of gladiators. I'm loving the boho luxe addition of this amazing House of Lavande necklace paired with the reality of a great metallic handbag that can be carried by arm or across the body, perfect for the city or country.

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Poolside
In Palm Beach, cocktails poolside are a common thing. One would think that pink, green and palm trees are the only way to go for such an occasion, however I’m one who likes to mix it up (ex: try all neutral to a Lilly Pulitzer party, with bright fuchsia nails of course). The bright blues and greens in this Pucci purse pack just enough vivid punch mixed with the coordinating suede heel and bold gold jewelry. This is a must-do come this season’s round of outdoor mixers.

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Dinner Out
One of my favorite things to do during my downtime is spending the evening with my dear ones lingering over a long dinner and drinks. Of course looking chic while lingering is always a must. Whether it’s an evening out in just jeans and a tee, I’ll always throw on a great pair of heels and grab a go-to clutch on the way out the door. This look says actually that, simple black dress + killer accessories. Sky high silver heels, metallic leopard clutch, vintage statement earrings and waist cinching décor, simple elegance in 2 minutes flat.

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Work Day
My typical work day look consists of looking fashionable and trendy yet appropriate. In this outfit it’s all about the jeweled caplet. Don’t shy away from playing up a bit of glitz during the daylight hours, just make sure you keep the rest of your look understated. I paired the overall look down with a neutral heel with a small pop of color for fun, and a classic everyday handbag. To transition the look for night just swap out the handbag for a clutch and add an earring for added bling.

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Night Out
A great way to get added value to anything neutral is to add color. A simple pop of brightness can go a long way. Here I choose a Proenza Schouler heel (which I love!) that has jut the right mix of color to add something extra without going overboard. I paired this very trend-on heel with a coordinating earring that picks up the same pink featured in the heel. To keep the look balanced I kept the other accessories neutral, a studded skinny belt for a different play on silhouette and a pop of metallic for the clutch.

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Cocktail Party
The mix of gold and silver is a fresh and modern way to add a bit of edge to any look. Play up interesting cuts, fabrics, materials and textures to add additional impact to any simple dress. Keep the accessories minimal and sleek for major impact. And don’t be afraid to mix a silver necklace with a gold clutch, just be sure that both pieces aren’t too shiny and one has elements of both metallics for balance and match. Here I mixed a silver necklace with a matte gold clutch and paired up the two with a belt that showcases both the silver and gold. I kept the shoe black yet choice a very trend-on style.

Go to Closet Couture (closetcouture.com) to create your very own 6 in 1.