Are Those Real??

When it comes to makeup, Uptown Girls like to keep their look natural. However, we were recently enlightened after having false eyelashes put on us! Our light, barely-there lashes were brought to life, giving us dramatic, glamorous eyes. There is no competition: mascara just cannot measure up. This is a quick, easy trick to amp up your glam factor and look like you got your makeup done professionally! When first applied, they can feel a bit bizarre, so make sure you leave ample time to get used to them before leaving the house. Also, make sure they are glued on properly - there's nothing that says hot mess like a girl whose eyelashes are peeling off. So we say, go all out and bring your look to a new level. Just keep in mind, though, there is no way this is a good idea for daily life. The idea is to showcase these falsies at an appropriate occasion such as a night out dancing or a cocktail party - NOT on a trip to the grocery store. 

Nine To Five Fitness

Uptown Girls need their exercise. However, when you’re working, on the go, and living your fabulous social life, there isn’t always time to get in a full workout on a regular basis. Uptown Girls have some ideas for how you can “sneak in” some exercise throughout your day without having to squish your schedule even tighter. If you are a 9-5 office gal, and you work in a cubicle or office of your own, there are several ways you can sneak in some fitness. If you have paper weights, do some bicep curls with them if no one is around, or some other arm exercises that will tone your upper body. If you have a private office, you can take your chair and do some tricep dips or squats while you are taking a five-minute break from the project you are working on. Another idea we have for you is to find the staircase, and on your lunch break, spend half of it eating, and spend the other half walking up and down the stairs. This is great exercise and you don’t even have to leave the office! Also, you can find a “walking buddy” and pack your sneakers every day and spend 2/3 of your lunch break walking around the neighborhood as you chat instead of sitting down and chatting. You can still gossip, but you burn calories while doing it! 

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

We are over the rain. However, there really isn't much we can do about it. But there is something we can do about this all-too-familiar scenario: You are walking down the street while rain is pelting you in the face. Your flimsy umbrella gets blown inside out and the metal sticks get bent and poke out of the fabric, rendering it a lethal weapon. You feel as if there is no point at all in even having an umbrella, considering your clothes and purse are soaked. You are now feeling homicidal. Uptown Girls think it is time to stop this vicious cycle. So take that $5.99 Duane Reade piece of crap and throw it out. It is necessary to step up your game when it comes to umbrellas, and we found something that looks like it can solve all of your rainy day problems. The Shed Rain Windjammer Jumbo Umbrella features a double-tiered design so that the wind just flows through the vent and allows the umbrella to retain its shape. No more inside-out umbrella! It is also rather large so that your gigantic purse will remain underneath its protective shelter. Samsonite also makes a large, wind-resistant golf umbrella that is even larger. If $35 is all it takes to retain your sanity, we think it is worth it.


photo courtesy of http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com

We're Not Saying We're Martha Stewart...

Uptown Girls always love inexpensive decorating tips. Let’s be honest, sometimes, your old apartment setup can get played out and boring. Recently, we’ve discovered a great way to easily and cheaply switch up the look of your apartment, and it comes down to one item: sofa accent pillows. Instead of spending $40 and up on designer pillows, we love the idea of buying a square pillow (as in, just the pillow part) and then getting pillow slip covers in fun colors and patterns to change up the look of your living room. For example, try mixing up one or two patterned pillow covers with several solids that match or complement a color in the pattern. This will make your living room look brand new! And after a few months or a few years, if you tire of these pillows, just store the cases away and get new ones and enjoy a totally different look. A store that offers this option is Ikea (which we love), and pillows cost around $7, while the slipcovers average at around $10. For the price of one or two designer pillows, you can get a whole living room’s worth of accent pillows. Decorate away!

photo courtesy of images.smarter.com

Chilled Cucumber and Dill Yogurt Soup

One of the ways to keep eating healthy food is to make sure that the foods you are eating are delicious with a lot of inspirational taste. It’s easy for your brain to lead you into thinking that vegetables have to be bland and boring all the time and it’s difficult to get out of that veggie rut. One of our favorite recipes, cold cucumber and dill soup, is a convincing way to get out of your veggie rut. This soup is so simple; you will want to have it all the time. All you need is about three cucumbers, peeled and chopped, some salt, pepper, garlic (fresh or powder), fresh dill, non-fat plain yogurt, lemon, and a blender. Combine all ingredients in a blender and add all the spices to taste. You should have enough yogurt in the blender to balance out the amount of chopped cucumber you have. We use the big containers of yogurt to make this, and end up using around half to three quarters of the container to serve 2-4 people. As for the lemon, you only want to put two or three small squeezes of a lemon wedge in the soup, otherwise it will be too overpowering. Sometimes, we even add a little bit of lemon zest to give it some extra flavor. After it blends, pour the mixture into a Tupperware and leave it in the fridge to chill for several hours and to let the flavors settle and blend. Chop, blend, chill, and enjoy!

photo courtesy of http://recipesrecipesrecipes.files.wordpress.com

Evening Ready In A Flash: 5 Tips

1. Simply add some darker eye shadow on top of your existing shadow in the crease, and give yourself a smoky look by adding some dark eyeliner around the rims of your eyes.

2. If you are at work, and say you are wearing pants with a ruffly shirt and a jacket, just take off the jacket, add some big earrings and a clutch, and you’re ready to meet your friends for dinner and a night out!

3. If your daytime outfit consists of jeans, a cute top, and flats, take your look to the evening level by swapping your flats for sky scraping heels, pile on the accessories, and your look is instantly night time worthy

4. If your hair is down for the day and looking quite simple, play up a fun evening look by piling hair into a messy bun and adding a headband with a big flower or bow appliqué.

5. Your daytime work outfit of slim black pants and a button down top can be easily turned into a chic evening ensemble. Just have an evening ready tank top in your tote and quickly change into it before leaving the office. So simple!

photo courtesy of wardrobe911.com

Guest Blogger Ryan: More Men's Do's and Don'ts

DO mix and match the patterns of your shirt and tie. Pair a checked shirt with a striped tie or a striped shirt with a polka dot tie.  If you’re still operating under the assumption that Regis Philbin’s solid shirt/solid tie Who Wants to Be a Millionaire look is a good one…you’re wrong. There are a few rules to keep in mind in order to pull this look off successfully: 1). At least one color from the shirt MUST be present in the tie in its exact hue. For example, a white and navy tattersall can be paired with a pink/navy/yellow varsity striped tie. 2). If the suit has a pattern, stick to a solid shirt and introduce a new pattern with the tie. Again, make sure the tie includes one of the colors in your suit’s fabric. 3). Avoid checks with checks or checks with tartans. Too many lines in too many directions may give your officemates vertigo. Here is a combothat I like.

DO NOT wear button-down collared shirts with ties. Save these shirts for casual Fridays and wear them open collared (with a v-neck undershirt). This is more of a faux pas and would not necessitate an immediate trip to the guillotine; however, it is something to avoid.

photo courtesy of simplywp.net

Fashionable Fall Fingernails

Sorry to say, but it’s about time to pack away your bright and tropical nail polish colors. It’s almost officially autumn now, which means nail polish changes are ahead. Fortunately, we love this season’s fashionable colors, which finally seem to be different from the usual colder weather hues. Don’t be afraid to play with color – we know this summer was promoting lighter blues and fluorescent brights, so just take that polish mentality into a warmer, cozier place and explore what the fall collections have to offer. Uptown Girls suggest some of the colors from Essie’s fall line, which include Midnight Cami (a sultry midnight blue), Angora Cardi (a just right mauve), and Chinchilly (a perfect go-to grey). OPI also has a new fall collection out, Collection de Espana, inspired by Spain. We especially love Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow (a dark, shimmery green) and Pamplona Purple. Uptown Girls suggest investing some dough in about three colors that you can alternate throughout the season, switching it up with your pale standbys for a change so you don’t get tired of your trendy colors too quickly. Most nail polishes run between $6 and $8, so if you spend roughly $18-$20, that’s the price of one manicure that will last you for the entire season!



photo courtesy of dfashion.asia

Cooking Up A Storm

If you're anything like the Uptown Girls, you are constantly plotting out your next meal. When time and money aren't endless, the top priorities for a satisfying meal sometimes get put on the back burner. It's important not to skimp on nutrition - you will just feel hungry 20 minutes later! You probably know that there are several necessary components of a meal, protein being one of the more important ones. We are always trying to come up with new meals to make that will not only be delicious, but healthy as well. Recently, we made vegetarian burritos that came out quite well. First, we heated up soft tortillas in a frying pan and sprinkled some shredded cheese on it until it melted. We cooked brown rice and black beans (from a can, so cheap!), whipped up some quick guacamole (mash up an avocado and add lime juice, salt, and pepper), and threw on some salsa. In just a few minutes, we had a healthy, zesty, wallet-friendly meal. It certainly takes energy and effort to resist popping a frozen dinner in the microwave or picking up the phone to call for delivery - but it ends up being much more expensive and certainly not as healthy. Planning ahead can help you stay on track. Decide what you want to make each night at the beginning of the week so that you can be prepared. We will continue to post fun and interesting meals to cook- and we welcome any suggestions! 

Come Out Of The Closet

Labor Day has come and gone which, in fashion terms, means its time to switch to your fall wardrobe! We were very excited when we went digging through our own winter wardrobes and uncovered pieces that we completely forgot we had. A black knit sweater dress, a vintage handbag, a dramatic wrap sweater, and work-ready trousers were just a few of the items. Leaving off-season items dormant for a few years (or even just one season!) allows you to breathe new life into them when you re-introduce them to the world. You are a little bit older and wiser, and chances are, your fashion perspective has shifted since you last wore these pieces. Creating a chic outfit by incorporating this older item into your repertoire will make it seem as though you have just gone shopping! There are a few rules to go by when it comes to this faux-shopping extravaganza: first, make sure that your "new" old items are classic, timeless pieces so that no one else will know that you are recycling clothes from another season. Also, don't try to pull off a sweater that is completely pilled or has lost its shape - it will not look good. And finally, be sure to switch up the ensembles you wear with your old clothes; pairing it with pieces you've never worn with it before will help to make it seem brand new. Enjoy shopping!

Channel Your Inner Italian

Mulberry Street hosts one of New York’s most beloved festivals – the Feast of San Gennaro which begins this Thursday, September 10^th. The festival lasts for 11 days, and we bet that you will want to go every day. You can enjoy live music, the best Italian food around, and an atmosphere that can’t be matched anywhere else. Outdoor seating and thousands of people milling around truly create a one of a kind ambiance that brings uniqueness to any old night. The feast takes place to honor the early Italian immigrants to the area of Little Italy, where the first Italians dwelled when they arrived in the United States. Also a religious festival, San Gennaro honors the patron saint of Naples. However, the cultural aspect of the festival is really what draws in participants, such as the opening day’s 8^th Annual Cannoli eating contest! The festival also boasts parades that colorfully line the streets of Little Italy. Many restaurants seek to draw in customers by standing outside and beckoning passerby with their inviting menus and friendly attitudes. One of our favorite spots – a dessert place, mostly – is Ferrara Pastries and Restaurant, located on Grand Street. They have a wide array of Italian pastries and desserts, and an extensive coffee drink list. The event is free to walk around, and the prices in Little Italy are not so expensive that you will be emptying your wallets. We can’t wait!

photo courtesy of flickr.com

Shop To It

Forget Girls’ Night Out – this week, its fashion’s turn to party. This Thursday night, September 10^th, over 800 New York City shops are keeping their doors open late (11pm) so that you can shop long into the night. Whether you prefer department stores like Macy’s or luxury brand flagship stores, this monumental event is accessible to everyone. Appearances by designers, models, and celebrities are expected throughout the city, as well as contests, giveaways, and champagne! However, it isn’t just fun and games – purchase your Fashion’s Night Out t-shirt, and the proceeds will benefit the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Furthermore, a citywide clothing drive is being held in order to help the New York City AIDS fund. Even if you can’t help out NYC’s retail industry by digging into your wallet, hopefully you can dig into your closet and donate clothing. From September 10-12, retailers participating in Fashion’s Night Out will be collecting donations at their stores, and on the 12^th, there will be various collection sites throughout all five boroughs where drop-offs will be accepted. So make sure to pencil this fabulous evening of fashion into your busy schedule – you never know who you’ll meet, what you’ll see, or what merchandise you’ll walk away with!

Taking It To The Streets

It’s that time of year again, city dwellers! The top performers from the top Broadway hits and some upcoming shows will perform outside this Sunday, September 13, to give viewers a taste of the new Broadway season. This year, actor Michael McKean is hosting, and Broadway fans will have to arrive early to get a good spot to see the action. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. in Times Square, and admission is free. Beware, theater lovers, because over 50,000 people are expected to show up at this event. The festivities will stretch from 43^rd to 47^th Streets, and most of this area will be shut down to traffic. Some of the shows that you can expect performances from are hits such as Hair, Mary Poppins, In The Heights, Chicago, West Side Story, Wicked, and more. Also, upcoming shows will be performing, including Bye Bye Birdie and Finian’s Rainbow. This is going to be an exciting, fun, and memorable event. So get up early and watch some fantastic performances that will leave you wanting much more.

photo courtesy of silive.com

A Tiny Taste Explosion

As you know, Uptown Girls are basically obsessed with cupcakes. However, one of the problems we run into is after one bite or two, the calorie count is enormous. Problem solved! Literally a “hole in the wall,” Baked By Melissa, located on Spring Street in Soho, is our new favorite bakeshop. Serving up miniscule stuffed cupcakes (a bit bigger than a quarter), Baked By Melissa offers a variety of delicious flavors including Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Rainbow, Red Velvet, and several more. You can order these desserts by the number. For example, six mini cupcakes are $5.50. However, you can place orders for party sized boxes that go all the way up to 100 mini cupcakes! At the size of one bite, these teeny treats pack a gigantic punch of flavor that will dazzle your taste buds and leave your dessert desires satisfied.

photo courtesy of lugaluda.com

Cheap Ticket

Theater is essential to the New York experience, but the sky-rocketing costs of a Broadway ticket makes this cultural phenomenon more and more out of reach. But thanks to an unbelievable promotion called 20 at 20, you can experience New York City theater at only $20! From September 8-20, participating Off-Broadway shows allow you to arrive at their box office twenty minutes prior to show time and receive your $20 tickets. The opportunity to see shows that have the potential to become huge Broadway hits down the road gives you an in to the theater world. The flexible show times also let people whose schedules are hectic have the chance to see live theater. Participating shows include Fuerza Bruta, Altar Boyz, Stomp, The Columbine Project, and The Toxic Avenger (pictured). This opportunity lasts for just two weeks so make sure to take advantage of it. Visit www.20at20.com for a full list of participating shows and more details.



photo courtesy of toxiefans.com