Portraits of Sammy

November 30, 2016

photos by Suzanne Spiegoski

It's portrait time! As many of you, I am not just a blogger and writer, but also a photographer. I mostly focus on portraiture & lifestyle and have been shooting since I was a teenager. And lately, I've been shooting more on a regular basis which has been nothing but totally awesome!

So, every once in a while I come across a person that if I don't photograph him or her I will most certainly regret it. Enter Sammy: half-Indian half-British Ford model and actor. I was quite surprised when he first spoke because I wasn't expecting a soft gentle voice from such an intense, mysterious face! What a beautiful creature and an even kinder soul. We became quick friends and I cannot wait to shoot with him again soon. You can find Sammy on Instagram and Twitter.

Interested in working with me? Send me a message on Instagram or email me at suzanne.spiegoski@gmail.com I always love hearing from you guys! And if you're in New York City like I am, stay dry out there! The past couple of days have been raining like cats & dogs! Until next time..

LOVE & XX'S,

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Latest Essentials: Pour Moi Beauty & Daniel Wellington

November 28, 2016

LATEST ESSENTIALS: POUR MOI BEAUTY COLLECTION - HYDRATING BALANCER | 
THE SERUM WHITE | THE SERUM BLACK | NIGHT CREAM | CLIMATE DAY CREAMS | 
DANIEL WELLINGTON WATCH | DW SILVER CUFF | ESSIE BLANC NAIL POLISH | 
ROSEGAL SILVER STACKED RINGS | ARAKI GOLD BOOK

SPONSORED POST IN COLLABORATION WITH POUR MOI BEAUTY, DANIEL WELLINGTON & ROSEGAL.

First and foremost, my heart goes out to Ohio State University this morning. Thoughts & prayers to all involved in yet another shooting in America. I don't know when the madness will stop, but we are with you today & always. Ugh, it just makes me sick to my stomach typing this while I overhear the news from the tv in the background. And right after Thanksgiving. Just heart-wrenching.

With the climate now taking serious change, we can kiss those warm, balmy nights goodbye! If only temporarily, especially in New York. The cold, dry air during the winter time wrecks such havoc to my skin! My face is super sensitive so it doesn't react well around this time of year. That's why I've teamed up with Pour Moi Beauty, the first climate based skincare system where your skin consistently stays hydrated through the different seasons and places of the world. PMB is the new top line you'll want to try out, specifically to all my wanderlusts who are addicted to traveling! Let me share with you a little more on some of the products I've been trying recently.

1. HYDRATING BALANCER

This innovative light pink translucent lotion makes the skin feel instantly comfortable and soft. A sophisticated hybrid between a liquid moisturizer and a gentle toner, this lotion serves dual purposes. It clears the skin from any irritators left on the skin, helps minimize pore size, moisturizes, evens out skin tone, and firms & tones the skin.

2. THE SERUMS / WHITE X BLACK

The SERUM white is a silky white lotion with its fresh texture and its lightweight feel, leaves an invisible but protective film on the skin to help balance negative skin responses from climate and environmental aggressors.

The SERUM black is a stunningly beautiful black texture of the Serum melts in transparency on the skin. Highly concentrated in restoring, moisturizing and brightening active ingredients, this high-performing Serum contributes to regenerating and stimulating skin. Specially designed for mature or very dry skin. And a personal fav. :)

3. NIGHT CREAM

The supple and creamy texture of the night cream brings a total skin well-being. Their customized day and night moisturizing creams work synergistically; delivering the perfect balance of nourishment for a smooth and healthy skin whatever your age. And the smell is intoxicating to fall asleep with!

4. CLIMATE DAY CREAMS

The desert day cream is specially formulated for skin in desert climate which is hot and dry air. This light yellow Day Cream instantly seals the skin's surface against dry air while preventing additional water loss inside the skin.

The polar day cream is specially formulated for skin in cold climate which is cold and dry air. This light green Day Cream helps the skin not just to protect itself but also promotes skin healing in that challenging (and freezing) climate.

The temperate day cream is specially formulated for skin in mild climate which is normal and mild air. This light pink Day Cream helps skin to relax and thrive in this idyllic climate protecting skin against other environmental aggressions such as pollution. This one is perfect during fall!

The tropical day cream is specially formulated in humid climate which has hot and humid air. This light blue Day Cream has a very light texture and its advanced ingredients and beauty technology encourages skin to draw moisture from air into skin while other ingredients help the skin to cool down.

5. DANIEL WELLINGTON BLACK LEATHER WRISTBAND WATCH

Made from genuine Italian calf leather this classic 40mm Daniel Wellington watch is sleek with minimal chic style. I've been wearing it nonstop as it's perfect for everyday wear! I think watches are also great holiday gifts so use my code 'SUZANNE_DW' for 15% off your purchase!

6. DANIEL WELLINGTON SILVER CUFF

The silver cuff is the perfect matching accessory to go with the watch. You'll have your wrist blinging out in no time! It's delicateness is beautifully crafted with an engraved 'Daniel Wellington' logo in the center. I love pairing them together because I think they complement each other well.

The last three essentials have been white nail polish, silver stacked rings and naughty Japanese photography by the wonderful Araki. One of the only nail polishes I trust is Essie. It's high-quality and fast drying polish always keeps me coming back for me! My new fave this winter season is definitely the blanc color. I think my favorite Christmas colors are white and silver, then red and green. :)

We've got some fun, casual and funky, holiday looks coming up on the blog! What's your favorite colors to wear around this season? We'd love to hear from you in the comments down below. Have a great week and we'll see you guys soon!

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE PRODUCTS

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North Polar Bear London Winter Wear

November 26, 2016

WEARING: NORTH POLAR BEAR SWEATSHIRT | NPB PIN |

NIKE REVOLUTION 3 RUNNING SHOES IN BLACK | TASC LEGGINGS | DIOR SUNGLASSES

SPONSORED POST IN COLLABORATION WITH NORTH POLAR BEAR.

I hope (to all it applies to) had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Last year I showcased our dinner with tips & tricks on how to make a good ass turkey. One would know as I've been making our Thanksgiving dinners for the past nine years! Yes, that means a whole turkey and all the trimmings. You can take a look at that post here. I would also love to hear if you missed seeing our spread this year! In all honesty, I've been so busy with work I didn't have it in me to do a post on it. I definitely have a holiday recipe or two coming up on the blog soon though. :)

We also kept it pretty quiet this year, didn't travel and stayed in New York. I love to cook on Thanksgiving and had one of our dear friend's over, but if you know me, we're not too big on the holidays. We do celebrate but we certainly don't go crazy. (If you do do that, please don't ever stop - I love you just the way you are!) I also discovered the cutest new luxe minimal wear from East London that's been keeping me awfully cozy and casually chic at the same time, especially around this time of the year where the colder season is kicking in!

North Polar Bear is a small business clothing & accessories company based across the Pond, but from it's packaging, delivery service, to even the quality of the grey pullover I received is absolutely amazing! The 100% organic cotton sweater is soft to the touch and extremely comfortable to wear. I didn't want to take it off! And I simply adore the minimal but cute geometric designs of NPB logo, straight down to their pins. NPB also carries other high-quality accessories such as mittens (totally obsessed with them), and now Christmas stockings! For other great holiday gift ideas and pieces from their collection, click here.

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

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Fall Staples: Unique Watch, Plaid Thermos & Chic Camel Coat

November 21, 2016

FALL STAPLES: JORD FRANKIE SERIES WOOD WATCH | 
GENIUINE THERMOS® RED HERITAGE PLAID BOTTLE | VIP ME CAMEL LAPEL LONG COAT | 
PUMA VIKKY PLATFORM SUEDE SNEAKERS

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY THERMOS L.L.C., JORD WOOD WATCHES, VIP ME FASHION & BLOG LOVIN' BUT THE CONTENT AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN.

The wintry chill is finally setting into the streets of Gotham and brrr! I need a warm cup of something to keep me going in the next colder months. That's why I've partnered with Genuine Thermos® Brand and created a non-dairy drink recipe to share with you guys!

Non-Dairy Chai Latte

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 heaping Tbsp loose leaf black tea

1 whole anise pod

2 Tbsp whole chai spice blend - use less if ground

Cane sugar, honey or other sweetener of choice

1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (e.g; almond milk)

Dash of nutmeg

Directions:

Add water, tea, anise and spices to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to fully steep.
Remove from heat and add non-dairy milk and sweetener of choice and stir. Warm for 2-3 minutes off the heat, and then pour over Geniuine Thermos® bottle using a fine mesh strainer.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more for sugar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan) for sweetness, and ground cinnamon for a little extra warmth.

The Thermos® brand heritage plaid tumbler is an amazing vacuumed insulated beverage bottle. What's great about not just the design (how freaking cute is the red?!) but also its double purpose to being able to serve both hot and cold drinks. A perfect drink holder for someone like me that's always on the go! It's also a great stocking stuffer for the upcoming season. :)

Thermos® brand will be offering a limited time promotion that gives you guys the chance to enter to win Genuine Thermos® Brand products through a promotion that is hosted on the Thermos brand Facebook page. There will be a total of 10 randomly selected winners for the promotion. Thermos brand and Spong will be facilitating the shipments. Don't miss out! Click here now!

Along with my new favorite Thermos brand tumbler, there are a few other fall pieces I've been wearing nonstop that I know will transition into my winter wardrobe as well! The JORD wood watch I received is from the beautiful Frankie series in dark sandalwood and an emerald face. I was appreciative of their custom wrist measuring and the incredible green emerald face. It is such a cool, chic watch!

I'm so crazy for these unique watches I've partnered with JORD to bring you a special giveaway. Enter your name and email into the giveaway here to get a $20 gift card to any JORD watch. One lucky winner will receive a $75 gift card, but here's the score: Even if you don't win the giveaway, you still get the $20 gift card regardless, so what're waiting for?! The giveaway ends November 27th, so enter here now!

The other two fall staple pieces I've been obsessed with are the VIP ME camel lapel long coat with a belt and the cutest silver brooch. The coat fits me well and I love the back of it that flares out just a bit to bring a subtle, feminine touch. Use 'Suzanne379' to get $5 off your purchase of any order over $50! The PUMA suede Vikky platform sneakers are super comfy. I feel as if I'm walking on clouds when in them. They're truly amazing and know I'll be wearing them a lot more before the wet, snowy weather kicks in. These sneakers will be released on Dec. 15th in stores, so keep your eyes peeled for them! Also makes for another great holiday gift (or treat for yourself).

Lastly, even though I stopped working as a figure skating coach (yup, that's right – on & off for ten years) before making the change the focus more on my career as a writer and digital content creator, I still love to go skating when possible! Before I even taught skating, I was a trained figure skater. The sport has always been a big part of my life, and though I've built a love/hate relationship with it – I still miss skating from time to time and am definitely thinking about doing a get-together with bloggers for a day of skating, more chai lattes and laughter! What do you guys think? I'd love to share this with you, imagine the fun to be had!

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE LOOK

GENIUNE THERMOS RED HERITAGE PLAID BOTTLE

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High School Vampiress

November 19, 2016

WEARING: ROSEGAL BLACK LACE UP JUMPER | SPARK PRETTY RED VELVET SLIP DRESS | 
ANGELINA SHOETIQUE OTK BOOTS | ROSEGAL SILVER BEAD HOOPS | ROSEGAL SILVER RINGS

A couple of weeks ago I attended a pop-up event that only carried collector items from the fashionable 90s time period. Spark Pretty is a store filled with vintage items from this decade and I was lucky to find a one-of-a-kind red velvet sleeveless dress. I love it's variation in length, short in the front and long in the back. But now that's it's getting colder in New York, I couldn't just wear this gorgeous piece alone! By the way, how adorable is this dress for Holiday events + parties?!

Heavily into layering this AW season, I paired the dress with a chunky, black lace-up jumper from Rosegal. They have great, affordable trending pieces in fashion and accessories. I love Rosegal so much I even accessorized with jewelry from them as well! Their stacked rings are super chic and the single bead hoop earrings bring sexiness to any outfit. The final detail are these killer over-the-knee platform boots from Angelina Shoetique. These boots have a life of their own and definitely was the inspiration behind the title of this blog post! Makeup mostly by Urban Decay and Dollup Beauty.

What do you guys think of this emo/grunge/darker look? I certainly don't dress like a high school vampiress every day, but it was so much fun styling these pieces with a different concept we haven't done yet! Always willing and able to try new things and taking risks in fashion is only part of the fun when it comes to styling. Enjoy the weekend! We'll be back on Monday with a new fall style story with Thermos & JORD Watches (giveaway included) so stay tuned! :)