Diana Broussard Interview

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Last month I had the honor of interviewing Diana Broussard for Prestige International Magazine! Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, but with Cajun-French (both from Louisianan and Parisian) roots, Diana grew up in Dallas, Texas. The youngest in her family of four children, Diana Broussard had initially planned to attend Julliard to become a flute soloist, however, her dreams drastically changed when her father had a bad stroke when she was 16. Growing up she always sewn her own clothes and read Vogue, and also always been surrounded by the technology world being her father was a physicist, had immediately committed to her new ambition in becoming a designer.

Holding a B.S. in textile chemistry from LSU with further education at FIT, Diana has become one of the most successful New York designers specializing in accessories. She's worked for luxury goods companies such as Gucci, Dior, Calvin Klein, Armani, Carolina Herrera, and JP Tods - her experience is impressive. From one idea she does many things, with her exquisite jewelry to her impeccably chic shoe line, each concept is clear and her work speaks for itself. Luxury at its finest, it is also yet personal, taken with great care, and is full of heart.

I went to her boutique here in New York City, to get to know her and of course, to see her collection. I picked out a few of my favorites (ahem, gentlemen... your lady friend would love any of Diana's pieces!), keeping the theme green with Christmas Spirit! 

Take a look at my chosen pieces below. Provided links will take you directly to her online store! To read my full interview with Diana, please click here. Pages 58-61.

MONKEY CURVED WITH CRYSTAL RING: GOLD & EMERALD

NATE NECKLACE: BOTTLE GREEN

EAMES SAFARI with LION and MONKEY: DARK GREEN VELVET

Aren't her pieces just darling? I'm in love with all her accessories! Such an amazingly talented designer! To see more from Diana's collection, please go here.

All photos, including the portrait of Diana are by me. And don't forget to go and check out my full interview with Diana here! Pages 58-61. :)

Love & xx's,

Source: http://issuu.com/rougemond/docs/prestige_m...

New Favorite Conditioner

Today I tried a new hair conditioner. "The Hair Growth Botanical Renovation Paraben-free Conditioner restores damaged frizz-prone hair and prevents hair breakage by coating and penetrating the hair shaft to create a protective barrier that restores hair and prevents further damage. By smoothing the hair surface it reduces hair knotting and breakage, so hair looks healthy, shiny and easy to manage because of improved elasticity. This Deep Conditioning Formula is based on the understanding of human hair structure and characteristics. It creates a protective barrier, increases mechanical strength of the hair fibers, detangles & restores elasticity, softens dry damages hair, returns shine and enhances thickness, nourishes and defrizzes, and improves color vibrancy with gentle treatment as it helps preserve the brilliance of hair without weighing it down. This deep treatment works to repair and to revitalize the surface of the hair for instant detangling, softness and shine. Designed for weak dull thinning hair, this conditioning treatment leaves hair smooth, healthy and strong with bounce, volume and shine. This ultimate hair conditioning treatment, specially formulated with essential oils and royal jelly extract, intensely replenishes vital moisture while reducing frizz and breakage, and leaves hair supple and free-flowing for ease of styling. The conditioning of this treatment forms a protective layer over the cortex where the cuticle cells have broken away, which provides a secure layer of coating over these rough edges."

I like to do a weekly deep conditioning earlier in the morning before I get the day going, rather than do it at night and getting it all over my pillow. This is going to come across rather strange, but I love the smell your pillow develops from the hair products you use, and call me a weirdo - I do not care, I just really enjoy the scent while sleeping! I do it before the day begins to give the products some time to wear in, so to speak.

This picture (they're all self-portrait by the way) cracks me up because this is how I typically look in the morning before coffee -  makeup free and aloof. I'm that girl who NEEDS her first cup of coffee before having a conversation. I'm not a morning person! Sorry! Ha ha!

I literally jumped in the shower, shampooed my hair with my regular shampoo, then to the fun part, trying the new conditioner! Most conditioners will tell you to leave it in for no longer than 10-15 minutes, but my secret? 30 minutes for any deep conditioning. After snapping a few photos for you to see it in use, I ran to the kitchen, poured myself my first cup of coffee and sat on the couch checking my emails and responding to messages with CNN in the background. My Instagram addiction will also tend to get in. Those 30 minutes went by quick! ;)

The scent of Rose geranium and cinnamon are lovely. The touch of floral with the heavy accent from the spice are complementary to one another. The conditioner is light but coats well into the hair. I liked the fact that it wasn't goopy like some products I've tried in the past.

After 30 minutes, I rinsed the conditioner out before blow-drying my hair, and then finally straightening it. Check out the results! Even after all the heat, my hair still felt and looked hydrated and silky smooth. And with some volume! Mind you - I haven't gotten my hair cut or colored since June! I'm really happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone, but especially those who may be prone to weaker, thinner hair.

Interested in learning more about this conditioner? Click here to direct you to the product available on Amazon. And if you make a purchase, use my 20% Discount Code: 6FI8TI6V

Have a great rest of your Tuesday!

* Please note, I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE & XX'S,

#HairGrowthConditioner

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Remembrance of Trinkets Past

Firstly, I want to thank my readers from the bottom of my heart for your love and support these past few days. Times like these are proven difficult, but because of your acknowledgement and acts of care, it makes the pain endurable. It may never fully go away, but knowing I have people who have my back: please know I will always have yours. Thank you. I am grateful. Always grateful. Just thank you. 

I get out of bed every morning because I want to get up and talk with each and every one of you; to share with you all my life experiences, whether day-to-day or in reflection of the past or future - it's the good, the bad, and yeah, the ugly. What I love about social media, is its power to provide knowledge amidst helping/contributing to the world we live in and to the people who are in it. It should be an efficient tool, not a weapon to manufacture or destroy us.

Here's something I discovered I'd like to share with you today. An amazing company called, CaseApp, allows you to design your own phone case! You can use someone's previously created design or you can custom make one yourself! It can include typography, a collage of some sort... let your imagination run wild! I've been loving the marble trend but I wanted to create something with a little more spunk, basically including a bit more of my style into it.

Since green is my ultimate favorite color besides black, I chose a combination of the two! And voila! Doesn't it look so chic? I think it's perfect for the holiday season! Great for Christmas stuffers/ smaller gift ideas. Want to make your custom iPhone case? Don't have an iPhone? Not to worry, they carry other phone types too! Why not use my promotional code for a 20% discount?! Just enter SPIEGOSKI20 before you checkout. Click HERE to get started! :)

But before you go there's more to these photos than just a phone case. Every year during the month of November, in honor of my mother, I get statice flowers. Statice is also known as a herb and is sometimes called "sea lavender". According to Teleflora, "Its botanical name is derived from the Greek word "limonium," meaning meadow, referring to the plants original habitat and likely why this versatile flower is also called marsh-rosemary." Having a deeper appreciation for flowers and more particularly, in the language of flowers, statice symbolizes remembrance.

I discovered these flowers nearly ten years ago at a girlfriend's apartment, who also displayed them out in the open, in memory of someone she lost when she was only a little girl: her father. Since then, statice has kind of stuck with me. The flower itself is dried up and feels like confetti, yet they're so incredibly beautiful to me. With my mother's profound love for flowers and gardening, I always am reminded of her when I see these and many other kinds of flowers. I can't help but carry some in the house this time of year. I can't help but always have some kind of plant life in the house now. 💜

Every piece of jewelry except the Twin Tiger Bangle belonged to my mother. My father had gifted her with these (and plenty more) throughout their years together. Birthdays, Valentine's Days, Christmases and Anniversaries, they actually eloped in Vegas on Christmas Eve - so Rock -n- Roll by the way guys! These were passed down to me after her passing, some I can barely ever wear to this day because they are far too precious to me. I'll wear the Movado watch for a special occasion of some kind, like when I got engaged. (Oh the irony!) Everything comes in full circle, doesn't it? I believe those heart earrings were a Valentine's Day gift.

The sapphire ring is encrusted with diamonds at the top edge of gold band. This was a Christmas gift to my mother and I received this as a Christmas gift after she passed. My father had given this ring to the two women he loved most in life. I always found this incredibly touching. I still carry, in my memento of mementos, the hand-written letter he wrote when he gave me this ring.

I think the memory of someone is always possible when it comes to jewelry, trinkets, flowers, etc. These tokens of remembrance are significant, and they don't have to be someone. It can be something else, perhaps a place or a first time experience. I have a girlfriend who after becoming quite successful, bought herself a Rolex just because she could. Why? It's not the materialism that comes with the territory, but meaning behind it. In her eyes, time is money. It was now a constant reminder of her sense of urgency. Life is short, so you better damn well make the most of it. 

Like my new phone case from CaseApp, I will now always have the memory of my first time designing my own cover to my iPhone! My meaning behind it? To me green is a peaceful color. Serenity, Light, Earth. And black is well, black. Dark. The opposite of every other color. It's my own version of yin and yang. ☯

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Daily Nutrition for Skin

I've been working extra long hours and all this past weekend (and happily so), but without a little R&R, my face looks like it has taken a beating! Ha! How many of you busy career-driven women, especially with children (and kudos to you, by the way, because I don't know how you ladies juggle while simultaneously carry on an actual social life,) have been looking for an amazing face mask that can do all of it's magic tricks in one packet?

Let me introduce you to my new best pal, the Colbert MD Illumino Anti-Aging Brightening Mask! How does it work? These concentrated Bio Cellulose anti-aging brightening masks deliver brighter, smoother, plumper looking skin using patented QuSome® technology. These masks rejuvenate damaged, tired skin; visibly reduce dark spots and skin imperfections; stimulate skin cell renewal and regenerates the skin; and they can also be used as a pre-treatment before makeup application and/or post-laser treatment recovery mask.

The QuSome® technology allows this mask to deliver active ingredients straight to the dermis where cellular renewal takes place.

Key Ingredients & Benefits:

  • Niacinamide: Influences skin pigmentation by down-regulating melanin production, while improving the appearance of photoaged skin (including texture, redness, fine lines and wrinkles)
  • Swiftlet Nest Extract: Promotes skin regeneration, acts as skin barrier and prevents water loss
  • Lactic Acid: A gentle natural exfoliation that helps to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and hyper-pigmentation
  • Vitamin C: Skin-lightening booster that helps decrease melanin formation, neutralizes free radicals and increases collagen synthesis
  • SymCalmin®: Calms and soothes the skin. Helps reduce blotchiness
  • Chamomile Extract: Soothes, conditions and balances the complexion
  • Hyaluronic Acid: Increases hydration and improves skin's elasticity
  • Vitamin E: Antioxidant that fights against free radicals and anti-aging signs

Usage is easy. Apply the mask day or night on cleansed skin twice a week. First remove the protective white film and place the mask on the face, starting from the chin. Gently peel off the mesh and adjust the position of the mask to ensure that the openings for the eyes and mouth are correctly positioned. Press gently on the mask with both hands to adhere. Remove the mask after 15 minutes. Do not rinse. Massage the remaining serum into the skin.

And I love how I can continue working while having the mask on! It's a nice 15 minutes lying down. ☺️ Below is a picture of myself, before putting on the mask. I have zero make-up on and just cleansed my face. I can see some uneven skin tone, I'm a bit blotchy and I sure do look tired.

And here is a photo of myself, post-mask! My face is luminous with a touch of that dewy-looking skin I love so much. (I'm Korean, what can I say...) My skin tone was instantly corrected, all the while with a more lively, fresh appearing result! I love that it's only a twice-a-week regiment, because there's only so much time I have with my skin!

Dr. Colbert's skin care line is top of the top, it's no wonder why he's one of the most well-respected, esteemed dermatologists in New York City. To all my New York ladies: his skin care clinic, the New York Dermatology Group is amazing and if you're looking for a dermatologist, this is your guy! 

Colbert MD skincare is available at ColbertMD.com, Barney's New York, Space.NK, apothecary and more. For a store locator, you can visit here.

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

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