Urbanity Inc.'s Weekly Style Blog

The Big “O”

urbanityinc — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:02:38 +0000

You are what you eat. We have all heard the mantra but now more than ever it is important to know exactly what you are putting in your mouth. Fruits and vegetables? Check. Protein? Check. Healthy fats? Check. Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, genetically modified growth hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, preservatives, and artificial additives? Check!

It’s a frightening fact but most of the conventional foods you eat are loaded with some combo of these scary toxins. So even if you are watching what you eat, counting calories, eating well-balanced portions, getting all of your essential food groups, and limiting your intake of processed foods, unhealthy fats, and complex carbs you still may be unknowingly putting yourself and your loved ones at risk for a slew of other health issues due to the toxic nature of the ingredients in (and on) your food.

Step aside nasties, hello Organic. Buying organic has a ton of advantages and is essential for a healthful and preventative lifestyle. While conventional farming standards can wreak havoc on the environment and the well-being of all things living, organic standards promote clean ecosystems, energy efficiency, and healthy living. Organic products, unlike regular products, are minimally processed, non-chemically treated, and reduce or even eliminate pollution. Ample research shows that pesticides found in many non-organic foods pollute the air, the water, and the land and enter our bodies causing all sorts of health problems like abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, skin, eye, and respiratory problems, memory disorders, cancer, depression, neurological deficits, miscarriages, and birth defects. Need we say more?

Beyond their positive effect on the environment and your health organically farmed products contain 40 to 60% more antioxidants than conventional products. Music to our ears (and our faces)! Additionally, unlike most other foods that are good for you organic foods actually taste better than foods from conventional farms thanks to superior soil quality and the fact that organic food is farm fresh and virtually unprocessed.

While some people may shutter at the thought of buying organic because of its higher price tag we’d rather fork over a little extra dough to protect our health and the environment and support the do-gooder organic farmers who, despite providing us with this amazing health alternative, do not receive any federal subsidies from the government like conventional farmers do.

Plus, it’s not completely necessary to buy all things organic as some fruits and vegetables have extremely low to no traces of pesticides because of their protective casing (think onions, avocados, pineapples, mangos, bananas, kiwi, and eggplant). On the flip side, definitely consider going organic when it comes to peaches, apples, peppers, greens (lettuce, spinach, celery), berries, grapes, and carrots as this bunch tends to carry significant amounts of pesticides. Regardless of whether your produce is organic or not it is always a good idea to give it a quick rinse under cool water before consuming to ward off pesky add-ons.

That’s the skinny on organic. Look for the green and white USDA Organic seal on products to be sure they measure up and live long and prosper.

Fashionably Yours,
Urbanity Inc.

Something Blue

urbanityinc — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:55:59 +0000

Blue is the hue of the season. This season’s hottest color comes in a variety of cool shades and can be found in anything from clothing and stones to makeup and accessories. Just splash on a little azul to make any outfit pop.

Blue is an exotic color evoking thoughts of adventure and ecstasy. It’s tone exudes confidence and classic elegance. It is the color of the sky and of the ocean and is said to have an equally blissful calming effect on the mind, body, and soul.

Subliminally blue signifies loyalty so work it in to your look when that’s the vibe you’re going for (think job interviews and dates), and uh hmm, work it. This nifty color might also be your new best friend at the gym as it known to promote productivity. Who knew!

Plus, blue goes with just about everything. It balances out other colors that may be too strong by themselves or unforgivingly dull.

Our favorite color duo is black and blue. They look oh-so-good together. Never mind that bruised philosophy of years past that wearing black with blue is a huge fashion faux pas. That was then (when we also thought big hair was cute) and this is now. These days the fashion elite are sporting opulent pairings of black with stunning shades of blue. This combo is anything but taboo.

Adding a splash of blue can take any look from lacking to lux. So whether you’re donning a dreamy new blue top or accessorizing your style with an ocean-colored bag or piece of jewelry you are sure to turn heads in this sumptuous color.

P.S. – Do try this at home! Mixing in a little sapphire-inspired eye makeup is also a great way to amp up your look. Try swapping out your basic colored shadow, eyeliner, or mascara for shades of indigo, periwinkle, and cyan to achieve a little extra umph!

Visit Urbanity Inc. online at www.urbanityinc.com for more fashion news and tips or for your own personal makeover.

White Out

urbanityinc — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:12:20 +0000

Now that temperatures are on the rise we can finally shed our bulky winter armor and show some skin again. For the past six months most of us have taken comfort under layers of fashionable fall/winter gear masking the pasty-white skin that we all know seasonably lies beneath. With Memorial Day in close sight it’s time for us to loosen our white-knuckle grip from our body-camouflaging boots, tights, and coats and prepare for the scantly clad season of summer. But before you dare to bare this summer Snow White make sure you get a healthy dose of color on your skin so your magic mirror still doesn’t think you are the fairest one of them all. Here are a few ways to hardpan your tan.

1. Exfoliate. Slough away dull skin to reveal a fresh new surface. Use a loofah or brush with an exfoliating scrub for best results.

2. Moisturize. Slather on a vitamin-rich moisturizer to soften your epidermis.

3. Apply self-tanner. Basking in the sun for hours is so passe. The sun can wreak havoc on your skin. Opt for a tanning alternative like moisturizing self-tanners, towelettes, and sprays. These options are easy to use and time-efficient.

4. Step inside. If you’d prefer to have the steady hand of a professional apply your gorgeous glow then schedule an appointment with a salon for a spray tan. You can choose to have the professional spray you themselves by hand or for a more humble experience you can step into a booth for a quick (and chilly) automated machine spray.

5. Get some fresh air. Soak up 10 minutes of sun a few times a week for a healthy dose of Vitamin D. Research shows that catching rays for about 10 minutes can boost your Vitamin D levels thereby warding off some forms of cancer. This brief time out is also said to even brighten up your day.

6. Protect. Slather on sunscreen daily to protect against the harmful effects of the sun. Sun damage can dry out your skin leaving it weathered and leathered so be sure to keep a trusty SPF nearby at all times.

Now you’re ready to strut your stuff this summer!

For more information on this topic and other fashion and beauty tips contact Urbanity Inc. today at www.urbanityinc.com. Get ready for summer with Urbanity Inc. Ask your friends and family for an Urbanity Inc. gift certificate. It’s chic, unique and sure to fit!

Tee It Up!

urbanityinc — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:44:17 +0000

This season’s must-have piece: the basic tee – a fundamental building block for any stylish ensemble.

And we’re not just talking about the basic white tee either. This trend is showing up in every hue under the sun. So whether it’s classic white, heather grey, black noir, colbalt blue, fire-engine red or bright yellow slip one on for a haute new look.

One reason we love this chic trend is the comfort factor. Who said you have to sacrifice comfort for style? They clearly weren’t talking about this cozy piece. Gone are the days of boxy, structured tees. Today’s stylish t-shirts are fabulously lightweight and soft. Your new found comfort and style are due in large part to delicious materials like slub jersey, cashmere cotton blends, and stellar combos of viscose and silk. With all of this talk of sumptuous fabrics sometimes we forget whether we’re talking bedding or clothing here!

And the options on this trend are limitless. You can also choose to go loose, lean, long, little, V, crew, or cap, just to name a few. Depending on the look your going for it’s completely up to you. For a laid-back casual look you can pair a long, lean V-kneck tee with a pair of leggings, or, for a more polished look layer a blazer over a floating tee. Sheer perfection!

But aren’t t-shirts passe and boring? Not anymore. Just about anywhere you look you can find versions that are embellished, logoed, and pocketed. Our favorites have studs, crystals, feathers, catch phrases, and cute little pockets that make them far superior to the tired tees of the past.

Last but not least, no outfit is complete without accessories. So accessorize! T-shirts love company and work with almost anything. Try a long necklace, skinny belt, or gauze scarf to complete your look.

Regardless of how you like your tee we’re sure you’ll find your fix. With so much variety to choose from there is an option for everyone. From loungy to red-haute a t-shirt can morph into just about any look you want so make sure to add a tee to your mix this season.

For more trends, fashion, beauty, and fitness tips go to www.urbanityinc.com. Need help putting your look together? Contact Urbanity Inc. for a fashion consultation today!

Get into the Spring of Things

urbanityinc — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:45:42 +0000

Now that Spring is in full effect gear is the perfect time to cleanse your wardrobe. We know that this can be quite a daunting task but Urbanity Inc. takes away the pain and actually makes this typically dreadful process a chic event. Do tell!

As one of its many posh services Urbanity Inc. offers closet recreations right in the comfort of your own home. The process starts with the identification of all of the places where you stash your clothes, shoes, and accessories (we are even talking about that frightening jewelry drawer). Once the target areas are disclosed you take a front row seat at your very own fashion show. Your Urbanity Inc. fashion consultant then parses through each article to determine whether the piece qualifies as a staple must-have or otherwise gets the scarlet letter “S” meaning it’s officially a skeleton in your closet that should be buried somewhere outside of your home.

Fear not, your front row seat affords you complete executive control of the process while Urbanity Inc.’s role is more closely aligned to that of creative director. As Urbanity Inc. artfully suggests which category each piece falls into you maintain control of the final decision. So rather than woefully rummaging through your closet of goodies all by yourself, wearing out your newly manicured nails and coughing up dust balls along the way, you get to kick back and take in the unfolding of a remarkable event – the unveiling of your new collection (and for some, the first glimpse of the bottom of your closet in years).

Not only does Urbanity Inc. cleanse your closet but they also organize and recreate it so that it looks as though you have just returned from a shopping spree without ever having spent the requisite time and money. Holy smokes! Urbanity Inc. shops your closet and pieces together new outfits for you while showing you how to mix and match different pieces to render endless new options for you to choose from.

Best yet, your unwanted items go to a good cause! Urbanity Inc. works with a number of exceptional charities that collect clothing donations for those in need. You choose the cause you’d like to donate to and Urbanity Inc. does the rest. End result? You get a fabulous new wardrobe that is organized to perfection and at the end of the day you have also done a good deed without ever having lifted a finger. Now that is genius!

Yet another perk, Urbanity Inc. will even prepare a customized look book for you using your very own clothes. They create tons of swanky outfits (for day and night) and then fold-in photos of the outfits into a ready-reference look book just for you. That is vogue!

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to renew your wardrobe this Spring. Contact Urbanity Inc. today at www.urbanityinc.com.

Blame it on the . . . weather

urbanityinc — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:25:41 +0000

With the advent of spring and the onset of warmer weather the need to revamp your beauty routine is crucial. It’s true, achieving radiant skin is alluring, beautiful, and a big part of this season’s trend but having skin as shiny as your lip gloss is not so cute. Now is the time to trade in your winter skin regime for a lighter warm weather routine that will have you sporting this season’s gorgeous sun-kissed glow.

Since most of us tend to get oilier skin as the warm weather sets in it is a good idea to rethink your moisturizer. The heavy moisturizer that you were using during the winter to stave off dry skin can lead to an ultra-oily complexion when combined with warm temperatures. Instead, opt for a lighter moisturizer that has other powerful benefits like sun protection and mattifying power. Remember, while we’ve stored our Uggs and bid farewell to the harsh winter elements we now face exposure to other harmful elements like the sun, pollution, saltwater, and the wind. So your spring and summer moisturizer should contain fighting power to banish the harmful effects of these elements.

Once you’ve obtained a lighter moisturizer modify certain aspects of your current beauty routine to account for the effectiveness of your new moisturizer during this season of sun. Making changes to your routine will help avoid breakouts, blackheads, and unwanted shininess.

Two key aspects of your regime that require reconsideration ASAP are the type and number of products you use. We know it’s tempting to treat your face with bronzer, self-tanner, tinted moisturizer, conture highlighter, illuminating foundation, and shimmer powder amounting to a few karats of gold before stepping foot outside your door but try to avoid piling on too many products at a time. Combining two or more of these products at one time, especially in hot climates, can be a lethal beauty combination resulting in a cake-like appearance, extreme shininess, the clogging of your pores, and, worst of all, it can make you look years (in some cases, eons) older than you are. Yikes!

Remember, less is more. A beauty bonus this season is that you save on the cost of beauty products because you don’t really need much. And hey, this is a recession so saving money goes a long way, and, not to mention, is totally chic. So, along with your new moisturizer, a shimmery bronzer and a loose translucent powder will be all that your skin needs this season. If you happen to need coverage for a problem area just add a dot of concealer to the affected area and blend. The theme here is keep it simple.

To acheive your full sun-kissed goddess potential use only one product with a sparkle factor. No cheating! Seriously, one product containing illuminating power is all that is needed to do the trick. Using too many shimmery products will leave you looking like a metallic mess rather than a bronzed vixen.

To finish your look sweep a small amount of loose translucent powder across your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), and ta-da, you have a beautiful, envy-provoking glow that is oh so au naturale.

For more tips like these or to schedule your haute spring/summer makeover contact Urbanity Inc. at www.urbanityinc.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/urbanityinc.

Hair To Dye For

urbanityinc — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:31:19 +0000

At last, spring is in the air! It’s the perfect time for renewal and change and best of all…for color. While many people are dying Easter eggs this holiday weekend there are a cult of other little chickies doing some dying of their own – hair dye that is. For this haute group, the hunt for the perfect hue of blonde or red is likely their fix rather than finding the Golden Easter egg. But what goes in to such a big decision? We’ve got the scoop.

We know, its springtime so you are looking to make a change from your dull winter look as you prepare for some summer fun. It’s time for a change. We get it. What’s important is that your change is one for the better so that your tresses don’t end up looking more like Cruella De Vil’s than the gorgeous temptress that you are going for. We have some helpful tips to get you through the rainbow of choices so your locks end up that perfect hue you’re dreaming of.

First, decide whether you’re going to a professional colorist or to the box for a do-it-yourself budget-friendly alternative. If you are going to a professional do your homework before showing up. Snip a few pics from your fav magazine of celebs with hair color similar to your natural base or current base. Take these to your colorist and discuss what it is about the celebs’ color you like and want to emulate. Take one or two pics of colors you do not like too. This will help give your pro a clear idea of exactly what you want. Also, try to steer clear of using color descriptive words like “golden” or “honey” because what you may think of as golden your colorist may think is yellow or vice versa. Remember, pictures say a thousand words!

If, on the other hand, you are going the trendy recession-conscious way, then your homework differs a bit. You should still peruse the pages of your fav magazines snipping photos of the celeb colors you love that are similar to your own, but your next step is to shop the color aisle of your local drug store with your pics by your side. Use your pics to compare to the color on the boxes and pay special attention to the back of the box where it indicates what color will likely result given your current shade. This is especially important for those of you glamazons that are going from dark to light because your chances of hitting a brassy note are high if you choose the wrong color. Stay true to your pics and to your natural base and you too can have the fabulous locks you are looking for. One last but oh so muy importante point, always try a test piece first. This will save you from months of yucky over-processed hair and keep your tresses hassle-free.

Changing hair color is a big ordeal and especially if it’s your first time. While we are sure you’ve thought long and hard about taking your tresses to the next level there are alternatives. Consider highlights (or lowlights if your hair is light) as a smaller and more natural color progression before taking the ultimate plunge of a complete color change. Highlights are totally chic and bring focus to your best assets whether that’s your eyes, lips, or cheekbones. Plus, they are much easier to reverse than a full color change in the event of an emergency. There are also semi-permanent colors available which allow you to try a new hue without having to commit to it. (Don’t we wish everything was like that!). So, if you the color that results is not exactly what you had in mind it washes out after just a few shampoos.

Regardless of whether you go with a pro or do-it-yourself, now is the perfect time to redefine your look. It is exciting and adventurous and will surely get heads turning. So go on you beautiful springling and get your lovely new look because we know that your “dying” to try it! Best Wishes!

Yours truly,

Urbanity Inc.

Check out Urbanity Inc. online at www.urbanityinc.com for more tips like these and contact us for your amazing Spring makeover this season.

Urbanity’s Fashion Guide Through the Recession

urbanityinc — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:33:09 +0000

Feeling the Fashion Pinch of the Recession? Worry not fashionista, you are in good company. There are hundreds of thousands of label-loving fashionistas just like you fretting about how to keep looking fabulous in this not-so-fab economy. So don’t let money deprivation mean fashion deprivation for you. Here are a few small steps that will make you feel like you’re making stiletto strides during this recession:

1. Spring Cleaning- Revamp your look by categorizing your items using a “Keep it/Toss it” method. A good rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it! End Result: You will have more room for all of your must-have items. For the best recreation of your wardrobe contact Urbanity Inc. at www.urbanityinc.com to come and do it for you. They have expert stylists who make this monster of a project effortless and exciting. BONUS: Urbanity Inc. is involved with a variety of charities so you can choose which charity you would like them to donate your items to.

2. Recycle – Take pieces to the your trusty tailor and have them shorten a hem or replace buttons to make an old item look brand new. Urbanity Inc. has tons of trendy ideas and recommendations to update your items – www.urbanityinc.com.

3. Style Swap – You have plenty of stylish pals that would love to exchange fashion pieces so take full advantage of it. If your motto for clothes is something close to ”I can only wear it once” then this tip is your new best friend. Let your friends know that you are interested in swapping stylish pieces and you will have a new wardrobe without spending a dime. The fashion possibilities within your network are endless. Need a larger style network, contact www.urbanityinc.com to join their amazing Style Swap.

4. Sample Sales – No fashion victims here. Now you can strut your stuff in coveted labels without having to burn a hole in your hobo. Sample sales are everywhere. Find out which sales are happening in your area and map out your shopping spree. Don’t know where to find the sales, clients of Urbanity Inc. get free leads (www.urbanityinc.com).

With these four chic steps you will look and feel like a million bucks for next to nothing. Crisis averted!

For more fab ideas like these contact www.urbanityinc.com. Urbanity Inc. is a modern image and lifestyle consulting company offering avant-garde fashion, beauty, fitness, and lifestyle services at recession-friendly prices.

Hello world!

urbanityinc — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:37:39 +0000

Visit Urbanity Inc. at www.urbanityinc.com for avant-garde image and lifestyle consultation.