Tag Archives: book review

Enter to Win “The Everyday Supermodel” by Molly Sims

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Supermodel, actress and mother Molly Sims is revealing the secrets to living a balanced and beautiful life in her new book “The Everyday Supermodel.” The book which comes out this week features Molly’s road-tested beauty, fashion, fitness and wellness tricks.

While we all know Molly Sims as a flawless magazine cover girl, like all of us, she too has battled weight issues, bad hair days, career setbacks and fashion disasters.  So what’s the secret to her effortless supermodel look and confidence? Hard work and trying absolutely everything. Having tested nearly every weight loss, fashion and beauty trick, Molly is ready to share what actually works with women everywhere.

Be on the lookout for the following tips and tricks:

· Weight-loss strategies to help you end your love/hate relationship with food, like how to identify which “health foods” are fakers and a “Molly-fied Meatless Monday” plan for incorporating more veggies into your diet.

· On-the-go workouts to help you move, dance, spin, and stretch your way to a hotter, healthier and happier you—think treadmill tricks like sidestepping and skipping and tips on how to turn up your sweat in order to reduce bloating, smooth cellulite and glow.

· Chic and figure-flattering style advice for every budget, from a list of luxe for less labels to key undercover agents and hidden helpers that will help you look polished from head to toe.

· Easy-to-follow hair and makeup tutorials that will take you from the everyday to the runway, including a makeup-less, untouched close up of Molly and how she tackles her “issues” like breakouts and melasma.

· Look-good/feel-good advice to help you bounce back from setbacks, decide what you want, and make your dreams come true!

· Tips and tricks from Molly’s celebrity pals, like Rachel Zoe, Jessica Alba, Joey Maalouf and more!

· Supermomma extras from Lori Bergman’s Fertility Smoothie to natural therapies and tips to keep your body supermodel ready before, during and after pregnancy.

You can enter to win a copy of “The Everyday Supermodel” in three easy steps:

1.  Follow both Aspiring Socialite and The Everyday Supermodel on Instagram.

2.  Comment on this post telling me what makes you an everyday supermodel. Be sure to include your email.

3.  Stay fabulous!

Disclaimer: You must provide an address in the continental United States to be eligible to win. Contest ends January 22, 2015. 

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The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail By Cristal Carrington

I love a good cocktail just as much as any blue blooded New Yorker. In the city that never sleeps and never drives, we take the after work cocktail to another level making Manhattan just as much a drink as it is an island. At the age of 26, I’m slowly becoming a more sophisticated drinker which is why I recommend reading The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail by Cristal Carrington, Cocktail Columnist for Examiner.com and Washington D.C. Socialite.

The book serves as a guide to personal branding that profiles the 5 different types of female drinkers (The Party Animal, The Conservative, The Maverick, The Light-Weight, and The Connoisseur) explaining the messages they are unconsciously sending when socializing at bars, restaurants, and parties based on their drink choices while a tequila drinker can be seen as a party girl, a champagne drinker such as myself can be viewed as an elitist.  For the young and ambitious professional looking to make a positive impression at upcoming holiday parties, The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail is a must-read.  Aside from great advice on personal branding and finding your signature drink, Carrington also provides excellent drink recipes that I can’t wait to try.

Keep reading for my exclusive cocktail Q&A with Cristal Carrington: 

What should you drink when you have top shelf taste on a waist-high budget?

My best advice for ladies or gents on a budget when at the bar is:

Step #1: Order a shot of chilled vodka or gin (order the drink in a snifter, so you can still look classy, however, don’t throw it back, savor it).

Step #2: Follow up with a glass of Pinot Grigio or Riesling with a splash of Chambord.  The trick is to look great while drinking, not necessarily to get drunk in public.

Belvedere or Grey Goose?

Definitely Grey Goose, but I also recommend the always delicious and timeless brand Stolichnaya.

You certainly seem to have a dream job as the Cocktail Columnist for Examiner.com. How did you land such a great gig?

In graduate school at Georgetown, I came up on an opening for writers with Examiner. I originally wanted to be a food writer, but the position was already filled.  I had to think about what I liked as much as food and the answer was cocktails, so I applied with a lengthy article application and landed the gig.  I thought, now I have a license to drink all the best cocktail creations and couldn’t be happier with the choice.

Since I prefer the finer things in life, my go-to drink is champagne. But, if you were to make an Aspiring Socialite cocktail, what would be the recipe?

A great Aspiring Socialite cocktail would have to be a creation that a bartender made for me on a whim called The Thing: (feel free to call it A Socialite Thing or Glamorous Thing or whatever)…but it contains:

Cherry Vodka, Cranberry Juice, and Ginger Ale

I like it because it was easy to make, tastes great, is unisex, and certainly not hard on the Aspiring Socialite’s pockets.

To make the perfect cocktail, what is the ideal amount of times liquor should be distilled?

I like any liquor distilled over 3 times and if we are speaking of aged liquors anything over 10 years is acceptable. I think at that point the liquor can be consumed neat or mixed.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask what the rail liquor is at the bar.  Often times, it is a quality brand; it’s just not Ciroc or Patron. Last note on this is to remember that the higher quality the brand, the less likely you are going to want to dilute it with additives such as juices and liqueurs.  This rule includes Champagne.

Can people fall into more than one drinking category?

Absolutely!  I personally fall into the Maverick/Connoisseur category.   However, I tend to lean more to the side of the Maverick.  The categories listed in The Socialite’s Guide To: Choosing The Right Cocktail were simply ways to identify stronger drinking habits/patterns.  There is nothing wrong with any of them as I do offer ways for all the personality types to strengthen and refine their behaviors, even the Connoisseur who seems to do no wrong in their own eyes

Summer Loving: Be Sure to Read “Have the Relationship You Want” By Rori Raye

In a city like New York where women outnumber men 8 to 1, it’s easy to get into a relationship rut. Sometimes, a penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park with a closet filled to the brim with Chanel can seem more attainable than a man. It seems that for women in NYC, a man just may be the only accessory we don’t have.  Luckily, according Rori Raye’s book Have the Relationship You Want, with the right attitude, knowledge, and desire, you can land exactly the relationship you want. I’ve never really been into self-help, but Have the Relationship You Want, really makes some excellent points proving that common sense just may not be so common. Author, Rori Raye, is a trained relationship coach who has been married for over 20 years. She considers her successful marriage her biggest credential.  However, Rori admits that she used to use all the wrong tactics to attract men.  Now she is sharing her secrets so that everyone can experience the same love and happiness she has.

Have the Relationship You Want encourages readers to seek confidence in themselves and to know exactly what they want, but never to expect to be in full control when it comes to love.  In other words, in order to reclaim love or claim it for the first time, you must first reclaim yourself.  Once changes happen on the inside, they will naturally happen on the outside.  Even small changes can make a huge difference.  What really resonated with me about this book was the revelation that it’s a myth that love and relationships need to be hard work.  One you’ve grown to know yourself, set boundaries, and found a partner you can work with, love should come easily.

To learn more tricks to having the relationship you want, subscribe to Rori’s free e-newsletter. You’ll discover a whole new way to relate to a man – from the moment you meet him, all the way through commitment and marriage – so that you finally have the secure, loving, lasting relationship you’ve always wanted.  Purchase a copy of the Have the Relationship You Want ebook on her website.

This is a sponsored post, but the opinions are all my own.

Exclusive Interview with Erica Negi Author of “My Life in Loubies”

As one of New York’s many Aspiring Socialites climbing Manhattan’s often heartless social ladder, I often wonder if the high life is really all it seems to be.  Erica Negi‘s novel, My Life in Loubies, explores the question those aspiring ask ourselves everyday: Is having everything really worth sacrificing your own identity?   The novel tells the story of Vanessa, a thirty-something New Yorker who seems to have what all Manhattan women dream of, a successful career, a super awesome boyfriend, and of course a closet full of Loubies and other designer treasures.

When she unexpectedly finds herself single, Vanessa ends up with a wealthy man and moves to Palm Beach to marry him.  But, this is no typical Cinderella story.  When this Louboutin Girl finds herself at a crossroads upon discovering the true source of her new suitor’s wealth, she must make a life defining choice.

Thanks to the magic of Twitter, I scored an exclusive interview with Erica.  She’s so fun and insightful:

What was your inspiration for the main character, Vanessa?

I wanted to create a main character that readers could relate with.  At the same time, I yearned to keep Vanessa real–with her flaws and feelings–even though she is completely fictional.  Throughout the novel, we follow Vanessa on her journey to ‘have it all.”

What advice do you have for girls looking to climb Manhattan’s social ladder?

It is so easy to get swept away in trying to keep up, but it’s important to never forget who you are.  It’s these innate values that often help us make the best decisions.  Also, regarding fashion, never sacrifice.  But, pay those credit cards in full every month!!  You will have a much easier climb!

What are your favorite pair of Loubies?

This is such a hard question.  It’s like you’re asking me to pick a favorite child!!  But, if I had to choose, I would pick the Very Prive 120mm.  However, at the moment, as I prance around mommy-hood, I have been wearing the Black Patent Loubie Flats.

I’d love to write a book of my own someday.  What advice do you have on becoming an author?

My one piece of advice is to never give up.  Set aside a piece of your day and devote it to your craft.  One day, you will be surprised at the outcome!

Who is your favorite fashion designer besides Christian Louboutin?

I love so many designers for different products.  But, right now I am loving Rebecca Minkoff.  Her handbags and “sunnies” are so cute and fun!  She’s also a great follow on Twitter.

What are Vanessa’s best & worst qualities?

I think Vanessa’s best quality is that she is a young, successful businesswoman who knows what she wants and isn’t scared to take the plunge.  As for her worst quality, she tends to be a bit materialistic.

What’s in store for you in the future?

I am working on book #2, which has a working title: What Matters Most.  It is not a sequel to My Life in Loubies, but we might see some familiar characters.  I am in the midst of working on that and hope to complete in 2013.

Enter to win a copy of My Life in Loubies for your Amazon Kindle in three easy steps:

1.  Follow @AspireSocialite and @MyLifeInLoubies on Twitter.

2.  Like Aspiring Socialite and Erica Negi on Facebook.

3.  Comment on Erica Negi’s Facebook wall with why you love Loubies.  Say Aspiring Socialite sent you.

Do You Have “White Girl Problems?”


What began as the awesomely honest Twitter account, @whitegrlproblem, documenting the perils of a privileged existence, is now the memoir of the one and only Babe Walker.  I really wanted to interview Babe for this post, but I saw on her Twitter that she was tired of doing interviews and tired of being tired all morning so I left her alone to rest and do hot yoga.  Having the same fashionable, yet stressful anxiety issues as Babe, I totally understand where she’s coming from.  I mean, no one understands the inner workings of Lauren Conrad like us or the horror of people putting jeans in the dryer.  Even in today’s economy, these can be serious issues.

Babe Walker is basically me only with a trust fund and a memoir.   I guess a blog is kind of like a memoir though.  Like Steve Jobs or Elizabeth Taylor, I would like to leave behind a legacy someday.  Perhaps, writing a memoir, being in a movie, or inventing something is how I can be legendary?  I’m not quite sure if people will remember me as a dreamer or a drama queen, but I won’t be there so I don’t really care.  I know this wasn’t much of a book review because in most book reviews people actually tell you what the book is about.  However, for me, this book was a spiritual experience.  One you too can experience for yourself by reading an excerpt on BabeWalker.com and/or pre-ordering it on Amazon.  It’s like a shaman for socialites in book form.  OMGucci I’m so inspired right now!

The Best Quotes from White Girl Problems:

“OMGivenchy, I’m a lawyer.”

“Turns our rush hour traffic is a real thing.  I thought it was an urban legend.”

“Every job I’ve had is the worst job I’ve ever had.”

“I always sketch out a look before I try it on.  You can’t trust mirrors.”

“I decided that with everyone being out of the office for lunch, this would be a good time to meditate.”