As a busy girl who's often on the go, I'm a fan of anything that saves time and makes my life easier, which is why I'm currently loving CC creams. I'd heard of BB cream before but just got introduced to CCs a few months ago and I'm addicted. The CC in these creams stands for "color correcting" or "complexion correcting" and they're a girl's best friend. They combine a primer, foundation, concealer and sunscreen all in one product and there's also anti-aging benefits to these bad boys...genius!
I'm loving CoverFX's CC Cream because it's oil and fragrance free, has SPF 30 and gives amazing coverage. In this picture, I'm wearing only their CC cream and nothing else.
I always have dark circles under my eyes (they're genetic, thanks Mom!) and hyper pigmentation on my forehead from not applying sunscreen close enough to my hairline and this does a good job covering these issues up. Next time you run out of foundation, get a CC cream instead...you'll thank me later!
This weekend, I went home to see one of my best friends from high school get hitched and it was such a lovely wedding. Alyssa's husband Joe is a musician and actually sang his vows to her while playing guitar! It was so cute. The entire wedding and reception was held at her family's restaurant, Rode's, and the food was beyond delicious. I need to log some gym time this week to make up for Saturday night, but it was so worth it. Congrats, you two!
I ended my weekend back in the city watching football games and guess who I ran into at Ainsworth Park? Liam Hemsworth and James Marsden!The newly single Hunger Games star seemed to be in great spirits post-split from Miley Cyrus as he hung with the X-Men actor.As my friend and coworker Whitney English recently blogged, celebs are almost always shorter and smaller in person but let me tell you: Liam's one tall drink of water in the flesh.
Not a bad way to end the weekend! Now if only my fantasy football team wasn't in last place...does anyone think I should play Jay Cutler over Tony Romo next week? Sound off in comments! Get all the action in real time on Twitter @cristinagibson and Instagram @cristinablairgibson
Now that fall's officially here, I've been updating my wardrobe accordingly and came across a great staple I thought I'd share. A white collared shirt is a must for every girl's closet because it's so versatile: you can wear it to the office during the day, dress it up a for a night out or pair it with jeans and boots for a casual weekend look.
But finding one that's well-tailored can be a challenge, which is why I'm psyched for this one from InStyle Essentials and TrioFit. Instead of just coming in small, medium or large, you order based on your bra size to ensure it's perfectly fitted and the most flattering silhouette. Genius, right? I got the classic button-front version but they also have a sleeveless one with a bow and a baggier, more casual weekend tunic available.
At $59.99, it's a good price for something I'll definitely wear again and again all fall and winter long. If you're in NYC and want to snag one yourself, they're doing an event this Saturday and Sunday from 11-7 at the Chelsea Triangle Plaza (9th Ave between 14th and 15th St.) where an InStyle editor will be on hand to help you pick your perfect shirt and fit...consider them your own personal stylist for the day! They're also heading to Philadelphia and D.C. next if you want to catch them there.
As for me, I interviewed Shameless starlet Emmy Rossum for SheKnows this week at the Origins and Charity : Water party held at Jimmy rooftop at the James Hotel, where we caught a spectacular sunset and talked beauty tips (she admits even she gets breakouts).
I also attended the grand reopening of the Palace New York Hotel, where Gossip Girl was often filmed and Serena van der Woodsen lived on the CW series. Mayor Bloomberg was in attendance and commented, "Serena would approve of this renovation". Indeed! Check out the view of the Empire State Building from the Champagne suite. When can I move in?
Thanks to my Blair for the night, Christina Mannino, for coming along on our uptown adventure.
I'm spending my Sunday covering the Taste WG food festival in Brooklyn, where I'll be shooting for HealthiNation, trying lots of delicious eats and drinks and interviewing chefs and restaurant owners about fall food trends. I'm already working up an appetite just typing about it!
Happy Friday...hope everyone has a delicious weekend!
Another Fashion Week has come and gone in a blur of models, champagne and parties! I did some coverage for SheKnows and although this is my sixth or seventh time covering NYFW, I still learned a few new things, like that celebrities usually get paid big bucks to attend designer's shows. Here I thought they just wanted free clothes and exposure, silly me!
My favorite show was this season was Mara Hoffman. I'm all about color and her Spring 2014 collection was so bright and pretty. It made me want to book a tropical vacation ASAP and pack her entire line for the trip.
Another fun show was Herve Leger. You may know this brand from their ubiquitous bandage dresses that all the stars love to wear. Nicki Minaj sat front row wearing a dress from their Spring 2014 collection, which featured lots of zippers, cut outs and waist-cinching peplums.
I also got to attend Marchesa's runway presentation for the very first time thanks to my girl Laura Lane. This show is special because it's held off site at the New York Public Library and there's only two rows of seats with the runway going around the entire room, so you really get to see the couture close up. Their latest collection showcased ornate, gauzy gowns embellished with lots feathers and beads. I could totally see Taylor Swift wearing one of them.
Fashion Week is all about the parties and DKNY threw a fabulous bash to celebrate their 25th birthday. Supermodel Karlie Kloss, who also walked in their show was on hand, along with Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Emmy Rossum, Hailee Steinfeld and a huge taxi cab cake. They had an awesome photobooth that makes GIFs of your pictures...check ours out here!
Rita Ora performed at the party, and I jumped on stage with her at the end when she invited people to come up. It reminded me of the last time I was on stage at a show with her boyfriend Calvin Harris at Firefly fest when he performed this summer.
I also want to congratulate two of my entrepreneurial friends, Kiara Horwitz and Christina Mannino, who threw their own Fashion Week soiree to celebrate Kiara's public relations firm's launch and Christina's latest collection for Deivie, her fashion line. Great job, girls!
And speaking of fall fashion, I never used to wear flats when I lived in LA but they're pretty necessary here in NYC, since you walk everywhere. I just got these Carmen Steffens, a Brazilian-based shoe company and I love how they're studded with skulls.
Until next time, wishing everyone a fun and fashionable fall!
Happy September to everyone and sincere apologies for my lack of updates! Last December 2012, I started freelancing full-time and things got really busy really quickly. Because I was writing and reporting so much for so many other outlets, I totally neglected this blog but I'm back for good...I promise!
Here's some of my highlights from this summer, both professionally and personally.
In May, I traveled to Las Vegas to cover the Billboard music awards for Cambio, where I got to talk to Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Ke$ha and so many more.
It was a super quick trip (one night only) because I had to be back in NYC bright and early Monday to interview Jaden Smith for Cambio as well. You can watch our interview below...we took user questions live from Twitter and Jaden gave some really insightful answers. He was so mature for his age!
I also began working with HealthiNation, hosting video content and covering Madison Square Eats, an NYC pop up food fest, which was lots of fun. So much good food in one place! Check it out next time you're in NYC. At the end of June and early July, I spent 10 days out in Montauk, a beachside town at the very end of the Hamptons. A bunch of us rented a house and celebrated the 4th of July out there. There was lots of beaching, relaxing and lobster eating.
Being freelance allowed me to stay out there all week and work remotely, which is an amazing perk of being freelance...you can write from anywhere as long as there's wifi. One of my favorite places in Montauk is Surf Lodge, a hotel, restaurant and bar right on the water with gorgeous sunsets and live music. Definitely stop by for a sunset cocktail if you're ever in the area!
St. Lucia playing at Surf Lodge
August was another busy month! I sat down with Kendall and Kylie Jenner for Wonderwall and did a segment for Fox & Friends on behalf of SheKnows. On one particularly crazy Sunday, I sat down with the boys from One Direction in the afternoon and covered the MTV VMAs that night. Our interview is below:
I'd never met these guys before and let me say: their accents are all adorable! Despite all of their success, they were extremely down to earth, very nice and also pretty darn funny. They walked into the room singing out loud and gave me a standing ovation for some reason (do they do that for everyone who interviews them?). Oh and yes, girls: Harry Styles' hair really is that awesome up close. Fact.
All in all, it's been a great summer but now it's already September and you know what that means: Fashion Week is here! Time flies when you're having fun, but I really will update this more frequently. No excuses...after all:
And she updates her blog often! What was your favorite part of summer? Leave it in the comments below!
