Oscar Nominees Will Go Home With Liquid Gold.
The darci by Di Caprio® Brush Cleaner Hits the Red Carpet and So Will Malvern, Pennsylvania

Beauty brand darci by Di Caprio® has announced their sweet smelling, fast working solution to the dirty makeup brush — the darci by Di Caprio® Brush Cleaner — will be included in the 2012 “Everybody Wins at the Oscars Gift Bag.”

Founders Lisa Di Caprio and Darci Henry will be co-hosting their own star-studded Oscar Night Gala on Sunday, February 26, 2012 with Restaurant Alba in Malvern to celebrate this momentous occasion. A percentage of proceeds will benefit Dress for Success® South Central PA, an organization based in Di Caprio and Henry’s hometown, which promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

The Oscar Gala:

On Sunday, February 26, 2012, from 6 – 11 pm, Di Caprio and Henry will co-host a black tie event with Restaurant Alba in Malvern to celebrate. The $150 ticket price includes: hors d’oeuvres, champagne, a walk on the red carpet, a Kiss and Makeup gift card, a darci by Di Caprio® “Oscar® Swag Bag”, and a Restaurant Alba gift card.

There will also be a special Oscar® Menu available for purchase. The Oscars® will be broadcast live. Caroline O’Halloran and Kim Douglas will serve as hosts for the evening. A red carpet and tent will span the street between the corners of Kiss and Makeup and Restaurant Alba. A team of photographers will be on hand to capture the event. The Silent Auction will have items such as a signed guitar by Darius Rucker, A Taste of Baja with Legendary Excursions, a Loews Hotel Philadelphia Weekend Staycation Package, a Personal In-Home Dinner for Six from chef Sean Weinberg and Meet-And-Greets with top Country Music Stars and more to come!

A portion of the ticket price may be tax deductible. Twenty five dollars of the ticket price and 100% of proceeds from a Silent Auction will go directly to Dress for Success® South Central PA. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.KissAndMakeupMalvern.com/oscars

Event produced by Dessa Lea Productions

Are you ready to wrap up your holiday shopping? We have pulled together a few of our favorite gifts - sure to be coveted by the girly girls on your list. Perhaps a few for yourself too!

#1. A Snake Charmer. You can’t go wrong with a beautiful skin and a lot of sparkle. One-of-a-kind, hand-crafted snakeskin and leather cuff bracelets. Starting at $74

#2. The darci by Di Caprio Brush Cleaner. Not only does this brush cleaner work, it works instantly to rid makeup brushes of all the unpleasantries that lie within. It smells great too. $22.50

#3. Ray-Ban Aviator Sunglasses. These shades are seriously bad-ass and they look fab on everyone. $139

#4. Monogrammed All-Purpose Tub. For the Hostess with the Mostest, this hand-crafted metal tub with golden ring handles is hand painted in a meticulous 18-step French tole process. Perfect for that French champagne. $79

#5. Henri Bendel Travel Trio. A great gift for the jet setter and one of our favorites. The set of zippered canvas bags includes a shoe pouch, lingerie pouch and laundry bag. $48

Sandy Alexander and Suzette Levesque are excited to announce their new line - Snake Charmer - a collection of hand-crafted snakeskin and leather cuffs.

Each cuff is one-of-a-kind and the 2011 Holiday Collection is small by design. Don’t miss your chance to own one. Shop the collection now. They won’t last long…

Check out our latest video about the Bucklette — The inspiration, how it works and a few Lookbook ideas from designer and creator Sandy Alexander and Resident Style Guru Suzette Levesque.

During Fall Fashion Week, how does anyone on or near the Main Line celebrate? With Fashion’s Night Out at Nordstrom of course! Bucklette BFFs Sandy Alexander and Suzette Levesque enjoyed every fashionable moment, sipping champagne while perusing the latest.

Our top picks: Vince (who seems to be designing the line just for us), Tom Ford, Diane Von Furstenburg (always) and Andrew Marc. What we walked away with? New shades (Chanel for Suzette, Rayban aviators for Sandy), a versatile blazer (great for work, but with ruched sleeves for an edge), a cashmere, striped Design History sweater, a fun yet very ladylike mesh skirt, and the softest, most fabulous Free People wrap in white faux fur.

Not to be missed were a few “springspirations” - big, bold prints, mesh knits to layer (Vince makes quite a few of these) and spicy hues of orange and tangerine ruled the runways. We saw maxi-skirts, cozy sweaters, plaids and bright pants. Too much for one night. I guess that’s why you need a week.

The Style Guru Reminder: Your style is your story! Stay true to yourself and know what works for you. Confidence is always in style and it’s the most important thing you can wear!

We’d like to extend a special invitation to all the Bucklette BFFs out there. Kiss and Makeup (our favorite beauty boutique) is hosting an exciting Fall event on Tuesday, September 20th from 3 - 9 pm. There will be food (courtesy of Aneu Bistro in Berwyn), drinks (courtesy of Harlan Beverage), special promotions and pricing on products and services, raffles, and makeup demonstrations that will be informative and useful.

Don’t miss what’s sure to be a fun event. Hope to see you there! Tuesday, September 20th from 3 - 9 pm at Kiss and Makeup in Malvern, Pa.

I am a huge fan of buying local, seasonal fruits and veggies. So when summer finally arrives and farmers markets are packed with heirloom tomatoes and baskets full of basil, you can bet that’s where I’ll be Saturday morning - gathering ingredients for some simple yet spectacular meals.

This past weekend, we headed to Linvilla Orchards where we spent the day picking our own strawberries and peaches, and found the sweetest tomatoes for homemade pizzas.

I like to make my own pizza dough, which I started before we left. I seasoned the dough with sea salt, pepper and dried rosemary, and baked it for about 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Then I sprinkled on tomatoes, sauteed onions, basil and a little parmesan cheese. I also did a version with sauteed mushrooms, gorgonzola and my secret ingredient: truffle oil. Yum.

After a small feast, we relaxed and watched a little TV — funny that Anthony Bourdain and his No Reservations crew’s visit to Naples (the pizza capital of the world) was waiting on our DVR.

Last summer, my husband and I took our 5 month old son to the Finger Lakes for a little R&R…Well, as much R&R as you can expect with a newborn. We rented a charming cottage on Seneca Lake and spent the week swimming, taking long walks, picking raspberries, visiting wineries and reading. It was, for me, an ideal summer vacation.

The owner of the cottage, an interesting woman named Carolyn, was kind enough to share her bumper crop of rhubarb and family recipe for canning pickles. She was a wealth of information on the history of the area and sites to see.

What I didn’t realize about the Finger Lakes, is that it is quickly becoming a serious wine region. My husband (who happens to be the Philadelphia Wine Examiner) wrote a beautiful essay after our trip chronicling his take on the area.

Although our next stop is Napa, we’re dreaming about a second visit to the Boathaus very soon.

If you’re in need of some fashion inspiration, check out one of our favorite web sites - Polyvore.com. It’s the ultimate Lookbook, enabling you to pull the latest clothes and accessories from across the web and compose them into sweet little sets of your own. It’s the ultimate closet!

Here’s a set inspired by Gisele Bundchen. You’ve got to admit - even in jeans and a t, the girls’ got killer style!

Coming up with a creative and earth-friendly gift for mom doesn’t have to mean backpacking through the rain forest. When gifting mom, remember to keep the ultimate mother in mind…Mother Earth.

A great option of course is the Bucklette and our line of affordable, fashionable Bling. In addition, our friend Leslie Padilla recently introduced us to Terralina Skincare, created by cousins Patricia and Gina Garrubbo who, while pregnant, were concerned about what they were putting on their skin and the effects that their skincare could have on their bodies…and the earth.

Terralina skincare products are 98.65 percent natural, employing a natural emulsification process using olive oil in lieu of potentially harmful silicone. The result is a host of products that not only produce healthy, radiant skin, but a healthy planet as well. Their skincare line also features ingredients that are paraben-free and harsh chemical-free and include those rich in natural age-combating antioxidants like Olive Leaf, Olive Oil and White Tea. And all Terralina packaging is 100% recycled. See for yourself at www.terralina.com.