There are good saleswomen and then there are GREAT ones. 

Last evening I had no intention of buying anything while roaming around 5th and Madison in New York City.

I walked into Henri Bendel with the sole intention of doing a little makeup touch up at the NARS counter and was quickly approached by a salesgirl.

This was no ordinary pitch as she introduced a new kind of skincare regiment called Luxtural by first asking me what a) concerned me most regarding skincare and b) what I used daily.

I started listing an abundance of product including Lancome, Prevage, Kiehls, Beauty Society, all while she nodded her head in agreement. It was a common understanding between us; she was a skincare-aholic too.

Impressed by her knowledge of the product, its unique pivot into the marketplace and used by celebs like Angelina Jolie and Demi Moore, I was quickly sold.

I purchased the Luxtural Facial Anti-Aging Deep Moisturizing Serum, eager to incorporate it into my  daily regiment.

Luxtural uses pure Pacific Ocean rain, exotic extracts, microencapsulated anti-aging distinctive components, and other superior natural ingredients.

Celebrities who swear by the brand include Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, and Demi Moore.

It's no cheap indulgence but one of the utmost importance.

So what do you say? Will you try Luxtural?

We've heard it all over the news. "We're reporting that gold has hit a record
high today" and "Invest in gold! It's worth it."

For those of us who like to wear fine jewelry, many of us have found ourselves buying sterling silver because it is more affordable (I mean, who can go wrong with $35 Sterling Silver Leaf Chandelier Earrings?).
 
However, Blue Nile has just introduced gold vermeil. Still using precious metals, these pieces give us gold for the price of silver! And don't forget you always get free shipping. 

Now you can open those wallets once again. A few sneak peeks....

White Agate and Smokey Quartz Drop Earrings in Gold Vermeil

$129
 
 
 

Chalcedony and Aquamarine Necklace in Gold Vermeil

$260

Chalcedony and Iolite Necklace in Gold Vermeil

$200

Carnelian Drop Earrings in Gold Vermeil

$83

Amethyst and Chalcedony Drop Earrings in Gold Vermeil

$155

AND MY FAVORITE.....

Green Agate Drop Earrings in Gold Vermeil

$133

Toni Ferrara could retire tomorrow and still will have changed the
world of styling. But she's not done yet.

With more than 10 years of experience in fashion under her ultra trendy belt,
Ferrara's resume reads like a Whos Who of Hollywood. She's worked with A-List
talent, such as Kim Kardashian, Kristin Chenoweth, Kathy Griffin, Paula Abdul,
and Ryan Seacrest, just to name a few. I've had the great privilege of working
with Toni on one occassion and wanted to bring my readers an exclusive
interview.

JVP: You have SUCH an impressive resume - from magazine spreads to celeb styling to personal shopping! How do you fit it all in and
do you love one thing more than the other?

TF: I don't sleep! LOL. Life is about finding that perfect balance. I schedule my celeb clients and my personal shopping clients pretty much the same. First come, first serve. Although I do have a great staff of assistants to help me on the days I am double and triple booked. As an Editor, I love the ability to really stay up to date on the trends and get caught up with what's hot and what's not. I always find myself submersed in fashion pretty much all day. From the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep.

 JVP: What's the hardest shoot you've ever been on and why?

TF: Hmm that is a tough one. I've had my fair share of good, bad, and the ugly shoots in LA. With Hollywood you never know what you are gonna get. I've had everything happen, from celebs being 4 hrs late to a shoot, to publicists telling me their client was a size 2 and she was actually a size 8. You name it, I've come across it. Lesson to self, ALWAYS BE PREPARED! 

 JVP: Great words of advice! How did you get your start in the industry and what advice to you have for up and comers who hope to be the next Toni Ferrara?

TF: Believe it or not, I get asked this question quite a bit. I was pre-med in college. I know, I know, you are thinking, what?!? I wanted to be a neurologist. I was always fascinated by the brain. But while I was taking pre-med classes, I dabbled in a few art electives. I was always artistic, but never quite knew if it was a good fit for me career-wise. After taking an advanced figure drawing class, I had professor give me some honest and to-this-day advice that I will always live by. He told me "Do what God gave you the gift and talent to do and the money will come to you." My advice in life whether you are interested in a career in fashion is to always be true to yourself. If it doesn't make you happy, find something that does. And learn to be the best at it. It won't happen over night. But with hard work and time, anything is possible. That is the beautiful thing about life, you can really be anything you want to be. 

JVP: You said that absolutely perfectly. Finish this sentence. I'm most proud about......
 
TF: ....what I have accomplished thus far in my career. 

JVP: When you style a celebrity client who has a clear sense of her own style,
is this harder or easier for you?

TF: Umm this one is tricky. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. If you truly agree with the direction his/her style is going in, then yes. You can continue to enhance their style image. If you feel that their direction is a bit outdated, it can really be a challenge to convince someone to try new things. 

JVP: And last but not least, at this moment I can't LIVE without.....

TF: My Tom Ford sunglasses. Is there really anything that Tom Ford can't do well?
                            Follow Toni on Twitter @ToniFerrara