Sunscreen – We all know that prolonged sun exposure can rapidly accelerate the skin’s aging process. One of the best means of defense is a skin system with products that offer great SPF protection. Many sunscreen products now come with the added benefits of anti-aging ingredients or additional coverage.

Anti-Aging Products with Sunscreen

1. Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 90, $10.99 at Target
Boasts an amazing price tag and a sheer (read: no icky white streaks), fragrance-free moisturizing formula that combats skin-aging free radicals.

2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20,$42 at Nordstrom
Your makeup can now do double duty! This tinted moisturizer shields skin from harmful UVB and UVA rays and hides flaws with lightweight, natural coverage all in one shot.

3. Shiseido Daytime Protective Cream SPF15, $221.95 at Cosmetic America
If you’ve got a little more change to spare, then try this luxe solution that promises to accentuate the positive (resilience and radiance) while reducing the negative (wrinkles, sagging, cellular damage and dryness).

Eye Cream - Don’t let pesky crows feet, dark circles, or wrinkles add years to your appearance. Fight back with a few key products specially formulated for this delicate area.

Anti-Aging Eye Creams

1. Burt’s Bees Naturally Ageless Eye Cream, $24.97 at Overstock.com
This emulsion is packed with natural ingredients like pomegranate and magnolia extract to aid in de-stressing tired looking eyes.

2. Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex, $41.99 at Dermadoctor.com
The OlayPro-X line has won rave reviews and been proven to soften the skin, diminish the look of fine lines and lighten dark circles.

3. Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Eye Cream, $99 at BeautyEncounter.com
Your “no surgery required” eye lift solution helps strengthen the skin for a more firm appearance.

Face Serum – A little face firming serum now may be the way to prevent a nip/tuck situation later. Preserve your skin’s elasticity and suppleness with potent serums that lift, firm and hydrate.

Anti-Aging Serums

1. Avon Liiv Botanicals Vitalizing Face Serum, $17 at Avon
A budget friendly serum that guarantees visible improvements after just one application!

2. Sea Chi Organics Re-Hydrating Facial Serum, $69 at Nimli.com
Offers an organic solution to combat dryness and wrinkling around the neck, eyes and mouth.

3. La Mer Lifting Face Serum, $440 at Nordstrom
Restore and renew while you sleep! The La Mer brand has been a favorite among the celebrity set for years.

-Ehmonie from Handbag du Jour

New York Fashion Week marks the start of the new fashion season, and while designers are showing their fall wares, stores are starting to sell their spring lines. You might be wondering what you need to snag for spring but so you don’t have to break the bank, check out the top three key pieces you can buy to update your wardrobe right now!

Banana Republic Womens Black Tall Lightweight Wool Blazer

1. Structured blazer
The strong shoulder trend is dying down just a bit, but a structured, boyfriend-style blazer with a bit of shoulder detail is the perfect accent to a dress, blouse and skirt, pants – you name it! The Banana Republic Womens Black Tall Lightweight Wool Blazer provides a chic fit and can be dressed up or down as you please.

Prada Cervo Lux Patterned Print Bowler Bag

2. Exotic print bag
A statement bag is a must for any season, and exotic print bags never go out of style. The Prada Cervo Lux Patterned Print Bowler Bag is a blend of neutral brown and gold tones that complement any spring looks. Sling it on your arm and go.

Citizens of Humanity 'Slick' Skinny Stretch Denim Leggings - Dust Wash

3. Denim leggings
Denim is always in, and jeggings are the newest form of them. Jean leggings blend the look of skinny jeans with the comfort of leggings, and they’re a stylish alternative to pants. The Citizens of Humanity ‘Slick’ Skinny Stretch Denim Leggings (Dust Wash) are the perfect pick. Pair with any top – they’re just like jeans!

- Ehmonie from Handbag du Jour

As a new contributor to beso, I’m finding my way around the site much like you are! beso offers such a wide variety of fashion items so you may be thinking ‘Where do I begin?’  Here are 3 ways that I found to shop beso:

Rebecca Minkoff Linear Stud Flame Tote

I started with searching brands. As a handbag-a-holic, I’m always searching to see what’s new from my favorite handbag designers so I began my ‘brands’ search with Rebecca Minkoff. From the homepage, I typed in the brand name in the main search box, then found a slew of hot Rebecca Minkoff bags, like the Rebecca Minkoff Linear Stud Flame Tote. You can further refine by store on the left hand side.

If you have a particular store you love, it’s probably available on beso!  On the homepage, click on ‘View All’ on the right hand side under ‘Featured Stores and Brands.’  This will take you to an alphabetical list of your favorite online shops.  I chose ‘Neiman Marcus,’ and then further refined to ‘Bags’ where I discovered the Valentino Rouches Napa Tote. Pretty cute, huh?

Valentino Rouches Napa Tote

Finally, on beso, you can search previous blog posts for inspiration. Beso’s editors and bloggers cover everything in the fashion spectrum, from hot handbags, to footwear and hair accessories, to apparel and undergarments. And if you see something you like, sign up for a beso account so you can save your favorite stores and brands!

This ends your introduction to shopping beso. Don’t forget to check back often to see my hot finds and share yours with me too! Happy shopping!

Chan Luu Gold Leaf Earrings

How do you make a simple black dress look fresh and on trend?  It’s all about the accessories.  A plain black dress is a blank canvas that you can accessorize to fit any trend.  There is a reason that the little black dress is an essential.  It’s timeless.

How should you accessorize right now?

Here are 3 ways:

Balmain Red Buckle Boots

An amazing pair of shoes.  Very bright, embellished shoes need to be paired with something simple and dark-colored that won’t compete with them.  An LBD is the perfect companion for a pair of purple or red boots and black tights.  These Balmain boots are the perfect example.  With shoes this hot, you can get away with a simpler dress.  

  

   

MICHAEL Michael Kors Studded Belt

 

A fabulous belt.  There are so many different kinds of belts available, and each can give your dress a very different look. Go with a skinny belt for a romantic, understated look.  Try a bright color or animal print for a little more impact.  To really emphasize your waist, wear a wide belt, like this studded belt from Michael Kors.

 

  

Kenneth Jay Lane Necklace

Jewelry.  A statement necklace and/or bracelets will work better with a simple dress than something that is over-embellished.  A necklace like this Kenneth Jay Lane one can be paired with some plain silver bangles.   A bib necklace like this one from The Limited should be worn without other jewelry.  You can also choose to pair some long earrings with bracelets.  We like the gold leaf earrings, above, from Chan Luu.  They’d be the perfect boho-chic companion to a skinny gold belt.

Adriana Orsini Flower Brooch

Think brooches are old-fashioned?  Think again!  What we love right now: a brooch as an accent on a dress.  Try a modern flower brooch, like one from Adriana Orsini. Strategically placed, they can show off the style of the dress or highlight your best asset.  Lindsay Price, Tina Fey and Chloe Sevigny used brooches to liven up the gowns they wore to the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Try it:

On the shoulder/near the neckline of your dress like Lindsay Price: Lindsay’s placement of the brooch shows that you can turn an ordinary dress into something spectacular.  The placement of the brooch near her neckline draws your eye to her face and neck, a universally flattering spot on any figure.

On one hip like Chloe Sevigny: Chloe’s brooch shows off her small waist. This is a great choice for anyone looking to emphasize a tiny waist, with a glittering brooch drawing the eye to all the right places.

On the back of the dress like Tina Fey: Tina’s brooch highlights the open back style of her gown.  Wear one to make sure you look just as gorgeous going as coming.

Dresses with draping look best with brooches, skip the skin-tight sheaths.  Don’t have a dress that would work? You can find dresses made with brooches, too!