In the summertime, I don’t like to wear perfume or other heavily fragranced products, but I do like perfumed body lotions. Lately, my favorite is Vera Wang Princess Body Lotion. Yes, I know the fragrance has been out for quite sometime. And actually, I don’t wear the perfume itself — it’s a little too floral for me. However the body lotion is just perfect.

Image: Neiman Marcus

Lightly scented with the exotic fruity floral perfume, it has notes of vanilla and guava that give it a summer sweetness that I really love.

Unlike some other perfumed lotions, this one is actually a really good product too. Incorporating cocoa butter, shea butter and aloe vera, it hydrates and nourishes your skin while infusing antioxidant vitamins A, C and E.

The result is silky, super soft skin that smells fresh and delicious. You can get the Vera Wang Princess body lotion at most department stores including Neiman Marcus, which sells a 5 oz tube for $32.

What about you? Do you use perfumed lotions? Leave a comment and let us know your favorites!

I know, I know. I’m an enabler. I can’t help it. I love sample sales and I know that you do, too. I’m not saying you should dip into savings or anything, but the sample sales on Gilt this week are so good that it’s hard not to. And they’re over before you know it, so you gotta check them out.

D&G Dolce & Gabanna has some very sweet and sleek dresses that are perfect for summer formals.

Splendicity favorite, Vera Wang’s Lavender label has about a zillion fetching frocks and summery skirts for you to slip into.

And Lacroix! The totally over-the-top designer has some totally wearable finds right now on Gilt.

So sorry, ladies, to whet your appetite this way when the economy is so depressed, but who can resist?

You need an invitation to shop on Gilt, and if you click here, you”ll get one.

Photo Credits: Gilt

The 8th season of Dancing With the Stars just wrapped up a few weeks ago, but gossip police are already wondering who will be taking the big trophy away from Shawn Johnson and my favorite pretty boy dancer Mark Ballas. Will it be…Vera Wang?

Zuma Press

Say what? Vera Wang was a trained figure skater in a past life so this could get interesting! Sources linked to E! have confirmed that she is the first to sign on to the next season of DWTS, but ABC reps have neither confirmed nor denied her stepping into some snazzy high heels and showing us what she’s got on the dance floor.  And, as of the time of this post none of her reps had returned any phone calls to confirm her addition to the cast.

We will just have to wait for the rest of the cast to be announced. This usually comes about six weeks before the show premieres with much excitement. The show premieres on September 21, 2009.  Mark your calendars reality TV and fashion fans alike, I’ve got you covered!

Help her make a statement with these bold statement necklaces by Vera Wang! These would look amazing with a little black dress. Or she can take a simple semi-dressy outfit and use these necklaces to take that outfit to the next level. These beauties are similar to what all the starlets are wearing to award shows and out on the town.

(Image: Saks Fifth Avenue)

Four Strand Pearl & Crystal Necklace ($1250)

(Image: Saks Fifth Avenue)

Rhinestone & Rosette Necklace ($850)

(Image: Saks Fifth Avenue)

Tulle & Crystal Necklace ($495) -

(Image: Saks Fifth Avenue)

Rhinestone Rosette Ribbon Necklace ($650)

Gorgeous, right?! The intricate rosettes, tulle, crystals and victorian-esque ribbon ties are perfectly girly, sweet with a touch of romanticism.  These dramatic Vera Wang necklaces can be pre-ordered at Saks Fifth Avenue right now.

Do you know someone who is a hip, downtown kind of girl? This is the type of girl who is sweet but has a bit of an rock and roll edge to her. Vera Wang has released a limited edition of her popular Princess scent inspired by the latest rock-n-roll trends, it’s called Rock Princess.

(Image: Neiman Marcus)

Rock Princess is described as a “dark fruity floral” scent with a “rock star attitude and modern runway style”. Top notes include white peach and raspberry with heart notes of jasmine and lilies. The dry down is a mix of cashmere woods and musk.  The bottle itself is quite gorgeous; black with white crackled finish topped off with a glittery crown.  Give it to someone who  is always on top of the latest trends, the fashionista with a cause! Vera Wang Rock Princess is available at Neiman Marcus for  $72

To continue the under $200 handbags theme, I browsed through the Kohls website. Kohls is a good place to check if you’re looking for budget handbags. They have a wide selection and they’re always running a sale or promotion every week so you’re sure to find a great deal. The bags below are just some of what they have to offer (and some are even on sale!)

(Image: Kohls)

Daisy Fuentes Pleated Hobo ($58, on sale for $29)
A faux leather hobo in a pretty caramel shade. Perfect to take you from day to night.

(Image: Kohls)

Dana Buchman Dana Tote ($96, on sale for $48)
A fab white tote that’s perfect for summer!

(Image: Kohls)

Simply Vera Vera Wang Pintuck Tote ($109, on sale for $54.50)
A gorgeous tote in a lovely colour. Great for summer and even better for fall and winter!

These bags and more can be found on the Kohls website and in stores.

Vera Wang, as I have said in the past, is the first name in wedding wear. Not that you need me to tell you that. You only have to see the commercials for movies like “Bride Wars” to know that it’s true, with catchphrases like, “You don’t alter Vera, you alter yourself to fit Vera.” Well, Vera Wang has finally expanded her collection to include bridesmaid’s dresses, much to the joy of women everywhere.

The collection is extremely diverse. There are totally fun shiny party dresses like this one. It’s available in a variety of colors, but I really love the contrast of the pale blush pink with the black sash belt.

And then there are sleek and sophisticated black tie classics like this one. I adore the high round neck and the gorgeous column skirt.

One of my favorites is this very sculptural twist halter top dress. Because of the way the halter is shaped, it will be beautiful on a variety of figures. It provides a little more coverage than your average halter, so it will even work for top heavy women.

And for pleasing a whole gaggle of attendents, you really can’t do better than this a-line number with the high pleated neckline.

This collection is so ecelctic and refined that brides are really going to have a hard time avoiding it. But, there’s really no reason to, since all the dresses in the collection fall between $250 and $300 in a variety of colors to suit any wedding scheme. Available from Vera Wang Weddings.

Photo Credits: Vera Wang Weddings

As I have said before in the past, no designer is more in touch with wedding wear than Vera Wang, even if you aren’t the bride. After all it’s no fair for the bride to have couture while the rest of us suffer on the sidelines in cheap polyester taffeta. Well, there isn’t a reason to suffer when you can your very own Vera on the cheap.

This gorgeous jersey gown is on sale for $198, marked down from $550. It would be amazing for any black tie affair. I love the chiffon halter neckline and the corsage embellishment. This sleek body conscious option will definitely showcase your assets, but in the chicest possible way.

This silver brocade ruffle neck mini dress is a real showstopper. The simple sleeveless cut is perfect for a daytime affair, but it could also easily make the crossover to night. I really like the way the pinched in waist accentuates (or minimizes) your waist, and the ruffled neck balances out your hips. 

This paisley grey silk dress is the epitome of feminine charm. The deep v neckline is beautifully shaped, and the black ribbon detail is an adorable, flirty touch. You could wear this dress with pointy sky high stilettos, or vintage it up with some chunky heeled mary janes. Marked down from $590 to $208. 

All of these dresses, and then some, are available until 5/9/09 at Gilt. You need an invitation to shop on gilt, and if you click here, you’ll get one.

Photo Credits: Gilt

If there’s one name in wedding gowns that everyone knows, it’s Vera Wang. Women everywhere scrimp and save and starve to get into one of her designs, and it’s really no wonder. Her work is modern and classic. And expensive. And, as you might imagine, it is hard to get a gown of this caliber at a discount. But, lucky, readers, I have found a gorgeous gown on eBay that might just have your name on it.

The mermaid shape is gorgeous and timeless. I simply love the drape of the fabric on the bodice of the gown, it is so refreshingly light and soft looking compared to the structured and corseted styles that are so popular right now, particularly in strapless gowns. Instead of relying on intense and somewhat severe outer structuring, all the holding in is done invisibly. I don’t know how much this gown retails for, but you can pick it up for $1,688 from 88Caviar if you are a size 0-4. In the wedding gown world, a dress under $2K is considered reasonable, but in the Vera Wang world, it’s almost unheard of.Th The risks of buying a wedding gown sight unseen are obvious, but for a deal like this, it might be worth it. Available from 88Caviar.

Photo Credit: 88Caviar

Although I have made some high-ticket purchases during the planning of my wedding, for the most part, I have tried to find ways to save money. The most important part of budgeting for your wedding is figuring out what is important for you. For example, my biggest expenses were bands. Why? I love to dance, I want everyone to dance, and I want a great band there to get the crowd enthused. For some people, it’s the food that is most important. The best wedding advice I ever got was: pick the one thing that means the most on you to focus your attention on, and go with the flow about everything else.

Here are some ways you can cost-cut and how.

DIY Wedding Flowers from Flowerbud

1. DIY flowers: I’ve talked about this before, but it bears repeating. Flowers can cost upwards of 3k, depending on the size and scope of your affair. And the thing that all cut flowers have in common is that they die. For me, spending 3k on something that is basically disposable was not an option, so I bought a huge box of tulips from Flowerbud, and my mother and bridesmaids are arranging them. If you aren’t super into flowers, and want something simple, this is a great way to save literally thousands of dollars on your wedding.

2. Buy a used or vintage wedding gown. I know, it’s the dress of your dreams and everything, but you’re only going to wear it once. Does it need to cost $4,000 plus accessories? Think about it. Also, you can buy many of the popular designer styles used from brides on the internet. Do a quick google search for used wedding gowns and you will find hundreds of options. If you know what you want, type in the exact brand and style of the dress, and 9 times out of 10, someone has one that they don’t need any more. And, of course, there’s always eBay, which is mecca for used designer and vintage items. For used designer gowns, start with OnceWed and WoreItOnce.

Vera Wang Dress available on OnceWed

3. Hire an art student to do your photos. The basic tenets of photography, light and shadow, are always the same. Sure, you want someone artistic doing the work, but who makes $2,000 for a days work. Seriously, send an email to the secretary of any university’s art department, and you will have more photographers bidding on your job than you know what to do with. Another bonus of this is that you will probably get to keep the negatives, which means you can print up the photos whenever you like and not pay a premium to the artist.

4. Think reasonably about your honeymoon. Yes, everyone wants to go to Fiji and be fanned by natives bearing ice-cold cocktails, but if it’s not in your budget, think outside of the box. Why not drive somewhere lovely and hole up in an intimate bed & breakfast? Think small and romantic. This time is about you and your mate spending time with each other, not dropping every last dime on an overpriced exotic hotel. You will be together forever (hopefully1), so there’ plenty of time to travel.

5. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. Who are they, anyways? So, your best friend had an ice sculpture of her in her gown with fireworks behind it, good for her. Who needs it? Be aware of the wedding industry as a business. People want to sell you things all the time, and vendors are not afraid to tell you how amazing someone’s else’s wedding was if they think they can get you to spend more money. Listen to your intuition. You know what you want, and you don’t want your wedding to be like everyone else’s, so why try?

Photo Credits: Flowerbud and OnceWed