Name: Katy Atlas
Blog: Sugarlaws

1. I have two dogs named Calvin and Coco. They’re half maltese, half poodle, and I’m pretty sure they’re the cutest creatures on earth.

2. My favorite television show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. People used to say that I look like Sarah Michelle Gellar, which made me the happiest girl ever.

3. I was an English major, but I’m really good at math. I went all the way through multivariable calculus and linear algebra in college.

4. I was a vegetarian for 13 years, which I finally gave up when…

5. I ran two marathons — New Orleans in 2007 and New York City in 2008.

6. I was a cheerleader at Princeton for football and basketball, and was on ESPN at NCAAs one year!

7. I’m 100% a pool person, although I love walking on the beach.

8. I never leave my apartment without wearing SPF 15. My mom has the best skin in the world, and I’m determined to look like her when I’m her age.

9. Ina Garten sent me a copy of one of her cookbooks as a wedding present!

10. I’m a total candy addict, and black licorice is one of my favorite foods ever.

11. My favorite band is Counting Crows, and I once saw the lead singer, Adam Duritz, in NYC but couldn’t work up the courage to say hello!

12. As of Labor Day, my husband and I have been together for seven years, although we’ve only been married for one! Sometimes it’s crazy to think about how young we were when we met, but I’m constantly grateful to have found him.

13. In college, I used to be able to get ready for a formal in fifteen minutes flat. It takes me a bit longer now.

14. Growing up, I was a figure skater until high school. My poor dad used to take me to 6am practices every Saturday morning.

15. I eat an absolutely ridiculous amount of sushi. It’s not unheard of for me to have it for lunch and dinner in a single day.

16. My husband’s nickname for me is “Small.”

17. I went to high school with Ivanka Trump, and Donald sat right in front of me at graduation one year.

18. My favorite book is The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and my favorite movie is Almost Famous.

19. My dream vacation is to go on an African safari.

20. If I had to pick one single style icon, it would be Rachel Bilson, but I also love Lauren Conrad.

21. I’m currently out in Los Angeles after going to the Emmy Awards, which was an amazing night. I can’t wait to post about it on Sugarlaws.

22. I love horror movies — I turn off all the lights in our apartment and scare myself silly on a regular basis.

23. I’m most comfortable multi-tasking — I have a lot of trouble only doing one thing at once!

24. I once talked my way into an invite-only Christian Louboutin sample sale, and bought two pairs of shoes and a bag!

25. I just signed with a literary agent for my first novel — hopefully we will have big news to announce soon!

Follow @Sugarlaws on Twitter

MWAH!
Karen
Purple Lab Creatrix

And it’s out! I just ordered it, mandatory office reading, today!

If you haven’t read the series, you’re missing what may just be the best books ever written. It’s like Lost meets Gladiator – gripping, dangerous, violent, sweet at times, romantic at others, and completely addicting.

I poured through the first two books of the series in two days and I am not a fast reader. I just couldn’t put it down. And I need to share the love.

Run, don’t walk, to a book store near you. Trust me!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Name: Kristin Booker
Blog: Fashion.Style.Beauty

1). The first time I walked into the tents at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was the first time that I can honestly say that I’ve been in love. You know that feeling where your heart beats really quickly, you can’t breathe and you feel like you’re falling? Yep, that was experience walking into the tents. It still happens every time I go back.

2). I just started wearing contact lenses three weeks ago. Until then, I’d worn glasses my entire life and I would take them off for photos.

3). I’m on the downhill side of losing almost 100 lbs. 20 lbs to go!

4). I’m from Charleston, WV and yes, I went to high school with Jennifer Garner. She graduated the year after I did. She’s a total sweetheart and deserves every ounce of success and happiness she’s earned.

5). I’ve lived in DC, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Tampa, Boston, Charlotte, Charleston and NYC. I prefer NYC.

6). That being said, I think I’m the only person on earth that likes Los Angeles and New York City equally. I’ll inevitably settle in Los Angeles.

7). I bought my first pair of high-end designer shoes earlier this year. My pink suede Diors are my life.

8). I detest condiments. I don’t eat ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish – none of it. I didn’t eat salad dressing or barbecue sauce until I was almost 20.

9). I became a full-time writer only a couple of years ago. Before that, I was in Human Resources. I don’t plan on ever going back.

10). Nothing infuriates me more than ungracious, rude people.

11). My favorite thing in the world to do is take a nap in the middle of the day. This very rarely happens.

12). I love to make people laugh and if you meet me, I’ll probably take a shot at making you laugh, too. I’m really goofy.

13). One of my life’s goals is to close Kirna Zabete down for a private shopping excursion.

14). As soon as Fashion Week is over, I’m launching another blog/site – for brides. Stay tuned.

15). I meditate for twenty minutes almost every morning. I think it’s made me a better writer and a more focused person. I even have a little altar in my bedroom.

16). I am a huge fan of heavy metal music. My first crush in life was Eddie Van Halen and I can’t say that I wouldn’t try to jump him if ever given a chance to meet him.

17). I don’t get starstruck very easily but I almost blacked out when I met Joanna Coles, the EIC of Marie Claire. She’s kind of my idol.

18). I’m fully convinced I could die happy after meeting Oprah Winfrey. I admire her over most people.

19). I’m convinced that creating Fashion.Style.Beauty has made me a better, happier, more fulfilled person. If you have a dream, go after it. You’ll be so glad you did.

20). My shoulders are double-jointed. I can pop my shoulder in and out of the socket for fun. It’s weird and gross but it was cool at summer camp. Go figure.

21). For my birthday next year, I’m planning on taking a month off and traveling to Italy. I’m learning Italian as we speak.

22). My goal in life is to cover Fashion Week in every city: New York, London, Paris, Milan, Miami (Swim), Sao Paulo and Tokyo.

23). I’m very uncomfortable with people I don’t know touching me.

24). I have 545 unread emails in my inbox. I have no idea when they’ll get answered because I answer over 100 a day and they just get replaced.

25). I’m happier now than I have ever been in my whole life.

Follow @FashionStBeauty on Twitter!

MWAH!
Karen
Purple Lab Creatrix

Name: Lindsey Calla
Blog: Saucy Glossie

1. I was captain of my High School lacrosse and field hockey teams.

2. I have a killer scar on my left knee from when I tore my ACL playing lacrosse in college. I didn’t completely finish my rehab so now my gait is slightly off…you can’t tell by looking at me but I can tell when the shoe heels on my right foot end up collapsing in.

3. I have a weakness for Chex Muddy Buddies and make them so often that I have the recipe memorized and can eyeball the measurements.

4. My favorite place to get inspired is at the MET in NY looking at all of the ancient jewelry.

5. I’ve spoken at a Renaissance Conference about the history of dress in 15th Century Florentine portraiture.

6. I have a really strong pants complex. I hate any pants that are slim fitting and I rarely wear denim. I only wear pants if they are relaxed fit and loose fitting.

7. If I weren’t in the fashion industry, I would be an archeologist and marry Robert Langdon so we could solve ancient mysteries together.

8. I don’t really get excited when I see celebrities, but if I met Roger Federer I would be like a 14 year old girl who just saw Justin Beiber.

9. I once had to go on a mad hunt in the Lower East Side to find aloe vera gel for Blake Lively’s legs during a photo shoot.

10. I’ve lived in Sydney and my life long dream is to spend 6 months there and 6 months here and have one continuous summer.

11. My bookcase is filled with non-fiction books on ancient civilizations or anything to do with women in the Italian Renaissance. I just can’t get through fiction books because I know they aren’t real (DaVinci Code is the only exception).

12. I’ve held a koala in captivity and been chased down a beach by a kangaroo in the wild. The first: really fun. The second: not so fun.

13. When I was 16, I lit my hair on fire right before meeting one of my favorite members of Nsync.

14. I get night terrors when I’m really stressed out and will scream and think I see animals in my bedroom. Weird and really, really annoying.

15. I drink way too much Cherry Coke Zero but I can’t start my day without one.

16. I studied abroad in London and interned for Lancôme while I was there. It is still one of my favorite work experiences.

17. When it comes to a fitness routine I swear by jump-roping. I could jump rope for days and will challenge anyone to a jump-roping duel.

18. I am very content staying in on a Friday night watching the History Channel.

19. Both my mom and my grand-mom are amazing painters and I can’t even draw a stick figure.

20. I bite my nails and I know it is the worst habit but I can’t get rid of it!

21. I’ve worked at Cosmopolitan Magazine in their fashion department and was featured in a 3-page story in one of their issues!

22. I love driving. I would rather drive all day long in traffic than take the subway or walk everyday. That sounds lazy but I just love to have the music playing and be in my own space.

23. I have an older brother who lives in NYC and works in finance.

24. I don’t hold a degree in fashion but instead studied International Affairs and Art History. All the rest of my classmates went to work at the U.N. and I ended up going into fashion…

25. I thrive off of finding really good deals and shopping sales. I get really excited when I find something I’ve been dying for all season really marked down and affordable!

Follow Saucy Glossie on Twitter!

Mwah!
Karen
Purple Lab Creatrix

Panic! Help! This time, I’m not leaving my outfits to whim. I have partnered with AOL Stylelist to ask for your assistance in choosing my final outfit for my broadcast. Check out the contest to vote for your favorite outfit and leave a comment to enter to win a Purple Lab Huge Lips Skinny Hips Lip Gloss.

Don’t forget to watch me on HSN at 8pm on August 19th to see the winning outfit!

Here are my outfit choices. All photos taken by the amazing and fabulous Vinnie Merlot.

Look 1: Green Lanvin dress and purple and gold YSL wedgies.
What I love: the color. Emerald is amazing on the little screen – and what better way to wear it than with purple shoes! My fear… are the ruffles too much for HSN?

Look 2: Thakoon graphic print dress, vintage Gucci gold belt, Lanvin shoes.
What I love: It’s fun and flirty. The colors are beautiful and while the graphic is busy, it won’t overwhelm on television. The little puckered sleeve is heaven.

Look 3: Marc Jacobs satin pants, red Celine blouse, Nicholas Kirkwood lace booties.
What I love: Black and red is killing me right now. Love the contrast and slightly 80s feeling of it. It’s so chic! I think this look is kind of perfection, do you?

Look 4: Black Zac Posen tuxedo pants, Lanvin silver brocade top, Alexander McQueen belt.
What I love: I’d normally stay away from dark colors for TV but the silver is so happy and shiny that I thought it would work well. Agreed?

Look 5: Orange Marni dress, Lanvin lemon necklace, Givenchy wedgies.
What I love: Okay, this is one of my favorite dresses on the planet but it could be too sack-like for TV. The color is rad, but the shape? Thoughts?

Look 6: Black Givenchy walking shorts. Balenciaga turquoise drapey top and crystal necklace. YSL pumps.
What I love: the aqua is made for TV and it’s high fashion without being unrelatable. Plus, a crystal necklace. I can’t resist some sparkle.

Can’t wait to see what you choose!

Mwah!
Karen
Purple Lab Creatrix

Blog: Feels Like White Lightning
Name: Elizabeth Spiridakis

1. I have a lifelong intense fear of the lifesize blue whale hanging from the ceiling at the Museum of Natural History. Even now I can’t stand beneath it (my heart rate is quickening even as I type this, no joke!)

2. I am first generation American. I am half Greek, half Dominican and look…all Irish? I am the only one in my family that doesn’t get really tan.

3. I wear pants once a year. If that.

4. In first grade, I took a battery of tests to be skipped to the 3rd grade (I was already young for my grade, I would have graduated at 15!) but my math skills were so poor that couldn’t be moved. (P.S. they never improved that much).

5. My grandfather (on my mother’s side) played violin in the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein in the 60s and later was a world reknowned conductor and musician.

6. The only time I ever had a cast was when I was 4 years old. I tried to make a kitchen chair rock like my rockinghorse and fell and broke my arm above my elbow.

7. I once met Yoko Ono in her apartment in the Dakota at 4am in the morning. She was in her nightgown checking email. The amount of art in that place is staggering! AND her closet is an entire room with racks for miles, it seemed.

8. I think rainbow sherbet is the most delicious dessert in the universe.

9. I’m left-handed and double-jointed.

10. Since I was 13, I have had a plan to get a dauschund and name him George Harrison (If I get a second one his name will be Sean Connery).

11. Aside from some favorite classics, I prefer true stories to fiction, in books and film.

12. Finding the perfect pair of black tights is my life goal (perfectly opaque, don’t pill, won’t run, aren’t too thick, have no weird sheen and are affordable). The 120 DEN from Topshop are nearly perfect but I still hunt.

13. The 2 coolest facts about my parents are as follows: When my dad first moved to New York from Crete, one of his friends was Taki183 – one of the first and most famous graffiti artists ever. My mom went to Woodstock! She saw Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix LIVE! They are both irritatingly BLASÉ about both awesome things.

14. I am addicted to hot sauce. Sriracha especially. I put it on almost everything (even ice cream, its GOOD, I SWEAR) and I use it LIBERALLY.

15. I have gotten really into cooking…I think I secretly want to start a food blog?!

16. I only like the yellows and greens in hard candy/lollipops/Skittles etc.

17. I can’t even begin to think about how to complete a cartwheel.

18. I once had a 6 hour layover at CDG (on my first trip to Italy and first time traveling internationally, by myself). I decided to get on the train to Paris and befriended a French boy who wrote quick directions for me to buy a coffee and croissant, see Le Tour, get back on the train to the airport, and head to Rome.

19. I love the Sound of Music more than any other movie.

20. I have horrible eyesight. I have had glasses since I was 4 and need custom contact lenses. I cannot imagine what it’s like to open your eyes in the morning and just…see clearly. I want Lasik!

21. I always bring the Big Lebowski with me to watch on plane trips. It calms me down (I am a terrible flier!)..that and an Ambien.

22. I got my nose pierced the first week of college and kept it until I was 25. I also got my tongue pierced when I was 18…I don’t think my parents have ever been angrier.

23. I moved to Los Angeles when I was 21 and drove my car there (from New Jersey).

24. I wrote a story for The New York Times in 2008 about how teenagers were taking over fashion with blogs – notably a then 12 year old named Tavi (her first press ever). Also my first major byline. All because of my friend Christine Muhlke- the best editor ever.

25. My celebrity “pass” from my boyfriend is for Larry David. I LOVE HIM. LIKE MORE THAN A
FRIEND.

When I first heard that I would be able to attend the second speed dating event taking place at the W Hoboken, I was immediately filled with anticipation. This was due the fact that I’ve been interning with Purple Lab since mid-June and I’ve heard countless stories about the FAMOUS Purple Lab Speed Dating event. I was also present upon the arrival of the Guinness World Record certificate in the mail, which managed to evoke a serious amount of excitement in the office.

Now, I would finally have the chance to experience the scene of a mega speed dating event first hand. Fortunately for the Purple Lab team, it was a bit smaller this time around but I’d say it was just as fun. Instead of organizing the event, Purple Lab was responsible for making over female daters before they began to meet the boys.

Armed with a full supply of Purple Lab products, Sharon, Julie, Eve and I were chauffeured by Todd to the W Hoboken. Upon setting up our products, I wasn’t sure what to expect by the crowd or the speed dating process in general. As the daters started pouring in, the women were immediately drawn to our products (can’t blaim them!).

Not knowing much about the application of make up (I’m more the office photographer/photoshopper/videographer), Julie and Eve did an awesome job of being pseudo make up artists for the night as I told the crowd about our lineup of double duty beauty products. Huge Lips Skinny Hips was a crowd pleaser as always, even drawing attention from the male speed daters! Continuing through the night, when women found themselves dateless, the Purple Lab team was ready for touchups.

The salon Toni & Guy did a great job of providing hair 911 style action and together we proved to be an unbeatable team. After the speed dating was finished, the crowd moved downstairs to indulge in the 80s tribute band in the living room. Julie and I walked around to do some sampling of the products to a lucky group of girls.

Overall, the event was a definite success. not only for the speed daters (I did see some getting cozy in the living room after) but also for the Purple Lab team.

Thanks to everyone who came out, we hope you found a match!

MWAH!
Vinnie
Purple Lab Multitasking Maven

Follow Purple Lab on Foursquare here!

To make the use of the platform fun, the Purple Lab team and I added tips to all of our favorite spots so that if you check in, you can see what we recommend… what to have for brunch at Pastis, the best flavor of Pinkberry, where to get into sartorial trouble in Soho (Hi Kirna Zabete!), whose class to take at S-Factor.

It’s full of fun tid bits, insider intel, and delicious suggestions.

Have some good check ins!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Believe me, I am dying and think it’s the most amazing thing on the planet and I live and die for Sharon for securing the placement, which is a major “get” in the PR world. MAJOR! I just never pictured the words “absend minded” in the title of the piece!

I love this column of the business section. It’s called Frequent Flier and it always showcases successful ones who travels often for business – best-selling authors, presidents of companies, producers of films.

Sharon had been pitching me to the editor for ages and one random day, finally got her on the phone. “The norm is people who miss their kids and how people are really organized on flights,” Joan Raymond, the reporter said, “I want something fresh and out of the box.”

Sharon immediately replied, “Karen has no kids and she’s not organized!”

To be clear: I would not say I’m an organized person but there is a method to my madness, some kind of order to my chaos. That said, I have had many a travel mishaps that Sharon generously shared to Joan, who wound up laughing so hard that she had to include me! (Luckily, I have a sense of humor and laugh at myself enough to not be self conscious!)

You have to read the story. It involves a missing phone twice in one hour, begging strangers to let me use their phones and bribing them with lip gloss, losing my carry-on, getting my cleanser and toner confiscated, holding up the security check line due to metal clips (a styling technique for curly hair, to be used when wet in order to create more body at the roots), and some ugly hives.

True story. I’ll never forget that day!

When my brother saw the paper, he called and said “why didn’t you tell them about the time you forgot your flight was Thursday and showed up on Friday?”

Thanks, Jay. Maybe I’ll save that for Fast Company!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Guinness World Record!

For those of you who are a bit lost and may be thinking why a beauty brand would break a record for a dating event, I’ll refresh your memory. Back in January, Purple Lab teamed up with the W Hotel in Hoboken, NJ to launch our latest lip stain and gloss duo, Luvah, equipped with libido stimulants and aphrodisiacs. How better to launch the sexist lip product on earth with “Find Your Luvah,” the largest dating event on earth?

Speed Dating in Action

To add that extra dose of dating and relationship street cred, we signed on Steve Ward, the expert matchmaker behind the VH1 reality series, “Tough Love.”

Karen and Steve Ward, the hosts

The event was a huge success attracting 313 speed daters which can be seen in the official certificate. The funny part was, gathering 313 people into one room to speed date was a breeze. The challenging part was proving to Guinness that we met the task. To be officially recognized as a record breaker we had to send in the following information:

1. A recap of the event

2. Signed statements from two witnesses that details exactly what they saw us do, including times, scores, dates and the location where the attempt took place. Each statement needed to be on letterheaded paper from the witness’ company, and include their contact details

3. A signature from each speed dating participant (which we collected at the event)

4. Official video footage of the event

5. Official photographs of the event

6. Official press coverage of the event

The above information had to be gathering and sent to Guinness within two weeks of breaking the record. We mailed the supporting materials in February, 2010 and we just received recognition on Thursday, July 1, 2010.

They take their time in London at the GWR head courters.

Receiving the official certificate from Guinness was a very exciting moment for me as I worked extremely hard on the “Find Your Luvah” event. Here I am holding our award proudly!

So its official, Purple Lab is in the books and has made world record history – we may be a small indie brand but how many other companies can say they achieved Guinness Record status?

Mwah!

Sharon
Communications Queen