Latina.com Blog

From wide to leather to metallic to skinny, belts are in a league of their own and this season is no exception. Belts were on the runways of all the designers this fall/winter, so every fashion lover out there has to own a few, if not a hundred! A must-have in particular is the skinny belt. These are great to accentuate a slim waist and long torso. They’re so versatile that they can be worn with a top, sweater or dress.  Plus, they go great with skinny jeans! A classic would be a skinny gold belt that can go with everything. I love this skinny gold metallic belt from Banana Republic, and for only $38 it doesn’t break the bank. If skinny belts are a little too, well skinny, then try a wide belt. Super wide belts are very in this season too. They can be worn tight around the waist or loosely around your hips for a boho look. Wide, corset-like belts are perfect if you want to stand out in a crowd and really accentuate your curves. And don’t forget that belts aren’t just for pants and tops, you can wear them over coats, jackets, and dresses, too!–Victoria Sanchez

Hello pretties! So I’ve recently been seeing a lot of makeup that doubles as jewelry; ornamental chains with solid perfume pendants; necklaces with lipgloss charms. All cute, all very fabulous, but are they practical? I wore a necklace from with a solid perfume charm attached; never opened it once. Smelled great, looked amazing, but once the piece was on I just forgot it was functional. But the idea that my accessories could double as beauty products thrills me to no end. So I’ll keep wearing them…one way or another! Tell me what you think. YSL offers a gorgeous lipstick and gloss beauty accessory (seen at left), in white gold decorated with garnet Swarovski crystals that can be worn as a necklace , attached to a belt or a handbag ($62: Yslbeautyus.com). But would you wear it? – Angelique
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Goodbye Hermés! Nancy Gonzalez, luxury handbag and accessories designer, is the latest high-end designer to have received the Sex and the City fashion stamp of approval. In a scene shot in Los Angeles, actress Kim Cattrall, struts across the street carrying a bag from the Colombian designer, while her pooch wears a one-of-a-kind matching collar and leash designed by Gonzalez for the film. Now that’s what we call a luxe life. A long-time favorite of celebrities—whether it’s a clutch on the red carpet or an oversized tote for every day life—and the very fashion conscious, Gonzalez’s luxury bags and accessories made out of exotic skins like crocodile, python and alligator, have been seen most recently on pop and singers Fergie and Carrie Underwood, respectively. We love her unique mix of skins and leather, found on fancy lattice and more. Want to see more of what Gonzalez has to offer?  Then visit Bergdorfgoodman.com, Saksfifth.com or Neimanmarcus.com.— Marcia Cole

Okay, we have to admit that we’re not always a fan of red and black combos; it sometimes has an odd Halloween-ish effect. But there are exceptions to every rule. So when our photo editor found these images of Maria Menounos (left) Barbara Bermudez (right) and  sporting the similar pairing of red and black, we yearned for an outside opinion. So tell us chica. Who do you think rocked this combo the best?

Hello pretties! Happy Holidays! Last night was the Latina holiday party, held at the deliciously hip Son Cubano restaurant in the painfully hip Meat Packing district of lower Manhattan. I, of course, ran late. This time it wasn’t my fault: There were meetings to finish, phone calls to return, nails to polish. My nails were in embarrassing shape; bare, brittle and uneven. So I dove around in my ginormous handbag until I found my emergency bottle of Maybelline Express Finish Advanced Wear Fast-dry Nail Color. I hardly ever get my nails done because of my extreme impatience; I simply hate waiting for the polish to dry. But last night, while I made my nightly phone call to my mother, I polished my nails – two coats, not one. I was out the door three minutes later. No joke. –Angelique

Hello girls! Today I am introducing you to the first entry in my beauty series “It’s an Oldie, but a Goodie.” This is going to be a round-up of fantastic beauty products that I’ve been loving for years – and I just know you all will, too! The first is my favorite body moisturizer, The Body Shop’s Body Butter. You slather some of this thick, buttery cream down your legs before you step out into winter’s blustery winds and you’ll be able to go bare-legged all season long (I, having an odd loathing of sheer stockings, wouldn’t have it any other way). It’s a little greasy when you first put it on, but by the end of the day your skin will feel as soft as the second you applied it. Love it, try it! Till next time! Angelique

This season’s holidays bring a major dilemma for me: What do I wear!? With party invitation aplenty, I always look forward to seeing my family and friends, taking plenty of pictures and of course, eating lots of delicious food.  But before I can do all of that, I, like many of you, have to live up to the title of being the “fashionable” one in the family. Thankfully, unlike past holiday seasons, this year, fashion is on my side.  Every store I walk by is filled with fabulous party attire: Dresses in the boldest of colors, feminine brocade jackets and skirts, studded accessories to add a touch of rocker chic to any outfit.  Yet, my absolute favorite has to be: Sequins! Yes, I said it, sequins. We may think of it as being something out of the disco era or, in my case, its name conjures up images of my aunt sporting sequined tops printed with some sort of animal, colorful parakeets and green-eyed tigers, from the jungle!  But don’t worry—clothing with sequins have been brought back to its simple and chic origins. During the Fall 2007 fashion shows designers such as Badgley Mischka and Catherine Malandrino turned it into the ultimate style to wear for any occasion. If you are a budget mama, don’t fret, the always reliable H&M, Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters stores are carrying amazing options.

So, now I have to decide how to wear it for all those holiday parties? My pick will be the sequin dress, specifically a cap sleeve, A-line dress from Banana Republic (shown above).  Good luck with your outfit choice and if you need any more ideas, pick up the December issue of Latina, where we have an entire page dedicated to sequins!  I’ll be sure to keep you updated with my choice of accessories for all those holiday parties. After all it is a head to toe look, no?—Melissa Rodriguez

Photograph by Don Ashy

Some people break out in hives. Others need an extra glass of wine with dinner. Me? When I get stressed out, I pick at my cuticles. Attractive, I know. And as a result of my shameful secret stress habit, my cuticles are visibly dry, jagged and unsightly. So here are my two options: De-stress—ha! Right. Thirteen more shopping days to Christmas, zero presents bought—or rely on Christian Dior Crème Abricot Fortifying Cream for Nails. I choose the latter. It’s a thick orange cream (in this little round, white compact) that you massage into your nails, cuticles and fingers. It moisturizes the skin and makes ugly, rough cuticles all but disappear. Love, love, love it! It’s magical. Just like Santa. – Angelique

With all the layering we do this winter to try to stay warm, accessorizing is sometimes the last thing on our minds. But with all the selection of hats, gloves and scarves now available, they can now be your ultimate winter accessories.

Hats: Wearing hats aren’t just for rainy days or bad hair days, ladies!
They’re a great way to keep your head and ears warm. Beanies are affordable, practical, and we all know someone who owns at least one of them! They’re really cute and keep you very warm! But if you’ve tried beanies on and don’t think the look is for you, don’t worry there are other options! The roaring ’20s look is showing up everywhere, a bucket hat would be the perfect way to work the trend into your wardrobe. Look for one with some embellishments if you really want to stand out. Fedoras are making a strong comeback too. Try a wool fedora to keep warm. Berets (my personal favorite) are instantly chic. Whether it’s oversized, slouchy or fitted, they just scream Parisian fashion to me.

Gloves: Oh the options! You have long, mid-length, short, leather, suede, wool, studded, furred, fingerless, full, mittens! You guys already know that the ladies in the Latina Fashion department love the elegance of long gloves and that it’s the must have for the season, but a girl needs variety!

Stock up on different kinds to keep your hands warm. While mittens bring you back to your childhood days, some of you might think that they’re a bit impractical. I mean, try using your cell phone with those on! If that’s the case, you can try convertible gloves. They’re fingerless AND mittens at the same time. Jazz it up with patterns or prints.

Scarves: Scarves are definitely the prime winter accessory. You can’t go through the winter months without one, so your scarf should definitely say something about your personal style. Wrap yourself up in an oversized knit scarf, or try a long, bright colored pashmina.

Remember winter accessories should keep you warm and fashionable!—Victoria Sanchez-Lincoln

Well, it was a trigger-happy, deadly finale to a pointless season, yet, strangely, almost as anti-climatic and unbelievable as season one’s finale. Did you at any moment doubt that Peter would stop the virus from being released? Did you buy half the things that happened (Hiro buries Adam alive. WTF? Thugs who catch Monica breaking into their house go through the trouble of taking her to a warehouse, dousing it with gasoline and leaving her to burn). I am sad to see Nikki die (she ran into a burning building to save Monica) but I would have loved to care more about Nathan getting shot to death as he was about to declare to the world that there are people with special powers, himself among them (why oh why couldn’t it have been lunkheaded Parkman who gets the ax?).  But the truth is, I didn’t see Nathan enough this season to really be fully emotionally invested in his character or the tragedy of his death. It’s been that kind of lackluster, uneven season, which started with all the heroes spread throughout the world with their stories not connecting and their characters not developing. Think back on the season and ask yourself how much things and characters have really changed. The answer is: not much.As for Maya, who gets shot point blank by Sylar, then brought to life by a cocktail of Claire’s and Suresh’s blood…I could have seen her go without a tear, especially since at the beginning of the episode, she and Sylar arrive at Suresh’s apartment and Maya starts cooking chilaquiles. Because that’s what Latinas do. Take care of men. In that scene, Sylar persuades Suresh–with the help of a gun, of course, to help him regain his powers by injecting him with the antidote-cocktail. They go to Isaac Mendez’s old studio and Suresh’s present lab, where he shoots Maya and narrowly escapes getting zapped by Elle.Meanwhile, at Primatech, Adam and Peter have gone in search of the virus, in order to destroy it (or so Adam has told Peter, anyway, but we know that Adam for some reason that you never really buy, wants to release it in order to get rid of all the sub-par people on Earth). Hiro, instead of slicing Adam’s head off, hesitates and listens to Peter talk about how if the virus is not destroyed 9 million people will die. Then he zaps Hiro. Adam and Peter fight their way to a vault where the virus is kept, and Peter opens the door. A lame face-off ensues between Adam and Hiro, while Nathan and Parkman convince Peter of Adam’s foul intentions. Hiro blinks and transports Adam out of the place (and completely out of character, into a coffin six feet under). But not before Adam drops the virus. But never fear, Peter arrives just in time to catch it an inch off the floor and destroy it.At The Company, an imprisoned Mr. Bennet tells Elle about the kinds of experiments she suffered at the hands of her father and the Company (they wanted to see just how much electricity she could produce). Bob then tells Mr. Bennet that he’s planning on stopping Claire from telling the world about her abilities. Bob forces Mr. Bennet to show himself to his family in order to convince Claire not to go public about people with special powers. Mr. Bennet tells them they are safe as long as he stays with the company. Like it or not, he’s working with them again, and our money’s on him as Nathan’s killer.Last scenes? Mrs. Petrelli telling someone that they have opened Pandora’s Box, and Sylar shooting himself up with the antidote in a back alley, like a crack addict, and testing out his powers by summoning a spinach can from 15 feet away. He is back. And maybe in a few months, pending the end of the writers’ strike, we’ll actually care.