Celebrating The Season With InStyle Magazine

Earlier this week, I headed down to Chelsea for Celebrate The Season hosted by InStyle Magazine and Single Edition Media. Held at The Glass Houses, a fabulous venue with stunning city views, the blogger event offered a sneak peak at seasonal beauty/fashion trends — and the chance to enjoy some fantastic cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

I kicked off the evening by trying Flight Song Wine’s crisp new Sauvignon Blanc, a delightful find that I look forward to having again.

Another tasty highlight — discovering Gardein‘s line of meatless, plant-based bites. As someone who is a happy carnivore at heart, I was blown away by how flavorful the Canada-based brand’s fishless filet and chips, lightly breaded ‘turkey’ burger and rosemary pecan crusted ‘chicken’ skewers are. Yummm.

Among the many great brands in attendance — Sears, which showcased the relaunch of Metaphor, its versatile collection of mix and match items that easily transition from day to night.

Signature pieces include a faux leather dress, embellished metallic brocade skirt and knit sweaters with embellishments and asymmetrical backs. Best of all — every piece is under $100.

Elizabeth Arden wowed with a selection of bold Moisturizing Lipstick for the holidays (I love bronze berry/#35) and Untold, a sophisticated fragrance with floral notes and an amber base that I was immediately smitten with.

Buying perfume as a holiday gift? Elizabeth Arden’s rep at the event offered these tips: consider the recipient’s leading personality traits, qualities that best describe them and favorite time of day.

During the cocktail hour, I had the chance to catch up with Globetrotting Mommy blogger Lyla Gleason. We chatted about her adorable, fashion savvy five-year-old daughter, the perks of being a blogger and how swiftly time seems to go by – especially at this time of year.

After checking out all of the brands on display, we enjoyed a presentation of holiday tips and trends. Makeup artist Patti Dubroff raved about Jergens’ BB body cream. And one of InStyle Magazine‘s beauty editors shared her picks for amping up your holiday look. Among them: pastels (in makeup), textured waves for hair (the messier, the better) and flower accessories.

InStyle has long been one of my favorite magazines, with its accessible take on celebrity fashion and lifestyle. So I wasn’t surprised that the gift bag featured some fabulous items—including Balsam Hill’s white river spruce scented ornaments and Beautiful Textures’ hair gel.

Thanks to InStyle and Single Edition media for a fantastic night that reminded me all over again how much fun it is a New York City gal.