Behind the Scenes with adidas NEO Label

Back in February, I had the pleasure of working with adidas NEO label on their summer 2015 campaign!  I was flown to Miami, Florida, and had a beautiful room at the Thompson Hotel.  The scenery was very chic and brightly colored.  When I arrived, I was treated to a fancy dinner at the hotel and greeted by the adidas NEO team along with NEO goodies.  After a briefing of the schedule, I was off to bed to get some beauty sleep.  

Bright and early, I was on set meeting my videographer Kyle Hannon, consulting with the stylist Anna Roth-Milner and assistant stylist Lydia Burkhalter, and getting camera ready thanks to hair stylist Crystal Grossman and make up stylist Judy Jacamo!  I was nervous since this was my first big photoshoot with trailers, catering service, assistants galore, police escorts, security, you name it.  Everyone was so welcoming, friendly, and professional that my nervousness went away, and the first day was such a blast!  :) 

The first day consisted of modeling and styling two looks from adidas NEO's summer 2015 collection.  I selected a tropical sun dress with NEO slip-ons for my first look (you can see it in the video) which was taken along the ocean shore of Miami Beach a.k.a. heaven.  The look was photographed by the talented Jake Trott.  For my second  look, I chose a vibrant graphic tank, a pair of denim shorts, and high top sneakers.  Since the concept was fun in the sun on the beach, my hair was waved to perfection, and I wore a pair of sunglasses along with bohemian inspired jewelry.  Look number 2 was photographed by the stellar Jennifer Rochol at a colorful lifeguard stand. 

Day two arrived and everyone was working hard again bright and early.  Instead of shooting on the beach, the set was on a pier and then later in the day in a park.  The pier was insane!  People kept lining up, watching, snapping photos, and basically straight up snooping.  haha It was fun; the excitement only added to the positive energy.  Just like day one, the creative director, Ben Hennes, was wonderful and shared his vision for the photos and brought out the best in the models and me.  

Fun fact, this bike was twice my size and incredibly heavy. . . It nearly clobbered me numerous times, but it sure looked cute.  For the first look, I chose a very sporty, casual outfit with a NEO striped top, a pair of drawstring shorts, and blue sneakers.  The green laces on the shoes matched the NEO screen print on my top beautifully, and the bike ended up twinning with the green as well.  

For my final look, I again went athletic.  I chose a cool graphic tee, an over-sized jogger jacket, a pair of skinny acid-washed jeans, and orange flats that were so comfy!  To bring the orange of the shoes together with the look, I wore a patterned drawstring bag that had NEO printed in orange.  The look was totally fun and would be perfect for any casual outing.

Working with adidas NEO was a dream come true!  I would like to thank everyone including the NEO brand marketing and production team, agency art directors, account directors, and production managers, photographers, videographers, stylists, hair stylist, makeup stylist, production assistants, security, drivers, models, and anyone else that I don't know your job title (I'm sorry but you're still awesome!)  The whole experience couldn't have been better and I am so excited for the campaign to launch next month!  Stay tuned.  Xoxo, Shelly

My Style: Shabby Chic

Lately, I've had a need to feel comfortable and free, especially since my weekdays consist of sitting in class for hours.  A loose-fitting, lace dress with a cropped sweater is the next best thing to spending a lazy day in bed with Netflix. haha  I love wearing over-the-knee socks for warmth, a floppy hat for shade, and ankle boots for strolling.  Add some pretty bohemian-inspired rings and you have a great outfit.  Let me know what clothes you feel your most comfortable in.  Xoxo, Shelly

Thirty-One Gifts + Snupped Tech Accessories Reviews

Being a blogger, I have the pleasure of traveling often.  Along with packing clothes and the usual travel items, technology is very important to bring along.  Whether it's using my cellphone to post an OOTD or my computer to edit photos to make a deadline, having my equipment with me is essential.   Also, keeping my equipment safe is critical.  In collaboration with Thirty-One Gifts to review their latest handbag line Jewell, I had the pleasure of receiving the Fashion Editor tote bag to hold my technology.  This charcoal grey tote has loads of room, excellent pockets, and sturdy, handsomely pebbled faux leather.  I am very impressed with the quality.  The design is sleek and the bag isn't heavy.  It's the perfect way to travel with my laptop, laptop charger, mouse, phone, paper pads, pens, USBs, etc.  

As another special treat, I was asked to design and review a custom laptop sleeve and an iPhone case from Snupped, an online company that offers customers the chance to create custom tech accessories.  For self-branding purposes, as well as fun, I used my Arizona Girl logo as my design.  The website is very user friendly, meaning even if you aren't super computer savvy or a graphic designer (like me), it would still be an enjoyable shopping experience.  The website had stunning designs for sale if you aren't looking to design your own piece.  I was excited to design my own however.  Snupped provides the dimensions of images required for best results.  I followed the directions and am thrilled with the result.  The laptop sleeve coloring is vibrant, the photo is crisp and clear (no pixilation), and it provides nice padding inside for protection of my device.  I opted for a pocket within the sleeve for extra storage and I love it.  For the cellphone case, it fits my new iPhone like a glove and it looks beautiful.  I definitely recommend the laptop sleeve and cellphone case.

Fun fact:  I truly put the tote bag, laptop sleeve, and cellphone case to the test;  during this photo shoot the bag was accidentally knocked off a tall stone ledge onto hard cement, but all my equipment and bag were unscathed!  Hallelujah.  I rate Thirty-One Gifts and Snupped an A+!

Dress courtesy of Others Follow

Sweater courtesy of Blush Boutique

Bag courtesy of Thirty-One Gifts

Cellphone Case & Laptop Sleeve courtesy of Snupped
Hair extensions courtesy of Crisace

Socks from Urban Outfitters

          

Beauty: Enza Essentials Review

Over the last month, I have been testing out a new-to-me skin care regime provided by Enza Essentials.  The first step of the process included a questionnaire of what skin type I have, what my skin goes through, and my what lifestyle entails such as stressors and activities.  First, I tried their Extraction System which targeted oily skin.  My skin may be shiny; however, it's also very sensitive, so the Extraction System was a little too aggressive and made me dry out.  The next system I tried was their Complete Sustaining System, which included Sustaining Glow Crème, Hydra Gel,  Cool Sustaining Toner, Fine Facial Polish, Sustaining Cleanser, and Advanced Protection SPF 30.

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, my review ;)

Customer Service:  A+

After finding my skin was too sensitive for the Extraction System, the customer service was very knowledgeable and understanding.  They immediately sent me the Sustaining System to try instead.

Packaging/Appearance:  A+

Each package was wrapped professionally and included a folder with medical facts, detailed suggestions, and personalized instructions on how to follow the regime for best results.  Very helpful!

Results:  A

Under the circumstances of a very stressful couple of weeks with school starting back up, t.o.m. visiting, and getting a new puppy, the Enza Essentials Sustaining System did a great job.  I got through all three major stressors with only a few blemishes to count.  If I had to pick a favorite product out of the system, it would be a tie between the cleanser and the fine facial polish because I love them both!  I have seen a change in my skin to be honest with an evening out of the tone and my skin feels smoother.

Overall, I give Enza Essentials an A+! If you're in the market for some new skin care products, be sure to check out www.enza.com and use promo code "ARIZONAGIRL" to get 40% off of your purchase through 9/30/14!

Xoxo, Shelly

P.S. The best makeup is beautiful skin.

On the Scene: Vinyasa-N-Vinyl

What:  Vinyasa-N-Vinyl was an electrifying evening of music and yoga! Event hosted two power yoga classes (7-8pm and 9-10pm!) Both classes had a live DJ, Beatmauler!  Basically, raving mixed with heated yoga, and therefore one of the most fun, sweatiest experiences you'll ever have.

Where:  Vinyasa Fit- Hot Yoga Studio, 6947 E 1st Street, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314

Why:  The studio, locally owned and recently opened, held the spectacular event, Vinyasa-N-Vinyl to give new and current clients a taste of what's to come.  The studio invited me to the event to review their amazing studio, share their passion of yoga, and kick my booty with an intense workout! 

Event Rating:  A+ 

Last Friday night, I was invited to review a marvelous event, called Vinyasa-N-Vinyl, at Vinyasa Fit Hot Yoga Studio.  Participants joined instructor Kelly Thornton and owner Sarah Rainwater for power yoga classes in black light and listened to tribal vibes, drums, and electronic musical energy provided by live disc jockey Beatmauler.  The studio provided refreshing fruit water and held a giveaway which included 3 different buckets filled with yoga goodies and coupons to attend free classes.  If you have never done a yoga night to a live DJ, I highly recommend the wonderful experience.  We painted ourselves with black light body paint, encouraged one another to perform feats of physical impossibility, and smiled the whole time.  I rate the experience an A+.  It was like nothing I had ever done before and I loved every second.  Also, it was an added bonus that a couple of my friends, from my high school alma mater,  attended as well.  It was fun to catch up and workout together.  Let me know about studios you love and types of yoga you practice—I’d love to learn more about what my readers from around the world are doing.  If you live in Arizona or near PV, I definitely recommend giving Vinyasa Fit a visit!  :)  Xoxo, Shelly

What to Wear to Yoga:  When I was younger, I never knew what "yoga apparel" consisted of and I learned from experience.  Loose pants get in the way.  Loose tops fall down and cover nothing.  Shoes need to be easy to slip on and off.  For this event,  I wanted to be comfy and not too bold since I hadn't done yoga in awhile; I wore long, high-waisted yoga pants (which were great because even though I sweat, I wasn't slippery), a loose top that I took off and just wore my workout bra that was plenty of coverage and support (so I stayed cool), and braided my hair to keep it out of my way.  Next time, I will definitely wear a neon sports bra to join in on the black light effect! 

Katie Kasten (Vinyasa Fit marketer), Me, Sarah Rainwater (Vinyasa Fit owner)

Outfit Details:  Classic Yoga Legging by Pink at Victoria’s Secret | T-Back Sports Bra by Champion at Macy’s | Top by Basil N Lola at Basement Market Place | Sandals by Montego Bay Club at Payless 

Me, Reed Chiappetti (participant), Katie Kasten (Vinyasa Fit marketer)

Helena Kasten (participant/Katie's Mom), Emily Rupp (participant)

Kelly Thorton (Yoga Instructor) and Participant

Below, I included the preview video that the studio released so you can see how the lights, decor, and yoga looked all together under the black lights and music going.

www.vinyasafit.com ☯ vinyasafit@gmail.com ☯ (928)277-8312