Bigger is better

Forget about all the colorful new iPhones and Andorids for a second and feast your eyes on this: a brand spankin’ new CrackberryBlackberry.

The Blackberry Z30 is the official successor to last Spring’s Z10.  It’s larger than it’s predecessor, measuring in at 140.7mm x 72mm x 9.4 mm, and it features a bigger 5-inch, 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED display with 295ppi pixel density.  On the back of the phone there’s an 8 megapixel camera capable of capturing 1080p video, and on the front there’s a 2 megapixel shooter that can shoot 720p.  Inside there’s a dual core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro (paired with 2GB RAM) and an Adreno 320 GPU, not to mention a larger (and non-removable) battery, dual-band WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and 4G LTE.  The phone also includes 16GB of internal storage, but that can be expanded via a microSD card slot.

There’s a few other things that make the Z30 a better overall phone than the model it’s replacing.  For one thing that phone is the first Blackberry sporting Blackberry OS 10.2.  Version 10.2 allows users to preview messages throughout the UI and lockscreen and reply to BBMs from whatever app you’re in.  It also ushers in the BB Priority Hub, a feature similar to Google’s Priority Inbox but more…Canadian.  It indexes your emails, texts, and BBms along with your social networking communications.  Other improvements include Natural Sound, audio enhancement for BBM voice and video chats, as well as a better antenna for improved reception in low signal areas and faster data.

Neither a price nor drop date for the Blackberry Z30 has been announced yet, but you can bet your bottom (probably even your top) dollar that it’ll be out in time for the holidays.

The latest Holiday collaboration is a no-brainer: NARS - Guy Bourdin. If you look at most NARS ads, with ultra glamazons saturated in color and sensuality, you would immediately see influences from a Bourdin layout in French Vogue, circa 1977.

NARS Holiday 2013 Campaign

This Holiday season, Nars will be rolling out 16 new, limited edition eye shadows, lipsticks, blush and nail polishes. The eye shadows and lipstick are a little different. To really fit the Bourdin mold, shadows are reformulated with high-pearl and high-shine finish and lipsticks are super-glossy.  Both deliver high impact “saturated, cinematic Bourdin look.”

Here’s a sneak peek of the collection that will debut in Nars boutiques and Nars.com on Oct. 15 before debuting at Sephora and department stores on Nov. 1.

Prices range from $19/USD - $29/USD

On the topic of Holiday, you can expect a myriad of gift options. They range from polish collections, shadow/blush palettes, Larger than Life Eyeliner Coffrett, to cheeky cosmetic pouches.

And I just love the packaging:

This set contains two mini velvet lip pencils and two lipsticks contained in a lacquered lip case. My problem is figuring out which one to keep and which ones to give out this Christmas.

Last year’s Andy Warhol collaboration gave us an urban downtown art-house feel so this season we are transported back to the glossy, high fashion disco days of Regine’s in Paris. The holidays just can’t come any sooner.

The gifting collection consists of eight sets. They will be distributed between Nars.com, Nars boutiques, Sephora and fine department stores. Prices range from $35/USD - $75/USD.

Right on cue holiday sneaker releases are starting to drop, and the latest Vans x Liberty Art Fabrics collaboration is one of my favorites. The London fashion house has revealed five Liberty prints on the Vans Era 59, Authentic, Sk8-Hi Reissue and ladies only Sk8-Hi Slim.

The signature Liberty Hera is the oldest print in the pack so its only right it is featured on the Authentic. The pattern, in both red and blue tones, pops perfectly against the white rubber outsole of the Vans classic silhouette.

First printed for Liberty in 1967, the Ianthe fabric is featured on Sk8-Reissue. Its royal blue upper and premium leather sidestriping are complemented by intricate, almost tribal, print. The Era 59 gets double the attention in the collection. It comes in both the Capel floral print and the speckled Melly motif. The lady friendly Sk8-Hi Slim rounds out this holiday season’s capsule collection. The slimmed-down Vans classic highlights Liberty’s Ditsy Floral in a fuchsia and black color way.

The Vans x Liberty Art Fabrics collection retails for $60 - $70 USD and is now available at Vans retail locations, at the Vans online store and the one and only Liberty of London on Regent Street.

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When it comes to high quality accessories, Louis Vuitton is definitely one of the top labels on the list. Having mastered the art of top notch handbags it is only right the French fashion house gave our gadgets a little love. The release of the iPhone 5/5S made most of our former cases obsolete. On the search for the perfect accent for the newest Apple product, we stumbled upon these cases on ILVOELV. Adorned with perforated versions of the iconic LV Monogram, Damier and Articles de Voyage patterns, these soft calf leather cases are the perfect pairing. Each case features an ultra slim design and microfiber lining that not only protect your new investment, but also are compliant with radio frequency norms.

Ooh la Louis!

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Sanrio has teamed up with international accessory brand Manhattan Portage for a bag collection featuring everyone’s favorite feline, Hello Kitty. The collection includes four of Manhattan Portage’s popular New York Tough bag styles: the Mini New York Messenger bag, Sohobo, Cedar Hill tote bag and Nolita shoulder bag. Manhattan Portage is the pioneer of the New York messenger bag, so these totes are definitely durable. Each nylon bag will feature Hello Kitty’s bow embellished silhouette in either a red, purple or black option.

All four designs are now available in store and online at both Sanrio and Manhattan Portage. Retail prices range from $45.00 - $85.00.

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