From our fabulous friends at thefind.com:

In the midst of all the fashion world’s excitement over color-blocked bags and blindingly bright neon satchels, it can be easy to forget about the original festive print! Nothing rings truer to summer than floral does, so if you’re having a hard time embracing the same unbridled enthusiasm towards the season that your fellow fashionistas seem to have, infusing a healthy dose of floral into your handbag arsenal is bound to do the trick! From totes and satchels to hobos and beach-ready bags, a floral handbag is an easy way to add an extra dose of femininity to even the most casual outfits, and can almost instantly transition your all-weather basics like jeans, tanks, and cardigans from tired and dull to festive and spring-ready!

Pictured above: Brahmin Elisa Hobo Bag, Tory Burch Channing Floral-Print Canvas & Leather Tote, Milly ‘Birch’ Market Tote, Dooney & Bourke Floral Satchel, and Kate Spade New York High Falls Melinda Satchel.

- Alexandra Gambardella

You may have noticed the “shop” tab at the top of the site, or the “if you love my style, then shop my store” button on the right, and wondering what’s going on! We’ve teamed up with StyleOwner to create a special Fashion Pulse Daily store in which we add our favorite merchandise items across categories ranging from beauty and accessories to men’s and jewelry, and you can make purchases right from the page itself. Pretty cool huh? We certainly think so! Check out our must-haves, as well as specially-themed boutiques to come soon

NOW FOR THE FUN: WIN $250 TO SHOP THE FASHION PULSE DAILY STORE, JUST BY FOLLOWING OUR BOUTIQUE.

We’ve got some GREAT items in there that you can pick up, like a Rebecca Minkoff bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs jewelry, Dr. Martens, Ray-Ban Wayfarer shades, and more!

RULES OF ENTRY:

1) Simply “follow” our store!

You do this by:

*Go into the store, here

*On the bottom right of the page, click on the f (Facebook) Login

*Enter your Facebook login in info and “allow” Styleowner access

*Last, click on the “follow this store” button on the left panel of our store, and you are all set and automatically entered.
2) U.S. entrants only, must be 18 or older to enter.

It’s that easy- good luck!

Giveaway ends on May 30th, 2012; winner is selected at random. Full Disclosure: Fashion Pulse Daily receives a percentage of revenue from ShopOwner for sales as a result of the store.

Move over, Naked Palette – the British are coming! From America’s Next Top Model’s ‘British Invasion’ cycle and the world’s obsession with Downton Abbey to the never-ending influx of on-air talent from acrossthe pond, it was only a matter of time before the Brits got into our makeup stash. POP Beauty’s adorably union-jacked Brit Pop palette (available at Nordies!) contains 12 universally-flattering neutral shades, ranging from softly shimmery to sultry and smokey, and gives Urban Decay’s own natural-hued palette a run for its money. I mean… a mere $10 as opposed to the Naked Palette‘s hefty $50 price tag is a hard bargain to argue with, plus POP’s British-infused packaging is equally slim and portable, but just slightly more adorable (in my humble opinion)! Including both matte andglitter-infused shades, you don’t have to know The Parliamentary Oath in order to pledge your allegiance to these fabulously festive colors!

- Alexandra Gambardella

Fashion icon and designer Nicole Richie is collaborating with popular department store Macy’s to create an exclusive collection that launches Fall 2012 in 100 Macy’s stores and on Macys.com.

The collection will be a continuation of the designer capsule series for the retailer’s contemporary fashion Impulse department. “Nicole Richie for Impulse only at Macy’s” will feature exclusive, limited-edition apparel inspired by Richie’s trendsetting personal style, including 1970s influenced silhouettes, prints and fabrications. Click here to head to LollieShopping.com in order to get all the deets regarding prices as well as the launch date.

LADYMAGS LINKS OF THE WEEK:

Layered Warm Weather Looks [AlreadyPretty]

Fictionary word: Pigment Of Your Imagination [BeautyBloggingJunkie]

The “wowzers!’ and the “yikes!” of the Cannes red carpet [BettyConfidential]

8 Fashion Essentials for Memorial Day [FashionPulseDaily]

WEBSNOB LINKS OF THE WEEK:
Shapewear isn’t just for plus sizes! Stiletto Jungle explains how to find the right shapewear for your unique figure.

Allie is Wired takes a look at the newly released Forbes Celebrity 100 for 2012. Can you guess who snagged the top spot?

Coquette is taking a virtual vacation to Palm Springs with the new Banana Republic Trina Turk Summer 2012 Collection that debuts in June.

The Jet Set Girls are loving Bobbi Brown’s new Miami Collection.

Second City Style found the Tom Ford interview with Fern Mallis to be fascinating and entertaining. Tom Ford On Fashion: “It’s a Tough, Tough Industry.”

Shopping and Info loves the Lanvin mini pop beige crossbody bag and others for summer.

The Beauty Stop shows how to snag big beauty deals by joining loyalty clubs.

Regrettably, there are more times than I’d like to recall when the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, but I’m stuck inside, tethered to my desk and staring into the LCD monitor in bleak despair in order meet my deadline before the sun goes down. Sometimes it feels like it takes super human strength to pull myself away from the work, but when I do — it is sooo worth it! Today was one of those days in which pulling out a summery white dress, sandals, and a great hat were a must; work will always be there, but this weather isn’t as predictable so you might as well enjoy it while you can!

Outfit Credits:
Black Sun Hat: Courtesy of Dorfman Pacific

White Eyelet Dress: Courtesy of Baby Phat

Adriel Ivory Gladiator Sandals: Courtesy of Isolá

Mercer Black Satchel Bag:  Courtesy of Truvow FPD READERS: Get an exclsuive 20% off with the code “SPRING12″ (expires 9/1/2012)

Double Turquoise Pyramid Ring: Courtesy of MiMi by Sorrelli

Just launched this week, the “Dazzle Ever After” Bridal Collection at ShoeDazzle takes some of the sting out of wedding expenses by offering shoes, accessories, and even lingerie (The Lace Collection) to make your wedding a stylish, memorable occasion that doesn’t break the bank. I’m very very excited about this as a bride-to-be, as most shoes I’ve seen for my gown have either been relatively ugly or hovering around the $800-$1000 price point; yikes! Every month will offer up a fabulous new collection, and I can’t wait to see what comes next, especially since the prices start at $39.95; I have my fingers crossed for wedges (yes, I want to wear wedges to my wedding!).

Also of note is the new “Head-to-Toe” collection (see boutique example above), which offers on-trend jewelry, clothing, and more, all at ShoeDazzle’s affordable price points. In case you’re unfamiliar with the site, ShoeDazzle is a fee-free membership site, curated to your style and taste to get great fashion–forward pieces at awesome prices (plus free shipping and returns). I’m totally loving some of their latest bag selections (see below) – don’t you just love the colors and shapes?

-Julia DiNardo

I honestly don’t get glasses from brick and mortar stores anymore. Come to think of it, the last time I did was two years ago! Since I’ve been buying eyeglasses online since 2006, I certainly can speak to the ease and convenience of it. Once you have your script and know your PD (pupiliary distance; you can have your eyeglasses scanned for this or use a tiny ruler and measure it yourself), you are pretty much good to go!

I was recently introduced to Vusion Glasses, which offers vintage-inspired eyewear that is fun, fashion forward, and ultra easy to select. The company offers a try-on option so that you can upload your photo and see what the frames look like on you before making a purchase, as well as super cool PD meter function to get your pupiliary distance.

[Here's me at my favorite retro diner in NYC, wearing my new VIENN vintage-inspired eyeglasses!]

Shop for Rx eyeglasses, Rx sunglasses, regular sunglasses and plano glasses, for those of you that are blessed with good eyesight and don’t need to nerd out with eyeglasses all the time. Courtesy of the brand, I participated in the Vusion vision experience, and picked out a pair oft the VIENN Rubber Gray eyeglasses.

When they arrived (within three days-it was crazy fast!) the packaging and presentation was perfect, with a cool, sleek case, a branded cleaning cloth, and of course, my glasses that looked even better in person!  Prescription frames and lenses on the site come to just $88, with no  shipping cost. PLUS, we’ve got a Fashion Pulse Daily exclusive for you! Use coupon code “FPD5VU12“  to get $10 off your  entire order (expires 6/10/12). Check out Vusion Glasses, and let us know what you think!

-Julia DiNardo

From our friends at thefind.com:

Although I’m arguably a shopaholic, I’m still a relatively smart shopper, so even when I spot a pair of shoes or a bag that I “must have,” my instinct is to scour the ‘net for where I can find it (or a budget-friendly lookalike) for the cheapest price possible. That said, rarely will an accessory make me fall in love at first sight. The brand-new Viscid Watches from Anthropologie, however, were an exception. I blame it on the fashion bloggers I follow on Instagram – one look at the mint-and-gold face and candy-colored gummy strap, styled with an assortment of coordinating arm candy, and I was sold! Luckily, despite being from the not-so-modestly priced Anthropologie, these Baby G lookalikes are playful, chic and reasonably affordable at $58 a pop. While I’m still drooling over the mint (and even ordered it online although it’s supposedly backordered until July!), the watch comes in an assortment of equally covetable colors, like hot pink, orange, and yellow (which is more of a highlighter-bright lime shade in person)! If you’re as enamored as I am with these luxe takes on the gummy watch, make sure you pick one up before they’re gone for good!

- Alexandra Gambardella

I first mentioned the Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations (May 10, 2012 – August 19th, 2012, at The Costume Institute at The Met, NYC) in January,  when it possessed a slightly different title (I think this one is much better), and covered The Met Gala/Costume Institute Fundraiser this past week, so opening day, you better believe I had an hour and a half blocked off on my calendar to be at The Met!

[All images of the exhibition via screenshots from the video found at MetMuseum.org]

The entire concept of “Impossible Conversations” is an intriguing one; an informal, interview-style conversation between two women whose paths never physically crossed due to the separation of decades, who share striking similarities, the first of which being that they are both Italian.

I could wax poetic about Italy, identity, and fashion, but perhaps I will save that for another post; let’s just say having two degrees in Italian gives me a bit of an authority on the subject! I digress; the exhibit showed video clips throughout of an elegant dinner featuring a conversation between Schiaparelli (played by actress Judy Davis) and Prada; which laced whit and humor throughout the exhibit, which also can be considered monuments of both designer’s signature styles.

The “Conversations” were broken into categories: “Waist-Up Waist-Down,” “Ugly Chic,” “Hard Chic,”"Naif Chic,”  “The Classical Body,” “The Exotic Body,” and “The Surreal Body,”  which helped to bring out the varieties in each designer’s body of work within itself, as well as the clear comparison and contrast of their aesthetics and techniques.

“The Surreal Body” certainly stole the show; the garments were encased in clear square boxes, juxtaposed with images that certainly made you do a double take; eyes slowly blinked, skirts billowed, and visitors stood and stared!

The headwear for the exhibit, created by Guido Palau was exquisite;  some mimicked luchador masks while others mimicked silken metallic hair strands, bobbed at the chin and cemented to the head. In my opinion, an exhibit shouldn’t even exist here, unless Mr. Palau is commissioned for the headgear, as it added such tremendous value to the story.

Why should you see this, if you live in NYC, or are considering to trek here to check it out? Prada and Schiaparelli each have a very distinctive point of view, and beat to their own drum; this is the stuff that fashion legends, and musuem archives, are made of.

Click here for the narrative on the exhibit by Andrew Bolton, Curator, The Costume Institute.

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, is showing May 10, 2012 – August 19th, 2012, at The Costume Institute at The Met, NYC)