Today we’re talking about smartphone apps that deal with fashion, in particular. As you may be aware, there are gobs of them. This list highlights six, all relatively new, fashion apps that we deem worthy of downloading immediately. Oh, and they’re all free, too.

COVET Fashion

What it is: The COVET Fashion app launched in early July with stylist Rachel Zoe serving as the app’s first Style Ambassador. In short, the app is a “personalized styling and shopping game combination all wrapped into one” that allows users to “layer pieces together on a virtual mannequin” in order to create their own H2T looks. Those looks can then win real world merchandise from top brands.

Beautified

What it is: A “booking” app that allows you to make a last-minute appointment at nearby salons. Whether you’re in serious need of a pedicure, are craving a good blowout or simply need a haircut, massage or brow wax, this app has got you covered. All you have to do is download the app, input your information and then select the type of service you’re looking for. You’ll be taken to a list of area salons with open spots, allowing you to book right there on the spot. Right now, the app services only certain metro areas, including NYC, San Fran, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, LA and Miami.

TikTakTo

What it is: Launched in April of this year, the TikTakTo app aims to streamline and simplify e-commerce by aggregating deals and products from across the Internet. In short, it’s a frugalista’s veritable shopping wonderland. Once downloaded, you can peruse over 100,000 active daily deals, to which roughly 10k are added every day. TikTakTo allows users to shop around dozens of outlets without ever leaving the app window, ensuring they pay only the lowest prices.

ThreadFlip

What it is: Whether you’re in the market for designer kicks, vintage jewelry or this season’s most coveted clothing, ThreadFlip is a great place to start. Especially if you want said items at a price that won’t make you (or your wallet) feel guilty for purchasing. What’s also cool about this app is that you can sell goods from your own closet, hence the name “ThreadFlip.” Buy, sell, shop and make money! This one’s a year old now, but is really catching a lot of press and steam these days.

E!’s Live From the Red Carpet

What it is: You probably have an idea of what this app is based on the title, but I’ll fill you in some more. E!’s Live From the Red Carpet is a fashion-centered app that brings you all the latest from the red carpet, be they fashion yesses or fashion messes. In addition to sharing up-to-the-minute pictures from the biggest award shows, the app also sends notifications updating users on all the goings on.

CREAM Style

What it is: This is an app ideal for style savvy women who want to keep up with all the latest trends in the fashion industry. As most fashionistas know, fashion is forever changing. This app provides an au courant feed of clothing and H2T looks to ensure you’re never out of the loop. Think of it as a fashion-oriented Instagram that showcases street style and new clothes. Users can also buy products through the app.

By Wendy Rose Gould

While BB stands for “beauty balm,” CC is short for “Color Control” and is considered an improved and refined version of Korea’s innovative, life-changing BB cream that makeup artists raved about.

The primary difference between BB and CC cream is that the latter focuses more on color correction and concealing. It still has the lightness we love about BB creams, but is a bit more dense to help cover fine lines and wrinkles while evening out the skin’s pigmentation. CC creams still moisturize, reduce pore size and protect skin from the elements just as their BB cousin does.

As we go further into the new year, CC creams will become more widely available. At the moment, however, you can find the product at both drug and department stores in various price categories.

For example, Olay’s Total Effects CC Tone Correcting Moisturizer, a forerunner in the CC Cream craze, has been a hit since its fall 2012 debut. Another early, mid-end CC cream comes from Juice, who calls their version the Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream.

Olay Total Effects7-in-1
Tone Correcting UV Moisturizer

Juice Beauty
Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream

Wei to Go
Ideal Skin Perfect Finish

Wei East — affordable sister to Wei Beauty — is one of my personally favorite brands, so I’m delighted to see they’ve also hopped aboard the CC train. Their recently launched CC cream, dubbed the “Ideal Skin Perfect,” promises an effortless, perfectly blended finish with every use.

Brands such as Chanel, Smashbox, Luisdina and Clinique have also launched their own CC creams. And just like all the makeup lovers out there, I can’t wait to see what other brands bring to the makeup table in the coming months.

So — what’s your take on the CC cream? Are you eager to test out this new product, or will you clutch tightly to your BB creams and never let go? We’re eager to hear your thoughts, so share them with us in the comment section below.

By Wendy Rose Gould

	Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner Mirela, founder of The Stylish City, says that a salesperson at RICKYSNYC.COM suggested One N Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo – 12 oz $11.99 and One N Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Conditioner – 12 oz $11.99 to her as a substitute for Ojon shampoo. The Ojon shampoo, while nice, cost more than she preferred spending and is now replaced as a shower staple.
	TOCCA Body Wash and Lotion One of my all time favorite brands has to be TOCCA. I swear by their fragrances and cannot tell you how often I get complimented when wearing them. This past year they released a line of body washes and lotions in their signature scents. They’re middle-of-the-line in terms of cost ($18 and $20 respectively) and worth every penny.
	Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara How does $2.99 sound for a quality mascara? Jordana’s Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara formula was recommended to Mirela by one of her makeup guru friends (Micky), is revered by makeup artists across the country and gets rave reviews at MakeupAlley (4.3 stars out of 5 with 300 reviews).
	Darphin VITALSKIN Anti-Fatigue Dynamizing Serum I’m a self-admitted serum junkie. I’ve tried dozens of serums — new and old — over the past year and my absolute favorite new item is Darphin’s VITALSKIN Anti-Fatigue Dynamizing Serum. It’s like a little treat for my skin every time I wash. While a little expensive at $88, the formula is incredibly silky and melts into the skin without leaving a greasy residue. Bonus: Smells amazing.
	Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Heralded by myriad makeup artists, Becca Cosmetics’ Shimmering Skin Perfector ($41) has to be one of the best highlighting products out there. It comes in different shades to match your skin tone for more seamless blending. It’s also really sheer and leaves skin feeling moisturized and looking glowy. I like to apply to my upper cheekbones, above my top lip and across my collar bones.

By Wendy Rose Gould

From shopping to planning to directions to so-and-so’s house for another holiday party, smart phone apps means we have the potential to never be lost or unorganized again.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite, most useful holiday apps for you below.

	Flit Flit is a free shopping app that’s perfect for year-round use. It aggregates all your favorite stores and styles into one app, allowing you to streamline the searching process. So, for example, say you’re looking for a particular bauble. Instead of searching at W, X, Y and Z, you simply enter the search into the browser bar and Flit searches all the stores at once. It also allows you to save items or share them, compare prices at different stores, buy within the app and also has alerts for when new items are added.
	Macy’s App For Macy shoppers living in New York City, the store’s newest iPhone app is definitely one you’ll want to download. The massive flagship store can be an overwhelming one to navigate, but the app provides an indoor mapping system that’ll help shoppers find what they’re looking for. In addition to step-by-step directions, the app also informs shoppers about offers based on where they’re standing in the store.
	mGifts – Gift List Manager Organize your holiday shopping list with an app like mGifts. This particular gift managing app, available for $0.99, allows you to make shopping lists and budget your money. It’s also password protected so you don’t have to worry about someone sneaking in to see who’s getting what under the tree this year.
	Packing (+ To Do!) This $0.99 app goes above and beyond your standard packing and to-do list. It helps you organize your packing list for multiple trips, including both pressing trips and those still a ways into the future. Because it ensures you’ve dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s before any trip, you don’t have to worry about what you forgot to do or pack.
	iCookbook Whether you’re cooking for two, twenty or somewhere in between, the iCookbook app is here to help. For $4.99, it provides over 12K recipes for you to sort through and plan your meals around. In addition, it provides conversions, substitutions, a section for shopping lists, timers and even instructional videos. This is a great one for the entire year.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Anyway, within the past year or so, I started hearing the newest beauty buzz word, BB cream, and my eyes lit up. Turns out, BB creams (beauty, or blemish, balm) are kind of awesome.

	What are BB Creams?BB creams are, essentially, a primer-meets-foundation-meets-anti-aging-meets acne treatment. Many are slightly tinted and provide sheer coverage, but they can also go on underneath your makeup if you want additional coverage. At their core BB creams are tinted moisturizers, but they’re much more than that. In addition to evening out skin tone, you’ll find that BB creams help clear up acne, reduce pore size and give you that glowy, youthful sheen.
	How to Apply BB CreamsApply BB creams just like you would a primer or tinted moisturizer. Squeeze a small amount onto fingertips and then massage evenly into skin. Alternatively, use a makeup sponge.
	Where to Buy BB CreamsGood news, ladies. The BB cream craze has made them far easier to find these days. While they used to be sold almost exclusively by Korean beauty brands, you can now find them in most department and drugstores. That’s right, BB creams at drug store prices.

Have you already tried a BB cream? If so, what was the product and would you recommend it again? Share your reviews and thoughts in the comment section below.
By Wendy Rose Gould

Rouge In Love

The Rouge In Love collection consists of 21 lip colors that boast a lipgloss-esque finish and up to 6 hours of staying power.

“Rouge In Love is the perfect accessory for your lips,” says Lancôme. “The collection’s 21 shades ensure the perfect shade no matter what time of day it is or what mood you’re in.”

What I love about this particular collection is that it’s actually a 3-in-1 collection that provides different colors based on time of day. The three mini sets are “Jolis Matins,” natural colors ideal for AM hours, “Boudoir Time,” splashier shades that make a statement in the early afternoon, and “Tonight is My Night,” bold colors that will earn you the right kind of attention while sipping martinis with your girlfriends downtown.

Vernis in Love

For those unaware, the French term “vernis” literally means “varnishing,” and refers to the day prior to an art exhibition when artists were allowed to make minor touch ups and, of course, varnish already hung work. That descriptor should give you a feel for the glossy, high quality finish of the “Vernis in Love” nail varnish collection.

The collection, naturally, works with “Rouge in Love” and features 17 new tantalizing shades. With rosy reaches, pretty pinks, intrepid reds and cool purples, there’s something to satisfy every woman’s personality (even if she has more than one!).

Says Lancôme: “Housed in a petite bottle with a new exclusive brush, Vernis In Love combines ultimate brilliance and intense color with a mistake-free application.”

In conclusion: Let the multiplying rabbit population and rising temperatures of spring, along with these two new collections, inspire and incite your own love affairs this season.

P.S. Lancôme also has a new longwear gel eyeliner, “Liner Design,” perfect for creating a dramatic eye. You know – the kind of eye that’ll catch the (preferably handsome) eyes of another.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Polyvore and Cover Girl: Polyvore Live

Two big names in the fashion / beauty world — Polyvore, an online fashion community, and CoverGirl Cosmetics — have come together to create a fashion show at this year’s Mercedez Bens Fashion Week.

The February 13 show takes place at La. Venue and will feature prominent fashion bloggers as the models. As for what the Polyvore Live models will be wearing, get ready for some emerging — and very talented — designers. Four FIT alumni who submitted their designs to the Polyvore community have been chosen and they include: Dana-Maxx Pomerantz, Luaren Balgiore, Sergio Guadarrama and Vengsarkar “Ven” Budhu.

For those unable to go to Fashion Week, watch the models strut their stuff in real time on the Polyvore Live catwalk at Polyvore.com.

Read more about Polyvore Live at WWD.com.

Closet Groupie

Here’s a commandment any fashion-forward femme can get behind: Thou shalt covet thy stylish neighbor’s closet. Thanks to Closet Groupie, a website launched late in 2011, that should now be an easy thing to do. The website is essentially a buying/selling platform with a focus on high fashion duds and accessories. Women can sell their gently used, vintage — or even new — garments and accessories for others to buy. And, of course, they can buy other womens’ items, as well.

“Some of the best clothes in the world are hanging in your closets, not in stores,” says the website. “Closet Groupie is going to change the way we live by letting us shop in closets we love, and sell what’s in our closets to people who love our style.”

Check it out at ClosetGroupie.com.

Pamela Love and Shopstyle

Jewelry designer Pamela Love and online shopping mega-store ShopStyle have partnered up to bring shoppers an exclusive collection of funky jewelry. The three piece, limited edition jewelry collection has very tribal-meets-edgy-meets-modern. Pieces include a rose-gold plated tribal spike necklace, a red resin tribal spike cuff and silver plated diamond pendant necklace. Prices range between $175 and $225 a pop.

Check out the jewelry yourself and learn more about the designers in this WWD article.

Beauty Bar and Allure Magazine: Sample Society

Love trying samples before you invest in the full size product? Meet Sample Society, a beauty sampling program brought to you by two beauty household names: Beauty Bar and Allure Magazine.

This sampling program is different from other sample subscriptions sites (such as Beauty Fix, Birchbox and Test Tube) in that it’s reserved for Sample Society’s elite members. It delivers five “carefully curated, deluxe-sized samples” to its members on a monthly basis along with a monthly issue of Allure magazine for $15 per box. Members also receive a special code for $15 off any $50 purchase on their Beauty Bar website.

Learn more about Sample Society here.

By Wendy Rose Gould

If that’s not enticing enough already, get this: UnitedStyles, based in Shanghai, also allows app users to buy customized creations for roughly $50 per top and $80 to $100 for a dress. The company also hopes to reach out to the male market in the near future.

Learn more about the UnitedStyles app on TechCrunch.

By Mirela Gluck