Brooklyn

It’s summer, and we can’t trot around with tattered toes and dirty digits, but traditional nail salons give us a headache and leave our pure bodies feeling toxic! In early May, I discovered WINK Beauty Bar, the only eco-friendly beauty bar in North Brooklyn, and have been a convert ever since. From their  sustainable storefront to their green products, W!NK offers “eco chic beauty treatments” such as nail care, body treatments, massages, eye brow maintenance, make up application, detox treatments and more.

I’m a convert. Walking into W!NK is a complete different experience than any New York City beauty bar. A beauty experience at W!NK is relaxing, calming and void of gross fumes, dust particles and scary tools of most NYC salons more concerned with cutting costs than the health of their customers. Products at W!NK do not contain parabens, formaldehyde, phalates or toluene. All are organic, vegan, and authentically natural. Ahhhh…. Polishes you can surely find at W!NK are Zoya, O.P.I. and Spa Ritual.

Better yet? Their sanitary services meet New York State health code requirements. (i.e. Their tools are disinfected place in a medical-grade autoclave; far superior to UV light boxes some salons use and better for your health than bleach and harsh chemicals.) Still better? A mani/pedi combo runs $40 and if you opt for their ECO Mani/Pedi, W!NK will trip, buff and shape your nails sans polish for just $28.
W!NK’s signature green facial includes deep cleansing, detox mask, exfoliation, an  herbal steam and a massage. Oo la la.

W!NK’s waxing services use a vegetable based wax, and they offer an extensive menu of body and detox services for both men and women at a price less than or comparable to For a complete list of W!NK’s services click here.

W!NK
602 Vanderbilt Street
(between St. Mark’s Ave & Prospect Place)
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 11238
718.230.3443

The unusually cool weather made June feel like May and now suddenly, it’s the 4th of July. Woot! Woot! What to eat? Lucky for us this city is full of inexpensive American eats that both epitomize and obscure traditional American food. This means burgers, beers, dawgs, brats and BBQ all reinvented and retained for your palate’s pleasure. But this weekend you need to go all out and have a few (or many) friends to feed. Unsure where to do each? That’s what menupages is for people, but we’ll tell you which neighborhood joint is worth the trip out of your hood.

Daisy May’s BBQ – Sure the commercials are queer, but hailing from St. Louis, I can say this is the best BBQ in the city. No offense to Danny Meyer, but Daisy May’s realizes that there is some smothering involved in BBQ, and since they aren’t competing for presentation, they can smother away. If you only go once a year get a pulled pork sandwich or the Kansas City sweet and sticky pork ribs – a messy mixture of ketchupy barbecue sauce and sweet tang.

For those planning on serving a large party (6 or more), there is a catering menu and the staff are more than helpful. Here you can order whole hogs and pork butts. The whole hogs are straight up terrifying, and no, it isn’t necessary for them to leave the squeal-stoned heads on, but they do. So get a brave friend to slice her up, and keep away from small children. I’d get the pork butt. I realize it says butt and therefore sounds sickening, but it’s delicious and much easier to manage than the whole hog.  And yes, I’ve had both. I told you, I’m from the Midwest!

But the real winners at Daisy May’s are the sides. I don’t like the cole slaw because it’s too mayonnaisey for me, but the creamed corn, creamed spinach, baked beans with burnt ends and brown sugar sweet potatoes are delicious. Actually, delicious understates how good the brown sugar sweet potatoes are. They are to die for.  Lastly, this is NOT health food people, so plan on spending the next couple days working it off.

From The Vogue City to you, have a happy and safe Independence Day New York.

623 East 11th at 46th Street  212.977.1500

Can’t get to Hell’s Kitchen? Visit them on the web at www.daisymays.com for city-wide push cart locations. 

Take a pass on the flowers, card, and candy and opt for a little mother-daughter (or mother-son!) time this weekend with a flurry of décor events toting goods from the top design arbiters. For brand new goods with 60-80% off retail tickets, head down to Chelsea where the Metropolitan Pavilion is hosting Housing Works’ fifth annual Design on a Dime charity event to benefit a new Brooklyn housing complex for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. Design heavy-hitters like Ty Pennington, Charlotte Moss, and Elizabeth Bauer create various room vignettes with new goods which will be up for public view and purchase today and tomorrow. But if you’re looking for a little free design advice to go with your new purchase, stop by former Domino editor at large Tom Delavan’s Greenwich Village town house as he and his former cadre of editors purge their closets of décor props no longer needed (RIP Domino). The likes of Wendy Goodman (New York magazine), interior designers Katie Ridder and Tom Flynn, as well as former style director Dara Caponigro have contributed 1,500 square feet worth of items (3 rooms!) filled with items like an Africa-inspired platter ($40), footed table ($100), and French farm stool ($90) all going for reasonable and ridiculously slashed prices. And we all know moms are the best at checking over every purchase from buttons down to zippers (or in this case down to table legs) for every nick and crack so what better way to get in some bonding and shoppage too. And fashionistas take note, former editor in chief Deborah Needleman is contributing her Lanvin, Prada, and Chloe frocks. And just an L train away, another former Domino stylist Nicolette Camille is setting up a weekend sidewalk flower stand offering bouquets bundled in brown paper and flowers in mint julep cups. Those who aren’t keen on finding a way to lug their oversized wares home can opt for a mobile and wallet friendly floral arrangement because who are we kidding, moms love flowers for Mother’s Day.

The Saturday game plan:

Metropolitan Pavilion
125 W. 18th St.
10AM-6PM

13 W. 9th St., garden apartment
10AM-5PM
Bring your green as it is cash only.

Corner of N. Sixth St. and Bedford Ave, Williamsburg
11AM-5PM
And for some emergency arrangements, note that it’s open Sunday too!