STYLE

This week, in honor of Earth Day, we get to expand our eco-friendly palate with some other city favorites. We’re huge fans of Quantum Leap and the East Village’s Organic Grill. We love the sustainability idea behind Rogue Tomate and the local flavors at Cookshop. For time-tested and tasted healthiness, we rely on veteran Souen in Union Square and Soho. And for Earth week, we eat Italian.

Il Buco, the old world Italian restaurant on Bond Street, is honoring Earth Day with their 3rd annual rainforrest fundraiser. Il Buco offers 15% off lunch tabs from noon to 4 p.m. through Saturday, and donates the savings to save the rain forest. (If you haven’t eaten at Il Buco, take advantage of this offer and get the bruschetta with mussels, gambas, pollo and pasta special of the day or risotto.)

Jonesing for a more crowded Earth Day celebration? Join everyone and their mother at Grand Central, the annual Earth Fair highlights organic food, preparation and nearby restaurants.

Emma Dinzebach

Not one for hemp sandals and dreads, I was momentarily resistant to the boho revival until I tasted Proenza Schouler Spring 2010 tie dye, Love Shop maxi dresses, and Rika scarves. Then I thought maybe there is still something fashion can derive from hippies.

Boho, a style that Sienna Miller made famous and Kooba made into a Sienna handbags, is a nickname for bohemian – a person who lives and acts free of regard to conventional rules and practices. Like the varied print combinations that pranced down the Spring 2010 runways, for fashion, being boho means mixing and matching like it’s nobody’s business. Denim with lace, tie dye t-shirts and skirts – you name it, it goes. Anything goes! Well, almost anything.

To pull off boho, you have to embody boho’s spontaneous style and attraction to comfort. If you love your Madewells or live all summer in your Vince cuffed jean shorts, this is the season for you. Everything boho goes with denim – denim dresses, denim bibs, and vests. Flouncy, printed shirts and soft pima cottons can be worn alone or layered. To pull off this look the style is in the details. Necklaces, bracelets, rugged boots and headwraps make your boho look your own. Don’t be afraid to mix and match (with some purpose) you’re favorite pieces. And while you’re busy coloring outside the lines, have fun.

Peace, Love & Proenza.

Emma Dinzebach

Stressed or not at all, starting yesterday through April 18th, it’s spa week in Gotham and the perfect excuse to be pampered. Treatments are $50 just for signing up at spaweek.com and this year, city spas are participating like woah.

Some things you should know before you go: 1) Spas book up quickly, so make reservations in advance…as in today. 2) Tip well. On average, 15-20% is the going rate to tip on your massage therapist or facialist. Because spa week treatments are less expensive but not less work, we recommend tipping higher than that on your treatment or tipping 15-20% of the regular cost of the treatment if your budget allows. 3) There are participants all over the city, so use this opportunity to try something new. Have a massage near that Upper West Side restaurant you’ve  been dying to try. New Yorker’s need any excuse to get them out of their hood. 4) Learn more. Other fun ways to follow the Spa Week action? Follow them on Twitter at @SPAWEEK and read their blog, Spa Week Daily.  5) Get Vajazzled. Yup, that’s right. Because nothing says “I’m relaxed” than overpriced crystals adorned to your flower.  6) For a serious laugh, check out Spa Week Daily’s Spa Crawl video blog of this girl – I guess she works for Spa Week – mid-slather, lather and shine at her once a day $50 treatment.

And amidst all of those instructions and options remember to breathe deeply. This is supposed to be relaxing.

Emma Dinzebach

Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and even other, smaller drug store chains have long fought for their share of the beauty market but now are upping the ante. On a recent trip to CVS, I was approached by a petite woman with glowing skin who asked if I was interested in a free skin analysis. She sat me beside a clean, brightly lit counter and examined my pores, propensity to wrinkle and tone. On a formal card, she listed products I needed to make my “youth last,” and just as she started in on best selling points, my phone rang and I had to go.

While I might not have been in the mood for a hard sell in the drugstore beauty department, the truth is that she was quite thorough. It seemed to me that she knew just as much as Gerry my Chanel guy and probably more than the flaky staff at Soho Sephora.  And some drugstore beauty products rival quality of department stores. My CVS sells dermatologist’s beloved La Roche-Posay products, and while they are far from cheap, the crow’s feet erasing eye cream will set you back $36 for .5 oz, they are certainly less than Crem de la Mer. You might be better off with the comparably Roc eye treatment at $22 for .5 oz or the ever reliable Aveeno line’s version for $20.

Like all eye creams and skin products, researching your skin’s sensitivity and specific needs and comparing products is key to finding something that works. If you have the patience to do so, it will save you a pretty penny.

Emma Dinzebach