Its funny how things happen. One day, you're enjoying a beer with a friend and the next thing you know, you're doing the makeup for a designer's lookbook photo shoot. That's one of my favorite things about New York - you never know what (or how) things will happen.

Yesterday we headed into Queens to visit the Fort Tilden area to capture George McCracken's Spring/Summer 2011 lookbook. Since these looks will be making their debut on the runway during NYFW next week, I can't share many of the behind-the-scenes shots. The colors and fabrics of the collection are, as to be expected, rich and vivid.

The shoot was definitely an adventure (we all have the tan lines to prove it) - can't wait to share the images once photographer Jahn Hall has finished working his magic.

Did you make it to the beach this weekend? Did you have an adventure? I'd love to hear about it!

With Fashion Week rapidly approaching (do you hear the freight train headed straight for me?), I've been trying to be more kind to my nails. I've been nurturing them with Perfect Formula's Pink Gel Coat, which seems to be helping nourish and strengthen them.  Today I decided that it was time to go back to polish - bare nails in the city are difficult to maintain.

Since I've been buffing and applying the gel coat, the surface of my nails have been fairly smooth. I decided to revisit Knockout Cosmetics Flatte nail polish in Plaster. As with most matte nail polishes, the formula dries quickly, so application can be tricky. I do find Knockouts formula to be a bit more tricky than most mattes, which makes applying one coat tricky. The get coat and buffed surface of my nails seemed to help smooth application to an almost seamless level.

On my ring finger and thumb, I chose to apply a normal glossy topcoat. For the rest of the nails, I chose to enhance Knockout's matte finish with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Flatline, a matte topcoat.  To achieve this look, I needed to apply two coats of Putty for maximum opacity.

What are you wearing as we approach fall?

From the debut album The Family Jewels.

Last night some of fashion blogging's best were treated to a cruise around the Hudson River, courtesy of Nautica. Not only were we aboard a gorgeous boat, filled with gorgeous people, but there were gorgeous male models (see above) there to....enhance our experience. It had been raining all day, but right before we set sail, things cleared up just in time for our sunset adventure. The river was so rough that when this photo was taken, I was actually being held up by the models. Clearly, it was worth it!

Hat: Eugenia Kim for Target (no longer available)

Necklaces: Twittabling, Fetty

Shrug: Lane Bryant (no longer available)

Dress: B&Lu (no longer available)

Leggings: Lane Bryant (no longer available)

Studded ankle boots: Evans (no longer available)

Photo by Kimberley Williamson

Recently, I was walking down 6th Avenue on a particularly sweltering day. I had chosen to wear a fragrance that I was rather fond of and honestly had not given the way it would react to extreme heat a second though. A burst of hot, dry wind rushed past and the most intolerable smell hit my nose. I thought it smelled like pure, wet moss. A friend later mentioned that it smelled like musty books in a forgotten library. Either way, the scent wafting around me was not okay.

Fast forward to this instant, where I am sitting at my desk, smelling Lisa Hoffman's Variations in Madagascar Orchid. Described as a "full-bodied floral scent", these fragrance oils capture the gorgeous scent of an orchid recently discovered in Madagascar. Lisa Hoffman was actually one of the first to capture this flower's glory through scent and received a FIFI nomination for her efforts.

The fragrance is warm & rich - the instant I smell it, it reminds of of sitting on a patio with a margarita in my hand, crickets chirping in the background, and a large flower in my hair. Obviously, I need to get somewhere tropical, stat. If you are like me (aka chained to your desk, email, and you know - life) and you can't manage to sneak away, Lisa Hoffman's Madagascar Orchid fragrances might just be what your need to lift your spirits. A special day/night edition set of Variations, will be available tomorrow morning (August 27) at 9am EST on QVC. Variations are specially formulated for different times throughout the day, as your senses become more awakened. Rub the oil on your pulse points for a fragrance experience that is rich, but not overpowering.

Have you tried any fragrance oils? Do you prefer the experience over traditional fragrances?

Preparing to show for a third season at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Spanish designer Toni Francesc's Spring 2011 collection is based on creating an Urban Forest.

The upcoming collection, “Urban Forest,” is an interpretation of a forest-based city environment. This concept leads us through an intelligent forest in which we feel closer and more in touch with our natural surroundings. Wood is the inspiration of this collection as well as the eco-friendly consumer and those that are committed to the environment.

"Urban Forest" is a collection that is just as versatile as wood itself. In this respect, depending on its treatment, wood can present its most natural dimension - as witnessed in tree bark - or its most elaborate side, including carved and moulded wooden forms. The Collection's clothing items present a series of rough and enveloping forms combined with other cleaner volumes and straight, milder lines.

The color palette is inspired by natural landscapes, using neutral shades such as beige, white and grey while incorporating tones that contrast with flashes of light in the shades of yellow, turquoise and coral. The fabrics boast their own organic language and are combined to bring texture to the designs. Garments are composed of linen, cotton and silk.

Are you excited to see a an interpretation of an "urban forest"? Do you think, that after all the 80's neons, spring 2011 will take a neutral turn?

What: Come visit the Rebecca Taylor boutique during Fashion’s Night Out to update your fall look with styling tips from Today Show style expert, Bobbie Thomas!

Why: Enjoy complimentary eyebrow shaping from Frederick Fekkai and mini makeovers from Bobbie Brown while you nibble on cupcakes from Baked by Melissa and sip cocktails courtesy of Svedka. Listen to Rebecca’s favorite tunes and enter a raffle to win two tickets to the Spring 2011 Rebecca Taylor Fashion Show at Lincoln Center. Customers will also receive a limited-edition gift with purchase while supplies last!

Where: Rebecca Taylor Boutique, 260 Mott Street, 212-966-0406