Red Carpet Diamonds

Certificate of Authenticity

Name: Online marketplace Mercantile.

Launch Date: February 2012.

Owners: Callie Jenschke and Nicki Clendening, who co-founded NYC interior design firm Scout three years ago.

Contents: Twenty-five pieces of one-of-a-kind furniture, antiques, and artwork culled from the duo’s dedicated global flea market shopping. They hone in on eclectic items with world-roved wear and tear (or those that look “loved,” in their words). See: a decorative African headdress crafted from colorful feathers (pictured); an antique geometric-patterned Turkish rug; an elephant-legged carved rosewood side table from India.

Expiration: When one of the items sells, the girls replace it immediately with another treasure.

Notarized Signature: Signed, sealed, delivered.

Available online at scoutdesignsmercantile.bigcartel.com, $300-$5,000 (prices vary based on selection).

Photo: Courtesy of Mercantile

“A bottle of Boone’s Farm followed by a Zima flavored with Skittles.” — Us, 1997

“Single-malt Scotch, please.” — Us, 2012

Responsible for this personal growth: Ricky Crawford, a former Glenlivet brand ambassador who throws the funniest and most informative single-malt Scotch tastings this side of Glasgow.

In today’s video, he gives us a miniature lesson on how to order — and actually enjoy — a glass of the good Scottish spirit. Do as he says and you’ll be surprised how many heads turn at the bar.

Crawford’s as charming as he is Scottish. (Yes, the man wears a kilt.) And now you can book his services for all your soirees (birthdays, bachelorette parties, etc.).

Just don’t take any cheap shots.

To book Crawford for a tasting, go to rickyshopscotch.com.

Your come-to-bed look typically consists of a bandage dress, backbreaking heels and Spanx.

That hardly counts as slipping into something more comfortable.

Nail the louche look with slip-ons that combine the laid-back sexiness of a men’s shirt with the English gentility of slippers.

Designer Charles Philip — originally from Milan but living in China — loved his striped shirts so much he had one made into a pair of shoes by a cobbler in Shanghai. So fetching was the creation that he and his design partner, Sheila Pitigala, created a range in stripes, leopard print and florals. The delicate shape proves flat can still be sexy.

And that kind flattery will get you anywhere.

Available at Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ (020 7235 5000). To see styles, go to charlesphilipshanghai.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Charles Philip

Over the years, we’ve put our head, neck, eyes, pretty much our entire body on the line in the name of vanity. Today we’re sharing our little black book of top-notch beauty therapists, hairdressers, manicurists and other miracle workers.

Eyebrows
Kamini Vaghela
The lightning-fast defuzzer is the only person we let near our brows. Once she perfects shape, her threading technique reduces and thins unwanted hair.

Lashes
Jinny Lashes @ Blink Brow Bar
Natural-looking, semipermanent extensions are applied individually and work well for special occasions or a makeup-free beach holiday. Just make sure to have them professionally removed.

Waxing
Strip Wax Bar
Stop in for virtually pain-free hair removal, thanks to expert therapists, pleasantly scented hot wax and a TV in every treatment room.

Massage
Nicole van Zomeren
Get your body back on track with a one-hour remedial rubdown packed with Reiki, Indian head massage, lymphatic drainage and more.

Aromatherapy Associates
Unwind in an oasis of calm in the middle of bustling Knightsbridge. Warning: you may fall asleep during Michelle Sturjess’s relaxing scalp massage and wake up not knowing where you are (in a good way).

Nails
The Nail Station
Experiment with the latest trends and polishes, as well as long-lasting acrylics and Shellac, at the warm and friendly salon.

Simone Rosa
Book the cheerful Brazilian (077930 552145) for quick-as-a-flash at-home manicures and pedicures.

Julie’s Nails
The no-frills, American-style chain (91 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JZ; 020 7243 4188) is useful for walk-ins and last-minute nail emergencies. Additional branches can be found in Kensington and Chelsea.

Facial
Abigail James
The holistic facialist uses her soft, magical fingers and natural, organic products to destress and calm problem skin.

Skin Gym at Triyoga
Settle in for an emotionally soothing facial that involves live skin care products, deep cleansing and pressure point massage.

Hair
Rossano Ferretti
The Method cut at the elegant Italian spa helps hair fall naturally as it grows out. Balayage/ombre highlights are a more sophisticated take on the dip-dye technique, and the divine head massage/hair wash will send you off to sleep.

Tatiana’s Hair Extensions
Micro ring real hair extensions don’t require glue, sewing or braiding, so there is no damage to your own locks. Plus, they look so natural no one will ever know they’re not the real deal.

Photo: UFO FR/a.collectionRF / Getty Images

Cool hunter? Influencer? Tireless trend spotter?

When it comes to hot ideas, you don’t like to be kept in the shade.

Unless it’s courtesy of Italia Independent sunglasses. Newly available online for girls and guys, the groovy wraparounds, aviators and retro frames come in a range of brilliant colours.

But these aren’t just any old sunnies. Take a closer look; they’re some of the more technically advanced designs on the market. Most are crafted from durable materials like titanium, celluloid acetate and techno polymer, meaning they’re hard-core (and scratch proof).

Of particular note: the I-I mod 050 is the first pair of sunglasses made entirely of carbon fibre. Other designs have a soft, velvetlike finish.

Have you not laid eyes on these before?

Frame on you.

Available online at italiaindependent.com or mytheresa.com, from £149.

Photo: Courtesy of My Theresa

When it comes to cracking codes, you’re right up there with Morse, Bond, and Einstein.

But it doesn’t take a genius to decipher simply stunning jewelry.

Case in point: Kathleen Whitaker’s understated Dot and Dash earrings collection.

A fan of freestyle mixing and matching, the ceramist/bonnet maker/jewelry designer casts fourteen-karat gold posts and sells them individually. (Two of our favorite West Coast boutiques, Mohawk General Store and Totokaelo, snapped up the line within months of spotting Whitaker at L.A.’s Echo Park Craft Fair.)

Sequin-style studs, staple bars, and multipost rods (think knuckle-duster rings for your ears) add up to sets that say “Indeed, I am a badass,” without shouting it from the rooftops.

And that we read loud and clear.

Available online at generalstore.com, gravelandgold.com, or totokaelo.com, $35-$230. For more information, go to khwjewelry.com.

Photo: Serena Mitnik-Miller / Courtesy of General Store

Some work, rest and play; others workrestandplay.

For those who like to do it all at once, there’s Apartment 58.

The new venue, which opens tomorrow, houses a variety of spaces — office, home, bar, cafe, club — under one Soho-based roof. Here, creative minds convene to meet, write, drink, eat and hang out.

Founded by Alan Grant of the Notting Hill Arts Club and Roland Ndoro, the all-in-one comes equipped with communal iPads, food-delivery service from local restaurants, private meeting rooms and secure lockers. Members (officially classed by the establishment as ‘friends’) can even have their post delivered.

Sibling locations open in Notting Hill and Shoreditch later this year; outposts in Paris, Milan, Berlin and Mumbai are set to follow.

We’ve never been happier to get down to business.

Apartment 58, 58 Poland Street, W1F 7NR (08435 235088 or apartment58.com). Membership starts at £480 per year.

Illustration: Charlotte Mann / Courtesy of Apartment 58

Unleash the beast.

CARRY
Anicase
What: The cheery, colorful 3-D iPhone cases ($20 each; get 15 percent off with code dailycandy15) are modeled after furry friends (pandas, tigers, leopards, owls) in danger of becoming extinct.
Why: It’s a call to action you’ll want to take — 10 percent of net profits is donated to protecting endangered species.
Where: Online at anicase.com.

FOLLOW
DailyCandy on Pinterest
What: Our just-launched pin boards cover everything from food and fashion to weddings and kids’ parties (beautifully, of course).
Why: Recipes, the latest street style, decorating ideas, and more.
Where: Online at pinterest.com/dailycandy.

ORDER
Good & Lovely
What: A personalized, thoughtful monthly subscription service ($14 and up) delivers the necessary supplies for when your inconsiderate, irritating cousin Flo comes to town.
Why: Cramp-relief heat packs, bath salts, chocolates, and Moroccan Mud Spa Bar samples.
Where: Online at goodandlovely.com.

BUY
Craft & Culture
What: Seattle-based shop showcasing a revolving cast of emerging artists with a sleek, postgrunge look that might make you break out your Nevermind CD.
Why: Elizabeth Patterson’s golden Arkansas quartz necklace ($120), Meghann Sommer’s Letaiyo necklace ($95) with recycled silver fox fur, and much more.
Where: Online at craftandculture.com.

SEND
Besotted Brand
What: Tristan B. recently launched a bespoke custom-design studio, full of clean-lined stamps, envelopes, labels, tags, and waxed linen twine bound in mini hatboxes.
Why: Say hi with the DIY stationery kit ($25), complete with “hello” calligraphy stamp and Euro-style true kraft envelopes.
Where: Online at shop.besottedbrand.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Anicase

Throw away the key.

SEE
The Vault Festival
What: A three-week fete of theatre, music and film in the tunnels under Waterloo station.
Why: Highlights include a satirical puppet show, silent opera and late-night bar on weekends.
When: Today-26 Feb.
Where: The Old Vic Tunnels, Station Approach Rd., SE1 8SW.

FOLLOW
DailyCandy on Pinterest
What: Our just-launched pin boards cover everything from food and fashion to weddings and kids’ parties (beautifully, of course).
Why: Recipes, the latest street style, decorating ideas, and more.
When: You need a little inspiration.
Where: Online at pinterest.com/dailycandy.

RESERVE
Superette Pop-Up Roast Dinner Restaurant
What: Apply for a table at the popular foodie group’s third temporary dining spot.
Why: Slow-roast pork belly, organic goat cheese and nut roast, shoulder of lamb, lots of gravy and more.
When: Sun. Seatings, noon-2 p.m., 2-4 p.m. & 4-6 p.m.
Where: East London. (Exact location will be revealed to successful applicants.)

SWING
Indoor Flying Trapeze
What: Learn to fly on the full-size apparatus during a one-off class (£24) or six-week course (£144).
Why: Hold on for dear life — and strong, toned arms.
When: Today-1 Apr.
Where: The Hangar Arts Trust, Mellish House, Harrington Way, unit 7a, SE18 5NR.

BUY
Callixto Travelling Shop
What: Austrian Chinese curator Sasha Dennig scours local markets and artisan shops around the world to stock her online boutique.
Why: Crouching leopard rings from Thailand, snakeskin clutch bags from Bali, friendship bracelets from Taiwan and more.
When: You can’t get away.
Where: Online at callixto.com.

Photo: Max Letek / Courtesy of The Vault Festival

We’d be lying if we said unlimited coconut water and granola bars weren’t huge incentives for going backstage during New York Fashion Week.

But it’s also pretty freaking cool to be surrounded by beauty’s greatest talents as they do their thing.

In today’s videos, we venture into the chaos and ask the experts to give us the inside track on the looks at some of our favorite shows. We get a floral nail-art tutorial at Rachel Antonoff (above) and explanations/inspirations for the asymmetrical chignons at Suno, avant-garde braids at Creatures of the Wind, and loose ponytails at Tracy Reese. 

As always, some are more wearable than others.

But at least they won’t take up any room in your purse.

Want to keep watching? Check out our backstage beauty videos for the spring/summer 2012 shows at Timo Weiland, Erin Fetherston, and Rebecca Minkoff. And by all means, read up on current Fashion Week shows on our Tumblr.

You know when you pull your hair back to wash your face and somehow it looks so good you wish you were going out? Okay, so maybe that’s happened only once. But it’s the same accidental elegance Kérastase’s Odile Gilbert channeled for Suno last Friday night. In this video, she discusses the hairstyle and her inspiration.

Want to keep watching? Check out our backstage videos at Rachel Antonoff, Tracy Reese, and Creatures of the Wind.

We love seeing ponytails on the catwalk (it gives our go-to look sartorial credibility). In this case, Tresemmé stylist Jeanie Syfu kicks the simple style up a few notches by leaving front sections out and pinning them over the rubber band. Watch this video to learn how she does it. 

Want more? Check out our backstage videos at Rachel Antonoff, Suno, and Creatures of the Wind. 

If you can whip up a covetable do using butterfly clips, matted braids, and glitter, then you must be a miracle worker. Or you’re Kérastase stylist Odile Gilbert, who did exactly that at Creatures of the Wind last Thursday. In this video, Gilbert (the master behind the hair for Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette) explains her look.

Want more? Check out our backstage videos at Rachel Antonoff, Tracy Reese, and Suno.

When you really love someone, you need to ask yourself: is he worth crying or dying for?

Or do you love him just enough to get a papercut?

If the latter is true, commission illustrator Poppy Chancellor to carve one of her intricate works of art.

Using a little scalpel and a lot of imagination, Chancellor, a graduate of The Prince’s Drawing School, designs commemorative and celebratory papercuts that showcase names of (and motifs related to) the ones you love. Prices vary depending on size and how elaborate you want the piece to be.

Browse her collection online for extra inspiration.

It’s a gift that shows you care — and gets straight to the point.

Available by email order (poppychancellor@me.com), £60 and up. For more information, go to poppychancellor.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Poppy Chancellor

Last time you impersonated a cross-dresser it was the unintentional result of too much eye shadow and a dodgy haircut.

Make the transition purposeful with Drag Queen Dance Class. Hosted by dancing drag troupe The Globe Girls, the 90-minute sessions at Floridita start — as all our favourite activities do — with a free mojito.

You need to know how to walk before you can dance, so wear your highest heels and learn to strut without wobbling or falling on your face. Limber up with a series of stretches and lunges, then master all the moves to Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ music video. (Spandex, glitter and full costumes are encouraged but not compulsory.)

Not enough drama for one evening? Stay for dinner and a full show by the dancing trio.

Call it the royal treatment.

The next Drag Queen Dance Class happens tomorrow, 6 p.m., at Floridita, 100 Wardour Street, W1F OTN (020 7314 4000). To book, email info@floriditalondon.com. Cost is £25.

Photo: Courtesy of The Globe Girls

Dear Cupid,

My only complaint about my beau is that he hogs the grub when we go splitsville. How can I make sure I get my fair share of mac ’n’ cheese?

Yours,
Starving in SF

’Sup Starving,

The answer is simple: Become a heartbreaker with Heart Parts eating utensils.

The florescent, palm-size tools are meant to be cracked in half, then used to stab, scoop, or even cut your nosh of choice. Product designer Fatima Fazal created them to bring the love back to sharing a meal.

Heart Parts come in boxes of ten, so they’re great for parties. Because they’re dishwasher safe, made with 66 percent less plastic than similar wares, and are completely biodegradable, you can enjoy your supper without guilt.

Even if you’re fed up with him, at least you’ll be properly fed.

Xo,
The Guy with the Arrow

Available online at iheart-this.com, $10.

Photo: Courtesy of Heart Parts