The Carousel spoke exclusively to the lifestyle expert Pandora Vanderpump Sabo about her passions for fashion, beauty, and entertaining.
Living in LA…
I absolutely love living in Los Angeles! To me, it’s such a great city to live in; it’s laid back, close to a variety of weekend getaways and sunny 90% of the year! Who could ask for anything more?
My favourite places to eat would have to be our own restaurants – they feel like home to me. There’s nothing better than people-watching at lunch at Villa Blanca, a relaxing happy hour at Pump under the olive trees, or a night out with friends at Sur.
I usually shop at smaller boutiques, so I usually end up at either Montana Avenue or Main Street in Santa Monica, but I do love Robertson Blvd for some amazing wardrobe investments.
I’ve lived in London, Monaco, Washington D.C. and LA, but the city with the best style…
I think they all have great style… but they’re definitely different! Style in Los Angeles is much more relaxed and casual than anywhere else (probably because we have the weather to do it!). London, Monaco and Washington D.C. all have a variety of seasons, which I love, so fashion tends to be a slave to the weather. I find that my style tends to resonate more with European style – it’s always a little more dressed up than U.S. style and tends to focus on reinventing classic staples more than following trends.
My fashion style…
I would describe my style as classic-feminine in the day and edgy-feminine at night. I am on-the-go 24/7 as I spend my days in the office or at meetings and go straight out from there, so I love pieces that can go from day to night with ease. I almost always wear dresses or skirts as I find that they translate well from the office to dinner, plus they’re almost always dressed up so you can’t be caught unaware. Add some chunky booties in the day and killer heels at night and you’re good to go.
My beauty philosophy…
Embrace your own natural beauty and then work to enhance it. Everyone has beautiful features that they should learn to enhance, and small flaws they want to diminish, and learning how to balance the two while still looking natural is the way to go. I am a firm believer in the less-is-more philosophy. Even if you want to make a statement (like smoky eyes or a red lip) you have to know how to balance them out and make them appropriate for your own face.
My best fashion and beauty advice if you’re going from desk to date…
I love pieces that can go from day-to-night with ease. In fact, I just designed a necklace for exactly that purpose!
I think a little black dress is the perfect thing for desk-to-date. Wear it with a blazer, a chunky necklace and demure heels or flats at work for a sophisticated office look. Then all you have to do is slip on some high-heeled booties and a little bling at night to take you through the evening.
As far as beauty – you can’t go wrong with simple makeup at the office. Just a little mascara and a pale pink lip gloss ought to do it! Even if you only have a few minutes after work you can add a little dark eye shadow, a tad more blush and a brighter lip, and you’re done.
The fashion item I splurge on…
I only ever splurge on things I know I will wear for years. There’s nothing worse than investing in something that will go out of style in no time. I think really well-made classic shoes are my biggest weakness (Christian Louboutin is my kryptonite!) and also sturdy leather handbags. Also, fine jewellery is the kind of thing you will wear forever and even hand down to your children.
The fashion item I save on…
I love to find inexpensive items to satisfy my trend-craves. Saving on items like the perfect peplum dress or a black fringe jacket is probably a good idea, because how often am I really going to wear it?
The beauty item I splurge on…
I splurge on foundation and concealer. I think your bases need to be great quality because, if they’re not, it’s all downhill from there. Once you’ve got your face down, you can experiment with different trends to your heart’s desire! Laura Mercier makes amazing foundations and M.A.C.’s Studio Finish Concealer is incredible.
The beauty item I scrimp on…
Mascara! Some of my favorites are from the drug store and they’re just as good, if not better, than the high-end ones. Maybelline makes amazing ones.
My passion in life (other than fashion) is cooking…
I don’t really have a specialty, although I do make fresh pasta weekly. Cooking is my passion so I am always trying out new things in the kitchen. Right now I am very focused on holiday recipes, to get my articles ready for Christmas!
The best beauty advice my Mum passed on to me…
As for beauty, I think the most important have been to wear sunscreen (every day, without fail, don’t you dare leave the house without it!), to blend your foundation (there’s nothing worse than a brown face and a white neck), and lip gloss, lip gloss, lip gloss (I’ve literally never seen her without it!).
My thoughts on Australia…
We’ve never been to Australia and we are desperate to come! We are hoping to make it there one day. We just got distribution for our family’s signature sangria, LVP Sangria, which is very exciting. We think everyone is going to love it and we want to come and do an Australian launch. Don’t worry, we will keep you updated!
