Ah spring … new energy and welcome rejuvenation. In this Beauty Beat, I present some cutting-edge clothing brands with dynamic messages, indie jewelry to show your originality and energy-balancing technology that will help you get through the changes of the season!



T-Shirts with a Deeper Meaning

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress, especially when it comes to music tees. If you see someone wearing a Slayer shirt you think: heavy metal. A Morrissey shirt: a music connoisseur. But have you seen any that pay tribute to genres like jazz, the blues and soul? Friend or Foe has developed a line that embodies the heart of these genres with high graphic, limited-edition prints.

Created by a former creative director at Mossimo, Friend or Foe’s collection pays tribute to the music greats like Thelonius Monk, John Lee Hooker, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis and more. They strive to keep the culture that laid the foundation for modern music alive, all in a perfectly fashionable way. The unisex tees are made with high quality cotton with a unique texture that feels soft and lived in, but entirely high end at the same time. Each season Friend or Foe releases a new collection, so get them while you can, as most of the T-shirts are only produced once. ($45; yourfriendorfoe.com)

Love Gone Apparel, a line created by 11-year-old (yes, 11!) Megan Kent has been attracting some well-deserved attention from the urban fashion world. Kent’s line was inspired by the demise of her parents’ marriage. Instead of acting out in a negative fashion as many children of divorce tend to do, she honed her energy into fashion.

“I’ve always wanted to be a fashion designer, and I’m really excited that my first line has been received so warmly,” gushes the tiny spitfire at a recent celebrity-gifting suite.

The artful tees feature the Love Gone logo in pinks, grays and blacks in stenciled form. Rock star chic at an affordable price! ($35; lovegoneapparel.com)



Expensive Jewelry on a Student Budget

We can never have too much jewelry, especially when it’s bright, sparkly and affordable. Lisa Freede’s unique line marries the idea of “everyday” pieces like earrings to a night-on-the-town crystal necklace. The eclectic pieces have a little bit of everything from couture to urban glam and have been worn by the likes of Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine), Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. The Double Chain ring fits with a band over the top of your finger and one at the bottom, attached to a gold or silver plated chain. Most of the jewelry is under $100, meaning you can buy more than few pieces to mix and match. lisafreede.com



Healing for the Mind, Body and Soul

If looming finals have got you feeling stressed out, take a moment to tap into HappyApps, the new light therapy application designed to provide therapeutic treatment through your iPhone. Light therapy has long been praised for combating depression. Choose from options including the Happy Health Regiment, the Color Therapist or the Help Yourself to ease tension and calm your spirit. The portable light therapy is designed to tap into your Chakra points with soothing sound effects or mood changing color and light sessions. ($2.99; thehappyapps.com)

Tap further into your inner psyche by balancing the ion charges in your body. Your energy field, reflexology practitioner and developer Patrick Matthews explains, constantly react with other fields and waveforms that can have a negative effect on the body. EQ’s holographic technology has eight built-in frequencies that help negate these and balance your body. Athletes have been using these for improved performance and preventing fatigue. These are great to wear year-round for your daily activities. EQ are water resistant and come in a variety of colors and sizes. New to the line, the White Collection, a limited edition bracelet that has already been worn by the likes of surfers Jack Freestone and Dean Brady, AFL player Kurt Tippett and superbike racer Steve Carmichael. eqlove.com