Archive for June, 2011

So, I invited my good friend Jen of Happy Healthy Belly to CoverGirl’s pre-MTV Movie Awards Beauty Bar at Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood this weekend. And as you can see by the photo-booth shots above, a great deal of fun was had by all!

Highlights of the day included: celeb sightings (a feather-haired Demi Lovato, Rumer Willis, Aubrey O’Day, Karina Smirnoff and Stephanie Pratt, to name a few), as well as purple sweets, purple cocktails made with Hpnotiq Harmonie, a massive amount of braid action (those stylists are braid EXPERTS, let me tell you), hair services by Wella, bold (mostly red) lip color applied by celeb makeup artists such as Amy Nadine, and mani-pedis galore! FakeBake was also on hand to get everyone summer ready with fake tans but I didn’t have the nerve (better to try the rinse-off bronzer they sent me home with instead).

I did get the chance to try out Mermaid Tears, the beautiful sea green in the latest OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection, above. Like it? Next up to try: Wella’s Brilliance hair care line for fine, color-treated hair, as well as CoverGirl’s new NatureLuxe Gloss Balm (Anemone 225 is gorgeous!). Very excited. Stay tuned!

Big Sur, California is one of the most amazing, awe inspiring places I’ve ever been to and a must visit for anyone traveling to San Francisco, Los Angeles or anywhere in between.  I’ve been meaning to visit ever since my best friend from college did the drive down Highway 1 years ago- so when I was in California earlier this year, I decided to plan my entire trip around the same route. At the advice of one of my friends, I decided to check out Ventana Inn & Spa, an iconic property located right above the waters of Big Sur.

In so many ways, I feel that Ventana Inn embodies the rugged, organic grandeur of the town in which it resides. There is a certain authenticity to the property- from the way the buildings coexists with nature, to the genuine love of the area that their employees have, to the local ingredients used not only in their dinner menu but also in their spa menu, to the overall ambiance of wellness and peace.  There is nothing engineered or over the top about this place- but rather a resort that is truly in line with their motto- the essence of Big Sur. (more…)

With the weather heating up, I definitely lean more towards gloss instead of lipstick.  It just seems like a better idea when the temps hit the nineties and my hair is sticking to my neck.  Every year I luck into finding great new glosses to rave about, and here are my picks for the summer of 2011:

Fusion Beauty’s LipFusion Infatuation is technically not a gloss – it’s a liquid lip color – but since it’s closer to a gloss than a lipstick, I’m making the executive decision to include it anyway.  My favorite thing about it is that it has great coverage.  The colors are all so vibrant and totally opaque – definitely a full coverage product.  It has a lip plumper in it, but it’s not a painful one – it just sort of tingles for awhile after you put it on, which I actually like.  It also has a zingy, fruity sort of scent – I can’t decide exactly how to describe it, but it’s definitely pleasant.  My favorite shade is Screen Siren.  It’s a bold cherry red that’s quickly become my go to red.  I’m so happy I tried it!  (more…)

What happens when you combine the diverse talents of a young jewelry designer and a style savvy blogger with a shared love of vintage jewelry? The result is a collection of costume jewelry inspired by days of yore filled with whimsy and romance – Life.Love.Jewels. Designer Jennifer of Jennifer Elizabeth and blogtress Malorie of Life.Love.Couture. instantly bonded over the same glamorous aesthetic and quickly conceptualized this limited edition collection, available exclusively at: jenniferelizabeth.com.

It is hard to choose, but if we had to pick our favorite it would have to be the Khloe ring in antique rose gold – a textured, modern interpretation of a vintage bow sprawling across your fingers for $95.

I’ve always been a big fan of Frederic Fekkai’s products, but for some reason, I hadn’t used a lot of them recently.  (There was a time when I was obsessed – and I mean, obsessed – with their Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo.  It smells insanely good and works really well on my hair).  Then I got the opportunity to try Fekkai’s Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner, so I jumped at the chance.

The great thing is, their products are every bit as good as I remember.  The Brilliant Glossing Duo also has a great scent to it – it’s light and fresh, the best kind of fragrance to smell in the morning when you’re trying to wake up.  The formula is also fantastic.  A little goes a long way, which is nice because Fekkai products are definitely a bit of a splurge (an 8 ounce bottle of the shampoo is $24).  I noticed results after only a few times using the products – my hair looks shiny and feels softer, but I also love the fact that with only a little product, it’s also tangle-free and doesn’t weigh my hair down.  Using them together just makes my hair look like the best version of itself, and isn’t that what great products are supposed to do?  Well worth the splurge!

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t seen any of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, which I know sounds crazy since they’ve all been huge hits, but in my defense, I have gone on the ride at DisneyWorld a bunch of times.  I am, however, totally into OPI’s new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection.  The collection consists of six new shades, plus a Silver Shatter top coat to go over them (or any other shade already in your collection).  Here’s what you’ll find in the set:  (more…)

Every time I’ve tried anything from Farmhouse Fresh, I’ve become totally obsessed with the product. Everything they make smells ridiculously good and works really well, so I always gets excited when they put out something else I can get my hands on.  My new obsession is their Honeysuckle Blood Orange Custard.  It’s the perfect moisturizer for the summer because it’s a light formula – it’s made up two parts – half of it is a whipped shea butter and half of it is a nourishing aloe gel with fruit cells in it, so it has an airy consistency to it.  It’s great for the hot weather because it’s not too heavy or greasy.  Like all their products, this one smells amazing.   (more…)