Los Angeles

There is nothing I like more than getting pampered.  If I was a millionaire, I’d be one of those people with a standing appointment at the most luxurious spa around on a monthly (oh, who are we kidding, weekly) basis.  But let’s face it, even if most of us did have a bank account that ended with a long string of zeros, finding the time to get yourself to a spa to enjoy a service isn’t always easy.  There’s the drive to get there, the time spent changing in the locker room, waiting in line to pay, etc…  (Not to mention the fact that in L.A., the second you get back on the road and find yourself in bumper to bumper traffic, any relaxing effects from your treatment are instantly wiped away).  So when I heard about Yada Yada Yoga, a company that offers a mobile approach to both fitness and relaxation services, I jumped at the chance to have an experienced technician come to my home and pamper me. (more…)

I’m excited for Sunday, and here’s why!: The second annual Makeup Show kicks off in downtown L.A., rounding up some of the best makeup brands and artists in one place. The show runs from Sunday through Monday at the California Market Center –  definitely a must for network-hungry budding makeup artists and the makeup-obsessed. Expect to find big names in the makeup world like Ve Neill, Joanna Schlip, Eve Pearl, Jon Hennessey, Myles O’Reilly, Ronnie Specter, Orlando Santiago — collectively responsible for the faces of Audrey Hepburn, Eva Longoria, Alicia Keys and Sarah Jessica Parker, the list goes on! — there to share their skills. (Tips, tips, tips!)

I’m especially excited to check out the latest product demos, pro makeup tips, beauty how-tos, hands-on workshops and more from brands like Make Up For Ever, MAC, Temptu,  Stila, Smashbox Cosmetics, Korres, Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics and Face Atelier. Will keep you posted on what little delights I find.

If you’re in town, check out the lineup and get tickets at www.themakeupshow.com. (Or hit up The Makeup Show in NYC in May.) See you there!

Over the weekend, yours truly had the fortune of visiting Make Up For Ever’s station at the 2010 Grammy Style Studio in Hollywood, where Kesha, Adam Lambert, Keri Hilson and Colbie Caillat all stopped by for a little celebrity pampering (see below). Make Up For Ever makeup artist and regional educator David Hernandez went to town on my bare face, going for a bold red lip with a bright poppy orange center (created with Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner Pencils,$17 each). To compliment them, he did a clean eye with black Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes waterproof liner (also $17) on the bottom rim only. The finishing touch: false lashes, specifically Make Up For Ever Strip Lashes #14 ($15/pair), which were long and glamorous yet not too feathery or Cirque du Soleil-ish. (Tip: Snip off the outer edges for a wide-eyed look, and to save the “tips” for later use!)  I happily fluttered these babies all day long.

In other news, Make Up For Ever was busy promoting their bang-up makeup jobs on Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and the rest of “The Runaways” cast. Unbelievably gorgeous colors transformed both famous faces to the point where I could barely recognize them! Check out the trailer for a quick preview.

Photos above courtesy of Jana Williams and Make Up For Ever.

It’s awards season, and with the Grammys and the Oscars around the corner, you know what that means — skin treatment specials galore!

Now I must confess, I love spas but I’m not a plastic surgery & medi-spa guru … at least not through firsthand experience. I’m still trying to stomach the idea of injecting a filler into my slowly hollowing face. Thankfully, I’ve been able to live vicariously through others by tagging along on their Botox visits, post-surgery checkups and laser treatments. And after visiting beautiful medi-spas all over L.A., I can tell you — if this magical courage were to come — where I would go: Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, Inc., featuring the talented and very personable Dr. Gabriel Chiu.

(more…)

Multi-tasking has seemingly become a part of everyday life. While I’m exercising, I’m also listening to my iPod. When I’m “watching TV”, I’m also on my computer. Even while I’m “doing work”, I often streaming Pandora… and have my TV on at the same time! In all seriousness, trying to juggle grad school, an internship, freelance jobs, and my social life can get quite hectic, and I’ve learned that impeccably planning my schedule and maximizing my time is KEY to checking off my to-do list. Many women struggle with balancing their personal and professional lives, but leave it to leave it to Suzanne Cats, founder of (the country’s first eye, lash, and brow beauty spa), to solve our beauty problems and create LuxLash BeautyLab, the destination for multi-tasked beauty services!

Between manicures, pedicures, hair care, spray tanning, and eyelash and brow care, us women spend a lot of time taking care of ourselves. LuxLash BeautyLab can help you with that, by taking beauty treatments that would normally take eight hours to complete and condensing them into three. Your foils set while your manicure, pedicure, and eyelash extensions are being applied. Additional services include body glow treatments, custom facials, and hand massages. (more…)

I’m always on the lookout for a good salon in Los Angeles, so when I heard about The Parlour on 3rd, I was really excited to try it out.  It had been way, way (WAY!) too long since I’d had a good cut and color and my hair definitely looked it.  When I found myself actually starting to frown at it in the mirror, I couldn’t make it down to the salon fast enough.

When I first walked in, I immediately felt relaxed and at ease.  The space is bright and inviting, with big comfy chairs to wait in and a super friendly staff.  I wasn’t even there three minutes before they were handing me magazines to read and getting me a big cup of delicious coffee (both immediate ways to make me happy).  A few minutes later, when my stylist Leeya Alvandi came out to get me, I was almost sorry to get up!

Before we started doing anything to my hair, Leeya and I talked about how I wanted it to look for awhile, which I always find to be a sign of a really good stylist.  (more…)

Who: Stylists Matthew Preece and Kristoff Ball

What: Preece & Toff Salon at Fred Segal

Where: 420 Broadway in Santa Monica

When: Monday-Sunday

Why: Located in breezy Santa Monica in the former Fred Segal Beauty space, Preece & Toff is a full service salon and spa. When you walk into their beautiful open loft-inspired space, your immediate thought will be that it is a modern zen retreat meet rock n’roll. (more…)

Getting manicures and pedicures is sort of a necessity for me because for some reason, I’m so uncoordinated that when I attempt to do my own, it looks like I let a 4 year-old paint them.  I’ve gotten a lot better at doing my nails over the years, but I still won’t even try to do my toes.  It’s just not worth the amount of nail polish remover I have to use every time I’m forced to start all over again.  There’s a cute, little family-owned salon near my place that does a decent job at a  reasonable price, but because it’s so cheap, there’s no pampering at all.  It’s strictly all business.  Lately, I’ve been craving a more luxurious experience, so when the opportunity came to head over to one of my favorites spas, Kinara, for a mani/pedi, I jumped at the chance. (more…)

Who: Hotelier and Kor Hotel Group President Nicholas Clayton, General Manager Marie-Helene Morowati

What: Bastille Day Celebration at Maison 140 Beverly Hills

When: July 14, 2009, 6-11 p.m.

Where: 140 S. Lasky Dr., Beverly Hills

Why: Because French wine and cheese is your favorite food group.

Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you I am a “oui” bit obsessed with all things French. (That’s what too many fashion magazines and a tiny crush on Carine Roitfeld will get you.) Am I alone? Mais non, and the chic Maison 140 Beverly Hills knows it. If you’re excited to relive the celebration of a nation’s independence, or you just want to show off those new Louboutins, you now have another excuse to party in July: Maison 140’s Bastille Day Celebration on July 14. (more…)

Just got back from a paparazzi-filled Reebok celebration to debut the new Reebok EasyTone shoe for women and lo and behold, look who was the DJ! Samantha Ronson spun tunes by Keri Hilson, Black Eyed Peas and more into the night as Reebok lit up 9152 Janice Place, a $10 million architectural masterpiece in Beverly Hills, with their pink logo and EasyTone shoe displays.

Roaming the property were TV darlings Audrina Patridge, Stacy Keibler, Karina Smirnoff and ANTM winner CariDee English as well as the very cute Vanessa Minnillo and High School Musical star KayCee Stroh. I also ran into the very funny actress Regina King and the apparently 14 weeks pregnant (though I couldn’t tell – see?) Kendra Wilkinson, left, both decked out in EasyTones. And it’s a good thing I got to there early to spot the Kardashians, including perfect-butt poster girl Kim (who looks just as beautiful in person as she does in photos). She was literally dashing out the front door 10 minutes after the event started with a coveted pair of the shoes … speaking of which: (more…)