My essentials for Gemma’s 15th birthday (and her cancer treatment)


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My essentials for Gemma’s 15th birthday (and her cancer treatment)

4 (super easy!) things you can do to help the planet


Because we all need to help save our planet, and these are four easy (and also fun) ways to do
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4 (super easy!) things you can do to help the planet

Two Lip Products That You Need in Your Life


You guys know I’m picky about lip gloss, but I recently tried two new (to me) products and had to
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Two Lip Products That You Need in Your Life

5 Souvenirs Actually Worth Bringing Back From Ireland


Because I know you want to shop (but not for touristy junk)... (more…)
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5 Souvenirs Actually Worth Bringing Back From Ireland

03.21.2012
Charlize Theron’s chic low pony (for fine hair!)

I get so jealous when I see pics like THIS…and oh sure, they obviously use extensions, but even with extensions, my hair will never look like that and it infuriates me.  I’ve pretty much got down the fine-hair girl hairstyle  down (e.g. loose waves or curls with lots of volume on top!) but when I saw this photo of Charlize Theron, I thought there might be some hope that I could pull off a chic low pony.

It’s pretty easy to do, just make sure you curl your hair BEFORE you pull it back, unless you want to look like you’re about to enter a pagaent.

My favorite go-to curling products for fine hair:

Frederic Fekkai Coiff Defense Pre-Style Thermal/UV Protectant: It’s important to prep and protect your hair from all of the heat tools that we (I, mainly) use on my hair.  I put a little of this in my damp hair and comb it through before blowdrying.

Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion: I’ve been using this stuff for years. YEARS, guys.  You just need a tiny amount of the powder (about a quarter size), rub between the palms of your hands, flip your head over and kind of shake it into your scalp. It’s sticky so it won’t fall out (being that your head is flipped over) and it gives a-mazing volume that actually stays.

Hot Tools 1 Inch Curling Iron: It’s funny cause I distinctly remember my first flat iron being Hot Tools brand…and it kinda sucked.  But any stylist will tell you that this is the BEST curling iron and, as a bonus, it’s pretty inexpensive.

Goody Ouchless Mini Elastics in Clear: These won’t work for someone who has thick hair so, lucky for us, they’re perfect for this fine hair pony exclusive.  They’re great cause they’re clear and can easily be hidden with a single strand of hair wrapped around it.

 

03.20.2012
Three Questions With Cherry Petenbrink, On-set Hairstylist for “The Hunger Games”

If you’ve read The Hunger Games, then you know exactly how vivid the hair styles and colors are that are described in the book.  Taking that into account, Lions Gate Entertainment turned to Joico stylists Linda Flowers and Cherry Petenbrink to re-create the hair color concept for the entire film.  Flowers and Petenbrink devised an artistic interpretation for the unique, futuristic setting of the film, while staying true to the expectations of the legions of fans eager to see the movie.

Q: What was your biggest “hair color hallenge” during the filming of The Hunger Games?

A: The biggest hair color challenge was rinsing.  Most of the color was prepped prior to filming Capitol scenes, but there were occasions when the sinks in the ladies (bath) room had to be used.  Also formulating and achieving a huge variety of different shades and hues to keep all of Capitol color interesting.

Q: Besides the actual novel, what was your biggest inspiration when cboosing hair colors and styles?

A: Lucky for me, I’ve been creating amazing trend-driven hair color for trade shows, runway and editorial images through my affiliation with Joico for years.  I was able to utilize this knowledge and experience for inspiration.

Q: Did any of the stars give you creative input?  If so, who and what? Which Joico products did you use on them?

A: Honestly, the direction was given by our department head, Linda Flowers, and could only be achieved with Joico Vero K-Pak Color Intensity. I also relieve on Vero K-Pak Chrome to achieve the beautiful brunette (shade) seen on Jennifer Lawrence.  It’s demi-permanent so it can be refreshed with a more dilted formula…there are also reconstructive properties in the K-Pak color, so hair remains strong, healthy and shiny.

 

 

 

03.18.2012
Cocktail Alert: The Ferguson

Fergie sipping on “The Ferguson” by Voli Light Vodka at the Don A Matrix Launch at Confidential Beverly Hils

I didn’t end up celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year since I was honestly exhausted after my Woodstock-themed birthday party with Sydne (more on that later) but that didn’t stop me from making this amazing cocktail in celebration.  And, as a bonus, it’s only 118 calories!

The Ferguson

  • 1.5 oz. Voli lemon vodka
  • 3/4 oz. apple pucker
  • 2 fresh lemon squeezes
  • Top with soda and add apple slices for garnish

03.14.2012
Drybar opens in Manhattan Beach!

You know how much I adore Drybar (hello like a million posts here) and now they’re opening yet another California location – Manhattan Beach!  I’m so not a West sider (the WeHo location is my home spot) but the new location, opening March 16th, is definitely a good thing for you beach dwellers.

Even more fun news (so Quarter Life Crisis):

If you’re a USC or UCLA alumni, you can get a FREE blow out on the designated days below.  Just call 1.877.379.2279 and mention that you’re an alum and they’ll hook you up.  You’re welcome.

USC alums – March 26th, 4-7 PM

UCLA alums- March 27th, 4-7 PM

 

 

03.13.2012
Cocktail Alert: Belvedere Vodka Cookies n’ Cream Milkshake

Cookies n’ cream is hands down my absolute favorite ice cream and since Belvedere is one of my favorite vodkas, I honestly can’t think of anything better than this recipe.

  • 1.5 oz. Belvedere vodka
  • 2 Oreo cookies
  • 0.5 oz. coffee liqueur
  • 1.5 oz. milk
  • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
  • Blend with a scoop of crushed ice and pour into a milkshake glass

 

YUM.

03.13.2012
29 on March 9th and amazing highlights by George Papanikolas!

I never thought that I’d ever say “29 is the new 22,” and especially not in a good way.  For the first time since I turned 22, I had a bit of a quarter life crisis freak out about getting older and yeah, you might consider it a bit of a meltdown.  Thankfully my BFF since 4th grade (and, ironically the friend that talked me off the ledge on my 22nd birthday), managed to calm me down with her words of wisdom.  Essentially, she reminded me that 29 is, in fact, not old and I have to learn to accept my life for what it is and not what I thought it would be as a teenager.

With that said, I am so insanely lucky to have found such amazing friends in Los Angeles…sometimes I honestly have to take a minute to soak it all in, which I did at my birthday sushi dinner last Friday night where sixteen of my closest friends celebrated my 29th birthday with me.  It felt good to be surrounded by all of the positive people in my LA life, and, I had brand new George Papanikolas highlights to boot!  As anyone knows, fresh highlights can really give your self esteem the super boost that it needs when you’re in the middle of a quarter(ish) life crisis and George knows exactly how to get the blonde that I covet (hello, he does Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicole Richie).

I can’t say enough about George (you might remember my post from last January) where I raved about George’s balayage skills and, of course, Joico– one of my favorite hair brands.  Right now I’m obsessed with the Joico Smooth Cure line and especially the Smooth Cure Thermal Styling Protectant.  The line reduces frizz by 79% (yeah, that’s a lot) and even though I don’t really worry too much about frizz/humid hair here in LA, I do worry about protecting my hair from heat styling tools, and the Thermal Protectant spray is a-mazing for that.

 

03.12.2012
The Monday Rundown

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies: The mint and chocolate combo has always been a fave, and with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, why not?

SHOUROUK E. Vegas Crystan and Sequin Earrings: I saw these on my girl Dina Fierro’s Pinterest and fell in love.  I love the combo of neon with metal.

Redken Powder Refresh 01: I’m a huggge dry shampoo advocate and being a big fan of the Redken line, I knew their dry shampoo wouldn’t dissapoint.

Cru Intl by Darbie Angell Monaco Gold Tumblers: I was shocked, literally shocked, when I discovered these amazing glasses came from Bed Bath & Beyond.  The gold dots are actually 24K gold and the only downside is that they’re hand wash only, obviously.