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

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Two Lip Products That You Need in Your Life

March 1, 2025
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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06.22.2011
Summer Beach Reads

I’m usually anti-chick lit but for some reason, this summer has produced a few novels that I actually do want to read.  And that means a lot coming from someone who constantly starts books (six books, currently) and then gets a bout of ADHD and starts a new one.  Here’s my current list:

The Hunger Games: I was supposed to have already finished books one and two for my book club…but that hasn’t happened yet.  Part of me wants to resist this series since people are calling it “the next Twilight” but several smart people that I know are saying that it’s actually good.  Thoughts?

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me: I already finished this book.  Truth. I adore, no, I LOVE Chelsea Handler.  I wasn’t sure how much I would love a book that she didn’t actually write but since it was about her, it was just as funny as her other books.

Summer And The CIty: I absolutely hated (seriously, HATED) the first Carrie Diaries.  I didn’t even finish it, it was so awful.  Apparently Carrie finally meets the other three main characters in this novel so I decided to give Candice Bushnell one more try. 

Bossypants: Who doesn’t love Tina Fey?  Enough said.

06.21.2011
TouchBack, To Cover My Grey “Patch”

You know what sucks about the quarter life crisis?  The part where you realize that you’re getting older.  Yup.  The first thing I’ve really noticed (besides the fact that it’s now harder to lose weight) is this tiny patch of grey hair right above my forehead.  Fun times, no?  I was recently at a family function and my cousins and I were all talking about how we all apparently HAVE this weird grey patch (those of us in our late 20s, at least).  How weird is that?  Well, I filled them in on my little trick: the TouchBack.  It’s so simple yet so genius.  Basically, as someone who frequently highlights her hair blonde, I’ve noticed that the greys have this annoying tendency to grow in faster and thicker than my brown roots, making it nearly impossible to keep up with.  I used to pluck them (shhh, don’t tell anyone that) but after trying the TouchBack, I no longer have to risk the old wives’ tale about the hair growing back two fold.

The TouchBack isn’t permanant but instead is really just color that lasts until the next time that you wash your hair…but ladies, it really blends perfectly (I use “Golden Blonde”) and covers my weird grey patch better than anything else that I’ve tried.  I’ve converted quite a few people dealing with “the patch,” as I like to call it.

06.21.2011
Hair Extensions Update: The Finale

Nadine, Jamie C., Sydne, me at a friend’s surprise birthday BBQ

It was time. I laughed, I cried, I get my Hair Dreams hair extensions taken out.  You might remember my last update back in March, where I got “touched up” a bit and was told that I could keep my extensions in for another two(ish) months…I was elated.  Well it came to a point where they were way grown out and sadly, it was that time.  I never thought that I would’ve grown so attached to someone else’s hair but ladies, I did.  I can’t reccomend them enough and a big part of that was also my experience at The Doves Studio, who was amazing at matching the exact shade of blonde that I wanted, helping me with my questions and just having overall amazing customer service.  (Make sure to ask for Chris Rosario!)

But I digress, it was time for them to come out and yeah, I was definitely nervous about how my natural hair was gonna look after five months of having the extensions in.  The result?  Well it was certainly a shock to see how my natural hair didn’t look or feel the way it had with the extensions IN…but overall, my natural hair stayed extremely healthy with almost no breakage!  I immediately needed my highlights touched up and The Doves Studio was nice enough to give me a slightly darker blonde shade for summer (in the above photo).  I thought it might be fun to go slightly darker during the summer months and my colorist actually lightened my entire base color before putting the highlights in, making maintenance a bit easier.  What do you guys think?

06.20.2011
The Monday Rundown

Last week I debuted “The Monday Rundown” with my latest dress obsession and a birthday cake in a jar among other delights.  This week I’ve put together a list that I think just might top the last.

Rebecca Minkoff Foxy Cut-Out shoes: These immediately caught my eye, for obvious reasons.  The photo actually doesn’t even do them justice because you can’t really see that the wedge is actually cut out.  LOVE. 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream: If you read the new issue of Lucky magazine, then you saw my girl Maura’s rave review of this stuff.  She’s not lying.  As I’ve said a million times, I’m so not a lipstick person…but this Lip Cream truly is an amazing hybrid between gloss and ‘stick.

Pier 1 Blue Terracotta Frame: I’ve always been a sucker for a gorgeous picture frame.  I really love the color of this one and the unique design makes it a great birthday or hostess gift for a friend.

Flowerpot Cakes: Like I mentioned in the last Monday Rundown, I have a weird obsession lately with unique cakes.  This one is awesome because it actually looks like a flowerpot and would probably fool most people.  Oh Martha, you’ve done it again.

 

06.16.2011
Degree Get Into the Move- move your body and win amazing prizes!

My obsession with Degree deodorant is no secret.  I just got home from an exhilarating Zumba session with my fellow LA-based beauty and fitness bloggers and omg, I feel amazing.  I’ve never zumba’d(?) before and I have to admit, it’s actually way more fun than I thought it would be.  What’s the connection between deodorant and Zumba?  Well, let me tell you.  Degree just launched an initiative called Get Into the Move, in honor of their MotionSENSE line.

What’s cool about it is that it’s basically a free (and fun) way to stay active and actually win fun stuff!  You can earn points for the below:

  • Checking in daily
  • Exercise- including walking your dog, swimming, gardening, yoga, etc.
  • Sharing the info with your friends on Facebook
  • Answering trivia questions on fitness and health
  • Finding codes at partner outlets like 24 Hour Fitness

 

Like I said, you can win prizes for playing the instant win games- prizes like iTunes and Zappos gift cards!  Make sure to also enter the weekly drawing for prizes like girls’ night out , designer shoes, and the BIG grand prize (which, I’m OBSESSED with) – a surf trip to HAWAII, a yoga retreat in Costa Rica or skiing in the Alps! HELLO.

As an added bonus, if you’re one of those do-gooders (which, clearly, I’m not) you can even donate your earned points to two different charities- Girls in the Game or The Challenged Athlete Foundation.

You have until August 23 to “get moving.”  OH and here’s how you can start and earn EASY, EASY points – use code GetMoving052 to start, courtesy of Queen of the Quarter Life Crisis 🙂

 

06.16.2011
Ideal Woman Collection by Allie Pohl

When my friend Katie tells me that I need to meet someone, I listen.  Allie Pohl, a very talented artist and jewelry designer, just moved to LA from Denver and we planned a little girl date at Shutters by the beach in Santa Monica so we could discuss LA and her collection, Ideal Woman, over cocktails.

Now, I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of “art” Allie was into exactly, since when I asked Katie about it she said “she designs vaginas,” in true Katie fashion.  Allie filled me in on the actual story, vaginas included.  Allie created a series of sculptures using Barbie and Chia Pets to explore the cultural trend of women not wanting any body hair, which is what led to her Ideal Woman collection.  “I was captivated by the shape of the midsection and started to explore different ways to appropriate the shape,” she told ELLE.com.  “Creating a jewelry line was a way to bring my mesage into pop culture and simultaneously be a part of pop culture.”

Personally, I’m obsessed with the mirror version and what’s really cool about these necklaces is that most people would never guess what it actually is, until you explain it and they go “OMG, that’s awesome,” which is what I get every time I wear mine.  As a bonus, Allie is an all-around awesome girl and I’m sure we’ll be enjoying many more beach cocktails together.

06.15.2011
The FDA (Finally) Cracks Down on SPF Rules!

It’s hard to believe that until now, the FDA’s rules were so utterly and completely lack luster.  I consider myself a connoisseur of sunscreen; friends, family and sometimes strangers ask me questions on a regular basis and I try not to go on a long 20 minute rant about how no, they should not use tanning oil with SPF 8 as their daily sun protection and no, they should not use the bottle of Hawaiian Tropic they’ve been using since 1998.

After 33 years with no major sunscreen label changes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally decided to set some rules – waaay behind Europe, I might add.  2012 is going to be a big, HUGE year for SPF awareness!  Here are the main changes:

  • Broad Spectrum: Only sunscreens that pass a test proving they shield from both UVA and UVB bays can be called broad spectrum.
  • SPF Ratings: Only those sunscreens with an SPF rating of 15 or higher can claim protection against wrinkles, skin cancer and sun damage and they must include the following: “Skin Cancer/Skin Aging Alert: Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early aging.  This product has been shown to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early aging.”
  • Is it waterproof? Manufacturers can no longer use the terms “sunblock,” “waterproof,” or “sweatproof.”   Water-resistant WILL be allowed, as long as the label clarifies whether it will last for 40 or 80 minutes.
  • How long does it last? Sunscreens can no longer make claims that they provide immediate protection OR provide protection for more than two hours without reapplication, unless approved by the FDA.
  • How much is too much SPF? Due to lack of evidence that SPFs over 50 provide extra protection, the FDA also plans on banning sunscreens with an over 50 SPF label.
  • And how does that SPF come? Unique SPF products such as wipes, towelettes, powders, etc. can no longer be marketed without special approval.  As for sprays (one of my personal faves!), the FDA will require manufacturers to submit data on their effectiveness and whether or not they pose safety concerns due to inhalation.
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