Huntington Beach & Newport Beach

Took a little day trip out to the beautiful OC, even overcast it's gorgeous!!

Pretty Spring Blooms

Watermelon

Ulta Professional Nail Lacquer - Tickle Me

I have been on a crusade to find the perfect "dirty mauve-violet" since I was thoroughly disappointed by MAC's A Rose Romance Love & Friendship Nail Lacquer.  

Just to elaborate, I had higher hopes for the MAC lacquer and I was sadly disappointed by what I saw in person.  I have to wonder just how many people would have purchased Love & Friendship had it been in a Wet & Wild bottle versus a MAC one?? [For the record, I love some of the W&W polishes].  I thought the color was bland and boring to say the least.  It did remind me of a powdery, faded, Victorian-era love color, though.

Cut to my trip to Ulta recently and I did a double take when I saw Tickle Me!  It's a completely different color than Love & Friendship, so I am not trying to find a dupe, but it placates my desire for finding a perfect violet for Summer or whatever season!  I am a happy girl!

I love the simple square packaging, reminds me of NARS.  Also, the square top gives me more control when I am applying product to my nails. 

$7, Ulta stores

Aura Cacia Peppermint + Lavender Essential Oil

+

Keeping cool and refreshed this Summer has just gotten a whole lot easier.  It all began in my treatment room when I was burning Aura Cacia Peppermint and Lavender essential oils that I felt just as relaxed and calm as my clients.  These are my very favorite essential oils so I decided to see how they worked together.  I love the stellar responses I get from clients and even people walking by smelling the fresh and clean aroma emanating from my treatment room!  

After, I thought, it would be perfect linen and body spray too.  So I bought an empty 8 oz. spray bottle filled it largely with distilled water and poured 10 drops of each oil into it, gently combined the mixture and spritzed away!  It's great for refreshing kitchen counters, bathroom, tired feet, all over body mist when it's scorching outside, fresh laundered linens, gym bag, possibilities are endless really.  I also love the Lime, Grapefruit, and plain old vanilla extract mixed with these, delish!

You can purchase these at just about any health food store, perhaps even Whole Foods or online, the small bottles are roughly anywhere from $7-$9 and large bottles are about $20-$23.  Aura Cacia merits its price tag because the quality so far is unparalleled. 

Flora by Gucci

Summer is a beautiful time to make beautiful memories.  It's sheer joy reminiscing back to sunny times in my life via a fragrance I wore during such times.  Just as I have a set Summer wardrobe, hair care products, makeup palette, and so on, I also have a Summer fragrance section of my vanity to delight in. 

Gucci never fails to impress me, so I can't wait to try Flora by Gucci.  Citrus notes, peony, rose, osmanthus flower, pink pepper and sandalwood.  I imagine it's divine.  Love the black bow detail, gives it an elegant and charming flare.  It inspires me to wear lots of black and white, pearls, oversized hats, minimal, yet chunky jewelry, ooooh, ultimate sophistication!

Agent Provocateur perfume

This is a "scent-ually" challenging fragrance.  An acquired taste if ever there was any.  Don't let the sweet pink, yet gorgeous, packaging fool you, this is as rich, deep, seductive and sexy as it gets!  Very 40's bombshell in Paris.  Spicy notes of Indian saffran, Russian coriander, Egyptian jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, magnolia, Haitian vetiver, amber & musk, embody this bold fragrance that evokes a sophisticated air.  It's ideal for cooler or even cold weather, it's peculiarly intoxicating in the heat.  

I bought this about 2 years ago at the Caesars shops in Las Vegas, from the Agent Provocateur boutique.  I adore it, but I must admit that I feel as though I am a little girl playing with my mom's perfume.  

Milani Eyeshadow in #06 Royalty

No flash
With flash

At initial glance, these Milani eyeshadows are very striking and alluring.  I envisioned layers upon layers of reflective glitter that would classify them in the evening wear category.  The glitter is a facade, revealing a softer finish with finer flecks of glitter underneath.  I wish I could be disappointed, but I can't.  The iridescent lilac color is still amazing and if applied wet, it's even more profound.  

I quite like the clear bubble top packaging, kind of over-the-top, but attractive.  The empty space below the color pan is for the sponge-tip applicator it supplies you with, but I quickly toss those, I would never use them.  

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Lip Conditioner

I really like this lip treatment, working on my 2nd tube.  Definitely softens and moisturizes lips.  The colors are really sheer, this is Soft Petal, has a slight shimmer that is even more subtle when applied.  The applicator tip is a flexible rubber material, kind of helps glide along lip contours.  The smell is kind of a muted "typical gloss" smell/taste.  Twisting the silver piece releases product, has arrows indicating which direction to turn.  Turn with care, as product is stubborn initially, then over expels.  You will use every last drop, as it has a round disc that pushes down and thoroughly cleans the walls of the tube!

Yippy!  These were 50% off at CVS.  They are regularly somewhere in the $9.50 range. 

Pink Fish & Fashion Scoop

Two of my absolute favorite MAC lip products, top is Fashion Scoop Cremesheen from the Creme Team collection.  So smooth and sheer and smells great!  And of course, Pink Fish from the Hello Kitty collection, what an amazing balm, very glossy, beautiful pink shade + SPF!  I also love the packaging. 

My only complaints are, they run out way too fast (Cremesheens), and they were limited edition.  I hope they relaunch them, b/c they did really well and people really loved them.  

(A sales girl at a MAC counter once told me that they only have collections for limited time due to the fact that they can't recreate the colors again, they don't have the right formulas to keep recreating those same shades!  WHAT?  That's strange, in the UK, they are permanent, so I had to laugh at that.)  Lavender Whip lipstick for example, limited edition in the US, permanent in the UK.  

Essence of Beauty Lip Frosting

I've had these for a month now, just thought I would mention how much I like them.  What initially drew me to them was the obviously attractive pictures depicting the flavor.  My instincts were right, they smell and taste fabulous.  I didn't really like the Vanilla Cupcake at first, had an essence of almond in it, which doesn't appeal to me, but it grew on me.  I know most people love it.  (I love almonds, just not almond essence.)  Your lips are so soft and moisturized, no stickiness and the colors are sheer with a slight shimmer in them.  I tried to photograph the swatches, but they both were so pale, it wouldn't have done them justice. Vanilla Cupcake is a pale yellow, Strawberry Cheesecake is a pale pink.  (Also perfect over a lipstick that doesn't smell too great.)

Bare Minerals Body Glimmer

Whenever I want to sparkle for an evening out, this is the best product to achieve the look.  I apply it with a big fluffy brush to my arms, legs, decollete, back.  I feel like you can never shine enough. :)  For my legs, however, I mix it with a tanning moisturizer for the ultimate glow, but not an overdone look that looks fake!

Totes!

Gotta love CVS for their awesome sales!  I saw this cute tote bag during a routine trip to a CVS in North Hollywood.  When I saw the surprising $4.99 price tag I was thrilled to have found such a steal.  I love tote bags, they house everything and nothing that I need to carry around everywhere.  The problem is they take such a beating, so the cheaper the better, in my opinion. It also came with a matching makeup case (I can never have enough makeup cases!) and an apple spray and lotion, but I am not going to use that stuff.  (I love the tuft detail and glossiness!)

You-Gurt Style Nail Lacquer Sally Hansen

This week, my manicure color of choice is You-Gurt Style Nail Lacquer by Sally Hansen. It's a pretty French pink with a touch of peach.  Lovely shine, but a tad streaky, I had to fill in spots by dotting the brush in the respective places.  

Summer!

Sherbet degrade babydoll tank, so cute paired with jeans/pumps, capris/wedges, or shorts/flip flops!
This was taken with a flash and looks faded, but the bikini top is a neon orange!  I love it paired with aqua velour pants!