Mally Must Have

I really should block any sort of shopping channel from my TV. I have no will power whatsoever! The adorable Mally was on QVC the other night & I was so intrigued by the brush in this Eyelift shadow kit- I had to order it.

I really have never seen anything like it. At one end is a hard ball with a velour type fabric over it, the other side is a standard blender. You load the contour/darker shadow on the ball & it's shape allows it to fit perfectly into the contours of the crease of your eye. You then blend it out with the fluffy side of the brush dipped in the lighter shade. For people who struggle with placement when contouring eyes- this really is an ingenious little tool! I ordered the taupe kit & the shadows are great neutrals that I would use even without the brush. I will post close-ups of it when I get a new camera. Speaking of, I dropped mine today & it does not look like it will make it. Which means I need to get a new one tomorrow before I head up to NYC this weekend. I would appreciate suggestions as to your favorites with make & model STAT!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Files from the Brow Whisperer

We have a lot of clients who are mothers of small children. They often ask us to pare down their skincare & make-up routines simply due to lack of time- they want simple & effective. What always stays in the regimen? But brow waxing, of course!
Don't over estimate the power of being groomed. It makes you look pulled together & refreshed. A quick 10 minute appointment has you set for almost a month, even if you can't catch your breath for the other 30 days of the month!
Peace. love. Brow Whisperer. M

St.Michaels.Calm

Heaven. That's what's St. Michaels is to me. Quiet. Delicious.

Popping in to see the adorable Regina of Take Me Home boutique.

Catching up with the always entertaining spitfire Helen, who owns The Scented Garden.

Being still. Simple pleasures, like feeding the ducks across from our hotel.

Having a brief summer thunderstorm bring respite from the 100% temperatures.

Squeezing in some pampering before heading home. Oh yes, I snapped a quick pic of the treatment room & be forewarned girleens that if ever in your bathroom I will snoop at your beauty essentials, too! We all need to take more time for ourselves- yes?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

St. Michaels.Calm

Happy

Happy Monday girleens! Or at least it is for me:) I'm in my beloved St. Michaels for the night with a dear friend for a little R & R. I'll be back tomorrow & let you know where the best stores were, I'm even treating MYSELF to a facial! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Best of Baltimore

I have literally been all cloud 9 most of this week beauties! Why, you ask? The spa received the fabulous honor of being named Best Day Spa in the Best of Baltimore issue of Baltimore Magazine!
Smack in the middle of the page with a picture - that's right! This write up is huge for any business, but as a small business -I focus on a lot of social media, and not on a lot of big ticket ads. I've always built my business by word of mouth. The annual Best of Baltimore issue is one that most locals pick up- so I seriously can't put into words what this means in terms of exposure for us.

But at the heart of it, it's a big pat on the back in terms of validation to my small but mighty beauty team at La Papillon. I'm so proud of my spa & gift boutique-my baby, 5 years strong & all of the work that the amazing women I work with have put into it. We hope to see you soon!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Nordstrom Gifts with Purchase

My beauties know, I am powerless to resist a good gift with purchase(& sometimes not even so good!) I don't know what comes over me, but I must have them. I love it when companies come up with a tricky dollar amount to hit, so I end up with 2 products I didn't really need & a gift full of stuff I won't really use. Luckily for the recent Nordstrom GWPs - I was pleasantly surprised! This Lancome gift has some great basics- who doesn't need eye make-up remover, as well as make-up in soft universal shades. I'm super picky about mascara, so I'll throw that in my kit.
This Estee Lauder gift with purchase is one of the best I've seen in a while. A nice sheer gloss & soft pink lipstick are perfect for summer time. The blush & highlighter trio is super wearable & great to help your skin achieve that summer glow. The trio can also easily double as eyeshadows. The cleanser is the perfect weekend getaway size, too!

All of those goodies came in this adorable bag, too when you spent just $29! I really don't use the Estee Lauder brand very much, so it was a smart move to put together such a great gift to attract potential new customers. The fabric of the bag is almost identical to Trish McEvoy's kits that start at $85. This is a fabulous find, so I'd scoop it up if you still can!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Nordstrom Beauty Haull

So I guess I know myself pretty well, since I picked up exactly what I said I would at the Nordstrom Sale! Interestingly enough I had originally picked this Bobbi Brown kit($75) up for my sister's birthday. But in comparison to the promo picture I felt the brown is very warm & coppery in person, but the majority of the kit is very cool in undertones...
So I flip flopped & decided to give her this Trish McEvoy kit($85). This kit is perfect for fall & the warm eyeshadow shades will compliment her hazel eyes beautifully! Whether you have warm or cool undertones, both of the kits are a great value each worth over $130 if sold separately.Kits are a great way to try out a good portion of products, as long as you'll wear the majority of the shades. If you know you won't it's not worth it or save some of the pieces for stocking stuffers! What have you guys picked up at the Nordies Sale?
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Nordstrom Beauty Haul

In addition to picking up some sets at Nordstrom's sale which I'll show you tomorrow, I scooped up some singles. I was hitting pan on my MAC bronzer, so I went with this bronzer from Estee Lauder & I'm not going to lie- I was totally motivated by the free gift! Estee's current GWP at Nordstrom is awesome & I'll show all GWPs I got this week, too. This compact is actually much bigger than it looks in this picture, almost the size of a CD- so it should last me forever!

I went with Laura Mercier's single shadow in Sterling over Bobbi Brown's new Denim single shadow since the Bobbi one did not even show up on my hand. In the container, both shadows might look a little intimating shade of blue with sparkle...
But as you can see as applied to my lid, it's surprisingly very soft & gives a brightening effect. I actually wish this shadow had more payoff! I had considered returning it, then got complimented on it when wearing it the first day so it stays!

I also picked up another shade of my favorite undereye concealer from Clinique. This time I went for their lightest shade 01- I guess I truly am the fairest of them all since I'm so pale- ha ha! I stocked up on two Lancome Maquicomplet Correcteurs to score their free gift even though that & a Chanel shadow I advance purchased were already sold out on the first day of the sale by 3pm! What can I say the ladies at the Nordstrom sale, myself included, were doing our part to stimulate the economy!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Cupcake Baking Interior Designer

Last night I dreamt of cupcakes. That might be because I've been trying to eat better as of late, but I think it's due to DC Cupcakes. When I sat down to write this morning, oddly enough beauty wasn't on my mind! Rather daydreams of being a cupcake making interior designer filled my head!
After a super busy Saturday, I plopped down in front of the tv all day Sunday & watched tons of episodes of DC Cupcakes, Design Star & Selling New York. I was in heaven.

I'm addicted to all of them! Have you seen any of them? I'm in a very creative industry, but oh how I love getting peeks into other fascinating occupations...But never fear girleens, tomorrow I'll show you my beauty loot I picked up at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Friday I'm in Love

T.G.I.F. This week has been a bit of a blur & I'm so looking to vegging out over the weekend! Wednesday night Movie Girl & I went to see Big Head Todd, I've been obsessed with a song of theirs called Bittersweet. It was Bittersweet since the last time I tried to see them was a decade ago while I was at University of Delaware. I had bought the tickets, my boyfriend had driven up from home- a whole night had been planned...Let's just say the bouncers didn't *ahem* agree with my identification so they took it! How dare they!
Last night I went to a soiree at the amazing interior design store & home store Gore Dean. Everywhere you look they have exquisite place settings, gorgeous lighting, & fabulous pillows!

The event was featuring the amazingly talented decorator Barry Dixon & his book Barry Dixon Interiors. He is adorable plain & simple. So sweet & yes so stylish! Here I am melting as it was 95 degrees & the event was also outside under a tent, but there's Barry in a full jacket looking good enough to eat! The event was a blast, but I'm thrilled to be back inside with the AC! So what are my beauties up to this weekend? I'm going to try to sneak over to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale at lunch, but otherwise am laying low. Whatever you do, don't go see Grown Ups- I want those 2 hours of my life back! Happy Friday!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Wishlist Wednesday

The Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale starts this Friday girleens & they have some amazing make-up collections! This Blue & Brown kit ($75)from Bobbi Brown has everything you need for a classic, yet gorgeous look. There's not a dud in the batch! If the blue in the eyeshadow kit makes you a little nervous, just use it as a liner.

I have to hand it to Trish McEvoy, she keeps coming out with her adorable planner collections (& did anyone catch her cameo on Gossip Girl this past season?!) These shadows are neutral, but with dimension & great texture to keep them from being boring. This small kit($85) also includes her new undereye concealer which I'm dying to try! Most of you know how much I heart her lid primers, a mini is included.

Here's the bigger bag ($95)that includes face shades, as well to give an all over soft sensual glow. Again everything in this kit is a winner with everything being very wearable. A little secret? Estee Lauder's GWP looks very much like this bag, so if you love it, but want to save some moolah- keep your eyes out for that. I couldn't find a picture to upload, but I'll be snatching it up! Also Lancome has a nice GWP as well, so I will be stocking up on some concealers. Have you seen the sale catalog? What will you be scooping up my beauties?
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Files from the Brow Whisperer

Yet another nervous client was brought in to me for their first brow wax ever last week! First timers always think waxing is going to be much worse than it really is! It's very quick & easy. As you can see in the Before photo, her brows were lacking any real definition.

Here they are after I laid my hands on them! Again you might not realize what a difference shaping her brows would make when you first look at her since she's so pale. However, I often feel fair haired clients need shaping the most or the face can seem one dimensional .

As this client is rather young, I kept her brows very classic in shape, but the difference was still amazing! She skipped out of the spa, which made my day!

Peace. Love. Brow Whisperer. M

Burberry Beauty

The British fashion house is stepping into the beauty area, I mean who isn't these days? Cultivated by designer Christopher Bailey, the products are housed in sleek gunmetal containers with their signature Burberry plaid embossed on them.

20 sheer eyeshadow shades in the line are more muted due to Bailey's belief that "You shouldn't be able to see makeup- it should simply enhance your natural beauty." So I doubt you'll be seeing crazy intense pigments the like of MAC.


There are 21 lipstick shades & 12 lipgloss shades in the collection with prices starting at $27.

Look for their foundation in the shade aptly named Trench! So tell me your thoughts about the launch my beauties... are you excited or over it? Will you be picking up a piece? Look at the entire collection here & let me know if you're thinking ohhh or ehhh!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure

I picked up Sally Hansen's new Salon Manicure polish after reading about it in Allure. I of course gravitated towards this grey beige or "greige" color since it's called Commander in Chic(loves the name.) FYI "greige" is supposed to be huge this fall. The polish claims to have both the base & top coat built into the polish. Just two coats are all you need. The brush took a smidge getting used to, it's a little paddle like. But after I got the hang of it, I had smooth even coverage that wasn't drying mid application of polish like some quick dry polishes do.

This is the next morning after application. It looks good, but I love a super glossy top coat feel. Up close I could see subtle ridges (I'm quite picky) so I would have finished it with something like Seche Vite top coat.
Here's the polish still going strong after 5 days! It's held up very well, even with tons of hand washing throughout the day for work. This is the perfect grab & go polish when you're heading out of town for the weekend & want something quick & easy! I would definitely recommend it on the staying power alone, which is always a problem for me. Tell me beauties, what polish do you think is the best? Have a great weekend!
Peace. Love. Polish. M

Your Money & Business Segment

I met the adorable Yolanda Vazquez of MPT's Your Money & Business at a store opening a few weeks ago. We started talking & ended up on the subject of social media. While I'm no expert, I do an awful lot of it to promote my business. She wanted to interview me on the importance of social media for small business owners & I was more than happy to oblige. Here she is getting her mic on (which I found quite entertaining!)

The TV crew came in & shot different angles around the spa. They shot stills of products, me blogging & twittering, even Lindsay giving one of her incredible massages!

Here we are mid interview. The shoot was what's called 'live to tape' which means it's just one take, you don't really yell 'cut' unless you really fumble over words. It's not live, the way it was on the news, but never the less it's still nerve wracking! I, never at a loss for words, still get incredibly nervous. I can't even tell you what I talked about, I think I blacked out- ha ha.

Here we are after the interview, when my normal breathing had returned. Yolanda was great to work with- she also loved the boutique. She was all over this crystal bracelet and picked up a Paul & Joe Beaute lipgloss, too! I am so excited to see the segment, which will air sometime in August. I'll keep my beauties posted as to the date!
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Files From the Brow Whisperer

K is a newer client of ours. Another one of my brow clients was at her work( she works in a beauty store that offers waxing, but comes to me- ha!) She loved my other client's brows so much that she came into see me. Why I wanted to take a Before & After of her is to show how even though we have already established her amazing brow shape...

Look at the difference a clean up can make. Gorgeous! More defined & lifted. An instant make-over. This is great to show clients who are hesitant to try brow waxing, but have tons of peach fuzz wrecking the structure & impact of the brow.

Peace. Love. Brow Whisperer. M

Summer Flowers

So lately I've been on quite the dainty flower stud earring kick. I just can't get enough of them & it's the perfect touch of summer feminity for your ears! Look at just some of the cute ones we've gotten in at the boutique.
I love these retro inspired studs that have crystals as the petals.

These coral beauties are like a sunflower with a smidge of an art deco vibe.

These might be my favorite pair of them all. They are the most delicate cz flower earrings. One can never go wrong with a diamond stud & these are just a little unexpected.

Lastly I haven't done Fabulous Finds for a while so I thought I'd throw one in. Here are our adorable gold toned flowers stud that come in at a wallet friendly $18.

Here are one of my favorite designers, Judith Ripka's version that retail for $475! Which one would you go for? Hope you had a great holiday weekend!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M