Veronica Mars Movie

Friends of mine know I have been obsessed with a show called Veronica Mars from way back when. I, on occasion- still have marathon viewing weekends. So when word got out that the fans would have a chance to bring it back & on the big screen no less through Kickstarter, I jumped at the opportunity.

I was able to go to the NYC premiere this week as a backer perk. The fact that it was the night before my birthday made it perfect timing for a little getaway.  The red carpet.

An aerial shot of the red carpet as we headed up to the actual screening.

Veronica Mars herself, well actually Kristen Bell looking stunning with backers from Kickstarter.

The boys from Veronica Mars up close from my seat: Ryan Hansen, Chris Lowell, Jason Dohring & creator/mastermind Rob Thomas. It's been an amazing feeling being part of a group over 90k strong that brought the show back to life. The movie premieres nationwide in select theaters today! So in between having some pints in celebration of St. Patty's Day- try to see the film & make this unique project even more of a success. You don't even need to be familiar with the series to enjoy the movie. I hope you love the finished result as much as I do!

Peace. LoVe. Lipgloss.

Kerry Washington's Emmys Look

 I adore Kerry Washington's classic elegance. She can do no wrong in my book- except not let us in on the details of her recent wedding! At least we can get a beauty breakdown as to how she got so gorgeous with the help of Make-Up Artist Carola Gonzalez featuring Hourglass Cosmetics for the Emmys.

Here’s how to replicate her look:

COMPLEXION: Prime the skin with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, and follow with Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in warm beige. “I’m really impressed with the airbrushed finish this foundation creates,” says Gonzalez. “And I really don’t need to use powder anymore.” Conceal any imperfections (as if she has any) with Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in honey.

BROWS: You Beauties know by now- brows make a big impact! Define the brows with Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark Brunette.

EYES: Apply the mauve shimmer shade from Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition to the inner corner of the eyes and the lids, and the eggplant shimmer shade to the outer edge of the eye and beneath the bottom lash line. Blend the two shades together. I remember several artists used this exact shadow combo last awards season, I might need to have it!  Ardell Natural Lashes were applied in 110,  the eyes were lined with Hourglass Script Precision Liner in Jett, and finished off with three coats of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara.

CHEEKS: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light was dusted on the cheekbones, forehead, nose and chin.  Lancôme Blush Subtil in Sparkling Rose on the apples of Kerry's cheeks & was swept towards the temples.

LIPS: Lips were prepped prior with Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil for superior hydration. I always say to have your pucker hydrated- nothing looks good on dry cracked lips!  Her lips were then topped with Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Truth, a beige rose, for the finishing touch.

 I don't know about you- but I have a few more wish list items in my Sephora basket at the moment!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. 

Oscars Beauty Breakdown: Jenna Dewan-Tatum

 So I'm sure being married to Channing Tatum would make anyone's eyes sparkle, but Oscar night mama to be Jenna Dewan-Tatum looked absolutely radiant. To play up her pregnancy glow, make-up artist Kayleen McAdams used the following Tarte products:

She started by prepping Jenna's skin with Tarte's BB Tinted Treatment 12 Hour Primer, then followed with their Amazonian clay 12- hour full coverage foundation in Tan. Tarte's Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Tan was applied underneath her eyes & the Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Peaceful was applied to the apples of her cheeks. To play up her gorgeous peepers, Kayleen mixed Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadows in Slate & Plum Smoke both on her lids and along the lower lash line.  For a subtle lift Kayleen applied Skinny SmolderEYES Clay Waterproof Liner in Onyx to the outer upper & lower edges of her eyes. She finished by applying multiple coats of Lights, Cameras, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara. 

 Her lovely Oscar's look was completed with 2 coats of Tarte's LipSurgence Lip Tint (love these!) in Moody.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Hourglass at La Perla

I love getting a back stage look at New York Fashion Week & this look is so me. Granted I'm not six feet tall & a size zero modeling La Perla Lingerie, so I'm of course talking about the make-up featuring Hourglass Cosmetics!

There's nothing more I love a smokey eye & nude lip. I think it's also an easy look to touch up versus a darker lip when you're out & about.

Artist Moani Lee created those sultry eyes by using 2 different compacts, Hourglass' Exhibition Visonaire Duo & Neo Classic Eye Palette. She then lined with their Eclipse Kohl Eye Pencil & loads of the Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara. As for those lips-I cannot wait to get my hands on that Femme Nude Lip Stylo as soon as it launches!

 

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Golden Globes: Get The Look

I can't believe it's been close to 15 years since I first spotted Jessica Alba in Never Been Kissed!  This business woman & mom still manages to be a bombshell quite nicely, don't you think? She looked like a screen siren from Hollywood eras past at the Golden Globes. Here's how you can get her look.

JESSICA ALBA

On Sunday’s red carpet Jessica Alba looked stunning in tangerine. The glamorous mother of two, a presenter at the awards ceremony, wore a gorgeous peach-colored gown by Oscar de la Renta. “The dress was the inspiration,” says makeup artist Lauren Andersen. “I loved the contrast between her glowing skin and the matte orange lip. It’s an almost tropical pop of color that’s not an exact match for the dress but close.”

Skin: Lauren prepped the skin with Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum, and followed with Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in Sand. She then used Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Warm under the eyes, down the bridge of the nose and fanned the product out in the center of the forehead to create dimension. She finished the skin step with the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light applied all over to create a golden, subtle warmth. “It’s a soft, refined shimmer that’s glowy,” says Lauren.

Cheeks: She used the bronze shade from Hourglass Illume Crème-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset to contour the cheeks and followed with the blush shade on the apples of the cheeks.

Eyes: Hourglass Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Espresso was first applied to the outer corners of the eyes and then smudged it with a brush. Lauren then applied Hourglass Superficial Waterproof Bronzer in the crease of the eyes and the gold shade from Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Dune on the lids. Lashes were treated to several coats of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara. She finished up by amplifying the brows with Hourglass Arch Sculpting Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette.

Lips: Finally, Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera, a vibrant tangerine shade, was applied to the lips. The velvety matte color delivers richly pigmented and long-lasting coverage for up to 14 hours. 

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Polish Pic{k}s

So when I spotted Layla's Hologram Effect nail polish in Ulta I was intrigued. Though I usually favor dark color on my hands, I'm a glutton for special effects. Hologram is an avenue I haven't experienced before so I scooped it up- at a rather pricey $15.50 for a small bottle.  I normally draw the line at @$9 for my OPI & Essie polishes, unless I have to have a particular Chanel shade.   

As much as I wanted to fall in love with this polish, it just didn't cooperate. I buffed my nails (recommended) then used a ridge filler.  The first coat was very sheer and oddly matte.  The polish also had little globs in it that made it difficult to maneuver

 Usually the second coat hides all sins for me, but it was a bit streaky & then dried down to the same weird matte finish.  I topped with a clear top coat & thought I managed to salvage the manicure - not scrap it & have to start over with a different polish.  

 However upon inspection the next day, the polish looked so streaky that I ended up topping it with my trusty OPI for Sephora shimmery champagne color.  My only thought was that the chemical make-up of the polish was doing something odd with my topcoat, since it was already starting to turn matte again.  I then had chipping rather early on, too! I'm sad to report this polish was a total bust for moi in terms of performance! Has any one else tried it?

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Clear + Brilliant Laser

The morning after. No- nothing sordid Beauties, this is what my skin looked like the morning after having the Clear + Brilliant Laser performed on my skin.  After having an evening of what equated to hot flashes on my face immediately following the laser, I woke up with practically no redness or swelling on my face. I was surprised since my skin is rather sensitive. I had a tiny bit of redness on my upper cheekbone, but Dr. Sherber had made several passes on that area to address stubborn clusters of hyperpigmentation there. The only indicator that I had had a laser treatment was that my skin felt like fine grit sandpaper. Not visible to the eye, but somewhat odd feeling to the touch.  My make-up still applied normally, though my skin continued to feel a bit like a basketball for close to a week.  I've been a good girl & laid off strong AHA's products (torture for moi!) the entire time! People have commented on my skin looking luminous, but I'm excited to see what new skin is revealed after the sand paper feeling goes away & after I can start exfoliating again!

I'm so excited for my next treatment & the fact that tomorrow launches our Clear + Brilliant 30 day Challenge at La Papillon!  I love having the privilege & opportunity to help change people's skin.  I love having clients refer to themselves as "Afters" because they've seen such a difference since 'before' they came to the spa.  If you're in the Baltimore area, we'd love for you to experience this cutting edge treatment & are proud that we're one of the very few places you can find this low downtime/high tech treatment!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Clear + Brilliant Laser

I am always on the look out for the latest technology to fight the signs of aging & improve the quality of my skin. Why? Because I'm vain- there I said it.  I also always joke that I've given up below the neck, so I put a lot of effort into maintaining from the neck up! Having our Diva of Dermatology, Dr. Noelle Sherber treating patients at La Papillon has its perks. She's just as obsessed with the latest & greatest advances as I am! We recently brought in the Clear + Brilliant Laser for an event.  The high tech/ low downtime laser is all the buzz amongst celebrities.

So of course, I wanted to experience it & give you Beauties a behinds the scenes peek! I started off by applying a topical numbing ointment on my face for 20 minutes prior to the treatment to minimize any discomfort. Don't I look gorgeous?

Don't be fooled by the cute, MAC like appearance of the Clear + Brilliant Laser- it packs a lot of punch.  Made by the manufacturers of the Fraxel Laser, the Clear + Brilliant Laser was created for us impatient gals & guys who want results with little to no downtime. The laser helps reduce the appearance of fine lines & pore size, while evening out skin tone & stimulating collagen!

After removing the numbing, Dr. Sherber passed the laser over my entire face (avoiding my eyes) a few times. The first pass felt fine- almost like those micro needle rollers, but charged with a little static electricity. Unlike IPL treatments which pulse, this is more of a continuous motion across the face.  Not painful, I would say it was more annoying.  Dr. Sherber then did a few more passes on problem areas, such as where I have excessive pigmentation on my upper cheeks.

Initially following the treatment, my face was incredibly flushed & warm.  I immediately applied my favorite anti-inflammatory serum, Skin Ceutical's Phyto Corrective Gel, then topped it with ice packs.  For the next few hours, I wasn't uncomfortable- but did feel like I could fry an egg on my face it was so warm.  Be sure to check back for the next post in the series to see how my skin progresses!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
The event was such a success, we're bringing in the laser to La Papillon May 23rd for a whole month! I will be getting treated a few more times during the Clear + Brilliant 30 Day Challenge, since for optimal results they recommend a series of 3 sessions.  Of course, I'll be taking you girls along with me for the journey!

Nate Berkus is My Valentine

So my friend Quinn & I had the pleasure of attending a taping of the Nate Berkus Show recently. May I say he is just about the cutest thing & yes in person, his hair is that fabulous. It's the Valentine's Show that airs today that we sat in the audience for! Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kandi Burruss was a guest on the episode. Oh how I love my Bravo TV!

On today's show Nate shares great little gift ideas for that special someone. It's probably perfect timing as men usually tend to be so last minute! The grocery store was packed yesterday with frantic looking men grabbing flowers & cards.

The set was decked out in all things Valentines- what else would you expect from such a great interior designer? I don't want to give away everything in today's episode, but be sure to check it out for tips on making your bedroom more romantic, cooking a fabulous meal for your special someone & an extra special romantic gesture!

Make sure you keep an eye out for us in the audience- Quinn is wearing a bright orange top & we're in the third row! At the end of the taping, we left with some goodies including Godiva chocolates- so I'm really not fibbing in saying that Nate Berkus is my Valentine!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Easy Holiday Party Favors

As promised this is the easiest little tutorial to make holiday favors with peppermint bark! Besides holiday, you could easily change the cookie cutter to suit the themes of a baby or bridal shower.

First, I melted dark chocolate in the microwave. To cut down on mess, I used a gallon Ziplock bag for easy clean-up! When melting chocolate, microwave at medium heat at 30 second intervals. I massaged the bag at each interval to prevent the chocolate from burning & ensure even melting.

When it was uniformly heated, I snipped the end off the Ziplock & began piping the chocolate into the cookie cutters. This step will be covered, so it doesn't have to be gorgeous. You just want to make sure it's touching the sides of the cookie cutter.

Let the dark chocolate cool. Then on to the white chocolate, repeating the same melting process as with the dark. I used Wilton melting candies that I already had on hand for this step.

Same as before, you now pipe the white chocolate on top of the dark. Again, it doesn't have to look perfect since you'll be topping it with the peppermint. This is such a fun project to do with kids, too!

Unwrap & place candy canes in another Ziplock.

After unleashing the day's frustration out on the candy canes, this is what you are left with. I used a soup can to pound the bag out on the sidewalk.

Press the broken candy cane pieces into the white chocolate, while it's still warm.

Voila! To keep this project affordable, since I was making a lot of them I went to the Dollar Store for the cookie cutters. The metal tree cutter in the center was $1, but then I found the plastic ones you see in the tutorial that came 6 in a pouch for $1- score! Of course, on the other end of the spectrum you could do copper cookie cutters to make the favors more elegant.

Here they are wrapped & ready for holiday giving in a festive basket at the spa! For my first time making them, they turned out very pretty & they were a big hit. Let me know if you make these, I'd love to see your pictures!

Peace. Love. Peppermint Bark. M

Easy Holiday Hair How To

My areas of expertise lie in make-up & skincare, in fact I often say I'm hair challenged! However I do have a signature look & I'm always doing demos on clients. It's super easy- yes even I can do it! It's romantic & perfect for the holiday season- so of course I'm going to share it with my Beauties!

This easy updo works best with shoulder length hair or longer. Grab a stretchy headband- we carry Medusa's Heirlooms at the spa & that is what's shown in this tutorial. Start by placing the headband Olivia Newton John a la Let's Get Physical Music Video style across your forehead.

Back starting view.

Start at one end, by taking small sections & simply tucking it into the band of the headband.

Repeat with additional sections, to follow & cover up the previous section. It doesn't have to be perfect- that's the beauty of it- just keep tucking!

The updo will take shape before your eyes, with very little actual effort- that's the best part.

This style works with all hair types. I love it on hair with slight wave & highlights- it really brings the dimension of the color out.

You can leave the back section perfectly plain or can add easy embellishments! I tucked a feather in for one look.

For another look, I stuck a flower pin in her hair - the sky's the limit creatively speaking! I was even thinking a small, tasteful ornament could be gorgeous & unexpected for the holidays. To finish, just move the headband in the front to where you want it. For a Nicole Richie vibe, leave it as is. For a Grecian goddess vibe, pull it up like a traditional headband(refer to yesterday's post to see Brianne wearing it that way.) Whichever way you wear it, I promise you- you'll get tons of compliments. Now go forth & be pretty!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Holiday Soiree

Our spa holiday party was last week & since most of my fabulous readers don't live in glorious Baltimore- I wanted you all to still feel a part of it! Here were some of our treats to our guests: my beloved Thymes' Frasier Fir votives & candy cane bark. Stayed tuned for the tutorial on the bark, they were super easy & make the perfect party favor!

Warm spiced {& spiked!} apple cider resided in the snowman decanter. Champagne with a splash of cranberry{this concoction is called a Poinsettia} was our signature holiday drink.

For some reason my dipped pretzel rods are always a fan favorite- which are so easy to make & customize as to theme or holiday. Our Becca Make-up Event was that same weekend, so we left our display out so our guests could play with the products.

A closeup of the spice cupcakes in poinsettia baking cups, which were iced with buttercream frosting & dusted with opal sanding sugar. I piped a red & white striped dollop of icing in the center just to be fancy!

The small, but mighty La Papillon Beauty Team! From left: Esthetician Lisa, our Diva of Dermatology Dr. Noelle Sherber, yours truly, Esthetician & Spa Manager Brianne. Brianne is sporting the easy holiday hair look I taught her- stay tuned for a tutorial on that as well!

It was a super fun evening & a way to show our customers how much we appreciate them! Every guest also left with a sample of Kinara's Red Carpet Facial Kit. It is an at home facial peel system that we just got in & absolutely love! After all, we want all of our clients' skin to be Merry & Bright for the holiday season!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M