Kerpow.

Four hours, 45 minutes.

The pistol is based on a firearm from Elvis' collection of guns. It's a modified 357 Magnum (barrel slightly extended and finger grips added). The butterfly is a bullet and will be completed, along with added "smoke" in the Fall.

Kiss me, I'm explosive.

(Ps- if you click the pic, the motherfucker gets huge)

Eye Love The Decadence

Fur-reel, this description makes your mouth (eyes?) water, with desire, right?:

***
Uniquely formulated with a new biopolymer protein, Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream uses a cross-linking technology and forms a continuous and smooth film, helping to firm, lift and restore skin's youthful appearance.

Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream also contains Caviar Extracts that help firm and nourish, along with La Prairie's exclusive Cellular Complex that helps stimulate the skin's natural repair process, moisturizing and energizing with nutrients that encourage optimal functioning.

***

So does this pic, of Sean Avery, but that's a whole other subject.

I'll be frank- I didn't buy La Prairie's Skin Caviar. I got a sample of it, which was probably worth $50, as the little snack is $350 for 1.7 oz. I used as directed- a.m. + p.m., every day, and... well... it's rich, it's creamy, it's pretty-smelling and... it works like my Nivea Visage Q10 does. Meaning- it works nicely. But is "it works nicely" the way you want to describe a product that sets you back almost 1/2 a grand?

After one week (which I've read, can be long enough for some to see results) La Prairie Skin Caviar seemed as though it was doing the job of an excellent and long-lasting hydrating cream. Bottom line- I liked the stuff very much, but wouldn't do the necessary investing to find out if it was capable of more.

Full Phat- MAC Yogurt Shadow

Like a healthy snack for your eyelids, MAC Yogurt Shadow, is good food.

Yogurt is as matte as matte gets. Although MAC is well known for its outrageous and punchy shades, this one is subtle. However, it still has that pizazz, MAC ceaselessly embraces.

The name of this color, is actually what caught my attention. I heard a woman asking for it at the MAC counter, and immediately perked up. "Ooh.. what color is Yoooguuurt..." Upon seeing it, I bought it immediately.


I couldn't find a piccy of the exact shade, but it's basically a cross between this image and an eggshell. However, this'll get ya there- YAY!

The wear on Yogurt is long, as I find is the case with all MAC shadows (especially when applied over one of their lid Paints. I always have Bare Canvas on hand). This shade is great for every day use and gives a pretty, "wide-eyed, awake" look. Try a bite! It's delish!

Stay Glossy!

Fantastic Fantasy

Revlon Lash Fantasy came about when primers were burgeoning. There were some crazy thickeners on the scene, namely the kind that seemed like you were putting fluffy white dust on your lashes, before laying on the black stuff. Too scary and not just for those with allergies.

The Revlon primer is of great consistency. It's thicker and creamier than mascara, so you really feel like it's "priming" your lashes for something. Now there are two ways you can apply, for different effect (keep in mind, with either method, the primer will produce thicker lashes). One is to layer on the primer and immediately follow with mascara. This combines the two formulas (as the primer is still wet) and ends up making longer, straighter lashes, you can kind of "shape," as though you were using lash-mousse. Do I want 'em looking windswept? Pulled into points, like star eyes? More forward to create a fluttery eye, southern belle effect?

The other route is to apply the primer and let it dry. It takes about 2 minutes, so go brush your teeth, have a bite of bagel,
grab a phone call and then come back and apply mascara. The difference in this application is that after the primer dries, it curls your lashes up a bit, so you can skip the lash curler step (if you even do this- I actually don't)

and jump right into full-on glamourpuss.


In summary- Revlon Lash Fantasy is an effective, versatile mascara. It does the trick of both shaping and thickening lashes and is a product that totally enhances my own makeup routine. Buy it and try it! (Available pretty much everywhere and runs about $8- $10 dollars.)

Stay Glossy!

Rosebud Salve-ation

I know... you've heard of the product. You may even own three pots at a time, as I do (bathroom, bedroom, purse). You may know its lip-slickness intimately and its perfectly balanced smell. However, you may not, in which case sisters, I've come to preach. Smith's Rosebud Salve is unbelievable.

The consistency is that of petroleum jelly (Vaseline), with the most subtle hint of pink color. It smells like the memory of a rose (completely non-offensive) and has almost no taste (which I prefer, as when I've something on my lips that's too tasty, I either lick it off or spend the whole day wanting chocolate mocha covered everything).

The beauty of a "salve" is that it's absolutely not just for lips. I use it on my cuticles, my knuckles, I dab it around my eyes at night, I tame my brows with it, rub it on my elbows... and it actually does what you want it to. It moistens and revivifies crispy skin. Of course, not immediately, but over several days of use, it really can hydrate dry spots.

(Ps- the formula is over 100 years old! So cool!)

Fave places to find the incredibly affordable potion (approx $6- $10):

Bigelow Chemists
DrugStore.com
Sephora
Anthropologie

Stay Glossy!

The Good Junk

I'm a huge fan of mascara. Sometimes I just buy tubes of it, so I can open a new package, when I feel like a "lift." It's so versatile, so face-changing, so mood-altering, so fun.

My favorite color is as black as black gets. If there was a color by any brand, entitled "Blacker Than Humanly Imaginable," I'd buy 3 tubes, on the spot.


Because I buy a variety of the magical goo, and love the varied results, I'm going to review some of my faves, along with other yummy face gunk. Hooray for gunk! Also, since I've just transplanted myself to the beautiful desert of Las Vegas (where you can become dry and crispy in no time) from the much moister air of L.A., I'll post some remedies and tinctures I'm using to keep myself well into the Lovely Zone.


My ode to glamour, in Haiku form:

Oh the Glamourous
We work hard to embrace you
Let's all stay glossy!

xo

Brown Baggin' It

I'm mad for a brown bag. I think it goes with nearly everything and brown is such a natural and pleasing color. In all of its shades- Chocolate, beige, camel, caramel, espresso, sand, chestnut, bark, etc- a brown bag has the potential to be amazing. Here's a wee variety of some cutie pies, that are totally summer (and in some cases- pocket book) friendly.


This ShopBopper is the priciest one on here. Erotokritos at $768, but ya'll know, when you find the bag you adore, you just commit. Especially when you know it'll last you years and years.










Le Sport Sac can be fun. Sometimes I find them a bit age exclusive (super young and/or sometimes grandma variety), but they're priced right and are constantly designed with new fabrics and styles. This Rectangular Cosmetic in Enchanted Print, runs $18.




This little girl is my fave. It's big, the color of the beach, and you could jam magazines and files and lip glosses and phones and scarves and keys and puppies into it, still leaving room for the essentials. The Extra Large Leather Bag is from TopShop and is really reasonably priced- approximately $190 (95 pounds).




LuLu's is fun, cheap and sweet to shop on. This is the Brown Dot Tote and runs a mere 20 bucks. There is also a variety of colors, in case you need 3.










Get your clutches on a Lauren Merkin. ShopBop will do you right. These purses are not only spectacularly hip and loved by the red carpet, but come in such pretty shapes. If you're not a clutch person, watch a couple of Hitchcock films. Tippy will have you running to your nearest vintage store.

Red, Delicious

This little adorable thing is brought to us, courtesy of a site I found, called Brown's Fashion. I found it linked to today's Who What Wear Daily. WWWD, I found thru last month's Lucky Magazine. It's this fab site that shows you what starlets are wearing and where to find it, among other fun, fashion tidbits. This dress is a Sonia By Sonia Rykiel. Brown's is an European shoppe, so all the prices are in pounds. Get your converter out.


Also from Brown's, is this impossibly cute Alice Ritter Baby Doll Dress. I just couldn't be more hot for empire waists. They so compliment every shape and hide all the imperfections.

















Truth be told, I'm over skulls. I think most of us are. However, Paula Thomas, in my opinion, did her version of skulls, best. This dress has her signature pattern and is in the most adorable shape! I love the tie-straps and it's just so flowy and free. You can find this Paula Thomas for Thomas Wylde at Brown's, as well.




How do you love the red you're in? Why, with a fabulous yellow accessory, of course! And how impossibly fun, is this little baby?


It's a jelly purse from TopShop and with the pound conversion, is only about ten bucks!! Get seven!

This beauty is also from there:


How sweet would this envelope bag be, with your Baby Doll dress? It can also be found at the one and only TopShop (run entirely, might I add, by ladies).

Summy Be Comin'

Git a pedicure, git yer hurr did.

So I'm convinced that I'm going to find myself in a bathing suit this year. In fact, I know I'm going to. However, I don't like bikinis. Most of them at least. So I'm going for kind of a hip-hop, alternative approach. I love boy shorts and these adorable ones I found on the Urban Outfitters site. These run $38, which is a pretty rockin' price. Leg-flattering curtain-style, not to mention nice waistband, so it won't squinch yer belly.

How I'm picturing it, is taking your cute self to the beach or pool, in something that goes- boy-short bikini bottom, tank up top (like the Silk and Rayon cami pictured below from La Redoute for a mere $24.99)


Then possibly something fun to put your cabbage in, say like...

(Also from Urban)


Or

(Ed Hardy)


The fact is, who is really tanning anymore, right? And if you are, you're likely doing it before you get to the beach, in efforts to look as fab as possible while you're there. So the point is, who cares if you find yourself in something that might promote ridiculous tan-lines. What you're really doing there, is getting the boys to turn heads... am I right, or am I just boy crazy?

H-O-Tripple T

I might be in love with this Marc Jacobs bag. This design is called Ryder and it's the perf size (13" x 12"), perf shape and grrrreat colors. Comes in "Nude," "Natural" and "Slate." Yummy for the summy. This season, black seems just too heavy to carry around with an itty-bitty-mini, from which, might I add, there are currently so many good ones to choose...

Karen Zambos


Alice & Oliva


Twinkle


Just 3 of a jillion you can find on the great ShopBop. Not to mention EVERYWHERE else you look! Hooray for getting out our summer gams!

Er, uh, ONLY set of pics...

Alright, alright, so the truth is, the only other pictures from NYC, looked exactly the same, as they were all taken at once, in the same place. Why post those as well? The fact of the matter is, I'm not big on pictures, when I'm experiencing things. I feel like planning to take a picture of everything, distracts from the sensation of the moment, so I seldom get my camera out.

Now, if we're talking about lifting pictures to blog about, I'm quite the expert. Here's a great example:



What an ADORABLE FREAKING DRESS. It's a designer named Julie Haus, and I think I want to have her adorable, A-Frame frock, little babies. Wow! I must have looked at this line for 10 straight minutes, trying to figure out all the wonderous details. Just so simple and sweet.



Ooh, this is fun too. It's obviously a ShopBop, but I don't know who. Sorry charlies. I just love slouchy. Something that allows a woman to breathe under her clothes. To totally be free and not feel anything annoyingly tight against her. I feel fortunate that that look is so ferociously hip. I don't want it to leave us!

NYCity, baby (first set of pics)

A trio of lovelies...



Lauren, self photographed. Lookin exquisite!



Copernicus and Vaderpermelius. I love how the b/w kitty is doing yoga, while in the left corner, behind glass, the white kitty is spying.



Sweet Jer. Lauren's fiance and best friend. What a nice dude! Dramatic, wild, fun, adventurous and the cutest part- totally left Lauren and me to do our thing. Super busy making his own fun and not really needing us to pay attention to him. The perf dude- but sorry, he's engaged.



My sweet friends, Matt and The Adorable Professor (aka- Rachel), came to Lauren's beautiful apartment, to visit. We had coffee, chatted and then got in our dope car service (electric, blue BMW) to be whisked off to Manhattan, where Lauren and I saw a play and friends went their own way, to meet up with other friends.



Hula cozying up to Matt... she enjoyed him.



My sweet Lauren, having one of 7,568,029 cups of coffee we had, throughout my stay.

Deep Cover

The pretty factor of this Hermes shift, is like off-charts! It's pricy- $420, but if you just wanted to grab one beautiful cover-all this summer, you could rock out in this every breezy, sunny day. There are a variety of colors as well, and they vary in price ($420 was the most expensive I saw). Check le Blue Fly. You know you wanna!




Diane Von Furstenberg. Totally adorable and I also saw it in brown. I love the little pocket and the pretty, detailed neck tie. And the weight of it seems so fun and light. Also a Blue Fly special. Uber-summer!

Prettiest Coffee Ever

Recently, I had breakfast with the lovliest woman, at the lovliest restaurant, ever. At this leetle French place, I was served a BOWL of coffee. I later learned it came to me in a "Latte Bowl." It didn't take long for me to find my own. Anthropologie, $4. Set of 6 for $25. And for those who don't know, those prices, by Anthropologie standards, are mega-rad!

An Average Day Out With Hula Bell

The best picture of Hula, ever taken. Photo by James Mann.

*Anthropologie- Grove
Sales girl loves up Hula. Tells me she has a Pomeranian who gets out of her yard and roams the neighborhood like it owns the place.

Woman who works at Sony tells me she has a chocolate Chi who she wishes she could bring to work. That Adam Sandler and his entire staff bring their dogs to work. She wishes she could work for Adam Sandler. That it's actually an insurance issue, with pets.

*Forever 21- Grove
Woman comes from across the store to greet Hula. Tells me she has a big pit bull who would pull her all over the place and pee on everything if she brought him shopping. Says she wishes she could bring him around and that she's such a dog person.

*Staples- Wilshire
Walk in the store and this boy who is cute and whose hands smell like cigarette smoke, comes up to me so fast that I kind of get confused about exactly what he's doing. His hands are outstretched and is saying in such an excited voice "oh, can I visit!? Can I pet her!??" I think he might have had a crush on Hula. She should have totally gone for it. He was adorable. Still, she played hard to get, as usual.

PassoverEasterDogFestCookie!

A cookie baking, dog nuzzling, hair flying, egg poaching, coffee drinking, tv watching, makeup applying, more yummy-thing eating, more tv watching, hug giving, love sharing and treat getting, weekend ensued. What total fun! Mom's Palm Dez house is quaint, pretty, spacious and filled with sweet, loving animals. Hula and I had the best time!

New Hair

It's true! I got the Japanese Hair Straightening done! It's so exciting! It takes so long- 4.5 hours, all told.

Before even making the appointment, you go in for consultation, to see if you have hair fit for the process. The best kind of hair is not TOO curly or kinky, also not processed. Pretty much what I have.

The appointment was-

*wash hair
*blow dry
*put on chemical that opens pores of hair
*put plastic wrap on head, sit under dryer for approx 20ish minutes
*wash off treatment
*TWO people blow dry hair
*flat iron hair into smooth texture
*put on chemical that makes hair stay straight
*wash off chemical with just water
*apply conditioner- set for couple of minutes
*wash off with just water
*blow dry hair
*flat iron
*very small trim

VOILA!

i bought some conditioners for the after effects. i have to not wash my hair and not put it in a pony or anything else that shapes it, for 3 days. no probs.

it's so shiny and pretty! the upkeep is just when the roots grow out. approx every 8- 10mos.

wow!