Oh how fun it is...

... to get free stuff in the mail.

After I bought a few Mario Badescu products from Planet Blue in Malibu, I browsed the website to see what other products they had to offer.

I noticed the "" button and I decided to fill out the survey. (Just something about 'em... I'm addicted to surveys :p) I figured I'd get an e-mail with a list of products I should try... so I filled it out.

After days and days of waiting, I forgot about it. "Oh well, their consulting thing must be broken." Then about 2 weeks later I received a package from them in the mail. I was pretty worried at first... "Did I *buy* something the last time I browsed their website?? I didn't think so..."



eeeeeeeh! Samples! I was pretty darn excited.

Here is the regimen they prescribed me:
Morning/Evening- Cleanse with Enzyme Cleansing Gel and tone with the Special Cucumber Lotion. Dab Ceramide Eye Cream under each eye. Apply Collagen Moisturizer to face and neck.
Twice a week- Exfoliate with the Kiwi Face Scrub then use Drying Mask for 10-15 minutes.
Problem Days- Apply Drying Lotion to erupted areas. Apply a thin layer of the Drying Cream over the Drying Lotion. Leave on overnight.

I've *just* run out of Shu Uemura stuff so I'm switching to these tonight. Yay. Now you try. :-D
http://www.mariobadescu.com/consult.asp

Thank you Caroline!

For letting me know about the Donald J. Pliner flats at Shoe Pavillion. I stopped by the Burbank Center (our warehouse is just blocks away) and picked up a pair at $49.99!



They are so much cuter in person~ they came in 2 other color combinations too.

They also had a lot of cute flats by Irregular Choice~ a hot new shoe line you've probably seen at Nordstrom's, Bloomingdale's, or Madison. All styles were under $50!

And if you've read my post before about Foot Petals but haven't had the chance to buy some~ they sell 2-packs at Shoe Pavillion for only $8.99. (They are usually $6.95 for 1 pair!)

Graduation Gifts

I have 3 sisters and coincidentally, all three of them are graduating this June. One from University, one from High School, and one from Junior High. I was planning to gift them all a keepsake necklace from Tiffany's-- but I had a hard time choosing one for each of them. (And is it fair to get them all matching necklaces, since they are all at different points in their lives?) Then another idea hit me... neither of them have jewelry boxes.

And if they are anything like me... their jewelry should be all over the place. I have some of my necklaces and rings in a small box on my nightstand. Some necklaces on the bathroom counter. (Who remembers to put them away after a shower??) And most of my dangle earrings are hanging on a cup in my closet. Oh not to mention the box of necklaces I bought in Hawaii sitting in my underwear drawer. And my Juicy studs are in a zip lock in my purse. Anyhow...

During a recent visit to Fred Segal's I saw a good selection of Wolf Design jewelry boxes. They are well made, and extremely convenient. There are so many types-- there is one to fit every type of accessory-collector. Also, each one comes with a mini-box inside to bring around for travel.


I got the oldest of the three a leather box from the Kensington collection in blue ($120). She has a little bit of everything (necklaces, earrings, bracelets) so this one suits her well.

For my two youngest sisters, I chose different boxes from the Primrose collection. This collection is made of ultrasuede and comes in a palette of spring pastel colors. Each box closes with two silver magnetic rings that holds the top in place.

My youngest sister doesn't have pierced ears yet. She has mostly necklaces, bracelets and watches so I got her the long box ($69) in the middle (but in green- her favorite color).



My middle sister is a bit more girly than the others, and has a lot more jewelry. She has a lot of rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets- basically a bit of everything. I got her a larger purple box which featured more compartments and two travel-sized cases ($129).



I love these jewelry boxes by Wolf Designs but they are hard to find. I've only seen them at Fred Segal and at one of the accessory stores at The Grove. My favorite collections are the Covent Garden and the Vintage collections... but I haven't been able to find any of these in stores yet. :-(



My favorite is this one:


Check out The Ever After Store for some more styles!

In search of heat

It's about that time of the summer where you have your trips booked and planned... and now it's just a matter of packing. One of the best investments you can make this summer is a carry-on bag that [should] last you through the beaches of Florida and the cities of Europe. Splurge a little- the more you spend, the safer your goods. Scrimp on your full-sized luggage (which goes straight to the plane's baggage area anyway) and splurge on that one carry on that will follow you around the airport, down the plane aisle, around the hotel-- you get the idea.


Louis Vuitton Cruiser Bag 40. eLuxury.com, $1340.


Prada.


Diane vonFurstenberg Newport Canvas. On sale at Macy's for $169.99. (I love the Natural+Blue combination!)


Go light with Nuala by Puma, $190.

And don't forget to label your valuables...

Burberry Luggage Tags. Set of 3, Neimanmarcus.com, $65.00.


Wingers Luggage Tags. Kitson, $12.


Horseshoe Luggage Tag. Wishingfish.com, $4.99.

Store your beauty essentials in these:

ML Traveler Tote. Wishingfish.com, $44.99.

And pack a itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny... bikini.

La Perla. On sale at eLuxury.com, $147.


Pucci. On sale at eLuxury.com, $236.


Juicy Couture Charm Bikini. Neimanmarcus.com, $128.

Fall bags

Thank you for those of you who send me questions, comments, and suggestions via e-mail. Although I don't get to answer every one, I do read them all. Here is an e-mail I got today that I wanted to answer... I haven't had time recently for a full post (because of the denim sale last weekend) but hopefully by this weekend I'll get to post everything I've been planning =)

"I'm not sure if this is proper blog etiquette. Am i supposed to respond to a post? Anyway,I'm dying to know what bag you "MUST HAVE" for the fall. Thanks!"

The answer to this is easy schmeasy... the Chloe Paddington medium hobo (yes... HOBO!) in khaki. I saw pictures recently from the fall line at Ron Herman and Nordstroms... this bag is going to be GORGEOUS. But I think this will be out on July 15th so maybe it won't be a "Fall" bag but more like a "late Summer" bag. I promise I will post a picture as soon as I find one!

This fall will definitely be the Paddington's turn in the spotlight... with new shapes like the mini paddington, barrel-shaped tote, medium and large hobo, and the classic Paddinton shape in new shades like red, blue, and also lizard.

Other bags I'm eyeing:

Luella Bartley white hobo with the green apple print. (Can't seem to find a pic of this anywhere? Help anyone?)

Also Marc Jacobs new shapes and textures...


Adina Calfskin


Small Leather Tote


and my personal favorite... the quilted satchel.

The waitlist for these bags have opened at most major department stores. The waitlist for Louis Vuitton's fall bags will open next month. Get your credit cards ready...

Basically... I think the general rule for this fall will be oversized & pudgy for shoulder bags, and neat & structured for totes. Also bags will finally take a back seat to shoes this fall, simply complementing the new boots and slouchy pumps from the runways.

My faves so far:


Balenciaga's Slouchy Boots


G-Series Greeley Suede Ballerina... pair with some skinny pants that fall just above the ankle.


Stella McCartney... so cute with a pencil skirt!
(Watch for her Fall collaboration with H&M)


YSL Rive Gauche... the only time your toes should show this Fall.


*edit: And how can I forget???

Mulberry Tooled Bayswater. Barneys.com, $1195.

The next big thing

We were all excited when 7 teamed up with Swarvoski for multi-colored squiggles, but what will happen when 7 teams up with the uber-trendy label "Great China Wall"??



Guess we'll have to wait til October to see..

Click here to view more styles.

*disclaimer: I am not affiliated with brownsfashion and have never purchased from them before. This is the first site I've seen to show pictures of the new limited edition jeans and that is the only reason I'm providing the link. Otherwise this is not a claim for authenticity. But if anyone has any more information on these, please feel free to forward it to me at aneehs@gmail.com.

:)

Going Long

In celebration of my new T3 hair "wave-er"... I've decided to grow out my hair. I have medium length that falls just a few inches past my shoulders but a lot of short layers on top-- not ideal for long loose wavy curls. When I went for a quick trim to my hair guy at Fred Segal I told him I wanted my hair to grow faster and softer... and he recommended these:



Phytophanere Dietary Supplement - Hair & Nails

So I've started my new regimen today. A two-month supply of 2 vitamins every morning. I'll be back in a month or so with a report =)

Also because of the dry, hot summer season ahead, I got some new Shampoo & Conditioner to try also. I am planning to be out in the sun a lot (hopefully :P) so I thought the new Kerastase Soleil line was a great fit.



I am going to use the repairing hair bath (shampoo) and the moisturizing gel-creme (conditioner). This line is a great protectant for outdoor exposure- it provides UV protection as well as Ceramide + Pro-Vitamin B5 + Vitamin E derivative for added moisture.

For those of you with colored hair, I absolutely LOVE their new Reflection line. (Unfortunately I don't have colored hair).



Like the Soleil line it does provide a little bit of UV protection- but its main function is the chroma reflect, which gives a very healthy shiny boost to colored hair. Also, I love the fragrance! I wanted to use this combination instead of the soleil but the lady insisted I use the soleil because... well... I don't have colored hair. :(

Denim Sale! 6/18 in Hollywood.

"The Warehouse Sale" is having another sale event... it's this weekend (Saturday, June 18) It's mostly denim but this time we'll have both men's and women's. And I'm talking a ton, a ton, a ton of denim from 7 to Citizens to 575 to Salt Works to Frankie B, Hudson and a million other brands that you people normally pay retail for. Mostly new & current styles, everything 40-60% off retail.

Other than jeans we'll also have other summer fashions as well as some jewelry and accessories from up-and-coming Los Angeles designers.

Where: Hollywood Metropolitan Hotel on Sunset
When: June 18, 9am-5pm

The event is free if you RSVP so make sure you do so at http://www.the-warehouse-sale.com/
Help me spread the word... e-mail your friends and bring your buddies :) We have thousands of pairs so there'll be enough to go around.

Our Translation

Last weekend at the Fashion Coop in Redondo Beach I found a plethora of gorgeous jewelry. I only had a short time to browse but I did pick up a couple of items. Here are some of my favorite:

Our Translation: One of a kind vintage-style earrings.



I absolutely love the simplicity of these drops... not too flashy but just enough to spice up an outfit. They are the perfect length and light enough to wear out all day. Their website isn't too complete but there is contact information in case you'd like to order-by-phone. Otherwise I believe they are carried in some boutiques in Venice.

I also got this double-strand necklace from another new designer:


So far I've been pairing them with my skinny white tanks and with unbuttoned polo shirts. These also look great dressed up with a black tube top. I love that one strand is silver and the other is gold~ they are mismatched but they complement each other well! I absolutely loved this designer's necklaces but I didn't get any of their contact information. Hopefully I'll run into them at another show.

Blue Planet

I picked up this Sweetees tube top at Planet Blue yesterday- in Blue. I love the thick-yarn embroidery~ Perfect to pair with jeans. I am planning to wear mine out with my white bermuda shorts or my pink pleated Ladies of the Canyon shorts.

Even though I have about 3-4 tube tops, I rarely wear them out unless I wear them with a shrug or jacket. (I think I've only worn one of them once) So I was thinking of maybe getting the tank top version too. At $50 (and with real embroidery) these are a pretty good deal. (Better than the usually-paper-thin tops Sweetees usually makes, anyway)


So.... which color? :)

Undomestic Goddess

It's here! Well, almost.

Pre-order on amazon.com today or buy immediately from the UK on eBay. The upside: you get to read the book the way it was meant to be read, before it is 'translated' into American English. The downside: you will most likely pay 'over retail' and it might take a week or longer for the book to arrive from overseas. But I'm sure it will be well worth it!

The books in Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series are still my favorite chick lit. They are great reads for the beach or bubble bath- and short enough to read over again. I heart her books.

Candlelight Browsing

I take my alone time very seriously. At the end of the day, I plop in front of my laptop to do my stuff. Return e-mails, browse websites, basically get my stuff done. But I normally spend all day at work in front of the computer too. So to relax and unwind at home, I add a couple of things to change the ambiance.


I light up a Tocca Candle in Cleopatra ($32) to fill the room with a light Grapefruit & Cucumber scent. I love clean scents and this one is especially light and airy. The candle also has a nice slow and even burn (total time of 60 hours).



Of course I have to have a snack nearby. These are perfect because they are guilt-free. :)



And lastly, you need something to listen to. Right now I'm hooked on Joss Stone's Mind, Body & Soul. My favorite tracks are "Spoiled" and "Right to be Wrong".

A worthy investment

I have a bevy of features and reviews in queue for this site that I haven't had a chance to write yet- but I had to move this to the top of the list. I am seriously excited about this.

Of course, like anyone else who regularly visits the Sephora website, I've been eyeing T3 products for a while. I have my own ceramic straightener and blow dryer so I have been very hesitant to actually try T3 because of the steep prices. I've heard so many rave reviews about the blow dryer and straightener, but then once I heard that it curls as well as straightens? And it works on WET hair? I decided to look more into it.



The claim: Big bouncy waves- not curls.

The result: Exactly that! I have forever been trying to get Gisele-esque waves... But with my thick black hair I've had perms-gone-bad to body-waves-gone worse. I have a curling iron that only curls the bottom 4" of my hair. I have a diffuser that gives me stiff messy waves that REALLY look like I've just woken up. And now, after years of trying, I finally have the results I want. It's super easy and super quick. The waves are just the right amount of curl to look natural but give a boost of volume. Unfortunately since my hair is jet black, posting a picture wouldn't do much anyway (just a sea of black) but trust me- but it's the closest I've ever had to big wavy hair. :)

Here are the instructions I followed to curl my hair:
Sephora's How-To

So for those of you in LA, head over to the Beverly Center and go to the little beauty shop by the pet store. I got mine there for $164 including tax... not bad since they retail for $200 at Sephora! And keep in mind... it essentially is a blow dryer, straightening iron and curling iron in one!

Otherwise if you want to get one online, click here to get $5 off.

P.S. Is your hair dry because of the hot weather? Try putting on some Leave-In treatment on damp hair before running the iron through- the heat will lock in the moisture and goodies so you have soft, lustrous hair! I recommend Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Leave-In Treatment.