summer product lovin'

{ carry along's }

{ product love }

I thought I would share my favorite products/accessories during these hot summer months. Not to say that I use all of these every single day; or that I don't use other products that aren't here. These are front runners for me right now--here it goes,

Fedora--mine is soft sea grass, bendable & comfy so you can lay down in it (just bend the back down), or stuff it in your beach bag. From Gap over a year ago.
Scarf--for the new favorite Turban. Escape doing your hair, having the sun bleach out your strategically placed 'melting', and generally rock a pretty fun look.
Sunnies--my shades of choice are from Ray Ban. I have their 80's way farer, a slightly smaller frame that doesn't tilt away from your face. I'm in love with them. Although I must admit am in the market for a tortoise-y cat eye if I find one that pleases me.
Beach Towel--mine is ginatly over-sized, & brightly colored. And why wouldn't it be?!
OPI--nothing better than a fun mani/pedi when you've got your feet in the sand & sun. My favorite this summer is the Pirate's of the Caribbean line, but especially Mermaid Tears & Stranger Tides.
Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray--spray in after the pool to revive the wave....actually mixes well with a little grease, sun-screen & chlorine...haha.
Giant beach bag--mine is large, and covered in sea foam colored stripes. From Gap like 10 years ago!
Products--
Shu Umera Chamomile toner--I keep mine the the refrigerator & spritz my face, neck & decolate after soaking in the sun, or just a long day. It's cool & smells faintly of chamomile tea...so refreshing.
Aveda Hair Veil--(orange spritz bottle) spray in hair after styling, or once air dried. Like a sunscreen for the hair, protects color & scalp from the rays.
Smith's Rosebud Salve--a staple in my bed-side drawer. I sleep with this on my lips every night, but also find it handy for any skin that is chapped or dry.
Aveda Green Science eye cream--a must before bed...but now that I'm getting so much sun, my skin is parched by the end of the day & drinks this up the minute it hits my face.
Aveda Tinted Moisturizer--I love this for weekends and days off. Just the smallest hint of coverage, creamy texture that soaks into sun drenched skin & spf 15.
Aveda--beautifying composition. This is a MIRACLE product. I put it in my hair if it feels dry. Sleep with it in my hair if I know I'm washing it the next day (like a lot of it....at least a quarter sized massaged into palms then worked from scalp to ends)...also use it as a body moisturizer. It leaves a faint sheen on the skin (not greasy), smells of lavender & makes skin feel like butter.
Fresh Fig Apricot perfume--sweet & nostalgic...perfect for summer.
Aveda--Exfoliant. Perfectly refreshing for the skin. A liquid exfoliator that uses salicylic instead of abrasive grainy beads that are harsh on the skin. I use this every morning before I do anything else to my face. It's a life saver.
Aveda Caribbean therapy flower water--since dis-continued (oh aveda), again I keep this in the refrigerator & spritz my hair & body down with it when I come in out of the sun. I hate that hot, sticky, parched skin feeling you get from the sun, salt & chlorine. This & the chamomile toner re hydrate skin making it feel soft & supple again.
Clarisonic Mia--use this a few times a week with my cleanser at night. Buffs away dull & dry skin cells, leaving your skin softer and more luminous. yes, please.

So folks...there's always more in the land of products in my bath room....but I'll spare you all the details of my over obsessive product love. I like summer to feel easy, breezy, refreshing & hydrating. Not always easy when sun, surf, chlorine & sun screen have anything to do with it.

weekend doings...

{ sleeping in on Sunday }
{ tried this cauliflower recipe.... }

{ and it was really, really tasty! }

{ relaxing on the deck...and getting a tan--err..sunburn }

so that was our weekend...mix in a little wedding makeup by moi on Saturday....and a lovely surprise 30th bday in Santa Barbara for a dear friend later that day...which lead us on a beautiful drive through los olivos and santa ynez !!! why do weekends always leave you wishing for the next one to be upon you!?! Happy Monday lovlies !

:: peace and love ::

Ombre Hair....fully obsessed : )

I love this...it's pretty hot if you ask me...we call it melting at my salon/spa, but ombre is tres chic don't you think!? This look has been all over Lux, on all the employees hair, on our clients hair...I love the undone feel of anything...especially hair! I've got a bit of this going on in my hair right now, and this only makes me want more!!! What do you think of this surfer(ish)...undone hair............honestly, I'm fully obsessed!!!!

:: peace and love ::

*pic from Who What Wear Daily

holiday gifting....

Sorry for the shameless plug which is this post about the AMAZING Aveda holiday packages going on right now......but really, you're welcome, because they are honestly awesome presents and I would love love to get these as gifts...oh ya the point....your friends will like these as gifts too! The Himalayan Glow soy wax candle with the aroma of organic clove, vanilla and cinnamon it's the most lovely aroma (i bought 3 all for myself...shhh...that's just ridiculous). The 7 points of balance--where you get all 7 mini sized chakra balancing body mists (which is awesome because your body needs different chakra balancing on different days..so having all 7 is ideal). Lastly the Ritual of Relief package which includes the Hand and Foot relief (plus 2 travel sizes of each), given the price of the package it's like you are getting the travel sizes free......

On top of the general good deal, and awesome products....one of the reasons I love Aveda so dearly is that they partner up with different countries and cultures around the world to sustain their economy and find truly organic and quality ingredients for their products. Each holiday season for 3 years now Aveda has partnered up with the Nepali visionaries and organizations to produce the beautiful handcrafted paper for the gift boxes of all our holiday packages....not only that but the beautiful images of this amazing culture inspires Aveda's entire holiday decor!! Read more about the partnership HERE...it really is a fun story, and one of the many reasons I love Aveda's mission !!!!

:: peace and love ::

*there are many more holiday packages, see here.

Lush Goodness

I seem to go in themes when I blog...there for I have another 'body' product for your evaluation! Lush products in general seem fantastic..I am constantly hearing their praises in magazines and blogs....and since our salon hasn't been getting any new shipments of our Rosemary Mint (our preference at Aveda) shave cream....that leads me to believe that Aveda has discontinued the product.....this means we will be needing another shave cream soon...and if I get to it...this is the one I'd like us to try!!!!
If you have tried Lush products and have a review for me...I'd love to hear it here!

:: peace and love ::

Burt's Bees Lovin'

Alright...I DO love Aveda (best word being Obsessed!) but every time I see Burt's Bees products I want to snatch up some of that cuteness (!!). I still haven't tried anything (but with their affordable prices...cute packaging (no it doesn't 'technically' matter...don't judge me) and eco friendly message) makes me believe I will be giving it a shot shortly!!!!!!

Check out their research and development info here.

The products above are the one's I'm interested in trying, the Rosewater Toner, Peppermint and Rosemary Body Wash, and Repair Serum.

:: peace and love ::

Donate to the Surfrider Foundation!!!

For Earth Month Salon Lux chose the non profit Surfrider Foundation to raise funds towards clean water for!! As of now we are just shy of our goal for the month, so we set up a site (here) where you can donate $$ to Surfrider! 100% of the donation goes to them, and there is a spot to leave a message if you'd like ;-)
Happy Earth Month (we do a whole month at Lux...why not right!?)

:: peace and love ::

Aveda Embrightenment Revisited ;-)

I said I would do a post revisiting the effects of Aveda's Embrightenment collection, so here I am. I have the WHOLE collection and ((seriously)) am obsessed with it and LOVE it. That's a lot of excitement for one sentence. Go to Aveda's site to read the details...all I can say is that the aroma is light but wonderful, the consistencies and textures of the products are wonderful, and I really have NO complaints about the line so far....I have been using it for a couple months now and still have a ways to go as far as testing Aveda's guarantee on the line. Really....my one delight is that I enjoy it, and the best part is that it doesn't make me break out (more than I do hormonally already) which is really a selling point. It's a great skin care line for people who want to move up from the adolescent 'Cetephil's' and 'Proactive's' of the world but aren't really ready for something intensively "anti aging". If you have any specific questions about the line, or my personal experience please e mail me!!
* I will say my favorites of the line are the :: cleanser (nourishing with coconut surfactants, slightly exfoliating and opalescent looking--you only need a smidgen with lots of water and it suds up wonderfully), the toner (a "2 in 1" with the toning effects we love and the liquid exfoliation that we need...leaves skin silky smooth and totally free of built up dry skin cells), and the moisturizing cream (I'm always weary of cream's because I have combination skin--but this one moisturizes amazingly and still feels light and un-stifling!).

:: peace and love ::

Aveda's NEW Embrightenment

Aveda has a brand new skin care line called 'Embrightenment' which is a discoloration treatment focused on evening the skin tone and increasing the overall luminosity of the skin. It combines high tech plant technology, made up of a 99.7% naturally derived formula. If the system is used in completion day and night there is said to be a 34% reduction in the appearance of discoloration and dark spots and a 52% improvement in visible clarity. I'm pretty excited about this line...I've done my share of time in the sun what with growing up in Ca and life guarding for most of my teenage years. This has caused minor dark spots in some places and I have a feeling that the ingredients it contains will also help with my minor breakouts that I experience. So far I have the moisturizing cream and am super excited to get the rest. This line retails for $275 that is for everything shown above (sorry for the poor pic quality..it is not even launched on the Aveda site yet and I had to search to even find this one). This line should be arriving in stores (it's already at Lux, so come on in) and on the official Aveda site shortly. I suggest trying it out, if you hate it (which would be impossible) you can always exchange it for other products you love. I will post more detailed information and links soon!! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend : )

:: peace and love ::

Pizzelle Italian Waffle Cookies

*Cookies usually served flat (pic has them rolled)..you may do it either way.

Pizzelle or "snowflake" cookies are a traditional and beautiful Italian waffle cookie made with anise seeds (or anise extract). I had these years and years ago, a friend of mine and her family were Italian and made these in mass quantities. We would then eat them in mass quantaties, but hey...they are amazingly delicious!!! You do need a Pizzelle press to form these delightful little treats, but they are not hard to come by. I am going to be bringing this memory back to life for a tea party soon. Yep, that's right, a tea party. Why not right, if we can have cocktail parties, I am going to have a beautiful little tea party with cups and saucers, Aveda Tea, Pizzelle cookies and lavender scones (we might even throw a little cheese and crackers in there). Hope they turn out just like I remember, and I hope you will try them and enjoy them as much as I did the first time!
Italian Waffle Cookie Ingredients
6 eggs
1 cup butter melted
3 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oil of anise
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions for Pizzelle Italian Waffle Cookie. Beat eggs and add sugar gradually, blending well. Add cooled melted butter and flavorings, mixing well. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to egg mixture. The dough will be sticky. Get one rounded teaspoon of dough on each side of iron and close top. When it stops smoking, lift to look at them. They cook very quickly. Cool on plate and stack when completely cooled.

:: peace and love ::

:: Candy Lips ::

Can I just say how much I'm loving matte red lips right now!? It always feels a bit intimidating, trying to 'pull off' the red lips....not many attempt it, some naturally asume that it would just never look good on them and don't even try. I happen to love it, and I would do it much more often if it weren't for my honey (who is really not a fan....) bummer for me, but I still do when I really want to anyway (sorry doll). There are many great pics of fab. red lips, but I found myself obsessing over these two covers this year. Reese Witherspoon on the cover of the November VOGUE and Kirsten Dunst on the cover of the October BAZAAR. Both have that milky fair skin, light eyes and retro 50's blond hair. I loved how both lip colors used were matte and a bit darker, as apposed to that orange tone so many have. My 2 suggestions for great matte red lips are Nars Velvet Matte Lip Crayon in Dragon Girl, and Aveda-Nourish-Mint Lipstick in Poppy. I have tried both and love both....I love the consistency of Aveda lip products (obviously), but will say that the Nars lip crayon is a bit more convenient to apply.
Lets all try some candy lips : )
Smooch!!

:: peace and love ::

My First Purchases at Lux

Pure Abundance Hair Potion $23 :: Thickens hair up to 17%, creates matte texture. I love this product because it lends some voluming, texture and shape to fine hair. It lends this to all hair types, but I love it for myself, because sometimes my hair (even though I have a lot of it, it is super fine) just kind of lays there, when I want it to be a bit more "rocked out" as they call it. : )

Air Control Hair Spray $24 :: This is a perfect all purpose, all hair types hair spray! The fabulous part of it, is it's made with 100% wind power so you can support alternative methods of production whilst achieving great hair! If you get just a few things from AVEDA, this should be one of them. Super light mist spray, dry, fab hold with out sticky or crunchy texture!

Botanical Kinetics Skin Finishing/Toning Mist $19 :: They have two different toning mists. This one is focused more on hydration for normal to dry skin types (as opposed to the one focused more towards normal to oily skin types). Although I experience some minor breakouts, I got this one because it smells amazing (like roses), feels really nourishing, which my skin needs in the winter and wont make my skin break out. Use it after cleansing, or after shower to give skin more moisture!

Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion $32 :: This is a perfect everyday moisturizer. So far I like it, it's simple, doesn't have a super strong aroma, isn't sticky so I can easily wear it under makeup and blends nicely into the skin.

Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant $42 (16.9 oz) :: This non-abrasive liquid wipes away spent surface cells revealing a smoother, clearer, more refined complexion beneath—and pores that are primed for maximum treatment and moisture benefits. Promoting skin clarity and smoothness, leaves skin looking soft, smooth and supple with a healthy glow. I'm really excited about this product, I got the big one so Wes and I can both use it....I think this is going to be a staple in our daily routines!!!

:: peace and love ::

Aveda Magnetic Compact

Disclaimer :: I will be posting lots of Aveda good(ness)....why? 1. Because there is a lot of it and 2. Because you should definitely be aware of it. You're welcome!!!

You should have seen my face when I saw this compact!! Okay...breathe....you buy it separately ($19), but can customize it's contents to your preferences! It is magnetic inside, all of Aveda's makeup comes separately from a container and is in a tin tray, so that you can put it inside the compact of your choice (which is re-usable) there for saving you $$ in the long run and saving the environment by not wasting materials. This particular one can fit one face powder -or- one blush and two eye shadows -or- 2 blushes -or- 4 eye shadows (the possibilities are endless). Also, see at the top where it looks rounded? This is where you slip in a lipstick or the minty balm for lips (if you're not a lipstick gal) of your choice, then you have a little compact with everything you could possibly need!!!! I KNOW...it's flippin awesome!

:: peace and love ::

Aveda :: Balancing Mists

As my previous post stated, I recently got a new job at Salon Lux, an Aveda lifestyle salon/spa. I am absolutely LOVING it so far, I love what they stand for and what they do for the environment. Their products (which I have used and loved for years) are amazing, they are focused 100% on customer satisfaction, making so many options a customized experience.

I got to go on, what they call, a "sensory experience" to find the scent that I 'needed' at that time. It was hard to pick one, their essential oils (only for professional use) smell so wonderful. I did end up picking Chakra 7 essential oil which has the essences of olibanum, angelica and elemi to leave one feeling well-balanced. This oil was combined with a perfume base and made into my own little personalized perfume spray that I can bring with me in my purse!!!! I was so stoked, it smells amazing and it was so fun to make it.

You can get the same experience by going into any Aveda lifestyle salon/spa. Or, you can go online here to purchase one of their Balancing Chakra Body Mists (which can also be used as sheet spray..good to know). Lets have some Aveda love people : )

:: peace and love ::

MY NEW JOB :: Salon Lux

Yeahhh.......I have been interviewing at Salon Lux for the past couple weeks, and I found out I got the job yesterday : ) I am stoked to work at such a beautiful, reputable and absolutly delightful salon/spa!!! Just wanted to share some joy, I will try to post more soon, have been busy (being awesome) nah....lol.

:: peace and love ::