Sweet. Bold. Simple...Smashbox for Spring & Summer 2013

By Laura Medina

It's about high time this time of the year this scribe either hits the road or fly the friendly (or not-so-friendly) skies to hit the approaching Summer socials and soirees in the sweltering, sticky heat...aaahhh Summer!

All this traveling and socializing also means packaging light as your wardrobe.  Think about it, you want your makeup to be bright and bold and light and refreshing as your Summer wardrobe.  Like your schmoozing wardrobe, it must pack into one bag (thanks TSA) in your carry-on or tote bag yet packs a wallop of multiple function and benefits.

These pretty potent cosmetics are the latest developments from Smashbox.

The base and literally, your foundation should be Smashbox's CC (Color Correcting) Cream .  The newest evolution of their award-winning BB (Beauty Balm) Cream for the best quality in the most array of skin shades, Smashbox's CC Cream packs a wallop of coverage plus skincare.

If beauty experts describe BB Cream as foundation with skincare, they describe CC Cream as skincare with a tint of color.

Smashbox's CC Cream provides the full coverage of a foundation but coats the face in prime and sunscreen SPF 30 for a soft suede-like complexion while its lightweight formula fades dark spots, sun spots, and acne-scar marks.  The Barley Extract, Wheat Germ Extract, Licorice Root Extract, Apple Fruit Extract, and

Cucumber Fruit Extract tackle the "face dots and zit pits" as they gently and refreshingly moisturize the face.  What a relief during the Summer in all that humidity and sun.

Once you built your CC Cream base, you can build with a simple stroke of Smashbox's Love Me Paint Pen Eye Liner, a big fat marker of an eyeliner customed-designed by graffiti artist, Curtis Kulig.

Sans layers of eye shadow and mascara, a simple but bold swipe of cat eye-like eyeliner is quick and long-lasting eye makeup.

Using this old Jazz Age Flapper trick (before there was powdered, compact blush)...dab some Smashbox's Mega Tint Long Wear Lip Color on your cheeks then swipe once for a bright but light layer of lip color or swipe more for a more intense color.

Then, for extra dimension, slick on the pretty powerful pink, Smashbox's LOVE ME LIP ENHANCING GLOSS in Adore Me, a FUCHSIA PINK gloss over your lips for extra, sultry and moisturizing sheen, appropriate for Summer's heat.

All 4 makeup items...they can easily pack in your clutch for that quick and fun jaunt, whether you stash them in your glove compartment or your carry-on.  Smashbox got you covered.

Brad Goreski Upgrades Summer Basics at Old Navy

By Laura Medina

Rachel Zoe's prodigy has grown his own pair of wings and landed in Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade's Old Navy store to help customers and fans upgrade and reboot or over-haul their existing staling Summer wardrobe from Old Navy's current cool collection of navy and white cotton, ranging from snap-to-shape tank tops to crispy white denim.

Before meeting the public, Brad had to film his Summer fashion/styling segment for E! News, which either has already been aired or is going to be aired later tonight.

Folks watched behind one of the two dessert buffets.

 

Once all is said and done for E! News, Brad quickly jumped into what he learned under the tutelage of Ms. Zoe, knowing how to upgrade/reboot a wardrobe and refresh an image in fixed circumstances, whether it's styling A-listed actress the day before the awards show to styling the real person set on a real life budget.  Polished under the assistant pressure cooker, Brad does this with an aplomb.

Here are the real-life girls/real Old Navy employees proudly modeling the Brad Goreski-styled wardrobe, built entirely from the brand's current Summer Collection.

Customers and fans were happy to know that dessert was dinner, an array of mini whoopie pies.  The mini coconut whoopie pies was a coconut macaroon pie; and the mini doughnut whoopie pie was filled with nut and apricot jam, sandwiching blueberry frosting.

Folks sipped non-alcohol but still refreshing blueberry-white cranberry juice.  Those really hit the stop during Los Angele's very early heat wave.

Next up, an exercise and health piece trying to get back into shape for the next, arriving round of Summer Soirees, concerts, and parties.

5th Annual On The Go Beauty's Mother’s Day Event Knows How to Pamper Your Mom

By Laura Medina

With access to an approaching warm, sunny Summer weather and thebreezy rooftop deck of the Thompson Hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills,  celebrities such as: Christina Milian and her daughter, Nicole Murphy, Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici, and "1st LXTV" Ali Fedotowsky treated themselves and their moms to...

rejuvenating and soothing skincare and haircare from Olay and Joico Haircare then Stila Cosmetics brighten their day with makeovers.  Folks sipped Owl's Brew light and refreshing tea-based cocktails under the sunny climate.

Guests and their moms relaxed in the Thompson Hotel's poolside canopy-draped cabanas while stylists revamped and braided their tresses, painted henna tattoos, buffed manicures, dabbed makeup, and cleaned the brows.

This is how moms wanted to be treated after all those years.  This beauty retreat is just another form of "thank yous" and gratitude.

Fast Flapper Style from The Great Gatsby

By Laura Medina

How appropriately timed, Sue Wong's birthday was approximately two weeks ahead of "The Great Gatsby" movie release.  Her birthday party/fashion presentation was a Roarin' Twenties Flapper showcase.

Her long gowns in bia-cut silk reminisce Daisy Buchanan's gown when she arrived at one of Jay Gatsby's parties for the first time, when Jay was trying to woo her away from her husband, Tom Buchanan then Tom chased after classic screen goddess, Marlene Dietrich.

Fortunately, those shenanigans never occur at Ms. Wong's soirees but her birthday celebrations was a jolly time to be had with all.

Flotilla of stars showed up for her, obviously wearing her now "roarin' hot" flapper dresses and gowns at the exuberant, rollicking Jazz Age soiree...

Master Romio Shrestha, film actor Thomas Jane (“The Mist”, “The Punisher” and HBO’s “Hung”), Kelsey Grammer and Kayte Walsh Grammer, (Frazier, Cheers), Ryan McPartlin (NBC’s “Chuck”) with wife actress Danielle Kirlin, Malana Lea (“Olympus Has Fallen”), Lauren Mayhew (Showtime’s “Dexter”), pop girl band Blush, Erin Cahill (ABC’s “Red Widow”), Bethany Joy Lenz (CW’s “One Tree Hill”), Jen Lilley (NBC’s “Days of Our Lives”), Helene Cardona (CW’s “Nikita”), model Natasha Salley (wife of former Los Angeles Laker John Salley), casts from Bravo’s various “Real Housewives” reality shows  and “Shahs of Sunset”, among many other actresses, models and socialites. Renowned Israeli opera singer Michael Peer serenaded Sue and her guests.

They all gee and gaw then bookmarked which dress and which gown they want from

her “The Great Gatsby”-inspired Fall 2013 Collection presentation where models graciously model her creations, dotted among locations in her at her palatial home, The Cedars. 

When asked a week later at Britweek's Finale party, the Downton Abbey Vintage Party, about her designs being all the rage now because of "The Great Gatsby," Sue always thought her fashion and style were always "hot" because she always celebrate and honor classic "Olde Hollywood glamour" from the Twenties and the Thirties; and the style exude from those silver screen goddesses.  Whatever current infatuation the general public has for Flapper Fashion due to "The Great Gatsby," it has always been Sue Wong's signature style, regardless if it's in or out.  Sincerely, she got a hoot when she spotted knock-offs at the Downton Abbey Vintage party, http://luxurist.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-downton-abbey-vintage-party-heart.html,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsU1AojIOnk and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwIIOxYApOo.

"The Great Gatsby" movie launch followed nipping at the heels of The Met's "Punk, From Chaos to Couture" Costume Ball.

At StyleHaus' own "The Great Gatsby" cocktail party, the jewelry line, Jared Jamin meld punk meets the Flapper look because that's how today's Flapper is today. Besides, the real Flappers of the Twenties were about flaunting emancipated the women's movement, the car, living fast and moving fast, embracing the hottest technology;..ok, they flipped a middle finger at the stuffy Victorians.

 

Punk was the same way, flipping the finger at the prevailing mainstream.  Why not combine the both?  StyleHaus guests did.  Sexy, slinky sequin gowns and cocktails dresses swung strands of pearls.  Studded and spiked headbands mixed with black and silver pearl baubles.

If you can't figure how to incorporate a flapper dress or gown in your closet or you don't have the rail-thin Flapper figure, don't fret. The accessories are always "accessible" and much easier to keep as heirlooms.  Jared Jamin's Silver Spiked Headstrong headband, http://jaredjamin.com/silver-spiked-headstrong.html, in handsewn lucite, glass, and spiked studs, fast-forward the Flapper into the 21st Century.

 

No look is complete unless you iced the cake with icing, as in you need the makeup style and hair do to finish the look.

Since makeup was associated with the liberated Flapper, those women were hot about makeup and the new packaging technology for mirrored compacts and bullet-shaped lipsticks that are now de rigeur in the drugstore aisle.

Instead of heaving around heavy metal powder compacts like great-granny, do what the Flappers dreamt about portable, quality makeup she can touch up in the convertible like Daisy Buchanan.

Following Jouer Cosmetic's guide, the background face is a pearly complexion dabbed with a color of deep, rich wine then smoldering the eyes in smoky black or brown.

In the 20’s the Bob was racy and daring hairstyle beloved of flappers & starlets, such as Louise Brooks and the heroine Daisy Buchanan from F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel .However its elegant proportions have stood the test of time and The Bob is still fashionable today as it was in 1920.

Spotted at a host of recent catwalk shows (including Anna Sui), the flapper-style bob hairdo is set to make an even bigger comeback in 2013. Chic and stylish, the bob is a hairstyle that’s suitable for everyone. 


Hot Hair has a range of ready-to-wear wigs which are perfect for unleashing your inner flapper. Their exclusive inspired range includes three stunning, ready-to-wear bobs which are designed with exclusive features such as lace fronts to ensure all day comfort and maximum style power. Perfect for banishing bad hair days and for parties and special occasions.  The wigs are easy to care for and pre-styled to hold their shape all day long, leaving you with hair that’ll look freshly styled and coloured, wear after wear
Unleash your inner 1920’s flapper at Twitter: @hothair_online

 

If you want true historical style inspirations and how shocking it was to bob your hair and breeze around in knee-length, bedazzled, fringed chemise, go to http://www.reminisce.com/1900s-1920s/gatsby-girls-fashions-of-the-roaring-20s and learned how liberating it is to walk and ride the trolley car unescorted.

Dr. Hall's Pillo1, a Beauty Pillow

By Laura Medina

Pro-athlete/celebrity chiropractor and sleep science expert Dr. Raymond Hall was searching for a pillow for optimal sleep...and he can't find any.

As anyone who was frustrated, he decided to fill in the gap and design his ideal pillow, the Pillo1.

As a chiropractor, he studied and know how improper spinal alignment and a bad night of sleep can affect overall health which leads to overall appearance.  We all know a lack of sleep leads to a grumpy health, attitude, and appearance.

In designing his pillow, Dr. Hall designed one that support proper spinal alignment, comfortable enough for your mind and body to shut down then recharged; and a pillow that provides all that, whenever a person's body has to switch into all sorts of positions whenever it moves to avoid bed sores.  In other words, a pillow that supports and adjusts to you.

Dr. Hall came up with a contoured, beveled pillow with a special scooped-out center to gently nestle the head and neck.  He even included a special insert for the center for adjusted head support.

Dr. Hall’s integrated ‘Bell Core Technology’ ™ allows you to customize the level of firmness for your neck.  On one side, the rounded, center neckpiece is enveloped by a memory-latex foam blend designed for maximum comfort and firmer support.  However, by rotating your PILLO1™ 180 degrees, you have the additional option of a softer, more conforming and pressure-relieving support.

What's even cooler, a special type of memory foam,  naturally-derived Talalay latex foam and a recyclable, soy-based bio-foam, Dr. Hall’s PILLO1™ design offering two primary sleep surfaces, each with its own beneficial qualities.

Deep inside is a perforated soy-based bio-foam that releases heat while relieving pressure, the most obvious causes for facial wrinkles for those who prefer sleeping on their sides.  Yes, beauty experts prefer you sleeping straight-up, face forward and prone like a corpse.  But, that's not how the body functions.  It naturally twists and turns during REM sleep to instinctively stop bed sores.  The perforated soy bio-foam releases heat, not trap it.  The perforated foam encourages breathablity due to the hundreds of ventilations.  As the foam relieves spinal pressure, it also eases up pressure on the face while you naturally sleep.  Less heat. Less pressure.  Less facial pressing.  Less wrinkles. 

With all the cooling effects from the ventilations and the soy bio-foam, you'll wake up less cranky in a hot Summer morning.  Fewer crankiness.  Fewer wrinkles.

Plus, there's a reason experts say saving your most potent facial creams and serums at night, while you're sleeping.  Deep REM sleep is when your whole body recharges.  When the rest of your body recharges, your skin cells recharges too...with the creams, lotions, and serums, soaking in all that goodness for the next day.

If you can't sleep because of bad spinal alignment; and it's too hot; and you're constantly flipping and turning, your body isn't at it's best, your skin is a drag, under-eye bags are puffing out and darkening, and wrinkles are pressed into your skin.

Dr. Hall's Pillo1 can ease up on those.  Remember, a well-rested body is a rejuvenated face, http://www.pillo1.com.

What's Better than a Wilting Bouquet of Flowers? A Bouquet of Perfumes for All Sorts of Moms

By Laura Medina

In a snap panic attack in what to buy for mom on Mother's Day?  Doling out exorbitant amount of cash for flowers or one of those craved fruit bouquets  then hoping and praying they don't arrive wilted or spoiled on the doorsteps or at least, you hope and pray she'll notice them in the first place?

Instead of disappointing mom on her day, believe it or not, it's far easier to order or buy these yummy, fresh, and clean perfumes within a reasonable budget.

Some professional perfume "noses" say these celebrity mass-market appeal perfumes are just as comparable as their more high-end counterparts...without the sticker shock and very much more available at any drugstore.  They make a great last-minute gift at midnight at the 24-hour drugstore.

Since the majority of these perfumes are within a affordable price range, even junior in junior high or high school or college can spring for a perfume for mom.  At least, ask dad to help out.

With stinky, sweaty Summer close behind, your mom might need a bottle of perfume for relief.

Here's a Cliff Note for different type of perfumes for different types of moms...

Faith Hill's Soul2Soul Vintage is as juicy, down-home Southern, and accessible as the girl-next-door turned sweet neighborhood mom.

The pear/plum/passion flowers top notes mixed together recalls peaches and magnolias.  Peony/Geranium/Gardenia base notes fills out the perfume then Virginian Cedar/oak base notes keep it grounded.

 This Soul2Soul Vintage is Faith Hill in a bottle: sweet, Southern, down-home, and grounded.  Sears sell this at $20.40 http://www.sears.com/faith-hill-soul-2-soul-vintage/p-07416113000P

Another perfume that is just as equally mouth-watering peachy is Tocca's latest perfume, Liliana.

One of the top notes is actually peach. The other top notes are Bergamot and Neroli to prevent it from being too sweet.

The middle notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Gardenia, and Peony makes this classy and refined, balancing out the juicy tops and the richer base notes.

Sandalwood, Musk, Benzoin, and Patchouli base notes deepen and enhance the peach top notes, making Liliana giving a whiff of liquid "raisin."

Tocca's Liliana is an updated vintage for the cashmere twin-set mom.

For the glam mom, the one who manages to sustain her popularity beyond high school and college, Sensational Celine Dion for Women share plum and pear as top notes with Faith Hill's Soul2Soul Vintage but apple's brightness gives it a likable confidence.

There's a full flower garden in this bottle: Mimose/Freesia/Orris Root/Jasmine/Lily-of-the-Valley/Rose/Violet middle notes burst out an out-going personality. 

The smoky base notes of amber and musk keeps the glam mom hot long after high school and college.

Do you have the career mom? The mom who sees herself as a good role model, as in top makeup artist, Patti Dubroff or an Anna Wintour-type, who wants to instill professionalism, discipline, education, culture, and etiquette so their kids will grow up into respectable adults. 

Believe it or not, Hugo Boss' Boss Nuit Pour Femme Hugo Boss for Women has Gwyneth Paltrow as a spokesmodel.

This "power mom" perfume does have peach as one of the two top notes but the Aldehydes gives off a whiff of confidence and assurance...a mom who knows what she's doing. 

Jasmine/Violet/White Flowers middle aromas denote classiness.

The base notes of Sandalwood and Moss make it modern and professional.

Do you have the practical mom? The keep-it-straight mom?  The no-nonsense mom who wants it clean, fast-forward, and straight-forward and wants to smell like it during the stinky, sweaty days of Summer;..and it comes in a big, bulky, economical sized-bottle?

Nautica Aqua Rush's top notes of  Yuzu/Coriander/Sea water keeps it fruity fresh, clean, and grounded.

The middle notes of Violet Leaf/Mint/Clary Sage brightens up her senses, keeping her awake to get things done right and on time.


The earthy base notes of Amber/Woodsy Notes/Teak Wood/Musk reflect her groundedness.

See, not one perfume fits all moms.  Because there are a number of moms, there are a plenty of perfumes to go around...don't panic.  You can shop for them at reasonable department stores and drugstores.

Remember, it's the thought that counts.

Down to Earth Advice & Sympathy & Empathy from the Moms of "Sh*tty Mom"

By Laura Medina

Unlike the overly-romantic and under-realistic parenting guide books out in the market, this "tell it like it is" Sh*tty Mom Parenting Book is written for the today's mom.  The woman that has it all or had done it all...and having all the responsibilities and the stress that comes along with the package.

Go to their site, http://shttymom.com/ and you will read a sage, age-olde advice, "Sometimes you just want to give up!  Well you can’t."  Motherhood, single, divorceed, hooked-up, or married, is a long-haul of a journey and these whipped-smart career mommies will tell you how to deal in their book, http://shttymom.com/

In anticipation of the approaching Mother's Day, two of the four authors (who are "The Today Show" producers in Manhattan), Alicia Ybarbo and Mary Ann Zoellner, had a Mommy recharge and retreat while promoting their book in Beverly Hills' Beverly Wilshire's Lea Journo Salon.  

Other mommies has joined them in this book tour stop/pampering event for a much-deserved recharge.

"Sh*tty Mom" is a realistic parenting book for the rest of us.