The Burgundy Room

Where: Cahuenga Corridor | Hollywood

The Look & Product:

Sultry Siren: Achieve this look with Hourglass Cosmetic’s Adorn Lipstick in Cherish, the perfect deep shade of red to compliment the dark burgundy low-lights of this Hollywood bar.

What: This dark (and yes I do mean pitch black dark) narrow bar will have you disappearing into the Hollywood night. Don’t be alarmed by the skeletons above the bar…those are just extras from Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Most random moment: Once during a girl’s night out, we were graced with the presence of Johnny Knoxville decked out in a full on sailor suit. Doesn’t get any better than that.

Snakepit Alehouse

Where: Melrose | West Hollywood

The look: Tough girl with a heart of gold: Smokey eyes with pale pink cheeks. Try gloMinerals Smoky Eye palette and their gloBlush in Rosebud.

The 411: Are you a beer drinker? Then this is your spot. 20 beers on tap, mostly tried and trues like the Busch family and Pyramid.

Favorite moment: After one crazy filled night, my friends and I landed at the Snakepit, ending the night tangoing across Melrose at 2am. Where were the paparazzi for that moment?

Kibitz Room

Where: Fairfax | West Hollywood

History lesson: Tucked alongside the Famous Fairfax deli, Canter’s, this legendary bar has housed some of the best 80’s hair bands of our times (think Aerosmith). Still keeping with its true roots, Kibitz keeps its drinks strong and its stage (more like bar walkway) ready for up and coming music acts.

Jukebox Maven: Tight jeans, some killer dancing shoes and Too Faced Lava Gloss Eye Liner. This eyeliner will summon your inner Joan Jett.

Source: Flickr User Avriette

Last week’s introduction of the Safe Chemicals Act (which has been in the works for 10+ years!) aims to reform our toxics law and force companies to show that their chemicals are kid-safe before they are put on the market.  In an earlier post I wrote about the EWG finding close to 300 chemicals in umbilical cord blood, including BPA, perchlorate, fire retardants, lead, mercury, and PCBs.  With this new legislation, these unacceptable findings will be a thing of the past! This new law would empower the EPA to regulate these chemicals, and it also establishes new research programs to help us better understand the risk toxic industrial chemicals pose to children. Finally, putting our health and safety first!!!

Even with this giant step forward, real change is still years away.  We need to remember the power we have as consumers – by choosing natural products, we are helping to push the big beauty players to switch to natural ingredients.  Consider the impact – in California alone, more than 220 tons of personal care products are sold daily in the state – including 52 tons of hair spray, 24 tons of styling gel and 12 tons of fragrance!  So if you haven’t tried out a natural cosmetics brand yet, now is the time!

During the week of 4/19 – 4/25 glow.com and dermstore.com will be donating 5% of sales from natural and organic brands to earthday.org, with a minimum donation of $1000.  If you’ve never used mineral makeup, I have to encourage you to give Raw Natural Minerals a try.  It’s the only mineral makeup formulated with active botanicals that produce real anti-aging benefits!  Try it with a natural skincare product like Raw Skincare Ambiaty Daily Revitalizing Cream. My skin loves this combo and for the week of Earth week you can enter in the promo code RAWEARTH at checkout on glow.com for a 20% discount!  Happy Shopping!!

Source: Flickr user massdistraction

Let’s start at the basics, you take a shower in the morning and the first thing you put on is probably a lotion or moisturizer because your skin may be a little dry from the hot water. You want to start the day off in the best mood possible and a natural body lotion can help contribute. My recommendation for a natural body lotion is Pangea Organics Hand and Body Lotion. This lotion has top grade essential oils in each formulation that deliver aromatherapy and aid in skin health improvement. It comes in 5 different variations that are all very therapeutic and nourishing to your skin. My two favorites are the French Chammomile with Sweet Orange and Lavender and Indian Lemongrass with Rosemary. Each of the scents has different therapeutic benefits so you may customize to your aromatic needs. If I’ll be out in the sun it’s extremely important to add sun care. I absolutely love Decleor’s Aromessence Solaire Body for its natural protection booster. For the alternative price, Coola suncare also offers a yummy smelling sun block that is waterproof and helps moisturize.

The next step in my regimen is incorporating a natural moisturizer. My sensitive skin is very touchy with chemicals, so switching to a natural moisturizer was easy and I noticed the difference almost immediately. Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer is amazing because it comes with a blend of firming peptides and vitamin C that help nourish and replenish the skin’s moisture level at the same time helping to build collagen. This moisturizer is made of 100% organic ingredients and Juice Beauty is dedicated to providing eco-conscious skincare. An easy way to bypass foundation in your beauty routine is to use a tinted moisturizer, but a lot of them have harmful ingredients. (One I happen to be completely allergic to) Suki Skin Care’s Tinted Active Moisturizer is an amazing multi-functioning product that helps firm, reduce inflammation and prevent premature aging. By using this in the morning you won’t have to go through the motions of a moisturizer and foundation/powder.

Source: flickr user aussiegall

Earth day is a day that everyone should take notice and it’s fun to get involved. It’s not just doing good for our mother earth but for yourself and your future. For more information on earth day and natural beauty products you can check out the rest of the fun natural cosmetics glow has in the natural and organic section. Make sure to take the steps to be beautiful and make sure that you’re helping our gorgeous earth at the same time. The best part about shopping online, is it’s the green way to shop. Beautiful earth, beautiful you.

SmartLash can fix Hypotrichosis, also known as inadequate eyelashes, in as little as 7 days! It has a gentle formula that users peptides instead of prostaglandin to help improve the look of your lashes AND brows. Here are a few reasons why you should choose SmartLash Eyelash Enhancer as opposed to other products:

1. It provides results in as little as 7 days!
2. It has a clinically tested formula that features clinically tested ingredients.
3. It is Prostaglandin-free (competitors are not).
4. Works on BOTH lashes and brows.
5. Sensitive skin isn’t irritated.

So you think your eyelashes or brows don’t need a boost? You might be right but if you have that one special event: a/your wedding, your birthday, high school reunion, spring formal etc. SmartLash Eyelash Enhancer will be your golden ticket to stealing the spotlight. Maybe you want to use less mascara or enhance the look and color of your lashes and brows without caking all that make up on them, then SmartLash Eyelash Enhancer is for you.

It’s easy to use and clean to use. Be sure to shake the tube before each use. Then apply Smartlash twice a day (morning and evening) to the eyelid skin at the base of the lashes (do not apply directly to the lashes). You can apply to the base of both the upper and lower lashes. However, you must allow it to dry fuller before putting on mascara or eyeliner. You can also apply it to your eyebrow however you desire.

What are you waiting for? Go get the lashes you deserve (in 2 days)!  The product will be available Thursday, March 18^th @ glow.com.

Recently my life changed when I joined a new club called “mommyhood”. Time management has taken on a whole new meaning and as cliché as it sounds: there are simply NOT enough hours in the day. Feeding, changing, entertaining, and holding your little bundle of joy leaves you without much time for a beauty regimen. To be honest, some days it feels like there is barely enough time to shower! Here are a few beauty product lifesavers that I’ve come to rely on day in and day out.

1. Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo – I can’t think of any new mom who has time to wash her hair every day. For a busy or new mom, dry shampoo is the miracle hair care product! It absorbs excess oils and freshens your hair without the time in the shower. This is one hair care product I can’t live without.

2. Glowology – The Balm – with all the diaper changing, laundry and hand washing “mommyhood” requires your hands are sure to dry out. The natural alpha-hydroxy acids in The Balm, moisturize, soften and exfoliate even the driest hands. I love that among other great ingredients, it has organic shea butter, sunflower oil and aloe that .

3. Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream – This beauty product is the ultimate all-in-one skin care lifesaver! Some of its many uses are cuticle conditioner, lip balm, stretch mark treatment, scar solution, face moisturizer and eye crème. The list goes on and on since it’s antibacterial, non-greasy and toxin-free.

4. Frais Hand Sanitizer – l am not exaggerating when I say there is a bottle in every room of my house. I love that Frais doesn’t irritate my hands the way most other anti-bacterial hand sanitizers have in the past. The essential oils act as a moisturizer and are a key component in keeping my hands soft and germ free.

Another new mom lifesaver I’ve come to rely heavily on is on-line shopping. Luckily, all of these beauty products are available at glow.com!

Source: Allure

TREND: Bright-Eyed Beauty
SEEN AT: Christian Dior, Michael Kors and Versace
Go for a flash of color with violet or turquoise eyeshadows for a super fresh look this spring. It’s a really fun and easy way to add color without looking like you are trying too hard.  Get more bang for your buck with an eyeshadow palette—this way you can create lots of different looks without having to make more product purchases. Pastels were all the rage; my favorite looks were powerful in purple or playful in a shimmering turquoise shade. This makeup trend is super easy to do yourself, but if it feels too bold, play it down and just line your lower lash line. Add a little water to a brow or eyeliner brush before dipping it in your eyeshadow you and are on your way to some subtle, yet very sexy color. 

Source: style.com

Source: Allure

TREND: Powerful Pouts
SEEN AT: Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior and Prada
Lips received a jolt of electricity this season with the makeup trend focusing on variations of red. At Prada, models popped with a high-shine, blood-orange mouth that oozed sex and innocence while the models at Dolce & Gabbana seduced in a rich red lipstick created by makeup artist Pat McGrath using 3 of D&G’s lipsticks.  Go D&G style by creating your own shade of a sexy red to seduce in or if you prefer lips with a citrus twist try 3 Custom Color Specialists Lip Gloss in Mango.

Source: Flickr User Molly Darling

Step 1: Prepare in advance. About two weeks before V-Day, start being extremely nice to your man and surprise him with random acts of kindness. Remind him why he loves you and fell in love with you. Whisper sweet nothings into his ear, seduce, cook, clean and be that trophy wife for him that he’s proud to parade around. Of course, we all know the fact is that men have short term memories which last about 1-2 weeks. If you’re unusually nice to him two weeks before V-Day, he’ll be persuaded into believing that you’re this awesome all the time (and hopefully forget about that one night rendezvous with his brother). Therefore, you’ll get better gifts on V-Day and won’t mind spending the money on his perfect honey.

Step 2: One week before V-Day, cease this barrage of kindness and pretend to be disinterested. Let the lost puppy chase his owner. This way you can guilt him, or in the least instill fear in him and really put him on his heels. He’ll be thinking: “what happened? What did I do? Did she forget about how much she loves me?” And really, if fear has gotten us into two wars, it can at least get us a bit more than flowers and candy, am I right ladies? At this time, it’s a great time to put up your list of gifts where he can see them, as “suggestions”. You can even have the kids help out with this one and send over an email to your hubby of a “this is what mommy wants”.

** This step is tricky because you have to be careful not to let him know your game. As soon as he realizes he’s being manipulated, he’ll no longer be guilted into buying gifts; and guilt it the key to getting what you want!**

Step 3: Establish competition. Take some time to do your makeup, hair and put on that certain item of clothing that you know makes him go bananas. Men thrive off of competition.  If you sneakily insert a fable (or a true story) about how some other lover gave you the best Valentine’s Day ever, he’ll be sure to try to out-do his competition.  But once again, subtlety is extremely important you don’t want to over-do it.

The last step of your grand scheme is almost a repeat of step one. Start planning for next year.  Guys don’t really remember details, they remember GRAND gestures. The key here is to overreact and thank him excessively for such a wonderful V-day, when you get your Jane Iredale ChocohoLICKS lip gloss set and your Vera Wang Eau De Parfum. In turn he feels gratified and accomplished as a man, and remember that specific feeling of greatness for next year.

Don’t feel bad, you’re actually doing him a favor through all of this. Men don’t realize the importance of having an effective hair dryer and other essential makeup and skin care products. If they did, they’d realize that we’d be able to get ready in half the time that we normally do and they’d have no hesitation on buying them. So don’t feel guilty about a little “influencing” to get what you want, you’re only saving him serious money spent on roses and unnecessary weight from candy.

There you have it ladies, the only surprise that my lovely husband should be getting after all is how much I’ve spent on his black American Express card. Just don’t forget that after you get your wish list, thank him and love him dearly, as he is your other half. According to Maslow, men are easy; he’ll want sex, food, and some stroking to his ego, plus, a happy wife = a happy life. Stick to those principles and you have a happy man.

Love,

The Maniacal Housewife

KEEPING IT LOCAL

Where: Grunions

Who: TMZ sleuth and entertainer: Max Hodges

Product: LORAC COSMETICS, Special Effects – Conditioning, Defining & Lengthening Mascara – Black Pearl & Gray Pearl

My favorite local bar and restaurant just helped me earn my CRUNK badge while LORAC Cosmetics, Special Effects mascara kept my lashes super sleek and long when hanging with good friends and TMZ favorite, Max Hodges. With the rain coming down and a jukebox filed with classics, LORAC’s magical mascara stayed on for the long haul of the night and didn’t smudge during our Lady Gaga electric slide-athon.

flickr user: Sagittarian Images

International Wine Festival

Where: Hollywood Renaissance Hotel

Who: Drink Eat Play event

Product: LORAC’s Croc Eye/Cheek Palette

International wine festival just means one thing…I’m there with bells on. A devoted fan of all DRINK EAT PLAY events, I joined my friends for a night in Hollywood trying different Malbecs, Merlots and Pinots (and somehow sake made its way to this event). In order to take my look from day to night, I used LORAC’s palette of neutral colors. The packaging is super chic and the color palette was perfect with its amazing pigments and endless combinations.

And on a final note…

Special thanks to fellow glow blogger, J. Michelle, for introducing me to the iphone app, foursquare that has been documenting my stops through LA!

For those of you who don’t know, the cold winter climate can cause serious damage to all hair types if you don’t use the right products to protect it. During the cold winter months, many people experience dry, dull and brittle hair. The cold weather also causes your hair and scalp to dry out more, which is something I have experienced firsthand.

Even though I live in Southern California, where the winters aren’t too harsh, I still hit up the local mountain resorts throughout the winter for all-day snowboarding sessions. Because of this, I have noticed that my hair has become super dull and has been seriously lacking in the volume department. I realized I needed a quick fix to help bring my hair back to life. After taking the time to look for a simple hair treatment, I decided to try PHYX by KRONOS, an overnight anti-aging hair product (yes, we even have to worry about our hair aging!). This became one of the best decisions I have ever made for my hair.

This overnight miracle treatment is clinically proven to bring life back to your hair, giving it the youthful appearance it deserves. The bottle instructed to apply PHYX to your hair before bedtime and leave it in until the morning. You are advised to repeat this treatment two to three times a week, but, since I prefer a simple beauty routine, I decided to go with two. It’s been two weeks and I have already noticed my hair coming back to life. My hair is now more soft and manageable, and has more volume. I definitely recommend PHYX to anyone in desperate need of a winter hair makeover. It’s the ultimate beauty rest that your hair needs!

The solution to my hair problem was helped by one product that I can honestly swear by. Using an overnight conditioning treatment when you have colored hair is a must. It brings shine, moisture and vibrancy back into damaged hair and can make all the difference. The night before the races, I used Kronos Phyx Overnight Repair Masque. I can’t lie, this product can be a little pricey but it’s worth every penny. You put it on at night and can sleep on it, then wash it out in the morning and tada! Shinier, healthier hair just like that.

The next thing to do was taking care of my skin. It was dry and aching for some moisture, since my busy life hasn’t allowed me to pay much attention to it. I can’t stress enough how important it is to moisturize your skin everyday regardless of your skin type. My skin is naturally on the dry side, but the fall and winter season definitely amp up the dryness. Since my skin was pretty dry, I didn’t want to use anything harsh to exfoliate, but it was that time of the week to do so. Using a fine grained sugar scrub, I gently massaged it in tiny circles around my face. No pulling, no frantic scrubbing, just a motion that was easy, but good enough to get the job done. Next thing on the list is to finish up with a hydrating toner and a moisturizer. I absolutely love Jason Organic’s moisturizer because it’s not too oily, but sits perfect on my skin while hydrating it, and if i wanted to put on makeup afterwards it doesn’t compromise any of the makeup product application. Since I used a hydrating toner that does my skin wonders, I didn’t need to use a heavier moisturizer. You can substitute the moisturizer and toner for a moisturizer that’s a bit heavier for great results also.

Waking up the morning of, my hair was hydrated, and my skin was soft and supple. After a regimen like that and some tender love and care to your hair and skin, you’re not just ready for the day but you’ve got a more confident self. Now on to the next thing on the list – to win..