Seattle Spotlight: Nordstrom Nail Bar!

I discovered something wonderful quite by accident the other day while wandering downtown on a Sunday morning. The newly remodeled flagship Nordstrom store has a "Nail Bar" right next to their coffee shop on the main floor. What's so special about that? Well let me tell you.

When you get there you can go wander the entire cosmetics and skincare floor and pick ANYTHING you want to use during your mani/pedi. That's right, any nail polish, any lotion or scrub...on the whole floor. I choose super fancy Dior nail polish and this fabulous champagne scented lotion from Fresh. It was luxurious, affordable and fun. Check it out.

Vacation Fun: Flash Tattoos

We are home from vacation and had an amazing time at Priest Lake last week! I can't wait to share more pictures but in the meantime I had to post about our fun little vacation accessory, Flash Tattoos! I got these for a gift in the spring and threw them in my bag at the last minute to try out on vacation. There were a ton in the package and we girls cut them all up and used them as rings, bracelets, arm bands, anklets, etc. With multiple sunscreen applications and swimming they didn't last the full 4-5 days but we enjoyed them for a while and they came off really easy. I think little girls would love these too! 

PS. Beyonce just designed a set of Flash Tattoos-- next time!

Hair Trick

I read this article a while back about tricks for parting your hair and changing your look. I decided to try parting my hair on the opposite side for the first time....ever. I have been parting my hair on the left side for about 15 years because I always thought my cowlick meant I had to. The first couple of times I did it I had to blow dry my hair in the opposite direction to get it to stay but IT WAS AMAZING. My hair has so much more volume and entirely covers up my cowlick on the other side. 

The first day I tried it I looked in the mirror and was convinced that everyone who saw me was going to make comments all day because it just looked so so different to me. But guess what...no one noticed, not even Patrick or my closest colleagues. I had quite a few comments that my hair looked good or had more volume but no one even noticed that I had reversed my normal part. Which I think is actually a good thing. 

Anyway, if you want an experiment this summer give it a try. The one thing I did have to do was tell my hair colorist so that she could add some extra highlights on the other side of my head. Waa la! New summer look. 

Holiday Nail Art

So I got a manicure yesterday for the holidays (above!) and I went a little wild by adding one fingernail of glitter to each hand. I've never done this before but I keep seeing it around town and I thought it would add a little cheer to my normal paint...and I love it! I might get even more brave and go for something bold like the nail art below by Black Magic Nails at Bang Salon on Capitol Hill. What do you think?? I love the long pointy style that is in right now but I know I would get a lot of comments.

Do you have a signature scent?

Do you have a signature perfume that you always wear? I've always wanted to be one of those ladies that has a specific signature aroma that my grand-kids can say, oh she always smelled like .... but what? Instead of sticking with one scent I end up spritzing on a bunch of those sample perfumes that come in my Birchbox or I pick up at Nordstrom. 

Have you seen the "Fragrance Wheel" above? It was developed in the 1980's to help women pick out perfumes that fit their personality. In the past I've drifted toward amber/oriental notes but lately I've been more into woody and fresh scents. I'm in LOVE with the new Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne, it's on my Christmas list already. 

What scents do you prefer? Would you rather wear a different perfume every day or have a signature scent?

Loving My YSL Lip Stain

One of my favorite products of late is my YSL Glossy Stain. I bought it in color 27, Peche Cerra-Cola, which is a coraly pink and I've been wearing it all summer. It is amazing in that it is meant to stay on for eight hours! I find I really only need to reapply every three or so which is very impressive to me. A bunch of us wore it a my friend Tracy's wedding and it was great because we didn't have much time for makeup reapplication. The key is to apply it, press your lips together, then not press them together again -- which is a lot harder than it sounds but really makes it last! Highly recommend.

No More Razors

Anyone who's spent time with me in shorts-wearing weather can attest to the fact that I am TERRIBLE at shaving my legs. I cut myself practically every time.

After years of feeling like my choices were either living with lots of cuts and/or razor burn or being a hairy leg beast, I finally decided to try something new. 

I bought an epilator. 

And (so far) I LOVE IT! 

My only regret, not having tried this sooner.

For those of you who aren't familiar with epilators, they're look like an electric razor but instead of cutting they basically tweeze the hair out, pulling it from the root, like waxing. The pros being that it lasts for as long as waxing would and it's virtually impossible to cut yourself. The cons, it's painful, again, like waxing.

I was a little scared it would be unbearably painful, but honestly, on a pain spectrum I'd describe it more in the realm of very unpleasant and only slightly painful. Overall, completely worth the results. I'd much rather suffer through this every few weeks than daily shave my legs for sure.

Tips I've learned from my own experience thus far/read in reviews:

-Do this at night! My legs looked like I had a splotchy disease when I finished, but were perfectly smooth the next morning.

-Just as you would with waxing, you need to exfoliate as the hair grows back to avoid ingrown hairs.

-Don't put any lotion on your legs before you exfoliate, it makes it harder for the epilator to grab the hairs. 

If you're interested, this is the epilator I bought, it was a little more expensive than some of the other models, but a personal recommendation from a friend combined with the good reviews on Amazon won me over.

Image by Slim Aarons, via Like Me Some

Getting a Summer Glow

I am extremely pale...like, VERY, very pale. And as hard as I may have tried in the past, I don't get tan from the sun. So in order to get a "summer glow" I need to resort to self tanners and bronzers without turning the dreaded orange. This summer I'm going to try out Dr. Dennis Gross' self tanning "Glow Pads." My sister is obsessed with them because they give an even, natural looking tan and the alpha and beta hydroxy mean that you don't have to exfoliate first -- plus they help with aging and provide a smoother skin. I'm sold! I'll let you know how it goes...

Any other sunless tanning products that you love out there? I've been using the Jergens Natural Glow after I shave which makes me ever so slightly less pale. :)

Chanel Ever Red

On Monday my sister posted two photos on Instagram, 10 hours apart, featuring bright "Ever Red" lipstick by Chanel. She did not reapply in that entire time period. What?! If you are into long wear lip color this seems like a must buy. Thanks for the tip Laura!

Winter Hair Solutions: Aveda Dry Remedy Oil

I've used Aveda products on my hair for a few years now and I think they are great. But this new oil they just released is amazing on a whole new level. My hair colorist and stylist have both been raving to me about it for a few months now and I finally picked up some free samples during December when I was getting my hair cut. This stuff is awesome! You only have to use 3-6 drops (depending on hair length) so it lasts forever and makes my hair super duper soft. Especially with winter dryness and wind this product is my new favorite. I've heard it is really good with curly/coarse hair too, FYI.

What winter weather beauty products are on your must-have list?

Amazing Mascara: Trish McEvoy

My sister recently turned me on to this AMAZING "lash curling" mascara from Trish McEvoy. I am a huge fan of tubing mascaras because they come off so easily and don't leave residue all over my face. I've tried several brands that I've liked but this one absolutely takes the cake. My eyelashes look awesome, it's water resistant and does not flake off onto my face, and, best of all, when I splash warm water on my face at the end of the day it comes off in huge chunks in just a few seconds. I should actually make a little video it's so interesting to me the way that it comes off. Annnnyway, if you like tubing mascara this is a must try.

Jason Wu for Lancôme

If you're in Seattle and want to spruce up your look for fall, come join me at Nordstrom downtown this Thursday to get your makeup done, learn new tips and tricks with the new Jason Wu for Lancôme color palate and have cocktails with Jason Wu himself. 

As much as I love being creative, makeup is not an area where I do that. I ALWAYS go for safe. So I'll take any chance I can get for a makeup artist to give me inspiration and tips on  something different to do. Especially as my tan fades, it's time for some new makeup and some color for fall! 

Wanna come? Space is limited, here's more info. 

To guarantee a spot, call the  Lancôme counter at (206) 628-1064. 

Kate Somerville Facial

I got this amazing Kate Somerville "ExfoliKate" scrub in my Birchbox a few months ago and am about to purchase it in full size I like it so much. My face feels amazing after I use it and I used it on my back when I had some breakouts during pregnancy. My sister, who is an esthetician, has also recommended Kate's products for  hormonal breakouts and anti-aging.

Butter Nail Polish

Have you ever used Butter nail polish? I heard it was worth the price and picked up the lovely color to the left, Trout Pout, a couple of weeks back. I'm really hard on my nails so usually I'm having to touch them up every day or so. Along with the Butter top coat, this brand has definitely been one of the more resilient that I've tried...and still cheaper than a manicure!

What are your favorite nail polish brands? I'm looking forward to actually being able to paint my own toenails again in the coming weeks-- 38 weeks pregnant is no joke!

Stretch Mark Prevention

So we've probably all read that stretch marks are purely genetic and it's luck of the draw if you get them or not. But you better believe I'm still trying everything I can to prevent them at 32 weeks pregnant! My sister, who is an esthetician and knows a lot about the different products, gifted me with this great Clarins set for my birthday. Basically I use the oil before I towel off after a bath and then the lotion. They are both very absorbant and smell great. And so far no stretch marks!

Honey

I've been really into honey lately. Obviously it's great in tea, but there area actually a lot of other uses as well.

Did you know honey is great moisturizer? You can put it on your face like a mask for 10 minutes then rinse.

Image by Zoe Rain

Sunshine Essentials: Face Sunscreen

Now that the sun is out in Seattle (did you hear we were the second hottest city in the COUNTRY on Monday?!) I'm trying to prevent my extremely fair skin from getting burned after months of covering up. For the past couple of years I've used Josie Maran's Daily Face Moisturizer with SPF 40 in and I LOVE it. It is completely chemical free (great for me and baby) and made with argan oil which is super moisturizing and smells amazing. I put it on every morning and don't have to worry about accidentally getting too much sun during the day.

I love the idea of natural sunscreen for the rest of my body too but it's a bit pricey -- any recommendations out there for a natural sunscreen that doesn't smell gross and actually rubs in?

Do or Don't: Matte Makeup

Have you ever worn matte makeup instead of shimmer or illuminating? I recently got the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint below in my Birchbox and I have to say I love it. My skin looks photo-shopped or something because there is no shine on it at all. The only drawback is that it's not quite as moisturizing as my regular makeup. I also bought the eye shadow palette below from Sephora a couple of months back and love the effect of matte neutrals on my eyes, especially for work where sparkly makeup isn't as appropriate. What do you think, would you wear matte makeup?

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint SPF 15

Urban Decay Matte Basics Palette

Three Favorites In My Makeup Bag

About a year ago I ordered the Sephora Super Stars set which was jammed full of their bestsellers and editor's picks. It was a great way to branch out of my normal routine and try some new stuff. Three of the products in the box are now some of my all time favorites in my makeup bag, check them out if you are in need of a great eye liner, lip gloss and blush!

Stila All-Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

Nars "Orgasm" Blush

Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish in "Dolly"

Gel Nails -- What Do You Think?

Have you tried the gel (shellac) nails yet? I absolutely love them because they last so long (2-3) weeks and are hard as rocks the moment you leave the salon. They achieve this through a type of acrylic nail polish that hardens under UV lights. They are a bit pricey but so worth it if you want extended nail color.

So far I've stuck with mostly neutral colors (except bright red over the holidays!) but I'm tempted to try bright white or something dark and dramatic for winter. My sister told me that it's best to go with short, rounded nails with more vibrant or daring shades.

PS. Never try to pick off the gel nail polish, I lost half my nail doing this! They need serious acetone to come free.

(Anne Hathaway, Natasha Bedingfield)