Peek-a-Boo

We'd all like to think warm weather is upon us and really, it almost is *wishful thinking* -- but even so, it's not too early to think about shoes you can wear for warm weather right?

In every designer collection, you seem to be seeing at least one pair of peeptoe flats and how ingenious of them to bring this style back. I, for one, would prefer to wear flat shoes anyday - especially since my afternoon walks at lunch make up the crux of my exercise regimen.

From left to right:

• Stuart Weitzman, Open toe flat, $215 - Available at Neiman Marcus
• Fendi, Peeptoe flower sling. $510 - Available at Barneys
• Christian Louboutin, Peeptoe crisscross flats, $510 - Available at Saks Fifth Avenue

Let those toesies through!

Homemade Remedies

Lately, everything I've been wanting to share has been about skincare and beauty. I guess, I'm at the age now where my skin is of more interest to me. I say interest because worry implies I haven't been taking care of it. And yes, I am in denial. But you're talking to a caffiene junkie (dehydrated skin), workaholic, party girl (tired skin) and did I mention sun worshipper (wrinkley skin)? That one bottle of Smart Water a day isn't helping, nor is it making me any smarter. ;)

Through the years, I've extracted bountiful tips and advice - including some homemade remedies - from my aestheticians, from elderly women (they've been there, done that), from magazines, and from word of mouth. Jeez, I wish I could remember all of them but I'll start with the few I can remember. Collectively, maybe we can narrow the list down to the ones that really work - so, I'll need your help. Sharing is caring and we all know we don't learn this stuff by osmosis.

Skin Purifier
Fresh lemon juice and a dash of baking soda
Helps to reduce acne.
Supposedly, all acne formula contains the two. Although im not sure which one of the 'trates and 'ides is lemon and baking soda. Hrm.

Best moisturizer for dehydrated skin
Aloe Vera
If you have dehydrated skin, you're best bet is to tackle with water. So drink tons of water and use a water based moisturizer. I am currently trying this one out and will let you know how it works but so far so good. Trader Joes sells 100% aloe vera for like $3.00!

Treating yourself inside out
Diet & Exercise
We all know this is an obvious one but diet is the first thing to good skin. Chamomile, green, and various herbal teas are great for energy and keeping your zen in a good state. Yoga is great for blood circulation. The more condition your body, the nicer it will be to you in the future. Remember my post about facial massages? Lastly, drink water...if you drink alot of coffee and redbull as I do - than you're in trouble. Just kidding. I do try to balance everything with tons of water....and an iced water with lemon is so good!

Magic Stick

Being a creature of habit, it takes a little something to get me to try something new. For years now, I've been using Mac's ProLash for mascara despite the marvelous things I've heard Trish McEvoy, Dior, Lancome, Jan Marini etc. can do. I mean, I did try the extensions for awhile but failed miserably at maintaining them. I'll stick to applying fake lashes on the weekends if I must. It's not so bad.

But when something impresses you the first time you try it - it makes everything pale in comparison, well at least Mac's ProLash.

I think the secret to Katie B's Faux Lash mascara is the cone shaped brush which separates your lashes down to the layers. Then the mascara steps in to thicken and lengthen. It's like giving the sly illusion of donning fake lashes w/ no messy glue or precision needed to apply.

Katie B is a makeup artist with an entire line of cosmetics. I can only speak for the quality of the mascara, so if you'd like to learn more, please visit her online store. It may not be Best of Sephora for 2006, but it works! Though her credentials are pretty solid. Her makeup is currently being used to glam the models of FHM, Maxim, Stuff and Playboy.

Boutique Hopping

And how about another digest of the coming soon...

Since I've been here, I've done my fair share of shopping. It's tough though because back home I normally shop in pairs. So naturally - sans my friend's honest opinions - I don't really jump on the opportunity to shop in my spare time (though, admittedly, it's easier on the pockets). Not to mention, the internet has made it easier to "window shop" but sitting in your pjs at home. I know I surf Shopbop , Revolve Clothing , Saks.com, etc. on a nightly basis.

But with Veronica in town, I was obliged to bring her around but thankfully so. First, we hit up Melrose and did the Fred Segal thing and walked across the street to Madison. Madison, by far, is one of my most favorite boutiques. I love their selection of clothes and there's such an eclectic mix of the basics, the trendy, and the dressier pieces with designers like Hip Adventures, Mason, Society for Retired Dress, Young, Fabulous, and Broke, Daftbird, T-bags, and Alvin Valley . They happened to be having sale on Saturday and I picked up a cute summer dress by Tart for $72, regular price $188. There's less of a "Robertson attitude" like when you're at Kitson or Lisa Kline (although, Lisa Kline has some fabulous stuff).

Afterwards, we made our way to W 3rd street, where we visited Satine. Satine wasn't what I expected since I was so used to browsing their online store. The collection is definitely on the higher end of the price scale and the store, small -- but clothing speaks for itself - very chic and elegant pieces decorating hangers. Everything was very well put together and easy to peruse. As a shopper, I hate sifting through racks that are jam packed with clothes. One inch between hangers is a good rule of thumb. Can you tell I've worked retail before?

Next, we stepped into Milk. Now, Milk was having an insane storewide sale where everything was marked down beginning at 50% to 90% off. I so desperately wanted to buy the McQ sweater/shirt that Jessica Simpson sported but couldn't find one in my size. I was also eyeing an adorable navy blue short-sleeved sweater dress by Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent but again, no size. Despite my attempts and subsequent failures at finding my size, it seemed other people were having sublime luck. Amongst the other labels were Johnson, Karoo, and Manoush.

Our last stop was Scout. It was refreshing to see two male salespersons running the store but perhaps that's the reason for its name. By this time, both Veronica and I were running on fumes but I definitely liked the vibe of the store. The atmosphere was much different than the others - almost cold & futuristic, the coloring inside mostly grays and blacks - but not in a bad way. Some labels I remember seeing were Society for Rational Dress and Mike & Chris and I hope I'm correct in saying that Scout has their own line too - with some cute tops I might add. In the end, I left with a good impression. It didn't hurt either that the saleperson (handsome and charming) complimented my outfit. ;)

Well, if you haven't been, I would encourage you to make an attempt to visit either Madison, Milk, Satine, or Scout - especially soon so you don't miss out on the sales!

Madison Melrose
8115 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.651.3662

Madison Robertson
113 South Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310.275.1930

Satine
8117 West Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Scout
7920 W Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-658-8684

Milk
8209 W 3rd St.
West Hollywood, CA 90036
(323) 951-0330

Scout

Aroma Spa

As promised, here is the first of the "coming soon". A girlfriend was in town this weekend, so we did what girls do best - spoil ourselves! For food, it was Toast on 3rd, Chocolat on Melrose, Ivy on Robertson, and Crustacean on Bedford - not to mention Jerry's Famous Deli for late night! It was gluttonous.

And shopping. Every boutique was cleaning house this past weekend. Milk was having a storewide sale where everything was up to 90% off. I managed to pick up the cutest jersey dress by Tart at Madison on Melrose for more than 50% off. A report of all the boutiques visited....tomorrow. ;)

But now to the real review. Aroma Spa located in Korea Town is certainly not a hole in the wall but also not widely known to anyone outside of Ktown. They offer a wide menu of treatments and all reasonably priced. Veronica, my guest and also the one who recommended the spa decided to go with the Korean Body Scrub, which by the way, for $30 will get you to babysoft skin.

My pick? I was in need of a facial, so I scheduled myself the Deluxe European. Started off with a shoulder and neck massage. All the ingredients used in the treatments were 100% natural, beginning with a cleansing with lemon juice and baking soda, a facial massage using aloe, a lip moisturizer of jojoba oil, foot therapy containing paraphin, and facial mask of pure ground mint.
Can I just say, wonderous?

Be forewarned, the facial massage can be awakening for first timers. The strength of your facial muscles control if and when you get wrinkles. Your muscles will weaken with age but you can maintain with exercise - so it's recommended to massage your face every morning while you cleanse to get the muscles moving. It also helps to loosen up your pores to allow the impurities to lift. So for about 15 minutes, your face is in a personal training session with a sargeant who is pushing your face to work harder and harder. Sounds tough....but so worth it. Makes the extraction process much less painful.

Best part about it though is that for a service of $90+, you can use their facilities for free. They have gym, jacuzzi, and 3 different types of saunas. Lots and lots of naked women but we're all women so there's really nothing to be shy about.

Best, best part about it is that it's open late for appointments only, which is great for me because I work late...and could always use a dip in the jacuzzi and a massage afterhours on weekdays.

Book your appointment today and try it out!

Aroma Spa
@ the Aroma Wilshire Center
3680 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
spa@aromaresort.com
213-387-2111

Hiatus

I know. I'm guilty as charged.

Coming soon....

• best facial for your buck?
• boutique hopping
• homemade zit treatment

Please stay tuned!

Studio Nail Spa

It was hard enough finding the right hair stylist, aesthetician, nail salon, etc in Boston. So, as you can imagine, I dreaded the arduous process of finding the aforementioned in a city such as LA, which is 10 times the size. Citysearch and LA.com can only do so much. It's trial and error and word of mouth that help to reveal the secrets.

Personally, I can pass on the posh salons that charge ridiculous prices for novelties such as bottled water or champagne while you wait for an eyebrow wax. Nice but... I hate feeling like I have to dress up and put a face on before going to a salon. It's an oximoron to me. I don't mind doing the Beverly Hills every so often with a girlfriend but the occasion would have to call for it.

I try to get my nails done about twice a month and I drove up and down Ventura blvd for awhile trying to find that salon. I came across Studio Nail Spa. Clean is important and this place looked clean and fairly busy so I decided to give it a shot. It was a very good first impression. Three months and 6 visits later and I still have no regrets!

My favorite is the hand and foot massage. Susan, the nail technician I see, is so attentive and she spends at least 10 minutes massaging your hands and feet. Your hands get the hot lotion treatment, which is absolutely divine.

I've been to a few nail salons since - not by choice - but because of time constraints and none have surpassed Studio Nail Spa.

The Salon itself isn't particularly fancy but it's equipped with everything necessary. The spa chairs are fairly new and operate well. I want to say there are about 8 or 9 of them so you never really have to wait long if you're doing both the hands and feet, although I do recommend making an appointment anyways because really - who likes to wait at all.

Studio Nail Spa
Mon-Sat, 9:30 am - 7:00 pm
Sun, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
12151 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604

Call to make an appt: 818-769-2689
Ample parking behind.

Celeb Sighting:
I was in getting my nails done this weekend and to my surprise, I see Ashlee Simpson and her entourage getting their nails all colored up - most likely getting glammed for a pre-grammys party!

Ashlee's Outfit:
Of course I had to steal a glance at her outfit. She was wearing a blue headband and grey v-neck sweater. I need a bag and jean ID but maybe you guys can help to fill in the blanks.

The bag was a beautiful brown tote, short handles, large and shaped like the YSL muse. It was textured, almost like a Kroell.

Her jeans were a dark blue skinny. The defining characteristic? The yellow V's/zig-zags emblazoned to the back pockets. They weren't Seven jeans though. Hmm...

Any Ideas?

Trash or Treasure?

Yesterday, Daily Candy gave us the scoop on Metamorphosis Couture - a resale establishment of designer duds for up to 60 to 90% off.

Michele Pietra, former stylist, is holding her first public sale this...

Sunday, February 11th, 12 p.m -5 p.m
&
Monday, February 12th, 10 a.m.-6 p.m

Where at?
Fabric Salon
152 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills

Who to call?
310-248-5227

They say she has Prada, Chloe, Manolo, Fendi, Missoni, and Marni - all deeply discounted!

Wow, I'd say I've found gold.

Remember these?

Remember when Jess was strutting her stuff around NY in these 4"+ heels?

Once $775, you can now get the Michael Kors McGraw boots for $299 in this camel suede duo (pictured left) on Intermix online.

If you want her same exact shade in leather, you can call your local Neiman Marcus store. A girlfriend of mine snagged her's at Neimans for $350.

There's nothing like a pair of tall boots - good ammo for any outfit.

Louis, Marc, Stephen

Everyone knows that I love big totes. I hate that you lose everything in them but it seems that I never have enough hands - especially in the mornings when you're trying to multi-task. For example, flip-flops under you arm for after work, bag on your arm, redbull in hand, trash in the other....all while you're fumbling for your keys to lock the door and get into your car.

They say three's a charm. You have 1) the Stephen bag, designed by 2) Marc Jacobs for 3) Louis Vuitton. And indeed, the combination is quite the ménage à trois. A girlfriend of mine has been eyeing this bag for awhile and I don't blame her. It's like a high-powered stam bag and that description barely does it much justice. It's very city girl and utilitarian with it's messenger bag type functionality. The shoulder strap to my Balenciaga motorcycle which I once thought was just a pretty accessory has proven very useful.

And of course, Jessica Simpson seen toting it around doesn't hurt it's image much either - since she seems to wear everything so well!