pretty hairy situation

Under your arms, on your legs, the dreaded upper lip and where to begin with the bikini area...HAIR!  It all seems to grow so much faster that the top of your head (I mean really how much longer can it take to grow out a lousy hair cut and yet our legs are stubbly by the end of the day).

So, what can you do?

Well the options are almost endless, we've got shaving, waxing, sugaring, lasers, threading, and depilatories...just to name a few.

Shaving...we'll I'd say were all pretty familiar with that...so let's move on.

Waxing. Ouch. It's okay for the legs when we've got everything growing in one direction for the most part.  Doing it yourself can be a bit tricky (for me it's the back of legs and under my left arm that I can just never get right).  If I'm going to wax, I like to use Brazilian Blue Hard Wax (for professional use, but there is a list on the site of spas that use it).

Sugaring.  I thought I'd love this, it gets promoted by how natural it is.  Plus you move with the hairs not against it, so you're supposed to not get ingrowns....yeah, um tell that to my ingrowns (yuck).  There are plenty of how to's on youtube, but the hardest part is keeping the sugar at the right temperature.  It warms with your skin, and if it's too warm or too cool it just doesn't work right.  Still, visiting a pro seems the way to go.  I go to the Wild Earth Spa in La Verne.  They usually have some pretty good specials around swim suit season. I've gotten my bikini area done, as well as my underarms and lower legs.

Laser. Yes! I was super in love with the place I was going, but they've been out of commission for a couple of months now (which at this point means I'll pretty much be starting from scratch if I go back).  If you're looking for a place to try, see if you can find a place that charges by the time that your there (example: 15 minutes, 30 minutes) rather than by the area (example: legs, underarms).  If you go by the time, they can just move from one spot to the next. It just makes sense, and I don't know why more places haven't figured it out. I would love love love to go to school and learn how to do this, but I live in California, where you need to have a nursing degree to do laser.  **Which, if I may go off on a bit of a tangent, is absolutely crazy that you need more schooling to take off a tattoo than you do to put one on!** I've used the laser for my upper lip/chin (just a few strays that grow in a little darker), my underarms (anything that grows back has been super fine), bikini area, and lower leg/toes. 

Threading is fine, but I think it's better for smaller areas like your brows and maybe your lip (if you don't break out...which I do. My upper lip hates to be messed with, laser was really the only thing that didn't upset my lip).  When I've given up on tweezing my brows I take them to a lovely woman in Diamond Bar at Shear Artistry.

Depilatories: (you know the stinky stuff by like Nair and Veet) I think it's a little smelly, no matter what they do to improve it. Plus, I don't really know that it works...I try it every few years or so to see if it's improved. I'm never thrilled though.

What do you do to get rid of your hairy situations?  Do you have a preferred method? What places do you frequent?

pretty and polished (Coral/Orange edition)

Looking around the cosmetics department I'm seeing a lot of Orange/Corals.  While I enjoy trying out the new shades, it can get pretty expensive in a department store.  What I prefer to do to save some cash, is try a few different shades out at the counters then head over to a beauty supply or drug store to get colors as close as possible.  Sometimes you can get an almost exact match.

For example: Chanel's Orange Fizz and China Glaze's Peachy Keen and Lancome's Tangerine Tint (Lancome's is a bit darker in this, but you see what I mean...You really don't have to spend $20+ on polish)

Right now, I'm really enjoying the crackle coats too. I've been using a gold crackle coat by China Glaze.  I'm hearing some great things in other blogs about Wet n Wild too (but sometime the color selection is lacking from the stores, so I haven't a lot to add there).

What colors are you loving on your fingers and toes right now?  

pretty nice picnic with Sabrina

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery began it's summer season of hosting films on Saturday.  It's the first time I've ever attended but it won't be the last...

Arriving before sunset we set up our little picnic on  the grass.  Wine and little nibbles of puff pastry with mini cupcakes to finish, it was so much fun.  The crowd seems huge and everyone is caught up in their own little world.  Social, but not too social...just what I enjoy.  Add in my all time favorite Audrey Hepburn movie and I was one happy camper.  

Walking in to the cemetery was a really unique experience.  I've never in my life seen or imagined graves like these.  As it gets darker, it's very peaceful and not at all creepy (although I imagine that when they are showing a scary movie that it could be a different experience all together).  There was a little chill in the air that evening, but my blanket kept me cozy and there was something about seeing the film with all those people that made it so enjoyable.  I came to the realization on the way home that I really like the love stories that older movies tell.  Sabrina, and The Thrill of a Romance are two of my most loved love stories.  Oh the simpler times!

I would so highly recommend this as an outing should you find yourself in LA. For more info check out:  Cinespia

pretty petty, if you ask me

I've worked in a department store for almost two years now.  It wasn't my dream job, but I enjoyed working with cosmetics and I built some really great friendships with my coworkers.  I felt that I worked hard at the job, sales are not my strength, but I was learning and I really feel that I contributed to the teams that I was working for.  There were some parts of my job that I really enjoyed, and days where I left feeling like I had really helped someone feel better about their appearance.

A couple of weeks ago, I was brought in for a job review.  I thought that it had gone well enough...I'd been on a roll recently with meeting my daily sales goals, all of my coworkers and the counter managers really liked me, and even gotten my name put up on the little all-star fliers that got posted on a semi-weekly basis.  They gave me a raise.  I left the review feeling pretty good.

Then the next week the Human Resources manager called me into her office.  I was terminated.  Turns out the review brought to the manager's attention that I had missed a number of days in late December, and the earlier part of this year (my mother had been in the hospital, and I was not able to get my shifts covered in such short notice).  To the company that I was working for this information was irrelevant, I had missed my allotted number of absences and there would be no excuses, no warnings, and no suspensions...and I was in and still am somewhat, in shock.

Again, this was not me living the dream...but at the same time I had always expected to leave on a high note...I have never been fired.  It feels disgraceful, to be fired...it also just feel wrong, to be let go one week after being given a raise. It's quite the blow to the self esteem.

I'm not sure what my next move is.  I've been taking the postgraduate classes offered by the Dermal Institute and had planned on applying to some new places, but I figured I would stay on at the department store too. Ultimately I'd love just going to work, doing some facials and going home at the end of the day.  I'm trying to take things slowly for now, to let my head clear a bit.  Focus on studying, get my references together, prepare a new resume, then begin to put myself out there...that's the plan.

Any advice out there?  Ever been in a similar situation?  I'd appreciate hearing from you.

pretty/esthetic

aesthetics, esthetics

a branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and the beautiful.

In my International Dermal Institute class today we talked about some of the terms they like to use, such as skin therapist instead of esthetician,  because as skin therapists we treat the skin and the skin's conditions. Now, it's not that I don't like dealing with beauty...but offering to treat the skin does sound a little more professional.

My class went really well today.  I'm attending the International Three Day Skin Care Technique class, which is quite the mouthful and quite a bit of material too.  I got a mini facial today while we practiced the double cleanse, it was so relaxing that I can't wait for tomorrow when we practice the massage part!  

I was a little nervous at first (my last attempt at a facial was during a practical interview...and it did not go well), so I knew going in that I was a little rusty.  Luckily most of the class seemed to feel the same. Our instructor, Jennifer is great!  She is really patient, and great at going step by step to make sure all of us are getting it right.  

If you, or anyone you know is taking esthetician or skin care classes and feel that they need some continuing education I would highly recommend IDI...and I'm paying for these classes (not getting paid to say nice things).  

pretty and historical too!

I love a good history book, nerdy but true. Put beauty and history together and I'm definitely up to reading it...which brings me to "Inventing Beauty" by Teresa Riordan.  It's got lots of info on how things came to be, plus plenty of old advertisements and images that had been submitted to the patent office.

Can I just say how relieved I am that I live in a age of sports bras and other underthings designed for comfort?  I can't imagine how it would've ever been a good idea to craft a bra out of sheet metal, cardboard, or rubber! And although I'm not much of a lipstick wearer myself, it's crazy the original contraptions that were created to house a simple lipstick. This book is full of all kinds of insights and anecdotes to really show us how far we've come beauty wise...but I'm so curious to see what happens when they can update this in a few years to show us how crazy we are now.

a little from the book

a little from the past

and a little from the now

lazy day pretty

After two rather stressful days at work I thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in this morning and then later taking a nap.  Now it's evening, and I didn't not do laundry or go to the gym as I had planned.  I even left myself memos in my phone...oh well.

What did I actually do today? I read my book (Lucky Child, by Thomas Buergenthal; a story about a boy who survived Auschwitz).  I played some words with friends and added the I heart radio app.  I watched Big Rich Texas. Now I'm giving myself a treatment with a green tea mask and watching Once Upon a Time.

It's made by Naisture, I picked up a pack at an esthetics trade show.  It's one of my favorites because it's all self contained.  It's super easy to use. Cleanse, tone, mask (approx 15 mins, but I tend to leave it on longer).
When I'm done and ready for bed, I'll top my face off with my retinol cream and my eye cream.

A lazy day, yes...but still a lovely one. :)

This is the mask that I'm using, I was going to link to it but can't find it on the company website. They have other mask available here http://www.banzailiving.com/product_list.asp?category_cd=C015_01&cat_lev=2

pretty please...just be polite

It has never occurred to me to go into a store and ask for something for free...but in the cosmetics department it happens all the time (and I do mean all the time).

"You have samples?", "What will you give me today?", "What's the free gift?" are all I seem to hear sometimes.  Yes, the makeup counters do sometimes have samples, but a lot of time, the managers sets the rules as to how they are to be handed out.  (Usually, it's ok to give them out with a certain number of items purchased, or a specified amount has to be spent, or an account has to be opened.)  These are the general-unwritten rules of the free samples.

Do these rules get bent? Yes. Do I bend them sometimes? Yes.  When do I bend these unwritten rules? When the customer is POLITE.  More than anything, if a person is courteous, and respectful to me (the sales person), I will do my darndest to make them happy.  All that I need is for that customer to say a simple "please" and/or "thank you".

I can't demand that a customer be courteous to me, but I can hold on to whatever samples I have for the customer that is. (It's the closest to a superpower I might ever have.)


(In case you couldn't tell, it was a rough day at work)

How was your day?

pretty skin (day off of work edition)

I aim for a pretty natural look for the most part, the whole "my skin but better" is my goal...which is not always easy to pull off working in cosmetics, but for my days off though, I try to keep it pretty simple. This is my basic daily routine:

pretty simple morning by tamorama featuring Clinique beauty products

Benefit They're Real! Mascara (your lashes...but better) 

Desert Essence Organics: Pomegranate  Face Wash (cruelty free)

Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion 

Clarins Generation  Six  Firming Serum

Clinique BB Cream, Shade 2 (SPF 30 + antioxidants+ foundation=awesome)

pretty lovely lashes (updated 5/30)

Oh mascara, it is one of my favorite things to purchase and/or receive as a sample.  I love new mascara like I love new toothbrushes (I have a weird thing about new toothbrushes, I guess I like them super fresh...whatevs).

My current favorites

• Lancome's Hypnose Doll Lashes: the pointy end helps get the outside, inside and bottom lashes.
• Benefit "They're Real!": Makes lashes look super long, and has a little round end to add a little extra wherever you need it. 
• Buxom: Full and very natural looking. 

These are my yet-to-be-tried mascaras:

• Tarte's Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara, I like other Tarte products with their Amazonian Clay, so it might be worth a try.
• Benefit's Bad Gal in Plum, it's been a while since I've had a colored mascara and Benefit doesn't usually let me down.

Handy mascara tip: When you first pull the wand from the tube, gently wipe the tip on the back of your hand. This will help to avoid getting any excess on your face (like near the bridge of your nose or near the inner corners.

mascara favorites by tamorama featuring a tarte mascara

Update: Make any mascara waterproof (please note, that I have not tried this out. I just wanted to share the info)

http://www.mybeautybunny.com/anastasia-beverly-hills-lash-genius-review/

pretty funny (funny cause it's true!)

Thank you HelloGiggles!

Sunday morning I went on a hike, then came home and napped!...too bad there was no pizza.