May Monday Beauty Poll

1. Mood: Do you ever feel like your brain processed too much information in too short of time? I'm totally crashing.

I am notorious for staying up on Sunday nights. I am just not sleepy. So I lay awake in the dark, with my mind racing, thinking of all the things that need to be done and oh! That would be a cool video to do, and oh! That would be a great makeup look and oh! I have to buy groceries this week and oh! The list goes on... I had a very busy weekend with family in town and stressful moments so I'm really just exhausted.
 2. Something you’re coveting at the moment? An airbrush machine and a Clarisonic. I've never been a big fan of doing airbrush makeup on brides because that stuff moves so easily. But I'd like to get back into it and have it as an option for my clients. I've narrowed down my options to the Temptu or Dinair. Any suggestions? I would like to be able to use products with different brands with the machine, so that will play a big factor in which one I will choose. The Clarisonic is pretty pricey, however they just came out with the Clarisonic Mia, which is a mini version of it for $149 and I'm in love with the lavender one. There is a cheaper option from Olay called the Pro X Cleansing System for just under $30 if anyone is interested! But I'm going to hold out for the Mia.

3. An overrated beauty product? Dior mascaras. Big price, mediocre effect. Don't waste your money, ladies.


4. An underrated beauty product?
Head & Shoulders shampoos and conditioners. Seriously. They work miracles! People always ask me how I get my hair so shiny, when all I do is use good ol' H&S. Their eucalyptus formula is addicting...it leaves your head feeling minty fresh.

5. Your best birthday party? My 10th birthday party, hands down. We still lived in West LA in a big beautiful home, and my parents got a moon bounce, magician and a kareoke machine. The entire fourth grade was in attendance, and people talked about it for months. It was the party of the year. Well, at least for us 10 year-olds it was lol. I don't have a photo from the party on hand, but here's a photo of me around 10 years old, so you get an idea. Yep, that's little sis I'm reading to. Apparently she's not paying attention!

6. Where do you go when you need to clear your head? It always makes me feel better to go to the gym and just run-run-run. Going for a walk around the neighborhood with the pup is pretty therapeutic too.

 7. Your favorite local eatery? Los Angeles has some amazing mom-and-pop, non-chain type of restaurants. Below I've listed my recent favorites with links.

Hollywood: Prado
Downtown: Yang Chow
West Side: Fritto Misto


8. Guys in jeans shorts — yea or nay? *Sigh. This is a toughy. Do I want my boyfriend wearing jean shorts? Not necessarily. But do his legs need to breath from time to time? Yes. Not the best option, but I guess I don't mind them...


9. Favorite post-hangover meal? Back in my early twenties, nothing settled my stomach after a night of tequila shots like a 4am trip to IHOP (Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity!). Nowadays, a Dr. Pepper in the morning with 2 Advil does the trick. DP really is a God-send!

10. Weekly goals: Try not to be so A.D.D., take one day and one task at a time. I need Jesus! I'd also like to take some time out this week to either draw/paint or do a makeup tutorial. But we will see what this weekend brings...

Lady C's Hair Care Must Haves

This is Part 1 in a four part series! Many of you ask me what  kind of beauty products I use across the board (not just makeup) so let's start with my hair must-haves.

Side Note: I've decided to stop dying my hair, especially since I've basically been dying it the color that grows out of my head (pointless.) I want to enjoy my natural color before the grays start kicking in! I've got millions of products I receive from people and try, but I've decided to stick to the ones mentioned below as I use them almost everyday.

SHAMPOO- Lush's Karma Komba Solid Shampoo: This stuff is amaze-balls. A couple of swipes on your hair is all you need to lather up to a bubbly full foam. It smells absolutely divine, and the delicious-ness lasts the whole day. Made with all natural ingredients, I actually bathed my doggy with this the other night, and he smells like the rainforest now. I also noticed he isn't scratching like he used to, which leads me to believe this has softened his dry, itchy skin.

SHAMPOO Option 2- Head and Shoulders: I have the worst itchy, flaky scalp ever known to mankind, and I simply adore the Dry Scalp Care line. I use this about once a week to keep my dome in check.

CONDITIONER- Loreal Eversleek Sulfate-Free Conditioner: I use the "Smooth" collection, and it keeps my hair shiny and bouncy, without extra chemicals. I also use conditioner to shave my legs! I just smooth on a thin, filmy amount all over and WHAT A DIFFERENCE. You get a smoother, closer shave and your legs are softer than a down comforter afterward. I haven't used shaving cream in years.

MOUSSE- Goldwell Flexi-Whip: This has a flexible hold, so I can still whip my long Armenian hair back and forth without losing style or volume.

SHINE SERUM- Joico Shine Serum: One tiny pump into my fingers and I smooth it over the ends of my hair to lock in the moisture and pump up the shizzine

HAIRSPRAY- Elnett Hairspray by Loreal: I really only use this when I'm curling my hair or pulling it into a high ponytail and need to control the flyaways. But it's pretty amazing for the price.

HAIR THICKENER- Kerastase Lipo Recharge: Don't worry. Just because there's "lipo" in the word doesn't mean this product is fattening. Back in January, my mom kindly pointed out the fact that the hair around my forehead is thinning due to the fact that I used to bleach my bangs white-blonde years ago (don't ask). She handed me these cute little bottles. I apply a few drops to the parts that are thinning and there is major improvement. Just be sure to wash your hands afterward (I'm always afraid hair will grow on my fingers if I don't, haha). If you have hair that is falling out, or thinning due to hormones -or like me, damage- I highly recommend this stuff! Totally worth the price.

ROUND BRUSH- I have a simple, big wooden round brush with boar's hair bristles for blow-outs. What's great about this kind of brush is that there is no metal on it, so it doesn't overheat and damage your hair. The boar's hair bristles distribute your scalp's natural oils evenly so you end your blow-drying session with Pantene Pro-V commercial-worthy, shiny-smooth hair.