Category Archives: LIFE + STYLE

Makeup Forever Made Me Up.

February 4, 2013

Ever dreamt of being an artist? Or maybe just want to be able to draw or paint? Yeah, me too. Makeup Forever Creator and Artistic Director Dany Sanz helps foster the inner dormant artist in all of us. In 1984 Dany (a trained painter and sculptor from a Parisian suburb) while working on theatrical sets Dany realized she could create "paintings in motion" by utilizing makeup and bodypaint on stage actors. Makeup artist friends caught on and wanted more of what Dany had discovered. Dany's opened her first Makeup Forever boutique in Paris to this day itremains there. 3 decades later she has expanded across the globe. Beloved by beauty professionals everywhere, Makeup Forever is the gold label in industry cosmetic. And Groomed LA was lucky enough to be invited for a makeover.

Blurry eyed and caffeinated on an early Saturday morning, I met with Talia, the head makeup artist at the brand's West Hollywood location on tony Robertson Blvd. Tall, slender and smart Talia sized up my skin color and tone. She asked me a few questions and let her fingers do the walking. I've had makeup done by dozens of artists. Talia one of the best. At only 10:30 am, I didn't want too dramatic of a look but wanted a little oomph to get me going.

The result? Talia left me with a glowy, dewey finish, lush lashes and glossy ripe lips. A healthy dose of glam. My makeup remained flawless throughout the entire day. This HD stuff provides some serious coverage.

Below are some of my favorite items Talia used:

HD Foundation Shade #120. Amazingly silky and light feel yet such.great.coverage.

Rouge Artist Natural N11 lipstick. Perfect rose color. Really.

HD Concealer #325. Dark circles? What dark circles?

Aqua Brow #10. Perfect brows. Yowza.

Pro Finish. One of the line's newest products and divine. 45% less talc, LONG lasting, flexible coverage that can be used wet and dry, and available in 25 shades

Customers are given their own personalized sketch afterwards to remember contouring tips and colors.

Whether you happen to be in the neighborhood or need to make a special
jaunt out I highly recommend checking out this location, perusing
products and definitely asking for Talia.

xoxo

Lacee

Share This

Sweat Shop LA: Infrared Sauna me up!

January 29, 2013

Located steps from Sunset and Vine, The Sweat Shop L.A. is a modern, urban oasis in the middle of Hollywood.

As soon as I walk in, I notice all the cool little accessories (assorted jewelry) as well as yoga mats and essential oils for sale.

I am then escorted to my.own.private.infrared sauna (heart be still)! The room has a tall shelf with a carafe of water, terrycloth robe, towels, plenty of
changing space and an adjacent shower. My sauna is heated to 140
degrees and it has a working radio inside.

Sweat Shop L.A. is a cool, eco chic space with an open wall leading into a sweet healthy vegan spot Life Food Organic. Sweat Shop LA offers various rooms to accommodate treatments such as
intravenous vitamin therapy (I've done this elsewhere and love it)
massage, acupuncture,
cupping, reiki, facials and waxing.

I relax, sink into my infrared sauna, sweat, and enjoy my time alone. No other interruptions, no magazines, cell phones or computers to speak of. Just me, my carafe of water and a little Sunday morning FM radio.

Some benefits to using an infrared sauna are listed below:

aids in elimination of toxins through your sweat glands.
improves blood circulation and burns calories (as many as 300-600 in one session).
provides benefits if being in natural sunlight without harmful uv rays.
provides healing and pain relief to sprained and strained joints, muscles and tissue.
increases the body's metabolism.
improves skin quality and tone via blood flow circulating nutrients to the skin
relaxes and de stresses the body by gently relaxing the muscle tissue.
improves and supports your immune system (helps relieve the common cold).

The price:

1 session = $35 ($30 for your first session). They offer larger size packs discounted (10 for $300, 20 for $500) as well.

I am told the owner's husband designed the space. Heart be still. A couple that is holistic and builds stuff too. If you're in the Hollywood hood treat yourself and step in to The Sweat shop – your body, skin and heart will thank you.

xox

Lacee

Share This

KJAER WEISS makes us feel pretty and eco chic…

January 5, 2013

Raised in the Danish Countryside, makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weiss is not only artist with a great eye for color, she also wants to help our environment along the way. Weiss attended makeup school in Paris which led to a 15 +year career as a makeup artist. Weiss saw a void in the market for color cosmetics with clean formulations, sustainable principles all in a modern design.

She created KJAER WEIS . Each compact for Lip, Cheek and Eye has its own unique shape and together, look like a collection of sleek, modernist jewelry. Red lacquered grain-textured boxes resemble little jewelery cases hold the bold metal compants with a white enameled KW logo on top. Each compact comes with your chosen color. Refill pans are available in customized, simple paper cartons that are functional yet beautiful and are fully recyclable.

Weiss uses raw materials, natural preservatives and pigments extracted from minerals, plants and wild flowers specifically chosen for their color, scent and natural properties that have an affinity with the skin for her line. Check out some ingredients below.

Carnauba wax, from the Copernicia prunifera, a native Brazilian palm with natural hypoallergenic, moisturizing and emollient properties.
Beeswax, produced by female worker bees.
Vanilla. The scent of vanilla is believed to stimulate the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, triggering feelings of arousal and satisfaction.
Rose, Honeysuckle and Gardenia are used as natural preservatives and anti aging properties.

The line swears off parabens, petrochemical emulsifiers, synthetic colors and fragrances. KJAER WEIS is 95% organic, certified by CCPB (Consorzio per il Controllo dei Prodotti Biologici), the Italian organic certifying authority.

We love this quote from Kjaer Weiss “I love how the pure beauty and energy of these plants enhances the beauty of the wearer". We would like to see more of this idea: women feeling confident and sexy after applying their makeup instead of critical and comparing themselves to supermodels, actresses and otherwise unattainable personalities of our generation.

Her product line includes:

KJAER WEIS Lip Tint: $48 for compact and lip tint/$24 for refill

KJAER WEIS Cream Blush: $54 for compact plus cream blush/$26 for refill

KJAER WEIS Eye Shadow: $44 for compact plus eye shadow/$22 for refill

Bottom line: This makeup is simple, clean, feminine, dainty and left us feeling (and looking) good.

KJAER WEISS is available atKjaerWeiss.com and Ron Robinson Apothia Beauty in Los Angeles Ron Robinson

Share This

Ciel Spa @ the SLS : Decadence (re) Defined

December 29, 2012

Our friends at SLS invited us to experience a new facial and skin care line Eve Lom the spa recently partnered with. I like the hotel, I like my friends, I like facials. I'm in.

This being my first visit to Ciel, I was looking forward to it. But a hotel spa? C'mon how glamorous can it really be?

I had no idea what I was in for. I checked in for our treatment and shortly thereafter was led through the creamy, dreamy white hallways. I was told famed french designer Phillipe Starck wanted to recreate heaven with his design. He did a mighty fine job. The bustle of La Cienega traffic and every day worries slipped away as I sunk into this newfound luxury. Ahhh. Deep breaths.

I slipped into the women's dressing room …

My locker had a personalized name card

piece of chocolate, plush robe and slippers. Is this heaven? I almost felt guilty I was spoiled so.

My aesthetician Sebastian greeted me in the waiting area and whisked me off to the treatment room.

Sebastian is handsome, strong, sweet and looks the part (the dude doesn't have a wrinkle on his face). He looked at my skin and we soon started the process. I learned Sebastian had trained at the prestigious Georgette Klinger salon and worked on everyone from President to starlets. Impressive.

The treatment: Ciel is the only spa in North America to offer the Eve Lom Facial. The Signature Facial began with an evaluation of my skins present condition and a proprietary 7-step massage application with an iconic Cleanser. This is followed by the layering of a warm paraffin wax (felt odd but in a good way) and an application of a decongesting Rescue Mask. Sebastian then carefully extracted any blackheads and applied light lymphatic acupressure massage to my neck, back and décolleté.

I have never left a facial without any redness. Ever. After my treatment Sebastan handed me a mirror - not only was I not red, my skin had no blotchiness, irritation. Nothing. My skin looked better than it did coming in.

A splurge at $225 for 90 minutes though well worth the investment for a real treat and to see noticeable, lasting results.

To find out mor check out Ciel spa here: htt://www.cielatsls.com/

xoxo

Lacee

Share This

We’re crushing on Montana’s newest neighbor – frilly lilly

December 27, 2012

Frilly lilly 3

We were intrigued when our friends over at Nicole Myden PR suggested we try the new Montana Ave. waxing outpost frilly lilly. Days later we saw frilly filly set up at Beauty's Night Out and grew even more intrigued. Dozens of gals were lined up for brow shaping and we noticed their signature pink & frilly design from their website. Is this a sign? Always on the look out for a painless, affordable bikini wax for our readers we threw caution to the wind and booked an appt.

The decor is pure Shabby Chic vintage and cute as a button. In a mature, adult sort of way of course.

Stephanie greeted me as I came in. She would perform my bikini wax. She showed me around the boutique and pointed out some of the brand's signature Products. Wait, wait one second Frilly Lilly sells jewelry too??! But not just any old overpriced costume junk. Loads of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, clutches, rings. Reasonably priced and SO cute. The accessories here are reason enough to stop in for a visit. I managed to snag 2 holiday gifts while there and maybe bought a little something.

(preciousbraceletwithrhinestonebow).

Stephanie showed me to one of the boutiques 4 treatment rooms. The room is simple, clean and classic. With a slight knock on the door, Stephanie entered and we were off! I know you aren't going to believe me, I know you think someone told me to say this: It didn't hurt. I didn't even FEEL it. Really, it didn't. At all. Stephanie explained they only use hard wax. Whatever it was the process was painless. Ever the perfectionist, Stephanie carefully reviewed the finished product ensuring she didn't miss anything. She gave me some great tips too. Use a mild exfoliator "down there" a couple times a week to prevent ingrown hairs. Don't use a hard loofah daily (I was). Have bumps after waxing use diaper rash cream or better yet their signature Frilly Lilly Nappy Cream. One brazilian bikini wax later I was out the door.

Frilly Lilly started in — with 6 locations — This location offers the following services: Bikini wax, Full leg wax, lower leg wax, upper leg wax, full arm wax, forearm wax, back/chest wax, underarm wax, full face wax, facial wax (sides of face), lip wax, brow tint, lash tint and chin wax. The bikini waxes are divided into three categories: Brazilian ($60 - nothing left), Hawaiian ($60 – barely there) The Canadian ($40, perfect for the Canadian bikini) and the Alaskan ($25 – just a little off the sides please).

And since we dig female entrepreneurs we thought we'd share a bit of the boutique's history. Debra Van Dyke opened the first boutique and launched the frilly lilly product line to fulfill her vision of creating functional products that also look adorable by the side of her tub. "I wanted to create a beauty boutique that would specialize in waxing and
offer quality products for women to enjoy a luxurious, yet attainable
experience" says Debra. The result is an assortment of goods ranging from their signature Sugar Lily Parfum to their hydrating Body Butters and our luxurious Bubble Bath to their fragrant Sugar Scrubs. The jewelry and accessories in each boutique continue to be hand selected.

The frilly lilly head office is in Calgary with 6 locations in Canada and the Santa Monica location their first U.S boutique.

Days later I have no redness, pain, irritation. The price is right ($60 for a brazilian). And the atmosphere makes for a fun experience. Hell I wanted to hang out, peruse more accessories and have a cup of tea.

frilly lilly is located at 1007 Montana Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90403 and
is open seven days a week: Monday (9am-6pm), Tuesday (9am-8pm),
Wednesday (9am-6pm), Thursday (9am-8pm), Friday (9am-6pm), Saturday
(9am-6pm) and Sunday (12pm-5pm). For further information or to make an
appointment, please call the Santa Monica location @ 310.260.5522 and be
sure to check out www.frillylilly.ca. (P.S ask for Stephanie and tell her we sent you).

**For a real Montana Ave. luxe grooming day try out TheBroot then walk over to frilly lilly for any waxing (or gifting) needs.

xox

Lacee

Share This