September 23rd, 2009
In my house anyway. And no, it’s not actually mum - it is mom, mama, mommy, and usually at an extraordinarily shrill, high volume. Lately, with my six-year old daughter now in first grade and thinking she is All That (I know nothing), it is the extended club-version. The “moo-oo-ooom” with that tiny lilt right in the middle that says either in demand (I need you IMMEDIATELY even though you are really bugging me being here to help) or in disgust (What now? What could you possibly want of me? Don’t you see I am putting a bikini on my barbie doll?!) Eye-roll, exasperated sigh, big shrug.
Okay, I exaggerate. My daughter Maya is a firecracker but she is also a kind-hearted bundle of brains and humor and love. But the single mom thing - back-up - the Mom Thing (I know how hard my mama friends work, partnered or otherwise) is a full-time job on top of our regular, well, full-time jobs. And time, I have learned, is the commodity that leaves your life the moment you give birth, and the thing I crave constantly and miss enormously.
But enough of the pity party! The point is, we have so little time in which to do so much. I do more than I ever thought I would or could. And in the midst of being so busy, I have said goodbye to the time-rich indulgences that were a part of my life before mommyhood… bubble baths, at-home pedicures, yoga classes, hours on the couch reading the pile of books that now gathers dust and grows dangerously tall. I would single-handedly rob a bank if it meant I could spend an afternoon indulging in a whole lot of nothing, to be followed by something incredibly decadent like, say, a full night’s sleep.
So what’s a girl to do when the amount of time you need to preen and pamper and put yourself on the beauty train is in direct conflict with the amount of time you have? Two words: Time Savers! A drawer or cabinet full of amazing products that can save you time/multi-task is a must! The good news is that 2nd Street Beauty has a wonderful array of products that do two jobs at once (think: moisturizer/bronzer combo), helping to make you feel and look gorgeous in minutes. So you can be frosting cupcakes, packing lunches, applying fresh nail polish, and scooting the kiddos out the door while balancing your briefcase on your head all at once. The following staff favorites will help you accomplish much of the above.
A must-have for hair! Tigi’s Fast Fix. It is a Spritzer/Restyler that lets you mist your hair, shake it around or tease it with your fingers, and then locks it into place. Our Melisa swears by it.
Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist. I first started using spray misters and re-hydrators when I was flying back and forth between California and Montreal. Airplanes pull so much moisture out of your skin! And now that I am getting older, I am working to stay hydrated always. A few sprays of Dermalogica, my skin feels dewy and my make-up, wakes up!
Also from Dermalogica: Skin Purifying Wipes. They clean and refresh, giving you and your face a little boost. Perfect at mid-day when you and your skin may start to feel a little tired!
For your lips: Epicuren Enzyme Lip Balm. It is small enough to throw in your purse or pocket, has a soft and natural sheen and an SPF of 15. You get moisture and protection anytime you need it!
Two great products for the face that are real time-savers: Perricone’s tinted moisturizer, and the Jane Iredale Pressed Powder. Perricone’s moisturizer with a hint of color gives you moisture and a feeling of foundation make up in one step! The Jane Iredale powder is mineral-based but a much quicker application time than their loose minerals. Plus it provides great coverage and a natural SPF.
Finally, for those of you who don’t leave the house with chipped nail polish! Both Creative Nail Speedy and Seche Vite’s top coat take no time to apply and get that polish dry much faster than letting it dry on its own. So you can glam up your nails, take a few minutes to dry and set the polish, and garden the afternoon away! Beautiful nails and beautiful flowers in the same day…what more could a mum dream of?
Posted in Haircare, make-up | No Comments »
August 27th, 2009
I love makeup. You’d never know it, because even when I wear what I consider a lot of makeup, people ask me, “why don’t you ever wear makeup?” (This is the moment I always think to myself: wow, imagine what they’d think if I didn’t have any makeup on?). I am a painter - I love color, and brushstroke, and depth, and beauty, so on the rare occasions that call for me to spruce up and dress up, I am all about glamour eyes and angelina lips. And by the way, for the truly festive event, I believe a little faux beauty mark is Absolutely Okay, even Necessary. We all need to embellish from time to time.
By now some of you have visited our little slice of blog heaven over here at 2nd Street Beauty enough times to know that I am still the newest girl in beauty town. As one of a few bloggers, and I think because people here feel sorry for me and my pitiful arsenal of beauty products, I am given hoards of advice on must-haves, as well as the chance to try out some of the fabulous hair and skin care lines 2nd Street Beauty carries. It is a delicious perk! - like a little birthday gift arriving late every once in a while.
My latest adventure came a week or two ago when I visited the Los Altos Store (5518 Britton Drive) to have my makeup done. I had met one of 2nd Street Beauty’s makeup artists, Marco, at our office just that morning. I wanted to see what he would do that I wouldn’t, couldn’t, or didn’t know how to. And because the last time someone did my makeup I was 19 years old and modeling to pay for college. Trust me, nineteen was a very long time ago.
I sat in a tall chair, closed my eyes and relaxed. There is a lot of natural light in the store and Marco was going for a natural look, so I just let him do his thing. I have green eyes and he picked a beautiful palette to kick up my color without going overboard. Browns and oranges and a bit of soft pink on my lids and cheeks. He sassed up my existing mascara and eyeliner, used a bit of shadow to highlight my cheekbones, and did a lipliner and lipstick in a neutral pinky-brown that worked beautifully with the soft pastels of the shadow and blush. Marco chose from an array of rich eyeshadows from Smashbox - I loved all of them! - and used a Jane Iredale mineral-based foundation that gave me a bit of color (like a light suntan) and stayed with me until I washed all that glamour off later that night.
When I left, I could have traded out my jeans for something pretty and gone anywhere, and going from casual to club-ready took only twenty minutes! Marco was adorable and attentive and actually listened when I told him the things I know don’t work on me, like red lipstick, which, instead of giving me a fair-skinned, dark-haired Snow White sort of feel, makes me look old and tired. Quite the contrary, I left 2nd Street Beauty looking and feeling lovely, ready for a summer evening out. Too bad it was a Tuesday night, and the only thing on my calendar was a quick dinner with my sister and a load or two of laundry.
Hi-ho, hi-ho. All dressed up with nowhere to go.
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July 16th, 2009
When I moved to Montreal, Canada for art school, I didn’t know a soul. To add insult to injury, it was mid-January and I had never been that chilled-to-the-bone cold in my life. I remember running home one afternoon after class with my hands glued to the side of my head because my grandmother’s antique clip-on earrings were frozen to my ears. The only thing that kept me from crying was the knowledge that tears running down my face unattended in sub-zero temperatures could freeze and quite possibly lead to hypothermia.
My saving grace that winter was stumbling upon a teeny Moroccan mint tea bar in a modern shopping center called Le Faubourg. The structure was made all of glass, so even in the darkest mid-winter afternoons, the whole center was filled with light and views of city-life wherever you looked. I spent dozens of afternoons there that first year, pouring over art history books, writing postcards, and sipping sweet tea that came served in ornate little glasses filled with fresh mint leaves. So began my love affair with mint.
One which has endured and shaped my hair-and skin-care choices for years. I’ve gone through great choices and not-so great choices. There was the gallon size container of rosemary mint conditioner I kicked through in record time. And the drugstore purchase of a won’t-mention-the-name mint julep clay mask which left my face irritated and chafed for a week. And recently, as luck would have it, I found myself on the receiving end of a whole bag of gorgeous products from Petal Fresh Pure, some of which are time-tested standards, some part of their new facial line. And almost all of them having something minty fresh about them.
I have to start with the Aloe & Peppermint Facial Cleanser, simply because it is perfect. Lightweight and soothing, this gel cleanser leaves my skin soft and moisturized without stinging my eyes. It is cooling and my skin tingles and feels fresh after washing with it. Perfect to use before sunscreen and my lighter summertime moisturizer.
My other summer favorite is the Rosemary Mint Body Butter, one of several incredible scents that make up the line, including Tea Tree/Pomegranate, and Lavender. The rosemary mint has a softer, milder smell than I imagined, and the consistency is rich and creamy, leaving behind no greasy residue. These delicious butters are paraben- and color-free (as all Petal Fresh Pure products are) and made with certified organic ingredients.
Lastly, Petal Fresh Pure products are FUN. The packaging is gorgeous, the smells are dreamy, and all of their lines are affordable, something which makes indulging in a new bottle of shampoo or a yummy moisturizer every so often an easy treat. So indulge – it’s summer! A perfect time for something in a mango-guava or fresh aloe vera. Get two! You won’t be disappointed.
by KLM
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July 1st, 2009
If your shadow creases easily because you have oily eyelids, double up on your primer! First apply one coat of Too Faced Shadow Insurance (my favorite), then apply a coat of Jane Iredale’s Lid Primer (available in 3 neutral colors). Your shadow will be more vibrant and last a looooooong time!
By Esmeralda
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July 1st, 2009
For all of you that have oily head or fine hair, here is a quick beauty fix.
It’s actually very simple:
1. condition first
2. shampoo second
3. then style it up!!
By NAF
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June 13th, 2009
I arrived late to Sex & the City. It was the show’s final season when I finally got pulled in to the martinis and manolos, thanks to a neighbor with HBO. Thankfully, KTLA and TBS picked up where HBO left off, and I was able to indulge my new addiction starting at the beginning with Season One. My constant question during those early months? How on earth did Sarah Jessica Parker get her hair to look like that?!
Fast forward a few years. I have now likely seen every S&tC episode at least once, and am seasoned enough to realize Sarah Jessica’s locks are no doubt cared for by a team of stylists and a bevy of fabulous haircare products, not to mention colorists and hair dressers. But back to me - a regular girl without a hair care staff. After years of long hair, I drastically cut it all off in December. As mom to a six-year old daughter, I am lucky if I have five minutes to throw myself together in the morning. I am old enough that hair color is becoming part of my life, and have been working with the lovely people at 2nd Street Beauty long enough to have stashed a few new beauty tips in my back pocket.
I have dark, thick, wavy-curly hair. It is moisture-starved and subjected to horrible, tortuous rituals as I blowdry, pile it on my head, flat iron, cut my own Breakfast at Tiffany’s bangs every six months on a whim (never a good idea), and try to make it do what I want it to do. For years my friends and salon-savvy sister have told me all I need is a good cut and the perfect product, and the cruel hair rituals would all but disappear. Perfect product? I had tried enough to know that probably didn’t exist.
Then I met Ojon. My new love. I read about Ojon as I was familiarizing myself with the haircare lines 2nd Street Beauty carries, and though there are hundreds of gorgeous products I am learning about, for some reason I kept going back to Ojon. Not to mention that when I asked staff about their favorite haircare line, without fail, they all got the same dreamy look in their eye as they said, in a hushed, reverent kind of way, “Ojon…..”.
I dove in, and as it turns out, the Ojon worship is not at all misplaced. So far I have tried the hydrating shampoo and conditioner, and the difference in my hair is incredible. The Ojon smell is powdery and soft - not something I usually like - but I can’t get enough of it! My hair actually feels hydrated, and silky, and softened; not the norm for heavier hair. And the best part of all - the one I didn’t believe in but have longingly wished for - I am connecting to my inner curl. Yep, I have finally catapulted myself to the other side, the one where perfect products do exist! And the result, even on my relatively short, under-nourished hair: springy, silky curls, some bounce, a bit more shine. Ojon, and a few strategically chosen (and staff-suggested) products, have made me a believer.
So move on over, Carrie Bradshaw. You may still be there, with your golden waves, on re-runs and the big screen, but there is a new curl in town
.
Kerri-Lynne (guest blogger & 2nd Street Beauty newbie) and her daughter Maya.
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May 14th, 2009
Erica, Beauty Specialist
We have all heard the phrase or used it before, “I need to get my beauty rest”, and now beauty companies finally have gotten more savvy with their potions. We can take advantage of the time spent on the pillow with these wonderful products that work by just sleeping….I was dreaming of that!!
To catch up on sleep faster, try Sleep Reform by Dr. Murad. A light, silky serum that penetrates fast and promotes easier sleep with topical melatonin. This product helps promote collagen, and relaxes the facial muscles.
For those who would love to wake up with radiant skin, then Rare Minerals by Bare Escentuals is what you are looking for. A mineral powder you wear overnight, it works to unclog pores and minimize wrinkles.
To have a pretty pout, Lipfusion has XXL Fusion. A collagen-packed gloss that promotes fuller lips with a touch of the wand.
The Overnight Treat Repair by Redken, says it all. Say goodbye to dry, damaged, stressed locks. This cream can be used on wet or dry hair and left on overnight. It can be left in, or rinsed out. Either way, you’ll feel and see a difference in your hair.
These are just a few products we carry. We would love to see you. Come visit us for a customized beauty package that is just right for you.
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April 21st, 2009
Hi everyone, join our facebook page! You can locate us by searching on facebook by group or page at 2nd Street Beauty and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/2ndstbeauty. Check back soon for our beauty blogs!
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April 21st, 2009
Please keep coming to visit, our blog will be up and running real soon!
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