Our friend’s wedding yesterday in San Diego was a lovely outdoor affair on the waterfront with beautiful views of docked boats all along the coast. And while weddings are not really events where I like to be daring with my nail color, I still want to spice it up in my own little way when I can.

For my wedding day manicure, I choose a pale blue color from Essie’s spring collection called Looking for Love. A shade like this is totally in line with the demure and understated look that you would expect for a manicure, but the fact that it’s got a baby blue-ish, lavender undertone versus the regular pale pink really made me feel like a standout.

What are your favorite nail colors to wear to a formal event?

How did you spend your weekend? The wedding was so fun - check out how cute the Boyfriend looks! But I’m completely pooped from my trip and am so looking forward to spending a few days laying low before heading off to Reno and Tahoe for the 4th of July holiday weekend!

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Happy Friday guys! I’m heading off to San Diego this weekend for a wedding. It’ll be super fun, doubly so because I’ll get to see my aunt and her family as well. Don’t you just love seeing family and friends anywhere you go? I do!

Since I haven’t packed yet and we’re leaving tomorrow night right after I get off work I figured I’d make this entry short and sweet with five fun facts about the beautiful city of San Diego.

1. The San Diego Zoo is home to four giant pandas - the largest number of giant pandas in the United States! In 1999, Hua Mei was the first giant panda born in North America to survive to adulthood. Tons of people lined up for hours to visit Hua Mei and millions watched her grow up via the zoo’s Panda Cam. Now, affter watching Kung Fu Panda last week, I can’t help but secretly want to visit the zoo on Sunday if we have some time before our flight back to San Francisco. (more…)

I could hardly contain myself when I saw shu uemura’s Friends & Family event email come through my inbox - finally, I can get my friends to buy all the things I love from shu and they can’t complain because it’s 20% off!! I know, you can say it - I’m an enabler! (Keep reading for your discount code!)

I can’t wait to take advantage of this offer myself this weekend - I’ve been testing samples of shu’s Depsea Moisture collection for the past month or so and I love it. This collection is made with Depsea water, a proprietary ingredient made from more than 60 ocean minerals, to boost the natural function of the skin.

For this Friends & Family event, I’m looking to stock up on what I like to refer to as my shu uemura Trinity. It goes a little something like this: (more…)

For those of you who feel like Sasquatch more often than not and have contemplated permanent hair removal but found it too expensive, I may just have the answer for you. Are you ready for this? SpectraGenics, a leader in light-based beauty devices, introduces TRIA Personal Laser Hair Removal System to let men and women remedy pesky hair from the comfort of their own home.

But with a $995 price tag, is this device really worth it? I know there are probably a few questions running through your mind right now. Like, is it easy enough for me to use at home? How long does it last? Is it really safe and a good alternative to those in-office visits for laser hair removal?

Well guys and gals, I’ll have all these questions answered for you and more - I have volunteered to be your guinea pig as one of the few ladies chosen to test the TRIA before it hits mass market this fall. Over the next few months I’ll be reporting on my progress as I attempt to get rid of my underarm hair. (more…)

Summer has officially arrived but I’ve still got spring fever - Tarte Spring Fever, that is.

Tarte Spring Fever Set ($40 US) is complete with a mini Cheek Stain in Blushing Bride, a lovely sheer plum; a mini Spring Fever SPF 15 Lip Sheer, a charcoal gray Waterlilies Eyeliner, North Island Eyeshadow set featuring a pinky beige and taupe duo; and a Brush With Greatness double-ended eyeshadow brush.

This set has just about everything I could ask for in a makeup set to make my day to day life easier. I can whip up an easy work-look in just fifteen minutes and everything miniature in size making it an obvious choice my makeup bag.

I personally have never tried Tarte cheek stains but have heard so much about them. That item alone makes this Spring Fever set a lemming for me. Why pay $28 for just one cheek stain when I can pay a little extra and get more goodies to play with?! The choice is simple. Now, where did I put my Sephora gift card…?

Get Tarte’s Spring Fever set now, exclusively at Sephora and only for a limited time!

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We finally got a chance to see Kung Fu Panda today and let me tell you, it was well worth it! Some might argue it’s because the movie was kick ass to begin with, but I think watching it on IMAX gave it that extra awesome-ness factor.

For those of you who’ve never seen an IMAX movie (don’t worry if you’re a newbie, I only just popped my IMAX cherry for cute and overeating little panda bears today!), the theater technology allows for an immersive entertainment experience with a huge screen with dual digital projectors and surround sound. Everything is so much bigger, brighter and sharper, it really made me feel like I was right there with Po and the Five Fighting Warriors. (more…)

Welcome to Part 3 of my Beauty Trend Show coverage. So far, I gave you the low down on the top summer beauty trends and showed you my makeover from Lancôme national artist, Jason, where he shared his favorite beauty tips with us.

Now it’s time for me to tell you about the one take away I got from this season’s show - safe, self-tanning is what’s HOT, baby!

Almost every brand that presented during the show mentioned a new bronzing product that promised a golden glow without the harm of UV rays. Fusion Beauty even brought out a shirtless Abercrombie & Fitch-esque male model to demonstrate their GlowFusion Micro-Nutrient Face & Body Natural Protein Tan ($58 US). Boy did he get those ladies riled up at 9am!

If you want to try getting a nice, golden tan without the harmful sun and even worse for you tanning beds, here are some easy steps from Nordstrom Beauty Director Joelle Russo to prep your body for an easy at-home tan that’s gorgeous and not to mention safe for you! (more…)

{Image: Instyle.com}

It’s been pretty hot in San Francisco this past week and when it’s so warm outside, I hate it when my makeup looks like it’s melting off my face. So if you’re like me, you’ll want to keep it as minimal as possible while still looking fresh and completely radiant.

Keep your makeup light and beautiful by playing down your eyes and lips with neutral colors and really turning up the volume on your cheeks for that ultimate sun-kissed look.

Try a cream blush like Redpoint Airbrush Effects Blushwhip in Glow ($28 US) for a more vibrant color that’ll give you a pretty, dewy complexion. (more…)

Here we are kids, we’re at the last week of the Meet Me in Mexico contest - can you guess the destination of the photo above? It’s your final chance to win, and a correct guess this week could get you a trip for two to Mexico! Head on over to Glam.com right now and submit your guess now.

Remember, you have until June 29th to submit your answer for this week. A correct answer will enter you in a pool where a winner will be chosen at random at the end of the promotion. Good luck!!!

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Happy Thursday, y’all! I just got back from a company picnic lunch out on the marina and got at least an hour to enjoy the beautiful weather in the Bay today. Now that I’m back in the office and feeling good, I want to do something nice for all of you.

I got a Bare Escentuals Friends & Family notice and wanted to pass it your way for your shopping pleasure - because I love you that much

Today through Sunday, June 22nd, enjoy 20% off your Bare Escentuals and md formulations products in store or online. All you have to do is print the coupon and present it to the cashier or use discount code FRIEND8 online when you check out - simple!

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