Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

I had the pleasure of doing a quick interview with Jacyn, the brains behind the ever-so awesome San Francisco-based lifestyle blog Sugar Lips Lifestyle Tips. Covering everything from beauty to sustainability, Jacyn has made a commitment to helping women look and feel better about themselves through everyday tips and valuable words of motivation and inspiration. Check out her website by clicking here, follow her twitter, “like” her facebook fan page, and get to know more about the brunette bombshell by reading what her 5 favorite things are below:

1. Favorite Shoe

My favorite shoe is a classic black peep-toe pump. It matches everything classic and trendy without forcing the look and still shows off the pedicure. My favorite show designer? Christian Louboutin of course!

2. Favorite Designer

My favorite designer is the ever classic Valentino. He evokes pure femininity and elegance in every design that invites the female wearing it to transform into their inner goddess. His work is sensual and sexy highlighting the very best in every woman’s body. He’s an icon and a legend.

3. Favorite San Francisco Restaurant

This is so hard to choose… We are among so many greats. Gary Danko still holds the trophy for best overall experience. Delphina is my all time favorite go to for a great dish and perfectly paired wine.

4. Favorite Piece of Clothing

My favorite piece of clothing in my closet are a very worn, broken-in pair of Joes Jeans that are older than most people’s dogs. I love them.

5. Favorite Qoute

“It’s never that easy, but it is that simple” -Laura Fagundes

Photo Credit: www.zansuspurses.com

Save your money from buying expensive mascara. If you’re a mom or under a pretty tight budget, the last place you want to be spending $15.00 is on a tube of mascara which you’ll be throwing away or replacing in the next three months in the first place. This find is (at most) $10.99 and does the job, if not just as good, even far better than it’s high-end competitors. During my early stages of my mommy-hood, my son threw my $28 tube of Estee Lauder Definicil down the heater vent, which sent me into a frantic search for a great mascara that won’t send me into the poor house if the incident were ever to repeat itself. Now, the days where I spent high money on my non-existent lashes to make them appear presentable are long gone. Loreal’s Voluminous saves the checkbook and my lashline insecurities! I buy the regular version because it is comfier and easier to take off but the waterproof is necessary for weddings and tear-jerker movie marathons. It also comes in a Carbon Black color which is my personal favorite. For bristle’s more similar to more expensive wands, and if you don’t need the “volume” and are more so looking length… Go with Loreal’s “Lash Artchitect.”

I even Instagrammed this, baby. That’s how much I love it.

So… I finally have time to write. I’ve been busy. Lots of change, lots of getting used to, and just…lots going on. But, I’ve missed you guys and want to get back into this writing thing and now that I’ve kind of acclimated to my current crazy situation of both at-home hibernation and full-time mommy duty, I can kinda of get back into this endless writing game again. Thanks for waiting and as always thanks for being so utterly fabulous… To start it off, I’m announcing what the winners of my Dove GO Sleeveless Challenge with Jessica Zhor last May 27 will be getting. Since I don’t want to completely pimp out their info, the winners have been announced only on my FB page here and twitter feed.

I just got the goodie bags in the mail today and have to say that they’re pretty awesome. Considering, 1. They’re free and 2. They’re things that you will actually use. Fun and functional is always a win, no?

What’s in them?
1. A L.L.Bean tote. Perfect for picnics and beach getaways. It’s sturdy and huge! In fact the box that these guys came in is pretty ginormous just so it could fit this super strong, yet lightweight, stiff tote. It’s blue and beige. I can totally see me at the next farmer’s market with this baby.

2. Two of the latest Dove deodorants. Pearl Finish (which has a light, girly scent) and Nourished Beauty. (It’s powdery and clean. Signature Dove smell.) Super moisturizing and keeps you fresh all day. Vitamin E and F. It also has 1/4 more moisturizers than any other deodorant on the market.

3. A copy of Instyle Magazine. Who doesn’t love magazines?

4. A Topshop Sleeveless tank-twist top. (?) It’s gorgeous. It twists at the back and has a cute little pocket in the front. Made of a silk like material and comes in this baby ballerina pink and I adore it but…Not sure how to wear it. Not sure if I got the wrong size because you can pretty much see my bra… Like all of it. Wearing it with some denim shorts today. Here’s a pic of the back:

Any suggestion would be awesome. I do absolutely adore it though and I am making it a point to wear it while the sun is here in San Francisco.

Congratulations to my Dove winners! I’ll be having more giveaways this summer, now that I won’t really have a choice but to be home and  park myself in front of a computer.  Be sure to follow me on twitter and fan my Facebook page. (I hate going through numerous entries so my #FB page is where I pick my winners at random.)

Thank you Dove for this awesome opportunity and to everyone else, Happy Summer!

I will be one of the lovely eight hosts at The 2^nd Annual Beauty Expo tomorrow evening at Pigment Cosmetics.  Join us for an a fun night of workshops, networking, and goodie bags for the first 20 people! To get the entire agenda of the event, you can RSVP on the Beauty Expo facebook event page by heading over to: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109055139180166

Lots of fabulous and fashionable San Francisco style favorites (from stylists to blogger and mor) will be all be under one roof. Refreshments and snacks will be available for all. Details are below:

SAN FRANCISCO FASHION AND MERCHANTS ALLIANCE, INC. Presents

THE 2ND ANNUAL BEAUTY EXPO

• Date: May 28th, 2011, Saturday
• Time: 5:30PM Door Opens / 6:00-8:00PM Workshops / 8:00PM Styling Competition
• Location: Pigment Cosmetics, One Market Street, San Francisco
• San Francisco Fashion And Merchants Alliance Inc. is pleased to announce The Second Annual “Beauty Expo”, to be held at Pigment Cosmetics at One Market Street on Saturday, May 28, 2011, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available online for $10 and $12 at the door. The dress code calls for fashionably chic.

The Beauty Expo is divided into three segments.  The event begins with Fashion Bloggers Connect featuring local fashion bloggers Nicole Lindgren of Style Bust, Nicki Frye of Nickie Noel, Molly Covert of Rabbit Foot Fern and Alison Messinger of Eclectic à la Mode to discuss the importance of social media and fashion blogging as a media tool. Charleston Pierce will hold a model boot camp to provide tips on successful runway modeling.

Seven teams will compete in the styling competition for the most creative make-up and hairstyles. Judges include Greg Griffin of Barber Lounge, Brad Carrick of Solz Shoes, Mario Benton and Amy Soderlind of Refuses To Label. There will be a fashion installation,featuring designers from Pink Weave and RockChiq with Kate Knuvelder’s jewelry collection, before the winner of the styling competition is announced.

EVENT HOSTS:

1. Mira Torres @ http://thebeautybohemian.com/
2. Catherine Kallessis @ http://www.pigmentcosmetics.com/
4. Charmaine Adrina @ http://sffama.com/
5. Jessica Schoefer @ http://www.sffashiontv.com/
6. Stephanie Williams @ http://www.SFFFASHION.tv
7. Oliver Lorenz  and Dino Ynostroza @ http://www.fordiedinosaurs.com/
8. Andrea Igreja @ http://myfashionportifolio.blogspot.com/

This year’s soiree is a fund raising event for the upcoming San Francisco Fashion Week ™ and a networking event for luxury, beauty and fashion industry professionals.

For further inquiries, please contact SFFAMA’s Founder Owen Geronimo atcontact@sffamainc.org. Tickets available at http://thebeautyexpo2011.eventbrite.com/or visit http://thebeautyexpo.com/

See you there! Don’t forget to follow me on http://www.twitter.com/miratorres

They smell fantastic (like tea and cucumbers!) and are incredibly comfortable and smooth. Though the coverage isn’t the most full-throttle flawless-ifying, it is perfect for everyday wear and when you need to give your skin a break from the much harsher and thicker cosmetics. If you love a natural look, need some coverage that will help moisturize, protect with an SPF 10, and enhance even them most sensitive skin, then this is for you.  What makes it better than other liquid tints? It has Jojoba extract and cucumber water. Pretty revolutionary ingredient in the natural-trending cosmetic world.

Here are the swatches. I though it would be easier to write the numbers down on my hand instead of having my readers look up and down figuring out the clockwise and counterclockwise  of it all. Covergirl got a little artsy fartsy with the names so I thought that the numbers would be more essential to take note of just to make it easier for all of us. (The name are also down at the bottom just in case) The first two swatch shots are without flash and the last is with.

And since you MUST know the names, the five shades I have are: 355 – Suede, 340 – Maple, 330 – Chamoise , 325 – Sandstone, and 350 – Oak. Read more about Covergirl NatureLuxe Foundation by clicking here.

Today, April 27th from now until 6pm, head to The Body Shop store on Powell Street to discover the new “Brush with Fashion” limited edition cosmetic collection. With a private consultation by a Body Shop consultant, get your face refreshed with the latest spring beauty products and follow it up with a professional headshot! Not only will you walk away with an amazing makeover, but you’ll also have a post-worthy picture to upload and print for all of your business needs!

Here are the details:

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27
2:00PM-6:00PM (Call to 415-399-1802 to make an appointment)

WHERE: THE BODY SHOP
100 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94101

Thanks to my mother and grandmother, I grew up idolizing Elizabeth Taylor. Here violet eyes, wicked winged liner, multiple affairs with leading men…Whether her moments were sensational or scandalous, she definitely embodied all that is a Hollywood star and everything that was timelessly glamorous. As a teenager, I had the full intention of becoming the next Liz Taylor. Multiple marriages and a savings fund for purple contacts were definite life goals at the time. (FYI: Quite bittersweet, none of those things happened.) Alas, there can only be and will only be one Elizabeth Taylor in this world.  Fans like me can only be so lucky that we inherit the ability to recreate her signature exquisite look with these tips and tricks from modern day makeup artists to the stars, Napoleon Perdis.

Black Eyeliner

Napoleon Perdis Neo Noir Eyeliner ($20)

You can’t work and wow the crowd like Liz without those beautiful eyes being emphasized by sultry, winged black liner.Napoleon’s Tip – Use it to create an exaggerated cat eye, or make a subtler statement. The super soft applicator tip means mistake proof lining, while the intense black color is buildable for more drama at night .

Violet Eyes

Color Disc in High Voltage Violet ($25)

Though we can’t all have violet eyes, we can all have violet eyeshadow. This pick is as luxurious as it is bright! Napoleon’s Tip – Before applying to lids, prep the base with a concealer to guarantee color longevity; always use a eye shadow brush to evenly distribute onto the eyes for minimal fallout .

Red Lips

Devine Goddess Lipstick ($22) in Xenia

Red lips are hard to master, but once you do, you can guarantee that you will be turning heads in this signature Liz Taylor shade. Napoleon’s Tip – Apply your lipstick and then use a pencil to line around the edges. The liner will glide on more smoothly, leaving a more natural outline but still preventing the lip color from bleeding

Rest with angels Elizabeth Taylor and thank you for touching so many hearts with your beauty and talent.No doubt the images and masterpieces of the star will live on forever.

I am obsessed with this product! No. I am in love. At first, I thought, hmmm… Amazonian brow clay? What the? But, baby oh baby, out of every brow product that I have ever used in this lifetime, this one by tarte cosmetics definitely takes the cake. In two simple step, dip and draw, and wala! You’ve got the perfect eyebrow look. The kit, which includes the eyebrow mousse and brow brush, creates a thicker, more defined brow that perfectly frames the eye and stays put all day. In three shades to match your natural hair color of choice: Taupe, Medium Brown, and Rich Brown.

Get it EXCLUSIVELY at QVC for a super steal at $28 by clicking here and head to your San Francisco Sephora on Powell St. to see what other Tarte Amazonian goodies you can find.

Here is a pic with me wearing it (alongside, my little man) at a dinner with the family at San Bruno’s Intramuros. FYI: I haven’t been to a eyebrow groomer in AGES.

Disclosure: I am not a fan of Justin Bieber. Though I find his songs catchy and multiple talents captivating, I have no interest in him or his career because he is like 10 years old and I am 100. He is also very hard not to notice since he and his fans are, like, everywhere.

It hit me at a very wulnerable moment. I had the opportunity to order a few toiletries on drugstore.com and was in dire need of a shampoo and conditioner stock up. As I was searching online for hair products that I don’t already have, haven’t used, and will provide me the most bang for my buck, I saw an image of Justin Bieber pop up with this bag of Proactiv products and Pantene:

A mental trigger came about and I thought, “Hmmm…Why not give Pantene another whirl?” I’ve used Pantene many  moons ago before their tremendous bottle/product makeover and I liked it. I also have never tried any of the new stuff. Oh! and Nature Fusion? That sounds neat. The green cap looks pretty cool, too. Let’s do it. Thanks for the idea, Justin.

So I ordered the product.

I made three mistakes.

1. Like the silly girl I am that doesn’t wear glasses when I need them and should, I bought two non-matching shampoos and conditioners.  I purchased the Moisture Balance Shampoo and the Smooth Vitality Conditioner. There is quite the possibility that this mismatch may be key as to why my experience with the Nature Fusion line is crap. Maybe there is some kind of secret biochemical connection between shampoos and conditioners wherein when combined incorrectly hair dissapointment ensues. I don’t know. Just guessing for the benefit of the doubt.

2. I took hair advice from Justin Bieber. Dude. What was I thinking? They say steal the secrets from the people you admire and look up to. This is why we pine and purge through magazines and websites…in order to find out what our favorite celebs are using. I should have looked to see what Jessica Alba uses or Katy Perry. I like their hair.  Justin Bieber??? WTF?

The shampoo is okay. Nothing fancy. It smells great and washes nice. It’s just okay. The conditioner on the other hand is greasy,  it’s really greasy. With all that lotion, it does nothing for my frizz, it doesn’t detangle as much as I’d like it to, and when I rinse the greasiness gets everywhere – making the floor all slippery. Which means I come close to a possible concussion every shower. Not a fan… And my third mistake?   I bought the large sizes.

Really, Pantene’s Nature Fusion is not that bad. If you want a super simple shampoo and an extra greasy conditioner than this could work for you. I have high expectations for my hair products, if anything I  make sure my shampoos and conditioners come  as close as possible to life-changing incredibleness. Which is possible, btw.

So, Sorry Pantene Nature Fusion. I won’t be making a second go here… and to Justin Bieber: This is the first and last time I am taking ANY beauty advice from you.

I first met Jonathan and Don, the founders and owners of Heliotrope SF, during separate occasions at SFFAMA’s third Thursday fashion discussion forums. The first impression I had of both of them was, no lie, “Wow! What insanely gorgeous skin.” Don and Jonathan both have extremely smooth, glowy and impeccably flawless complexions.

So, when I later found out that they were co-owners of a local skincare line/store, it was really no surprise. What was surprising (an extremely pleasant one at that) was not only do Heliotrope SF products deliver excellent, high-quality results, but they are locally sourced, all-natural and organic. With an incredible list of ingredients like neroli, arnica, eucalyptus and aloe, Heliotrope SF is delivering luxurious skincare products that pacify and repair problem skin in combination with exceedingly indulgent scents and a good-for-you, good-for-the-planet philosophy.

Heliotrope SF has a full line of bath and body products available in every price range at their Church Street boutique and online. One thing that truly puts the brand above the rest of San Francisco’s ever-growing green skincare movement is that they offer custom aromatherapy blends created to suit whatever customized lotion or oil your heart desires to craft. Choose a Heliotrope signature blend, or create your very own, to spoil yourself or that special someone with a truly original and innovative gift.

Speaking of gift giving, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and do you know what is the best gift to give the man who has it all? The gift of gorgeous skin that is also obtained through products that are all-natural and instantly beautifying.

Men often forget the importance of taking care of their most prominent feature, leaving the skin to the harshness and damaging effects of poor hygiene and neglect. With Heliotrope SF’s specially priced travel packs and gift sets, showing him the way of great skincare is easy. Plus, the sizes make perfect travel-friendly companions. A little encouragement goes a long way, and the right products will ensure your sweetheart a lifetime of fantastic-looking skin!

Try an “All-Over Body” kit to get the royal Heliotrope treatment from head to toe. An “About Face” kit is the perfect pack to let him know that a complete face-care regimen is incredibly imperative. And for the ultimate in everyday luxury, a “Shave the Day” box helps him turn his daily routine into a daily treat complete with rich botanicals and soothing moisture.

Be sure to stop by Heliotrope SF at their San Francisco location:

1515 Church St.
San Francisco, CA 94131
415.643.4847

And don’t forget to “like” Heliotrope SF on Facebook and “follow” them on Twitter!

RSS to my blog to be the first to know when my Heliotrope SF product reviews go live (soon!) or follow me at @miratorres!