Meet My New Beauty Girl...

the other day, my husband came home and said he thought we should get a dog.

my jaw almost fell off. i wasn't sure, but kept an open mind-- one never knows...

so we went to the local shelter with a mental list of what we were looking for:

an older dog, sweet tempered and not too hyper, small, but not too "yappy" (neither of our neighbors to each side of us has a dog-- we don't wasn't to become the annoying neighbors, LOL), and he or she should have hair rather than fur because i have a mild allergy to dogs with fur.

who knew we'd find our dog so soon!

she was in need of a a serious brush when we met her...



so, my beauties, meet Piper, beauty girl #3 in our home! :)

Piper is 5 and a purebred Havanese. when we met her, she had a whole lot of hair, but it was matted terribly, so the groomer had to go short (she's cute both ways, of course, don't you think?).



she is so fun and playful, but knows when to be calm. it's not in her nature to bark, and we have yet to hear her do so. she did whimper after being put back into her kennel when we had to leave her (she had to be spayed and given a rabies shot before we could bring her home) and a little bit on the drive home.

my kids' faces lit up when they came home to find her in our family room! they are beyond excited. :)

xo
pics taken by me :)

Bath & Body Works Summer Vanillas

as the weather heats up, it's time to start thinking about how you want to smell. i like to go the citrus or floral route, but Bath & Body Works caught my attention with their new Summer Vanillas collection.

i'm not usually a vanilla girl, but the idea of creamier versions of smells i already like was very appealing. Coconut, Berry, Lemon and Apricot (which is only online, otherwise i would have bought it in store, too) compliment vanilla to create fabulously cool and refreshing summer scents.



while the collection features, body sprays, candles, etc., i couldn't resist getting a lotion-- the amazing new formula makes my skin so soft-- and Liplicious gloss-- they smell delicious, are glossy without being sticky and have a hint of shimmer-- in each scent (it was buy 2 get 1 and i had a $10 off coupon, too-- yay me!). my daughter went absolutely gaga for the all of them, too, so i will share. :)



for more info, visit bathandbodyworks.com or head to your local Bath & Body Works to smell these new goodies for yourself!

xo
all pics taken by me :)

Spa Week Spring 2010 Has Officially Started!

Spa Week kicked off today (april 12th) and runs through april 18th-- have you made your appointment yet? there are numerous spas participating in many major areas.

if you aren't already familiar, Spa Week offers consumers the opportunity to experience fabulous treatments at a fraction of the cost ($50 per treatment to be specific). discounts are not for everything on the spa's menu, but 2-3 of their most popular treatments.



spas are still accepting appointments throughout the week-- some are all booked up, but many time slots and treatments are still available! so it's not too late to take advantage of treatments that normally range between $75 and $500.

visit spaweek.com for more info, spaweek.com/book-now to schedule your appointment, and be sure to follow@SPAWEEK on Twitter!


xo

What I'm Loving Now: Keel's Simple Diary

if you're like me, you want to take time to keep a record of your days and thoughts. you want to rememeber a funny event that happened or something new you learned that day. of course, sometimes days aren't very eventful and you don't have too much to say, or it's so busy you may not want to take a long period of time to journal what happened.

with all of that said, i recently purchased a litte gem of a diary called Keel's Simple Diary that makes journal-keeping so easy.


click on the images to enlarge

on each page you'll find short statements and questions to answer. fill-in-the-blanks make it fun and almost effortless; filling in a page takes less than five minutes. you can even have friends fill out a page at a party or get-together-- there are no rules for it!




it's such a fun little book and comes in different colors. i chose brown first because it's practical, something i'm working harder on being. :)

vist simplediary.com for more info and to order.

xo
pics taken by me :)

The Makeup Show LA!

hello beauties! tomorrow i'll be spending the whole day in los angeles at The Makeup Show LA. i'm thrilled because i wasn't able to attend last year. while i'm there i expect to learn about brands i'm not familiar with as well as getting the latest scoop on what's new from brands that i am. also, i can't wait to meet some amazing makeup gurus and re-connect with my fellow beauty bloggers. :)

to get up-to-the-minute updates, be sure to follow me on twitter!

xo

hair therapy: Ji Baek's Must-Have Hair Mask

in my opinion, Rescue Beauty makes the most amazing nail polishes. though i only own three polishes (pricey little gems, they are), i still have found the formula to be incredible. Ji Baek, the fabulous mind behind the brand and owner of the Rescue Beauty Lounges in nyc, was featured in the february issue of Real Simple magazine talking about her favorite way to get her hair soft and shiny.

according to the interview (a small paragraph, but very informative all the same), Ji uses Hamandi Shea Mask twice a week. after wetting her hair, she applies a handful of the rich conditioner to her hair, then wraps it up in a plastic bag to let it deeply penetrate her hair. after 20 minutes, she rinses it out.

this is something i need to try asap!!

btw, when she wants a fool-proof, lower-cost way to moisturize lack-luster hair, she uses "good, old-fashioned mayonnaise".

xo

Happy 2 Year Blogiversary to Beauty Girl Musings!!

in my need for a break from staring at my computer, i completely forgot that yesterday was my 2 year blogiversary of Beauty Girl Musings!

duh...

in any case, i have you to thank! whether you pop in a few times a month or subscribe and follow my blog-- you're all so fabulous! your encouragement and support means so much to me. just as my first year blogging taught me many things, so too did this last year. i look forward to bringing you many, many more posts in 2010 featuring beauty goodies, style finds and my favorite things.

stay tuned...

xo

Staying Warm with Cold Weather Accessories

southern california isn't know for super cold weather, but every so often, we experience cold weather that feels downright frosty (all of you who live where it snows, please understand, i'm cold when it's 50 degrees out).

don't get me wrong, i'm definitely not complaining. it was over a hundred degrees only a couple of months ago (i don't miss that at all)! i'm loving the fact that i can wear my coats everyday and my scarves, hats and gloves are getting used. not only to keep me warm, but as a way to pull my look together.

need some new cold-weather accessories? here are just a few (ok, more than a few, LOL) of my picks you might like...


xo

On My Holiday Wish List: Mia Tote by Big Buddha

it was the huge ruched flower that caught my attention, but i love that this Mia tote bag by Big Buddha is simple in its overall structure. it also has an embossed print on the faux leather that gives it a special look. factor in a very wallet friendly price tag and it's a perfect pick for my holiday wishlist. :)

xo

Leighton Meester's L'Oreal Liploss of Choice

L'Oreal's Infallible Plumping Lipgloss, like the original, leaves lips glossy and actually lasts on lips longer than most lipglosses. Plumped Tawny and Plumped Rose are the colors i like to wear the most, but i don't find that it adds any fullness to my lips. i can, however, feel the cool tingling when i wear it.

Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester also likes this gloss, finding it gives her that little something extra.:

"L'Oréal Paris' Infallible Plumping Lipgloss
in Plumped Red gives me that extra little color
and boost when i really want my lips to pop."

visit lorealparis.com for more info. find it at a drugstore and mass retailer near you.

have you tried Infallible Plumping Lipgloss yet?

xo
info courtesy of L'Oreal. product featured sent to me for review.

The Rachel Zoe Project's Taylor Jacobson Venturing Out On Her Own

Taylor Jacobson, Rachel Zoe's right-hand gal is finally going out on her own.

i guess that should read, "former right-hand-gal"...

anyway, according to Fashionista.com, Taylor sent an email to her contacts saying:

"after four amazing years at Rachel Zoe Corporation, i'm saddened and exhilarated at the same time to announce my departure. after much thought and consideration, i have decided to take the challenging leap to go off and style on my own."

on the flip side, People reports she was fired, which caused her to finally take the leap.

either way, this is definitely exciting, especially since i -- and millions of others-- have seen she has a great sense of personal style, and really knows how to make others look good as well. i can't wait to see what she will do on her own!


Tay Tay & Brad :)

if there is a season 3 of The Rachel Zoe Project (love that show!), i wonder if this would be an included "storyline". i guess we'll have to wait and see...

good luck Taylor!

xo
source

i'm loving: my new statement ring

last weekend i did a little browsing at the mall with my mom and kids. mainly it was her way of getting gift ideas for our family. of course, because my mom is my mom, she ended up buying a few things.




one of those things was this amazing flower ring from a store called Cinderella. if you can believe it, it was my first time in there ever, and i was amazed at all of the fabulous accessories they carried. the ring is metal and has a huge stone in the center. i have no idea who designed this, but i love it. it came in other color combos, but i liked this black one the best.




btw, it just so happens that my hands aren't small and i have long fingers, so wearing larger-sized rings suits them well. this ring is crazy big-- it makes my other "big" rings look small, ha!



thanks mom!

xo
pics taken by me :)

Tune in to Watch Vapour Organic Beauty on ShopNBC

talk about must-see tv! this tuesday tune in to watch Eric Sakas, makeup artist and co-founder of Vapour Organic Beauty, demonstrate the latest fall beauty looks on ShopNBC (btw, you might also be interested to know that he also co-founded Kevyn Aucoin Beauty and served as Director of Color for Philosophy!). he'll be demonstrating how to create the hottest looks for fall while offering the Vapour's special kits to help make it easier to create gorgeous jewel-toned eyes and the uber-sexy smokey eyes/pale lips combo.




i am looking forward to seeing these products in action as i am unfamiliar with them myself. from what i've been told, Vapour beauty products are all about getting that natural look, with products that contain certified organic, light, dry plant oils that are non-comedogenic to the skin. sounds yummy, right?

here are the details:

date: tuesday, october 27th

time: 12 noon eastern (a full hour), 4pm eastern (a full hour), 10pm eastern (part of Beauty Confidential) and 11pm eastern (part of Beauty Confidential)

station: ShopNBC

visit vapourbeauty.com for more info

xo
info courtesy of BOLD PR

on my must-buy list: Marc Jacobs Lola Solid Perfume Ring

i'm going to be honest-- i have only smelled Marc Jacobs' latest fragrance Lola in a magazine, but what i smelled was divine, amazing, practically made for me!

ok, that was a little over the top, but i liked it that much. :)

then, last week i found out it came in an adorable, limited-edition solid perfume ring-- hello?! the flower matches the one found on the perfume bottle-- too cute, right? i had to add it to my "must-buy" list.



i know, it may sound a bit nutty to want to buy this without having actually worn the scent, but i figure since i liked it on paper, and the notes are some of my personal preferences, i don't think it will be a disappointment (at least, i hope not, ha!). also, i think solid perfumes are great because they are portable, easy to apply and this one comes in something i can wear without wearing the perfume, making it that much more appealing.

in addition to being limited-edition, there is one catch to being able to purchase this ring: you must be a Sephora Beauty Insider. if you aren't already, 1) why not?, and 2) it's very simple to do! just go to sephora.com, click on the "sign up for Sephora" link and fill in the info. you can also sign up in Sephora if you have one locally. and that's it!

so, what do you think of the ring? have you smelled Lola? if so, do you love it? hate it? tell me your thoughts in the comments!

xo

I'm a HLMN Finalist! Will You Vote for Me?

hello beauties-- guess what?! i'm a finalist in the HyperLuxe Media Network's Hot 100 Beauty Blogs!

wow!

to vote for BGM (please!) enter your email address and type 'Beauty Girl Musings' in the box. only one email per email adress (so if you have more than one, consider voting for me more than once!)-- voting ends october 12. click here to vote!

thanks!

xo

I'm off to NYC!

the day has finally arrived my beauties: i'm going to new york! i admit, i'm excited, anxious, hopeful, unsure, and any other emotion that is related to those. i think it's simply because it will be my first time venturing out past nevada to the east. actually, now that i think about it, the only places i've traveled to have only been on this side of the continent...

in any case, i'm planning to see the sites (aka, be a tourist), attend fabulous events (including Total Beauty's second beauty blogger summit, Fashion's Night Out and enjoy a couple of "bites" of NY Fashion Week's backstage goings on), and you're going to come right along with me, of course!

so, just to let you know, i have some posts pre-scheduled for each day, so no need to worry about that, and i'll be adding in little tidbits here and there as my trip unfolds. it may be a bunch all at once, it may be little short bits at a time, just bare with me, please, because i don't even know, LOL! :)

xo

Beautyticket.com

in these tough times, a sale is always welcome. it's not easy to have to give up buying our favorite products just because of a budget (i'm not a fan of that word, i must admit, LOL!). that's where Beautyticket.com comes in. this new site offers up to 85% off on brands like Smashbox, Pop Beauty, Vincent Longo and Stila. in addition to makeup, you'll find skincare, hair products, nail care, bath and body items and more from cult-favorite brands.

i don't know about you, but this is a welcomed site! i'm loving that it offers not only huge discounts, but tips and tricks for creating of-the-moment looks. new products are arriving all the time (YSL is coming soon!), so it's definitely a place you'll want to check out everyday!

visit BeautyTicket.com now and happy shopping!

xo

Get Ready for TheFairest.com!

hello my fabulous readers! just wanted to share with you (quickly) about a new beauty private sale website (much like the very popular Guilt and Ideeli) launching this tuesday, september 1st, called The Fairest.

what is The Fairest? it's a beauty site brought to you by a group of beauty lovers who are looking to make the way you shop for beauty brands easier (thank you!). at The Fairest you will be able to shop the brands you love-- like Stila, Jurlique, Tarte, Korres, etc.-- at up to 75% off!

so head over to TheFairest.com this tuesday and sign up-- it's free!-- and i'll see you at the much-anticipated launch!


xo

StyleBakery.com: Establishing a Shopping Buddy

when it comes to things like sticking to a workout or diet plan, everyone needs a trusted friend to rely on for advice and encouragement. the same holds true when it comes to shopping. StyleBakery.com has a fabulous article about how to choose the right friend to shop with who will give you advice on what looks good (on you) and will keep you sane when sale psychosis sets in.

some traits for choosing the ideal shopping buddy are: honesty (you need the truth, no matter what), enviable style sense (she should be someone who has a wardrobe you'd love to shop through), and budget equality (don't shop with someone who can afford designer if you can't).

read the entire article here

xo
source

Ciara's New Cropped 'Do

singer Ciara debuted a new, shorter...umm, very short...haircut via her Twitter page a little over a week ago. i personally think she looks amazing. of course, there's another side of me that just wonders what's up with all the chopping and buzzing going on lately...


xo