Oh BB

Get excited friends,

because I think I finally found the perfect beauty buy. 

Recently I've noticed more and more ads popping up all over the blogosphere 

about the miraculous power of BB creams. 

I'm not going to lie,

I was a bit skeptical about them at first...

a few of the reviews that I read said that BB creams may not be the best alternative for sensitive skin,

which I unfortunately have to deal with.

But nonetheless,

during my latest visit to Ulta,

I decided to try out the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream. 

I tried a tiny bit on my hand while I was still at the store,

and it practically melted on, 

and made the surface look almost air-brushed.

So I figured, why not?

Ladies,

let me just tell you..

this was the BEST impulse buy ever!

I'm absolutely in love with this stuff. 

I smooth on a pea size drop onto my face every morning after my usual moisturizer,

follow it up with some blush,

and I'm on my way. 

So easy,

and it miraculously lasts all day,

without turning greasy, cakey, or blotchy. 

BB creams are packed with tons of benefits on their own,

since the product was originally developed to aid in recovery after laser skin surgery,

but I personally feel that this Smashbox version takes it to a whole other level. 

The Camera Ready formula works to prime, perfect, hydrate, protect and control oils.

Yep, that's 5 benefits for the price of 1,

in case anyone was counting. 

The hydration part is my favorite - 

apparently this product can improve skin in as little as 4 weeks. 

Sold!

Anyway,

like I already mentioned,

I'm pretty obsessed with this stuff. 

Have you ever used BB creams?

What are your thoughts?

Holy Cow

Umm.. 

have you all read Fifty Shades of Grey yet?

If not,

go ahead and take a day to catch up,

(because it will literally take you, like, 24 hours to breeze through this delicious book),

and then come back when you're good and ready to discuss your afterthoughts.

I mean,

I know this book has been making headlines like no other recently,

and for good reason!

It's been called the "female libido enhancer",

and I'm pretty sure FDA would approve. 

Fifty Shades of Grey is the sexiest,

most erotic novel,

I have ever read. 

Yes, this even beats out all those Danielle Steel books I used to indulge in during my ripe high school years... 

A few things to perk up your Friday?

No pun intended.

1. This book is the first of a trilogy. 

Yep, that means there's two more of where that came from!

2. They're making a movie,

and THIS guy has allegedly been cast as Christian Grey. 

Yeah... I'll take it. 

Hoooooly turn on. 

Now excuse me while I go and take another cold shower,

ha ha ha!

Weekend Diary

Hi there..

it's a gloomy Monday here in America's Finest City,

and I'm dreading the thought of going to class tonight. 

I haven't posted a weekend diary for a while,

so I figured I'd share what I've been up to lately:

..joining some friends and family for sing-along time at The Shout House piano bar..

..indulging in LOTS of wine at Bacchus Wine Bar..

..taking in some art with Pacific SD Magazine at the historic La Valencia hotel..

..previewing some fashion with San Diego Magazine at the Hard Rock Hotel..

I was wearing Foreign Exchange top and blazer, f21 skirt, Steve Madden pumps and vintage Louis Vuitton bag.

Phew.. 

I guess I've been busy!

No wonder I'm so tired.

What did you do this weekend?

Birchbox

My April Birchbox arrived today,

just in time for me to link up to Mrs. Stephanie T.'s Little Bits of Happiness post.

Every week, she highlights just a few little things that make her happy.. 

Genius. 

We should all be more thankful for the tiny things in life.

1//2

This month's goodies transported me straight to Europe.. 

Among some of my favorites were the the Atelier Cologne, 

with its intoxicating fragrance of blood oranges, jasmine and sandalwood,

as well as the organic beauty balm, 

that goes on as smooth as butter, and is just the perfect shade of bronze.

3//4//5

This is my second Birchbox to date,

and I can honestly say that I'm a very satisfied customer.

A few of you responded to my last post about this program,

and told me that it was unclear whether it was free or not. 

Well... just to clarify,

you do have to pay a membership fee,

but the nice thing is that it's only $10 a month! 

I know, I know,

you can probably go out an get most of these samples for free at some fancy schmancy department store,

but here's the thing,

I have personally never heard of any of the brands I was introduced to this month,

so the chance of me seeking them out on my own is minimal. 

Plus,

there's always the fact that you get to open up a pretty pink box every few weeks!

These are the little things that are making me happy today. 

What about you?

Poke Me

If you've been reading my blog for a while,

you probably already know that I consider myself to be somewhat of a foodie.

Poke is one of my favorite appetizers to order when I go out,

so when someone from Katalyst Public Relations contacted me and told me about the upcoming

I Love Poke Festival,

I was elated.

The third annual foodie fest will take place at San Diego's Bali Hai Resort

on May 30, from 6 to 9 p.m.

If you're not familiar with Poke,

you're missing out.

Pronounced "POH-keh",

this Hawaiian delicacy is traditionally made with raw ahi tuna,

that is cut into cubes and seasoned lightly to accentuate the natural flavors of the fish.

In other words,

this dish is healthy, fresh and delicious!

With the price of admission,

 attendees will be able to taste each competing chef’s poke creations in both the “Traditional” category (use of tuna is required),

and the “Any Kine” category (anything goes). 

In addition to all the “onolicious” poke you can sample,

15 of San Diego’s best restaurants and food brands will be giving party-goers a taste of their Hawaiian, Asian and South Pacific inspired Island Cuisine,

including plenty of shave ice, musubi, cupcakes, li hing mui fresh fruit and more. 

Sounds like a party that I can't afford to miss!!

On top of all that,

guess who'll be making an appearance as a guest judge?

Mmmm hmm...

my favorite SD chef - Brian Malarkey!

Pictures courtesy of Katalyst PR

So what do you think?

Will YOU be attending?

Get your tickets HERE.

I'll see you there.

Jumping for Joy

With the beautiful bride.

This weekend,

two of our favorite people in the world,

promised each other.. forever. 

It was amazing.

And I was honored to be there,

standing beside them,

bearing witness to it all. 

The event took place at the Falkner Winery,

smack dab in the middle of Temecula Valley. 

Friday the 13th was in full effect this year. 

The day was subject to not only rain, 

but severe thunderstorms and even an earthquake... 

but nothing could ruin that day,

not even the weather. 

I am so, so happy for our dear friends,

the Jumps. 

Welcome to the Married Club!

We've been waiting for you..

Ready to perform my bridesmaid duties!

The gorgeous couple.

And the party. wont. stop. 

There you have it. 

And another one bites to dust...

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

 

Last weekend the girls and I hit the town again,

in celebration of my bestie's last weekend as a single woman. 

Yep, sorry gentlemen,

but that gorgeous girl in the picture above will be off the market in approximately 48 hours.

It seems as though we've been jet-setting and partying all over the country lately,

so it was about time to visit some hot spots in my own city. 

We started the night off with dinner at Starlite,

one of San Diego's best hidden gems,

and then proceeded to dance the night away at Fluxx. 

We knew it was going to be a good night when Flaaaaava Flave decided to make a surprise appearance..

ha ha ha!

And Another One..

Here's a fun fact. 

My yoga studio is located right next door to Ulta. 

Do you know what this means?

It means I can't go get my ohm on,

without purchasing a beauty product. 

Or two. 

Whatever, 

yoga is supposed to make you beautiful inside and out, right? 

That's how I roll. 

This week I fell for another lipstick.

Even though I already have too many enough nude shades at home,

I couldn't resist purchasing this pinkish hue from Too Faced.

It goes on as smooth as butter,

and is even infused with champagne essence!

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a little bit of bubbly..

I absolutely adore wearing nude lipsticks,
because I feel like it makes my lips look... large and in charge, ok?
But here's an issue I've come across a few times -
depending on how fair my skin is at any given moment,
sometimes wearing a really light shade on my lips can make me look like...
well, like I don't have any lips at all.
The perfect solution is a little bit of nude lipliner.
Nothing too dark people!!
I've donned the "chola" look a few times in my junior high years - it wasn't the most flattering on me.
This new liner that I just got from Smashbox seems to be the perfect hue for my skintone.
It's about a level higher than most nude lipsticks I own,
and blends perfectly to make my lips stand apart from the rest of my face.

I combined my latest purchases with a dramatic brown smokey eye this weekend for my friend's bachelorette party,
and was pretty satisfied with the results.
I'll be sure to post some pictures here later so you can let me know what you think.

Happy Monday everyone!!

Ka-Ka-Katsuya

Have you all been to Katsuya already?

My friend and I stopped by a few weeks ago,

but I totally spaced, and forgot to tell you about it.

It's pretty fab.

Located on the ground level of the Andaz Hotel,

this new sushi spot is an offspring to the star-studded locations in LA and Laguna.

The atmosphere is what gets ya...

It's spacious and sleek  -

combine that with good music and delicious cocktails,

and nobody even pays attention to the food.

Not gonna lie,

I didn't try anything extraordinary.

Just the sushi combo for this girl,

which is always a safe bet.

Would I recommend this place?

Yeah - I think it's a perfect pit stop for a bite and a few cocktails before heading out for the night.

Bring your date here if you want to impress,

just don't forget your fat wallet.

P.S. I'm guest-posting on Kelsey's blog today.

Check it out for some tips about travelling to Mexico!