Jack Germain Handbags: Sample Sale

Today kicked off a three day sample sale from Jack Germain Handbags. I shared the last one with you guys and it's time for another one! If you are in the NYC area, be sure to head to 147 W 35th St. Suite 904 where you can score of of these beautiful bags at a pretty sweet price.

Bette Clutch

Treat your Valentine to a really cool bag from the F/W 2011-12 collection at 40-70% off. No Valentine? In the words of Tom and Donna of Parks & Rec, "Treat yo' self!"

Modelove

One of the most in-demand models of the moment, Karlie Kloss, started a Tumblr. Add Kloss Gloss to your feed immediately. I certainly did. I look forward to seeing her editorials, behind-the-scenes photos, and more. A peek at my own Tumblr page clearly gives you a peek at the sort of stuff floating around in my head at any given moment.

 I am loving this video of her Dec/Jan Numero cover shoot. Undeniably gorgeous and makes me want to start testing with killer models and other creatives out here in NYC.

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A Present For You, Times Two!

Life has been pretty crazy since picking up and moving across the country. I was blessed to work on a really fun indie film all of November that I still need to tell you about! I will fill you in on that, and the rest of what I've been up to soon. I booked another film for January too. I love writing, and I love having this place to really share and connect with you all. But sometimes I am just without motivation and I can't put a paragraph together to save my life! So why force it!
I do want to say thank you for your constant support, love, and interest in my world. And I hope you all are having the very best holiday season and are setting concrete goals for the new year. Follow your heart, and your dreams. The happiness that will follow is priceless.

I feel lucky for the opportunities I've had this year, and the generosities that have been bestowed upon me. And I'm passing a little of that onto you. I have two gifts to give away to two of you guys! I recently reviewed a few accessories that Stilazzi sent to me. Now I have two of those goodies, brand new, to give to you!

First is the Clear Travel Bag. Perfect for holding your toiletries during that trip around the world you are taking in 2012, or even to organize part of your makeup kit for all my fellow artists out there.

And second is the Portable Kleenex Holder. This is probably more useful to makeup artists. I fill mine with a pack of makeup wipes and hang it off the back of the makeup chair. But this would also be great to just keep in your car. A constant cure for winter sniffles!

All you have to do is make sure you're following my blog with Google by clicking the blue "Join this Site" button over on the right.
"Like" me on Facebook.
"Like" Stilazzi on Facebook.
Easy!
Leave me a comment here to let me know by 01/01/12 11:59pm (EST), and you just might win! Two winners! So I'd say you have a pretty good chance.


Have a great New Years! Take is easy on the champagne and make sure you wash your face before you go to bed!


XO

Paige & Kyle's Wedding

I often find that when I get home from a day of doing makeup for one of my wonderful brides and her wedding party, it's like "where did the day go?" It's a whirlwind to say the least. Here's how it tends to happen:

• Wake up.
• Double check kit, make sure I have everything I need.
• Plug my destination into my phone for accurate, current directions.
• Pull up reference photos and breakdown of my bride's look on the iPad.
• Triple check kit (and still forget something as silly as tissue, always).
• Hit the road, usually grabbing a coffee along the way.
• Sing in the car, thinking how lucky I am to do this for a living.
• Arrive, figure out where to park.
• Walk in to the lobby, guesthouse, grandma's living room, or wherever the bride and her gals are getting ready.
• Set up my station while chatting with everyone.
• Marvel at the sheer joy and excitement that fills the room, every. single. time.
• Look at my timeline to see who is first, and start the first makeup.
• Everything after this is a complete blur! No kidding! All of a sudden, the bride's dressed and everyone is rushing out the door. And I'm back in my car driving home.

Sometimes I get to see photos of the big day and my beautiful clients. Sometimes I don't. And sometimes, just sometimes, I am lucky enough to witness the magic of my clients wedding day, as seen through the eyes of other creative & talented vendors.

I could write about Paige & Kyle. Or I could just show you. I've actually had this post in draft form for over a month now, but I've been gone. So on the heels of this event being featured on Green Wedding Shoes, I figured it was time to finally share. Studio Castillero of San Diego, CA captured this day at Condor's Nest Ranch in Pala, CA. There's a saying that every picture tells a story... so as if their still images weren't enough to tell this story, Crafthouse Productions of New York City created a beautiful film to capture their day in all its glory. I have no qualms about telling you that these made my eyes a little misty. And it reminded me that even though working through a whirlwind of a wedding day can seem like a blur, it's really important to stop and take it all in. I am so lucky to be a part of such a beautiful day in my clients lives.

Please visit Studio Castillero's blog and the Green Wedding Shoes feature to see even more photos of this magical day, and more information about Crafthouse Productions can be found here.

Stilazzi Review

Greetings from Warwick, New York! Since the beginning of November, I've been away working on an indie feature film! I'll be sure to fill you in on all that soon. My first day off I headed home and discovered a package from Stilazzi waiting for me. I was recently invited to be part of their beauty blogger program, and was so happy to have some goodies to take back to set with me! I've had some time to play with them while working during the last couple weeks. The products are great, and their customer service is stellar! But best of all, they are having a sale this entire weekend. 50% off everything, no promo codes needed. Just shop! So good.

While working on set, it is so important to not only have an appropriately stocked kit, but also great tools and accessories to help get the job done! Needless to say, I was more than happy to play with these goodies in the best scenario possible, on location for a film.

First up is the Makeup Tool Belt. It has a great waist belt, and multiple pockets of all sizes, some open, and some with velcro closures.
I'll be totally honest with you. I really like this. But, I'm not a huge fan of makeup/tool belts in general. I have two others, and I never use them. I actually have a set bag I bought at IMATS that I adore, and that has been the best thing to happen to me on set. But I will say I love how simplistic this is. I could see this working really well on a photo shoot with one or two models. Or even great for a hairstylist, to hold pins, combs, brushes, spray, etc. But for me, I have had multiple actors each day, and I don't find the pockets in this versatile enough for my needs on a film. I will utilize this in the future however, when I don't need to carry as many different things with me to set.

Next is the Portable Kleenex Holder. What you see is what you get! It has velcro on the back so I'm assuming this can attach to some other Stilazzi bags. The size however only fits the skinny tissue boxes. I only had the jumbo boxes with me. So I slipped a pack of makeup wipes in there instead! This came in really handy while on set. I used the waist belt to slip over the back of the makeup chairs most of the time. Rather than always wondering where they have been tossed after I or an actor used one, they were always right where I needed them. I also slung them over my shoulder for easy clean up during some scenes with bloody special effects makeup.

Last up is the Clear Actor/Travel Makeup Bag. Initially I was excited to organize the skincare, and face products in my kit into this. Then realized I really needed something to organize MY stuff while away on location. So it quickly became my spot for shower goods, personal makeup, etc. It is so versatile because you can really do whatever you want with it. I packed this puppy full! Pictured is only the start of it though. It has one big zippered pocket and two removable inner zippered pockets. And since it is completely clear, you can quickly and easily know what's inside without taking apart and opening it all up. Out of the three things I got, this is a stand out for me! A total must have.

Make sure you head to the Stilazzi website and check out their inventory. They have some great products for makeup artists and hairstylists, as well as the beauty savvy consumer. And with a 50% off sale going on til Monday, now is the time to snag some goodies for yourself or someone on your holiday shopping list!

Happy Halloween & Happy November: Thankful Thoughts

Happy first day of November! And a happy Halloween! Time is flying by! Our spooky holiday will be a little drawn out during the rest of this week as we had some unseasonably snowy weather over the weekend. You may have seen some news footage about the snowgrinch who stole Halloween. Snowloween. Snowtober. Oct-snow-ber (credit to Jay for that one). Snowpocalypse. It was record breaking weather for this time of year, and many folks who are used to this kind of thing have never seen anything like this. Welcome to the east coast right? I hear it was in the 80s back home in San Diego!

The powdery stuff began falling around 10am Saturday and just. kept. coming. Jay and I thought it would be the perfect time to get him done up in zombie makeup, and take some photos out in the cold. We weren't sure what we were going to do on Halloween, so we wanted to get something scary in no matter what! And fake blood on crisp white snow? Yes please! I rolled up my sleeves and got down to it, and filled up a squirt bottle with a blood mixture to spray around for effect.

So we cleaned up the mess outside and headed in for a dinner not consisting of brains. We were nearing the end of our meal, and gearing up to carve pumpkins and watch Trick 'R Treat. And poof. The lights went out. We bundled up as temperatures dropped through the night, and were crazy enough to go out at one point and assess the damage. It was eerily quiet as we tried to walk around all the fallen trees and mess, up past our calves in snow. We stopped to build a snowman and then headed home. The night progressed and we loaded up the blankets, hoping the power might be back in the morning. Instead, we woke up to the news that it was "likely" to not be back on until Friday. Friday! Over a foot of snow will do that to ya! Or rather, to trees still full of foliage, weighed down and breaking on thousands of power lines. So we grabbed a few essentials, and headed a bit south to stay with family (who got just a couple inches of snow) and stay warm.

Well, what a way to start November. A month when we start feeling the holidays creeping up on us, and  stuff our faces and remember to be thankful for the things we have. I can tell you we were very thankful to find out power was back on at home! I know thousands are still without but we were among the lucky few to get back on the grid early in the week. So very thankful! So we are home now, and Halloween was technically yesterday, but we are going to keep it going this week since we missed out. Tonight will include the scary movies we wanted to watch, and tomorrow will be the pumpkin carving. Too bad a squirrel already carved mine!

I bet he was very thankful to find such easy access to food in the snow though! Happy November everyone!

It's Raining, It's Pouring, the Old Man is ... Drinking Fair Trade Coffee?

Hi loves. Ok so I'm no poet. But it is raining, and actually pouring. I hear talk of snow being a possibility this weekend? My west coast wardrobe is failing me miserably. There is no old man snoring, or drinking fair trade coffee for that matter. But I am! Not the snoring part!

So I usually like to focus my posts here about the makeup industry, my travels and adventures, and when I write a review of something it's about makeup or beauty products. But it's my blog and I'll do what I want! I love coffee. Even if it doesn't totally wake me up, there is something satisfying about an iced coffee while out running errands, or a warm mug on a cold day. And I almost always grab one on my way to a makeup job. I always get offered champagne when I show up to do makeup for a bridal party, and for the most part I don't think it's professional while working. So it's easier to politely decline when I already have a beverage to sip on.

But a girl can go broke with a bad coffee habit. So I am more motivated than ever trying to save money to live in New York City to just start trying to make it at home!

I was recently sent some Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified Coffee to try out. I'll be honest, sometimes I'm a lazy consumer. There I said it. But who isn't? I like to consider myself pretty with it and environmentally aware. I do my part. But this is an important issue, and October is Fair Trade Month! So go make yourself a cup of joe and check out some information about Fair Trade and my take on this tasty stuff.

What I thought of Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee:

The last time I bought a cup of coffee was at a Starbucks during our cross-country drive. And I had a gift card. I know they offer fair trade options there, which is great! But let me tell you, I have enjoyed coffee from a variety of places since being on the east coast. And most of all, I have been making it at home. My package containing Green Mountain Fair Trade coffee for my review arrived literally days after we got here. So I have had a few weeks now to enjoy it. We are staying with my boyfriend Jay's grandparents for the time being, and they have a french press that I've been using.

This coffee is good. I mean, really good. The taste isn't too strong, and it works well even chilled over ice. The Organic House Blend smells rich enough to wake up a full household on a Sunday morning. And it tastes just as good, with a bold taste still light enough to drink black. The Seasonal Pumpkin Spice is great. Clearly, as the bag is nearly empty! It doesn't taste sweet like a dessert, which I can really appreciate as most flavored coffees do. But it still has enough of a dessert feel that I love sipping a cup of it while reading a book after dinner. I've been enjoying it with a little bit of almond milk mixed in, and Jay (who is not even a coffee drinker) has liked it over ice with a little splash of pumpkin spice creamer. 

What's the deal with Fair Trade?

There are so many sources of information out there that can explain it better than I can. To learn more go to Fair Trade USA to read about the organization's mission as a whole, and visit Green Mountain's site to see how they are working to "brew a better world." But in general, Fair Trade farms have strict labor laws, business practices, and environmental standards that not only ensure a better quality and better tasting product, but fair treatment of workers too. And work is being done to build up the Fair Trade communities to enrich the lives of the people in them, including new schools, scholarships, and businesses to grow their economies. Do some research elsewhere too! We are lucky enough to have information literally at our fingertips, and it's really interesting to see the how it all comes full circle. 

If you'd like a chance to win a gift bag filled with Fair Trade certified goodies, check out this post from one of my favorite bloggers, Bonzai Aphrodite. She has also shared a quick video that explains it briefly and perfectly in only two minutes. I urge you to go watch it, and enter to win the gift bag she's giving away!

And if you're thinking of making some Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified coffee at home, use the code BETTER-4ALL at checkout on their website for $2 off certain items. And like them on Facebook where they share the most current deals and coupons.

I received these samples as a BzzAgent, and was received no compensation for this review. Just sharing my thoughts!