I wanted to make this whole review a big heart surrounded by glitter, but that doesn’t really translate to prose.

Rudy’s in Silverlake - they have a bunch of other locations in LA, Seattle, and Portland - is a giant warehouse space where you walk in and for $26 (+ $5 for a wash) whoever’s got an open chair is who chops your cabeza. They do color, too. Rudy’s is hipster ground zero where pretty much anything goes; I am never the only one in there with unnaturally colored hair, and there is always somebody getting their fauxhawk topiaried. So many folks work here that it’s a great way to test out stylists. The pricetag may be cheap, but the products (Bumble + Bumble) and workmanship are quality. I have been getting my hairs did chez Rudy the whole time I’ve been living in LA…nearly four years…and every time, I’ve gotten a decent cut, though I’ve been unable to commit to a new stylist while secretly mourning the loss of my regular (Emily Howard of Moxie in San Francisco. HOLLA! She’s still there, but now I’m here. *sniff*).

Things have changed, though, from the decent to the EXTRA AWESOME, ever since I found my keppe getting clipped by Shawn. (I hope I’m spelling her name correctly.) Here is where the hearts and glitter are important. I plopped myself in her chair mumbling need a change, whatever looks okay with my glasses, just something exciting…and she saw my long-snoozing inner rocker chick longing to once again fly free and she gave me a fantastic cut that I can’t even describe because I don’t have the specialized hairsnippers’ vocabulary but trust me when I say it’s art, right here on my head, cutely showing off my dark blue and bleached chunks to maximum capacity.

Eight weeks later I went back on a day I knew she’d be there and she did it again.

As an added bonus to her scissor skills, Shawn is smart and funny and easygoing and fun to chit-chat with about crazy city life and gnarly retail customers and taking little kids to Disneyland, and she explained what she was doing with the blowdryer and styling products so I could attempt to reproduce the magic at home.

Hearts! Glitter! Jazz Hands!

Rudy’s Barbershop

http://rudysbarbershop.com

4451 W. Sunset Blvd., LA 90029

323-661-6535

Technorati Tags chaia, Directory, Everything-Hair, hair, silverlake, Spa-reView

I have my appointment for my second treatment of mesotherapy tomorrow. I can totally already see a slight change in my clothing from my first treatment and I still have around 6 more to go. Way excited! I don’t know if I will be up to posting my results tomorrow, but stay tuned in case I do! Of Course I am going to the valley view cosmetic center to see Dr. Marks!

Technorati Tags Medi-Spa, Spa-reView

One of my favorite brands for thier overall consistancy of nice results (not necessarily amazing results, but never bad) is Olay. I think I have only had one bad experience with the body shower gel which I am convinced made me smell funky sooner than later with the high fragrance content, but that’s another post on another day. Today is all about the Night Recovery treatment, which again has not failed me being a good ol’ Olay product. To be honest, I have not really seen any sort of miracle with continual use of this product, but it really is nice when I slather it on. It goes on smooth, has a nice coating type consistancy that isn’t greasy or uncomfortable, and most importantly, it feels like my skin just soaks up all the moisturizing elements. Oh yea, and it’s got a light non-offensive fragrance which is a plus too. So all in all, another solid A for Olay. Ole!

Technorati Tags drugstore-gems, Home Spa, olay, Product-Reviews

When I was un-30, I had really lovely piump lips - and with some gloss & lip liner, sheer pout perfection. At 36, my bottom lip is still nice and full but my upper lip has shrunk almost in half. I wish my hips would do that, but alas…

Continue reading ‘Lip Plumpers’

Technorati Tags bee-sting, injectables, lip-plumpers, Make Up, Medi-Spa, philosophy, Product-Reviews, restalyn, Spa-reView

I was super excited to get a botte of Obagi C serum out of a swap from MakeUpAlley.com and have been using it enthusiastically (even though it smells like paint thinner)…but today something weird happened. Right after I washed my face and applied the serum, I felt some kind of creepy-crawly sensation on the bridge of my nose, a kind of tickling like a mosquito or a flyaway hair was tickling my skin. I tried to re-wash and re-apply the serum thinking that perhaps there actually was a mosquito or flyaway hair, but it happened again. Really strange. It’s been a week and so far, nothing noticeable besides creepycrawly & terpentine smell. I shall keep you all posted.

Technorati Tags Home Spa, makeupalley.com, obagi, Product-Reviews, Spa-reView, vitamin-C

well, my underwear officially fell off me today - and my jeans sag…but here’s the interesting part: I only got ‘zapped’ on my stomach area, but I am shrinking all over. Hmmm. well, I still have 6 more sessions to go, with my next one scheduled on the 3rd week of May, and then consecutive sessions weekly (I dunno if I can handle the pain) or bi-weekly basis depending on my tolerance level.

I really should hit the gym - powerwalking & pilates are not going to do anything for jiggly loose skin!

Technorati Tags Dr.-Marks, injectables, lipo, Medi-Spa, meso, Spa-reView, VVMConline.com

Man - this whole proceedure thing is tough. I was feeling way overwhelmed and totally forgot to publish these entries so I’m going to submit them now:

….

well, considering that I couldn’t manage to even write a blog entry on day 1, and this being day 3 and I am still walking around like a prego-whale - I am thankful for the fact that I am no longer in pain. I’m taking it way easy today lounging in bed and catching up with friend’s bloggers and such. Dr. Marks says that the swelling typically lasts for 3 days so hopefully tomorrow will be much more exciting. I’ve also read that it’s usual for results to only be seen after the 4th to 6th session. What I find most interesting though, is that there isn’t much information on the whole mesotherapy process besides the stuff that is in the pamplets at the medi-spa.

ok I’m off to surf & snooze. more later

Technorati Tags Medi-Spa, Spa-reView

I swore by studio fix by MAC all through my 20’s and even a couple of years into my 30’s until it became too thick & greasy for my “maturing” skin. Now I find MAC to be way too greasy AND drying for my skintype, but like I said, It was my must-have for a good long run.

Now that I’m 36, and a bit tired of the whole many - bare escentual foundation steps (although I will take time out for an evening out) I am looking for that perfect foundation to cover my new issues of skin pigmentation sunspots, fine lines and a bit of dryness. Last season I was able to wear Stila tinted moisturizer with a dusting of the michael kors bronzing powder but lately I am realizing that it simply isn’t cutting it anymore. blah.

MAC stuff is available at Macy’s

Technorati Tags concealer, foundation, MAC, macys, Make Up

My last visit to the woodland hills Topanga mall rendered a fabulous cami from Fourth & Towne (A banana republic / gap store with extended sizes) a lovely lunch at the Hana Grill & a 20 minute $24.00 chair massage. I’ve never really found the little massage spots to be very relaxing, and getting a massage in the mall in front of people walking by has always made me a bit nervous, but it was a quiet mid-week day and so we went for it.

The chair - to me - was much more relaxing and effective than a flat massage table, because it seems to be ergonomically correct - and after laying face down for 30 minutes my back usually starts to ache - yes, even immediately after a massage.) Anyway - where was I? Oh yea. the mall - getting a massage. And I would do it again - it was a hardcore - relaxing power massage.

The only thing that I would change is maybe plug in my ipod to drown out the mall echo & elevator music and for sure will NOT eat before a massage ever again. Talk about queasy!

Technorati Tags fashionista, FYI, Massage, quickies, Spa-reView

Doctor Recommended hand treatment is something that is definitely on my ongoing wishlist - but I’m not so sure with this particular fragrance. What I do like about it is the packaging - it totally looks like something I might have designed at one time or another, and perhaps I have? Anyway…I slathered some of this on because for the last couple of years my hands have had a major dryness issue…and then O came downstairs and asked me if I sprayed ant spray because it smells like it.

Well damn, who wants a softening hand cream that smells like ant & roach spray? “Not I” said sylG. On the upside - a portion of the profits from Caren et Cie ‘Stardust’ or any products are donated to the company’s breast cancer research fund - and it’s not tested on animals - not even ants.

Technorati Tags AromaTherapy, hands-&-feet, Product-Reviews, Spa-reView

I’m giving this product way high ratings because it really did smell wonderful and delicious, however, there was a girl who I used to work with who purchased a similar scent and she got on my nerves, so it started reminded me of her. It has a sweet sugary cotton-candy smell that originally reminded me of carnival and street fairs when I was younger, but now reminds me of her. blah.

Technorati Tags Aqualina, Fragrance, Pink-Sugar, Product-Reviews, sephora, trendy-perfumes

As a teen, I suffered from acne-ridden skin, which with the help of majorly harmful rx treatments like accutane and tetracycline, I was able to basically nuke the zits off my face…during high school anyway. Ever since, I have been somewhat overly concerned about my occassional monthly breakouts, but until I purchased this Dermologica Acne Prone skin kit and nearly dried out every inch of necessary oil from my 36 year old skin, I finally realize that I really don’t have acne prone skin…I just break out sometimes.

So, being a good mom, I gave the remaining packet to my 15 year old son who is fighting the acne battle right now (and not really winning with proactive) and even HE says it is too drying for him. This was my first time using any Dermologica product in my 30’s - and most definitely the wrong one for me (and my son!). Rosalinda the Makeup Goddess gave me some dermological Daily Microfoliant though, and so far so good…a full review after the trial run has been completed.

Technorati Tags acne, dermalogica, oily-skin, Product-Reviews