Thursday, September 30, 2010

Inspiration: Fall Makeup-Chanel Ad

The second  I saw this ad for Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara, I was mesmerized! After spending the Summer in bright corals and bronze tones, this pink and grey combo looks so fresh. I'm loving the meticulous liner, lashes and brows, and the absence of any shine or shimmer. It's matte, but matte done right! The rose colored blush and barely there, pale pink lip compliments this polished eye perfectly. I love that you can see the precision used in the application. Flawless!

When I picked up the newest issue of Allure, lo and behold, Blake Livey is on the cover wearing a very similar version of this look.
So pretty!

How will you be changing up your makeup look for Fall?

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

To Hell and Back

You'd think this was hell! Today was the hottest day EVER in LA, topping out at 113 degrees!!! While everyone else in the country is beginning to dress in layers, we're still in flip flops and sun dresses, making regular stops for ice cream. I'm over it, and hoping that this is the usual "one last heat wave" before the air turns cool. I'm ready for sweata-weatha. ;)

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm back from my Palm Springs mini break. :)  I hadn't planned on taking a week off from the blog, but it's taken me a little longer to get my act together. For those still following along, regular blog posts will start up tomorrow. I can't wait to catch up with all of you!

xoxo,
Bren

Friday, September 17, 2010

Girls Weekend

As much as I'd love a real vacation, where you get on a plane and don't come back for at least a week, I've come to really appreciate the "mini-break." You all know how much I've been working this year, so any chance to get even two days away, is a welcome reprieve! This weekend I'm heading out to Palm Springs for a girls' spa weekend, and to soak up the last days of Summer. (literally!) Unlike last time, I plan on staying at the resort the entire trip. I usually try to cram as much as I can into a weekend, but this time I'm going to take it easy. I can't wait to be basking in the warm desert sun, with a cocktail in hand, and chatting it up with my girls!  I've never been so excited to get my R & R on! :)

 I hope you all have an amazing, end of Summer weekend!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

A Storybook Wedding

 This past Sunday I attended my cousin's wedding, (the one I've been dress shopping for) and it was one of the most gorgeous weddings I've ever witnessed!  The big event took place in Malibu, but not on the beach like you would expect. Instead, they chose the private winery, Saddlerock Ranch, in Malibu canyon.
Surrounded by rolling hills, in the middle of vineyards, with breathtaking views of the valley, my cousin Jason and his beautiful bride Michelle exchanged vows high upon a hilltop. The sentiments spoken by the two of them, were so heartfelt and emotional, that many of us present were fighting back tears. 
 After rings were exchanged, and the ceremony was sealed with a kiss, Jason and Michelle were finally pronounced husband and wife!

Here is the happy couple, being announced as Mr. & Mrs. for the very first time, and ready to get the party started.
The first dance.
Jason and Michelle had been together for 10 years when they got engaged. (They met when they were in high school) It's hard to tell from this picture, but each table was marked by year.  To find your table, you had to find the corresponding year, (Year 1, 2, 3, 4, etc), which included a photo of them from that year they were dating. It was such a cute way to personalize the table numbers.
The cake was pretty, and looked delicious, but I was too full from the food, that I passed on the dessert. What was I thinking?!
Instead of a long table for the entire bridal party, J & M opted for a sweetheart table.
There were lots of family photos taken, but they were left to the professionals. It's hard to remember to take pictures when there's so much going on, and you're touching up the bride's makeup in between it all. I did manage to get one photo of my Dad and I. :)
I can't say enough good things about the location for the wedding/reception. It was pretty spectacular! You literally felt like you were on top of the world.
 As the sun went down, everything started to glow. Here's the view from our table.
It was a long day for me, and I knew it would be. ( I was up at 5am to be ready to start makeup by 7, for a 4pm wedding!) In preparation, I made sure I had plenty of Diet Pepsi on hand, and at about twilight, cracked open this bad boy.
Classy, right?! Well, at least I poured it into a pilsner glass.
I texted this pic to my friend who swears by Rockstar's, and is always trying to talk me into them. She knew that I was desperate.

Even though it was long, and I was tired (when am I not?), it was truly a magical day, and one that I will never forget. 

One can only hope, to find that kind of love someday!


**I apologize for the changing photo quality. Several cameras contributed to this post. ;)

Friday, September 10, 2010

Getting Back on the Horse

The blogging horse that is.

I had the rare opportunity last week, to start the holiday weekend a little early, and extend it past Monday. (ok, way past) I hadn't planned on unplugging totally, but it was exactly what I needed. I didn't take a fancy vacation, or do anything in particular, but I did get a chance to reconnect to my life. I was in desperate need of decompressing, just so that I could find joy and inspiration again.  Trust me, you wouldn't have wanted to read my blog last week. So, I took some extra time to myself just to LIVE. I've had zero schedule for the past seven days, and it's been such a welcome change of pace for me. So much so, that I've been struggling with getting back to normal life, and well, blogging. 

But, the time has come to get down to business, and I feel ready. More importantly, I feel inspired! 

xoxo,
Bren

P.S. Bear with me as I catch up on all of your amazing blogs. I'm sure I've got a lot of reading to do. ;)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Song of the Day: Gary Jules - Mad World

I knew I should've stayed in bed today. I wanted to, but the alarm went off like usual at about 4:30 am. After hitting snooze three times, I finally left my cozy bed to begin the getting ready process. I was hurting! This was going to be one of those days, where no amount of caffeine would help. What I needed was SLEEP!  On top of a very groggy morning, I had horrible traffic making me late for work! It was SO stressful!

Lately, I've been contemplating how I'm constantly burning the wick at both ends. Mostly due to my work schedule, but sometimes because I try to cram in more than is humanly possible. (Call me crazy for trying to have a life) I'm always running, running, running, and I know that I'm not the only one. Our lives are so chaotic and complicated. We're all sleep deprived, and we mainline Starbucks like fiends. (or in my case, Diet Pepsi) Don't we all need a break?

This song came on the radio today, and it went perfectly with my emo attitude and my sucky day. 




I hope you're all having a better day than I am! I promise by the next post I'll have had an attitude adjustment. I just needed to vent today.

xoxo,
Bren