Impermeable: Anti-Humidity Spray

I have successfully refrained from purchasing makeup for the rest of the month and what did I do instead? I bought expensive hair products of course!

I have been currently obsessed with Oribe's hair products - I reviewed one of my favorite styling sprays, Royal Blowout:

Reviewed here for missomnimedia.com. It is not cheap but I am happy to report that it's worth every penny. It does take work, you need to dry section by section, but it is worth the soreness you'll experience in your arms by holding that hairdryer in one hand and brush in the other!

I was recently talking to my coworker that although I did well by not getting carried away by the latest Spring cosmetic collections, I did fall prey to pricey hair styling products. She asked me if it was Oribe I had purchased. Before I could say yes, she offered to give me a spray for free that she bought and did not love.

How could I say no?

Meet the latest in my Oribe collection:

Touted as a finishing spray that will shield your hair from humidity and is 'Miami-tested'. I have been to Florida, not in the Summer but it can get humid there even in late Fall, so I was interested. The texture of my hair is course and even though it straightens easily any sign of humidity or mist in the air and it will wreck the work I put in with blowing out and flat ironing!

This spray contains unique copolymers that enhances and extends longevity of hairstyles in any climate. Your stands are given free radical treatment with tocopheryl acetate and retinyl palmitate while adding nourishing treatment.

This spray also adds body and thickness with Pro-Vitamin B5. While this is marketed as a finishing spray, I used this as a heat protecting setting spray before using my flat iron. I used this on second day hair and I still felt that it didn't weigh my hair down.

I am happy to say that my hair stayed straight from my eight minute walk from the train station to the office. Then again the weather was nice - no mist or humidity in the air. Another test it passed - lunch time Spin class. My hair still looked awesome and I was a total sweaty mess. I did spray some dry shampoo on my roots to soak up some oil, I blasted cool air though my hair and roots. My hair looked as good as it did right after I flat ironed.

I was so impressed with this spray that I would have actually paid for it. I'm currently trying to figure out what to give my co-worker in return for this gift.

Need more inspiration? Check out the how-to video from the Oribe site:

Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray
$38/USD
Found online and in department stores and salons that carry the Oribe collection

Summertime in January LOTD

Here in SF we have reached temperatures in the 40's and rain - it is not fun and yes, I am thankful it wasn't snow. Either way, we are freezing are asses off! I didn't retreat to dark colors or ignore bronzer - I brought Summer to me, well Indian Summer since Summers in SF can be foggy.

On my eyes I used MAC Sumptuous Olive on top of Indianwood Paint Pot for a golden olive eye. Using a combination of two NARS bronzers warm up my complexion - Irresistiblement as a blush and Casino to contour. On my lips is MAC Chestnut Lip Pencil, NARS Hot Vodoo, copper frost and top with NARS Sweet Revenge Lipgloss, a sheer pink grapefruit.

Also, I started adding a drop of NARS Illuminator in Copacabana with my Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer. This gives me a better glow versus adding a drop of the same Illuminator liquid to my foundation.

This golden bronze look helps keep me warm, well my infinity scary and wool pea coat does most of the hard work!

Rye, Steak, Bacon, Donuts and Bruce...

Last Friday night, I went out with my sister and a friend of ours to take part of the 11th Annual SF Sketchfest. It's a festival featuring some of your favorite comedy stars - sad that I missed Law & Order's (and Oz) Chris Meloni on Saturday. I didn't realize he was a theater geek that loved performing sketch pieces! So before that here's some cocktail porn:

Restaurant - 5A5 Steak Lounge, a steak restaurant that seems to have an Asian fusion type of theme.

L to R:
My sister's Punkin Pie - all I can remember is that it had Grey Goose Vodka and it tasted like it had pumkin puree and pie spices...it was truly delicious.
My Bulleit and Bacon - Bulleit Rye whiskey, antica formula and maple syrup
served straight up with a salted rim and candied bacon garnish

As you know, I love whiskey, rye and scotch. I love bacon so this is a winning combination in my eyes. This also seemed to be the steakhouse's answer to the Manhattan cocktail (one of my classic bar treats). However, I was disappointed. This cocktail was very one note - all I tasted was the rye. No, not a deal breaker in my book - if I was ordering a SHOT! This is supposed to be a cocktail - I should taste a combination of all the ingredients. And what is Antica Formula, you ask?

Antica Formula is an Italian sweet vermouth with notes of vanilla, orange peel and dried fruits. This sounds lovely but I didn't taste any of these notes either. I did enjoy the candied bacon garnish - slight maple flavor. The salt was also unnecessary. The high price tag - $14 doesn't make it any better.

So to make myself feel better I will share pictures of my delicious dinner that made up for my disappointing drink:

Hamachi Shooters (yellow tail fish, avocado, ginger, yuzu tobiko, ponzu)

Boneless Rib eye with shiitake mushrooms

marble potatoes - fingerling and purple potatoes, cheddar, sour cream, bacon bits

Pistachio cake (really tasted like marizpan)

And as the title implies - donut and beer at the Eureka Theater, SF:

My sister, Tatiana holds up the donut I made her share with me - cake donut with fluff (marshmallow spread), crushed graham crackers and caramel drizzle on top. It tasted almost like a S'more and no my pale ale beer did not go well with it. But I am not a rude girl, I finished my beer. Also, I'm not about to waste a $5 bottle of beer! Donuts at the theater provided by Psycho Donuts, San Jose.

And of course:
Bruce McCullough

(from spikednation.com)

If you are into super obscure sketch comedy from Canada - then you know Bruce from the show The Kids in the Hall. In the picture, Bruce is playing one of my favorite characters, Gavin. Bruce read from a work in progress, Pink Dot Stories. Part essay, part poetry, party musical but 100% obscure - you really have to be a Kids fan to get this kind of humor. I was able to keep up but even some of his material went over my head and I was really paying attention, too! I forgot to mention the opening sketch act for Bruce was a duo appropriately named, "Knuckles and Tits" - no I am not making that up. They were funny but I just wished that most of their skits were not dating themed. 


Despite the rain storm that plowed through the Bay Area last weekend, I managed to enjoy good eats and have lots of laughs! If I do see a cocktail that features whiskey and bacon, I should probably walk away from it. I'll keep reminding myself that bacon is for eating and not drinking.


I just wished the people that created bacon lube would share that thought as well.


Again, I am not making that up!

Beauty Baller on a Budget...MISS Guest Post for week of Jan 22.

Hey there,
I've been tightening my budget and so far, I haven't caved in on cosmetic splurges - buying perfume decants off members from my online fragrance club is a whole different story! This give me opportunity to dig around my local drugstores or Ulta Beauty Shops for affordable makeup. And leaves me more money to spend discovering wonderful scents!

Here's my latest find and contribution this week for www.missomnimedia.com:

For $4.99, I am so pleased that I found a staple - I have been using this pretty much 5 out 7 days of the week!

Read my review here.

Have you made any new drugstore discoveries? Any suggestions?

January's Birchbox

So what is Birchbox? If you are not familiar with the company, it's an online shop that sends you 4-5 samples chosen by the editors for $10 a month. I believe that each sample box is tailored to each member's profile so box contents may vary. It is a membership and in addition to DELUXE sized samples, you can also receive coupons for purchasing the full size version of the samples sent on the site. I have this wonderful blogger to thank.

I received my first one last month but because I was caught up with planning a New Year's Eve party, I completely forgot to share.

So here are January's samples:

Algenist - Firming & Lifting Cream (full size - $94)
FIX Malibu - Immaculate Complexion Smoothing Serum (full size - $125)
Juicy Couture - Juicy Couture's signature scent (full size - $69-89)
Zoya - Nail Polish, Kendel (full size - $8)
'wichcraft granola - (full size bag - $8)
(not pictured - magnet of Birchbox square logo)

The theme for January is clarity, hence the skincare and creamy periwinkle nail polish that just welcomes the promise of Spring just around the corner!

For more info on Birchbox, please click here.