Favorite's Fridays: Hibiclens

I am not sure if many know of this amazing soap. This is a skin cleanser that rids the skin of bacteria and is used by many nurses, doctors and medical professionals. "Hibiclens is an antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleanser possessing bacterial properties." (read more here) 

I have been using Hibiclens for many years to wash my underarms. I simply use it as a soap in the shower. I rinse my underarms so they are wet, add a tiny drop of Hibiclens, suds it up and let it sit for about 2 minutes while I wash my face or hair. It is important to make sure to rinse it off very well. Throughout the day, while I am working or playing in the cold or in the heat, I never develop a foul body odor smell. 

Hibiclens can be purchased at any drugstore or pharmacy. 

Sailing, Takes Me Away...

This time last year, my daughter and I took a trip of a lifetime! We had the opportunity to go sailing with a new friend of mine, who I met when I went to Morocco with a group of people. Captain Joe was his name and sailing was his game! He invited me to go sailing with him down the East Coast. Since my daughter was about to get married in September (2011), I figured that this would be the perfect bonding experience for the both of us. I asked the Captain if she could come with us so we could have some “mommy and me time!” 

We started our journey in Boston and played around town for a few days taking in all the historical sights. Then we headed to meet the boat about an hour north of Boston. We started our 7-day journey and headed south stopping each day in a new location, at a new Yacht club, with different faces and new experiences at each place. Different experiences came with different weather. We experienced every kind of weather... except snow! It was really hot... It was really cold... It was rainy... It was windy... There was even lightning, thunder, sun, and everything in between! It definitely was fun! My daughter and I noticed that all of the women at each yacht club who were sailing were a mess. They had no make up on and looked unfinished. Don’t get me wrong; yes, we were roughing it, but we still wanted to look our best. As women, we wear two accessories all the time – our hair and our face.  Roughing it doesn’t mean looking like you just rolled out of bed. 

Typically, our idea of a good blow out is ten roller brushes and a hair dryer. However, on this trip, a good blow out was having the warm wind blow through our thick locks of hair. Typically, our idea of makeup is blush, sexy, smokey eyes and some lip-gloss. However, on this trip, I still was able to achieve that look with some mascara and some lip-gloss! My eyeliner, eyebrows and lips are enhanced by permanent makeup, and the only thing I had to worry about in the morning was sunscreen and some chap-stick. I enjoyed putting a splash of bronzer on my cheeks for our dinner on shore each night. At the time, my daughter did not have any permanent makeup. She would have to wait until we docked to try to put eyeliner on so she would not wind up with black pencil all over her face from the rough ocean waves. I love what I do! I love that I can help people look great and feel great without having to deal with five pounds of makeup in their suitcase. I can rough it and still look fierce!   

We had our picture on a billboard in Times Square! So Exciting!

In Central Park

In Marblehead, MA - one of our favorite places.

Our group!
L to R
Captain Joe, First Mate Jack, Me, Krysten

All of our luggage - that didn't even fit through our cabin door!

The Pageant of the Masters

It is hard to put into words exactly what this event is... It is simply beautiful. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach. My family and I have gone every year since Krysten was a baby, and it gets better and better every time. 

It is so hard to explain this fabulous show, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I can tell you that you won't be sorry if you attend this show. Sitting in an outdoor theatre in comfortable seats, under a beautiful starry sky, and with a live orchestra to accompany the show just makes the night perfect. 

I recommend getting tickets as soon as you can, as tickets sell out quickly. We typically get tickets almost a year in advance to ensure great seats! Don't wait! See if there are still tickets available. This year's fabulous show ends August 31st! 

Check out this video about the Pageant! 

Our group this year for The Pageant of the Masters!
(L to R) My childhood friend Annie, Cousin George, Carla (his wife),
lifetime friend Linda, My son-in-law Jeff, my daughter Krysten,
my dear friend Kathy and yours truly!

Little White Dress

Can you believe we are half way through August? For the past few months I have been counting down until my cruise to Alaska! I have never been before, and I really want to see it before it melts. When I travel I like to pack little by little over a long period of time and put things in my suitcase as I think of them. As I was looking through my closet for things to bring for my cruise I came across this white linen dress I bought years ago, and I started to laugh. You will too when you learn why I was laughing. I thought of the time I bought this dress. My sister and I took my daughter to this Swap Meet in Southern California to get some exercise and sunshine. We found this clothing tent that had beautiful white linen pants, tops, dresses, blouses - you name it! I saw some fabulous clothes that I wanted to try on, but before I could grab a dressing room the owner yelled at me in a thick accent saying, "HEY YOU! You cannot try those clothes on! You have lots of make up on that could ruin it!" I simply laughed and told him that I did not have any makeup on. I smiled and proceeded into the dressing room. He them came towards me and continued to raise his voice. He was so upset that he said he would call security. I told him nicely that I didn't have any make up on and that I could prove it. I then watched him nearly faint as I began wiping the white linen all over my face! I rubbed it on my lips & eyes. I laughed! He about had a heart attack. When I showed him that the white clothing was still white he was confused and began inspecting it to make sure I wasn’t hiding anything. My sister and I told him about my profession - cosmetic tattooing and permanent makeup. He smiled. Needless to say he let us try on anything and everything at his tent. His wife is now one of my clients, and I still love my little white linen dress.

Favorite's Fridays: Blemish Remedy

Many magazines, blogs and articles have recommended tooth paste as a great blemish eraser. Using toothpaste is a common remedy, but I know of an even better one: CVS Tooth Whitener. CVS Pharmacy sells this tooth whitener in a bottle that resembles a bottle of whiteout. I haven't had to use this "favorite" much, due to the fact that my face does not break out very often. However, this is a great thing to have in your medicine cabinet to use when needed. 

After your face is completely washed, clean, and clear of any makeup, simply dabble the tooth whitener directly onto the desired spot and let it dry (it can take awhile to dry). I find it best to use before bed or while at home for awhile. It can sting depending on the state of your blemish. It can also turn white (temporarily). Also, if you look closely in the mirror, you can see it bubbling and killing bacteria. 

I can't promise that it will just vanish by morning, but it speeds up the process of healing by cleaning out the bacteria. It also depends on the state of your blemish. 

Colgate used to make this product, but I haven't been able to find their version of it anymore. The only place I am able to find it is at CVS Pharmacy for under $10! 

Cleopatra - Ancient Beauty

Last week I spent a day at the California Science Center where we visited the Cleopatra exhibit. The exhibit is the largest collection of Cleopatra era artifacts ever assembled in the U.S. It was fascinating, to say the least. I could have spent another few hours inside the exhibit if I had more time. There were so many interesting artifacts, lots of history and incredible displays. The amount of artifacts on display was above and beyond what I expected. 

Athena (BRONZE)

I don't know which part of the exhibit I enjoyed the most. I saw small statuettes, large statues, coins, jewelry, and everyday items. I also saw a tiny figure of The Goddess Athena made out of Bronze... I loved that! The history of Cleopatra is amazing. She became the queen of Egypt at only 17 years old in 51 B.C. After almost two decades in power, she took her own life. There is so much mystery of exactly how/why she killed herself. I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt and have visited Egypt twice. After seeing this exhibit and learning more history about Egypt and Cleopatra, I definitely would go back in a heartbeat. It's so fascinating! 

I have seen some interesting articles and documentaries that mention Cleopatra and permanent makeup... of course that would catch my attention! It is believed that Cleopatra had permanent makeup. Oddly enough, many people do not know of cosmetic tattooing or permanent makeup and its fabulous benefits. It is an art that is has been around for thousands of years. In the times of Cleopatra, permanent makeup was done quite differently. Extremely sharp objects were used to deposit pigments underneath the skin and there was no real anesthesia. I'm sure Cleopatra would have been happier and a bit more comfortable in my chair. Today, permanent makeup is done in less time and with less pain, with better tools and more precision. 

Gorgeous Jewelry 

at the exhibit. 

(necklace, bracelet

& earrings) 

Shark Week - Jaws

In honor of Shark Week (insert famous Jaws theme song here) I thought I would do a blog about Universal Studios. "Why" you might ask? Because my family and I enjoy the Studio Tour Tram ride which features JAWS. Jaws has been "scaring" us on the tram for years and years. We have been going to Universal Studios since my daughter was a baby. We would take her for the afternoon to ride the tram, watch a few shows and head home. To this day, we have thoroughly enjoyed spending our afternoons at the park. This past week, we went twice for a few hours, rode the tram and the brand new Transformers Ride, had a nice dinner at City Walk and ventured home. (Check out LUSH at City Walk - they have amazing Bath Bombs, facial scrubs & lotion!) 

I remember when the movie JAWS came out (though I was just a little girl, lol). I was terrified of the water after that movie. I really didn't even want to take a bath.  Growing up in San Francisco, swimming at the beach wasn't a huge pastime. The waters were chilly and the weather was cloudy, but I did love going to the beach. I was always traveling to Mexico or Southern California where heading to the beach was apart of daily life! I must have steered clear of the beach for awhile after seeing the movie, because being eaten by JAWS was something I didn't want any part of. 

Here are some interesting shark facts:

- You are 1,000 times more likely to drown in the sea than you are to be bitten by a shark.

- Sharks can smell one drop of blood in a million drops of water.

- A shark can hear a fish in the water from more than a mile away.

Read more about sharks HERE.