I recently boxed up some of the makeup I have retired to my overflowing dresser drawer and sent it to my sister so that she could select the items she liked for herself. Given that there was likely $3,000 worth of product in the box, I had to really face the fact that I simply purchase too much makeup. This 15 pound shipping box full of barely used product is more a testament to my need to constantly put my hopes and dreams into new makeup than it is to my complete shopoholic-ness. I honestly believe that each new lipstick, shadow, foundation will bring with it a complete and miraculous beauty revolution, that my life will change because I found the exact right shade of pinky brown. My sister called me to laugh at the fact that all of my lipsticks I sent her were the exact same shade of nude. It is true that I consistently buy and rebuy the same colors. I have this perfect color in my head that I am constantly trying to achieve, and I will really buy, mix, blend, and gloss over the same exact shade of lipstick to try to achieve it. Again, this all goes back to the fact that I think makeup has this ability to change your life, or at least your mood, and buying makeup just makes me happy.

On a tip from a beautybaby reader, I was forced to come to reality about John Freida Weatherworks. It doesn’t work. I think the difference in my hair lately has been largely due to the fact that it has not been humid, so my hair just naturally looks better. So tonight (yes, I wash my hair at night so that I can let it air dry, sleep on it, and flat iron it in the morning) I washed my hair with Pantene and used another Freida product that I keep in rotation, DownPlay Volume Reducer. This is a pretty decent standby option for me. What I like about the product is that it really does keep my hair from being extra, super big. (My hair REALLY wants to be extra, super big– and now that I am about 5 months into the straightening process, I need something to tame the regrowth at my crown.) The thing I don’t like about DownPlay is that it doesn’t add the sheen and manageability of a serum. So I sort of sacrifice that nice feel for a more in control, flatter look. I am going to see how this works for the next few weeks until I schedule my next straightening process and all is right with the world again.

Two days ago, the local Starbucks ran out of Sugarfree Vanilla syrup. (A side note: my local Starbucks is sort of terrible. They are super slow, and I may be high maintenance coming from New York, but they have also messed up my order several times.) This could have induced major trauma as I have a Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte literally everyday. However, I opted to test out the Sugarfree Cinnamon Dolce syrup, and it is divine. It is a little sweeter than the vanilla and is creamy and almost like a dessert. I am in love. This will replace my Skinny Vanilla for now!

I had been watching the vest trend unfold with only slight interest. I didn’t think the look was me at all. I thought it was a bit too Ashlee Simpson/Pete Wentz wannabe rocker/hipster chic. I hate to admit it, but I was inspired by last weeks episode of The Hills to look more closely at vests, mainly because Lauren was wearing one with a little tank top and it looked super cute with jeans. This really is something I am trying to figure out these days- how to create a fun look with jeans, something that is not too dressy and not too plain. I popped into my local Gap and found a great little vest. It looked super cute over a tank. I also bought white jeans to complete the look. I was amazed that somehow I seem to be a Size 2 in Gap jeans, which is totally vanity sizing. I am nowhere near a Size 2, but it totally swayed my purchase decision. Check out the vest here.

I have a business trip to New York at the end of the month where I will be meeting with magazine editors and doing my PR thing, so I need an appropriately fashionable yet understated outfit for the trip. I have been hunting for something all weekend and am really was perplexed because I am at the point where I realize that if I buy this structured, fashionable Spring outfit for NYC, I will probably never wear it again here in LA. The reasons for this are many, but mainly it is 90 degrees out here already and structured, business-y looks just do not fit the beach-y Santa Monica lifestyle I am living. That noted, I am coming to terms with the fact that it is almost impossible to find an outfit that straddles the fence of wearable in LA and right for business in NYC. The perfect place to find this ensemble would be Loehmann’s,  and I may have to venture outside of my little Santa Monica hamlet this week to the Loehmann’s that is adjacent to the Beverley Center. I have heard rumors that this store is somewhat undiscovered by LA natives and has an awesome amount of great clothes in stock. One thought I had was to purchase a sundress and try to “business” it up with a little jacket on top because I am so bored with all of the pant/top looks I have. I like them for 5 seconds and then never wear them again. For me, if the top can’t be worn well with jeans, I simply don’t wear it again, and it gets tossed to the back of my closet. I have decided my summer clothes will focus almost solely on sundresses out here, and the dress/jacket combo will allow me to maybe get some use out of the dress while a nice little jacket can be worn really anytime.

Scarves had been all the rage in New York. Even in the sweltering heat of summer, fashionable girls were wearing sheer scarves wrapped very stylishly around their necks. The trend continues, and even out here on the West Coast, scarves are still totally hot. I have purchased several scarves this year, including one that I love from H&M that is black and white and really perfect with almost every outfit. My problem? I cannot figure out how to effectively tie these scarves to look the way the other chic girls on the street look. I can pick them out all over the place. Big glasses, big handbags, and the perfect scarf wrap. I have worn my scarves wrapped around my neck once with the long ends hanging down, but this just isn’t right and this somehow makes me feel like Steven Tyler. I have also been totally tempted to ask these girls how to do the wrap, but I am embarrassed to be so out of the loop. I did manage to find this Elle Girl article online which sort of outlines the various options. Check it out here.

Ever since moving to LA, I have noticed a troubling phenomenon. My hair is frizzy. In reality, it is just the top part of my hair, the part that is growing out from the straightening process, that is fuzzy. I mean we are technically living at the beach, but I assumed the humidity-free West Coast would cancel out any frizz-inducing sea air. Sadly, that is not the case. The hair system that was working for me in New York was just not right here. I venture outside for 5 minutes and I have curly fly-aways galore. Luckily I have re-discovered an old favorite hair potion, Biosilk, that is totally doing the job. It looks like your typical frizz-reducing hair serum, but Biosilk is a bit thicker and packs more power. My hair is shiny but not greasy, and one swipe of the straightening iron imparts a shiny straight look that stays that way all day. In addition, I purchased John Freida’s WeatherWorks Shampoo and Conditioner which promises to shield hair from weather that can ruin a hairstyle. I was dubious at first, but I think it is actually working. For now, this is the new hair process that is working for me. I am excited to have somewhat normal hair again.

As you know, I am struggling with what to wear her in sunny LA. Every day is another opportunity for me to look inside my closet and feel real unadulterated hatred for the clothes I see. They are all wrong. I have literally been unpacking these items this week and trying hard to get excited about putting them in my new closet, but there is nary an item that feels right for me right now. So, this morning I took a stroll down Third Street Promenade after going to the gym, and I stopped into Hard Tail. This store has never been me, but it is really Los Angeles-looking in my mind. It is kind of like yogawear that looks so good you can wear it around town. It is also expensive for cotton tops and pants, but they feel really great and look great on. The pants are super-slimming. Anyway, I selected a pair of black drawstring cotton spandex pants that touch the floor and look really good on as well as a light pink hoodie that has an empire waist and is very girly-cute. I have been wearing them all day like pajamas and really loving the way they look and feel. I still don’t know if Hard Tail is cool here, or the right thing to be wearing, but for today and probably tomorrow, it is my new uniform. Check them out here.