Detox Market San Francisco (Photo Heavy)

During a recent venture into San Francisco, I sought out a new addition to the Mission District: The Detox Market.  

The Detox Market's flagship location on Beverly Blvd in West Hollywood has had a cult following since their opening in 2010.  With a goal of seeking out high quality, eco-coscious beauty and food brands, a trip to The Detox Market is bound to introduce you to a handful of brands you may have never heard of before. 

Their mission statement is simple:

"We believe...We believe in pure, natural products that work.  We believe in living simply without sacrificing quality. We believe in conscious consumption. We believe in the passionate people behind each of our products. We believe in feeling good from the products we use"

Their new location at 969 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 is a breath of fresh air among the heavy concentration of thrift stores, indie coffee shops and bookstores in the area.  Using white crates as display counters, the store provides an airy approach to product display, imparting a relaxed and clean feeling to the consumer. 

In a world where a single Nordstrom may carry over 500 brand options in their beauty department alone, the edited product selection at The Detox Market was a welcome surprise.

A definite perk of visiting this location was being introduced to a number of brands which I have either never heard of, or never had the chance to play with in person.  For example:

Each brand was accompanied by a chalkboard providing information about the brand and product line; a perfect accompaniment to The Detox Market's clean and approachable aesthetic.  Key features of the brand's offering, such as cruelty free and organic ingredients, were provided with a handwritten presentation which provided a feeling of personal connection to The Detox Market.



The Detox Market also offers a handful of carefully chosen food products to their customers.

AND one of my all time favorite brands of tea, with a HUGE selection!

The Detox Market is a wonderful gem offered to the City of San Francisco; a city that offers you a little bit of everything.  I am anxious to see what new offerings The Detox Market introduces as their product selection changes and evolves to suit the needs of their San Francisco clientele. 


Final Verdict: I'll be back!

The Perfect Summer Wedding...

Memorial Day weekend held a special moment in my heart this year.  One of my dearest friends, Christine, was getting married *sniff* in what amounted to the perfect summer wedding.

The bride, Christine, and I go waaaay back to my first days as a transfer student at Sonoma State University.  At the time, Sonoma State (SSU) had just opened a new set of "apartment-style" dormitories which housed four people in a four bedroom/four bath apartment with shared kitchen/living space.  By luck, I was placed in the same dormitory as this gorgeous girl here:

Halloween 2003

Little did I know that in the coming months Christine and I would become incredibly close bonding over late night sing-alongs to Rent and Moulin Rouge soundtracks (Christine majored in Theater).

Who knew that months later Christine would introduce me to her high school friend, David, who is now my husband!

3 month dating anniversary 2004

Ren Faire Turkey Legs - YUM!

In short, I adore this girl to her very core...

Christine's wedding was held at the American River Resort in Coloma, California on a perfect May summer day. 

The location backed directly up to the American River providing a feeling of serenity and nature. 

Choosing a color palette inspired by the sunset, her bridesmaids wore pale yellow and carried a variety of sunflowers.

The bride imparted a vintage feel to her look by styling soft pin curled hair with a single flower, finishing the look with black winged eyeliner, corner lashes and a rich plum lip color (L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge in Everlasting Plum).

The day was a perfect collection of everything wonderful: Good Food, Good Friends, and Love...so much love.

Many congratulations to the bride and groom!

Product Rant: Mascara

I have a very cut and dry relationship with my mascara, you're either in the drawer or in the trash.

High standards?  Absolutely. 

When a new mascara comes on the market, I always approach with a high level of skepticism.  Products ranging from 5.99 at the drugstore to 30.00+ dollars at Sephora and Department Stores always tout lofty promises like "fatten lashes by 120%" or create "5x the length" with a single coat.  More often than not, they disappoint.

Then there is the issue of staying power, smudging and waterproofing.  Don't get me started.  Lofty claims indeed! You can swim in me, cry with me, and then NEVER get me off!

I don't use waterproof mascara, ever.  Waterproof mascara makes me feel like a claustrophobic person, stuck in an elevator.  At the end of the day, when it's time for the magic to be washed off, I practically break into hives thinking that after a soak with makeup remover and a good washing, my delicate lashes may still be coated with whatever chemically induced cocktail was combined to create the chosen mascara formula.  Do you see how as I talk about it I become more melodramatic?  Just as the claustrophobic person becomes more hysterical the longer they are trapped between floor two and three.

My rules for mascara are simple. I want:
-Rich inky black color
-Completely coated lashes, in ONE coat
-Soft and approachably separated lashes (no spider lashes need apply)
-A non-waterproof formula
- NO smudging even on the hottest days
-Affordable price tag (which I would define as under 20.00 or so)

I would fear that my standards are too high, that I ask too much, however, I have found a choice few mascaras to live up to these standards - more on that later.

What are your mascara make or break mascara rules?

Bridal Makeup: Plum Promises

 This is one of my "go-to" eye looks for bridal work.  Using plum colors instead of neutral browns adds some interest to the look while still looking beautiful on a full range of skin tones.  Purposeful highlight on the lid and inner corner gives a luminous glow on camera without looking too "frosted" or overdone.

This look is perfect for outdoor and indoor weddings alike and can always be adapted to fit your style and event type.  You'll notice the right eye has lashes, whereas the left eye does not, proving that this bridal makeup look can be tuned in to fit your personal preference!

For a full tutorial on how to create this look, please view the video below.  A full list of products used can be found after the jump!



To create this look, I started with the following products:

 

From Left:

Elf Blush/Bronzer Duo (GREAT value at only 3.00!)

Estee Lauder Doublewear Foundation

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Patisserie Lipstick

To complete the eye look, the following products were used:

 

From Left:

Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara

Bobbi Brown Black Mauve Gel Eyeliner

MAC Pigment in Pink Opal

MAC Blanc Type

MAC Tete a Tint

MAC Haux

MAC Blackberry

Ardell Black Demi Wispies (not shown)

Natural Daylight

Natural Daylight

Natural Daylight

Mod Inspired FOTD, Urban Decay Lashes

This Face of the Day (FOTD) was inspired by the Mod look of the Twiggy era.  Big lashes and white liner!

 

This look was created using a surprisingly small number of products.  Sometimes its not how many items you use, but the way you use them.  Blending was absolutely essential for this look to avoid any harsh lines.  The goal was to create contours and gradients which had no beginning or end to them.

See the full product breakdown and more pictures below:

Face:

Estee Lauder Daywear Moisturizer

Benefit POREfessional Primer

LOreal Visible Lift Foundation, #160 Classic Ivory

MAC Studio Fix Powder in N4

Cheeks:

Illamasqua Blusher in Nymph

Eyes:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot (all over lid and browbone)

Bobbi Brown Black Velvet Sparkle Eyeshadow (crease blended, a lot)

Jessie's Girl loose shadow in Secret Weapon (inner tear duct, lightly dusted over lid)

Lorac Front of the Line Pro Liquid Liner in Black

Urban Decay Lashes - Lure

Lips:

MAC Lipliner in Just Wonderful (Limited Edition)

No7 Poppy Collection Lipgloss in Glamour

Pinch Me Peach Tutorial

I've been pushing my boundaries lately, and the boundaries of my collection, by trying out the multi-purpose options that products provide.  For example, did you know that a blush can be used as a blusher, eye shadow and lip color?  One product, 100s of uses. 

For today's tutorial, I use two Illamasqua blushers to create a peach sunset inspired look.  Check out more photos after the jump!

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To create this look I used the following products:

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Primer
L'Oreal Visible Lift in Classic Ivory
NARS Albatross highlighter
MAC Trimmed in Pink Lipliner
Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Illamasqua Blusher in Hussy
Illamasqua Blusher in Lover
MAC Shroom
MAC All That Glitters
Stila Smudgestick in Stingray
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Waterproof black

Purple Smoke for Valentines Day: FOTD and Tutorial

Another year, another Valentine's Day.

In years past whether I've been in a relationship or not, I've always taken extra strides to make Valentine's Day a big deal.  It all started with getting baskets from my mom on the "Day of Love" when I was a kid.  It was like Easter, only better.  The baskets were always filled with bath salts, lip glosses, and all that Bonne Bell girly goodness.

As an adult, I hold on to the feeling that Valentine's Day is important and deserves special mention.  This year I have prepared my look early.  Featuring the Laura Mercier Lingerie palette (fitting name for V-Day no?) I created this Smoked Out Purple eye.

See a step by step tutorial below and a full list of products after the jump!



Starting with the Face:

Make Up Forever Contour Powder in #2

Lush Color Supplement in Jackie Oats

MAC Studio Fix Plus Powder in N3

 To Finish the Look:

Stila Smudge Stick in Stingray
Laura Mercier Lingerie Palette
L'Oreal Infallible Rouge Lipcolor in #130, Enduring Berry
Sephora Lipgloss in Cute Pink
Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara in Black


Photos taken using natural daylight:

My favorite part of having "girl time" is being able to play with, talk about, and test out makeup.  My friends are endlessly patient with my love of trying new things and often end up being my "test subjects" for new looks.

This weekend I was able to try out an Amber Look on my friend Christine; full list of products after the jump!

Before:

After:

Face:
MUFE HD Foundation in #118
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Light Medium and Medium Dark
MUFE Bronzer/Highlight duo in #2

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Vanilla Pigment (inner corner)
MAC Brule (browbone)
MAC Amber Lights (lid)
MAC Cork (outer corner, crease)
MAC Espresso (Outer V)
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Demolition
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black

Cheeks:
MAC True Romantic
Eve Pearl Highlighter Trio

Lips:
MAC Cosmo
MAC Lovelorn (center bottom lip)