Tag Archives: beauty blogger

Nail Art: Starry Night

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Born Pretty has tons of great nail products, and I recently got to review quite a few new ones!  I’m a big fan of good nail wraps because they’re so easy to apply and in most cases, you can have instant nail art in about an hour!  These nail foil wraps based on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” were so much fun, I wish my nails were a bit longer to capture the full effect!

I’ll be posting more reviews in the days to come as I try out more products, and I’ll even have my niece join in on the fun as well (she’ll be very excited)!  If you like any of the products you see here, or if you are going to make a purchase from their site, Born Pretty has given Any Second Now readers a 10% discount by using CGG10 at check out.  Enjoy!

FTC Disclosure:  I received product and was asked to review the product in return.  Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care Grand Opening

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At the beginning of June, I had a whirlwind night of TWO events in one evening!  The first was the “Night of Beauty” grand opening of The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care in Carlsbad (first posted about here).  This award winning salon was located in Escondido, but relocated and reopened in a 3,700 square foot space in the La Costa Town Square shopping center.  The salon is large, spacious and beautifully decorated.  They offer a very large variety of services including a full hair care salon, skin & body care, massage therapy, spa packages, facial treatments, peels and microdermabrasions.

The night was fun and extremely interactive, with experiences spread throughout the salon.  From what I saw, there was a DJ, Braid & Brow Bars, Sensory Experiences (head, neck & shoulder massage or hot hand towel treatment), a massage chair, a “Tattoo” Station (decorative), wet bar, food, coffee and even shopping!  It was also nice to know that 10% of the product sales and all of the raffle ticket sales benefitted Dress for Success San Diego.  I’ve included lots of photos from the evening, and I was glad to get pictures of the beautiful salon prior to the public showing because it got crowded very quickly!  Congratulations to Heather & Shawna on the grand re-opening of The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care at their new location in Carlsbad, cheers!

The Loft Grand Opening Collage 1

“We’ve loved being in Escondido, but we’re excited for our growth into this blossoming area of Carlsbad,” said Shawna Cruise, founder of The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care. “Guests will find that our team has remained the same and still offers the amazing care we’ve always prided ourselves on – just now in a new, larger space that we can’t wait to reveal.”

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Co-owner Heather Wilder and founder Shawna Cruise

IMG_5939 (2) (1280x1280)DJ Engage

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The Loft Grand Opening Collage 2Braid Bar; Sensory Experience; Brow Bar

IMG_5955 (2) (1280x1280)My decorative tattoo for the night!

The Loft Grand Opening Collage 4Delicious bites by Bushfire Grill & yummy mini-cupcakes by SusieCakes

IMG_5947 (2) (1280x1280)A bar featuring Stone Brewing Co. & St. Petersburg Vodka

IMG_5968 (2) (1280x1280)Cold Brew and hot coffee by one of my favorite coffee companies, Mostra Coffee!

The Loft Grand Opening Collage 5Models wearing clothing from Boho Boutique

IMG_6122 (2) (1280x1280)My VIP gift bag goodies!  Thank you Colette of Contour PR + Social and The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care for inviting me!

A “Night of Beauty” Celebration on June 4, Hosted by The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care!

Next Thursday, The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care will be unveiling a new location at La Costa Town Square and hosting a “Night of Beauty” for their grand opening (please see all of the details and flier below).

I’ll be there, so come celebrate and say hi!

“To celebrate the salon’s opening, The Loft is inviting the public to a “Night of Beauty,” a Grand Opening bash on Thursday, June 4 between 6 and 9 p.m. The first 50 to arrive will receive swag bags stuffed with premium products and lifestyle gear, while all in attendance can enjoy complimentary cocktails and appetizers, raffle prizes, a live DJ and models, and beauty stations including a how-to selfie station, stress relieving treatments, Medi-Spa demonstrations, tutorials on summer’s hottest hair and makeup trends and more. Ten percent of product sales and all raffle ticket sales will benefit Dress for Success San Diego.”

Night Of Beauty 2015

San Diego Style Bloggers: Recap of the Beauty Blogger Workshop at Bellus Academy

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To quote the charismatic actor Matthew McConaughey:  “Alright, alright, alright!”  Here is my recap of the San Diego Style Bloggers at Bellus Academy in Poway.  Along with yummy desserts, coffee and goodie bags, it was a fun day filled with learning all about wonderful beauty tips for hair, make-up and nails.  I arrived a bit late, so I came in during the hair styling demonstration given by stylist Erik Thrane.  He did an amazing updo style. While pinning up the model’s hair, he mentioned that a good way to keep one’s hair pinned up securely was to weave the hair into the bobby pin, then pin it up into the hair.

IMG_3887 (2) (958x1280)Beauty Blogger Workshop 2014 Collage 2

Stylist Erik Thrane:  Follow him on Instagram at @erikthranecolorist

After the hair styling session came a wonderful makeup demonstration by artist Marina Estrella.  She gave so many useful tips.  For instance, she explained that for mature skin (like myself), avoid shimmer and don’t do full coverage.  Instead, mix color with moisturizer to give a more satin look rather than matte.  A tip I used pretty much right away was regarding applying lip color: put the majority of the lip color while your mouth is relaxed, then smile to place the rest of the color.  My favorite tip of the day: “Blending is everything.  Blending is the secret of life…”  This is something I will carry with me forever!

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Makeup artist Marina Estrella:  Follow her on Instagram at @marinaaestrellamua

The last demonstration of the day was nail art by Ally Caraveo.  The entire time she spoke, she painted the nails you will see in the middle picture below.  She stated she draws her inspiration from street art, graffiti, and tattoos.  Wherever she draws her inspiration, it results in something incredible!  Then the Director Of Spa Nails, Trudy Reynolds (pictured with Director of Community Relations, Leilani Angel), gave us some information regarding shellac and what it means in relation to nail care.  This truly was a lovely event presented by Be Social PR, and our hosts at Bellus Academy were perfect!

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Nail artist Ally Caraveo:  Follow her on Instagram at @allycaraveo

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Leilani Angel and Trudy Reynolds of Bellus Academy

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Top photo:  A quick selfie with Nicholle of Topknots and Pearls and Tiffany of Glitz and Glam.  Bottom photos: Another shot of my lovely shirt from Wardrobe Ritual and my vintage Céline clutch purse (outfit post here).

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Oh, and I won the raffle!  Day of relaxation, here I come!