When it comes to eating (ok, eating healthy) I prefer the term ‘lifestyle choice’ over the toxic word ‘dieting.’  (This isn’t a ‘diet’ post per say, it’s more of a reflection on a ‘lifestyle choice’ I’m trying out, thanks to the uber-fab Miss Natalie B.)

I like to think of myself as a pretty healthy person overall.  I get to the gym when I can and I bring my meals to work so I eat healthiest during the weekday (or so I thought.)  On the weekends it’s a different story and I don’t think twice when reaching for that 2nd (ok, 4th) slice of pizza…or have much regret…until my pants feel a little more snug Monday morning than I remember them fitting Friday afternoon.  Several months ago my cousin came over for dinner as we try to do once a week (but in this case several weeks had passed since our last visit) and as soon as she took off her coat my jaw hit the floor when I saw how much weight she had lost since we last saw one another (I’m talking like 15lbs and she was small to begin with.)  She started raving about eating Paleo and I was intrigued but I hated the thought of restricting what one can/ cannot eat because that would feel too much like a ‘diet.’  She had me try some of her go-to snack she always carries around with her – a homemade trailmix…it was more delish than I wanted to admit.  I tried to convince her that what I was eating during the day was just as healthy as Paleo but she dismissed my fiber bars as being as healthy as cookie dough and cringed at the sight of my favorite honey flavored Greek yogurt.  I decided to just try being a little Paleo after my next trip to the grocery store.  Needless to say I have never felt better since trying Paleo (sorry if that sounds gimmicky, but its true) and although I’m not eating Paleo all the time, it has helped me maintain my weight during those insane weeks I cannot get to the gym and end up ordering takeout for dinner here and there.  There are also some phenomenal health benefits to this way of eating but I’ll let you find that out on your own if you’re so inclined why Paleo?

Ok, so here’s the Paleo breakdown:

Paleo is all about lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds- this ‘lifestyle choice’ avoids dairy, grain, processed food, sugar, legumes and starch.  Instead of my beloved fiber bar I now pack a Larabar for breakfast (carrot cake is their best flavor- avoid chocolate coconut.)  Instead of peanut butter on a banana I snack on almond butter with my banana.  Like Natalie, I too now carry around a beloved ‘trailmix’ although mine is much less exciting since it only consists of golden raisins and almonds but it really is a perfect snack.  Now I reach for this yummy mixture instead of a string cheese or Greek yogurt.  It really didn’t take much for me to tweak my daily eating habits and eating Paleo doesn’t require a lot of prep work.  Here are some really yummy Paleo recipes which are tasty enough to make even if you don’t want anything to do with Paleo:

Elana’s Chicken Salad with Almonds                                  Elana’s Carrot Banana Muffins

Nom Nom Paleo Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms                Everyday Paleo Sausage, Egg & Sweet Potato Hash

xoxo,

Lauren

Felt office storage available  @ West Elm ($6.00-24.00)
Moleskine Folio Professional Orange Folder, $14.95 from Barnes & Noble

Stockholm Magazine File $10.99 @ The Container Store.
Rhombin Desk Organizer, $12 from PLASTICA

Jonathan Adler Note Cubes, $13 from See Jane Work    
TPS chartreuse file cabinet, $159 from CB2

Happy New Year!
xo,

Lauren

xo,

Lauren

1. Emerald clutch-  Loving

Try:  Harper Ostrich Evening Bag by DVF (splurge) or Zara’s Basic Leather Messenger Bag for under $50

2.  Leopard Loafer- Love

Try: Zara’s Flat Furry Court Shoe (under $75)

3. Leather Mini Dress- Love

Try:  Vince Leambskin Leather Mini Dress (splurge) or Zara’s metallic offering for under $200

4.  Lacy Red Mini-Dresses- Not Loving (sorry Kate!)  My alternate pick- this gorgeous black asymmetric lace dress.  Zara ($99.90)

5. Sheer Corset Mid-Sections – Not Loving.  My alternate pick- a sleek and sophisticate v-back black shift with a small sheer panel in the front.  Zara ($79.90)

6. Double buckle belt- Loving

Try: Double Buckle Stretch Belt from WetSeal (under $10.00!)

xo,

Lauren

Why hadn’t I seen or heard of this fresh-faced, talented actress before stumbling across Skins thanks to a suggestion from Netflix?  At 14, she was cast as Effy with no prior acting experience whatsoever, but was nominted twice for the British TV Quick Award in the category for Best Actress for her stint in Skins.  This show helped her fine-tune her acting chops and has lead to bigger and better roles, modeling gigs and magazine features.  Recently, I read an article on her in British Vogue and wasn’t at all surprised to learn that she had landed the role of Cathy is in the latest film adaptation of Wuthering Heights (after Natalie Portman gave up the role.)  Her charatcter on Skins was so gritty, damaged but beautiful (much like her personal style), I cannot wait to see her in her role as Cathy, which was hailed as a ‘heart-wrenching revelation’ at the Venice Film Festival.  Wuthering Heights was released mid-November in the U.K. but it’s U.S. release date has yet to be announced.  Regardess, I’ve already checked out the trailer which is available online and I can’t wait to see it once it finally does hit theaters.  Here’s a spectrum of her style below- from 19th century classic beauty to hard as nails Effy to sultry and sophisticated editorials, she can do no wrong.

Stills from Wuthering Heights:

Leather and lace in high school:

All glam & grown up:

xo,

Lauren

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xo,

Lauren

1.  Store cleaning supplies in a shoe holder over the back of your laundry room or closet door.  The products will be easy to find and access, and it saves space.

2.  Mount a magazine rack inside a cabinet door to stash your cutting boards out of sight.  The easiest way to mount the rack is to take the cabinet door off its hinges and lay it down.  Predrill the screw holes for the L-brackets and mount the rack to the center of the cabinet door.

3.  Display your stash of coins from trips abroad by turning them into funky & functional magnets.  All you need is a glue gun or some super glue and a small pack of magnets (available from places like Target or your local hardware store.) 

4.  As someone with a raging scarf addiction who owns more than I could ever count, I’m always trying to rearrange & relocate them around my closets so they are on display while not taking up too much space.  I’ve never been thrilled with how I’ve stored them but this new idea for a scarf rack involving a towel rack and shower curtain hangers is too brilliant to ignore.  Plus, I love how this storage idea keeps them all  on display and so easily accessible. 

 
5.  Use spare ice-cube tray’s or pick up a couple new ones to use as all-purpose jewelry holders in your top dresser drawer.  No more tangled necklaces or late mornings spent endlessly searching for that second earring.

6.  Salvage your broken compacts and eyeshadow with a few drops of alcohol.  This will turn the broken bits back into a paste that will harden into a dry cake and be good as new. 

xo,

Lauren 

xo,

Lauren

Recent design project, Hands On Salon Beverly Hills:

xo,

Lauren

I’ve been looking far and wide for the perfect nude stiletto and other than the uber-gorgeous but uber-luxe Louboutin offerings, (above) I haven’t really seen any nude pumps I immediately loved.  I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to find a great nude pump to add to my collection of dressy footwear staples until I really started looking for a pair.  Not impressed with most options out there, I was slowly coming to terms with the possibility of  having to settle for something I wasn’t really excited to wear, or in some extreme cases, something that resembled a dated clunky beige pump my 7th grade math teacher would have worn.  Until…I recently found the Selby Multi Snake Pump in Taupe from Elizabeth & James, featured below & available here.  I love any shoe or accessory with a little snakeskin- whether its kept natural or dyed, it add’s such a glam touch (ie: my favorite shoe I wear almost EVERYday are my Lambertson Treux snakeskin tipped ballet flats- bottom photo.)  The Selby has the most delicate and feminine heel, at  just the right height (I’m not much of fan of heel’s under 3.5 inches) and the grosgrain bow detail at the front of these pointy-toe pumps adds the right amount of sweetness and charm without being cheesy.  I’m planning on using a Piperlime coupon I’ve been holding on for just the right item to scoop these up and wear them with everything from the office and beyond.

my favorite snakeskin staples:

xo,

Lauren

From the runway and now the make-up counter, Tom Ford has created a brand that is synonymous with high fashion, glamour, extravagance and beauty.  Before seeing previews of his make-up collection, I envisioned something luxe, bold and highly pigmented.  I had a feeling his color palette’s were not going to be for the faint of heart and with lip shades with names like ‘Bitter B*tch and Love Bruise I quickly realized how right I was.

The 132 piece line features makeup, skin care, 2 new scents and brushes.  I was fortunate to receive three lipsticks which I’ve been loving and I’ve provided swatches of each below.  Each shade was bright, bold and even more gorgeous and flattering on my than anticipated.  Originally, I didn’t expect to be able to get away with wearing any of these during the day, but when applied with a lighter hand, they give off a gorgeous, light stain that looked really pretty and was very wearable for day.  At night, the heavy pigment gave my lips a dramatic pop of color that didn’t need to be re-applied every 20 minutes- this stuff stays!  My only issue is the packaging- while so glam, the tops fall off too easily and the first time I left home with these lipsticks, I discovered them floating around my bag uncovered - thankfully unharmed (but slightly dented as you can see in the first image.)  My favorite shade?  ALL of them. 

From left to right, each photo features the lip colors Wild Ginger, Violet Fatale & Cherry Lush.

Since they look SO different on vs. in the tube or on my hand, I had to show what each looked when applied with just one swipe.  On my lips, the colors alter a bit; Wild Ginger is much more of a coral, Violet Fatale is more pink than purple and Cherry Lush is just the most perfect shade of a blue red for my fair skin.

xo,

Lauren

Juicy Couture jeans, Style Stalker top, Seychelles shoes

xo,
Lauren

#1  Lisa Eldridge     http://www.lisaeldridge.com/

Highly regarded international make-up artist on the beauty and fashion circuits today.  Her signature look is “fresh, flawless skin and an understated modern approach to beauty.”  She’s worked with fashion houses such as Chloe, Prada and Donna Karen and has made up Cameron Diaz, Kate Moss and Heidi Klum just to name a few.  Where can you see her work?  She recently did Emma Watson’s Elle UK Cover look.  Here’s a sample of some of my favorite video’s from her:

xo,

Lauren

1. These delicious pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes are my new favorite quick & easy party treat.  This recipe is available here.

2.  Cider Donut’s are really the only donut I’ll go out of my way to have- and since they are only around a few months out of the year there’s nothing to feel guilty about.  Unless you decide to start making them a little more regularly.  This recipe is available here.

3. Nothing says fall has arrived quite like the perfect slice of apple pie- and no other smell makes your home more cozy and inviting.  The recipe for the perfect apple pie is available here.

Happy Halloween!
xoxo,

Lauren & Skip

As someone with fair skin prone to sun damage, an ever-expanding collection of freckles and a borderline obsessive fear of skin cancer (thanks to my dermatologist) I really couldn’t wait to pick up this new body lotion/sunblock from Avon:

 When a healthy skin cell is assaulted by UV rays, the body’s own immune response generates free radicals that do even more damage. Avon scientists developed a complex that boosts the body’s own antioxidant defense system within each cell, to neutralize these nasties and repair any recently sustained damage.

The key ingredients in Solar Advance—a rice protein, an algae extract, and a soy fragment—activate the production of three of the body’s own natural antioxidant enzymes. One of them weakens the free radicals, and the other two then turn them into water. Clinical testing shows that this same complex also boosts repair enzymes inside the cell, fixing 50 percent more DNA damage than when the cell is left alone.

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I’ve always loved Origins body lotions but I’ve never tried any of their facial skin care.  I recently picked up a few of their items after reading about the following item.  I’ve been using a retinol for a few years now but I was curious to know what else was out there that was just as stong but retinol-free- one of my pregnant girlfriends informed me she was told not to use a retinol while pregnant so we started searching for a safe alternative for her to use during her pregnancy.  Origins Plantscription anti-aging serum proved to be just as effective:

The serum’s key ingredient, African Anogeissus, does two things. It protects existing collagen and elastin by inhibiting enzymes, called MMPIs, known to degrade them. And it generates more fibrillin, a springlike filament that gives skin bounce.

Plantscription was shown to have 88 percent of the visible-wrinkle-reducing power of a retinoid, without any of the photosensitivity, dryness, redness, or itching.

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I’ve always believed the key to healthy skin was exfoliation.  I tend to over-do it though and sometimes too much can actually make my skin worse by irritating it and inflaming blemishes.  A great alternative to the sometimes too harsh ‘scrubs;’ I am newly obsessed with this deeply exfoliating brightening peel with fruit acids from Origins.  Never have I had such an instantly polished look and feel to my skin after just two uses.  This exfoliant isn’t a gritty cream or gel, it’s actually a damp face pad (think Oxy pads from highschool) that delivers the strength of an in-office glycolic peel without the irritation or redness.  At $37.50 it’s more than your drugstore scrub, but I’ve been cutting the pads in half to get 80 uses out of this product instead of 40.

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As someone with fine hair (but a LOT of it) and a sensitive scalp, I always dreaded the post-shower brush out.  Or any real de-tangling session for that matter since it’s always been pretty painful.  Brushes that promised to be gentle could barely comb through my hair and the ‘natural bristle’ brushes my hairdresser scolded me for not having felt like torture on my scalp.  I randomly came across the Goody Styling Therapy Copper Brush which appealed to me because the ball-tipped bristles promised to ’massage the scalp’ (it does!) and the copper plating kills most bacteria and fungus left on your brush (eww) that can cause dandruff and a dry, sensitive scalp.  It only took me a few days of using this brush to fall in love – it does a great job of combing without any pain and the thought of having a clean, germ free brush makes this a great find.

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I’ve used several cream eyeshadows and I thought I had sworn them off forever because of how much they creased and caked up until I tried the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow.  I was mostly drawn to them because of the gorgeous color selection and decided to try one final cream shadown that promised never to crease.  After one use I was back on the cream shadow train.  These do not crease.  Ever.  The colors look even better on than in the jar and they are perfect to wear alone or under eyeshadow for a more dramatic look.  My current favorites are Sand Dollar for day (a silvery/grey/taupe) and the smoldering Antique Gold (a deep gold sparkle) for night.

xoxo,

Lauren