Saturday afternoon found me reminiscing on the blur that was my early twenties: I hunted for parking around South Beach for about twenty minutes, touched up my makeup in the car, and stood in line on Washington Avenue to get into the hottest party. This time, however, it was the Vixen Workout that was holding a line to rival that of any tourist trap on the beach. And the twerking was in full force, as expected. My early twenties may be a distant memory, but I was able to channel all my cheer/dance/club girl days to get through one of the most intense workouts I’ve had in a while. Read on for tips on how to survive your first Vixen experience.
All posts by Alicia
Shakira’s Sexy Waves Tutorial
Shakira’s new video may be stirring up some controversy for being a little too racy, but wherever you stand on that, you can surely agree that her hair is pure and smooth perfection. Read on for a step-by-step tutorial by Kim Kimble (@KimbleHairCare) on how to get Shakira’s “Veronica Lake-inspired” waves from the “Can’t Remember to Forget You” music video using Pantene Pro-V products. You can also watch the video once you get to the end and let me know what you think.
Brow Therapy at Christie Pea’s
My visit to Christie Pea’s couldn’t have come at a better time, considering I was in serious need of brow therapy and a little me-time following two straight weeks of work/motherhood/work/work and work. I’m not complaining but rather just insisting that a glass of wine now and then (more now than then) while having your nails buffed is not just nice – it’s necessary for mental sanity. Which is why Christie Pea’s royal treatment (the Duchess, to be precise) and Lucy R.’s brow repair were exactly what I needed that afternoon.
Brow Tutorial
A recent visit to brow expert Lucy R. confirmed what I’d suspected for some time now: Not only are my eyebrows disproportionately shaped; they’re also not even on the same level. They share completely separate longitudinal coordinates. If my eyebrows were trains featured in a math problem about intersection, they’d just run perpetually parallel past each other while waving goodbye. Which is why I’m now in what Lucy lovingly calls “brow rehab,” hoping to fix this issue once and for all. But until then, as my brows are slowly grown in and guided back to where they once were, I’ll be faking the perfect shape with the help of a few tools. Read on for an easy step-by-step tutorial on how to properly fill in your brows.
Beyonce Wavy Bob Tutorial
God bless Beyonce for making naturally wavy hair so damn cool. Her gorgeous Grammy ‘do was simple, casual, and yet so incredibly chic. This means I may actually skip a keratin treatment in the next couple of months and try to flaunt my Cuban curls for a while. If you are one of my tribe with the hair you’ve been trying to straighten against its will for years, give your tresses a break and follow this easy tutorial by Bey’s stylist Kim Kimble (@kimblehaircare) to replicate the carefree wavy bob.
GET THAT BOB:
1) For a show-stopping wet, sexy look inspired by the 1920’s, start with clean, wet hair.
2) Next, work the Pantene Pro-V Curly No Crunch Curls Whip into hair from root to tip to define frizz-free curls. Then brush through with a paddle brush to create soft, piece-y waves, and scrunch hair to help keep its definition.
3) Spritz the Pantene Advanced+ Keratin Repair KeraGloss Oil Mist to add brilliant shine.
4) To go from sexy to modern ‘20s chic, dry hair with a diffuser. Point the diffuser toward your crown to keep hair smooth at the root and use underneath at the ends of hair to achieve volume.
5) Continue to scrunch hair until dry for added body. Use a 1/2 inch flat iron and wrap small pieces of hair around it to create additional soft waves, similar to a curling wand, to create a few additional waves.
6) Tame flyaways at the roots of hair by using the Pantene Pro-V Stylers Shaping Hairspray. It’s important this style looks messy and flawless, so a small amount of product at the crown is all you need.
7) Finish off the look with the Pantene Advanced+ Keratin Repair KeraGloss Oil Mist for shiny, effortless waves.
Image used with permission. Photo courtesy of P&G/Getty Images.
Better Skin from Within: Relax Spa
“Our skin is a direct reflection of what we put into our bodies. What we eat, what we drink, everything we consume shows up on the surface,” explains Alberto, founder of Relax Spa and my esthetician for the day, as he describes the way in which the JetPeel Hydra-Infusion facial works from deep within the skin to remove impurities and provide rejuvenating results on the surface. He likens it to pressure-cleaning for your face and I nod emphatically, immediately regretting my breakfast burrito and wondering how deep he’s going to have to dig to eliminate months of speed-mom drive-thru breakfasts.
“L” is for Ladylike
Happy New Year, friends (Is it too late to say that?). In a very rare occurrence, Tony and I had a babysitter for the day and were able to enjoy a child-free brunch date at Segafredo (thanks to a great Groupon deal). Not that we don’t enjoy taking the little one out, but we certainly like to keep the date nights (or days, rather) alive whenever possible. We’ve realized being parents has given us a whole new appreciation for daytime drinking that we certainly took for granted pre-kid. Also, while the rest of the country is covered in snow, I have to admit I’m grateful for spring weather in Miami. Hope the locals are enjoying the sunshine while everyone else is keeping warm. Wishing everyone a great weekend!
Martha Stewart’s Holiday Recipes
When Martha Stewart says she’s going to teach you how to cook/bake/make anything, you go. And you take notes. She recently came down to Miami during Art Basel for a cooking demonstration at Macy’s, for which I was clearly unprepared because I thought arriving 45 minutes early would be ample time to find a decent seat within viewing distance of the Queen of Craft (that’s what I like to call her, anyway). But that only left me four rows from the back, zooming into the second monitor, trying to take a picture of a picture of Martha. Lesson learned, lady. Lesson learned. No matter. She cooked. And she did it well. (She also said “twerking,” the context of which escapes me because, I mean, Martha Stewart said “twerking!” But the context really doesn’t matter. What matters is that she said it. And it was AWESOME.) And the food still reached those of us in the far back – with seconds on those little lemon cookies straight from pastry heaven. So here are three of Martha’s recipes for you and yours to enjoy this holiday season.
P.S. In case you’re curious, I’ve also posted pictures of all the other meals we were able to try (Holiday Citrus Punch, Poached Egg with Creamed Spinach, Mushroom Crepe, Fruit Salad, and Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies). The mushroom crepe was my absolute favorite.
How to Look Good in Photos
The holidays are upon us, which means there will be photo opportunities galore. And while some people have a natural gift for looking great in every picture, some of us need a little help in facing that camera. Like me, when I forget I should probably suck in my stomach after indulging in Abuela’s cooking a little too often. (But seriously, Abuela’s cooking is amazing.) Here’s a guest post from the lovely Natasha of NOM Photography to help everyone get in line and look their best. Read through to the end for a special discount code for readers of Bubbles & Ink. Happy holidays!
Thursday Friday Discount Code
Remember that fabulous little fluffy key ring/purse charm from Thursday Friday? Well, now you can shop their entire site and get 30% off your next purchase (including sale items) by using GIFT30 at checkout. There’s tons of fun (and also, pretty practical) stuff you can find, so this would be a great way to get started on your holiday shopping. Enjoy!