Nailed it.

I’m a nail polish addict.

Literally, I have a crate of “nail supplies” hidden somewhere in my kitchen. Once it gets out of hand – I make donations to friends, but this is purely a ploy to hunt and gather more colours.

As some of you know, I don’t condone gel nails. Not only can I not commit to one colour for more than five days, but that shit’s just not good for you! Ok, fine, if you’re going on holiday and don’t want to fuss about with chipped ends I will forgive, but that is it.

The love of my life in the world of polish has been and always will be Dior.

This is still my favourite collection to date. Last year’s Violets Hypnotiques. Today’s fingers and toes. Swearsies. Not only do these bad boys have ultimate staying power, but the richness of the colours never fails. These are simply the best and worth every penny.

Closely followed, if not nearly matched are definitely CND.

These little bottles hold a lot of stay power and their muted colours are out of this world. If you like a little smoke on your fingers – this is the way forward. Their collections and pricing are always on point.

And then there are nail wraps. My favourite so far have been by Jamberry.

I mean who doesn’t want a floral accent nail? These are also fool-proof when it comes to application. If you’re not ambidextrous or coordinated, you still won’t mess these up. All you need is a quick blast of hot air from a blow dryer and these puppies are stuck to your nails. Trim-trim. Enjoy.

And if you’re a leather lover with a heart of gold you can have leathery nails guilt-free by Nails Inc.

 I. Love. This. Stuff. I love it so much that my husband broke the bottle when I asked for help opening it and still managed to salvage every drop. This fancy brand also dabbles in feathers, holograms and serious bling. Dries very quick on its own. Love that.

Some of the most beautiful colours are by Butter of London.

Nails are chic by association with this label. Creamy. Vibrant. On trend. Always put out. Wait, that sounds way too dirty. I did say I love nail polish a lot. Hard-ons are just a part of the love.

Yves Rocher has become one of my beauty staples.

Nude Rose happens to be my favourite colour in their nail polish department. Imagine rose gold diamonds all over your finger nails. Yeah. I know. You’re in Google mode.

Last, but never least is the classic…OPI.

My two go-tos lately are Eurso Euro [blue] and Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees [grey]. When in doubt I’ll always chose one of these if not both. The price point is right there with LCN and you always get what you buy, as in the colours aren’t diluted or murky. And these lovelies last for ages.

Don’t forget to ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have a base coat on so that your nails don’t become yellow and brittle. A little buffing goes a long way. Wear gloves when doing house work to prolong your mani [I learned the hard way]. And keep a travel file with you at all times in case of emergency.

I married the same man twice. Part II.

And then, less than two months later our wed-cation dreams came to fruition.

All we wanted was an intimate evening on the beach, at sunset, on the night of a full moon, with our closest. No frills. This we received.

We found the most incredible location on an island called Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Think hot tub temperature ocean and sand that feels like powdered sugar under your feet. Think smiling faces every day. Think fresh seafood off the fisherman’s boat at 2pm daily. Think driving around with a beer in hand [legally]. Think paradise.

Eleuthera is 100mi long and only 1.5mi wide.

Our backyard. That little white sign says “private property” – we had 70 acres of privacy!

Our home for the week.

Governor’s Harbour at night.

Friends and family came from all over and everyone got along. We pushed everyone to enjoy their time on the island however they saw fit. There were no rules. There were no schedules. We’d explore the island by day and relax by the pool at night with a local Bahamian coconut rum [that I smuggled two bottles of on the way home] in hand.

The view from “Club Pool” at night.

The wedding was on a Tuesday. Some people showed up to swim and hang on our beach during the day. Some people cooked. Some people drank. Some people helped with decorations.

Mammaries…

Around 7pm everyone walked down to the beach and awaited our entrance. We came right on time and began the ceremony, once again, led by Master Hooker. Everyone contributed a word they would use to describe us. Then Josh and I exchanged our words of love to each other. Then Hooker introduced us to a Bahamian wedding tradition of Josh and I filling half a cup of sand and pooling it into one. It was perfect. Everyone was tear faced and laughing.

Had some issues putting on the ring.

Our mothers.

Everyone and the moon.

We asked all of our guests to contribute a dish for the evening as everyone we invited is an excellent cook and the one person that wasn’t a foodie turned out to be the best mixologist any of us could have hoped for. Viva de piña colada by the pitcher [pineapple free for me, please]! We even had THREE wedding cakes instead of just one. Everyone was in a food coma.

Renee made this with Angela’s and Jenn’s accessories. Stars are Josh’s and my theme for life.

He started it.

After the food we moved onto “Club Pool” and danced in and out of water and set off sky lanterns with wishes of the future. Our incredible guests made sure everything was perfect and that we were happy. Couldn’t have asked for anything more. We, again, are very lucky bitches.

It’s time, once again, for products!

Comodynes BB cream to even out.

Lashes by Lash Republic – whoa.

Yves Rocher Waterproof Mascara didn’t budge once in the countless times I cried of joy.

Manna Kadar shimmer lotion all over.

Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge Red – because it doesn’t come off on ANYTHING. Makeout guilt-free.

Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream hydrated my locks after all the salt lashings of the ocean.

And now you know.

Here are some more pictures because you deserve to see them…

Our rings together.

Just scootin’ around!

Harbour Island.

My girls.

Island love.

Married!

For more story and products – check out this season’s Bisous Magazine!

I married the same man twice. Part I.

Without m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶g̶a̶g̶ boring you with the details, I have been falling in love harder and deeper with the same human for the past four years. Now I get to call him my husband. It’s pretty awesome.

Us.

Our first celebration came the day after gay marriage became legal in the state of California, which is the most amazing because now my mothers in law can get married as soon as they move here. [I tried to make it a double wedding.] The ceremony lasted a whopping 41 seconds and instead of your usual you-may-now-kiss-the-bride, our officiator Master Hooker – it really says that on our Marriage Certificate – told us “you may now slap a bitch” which followed by high fives to seal the deal.

Our beautiful friend Holly came from Chicago an made my gorgeous flower crown.

Photo courtesy of Marc Cartwright.

High-fivin’.

The best part.

We are family.

This all went down flash mob style. Anyone who was interested in coming was given a place and a time to show up. Place was a scenic point next to the Griffith Observatory, which happens to be our favourite place in LA. Time was right before sunset. We thought this would be a tiny event of 5 of us, but turned out to be over 20 because for some reason we have friends that like us. And some friends thought this event was important enough for them to fly to. We are some lucky fuckers.

Zoe and Gasper trekked from Portola Valley and moved to Dublin just a couple of days after. ❤

Our loves Julian, Shanna and Jenna road tripped from Tucson.

As soon as everyone was hugged we went to stuff our faces at a delicious, low key, neighborhood haunt where libations were flowing and faces were smiling. This followed by a drunken game of Cards Against Humanity at ours.

But this wouldn’t be a beauty blog without me telling you what I used on my face and hair, right? Right.

Love how smooth this makes my skin.

Kevyn Aucoin creme blush in Tansoleil. This was the key to being a blushing bride.

NYX Wonder Pencil in Light for the water line – I wanted to be a little more wide eyed

Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Mascara made my lashes long and separated.

Cle de Peau lip gloss in #2 was perfectly pouty and silky. Love this stuff.

Leonor Greyl styling cream tamed any flyaways that were trying to peek through in the mild humidity that day.

And now you know.

Stay tuned for Part Deux tomorrow…

Cleanse you CAN.

It’s been a while, girls and boys. And now that the fall issue of Bisous has launched and I am *wed we can be friends again.

Before hopping back into everything that is beautiful, I want to start from the inside out!

Now, I’ve done all kinds of cleanses in the past. Everything from fasting, which I’ll never do again unless I medically need to, to powder form, to you name it. All of them were tolerable. All of them did something towards the end that was positive in some way. All of them appreciated.

And life was good. Until life became superb…

Behold, the CAN CAN CLEANSE!

Never ever EVER have I dreamed of a cleanse being delicious. Nutritious? Yes. Delicious? Never.

Here is how the story went:

On Wednesday I happen to see a Tweet from the beautiful Kat Odell [Editor at Eater LA and star of Eat, Drink, Love on Bravo].

On Thursday I arrange a drop off for the following day.

At 8:30AM on a Friday an adorable Teresa, the creator, came to my door with a smile on her face and a bag full of gorgeous glass jars filled with magic. The very next day I gave these fancy jars a whirl.

1-day Power Cleanse Schedule

I did a one day Power cleanse, though the options range from 1 to 3 to 5 days. As you can see each jar contains juices, milks, a soup and a tea (you can divide into two cups). Even more amazing – they’re seasonal! Each one was better than the other, I never felt hungry once and looked forward to discovering new flavors as the day went on. Did I mention I had tons of energy?

Woke up and did the crunchy chia juice, had the nut milk [o my god the flavours] in the car on my way to a shoot, a yummy green juice at the shoot, left the to-die-for soup in the car to warm up by the time I was done with the shoot, came home to a refreshing watermelon juice, walked around the neighborhood with all of my excess energy then came home and pounded another green juice, caught up on some friend time with the vanilla nut milk in hand and rested with two delicious cups of warm tea whilst reading the upcoming Palahniuk novel. For. The. Win.

Shame I only did the one day.

Whether you’re a cleanse aficionado or virgin, you should want nothing more than to experience this life changing cleanse. I can honestly say I’ll never touch another chalky detox again.

You can find out all you need to know here: http://cancancleanse.com/

P.S. I chose to reuse the beautiful jars…

Pickled serrano chiles.

*Tune in tomorrow for the juicy details of my wedding/s!

DAILY FIX REROUTE

Check out my beauty banter on BISOUS Magazine’s Daily Fix today!

It’s all about sun care and festival love…in Coachella form.

Eye Want | Vous Voulez des Yeux

In 2009 I was a fucking mess. I lived in Chicago. Was barely working. Smoking at least one pack a day. My shit marriage was coming to an end and I was down to 98lbs. I know, teenage-boy-chic.

Stress + smoking = lines and dark circles under the eye area = FML.

Fast forward four years later…I live in sunnyalways Los Angeles, working my healthy size 2 arse off, smoke-free for nearly two years and plotting a memorable wedding with the best friend I’m going to marry. I know, I’m shitting happiness rainbows.

Even though life is good – I’ve had to work at removing those pesky lines and circles, but I didn’t go through it alone. And now I’d love to introduce you to my little helpers!

Chidoriya‘s Brightening Eye Serum is like a cocktail that prevents any further damage and slows the ageing process. On the oily side, but *super* light. This stuff doesn’t have an odor and dries in unison with the eye cream of your choice. I totally need to restock. $23.99

If you’re looking for a non-oily eye serum then look no further than Dermalogica‘s new Ultrasmoothing Eye Serum. Whatever your age or texture – this tube will keep on giving the goodness. Feels like a cooling eye mask that’s not greasy or sticky. Non-irritating. Refreshing. Just right. $50

A newbie I’ve fallen for is this Paula’s Choice RESIST Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum. A one-stop-shop to snap your ocular area back to when the two of you were in love. Clear but dense and feels brilliant, like it’s doing business. You can’t and won’t resist it. $31.95

Having been a loyal fan of this brand for the past four years, there is nothing bad I could ever say about StriVectin-SD. Nothing. The Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles, and any other product for that matter, does exactly what it promises – a real life Photoshop Magic Eraser. See for yourself. $65

A recent favourite brand of mine. The whole line is pure luxury, but this Phyto Stem Cell + Eye Contour cream from G. M. Collin is the bee’s knees! I fell in love from the first pump. Pampering is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of my eyeballs slathered in this cream. $90

Another newbie goodie two shoes. I’ve never used a Murad product I didn’t like. A velvety cream that brightens within minutes of being applied? What?! #superhappenned Instant Radience Eye Cream is the way forward if you are impatient. I know know how they do it!  $68

Stop crying, it won’t make you any younger looking. Go buy something!

Hair to Stay | Cheveux à Rester – Pt. 2

Now that we know how to get wet – let’s talk about being dry but still sexy, of course.

I’ll give you a moment to visualize…

Done? Great. Clean up your panties quickly because we’re moving on.

I’ve got the goods to help you cut blow drying time if you do, or the right stuff to tame your aired-out tresses and whip thems into perfection.

This is your new best friend. KMS California is a brand out of Santa Monica that is constantly evolving and coming up with solutions for effortless hair for really real. This Quick Blow Dry formula cuts heat time by about half. I love science! A few mist pumps make your life easier and the product laaaaasts. $12-$18

A new product from PRAVANA that restores, protects and shines up a storm. May be applied to wet or dry hair for ultimate shine. [Side note – no, I’m not partial because of my love for the Amazon.] I can proudly say that my hair and I are addicted and may never be the same. Test it for yourself. I dare you. $21.99

This dynamic duo by Lionel Renard will make any hair its bitch! The whole luxurious line is perfection. These two, Thick-It and Relaxing Balm, when squeezed into the shape of a sunny-side-up egg and applied all over damp hair, will thicken AND tame. Win. Win. Win. Win. Win. Ding! $20-22

If enchanted crystals were a real thing this TIGI S factor Smoothing Lusterizer/Defrizzer Serum would be a wizard. Use on wet hair to protect from heat or dry hair to cheat and only show the world how gorgeous your hair can be. The smell is so yummy you’ll want to taste it. $25.50

My friend Cathi had told me about this line some months back and until it showed up on my door…brain did not compute the absolute amazingness that is Leonor Greyl Paris. This Éclat Naturel Styling Cream, though intended for wet or dry hair, I use to recondition my dry, fried ends and give off the illusion of a freshly cut dome. $44

Now you have absolutely no excuse not to have perfect hair.

Hair to Stay | Cheveux à Rester – Pt. 1

I rape my hair on a monthly basis. My name is Annah and I am a hair rapist. This is true.

In the past year I have been a redhead, a blonde, my hair’s been purple, then dark ash blonde and now dark roots with a bit of ombré action. That’s…5 colours in 12 months, people! Not to mention all the stripping, dying, stripping, dying, upkeep, strip, bleach, dye, repeat. Poor hairs.

If you too are struggling with an addiction to hair changings – listen up for I am about to tell you my deepest darkest secrets that turn my hair from Jew-fro to sleek, touchable and sniffable. Pervs.

The NEUMA line is the absolute fraking best. My saviour has been the neuSmooth system that includes shampoo, revitalizing masque, leave-on conditioner (my fave) and illuminating mist. From the first go my hair felt different. I felt different because my hair felt different. Straw became grass once more, ya’ll. Miracle. $22-24

And then there’s ColorProof‘s Crazy Smooth system. After using these guys for a few weeks I noticed that my colour doesn’t fade, in fact, when my roots come in the natural + dyed locks seem blended. What the what?! And then that sexy Extreme Shine Treatment Oil leaves my ends soft and silky. I don’t ask questions when something works. You? $22-32

Oh no, my curly Sues, I haven’t forgotten you! From what I hear this stuff is the stuff. I’m a huuuuuge Shea Moisture fan in all aspects of the brand already so to hear they now encompass ALL hair types is, well, amazing. The smoothie seems to de-frizz, moisturize and allow no-heat beauty in or away from home and under the most humid of conditions. Do your research, folks, and you’ll find what I say is true. $9-12

Last, but definitely not least, is the REVITA line by DS Laboratories is the answer to anyone, especially over 30, who is trying to prevent or control hair loss. This isn’t a joke. I’ve tried it. It works. Dramatic-result-kind-of-works. Safe. Effective. Awesome.  $30.95

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s products for after the shower…

Be my BB | Être mon BB

By now you’ve probably seen my countless pages of beauty stuffs in Bisous Magazine and said to yourself, “I want to know more!”

I give.

BB Creams have changed my life. Like, really really so. Foundation is becoming a thing of the past in my kit as the array of my favourite BB creams mixed with concealer is all I need to make my clients’ skin look flawless. No matter the texture.

Why?

Because using these magical creams makes you bypass steps (moisturizer, toner, SPF, illuminator, line filler, etc.) and lets your skin actually look like SKIN, not makeup! Red carpet and male clients are especially happy.

Check it…

Diego Klattenhoff from Homeland for the Golden Globes

Chad Michael Murray and Kenzie Dalton for Elton John’s Oscar Party

And now to the good stuff. Here are my favourites…

Comodynes Skin Perfector: 6 in 1 is something I’ll probably never survive without ever again. This stuff is pure witchcraft. Skin is refreshed without being greasy. It smoothes and perfects unlike any product I’ve ever worked with. The only downfall is that it doesn’t come in light/fair and, sadly from what I hear, it probably won’t any time soon. But if you are medium or dark complected – this is the answer.  $24.99

And if you ARE fair skinned and want to drop less cash Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream is for you.  These tubes are also hanging out in my kit because the quality, price and accessibility are fantastic. Smells amazebeans. Beautiful coverage. Definitely don’t need any moisturizer with this stuff as it replenishes moisture and keeps on giving. $11.99

If you normally don’t wear makeup and hate the process of putting on creams but still want to look your best every day – B. Kamins BB Cream is the way forward. Though at a higher price point, just think… you’ll be bypassing ALL other products (this formula works on its own for most skin tones although I’ve noticed much better results on lighter pigmented folks). This sheer formula will highlight only the best and leave you smiling at your own radiance. $49

Last, but certainly not least, is the luxurious Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Tinted Balm. Light weight. Comes in 4 rich shades. Velvety and precise, this sleek tube is an oil-free master of aging delay and evenness. Would you question this brand? I wouldn’t. $48

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaack!

I know, I know. It’s been too long and you’ve missed me. Well, I’ve missed you just as much. Are we done with all the sappy shit now? Great.

I’ve got TONS to talk about and you need the advice. Trust me.

For starters…here’s a fresh new reel.

REEL 2013 from Annah on Vimeo.