@TheMakeUpGirl this one’s for you! You can’t land in Los Angeles and not make the trip up to Orange County to try some really really really good looking sushi! I’m talking about Ra Sushi Bar & Restaurant, a stylishly edgy sushi bar and restaurant concept with several locations in the U.S. It just opened its newest RA Sushi location at the District at Tustin Legacy near Moi and what a fabulous place to chill! This unconventional dining concept which is a new trend popping up in the O.C., blends fresh sushi, hip music and contemporary decor all rolled up into one flavorful experience. Moi’s picks: the pineapple wontons and salmon nigiri. They have some GREAT Happy Hour specials including $1 sake shots (it’s wine too, ya know!). Other drink specials include: glasses of wine for $4.25, Cosmos and Apple Martinis for $6 and Kirin beer for $4.50. They also have quite a few sushi and food specials including $2.75 salmon & shrimp nigiri, $3.75 spicy tuna, $4.75 shrimp tempura rolls, $3.50 potstickers, $4 sesame chicken wings, and others.

Moi xoxo

L’Oreal either owns or produces some of the best cutting edge beauty products around spending millions producing high quality and affordable items to keep us looking fabulous! One item that has been going strong for over 40 years is a common household beauty find..a hairspray simply called Ellnet. My hairspray owes its cult following due to a similar characteristic found amoungst say …a Hermes Birkin, it is hard to get! It used to be banned in the United States because of its difficulties getting through customs. I can probably spray a whole can on my head and still run my fingers right through it. It’s flake free and easy brush ability comes with certain ozone depleting compounds which are prohibited in the US. I realize its not Earth friendly, but its hard to part with it as I have to decide between a touchable updo or a cripsy one. If your lucky to be in Europe, this hairspray is found in every drugstore. For us stuck in the US, we need to return home with a suitcase full of the golden can which has not changed its packaging since 1963. Can we talk about the fresh clean scent too? No lingering alcohol fumes at all! If you live near a Nordstrom Rack, that’s where I purchased my last 4 cans @ 35% off the $19 price tag as I was scared that I they would be gone upon my return. If your not within driving distance of The Rack then call your nearest location and have them ship it to you. As Penelope said above, Your Worth It!

Moi xoxo

Everywhere, it seems that everyone is going on a safari every month. Animal prints are not only in, they are sophisticated and wonderful to work with. The stereotype against animal prints, are that they lack something in the way of professionalism. I embrace them as these prints are very accessible for anyone wanting to add them to their home decor or wardrobe. The fact of the matter is, these terrific prints are really neutrals in disguise! I wouldn’t use them on an entire wall or dress head to toe, but the tones are generally workable with many other colors such as black, white, tan, red, burgundy, and green. Dramatic, yet tasteful. Another striking use of these prints is in a bedroom. Here you can go a bit wilder with duvet covers, and pillows. Lots of tan and black will give this look a feel of exotic places. Since animal designs have been used in almost every culture at some point in time, the look is old, yet new. Traditional decor can use these touches, as well as contemporary, country, ethnic, you name it! Think of how well the tones go with wood, bamboo, brass, gold, and leather. Even floral prints can look well with an animal print if the colors blend. This decor is not for the faint of heart. The flip side of this is that you can EXPRESS your wilder side with a few touches. Maybe you will decide you are not as timid as you thought! This animal stuff grows on you! Try some prints in small doses and get use to the drama!

Moi xoxo

I am going on my third tube of this lipstick in the same color and with good reason. It’s amazing! Shu Uemura’s Lolishine is the ultimate sheer and shine lipstick! #268 is hands down the perfect shade of pink. Not too light and not too dark, but just right and not packed with *disco ball* glitter! When most women reach for their glosses during the summer, I reach for this lipstick cause its sheer and my long hair doesn’t stick to my lips. I wear it everywhere ..to the pool, beach, shopping, dancing, and it stays on even though it has a high gloss sheen and it blends in with my own natural lip color. Shu Uemura’s secret ingredient is their exclusive thermo-active Shine Amplifier which delivers gloss as it comes into contact with skin temperature. Then the Aqua-Lock system ensures adequate moisture to the lips all day. The packaging is high tech which is something to expect coming from Japan and the clear bullet design of the packaging fits into any clutch or pocket.

I hope that Mr. Shu never discontinues this line of lipsticks, I would literally cry if he did.

Moi xoxo

Greetings from Malibu! I thought this would be a perfect idea to blog about the very item that I happen to be drinking from! I keep a set of these goblets in my travel suit case so that I do not forget them. I’m just not a fan of the plastic drinking cups in hotel rooms or using glasses for outdoor entertaining, especially if children are present. So I stock up on these “looks like glass” beauties! As a playful answer to those tacky snap-together wine glasses, these acrylic & affordable goblets from Murval Paris are perfect to toss in a beach bag for picnics or like Moi, lounging on a deck in front of a pool near the Pacific Ocean! Clear glasses are $7 each, Pink Dots $5 each. www.murval.com

Moi xoxo

You’ve Always Wanted to Ask a Lesbian, but Never Knew a Lesbian to Ask!

According to my blog and google searches, you want to know everything! What fragrance I wear. What is my favorite restaurant. If I have plans to start a home line. Who my style icons are. How do I entertain. What my house looks like. What skin products do I use. Check out my third page titled *Ask Moi* where you can ask me just that!

Don’t be shy! Ask away & be prepared to come back as I might have a question for you!

Moi xoxo

It’s almost July and time for Moi to make her annual trip back to Los Angeles for some heavy duty shopping. Even though its 90 degrees outside, the department stores and boutiques are having their trunk shows to welcome in the Fall merchandise. Where Spring offered bright colors straight out of a crayon box with bold prints, Fall delivered the opposite returning back to the simple life with clean and classic cuts of neutral and dark colors. I will hit Fred Segal on Melrose and Kitson on Robertson for quirky one of a kind tees and killer deals on jeans but the one trunk show I am excited to attend this year is Kin. I discovered this hip boutique while waiting for my dinner at the Poquito Mas in the same mini-complex. The owners run a terrific operation and stock a great mix of niche and well-known labels for men and women. There’s the ubiquitous pricey denim, but also some very unique t-shirts, sweater shirts, and jackets. But merchandise aside, what really makes this place special is the attention you get from the owners. It’s like having a personal shopper and stylist. They know their merchandise so well, and help you put it all together. You don’t get service like that in LA, particularly at a hip Hollywood boutique (where the attitude of the staff is often too-cool-for-school). BTW, they’re open late and on Sunset Blvd! Perfect for the drink urge I will get later at night from all that shopping~

Moi xoxo

Ever wonder why men look younger than us with little effort? They don’t even realize that their daily routine of shaving is their fountain of youth. That’s their secret..daily shaving is daily exfoliating, tricking the skin and causing it to reveal new skin cells. I thought to myself a long time ago, I want to use a daily exfoliater myself to do the same process, minus the shaving my chin. During the years, I have tested every new scrub out the market until I found my favorite. Some were too rough and tough, some felt slimy, some had the word scrub in the name but the maker forgot to add the grains. That was until I noticed a new green tube in the shower that I didn’t recall purchasing. My J picked up Aveeno’s Skin Brightening Daily Scrub and face wash at Target because it was on sale and I tried it and the holy grail light appeared in my head! The smooth microbeads in this scrub gently exfoliate, while the soy adds moisture to soften the skin. It cleanses without leaving a tight finish and exfoliates without being harsh. My mission ended and J had no idea what a gem she found! A travel size sample of Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Day lotion with SPF 30 was given as a gift with the scrub and it is light as air! That is unusual considering the SPF 30 factor tends to produce a thick texture. Watch out Neutrogena Dry Sunblock Day lotion ..I think you just met your match!

Moi xoxo

There are only two reasons I’d wake up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning — if I had to catch a plane to a far off tropical location, OR if I had the chance to see the latest Holiday & Summer makeup trends at the Nordstrom Cosmetics Trend Show. For those of us outside the world of what I guess is supposed to be true fashion, glamour and more, they have these “shows” that they call “Trend Shows” (well, at least Nordstrom does), twice a year during Fall for the Holiday forecast, and during June for the Summer season. I used to think who would be crazy enough to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to go look at makeup and fashion. Little did I realize I wasn’t the only ones. When you arrive at Nordstrom at 7:30 am, there is already a line of women waiting out front. You go, ladies! To attend a Nordstrom Cosmetics Trend Show, visit their web site for dates and locations near you. There’s a modest $15.00 cover charge, which applies toward any beauty/cosmetics purchases you make on the day of the event. If you love cosmetics but are NOT a morning person, then be forewarned: the Trend Show is kinda like a rock concert. There’s loud music, hot models, screaming women (no joke!) and unbridled makeup and fashion enthusiasm! DVF flowing dresses, Tommy Bahamas beach totes, & sea foam blue eyeshadow from Mac’s new summer collection were to die for!

Until Fall 2008!

Moi xoxo

Keeping with my summer philosophy of staying light, easy, and green comes a product that is grossly overlooked but equally important by my standards. There is just nothing glamorous about the mass produced deodorants on the market. They all appear manly to me and the feminine versions do not offer any protection for hygiene except for leaving white marks on my black clothes. That was until a model friend of mine introduced me to Weleda Wild Rose deodorant spray, a bottle worthy and girly enough to leave out on the bathroom counter. Weleda grows most of their plants in their own gardens organically and this deodorant is free from aluminum and propellants and is made with essential oils. It comes in a non fussy pump spray bottle and gives excellent coverage with only 1 squirt. Weleda also sells this deodorant in two other fragrances so if wild rose is not to your taste, why not try the sage or the citrus instead! Retails for $14 at Whole Foods

Moi xoxo