Romy Raves

Hello Beauty Mavens and fans, so sorry I haven’t posted in a while, but I have been super busy with a whirlwind of activities and exciting events the last few weeks that I plan on sharing with you here on my blog. First up, one of my favorite new unique discoveries from the International Beauty Show New York: PaperSelf Paper Fashion Eyelashes! Super fun, hip and statement making paper eyelashes that I fell in love with! Watch me trend hunting at the IBSNY show and then discover and try out this exciting new product, and let me know what you think

 

Disclosure: The Paramount Hotel in New York City graciously offered me a three night stay at their awesome centrally located  hotel during my visit and they also provided me with a delightful videographer to accompany me  on my beauty trend scouting mission. This videographer also complied this slick video that you just watched (and personally I think he did a great job!) The opinions, trends, and insights are all my own

 

For those of you that know me, it probably will come as no surprise to you that I love being on camera and I will always jump at the chance to put myself in the spotlight. With the recent boom of vlogging, my opportunities are increasing (although my techie skills leave something to be desired) and I am very much enjoying sharing my thoughts, expertise and insights on camera. Now, I just need to learn how to edit and put those snazzy videos together!

Well, that’s where Your Little Film comes in! I was delighted to meet the Hales (an adorable husband and wife duo) and discover this wonderful company at the Live The Dream Expo in Pasadena, CA in January. Your Little Film takes your photos and videos (you know, all those hours of unused video clips or all those great photos in your smart phone) and edits them into a slicky produced and polished “little films” that can easily and instantly be watched and shared with all of your friends, family and even your twitter followers

I, of course, jumped at the chance to do a Little Film of my own at the Expo (thanks to the Hales!) and here is the finished product. I just love the look and style of the film and it is a perfect little video bio for my blog because it really showcases my personality, niche, and comfort on camera. I hope it encourages you to make a Little Film of your very own, Let me know what you think!

Of all the beauty treatment and enhancements out there, I would say that eyelash extensions are hands down my absolute favorite beauty indulgence. Why you ask? Because men make passes at girls who wear lashes. . .no no I meant to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE lash extensions because they instantly make me look sexy, flirty, awake and refreshed without one stitch of make-up. Some mornings I barely have time to brush my teeth and then I am out the door, but with my lashes on I feel ready for the day with no effort. What’s not to love about that??

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="My Lashes Before Extensions"][/caption]

Well, every summer for the past few years I have always gotten extensions from various stylists and while they all have been great, Arlena Parker takes the cake! She is a gifted pro who is the only Advanced Certified Xtreme Lashes Stylist in Los Angeles. Xtreme Lashes is one of the leaders in the lash extension industry, their products are top notch and Arlena exclusively uses these products. Well a couple of weeks ago, I had the delightful pleasure of putting my eyes in Arlena’s hands so that she could customize a gorgeous full long lash look on my eyelashes, she took before and after shots to show the dramatic difference (see left) and OMG all I can say is WOW!

[caption id="attachment_2746" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="My Lashes AFTER Extensions"][/caption]

It took her about two hours to create these amazing extensions that she meticulously glued to each and every one of my lashes and the effect is truly amazing! Xtreme lashes are synthetic so that they last longer, are wider at the base and taper at the end to mimic the natural curl so the they really look like an amazing enhancement of your natural lashes. Arlena is a pleasure to be around and her work is so amazing (she is the go-to-girl for botched extensions BTW) that you could not detect where my lash line meets the extension. My lashes are going on three weeks and I conitually get stopped for compliments on my amazing lashes (and now after three weeks time, it is about time for a fill-in.) You do have to be a little more gentle with these lashes than you are with own, you can’t use any oil based products but the results are stunning.

And I am also loving a couple of the amazing Xtreme Lashes products that are beautifully made and extend the life of your lashes. Xtreme Eye Makeup Remover and Facial Cleanser is a delightfully soothing aloe vera juice-based formula that gently cleanses the skin and easily removes make-up from your eyes and lash extensions. And I am obsessed and addicted to GlideLiner Long Lasting Eye Pencil becasue it is made out of an innovative long lasting gel technology that glides on easily without tugging, is easy to blend and then it sets quickly and stays put all day. OMG this beautifully pigmented liner achieves the perfect lined look and it really doesn’t move. My true test of whether a liner stays put or not is that with most liners, the line ends up on my lids, but GlideLiner never does and it even looks good at the end of the day–I LOVE IT!! This liner makes it into my hall of fame favorites!

So I can’t RAVE enough about Arlena’s work and these amazingly addicitve Xtreme Lashes. However, good extensions don’t come cheap (usually $300+ for a full set) and they are slightly high maintence, but the results are SO worth it! So take note LA/CA beauty mavens, give Arlena a call and ask for the Romy Raves Speical–She is offering a full set of extensions to my readers for $275, normally she charges $350 and believe me she is well worth it!

Arlena Parker, The Beauty Boutique in Studio City, California (818) 506-6400

In these tough economic times, do not miss out on your chance to dine out at some of LA’s best restaurants for a major bargain.  This recessionista is not going to miss out and neither should you!

 Everyday this week, you can enjoy three-course lunches and dinners ranging from $16 at the less spendy restaurants to $44 at the most spendy joints (not bad for 3 courses). Go to Dine LA Restaurant Week to find a list of participating restaurants and to see the special menus that they have created for this special event.

Bon Appetite!