A gift for mom

I put together this cute gift basket for my mom for Mother's Day. She is a total beauty product junkie and deserves the best so I got her some of my favorites. You can't see everything in the basket but it was chalk full hair products, makeup and nail polishes, including:

• Batiste colored dry shampoo
• Shower Queen cupcake patterned shower cap
• Aveda Smooth Infusion shampoo and conditioner
• bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara
• Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm
• OPI "Guy Meets Gal-Veston" nail polish (from the Texas collection, Spring 2011)
• OPI "Houston We Have a Purple" nail polish (from the Texas collection, Spring 2011)

Plus, two nice bottles of Italian wine and tea bags:

• Alice "Ose" Vino Spumante Rose Brut 
• Cortese “Bianchino,” Valli Unite
• Aveda comforting tea bags

I found the perfect little basket to put everything in at the Salvation Army for just $5 and dolled it up with a few sheets of pink tissue paper. It turned out great! 

I also ordered her a box of Myfaceworks "I need to be firm" collagen boosting sheet masks, which are absolutely amazing. I could not include them in the basket, though, because I ordered them too late. They'll be a special bonus gift when they arrive in a few days. 

Did you get your mom any beauty products for Mother's Day?

Want to see my perfume collection?

Ahhh, perfume. The pretty bottles! The yummy scents! What's not to love? Everyone has their preferences, but here's what I'm currently using on regular rotation:

1. Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy 

A floral and fruity mix of wild berry, mandarin, honeysuckle, gardenia and jasmine. Touches of amber, caramel, vanilla, sandalwood and praline add a sweet touch. I got this perfume for Christmas because I'm a total Juicy Couture lover. The bottle is adorable and makes a great addition to any shelf or makeup stand. Plus, the smell is wonderfully girly. 

Perfect for: A girls night out. 

2. Banana Republic - Alabaster

This clean, fresh smelling fragrance is a combination of wild musk and natural florals. Delicate lotus flower, wild rose and warm musks make this perfume light and romantic. I could smell this all day, every day and be totally happy. This fragrance is very versatile and could appeal to anyone, regardless of age. 

Perfect for: Work. 

3. Christian Dior - J'adore 

This sensual, sophisticated fragrance combines the floral scent of orchids with plum and mellow amaranth wood. It's a unique-smelling perfume and a total classic. I bought this perfume en route to a Caribbean vacation so it will forever invoke fond memories of my trip to Punta Cana. 

Perfect for: Date night.

4. Ralph Lauren - Romance 

This feminine mix of wood, floral, and musk is a classic!  It's a combination of rose, marigold, ginger, chamomile, freesia, violet, lotus flower, day lily, patchouli, oakmoss and musk. Whew! Got all that? I have been wearing this perfume for about ten years and it still hasn't got old. It used to be my "signature" scent. I just love it. 

Perfect for: Anytime.

5. Gucci - Guilty

This mix of mandarin, pink pepper, peach, lilac, geranium, amber and patchoul "wakens the senses with a daring edge of sexyness and sensuality." This perfume just came out late last year, so if you haven't tried it yet, get yourself to Bloomies and give it a spray. When I first got this perfume I used to wear it all the time, but now I try to only limit it to special occasions. It's safe to say that this is my new favorite.

Perfect for: A special night out. 

6. Ralph Lauren - Blue

This soft, fresh scent it like a crisp button down shirt. It's a powdery, floral mix of jasmine, lily of the valley, lotus blossom, pink peony, gardenia, rose, musk and a hint of orange blossom. I've been wearing this fragrance for many years and sill find it feminine, yet refreshing. 

Perfect for: A summer day.

7. Tommy Hilfiger - Loud

Based on the "essence of a pulsating, energetic rock song," this energizing scent combines rose, lychee and patchouli. This perfume just came out late last year and I wasn't sure about it at first, but after wearing it a few times I fell in love. 

Perfect for: A concert.

So, those are my favorite perfumes of the moment. Do you agree or disagree with any of my picks? Which scents are you into right now?

P.S. I'm so sorry for being such a crappy blogger lately! I've been tremendously busy, but that's really no excuse for neglecting my readers. The good news, though, is that during my absence, I've stock piled a slew of new ideas for the blog, (including a new hair curling technique that I cannot wait to share with you all). Intrigued? Stay tuned! 

Come with me into Wonderland

I'm feeling like a rock star after getting a much needed haircut tonight! I'll show you my new 'do soon (it's not much different; just all cleaned up) but for now, I wanted to share some photos I snapped of the awesome hair salon I go to called Michael Angelo's Wonderland Beauty Parlor. It's located in New York City's West Village at 418 w. 13th st. If you're in need of a salon in NYC, I highly recommend Wonderland. I get my hair cut by Annastasia, and have always walked out of the salon feeling like a million bucks. 

Enjoy the photos!

How fabulous is this sign?

 An gorgeous chandelier hangs over the front desk. Also, check out the lollipops!

 I would kill for one of these in my bedroom. 

 The lobby of Wonderland Beauty Parlor. There are a million cool things to see.

 A random green rollerskate, for example. 

An etched hand mirror.

 Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

 Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

 A stuffed cheetah guards the front door.

 The guardcat

 I want this sculpture!

The bathroom ceiling 

Label.m dry shampoo. Everyone at the salon was raving about it!

The Lipstick Portraits, a series of photos by Wonderland owner, Michael Angelo to raise awareness and support for the Somaly Mam Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on fighting sexual slavery. 

The photos feature women such as Susan Sarandon and Dita Von Teese wearing red lipstick in honor of the girls and women who are forced to wear it while being sold as slaves in brothels.

100 percent of the sales of these limited edition prints, catalogues and t-shirts benefit Somaly Mam Foundation. For more information visit The Lipstick Portraits Facebook page.  

Have a great night, pretties!