tryst n' shout

California Brunette

2012-06-29T15:14:00.000-04:00

This is a little story about hair.

Once upon a time, my lifestyle included hours in the California sunshine every day: playing sports, reading books on the beach, trekking back and forth across the UCLA campus, washing my car in the driveway, and generally being outside year-round. And so, for the first 24 years of my life, I did nothing with my hair except trim it every now and then, and twirl it up into a messy bun. All of the sunshine, saltwater and softball naturally brightened the hair on the top layer, so I ended up with streaks of golden mixed blonde that blended into my darker chestnut root color. I called it "California Brunette."

When I started my career, the light shifted, and so did my hair color. Office lighting threw a dark veil over me, and suddenly I had darker hair and fairer skin -- which, although lovely in its own right-- just didn't feel like me. I started getting highlights from the incredibly talented Christina Songe at Sweetwater Salon in Leucadia, who was magically able to recreate the same look that I used to get through natural highlights in such a way that even if I got lazy and went six months without getting a touch-up, it was hardly noticeable!

For five years, Christina was the one and only person I'd allow to color my hair, so when I moved to New York, I found myself completely lost for a hair guru. Naturally, I did what any perfectionist procrastinator would do in my shoes: I ignored the problem. In fact, I went seven and a half months without even a cut, much less a color touch up, before I took a look at myself one day and realized that I had inadvertently achieved the ombré look simply by neglecting my roots for so long. Something had to be done, and it had to be done NOW.

I did a little research online, and decided to put my now-raggedy hair in the trusted hands of the team at Warren Tricomi. I booked an appointment, put on my brave girl jeans, and marched myself to the Plaza Hotel for the full Dorothy treatment. The first stop was color. I was assigned to Teresa Heim, a veteran colorist with such a perfect eye for blending that she was able to paint in my new highlights to not only match the older ones at my ends, but also somehow brighten my entire hue. For my cut, I had the pleasure of leaving my strands in the hands of Leah De Ment, a stylist with such a rad cutting technique (she does 95% of the cutting on dry hair, with shears only) that she was able to add tons of movement and volume to my super-long locks without sacrificing much length. It. Was. Perfect. As a sidenote, I also learned about the importance of doing an upside-down blowdry "pre-dry" to increase volume when styling. I used to think it was just something women in the 80's did to try and get that electric look (here's lookin' at you Mom!), but no-- this is a trick that works fantastically without any product at all. Seriously, try it. In fact, try all of the above, go see Teresa and Leah (or Christina, if you're in Cali), and then I dare you to walk past a reflective surface without taking a glance at your splendiferous 'do, you gorgeous thang.

Oh, and one more thing! If you happen to visit Teresa Heim or Leah De Ment at the Warren Tricomi salon at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, they've generously offered to give you a discount if you mention that you heard about them from me! Click here to email Warren Tricomi, or call 212.262.8899 to make an appointment.

Happy hair-days, my friends!

Spring Sass

2012-04-03T16:39:00.000-04:00

New York City has been enjoying a gorgeous early spring full of crisp afternoons with fleeting sunshine and tree lined streets bursting into delicate white blossoms. With my heavy winter coats tucked away for good (well, until October, at least), I've made room in my closet for a transitional spring wardrobe that relies on floaty layers, a classic palette complemented by bold pops of color, and of course shoes that command attention while still remaining walkable.

Hooray for Spring!

Blouse - Zara, Leggings - TopShop, Shoes- Kimchee Blue (Urban Outfitters), Bag - River Island, Nail polish - OPI "A Good Man-Darin Is Hard to Find", Earrings - Vintage

Birchbox Product Review: EyeRock Stick-On Liner

2012-04-02T18:06:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard of it already, Birchbox is a service that will deliver a surprise box of 5-6 beauty samples to your mailbox every month to let you try out the best and newest products out there. I adore getting mail in general, and there's nothing like opening your mailbox every four weeks to find a happy little package of pretty waiting for you! The samples range from nailpolish to lip gloss, to perfume and letterpress coasters-- basically anything shiny and new and girly. Over the past 8 months that I've been a Birchbox subscriber, I've accumulated so many great samples that I've gotten a little bit behind in trying some of them, but this weekend I made a plan to test drive one of the products from the March Birchbox: EyeRock Stick-On Eyeliner.

EyeRock liner is basically a sheet of stickers that have been pre-printed to look like the most perfect liquid eyeliner ever. Each kit comes with 4 different designs, which I thought was fun because it ensures you'll get to try a few different looks that you may not have thought of/had the balls to execute on your own. To use the liner, all you have to do is peel each strip off from the backing, possibly trim it a bit if it doesn't fit your eye shape already, and then smack it straight on your eyelid. Boom. Liquid liner that you didn't even have to TRY for.

The finished look.

THE GOOD STUFF: EyeRock is a great idea for anyone who doesn't have the skills or the time to do their own liquid liner the old school way. It's ESPECIALLY good for anyone who has a hard time matching the angle/thickness of the line from one eye to the other, since the preprinted sticker is already drawn for you. It also comes in some pretty sweet designs. The paper that the liner is printed on has a bit of a linen texture that I thought might not translate well, but once applied, the liner actually looks really believable as a stand-in for liquid. Plus, it stuck through a full day of walking/brunching/shopping/Sunday Fundaying/raining!/TV watching, which is more than I expected.

THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF: Personally, I enjoy the artistry (and control) of doing my own liquid eyeliner, so in general this is not a product I will be buying often. I did need to trim the liner in order for it to fit my eye shape, which added time to the application. I also had a problem getting the inner corners to stick, so I wound up using eyelash glue to secure them down, which again, seemed like being nickeled and dimed in application time for a product that was supposed to be a "quick solution" to the liquid eyeliner task. Once I got the strips stuck in place, I had to bust out my real liquid eyeliner to fill in the small gap of eyelid showing between the sticker and my lashes, which kind of defeated the whole purpose of using the stickers because in the end I needed to use liquid liner on top of them. While they did last all day, they weren't the most comfortable thing to wear (it kind of feels like something is tugging on your eyelid when you blink) -- in fact, I would rank them at the same physical inconvenience level as false lashes. And really, false lashes give you so much more bang for your buck. AND can be reused, so, yeah. Finally, it hurt like hell at the end of the night when I had to remove them. Which, fine-- it shouldn't come as a shock that pulling tape off your sensitive eyelid area isn't going to feel like a day at the spa, but still-- it would be nice if these came with a gentle remover solution. I would certainly recommend to anyone who chooses to try these, that you hold up a warm wet washcloth to your eyelid for about 30 seconds before removing the stickers. Your lids will applaud you.

All in all, EyeRock liners are a cool concept, and like I said earlier, perfect for the occasional liquid liner lust-er. They're not recommended for the makeup-savvy; y'all are better off just getting creative on your own.

Magic Wand

2012-03-30T13:28:00.011-04:00

Finally! After YEARS of battling with clip curling irons, hot rollers, foam curlers and overnight braids, a styling tool that makes the job easier than ever -- and leaves perfect mermaid waves that last into the next day: a curling wand!

I felt so glam in my new 'do that I felt it necessary to pump up the volume on my whole look with red lipstick and glittery heels (the same ones I wore for our civil ceremony).

Wetline pro .75" curling wand via Fab.com (sign up here to get in on the awesome deals), MAC Ruby Woo lipstick, Steve Madden shoes, Hudson jeans

How To: Fringe for the Fickle - Tranny Bangs!

2012-03-03T09:48:00.011-05:00

Every once in a while I'll make the trek down to the Bowery to shop at Patricia Field's eclectic boutique, and I always seem to find something weird and wonderful to come home with -- be it a pair of spiked leather demi gloves, a funky dress, neon jewelry-- literally, there is ALWAYS something that speaks to me.

The last time my good friend KE came to visit, the #1 thing on her list of things to do was to shop at Pat Field's, but instead of leaving with bags of baubles and vintage frocks, we both left with... drumroll... tranny bangs! Ok, so maybe they're not openly marketed as "tranny bangs", but that's what I've decided to call them since they are a) fabulous, b) transformative, and c) were actually sold to me by the nicest and most hair-savvy tranny diva I've ever met, the iconic Miss Codie. (You may have caught a glimpse of Miss Codie on the last season of RHONY, when the women visited Patricia Field.)

Miss Codie Leone - photo linked from MissAnthrope's blog here

For those of you who, like me, are interested in sporting bangs once in a while, but are far too fickle to commit to a full blown fringe haircut, clip-in bangs (tranny bangs!) are the perfect solution. Here's a little 101 on how to purchase, prep and style the perfect tranny bangs:

The selection of human hair clip in bangs at Patricia Field

1. Buy your bangs. Generally, tranny bangs come in two varieties: synthetic, or human hair. The synthetic variety are less expensive, but also less versatile, and really run the risk of looking cheap/Halloweenish. On the other hand, the human hair bangs (shown above) run about $45 at Patricia Field's underground wig shop and can be dyed, washed and heat styled just like your own hair, making them (in my opinion) a much better investment.

Brien models my new, superblonde tranny bangs.

2. Get the color right. KE was lucky that her hair is one color all over, a deep brown/black, so her dark brown bangs were ready for clipping in straight off the rack. My hair color is a mixture of browns and blondes, so I needed to be a bit more strategic about how I'd achieve a believable look. The fabulous Ms. Codie advised me to buy the lightest blonde bangs and then have them dyed back down to match my color, which is exactly what I did. I took the bangs to my stylist and she was able to work her magic on them to make them blend PERFECTLY in with my own hair.

After the custom color treatment and trim

3. Trim the bangs. Pull your hair back into a ponytail and clip the tranny bangs in about 1/3 the way up from your hairline. If you're brave and/or skilled enough, you can trim them yourself, but I let my stylist do the cutting. Obviously the shape of the bangs is completely up to you, but I went for a long 60's fringe with a soft edge that lands at the bottom of my browline.

See, looks natural!

4. Rock the bangs! This is where the fun comes in. Your tranny bangs can be worn with your hair up or down, but the key is to disguise the top of the bang where they clip in, as this will be the spot that gives away your secret if it's not done right. The simplest solution to start is to wear a headband or head scarf that cuts across the bangs in the place where they clip in, but there are many other ways to hide the clip spot. I've had success with teasing my hair at the root just behind where the bangs clip and blending some of the bangs into the tease zone, or throwing my hair into a messy bun and then pinning the loose strands across the clip. And don't be afraid to whip out the straight iron or hairspray to get your fringe in check-- this is why we splurged for human hair, people!

Updo with tranny bangs

Have fun surprising your friends/coworkers/husband with your new do! The first day I wore them out, not one person guessed that my bangs weren't actually my own hair, and I love having the option to temporarily transform my look.

Thinking of getting your tranny bang on? For inspiration, here are a few of the world's most famous fringed ladies:

Brigitte Bardot

Cher

Betty Paige

Reese Witherspoon

Back to Black on this Manic Monday

2012-02-27T14:30:00.003-05:00

You know how the New York Times crossword starts out easiest on Monday and then gets harder each day until finally, on Sunday, the most impossible puzzle of the week is published? Well, I have decided that office fashion demands a similar approach, albeit inverse.

Monday is the start of the week, typically full of high ambitions and packed with meetings-- it is the New Years' Day of the work week. As the week progresses toward what many offices declare "Casual Friday" -- a holiday in its own right, IMO-- the skirts and pumps phase out and the skinny jeans and open toed shoes slip in, making each day a fashion cocktail all its own. Monday is the martini, Friday the margarita, and everything in between a glorious balance of the two extremes.

So for this Monday, I chose black -- serious, elegant, maybe a bit mournful of the freshly dead weekend, but never drab. The final ensemble: A lacy blouse that lets a little bit of porcelain winter skin shine through, paired with a plastic bow ring that almost looks like it's covered in wet paint -- two textures chosen to inherently bring in light to an otherwise dark ensemble.

(Lace blouse and bow ring - F21, Gold "mrs." necklace - Kate Spade, lipstick - MAC Lustre in Aristo-chic)

The Manhattan Meatball: 18 Weeks

2012-02-25T12:04:00.003-05:00

Weekend snuggles with the meatball.

Side Eye.

After making it *almost* all the way to Times Square and back (I may have had to carry him the last block and a half home), Winston officially earned his I <3 New York puppy tee.

Leather collar by Hennessy & Sons, personalized tag by HattieRex on Etsy.

The "tired tongue." (his white flag for naptime)

How To: The Bow Bun

2012-02-25T09:08:00.003-05:00

How do you take the classic bun and make it better? You put a bow on it! Or in it. (A-HA!)

I wore this bow bun hairstyle at a cocktail party recently, and got a lot of questions from my lady peers on how to achieve the look. It's the perfect balance of elegant and playful, it looks good from every angle (GREAT for weddings and parties where you'll be surrounded by people on all sides), and it's perfectly suited for day 2 or day 3 hair.

What you need:

- 1 thick elastic band

- 2 small elastic bands (the tiny clear plastic ones are best)

- comb

- dry shampoo (optional, but helps add volume when added to day 2/3 hair)

- hairspray

- bobby pins that match your hair

Here's the illustrated how-to guide:

Ta-Da! Doesn't everything look better with a bow on top?

Vector Sketch: Bridal

2012-02-24T17:59:00.004-05:00

Vector sketch I made using Adobe Illustrator, and a trackpad. Based this post by Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere. (Can you tell I'm starting to get excited for wedding dress shopping?) :-)

Sir Winston Everett Gonzalez of 42nd Street

2012-02-22T11:20:00.001-05:00

Meet our pup, Sir Winston! Excuse his red eyes; he was a bit tuckered out when I took this...

Created with cinemagr.am (available in the App store for the iPhone... $1.99 and totally worth it!)

The Prettiest Pancakes I've Ever Made

2012-01-29T10:26:00.002-05:00

These red velvet pancakes are without a doubt the prettiest pancakes I've ever made. Admittedly I started with a mix as the base for these, so they're not completely from scratch, but totally worth the cheat.

Here's how I did it:

Start with The Baker's Pantry all natural red velvet pancake mix, then "Brittafy" the recipe by adding one extra egg yolk, 2 tsp of vegetable oil and substitute half the amount of water called for in the instructions with milk instead.

Cook in a buttered skillet (MUST be real butter, people!). These guys fluff up like mad in the pan, so pour them small and be careful not to overcook them - they take about 1 minute per side.

For the topping (this part is my own creation): mix 1/3 cup cream cheese with 3 TBSP sour cream, 2 tsp granulated sugar and 2 tsp powdered sugar, then whisk together until smooth.

Serve pancakes hot with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of the cream cheese topping.

Deeeelish, and gorgeous to boot!

Tres Leches

2012-01-22T10:10:00.004-05:00

Oh, the deliciousness that is Tres Leches Cake! Light, lacy sponge cake drenched in three sweet milks and topped with fresh whipped cream -- eating it is almost like having dessert and a drink at the same time. I first experienced tres leches in San Diego, but since moving to New York City I have yet to find a slice that matches up to the good ol' SoCal kind, so I decided to try my hand at making it myself.

I looked up a few recipes before settling on the one posted here by The Pioneer Woman, and wow-oh-woweee did it live up to my expectations! The recipe itself is pretty straightforward, and the ingredients easy to come by, but the trick with this dessert is to get the cake consistency right (airy and spongy, not overbaked or dry), and to be very patient when pouring the milk mixture onto the cake, allowing it to thoroughly and evenly soak in.

As a chilled cake, it's fantastic as a summertime dessert, but it also pairs very well with a hot cuppa tea in the middle of winter, as my English husband was quick to discover.

Pink Bulldogs (The Drinkable Kind)

2012-01-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

If you live in New York, or if you ever visit, you must try (at least once) a Pink Bulldog.

It's essentially a fancied-up version of the Pink Panty Dropper we used to make back in undergrad: frozen pink lemonade vodka with a Coronita (lime included) plunked upside-down in it. As you drink, the beer and lemonadeka mixes into a dangerously wonderful thing.

You can also do a classic bulldog using frozen margarita mix and tequila, or a red nosed bulldog by swirling a little sangria into the classic.

Get them at Benny's Burritos in the West Village, or Mother Burger/Blockheads in Hell's Kitchen.

Or make your own at home, if you dare.

Cheers!

Nailed It.

2012-01-04T12:57:00.001-05:00

Silver glitter polish by Nails Inc. Copper glitter "Traffic Stopper Copper" by OPI for Sephora.

Caburlesque: Holidaze

2011-12-18T12:31:00.005-05:00

Catrina Quintanilla, me, and Vicky Modica in costume for the opening number: "Jingle Bell Rock", a la Mean Girls.

Sigh. Me and pianos. I just can keep my bum off of 'em. The lighting director at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre now assumes that I will be mounting the piano at some point during every show.

And you know what? She's right.

(CatrinaQ Productions. Danny Lincoln on piano. Love him *almost* as much as pianos.)

The Princess Factor

2011-11-23T12:59:00.002-05:00

Will I ever stop buying purses based on the princess factor? Probably not. And you know, I'm ok with that.

Crossbody purse by Poppie Jones for DSW

Vodkajitos

2011-11-13T22:32:00.004-05:00

Today was one of those days that just called for a stiff drink at sunset, and a classic mojito would have hit the spot, except the only alcohol I had in the house was a massive bottle of Grey Goose vodka (boo hoo, right?).

Enter the Vodkajito!

I will not lie: this might be my favorite homemade cocktail, ever. It's clean, it's simple, it's refreshing and it strikes swiftly and hard. It's also a bit more time consuming to prepare than your average drink, so make the syrup in advance to cut down on mix-to-mouth time.

Here's the recipe (borrowed from Giada De Laurentiis):

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mint simple syrup, recipe follows
1 cup vodka, chilled
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 large limes)
1 cup club soda, chilled
Ice
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

In a pitcher, combine the simple syrup, vodka, lime juice, and club soda. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with mint sprigs.

Mint Simple Syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 packed cup fresh mint leaves

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and mint leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Strain before using, pressing on the mint leaves to extractas much syrup as possible.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Banoffee Pie

2011-11-13T00:42:00.005-05:00

Had I known what was coming when I asked my Englishman what his favorite homeland dessert is, I would have asked much sooner. It turns out that the bad reputation hovering over English food is only there because they keep the best stuff a secret! Case in point:

"Hun, what was your favorite dessert back in Oxford?"

"Banoffee Pie."

"Bano-wha?"

"Ban-off-ee Pieeeee. It's a pudding made of toffee and bananas and whipped cream and it's sooooo gooood."

"A pudding? Or a pie? Or is it a pudding pie?"

"It's a pie you eat for pudding."

"Ahhh. Ok. I wish you guys would just settle on one meaning for pudding already. Sometimes it's sausage and sometimes it's dessert, and other times it's actually pudding as in puddin', and... ugh!"

...

"Well anyway, I'm making it for you. This Ban-off-ee pie thing"

(his eyes light up)

"Wife points?"

"Major wife points."

And so it began. I did an extensive google search for Banoffee pie recipes, comparing the ingredients and prep times, canceling out any recipes that called for food processors (don't have one yet) or digestive biscuits (too dense, plus harder to find), and finally committing to a modified version of this recipe, using a graham cracker crust in place of a digestive biscuit crust.

SERVES 8

For the pie crust:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 package of graham crackers (HoneyMaid is best)

For the filling:
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup (4 oz) packed dark brown sugar
1 14-oz. can condensed milk, such as Carnation brand
4 bananas
1 pint heavy cream
Grated chocolate

1. Make the crumb crust: Place the graham crackers in a large freezer bag and crush until you get a fine crumb texture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in melted butter. Press into a 9"-diameter tart base with a removable bottom. Press the mixture up the sides of the tart form with the back of a spoon. Chill the crust in refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

2. Make the toffee: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and melt over low heat. Add the condensed milk and bring the mixture to a boil for a few minutes, stirring continuously. The toffee should darken slightly. Pour the filling into the crust. Cool and chill again for at least one hour until the caramel is firm.

3. To serve, remove the tart from the pan and carefully transfer to a serving plate. Slice the bananas and place them in a single layer on top of the caramel. Whip the cream and spoon it over the toffee and bananas, sealing the filling in. Sprinkle the top of the pie with grated chocolate.

-----

I knew it was a success when I saw the look on my Mr.'s face when he took his first bite, and in case that wasn't proof enough, I came home from work the following day to an empty pie pan in the kitchen sink and a husband claiming the pie somehow "fell out of the fridge".

:: nods head slowly ::

Wife points.

Butterflies and Braids

2011-11-05T12:48:00.002-04:00

For a weekend of walking around the city, I needed a hairstyle that would keep my hair off my face (hello, New York wind!) but still look pretty enough that I could wear it to drinks later in the day. Solution: two mini french braids that start at the part (at the forehead) and meet in the back of the head, pinned into a knot formation and secured with bobby pins. Pretty, sturdy AND functional!

Earrings by Tarina Tarantino.

Caburlesque: Sinister

2011-10-30T12:37:00.000-04:00

Catrina Quintanilla as Magenta, Johnny Gabriel Koladziej as Frank-N-Furter for "Sweet Transvestite"

Vicky Modica as Miss Hannigan for "Little Girls"

Jeffrey Paul Baker as Mrs. Lovett for "Worst Pies In London"

"Cruella DeVil". (Or KISS meets Rod Stewart meets Lisa Vanderpump. You pick.)

New Obsession: Cinemagraphs

2011-10-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

After years of guffawing at GIFs, I'm suddenly finding myself mesmerized by them - thanks to the art of the cinemagraph (credit due to Jamie Beck & Kevin Burg for this incredible media). Here are some recent finds that I simply cannot stop staring at:

Compelled to give it a try? Here's an article on how to make your own: http://lifehacker.com/5847821/how-to-create-animated-cinemagraphs

I think I've found my weekend project! :)

A New York City Civil Ceremony (We're Official!)

2011-10-01T13:42:00.003-04:00

The Englishman and I are still planning a formal wedding for 2013, but since we needed to get legally hitched stateside in advance, we decided to do a sassy little City Hall civil ceremony followed by dinner with our parents and local friends.

It was the best day ever (so far!).

The Mr., holding my vintage clutch for me.

Exchanging rings.

We're legally married!

My Sex and the City moment, getting out of the cab in front of Central Park.

Dress by Sue Wong, shoes by Steve Madden, earrings- vintage, clutch- vintage, hair by Drybar, makeup by me.

Photography by Kemsee Studios.

Caburlesque: Hanky Panky

2011-08-26T12:14:00.003-04:00

I had the amazing honor of performing in Catrina Q's "Hanky Panky" Caburlesque at the Duplex Cabaret theatre this weekend, and after dusting off the old pipes, I had an absolute blast getting back on stage. (So what if I recycled a song I did at UCLA Musical Theatre Workshop like seven years ago?)

I love my life.

"Sooner or Later"

"Everybody's Girl"

With the übertalented Vicky Modica, in our getups for "Fever"

The Englishman is Coming!

2011-07-24T13:02:00.002-04:00

In excitement and preparation for Matt's final arrival in the U.S.A. in just a few short weeks, I bought this rockin' Union Jack canvas by Fabrice de Villeneuve. It's astounding how adding a piece of artwork to a room can lend it a whole new personality!

Why I'm Not Allowed in Vintage Stores Alone

2011-07-17T13:16:00.000-04:00

1950's Roberto Capucci metallic gown, originally sold at Bergdorf's. I die.