I usually don’t miss any of Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Collections, but I’m never this late to the fragrance party. Enter Bronze Goddess Capri Eau Fraîche my lightweight, airy, and divine summer love. Each year they keep getting better with the Bronze scents. I’ve been to Capri twice. It is such a magical and beautiful destination. I cannot wait to return with le beau so he can understand why I am always raving about Capri.

The scent reminds me of the summer. It is lightweight and not overpowering. I love a strong scent, but I do try to lighten it up in the summer. I have been wearing this to yoga, but only a few sprays. I’m glad that I have a perfume atomizer because I plan to bring this scent with me to Jamaica in June. A girl can never be without her fragrance.

I needed a new bright color to put on my nails. It seems as though the calendar says spring and a few weeks from summer, but the weather is saying something completely different. I wanted something to remind me of the beach. Essie’s Turquoise & Caicos is just that. I love that it’s a riff off Turks & Caicos, but they captured the blue and turquoise waters of the island. I applied this color on my patio on a chilly and rainy night while dreaming of warm skies, flip flops, and strapless dresses. I can definitely see this color getting multiple uses. It reminds me of the beaches of Kaua’i and those Valente girls who taught me to color my nails every other day. I miss them like crazy.

My girl getaways must involve a beach. This year’s girl getaway was a needed rest and relaxation. After a few trying and busy months it seemed as if the girls wanted nothing to do but fly away like Lenny Kravitz. That is what we did when we decided to book our trip this year at the Beach Palace Resort. The Beach Palace is part of the Palace Resorts. I had heard great things about the resort over the years, but it took visiting it to understand the fascination. It is truly a phenomenal all-inclusive luxury destination in the heart of Cancun Beach District.

Mexico has been in the news a lot lately. We compared notes before we left on how many people told us “don’t go.” But, what many people do not realize is that there are parts of Mexico that are extremely safe. We prayed, kept it moving, and knew we would have a good time. If I took the news to heart of everyone telling me not to go to Mexico, I would have missed out on the beauty that is the Beach Palace Resort.

A few stats on the Beach Palace. It was completely rebuilt after a hurricane in 2005. The hotel has twenty-four presidential suites, four restaurants, and a large conference center. Weddings are big in Mexico and the Beach Palace has a wedding deck with breathtaking views of the lagoon or the ocean. Beach Palace also has exchange privileges with the other Palace Resorts in the area, including the Moon Palace and Sun Palace. I think one of the top perks of the hotel is free Wi-fi and free calls to the U.S. My work means I need Wi-fi and it is nice to know I am not being charged some ridiculous rate for internet. Beach Palace is a ten-minute walk to La Isla Shopping Center with stores such as Zara, Zingara Swimwear, Sunglasses, and duty-free shopping .

We arrived at the resort after a very long travel day. What the girls and I have figured out is that the girls trip starts at the airport. I flew to Houston to meet up with my girls, we enjoyed the lounge, and all caught the same plane to Cancun. Immediately upon exiting the airport we could feel stress, work, and worry evaporate. The heat and the thought of the beach was calling us.

Upon arrival at the hotel our mouths flew open. The lobby was huge and we could see a beautiful open dining room and the beach. The lovely Ana at the front desk answered all our questions and provided us with alcohol-free versions of the hotel’s trademark beverage – The Signature. A lovely mix of pina colada and cranberry. Ana advised to add vodka or Malibu Rum on the beach. We all nodded in unison. We will definitely take your suggestion. Give us an hour.

After our first visit to thebeach we headed back to our room to prepare for dinner. Well, we planned to head down for dinner. We never made it. After the travel, we decided to do something we never do. We ordered room service. As we waited on the terrace over looking the lagoon, drinking wine, we came to the conclusion that we would hit the restaurants the next night. The room service food blew us away. The Thai Chicken Salad with zesty dressing had so much flavor we were mad we didn’t order the full portion. A perfectly grilled fish was the finishing touch to our great meal and the end to our first night at the Beach Palace.

More on the Beach Palace next week! While you are waiting start planning your visit.

I admit that I haven’t been on a motorcycle in over 20 years. A childhood friend did a wheelie with me on the back sans helmet and it scared the living daylights out of me. The thought of getting on the back of a motorcycle again was not happening. Well, that is no longer the case. The Don decided it was high time he got his dream bike  – the Harley Davidson Street Glide. As a wife I was very supportive and adamant that I wasn’t going to get on the back of this thing. Never say never like Justin Beiber. The first look at this instrument on two wheels had me envisioning myself on the back of it. There were so many questions. Which leathers do I want? How is the helmet going to work on my curls? Which Hermès Twilly to rock on my wrist while I’m holding on? Which red lipstick to wear on my lips?

All these beauty questions bored the man, but I couldn’t help it. Today is International Female Ride Day. Women around the world will take to their motorcycles or scooters. I love traveling and seeing women riding on scooters. I so need to learn before my trip to Bali next year. In honor of the day I may not be behind the wheel myself, but I will be holding on and enjoying the day.

Bisous! Have a great weekend. Here is a picture of The Don’s new toy! As Stevie Wonder would say:

Isn’t she lovely
Isn’t she wonderful
Isn’t she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we’d be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn’t she lovely made from love

There’ is a new red lipstick in my collection and it is courtesy of Target and Poppy King. The sheer loveliness of Boots No 7 Poppy King Lipstick in History is great for spring. It is not as intense a red that one might think. It glides on easily and leaves a perfect red hue to my lips. I have a few Lipstick Queen lipsticks, but I usually wear them in the fall since they are highly-pigmented. This is just enough pigment to be noticed and light enough that my lips don’t feel super heavy. I have also come to the conclusion that I can never have enough lip color. I wear lipstick to yoga ladies. Yep, I do. I suggest you order it now. It is just that lovely.

If you haven’t read her book Lessons of a Lipstick Queen please do so. It is a great book on believing in something, working hard, and seeing your hard work pay off.

Ladies, this is the mascara I have been using for a month. It’s from our lovely friends across the pond and I have been reading about it for months. Well the lovely folks at Sephora are bringing us to this side of the pond. Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara is currently on my I love you long time shelf in my beauty arsenal. I use likely a fatter brush for my mascara because that’s just me. This is super skinny, but it delivers a highly pigmented product that makes up for the skinny brush. Plus, this is not a fiber mascara which I am happy about. For some reason fiber based products don’t do anything for my lashes. If you want to get your va-va-voom lashes on, put some Eyeko in your life.

I have always loved water. I seriously think I should have been born under the Pisces sign, but I’m a true Sagittarius. Although, I was born to a Pisces mom. There are times I even go to bed with the beach waves application on my phone because I just need to hear the waves, look at the ocean, enjoy the sun, and just relax. I have always been like this and as I get older I need more heat and water in my life. On my trip to the lovely St. Maarten we participated in a true sailing activity. I was stoked.

When I say sailing, it was on a huge sailboat. An America’s Cup sailboat to be exact. Imagine my delight when I realized that we were going to be the crew. Of course, I wasn’t appropriately dressed. I had on a dress and tennis shoes. Nevertheless when duty calls I’m there. How often are you on a beautiful island with a real Captain Morgan. No joke. See the photograph below of Captain Morgan and I. The Captain even let me steer the boat for a few minutes. Insane.

Here’s the rundown. This is a 12 meter challenge against another boat and team. The crew is made of tourists competing against each other. We did have a real crew on board, obviously. These guys and one lady taught us what we needed to learn, before we assumed our necessary roles on the boat. There was also a person to pass out beverages (hello beer, soda, and water) whenever there was a need to hydrate.

My position on the boat was to work on the winch, which basically means I swung the rope around this mechanical device (crank) to release the sail. Can I tell you how much fun I had. Of course, before all the sailing festivities I still had to apply some type of lip gloss. I think I saw the crew give a slight chuckle during my prep time, but I was okay with that. I was a  wet mess, hair in a curly salt-water-bun, and oh so happy. I loved every single minute of it. The only question I had was “when can I do it again.”

I finished my time of sailing with a hearty lunch of Bang Bang Shrimp at the Greenhouse Restaurant.

So I came home and learned about various Regattas around the world. It is definitely time to get these sea legs wet again. Beach Babe 2012 in full effect. The only words that “get me” at this moment are from Christopher Cross.

My visit to St. Maarten was sponsored by the St. Maarten Tourism Board. All opinions are my own.

Prom is right around the corner. If you or a special girl in your life is still searching for a dress look no further! Though they are known for their wedding dresses, you can also find an extensive collection of pretty prom dresses at David’s Bridal. Keeping with the ultimate southern belle style, take a look at some of our favorite ball gowns in the latest trends.

Prints

The definition of “pretty,” this gorgeous organza dress in fuschia would look great on any skin tone. Prints are very in this prom season and this subtle floral print is both feminine and unique. The empire waist also makes this dress extremely flattering.

White

This awards season we saw a lot of celebrities wearing white on the red carpet. This glamorous white dress features an intricately patterned sequin skirt that provides the perfect amount of sparkle. The bodice features a bandaged look in the front and a distinctive back.

Ombre

Another trend you can expect to see a lot of this prom season is the ombre dress. “Ombre” is a French term meaning “shaded.” A beautiful shade of royal blue flows seamlessly into a turquoise and back into royal blue in this strapless ball gown. Also featured is a lace up back that will guarantee this dress fits like a glove.

Classic

Last, but not least, is the classic pretty in pink dress. For the girl that wants to feel like a princess, this is the perfect dress. It features a sequined bodice and a full tulle skirt. Love the dress but pink isn’t your thing? You’re in luck, it also comes in champagne.

No matter which of these dresses you pick you will surely feel like the belle of the ball on your big night. How do you feel about this year’s trends? Which of these dresses is your favorite?

This post was brought to you by David’s Bridal

I’m a certified beach babe. I love it. I can’t get enough. I leave the beach only to think of my eminent return. I found the perfect beach tote to hold my magazines, sunscreen products, and beloved Kindle. I love my iPad, but you really can’t read it in direct sunlight. I was perusing one of my favorite stores online when I came across this “I-must-have-in-my-life” Tumi Beach Bag.

I have tried many beach bags and I realized that the better the quality the longer it lasts. I’ve been using a Tory Burch Tote for years, but now it has finally seen enough of my beach-loving ways. I want something new and this Tumi Beach Bag is my latest beach obsession. I have two more beach trips planned this year and this bag would be perfect for Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

My skin has still been suffering from dry patches. Part of being a beach babe is having dry, peeling patches of skin on my face. Yes, I wear sunscreen at the beach, but I love to get a “little more brown.” This leaves me with trying desperate measures to provide my skin with hydration. It may be spring, but over the past few days with 40 degree weather, well I am not too sure. It’s a good thing that SUPER O-Mega Oil has been my bestest face friend at the moment.

This is part of the hydration collection and it’s the only one that I have used so far. I have the O-Mega Moisture, but that is for another post. This works well on cuticles and really dry hands as an overnight treatment. Right now I’m enjoying my O-Mega Oil and hoping it can last long enough before my next international flight. The way it is working means I will definitely be on another bottle by then.

In case you never saw the video. It’s Missy Elliot’s The Rain. It played in the background while I wrote this post.