I wouldn’t quite categorize dining at The Bazaar by José Andrés as a place where you go grab a bite and eat a meal.  It’s more like a dining “experience”.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from a restaurant that describes itself as “a collection of magical dining experiences”.  What I did know that the Boyfriend and I enjoy new food, and especially new ways to prepare food.

And in the style of molecular gastronomy, which I’ve seen Andrés prepare dishes for Anthony Bourdain on TV, I was excited to try out The Bazaar located inside the hip, swanky, and slightly pretentious SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.  You definitely have to dress the part when dining here – we spotted C-lister celebs like Hulk Hogan and son, as well as Shane Sparks, one of the judges on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.

The Bazaar serves its food in the style of tapas, or small plates, and our server suggested for the two of us about 8-10 dishes.  The menu also offers traditional tapas and modern tapas.  The latter incorporates more of molecular gastronomy techniques that drew is to the restaurant in the first place.  Still, we took the advice of our server and ordered 1/2 of our dishes from the traditional side, and 1/2 of our dishes from the modern.

Our first dish, Tortilla de patatas ‘new way’, is a warm potato foam with a slow-cooked egg 63 and caramelized onions.  Let me just tell you how divine this little bit was.  It was so rich, yet delicate and had the most delicious onion flavor.  I could have eaten five of these.  If all the dishes were going to be like this, I was going to be a very happy camper.

Unfortunately, it was followed up by these Japanese Tacos.  Imagine a piece of unagi from your favorite sushi spot.  That’s it.  Yes it was in a cucumber shell and accompanied by a shiso leaf and chicarrones.  But all we got was a hit of ginger and none of the crunchy texture you’d expect from a taco.

Next arrive at our table were Sea Scallops with “Romesco” Tomato-Almond Sweet Pepper Sauce.  We always enjoy scallops, and these were wonderfully cooked, but the Romesco was very strange in texture.   Seemed like something in it was undercooked and just plain grainy.

Not Your Everyday Caprese Salad is a new twist on the original.  Served with cherry tomatoes, “liquid” mozzarella balls, and pesto with a little balsamic vinegar, I found the flavors to be just like the traditional.  But the explosion of the mozzarella balls was very watery instead of creamy in texture, making it quite a surprise.

This “Philly Cheesesteak” was very messy to eat – much like your traditional cheesesteak.  This air bread filled with cheese and topped with Kobe beef was tasty for me.  The cheese was a little runny, we didn’t even realize it was in the bread until it started oozing everywhere.  The beef slices were yummy; definitely another dish I would eat again!

Probably the heartiest dish was the Beef Hanger Steak with Piquillo Pepper Confit.  My first taste was just the beef by itself.  I proclaimed it was bland until I ate it with all the elements on the plate, peppers and all.  Boy was I wrong, this dish is delicious!  Hearty, a little smokey with a little hit of sweet among the savory.

Another dish from the traditional tapas menu is the Halibut with Cauliflower Puree and Raspberry.  The fish itself was a little overcooked but everything else was yummy.  Who says raspberries are only for desserts and cocktails?  This sweet fruit gave a nice twist to the dish and enhance the puree.

Our dinner service took a while, each dish came out one at a time so we always had to wait for the next.  After an interesting meal, we were hoping that the last plate, our Paella-style Pasta with Monkfish and Shrimp, would end our experience on a high note.

Unfortunately, the paella took a while to come out.  And when it did arrive, it was a mushy mess.  It was a plate of over-salted pasta without the crunchy that you would expect from the traditional dish.  Nonetheless, we ate the entire plate so that we could make our way to dessert.

The Bazaar actually invites dinner guests to enjoy desserts in another area of the restaurant/hotel instead of at your table.  After waiting more than15 minutes to be re-seated, we gave up and called it a night.  We had been dining now for over hours hours now and we still had a 45-minute drive home to do.

So we missed dessert but then again, I’m not sure if it would have really been worth it.  If I were to ever dine at The Bazaar again, I think I would ask the chef to prepare a tasting menu of his choosing.  With so many dishes to choose from, it’s hard to know what the most delicious dishes are and it would be nice if they chose for you.

Have you dined at The Bazaar by José Andrés?  What dishes would you recommend for us to try next time?

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Who is your favorite redheaded celebrity? I like Isla Fisher, but I have to say that Christina Hendricks looked awesome at the Mad Men Season 4 premiere with her shiny red locks! (Did you catch the season premiere last Sunday? It was awesome!)

What better way to compliment her fair skin and fiery hair color than a soft matte rose lipstick?

Read on to see what she’s wearing!

It’s NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Bangkok, a beautiful dusty rose.  It looks so creamy and pigmented on Christina’s lips!

Sadly, this lipstick isn’t available until September 1, 2010 at Saks Fifth Avenue, but doesn’t it looks breathtaking?

Tip: If you’re a big fan of Christina Hendricks and can’t wait until September to copy her lip look, try the NARS Lipstick in Catfight ($24 US) which is a similar shade.

Are you interested in a new matte lipstick by NARS or are you more a fan of shimmer? What fall trends and products are you looking forward to most?

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Is it mere coincidence that the lady in the promotion picture for the MAC Dare to Wear Collection looks like Lady Gaga? I think not. This collection inspires us to be daring, unique, and over-the-top. Who better to represent those feelings than the Lady herself?

Embrace the extraordinary with pigmented, loud colors. Definitely not for the shy at heart, Dare to Wear declares your individuality your strength. Available now, use the promo code DARE to get free shipping with any purchase until August 1st.

The complete collection includes:

MAC Dare to Wear Lipglass ($18 US)

So Bad: Mid-tone Coral Orange with Pink and Gold Pearl
Dare to Wear: Light Blue Pink with Multi-Pearl
Bold & Brash: Bright Red with Multi-Pearl
Ban This!: Deep Purple with Multi-Pearl
Gimme That!: Bright Fuchsia Pink with Pink Pearl
Wind Me Up: Dirty Bronze with Pink and Gold Pearl

MAC Eye Shadow ($14.50 US)

Going Bananas: Soft Lemon Yellow (frost)
Zingy: Bright Sky Blue (matte)
Atlantic: Bright Violet Blue (matte)
Louder, Please: Bright Fuchsia (matte)
Shock-a-Holic: Deep Purple (matte)
Sassy Green: Bright Grass Green (matte)
Aqua: Subdued, Pale Greyed Aqua (matte)
Crazy Cool: Pale Frosty Lavender (veluxe pearl)
Free to Be: Bright True Coral (matte)
Sky Blue: Robin’s Egg Blue (frost)
Winkle: Mid-tone Cornflower Blue (satin)
Lime: Lime Green (matte)

Have you seen this collection in stores yet? Are you up for grabbing any of these wild shades?

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No matter what kind of workout you’re into – spinning, turbo kick boxing, Bikram yoga or step class – we’ve put together the perfect list of must-haves for your gym bag.

I personally can’t live without any of these in my own gym bag so trust me when I say you won’t want to leave home without these.

I always carry Goody elastic hair bands ($4.59 US) with me wherever I go just in case I need to throw my long hair back into an easy ponytail.  These are a MUST for the gym to keep your hair out of your face and off your neck.  Yes, sweaty hair is really gross.

Combat against underarm sweat and odor with Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof ($9.99 US).  I love this for days I do Bikram yoga.  Because after 90 minutes of hot yoga where my body is dripping with sweat, it’s the only thing I trust that’ll keep me feeling the freshest I possibly can, ha!

Ever since I’ve read about Klean Kanteen ($16.45 US for 18 oz Classic) on my friend Heather’s site, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on one!  These are the first BPA-free stainless steal water bottle and the variety of colors makes it as personal as you are, another plus in self-expression!

That’s everything I need during my workout.  Now, here are my top picks for your post-workout and getting cleaned up at the gym.

I’ve been carrying mini versions of Joico Moisture Recovery shampoo and conditioner in my gym bag.  If you’ve got over-treated hair either by blow-drying, coloring, flat-ironing or permed, you’ll need this to inject moisture back into your locks.

I love transferring a little bit of my body washes from home into one of those mini travel-sized bottles and then throwing those into my gym bag.  Right now I’ve got my current favorite Korres Guava Showergel.  Check out my review here.

Moisturize right after the shower with L’Oreal Ideal Skin Genesis Complexion Equalizer ($19.99 US).  Made for gals like me in their 30s who crave youthful looking skin, even in tone, bright and luminious.

Last but not least, I always keep a baggie of Q-Tips with my in my gym bag.  There’s nothing worse than feeling a little water-logged after your shower.

What are some of your gym bag necessities?  Share them with us in our comments!

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This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR.   We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.

Are you ready to do some dazzling this summer? Stun the crowd with your glittering lips! Allow MAC to help with their Digidazzle Collection available on counters August 5th.

So don’t be shy, push the limits with their new lipstick formula, the MAC Dazzle Lipstick ($14 US). This limited edition lip colleciton is sure to make boredom and predictability a thing of the past.

The entire collection includes:

Dazzle Lipstick ($14 US)

Smash Hit: White Beige
Liquid Lurex: Tarnished Golden
Sweet Bits: Light Lavender Pink
Win-Win: Light Pink
Glaringly Hip: Light Peach
Hot Sass: Bright Orange
Naughty You: Neon Pink
Troublemaker: Magenta
Infused with Glam: Copper Brown
Hellraiser: Light Lavender
Baby’s on Fire: Deep Red
Snazzy: Deep Plum
Wham: Plum Brown

Are you interested in spicing your up your lips with a bit of Digidazzle? How bright and fabulous are you willing to go with your lip color?

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