I’m not gonna lie… I was pretty psyched to receive my May Gossip Girl Themed Birchbox.

But first what is Birchbox?

Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna launched Birchbox, almost 2 years ago. Birchbox is an online service that ships highly desirable beauty samples to its members’ every month. For $10 a month what you get is basically a beauty subscription. The subscription includes 4-5 product samples of the top 43 brands like NARS, Benefit, Laura Mercier, Stila, Korres and Cargo that arrived in your mailbox monthly. If you like the product sample, you can order the full size product from them. Birchbox is hot right now and the wait after initially signing up is about 4 weeks.

Here’s what’s in my box

For those of you who don’t know me, I love taking pictures of pretty things. So here ya go!

Gossip Girl themed Birchbox has been highly anticipated by many, including moi!

A little card explaining the theme of the month, along with the listing of the products present in my box. One of my item was missing… Twistband Hair Tie. Don’t know what happened there. I hear Birchbox has stellar customer service, I’m sure I’m only a phone call away for the omission to be rectified. I wont bother though.

Miracle Transformer Skin for BodyOne, of the item I was so hoping to receive was in my box –  SCORED! I will try it asap and post a review. But what is wrapped in the pink tissue…?

All my goodies!

Kiehl’s | Abyssine Cream +

A long time bestseller, this anti-aging moisturizer uses microscopic Abyssine molecules to soften wrinkles and protect skin from free radical damage. ($48)

Color Club | Nail Polish in Clambake Coral

Just in time for Summer, this warm coral will set off your newly (self-) ($8)

Miracle Skin transformer Body SFF 20 in Glow

Don’t settle for anything but flawless skin – all over your body. This tinted treatment erases blemishes and scars on arms, legs, and decollete. ($34)

BVLGARI | Omnia Crystaline Eau de Toilette Spray

Inspired by Luminescent crystals (so glam), this fresh scent combines notes of lotus flowers, bamboo, and nashi pear. ($47)

Birchbox is a brilliant concept if you ask me. Oh, and there’s one for the boys too…  Birchbox Men.

Emily and her party were so much fun! I met them all the morning of Emily’s big day at the Ocean Key Resort. Lots of beautiful girls ready to get gorgeous while Simply You Weddings was busy attending to every details ensuring Emily THE perfect day.

Flowers by Mama Flowers

As you can see, Emily is absolutely beautiful. The makeup was all in the mauve and neutral brown to enhance her stunning eyes.

She debated so much on whether to wear her hair up or down, and since she felt the sexiest with her hair loose we opted to put it partially up. She turned out AMAZING.

And here’s a couple of shots of her fab shoes and divine hairpiece. I couldn’t help myself!

Thank you Emily for letting us be a part of your big day. It was so nice to meet you!!! Lifetime of happiness to you and your hubby. XOXO

Bronzer is truly a must-have, good bronzer that is, the kind that creates the perfect sun-kissed glow. A bad bronzer, on the other hand, can look too obvious, or worse, muddy. Or even worse, a bronzer with shimmer overload can make you look greasy and shiny like a disco ball. Which brings me to this…

Isn’t it odd that bronzers devoid of shimmer are hard to come by?? I just don’t get it. It’s one thing to carefully choose where to place highlights on my face, and quite another to sweep shimmer ALL OVER it.  Maybe if I were 12…

SO… Make Up Forever has done it again with their fabulous products, and has me head over heals for their newest addition Mat Bronze ($30).

Packaging

Mat Bronze comes in a metallic bronze case with a magnetic snap-closure. Very attractive with a luxurious feel.

The compact top pan flips open to a another pan that has a puff applicator. Why the powder puff?? It’s useless. I know this sounds harsh, but use a bronzer or contouring brush for optimal result.

The formula

An oil-absorbing bronzing powder for the face, MAKE UP FOR EVER Mat Bronze was created especially to give skin a tanned complexion – without a glimmer of shiny-looking shimmer. The powder absorbs any skin slickness while adding a healthy natural-colored glow.

This is all true, my lovelies!

The texture of Mat Bronze feels like butter. It’s so smoooooth and blends effortlessly into the skin, disappearing, and leaving behind the perfect color. It gives a healthy glow without the actual glow.

Another plus, the powder finish of the formula literally sets my makeup, ensuring a long-lasting matte finish. It makes my clients and me so happy, especially when dealing with the South Florida heat and humidity.

Shades

There are 4 shades available, which I love:

• 10 Apricot
• 20 Honey
• 30 Cinnamon
• 40 Amber

I often find bronzers to be too intense on light skin. With 10 Apricot, even the lightest beauties will be able to enjoy a very natural sun-kissed glow.

 

10 Apricot

20 Honey

30 Cinnamon

40 Amber

Love this stuff!!!
Studio Marie-Pierre Rating: A+

Darci tied the knot at the Ernest Hemingway Home in Key West.  I met Darci in her room and got her ready for her big day. She had a very clear idea of what she wanted. Deliberately messy, braided updo and natural, with a touch a glam, makeup.

And then she pulled out her hairpiece saying she had made it out of a vintage necklace and wanted to know what I thought… One word… LOVE!!!! I get so excited over hair accessories.

Thank you so much Darci for trusting me with your hair and makeup on your special day! It was such an honor to be a part of it. Congrats!!! XOXO

Studio Marie-Pierre Presents…

The Second Annual “Live Gorgeously!” Facebook Fan Photo Contest!!!

Good morning gorgeous girls, brides-to-be, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and anyone who loves to live gorgeously! I am thrilled to announce the second annual Studio Marie-Pierre “Live Gorgeously!” Contest! We had a ball getting to know so many gorgeous Key West brides last year that we couldn’t resist bringing it back once again! If you or someone you know is planning a tropical destination wedding in sunny Key West after March 31, 2013, then this is the contest for you. Spread the word! This time we’re giving away three big prizes!

Grand Prize Package:

An incredible package of beauty and styling for YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE BRIDAL PARTY valued at $1,000. This package includes:

• Hair styling
• Airbrush Makeup application
• Spray tanning
• False eyelashes

First Runner Up Package:

Ezzy Got married 2 weeks ago at the Westin Key West Resort & Marina. Amanda and I got everyone ready in Ezzy’s suite and had a lot of fun making sure all the ladies looked absolutely beautiful.

Ezzy had a picture of  the hairstyle she had in mind and said she wanted her makeup to be glam. A girl after my own

As you can see Ezzy’s features are pretty amazing! I was just in love with her gorgeous eyes.

Notice how perfectly the false eyelashes enhance her shape.

Thank you so much Ezzy for trusting us with your hair and makeup. We loved being a part of your day and will never forget you either!!!

My long-time (and a favorite) client Jessica was sitting in my chair a few days ago getting her hair did, when I noticed her lovely fingers, or should I say finger nails. They were lacquered in a minty green shellac with little glittery particles sparkling all over. Ooooooooh…. She quickly gave me the lowdown.

Turns out she bought a few chunky glitter nail polishes on the Internet from a lady who mixes them by hand. Unfortunately, these polishes are barely available due to her mile-long waiting list. WHO HAS TIME TO WAIT? After doing a little research of my own, turns out mixing your own polish isn’t that complex… or so I thought.

My first mixing turned out great.  See photo on my FB page. Unfortunately, after a few days, I noticed the glittery particles in the bottle had completely lost their color. Blah. I found out later, the trick is to use Polyester particles. Those, my lovelies, are IMPOSSIBLE to find. I tore the Internet apart and came up with absolutely nada. I did, however, stumble upon Deborah Lippmann Glitter nail polish. THE END. I bought 5. Holla!

The formula

The formula thickness varies from polish to polish depending on the amount and size of glitter. 3 coats will give you the full effect.

The 5 of them dry reasonably quickly, although each additional coat added quite a bit of time.

The colors

HAPPY BIRTHDAY is so much fun! It’s a clear nail polish with multi size and color glitters. I like one coat to give my nails just enough sparkle, but I can see how 2 or 3 layers would be great depending on your party mood.

CANDY SHOP is the one for you if you like pink and glitter!  The color pay off is pretty strong with lots of different glitter sizes and colors in the  mix. I love it!

MERMAID’S DREAM is sooooo pretty… Seafoam glitter base with gold microglitter and medium bright blue glitter. 3 coats will give you a gorgeous finish. The formula is a tad gritty. Nothing a top coat won’t fix.

GILTTER IN THE HAIR is for the girl in search of subtle and delicate. The baby blue base is very sheer, with light pink and light blue hex glitter and small, round glitter. The glitter is not really sparkly. I like it layered over my French Mani. Sublte is nice sometimes!

BRING ON THE BLING is the definition of chic! This is a wonderful polish if you just want a hint of color with some sparkles. It has a yellow undertone and layers best over warm colors. A keeper!

Chunky glitter polishes that aren’t packed with glitter are tricky to apply. And practice will defenitley help. The best way I found to apply is by placing small dots of polish onto the nail, and to lightly extend out. If you’re going for more than one coat, wait until the polish is completely dry. Otherwise, not only will it take forever to dry, but  you’ll also risk dragging particles from your first coat. Be patient and use a little electrical fans to speed things up.

Studio Marie-Pierre rating: A+

Deborah Lippmann polishe ($18) can be found at  Neiman Marcus . Nordstrom . Barneys New York . Bloomingdales . Holt Renfrew.

WHICH COLOR IS YOUR FAVE?

Inverted Fishtail braid into deliberately messy chignon

 Braids are classic, trendy, simple, elegant… and the list goes on. Have you noticed how much popularity  braids have gained lately?  Braids are forever chic and never go out of style.  Celebrities sports them in magazines and Red Carpet and have brought their popularity to an all time high it seems. And that’s a great thing in my book!

Braids can do everything from adding interest to an up-do to giving a hippie-chic twist to straight strands. There are MANY different types of braids and some of my favorites are the Boho braids especially when incorporated into soft, beachy romantic updo’s which are so perfect for Key West!  Here’s a few photos of some of my recent work. Different type of  braids requested recently by my brides and bridal parties.

Classic bun with a small braid wrapped around. This one was inspried after Molly Sims Wedding do.

Boho Style French Fishtail incorporated into a big bun

Inspired after Katniss in The Hunger Games — One of my fave!

 The gorgeous wavy waterfall braid.

 Are you a braid kinda girl?

I had so much fun with Shannon, oh my goodness, so much fun! Her style was right up my alley and I couldn’t get enough of her incredible blue eyes and peachy skin. Is it just me or does she resembles Jennifer Aniston?

Her makeup eye color was specifically chosen to enhance her goreous peeppers. Rosy cheeks to keep the freshness going with my all time favorite Nars Orgasm. I love a litle color on lips and this pink lipstick and lipgloss are just perfect.

(falsies are a must for all the brides )

Shannon had lots of hair and wanted to keep a realx feel to the overall look.
Congratulations Shannon it was so wonderful to be a part of your day!

I am a skin care fanatic! I love creams, lotions, potions, serums, cleansers, and anything with high-grade exfoliant power. Just recently, one of my local clients (thank you Elaine!) gave me a sample of Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment. I’ve seen it all over the Internet, but I’ve never gotten around to trying it.

Now, ExfoliKate is getting a lot of use in my bathroom.  A salicylic-based exfoliant designed to brighten and decongest, I put a small amount  on the tip of my finger and apply in circular motions.  ExfoliKate has scrubbing microbeads and three powerful enzymes – papaya, pineapple, and pumpkin – designed to effectively clean pores. I leave it on my skin for up to two minutes, sometimes longer, and then rinse it off. I also like to use it in the shower because steam helps activate the ingredients.

The smell is earthy and spicy and rather pleasant.

As a side note, I was a little concerned with irritation. Some of the reviews out there had strong warnings about intense stinging and burning sensations. I’m happy to report that I did not experience that whatsoever. However, for those of you with sensitive skin ExfoliKate Gentle Exfoliating Treatment may be a better option.

I use it a two to three times a week depending on how my skin looks and feels, and I’m really happy with the results. I think my skin glows brighter and definitely feels smoother after each use.

The price is killer – 2 oz. for $85 – but thankfully a pea size of the product goes a long way.

Studio Marie-Pierre rating: A

What skincare products have you been loving lately?