Unearthed Treasure

Anyone who works in Miracle Mile like myself knows that a high-class lunch is considered taking over the salad bar at Marie Callendars. No, I'm not kidding. We fellow Wilshire locals joke about this all the time. I mean, granted, we have Organics-to-Go (aka O-to-Go), but it kinda killed things for me when I ended up with rotten feta in my salad the day after I found a fly in my salad.

So, I've been living off of who knows what, until my good friend Angela Tafoya introduced me to Café Flourish. The tiny little vegan restaurant, which only opened this past May, has a cute, pebble-adorned floor, the service is super friendly, and they even serve cucumber water when you walk in--it's my fav! The health spot is a bit on the expensive side, and the portions are far from large, but the quality and taste is phenomenal. The recipes are unique and they make you feel healthy.

RECOMMENDATION WITHIN A RECOMMENDATION:

Hooray for Burritos 8.95
Chipotle refried black beans, long-grain brown rice, smolky salsa, “sour cream”, soy Monterey jack cheese & guacamole in a spelt tortilla. Served with chips & salsa.

Flourish Roll 4.95
Carrots, red bells, cucumber, cilantro, sunflower seeds, green onion, mint, peanuts & rice noodles snuggled in a leaf of red lettuce with a coconut tamarind sauce. Addictive.

CELEB FANS: Jason Mraz

5406 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 939-3932
www.cafeflourish.com

Kiss & Makeup

I love TINte Cosmetics because it's cute, fun, sexy and feminine. My pal Christy sent me products from the line just for fun, and within two weeks, I was like, umm...I demand more! The glosses are all scented, but not with some cheap, tacky aroma that makes you feel like you're back in your childhood days in your local Sav-On's Wet 'N' Wild section. The line carries 1o different flavors/colors of gloss (Flavored Lip Shine). My favorite is Double Bubble ($17). It's so cute and pink, and perfectly complements any lipstick.

And don't even get me started on the Shimmering Face Pearls ($12). 100% obssessed. Because the line is so new to the mainstream, I've kind of made the Shimmering Face Pearls my signature makeup product. The pearls come in a little plastic tub, and they are all-natural powders of varying shades. They can be used for essentially anything (face, eyes, lips, you name it), but I started out using them on my cheeks, and have never used anything different on my cheeks since--nor have I used the pearls for anything else on my body. I recommend Sun Kissed. It's a beautiful shade of orange, and it really makes the cheeks pop. I've gotten compliments from celebrities on red carpets who have loved the way Sun Kissed adds so much to my entire ensemble. And assuming you don't spill your tub (I'm sure I'd own much more product if I hadn't spilt so many of the tubs--ugh), the pearls should last you a few months. They're a pretty concentrated formula, so applying a large amount at once isn't necessary.

Celeb fans: Pussycat Dolls (Jessica Sutta & Nicole Scherzinger pictured above), Kim Kardashian, Jessica Stroup, Shenae Grimes

Other ties to Hollywood: the line will be featured on the September 16th episode of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency on the Oxygen Network.

Where to find in L.A.:

Kitson on Robertson

Burke Williams Spa in West Hollywood, Santa Monica & Sherman Oaks

Studio @ Fred Segal in Santa Monica

Urban Outfitters in Santa Monica

**Or go to http://www.tintecosmetics.com/ to find a location near you or to purchase online.

Faking It Never Felt More Fabulous

Do you know anyone who still uses tanning beds? Yeah, neither do I! I just slather on Fake Bake products, and it sure beats 20 minutes of sweating in a cancer-causing bed, or 24 hours of smelling like a spray tan.

I find Fake Bake, which only hit the U.S. at the very end of last year, to be inexpensive, easy/quick to apply, and something that produces streak-free, natural-looking bronzed skin. The self-tanning line even boasts a number of different forms of solution, including mousse, gel, lotion and spray. Believe me, I've tried the rest, and now I'm stickin' with the best!

RECOMMENDATION WITHIN A RECOMMENDATION:

For successful results, I suggest shaving/exfoliating, then using Fake Bake Passion Fruit Body polish ($12.00), followed by drying off and applying Fake Bake Oil-free moisturizer ($12.50). Next, place the blue gloves included in each FB spray kit on your hands while you take the Self-Tan Airbrush Spray ($29.99) and press the nozzle generously all over your body from head to toe (the included gloves are magical. They rub everything in just perfectly, so even if you over-apply, the solution will all blend in just right). And really, make sure you use the gloves. My friend Sydne failed to do so, and guess what her hands looked like? Use your imagination.

If you follow the instructions I've provided, your tan should set perfectly, make you at least 3 shades darker by the first application process, and should keep you with color for 7-10 days, depending on your lifestyle.

CELEB FANS: Denise Richards (pictured above), Jessica Lowndes, AnnaLynne McCord, Nicole Scherzinger, Marcia Gay Harden

WHERE TO FIND IN L.A.:

Ole Henriksen

8622 W Sunset Blvd # A

West Hollywood, CA 90069

SunStyle Tanning

627 N. Robertson Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90069

**or order off website from anywhere: http://www.fakebake.com