On My Doorstep: A Beauty Bash Bundle From Nordstrom

A carefully curated surprise from Nordstrom, celebrating this Friday's Nordstrom Beauty Bash!

A carefully curated surprise from Nordstrom, celebrating this Friday’s Nordstrom Beauty Bash!

Oh, how I love surprises! And, carefully curated surprises? Well, they really float my boat. Consider my boat floated with this delivery from Nordstrom today, in celebration of their upcoming #BeautyBash this Friday, October 9th from 8-10 am.

The first 1000 customers will receive this oh-so-cute tote bag.  And, might I suggest a visit to the new Nordstrom Del Amo location in Torrance? It is GORGEOUS!! Visit Nordstrom.com/DelAmo for more details.

I’m loving that the Nordstrom Del Amo Beauty & Fragrance Director, Loredana Grama, personally selected these goodies for me – all of which are right up my alley – from Philosophy, Chantecaille, The Drybar, Laura Mercier, Supergoop, Glam Glow, Clarisonic, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Estee Lauder, Molton Brown, BKR & more.

You can get some of your very own VIP service by heading to Nordstrom and chatting with their Beauty Concierge or your very own Beauty Stylist. Now, it looks I have some playing to do…

xoxo,
Dawn

Celeb Beauty Collection Curator Corner: Classic BeautyFrosting Faves Sure To Make Any Woman Feel More Feminine

Look what I've got in store for you! My Classic Product Picks at Beauty Collection this month!

Beauty Collection asked me to pick my favorites as their first Celebrity Beauty Curator. But how did I decide?

Pick my beauty FAVORITES, Beauty Collection? How's a girl to decide?

It was no easy feat. After all, I have a slew of favorite beauty products I’ve accrued over the years, as a former makeup artist, celeb shopper, entertainer and beauty junkie. I decided to choose my crop of “Classic Favorites” by narrowing the scope down to the shades that correspond to my BeautyFrosting signature colors: candy pink and mint green.

Classic Faves. Pink and green. Feminine and Serene

These products are among my faves already for the sheer product quality and efficacy, but add in the beautiful packaging, and they’ve earned a lifelong favorite status in my heart, on my face…and on my vanity.

1) Darphin 8-Flower Nectar Elixir ($150): No time for a facial? Keep this guy around. I know, I know. It’s not cheap. But an oil this luxurious just can’t be cheap! From one of my favorite French beauty companies – Darphin – who never does me wrong, this oil is worth every cent. A rich elixir that revitalizes dull skin, while smoothing, firming and renewing it – it does it all while imparting a deep natural glow.  For my dry skin, I like to put a few drops on every night, prior to applying my eye cream and a rich night cream.

2) Fusion Beauty – Lip Fusion Infatuation – La Lip Jolie ($29): My favorite lipgloss of all time. Yes, seriously. This gloss plumps, fattens and moisturizes lips, all while leaving you with a sexy, supple, Victoria’s Secret model-like, baby pink-meets-nude pout. As for that dreadful tingle that most plumping glosses torture us with? Not this pretty thing. All you’re left with is a mild pepperminty tingle, that goes right along with the peppermint taste. Don’t wanna get kissed? Don’t wear this gloss, then. I’m afraid that your guy will want to kiss you, guaranteed. This is the only gloss you ever need. Oh, you might want other ones, but this one? You need.

3) Creed – Spring Flower ($175-$290):  Romance in a bottle. Rumor has it, that this fragrance was created for the enchanting Audrey Hepburn. So, it’s no surprise I love it! I have a pink-on-pink, Warhol-style painting of her hanging on my foyer wall at home. But let’s talk about that scent. This little lady is unapologetically feminine. Celebrating all that is fun about being a girl, the prominent notes of peach, melon, apple and jasmine, let you leave the house feeling like a strong and beautiful woman, as you prepare to take on the world. On the days I spray it on my pulse points, I always hear Peggy Lee’s “I’m A Woman” play in my head as I walk down the street. Coincidence? I think not.

4) Philosophy Pink Frosted Animal Cracker 3-in-1 Bath Gel ($18): Remember those pink-frosted animal cookies from your preschool years? I sure do. They had a spicy molasses shortbread with sweet, candied frosting on top. As much as I love them – and the nostalgia they elicit – alas, my 37-year-old figure doesn’t love them, quite as much. So thank goodness for Philosophy for bringing my taboo treats to tubtime! This 3-in-1 product gives you shampoo, body wash and bubble bath, all in one. So why not splurge a little? A “Dawn Do?” This makes an EXCELLENT choice for wedding or baby shower favors, without breaking the bank.

5) Voluspa – Maison Blanc 2 wick Candle in Pink Citron ($16): I love this candle because it smells like my favorite brunch cocktail – the pamplemosa. What’s a “pamplemosa?” Well, it’s my recipe for equal parts fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and champagne. And it’s exactly the scent you get here, housed in this beautiful tin. Another “Dawn Do?” I love gifting this oh-so-chic, pink and gold-packaged candle to my friends, as housewarming and birthday gifts. It’s a sweet steal at only $16 as it has a burn time of over 50 hours! It’s the ultimate luxe gift for less.

6. Caudalie Beauty Elixir ($18-$49): This has long been a celebrity makeup artist favorite! I’m not a big fan of toners, but I love using this in lieu of a toner. It wakes up the skin, while tightening pores and giving a spritz of radiance and glow to the complexion. With its star ingredients of rosemary & peppermint, I love using it when I’m not quite awake in the morning, or after I’ve been writing all day and need to pep up for a busy social night ahead of hosting or entertaining. A “Dawn Do?” Apply it after applying makeup to set makeup, keep skin perfectly dewy, stay fresh and keep you revitalized!

Hope y’all have a great week! And I’ll be back next week with my trendy product picks!

What-oh-what will my favorite trending Beauty Collection products be next week?

 

Xoxo,
Dawn

BF Asks: What are your top 5 all-time classic beauty favorites?

BeautyFrosting Top 5 Faves at Cosmoprof 2014, Day 1

Hellooooo from Vegas!
Join me on my 3-day adventure at Cosmoprof North America at Mandalay Bay this week! As a featured beauty expert on the Beaut-E Zone panel, brands bring me products and tools to try and then I get to share my Top 5 BeautyFrosting Faves with you guys each day! I’m like a kid in Candyland, y’all!

Check back in tomorrow and Tuesday to see what delicious new beauty products tomorrow will bring…

xoxo,
Dawn

BF Asks: Which of these products are you most excited to try?

Reality Born of A Dream: My Jouer Spring Sirens/ Troy Jensen Iconic Muses Shoot

Dear Jouer Cosmetics & Troy Jensen,
This is my love letter to you. Thank you for an amazing day on which I felt that my inner beauty was embraced just as much as the outer – and for making me feel truly, truly like an icon. It was a reality born of a dream and this dream-come-true has changed me forever. How? It’s made me believe that dreams do indeed come true and to never doubt the power of the dreams of your childhood. They are more potent than we know.

xoxo,
Dawn 

Yours truly as one of Troy Jensen's Iconic Muses for the Jouer Cosmetics Spring Sirens Shoot - makeup & photography by Troy Jensen, hair by Nikki Lee of 901 Salon, makeup products by Jouer Cosmetics (** Specific product details coming up next week)

Dear Readers,

When one of my all-time fave makeup lines, Jouer Cosmetics – invited me to be one of Troy Jensen‘s  Iconic Muses for their Jouer Spring Sirens shoot, I replied with an enthusiastic “YES!” faster than I’ve ever replied to anything in my life.

Cosmetics AND cookies? My fave!! Jouer-branded treats by Sweet E's BakeShop

I mean, I knew the genius of Troy’s work (his bevy of celeb clients include Miranda Kerr, Elle Macpherson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jewel and more) but never dreamed that I’d be one of his subjects.

Actually. That’s not true. I have always dreamed of a day like the one I had last Wednesday. See, as a 14-year-old girl in Dallas, Texas, I thought I looked like a boy – like my dad to be specific – and was obsessed with beauty and transformation and how it could make me become anybody else instead of the uncomfortable, insecure, cheesy 14-year-old that I was.

Allure magazine was my bible and Troy’s dear friend, Kevyn Aucoin was my god. I learned so much about beauty, women’s insecurities & strengths – and about myself – in those pages that I could have never learned in school. As professors, my parents wondered how on earth this useless knowledge would ever be helpful – but they continued to pay for the annual subscription because they saw my passion and they encouraged anything I was passionate about. Well, they needn’t wonder anymore if it was useless.

Back to last Wednesday. Shooting with Troy – as one of his Iconic Muses – for the Jouer Spring Sirens campaign was one of the most magical days of my life. Take Cinderella and Carrie Bradshaw, add in a double dose of my 14-year-old dream self and that’s what it was.

Before the transformation in my favorite new Hello Apparel tank!

Nikki Lee of 901 Salon took my yesterday-washed hair and added curls, volume and va-va-va-voom.

Nikki Lee's gorgeous work - curls for days & va-va-va-voom volume (and a few flowers in my hair courtesy of Troy)

After playing dress-up – and getting to try on a slew of gowns, I was dressed in a gorgeous gown from For The Stars Fashion House.

Playing dress-up with For The Stars Fashion House at the Jouer Spring Sirens / Troy Jensen Iconic Muses Shoot

 

Troy – the most amazing makeup artist, visionary and photographer dynamo – took one look at me and said he was inspired by Linda Evangelista, circa 1992.

Troy was inspired by Linda Evangelista circa 1992 for my supermodel siren look. Thank you, Inspiration. Thank you.

He ended up transforming me into his vision of Linda meets Cindy Crawford meets Monica Bellucci meets Sophia Loren – or as Troy said, “Linda Cindy Sophia Monica Evangelista.”

You want a supermodel? Well, I'm not one. But I can TRY to give you that supermodel pout!

 

They also said I looked like Demi Moore so um, thanks for including all of my icons from every decade. I’ll take it. Actually, I’ll take all of it. Because it’s not just the kind words and the magic you offered me that made this the most memorable day but the fact that I truly got to live out a lifelong fantasy.

Being adorned with roses by the inimitable Troy Jensen

Thank you for making my inner 14-year-old’s dream come true. I couldn’t have dreamed a dream this delicious. And I cannot thank Troy JensenChristina ZilberMeg Young and Jouer enough. I am so honored.

Selfie time! With the Founder & Creative Director of Jouer Cosmetics, Christina Zilber - whose external beauty is only matched by her internal beauty

Selfie time continues with the amazing Troy Jensen!

To your dreams coming true…

xoxo,
BF

A Note From BF: The image with Jouer on it has some Photoshop magic but all of the other images are raw. I think it’s important that you know this so you can discern between the dream and reality. Remember, no one is perfect. No one. But you are perfect just the way you are.