Tawny V

22 Apr 2017

The Road to Healthier Hair

I have a love and hate relationship with my hair. Together we’ve been through hell and back (haha)! Thank goodness I realized I have been taking my hair for granted, and I haven’t really been giving it the TLC it really needed. I knew that in order to avoid the big chop I had to get serious.

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I stopped curling my hair everyday. Thanks to my mom, I have a set of old school hair rollers that I am addicted to! I never leave the house without one for my bangs. (I have stubborn bangs!)
I didn’t color my hair for at least a year! It was so hard to watch hair color fade and grow out, but I stuck with it!
I started taking Hair, Skin, and Nail gummy vitamins. I don’t know if this helped, but I like to think it did!
I finally started using a heat protectant spray if I did use any heat tools.
I get a trim once a month.
I started using Mane and Tail (a classic, but also a shampoo for horses haha)!
And lastly, when I remembered, I rubbed coconut oil on the ends of my hair. A little goes a long way.

My dear friend and hair dresser always told me “Love your hair and it will love you.” she couldn’t be more right.

21 Apr 201722 Apr 2017

My Everyday Makeup Products

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TGIF! It is almost the weekend! (Yay!)

I’m going to share with you the makeup products I use daily for work – no crazy smokey eye shadow, or winged liner though. I save the full glam for when I’m off duty! I always want to be sure my makeup is work appropriate, but most importantly still me. For those that know me, my makeup routine usually takes me 10-15 minutes false lashes included (really!)! Here it goes:

Brows: Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony

I can’t stress enough the importance of brows. They either make or break a look. I have a love and hate relationship with mine; I will explain in a later blog if anyone is interested (haha). The Anastasia Brow Wiz helps me fill in any gaps and makes my brows look more polished.

Face: I prime my face with the primer from Chanel. I like the scent of this product; usually I can’t wear any scented products because I have sensitive skin, but I have no problem with this one. I also like that this primer has an SPF of 40.

The Chanel foundation is not a full coverage foundation, however the coverage is build-able. I like how light weight this feels. Doesn’t look or feel heavy, or like they’re clogging your pores!

Eyes: Chanel Eye Liner pencil in Noir and Too Faced Roller Lash Mascara. I am old school and love the regular eye liner pencil that you still have to sharpen. This one is long lasting and gets the job done! I wouldn’t know what to do if they discontinued it (ha, seriously!). I’ve been using it for 10 years! Too Faced Mascara is awesome as well as waterproof.

Lips: I always use my Hello Kitty for Soft Lips lip balm before applying any lipstick or lip gloss. I wear one of these everyday for work: Lippy Stix shade in Cookie by Colorpop Cosmetics (which is great quality, especially for the price!) or Mariah Carey collection for MAC shade in McIzzle. Love that these two lipsticks do not dry out my lips like most lipsticks tend to do. I tend to always stick to nude hues but sometimes if I have a day off and am feeling adventurous, I rock the brighter shades.

Unfortunately Mariah Carey for MAC is no longer available but I will suggest other dupes that I have tried that are similar:

Tom Ford Beauty Blush Nude $50
MAC Wood Rose $17
Urban Decay Earthling $17

Blush and Bronzer: MAC Cosmetics blush in Style. Mariah Carey for MAC bronzer. I love that the bronzer has a cartoon picture of her face. Unfortunately it goes away after several usages.

20 Apr 201722 Apr 2017

Nourishing Smoothie Bowl

With warmer temperatures approaching this week in L.A. I decided to make a smoothie bowl. I love experimenting with different kinds of recipes in the summer. They are so versatile and easy to make, the possibilities are endless! Today I made a green smoothie bowl that was super light, quick, and delicious!

Dang you, sinking bananas! (I didn’t have enough ice…)

Things you will need for a green smoothie bowl:

Spinach
Coconut water
Honey
Half banana
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds

To make the smoothie, blend spinach, coconut water, half a banana, a little ice, and honey. The toppings are bananas, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!

19 Apr 201722 Apr 2017

Simple Veggie Wrap

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Wow it’s almost May already! One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to clean up my diet and eat healthier. I have failed time and time again and it’s only the 4th month of the year. Hey, I just can’t turn down a burrito! Fortunately, for me and everyone else who is one the same page the year is not over yet!

Today I made a very simple and delicious veggie wrap that left me still feeling full. Sometimes the last thing you want to do after coming home from work is to make something and then clean up! But I’m glad I did. It was super quick and easy! Eat good to feel good!

I topped it off with avocado after I took the photo (oops!)

Simple Veggie Wrap things you will need:

One whole wheat tortilla (heated on a skillet for a few seconds)
Black beans
Cherry tomatoes
Kale and quinoa balls cut in halves (mine were the Yves brand vegetarian cuisine)
Spinach
Avocado

Wrap and enjoy!

18 Apr 201722 Apr 2017

Mom’s Cooking is Always the Best

I went home over the weekend, and one thing I always look forward to is my mom’s cooking! I’m sure anyone who no longer lives with their parents feels the same. My mother doesn’t consider herself a great cook nor does she enjoy it! But she knows I will always ask her to make something when I visit. This weekend was Khao Soi.

Khao Soi is a savory curry noodle soup dish from northern Thailand that consists of tender braised chicken in a coconut curry broth with boiled and fried noodles to garnish. Fortunately Khao Soi can be found in several different restaurants in the Los Angeles area.

Photo is the actual dish made by my mama:

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I’ve had Khao Soi from these restaurants and they are authentic and worth trying!

Otus Thai Kichen and Coffee 1253 N La Brea Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90038

Kruang Tedd Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 667-9800.

Sapp Coffee Shop 5183 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Khao Soi Thai 12215 Ventura Blvd #112, Studio City, CA 91604

Inthanon Thai Cusiine 12510 Burbank Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607

Or if you are a DIY type of person I will link a recipe that is similar to my mom’s below!

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8144-khao-soi-northern-chicken-curry-noodles

17 Apr 201722 Apr 2017

My Forever21 Haul and Spring Favorites

Happy Easter every bunny!

Wow spring has sprung! Where does the time go? I look forward to the fun pastel colors and all of the spring weddings and other festivities that will occur. I made a list of all the things I am lusting after this season as well as a haul of some of the items I’ve picked up from good ole forever21.

Fruit Paint Flounce Romper

Fruit Print Flounce Romper

Classic T-Shirt Dress $11.92

Zip-Front Overall Dress $22.90

West Coast Graphic Sweatshirt 15.90

West Coast Graphic Sweatshirt

23 Dec 200922 Apr 2017

X-mas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!

I just received an initial necklace from the bestie. It already seems like these necklaces are going to be the new trend this season. I was browsing through Bloomingdale’s and saw at least two designers that have already come out with initial necklaces (Juicy Couture and Marc Jacobs). I just hope the necklace doesn’t fade because it isn’t real silver. Nonetheless, it still is a classic piece that I think I will be wearing for awhile.