What to do when you have a “Hair 911” day? Don’t Panic. Help is on the way and he’s British, good looking and comes in a take home bottle.

Trichologist and all around hair genius, Phillip Kingsley has created the Elasticizer treatment. Originally created for Audrey Hepburn, This pre-shampoo treatment delivers elasticity, bounce and shine to hair.

I was treated to the deep conditioning treatment while visiting the beautiful Morrison Hair salon in North Laguna Beach. Housed in a cozy Spanish bungalow, I was greeted by celebrity Hair Stylist Tab Salsman (Jo Frost, Lindsay Davenport, Bands: Slipknot, True Religion and Stray Cats).

While enjoying my 20-minute treatment, Tab explained how Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer is especially suited for people with scalp issues. The Morrison Salon is the only West Coast salon that carries the  Kingsley hair line. The Kingsley Hair Institute is based in New York and the U.K. (Brit Gwyneth Paltrow swears by the products in her newsletter “Goop”).

Tab followed my treatment with an outstandingly sleek blow-dry from which I could immediately see the improved sheen and overall condition of my hair.

He sent me off with take home treatments, which I plan to use regularly. My scalp is happy and you know what they say about a happy scalp? No, either do I, but I’m sure it’s good.

What are you waiting for? Start Elasticizing at home or even better, pack your bathing suit and take a drive down to Laguna Beach this summer. It’s the perfect “post-beach” indulgence.

http://www.philipkingsley.com/hair-treatments.html

http://www.morrisonhair.com

Celebrity hair Stylist Tab Salsman performs his hair “magic” on a client.

I’ve just returned from Paris, my mind like a digital camera, filled with images. With my lens focused on street fashion, I walked the Rues and Avenues of the world’s most fashionable city. It would be an understatement to say that “un foulard”, the scarf, is the most crucial piece in a French person’s outfit. In every color, pattern, size and texture, the scarf adds the “Je Nais Cest Quoi” feel and like a ribbon, ties the entire package together. 

I was surprised (and slightly disappointed) to see just how Boho chic the Parisians have become. I strongly believe this casualness has become a world fashion statement. The key is is to look like you are “not trying” and to remain comfortable at all times. Ballet flats are the rage. Combined with jeans or a dress. Very simple.

The real street chic women are the bicycle riders. In Big wedge heels or stilettos, these women roam the streets in an admirable balancing act.

“Cheap Chic” can be found on the rue de rivoli with rows of stores that reminded me of downtown Manhattan. H&M, Etam, C&A, Jennyfer…just to name a few. 

The major fashion trends in these trendy affordable stores are t-shirts with American words and positive self-affirming messages about love and life, baby floral prints, scarf patterned dresses, and skulls images.

I did not see any designer bags, or imitations of designer bags. The look is minimal, practical, youthful and at the same time very sexy and sophisticated. As feminine as the woman are, the men are modern day Gene Kelly’s. I just adored their sense of adventure with bright scarf’s and espadrilles. 

Other accoutrements include brightly colored big headphones, cigarettes,  cell phones, strong make-up and tiny colored cars. 

Most importantly, the French people look joyful. Accessible. Real. Perhaps Marie Antoinette would not have embraced Boho Chic, but this French generation stands a better chance at a happy ending. (with a warm intact neck and comfortable feet).

Ok, I surrender, Nashville has me by the heartstrings. It’s an easy city to fall in love with. Country music swooned me, fried green tomatoes satiated me, and Rachmaninoff put me to bed. Allow me to explain.

Day two of our whirlwind press tour cut straight to the meat and potatoes of this city: Music! The day began with a trip to the Nashville Visitor’s Center. We watched a touching video with the original song “Music Calls you Home” by Paul McCartney’s keyboardist, Gabe Dixson, and Musical artist Darren Lister.

Next we hopped a private Grayline Trolley Tour, a comprehensive and fact-filled spin around the city. I learrned many facts such as:

Did you know?…

The movie “Driving Miss Daisy” was supposed to be set (and filmed) in Tennessee?

Tennesee was originally part of Carolina  and became a it’s own state in 1796?

Oprah Winfrey got her start in television at the local channel 5 doing the weather forecast?

A NEW Music City Center is currently being built with a fifty-foot guitar shaped roof?

Nashville is known as “The Athens of the South”?

10, 500 Men from Tennesee served in the Korean War?

 ”The Marathon Motor’s Creative Village” is the new HOT spot in Nashville?

Ok, don’t feel bad, I didn’t know either, but now we both do! Where’s the Trivial Pursuit Board when we need it?

Our guide drove us down 17th Avenue where we saw the original RCA Victor Recording Stdio where Elvis Presley recorded “Are You Lonely Tonight”.

We drove past Reba Mcentire’s current company Star Struck Entertainment. Juicy tidbit: Faith Hill was a receptionist for the company and  while there, auditioned to be a back-up singer for Reba. Needless to say it didn’t work out and she went on to find her own fame and fortune (which didn’t involve answering telephones).

Our next stop was The Country Music Hall of Fame-A must see! 40,000 square feet of country music artifacts, archives, theater space and the museum’s newest exhibit “The Bakersfield Sound (Hollar at ya LA!) . How often does one get close to Elvis Presley’s diamond painted car?

I enjoyed the interactive screens, watching old tv clips, listening to music, and asking questions of my favorite country stars. The museum is going through a huge expansion doubling it’s size. Needless to say, Country is BIG so get onboard. We lunched in the lobby’s restaurant, “Two Twenty Two. I was thrilled to find fried green tomatoes and cornbread (with ham) on the menu. 

Next we headed to Cheekwood. Once the private estate of the Cheek Family, (The genius who invented Maxwell House Java), it is now home to 55 acres of botanical gardens and sculptures. If that coffee was good to the last drop, so was his wife’s taste in architecture. The mansion on the grounds was spectacular. Patrons of the arts, the family has made the home open to the public and displays many works of art on it’s walls.

Onto the evening’s events…a private tour of The Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Opened in 2006, it is one of the only major concert halls in North America to use natural light by installed double glass windows.  A Jet Plane could fly by and you wouldn’t even blink. It also has a “Flip Stage” so it may be raked or flat, depending on the music and event. It was built in a shoe-box shape. In addition to being the home of The Nashville Symphony, many symphony performances are recorded in the hall thus far winning seven Grammy winning CD’s.

Housed within the Center is a gem of a Restaurant “Arpeggio”.  While dining on a three- course gourmet buffet, I locked eyes with Singer, Crystal Gale, also enjoying her meal.

At seven-oclock, the performance began. Guest Conductor Gilbert Vaga introduced us to the Hungarian  symphony, “Dances of Galanta”, composed by Zoltan Kodaly. It was an exciting piece, full of life and angst.

Next they brought they big guns out: Rachmaninoff: “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”. Breathtakingly beautiful as one can imagine.  I thought Pianist Jon Kimura Parker would jump off the stage in pure rapture! By the way, I would have caught him. What a show.

Music. It’s healing and invigorating. It’s soulful and intoxicating. It’s multifaceted and adventurous. It’s joyous and it’s alive.

Nashville is Music.

“Country Road Take Me Home”…two fairly quick plane rides transported me to Nashville, Tennesee! I was invited to my first “press tour”. We arrived at The Gaylord Opryland Resort (think Disneyland in a greenhouse). Nine acres of lush foliage, waterfalls and a quarter mile long in-door river are the centerpiece in which the rooms encircle. It’s epic. No, grand.

2,881 guest rooms, multiple restaurants, and a variety of stores make it a popular destination for families and conventions. It’s no surprise that the Resort recently teamed-up with Dreamworks to bring it’s movie characters from Madagascar, Kung Foo Panda, Shrek and Puss’n Boots as “life size” visitors to the resort.

Soon after arriving, we were greeted with a warm reception and a scrumptious platter from the Hotel’s “Wasabi’s Sushi”.

Get the picture?

The walking tour of the Resort proved to be nothing less then fabulous. My guide said it best: “You don’t find anything like this outside of Vegas”.

Next  we visited The Parthenon. No, we didn’t lear jet it to Athens. No need to. Nashville has it’s own full-sized replica.

Housing the tallest indoor structure in the Western World, “Athena” stands at 42 feet tall.

Photographed here with it’s Sculptor Alan LeQuire, it is quite a vision!  Just to make sure we  mortals weren’t “seeing things”, we left the Parthenon and visited Alan at his gallery nearby. Much to our good fortune, Alan was working on a newly commissioned “Head of Medusa”.

The beautiful works of Russian Artist Murat Kaboulov were on exhibit in the front of the gallery. His pastels, watercolors, acrylics and sculptures are on display until April 21rst.

Next, we visited the Hermitage Hotel.

Built in 1910 and renovated in 2010, this historical downtown Hotel boasts a lobby  crafted with Italian Sienna Marble, Cut glass skylights and a men’s room voted “Best Hotel Bathroom in America”. The Art Deco bathroom has been the set for the music videos of Crystal Gale, The Dixie Chicks, White Stripes and Alan Jackson. Take a peek:

Perhaps more  a more meaningful a fact is that hotel housed the “Women’s right to vote” . Tennessee was the last state to hand in their ballot, a critical moment, and that last vote was the deciding factor! This happy news made me hungry. And just in time! A special dinner was prepared for us in the dining room of the Hotel’s restaurant, Capitol Grille. It was a preview of the spring menu and consisited of: 

Pan Fried Red Mountain Trout, Bouble H Beef Sirloin (with biscuit crumble…how southern),  and Spring Vegetable Gnocci. Dessert was out of this world: Chocolate Cobbler and Banana Pudding.

Alot of heart went into the presentation of the food but even more so into the creation of it. I learned that the Restaurant grows it’s own vegetables and donates it’s produce and garden space to the local food banks. Moreover, the Hotel has raised 250,000 dollars by asking guests to donate two dollars a stay. The result has been the preservation of 2500 acres of land in Tennesee.

Not to be a “Gossip Girl” but Hollywood’s hottest couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds recently enjoyed a stay at the Hotel. 

My conclusion at the end of this wonderful first day is:

As the Sun is to the Moon, Nashville is to Hollywood.

More Astro projections tomorrow…

The Chamber of Commerce cut the big ribbon and the party began!  Santa Monica’s new  J. Nicole’s Day Spa and Salon, treated lucky guests to an unbelievable amount of complimentary services last night. Women and men lined-up for haircuts, chair massages, facial waxing, and make-up applications. I opted for a pink feather in my hair and had my hair flat ironed by stylist, Danny Bailey.

In between nibbling on gourmet hors d’oeuvres, lucky guests won gift certificates and make-up by Jane Airedale in a generous raffle.

I’ve been frequenting the salon with visits to talented stylist and manager Paul Toyoji so I knew I was in store for a fabulous time at the party.

It ‘s always so much fun to see how excited people get about beautifying themselves! This salon is a local gem. It’s small and intimate and customer appreciation is a top priority as was evident last night.

http://jndayspala.com

The lovely and beautiful owner J. Nicole Baca was present so naturally I had to grab a picture! 

:

After being “straightened”

Frey Wille!  The distinctive jewelry company (from Vienna) threw a grand opening soiree’ which was as colorful and elegant as their famous bangle bracelets. The red carpet on Rodeo ushered in celebrities including Jamie King (“Hart of Dixie”), Austrian swimmer and medalist Markus Rogan, Actor Kyle Massey, American Idols Trainer Marco Reed and Fashion Star’s Daniel Musto.

Live models struck fierce poses  while wearing pieces from the collection as we nibbled on delicious crudités from Waterloo & City (Culver City’s hottest new eatery). The menu included: Blinis w/ Caviar, Crème Fraiche, Smoked Salmon & Foie Gras Parfait, Cucumber Shot w/Tuna Tartare Tapas, Red Radish w/Miso & Hamachi, Hearts of Palm w/Orange Hazelnuts & Harissa, Duck & Walnut Country Pate, Orange Marmalade and my favorite, Carne All’Albese.

 While sipping Kanon Organic Vodka, we starred longingly at the liquid glass jewelry in the cases. I learned that Frey Wille has thirty collections. They include homage pieces to famous artists such as Gustav Klimpt as well as newly designed jewelry inspired by modern life.

 My guess is that Frey Wille will fit right in with it’s Rodeo neighbors. Who knows, before you know it, Channel will be coming by to borrow some sugar. Sweet!    

We can’t get enough of BB!  France’s biggest movie star will be paid homage to February 21rst at The Sofitel Hotel. But the gorgeously talented Actress won’t be the only one feted. The man who permanently captured her mesmerizing presense, Photographer Henry Jean-Servant, will have his favorite photographs of Ms. Bardot on display. I particularly like this picture. I can just hear her singing her “Bonnie and Clyde” duet with Serge Gainsbourg. 

What is the secret to Sheila Kelley’s “S Factor?” That’s what I wanted to know when I was lucky enough to catch this dynamo Actress/Entrepreneur live from the set of TV’s hottest show “Gossip Girl”. In case you’ve been living under a rock or simply don’t have access to one of Sheila’s studios in your city, here’s the skinny on it!

Sheila created a fitness technique just for we women that enlivens the feminine spirit through movement. Sounds sexy? It is. But more importantly it’s empowering. Sheila described it to me as ” Awakening…becoming whole… sexually alive… and as a result, drawing wonderful things to yourself”.  Sign me up! But how does it work? Sheila explained that most forms of exercise are very masculine and cater to men but the “S Factor” was created for the female body. Her training involves “moving into the your own curves” and uses techniques that include stretching, strenghtning, dancing, sculpting, pole dancing (and even striptease!).

We discussed how women often use their body as a sexual weapon or for sexual conquests, but after this training,confidence , life purpose and self-love are created or reawakened. Sounds like Sheila is creating an army of self-empowered women who could easily take over the world and make it a more loving, fulfilling place. (What an idea!)

But in all seriousness, how does this Hollywood Actress balance this enterprise and her glamorous life? Sheila credits her  ”S Factor” spiritual and physical work for opening-up her career to bigger opportunities that now require less effort and seem to present themselves effortlessly. She maintains her work on set with subtle “body winds ” and undulations of the spine which create fluidity and radiance. That “Je ne sais quoi” factor as I like to call it.  All eyes are on Sheila (but no one knows just why).

For a woman who speaks trippingly off the tongue about learning to be an “erotic creature”, I found Sheila to be accessible and earthbound. She made her priorities clear  to me when describing her long successful marriage and her role as mother to a teenage son. Perhaps a woman can have it all? Sheila most certainly does.

Don’t fret if you don’t have an “S Factor” in your city. Sheila travels around the country leading retreats and has DVD’s available for the privacy of your home. 

http://sfactor.com/

Thanks for sharing your “S” Sheila….

Who doesn’t love the surprise of opening-up a gift bag on your birthday? But just imagine opening one EVERY month. Now that’s something to look forward to! Celebrity Beauty Expert Damone Roberts and E! Entertainment Founder and former CEO Alan Mruvka have teamed-up and created “The LookBag”, a luxury beauty sample club (who doesn’t want to part of the new “in” club?) that personally caters to your individual skin and hair type.  And get this, the cost is only $10. a month. A beauty “steal”…

I had the wonderful fortune to chat with Damone and Alan on the phone. I asked Damone how he became Hollywood’s “go to”  Make-up and Eyebrow King and he told me of his early beginnings as an art student at Rutgers College. It was there that an Art Professor complimented him on being a “good blender” of color. So naturally Damone transferred his talent from the canvas to the face. The rest is history. Now Damone blends make-up on beautiful stars like Megan Fox. He lives for what he calls the “OMG” moments when a client looks in the mirror thrilled with the image that is reflected back. 

Naturally anyone who has the power to create “OMG” moments is the perfect person to deliver beauty products to your home every month. Alan Mruvka describes him as “the gold standard in beauty”. With the LookBag, you receive 70 products a year to sample. Less overwhelming then walking into a Sephora and more cost effective then purchasing full sized products that in the end don’t deliver.

Alan has a pulse on the entertainment industry and brings us the hottest celebrity brands and videos on his companies website: www.LOOKBAG.COM

In addition to the LookBag, Damone is busy at work in the laboratory working with chemists on three new cutting edge beauty products that will be out mid-year.

Back to the LookBag, happy to say I’ve got mine. I don’t usually wish time away, but I can’t wait for the month to be over to see what’s coming in the mail next. A birthday present every month without the agony of aging. With these beauty products, you only look younger!

The term “Girl’s Night Out” might conjure memories of lavish bachelorette parties with hunky male strippers and fruity drinks. But let’s flash forward a few years to the current day. You now have sophisticated taste (and hopefully have deleted those embarrassing moments out of your mind) and yet still have the urge for fun and with your gal pals. Well look no further. The Geffen Playhouse has created the perfect evening for you. Their “GNO” (Girl’s Night Out”) series includes a hit play and a post-show party at a local restaurant or retailer. You and your femme fatale friends are treated to private shopping, complimentary drinks and appetizers, and a take away gift. All of this for the price of a theatre ticket! What a deal. Guys can join, but with this much fun, you may opt to leave them at home? The upcoming “Girl’s Night Out” show is Kathleen Turner’s solo show “Red Hot Patriot” on January 19^th. The post party will be at American Vintage in Westwood and will feature beauty artists and products from Pixi. A hosted bar and food by Ronen Levy Events. So call, text or email your girlfriends now and spread the news! Look forward to seeing you there with my posse! 

http://www.geffenplayhouse.com/
http://www.geffenplayhouse.com/more_info.php?show_id=136
http://www.geffenplayhouse.com/signatures.php?show_id=136#thursday