Meet My New Hair Color Guru: Rachel Bodt

/ / 1 Comment
Rachel Bodt Color

⬆️ My new hair thanks to the amazing Rachel Bodt. ⬆️

I knew when I was seated next to Heather Graham in the waiting area that I would be in good hands at Cutler Salon.

Truthfully though, I had a pretty good feeling about the fate of my hair even before I walked in. I was referred to Cutler colorist Rachel Bodt by my amazing friend Loni. (She famously went blonde herself and lived to tell the tale to Cosmo, so I trust her with every strand on my head.)

Now I know first hand why Rachel is Loni’s (and Gigi Hadid’s and Emily Blunt’s and Tilda Swinton’s and Marisa Tomei’s and… you get the picture) mane chick.

Rachel is one of the most sought after celeb colorists in the city. With a decade of experience working at one of the leading salons in Manhattan, she knows a thing or two about color. She has an excellent eye and knew how to articulate what I wanted(/needed) better than I could myself.

Before visiting Rachel, I had admittedly hit the purple shampoo too hard and had a weird purple gray tinge lurking throughout my recently blonded locks. It started to look a little weird because my (extremely overgrown) regrowth was warm and looked even more disconnected juxtaposed with my dry, silvery ends. Not a cute look. I wanted it blended and warmed up just a little… but Rachel knew what I needed without me even having to say it.

After a full head of expertly applied highlights, series of Redken Shades EQ toning glosses and a much-needed Olaplex treatment, Rachel took me to a creamier, beigey blonde that makes much more sense with my skin tone and blends effortlessly with my natural root shade. I’m living for my new color and feel like a million bucks!

Beyond giving me life with my new hair, Rachel was a dream to hang with and instantly felt like a best friend I had known for years. This aspect of matching with a colorist is imperative for me, so I was thrilled to discover I love her personality as much as her technique.

Take a peek below to see more of Rachel’s amazing work:

Incredible right!?!

Stay tuned to hear much more about my new color guru. I will most definitely be keeping her on my speed dial for hair tips and will be sure to share them with you all! 💁

You may also enjoy:

Martinis and Mascara: Behind the Scenes

/ / No Comments

Katie McBroom TapInfluence

Hi lovelies! I was recently featured by influencer marketing agency TapInfluence on their blog, The Soapbox.

In the article I share some insight into the blogging world as well as tips and tricks for aspiring bloggers!

If you’re interested, head over to my interview on The Soapbox and take a peek. Would love to hear what you think! xoxo

You may also enjoy:

Corona Cupcake Recipe for Cinco de Mayo

/ / No Comments

Corona Cupcakes

Happy Cinco de Mayo, lovelies!

As we all know, I love any excuse to infuse alcohol into my life, whether it be in my beauty regimen (don’t knock vodka as a toner until you’ve tried it!) or in a cupcake. Today, it’s in a cupcake. Read on for an amazingly delicious recipe featuring one of my fav beers – Corona! It’s perfect for a day like this. 😉

Ingredients

  • Cupcakes:
    • ¾ cups of unsalted butter at room temp
    • 1-3/4 cups of sugar
    • 2-1/2 cups of flour
    • 2 tsp of baking soda
    • ½ tsp of salt
    • 3 eggs at room temp
    • 1 tsp of vanilla
    • ½ tsp of lime zest
    • 1 cup of Corona beer
    • ¼ cup of milk
  • Glaze:
    • 1 Bottle of Corona beer
    • 1 cup of sugar
  • Buttercream:
    • 2 Sticks of unsalted butter at room temp
    • Juice of 1 squeezed lime
    • Zest of the same lime
    • 4 cups of powdered sugar

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add eggs, beating after each addition then add the vanilla and zest.
  • Combine milk and beer and alternatively add this mixture and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture with the mixer on low speed, starting and ending with the flour.
  • Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
  • Put beer in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, add sugar ½ cup at a time and whisk. Let it boil for 5 min. and let it sit
  • When cupcakes are done, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with toothpicks and brush some glaze on each while still warm. (Feel free to add a lot!)
  • Cream the sticks of butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer (2 to 3 min).
  • Add lime zest and juice, mix well and begin to add sugar one cup at a time until fluffy.
  • Load a piping bag fit with a star tip and frost the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with thin lime wedges.

You may also enjoy:

Traveling Solo, Turning 30 & Other Unpopular Activities I Highly Recommend

/ / 1 Comment

solo travel

“You’re doing WHAT?!”

That was the most common reaction I received upon sharing my 30th birthday plans. (ICYMI, I did a – gasp – solo mystery vacay via Pack Up + Go!)

But it wasn’t the surprise part that startled most, it was the solo part.

Most people gazed at me with sympathetic eyes, ready to whip out their violins and throw me a pity party because they thought it was such a tragedy that I’d have to go somewhere by my little lonesome. Like it was automatically assumed that I must be sad and alone if I had to travel by myself.

In a world that preaches self-love and acceptance – why is it so unfathomable that one would want to spend time alone? I actually like spending time with myself and I think it’s a concept that should be more widely embraced.

Let me assure you, I have friends. I have a core group of besties that I would die for. I have the best parents in the entire world, a little brother I adore more than anything, and a husband of almost 7 years – all of whom most definitely would have gone with me if I had asked them to. But I didn’t.

For my 30th birthday, I wanted to go on an adventure and have an experience that was solely mine. If you’ve never traveled solo, I could see how this might sound crazy. But I’ve had some of the absolute best experiences of my life all by myself. Hear me out.

Four years ago I took my first solo trip (to LA). My travel companion was supposed to be my husband, but he found himself suddenly unable to go. Instead of canceling the trip, I had the craziest idea. What if I went by myself? And instead of doing all of the couple-focused activities I had on the itinerary… What if I went solo and did whatever the hell I wanted?

So I did. I stayed in beautiful historic downtown Pasadena where I walked everywhere to take in (and fall in love with) the scenery. I attended the IMATS for the first time. I got my makeup and hair professionally done just for the hell of it. I swam naked at a spa with a bunch of strangers. I ate what I wanted to and I drank what I wanted to and I didn’t consult any other soul about where to go and what to do.

It was one of the most liberating experiences of my entire life and I will forever cherish the memory of that trip… and the fire it lit within me. That trip empowered me to be fearless. It proved to me that I can do whatever I want without anyone holding my hand or telling me how. Forever after that trip, I stood a little taller and spoke a little louder and took solace in knowing that I am in complete control of my own happiness.

Since then I’ve embarked on over a dozen solo trips, each one of them exciting, empowering, and enlightening in their own way. And my most recent was no different.

On my solo 30th trip to Denver, I ignored my phone (not completely, but more than I usually do). I wandered with no particular place to go, staring at the mountains and breathing in the mile-high air. I ate elk hotdogs and drank multiple bottles of Champagne. I got a Vichy shower (Google it). I ate pot gummies (legally!), blasted Amy Winehouse and danced around my haunted hotel room in a plushy robe. It was cozy and relaxing and everything I wanted to be. These moments were not only perfect, but completely my own, with no one around to effect my energy. (Except the ghosts.)

Throughout it all, I reflected on the 30 years of beautiful life I’ve been blessed to live. I normally reserve my use of the term “blessed” for sarcastic hashtagging purposes, but in this case, I truly mean it.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t go on trips with people you love. Do that! I do it too. I’m just saying that if one of those people you love happens to be you and you decide to travel alone, you might just discover a new part of yourself and have the best time of your life.

I know I did.

You may also enjoy:

Pack Up + Go Review

/ / 1 Comment

Pack Up and Go Review

I did something a little unorthodox to celebrate my 30th birthday.

After struggling to decide what to do to commemorate this milestone, I chose to escape on a solo surprise vacay via Pack Up + Go!

What is Pack Up + Go, you ask? Cliff’s Notes version: Think of them as a surprise travel agency that specializes in three-day weekend trips. The kicker is that you don’t know where you’re going until the day you leave. Yes, you read that right.

I literally told anyone who would listen about it and got quite a reaction. Read on to hear more about my experience and the answers to FAQ’s from everyone I blabbed to…

How does it work?

Nearly everyone I talked to about this, online and otherwise, was like, “Wait, WHAT? How do they know where to send you?”

An excellent question! You start the process by filling out a basic questionnaire that asks for some insight about your travel preferences (and allows you to express areas you don’t want to travel to). 

The survey asks whether you prefer action or relaxation and also prompts you to check off hobbies and interests. See below for a snapshot of the survey:

Screen Shot 2017-04-09 at 6.14.51 PM

In mine, I checked off basically anything having to do with food/alcohol and spas, relaxation, and nature. I skipped all of the fitness and outdoor sports options. (#yolo)

I noted that I did not want to go to Austin or Nashville as I had just traveled to both places within the last couple months. I also requested that I not be sent to Florida, LA, and Vegas as I travel fairly often to all three. 

What is the cost?

The beauty of this service is that you pick your own budget. Full disclosure – I set a fairly high budget for my trip ($1,000) because it was for my 30th birthday and I didn’t mind forking over a little more cash than I normally would.

You could set a budget as low as $400 – it would just mean that you’d likely be traveling by car to a nearish destination vs. flying across a country to stay in a luxury hotel.

How do you know what to pack?

A week prior to my departure, I got an email giving me a heads up on the weather so I would have an idea of what to pack. They gave me the forecast and tips like to bring walking shoes (“you’ll be covering a lot of ground”) and an empty stomach (“this place has some seriously good food – and drinks”).

The email also included necessary information about my departure for planning purposes – “go to LaGuardia airport, terminal B, at 6:45 a.m.” 

Were you afraid you’d hate your destination?

Strangely, no. I trusted that they wouldn’t send me somewhere terrible. I’m also kind of an adventure junkie, so I figured that I’d be able to find something to do no matter where they sent me. If all else failed, my plan was to find a bar and make a memory no matter what.

However, right before I left I did suddenly I have all these panicky thoughts flooding my brain about the travel portion of my trip. What if the flight they book for me doesn’t match my picky travel preferences? What if I have a million layovers? Oh god, what if they fly me on Spirit?! (Spoiler alert: None of that happened.) 

When did you find out your destination?

The morning of my departure! They send you an envelope with your destination and an itinerary inside about five days before you leave with the direction not to open the envelope until the day you leave. Of course, you can cheat and open it early, but I didn’t want to. 

Where did they send you?!

Denver, CO! It was absolutely incredible. Keep an eye out for my love letter to Denver in a future post as it’s too much to write here. 😉

Was it worth it?

The answer – without hesitation – is YAAAAS. I want to do it again! Like, as soon as possible.

Would you recommend this for everyone?

This is a tricky question. Did I love it? Abso-freaking-lutely. Is it for everyone? Maybe not everyone.

If you are a control freak, this may not be for you. Due to the nature of the service, you can’t plan anything ahead. Example: The hottest dinner spot in your destination city might be completely booked since you couldn’t reserve in advance (because you didn’t even know you’d be going there.)

So, you really have to be the type of person that is willing to give up full control and go with the flow.

If you are that person, I recommend it 100%. And btw, if you book a trip, be sure to mention you heard about it from me! :)

You may also enjoy: