Valentine's Tapas & Love Birds Nests

The day of love is here, and if you're like most people who want to avoid the last-minute scramblers at the mall and on the busy streets, this home baked dessert just might be your ticket out of the chaos and home to where...well, the heart is.❤️

What you'll need: 

1. Oven (pre set to 400 degrees)

2. 2 boxes of pie crust (gluten-free or regular) I chose regular.

3. Your favorite organic jelly, jam or preserves

4. 2-3 baking sheets

5. 2-3 cooling racks 

6. 1 small bowl

7. Shredded coconut (sweetened)

8. Cooking Sprinkles

9. Coconut oil spray 

10. Spatula 

11. Heart shaped cookie cutters

Step 1. 

Start with laying out your pie crust. 

You'll want to layer one roll out onto the cookie sheet. See below. 

Step 2. 

Choose the filling of your choice. I selected two: Trader Joe's Organic Raspberry and Super Fruit spread. 

Step 3. 

Grab your spatula and spread a dollop of your chosen spread into the center of your bottom pie crust and spread out to the edges. Don't over do the amount of spread as this will help avoid spillover.

Step 4.

Once you've finished layering your spread, place the second pie crust on top and sandwhich the spread. 

Step 5.

Select your ideal size cookie cutter. Once you select the size of your choice, start cutting your heart shaped tapas. 

Step 6. 

Pull away any remaining scraps and put into a small bowl. (We will use the scraps to creat another treat.) In the mean time place your tapas on a cookie sheet in proportioned rows. 

Step 7. 

Pinch the perimeter of each tapa with a fork.

This will help keep your filling from spilling out and avoid the two layers from separating during baking. 

Step 8. 

Once you have your tapas ready, remove any access overspill. If you desire, spray coconut oil on top of tapas and add some sprinkles.

Place tapas into the oven, and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. 

Note: oven temperatures and baking time may vary. 

Step 9. 

While your tapas are baking, go back to your leftover scraps and add some shredded coconut on top. I used Trader Joe's Sweetened Coconut

Step 10. 

Mix the leftover scraps and coconut together with clean hands until the coconut is worked in fully. This will create your Love Birds Nests. A little concoction I came up with myself. ;) 

Next, roll out mini balls and place onto cookie sheet #2 and push down once with a fork. Spray coconut oil on top to help the nests bake, faster. 

Step 11. 

Place into oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. 

While the Nests are baking, pull out your tapas and place on cooling racks. 

Step 12. 

Next, pull out your Nests and place those on cooling racks. 

Once the temperature of your desserts has cooled to your desired level, Enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day!

Xo 

Lisa 

ISSE - big hair don't care

Here we go! It was day one of the International Spa & Salon Expo (ISSE) in Long Beach, California. With so much to see and very little time, my first stop was Pravana.

Known for their incredibly bright, highly pigmented Chromasilk Vivids; a demi-permanent hair color with shades that make a statement. See swatches below. The best part about Pravana is that their products are paraben-free and there's no animal testing. 

This next item of theirs is by far my favorite. It's the Nevo Intensive Therapy Leave-In Treatment. The first time I ever used this product was about five years ago when I decided to go from dark brown to a multi-faceted, I'm a Bond girl, blonde. Brace yourself. Throwback in 3.....2.....1!

Cute, right? For a minute, I thought I was doing well with the hair gods and goddesses, but I wasn't managing the styling as well as I should, and heat with bleach was a bad combination. Much like the idea of frolicking in poison ivy would be. Nothing good can come of it.

Succumbing to the mercy of my fried strands, I inquired further and purchased this eighth wonder of the world. 

What it does:  Detangles, hydrates, equalizes hair porosity, protects hair during thermal styling, repairs split ends, gives shine, eliminates static electricity, soothes skin, lessens effects of chlorine and defrizzes. 

Key Ingredients: Jojoba, algae, sunflower and theobroma grandiflorum seed butter.

Bonus touches:
Vegan. Paraben-free. Sulfate-free. Phthalates-free. Salt-free and Gluten-free.

Of all things good in this world, my hair was starting to feel alive, again. A few mist into towel dried hair and combed through was the equivalent to tiny bandaids tightly squeezing positive vibes and starfish kisses into each strand of my over processed, snapping an inch from the root, sweet, baby hair. 

Thank you, Pravana. You saved my strands from a pixie cut. And the good Lord knows he did not create my cheek bones for one of those cuts. 

Next up, L'anza. Known for using botanical and other natural products, the company focuses on healing. And by healing, I truly mean, healing. From curly hair, parched hair, I don't need much but give me something anyways, hair. You name it, they've got it. 

My favorites? Healing Moisture shampoo and the keratin healing oil hair treatment. 

Note: You only want to use keratin products if your hair is slightly or fully damaged and needs some help coming back to life. If this describes your hairdo, apply a dime size amount to fine or thin hair, more if your hair is thicker, and finger comb through wet or dry hair. 

As far as booth attention goes, I couldn't keep my eyes off their stunning hair models. Lovely.

Continuing on to a few more laps around the long beach convention center, I mingled through the crowds, watched stylist chat about angled cuts and swooned over

the half a million (don't quote me) display Big Sexy Hair propped up. Can we say uh-maze-zeen?! The photo really doesn't do it justice. The booth was gorgeous and I couldn't stop staring. I felt like I was walking the red carpet. 

After coming to, and adding a few eye drops, I walked a few steps further to meet the incredibly sweet, talented and intelligent beauty master mind of Dinair Air Brush makeup. Ms. Dina herself, who graciously posed with her two adorable models.  

This line of makeup can be used to cover tattoos, skin conditions, used as a base foundation, head to toe exotic looks and more. Check out their site for classes and more information on where to purchase. 

www.airbrushmakeup.com. 

Then, out of the hairspray fog, I spotted this high-standing Mohawk and his über-friendly owner, who did I mention was um, friendly? 

His appeal intrigued other onlookers as well to step up and check out Dream Catchers hair extensions. After listening and watching a demo, I was astonished to see what these extensions could do. Self proclaimed as "The world's best hair extensions,"

I have to say, I was impressed. There's no glue, just a rubber clamp, making applying, regrowth placement and removal of these extensions a simple alternative to bonded or bead extensions. Check them out at www.Dreamcatchersstyle.com.

Another type of hair extensions I was digging, was Invisi-tab. Created by celebrity stylist Ron King, these 1 1/2 inch, 100 percent all European virgin hair extensions are sandwiched between your own hair for an almost undetectable extension you have to witness for yourself. I'm highly considering testing these babies out myself some day soon.

To learn more or to become certified, check out www.invisitab.com.

Before I left for the day, I ran into my new favorite hair care line, Bioken Enfanti. I was so thrilled, I screamed and jumped up and down like high school girls do when they run into their friends at a party.  My joy spread to the rep for Bioken, who  was so impressed I knew so much about their line. 

Bioken Enfanti focuses on the source of beautiful hair, maintaining a healthy scalp. Through extensive research, Bioken uses all natural and therapeutic ingredients to create their hair care line. Focusing on thinning, noticeable hair loss, or someone who just wants good looking hair and a healthy scalp, Bioken Enfanti can help. 

Due to my own personal lifestyle of daily gym workouts and a naturally oily scalp, I found Bioken Enfanti a few months ago and decided to try it. The words antibacterial stood out and I was really curious to see what this shampoo and conditioner duo would achieve. Within days I noticed a less oily scalp, and an overall healthy a great smelling head of hair, even on those in between shampoo days. 

I purchased the shampoo/conditioner set for all hair types but they have exclusive sets for curly, color treated and dry. You can visit Bioken at www.biokenusa.com.

I have to say, for my very first hair show of this caliber, I was incredibly pleased. 

Produced by the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), the 2015 International Salon and Spa Expo Long Beach (ISSE) reached record attendance; welcoming over 43 thousand beauty professionals from around the world.  

Known as the launch pad for new beauty products and services, this year's event featured more than 379 exhibiting companies promoting 420 beauty brands. Thank you for inviting me PBA. I had a blast and cannot wait until next year! 

 Xo

Lisa 

IMATS 2015 - "I Woke Up Like This"

Photos are all my own

I squeal with excitement to share that I finally attended my first ever IMATS show in Pasadena, California this year. The thrill ran through my veins like a girl poked with an IV made up of adrenaline and pink glitter sugar water. 

Silly me didn't think at the time to attend the show as a beauty editor. No, instead I chose to make my first experience as simple as pie, and walk the blue colored carpet as plain ol'....er, who are we kidding, I walked as sassy, dolled up, we wear pink on Wednesdays, me! 

I attended the two day event, two because I don't have a pro-card (yet), from the mid-morning until mid-afternoon, and let me tell you, I was thrilled beyond my little heart's wildest dreams. 

From ghouls to goblins, fairies, to YouTube sensations, celebrity makeup artist to self-created makeup personalities, to the girl-and-guy next door who loves makeup, it was a jam-packed event.   

Day 1:

Angels sing: Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhlllealuia.....  alleluia.. Ok, not quite, but to me, I could of sworn I saw the doors glisten as I walked through the entrance of the Pasadena Convention Center. What a roar of chatter you heard the moment you stepped foot through the lobby. People, everywhere, and not just women. No sir-re-Bob, there were plenty of men there as well, fellas. 

In fact, some of you may even know award-winning body painter and photographer Vargas. His work has appeared in international galleries, MTV and runway fashion shows. He was incredibly sweet and humble. His model on the other hand was smoldering and brave. Yowzer!

 As I continued to walk around, I found a few more interesting characters...

I, was so amused by the way people could design costumes through some simple paint and glitter. I was more than just impressed, I couldn't blink. I swear this last girl found me staring at her for what probably felt like several minutes until I uttered, "can I take a picture?" She was so sweet and quickly dropped what she was doing to pose for me. The picture itself doesn't do this look any justice, but up close she looked like the sweetest fairy full of pixie dust. It was so stunning to see up close.

Sigh. The day was starting to wind down and I was just about ready to go home, but not before taking a quick selfie. The dudes in the back were part of the deal, they just didn't know it. Success!

Day 2:

All jazzed from the previous day, I was ready to go for round two. 

It was a beautiful Sunday and although the ladies working the booths the day before stated, 'day two would be quieter,' I beg to differ. I think it was even more crowded than Saturday. Holy Moly was there more sightings of makeup artist, models, TV personalities and aisles upon aisles of major foot traffic. And then, the rows of people parted. Could it be? There she was just standing there waiting to smile for a picture and talk to all sorts of people oohing and ahhing to meet her, Ve Neill, the three Oscars, two Emmys, four Saturn Awards, celebrity makeup artist just hanging out. 

Her posture was delicate but ever so relaxed. Her smile came and went as she chatted with strangers while they swooned over her work in films such Star Trek, Beetlejuice, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the Hunger Games, to name a small few. And, who could forget her current role as a judge on the Syfy network's makeup effects show, Face Off. 

Okay, whatever, she's not a big deal to you, but I was intrigued to meet her and chat her up about flowers and how the sky was relatively cobalt blue that day. She was quirky and nice. I shook her hand, she called me "dear," and we snapped a photo of ourselves for memories sake, as we had now become life-long friends. 

I finished off the day, snapping a few more charitable photos with odd ball creatures. 

Spotted Amanda Ensing, the adorable YouTube makeup artist and incredibly sweet girl of all things lovely. You can check her out on Instagram @amandaensing or +Amanda Ensing 

Took a #sigmaselfie pic

I'm such a cheese ball, I know, but at least I was having fun. #YOLO 

(translation: You Only Live Once) for you non-genXers

And wrapped up my day with a delicious bag of beauty loot. 

"What did I buy," you ask? 

-warm neutrals pallet by Sigma

-angle eye liner and contouring brush by Sigma

-a few foundation and eyeshadow brushes by Crown Beauty

-RCMA #11 palette ( I needed this in my life)

-Several Eye Kandy glitters

-Received a free CoverFX primer (Thanks, Ava. You were a pleasure to meet.)

...and a few other mini treats. I was good. I didn't over indulge. 

All in all, IMATS was very good to me, and I had such a wonderful time. Until next year...

Lots of Love,

Lisa xoxo