Rockport, MA: Silvana Costa, Wicked Peacock

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I had the loveliest time meeting with Silvana Costa, owner ofWicked Peacock, the charming boutique accessories shop in Rockport, Massachusetts.

Chicago: Rebecca Minkoff #RMRoadtrip

Meeting Rebecca Minkoff at Nordstrom for #RMRoadtrip was a.... trip!

Add meeting blogger Clare from C Squared W in real life with her friend Kristen? Perfection.

It made for a wonderful time in Chicago...and I bought this for my sister, which Rebecca signed.

Boston: MiniLuxe

Location:

296 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115

Who doesn't like things in mini sizes? Mini cupcakes, mini chocolate bars, mini Easter eggs...okay...perhaps these are not the best examples as they're all chocolate related, but, what I'm trying to say is that it's easy to indulge when the portion is mini, right?

You still get the satisfaction of having the whole thing, but it's guilt-free. Such is the deal with MiniLuxe...it's all of the luxury of a full service nail salon without the big price tag, and without sacrificing cleanliness, while still offering maximum satisfaction and relaxation in a pretty salon setting.

I stopped by the MiniLuxe on Newbury recently, courtesy of my friends at Aigner/Prensky, and was treated to a wonderful warm oil pedicure and full manicure by Danh. My feet were soaked, scrubbed, oiled down and steam wrapped. It was a glorious 45 minutes of heaven and the jet-free foot tubs are much nicer and make everything feel much cleaner. Speaking of clean, all the instruments are autoclaved (pressurized steam-heated machine for sterilizing) and the other utensils are freshly opened from sealed packages. The nail files used on clients are theirs to take home after.

Here's the full MiniLuxe Menu.

Thank you Danh for pampering me and getting my nails ready to shoot this event the following day!

My Beauty Must-Haves!

Can we talk about skincare and make-up today?

l've always had problem skin for as long as I can remember. I even had a love-affair with Proactiv for a while, which lasted about six months and then started to irritate my face.

After trying PH balanced products (like La Roche-Posay's Effaclar) the glycolic acid toners like Murad's Clarifying Toner and spending from $5 on scrubs to $100 on treatments, I discovered Boscia.

It's working, you guys.

So, I put together my beauty must-haves, the things I can't do without, from cleansing, to minimal make-up to a full face for a night on the town.

I LOVE Boscia's clear complexion kit because I have sensitive skin that breaks out easily. The kit has been wonderful; it includes the cleanser that you use to wash your face, followed by the spray tonic, then the treatment and finally the moisturizer. I've found it doesn't irritate my skin and has a mild, clean scent.

So after I used that, I of course, wanted to try everything else Boscia had to offer, and absolutely LOVE the black mask - not only is it so fun to peel off, but it really tightens and tones.

On occasion I like to use the Boscia clarifying detox mask, which is a clay mask that I found really took care of excess oil, which was great for my T-zone.

My favorite primer to use is Laura Mercier's Hydrating primer which is water based, not oil based. The oil-free formula didn't feel as good as this on my face.

After this, I like to use a little bit of concealer under my eyes and problem spots. I have tried a. lot. of. concealers. My go-to now, is Dior's Nude, in Honey. Goes on light but stays put and doesn't feel greasy or cakey.

Next, for full foundation coverage for parties and such, I recently discovered (thanks to my sister) MAC's Matchmaster SPF foundation. It glides on easily, blending easily, stays matte all day. I wear it in 6. The SPF coverage is a bonus.

To apply foundation, I use Cynthia Rowley's Beauty Blender, which I found at Marshalls for $5.99! You can find many variations of it at Target and online, and it looks like this. Makes blending a breeze.

For blush I absolutely love NARS in Torrid. Two of my besties use the same shade and we are all very different in skin tones. It's a pretty shade which I think works for winter and summer.

As an all-over powder, I like MAC's Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in Medium. I apply it using a great buffing brush from Eco Tools.

If I do a highlighter for my high cheek bones (or lack thereof) I adore MAC's Gana Frost which was a limited edition when Mickey Contractor (Bollywood's most sought-after makeup artist) did a line with MAC. I also like Benefit's High Beam.

For eye make-up, when I do a cat-eye, I rely on Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Liner - it's waterproof, and really stays put!).

For a smudgy smokey eye, I love using Urban Decays eye liners. They're all so beautiful.

Dior's SHOW is the.best.mascara. I've ever used. Makes my lashes look really long, and doesn't clump.

If I do eyeshadow, I prime my lids first, with Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It's so easy to apply, just a dot on each lid really helps shadows stay put.

And if I'm going for a really dramatic evening look and want to darken my brows, Anastasia 's Perfect Brow Pencil is my go-to for a fuller brow. Love having a brush with it!

Can we talk lipsticks for a second? What are your faves? I've recently fallen for MAC's Party Line, perfect for a Wintery look.

After all the fun and games, if washing my face doesn't do it, and even if it does, I go to Korres. LOOOOOVE KORRES!! These wipes work really well and smell so refreshing. And the Pomegranate Toner really picks up dirt and makeup but feels gentle and doesn't dry my skin.

TELL ME, what are some of your beauty-faves?

Boston: Neiman Marcus, Longchamp

Neiman Marcus recently celebrated the launch of their Longchamp shop with festivities hosted by Lani. I was honored to be asked to photograph all the fun and fancy; easy to do when surrounded by luscious bags, macarons and champagne! Lucky Mariah won the Veau Foulonne tote in Fall's much sought after shade...take a look...Join me at the Longchamp party!

Miami: Fontainbleau Hotel, Lapis Spa Products

We're so grateful to the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami for generously donating a giant box of their luxurious Lapis Spa travel size shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions and soaps for us to give to the Nashua Soup Kitchen.

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks go out to the wonderful staff at the Fontainbleau for being so generous to our cause.

Boston: David Yurman at Lux Bond & Green + GIVEAWAY!

Last week, my sister, niece and I were excited to check out the unveiling of David Yurman's Fall 2012 Collection at Lux Bond & Green. The line will only be available for purchase in September, so it was nice to get a sneak peek. Thank you to Shauna, Sheryl, Trevor, Judy and Denise and everyone at Lux Bond & Green for the invitation and for graciously assisting us in trying out all the beautiful David Yurman jewellery!

It was lovely to see some of my favourite Boston Bloggers: Julie, Khatu, Lani and Hannah and I got to meet Amanda, Chelsea and Shauna's sister Kasey, for the first time, while we "tweeted" it up amongst champagne and cupcakes. Tweeting pays off people, look what Amanda and I won!

Thank you to my sis who took all the photos of me (in my favourite cobalt dress)!