3rd Annual Best Friend Trip: The Fingerlakes, NY

It feels like it's been forever, friends!!!!! I am so happy as I write this post because I truly had so much fun the weekend of this trip. I have posted about the other two best friend trips Cristina and I have taken so I couldn't leave this one out :) There were an array of different places on the table to choose from for our trip this year but let's face it, the Finger Lake region was the perfect choice!

We stayed in the Watkins Glen area of Seneca Lake and it was absolutely phenomenal with the most breathtaking views. Here is a pictorial rundown of some of what we did, enjoy!

• We stayed at a quaint little bed and breakfast called Lake Valley Legends. It was located a block from the center of town and the house owners and other guests were so pleasant. I would definitely return there again. Above is a photo of our room. It was decorated with all authentic German trinkets from a trip the owners had taken :)

• Our first night we walked down to the little village by our bed and breakfast. We obviously chose to eat at the place that smelled the best from the sidewalk haha Nickels Pit BBQ, DELICIOUS! 

• Breakfast each morning at the house was scrumptious! Yogurt, fruit and granola parfaits, fresh OJ, apricot points and even a delicious Amish casserole the last day. Nothing like a home-cooked meal to start the day!

• Watkins Glen State Park was the main reason we chose this region of the finger lakes. This state park is constructed of beautiful gorges and so many stunning waterfalls! The hike up and down are approximately 2 hours with a nice place to grab a snack or in our case, guzzle down a bottle of water at the top. Come prepared with water and the earlier you get there the better, on weekends it gets packed!

• After  along hike, we needed some sustenance :) Garcia's Mexican Restaurant had recently opened so we took advantage and enjoyed every bit! (The hot salsa is the best! For someone who likes spicy things, I was pleasantly surprised with how awesomely picante the salsa was, guacamole was super fresh as well, win!) 

• Can't visit the finger lakes and not do a wine tasting at one of the dozens of wineries there! We chose Lakewood Vineyards for our tasting although there are a ton along the same road which many people follow the wine trail for. After one tasting, we were off to our next adventure, boy was the vineyard marvelous though.

• Funny moment: Cristina catches me running down the road, tripod in hand. The things we did for the perfect photo that day! hahahaha

• Taking the afternoon to explore the country side, no GPS or itinerary was such a wonderful idea. the rolling hills, rustic barns, farm animals and little stands like above are what made me really appreciate the entire trip. There are so many places here in the US that are so absolutely beautiful, nature is a beautiful thing. Above, we stopped roadside to get some homemade goats milk soaps--there were even real goats right behind the stand, talk about authentic! ha!

If you are in the metropolitan area and looking for a great weekend trip that will offer a ton in just two short days, consider the finger lakes region. There is something to do for everyone, I promise! We came with the idea that we would do some sort of activity on the lake but unfortunately I didn't take into consideration the weather difference, when we would wake up it was barely 50 degrees! It is definitely about 15 degrees colder on average there in the finger lakes region so be prepared for sweaters, even in August! Not pictured above is the trip we took to nearby Cayuga Lake where we attended the "Found in Ithaca" flea market which is a very well attended happening every Sunday. Antiquing was a ton of fun and I even picked up some vintage freshwater pearls from an antique booth for $5! What a steal! 

As Summer comes to an end, I wish you all a happy and healthy start to the Fall season,

xox

2nd Annual Best Friend Getaway: BOSTON/SALEM

This year for our "bff weekend" we decided on Boston. Cristina has only breezed through the city once and I had been once on vacation and loved it, clearly it was the perfect choice. We are a friend duo that LOVES exploring, adventures and anything awesome to photograph along the way. I wouldn't consider myself a history buff, but I love old towns like Boston. All of the red brick, cobblestone streets and brownstone housing really makes me happy :) We got there on a Friday and departed late afternoon on a Sunday..here is how our weekend went in photos, enjoy!

• Pictured above are us at a park pit stop along the way. We decided to walk the "Freedom Trail", I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to see major points in Boston without getting lost. It's fool proof, you just follow the red brick lines through the town! Also above is "Samuel Adam's Tombstone". This was also a stop along the trail---all of the original signers of the declaration of independence from the area are buried here, it's quite interesting. **Fun fact for our beer connoisseurs out there: did you know that the man on the label of the famous "Samuel Adams Beer", is actually Paul Revere? Apparently he was better looking than Sam Adams and they thought it was better for business to place him on the label instead--who knew?! (our tour guide told us this, he also told us some other things that ended up being shams so don't hold me to this hahaha)

• Quincy Market is THE place to be it seems, well really the whole Faneuil Hall area. It is filled with shops, restaurants, nightlife etc. On the bottom left is a memorial for all of our veterans killed in Afghanistan and Iraq in the war. On the right is a shot from the train stop located just a block or so from our hotel. The Boston transit system is so visitor friendly and super easy to navigate, I truly appreciated this coming from an area with things like the crazy confusing NYC subway system.

• Massachusetts State House was absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately I couldn't fit the entire photo into the frame of this collage but the dome atop the building was bright gold. Bottom Left: This is me pretending to get into a VERY small door on a Boston side-street. hahaha Then we have a photo of us along the Charles River.

• We ventured a little more north to Salem! I have always wanted to visit here so this was awesome timing. If you know me, you know I abhor scary things--more like situations where things pop out at me (haunted houses, hayrides etc), but I love a good witch story so Salem was perfect. I remember reading "The Crucible" in high school and being so interested in how the Salem Witch Trials actually happened. We visited a fun photography studio and had photos of us taken as witches--best part of my entire trip. I laughed so much because the entire thing was just so silly lol (photos below) Salem is also the place where "Bewitched" was filmed--hint as to why I'm posing with a statue of Samantha above :)

• How could we visit Boston and not end our trip with a lunch at the original "Cheers" bar?! I have been here once before but never had taken the opportunity to eat here so this was very exciting for me. The food is good, just typical bar food, but the atmosphere was pretty cool. Like my photo with Norman?! =D

Highlights From Day 8 Of My Vacation: LA Local

We didn't do anything really superb today--just some shopping off of Melrose and pretty much stayed local after that. We were winding down in preparation for our departure tomorrow. We grabbed lunch at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles today. From the photo above you can probably tell that it was a food coma waiting to happen. Cornbread, Mac & Cheese, Fried Chicken, Waffles...soul food at its finest. I have never felt so"heavy" in my life. My stomach literally grew as I took each bite, that's how heavy and delicious the food was! lol I don't particularly like chicken and waffles together but I did enjoy them separately (I'm  an odd woman I know) ;) 

Tonight we ended up catching a movie at a local theater. This particular theater is 21+ only which was awesome because they had a full bar and full dining menu, not to mention ridiculously comfortable CLEAN theaters. It felt very sophisticated inside, and for a movie theater, I loved it =D The movie we chose was Ryan Gosling's "Only God Forgives" movie. Of course I wanted to see it just for RG, but being that it was connected to the movie Drive, which I have stated many times is one of my favorite movies ever, I knew it was a must see. If you like "artsy" movies that leave a lot to be interpreted, you will love this. I saw many similarities between the character he plays in this movie "Julian" and the character he played in Drive. 

I'm all packed up and ready to go for the morning. Sad that this is my last night here :( I will definitely be visiting again and recommend all of you do as well if you have never been. California has been so good to us! 

Thank you for coming on this journey with me, 

xox

Highlights From Day 7 Of My Vacation: Santa Monica/Malibu/Venice Beach

This morning we had a reservation with the Paramount Studios for a tour--money very well spent! It could have been that our tour guide was very reminiscent of Melissa McCarthy, but that's besides the point lol We got to see sets of currently shooting shows, sound stages, famous buildings and places that some of our favorite shows were shot. Lady Gaga was also apparently there shooting a music video! There is so much history behind Paramount Pictures---I felt like I had a history lesson and a tour all wrapped in one :) Overall, I really enjoyed this tour and would highly recommend it. In the photo above I am making a wish while "holding the famous Bronson gate"--this is a tradition and apparently your wishes come true! Let's see... :)

Next up was a trip to Venice Beach. I always hear how eclectic and interesting Venice Beach is so I was excited to see what it was all about. If I could sum up Venice Beach in one word I would say interesting haha It is a place filled with hippies, skaters, canibus shops galore, artists and beach cruisers. On the other hand I also realized how many homeless people there are here--the most I have ever seen in all of the locations I've been to in California. It saddened me because I think--what is their story and why are so many in such a concentrated area? I guess that exists everywhere but it just made me sad :( Not pictured were all the street performers, the skate park (so cool!) and Muscle Beach, the outdoor gym area that is often featured in movies :)

Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is so stunning! We drove from Malibu and then back to Santa Monica on the way back. Malibu was filled with cool things like beaches, ginormous homes, fancy ocean front eateries and the most awesome in my opinion, horses on farms! Malibu seemed to be a little of everything--the perfect town :) In Santa Monica we visited the Santa Monica Pier where we saw the rides and famous Ferris wheel--I also snacked on some ice cream like a child (2 scoops for me!) and really enjoyed the panoramic views =D  

Tomorrow is our last full day here---we are going to head out for some shopping. The mister has been jotting down all the shops we want to return to. 

Sad to be leaving soon :( , 

xox

Highlights From Day 5 Of My Vacation: Huntington Beach

We didn't do much today as this was our designated beach day, but Huntington was a great spot to see for sure! Surfers, gorgeous homes, great shopping and food, Huntington has it all and I was glad to be a part of the Tuesday madness today :) The beach is very clean and there are people of all walks. People playing beach volleyball, mini lifeguards in training, families and couples alike--everyone was there for the same reason, to have fun and soak up the sun! I definitely want to return to Huntington some day--even the High School was GORGEOUS! Now we are home and making some brownies--nothing like Tuesday night baking :) 

Tomorrow our plans are still tentative but I'm sure we will end up doing something fun--maybe another beach day--Venice or Santa Monica maybe? I think the SM Pier is calling our names ;) 

 The only thing I hate about California so far is the occasional traffic and the gas prices---

xox

Highlights From Days 3 & 4 Of My Vacation: Las Vegas/Calico

We took the drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas yesterday. It was about 4 hours and the scenery was so beautiful! Driving through the desert was something I have never experienced before and I thoroughly enjoyed really soaking in the view. I took so many photos :) Once we arrived in Las Vegas at our hotel (The Cosmopolitan--Great Hotel!) we explored the strip, ate at Gordon Ramsay's BURGR restaurant in Planet Hollywood and ended the evening with some gambling and night time photography.

On our drive back from Vegas, today, we stopped at a mid-way point to break up the monotonous 4 hour desert drive. This mid-way point was Calico Ghost Town. I recommend stopping by here to anyone doing this drive. It was really cool and the scenery was breathtaking yet again! It was an old mining town that became abandoned when the value of silver depreciated long ago. Very interesting and informative. It was 109 degrees in the desert today with a real feel of way over 110 degrees F. We almost melted, but it was very worth it :)

I love these photos--how could you not enjoy the mountains and desert--gorgeous. 

This sums up how I spent my last two days--I was up late last night so didn't get a chance to post, hint as to why I combined two days in one :) Tomorrow we are off to Huntington Beach for some famous fish tacos and fun :)

Deserts and Mountains, 

xox

Highlights From California Day 2: San Diego

Day two, we headed on down to San Diego to visit a friend of the boys. A two hour TRAFFIC FREE drive later, we arrived. This is what we accomplished---not mentioned is the fact that we ran over a HUGE rolled up piece of carpeting on the highway--yep we were two wheeling it for about 1.5 seconds, Lord take the wheel for the rest of the time here! Apparently in California, littering household items (we also spotted mattresses!) on the highway is really not a problem haha my goodness...anyway onto the post :)

Visiting the Naval Base --the ships were huge!--you know it's only right I listen to my favorite--Kendrick Lamar, while in Cali ;)

Next stop, San Diego Zoo--I have been dying to come here since they just opened the "Australian Outback" last month. You know what that means, they have KOALAS!!!! I was truly in heaven--love my koala babies <3

Visited Pacific Beach---the surfers we East Coast folks see on television--yep they are allll here lol amongst other places I'm sure. Check out that awesome sand castle display a man made, I was in awe! The view off the pier, not to mention the incredible breeze, was INCREDIBLE. Ahhhh I want to go back now.

Finally, after a long day, we ended up at Lucho Libre for dinner. This authentic Mexican taco spot was featured on Man vs. Food. It was absolutely amazing--my mouth is watering as I type this. If you are ever in the San Diego area, you must visit!

We also, visited the Stone Brewery Company--but took no photos. It's safe to say that we conquered pretty much all of San Diego. I was driving home (Los Angeles) at around 12am last night and everyone was SO tired, the yawns were nonstop. Glad to be home safe :)

Off to Vegas as we speak, 

xox

Highlights From California Vacation Day 1

Some photos I took with my phone while flying over the Grand Canyon--this whole flight had some seriously breathtaking views, this being one of them. 

Enjoyed some "In n Out Burger" for lunch. My burger of choice is the cheeseburger protein style (no bun just two lettuce leaves!) ;) While driving back to our place, we had to stop in the middle of the road in order to not hit a ....coyote! Not going to lie, I have never seen one up close and personal and although this one appeared to be small and emaciated, it was very intimidating to a Jersey girl like myself lol Yiikes! 

  This is a glimpse of our place. We rented from a wonderful man who is so accommodating, we are very lucky to have found a place this nice with such a truly amazing location--underneath the Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills. I wish we never had to leave, the property is that nice! lol

This briefly sums up day 1 of my California vacation---7 more full days to go :) Tomorrow morning we are off to San Diego. Let's see if I can keep up with this whole posting every day thing lol 

Living a California Dream, 

xox

Memorial Day Weekend Mini-Vacation

The adventure seeker in me knew that I had to take advantage of an extended holiday weekend and go somewhere fun. Baltimore and Washington D.C. were the front runners for two reasons. Firstly, they are within driving distance and secondly, they are just fun places to be! Baltimore's inner harbor has amazing dining, shopping and sightseeing, same for D.C. the sightseeing here is endless and the weather around this time of year was just wonderful! Below are some of the photos of my weekend :)

Baltimore

 

  Washington D.C.

I really enjoyed my weekend for many reasons. One, I was with some people I love to pieces, two, I was able to take some really cool photos both at night and during the day and three, I got to visit some awesome places!

Here are some of my highlights: 

Visiting the Museum of Crime and Punishment in D.C. ---I highly recommend everyone visit this! It's so cool! 

Going on an evening photo adventure-- The White House, Capitol Building etc. are just as beautiful at night as they are during the day. The night time photo tour we did was breathtaking! 

The Inner Harbor in Baltimore-- our hotel was in the inner harbor and was waterfront. It was in such a central location to everything that it made discovering new restaurants and shops a breeze! I would highly recommend the Baltimore Marriot Inner Harbor Waterfront Hotel to anyone!  

The Brew at the Zoo Event at The Baltimore Zoo-- For someone who isn't a drinker, I must say I thought this event was so much fun. Various craft breweries set up tents and allowed you to sample a great selection of their beers. The rest of our group enjoyed a large selection of different beers while I ate enjoyed things like pretzel necklaces and the weird live band that screeched over the system haha definitely recommend this as well if there is a similar event in your area :) 

Goodness I love traveling, 

Xox 

Z-Palette Review and GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

I purchased my very first Z-Palette at IMATS NYC two years ago. Since then, it has become a staple in my "packing makeup for travel" routine. There is something about the convenience and durability of it that makes my life that much easier.

What I love about the Z-Palette:

• Comes in various sizes including newer revamped ones to include a palette for pro's (a larger size than the original large) and even one that will house our dome shaped mineral makeup products without crushing their little tops :) 
• Affordability is key--you want to get something that you are going to get a ton of use out of and that ultimately will pay for itself right? These price range from $14-25 and trust me when I say, they have paid for themselves in the amount of product I was able to travel with and NOT have break...which brings me to my next point.
• This palette is hard and durable promising to not only allow you to see through the lid for "quick look access" but also to protect your precious makeup from shattering during travel. It's like the shock proof case you put on your phone to make sure that should it get a little banged up, it won't affect the phone as much ;) The magnetic backing and easy label stickers make set up quick and easy!
• Last but not least would be the main thing that I love about this, the ability to get rid of clunky large bulky packaging in some of the palettes (pictured below is my UD NYC palette) that you would love to travel with but just can't justify lugging it around. I was able to depot all of my shadows from this palette below and throw the packaging away and keep the good stuff! Now I am able to take the shadows that I love with me everywhere and as you can see a peek of, I have tons more room to fit another 20+shadows in there! 

To see more about how to depot and to check out all of the other Z-Palettes and shop, click here depot, shop .

GIVEAWAY INFO

• To enter to win a small travel leopard Z-Palette (fits 9 MAC eye shadows), you must be a subscriber to my blog. Click "join this site" on the right :)
• For an extra entry, tweet me that you would like to enter @AlyseaP 
• Comment below telling me what your current cosmetic travel packing routine consists of. I always want to learn new ways to pack my makeup and tips and tricks for EASY travel. You could also tell me one staple palette you travel with if you don't have a travel routine down just yet :) 
• This is open to everyone, INTERNATIONAL AND U.S.A.
• This giveaway will remain open from today, 5/11 thru Sunday 5/26 (two weeks) Good Luck!

xox

Packing Beauty Essentials for Vacation!

One of my favorite Cosmetic Bags from Anne Taintor. The words on it just get me every time! haha

When it comes to packing my beauty bag for vacation, I am always a mess. I feel like I over pack because I never want to forget something and then regret not packing it once I realize I need it! Are any of you the same way? If so, hopefully through my trial and error, this blog post will assist you on being able to more efficiently pack your beauty essentials without ending up with a bag that weighs more than yourself! I thought it was fitting to post this blog now being that this weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, I will be packing this very bag, as I am heading out of state for vacation myself. :)

Here are the things that I am always sure to include in my travel beauty bag:

Skin/Face: 

1. When traveling in heated areas, I am sure to pack a tinted moisturizer, you will find that you can avoid having foundation etc. slipping off of your face in the humidity and be glad that you opted for this instead!
2. A facial cleanser that doubles as a body wash (ex. Burt's Bees Milk and Shea Butter Bar). You may think I am crazy for this, but my Burt's Bees bar is all natural and this allows it to be gentle enough to use for my body AND face. This also means you have to pack one less thing :)
3. A good SPF to protect your beautiful faces! I personally like ones that are all natural and non-comedogenic. I have been using all natural/organic things on my face and let me tell you, it has completely changed how clear my skin is, this is so worth it. I would suggest ones like "Suntegrity, Kiss My Face, and Alba Botanical Organic Lavender Sunscreen", these are all great options and come in a variety of SPF ranges. Remember to ALWAYS apply this, even on overcast days, you are still at extreme risk for UV Ray damage!
4. Pack a Bronzer and or Blush that is compact and does the job. I like the Blush and Bronzer Duos from NARS, they are two things in one which means that they take up half the room! ELF also has a pretty good one that I am testing out myself at the moment :)

Lips:

1. SPF lip balm. I had a friend who went to the beach and neglected to cover her lips with any UV Ray protection and ended up blistering horribly, and get this, the sun wasn't even out! Just because you don't see or feel the sun's harmful rays, doesn't mean they don't exist, protect yourself at all times. Your lips are one of the most sensitive things on your face, as well as your nose.
2. Pack two shades of lipstick that are on different ends of the color spectrum. These can be mixed if need be and you will find the colors you can make are endless and you are only using space for two separate lipsticks as opposed to 5 or 6. I usually bring a red and a nude :)
3. A lip gloss that will look well when put over any shade of lipstick. I love my NYX Beige lip gloss because in all honesty, it looks amazing over ANYTHING. This is definitely going in my travel bag this weekend.

Eyes:

1. An all in one eyeshadow palette. For this, I think of my Urban Decay Naked Palette instantly. Not only is it an amazing array of neutral shades, but there are also shades included that will give me everything I need to have a sultry eye :) This is my favorite everyday palette because there are so many different looks you can get without straying outside of it. If you don't have this, I recommend maybe your favorite MAC Quad? or a tiny palette by any other company. Remember, you want to avoid packing tons of eye shadows all colors of the rainbow, this defeats your mission to pack efficiently!
2. Eyeshadow Primer, this is a must, no matter what the weather is like, but ESPECIALLY in heated environments. This assures that your eye makeup stays in place and doesn't shift and crease all over the place. I will be packing my UD Primer Potion for this.
3. A good waterproof mascara. More often than not, a vacation entails some type of pool or ocean, and instead of going in the water looking gorgeous and coming out with trails of black mascara smeared all over your face, go waterproof! haha I never ever use waterproof except in weddings and on vacation and believe me it is a lifesaver! I love my L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black for this :)
4. An eyeliner of your choice. Don't go packing liquid, gel and pencil, that's just overdoing it! Choose one that you know you can use for both the top of your lid and your waterline, I recommend a Gel Liner, as  it can be used on both unlike the liquid.

Misc:

1. Makeup Remover Wipes in a soft plastic container. I find that these can be squeezed pretty much in any crevice in your bag and or luggage and won't take up much room at all. I especially love my Yes to Blueberries ones, they have a soft plastic outer but a hard plastic seal to assure that all of that moisture stays inside :) They are also all natural, which is amazing for your face!
2. Blotting Paper, again these take up almost no room at all, but can be a life saver if you are having one of those "extra shiny" days, the humidity does that to us sometimes!
3. A razor
4. Pack the color of nail polish that you currently have on your toes and hands and or a good top coat. You may find that midway through your vacation your lovely mani/pedi chips, and this is a pet peeve of mine although it is inevitable at times. To avoid being the girl in the picture with the chipped fingernails, apply a top coat of clear every few days or when it chips, you have the color on hand for touch-ups. You will thank me later for this gals!

** I didn't include any shampoos/conditioners etc in this blog post because those are a given, be sure whatever else you pack is in a travel size. This can be done by purchasing the miniature sizes or taking some of the product that you love from your regular stock and putting some of them into travel containers :)

Well that about sums up what I will be packing in my travel beauty bag tomorrow. Everyone has a different way of packing, and this may not fully satisfy the things you need on a trip, but in my experience, these are the only things necessary to bring without over packing. All of these things fit easily into my bag and I still have some room for more! Keep it stress free and minimal, the only thing you are missing from this bag is the sun and a drink with an umbrella, but I am SURE you will find this somewhere on your getaway! :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone celebrating this weekend, and for those who are out of the country, this can be used for any vacations you are taking as well!

xox