PREPPING & PRIMPING: wedding facial

photo's via the fashion gal.

yesterday i took a little time to skip into the Murad Spa in Manhattan Beach to treat myself to a fabulous  pre-wedding facial! and i have to say... it was MUCH needed! this bride-to-be needed a little bit of a refresher. when i slid under the warm fluffy bedding in my designated spa room i found my mind wandering and was having a hard time relaxing. the wedding was on my mind {BIG TIME} until Rosa ((my killer esthetician)) started my hydrating facial. she broke my facial down into 3 steps {much like their product is designed} and i instantly began to relax. and every time my mind started to wonder again {and i began to review my wedding to-do list} Rosa would use a new & delicious smelling product that would automatically bring my focus back to my facial. i personally LOVE Murad products and their amazing scents! throughout my facial i caught lovely whiffs of apricot, tangerine, eucalyptus, cucumber, and even a little peach! it was the perfect treat to balance all the emotions & work that come with planning a wedding! now, we're 4 days away!

**go here for some more wedding deets!

***my favorite Murad products are the Correcting Moisturizer SPF 15 & the Hydrating Toner! 

(photo above)

Murad Spa, Manhattan Beach CA

spa water... yum.

the relaxation room, genius.

cozy blankets & my new Toms in the relaxation room.

lit candles throughout the spa.

the hydrating products that were used during my facial.

fabulous accessories & gifty items throughout the spa.

i love the "circle necklace".

the signs throughout the spa work as a wonderful reminder.

this one seemed perfect for our wedding week!

 can you believe the fireman & i are getting hitched in 4 days???

eeeeeeeeeek!

LOCAL LOVE.

/ / / Trilogy Nail Salon (aka) Zenka Nails MB / / /

Manhattan Beach, CA

when i'm looking to treat myself to a little mani-pedi i usually like to try new places that have a combo of trendy polish colors ((with high-quality polishes)), good customer service, and most importantly a killer foot massage. so when i tried out the nail salon {Zenka Nails} inside the Trilogy Spa in Manhattan Beach, i left so happy & super excited about my newest nail trends! Gel Polish + Minx!! i've heard about these cool nail trends but hadn't found a place in the South Bay that offered both techniques. in fact, i'm pretty sure Zenka Nails are the only peeps in the South Bay that do Minx! so check out my newest trend-obsessions!

*check out more about this Gelish Gel nail polish.

*and if your curious about Minx go here! 

if you live in the South Bay or are visiting Los Angeles any time soon... 

go here for some more LOCAL LOVE shout-outs!

LOCAL LOVE.

 / /  Gumtree Shop & Cafe  / /

Hermosa Beach, CA

i know it's Tuesday... and you may be craving a little TUESDAY-HOW-TO , but this is Mother's Day Week and we need to talk gifts(!)... AND one fabulous place you can find them!! if you already have mom covered, then go here for a little T-H-T (tuesday-how-to) or just sit back, relax, and check out this stunning beach boutique/cafe that is perfectly merchandised with the perfect gift for mom! (or, yourself!!) this cozy little love shack has the best of both worlds... one half {on the left side} is a cafe that serves a killer latte & some delicious breakfast bits... and the other half {on the right} is a brightly lit boutique filled with gifts that any lady in your life would love! ((say that ten times fast.)) i happen to think this place is a wonderful one-stop-shop in the Southbay if you're looking for a yummy snack & the perfect gift. two birds, one stone.

*for more LOCAL LOVE... go here.

{keep in mind i took these photo's just last week... so the shop may still have what you see here!!}

make sure to check these Gumtree guys out! 

and if you live in the Southbay... i would make this your newest one-stop-gift-shop!

if you need a little more Mother's Day {gift} inspiration, 

go here... i got ya covered!

LOCAL LOVE.

/ / / photo's by the fashion gal / / /

if you're a semi-fanatic-coffee-lover {like me & the fireman} then you are probably always looking for the next cool spot to grab a cup of joe! this local hot-spot TWO GUNS opened about 6 months ago in manhattan beach, ca & has become one of my favorite coffee stops in LA! the shop itself is kicked back, friendly, low key, and has seating inside & out. it's become quite the little spot to meet a friend for coffee or grab a yogurt/granola breakfast on your way into work. i'm actually meeting one of my gals there for a quickie-catch-up tomorrow morning! oh, and another girlfriend there next week!! see what i mean... this place is good.

**if you like coffee check out these post's i wrote about this liquid gold. check out Caffe Luxxe, Interlligensia, & my first blog post {ever} here! it's about coffee too!

stay tuned, this "LOCAL LOVE" addition is something i'm adding to my blog to give some cool local {Southbay + LA} businesses a little shout out. you can also find these "LOCAL LOVE" posts on Southbay Magazine's website... OurSouthbay.com. 

((i am a contributing blogger for this killer {local} mag... so make sure to check it out!)) 

xo peeps!