Los Angeles — Page 4

Zoey Van Jones Brow Studio in Pasadena

May 9, 2016

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Zoey Van Jones in Pasadena, a brow studio that also has waxing & makeup services available. Being from the Pasadena area, I go there often even after moving to the west side. I initially went for just a brow shaping, but the following weekend I got a Brazilian wax.

I love the ambiance in the studio- it’s very Andy Warhol Factory-esque with exposed brick & high ceilings.

There’s also cool artwork everywhere, like these in the reception. I love the pink frames! Although I obviously don’t have any photos, the Brazilian Wax at Zoey Van Jones was the best one I’ve ever had. They use a combination of hard & soft wax, which I had never experienced before. Also, the waxer used tweezers for the stubborn hairs that didn’t want to be waxed. I find that other places cut corners and maybe don’t do as thorough of a job so you’ll come in more often- but Zoey Van Jones waxers do it right the first time!

I’ve never gotten my eyebrows tinted before, but I’m loving the results. I thought that it wouldn’t do much for my dark hair- but my brows look a bit darker and much fuller, making it easier for me to fill them in (and I don’t have to go as bold!). I felt like the pop art snapchat filter with the dye on 😉

After brow tinting & shaping with ZVJ Products

I love how my brows look now! They’re a lot easier to fill in & maintain after getting them done. Zoey uses a combination of wax, tweezing, and trimming, along with the tint & applies her brow products after so you leave with better brows than you came with!

I’ve been really enjoying her brow products too. The Brow Shaping Pencil ($22) is my current favorite- but I also love the Tinted Brow Gel ($14) and Brow Shadow Duo ($22). Her products are available on her site, in her studio, and even on Birchbox.com, which is amazing!

I’ll definitely be coming back when I get the chance. If you live in LA and are looking for great brows that don’t break the bank- the trip to the east side is well worth it 🙂

**This post reviews products & services I have received for free-for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**

The Broad Museum in Downtown Los Angeles

April 28, 2016

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Jeff Koons Tulips 1995-2004 — Jeff Koons “Tulips” (1995-2004)

If you’re planning a trip to LA, one thing you won’t want to miss is The Broad Museum in Downtown. I finally got the chance to visit this past weekend as tickets are hard to come by and I’m not down to wait in that standby line. Although the Infinity Mirrored room was booked, we plan on going back for another chance to see that, along with seeing their next installation. All these photos are from their inaugural installation which ends May 1st, so I didn’t want to miss out on these pieces!

Urs Fischer "Untitled" (2012) — Urs Fischer “Untitled” (2012)

Even the architecture at The Broad is super artful- it was designed by Diller Scofidio +Renfro in collaboration with Gensler. The interior is almost cave-like and looks really cool.

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Robert Therrien Under The Table 1994 — Robert Therrien “Under The Table” (1994)

Something interesting about The Broad is that admission is completely free. You won’t find that at many museums! This is great because it makes art accessible to anyone and everyone. Also, although some of the art seems to be interactive, like the above set of massive table and chairs- it’s not. Don’t touch…the employees will come at you if you get too close!

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Christopher Wool Untitled 1990 — Christopher Wool “Untitled” (1990)

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Andy Warhol Two Marilyns 1962 — Andy Warhol “Two Marilyns” (1962)

I was super excited to see several Warhols on display, including Two Marilyns. I think Andy Warhol is one of my favorite artists because he is from Pittsburgh, PA just like I am.

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Roy Lichtenstein I I'm Sorry 1965-1966 — Roy Lichtenstein “I…I’m Sorry” (1965-1966)

There’s plenty of contemporary art on display and surely there’s something for everyone. I loved all the pop art by Roy Lichtenstein.

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Ed Ruscha Heavy Industry 1962 — Ed Ruscha “Heavy Industry” (1962)

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Mark Grotjahn Untitled Dancing Black Butterflies 2007 — Mark Grotjahn “Untitled (Dancing Black Butterflies)” (2007)

The Broad Museum Downtown Los Angeles Glenn Ligon Double America 2 2014 — Glenn Ligon “Double America 2” (2014)

Next time I’d definitely bring my nicer camera instead of just using my cell phone- as I really wasn’t that happy with my photos (this iPhone 5s isn’t doing it for me anymore…)

If you live in LA and haven’t gone to The Broad yet, make it your mission before the infinity room is gone in the fall. It’s a really easy museum and you can do the whole thing in about an hour, so even the least artsy in your group can handle it. Make a day out of it and spend some time Downtown while you’re at it!

I got broads in Atlanta ✨

A photo posted by Olivia Frescura (@oliviafrescura) on Apr 24, 2016 at 4:53pm PDT

The Bun Shop In Koreatown

February 29, 2016

The Bun Shop is a food truck-turned brick and mortar in Koreatown that serves the *best* bao buns in L.A. I’ve been a loyal fan since 2011 when I stopped by their truck randomly when I went to the DTLA Art Walk. The shop opened in early 2014 and since then I’ve made my sisters, brother, and dad eat there with me as much as I can convince them. Now, I live much closer to the shop so I’ve been enjoying some buns maybe twice a month at least. Once my dad even came to my apartment to give me something & wound up making me get in his car to grab some buns…while I was in pajamas (no judgements there). The Bun Shop is the collaborative effort of Brian Yeun and chef James Seok. A fun fact I recently learned is that Brian’s brother is Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn on The Walking Dead (thanks to The New Potato for that!).

I’d recommend the Kalbi bun, which is beef, a tempura onion (the pièce de résistance in my opinion), mixed greens, and a spicy aioli. 1 bun costs $3.75, but you save the more you get- I usually get 2 or 3, because I have a problem (but really it’s no problem at all). They also have chicken, pork, and spam buns as well as 2 vegetarian options. I wouldn’t know about any of those because I’m a Kalbi bun loyalist. I also love their shop fries ($5) which are delish because they have rosemary on them- the best. The interior design is great and they even serve beer & wine and have happy hour specials.

The cherry on top is the fact that everything is so affordable- you can get a meal for anywhere from $10-15, and it’s both great quality + quantity. If you’re in the L.A. area and haven’t tried The Bun Shop yet, run, don’t walk, and tell them I sent you! 😉

The Bun Shop
151 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Zia Valentina at The Original Farmers Market | Espresso Fix

February 24, 2016

Milk Chocolate Waffleshot Macchiato at Zia Valentina, $5

You may have had a macchiato before, and surely you’ve had a waffle cone before- but have you ever thought to combine the two? I surely hadn’t- but upon seeing these super cute Waffleshots on social media, I knew I had to try one. Zia Valentina is a cute little stall at The Original Farmers Market by The Grove that serves Italian inspired granitas, coffee, and of course- these Waffleshots.

First off…what even *is* a Waffleshot? Essentially, they fill a cup-shaped waffle cone with chocolate to form a shell to prevent the espresso from leaking. But, Zia Valentina doesn’t just stop there- they’ve combined so many different flavors from nutella, cookies & cream, red velvet, and caramel into these little shots. You can either get espresso, or a macchiato inside of your Waffleshot. I picked a macchiato, because I love me some steamed milk!

Zia Valentina tries to be as health conscious as possible. The granitas are sweetened with stevia, and feature fresh ingredients along with gluten free & vegan options. A fun fact about Zia Valentina is that they wholesale their Waffleshots to other places like Alfred & Nespresso. I had originally seen them at Alfred & had no idea that Zia Valentina was the original until writing this post- so I’m glad I tried theirs first!

I will now only accept macchiatos in Waffleshot form…

I have no clue what kind of coffee they use unfortunately but honestly this is one of the best macchiatos I’ve had since being in Italy. The espresso is strong & flavorful and not burnt tasting at all. And the combination of the chocolate + waffle cone make it even better. You have to drink it somewhat quickly, though- because the chocolate melts fast! But, the last sip with the last bit of espresso with globs of melted chocolate is basically the best thing you’ll ever try.

A bonus for non-Angelenos…Zia Valentina sells Waffleshots online– definitely grab some and take them to your city’s best coffee shop and enjoy…

Zia Valentina @ The Original Farmers Market
6333 W. 3rd Street
Stall #530
Los Angeles, CA 90036

My New Hair by Christopher Duran | Crowned Studio Salon in Pasadena

February 23, 2016

I’ve had shorter hair for about three years now- and while it seems everyone always wants long locks, I’ve found it to be too much of a hassle. But now, with the lob trend (that’s definitely here to stay), everyone is doing a cropped cut. Shorter hair is just so easy- it dries easier, and plus- it makes you 10x more sassy (or is that just me?). A few weeks ago I headed over to Crowned Studio Salon in Pasadena to visit Christopher Duran, who has been cutting my hair since I was 15 (yikes), to refresh my short lob.

I had been thinking of growing out my hair to be collarbone length, but since I hadn’t cut my hair since May I was way overdue to book using their scheduling software. I decided to get some short, choppy layers that make a plain lob have a bit more attitude. I think I’ll be growing my hair out after this to be longer, but now that I have a fresh cut it’ll hopefully look good as it grows (unlike it did before!). Chris is the king of layers- whenever my hair was longer, he could make my long, thick hair feel as light as a feather.

Processed with VSCOcam with a6 preset — knick knacks on the stairs

I love going to Crowned because the interior is so cool- sure, that has nothing to do with the hair, but I appreciate a good aesthetic. Crowned has been voted as the best salon in both Pasadena Weekly (2009-2014) & The Los Angeles Times (2001 & 2012)- and for good reason. Not only are they a full service hair salon from cuts, colors, and styling, they also have a blow dry & beauty bar called Gorgeous upstairs. I haven’t been up there yet, but a dry (no shampoo) blow out for $20 and a blowout with shampoo for $30 are prices that are hard to be beat! You can also get updos and makeup services!

If you’re in Los Angeles, definitely head over to Crowned and tell Chris I sent you! Regardless of if you want something long or short, Chris has your back (or your head).

Crowned Studio Salon
54 South Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-844-5042

**This post reviews services have received for free-for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**