Film Fest Duds: Day 5

I've been out again for another screening in downtown Santa Barbara and the weather is amazing! It'll cool down by dinner tonight and I'll have to go home to change, but for now it's held at about 70 and I'm off to "Sister", a beautiful drama set in a Swiss ski resort, with appearances by the gorgeous Gillian Andersen and Lea Seydoux.

Top and jacket: Lush, Skirt: Random boutique brand, Heels: ShoeMint

I'm enjoying pairing some lighter layers, at least until the sun sets. Have a great Wednesday!

With Love,

Noa B

Fuzzy...

It's day 4 for me of the Santa Barbara Independent Film Festival and I'm having a blast seeing a ton of great films, several of which originate from my place of birth, Israel. (In particular, I highly recommend this heartbreaking love story about two young men, one Israeli, one Palestinian who fall in love under extremely precarious circumstances). Check it out on IMDB for more information here.

I'm staying comfy and cozy in my "fuzzies" while walking the downtown, going in and out of screenings, and pausing for the odd hot chocolate between showtimes.

 

Blazer: Brooks Brothers, Jeans: Golddesign, Hat & Sweater: H&M, Necklaces: Vintage

Walking festival circuits is an exercise in stamina, but so worth the wait!

With Love,

Noa B

SBIFF: Ready to Roll

It's the weekend of the Santa Barbara Independent Film Festival, and I'm ready to hoof it downtown to a couple of screenings tonight, (a small, Israeli film and a series of selected, animated shorts to kick things off).

Lots of standing on line and waiting endlessly to see what seating is still left. I'm taking some flats as a back up option: something I HIGHLY recommend if you're not sure how long you might be standing. (I find ballet slippers or flops are the easiest to throw in a larger purse when necessary).

This morning was chilly, but now the sun is simply streaming through our front yard, and I'm dressing lightly and effectively for walking the crowds. Black jeans, comfy tee, light wool blazer.

Jeans: H&M, Boots: Michael Kors, Blazer: Charlotte Russe, Skeletal tee: Zara

And we're off! Can't wait to check out the international submissions!

With Love,

Noa B

White Jeans

White jeans never go out of style. I haven't worn mine in some time as I rarely wear colors that can stain on set, but I think I'll hazard getting makeup on them today. When I'm feeling tired, white jeans crisp everything up and make me feel fresh.

Clearly when I work, something has to get sacrificed. Today it's my hair. A three second bun is all I have time for...

But it'll do in a pinch.

It's bright and lovely and very early still, but it's time to shoot!

Boots: Pour La Victoire, Jeans: Boutique brand, Sweater: Kersh, Jacket: Elli, Bag: Vintage Thrift

With Love,

Noa B

Swing jacket

Now that the weather is turning I can put aside my search for a "real" winter coat in favor of a swing jacket with just enough warmth for this crisp but sunny weather.

I'm headed to work so I'm keeping it simple; a sweater with cutaway appliques and black pants. (The makeup artists' staple).

A hat actually helps regulate your temperature as well as pull together your ensemble. Sound stages are often incredibly cold even when it's warm outside, so head-wear is a practical plus.

Sweater and jacket: Zara, Heels: Vince Camuto, Earrings: Tres Jolie, Necklace: JewelMint, Hat: H&M, Pants: ASOS

It's good to be shooting after a few days off. There's nothing like playing with makeup to put a smile on my face. And since there's new makeup to test, it's nothing but joy.

With Love,

Noa B

Urban Decay Review: Part 1

As some of you may know, I'm a huge fan of BB Creams, and have been testing and reviewing them for well over a year now.

I was extremely interested in checking out the new array of products from Urban Decay, as I'd fallen in love with their pencils and shadows quite recently. This week I tested two of their rock star items. The newest addition to their "Naked" lineup, the BB Cream, and their best selling, Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

I began with a single, dime size portion of the BB cream over my basic moisturizer. After applying evenly to my whole face, I added one dot of the Eyeshadow Primer Potion over each lid.

And here is the result. Nothing on my face but BB Cream and lid primer, plus mascara. I'm delighted with the extraordinarily natural result. Urban's BB Cream has a very different tone and texture relative to those brands I've reviewed in the past. Two thing really stand out:

1: The product has a very "peachy" tone which immediately brightens the skin. Traditionally, most Korean and Japanese BB's are infused with a shell-pink finish, but this BB is slightly orange based and gives a wonderful, warm flush.

2: There's a distinctly matte, almost silky, silicone-like texture that is unlike the traditional, Asian BB, which is creamy and dewy. And while I love dewy products, there's a LOT to be said for a demi-matte finish. This may be the first BB that truly has that going for it, which makes it a winner for camera work!

Before leaving for set I added a dash of my new favorite shadow pan, the Naked Basics. The results of the matte shadows over the primer potion are remarkable. The colors are instantly infused with opacity and fuller tone.

One swipe of Faint above and below the lash-line, and a swoosh of Venus to highlight was all I needed. The primer immediately "popped" and held the colors to my lid without movement or crease.

And here's the final look before leaving for set: a simple and natural finish completed with a touch of setting powder, Urban Decay shadow, and a hint of blush.

The results are outstanding. I'm sold! These items will be going into my kit in duplicate/triplicate! Stay tuned to see my foundation and concealer pencil review later this week!

With Love,

Noa B

Running to set... And some WW

Well it's offically time to kick off some new years' resolutions. I say that jokingly because since my birthday falls in the beginning of January, it's often hard to keep resolutions having to do with food and exercise until after that day has passed.

 But it's back to a normal and (hopefully) rigorous shooting schedule this week, which means it's also time to start thinking about eating right and getting back on the old treadmill.

I'm saying goodbye to these jeans for a while. Bought in my "skinny" phase, they're filling out a little too much these days. But it's chilly today, and even colder on my sound stage, so they're getting a last hurrah before I "retire" them to the smaller sizes portion of my closet.

So here's the question: how to eat smart when you're surrounded by food all day long at work?

Answer: veggie snacking throughout the day, loads of liquids, and a lot of high fiber foods in between. My most recent obsession? Juicing. I love the Jack Lalaine juicer so much I've bought one for each house. Here are two delicious recipes I love starting my mornings with:

Recipe 1:

2/3 fresh raw beets

1 small piece fresh ginger, cut from the root

2 cups spinach

1 cup pineapple

Several sprigs of fresh mint.

Throw in juicer and voila! A delicious, slightly spicy, green machine.

Recipe 2:

2/3 large raw carrots

2-3 cups kale

1-2 small Fuji apples

Fresh mint

Blend and enjoy!

 Bye, bye Rag and Bone jeans! See you in 10 lbs! Until then, I will curb my denim addiction for some new booties instead. They can never make your feet look "fat".

Sweater: BCBG, Jeans: R&B, Booties: Kelsi Dagger, Choker: Jewelmint

With Love,

Noa B

BIrthday Weekend Snaps

Had a wonderful, mellow, and entirely spontaneous birthday weekend with the hubs this Saturday and Sunday, (my actual birthday). After a very full holiday season and a series of house guests, events, jobs, and  commuting between houses, it was so refreshing to simply get up Sunday morning with no specific plans!

Saturday night we attended a Keane concert, (which was Fab-U-lous) preceeded by a great dinner at Delphine. We were incredibly excited to see them perform at the Pantages, as it's one of the few, older theaters we hadn't been inside yet. (If you love Deco buildings, this one is worth checking out).

When Sunday arrived all I wanted was to sleep late, be awoken with a Starbucks Chai as well as a fresh Cappuccino, a stack of fashion mags to read, and a husband and kitty to cuddle with.

Mission accomplished!

I had germinated a plan for a malibu hike followed by a trip to a series of gallereis. Alas! Neither Santa Monica, Culver City or Downtown keep their galleries open on Sunday. But as it happened, my birthday fell on the Rosebowl, monthly flea market and antiques fair.

We had a blast walking the (literally) miles of stalls, (check out the hubs eying this vintage bread basket and clock). We eventually found a great, Eames Era, Atomic end table which I'll be cleaning and prepping over the weekend for display. (Interior design pics to come)!

We ended the day by the hubs "forcibly" taking me for a stroll between the Apple, Sony, and Microsoft stores in Century City, where after two hours deliberation I oped for a Surface tablet, and I couldn't be more excited to embrace this (new for me) technology!

Final stop was some sushi and shaved ice, followed by a blissful collapse into bed watching the premiere of HBO's Girls.

A perfect end to a perfect day. And none of it planned! I love you so much Ross!

With Love,

Noa B

Red Lips, Red Hips

It's a new year, and one resolution I'm attempting to keep is an effort at frugality. (Ok, if I'm being completely honest, I'm putting aside buying much needed clothes and shoes in favor of spending the money on my new house's decor. It's kind of an either/or situation)...

With that said, I'm practicing at raiding my own closet for things I haven't worn in a while. Like this cut-out cardi.

It's got a cool, spidery finish and thus far I've managed not to snag it once, (no small feat for klutzy me)!

Jeans: Joes, Necklace: Handmade by friend, Heels: NYLA, Tank: Nordstrom, Sweater: Urban Behavior

Sometimes you gotta borrow from Peter to pay Paul. Guess I'll take a breather on that new bomber jacket I've been eyeing...

With Love,

Noa B

60's Skirt, Hard and Soft

I found this great skirt that literally must have been made during the summer of Woodstock. It has the oldest, softest cotton finish, with the industrial, metal zippers that were so popular decades and decades ago. I love the old style, mercantile finish and these boho prints always seem to cycle back around.

I roughed it up with a little biker jacket and cowboy boots since I was making my way to the pier for some fun with my 7 year old niece.

Skirt: Vintage, Jacket: F21, Boots: MIA, T-Shirt: Re-sale

It's the intersection of old with new that is often my favorite way to dress for a casual day. Check out more of these styles on my Etsy site as well as my Threadflip Closet.

With Love,

Noa B