Tom Ford Metallic Nail Polish: Beauty Review

I've been dying to buy one of Tom Ford's nail lacquers since I first saw it, but never came around to doing so. For $30 a color, I had to be sure I wanted it! My friend and I had a conversation about them again another day, so it made me want it again. I decided to treat myself to a color and get my nails done today after work.

I viewed the colors online and saw that Tom Ford has a limited release of four metallic nail lacquers for Spring 2012. The colors are Silver Smoke, Burnished Rouge, Golden Haze, and Burnt Topaz. Online, I thought Silver Smoke would best suite me to buy today, but once I made it down to Neiman Marcus and tried all four colors out, it was obvious I loved Burnished Rouge the best on me.

I walked down to a nail salon and had a manicure/pedicure. Once the nail lady started painting my toes, I was in complete awe over the application of the nail lacquer. It went on so easily and smooth the first time without multiple brushes to get rid of the chunks. Burnished Rouge went on like metal and left no visible brush strokes. The girl next to me getting her nails done as well as the lady doing her nails were just watching my toes being painted and both complimented the color and asked where I got it from! Two thick coats left my nails with a hint of gold and a gorgeous, yet subtle metallic look on my nails.

To my surprised it literally dried in MINUTES and I was out the door. I spent less than 5 minutes under the nail dryer before rummaging through my purse to find my phone to take pictures of how beautifully it ended up. I was a little hesitant to how dark the color was considering it was a "Limited Spring Edition", but I absolutely adore this color and will probably spend the entire season sporting it!

I know now I can never go wrong with a Tom Ford nail lacquer even at $30 a pop...frankly, I don't think anyone could ever go wrong with it!

Tom Ford 2012 Spring Nail Lacquers, as well as others are available at Neiman Marcus store or online for a limited time. For more information visit TomFord.com

Daily Accessories.

 I am a girl of simple accessorizing and pretty much wear the same pieces on a daily basis. I got rid a lot of accessories I never wear and have been building up a "nicer" collection. I'm still in search of a good watch, as I've never been a watch person... so any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

I recently bought this Marc Jacobs bangle and I LOVE wearing it. The only problem is it's heavy and after awhile it begins to hurt my wrist. My friend put it on and immediately noticed how much it hurt to wear, but it still doesn't stop me from wearing it all the time. It comes in other colors too and I am tempted to get a second one in pink!

I walked into the 5th Avenue Tiffany & Co in November with every intentions of buying a bracelet, but walked out with these pearl earrings instead. I was in search of an "everyday" pair of earrings and what girl doesn't want a beautiful pair of pearls! Unfortunately these broke after the first week I got them, but I've had past experience with Tiffany and knew they would forever replace/fix their products. I went to the Houston store and received a brand new pair.

I have a round face and hate most sunglasses on me because they appear to be to small for my face. I found these Tory Burch aviators last May that suited my face very well. I take them with me everywhere I go! The rim of the glasses is a more purple color and a gold bar between the lenses. I get compliments on them all the time!

Marc Jacobs has been one of my favorite designer for years and if there were any brand I am a "label whore" to it's Marc Jacobs. The gold plated wishbone necklace and dart necklaces are two of my favorite necklaces I own and wear one or the other just about everyday! The wishbone receives the most compliments from people, even my sister and friend bought one after seeing mine. The wishbone now comes in silver and I must have it!!

Look of the Night - Marc Jacobs

Look of the Night - Marc Jacobs by girlabouthoutx featuring marc jacobs handbags

I've been messing around on Polyvore and decided this might be a fun way to post at night- a head to toe Marc Jacobs outfit I put together. With a different belt, I think this would be a gorgeous day outfit! I love dresses in blues!

Good Dog, Hot Dogs

I am not a hot dog person. But, there has been a local hot dog truck parked at Antidote Coffee Shop every Wednesday and Friday night and I literally live across the street. Everytime I've seen it, I've wanted to try one of their hot dogs, but my "healthy eating" obsession has always got the best of me and I've never allowed myself to buy one. I've always used never having cash on me as an excuse.

Last night, Good Dog, Hot Dogs was out at Antidote again and after learning from their twitter page they took credit, I decided to go for it and pay for it tomorrow morning at the gym. So, finally after months of seeing this truck, I went for it and bought a hot dog.

Hot dogs have never been my thing because I don't like the normal toppings of a hot dog- relish, mustard, onions, jalepenos, sauerkraut... I'm just a ketchup kind of girl! I decided last night that was boring and not even worth buying, so I went for the next boring thing...a chili cheese dog.

The owners were incredibly sweet, asked for my name and then would continue to call me by name. They took my order and told me it would take about 10 minutes until order up.

Once I got my hot dog, I ran back home and within the first bite I was hooked. The bun alone had to be one of the most amazing hot dog buns I've ever had. It was fluffy, yet not too fluffy. It was crunchy, but still soft. It was buttered and grilled to perfect and I could probably been satisfied with just the bun alone. I later learned the buns are locally made by Slow Dough Bread Co. and now I just want to by all of my bread from them! The cheese melted perfectly over the chili and the all natural central Texas import hot dog was top notch quality.

I demolished my hotdog withing 5 minutes and did not regret my decision at all to have a chili cheese dog during the middle of the week! You can follow @GoodDogHotDogs on Twitter to see where they will be during the week when not parked in front of Antidote Coffee on Wednesday and Friday nights. As for me, it's probably not a good thing knowing they are close to me twice a week with so many other hot dogs I need to try!

 Antidote Coffee Shop
724 Studewood Dr.
Houston, Texas 77007

Uchi

Chef Tyson Cole's Austin based restaurant, Uchi has made it's way to Houston! I was lucky to be invited by a friend who made reservations a month in advance. The less than two month old restaurant  has got to be one of the best dining experiences I have had to date. The Uchi experience is everything you'd imagine an ultimate dining experience to be.

Upon walking in I couldn't help but being in complete awe of the ambiance the dining room had to offer. The natural wood elements of the booths, walls, chairs, and tables made it feel warm and intimate. We were told the table before us were about to clear out, so we were invited to sit at the bar or the outside lounge for drinks while we waited. We decided to take a seat outside, but were surprised to find the tables were set on top of rocks which were not very easy to walk on in heels! We only had enough time to look over the drink menu before the hostess came outside to show us to our table.

Once seated, we received a warm towel to wipe our hands with. I read Masa in New York City does this too and thought it was coolest thing, like being on a plane as my friend said! We were then greeted by a knowledgeable server who was more than happy to give recommendations and tell us the components and elements of each item we selected. The menu was so amazing and everything sounded so delicious, it was so hard to chose, but somehow we managed to make a few selections!

Now on to the food! I didn't take pictures of the first two items we ordered, but we started with the spicy crunchy tuna and from there the evening was set to perfection. As we were presented with each of our selections our waiter, or whoever brought out our dishes gave us a short description of what we were actually eating. I felt like I was on Top Chef!

 

The Salmon Belly served over a bed of crush ice was so fresh and delicious! Not so easy to eat with a pair of chopsticks, but nothing short of amazing.

The name of this dish escapes my mind, but it was scallops, cucumbers, pickles and crushed pepper. So good!

My picture doesn't do the Jar Jar duck justice, but it was presented sealed within a jar so the smoke would penetrate the meat. The duck was paired with kumquat, endive and rosemary and has to be the most delicious duck I've eaten!

The foie nigiri was seared to perfection! We were told the best way to eat it was upside down (rice side up) so carmelization hits your palate, but of course once I grabbed it I did exactly opposite of the "best way" to eat it and instantly regretted doing so! But it was still heavenly none the less!

The Brie ringo was also heavenly! But then again anything fried and cheese is perfect to me! Topped with apple chutney.

I read before coming that if there was anything to come to Uchi for it was the fried milk! After reading raves about it, I had to have it. The toasted nuggets burst with creamy, milky goodness that sweetened the less sweet iced milk sherbert and frozen chocolate milk.  The mix of crunchy, creamy, and smooth textures really set this dessert apart. To.die.for!

Overall, an exceptional dining experience.  The overall ambiance and dining experience provides gastronomically savvy Houstonians with a culinary gem in the heart of Houston. Uchi is definitely a place I would constantly come back to.

Uchi
906 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006

Kathryn's Rehearsal Dinner @ Grappino Di Nino

One of my best friends got married yesterday at the Bell Tower on 34th and it was an absolutely beautiful wedding! The groom's parents hosted an equally beautiful rehearsal dinner at Grappino Di Nino's Italian Restaurant. The complex actually houses 3 restaurants- Grappino, Vincent's, and Nino's. The ambiance of the location is intimate and romantic, so it was a great place to host a rehearsal dinner.

We sat upstairs in the private room of Grappino's and were surprised of how many guests had already arrived to the dinner. We were greeted with glasses of champagne and Aracini, a creamy risotto and parmigiano ball breaded and fried. The bridesmaids were late, so we got what everyone else couldn't finish. What I did get to enjoy was so amazing and I wish I could just of had more than I did!

Once seated, the waiters asked us red or white wine and kept the glasses full all night! We had a preset menu of Pollo Arrosto; a garlic half chicken with garlic mashed potatoes or Scampi alla Grigili; a shrimp pasta with sauteed spinach. I went with the Scampi, which wasn't that great. Everyone around me picked the chicken and it was so amazing. I wish I would have chosen that instead.

We finished the night with a gelato, that was a palate cleanser, but by the time the dessert came out everyone was drinking so much and having a good time taking pictures and exchanging gifts, I only took one bite and continuted on with being a wino!

Grappino Di Nino's
2817 W. Dallas St
Houston, Texas 77019

Dress Crisis Diverted!

I am always searching for something related to my friend, Kathryn’s wedding! After the shoes, it’s been a dress to wear on the rehearsal dinner this upcoming Friday. I wasn’t looking to spend a lot on a dress, but something fashionable and just something I knew I would love. I’ve read a lot of fashion blogs and a lot of girls get clothes from ASOS, an online British clothing site. I’ve ordered a few tops from here over the years and haven’t been disappointed, so my expectations were already set on what I was ordering. I picked an orange tulip dress with a scoop neck which looked lovely on the model and had the shape and tailored look that I love. I received the dress today and felt completely deceived by the dress! It was made of cheap, extremely thin fabric and  it was see through. I immediately put it back in the package and dropped it off at the post office to be returned back to ASOS.

I told myself I still had enough time to get a new dress and would look Wednesday or Thursday, but naturally I went directly to Macy’s at Memorial City Mall to find a dress after work. I originally had my heart set on a Rachel Roy colorblock dress, but after dealing with a pain of an associates, I gave up and decided the dress wasn’t for me. Today, I went back for that very dress, but ended up walking out with a different one. I tried on both dresses and decided, even though the dress I chose, is a lot different than the other girls, I just loved it on and the drape work. The one I picked is pink rather than rose, but I love that it’s a dress that could easily be dressed up or dressed down. When I brought the dress to the registered the associated noted how heavy the fabric was. I was so glad to hear that considering the Asos dress was opposite of that! I heard from another Macy’s employee last week about their “presale” policy and the one today had mentioned it to me again. Apparently if you buy an item and ask for a presale, they will give you 20% off on your total. You won’t be able to take home your item then, but they will place a tag on it and you can pick it up anytime the next day up until a week later. Since I was in no rush to take it home, I decided to take my 20% and pick it up by Friday afternoon. I actually love knowing they have a “presale” since I never wear something I buy right away!

Hot Curly Mess

Today I got my 2nd Keratin treatment with the Global Keratin Treatment. Before getting my first keratin treatment, I spent days googling reviews on a keratin treatments, so hopefully this post will come up when someone in my same position researches.

I have coarse, kinky, frizzy, curly hair that I have loathed all of my life. On top of that I live in Houston, where the humidity is unbearable and pointless for a person with hair like mine to even consider straightening on a daily basis. When I did straighten my hair, it immediately frizzed out. So I just stuck to as much curly hair products I could put in my hair to keep it bearable.

After months of research and deciding against mixed reviews to do so, I went in for my first keratin treatment in November. I bought a fantastic deal off of Living Social for S.A.F.E Salon in Spring, TX for $75, originally done for $150 here. Josh did a great job the first time around, I came back the 2nd time and paid the original price! The treatment is fantastic. I have never been happier with my hair and even began taking better care of it. I wash my hair 1-2x a week with the Global Keratin Shampoo and conditioner and I use a Sedu 1/2 inch flat iron (the best of straighteners in my opinion!) along side a Sedu Revolution Pro Tourlamine Ionic 400i  hairdryer I bought from Folica.com. My stylist told me back in November the treatment should last 3-6 months (depending how you take care of it), which I did and I definitely could have pushed it past today, but I decided on my own to do so every 3 months.

A lot of reviewers have complained about the treatment not working or frying their hair out, which scared me into it. But if your hair is already chemically treated prior to the treatment (such as relaxers, huge NO NO!) and you aren’t using the special keratin treatment products, chances are the keratin treatment won’t work because a lot of other hair products contain sodium sulfate, which will strip the keratin out of your hair. I never go into a salon now without asking what products they use and if it will be safe for my keratin treatment and if I will need to bring my own products along. Luckily, I’ve never had to bring my own products because I’ve been recommended to some great places to have my hair blown out.

The keratin treatment will NOT straighten your hair permanently, you still have to put in the work. I like to go to BlowDry Bar when I want to achieve a really straight look. When I don’t, I still have to put in the time, but the Global Keratin treatment is really a Godsend from having a hot curly mess!

Hair after today’s Global Keratin treatment. My stylist even gave me a bang! My hair’s so now.

S.A.F.E Salon

5915 Louetta Rd.
Ste 115
Spring, Texas 77380

Blow Dry Bar
3264 Westheimer Rd
Houston, Texas 77098