Where can you meet a ton of beautiful girls in one room with style, fashion, heels, make-up, gowns, and tape? Ummm…I would have to say the Miss USA Pageant! I was blown away by all the beauty. and so was my boyfriend. I was lucky enough to witness a little Red Carpet action to the 60th Anniversary Ms. USA Pageant Sunday night and with it being my first national Red Carpet event, I was really just so lucky to be there.

Miss California, Alyssa Campanella won the sought out title last Sunday Night and was very shocked! She said she was, “like whoa!” After seeing her in person at the press conference after the show, I think she shouldn’t be shocked at all. She is absolutely stunning. She wore a Sherry Hill green mermaid dress that just brought out her red hair and beautiful smile. She said she was kind of scared because she was not sure with her red hair and green dress if she would look like a Christmas tree but she said it totally worked and she loved it. Her tough question about marijuana being legalized in California, had to be a doozy but, she answered very confident and said “Well, I understand why that question would be asked, especially with today’s economy, but I also understand that medical marijuana is very important to help those who need it medically,” she said during the pageant. Whew! I was sweating for her when that question was asked by one of the judges, Caroline Manzo, but she did it. She was a former resident of New Jersey, moved to California a couple years ago and now representing California, Alyssa owes it all to her Mom who got her into pageants since she was 15. The question was asked during the press conference, Star Wars or Star Trek? She said, “STAR WARS of course!” Why? Her Dad introduced it to her when she was little and loved it ever since! Of course she was talking about Padme and not Princess Leia like in my time! She was so sweet and very poised and she sure does it with finesse and class.

Before the show started, I was there to meet and greet all the judges and hosts for the evening such as Andy Cohen (Host and Executive Producer, “Watch What Happens:Live”) and Susie Castillo (Miss USA 2003,MTV VJ, Face of Neutrogena). My favorite moment was meeting the host of the evening, Giuliana Rancic (Anchor, E! News, and E!’s Fashion Police) because I have been watching her forever and it was just my moment. She is absolutely beautiful in person as she is on T.V. and very sweet. Loved her dress! She was really short on time but I managed to take a picture with her as well as with Rocco Dispirito my favorite judge. Not only is he handsome but, he cooks. What girl doesn’t like that?

Other  judges at the show were, Marcus Allen (Former NFL player and Hall of Famer), Tyson Chandler (2011 NBA Champion), Mariel Hemmingway (American Actress and writer), Penn Jillette (Penn and Teller), Lil Jon (American Rapper), Caroline Manzo (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Zuleyka Rivera (Miss Universe 2006), and Suzi Wiss-Fischmann (Co-Founder of OPI Products).

Some of the celebrities that I met were: Holly Madison (star of PeepShow), Jeff Timmons (Star of Chippendales, former 98 Degrees singer), Tinie Tempah (British Recording Artist), Sharise Neil (Designer of Kandy Wrappers swimwear), and Eric Turner (Singer featured in Tinie Tempa’s song: “ Written in the Stars”).

Miss Universe, Ximena Navarrete was absolutely the most beautiful woman and I was glad that I got the chance to greet her. She was accompanied by former Miss USA Rima Fakih and Kamie Crawford, Miss Teen USA 2010 who was just beaming on Sunday night as well!

All of the celebrities were on a time limit so the best I could do was to say hi and take pictures. However, Kelly Osbourne didn’t seem to mind taking a picture for Beyond Beauty Basics. I still like you Kelly! She was rushed along to get to the show.

As for my first Red Carpet event, I learned a lot, took great notes on what to do the next time, and really just excited to do this again. I would like to thank all the assistance from the Miss USA Pageant staff that was really pleasant and very organized. I would also like to thank Photographer, James Bakalar for all of his photos. Well there you go. I think I have pageant fever so now I just need to get the wave down!

In the lobby of the W Scottsdale, it has writing on the wall that says, “What’s Your Wish?”  Well I thought that was appropriate after I went to the event tonight called “New Year New You.” I have many wishes now and it seemed like I could get my wish as long as it’s affordable and it works. Well a lot of these vendors tonight let me believe it is possible.  I really didn’t know what to expect at first but what a fun night this turned out to be! I will share a few things I learned and give you all the websites to these amazing stores and the wonderful people I met tonight.

Tonight my friend, Lisa, joined me because we all know ladies its fun when you have a friend to go with. She was the perfect friend to ask!

I am always ready to learn something new about beauty, fashion or whatever is going to make me look better and younger! LOL! Who doesn’t want to know that, except my teenager who thinks she knows everything?! Okay…enough of the tweener talk.  Let’s talk shop. These are the booths that attended tonight:

Village/Health Club & Spas:  Mandy Campbell (Group Exercise/Pilates Director) about took me to another level in exercising! She taught me a little bit about Pilates tonight.  Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany, the UK and the USA. As of 2005, there were 11 million people practicing the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the United States.  Thank you Wikipedia for the definition.  With Pilates you use your mind to control your muscles which increases your strength, flexibility and control of your body.  Well I found out fast that I need to really work on the flexibility part but I burned a little bit of calories as Lisa and I was sweating as we were holding our legs up in the air and switching it back and forth as our necks were tucked in and hands were extended at our sides moving them up and down in a fast pace.  It was just as much as a workout as you are reading this difficult definition of what we were doing! LOL! What I am trying to say is that if you want to do some serious Pilates look Mandy up. She is the real deal and she works over at the Village/Health Club in Scottsdale.

The next vendor that interests me was Planet Beach.  They have fantastic creams and lotions, drinks, and a whole spa that will leave your body feeling younger. I was really interested because after having three children and I am getting older, I would love to have something, actually anything that will make my body feel firmer and to get rid of cellulite!  They promise just that.  I get a free week for just tonight so I will let you know how that goes, so stay tuned.

Threading: I visited with Gina Bagby, Director of VIP Services, who works at the W Scottsdale Events and she told me I had to check out her girl who threads. Have you heard of it?  Joy Morjaria is her name and she really cleaned my eyebrows up with a method called threading. She uses this white string and moves it along your face to get rid of unwanted hair.  She reshapes your eyebrows so that it looks natural.  Her advice to me was that my eyebrows were too thin and too round. I agreed with her so she told me that I needed to grow it out in two weeks and come back to her.  She also told me to put Vaseline on my eyebrows to have it grow faster. Wow! Glad to know that little tad bit! Joy was just an awesome lady and she will be seeing me again in two weeks because after she reshaped my eyebrows, I could really see the difference.  I also met her awesome niece Risha who was there helping her.  Joy, for fifteen dollars to reshape my brows….I will definitely be there! If you don’t live in the Phoenix area I hope you can locate someone close by who can do this for you. It’s really a cool technique and a another option over waxing.

Bliss: You probably already heard of this full treatment spa.  They also sell a lot of lotions and masks. Their products always smell so clean and fresh!  I got a hand treatment from Jeni Pekar, esthetician.  She applied Triple Oxygen instant Energizing Mask that felt so nice and smelled like citrus which left my hand feeling like brand new!  You can also find their products at Sephora as well.

Lulu Lemon:  This is an all workout clothing and they have a store here in Scottsdale and their clothes feel amazing! I have been to the store and love everything from workout pants, tanks, shirts and much more. The contest for one of their awesome headbands was to see who can do planks the longest.  Planks is when you hold your self up from the ground with your hands and butt down, elevating yourself straight and keeping your balance with your feet.  I have to say I am very competitive and wanted that head band so Lisa, me and this other girl was ready for the competition.  Sad to say I came in second but the girls at Lulu Lemon said we were all so great and held that position the longest girls so we all got received a free headband!  Yay!

Neuro drinks were there as well. I am a fan of these drinks. To find out more about these fun drinks click on the name and find your local store that carries them.  My favorite is Trim because it tastes great and curbs your appetite! Who doesn’t love that?!

Pop Chips: These are great “Popped” chips that I thought was so yummy! I tried the barbecue bag and it was really yummy! One bag is 100 calories and there is no Trans fat or saturated fat. I enjoyed this snack very much! Try a bag if you can’t put down your current bag of chips! This one might be a healthier choice.

Another thing I want to try this year is spray tan.  Just to even everything out.  Bella Bronze is the company of choice this evening and they come to you so she had the tent and the spray ready in hand.  I wish I was clothed better for this one but I was not. I will have to wait another day when I could get in my bikini and get sprayed! I learned that you should probably do it in the morning because you can’t get wet or wear tight clothing for six to eight hours after you get sprayed.  You can still go into the sun and there are no streaks or funny discoloration. I was intrigued. I hope I get that done before a Vegas trip in the summer! I will keep you posted on this as well!

I met so many people and fun ideas to keep in shape and look your best! No wonder why all the celebrities look fantastic! You could too just a click away on to finding what is best and affordable for you! So make your wish and make it happen in 2011! Happy New Year everyone!

NEW YORK CITY, NY (October 25, 2010) – Last night in NYC at the bath and beauty Molton Brown Store in Midtown, designer Edwing D’Angelo held a night of fashion hosted by Broadway’s FELA star Saycon Sengbloh.

This ‘Night of Extravagance’ was not your typical fashion event with a runway and model cat walk, but more of an intimate showcase of Edwing D’Angelo’s most recent designs.  Around the lavender aroma smelling Molton Brown store were displays of what seemed to be the designers fall 2010 collection of evening dresses.  With a young, chic edge to his looks it is easy to see why FELA star Saycon Sengbloh is a fan of the designers work and was pleased to host the event. Saycon Sengbloh commented on the designs by saying “Edwing’s dresses are elegant and super fun to wear.”

My personal favorite of the night was piece displayed in the stores front entrance.  It is a little over the top but that was what I admired most about it.  I can see musicians and celebrities such as Beyonce, Hilary Swank or Jessica Biel walking down the red carpet in this dress with the exposed back and dramatic train of ruffles.

This new idea of taking fashion off the runway and showcasing it to an audience in a smaller setting is a new trend in the industry.  It allows people to appreciate the detail like works of art. Additionally it a bonus by being able to have the event at a beauty store like Edwing D’Angelo did at Molton Brown, having fashion and beauty together under one roof is a power combo. Overall the event was packed with friends, press, Broadway starlets and close family members; with that being said the night was a NYC hit and you can tell everyone was having a great time by the scarcity of wine!

Got your FNO schedule of fun planned out yet? Don’t forget to add this to the list. I went last year and it was so much fun meeting Michelle who autographed a Milly for Clinique bag!

Come join Clinique and Milly for a celebration of fashion and beauty and enter to win a pair of tickets to the Milly fashion show during New York Fashion Week! Anyone who attends the event has a chance to win.  No purchase is necessary.  Attendees can also sip champagne while Clinique Consultants pamper them with makeup looks that match their favourite Milly design, chat one-on-one with Michelle Smith and have the designer autograph their limited-edition Milly for Clinique bag.

The one-of-a-kind Milly for Clinique cosmetics clutch is filled with Clinique’s best of fall beauty and is available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s counters nationwide and at Bloomingdales.com with any purchase of $25 or more beginning September 1^st through September 19^th.

If that’s not enough Clinique fun for you, here’s additional Clinique Events during Fashion’s Night Out:

“Friday Date Night”:
What: Clinique hosts “Friday Date Night” to celebrate Fashion’s Night Out.  Consumers are invited to bring their significant others to get
their skin pampered and learn great skin care tips for both Women and Men.
Where: Clinique counter at Lord & Taylor, Fifth Avenue NYC and Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills
When: Friday, September 10th from 5-7pm

“Makeup Bag Confessions”:
What: Do you need help organizing your makeup bag? Let our Clinique experts take a peek into your bag and help you create your best look for fall.
Where: Clinique counter at Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Beverly Hills, Macy’s Herald Square, Macy’s Kings Plaza, Macy’s Parkchester, Macy’s Rego Park and Macy’s Staten Island
When: Friday, September 10th from 5-7pm