Self Tanning Mitt

We all know that lying in the sun and in tanning beds is horrible for your skin, and yet summer after summer we still want a nice tan and sacrifice our skin for it. Sure self tanners are available, but they are a pain in the butt! You always end up with streaks, smelling funny and orange fingers.

Well, recently, my sister-in-law Nicky and I tried our hands at self tanner again, but this time we were armed with a Self Tanning ULTA Sunless Mitt. I definitely think this is an AWESOME , CHEAP and EASY solution to avoiding orange hands and streaks! The mitt only costs $4.99, and it's totally reusable. All you have to do is rinse it with soap and water and lay it flat to dry.

You can use the mitt with lotion, foam and spray tanners. It rubs the product perfectly into your skin and makes everything nice and even. Give self tanners a try one more time with this mitt. I promise you'll become a fan. Now if only we can find a self tanning product that doesn't smell horrible...

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray

It's beach season! YAY! I'm finally headed out to the east coast this week, and I couldn't be more excited to see my family and swim, swim, swim. I'm also excited to get some more use out of my new favorite hair product, Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray.

This product has been on the market a long time, and I've never used it simply because I thought it was ridiculously expensive for such a small bottle. I still think it's pretty expensive, BUT after trying almost 20 different curly hair products so far this one takes the cake.

Why you ask? Well, I don't have to use ANY other products with it. All it takes is five sprays or so on damp hair. Add a blow dryer and defuse your hair upside down...Voila! My hair is voluminous, soft, curly and smells awesome!

You can find this product at Sephora.

Purple Eyes & Red Lips

Sometimes I wish I could see the future, and there are definitely times I wish I had this power in the fashion industry. It has been said that Anna Wintour posses this gift, but I don't have any desire to be in that woman's shoes. So, I'm going to stick with aspiring to become a great guesser. haha!

Something that has my Spidey senses tingling is the combination of purple eye shadow and red lipstick for the fall. I saw a little bit of the combo last fall, and I think the beauty industry is ready to say good-bye to the usual beauty rule of only wearing pale lips with dark eyes.

Some of you may not like this guess or idea, but I'm in the mood for some rule breaking! Are you?

Lands' End Canvas

I've been in the market for a new bathing suit since the weather started heating up. Something that you may not know about me is I'm a "one-piecer." I've been one my whole life. I've tried bikinis, but I've never felt comfortable in them and I love swimming and the beach too much to always feel uncomfortable.

This week my search for this year's swimsuit came to a close when I received my Lands' End Canvas Summerland red striped swimsuit in the mail. I LOVE IT! It has detachable straps, it fits in all of the right places and it has great coverage and support.

I've been watching Lands' End Canvas for the past year, but had yet to order anything until now. I love their prices, they always have good sales and regular free shipping codes. I also found out that Lands' End is linked to Sears, so if something doesn't fit and you would like to return it, you can actually take it to your local Sears store. Cool, eh?

The BIGGEST reason why I love this company is that their customer service and follow through is fantastic! Two weeks after placing my online order, they mailed me a handwritten thank you note. You guys, even my address and the return address was handwritten. That is SO rare these days, and I really appreciate the extra mile.

Lindsey & Josh Anniversary Shoot

I'd like to introduce you to Lindsey and Josh, a wonderful, intelligent and beautiful couple that recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary!

To help capture the milestone they hired Gina Meola Photography, as well as AVE Styles to help make them look their best.

Lindsey has a very eclectic, earthy style and Josh enjoys clean and simple. So, to please them both, I created two different ensembles for each of them that portrayed both of their tastes.

The photo shoot took place at the Montelucia Restort where they enjoyed a weekend "staycation." Both sets of outfits suited the hotel - one embodied the southwestern color palette of the surrounding mountains and the other the elegance of the architecture.

Congratulations Lindsey and Josh! Cheers to many more years of love!

Photography by Gina Meola.