Archive for January, 2010
Downtown Phoenix in NY Times
Sunday’s New York Times Travel section highlight none other than downtown Phoenix for the galleries, bars and public market.
Good Egg Award: Best brow-tamer
Best brow-tamer: Koltton Fox @ Stephen Paul Salon
I like Koltton Fox, brow shaper extraordinaire, and not just because he tamed my rough eyebrows.
I visited Fox at his studio in the Stephen Paul Salon in downtown Scottsdale. As I situated myself on his plush table, sounds of ocean waves crashed in the background. “When did you last pluck? When were you last waxed?” he asked as he sized them up.
“It’s been awhile,” I said, an understatement.
With that, he started applying wax.
I jumped right in asking him how he got into the brow biz. Fox is a pretty strapping, young-ish dude. I might be guilty of stereotyping, but he’s not really the kind of guy I’d take for a talented aesthetician.
“I started out in aviation — and did some stupid things as a kid — and couldn’t go back.”
Okay…there’s some unexpected candor.
As he considers my brow follicles, I pepper him with more questions about his work. Fox is also a facialist, and has his own product line of face and body products coming out soon.
He volunteers at the Children’s hospital, where he noticed that many patients have skin problems — to the point of not wanting to be touched. This spurred him to add Nicitinic Acid, a B vitamin, to his body products, making them good for extremely sensitive skin.
He has an interest in Chinese herbology, which explains the addition of Fo Ti, a common herb used in Chinese healing, to his body products.
The body line will be mostly vegan.
I’m liking him more and more.
He continues painstakingly plucking, intermittantly asking if I’m okay. (I was. I didn’t feel a thing).
When he’s done with the shaping, he offers some suggestions about putting my best brows forward: Maybe a little powder here and here will fill out the sparse spots.
So I won’t look like you took a face-first trip across a long carpet, he pats a little SPF concealer over the area to tone the redness down.
He’d like to see me with slightly thinner brows…but will wait until he’s seen how they grow — until he knows them better.
He will get to know them better.
Koltton Fox at Stephen Paul Salon
7045 E. 3rd Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 603-1002
Phoenix things-to-do: January 29-31
FRIDAY
Chinese Lantern Festival @ Phoenix Public Market
Bring a paper lantern (from Cost Plus?) to hang in honor of friends and community at the Market. I’ve never seen it done here before — but it sounds lovely.
Phoenix Public Market
14 E. Pierce
Phoenix, AZ 85004
5 p.m.
Free
***
Shameless @ Cherry Pit Lounge
Do you know what your Friday night needs? Flaming nipple tassles.
Enjoy a performance featuring Pyra Sutra (and aforementioned tassles), aerial acrobatics, burlesque and the dance stylings of a blogging fave. Accompany all that shimmying with a couple of $3 Black Cherry Vodka drinks and you’ve got yourself an interesting night.
Cherry Pit Lounge
411 S. Mill Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85281
8 p.m.
$12 (or dress up in a sexy military costume and take $2 off.)
***
The Music of Led Zeppelin & Queen @ Dodge Theatre
Phoenix Symphony joins a full rock band and vocals to present their takes Led Zeppelin and Queen’s powerful rock ‘n roll styles.
Dodge Theater
400 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ
877-598-6671
Tickets: $22-62
SATURDAY
Sidewalk sale @ The Rowdy Boutique
Designer winter items will be discounted to make way for fabulous new spring fashions. If that’s not enough, they’ll also have massages, margaritas and bites from local fave, Carolina’s.
The Rowdy Boutique
4717 N. 7th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85013
***
Source Victoria @ Yucca Tap Room
Listen to Brendon Murphy’s soulful singing in the newly renovated Tap Room. Not familiar? Get a sampling of one of my favorite songs, “Black Luck, Black Label.”
Yucca Tap Room
29 W. Southern Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85282
480-967-4777
9 p.m.
Free!
SUNDAY
Shop 75% off winter items @ Frances
You can count on finding unique clothes, accessories and gifts at this super-cute local boutique. Such savings, however, are unheard of!
Frances Vintage
10 W. Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ
Charlotte Gainsbourg is my girl crush
Can you imagine being in the position to declare, “I’d like to work with (insert influential artist here)” and suddenly, you’re in his studio creating art with aforementioned artiste?
Charlotte Gainsbourg can.
The actress, singer and progeny of super cool ’60s icons Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin has recently collaborated with Beck to create new music featuring her barely-a-whisper vocal style.
Daily Candy recently posted a video from their new album. I’m a fan.
Photo from http://www.charlottegainsbourg.com
Making a sock monkey
I barely have time for all the things I need to do on a daily basis — so it goes without saying that there are very few crafty endeavors in my current schedule.
Trolling craft sites is like a weird form of masochism. For some reason it gives me pleasure seeing how more productive and creative people spend their time.
They spend their time making their own sock monkeys.
In my perfect world, I’ll be surrounded by sock monkeys of my own creation, like these cute ones from A Beautiful Mess.
Angering the spinach
My spinach is far from thriving.
It grew into these densely packed little piles and then just…stopped.
When I explained my growing woes with a more experienced gardener, she gave me some advice, “You might want to cut some leaves off. Make it angry.”
Make it angry eh?
I chopped off a bunch of leaves for a delicious sandwich. That should have smarted.
We’ll see if I have veggies with a vengeance.
Sundance style
I’m a fan of Dakota Fanning’s (far left) warm-yet-cool ensemble at this year’s Sundance as seen on PopSugar. It consists of:
- Concert t-shirt
- Knit vest
- Faded black jeans
- Beanie
- Combat boots (not shown)
It’s stylish, comfortable — and would probably look good regardless of your size — and age.
Here’s a reasonable fascimile:
- David Bowie Burnout T-shirt, $69 (or pair a short-sleeved version with a long t-shirt for a more inexpensive look)
- Chrysalis Vest, $78
- Les Halles Black Distressed Jeans, $72
- Studded Vintage Combat Boot, $388
- Space Dye Eco Beret, $24
