BEAUTY

THE BEST BEAUTY BAR IN AUSTIN

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A couple weeks ago, I was invited to attend an event at Parlor Beauty Bar. Lots of sweet ladies in the blogosphere got together to check out the styling salon - located on Austin’s east side.

Their mission is to build a fun environment to gather with friends, shut off the outside world, and have your beauty needs serviced under one roof. My experience was just that.

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I was met with a pink carpet as I walked up to the door situated just off East 6th and Comal.

Every square inch of this beauty bar is Instagram worthy. Charlotte, the owner, traded my bag for a glass of champagne and gave me the cutest kimono to wear while my services were performed.

Isn’t getting your hair shampooed the most relaxing feeling in the world? I wish I always had someone to shampoo my hair. And, well, now I kinda do. Meet Kelsey! She’s a shampoo and blowout queen. We  bonded over the fact I have a Weimaraner and she always had the same breed of dog growing up as a kid.

After we decided on “Victoria Secret” hair, she shampooed my hair and brought me back to the cutest chair. She Went. To. Work. Blowdrying. Applying products. Round brushing. Curling. Pretty sure she infused some magic into my hair too because when I stood up the volume was REAL. I felt like my hair was going to float away. It was so light and bouncy. Charlotte even gave me some great tips on how to get my blowout to last as long as possible. What's the secret? Dry shampoo, of course. Dry shampoo solves all life's problems. 

I got a chance to mingle with some others girls, and honestly, it was great to step outside my comfort zone. I've been in Austin for two and a half years and it's good to meet new people. But, sometimes it can be tough. Parlor Beauty Bar is a great place to meet up with the girls before you hit the town, or maybe before you head out to meet a date. There's lots going on in East Austin. Plenty of bars and restaurants line the streets near Parlor Beauty Bar. I think it would be so much fun to book a girl's night out here to get pampered before heading downtown.

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Parlor Beauty Bar not only offers blowouts but lots of other services including:

Brows/Microblading
Lashes
Makeup
Skin Care
Nails
Spray Tanning
Waxing

The next Parlor Beauty I met was Brittany. Her makeup kit was enviable. She knows how to work a makeup brush. I am a makeup junkie, and I am a firm believer that makeup should be fun. So, when Brittany consulted me on what I wanted, I said I was open to anything, and I meant it. Brittany suggested glitter liner, and I was GAME.  After all, I had a B-I-G night planned...movies on the couch with my dog since my boyfriend, Kyle, was in NYC for business.

Y'all. I felt like it was a crime to go home to sit on my couch that night. My confidence was through the roof. The ladies made us all feel so welcome, and it was such a great experience. I'll let you in on a little secret. I've never been to a salon that strictly focuses on styling and general beauty prior to this, but now I'm hooked. We live in a fast world, and I think the importance of pausing to do little things for yourself is extremely crucial to staying balanced.

I really appreciate Charlotte and the staff opening the doors to us that night. They were wonderfully gracious hosts. I'll be back soon.  A final thank you to the sweetest Alicia at Love-Li for organizing this meetup with all the Austin Blogger Babes! 

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XO,

Kimberly

It's Not Even My Birthday

birthday-freebies

I celebrated my 28th birthday on April 29th. So, I'm a little late getting this up. BUT! Today IS Kyle's birthday, and I thought I’d curate a few things you have to do on or before your birthday! Truth to told, I spend so much time thinking of all these grand birthday ideas, then in classic Kimberly fashion, I wait until the last minute to decide on a plan. Ugh! Maybe one year, I’ll plan a really big party for myself. Although, truly all I want for my birthday is to spend time with people I love + people that love me. Lucky for me, I was pleasantly surprised with just that -- a table full of my friends at Italic for dinner. Dinner was so yummy!

It was the best part of my day! :)

However, scoring some free goodies on your CAKE DAY can’t hurt either, which is why I present the list below. It’s sure to make your day extra special. 

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  • Sephora Birthday Gift - Be part of the Beauty Rewards program. Then, anytime during the month of your birthday you can claim your birthday gift. There were two options this year. Either a Tarte or Caudlie set - and an option for gents by Jack Black (online only). I chose the Tarte set which includes a mini Taretist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in “Birthday Suit” + a mini Amazonian Clay 12-HR Blush in “Paaarty”.

  • Ulta Birthday Gift - To receive Ulta’s birthday gift, you must be signed up for their loyalty/reward program. Then, wait until you get the email from them to claim your gift in-store. This actually annoyed me a little because I stopped in to pick up some other items, and couldn’t claim my gift because I hadn’t gotten the email. I’m still looking for that email, Ulta. :/

  • Rewards Programs - You know all those rewards programs you sign up for with some bogus email address. Am I the only one with an email address specifically for promos?! :) Well, your birthday is usually the time to cash in on birthday offers. So, be on the lookout for text messages or notifications from all the programs you participate in.

  • Starbucks - If you’re waiting to register a gift card as part of their Rewards program, WHY?! Now, in my opinion, Starbucks isn’t the best coffee. (I’m a total coffee snob!) But, I still go regularly, and I’m not above getting a free drink or food item on my birthday! :)

  • Alamo Drafthouse - Austinites, sign up for the Alamo Victory Program. You get a free ticket on your birthday, and even more awesome rewards the more you visit!

  • Check Your Email - Payless, Panera, MyoMassage, CheapoAir, Tiny Prints ….the list goes on. All these companies sent me birthday coupons, deals, and offers. So, search “birthday” in your inbox, and don’t miss out on all the awesome birthday-inspired deals.

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What do you prefer - a quite lowkey birthday OR do you celebrate the entire month?!
Haha! Also, comment if you know of any other birthday freebies. 

stay tuned... next post, I'm sharing
my trip to CABO! 

XO, Kimberly