November 9th, 2015 at 6am…… is the day we launch the brand new WWW.LAURADUNN.COM. We have taken everything you love about www.fabulous365.com and we are giving it a new name and a new home. While we all loved the name Fabulous365…. this blog is such a huge part of my life, my world, my heart and my soul, we thought it only fitting to change the name to….
Laura Dunn.
As a model and actress, I have spent my entire adult life in front of the camera in one form or another. I started Fabulous365.com over 5 years ago as a way to share the information I have learned along the way. I use my many years in the fashion industry as a roadmap to help guide others on how to live a healthier and more fashionable life. I do not pretend to be an expert on any subject…. what I am an expert on is research. I research, research and then research some more on every single thing I write about. I will never write about a product unless I have personally tried it. I never will write about an item of clothing unless I have personally worn it, nor will I ever write about a service unless I have used it and know that 100% it works. I bring this blog to you because I love to help people…. and if in just the smallest way, I can help change your life… I have done my job well. I pour my heart and soul into into every photo and word on these pages. I love this blog so much and I hope with all my heart that translates to you My Most Beautiful Readers.
So….. with all that said….We so hope you will join us Monday as we launch the brand new….
I am going to give you a list of 6 foods that will help us all sleep better tonight. Why all the hype on sleep? Why are all the experts touting the benefits of sleeping 8 hours? For one… it is proven that sleeping 8 hours…. beyond a shadow of a doubt…. is one of our best weapons in the war on anti-aging. Please note the difference on how you look after a poor nights sleep verses a great nights sleep. Two nights ago I slept a whopping 3 hours. The next day my skin looked dried out and crepey, my hair looked dry and lifeless and my complexion was sallow and gray. That alone is enough to have me consuming the foods that I am about to tell you about. But let me go just a little further and give you another 10 proven reasons that we NEED SLEEP!
1. We will be happier…. Research has shown that lack of sleep has a significant impact on our moods
3. We will be able to build more muscle…. No sleep…. no muscle.
4. Research shows that we learn better with 8 hours
5. We need sleep to lose weight…. between this and anti-aging, I am so in!! It was proven in a 13 year study that our bodies go through hormonal changes with sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep stimulates our appetite… OMG!!
6. Less Anxiety and Depression. I am usually filled with anxiety if I don’t get enough sleep. Add in depression… and I am walking dead without at least 7 hours.
7. Better skin… In a study published in Experimental Dermatology, it was found that the good sleepers recovered faster after ultraviolet exposure and showed fewer signs of aging.
8. Speaking Easy… Staying awake too long can cause us to get punch drunk causingslurred speech, repetitive word usage and a slow monotonous tone.
9. More productive and more focused…. Research says: Attention tasks appear to be sensitive to sleep loss.
10. Better Sleep-Better Sight…. Our vision is not as sharp if we are tired. Ranging from double vision to tunnel vision.
So now that we know that sleeping is an absolute MUST. Let me give you 6 super foods that will help lull us to La La Land.
There you go My Most Beautiful Peeps…. 6 ways to a better nights sleep and 10 reasons to eat all 6!!
It’s 2pm, two days before my birthday and I am leaving for San Francisco in the morning. My hairdresser asks me if I would like long hair for my birthday…. and of course a girl that’s had short hair her entire adult life of course would say…. “YES!!” I tell him I had the sew-in type many years ago and I tried the Great Lengths a couple of years ago and both had the same outcome…. within 48 hours all extensions were removed. I have so much hair on my head so it was a painful and very heavy experience. The extension team explained that they use the tape-in kind and it would be a much easier and no pain. My hair was carefully matched and we decided on a few different shades of blonde to give my hair more depth. I came back a few hours later to start the 4 hour process. Let’s get started on how to go from short to long in just a few hours….
1. Sections were made horizontally in my hair starting at the base of my neck.
2. A tape extension was placed onto my hair on one side, then repeated it on the other side of the same section. Then a flat iron and secured the two extensions together with heat.
3. The extension specialist went through my entire head with one inch sections while securing my hair in between the two hair extensions. Leaving the hair at the crown of my head untouched so it could cover all the extensions.
Placing the extensions closer to the scalp will help them last longer…. 6-8 weeks. Mine will most likely last for 6 weeks due to them being lower on my hair. When the extension specialist finished, I was off to my the hairdresser to have him thin out the hair and shape it to a naturally looking long hair cut. The whole process look 4 hours and if I didn’t have as much hair (I have more hair than the average person) it would have taken 2 hours… start to finish.
I have had the extensions in for almost a month now. Do I like them? I have had it cut 4 times already trying different hair styles…. and it took me a couple of weeks to get used to dealing with such a great amount of hair. But all in all I absolutely adore having long hair! So much fun and I know if I get tired of it… it will take us an hour to get it out. The best of both worlds!!
Love,
Laura Dunn
DISCLAIMER: I paid full price for this entire process. This is a story about my personal journey from short to long. This is not an advertisement.
I was at a fashion event two months ago, when I spied Saks Fifth Avenue store director, Pamela Levine. To say she looked amazing would be an understatement – her face was positively aglow! I dashed over to find out what was added to the mix and what could cause such a profound difference. Without hesitation she said…. “Trish McEvoy Instant Eye Lift.” I pondered for a moment and we discussed that it was the only thing she added in… that was different. From that moment on I realized that our under eyes play a very, very important roll in our entire appearance. So I quickly started my research on the best of the best… under eye concealers. Let’s get started…..
First up… and top of my list is the Award Winning “Advanced Mineral Makeup Perfecting Concealer.”
This perfecting concealer is 100% pigment and can also be used as a camouflage on skin with acne or hyper-pigmentation, will not clog pores, and will not settle into fine lines and wrinkles. 100% VEGAN. Advanced Mineral Makeup Perfecting Concealer Imparts a luminescence under the eyes and reflects light, making undereyes appear youthful and hydrated. It’s a bit thick so I mix with a dab of my DNA Eye Cream. Perfect mixture…. perfect concealer!
Second up…. we have the “Trish McEvoy Instant Eye Lift.”
A breakthrough under-eye treatment that brightens darkness as it reduces the look of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging and puffiness for the appearance of a dramatically lifted eye. Long-wear and oil-free. It’s my quick go to under eye treatment and for that I cannot thank you enough Pamela Levine!
Third….. and last but by no means least the “Light Fantastic Cellular Concealing Brightening Eye Treatment.”
It glides on with the whisk of the brush and brightens and smoothes like a dream!
There you go! After a solid 2 months of daily trials…. these are our top picks for under eye concealers.
Using 365,000 pulses of ultrasound, the JeNu Infuser is a revolutionary way to infuse product into our skin. I received my Infuser a month ago…. and of course couldn’t get it charged quick enough! Thankfully it was so simple to charge by just attaching the unit to a futuristic wall device (that came with the device) and…. 20 minutes later I was up and running. I used the MicroSphere Conducting Gel that came with my JeNu and my DNA Eye Renewal, eye cream 3 nights in a row and could actually see a difference after the first application. By night 3 I was sold…. hook, line and sinker. The best part of the Infuser? The automatic shut off. After 60 seconds the hand-held device will turn itself off so you know that area is done… and it’s time to move on to the next part of your face. After I finished my eyes (all the way around) I started in on my upper lip (also with the DNA Eye Renewal) and 60 seconds later it was stunning. As you know… we all have such different skin… so what works well on your skin may not work so well on mine and vice versa. But after pouring through so many reviews on the JeNu…. it looks like we just may have a serious winner on our hands.
www.jenu.com
or visit our Boutique page or click the links below!
When I booked our last minute trip to Kauai (we had to cancel a planned trip to Istanbul) I was not expecting much…nor was I planning on writing about the trip. I have been to Hawaii 18 times and many of them were on photo shoots. The last time I was in Kauai was so many years ago…. that I won’t even go there. To be frankly honest…. our last trip to Lanai was such a disaster we made a vow to never return to Hawaii. The Four Seasons on Lanai was so tired and so old that we all felt they should have burned it to the ground (it’s under new ownership now and it’s being completely renovated… yay!). When we arrived on Kauai and I had forgotten just how stunningly beautiful this island is. I was not expecting much in the resort department and I am glad I didn’t. That’s not what this island is about. This island is about beaches, outdoor adventure and the sheer beauty of this magnificent island. With all that said…. I want to give you a few must Do’s and must See’s on this ever so magical island of Kauai.
We drove past Nana’s 3 times expecting… I don’t know what…. but something a little bigger that the tiny little trailer that was present in the strip mall parking lot it resided in. Finally we found the Yelp “5 star” Nana’s Snack Shack. Nana had just gotten there and she didn’t skip a beat when we ordered our 18 items. Starting with the best smoothies and acai bowls my family has ever tasted, on to the waffle hot dog (a hot dog baked into a waffle) which my husband Steve, said it was the best hot dog he has ever had. My teriyaki chicken sandwich on Hawaiian sweet bread was so good that I think I moaned. A wrap, another sandwich and finishing off with Nana’s chocolate Kit Kat covered frozen banana…. Giving Nana’s 5 stars would be an insult… this little roadside stand is such a gem we went twice and everyone wanted to go everyday! Nana is culinary roadside genius!!
4-971 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI 96746
Going on a helicopter tour was the last thing I wanted to do on the perfect mid-trip day. Beach yes! Out-voted yes! So helicopter we did…. and OMG I am so happy I was out-voted! To see Kauai by helicopter is one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. Beau’s fiancé James, grew up flying in helicopters all over New Zealand and at one point told our captain it was the most beautiful scenery he has ever experienced. I had to agree. I can’t even verbalize the vivid visual beauty we witnessed. There are 14 amazing waterfalls on Kauai and seeing them from a helicopter is like a beautiful dream. Add in the fact that we had to go through training with Blue Hawainan to board that copter… and I would have to say it was the best and safest helicopter experience of my life.
www.bluehawaiian.com
Tunnels is the most beautiful snorkeling experience on the Na Pali Coast (north island) with a beautiful natural reef. I laid on the beach while my people snorkeled. The 360 degree view was absolutely stunning with a mountain range sitting just behind the ocean… making it a surreal backdrop. To see the most fish…. head to Lawai Beach aka: the Beach House in PoiPu. There is also a great restaurant also called the Beach House with fabulous lunch right next to the beach.
Chickens where everywhere! Hahahaha I have never in my life have I seen so many chickens running around any island. Adorable, but they have fleas so enjoy from afar! My chicken photo op turned into flea bite city.
We found the the best Shave Ice on the way to Princeville from Poipu (south to north). Wailua Shave Ice uses the finest Japanese ice grinder to finely shave their ice… and use only real fruit and fruit juices. Add in some milk and Viola!… the perfect shaved ice! To say we were in shave ice heaven is an understatement.
I just switched out “Shaved Ice” for “Shave Ice” after we were informed by “Shave” in our comment section. Thank you so much for letting us know! I had no idea!!
xoxox
The best dinner on the island comes from Merriman’s Fish House. Don’t let the fact that this farm fresh to table restaurant is in a cute little mall confuse you. We discovered Marriman’s 2 nights before we were leaving and managed to squeeze in 3 dinners (one on the way to the airport)… it was that good! Everything we ate at Merriman’s was amazing. From the Kalua Pig Quesodilla to the fresh beet salad that tasted like it was just pulled from the ground. There is a casual restaurant below the finer dining option below that serves gourmet burgers and pizza. AMAZING!
2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Rd, Koloa, HI 96756
Phone:(808) 742-8385
Ask me to off road…. Never. Ask me to go with other people on a tour… Never. Ask me to purposely get filthy dirty… Never. I guess never say never as somehow I ended up with my family at Kipu Ranch one beautiful afternoon. We went on a group off road adventure through a massive cattle ranch and I must say we had a blast! My husband was kind enough to let me drive so I could feel in control as a few times I wasn’t sure how we were going to make it out alive. Exciting… fun and really really dirty!
235 Kipu Rd, Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 246-9288
The Blue Hole Sea Caves and The Queens Bath Princeville are two of the most important visual wonders on Kauai. We saw both from the air, but due to weather conditions we were unable to see by foot or boat. A visit to both will be first up on our next Kauai adventure.
There are so many beautiful and swimmable beaches in Kauai, that my feeling is to look a few up on The Beaches Map and just go for it.
Any one of the many, many roadside juice stands will have a fresh chilled coconut for your hydrating pleasure!
p.s. Renting a car, suv or jeep on Kauai is essential. Plan on driving around and exploring this island for at least half of your trip. There is just way too much beauty to miss if you don’t.
“Tech Neck” is the newest ailment to result from modern technology found in people who own an average of 3 devices. But in fact, owning just one device (a cell phone) and using it incorrectly will do the trick. The repeated bending of the neck is causing creasing, wrinkles and crepey skin in men and women at a younger and younger age. “The problem of wrinkles and sagging of the jowls and neck used to begin in late middle age but, in the last 10 years, because of ‘tech neck’, it has become a problem for a generation of younger women,” said Dr Christopher Rowland Payne, a consultant dermatologist at The London Clinic. Add in the fact that most people tend to forget to use sunscreen on the neck and dermatologists around the world are reporting men and women coming in at a much younger age (18 to 39 years of age) to address aging necks.
How do we avoid “Tech Neck?” Holding our devices at 0 degrees (as shown in the chart above) will help us avoid wrinkling and creasing. I write with my laptop in bed so my posture and neck position is just about as bad as it gets. I have had issues with my neck for a couple of years since I had a TCA peel done by a very well known plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills that went south. The peel caused wrinkling and crepey skin that was not there before…. and then compound that with the bending over a computer screen daily and using my cell phone incorrectly. It’s been a recipe for NECK aging disaster!
Dr. Derek Jones is a world renowned leader in the field of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. An Associate Professor of Dermatology at UCLA and Founder and Medical Director SCLP Beverly Hills.
Dr. Derek Jones and I put together a strategy to combat “Tech Neck.” Our first line of defense and the start of “Operation No Mas Tech Neck” was to inject my neck with the dermal filler Belotero. A smaller molecule injectable and a product that is easier to mold than most of the other injectables. Dr. Jones used a cannula (a fine needle that is inserted under the skin to treat a large area) to fill in the lager creases and start the process of filling in the crepey areas. This is our second time filling, as we are trying to build up the product under the skin. It’s a process, but one where I am getting immediate gratification as the results are fantastic. We most likely will inject a few more times before we start up with the lasers. Treating the neck is not easy as the skin is so thin, delicate and there is not a lot of fat. When treating the neck, please avoid at all costs anything that will decrease fat. A few months back I tried the Ulthera at another doctor’s office, a laser that is touted as a skin tightener. I do believe that The Ulthera melted some of the fat in my neck creating more wrinkles and more creases. When dealing with the face and neck PLEASE make sure to go to only the best dermatologist in your area.
Please stay tuned as I will be reporting back on each process I try in the war against Tech Neck and aging!! At this point…. two thumbs up for dermal fillers in the neck.
Love,
Laura Dunn
DISCLOSURE: I paid full price for all of my treatments with Dr. Derek Jones. This is not an advertisement in any form. This is my personal journey and I am hoping to help and enlighten on the war against neck aging.
I threw down the gloss, picked up the LACQUER…. and I liked it…. the taste of that gooey gloss-stick! For me to set down my Chanel Glossimer… and pick up, try on and actually leave the house in a new gloss…. is nothing short of a miracle! And that is something that’s NOW happening on a daily basis. To know me…. is to know that I don’t leave the house without a gloss in my pocket! Then… last week…. in walks into my life…. Smith & Cult LipLacquer. Let me digress….
I recieved a stunning box last week, filled with eight of the glossiest, gooiest and freaking down right perfect colors of glosses that I have ever seen. “The Shinning” is a collection of 8 lip glosses by Smith & Cult…. the amazing women that started “Hard Candy” nail polish in the 90’s, and then went on to create Smith & Cult Nail Lacquers earlier this year. With names like… Fade The Sun, Her Name Bubbles, The Lovers and The Queen is Dead… how can we not fall head over heels? The Shinning is a continuation of the Smith & Cult nail lacquers line and just the beginning of a Beauty Love Story that will hopefully go on forever…. and ever….
With my nails and lips covered…. what will these amazing women come up with next?
The hottest sunglasses of Summer 2015….. The Dior “So Real.” If you want to sit in the front row of the trend wagon…. pop a pair of these babies on…. simple, easy & stunningly fabulous. Made of metal and plastic…. these Dior sunglasses come in three different colors… black (black with an insanely fabulous two tone lens) Havana (brown) & Paladium (silver). I purchased the silver and I must say they are totally brining out my inner Andy Warhol.
Between $485.00 & $560.00
The Classic Aviator
You have seen these classic Porsche Aviators on me in so many different photos. They come with black and brown interchangeable lenses. Easy to pop in and out… so easy to wear and classically beautiful. Bringing out my inner Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
I recently read an article in a very well-known health magazine and was so freaking excited to share that story with you…. that I just had to tell my daughter Beau first. When I excitedly explained to her my story… she laughed hysterically and said she had already heard this information at Pepperdine. As photographer, Ana and I were shooting… I told her what today’s story was about…. and she too laughed out loud! She also learned about this information at University of Miami. WHAT? Where was this info when I was in college?
Pineapple & Sex?
Let’s talk Pineapple My Most Beautiful Peeps!
Let’s first talk science…. according to my many days of research on this topic…. there is not a lot of scientific evidence to support what I am about to say, but in a study done on the blog www.porkandgin.com (hahaha are you laughing? cause I am!) it confirmed the next sentence. Eating pineapple and other sweet fruits will help our nether regions (aka: vaginas) smell and taste sweeter. Yum! Since an important component of the odor is caused by sweat…. foods that cause our sweat to be more odiferous will most likely do the same for our vag. If we are ingesting foods with strong odors like garlic, curry or asparagus…. it’s a good possibility that it will translate to the smell in our vaginal area. According to many other sources – same goes for boy’s semen. Keeping clean and dry down there is also a MUST for odor control and personal hygiene. Here are a few other ways to keep our privates clean and working perfectly….
5 Vagina Rules
So let’s re-cap….
Follow the “5 Vagina Rules” and why would we NOT want to consume as many sweet fruits as possible to keep the Vag smelling and tasting sweet. Just PLEASE remember…. sweet fruits are just that… sweet and filled with fruit sugars…. so eat in moderation for your diet. We can also add to that sweet list: ORGANIC Kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, mango, green tea and parsley. PLEASE NOTE…. if sweet foods make for a sweet smell and taste… remember the stinky foods can cause stink. Another notable…. smoking can cause the “bits” to smell like an ash-tray… who wants ashy smelling bits?
