I Bought a Ticket to the World, Now I've Come Back Again

Oh ladies. Ladies, ladies, ladies!  I apologize for being away for so long.  Closing up shop in Berlin was massive and then we embarked on a whirlwind tour through the USA visiting family and friends and now finally - we've arrived. We're here. Our new home in America.

And it's really hard. Super hard.

Everything is new! A new school for my son, new cultural oddities to deal with (why are supermarkets SO FREAKING HUGE? How do I choose a cereal AMONGST 100 DIFFERENT BOXES?!)New accounts to be set up - from banking to driver's licenses to fitness studios. And of course we have to find a house and buy a car.

I'm tired, overwhelmed and sad. I miss Berlin deeply and wonder if we made the right decision. I'm pretending to everyone that "it's great to be here!" but the reality is that I'm scared.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.  
~Anatole France

Love, BHB

ps: on a lighter note I'm going to a Chinese New Year's Party tomorrow night & hope to film a tutorial for the occasion!

Get Ready with Me! New Years Eve Hair & Make-Up

I hope y'all had a lovely time ring-a-ding dinging in the New Year! I'm very excited about 2012 and a new chapter in my life!

Here's a 'Get Ready with Me' video I filmed yesterday in Hamburg -but had problems uploading it- so it comes a day tardy. I'm quite a chatterbox as the video is 20 minutes long, however in my defense I tried to go into detail about products and youtube channels I'm loving

My product of the year (drum roll please..) goes to Dior DiorShow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum Seriously, you will never need fake lashes again. I'm in love and I'm shoutin' from the roof tops!

We celebrated with family last night & at midnight set off fireworks in our front yard ... quite a spectacle!

I ended up going with my standard black cocktail dress for the evening paired with a blue wooden necklace from Diwali that I bought in Paris this fall. Diwali has fabulous, colorful and affordable jewelry.

Most of the NYE activity took place in the family den playing Kinect Darts - a motion sensor game that's super fun. I actually made it to the play off round but then completely crumbled under pressure and my niece kicked my butt!

I forgot about my diet for the evening and indulged in champagne, chips & salty snacks.  It was heaven!  Having said that though - its time for me to go swimming :) 

Swim off a bit of the excess, clear my head and get mentally ready for our flight to New York tomorrow.

I wish you all a beautiful and healthy 2012. 

Goodbye Germany, I'll miss you!

My Current Hair Care Routine & Must Have Products

(gee thanks YouTube for the beautiful screen shot...)

Hair problems/issues: prone to severe dryness (especially because I color it), frizziness, major "S" shaped waves in the back but then poker straight in the front. In addition, it's rather thick & pouffy so I need to thin it out a bit every few months.

Here's a list of my current favorite products that help keep my hair in order and looking decent without any styling routines such as blow drying curling or straightening.

1. Phytonectar Shampoo:
Large bottle is $19 on Amazon and $24 at Sephora. Super concentrated, you only need a little bit! Concentrate on roots and hair ends and do not expect a big lather.

2. Tigi Color Goddess Shampoo:
This is a color protective shampoo made especially for brunettes and red heads. It does a good job at bringing out and preserving color but isn't that moisturizing.

3. Rene Furterer Karite Shampoo 

Shampoo for dry hair and scalp however I don't love their accompanying Karite conditioner. Currently looking for a new conditioner. RECOMMENDATIONS WELCOME! In the past I've used Fekkai's Protein Conditioner and may go back to that.

 4. Nuxe Mulitpurpose Oil
You've heard about this ad nauseum ... its a great hair oil!

5. Gliss Kur Leave in Conditioner Spray 
Drugstore de-tangler with lots of vitamins to strengthen your hair. Do not rinse out. What I'm gonna do without Gliss Kur in the United States?!

6. Gliss Kur Daily Oil Elixor
this adds lovely shine & conditions hair ends.

NOTE: do not put these oils (numbers 4-6) directly onto your roots & scalp. Work it into hair ends and middle of hair. Always do so on partially dried hair so you can tell if you're overdoing the amount. If you overdo the amount hair will look oily.

All items were purchased by me and I am not affiliated with any of these brands.

I would love to hear your faves! xo BHB

My Berlin Neighborhood

Here it is! A 'Day in the Life' video featuring my street "Leonhardtstrasse" in the heart of Charlottenburg! I filmed this over the past few weeks as autumn transitioned into winter, so first you see fall foliage and then stark, bare trees. 

For those of you that read German, the Tagesspiegel Newpaper did a story about my neighborhood here

Shops, parks & cafes featured in my video are listed here:

Lake Lietzensee

this lake is 5 minutes from our place & has 2 playgrounds and 2 beer gardens. Drink a beer while the kids tear it up, yeah! 
There's no swimming allowed but several other Berlin lakes are swimmer friendly. I took this photo in the summertime when everyone gets their lounge/tan on...

Radkonzept

bike repair shop which also sells handmade cycles from Patria. Owner Shaun Paul Simmons is an American who speaks excellent German and is amazingly talented with bikes. In the summer this is a fun hang out spot for cycle enthusiasts.

De Maufel Bistro

delicious food & drink mainly from Luxembourg. The best coffee to be found in Berlin! Also delightful quiches, cheeses, wines & salads. I often met my husband here for lunch as its right near his office.

FinKid

I bought all of my son's outerwear here. A Finnish brand with superior quality jackets, ski pants, hats & gloves. LOVE!

Paulinchen

Leonhardtstrasse 11

14057 Berlin

Children's second hand clothing, wagons & furniture. Excellent value and quality.

Weinhandlung Hertz

Herr Hertz knows his wine! I organized 2 incredible wine tastings at his shop and there's nothing like sitting with friends on Leonhardtstrasse late into the night.  Herr Hertz brings out maps of the regions, wood and different textures and also his partner creates a delicious food menu to accompany the tasting. (note: his English is minimal so its better to communicate in German)

Cafe Dollinger

hard core local hang out right off of stuttgarterplatz. German speciality menu & good beer selection.

Flowershop Vogt

Leonhardtstr. 6, 14057 Berlin

030/3238552  ‎Everyone was sad when Frau Vogt passed away two years ago but thankfully her flower shop continues to live on. This place is an institution on Leonhardtstrasse! Frau Vogt used to correct my German & taught me new vocabulary related to plants and flowers.
Bonita Perla Jewelry WorkshopUnfortunately my camera battery died as we began to film in front of Bonita Perla - but it's right next door to the flower store. Here you can hand make your own necklaces, earrings and bracelets. The owner Melanie is lovely, helpful, creative & so kind!  This is where I would often find inspiration and make my jewelry on rainy days.  Say "hi" from Berlin Hair Baby if you spot Melanie :-)

Cafe MansteinWitzlebenstr. 32  

14057 Berlin

This is the cafe I'm at with my son in the video. A hip spot right off of Lake Lietzensee with a delicious menu!

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my 'hood. xoxo BHB

Sultry Holiday Waves: Perfect for the Party Season

I'm bonkers for a new drugstore find: Gliss Kur Daily Oil Elixir. Its a great treatment for hair ends and delivers a nice glossy finish after styling. At only 7 euros, it's comparable to the NUXE Multipurpose Oil (which I featured here) and half the price.

Here's the entire Ultimate Repair line from Schwarzkopf. 

I'm also interested in trying the mask

This video features my latest hair styling craze: sultry waves.  This style can be casual with jeans or glam in a party dress

there's something magic about loose, tousled waves...

I achieved this look by 

1. using my BRAUN straightener (sent as an editorial sample, thank-you Braun)

2. Got2B Heat Protectant Schutz Engel

3. listening to the DUM DUM Girls 'Baby Don't Go' and getting a bit sniffly about leaving Berlin

and now, a few of our holiday decorations!

As we're moving in just a few weeks (eek! stress!)

we decided not to get a real tree but I'm loving this lil whitey 

I love my sequined suited Nutcracker and fully plan on being a crazy old lady with an extensive Nutcracker collection!

I hope you're all enjoying some early holiday cheer,

xo BHB

http://www.amazon.de/Gliss-Kur-Leave--tägliches-Öl-Elixier/dp/B005LBNA9Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323965073&sr=8-2-fkmr0

Make-up Muse: Debbie Harry

A college friend is arriving from Los Angeles tomorrow and I'm taking him straight to the cabaret. Berlin is famous for its cabarets and there's one to suit every taste - ranging from classic to nostalgic to underground. While looking through my closet for something to wear, I settled on my faux leather jacket, leggings & platforms.  Perhaps not the most exciting, true, but then I decided on a Debbie Harry inspired make-up look:

A traditional smoky eye ... on cocaine! 

Here's my amateur break-down:

1. Lots of color concentration in the crease 

2. Work the hell out of lower lid line. Line it and smoke it.  

3. Demi lashes on the outer corner for a slight cat eye.  

4. Nude lips.

5. Lots of blush contour.  Lots.

My preferred tools of the trade:

Bobby Brown Pencil in Black! You're gonna laugh - but seriously, I bought this pencil at Fred Segal in Santa Monica in 2004.  NOT KIDDING! I STILL HAVE IT AND USE IT!  Sure, its been sharpened down A LOT and is quite small, but its still amazeballs. Also love the smudge tip, perfect for my Debbie Harry look!

Heart of Glass, Live. 

ps: Blondie has fabulous hair in this video 

New Hair Cut: Face Framing Layers

While packing boxes last weekend I came across this photo of me, my sister Chaz & Grams. This photo was taken in my late 20's, so about 10 years ago. My grandmother influenced me more than anyone else on earth and I treasure this photo. She died a few years ago and I miss her so much!

Loving Grandma's python print bow tie blouse! Also I've got about $20K in gold coins around my wrist as Grams let me raid her jewelry box for the photo shoot. Like my bitten down nails? OLD HABITS DIE HARD!

This photo also made me realize that I wanted layers again so my friend (who's a wonderful hair stylist) came over and SNIP SNIP SNIP...

VOILA: Face framing layers! I like how they lift & soften my face a bit. Plus its really fun to style layers.

I plan to film a Hair Tutorial showing you my current hair care routine & all about my haircut. Here are some inspiration photos I'm looking to:

Hope you're all doing fabulous! In other news I reached my first weight related goal last week (20 pounds down) and made a short video/OOTN if you're interested. FYI I do not have my new layers yet in this vid. Much Love, BHB

10 Things I ♥ About Germany

Bakeries
Sunday Closings
Mass Transit
Coffee
Political Parties
Flowers
Direct Communication
Well Traveled Population
Biergartens
Tall Men


This video was really fun to make and I hope you enjoy it (especially my German friends, family and subscribers)


Big Hugs, BHB

DIY Beauty: Treat Puffy Eyes with Green Tea Ice Cubes

If I eat & sleep well then I can keep my eye puffiness somewhat under control ... but if I'm short on sleep/late night out/eating salty foods the BLAM BOOM KERPOW! 

As you can see, the Green Tea ice cubes helped tremendously. The  tea only costs a few Euros, the smell is divine and the application takes a few minutes.(Please note I put foundation on before the second photo so my skin tone is more even as well..)

Thanks to the fabulous Lisa Eldrige and this video for an outstanding Do It Yourself beauty tip.

1. brew up some strong green tea

2. pour tea into ice cube tray

3. freeze overnight

4. wrap 1 cube in gauze, press on your under eye and eyelid for a few minutes ... until you see reduction of swelling.

Love, your resident Puff-Daddy-No-More

Retro Twist inspired by Diane Kruger

I've been wearing this hairstyle tons lately & thought I'd share. It's perfect for women who hate to braid (quelle horreur!)or for those tired of the basic bun (yawnsville)

Diane Kruger is a gigantic fan of the twist updo and wears it often

This style will give you great texture - especially if your hair is on the thin side like Diane's.  

Excuse my gothic lighting in this photo

The hair tying technique "just like a shoelace!" is the fun part.

Now get TWISTIN ladies!