Date Night – Blushing in Hollywood

Tips to Survive Cuffing Season

The air is getting colder and the desire to spend Sunday afternoons snuggled on the couch with someone is increasing rapidly. This can only mean one thing, we are now approaching Cuffing Season. Summer is a great time to hang out with friends, spend your days at the beach and embrace your single self. However, once the temperature drops, you’re on the hunt for a cuddle buddy to cuff for the winter months. The truth is, you don’t know if this relationship will survive the snowy season, but you also don’t want to be the only person without a date to your friend’s NYE party. Keep reading for tips on what you can do to ensure you cuff the person you want to spend your “Netflix and chill” time with.

Check out my posts on Is Cuffing Season a Good Time to Meet Someone?, My Top 3 Online Dating Tips, and Dating Apps to Try in 2017

Change Up Your Look for Cuffing Season

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Date Night Hair and Outfit With Beauty Plus Salon

Recently, Beauty Plus Salon offered me my choice of a few new products to try out and I was super excited when I saw some products on the website that I’d been wanting to try. Here was my look:

Date Night Idea – Painting Ceramics

Last night it was my turn to plan a date and I decided to go with something super sexy… just kidding I picked one of my favorite things to do growing up- painting ceramics. When I originally pitched this idea to my friends to see what they thought everyone immediately pictured the movie Ghost and some sexy clay wheel pottery action, but I researched that and it costs like almost $200 for 2 people so that is not what I did.

My date and I went to Glaze Fire in Silverlake (similar to a Color Me Mine, or my old faves Do Art and Village Paint Pot). At Glaze Fire you pick out a premade ceramic object and paint or decorate it to your hearts content. You pay $10 per person for the sitting fee which includes the supplies (paint, brushes, etc.) and the glazing once you’re done. You also pay for the object you choose to paint. Mine was a regular coffee mug and it was $15 to give you a rough idea. At Glaze Fire they have mostly items that have a purpose too so things you can actually use once you make them. They had plates, cups, mugs, spoon rests, trinket trays, boxes, coin banks, and more. Sarah was working there the night we went and she was awesome at explaining how everything worked and giving us tips on our paintings. Continue reading “Date Night Idea – Painting Ceramics”

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Outfits

Not sure what you’re going to wear yet?? Here’s a few ideas:

I might be wearing this American Apparel Lace Print Nylon Tricot 3/4 Sleeve Dress in Red which is currently on sale for $27.

Or I’m super tempted to pick up this American Apparel Belle De Jour Dress because it’s on sale for $33: Continue reading “Last Minute Valentine’s Day Outfits”

Creative Valentine’s Day Ideas

Ok we’re getting down to the wire here gentlemen it’s very important that you plan and make a reservation/buy tickets to whatever you have decided will be your Valentines Day 2015 activity du jour. I think it’s great that Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this year because that means we have an entire day to primp (and smell sexy), and can also go out on Friday or Sunday if necessary to avoid crowds. This list includes unique and creative ideas at a variety of price points with most events in Los Angeles, but you can (try) to find something similar wherever you are this Valentine’s day. Here’s some ideas if the thought of a $200 prix fixe menu at a stuffy place with white tablecloths is not your thing:

1. Movie – Ok while not the most creative idea in the world, a movie is always nice. You can of course see 50 Shades of Grey which premiers Valentine’s Day weekend or go for something more innocent like seeing Lady and the Tramp at El Capitan (Tickets $9+). Or stay in and borrow some Oscar screeners from a friend in SAG. Get lots of chocolate/popcorn/snacks and have a snuggly little slumber party. Be sure to light some candles and have flowers (check out my Make Your Home Sexy post) around and don’t just go bare faced in sweats- you want to keep some of the romance alive! Continue reading “Creative Valentine’s Day Ideas”

Get Ready with Me for a First Date Video

Today I have another new video for you! I filmed this a couple weeks ago while I was getting ready for a first date. It shows me going from my work clothes to first date ready. I thought it would be fun to combine the beauty + dating info. I hope you like it! Please don’t forget to subscribe, like, comment, share etc. so I can reach more people 🙂

Some of my first date essentials:

How To Smell Sexy

Welcome to another installment of the Sexy Series today I’m going to talk about something very important- how to smell sexy. Now for some this may seem like common sense, but even I have had to search a bit to find perfumes, lotions, etc. that smell sexy.

Make Your Skin and Hair Smell Sexy

You want to start at the same place we started when making our homes sexy– cleaning. Guys you should be showering before a date because it takes you about 3 seconds. Ladies you don’t have to wash your hair before every date (who has time for that??), but if your date does fall on a day that you will be lathering up some sexy smelling drugstore shampoo I recommend is John Frieda Full Repair (this also has great reviews BTW). Victoria Secret used to have a line of hair care products called So Sexy that did in fact smell incredibly sexy and elicited many compliments, but unfortunately it’s not available anymore (except for on Amazon and Ebay).

An unexpected place to find sexy scents- Bath and Body Works. Ok don’t laugh I swear this is some of the best stuff for smelling sexy! You may not have stepped into Bath and Body Works since middle school, but they really have some great products that you need to rediscover. One that my BFF introduced me to was the scent Twilight Woods. One the website they describe the scent as “The warmth and mystery of enchanted woods with an enticing blend of apricot nectar, mimosa petals & Tuscan cypress” and I would agree and say it smells warm, sweet, and sultry. I have most of the products available in this scent (body wash, body scrub, body spray, candle), but I especially make sure to use the lotion before a date because it’s super moisturizing, the scent is strong enough that you can actually smell it, and it pairs well with most of my perfumes.

Bath and Body Works also has excellent candles and if you love cologne-type smells or if you’re a man and want your home to smell nice and masculine check out “Mahogany Teakwood“. Even that name makes me think of a lumberjack with a beard. I love this scent so much I have it in my room and car as well. Continue reading “How To Smell Sexy”

Sexy Series – Making Your Home Sexy

Welcome to a new mini-series here on Blushing in Hollywood all about how to make and keep things sexy in your relationship. If you are single and dating these tips are also going to be very helpful. I think people can get in a rut where your partner starts to feel just like a buddy, but it’s important to keep the romance alive.

First of all, a clean home is a sexy home so this is going to take some work on your part. The good news is that it’s your home so you’ll reap the benefits even when the date is over!

Fall Date Ideas in Los Angeles

Ok so this week I wanted to mix it up a little bit and since I’ve already given you suggestions on how to go from chatting to going on a real date on Tinder I figured I’d give you some suggestions on what to do on said date. These ideas aren’t just for first dates they work for any couple or they’re great activities to do with your friends too. They can also be generalized to other cities outside of LA. I have a lot of ideas for October/Halloween so these are pretty September-specific.

1. Go to a baseball game. Did you know that couples who attend baseball games are more likely to stay together over the long haul than those who don’t? Baseball games are nice because unlike the movie theater you can talk until your heart’s content and the game gives you a few hours to get to know each other. If you or your girl are not super into sports you can have fun trying all the fattening stadium food (see my Carne Asada Fries from the Anaheim Angels stadium below), have a beer, and enjoy each other’s company. You can also get close at the night games when it gets a little chilly. September is the last month of regular season baseball. Here’s the Dodger’s September 2014 schedule and Los Angeles (Anaheim) Angels September 2014 schedule.

Picture I took at an Anaheim Angels game on 8/31/14. Doesn't this look like a nice place to relax and get to know someone? — Picture I took at an Anaheim Angels game on 8/31/14. Doesn’t this look like a nice place to relax and get to know someone?

Carne Asada Fries at the Anaheim Angels Stadium

2. The Hollywood Bowl – Ok so this one is pretty LA specific, but it can be generalized to “check out an outdoors concert”. The Hollywood Bowl is a summer thing so there’s only a few shows left this month. I love going and bringing a bottle of wine, a blanket, some cheeses, a baguette, Trader Joe’s Red Pepper spread, and some chocolates and just relaxing. If that’s too complicated pick up a picnic basket at The Oaks Gourmet. One show this month that both of you might enjoy is Fireworks Finale: The Simpsons Take the Bowl because who doesn’t like fireworks and The Simpsons?? Here’s the Hollywood Bowl September 2014 schedule. There’s also only two Santa Monica Pier Twilight Concerts left (Thursday 9/4 and 9/11 at 7pm) and two more weekends of Grand Performances in Downtown LA if you’re looking to hear a free concert with more of a range of genres.

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My First Grouper Experience

When I first heard about the concept of Grouper I was intrigued, but instantly was turned off by it. Grouper is a social club that sets up drinks between 2 groups of friends: 3 guys and 3 girls. I immediately thought, but what if the guy I like likes one of my friends? That always sucks when that happens! You also get no choice as to who you are set up with so it’s a totally blind group date (except you know what your 2 friends look like because you invite them). You also have to pay for Grouper and I have never used a dating site I had to pay for. Grouper costs $20 per person plus a 10% tip for your server which covers their introduction and concierge service and a free first round of drinks at the bar they select for you (the concierge part).

Grouper is actually not claiming to be setting you up on a date and people who sign up don’t have to be single (but God would I be annoyed to go out with a group of guys who were all in relationships wtf). They are planning a night for you with the perfect girl to guy ratio and giving you ideas on how to make it fun. These ideas include preparing “two truths and a lie” before the date for a fun discussion or playing the iPhone game “Phrase Party”. I will say that going on a Grouper definitely takes a lot of the pressure off of the conversations you’re having and you feel less like you’re on a job interview and more like you’re hanging out with friends which is nice. Going out with friends also forces you to be a more authentic version of yourself because your friends might call your ass out or tell the embarrassing stories you might have tried to avoid which does help you get to know each other much faster. It also forces you to actually make a plan instead of getting stuck in chatting or messaging back and forth purgatory.

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