National Lipstick Day!
Kentucky bloggers discuss their signature lipstick shades and offer readers a chance to win a $20 Sephora gift card.
Today is National Lipstick Day, which got the HerKentucky girls talking about our own favorite shades. Most of us have, at some point, found that perfect shade. The one that makes us feel confident. The one that matches our skin tone just so. The one that makes us stand out.
As Peggy Olson said in the brilliant "Basket of Kisses" scene of Mad Men,
For most of us, that's true. There's THE ONE shade.
En route to this year's Final Four. At least I looked good for a miserable game.
For me, it's MAC's Dubonnet. It's a creamy matte burgundy red. It can be worn with casual ensembles and dressed up by mixing in some gloss. It doesn't overpower my fair skin like many reds do.
Glenda's signature shade is also a MAC red; she goes with Russian Red. Coincidentally, this classic shade was Madonna's go-to favorite in the 1980s and 90s.
Julie, our resident Beauty Addict, opts for BeautyCounter lip sheers because they look great and contain no lead. For Julie, there will always be some beautiful memories tied up in a classic lipstick tube:
“I still have a tube of my grandmother Alice’s Revlon Moon Drops lipstick. The name of the color has worn off (it’s pink), but it’s bright and vibrant and not to be ignored— just like she was.”
Wendy's go-to is Indian Rose, a stunning dusty pink shade, while Jennifer of A Girl Eats World likes to mix it up. She says, "I love Clinique Black Honey (dark purple close to my natural color), Nyx Chaos (bluish red for my fair skin), and Revlon Lollipop (fun bright pink)--I'm all about lipstick!"
Over on Bluegrass Redhead, Sarah included this sage piece of advice as among the 34 things she's learned in 34 years:
“Red lipstick is all the makeup you need.”
Jennifer R. has us all running to the beauty counter at Louisville's CirceSWAG, where in-house makeup genius Sloan Winters's brilliant recommendation has become her signature shade: "I have a shade of red, Aphrodite Red, that Sloan sold to me. It's sort of cheerleader red. People stop me to ask about the lipstick, and Sloan says they come in Circe to buy it. Friends give it to me on special occasions."
In a bar or restaurant, says Nikki of Coal Miner's Bride,
“It’s not hard to find a Kentucky woman in a bar. Look for a put-together lady with a lipstick stained glass of bourbon.”
We want to know your signature lipstick shade, and we want to give you a little gift to pick up a new favorite or an old reliable. HerKentucky is giving away two $20 gift cards to Sephora. You can enter to win the first one using our Rafflecopter widget below, and the second on our Instagram page!
(This post contains affiliate links. Prizes are provided by HerKentucky.com and are not affiliated with Sephora, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.)
So, What Do You Do in a Tabata Class?
HerKentucky.com's Heather C. Watson walks you through a Tabata Class at B.You Fitness.
Now that I've increased the flexibility and range of motion that was previously impaired due to a back injury, my new goal is to sustain these benefits while adding in additional toning and weight loss. Of course, the most efficient way to achieve those benefits is through cardio interval training.
B.You's cardio interval classes are known as Tabata, Based on the findings of Japanese exercise scientist Izumi Tabata, these classes use 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest in a cycle of eight. Participants engage in a series of intensive 20-second interval low-impact Tabata-specific/plyometric exercises that send the body right into the fat burning zone.
Let me tell you, it's extremely challenging. I honestly think that the last time I got my heart rate that high was in cheerleading camp. In the 1990s. The intervals are placed at the beginning of class, and then you "cool down" with a 45 minute barre class. I'm a mess when I'm finished, but I also feel like I've achieved an amazing workout. I hope to see y'all at a Tabata class soon!
In Case You Missed It:
- B.You July Challenge
- So, What Do You Do in a Silques Class?
- Derby Detox with B.You's B.Silques Yoga
- Hitting Barre Class Milestones at B.You!
- How Barre Class Changed My Life
- Be You at B.You!
- Yes You Can: Barre Fitness at B.You!
- So, What Do You Wear to a Barre Class?
- So, What Do You Do in a Barre Class?
- B.Fit with HerKentucky + B.You!
Sunday Breakfast with Garey Farms
Breakfast sourced with locally-raised eggs and bacon from Paris, KY's Garey Farms.
Friday night, I was excited to learn that I'd won a dozen eggs and a pound of bacon in Garey Farms' Instagram contest. I mean, farm-fresh eggs and bacon; who wouldn't love that?
I made plans to pick up my food at Garey Farms' booth at the St. Matthews Farmers Market. The Paris-based farm has booths at the Lexington Farmers Market, and at both St. Matthews and Douglass Loop Farmers Markets in Louisville. Garey also sources some of Kentucky's favorite restaurants, like Stella's Kentucky Deli, Table 310, and Corbett's.
Let me tell you, their produce and flowers were beautiful! My beau and I were pretty excited to make Sunday breakfast with our Garey Farms products!
The bacon and eggs were delicious! We rounded it out with some fresh berries and a French press or two.
Thanks so much to Garey Farms for the bacon and eggs! We'll be back to your Farmers Market booths soon!!
Original Makers Club + Woodford Reserve Distillery Series Launch Party
Reader discount for Woodford Reserve new product launch and cocktail party!
Raise your hand if you love summertime. And parties. And bourbon. And being the first to try a new bourbon.
Ok, so that was all of y'all, right?
Well, we've got some pretty exciting news. The Original Makers Club and Woodford Reserve are hosting a party Thursday night. Now, that in itself is enough cause for excitement. I mean, the OMC puts on a really good party. Then, you add in the fact that this is the first time that the public will be able to taste the new product in the Woodford Reserve Distillery Series. Oh, and did I mention there's a tasting menu by the brilliant local chef Ouita Michel? And that the party is at stunning Woodford Reserve Distillery?
Well, it still gets better. Because THE ORIGINAL MAKER'S CLUB IS OFFERING A SPECIAL DEAL TO HERKENTUCKY READERS! The tickets to the Tastemakers Event -- where you can be one of the first fifty people in the world to taste the new Woodford Reserve bourbon -- are usually $75 dollars, but HerKentucky readers can purchase them for only $35!
If you can't make it to the tasting, but still want to enjoy a summer cocktail party, you can purchase party tickets -- a $20 value -- for $10. The tastemakers event starts at 5:30 p.m., and the cocktail party starts at 6:30 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets; enter code HERKENTUCKY at checkout for half price tickets!!
Cheers and Happy Friday, y'all! I hope to see you at the Distillery next Thursday night!
The Best Hot Dog in Kentucky
Searching for the best hot dog in the Bluegrass State.
Here at HerKentucky, we're all about the crazy food holidays. In fact, with the extreme weather conditions this year, we haven't wanted to talk about much more than food all summer. Ice cream, cobbler, fried chicken, barbecue, hamburgers, and doughnuts: we've spent the summer counting down the best local treats. Today is National Hot Dog Day, and we thought we'd do the same, except...
We couldn't really make a list.
I have to say that, as much as I love roadside / diner/ fast food, I just don't like hot dogs. In fact, I can't say that I've eaten one since I was a kid, or at very least old enough to make the "what do you want to eat?" call for myself. So, I put the call out to the HerKentucky team. Weirdly, we couldn't get enough input to make a top 5 list.
Senate Hot Dog, Cincinnati.
Glenda notes that she loves Cincinnati's Senate, which reimagines street food in a gourmet setting. You can get a dog with anything from kimchi to crushed Grippos potato chips. But, as we all know, Cincy isn't technically in Kentucky; there's a little bit of water separating the two.
Jennifer tells us that there's a funky little hot dog stand and antique shop on Glasgow Road in Scottsville called Paradise Point that serves a good grilled hot dog along with some cute and unique shopping.
Over on Coal Miner's Bride, our friend Nikki says that the Prestonsburg Dairy Cheer has the best hot dog in the world. Growing up in Floyd County, I went to that Dairy Cheer many times, but I always got a hamburger and some sort of slushy that was like orange sherbet and sprite. I don't recall the name of that drink, but it sure was tasty.
And, I know that our friend Erin from Irreverin speaks highly of Weaver's hot dogs in London, but I seem to remember reading that they had a massive fire earlier this year, so I don't quite know if they're in business.
I've heard talk of Cincinnati-style coneys in Northern Kentucky; I know that a lot of people here in Louisville love Red's, which is located downtown.
Like I said, a Hot Dog Day Top 5 List just isn't in the cards today.
Now, I know that a lot of y'all don't agree with me on this whole hot dog thing. It's cool. I mean, my beau doesn't agree with me. It even appears that my Life Hero Chrissy Teigen doesn't agree with me.
And, I'm willing to bet that a whole lot of y'all don't agree with me. So, let's hear it, HerKentucky readers: Who makes the best hot dog in Kentucky?
In case you missed it:
Restaurant Review: Stout Burgers & Beer
When Stout Burgers and Beer invited me out to visit their new location on Bardstown Road , I was pretty excited. They're located in a neighborhood I know well and love -- Bob and my first condo was literally one block away in the quaint Bonnycastle/Deer Park area of the Highlands. It's also a make-or-break location for restaurants; with longtime local favorites and award-winning standouts in walking distance, a new eatery needs more than a cool concept or great decor. The food needs to be outstanding. From start to finish, my experience at Stout was just that: outstanding.
Stout is a Los Angeles-based concept that is slowly opening new locations in select markets. The Louisville restaurant opened earlier this summer; a Nashville location is next. The menu is quite simple: burgers (beef, chicken, or veggie) made with premium ingredients and gourmet toppings (we're talking truffle aioli and rosemary bacon here!), paired with beers that are specially selected to complement and optimize the flavors. The menu even suggests a category of beer that will pair best with your entree!
Stout employs a highly-trained staff. These folks really know what they're talking about. (In the course of conversation, I learned that one of the restaurant's owners is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef!) I wanted to try the signature offering, the Stout Burger, but was a little hesitant to pair it with the recommended IPA. I've never been a fan of hoppy beers, and tend to steer away from them. The bartender patiently asked about the flavor profiles I do enjoy, and gave me a few small pours to help me select an IPA that was both pleasing to my palate and complimentary to my meal.
I wound up with a honey IPA that tasted more like Knob Creek than a traditional IPA. And, let me tell you, it worked perfectly with the burger. I didn't taste the usual hops notes (what I always consider a "green" note; the same flavor profile that keeps me away from rye whiskey); instead, I tasted a sweet, clean flavor that balanced nicely with the caramelized onions, horseradish, gruyere, and bleu cheese on my burger. The serving staff's knowledge, patience, and commitment to the restaurant's concept really does translate to an improved dining experience!
Burgers come at two temperatures: pink and not-pink. I ordered my pink with a side of onion rings. The ingredients were fantastic and well-portioned. Some bites provided a sweet burst of rosemary bacon, others the piquancy of horseradish and bleu cheese, but the flavors never overwhelmed. The beer-battered onion rings were a fantastic side.
Stout's California roots are best seen in its sleek decor. A copper-walled bar with natural woods and exposed bricks leave no traces of the former tapas restaurant that inhabited the space for years. Beer is the primary spirit, but they stock enough bourbon to satisfy most tastes.
Stout would be a great spot for a casual date, an office happy hour, or the next time you crave a really great burger.
Thanks so much to Stout for the great food and lovely dining experience! I did receive a complementary meal in exchange for a review; all opinions are my own.
Original Makers Club Supper + Shoot
A lovely summer dinner party at Louisville's Ashbourne Farms!
Last night, my beau and I drove out to Ashbourne Farms for the Original Makers Club Summer Supper + Shoot.
It was a perfect summer night, the farm was unbelievably beautiful, and, as always, the Original Makers Club made sure that every detail was perfect.
From the Alumninous Airstream Trailer appointed with Kentucky Flags (both Official and Kick-Ass)
to locally-brewed Gents Ginger Ale, local brands were well-represented.
Lexington-based equestrian clothier Bob Mickler's even had my Christmas wishlist on display! (Ha! But seriously, Santa, I do love Barbour!)
I'm pretty sure that the Kentucky Statutes require all outdoor gatherings to include a cornhole board!
It was a gorgeous night, and the OMC did it up right with cocktails, music,
a farm-to-table dinner...
And did I mention that there was skeet shooting? Seriously, so. much. fun!!
Thanks so much to Original Makers Club for a charming Sunday night fête! (And thanks to my beau, Bob Fleu, for the fun photos of me!)