Pensacola Florida Has Something For All Taste Buds

Buttery, smoky oysters, wood-fired locally caught lionfish and what’s that? A fried green tomato topped with crab meat, bacon and a shallot-champagne vinaigrette? Do we have you drooling yet? Pensacola’s cuisine has a mind of its own combining New Orleans creole flavors with a southern twisted Gulf side experience. Our cuisine is so important to us that we dedicate a whole festival season to it and you’re invited!

It’s a well-kept secret that fall is one of the best times to visit a coastal southern town. With a light breeze in the air, the best sunsets of the year and an eclectic mix of seasonal cuisines and cocktails, Pensacola is sure to be your go-to vacation this fall.

First on the docket is Tastemakers. We know you’ve probably heard of a pub crawl, but a restaurant crawl? Dine your way around the world through downtown Pensacola with dishes such as alligator sausage with watermelon relish, southern fried chicken, Irish boxty’s and so much more. The event passport provides free entry to the afterparty at the famous Seville Quarter, so you won’t want to forget that! If you want to continue around the world, stop in for the Greek Festival. Get your fill of baklava, gyros and dolmathes while vacationing.

Next up is Taste of the Beach. Sip, savor and surf through over 20 Pensacola Beach restaurants offering signature cocktails and dishes right next to the Gulf of Mexico. The festival is free to enter and all dishes are under five dollars! Later in the afternoon, the PensacolaBeach Chefs will take the stage to present live cooking demonstrations. Additionally, the festival will host cooking competitions, live entertainment and kid-friendly activities.

If you haven’t had enough seafood, just wait. The 40th annual Pensacola Seafood Festival kicks off the last weekend in September showcasing the freshest Gulf seafood in the country. Spanning three parks in downtown Pensacola, festival-goers can taste tapas from over 25 vendors, view regional art and bask in coastal ambiance.

For someone with a different palate looking to still enjoy the shoreline, opt for the best barbecue party on the coast at the Pensacola Egg Fest. Situated on top of Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium spanning Pensacola Bay, chefs meet at sunrise to prepare the day’s smoky goodness. Delicious samples to the public begin at 3 p.m. with everything from oysters to brisket to paella and even desserts!

Whether you’re looking for southern fusion or Gulf Coast seafood, Pensacola has options for everyone. Our cuisine is award-winning, according to Southern Living, Florida Travel + Life, Florida Trends Golden Spoon and Business Insider just to name a few. Our standards reflect history and culture dating back over 450 years that visitors are sure to experience the moment it hits their taste buds. We can’t wait for you to join us. For more information, visit www.visitpensacola.com.

About Visit Pensacola

Visit Pensacola is the destination management organization for Escambia County which includes PensacolaPensacola Beach and Perdido Key. With over 450 years of rich history and 18 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordered by the emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, visitors from all over the world are lured to our pristine shores every year. Visit Pensacola supports the community vision of tourism by serving as the central body responsible for building tourism as an economic engine for our community through leadership, connection, collaboration and communication.

Boyz II Men, Jeffrey Osborne and Kenny G Take the Stage at 22nd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

With an expanded lineup of popular performers and a team of A-list celebrity chefs creating new dishes, the 22nd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival brings the best of the best to celebrate 35 years of Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort.

The annual Disney tour of tastes is expanding in 2017 for a longer-than-ever 75-day run, from August 31-November 13. Growing in scope as one of America’s top food festivals each year since 1996, the Epcot event will run for 13 additional days of inspired sips and bites throughout the park’s World Showcase and Future World areas. Guests will have a chance to mix and mingle with celebrity chefs, experience hands-on culinary workshops and demonstrations at the Festival Center, and get their gourmet groove on at nightly Eat to the Beat concerts.

Celebrity Chefs

A-listers of the culinary world bring their talent to Walt Disney World once more to delight guests and inspire palates. Catch your favorite mealtime maestros in action at exclusive events, such as Party for the Senses, and special culinary demonstrations. Some of the celebrity Chefs participants include:

  • Erika Cline (Oct. 5 and Oct. 7) – Creator of her own chocolate boutique, Bleu Chocolat, in the Virgin Islands. The bean-to-bar chocolate boutique that showcases cocoas of many different origins.
  • Huda Mu’min (Oct. 6 and Oct. 7) – Record setting winner of Food Network’s Cut Throat Kitchen, host of The Kitchen Table and fan favorite on ABC’s The Taste.
  • Dana Herbert (Oct. 07 and Oct. 9) – The winner of TLC’s “Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker” is an expert sugar artist best known as “The Sugar Daddy” because of his work with pulled and blown sugar.
  • Jennifer Hill-Booker (Oct. 13 and Oct. 14) – Her cooking style is a modern reinvention of Southern cuisine that incorporates seasonal ingredients with French culinary techniques she learned at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Paris.
  • Carla Hall (Nov. 3) – Co-Host of the popular ABC TV show “The Chew” and competitor on Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars.
  • Kenny Gilbert (Nov. 10 and Nov. 11) – Top Chef Season 7 contestant and owner of Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen in Fernandina Beach, FL, Gilbert’s Social in Jacksonville, Fla. as well as his own spice blend line.

In addition to her appearance in November, celebrity chef Carla Hall will join her fellow co-hosts of ABC TV’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series “The Chew” at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.  For the third consecutive year the series will tape five shows on the Epcot stage on October 4-6. The shows will air October 9-13, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET12 p.m. PDT on the ABC Television Network.

Eat to the Beat Concert Series

Eleven new-to-the-festival bands, including Kenny G. and Baha Men will join 21 fan-favorite musical acts for a diverse lineup of artists set to rock America Gardens Theatre stage throughout the festival’s 75-day run.

Each night during the Festival, the stage lights up with some of the industry’s top recording artists including:

  • Baha Men – The band that revived the deep musical legacy of the Bahamas and achieved world fame with the hit song “Who Let the Dogs Out” will perform Sept. 4-5.
  • Kenny G – One of the biggest-selling musicians of the modern era, this master of the soprano sax will perform October 23-24.
  • Jeffrey Osborne – Known for his song “On the Wings of Love,” he will be performing on Oct. 14-15.
  • Billy Ocean – The international pop and R&B star of the ‘70s and ‘80s, who rose to fame with hits such as “Caribbean Queen” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” will perform on Oct. 25-26.
  • Living Colour – Known for their song “Cult of Personality,” and with a new album coming out this fall, this popular band will perform some of their top hits on Nov. 4-5.
  • Boyz II Men – Recognized as one of the most successful musical groups of the ‘90s by Billboard magazine, this top-ranking band will bring its famous a capella harmonies to the stage on Nov. 6-8.

Happenings at The Festival Center

At The Festival Center, guests can stop start off their culinary adventure and get helpful information, including a park map, Times Guide and Festival Passports (also available at select Epcot locations).

The Festival Center is also home to:

  • Festival Center Wine Shop: Choose from an incredible selection of wines and spirits from prestigious makers featured throughout the Festival.
  • Intermissions Café: Recharge and relax with mouthwatering menu options perfect for day or night noshing.
  • Back to Basics Series: Discover delish tips and tricks from the industry’s top culinary pros! These helpful hints will have a profound effect on your next meal.
  • Book Signings and Meet & Greets: Meet celebrated authors and other food-and-wine-industry personalities.
  • Bottle Signings: Rub elbows with some of the world’s top beverage experts!
  • Seasons of the Vine: Get a behind-the-vines look at the process that transforms delicate grapes into the “nectar of the gods”—step by nectarous step.
  • The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar – Hosted by Ghirardelli® Chocolate Company: Marvel at chocolate sculptures created by our own Walt Disney World Resort pastry chefs, and explore the journey chocolate must take to get from the bean to the bar.

 

Included with Epcot Admission

Back to Basics series, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Festival Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) and get details at www.EpcotFoodFestival.com

Cuvée Beauty Must-Have Travel Kit for Labor Day

For healthy, tousled hair this Labor Day, stash the Cuvée Beauty Everyday Essence Travel Kit in your weekender bag! This three-piece kit provides you with champagne infused products that are your ultimate must haves no matter where you are headed for the holiday weekend. It’s everything you need for flawless hair in one chic, travel friendly package.

Filled with three deluxe travel size products that will give any girl on the go the full Cuvée Beauty experience, this kit includes Shampoo, Conditioner, and the Première Treatment, which are all sulfate-free, paraben-free, and cruelty free! All of these products contain the Cuvée Complex, which incorporates luxurious ingredients like champagne, white truffle, and platinum, to create a one of a kind formula that repairs and strengthens for lush and shiny hair. These brand new travel kits also provide new tips and tricks to help give you amazing results no matter where in the world your travels take you!
Get it now at CuveeBeauty.com for $30

Get The Look: 2017 MTV VMAS Vanessa Hudgens with John Frieda Hair Care

For last night’s MTV Video Music Awards, Vanessa Hudgens’ hair made a slick-back but voluminous statement.

Inspiration: Chad Wood’s inspiration for the sleek and chic style was to play off the texture in Vanessa’s dress.

Step by step to recreate this look: 

  1. Start with wet hair and apply John Frieda Luxurious Volume Root Booster Blow Dry Lotion 
  2. Then, blow dry the hair straight and back – styling each section away from the face and helping create extra volume at the crown
  3. Next, section off the hair and starting at the nape, flat iron the hair 1” sections at a time and spray each section with John Frieda Luxurious Volume Forever Full Hairspray
  1. To give the hair a polished wet look like Vanessa’s, applyJohn Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Touch-up Crème
  2. Finally, spray John Frieda Luxurious Volume Forever Full Hairspray to lock in the style

GET THE LOOK: Rita Ora on Boy Band

Did you catch Rita Ora on Boy Band last night? Her rockstar look came to life thanks to Rimmel London! Get the look below:

Featured Photo:  TV Guide

The Look: Bold and luminous.

The Inspiration: Celebrity Makeup Artist Kathy Jeung was inspired by the singer, actress and Rimmel London Ambassador’s sportier “Your Song” performance look as well as her more glamorous hosting look – using a hot pink matte lip color worked great with both outfits.

How to Get the Look:

SKIN To begin, Kathy applied Rimmel Stay Matte Primer to create a smooth, pore minimized, mattified canvas for makeup. She then used Rimmel London InstaConceal & Correct to neutralizes dark circles, and Rimmel London Match Perfection 2 ‘n 1 Concealer underneath the eyes to blend into the rest of the face. Next, she applied Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation, blending into Rita’s skin with a flat foundation brush in broad strokes over her face, then further blending with a damp sponge to give the skin a natural looking finish. Kathy then set Rita’s foundation with a light dust of Rimmel London InstaFix & Matte Translucent Pressed Powder to the forehead, sides of nose and cheeks, to keep everything shine free and prepare the face for longer lasting makeup. Kathy then applied Rimmel London Conceal & Contour over the foundation to create a highlight and shading using a narrow brush. She used the lighter ‘highlight illuminator’ shade down the length of nose and top of cheekbones and the darker ‘contour sculptor’ shade under Rita’s chin and the hollows of cheekbones and blended well. Kathy then applied Rimmel London Kate Moss Sculpting & Highlighting Kit in Golden Sands, by highlighting on the tops of the cheekbones, above the jawlines and down the length of the nose. She contoured in the hallow under the cheekbones, under the jawbone and under the chin using a narrow wedge brush and applied blush using a rounded rush to the apples of the cheeks and extended towards the temples. Kathy finished the look by dusting lightly Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze along hairline, on temples, on cheeks and under chin, to add a healthy dose of color, she blended to help soften the contour.

LIPS Kathy applied Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Heartbeat to give a bold pop of color with a comfortable matte finish.

EYES & BROWS Rita’s eye look was created using the Rimmel London Magnif’Eyes Palette in London Nudes Calling. Kathy applied the shimmery light pink shade all over the eyelid as a base color, and to the browbone as a highlighter. She used the Rimmel London ScandalEyes Eye Shadow Stick in Pink & Purple Rain, using the pink end over the eyelid and smudged into the inner corner of eyes. Kathy applied Rimmel London Exaggerate Smoke ‘N Shine Automatic Gel Eyeliner in Little Black Smokey close to upper lash line, then smudged with a small brush. Finally, Kathy finished Rita’s eyes by applying a few coats of Rimmel London Shake It Fresh Mascara in Very Black to her lashes to lengthen & thicken. Kathy lightened Rita’s brows by applying Rimmel London Brow Shake Filling Powder in Blonde, by shaking the product to distribute, then applying with the applicator to fill in brows. Kathy finished her brows by applying Rimmel London Brow This Way Brow Styling Gel in Clear to keeps stray hairs in place.

Where to Find Them: Rimmel London products are available at chain drug stores and mass retailers nationwide.

Visit www.RimmelLondon.com for store locations and to try the newest products with Rimmel London’s exclusive Virtual Makeup Tool.

 

 

Talbots Fall Shopping Party: Local Event

Talbots is hosting a Fall Shopping Party on August 26, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.  The event will happen locally at The Summit Birmingham.

I am excited to share because I received my first merchandising internship at the store!

To get easy styling tips and light refreshments, visit Talbots located at 243 Summit Blvd.

Avon ANEW Anti-Agining Skincare: Packing Staple from Dr. Kim Nichols

Summer may be fading away right before our eyes, but that doesn’t mean your skin routine should too. Avon’s consulting dermatologist, Dr. Kim Nichols, offers her weekly skincare tip below to keep your skin fresh and glowing for the rest of the summer and right into fall.

 

Pack carefully. Take along travel sizes of your gentle cleanser or convenient Avon ANEW Clean Facial Cleansing Wipes and Avon ANEW Ultimate Multi-Performance Day Cream to moisturize the skin, especially if you’re planning a vacation or trip with ultra-dry humidity.

 

Using hotel products or saying “I’ll just take a few days off” from your skincare regimen is a no-no! This can lead to an otherwise preventative flare-up, pesky pimple, or dull appearance.