Beauty – Page 67

POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX JUNE 2014

June 13, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Friiiiiiday!!

Today I am very excited to be reviewing the June PopSugar Must Have Box!! The box contains full size items in all different categories:food, beauty, fashion, home, and sometimes an extra goodie too. The PopSugar box usually arrives between the 10th-15th of every month for me…it ships from California via FedEx Smart Post, which means it goes out FedEx but arrives to my P.O Box.

The box and insert have been revamped and I love the new look!

You can see my post on my May PopSugar Box here and if you have questions on how I ended up liking any of those products please comment to let me know and I would be happy to answer : )

JUNE 2014 MUST HAVE BOX:

Lemon Wet Wipes from You Smell

These probably aren’t something I would have bought, but they are in adorable packaging and I’ll happily carry them in my purse.

Hawaiian BBQ Chips from One Potato Two Potato

I really like these! They have a nice little kick and have a nice full BBQ flavor. I was worried they would be really sweet, but they aren’t much sweeter than a normal BBQ chip.

Beach Towel from Turkish-T

$32

This is so pretty and soft!! I love the idea of using it as a wrap or maybe even a sarong. Love love love!

The One & Only by Emily Giffin’s

$28

I have been hearing so much buzz about this book! I am hoping I can find the time to read it! I love to read, but can never seem to find the time to read! Maybe I’ll see if it’s on Audible : /

Basic Hair Ties from Lollies

These are SO cute!! And I think they’ll look adorable as bracelets, too.

Shiny Citrus Body Lotion from Sacha Jaun

$24

I started using this right away! I *love* fancy body lotions, and this one is lovely. It smells so fresh and wonderful!

Special Extra: $15 Gift Card from Native Union

This website has a lot of cool tech-y gadgets (although I don’t think any for $15!) and I am giving this to my husband : ) I like tech accessories too, but I think my sweet hubs deserves a little something too.

I am NEVER disapointed with my PopSugar subscription! This month added up to $104 not counting the $15 gift card. I STILL haven’t subscribed to anything else in the subscription box world, but I am sososososo close! I hope that you enjoyed this post and that you have a wonderful weekend! And don’t forget to subscribe : )

May Lifestyle Favorites and Mini Beauty Haul

May 30, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Friday!!! : )

On Wednesday I did a May Beauty Favorites post, so today I am going to share my two May lifestyle favorites along with a mini beauty haul since my lifestyle favorites this month wouldn’t make a very long post ; ) If there are any movies, books, foods, apps…all that good stuff….that’d you’d like to share, please comment and let me know! I would love to hear from you : )

Lifestyle Favorites:

Food:

Quaker Lightly Salted Rice Cakes

I have been loving these with peanut butter for a quick and healthy snack! So yummy 🙂

Arrow H2O On the Go

I drink a lot of water, and the hardest part for me is refilling my bottles, so when I’m at home this is a fantastic option!

Mini Beauty Haul:

Covergirl TRUMagic The Luminizer Shimmer

I am always excited to try a new highlighter, and the texture of this sort of feels like a cream, so I was intrigued. This unfortunately is something I don’t think I will be reaching for often because the swatch shows such an obvious amount of gold glitter! With a highlight I want a subtle shimmer, not something the screams that I just applied glitter to my face. I do like the texure of this product, but I do not suggest it. They do sell a clear TRUMagic and a TRUMagic bronzer that I have heard better things about.

Jordana FabuLiner Liquid Eye Liner in 01 Black

This is liquid liner pen and I have used the dark brown but wanted to pick up the black! This is AWESOME and costs $2! I find mine at Walgreens.

Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips

This is basically just a super adorable little jar of pink Vaseline that’s got a slight soft rose smell! I LOVE the subtle scent, and I already use Vasiline on my lips, so why not pick this cutie up?! It is a VERY sheer wash of color, so don’t expect this to be as pigmented as it looks in the jar, but I am excited to have it.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 440 Cherries in the Snow

This iconic cream formula lipstick has been around since the 1950’s and I am just now picking it up! I can’t wait to wear this color!

Okay, that is it! Super quick Friday post! Be sure to check out my column “Leah’s Friday Five” on the fabulous Pearls and Pastries Shop Blog that went up today as well. If you liked this post, please subscribe! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Have a fabulous weekend! XO

May Beauty Favorites!

May 28, 2014 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are all having a fantastic week so far!! Can you believe it is almost JUNE?! In my eyes once we’ve hit June, it’s summer!! Today I am going to quickly go over a few of the beauty products I have been loving this past month! What beauty products have you been reaching for? Let me know by commenting (click the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I have created a Luvocracy collection to go along with this blog post if you’d like more information or would like to purchase directly online!

Let’s get started!

Face:

L’Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

This comes out of the tube white and then color adjusts to your skin. This is a very light coverage BB cream, but slightly buildable. I am LOVING this for a light coverage “no makeup makeup” look for summer! I was a little worried it wouldn’t work on my combo/oily skin, but it actually stays very matte.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Brightener

This is a great salmon-y pink colored under the eye brightener that works great under concealer or on it’s own for a quick fix for tired eyes.

Benefit Blush in Rockateur

This is such a gorgeous light rosegold blush. This also isn’t as sparkly as it looks when you look at a just opened box, it is sprayed with a shine spray that coats only the top, but this does have shimmer.

L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder in Perfect Beige

I use this face powder as my contour and sometimes also as my bronzer. I find that it has a less orange look than a lot of actual bronzers, and I really like the way it works as a contour on my (very) light skin.

Eyes:

Benefit Gimme Brow

I think it is so key to do your eyebrows, even if you are going mostly barefaced. This is a tinted fiber brow gel that can be used with a pencil or powder, or on it’s own. I like it for days when I want very natural makeup, but don’t want to ignore my brows completely!

Covergirl Clump Crusher by Lashblast

This is one of my go-to favorite mascaras! I always have this in my rotation.

Lips:

L’Oreal Collection Privée in Doutzen

This is limited edition, but I saw it in stores last week so you *may* be able to find it in stores, or else possibly on eBay. I love love love this color!

Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in 205 Snow Pink

This is a great neutral gloss! It’s a light peachy color with golden shimmer. It looks beautiful over nudes or pinks, and I also like it alone when I want a very minimal makeup look. I think the packaging is also very sleek.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog! It’s easy : ) and it’ll make my day! Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Wet n’ Wild Megalast Nail Polish! Dollar General Exclusive Colors!!

May 21, 2014 & 5 Comments

Hi There! Happy Wednesday!!

It is a BEAUTIFUL day here and I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about the bright and fun colors that Dollar General carries exclusively for Wet n’ Wild Megalast nail polish! This isn’t a new release, the colors have been in Dollar General stores for a little over a year now, but when I did my Wet n’ Wild Limited Edition Spring 2014 Collection “And The Style Award Goes To…” post I realized that some of you out there are as hooked on Wet n’ Wild Megalast as I am!! So, I thought that this post may be helpful to those of you that may not know about the Dollar General exclusives. This is one of my favorite nail polish formulas! I do not have every color, and some stores seem to carry 40 (the amount that Wet n’ Wild originally announced would be exlusive) and others have more. If you have any additional information on these exclusives, feel free to comment down below! This can be interactive! If you have any questions about specific colors, please let me know! I would be happy to help in any way I can : )

Find a Dollar General Store Near You

What You Shoud Know:

$2.00 each (some Megalast polishes are $1.50 but the Dollar General ones are labeled $2.00 here)

You know they are a Dollar General exclusive if they have a “D” before the color number. Example: D292A

Wet n’ Wild Megalast Nail Polish Dollar General Exclusive Colors:

I hope that this post was helpful to the other nail polish lovers out there! These are definitely worth a look : ) If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, please subscribe by entering your email into the subscription box on the right of this page! It’s easy! And you only get emails when I post something new!! Have a fabulous day!!

POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX MAY 2014

May 16, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi There! Happy Friday!

Today I am very excited to be reviewing the May 2014 PopSugar Must Have Box! Some people read spoilers…maybe that is why you are here reading this?!…but I prefer to be surprised! The box contains full size items in all different categories:food, beauty, fashion, home, and usually an extra goodie of some kind, too. The PopSugar box usually arrives between the 10th-15th of every month for me…it ships via FedEx Smart Post, which means it goes out FedEx but arrives to my P.O Box.

I will quickly go over the items from my April 2014 PopSugar Must Have Box first, and then dig into the May box!

Product titles are also links for more information or to buy online.

APRIL MUST HAVE BOX MINI REVIEWS:

Must Have Food:

PopSugar Must Have Mix from Nature Box

Verdict: I LOVED THIS!! I wish I could buy this at my local grocery store. YUM! I still haven’t gotten a subscription for Nature Box yet, but I want to!

Must Have Home:

Caldrea Rosewater Driftwood Liquid Hand Soap

$10.50

Verdict: I haven’t used this yet because we have been using up what we have, but it smells lovely and I can’t wait to try it.

Must Have Beauty:

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

$36

Verdict: My orignal palette came with a broken shadow, but PopSugar quickly replaced my palette. I love this little palette, and have been getting a lot of use out of it.

Must Have Fashion:

(XO) Echo Shopper Collapsable Tote Bag from Lauren Conrad for Blue Avocado (*Similar)

$24.99

Verdict: I really love this! It still hasn’t made it to the farmers market, but as soon as ours opens up, this bag will be heading there : )

Must Have Home:

Pocket Notes from Graphic Image

$20

Verdict: I used this immediately! It is so adorable and I love it.

Must Have Home:

TOTALLY AWESOME: 80’s Sayings Tea Towel Set by Fresh Pastry Stand (an etsy.com site)

$18

Verdict: I have used these a little bit, and they are pretty cute! I like the summery colors!

MAY 2014 MUST HAVE BOX:

Must Have Beauty:

Smell Bent St. Tropez Dispenser

$45 Value

This smells just like sun screen, salt, coconut…basically a day at the beach in the bottle! This may not be a favorite for everybody, but I LOVE it! It doesn’t seem to last super long on the skin, so that is a bit of a downside, and the bottle is glass so if you wanted to take it in your bag you’d have to consider that. I can’t wait to wear it this summer!!

Must Have Home:

Kerry Cassill Eye Mask (*Similar)

$24 Value

This is really pretty, and I needed a new eye mask, so I will happily use it!

Must Have Fitness:

Tone It Up

$15 Value

I really like workout DVDs because with two little loves running around, I don’t get to the gym very often anymore! I use our treadmill the most consistently, and I like to change up my DVD workouts. This DVD features the ladies from Bravo’s Toned Up, which I have never seen but have heard about. Has anyone watched Toned Up? Have you tried the Tone It Up DVDs? I would love to hear from you! Please comment and let me know : )

Must Have Home:

Zing Anything Cirtus Zinger

$17 Value

This is my favorite thing in the box!! I was *so* excited when I saw it!! In my April Beauty Favorites I mentioned that I have been drinking lemon water every morning recently, so the timing on this couldn’t be more perfect. You can press lemons, limes, or other citrus fruits into your water. Love!

Must Have Beauty:

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pool Boy Nail Lacquer

$10 Value

This is such a pretty color for spring and summer! This is 100% vegan and cruelty free. I already put it on my nails and I love it!

Must Have Food:

Hi I’m Skinny Sticks Multi-Grain Sweet Onion

I was excited when I saw these, but I unfortunately really didn’t like them. They do have adorable packaging though! I think that if these were savory flavor I would have liked them, but a sweet flavor just wasn’t doing it for me. I sent these to work with my husband, so they hopefully won’t go to waste!

At first glance, I thought this was a fairly small box, but that being said I really enjoy the items in this months PopSugar Must Have Box! This box has a value of $115 and besides the Hi I’m Skinny Sticks, I know that I will use everything in the box. As always, well worth the $39. Do you subscribe to PopSugar? Do you subscribe to any other subscription boxes? Please comment (click the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Please subscribe by entering your email into the subscription box on the right hand of this screen and you’ll only get emails when I post something new : )

PHEW! SUPER LONG!!! But thank you for reading : ) Also, don’t forget to check out my column, Leah’s Friday Five, on Pearls and Pastries Shop Blog! There is a new post up today!!

MY E.L.F COSMETICS COLLECTION AND MINI REVIEWS

May 9, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Frrrrrriday!

A few weeks ago someone asked me if I had used E.l.f Cosmetics products and mentioned that she had really good luck with the brand. E.l.f (eyes lips face) cosmetics is an extremely affordable drugstore makeup brand that carries products at $1, $2, $3 and $6 price points! I first stumbled upon some E.l.f cosmetics in either late high school or early college (shortly after the brands 2004 launch) but hadn’t used any of the products from the line consistently until the past couple of years. After being asked about what I had tried from the brand, I decided to pick up a few more things and do a post today on all of my e.l.f products and my thoughts. I have been seeing e.l.f products popping up in more stores lately, too!

Let’s get started…

MY E.L.F COSMETICS COLLECTION:

Brushes:

*NOTE: The first three brushes will be pictured together underneath the third brush overview/review!

Eye Shadow Brush

This is a really great eye shadow brush for packing on color and I haven’t had issues with hairs falling out. At $1 you really can’t beat this for a basic everyday brush.

Blending Eye Brush

I have had this brush for over a year and get quite a bit of use out of it. It works well for blending, and I also use it sometimes for the outer V of the eye. The brush head did seperate off of the handle, but for a $1 brush it has defintely lived up to my expectations.

Concealer Brush

I actually do not use this for concealer! I use it with nail polish remover to clean up nail polish that gets around my cuticles or skin by my nail beds. I need to pick up another one of these and see how it works for its intended purpose ; ) But, it is AWESOME for cleaning up around your nails because it is such a small brush, and it doesn’t leave fuzzies like Q-tips. Just make sure once you use it on your nails, you only use it on your nails.

Small Stipple Brush

This is such a great little brush! I like it for stippling on concealer, cream highlighters, and cream blushes! I want to pick up a couple of these! I highly suggest picking this brush up! It is a lot smaller than any of my other stippling brushes, so I showed it next to my Real Techniques Stippling Brush for comparison.

Kabuki Face Brush

This brush is SO soft! I just picked this brush up, but I really like it for buffing and blending in powders. I washed it once just to see how it handled after a wash, and it did well with no fallout.

Face:

Blush in Candid Coral

This blush is SO soft! It feels wonderful!! It is a sheer, very light coral color that can be built up to a blush or used as a gorgeous highlight. It is light, but I think that this would be beautiful on lots of skin tones. This is one of my favorite e.l.f products and I want to pick up more colors! I also want to try the baked blushes! Have you tried e.l.f blushes? Do you like them? I would love to hear from you! Comment (click on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia

This is another item that I just recently picked up because I thought it looked perfect for traveling. I love the blush color! It blends beautifully. The contouring bronzer is a tad more orange than I like and it does contain a very subtle shimmer, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it as a contour. As a bronzer, it is very pretty!!! I actually can use it as a contour if I use a very light hand and really blend it into the skin. This has been compared to Nars Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna…so for $3 what a fun dupe to try out : )

Eyes:

Long-Lasting Lustrous Eye Shadow in Toast

This is a super soft mousse texture that blends beautifully! This color is very sparkly, but I was able to sheer it out to a wearable look for me. I wore this as a base to make my other eye shadows *pop* and it held up very well. I really want to try the new e.l.f smudge pots that are being compared to M.A.C Paint Pots and Maybelline Color Tattoos.

Liquid Eyeliner in Black

This is eyeliner is SO black! The brush isn’t my favorite, but for $1 it is completely worth it to grab this and apply with an eyeliner brush! You can use the wand that it comes with, and I find that it works okay for a simple thin line.

Skin Care:

Moisture Stick

This is something that I always have in my bag!! It is fantastic to have on hand! I like to use it under my eyes if my concealer begins to crease (I got this idea from the amazing Emily Noel of BeautyBroadcast.net ) but you could for sure use this for dry spots on your hands, elbows, or knees as well!

My e.l.f collection is pretty tiny, but overall I am very impressed with the quality of the products! I have yet to try any eye shadows or lip products from elf, so if you have any recommendations let me know!

Thank you so much for reading this! If you have tried e.l.f products let me know your thoughts by commenting or finding me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! If you have already subscribed, thank you! If you haven’t yet and you enjoy my blog, please subscribe! It’s easy, just enter your email in the box on the right and you’ll only get emails when I post something new : ) Have a beautiful weekend loves!

April Beauty Favorites!!!

April 30, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi There! Happy Wednesday!!

I cannot believe that April is already ending! Didn’t we just celebrate Valentine’s Day?! Time is FLYING by, as usual! Because it is the end of the month, I want to share my beauty favorites today! I will also be sharing my “lifestyle” favorites (a.k.a my everything-that-isn’t-beauty-related favorites) this Friday. Be sure to comment (click on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to tell me what YOUR favorite products have been for the month of April! I would LOVE to hear from you! I also, as usual, have created a Luvocracy collection if you’d like more information on any of these products, or would like to shop online. I’m feeling chatty today, so I’ll stop myself before I ramble on and just get started ; )

LEAH’S APRIL BEAUTY FAVORITES:

Lips:

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Pretty Social

This lipstick is long wearing, feels nice on the lips, and has very sleek matte packaging. To me this is a perfect light cool toned pink, it’s light but not TOO light…yet light enough that I can easily wear this without a lip liner or constant touch ups. This is neutral enough that I can wear it with a lot of different make-up looks.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 915 Blushing Beige

This is one of the nude colored tube lipsticks from the Maybelline Vivid line. I LOVE the formula of the Maybelline Vivid lipsticks: it is very moisturizing, and feels very comfortable on the lips. I love this color because it is a very wearable, slightly pink-y nude and it looks great with everything.

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

I love this lipbalm! I use them under lip color or by itself. It is always in my bag!

Cheeks:

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick by FaceStudio in 20 Pink Fever

This is a cool toned cream blush in a stick form. I like to stipple this on with a brush or blend a very tiny amount on my fingers. It blends easily and lasts on my combination/oily skin. This color IS intense, but blends out to be a stunning color.

Maybelline Master Hi-Light by FaceStudio Hi-Lighting Blush in 251 Natural

This is part of the Dare To Go Nude Spring 2014 Limited Edition Collection from Maybelline. This is a golden highlight that is absolutely stunning! I have worn this every day since I bought it, and I know I will use it all summer! It works so well on my pale skin, but I think it would also look gorgeous on deeper skin tones. If you come across this, pick it up before it’s gone! I hate when they make colors like this limited edition!

FACE:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder 1

This is a setting powder that I use almost daily under my eyes! It brightens up the area, and doesn’t settle into any fine lines. This is my go-to under eye setting powder.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in 1C1 Cool Bone

This stays all, covers everything, and makes my skin look perfect! I love this foundation for my combination/oily skin. It even stays on my nose area where foundation likes to come off of on me first. A little goes a long way with this foundation and it does set quickly, so work in sections on your face!

Estée Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter in 1N Extra Light

This is a beautiful brightening concealer for the under eye area! I like to dot it on with the brush it comes with, but then I use my own brush or my fingers to blend it out.

Estée Lauder DayWear

This is my favorite moisturizer for day and night! It never leaves my skin feeling oily (we will see how it does this summer!) and provides lots of moisture to nourish my skin.

EYES:

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

This is my favorite eye brow pencil! I had always preferred powders until I found this pencil! It is a super fine point that allows you to make tiny strokes that look soft and natural. It also comes with a spooli on the other end, which is nice! Love this!

NAILS:

Nicole by O•P•I in Am I Making Myself Claire?

This is from the Modern Family Collection by Nicole by OPI and is such a unique color that I’ve been loving for spring! It is a gray-ish lilac cream color, and the formula wears well on the nails.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 405 Coral Reef

This is a GORGEOUS coral color for spring! It is just so bright and beautiful, and shockingly I didn’t have any coral shades like this in my collection! The price is right with this polish, and the formula is great.

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I didn’t notice a difference with this immediately, but I kept using it every night for a few weeks and now I can see a big difference. I had this in my collection for so long just sitting unopened (it came with a set I believe that I had gotten for Christmas) but I am so glad I tried it. It smells great too! My one complaint would be that it can be slightly difficult to open.

RANDOM:

Warm Lemon Water!!

I have been taking 2 minutes every morning to heat up some water in the microwave and squeezing a lemon into it because of the many heath and beauty benefits! I am no expert, I am just experimenting with it right now, so I will link one of the websites that I found that explains why lemon water is beneficial. I also brush my teeth BEFORE drinking the lemon water, because I read that if you brush immediately after it is actually worse for the enamel on your teeth. I do rinse my mouth out with water after drinking my lemon water.

Wow! Another long post : ) If you read all that, thank you! What products have you been loving this past month? I would love to hear about them! Comment (just click the link by the title of this post!) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Please also let me know if you have any requests for things you would like to see on my blog! If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe! If you have already subscribed, thank you!!! Have a fantastic day!

HOW TO FIX BROKEN EYE SHADOW! QUICK TUTORIAL!

April 28, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi There! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Our daughter turned 3 on Saturday, and we celebrated with family and friends! It was a great party, and we were so happy that she had fun : ) In my April PopSugar Must Have Box my Too Faced eye shadow palette arrived with one of the shadows broken, PopSugar replaced it, but I wanted to repair my broken one too. Today I thought that I would show you a quick tutorial on how to repair broken eye shadow, blush, bronzer, or most powder makeup products. There are several ways to do this, and I have pinned several different techniques on my Pinterest, but I am going to show you my favorite method.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Broken eye shadow or other powder product ; )

A pen

Aluminum foil

Scissors

Rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle

Paper towel

Chapstick tube

STEP 1:

This step is only needed if your eye shadow is in a palette with other shadows. Use the aluminum foil to cover up the shadows that are not broken.

STEP 2:

Use the pen to smash the broken pieces powder until it looks like a finely milled loose powder.

STEP 3:

Spray fairly heavily with rubbing alcohol.

STEP 4:

Wrap your chapstick tube in paper towel and press down onto the broken powder.

STEP 5:

Allow to dry for several hours and Ta-Da! Your powder may not be as pretty as before it broke, but it should work just as well and be all in one piece!

I hope that this was helpful for you! Please feel free to pin this onto your Pinterest account by clicking the pink “pin” button that shows up when you scroll over any of the pictures. If you have any questions or comments, let me know by commenting (click on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this, and I hope you have a wonderful week! Don’t forget to subscribe! : )

HAIR TUTORIAL-EASY EVERYDAY CURLS FOR BEGINNERS!!

April 25, 2014 & 5 Comments

Hi there! Happy Friday!!!

A couple of weeks ago I received a request on Instagram to show how I curl my hair. I love getting comments and thank you so much for asking! I have a few different irons that I use depending on the type of style or curl type I want, but I thought I would start with the style I do most often. I like to do loose, big curls that give you nice volume and soft waves because it’s a quick hairstyle that isn’t too fussy. I know some people are intimidated by curling hair, and I completely understand because I couldn’t curl my hair well until I was 25! NO joke! In college my best friend would always have the most beautifully done curls, and she made it seem so easy! Then I would try and end up with a kink from the iron or curls that just didn’t look right. Finally, I got a new curling iron and practiced a few times and it was like all of a sudden I could curl my hair! And I haven’t looked back….now I curl my hair several times a week and absolutely love it.

ABOUT MY HAIR:

I have naturally straight hair, it doesn’t dry completely stick straight like it did before kids, but it’s still very straight naturally. I have very fine hair, but a lot of it. My hair can sometimes be dry at the ends, and I use dry shampoo in the roots to avoid any greasiness on second day hair.

PRODUCTS I USED:

The “Wet” Brush

It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

Aussie Hair Insurance Split End Protector

Not Your Mother’s Beat The Heat Thermal Shield Spray

TeaZe by Phillips Rat Tail Comb

Large Hair Claw

Hot Tools 1 1/5 Inch Curling Iron (these are my favorite less expensive curling irons!)

Abba Pure Performance Hair Care Style Spray

It’s a 10 Miracle Styling Serum

STEP 1:

Apply leave-in conditioner and split end protector. Let hair air dry if possible (sometimes I do this overnight!) or blow dry. This is also a great time to put in a volumizing product, but I skip this step most days.

STEP 2:

Spray you hair with a heat protector and then section your hair using a teasing combs pointed end and clip it up with a large hair claw. TIP: If you have very thick hair you can section it into more sections using sectioning clips like these, which is what I prefer to do when I have more time, but for a quick style, this works!

STEP 3:

Take the bottom section of your hair and split it so that half over your shoulder on one side and the other half over the other shoulder. Then, take a 1 or 1 1/2 inch piece of hair from the back and hold it with the opposite sides hand (so your hand is up and over your head)and then open the curling iron and put the clamp so it faces front and the barrel faces back. Run the iron down to the bottom of your hair, leaving out a little bit at the ends, and turn the iron away from your face. Hold the iron for about 15 seconds and then release the curl. Be careful with your heat settings on the curling iron (if your iron has adjustable heat settings), especially if you have fine or thin hair. I like to catch the curl with my hand and hold it for a few seconds to get the curl to set.

STEP 4:

Repeat this all the way until the front of the first side of your face and then continue to the next side starting again in the back working your way front. Be sure to switch hands and curl with the same hand as side that you are curling. It was very hard for me to get used to the idea of curling with my left hand when curling the left side of my head, I’m a righty, but it makes such a difference! (Thanks to my patient friend for teaching me that! Sorry it took me so long to “get” it! ; ) )

STEP 5:

Let down the top section of your hair and you’re done! JUST KIDDING!! Do NOT leave the house like this!! ; ) Do the same thing as STEP 4. You may find a few missed pieces, so feel free to curl or re-curl those (I almost always have at least one, right in the back of my head, of course!). Don’t worry if some curls are bigger than others, this is supposed to be casual and un-done.

STEP 6:

I like to finger comb through some of the curls (again, to make the style a little more un-done and casual), but be careful not to do it too much so you undo your pretty curls! I then finish it off with some hair spray and a little bit of oil or serum on the ends of my hair.

That’s it!! It really is a simple hairstyle, and with a little practice I promise anyone can do it! If you enjoyed this hairstyle, please subscribe to my blog (enter your email in the subscription box on the right and you’ll only get emails when I post something new!) or hover over a picture and click the “Pin” button to pin it on your Pinterest account. I will be wearing this type of hairstyle tomorrow for my daughters 3^rd (!!!!!) birthday party, and if you rock a similar hairstyle please let me know by commenting or finding me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I would LOVE to hear from you! I hope you have a great weekend : )

DIY LIPSTICK HOLDER AND ORGANIZER!

April 23, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I love lip products, and even though I have large makeup storage drawers, my lip products are always sliding around and unorganized which I hate! I absolutely love the look of the acrylic lipstick holders that you can buy on amazon or other websites, and I will probably eventually get one of those to display my most used lipsticks on my vanity, but I needed something for all my other lip products. I recently came across a video tutorial from ItsKeerstin where she recreated and modified a super inexpensive and practical way to organize all of her lipsticks…it’s awesome and I wanted to share my own version as well! ItsKeerstin is hilarious and I really enjoy her videos!! You can easily decorate it to make it fit your style, or keep it pretty simple like I chose to do since I will be keeping it in a drawer. If you like today’s tutorial, please considering hovering over any of the pictures until you see the pink “pin” button and pinning it to your Pinterest account… I appreciate it!!

SUPPLIES:

3-in-1 Cotton Sets from Dollar Tree (I used 2 but you can get more for a bigger storage container. I have only seen these at Dollar Tree, but I did find the 3-in-1 Cotton Set on Amazon, although there is $4 shipping)

Thick cardstock, cardboard, or poster board in the color of your choice

Scissors or a paper cutter

Glue gun

COST:

Less than $10 (mine cost $2!)

STEP 1:

Empty out the cotton swabs, cotton swabs, and cotton balls from the Cotton Set box. Then, soak the box in hot water or use Goo Gone to remove the labels on the box.

STEP 2:

I cut out my poster board to fit 2 of the Cotton Set boxes ahead of time with a pair of scissors simply by tracing them with a pencil onto the paper.

STEP 3:

Cut the lid off of the Cotton Set box with a pair of sharp scissors (it was a lot easier to get a clean cut then I thought it would be!)

STEP 4:

Be sure to have everything set up how you need it because hot glue sets quickly! Use your hot glue gun to put two lines of glue down the length of the poster board or cardstock for the first Cotton Set box and press it onto the glue. Do the same thing with the next Cotton Set box and so on. Be sure to have all of the boxes facing the same way if you are doing more than two boxes, otherwise the tab from where the lid would have snapped closed will cause the boxes to not line up perfectly.

STEP 5:

Carefully put a line of glue between the boxes and press together (you only have to do this at the very top, and you only need a tiny amount of glue because it’s more important to work fast then to get a perfect line).

STEP 6:

Decorate the box if desired or leave so that it is clear on the sides like I chose to do.

STEP 7:

Fill the box with lots of lippies!!

I hope that you enjoyed today’s quick and inexpensive DIY project! If you try this out for yourself or have any questions, please comment (click the link by the title of this post!) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Thank you so much for reading this and thank you SO much to those of you who have subscribed to my blog! To subscribe, enter your email on the right side of this page in the “subscribe” box…it’ll make my day ; ) I hope you have a fantastic day and I will talk to you on Friday!!

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