Hair Hack

By now, you've probably heard that coconut oil is a miracle beauty product (in addition to being useful in the kitchen!).  One of its many uses is as a leave-in conditioner for your hair,  I've done this before, and my favorite way to do it is to put a little bit on the ends of damp hair right before I blow dry it.  The key is to use A LITTLE BIT.  Well, last week I went a little overboard.  I ended up using way too much, and I brought it up to about my ear instead of just keeping it on the ends.  The result?  Stringy, greasy hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in a week.  I was so upset!  I typically only wash my hair twice a week, and with how much hair I have, washing it is a large undertaking.  I thought I'd have to wash it again, then I got an idea.  Fortunately, it worked.

All I did after blow drying my hair was use dry shampoo.  I put some on the roots as I normally do, and I sprayed it in the lengths of my hair as well.  It completely did the trick!  It absorbed all the greasiness, and my hair looked perfectly normal.  It's totally fine to put dry shampoo in the lengths of your hair--just make sure you rub it in really well so you don't see a white cast.  I found the best way to do this was to rub the hair in between my palms.  After doing this, I brushed it out to make sure it was evenly distributed.

So there you have it, a super random hair hack.  Hopefully you won't make the mistake I did of using too much oil, but if you do, give this a try!

Thank you for reading!

I've Found My HG Lip Balm

Makeup junkies always like to talk about their "holy grail" products.  I try to save this term only for products that really deserve it.  Guys, I've found my lip balm.  I've truly found my holy grail lip balm.  And it's one that's made for men!

This tube of wonderful goodness to which am referring is Jack Black's Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25.  There are five flavors to choose from, and I opted for the original mint and shea butter variety.

The product has a nice thickness to it (think Vaseline but a little thicker), and it's incredibly moisturizing.  Probably my favorite part about this stuff is that it stays on my lips for HOURS.  That never happens--I'm one of those who is compulsively applying lip balm 1000 times per day.  Depending on what you're eating or drinking, it can even withstand that.

The mint flavor is really nice.  It's not too overpowering like some other mint lip products I've tried (some are even so strong they've burned my eyes).  That does not happen with this.  It's also quite a bit thicker than the CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine and lasts quite a bit longer on the lips.  It has a nice cooling sensation (again, not overpowering) and feels great.  I also like how it's not TOO glossy.  The finish is almost like a satin-matte with just a little bit of something.  That probably has to do with the fact that this was made for men.  It makes your lips look beautifully healthy.

Long story short, this stuff is amazing.  I would highly recommend that you go pick up a tube immediately.

Thanks for reading!

Favorites: June 2016

Summer is officially here!  As the seasons change, so do my favorite things.  Here's a look into what I've been loving lately.

Skincare
I've been loving Cetaphil's Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30.  I still get a bit oily after several hours, but it's much less greasy than the CeraVe moisturizer with SPF I had been using previously.  I always have blotting sheets in my purse, so any excess oil is easily taken care of.  It's a bit pricey for drugstore skincare, but it's the best daily moisturizer I've found yet.  And it comes highly recommended by dermatologists.

Makeup
Bare Minerals Original Foundation is the only foundation I've worn all summer.  I have purchased several of these over the last 10 years and have used it on and off.  Every time I start using it again, I forget why I stopped.  It just does something for my skin that no other foundation does.  It's completely undetectable and gives the illusion of "I have perfect skin" rather than "I'm wearing foundation."  I wear the shade Medium Tan.  It feels great on my skin.  It's pretty.  It works.  It also makes me a little bit nostalgic--every time I use it, I think back to my freshman year of college when I first discovered it.  Good times.

Lipstick-wise, I've been really into MAC's Lipstick in Please Me and Anastasia's Liquid Lipstick in Crush.  We all know that MAC lipsticks are fantastic, Please Me is (in my opinion) the perfect pink.  Crush is the first of Anastasia's liquid lipsticks I've tried, and I'm impressed.  I certainly did not need another pinky nude; however, I didn't have any in my collection that were in liquid format.  The color is beautiful, and it lasts all day through eating and drinking.

Left: ABH Liquid Lipstick in Crush
Right: MAC Lipstick in Please Me

I rediscovered a blush that I hadn't used in a while--ELF's Studio Blush in Pink Passion.  It's one of those blushes that might scare you at first glance, but it's much more wearable than it appears in the pan.  It gives the prettiest, freshest glow.  I wore it on my wedding day, so it is obviously a favorite of mine.  And like all ELF products, it's super affordable!

Perfume
I've found a combination I love--Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist combined with Bobbi Brown's Beach Perfume is dynamite.  It takes me to a happy place of being on a beach in Kauai.  I love both of these scents on their own, but they are even more of a delight when mixed together.


What have you been loving this summer?  Thanks so much for reading!

Beachy Waves for Summer

When it comes to hair, it's all about messy beachy waves this time of year.  This is one of my all time favorite hairstyles and one that I tend to rock even in the depths of winter.  After watching a video by MakeupbyTiffanyD on YouTube (click here to watch), I was inspired to try out a new (to me) technique.

Products, Tools, and Technique

While this can easily be achieved with a wand, I used my 1" Conair curling iron (mine is super old but still works great).  I always use some type of dry shampoo and/or texturizing spray on my roots and through the lengths of my hair to prep it and give it some grit. Garnier's Texture Tease is a great (and cheap!) option.  I did my curls the way I normally do (starting near the roots and leaving about an inch out at the ends).  Instead of curling every piece away from my face as I normally would, I curled the front pieces away but then alternated every other piece (one going away from my face, then one towards my face, etc).  I loved the result--this really did help to achieve more of a wave than a curl.  I also thought it added more volume and dimension and gave more of that messy, disheveled look I was after.  After letting my hair cool for a few minutes, I ran my fingers through the waves and pulled them apart/fluffed/tousled them.  I added a bit more texturizing spray for even more of an un-done look, then I finished off with some Flexible Control Hairspray by Garnier.

If you're looking for a way to get beachy waves, I'd recommend watching Tiffany's video and trying this technique.  You can always try it and do little things and tweak it to make it your style.  

Thanks for reading!

CeraVe Cleansing Cloths: Ultra Gentle??

I've been loyal to CeraVe skincare for quite some time.  While I'm not a skincare expert, I do know that many dermatologists like this brand, and I also know that fragrance does not belong in skincare.  It's hard to find makeup removing towelettes that are unscented (the only ones I've found so far are by the brand Simple).  Therefore, I was psyched when I saw these wipes at Target and couldn't wait to try them out.  I figured if they're by CeraVe, they have to be good, right?  Boy, was I wrong.

First of all, I detected a scent right away.  It wasn't the typical floral or fruity smell that wipes usually have.  It smelled like... whiskey.  No joke.  This was an  unwelcome surprise.

Then... I used it on my face.  I've never had a more painful experience with makeup removing wipes.  It appeared to remove my makeup pretty well, but it stung my skin (and my eyes!!).  Since I've been using Differin and Aczone for my acne, I thought maybe it was just that my skin had become more sensitive, and I thought maybe they would be ok to continue using, even if they stung.  A few days later, I used one to remove my liquid lipstick... and it stung my lips!  That has never happened before, and there is no way my lips would be affected by either of my prescription creams.  That was the final straw, and at that point, I rendered these wipes unsuitable for the face.

If you can't tell already, I really regret this purchase.  Not only did they cause pain, but they were expensive--$8 for one pack!  I don't understand how this went so wrong--they are highly rated on beautypedia.com.  Who knows, maybe I got a bad pack, but I'm not willing to spend another $8 to find out.  I would not consider these to be "Extra Gentle" as stated on the packaging.  I'm very sad that these were a total fail for me.  If you are brave enough to try them, I would be interested to hear about your experience.

Thank you for reading!

Jergens Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse

Up until about a month ago, I had never tried a sunless tanning mousse.  Most of the ones I hear about are pretty pricey, so I was delighted when I found out that Jergens came out with one called Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse (could the name be any longer?).  I purchased the Deep Bronze color.  I read several reviews prior to trying this product, and they all recommended to use a tanning mitt instead of bare hands.  The one I purchased was this one by St. Tropez.

How I Used It
I took a shower and exfoliated my whole body with my favorite scrub, Tree Hut's Shea Sugar Scrub.  I toweled off and did not apply any lotion prior to using the tanning mousse.  I thought this stuff was pretty easy to use, especially considering that I'd never used a tanning mousse.  I just used one to two pumps at a time on the mitt and applied it.  As you want to do with all tanning products, I was careful to apply it sparingly on my knees, elbows, knuckles, and feet.  The mousse has a bronze tint to it that works as a guide to help you see if you've missed any spots.

Drying Time and Scent
Jergens claims that this mousse dries in 60 seconds.  I think it takes more like a few minutes, which isn't too bad.  Just to be on the safe side, I waited about 10 minutes before dressing.  I wasn't going anywhere for the rest of the day, so I just put on some loose sweat pants and a t-shirt.  I would recommend wearing something loose-fitting--I can't imagine that putting skinny jeans on while this is still sticky would be very much fun.  Although it dries in minutes, it stays somewhat sticky for several hours.  It didn't bother me too much, but it's something to be aware of.  When I first applied it, I was surprised to find that it didn't have that smell that all self tanners have; it actually smelled pretty good.  Over the next few hours (and even the next day after I had showered), the self tanning smell reared its head.  It wasn't terrible though.

Results
I was very happy with the color I got from the mousse.  I could see results right away, and it continued to darken throughout the day.  The color lasted on me for close to a week, and it didn't get all weird and patchy when it faded.  I should mention that I did not put this on my face, and I don't think this is recommended for facial use.

Final Thoughts
I'm definitely a fan of this stuff.  It's reasonably priced, easy to find, easy to use, and the results are great.  Let me know if you give it a try!

Favorite Lip Liner/Lipstick Combos

I never used to be into lip liner--I thought it was too high maintenance.  I still don't use it every day, but I do love the effects it gives when I do wear it.  You can apply it all over before lipstick to make it last longer, or you can just line the edges after lipstick to smooth out the lines.

MAC Subculture Lip Pencil/MAC Blankety Lipstick

Left: MAC Subculture Liner
Right: MAC Blankety Lipstick

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Native/MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

Left: Urban Decay Liner in Native
Right: MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Liner in Forever Rose/MAC Please Me Lipstick

Left: L'Oreal Lip Liner in Forever Rose
Right: MAC Please Me Lipstick

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in East End Snob/Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick

Left: Rimmel Lip Liner in East End Snob
Right: KVD Lipstick in Lovesick

Clearly, my favorites are nudes and pinks.  What are your favorite combos??