Hairspiration

As I sit here, with my head covered in aluminum foil under a dryer, I’m wondering who other people consider to be their go-to celebs for hairstyles and colors. I have a few I’m currently trying to embody for the warmer, summer months! If you’re unsure of which celeb’s hair you should keep an eye on for styles and colors for yourself, ask your stylist for suggestions based on your skin tone, hair type, and hair color. 

Jessica Alba

Her honey shades have me drooling. Her tresses are so manicured, yet seem so effortless. I can search her name to see nearly any style I’m interested in… Long bob, curly hair, highlights, ombre, balayage!

Mariska Hargitay

I can count on her for flawless, classic honey/ashy blonde highlights. She and I both lean toward more neutral honey shades. 



Mila Kunis

She is, in my opinion, a great person to look into when you’re interested in finding an “edgy” classic. Her shades are usually very neutral and her cuts very classic.





This summer, lighten your natural shade to a more golden, sun-kissed tone. You can thank me later :). 

Here’s what I ended up with!



Thank you to Elham and Laura of Visible Changes in West Oaks Mall! These two ladies are truly talented and are officially MY hairstylists. I’ve never been able to say that before… It eels great!

Soothe Irritated Skin with Greek Yogurt & Honey

My skin is sensitive and is easily irritated by waxing. After getting waxed, my face often develops a few red, itchy irritation bumps that go away by the end of the day. Lately, however, my skin is even more irritable than usual. Instead of a few bumps, my face now becomes covered with irritation bumps. And instead of staying put for a day or two, they now stuck around for weeks at a time! 



After much Googling, I decided to try a homemade Greek yogurt and honey mask to soothe my red, irritated skin. 



Ingredients:

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (It’s important to use Greek yogurt because the consistency is much thicker than traditional yogurt.)

1 teaspoon raw, unfiltered honey

Directions: Mix two tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon of raw, unfiltered honey into a small container. Mix the two together until the honey is evenly incorporated into the yogurt. Evenly spread the mixture onto your face using clean hands or spoon. Allow the mixture to set for 15-20 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water, and pat dry.



This mask is so natural, that you can snack on the leftovers ;). 



Immediately upon applying the yogurt honey mask to my face, my skin felt soothed. My face went from hot and itchy to cool and calm in seconds!

The probiotics in the yogurt work to calm and soften the skin, while the honey has natural antioxidant properties that help to soothe irritation. 



Once you’ve washed the mask off of your face, you may then apply hydrocortisone to further calm your irritated skin, if you feel the need, or just apply your favorite moisturizer. 

You can tell that my irritation has been calmed quite a bit, by the photos above. The bumps haven’t gone away completely, but they are much less bothersome. I will continue to apply this mask to my face twice a day for the next few days, or until the irritation is completely gone. I’m really hoping that this mask will aid me in getting rid of the hideous bumps all over my face! Wish me luck! 

What treatments work for your skin to get rid of irrational bumps?

4 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Shorter Hairstyle

Since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with growing my hair longer. Unfortunately for me, my hair grows to a few inches past my shoulders and then seems to almost stop growing. Weird, I know. Because of this, I’ve never been able to have the long, voluptuous locks I’ve always dreamed of having, so I’ve held on to what I could grow for dear life. Stretching months, even years, between haircuts, causing my “long” hair to suffer from split ends and dryness, I neglected my hair because I didn’t want to chop any of it off. 

In January of this year, I went to the salon to get a haircut. I had a long bob hairstyle in mind (long bob, meaning past my shoulders – I’d had this cut in college). Well… The hair dresser didn’t pay any mind to the photos I showed her and chopped all of my hair off. I was devastated. I had walked in with my hair at the longest length it had ever been, only to have it all chopped off in a few moments. The back of my hair now fell just to the nape of my neck, and the longest bits up front fell at about 2 inches above my shoulders. I couldn’t help but feel betrayed by this person I had trusted to cut my hair. I left the salon very upset. Upon inspecting my new do more closely at home, I realized that it was cut very unevenly, with bits and pieces much longer than others – definitely not a blunt, bob cut. They asked me to return and put me in the hands of their most experienced hairstylist who eased my worries and told me not to freak out. After calming down, she talked to me eye-to-eye and said that for her to do her best to make me happy she would need to cut a little more hair. At this point, I’d already lost so much of my hair, that I told her to go for it. 

And you know what? I’m so glad that I did. I LOVE the hairstyle I ended up with!



Here’s why I love it:

1) When I wake up in the morning, there’s less mess to deal with. This makes getting ready for work such a breeze. 

2) Overall, my hair is less frizzy. (Goes hand-in-hand with less mess.)

3) My styling time has been cut in half.

4) I’m using less product! ($$$)

After having all of my hair cut off, I began to really care for what I had left. I deep condition multiple times a week, alternate between hot oil and coconut oil treatments bi-weekly, and try my best not to over process it with heat. (I usually wear my hair curly, unless we’re going out somewhere or I just really want to straighten it.) I take multivitamins, too! My hair has grown more quickly in the last few months than it ever has before. 

Now, 3 months later, I’m finding myself thinking, “My hair is getting too long.” WHAT?! Did I really think those words in MY head? Yep. Sure did. Because shorter hair is so much easier to care for. 

What length is your hair? Would you ever consider cutting it shorter?

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

Love getting your nails done, but hate the salon price tag? What about painting your nails? Don’t you just hate the dry time? Me, too!

For the last few months, I have been getting my nails “prettied up” with solar powder at the salon. My last visit to get my nails done, though, I noticed just how much they’re harming my nailbed and remembered that that was the reason why I stopped getting them fine in the first place. After removal of the solar nails, I found my nails had ridges and didn’t look very healthy overall. I decided against a new set and headed straight to Walgreens to grab some goodies to better my nails back to health. 

As I browsed, I saw that Sally Hansen has a new product called Miracle Gel. The signage states that the products provide a gel manicure without the use of UV light and cause no damage. I was very intrigued and chose a pretty neutral color – Crème de la Crème. The application of Miracle Gel is a 2 step process. First, you apply 2 coats of color and then 2 coat of top coat. Make sure you let each coat dry before applying the next. If you don’t, you’ll end up like me.. With wet smudgy fingernails for forever! After letting my first 2 attempts, I finally realized I wasn’t allowing each coat to dry fully before applying the next. Once I made that change, I had no issues with smudging. My top coat (final) did, however, take about 30 minutes to dry fully. If serves as the “curing” agent for the color. 



Crème de la Crème is a very pale color, and required 3 thin coats instead of the 2 that are suggested. I chose this color as my first Miracle Gel polish because of its neutrality. It’s a classy color that won’t clash with any others.

There is a wide variety of colors to choose from for every season, holiday, or special occasion. Their colors range from white to black with everything else in between. I’m already eyeing my next color!

At $9.95 a bottle they’re not cheap, but it they really last like gel manicures do, they’ll pay for themselves within a couple applications!



Three coats of color and one coat of top coat. 

You can see that I have no chips, but that the polish looks like it has narrow cracks in it. I think this may be because of the damaged state of my nails, though. Next time, I will apply three coats of color and two coats of top coat. 

I will post more photos and give you my final thoughts about the line in the next post. 

OPI Sorry I’m Fizzy Today

Are you looking for the perfect shade of pink-ish coral? Look no further! Sorry I’m Fizzy Today by OPI is definitely the way to go!



In the nail salon, the color looked much more pink, but to my surprise, it’s actually pretty coral! The application is smooth and creamy. Two applications with a base coat and top coat is perfection! I don’t have any lumps or bumps.

Dry or Damaged Hair?

I visited my Bestie in California over Spring Break last week, and while I had some extra time on my hands on my own, I visited a neighborhood hair salon and freshened up my highlights. I’ve gone from an ashy blonde/caramel to a deeper, more chestnutty color. I love it :)!



As every girl knows, though, with highlights can come some damage from bleach and toner. I’ve been struggling to mend the damage done by my last colorist, and this visit didn’t help either. What I did do differently after this trip is to do an at-home hot oil treatment. I stopped by the grocery store and grabbed a box of V05 Hot Oil Therapy and went to town. What’s really great about this hair treatment is that it’s so incredibly easy and quickly done! I popped the tube of hot oil into a cup of hot water for one minute and applied it liberally onto my scalp. I massaged it into my roots and then worked it out to the tips of my hair, focusing on my “trouble areas.” The hot oil is most effective when left in the hair for up to one minute, so I quickly shampooed and dried my hair. I let my hair air dry and styled it the next morning. 

What a difference in texture! 

My fried little fly-always are now tamed and super soft. I have added V05 hot oil treatments to my regular hair care routine. I alternate between hot oil and organic coconut oil as weekly treatments. I’ve seen more hair growth in the last three months than I usually get and I’m absolutely loving how soft my hair is. 







My Very First Knockwurst – OPI

I’m digging this color for Springtime!



It’s a gorgeous neutral muave/pink that’s great for any occasion. It’s subtle pink color makes it perfect for application through Summertime, too. 

What’s your favorite neutral polish?



Suave Moroccan Infusion Argan Styling Oil

I recently had my hair cut rather short in a high-low bob with chunky layers (not by choice.. the hairstylist messed up in a big way). It’s growing on me slowly, and Suave Moroccan Infusion Argan Styling Oil has been saving me and my fried hair. Yep, you heard that right.. they messed up my haircut and my highlights, so I’m currently nursing some crispy hair!


This styling oil smells divine! It’s aroma is similar to a sweet, musky, cologne. It’s not masculine.. just very fresh! It’s heavenly! The consistency is perfect – not too thick, not too thin. Definitely not watery like some other oils. I apply this oil to the crunchy bits of my hair, and to the ends of my hair twice a day – once in the morning when I style and once in the evening before bed, then comb it through. My hair totally soaks it up, it’s so dry!

After I got my nails done yesterday, I applied some to my hands, and let me tell you… Wow! My cuticles were totally moisturized and my skin felt incredibly supple. What’s also great is that my skin didn’t feel at all greasy. There’s nothing on the packaging about use on skin, but I love the smell so much, that I did it just to see how it would work :).

Lush Skincare

So… This post didn’t post and I don’t know why, but here’s Manic Monday on a Tuesday!

Lush Cosmetics is one of my favorite, go-to brands for body care and bath products. They use many vegan and organic ingredients and everything is hand made. They put much thought into their products and it shows. Another cool thing about Lush is their customer loyalty program. As you use their “Black Pot” products, be sure to save them! When you have five black pots, you can trade them in for a small scrub :).

First up on today’s menu is Skin Drink! Skin Drink is Lush’s most moisturizing facial moisturizer. It is formulated for “parched” skin.

Upon my first use of Skin Drink, I was very turned off by the way it smells. The sesame oil in this moisturizer causes it to have a deep, greasy smell… Almost like fresh, homemade french fries. Despite the smell, the product is really great! I used it consistently around my dry, eczema-stricken eyes, and within days , my skin felt much better. The only thing I would change about this cream is the fragrance of it.

Next up is Dream Cream!

As I’ve mentioned before, my skin is very dry! While it’s very dry, it’s also sensitive. I often struggle with patches of eczema :(. That being said, I chose to use Dream Cream because it is formulated to soothe irritated skin. Upon application, however, I’m not sure if my skin felt at all “soothed.” This cream has a lovely, fresh, fragrance of lavender, but I don’t feel like it is as moisturizing as if needs to be for irritated skin.

What about that… Buffy?? (No… Not the vampire slayer, lol.)

I LOVE THIS STUFF! I’ve used it before and swear by it. This body butter is used as an in-shower moisturizer. You rub the bar all over, focusing on the detest areas, and then rinse. When you step out of the shower, your skin already feels moisturizer and doesn’t need as much body lotion as you’d usually use. It’s truly a skin-saving product! I find that when I use Buffy I don’t scratch at my skin as often, because it stays moisturized longer :).

Last, but definitely not least, Sex Bomb and The Comforter.


These two products will draw the most amazing bath you’ve EVER had in your life! You can use them together or separately. Sex Bomb is a bath bomb and The Comforter is a bubble bar. Bath bombs are used all at once by being dropped into a full bathtub. Bubble bars on the other hand, don’t have to be used all at once. $11 is a lot to pay for one bubble bath, so I break my bubble bars into fourths. Crumble the bar into the bath and wait for the luscious, fragrant bubbles to take over the bath tub.

These are only a few of my favorite Lush products. I’ve had my eye on Flying Fox body wash and Lust solid perfume, as well! Do you use and Lush products? What are your favorites?

Rose Water Does What?

I have sensitive skin. Always have.

It’s not so sensitive that I have to read product labels and watch what I apply to my face, though. I really only have problems when I get waxed. Unfortunately, I break out in itchy, red bumps all over. The bumps that pop up on my face look like small welts and develop primarily on my cheeks, under my eyes, and beneath my ears. Weird, I know (FYI – I get a full face wax every 4-6 weeks). In the last six months or so, I haven’t had a problem with developing these awkward lumps, but unfortunately they’re back after my latest appointment on Saturday morning. Luckily for me, my cousin suggested I apply rose water liberally on the affected areas. I looked into it a little bit, and found out that rose water is a natural anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, cleanser, and moisturizer. Boy, was a surprised! I immediately went on a wild goose chase (Phoenicia – our local middle eastern/international market had closed for the night) for rose water! I found a good sized bottle for $2.29 at Fiesta Mart! Within minutes of application, my skin stopped itching as intensely as before and within hours the redness and inflammation in my face had been reduced. I’ve been advised to apply rose water every 4-6 hours or as needed until the inflammation is completely gone (2-3 days should do the trick).

Next time, I will take my bottle of rose water with me, and have my esthetician apply it for me directly after my wax to help prevent redness and inflammation from developing in the first place :).

There are many other uses for rose water! I’ve read that it’s also really great for use with curly hair (I’ll have to look further into that)! Do you use rose water in your beauty regimen?