Sexy Hair – Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner

   

A few weeks ago I finally got around to trying Sexy Hair‘s Blonde Bombshell shampoo and conditioner… And WOW! 

As I mentioned in a previous post, my usual hair care routine involves washing with a cleansing conditioner, and following up with a deep conditioner – which I still do. But sometimes I really miss the sensation of a good frothy lather that cleansing conditioners simply do not provide… Here steps in Sexy Hair!

The Blonde Bombshell line is sulfate-free (which is HUGE in keeping your hair moisturized and looking healthy). The fragrance of both the shampoo and conditioner is lovely! It reminds me of a sophisticated powdery smell, not like baby powder, but like the kind of powder you’d want to use as an adult… I don’t know if that’s what chamomile, honey and quinoa smells like when combined together, but it’s a unique and clean pretty smell.

 

Happy shampooing! 🙂

NYX Baked Eyeshadows

 

Not too long ago I reviewed the Baked Blushes from NYX, and based on how much I loved them due to their versatility and color payoff I have been wanting to try the line of baked shadows. Well that day is here! 🙂

As with the baked blushes, the baked shadows can be applied wet or dry. The dry application has a lighter, watercolor effect, whereas the wet application has a more dramatic, pigmented and shimmery effect.

The baked blushes come in 33 colors and at $6 a piece one could build quite an eyeshadow arsenal. I used all four of the above photographed shades on the look created below, and they blended beautifully together. I will definitely be returning to Ulta to stock up on some other shades.

 Photo Information: NYX Baked Shadows in shades (clockwise) – Blue Dream, Lavish, Moonbeam, and Ghetto Gold.

Look of the Day – Valentine’s Day 2016

Whether you are into celebrating St. Valentine’s Day or not, here is a frilly and feminine look that you can choose to emulate without going blatantly overboard with hearts galore. Perfect for either a romantic date with your significant other or on a girls only outing with your besties. Whichever your preference… Happy Hearts Day❣

Photo Information: Blouse and Skirt – Forever 21, Heels – Anne Michelle, Sunglasses – Wavves UK.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

I recently added a few shades of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream to my ever-growing makeup collection and am happy to say that they will remain there.

I had already been using several of the Butter Glosses by NYX, and loved them. They are super versatile. They can be worn by themselves, with lipliner, or as a gloss over your lipstick to add some sheen and moisture. The application is smooth and the color ranges from semi-sheer to medium coverage. There is absolutely no sticky feeling with these, which is hit or miss with many lip glosses.

The Soft Matte Lip Cream’s are of equal caliber! The main differences between the two of these is that the matte lip cream has a greater color payoff and obviously they set to a matte finish, rather than a glossy one. The application is soft and the durability is strong. These no undoubtedly would be a welcomed addition to any lip connoisseurs collection.

Photo Information: (left to right) NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in shades Istanbul, San Paulo, and Addis Ababa.

14th and Union

14th and Union is a company I just recently discovered at Nordstrom Rack. These were the first two pieces that I have bought from them and I can safely say that I know I will be a repeat customer. I love vintage jewelry and when I saw these bracelets, I knew I had to have them. They have a very vintage-esque look and I was able to mix and match them easily with a lot of the vintage pieces I already own…Which is a bonus! 🙂

Upon doing a little bit of research, I have come to find out the 14th and Union is not only a jewelry company. They design menswear, women’s wear, scarves, hats, shoes and yes..jewelry. I can not attest to the greatness of any of the other merchandise, but the quality of the jewelry is fantastic.

14th and Union is available at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack

Photo Information: Bracelets – 14th and Union

 

Melt Radioactive Stack


The new MeltRadioactive stack launched on January 25th. I had been waiting patiently for this stack of bright pigmented colors to be released, and finally it was here! These colors are very different from the previous stacks released by Melt (which are also amazing). They are bright, build-able, and long-lasting.

I realize these neon-esque colors may not be for everyone, but even if you were only thinking of using them as accent colors, they would totally be worth the money.

At $48, the shadows come in a magnetized stack of four large pans. It may seem a bit pricey, but really it’s not. You are buying four, very pigmented eyeshadows where a little goes a long way.

For those of you who don’t see yourself sporting neon eyelids, I would emphatically recommend one of the other stacks from Melt. I own all three, and wear them most days. The other two stacks are Dark Matter, which includes four matte, warm neutral colors; and Love Sick, which includes matte and shimmer shadows in beautiful warm and cool shades.


Photo Information: (top) Melt – Radioactive Stack, (bottom) Melt-Radioactive Stack in shade Neon.

Essie Nail Polish

What can I say about Essie? Seriously I can only say great things! I first became intrigued by Essie because of the gorgeous range of colors that they had available. It is safe to say, it was love at first sight. Since first trying out this nail polish, I have not looked back. The colors are vivid and long lasting, and the polish itself is very resistant to chipping. Yes, it happens here and there, but by far the best polish I have yet to try in terms of value and upkeep.

Essie products are available most everywhere now, from Target to Rite-Aid. You can also purchase them online and see their full range of color options on the Essie website.

Some may say that $8-$9 is too much to pay for DIY nail polish, however you really do get what you pay for in this case.

Photo Information: Essie Colors (top to bottom) – Lady Like, Naughty Nautical, She’s Pampered, Stylenomics, and Mod Square.

Holy Trinity of Hair Care

So anyone who has massively color treated hair knows the importance of maintaining a good hair regimen. I am naturally a dark brunette but as of lately I have become a very light blonde (a la Gwen Stefani or Marilyn Monroe type blonde). So keeping my hair strong, moisturized, and healthy is SUPER important. These are the products I use to keep my hair looking smooth and silky. All products are available at Target, for approximately $4-$7 each.

First the Renpure. It comes in three different fragrances, and all of them are lovely smelling. The “Sweet Pomegranate” is pictured above, but it also comes in a “Rosemary Mint,” and “Lavender.” Renpure’s cleansing conditioner is a product I tried purely out of curiosity, and because I had been reading so many great things about using cleansing conditioners in place of shampoo. Many shampoos contain sulfates which can dry out your hair, this product does not. Also, because of the nature of shampooing (the lathering process), hair can also become dried out. The difference with cleansing conditioners is that it does not lather. This does take a little while to get used to (or at least it did for me). Once you have coated the hair in the cleansing conditioner, let it sit or a few minutes, and then rinse.

Next the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. This comes in a few different options as well, they include, “Strong,” “Moist,” and “Color.” I prefer the “Strong” (photographed above) because I just like the smell a bit better than the other types.

I use this as a conditioner every time I wash my hair. After leaving it in for three minutes you will definitely notice that your hair is much softer, and why the name of the product includes the word “miracle.”

Last, but not least, the coconut oil. I’m sure by now you have heard about all the great uses and benefits of coconut oil, and for hair care it is no less. I use it as a deep conditioning mask once a week (if I’m being really good), or every other week. Basically I just scoop it out into my hands, rub it together to get it to melt a bit, and then rub it into my hair starting at the ends. After I coat my entire head, I wrap my hair into a loose bun on the top of my head and clip it down to secure it. I then cover it with a shower cap and go to sleep. In the morning I wash with the Renpure cleansing conditioner and follow up with the Aussie 3 minute miracle.

*On a side note, I typically will wash/condition my hair no more than three times a week using the above process.

Happy Hair-doing! 🙂 xo