I’m super into the whole messy curl trend but it doesn’t come without hardships. My hair is very thick & fine so I have to walk the balance between poodle & flat hair-topia. I’ve found that the best way to set myself up for curls that not only hold but look how I like in the front is by blow drying either the day of or day before for some extra oomph. Today I’m going to be talking about how I did it & the two tools I used- the CHI Dura 1 1/4 inch Titanium Infused Ceramic Curling Iron & the CHI Touch 2 Touch Screen Hair Dryer. Keep reading to check them out! [Read more…]
DIY Beachy Sea Salt Hairstyle + Seashell Hair Accessories!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyBeachBlonde #CollectiveBias
Beachy hair comes around each year…& each year I’m thrilled. I grew up next to the ocean & beach hair makes me think of being young, wild, & debt free. Want that tousled look but aren’t near the beach? John Frieda® has a new line perfect for any hair type or color- & you can likely pick it up locally! Keep reading to see more about the line & to check out my DIY beachy hair accessories!
NYE Look Using Mirabella Faerie Products! + Collab!
What are you up to this year for New Year’s Eve? Normally we celebrate in a pretty laid back way- but of course I like my makeup to look FIERCE!
When I think of NYE, I always want to bring out my best features. You’re probably thinking, “Stephanie, shouldn’t that be all the time?” & okay you might have a point. What I mean is that NYE tends to be the closest I get to “clubbing” since we’re such lame 20-somethings. I love the lighting & the glitz- much of which tends to reflect highlighter like the best spotlight ever. Using some items from the Mirabella Beauty Faerie Holiday Collection, I’m going to demo how to really get your glow on & especially make blue eyes pop- because that’s what I love to do.
NYX Eyebrow Gel in Blonde Review & Brow Demo
I bought it. Affiliate links.
This little baby has been on my brows a lot lately- & with good reason. The NYX Eyebrow Gels
Getting Comfortable During That Time of the Month…While Being Fabulous!
Sponsored.
When that time of the month comes around…I honestly just want some alone time. I can get migraines, the idea of scents can sometimes seem unbearable, and being around people isn’t always the best option. I need some ME time! Whether I am on my period or not, I have found a trio that really works for me which I invite you to find out more about below! [Read more…]
Temptu Airbrush Makeup Kit Review, Video, & Giveaway!
Sponsored Post. PR Sample. Affiliate links.
I’m the first to say foundation is something I have trouble with. I have combination dry skin so moisturizers are a huge part of my life & often clash with anything long wearing. I also have freckles (oh, you didn’t know? ha.) so sometimes too full coverage & I can look like a completely different person & too light & all I notice are my freckles. I love my freckles, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes just uhg. When I was given the opportunity to work with the oh-so-famous Temptu & try out one of their Temptu Airbrush Makeup Kits to try out. The best part is they’re also giving one away to one of my readers! Keep reading to see my thoughts, video of my first impressions, & to enter to win your very own set!
How I Wash my Hair Brushes!
Hi guys! So I had a question about how I wash my hair brushes! Since I often tease my hair (it is super fine!) & have flyaways I often use quite a bit of product. I do have a new favorite duo for getting product OUT of my hair which I’ll talk about in a future post but for now this will have to do!
Your hair tools are so incredibly important, often even more so than products. As much as I love my curling iron/straightener/hot tools, nothing beats an awesome pick or the perfect brush. If you want to see a seperate post about my favorite combs/brushes then just let me know!
Before you even wash your brushes, make sure you get all the hair out of them. I like to use my teasing end of my comb to do this! Try to get every piece out!
The first thing I do is fill up my sink with warm-hot water. None of the brushes shown here are wood so I know I can soak them. If you are afraid hot water will mess up your brushes, don’t risk it. Just because I do it doesn’t mean you have to. What I do find is that the hotter water tends to separate the gunk off the tools much faster.
So you’ll notice that I throw a washcloth in the bottom of my sink. We live in military housing & unfortunately they don’t care much about items wrong with the house unless it is life or death. The washcloth is to help my sink hold water because although our house is lovely, the fixtures are not.
So I know a lot of people just use their regular shampoo which I’m sure is fine but I opt for baby shampoo. I often use this for my makeup brushes when I travel so it is easy for me to snatch it out of my cupboard. I don’t use anything specific, in fact, I normally choose the generic option. I drizzle just a tad of this over my brushes then dip them in the water quickly.
If I’m in a rush, I’ll just wash them quickly. I use an old comb to scrunch through the brush which gets it nice & clean. For brushes that are more in desperate need of cleaning, I let them soak for an hour or two. When I soak them, I put a wash cloth over the top to force the brushes down. If you notice, they float…but not so much with a wet wash cloth on top!
Another question I got was how often do I wash my brushes! Unfortunately, & I feel so unhelpful saying this, but I do it when I feel like they need it! I don’t have excessively oily hair & I do go through phases of using hairspray vs. gel vs. whatever. So basically…I wash them when I think they need it!
DIY: Pumpkin Scrub to Beautify Summer Feet
So I don’t know about you guys, but the summer does a serious number on my feet. Wedges, flip-flops, and lots of barefoot lounging lead to roughness/dryness for me. How about you guys?
Here’s a natural way to beat summer feet!
Pumpkin Foot Scrub:
1/4 cup Cooked or Canned Pumpkin Puree
1/4cup of Brown Sugar
1/4cup of Brown Sugar
1/4 cup of Sea Salt/Coarse Salt
1 tablespoon Oil (Olive, Almond, Tea Tree, etc.)
1 tablespoon Ground Coffee
1 tablespoon Ground Coffee
1 tablespoon Ginger
Put everything in a bowl/container and mix well. From here, simply apply to your feet! Scrub them, especially in rough areas like heels, and let it set a bit. The coffee will brighten your skin and get your circulation going! Rinse off when you’re done and enjoy the results! You can use it on the rest of your body or keep it in the fridge for a few days since its natural.
What are some of your favorite natural recipes for beautification?
How to Get Rid of Nail Discoloration
It happens to everyone at some point I think. You use a cheap polish or a certain color without a good base and you end up with discolored nails. Red, green, and blue are common culprits but it can happen with just about any color. Recently, I swatched some colors and then went to bed before removing them. I didn’t use a base coat. They happened to be blue and green. It didn’t go so well. After removing the polish, some color remained as you can see below. Wasn’t pretty. Please keep in mind my thumb nail is going to look messed up because I used nail glue to repair it awhile ago and its still growing out. I wanted these pictures to be 100% honest so forgive me for how dreadful it looks haha.
Bleck, aren’t they awful? Blue on my thumb and green on multiple fingers. So how do I go about getting rid of these? Its actually really cheap and super easy!
What You’ll Need:
Vinegar
Olive Oil (or similar)
Cotton Balls/Swabs
A small bottle/dish
Nail File
Clean workspace to place your hands such as on top of a plastic lid, paper towels, etc.
Personally, I like to use a small bottle. I always have it on hand. Take vinegar and fill up your bottle or dish. You don’t need much for one application. Then I add about a tablespoon of olive oil. I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I do! I find it works well to keep the vinegar on my nails while not being harsh. It actually moisturizes your cuticles and nails, just remember to remove all excess before applying nail polish! Let’s Get Started!
Step 1: Soak your cotton balls in the vinegar/oil mixture or if you are using a dish, simply place your fingers in it. Place cotton balls over affected nails and let soak for a while. You can remove it in between to see how its doing.
Step 2: When you’re nails are good and saturated, start rubbing them with the cotton balls. I also like to use a q-tip for harder to reach areas, like around my cuticles. They also work well for an especially tough area.
Step 3: By this point, any minor discoloration should be taken care of. If you still have some, break out a very fine nail file. I gently file away any heavy duty staining, taking care not to be too vigorous. In between, I use the q-tip on the spot because you remove the stubborn stuff as you file. I apply more vinegar/oil mixture throughout this process to get deep down. You will not create damage from this light filing. You might panic with the filing when your nail looks a bit scuff, but simply run the saturated cotton ball over it and it will completely vanish.
You won’t even be able to see staining anymore by the end! Check it out my naked nails below! Remember my thumb has been glued so it is still a bit discolored, but not from nail polish!
Hope this helps answer some of the questions I have been receiving!
What are your discoloration tips?
Beautisol Summer Glow Self Tanner & Go Slough Yourself Review!
Hey guys! So today I bring you my new favorite self-tanner for body, Summer Glow from Beautisol. In conjunction with that, I’ve been using their exfoliator, Go Slough Yourself. I am actually reapplying my self-tanner today (woo for a golden glow!) but I took before and after pictures right before my vacation 🙂
Since it is step one in the self-tanning sequence, let’s talk about Go Slough Yourself. If you’re new to tanning, a great exfoliation pre-tanning is absolutely necessary. Your skin needs to be the perfect canvas to soak in the tanning lotion without having rough skin or unevenness. I find most people who say they dislike self-tanners have skipped this step…leaving themselves set up for a mess. Once you completely the exfoliation process, you’re all set!
What Beautisol Says About Go Slough Yourself:
Go Slough Yourself™ is a dual-action exfoliant for the body.
What’s included:
Exfoliates and cleanses the body, preparing it for a perfect self-tan application
Features & benefits:
Physically exfoliates the skin with Diatomaceous Earth (aka little scrubby beads), removing unwanted dead skin cells and preparing the skin for a flawless self-tan application
Promotes gentle cell renewal with Salicylic acid, a beta hydroxyacid and a chemical exfoliant/Ensures a longer-lasting tan with the removal of dead skin before self-tanning
Nourishes and hydrates the skin with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as Passionflower and Acai Berry
Paraben-free, propylene glycol-free, sodium laurel/laureth sulphate-free and cruelty-free (PETA certified)
My Opinion and Outcome:
I love that this is a dense scrub instead of a thinner one. I feel like it coats my body and allows me to really exfoliate deep, not just the thin top layer of skin oils. I do have sensitive skin, so the addition of passionflower (which is both an antioxidant AND anti-inflammatory) is key to exfoliating my sensitive skin. Go Slough Yourself also contains salicylic acid which is a chemical exfoliant, talk about scrubbing off dead cells!
Verdict: Best self-tanning scrub I’ve ever used, hands down. Check it out HERE.
Next is Summer Glow Dark Self-Tanning Lotion from Beautisol.
What Beautisol says about this product:
Summer Glow™ dark self-tanning lotion is the perfect product for anyone looking for a deep, dark tan fast!
What’s included:
6 fl. oz. Summer Glow™ – Dark Self-Tanning Lotion for Body
FREE Application guide
FREE Two pairs of application gloves
What it does:
Gives an immediate bronzing effect so you look tan and gorgeous instantly
Provides a long-lasting, natural-looking dark tan
Moisturizes & nourishes the skin with anti-aging properties
Helps hide skin imperfections
Innovative Pure Scent odor eliminating fragrance technology reduces the unpleasant processing odor by up to 80%
Check it out HERE on their website.
My Opinion and Outcome:
One word- Revolutionary. If you have ever used a self-tanner, then you know there is always a scent. A lingering one that is never pleasant. NOT ANYMORE! They use SMELL RIGHT™ technology which “encapsulates the yucky order, so you get to smell like a flower, not the pig pen at the county fair!” Normal tanning rules do apply: exfoliate, lightly moisturize dry areas, stay away from water so the color develops to its full potential, etc. Now here’s where I get brutal. I am painfully pale on my legs, I’m seriously surprised I can’t see through my skin.
Finding a tanning lotion that:
1) Doesn’t turn me orange
2) Doesn’t make me wreak
3) Doesn’t apply streaky like pinstripes
4) Stays then fades evenly
5) Has some kind of color so I can see where I’m applying color
Normally, I get maybe 2-3 of these dreams. Maybe. Beautisol has definitely changed that. I HATE the self-tanner smell, its a distinct giveaway. I also like that you can apply it back to back for a deeper color, not that I would need to. Seriously, I couldn’t believe how dark it got me without going orange. Pretty ridiculous that on top of that it completely faded evenly after I exfoliated on the 4th day. Check out the color difference on the before and after pictures on the below!
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| Before |
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| After |
Plus, check out the color on this product, it made it so easy to see where I was applying!
Verdict: This is the most trustworthy tanner I’ve ever used. I would use this before a wedding or photo shoot…and not be afraid. That is a sentence I NEVER thought I would be able to write down. I will repurchase this from now on, I can’t even think of anything I’d want to add to it!!!
They include cards that are ridiculously helpful, they make this process so easy! Here are the cards that are included with the tanner, also they send a set of gloves:
If you have any questions about either of these products, just comment below and I will answer your question!
* I was sent these products for review, however that in NO way impacts my opinions or reviews of the products.