Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Triple Lace Side Twists | Cute Girl Hairstyles * Youtube

I subscribe to this channel, and absolutely love most of the looks they do. At least three of my staple hairstyles I learned from the Cute Girl Hairstyles channel on Youtube. If you haven't checked them out yet, do yourself a favor and do so.

This triple lace side twist look is one of my absolute favorites. I have been wearing at least one lace twist in my hair all week. And I can't tell you how darned cute my hair looks! The trick with long hair is that if the front looks good the whole head looks good. And this lace twist takes minutes to do and looks so beautiful.

This was the first time I heard you could use one bobbie pin to secure hair. Before this I always crossed two pins to keep hair from moving. Not anymore!

Seriously? Watch the video. ;)

Monday, October 28, 2013

How Common Is Your Birthday?

I found this on the Explore.Noodle.Org and loved it so much I thought it was brilliant. I've only met one other person with my birthday (Feb. 18th) and that was way back in high school. It's not a very common birthday to have. How about you? How common is your birthday? Leave a comment down below, I'd love to hear!

Anthony Melchiorri Quote


"Passion changes everything."


Makeup Geek


I've discovered Makeup Geeks eyeshadow line, and I feel like I'm finally in the know. I have followed Marlena (founder of Makeup Geek) on Youtube for ages,  and I've seen other gurus showing their favorite Makeup Geek shadows. But I never thought to try her product myself.

Toward the end of last week I saw Melissa Raymond mention her favorite Makeup Geek eyeshadow in a video and thought it was time to learn more. I researched reviews on the makeup line and was blown away. People said things like it was better than MAC and the shadows were phenomenal. MUA's talked about buying the whole eyeshadow line.

But still, I hesitated. Because if you buy the z-palette you very quickly can get up over $50. Which is where most of the high-end palettes cost. Then I saw Samantha Schuerman wearing a look using the shadows, and it was beautiful. I was sold.

Behold, I bought a z-palette and a few pans to go with it. If I love the quality of her shadows I'll report back and tell you all about it. I'll add pans from my other loose shadows as well and make that z-palette worth the money.





New Favorite Store on Etsy

I bought a few amazing jewelry pieces off of Etsy last week. The store is called "Evies Elements" and it's all natural stones. She makes these adorable spider pendants that are to die for. If I could afford it, I'd buy everything in her store. I love statement pieces that are natural stone. Thought I'd share with you all here. Who doesn't love a good find?

Friday, October 25, 2013

Five Things Friday 10-25-13

What sort of week have you had? This week started crazy, but it's ending on a good note. I gave thanks to the universe this afternoon for the comfortable and calm way my week has turned out. Capped off with a nice little haul from Sephora this morning. I wish I lived closer to a Sephora store, but the closest one is more than 45 miles from me. God, I love the internet. My pocket book? Not so much. ;)

On to the good stuff...

1. Rimmel London 019 Sun Safari Quad

I picked up this quad for $3.97 last friday. And I think I've worn it four out of the seven days since. Something about the warm shades just looks so good on me right now. And the quality of the shadows is impressive. They're not as creamy and pigmented as Lorac, but they're definitely better than Maybelline, Revlon or Nyx. For the price? You can't go wrong.

2. Eucerin's Redness Relief Night Cream

I've mentioned the rosacea on my cheeks before. So it should come as no surprise that I'm working constantly on improving the quality of my skin, particularly in that area. I've done wonders for the dryness on my cheeks but the redness just hasn't budged. This cream has gotten some galvanized reviews. People either love it or hate it. But the people that love it claim it works wonders on the redness from their rosacea. I've been using it day and night since Tuesday. I have noticed some difference in the redness. It's not gone, yet. But it is diminished, and not as solid as it used to be. I love how smooth this feels going on, it's not at all greasy nor does it make my face feel greasy after wearing it. It hasn't broken me out and I have high hopes for fantastic results. I'm planning on a separate and in-depth post on dealing with rosacea once I've gotten concrete results. Either with this product, or something else. Stay tuned!

3. Gold Jewelry

The undertones of my skin are cool, so I tend to wear almost only silver or white gold jewelry. For some reason this week I've been wearing only yellow gold jewelry. Maybe something on Pinterest peaked my interest, I'm not sure. I'm just grateful I have gold jewelry to wear. Maybe it's a reaction to the cold weather moving in, I don't know. But I'm rocking the gold! (And it goes well with the Rimmel Sun Safari quad as well.)

4. Kiss Nail Art & Stencils Kit
I found this at my local grocery store. I've been looking for stripers for my nail art for a while, but haven't found any. Amazon sells the Sally Jansen ones, but they get terrible reviews. For $6 this kit has three full-sized stripers and thirty nail stencils. Right away I started using them. Sure they smell like chemicals, but I draw on the designs with these stripers and fill in with my usual polishes. Throw on a top coat and the end results are beautiful. I've got the prettiest french manicure I've ever had on my nails right now. All because of the white striper. Win! I'm thinking of starting a Monday Mani post where I post pictures of my current manicures and a tutorial on how I did it. I'm always learning new ways to rock a nail. Tell me what you think in the comments below!

5. Miss Jessies Creme de la Creme Conditioner

I wrote about this in my Birchbox October 2013 post. It claims to be the best conditioner for curled hair ever made. The kicker? I don't have curly hair. But I wasn't going to throw away a sample just because it's not exactly what I'm used to. I threw it into my hair care rotation and was floored the first time I used it. Sure, it smells like something I'd find in my grandma's bathroom. But it does something no other conditioner I've ever used does. Not only does it condition my hair without weighing it down, it hydrates and soothes my scalp. That's a keeper in my book.

Bonus: Cleansing and Activating Guided Meditation on Youtube

Not everyone is going to be into meditation, and that's alright. I've done it off and on for years with mixed results. The beginning of this week was chaotic and I kept feeling unsettled with twinges of sad. So I looked on Youtube for a guided meditation and found this one. I love, love, love it. In the end I'm calm, and I'm easy going. And it lasts me all day. I try to do this meditation ever day, and thought it was so good I should share it with you. If you're into opening and cleansing your chakras, check this one out.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

My Hair (Cleansing) Routine & Products

The Secret Cupboard
There is a cupboard in my bathroom full to the brim with hair products. Not styling products, but cleansing products. Shampoos, conditioners, masks and oils cohabitate joyfully side-by-side. Travel sized, full-sized, sample packets and more. Wondering why? Because I've come to realize that my hair acclimates to products in the same way that my skin does. And I'm on a mission to have the best, healthiest hair of my life.  And I think I'm just about there. So even though products in my routine are bound to change, I thought I'd take a few minutes and share with you some of the products I use regularily.

Keeping A Schedule
If you scroll down you'll see that I have quite a few different shampoos, conditioners and masks that I use. So how do I keep it all straight and know what to use during each shower? Let me start by saying that I only wash my hair every other day. Sometimes every third day if it's still really clean on day two.

Whenever I'm planning on washing my hair I go to my cupboard. I try to keep the products in groupings by brand. I've got an Organix group, a L'Oreal group, a Fekkai group (not listed below because I haven't used it yet) and a Pantene Pro-V group. By group I mean that I have a shampoo, conditioner and hair mask for the brand. Every hair-washing-shower I use a new group of products. But I try to keep one group of products per shower. So L'Oreal shampoo with a L'Oreal conditioner, etc. ad nauseum. I use a hair mask every other wash, with a regular conditioner in between. And no matter what family of products I'm on, I use my toning shampoo every other wash. It might sound complicated, and a calendar might come in handy for some folks, but really it's very simple. I keep them grouped in the cupboard and just pick the next group in the lineup and go from there.

Why Do It This Way?
Travel-sized shampoo's and conditioners are the BEST way to try out new products before purchasing. You can get them inexpensively at any store and the sizes are usually large enough for multiple uses so that you can get an accurate opinion of how they will work on your hair. Especially if you're doing what I do, and rotating products, a sample size will go further. And if you find something you truly love using (for me the L'Oreal Total Damage Repair Balm is the real deal) you can buy the full size. This way you have a chance to try the best brands on the market without spending a fortune. When you finally invest in products, you already know they're your holy grails. Also, it's a lot easier for me to toss a sample size of something I hated, than it is a full-sized bottle. That way, only the best products stay in my repetoire.

For more in-depth reviews into each of the following products please click on the "Product Review" link on the right hand side. I will post reviews for the products I use that really stand out and rise to the top there.

So, into the lineup....

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo, Conditioner, Renewing Treatment & Repairing Awapuhi Ginger Instant Recovery Mask


These products were recommended by Tati (#GlamLifeGuru) and Meghan Rosette (#MeghanRosette) on Youtube. I thought I'd give them a try. I love that the shampoo is sulfate free, especially because I color treat my hair. They all smell incredible. Fresh, clean and feminine. But I'm on the fence about the conditioner and the Awahupi Ginger mask. They don't have that instantly detangling feel, and I have to use more product on my hair to get it  to coat from root to tips. I'll report back one way or another when I've finally decided. The good news is that neither of these products mess up or do anything bad to my hair. But I don't want to waste my time on something that's not going to do spectacular things to my hair. What I do love about the masks in this line is that you don't have to get out of the shower for an hour while they work before rinsing. I put them in my hair and then take my time shaving and cleansing and washing my face. By the time that's all done, the masks are ready to be washed out. Perfect!

L'Oreal Paris Total Repair Restoring w/ Ceramide Shampoo, Conditioner & Damage Erasing Balm



I was so in love with the Damage-Erasing Balm (full review available) from this line that I had to try the shampoo and conditioner as well. And I wasn't let down. The shampoo is light enough it doesn't make my fine hair look greasy, and the conditioner is so good that it's instantly detangling, even in the shower, and makes my hair baby soft all day.


Miss Jessie's Creme de le Creme Conditioner
 Let me start by saying that this conditioner smells like something I'd find in my grandmother's bathroom. Like a cheap shampoo from the 80s. But ...I love what it does to my hair. Without feeling heavy or greasy, my hair is smooth, silky and stays looking beautiful all day. In addition to what it does for my hair, this conditioner leaves my scalp feeling hydrated and smooth.

Schwarzkopf Toning Shampoo
I've done a full review on this toning shampoo already, so I won't go too in-depth here. But I love this stuff. It works to keep the yellow and brass twinge off my hair. Like I said earlier, I use this on my hair every other wash.

Pantene Pro-V Classic (also love the Volumizing line)
 
I've been using Pantene Pro-V for 15 years, at least. I can remember when it first came on the market. God, that makes me feel old. ;) I've tried other shampoos and conditioners in the interim, but end up always coming back to these products. There's been nothing I have found that makes my hair quite so shiny or smooth. In my rotation, these are the products that I use in conjunction with things that don't have additional products in their line. Like my Miss Jessie's Creme de la Creme.


Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner
 

Once or twice a week I forgo any conditioner or hair mask and just use this light-weight leave-in conditioner after I've finished with my shower. It allows my hair the chance to go commando for a little while. And after I shampoo at my next wash, my hair is literally squeaky clean. A quick tip, use this particular leave-in conditioner sparingly. Too much and your hair will be crunchy. Just enough and it's smooth and happy-happy hair.

ICON India Oil
I think of my India Oil as my finishing oil. I put it at the ends of my damp hair after I shower, or on the ends of my dry hair in the mornings. It keeps my tips from breaking and protects my hair from the elements during the day. Not to mention it keeps the frizz at bay and this oil smells divine. My road to healthy hair began the day I found this oil.

Prenatal MultiVitamin
I'm not telling you what brand of prenatal multi-vitamin to take. But I am telling you that if you're a woman between the ages of 16 and 40, you should be taking a prenatal multivitamin every day. I put this in this particular post, because the folic acid in my prenatal vitamins is the reason my hair is as thick and growing as long is it is. My doctor told me one time that whether you're trying to get pregnant or not, any woman of child-bearing years should take a prenatal as their multivitamin. Our particular needs during this time of our lives is best addressed with a prenatal. In my own experience, I feel better and my body looks better when I'm taking a prenatal. When I forget to take it, or run out of vitamins, I start to look like a rose who's wilting around the edges. If I can see a difference, I'm sure it's making a difference. Talk to your own doctor, if you're concerned about a prenatal vitamin. But take some multi-vitamin at the very least.

That's it for me for now. I've got a few samples from Fekkai and Biolage I'm planning on rotating into my routine. I've heard amazing things about Reddken, as well. So from here on out it's all a process or trial and error. I'm finally seeing amazing results in my hair's health, strength and shine and thought I'd share how I did it with you. 

I'd love to hear how other people get their hair its healthiest. Please feel free to comment below and share what works for you.

Thank you for your time, and stay beYOUtiful friends! xoxox


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Today's Beauty Tip


It doesn't matter if you get home from work at 4pm or 8pm, take off your makeup as soon as you get home and put on your night creams and products. It just gives your products that much longer to do their trick.

Simple? Yes. Revelatory? Absolutely!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Gena Rolands Quote


From the forward of Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin:

"There are so many things in the world that you have to face that aren't so pleasant, that being able to learn something and have a little fun and feel better about yourself, all in the time it takes to get from one page to the next, is a special and wonderful combination."
xoxo
 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Guilty Confession


I'm watching a Lisa Eldridge video on Youtube. It's her latest upload. I love Lisa Eldridge, she truly is one of the greats. And she's so generous with her talent by filming these videos for us to learn from.

And my guilty confession?

I'm secretly (well, not anymore) pleased to see that she has some spots on her chin and temples. The same places that I do. Because Lisa is affluent, and can afford the best skin care products, and knows how to care for her skin. And she has the same breakouts that I do. And suddenly, that crop of hormonal spots on my chin seem less like a failure and more like a common fact of life.

Petty? Maybe. But I've worked so hard for so long to improve my skin and still STILL have breakouts. It's a relief to see that it's not just me.


Friday, October 18, 2013

Ipsy Bag: October 2013

This Month's Ipsy Bag: So these are the samples from this month's Ipsy bag. I was surprised at the number of non-makeup products. My mis-understanding was that Ipsy was a makeup sample service. Having said that, even the non-makeup samples I received were pleasant and enjoyable. I have no real duds in the bunch. And a few new faves. Read on to learn more.



 
I think this bag is super simple and super adorable. The quote is right on, and I have replaced the EcoBeauty makeup bag in my puse with this.

Zoya Nail Polish in Giovanna
This color puts the E in Emerald. It is incredibly pigmented and the color itself just blows my mind. Zoya is a quality brand and long-wearing. I'm planning on picking up the other shades in their fall collection as well.

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly
It makes my lips tingle, like most plumping lip glosses. But I haven't noticed any actual plumping going on. Having said that, Dolly is a subtle and beautiful shade and I will enjoy wearing this in the days and weeks to come.

Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel
I have never been a fan of hair gel. Every time I used it, my hair felt brittle and sticky. So I stuck to hairspray and mousse for styling. Then Ipsy sent a sample of this gel to me this month and I knew I had to try it. Pair that with my pursual of my own criteria for a polished look, and wanting to start showering in the morning and blow drying my hair and ...voila! Perfect opportunity. I shower, wrap my hair up in a towel, put on my makeup, then pour about a nickel sized amount of this gel onto my palm and work it from the roots down to the tips of my hair, rub some of my India Oil into the ends of my hair, and then blow my hair out with my round brush. Talk about pleasant surprise. My hair is shiny, it's soft, it looks polished all day and it holds any style I put it into better than ever. I'm a convert. What can I say?

LA Fresh Eco Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes
I'll be honest, these weren't my favorite wipes. Sure, they do the job. But the smell is strong and they're just okay. I'll stick with my Neutrogena wipes. Not much else to say.

Be Delectable from cakebeauty Ultra Nourishing Hand Creme in Vanilla & Creme

Ipsy sent me the Vanilla & Creme sample of this lotion in my bag this month. Let me start by saying that I'm extremely particular when it comes to hand creams. I have insanely dry skin on my hands and my cuticles split all of the time. So it's like a life's mission to find the perfect hand lotion. My favorite is still my CrabTree & Evelyn lotions, but this Be Delectable is what I'm keeping in my purse for now. To start, the smell is mouthwatering. It literally smells like I just rubbed cake all over my hands. Something about baked goods is very fall for me, so it works perfectly right now. It soaks into the skin quickly enough that I'm not rubbing and rubbing my hands together for an hour trying to get the lotion in. And it leaves my hands smooth and soft. It really is a quality hand lotion. And this week, it's been all that I've used. Maybe it's the smell, I don't know. But it makes me so happy!

Mini Rimmel Haul

Today was a busy day full of flu shots and random shopping. I saw a review recently on Youtube for the Rimmel eyeshadow quads. I can't remember who it was, but they were raving about the creamy, pigmented quality of the shadows. And you can't beat the price tag at $3.97 per quad. So I stopped in to pick up a quick few things. 

Rimmel's BB Cream 9-IN-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup
 
I've seen mixed reviews on this BB cream. It seems to be an either love it or hate it scenario. I'm always on the hunt for a good BB cream for daily wear and thought I'd give this a try. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner 001 Black Noir
I have Scandaleyes in Nude and Taupe already, and find they're creamy and long-wear on my waterline. Of course I need a solid black waterproof liner for my water line and picked up this. Fingers crossed it holds up to my expectations.

Rimmel London 031 Mayfair Quad
A very romantic and simple quad for day wear.

Rimmel London 750 Tempting
I don't own any green eyeshadows, and since I have high hopes for this product, I figured I'd buy this palette.

Rimmel London 019 Sun Safari
I have blue eyes and the warm earth tones in this palette should really make them pop. This is the exact palette that I saw positively reviewed recently. I'm looking forward to playing with it.

So that's everything. Not a huge haul, but I'm super excited to get to play with it all. I used to live in England, so I'm no stranger to the Rimmel brand. I was just a teenager then, so I don't recall if quality was synonymous with the brand back then. I'm glad to see it here in our local box and drug stores, and I'm crossing my fingers that it's my next favorite thing. You can't beat the price! I'll be sure to let you know!

Birchbox: October 2013

So this is the contents of my Birchbox for October 2013. I have found some of my new favorite things, and some things - not so much. I was shorted a sample this month, and immediately emailed Birchbox about it.  On my list of samples there's a 2-pack of muslin clothes listed as one of my sample. I never received them. My response from Birchbox was that the one muslin cloth that came with the Liz Earle cleanser was the extra sample. Which makes no sense. The cleanser should have come with one cloth or how could it be called a hot cloth cleanser? The extra clothes should have been added, or I should have been given another sample. Not happy about it, but the situation speaks more to Birchbox and their customer service than it does about me. I did receive a "Birchbox Find" this month, so at least there were five things in my box this month. Read on to learn more.

Miss Jessie's Original Creme de la Creme Conditioner
I haven't tried this conditioner yet, and the sample is a foil packet with maybe two uses in it. I'll try it and report back to you, but it's hard to make an honest and informed opinion with such a small sample. To top it off, the marketing literature for this conditioner is how great it is for curly hair. Which I don't have, and never have had and that's clearly marked on my Birchbox profile. So, not exactly sure why I received this sample. But I love healthy hair, and am happy to try a new conditioner so I can pass on a thumbs up or down to you here.

Folle de Joie Eau de Parfume
Oh good Lord in Macon, Georgia do I love this smell. I talked about it at length in last weeks Five Things Friday, so I won't go into it at depth here. I save the sample for special occasions because a bottle of this perfume will set you back $98. But if money started pouring out of my ears, this would be my smell. My signature, every day, all the way smell. Love it!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser & Muslin Cloth
This is another product from my box that is quickly on it's way to becoming a holy grail for me. I talked about it at length in this weeks Five Things Friday so I won't get too much into it here. It's gentle, it works, it hydrates and it's natural. What else do you need? (Maybe a smaller price tag, for us average humans. But I'm saving up my Birchbox points to buy the full size when my sample runs out.)

Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Floating Rose
 
This lacquer has the same exact feel and texture as Urban Decay's Lip Love Honey-Infused Lip Therapy. In the beginning, the texture is thick, silky and wonderful. If you don't like heavy, coated lips, steer clear of this. But then something happens, the product wears off or is absorbed and you're left with gritty lips. The glitter flakes are so big and coarse that you can't rub your lips together without feeling like you took a face plant into a sand bank. I'm using mine, mostly to use it up. This lip lacquer is something I won't be purchasing.

Chapstick Hydration Lock & $1 Off Coupon
This was Birchbox's "find" for the month. At first it reminded me very much of my Nivea A Kiss of Lip Balm. Which is one of my favorite things. The difference is that this product wears off twice as fast as the Nivea balm and leaves a waxy residue once that happens. My husband loves it, so I'm grateful for that. I'll give him the coupon and let him buy himself some more. For me? Not bad, but also not my favorite.

Despite the missing sample, I was happy with my box this month. I found some things I love, and some things to use and a curly-haired conditioner that makes me wonder if they're paying any attention. Regardless, I'm happy to have a subscription to their service.



Five Things Friday

This week was a fun one, with a lot of outings and mommy groups. I snagged a few minutes this morning to finish up my list and get it out there before the kids and I are back in the truck and onto more adventures. I hope everyone has been jumping all over Ulta's big sales this month in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I spent way too much money but have loved everything I bought. I'll be posting individual reviews for some of those things in the near future. In the meantime, the stars of the show for me this week are as follows:

1. OPI It's Always Oktoberfest
If you look at the bottle it looks just like a burgandy red polish with golden specks. But when you paint it on you quickly realize that the red pigment is set in a blue base. So when painted on the look is a red-toned deep purple with a gold shimmer. Holy cow is this a beautiful polish. I've worn it on its own (and two coats are absolutely necessary because it goes on streaky) and also as a base to some nail art looks I've tried, and it's held up well. In conjunction with OPI's Top Coat I've had the same manicure on my nails for five days straight now and it's only just started to chip. Baring in mind that I'm crazy busy with my hands daily, with dishes, laundry, kids, dirty diapers, etc. ...that's a HUGE feat. So I highly recommend the OPI brand and in particular this color. It's crazy perfect for fall.

2. Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser
I was lucky enough to receive this stuff as a sample in this month's Birchbox. I heard Essie Button on Youtube rave about it, so I couldn't wait to try it myself. I love that it's a cream and you rub it directly onto your skin dry. I wish it was also a lotion, because the texture is smooth and creamy and luxurious. The fragrance is fresh and natural. I could pick out eucalyptus oil and geranium oils in the mix, but a few things I couldn't name. I even rubbed it all over my eyes to get my eye makeup off and it didn't sting at all and perfectly removed all of my makeup (full face). You spread the cleanser on, then soak your muslin cloth with hot-to-touch water from the tap and then use it to wipe the cleanser and dirt right off your face. No fuss, no mess and it really works. I leaves my skin smooth, clean and hydrated. This cleanser is quickly on it's way to becoming a holy grail for me. I'll report back after I've used it a month or more with a final declaration on it one way or another.

3. be Delectable from cakebeauty Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream
Ipsy sent me the Vanilla & Creme sample of this lotion in my bag this month. Let me start by saying that I'm extremely particular when it comes to hand creams. I have insanely dry skin on my hands and my cuticles split all of the time. So it's like a life's mission to find the perfect hand lotion. My favorite is still my CrabTree & Evelyn lotions, but this Be Delectable is what I'm keeping in my purse for now. To start, the smell is mouthwatering. It literally smells like I just rubbed cake all over my hands. Something about baked goods is very fall for me, so it works perfectly right now. It soaks into the skin quickly enough that I'm not rubbing and rubbing my hands together for an hour trying to get the lotion in. And it leaves my hands smooth and soft. It really is a quality hand lotion. And this week, it's been all that I've used. Maybe it's the smell, I don't know. But it makes me so happy!

4. Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Blow Dry Gel
I have never been a fan of hair gel. Every time I used it, my hair felt brittle and sticky. So I stuck to hairspray and mousse for styling. Then Ipsy sent a sample of this gel to me this month and I knew I had to try it. Pair that with my pursual of my own criteria for a polished look, and wanting to start showering in the morning and blow drying my hair and ...voila! Perfect opportunity. I shower, wrap my hair up in a towel, put on my makeup, then pour about a nickel sized amount of this gel onto my palm and work it from the roots down to the tips of my hair, rub some of my India Oil into the ends of my hair, and then blow my hair out with my round brush. Talk about pleasant surprise. My hair is shiny, it's soft, it looks polished all day and it holds any style I put it into better than ever. I'm a convert. What can I say?

5 Lady Gaga Fame
I get sent perfume samples all of the time after I order from Ulta, Sephora or in my beauty subscription boxes. And most of them start smelling like something I've already smelled before. I do a lot of work with aromatherapy, so I'm not easy to impress when it comes to fragrance. And then I got a sample from Ulta of Lady Gaga's perfume Fame. It was love at first sniff. I used up the entire sample. Then I bought a full-sized bottle during their sale earlier this month. Let me tell you, I'm spraying it on in the morning after I shower, at night before I climb into bed, behind the ears before I head out the door. The smell is deep and musky, like a warm deep citrus fragrance with sweeter top notes. Part of the fun for me is that I can barely describe the smell to you. It's so entirely unique. I'm not into sweet candy-like smells. It's a mysterious, feminine, sultry smell, like caramel poured over some high-end soap sprinkled over a full-moon lit field of orange blossoms. Strange, I know. If you can get your hands on a sample - do yourself a favor and do it! I've had so many compliments on my perfume recently, and even better - I am so in love with how I smell.

That's it for me. What about you? What are some of your Friday favorite things? Share your wares in the comments below, and have a safe and amazing weekend!

Thanks for your time, and stay beYOUtiful! xoxox