FabFitFun Spring 2017 Box Review

May 20, 2017May 19, 20173 Comments

Hi little darlings!

Today I bring you a post I never thought I’d have to write. Its true, y’all…I bought a FabFitFun box.

I know. I’m embarrassed.

Just the name alone makes me cringe.

But then sister Megan pointed out that you get a$80 Dr.Brandt microdermabrasion in the spring box…and I was like ok I see you FabFitFun. I also really like the pastel-colored round beach blanket. So I shelled out the $39 and had my box a week later. The box itself is quite cute. TWSS.

When I opened it however…JUST NO. NO FabFitFun. NO!

I got this beach blanket:

BLUE!???!??!?!?!! No. NOOOOOOOO.

I thought I was getting this one:

What am I going to do with a dumb blue tie-dye blanket? Can I get a re-gift?!

Then I pulled out the lip-kit which again, I THOUGHT I was a pinky/nude shade.

NO. I got bright ass red.

boooooooooo

THEN, I pulled out these earrings…when I thought I was getting a cuff bracelet.

These look like the contents of the bottom of an H&M dollar bin. AND this is discriminatory to people with only one earring whole. AND it was missing an earring anyway.

NO FABFITFUN. no.

The rest of the contents included:

These Deborah Lippman mini polishes

I Used the pinky shade the other night and it took THREE streaky coats to achieve this:

(STILL NOT TOTALLY OPAQUE)

These Karuna sheet masks

They was aight. Nothing special.

This Briogeo Rosaro Milk.

This stuff is decent. I also just learned Sephora is selling it online. It retails for like $20 I think.

And the Dr. Brandt product I came for!

I haven’t used this product yet, but I know it’s going to be a good one!

OVERALL – This was SUCH a huge disappointment for me. I didn’t know there were options for some of the products and that is on me. But still, I can be mad. I tweeted the company about the lack-lusterness of the box and they are sending me the cuff as an I’m Sorry present and they offered me $5 off my next box which I will not be continuing unless they can figure out how to package up a real unicorn in the next one.

Current Hair Care Routine

May 17, 2017May 17, 20172 Comments

Oh…hurr curr.

Such a daunting task for me. Why? you may ask. It’s just hair!

Oh, if you ONLY knew.

Over the last decade, my hair has kinda been through the ringer and it’s all boiled down to two big cardinal mistakes:

Buying Groupons for hair color services

This (I’ve discovered) is a big no-no. While it saves money, the folks that use Groupon on the regular to book clients are doing it for a reason. Now, this is NOT to say that you cannot find an amazing hairdresser on Groupon, I just firmly believe that most of the time you pay for exactly what you get. Funnily enough, I found my current hairdresser by using Groupon! She had decided to do hair out of a salon in her home so she put out a Groupon to attract new clientele and thank GOD she did because I love her!

2. Switching hairdressers frequently

See aforementioned section about using Groupons… When I would just buy which ever Groupon had an opening for me, it also meant my hair was exposed to all sorts of brands of color/bleach. And while this may not seem like huge deal, it kindof is. Not only does your hair react differently to different lines of color, but the discrepancy in color also varies.

So now that I have found a perfect goddess to do my hair, I have a whole new routine and it’s pretty great.

Quick sidenote: my hairdresser uses only Davines color and styling products. If you don’t know anything about Davines, look it the F up. The whole line is amazing.

IN THE SHOWER

For shampoo and conditioner, I have been using the Davines LOVE Smoothing Line. Both smell great, do not leave a residue and leave my hair feeling soft and silky. The conditioner is very thick and grabby and I love saturating my ends with it.

For deep conditioning, I really love using good ol’ Virgin Coconut Oil from Trader Joes. I apply it directly to dry hair, after slowly warming it up in the sink with warm water. I like to leave it on overnight if I can and then just wash it out in the morning.

STYLING PRODUCTS

Dry Shampoo is probably my most used styling product – because I can be a bit of a ragamuffin. I have tried basically all the drugstore kinds and Batiste is my favorite. The tropical one is amazing and leaves your hair smelling like coconut!

Hair oil is another product I cannot live without. My two favorites are the Davines Essential Oi Oil and Moroccon Oil. I love the lightness of the Oi oil and am basically obsessed with the smell of Moroccon Oil. I would wear this as a perfume if they made it.

Shine sprays are an essential item for me, as I have lots of damage and split ends. To reduce the appearance of damage, I LOVE the Kenra Platinum Silkening Mist – it really is a staple and smells absolutely amazing.

HEAT STYLING

Blow dryers, curling irons and straighteners do not get used too much by me anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I use all of them weekly but I don’t feel the need to perfectly straighten each section, or curl every piece with precision. I’ve been embracing my messy, blender-head and loving every minute of it. My mom and Meg however, do not.

Unicorn Hair!

February 6, 20171 Comment

I knew this would happen eventually.

I mean, we all did.

The other night while David was at a basketball game, I accidentally decided to fix myself a lime perrier + vodka and use E’s hair chalk. I feel this could happen to anybody.

You see, I have been secretly (well not-so-secretly now) obsessed with the whole kawaii trend.

I have also been binge watching Kelly Eden’s YouTube channel, which makes me insanely happy. Here is a picture of her Hollywood apartment…

Source

More than anything tho, it is really bringing out my obsession with miniature things, pastels and Hello Kitty. Although who are we kidding? Was it ever NOT out?

Anyway, here is what I accomplished after 20 minutes of me with pink, purple and turquoise hair chalk pens.

asdfas

asdsafasf

I threw my hair up in a bun for bed and then decided to wear it into work on Friday. I also sported my Troop Beverly Hills sweatshirt.

dsfsdfsd

Then everyone at my office wanted pastel hair too! hahah #trendsetter

Oh, and I also painted my nails like this:

afsdgfsdfew

I didn’t choose the kawaii life, the kawaii life chose me.

Sephora + Ulta Haul

October 28, 20151 Comment

Hello and g’day to you all!

I am back with a cheeky little haul that I just had to share with y’all (rhyming!).

Things from Sephora

So here’s the thing with eye-creams: Do ANY of these really work? As I looked through alllll the options at Sephora, I realized how much I didn’t want to spend the $60 on a super reputable eye cream with tons of great ingredients. Then again, I didn’t want the $10 option that is chalked full of straight-up glycerin.

I chatted with a Sephora girl for a bit and decided to try this one for $26 by the Sephora store brand. This particular one is for eyes AND lips and the girl assured with it had plumping properties for both. Lately (for whatever reason ~~Kylie Jenner~~), I have been craving fuller lips. mine are just so puny and boring. So we will see – I will report back on how this stuff fares.

Secondly, my beloved Marc Jacobs gel-liner has turned out to be a complete dud :(. It worked awesome for awhile but then it dried out and became completely useless to me. When I went into Sephora, I brought along this liner which was all banged up and scratched and not pretty as a lesson to anyone who is afraid to return things to Sephora. THEY WILL TAKE IT BACK. I have done this many times when I’ve been unhappy with a certain product and I have never had an issue. Heck, you pay $35 for a measly eyeliner – it should bloody work! <- why am I turning into a brit all of the sudden?

Anyways, the kind lady informed me this liner had been recalled due to it drying out on everyone! Fiddle dee dee! I opted to go for the Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof in black and so far it has been great.

Things from Ulta

My dry shampoo stash from a prior haul had already run out so I was overdue for a couple bottles of Batiste. This time I opted for the “Strength & Shine” and “Exotic” formulas. I have already started using the exotic one and it smells like coconuts!! Man, am I an idiot for buying the pink one all this time! This one is probably my favorite of the bunch, based on smell alone!

I also picked up this one for strength and shine because DUH – I want strong, shiny hurrr.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly – I nabbed this body wash from Soap and Glory, which Ulta now stocks! I WISH they had the perfume but for now, I’ll have to wet my whistle with their insanely delectable scrubs and lotions.

I already own the “Clean on Me” body wash, which comes in the original S&G scent but when I sniffed this one in the store…OH LAW. I literally passed out from all that is good and holy. It smells absolutely AHHMAAZZZING you guys. Put this on your Christmas list. Your Hanukah list. Hell, pretend it’s your birthday and tell everyone to buy this for you. It smells THAT good. And after a couple a’showers under my belt with the stuff, I can confirm – it is a perfect body wash.

If this scent comes in any other product form – PLEASE do let me know. WHY doesn’t the U.S get the entire line!? It is a travesty.

But that is all my friends. What should I try next?

New Looks!

September 14, 20152 Comments

You guys.

I got my hurrrrr done by a professional! Read: no boxes of Feria were involved.

Inspiration Pic:

At the salon:

Triceratops:

Annnd the result!

ALSO, you may have noticed things have changed a little on this little blog of mine (I’m gonna let it shine).

What do you think? How do you feel?

Ugly? Cute? Too BWG?

Lemme know. I’m countin on ya ♥

How to: Headband Curls!

June 5, 20151 Comment

I recently had a request for a little tutorial on the curling of hairs. And a’course I am more than happy to oblige.

I curl my hair often and in a variety of different ways. It all depends on what I am doing, i.e – a girl’s night out curls are not going to be the same as office curls or I-want-to-look-like-a-Victoria’s-Secret-model-curls. You get it.

Perhaps this blog post will spark a series of blog posts on different types of curls and the ways I attain them !? A plethora of ways I can teach you all to essentially bend your hair in different directions which is both aesthetically and emotionally pleasing.

Maybe I’ll dive into the depths of curling irons and wands and once and for all determine that the two quite simply, CANNOT be compared. Like Rainbow Chip Frosting and Funfetti – they’re two vastly different things.

A wand tends to produce more mermaidy, swirly curls – like this:

A curling iron will give you a more classic curl, like this:

And while the curling of hairs is all well and fine, one hard-pressing (haha get it) fact remains true. You must use heat. And heat, my friends, is no friend to a delicate strand of protein filament.

Enter, headband curls. Like your ex-hippie aunt who still doesn’t wear a bra, the headband method of hair curling is like sooo groovy because it involves NO heat. So here we go, headband curls!

Please bear in mind you have to do this overnight with DRY hair and you WILL look like a Grandma. Don’t expect anyone to think you look good when headband curls are processing because you just won’t, see pictures below as clear and non-negotiable proof.

And since describing this miraculous method in words is very near impossible, I thought it might be easier to just SHOW you. Yes, my friends, I got in front of a camera again.

Annnnd part 2:

Btw, this is the tutorial that showed me the way (ALL HAIL SOUTHERN BELLES):

Current Favorites

April 15, 20151 Comment

Alright.

I’ve fallen SO far behind in monthly favorites. In fact, the word behind doesn’t really do justice of how behind I am. I am like infinity behind (because we all know NOTHING tops infinity).

That being said, I feel like my favorites at the mome are a really awesome collection of solid products. The Principal’s List, if you will.

Meekup

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

This concealer is separate post-worthy. I know I have sung the praises of many a concealer – but this one is truly the best I’ve found. While it does not have the crazy coverage of a Mac Pro Longwear or a Bye Bye Undereye, what it lacks in coverage it makes up for in ease of application, finish and length of wear. It truly is a radiant concealer, so I only use this under my eyes in the upside down triangle formation. The doe-foot applicator makes it SO much easier than the pump on the Mac concealer or a squeezy tube. All I do is paint it on, blend it out with my finger and set it with a little translucent powder and I am SET. All. Day.

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

I have talked this blush to smithereens but it’s really that good. Everytime I start using other things for a bit, I always come back to Luminoso. And with summer being just around the corner, I know I’ll use it even more. The color is a lovely peach with a subtle highlight (read: do not use if you don’t like a glowy cheek), it is pigmented, long-wearing and the best part: it’s $8.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Alright gals, who still needs to pony up and buy the $20 eyelash curler?! I used the Elf one for years and had resigned to the fact that my eyelashes just sucked. I finally threw it out in a rage after it devastatingly ripped 3-8 eyelashes out one morning. Then I started researching. I was going to order the Shu Uermura one but I didn’t want to wait so I went with the Sephora girl’s recommendation and bought this one. I’ve had it now about a month and I am now a changed woman. Spend money on eyelash curlers people!

NYX High Voltage Lipstick in Pink Lady

These lipsticks are so pigmented! This shade is gonna look brill with a tan. It’s bright and almost sickeningly peachy-pink. YESSS.

Chanel Camelia Highlighter

I use this everyday and it is the most perfect highlight ever! The silver is deceiving because it doesn’t come off that way at all. It gives off a warm, pearly glow, kindof similar to the vanilla pigment from Mac.

Body

Lush Pearl Massage Bar

NO. Bryan does NOT massage with with this so just move that thought right on outta yer head! I got this simply because I am OBSESSED with anything Rose Argan scented from Lush. Basically if I have time, I will rub this puppy all over m’bod after a shower and the smell just lingers and I just KNOW everyone is like “Omg Natalie smells sooo good today!”

Soap & Glory Clean on Me Shower Gel

So… this body wash is amazing. It smells sooooo good and really unique – I may be getting the Soap & Glory perfume because I love it so much. It is also super moisturizing and lathers up really nicely which means all you need is a tiny bit.

Philosophy Pink Almond Candy Body Scrub

I really like a nice, gritty scrub before a self tan and this stuff does not disappoint! I like those softer, sugar scrubs from time to time but there’s nothing like a firm scrub to really get all of the dead skin off.

Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner

Again, I have talked this to death. But I figured I should include it because it is and forever will be a favorite.

Skincare

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream

I picked this up recently as well and have been really enjoying using it before bed. I really should write an update nighttime routine because ALOT has changed but basically, this stuff plays an integral role. It is thick, non-scented and VERY hydrating. Can’t speak to the firming properties, but it feels great!

Rapid Lash

A full post may also be required for a full-on review on this stuff. I started using it about a month ago and I can confirm that yes, it does make a difference. My lashes are definitely longer (not sure about fuller) and I just really like them. I would like to review a couple more of these types of products (except Latisse) and report back. I have also been putting organic Castor oil on my lashes lately…so there’s that as well.

Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water

SUCH a beauty blogger right now you guys! Yes, I have Bioderma and yes, I like it. It is by NO means a holy grail product and I hear that Simple came out with a micellar water that is basically a dupe for Bioderma, costs $7 AND is available everywhere. So who knows, maybe I’ll make the switch but for now, I love Bioderma for removing every last stitch of makeup!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

THE BEST makeup setting spray I have used. Granted, I do not like a matte (or anywhere near it) finish but it really keeps my face lookin’ pretty great all day. It is a little spendy so I suggest you plan a trip to France and hoard 19 bottles. Also, the smell is a bit weird for some people but just say to yourself “spa” and you’ll fall in love.

Hair

Lush’s Jason and the Argan Oil Shampoo Bar

This shampoo bar was recently added to the collection at Lush and I got it the DAY it came out. I bought it because, you guessed it – it smells like Rose Argan. Contrary to what I thought would happen, this baby lathers up like a dream! I still have to use the tea tree on my annoying itchy scalp but when I don’t do that, I am using this. End of story.

What have YOU been loving lately??