LOTD: Bright, Bright, Bright Teals and Blues!

Sooo I wanted to go for something different today and decided to brighten it up! I initially had on this multi blue shirt that inspired me. After I finished the eyes came out more teal than blue so I changed. My son normally sits and watches me do my makeup and when I asked him if it was pretty he said, "No, Scary!" Ha ha. So this is definitely more of a night-time/club look but I just wore it out and about doing Saturday errands. Enjoy!

PRODUCTS USED:

FACE:

Equate Oil Free Moisturizer (comparable to my Neutrogena Oil Free Face Moisturizer)

Monistat Anti Chafing Gel as a face primer

Maybelline Dream Matte Liquid Foundation in Dark 2 Caramel w/ a Foundation Brush

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in Dark

CHEEKS:

NYX Powder Blush in Raisin ( a light purple/mauve)

ELF Blush in Coy (Looks like Raisin but comes off with his gold tint) as cheek highlight

EYES:

YSF Palette: used the brown brow powder to line and lightly fill the eyebrows

TwoFaced Shadow Insurance eye primer

120 Palette:

-Baby blue w/ glitter specs all over lid

-Aquamarine blue over the baby blue

-Shimmery Teal on outer lids and lower lash line (only outer)

-Shimmery dark grey/almost black on outer v

-Matte Tan brown above the teal and up to brow bone to soften the edges

CoverGirl eyeliner in Charcoal on water line and lower lash line

Maybelline LineStiletto eyeliner in Blackest Black on upper lid

Maybelline Volum' Express ONE by ONE lash mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof

LIPS:

NYX Round Lipstick in Creamy Beige

NYX MegaShine lipgloss in Natural

.

xoxo t.marie

LOTD: Purple Smokey with a Pop of Teal!

Look of the Day: Sassy purples and a hint of teal. Make this look more dramatic with falsies and more eyeliner!

PRODUCTS USED:

FACE:

Equate Oil Free Moisturizer (comparable to my Neutrogena Oil Free Face Moisturizer)

Monistat Anti Chafing Gel as a face primer

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Foundation for Combo/Oily Skin w/ a Foundation Brush

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in Dark

CHEEKS:

NYX Powder Blush in Raisin ( a light purple/mauve)

NYC Sun2 Sun Bronzing Powder in Terracotta Tan (light side as highlight and dark side for contour of the cheeks and neck)

EYES:

YSF Palette: used the brown brow powder to line and lightly fill the eyebrows

TwoFaced Shadow Insurance eye primer

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Wild Orchids as base (the lavender shimmer color in the palette)

NYX Luxor eyeshadow all over lid and lower corner

NYX Eggplant eyeshadow on outer V and lower lid

120 Palette Dark Purple eyeshadow to deepen the outer V

99 Palette #2 Teal color mixed with MAC Fix+ to make a liquid liner for lower lash line

CoverGirl Queen eyeshadow in Black Tie (it's a smokey black) in the eye corners

Maybelline LineStiletto eyeliner in Blackest Black on upper lid

Sephora Nano Liner in Glitter Black on waterline, tightline, and lower lash line

Maybelline Volum' Express ONE by ONE lash mascara in Blackest Black Waterproof

LIPS:

NYX Round Lipstick in Creamy Beige

NYX MegaShine lipgloss in Natural

xoxo t. marie

Want To Cut Your Blow Drying and Flat Ironing in Half?!

Then you NEED to try the CeramicTools Professional Hot Air Brush by Jilbere de Paris!!!

In my last post I told you all about my Top Hair Straightening Products. In that post I told you that although I felt my straightening routine was perfected, I still felt that the blow drying and flat ironing part took me a little too long. At that time I had been researching the Jilbere Hot Air Brush. Currently I have to blow dry my hair (25 minutes), follow that with flat ironing (another 20 minutes), and then if I want to add sexy waves or big curls it takes me an additional 20 minutes for the curling iron or hot rollers. So as you can see, it's tedious!

So I decided to try something different and I am soooo glad I did! The CeramicTools Professional Hot Air Brush by Jilbere de Paris is available at Sally Beauty Supply for $34.99. It is $29.99 for Beauty Club members. I had an additional 15% off coupon so I paid $26.49 for mine. I bought this because of all the wonderful reviews I found online.

It has a 360 swivel cord, soft nylon bristles (which scared me at first because they didn't seem so 'soft'!), hi/lo/off buttons, multiple hot air vents for faster drying, a cool tip, and a smooth nonstick ceramic barrel. Typically, I have always stayed AWAY from using a round brush while blow drying because my hair would ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS end up a tangled HOT MESS. I was never coordinated enough to roll the round brush and hold the blow dryer in my other hand. I just couldn't do it! So I was a bit hesitant about this hot air brush getting stuck in my hair. I was pleasantly surprised!

PRODUCT RAVES:

• This thing is sooo easy to use. Really, it's fool proof!
• The 1 1/4 diameter barrel is perfect sized for my long hair. The bristles were smooth and did not get tangled AT ALL while blow drying...not once!
• The cool tip on the end of the brush is great and you WILL use it. As you comb through your hair and curl the ends, you will need something sturdy to hold on to.
• This baby gets hot, but not toooo hot.
• I like the hi or lo settings. Some people don't need as much heat to blow dry their hair.
• The swivel cord is great. The cord didn't get in the way at all.
• This brush gives your hair so much volume and body! Wow!

PRODUCT RANTS:

• I wish they made it with different sized barrels. For people with short or medium hair, a smaller barrel would probably be more beneficial.
• Getting the crown of your hair dry is a bit tricky, but I figured it out after doing two sections.
• I wish I would have found this thing sooner!

SO, DID IT CUT MY BLOW DRYING IN HALF?

Nope! In fact, it took me ten more minutes. However, I think it's because it took me a bit to get used to the brush and find the right angles to dry at. I am CONFIDENT that with more use, I can get faster and more efficient at using it. But the best part is...

IT CUT MY FLAT IRONING FROM 20 MINUTES TO ONLY ABOUT 5 MINUTES FOR SIMPLE TOUCH UPS.

This thing got my hair pretty darn straight. Normally my hair is still a bit poofy after blow drying. If I was going to do waves or curls I could SKIP the flat ironing part all together, but because I was going for sleek and straight, I went ahead and did my five minute flat iron job.

Overall, this thing is GREEAAATT! If you had wavy hair or naturally straight hair you will love this even more! Go geeeetttt one!!!!!

Top Hair Straightening Products Revealed!

Hiii! So I am no longer living in humid, hot Florida and am enjoying this crisp cold Midwest weather by rocking my hair straight! For years, no matter what products I used, my hair would never STAY straight. I have long hair, but it's kind of thin which means my hair doesn't t have the weight to stick together to stay straight, thus my arch-nemesis FRIZZ will take over. I would take forever to blow dry and flat iron my locks, only for it to frizz up as soon as I walk into the next room! I would get it straight but it would still look kind of dry and dull. Since I have layers, the ends would sometimes stick up and didn't blend well. Yes, it was straight but it didn't last and it sucked! Well guys, I think I finally figured it out...and this is how!

All of these products can be found at your local Sally Beauty with the exception of the flat iron which you can find on beautychoice.com (I googled mine and found it cheaper though).

STEP ONE: Ion Antifrizz Solutions Straightening Shampoo and Conditioner, 12 oz

PROS: This stuff actually works! Creamy and moisturizing and relaxes my curls just enough. Not a permanent solution and doesn't involve major chemicals. No crazy smell and doesn't dry my hair out. This is a must have and I notice a huge different when I don't use this before flat ironing my hair.

CONS: Includes sulfate and silicone, which is blaaahhh!

STEP TWO: Beyond the Zone Straight Shot Straightening Balm, 6oz

PROS: This is a cross between a balm and a serum. It's a light product and the MAGIC MAKER to making my hair straight. This product is the REASON why I'm left with silky and straight hair. It's light and doesn't weigh my hair down. I am so amazed at this product and how bouncy my hair ends up looking. This is a great compliment to the shampoo and conditioner above.

CONS: None

STEP THREE: Beyond the Zone Turn Up the Heat Protection Spray, a Blow Dryer, and a Paddle Brush

I forgot to take a picture of this one!. I don't have an expensive blow dryer as of yet, just my Walmart Conair. The trick is I section my hair and only do small parts at a time and blow dry in a downward straight motion.

PROS: The heat protectant smells amazing! It reminds me of the beach. I love how glossy it makes my hair look.

CONS: Too much and you will have a greasy head! Blow drying still takes me a good 25-30 min so I am most likely upgrading my blow dryer in the near future. My blow dryer doesn't take long to get my hair dry, it's just that I have to ensure each section is being straightened out.

STEP FOUR: A straightening comb and the Bio Ionic OnePass 1.5" Nano-Ceramic Straightening Iron

You are technically supposed to use the comb while you are flat ironing your hair (like one behind the other) as it detangles your hair completely, separating your strands so they straighten better. Well, that takes me too long so you know how you normally take a brush and comb out the section of hair before you flat iron it? I use this, instead. Before I flat iron a section of hair, I run this comb through and then follow SLOWLY with the OnePass iron. I cannot stress the word SLOWLY enough. It truly only takes ONE PASS for straight hair. But if you rush through it, you will have to go over it several times.

CONS: I have gotten quicker at flat ironing but I hate how long the whole process still is!

STEP FIVE: GVP SilkTreatment, 6oz, similar to Biosilk Silk Therapy

PROS: I only use a tiny amount of this and put it on my ends and bang area only. This just seals any fly aways. I love GVP brand alternative at Sally Beauty!

CONS: None, love it!

STEP SIX: Tresemme SmoothFinishing Spray or Beyond the Zone's Rock On Flexible Hold Hairspray

PROS: The key here is FLEXIBLE. You don't want a stiff hairspray for this part. I just spray either one of these all over and it really smooths things out while giving my hair a bit of hold. Remember, my problem is frizz that's created from my thin hair and flyways. This gives me a little 'stick'.

CONS: None, again!

So let me remind you of how my hair normally looks:

Normally, I can't wear my hair straight so if I'm looking for some glam, I'll do my hair like this:

and noooooowww I can wear it straight!!!! I did my hair yesterday evening, slept on it, woke up and did a SLIGHT touch up, ran some errands and went to church, came home and shot the pic below. That is proof for ya that my method works for me!

Hope I helped! xoxo