Friday Faves

Happy Friday everyone! This is just a quick post, sharing a few favorites and thoughts from this week. I have some posts scheduled for next week and some pregnancy updates- and the gender reveal! I tried to get them done this week, but it was just too busy with work, my crazy girls, and lack of sleep.

Product Review: Sapphire 8-in-1 Curling Wand

My signature look has to be curls, I wear them every single day and would die if I didn't have a curling iron. Yep, die. I rarely wear my hair in any other fashion and can curl my hair in just a few minutes. When Irresistible Me reached out to me for a collaboration, I had to try the Sapphire 8-in-1 Curling Wand. So many people swear by wands, but I've never really tried one and to be honest I didn't know if it would really make a difference in my curls. I felt like my hair would curl the same as using a curling iron and jumped at the chance to give it a whirl.

The curling iron comes with 8 different ceramic, tourmaline infused, interchangeable barrels: 13mm, 19mm, 25mm, 32mm, 18/9mm, 25/13mm, 13/25mm and pearl. Each curler features cool tips, heats up quickly (within 20 seconds), and they're all packed in a nice travel bag. I've had a lot of fun playing around with the different wands and have found the 25mm to be my favorites.



A few things I was skeptical of in trading my curling iron for a wand was thinking that without using a clip, my curls wouldn't last as long. Wrong. My curls lasted just as long and the waves looked even beachier the next day. On day three, I curled just a few pieces around my crown and was on my way. I also didn't think there would be much difference between a wand and a regular curling iron, but a wand is longer and without the clip, it gives you more space for maneuvering.

A few tricks I've learned to help make beachy waves and curls, thanks to many of you on my Instagram post, is to:

- Curl hair away from your face (it's flattering on all face shapes)
- For beach waves, leave the last 1-3 inches out from wrapping around the wand, focusing only on the middle section of your hair
- When you're first using the wand, use the glove! It took me a few tries to get the hang of it and didn't want burn myself and now I prefer to not use it.
- Vary the amount of hair you curl at a time (1-3 inch sections)
- Point the tip of the wand down while wrapping sections of hair
- Take the time to curl your hair well the first day and enjoy loose waves the next day

Overall, I LOVE using the curling wand! I haven't traded in my curling iron for it exclusively, but I've been using the wand about 60% of the time now. With a little practice it takes me only a few minutes longer than using a curling iron now. I've really enjoyed the beachy and relaxed waves and my favorite is day 2 of curls. It's just perfect!

What type of curling iron do you use? What tips do you have for perfect curls or waves?

Recent Beauty Purchases

As I was taking pics for this post I had to keep taking more pics because I would forget about stuff I've bought and haven't used yet, but wanted to include in the post. I've bought a thing here, an item there, several things have seemed to just jump into my cart at Target. That happens to you too, right? You go to Target for five, maybe six things, and you leave with a full cart. Then you're unpacking and putting things away and realize that you have two eyeliners, a mascara, mousse (which I did forget to include in this post, it's L'Oreal ), a top, and some home decor. It never fails!

On Sunday, I cleaned out a spare makeup drawer and threw out a few items so I don't feel quite as bad about my totally unnecessary purchases. I really need to toss out so much more. I try a lot of new products and brands it really starts to take up a ton of space. It's not as bad as it used to be when Nordstrom, Ulta, and Sephora were all just around the corner from me. Now Ulta or Sephora is a 20-30 minute drive and the closest Nordstrom is a solid 45 minutes away. For some reason, I don't really buy makeup/hair products online, so my beauty hauls have slowed down. Plus, taking a toddler anywhere that has beauty samples is a nightmare!!! Maybe I should just order online...

Anyways, here's what I've bought the last couple of weeks. Some of them are repeat buys, but a lot of them have been purchases to try something new. I've tried a few of them already and have shared my first impressions about them below.

Meg tried this and liked it, so I bought it. Did I need it right now? Nope. I haven't used it yet, but Meg gives great reviews and tries a ton of stuff and when she mentioned this I snagged it so I wouldn't forget! I always really, really, want to try NYX HD Concealer which is supposedly a dupe for NARS so that will be making it's way into my makeup bag on my next Ulta trip.

I have a lipstick from this collection in Blushing Beige 915 and really like it so I wanted to try the shade darker and about Nude Lust 920. I'm super happy with them both! I don't know if I have a preference of one over the other, they both are creamy and great shades. 920 does have warmer pigmented color to it. I usually top them both off with MAC Boy Bait or Urban Decay Walk of Shame.When in doubt, wear nude I always say!

As you can tell from yesterday's mascara review post, I love mascara and wanted to give this Lash Sensational one a try. The wand's bristles look like they could really help in pushing up your lashes and giving extra length. I don't typically care for short bristles on a wand, but I think that the mix of long on one side and short on the other might me a good mix to really coat your lashes. I've heard good things, will report back.

The NYC Eyeliner is a re-purchase, it's an amazing eyeliner! I never would have tried it, but makeup artist Brittany Layne (Jason Aldean's wife) raves about it so I tried it and fell in love. It's true black that doesn't fade and lasts all day long. I've heard good things about NYX so I picked this one up too.

Typically, I like Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair conditioner, but I've been liking a lot of L'Oreal's hair products lately and thought I'd try this Damage Erasing Balm a whirl. The bottle that one use can repair up to a year of damage? That sounds like a challenge to me!

L'Oreal has some really great hair products and one thing I hate doing is blowdrying my hair. I don't know why, I just style the front and crown and flip my head over for the rest and it takes me all of 7-10 minutes to do the whole thing. Still, I loathe it. Obviously, this Quick Dry Primer Spray needed to make it's way to my bathroom. I've tried it twice and the first time I felt a difference in time, but not so much the second time. I'll keep using it to see if it was just a Jedi trick or if it really works. It smells incredible though.

Another repeat buy for me. I really dig a light leave-in conditioner for my ends. All of the bleach, styling, and heat can be killer and I need a little extra to save my tresses. I don't love this one, but it's light weight and works for now. I swear a few years ago every brand had a leave-in conditioner, but I can't find any now! It seems like they're a thing of the past. Do you use one? What do you like? What should I use instead?

So I've been using a stretched out purple scrunchie around the house and to separate my hair while styling since 1995. 1995!!! It was a Christmas gift from my dad (aka, grandma) and I only know the year because it was the first year my parents had separated. I'll hold onto the scrunchie forever probably, but I really needed some new ones that had some actual stretch. Laugh all you want about it, but these are so soft and don't pull your hair at all. These feel like heaven when your hair is pulled up in them.

My favorite moisturizers are from Image, but I've also been using Aveeno and it had just ran out so I picked this Neutrogena one up to replace it. Veronika recommended it and I really like it so far. I use my Image ones at night and have been using this one in the mornings.

What are some of your favorite beauty products? Have you tried anything new and loved it lately? Hope you're all having a fantastic day, thank you for reading!!

Product Review: The Wet Brush

The Wet Brush // The Squirt Brush

When it comes to brushes, I've used a paddle one since junior high and just recently got a new one in my Christmas stocking this past year (but the old one is still hiding in my drawer!). I like the new one, but the bristles are hard and don't flex much and sometimes if there's a big knot, it rips out a ton of hair no matter how slow or gentle I go. My girlfriend got a Wet Brush for Christmas and loves it, so when they contacted me I replied immediately! I couldn't wait to try it out on my color treated hair.

Ellie's hair is still baby fine and she has the most wicked bed head I have ever seen. I have to douse it in detangler and gently comb her tangles out. Most of the time she goes running away when she sees I have a comb in hand and I usually have to bribe or distract her to put her hair up. Wet Brush was kind enough to send me a surprise child one for her! She was so excited and brushed mine and her daddy's hair with hers.

So Ellie and I have been using our brushes for a few weeks (more like months since I'm behind on posts!) now and we love them! I feel like it gets through our hair like a hot knife through butter. I have some really gnarly snarls at the base of my neck and it takes a bit of work sometimes to brush through them, but it's half the time with The Wet Brush compared to my standard paddle brush.

The rubber covering and handles are shaped in a way to keep the brush in your hands and the bristles are a unique Intelliflex design to gently go through your hair without pulling or tugging it. I'm so happy with this brush! I don't think I could ever go back to a standard brush and plan on buying the paddle one myself. It's a great brush for those with tangles, long hair, or for children and it comes in so many different colors and patterns- it would be a great stocking stuffer too!

What's your hair brush of choice? Have you tried the Wet Brush yet?

Product Review: Fromm Beauty Square Thermal Brushes

1907 by Fromm Square Thermal Brushes

Fromm is a leading marketer of beauty essentials in the professional beauty community, products available only to beauty professional. Now, consumers are able to access the tools of the pros through 1907 by Fromm. The 1907 by Fromm line combines high-quality materials, authentic designs, and master craftsmanship to produce beautiful and contemporary hair products.

This month, the brand introduces the most revolutionary shape in brushes since the square paddle: the 1907 by Fromm Square Thermal Brushes. Available at Ulta stores and Ulta.com (all under $20!), this bronze brush series comes in three different sizes: small, medium and large. The Square Thermal brushes feature an innovative square shape that offers all-in-one blow-dry techniques – simply alter the position of the brush to straighten, create loose waves, or form tight curls. The flexibility of the barrel shape creates an all-inclusive tool, a necessity in the quest for the perfect blow-out.

When these came in the mail I couldn't wait to try them out! I am by no means a pro at giving myself a great blow out, but these inspired me to get to it. Since I'm somewhat lazy when it comes to doing my hair and live off 3rd and 4th day hair, I know that the importance of getting extra days out of your hair starts with a good blow out.

So I put product in my hair, busted out some tunes, and went to town with these brushes. My blow out wasn't perfect (mostly because of my lack of skills and upper body strength) but holy volume Batman! My hair was super sleek too. Usually the front of my hair gets a bit frizzy after blow drying it with a regular or paddle brush due to my cowlicks, but they were so smooth! Plus, it didn't take as much time as I expected it to because the rippled bristles increase contact with hair and cut the drying time down. Also, the bristles are not all prickly and hard like other round brushes I've used.

I am so excited about the brushes and happy I was able to give them a try. If you're a blow out queen or want to start, I would definitely recommend this product! It helps to give my hair extra volume that I wasn't getting before just by blow drying my hair upside down or with a paddle brush. I'm hoping to master the blow out with these brushes!

Thank you Fromm Beauty for sponsoring this post! The brushes were provided to me for consideration, all opinions are my own.

Product Review: TRESemme Perfectly (un)Done Sea Salt Spray

Sea salt sprays always come up every summer to help achieve the perfect beach waves – a favorite look of mine that I hope never dies. I’ve always wanted to try different sea salt sprays, but have never bit the bullet after reading reviews. I know Bumble and Bumble have a really popular beach wave spray, but my stylist suggested that it would be too heavy for my fine hair so I skipped it altogether.

I typically wear loose waves on a daily basis, curling my hair using a 1 ¼ curling iron focusing on just the mid-shaft of my hair and leaving 1-2 inches out from curling at the ends. You can check out a video of how I do this here, but it’s a bit old and although I do curl it with the same technique, I style it a bit messier using my hands to break up the curls.

This spring I really wanted to add some texture to my hair without having to weigh it down. I thought about finding a good sea salt spray, and put it on my Spring Beauty List after seeing the TRESemme (un)Done Sea Salt Spray in store and on my next Target run I put it in my cart and didn’t look back. I’ve been using it weekly (not every day) and really like this product! It’s a great price point (under $10), smells great, dries quickly, isn’t sticky and doesn’t weigh my hair down.

Day One Curls

Day Two Curls

Here’s how I’ve been using it:
-If I let my hair air-dry, I spray it liberally over my hair after I’ve applied my leave-in conditioner and anti-frizz serum
-I love the extra texture it gives to air-dried hair and have noticed it helps to keep more volume in my hair if it hasn’t been blow dried with other products
-After I’ve curled my hair, I spray it all over before separating the curls with my hands and then again after for some extra texture

Some extra details:
-I haven’t used it on wet hair when I blow dry, I prefer to use other volume boosting products, so I can’t comment on how it works using it that way
-If I’ve gone a little overboard with spraying it for multiple days, I’ve found to have a bit too much texture on my hair by day 3

Overall I really like this product a lot and I hope they don’t discontinue it. The spray is infused with sea kelp extract that’s supposed to help create full-bodied waves. Like I wrote above, I think the texture really helps on air-dried hair to give some more volume and texture. Usually, when my hair is air-dried, I have a harder time getting volume on day 3-4 when compared to volume on the same days after it’s been blow-dried. This spray has been a win-win for me! Have you tried sea salt sprays? What did you like, how do you use it?

Summer Hair Inspiration

One of my favorite activities in the whole world is happening soon- getting my hair done! Holy hair Batman, I haven't been able to get into see my hair girl Nikki since she's so busy doing weddings, photo shoots, etc. I can't wait to see her! As always, I have a million different things I want to do to my hair. Dye it darker, go blonder, do a mix, cut it shorter, cut layers, keep it blunt, and so on. Lucky for me, Nikki is bomb and I can walk in and say "do what you want" and she always does a great job and somehow knows exactly what change I'm looking for. I've been trolling Pinterest and Instagram and here are some of my favorites I'll be drawing inspiration from.

What are some of your favorite hair trends for summer? Are you making any changes to your hair before fall creeps up on us?

Be sure to enter my Tiny Tags giveaway and enjoy 15% off your purchase through 07/31 using LLP14!

Hair Routine + Products

Since cutting my hair back in March, my hair has been so healthy. Cutting off the inches really gave me a chance to sort of start over with my hair. My routine hasn't changed much since cutting it, but I have noticed that I have been able to keep my ends healthier since the chop. I have another appointment coming up and I've been debating on keeping the length that it has grown or cutting it even shorter than I previously had. I definitely want to add some more layers at the bottom and maybe add some low-lights to make the blonde highlights pop. Or just go blonder overall. Matt and I cleaned out our garage a few weeks ago and came across a bunch of pictures from when we were first together, and I was so blonde! I'm thinking of going back to it. We'll see, I'm sure I'll change my mind several times by my appointment.

I’m still washing my hair 2-3 times a week, just depending on the amount of product buildup (or lack thereof) and whatever it is that we’re doing. I usually wash my hair on Saturdays/Sundays and then again during the week. I've noticed I will sometimes have to wash my hair a third time if I haven’t used any product at all because it gets really flat. In that case, I usually will use Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Dry Shampoo to build some volume to get an extra day or two of wear.

For shampoo I use Tressemme and have switched off buying the volume one and the moisturizing one. I just ran out of it so I picked up some Nexxus Therappe Shampoo, I haven't tried it yet (as of this post), but I'm looking forward to using a better shampoo to keep my locks healthy. I have also been using the Macadamia Deep Mask and Nelson j  Healing Mask conditioners once a week (switching off with each wash). As for blow-drying, I have only blow-dried my hair once a week and let my hair air dry during the night the other wash. I think this really has been the biggest reason why I have been able to maintain the health of my hair, but have noticed that using my HANA Air Blow Dryer gives me so much more volume and helps me to maintain not washing my hair as often. I’m also using more products when I blow-dry it, so it’s really a combination, but I have noticed I can get an extra day of wear even when using no products at all when drying it.

For products, I use a combination of L'Oreal Boost It Volume Inject Mousse, Redken Guts 10, L'Oreal Boost It Blow Out Heat Spray, and a Herbal Essence Leave-in Conditioner that's no longer available. If I use my Redken Guts then I will skip using mousse, for my hair it’s just too much product and will weigh it down the very next day. Redken Guts is such a great product, I get a ton of volume and my hair really holds when I use it. It’s kind of pricey, but you can use coupons and find good deals online for it, it’s one of the few hair products (along with the Macadamia Deep Mask) I use that’s worth the extra expense.

For styling I'll use the Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray when curling my hair.  When teasing my hair on day 2-4 I'll use L'Oreal Boost It High Lift Creation Spray to create more volume. When I first bought this spray, I wasn't completely sold on it, but it really makes your hair hold a tease all day long! I really enjoy the product and will definitely re-purchase it. On any day I need more volume, and especially on day 3-4 I'll use Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo. It is hands down the BEST dry shampoo I've ever used in my life. If I've let my hair air dry and need more volume/texture I'll use it on clean hair as well. On 2-4 day hair I'll also sometimes use TRESemmé Styling Aid Keratin Smoothing Serum (not pictured) to bring some life back to my hair and lose some frizziness. I don't care as much for this oil as one they discontinued. One pump is just so much product and it's heavier than the previous oil. I think I'm going to have to go back to my tried and true Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum.

As for tools, it’s pretty simple. I use a paddle brush (similar here) to comb through my towel-dried hair and a combination of that and a round brush (similar here) while I blow-dry. If I have the time, I like to use Conair Think Big Velcro Rollers to set my hair and then use either my Corioliss Classic Pro Flat Iron or Conair 1 1/4" Instant Heat Curling Iron to style my hair. To tease my hair, I’ll use either a comb, hair pick, or a teasing brush.

What products do you like to use? What are you must have, holy grail hair items? Please spill!

Beauty Buys + First Thoughts

e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot - Aint That Sweet? // e.l.f. Studio HD Blush - Headliner // e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette - Light // e.l.f. Studio Baked Blush - Rich Rose // e.l.f. Studio Mineral Powder Brush // Maybelline One By One Mascara // NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium

So I randomly ordered some items from e.l.f recently. I kind of gave up on their products, but seeing some blog reviews (like Meg's!) and using some of my older purchases from them I bought a few more products. I haven't tried any of these out yet, but kind of tested them on my hand when they were delivered. I got the smudge pot to use as kind of a primer like MAC's paint pots, so we'll see how it goes. I keep hearing about the HD Blush so I hope it lives up to the hype. The color is really nice, it's a soft natural looking pink and I'm excited to try it. The Baked Blush is really pretty and I thought it would look nice over some pink or coral blushes for some summer shimmer. I saw the blush palette in my People StyleWatch so I thought I would give it a try. The top left and bottom right colors look like blushes they sell individually and that I own  (Pink Passion  and Pink), but I really like the two top colors so far (in my swipe). 

The Maybelline mascara I got on a whim before trying my beloved Younique (best mascara ever!), and I freaking hate it. I guess it's been discontinued and I totally get why. It does absolutely positively NOTHING for my lashes. I'm just gonna dump it. 

The NYX bronzer is a repeat buy, this is my 5th one I think? I was looking around Ulta to maybe try a different brand, I almost bought Benefit's Hoola, but when I was swiping colors and brand these two were identical? I had to do a few swipes to know which one was which!

Conair Volume and Styling Comb: I really like this comb a lot! It teases really well, almost too well even. It's great for getting a good tease that builds up a pouf- perfect for updos!
L'Oreal Boost It Blow Out Heat Spray: I've been looking for a new heat spray and I figured I'd try this one, I also have the other Boost It products, so I figured they would work well together. The smell of this line is delicious and the spray is nice. It's light weight and doesn't weigh down my hair or builds up product with use. I haven't used it enough to know if it really works, but I've enjoyed it so far.
Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Dry Shampoo: Holy Grail status! This is so much better than their basic one I've been using (and loving). The smell is great, it adds a ton of texture and volume. I absolutely love this dry shampoo! Get yourself one asap!

MAC Tinted Lipglass- Angel: When I went shopping with my SIL a few weekends ago, I came across this gloss and fell in love with it. I have the lipstick, and I somehow had NO IDEA they also made it in a gloss. Turns out, they made a bunch of their top lipsticks into glosses! How I missed the memo I have no clue. Of course, they were out of it then, but I picked it up the weekend after. It's such a great summer shade and is pretty opaque but with some color in it.
NYX Butter Gloss - Creme Brulee: I keep hearing about this shade and NYX's Butter Glosses so I finally bit the bullet and bought it. I really love the consistency and color. It's gorgeous on its own and I love pairing it with MAC Creme Cup.
Maybelline Vivids- Fuchsia Flash: I bought this one because it's a total dupe for MAC's Candy Yum Yum and I didn't know if I would really love the color so I didn't want to spend the extra $$ for a lipstick shade I may not wear all the time. It's really pretty and a lot of fun to wear. I don't know if I'll be wearing it all the time so I'm happy with this price point and purchase.
Maybelline Baby Lips- Pink: I love the Baby Lips products to wear as a quick chapstick with a wash of color. This pink is great and very natural, the scent is medicated and a bit strong, but doesn't bother me too much.

What beauty products have you purchased lately? Have you tried any of these? What was your experience?

Nelson J Giveaway Winners!

The three winners of the Nelson J ARgan Oil 7 Moisture Healing Mask have been chosen,
check below to see if it's you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snip, Chop, and a Giveaway!

Welp, I've cut my hair. I've been talking about it for years- seriously, I looked back on my blog posts and it's been a good 3-4 years that I've been talking about doing it. I finally decided to just go for it and I tell ya, the moment I did I felt like my hair had grown to be the length of Rapunzel's. Of course it wasn't though, it has been the same length it had always been and wasn't getting any longer. I gave up the dream of having mermaid hair without extensions and went for it. I really like the change, I'm thinking about going shorter on my next appointment. I was worried about what my husband would think because he prefers long hair, but he loves it! He keeps telling me how much he likes it and how good it looks. I mostly wear it straight but since I'm on vacation this week I hope to try a couple of different styles and really play with it.

Here are some of pictures that inspired my cut. I wanted it to be a nice mid-length (a lob if you will) with a slight angle to the front. It's still long enough to be put in a ponytail and is about the same maintenance that I had before I cut it. It's a great style that I think looks good on anyone.

Remember the Nelson j Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7 Moisture Healing Mask I've been using? Read about my review here, I'm giving 3 away!! I'm so excited to share this product with you guys, it's been awesome and has made a huge difference in my hair- it's so much softer and healthier (even before my cut). Just see below on the ways to enter and the winners will be announced next week! a Rafflecopter giveaway