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?

Spring Beauty Wishlist

With every season comes new things I want to try and buy, not just sandals (check out my picks here) and new summer dresses, but I always want all new fresh makeup. A different color on my cheek, a new shade for my lips, etc. Here are a few things I've been eyeing and hope to add to my never-ending, Mary Poppins carpet bag of a makeup bag.

MAC Dame Blush
I have MAC’s Pink Swoon, which I understand is pretty similar to Dame, but when I look at side-by-side swatches, Dame shows to be a bit warmer and with some shimmer. I’ve read all kinds of review comparing them, but haven’t found any to be really helpful. After all that research (by “research” I mean Pinterest/Google searches) I still want Dame in my beauty bag, especially since Pink Swoon has been discontinued. Do you have either blush? What’s your take?

NYX Terra Cotta
Do you guys follow Chrissy Teigen on Instagram? She’s one of my fave celebs to follow (ooh maybe that will be a future post?) and I absolutely loved her red carpet looks this season. There’s a few shots of her and Nikki Reed that they have very bronzey cheeks and I absolutely love the sun-kissed natural look they rocked. Terra Cotta is a gorgeous gold bronze color that I think will be beautiful over a tan in the summer. When doing some more “research” (see above), I found several sites saying that’s it’s a dupe for MAC’s Sunbasque- which I already own! I wore my Sunbasque and checked out the shade and then shopped the NYX blush on a Target run, but I really don’t think they’re that similar. I definitely will be picking this up for summer!

OPI You’re Such A Budapest
So this OPI collection is a few years old, but I saw it on Amber of Barefoot Blonde and I have to have it. I love the blue/lavender look of it and I think it will be a color I’ll be wearing all spring and summer.

Essie Blossom Dandy
Yes, I need another polish like a fish needs a bicycle, but this is such a pretty color. It’s the perfect shade for Easter- just the right mix of mint and blue and bolder than Mint Candy Apple. It’s from their new 2015 Spring Collection, I also love the nude shade Picked Perfect which is so spot on for spring trends. When I saw this color available on a Target trip, I threw it in my cart and Ellie immediately picked it up and started pointing to her toes, she’s also a fan of the color.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch
Now, this product isn’t new and it’s from their original line of Baby Lips. For spring, I really wanted a sheer pink. I have so many lipsticks and glosses, but I’ve recently been using a lot more chapstick and nothing else. I thought this bright color would be a great wash to add to my everyday look. I’m on the fence about the Baby Lips product overall, I have three other colors and have reviewed two of them here.

TRESemme Sea Salt Spray
Every summer, easy soft beach waves are always in style. I love a great undone, slept in curl look and I think a sea salt spray would be a great way to add some lightweight texture to my hair. I’ve talked to my stylist about Bumble & Bumble’s Surf Spray, but she thought it would be too heavy for my hair type. I’ve always been a fan of TRESemme products, they’re usually lightweight enough not to weigh my hair down or have a buildup of too much product. It’s a great price point too, so it doesn’t hurt to try it!

What are some of your spring beauty items you've had your eye on?

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!

Curls for Daysssss

So as many of you know, I’m lazy about my hair- side note- I’m not lazy about having it done, I hate roots and get my hair done on the dot every 8-10 weeks. What I mean is that I wash it every 4-5 days (I’ll wash it sooner if I need to) and I'm lazy about curling it all the time. For work I wake up between 430-5am so I want to be able to get ready in the shortest amount of time as possible and staying at home with Ellie, my hair is the last of my concerns, but it's nice to have it somewhat cute when people stop by or I get out of the house. Luckily, my curls last and I can scoot by with simply brushing my hair, teasing for some volume, and maybe curling a few pieces around my face. I get asked a lot about my low-maintenance hair and wanted to share with you my “secrets” of how to get your hair to last longer.

As far as washing goes, my hair is not oily or greasy so I lucked out in the gene pool for that. I do believe you can “train” your hair and Veronika has a great post about her washing routine (which is pretty identical to my own) and tips on getting extra days from each wash. Using dry shampoo can definitely give your hair some life and give you an extra day or two whether you’re still training your hair or if you’re like me and don’t have the need to wash it more often.

TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray // Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam // Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray // Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play // TRESemme Smooth Salon Silk No Frizz Serum // Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray // Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Leave-In Split End Protector // Conair Curling Iron (I use 1.25 in) //
HANA Air Premiere (see my review here) // Conair Mega Self Holding Rollers

To get the most of your hair and curls, it really starts with the blow dry and your products. If I let my hair air-dry, I only get about 3-4 days without washing it because it falls too flat to get a good look from day 3 on. When I get out of the shower, I put my hair up in my towel for a few minutes to soak up excess water, after taking out my hair- before brushing it- I use these products in my hair before I start blow-drying it; Tressemme Serum, Herbal Essence Leave-in Conditioner, and Redken Guts 10. Then I brush through my hair and use my fingers to rub in the Guts 10. Then I part my hair and blow dry my bang area to get my cowlick under control, I pin down my bangs (that’s part of training my cowlick) and flip my hair upside down to finish drying. I try and brush my hair up and focus on the roots to get the most volume, then I flip back up right and smooth my hair while still brushing the lion’s mane.

Once I’m done with that, I section off my crown to use Velcro rollers to set my hair. I blast the section with heat, put the roller in, and clip it in place. Velcro rollers makes a huge impact on having bouncy, voluminous hair. The products make it last! Right now I’m using 4 rollers, one on each side and 2 at the crown, then I’ll do my makeup while I wait for my hair to set in the rollers.

Once my makeup is done, I use my Spray & Play hairspray to put a light mist on the hair outside of the rollers (the bottom half that's not in a roller at all) and curl that hair section. Then I take out one roller at a time and mist the hair as well before curling it. Be sure to use a "mist" of spray and not a "raincloud" of it, you also want to be sure the spray isn't wet when you use the curling iron- if you use a mist it won't be wet whatsoever. When all of my hair is curled, I let it set for a minute and then run my fingers through it to loosen up the curls. I’ll finish with styling and teasing my hair and another mist of hairspray using my trusted Aqua Net.

This is day 3 of curls, without any touch-up
I do smooth out my bang area with a curling iron, but do not touch the back

Using the Spray & Play makes such a huge difference in how well the curls stay in my hair. I’ve found that when I use it, I can go 2-3 days without touching up my curls at all, they just loosen each day. On day 4-5 I’ll have to either re-curl all of my hair or just a few pieces around my face and on the top of my crown in the back.

On days 2-5 I’ll use my Tressemme Serum to tame down any frizziness and will use Suave Dry Shampoo to add texture on non-washing days when I’ve let my hair air dry. I'll also use it on day 5 and wear my hair up in a pony or half up/down.

So that's my hair secrets folks. I really think it's a combination of my hair texture and products, but the products- mainly the Redken Guts 10 and the Big Sex Hair Spray & Play- make the most difference. Using everything together for me has made a world of difference in how long my curls last. My hair is great without all the products for so many days, but my curls aren't as springy and my volume isn't as much without the whole shebang. Taking the time to really have a good blow out/curl makes the rest of the week a breeze.

Want to see how I curl my hair? Check out these posts here for a video, here for text/pictures, and here for loose curls. 

What are your hair secrets? What helps your hair look its best?

Beauty Favorites of 2012

After seeing Meg from O. is Me's Top 2012 beauty picks, I knew I had to share mine too. Meg always has great makeup tips and products posts, and is the mother to the cutest little munchkin! She inspired today's post about what my favorite products were this past year. Most of them I've talked about on the blog and linked to their reviews, but some of them, this is the first they've been mentioned and  reviews will be coming soon. Most of the products I use I've found from bloggers I follow and before I buy most things, I Google blog reviews!

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray (review here), Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo (review here), TRESemme Salon Silk Serum (review here)

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover, Oil of Olay Pro-X (review here), Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub (see my routine here), Complete All Day UV Moisturizer

NYX Matte Bronzer (I buy medium in the summer and light in the winter), MAC Blush in Warm Soul (review here), L'oreal True Match in W3 Nude Beige, MAC Blush in Easy Manner from their Glamour Daze collection

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters and Phloof (they're my everyday and blend awesome with the Naked palettes), Maybelline Lots of Lashes Mascara (review here), Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder in Taupe (review here), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightener 60 (I use this under my eyes, but also down my nose and above my lip), L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm, MAC Boy Bait, Revlon Lipstick (any color!), Bath and Body Works Mentha Lip Shine in Vanilla Mint

Do you use any of these products? What were your favorite beauty picks from last year?
If you have any questions about my favorite products, ask me below or send me an email!

Product Review: TRESemme Salon Silk Serum

TRESemme Salon Silk Serum

Many of you know this by now, but I'm a huge fan of the TRESemme brand for hair care. My hair is normal thickness, but really fine so I prefer products that promote body, and are lightweight. I bought this product a few months ago and have been using it weekly. I bought it with the thought that this might be similar to the Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum, which I've used for years, but the TRESemme is a fifth of the price.

From their site:

How it works:
Helps protect hair before & after drying.
Detangles & conditions all hair types without weighing hair down.

How to use:
Apply evenly to damp hair, concentrating on the lengths & ends.
Comb through with a wide tooth comb to avoid breakage.
Do not rinse out.
Dry & style as usual. Can also be used on dry hair for added softness and shine.

Typically I use 4-5 pumps on my wet hair, whether I blow dry it or let it dry naturally, and focus the product on the nape of my neck down. I also love to use it on dry hair, it's perfect on day 3 (or 4) hair, when my hair is beginning to puff out and frizz. That's really my favorite feature of this serum. Two pumps of this bad boy and I'm back to sleek, shiny hair!

Here's why I'll buy it again and again:
- Lightweight, doesn't leave a film in your hair
- Smells great
- 1 pump isn't a lot of product, I hate products that spit out a ton at once
- Leaves hair really silky and not greasy whatsoever
- Totally identical to the Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum I used forever, my hunch was dead-on (IMHO- in my humble opinion)
- Is the perfect product for dry and unwashed hair

Overall, I couldn't be happier with it. It's such a great price ($3.99) and does exactly what it's supposed to. I really think it would be perfect for all hair types and 100% recommend it to everyone. Another great score TRESemme!

Have you tried skinny serum before? Which product is your favorite?

Fave Bath Products + Monthly Must-Reads: September 2012

Yay! For the first time I'm linking up with 10 other lovely bloggers for our must-reads monthly. I'm super excited to work with these lovely ladies, and be sure to check out their posts at the end of this post! Here is our post topic for today:

Question of the month: What bath products are you currently using? 

I'm pretty simple in the shower, nothing fancy schmancy here. For shampoo, I love Tressemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo, and I use Neutrogena's Clarifying Shampoo (review) once every 1-2 months, Macadamia Deep Repair Masque (review) once a week, and simply Dove White bar soap everyday. These are really the only products I use regularly and have used for a long time, sometimes I'll swap in Dove body wash instead of the bar, but that's really no big deal.

What bath products do you swear by?

 If you want to see my skincare products check out this post.

Question of the month:

• Alison*Elle - Alison's treated herself to a birthday splurge from Chanel.
• Beautygirl24 - Noelle celebrated her birthday in a sparkling gold skirt.
• Ella Pretty -  Ella's dressing for fall - she's loving her chambray shirt & heart scarf.  
• Lilly's Style - Lilly's is enjoying mixing bright colors.
• Lindsay J Everyday - Lindsay's been loving leopard.
• Love, Lipstick & Pearls -  Kristen has been loving jeweled headbands for fall.
• Schnelle Couture - Danielle revealed all of her party details and the gender of her new baby!
• Sequins and Stilettos - Skylette has jumped into two fall trends in one with bordeaux and printed pants!
• The Currently Obsessed -Mehreen loves her Chanel this Month (and this Chanel "esque" tweed blazer!) 

Recent Beauty Buys

These past couple of months I haven't really bought anything to really call it a "haul". Just a few things here and there. We've just been trying to save every penny for a house. We've been looking for a home since February, but no luck yet. The great thing about not finding something right away is that we can save even more. Now, we're getting fidgety though and hope to find our first home at least by the end of the year. Anyhoo...I did pick up some new things this past weekend.

NYX Matte Bronzer (Medium)

I've been on the hunt for a good bronzer for some time now. I just can't find one I really enjoy. Then I saw a review over at Makeup and Beauty Blog for NYX new bronzers and was really interested. It's a matte bronzer (they come in shimmer too) and have three shades to choose from (Light, Medium, Deep). I swear the medium is not as dark as it looks above. Plus, at ULTA they had samples that you could try to find the shade that works best for you. What I want most in a bronzer is a matte shade that will look natural. This seems to fit the bill, I'll report back though!

Have any of you tried NYX brand? What do you like, what should I try and what should I avoid? I never have, I was interested in their lipsticks, but ULTA was out of all the ones I was interested in. Poo poo.

TRESemme Salon Silk Serum

I've used TRESemme products for years, they're really light weight and don't leave much build up. I saw this at Target and scooped it right up. The summer heat combined with my 2x a week hair washing ritual has been leaving my hair a bit dry and frizzy. I thought this might be similar to the Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum, which I've used for years, but the TRESemme is a fraction of the cost. This product is supposed to calm and smooth frizz while also detangling and conditioning hair. I'm sold. So far I really like it, but will also review soon.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Sunkissed

To add to my ridiculous nail collection, I wanted a summer orange. Again, this image is not totally true to color. If you Google the shade you can find really great swatches, but I didn't have time to contact the people for permission to use their photos, sorry! Here's a link for a great swatch though. I first had planned on getting Essie's Fear or Desire from their Summer 2012 collection (see that swatch here), and this is an EXACT dupe! For reals, I had swatched them side by side and couldn't tell a difference. Whatsoever.

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

Ulta had Maybelline's Great Lash varieties for $1.99!! I scooped up two! I've used this mascara for a while now, I really love the wand. As some of you may remember, I've been on the hunt for a good mascara. I rarely use this one alone, but always combine it with my mascara of the month club (I've been switching so often). The cone shaped brush really helps you get the small lashes and makes your lashes super long. It kind of gives you the spiky mod look which I really like. This is perfect paired with a full mascara because it really accentuates your lash length.

Goody Wave Creator

Now, I didn't buy this, but I'm SO intrigued. Have any of you tried this curling iron? I've seen it a lot in magazines and have been interested in it for over a year, but I first saw it this last week in Target. I wonder how your curls would look.

What have you been picking up lately? Any new summer items?

Product Review: Tressemme 24HR Body Spray

TRESemme 24 Hour Body Spray Gel

I'm a girl with lots of fine hair that can be touch to get body in, I tease my hair religiously and have tried SO many "body inducing" hair products most have which have been ho-hum, leave my hair heavy with product, or are too ridiculously expensive to use on a daily basis.


This little gem caught my eye a few weeks ago and I must say it's a steal! Before I blow dry my hair, I spray this all over my crown on the top and lift the sections to spray underneath as well then style as usual. It doesn't leave my hair heavy AT ALL, not even after a few days without washing. I can barely tell I put any additional product in my hair when I use this (to see what other products I use, check out this post). It didn't take my hair from flat to Victoria Secret runway body, but it did give me a lot of boost and made my teasing so much easier since I had more body to work with. I also noticed that my hair has more body the days I go without washing which is a HUGE pro for me since my hair gets flatter and flatter as the days go by.


I really like this product from the 24 Hour Body Line so much so that I think I'm going to try the entire line (still use my Dove conditioner though- it's the best!) to see if using them all together will give me that glorious and enviable Victoria Secret look I love:

For $5 I think every girl who loves big hair or needs an extra boost should at least give this product a shot. Have you tried this spray before? What was your experience? What products do you use for body?

Hair How-To

One of the top questions/comments/emails I get most is for my hair when I wear it curled. Thank you everyone for all of your compliments and inquiries, I appreciate each one of them, they really make my day!
I'm pretty lucky in the hair department (God gave me good hair I guess instead of a naturally flat stomach- I'll take what I can get!) in that my hair is easy to manage and holds a curl really well. I have "normal" thick hair, but it's very fine so I can get great volume on my hair because it's not weighed down, but sometimes I have a difficulty with getting a thicker braid or more fullness so I sometimes wear 2-3 tracks of extensions to help me out. I also wash and blow-dry my hair every 3-4 days depending on how it looks. My hair isn't oily so on the days I have to go an extra day I use Tresemme Freshstart Dry Shampoo (see a review here). I also use a deep conditioner every other week.

Here are some products I use everytime I wash my hair; Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer, Tresemme 24 Hour Body Root Boosting Spray, Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Split End Protector, and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.

First I blow-dry my hair completely and sometimes use 2-4 velcro rollers at my crown:


Then I part my hair in layers going from the bottom up- I roughly separate it at my ears and below, then the end of my eyebrows, temple, then the remaining hair- and use a totally 80s scrunchie to separate because I've found that the scrunchie leaves less of a "dent" on my hair then a claw clip, but whatever works for you. I then use a 1 1/4 inch curling iron and curl from the TOP DOWN (vs bottom up), this is very important because it gives you body at the root and middle part of your hair instead of just the ends. It also curls your hair completely instead of just the tips. Curling your hair this way makes a significant difference in how long your curls will last. A few people I've done their hair for have started curling their hair this way instead of the bottom up and have told me what a difference it's made for them.


Ok, so start at the top 1 1/2 to 2 inches with the curling iron and curl up leaving the ends loose and out of the curling iron's clasp. Hold for a few seconds (I do 10 second when I have the time and I'm going out).  I like to curl my hair so it curls away from my face on each side, I think it helps minimize the chubiness of my cheeks, and I like that 70's type vibe a lot. Depending on what works best for your hair you can use hairspray before or after each curl. I hold my curling iron barrel vertically, but holding horizontally gives a slightly different look for the curl that also looks really cute.

Then release the clasp and slide down to the middle section of your hair and curl all the way up leaving just the ends loose. Hold a few seconds.



Finally, slide the barrell all the way down to the ends and curl up to the root. Hold a few seconds.


After I have my entire head curled, I spray it with hairspray and wait a few minutes to let the curls "set". Your hair sets not just with heat, but how it cools.

Sidenote: If you hair doesn't hold a curl well or you need the curls to last longer than usual, try curling your hair and the pinning it at the roots. At this point, you will look like curly sue!

Once your hair is ready, rake your fingers through your hair to break up the curls. Then style as desired, I tease my crown (using Velcro rollers helps to get even more height) and the front sides. Hairspray again and you're ready to go!


Here's how it looks with all my own hair:

Here's how it looks with 2-3 tracks of extensions. I use the same method of curling for the extensions, but curl them before putting them in because I find it's easier:

How was this little tutorial? Was I clear on how to do it? Did you find it helpful?

How do you curl your hair? Do you wear your hair curled often?

Product Reviews New & Updated

Hello everyone! Product reviews from other bloggers are one of my favorites posts because you get to hear REAL feedback and not just "we get paid to promote this" yackety yack. I've been using some great new stuff, but wanted to really road test them before telling everyone to go out and buy them. I've also wanted to do a few updates from past reviews because sometimes you buy them and love them for the first week or so and then stop using it after a while and sometimes you don't know how you lived without them.
#1 MAC Mineralize Blush (Duo)

I bought this goldmine of a find a few weeks ago in the above color Two Virtues. I thought it would be a fun, bold color for nights out and went for this shade instead of the safer color Rhapsody for Two which would be used as more of a highlighter than a blush. I AM SO GLAD I DID. This has to be the BEST blush I have ever used in my life. I wear it every. single. day. You can see what it looks like on in my New Beauty & Hair Looks. It must said that it does look better in person than it does in the pictures- it has more of a flushed "I'm so in love" vibe going on.
I've had my sister (who has beautiful sun kissed skin) and my BF's sister (who has gorgeous more pale skin) and it looked great on them both. I give this product an A+++ and think it's a great shade for anyone because the pink and purple work really well together and compliment a range of skin tones.
#2 TreSemme Freshstart Dry Shampoo

To find this little nugget I literally went to four Targets, two Rite-Aids and finally found it at Wal-Greens. Of course you can find it everywhere now, go figure. For anyone who doesn't know what dry shampoo is or what's it for, it's a powder spray to freshen your locks. You would use it instead of putting baby powder on your roots when they get greasy, which can easily turn into looking like a granny if you use too much.

I've used this once a week for several weeks and it's a gem. It's bottle is a regular skinny one like hairspray and for $5 a pop it should be in every girl's bathroom. It has a light lemon scent, sprays evenly, and lasts all day and sometimes even the next day my hair is ok for another day without a wash. It's only downfall -and this may be because I have fine hair- is that if I use too much of it, it makes my hair texture kinda yucky. It doesn't look yucky AT ALL, but it kind of feels that way. Note: my hair gets like that when I use too much of any product, but is still my only complaint.

This product would be great for any lady who wants an extra day without shampooing, for someone who has long locks, or someone who has greasy roots. Rating A.


Now onto past reviews:
#3 Maybelline Eye Shadow

I tried this a while back (see the post here) and have been using it a lot. The first two shades from Give Me Gold I have been using as a highlighter on my cheeks above my blush as well. I even bought the Legendary Lilac quad for my New Beauty & Hair Looks.
#4 MAC Tinted Lipglass

I bought the Feeling Dreamy from the "Warm and Cozy" collection (see post here and you can see what it looks like on here)and said that I couldn't live without it and I still mean it! It is the BEST nude lipcolor I have ever used.
#5 Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation

Here's the review here and although I did like it, I have since switched to...

Superstay 24HR Makeup. The new formula in the 24 hr is much creamier and blends a lot better for me. It's light weight and looks natural, even at the end of the day. Since buying it, I have already replaced instead of trying a different formula/brand/or sticking with the Mousse formula.
What products do you use? Have you tried any of the products in this post? Do you like posts like this and want to see more?