Dyed my hair & gave myself a trim.. :)

Hey Guys!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far.. I've been cuddled up all day in my house because today was the first snow fall of the winter for Chicago.. I love the snow and all, but I do not love driving in it. lol Anyways, Thursday night I decided to dye my hair because it had started to lighten up a bit. I've been using the same hair dye for months now. Clairol Natural Instincts Brass Free Brunettes 5C Medium Brown. The dye is semi-permanent, so the color fades quite fast. I try to limit the fading as much as possible by using color care shampoo's.. but 4-6 weeks seems to be the time limit. I dye it closer to the 6th week mark. The reason I keep using this particular dye over and over is because It always gives me a natural dark, rich brown (it actually looks identical to my actual hair color) with no "brassy" or unnatural tones. When my hair color fades, it fades to a light-medium auburn brown. I don't like auburn tones at all in my hair.. so this dye eliminates it well (temporarily). Also, what I love best of all is that you only need it in your hair for 10 minutes before you shower. After I rinsed my hair thoroughly, I applied some coconut oil throughout my hair and left it in for about 10 minutes to add a little shine to my hair. Then I shampooed (I always do even though it says for the best results wait a day) and let my hair air dry. My color came out extra shiny and the color was exactly as I wanted it. I noticed my ends were looking really uneven as I was flat ironing my hair, so I ended up evening out all of the ends of my layers by an inch or so and trimmed around 2 inches off of the total length of my hair. It definitely is looking a lot healthier. I was thinking of giving myself some wispy in my face bangs. What do you think??

(sorry for my lack of any facial expression lol)

FOTD from September.. & bouncy waves!

Since I have a little time right now I'm going to do a small post. :) I took some pictures the first week of September (wow, how fast did September go!??) and was planning on doing a FOTD post and didn't get around to it.

(Indoors with flash)

PRODUCTS USED:

Face: I prepped my face with a moisturizer. I used Estee Lauder Time Zone Line & Wrinkle Reducing Cream. It leaves my skin feeling very smooth and refreshed and not too greasy. I then dabbed Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer to areas of my face where I have visible pores (Cheeks, chin & nose). This blurs out the appearance of my pores and makes the area look more matte. I then apply with my fingertips MAC Studio Finish Concealer in the shade NW25 to my under eye area. I then apply Make Up Forever HD Foundation in the shade #127 with my MAC #131 Brush. Then, with a fluffy powder brush I apply a cream bronzer to my cheekbones and buff it into my hairline. I used Chanel Bronze Universel. I then apply MAC Improvise Mineralized Blush to my cheeks with a blush brush. I finish off my face with a setting powder. I apply Make Up Forever HD Powder all over my face with a large powder brush and I apply Ben Nye Banana Visage Powder mixed with Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder to set my under eye makeup.

Eyes: With a smudge brush, I smudge MAC Typographic eyeshadow on my top and bottom lash line. Then, I smudge MAC Cork eyeshadow into Typographic to soften the color. With my MAC #266 Brush I apply Bobbi Brown Black Long Wear Eye Liner to my top lid and in the corners on my bottom lash line to accentuate my eye shape. Then, apply Revlon Colorstay Black Eye Liner to my waterline. I apply Covergirl Volume Exact Black Mascara (which happens to be my new favorite mascara next to Lash Blast) to my top and bottom lashes. I finish off with a pair of Walmart False Eye Lashes. I apply another coat of mascara.

Lips: I outline my lips with MAC Stripdown Lip Liner and apply MAC Shygirl Lipstick. Then, apply a coat of LA Splash Sparkling Coral Lip Gloss.

♥

HAIR

My hair is very simple to do. I do this just about every day to my hair. I let my hair air dry when I get out of the shower and apply a little thermal protector to the ends of my hair. I then use my Remington Sleek and Curl Tourmaline Ceramic Straightener to flat iron my roots to about halfway down my hair. At about halfway down a strand of hair (about a 1 1/2 inch strand) I firmly start turning the iron under in a twisting motion until I reach the end of the strand. Just as I would with a curling iron.. just with a little more pressure. I do this to all of my hair and finish my hair off with BedHead After Party and then I flip my hair upside down and spray my hair with Beyond the Zone Flipped Out Hairspray and use my fingers to work it in my roots for lift.

Would I recommend this flat iron? Yes. I do recommend it for a cheaper alternative to a more expensive iron. This iron does a great job at creating waves and curls. I mainly recommend it for that. It's not the greatest at straightening my hair because my hair is thick and long.. and I need a larger iron for that.. or different shaped plates. I like that it is very lightweight and has a swivel cord. It also heats up fairly quick. the one thing I don't like about it is, a strand will get caught in between the plates and get pulled out here and there. But, not bad for $35. I purchased it at Target.

Dyed my Hair with Clairol Natural Instincts Brass Free Brunettes!

Hey Everyone! I thought I was going to get this post out earlier, but I didn't get a chance to. I dyed my hair about one week ago. I was basically just getting tired of my hair color. My natural hair color is a medium/dark brown that pulls towards brassy tones very easily. If ever dye my hair a different shade of brown, it will always fade to the exact same color. A caramel/light to medium brown with auburn-ish tones. Although, it is a pretty color, I'm not sure if its the most flattering color for my skin tone. I think when I'm tanned, a little deeper brown compliments me better. I was a little stumped what dye to purchase.. I decided that I would like to go with a semi-permanent dye (ammonia free) rather than a permanent dye so I will lessen the damage, and just to not completely change my hair color, but darken/deepen it a bit.

I ended up purchasing Clairol Natural Instincts Brass Free Brunettes in 5C Medium Brown. It claims to "counteract unwanted red or orange tones in your blonde or brunette hair color. Use it once a month and Brass Free will give you all the color without the brass." And, it says it will last through 28 shampoos. I thought that it sounds great since I don't want a drastic change. I just want to remove the auburn tone in my hair from past highlights.

What I really like about this is, you only need to put it in your hair for 10 minutes. I first sectioned off my hair. I took about 1/3 of my hair, from around the middle of my ears across I tied it in a tight ponytail and swirled it around into a clip. That section of my hair I did not want to dye. The reason I didn't want to dye it is because I wanted my lighter hair to show through a little bit. I thought it would add a nice little pop of color through the bottom of my hair. I then, very quickly started to apply the mixture to my hair starting at the roots on the top of my head (where my part is) and bringing the mixture down to my ends. I worked very quickly at applying it everywhere. I rubbed very lightly on my scalp (do not massage into your scalp) and I massaged my hair for about a minute to make sure the hair was coated very well. This dye is harder to get off your skin than the regular 40 minute hair colors, so once it hits your skin, be sure to rinse it off right away or you will be scrubbing for a long time. :) I waited about 12 minutes. Yes, I took 2 extra minutes because I wanted to make sure my hair color wasn't going to be too light still. Then, I showered. It says on the box "for the best results, wait 24 hours before shampooing". Considering I took 2 extra minutes, I shampooed. My hair felt pretty dry. Then, I applied the conditioner that was included and my hair was like silk. It was probably the best boxed dye conditioner I ever used. I actually shampooed over the conditioner once more because I don't use conditioner because it takes double time for my hair to dry. My hair felt slightly dry again, so I ended up putting a little more conditioner on my ends only.
viola!

I really like the color. It's very rich and shiny. I do believe I will be using this dye again in about a month. :)

Christmas Party Pics! & J Simpson Ken Paves Extensions Review (A much delayed post)

I had an amazing Christmas this year. I spent it with my boyfriends family, and later on with my family. The weekend prior to Christmas, we went to a nice Christmas party at a bar/restaurant, but I felt TERRIBLE. My throat was progressively closing up, and it was so sore I couldn't speak or swallow my own saliva the whole nigh. So I missed out on the dinner/dessert and drinks. :( It was still a really nice time.

This is the gorgeous tree my boyfriends mom decorated

George and Me at the Christmas party!

My future mother-in-law and Me :)

And you all know I was wearing my extensions.. and curled my hair with a flat iron.


I attempted to take pictures of my makeup, but I got really shiny and gross by the time I got home.




What I had on:
MAC Select Cover up NW25
YSL Touch Eclat #1
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Tawny, mixed with Make up Forever HD #128
MAC Blot Powder Medium Dark
NARS Lovejoy & Albatross Blushes
MAC Refined Golden Bronzer

Sephora strass #05 eyeshadow all over lid
MAC Folie eye shadow in crease
MAC Carbon smudged in lashline
Stila Eye Kohl in Amethyst smudged into lashline
Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara
Ardell Lashes (can't remember the #, they are only half strips)

MAC Stripdown Lip Liner
MAC Creme Cup Lipstick
MAC Like Venus Dazzleglass


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Jessica Simpson HAIRDO (Ken Paves) Hair Extensions
I had some requests asking me if I tried these. And yes, I tried the synthetic hair extensions, as well as the human hair extensions. I purchased them off ebay for a fraction of what they were being sold for at my local ULTA. I think they went to clearance because I don't see them anymore.

Here are my thoughts:
21" Human Hair Extensions in the shade R10 Chestnut
I had these in my hair everyday for a year.

Here are the PROS:
- The extensions are layered, so it blends in VERY well with your real hair unlike other extensions that hang like strands
- They were thick and gave my hair lots of volume
- After dying them, the condition still stayed great
- Very minimal shedding through shampoos
- They stayed good through lots of heat styling and styling products
- It held a curl well, unlike many I've tried
- You can style it as you would you real hair. For example, I would wash my hair, apply hair gel and diffuse it with the extensions in my hair and it looked exactly like my real hair.

CONS:
- The piece was too large for my head, so it hung onto my neck a little (this may set me back from purchasing it again) Its suppose to be form fitting.. but it wasn't for me.
- It is heavy, so it puts strain on your roots

Here is a picture of me wearing them last year straight:


Here they are curly:


This is how short my hair was without them (picture taken the same week) gahh my hair was so fried!!


Now, the Synethetic 23" Wavy Extensions in R6 Dark Chocolate

PROS:
- Super long
- Very silky when you first buy them
- Layered to blend in with your hair
- Not overly shiny like a lot of synthetic hair, so you couldn't tell it was fake
- The piece fit my head well, unlike the human hair piece
- Light weight
- Curls stayed in place, even when washed

CONS:
- Can't heat style it or put products in it
- Lasts only for a couple weeks or less with daily wear
- Once you wash them the consistency turns coarser
- They don't last longer than 2 weeks. They turn to ratty barbie hair.

I would recommend these if you're going to wear them for a special occasion or event to look your best. Because they only look the best the first few times you wear them.

I don't have many picture of me wearing these. But here is one:

horrible pic.. ignore the pimples. lol

If you have any other questions about these just ask!

Dyed my hair & added 18" long extensions!

I used Garnier 100% Color in #501 Medium Brown

My color was fading A LOT so I decided to dye it again last Friday. I used the same color, but I know I didn't keep it in my hair long enough to get the actual color I was suppose to. I only used one box and I concentrated mainly on the top half of my head where my hair was the lightest shade of brown(where I had my bleach accident) and didn't focus much on the bottom half of my hair or underneath. I massaged it into my hair & left it in for 20 minutes, rinsed & shampooed.

It turned out the way I wanted it to :) A medium/dark brown that's a little lighter on the bottom. Some of my old highlights underneath are still visible.. and I really like that. I'm thinking about adding a small handful of golden blonde highlights underneath my hair.



This was my hair after BEFORE i dyed it:


I liked it but it was fading fast and my roots were growing in really dark.

I also purchased a pack of extensions from my local Sally's Beauty Supply. I got the Euronext Remy 18 inch Clip-Ins in Dark Brown. It was $89.99 or $79.99 if you have a club card. This is the 2nd time purchasing these. I had trimmed my older ones and they are now the same length as my hair since it has grown. I really like them. They feel natural, last a long time, you can color them (I've highlighted them and they still stayed good), they are light weight and the clips stay in my hair very well (I've had bad clips that would slip right out). I had them previously when my hair was a lot shorter and I thought that there wasn't enough hair & it looked stringy in my hair. So I would always put my hair halfway up in a clip so you couldn't tell. But this time around it blended so nicely and it was a perfect amount. It comes with 8 pieces.. a few longer rows and a few 1 1/2" strands. It's a good amount of hair and I used all of the strands because my hair is so thick.

For reference, I've also purchased Satin Strands a few times and I like them too, but you have sew in your own clips, they're heavier and in my past experience they would always go flat. I did like them though, but their color choices for brunettes is kind of poor. I have also purchased Sassy extensions and It was a complete waste of my money because they are incredibly thin & I doubled the tracks and they were still too thin. It looked like thin strands coming from my hair. I ended up tossing them after 1 use.

My best friend has tried all of the brands that Sally has to offer and she agrees Euronext are her favorite. In addition from the brands I tried, she tried the Revlon ones (which turn to ratty barbie hair after a few uses) and the Paris Hilton extensions (which also turn to ratty barbie hair after a couple uses).

Here's a picture with them clipped in and curled with my flat iron.

New Highlights w/ Beyond the Zone Radical Bleach Kit!

Okay, lots of stuff to talk about today. I'm going to do two separate posts. First off, I highlighted my hair last night.. my roots were REALLY due for a touch up. I used different things than usual this time around and it was much easier and turned out better.

This is the process.. Supplies used (all purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply): Beyond the Zone bleach kit, Clairol Professional Creme Toner in #311 Towhead and 20 volume developer.



The bleach kit comes with a mixing tub, 40 volume developer, plastic gloves, plastic highlighting cap and powder bleach. So you don't need to buy anything extra. (Save the tub and mixing tool for later when your going to tone) All I did was put the highlighting cap on my head and pull out small strands out of just about every other hole. (I hate this process! lol) Then, I mixed the powder bleach from the kit, with the 40 volume developer and applied it to all of my hair right away. Depending on your hair color this could take a half hour to 90 minutes. After 30 mins, this is what it looked like..



It works really fast! There were strands of my hair that were already very blonde. But most of it as you can see is yellow, and my ends are brassy strawberry blonde. So, I let it sit in my hair for around 45 minutes, and shampooed my hair and towel dried it. Then, I took the toner and mixed it with 2 oz. of 20 volume developer and applied it to all of my hair concentrating on the areas that were the most brassy. I let this sit for around 10-15 mins. The ends of my hair were pretty orange, but the blue violet toner completely got rid of that :) Then, I shampooed and conditioned. That's all!

Hair: Beach Waves with a Flat Iron!

How to create Beach Waves using a Flat Iron

 

I was browsing YouTube for hair tutorials, and I came across a bunch of beach wave tutorials. There are so many video tutorials on how to do it, and there are many different techniques.

I tried it out myself using my 1" Jibere flat iron, which isn't the best flat iron for creating curls, but it's the only flat iron I have right now. **As a side-note, using a flat iron with rounded edges will work the best for smooth curls. Plates with square edges can cause crimps in the hair, and the flat iron won't glide through the hair as easy.

Step 1: Start out with completely dry, brushed hair. Distribute a heat protector to all of your hair to minimize breakage. I like using Tresemme Heat Tamer Protective Spray or Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Heat Protector.

Step 2: Section your hair off in four sections, starting underneath your hair, take one inch sections of hair at a time, clamping the flat iron near the roots, and slowly pull the iron down rotating the iron in a half-way turn. Slowly bring the iron down the stand of hair, making sure the iron is slightly turned the whole way down.

**The way you hold the iron wand how long you hold it through the strand will impact the look of your waves. Holding it horizontally will create more rounded curls, and holding it vertically will create looser waves. Also, holding the iron for too long down the stand can cause tighter waves. If your waves are too tight, don't worry, because they can be combed out later.

Continue with the rest of your hair, going through each section. When you get to the area of hair that falls on the sides of your face, make sure to rotate the iron away from your face.





Step 3: (optional) For a more natural effect, lightly comb or brush through your waves. (Don't worry, you won't ruin all of your hard work).

Step 4: Finish your hair off with a finishing cream or balm. All you need is a little dab and work it through the curls with your fingers. This will define the curls and reduce frizz. (Although frizz isn't a bad thing when you want to look like you've been at the beach!) My favorite finishing cream of all time is Bed Head After-Party Smoothing Cream.


I didn't use a finishing cream because I wanted my hair to look really natural and effortless - frizz and all. I love the look, and it's so simple to do! It's a great look for the daytime or for going out!

I also went for a more natural, summery makeup look today using one of my favorite summer foundations - Make Up Forever Face & Body.

Face: Make Up Forever Face and Body Foundation #34 (Perfect light, summer foundation!)
Ben Nye Blue Neutralizer Concealer
Chanel Bronze Universel Bronzer

Eyes: Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Mascara
Urban Decay "Midnight Cowboy" eye shadow (in the corners of my eyes near my tear ducts)

Brows: Urban Decay Twice Baked Eyeshadow (Yes, this eyeshadow has shimmer, but it doesn't show up unless applied heavily)

Lips: MAC Spice Lip Liner
MAC Sandy B Lipstick

Hope you liked this look! Let me know if you give it a try. 

My Haircare Routine using Folicure Hair Products

I wanted to get on the topic of hair. Let me give you some quick background info. My whole life I've always had long, thick hair. Recently I was going through photos of the past three years.. and noticed my hair length has not changed. Then, I really started to ponder when this started happening. All throughout high school I had hair down my back and I haven't had it since. I remember I use to shower, go to bed, wake up and use the flat iron. I never used a blow drier. Then, I got my hair cut around the summer of 2006 after I graduated high school, and for a gift I got a blow dryer with an attachable diffuser. And from that point till now I never let my hair air dry. not once. Because when I started college, I took very early classes. So, to get the most sleep possible, I would shower at night, blow dry my hair on high heat and then flat iron it on high heat. Do nothing in the morning and go to school. I know it had nothing to do with a vitamin deficiency or from dying my hair (because I didn't dye it for one whole year and it still didn't grow). I knew it wasn't my flat iron because I had been flat ironing my hair since I was 13 and my hair would grow very, very long. That's when I realized it must be the blow dryer. So I decided to put an end to it. And also putting and end to curling my hair with a curling iron. I noticed with the curling iron, it was causing a lot of my ends to break off.. and that really wasn't helping my situation out.

SO, this is what I've been doing. I went to Sally's and purchased Folicure Shampoo and Moisturizing Conditioner. It states on the packaging "Cleans and moisturizes dry, damaged hair, Imparts luster to damaged hair and Promotes fuller, thicker hair. Folicure Shampoo was was created to to clean gently without stripping away natural nutrients found on a healthy scalp. Daily use will help keep hair fuller and thicker. Moisturizing Conditioner is the first everyday use, rinse-out Folicure conditioner. It leaves fine, delicate hair smooth, shiny and full while stimulating the scalp with a refreshing tingle."

I also purchased the Folicure Vitamin Supplement for Healthy Hair. This states "Nourishes hair from within, Promotes healthy, full, lustrous hair. Strong, healthy, lustrous hair requires the proper amount of nutrients on a daily basis. Due to busy lifestyles and the resulting poor diet, men and women today often lack proper nutrition for healthy-looking hair. Folicure Dietary Supplement ensures that you take in the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for your hair to look its best."

AND, last but not least, these amazing rollers. Caruso Professional ProSet Steam Hairsetter. These rollers are so much better than using a curling iron. It isn't like putting direct heat on your hair and hair spraying your hair and listen to your hair sizzle and burn. You fill this little steam pot with water, put the lid on, plug it in and wait for it to start steaming, then you put a roller on top of the pot where the steam is coming out, let it sit there for 5-10 seconds and put the roller in your hair. Whats in the sponge roller is the warm steam and moisture that is locking in the curl in a non damaging way. You let them sit in your hair for a minimum of 10-15 mins and you have great waves or curls :)

I started washing my hair with the shampoo and conditioner not using hot water, but lukewarm and then rinsing the conditioner out with cool/cold water. Then, I could brush it with a natural bristled brush/boar bristled brush. I use that instead of a plastic brush, which isn't easy on my hair and causes breakage. The natural bristle brush minimizes breakage and they also redistribute oils throughout hair, boosting shine. Then, I distribute a leave in conditioner in my hair and let my hair air dry. I may go to sleep with damp hair and wake up and distribute a heat protector on my hair, concentrating on the ends, and flat iron straighten my hair. Then of course, I take my supplements twice daily. (Sometimes I forget, I have to really get in the habit of not forgetting!) And I also try not to wear my clip in extensions as much.. as they do put some strain on your roots. AND, I let my hair go natural some days (curly) with very minimal products.. which I would never do before.

What have I noticed? I'm noticing that my hair is always soft and shiny, and that my split ends aren't 1/4 as visible as they were before. My hair is actually growing.. I'm not sure how much it has grown.. but at least a couple to a few inches. I can't tell exactly because I didn't take any before pictures.. and my hair actually was so damaged that I would never go without wearing extensions. I'm really convinced that I will get my long hair back.. I'm hoping I will get it below my chest by Christmas. I will keep you posted!

I found this web page really helpful! They have some good hair tips! Check it out. http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm

What are some of your hair routines to get your hair looking its best? What are your favorite products??

(By the way! By no means am I saying to go out and buy everything I use, I just wanted to share what I use and whats seems to be working for me.. there are so many similar products and brands that probably are better (I just haven't discovered yet :)) or work differently depending on the person.)

This was my long hair in high school... :)