Monday Hair-spiration

Does anyone else feel that a new season always has to be welcomed with a new hair style? I'm getting edgy this Monday and thinking spring! Everyone is embracing pastels lately, and while I can't say I'm  that edgy (yet), I'm so in love with this trend! Here are some of the loveliest spring-ready pastels I've found. Happy Monday, beauties.




Best Lipstick Buy



I'm starting a new feature here called "Best -insert amazing product here- Buy". I have SO many odds and ends that float around my space daily, and I'm going to start highlighting them for how absolutely amazing they are! (Yes, I just shed a tear) My first feature is set aside for a little lipstick that has not left my purse since I purchased it last week. CK One Pure Color Lipstick is my right-hand-girl lately. I purchased it in Liplock, and even though spring will be here soon, I cannot get enough of this rich, fuchsia shade. It's chic enough to wear to the office, but super cute for a night out too.

What lipstick have you recently purchased that you can't stop wearing? I'd love to hear!

Monday Hair-spiration



This Monday hair-spiration is all about the blondes. Spring is in the air people, and I cannot wait. I love my natural strawberry blonde color, but when the weather starts getting warmer, I'm going to add some natural painted highlights and embrace the beautiful season!

Do you like to switch up your color with the seasons?


Photo credit, clockwise:

http://www.pinterest.com
http://www.annesage.com/blog/2013/08/easy-updo-hair-tutorial.html
http://www.misteranhcotran.com
http://www.unique.dk/female/models/jude-rea/

3 Things I Learned from Pinterest

I can spend an entire day on Pinterest. Or maybe an entire week…am I really the only one? I don't think so. Pinterest has a way of sucking you in until your eyes are blood shot, you have a new hairdo, tie-dye nail polish, and have made 5 delicious deserts. All in a day's work.

I am honoring my crazy busy week/weekend with a tribute to my love affair with Pinterest. You learn something new everyday, right?

1. The Kitty Cat 
www.thebeautydepartment.com

I hate to admit it, but I am yet to master the cat eye look. I have a (surprisingly) shaky hand when it comes to makeup, and I'm fair, so I tend to go light on the eyes. But this, holy cow I need to master this one. Not to mention I love kitties. A lot.



2. How to fake bigger lips

Definitely trying out this bigger pout at work next week! PS did anyone else see Stephanie's feature in Behind the Chair magazine this past issue? I love her!




3. Chop chop

Okay, okay. The Beauty Department always wins. Like, always. I obviously admire what they do, and they are a huge inspiration behind this blog. When I chopped my hair recently I was sad to give up my favorite hair style - milk maid braids. Well worry no more Kate! TBD saves the day, as usual.



Gel manicures


To gel or not to gel: that is the question. There are so many seriously enticing pros and cringe-worthy cons, a girl can't make up her mind! If you enjoy switching up your polish more often than every 2 weeks, I'd definitely say go with a standard manicure. But Kate, that's like begging your nail polish to chip the day after you just spent $10 on a manicure! I know, I know. And this, my friends, is why it is so damn difficult to make the decision! I have a love affair with nail polish. Essie nail polish to be exact. I can make rainbow upon rainbow with the colors I own. I usually give myself a manicure once a week (thanks TBD!), and it usually lasts for a day or so before I spot a chip. How discouraging. Can we all see why I'm trying to convince myself to get a gel now?! However, gel manicures can be a bit scary. UV light? Will I get skin cancer? Will they file my nails down into pulp? What if I hate the color? I have to live with this for TWO weeks!

I think I might take the plunge and go for the gel! Let's make life easy for a change, just this once. What are your thoughts on gel manicures?


Monday hair-spiration



After my very first hairspiration feature, I got the itch and decided to chop my hair! I've always had short hair, and this just feels like me. As I've said, I always want that long mermaid hair, but once it gets past my shoulders I feel like I have a mop on my head. People seem to think that when you have short hair, it's just down all the time. Not true! And thanks to The Beauty Department, a girl never has to worry about her style for the day. This is one of my favorite go-to styles with short hair!



Beauty and the Bag

Inspired (as always) by the beautiful Sunnie Brook, I can 100% relate to her talks about lusting over not only the contents of her makeup bag, but the bag itself as well. I am a hoarder of little purses, clutches, makeup bags, etc., etc. I always have 3-5 little zip-ups inside my purse at any given time. A bit excessive? Maybe. Is this a hint of my sometimes-unbearable OCD? Probably. But let's move on...

Spring break is right around the corner (hallelujah!), so be sure to keep your bags packed and be prepared with the right essentials. Here are some of my must-haves for travel.

1. Kiehl's Aromatic Blend: Patchouli and Fresh Rose.
This petite bottle has a powerful fragrance that's soft, sweet, and clean.

2. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm. First off, you can't go wrong with Burt's Bees. Second, this balm is crazy hydrating and the colors are so natural, people will think your pout is naturally that pink!

3. Hair & Bobby pins galore.  You never know when you'll need to toss your hair in a cute top knot, get those freshly trimmed bangs out of your face, or even help a friend in need. Hair/Bobby pins are always a must.

4. Stila's Convertible Color.  Blush and lipstick in one! Can it get any better? This makes sweetening up super easy. Even better, it's got a little compact mirror, to ensure you're keeping cute at all times. I use Sweet Pea, which keeps my love for summer alive even in four feet of snow. (Go away winter!)

5. Hand sanitizer, duh. Because who really likes being sick? I try to avoid the plague at all costs.

6. Fresh Lotus Eye Gel.  When I'm in need of a quick pick-me-up in the late afternoon, I go right to this. Tired peepers no more! This is great for puffiness, dehydration, and dark circles.


Now let's talk about these bags I'd love to add to my collection!





3 ways to avoid damaging your hair

Avoiding hair damage is so much easier than you think. There are a ton of simple ways to save your locks, so let's get to it! Here are my top 3 tips to avoid damaging your hair...



1. Keep with with your trims! Make a date with your hairstylist each season change. Three months is a pretty decent time to be able to maintain healthy hair. And a fun perk of this rule, you get to greet each season with a fresh do! I know that seems like you'll always be cutting your hair, but think about it this way: hair won't seem like it's growing if the ends are constantly breaking off. Maintaing about a half-inch or so each time you visit the salon will allow for maximum growth potential!

2. Switch up your standard shampoo with some alternatives, like a raw honey no-poo (I loved Free People's diary about using honey to cleanse!), or using an avocado & olive oil hair mask. Depending on the level of damage, a heavy mask like this one can be done up to three times per week. Be sure to keep your focus on the midshaft to ends in order to keep greasy roots away. Using natural alternatives will keep heavy sulfates and detergents at bay, thus avoiding over drying your hair. Your strands will thank you, I promise!

3. Calm down with the heat styling! Ladies (and guys), let dry shampoo become your new best friend. Again, not washing every day with harsh shampoos that may contain lots of potential heavy metals and detergents, will let you avoid unintentionally drying the crap out of your hair. Holding off on washing every day will cut back on your heat styling time; bye bye blowdrys, less curling irons, and fewer flat irons. Less heat = less breakage. It's that simple.


What are you best secrets to avoid breakage? Leave your tips in the comments below, I'd love to hear them and build up my healthy hair arsenal!


Monday hair-spiration

Sometimes we need a little inspiration to get our glam going. Mondays can definitely be a drag, so in honor of that, each Monday I will vow to brighten everyone up with some hair-spiration! I've always been one to want beautiful, long, mermaid hair, but as soon as it gets past my shoulders, I am sick of it. I never have the patience to do my hair when it gets a bit longer, and I end up tossing it up into a bun or ponytail. Well, let me tell you, that gets boring. So cheers to not being boring! Rummaging through Pinterest, I can never get enough of all the amazingly gorgeous hair. Here are some styles I'm loving recently. Let me know what you think! 
These images are not claimed as my own. All images found on Pinterest, if credit is known please share!

Trim your bangs at home!

It's Saturday night, and guess what I'm doing? Trimming my bangs, of course! (I like to live on the edge guys, what can I say.) Everyone loves a good video tutorial, so I decided to do a fun spin on the typical trim your bangs at home video. So without further adieu, let's get to it!



Music: Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp by Led Zeppelin


Are there any other video tutorials you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments!

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