New Apartment!

I am officially living in my nyc apartment now! Finally the moving process is over! We still have no living room furniture but the will be dealt with in time. I haven't had a second to blog this weekend between moving in and a visitor, but I did get out and had lots of fun! The visitor and I went to Governors Island which is a short 10 minute (FREE) ferry ride from South Ferry station. The park had great food, ice cream (chocolate covered almond cherry...yum!), live music, and free bikes rentals!

My one beauty indulgence this weekend was a trip to get manicures with my mom before moving out of the house forever (sad!)

Essie Pansy did help to lift my spirits a bit...

The Brazilian...no, not that kind!

So I had been thinking about dying my hair (as you've read) and I just was generally bored with it, but the ultimate thought that kept coming back to me was, "I wish I could just wash it and GO!" With this new work schedule that I am getting used to I am tired all the time from waking up early to dry my hair and forget actually going to the gym in the morning because I would never have time to go from a wet head to a dry head before work. Then I heard from a co-worker about the Brazilian Blowout. No harsh chemicals, it takes hardly any time at all, and lasts about 12 weeks. It is basically just a deep conditioning system that leaves your hair totally soft and frizz-free. I was sold. Everyone needs a good deep conditioning now and then, right? The appointment was booked the next day. I went to the salon that was recommended by my office friend. She knew someone who had it done there and I was able to see pictures of her hair before and after. I was amazed at how soft and smooth her hair was!

To really seal the deal for me, I read Nicole Ricci's blog post about how she had gotten it done and LOVED IT. Many other celebs had tried it too and I love their hair. I had to do it.

I got to the salon right on time and was taken to have my hair washed THREE times. They need to make sure that your scalp is totally squeaky clean. Then my stylist meticulously brushed on the conditioning gel through all of my strands, tiny 1/16 of an inch at a time. Then she blow dried my hair as one normally would and finally she flat ironed it to really seal in the product. Finally I was sent home with directions not to wear a ponytail or wash my hair for 24 hours.

I was so nervous to actually wash my hair the next day. The treatment was super expensive (I worked so crazy hard all through college, I deserved to buy myself a grad present, no?) What if the treatment did nothing? I would have wasted all that money!

I shook off my fears and washed my hair with a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner (to make the treatment last longer). I chose Loreal's sulfate free line because I had already been using it for a long time and I love the scent.

Then it was time to wait.

As my hair slowly dried I was totally shocked. Not only was my hair smooth, but it was straight. Like stick straight. My stylist said that might happen with my hair because, while I do have a LOT of it, the texture is very soft and fine. I could not believe that my hair dried perfectly straight right out of the shower. It was soft, smooth, and frizz-free. I'm still waiting for the catch...Ooooh right, the price.

I will keep you all posted on the results over time. This will cut out hours of time throughout the week and I can actually sleep in!

Buxom

I have a few of the Bare Essentials Buxom lip glosses and thought they were alright so I picked up a few new samples with my latest Sephora purchases.

Amber (not pictured) was a nice peachy/red. Wasn't too impressed. Wouldn't buy it.

Dolly (pictured) was, again, just alright. No purchase there either.

These glosses feel a bit like the old school Lip Venoms. I don't like how they make my lips feel super tingly and ridiculously cold. The gloss is also quite sticky.

Eh.

TADA!

Isn't it beautiful?

Now I can smell like my all time favorite scent anywhere/anytime.

My official nyc move-in date is now Friday due to strange doctors appointment scheduling on my part due to the hectic work schedule, but once I am in life will calm down! Hopefully I can avoid the Sephora that will be DOWN THE BLOCK from me. I'm just asking for trouble...

LaVanilla Roller Ball!

Exciting news!!!! At least for me :)

My all time favorite fragrance...LaVanilla Coconut Vanilla now comes in a little roller ball dispenser that I can throw in my purse! The only downside of this scent was that it wasn't very portable in a big glass bottle and now it can go with me everywhere!

SWOON!

Put your Money where your Eyes are

If I'm going to buy an expensive product I want to be able to use it all the time. Case in point: NARS' new fall 2010 Collection.

Tzarine Duo Eye Shadow: YES! 32 dollars goes a long way with this guy because I would wear it lightly for work during the day or really play it up and do a smoky eye at night!

Daphne Single Eye Shadow: NO! 23 dollars for something that I may wear a few times only if I could swing it with the place I was going and the outfit I was going to wear.

Two Faced Caribbean in a Compact Bronzing Powder in Sun Bunny

See previous posts for terrible picture explanation.

I think I'm a fan of this. I generally stick to my Laura Geller bronzer for everyday because it's so light that it looks very natural on me, but for when I really want to pump up the intensity of my faux tan I think this would be a great product to have. I own the Bare Essentials "warmth" shade and it's just too dark for me. It makes me look dirty and I don't love the idea of a loose powder bronzer. So my bronzer as of now consists of a very light Laura Geller, a much too dark BE, and a wayyyyy too sparkly Cargo bronzer that I use only if I will be out in a very dark bar/club. I think this product definitely has a place in that collection. Matte, dark, but not dirty or overpowering. Period.

Bvlgari Refreshing Towel

This sample is sort of funny. It was a little moist towelette that was scented. It smelled clean and fresh (I really liked it!) but it also served me another odd purpose. I accidentally used too much hair product and my strands were feeling greasy, clumpy, and generally really gross. I was super frustrated and didn't have time to re-wash it before work. As I was wiping this towelette on the inside of my wrists and on my neck I got inspired. I started wiping down my hair with it- just grabbing chunks of hair with the towel and pulling downwards all over my head. At first it felt a little damp and I was semi-horrified that I had gone to what felt like an extreme, but then my hair quickly dried and TADA! it was no longer greasy/gross. It felt soft, clean, and completely fresh. Gone was that heavy, weighed-down feeling and in its place were my normal locks. Who knew? A moment of frustration actually turned out great! These might actually be worth buying after all. Not only could they help me in a pinch, but I could see myself throwing some of these in my work bag to freshen up between work and happy hour or between a weekend outdoor activity and a dinner. Multi-purpose, smells great, light and clean. Period. After another (I need to stop) Sephora.com purchase (details to come!) I added this as one of my samples again just to make sure that I really liked the scent.

Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup

Again- bad photo! About 1 week and counting until I am in the nyc apartment and can keep more regular hours!

I have to say, I am sort of a foundation snob. I don't use full coverage foundation ever, but I do cover problem areas for redness when necessary (think chin, around the nose, and certain parts of the forehead). I am typically a Bobbi Brown girl, but this stuff has me interested. The texture is very smooth and thin and therefore blends flawlessly- no streaks or clumps! The test color happened to be my exact perfect shade which surprised me. It was called Fresh Natural. I am always for a product that has salicylic acid in it because why clog your pores with goopy makeup all day when you can cover them with a little sal acid? If I'm going to wash my face with the stuff I certainly have no problem using it as cover up.

Because I don't actually use all over foundation (call me up when I'm 30 and ask me again) I don't know if this product would be a great use of my money, but the great texture and application mixed with the fabulous shade match has me thinking...

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Doug

I am horrified. This was the stickiest gloss I have ever tried. The second I brushed it on my lips I quickly wiped it off with a warm wash cloth. There is absolutely nothing else to say about this gloss. Unless UD totally changes their gloss formula I will never purchase a pocket rocket. Two thumbs down. This is unfortunate because the packaging is rather clever and fairly cute. There is just nothing that I detest more in a gloss that pure stickiness, especially with a long walk to work where my hair sticks to my lips with the slightest hint of messy gloss.

Boo.

The Sephora Delux Brush Set

Sorry for the crappy photo! Once I am in my NYC apartment I won't have to commute home and it will actually be light out when I leave the house/come back home so my pictures will get much better...promise!

Can you believe that this was just 39 dollars?! It comes with a blush brush, foundation brush, and a double sided eyeshadow brush/eyeshadow smudge brush, double sided eyebrow/eyeliner brush, and double sided lip brush. The bristles were so incredibly soft, but are cruelty-free (not real animal hair). I can tell that the brush handles are nice quality wood and they are even labeled so that you know exactly what to use each brush for if you weren't sure.

This was such a deal and I can tell that these will last me a really long time if I care for them properly. Check out my blog on brush care for details!

Michael Kors Very Hollywood

Remember my Sephora.com haul from a few days ago? Well it came! The rosebud salve in a tube was just as good as I imagined it to be and the BadGal is just a replacement so I thought I'd talk about some of my samples. I like that you can get these small samples because it's nice to try before you buy! In this case, it was successful. I really liked how this perfume smells! It's very soft, floraly, and powdery. It feels very girly and pretty. I would wear it to work because it is so subtle.

I am in the market for a new perfume, but my LaVanilla is my daytime and this certainly does not scream sexy/night time to me, so while I do really like it, I don't think I'll purchase a bottle.

To Dye or not to Dye

I've had the same dark brown hair for my entire life and from time to time I get bored of it and think about dying it, but then I always convince myself not to. There are so many reasons! My hair is so dark would a dye really make a difference? Will it damage my already-dry hair? Will the maintenance be too much? Won't I have to go to the salon ten times more then I already do? Won't all of those salon trips cost a lot? What if the color looks bad and I hate it? What color would I even try to dye my dark hair?

I have questions...do you have answers? For all those hair dyers out there: Help!

MIA

Where have I been? Pretty MIA. Last week was crazy and this weekend I was in Cape Cod visiting friends from school/attending a graduation party! Lots of fun, but now it's back to work.

I did manage to order some things from Sephora.com (oopsies) but I got some great deals!!

Here's what I bought:

An entire (good quality) brush set for 39 dollars!!

Rosebud Salve in a tube (see my post on this)

Benefit BadGal Lash (Also see my post on this)

And for spending just over 50 dollars I got free shipping. Normally you get three free samples when you order online, but their special deal right now is that you get 5 free samples plus a free travel makeup bag! How could I resist?

My sample choices: Michael Kors Very Hollywood Eau de Parfum, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss in Doug, Too Faced Caribbean In A Compact - Sun Bunny, Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup, Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Green Tea Refreshing Towel.

That's 9 things for about 52 dollars and no shipping charge! I highly recommend that everyone pop over to sephora.com while the deals still last.

Sunscreens I Love

I hope you all had a good holiday weekend! I enjoyed the extra day, but it was hot hot hot and it's only getting hotter. The whole ten day forecast where half the days are 100 degrees is not really my idea of fun. This does, however, lead me to the topic of this post!

I am super serious about sunscreen, but I haven't always been. In fact, I used to lay outside as much as possible during the summer time with hardly any sunscreen at all, but I'm older and wiser and now I use sunscreen religiously! If you've read my blog at all you know that I am intense about skincare. I have a very strict regime that I follow to the T and I am very careful about what I put on my face and body. My skin can be temperamental, but when I treat it right it treats me right!

I have tried many sunscreens in the past and have come to find that these two (one for body and one for face) are the all time best!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock with helioplex and SPF 30 is my go-to for body block. I love that it is really light and doesn't feel greasy, it has a soft/clean scent and it protects like no other! The mist makes for a seriously easy application and it never leaves me streaky. I don't miss a single spot when I use this guy.

For face I only use Coppertone Oil Free Sunscreen Lotion Faces (fragrance free). It is hypoallergenic, it won't clog your pores, and it's oil free. It is also SPF 30 and I also love the non-greasy formula. It bends right in and I never break out from using it.

Perfection.

Happy 4th of July! (in advance)

Greeting from..well...not there. Wah wah wahhhh. That picture is from my trip to Mykonos during my semester spent abroad in Greece. This weekend will involve less sitting and more walking.

I have Monday off, but I am sacrificing a fun long weekend away at the beach to pound the pavement in my NYC apartment search. I don't actually mind because I am so excited about moving in that I just want to speed up the process as much as possible. When contemplating apartments, my roommate and I look at the basics like safety, amenities (laundry, dishwashers, space, renovations), and location. But something that would really sell me on a place? Bathroom cabinet space! The amount of products that I have is no small stash and I need some place to store everything in an organized way. Just throwing things in a bin or basket seriously does not work for me. I need order and neatness when it comes to bottles, pots, tubes, and all of the odds and ends that I keep in my bathroom at home right now.

Wish me luck on the great apartment search of 2010 and have an amazing holiday weekend!

What are your plans for the Fourth? Is anyone going away?

Bad Gal Update

Remember my post on Benefit's Bad Gal Lash mascara? I really liked the product at the time and after using it for over a month now I can safely say that this is the best mascara...maybe ever. I wear it all day long (for about 12-18 hours) and it never budges. It doesn't smudge. It doesn't lose its lash definition. My lashes just look amazingly long and full all day long without a single clump. It is rare that I do an update post on a product that is, well, still awesome, but I thought it would be helpful to see how this product works long term.

If you are in the market for a mascara this is the only thing you should have on your list!

Rosebud Salve...IN A TUBE!

Buy it online here

My favorite lip balm of all time (ever!) now comes in a tube!! The original Rosebud salve has been in my purse for as long as I have been old enough to actually carry a purse. The only downside of the balm, in my opinion, is that it comes in a pot because it A) gets gross from so many dipped fingers and B) easily melts when left in warm temperatures. The tube would fix both of those problems actually making this an unstoppable lip product.

I haven't been this excited about a product in so long!

FINALLY...St.Tropez

Source


St. Tropez Sunless Tanning Lotion:

There is so much to tell! First of all, I recommend that anyone using this product watch the video tutorial on the St. Tropez web site. If you don't you will miss some really key tips that helped me apply the tanner. Here are the tips that I found most important:

1. They are SERIOUS about using gloves. I tried to use my hands at first and after about 5 seconds had very orange hands that would not come clean when vigorously scrubbed. Use gloves.

2. Put on way more than you think. The video recommends about three pumps just for one leg. This seemed like a lot to me so I used much less and therefore could hardly see my tan the next day. Use more.

3. Buff off excess instead of rub. Against the tutorials advice, I tried to rub the product in instead of smoothing it all over and then buffing it in with a buffing pad afterwards. I didn't have a buffing pad (hence the rubbing) but once I saw that the rubbing was just making a sticky mess I got out an old wash cloth and that worked perfectly for buffing. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me earlier that their "buffing mit" was really just a wash cloth that fits on your hand. Gently smooth the lotion on in one area (e.g. one leg) and then buff the product out in circular motions. Then you can move on to another area. Buff.

4. A lot comes off in the shower. This kind of relates to tip number 2. The video explains that a lot of product will come off in the shower so you need to use more than you think you might need to actually get a good color. They recommend that you put the product on at night and let it set and then shower off the excess product in the morning after the color has been absolred into the skin. Because I didn't use that much product, I was horrified when I stepped out of the shower without much color. I should have used more for better results. Don't be afraid to apply a lot, but do shower off the excess or it will get all over your clothes/sheets/furniture/etc. the second that you sweat.

5. Leave the gas mask at home. Most self tanning product absolutely wreak. This does not. It smells subtle and lovely. No need to be afraid of stinky fumes here.

6. Get help with your back. I enlisted some help for my back otherwise there was going to be very distinct areas that I could not reach, but remember to smooth out the edges. In other words, make your back meet your front, rub the sides of your body, don't forget that the sides exist, it's not just a front and a back...you get the idea.

7. Wait, then buff some more. I thought that I had buffed everything out really well, but after about an hour I noticed dark spots around my ankles and elbows. Just buff these out with the wash cloth again and they will blend in nicely.

8. Use moisturizer when the video tell you to. The video recommends that you use moisturizer on the back of one hand, add a little bit of product, and rub the backs of your hands together. Then get between your fingers. Use more moisturizer around your wrists to smooth the line between the wrists and the hands.

9. Keep baby wipes handy for areas like finger nails, toe nails, between fingers, and on elbows. This is where you get the dirty, rusty-looking streaks so use the wipes to clean up areas right away so that they don't show up later.

10. Did I mention to use more than you think you need? USE MORE!

I'll take some photos the next time I re-do the process. Because I didn't use enough the color isn't really anything special, but I loved the scent and how clean it looks. The entire process was a little stressful and much more complicated than using my Jergens lotions, but overall I am very happy with the much-anticipated St. Tropez and I can't wait to use it again!

Where's the St. Tropez?

Well, unfortunately it's in the mail. Sephora no longer carries the brand (what??) but they do still sell it on the web site. One seriously over priced shipped order later I will be a happy camper, but I won't be able to use the product until tomorrow evening after work so I will have to report back on the matter on Monday morning. The Sephora sales woman even noted how strange it was that the store no longer carried the brand on its shelves and she revealed that St. Tropez is the only brand she will use for her sunless tans. That's a good sign! I don't think this product could be recommended by more people. Tomorrow evening can't come soon enough!

Until then, to keep the suspense alive, watch this amazing tutorial on how to apply the product.

In other news, I thought I would share a little hair trick that I have been using to keep my curls under control in the intense summer humidity. Now I know that this goes against lots of advice from various stylists, but it works for me so here it is:

If I just let my curls air dry out of the shower I usually end up with frizzy squiggles all over my head. However, I find that if, after getting out of the shower with clean/conditioned hair, I apply a pea-sized amount of conditioner to my strands I end up with super soft waves that are bouncy and frizz-free. My reasoning? The conditioner weighs down the hair and therefore keeps some of the wacky volume at bay. This is definitely not something that I would recommend to anyone with greasy/flat/limp/fine hair, but it is my saving grace in the summer. After applying the conditioner I comb through my hair and squeeze out any excess water with an old t-shirt. Then I apply a bit of Moroccan Oil for extra smoothness and let it dry.

Try it out and let me know how it goes!