Diffuserliterate

So I decided to start wearing my hair curly again. I have been researching product and 'how to's' on bringing back my curls for awhile before I just decided to go for it. The top (cheapest) dryer based on reviews was a Revlon one I found at Walgreens for about $25. I know I like to review things but in this situation I can not because I have a problem. I quickly learned I was diffuserliterate. I have no idea what I am doing with that thing. I've watched youtube videos, read web sites but every time I use it I am a frizzy mess so much so I have to hop back in the shower to fix it. If I figure out how to use it I'll let you know how it goes plus I will keep you posted on the different curly hair products that I try along the way :) 

Progress Day 22

Eyeliner FAIL!

Sadly I wanted to love this eyeliner, it is cheap and seems like it would last for a long time but every time I use it I look rather raccoony :( I give this eyeliner a major F for FAIL!

Shameless Plug

Recently I started the Body by Vi 90 day challenge. I have at least 30 pounds I'd like to lose to feel comfortable in my own skin again. I've been on the program for 3 weeks, I wanted to try it first before I blogged about it and before I promoted it for sure. I started with the least expensive kit which was still $50 but when you think about replacing breakfast and lunch it technically is saving you money. My $50 bag actually lasted me almost 3 weeks but when I started running low I ordered another bag because I'm truly loving it! I've lost about 3 pounds, slow, steady and healthy most importantly.  See the video link below for nutrition information. The vi shake mix is also a fat burner so you are likely to lose inches even more so than pounds. I bought a cheap personal blender from Walmart that I tote back and forth to work. For breakfast I throw my shake mix in with my coffee, creamer and ice to have an iced mocha. For lunch I do a more hearty shake like shake milk, vanilla almond milk, cocoa, peanut butter, banana and strawberry which is my favorite. I snack healthily when I'm hungry throughout the day and eat a normal dinner with my family. Oddly I find myself craving the shakes! Anyway check it out, the awesome thing is if you find 3 friends to do it with you then your months shake stuff is free (for the life of how long you have 3 people signed up)! Everyone loves free and everyone needs motivation buddies! I would love to have you on my team! Check out the link and I promise to post my before and afters at the end of the challenge: http://smalltowncutie82.bodybyvi.com/

Bushels of Brushes

My awesome dad and step mom got me some mad beauty products to blog about for Christmas. One of my faves were these Posh makeup brushes. They are reasonably priced (about $11 for the set you see here) and they are decent. Knowing what each brush does is key to get the most bang for your buck so to speak. Check out Boots.com Guide to Makeup Brushes. And also the video by TalkinMakeUp about eyeshadow brushes:

DIY Eye Makeup Remover

Seen on Pinterest or as I've seen it called Pinaddict. It was linked from Penny It Forward original link here: http://budgetrich.tumblr.com/post/17880195844/diy-eye-make-up-remover-1-cup-water-1-1-2

DIY Eye Make Up Remover

1 cup water, 1 1/2 tablespoons Tear Free Baby Shampoo, 1/8 teaspoon Baby Oil

Directions: Add all ingredients into a small bowl and stir. (I make it right in a measuring cup and it makes it easier to pour into my bottle) Shake before every use. Cost: Less than 0.50 cents

How To: Use theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer Three Ways

the Bomb (Balm)!

I found a group of products (another shameless BirchBox plug here) that really is the bomb (Balm ;-) The first product I got via BirchBox and the Balm was Mary-Lou Manizer which is an AWESOME highlighter (will post a 'how to' video in my next blog post), the next product they sent me was Hot Mama which is an eyeshadow/blush in one that I LOVE, two amazing products makes me stop and say hmmmmm, not a coincidence time to really check them out! I think their marketing is absolutely adorable with a 50's like style and pin up girls. What is even greater is that the products are about $20 each for a full size (my mini trials I'm still using which shows me that the full size will be well worth it and last you awhile) a great investment for an outstanding product you can use everyday and get a lot of use out of, a great addition to your makeup bag. I investigated and couldn't find it at Ulta or a local beauty store. On amazon it seems that sometimes you might be able to score a deal with these products. Right now Hot Mama is selling for $11.77 plus $4.97 shipping and handling which is a deal! Otherwise you can order on the BirchBox website (see above link) or directly from the Balm. Let me know if you try any of their other products and think they are the Bomb (Balm) ;-)

Went to the Island Mon

Ok so since last week, last post I already tried to coconut. I couldn't resist, had to have it! As I tried to sneak it in the cart hubby tried to call me out on it saying, 'Don't we still have shampoo?' shhhhhhh I'm not sure what I answered was a complete truth. Anyway my synopsis is that it makes my hair feel awesome and the smell is light and coconuty. I saw a recipe on Pinterest for making your own coconut milk shampoo and I'm sure for those people out there that actually make the things they pin on Pinterest that would be even healthier for your hair. The link to that is here: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/homemade-coconut-milk-shampoo.html
Coconut milk/oil has said to be awesome for your health and hair so regardless I think you should check this out :)

A Pep Talk from Kid President to You

Organix Shampoo and Conditioner

Starting out with a bang I actually have a double wamy review of two different Organix products I have recently tried. Organix products are free of parabens and sulfates (which I just know aren't good for you) so that is a plus and also they have lots of natural ingredients and they are affordable quality shampoos and conditioners!

Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner was the first one I tried. I am a sucker for anything that claims to help straighten and defrizz my hair. I'm not totally stoked about the smell, it is a little perfumey for my taste but does it work? I think so, I'm not convinced this shampoo and conditioner has the placebo effect on me where I think it works because it claims to work but my hair feels clean and is soft after I use it so I'm pretty happy. When I blow dry it straight and flat iron my hair it seems to take less time when I use this product. Most of the time I go to bed with wet hair and wake up looking like Medusa but it feels like when I use this shampoo and conditioner it helps tame it.

The next Organix product I tried was the Moroccan Argan Oil which I liked a little better because of the smell. I bought an extra large bottle of it because I liked it so much. My hair smelt good, felt clean and is soft. Overall even though this one doesn't claim to help straighten my hair it does seem to help the frizz and the like I said the smell is clean and fresh which I like (I'm big on the smell of products). 

Anyway overall I really liked the Organix products and for around $5 a bottle you can afford to try different ones. I really want to try the Coconut milk one. I will update with any new flavors I tri ;-) 

Resolutions

So my New Year's Resolution was to be more diligent about blogging since I enjoy it and have had great feedback that others are enjoying it as well.....and here it sits January 20th- haven't posted since November....yup....I suck at keeping my blog up to date and apparently suck at New Year's Resolution (which is no real surprise considering the 30 pounds I'm determined to lose has been here for at least 3 years). So I'm setting an attainable goal of at least 3 posts a week (all the posts might be on the same day but they will hopefully be there). Thanks for sticking with me, reading this post and following my diary of a mad beauty!