New!! Drunk Elephant Hair + Body Line!

I've been WAITING for these products to come into my life-- and I was so excited when Drunk Elephant sent these my way. I've been trying these products (except the deodorant) for over 2 weeks and I'm ready to give you my thoughts! :D I have sensitive but oily scalp (that flakes like crazyy) and my hair is thick, dry and frizzy. lol. It's the weirdest and worst mix!

Here is a breakdown of each product!

--Before I go into the breakdown-- I should let you know that the whole line of products has a sweet almond smell. It's one of those smells that's nostalgic for me so I'm obsessed with it -- but wanted to put that out there incase any one is sensitive to smells!

T.L.C. Happi Scalp Scrub $36 for 6 fl oz: This is one of the best scalp scrubs I've tried before. This has an AHA/BHA acid blend to break down and dissolve dead skin and buildup while also using plant cellulose exfoliating beads. (Perfect blend of chemical and physical exoliation!) You use this by putting this directly on your scalp before you shower and leave in for 10 minutes.. then wash hair.

Usually scalp scrubs are very difficult to get into my scalp because I have a lot of hair, so it ends up usually in my hair and never reaches my scalp. I love that this has a little nozzle to get right into your scalp. They recommend parting your hair, putting the product, rub - the repeat all over your head. It was a bit time consuming to put it on my scalp, but completely worth it. 1 minute in, I can feel all the AHA/BHA working in my scalp to break down all the gunk with a slight tingly sensation (so be careful sensitive scalp folks!). It felt SO good. 10 minutes later, I shampooed and showered and my scalp felt GREAT. I highly highly recommend this -- I already picked up a back up from the Sephora sale!

Cocomino Glossing Shampoo and Marula Cream Conditioner $25 each for 8 fl oz each: These two are a match made in heaven -- but you must.. i repeat you MUST purchase them together!! When I first used the shampoo, it made my hair feel so darn clean -- so clean that you DO NOT need to repeat your shampoo process (so you don't need as much as standard shampoos) - but also to the point where it almost felt squeaky and knotty. THEN.. you put in that conditioner and your hair TRANSFORMS into SILK. I couldn't believe it - no combination of products have ever made my hair feel so silky before. Using this for over 6 times, I can tell you, my hair feels so clean, healthy and strong after using these in conjunction with the scalp scrub. I would not use either product on its own (as i feel the shampoo makes my hair feel too squeaky and the conditioner makes my hair too glossy), but together it makes the perfect balance for one another.

Wild Marula Tangle Spray $25 for 4 fl oz: I was most surprised about this product because I don't tend to use any sort of tangle spray or smoothing sprays but I was surprised that I loved this product so much. This is a heat protectant/detangler/smoother/antistatic product all in one. When I used it, it did make my hair shinier and smoother - but my favorite part of it all was that it didn't feel heavy like my hair usually does when I put on antifrizz products!

Kamili Cream Body Cleanser $20 for 8 fl oz: Don't get me wrong - I liked this. I liked that it is a super mild gentle cleanser with plant oils and amino acids to replenish and sooth my skin. It worked beautifully on my skin and felt amazing and moisturizing without feeling like my skin was stripped clean. I would say if you have the money - definitely go for it. However, if you don't - I do feel like they have similar gentle, amazing items on the market for a fraction of the cost. I will use this product and use it well, but I probably will not repurchase this.

Sili Body Lotion $20 for 8 fl oz: This was another product that surprised me because I tend to like thick luxurious lotions where I have to sit and let the product sink in. This was completely opposite of that - this was a lightweight moisturizer that literally sinks RIGHT into your skin. No greasy residue, no trace of lotion on your skin except extremely hydrated skin. It's packed with nourishing plant oils, and butters, squalane, strengthening amino acids, a reparative 5 ceramide blend and barrier supportive sodium PCA. Whoa, that's a lot of stuff - but I can definitely see this being one of my summer staples for sure. I love how it feels on my skin - and my skin loves how it feels after I use it!

Sweet Pitti Deodorant Cream $16 for 2 fl oz: Sorry, but being in quarantine I haven't even THOUGHT to put on deodorant even though I've been working out every day lol! This is a cream deodorant formulated to sooth and moisturize underarms and I cannot wait to try this out!!

Overall, I think this was a great step for Drunk Elephant to branch out to these fun hair and body lines. Products I will definitely be repurchasing are the scrub (which I already did!) and when I'm feeling luxurious - I may pick up the shampoo/conditioner and spray. While I love most of the products, some products I just feel like aren't worth the heavy price tag for what it is.. although if you've got the money to purchase it, it's definitely worth a try!

You can purchase these items at drunkelephant or at sephora. :) Happy Shopping!

**Thank you so much to Drunk Elephant for sending me over these goodies! I have been so excited using all these products!!!

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Products for Dry, Itchy Scalp

Ever since I began getting eczema on my scalp, it has been such a huge blow to my confidence in so many ways. My head is not only itchy, but also flaky. This causes so many embarrassing things :( When I scratch my head, all of a sudden there are flakes all over my clothes and on the floor. I have to start thinking about ways to wear my hair as well as clothes that will mask all the flakes in case I do scratch when I'm not thinking.

Your shoulders are made for greatness, not dandruff

 That's what my husband ALWAYS tells me... when he runs over to help me clear off flakes when he sees that I've been scratching.

It's been a journey, that's for sure... but I found some products that have definitely helped to alleviate some of the itch or flakiness and I wanted to share them with you in case you are like me.. struggling with flakiness.

Philip Kingley:

Flaky Shampoo
-I've been using this product (and finished it and threw it out!) and it has been amazing on my scalp! If you just have a dry, itchy scalp, I think this will help clear it up without stripping your hair of its natural oils or feeling overly dry. It left my hair still nice and shiny! I rotate this in with my medicated shampoos and find that it still keeps my scalp at bay without feeling dry! And another plus is I love the slight apple scent!

Flaky Toner
THIS. I love the applicator that makes it easy to get to all the spots of your scalp. This really works though, and helps keep your itching at bay. NO residue and I find myself itching less with this product! Definitely does a beautiful job soothing your scalp!

DpHue:

Apple Cider Vinegar Salt Scrub (not pictured, because it looks SO dirty in my shower since its a tub you scoop! lol)
SO this one is super difficult to use if you have long hair like mine. HOWEVER, I think this is a product that can be super effective if you have short hair or have the time to sit and separate your hair. When I sat and separate my hair, placed the product in the itchy, infected areas, gave it a bit of a rub, it seriously made a huge difference in my hair. I think it was the longest that I felt my scalp without an itch. It also felt SO clean, and I was SO happy about that!

Lotus RX:

Shampoo and Conditioner
-This is a great shampoo and conditioner that is paraben, sulfate and salt free. This was developed specifically for dandruff with prescription strength while gently washing and nourishing scalp and hair. This stuff is SO creamy and provides such a nice lather and is excellent at soothing and moisturizing my scalp. When my eczema on my skin is bothering me, I also use the conditioner and lather it on my skin! It definitely calms the redness and irritation but feels so nourishing! And the creamsicle smell... OMG. so delish!

Hope some of these products will help you! I am definitely adding to the list as I continue to use more products! <3 Hope some of you on this scalp journey with me find comfort that you're not alone!!!

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Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask

After I finished my (literally huge tub) of moroccan oil leave in conditioner, I was on the market for a new one. Growing up to even now, many have the perception that asian hair is so smooth and silky. My hair, on the other hand is coarse and wavy. My hair is thin, but I have a lot of it and you add the frizziness to it - woof.. I really need those leave in masks LOL.

Eva NYC contacted me to try their Therapy Session Hair Mask. And I've been using it on the daily for the past couple of weeks and I've been loving it so much! Their Therapy Session Hair Mask has Keravis Protein and Argan Oil which deeply conditions, repairs and strengthens hair. It has a nice musky smell to it that after a while, still smells really beautiful. Occasionally after I'm walking about my day, I'll get a whiff of it and will be like oh yeah that's my hair mask!

How I use it: 
I put this product, which is a thick conditioner consistency (when you put the product upside down, it won't fall), in my hair after I washed my hair and left it in for 5-10 minutes as I washed the rest of my body. Then I when I washed it out - it was so smooth and soft.. and definitely free of knots. Although it didn't completely cure my frizziness (what can...?! lol!), I can definitely feel the difference in how smooth my hair looked after I blowdried it!

As you can see - the product, upside down on my finger does not drip off! 

This, similar to the Morroccan Oil leave in conditioner, is a huge (pretty!) tub of product. There is 16.9 fl. oz. so it'll definitely last you a while! It is also a great value at $14.99 (although on the evanyc website it's $18, so if you want to purchase, don't purchase from there! lol). Actually if you want to get the best bang for your buck, they sell it at Costco for 2/22.99!

What you get inside of the container

I know that this product can be purchased online on the evanyc website, at ulta, bed bath and beyond, or in-stores at old navy!

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Bridal Hair - Low Chignon

So many gals message me to ask me for inspiration photos for their wedding - and of course, top request is ALWAYS for the low chignon!!!!!

I'm going to share with you three of my FAVORITE low chignon looks I've done and the products I used to get the perfect look :) All three of these looks have braids incorporated in different ways. In the first, there are small braids to give a bit more texture with a more texture, intertwined looked. The second (unicorn hair is the BEST!) has a fishtail braid going down the side. And the third is a dutch braid. These give more of a bit of fun rather than the traditional textured chignon!

Products I ALWAYS use when I'm making these perfect chignons: 

1. Aveda Brilliant Damage Control Styling Spray - of course, I must start with a good thermal protectant. This one help to protect your hair against any combing or heat. 

2. Aveda Smooth Infusion Nourishing Styling Creme - this allows the hair to fight against humidity from the beginning! 

3. Aveda Air Control Light Hold Hair Spray - This is my ALL TIME favorite hairspray. I think I've gone through over 5 bottles already. It doesn't add any extra weight to your hair, doesn't make it "crunchy" but allows for great holding powder. this is the PERFECT finisher to allow your hair to stay in place without it looking heavy! (MUST HAVE!) 

4. Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil - This is a must have for anyone with coarse or dry hair. I use this before I begin pinning hair! 

5. Kérastase Carré Lissant Smoothing Sheets - I RECENTLY just found these.. and they are AMAZING! They look like dryer sheets but I use them at the end to tame any extra frizz, get rid of static or flyaways - this is a perfect on the go product. I now send my brides with some of these, especially if they are taking photos outdoors and I can't touch them up!  

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My New Haircut + Color by Aveda in FourteenJay!

My hair love - Aveda <3 <3 <3

When they offered to send me over to the fancy FourteenJay in Tribeca to get my hair cut and colored (especially when its with Aveda products..) ... how could I say no!?!?

Here is my ... horrendous 'before' pic LOL:
It needed saving - it needed to not look like straw on a hot day being sizzled. It needed to not look heavy as a cow.. lol


I've never had an experience quite like this -- and it was my first time getting my hair colored, so I was uber nervous! When I arrived, it was beautiful and bright. I was greeted by the sweet manager, Michelle, who directed me to my hair colorist.. MASTER colorist David and the beautiful hair cutter and stylist Heather.

Heather offered me a drink (they had tea, water, cappuccino, etc.) I opted for a water, but I took a pic of someone else's cappuccino LOL! And it even came with a cute little cookie! Thought it was such a cute touch.


Anyway.. then David sat down in the seat next to me and wanted to chat! lol. He asked me what I did, and wanted to kinda get to know me. Then he asked about my hair and what I wanted to do. I showed him a picture of basically... my hair. LOL. I told him I just wanted it to be fresher, a bit bouncier since it was feeling dry and heavy.. and since I've never dyed my hair before, that I just wanted a little bit of caramel-y brown colors, but only near the bottom (kinda balayage  -ish?!) because I can't handle if it were to grow out.

Then he and Heather conversed and decided together what we should do .. and off he went to go make my color! Now from that moment to when he was foiling my hair, I really had no clue what he was doing. He teased some bits, moved around some hair, painted it, foiled it. It was all so new to me - so I just let him do his thing.

After the process, I sat and took selfies for about 30 minutes. Then it was time to go wash my hair. David himself washed my hair as another gentleman massaged my hands. David even gave me a moisture masque (which I believe comes with your color service)

Then I was off to get my hair cut. It was so interesting, because Heather had me stand as she cut my hair. It was the first time anyone has ever done that before! However, she was right, she said its not accurate when I cut behind a chair, I want to make sure you get your hair to be the exact length you want! And then as we chatted away, she cut some layers - explaining her process as she went along. Then she introduced me to the thickening tonic which helped to make my hair look fuller and gave me tips on how to use my FAVORITEEEE air control hairspray to help give my crown some volume.


She then curled my hair.. and I literally felt like a new women! I love the way my hair ended up looking -- so healthy, fresh, voluminous and bouncy!!! So many people have complimented my hair and have had to do double takes to say, "wait, was your hair always that color!?" and then I went on a whole shpeal on my awesome experience at fourteenjay lol!

Thank you SO much FourteenJay and Aveda for this amazing experience! I am now obsessed with wanting to color my hair and I'm thankful I have the products to maintain it! Had SUCH a lovely time there chatting, getting to know you all and getting my hair to look alive again! Thanks especially to David, Heather and Michelle of FourteenJay and to Heather and Steph at Aveda! XO 

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Lionesse 4P Curling Wand Review + Giveaway!

Hey friends! I have an exciting review and giveaway for you all for the Lionesse 4P (4 part) curling wand! When they contacted me, I at first was hesitant to check this product out because I haven't had the best luck with removable barrels (although i LOVE clip less irons), but I decided to give it a try because hey! it might be better than my last!

This curling wand came with 4 different wand sizes ranging from 18mm to 32mm that are interchangeable. The trouble I had with my old curling iron that was similar, was that I had the hardest time taking on and off the different wands. This one, however, clips on (you do have to match the way the rod goes, which took a bit of practice for me) quickly once you get the hang of it and is very easy to remove as well!

Here are the four different wands! 

glove it comes in, for heat protection :)
how creepy do i look!?

The iron has two temperature settings (which I'm not exactly sure what they are), but the highest reaches 400 degrees. The curls last a fairly long time - although compared to my other curling irons, it is about the same.

What I love about this iron is that it creates beautiful, shiny ringlets - and this you can only achieve with clip less irons! Here is my beautiful, sweet model, showing off her 4 curly ringlets. from the left is the biggest barrel, which produces gorgeous loose beachy waves, the second - which is a gorgeous curl, and then the third and fourth which become cute tighter curls!

Overall, I really loved this 4 in 1 curling wand! It does come at a hefty price of $400… although I DO believe it is worth it, I'm not so sure if I'd be fully convinced by this blogpost to spend so much money on just a curling iron... so obviously, what better than… to have a giveaway!! :) This is a collab with my awesome friend Jenny - we have fun little back to school videos on our youtube channels! Don't forget to check them out + join in on our fun giveaways! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ftc. this is sponsored by lionesse, but my thoughts on this product are my own! and this giveaway is for yOU! <3

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Joanna's Wedding Trial

Long times ago, I did my good friend Laura's hair for her wedding (remember in Tennessee??). It was one of my first brides that I've done. Man, how time flies! I remember just starting out in the beauty world - a little bit nervous to do it for real, but so excited to challenge my creativity.

One of laura's bridesmaids (first picture in old post) approached me to do her hair and for my good friend (and old roomie + childhood friend), Jenn, to do her makeup. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES!!! Jenn and I are a dynamic duo when it comes to wedding prep. She's an awesome makeup artist and hair assistant with an extensive knowledge and passion for cosmetics. We bounce a lot of ideas, opinions and positive energy around with one another, so I'm so glad to be teaming up with her again.

Anyway, she came in for her hair trial looking for a romantic side chignon that flattered her face shape. She didn't want too much volume on top, yet didn't want it too loose because she's a party animal and needs her hair to stay put. She also asked if I could put a couple of small braids just to add some extra texture to her hairstyle.

Here's what I came up with. Of course - as usual, all my hair trials don't have hairspray - especially after teasing, please pardon any frizziness :) [PS. I apologize for any photo coloring mishaps. It's my first time using an editing software on my new computer and I'm still trying to get used to it!]

side view

side view with braids

back view

For makeup, Joanna likes a bit of heavier makeup because she's bold and it's friggin' awesome! She wanted a smokey eye that would compliment her monolids and make her eyes look larger. And she played with different colors for her, but eventually she chose to go with a nude lip.

Here's what Jenn came up with. Look at my baby - so hard at work ;D

attempting bold lips with Mac's RiRi Woo

And here are just some fun shots of her final look :) I especially love the one where she's admiring herself. BAHAHA! She's gonna be such a fun bride! 

mirror mirror on the wall... ;) 

Hope you all enjoyed that! Can't wait for your big day! <3 

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Flower Child Headband Tutorial

Here's a little fun tutorial on some pretty flower headbands!

How gorgeous does my little flower child friend look??? So pretty :) Because the weather was nice and my girl was lookin' fly, I decided to make a little photoshoot out of it! :P hehe!




I got all my supplies from michaels - and all fairly inexpensive!

You'll need:
Fake flowers ($6-8)
Scissors
Suede Cording ($3.99)
Hot Glue Gun ($2.99)

Hope you enjoy this tutorial!!!

 

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Bridal Hair Trial!

I'm so used to posting up trials of girls that I do, I totally forgot to post up pictures from my own bridal hair trial!!!! 

Some of you may know, I am opting to do my own makeup because I'm just so particular about the way my makeup looks. Even if everyone in the world thinks a certain look looks amazing on me, there is still a particular way I like to see my own makeup!! (so anal i know ha!) I know that my hair, although I can do it myself, can be a bit of a frustration on my wedding day.. so I knew I was going to get a hair stylist. 

Ever since before my sister's wedding, when my sister's friend got her hair done by this hairstylist.. about 4 years ago, I KNEW i wanted to book her. IMHO, she's one of the BEST! 

I booked Sachiko Yanese, who was originally trained in Tokyo and was a top hairstylist and makeup artist. Because she wanted to test her skills and she came on over to NYC and has been here for the past 15 years. I even had the honor of working side by side with her at on of my friend's weddings! Her upbeat and infectious personality, and positive attitude made this experience so easy and fun! 

--

Here was the inspiration photo. I really wanted something that was romantic, loose and curly. I didn't want it to be too 'bun'-ish so I could take my hair down later on in the day and so I could put lots of hair  accessories in my head! 

so sorry, i don't have the source for this, i just screenshot it!
if anyone knows, please let me know so i can source it! 

And here is how my hair turned out. Omg I am in love. My friend is making hair pins for me, so I didn't have them on hand, but I will be wearing the feather for the reception [weegardens, etsy] and that headband fascinator [off saks] for pictures! (I also have a little top hat thing that I totally forgot to bring) 

[Also remember at a hair trial, she doesn't really use hairspray so she can keep changing up the hairstyle as needed!]

closeup!

side view

back view

back view with the headband fascinator!

I loved how soft and free flowing my hair looked. I think it looks so romantical and perfect! I was so happy with the look! 

Because we had some extra time since I already was set on this hairstyle, I told her about our afterparty and how I wanted to look rockerchic haha! I also had this gorgeous headband that I wanted to try to use - so she had a ball bumpin' up my hair SO high and letting loose some curls! I loved this look, it was totally fun! She even gave me some extra pins and hair products to help me do my own hair for that night! 

If you are in the NY area and need your hair or makeup did, i would 10000% recommend using Sachiko. You can check out her website here :) 

And look for a vlog soon ;) 

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