Recently I purchased some of the new John Frieda Frizz Ease haircare products from Target's online website. I have been seeing a lot of advertising for these products on commercials and sponsored reviews online. These products have been so hyped up and promising such great results for girls with curly problematic hair, how could I not try them out.
Ranking on the very affordable side of the spectrum as far as hair care goes, I figured I had nothing to lose with giving them a try to see if they were worth all the hype.
I purchased two of the products from the Frizz Ease line, which is the line specially for curly hair. I got Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner, which is a leave-in conditioner in a spray bottle. I have tried many different leave-in conditioners so I was not only excited to try this one, but felt like I had a good idea of what a good one does for my hair. These types of products are a necessity for my hair especially during the winter when I experience a lot of dryness. I apply them after I get out of the shower, after I have towel dried my hair so it's damp, but not soaking wet. However, I feel like products like this tend to work better the drier my hair is. They seem to evaporate and I have to keep applying more if my hair is too wet. This one specifically was pretty comparable to everything I've tried so far. I love the smell, but other than that, nothing special. I was expecting more from such a popular product.
The other product I tried was called Dream Curls® Daily Styling Spray and it was meant to replace leave in hair gel or hair spray by making curls stay less frizzy throughout the day. I also loved the way this product smelled, but the performance was less spectacular. If I sprayed it in wet hair, once my hair dried, it was like it wasn't even there at all. And If I put it in dry hair, it almost gave me an oily appearance if I used a little too much. I think the key to this product is to use it right before your hair dries completely and focus is mostly on the ends. or where your hair tends to be driest. Don't put it in your roots especially if you haven't showered because it will be an oily mess.
Word count: 410
Sunday, January 25, 2015
New healthy habits
Earlier this month I did a post on some of my new year's resolutions. Everyone has their own and I wanted to make a few of my own.
One of my goals was to get more sleep. This still needs to improve because while I find myself going to bed earlier, I still don't get enough to not feel groggy in the morning. I have gotten very used to staying up late so this has been a hard one to break.
One thing I have improved on is eating breakfast in the morning. This was a hard habit to change because I was so used to getting up, getting dressed, and leaving for school right away. I would run out the door without eating anything and this became so much of a habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it. But I would constantly be hungry at school during the day before lunch, so much that I couldn't concentrate. I would pack snacks to eat in my bag before lunch, but most of them would be processed food which might have filled me up, but it wasn't good for me.
Lately I've been breaking the bad habit by waking up every morning and making myself a smoothie. I only have to wake up about 10-15 minutes earlier to make time for this and it has been well worth it. I feel better all day because I have real food in my stomach instead of a granola bar or a pop tart.
In my smoothies I like to use frozen fruit so that I don't have to use ice. I feel like ice makes the smoothie watery so I picked up bag of frozen mixed fruit from the grocery store. It has a variety of fruit (Mango, pineapple, strawberry, and peach) so it doesn't get boring. The bag was about $15 and will last me a solid 2 weeks, maybe even 3. The other good thing about frozen fruit compared to fresh is that it doesn't go bad for much longer because it's kept in the freezer. I love the taste of fresh fruit, but it's expensive and has to be eaten quickly or else it goes bad.
I also love adding some plain vanilla yogurt. Yogurt is one of my favorite breakfast foods and I eat it all throughout the day. You can buy large containers that will last for a while in stead of buying individuals and just throw in a few spoonfuls into the blender. I find that this helps blend the frozen fruit together easier as well. It also gives the smoothie some substance and keeps me from feeling hungrier longer. I use plain vanilla, but you can add different flavors to mix it up.
I drink the smoothie while I get ready in the morning. I think I have found myself a new life long morning habit.
Word count: 486
One of my goals was to get more sleep. This still needs to improve because while I find myself going to bed earlier, I still don't get enough to not feel groggy in the morning. I have gotten very used to staying up late so this has been a hard one to break.
One thing I have improved on is eating breakfast in the morning. This was a hard habit to change because I was so used to getting up, getting dressed, and leaving for school right away. I would run out the door without eating anything and this became so much of a habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it. But I would constantly be hungry at school during the day before lunch, so much that I couldn't concentrate. I would pack snacks to eat in my bag before lunch, but most of them would be processed food which might have filled me up, but it wasn't good for me.
Lately I've been breaking the bad habit by waking up every morning and making myself a smoothie. I only have to wake up about 10-15 minutes earlier to make time for this and it has been well worth it. I feel better all day because I have real food in my stomach instead of a granola bar or a pop tart.
In my smoothies I like to use frozen fruit so that I don't have to use ice. I feel like ice makes the smoothie watery so I picked up bag of frozen mixed fruit from the grocery store. It has a variety of fruit (Mango, pineapple, strawberry, and peach) so it doesn't get boring. The bag was about $15 and will last me a solid 2 weeks, maybe even 3. The other good thing about frozen fruit compared to fresh is that it doesn't go bad for much longer because it's kept in the freezer. I love the taste of fresh fruit, but it's expensive and has to be eaten quickly or else it goes bad.
I also love adding some plain vanilla yogurt. Yogurt is one of my favorite breakfast foods and I eat it all throughout the day. You can buy large containers that will last for a while in stead of buying individuals and just throw in a few spoonfuls into the blender. I find that this helps blend the frozen fruit together easier as well. It also gives the smoothie some substance and keeps me from feeling hungrier longer. I use plain vanilla, but you can add different flavors to mix it up.
I drink the smoothie while I get ready in the morning. I think I have found myself a new life long morning habit.
Word count: 486
The Face
This week I have been having some fun looking through some other more popular beauty blogs that are out there to get some inspiration. I stumbled upon Robin Black's website. She is a makeup artist for some very notable celebrities. Her website is called Beauty is Boring, and she takes all of the pictures that are featured there. The pictures are really awesome quality themselves, but the subjects in them are really cool too.
I read up on her and she has a really cool personality, someone that I feel like I would get along with pretty well. She does some really awesome things with makeup too, you will see if you take a look at some of the pictures. I also love the way she leaves details down below of all the products she used below the photo, along with telling what her inspiration for the look was.
She also has a place on her website where she does some really cool things with video editing. She takes the models in finished makeup and has them do different things, then she edits them into a video that is like a piece of art!
One of my favorite posts she did was an abstract painting.. on someones face. It looks like splatter paint, but with makeup. This would be a really cool idea for a Halloween party in the fall time, obviously not for everyday wear. She calls it The Masterpiece and says is was inspired by Jack-son Pollock. I can only imagine how long the model had to be sitting in the makeup chair for that one.
After reading about Robin and seeing her pictures and what she does with makeup, she has really become an inspiration to me. I never thought about having a career like hers, but it would be interesting to look into. I just love the way she incorporates the art of photography into the art of makeup because those are two things that I love. I would always rather be the makeup artist doing the models makeup, or the photographer taking the pictures, rather than walking down the runway.
Word count: 355
I read up on her and she has a really cool personality, someone that I feel like I would get along with pretty well. She does some really awesome things with makeup too, you will see if you take a look at some of the pictures. I also love the way she leaves details down below of all the products she used below the photo, along with telling what her inspiration for the look was.
She also has a place on her website where she does some really cool things with video editing. She takes the models in finished makeup and has them do different things, then she edits them into a video that is like a piece of art!
One of my favorite posts she did was an abstract painting.. on someones face. It looks like splatter paint, but with makeup. This would be a really cool idea for a Halloween party in the fall time, obviously not for everyday wear. She calls it The Masterpiece and says is was inspired by Jack-son Pollock. I can only imagine how long the model had to be sitting in the makeup chair for that one.
After reading about Robin and seeing her pictures and what she does with makeup, she has really become an inspiration to me. I never thought about having a career like hers, but it would be interesting to look into. I just love the way she incorporates the art of photography into the art of makeup because those are two things that I love. I would always rather be the makeup artist doing the models makeup, or the photographer taking the pictures, rather than walking down the runway.
Word count: 355
Sunday, January 18, 2015
What color am I??
We have all had this problem. Take this situation for example:
You just ran out of your favorite foundation or concealer and decide it's time to try out something new. You get all excited to go to the store and pick out a new product, but when you get there you realize that beige and caramel and porcelain and ivory mean nothing because ever brand is different and not only that, different products within different brands are different and just like you can never seem to figure out what size jeans you really are, you can't for the life of you begin to guess what color foundation to buy. So you take your best guess, take a gamble, and grab one that looks sort of similar to what your face is.
You get home, only to find that the shade wouldn't be right even if you got a spray tan. Or that it's so light you may as well just throw it away because its never going to fit you.
I can't tell you how many products I have stored away in a drawer that are just waiting for summer so my skin gets tan enough to fit the shade I thought I was at the time, only to be forgotten, ever used, and replaced.
I don't have an easy solution to this problem, but I do have a few tips.
I found this great website that can take a shade of a current product you are wearing that fits you and match it to a shade of a different brand. I haven't tried it personally, but it seems like a great alternative to guessing and checking. They have every brand you can think of and its really easy to use.
Something else I have tried that can be easier than trying to match your shade exactly is mixing two different foundations together. This can get expensive if you are buying two new products, but I will take two that I already have (of different of same brands) and mix them together, one being too light for my current skin tone, and one being too dark. I mix them on the back of my hand before applying them to face.
Word count: 370
You just ran out of your favorite foundation or concealer and decide it's time to try out something new. You get all excited to go to the store and pick out a new product, but when you get there you realize that beige and caramel and porcelain and ivory mean nothing because ever brand is different and not only that, different products within different brands are different and just like you can never seem to figure out what size jeans you really are, you can't for the life of you begin to guess what color foundation to buy. So you take your best guess, take a gamble, and grab one that looks sort of similar to what your face is.
You get home, only to find that the shade wouldn't be right even if you got a spray tan. Or that it's so light you may as well just throw it away because its never going to fit you.
I can't tell you how many products I have stored away in a drawer that are just waiting for summer so my skin gets tan enough to fit the shade I thought I was at the time, only to be forgotten, ever used, and replaced.
I don't have an easy solution to this problem, but I do have a few tips.
I found this great website that can take a shade of a current product you are wearing that fits you and match it to a shade of a different brand. I haven't tried it personally, but it seems like a great alternative to guessing and checking. They have every brand you can think of and its really easy to use.
Something else I have tried that can be easier than trying to match your shade exactly is mixing two different foundations together. This can get expensive if you are buying two new products, but I will take two that I already have (of different of same brands) and mix them together, one being too light for my current skin tone, and one being too dark. I mix them on the back of my hand before applying them to face.
Word count: 370
What's your breaking point?
It has been recently announced that the new high school women's cross country racing distance will be changed from 2.5 miles to 3.1 miles. E.F. Fitness talks about how she is embracing the change as an empowerment to women as a whole by making our race equivalent to the boys. I have a slightly different opinion.
I have what can be described as a love-hate relationship with running. There are so many positives (the obvious dealing with physical fitness.) I gain a sense of pride during the cross country season. I feel not only like I am a part of something bigger by participating on the team, but like I am doing it for myself at the same time. I love that.
But it's not all fun and games. I run most of my races at the varsity level, and while I love the challenge and the label, along with it comes a side of anxiety and stress. There is so much pressure to do well and improve invoked by being ranked at the top of your team. You feel like you have some limitless expectations to live up to. This pressure comes from the coaches and of course, my dad, who is my biggest supporter and without fail, my biggest critic.
He only wants success for me in life and in running specifically and is always pushing me to work harder, train more, and "kick ass."
I love this about him because it gives me yet another reason to work hard, motivation is everything in a race. It's all a mental game. I like to think I'm racing against myself, like all of us girls are out there to grab the prize and the end of the course together, but at the end of the day the bottom line is that I'm there to take first place.
But this year is going to be a different game. The race will change dramatically because of the lengthened distance. The daily workouts will be geared more toward longer distance running, and to think I was finally getting the hang of things. This will most likely mean more long, slow running on the trail (not my favorite.) And less short sprinting workouts on the track. I don't usually look forward to cross-country practice in general, but now I will even less.
Next fall will surly prove to be an adventure.
Word count: 401
I have what can be described as a love-hate relationship with running. There are so many positives (the obvious dealing with physical fitness.) I gain a sense of pride during the cross country season. I feel not only like I am a part of something bigger by participating on the team, but like I am doing it for myself at the same time. I love that.
But it's not all fun and games. I run most of my races at the varsity level, and while I love the challenge and the label, along with it comes a side of anxiety and stress. There is so much pressure to do well and improve invoked by being ranked at the top of your team. You feel like you have some limitless expectations to live up to. This pressure comes from the coaches and of course, my dad, who is my biggest supporter and without fail, my biggest critic.
He only wants success for me in life and in running specifically and is always pushing me to work harder, train more, and "kick ass."
I love this about him because it gives me yet another reason to work hard, motivation is everything in a race. It's all a mental game. I like to think I'm racing against myself, like all of us girls are out there to grab the prize and the end of the course together, but at the end of the day the bottom line is that I'm there to take first place.
But this year is going to be a different game. The race will change dramatically because of the lengthened distance. The daily workouts will be geared more toward longer distance running, and to think I was finally getting the hang of things. This will most likely mean more long, slow running on the trail (not my favorite.) And less short sprinting workouts on the track. I don't usually look forward to cross-country practice in general, but now I will even less.
Next fall will surly prove to be an adventure.
Word count: 401
Go-to products for dry hair
In the winter, and sometimes year round, my hair can get excessively dry and frizzy. I have tried my fair share of products to fix the problem over the years. Some products claim to do certain things, but don't. Some products aren't worth the high price and you would be better off sticking to the drug store.
For shampoo and conditioner I love the brand Herbal Essences because their products are all natural. I like to use shampoo that smells good and isn't too thick because my roots can get oily and gross. I currently use the "naked moisture shampoo." It's a very basic shampoo, but it does the job. I have tried a lot of TRESemmé also and have found that they make quite a few good hair products even beyond shampoo and conditioner.
I rely heavily on my conditioner for moisture. I need one that is going to help repair damaged hair along with controlling the frizz and dryness. The "naked shine conditioner" by Herbal Essences is great and I have used it for about 6 months now.
I rely heavily on my conditioner for moisture. I need one that is going to help repair damaged hair along with controlling the frizz and dryness. The "naked shine conditioner" by Herbal Essences is great and I have used it for about 6 months now.
If you are looking for more shampoo options than what I have listened here, allwomenstalk has a great article with 15 more shampoos for dry hair, some of which I have never tried so I don't know how good they are personally.
As far as what comes after the shower, I have many more products that I use daily. I have never (very rarely) been able to let my hair air-dry after showering. I envy people who's hair can go from wet to dry and be hydrated without fizz, let alone look decent enough to go out.
Leave in conditioners are the love of my life. My favorite right now is made by TRESemmé. I prefer spray in verses more of a cream liquid because in the morning I try to avoid getting my hands sticky, but usually it's inevitable regardless because I also use a light hold hair gel made by Aussie, an Australian cosmetic company. All of their products smell amazing, and they can lean toward the pricey side of drugstore, but well worth it. I my hair doesn't feel stick or hard, even with a generous amount of the gel. It dries beautifully.
Even though I have fallen love with these products, I'm always trying new things and experimenting with different brands. Lately I have been seeing a lot of commercials about the John Frieda hair products. Especially the "Fizz Ease" line.
I have ordered some of the John Frieda products from Target that are specially designed for curly hair and will definitely be doing a blog post after trying them out.
(Most of the products I talked about can be found at CVS, Walmart or Target.)
Word count: 457
As far as what comes after the shower, I have many more products that I use daily. I have never (very rarely) been able to let my hair air-dry after showering. I envy people who's hair can go from wet to dry and be hydrated without fizz, let alone look decent enough to go out.
Leave in conditioners are the love of my life. My favorite right now is made by TRESemmé. I prefer spray in verses more of a cream liquid because in the morning I try to avoid getting my hands sticky, but usually it's inevitable regardless because I also use a light hold hair gel made by Aussie, an Australian cosmetic company. All of their products smell amazing, and they can lean toward the pricey side of drugstore, but well worth it. I my hair doesn't feel stick or hard, even with a generous amount of the gel. It dries beautifully.
Even though I have fallen love with these products, I'm always trying new things and experimenting with different brands. Lately I have been seeing a lot of commercials about the John Frieda hair products. Especially the "Fizz Ease" line.
I have ordered some of the John Frieda products from Target that are specially designed for curly hair and will definitely be doing a blog post after trying them out.
(Most of the products I talked about can be found at CVS, Walmart or Target.)
Word count: 457
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Face off
One of the many struggles of being a girl is not only which products to use, but what brand. I personally struggle with this whenever I go to the drugstore to pick up a new shampoo or foundation. I rarely go into this type of situation without doing my research, for example reading reviews on the product online or watching videos from my trusted beauty vloggers on youtube.
Shannon is one of my favorite bloggers to watch. https://www.youtube.com/user/shaaanxo. She has a YouTube channel (like many other girls) that is devoted specifically to product reviews, hauls, and makeup tutorials. She is one of my go to's when I need a review on a product I'm looking into to buy because she stays up to date on brands with new products coming out.
Today I'm doing my own review, where I'm taking two of my favorite and most trusted face products and putting them head to head in a comparison show down.
The topic today is moisturizer, and were going to be comparing Clean and Clear's Advantage Acne Control moisturizer (my winter favorite) with Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (my summer favorite.)
What I love about C & C is that they have products that are oil free, and devoted a special line to help treat and prevent acne. This product feels good on the skin and doesn't leave you feeling oily like some moisturizers do. But it also doesn't leave my skin feeling tight, however if you have just washed or exfoliated your face, it can take a few extra pumps (especially in the winter time) to get your face fully hydrated. They also only sell this product in a $ oz. bottle, which I go through in less than 2 months. I wish they sold a larger size.
Next, Aveeno has a good product for summertime because they actually joined your daily moisturizer with sunscreen to help protect you from the harmful rays. It has SPF 30, which is pretty high for a daily use product. This is good and bad because while it can help you prevent sunburn, it will make your face appear whiter in pictures because if how it reflects a flash. This product can also make your skin feel oily and shiny, so it works best for people who tend to get dryness even in humidity. I take this product with me to the beach and pool and use it on my face as well as my body.
Both products have their ups and downs but I would say Clean and Clear is My favorite go to product for daily use.
Word count: 438
Shannon is one of my favorite bloggers to watch. https://www.youtube.com/user/shaaanxo. She has a YouTube channel (like many other girls) that is devoted specifically to product reviews, hauls, and makeup tutorials. She is one of my go to's when I need a review on a product I'm looking into to buy because she stays up to date on brands with new products coming out.
Today I'm doing my own review, where I'm taking two of my favorite and most trusted face products and putting them head to head in a comparison show down.
The topic today is moisturizer, and were going to be comparing Clean and Clear's Advantage Acne Control moisturizer (my winter favorite) with Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (my summer favorite.)
What I love about C & C is that they have products that are oil free, and devoted a special line to help treat and prevent acne. This product feels good on the skin and doesn't leave you feeling oily like some moisturizers do. But it also doesn't leave my skin feeling tight, however if you have just washed or exfoliated your face, it can take a few extra pumps (especially in the winter time) to get your face fully hydrated. They also only sell this product in a $ oz. bottle, which I go through in less than 2 months. I wish they sold a larger size.
Next, Aveeno has a good product for summertime because they actually joined your daily moisturizer with sunscreen to help protect you from the harmful rays. It has SPF 30, which is pretty high for a daily use product. This is good and bad because while it can help you prevent sunburn, it will make your face appear whiter in pictures because if how it reflects a flash. This product can also make your skin feel oily and shiny, so it works best for people who tend to get dryness even in humidity. I take this product with me to the beach and pool and use it on my face as well as my body.
Both products have their ups and downs but I would say Clean and Clear is My favorite go to product for daily use.
Word count: 438
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