Fall Hair Update: Flat Iron Curl Tutorial

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Now that fall is here, it's time to start changing my beauty routine up a bit. I've made a few important changes to my hair recently including the new "lived in color" look with my ends being a bit lighter/brighter, and my long layers are now "arrow pointed" making them more weightless. All of that means my hair will grow out nicely, but more importantly, it means that I can continue my current obsession with big waves and curls!

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Exfoliate Your Way to Glowy Skin

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Exfoliation is your friend. If you're not exfoliating your skin regularly (or at least semi-regularly), now is the time to start! This is something that everyone, whether you are 15 or 50, should incorporate into their skincare routine. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite products to gently exfoliate my skin to just the right glow!

What exactly does it do? Removing some of the outer layers of the skin will help encourage your skin to create more skin cells (helping your skin to look fresher and younger), evens out your skin's tone and texture as well. The goal is fresh, glowy skin that looks smoother with more even color tone.

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Quick 5 Minute Makeup Look

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While I would love to have unlimited amounts of time each day to get ready, that just is not possible! Especially on days that I'll be with my daughters. At 4 years and 9 months old, they aren't understanding of mom's yearning for a few more minutes of "mommy time" in the morning! So, many weekend mornings I have to make the most of my 5 minutes.

I thought I would create a quick tutorial of one of my go-to 5 minute looks. This look actually takes me a little less than 5 minutes, and everything you need to recreate it yourself can be found at your local Sally Beauty!

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Love Your Hair: Protecting my Color

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My hair is on of my most defining features. I have a lot of it, and it's a rich auburn color (helped along a bit by my salon and Clairol). That color is the part most people comment on. My color is so amazing, what color do I use, who does it, it goes so well with my complexion... You get the idea. So, I try to protect my color at all costs! I've found that Auburn definitely does fade, something I had never experienced with my blonde highlights. It isn't like brown would somehow find its way back into my bleached hair, right?

To help protect my hair color, when choosing hair care products I look for those that will baby my color treated hair.

I Tried:
• Clairol Professional iThrive Color Vibrancy Shampoo
• Clairol Professional iThrive Color Vibrancy Conditioner

I've been loving the Clairol Profession iThrive Color Vibrancy products. The shampoo and conditioner make my hair super shiny, easy to manage, and they are helping my hair color stick around longer.


Deeper Treatment:
• Clairol Professional iThrive Color Vibrancy Treatment

I think my favorite iThrive product is the Treatment! This intensive conditioner is very concentrated. A little goes a long way, so don't over do it! I've just been using about a quarter sized amount in my hair, in the place of my regular conditioner. I comb it through with a wide tooth comb and leave it in my hair for about 5-10 minutes while I'm doing other things in the shower. When I rinse it out my hair is super shiny, soft and easy to manage!

I do want to note that one of my previous stand by products is Ion Youth Restore Weekly Renewing Masque, which does magical things to my hair after it has been colored. It tames the frizz, adds tons of shine and bounce to my hair. Similar to the Clairol, it is a product that I just used in place of my conditioner roughly once a week.


Repairing Damage:
• Roux 233 Treatment And Shine

Yes, typically when I've damaged my hair with heat styling or damage I prefer to cut off the damage, but there's always a bit of a wait until I can get into my salon. This spray is perfect to help me deal with the aftermath until I can get in to get a trim! I just spray a little onto my hair while it is damp, then style as usual. The spray works on the cuticle of the hair to add shine and help prevent any further damage.


Cutting Back on Washing:
• Clairol Professional iThrive Dry Shampoo

One of my favorite ways to save time, and hair color, is to wash my hair less frequently. I can go 3 days between washing my hair if I have a good dry shampoo. I like dry shampoos that soak up oil, don't make my dark hair look chalky and give good volume. This dry shampoo is all three! It's definitely one of the dry shampoos that I'll be recommending in the future.


Hair care is one of my favorite reasons to head to Sally Beauty, they have a great selection of products. But, the selection is so large that it can be overwhelming. Luckily the Sally Beauty site has a great page to help you find the best products to fix your hair issues, check out the SallyBeauty.com/SolutionGuide! I've mentioned products here for aging and color treated hair, but there are product choices for repairing damage, fighting frizz, and other common hair issues.

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Summer Hair: The Best Products To Help Prevent Damage At the Pool and the Beach

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Now that summer is has officially begun, it's time to start dealing with the aftermath! When I was growing up, summer meant swimming. Almost every day we swam at a pool or in Lake Michigan. If you haven't seen it, you should check out the Grand Haven beach, it's my hometown and the big white sand beach there is amazing! But that meant that my hair could take quite the beating in the summer between sun exposure, chlorine and lake water. At least it was fresh water, not salt water, right? By the end of the summer my hair was dry and my dark blonde/light brown (my natural color when I was growing up) had a tinge of green. This was despite my mom's best efforts with chlorine shampoo and intensive moisturizers!

Luckily things have changed a bit, and today's products are more effective. I recently hit Sally Beauty to pick up a few products to use on myself and my 4 year old daughter, who has inherited that dark blonde hair and seems to love the pool as much as I did.

At the Pool

Chlorine can really do a number on your hair. It helps dry it out and the chlorine deposits can give hair a green cast, especially if you have light hair. I've found that using a clarifying shampoo to remove the chlorine (and it will also remove other metals such as iron or copper if you have hard water) can really help your hair retain moisture and makes styling more manageable.

I like to use Swimmer's Shampoo and Conditioner after swimming, removing the chlorine before it really builds up in the hair. This duo from Ion is gentle on your hair and leaves hair soft and easy to manage. If your hair is getting dried out from the pool, I'd add in an intensive moisturizing treatment that doesn't weigh down hair like the Awapuhi Intensive Treatment.

I also really love the Swimmer's Leave-In Conditioner if hair is taking an extra beating from the pool water. You can apply it after the conditioner, but it's also great to spray on damp hair right before swimming, helping to protect your hair from the pool. I rinse off in the shower and then spray a lot of this leave-in on hair to really saturate the hair. It seems to really help hair that's been damaged by the pool water!

Pool Swimmer's Product Recommendations:
Ion Swimmer's Shampoo and Conditioner
Ion Swimmer's Leave-In Conditioner
One 'N Only Island Essentials Awapuhi Intensive Treatment

At the Beach

If you'll be spending time at the beach rather than the pool, then your hair faces different challenges. Instead of chlorine, it will often be salt water that is drying out your hair, unless you're lucky like I was as a kid and are swimming in fresh water. The sun also can have a dramatic effect on your hair color, especially if you've paid a lot of money for professional color!

While at the beach, my first priority is protecting my hair from the sun. While you can mix a bit of water into regular sunscreen to create your own hair sun protection spray, I've always found that to be messy and a bit sticky. The Ion Sun Protection Spray is much lighter weight, you really can't tell that it is in your hair! I like to spray it throughout my hair before going out and then I protect my hair further by wearing a hat.

The beach is actually an amazing place to get an intensive conditioning treatment! Your hair is heating up, making it ideal to soak in conditioner. Using the Awapuhi Intensive Treatment, applying a light layer throughout the hair and then securing it up in a bun will keep your hair out of your face and when you pull down your hair you'll have amazingly soft waves!

Finally, after a day at the beach, everyone wants the perfect beachy waves! Even if you haven't been in the water, it's easy to get the look. I love spraying Surf Shake Sea Salt Texturizing Spray throughout hair and scrunching up to create waves. Follow it up with the Coastal Cooler Cooling Shine Mist, which adds natural shine and helps you cool down after an afternoon in the sun.


Beach Hair Product Recommendations:
Ion Sun Protection Spray
One 'N Only Island Essentials Awapuhi Intensive Treatment
Beyond The Zone Beach Head Surf Shake Sea Salt Texturizing Spray
Beyond The Zone Beach Head Coastal Cooler Cooling Shine Mist





What are your favorite tips to help hair survive summer without turning into straw? While I love these products at the pool and beach, I pull them out for days that I'm out in the sun! I love using the Sun Protection Spray for a day at the zoo with my girls so my hair color lasts longer, and the Coastal Cooler Cooling Shine Mist is a nice finishing touch each day to add shine.


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The Perfect Bend Made Foolproof: Wavy Hair Tutorial With The Kardashians

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If you've been on Instagram or Pinterest in the last few years, chances are you've seen the perfect wavy hair. Yes, it's the perfect wavy hair that I've been lusting after. Back in January I had my hair cut for the first time in months, and I had layers cut that were "weightless" rather than more traditional. Meaning, they are there, but because I've had them thinned out quite a bit, you don't seen an obvious line. Perfect for postpartum hair loss I thought. And also for getting the look of those waves I've been really yearning for!

Since that hair cut I've perfected curling my hair with a curling iron to get a very pretty look, but it isn't that perfect wavy bend that I want. Yes, that's right, I don't really want a curl. I want a bend. And it is really hard to get the perfect bend, unless you're a celeb hair stylist.

I've found a way to get the look I've wanted, and it is because of the Kardashians. I know, I know. But those girls have some amazing hair! And they teamed up with Chi/Farouk to create their line, so you know they had some amazing help. And it turns out that this is basically foolproof.




To get the look, this is as much about hair prep with products as it is about using the right heat tool.

I used:
• Kardashian Beauty Black Seed Dry Oil
• Kardashian Beauty Take 2 Dry Shampoo
• Kardashian Beauty 3-in-1 Ceramic Styling Iron
• Kardashian Beauty Pure Glitz Hair Spray
• Beyond The Zone Beach Head Surf Shake Sea Salt Texturizing Spray



I start with damp hair. I apply a bit of the Black Seed Dry Oil, which will smooth frizz and protect my hair from heat damage while styling. I also spray the Surf Shake Spray throughout. I've found that the added texture from a salt spray helps my hair to hold curl much longer. Then I dry my hair straight.




Once my hair is dry (left), you can see that my hair still is a bit frizzy at the ends. A big part of this look working is to have ends that are smoothed. So, I start using the 3 in 1 tool as a flat iron. I just grab random sections and am not very obsessive about it. I smooth the entire hair shaft on the upper layers of my hair, but just concentrate on the ends for the lower layers.




After my hair has been flat ironed, it is time to start waving/bending! Though, I have to say that the flat iron part of this tool worked really quickly and my hair required less heat than usual (only 380 instead of 400).


Here's where the secret is. The 3 in 1 tool has plates on the outside that heat up to work like a curling wand. Except that it isn't really a curling wand. It's oval, and there's a spot where the 2 sides meet without a heated plate. So, not all of your hair gets heated. The result is that instead of an even, perfect curl, you get a bend. A bend.

I section my hair using a clip (these Croc Clips are my favorite), and then start curling! I use randomly sized sections of hair, and wrap it around the outside of the 3 in 1. I sometimes curl toward my face (as seen in this look) and sometimes away from my face. The point is to have random waves/bends, and varying the size and direction helps a lot. I always curl away from my face right next to it, the results are prettier that way.

When wrapping my hair, I generally leave a few inches free at the roots, and I don't wrap the last inch or two of my hair. While the hair is touching the iron, I don't have it wrapped very tightly. I hold this curl for about 8 to 10 seconds before gently releasing. While I'm holding my hair onto the iron, I twist the iron slowly, just rotating it about 1/4 turn in either direction.

The result is a bit random, and while slightly curled, it really is the perfect wavy bend instead of an actual curl! To keep it in place all day I spray it with the hair spray and scrunch it up just a tiny bit as the spray is drying.



One of my favorite things about this hairstyle is that it can last for a few days and easily survives even super windy days (check out this picture after I'd been out running errands in 30 mph winds). To revive this hair, a few drops of the hair oil are all that I need! I also add a bit of dry shampoo at my roots for second day hair, it takes care of any greasy areas and adds volume without looking powdery or white.





Are you going to try out the tutorial? Make sure you enter the Beaches and Waves Sweepstakes while you're at Sally Beauty!

Grand prize: Win a 5 day/4 night Luxury Included Caribbean Vacation for two at any Beaches Resort located in Jamaica or Turks & Caicos!

How to enter:
Enter online at Sally Beauty, or shop at Sally Beauty using your loyalty card and be automatically entered to win during the entire month of May! You can earn bonus entries by sharing on social media.



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Sally Beauty sent me a gift card for the products, but I bought the 3 in 1 tool myself. And I'm obsessed.

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Spring Spruce Up For Less! Shopping For Post-Winter Beauty at Sally Beauty Supply

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Now that spring is finally here, I need to recover from winter and spruce up for spring! For me that means a couple of intensive treatments to help my hair and skin recover from the harsh, dry winter here in Michigan. As well, I always like to get a few fresh pedicure supplies. Because, finally, people will see my toes!

I headed over to Sally Beauty and picked up a few essentials. Here's what was in my basket:

Hair
1. Mystic Divine Luminous Shine Smoothing Masque: I've been wanting to try this mask for a while! It has Tahitian Tamanu Oil and Camellia Oil to target dry hair, which sounds perfect after a long, dry winter.

2. Ion Effective Care Treatment: The sales associate at my local Sally Beauty recommended this mask for damaged hair. She does a lot of color treatments and said it has saved her hair from a lot of damage! My hair is mostly dry, but I couldn't resist trying it out. The little pouch was next to the register for the bargain price of 99 cents!


Skin
3. Bath Secrets Exfoliating Gloves: I think gloves like this are even better than a body scrub for exfoliating your body. The results are more even and it really only takes a few minutes in the shower.

4. Heel To Toe Moisturizing Foot Butter: I confess that I'll use a super thick foot cream like this one from Head to Toe on my entire body when I'm getting ready to wear shorts and dresses for the first time. Super moisturized skin looks great!

5. Orly Cuticle Therapy Creme: This is always one of my go-to products. I like to use it on particularly dry areas.


Pedicure
6. Heel To Toe Ceramic Foot File: I needed a new foot file to get ready for pedicure season! Since I love to wear cute ballet flats without socks, I feel like people see my toes quite a bit. The shoes come off in my house and those of friends, etc. A good foot file is a spring and summer must have!

7. Blue Cross Cuticle Remover: Not pictured here because I already have about a liter of this stuff in my shower! (Yes, really.) This is the ultimate cuticle remover and foot smoother. I wet down my feet and basically pore it all over. A minute or two I'll start using the foot file on my heels and I'll use the exfoliating gloves around my toe nails and around the rest of my foot. Once I rinse my feet are incredibly soft!

8. FingerPaints Endless Wear: I was surprised by how many long wearing formulas Sally Beauty carries on their nail polish wall! FingerPaints is a great (and cheap) brand. Framed In Fuschia is one of my favorite pedicure colors in their original formula, so I couldn't resist grabbing it in this long wear formula. This formula bonds with the special top coat and is cured by normal light, so no UV lamps! It promises to look great longer than a traditional manicure. I swatched my colors quickly, as you can see below.

Tune In To A Younger You Sweepstakes

Sally Beauty is partnering with Younger, a new show on TV Land, for the Tune In To A Younger You Sweepstakes, where every day in April is a new chance to win a $100 Sally Beauty Gift Card! Enter on-line at Sally Beauty, or in store you'll get an auto-entry with every purchase at Sally Beauty using your loyalty card! Check out Younger, Tuesdays 10/9C on TV Land.


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This post is a collaboration between myself and Sally Beauty. But, all opinions (and shopping) were my own!

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Dry Hair Solution: Ion Extreme Moisture Cream

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Treating dry hair can be tricky. It's easy to say to just use a hydrating hair mask and be done with it. In reality, many hair masks take a lot of time, usually involve heating up towels and wrapping your hair before your shower, and they can be messy. If you overdo it your hair might be hydrated, but it will also be overly moisturized and fall flat. Who wants flat hair? Not me.

I recently discovered Ion's Extreme Moisture Cream, and I'm in love! It is very easy to use. It replaces my regular conditioner in the shower. Simply apply to your hair and leave it on for 1-2 minutes (or if you need a deeper treatment, wait for 3-5 minutes) and rinse it out. I apply Extreme Moisture Cream to the mid-shaft and below on my hair since those are the driest parts. The result is smooth, healthy looking hair that isn't weighed down! I still have the volume that I love.

This month, Sally Beauty is featuring award-winning products! You can head to their site and discover the best selling products, the favorites of other bloggers, the top rated products and more!

What's your favorite product from Sally Beauty?

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Easy Negative Space Manicure Tutorial

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I'm not a big nail art person. A glitter accent nail is about the most I usually wear with my manicure, much more than that takes me too long and is a bit too much for my conservative day job. But, the new trend of "negative space" nail art is much more streamlined than previous nail art trends, and it is so easy that even I can't mess it up! I've started doing very simple designs on my ring finger as an accent and have gotten a lot of compliments!



The look is pretty easy to do yourself at home! I started with my basic manicure already done, only my accent nail was left. I first applied my favorite base coat, ORLY Bonder. I let it fully dry and then applied a small piece of painter's tape to my nail. Sally Beauty has different colors of nail tapes, but I wanted a wider stripe. I then painted two thin coats of OPI's Hello Hawaii Ya? I didn't wait for the coats to dry in between applications and I removed the tape while the nail polish was still wet. You can see that because I used a thicker piece of painter's tape there was a little bit of bleeding in the line of polish. I cleaned this up with a little acetone and a cotton swab for my final look!



When picking up my polish at Sally Beauty for this look, I was amazed at the new Nail Studio wall at my local Sally Beauty! You can see that it just goes on for forever, the selection of shades is huge, over 750! I loved the little screen in the middle of the display, it shows tutorials.

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Something Different: Buffed and Shiny Nails

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Now that it is 2015, it's time to try something different! And also... to admit a bit of defeat. Why is that? I'm a girl with thousands of nail polishes. Yes, you read that right. I have thousands of nail polishes. They live in plastic drawers in the closet of my home office. (Yes, I have a bit of this going on. I have hundreds of dark purples and bright pinks. They're not the same!)

This is the admitting defeat part. I love my polishes. I really do. But it is very difficult to find time to change my polish with a newborn. Even with quick dry products, there isn't enough time to get them dry before the baby needs my attention. Because she knows when mommy has wet nails. Oh yes, she really does!

So, for the next few months I'll be sporting natural nails, sans pretty polish colors. This is a defeat of sorts (all of my pretty colors!) but it's also somewhat liberating! No more worrying about chipped polish! Don't worry about wearing a shade that looks a bit crazy with my outfit of the day!

But, no polish doesn't mean unkempt. Instead, it just means no polish. I've decided to really commit to no polish, which means buffing my nails to a pretty shine!



Here's a quick peek at most of the products that I used to get this look. Yes, that is a lot of products! But, you'll really have almost no daily/weekly upkeep. This really is a polished look without much upkeep. I bought everything at my favorite store for nail supplies, Sally Beauty.



To start, I get my nail surface ready for everything! These are the same steps as when I do a regular manicure.

First, I remove all of my polish. I love using a polish remover pad, they're no fuss and get the job done quickly without a mess.

Next, I wash my hands, being sure to get under the ends of my nails. While my hands are still wet, I'll apply a little cuticle remover to my cuticles, rubbing it around to make sure everything is covered. I like to run the nailbrush over my cuticles, and I'll also use my thumbnail to push my cuticles off of the nail surface.

Products Used:
• Beauty Secrets Nail Polish Remover Pads
• YCC Clear Plastic Cuticle Pusher
• YCC Handled Manicure Brush
• Dr. G's 3-in-1 Antimicrobial Callus & Cuticle Remover



Once my hands are dried off, it's time to make sure my nail shape is how I want it and that any left over hang nails are taken care of. I only use the Cuticle Remover shown here on hang nails, not on the cuticle itself. You don't want to cut into the cuticle bed itself, this is setting yourself up for a nasty nail infection. So, just get rid of any hang nails and you'll be all set!

Products Used:
• Colossal Collection Nail File
• Beauty Secrets Cuticle Remover & Pusher



Next it is time to remove ridges! I like to use a buffing block or file, I have both and just grab whichever I feel like that day. The first side is a nail file, it is definitely too harsh to use on your nail surface! I use sides #2 and #3 for this step. Side #4 does do a good job of shining the nail surface, but the chamois and cream do a better job, so no sense in duplicating that work!

Products Used:
• Tropical Shine 4-Way Mini Nail Buffer
• Tropical Shine Mini 4-Way Nail Buffer Block



Using a chamois to buff your nails to a high gloss is a step above and beyond the buffing block. The shine is unreal, so much more than the block alone! Especially when you combine it with the buffing cream. This step is why I can't wear polish now (unless I go and really rough up my nail surface), it is so shiny and smooth that polish just peels right off!

When using a chamois, I put a dot of cream on each nail bed and then start buffing. Note that it does take a while the first time (about 10 minutes total), but the results are definitely worth it! You won't really see the shine until you wash any residual cream off of your hands.

Products Used:
• Winning Nails 7" Chamois Buffer
• Winning Nails Nail Buffing Creme



Once you've washed off the rest of the cream, it's time to moisturize your cuticles! You can use a cream or an oil, it's up to you.

Products Used:
• Barielle Pro Cuticle Renewal Oil
• Orly Cuticle Therapy Creme



To keep up my buffed nails, I'll use the Chamois, without the cream, about once a week. As my nails grow out I'll need to redo the whole process just on the new areas every few weeks. In addition, I moisturize my cuticles nightly during the winter to keep them looking great! I prefer to use the oil first and then I layer on the thick cuticle cream to really lock in the moisture.

When I'm ready to go back to wearing polish I'll buff my nails with the #3 side of the buffing block. That should give my polish enough texture to hold on to the nail bed.




What are you doing this new year to change things up? Sally Beauty is holding a great sweepstakes, the New Year, New You Challenge!

Sally Beauty is challenging shoppers to try something new – daring new hair color, bright new nail shade, fresh new lip color, new hairstyle, new treatment, etc.

Share your New You look to enter to win a trip to New York for a makeover!

To enter, you'll need to share your New Year, New You look on-line.
• Facebook: Visit the New Year, New You Challenge tab on the Sally Beauty Facebook page. Upload an image and complete the entry form.
• Instagram and Twitter: Upload a photo with #SallyBeautyChallenge in your caption. Once you share, you will receive an auto-reply within 24 hours to visit the Facebook tab and complete the entry.


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Giving Glam: Last Minute Beauty Stocking Stuffer Ideas

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This time of year can be stressful with all of the shopping, party planning and expectations of a perfect holiday season. Luckily, it can be easy to find great products to pamper yourself or friends and family. All of these products are available at Sally Beauty, and they're perfectly sized to add to gift bags or use as a stocking stuffer! They also have other great gift ideas.

1. Beautique Gel Eye Pencil: This is a creamy eye pencil that goes on easily and smudges for that perfect smoky eye! After a minute or so it becomes smudge free and lasts all day. I'm a sucker for navy eye pencils (shown here), but the Rose Gold is also very pretty.

2. Sally Girl Blush & Shimmer: It isn't available on-line, but you'll definitely want to hunt this little one down in your local store! The size of an eye shadow, this product has both a blush and a shimmer. You can use just the shimmer as a highlighter by using a small (probably eye shadow sized) brush. Or use both together, which is my preference. I use a small blush brush to get a higher concentration of product on my cheeks, then change my brush for something larger for an all over lighter application. The small size means this is perfect for your makeup bag or travel.

3. Face Secrets Animal Print Eye Shadow Applicators: While I once automatically threw out the little foam applicators in my makeup, lately I've been hoarding them. They're convenient for touch ups on the go, and yes, even nail art.

4. Face Secrets Animal Print Kabuki Brush: This one retracts down into the handle and has a top, it is perfect to carry when you're on the go!

5. Swissco Blue 5 Piece Pedicure Set: Pink glitter. Yes.

6. Biotera Invisible Dry Shampoo: Why is a travel sized dry shampoo so hard to find? This one is perfect for your 3-1-1 bag, soaks up oil and adds volume all while staying invisible in your hair. Perfect.

7. Heel To Toe Feels Like New Foot Softener: I've been using this on my feet (under socks) at night and it really is helping soften and moisturize my dry feet!

8. Heel to Toe Aromatherapy Invigorating Foaming Foot Soak: When I have time to do a full spa pedicure at home, I love this foot soak! It only takes a few minutes, has a really refreshing smell, and it helps get the dead skin off of my feet. It only takes about 5 minutes to work.

9. Beyond Belief Enchanted Dream Hand and Body Lotion: This lotion smells great and is super hydrating without being greasy.


Sally Beauty is holding a Give Glam & Get Away Sweepstakes! You could win a 7-Day Caribbean cruise for two with Princess Cruises. To enter, buy any product in-store or online using your Sally Beauty Loyalty Card and get an automatic entry, enter online, and if you refer a friend by sharing online, and your friend enters, you’ll receive a bonus entry! The sweeps run between 12/1/14 and 12/31/14.


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BeLissPro Curl Genius: Easy Answer to Curls?

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Have you tried out one of the automatic hair curlers? I borrowed one from a PR agency about a year ago, shortly after they were released in the US. My results were ok, though I think most of the issue was my long bob.

Now that my hair has grown out to a few inches below my shoulder, I have been itching to try out another automatic curler! My hope is that the curler will quickly and easily create perfect curls and waves for an easy look with day 2 (or day 3) hair.



The BeLissPRO Curl Genius Professional Curl Machine is more affordable than many of the other curl machines, and you can get it at your local Sally Beauty! Plus, if you buy it in November it comes with this free leopard case!

It's relatively easy to use. First, you turn it on with the heat switch. You can pick one of two temperatures, 390F or 430F. The light will start blinking, and once the curler is completely heated up it and ready to use the light will stop blinking.

You'll also need to select the total time of curling, 8, 10 or 12 seconds. The longer you curl, the tighter and more spiral your curls will be.

The best way to pick your optimal settings is to just experiment. Definitely start with the lower heat setting and add a little extra time to your curl before you go up in temperature. If you can avoid the heat exposure to your hair, you should!



To use the Curl Genius, you take a 1" section of hair, lay it across the barrel, and clamp down. Your hair will get sucked down into the barrel and you can hear the machine wrapping it around the barrel. There will be a beep every 2 seconds while hair curls, and then a rapid 4 beep sequence to let you know it is done! Unclamp your hair first and then pull away the machine. Your hair will come out easily, already curled!

The main issue I had with this machine was entirely my own fault, I tend to use too much hair at one time, which can get tangled in the machine. When this happens the machine will automatically stop and make a few frustrated sounding beeps. Simply unclamp and pull the machine away from your head. When I last used a curling machine, my hair would tangle up very easily in the machine and it was sometimes really hard to get out, I know I ripped out some hair! The Curl Genius releases any tangled hair much more easily, I never had to struggle with removing my hair.



I've been using the Curl Genius this week to create an easy wavy style. You can see how long my hair is now in my before picture. The curls created with the Curl Genius are really very pretty, I purposefully leave them a bit looser. I did finger comb them a bit just to show what that looks like, but I admit that I prefer the curls left alone. I've found that when I use a little mousse in my hair, it gives me just enough hold that the curls will last for 2 days! My whole head takes under 10 minutes, something that I love.


I mentioned that this curling machine is available at Sally Beauty, and November is a great time to buy it! November is right in the middle of the holidays, a time when most of Sally's customers are getting ready for Thanksgiving or buying holiday gifts for their friends and family. There are over 40 gifts with purchase at Sally Beauty this month! It's the perfect time to treat yourself. My Curl Genius will be available in this pretty red with the leopard case instead of black, with no case. Definitely worth it!


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Can Waves Stretch Your Hair For 2 More Days?

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As I've been growing out this long bob, my hair has gotten heavy. Really heavy. Some of that is probably the pregnancy hormones, but I do need to add in a few layers and such. Combined with the tired/laziness of the end of my pregnancy, the result has mostly been boring ponytails.

I'm determined to step it up a little, and if stepping it up a bit means that I can also stretch a shampoo a few more days.... well that's just even better for after I have the baby! On Day 1 I can wear my hair just blown out. Day 2 is long and wavy (left above), and Day 3 is a big, voluminous pony.



What I Used:
• Ion Heat Protection Spray
• Ion Styling Mousse
• Gold 'N Hot Triple Barrel Waver
• Ion Brilliance Shine Spray
• Ion Dry Shampoo

1. Prep Your Hair
A really big part of this look is properly prepping your hair. This works best on second day hair (dirty hair always has more texture and "grab" for me), but I need to get a good base in place the day before when I wash.

I always, always, always use a good heat protectant on my hair after I wash it. Even if I'm just planning to let my hair air dry that day, there's a decent chance I'll be heat styling the next day. I'm not a fan of fried hair, been there, done that. The Ion Heat Protection Spray is one of my favorites because you can't even tell that it is in your hair! A few sprays throughout my hair are all I need, then I just comb it through.

Next, I like to use Ion Styling Mousse to help my hair hold on to the curls. I really believe that mousse is the secret to all day curls! If your hair won't hold a curl, you just need more mousse. I use a handful of the Ion mousse, roughly the size of a large egg. I distribute it from root to tip on my hair, and comb it through for even distribution.


That's where I stop for Day 1. My hair is straight, if I need to I might add a little of the shine spray, but my blowout is done for the day.



2. Waving My Hair

For Day 2, I wave my hair. I usually add a little more of the heat protectant spray first (just brush it through the bottom half of the hair shaft). The waver is really great because it does all of the work for you! It has 2 settings, low (200) and high (380). While the waver does start to heat up and you can use it in about 60 seconds, it takes about 3-4 minutes to reach the actual temperature. So, I plug it in and go do other things while I wait.

When waving my hair, I start by sectioning off my hair. I like to make the sections diagonal rather than horizontal, the end result will be a bit more natural and uniform looking. You can see in the picture what the waver does when you open the clamp. You just put your hair in there and when it closes your hair will wrap around the barrels creating waves. I did also experiment with wrapping my hair around the barrels (both a single barrel and then as a figure 8 around the barrels) and it worked to create an even tighter wave, however these barrels are just 5/8". I think it would work better with the Gold 'N Hot Jumbo Ceramic Triple Barrel Waver.

When waving, I found that wide but skinny sections worked best. Fill up the width of the waver but don't have more than about 1/2" of hair between plates at a time. I counted to 10 and then released my hair, but this will vary depending upon the person.


You can see what my hair looks like down after waving it (ignore that 1 straight piece, I couldn't find it in my hair before or after the pictures, I think it's about 5 hairs that are just showing up!). A little spray of shine spray was all I needed, but some hair spray would also be great if your hair has a hard time holding on to hair.



3. Day 3 Ponytail

The next day my waves were still there, but not as well defined. I still had a ton of volume, which means that this pony is definitely a lot more volume and a bit edgier than my regular boring ponytail. If needed I could start this style with a little bit of dry shampoo, but it depends on the day.

I pull my hair up and just secure it with a regular ponytail holder. While holding on to the ponytail holder I can pull out a little of the hair on the top for extra volume and it really just stays put.

Styling Tools Blowout!

I tried out the Gold 'N Hot Triple Barrel Waver, and I have my eye on the Gold 'N Hot Jumbo Ceramic Triple Barrel Waver. There's a HUGE styling tool sale over at Sally Beauty this month! Over 100 styling tools are on sale at Sally Beauty for the whole month of October.

Styling Tools Giveaway

100 randomly selected winners will receive a Sally Beauty gift card to purchase a styling tool of their choice! You are automatically entered when you make any purchase in store at Sally Beauty or Sally Beauty.com using your Sally Beauty Club Card OR you may enter online.


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Tips and Tricks for Difficult to Style Hair

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Jenny won her own post on 15 Minute Beauty post in my Summer Pedicure Kit collaboration with Sally Beauty. And it turned out that her hair question was one I know well!

I'm 44 and look young for my age, like early 30's, but due my hair being fine it goes flat so quickly I tend to just opt for a pony tail and while I can usually get away with it since I look younger, I also feel like I look like I am not trying.

Do you have any suggestions with regards to curling/styling medium, just below shoulder length hair? I find that if I use too low of a temperature it gives no curl, or if I crank up the heat it makes the curls a little too Shirley Temple-ish. Is there a happy medium technique, maybe teasing it to help to make the curl look more natural or polished with some volume?

Thanks!
Jenny

Oh, how I know your pain. My hair is still growing out from last summer's bob (I'm just below my shoulders now!), and I'm well into the "hard to style" length. As well, I have a ton of hair, but it is very fine and it tends to weigh itself down by mid-day. Over the years I've definitely found a few great ways to keep volume and curl in my hair. Here's a peek at what has worked best for me.



The first step is using the right products. I do change up what I put in my hair after washing depending upon how I'm planning to style it, but here's a look at how I tackle it.

If I'm planning on just blowing out my hair straight, I'll use product to help add a little volume and to heat protect from the dryer. Usually that means a few sprays of Root Volumizer on my roots (I spray in a few areas and then spread it around with just my fingers) and some Heat Protection Spray on the rest of my hair, which I comb through.

For days that I'm planning to go a bit more elaborate with my hair, whether that's putting it up somehow or curling it, I'll add a Styling Mousse. I use quite a bit of mousse, probably more than most people! I basically fill my entire palm with mousse, it's about 2 eggs worth. I've found that to get my hair to hold style, I really do need a lot of mousse, and it doesn't feel sticky or weigh it down. It just works.

Sometimes I just need to add a little texture to my hair to give it a little extra "grab". To do that I'll use either Dry Shampoo (on dry hair) or Sea Spray (on damp hair).

Products Recommended:
Ion Styling Mousse
Ion Heat Protection Spray
Ion Volumizing Root Lift
Ion Dry Shampoo
Ion Summer Texturizing Sea Spray



Once I have product in my hair, I dry it. I use an ionic dryer to help avoid frizz, but it also seems to add a little extra oomph to my hair. I dry my hair about 90% of the way upside down, I only flip over to smooth it out a bit with a paddle brush. The upside down bit seems to make a big difference for me. Note that once I've smoothed the top layers of my hair with a brush, I'll usually flip myself over again, hit my roots with warm air and then switch to a blast of cool air to help "set" the volume.

Once I have my hair dry, there are a few styling options to pick from.

Products Recommended:
Ion Anti-Frizz Ionic Hair Dryer



One of the best ways for me to add a little volume to my roots is with velcro rollers. I can't find the picture of the exact ones I use, but mine are linked below (a smaller size of mine is pictured). I bought the 8 biggest velcro rollers I could find on one of my Sally Beauty trips a few years ago, and while they make me feel like a 1950's housewife, they do help!

I use the rollers after I'm done drying my hair. I'll put a few in at the crown of my head, I usually don't do anything to secure them in place. I wrap them just to get the roots of my hair to I'll hit them with a blast of warm air from the blow dryer. I leave the curlers in place while I do my makeup, taking them out when my hair has cooled down.

Products Recommended:
Jet Set EZ Grip Curlers Purple (2 1/8")



I can't talk about adding volume to hair without discussing teasing. However, this is the option I'm least likely to take. I think it must be something about going through high school in the early 1990's, as a reaction to all of the big 1980's hair we never teased or used hair spray. So, I still don't tease my hair much.

I have 2 teasing brushes that I use, and the brushes really do work much better for my fine hair than a teasing comb. I've had the wooden brush longer, it was recommended on a fashion blog, and I basically stalked my local Sally Beauty until it came in stock. It has natural Boar and Porcupine bristles and really grabs on to my hair. For bigger areas I use the wider teasing brush from Ion, it just works faster.

If I want the added volume to stick around, I need to hit it with a little super hold hair spray before I move on to the next section.

Products Recommended:
Brush Strokes Wood Tease Brush
Ion Anti-Frizz Wide Tease Brush



The last option is getting your hair to hold curl. Of some sort. This is when I prep my hair with all of that mousse, add a little extra heat protection spray, and grab a curling iron or flat iron. I go for tools that are ceramic or titanium, the heat is spread more evenly, helping to protect my hair from damage. As well, I need many heat settings, with the ability to know just how hot I've made that flat iron.

Everyone's hair needs different levels of heat, so experiment to see what the lowest setting is that you can use. I started using about 410, I use 390 now. The lower heat will decrease your risk of frying your hair, something you want to avoid!

To decrease your chances of getting the Shirley Temple curls, I recommend using something other than a traditional curling iron. I love to curl using a flat iron or curling wand. Once you've removed the curl, if you either twirl the lock of hair a little or just cup it in your hand for about 30 seconds while it cools down you'll get a more natural looking curl.

Products Recommended:
Ion Titanium Platinum Gator Flat Iron 1"
Jilbere Nano Silver Jumbo Taper Iron



Don't forget!

When you buy $45 worth of products at Sally Beauty in August, you can get a tote for free! There are 3 to pick from, but this gold one was my favorite.

Pinterest Contest!

Sally Beauty is holding a Pinterest Contest!

Here's how to enter:
1. Follow Sally Beauty on Pinterest
2. Create a “Sally Beauty Boho” board
• Repin the contest image
• Add $45 worth of product from SallyBeauty.com to your “Sally Beauty Boho” board
3. Email Pinterest board to social@sallybeauty.com by August 29, 2014

Contest dates: August 1, 2014 – August 29, 2014
Prize: Five (5) Grand Prizes. Five Prize Winners will receive a $45 Sally Beauty gift card
Official Rules here


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This post was sponsored by Sally Beauty, but all opinions are my own!

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At Home DIY Pedicure Kit: Everything You Need

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As nice as it is to have a professional pedicure, I don't always have the hour or so needed to stop into my local nail salon and let someone else paint my toe nails. But, I also want to keep my feet looking pretty!

I thought I would share some of my favorite at home pedicure products, you can buy all of them at Sally Beauty. I'm stocked up now for the rest of the summer, I'll keep doing my pedis at home until my bump prevents me from reaching my toes!

1. Scrub Away Rough Spots

For me, the biggest part of pretty feet is having soft feet that aren't full of white, dry areas. Yuck.

I love the Heel to Toe Exfoliating Polishing Foot Scrub, which actually has pumice in the scrub! It's great all over my foot and helps get rid of some of the rougher parts.

Next, I use Dr. G's 3-in-1 Antimicrobial Callus & Cuticle Remover. When applied to my feet to smooth rough spots, I need to give it about 4 or 5 minutes to work. Then I use a pumice stone (I like the Mr. Pumice Extra-Coarse Pumi Bar, though I also keep an "original" strength Pumi bar around as well) to scrub down any rough areas.

Once I've used the Callus & Cuticle Remover on my feet, I apply it to my cuticles and give it a minute or so before using a thumb nail to push down my cuticles and remove any excess.

The Callus & Cuticle Remover works really well, and I do think my feet are even softer than when I get a professional pedicure, but it is something you need to use every week or so. I keep it in the shower! Note that the active ingredients in this one are Urea and Benzalkonium Chloride (a disinfectant), so it is pregnancy safe.

2. Pamper Your Legs

When I have a little extra time, I do like to exfoliate my legs a bit too. It's something they do at my nail salon, and it makes the whole process seem more pampering! While they use a scrub at the salon, I've fallen for Heel to Toe Peppermint Sloughing Lotion.

The Sloughing Lotion is not like any other lotion I've tried! Usually, after using the scrub and callus remover, I rinse off my feet and pat them dry. Then I grab this lotion (it smells amazing, like Peppermint), and start rubbing it into my legs and feet. While you're rubbing it in, you'll actually start to get little pills of dead skin off. It sounds strange, but it looks like Elmer's Glue and isn't a big deal. You can rinse off and repeat as needed. I've found that it takes a long time to work on the rougher areas, but it is perfect for your legs, around the ankles, and top of the feet.

3. Super Moisturize

Once you've rid your legs and feet of rough skin, it's time to add moisture! I like super hydrating and non-greasy moisturizers, the Heel To Toe Argan Heel and Foot Treatment is perfect for this. If you get any on your nail, make sure you wipe it off (with rubbing alcohol, acetone or polish remover) before applying polish.

4. Buff Up Your Nails

Finally, it's time to prepare the nails for polish! I have pretty thick ridges on my toenails, so I do buff them down a little with a Buff & Shine Block. I only use the first few buffing sides, not the shine side. If your nails are too slick your polish will slide right off! I also shape the nails with a Beauty Secrets Black Cushion Nail File.

5. Apply A Pretty Color

Everyone has their favorite polish colors for a pedicure, but I'm a bright pink girl. This is Orly in Oh Cabana Boy, and it is perfect for the summer!

I always use Heel to Toe Toe Spacers when polishing my toes. My little toes tend to curl under and smudge the polish on things otherwise. Spacers are worth the 90 cents invested! I use 2 coats of Orly Bonder Basecoat on my toes. I've found that the extra coat helps my pedicures stay chip free for a full 10 days, which is usually when I need to redo my pedicure. After 2 coats of polish, my favorite top coat is Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. I love how shiny it is.




I have a really fun giveaway! Sally Beauty and I are collaborating on one more post in this series, and it will be all about the winner! I'll need your beauty question (hair, makeup, nails?) and a little info. I'll create a post like this one for you, trying to keep my budget about $45. Sally will give you a $45 Gift Card to go and buy everything! (You'll also get a cute tote like the one in the pedicure pic above!)

This is open to any one in the US, you must be over 18 years old. I don't need to publish your name as the winner, but you will need to write me a little paragraph about a beauty dilemma you're having so I can answer it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pinterest Contest!

Sally Beauty is holding a Pinterest Contest!

Here's how to enter:
1. Follow Sally Beauty on Pinterest
2. Create a “Sally Beauty Boho” board
• Repin the contest image
• Add $45 worth of product from SallyBeauty.com to your “Sally Beauty Boho” board
3. Email Pinterest board to social@sallybeauty.com by August 29, 2014

Contest dates: August 1, 2014 – August 29, 2014
Prize: Five (5) Grand Prizes. Five Prize Winners will receive a $45 Sally Beauty gift card
Official Rules here


Finally, I need to call attention to the cute bag at the bottom of the graphic. When you buy $45 worth of products at Sally Beauty in August, you can get a tote for free! There are 3 to pick from, but this one was my favorite.

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