Monday, May 26, 2014

Humidity vs Hair!

Alright guys. We’ve all been there, you spend 5-10 minutes working on perfecting your hair before heading out for your day. You take two steps out of your door and all of a sudden your hair starts to lose its shape and falls flat. The good news? There are plenty of things that we can do to go your whole day without your hair losing it’s style.

First off, start washing your hair with a shampoo and conditioner that are designed to help keep your hair moisturized. After hopping out of the shower, there are plenty of products that you can spray into your hair that are designed to seal that moisture in and keep your hair from being attacked by the humidity.

When it comes time to style your hair, I find that using a deluxe pomade is best. It helps give your hair an excellent shape and is very easy to style. What’s also great about pomade is that it doesn’t weigh down your hair or leave it looking wet or greasy.

If you like to flat iron the curl out of your hair, it’s best to do it right before you put any type of styling product into your hair. You can add it after as well if you have a product that it heat friendly and won’t burn your hair.

After you’ve shaped your hair and styled it the way you like it, give it a little extra attention with hair spray. The hair spray is an excellent added layer of protection from humid weather and also helps your hair hold its shape.

Friday, March 21, 2014

The Wrap on Seaweed!

Have you ever had a seaweed wrap done? Last week at Genesis, we had a body treatment training and I was the chosen one for a Seaweed Wrap...(yay me!). To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into because I never really knew anything about seaweed (except it tastes great in my sushi, lol). So I did some research and wanted to share the knowledge I gained about Seaweed Wraps.  

1.       Detoxifies: When the warm paste is put on your body it opens up your pores and starts to make you sweat to release the toxins out. Those toxins are then washed away when the water rinses you clean. 

2.       Removes dead skin and moisturizes Dead skin prevents your body from absorbing moisture. While you sweat during a seaweed wrap, not only are toxins removed from the body but dead skin is loosened as well. The seaweed itself is chock full of proteins, vitamins, minerals and lipids that easily soak into the skin to add moisture while removing unnecessary junk!

3.       Improves skin elasticity and regeneration: Over time, your skin loses the ability to stretch and return to normal...(the joys of aging I guess). This can lead to stretch marks and wrinkles. Seaweed contains antioxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamin A, all of which can help to rebuild the elasticity of the skin. It also makes your skin softer by increasing blood flow to its surface, regenerates damaged skin cells, produces collagen to firm and tone the skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines...(yes, yes and more yes!)

4.       Reduces cellulite and improves body contouring: If you’ve recently lost weight and have excess skin, a seaweed wrap can help with body contouring. It aids in shaping the excess skin so it’s smoother and less noticeable by direct diffusion of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, if cellulite is a problem, a seaweed wrap may help reduce the undesirable marks it leaves on the skin.
So as you can see, the benefits definitely are worth trying this treatment out. I absolutely love how my skin feels as I'm typing this so I am definitely a believer. Plus, if you mention the Beauty Blog, you can save $30 on your service! (who doesn't love a savings?!?)



P.S. I would love to know what you think about Seaweed Wraps! Feel free to leave me a comment.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Swim suits that suit you!

Okay, so the weather is getting warmer, the sun is showing itself and the stores are stocked with swim wear as far as the eye can see. Which means that SWIMMING SUIT season is here. (I sucked my tummy in as I just typed this) So as a not-so-skinny girl myself, I have written a swimsuit guide that I believe is appropriate based on your body type.
Broad shoulders- For those ladies with broad shoulders don’t hide them! Halter tops with skinny straps will breakup your neck line and balance out your dimensions.

Small bust - Wish you were a little fuller up top? Frilly tops add some drama to your bust in a very modest and feminine way!



Big bust- DO NOT wear frilly tops if you are busty. It will only make you look bigger up top. Instead look for tops that are supportive. For example, tops with built in wiring.


Curvy- Celebrate your beautiful curves with trims in all the right places while still keeping things modest.



Bottom heavy- Want to play down your bum? Look for swimsuits with fuller bottoms like boy shorts.


Post pregnancy body- Trying to hide stretch marks or an overly shapely waist line? (Yep, this is me...sans baby! lol) Look for an A-line shaped one piece.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Happy scenting!

Have you ever smelled perfume on someone and said "wow, they smell so good!"? Yet, the same smell may not give you the same reaction. So when my husband asks me if I want perfume, I hesitate because many people are not familiar with notes and how to choose a new scent. I mean, just because the bottle says "Juicy Couture", "Jessica Simpson" or "Channel" it doesn't mean it's going to suite you. So to make sure you purchase the best scent suited for you, I've made a little guideline.

What are Notes? (...honestly first thing that comes to me mind is music, lol)
 
Top notes: This is what you smell immediately upon applying your perfume. It's the scent that first hits your nose, but then evaporates quickly. So it's not wise to base your choice off this first impression.
 
Middle notes: The middle notes emerge as the top notes are dissipating and make up the majority of the scent. Walk around for a little bit and smell your hand again after about 5-10 minutes to get a true idea of what the scent is.
 
Base notes: These notes are richer and are not often detected until you've been wearing a scent for at least 20 to 30 minutes. These notes provide depth and back up the middle notes to create the overriding theme of the scent. This is the key that most women overlook. They go into the store...spray some on...smell it...love it and buy it all within 5 minutes.  
 
I also understand that finding a fragrance can be stressful when you don’t know what to look for.
Women: look for citrus, fresh floral, sweet, spicy and wood bases. 
Men: leather, tabasco, musk and mosses are well suited.
Spring/Summer: choose lighter scents as opposed to Fall/Winter that require heavier scents.  
 
Don’t be afraid to have more than one choice of perfume. It’s always fun to have one for everyday use and another for special occasions. The most important tip for choosing a perfume is to try it on your skin for 5-10 minutes. Fragrances do not smell the same on a scent card as they do on your skin. Happy scenting!  

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Do you know the truth?


    VERSUS


Let’s face it, we all need to do something different with our hair every once in awhile and hair dye in a box at Wal-Mart is just SO darn cheap to buy and DIY. Let me stop you right there- if you’re going to do anything that deals with changing your hair, do yourself a [huge] favor and get it done PROFESSIONALLY.

• Stylists have studied for months, licensed and are experts in color since they have MUCH more experience than you or your friend. There is an art to mixing the perfect hair color for each individual.
 
•There are many factors that play into coloring your hair, like the type and amount of developer used. Boxed color only uses one type for all hair. Salon application  takes all of this into account!
 
• Salon color lasts SO much longer and comes with a trendy hairstyle.
 
•You can relax and have fun at the salon while preventing a mess in your sink at home.
 
•Professional color and technique is WAY healthier than box color because salon's do not use unnecessary products or wrong type of developer.
 
•You will save money and your hair when you choose to see a professional instead of damaging your hair with box color and eventually having to come in for color correction, deep conditioning or several haircuts to trim off the split ends!
 
There’s a big chance your hair won’t come out like you want it to, you will probably do worse damage. (And play even more to have it fixed!)
 
• Professional color is customized according to your hair characteristics and preferences, whereas box color is generic and made for just anyone. How many people do you know that have the SAME EXACT hair color/type/texture/behavior as yours?
 
•Box color tends to look flat because it only uses one dye. Salon's can mix several colors to get the best fit for you.  
 
• It usually does not last as long (or temporary) as it says it will. Plus, box color tends to fade horribly.
 
•Let’s face it, BeyoncĂ© does not use box color and your hair will NOT look like the girl’s hair on the cover.