5 Skin Care Tips for the Fall

Now is the perfect time to revamp your skincare regimen. After months of fun in the sun (and exposing your skin to harmful UV rays and moisture-sapping summer temps),  here are 5 tips to help prep your skin for the cooler weather ahead:

Fab Five Friday: Fragrance Edition

(Couldn't figure out an AKA for this one, but I will say that this will probably end up being a regular feature. Y'all know I love an awesome alliterative title!)

Anatomy of a Mani! AKA: Mama's Mani Madness

Disclaimer: I am not a nail blogger or professional (so sometimes I color outside of the lines and my cuticles look a bit ragged). I am merely a girl who LOVES nail polish!

Want to know more about the polishes used? Keep reading...

Hydratherma Naturals AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

There is one more product that I received to review from NaturallyCurly.com and Hydratherma Naturals, but this is the series of products I used initially. The review on the last product, the Moisture Boosting Deep Conditioning Treatment, will be covered in a later CGC. 

L'Oreal Paris EverSleek Precious Oil Treatment AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

Product Description: EverSleek Precious Oil Treatment with Argan Oil from Morocco (MSRP $12.99) is lightweight, salon-inspired oil treatment that does more than just smooth frizz – it revitalizes dry, frizzy hair to reveal smoother, softer strands with incredible shine. Instead of just coating the surface, this luxurious formula rapidly absorbs into the hair to condition and help seal in smoothness without feeling heavy or greasy. Supremely sleek, purely luminous, frizz-defiant hair. The multi-use product is perfect for all hair types and can be used day or night on damp or dry hair. Product provides frizz control and acts as an anti-humectant.

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Olive Fruit Oil (Olea Europaea Oil), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (Argania Spinosa Oil), Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil), Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Coumarin, Carrot Oil (Beta-Carotene). Product is sulfate free, paraben free, protein free, and glycerin free.

My Take: This oil perplexed me a bit at first. It smells fantastic (which I love) and I love just about anything with argan oil in it, so I was excited to try it out. I followed the directions (1-2 pumps applied evenly on damp hair), and the results were only so so. So I tried to use it when dry detangling my hair, but though the oil is on the thinner side (thinner than olive oil, thicker than grapeseed oil), it has a bit of stickiness to it, so that didn't work out too great. But then I had a "a ha" moment and tried it again after using a spray bottle to dampen my fourth day hair; this time I sectioned my hair and used a pump (or two) on each sections. That did the trick! My curls were smooth, frizz free, and shiny. And the oil didn't weigh them down at all so I had nice volume. Plus it soaks into the hair very well, so there was no greasy residue afterwards (though to be safe, I would wait a while before resting your head on most surfaces). It now resides under my sink (the second most coveted spot in my bathroom, after the countertop).


Until next time...

HPO Spa Treatments Butter Drops AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

HPO Spa Treatments Butter Drops (MSRP $11) available at drugstores...



Product Description: This aromatic blend of citrus and lavender provides deep hair conditioning with just a few drops. Use Butter Drops as a hot-oil treatment before shampooing hair or apply a few drops to reduce frizz and keep unruly hair in line. Butter Drops provide frizz control. You can also add a drop to HPO Body Lotion to relieve extremely dry skin or use it to soften stretch marks. 


Ingredients: Jojoba oil, extracts of orange and lavender and HPO essential oil blend.
Product is silicone free, sulfate free, paraben free, protein free, and glycerin free.

My Take:  I'm all about oils and this one has a bright, citrusy scent that I love. I use it as a detangler on dry hair: concentrating it on my scalp and on my ends. It works wonders that way! I also really like that it is multi-purpose and that I can rub any excess oils into my elbows, knees, and cuticles.

Until next time...

Anatomy of a Mani! AKA: Mama's Mani Madness

Disclaimer: I am not a nail blogger or professional (so sometimes I color outside of the lines and my cuticles look a bit ragged). I am merely a girl who LOVES nail polish! And I did this particular manicure in the car, so I think I did quite well considering the circumstances...

Want to know how I did it? Keep reading!

Bantu Know Hair Tutorial! AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

Please excuse the sound quality! It was all the way live at the Taliah Waajid World Natural Hair Show (where this was filmed). This is Francesca, a stylist with Design Essentials, teaching me how to do bantu knots. Enjoy!





Until next time...

Pureology Precious Oil System AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

Quick side note: I can't see the name of this line without hearing Golam in my head saying "My precious."

I was super stoked to try out this line, because as y'all know, I'm OBSESSED with oils! Plus the information I read on it said that it would do some awesomely major stuff for my hair: Experience radiant haircolour and 10X softer hair after just one use with Pureology Precious Oil™ haircare system for all hair types for ultimate softness. The Precious Oil system features the groundbreaking Green Seal Certified Versatile Caring Oil, the first 100% biodegradable product that is free of silicone and parabens for colour-treated hair, as well as a first of its kind Shamp’Oil – an oil-infused Zero Sulfate and silicone free featuring a unique oil delivery system that penetrates deep into hair fiber to deliver 4X the active ingredients to drastically replenish hair from the inside out. The Precious Oil system also includes an oil-infused Condition and Softening Masque. Together, the system evenly recharges every hair strand for softer, shinier, fuller and longer-lasting hair colour guaranteed. Each product in this system is designed to cleanse, condition, treat, or restore the health of the hair’s protective layer. Additionally, the Precious Oil haircare system features Sunflower Seed Oil for softness, Coconut Oil for elasticity, Olive Oil for shine and Jojoba Seed Oil for moisture. The Precious Oil system also features the exclusive oil-based OleoAntiFadeComplexTM/MC that replicates the way hair absorbs nutrients to deliver 4X active ingredients from root to tip to provide superior colour retention for longer lasting hair colour, guaranteed.

See? Pretty awesome! I don't have color treated hair, but often times I find that products marketed towards color treated hair are well suited for curly hair as well, as they are super moisturizing and non stripping. So here's what I thought after trying Pureology's Precious Oil Line...

Fashion Fall Faves! AKA: Shop with Me!

It Started as a Supplement for the Kiddies, Turned Into My Newest Beauty Obsession; AKA: The Many Faces of Sea Buckthorn Oil

I'm not gonna lie, I've had these supplements for a while, but it wasn't until recently that I enjoyed them enough to share with you lovelies. To me it's just proof that life is about perception; when you can't accept or embrace something initially, try looking at it in a different way.

Can't Miss Opportunity to Save on A Spectacular Skin Care Splurge! AKA: Clark's Botanicals on QVC

Clark's Botanicals not only make a most awesome lip gloss (find my rave about it here), they also offer some pretty luxe, uber effective skin care. I had the chance to try out their excellent Anti-Puff Eye Cream, and am seriously tempted to splurge (it retails for $87.00) on the full size bottle when I run out of my beloved Mama Mio Eye Gel.

photo via BeautyBar.com

Anti-Puff Eye Cream specifically targets stubborn puffiness, dark circles, and wrinkles with a high concentration of active botanicals and vitamins. Skin is smoothed, soothed and softened with vitamins A, E and isoflavin, while Vitamin K lightens dark circles.

Don't Miss Your Chance to Chat Live With Fitness Guru, David Kirsch! AKA: GMYMO

“HOW TO FUEL FOR YOUR FITNESS” TWITTER CHAT

WITH DAVID KIRSCH AND ZICO

Wondering how to fuel up for your fitness routine? Join wellness expert David Kirsch and Zico for a Twitter chat on Tuesday, October 16th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm EST to discover Kirsch’s insider tips and tricks for helping you get the most out of your workout. Prizes will be randomly awarded every 15 minutes to participants, who can join the conversation by following @DavidKirsch and @Zico and using the hashtag #GetFit to ask questions and engage.

WHO: David Kirsch and Zico

WHAT: “How to Fuel for your Fitness” Twitter Chat

WHEN: Tuesday, October 16th, 2012 from 6:00 – 7:00 EST

WHERE: Follow @DavidKirsch and @Zico

How to Look Like a Party Girl, Without the Party! AKA: A FOTD (Just not from today)...

I did this look a while ago, so I can't quite remember how I achieved it (my bad), but I can tell you what I used to get it...

Skin Like Fresh Chicken Cutlets (In a Totally Good Way)! AKA: FutureDerm Time Release Retinol 0.5

I read a quote on Facebook from Leslie Blodgett of Bare Escentuals last night, and it was like a sign that it was time to write this post. She said "when you wake up in the morning your skin should feel plump and hydrated. If not, you aren't getting the most out of your skincare and your skin isn't recovering from the drain and bad influences of your day." Now of course she was recommending a new serum or something rather from her company, but I know that I don't need it, because I have this...

Jane Carter Solution Scalp Renew AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

Jane Carter Solution Scalp Renew (MSRP $20 for 2 fl. oz.)

Product Description: This all natural pre shampoo scalp treatment is great for stimulating hair growth by cleansing and exfoliating the scalp. The fundamental to growing great hair is a healthy scalp. The tea tree oil, sweet orange and peppermint will invigorate your scalp and exfoliate all of the toxins and sludge that slow hair growth. Not only does it make your scalp feel tingly clean, peppermint and tea tree revive your energy. Scalp Renew is a must!

Ingredients:  Pure essential oils of peppermint, lavender, tea tree, sweet orange, Vitamins A, D, & E, and Hybrid Safflower Oil 

silicone free, sulfate free, paraben free, protein free, glycerin free

My Take:  They had me at the convenient applicator tip! The oil is thin enough to seep into the scalp well (I find that thicker oils lay on top of scalp and just gunk up my hair). It leaves a refreshing, tingling sensation and really relieves dry scalp and flaking. Plus, it smells like yummy peppermint. I like to use it at night, preferably as part of my pre poo treatment, after detangling my hair. 

Until next time...

Another Month of Meh...AKA: My October Birchbox + goop Unboxing

I'm not going to ramble on ad nauseum about this month's Birchbox. I was excited for it, since I opted to receive the goop collaborated box, but perhaps I would've been better off sticking with the regular box. For better or for worse, here are the deets on the contents of my October Birchbox + goop  box...

The Best Beauty News on the Web! AKA: The Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup

• Mimi's Mani's shows a new product in her arsenal to help turn back the hands of time.
• Here comes another Holiday gem from Anastasia Beverly Hills - Want You to Want Me eyeshadow palette! Check out the pics, review and swatches over at BeautyTidbits.
• The Lacquered Lady shows us full swatches of the new Tarte Carried Away Collector's Set for the Holidays. Spoiler Alert: It's gorgeous!
• Sheila from Painted Ladies shows you how to blush for a beautiful cause with Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics.
• Spontaneous Chick is hosting a Keranique hair products giveaway for those of you who have thinning hair.
• If you love to pamper your skin- then Lola's Secret Beauty Blog thinks you will simply adore Reviva Labs Light Skin Peel. It is highly effective, affordable, and only takes a few minutes!
• TheFabZilla shares her morning skincare using Jurlique products. Find out her favorite!
• BlushingNoir is celebrating the release of Cinderella with a mani fit for a princess! Check out her swatches of Cult Nails Princess & Happy Ending Nail Lacquer!
• Christina from Curls N Pearls shares a sneak peek of CND Shellac's limited holiday shades, and the six new gorgeous Shellac shades in the upcoming Fall/Winter 2012 Collection.
• Lipgloss Break has teamed up with Playboy to give away two of their newest scents, Playboy VIP for Him & Her - enter to win!
• This October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Scottish Beauty Blog finds out which beauty brands are helping breast cancer charities with limited edition products.
• BeautyJudy's weekly series, The Beauty Loser, is back - and tackling the issue of weight bullying.

When Being Too Tired to Wash My Face is a Good Thing! AKA: Radical Skincare

While I know that taking care of my skin is a worthwhile effort, well worth whatever time it takes to tend to it properly, sometimes (particularly at night, when what you put on your skin is most effective) I'm just too tired to do much more than the basics (cleansing cloths FTW!). So I really love these Age Defying Exfoliating Pads from Radical Skincare. 

A Visit to the Image Factory with a Firecracker to Take a Master Class! AKA: My Fall Smashbox Favorites

I'm not going to ramble on about this, because this post is picture heavy. These are a few of my favorite pieces for the fall from one of my favorite cosmetic companies, Smashbox Cosmetics. There are a few pieces from the Fall 2012 Image Factory Collection (which I previewed here), my favorite red lip gloss (because I'm wearing red now; it's a relatively new development), and one of the gems of my makeup collection, The Master Class Palette...

Image Factory AirBlush in Berry Bliss

Image Factory AirBlush in Berry Bliss: A superblendable, mousse-like blush for airbrushed-looking cheeks. This blush provides an instantly healthy look to cheeks. The lasting formula contains ultra-fine pigments for blendability and silicone elastomers to minimize the appearance of imperfections for a perfectly radiant glow. (This is such a pretty, creamy, richly pigmented shade! It blends in like butter and leaves a lovely natural flush.)

When Washing Your Face is a Bonding Experience AKA: Mother Daughter Time with Biore

I'm raising a house full of girls which is super fun (because I get to dress them up and do their hair and be a girly girl with them) but it's also a huge responsibility. I have to teach them what it is to be a lady and all the in and outs of maintaining said ladyshipness (this is now a word, according to me). And while teaching certain hygienic habits starts early (4 year old Lo knows that we don't go to bed without brushing our teeth and washing our face), as my daughters get older, I have to adjust the training to fit their needs.

I Think I'm In Love! AKA: Paul Mitchell's Curls Line (A CGC)

Paul Mitchell's Curls Line was provided to me for the purpose of review by Paul Mitchell and NaturallyCurly.com

This CGC will be a little different because instead of just discussing a single product, I'm covering a whole line (with the exception of the Beachy Texture Cream Gel, which I will discuss in a future CGC). Just so you know, my overall opinion of the Paul Mitchell Curls Line is that it ROCKS!!!

October It Girl Box! AKA: Julep Maven Unboxing

My October Julep Maven It Girl Box was actually full of surprises! Not only did I get the 3 lovely polishes that came with my profile (Caroline, Leslie, and Glenda), I received an add on polish (Sofia), two glitters (y'all know I'm all about the glitters), AND some candy corns (which I don't generally like, but my girls enjoyed them).