Ready for a New Year of Fun? Help the Girls in Your Life Have Fun All Year Long!

If you are subscriber to my YouTube channel,

then you are undoubtedly acquainted with my daughters, Jada and GiGi. If you're not a subscriber, what are you waiting for?!? Click here to subscribe now! 

 

 

They have been doing Unboxing videos of the monthly subscription box for girls, The Boodle Box, for quite some time now, and it is truly a big splash of fun each month for them. Here's their latest, the January 2016 preview:

 

Getting Rid of Dandruff & Flaking Naturally

In our family, there are a few of us who suffer from dandruff.

I get seasonal dry scalp flaking, from time to time.

We've tried lots of different things over the years, including prescription strength shampoo. Some of it has worked, some of it didn't. But everything we tried had chemicals and other unnatural stuff in it, which I'm trying to avoid now, because it's...

not good for you, not good for the earth.

I'm VERY happy to report that I've found an answer to both the Dandruff issue AND the occasional dry scalp flaking, and it's natural!

 This is Pura D'or.

Going Natural For Cheap?! Radha Skincare's WorkHorse Duo of Organic Oils to the Rescue!

As previously mentioned, I'm trying to slowly convert more of my life to natural, organic and sustainable products.

I can't do it all at once, because that would be costly and a bit emotionally painful (goodbye to most of my current makeup!)...but I can do little bits here and there.

 

I recently found a few GREAT products that fit into my plan BEAUTIFULLY.

Two Great, Inexpensive Drugstore Products For Shiny (Not Greasy!) Hair

It occurred to me the other day as I was fixing my hair that I really, REALLY like two of my products...and that I had NOT shared them with you yet.

 

Kiss InstaWave Automatic Curler Review...Can My 9 Year Old Use It?

My daughter, 9, used a friend's automatic curler while spending the night and raved about it. Her hair looked really great, plus I didn't have to stand there and curl it for her. How awesome is that?!?!

However, when I found out the device used cost $99, it lost most of its awesomeness.

$99!!

I was NOT willing to spend that kind of money on a hair styling tool.

Sorry.

So, when I was contacted to see if I had interest in doing a review for a similar product, the Kiss InstaWave Automatic Curler, I was intrigued.

At-Home Hair Color Fail.

First, let me say "sorry" for being so behind in posting. We've started back full swing with homeschooling 3 kids, co-op classes (I teach), piano lessons, plus...at work we are prepping for a huge concert, which means a lot of extra work for me. On top of that, a bunch of extra freelance work, a wedding, a HouseParty, my usual workouts...and I'm one busy Mama!

 

Right before all that "crazy busy" got started, I noticed that my really old highlights from Summer 2012 had grown out. Remember when I used Marc Anthony Easy Lites to do highlights myself? Check out the video if you're interested in that. It was really easy, with good results.

 

Anyways, the old highlights were about half way down my hair and I didn't like it. 

Macadamia Oil "Flawless" Sulfate-free Cleansing Conditioner Review & Demo

If you have frizzy hair, especially if it's wavy or curly, you really need to consider giving up shampoos with sulfates in them.

They strip your hair of it's natural oils and lead to more frizz.

They decrease general hair health.

 

If you have fine, limp hair this may not be for you.

Since I don't have that kind of hair, I can't honestly speak to that need.

 

With my crazy-bushy-frizzy-wavy hair, I can certainly speak to those of you with similar hair!

If nothing else, at least buy one bottle of sulfate-free shampoo and try it out till it's all gone and see how that works for ya.

 

If you find your hair gets too limp or lifeless, maybe use "regular" shampoo once every 5-7 washes, just to keep it from being weighed down by too much of your natural oils.

For those of you who have embraced sulfate-free already, and maybe are ready to try "co-washing" for even more "frizz-fight", I have a recommendation:

Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner.

Beach Waves, Loose Curls, Tight Curls & More, from 1 Flat Iron?

Is it possible to get many different looks

from 1 inexpensive flat iron?

Yes.

 

I decided to ditch my old large barrel curling iron

 and get a flat iron that could also make waves.

After watching tons (and I mean tons) of YouTube

videos with women from every walk of life

showing how they flatten, straighten, curl, and crimp

 their hair, I realized I WANT one of those!

 

I consulted friends, gurus, makeup-centric FB groups, and hundreds of product reviews trying to figure out WHICH flat iron to get.

 

I could get a CHI or Babyliss for $100+?

Or I could opt for a cheaper version,

but possibly end up with a dud?

 

As a mom to 4, with a very tight budget, I decided

 to forego the high-end brands and get a Conair.

Specifically, I got the Infiniti Pro Conair Flat Iron, 1.5 inch.

 

Living Proof No Frizz Line Review

Living on the Gulf Coast and having naturally wavy/curly hair can be a hideous thing.

I seem to battle frizz more often than not.

I was very excited to try the Living Proof (supposedly a HIGHLY scientific brand) "frizz" line (pronounced "no frizz").

I bought the trial size kit from Sephora for $29 and had high hopes that this would be Holy Grail anti-frizz stuff.

Organix Smoothing Treatment, Round 2, 1 Year Later

Over a year ago, I used the Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy

30 Day Smoothing Treatment.

 

Living Proof's NO FRIZZ Style Extender Review

Recently I ordered a trial kit of Living Proof's Frizz

Discovery Kit from Sephora.

 

I also cashed in on a special, filled makeup-bag Freebie which included in it the Style Extender for the frizz line (Reviews coming later on the other products, but for now, we'll focus on the Style Extender).

One BAD Dry Shampoo. AVOID!

I like dry shampoo. It's very, very convenient.

You can read all about why I like it at THIS POST.

Anyway, I "earned" a freebie at Ulta for past purchases and one of the items I could choose was KMS Dry Shampoo.

 It's supposedly for "dry cleansing and style maintenance".

Want Hair Volume? Picture Proof That A Mousse Can Deliver

Back in February, I received Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Thickening & Strengthening Mousse in my Birchbox.

HAIR: Summery Beach Waves? Alterna Bamboo Boho Waves Review

In a recent beauty box subscription I received

a deluxe sized sample of

Alterna's Bamboo

Boho Waves spray

 

I was excited to try it out. I've never used a "Beach Waves" hair styling product before, except for a homemade recipe I found online, which didn't really work for me.

Garnier Triple Nutrition Dry Oil: Any Good?

A sample was provided by BzzAgent for consideration.

All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

 

Beauty Oils are all the rage.

On your face, on your hair, on your body.

They clean, they moisturize, they treat.

Many are all natural, too.

The BIG thing about them: they are usually multi-taskers.

For example, Josie Maran makes a 100% Argan oil that I really like.

I can use it on my face to hydrate at night.

I can use it on my lips to treat them when they are rough or dry.

I can use it on my hair while wet to seal the cuticle...and sparingly while dry to smooth and add shine.

It's all natural, does a lot & takes up only a little bit of medicine cabinet real estate.

BUT, it's really high-dollar.

When BzzAgent offered me a free bottle of Garnier's Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil, I was ready to see if it would be as good as my Josie Maran for less than a third of the cost.

Great Hair Volume & Texture Can Be Yours!

Allow me to introduce you to Oscar Blandi Pronto, Texture & Volume Spray.

 

I received a sample in my November Birchbox.

 

The description says that it "builds lasting body & texture"...and "dry weightless formula for all hair types".

Hair stuck in the 00's or even the 90's?

Do you remember scrunchies from the late 80's/early 90's?

Or butterfly clips of the 00's?

Are you still using them? In public?

If you are because you don't know what else to use, let me offer up a suggestion:

Ribbon Elastics.

 

EASY Highlights for under $10?!? WHAT?!?

Can you can get highlights at home, EASY, for under $10?

YES.

Let me introduce you to a new product I found and tried out.

Marc Anthony Easy-Lites

You see, I spent a few months in South Florida and got a NICE tan. My hair even lightened up a touch. I thought it might be fun (and a change of pace) to get some highlights to go with said tan. However, I am not one to go spend $40 on touch-ups every month, so I figured highlights were out of my league.

Suave Keratin Hair Products Review & Giveaway

If you've been a reader for a while, you know I like Suave.

You can read my review of Suave Professionals Heat Protection Spray HERE.  Read my review of  Suave Dry Shampoo HERE. And HERE is my review of Suave Kids Shampoo.

Many of their products perform quite well and are a fraction of the cost of their competitors. As a stay at home mom of 4, I'm always on the lookout for great deals...always looking to stretch the dollar further than we ever thought possible. Suave helps me do that.

My latest "try out" with Suave involves their Keratin Infusion Line. If you're a longtime reader, you also know I have naturally curly hair and it frizzes like an untamed beast here in the Deep South's sweltering humidity.

Taming of the Frizz (Does Organix Brazilian Keratin Treatment Work?)

~Important UPDATE!!! Check below!~
Spring has arrived!

 You will notice several changes in my upcoming photos due to some Spring Cleaning of the

fashion-type. Time to spruce things up, change foundations for the warmer weather & darker skin tones, lighten up the fragrances, up the SPF and go heavy on the moisturizing. Also, I'm changing my hair. It's time. I've started the process, but I'm not done.

1) First, I colored it slightly darker because it had gotten quite red and lighter than it naturally is due to sun-fade and because that stupid Garnier Gloss treatment lightened it (click here to read my review on that product).

2) Then, I wanted to try out a Brazilian keratin straightening treatment in preparation for the final step, which is...

3) A much shorter cut (a bob, actually).

So, this review is all about step #2, the Brazilian keratin treatment. I chose Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy 30 Day Smoothing Treatment because it got some good reviews on youtube.