LUSH Bath Bombs

  For valentines day this year a friend bought me a couple of fun products from Lush. My favorite was their Twilight bath bomb!

  This thing was amazing! Magical even! It had the light, but sweet scent of blackberry, and a subtle blue glitter that shimmered in the water. As it fizzed it spun moisturing foam in pink and blue, creating a cotton candy like design on the surface of the water. I half expected unicorns and rainbows to flow out of this thing! No but seriously it felt like a bath fit for a princess...

  She also gave me a couple of their bubble bath thingys. They kind of looked like macaroons. You're suppose to crumble them under running water to create a rose scented bubble bath. But I accidentally used it like a bath bomb which was really disappointing because it just sank to the bottom and sat there. Doing nothing. Not a bath bomb. Made the water smell nice and feel soft though! 

  So next time you need a pick me up be sure to try one of these out. They can really melt away the stress of life! Just be sure to crumble the bubble bath thingys. ;)

K

Triangle of Light

   We've all heard of the dreaded raccoon eyes that can come from running mascara. Ever heard of the reverse raccoon eye? Its when a concealer that is too light for you in applied under your eyes in a crescent moon shape making it look like you have white bags under your eyes. NOT a good look. It can also make it look like your under eye area is puffier than it is. To avoid such a mishap, try applying your concealer in an upside down triangle shape, like so...

   This will help to bounce the light in such a way that it brightens the entire face and dramatically diminishes the look of dark under eye circles. I still like to go with a shade or two lighter than my natural skin tone, just to brighten things up a bit. Apply concealer BEFORE your blush or bronzer, so you don't end up with an obvious line cutting across your cheek. My favorite brightening concealers I have found are the Trish McEvoy brightening pen, YSL Touche Eclat, and Clinique has one too but the name escapes me at the moment (the one with a paint brush tip). This has helped me to look more awake and brighter, and it will do the same for you! :)


K

Fragrance

Well of course you know I'm going to start with the number one selling fragrance in the world, Chanel No5. I hear it everyday "That's my grandmas perfume". Well, your grandma has good taste. I had an elderly woman tell me once that No5 reminded her of an old love lost and when she wore it she remembered the sweet moments they had together. They say fragrance is the strongest sense tied to memory. I think my first perfume was something like Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden (I think). I also went through a couple bottles of Dolce and Gabana light blue, and Ralph Lauren (the blue bottle they don't make anymore) when I was younger. When I smell these fragrances now they really "bring me back".
  However, I think a persons taste for perfume is acquired over time, like wine. I find that now I prefer much richer, more complex fragrances. Fragrances that tell a story, evoke emotion. That's why I love Chanel fragrance. They use the finest ingredients and the way they blend them together is always so divine. I wish I didn't love Coco Mademoiselle so much because EVERYONE wears it, and I like to be different. So I've been experimenting with mixing it with other fragrances from the line. Different fragrances for different moods is my motto. Some days I need a pick me up so I'll spritz on something citrus and clean. Other days when I'm feeling lighthearted I like sweet and soft. On days when I'm feeling strong and confident I'll go with something rich like Coco Noir, or YSL Elle, or Chance. I only wear Chanel No5 when I want to feel like a classy lady wearing a classy fragrance. I know it sounds cheesy, but that's what I do.
  Maybe after you watch this video you'll understand just a little bit. Its like once you know the history behind a fragrance it becomes so much more intriguing and you have more appreciation for it. Some days, when I'm feeling really large and in charge I'll even wear a men's fragrance. I like the way they generally smell clean and woodsy. Bleu de Chanel is my usual go to. But I also love the Gucci pour homme. Deeeeelicious. Well that's all for now. enjoy the video!

Chanel no 5 video

k

coco chanel

A must watch video. Consider it a brief history lesson... beautifully orchestrated. Link at the bottom. One of the most influential and inspiring and empowering women in history. Fearless.

Click here to watch video

(Love this photo. Sassy little old lady.)

One more just for fun. The sunset of her life...

k

Fall 2013 makeup trends

Ok so, here we have 3 trends that actually can be traced back to a certain era: the 20's! Think The Great Gatsby, or a bit Vampire/Vampy.... 

   The top trend is the Boudreaux lip. Burgundy, wine, plum... What ever you want to call it and which ever looks best on your skin tone, that's it! Here are some great examples on some beautiful ladies. 

You can either wear it matte or glossy, it's up to you. However, I would recommend matte as it will last longer. 

Another trend is winged liner. For a more subtle look you can pair it with a nude lip. This will bring all the focus up to your eyes.

Or... If you really want to go for it, pair it with the dark lip and a little smoky shadow to get a vampy,1920's look.

For shadows it's all about a soft smoky look. Smokes, grays, taupes.... These all go great with the dark lip look. Just make sure you blend really well, you don't want to see any strong contrast. Here are some inspiration pics from my favorite new movie, The Great Gatsby. Enjoy!

:) k

Mary Greenwell's Masterclass: Sweetness and Light

I love the way it lights up her eyes, and the natural glow of the skin.

How to make your hair grow faster

   So recently I made the rash decision to chop off all my hair. I LOVED the cut, but after washing it I had no clue how to style it! Sure my stylist gave me a quick lesson, but it was all quickly forgotten and there I was clueless in front of my mirror. So as much as I love my shorter hair, I am trying to grow it back out. At least all my split ends are gone and I get to have a fresh start! There are going to be a few awkward stages I'll have to work through however. Right now, I'm at about the 4th one...

   After doing some research I learned that the most effective way to grow your hair faster is to stimulate the hair follicle. There are a few ways to do this. First off, wash hair in very warm water, and scrub/massage your shampoo AND conditioner into your roots for as long as you can. This will stimulate the hair growth and moisturize the scalp. Hair grows easier through a scalp that is well moisturized vs dried out. Coconut oil on your roots helps too. Massage a small amount into your scalp for as long as you possibly can (I usually do it for around 15 minutes or so).  

  Another trick I learned was to give your hair a good strong pulling on everyday. Yep, pull on it. Not like a painful "yank", but more like a firm pull for a few seconds. I swear it's working! 

   Prenatal vitamins. These are great not only for your health, but also in providing your body the nutrients it needs to grow healthy shiny hair (and nails!). I picked up this brand at Walmart and it seems to be doing the trick.

   And last but not least, avoid using heat on your hair. Heat damages hair like no other and the less you use the better. I've been rocking the beachy wave for about a week now and it's working for me. I just work a bit of coconut oil into the ends to seperate them a little and tone down any flyways.

I've tried all of this and my hair is growing back pretty fast, and healthy too!  Good luck!