Beauty Blender, I love you.

If you have never used a Beauty Blender, you are really missing out on a quite a gem of a product.

Beauty Blenders are not new, but if you have never used the little, pink, egg-shaped sponges, you should give it a try.  The Beauty Blender can be used with any liquid or cream product (i.e.: concealer, foundation, highlighter, etc) and produce an amazing, airbrushed look.  Somehow the sponge applies the perfect amount of makeup and absorbs excess product at the same time.  I like to dampen the sponge with water, then squeeze out the excess moisture before dipping it into makeup.  Use the broader end to apply makeup to larger areas of the face, and the skinnier side to apply to smaller areas- it works like a dream for nooks and crannies like the under eye area and around the nostrils!  Lately I have been using these little babies for foundation, concealer and highlighter application on my clients, and I am in love.

You can buy Beauty Blender from Sephora ($20 for 1, $30 for 2), which seems a little steep for a sponge, but they are reusable if you remember to be good about cleansing them (as often as any other makeup brush!).  It is $20 well spent in my opinion.

My Beauty Blender multi-pack (including their cleanser) for my makeup kit, along with a few other goodies from Naimies.

April Product Love

Gotta love the still shots from a video.  Haha!  Please excuse my skin, I have a little breakout happening.

Products mentioned:  Bumble and Bumble Cityswept finishing spray ($29.00) and Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights   ($12.99)

Spring Makeup Inspiration

Just in time for the weekend, here is a little spring inspiration (if the weather will ever decide to stay warm!).

Clean skin, groomed brows, a little mascara, and a bright orange lip (preferably with a matte finish).

Photos via Harper's Bazaar/Pinterest. Collage created through Pic Collage app.

Products to try:  Revlon Colorburst Matte Lip Balm in Audacious ($6) , Lipstick Queen Lipstick in Jungle Queen ($22), Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Clementine ($24)

When Did This Become a Hair Blog?

I am  apologizing ahead of time for the amount of selfies in this post.  It is really to demonstrate the product review!

Before; smooth and straight.  

After;  this is literally just from being outside in the humid, windy weather.

Funny story-  I straightened my hair for my vacation to Florida, which was probably a terrible idea.  The top photo is my nice, straight hair.  The next morning I had breakfast outside, and my hair went back to its original form (wavy) almost instantaneously.  My hair was growing (outward) by the minute; on this course, it would have been a lion's mane by lunch.  I decided rather than to fight it, I would embrace my natural texture.  I ran out of my trusty MoroccanOil, but found something I may like even better to replace it.  I discovered Kerastase's Elixir Ultime, which is a hair oil supposedly for all hair types (listed on the bottle).  Not only does this oil make my hair shiny and smooth, it also smells amazing!  It is a little pricey ($24 for the travel size bottle), but a tiny drop goes a long way.  It is worth a try, if you want a good splurge!

Kerastase Elixir Ultime

Wavy but polished strands, thanks to this product.

DIY: Baking Soda Clarifying Treatment

Here is a super quick, inexpensive and easy hair clarifying treatment that requires only two things you likely have laying around your house:

1.  Your favorite shampoo

2.  A tablespoon of baking soda

I have been using this little mixture for years now, whenever I feel like my hair is heavy or needs a thorough cleansing.  

All you need to do is wet your hair and shampoo like normal.  Prior to rinsing the shampoo out of your hair, add in the baking soda and scrub it into your scalp.  Rinse the shampoo and baking soda out of your hair, and apply your favorite conditioner.  Don't be surprised if you can feel the leftover gunk and hair product residue coming out of your hair when you rinse!  You will love how shiny, soft and light your hair feels after using this simple recipe.

My shiny (ok, shinIER) hair after the DIY treatment.  

Sneak Peak: Some of my Professional Work

Once again, I apologize in the delay between my posts! I was out of town for the weekend, and finally have the chance to write:)

I received some exciting news from my friend Carol Persons (an AMAZING photographer in the DC area) that photographs from a photo shoot we did right before Thanksgiving will be published in the April edition of Lucy's Magazine!  To tide you over till the release date, which is April 18th by the way, I wanted to share a sneak peak from the spread.

Model: Alex Babiarz

Photographer: Carol Persons

Photography Assistant: Michael Woodward

Styling: Alex Babiarz and Carol Persons

Makeup by me