Ombre Hair

I get bored with my hair alot. Especially when I'm trying to grow it out. I don't want to cut it- I already did the bang thing... so the only thing to change is the color. I used to be alot more adventurous when it came to hair color... Ive done everything from blond to fire engine red. But as Ive gotten older Ive grown VERY comfortable with my DARK brown/black hair color. It has seriously taken me forever to decide to change the color again.Ive been eye-ing the Ombre hair trend. Ombre hair is where the ends are a few shades lighter than the roots. It is usually a gradual transition of color- even though Ive seen some done where there is no transition at all. After browsing a few pictures I decided I wanted something noticeable, but not to drastic. AND I wanted to be able to do it myself. I'm such a control freak. It makes no sense... I wont trust a trained and experienced stylist- but I'd do it myself... me- who has no training or experience. Sometimes I don't even understand me. But anyway. To keep it not looking too strange I also decided to add some very subtle highlights.

So here's the process I went through.

I originally purchased an all in one bleach kit from Walmart... I used the Loreal SuperBlond Blue. The Blue is supposed to counteract any brassiness from the Bleaching. An hour of this stuff on my hair made hardly any difference what so ever. You could see the difference... If I told you about it, and you stared at me for about 6 minutes. Not exactly what I was going for... So I let my hair rest for a day and went to Sally's and purchased a powder bleach- with the blue tint again to counteract any brassiness, a bottle of 30 developer and a light ashe brown hair color. I wasn't sure if I would use the brown hair color, but I had it just in case the color lifted a little wonky. I put the bleach on the bottom 3-4 inches of my hair and very haphazardly streaked a few places so it would blend better. After about 15 minutes I painted on a few highlights. I did this freehand which made me incredibly nervous- but I'm an artist for goodness sake- I should be able to handle a few streaks right. After 30 minutes I checked my hair and it hadn't lightened quite to where I wanted it... so for another 30 minutes, I checked it every 10 to see where it was. After a full hour it didn't appear to be as light as I wanted it but I was tired and ready for bed. SO I rinsed my hair, conditioned it, and took a blow dryer to it. To my surprise it had lightened perfectly... almost. It was as light as I wanted it- but it was RED! A really pretty red- but none the less red. I ALMOST decided to leave the red- but went ahead and added the ashe brown dye the following morning. I have to say I am super pleased with the results. It takes a bit of getting used to- just because I haven't changed my hair in a while.

So, Whatcha think?

Hana Hair Dryer

Recently I was contacted to do a review on a hairdryer for Misikko.com . Ive never been "asked" to do a review before and I feel a little hesitant about doing them. Only because I want to be 100% honest, but I also don't want to give a negative review on something and hurt anyones company. Usually if I use a product I don't like in particular... I just don't mention it. However, I figured this would be a good opportunity... I mean its a hair dryer- how good or bad can a hair dryer be- it blows air right.

In agreeing to do this review... I agree to give you my 100% honest opinion of the product... good, bad, or indifferent!

I received my package from Misikko and was immediately floored by their service. My package arrived only a few days after I agreed to do the review. My package held alot more than the agreed blow dryer. My package had TONS of goodies and sweet notes- not to mention it was all beautifully packaged. I could definitely see myself dealing with this company again in the future just based on their amazing and very personal customer service.

The dryer I was asked to review was the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer. The dryer has Ion technology, turmoline and titanium technology, silver nanotechnology and claims to " dry your hair up to 60% faster maintaining natural shine while promoting healthy luxurious hair."

I had previously been using a higher end home use dryer and was very satisfied with it. I had never, however, used a salon quality dryer. Upon opening the box that held the dryer, the first thing i noticed was the cord. This wasn't the normal dryer cord that I was used to. This cord was MUCH longer and didn't tangle and get twisted as easily. Major points for that one. The dryer also looked very nice. It was shiny black and looked super sleek. It only came with one attachment- a concentrator. The dryer had 2 switches and a button on the handle... all very easy to use while drying your hair. This has always been a major issue for me. I hate having to reposition the dryer- blowing air into my face- just so I can see and get a good enough grip to turn the dryer off. These knobs were easy enough to use that I didn't have to do that. It has 2 fan speeds and 3 heat settings along with a cool shot button that you can depress and leave on- which I like. I was concerned with this being a salon quality dryer that I could fry my hair due to the high heat setting (since I really have no self control and always feel the need for it to be the hottest it can be). But this wasn't the case... even the hottest setting wasn't dangerously hot.

The first time I used the dryer I was amazed at how quickly my hair dried. I have longer hair which is naturally curly. The longer it gets, the longer I spend drying it and trying to coax the curls out. The fan speeds were actually very forceful... which could be a positive or a negative, depending on what your preference is. The low fan setting about matched the highest fan setting on my old dryer. I didn't notice a major difference in the condition or shine of my hair- but my hair tends to look pretty healthy and shiny no matter what I do to it. It definitely didn't look worse, but I wouldn't say it looked significantly better. The only negatives that I would say are present was that its a bit too forceful to deal with curly hair. My universal diffuser didn't fit on the nozzle and the force of the air blew out some of my curl. I'm sure with a bit of adjustment to how I use the dryer and a new diffuser I can work this issue out. The price was a bit of a negative for me as well. Now, I'm cheep so this may not be an issue for you. If I HAD the money to spend on the dryer- I would definitely say it is worth the money. Plus, Misikko gives you a good deal off the retail price- so its really not that bad. Overall I'd give the Hana a 4 out of 5 stars.

I checked out their web site and they have alot of high end products for a pretty good price. Check out their web site and these links.

They have a ton of hair straightener- www.misikko.com

High-end dryers- www.misikko.com/hair-dryers.html

A large selection of Babyliss flat irons (which I would love to get my hands) www.misikko.com/babyliss-pro-flat-irons.html

Dealing with this company was a dream... and I would definitely purchase from them in the future!

Things Im Loving! Beauty Edition

So I haven't done a post like this in a while... so here goes!

Honey Glycerin Face Bar- My favorite face wash HANDS DOWN!

I'm super blessed to not have any skin issues so something like this is perfect for me. It leaves my face feeling soft and squeaky clean. Not to mention its super cheap. I have normal to oily skin which is a little more on the normal side so I don't need anything MAJOR moisturizing. I wouldn't recommend if you have dryer skin.

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Body Lotion in Jasmin Vanilla

I LOVE this! Heres the story why... On my honey moon- silly me forgot to pack a few basics, like a brush and shampoo. So we drove into the nearest city, stopped at the mall and picked up some shampoo at the Bath and Body Works... It just so happened to be the Jasmin Vanilla Aromatherapy Shampoo. Bath and Body discontinued the sent very shortly after that. We kept the remaining bottle of shampoo and would occasionally open it up and give it a wiff. If reminded us of our honey moon. About a year or so ago I saw that Bath and Body brought the sent back... Now I can smell like "honey moon" whenever I want.

NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Dolly Pink

Any lip color is a bit of a stretch for me. I usually don't wear anything on my lips because I usually "eat" it right off. But this color is great. Its great for my cool toned complexion and it just something a bit bright and different for the spring season.

My Black Boyfriend Blazer

I swear I wear the thing 3 times a week. Its just so effortless and goes with everything. I'm gonna wear it out... I just know it.

Thats about the extent of it for today... I will leave you with some links I'm loving... these I have clicked on multiple times in the past week or so.

Healthy Eats- a great way to keep focused is to throw this in your blog feed.

Mormon Fashion Blog Directory- I'm not Mormon... but I would consider myself modest... and these Mormon girls have the market cornered on Modest Fashion Bloggers.

Pixiwoo Youtube- Ok, So Ive totally neglected the youtube community for the past... oh at least year or two... so Ive been playing catch up with some of these great vlogs, and Pixiwoo has got to be 2 of the most talented makeup artists around. Love them!

So there you have it... what have you been loving lately- Id love to hear and check it out. Post links in the comments!

And it starts again...

Yes, again! I know I know... All aboard the weight loss train. I have a life time dieters pass and I'm once again making a trip. Hopefully this one wont be round trip.

I sat down with myself last week and had a stern talkin to... myself. I can blame my weight gain on meds, health situation or whatever- but fact of the matter is there IS still something I can do to loose this weight until the situation gets under control. So I made myself a new eating plan, and a new exercise plan- which I wasn't able to adhere to this morning thanks to the rain. (yet another excuse already creeping into my diet trip).

SO... after some thought I have decided that I'm going back on a vegetarian kick. I did the vegetarian thing years ago... once for about 6 months, then again for about 3 months... each time falling off the wagon and giving up. This time I've decided to give myself a little bit of slack, allowing myself meat if I really really desire it. I read an article in Self, or Shape... (I dunno, one of those S magazines) about becoming a flexitarian. It really gave me a sense of freedom in the whole situation. Each time I've done the vegetarian thing I still keep fish and eggs in my diet and I do plan to stick with that plan this time. I am also not "forbidding" myself from an occasional steak or chicken finger. This makes getting back on the wagon alot easier when I fall of- and I will fall off I'm sure. Now instead of giving up, beating myself up and feeling like a failure- I know its ok, it was in the plan, and I can move on with my vegetarian self and my head held high. Hopefully with this thought process I will be able to make the vegetarian lifestyle a permanent fixture in my life.

You see, I need boundaries... clear defined boundaries... and a restrictive diet usually helps me be more diligent with my choices. Thats why I did so well before... but then there is the occasional craving for a nice juicy steak, or pepperoni loaded pizza.

So as I embark, plan in hand, I ask that you think of me... pray for me... whatever it is that you do for me... I have got to get this weight off!

I'm debating on doing the whole weekly check in, weigh-in, and photo... If you like that sort of thing and would like to read postings on my weight loss train wreck, um I mean ride, just let me know in the comments.

SN- So, funny story... I googled images for "train wreck" and a picture of Amy Winehouse popped up.

Boring!

Well, its been a while since Ive done a closet project... its been a while since Ive done anything fashion related really. I'm thinking I may do something- maybe not a whole month long closet project- but something more like a 30 of 30- but making it more like a 10 of 10 or 15 of 15... I'll have to put more thought into it- but I'm definitely falling into a rut... its pretty much clockwork right now... EVERY Wednesday I wear a velour tracksuit since I only work a half day and don't really see anyone... pretty much EVERY Monday I wear a pair of lounge pants, tanktop and hoodie... since well... its Monday. You can pretty much count on me looking presentable on Tuesday's and Friday's since those are the days that I will likely see someone other than my boss and my husband... and Thursdays are always a surprise but usually consist of the same pair of jeans. Depressing isn't it.

Well I have updated my look a little... So Im at least a little bit interesting. I once again have bangs.

Well Dears, Ill keep you posted and let you know what I decided!

Wow, its been a while.

Its hard to believe I haven't posted since June. What a whirl wind the past few months have been. The last post was posted just hours before I had to drive down to Atlanta as my mother was being put on life support for respiratory failure. Thus began some of the most crazy months of my life. Mom is doing well now. She was in the hospital for about 3 or 4 weeks. She has since been in and out several times. She was back on life support right before Thanksgiving, but is now home and doing well. Since June Ive also started my own Jewelry business making hand made wire jewelry. This was a major deal for me. I decided not to finish school because of so many things being up in the air. Plus, it was just really hard for me to imagine myself in a career that wasn't "creative". So I focused my energy on my artwork and SPIRA was born. Feel free to check it out. The inventory is a little low as I haven't had much time to make any new pieces. www.spirawirestudios.etsy.com

Ive also had a few health issues myself, but we are conquering them as we speak. Thank you to everyone that has stuck with my blog. I appreciate your support during my absence. I'm not promising to post as regularly as I used to, but I will definitely try to get up a few outfit and beauty posts here and there.

Hope everyone is having a splendid holiday season so far!!!

Summer Black Out: Day 1.

When I read about Already Pretty's "Summer Black-out" I just knew I needed to participate. Black is my staple color, and most definitely my security blanket. I love the way Black makes me feel... more sophisticated and classy. But it has definitely become my crutch. Check out her blog for details and rules. Basically, its no black for a week... which is stretching me!!

I've worn a version of this outfit before. I love this green skirt. I picked it up thrifting one day for around 3 bucks. I paired it with a basic white tank, bronze belt and bronze sandals. I know you cant see it in the picture, but I also wore the most adorable green rosette earrings that match perfectly!