Just Call Me Ramona

Considering all the Gift Guides and Wish lists I posted for Valentine's Day, I bet you're wondering what it was that my husband gave me. I know I mentioned before that we celebrate Valentines late, this year we celebrated it last Saturday. We got all dressed up, had a lovely dinner at the same place we had our first date, and went home where he gave me...

The Original Short Gloss Hunter Rain Boots in Pillar Box Red:

And the artistic shot:

Sigh, aren't the gorgeous?


I immediately put them on with my fancy dress and said "Now I'm just like Ramona."

I can't tell you how excited I am about them. I have a whole post about how I've wanted red rainboots since I was little.

I'm so happy I'm kinda speechless. You'll be seeing these and my Hunter Huntress boots in lots of upcoming Stylish Sunday posts this spring.

Shattered Glass or I Don't Like Change

So this happened yesterday.

I'm getting a new one in a few days, but I'm still heart broken about this one. It was a gift from my husband for Christmas a couple years ago. I can't even begin with how upset I am. I don't like change, and I don't like things to suddenly happen.

I'm kinda in shock, I had plans to go buy flippy dresses and shoes and blog about them. Then this happened and now I'm a mess. If I had dropped it all on my own, then I wouldn't be half as upset. But  this mess of unusable shattered glass happened because of someone else.

I know iPhones crack all the time, and people still use them. Well every time you touch this you get slivers of glass stuck in your finger. That's why it's in a ziplock, bits of glass are just everywhere.

I still haven't gotten my laptop fixed and that was already killing me. My iPad is nice but its not the same. My laptop was sometimes more convenient. It was easier to use YouTube from, and it was easier to comparison shop. A tablet is definitely not a computer replacement.

I'll admit I got frustrated with my phone when it wouldn't do exactly as I wanted it to, but it was my phone. Despite all the times I yelled at it and said I hated it, it was still mine and familiar. Like I sad I don't like change.

Right now I'm in mourning and have decided exactly what to do yet. So much these days is tied up in our electronics.

Review: Nars Deep Throat

I know Nars is known for their naughty names, but I don't mind them. After awhile of playing with makeup, you kinda get used to the strange and sometimes dirty names. The most talked about blush Nars has is Orgasm, but I feel like there's a bit too much glitter in it for me. However, I purchased Nars Deep Throat a few days ago, and since I've managed to wear it everyday since. So, I thought I'd do a bit of a review on it.

I've never been truly obsessed with a blush before, I've had ones I liked a lot, like Too Faced Papa Dont Peach, but never one I've adored. I have had this since Saturday and I've managed to wear it everyday since, and normally I only wear makeup 2 or 3 times a week.

Deep Throat is a peachy-pink-coralish color. On me, I feel like it leans more on the pink side, but if I want more of a peach look I can build it up to that. The shimmer that it has looks less like shimmer or glitter and more like a sheen or glow. Which I adore.

I love that I can put on a thin layer for just a bit of a flush, or really build it up for a dramatic effect. I kinda regret not buying the fan brush my Sephora guy, Maxwell, recommended with it, but that will be remedied when I go back for bronzer later this spring.

Mostly I've been wearing this with just my Dr. Jart+ BB Cream, YSL Shocking Mascara, and sometimes a bit of Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner in Bourbon and the new YSL Volupte Sheer Candy lip color. Kind of just letting the blush do the work. Normally I don't go that simple with my makeup until the hottest days of summer, but I've been feeling really good with my makeup this wy, and am super happy with this look.

I mean, just look at it! I don't have anything else to compare it too, but I do know I'd like to try another Nars blush in the future. Maybe one that looks dewy and fresher for the summer, or maybe all I need to do is add a good highlight and a bronzer.

Stylish Sundays or Floral Kicks

So I've finally decided what day I'm going to post my outfit posts and how I'm going to title them. In case you didn't notice. Also I loved Bullwinkle as a child. But Mr. Peabody and Sherman was my favorite.

Just a warning, it was an absolute miserable day when these photos were shot. It was cold cold cold, and I was super de duper unhappy about it.

I'm wearing a Trench Coat from Express and my absolute favorite scarf from H&M. I actually got the Coat in a sale, for about a 4th of its original price. My favorite bit is that the sleeves are lined with a coral/hot pink color that looks really cute when you turn them up, which I usually do. The scarf is an infinity scarf in dark raspberry pink and a lighter kind of strawberry smoothie type pink. It's super soft, and very snuggly without being to bulky. I have my absolute favorite Sunglasses from H&M on my head, they have burgundy frames.

My top is from Madewell and my trousers are H&M. I love this top, its a baseball style tee with Hot Pink stripes and Navy blue sleeves. another one that I got an amazing deal on. They had a really great sale last year and I actually bought quite a bit. The pants are my absolute favorite. I love them so much that I have them in both blue and black. I would have bought them in all the colors but I thought that was to many. I really regret not buying them in the blush color.

These shoes are from H&M a few years ago. They reminded me of shoes my mom would have worn in the late 70's. I'm absolutely impatient for spring and flowers everywhere, so I decided to put the flowers on my feet. These were super cheap at only $7 and are great for just kind of kicking about if I'm not doing anything special. 

I kinda really loved this outfit, even though I froze my ass off. I'll definitely be repeating this or some variation of it, when it gets warmer.  

For details about my makeup, see my Nars Deep Throat Review. 

Nail Polish Fail

Have you ever bought something and decided you hated it within the first 24hrs of owning it? I just did that with a bottle of nail polish.

I bought the OPI Liquid Sand in Get Your Number last night, came home and immediately put it on my nails...and took it right back off. Seriously I had already taken the polish off my left hand when I decided to stop and take a picture for you guys. Here it is:

This is just an iPhone photo my husband snapped really quick for me. 

There's nothing against the polish concept. I loved putting Westminster Bridge matte top coat on top of Deborah Lippmann Raspberry Beret, but I just didn't love this. Actually, I hated it. It looks so pretty in the bottle, and nothing like that at all on my nails. I wanted to love this since I just bought my aunt a set of the minis for her Birthday, I thought we could match. I just don't think this works with my skin tone, at all. 

My husbands opinion is that it looks cheap, and he definitely wasn't a fan. He also said it should have been shinier because of the glitter. I kinda get that, it does look especially dull on my nails, and crazy shiny in the bottle. 

I didn't even take a shot of this for my Pinterest board, I just immediately gave it to my cousin who's staying the week with me. Then I put my Nails Inc Cheyne Walk back on, which I'll be doing a review of soon.

Some trends work, others don't. This one, much like the shatter polish trend, just didn't work out for me. Unlike the Shatter trend, I don't think I'm gonna try so hard, I'll just console myself with another Nails Inc polish, because what I've tried so far is amazing, and they're only $1 more than OPI. So worth it.

Sephora Haul or Spring Is Coming

I went to my favorite Sephora recently, and since my favorite guy, Maxwell, was working, he convinced me to spend a lot of money.

Actually, I didn't just go in and spend a lot of money without reason, I was in for several things that I needed to get and only really bought two things I didn't need.

First I picked up Dr. Jart+ Black Label BB Cream.

 

I was running low on Foundation, and since spring and summer are coming up I wanted something lighter. Plus since the Black Label BB Cream is for blemishes it seemed like a good idea. I had a sample of this, and I love it so far. I'll do a full review when I've been using it longer.

Then because as I've mentioned a few times, I've been out of blush for a while so I finally bought one. I know I mentioned maybe Inglot or Lancôme, but I ended up going for Nars. I've never bought anything from Nars before, but I have played with their products.

I totally blame my guy, but I go see him for a reason, and that's because he's good. I told him I wanted something good for spring, he recommended Deep Throat, and then tested it out on me. I of course adored it, so it came home with me.

 

Then because my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is a bit much for me to use twice a day with the stuff my dermatologist prescribed, I decided to pick up the Caudalie Gentle Cleanser, and the cleansing water.

 I've gone through 2 travel size bottles of Caudalie's Cleansing Water before, and I love it. I love the way it smells and I've never had any issues when I've used it to take off my makeup because I was too lazy to go through my full scrub routine. I've also used a few of their other products before thanks to a 500 point perk set Sephora had a few months ago, and I adored all of that as well. Bonus note: my husband loves their lip conditioner and completely swiped my tube of it. So with that in mind I'm really excited to try the Gentle Cleanser.

Then because I needed another nail polish so desperately, I bought one from Nails Inc. it's a purple duo chrome called Cheyne Walk and I love it.

Then finally I picked up what has become my favorite of all my purchases. A YSL Volupte Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Crystal Color in Cool Guava. It's so gorgeous. I love everything about this lip color. The packaging is just so Luxe, it feels amazing and looks absolutely beautiful.

Oh, and the color is just gorgeous.

I had swatched at least 5 of the YSL colors and was torn between this one and Succulent Pomegranate, so I asked my husband to be the tie breaker, since he has to kiss me, and this is the one he liked best. I'm glad he picked this one because its so lovely, but I'm certain I want the other one too. I feel like the brighter one will be great for summer, and I adore that they're sheer.

Note: How gorgeous are these pictures? My husband is seriously an amazing photographer. The YSL lip color pictures are my favorites. So gorgeous.

I'm so in love with everything I bought, which is in evidence by all the gushing. So in a few weeks when the new product high wears off I'll do a proper review on each item. I also discovered today that I'm running low on my Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray which I kinda can't live without. So it looks like another trip to Sephora will be happening in a few weeks.

Face of the day: Spring Casual

So dear readers, I did promise I'd do a more detailed post on the makeup I was wearing in my last OOTD post. So here it is:

I'm wearing Dr. Jart+ Black Label BB Cream, Urban Decay's Woodwinked (as blush, I know, I know, I bought a blush finally, you'll see it tomorrow), and from Too Faced's Romantic Eye Palette I'm wearing Soulmates, I do, and Un-Veil. My eyeliner is Urban Decay's Boubon, and my mascara is as always YSL Shocking. On my lips I'm wearing Lancôme Rouge In Love Madame Tulips.Then I set it all with Urban Decay's All Nighter.

Please excuse my creased eyeshadow, these pictures were taken at the end of the day and I have wrinkly eyelids.

I really liked this look with this outfit, but I wasn't completely in love with my eyeshadow. I used the little suggestion card that comes with the Romantic Eye Palette, and I don't think it worked to well with my eye shape. I'm also pretty happy that I finally got to use Woodwinked for something, because it was given to me by the Cosmetic Girl in a contest/swap thing a while ago, and I've never been brave enough to use it as eyeshadow.

Signal Boost: AimeeLou62 is having a Giveaway

Dear Readers,
I just wanted to let you know that AimeeLou62, who is a lovely blogger I found during Blogmas, is having a Giveaway on her blog that you can enter here. All you have to do is follow her blog with google friend connect, and comment what you would like to see on her blog. But you'd better hurry, because it ends March 4th.

Now I know a lot more people read my blog than have clicked the follow button, and I don't mind, but I'm telling you, you won't regret it if you subscribe to her. She does a lot of reviews and lifestyle type posts which I love.

Just consider this a bit of a signal boost, and go enter her giveaway!

OOTD Spring Casual

I've decided that at least once a week I'm going to do an outfit post. I haven't decided what to call them yet. I had thought about Friday's Fashion or maybe Weekly Wears, because who doesn't love alliteration? Then I thought maybe the date I wore the outfit? I don't think that's a good idea though.

I'll figure out that later, right now lemme show you the outfit.

I'm wearing a brown and white striped top from wet seal and green side zip pants from H&M.
I've had the shirt for a few years, but the pants are only about a year old.

Below are close ups of the accessories:

This Necklace is from H&M, and its a mix of Rosé Gold, Gold, Silver and pink beads. 

Then I had on Grey Rebels Taos Moto Boots. I absolutely love these boots. They're a few years old and I need to get them reheeled, but I still adore them.

This bracelet is actually a headband I bought from Forever 21. I ordered it for my Emma Watson Say You Don't Want It Hair Tutorial that I did on YouTube. But it didn't fit my head so I swapped out the elastic with a chain and clasp to make it into jewelry. Sometimes I use it as a necklace, but I really like it doubled up as a bracelet. The nail polish is Ciate Big Yellow Taxi with Nails Inc Westminster Bridge Matte Topcoat.

Okay Honestly it was freezing when I took these pictures. It would have been warm except for the wind was horrible, so I did have a coat around the corner, that I put on as soon as I could.

Either on Sunday or Monday, I'll do a post on the makeup I wore. This time I actually have a good picture of my eye makeup.

Valentines Day Tag

Happy Valentines Day Readers,
I was at a loss for what to blog about this week, but Blair Fowler posted this tag and since she left the tag open ended I decided to take advantage. So thanks for inadvertently tagging me Blair!

As you guys may or may not have guessed I'm way in to Valentines Day. I know is a greeting card holiday for teens in puppy love, but really I love, love. I'm a bit of a Holiday Head though I get excited about and put way to much effort into all holidays. Okay my whole family does it (seriously Dad, extra Cabbage this year for St. Paddy's Day!). It was so much fun growing up anticipating holidays and their movies, and little treats or traditions my family had, that I want to keep that alive, not only for myself, but for my son, and my husband who kinda thinks I'm nuts. Thankfully he also thinks I'm adorable, So I'm fine with that.

 But I digress, so lets get into the Tag:

1. What is your favorite Valentines Day treat? 
 Heart Shaped Doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts, I'm a huge Doughnut fan though so any kind of Doughnut for any holiday and I'm happy


2. Sweethearts or chocolate covered strawberries?
 Chocolate Covered Strawberries, I actually really love fruit, so I'd be happy with the strawberries with out the chocolate too.


3. What was your favorite Valentines day memory?
 Our first Valentines together my husband and I were broke, so he made me a scavenger hunt that led to card he made himself complete with a glittery heart. It was kinda amazing and I remember one of the clues was a C.D. with the song that he would always sing to me on it. You can hear the song here.


4. What movie would you rather watch on Valentine's Day: Pretty Woman or You've Got Mail?
You've Got Mail. It has Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, The Little Shop Around The Corner, the big mean bookstore, and old school AOL. It's just one of my all time favorite movies, I remember seeing it in Theaters with my Aunts and my Grandmother


5. What celeb would you not mind having as your Valentine?
 Daniel Radcliffe, what can I say I like short, smart guys who are into punk, for Gay Rights. (Much like my husband except he's better because, to paraphrase Paul from 500 Days Of Summer, he's real)



6. What would you do on your perfect Valentine's date?
 I would spend the day getting coffee and heading to a bookstore. I love books, and there's no better way to celebrate a day, than with a stack of books. Then finishing off the night with a film either out or at home


7. Red or pink lips on Valentines Day?
 Pink, I haven't found the perfect pink yet, but I think YSL's Glossy Stains might have it.

8. What is your ideal Valentine's Day date outfit?
 If I'm going to the bookstore or staying home, then a pair of great skinny jeans, converse, a casual top and a jacket.
If we're going to a fancier date then a gorgeous dress, flats and a trench.
For both outfits the Kate Spade Be Mine Necklace and Earrings


9. Homemade or store-bought gifts?
 I like a Mixture of Both, Make me a card, buy me a present. I've gotten some great homemade gifts, and some amazing presents bought, guess it depends on the year

10. Would you wear your hair up or hair down for a date night?
It depends on what I'm wearing but mostly up and probably curly. 

So I know you'll be answering late, but Tag you're it.

Ciate Cupcake Queen Review

After my Teeny Tiny Pick Me Up Haul, I painted my nails with Cupcake Queen, and decided to keep track of how it wore. So I took a picture of it on day one:

And then day 4:


Actually other than my first finger, it did quite well. I'm not sure what happened there, maybe opening a soda or something. Otherwise, there was only minor tip wear.

I probably could have kept it on longer but I wanted to try out Big Yellow Taxi before Valentines day when I switch back to Cupcake Queen. I'm really completely in love with the color, and it looks amazing with my skin tone.

The formula is absolutely lovely, 2 coats and it was opaque. The coats go on smooth and even and it dried kinda surprisingly quickly. This is definitely the polish to use when you've only got a few minutes to do your nails. I'm so in love and I definitely an looking forward to trying more colors from this line. I've got my eye on a sparkly one next and I'm really excited about it.This maybe my favorite thing I ever purchased because it was recommended by FleurDeForce.

Ashley Tisdale Inspired OOTD

This maybe one of my favorite outfits I've ever put together. I love Ashley Tisdale's street style. I haven't loved too much that she's played in, but her style I adore.

This is based on this outfit that she wore. 

Since her heart sweater is nt only out of stock but also outrageously priced I went with this one from River Island. Which is sold out, but Heart sweaters are pretty in right now so you could probably find one from Forever 21 or H&M.

She's wearing wet look leggings or something like that. I couldn't find the exact ones she was wearing, so I went with these from Topshop. They're the side panel wet look leggings. 

For boots I went with the black version of the nude Sam Edelman boots I was I love with. I was hoping to find either color on sale, but it looks like that wont be happening. 

I'm not usually all that into handbags, to be honest though, I'm a bit obsessed with this one. It's from a site I've never heard of GoFavor, but isn't it gorgeous? And it comes in blue, which I personally think is even better. 

Which brings us to the sunnies. Ashley's wearing large cat eyeglasses with her outfit and honestly I'm obsessed with that style of sunglasses and am definitely looking to pick up a pair for this summer. These are from oasap.com but they're sold out. However I prefer the rodeo sunglasses from stylemint which are also old out but I've wait listed myself.

I think this outfit is adorable and while some of you may think heart sweaters are only suitable for Valentines day, personally I'd wear this to its death. 

Ashley Tisdale inspired by fashionandhappythings featuring topshop

Teeny Tiny Pick Me Up Haul

I came home to find my Sephora order waiting for me so I thought I'd show you what I got. It's a very small order but I'm very excited about it.

I ordered two of Ciate's Paint Pots.

Big Yellow Taxi which is a gorgeous bright but pale yellow

 

and Cupcake Queen which is a hot pink with almost nonexistent blue shimmer.

I'm kinda really in love with them both. The bottles are absolutely adorable with the little black bows on the bottles, and the tiny bows that dot the i's in Ciate. I'm a sucker for details like that.

I've been wanting to try Ciate's paint pots since I first heard about them from FleurDeForce. I know she's said in the past that Big Yellow Taxi is her favorite yellow. Which is honestly why I bought that one. I don't usually blindly buy things based on the advice of beauty gurus, except when it comes to Fleur. Everything I've ever bought that she's recommended has been exactly what I expected it to be. That's probably because even when doing a review of something provided by the company she tells you both the pros and cons.

Back to the polishes though. I bought these because I've been suffering from the Mean Reds lately and as I mentioned in my post on it, I wanted to pick up something small and bright that would be a good quick pick me up. I had origionally planned on picking up a Chanel Polish, but I was watching old FleurDeForce videos and was reminded of how much i had wanted to try the Ciate polishes. I figured I'd be able to pickup two for the cost of one Chanel and decided to go for it. They're so bright and cheery and I get a bit giddy every time I see them.

I know they aren't exactly winter colors, but I'm so over winter. I'm tired of being cold, and we haven't even had much snow. I'm ready for spring and even summer which I dislike nearly as much as I do being cold. 

I'll do a full review after I've tried them both out to let you know wear time and what I think of the formula and all that Jazz.

Last Minute Gift Guide

Sometimes things sneak up on you, Valentines Day is one week away, have you gotten a present for your sweetie yet? If not its cool, I have plenty of ideas for you.

First of all if you can't get to the store then your best friend is speedy shipping. If you've got Amazon Prime which is free two day shipping, or Zappos VIP which is free one day shipping then you've got it made. You can just order your sweeties gift and call it a day. However, if you don't have either of those services then you need to come up with something else.

If you completely blanked on the day and didn't make a reservation for anywhere then I recommend your own version of a fancy dinner. Set up a picnic in your living room. Whether you make the simplest of finger foods or you're talented in the kitchen doesn't matter. What does matter is the effort you put into the ambiance. Lay a nice fresh from the dryer throw blanket out toss on some throw pillows and light the room with frameless candles. I'd add in one scented actual candle in your loves favorite scent. If you're stopping here then for the present you could add in either a gift basket of their favorite treats, or a gift certificate out to dinner together.

You could easily do the above date as is, or if you share a love of music, then play your favorite music and for the gift, a gift certificate for your favorite music shop or iTunes would be sweet. But if you go the gift card route then you need to go one step up, and also add a note saying you'll make a day of it together.

If you're huge movie fans then picking up a new movie you've wanted to see or an old favorite the two of you know line by line is perfect. It doesn't have to be romantic, the TV universe's coolest couple, Marshall and Lily from How I Met Your Mother, watch Predator every Valentines Day. If you choose a new movie then wrap it up and give it to them as the gift at the beginning of the night. If its an old favorite, then they probably own it, so that won't work unless its a special edition. In that case a movie shopping date or Theater gift certificate that covers both of you is especially sweet.

If you've made reservations then skip all of the above and go straight to the gift certificate bit. A gift certificate will work for whatever your love is into. A Sephora card for the makeup obsessed, Michael's if they're an artiste. If they're into fixing up their car then a gift card to Advance Auto, if they're the sort of person whose house is covered in books the Barnes and Noble or even better their favorite indie shop or if you know they're saving for something specific then you can give then a gift card to save for that. The most important thing to making the gift card work is a promise of your time to go with. That way it's less "Hey I forgot" and more " I want to spend more time with you".

Valentines Day is for showing your love you care, and taking the time to show them that. Whether your plans are low key, or crazy extravagant doesn't matter, all that matters is finding a way to be together.

Since we're planning on all out celebrating Valentines at a later date so we dont have to deal with prix fixe menus and crowds, I'm hoping to spend my night curled up on the couch with candy watching Perks Of Being A Wallflower with my husband. ( Hint, hint: it comes out on the 12th, honey).

If everyone else jumped off the Westminster Bridge, would you do it too?

I'm so late on the Matte nail trend.

I think I was hesitant because of how much I hated the crackle trend when I tried it. I loved it on other people but I just couldn't make it work for me. So then came the Matte nail trend and I avoided it. But I kept seeing it on other people and absolutely loving it.

So I tucked it away in the back of my mind, stuffed in the to try bin, with a sub-note that said maybe never.

Well never came yesterday when I decided to pop into Sephora after my dermatologist appt to find a cure for my Mean Reds. I ended up walking out with a onetime use free shipping code to use on what I had come in for and Nails Inc. Westminster Bridge Matte Top Coat.

And I am obsessed. I used it over Deborah Lippman's Raspberry Beret, and its gorgeous. I can't stop looking at it. It kinda a bit edgy and punkish, which I straight up adore. I have always loved the contrast between girly girl and punk.



Isn't it gorgeous? As I said before, I'm obsessed! I can't stop looking at my nails and even though I bought a new bottle of Essie No Chips Ahead a few days ago I don't think I'll be using it very much. I can easily see rocking matte pastel nails with some white converse and sundresses or slouchy tees all spring long.

Thanks to the glitter in the polish and the lighting for the photos these look a little glossy, but really they aren't, they're matte and only the glitter is reflective in person. I wish I could have gotten a better shot of it but since I was using artificial light I couldn't.

Maybe it's my taste in music finally seeping into my wardrobe, or my love of Kirsten Stewarts Red Carpet Converse, or something else, but I'm definitely completely in love with adding a bit more edge into my fashion choices, and you will definitely be seeing more of that reflected here on this blog.

I'll do a mini haul when my Sephora order comes in.

What trend have you waited on? What trend did you try that completely didn't work for you?

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Review

I've always been sort of lucky when it comes to my hair. My hair is probably my favorite thing about myself, if I straighten it, it stays that way for days, and if I curl it it says til I brush it out. I very rarely have a terrible day where it just won't do anything.

In return I try and take very good care of my hair. I'm very picky about what I use on my hair, and since I'm currently absolutely in love with what I'm using, I thought I'd show you guys.

I'm currently using the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo and Conditioner every time I wash my hair. Normally I mix it up, but I adore these together so much. It has Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint and Lavender as the promoted ingredients, and on the front of the bottle it says that they're an invigorating cleanser and conditioner respectively. They were $6 and $7 for 300ml at my local JCP salon respectively and honestly I've paid that for drugstore shampoos that I haven't loved. These however leave my hair feeling fresh and squeaky clean but still soft and bouncy at the same time. I adore them. Also it may just be me, but I've used this line before and it really seemed to help my hair grow, and I'm thankfully having the same result this time. I'm going to guess that its because its invigorating, and it really has made my hair healthier. The last time I went for a bang trim, I asked if my ends needed a trim as well and my stylist told me I didn't because I had no split ends. Which was awesome because it had been over 2 months since my last trim when she said this.

The Tea Tree Hair and Scalp Treatment is a new addition to my routine, new enough that I don't feel comfortable doing an all out review, but I like it so far. I bought this because I'm currently trying to grow my hair out super long and this along with the rest of the line is meant to be invigorating. I've read a bunch of different places that if you want to speed up hair growth you need to stimulate your scalp and keep it healthy. Since this needs to be massaged into your scalp I figure it might help. That's not actually its purpose but since the shampoo and conditioner seem to help then I figure this extra step might.

Plus as an extra bonus, the Tea Tree line is carbon neutral. That's not something I obsess about, and honestly didnt even know until after I bought it, but it is nice to know. Because I'm not all vapid and shallow, I totally care about the earth and stuff. I mean, like, just sign me up for the Pismo Beach Disaster Relief League already!

Then finally is the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny serum. I've actually used this on and off for years, ever since the first time my bestie T. flat ironed my hair for the first time. I adore this and it's the only heat protectant type thing I've ever used that doesn't make my hair either weird or greasy. Yes that includes the Treseme heat protectant that's beloved by every Beauty Guru and her Flat Iron. My hair just doesn't react well to anything else. You may have noticed that this is a tiny bottle. I don't actually use heat on my hair very often so I don't need much of this. I've had this tiny bottle for nearly a year now, and i use one full pump everytime I use heat on my hair. Mostly I just blow dry my bangs and let the rest of my hair air dry. My hair is naturally wavy sometimes, other times its pretty damn straight. I only blow dry my hair if I plan to leave it down and I only straighten or curl it if I'm going out or doing something special.

Next time I get my bangs trimmed I plan on picking up the Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner, which is part of the Tea Tree range of products, to try out. Just to have a different scent, or maybe some added volume some days. I think it'd be great for spring/summer when I tend to do messier more voluminous styles. I'm also going to see if I can find a texturizing spray or maybe try one of the texturizing balms to help with my messy, beachy summer hair.  What are your favorite Volumizing or Texturizing products Readers? Are there any out there I should avoid?

Side note: for those that caught the reference: Yes, that is a Clueless Reference, I make them often. Or if you did not catch the reference: No, I'm not that stupid, yes I know Pismo Beach never had a disaster, its a Clueless reference.

I've got the Mean Reds

I've got a nasty case of the Mean Reds, and a budget that can't afford a trip to Tiffany's to cure it. Since having many many drinks isn't  an option either, I've had to come up with a better and less expensive solution.

Usually when I'm struck by the Mean Reds or the Blues, or the Green Eyed Monster or whatever other color that may effect my mood in a sour way, I go shopping. Nothing so extravagant as Tiffany's, but it may as well be. The last time I was struck with the mean reds I spent $100 at Gilly Hicks. Not so terrible really since I bought things I love and I needed, but I'm not always that lucky. Sometimes I spend far to much money and either get things I love but don't get much use out of, or I buy things that I don't love at all.

This time I think I can get away with a smaller purchase but one that will ultimately feel more decadent, and indulgent. A small purchase that's bright and colorful will be much better at cheering me up. A lovely pink lipstick or nail varnish from somewhere highend will be a much better way to spend my money.

I may not love a dress or top I buy a few weeks later, but I've always liked a lipstick or nail polish I've bought the next day, no matter what mood I was in when I bought it. While Chanel makeup is still expensive it's much less so than a dress from Topshop that in reality once out of the store is much to short for me to comfortably wear in public and now must be returned ( it's happened!). I'm well aware that Chanel can get quite expensive in their makeup line, but the lipsticks and nail varnishes are reasonably priced and luckily I don't suffer from the Mean Reds or Blues or what have yous all that often.

It doesn't always have to be as fancy as Chanel, Lancôme, or YSL. Sometimes MAC, Inglot or OCC will suffice, it's only a matter of it being cheerful and lovely. This time I do have my heart set on a fancy polish, but next time a lippie might be in order. I'm really a makeup girl at heart, and with my iPad case reminding me daily to live colorfully, I think this is a much better solution. I really do feel much better with a bit of Lipstick and a bright color on my nails.

If you haven't guessed already I am quite upset about something, so I decided to spend the night watching Audrey Hepburn films, blogging and "shopping". I haven't bought anything yet, but I have picked what I want, and I feel much better putting my money towards this rather than what I had planned to spend it on. Having decided that I'm feeling much better already.

Fresh Faced and Flushed Cheeks

I loved the makeup I had on in yesterday's post so much that I decided to do a post about it all on its own.

For my face I used Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, Tarte Amazonian Clay Concealer which I love so much it as its very own post here, and finally Fashion Admirer which is a Lancôme Eyeshadow for blush. I'm out of blush and still haven't bought any yet. It's because I'm extremely indecisive and am now looking at Inglot instead of Lancôme. I actually kinda really liked it as blush though so its all good.

Unfortunately I didn't get as good of a shot of my eye makeup as I would have liked, but blame me and not the photographer. For my eyes I used Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Kiss The Bride all over the lid from the Romance Palette and Lancôme Fashion Admirer in my crease  which is the same one I used as blush, and Off The Rack in the inner corner, and Daylight as my highlight on my brow bone from the Color Design Palette that I got as a free gift with purchase, . Then I used Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 glide on eyeliner and YSL shocking Mascara for my top lashes which I also adore so much it has its very own post here and Lancôme Definicils Mascara in Black for my bottom lashes which was also in my Christmas gift set.

For my lips I used Tarte's LipSurgence Lip Tint in Joy and I adore it. I'm extremely pale so bright lip colors stand out all the more on me, but I'm okay with that. I received this in a birch box and it maybe one of my favorite things I ever received from them.

Below I have some swatches of the products used and close ups of the shadows.

From Left to Right: Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil, Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint in Joy, Too Faced Kiss The Bride, Lancôme Fashion Admirer and Off The Rack

I loved this makeup look, if felt very fresh for the upcoming spring, and I loved the monochromatic look. I will definitely be repeating it in the very near future. What's your go to makeup look for spring?