Hair Tips + Spring Layering

Hey guys! I hope you've had a fantastic week so far! I talked on insta a bit about my hair care routine and how I've changed it up a TON in the last three weeks. Well, I am seeing some great benefits to that so, I thought I'd share what I'm doing!

To preface, I'll start with what I USED to do. I used to wash my hair daily, regardless as to whether we were going somewhere or not. I hated the feeling of dirty, greasy hair and just didn't like to use dry shampoo too often. Looking back, I'm really not sure why that was.. Anyhoo, I used heat on my hair a LOT and never used anything to protect it from damage. I've never colored my hair so it's pretty healthy, I've just begun noticing some split ends and a bit of slowing in growth. So, that got me to thinking about switching up my routine and trying to promote health in my hair along with shaving some time and effort off of my daily routine. 

Which brings me to where I am now. My weekly routine is as follows :

Sunday - Day 1, wash day. I use TRESemme' HEAT TAMER spray on my hair while it's damp after washing. Then, with a pick, I comb through it easily and then use my EcoTools Air Dryer Brush that I LOVE. I blow dry my hair while using a roller brush at my roots and ends to smooth it and give it some lift. After blow drying, I spray it again with the TRESemme' HEAT TAMER before I straighten or curl. After I have it styled the way I want, I use TRESemme' TRES TWO Spray and go about my day. My style is set and I don't have to worry about restraightening or curling at all.

Monday - Day 2, Usually Monday is our day at home to catch up on housework and just chill so, I do nothing to my hair on these days. I'll usually pull it back into a pony or braids just to keep it out of my face. I also don't brush it too often, three times a day max. 

Tuesday - Day 3, Usually we're at home this day too but, if we do have plans to go anywhere I'll spritz a bit of Heat Tamer onto the ends and top before straightening the top and then either finish straightening it again or add some/touch up curls, whichever is easier for that day. Once I have it styled the way I like, I spray some dry shampoo onto my roots, work it through gently with my fingertips and then, after a few minutes, lightly brush it through. I also usually don't have to use much hairspray after day one because it holds the style so well. 

Wednesday - Day 4, We have Bible Study and errands in town so I'll do a repeat of the steps from Tuesday. Heat tamer, straighten the top, then curl it with my Remington Pro 1-1 1/2 inch Curling Wand. I do it in layers (bottom to top) and it makes it curl so much more evenly. Afterward I'll spray lightly with dry shampoo and then comb it through gently with a comb or brush to even it out. Again, I don't need much hairspray because of the product already in it. 

Thursday - Day 5, sometimes we have our homeschool co-op so I'll repeat Wednesday's routine which usually takes about 15-20 minutes, tops. If we're just at home though, I'll usually just comb it through and then put it in a couple of braids or a high bun.

Friday - Day 6, We don't usually have major plans on Fridays so, If we're at home I do nothing. If we're going somewhere I'll repeat my same routine from Wednesday, being cautious as not to use too much dry shampoo so I don't get a lot of residue showing in the top of my hair. Then sometimes I'll pull it up but, most of the time I can still get away with keeping it down. I like to pull one side back a bit so I'm not constantly running my fingers through it and that keeps the extra oil out of my hair but, also keeps residues and oils off my face, which is better for my skin. 

Saturday - Day 7, Same steps as the previous few days, Heat Tamer then, straighten the top then touch up curls (if I need to, which is rare by day 7) and then pin it back and go! No hairspray needed. If I notice that it's showing quite a bit of oil or dry shampoo, I'll use very minimal dry shampoo and then pull it back into an easy bun. Again, no hairspray needed today.

I sleep with it down for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night, then in a top knot the rest of the week so it's not in the way while I sleep but the extra oils/product don't get on my pillow or face during the night. And, that's it! It may seem a little complicated at first glance but, seriously it's so easy and has just become habit the last couple of weeks. 

As far as shampoo goes, I usually bounce around between different brands but, my sister recently mentioned something to me about Lush Cosmetics Bar Shampoo and I really want to give it a try! Has anyone used it before? Pros and cons from your personal experience?

Have a wonderful week friends! I'll link everything I use below and let me know if you have any tips on growing long, healthy hair naturally! 

| OUTFIT DETAILS |

DRESS | TIME & TRU - WALMART
CARDIGAN | RUE 21 ( similar here + here)
ANKLE BOOTS | MAGNOLIA BOUTIQUE (old, similar here + LOVE these)
TIE CHOKER | WALMART
PURSE | similar here

| HAIR PRODUCTS |

TRESemme' HEAT TAMER SPRAY
DOVE DRY SHAMPOO
TRESemme' TRES TWO HAIRSPRAY
REMINGTON CURLING WAND
ECO TOOLS HAIR BRUSH
ROLLER BRUSH

My 8 Fave Beauty Products Right Now

I've recently tried a couple of new beauty products to make my morning routine a little quicker + easier and I've been pleasantly surprised by how well they're working for me! I've never been one to spend hours layering on makeup and I really don't want to start now. But, I have always tried to do a semi-good job at covering blemishes and making myself feel more "put together".

One thing I've always struggled with, but have never really tried to remedy, is my eyebrows. I'm a pretty light blonde. Not super light but, nowhere close to being brunette. So, my eyebrows and lashes have always been fairly light as well. It's kind of a pain and so, recently, I've been looking for products to use that help define and make them stand out a bit more. I think I may have actually found a few things I love.

#1 Physician's Formula Feather Brow

Literally all you do is swipe it on and then highlight your brow line. That's it. I used to gel then powder my  brows to fill them in a bit. Not a ton, as you can tell from my outfit posts, I don't like them to be super dark or unnaturally thick. I just want them to be consistent and visible. This does the trick perfectly for me. I've been using it on days that I'm just at home as well to give myself a little self-esteem boost (and so I don't scare the UPS and Mail Carrier so much..). 

#2 Hard Candy Color Correct Expert Creme

My skin has been unusually touchy lately and that means (unfortunately) more breakouts than I'm used to having. (Maybe it's a getting older thing, maybe it's a post-nursing thing? I dunno..) I found this and decided to try it out and it works surprisingly well! The green is supposed to cancel out deep red and I've used it to cover some pretty embarrassing spots the past few months. All I do is dot it where needed, use a brush to smooth it out (not too much though) then cover with a normal nude correcting concealer and bam. Done. I usually use it as a beginning step in my makeup routine and then, sometimes I'll dot again at the end if my brushes have smoothed it a bit too much. 

#3 Almay Smart Shade Pressed Powder

This is a great, easy to apply and blend pressed powder and I love how natural it looks. It's not heavy but it controls oil well also. Perfect for my just, unordinary skin situation right now. But, I'll probably continue using it in the future as well! I used to use Flower brand powder foundation and, while I really loved it, it seemed like it didn't always last very long, depending on what I was doing. This is great in that respect. 

#4 Flower Daily Brightening Undereye Cover Cream

I love this stuff. I've been using it for a few months now and it's just now about time to replace it. Just one swipe under your eye gives you a good amount and, after a little blending with a brush, provides cover and concealer for those dark undereye circles all day. I usually blend it in and then swipe the brush on my eyelids for a little extra coverage there as well. 

#5 Maybelline Nudes Eyeshadow

This is the perfect color palette for seriously any look. I use the third from the left, top row and second from the right, top row as my everyday shades and add the second from the right, bottom row to highlight my brow/upper lid. It's very natural looking but, again, gives me that feeling of "put togetherness" I need to keep my feeling great about myself. Love this.

#6 Rimmel London Sculpting Palette

I recently purchased this and I love how it looks after being applied. I don't do any heavy sculpting/contouring, still yet, I've been very happy with the results of using this. I apply a light layer of 2 on my cheek bone, around my forehead, on the sides of my nose and under my jaw line. Really, a light layer. Then I brush some of 3 on the sides of my cheeks and highlight with number 1 on the tops of my cheeks, top of my nose (swipe down the front) and my chin. Simple and makes a nice impact on the shape of my face.

#7 Physician's Formula Powder Palette Bronzer

Lastly, this is my favorite bronzer right now. I bought it just before our trip to Hawaii to make getting ready a little easier while there and it does the trick. I just brush a little on my cheeks and I'm good to go. I don't use it often, if I'm using the contour palette above then I forgo this step. But, if I want to get together quickly (in the morning before hunting, on days I'm just staying home..) then I use this and I'm set. It gives me a little color and helps me feel less, blah. lol

#8 Eco Tools Makeup Brushes

Also, these are my favorite makeup brushes. I use the second largest to blend my concealer, the largest I use for contouring/blush/bronzer, and the small flat one I use to blend in my eyeliner when it feels a bit too sharp. Love these brushes and they're so soft on my skin. 

So, anyway, those are my most recent beauty picks and I use them all so often. If you're on the lookout for something new to try or just aren't happy with your current routine, I hope you'll find something useful here. Have a very blessed week and I hope you're making lots of headway on your Christmas shopping lists! Only about THREE weeks left!!

Date Night + Some New Beauty Products

| OUTFIT DETAILS |

Pink Blush tunic dress | Pink Blush (site down)

Almost Famous jeans | similar

Liliana cutout heels | Pink Blush (site down)

blush cross body | similar

Pink Enamel Link bracelet

Sometimes your hubby asks you on a last minute date night and, occasionally, you have time to spare after dinner to grab a few blog photos in town. I love going out with my guy, just the two of us, and while it doesn't happen nearly enough, I'm thankful we can make time for it as often as we do. Even if it's just dinner, a little walk down commercial street and a Walmart run to get some new movies, it's nice to spend a little time sans kiddos. 

While fall is still a few weeks away, all of this nsale business has me seriously craving some cooler weather and warmer, richer toned pieces. So, I improvised a little and styled this Pink Blush tunic dress with my favorite distressed skinnies and these pretty Liliana laser cutout heels, although I can't wait to style it with ankle boots soon! I love this look. The floral pattern is one of my favorites right now and the bag and bracelet add just the right amount of blush. 

If you noticed in my last post, I finally got my hair trimmed and evened out a bit and it is growing out really nicely now. It felt kind of short in the back at first but, it grows so fast and I can already tell it's going to be much easier to get long again with this bob style. I tried out a few new beauty products for this post as well and I'm loving them so far. I don't spend a lot on makeup but, I try not to go without the basics either. Here's what I tried for the first time :

I was using one kind of powder foundation that I really loved but then it wasn't in stock when I went to purchase more this last time. So, I decided to try Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Mineral Powder and I am so impressed. It goes on light and smooth and doesn't clog my pores. I've been using it in this humid MO heat and it hasn't "melted" in the slightest and I've noticed improvement in my blemishes. I'll definitely purchase it again. 

I needed new undereye concealer and I was getting tired of what I usually use. I decided to try out the Flower Daily Brightening under eye cream and am so happy I did. It goes on with a little roll, blends well and really does the job. Love it.

Since you're supposed to change out your eye makeup every so often, I figured it was way past time to get something else so I decided to try some new eyeliner and mascara. I chose Almay's Intense i-color gel smooth liner and it is awesome! I love the look it gives. 

Lastly, I tried Almay's one coat thickening mascara and it is the best! I don't know why I never tried it before because it is my favorite of everything I purchased. It doesn't clump or flake and really makes my eyes pop. I have naturally long lashes and they're not really thin either but, the way it covers quickly without all the mess is really great. Definitely a repeat purchase in the future. Besides the items listed above, I used my other everyday products and came up with a look that I was super happy with. Easy everyday routine and easy on the budget. I'll link them below in case you're interested. And, the eye makeup remover I was so excited about when I purchased it is a winner! It is so gentle and really removes everything. 

This date night was one for the books though. We talked, flirted, sat beside each other in a booth at dinner, walked hand in hand looking in shop windows and joked around the whole time. He is my sweetheart and I don't know where I'd be without him. I'm so thankful for the Lord and how he has blessed me with this man and my boys with their daddy. He's a keeper for sure and I love him with all my heart.