The Essence of Herbel Essence

Oh the drams of curly hair! I have the funkiest of locks, they are straight-ish at the roots and at about ear length they start to grow in a wavy, curly, stringy sort-of style, ugh! It's such a doozy to style! In order for my hair to look half way decent I have to take the time (at least an agonizing hour) to straighten straight it with a flat iron, or curly curl it with a curly iron. What girl has the time for that everyday, especially on top of a skin treatment and make up application routine!?! For the rushed days on the run (which for me are most days) I need a quick style that looks presentable for work but is versatile enough for a cocktail hour afterwards, I never know where the day may take me.

That's why I use Herbal Essence hair care products. For starters my hair is as dry and coarse as straw, I need a shampoo and condition that will moisturize and hydrate my hair giving it the silky shine we all want. For this I use Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner. No need to over do the hair washing with these products, once every other day or every two days is enough to quench the thirst of my dehydrated do.

For a quick style in a snap I enhance my waves/curls with Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse. To give my hair some volume I will tease the top of my crop and proceed with scrunching in the mousse starting with the ends of my hair working towards the top but not getting it into the teased portion, other wise that will just turn into a sticky rat's nest of a mess.

I will then give the hair some more hold by using Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Curl Scrunching Gel, this holds the curls in place and also gives them some extra shine. 

To then keep the top teased portion of my hair from coming undone I will spray it with Herbal Essence Tousle Me Softly Tousling Hair Spray. And Voila! Hair is done for the day!

I know this whole process sounds daunting but it really only takes like 10 minutes, and it turns out a little something like this, look below!

Definitely not as good as if I were to spend some real time straightening, curling, or styling it but it's good enough for when I'm on the go! 

Be sure to check out the beauties featured in my photos! 

Melissa at ahoneylust.blogspot.com

Sarah at skullsandkisses.blogspot.com

Back to Beauty Basics

There are 2 vital beauty treatments everyone must include in their beauty routine in order to stay beautiful. The best part about them is that there free! Water & Sleep!

Water keeps your skin hydrated and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Dehydrated skin loses it's elasticity and can begin to sag. Water also eradicates dark under eye circles and sunken eyes, so drink up ladies! And how much is just enough to keep yourself hydrated and fabulous? Don't doctors say at least 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day? Yes! That's what's recommended but everything we drink does go towards that minimum so don't panic if everything you drink isn't water, but water is the best choice!

And who doesn't love their beauty sleep?! Don't skimp yourself on the sleep, it's scientifically proven that people who get enough sleep at night appear more attractive than those who are sleep deprived. Not getting enough sleep changes your hormones and metabolism causing you to age quicker! Yikes! Generally 7-9 hours per night is the recommended amount of sleep an adult should get in order to be refreshed, rejuvenated  and ready to go the next day!

The Tricks to Tans; Do's and Don'ts

Every girl wants a bronzing glow especially if its swim suit season, the trick is to not over do it. Because of the risks and dangers of tanning beds I personally only use spray tans to add a little color to my skin. I've found that during the Winter time my tanning regimen doesn't have to be as strict as during the Spring and Summer because so much of my skin is covered during the cold Winter months here in the NW. BRRR!!

A few things to consider when spray tanning include your hair color and your natural skin complexion. As you can see in the picture below when I traveled to Arizona to visit my best friend away at college I went a little cray cray with the spray spray HAHA! With my red hair my skin has an orange tinge to it not giving enough contrast between my hair and skin color. It also looks completely unnatural for me to be this dark, as my true complexion is no were near that color. One of the tricks to keep in mind when spray tanning is to enhance your natural complexion not try to completely change it.

And here I am with my tanning habits a bit more toned down to a more natural but bronzey look. I have a tinge of color but there is still plenty of contrast between my hair and skin keeping me from appearing all orangey like. Below I am only about 1 - 2 shades darker than my natural skin as oppose to 5-10 shades darker HAHA!

And here I am all natural on New Years! Sometimes you just gotta toss the tans and be yourself! 

Mint Green with Envy

Check out Sally Hansen's Mint Sorbet nail  polish! It makes your nails look like candy! Get some or be green with envy, this nail polish is fabulous! It goes on smooth and dries quickly, it also lasts long. Which is good for me because I am harsh on my hands between all the typing and dishes I do during the day. This nail polish can be found at stores such as Target or Fred Meyer and is reasonably priced at about $2.50/bottle. Yay!!

Jule's Judgement: 5 out of 5 lipsticks

Dare I?

Check these babies out! I came across these fabulous shoes the other day while perusing the internet and instantly fell in love! I am a sucker for studs and anything stylish with some edge. Heelless platforms tend to freak people out but it's all an illusion and they do in fact give plenty of support. I'm debating whether or not I dare purchases these puppies, what do you think?

These curved wedge booties can be ordered online at urbanog.com

Let me be straight with you

Taming this curly haired beast can be a challenge. Whether I have short hair or long, to straighten my hair it seems to take foreva! Curly hair is great but sometimes I feel like I want some straight haired swag every now and then, what helps ease the hair straightening process is the Chi. I have used many hair straighteners in my day and the Chi has to be my fav! What I love about the Chi is it heats up quickly and instantly gives you silky smooth hair, it only has one heat setting so you don't have to worry about cranking it to low, medium, high or whatever.

Chi Hair Straightener 

Before with my natural curly do 

Me with straight haired swag

Short 

Here I am tanorexic with straight hair! Yikes! HAHAHA Stay tuned for my blog post on the Tricks to Tans; Do's & Don'ts 

Jule's Judgement: 5 out of 5 lipsticks

Walk through the Red Door, and see what it has to offer!

Elizabeth Arden's fragrance Red Door is an oldie but a goodie! I first tried this wonderful perfume last August when my fiance surprised me with it for my birthday! Such a lucky girl I am! This classic scent exudes glamour, elegance, and sophistication. I squirt 1-2 sprays on in the morning and it lasts all day! This signature scent is a mix of floral, sandalwood, and honey. It also comes in an adorable red door bottle. Get some and enjoy!

Jule's Judgement: 5 out of 5 lipsticks:

The Bigger the Better, and Yes! They are Real!

When it comes to eyelashes my motto is "The bigger the better!" I love big, thick, long, fluttering lashes! Here are my top 3 picks for mascara that give you the big gal lash look you're going for without having to apply fake lashes.

1. MAC Zoom Lash

2. Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara

3. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara

Boom, Boom, POP!

I love my girls nights! Whether it be getting dolled up and going out on the town or keeping it casual and low key by spending some time at the local karaoke bar. Last night was definitely one of those low key nights. Just because I'm going to be keeping it casual for the night doesn't mean my look has to be boring. Here I am wearing all black with a white t-shirt however, I added a POP of color with my neon pink shoes.

• Black hoodie: H&M
• White soul vibe shirt: Forever21
• Black skinny jeans: Target
• Neon pink flats: Trend Shoes

The beauty next to me is fierce & fabulous! Check Melissa out at ahoneylust.blogspot.com

It's a Crime Not to Prime

Prior to my daily make up application there are 2 steps I religiously follow; prime the eyelids & prime the face. Just like you prime a wall before painting it, you must prime your face before "painting" it. Primer helps create a barrier between you skin and make up, it moisturizes & refreshes your skin, and helps your make up  to stay put all through out the day, which for me can sometimes last up to 16 hours!

First I apply my face primer, I use Benefit's Porefessional. This product not only comes in an adorable package, it reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines. The translucent formula compliments all skin tones and takes away any dreaded oil and shine that make up foundation can cause.

Second I prime my eyelids, me being the die hard Urban Decay fan that I am, use Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This primer comes in 4 different shades that can serve the dual purpose of being an eyeshadow or highlighter. This primer prevents your eye make up from smudging or creasing and lasts up to 24 hours! FABULOUS!!

Jule's Judgement: 5 our of 5 lipsticks

Big Haired Diva

When it comes to hair, I'm all about being bold and making a statement. I have rocked short hair and long hair. Currently I am rocking a longer style, one thing is for sure though, whatever style I sport it's going to be red and it's going to be BIG!

Short

Long

All Over the Place on Vacation 

Wigs are fun too! Pink for Halloween

A Poof for Christmas

These Divas are "Hairspirational!"

Don't be afraid just let your hair down (or up) and have some fun with it!