Ask the Expert #1: Hair Care

Lately, I've been getting the most outrageous knots in my hair. They get so bad that I like to call them "dread-knots." (Like dreadlocks...get it?) I'm one of those people who doesn't believe in washing my hair every day--I feel that it gets too dried out, and, to be honest, it takes me far too long to blow dry my very long, very thick hair. Now, the dread knots would typically come around after the 2nd or 3rd day of not washing my hair...but, when I don't wash it, I keep it straight, and very often, I end up pulling it back.

The knots would get so bad that I was literally tearing my hair out...to unknot it, I had to rip at it. I was at my wits end.

So, I contacted my favorite hair care professional...the amazing stylist who cuts both my hair and Lauren's hair...Carla!

I asked her what she would recommend to fix my predicament. She told me that she likes to keep haircare simple--she's not a fan of using a ton of product. That being said, she recommended some items to help moisturize, which should help eliminate my dread-knots. At her recommendation, I purchased a new shampoo, conditioner, hair brush, and a shine spray. She also recommended a spray that protects your hair from heat and helps to speed up blow drying--but I had been using this one for a few years, as she had recommended it to me before. (Product links at bottom of post.)

So...I used them. The first time around, I followed the directions on the conditioner and left it in for 3 minutes before rinsing. It made my hair feel like it was heavy--almost like I hadn't washed all of the product out. But, other than that, I was dread-knot free. Day 1...still frizzy, but better. Admittedly, I didn't use the flatiron on day 1. Days 2 & 3 (flatiron now used), no dread-knots. Awesome!

Round 2...I didn't leave the conditioner in for as long...mostly because I zoned out in the shower and forgot. But, my hair didn't feel like it still had product in it. Bonus! I used the flatiron from day 1 this time. By day 3, the dread-knot returned.

Round 3...again, no knots. I also used the flatiron on the second day. Maybe that's the key?

Honestly, I just think I'm in dire need of a haircut. (My ends are so split...probably from ripping out all of my dread-knots.) But, I'm hoping to donate my hair (I did it in June 2012), so I'm looking to avoid getting a haircut.

All in all, I love the shampoo & conditioner. They smell good, they seem to work well, and my hair is soft. The brush is good--it doesn't hurt when I brush it out like it did with my old paddle brush. It's a keeper. I like the heat protecting spray, but I always feel like that it makes my hair more frizzy. But, I use it anyway, as it helps to decrease drying time...and with hair like mine (I swear, it's like a horse's tail it's so thick!) any little help is appreciated! And, the shine spray...well, it makes my hair shiny. What's not to like?

Products:
Nexxus Therappe Shampoo
Nexxus Humectress Conditioner
The Wet Brush
KMS California Free Shape Quick Blowdry Spray
TIGI Bed Head Headrush Shine Spray

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at theaccessorizedlife@gmail.com

Ten Minute Makeup

Let's face, it, if you are like me, you like your sleep.  Therefore, my morning routine usually involves me sleeping as late as possible, then running around trying to jam a million things into my morning so that I can get everything done before I run out the door to get to work.  Over the years I've fine tuned my makeup time down to the second so that I know how much time I need each morning to make myself presentable during my sprint out the door.  I need about 10 minutes each morning to accomplish this. During the weekdays I use the same basic products, I usually just switch out what eyeshadow I use depending on what I am wearing that day.  So here's how I do it!

My Daily Go To Products

The first step for me after I've moisturized my face is to put on foundation. I have a brush that I use to help me with that that's great for getting into all the little angles of my face. For foundation, I've been using a BB Cream from Smashbox, which also helps me in the winter with my dry skin because it has a moisturizer with SPF built in!  (Ladies, we cannot skimp on the SPF, even in the winter!!).

Blending in my foundation

Concealer is my next item I use.  I've been using the same concealer for years; it's from MAC. I use this under my eyes to hide those lovely dark circles! On top of the concealer I just placed under my eyes, I've started using Benefit's Watt's Up. It's a highlighter, and I love how it blends nicely and makes my eyes look awake, even if I'm dead tired.

After making sure all my concealer is blended I move onto my eyes. I like to put on some creme eyeshadow first. The one I use every single day is from MAC Cosmetics.  I usually put the creme shadow on before I have put on my foundation so that I know it's nice and dry and is all set for the powder shadows I'll be using. I find that putting down a creme shadow first helps to hold the eyeshadow on for the entire day.

 
The first color I put on my lid is a darker color (not too dark), and this goes all over my eyelid.  I know this is different from what most people do, but I blend my eyeshadow a lot, which gives the effect of a smoky eye. (Also, I am by no means an expert in this, I just find this works well for me!) Then I put a lighter color, usually with some shimmer all over the darker one and then take my trusty blending brush!

I then finish off the eye look with curling my lashes and applying mascara! I love love love mascara and I never leave the house without it on!

Oh and don't forget about your eyebrows. During the week, I use clear Mascara from CoverGirl Cosmetics to run over the brows so that they stay in place!

Before I'm done, I usually add some sort of blush and/or bronzer just to give my skin a nice healthy glow for the day.

Adding some bronzer on this day 

Finishing up! 

And Voila! I'm done and out the door. Weekdays are not days to experiment with new products. These are days you need to throw some makeup on and get out the door!  Once you figure out the products that work best for you, you too can whip your look together in 10 minutes or less!

Ready to take on the day! 

Hopefully I've inspired you to streamline your morning makeup routine, or I've helped you learn that simple morning makeup is possible! If you want more information on the products I love, click on the links below! 

Naked Palette
MAC Concealer
MAC Paint Pot
L'Oreal Million Lashes
Benefit's Watt's Up!
Covergirl Mascara
Sephora's Eyelash Curler

Love, 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at theaccessorizedlife@gmail.com

Winter Skincare

Ladies, as we get older, taking care of our skin should be a top priority for everyone.  In the last couple of years, I've realized how important this is and I've started looking for the best creams/moisturizers/scrubs, etc. for my skin type.  It also means I've developed a skin routine that I stick to no matter how tired I am at night, or how much time I truly have during the morning.

I have normal to dry skin.  My normal skin becomes very dry in the winter.  This following post is about my skin and how I handle it; if your skin is different, do not follow this routine.

When the temps drop outside, my skin starts to feel like the Sahara Desert by the end of the day, no matter how much moisturizer I've used!  I've spent a lot of time combating this, and it feels like as I get older, my skin gets dryer.  It also means that during the winter I go through moisturizer like it's my job.

The first thing I do is try to drink plenty of water throughout the day. I'll admit, I'm not always great at this.  But I try really hard.

Recently, I read in a magazine article that some well known celebrity only washes her face at night.  For someone with normal to dry skin, it made a lot of sense to me.  So in the morning, when I shower, I just rinse my face with warm (not hot) water.  After my shower, I use 4 drops of the Josie Maran 100% Aragan Oil first, slathering it all over my face and neck, really massaging it in. It soaks in pretty fast usually 2-3 minutes.  Then I put on my go-to daily moisturizer, Aveeno Positively Radiant.  I do the combination of the oil and moisturizer twice a day, morning and night, which has helped my skin to no longer feel tight and dry skin by the end of the day.  After about 5 minutes, I then use my Sephora eye cream for under my eyes (dark circles and laugh lines).  I looked long and hard for an eye cream that soaks in quickly but is effective on those fine lines, and I was so happy when I received this Sephora eye cream as a tester in one of my many Sephora purchases.  This eye cream has really done wonders for me.  Now, during this time, I'm usually picking out my outfit, accessories, moisturizing the rest of my body (I use Aveeno body lotion), doing my hair, etc. it's definitely about making the best use of my time in the morning, so I take care of my skin and don't run late.  After everything has soaked in, that's when I put on my makeup (that is for another time, another post!!)

The Products I use Daily (Links below) *

At night, the first thing I do is take my makeup off.  To do that, I use Neutrogena Makeup removal wipes, which I find to be the best at getting off all my makeup, including mascara. Then once the makeup is off, I wash my face with a gentle daily scrub, Aveeno Positively Radiant Scrub.  Usually, about once a week, I use my Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing Brush, which helps to really exfoliate my skin.  I find for my skin type I only need to use it once a week. After my skin is nice and clean I go through the same steps as the morning for moisturizing.

The adding of the oil twice a day has helped tremendously in keeping my skin soft and dewy all day long.  I'm left with the softest skin and I love the healthy glow my skin has during the winter.

So that's it... That's how I make sure that even in the winter months and freezing temps, my skin looks radiant!  I hope this helps those out there looking for products that will work for your skin type.

Josie Maran

Aveeno Moisturizer

Sephora Eye Cream

Neutrogena Makeup Remover

Aveeno Daily Scrub

Olay Pro-X

*Neither TAL or I receive anything from these companies, I'm just sharing with all of our loyal and beautiful readers the products that I love and use.  

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at theaccessorizedlife@gmail.com