Hair care- part 2

Yesterday I discussed at length my choices for shampoo and conditioner. I also plugged Aubrey Organics, my choice for all things hair-related. I want to continue that today because I have some other great finds from the site. What good does a good conditioner do you if you hair still needs taming from styling products, right?

I am a curly-haired girl (and I refuse to straighten it- not everyone looks good with straight hair. I just end up looking like a chubby cheeked version of Cher.) So some form of hair gel is a must. But I am very picky- I don't want crunchy or crisp hair. I don't want the wet look even when my hair has long been dry. I want soft, shiny, defined curls that look healthy. And frizz must be kept to a minimum.

Tall order, right? Well two products from Aubrey Organics deliver. B5 Design Gel is a "Styling gel and conditioner in one! Herbal gums and vitamin B-5 (a natural hair thickener) offer body and hold, and Organic Rosa Mosqueta® and other herbs deep-condition and help protect hair from sun and blow dryer damage," according to the website. Mandarin Magic Ginkgo Leaf and Ginseng Root Hair Moisturizing Jelly contains "eight hair-nourishing Chinese herbals, plus hair-thickening vitamin B-5 and herbal gums add up to one superb styling product that moisturizes as it holds. Adds body and shine without weighing down the hair."

It may sound like the Moisturizing Jelly is like a true hair gel, holding the curl, but it is the other way around, in my experience. The moisturizing jelly does just that, it moisturizes and makes my hair super soft. The B5 Design Gel provides a whole lot of hold though. In fact, at the beginning when I experimented with these products for the first time, I went overboard with the B5 Design Gel and got a mild case of helmet head, where each curl was crunchy and crisp. Not cute.

So now, I have determined the perfect combination/ratio of the two (for me and my hair, anyway.) I put a quarter size-half dollar size amount of the Moisturizing Jelly in my palm, add only a dime size amount of the B5 Design Gel, and mix together before applying to my hair. I do this a total of 2 - 3 times, depending on weather conditions, humidity, and how much time I feel like spending on my hair. I also disperse it evenly by working on SECTIONS of hair (like top/front, back/sides, and then I flip my hair over and get the bottom/underneath.) It sounds time consuming, but my hair literally only takes 5 minutes in the morning, and most days I am happy enough with it.

Curly hair is tempermental regardless of how you style it, but if you take good care of it, treat it well with good, natural products, and lay off the heat styling and straightening, it tends to behave better. Another important factor is how much you touch/play with curly hair. When styling, don't run fingers through hair- it separates the hair into smaller pieces, creating more volume. (That is, if you have problems with excess volume, like me.) Once it is styled, touch the hair as little as possible- touching will break the curls up, contributing to frizz. And any curly-haired gal will tell you that frizz is the enemy.

Oh, and Aubrey Organics offers all sorts of styling aids- from hairspray to leave in conditioner to curl activator- to style any kind of hair. And you don't have to be a curly head to use the Moisturizing Jelly, it would also work (in smaller amounts) as a leave in conditioner for other types of hair as well.

Do you have curly hair? Have you been hiding it because you just can't get it to look healthy and frizz free? What do you use (whether curly, straight or somewhere in between) to style and care for your hair?

Hair care- part 1

Going natural and organic is important, but it can be so expensive. It leads you to wonder, where do I begin? I will be the first to admit, there are more inorganic/unnatural things in our cleaning regimen (for both house and body) than there are organic/natural ones. But I make it a point to try an all natural method or product if it is cheaper or comparable in price to the one I was using. I stick with it if it turns out as effective or more so than the method/product I used previously.

And that brings me to my shampoo and conditioner. There are people who buy drug store brands because price is all they care about, those that are loyal to certain brands (like Pantene, Garnier, etc) because they think they work the best, and those that only buy salon brands, convinced they are more effective. I have been all these people.

Then, sometimes those people get fed up with the poor results they are getting with all of the above. Maybe they are intrigued by claims made by people who have gone all natural. But when you get to this point, as I did, you aren't sure where to get REALLY all natural products for hair care. Oh, there are plenty of products claiming to be all natural in drugstores, but reading labels is key. Chances are, if you can't pronounce it, it isn't naturally-occurring.

Having given up on products I had tried from the store, I searched the internet. That is where I found Aubrey Organics.

I have dry, coarse, curly hair with frizzy tendencies, so I chose my shampoo and conditioner based on that. However, they do have choices for oily hair, straight hair, normal hair, etc. Every kind of hair under the sun.

I wanted the products to calm my sometimes itchy scalp, clean off any residue from styling products, moisturize and detangle, and provide daily nourishment. The ones I have tried did all that. I am a huge fan of the White Camellia line, as well as the Jojoba and Aloe Desert Herb line. Both smell clean and herbal- nothing too strong. They rinse clean but still leave my hair soft, and de-tangled. Everything on the ingredient list is recognizeable. I am also quite satisfied with the price, considering the change in results I have seen since switching my products- most of the shampoos and conditioners are $10 for an 11 oz bottle, which lasts me forever. That's another thing about all natural products- since they get the job done right, I don't have to keep masking any damage done to my hair with more conditioner, styling products, etc.

What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use? Do you buy and use them as a matching set? Do you try to use all natural/organic products?

Not at my most stylish....

Lately (the past week and a half) I have had to wear my glasses and not wear much makeup. The reason: my eye. Last week it was really sensitive to light, but the sensation came and went. Over the weekend, it got pretty bad, and the burning kept me awake. My eye is red and irritated-looking, but no, it is not pink eye or anything else contagious. I have a few theories: a blood vessel popped from stress or not getting enough sleep, or (as Chris suggested) I accidentally poked myself in the eye and scratched it.

I know, what does this have to do with style, beauty, fashion, etc, right? Well, I have had to wear my glasses, which only brings back memories from high school of feeling like a nerd. And to stop anything from possibly causing further irritation, I haven't been wearing any makeup. No foundation, as it could get in my eye. No mascara. Nothing. So I kinda feel.... naked.

Last week, I thought maybe I could use the need for glasses as a reason to dress like one of those sexy librarians. I wore a satiny frilly top with black trousers and heels. Not only did I not succeed with feeling sexy, I was also really warm and uncomfortable whenever I left the extreme air conditioning of my work environment.

Ever have days like this? How do you deal when you don't feel like the best version of yourself? The good news is that it seems to be getting better.

Spending Freeze

You know to what I am referring. No spending, no buying anything unnecessarily, unless it is grocery shopping, I will not be entering any stores.

Not that I did a whole lot of shopping before. I mean, compared to some of my counterparts, I am tame. But it has been declared out loud this time. Other than bills (and savings) no money will be leaving the checking account. And all because...? Because a lot (A LOT) of work is going to be done to the house in the next month. The kind of work that involves knocking down walls. Raising roofs. (Literally.) Ripping fixtures out. And all that takes money.

Normally I will not even realize when it has been a long time since I last bought something frivolous. But when I declare a spending freeze on myself, I become painfully (PAINFULLY!) aware. Suddenly, I NEED purses. Shoes. Sunglasses.

I know, I know. All in my head. And it's for a good cause. My house will look better for it in the end. Yea yea.

Having my house in disarray will not help matters, of course. I will be looking for any reason to get out, and shopping won't be an option.

Petty? Probably. Whiny? Mhmm. Petulant? Definitely. But hey, at least I can admit it, right? And I can tell myself that while I am not making myself more stylish, I am making my house more so!

Do you ever put yourself on spending freezes?

Bruno on the Today Show

All I have to say is wow. Check it out:

I have chic friends

At a recent party for a friend's engagement I was wowed by the style some of my friends have. Just look at these outfits:


Above is Tiffany, and she gave me the lowdown on (almost) her entire outfit.
Dress: Free People
White corduroy jacket (pictured on her below): American Eagle
Purse (a lookalike of the timeless Coco Chanel chain shoulder bag): Etsy

Can you believe Tiffany scored this purse on Etsy for only $12?? It is vintage and real leather. Love!

I am unsure about the shoes and belt, but she is right on trend for this season with both. Wedges and espadrilles made of natural materials always work for summer, but there is definitely a focus on them this year. The belt is brown and leather, and is perfect for giving this sweet and girly flower print some edge.


On the right is Candice, who always manages to look beautiful. She obviously knows you can't go wrong with the little black dress. I forgot to ask her where she found it, but it looked great on her, especially paired with her sky high strappy platforms!


This is Brittany, our host and the guest of honor for the event. She said the dress is BCBG, and the shoes are Manolos. Aren't they beautiful??? I wanted to rip them off her feet!

Do you have stylish friends too?

I tried it- Mixing patterns

I think Michelle Obama has GREAT fashion sense. Whether you agree with her husband's politics or not, you can't deny that. Take this look for example:


The rule used to be that mixing patterns was a definite no- that it would look too "busy." But as The Girls in the Fashion Department put it, "This is such a simple, wearable way to do the pattern mixing thing. She sticks with one color palette, keeps it summery and fresh, and doesn't complicate things with the rest of her accessories."

I wasn't going for the exact same look, complete with pearls, however. I wanted my outfit to have a bit more edge.


I wore a loose, flower-print spaghetti strap blouse from Old Navy, bermuda shorts from Old Navy, and the striped cardigan is New York and Company. Wedge sandals are from Nine West, bangle bracelet is from NY, and the skull-and-bones ring is Lucky. What do you think?

I tried it! the boho- hippie look

I got this dress for- get this- $20. Yes, twenty dollars. TJ Maxx is a treasure trove.

The little bolero jacket is from The Limited- I got it forever ago, but it has served me well.

The bangle bracelets are Aldo Accessories- I wanted some color since the rest of the outfit was black, white and gray.

I wore my gladiator sandals and my purple fringed purse, natch. This is probably the most comfortable outfit I own!

Gypsy girl

I wore this skirt because it is so damn comfortable. And the volume is very... "forgiving." But I knew I needed to balance out the volume by wearing something more form fitting on top. I wore heels in hopes of giving me some height and lengthening the legs, but I may have picked the wrong ones. I wanted a nude colored shoe, but these are more pink. What do you think?

I wore a cocktail ring, some chandelier earrings you can't see in the picture and my watch and wedding rings. My husband says I should have gone a little crazy with the accessories, and looking at this picture I kind of agree. I just didn't want to overwhelm my frame since the skirt was so big to begin with, haha.

I tried it- the boyfriend shirt

I love the trend of stealing your boyfriend's (or husband's in my case) clothes- I think it looks so easy and casual, and not like you are trying too hard. Almost as though you just woke up late, needed to find some clothes quick and run out the door.

I had such a morning last week, and figured it was as good a time as any to try the trend.

Here is how it turned out:




Now here is my train of thought for the look: I like how Rhianna tucks hers into skinny jeans or shorts. However, I can't wear shorts to work- it just wouldn't be appropriate- and when wearing something loose on top I try to keep things tight or form fitting on the bottom, and vice versa. It is all about proportions and balance for me, especially since I am only 5' (and a 1/4 inch) tall!

So I wore mine with leggings. But then I belted the shirt so it wouldn't look like a tent. I wore flats because I thought heels might hint at the first time this kind of look was around- the 90s- and I wanted it look more up to date. My husband suggested heels would help with the proportions though, so I am going to play around with that more next time...

I am also going to play around with the accessories/jewelry. I only wore stud earrings, my watch, and my wedding rings. I want to layer on more, as Rhianna did here.



I wanted to do a makeup look that was similar to Rhianna's- very simple and light- except for those bright red lips. The lip color here, in case you are interested in trying it out, is Nars Bloodwork. Next time, I think I am going to try a more defined and matte lip.

I got one compliment on the outfit at work, but tons more on the lip color!

Bohemian-hippie-chic style

I am loving the Boho-chic style that is so in right now. I think it just epitomizes a carefree lifestyle. It looks eazy-breezy and casual, so that means the clothes have to be comfortable. Here are some ways to pull it off:

First you need a tie-dye maxi dress.


Then add some comfy, flat shoes or sandals....



Fringe on the accessories is always good (just don't go overboard and wear anything and everything with fringe.)


And wear some nature inspired jewelry! I really like the look of these headbands, too.


Bonus points for sunglasses like these- I have been looking everywhere for the perfect pair...




What do you think? Into this trend?

I want I want I want

Lately, I want more clothes, more shoes, more purses, more accessories- this is bad. First, my money should be going elsewhere, like my vacation fund or to pay down debt. Second, I have nowhere to put more stuff. My husband may kill me if the weight of my clothes breaks another closet rod. Third, I don't NEED any of this stuff. And it creates a lot of pollution, manufacturing all these things. And a lot of these things are made from leather, so animals are raised and killed just so I can have another belt. So, let's see if I can satisfy my urge to shop by showing instead of buying, shall we? Let's see how long this lasts.

Orion Ankle Boot at Bakers- it has a 4 1/2 inch heel, it is open toe but still an ankle boot so it could work for multiple seasons, and it is real leather, so it feels like it might last. I will admit that sometimes, the shoes I have gotten at Bakers in the past have just fallen apart- but lately I have had better luck. Plus, the prices are decent and some of their styles are just so bad ass, and I love them.

Professionnel Platinum Angled Foundation Brush #51- Right now I have quite the mix of makeup brushes. I have the ones I got in the Bare Escentuals Starter pack, and I hate those. They are made with real goat hair I believe, but the hairs fall out all the time, especially during makeup application. Annoying. I have a great one for powder foundation from The Body Shop- really soft fake hairs and it has held up very well. And then I have a bunch of drugstore ones, and they are all pretty crappy. The bristles are rough and feel scratchy.I have been doing my research on what brushes I want to get when I am ready, and I think this line is it. It looks like they come in real hair and fake, but I think real hair may be over-rated. It absorbs more of the cosmetic and the hairs seem to fall out more easily. These brushes are made with nylon hairs, which are tapered just like real hairs, and they are super soft to the touch. And the nylon isn't porous like hair is, so less makeup is absorbed into the brush, which I think makes for better application and less cleaning.

For a while I was saying I didn't want any more tshirts because I already had so many and my job is kinda professional so I thought they wouldn't be appropriate. But we don't have a dress code and when in doubt, just throw a blazer over it! I really like the ones I have been seeing at Forever21- they are tissue thin, and the fit is just loose enough. I thought these two were cute (among others)- I really like the simple black and white design and the rocker-chic feel.

I don't think I have the confidence yet to wear the skinny jean but I am thinking maybe I could work up to it. I think they are so versatile and can be flattering if worn and styled correctly. I am hoping by fall, I can wear them without feeling so self conscious.

There's more, but I have to stop somewhere. What have you been wanting lately?

Lady Gaga is insane and I love it

"Gaga called me and said she wanted to be in a wheel chair. She wanted
me to design it and not the prop department. I took it upon myself to
drive to East L.A. and exchange the wheels for some low rider ones. I
ordered some Gucci fabric and handed it over to my genius
friend/designer Michael Schmidt so he could embellish it with Swarovski
crystals. " Lady Gaga's stylist B. Akerlund on the wheel chair in the
"Paparazzi" video, Anthem via Jezebel