D.I.Y. Crystal Hair Clip

       I have a thing for rocks, especially any mineral or polished stone. As a child when we vacationed in Florida, there was a souvenir shop we always frequented, and my parents would allot $20 per kid for trinkets. They had a case full of polished rocks & I would leave each time with a bag of $20 rocks.

As an adult I'm still attracted to them. I hate collecting things and not using them though. This gave me the idea to combine my love of stones and fashion and create some crystal hair clips.

The stones I used for this time actually aren't rocks at all, but a more affordable option of decorative glass rocks that can be found at any craft/home decor store. I feel they're a pretty close match to quartz though. 

This super simple d.i.y takes minutes to do and it looks especially great paired with minimalist fashions!

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Cleanser vs L'Oreal Youth Code Foaming Gel Cleanser

Earlier this year I decided to try out Kiehl's line of facial cleansers. Having heard great reviews of their products, I knew I could not be disappointed.I have oily skin with some redness around the cheeks. The Kiehl's cleanser (1.5% salicylic acid & is 8.4 fl oz ) worked well however it can be a bit pricey at $21 a bottle so once I ran out I decided to find an cheaper alternative. I recently bought the L'Oreal Youth Code foaming cleanser at  $7.99 for 8 fl oz. L'Oreal's product is from the new Youth Code line that claims to improve cell turnover for younger looking skin but removing impurities and exfoliating the skin to reveal luminous, smooth and younger looking skin after each use. This quality gives the product a huge plus. However after trying out both products I would definitely buy the Kiehl's cleanser again instead. Even with a high price the product is well worth the purchase, here's why:

In the end L'Oreal's Youth Code was not as effective as Kiehl's products at removing and preventing acne on my skin. 

Image credit: cvs.com & kiehls.com

Beauty Look: Red Lipstick

Red lipstick has become an iconic, bold shade. When worn the color expresses power and confidence. A classic red lip is timeless as seen on celebrities of the past like Marylin Monroe or of the present: Gwen Stefani, Rihanna and Rita Ora. The red lip trend has increased in popularity over the years that today it can be seen on almost every starlet at least once. Now that the trend is so wearable there are many color option by a wide variety of cosmetic brands. My favorite reds are by MAC. I have tried out Russian Red, Chili, Lady Danger and Ruby Woo. Russian Red is a classic red, that unfortunately I lost on a trip.  Of the four shades, Chili is my overall favorite because it has a warm, brick red shade that is more subtle for everyday wear. Ruby Woo is another favorite and a favorite of MAC buyers because of its blue undertones and the shade looks great on all skin tones. Both Chili and Ruby Woo are matte lipsticks. I find that matte lipsticks, like all MAC shades, have a long lasting wear ability however they can feel a bit dry and hard to get on.  Lady Danger is a bright, vivid coral/orange shade that comes on very easy. 

For those that want a more inexpensive option in the red lip trend. Pictured above are Alverde in 40 Red Love, Revlon Color Burst in 080 Coral, Barry M in 121/307 and L'oreal Infallible Gloss in 320. Alverde is a all natural cosmetic brand. Red Love is a good dark, warm shade however I find that it can feel sticky for a while and it does not last very long. Revlon's Color Burst is a coral, more orange tones lip color. The lipstick's creamy texture allows it to glide on easily. The one drawback with this particular shade is that it does not have the staying power of other colors in the series. The color Barry M's is a classic red that comes on very easy yet does not last so long as the MAC lipsticks. L'oreal's Infallible Gloss is high in gloss and is very long lasting. The shade can be seen on Gwen Stefani in her Settle Down video. 

I'm known to wear some red shade almost everyday. To prepare for the look I exfoliate my lips by rotating a toothbrush in a circular motion over my lips. Then I apply a moisturizing lip balm. My favorite is Smith's Rosebud Slave from Sephora. I leave the lip balm on while I finish my makeup and get dressed. Finally when I'm ready for the lipstick, I blot the excess balm and apply my desired shade. I like to do this before I wear a matte lipstick to prevent any dryness and to make it easier to put on. 

BEAUTY Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap

      Deciding to implement a more natural skincare routine can be beneficial not only to your skin but your overall health. I like the idea of being able to recognize all the ingredients I'm throwing on my skin every day. Making the change can be kinda scary, though! There are so many products out there claiming to be natural, how do you know what's good? And my #1 question: it's all good and nice for someone with nice skin to go natural--who cares, big change! But for someone that has trouble skin, making any skincare commitment can potentially end in disaster. I need something that at least maintains my skin as well as the chemical ridden products I'm used to. I found an affordable answer to this at my local Target. They now carry a brand called Shea Moisture and their African Black Soap blemish fighting line is available in a nice set including a face scrub, lotion, mask, and cleansing bar for a jaw dropping $16! If you've looked into natural organic skincare at all, you know that stuff does NOT come cheap. Here's what the brand claims:

    1)No Parabens 2)No Mineral Oil 3)No Phthalates 4)No Formaldehyde 5)No Propylene Glycol 6)No Synthetic Fragrance 7)No Paraffin 8)No Synthetic Color 9)No PABA 10)No DEA 10)No Animal Testing 11)No Animal Ingredients 12)Ethically Traded 13)Sustainably Produced

                                                                 

Christopher Shannon S/S 2014 Glitter Hair

        London Fashion Week for the Menswear Collections is a new installment in the fashion calendar. While it is only a few seasons in, the shows always offer some of the most creative collections. One of those that stood out was Christopher Shannon. The collection offered up a lot of brightly colored sportswear, but the glittery hair is what really drew our attention. Wonderland Magazine posted a quick 3 step process to achieve this eccentric hair look. Using their tips we recreated the look:

We decided to purchase inexpensive products that can be found at any drugstore or supermarket. Wonderland suggests using the Fudge brand hair products.

Recreating this hair trend can be extremely messy, so we recommend doing it outside or in a bathroom. Also it is a good idea to tape some foil or plastic wrap around your face and neck to catch any stray glitter. This is a very important step because it is very difficult to completely remove any glitter from your skin.

image credit: dazeddigital.com