The Beauty of Birchbox

 

Words cannot express the excitement that filled my heart as I walked up to my porch and saw a little pink box hiding in my mail. Two words (maybe one?)  that make the middle of my month 100% happier: BirchBox.  This is an absolutely genius company that has put together these special boxes that deliver a variety of hand-picked products,  from lip and cheek stains, facial masks, ear buds, even designer Band-Aids, for $10/month. Crazy, right? I know people who spend $10/week on soda! $10/month for fabulous new beauty products to try each month? It’s a win win for everyone.

 You can influence the type of products that you receive by checking the things you like on their website: www.birchbox.com, but I genuinely LOVE not having a clue what is coming to me. The packaging of Birch Box is impressive, with its quality little box, and pink ribbon, AND makes opening it up all the more exciting. Clearly, I have a thing for packaging. Inside you will find products, with explanations of what each are, and what they are for. If you happen to want full size of any of your samples, you can hop on over to their site and order them! You also receive very cool perks like points, by referring friends, which turns into money you can use to purchase full size products!

 Another cool side of BirchBox is they also have an online magazine/blog, where you can read articles they have written about the hottest designer products, as well as very cool new and upcoming beauty companies: ALL FOR FREE. This month the site hosts articles directly written for BirchBox from Glamour Magazine; BirchBox teamed up with Glamour, whose July issue features the 5 senses.  My BirchBox  reads : See it, hear it, taste it, touch it, smell it. Yes, you guessed it, I received products to … see, hear, taste, touch and smell! So, the crowd consensus, well, my consensus, is that BirchBox is pretty much amazing, and now I have to leave you with this review to go dive into my little box of goodies. My recommendation? Apply for your membership now! You might be put on a wait list, and they will send you an invitation. I just happen to have a pretty cool editor who did all the hard work for me, and I get to enjoy all the benefits of this fabulous company.

 

** As always, please check out the magazine I write for and post lots of happy comments! A portion of this article can be found at the following address: http://datenightmag.com/story/beauty-budget-beauty-birchbox 

Also, don't be lead astray by the name, it houses a lot of awesome articles, not only on dating, but also on restaurants, salons, traveling, etc, so check it out! **

 

How to avoid looking like 'The Walking Dead'

Summer in Georgia; the sweltering heat is horrible enough to send me running for the hills… or, Alaska, at least. There are 4 absolutely miserable months in Georgia where there is really no use putting makeup on, or attempting to do your hair. As a Midwesterner, gracefully enduring the summer, without  looking like I am auditioning for a role in ‘The Walking Dead,’ is an effort.  I am always on the hunt for a solution to looking ‘put together’, with as little makeup as possible. I have gone through all of the self-talk of ‘Who needs makeup? Natural beauty is in!’ Don’t get me wrong, it is. I applaud women for feeling beautiful without makeup. I find it empowering, but the truth is, either way, I LOVE MAKEUP. It’s truly a joy in my life. However, for 4 months out of the year, I have a 5 minute makeup rule; seriously.  Are you ready for my trick? Stains; thank me later.

No this is not a plug for the show, however so I never get
any legal notices, and all that jazz, here's where I got the pic:
 http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead

I have written previous articles on various lip stains, but I wanted to go even further and try out a product introduced to me by a very fabulous client on her wedding day! (Thanks a bunch Ashley!) Here enters my favorite stain : Posie Tint. It comes in an obnoxious metallic pink container that looks like it should be applied to your fingernails, not your lips and cheeks.  Unscrew the top, and it is COTTON CANDY PINK. Yuck, right? Surprisingly, it gives you the most perfect ‘glow’ with a hint of pink on your cheeks and lips that make you honestly look like you are just naturally flushed. I love it. Apply the product  to your fingers first and then rub it into your cheeks in a circular motion, and out toward your hairline. I wouldn’t apply directly with the brush, to your cheeks, remember, it is a STAIN. However, I do apply directly to my lips, however, due to the brush, the application can be messy, and if you aren’t careful, you can look like that sweet older woman who insists on drawing her lips up to her nose. The down side is the price tag. At $30, it is definitely a splurge for this bargain hunter. However, I purchased mine in February, and I still have a good amount left. Face it ladies, most of us spend more than that on Starbucks in a month.

As you know, I am slightly obsessed with Birchbox, and could not have been ANY MORE excited when I found a new stain to try in my latest delivery! It is called Stainiac, by The Balm, and mine came in ‘Beauty Queen.’ I was a little put off by the color initially. Beauty Queen is a bright ruby red and I had no desire to emulate the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe’s infamous lips. However, much to my surprise, the color is incredibly subtle, and because it is a gel consistency, unlike the Posie Tint, which is much more of a liquid, it is very easy for beginners, and you can layer it until you accomplish the desired effect! I used it on my cheeks as well and could not have been any happier with the result. The best? Its half the price of Posie Tint!

My favorite trick with these stains is to apply first, and then throw a light powder on top of them to blend. I don’t want to look like I am wearing blush or lipstick, I just want to look like I have some color, and have made a bit of an effort. My stain, a little powder and my favorite mascara, and I am truly down to a 5 minute makeup routine, that looks put together and, yes, keeps me from having the whole ‘melting skin’ effect that this heat often produces, even on the best of us makeup connoisseurs. Enjoy and Happy Summer! 


Minor update: After searching out a host of images for this article, I decided you guys were better spared from me including a zombie apocalypse picture. Gross. I had the opportunity to work on one of the 'Zombies,' although, for a different movie, not for 'The Walking Dead,'- prior to my understanding of what this show was.
Needless to say, after she showed me pictures on her phone of what she looked like in full- face eating zombie gear... I was thankful I wasn't working on THAT movie. :)

"I want the skin of a 15 year old teenage boy!" -said no one, ever.

I must give credit where credit is due.
I stole this picture from Aveda, because
I have been trained by the Aveda Institute.
What a better company that to take a
beautiful skin care picture!

I always felt that I was blessed when it came to lack of skin issues. I went through all of High School without anything more than a mild break out... once a month. No scaring, no serious issues, no visits to the dermatologist. I was lucky.

Then enters the late 20's. WHAT IN THE WORLD?! All of the sudden I am walking around with the face of a 15 year old boy, and praying that I don't look like a total jerk while shopping in sunglasses. I freaked out. Anybody with me? I didn't know how to handle a break out on my own face, even though I'd been giving advice about it for years! I knew how to educate YOU if your skin was breaking out, but there is a whole new level of humility that comes around when you go through it yourself. While I am not an esthetician, and am in NO WAY qualified to create a treatment plan for skin that needs help, I WAS lightly trained in skin care, and the basic needs. Plus, lets face it... anything we are passionate about, we research, and once my face started going haywire, I hit the books, blogs, and q and a'd with professionals, so I could truly understand what was going on! However, I have always felt that experience is the best education.

Recently I was emailed by one of my closest friends, who was in the same situation, and freaking out just as much! She wrote me quotes such as "my face has started breaking out like no other, and nothing is helping clear it up.."  and "it makes me feel so ugly..."

Do I ever understand. Its true, and so heart breaking that a change in our skin can truly affect us so devastatingly. I understood, because I, too, could say my breakouts made me feel ugly! So I thought- this is a great opportunity for my readers! I wanted to include my advice in a blog, because I have recently made some changes in my own skin care and they have worked!

1. Don't touch your face with your hands, ever. (apparently... this made her laugh.)
2. Switch out your pillow case often. I think once a week is sufficient.
3. Never work-out with makeup on. If you can, wash your face prior to your work-out. Also, wash your face immediately after working out while your face is still warm and your pores are still open. Last- while you are working out, never wipe your sweat with your hand. Use a clean towel, or your shirt if you must.
4. Drink a lot of water, and don't just say "I do,"- truly monitor it. When I did, I was completely surprised that I wasn't taking in as much as I thought I was.
5. When you are drying your face, use a clean towel, or one that you use ONLY for your face.
6. When washing your face, wash your hands first!
7. Last- use a line. Face wash + moisturizer, or face wash + toner + moisturizer. Whatever you can faithfully do every morning and every night. I am busy busy busy, so that extra step of toner, is not something I am going to do, although I know the benefits of it (balancing the ph in your skin, removing excess cleanser), it may be something I do eventually, but right now, if I can faithfully wash and moisturize my face, I'm good.

I hope this helps. In a week, after my friend has tried the skin care line I am using, and I get her results, I'm going to blog about what it is that has truly changed my skin... and get this, it was $10. I know you are stoked.


Please remember this- our skin, our makeup, and our hair are fabulous decorations, but they are not WHO we are. I am not devaluing what they are, because they have been my passion, my career, and ultimately a huge portion of my life, but they are things that change and age. I was taken back by my friends comment that it made her feel ugly, because I realized.... my skin made me feel the same way, and I never realized it. Chances are... no one else is seeing your break outs, but they are HUGE to you (mine are to me), because we obsess and look at them, and we are convinced that is all someone sees. Believe me. They don't. And sweet friend... you are beautiful inside AND out, and remember that.

Have a beautiful day!

Summer Bronzy love...

If you are not rocking a perfect summer tan... then you are probably like me... rocking a perfect summer fake tan with bronzer. :)

Just have to spill the beans on my new favorite bronzer. It doesn't have the brown/orange/red tones that leave us looking a little Jersey Shore Happy, but it DOES have just enough shimmer to still look great, and not mimic the teen wannabe's.

Enjoy. It costs a whopping $3.00, I purchased it at Target (http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=elf+golden+bronzer&category=0%7CAll%7Cmatchallpartial%7Call+categories)

And yes. It is ELF. Dust some of it not only on your cheeks, forehead and nose... but across your collarbone. Thank me later for falling in love. :)

e.l.f Golden Bronzer

Happy Summer.

My review of Pantene Pro-V

I committed a hair sin. I have spent 10 years in the hair industry listening and thus teaching my clients three very important words: “Never use Pantene.”  There is loads of information about what it does to your hair, but I thought, “Hey, let me try this out.” So, for 30 days the only shampoo and conditioner that touched my head was Pantene Pro-V.

What I noticed immediately was that wonderful smell! I remembered that smell from childhood. When I was growing up, Pantene Pro-V was the “expensive” shampoo. It lathers well, and leaves my hair feeling silky smooth… while it is still wet. In the first two weeks, I felt as if I had been fooled. Was it possible that I had taught a vicious lie to my clients for years? Was it possible that Pantene Pro-V could actually transform my hair into all of the spokeswomen and models’ hair, I saw in the commercials? Hey, Stacy London from What Not to Wear uses it, right? At least she SAYS she does…

Unbeknownst to me at the time, my hair was slowly unraveling. At the end of week 2, I had developed a layer of “scabs” if you will, across my scalp! I had huge pieces (I know, sick, but at least I’m honest) of my scalp peeling off, and wearing ANY dark colors became a thing of the past.  My blonde highlights became brassy (orangey-yellow tinted); the ends of my hair began to feel dry, and by the end of week 3, I was seriously jonesing for my normal shampoo. However, I continued to use Pantene to give it a fair chance.

 At the end of this “experiment,” my naturally curly hair was breaking around my face.  I had so many split ends that I had to GIVE myself a haircut, which by the way, is a huge no-no in the hair world, even if you ARE trained to do hair. I had to redo my color, and give myself professional conditioning treatments for 2 weeks to even get my hair CLOSE to the way it felt prior to my Pantene stint. Consensus? DON’T DO IT! It is like hair suicide. At least I can now feel confident that my education was correct, Pantene Pro-V is seriously bad for your hair.

New Years Eve Ready!

It is that time of the year again! My top products to get you New Year’s Eve Ready!

First off, lets address what you should NOT do. Do NOT decide to suddenly exfoliate your entire body, two days before. It takes a day or so for the impurities in your skin to show up. If you are exfoliating, do it at least a week before.

Do not decide to suddenly change your skin care for a new “glow.” If you have an allergic reaction for some reason, you will definitely have a glow, just not the kind you want! Think :: Will Smith in Hitch.

Do not decide to try a new hair color… yourself. PLEASE leave this to a professional. There are WAY too many things that can go wrong with coloring your own hair. Believe me, I have spent years fixing my clients’ sudden hair color inspirations.

As long as you avoid those common mishaps, you are in a better position than most to thoroughly enjoy your New Year’s Eve!  Now on to my favorite products for 2011!

1.       Hair: There is nothing better than well-conditioned hair. Make sure to deep condition your hair the day before New Year’s. My current favorite is Salma Hayek’s Nuance line: Black Currant Intense Hydration Hair Mask ($7.99)

2.       Moisturizer for your body: Neutrogena’s Body Oil in Light Sesame. The scent is light enough to layer your favorite perfume on top of.

3.       Foundation:  I always spend more on my foundation. Typically I use Aveda. However, I fell upon this foundation when I realized I had forgotten to pack mine for a very important event. Loreal’s True Match Naturale is a loose mineral foundation that comes with a brush attachment on the top. I never use the attachment, because after one use, you have the potential to contaminate your skin, I.E: acne. It provides GREAT coverage, and if you apply it too heavily, you can buff it out with a powder brush.

4.       Bronzer/Blusher: I am completely obsessed with Salma Hayek’s Cheek Trio in ‘Spice 305.’ It comes with three colors that can create a glow, or a bronzed look. It has a little bit of a sheen to it, so it is a great addition to the apples of your cheeks.

5.       Eye Shadow: I was recently given this amazing gift. Avon has created an “Expert Mega Palette” containing 36 lip glosses, 36 eye shadows, 6 blushes, application brushes, and a mirror, all for $29.99. It is small enough to throw in your purse, and gives you so many options and choices of colors that you simply can’t go wrong. Avon has made a huge come back recently, with celebrities like Ashley Greene to back them. This product was also featured on The View. I love this all in one kit!

6.       Eyeliner: I am a HUGE fan of liquid eye liner. I love the look of Adele’s eye liner and had to try it out. I already had Mac’s gel liner, but always had issues with it smudging. It my opinion, if I spent that much, it shouldn’t smudge. Now I have found the love of my life in eye liner. L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Blackest black. I don’t use a water proof liner, but this does NOT budge!

7.       Mascara: You all know I am HUGE mascara junkie. I am always trying out the newest one I can get my hands on. There is one mascara that has stayed put as a staple in my makeup routine all summer:  Maybelline’s “The Falsies: Volume Express” in blackest black. I apply it from the base of my eyelashes to the very tips, and angle them out slightly to give a “retro” look. It layers well, stays put, and doesn’t clump or flake.

8.       Lip Gloss: My favorite makeup accessory, even when I feel terrible, is lip gloss. In the winter time, I love the look of a glowing complexion. We don’t have the sun to give us a sunkissed look, and I hate the look of bronzer on people in the winter. So, what I love, is a smooth complexion with glowing cheeks and lips. Avon has the perfect color in “Sucked Red.” It comes in a set of 3, and at $7.99 for all three of the glosses together, you can’t beat it.  It is an orangey pink, but it looks great on everybody.

9.       Hair Gloss: I am absolutely in love with Redken’s Argan-6 oil. It is around $20, which is definitely a little more expensive than my typical reviews, but this is a miracle worker for me.  The big hype in the industry right now is all on Moroccan oil. It smells amazing, but personally, it does NOTHING for my hair. I know a lot of stylists that will disagree with me, but I actually had the opposite effect, it dried my hair out. However, Redken’s Argan-6 oil made my hair soft, silky and shiny. It can be applied wet or dry, or both. And because I believe shiny hair a must have, this is a new staple.

10.   Nails: I am the laziest person when it comes to nails, even so, I am in love with Sonia Kashuk’s “Tauped.” It is the perfect shade that changes with what you wear. It can be a brown, a grey, a purple. It’s perfect.

Remember, regardless of your makeup or hair perfection, your beauty absolutely comes from the person you are and the confidence that is a reflection of it.  Let that reflect the gift you truly are to this world, and everything else will fall in place! Happy New Year!!  

Q & A with Date Night! Round 2

Here we go ladies! Round 2 of my monthly Q&A, directly solely by YOU and YOUR questions! I have done my best to answer them from my experience, but I would love to hear from you and your experience, so please feel free to comment and add to these! This month was full of winter-skin and makeup questions, so that is what we will focus on!

1.       How can I tell if my skin needs moisturizer?

    When you wash your face, if it feels dry and tight, you need moisturizer. However, the key is to determine what kind and how much. If you use a moisturizer, and you end up with very oily skin within a couple of hours, you aren’t using the right product. You might need to step it down to a less-rich product. Similarly, if you end up very dry and tight within a couple of hours, step up your game, with one that has more oils and humectants to it. My favorite light-weight moisturizer is Aveda’s for Sensitive skin. They use this for burn victims in hospitals, so it is pretty amazing lotion. My favorite heavier moisturizer is Nuance: AM/PM Anti-Aging Super Cream.

2.       My lips are ALWAYS chapped. What can I do about this?

    My biggest trick is to gently exfoliate your lips with a tooth brush. Then slather on a generous amount of your favorite lip balm. I love to stick with lip balms that have a lot of natural oils in them.  My favorite is EOS Organic Lip Balm Smooth Sphere. It is less than $4.00, and the lemon flavor is amazing.

3.       My skin is so dry; I can’t seem to put enough lotion on! What can I do?

    Well, obviously, every dermatologist (which I am not) will tell you, stay away from hot showers. However, I am a hot shower addict, so I also had to find a way around it. My favorite tricks are oils! Neutrogena makes the most amazing sesame scented body oil, but at $10-$15, it can be a bit expensive, especially if you use it every time you take a shower. However, baby oil is very inexpensive, and it smells amazing! The key to using oils is applying them while your skin is still wet. Apply it right after your shower. I always try and wipe some of the water off first, and then use the oil. It’s great because it is VERY easy to apply and takes no time. Then try to air dry, or at least pat yourself dry. Give yourself about 5 minutes and then get dressed as usual!

4.       My hair is so damaged now that it’s cold out. It seems like the conditioners I use don’t work!

    Your first problem may be that you need a haircut. Most of us are attached to our length, even if it is nasty, trashy, split-end hair. J However, you can NEVER fix split ends. Ignore everything you have been told by TV commercials. In the end, the only remedy is a good haircut. After this, you may still have dry hair, and that is where at little T.L.C comes in. Do a deep conditioner at least once a week. I always do it twice.  Look for one that has natural oils in the first few ingredients. My favorite deep conditioner is Aveda’s Damage Remedy, but it has a very HIGH price tag. As an alternative, I use olive oil.  Shampoo like regular, and then apply the oil like you would conditioner.  Tie your hair up, and let the steam in the shower do the hard work. Let it sit as long as you can. I keep olive oil in my hair for about 10-15 minutes, and then I rinse with cool water. Yes, you will likely have greasy hair faster than normal, but it has done its job, and your hair is healthier for it!

5.       My skin looks ashy in the winter. I have been told not to exfoliate, because I will dry out my skin, what should I do?

    I completely disagree. Exfoliation is one of my BIGGEST beauty tricks. I exfoliate my body multiple times a week. I do not do this to my face, however! Ashy skin is a result of dead skin cells building up. The blood supply goes to the healthy skin cells, which gives you a warm, glowing appearance. You have to get those ashy skin cells off to get back that beautiful winter glow! I love the exfoliating gloves you can purchase for $5 at Wal-Mart. I apply a body wash with a salicylic acid directly on the gloves, like Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash in Pink Grapefruit ($7.50), and scrub! Don’t overdo it; you don’t want scabs, just pretty skin. 

6.       My cuticles constantly split open and bleed in the winter months. I don’t know how to keep them from doing this.

    Your cuticles split open because they are dry. They need moisture to remain flexible. Think about how many things your hands do a day, and if they don’t have the moisture they need, they will pull tight (think of a dry rubber band) and naturally split open. Do yourself a favor, spend $5 on cuticle oil and apply it to your nails every night before you go to bed. You could also just grab a little olive oil out of your kitchen cabinet and apply. This will save you a lot of pain, because it never fails that those tiny little cuts hurt worse than the big ones!

Send me your beauty questions to cayladoeshair@hotmail.com!