Hair

Hello 2019!

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

 

Hello, I’m back!

Okay so, it been a hot minute since I have written a blog post. Life got away from me and I lost my focus on my passion for all things beauty. I’m back and refreshed and ready to talk about some products that rocked my world in 2018 and will continue to do so into the new year.

Skincare wise I can’t forgive myself for not mentioning these products earlier. These two moisturizers have been my ride or die for all of 2018 and I don’t plan on quitting them anytime soon. The first is the Youth to The People Hylruonic Acid moisturizer. I use this cream every morning. Its a gel consistency keep me moisturized but not oily throughout the day. The bigger perk IT DOESN’T BREAK ME OUT! Amazing for sensitive skin. Now for night time, the winner is Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Cream. This is a pricey number but wow my skin has changed for the better. This moisturizer is so luxury and creamy and will have you waking up with soft glowing skin. I have turned countless friends and family on to this moisturizer, it’s that good!

Now for hair care, I have stuck to the normal routine with my beloved Oribe Gold Lust shampoo and Briogeo deep conditioner but one thing has changed and it’s my new favorite anti-frizz spray. I was never a fan of anti-frizz sprays because they always left my hair greasy or crunchy. The Living Proof anti-frizz does no such thing. This spray smells amazing, leaves my hair so shiny, eliminates frizz and holds my style. Checks all the boxes for me!

Last but not least, makeup. I will say the past year after leaving a cosmetic focused job to a desk job makeup has taken a back seat. I get ready in 5 minutes in the morning and put little to no effort into my routine. One of my resolutions for 2019 is to get back into my passion. Putting on makeup is therapeutic and I enjoy doing it, therefore, I want to do more of it. Set that alarm 10 minutes earlier and have some me time. In saying that there are a couple products that still stood out to me this year. The new Hourglass Veil™ Translucent Setting Powder  is amazing for combo skin that doesn’t want to look flat. Truly makes you look airbrushed! (it’s expensive, so try a travel size from Sephora it’s cheaper and lasts forever). Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara gives me the false lashes look. Full, long and voluminous lashes that will make you look awake and energized at 6 am. Keep the lookout for new makeup faves in the upcoming year. Time to get back in the game!

How was everyone’s new year and what are your resolutions?

August Star Products

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

Happy September everyone! I cannot believe it is already September but the air is getting colder and pumpkin spice is beginning to take over again so I guess fall is coming!
I had some star products last month some makeup, some hair and a little fragrance which is new for me to talk about on the blog so let’s get started.

First and foremost I have an oldie but a goodie in the primer department. I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts Fat Mascara and they had Laura Geller on the podcast to interview and she started talking about her favorite products. She started raving about her primer Spackle Face Primer and I was convinced and placed my order from Ulta asap. Let’s just say the name says it all. It makes my makeup last ALL day long and most of all keep it looking fresh. I have recently gone from normal skin to combination and by hour 4 of my work shift my makeup starts to break up around my nose and this magic primer keeps it looking flawless!

Next on the favorite train is my new beloved hair oil. I am a huge fan of hair oil. I heat style my hair about 3 times a week as it is naturally wavy and thick. The Ouai Hair Oil is a lightweight oil that I can use on my hair ends after it is styled to give it some shine. I can also use it when I style my hair naturally to give my waves some hydration. This oil will not weigh your hair down it saves me day in and day out.
Keeping on with the hair trend it has come to my attention that hair fragrances are a thing. I read a couple reviews, watched a couple tutorials and I got sucked into opening up my Sephora app and ordering the Tocca Hair Fragrance in Giulietta I am sucked into the trend I get SO many compliments on how good my hair smells when I spray this and it lasts until I wash my hair again. ( It especially helps on the days that you’ve loaded your hair on dry shampoo and needs some extra freshening up)

What are some of your fall must-haves?! Leave me some suggestions down below.

Laura Geller Spackle Primer $32 @Ulta
Ouai Hair Oil &28 @Sephora
Giulietta Hair Fragrance $28 @Sephora

 

Learning To Embrace My Curls

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment


I don’t know about you but when the temperature rises above 80 degrees I no longer can bear to use my blow dryer, sweating while doing your hair is not a good look! Therefore during these hot summer months, I try to embrace my natural hair texture. To give you some background my hair is thick, I have a lot and it’s frizzy and wavy. It has taken me a long time to learn to love my natural texture and what products work best to enhance it but I have finally found my perfect routine!

The first step I take is NOT brushing my hair after I wash it, brushing your hair will just interrupt your natural curl shape. Also, I have found using a shampoo that is sulfate free and is formulated for curly hair will help your curls be more consistent throughout the hair. The SheaMoisture Curl & Shine shampoo is my current favorite and I follow with a deep conditioner.

After letting my hair air dry for about 10 minutes I like to take a light weight gel and distribute it evenly throughout my hair. My favorite is the IGK coconut oil gel. This gel has a very creamy consistency it has enough hold to help form my curls but does not leave them crunchy ( which is my biggest fear ). I then flip my hair over and begin to scrunch my hair upwards helping form some volume at the root. If I have time I like to let my hair air dry which forms the best results of giving me a smooth wavy look. If I am short on time using a diffuser on low heat will dry the hair plus help give some volume. The key to using a diffuser is going section by section and waiting until each section is dry before moving on to the next, this will help keep frizz from forming. (I learned that  the hard way)
igk coconut oil gel

Now this final step and my favorite step really gives your hair that beachy effortless look without having to use a drying salt spray. This magic spray is the Ouai Wave Spray. What makes this spray so magical is it’s infused with rice protein and not salt so it adds shine and texture for that beachy undone look without drying the hair. It adds a little shine and a little texture, the perfect combo. I also like to use this spray to refresh my curls on the second day.quai wave spray

Summer is the perfect time to give your hair a break from heat styling and experiment with different routines to embrace your natural hair texture. Let me know below which products I need to try next!

 

 

SheaMoisture Curl & Shine Shampoo $9.99 @Target
IGK Coconut Gel $27 @Sephora
Ouai Wave Spray $26 @Sephora

 

R+Co Sunset Blvd Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

504257694_1_tabletopOkay for all of you reading the title and have seen my Instagram you are probably thinking “Um Stefanie, you’re not blonde”. Although you are correct I am a brunette, but I recently decided to bayalage my hair for the summer time and since I am such a dark brunette when I do lighten my hair it can get brassy very quickly ( not the look I am going for).

With my background in cosmetology, I knew in order to get rid of the orange/ brassy tones in my hair I needed to add some ash to it , which is purple/ grey shades. The tricky part is finding the right purple shampoo that does the job. I started my hunt on different hair care blogs and youtube videos, and one common denominator was the R+Co blonde shampoo and conditioner. I went on the website and I was surprised because the shampoo and conditioner were a very light shade of lavender and I am used to “the darkest purple shampoos , do the best job” well I was proved wrong.

I took a trip to Bluemercury and picked up the shampoo and conditioner and after one sniff I already was impressed because their products smell AMAZING. Now it was time to actually put the actual product to the test. Surprise, surprise  not only do they smell good but they do amazing things to my hair. They turned all my brassy ends into a beautiful beige blonde without having to go back into the salon. In the shower, I  shampoo regularly ( lather, rinse repeat) and then I leave the conditioner in for about 5 minutes so it has time to really set in. This shampoo and conditioner is gentle enough to use every day but i usually use it once a week since my hair is mostly brunette. It leaves my color looking flawless , soft and shiny!

R+Co Sunset Blvd Shampoo + Conditioner $29 @Bluemercury.com

Nivea Mens Post Shaving Balm… Best Primer EVER?!

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

mens shaving balm
There is a new buzz in the beauty guru world that there is a new primer taking over and its a mens shaving blam…I know, I know just hear me out.

I recently watched Nikkie Turorials ( an amazing beauty YouTuber)  and she swore by the Nivea Mens Post Shave Balm the sensitive formula as a makeup primer. I’m not going to lie I thought to myself there is no way .. so of course I had to give it a shot for myself.

By no surprise Nikkie was right as she always is  , this stuff WORKS. The shaving balm has the ingredient glycerin which helps anything adhere to the skin. You will find after you put on the balm your skin feels a little tacky which helps your makeup really stick to the primer and last all day long. The shaving balm doesn’t feel heavy on the skin, it feels like a light moisturizer.

I experimented with this primer by putting it up against my tride and true Nyx Angel Veil primer. I put the NYX primer on my right side and the Nivea Shaving Balm on the left and the Nivea side didn’t budge. My makeup stayed in tact all day long and was fresh and kept any oils on my face at bay. On the other side the NYX side started to fade and become blotchy towards the end of my 6 hour day.

Another amazing quality is the shaving balm is for sensitive skin and alcohol free so it wont irritate or dry your skin out. I know this concept is crazy right? but it’s truly amazing. It works has an amazing primer and is under 10 dollars! If you can get past the initial  musky smell (which goes away as soon as you put on your foundation) then head over to your local drug store and scoop this up you wont be sorry!

 

Nivea Post Shave Balm $ 5.59 @ Target 

L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

Hca9_5_pack-shot
Lets talk hair. I have been straightening my hair since before I was old enough to hold a blow dryer. I have frizzy , wavy thick hair and I rarely wear it natural ( I know, I know I should own the curls).  Because I am constantly putting heat on my hair I am always on the hunt for new products to reverse the damage I cause.

Conditioners are my best friend. Especially leave-in conditioners and treatments.
The L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm is a miracle worker. Whenever I wash my hair which is about 2-3 times a week (dry shampoo is my other best friend) I try to use a conditioner treatment. I wash my hair like normal and then I use the L’Oreal Erasing Balm and leave it in for 5-7 minutes. This leaves my hair silky, shiny, and frizz free when I blow dry and style my hair.

This treatment has brought life back into my hair and I have repurchased it countless times. If you are looking for something to bring back the shine and life into your hair routine give the Total Repair  line by L’Oreal a try , you wont be sorry!



The L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm

Whats your secret weapon when it comes to hair care?

 

L’oreal Blow Dry It- Dry Shampoo

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

2283934

I am a huge believer in the dry shampoo gods. My hair is wavy, frizzy and thick so blow drying my hair is a chore and if i find a product that helps me go through that processes less its pure gold to me.

L’oreal’s Bow Dry It Dry Shampoo is gold. First off there is NO white cast. For all of you who use dry shampoo religiously know one of the worst things is having to blend that white cast in so you don’t look like a grandma all day. Also the smell , my oh my the smell is delicious, it smells so fresh. Which is what we want after not washing our hair for two days right?

My biggest issue ive come across with finding the right dry shampoo is the feeling of still having dirty hair after I apply it. The smell and texture of the L’oreal dry shampoo makes me feel as though my hair is freshly washed when im actually on day 3. Not only does the product claim to be a dry shampoo but also a blow dry extender. So it can be used on fresh hair to extend the style and also used in between washes to refresh & extend.

-style tip: after your blow out blast your hair with a shot of cool air to lock your style into place, works wonders I promise!

This dry shampoo works amazing, smells amazing and cuts down the amount of times I have to wash my hair. 10/10 for me!

L’oreal Blow Dry It Dry Shampoo $5.39 @ Walgreens

Whats your holy grail hair product?

It’s A 10 Miracle Leave-in

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

Blue bottle of leave-in hair product
Hello beauty lovers! Today I come to you with a miracle hair product post. I have been a cosmetologist for four years now so I have become a huge citric when it comes to hair products. So, when a product pasts all my tests I need to brag about it.

The It’s a 10 Miracle-Leave in product is truly heaven-sent. I first tried It’s a 10 products when I was in beauty school and they have expanded their brand so much since then and everything is pure liquid gold.

This leave-in product can be used when the hair is wet or dry.  It can be used wet to protect the hair from any heat and dry to lock in your style and calm frizz. It’s a 10 leave- in performs 10 different functions for the hair. It repairs dry damaged hair, adds shine, smoothes & controls frizz, seals & protects hair color, detangles, prevents split ends, stops hair breakage, creates silkiness, enhances natural body, flat-iron & thermal protector.

The It’s a 10 leave-in product leaves the hair soft and bouncy with no frizz. I can sit here and testify that it does all 10 of those functions mentioned above. I have never met a hair product that I have re-purchased so many times that continues to over throw any other products I try.  Go get you some!

 

It’s A 10 Miracle leave -in $18 @ Ulta 

Coconut Oil is the answer for dry + damaged hair

~ steframos15 ~ Leave a comment

Jar of organic coconut oil
The answer is Coconut Oil my friends. I recently was having a hard time with dry and damaged hair and being that I am away at school , I don’t have the time or money to get a haircut. I did some research on YouTube + Pinterest to find some quick solutions.

I instantly found many articles talking about coconut oil. I had already used coconut oil for my skin to help with dry patches so i figured it must also nourish dry hair. I personally purchased the organic brand and it is a solid at first but has it warms in your hand it turns into an oil.

I first began to get my  hair damped  then took a decent amount of the oil and distributed it all over my hair from roots to end, put a shower cap on for about 30 minutes and then took a shower and washed my hair as usual.

The results were amazing. I could feel how much softer and smoother my hair was while i was blow drying it + shiny! I highly recommend this if you’re looking to amp up the life of your hair. It’s an inexpensive and natural way with amazing results fast.

Coconut Oil 14.99 @Vitamin World