Spring Hair Revival
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Long are the days of hiding our hair under warm knit hats and fur-trimmed hoods. Spring has arrived and that means warmer temps and ample amounts of sunshine. It's time to let our hair flow freely in this (pollen filled!) breezy air.
BUT HOLD THE PHONE. Like any seasonal shift, our hair may still be suffering from the previous season's wrath. We may be experiencing dry. limp tresses that are in dire need of a major perk up for the season ahead. My hair is certainly different during the warmer months of the year--its more prone to frizz, dries out a bit more and intolerant to most styling products.
To insure healthy hair all season long it is important to treat the foundation and maintain a routine that is suitable to your unique concerns. Whatever your hair type, I always recommend a good coconut oil treatment once a week. Along with oil, here are my all-time hair savers that keeps this lioness mane of mine tamed and lovely.
Coconut Oil Hair Mask
Trust your mom when she talks about natural beauty wonders she loves, I listened to her about this and never looked back. Its an simple affordable and super beneficial treatment that will revive your hair in the best ways. A single treatment will leave it softer and lighter. Its a wonderful alternative to a heavy conditioner and does far more than just hydrate parched hair.
Simply massage oil onto your scalp and concentrate on the roots of the hair. Softly apply any and all remaining oil on hands onto the shafts and tips of the hair. You can tie your hair into a loose ponytail or messy bun and let it sit for a couple of hours. You can surely pop on a plastic shower cap if you feel strange at first. It's the perfect weekend treatment.
A voluminous blowout after a treatment makes my hair feel/look like I belong in a Pantene commercial.
Weleda Rosemary Conditioning Hair Oil
I was turned onto this little gem early last year and absolutely love it. A perfect product to tame frizz, hydrate and polish hair, Weleda's rosemary oil has become a fast favorite of mine. You need a super small amount of this product to do the trick and can apply to hair before or after styling. I prefer to apply a small bit to my hair after I've styled it as a serum to lock in the look and focus on the ends to soften them a touch. This product can be a bit thick in consistency (it is a dense oil after all) so a little does go a LONG way (trust me!) and be sure to avoid applying product in the roots.
Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails
There is no better way to treat our hair than from within. A fortified vitamin that targets these prime areas is a great piece to have to your routine. Infused with a super oil (Argan), these vitamins feature biotin along with a medley of antioxidants and Hyaluronic Acid.
From my experience, not only has my hair felt and looked more healthy but fallout (which happens too often for various reasons) has lessened quite a lot. From the pleasing results thus far, this lovely little vitamin isn't leaving daily vitamin mix anytime soon.
What are some of your go-to hair saving tips & products?
Springing Forward
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Sunnies: Kenneth Cole Collection | Jacket: via Bloomingdales| Earrings: Vintage
Belt: via Variazioni (old) | Dress: Eliza J
Hello sunny, floral-filled days of spring!
After one frigid winter, it's nice to finally say goodbye to the harsh days of months past.
A seasonal shift always welcomes a new beginning and I couldn't be happier to start anew.
While the low temps haven't completely abandoned my sweet city, NYC has been seeing some mild (by our standards!) days. Of course, being the dress obsessed girl that I am, a sunny, semi-warm day means bare legged style fun.
To welcome such a lovely weather change, I dug deep in my closet and pulled out one of my favorite dresses--a fun floral number by Eliza J. This brand continues to put out beautiful pieces that flatter many body types. It's rare to stumble upon a brand that can achieve that without skimping on quality and detail. This dress was my first purchase from EJ and certainly won't be my last. I recently bought a stunning embellished gold shift dress that I'm saving for a special event later this summer.
All of my colorful garments reserved for warmer weather are moving to the front of my closet this weekend and I'm pretty excited about it. Don't get me wrong, I love my chic NYC black ensembles more than the next stylish lady but about poppy colors on sunny days just work.
Along with my wardrobe, I've invited some bright tones into my beauty routine.
I've introduced some fun peachy, coral lippies into my daily mix -- NARS Audacious Lipstick (Jane) and YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lip Stain Gloss (#6).
Who knows, with all this color I may even try to wear a red lip outside my house this spring/summer.
Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it #NotReady!
A seasonal shift always welcomes a new beginning and I couldn't be happier to start anew.
While the low temps haven't completely abandoned my sweet city, NYC has been seeing some mild (by our standards!) days. Of course, being the dress obsessed girl that I am, a sunny, semi-warm day means bare legged style fun.
To welcome such a lovely weather change, I dug deep in my closet and pulled out one of my favorite dresses--a fun floral number by Eliza J. This brand continues to put out beautiful pieces that flatter many body types. It's rare to stumble upon a brand that can achieve that without skimping on quality and detail. This dress was my first purchase from EJ and certainly won't be my last. I recently bought a stunning embellished gold shift dress that I'm saving for a special event later this summer.
All of my colorful garments reserved for warmer weather are moving to the front of my closet this weekend and I'm pretty excited about it. Don't get me wrong, I love my chic NYC black ensembles more than the next stylish lady but about poppy colors on sunny days just work.
Along with my wardrobe, I've invited some bright tones into my beauty routine.
I've introduced some fun peachy, coral lippies into my daily mix -- NARS Audacious Lipstick (Jane) and YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lip Stain Gloss (#6).
Who knows, with all this color I may even try to wear a red lip outside my house this spring/summer.
Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it #NotReady!
ROCKSBOX
Friday, March 20, 2015
Rocksbox: c/o
Attention all jewelry enthusiasts -- I have a special treat for you and I think you may just love it!
You may have heard the buzz about Rocksbox over social media and after finally giving this super cool monthly service a go, I can certainly say that its a great one.
As one who loves jewelry, my personal style ranges from delicate to full on statement. Rocksbox is just the remedy to my glitzy obsession. A monthly jewelry service, Rocksbox has taken a personalized approach to shopping which allows you familiarize yourself with a product prior to purchasing.
Upon signing up and creating a dense style profile, you will be assigned a personal stylist who will chose three uber-chic pieces of jewelry that'll cater to your unique style preference each month. Featuring creative and wildly popular designers like Gorjana, Kendra Scott, and Loren Hope, among others, there is a variety of styles to please your sparkly needs.
My favorite aspect to this service is how it functions like your very own personal shopper. Each month, Rocksbox members get to familiarize themselves with three new pieces on loan. We can see if it truly suits us, plays well with our wardrobes or sits well with the jewelry we already own. The goal is the streamline our jewelry collections and find items that will carry us seamlessly into the next season, time and time again.
Once your personalized box has arrived, you are given three dazzling pieces of jewelry on loan.
These borrowed baubles can be swapped or purchased at a time you see fit. Better yet, once you find a gem that you adore, it can be purchased at a discounted price, simply for being a member. Once you're ready for a new set, neatly nestle your unwanted pieces back in the box and ship it back (shipping label is provided or your convenience) for your next set.
My box was quite great. Madison, my Rocksbox stylist, pulled pieces that perfectly catered to my tastes. Hitting the statement aspect beautifully with the Perry Street Olivia Necklace and delicate touches with the Gorjana Infinity II Ring in Rose Gold and Sophie Harper Pave Ball Studs in Gold.
As a Rocksbox "It Girl," I'll be taking you along with me on this fabulous jewelry journey for three sparkly sets. Stay Stay tuned for the next set and see which pieces I'll be receiving and styling.
If you'd like to try this pretty awesome service yourself, head over to Rocksbox and build your profile.
Don't forget to use code askandtellbeautyxoxo to score your first box completely FREE!
Let me know what jewelry you fabulous girls receive or which pieces you have your eye on!
Happy Shopping
Images taken by F.A.
NYFW FW 2015 TREND: OPULENT GOLD MANICURES
Monday, February 23, 2015
Whether its jewelry, clothing or beauty favorites, it's no surprise that I love a little gold. I'm thrilled that this beautiful sparkling metal is a must for Fall/Winter 2015, especially on the nails. This fabulous shade has been popping up backstage at major shows and lead manicurists have created some unique and creative ways to sport this color on the nails.
From chunky glitters to modern solid metallics, opulent gold manicures are certainly trending this NYFW.
LOOK 1 -- JENNY PACKHAM
Michelle Saunders created this stunning and glamorous "dew drop" look to complement the lovely embellishments seen throughout JP's FW 2015 collection.
This lady-like manicure featured just enough glitz to dress up an otherwise subtle nail look. For the foundation polish, Saunders used Essie Adore-A-Ball, a flattering sheer cream. Once fully dried. Saunders created a couple of dots on the nails using Essie Tart Deco, a soft creamy orange tone.
She then layered smaller dot of Essie Summit of Style (sparkling bronze glitter) atop Tart Deco.
For a glossy finish, coat nails in Essie Second Shine Around.
LOOK 2 -- NAEEM KAHN
I have yet to meet a Naeem Khan collection I didn't like. Khan has an exceptional talent in taking luxurious fabrics and designing ultra glamorous garments fit for a princess. Each collection is more glamorous than the last and FW 2015 was no exception (dreamy embellished gowns).
For such an opulent collection, it was only fitting that Julie Kandaleccreate an equally rich champagne gold manicure. This luxurious look was achieved by layering a thin coat of Essie Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low atop two coats of Essie Shifting Power. For a glossy finish, be sure to coat nails in a final coat of Essie Good To Go Top Coat.
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LOOK 3 -- DELPOZO
All that glitters was certainly gold backstage at Delpozo. Julie Kandalec's "gold nugget" manicure is the perfect way to dazzle up an otherwise simple manicure. Her cool and modern look featured a subtle gold glitter stripe down the middle of the nails atop a matte neutral polish. This undercover edgy look takes cool girl manicures to the next level.
To get this look, Kandalec began by polishing clean shaped nails with Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat. She followed with a single coat of Essie Mattte About You. Next came that beautiful glitter. Saturate a striping brush in Essie Good As Gold and drag the brush from the base to the tip of the nail in a straight line. For an added element of glitz, she layered Essie Rock At The Top over the gold centered line. To preserve the matte base, only apply Essie Second Shine Around over the gold glittered line. This will not only lock in the glitter but will also give it an ultra shiny effect.
LOOK 4 -- NANETTE LEPORE
There was no shortage of this luxurious metallic tone at Nanette Lepore. Saunders was back at it with another fabulous manicure creation that consisted of an over the top look that perfectly matched the metallic gold shoes featured in the collection.
To get this sparkling look, Saunders coated a single layer of Essie For The Twill Of It atop a fully dried foundation of Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat. She then followed with a coat of Essie Rock At The Top. For added depth and a touch more color, layer one coat of Essie Shifting Power over that. To seal in the colors, Saunders topped the look with Essie Good To Go Top Coat.
Will you try out this luxe shade yourself? Let me know how you'd wear it in the comments below.
Images: All Courtesy of Essie
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