Fall Hairspiration

Hello!

Now that Fall has officially rolled in, I thought I'd share some Hair Inspiration I've coveted in my Inspiration File. One of the reasons why I love Fall so much is because you can let your hair down and just bask in its warmth. Hair can be cute and functional! Ran out the door and forgot your scarf? No problemo, just let your hair tumble down- et voila, you're warmed up!  How weird/awesome does that sound? 

Anyway, my all-time favorite hair trends for the Fall season includes soft, relaxed waves and messy up-dos. Below is a trio of my most beloved hair inspiration pics I've stumbled upon in the past few years. To the left is, of course, one of America's beloved Olsen twins. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen can do no wrong in my eyes (sorry, I grew up watching their movies & supporting their empire). And to the right, two beautifully ribbon-wrapped ponytails that just scream whimsical to me. There are so many ways to style a ponytail, but something about an effortless, medium-low ponytail entwined with a soft ribbon just makes me think Fall. The top hairstyle is displayed with a neutral brown silk ribbon and the bottom hairstyle is displayed with a velvet ribbon. These two ponytails show how much texture and color can play a part in styling hair. The ribbon in the top photo is a shade very similar to the model's hair color and the texture is smooth- showing a more ethereal style. The bottom ribbon, a velvet material, holds more weight and the color contrasts with the girl's hair beautifully- demonstrating a more out-of-the-box and edgy, but still simple, way to style hair. 

What are your favorite Fall hairstyles? Comment below!

xo AL 

*Disclaimer: Photos do not belong to me. 

A Review: GOOD & CLEAN Pore Purifying Mini Peel

Hello!

I've always been some sort of acne product hoarder and stick to what I know (salicylic acid, benzoyle peroxide, etc.), but I've recently been into Alba Botanica (because they're cruelty free and contain natural ingredients) & decided to give this peel a go. And I'm glad I stepped out of my skin comfort zone because holy cow- I love this product. I always thought that skin care products driven by fruit/vegetables extracts were some sort of hippy dippy gimmick, and could never work as well as hard core chemicals that have been created by scientists- but I was wrong.

Fortified with 6% Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), this peel is able to remove dead skin cells and relieve pores of toxins- enabling more breathe-ability. I've never used a chemical peel before because I thought that peels would essentially work exactly like facial scrubs & exfoliators. I have to say that I'm Team Peel now because my skin has never felt so soft and cleansed. I've used Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub  for years and thought its micro beads were able slough away all of my skin's impurities well enough, but after using Alba's Mini Peel, I'm convinced that AHAs are better suit for digging deep into pores and cleansing. This isn't to say that I'll stop using scrubs, because I do enjoy the feeling of exfoliating, it's just that I'm more open to the world of AHAs now. 

I apply this gel a few times a week for at least two minutes. It does make my skin tingle a little bit, the scent isn't overwhelming, and it is kind of on the pricier side for a drugstore product. Anyway, I'll be repurchasing this peel in the future, and recommend it to those who are looking for a gentle skin care product to clear out pores and soften skin. 

Hope this helps :)

*Disclaimer: Photo does not belong to me.
 Photo Credit: © 2012 The Hain Celestial Group, Inc

A Review: L'Oreal EverCrème Sulfate-Free Moisture System™ Nourishing Leave-In Spray

Hello!

You can buy it here:
L'Oreal EverCrème Sulfate-Free Moisture System™ Nourishing Leave-In Spray

I've recently had to deal with frizzy, brittle, and damaged hair due to dying my hair in June (you can read about it here). I've colored my hair multiple times in the past, but this time around my hair has just not been cooperating. In attempt to "return" my hair back to its natural texture, which is smooth and tangle-free, I have been trying out  L'Oreal's EverCrème Sulfate-Free Moisture System™ Nourishing Leave-In Spray.

 And I have come to conclusion that I love it! 

It mainly interested me because it is a vegan product and doesn't have heavy waxes. In addition to the fact that I have not used a L'Oreal product since I was a child (I loved their fish-shaped packaging). The L'Oreal website states that:

"...Infused with Omega-3 and 6, this lightweight conditioning treatment nourishes hair and restores hydration. Hair is instantly detangled, smoothed and healthy-looking—without any weighdown."

I can attest that this leave-in-conditioner does leave hair "detangled, smooth, and healthy-looking", but most importantly it makes my hair feel healthy. It is recommended that the spray is used with the EverCrème Shampoo and Conditioner, but I believe that the product does a fantastic job on its own. I finger-comb the conditioner when my hair's damp to wet, starting at ear-level and ending at my roots, and allow my hair to air dry overnight. I then wake up to smooth, light-weight, frizz-free hair in the morning! One downfall is that this product isn't great to use on dry hair because it can have the opposite effect it has on wet hair: dry and a little heavy. 

All in all, I definitely recommend this leave-in-conditioner to anyone looking for something to tame damaged hair. 

:) AL 

* Disclaimer: Photo does not belong to me.
   Photo Credit: 2013 L'Oreal Paris

Hair Story: Ombre + DIY Hair Toner

Hello! 

I've ombred my hair on-and-off since I was about 16, and in the beginning of Summer a friend of my friend mentioned how much she liked my ombre hair in high school. After her lovely compliment, I thought "why not do it again?" So I went to good old Target the next day, bought some hair dye, and proceeded to damage my hair until it lightened! After the first round of dying, my hair was not very brassy (and to my liking) but then my hair started to turn brown.

(Initial result)

(A few days after I dyed my hair => brown. Sadly not aff. w/ Despicable Me)


(Brown)

Two weeks after, I did a touch up and my hair was lighter again! 

(Touched up)

About 2 months later, my hair looks like this now: 

(Current hair color. Poopy photo quality.)

As you can see, my hair's pretty frizzy now; but I am happy with the color (the poor pictures don't do it justice. it's actually pretty blonde). In attempt to prevent inevitable brittleness, breakage, brassiness, and color fading, I've been using Joico K-Pak Color Thereapy Conditioner and a DIY Purple Toner. Of course, I try not to wash my hair too often, but these are the two main products I've been depending on. 

                                                 

All I do to make the toner is fill up the container (which is just an empty ~3 oz container) with a white-colored conditioner (I use intense moisturizing conditioner, ie: the ones that come with hair dye packs, or the Joico K-Pak) and mix in a pea-size amount of semi-permanent purple hair dye. Once in the shower, I apply the toner to my hair; starting at ear level and concentrating the product at the ends. I leave the toner in for at least a minute. Ultimately, you can decide how much semi-permanent purple dye and conditioner you want to use depending on what your state of hair is. You can also mix in dye with shampoo if you've colored the upper region of your hair. I personally don't shampoo my ends and condition my head, so I only need toner for the bottom portion of my hair. 

Whew! So, I hope this has helped out anyone who is interested in ombred hair. Once California enters Fall, I want to try to tone down the lightness and transition my hair to a darker ombre. Anyway, thanks for popping by!

 xo AL

Wee Bit O' Hauling

I stopped by Target the other day and picked up some products!  

Suave Dry Shampoo- an essential! I don't wash my hair everyday, so this can of magic gives my hair volume, removes oil, and offers texture to my flat, straight hair.

Biore Deep Cleaning Pore Strips- I don't have particularly large pores but I use these strips when I feel like it's time for a deep cleaning.

Alba Good & Clean Pore Purifying Mini Peel- I went to the Alba section to restock on Acnedote Deep Pore Wash, my current face wash, but decided to get this bad boy! This contains AHAs, which I've never used before, so I'm excited to see how this will effect my skin. (ps: I've used it twice already, and holy cow. It's the Queen Bee's Knees.)

Sorry about the lighting! Took this photo in the afternoon.

:) AL 

UK + EU Haulage!

Hello! 

So I just recently returned from a two week adventure I spent in London, Paris, and Rome. Being the makeup crazed girl that I am, my main destinations were Superdrug, Boots, and Parisian or Roman pharmacies. Here are the products that I picked up! Enjoy :)

Blush Trio by "3" in Lace

Lace Trio: Crochet, Guipure, Chantilly 

L-R: MUA Power Pout in Justify 

GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick in Flirty Orange

17 Berry Crush Lip Stain in Bombshell 

Top - Bottom:  GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick in Flirty Orange

17 Berry Crush Lip Stain in Bombshell 

MUA Power Pout in Justify 

L-R: Superdrug the Little Pink Tin with spf 15

Uriage Bariesun Stick Levres with spf 30

L-R: Models Own Artstix in Jade Stone (NP083) + Snowflakes (NP145) 
Barry M in Aqua Glitter (340)
Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Mango (GNP 18)
Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Guava (GNP 15) *more turqoise irl
Bottom: Barry M in Limited Edition 13B

Superdrug Dry Shampoo in Spirit of the Carnival 

I also bought a large bottle of Bioderma which isn't pictured because I broke the container in France and transferred the liquid into a random water bottle I got in Rome. I think that's every beauty item I bought while I was in Europe and England! 

Feel free to comment below if you would like a review on any of these products. 

xo AL