Beauty

Beauty, Real Sh*t, Style

I feel like we need to talk more about hair. I’ve always been he girl who would rather have her hair styled than have makeup on. GOOD hair can just make you feel some kind of way, don’t you think?

With the exception of one big chop about 3 years ago (remember the super blunt cut lob trend?) I have always loved BIG and LONG hair. In high school, someone asked me if I was from Texas because my hair was “so big” – LOL!

Unfortunately after the big chop, my hair has not been able to catch up to the length it was before. It is close, though!

Anyway, late last year I started thinking about getting hair extensions to add volume and length, especially in preparation for my wedding. I knew I wanted MERMAID HAIR for my wedding day. The stars totally aligned because I connected with Erica Santos, the owner of Revival Studio late last year, and we chatted about Natural Beaded Row Hair Extensions — Erica’s specialty.

Before we chat further, here is a bit more info: Natural Beaded Rows™ Hair Extensions are an exclusive hair extension method created by Danielle K. White of DKW Styling. The extensions are custom colored to match your natural hair color, creating ensuring a seamless blend. The hair extensions are placed in rows in the hair by creating a “track” with an exclusive bead and string technique. Wefts are then placed on the track and sewn in. The extensions are then cut and blended to create a natural and beautiful look!

Amazing, right?

From the moment I walked into Erica’s salon, I felt so excited and so at home. Revival Studio is just so chic and has such a friendly vibe. Erica and Angela, her partner in crime, and I just had the best time as they worked their magic on my hair. And I mean MAGIC.

Erica had done other extension methods in the past, but wanted to get trained on the Natural Beaded Rows method a few years ago, so she flew out to Laguna Beach, California, where the NBR headquarters resides, to get trained in this new method of healthy hair extensions that don’t damage your natural hair. Erica became friends with Danielle of DKW Styling, who invented the method and teaches it to select students each year. 

Long story short, Erica has trained extensively on the NBR method of hair extensions and is one of the few certified stylists in the East Bay Area to do the method. She is pure amazing.

The whole process took about 3 hours and I was seriously BLOWN AWAY by how well my hair turned out. From the custom color to the texture of the hair…it’s seriously perfect.

The length of the extensions I got are 22 inch extensions and I just love the length. If you love the DRAMA like me, you will LOVE the 22 inch extensions. However: NBR extensions come in a variety of different lengths and are all custom cut to suit your needs.

I was honestly a little worried about my big Jew ‘fro taking on a life of its own and the extensions being a completely different texture, but NOPE. Everything blends absolutely seamlessly and no one knows I have extensions.

To see the installation process and the complete before and after, watch my YouTube video as Erica and Angela explain the process and get a peek at how the extensions are installed:

At my wedding, many of my family members commented on my hair and said, “OMG! Your hair grew so long!”…and then I told them I was wearing NBR’s.

I’ve now had the extensions in for about four weeks and I can say that I’m still just as obsessed with them as I was the first time I saw myself in the mirror. They have made me feel so much more like ‘me’, more glam, more sexy, and the best part is that they do not harm my natural hair.

Erica and Angela couldn’t have been more generous or fun to talk to and I had such a great time hanging out with them for a few hours.  If you are interested in booking a consult with Erica, please fill out her form on her website or reach out to her on Instagram at @revivalstudio_

xo,

Lynn

Beauty, Real Sh*t

Hair Podcast

Noelle Goodrich is an amazing artist, and a total boss.

I met Noelle about 4 years ago when I was having a hair crisis, and after reading her reviews, I knew I’d be in good hands to have my banana yellow blonde hair fixed.

Yep, BANANA YELLOW. My sister told me after seeing me before Noelle that I looked like a banana. LOL! But that is a story for a different day.

Noelle has been my go-to hair gal for years, and she has a loyal following of women who trust her with their hair because she is incredibly talented at her craft. Not only is the talented when it comes to hair, but she’s also a savvy businesswoman who just opened her own chic and cozy salon, ash. in Lafayette, CA.

Noelle was the very first guest that I interviewed on the All Gussied Up podcast, where she talked about her favorite hair products, what’s trending with hair right now, how to go blonde if you’re a brunette, high-vibe energy, and a lot more. Make sure you give it a listen — there are so many amazing nuggets in there!

+ Listen here

+ Follow Noelle on Instagram @hairbynoellegoodrich

+ Subscribe to the podcast

Beauty

Target is really the death of me.

I go in there for toilet paper and come out with a new lipstick, some new home decor, and a Kombucha. Fellow Target lovers, we all know that roaming the aisles is just so fun, kind of like being a kid in a candy store.

When it comes to makeup products, anything that I use really has to be amazing, and because of that, I shop smart. And not everything that I use has to be from the department store or super luxury. And there are some AMAZING makeup products available at the drugstore.

Today while I was looking at my makeup and selecting my holy grail drugstore makeup products to share, I wasn’t intending on them all being from NYX. That just goes to show ya how phenomenal the brand is.

So, here are my faves:

NYX Shimmer Down Pigment in Platinum

 This is hands down the BEST inner eye shadow ever. What do I mean? Pop this shadow on the inner corners of your eyes and they will really pop. I wear this shadow almost daily because it really makes me look awake with just one other eyeshadow, which I’ll get to in a sec.

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Concealer in Porcelain

I learned this trick from the makeup master, Jaclyn Hill, and boy does it make a big difference. After you’ve applied your foundation and concealer, add a LIGHTER concealer just to the apples of your cheeks to make them look like they are coming forward. Don’t believe me? Put a light concealer on one cheek and you be the judge of the difference. It’s amazing really. I love this concealer just for this purpose.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul

 This liquid lipstick is the best drugstore version ever. I’m usually not a fan of liquid lipsticks because they can be drying on your lips, but this one is not. My tip with liquid lipstick: wear it when you’re at a party or out to dinner because it does not transfer onto your cup or napkin, plus your lips will look fresh the whole time.

NYX Eyeshadow

Using a muave-y color eyeshadow is so flattering! It really adds to that awake look. I only use this eyeshadow in my crease, and a buff it outward towards my temples to elongate the look of my eyes. It’s a barely there kind of eyeshadow, and paired with the bright platinum color on the inner corners, you’re good to go.

Ok, your turn. Tell me your drugstore faves!

xo, Lynn


 

Beauty

You guys might know that my hair is naturally frizzy and curly – I feel like I’ve talked about it a lot. Great for styling, but not great to wear “natural” if ya know what I mean. As a kid, I was always jealous of my friends who had stick straight and SMOOTH hair. That was never me, not even as a 5 year old kid. Always HUGE hair.

This kind of texture can make it difficult to get that bouncy, textured, and just light and airy look. I hope you know what I’m talking about…?

I’m not going to lie…this look takes work and it takes products.

These are four products that I use almost every single time I style my hair.

The first is OUAI’s MEDIUM HOLD HAIRSPRAY. So good. Not only does it smell like Hawaii, it’s so light and does not make the hair crunchy. Noelle, my go-to hair gal taught me an amazing trick with hairspray: spray it on pieces of hair before your curl them. That way, the curl will hold AND you won’t be left with helmet head AFTER you style your hair. This tip is a game changer and you have to give it a try.

For the textured look, my go-to lately has been the ORIBE MATTE WAVES. Yes, I also use the Dry Texturizing Spray that Oribe is so famous for and I love it. However Matte Waves is so amazing for thicker hair and really getting that beachy, textured look. A little goes a long way.

When I was introduced to EXPENSIVE from IGK I feel in love immediately. For us girls with coarse hair, it can tend to look lackluster. I add shine to my hair every single day by mixing EXPENSIVE with OUAI HAIR OIL and it is bomb.

I also love to use the HAIR OIL on its own right after I wash my hair, while it’s wet. It adds a layer of heat protection and makes your hair super smooth.

What is your holy grail hair product?

xo Lynn

Beauty, Wellness

I am very specific about my makeup, and I like to use what works best for certain wants and needs – such as covering my rosacea, using products that are cruelty free, and the list goes on. I’m not a one brand kind of person either – I pick and choose from different brands based on what products work best for me.

Recently, Sephora released a section on their website and in their stores called “clean at Sephora“. Of course I knew about natural products before, but I hadn’t given much thought to using natural products.  I stick to my tried and true cruelty free items, but that does not mean those products are natural. It just means they’re not tested on animals. So I looked at what was available in the “clean” section and was intrigued.

The more I thought about putting certain products, specifically foundation and concealer on my face and how it’s absorbed into my bloodstream, I started to do more research on ingredients.

Here is what I have learned so far:

+ The average woman uses 515 synthetic chemicals on her skin every day, without even knowing.

+ The FDA doesn’t require any pre-market testing or approval before beauty products hit shelves. The European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals found in cosmetics, as scientific studies suggest that they could be linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. However, the FDA has only banned eight and restricted three.

{via source}

While I’m not going all out natural all at once, I did just start using two Lawless Beauty face products and I am obsessed. So obsessed that I have to share with you guys. What really caught my attention with Lawless Beauty over some of the other brands I’ve seen is that the packaging is so glam and you can tell that there is so much thought and care behind the brand. Annie Lawless wanted her brand of makeup to reflect luxury and glamour while still being natural. LOVE!

♡ Lawless Beauty Foundation

I’ll start with the description, because it perfectly describes the product:

“This SPF-free, non-comedogenic, skin-nourishing formula won’t clog pores, and wears comfortably throughout the day with a weightless feel that won’t fade or disappear. Lightweight, antioxidant-rich, skin-balancing oils, including abyssinica, camellia, kukui, grape seed, and jojoba oils, help plump and replenish the skin’s moisture barrier for a supple, youthful appearance. Soothing, anti-inflammatory shea butter helps soften and repair skin, while promoting collagen production and protecting against free radicals. With this formula, you can achieve medium to full coverage with a natural, skin-like finish that never looks cakey or dry on the skin.” – LAWLESS

There is so much that I love about this foundation, but most of all, I love the consistency as it is not matte yet it’s not shiny, it has no SPF (which makes it perfect for a wedding!), and it wears very well throughout the day. I’m a huge fan, and I will be wearing this foundation on my wedding day.

♡ Lawless Beauty Seal The Deal Setting Powder

What’s different about this setting powder is that talc is not used. Instead, mica us used as the base. The powder does not add any cakiness, it is very fine and applies like an airbrushed finish.

Are you guys into natural makeup? If so, what have you loved? Please share!

xo, Lynn