Serendipity

If someone asked me my favorite word it would have to be "Serendipity". Not only does it sound wonderful rolling off your tongue but the meaning behind it is what the best stuff in life is made of. The definition: A fortunate accident. It's a nice way to think!

One of my all time favorite movies

A great picture book for St. Patrick's day!

Serendipity NYC

Lauren and I trying our first frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity in NYC!

Serendipity is all around!

Natural Woman

I thought I would kick off March with a minimalist mentality. My hope is to rid my life of those nasty parabens that unfortunately are found in most of my favorite products and try an au naturale beauty regime instead. Let's see how long I can keep it up! First up, a new beauty line called Neuma that my hair salon is promoting. They gave me a bunch of samples to try out and so far so good. Neuma is a vegan hair line, made with plant nutrients and free of sulfates and parabens. Next, I'm trying out the Neutrogena Naturals skincare line and am sold on their facial cleanser!

http://www.neumabeauty.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Naturals-Purifying-Facial-Cleanser/dp/B004D268RA

Everyday to Evening Eyes

 My dear friend Lisa had a beauty secret that I was eager to try when I could hear the excitement in her voice as she was explaining her new favorite beauty line, Lorac. I have a few eye shadows from Lorac and have always been pleased but not overly impressed, wasn't ready to frolic in this new venture. This all changed when I tried the Everyday to Evening eye kit at Ulta. Not only do you get an eyeshadow trio, eyeliner, lipgloss, blush, and mascara-It even comes with tutorial cards on how to do a "daytime look" and then make it "pop" for an evening out! Anyone who wants an easy approach to eye makeup should buy this! The mascara is also a "must" and is up there on my favorite list!

The "day" look done in a jiffy!

www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2224927&productId=xlsImpprod3000247&navAction=push&navCount=1

At home manicure

I have a new goal to master the at home manicure because it could save me so much money if I learned how to do it just right.  Well, I found a new polish that has really helped me achieve my goals:) I love the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line of polishes. The colors are bold and polish dries smoothly. The brush has a wide flat shape which works so much better than the traditional round shaped nail polish brush. The polish wears well and is very chip resistant and lasts as long as a manicure! Try it yourself:)

I will always love you!

I can't have a blog about my favorite things without paying tribute to my childhood hero, Whitney Houston. My adoration for Whitney peaked when "The Bodyguard" came out in 1993. I don't know why my parents let me see a rated R movie, but so glad they did because I became majorly obsessed. I convinced my parents to take me to see Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" tour in Sacramento and my bedroom walls were covered with Whitney posters. Sadly, the obsession faded when she went off the deep end. Still, my dreams of wearing turtleneck beaded and velvet dresses like Whitney and cutting my hair like hers will never die...I'll miss you Whitney! 

One of her best turtleneck dresses!

Hand TLC

Looking for some TLC for your dry, winter hands? Look no further than Aveda's Hand Relief Cream. I've been using free samples of it for years but finally broke down and bought the spendy tube this past fall for $20. Fortunately, a little goes a long way and months later I think it's worth every penny.

Since I'm a germophobic teacher, I'm constantly washing my hands in the classroom so I keep a small one in my purse and the larger one at home. It's very thick but soaks in well and is not greasy. It instantly softens my hands and has a unique scent that leaves me addicted.

http://www.aveda.com/product/7527/16410/Collections/hand-relief/Hand-Relief/index.tmpl

Dry Shampoo Debate

Apparently, overwashing your hair can dry it out and cause hair color to fade. To preserve your color and maintain moisturized, sleek hair, it is best to wash your hair only 2-3 times per week. Are you kidding me? I nearly wash my hair everyday and it is SO tedious to blow it dry when I'm in a hurry!!  

Cue dry shampoo! if you’re strapped for time and you need to freshen up your locks (after the gym, snoozing too many times), dry shampoo serves as a fantastic option. Modern, busy women swear by dry shampoos! I've been experimenting with dry shampoo for the last year and am still undecided. When I heard of dry shampoo, I decided to try it out immediately! I will try anything if it allows a few extra minutes of sleep time in the morning. Plus, when my hair appears greasy, it’s usually only the roots that need to be refreshed. Applying a dry shampoo effectively soaks up any oil and dirt, leaving your hair looking refreshed and clean.

There are basically two types of dry shampoos: ones that come in a loose powder form and ones that come in an aerosol can form. Powder dry shampoos can be applied directly on to the scalp from the bottle and either brushed through or massaged in using your fingers.  My preference is the aerosol dry shampoo that can be sprayed directly onto the scalp from a few inches away. Here are the ones I've tried:

My sister gave this to me to try out and I wasn't very impressed. It has a great lemon scent but goes on your hair like baby powder, so unless you're really blonde, I think it shows on your scalp.

Oscar Blandi read my mind because they came out with a spray for brunettes. I like this one although it's pretty expensive and I feel like you need to use a lot for it to be effective.

The perfect find! Suave came out with this dry shampoo during the summer and I bought it to try it out- only $3.49! I love it and for the price, I use it lavishly! 


The link for the Suave dry shampoo is below. Try it out and let's continue the debate!


http://www.amazon.com/Suave-Professionals-Shampoo-Beautiful-5-Ounce/dp/B004DBUAGQ