Make Me Up, Buttercup

Today for Make Me Over Monday I wanted to talk about a few of my new favorite beauty products I've picked up recently.

Until recently, I have always been pretty 'safe' when it comes to my beauty products. I use what I have, and what I've been given by my friends and family, and I don't really venture very far beyond that. I think it always had to do with the fact that I felt more comfortable spending my money on things you can physically see - like clothing. Plus for me, it always seemed a little bit ridiculous that people would spend more than $10 on a lipstick. 

But boy was I wrong. I've realized that investing in quality beauty products can really pull together your entire look and give you a flawless application. Essentially the products I got are bae at the moment, and I'm going to let you all know why.

First and most importantly, the reason I walked into ULTA - The Naked Skin Concealer by Urban Decay.

I cannot say enough good things about this concealer. First and foremost, the difference between my old concealer and this one isn't even comparable. I was using a potted concealer and, for the most part, I've always had decent skin. Maybe a pimple here or there or even a scab from where I may have picked at it (yeah I know, I shouldn't do that, we're all human). So I really haven't had much to cover up so I always though my concealer does the trick. The issue I always had was with my under eye coverage. I would use this thick concealer under my eyes, that simply isn't made for that area. It would crease throughout the day and just feel so heavy under my lids.

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer is everything and more that I could have ever hoped for. It is light weight but still full coverage. Before I would have to load up the product to make sure it actually covered the problem area and even then it wouldn't stay. This product is long lasting, and looks so natural on your skin. I could go on for days but I would just recommend you go try it out for yourself.

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer comes in 8 different shades and retails for $28.

The second product I wanted to talk about is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz.

Now I was first introduced to this product because I am an avid Jaclyn Hill viewer on YouTube. She is Queen and everything she recommends I must buy. But really. She raved about this brow pencil and I wanted to try it, but I was hesitant at first. I had always filled my eyebrows in with powder, which I was completely satisfied with. Then I tried to fill in my brows with a pencil, which I felt like gave me a little more precise of a brow than the powder had.

After I got this product everything I knew about filling in my eyebrows had changed.  This is the most fool proof way of filling in your brows. On one end it has a spooly to tame the hair and on the other side is the twist up pencil. Depending on your strokes, you can be as light handed or bold as you want with you look. I love the color, it's perfect for my brows, but my favorite part has got to be the spooly. If i mess up along the way, when I brush my brows out at the end it softens the harsh line or mistake I made while applying and makes it as if it never happens. Leaving my brows looking natural and gorgeous. This is a great investment and I guarantee you will fall in love like I did.

The Anastasia Brow Wiz is offered in 9 different shades and retails for $21.

The last 'makeup' product I want to talk about is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water.

Now this is something I originally didn't think I was going to buy. I went into ULTA originally just looking to buy the Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray, but once I asked one of the associates she steered me towards this product. She said the reason she likes it better is because it is both a primer and can be used to set your makeup (like I originally wanted). I also wasn't hesitant to buy this because Jaclyn Hill owns it, typical.

So when I went home I was eager to try it out. I sprayed some on my face and went to apply my foundation. My foundation has never applied so smoothly and with such ease. Now granted, I have never used a primer before, but this has definitely sold me on the general idea of primers. I also use it to set my makeup and I think it does a good job of hydrating and making my skin look dewy, but honestly I don't see much of a difference in how long my makeup lasts. Regardless, this is a 'primer' and is made for that reason, which they nailed and I couldn't be happier with the result.

The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water retails for $32

Last product I want to talk about is the Living Proof Curl Enhancing Styling Mousse.

This product, I'm going to be honest, I'm not completely sold on yet. I originally bought it because I have naturally curly hair, but I wanted something that I could put in my hair while it is damp and when it dries it would have add more definition to my natural curl while also keeping them tame and not getting affected by humidity.

Overall I am not in love with this product. It definitely holds a curl, but my ends are the only issue and tend to get frizzy and lose their hold throughout the day. Now this may be for multiple reasons - I could just need a hair cut, I may need to add more product to those said areas, and maybe I need to try and diffuse it with a blow dryer instead of letting it dry on its own. There are many different methods I want to try to improve this product. I'm not saying it's a 'no' yet, because I really want to love it. I have other living proof products that I'm obsessed with, and the smell is to die for. But it is a mousse which I like, so it gives my hair hold while not leaving it 'crunchy'. The verdict is out on this product, but if you have any suggestions please leave me a comment letting me know!

The Living Proof Curl Enhancing Styling Mousse comes in 2 sizes with prices ranging from $15-$28.

So there you have it, my recent beauty purchases.  I am very pleased with all of the products I picked up and can't wait to try others and let you guys know what I think. I think this means I've officially become a 'make up' person. Can't say I'm mad about it ;)

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Chi Me, Baby

I realize it's been what, practically a year?, since I posted about my way to achieve my silky smooth, straight locks, and the science behind it. However, since i'm attempting to make a return back into blogging I figured I'd just pick up where I left off.

The third and final step I take before I put my straightener to my hair is I add about a dime size amount of the Chi Silk Infusion to the ends of my hair and work my way up to about halfway between my ends and roots.

I know this product works wonders simply for the fact that every time I get a hair cut it is the one product they continually use on my hair. I've heard rave reviews from many hair dressers as well as the beauty guru community on YouTube who can't stop talking about this product. It keeps my hair even more silky smooth on top of the Moroccan oil that I used in my first step.

The great part about it also is that it can be found for a relatively inexpensive price. I've seen it at tons of beauty stores and also at discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. However if you are looking to buy it online they can be found on Ulta.com, $25.50 for a 6 oz bottle which can last you for a very long time depending on how much you use.

So tell me, what is your favorite brand of hair products?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Frizz Be Gone!

Hey, remember that time 3 months ago that I decided to have a segment on how I get my perfect 'straight hair' look? Yeah, I'm sure you don't because it was 3 MONTHS AGO. Seriously, I am awful and I apologize. But we shall pick up where we left off :)

The third product I attribute my perfect straight hair to is the Living Proof - No Frizz Nourishing Styling Creme.

Now I originally found this product in one of those monthly sample boxes that got sent to my house. The sample size was in a very generous 2 oz size and by the time I finished the sample, I was dying for more. I seriously fell in love. I think mainly because it is the most heavenly hair product smell in the world, in my opinion. But, honestly I attribute this product as a key element in the success of the longevity of my straight hair.

I talked a lot in my first post about my hair texture and type, just a brief over view of that would be that my hair is thick. I have a TON of hair. I also had a very hard time keeping my hair straight throughout the day when I was younger. This product is one of the main reasons I believe I can keep my hair straight even on the most humid and rainy days.

The way I like to use this is I take about a dime sized amount and work it through my hair focusing on the ends, before I straighten my hair and after I use one pump of my Moroccan Oil.

It's a hard product to describe, but I would recommend you try out the 2 oz size for yourself. I can't guarantee it will yield the same results that it did for my hair, but I would absolutely recommend you try it if you identify with my hair type...or if you want your hair to smell just fab :)

You can find this at many different beauty stores, Sephora offers 2, 4, and 8 oz sizes ranging from $15 to $36.

So tell me, what is your favorite smelling beauty product?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Smooth as Silk

About two weeks ago I started a segment called 'Make me over Monday's'. Last Monday I was finishing up exams and I really didn't have time to write a post, so we shall pick up where we left off.

This Monday I wanted to talk about my holy grail product for my straight hair - Moroccan Oil.

This product has been all the rage lately. It makes your hair super silky and smooth and it keeps my hair straight all day. It is a little on the expensive side...try $43 for a 3 oz. bottle. Yeah. But I am telling you, it is worth the money.

What I like to do is take one pump on my dry hair, either air dried or after blow drying, massage it throughout my hair making sure to focus on the ends. Then I proceed with styling. If I decide to curl it then that is it and I will just hair spray my hair afterwards. When I decide to straighten it, I take another pump after I am done styling and work it throughout my hair again. Doing this 'tames my flyaways and conditions my split ends'...or so it says on the bottle :) Either way, I swear by this product and recommend it to everyone who is looking to get silky, smooth, touchable hair.

You can find this at a lot of different salons, however I found this one on the Nordstroms website.

The 0.8 oz bottle goes for $16.50 and 3.4 oz goes for $43

So tell me, what is your favorite hair product?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Be Straight With Me

I know you all are super surprised to hear this, but there's about to be another alliteration. But before I announce what that is going to be, let me tell you a little about my history and why I decided to start this blog.

When I was younger I got really into watching Youtube videos. The one's I really enjoyed watching the most were the Beauty Guru videos. This is what inspired me to make my own videos, yes I have made youtube videos before for any of my friends that may be reading this. It was never something I really told anyone about and I actually go back and watch them from time to time to give myself a good laugh. I'm so awkward. Anyways, that is part of the reason I decided to transition into Blogging. I tried the Vlogging thing and while it was fun, it was a TON of work to edit the videos and my camera quality isn't the greatest. So I thought Blogging would essentially be the same thing but with a little 'less' work than filming. Plus I don't have to get dressed up and put make up on to write a Blog, I can do it from the comfort of my PJ's and comfy bed.

Now that you know a little more about my background you can understand why I have such a love for Beauty and Fashion. Watching those women really made me fall in love with the Beauty community and made me want to pursue it for myself. So here goes, my Monday alliteration...

Make Me Over Mondays!

I'm such a cheese-ball, I can't even handle myself. The idea behind Monday's is that I will share with you some of my favorite beauty products. This can range anywhere from makeup to hair products to just cool tips or tricks that I may have learned throughout my years.

The first post for Make Me Over Mondays will be about my hair straightener.

I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. I love length, the color, how easily it styles, pretty much everything about it. But like any other girl, I hate my hair sometimes. It doesn't always do what I want it to, it turns into dreads after day 2 of not washing it...I wish I was kidding, and I haven't seem to have perfected the 'let your hair go naturally' look. I'm not sure if it is because I am not confident enough in the way it looks naturally or what but I haven't figured out how to wear it naturally.

A little bit more about my hair type before I go on. I have naturally curly hair. It is not tight ringlets but it also is not waves, I am probably somewhere in-between. I am not like a normal 'beauty guru' who has perfectly straight hair all the time and just 'wishes' it would hold a curl. No, my hair will hold a curl. The problem I have is keeping it straight. I had been struggling with this for the longest time, finding the right straightener and products so that my hair will stay straight throughout the day. Now granted there are some days where the humidity is just insane in North Carolina and those are the days, if I do end up straightening my hair, I will regret it forever (but I've gotten smart enough not to do so). However, for the most part I think I have perfect my straight hair!

The upcoming Mondays I will take you through my hair products and why they help me achieve my perfect head of hair (almost) every time.

My first product and my holy grail, seriously I swear by this, is my hair straightener.

If you click the picture above it will take you to the Folica Website where you can read more about this straightener and why people love it so much.

So this is the Sedu. I know many of you probably are thinking "What is this device, I've never heard of it." That doesn't surprise me. Not a lot of people have. When I was a freshman in High school I was using a Conair hair straightener from target that was probably $20. It would take me over an hour to straighten my hair and it didn't even work that well. Not trying to talk badly about Conair and their beauty products but it just did not work for my hair type. As soon as I stepped outside my hair would turn into one big frizzy mess. All of that time spent trying to get my hair stick straight went right out the window. 

This was around the time that I started getting into watching Beauty videos on Youtube. All of these women had really nice hair straighteners that they swore by. I also asked around to all of my friends, who mostly had Chi's. I wasn't completely impressed with the Chi hair straighteners, yes I do have one for travel because I don't care about it as much as my Sedu, but I don't believe it does as great of a job on my hair. So began my search for the perfect hair straightener. At the time, for what I can remember, my hair was a lot more curly than it is now. Now, this may have been exaggerated throughout the years in my memory, but I had in my mind that my hair was as thick and coarse as a black woman's. I'm not kidding. So when I was searching for straighteners and reading all of the reviews I came across the Sedu. Most of the reviews for this were black women who had very thick and coarse hair that got their hair pin straight because of this product! I was instantly sold.

I purchased my Sedu and haven't gone back since. In fact, I actually added a 'before' and 'after' picture to the website I purchased it off of. It's pretty hilarious. But it worked! It got my hair so straight. It has ceramic plates so it didn't pull on my hair at all, it was so smooth and it works so well for my hair. I'm telling you guys I swear by this straightener and if you have been searching for a straightener like I had and you have similar hair to mine, even way curlier, I would absolutely recommend you check out this product. It is my life saver, my baby, and I love it to death.

So tell me, what is your holy grail beauty item? I'd love to know!

Until next time,

Casey Rose