From Rags to Remarkable ;)

I've got sponge rollers at home, velcro and hot ones too. I've set my hair in finger waves and pin curls... even used actually scraps of fabric just to see what I could get out of it.

I have seen these rag/foam hybrids at the store for about a year now but I thought, "Those couldn't possibly work on my hair, beside they actually look comfortable to sleep in." And as we all know our level of discomfort is indicative of how well something has preformed (¬_¬)

I took 1½x2 inch rectangular sections and rolled everything in the same direction. These little guys have wire on the inside so you don't need to tie them like the rag rollers of olden times.

My hair was nearly dry, just a light misting with a spray bottle to help encourage it to stay put.

Simple as wrap and twist! The whole thing took me about 10 minutes to do, easy peasy.

...and then I slept...

AHHHH! O, wait, that's just me in the morning =^_^=
I do look a tad deranged here, tho in my own defense I basically rolled out of bed and climbed into the chair to take these photos. Now that's dedication!

What followed next was various arm type exercises that enabled me to free myself from aforementioned rollers.

They are not even on the same grading scale as the sponge variety, having no plastic bits they were a dream to sleep in and didn't try and rip chunks of my hair out when removed.

Brushing the style out is über important. Don't be afraid to over do it as you can always fluff and reform the curls once you've smoothed out the desired areas. As you can see in the photo above I was so vigorous in my technique the camera could barely capture my movements. Oooo, action shot!

My quick 15 minute makeup application (video to follow) and I was starting to feel like a respectable member of humanity.

Remove the wrap, shape a few curls, add a sparkly headband and we're done! This set created lovely, plump coils with loads of shine.

One more photo, this one shows the back. I brushed everything down and scooped out and up at the bottom. You can always brush smooth and secure with long clips where you'd like the curls to start the ruffle the hair, it works just as well.

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Thanks for stopping by :)

la vita è bella

xoxo

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Lip-stick vs. Lip-balm... and the simple pleasure of pampering.

I have always loved rich, creamy lip colors.

When I was younger I loved M.A.C's Sheer Plum, brownish with just a hint of red. I had smuggled it out of my mother's room at some point, or perhaps she had let me borrow it for a dance and it never made it's way back. I remember the excitement of it, a dark rusty tone, so unnatural looking and yet it felt perfect.

That's what style should feel like, peace, love, that warm tingling sensation you get (no, not that one... well okay, maybe a little).

My partner, Angelo, isn't particularly fond of makeup.

"I just like Jazi." He says.

I realized I wasn't doing it so much for his benefit. I like the way I feel when I've pampered myself. Whether this means going and getting my nails done, having a massage, putting on cosmetics or just lounging around reading my favorite books... it's about the time I take to make myself feel good.

It's nice to get compliments from others and feeling comfortable in your own skin is, for a lot of people, affected by how others might perceive us. Tho, when you really get down to the bones of it no one is in charge of making you feel confident, that has to come from YOU.

Take a moment to remind yourself that you are amazing, that you should be proud of what you've accomplished in your life. You'll be surprised how things come to you when you stay in a positive frame of mind and besides, you're only telling yourself truths you already know, you might have just forgotten for a time.


So, like I was saying, I love lip colors. The downside was once the hours had aged it my lips sometimes felt dry and the leftover pigment seemed to always settle unevenly into the lines of my lips. Not to mention I had to find a proper liner to keep darker, more incense shades from escaping the boundaries and making my lip look fuzzy and undefined.

When I started using natural cosmetics and found tinted lip-balms I was introduced to another realm of beauty. I didn't have to smear heavy products all over my face to feel pretty. I decided I really did like a more natural look and I could still have rich pigment without the mess. What's more, after the balm's color had faded my lips still felt moisturized.

While there are many different brands on the market today, I have to say, I'm a bit of a loyalist. Like the hair product I carry at my salon, I have found a line I believe in.

Color options are really good! Of course, we are still talking more natural shades here but still there is something for everyone.

I took some photos so you can see the way each shade changes depending on the lighting.

The order is the same as the sheet above:

Acai, Cranberry, Fig, Holly Berry, Mango, Rhubarb and Sweat Pea.

Full Sun (late afternoon but still fairly bright)

You can see right away that some are definitely more pigmented than others, namely Cranberry (second from right), which I think is the strongest .

Partial Shade 

You can see them more clearly here without out so much glare from the sun. Sweat Pea and Rhubarb (first and second from the left) seem to be the pinkest with Acai (first on the right) coming in a close third mostly due to how shear it is.  Holly Berry (middle) is deceptive, looking almost rosy it's is actually a very shear plum.

Indoors with Moderate Natural Light

Mango (third from the left) is the color I was wearing today and is the only one that looks more orange or coral to me. It also has a little shimmer to it which looks fantastic on sunny days like this one was :)

with Flash

The camera's flash brightens these and makes them all a bit warmer. I wish you could see Fig (third from right) better. In the last photo shows it more clearly, it's shear and yet very bronzy with lot of shimmer.

I am certainly suited to some of these colors over the others but I think I can find a situation where each would work.

I will be very excited to use these over the winter when my lip really start to get dry. Not only will my smackers stay vibrant and soft, I'll get a yummy peppermint thrill every time I put on on ;)

.............................

So when all is said and done $7 buck a pop won't break the bank and my guy will be less likely to recoil from over-pigmented lips next time I lean in for a smooch!


What's your take? Think you could trade in your regular stick for a soothing, all-natural balm?
I'd love to hear what you think :)

la vita è bella

xoxo

 www.alimapure.com

Pastel Heaven or Hell...?

The word "pastel" invokes images of Easter and candy coated peanuts, My Little Pony and sickly sweet cotton candy.

Not exact what most of us are thinking about when deciding on the perfect hair color.

I love pastel hair and, yes, there is always the fear that we might end up looking like we've jumped by a gang of Candy Land rejects but it doesn't have to be that way.

Pastels can be soft, luminous and ultra feminine... 

Especially when they are complimented by a rich natural shade like in the above photo.

Beautiful, semi-tranlucent jewel tones that can compliment almost anyone.

My favorites?

Smokey turquoise...

and shear blue/violets.

Bump up the opacity to add a bit of vibrance. 

This look is even more striking for those with matching eye colors.

Any way you swing it these colors are amazing to behold! Tho not for the faint of heart, these styles can be subdued to work in a professional environment as well. 

It might simply be a case of limiting the amount of hair colored or keeping the shades more mellow.

...my only advice, avoid this look altogether

la vita è bella

xoxo