Friday Flop: How To Not Highlight Your Hair

Last week I happened to be at CVS browsing through the hair color when noticed certain colors of the L’Oreal Paris Couleur Experte Express were on sale half off their regular $14.99 price! (You can also find it regularly as low as $11.99 on Amazon.com.)

Not being one to pass up a good deal I took a look at the colors and was thrilled to find Chocolate Macaroon (medium golden brown) included in the sale.  Purchased it and took it right home.   Normally I just do a straight all over color, but I was feeling adventurous.  Highlights?  Why the hell not.

I was not prepared for what I would find inside the box… or just how freaking long the process would take.

See that?  That would be two sets of hair color.  While what laid ahead was not a complete Precision Foam Colour disaster, it was still pretty terrible.  First you had to open the larger box on the right of the above photo, mix, apply and leave on for 25-35 minutes.  I always do the max, just for good measure.  It all went on OK and 35 minutes later I was washing it out of my hair and conditioning (not included in the package).  Then it was time to blow dry.

So far I was liking the color and the results.  It was going to be more time consuming then I bargained for, but after drying and styling my hair (without product) I was ready to move to the next step.  I opened up the remaining box for the ‘harmonizing highlight’.  What a pain in the ass.  Mix a creme with a packet full of fine powder with a tiny spatula for 2 minutes till smooth.   Then you apply the mixture with the included wand (think the same kind you use for mascara, just a bit larger) or the Easy Glide Highlighter tool (looks like a tiny flat iron with sponges on the inside that you don’t plug in).

I actually used both.  The Easy Glide for larger chunks of highlights and the wand for some smaller ones.  The instructions said 10-15 minutes for subtle highlights and 15-25 for more visible.  I have to say I went about 20 minutes before I washed it out.

So yeah.   There I was washing my hair for a second time.  Followed by a 2 minute conditioner they included this time.  Rinse again, blow dry again… and voila.

Nothing.

Well, not nothing.  But let me tell you girls, you can barely see anything at all.  There is one faint off color streak that I can actually hide under the rest of my hair… and nothing else came out at all.  It is all one color.  No highlights.  All that work…and it didn’t work.  My husband actually joked that I spent all night coloring my hair.  But it was sort of true.

Not a fan.  Not a fan at all.  Too much work and the results…just are not worth it.  From now on I will stick to the all over color by itself.  Don’t waste your time with this ladies.

About The Author:  Liza lives in New England with her 4 favorite boys; her husband and 3 children. She started blogging in 2007, finally getting serious about her passion for writing in 2010. Always the athlete when she was younger, she did not find her inner girlie girl until college. After having 3 boys in under 2 years, she is trying to reconnect with her inner girlie girl (in a house where the toliet seat is always up), while staying on a budget.

Featured Photo Credit

5 Gift Ideas For Co-Workers

Maybe you have a Secret Santa thing going on. Maybe you have a small office (like I do) and everyone is like family so people routinely buy each other holiday gifts. Either way, you’ve got to get something for someone you’re not particularly close with, but that you still have to see everyday (read: It can’t be cheesy). I’ve come to your rescue. Please don’t be afraid to send money. PayPal is fine.

5 Gift Ideas For Co-Workers

1. Soap. Who doesn’t use soap? The best part is that there are all kinds of soap out there. How about some guest soaps from a Etsy shop like HaldeCraft? (disclosure: My friend Lorena owns HaldeCraft, but the soap is awesome). They’re less expensive and probably better quality and you can even make a custom order if you’d like. Nothing’s better than a personal touch.

2. Stationery Items. Pretty stationery or magnets from a Zazzle shop like mine (shameless plug!) or an Etsy shop like Uncommon are a great idea, especially for your old-school co-workers who still write things like thank you cards. Magnets are great for both home and office. Simple gifts, but useful and thoughtful. Like you.

3. A Calendar. Another practical but always well-received gift is a wall or desk calendar like the Cute Overload calendars. Who can resist all that cute? If cute won’t do, there are always great photography calendars or calendars for just about anything else you can think of. Just remember to keep it clean, OK? This is work, not the fraternity house.

4. Fragrance Gifts. Just about every woman likes a nice scent. A fragrance gift like Bath and Body Works’ Wallflowers can be used both at home and in the office. Pick out a nice, universal scent like lavender (calming) or citrus (energizing). If they don’t like the scent you choose they can always exchange it for another.

5. Gift Cards. If you’re stumped, there’s always a gift card for their favorite retailer or Amazon. The only drawback is they will know how much you spent. But at least they can get exactly what they want. No one can argue with that. Not even the office Scrooge.

 

Featured photo by Creative Tools

Grunt Style: This We’ll Defend

Today I want to tell you about Grunt Style, a line of clothing made right here in the USA, started by Army Drill Sergeant Daniel Alarik.

He founded Grunt Style after realizing in 2009 that there just wasn’t anything fashionable out there for people to wear to express their love for their country and the military.  Drill Sergeant Alarik contacted me to ask if he could send me a shirt from his line at my choosing for a review.

I have to tell you I was pretty excited.  I like to think of myself as patriotic and aside from the flag Old Navy tees and my old Army PT gear from college (that doesn’t so much fit me anymore), I never felt I had anything patriotic to wear either.  I chose the Daughter of the Republic shirt, which I fell in love with right away.  The shirts are soft and comfortable, made of 60% cotton/40% polyester.  It’s also form fitted to show off your curves ladies!  This particular style comes in v-neck.  So comfortable to wear, I love it!

The one thing I want to caution you on is make sure you get your proper size (there is a sizing chart on the website you will want to follow).  How should I put this.  While the shirt fits me great up top… being not as … in shape as I used to be, it doesn’t look that wonderful in the stomach area.  There is some stretch to the shirt but it does appear a little ‘fitted’ there too.  For someone who is looking to still try and hide that area I would suggest the next size up.

However, now that my boys will all be starting morning school in a few days and I will soon be living at the gym, I really do look forward to being able to confidently put this shirt on in another month or so when I have lost a bit of that added post baby weight.  Maybe at that time I’ll even do a follow up with some photos of me in it.

Grunt Style has a men’s line as well as a women’s line and has recently expanded to include wristlets – which I am loving the look of!  Have something you would like to see on a shirt but they don’t make it?  Grunt Style will custom make you a shirt!  Another plus?  Drill Sergeant Alarik has a beer guarantee – exchange any product at any time for any reason!  How can you go wrong with that?  Grunt style retails from $9.95 to $29.95 and can be purchased directly from the website.  Some styles even available on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review, I was however given one free shirt to wear and write about.

The Digital Mom Handbook

I have to tell you about a book I waited four months for.  The Digital Mom Handbook: How to Blog, Vlog, Tweet, and Facebook Your Way to a Dream Career at Home.

Never have I ever thought to pre-order a book.  My birthday was in March and The Digital Mom Handbook went right on my list when I heard about the pre-order.  My sister was cool enough to get it for me.  Tuesday night when the boys and I got home I was beyond excited to find it waiting in my door.  I perused the pages a bit before bed with every intent to start reading it in the morning.

Can I just say, not since the Twilight series have I been so excited to crack open a book?  (That should tell you something right there.)  It tends to take me weeks to get through a book with all the chaos at home.  Only the Twilight books did I read in a few hours over a few days.  Could not put it down.  Though totally different subject matter, The Digital Mom Handbook was the same way for me.  It took me the whole entire morning but I did not put it down once, and I dog eared several pages along the way so I could go back over them later.

This book more than spoke to me, it inspired me.  It discusses finding your passion, how to begin and what to do along the way.  It was written by Audrey McClelland of Momgenerations and Colleen Padilla of Classymommy.  They broke down everything into 7 basic steps… even including smaller things along the way, such as how to set up a Twitter or You Tube account in case you are new to that aspect of social media.  While I had already done several of the things they suggested, there were some I had overlooked.

What I loved most was reading Colleen and Audrey’s stories about how they got where they are, along with excerpts from many other bloggers.  The further in I read, the more excited I felt myself becoming.  For so many years I did not know what I wanted career wise.  It was only a little more than a year ago that I really realized this was it… but part of me wondered if I was too late to the game.  The Digital Mom Handbook made me feel like it’s not too late, that there is really room for all of us.

I should also tell you that I happen to know Audrey McClelland personally.  I nervously introduced myself to her at Style Week Providence last January.  She was incredibly nice.  The Digital Mom Handbook talks about finding a mentor.  I can say that for me, Audrey is that person.  When she barely knew me she emailed me the answers to my blogging questions when I didn’t know who else to ask.  She is beyond wonderful and I hope to have a career like her at some point.

If trying to get a career from blogging is something you are thinking about, this book is definitely for you.  Even if you just want a small crash course in all things social media, this is for you too.  The Digital Mom Handbook retails for $15.99 and can even be found for as low as $10.10 on Amazon.

Friday Flop: My Precision Foam Colour Disaster

Show of hands.  Who dyes their hair?

My hand is raised high.

I started going a super slow gray at nineteen years old.  Nineteen.  Which means I have spent many years since bouncing between trips to the salon for a color and dyeing it myself.  Currently I am back on the kick where I dye it myself.

I have dark brown hair and like to switch up the color from time to time, anything in the range of lighter browns to the deeper reds.  (Side note, I have always wanted to go blonde but have never been able to muster up the guts to do so… pink too, but I’m afraid I long passed the age where I could pull that one off.)

When it comes to dyeing my hair though?  I am a pro.  Seriously!  Have never had a single problem, and I like to switch up the brands too.  OK, well there was that time with the Sun In.  That was a near disaster, but that’s another story for another time.

A few weeks ago I opened my mailbox and was excited to find a voucher for a free box of John Frieda’s new Precision Foam Colour.  Because you know, John and I?  Are like *that*.  (Or maybe I just signed up for a coupon…who can remember.)  At the store I chose 4R Radiant Red (for dark red brown hair – my current kick).   At Target it retails for $11.99 – pretty pricey for the cost of do it yourself hair dye these days but I told myself it could just be worth it (if I was paying and all).  The application is supposed to be as easy as shampooing your hair.  Mix the color, tilt the bottle, squeeze – out comes the foam… which you apply at the roots and then all over.  The website itself says: Simply massage the foam into your hair to achieve flawless coverage you thought you could only get at a salon. No drips, no stains – just gorgeous-looking hair from every angle.

Huh.

No drips, no stains.

Hmm.

Picture me in a tube top in my bathroom being dripped on everywhere faster than I could get it massaged into my hair – and my ears, arm and shoulder getting stained.  I was actually standing there in the mirror laughing at myself (because it was that or cry) … even my sink got stained.  Seriously, no idea what the heck happened.  And the smell.  I am fully used to the smell of hair dye but this one made my eyes burn.

After waiting the allotted time and washing it out, I did actually like the color and thought I might give it one more try next time.  Cut to two weeks later as the color starts fading from my hair in streaky pieces.  Full disclosure, yes I have been out at the beach and in the sun but it has never happened so fast with any other dye I have used.  I am maybe only a month out from dyeing my hair right now and not only has it really faded but I have grays popping up everywhere.  Really quite shocked.  Worst hair dye I have ever used.  Especially disappointing after seeing how much more they charge than other brands you can buy yourself (that work so much better).

If you want to give it a go yourself, certain colors on Amazon are selling for as low as $9.85 right now… but I don’t think I’d spend my money on this brand.

Professing My Love For The Hanes Bandini

OK ladies, come on in a little closer.

Who here has gone from store to store trying to find just the right bra for that new shirt or dress that happens to be strapless… or has just one sleeve… or there is something else going on with the cut that you just can not put on any old bra you have because the straps showing would look atrocious.

I am raising my hand high.

I can not tell you how many strapless bras (for mucho money) I have purchased over the years that fit when I am trying it on, but once the tags are off and I’m on my way out the door it starts to… you know… migrate on down a bit?  Who wants to spend their whole night pulling up their bra?  I’m also not that girl who can just take it off either.  Most recently I tried purchasing yet another bra with straps that could be unhooked if needed and tucked somewhere else.  Perfect for a shirt I adore that happens to have just one sleeve.

Or so I thought.  After watching it fall down at home in the trail run, I figured out how to strategically place 3 pieces of fashion tape (3 pieces!) over the bra to hold up the spot I needed (while also attaching it to my shirt).  Sure it may be stuck then, but oh my gosh it doesn’t come off that easy later.  And have you ever washed a shirt – and dried it – after forgetting to remove an errant piece of fashion tape?  Not really the same after that.

I have been a fan of Hanes for years.  At Getting Gorgeous (yes I am still talking about that, it was so fun!) I spotted a brand new bra you were not able to get in the store yet.  It was called the comfort flex fit Bandini.  FINALLY!  A comfortable cute bra with several colors available that can be adjusted eight ways.  EIGHT WAYS!  No fashion tape needed!  It can be worn with one or two straps, strapless, or racer back style by adjusting the straps with a simple twist or tuck to convert it. So easy.  And you can even layer two for yet another adorable look.

I had to try these.  I don’t know why, but I just knew this would be different.  And affordable!  I signed up to be a Hanes Comfort tester and specifically asked for the Bandini.  Just over a week ago I was on one of my weekly quests to where else but Target and for the first time I noticed them on the racks.  I grabbed a set of 2 in white and nude.

The only thing I was not sure about was the size.  Because I?  Fall in that spot just between the medium and large.  Grabbed the large to be on the safe side, got them home and I was in love!  Two days later I got a package from Hanes with 2 more Bandini’s (strawberry pink and surf blue for colors) – sized in medium.  (I had given them my exact measurements previously.)

Love love love.  They all fit actually, though I like that the medium is just a bit more snug.  The only drawback I would say is due to the thin stretchy material…um… lets just say if you are cold and wearing a thin shirt?  Yeah, someone is going to notice.  Although, if you layer two of them you might be able to avoid that.  So comfortable and stretchy I have lived in these 4 bras ever since.  Don’t even care about my others.  I want to get like 10 more of these.

The Hanes comfort flex Bandini retails at $14 for a package of two at stores where Hanes are sold, as well as online.  I did find some on Amazon as cheap as $9.40.  Still a great deal in the stores at $14 for two versatile bras.  (Shhh, I would pay even more than that!)  I have tried it all girls.  Strapless shirts, one sleeve shirts, shirts with the different cuts… it always works!  Always!  And even on those shirts that are just a little low cut?  The fun colors make it look like you are wearing a different color tank underneath – not like your bra is showing.

This is definitely my new favorite thing.

*Disclaimer: Though Hanes was kind enough to send me two Bandini bras to review, I was not compensated for this post and the opinions are all my own.

Almay Intense I-Color Smoky-I

Have you thought about changing up your makeup a little?  Rocking that ever-so-sexy smoky eye look?

As someone who is trying to get reconnected with her inner girlie girl and has a hard enough time sometimes getting eye shadow to look just right after a few years of not wearing any, this was not something I thought I would be capable of trying.

Know what?  I was totally wrong!

A few weeks ago I finally broke down after seeing the commercials (I don’t know why, but the commercials always suck me in lately) and went to my local Target (aka my home away from home) and perused the makeup aisles.  After taking a look at the packaging for the Almay Intense i-color Smoky-i eye shadow, I took a breath and added it to my cart.  With the actual application instructions included on the package I figured it was worth a try.

Total bonus, like the Covergirl Exact Eyelights mascara, it’s not just one smoky eye color for all.  The colors you purchase are by your eye color so they have them for me in hazel, as well as sets for browns, blues and greens.  And as always, Almay is hypoallergenic so I know it will be good for my face.

The first time I used it I was going out for the night.  It was so unbelievably easy to apply!   Darkest shade from lash line to crease, medium shade just above and lightest shade to the brow bone and corners of eyes to highlight.  Blend it all a little and you are Done! I like to throw on a little black eyeliner under the eyes and some mascara on my lashes to complete the look.

While I initially thought this was only a look I could rock for a night out on the town, I started to play with the look a little during the daytime too.  I realized I could put on my jeans, a black and silver tee shirt and rock the intense i-color smoky-i with some silver jewelry and even that looks great!  What can I say, I am in love with this new eye shadow.  It’s given me a whole new look for when I’m in the mood to be noticed.

You can find the eye shadow wherever Almay products are sold, or go to Amazon and rock it girl!

Bella Cucina Mini Donuts Are For Me

Have you ever wanted to make donuts at home?  Alice Horton (Days of Our Lives) I have never been.  A baker sometimes yes, but really just cookies, cupcakes and cakes.

I had never tried making donuts.  A few years back a Krispy Kreme came to our town and while it did not last long in New England (which is also known as Dunkin Donuts country), it was fun to watch them make the donuts though the glass.  I was not however, a fan of all the frying and flipping in oil.

My boys are all about donuts, which really is my own fault.  From the time they were about a year and a half old whenever I made my coffee stop I would also be caving to the pouty face and picking them up some munchkins or a donut.  It’s almost like they were born obsessed.  And the older they get the quicker I find myself wanting to curb their donut intake, as well as my own.

We got the Bella Cucina Mini Donut Maker and I have to say I love it.  It’s an all around family hit.  I put it on my counter, plug it in, and when the light changes from orange to green I’m ready to get cooking!  The instruction booklet even comes with several recipes.  Small homemade bite sized donuts in minutes.  You can cook 7 at a time and from just one batch I was able to make over 30 donuts!  I do not love cleaning anything to begin with, so I had that horrified thought of how am I going to clean all these little donut spaces.  But have no fear!  It is non-stick so we are taking super easy cleanups!  So far I have only made the basic donut recipe but I am loving the ones for higher fiber where you can substitute white flour with whole wheat or oat bran.  Now I’m controlling what goes into these snacks and I love it.

What I didn’t love so much is trying to glaze them.  I would seriously recommend skipping the glazing.  The donuts are so small you get more of it on your hand as it drips through the little hole and over the sides.  Just as tasty without glaze (and healthier too I’m sure).

The original retail price at Macy’s is $39.99.  Amazon has it listed at $22.49, but you can currently get it on sale from the Macy’s website for just $15.99!  How can you beat that!

White Sands Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner

A few weeks ago I was sent bottles of White Sands moisturizing shampoo and moisturizing conditioner to try out, then write about.  I was given the formula for dry/normal hair.

Even before the first use, I liked that the products were sulfate and silicone free.  The moisturizing shampoo and conditioner says it is ideal  for hair ‘that has become delicate from UV exposure, salon services, and hot tools.’  That?   Would be me.  Between frequently dying my hair, blow drying it and using the flat iron I do enough damage all on my own.  Not to mention in the warmer weather when I spend half of my day outside in the sun without a hat.

I opened the bottles and they smelled pleasant enough, but it’s a faint smell.  It’s not all overwhelming herbal essence-like on you.  I have to say that at first, that disappointed me.  I did not realize how accustomed I had gotten to waiting for that waft of perfume to hit me as I shampoo my hair, no matter what the brand these days… and believe me I am always switching brands.

I will be completely honest here.  The very first time I used White Sands shampoo and conditioner I was not only not impressed, but I had decided that I did not even like it.  I thought it made me hair feel … different in a way I could not place.  So I judged it right then and there and I was ready to write this up as a flop.  Then a few days later I received a second package from White Sands with another bottle of shampoo and conditioner.  I took that as a sign that maybe I should give this another go and try again.

By the second or third time I washed my hair I realized I was really starting to like this shampoo and conditioner.  After blow drying I actually started to feel like my hair was not only feeling smoother, but looking nicer.  I have now been using the products for almost two weeks and I am very pleasantly surprised.  I’m glad I didn’t give up on it after just one use because I have a feeling it took a few washes to get whatever junk was already in my hair from the other shampoo and conditioner I had been using, out of it.

On the White Sands website the shampoo retails for $12 at the 7.6oz bottle or $28 for the 33.8oz bottle.  The conditioner retails for $15 for the 7.6oz bottle or $34 for the 33.8oz bottle.  On Amazon.com you can purchase both the 7.6oz shampoo and conditioner as a combo for $26.98.  While I have never been a girl to stick by just one brand of shampoo and conditioner, I have a feeling I will be sticking with this one for the foreseeable future.  It just makes my hair feel good!

Disclaimer: I was not paid to endorse this product, it was however sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Dance Central For XBox 360 Kinect

Remember my posting that listed my 7 Must-Haves for the Holiday Season?  Well my husband and my aunt were listening because I got three of my Must-Haves for Christmas!  *Squee*

My husband got me Dance Central for XBOX 360 Kinect – as an early Christmas present.  (Isn’t he awesome ladies?)

We have always had just about every.single.video.game.system.ever.  My husband has been a pretty big gamer since we were teenagers.  That was back when I used to sit on the couch next to him pretending to be interested in watching him play.  (Now, I don’t pretend…he knows I am just.not.interested.)  I haven’t been interested in fact, since Nintendo.

It’s true.

When I was small I remember getting an Atari.  It was so exciting!  Then we got Nintendo and I was all over Mario Bros.  My younger sister, brother and I would play for hours.  And then after awhile it was just them playing.  I was over video games.  Fast forward to high school and my then boyfriend now husband and I would spend a lot of time in … arcades (back when kids did that sort of thing) and on the couch at his house playing video games.

Correction.  He was playing.  I was faking an interest.

Right now the XBOX 360 and the Wii get a lot of play in our house.  My boys are following in their dad’s footsteps and love to play as well.  I have had zero interest in any of it… until that is, I was seeing ads for the Kinect.  Wireless?  No controller needed?  I was intrigued.

Then came the ads for Dance Central.  I mean I had to have this suddenly.  I was so excited about this I even wrote to the company that made Dance Central (Harmonix) to tell them how much I loved it immediately after trying it.  I almost never do that!  And about a video game!

For the last year I have been a sometimes avid, sometimes not at all, YMCA user.  We just put a hold on our account for a few months because we just were not getting there as much as we should.  After this winter maybe we’ll have more time to get back there.  But it’s January – which means there are only about five (5!) months till beach season (which equals bathing suits) and the boys are already bugging me about when we get to start hitting the beach again.

I have decided this game is going to be my workout routine.  It’s going to get me bathing suit ready once.and.for.all because the last 3 years I have struggled like you wouldn’t believe.  I’m thinking if I can put in one hour a day (after the boys go to bed), I may just finally look the way I want to.  While not even feeling like I am working out.

The game is rated T for Teens.  It is amazing because it breaks down all of the dance steps slowly for you.  You practice them.  It even shows you what you are doing wrong by highlighting the body part that isn’t moving correctly in red.  Levels on each song vary from Easy, Medium to Hard.  For the first 15 minutes you are playing you’re thinking about how you can’t possibly be exercising … another 45 minutes goes by like that as you move up levels and unlock new songs and suddenly your whole body is feeling the workout.  And all you were doing was dancing.

Oh, and super fun fact.  The game takes pictures of you dancing!  And plays them back for you!  A visit to Kinectshare.com allows you to access and share photos and videos from your Kinect games.  Unfortunately Dance Central isn’t on the list yet.   But WHO does not love to dance, while losing some extra weight in your own living room.  And (not that I have tried) but this could be a pretty fun game to pull out when you’ve had a few drinks and some friends are over (provided you are over 21).  Dance Battle feature.  Need I say more?

Songs on Dance Central range from Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” to Bel Biv DeVoe’s “Poison”… even Wreckx-n-Effect’s “Rump Shaker”.  Just shake your rump!  When you get tired of the songs that came with the game?  You can also go online and download new songs for about $3.00!

While all Kinect games retail for about $49.99, you can find it on Amazon.com for as low as $39.99!  Want to join me online?  My gamer tag is “Liza Rae”.

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