Anastasia of Beverly Hills & Wild as a Mink

Recently I was approached by a media team partnering up with Anastasia of Beverly Hills.

They asked me if I'd be interested in joining their Blogger Appreciation Program, and I was more than stoked to do so.

Anastasia is a skincare and cosmetics line based out of Beverly Hills.  They are currently stocked at Sephora nationwide.

The company has done campaigns for Diesel,  Flaunt Magazine, and Bebe as well as some of the looks/publications shown below.

So, when I was asked to review one of their many products, I chose the Hydra Full Lip Gloss.

It's on its way in the mail so I hear...and once I receive it I'll make sure to report back to you with a full, honest review.

I'm not one to dance around the truth...so expect nothing less than my god-honest opinion of the product.

I look forward to collaborating with Anastasia of Beverly Hills in testing new products and offering upcoming giveaways to my readers. 

Lets hope my time with Anastasia is mutually beneficial and lucrative so I can offer you a chance to win some of their products and you can give them a test-run yourself!

Now wouldn't that be ideal???

Um...YES!

In the meantime, while we wait for me to receive the lipgloss, and while we wait for a future giveaway, make sure to visit their site and check out their full line of merchandise.

And, don't hesitate to learn a thing or two about beautiful brows while you're at it.  I watched it, and I can definitely say I should probably invest in Ms. Anstasia Soare's brow kit.

Well because...um have you seen my brows?  

Yeah...YIKES!

So make sure to stop back by in a few...I can't wait to tell you what I think about their Hydra Full Lipgloss, let alone my experience with their products.

Yay!  I'm excited!

I am indeed a girl that likes her makeup!

The Garrott Tee: Look #10-SCALLOPed potatoes

Hey, I'm back with another personal take on wearing Garrott Designs' "Without My Muse" T-shirt.

(They were kind enough to give a break last week cause my brain was creatively fried-and my closet is uninspriring at the moment; but now I'm back in the game!)

This time around, for Look #10, I paired some of my old trusty Fall pieces with some of my trusty Spring pieces--appropriate considering the weather seems to teeter back and forth btwn spring-ish and fall-ish here in the Northeast. 

(one day it'll be spring and I promise you a full blown SPRING styling; but for now, we gotta deal with my transitional wardrobe choices)

While the blouse underneath says FALL due to the rust shade; I think the scallop detail on the sleeves and tiers says SPRING.  Nothing is better for Spring '11 than some girly scallops. 

(although pretty sure Chloe was on it a year earlier-yeah i'm a commoner, not an owner of designer goods, therefore I can be a year behind ok?)

I wanted to be seasonally appropriate, yet still warm enough, so I thought layers as usual were the way to go.  And layers are fun, you can be so creative with how you do it all up.

I mean why be so boring all the time with just a tank under a tee...spice it up a bit.  Pair uncommon choices and throw on the Garrott Tee and you'll be surprised by the outcome.  Practice makes perfect, and until you try you'll never know what works and what is simply crazy but kinda cool.

By that, I kinda mean what I've got going on here. 

Who really thinks to fold up the tshirt to waist-level, and to roll under the sleeves to form a sorta sweater-vest looking t-shirt?

And while I'm at it, why not do the scallop silky blouse underneath?  Yeah why not.

Then the body-con skirt to balance the scallop, the booties to keep me warmer than a sandal, and a multi color scarf to tie it all together-yeah works for me!

And its not your normal everyday tshirt outfit, right?

C'mon kids, let's have fun with a tshirt once in a while...tell me how you're wearing your tees lately, anything creative? After all, I did say my brain was so fried last week creatively that Garrott Designs had to give me the week off--so I could probably take some inspiration from some of your crazy ideas.

Wearing:

*Gray tshirt-Garrott Designs

*Rust scalloped blouse-Target

*Gray jersey skirt-H&M

*Multi-color scarf-H&M

*Beige suede booties-Calvin Klein

Minding my p's and CURLY q's

Wait...what's different about this picture?  What's going on here?  Why is my hair beyond just "wavy"?

It's because the good people over at Misikko gave me the opportunity to test out one of their

 Professional Curling Irons.

You might recall, just last month I tested out one of their professional flat irons as seen here, being that it worked out well for me, I thought of course it would be awesome to review another one of their products  for your consideration.

When I received the clipless curling wand, I was a at first a little worried about just how this asymmetrical hairstyle of mine would fair when curled.  I mean asymmetry in hairstyles is not usually best shown with texture like curl upon the mane, right?  

And I'll admit, the end result-while much more pleasant than I imagined, was a little odd but only because of my cut...

the curling wand itself worked like a fast-action curling iron; 

a dream curl it created just soooooo right if I do say so myself!

Ok, so as usual, I started fresh out of the shower, dried my hair as usual with my paddle brush and professional hairdryer.

This is what I typically look like immediately after unplugging my dryer.

(Not too wavy, not too straight, but definitely nooooo curl)

While drying my hair, I plugged in the curling wand to let it heat up.

Well slap me and call me crazy...but this thing heated up to perfection in a matter of mere seconds!

Amazing, such little wait time!

So I went about clipping up sections of my hair so as to get to the bottom layer first.

And then a curling I went.

I took about 2" sections on each layer until the full head was curled (sans bangs, no curl needed there).

I alternated curling direction with each strand--one curled clockwise, the next curled counter-clockwise...all curled in a ringlet type style.

I'll admit, I initially found the curling wand a little awkward to use.  After a few tries, and a few minutes into it, I think I got the hang of it.  

It's a little difficult at first being that there is not clamp to it-but I found taking the end of the strand of hair and wrapping it loosely around the barrel of the iron, then gently pulling the end of the hair would allow for it to easily wrap around the iron and within seconds I could release and have a near perfect ringlet ready to rival that of Nelly Olsen's 'do 

(yeah...I referenced "Little House on the Prairie" just now; why not that is one fine show I grew up with and still love it to this day!)

About 10min later (I don't have tons of hair ok, as if it wasn't already apparent) I end up with lots and lots of texture, curls abundant everywhere!  And you know what...I think I like it!

Um yeah...I like it!

Now this review went down on a Friday evening...do you think I was going to just stay home after that? NO!

I have a boyfriend these days--AKA a life outside of the blogosphere--so I was off to his house for some Netflix and hangout time.

Of course, as soon as I arrive for a lowkey evening with him and the roomate(s), the hair is the subject of conversation.  To be fair, they only have ever seen me for the past 5 months with straight hair, maybe slightly wavy 1-2x when I was accidentally caught in the rain, but other than that never have they seen such a 'do on this girl.

And although I told BF beforehand that I curled it, for some reason they all kept asking where I went earlier that evening, all the while complimenting the curly style of course.  But really? Do curls automatically equate to actually having a social engagement besides just me dolling myself up for no reason other than to review a product?  Silly boys...I went nowhere before their house so I found it silly they kept asking where I was at.

Eh, regardless, I guess it was cool I didn't get laughed at--least it got compliments from them.  

Sounds like the clipless curling wand and its finished product are boy approved-just sayin'.

In conclusion, if in the market for a new curling iron, or a change in hairstyle, give a clipless curling wand a try.  You'll grasp the technique without the clamp in no time, and you'll be amazed at the dreamlike ringlets you can create in no time at all.

Consider checking out Misikko.com; I've come to love their products.

It's not just the two products like I've reviewed, they've also got travel hair dryers - perfect for summer vacations friends! And brands like Corioliss Flat Irons-interesting looking philosophy/item.

And on that note...feel free to laugh at me too if you so desire, its a pretty crazy look for me I'll admit.

I laugh when I see it, so you can too!

Leave It to the (hana) Professional!

I'm slightly obsessed with hair, specifically MY HAIR.  If you know me, you know I'm one to comb thru magazine after magazine, hair site after site, constantly seeking out the perfect-slightly edgy, hairstyle for my noggin'.  As soon as I walk out of the salon I'm thinking of what I'll do to it when I walk back in there 8wks later for a trim. (er....totally new cut as is usually the case).

So, it was much to my delight when Misikko (a leading online store of professional styling tools, such as The Babybliss Pro and Professional Hair Dryers) contacted me to try out one of their best selling professional Flat Irons.

Most of my hairstyles require razor sharp edges, sleek tresses, and STRAIGHT hair in order to fully bring out the angles of the style I sport. 

So giving me a flat iron to test out is a no brainer!  I LIVE for flat irons!  I pack mine up with me and take it everywhere--vacation, photoshoots, etc.

Up until I got the Hana Professional from Misikko (shown above) I was content using my typical department store inexpensive flat iron (shown below).  I was curious to see how the professional styling tool stood up against is less pricey version...and to see if spending a large percentage more on a professional tool was really worth it.

(I have recently purchased a professional hairdryer to which I can attest that it makes a world of difference...it was well worth the hefty price tag in comparison to the crappy Conair dryer I had used before.  Soooooooo with that being said I had high hopes for the Hana Professional and the wonders it might do for my coif)

So let's begin with a little background info on how I go about styling my hair.

First off, I start by blow drying my hair...to which it is left in this wavy natural state...not so great if I want to really show the cut my stylist gave me.

Before the Hana Professional, I had been using a Remington w/ceramic tourmaline plates. 

I would turn it on and set it at 320degrees. 

(I have babyfine locks, not thick at all, so I don't need to go very high in the temperature unless I want to risk disasterous damage)

Generally, I was always pleased with the efficiency of the Remington...it heated up in a timely fashion, did its job, never caused frizzy fried hair...just after a few weeks my hair would have its typical split ends and wear and tear...but nothing I could blame on cheapie flat iron.

Then, along came my Hana Professional (also with ceramic tourmaline plates).

The instruction booklet (which I read front to back, thank you) instructed me 302 degrees would be an ideal setting.

Done and done!

(although I was a little skeptical about the results considering the temp setting was a whole 18degrees less than my usual...but I trusted the professional advice and went with it for this test).

And here are the results:

The cheapie store-bought version

-I had deep conditioned my hair that morning as I do every Saturday.

-In the end, I have sleek hair and some volume

-This is my version of a good hairday...inexpensive flat-iron does the trick!

The Hana Professional Version

-Again, I deep conditioned my hair as this was a Saturday

-I achieved extreme poker straight hair, but little volume

-I start to notice more frizzies than usual too.  Hmmmmm

Overall, I am pleased with the Hana Professional...it heats up really fast, within seconds I swear!

It really does straighten hair, and I mean STRAIGHT!

It doesn't hurt that Misikko offers lots of free perks with the purchase of the flat-iron either; I got a pouch for it-a heat pad to protect the surface where I'd be laying the iron-and it has a 2yr warranty.  Not too shabby!

Oh.....and let's not forget to point out the "INSTANT HAPPY FACTOR"--I got it in PINK!!!!!!!!

I will continue to use my Hana Professional, but I will also hold on to the Remington perhaps for travel just in case I am to lose it I won't be heartbroken--were I to leave behind the professional tool, then yes, I'd be a bit heartbroken.

So ladies and gents, if you're in the market for a new flat-iron or other professional styling tool I would suggest checking out Misikko.com.  They have a great selection and huge deals, price cuts galore! However, if you do not have cash to throw down on a professional styling tool at this time, then by all means stick with the store-bought inexpensive flat iron. 

After my little test-run with both irons, I cannot honestly say the inexpensive version is horrible...not at all--I think the Remington completely holds its own to the Hana Professional. 

And, I cannot honestly say the Hana Professional blew the cheapie version out of the water...No, it did its job, but nothing of epic proportions.

Basically, I would be happy with either iron, oh wait...I have both!

(but please...take my advice on the professional hair-dryer thing, seriously...the professional dryer I bought does wonders...dries my hair so much faster, less damage, and just overall a much more wonderful experience and tool to hold in my hand)