Bobby Pin Hacks

 

Here’s a short list of bobby pins hacks I’ve learned over the years… years spent in a dance studio where every step you take you can find at least one bobby pin!
Insert bobby pins wavy side down and against your head.

Bend your bobby pins to match the shape of your head.

Spray some hairspray on those pins before using them.

Twist your pins in to lock hair in place.

Cross pins over each other to hold hair in place even better.

Use the tip (after cleaning of course) to apply false eyelashes.

Use the tip (after cleaning of course) to separate clumps in your eyelashes.

Keep your bobby pins in a tube, or Tic Tac holder.

 

Aquage Uplifting Foam

I was just reintroduced to Aquage Uplifting Foam. I first heard about it a couple of years ago from a co-worker, then what really sealed the deal was when I hear Kate from The Small Things Blog rave about it. Yeah, she has the best hair I’ve ever seen, so I’ll pretty much try anything she raves about. Not only do I love Aquage Uplifting Form, but it’s seriously a miracle in a can. I have super straight, long, fine, flat (and I mean flat) hair. There is absolutely no volume going on, on my head. That was until Aquage Uplifting Foam entered my life. I quit using it for a while because I got really lazy with my hair. I just didn’t want to wake up earlier enough to make it look really nice. This was largely, if not solely due to the fact that my job moved an hour away from my house, so I had a very long commute. And when you have to leave your house by 6am, the last thing you (or maybe it’s just me) want to do is get up even earlier just to do your hair. However, I now have a shorter commute and dislike my boring hair enough to put some effort into it.

I’ve tried countless volumizing hair products and sometimes it’s given me some lift and hold for an hour or two, but that’s not satisfying. I hate spending time on my hair with nothing to show for it. And let’s face it, there’s no such thing as a “roll out of bed with gorgeous hair” haircut. These hairstyles take some time and effort. Aquage on the other hand is a.m.a.z.i.n.g. You just spray some on at your roots, rub it in, blow dry your hair (I blow dry my hair upside down) and just like that… you have beautiful voluminous hair 🙂

   Before

AfterThis was actually at the end of a 10 hour day, so you can see it holds up.

And if this isn’t enough volume for you, you can tease your hair a bit. The Aquage really helps hold the teasing. Here I just teased the back and sides a little bit, not too much (see below).

Teased

Where to buy:
Here is their website where you can locate a salon here you that covers Aquage products. Or you can buy it off of Amazon.

E.L.F. Products (Part Two)

My e.l.f. order came in Friday night!

I was SO excited about it! I got brushes, eyeshadows, mineral makeup, and acne fighting foundation, to name a few items I ordered. I had to work all weekend, so I haven’t had enough time to try all the products out and blog about them. So, my apologizes.

I’m not totally thrilled with everything, but I am really happy with most of it. As I mentioned before in my post, E.L.F. Products, I LOVE their makeup brushes. And I am not disappointed in any of the new brushes I bought. I bought the “Endless Eyes Pro Mini Eyeshadow Palette” and did not like the eyeshadows until I used the Glitter Primer. Once I put the Glitter Primer on first, I ended up liking the eyeshadows. Some of the colors looked a little on the cheap side, but I like the majority of the colors. Can’t say that their eyeshadows are my favorite, but there are others out there that I can’t stand. These are doable and have the potential to grow on me.

I haven’t used the mineral foundation yet, but I LOVE the mineral blush. It’s my new favorite blush 🙂 I also bought one mineral eyeshadow and I really like it, as well. It’s a gray/blue-y color with a shimmer to it.

My favorite purchase has to be the e.l.f. Studio Tone Correcting Powder. One day, I just wore the correcting powder without any concealer and/or foundation! I really, really like this product. I was afraid that it would dry my face out, but it didn’t. I’ve used it everyday since my order came in, and it hasn’t irritated or dried out my skin.

Here’s a picture of me (wearing e.l.f. products) and my sister (the beauty with the sunglasses).

You really have to appreciate our “selfie” taking skills, don’t ya?! 😉

 

E.L.F Products

A few months ago while looking for an inexpensive blush brush, I stumbled upon a brand called “E.L.F” – Eyes, Lips, Face. The brush they had was only $1, so I figured I’d give it a go. Wow. I fell in love! It was the best makeup brush I’ve ever used, so I went back and bought more brushes. I had been hesitant to try their makeup, though because I have very sensitive skin.

I heard a lot of great things about their products, so went and looked at their website http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ and decided I’d try the makeup out. I went to Wal-Mart and bought the tinted moisturizer. I wanted to start off small. I tried it and really liked it. I am not a big fan of tinted moisturizer, though, personally. I prefer a more full coverage foundation. I don’t have the prettiest skin in the world, so I like to cover it as best as possible. And without having to pay an arm and a leg 😦

Since I do like the tinted moisturizer, I just ordered more makeup products from their website. Wal-Mart and Target do carry their products, but neither have a big selection. I looked at my local Walgreens and did not find anything there.

I will keep everyone posted on my discoveries with E.L.F products!

-Ashley

Here’s Part 2 

Old Navy

I don’t know about you, but I cannot even fathom paying $100 for a pair of jeans! I have a hard time spending $30 for jeans. I like to dress up and be stylish, but I’m not gonna go into debt to do so.

The last year or so, I’ve discovered ways and places to shop for stylish, fashion-forward clothes without breaking the bank.

My favorite place to shop is Old Navy. Yep, that’s right. In addition to their already low prices, they have amazing deals going on all the time.

I have a really hard time finding clothes that fit well because I have such an odd body type. I have the shortest legs known to man, but a super long torso and arms… I buy my pants in short and sometimes my tops in tall. I was checking out one time and the cashier just looked at me, looked at the tags, then back at me to ask, “do you realize your pants are short and your tops are tall?” Yeah…

Stay tuned because I will be posting more about Old Navy, jeans and more!

Ashley