So...

Got my hair cut, and I must say, I am a little surprised.

I was ready to give Syd free reign, and after about six or seven years of having the same hair cut, I told him he could do whatever he wanted. When he saw how long my hair was, he said, "Omg, you're hair is so long. I'm kinda liking it. It's very rocker-chick. That natural curl?" And then he started dishing dirt on celebs...it was great!

And he gave me the same hair cut I've had for over six years...only better.

I'm still adjusting. I usually don't wear my hair curly...I like board straight hair, but for the past two days, I've been poofy and curly (but not frizzy thanks to Syd). It's growing on me, but currently the jury is still out. Before and afters to come soon. Also, possibly a little tutorial on spring looks and product reviews: UNDER EYE CREAMS THAT WORK! WOOT!

One of my (acrylic) nails just popped off. :( Speaking of which, my fiance and I are having hard times finding jobs. He says he's going to take up construction. I told him if he does that, I get to go to beauty school. He agreed. But I'm seriously thinking about saving up money for nail tech school. Only 2 months and about 2,000 bucks. Not bad...

Exciting News, Good News, Bad News

Good News: So, tomorrow I have a hair appointment which is good because I need one desperately. My hair is a train wreck right now. Split ends galore!

Exciting News: And I'm supposed to get my hair done by this hair master to Hollywood super-stars like Cindy Crawford, Tina Turner, etc. (CINDY CRAWFORD! i used to want to be her when I was like, 10!!!) AND it's only going to cost me a 30 minute trip + 50 for the cut!!!

Bad News: It's supposed to rain and thunderstorm very badly tomorrow afternoon, so I probably won't be able to travel and will have to reschedule.

If you want to ooh and ahh over gorgeous couture hair and make-up, go to these guys following links; they are am-a-zing!

http://www.billyandsyd.com/ <----their salon's site Syd, the Hollywood Hair Master
billybbeauty <----simply ah-maz-ing!!! He does Pink, Beyonce, Lauryn Hill, Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfiefer, TRYA BANKS, SARAH JESSICA PARKER....the list just goes on and on... (and he and my mom where friends in high school...who'd have thought that out in the sticks, there lurk such great talents?)

Anyway, I leave you with a picture of my poor, horribly mistreated hair. I <3 my chi too much.
Here is the hair after the chi. Much of an improvement.

Spring Cleaning Much?

It's spring break down here, and it is nothing but cold and wet! What's a girl to do?

Well, because of my master's exams, I have really neglected my house and my vanity area. So, when it's raining non-stop and cold outside, there's no better thing to do than to get organized and get it all cleaned up.

This post might be preaching to the choir, but a lot of women don't know that make up expires! It's not meant to last forever ladies! So, it's a good rule of thumb about twice a year to thumb through your makeup counter and get rid of older products. (Especially with all those harsh preservatives lying around).

First things first, learn how to read your labels. Many products feature a little picture of a container with 6m/12m/24m. This tells you how long the makeup's shelf life is.

Here are some general guidelines as to how long things last (synthesized from various internet sources and my own makeup box):
Foundation : anywhere from 1 year to 1.5 years
Concealer: about 1 year Powder: about 1 year Blush/Bronzer: 1 -1.5 years
Eyeshadow: 1-2 years
Kohl (crayon) eyeliners: about 2 years
Liquid eyeliners: 3-6 months
Mascara: 3-6 months Lipstick/lip liner: 24 months Lipliner: 18 -24 months
Nail polish: 12 months

It's also important to know that if you are a mineral/organic makeup gal, your shelf life is usually cut in half! So, again, it's important to read your boxes, labels, and packaging and clean house every so often.

Remember: these are just guidelines. You gotta look for the little container on the box. And above all else, if you can't remember when you bought it, throw it out! If you're not hitting pan on an item, it means you're probably not in love with it so much that you would miss it. :D

Pictures and a fun little video to come soon...or maybe not. I'm really just learning to work iMovie. Regardless, I hope ya'll have a nice day!

sba

I know!

Hi!

I know it's been a while, but I have my degree! I should be able to make more posts in the coming weeks, so please stay tuned! :D

Master Exam Madness

Ok. So. Saturday, I take my big exam, which decides whether or not I get my little piece of special paper that says, "Congrats Adele, you spent two extra years learning more useless junk in hopes that you might earn a couple thousand more bucks a year." I am prepared, and I am not prepared.

I know 1/3 of the 16 books well. Another 1.5/3 reasonably well. And the other .5? Not so much.
It's pass/fail, so if I fail this time, I have one last chance in August to pass or else they boot me out of the program.

After that, write 3 short stories and a fifteen page paper before March 12 if I pass.

And with all this stress, my skin is freaking out. I have broke out (where else of course) all along my jawline. Green tea, pomegranate juice, and water here I come.

And here's some more interesting news: free cosmetics! Dept. Store cosmetics! Sure thing! Just follow the link below:

Free cosmetics!

As my name implies, I'm from down South, specifically, a very po-dunk little town, where the best thing we have for miles around is a Wal-Mart that is at least 15 minutes away. If I wanted to score free make-up from one of these stores, I'd have to drive over 200 miles. :( So, to everyone out there in more metropolitan areas, take advantage of this!

I hope after this test passes to have a couple of more tutorial-like posts up. I also have some really cool information on getting e.l.f. products with out the wait to share. Anyway, if you're testing this week in school as well, I wish you lots of luck! =)

sba

Sugar Lip Scrub!

Winter months mean cold, chapped lips. :( Sometimes, it's not enough to simply slather on chapstick. Chapstick prevents dry lips. So, do to your lips what you would normally to do a face that has dry skin: Exfoliate!

How do you exfoliate your lips? Simple. And I bet you have most of the ingredients in house!






To make the Sugar Lip Scrub, gather these things:

Sugar (granulated. Can be white or brown, but the smaller the grain, the better the sugar can get into the fine lines of your lips).

Lip Balm (I prefer Burt's Bees, not only because it's all natural and one of the best balms around, but also because they don't test on animals).


A knife

A mixing plate












Here are my lips before exfoliating. I don't normally let them get this bad, but I did to show you guys just how well this works.

To begin, take a pinch of sugar and put it on the plate. Then, take your butter knife and cut off a piece of the lip balm. It should be about half and half of both things.














Then, simply apply the mixture to your lips and scrub your mouth like you would your face.




Scrub, scrub, scrub!










Once you are done, your lips should be soft, moisturized, and dead-skin free! Here is the before and after.






















Enjoy and Good Luck!

sba

UGH! Lost Makeup

Ladies,

If you would spend two hours looking for a particular product, you know that particular piece of makeup is worth it.

I lost my brand new almost-for-free NARS lipgloss...I could kick myself.

What products have you lost that you couldn't live without? Tell me about it!