Dryer Showdown!

Misikko contacted me to do a review of their HANA Air Premiere Hair Dryer.  Honestly, if you read this post here, then you know I’m obsessed with my current hair dryer!!  But, I have the Hana flat iron and love it, so I thought I would give it a try.  PLUS- who doesn’t love a free dryer.  So, let’s see if it is the best hair dryer ever!


First, the packaging is ah-mazing!  There are so many amazing free goodies!!


Now, on to the goods.  Overall, this is a fantastic dryer!!  The following are my thoughts:

Pros

• Dry time for me is around 4 1/2 minutes (awesome!)
• "Cool"-button: I love that when you press this button, the air immediately turns cold.  Also, when you press once, you get constant flow of cold air.  Press again, and the air turns back to warm.  Great function when trying to get that hair super smooth
• Light weight
• Long cord 
• Comes with a concentration nozzle.  This is a must for me.

There are not many cons to this dryer.  The only thing I found, my hair was not left as straight and smooth as I would like.  I felt like I had to do some extra straightening.  However, I have crazy fluffy/frizzy hair, so I’m sure it would be amazing for most other ladies.  Also, the dryer does not come with a diffuser.  I wear my hair curly about once a week and a diffuser is essential.

Thanks again for the dryer!!  I would definitely recommend.

Product Reviews

First, thanks so much for all of your comments!!  You are all so sweet!
Now, onto some product reviews.

1) Bath & Body Works candles- We’ve been burning these suckers non stop.  I have not found a scent that we do not love yet!  I bought the Lemon Mint Leaf, Honeysuckle, and the Lavender Vanilla.  All three smell so good!

2) Sigma Makeup Brushes- So, I was a little skeptic and hesitant when hearing that these brushes were the exact same brushes as Mac.  But, they are SOOO much cheaper and I needed a couple new ones, so I thought I would give them a try.  I am very impressed.  They definitely have the same feel as Mac.  I have cleaned them a couple of times and they seem to be very well made.

3) Eco Vessel- As you probably already know, pregnant chicks drink so much freakin water.  Water all day every day.  Once I found out I was pregnant and needed to drink 12,320 cups of water a day because I felt so dehydrated, I wanted to invest in a water bottle.  I first went to Target and purchased a Camelbak.  Seriously, the worst purchase ever!  I don’t know how people are happy with these things.  The condensation was the worst party and I felt like it definitely did not keep my water that cold.

After doing some review searching online, I purchased an Eco Vessel from Amazon.  Holy Amazeballs!  This is literally the best waterbottle ever.  Ladies, I put ice in this sucker first thing in the morning (7am-ish), and I never have to put more ice in it all.day!  Yup, the same exact ice from the morning is there even at 6pm at night.  Needless to say my water is kept cold all day.  I fill this thing up more times than I can count a day.  AND there is never one drop of condensation.


I can’t believe that is all the product reviews I have for you… I feel like I haven’t don’t one of these in forever.  Here are a couple of other things I’m loving lately:

-Mocktails- Seriously!  I was kinda hesitant on ordering a mocktail at restaurants initially, especially because I looks so young and the servers probably just assumed I was too young to drink alcohol (for some reason this just makes me mad).  Anyway, and I didn’t want to drink some sugary concoction.  BUT, I’ve been so pleasantly surprised.  I’ve had some amazing drinks in Chicago and here in Cincinnati.  This weekend I had a raspberry mojito mocktail and I’m pretty sure I will order this not pregnant…it was so delicious and refreshing!

-NBA finals- If I haven’t mentioned it before, I really dislike watching professional sports on tv.  BUT, Derek is always really into the NBA, so of course the finals have been on.  Well, I’ve really enjoyed this time because it gives me so much time to look on Pinterest.  I can’t stop pinning things, all baby related :)

That’s really all that is going on!  Stay tuned for a 20 week bump update later this week...Eeek!  Half way there!

Five Love Languages

A couple months ago, I ordered the book The Five Love Languages.  It seemed like every person I knew (single and married) has read this book or at least knew something about the love languages.  I knew nothing.  And you can be sure, Derek knew nothing.  I love reading, and thought this seemed like an easy read.  I was keeping my fingers crossed that Derek may pick it up and read it as well. 

After receiving it, I was blown away with how little the book was.  I decided to read a chapter out loud each night before we went to bed.  It was seriously like two minutes.  The results we discovered after reading this book were interesting….

Every single love language is my love language.  I feel like this makes me high maintenance.  Derek says it makes me easy to love ;)

None of these are Derek’s love language.  In fact, we discovered that Derek doesn’t have a love language.  Seriously, as long as Derek gets a 5 minute conversation/time with me a day, his love tank is full.

So, please tell me we are not weird people in that we don’t have a single love language!!

The Girl in the Red Dress

I was contacted by eShakti to do a review on a piece of their clothing.  This was my first ever request, so of course I was like, absolutely!!!  eShakti is an online retailer that offers custom tailoring on their pieces.  This allows women to make preferences according to their fit/style, etc.  I honestly could not make a choice of which item I wanted to personalize.  I knew I wanted a dress, but there were so many adorable options, it took me a while to decide.  Go check out all their options!!  You can also see their items on FB & Pinterest.

Honestly, I try to stay away from strapless dresses.  I don’t know what it is, but they just do not look flattering on me.  However, I’m so naturally drawn to the strapless….I love all of them.  So, I thought I would take a chance on this little red dress.  First, I just love the polka-dots.  Second, I really don’t have much red in my closet.  Since the big chunky necklaces are so on-trend right now, I thought this may be a good addition to making the strapless look better on me.



The ordering process was super easy.  All you have to do is put in your standard size and height.  I chose to keep the neckline the same, but I changed the length to right above the knee.  I think this makes the dress a little more versatile, rather if it was super short.  I was super impressed by the boning and fabric that helped this dress stay in place.  No pulling this bad boy up all the time :)



Another thing I loved about the dress are the pockets.  How cute are these?!



And lastly, I love the detail in the back with the faux-buttons.  It adds so much instead of having just plain material in the back.  So cute!!



And because I feel ridiculous for having an entire post of pictures of me….I decided to add a couple of fun ones.  The picture above is me doing my “gone-with-the-wind-fabulous” twirl.  Gotta love you some crazy RHOA!




And lastly, this is my “I’m getting pretty hot and it is very sunny out / I don’t know what other faces to make any more besides smiling.”  Seriously, I have no idea how you fashion bloggers do it! 

So, thanks so much if you made it through this post.  I apologize all these pictures are of me…next time I’ll bring Brutus to the photo shoot for some variability! 

Product Reviews & Recipe

I’ve bought some products recently and thought I would let you know how I like them.  Ohhh and a few of you asked for the cinnamon sugar banana bread recipe.  Good news, it is so incredibly tasty that I HAD to share!


1. Clinique Moisture Surge Intense- I have pretty dry skin.  I’ve been using this at night after I wash my face and I’ve noticed a huge difference!!  This is a definite keeper.

2. Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up!- My friend Emily was wearing this highlighter one day and it looked amazing on her.  After asking what she was wearing, I knew I had to go buy it!  It is the perfect champagne highlighter and gives a great little “glow!”

3. L'Oreal Everstyle Smooth and Shine Crème- I’m slowly replacing all my hair products with drugstore products.  After hearing your rave reviews on the new L’Oreal products, I picked up this smooth & shine cream to use when wearing my hair straight.  Definitely as good as the bumble & bumble stuff I was using.  This helped smooth my hair without weighing it down.  I will definitely be buying this again!

4. NARS Lipstick - Sexual Healing- I just picked this lipstick up today and I’m already in love.  I went in search of an everyday bronzy-pink lip color.  After looking at 1,203 colors, I settled on this one.  I’m not a lipstick person but I really like how it feels on my lips.

5. MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation- After hearing all the rave reviews about this foundation, I wanted to give it a try.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find it any better than my current foundation, so I had to take it back.  It’s kinda spendy so it had to be ah-mazing….and it didn’t do anything great for my skin.


That’s all the product reviews I have for you.  Now, on to the yummy(!!!!!) recipe!  This has the perfect crusty/sugary outside and ooey-gooey banana-y inside.

{source}

Original recipe from here!

Ingredients
For the bread:

• 3-4 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour

For the swirl:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and four (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a loaf pan.
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!
3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon.
4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, but remember, if you’re using a different-sized loaf pan, be careful and keep a close eyeball on it! (The original recipe called for 50-60 minutes, so I put my timer on 45 (I like to always bake 5 minutes less).  When the 45 minutes were done, my toothpick came out completely clean so I would have like to take it out probably after 40 minutes.  So, just a heads up!

Let me know if you give it a try.  You won’t be disappointed!

VLOG! All About Hair II

Ok ok ok, I finally did a vlog!  1) I swear to you I don't sound like that in real life 2) Seriously, youtube, my thumbnail is ridiculous and you will not let me change it 3) I am in need of some pop of color on my face like lipstick or something  4) I say "so" a lot because I'm kinda extremely nervous!  ANYWAY, if you're new to this series, you can read my “All About Hair I” here.  That will give you a sense of any product I use before I get to this point.

Now, on to the curling wand tutorial.  Below is the products I use when curling my hair.

1) Oribe Gel Serum- I use this serum on wet hair whenever I'm wanting to curl my hair.  It is a super light weight hold and I feel like it is a good base when wanting your style to stay

2) Hot Tools Curling Wand- The jury is still out on what wand is the best.  I use Hot Tools and am very happy with it.

3) Sebastian Shaper Hair Spray- As I say in my video, I'm not married to this hairspray.  It is pretty good but I'm up for some recommendations if you have a favorite hair spray!



Eeeeekkkkk....I'm nervous

All About Hair I

I’ve got something very important to talk to you about today…hair!  Seriously, I feel so silly devoting whole post(s) to something like your hair, but c’mon, we all agree we ladies go to great lengths to get it looking the way we want.  And, I admit, I buy all kinds of products and tools in hopes of perfecting styles.  Like many of you, my hair is naturally wavy/curly.  But not the cute kind of curly…rather the dull lifeless waves.  If I put some serum in it and blow dry with a diffuser I can get a lot of curls.  SO, no matter the style, it takes some serious product to get my hair to cooperate.

I have been receiving some emails about hair tutorials.  I’m not sure if I am brave enough to do a vlog, so maybe I’ll put together some how-to’s (curling wand, large curls, etc.).  First, I wanted to start with the hair products I use daily.  I’m by no means married to these products, but they are currently working for me.  So, feel free to suggest any products you love!






1) Pureology Pure Volume Shampooand Pureology Hydrating Light Conditioner
I have recently started using the pureology shampoo and conditioner and really like it.  It’s kinda spendy, but the good news is, you really only need quarter sized amounts when you use it.  Thus, it lasts a very long time.  Because of coloring my hair and the winter, I use the hydrating conditioner.  I find it to be very moisturizing without weighing by hair down.  Because let’s face it, I love me some volume.  OH, and I only wash my hair about every 3rd day.


2) Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
This is the best drugstore find as regards to hair products.  I try to use this deep conditioner once a week.  After leaving it on for the 3 minutes, my hair is so super sleek and smooth.  I find the little flyaways around my face and part are way less after I use this.


3) Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream
I use this leave in conditioner (only on my ends) right after I run a large comb through my wet hair.  I use this product no matter if I’m wearing my hair straight, curly, or curled.  I find that this strengthens my hair and also helps smooth.  


4) Aquage Uplifting Foam
Ok, so this is a product staple in my cabinet!  I never switch out this volumizer.  Itisthebest!!   It gives a lot of volume without any crunchiness.


5) BaByliss Portofino Titanium Ionic Hair Dryer
So this is a new purchase!!  And I’m obsessed.  Seriously, this is the only thing getting me up in the morning anymore.  So, I used to own a Hot Tools dryer and I was not that happy with it.  The plastic, where the attachments fit in, started wearing down and the attachments kept falling off while I was blow drying.  It was the most.annoying.thing.ever!  So, I was excited for the chance to get a new dryer.  After doing some research, I bit the bullet and invested in a more expensive one since I was going through them every couple of years.  And I’m I love! 

I always used to roll my eyes when dryers claimed to cut drying time down.  But this one seriously does.  I also feel like it also helps with the frizz!  Anyway, if you can’t tell, I love this product.  And no, I did not get compensated for this review!


6) Round Brush Boar Bristle
This is the last tool I use everyday.  Right before my hair is completely dry, I use the round brush on my front layers, sides, and back.  I aim the heat at my scalp and pull up a couple of times.  Then I hit my hair overall with the cool temperature.  Finally, I’m done.

Now, after that I usually straighten or curl.  I’ll be sure to include the products when I put together my tutorials.  Let me know if this is helpful to you!  Also, let me know if you have any products that you love.

Random Wednesday

Linking up with Shanna today for a little bit of randomness today.

Confession: I love these little realty t.v. clips.  Can’t stop laughing whenever I see them!

Haha, every time!

 

Did you hear about Blue Ivy’s first birthday party?

{via}

 

Supposedly, Beyonce and Jay-Z spent a whopping $200,000 buckaroos.  Crazy amounts of money spent on her gift ($80,000 diamond encrusted, custom made, Barbie doll), flowers/decorations, swag bags, costumes, cake, etc.  A little excessive maybe (you think), but I guess that’s what you get when you have these two mega-celebrities as your parents.

 

 

{via}

 

According to a recent survey done by the Center for Disease Control, Cincinnati ranks as #16 as the most hungover city in America.  Actually, Ohio leads all states by having FIVE cities in the top 25!  You can read the rest of the article here if you want to see if your city made the list.

 

 

{via}

 

I finished this book over the holidays and I couldn’t wait to share it with you ladies.  This was possibly one of my favorite novels of last year.  The story centers around a roadtrip between two strangers.  Usually this story-line would not peak my interests.  However, this book has it all!  Must read.

 

What I’m Loving Wednesday

Holy crap, it’s the end of Wednesday already?!  Jeepers Creepers.  Who’s ready for What' I’m Loving Wednesday?  Link up with Jamie here!


I’m loving that our Christmas décor is now up!  Yay!  Doesn’t Christmas decorations just make everybody happy?





I’m loving Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble”!!!!  Seriously can’t stop listening to this song!

I’m loving the Michael Kors’ original perfume.  Such an amazing scent that lasts for so long.

Source

I’m loving this conversation I had with my sister today.  Seriously cracked me up!




I’m NOT loving that NBC removed The Sing Off.  Seriously one of the best reality shows out there for talent.  Hmph!

Source

I’m loving that Derek works this weekend and I’ll actually be home!!!  For the past couple of months, I have been spending time with family and friends on the weekends that Derek works.  It’s been a lot of fun; but, I’m really looking forward to doing some organization projects throughout the house.


I’m loving next week I’ll officially start my link-up.  Tuesday…mark it on your calendar!



I’m loving the Redhead series.  The series has definitely made its way to my favorite book list!  These books are a great chick lit read.  I read a rumor that a third book is in the works!




I’m loving being back home with our Brutus!  We missed him and all his craziness!




Hope you are having a great week.

Book(s) Review

 

The Chocolate Lovers series…need I say more?  This book was suggested to me and I was told nothing about it besides it was hilarious.  And it couldn't be more true.


So, the first book is called Seduction and Snacks and the second book is Futures and Frosting.  This is a super easy chick-lit read.  And oh my, the one liners in it are laugh-out-loud funny!  I thought the second book was even better than the first.  I definitely suggest these two books if you are looking for a quick read!

Any new books you suggest?