Birchbox: Women's Health

Birchbox + Women's Health = tiny tweaks, big results.
The last day of May and I am on my phone typing a blog post about the April Birchbox. I know I'm not the most punctual person as far as blogging goes (I haven't even opened May's box), but this type I have a highly legitimate reason for putting all this on the backburner, which I will be doing a series of posts about and I encourage everyone to read them when they're up and really think about things. This is one of the review posts I hate because I don't have my pictures to go along with... The other day, out of no where, all the pictures from my camera disappeared... Gone!! Now you see me (want to see that movie, sn), now you don't. I was emotionally distraught and livid... There were nearly 300 pictures from like 2 years. The best that verizon could conclude was that my sd card went bad and my phone wasn't reading it, therefore my backup assistant wasn't backing up the images. ::sigh:: I wanted to throw up, maybe I did. Pictures are quite the big deal to me, but moving on from that.

Let me just talk about this April Birchbox before it falls completely to the wayside...
***THE CONTENTS***

*NEXXUS HYDRA-LIGHT LEAVE-IN
CONDITIONING FOAM... This one came in my box as a full-size product,
which normally retails for about $17, so that's rather exciting. On the flip side, like I always say, I'm super picky about my hair products, especially since I have extensions and color treated hair. These sorts of things I usually pass on to family members (hey, Mom), or I use them in different giveaways. About the product... It's a glycerin infused styling foam, and I am loving foam hair products lately actually, that aims to tame frizz and reflect light to give hair a boost of shine. The science behind the hydra-light formula is a blend of deep sea minerals, antioxidants and hydrating
polymers, which work to nourish hair without weighing it down. Not sure how this would bode for color treated hair, but it sounds promising.

*SUMITA EYE SHADOW PENCIL... Another full size product!! Retails for $11. It's a glide-on eyeshadow pencil that can create versatile looks. The color I received was a deep Lilac color, which doesn't suit me with my red hair right now. I love eye shadow pencils as bases though, and this one by Sumita seems highly comparable to a NYX jumbo pencil.

*SUPERGOOP! ADVANCED SPF 37 ANTI-AGING EYE CREAM...I am a skin care lunatic now so I'm super excited to try this little gem out.  They just sent me the sample size but the full size retails for $45. This is an eye cream with some serious SPF in it...I love already!! The product's formula has an oat peptide complex cream to firm skin. I will be trying this out really soon, as I am more readily getting back into my daily skin/makeup routines.

*YES TO CUCUMBERS FACIAL TOWELETTES...I love all the YES TO lines and these towelettes are great. The cucumber acts as a skin brightening agent, and the wipes themselves also gently exfoliate and detoxify. And for all you eco-friendly folks, they are 100% biodegradable. They make my skin feel refreshed, even more so after I've washed my face at night. The full-size towelettes retail for like $5.99, and you can get them at Walgreens or Ulta, to name a few places.

*YES TO GRAPEFRUIT DAILY FACIAL SCRUB AND DARK SPOT CORRECTING SERUM... I actually haven't tried these, they were two little bonus jonases in the box. THE SCRUB is a milder one as far as exfoliators go, so it is gentle enough should you want to use it for everyday use. It contains lemon balm and grapefruit, which clarify the skin. THE SERUM (and I do love a good serum) works to reverse spots caused by acne, aging and sun damage, and let me just say you can totally have sun damage and not be able to see it just by looking in the mirror. Everyone should get an annual check at the dermatologist, after all our skin is our largest organ!! These products retail
between $10-$20, and you can pick them up wherever YES TO products are sold!!

Hope everyone is well!! Make sure to follow this blog for upcoming posts. You can also check out my facebook page (pretty & clever by Jacqueline Clark), my Twitter (@JalinMarieC) and my instagram (jacquelinecxo).

XO,
J.

Bombshell Hair.

If you ever read Cosmopolitan magazine--and even if you don't you've eyed in on the shelves--then you know that the Cosmo cover girl typically has the beautiful, voluminous, bouncy bombshell hair. Well, after Christmas I picked up the book "Cosmo's Sexiest Beauty Secrets" ($16.95 at Barnes & Noble), and it tells you hot to get that signature hair look. So, keep in mind the steps  for this look are coming from the editors at Cosmo, but any extra notation and product recommendation is mine. I want to also add that I wear hair extensions and you can still complete this look as long as you're not using synthetic hair and you make sure to maintain and condition your extensions, as this look does use a lot of product and a lot of heat.

1. Towel dry your hair and spritz in a leave-on conditioner on the ends and a volumizer all over. Flip your head over and begin by blow-drying your roots, pulling them away from your scalp with your fingers. Dry the rest of your hair until it is just slightly damp.
2. Bring your hair back upright and wrap 1-inch sections in velcro rollers. Once all your hair is set, blow dry with a diffuser for 10 minutes on hot then 10 minutes on cool. (you can also use hot rollers or a curling iron, but make sure your hair is 100% dry first).
3. Take out the rollers, then mix a drop of shine serum and light gel (this is a great combination for hold & shine) between your fingers & then run hands throughout your hair.
4. For extra body, gently tease your roots around the crown of your head. Finish by tousling hair with your fingers into that cascade of loose curls. Spritz with hairspray.

My product recommendations:

Leave in Conditioner: Bumble and bumble OR...

Aussie's Sydney Smooth Heat Protector Plus Leave In Conditioner

Volumizer Spray: Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray

Shine Serum: MoroccanOil Glimmer Shine Spray

Hair Gel: John Frieda Clearly Defined Style Holding Gel

Hair Spray: Bumble and bumble Style de mode

Have you also tried this look, or do you have a favorite product you like to use?? Let me know!

Today's "Awww" moment: had lunch with one of my gorgeous friends today and we went and took a little sneak sneek peek of the school we start at in less than 2 weeks, and it looks fabulous inside...plus they use Sebastian products, so that is even more stellar. And Bonus Jonas: If you like EOS products, right now at Walgreen their lotions are buy 1 get one Free!!
XOXO,
Jacqueline