Product Review: Bumble and Bumble Straight Shampoo, Conditioner, Blow Dry Cream

I'm always on the hunt for shampoo, conditioner and blow dry styling balm that will leave my hair looking like a movie stars, you know - silky, smooth and straight.  I unfortunately have typical indian hair which is coarse, thick, and wavy.  Basically it's a crazy mess when it's not tame.  When I was at Sephora two weeks ago their 500 point gift was the BB Straight Set with comes with the Shampoo, Conditioner, and Blow Dry Styling Balm.  The Straight Shampoo (retails $31.00 for 8.5 oz) , Straight Conditioner ($34.00 for 8.5 oz) and Straight Blow Dry (retails $16.00). 

The shampoo and conditioner smell amazing!  I used a little amount of shampoo in my wet hair and it worked into a great lather.  As an added bonus, the shampoo is sulfate free.  I then rinsed the shampoo out and followed with the conditioner by leaving the conditioner in my hair for a few minutes before rinsing.  Although I did like these products, I think I could have achieved the same great smell and feel with other cheaper products.

The blow dry styling balm is lightweight and heat-activated.  I am extremely picky about the straight creams I use in my hair since they are expensive and rarely seem to work.  I always have to bring out my straightening iron for that sleek look.  However, by using this product I am able to cut out the straightening time as this product leaves my hair straight, silky and smooth.  Also, you just need a little bit (pea size) to work into your hair.  If you use to much your hair will instead look oily and greasy. 

Overall, I am glad I tried this product.  I would not invest in the shampoo and conditioner since I can use a lower cost option to achieve the same result.  I would however invest in the Blow Dry Styling Balm as it left my hair straight, smooth, and silky!

DSW Launches Luxury Designer Site Luxe810

Designer Shoe Warehouse ("DSW") has a great new addition to their website. DSW recently launched Luxe810, at dsw.com/luxe810, which is their luxury designer shoe collection.  For those who are not familiar with DSW, DSW is a branded footwear retailer.  DSW has any sort of shoe imaginable for children, men, and women at discounted prices.  Women's shoes consist of sneakers, heals, flats, boots, booties, wedges, sandals, flip flops, special occasion shoes, etc, etc, etc.

I checked out Luxe810 and although prices are still steep even at their discounted rate, I added some shoes to my wish list.  A girl can dream, right?  Their luxury collection features designer shoes such as Gucci, Miu Miu, Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and Prada just to name a few.

Below are my favorite picks from left to right!

I love the pink color on the Sergio Rossi Patent Leather Pumps (Sale $249.95) in Pink. The pumps have a pointed toe, 3 3/4 inch heel, leather sole and are lined in leather.  The color is what attracted me to these pumps as they are perfect for the upcoming spring and summer.  As an added bonus, they look super comfortable.  These pumps will surely spruce of up any outfit! 

The second pair are these super fun Herve Leger Olesia Leather Strappy Sandals (Sale $399.95) in Black.  These sandals have a back zipper, almond shape toe and a 4 inch heel. I absolutely love all the straps on these sandals.  The sandals are so different from your standard black sandal and would spice up a little black dress (or ANY dress) or would spice up a casual outfit with jeans or black pants.

The third pair are the Givenchy Leather Ankle Strap Sandal (Sale $499.95) in Sand. The sandals have an ankle strap with an adjustable buckle, almond shape toe and a 4 4 1/2 inch heel.  I could see these sandals being paired with a bright dress, a little black dress (LBD), a sequin dress, leggings, jeans, etc! These sandals can pretty much be paired with any outfit due to the neutral color.  

Last but not least I absolutely loveeee the Giuseppe Zanotti Leather Plate Sandals (Sale $1,195.95) in Blush.  The sandals have these really cool gold colored plates running in the front, back zipper, round peep toe, and a 4 1/4 inch heel.  However, realistically the price is very steep but I do love the look and design.

I also wanted to add that from March 4-12, 2013 if you have a rewards card you can recived $40 off $199, $100 off $399, or $299 off $599 with code "LUXE810."  It's super easy to sign up for their rewards card - you can do it online!   Have any of you checked out their webiste yet?

DIY Tomato Mask and Tomato Scrub for Amazing Skin

Hello beauties! Today's Friday DIY is all about how to achieve flawless and fabulously looking skin.  I don't know about you - but I do not have 100% perfect skin and I don't know many people that do! I would just LOVE to have smooth, tighten and flawless looking skin.  Wouldn't you?!

That being said, today's DIY features the fabulous fruit (... or vegetable?) tomato! Tomatoes not only contain vitamins and antioxidants, but they can make your skin look amazing! Below is a mask and facial scrub you can make in your own home using all natural ingrediants.

Tomato Lime Mask:

What you need:
 - One small tomato
 - One lime

In a blender, combine the tomato and juice from the lime.  Then puree ingredients and pour mixture into a bowl. Take a brush (you can use a clean foundation brush) and spread the mixture on your face and let it dry for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and follow up with your favorite moisturizer.

Tomato Facial Scrub:  
 
What you need:
 - 1/2 Cup Diced Tomato
 - 2 Tablespoon Yogurt (Plain)
 - 1/4 Cup Sugar

Mix all three ingredients together in a bowl.  Make sure your face is clean and a little damp.  Apply the mixture to your face in a circular motion.  Let mixture sit for about 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water. 

For both DIY recipes above the good news is that leftovers can be stored in the fridge! (As always, test out a small portion on your skin before putting all over your face for allergies!)

Product Review: Tarte Maracuja C Brighter Eye Treatment

Being of Indian ethnicity I naturally have darker under eye circles than people of lighter skin. I have made it my mission to find a cream that will lighten my under eye circles, smooth the skin under my eyes and make my dry winter skin disappear.  Is that asking too much?! 

When I was in Sephora I asked them what the best eye product on the market was that wouldn’t be overly expensive. The sales representative told me that the Tarte Maracuja C Brighter Eye Treatment (retails $38.00 at Sephora) was a popular item on the market and that it was selling fast. I was able to snag the last one in the store! What this product does is hydrate, firm, and brighten the eye-area.

To give you a background in the wintertime my under eye area is not only dark, it is dry.  After using the product for about 3 weeks I can say that I have noticed a difference in my under eye area. Specially I have noticed a change in the texture under my eyes, they are smooth and no longer dry. Because of that, the concealer I put under my eyes goes on smooth and lasts longer – basically it doesn’t look flaky. Also, you only need to use a small amount (about a pea-size) too so the treatment will last you a couple of months. The formula is definitely moisturizing, isn’t thick, virtually odorless, and is not greasy.

However, although the area under my eyes is smoother my dark circles are still there. I will still be on the lookout for the next best under eye cream!

Product Review: L'OREAL Infallible 8 HR Le Gloss

I was in CVS last week and wanted to pick up a nude gloss that wouldn’t break the bank so I decided to go with the Infalliable 8 HR Le Gloss by L’OREAL in Barely Nude (retails about $8.50).  This gloss claims to be hydrating, last for 8 hours, non-sticky, and overall comfortable.  I would say that’s a pretty big claim right there. My first thought was “Wow! This gloss is comes nude AND lasts 8 hours?!” It sounded like a dream come true so I decided to buy it.

Initially putting the gloss on I immediately noticed a strange smell. Not strange as in bad, strange as in a sweet smell. Luckily, it went away after a few minutes. The applicator is a little larger size than your standard gloss applicator. Initially when I put on the gloss it felt smooth and a little heavy. But then you notice the formula becoming a little hard. The gloss also looked great at first with high shine and pigment however this disappeared within about 15 minutes. My lips looked a little on the dry side if anything.

Now for the big question – does this gloss last 8 hours as it claims? After I wore the lip gloss a couple of times I noticed that the color came off easily. Easy as in I took a sip of water and I noticed a print of my lip on the glass. Didn’t the package say that this gloss is supposed to last for 8 hours? I would say that this gloss has the potential to last for hours IF you don't drink or eat anything. This I would believe would be extremely hard for anyone especially for myself since I try to keep hydrated throughout the day by drinking water. 

I did want to say that the color in nude is gorgeous and perfect for work. However, if you plan on drinking coffee and water throughout the day then expect to put this gloss on constantly.