How to: Straight Hair

Hey guys!

It's been forever since I've made a post but here are some tips for straightening your hair! (Video at bottom)

I've been flat ironing my hair for the past 10 years so I've gotten pretty quick at it. At first, my hair was so thick and long that it took me nearly an hour or two to get through it all and by then, it still didn't look great. But I've since perfected my technique and now I'm down to about 15-20 minutes!

Your hair is a very special thing and I highly encourage you to spend a little more money on your hair care products. That means shampoos and conditioners that may be $20 each and a heat protectant that is at least $10. Of course, if you aren't constantly exposing your hair to extreme heat, you certainly don't have to spend a whole lot (but it still wouldn't hurt). Your hair is worth the money-it's an investment! I promise.

This is my hair after I showered and let it air dry. it's a little bit poofy and wavy so let's get it straightened out!

My hair is incredibly soft and super healthy post-straightening. I wish you could feel just how soft and healthy it is. I use a lot of good products to protect it and it is definitely worth it.

These are the products that I used:

I've used this Nexxus product for about a year and I don't foresee myself using any other kind of heat protectant of its nature. I randomly decided to use an older product I had just to see what it would be like and I was surprised to realize just how well the Nexxus protectant works. I highly recommend using it if you're in the market for a quality heat protectant. I found it at Walmart for close to $10 but I also know that Ulta sells it. 

I don't use the Tresemme heat protection mousse every time I flat iron my hair but it is definitely a good product. It does add a really good texture to my hair to make it stronger. It is also super effective when blow drying your hair. 

I have been using this Nume flat iron for 4 years and it still works just as well as it did the first time I used it. Nume creates truly quality products that are reasonably priced. I highly recommend using their products (shop here: http://numeproducts.com/)

Here is a video showing my technique!

Something to note:
If you use a comb in combination with your flat iron like I show above, your hair will be much less tangled and much much straighter. Additionally, try not to touch your clean hair with your fingers as much as possible. Believe it or not, your hair will get very oily quickly if you touch your hair a lot while styling. Become one with your comb and you will not be disappointed :) 

Cheers!

Portfolio 01

Hey guys,

I decided that I'm going to almost go back to my old ways in doing tutorials where I'm going to use pictures instead of making videos. I'll put a before and after photo up and I will also list what products I used to achieve the look. If you have a request to see it done in a video then I will most definitely make one but otherwise, I won't. I don't have loads of time to record, edit, and upload the videos so this will be much easier for me. But of course if I do have the time to make a video, I will do so but this will be my primary way of blogging from now on. Thanks for understanding!

For this look today, I decided to use a look that is very soft and light. It is also perfect for Easter or if you're going out on a date. 

Products Used:

♡ Almay Smart Shade CC Cream (100-light pale)

♡ Neutrogena SkinClearing oil-free liquid foundation (40-nude)

♡ MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NW15)

♡ Maybelline FITme pressed powder (130-buff beige)

♡ Ulta Baked Bronzer

♡ Maybelline Dream Mousse blush (20-peach satin)

♡ Make Up Store eyeprimer (clear)

♡ MAC eyeshadow (haux)

♡ Naked Palette (Naked, Buck, Dark Horse, Half Baked)

♡ L'Oreal Paris Infallible eye shadow (888-Iced Latte)

♡ Maybelline EyeStudio gel eyeliner (blackest black)

♡ Maybelline Great Lash (Very Black)

♡ Rimmel London lip pencil (007-rose quartz)

♡ Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (012-sky pink)

♡ Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick (515-coral crush)

♡ L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche lipgloss (159-golden splash)

Walmart Haul - January 2014

Hey y'all!

I bring you another Walmart haul full of goodies :) 

I went into Walmart with 3 things on my list: 

Lettuce, hair masks, and Shake N' Bake

Oddly enough, I came back with loads more stuff (funny how that happens). 

So anyway, here's what I got tonight! 

I initially wanted a new lipstick but I couldn't decide on a shade so I figured I'd try out this lip gloss. This is the only lip gloss in my inventory so I hope it's worth the $5.97.

I like my BB Cream but have been super curious about using a CC Cream. I figure it might do more justice to my skin to help even out the tone of it. This guy was $8.98. I think Maybelline had a CC Cream for about $12 but I figured I'd give the slightly cheaper one a shot. Fingers crossed that it's a good investment :-) 

So, I'm running low on mascara and this is the cheapest one you can find. I'm almost certain that every girl has used this kind before but I never have so I hope it's a good deal! If I end up liking it, I'll like it more because it's only $4.44

Strolling down the Maybelline aisle, I came across this blush and powder. I only have 1 powder blush and I have barely any face powder so I figured I'd invest in these. I have used FIT products before and they seem pretty good. The color of this blush is really pretty and will be perfect with my skin tone :-)
The blush was: $4.48
Pressed Powder: $5.94 

My jaw dropped when I saw that Walmart is now selling e.l.f. products. This guy was just $1.00 (what a steal!). I've been planning to get a pair of false lashes for a while and well, when they're $1, you can't pass it up. 

On my last Walmart trip, I picked up a couple of these hair treatments. Last night, I used the Argan Oil treatment overnight and I really, really love it. So, I just HAD to go back and get more of these things. I still have to try the Keratin Protein one but I'm sure I will be just as pleased. Like, honestly, my hair has never been healthier. I can do a separate post about this stuff if you'd like :-)
$1.77 each

This is like my fat-kid craving food. Just had to pick up a bag of sugar snakes :-) 

(don't judge me lol I ran this morning). 

$1.00

If I end up liking these products, I will make a post about it someday! :-) 

Thanks for looking! xx

Kara

Get Ready With Me!

Hey guys!

Want to get ready with me in the mornings? This is how I do it: :)


Thanks for watching! xx
Kara

Lifelong Favorite Products!

Hey guys!

I know it has been like forever since I've made a post for you but here it is! All about my favorite cosmetic, hair, and other various products! :) I hope you like it!

Thanks for watching! xx
Kara

Golden Eye Look (vid)

Hey guys!

Here's the new look!

As promised : 

Thanks for looking & good luck!

Kara

Shin Splint Taping (vid)

Hey guys!

11/20/2013

So if you follow me on twitter, you'll know that my worst enemy right now is this shin splint I've had for 2-3 weeks now. I've tried relaxing it and icing it but nothing has really helped me out as much as I need. So I found out about KT tape and looked online on how I should tape my shin. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a very good video that was super related to the area that I have my shin splint in so I ended up making my own arrangement.

Like I mention in the video, I'm not an expert or certified in Kinesiology but I figured I'd give it a-go and it seems to help me out pretty well.

Here's how I do it and let me know if you have any questions at all. 

(BTW, I apologize for being quiet--my roommates were sleeping. Also, I know the background noise is super annoying. Will try to fix ASAP)

**Update: I ended up adding another full length piece over the two horizontal pieces to close the gap. Here are some pictures of the final wrapping:

 

Again, I got my tape at Albertsons for $10 but there are many more color options on KT tape's website (http://www.kttape.com/) but you'll have to pay a little more plus shipping for it. 

Definitely feel free to follow me on twitter and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Good luck and happy running!

Kara