Top Ten Beauty Must Haves

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Over the years I have tried a myriad of beauty products. Everything from scrubs to masks to lotions to conditioner and everything in between. I still love to try every new product I can get my hands on and some I’ve found are really incredible. But after trying so many products there are a few items that are now my staples, these are products, most of which I have been using for yeas, that I simply will not be without.

Welcome to the inside look at my beauty must haves:

Michael Kors Perfume: This is my favorite scent hands down. It might be the exotic yet lovely mix of tuberose and gardenia or maybe its that this perfume is beautiful enough to be a great summertime scent and still elegant and strong enough to be my favorite scent during the colder months. But I’ll tell you why this perfume really goes in my all time best perfumes book: Every time I wear it people all day and all night long tell me “you smell so good”. That tends to just make a girl feel fabulous.

Origins Ginger Body Scrub: It smells wonderful, it has salt and real ginger zest and nothing leaves my skin softer and more “buffed”. If I had to give up all my scrubs, this is the one I would keep.

Dove Intensive Nourishing Body Lotion: I don’t usually go for the drug store items, but this is one product I cannot live without. Nothing is better on freshly shaven legs than this lotion. No stinging, no little red bumps, no dryness, just soft moisturized legs.

Jaqua Peach Parfait Sinfully Rich Body Butter: Out of all the lotions I have tried and loved, this is my most favorite. It leaves my skin very soft, moisturized, looking luminous and smelling amazing! This truly sinful body butter really smells like peach parfait, you will not find a butter that leaves you softer than this. And to top it all off, it soaks into the skin very easily.

MAC Studio Fix: Oh yeah! Now this is my must have of all beauty must haves. I cannot, nor will I, live without this amazing product. This dry use power and foundation in one is my secret to red carpet worthy skin. It transforms my skin in one application and leaves it looking flawless and luminous. One for every makeup bag and purse, never be without this stuff!

Bioelements Kerafole: I wrote about this mask a few months ago, Three Masks You Can’t Live Without, if you haven’t tried this exfoliating mask yet, you must because you are going to love the results. Within the first few days your skin looks brighter, within two weeks your skin is luminous, softer, smoother, and radiant. For exposing a new layer of gorgeous skin with an at home treatment there is nothing better.

Bioelements Restorative Clay: No matter what new clay mask I try (and like) I always go back to this one. It just produces the most consistent results of anything I use. If you ever have trouble with breakouts use this mask two to three times a week and I promise you will see your skin troubles fade.

Jan Marini Bioglycolic® Resurfacing Body Scrub: Ok, the Origins Body Scrub might be my favorite everyday body scrub, but this is not your everyday body scrub. This is the power tool of body scrubs. If you have bumps, rough spots, patches, or elbows that you can never get as smooth as you want, this glycolic acid scrub is the stuff you want. The secret is using it the proper way: smooth the scrub over your body before you get in the shower, let it sit for five minutes, wet your skin a little and buff your skin with the scrub, rinse. All your bumps and rough spots will be gone and your elbows will be smoother than you’ve ever felt them. This product only gets better the more you use it. (Use two to three times a week depending on your needs.)

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer: This is the moisturizer of moisturizers. All natural, not tested on animals, smells so relaxing and makes your skin so soft and smooth. I have found no other moisturizer that satisfies my high standards for skin care the way this one does. Available in light (for oily skin), normal (for normal or combination skin), and dry (for dry sensitive skin). Works great on those pesky lines on your neck too!

Buf Puf (Gentle): This may seem like a strange beauty must have, but I swear this is the best exfoliant for your face. I have been using this simple trick for fifteen years and no matter what new scrub I have, this is always the best for leaving my skin smooth and blemish free. Just pump a little of your cleanser on the buff puff and gently scrub away (and make sure you buy the Buf-Puf without added cleanser!).

Honorable Mention, Nature Girl Organic Sugar Scrub: While the two scrubs above are my absolute favorites, and have been for a while, I can’t stop using this scrub, so I had to mention it. It smells like fresh lemon peel, it has large enough grains that I can give my skin a thorough scrubbing, and on top of it all, it moisturizes my skin really well. Using this scrub always provides a great foundation for my lotion and makes the lotion work ten times better. This scrub is on it’s way to being one of my beauty must haves!

(Images Courtesy Michael Kors, Origins, Dove, Jaqua, MAC, Bioelements, Jan Marini, Liz Earle, Buff Puff, and Nature Girl)

The Right Setting For Your Flat Iron

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Are you using the right heat setting for your flat iron and styling iron? What do all those temperature settings mean? Well here is the definitive guide for every type of hair.

If you have damage hair you should definitely start with a cooler setting 240 degrees (F), 40 degrees (C), the rule of using a cooler setting for damaged hair goes for your hair dryer as well. For very course hair your iron will most likely give you the best results on the highest setting.

Making sure you use the correct heat setting for your type of hair will help protect your hair from damage and leave it as soft and silky as possible. Follow the guide below for your best results.

Please, don’t forget to use the heat protecting spray! These products really do make a difference. They protect your hair and leave it soft and touchable.

Happy styling!

Sedu Xti Ultrasilent Hair Dryer

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Have you experienced the joys of a Sedu hairdryer yet? The pure ecstasy of your hair not only dried in half the time, but your hair actually being nourished by your dryer and left silky, soft and wonderful. It is rumored that this is the dryer Jennifer Aniston uses on her gorgeous locks, if so, I can see why. You will love what this dryer does for your hair!

Sedu hairdryers are Tourmaline Ionic hairdryers which infuse 100% crushed tourmaline into the hairdryer. What does this mean for you? It means that when the tourmaline is heated it takes on natural negative charges, negative ions then split large water droplets into smaller molecules that immediately evaporate, drying the hair quicker, sparing the cuticles from excessive heat exposure and locking in moisture and shine. In addition to this Sedu’s have an ionic generator within the dryer that generates additional negative ions that smooth out and condition the cuticle on the outer layer while infrared heat gently dries the hair from the inside out.

Traditional hairdryers release positive ions which damage your hair, this is the reason hairdressers tell you it’s bad to blow dry your hair all the time. These hairdryers release negative ions which actually help heal your hair by sealing in moisture. You will notice the difference the first time you use it. My hair is very thick and long and it only took me nine minutes to dry it! Afterwards my hair felt so silky and soft, I could hardly believe I’d just blow dried it.

The tourmaline used in these dryers makes a huge difference. I have tried several of the less expensive negative ion hairdryers on the market, all in the hopes of saving money. I thought, how could they all be that much different? They all say “negative ions” on them. Well, let me tell you the Sedu is different and well worth the extra cost! With other hair dryers (by companies like Revlon, Conair, etc.) I saw a little difference and a slightly shorter drying time, but nothing really noticeable. I couldn’t really figure out what all the rave was about with the new “Ionic technology”. Now I know! The difference is with Sedu, not only negative ions, but tourmaline and infrared heat!

Don’t forget the Sedu diffuser! This is my favorite way to create a sexy look in no time at all. I just scrunch a little curling cream into my hair, diffuse it for nine minutes and my hair is silky, wavy and very sexy in no time at all. Leaves me so much more time to create a fun look with my makeup! (It is important to buy a diffuser made by the same company that makes the dryer. With most companies their diffusers are made to fit on their dryers and if you use something by another manufacturer there is a good chance it will make your dryer warranty null and void.)

(Images Courtesy Sedu)

Terax Hair Care

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Have you ever walked through Sephora or your salon and wondered if its worth it to spend $20 on a bottle of shampoo or conditioner when you can just buy Redkin for $12? Well, with Terax I would definitely say it is worth your well earned cash. I love my hair again! My hair is so shiny! And sooo soft! And smoother than it has felt in years! I can’t stop touching it, I can hardly believe how good it feels.

My hair and I have been having a love, hate relationship for the last three years. Between bleaching, color, outdoor sports, water sports, hairdryers, etc. I was beginning to think my hair would simply never have the life in it that it used to. Well, today it has bounce, shine, it feels like cashmere and it smells so good. I am loving my hair again! Why? I’ve got one word for you, Terax. Actually I have more than one word for you, I have three extraordinary products for you:

Terax Collagene Reparative Shampoo: This is a reparative shampoo for brittle or damaged hair and let me tell you, it works. I have never had a reparative shampoo actually do exactly what it says it will, it left my hair healthy, soft and completely repaired. It features Terax’s gentlewash™ system of sugar and plant-derived surfactants designed to be gentle on your hair. This shampoo has a lot less foam than what you are probably used to, while it is not foam free like some shampoos, it is important to know that it is cleaning your hair even if you don’t see a lot of foaming action.

Terax Crema Ultra Moisturizing Daily Conditioner: Oh my gosh I love this stuff! It smells great and feels amazing on your hair! This is a daily conditioner that is ultra moisturizing and works for all hair types. It works by opening the cuticle to allow moisture to penetrate the hair, leaving it soft and silky. It also restores split ends, breakage, and dryness associated with chemical treatments and environmental damage and combats static electricity and frizziness. Wow, this product, once again, definitely does what it promises! I have no flyaways and my hair feels as good as my skin does when I use shea butter on it. No wonder this is a cult favorite!

Terax Life Drops: Ok, I saved the best for last. As much as I love the Crema, Life Drops is so far my favorite product Terax makes, it truly gives life to your hair! My hair has bounce (like I haven’t seen in years), shine and it’s full without being weighted. This is a leave in conditioner designed to strengthen and repair damaged hair. Life Drops protects and repairs brittle and damaged hair by sealing the cuticle, retaining moisture, and preventing color loss or fading. Life Drops is vanilla scented, but this is not your average everyday vanilla, this is like a vanilla pot de creme!