Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

Growing out my locks has been one of my top priorities over the last year.

Let's just add it as one of New Years Resolutions because I know I can stick to that one ;)

I finally decided to try the Virgin Coconut Oil hair treatment that I've heard about from many people.

I have been searching for it at the local grocery stores over the past few months, but ultimately had to order it on Amazon.

Here's what you'll need:

 1. Virgin Coconut Oil - I used the organic brand, Nutiva.

2. A hair clip

3. Shower cap

Here's what you do:

1. Grab a good amount of coconut oil and rub it through your hair.
I have extremely thick hair so I used two hand grabs of the amount below.

 2. After your hair is saturated with oil, put all your hair up in a clip and then put the shower cap on.

Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be dripping with oil, it just needs to have touched
every part of your hair that you want to feel silky smooth :)

This is my hair after I was done adding the coconut oil.

3. After 30 minutes, wash your hair like you normally would and style it. Personally, I add Morrocan Oil & it's a 10
when I get out of the shower, but opted to only put Morrocan Oil on the ends of my hair to ensure that it wasn't too oily.
It's completely up to you though.

Of course I didn't take an after photo but my hair is definitely silky smooth.
After a few treatments, I can definitely see how this can help my hair grow :)

Glam Bag

Look what I f i n a l l y got :)

My very first Glam bag!

This Glam Bag was a total 180 from when I used to subscribe to Birchbox. 

The products they sent were ones that I would actually use. Win. 

And, there were no health bars in it. Double win. 

Let's take a look, shall we?

1.) First and foremost, the bag is just adorable. Shockingly, it's good quality, too. I was expecting a cheap plastic bag type thing, but this is you typical make up bag that you would purchase. You get a different bag every month filled with awesome products. If you're not in love already, just wait...

2.) Be a Bombshell Onyx Eyeliner worked extremely well for me. I use pencil on my bottom, but this was perfect for my top liner. You can make it as thin or thick as you want. The application was smooth and dark with one swift motion. 

3.) The Balm What's your type? Black Mascara. It lengthened my eyelashes and made them thicker. Exactly what a Mascara is supposed to do so I was sold instantly. I'm going to check on the full size price of this one for future purchases.

4.) Mirenesse Lip Bomb #4. This is a very thick/bright stain for your lips. You'll definitely get a ton of use out of it because you only need a little bit to cover your full lip. At first, I put way too much on but now I'm getting the hang of it. I top it with my favorite gloss just to lighten the color a bit and I'm ready to go. The color is beautiful & it stays much longer than any other stain I've used. If you're like me and hate reapplying your lip color every 30 minutes, I would definitely suggest trying this out. 

5.) Coastal Scents Eyeshadow 4-pack. I haven't had the chance to try these out just yet. I do love how you can create your whole eye look with just the 4 colors they send you. 

6.) Couture Colour hair treatment oil. My hair only gets washed twice a week, sometimes less (I know, embarrassing) so I haven't given this a try yet. Moroccan Oil is my jam right now so it may be awhile. I'll have to do more research to see what the exact recommended use is for it. Stay tuned for what I find after my weekly wash ;)

I got ALL of this for only $10. You seriously cannot beat that.
The best part was that I signed up after this month's glam bags already went out but I had mine within 2-weeks of signing up. 

I'm officially a fan of Glam Bag. After my disappointing days with Birchbox I was reluctant to give another monthly beauty box a try but I'm so glad I did!

Thank you to Whitney for giving me the nudge I needed to sign up.

If you wanna sign up, you can do so here :)

Hair don't.

My hair day was an epic fail. 

I was truly SO excited for this appointment.

My hair stylist really is amazing.

In honor of Fall, I wanted to do something a little different. 

Something that looked beautiful on others,

but was not right for me. 

I wanted a ton of low lights. 

I didn't notice how dark it would be until I got home dried it. 

I leave with it wet every time because my hair is supa dupa thick. 

She told me last night that it's the thickest hair she has ever worked with.

That shit cray. 

After receiving exactly what I thought I wanted,

I spent the rest of the night crying.

How shallow, I know.

There are people with much bigger problems then the color of their hair.

But every time I look at it, I get upset all over again.

As much as I don't want to, I'm thinking about asking if

she has time this week to just throw a few more highlights in at the top.

Maybe that will make me feel better?

#firstworldproblems

Hair Day!

I've been waiting for this day for the past 2 weeks. 

It's bleach my brand new baby hairs day!

You see, I typically get my hair done every 4 weeks-ish.

This time, I've waited 6 weeks.
Where has the time gone?

Last week, my Mom looked at me and said 

"Dang Stephanie, you really need your roots done.

I've never seen them that bad."

WOAH Mom, what?

My Mom is my biggest fan.

So if my Mom is telling me that I need to get my hair done, then it must be true. 

Imagine my disappointment when I found out my hair dresser was going
to Vegas the very next day and wouldn't be back until yesterday. 

Five long days later and 2 more comments from my Mom over the weekend 

&& I've made it to hair day :)

In honor of Fall, as well as wanting a change for awhile.

I'm adding a ton of lowlights. 

I wish I wasn't too scared to go brown, 

but that will most likely never happen. 

It just wouldn't look good on me - unfortunately. 

As far as color, this is exactly what I'm going for today.

I'm hoping she can cut my hair longer & add layers just like the ones above.

Possible? Well no.

But I'm getting closer to that length.

Maybe next time?

Does anyone else get this excited for their hair appointments?

Ponytail Trick to Add Length

If you've been following my blog, you know that I'm always trying to grow out my hair.
Since that doesn't really work, I have to come up with other ways to make it look like I have longer hair, whether it be extensions or this new little trick that I tried out this weekend.

Let's just say I really was not in a hair washin' mood this weekend so I did this trick Saturday AND Sunday.

This will be a super quick tutorial because there isn't really much to do. 

You simply put the bottom part of your hair in a ponytail. Then put the remaining hair in a ponytail. The top ponytail will completely cover the bottom ponytail. It added 2-3" to my ponytail. I'll take it!

In the photo above, I tried to move my hair over a little so you can kind of see the bottom ponytail. 

You can keep some hair down in the front or add a fancy headband or something to kick it up a notch. My hair was dirty so I just pulled it all back.

Kind of rockin' that Jenny from the block look ;)

Since I have super thick hair I can't say how it will work for people with thin hair, but give it a shot and let me know how it works :)

Until the Hair Gods bless me with longer hair, I'll be faking ponytails and wearing extensions until the end of time.

Hope you enjoy this new trick as much as I do.

It's OK Thursday

It's OK

...that I have zero weekend festivities planned. I'm perfectly content with that knowing how much I have coming up in the next few months.

...that I cried this morning when I found out that Guiliana and Bill officially became parents to Edward Duke Rancic. They are two of the most in love, successful, good hearted people and I don't think anyone deserves this more. After the tough year they had, I'm thrilled that the surrogacy process worked for them.

...that I've had a gift card to the mall since my birthday at the beginning of July and I still haven't used it. Who am I?

...that I constantly feel like I never have anything to wear lately. Must use said gift card to  update my wardrobe soon. Maybe I just made myself some weekend plans :)

...that I've been having a mental battle with the cut and color of my hair the past few weeks. I badly need a change, but I'm not daring when it comes to color. And my hair needs to be longer, not shorter so we may run into some problems with the cut. 

...that I'm dying for 9:00 to hit so I'm home watching Big Brother. The episode last night was insane in the membrane. 

...that I'm completely over my blog layout. I really want something with a more vibrant and bright feeling. Instead, I feel somber when going to my page. No beuno.

Link up over at Amber or Neely's blog to share what is just ok with you today :)

Hairstyle Commitment

I pretty much stick to the same hair do's when I get ready in the morning. Straight or curly. I really need to get into doing a little more. 

Here are some inspirations for the near future. I'm making a commitment to myself to try new things so keep an eye out to make sure I'm following that. Even if they turn out bad the first few times, I have to start trying before I bore myself to death.

They can't be so hard, right?

Birchbox

What's a Birchbox you ask?

Well it's a super cute idea. You sign up at Birchbox.com and pay a monthly fee of $10. Every month you will receive a box of high end cosmetics samples. 

I don't know about you ladies, but I am wary of purchasing rather expenses new products. I'm completely willing to pay the money if something works, but I don't want to spend $30 on an eyeliner unless I"m going to like it. That's where Birchbox comes in.

I thought I'd share with you my first box. I haven't tried any of the products yet, but I'll definitely keep you posted as I go through them. 

1.) Dr. Jart Beauty Balm ($32): You use this product as tinted moisturizer or foundation. Beauty Balm made from a combination of glacier water, deep ocean water, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera and allows your face to look dewy. It's also SPF 25+.

2.) Beauty Blender Beauty Cleanser ($17.50): This keeps all of your brushes and sponges clean. It gets rid of the bacteria and dirt that accumulates over time.

3.) Color Club Foil Collection ($8): The name of this nail polish is Disco Nap. It's a metallic gold with a silvery finish. Perfect for ladies night out :)

4.) Arquiste ($165): This perfume is a warm and citrusy smell without being overly sweet.

5.) Twistband (6 for $20): These ultra skinny and light bands are perfect for working out or going out. The best part is that they don't leave a crease in your hair and don't give you those God awful headaches. Score!

There ya have it. That's what I amassed from my first Birchbox experience. Looking forward to trying all the products and checking out next months box :)

R.I.P Straigtener

While I was getting ready for work yesterday, my straightener broke! Talk about a horrible way to start your day. I'm been faithful to the Chi brand for 7 years, going through 8 Chi's during that time. I'm a creature of habit, what can I say? 

This last broken one has made me rethink my options. Sure Chi is much less expensive than it once was, but it's also no longer the best. 

I need something that works, realllyy works. My hair is extremely thick and, at times, hard to handle. I need one that works even if I don't spend 2-hours on my hair. I also use my straightener to curl my hair, because a curling iron doesn't curl my hair at all. Sometimes I'll use my curling wand, like I did today, but that gives me a tighter curl than my straightener does. 

My first thought it the GHD Pink Orchid. I hear the GHD might just be the best on the market. Not only that, but how gorgeous is she?

At a whopping $240 dollars, she better be gorgeous! They sell the regular ones, without all the fancy colors, for $225 on their website. Part of me wants the pretty one, but I've also heard that the colored ones don't work as well. Not for GHD particularly, just other brands. 

I asked some friends on Facebook and I got some great advice back. So far I've heard the Babyliss Nano Titanium, Argan Heart, Tool Science, Paul Mitchell, Sedu, and Solano.

I'm looking to get it tonight. I can't live without a straightener for more than 48-hours! So any suggestions you ladies might have, I'm all ears!

To bean or not to bean..

.. that is the question!

I'm way late because it's almost summer and there is no way I can wear these in the hot Florida sun, BUT.. I need to know how these people look so darn cute in these beanies.

I have a small collection of them that I have been mounting over the years, but I've never taken the plunge to actually wearing one. 

Of course, I try them on and all but unfortunately, they just don't look like this on me. 

Any tips you guys might have would be awesome blossom! :)

While I'm Away..

Judging by my itinerary, it seems that I'm currently in Nassau right about now, but I arranged for a few posts while I was away :)

By now, I've probably gambled my life away, eaten more than my stomach can fit, had one too many vodka H2o's and gotten much use out of these gorgeous pools!

Without a doubt in my mind, cruises are my favorite way to travel.

I hope you guys stopped by Keep Calm & Marry On yesterday to visit me, as well as enjoyed Kate's visit on my blog :)

Since I missed What I'm Loving Wednesday this past week, I decided to just tell you guys what I found that I'm loving

 Before I get another MK gold watch, I desperately need a silver one, but that doesn't mean I can't think that this watch is too cute for words. Love the chain band.

I so badly want to do this to my hair. I guess I'll have to watch a million tutorials and still only get it to look half as good as this. Why can't I be a master at all things hair & makeup?

I just saw this and thought it was AMAZING. Like talk about living in a dream. 

This bedroom feels like it brings peace & tranquility. A feeling that I think is very important in bedroom digs.

That is all. Looking forward to sharing my cruise adventures with you when I return :)

HELP!

For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with having long hair. It's just so glamorous, fun, gorgeous, hard to deal with, yet worth it all.

Back in October, I got a trim and I feel like it's taking forever to grow back! Don't get me wrong, my hair is much longer than most people, but I want it extra long. 


Insert where I need your help. 

On Friday, a friend of mine suggested that I try taking Biotin. I'd never heard of it, but apparently it's super popular. On Saturday night, I was having a girls game night and someone started talking about she had gotten her hair so long because of Biotin. 

I figured two different mentions of this stuff in 2-days was a good sign so I went out in search of it yesterday and, to my surprise, you can find it anywhere (your local drug store, Target, Walmart.)

I'm now taking 5 pills a day to help my locks grow like these beautiful women

That's my goal!

Although I love my extensions and wouldn't know what to do without them, it gets rather old having to use them so often. 


So in addition to Biotin, do you ladies have any suggestions? 

Just a few pins..

I'm exhausted tonight so I'm about to hit the sack a bit earlier than usual.

Before I go into a coma, I thought I share a few things that I found on Pinterest this evening.

How cute is this? Dumb and Dumber is definitely a favorite of mine.

Loving these hairstyles & wishing I could master this first look. Unfortunately, I never quite learned how to french braid. I'm still regretting that to this day.

 Just like any girl, I have been looking at dresses, rings, venues and everything that comes along with a wedding since I was young. Let's just say I had a Knot profile when I was 13. Anyway back to my point, this ring is to die for. I couldn't create a more perfect ring. This is absolutely 'the one.'

 I also found these cute little cupcakes to make for my nephews second birthday coming up in January.  He loves Elmo so I think we will be throwing an Elmo themed party. What a perfect addition to the menu!

Now that I'm done with the most random post ever, I'm off to bed. Ta Ta!

& one last thing... 

Happy Birthday to my sister. She is a pain in my butt 90% of the time. However, she did give me my amazing little nephew, so some appreciation is in order. She is still sick so we ordered Wing Stop at her request. Classy!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

What i'm loving Wednesday link up with Jamie again!

I'm absolutely positively LOVING the weather right now. It is beginning to feel a lot like fall-- & I couldn't be happier about it.


I'm loving that I got my first Brazilian Blowout this week. My hair is so silky smooth :)

A few of these fabulous finds from Pinterest

Michael Kors never seize to amaze me

Some shoes that I would love to add to my already overflowing shoe rack. In my mind, you can NEVER have too many shoes.

Not sure where I would wear this dress, but I would find a place just to wear this little white beauty

I MUST find this or figure out how to make it!

I'm also loving an episode of Dr. Phil that aired this week touching on the topic of bullying. I don't think there are too many things that are worse. Bullying is a huge problem in our schools these days and it has finally started getting the attention of many adults. I'm just hoping our schools can make some major changes soon without another life being taken due to suicide. It's sad to think that children get bullied so bad that they think take their own life would be better than enduring one more day of being bullied. The stories in this episode broke my heart. 

Calling for a change--

I'm loving sayings that inspire me to be better. I'm going to do my best to live by this quote:

Happy Hump Day!