You Need It: Argan Oil

Hey everyone!  I thought about keeping this secret to myself, but decided against it.  I mean, how selfish would I be if I didn't let you know about a miracle product??  I got a new straightening iron a couple months ago after my old one chose to die on me when I was getting ready for school.  To say the least, it was not the best hair day I've ever had.  That afternoon, I went to Sally Beauty Supply to buy a new flat iron.  I literally stood there for a good hour comparing flat irons and their prices.  I finally gave up and asked the girl at the counter which one she recommends.  She pointed out one of the ones I had been eyeing, but wasn't sure if I should get.  

It was the One 'n Only Argan Heat Ceramic Straightening Iron.  The description said that the flat iron was infused with natural argan oil that smooths and defrizzes hair while you straighten or curl it.  It is probably the best flat iron I have ever had.  Just saying.

Now to get on to the point of this post, the flat iron came with it's own little bottle of argan oil to use for whatever.  I started experimenting with it and did some research.  I found out that this product can do almost anything.  Argan oil is oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree.  Argan oil contains significant amounts of fatty acids, one being omega 6 which is known for its uses in repairing and defending the skin.  Because of all the fatty acids, it prevents against drying and loss of elasticity.  It also contains a lot of Vitamin E that is known for really moisturizing. 

You can use argan oil for almost anything.  Here are some examples of how to use it:

1. Use it as a moisturizer.  Like I said, the Vitamin E in it does it all.

2. You can use it as an anti-aging treatment on wrinkle-prone zones thanks to all the fatty acids...

3. Use it to strengthen weak and brittle nails.  Mix equal parts argan oil and lemon juice and soak for ten minutes.  Ta-da!  Instantly tough nails.

4. You can use argan oil as a defrizzer.  Just put two drops in your hands and rub them together.  Now lightly run your hands with the oil through your hair.

5. Use it as a deep conditioning treatment. Apply about a quarter-sized amount in your hands and run it all over focusing on massaging it in your scalp and on the ends of your hair.  Now wrap your hair in a warm towel for  30 minutes or overnight.  Just be sure to wash it out whenever you're done.

6. You can also use it to improve the firmness of you skin and use it on rough areas of you body.

I also found out that model, Josie Maran, has come out with her own line of argan oil infused cosmetics.  You can check it out here.

I hope you guys enjoyed the post!

XOXO,

Katey

Your Swimsuit Style Guide-2

http://kakakuci.blogspot.com/2010/11/hahahaha-i-cannot-stop-laughing-da-puas.html

Hey everyone! Since bikini season is in full swing, I thought it would be best to put up the second part to my Swimsuit Style Guide series.  On the last post, I focused on body shapes with bigger busts, smaller busts, and curvy body shapes.  On this one, I'm going to focus on athletic body shapes and tall and short gals.  A key style that will work for everybody is color blocking.  If you want to appear slimmed down, pick a suit with dark colors on the sides and light colors in the middle section.  Vice versa if you want to seem more curvy.  If you are pear shaped, i.e., you have a bigger bottom, pick a suit with dark colors on the bottom and light colors on top.  Again, vice versa if you have a bigger top.  Let's get into the different body types!

1.  Athletic-  If you have an athletic body shape, anything will look good on you.  You can wear any type of bikini to show off your flat tummy.  If you want to create curves, pick a monokini.  A monokini is basically a one-piece with sexy cutouts throughout the bathing suit.  If you pick one with the right cutouts, you can look like you have an awesome curvy body.  No specific color required. All of the suits are from Target.  I swear, you can find any type of cute swimsuit at Target!

  

2. Tall Girls- If you're lucky enough to be considered tall, you can wear a string bikini to show off your long legs.  If you have more leg than torso or just want to appear a little shorter, you can wear a monochromatic suit to lengthen the torso and trick the eyes into thinking you have a little more torso than you do.  Another good choice would be to wear a tankini to cover the midriff.  Exposing the midriff lengthens your entire body while covering makes it shorter. The 2 with the white background are from, where else, Target.  The other is from Belk.

    

3. Short Girls-  I'm one of them and I can testify that this trick works!  I'm only 5' 2" and I would like to appear just a little taller from time to time.  I usually get swimsuits with a higher cut on the leg.  A higher cut lengthens the leg, making you appear taller.  I couldn't find any images from normal stores that describe what I'm talking about, but you can do this with almost any one piece.  Just take the sides of the suit and hike them up some to lengthen your leg.  I don't have to do this with mine because it came that way.  I got mine at Belk if that helps!

I hope you all enjoyed this mini-series and I will talk to you in the next blog post!

XOXO,

Katey

  

                                                                                                                   

                                        

                                                           

DIY Lip Scrub

Hey everyone!  My lips have been really dry lately, so I decided to finally use a lip scrub.  Instead of going out and buying one for like $20, I made my own.  I'm really proud of it!  It was so easy to make because I just went into my bathroom and kitchen and used what I already had.  I didn't have to buy anything!  It really works too because I used it for two days and now my lips are so smooth.  I can't stop rubbing them together.  Weird, right?  I will never go back to having dry, cracked lips.

What you'll need:

• Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline or something like it)
• 2 Chapsticks (One to cut up and one to use afterwards)
• Vanilla Extract (Only if you want it to smell good)
• Brown Sugar
• A little container
• Something to mix with
• Something to cut with

Take the Petroleum Jelly and scoop up enough to fill about 2/3 of your container.  Now take one of your chapsticks and cut off just one little slice to add to the jelly.  The chapstick mixed with the jelly will moisturize your lips while giving the brown sugar something to stick to.  Add about two drops of vanilla to make the scrub smell and taste amazing.  Now take the brown sugar and add as much brown sugar as you want.  You can make the texture as rough or as soft as you want to.  I like mine a little rough to really scrub away all the dead skin on my lips.

When you're done making it, you can store it overnight in the fridge to let it harden a bit.  Or if you want, you can go ahead and use it.  I didn't choose to refrigerate mine, but that's up to you.  When you decide to use the scrub, scoop up a little bit on your finger and start gently rubbing it on your lips in circular motions.  Do this for about a minute.  To get it off, use a warm washcloth and lightly rub away the lip scrub.  Use circular motions again.  When it's all off, you'll notice that your lips are a little more pigmented and plumper.  That just means that the scrub worked.  To lock in the moisture, choose your favorite lip balm and apply it over your newly smoothed lips.

XOXO, 

Katey

Style Secret: Beauty Edition!

Hey everyone!  After having a fabulous vacation, I wanted to update you all on my new favorite trend.  I love colored eye shadow!  I use to be really scared of wearing colored eye shadow. I was always worried that I would end up looking like a clown, but after seeing some of the different beauty gurus on Youtube do different colored eye shadow looks, I fell in love with it.  My favorite one would probably be Blair Fowler's.  I like the fact that it's colorful without being over done.  This year is definitely all about the bright shadows.  Spring was all about pastels and keeping it clean.  Summer is all about bright turquoise shadows and fall will be all about crimson and orange pigments.  You can definitely wear all these colors without it looking like it's just child's play.  If you do it right, you can look like a professional.  Just checkout Michelle Phan's rainbow eyes.  I love this look and I would definitely wear it.

 A tip I have for wearing colored eye shadows is to not go above the crease.  Just keep the colors mainly in the eyelid and crease part so it won't look too dramatic.  Another tip I have is if you have colored eye shadows that aren't as pigmented as you would like, use a white cream eye shadow or base to make the colors pop.  Since the white isn't pigmented, it won't get in the way of the natural color of the eye shadow.  What you see in the container is what you get on your lid.  

So tell me, do you love this new trend?  Let me know in the comments below! 

XOXO,

Katey

Essie's Turquoise and Caicos

http://www.thelooksforless.com/2011/05/22/manicure-monday-essie-turquoise-caicos/

Hey everyone!  I recently got a new nail polish I've been loving.  It is Essie's Turquoise and Caicos.  The nail polish is a really pretty turquoise color.  I know everyone compares it to the Tiffany Blue Box, but that is basically what it looks like.  I just think it is the perfect summer color.  I got mine at Target for like $8.99.  There were so many to choose from, but I settled on this bright turquoise.  I'm really happy I got it!  Right now I have it on my finger nails and on my toe nails, I have Avon's Coral Bikini.  It's a bright coral color that's almost hot pink.

Anyways, I wanted to share with you all my favorite way to wear the Turquoise and Caicos color.

1.  Start out with a base coat.  You don't have to be neat with it because it's clear and will be covered up with pretty nail polish anyways. Just do one light coat on all of your fingers.  Let it dry completely before you start painting over it or else it can become a gross mess.

2.  Now take the Turquoise and Caicos color and do two light coats on all of your nails.

3.  Take a pretty, sparkly, metallic and paint it on your ring finger.  I used silver, but any color like gold would look really pretty, too!

4. Last step! Take a top coat and use it to set your nail polish.  This will make the colors more vibrant and prevent chipping.

Thanks for reading my post and I'll talk to you guys next time!

XOXO,

Katey

Style Secret: Nude Dresses

I'm sure many of you are aware of the LBD or the little black dress.  As of lately, the LND or little nude dress has been stealing the spotlight.  The LND is really classic.  It's best to wear in spring and summer because it does make your skin look a lot tanner and it just has that beachy feel.  This should really become a staple piece in your closet.  The cool thing is that you can style this dress so many different ways.  If you look at  what Taylor Swift has done with her dress, she kept it classic.  She added a little extra by pairing it with a nude belt to emphasize her tiny waist.  Hayden Panettiere made hers edgy by coupling her nude dress with black leather peep toe booties and a bright purple clutch.  The dress itself is really cute because of it's tight fit and really loose sleeves.  Vanessa Hudgens is the the queen of boho and you can see it with her laid back nude dress.  She chose to wear one that had different nude shades in a zig-zag pattern.  For jewelry she paired it with a long feather necklace and simple brown bracelets.  Vanessa kept that boho feel by putting her wavy hair half up, half down.

I hope you guys liked this post! Leave a comment letting me know whether you like this trend or not.

XOXO,

Katey

Your Swimsuit Style Guide-1

With summer already starting, it’s time to start preparing for bikini weather! I have recently been on the hunt for the perfect swimsuit. The perfect one for me would be one that makes me feel confident, but still looks fabulous! There are just so many different style options for swimsuits that I can't pick just one!  I'm going to show you guys different style options for your body type.  This is going to be an ongoing series because there are just so many things that I can write about different swimsuits.  So to keep you from overload, I'm going to do 3 different types for today.  Just know that no matter what you look like, you can where any type of swimsuit as long as you feel amazing in it. Work it!


Here are some different style options....


1. Bigger Busted Girls-  For you gals, always choose a halter top!  Whether it's a one piece or bikini, the halter top will give you the extra support you need.  If you don't like halter tops, where a swimsuit with thicker straps.  The thicker straps will give you support, but not as much as the halter would.  No matter what the straps are, look at the band around the bottom of the bikini.  Does it even have one?  A thicker band will keep you from falling out and give you even more support.  It would be even better if it had underwire in it.  If you're athletic at the beach, you would want a bathing suit with a thicker band as well for the same reasons.  Try and stay away from really crazy patterns and colors because that would be a little overwhelming.  The first 2 are from Target and the other one is from Urban Outfitters.

  

2. Smaller Busted Girls-  Bandeau tops were make for smaller chested women!  If you don't have much to show for, opt for a crazy, fun bandeau top.  A bandeau top is basically just a band that hugs around your bust.  Some come with thin straps and some don't.  It's your choice.  A bandeau top would help you look like you have a little more than you do.They also come in so many different colors and patterns.  Don't stick to plain ones, go crazy because you are one of the few types that can go wild with colors and patterns.  The first one is from Target and the other one is from Urban Outfitters.  How cute are they?!

3.  Curvy Girls-  One pieces are the way to go!  They hide things that you don't want us to see and you can go crazy on patterns as well.  The patterns are going to hide all the lumps and bumps.  Stick to darker colors like navy, black, and burgundy.  They are going to make you appear slimmer.  You can wear brighter colors, just stay away from neon.   Also stay away from metallic and shiny fabrics because they will emphasize your extra skin.  Ruching would look really cute too!  Another note, if you are insecure and feel like you can't wear a two piece, you can totally rock a two piece!  First one is from Target and the other one is from Urban Outfitters.  I love the second one. I need it!

And here's a really cute cover up from Urban Outfitters!

There are some more guides coming soon!  I hope you guys enjoy this new post. :)

XOXO,

Katey