Packing Smart For Holiday Trips

The chance to travel? ahhhmazing! Packing for traveling? Can be quit stressful. 

What do you bring? What's appropriate? How many shirts? How many pants? How many outfits does that make? So the question is, how do you pack enough articles of clothing to cover most occasions without bringing your entire closet? 

Look no further. My company has me traveling for various travel lengths: 3 day conferences all the way up to a week and a half, and I am never under prepared. I always have one personal bag and one checked medium bag with enough articles of clothing to cover every night and every occasion.

What I wear to the airport: Boots, Jeans, and Jacket

I always wear my boots, jeans, and jacket to the airport. This is because these are the bulkiest items of clothing that I take with me on any trip. Bulky means more room taken in the suitcase. By wearing it already, you clear space in your suitcase. And you can always wear the jeans you wore to the airport again and your boots and jacket are always reusable throughout your travel days.

What I always bring with me (including what I wear to the airport):

• 2 Pairs of Jeans (one black, one blue- one of these pairs worn to the airport)

• 2 Cardigans and/or 2 Sweaters

• 1 Jacket

• 2-3 Different Colored Tank Tops to be worn under cardigans and sweaters-Perfect for day time business casual. 

• 2 Dress Shirts-Perfect for night time business meetings.

• 2 Dress Paints (one black and one grey)

• 2 Dresses (1 business, 1 party)-Perfect for business meetings and parties/events.

• 2 Sports Bras-To be washed and air dried in hotel room.

• 2 Workout Shorts

• # of Undies

• # of pairs of socks

• 1 pair of nude heels-Can be paired with any outfit.

• 1 pair of boots (worn to the airport)

• 1 pair of flats

• 1 pair of tennis shoes

• Bag of essential makeup

• Mascara

• Eyebrow pencil/filler

• Blush

• Lip Color

• Vaseline

• optional: small pallet of nude eye colors; 1 blender and applicator.

• Hair Essentials

• Straightener/Curler Duo

• Travel Bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hairspray and any other liquids for hair

• Toothbrush and Toothpaste

• Laptop/Charger

How to Pack

If you are finding not everything fits, try the following tips:

• Fold your jeans in half and roll as tightly as possible. Pack it around the edges of the suitcase.

• For wrinkle prone items, keep them folded in the middle of the suitcase and insert a dry-clean plastic in-between each item.

• Pack your socks by placing them inside the tennis shoes.

• Pack tennis shoes by placing sole up on top of your clothes on the edges.

There you have it! 10+ outfits in one medium suitcase, 4 pairs of shoes to choose from, workout clothes, your makeup basics and hair solutions that will make you presentable for any occasion all in one personal item and a medium checked bag.

Benefits of Hot Rollers

With the winter season well upon us, chances are that you are thinking about switching up your haircare regime to give your locks less stress. It is the one time of year that seems to throw your hair into a tornado. The breakage and frizz, split ends and static are just something that is inevitable with this season. So even if you haven't thought about changing your hair routine during the colder months, you may want to reconsider. There is a secret tool though that won't jeopardize your sense of beauty during this season! It's the amazingness of hot rollers! Okay, so they aren't completely damage-proof as they are a heat product, but they definitely do less damage to your hair than curling wands and straightening irons do. There are plenty of other benefits that you will enjoy as well.


You Do Not Have To Be a Pro
If you're a lady who simply can't seem to get it right when it comes to hair styling, then you will totally love having a hot roller set. I have two Baby Bliss ones and throwing these rollers in my hair is my total go-to, whether I'm in a rush or have all the time in the world to get ready. You do not have to have any kind of experience. You simply separate your hair into sections, twirl them into the hot roller, pin and let them chill. Once they are out, brush your hair out with fingers and you will be left with flawless, voluptuous curls.

Takes Next To No Time
Another benefit of using hot rollers is that it doesn't take long at all. I have straight hair and find that it takes longer to straighten my hair with a flat iron than it does to curl my straight hair with my hot rollers. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? It takes a couple minutes to heat the rollers up (I like to heat them to the max, so it takes longer for me), and then a couple minutes to twirl your hair up into a hot roller mess. While your hair is cooling, do your makeup or get dressed and by the time you do that, you can take out your rollers and you are ready to go! It is phenomenal.

Inexpensive and High Quality
As mentioned, I have two sets of Baby Bliss hot roller sets and not because one broke. In fact, I have two for the exact opposite reasons. I use them so much that I have asked so many people to do their hair at the same time, so I opted for another set. I always wanted another set in case one of them does die out in the long run. I simply do not want to risk never having my hot rollers. That would just be traumatic to my hair, beauty and style!

So ladies, give your hair a break this season and give it the fashion that it totally deserves. Hot rollers are about to become your new go-to.

Photo Credit: www.chantalmcculligh.com

How to: Dress Warm and Cute

 

 





Hello ladies, I hope you are all doing wonderful. For today's blog I want to talk about some winter items that can be stylish and cute. I don't know if any of you guys have felt it, but it has been quite cold lately. I was waiting for the bus the other day and my ears froze. So I thought, I need to go out and look for some cozy gear. And, I actually found some really cute items that I want to share with you guys.

Head Wraps: Okay, this may sound a little weird if you haven't seen them around. However, they are quite great because they cover the part of your head that gets really cold, as well as your ears. These bands are very cute, and defiantly stylish. The look like headband, but most of them are made out of wool and they hug the forehead. There are many different designs out there, I would highly suggest you check them out.

Earmuffs: Okay, many of you are probably thinking, ear muffs? I would never want to wear those. However, let me tell you that not all earmuffs are bulky, and In fact some of then come with headphones. Which means you will be warm while listening to your music. Isn't that awesome!? I would recommend these to anyone, there is a bunch of styles to chose from, and they provide great warmth.

Mittens: Okay, who doesn't like mittens? Forget the boring gloves. Mittens are very cute, especially now that the holidays are around the corner. For some reason they always remind me of Christmas. Anyways, wool mittens are the best! If you're going to try them out, I highly suggest wool ones.

Beanies and Scarfs: Of course beanies and scarfs are must owes. Nowadays there are super cute infinity scarfs, you can rock skulls, print, or a solid colour. It's all about rocking what you owe.

Leg Warmers: Anytime you want to wear leggings but you're scared to get cold, add a pair of leg Warmers and you will feel the difference. Leg Warmers are the bomb.


Okay, ladies, those area only cozy winter ideas I at the moment. I hope you try some of these out. Have a wonderful weekend :)

Photo Citation: Flourish Boutique. "Warm As Can Be Headwrap in Beige." 29 November 2013. Web.

The F-Bombs of Hair Care Ingredients

I hate to say it, but my latest post about the kind of ingredients that you need to avoid isn't over yet. Unfortunately, the list of ingredients that you should avoid within your hair care is much longer than the kind of contents that should be in your hair care products. If only life could be so simple, right? Keep your shopping list handy and jot down there following ingredients before you pick up the next shampoo and conditioner bottle. That's not the only products you should be paying close attention to though. All of your hair care products, such as serums, oils and sprays should also avoid these next ingredients. Well, unless you want to damage your hair... Which no girl truly wants to do.

Parabens
This is like the F-Bomb of hair care. Parabens are massively used in order to extend shelf life of the products that you use on your hair. The awful thing about parabens is that they contain "endocrine disrupters" which have been linked to damaging human help and animal hormones and development. With a direct link to breast cancer, you shouldn't need more of an explanation for this F-Bomb of hair care.
Here's what parabens look like on an ingredient list: Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben and Ethylparaben.

Sulfates
Believe it or not but sulfates, or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is also used as a harsh detergent in floor cleaners and other intent cleaning products. Would you pour bleach on your hair? We certainly hope not. Opting for hair care products with sulfates is essentially the same thing. It will strip your hair of natural oils, causing breakage, lack of growth, split ends and everything that you don't want to happen to your hair, especially as a result of using a hair care product. That's also not to mention that it will strip the color right off of your strands if you dye your hair.
Here's what sulfates look like on an ingredient list:  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate,
TEA Lauryl Sulfate, Sulfur (in dandruff shampoos), Selenium Sulfide (in dandruff shampoos)

Ureas
Often added to hair care products to provide antimicrobial and anti-fungal elements, Ureas are also added into teeth whiteners and cigarettes. They are fairly similar to parabens and have been linked to causing severe health issues such as dermatitis while also emitting formaldehyde (Cancer causer!) when heated above 10 degrees.
Here's what ureas look like on an ingredient list:  Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea

Pthalates 
You have heard this word before because it's associated with causing birth defects and cancer, and worst of all, it is used in a variety of products, including your hair care and even drinking bottles. Pthalates are plasticizers and are used so commonly that it can be hard to find products without them without purchasing completely natural and organic options.
Here's what pthalates look like on an ingredient list: Pthalates are rarely clearly stated. They may be listed as a "fragrance" without mentioning pthalates, so be careful.  They are often used for all plastic bottles as well.

Petrochemicals
Petrochemicals are chemicals made from crude oil and natural gas and were briefed on in part one of this article.
Here's what petrochemicals look like on an ingredient list:PVP/VA Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Lanolin, Paraffin

Photo Credit: http://www.haarstichting.nl/Het-juiste-gebruik-van-verschillende-soorten-stylingproducten

QT Performance Tornado Advanced Tourmaline Hair Dryer - QTTORN - FREE...

QT Performance Tornado Advanced Tourmaline Hair Dryer - QTTORN - FREE... (clipped to polyvore.com)

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QT Performance Diamond Ceramic Flat Iron 1" (clipped to polyvore.com)

Your Take On Bleached Eyebrows?

Heard the next "crazy" stunt by Miss Miley Cyrus? While cutting her hair super short, grinding on Robin Thicke, riding a wrecking ball naked, and inking her grandma's face on her forearm wasn't edgy enough, Miley has taken one more step towards the crazy and bleached her eyebrows.

Now, Miley did not start the trend for bleached eyebrows. We have seen this all over the fashion industry including high fashion editorial spreads, the runway and even TV shows like America's Next Top Model. So while Miley isn't a trend setter, this move, on top of all her recent antics, are definitely making a few eyebrows raise. 

Bleached Brows: The Good Having bleached brows definitely has a way of focusing on the eyes, causing your pretty eyes and makeup to stand out that much more. If you’ve bleached your brows, you may be a bit of a dare devil! You are following your own heart and doing what you think...know...looks good and couldn’t care less what other’s think. 

Bleached Brows: The Bad Your eyebrows are definitely the frame to your face. They help create a shape and definite areas on your face. Also, your eyebrows are an essential part of any facial expression. Without eyebrows, you may appear surprised all the time. 

Be part of the trend

Permanent solution: Feeling as edgy as Miley? Want to just go all in and try it out? Visit a salon to get them bleached. We highly recommend this, especially since this requires using a harsh chemical near your eye. You want a practiced and experienced hand helping you out. The cost shouldn't be too outrageous. Make sure that they test a part of your skin away from your face to ensure you are not allergic to the chemicals they are using. Wouldn’t want a skin irritation or burn to occur because they forgot to test.

Try it out for fun: Maybe you want to live the life of a rebel just for a day. There is a temporary option for you. See steps below:
1. Purchase Kryolan Aquacolor-For those with lighter brows, the ivory should work. For those with dark brows should purchase a deeper/warmer shade.
2. Activate the color with Mac's Fix + 
3. Use an eyebrow brush and cover it with the aqua color. Apply to back of hand to disperse color.
4. Brush down and up through eyebrow hairs. 
5. Ta-da! Bleached brows without the chemicals and its temporary.

What do you think of bleached brows trend? For the high fashion only or can you rock this on the daily?