Ombre & Balayage Ideas for Dark Hair!

Hello everyone!

Apologies for not blogging last week. I had to take my finals and in the middle of studying for engineering and finance classes, there was just no time for me to blog. However I am back and ready to pump out a ton of blog posts for you guys!

How many of you like changing your hair for the summer? 

Well I did this last summer and now really want to do it again! I'm going to go for a medium brown balayage look similar to the one in the right picture! 

Here are other ideas for ways to change your hair in the summer if you have dark hair like me!

(Pictures from Pinterest) 

Left: Caramel balayage on Mimi Ikonn

Right: Drastic three color ombre

Left: Pink ombre

Right: Reddish-pink ombre

 Left: Balayage on medium length hair on Lucy Hale

Right: Brown to blonde ombre

 Left: Blonde Balayage

Right: Short three colored ombre

Let me know what look is your favorite! I will definitely post pictures of my hair when I get it done!

- Emily

REVIEW: Suave Luxe Style Infusion Curl Defining Gel Serum

Hello everyone! Who here has curly hair?
If so, I think you are going to love the Curl Defining Gel Serum from the Suave Professionals Luxe Style Infusion line! You can find this at drugstores for $4.99. The product "is a unique formula that combines the conditioning of a serum & the hold of a gel. It provides definition to curls without the stiffness. Experience weightless, luscious curls every day."

I had my best friend Mariana test this product out for me because she has very curly hair (and mine is pin straight!). She applied it on her damp hair, scrunched it, and then let it air dry.

Her hair before the product:
Mariana has curly hair that is not always defined. She describes it as looking "stringy" sometimes.

Her hair after the product:
She and I were both pleasantly surprised by how well the product worked! It added so much definition to her curls and her hair looked much more bouncy than before.

Note: Mariana mentioned that she does not suggest putting this product near your roots. She applied it there to get rid of frizz but noticed the next day that her hair felt a little oily there. Besides that she felt very positively about this product!

If you have curly hair, definitely check out this product! If you would like to see other reviews on products from this line, click here.
- Emily

These products were sent to me by Suave® but all opinions are my own.

REVIEW: Suave Professionals Luxe Style Weather Proof Cream and Anti-Humidity Spray

Hello everyone! I have been testing out products from the new Suave Professionals Luxe Style Infusion line this month! This is a salon-inspired collection that you can find in any of your drugstores. I'm going to review these two products on the left so check it out!

Luxe Style Infusion Anti-Humidity Spray- $5.99

Description: "This Anti-humidity Hairspray, with an ultra-fine mist, offers hold for frizz resistance even in 95% humidity while giving a brushable finish."

(Product on the right) I used this hairspray after curling my hair on my birthday and loved the finish! My hair was not crunchy at all and it really held the curl even though it was really humid that day.

I'm definitely going to be using this one in the summer!

Luxe Style Infusion Smoothing Lightweight Weather Proof Cream- $5.99
Description: "This Weather Proof Smoothing Cream creates a weightless, invisible shield so your smooth look stays frizz resistant and is sleek & shiny for up to 72 hours versus non-conditioning shampoo."

(Product on the left) I really like this product! I applied it on my hair while it was damp & went to class  after it dried. My hair stayed smooth even though it was an overcast day. I took this photo on the right halfway through the day. This product doesn't necessarily seem weightless but definitely is not heavy. I did like that it gave some body to my hair & didn't make it seem so lifeless. It's definitely one I will continue using after my showers!

I hope you all enjoyed this review! Be on the lookout for my reviews on the rest of the products!

Xoxo,
Emily

Thank you to Suave for sending me the products to try out! I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

REVIEW: Splat Hair Chalk

Hello everyone! If you follow my instagram (@emsies_emily) then you know that I just got back from a music festival! Before I left, I tested out some products to see if I wanted to bring them with me or not. I was planning to go for some pink tips like the picture above and tried out the Splat Hair Chalk in the color "Pink Hearts". This product unfortunately is a thumbs down for me. Here's my thoughts on the product:

• Good price ($5.99 at Ulta)
• Good strong color payoff
• Applies easily but messy
• Color doesn't set.. the chalk got all over my shirt and kept getting on my hand if I touched the strands
• Washed out easily

All in all, I would not recommend this product. If you were sweating or your hair was moving around, this chalk would just make a mess on your skin and clothes.

For the festival, I ended up bleaching and dying some strands instead. Lol 

Let me know if you have any hair chalk recommendations!

- Emily

Obsessed with Fishtail Braids

Hello everyone! So I'm sure you all have seen the fishtail braid by now. In my opinion, it is one of the prettiest ways to do hair. (Click here to check out Lauren Conrad's tutorial on how to do your own.)

While playing with my friend's hair the other day, I decided to add to the fishtail look by incorporating a braid in. Here were the steps:

1. Start with hair above your ear and begin braiding
2. Bring the braid all the way across the back of your head
3. Split the rest of your hair into two sections. Incorporate the hair attached to the braid into one of the sections.
4. Fishtail the rest of your hair

It was a bit difficult to keep the fishtail tight but I bet it would've been better with practice. I think this look or a regular fishtail braid would look beautiful on anyone!

I especially like if people with ombred or colored hair do a fishtail! It is so pretty to have all the colors pieced together.

To sum this up, try out the fishtail! You will get a lot of compliments!
- Emily

Drugstore Shower Necessities Haul

Hello everyone! I've used up a good bit of products lately so I went to the drugstore yesterday to pick up some new necessities for my shower (and my face lol). Here is what I got:

• Schick Intuition Renewing Moisture Refill 3-Pack (Pomegranate Extract)- $14- I really like these blades.. I just wish they were cheaper. Each blade lasts me about 2 months.
• Simple Cleansing Micellar Water- $7- I bought this to act like a makeup remover. I'll let you know if I like it or not!
• Pantene Full & Strong Shampoo & Conditioner- $4 each
• Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion- $7- I saw this on TV & instantly wanted to try it. This is a lotion you apply in the shower & it's supposed to keep your skin moisturized throughout the day. I think this will be perfect for me since I always forget to put on lotion. Like it so far!
• Publix Cosmetic Rounds- $1.50- I always use these with makeup remover or nail polish remover.

Let me know if you've ever tried any of these products!

- Emily

REVIEW: L'Oreal Smooth Intense Ultimate Straightening Shampoo

Who switches shampoos a lot? Well I personally do because I like trying out different products.  Unfortunately today, I come to you with a negative review. I recently bought the L'Oreal Smooth Intense Ultimate Straightening Shampoo and it was quite a let down. Here's what I didn't like:

• The shampoo doesn't lather well. I'm one of those people who likes to lather their shampoo a lot because it just makes me feel clean. This shampoo, however, lathers for about 5 seconds before I start questioning if I even put shampoo on my head.
• This never made my hair feel or look clean. My friend even mentioned to me that my hair looked a bit greasy.
• It weighs down my hair a little bit. I feel like after I shower at night with this product, I always have to put dry shampoo in my hair the next morning to make it look like I have some volume.

The only redeeming quality I can think of in this product is that it smells good. Basically, I'm not even going to finish this set and instead I'm going to go out and buy a different shampoo. I usually don't have many negative reviews because I do a lot of research into my purchases.. but this time it just didn't work out.

Xoxo,

Emily

REVIEW: L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo & Conditioner

Hello everyone!

The shampoo and conditioner I am currently using is the L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo and Conditioner! It retails for only $4.99. It claims to do 5 repairing actions: 1) Rebuilt fibers 2) Strength 3) Vitality 4) Silkiness and 5) Shine. I personally love this shampoo! I think it does a great job of making my hair feel clean and full of shine. My roommates friend who is a hair model said he uses this shampoo and conditioner and loves it so much that he won't use anything else on his hair.

Over Christmas, I went on a cruise and was only using the shampoo on the boat for 7 days. As you could imagine, my hair was pretty weak and life-less after that. Once I got home, I went out and bought this set and I think it has done great things for my hair! Definitely recommend it.

Love,
Emily

Braids for Days

Hello everyone! Soon after getting off my cruise, my family and I went to the beach again (I know, my life makes no sense). One our first day at the condo, we were unpacking and walking around a lot so I decided I wanted to put my hair up!

Instead of going for my usual side braid, I changed it up by adding in a french braid at the top! I love how this looked and how full it was! Definitely something that I will be doing again soon.

Emily

REVIEW: Herbal Essences "Moroccan My Shine" Shampoo and Conditioner

Hello everyone! I recently finished up my Herbal Essences "Moroccan My Shine" Shampoo and Conditioner! These two products and a serum make up a line that features "Morocco's legendary" argan oil. This is one of the few brands in the drugstore that has incorporated the oil into their hair products. You can buy these for $3 each!

REVIEW: Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi everyone! I am here today to review a shampoo and conditioner for you! It's the Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner which comes in a red bottles at the drugstore.

The claims for this product are:

• Defends against wash-out, fade-out & dry-out so fresh vibrant color lasts longer
• Contains camellia oil, açai berry antioxidant and UV filters
• Our Complete Defense system helps restore hair’s power to keep color looking & feeling fresher for longer
• Helps protect fresh color for up to 8 weeks
• Boosts vibrancy, shine & softness

All the things mentioned above sound great and all but unfortunately, I have to give this product a  
thumbs down. I have been using it for a month and a half now but my main problem is that after just a day after washing my hair, it will get oily. I do not have this problem with other shampoos. I also didn't like how it felt like there was residue in my hair from this shampoo/ conditioner. It did make my hair feel healthy right after a shower, look shiny, and smell good, but that just wasn't enough of a trade off for me to keep the shampoo.

If you are looking for a good "color protector" shampoo, I recommend the L'Oreal Vibrancy Shampoo & Conditioner (reviewed here)! It has been the most effective in making my hair color stand out!



That's all for now! Let me know if you have tried either of these products!


Xoxo,
Emily

Fabulous Ads: Miley Cyrus' 2012 Marie Claire Cover

Hi everyone! I previously did a few fabulous ad posts and wanted to do another! I personally do not like how Miley Cyrus has gone pretty crazy in the past year nor do I like her bleach blond pixie cut (she cannot pull it off). However, I did think she looked really pretty with light brown hair whether it was long or short. While I was looking for ads for this post I came across this one of Miley and think she looks gorgeous! I love the blonde streaks in her hair as well as the makeup on her face. She has such great bone structure! The color of the dress and earrings also goes great with her eyes making them pop! Overall just a stunning magazine cover! Really like this ad Marie Claire!

Xoxo,
Emily

Got A Haircut and Eyebrow Wax!

Hey everyone! I got a haircut today and my first eyebrow wax! Here's the before and after! I really needed my hair cut because I had a lot of split ends (the last time I cut my hair was August). While at the salon, I got layers and a hair treatment which consisted of proteins, color treatment, and heat protectant. The treatment is supposed to last for 6 weeks.

For the eyebrow wax, I requested to keep the shape of my eyebrows & basically just clean up the outline without thinning my eyebrows. I expected it to hurt a lot more than it did so I was happily surprised. I can see myself getting my eyebrows waxed many more times in the future!

Xoxo,
Emily

Planning To Dye My Hair!

Hi everyone! So as of right now, I have ombred hair with black on the top half of my hair and a bronzy color on the bottom half. Since I have to go in soon to get my split ends cut anyway, I figure I will try something new and dye my whole head this time! I'm thinking a medium to dark brown similar to the one in the pictures below.

Let me know what you think in the comments below! Also let me know if you have other suggestions or other pictures of hairstyles you think I should try! I will definitely post after pictures once I get it done!

Xoxo,
Emily

REVIEW: L'Oreal Color Vibrancy Shampoo & Conditioner!

Hi everyone,
Many of you by now have probably seen Lea Michele's commercials for L'Oreal's new line of products called "Advanced Haircare". I got my hair dyed ombre back in August (click here to see the post) so thought a color vibrancy shampoo would be perfect since I want my color to last as long as possible!

I'm going to review the L'Oreal Color Vibrancy Shampoo & Conditioner today. I have been using it every day for about a month now. This shampoo and conditioner is included in one of the five product sets from the new "Advanced Haircare" line. Here are the pros & cons!

Dyed my hair! Ombre!!! + Celebrity Ombre Looks!

I have loveddd the ombre trend for about the last year and I finally got it done on my own hair!

The process took about an hour because of the dye. The lady applied it on my hair about the same level as my cheeks all the way to the ends of my hair. After that set for about 30 minutes, she put more dye on the ends of my hair for 15 minutes.

This is the first time I dyed my hair! I love change and am just so EXCITED to have color in my hair!!!

Tip: If after you dye your hair you can see a straight line between the black and brown, then curl your hair and you won't be able to see where the color changes! 
Check out these pictures of celebrities with the ombre look!

REVIEW: B&BW Honey Sweetheart Instant Hair Highlights- Bronze

Hi everyone!
I have a product that I am so excited to tell you about today! For about four months now, I've been wanting to either color the ends of my hair or find a temporary way to do it.

This product is the Bath & Body Works Honey Sweetheart Instant Hair Highlights in the color bronze. This is the best product I have found for achieving this look on my dark black hair. I have tried other products like hair chalk and this spray is just simply the best.

5 Easy Tips to Long, Healthy Hair!

My hair is something that I have been complimented on time and time again so I wanted to give some tips on how to achieve long and luscious hair! The key to having long hair or making your hair grow quickly is keeping your hair healthy! My haircare process helped me get my hair to the length I desired in a short amount of time. So here it is! :)

Favorite Suave Products!!

Suave has been coming out with some great products throughout this year! I’ve gotten to try a lot of them and wanted to share my favorites with you all! The quality of these products are amazing and you would think you have to pay much more for each product than you actually do! The products cost around $2-4 so they are all really affordable! Here are my favorites!

Recap- My Favorite Summer 2012 Trends!

I hope everyone has been shopping a good bit this summer because I have been LOVING the trends this season. The style of this post is going to be a countdown to my favorite trend of the summer! This is the year that I have paid attention to trends more than ever and so many of them have caught my eye! I'm definitely going to be trying a lot of them and you should too! These are of course not all the trends for this season but instead just my favorite ones! :) Here they are!

4.) Lace shorts

I find this to be a really interesting trend. It's really girly and is an attention-grabbing piece! In my opinion, the cream color looks best.