Holy Grail Hair Products

You know those certain products that you seriously feel like you would die without? Well, I've discovered a new holy grail haircare company: Living Proof.
Living Proof produces high-quality haircare products found at salons and beauty retailers, such as Ulta, Sephora and even Nordstrom. And if Jennifer Aniston in all of her perfect glory isn't enough to convince you to try Living Proof, Living Proof's products contain no silicones and oils. Win-Win.

Originally, I  tried "No Frizz" travel size shampoo and conditioner from Ulta (Dangit, those samples get me every time) and after a few washes was simply amazed at the difference.
A little background info: My hair is damaged from over-coloring and styling for the last 10+ years which tends to cause more frizz than I would like, and also happens to be on the verge of wavy but is somewhat straight (and frizzy) at the same time. For those reasons, holy grail hair products are hard to find. Anyway, I tried "No Frizz" and liked it, but didn't love it. So the next time I was in Ulta, I decided to try travel sizes of both "Full" and "Restore" shampoo and conditioner.

I tried "Full" once and really liked it. I tried it a few more times and noticed it seriously weighing down my hair. After "Full, I finally tried "Restore," and that's when I fell in love.

Restore shampoo and conditioner is definitely the best out of those mentioned above, in my opinion. In fact, after finishing both samples, I purchased the medium size shampoo and conditioner, hair mask and instant repair treatment. I will let you know how those products work out, but for now I am seriously blown away by how much I love the shampoo and conditioner. The only downfall of the products is the line is a little on the expensive side, but honestly, TOTALLY worth every penny.

What's next? I have my sights on Perfect Hair Day (PhD) 5-in-1 Styling Treatment, which is from Living Proof's award winning line...read more here.

I recommend trying travel sizes of all products, not just Living Proof, but especially with higher-end brands such as Living Proof. That way you can truly decide if the product is a hit or miss.

Do you like posts about holy grail hair products? Comment below to let me know!

Tuesday Ten

One of my favorite blogs on the internet and truly the reason I began blogging was because how fun and exciting Lauren Conrad's blog is. She has always been such an inspiration through the way she dresses to the way she has made a name for herself in one of the toughest and coldest places, Hollywood. I could literally spend all day describing reasons she is the perfect role model for women of all ages to look up to, but lets get to the point. She always posts a 'Tuesday Ten' describing ten things she is loving that Tuesday. By the title, you can totally guess that today's post consists of ten things that I am loving on this beautiful Tuesday morning. And I'd say you are totally right except mine are many categories in one post instead of ten items from the same category!

#1: Trend-Panama Hats are typically white or ivory straw in color with a thick black band (maybe a bow) and a thin to medium thin brim. The hats are usually light straw or canvas material.

See what I mean:

Links: [Image 1], [Image 2], [Image 3], [Image 4]

Get the look for under $100:

Adria Panama Hat from Nasty Gal- $30

Biltmore & Madewell Panama Hat- $58

Iconic Straw Panama Hat- $14.80

Women's Classic Panama Fedora Hat- $60

Sheer-Edged Panama Hat (BCBG)- $58

#2: DIY/Recipe- Copy Cat McDonalds Sweet Tea recipe
Who can pass up a large sweet tea from McDonalds? I know I cannot, but at $1 per cup, the price starts adding up and before you know it, you've spent $20 on sweet tea. Well, only if you are an addict like me, but above is the exact recipe or about as close as possible (approved by me).

#3: Fashion- Floral pants are a huge hit this Spring, but what is the best way to style them? I have seen both white and black accessories, and I think I like black better, like this outfit found via Pinterest. What do you think? Black or white? Or a bold pattern like black and white stripes 

Get the look:

Floral pants, Loose Black Top, Designer sandals

#4: Product- If you are looking for the perfect bluetooth wireless speaker, check out the Bose Mini Soundlink. I blogged about it last Summer and this year it is still going strong and is superb for the beach and pool, just do not get it wet (duh) and keep it charged for the ultimate experience. Speaking of charge, usually bluetooth speakers do not stay charged for long but this one is a completely different story. I charge it once per week (maybe) and use it quite often, like when I clean, get ready, shower, etc. 

#5: Clothes- LC Lauren Conrad Soft Pants- Kohls- I purchased these beauties this weekend with a $10 off $25 coupon and only ended up paying $16 something for them after taxes. I have been searching high and low for a pair of pants that met a criteria of three things : nice enough to wear to work, fit me well enough so I can style them accordingly, and are actually comfortable to wear and move around in. These pants absolutely met all three things and look amazing styled with a sleeveless chiffon or silk top tucked in to the high waisted pants; perfect! Not only does she have such a sophisticated and feminine sense of style, but her clothes embody it as well. These pants are the perfect example of the flawless execution that goes into the LC Lauren Conrad brand for Kohl's and I know this because I am a frequent shopper and self proclaimed Kohl's cash and coupon addict. 

#6: Drink- As I mentioned many times before, I just started working full time and I leave really early every morning (around 8) and am usually in a hurry when I leave. I am also one of those people that absolutely needs breakfast and coffee to be able to properly function. I discovered this Special K COFFEE HOUSE Protein Breakfast Shake in the flavor Chocolate Mocha, and it is simply delicious and could potentially take place of breakfast and coffee. It actually makes me feel full if I drink it on an empty stomach and gives me fuel to tackle the day. Granted around 11 o'clock I am starving and my stomach is probably growling, but it is a great alternative for busy mornings.  Check it out here.

#7: Music- This one is a little different but I found a hidden gem of a music artist. If you don't like hip/hop +pop music then you won't like this guy but his name is Cam Meekins and you may have seen him on Dancing with the Stars a while back, but he has such a different rap style and his lyrics actually make sense. Check out his Youtube and he just released his new album so be sure to listen to it on iTunes. Personally I like his older album titled Lamp City, but his new stuff is pretty good too.

#8: Etsy-I always need somewhere to take off my earrings before bed and this Monogram Ring Dish by OhMyWordDesigns on Etsy is the perfect size to slip off the jewelry from the day.

#9: Beauty- One of the most frustrating things about being a woman and wearing makeup is having to take it off to prevent pimples, blackheads, etc. However Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths from Philosophy brand at Sephora, makes removing makeup and dirt super easy.

#10: Home decor-Baja blankets are extremely popular right now and make an extremely handy beach companion. Or you can decorate by placing one in every room of your house like me. See this post on Apartment Sense, my home decorating blog, to find out which room my favorite baja blanket went in and why.

What's a baja blanket? Get the look: 

[Blanket 1]

[Blanket 2]

Do you like Tuesday Ten posts? Comment below if you want to see another next Tuesday!

Shopping HAUL

I did a little shopping and decided to do a blog post haul on what I found.

The places I went are SEPHORA, Target, and LUSH.

The first is TARGET.

#1: ELF Beach Party Nail Polish Set. I was really excited about this because of the summery look of the packaging. I haven’t tried the formulation of the polishes but the colors come off very beautiful and tropical like.

#2: ELF Body Glow powder. I’m not really sure the exact use for this, I just found it to be pretty and sparkly.

#3: ELF Flawless Finish Foundation. I have never tried their foundation so if you have any tips or pointers, leave them in the comments below. 

#4: ELF Eyelid Primer. I have never used anything but Urban Decay’s Primer potion, so let me know if you have used this and what your thoughts are on it.

#5: ELF Tone Correcting Concealer. I usually use Maybelline or Clinique concealer. If anybody has tried this, let me know your thoughts on it.

#6: Shimmering Facial Whip. I heard this makes a good highlighter for the tops of cheekbones, with blush and contour bronzer under it.

The next place I went is SEPHORA.

#1: Sephora Mini Travel Brush set. I personally love Sephora make up brushes and when I saw this pink travel set, I knew I had to get it.

#2: Two shades of BUXOM lip gloss by Bare Minerals.

#3: Pink, Black, and Yellow hair clips

#4: Smashbox Primer sample

#5: SEPHORA Mirror (free)

The last place I went is LUSH.

#1: ROOTS Hair Treatment. If you have never tried this stuff, you are seriously missing out on beautiful, healthy, and shiny hair. I just discovered this mask about two weeks ago and am already obsessed.

I think it is really cool how on every LUSH container, it shows the person who mixed the products together.

I bought these from Sally’s Beauty Supply to put on after I apply the ROOTS hair treatment. The package comes with 10 and was under three dollars.

#2: Grease Lightening Tea Tree Cleanser. I had never tried this prior to buying it, but I absolutely love it.

Have you ever tried this cleanser or any LUSH products? Tell me in the comments below.

Let me know if y’all enjoyed this haul type blog post and I will try to do more like it.

I hope y’all are enjoying the quality of my pictures as much as I am. I absolutely ADORE my new Canon. If you are thinking of buying a new REBEL, I HIGHLY suggest it because it is my new favorite toy.

I am still learning all about it, if you have any comments, tips, or suggestions on ways to improve my photography skills, let me know below.

I hope today was everything you hoped for.

XOXO,

Sweet Southern Style