I thought I’d share some stuff I’ve used in the last few months either via a sample or I’ve purchased and been using, that I’ve fallen in love with.

1. Biodroga Intense Moisture Formula Eye Care-I have been on the hunt for an eye cream for what seems like EVER. The problem I run into is that as the day goes by my eyes start burning from certain eye creams. I got a sample of this a while back and used it for a good week without any problems…that was a first! So I bit the bullet and bought it and I have no clue if it’s going to make me look 20 years younger but I figure eye cream that doesn’t cause massive burning is better than no eye cream at all. Right?
2. Aquage Beyond Shine Spray-I use this when I’m done with my hair, but I spray it in my hand first and then run my hands through my hair.  If I spray it directly on my hair it will look DUUUURTEEEEE and I might as well start all over.
3. Nars Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer – Oil-Free-I read somewhere that as you get older you will want to use a primer under your foundation so that it falls into all those fine lines and wrinkles and your foundation will go on smoother.  I’ve tried a couple and then got this as a sample from Sephora and LOVED it. I feel like it makes my pores noticeably smaller and my foundation goes on smooth but also I’m not an oil slick by the end of the day.
4. Redken Hot Sets 22 Thermal Setting Mist-I use this prior to flat ironing my hair.  I like it. I mean there are a lot of different ones out there and I just thought I’d change it up a bit.  Good stuff.
5. Rosebud Salve in a Tube-I’m a fan of the Rosebud Salve in the little tin, so when I saw this (and I may be behind the times on this being in a tube) I instantly bought it.  It’s always nice to change up the lip balm every now and then and I love the way this smells.
6. Jonathan Product Weightless Smooth No-Frizz Hydrating Balm-I’m going to venture to say that this product has been LIFE CHANGING. And I’m two for two on Jonathan Product stuff. I think I’ve said this before but my hair is very thick and naturally wavy but not always in a good way, so I straighten my hair when I want to look presentable.  However, living in the Houston area with humidity 11 out of 12 months of the year, straightening my hair can be challenging.  UNTIL NOW! I got this stuff as a sample and I just thought I’d give it a shot and OMG the difference it has made in getting my hair straight and KEEPING it straight once I walk outside is unbelievable.  It’s a keeper.
7. Finishing and Blending Face Antibacterial Makeup Brush #955 – Studio Line by bdellium tools-I’ve always been the kinda girl that put on her foundation with a sponge, and thought I might try a brush recently and this one didn’t disappoint.  It’s kinda crazy how different foundation can look with a brush as opposed to a sponge.  Definitely worth a shot.

So, I have naturally jankywavy hair, but for the VAST majority of my life I have always worn my hair straight. Partly because I didn’t 100% know how to fix my hair when it was wavy, and partly because I had the time to spend on my hair so it didn’t really matter. BOY HOW THINGS CHANGE!

After C was born I learned right quick how to make my wavy hair look less janky and more CUTE…here are a couple of the products I use:

• Redken Fresh Curls Curl Booster
• Redken Glass

I spritz my wet hair w/ the curl booster and crinkle my hair up all over. I then use a diffuser to dry my hair. After that, I use a 1 inch curling iron to fix the janky parts of my hair, rub a small amount of redken glass through my hair, spray with hair spray, and voila! This process takes all of less than 10 minutes from start to finish (versus the 30+ minutes it takes me to straighten it from shower to door)…WOOHOO! Not too shabby eh?

Oh yeah, my fellow Tipsy gal Der took this pic. She has COMPLETELY found her calling in life ya’ll!

Learn how to use this product…

I bought this product on a whim during a trip to my local beauty store, but I still haven’t figured out it’s best use or really HOW to use it. I will say that the few times I have used it, I have GIANT hair, which is actually OK by me, but I need a hair expert (or just someone that is really good with hair) to help me out….PLEASE!?!?!?

In keeping with the tradition of the Tipsy ladies, I wanted to share the products that I use on a semi-daily basis. You may notice a common theme: I’m OBSESSED w/ all things Redken! (I blame this on my friend Kelli, whose family owns a Redken distribution center close to my home town, and I also blame it on the fact that I tend to have OCD when it comes to specific brands.)

Anyway, my hair is thick and wavy, I always wear it straight, and these products do the trick! (All of which can be found on Amazon.com.)

1. Redken Allsoft Heavy Cream: I use this as my deep conditioning treatment. About once every week or two, I leave it in for 10 minutes or so and then rinse out.
2. Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide: This is a daily pre-styling treatment that I use on the ends of my hair before blow drying. It seems to help with the AWFUL amount of heat my CHI iron puts out.
3. Redken Vinyl Glam: I use this every other day, because I only wash my hair every other day. (So this is a first hair wash product.) I spray it in my hands, not directly on my hair, then smooth it through my tresses…haha…it really does make your hair look shiny, not the dirty/oily shiny, but movie-star shiny!
4. Redken Extreme Conditioner: What can I say? It’s conditioner…it smells good and does the trick…I stick to what I know!
5. Redken Guts: This stuff came out when I was in high school and was ALL the rage. It’s spray mousse and gives you ALL kinds of volume. Since I have thick hair, I don’t really use it for volume, but I do use it when I wear my hair wavy…it just gives it that extra umph (is that a word?) that I need.
6. Redken Workforce Flexible Volumizing Spray: LOVE, LOVE this hair spray! It keeps my hair in check without making it feel crunchy, which is the WORST don’t you think?
7. Redken Fresh Curls Curl Boost: For all my curly/wavy headed ladies out there this product is for you, maybe…I use it when I’m wearing my hair wavy and I like the fact that it’s not heavy and it doesn’t leave my hair frizzy…so, win win!
8. Redken Extreme Shampoo: This is my Redken shampoo for the moment, and I like that it repairs damaged hair. Even though I don’t like to think of my hair as damaged, I think years of daily heat treatments will take a toll on anyone/everyone’s hair.
9. David Babaii Bohemian Beach Spray: NEWSFLASH, this is not Redken! This is a new product that I was just recently introduced to, but so far I LOVE! I just spray it in my hair after I’m finished fixing it and it gives a super-cute textured/messy kind of look.

As my fellow Tipsy buds, Der and Court have posted about their tried and true hair products, it got me thinking about how the four of us have such different hair and the challenges that we face living in this humidity pit we live in.  My hair=thick, unruly, ALOT, thick..did I say thick?  Good Lord I have a lot of hair on this head of mine.

Here is the stuff I’m currently using…I say currently because I think I’m a closeted hair product addict–I like to pretend I don’t need a lot of hair product assistance when in actuality I do.  And my hair gets used to certain products after a while, so I have to change it up from time to time.  This is what is currently working for me…I’ll keep you posted when I change it up.

1. Pureology Super Straight Shampoo-LOVE the smell of this.  Like LOVE love.
2. Original Crema Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner by Terax-I originally heard about this from the great Whoorl/Hair Thursday and while I was a little skeptical when I realized the consistency of it was THICK, man o man do I love this conditioner!  It’s done wonders for my hair and it detangles like nobody’s business.
3. Pureology Serious Colour Care Superstraight Serum-they call this a “serum” but when I think serum I think sorta liquidy, its not, its a gel.  My wavy/unruly hair needs some sort of gel type product when I blow dry it and this is what I’m currently loving.
4. Pureology Antifade Complex Super Smooth Hot Iron Protection-I use this after my hair has been dried and before I flat iron it.  I’ve tried just spraying it all over and then flat ironing and I’ve also tried spraying as I go with the flat iron.  My hair seems to do better with the later.  I’ve read some reviews where people have said it leaves their hair sticky and crunchy or something, but I haven’t had this experience.  It leaves my hair really soft and shiny and it almost seems easier to get my hair straight with this stuff.
5. Redken 03 Water Wax Shine Defining Pomade-I use this after I’m done with the flat iron…I get a little bit on my fingers and just kinda run my fingers from underneath all over my hair and then tame the crazy hairs around my face.  I also morph my bangs in the direction I want them to go and it seems to stay pretty well with this stuff.
6. Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hair Spray Frizz Ease by John Frieda-I don’t always use hair spray but if the weather is particularly wet out or the humidity is like a wall of hot steam when I walk outside, I spray a little of this all over.  My trick is that I lightly spray it, let it dry and then carefully brush it out.  It leaves just enough hold but my hair still moves.

So there you have it, those are my current tricks for taming this head of hair.  Some days the products win, and other days the humidity wins.  I bet you anything, the minute I post this info the humidity will win.