Know a gal in your life that always looks fabulous or seems to enjoy ALL of the hair, make up and skincare things?! This time of year so many retailers have the best gift sets from name brands and deals on big ticket appliances so if you want to spoil a special lady in your life, look no further!
I have been compensated by QVC for this post, but all thoughts, designs, and opinions are my own!
Eeeek! The day is FINALLY here and it legit feels like Christmas morning! I am so excited to announce my collaboration with QVC to create my very own TILI beauty box for all of you! TILI is QVC’s monthly beauty subscription box and it stands for for Try It, Love It which is the perfect name for it being that this box makes it super easy for you to try new and trending beauty products before deciding if you want to invest in the full price item. One of my very favorite parts of my job is being able to sample a wide variety of fun products so if you are anything like me, you will absolutely love this box that get’s delivered to your front door every month with eight amazing beauty items. While it is a subscription box, there is no risk in joining the program as you can cancel it whenever you would like!
And I might be a little bias, but this is the best box to date being that it has TWO full price beauty products in it and the entire box costs less than one of those items!! You read that right. The entire box is just $25 and I’m sharing all of the details below on why I picked each of these items to be in my box!
Can we take a moment to first talk about what the actual box looks like?! When QVC asked me to design the box, I knew I wanted to make it cute enough to put directly under the Christmas tree or to give as a gift- no wrapping paper needed! I am confident that any girl in your life- bestie, sister, mom, or MIL- would absolutely love to receive this gift box this holiday season.
Now let’s get down to what is in the box. You will be receiving eight products in your TILI subscription box (Elemis Oxygenating Night Cream not pictured). These will be a mix of full and travel sized items. I’m over the moon that I was able to select not one, but TWO full sized items for you girls that I personally can’t live without. With the total price of the box being just $25, you are basically getting an entire box of goodies for free since the price of one of these full sized items normally costs more than the entire price of the box! So let’s start with the two full sized items shall we?
I’ve raved about this tanning product for close to a year now as it has quickly become one of my favorite products. Most tanning products have a terrible smell but this one is completely odorless! While that is a plus in itself, it is also clear in color and does not transfer onto clothing or bedding AND you don’t even have to shower it off. This product is sprayed directly onto the skin and rubbed in with a tanning mitt. Results can be seen in 6-8 hours and it gives a very natural glow. You will be receiving shade medium which is the perfect shade for both fair and darker skin tones as it is a gradual tanning product and the more you use, the darker your tan will be. This product alone is typically $28.
Do you have issues with your make up getting greasy or oily throughout the day? This translucent powder is going to change your life! The purpose of a translucent powder is to set your make up and give you that airbrushed finished look all day long. The powder form is going to lock in your make up and also absorb any excess oil throughout the day. It comes with a sponge applicator although I prefer to use a damp beauty blender to apply it over my concealer and then I use a brush for all over my face post foundation! While I usually only have to apply this in the morning, I’ll sometimes throw it in my bag to powder my nose throughout the day if I know it’s going to be a long day and I want my make up to stay looking fresh. This product alone is typically $29.
I’ve used this product off and on over the years and always wonder why I stop. It’s SO good and personally is my favorite when I’m traveling as it really does do exactly what the name says. It packs a large hydration punch which I find is much needed after traveling and in the winter months. It has a somewhat gel like consistency and immediately absorbs into the skin. You will want to throw this one in your travel bag for sure!
I feel like one of those products I always need but never seem to have on hand is hair spray. I love this one because it also doubles as a voluminizing spray plus it is vanilla scented. The scent is not too strong but does smell good! The travel size makes it easy if you do not want to check a bag when you travel.
I’m really excited about this product because it actually works! I’ve tried so many different teeth whitening products over the years and this is the first that I can say fits into my lifestyle. Any other product I have tried requires hours of bleaching your teeth through strips or trays, whereas this is a daily toothpaste so the results are more gradual but still very effective. The kit comes with a toothpaste and an accelerator which are both applied directly to your tooth brush and then you simply brush your teeth like normal.
This is another favorite of mine that I got to put in the box that I know you girls will love. It is a single use lip mask and if you’ve never used a lip mask you are missing out! Especially during the colder months, this one is great because it hydrates and moisturizes your lips. I don’t know about you girls but I hate having dry, cracked lips during the holidays when I’m trying to rock a bold lipstick!
This mascara was a newer product for me to try out. Not going to lie the cute packaging was what got my attention at first but the actual mascara is even better! The applicator brush is super thick leaving your lashes voluminous and the closest thing false lashes you are going to it. Plus it’s travel sized!
QVC is also adding one of their best selling products, the Elemis Oxygenating Night Cream, which I know you girls will just love.
I feel so honored to have been able to partner up with the QVC to bring you ladies a box full of absolutely amazing beauty products at an incredible value. I truly hope you enjoy everything in this box as much as I had fun curating what went into it. You are able to purchase my box for the month of December for $25 and then it will be time for the next TILI subscription box. Thank you for all of your love and support on this project. It means the world!
With the Sephora Beauty Insider event currently underway, I thought now would be the perfect time to share my ride or die everyday makeup products. With my job I get the opportunity to try out SO many makeup, skin care and hair care products. Some products are so good I end up bumping an old one out of the crew and others get thrown into the donation box. These right here are my makeup products that have stood the true test and are products I keep coming back to. See below for all of the details on the sale and a little bit more about each of my favorite products.
ROUGE EARLY ACCESS: APRIL 26–MAY 1
Sephora Rouge members have first access to shop the event at a whopping 20% off with code HEYROUGE
ALL TIERS ACCESS: MAY 2–6
Rouge members get 20% off purchases in store and online with code HEYROUGE
VIB members get 15% off purchase in store and online with code HEYVIB
Insiders get 10% off with code HEYINSIDER
Not a member? You can sign up today and enjoy 10-20% off your purchases!
1. Precleanse – A pre cleanser is meant to be used before your cleanser to take your make up off. If you are taking your make up off with your cleanser, it is not having the chance to do it’s job. Wipe your make up off and open up those pores so that you can really clean them properly.
2. Cleanser – The only product I use morning and night. This Dermalogica cleanser is a great, gentle option that I have used for 3 years now. I have tried others and always come back to this one.
3. Acne Cleanser – While I’ve tried higher end acne cleansers I always come back to this one for two reasons. 1) It is under $10 and 2) It has 10% benzoyl peroxide which is an acne fighting ingredient. Most other products have between 2-5%. I don’t use this product every day, but I do most! If you experience hormonal or random acne, I highly suggest working a second, acne-fighting cleanser into your routine. I know it seems a little excessive to have multiple cleansers, but it has made all of the difference for my skin!
4. Toner – A newer product to me (< a year) and I’ll never use anything else. It is gentle, does not sting or burn my eyes and gets any remaining make up, dirt or gunk off of my face before applying my high end products. You would be surprised how much stuff can come off of your face even after 3 cleansers! I use the toner with a cotton pad and just run it all over my face.
5. Face Oil – If I was stranded on a deserted island, this is the one product I would bring! I swear by it. I have a few face oils but this is the only own I couldn’t live without. It has drastically reduced my hormonal acne. It has tea tree and salicylic acid which are two acne fighting ingredients. I look forward to this step every night!
6. Face Serum – My second must have product that has drastically changed my skin since using it. This serum has lactic acid in it which minimizes pore size, fine lines and smoothes skin. I have seen a noticeable difference since using this product when it comes to my pore sizes and minimizing my acne scars too. It also feels AMAZING going on your skin. It tingles a little bit. In a good way 🙂
7. Moisturizer – I don’t use a moisturizer every night. I use this moisturizer on two occasions. 1) when my skin really needs a little extra TLC and 2) when I want to tan my face because I mix my face tanning drop with it. I like this moisturizer better than others because it is a thinner consistency so the tanning drops mix in easily, it has SPF 50 and smells like ginger!
8. Spot Treatment – This is a newer product to me and I haven’t decided if I love it or not or when is best to use it but if I have a pimple, I will put this on it before bed and let it dry out overnight. You apply the product with a Q-tip to the pimple and let the product dry before going to bed and then wash it off in the morning. If it works properly, your blemish should be noticeably smaller in the morning! No pimple is created equal and this doesn’t work for every pimple. I have found it really only works for those stubborn, underground pimples. Also, it can only be used for untouched blemishes, once you poke or “pop” them, it does not work and should not be used.
9. Face Tanner – I have not had the chance to try out the Isle of Paradise drops that everyone is raving about but I have used these for years and love them. You just add a few drops to your daily moisturizer and it creates a gradual, natural tan. I just use this for my face. I have heard that people use the Isle of Paradise ones on other parts of their body by adding the drops to their body lotion.
10. Body Tanner – My ride or die self tanner. No matter what shade you are, I always suggest the dark shade. It gives the most natural looking tan and you are able to control how dark you want. All of the other St. Tropez shades that I have tried haven’t given me the level of darkness that I want. This one works for all seasons. The longer you leave it on the darker you will get. I apply the mousse with a tanning mitt (you must), let it dry, and then sleep in it. I typically leave it on for at least 8 hours before washing it off for maximum darkness. It will get on clothing and sheets and has a self tanner smell but it will wash out. I typically wear loose, dark clothing to bed.
11. Tanning Mitt – I use this to apply my self tanner. If you are using any kind of semi-permanent self tanner you will want to use a mitt so you do not stain your hands.
12. Instant Tan – Another new product that I LOVE. If I forget to self tan or just want a one time tan, this is the best product! It’s more like a body make up than a tanner. It comes out as a lotion and you just rub it into any area that you want to tan. You do not want to put it on areas that will touch clothes as it will rub off. It gives a very natural, not orange, sun kissed look.
Two Walmart posts in a row?! I’ve officially hopped on the bandwagon. Also, I thought it was about time I brought the save vs. splurge series that started on Instagram on over to the blog so that it’s easy to reference back to at a later date. My philosphy with this series is why splurge on the real deal if the dupe is just as good?! I’m all about saving money where I can and I know you ladies feel me on that! So first up in this series, I thought I’d share some of my drugstore make up purchases along with some of the really great dupes I’ve seen at Walmart recently.
Accessories are something that I splurge on occasionally. I’m talking maybe a designer purse every other year but between those big, more long term, classic purchases I love making smaller, trendy purchases. Straw bags are one of those trendy purchases that I am talking about. I love them for the Spring/Summer but I want a new one every year and when I say I want one, I really want five so saving money is optimal.
Trendy shoes are another area that I tend to save because chances are they will be out of style next season. I love the look of the Sam Edelman woven mules but refused to pay $90 for them so these $14 woven mules from Walmart get the job done.
When it comes to make up, there are some items that I 100% splurge on and others that I will forever pick up on my weekly (er, daily) Walmart runs. Mascara will forever be a save item for me ever since I found L’Oreals Lash Paradise. It is said to be an identical dupe to Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara. I’ll never go back to buying expensive mascara now that I love this one so much!
Another product that I will forever use is the NYX precision brow pencil. I used the Anastasia brow wiz for years and let me just tell you the NYX is an identical dupe but has way more product in it. So not only is it less than half the price of the Anastasia, it lasts almost twice as long.
I’ve toyed with the idea of getting hair extensions for some time now especially after I accidentally got them in September of last year. Yep, you read that right. After one too many glasses of champagne at New York Fashion Week, I told my hair stylist for the day that I had always wanted long hair. When she turned the chair around, SURPRISE I had hair extensions and not the kind that you can take out at the end of the day. After the champagne wore off, I ended up loving them just as much as I did a few glasses deep 🙂
I got Capelli Keratin Bond 20″ extensions. We used 4 different colored bundles for my hair. One lighter, one darker and two close to my natural hair color. Your hair stylist should be able to color match you!
Keratin bond extensions are individually fused to your hair in very small sections with a heating tool. The bonds are carefully and strategically applied throughout the hair to camouflage the bonds. This means you should be able to put your hair up and not be able to seem them at all which was NOT the case when I had tape in extensions.
I go to Sharon at Trademark Salon for my cut, color and now extensions. I cannot recommend her enough! I have always been more than pleased with my services. In fact, she is the first hair stylist that I have gone to more than once which is saying A LOT because I had never been happy with my hair until finding Sharon. And I tried five Houston salons before finding Trademark! For those that aren’t in the Spring area, she is well worth the drive! If you are not local to Houston and are interested in Capelli Hair Extensions, you can find a salon near you by using Capelli’s store locater.
Trademark Salon Location:
10300 Louetta Rd #106, Houston, TX 77070
Definitely the number one asked question and the short answer is that they are an investment. That being said, the cost really is dependent on the person and look you are wanting to achieve. Cost is determined by several factors the main two being desired length and volume. If you just want volume, this is much cheaper! But once you start adding length, this is where it gets more and more expensive because you have to add considerably more hair so that the hair does not look stringy. Since I wanted to add volume and 6 inches to my hair, my service fell under the most expensive package: $1,200. While the salon does not offer discounts, they do give referral discounts on future hair services!
The verdict is still out on this one as I have not tried taking them out yet and that is supposedly when they can damage your hair. I have heard horror stories from some of you that when they were removed that you lost a lot of hair. My hair stylist assured me that as long as you have a well trained stylest and good quality extensions, you should not have an issue with hair loss or damage. I will keep you all posted on this one!
While these extensions are certainly pricey, I did my research before committing to them and the number one reason why they beat out other types is because these last 3-5 months depending on how fast your hair grows out. Since my hair does not grow very fast this type of extension seemed best for me to achieve the voluminous long locks I wanted! After the bonds are broken (meaning after they are taken out), the hair is not reusable. So you are looking to pay full price for the next go around.
I was surprised how comfortable these have been from the start! I heard from others that they would feel “heavy”, that they would make my head hurt or that they would take some getting used to. From the time that they were put in my hair, I have never even noticed them! The only thing that took some getting used to was the first night of sleep but after that I was good! You will definitely be able to feel the bonds if you try to run your fingers through your roots of your hair so you do have to be careful there.
You can wash, dry, brush and style your hair pretty much the exact same way as without extensions. Washing does take a little more precision to get the roots clean but nothing out of the ordinary. I was also instructed to get this bristle brush so that it would not pull my hair or bonds out. Since the bonds can easily get matted, you should brush your hair several times a day. I always brush my hair first thing when I wake up and last thing before I go to bed but also try to brush throughout the day as well! At night, it is best to sleep in a braid so that you don’t tangle or mat the bonds.
Unlike the tape in extensions, you should be able to style your hair any way you want for the most part and not have them show: ponytails, braids, up dos, half up-half down, etc. I will say that one thing that has taken some getting used to is that the extension hair is a different texture than my own therefore it holds curls differently. Just something to note. Also, because of how many I have in my hair, I have seen a major increase in the time it takes to blow dry my hair. It used to take me about 5-7 minutes, it now takes closer to 20. Curling my hair takes maybe a couple minutes longer but honestly is about the same.
I use all of my same products to wash and style my hair as I did before having extensions. The only addition is my brush and it is definitely a must for these types of extensions. Click through below to see the products that I use to style my hair. When it comes to shampoo and conditioners, I honestly trade off between several brands and have not found one that I can commit to a long term relationship with!
I am in LOVE with my new hair. I honestly don’t think I could ever go back. That being said, only time and my current bank account status will tell if it becomes a long term commitment. For those that are maybe thinking about getting hair extensions, this would be my advice for you. If you are just wanting extensions for a one time event (for ex: wedding, prom, etc), a more affordable and less permanent option like clip ins would probably be best for you. If you aren’t ready to make the monetary commitment to fusion bond hair extensions, then tape in extensions might be a good route for you. And lastly, if you are wanting a more permanent solution than clip in or tape in extensions, I cannot say enough good things about my fusion hair extensions. While they are pricey, I 100% think they are worth it. For the amount of overall length and volume I wanted, my two choices were fusion bond extensions or NBRs (natural beaded rows). While I love how NBRs look, the upkeep and price were far too committal for me. Fusion bonds were what worked best for everything that I was wanting and I am SO happy with the outcome!
If there are any other questions that you would like answered about my hair extensions, please leave them below in the comments and I will answer them there!
*This post is done in partnership with Capelli Hair Extensions and Trademark Salon. All opinions are my own.*
