Confessions of a Hairstylist

E.L.F. (eyes lips face) HAUL and review!

2012-01-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, if you have never tried ELF or even heard of it, now is the time to do so! I am a big fan of "high end" make up and products and being in the beauty industry at times have been a bit snobbish about "drugstore" products. I mean you always get what you pay for right? Well usually I agree with that statement, but that being said, I have been venturing out more for drugstore products..well makeup..the hair thing..no its against my personal creed. I CAN'T DO IT!

If you want to check out a recent Haul I made at ulta you can watch it here.

Oh. My. Everything on Eyeslipsface.com is so cheap! I wanted to try out a makeup setting spray from Urban Decay but wasn't sure about spending the $30+ on something I had never tried. So I did some research and found the ELF make up setting spray for $3. SOLD. I can risk $3 to potentially save more in the long run. And since I was going to spend $30 anyway....

My only other purchase from ELF was Dec 2010 when I purchased an 100 shadow palette, which I liked and have used a lot since then. I purchased it from my local Target but it only carries ELF seasonally. So the only other place I can purchase it is online.

If you want to see my review on the Palette click here, and if you want to see my video comparing it to MAC and Urban Decay click here. So what else did I get ehh??

Forgive me, I meant to take individual pictures..but i didn't and I am too lazy to do it now. ha ha... So I will reference back to this photo From left to right.

Studio Lash Primer Eh.. its was ok. I have used Mac Prep and Prime and it really coats your lashes and lengthens them...this did like 1/4 of what Mac's did. But It did help a little. My real problem is that it seems like there is hardly anything on the brush so I have to apply it several times, once I do that its ok. $3

Studio Glossy Gloss- Funky Fuchsia I love this gloss! It isn't too sticky it has a good color pay off (not too sheer) I like that it has a brush applicator. I mean really its great. But I have a hard time swallowing $15+ for a gloss like Mac or nars.. I like cheap lip gloss. $3

Waterproof eyeliner pen- Black this is the first eyeliner pen I have tried. Its like a sharpie for your eyes! I like this. Its a teeny bit dry but at the same time if its too liquidity it would make the line to thick. Its dark but its not like jet black..but it stayed on well but I did touch it up around 5 p.m. (on since 8 a.m.) to go somewhere that night. $1 (seriously worth it!)

Sharpener- Haven't tried yet!

Body Shimmer- Blazing Bronze I am a teeny bit obsessed with cream products since they layer so much better over dry skin instead of a powder. Bought this for a contouring with a bit of shimmer. It also comes in a gold, pink and coral. I kind of want all the colors. LOVE. $3

Shimmer Palette- This can be used for eyes lips or cheeks. It looks nice, but I loved the other highlighters I got so much I haven't used it too much. But it has a bunch of colors in it so its nice for lots of different looks. $3

HD powder- This powder is translucent and a supposed knock off or dupe of Make up Forevers HD powder. Im kind of torn, this was the most expensive thing I bought, and I like it, but I don't know if it does anything miraculous. It does set my makeup well, but I guess since Ive been so obsessed with a dewy fresh face, I haven't reached for powder too much. A word of caution this is for HD video NOT for photography. If you use it for photography your face will be white as a ghost! Serious. I tried it. Wanna see pics?? ha ha..no. Its kind of ridiculous. I do overall like this powder it gives it a soft focus look, I will just need to use it more to really say if I love it or not. $6

All over Cover Sticks- Apricot Beige and Toffee another cream product for a non shimmer highlight and contour. I love these. They work amazing for what I need them for and blend well, wear well, dont make me break out and cost only $1!!

Mist and Set Spray- This is a product you spray over your face after your makeup is applied (minus eyeliner and mascara) to set it to make it last all day. I have liked this product and will probably continue to repurchase this. Every time I have used it, it seems like my makeup stays on really well with fewer retouches. Note of caution. If you smell the bottle nozzle directly it smells horrible. I did know that before I bought it but others said it did not smell on face. I cannot smell anything though when I spray it, or when it is on my face. I asked the hubs and he did not smell it. And he is honest about those things! $3

Studio brushes- I bought two brushes, a dome eyeshadow brush and a concealer brush. I read mixed reviews on these but my sister has a set and loved them. She was probably my first introduction to ELF she switched some products from MAC...guess I should of tried it earlier! Anyhow these brushes are synthetic but very soft and I haven't had any shedding whatsoever so far! $3

So that's all I got in my haul! Talk about a lot for your money! I'd definitely say more hits than misses, and several repurchases! Ive heard sometimes they do a 50% sale..um when that happens i'm stocking up.

-Amber

Most Used Beauty and Fashion items from 2011

2012-01-22T23:04:00.001-07:00

Here are some beauty products & fashion items (which if you know me personally you will totally agree) that were my most used from 2011. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to subscribe to my channel I will be doing a flat iron giveaway when I reach 500 Subscribers. Thanks!

Dr. Jart BB cream review

2012-01-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few thoughts on my test of Dr. Jarts BB cream that I purchased from sephora.com If you enjoy my videos, I would love for you to subscribe to my you tube channel, like or favorite any videos you enjoy. www.youtube.com/user/girlbehindthechair09. This helps me know which videos you are enjoying so I can give you the reviews or kinds of tutorials you are looking for. Also when I hit 500 subscribers I am going to do a flat iron giveaway that will be posted there on you tube so you wont want to miss it! -Amber

Smokey Eye for small or hooded eyes featuring Urban Decay

2012-01-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

Smokey eye for small or hooded eyes using the Urban Decay naked palette!

Criss Cross Up Do

2012-01-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a video on how I do a criss cross updo. Just a fun way to put your hair up without having to curl your hair or use heat on it. You can also do this with damp hair. :)

Experiment: Nioxin for Hair Loss

2011-12-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

picture from here

Hair loss...ugg...Hair loss. If you have ever experienced any kind of hair loss you know how annoying it can be. Its everywhere! Your brush..your drains..your clothes...your vacuum hate it..your family hates it.. Yes. It is dreadful. And that doesn't even being to cover the problem that's the biggest of all! Your hair is gone! whether all over, in patches or large quantities, hair loss sucks.

There are several reasons you may lose hair or have thin/fine hair

Genetics
Old Age
Pregnancy/postpartum
Medications/medical treatments
Stress
Hair Disorders
Breakage from heat or chemicals

Everybody loses hair..actually 100-150 hairs a day is normal NORMAL! I know looking at that hair filled drain it may feel like you are going bald...but unless you are losing more than that your just fine.

Technical terms aside hair goes through three stages

Growing (best stage)
Falling out
Resting

Any of these issues listed above can cause the hair to start falling out more than normal. With normal hair your hair follicles are doing this all on their own schedules so your always growing new hair to replace hair lost. (it still boggles my mind a little bit but hey it works) When you have a temporary hair loss like with pregnancy or stress you may experience a sudden shedding of hair. Your hair may have been kicked into falling out stage all at once, if you have ever experienced it is quite freaky when you can pull out gobs of hair. EEEK! But this being a temporary type of loss eventually (not soon enough for me) your hair will get back to normal and stop falling out.

Hair falling out becomes a permanent problem leading to baldness when the hair falls out and the follicle starts resting...the time between growing cycles becomes shorter and the resting periods become longer... There fore not producing or growing as much hair. Eventually the hair follicle may die.

Another cause of hair loss is a build up of a substance called Dihydrotestosterone. Or as more commonly referred to as DHT. DHT is one of the leading causes of male patterned baldness. DHT is in a summary: male testosterone gone wrong and it ends up blocking the hair follicles. Ever wondered why bald men's head get shiny? The DHT causes a thickening, resulting in a shiny surface and those little....tiny...hairs struggling to get through and eventually the hair follicles die.

DHT can also be a factor for women. Some women with lower estrogen levels may experience more testosterone in the body and in addition to hair loss, it can also cause the facial hair and voice deepening in women. Thanks.. that sounds like fun!

So Nioxin is a cleanser, scalp therapy and a treatment for different stages of hair loss. It basically nourishes the scalp and creates a healthy environment for hair to grow and removes DHT. It is also fortified with protein to help reduce breakage which can also lead to hair loss.

I have seen many clients have great results with Nioxin. Gaining hair thickness in previously balding areas and growing hair or growing back hair quickly after a loss.

But I was ready to give it the ultimate test and see if I could stop my post pregnancy hair loss. After my first child I lost so much hair (about half) that I decided to cut all my hair short. And since my hair was finally getting long I really really didn't want to do this this time.

I have been using Nioxin for about 4 months in anticipation of my hair loss that happens around 3 months postpartum. I had used Nioxin previously when I wanted to grow my hair out but always felt it left my hair a bit dry. Not anymore! My hair has felt very healthy, full and really soft. So I was really anxious to see if it would help with the hair loss.

The results: It helped but it didn't stop it.

Unfortunately my hair is STILL falling out. I wish I could say it stopped it dead in it's tracks but it didn't. Although..so far I have not lost as much hair as I did previously, but it is still falling out. I will update this post when my hair stops falling out to see how much hair it helped me save.

Cause believe me, I need every hair I've got!

20% Sephora Friends and Family SALE!!

2011-10-26T23:07:00.000-06:00

You know those items from Sephora you've just been DYING to get your hands on? Well here you go! Now you can get 20% off your order from Sephora and you don't even have to leave home! Now until Nov 2nd, 2011, online at www.Sephora.com you can get 20% by entering a coupon code at checkout. AND if you spend 50 dollars or more (before coupon even!) you get free shipping! How fancy is THAT?! So...I just got me an awesome foundation type product to review AND a new eyelash curler (I stepped on mine and it was never the same :/ ) and I spent under $50 with tax shipping and the discount! So go ahead you know you wanna...

http://www.sephoralove.com/friendsandfamily/?_requestid=207983

p.s. I get no benefit from you clicking this link, I got it from makeup artist's Tiffany D's website. I was just excited and thought I would pass it along...

-Amber

Designer brands for 60% OFF? Yes please! Introducing MyHabit.com

2011-10-05T10:44:00.000-06:00

Ok Ladies! (and gentlemen?)

I have a new awesome website for you from Amazon called MY HABIT! They offer new deals every day at 9 a.m. on men's women's and children's accessories (Jewerly, shoes, purses oh my!) AND on decorating and home goods! Each deal lasts72 hours or until they are sold out. They offer 360 degree visuals on outfits on real models AND FREE SHIPPING! Talk about clearance rack shopping from your bedroom! LOVE IT!

Oh and did I mention being a member is totally free? Oh and if you already have an Amazon account you can totally just use that! Go and sign up today and check out what they have (I just did!) Can't wait to see what they post next and if I see any awesome goodies I'll be sure to let you know!

Click here to get started!

and the winner is....

2011-09-28T19:21:00.000-06:00

I had total 11 entries (including fb posts and twitter) and using random.org it picked

number 1!

Congratulations TAY! YOU WON!!!

You can now check out Sheer Cover for the color you need

http://www.sheercover.com/

Just send me an email which color you need and your address and I will get that sent to you!

Last day for mineral makeup giveaway

2011-09-27T14:00:00.001-06:00

Just a reminder of my giveaway! Last day to enter today :) hop to it!

Sheer Cover Mineral Makeup Giveaway and Review! {closed}

2011-09-20T22:12:00.004-06:00

Alright ladies, in sort of a celebration on me getting back to blogging I am pleased to announce that Sheer Cover Is hosting a giveaway! You can win a free sheer cover basics kit. This kit includes (as described from sheer cover):

Mineral Foundation SPF 15

The Sheer Cover® Mineral Foundation is a unique 4-in-1 formulation that acts as sun protection, anti-aging protection, foundation, and finishing powder. Natural SPF 15 protection and anti-oxidant properties from Green Rooibos Tea help protect against premature aging. You’ll receive two shades from Light, Medium, Tan or Dark to help you achieve your desired color.

Duo Concealer

Our concentrated, creamy Concealer is ideal for hiding blemishes, redness, age spots, and to camouflage under eye circles. You can artfully blend the two shades to help perfect your skin without the heavy, cakey coverage.

Base Perfector

Prime your skin to smooth perfection with the Base Perfector before applying the Duo Concealer and Mineral Foundation SPF 15. One invisible thin layer helps keep powder from setting into fine lines and makes pores and wrinkles appear smaller. Skin nourishing ingredients include vitamins A and E, green tea, cucumber and marine extracts.

Lip-To-Lid Highlighter in Bronzing Tan Minerals

Lightly brush this radiant loose powder on your cheeks, lips, eyes, neck and shoulders to illuminate your best features. The Lip-To-Lid Highlighter uses light-reflecting minerals to give you a natural-looking glow.

Extra Length Mineral Mascara

Formulated with moisturizing silk powder, this lengthening and volumizing Mascara perfectly coats lashes while conditioning them to help strengthen and reduce breakage. Specially developed for sensitive eyes, the smooth, non-clumping formula separates and lengthens for sleek, smudge-proof lashes. Brown/Black shade.

Sophisticate Face Palette

This elegant mirrored compact holds blush, lipgloss and eye shadow in a versatile range of sophisticated shades. Blush (Ginger), Lipgloss (Carmel Ice and Ballerina), and four eye shadows (Sable, Pebble, Charcoal and Mauve).

Studio Concealer Brush

This Concealer Brush is an expert secret to covering imperfections. The interlocked synthetic fibers are specially designed for precise application. Plus, the tapered and firm contour allows easy application of Concealer to any hard-to-reach spots.

Studio Foundation Brush

This Foundation Brush is made of natural goat hair and helps you achieve a flawless foundation finish, allowing powder to go on smoothly and evenly. Perfect for buffing and blending.

I was sent some sheer cover samples to try and review. I got to try the mineral makeup, primer and duo concealer. I like that they send you two shades of the makeup and concealer so you can mix it together to create a shade for you. It would be great to use during season changes when you skin color may be lightening or darkening. I also like that this makeup is more natural than most foundations.

I started by using the pore perfecting primer all over my face, concealing blemishes then finishing with the mineral powder. I felt like the mineral make up did give a good buildable coverage.

I think mineral make up works best for:

Young youthful skin that doesn't necessarily need a full coverage or heavy makeup
Someone who doesn't like to wear a lot of makeup
Evening out skin tone
Normal-oily skin types
Someone who may use a liquid foundation but wants extra coverage by setting the foundation with a mineral makeup
Someone who has a few flaws to cover like redness, age spots or freckles (although I don't know why you would want to cover up freckles, as someone who doesn't have them, I think they are cute)

I don't recommend mineral make up for:

Very dry flaky skin
Skin with moderate to severe acne
Skin with a lot of peach fuzz (powders tend to adhere to all those little hairs)

I do think as far as mineral makeup goes, sheer cover's product is very similar to other brands such as bare minerals.

How to enter:

Follow my blog! I love new followers! Plus I have another giveaway in the works you won't want to miss out on! Just leave me a comment that your a follower and you will be entered.

If you would like an additional entry you can either:

Link this giveaway and post on your facebook page and post a comment with a link to your page.

Tweet about this giveaway on twitter with a link to this page and make sure you tweet me at the end (@confessions209) otherwise I won't see it and you won't get entered. and if you want you can follow me on twitter...but that's just cause I'm totally cool and you want to ;)

So...if you do all of the above you can enter three times. :) That's not too hard is it?

Thanks to all who enter! Giveaway prize will be sent directly from sheer cover so go on their website http://www.sheercover.com/ and look at the colors so you know which one will match you! Giveaway will be open till next Tuesday the 27th 2011 The winner will be chosen by random.org and I will post the winner a few days after the 27th.

Good Luck!

A GO lifestyle : no excuses!

2011-09-13T22:58:00.002-06:00

What is a GO life style? A Go lifestyle is an active lifestyle, where you go farther, longer, and faster than before. Essentially we all have an "on the go" lifestyle but do we have a G.O. Gene optimized lifestyle? I have written previous posts about chemical free skincare and epigenetics. Basically the up and coming science that what we put in and on our bodies can effect our genes or DNA for better or worse. I fell in love with the HAVVN skin cream and what havvn stood for as a company. Revolutionary products that are all natural, chemical and stimulant free, that are actually GOOD for our bodies.

Well during my pregnancy I very much enjoyed my HAVVN skin care and it made my skin feel great after all it went through, now that it's normal again I am loving it even MORE. I went to a training academy last weekend to hear about the release of three new products and learn more about the products they already offered. In one word it was amazing. I gained much more than I thought possible, not just about products or business, the amazing science behind "GO science" although I did, but about life.

No more excuses. That's what I learned, and I had been letting to many excuses rule my life, and not taking care of myself properly. I'm pregnant, I'm tired, I don't have time, I'll do it tomorrow, it's too hot out, it's too cold out, my family need this, my husband thinks that...

I was associated with one of the most amazing companies that has made huge breakthroughs in beauty and nutrition that no other companies can't compete with, but had I implemented MY GO lifestyle?

So here I start my GO science journey, I'm doing it, and I'm doing it for me. So what are these amazing products? GO nutrition stick packs, for energy, mental clarity, memory, weight loss, its an anti inflammatory and the science behind it is so amazing I cant begin to do it justice. I heard the dr. That worked with HAVVN dr. Ray Rodriguez from uc Davis, who is a renown scientist, explain what made it work and how it impacted our DNA. I also received three products for skincare which I am currently using and LOVING. All which are natural and
chemical free.

So I'm using GO science inside and out. I'm eating healthly and exercising regularly (and I've already lost two pounds. So here to GO science and my journey.

No more excuses! Are you ready to GO?

If you are, ask me how you can implement this in your life, you won't regret it!

Olay Microdermabrasion Tool vs. Dermanew

2011-09-11T20:29:00.001-06:00

The new buzz word or buzz item in cleansing and exfoliating your skin is microdermabrasion tools. About 4 or 5 years ago I purchased my first microdermasion tool from Dermanew. I purchased in effort to reduce some stretch marks. The company has obviously updated the tool since then, but the one I had purchased vibrated but did not spin. I used the microderm cream with the tool for a while. I liked the tool ok, but I couldn't take it in the shower and it just wasn't convenient. Also, I wasn't sure how much the vibrating really made a difference with a normal cleansing. I used the cream and ended up stashing the tool it in what I call the "product graveyard" or under the bathroom sink.

So when a lot of companies started coming out with these new microderm tools I thought I might revist the idea and try a new one. (One that would work in the shower!) I had heard a lot about the clarisonic, the tool from sigma and others, but I wasn't willing to spend more than a hundred dollars (especially since I really already had one at home.) So I decided on the Olay Professional Pro-X advanced cleansing system.

This cleansing tool works differently than the one I had before, instead of vibrating, it actually rotates. The derma new came with with a sponge head applicator, and this one had a brush. (The new dermanew comes with both a brush and sponge.) I liked the idea of the rotating thinking it would help exfoliate the skin more and help your cleanser work more efficiently. It also came with a small trial size of the microderm cream which I will review in another post.

I had heard some reviews that this tool was not as good as the more expensive options and pulled at your skin. I have not personally tried the clarisonic but I did not feel that it pulled or damaged my skin in anyway. It has two speeds so you can pick your personal comfort level. I did not push the brush hard against my skin I only lightly touched it to my skin and let the rotating brush do the work.

I love that this brush can be used in the shower. I find it so convenient to grab it and wash my face or exfoliate while my conditioner sits on. I like that it really works in my cleanser and I feel like my face is getting cleaner and I dont find after one wash I have as much makeup left on my face as I normally would. I also feel like it works well with the microderm creams. I really have no complaints and think that it is a great value for the $30 a spent.

Review: Proactiv Cleansing Bar

2011-08-24T20:04:00.001-06:00

I think all of us can agree we have heard of Proactiv. Proactiv has been active in T.V. and radio advertising for many years. It is a well known company for acne care. For those of you who know a little a bit about me, I have always had some acne but I had never tried Proactiv before. During my last pregnancy I had a major breakout on my face. I tried many things to clear it up before going to the dermatologist. Turns out I had hormone induced Rosecea. For those who don't know Rosecea can look like and feel like acne, but it isn't. That being said you can have acne AND rosecea. (In this post I am not going to focus on rosecea, but will probably share my experience in another post. But this is important information to know so you understand my skin type. If you have questions about your skin and acne or rosecea ask your dermatologist. )

The prescription I received from my Dr. did in help my rosecea, but I was still getting a few pimples. Because my face was extra sensitive I had a hard time using anything for acne because it would dry my face out and make it feel worse. So I decided to be content what my rosecea medicine could do for me at that time.

A few months ago I was given the opportunity to try a new product from Proactiv. It is the Proactiv Medicated Cleansing Bar. At first I was hesitant to try because of my skin's condition, but after reading over the information about what was in the bar and how it worked, I was ready to give it a good try.

Let me give you a run down of the facts of what makes this new bar different.

Proactiv claims this medicated bar is suitable for all skin types. It is supposed to wash away dirt, oil and exfoliate the skin gently while unclogging pores and preventing new breakouts. It is soap free, sulfate free, non-comedogenic and contains no harsh detergents or dyes.

Key Ingredients

1% salicylic acid- active acne fighting ingredient
Galactoarabinan- harvested from the North American larch tree, it is designed to work in combination with salicylic acid to help with exfoliation of dead skin cells
Sodium Cocoyl Isenthionate- Derived from coconut to gently cleanse skin

How to use

Wet hands and work bar into a lather
Apply to dampened skin, in a gentle massage motion
Rinse well with warm water

Price

$18 from http://www.proactivbar.com/

I liked that this bar said it cleansed gently. Gently is definitely what I needed at this point. I have been using this bar for a few months now, I used it when my roseca was flared up, and when it had settled down again. One thing I noticed right away was it did NOT DRY MY SKIN OUT. I was amazed, isn't that what acne products do? Dry your skin out? No extra redness, no tightness, no dryness. It did not react to my roseca medication and cause any kind of irritation. So gentle was correct.

The bar is a pretty good size it is 5.25 oz. and since I have been using it I have hardly made a dent. This bar lathers up well and seems to last a long long time. At first I was using it at the sink and that worked fine, but I like using it in the shower so much better. It's great for people who have chest or back acne Because its easy to use on your body and you don't feel like your using up all of your liquid acne wash on your body.

Overall I would say I was pleasantly surprised at how gentle this bar was for my acne. After I had my baby my rosecea flared up again, so I am once again battling trying to achieve that "perfect" clear skin, but I am happy to know I can use this for my acne without drying out my skin.

I will admit I not always 100% on my skincare routine being a new mother of two, but when I really commit to taking care of my skin I can tell the difference In just a few days! I am excited to see how this bar will continue to help my skin.

I recieved this bar for free, I am not being paid for this post, this is my honest opinion. Picture use with permission from proactiv.

A return to blogging :)

2011-08-24T17:10:00.000-06:00

hi everyone! Just wanted to say I plan on returning to blogging. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me. Now that baby is here I'm feeling better and more motivated! I've been trying lots of goodies I want to share with you!

My big news and what now?

2011-03-31T11:22:00.000-06:00

So my big news if you haven't heard already is I am expecting baby number two in August, and it's a boy! So now what? So the questions I get now are... Are you still going to work? Are you cutting down your hours? When will you be on maternity leave? How will I get my hair done? Who will do my hair while your gone? I will answer all these questions and more!

If you had no idea I was pregnant don't feel bad, nobody did! (unless you see me all the time, or had the guts to ask me lol, yes I was asked!) The reason I waited to tell was 1) personal, it's nice to know everything is ok first 2) I wanted to know what I was having first 3)I wanted to have a good game plan, because I didn't like how things worked out last time.

With Jeremy I booked myself until a day before my due date, I mean booked, like 45 hours a week, sooo when I went into labor 2 weeks early a lot of clients were left without appointments and the other stylists in my salon were busily working overtime to pick up all my clients and work everybody in. I was actually getting calls for color formulas while I was still in my hospital bed!

This time I wanted to be better prepared, since I work independent I wanted to have a good
game plan that would work for everyone. I hope that you will give me your patience and understanding In scheduling during this exciting time for me!

My due date is August 17th, since I went two weeks early with Jeremy I will only be prescheduling appointents THROUGH THE END OF JULY. This way I will cut down on as many cancelled appointments as possible. Depending on what my dr. Says and how I am feeling I will schedule in appointments in August the day of, or a few days in advance. This being said all appointments in July and August I will reserve the right to cancel without notice due to going Into labor early/bed rest etc. Although of course I am not a high risk pregnancy and do not plan on this.

I will try to be as accomidating as possible, I know it may be an inconvenience for some of
you to go an extra week or two between appointments or go to someone else. I will be willing to share Any color info and make recommendations for other stylists to give you the best expirience possible. I love and appreciate All of you!!!! And don't want to leave you stranded! I am so thankful for All of you, without you there would be no salon!!!

I will be returning to working about the same hours a week after I have the baby. I will be working Fridays and saturdays although my week day schedule is subject to change. I will be taking at least 3 full weeks off, more if there are complications. like I said I will try to be accommodating and if you call me and my husband is home I may take some sporatic
appointments. (no promises though, all appointments are first come first served basis) I will not return to my full working schedule till 5 or 6 weeks. Since I am unsure when I will deliver, I will make a waiting List starting in may on first come first served of those who would like an appointment with me after I come back to work. When I know when I am coming back to work(whether my reg part time or semi part time) I will call the list in The order they are in and offer them first choice at appointment times. After that it should be business as usual.

I know this will take cooperation from all of you my clients, and all your different schedules, and events going on In your life, so I just want to thank you all in advance. I look forward to serving you now and after My next special Delivery comes!

Any questions or referral info, feel free to call or email me, me email can be found above under contact.

Thanks all!!!

Amber

Epigenetics: The NEW trend in beauty products! Live longer, look younger!

2011-02-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

So your wondering what are Epigenetics? How do they affect me? I've never even heard that word before right? Well it is a word you will be hearing a lot more in the future. Recently I learned a lot why I should be concerned. This is the science behind the new HAVVN SKINCARE and the products they recently launched. Although it is nearly impossible in our day to avoid all chemicals, there is definitely a trend for the future with being more natural, organic, and chemical free. Right now they have only a few products launched including solutions for your inner body and nutrition and solutions for the outside of your body. The DNA skincare system is the solution for your skin, the cream I tested the day, night, and anti aging. These are the first 3 of 27 total BEAUTY RELATED products that are going to be launched that are completely 100% ORGANIC, CHEMICAL FREE. This science and what it means to the health and beauty community is why I decided to join HAVVN skin care as an independent business owner. This video below from HAVVN describes what epigenetics are and what products they have to offer.

If you have any questions about these products, would like to obtain a sample or would like to know more about joining this company please email me @ Artisticexpressionshairstudio@gmail.com

Valentines Inspired Eye Look Featuring ELF 100 palette

2011-02-10T20:36:00.001-07:00

Today I have a fun little tutorial on how to get a different look for going out on Valentines. This may be more color than your used to wearing, but a holiday is a great time to experiment with colors. So lets get started!

Start with your plain eye lid and add your eye lid primer of choice.

Here are the colors I am using on the lid

I take the first lid color and put it on the bottom below my crease only

The I take the upper lid color and place it all over the top of the lid

Then I shade the outside corner of the lid (but not on the brow bone)

then I blend it out

Next I take this dark plum color next to the red color

And apply it just to the crease and blend it out again

Then I add a light cream color to my brow bone and inner corners, then I apply a dark gray eyeliner from the palette (the 3rd darkest) I smudge the top and underneath the lash line and give it a slight wing.

I add curl my lashes add mascara, add a blush of choice and a pale natural lip color.

The look is ready to go! (and can I say I am wearing foundation of course in this picture but can you see how much better my skin is looking? I am sooo excited)

Happy Valentines!

Skincare without chemicals?...and a skincare confession!!

2011-02-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

So I have had on and off over the course of my adult life minor acne. I never struggled with acne much in high school, sure a pimple here or there but nothing big. Slowly over the last 5 years I have gotten to the point where I described myself as struggling with minor acne. It was something for the most part I could keep hidden with make up, although there were better days then others. (Dang those hormones!) And even though I wasn't 100% confident in my skin I still had bare skin in tutorials and pictures etc for my blog and beauty channel. Well....you may have noticed I haven't done a lot of pictures or anything really showing my skin. I have even stopped making as many beauty videos as I did before because I was so embarrassed about how my skin looked. How can I help people with their beauty if I looked well to me "ugly"? The past 3 or so months its been large pimples instead of just small ones or blackheads. It was getting to the point where I just couldn't take it ANYMORE! I had not changed anything in my skin care routine. Before if I had a breakout I would use my "acne free" for a few days and it would clear up and get back to just minor acne. (my skin never looked "perfect" without makeup but like I said I could hide it well. ) Well when I was struggling with a particularly nasty breakout I pulled out my acne free..but this time it seemed like my face was too sensitive for it. It made my face red and feel..well not so good. At this point its like..well what now?

A couple of weeks ago I had one of my friends sister's email me and tell me about this new product she was selling. She said it was 100% chemical free, no toxins, organic and had made such a difference in her skin. At first I kind of thought OK I am sure its great I'd love to try a sample for my blog. But then I started thinking more about my skin and looking in the mirror. What if something chemical free was what I needed for my skin? Anyhow so I started asking her for more information, the more I got the more I wanted to know! Anyway to make a long story short, I got to try the product. The company is brand new therefore doesn't really have a name or a price and technically it doesn't "exist". What I was able to obtain was a "pre-production sample" It consisted of three products, a day cream, a night cream and an anti aging cream.

So I kept my same skincare routine using my gentle everyday cleanser but changing up my day and night moisturizers to these new chemical free products. So far I have been using them for about a week. And although my skin is far from perfect I have defiantly seen some improvements. (anything that could clear skin up in a week would have to be a miracle!) But what I have seen is a difference in the amount of acne/breakouts I have and I have NOT had any more of those STUBBORN huge pimples!! (so glad to be rid of them) So basically it has taken my skin back to more of what it looked like before it got worse...in one week. I can't wait to see what it does with prolonged usage! The ingredients of these products are amazing, a lot of time a research has gone into this company and its kind of exciting to try a new product before its even launched to the world!

They make some pretty great claims with this skin care, reducing age damaging, sun damage, wrinkles in 100% of people who tried this. I was able to experience some of these benefits as well. I have always had a lot of redness to my face. Not rosecea but redness. It looks exactly like a sunburn right over my nose and under my eyes on both cheeks. I didn't have it until I was a young teenager spending a lot of time in the sun, and I do wonder if those days standing out in the softball field gave me a kind of "permanent" sun burn. My other problem was I had one wrinkle. I know I KNOW your like one wrinkle? Seriously Amber your 25...but its true! I know I am not crazy because my sisters have the same exact "wrinkle" or line between their eyebrows as I do. Its just on one side where you would "furrow" your brow. It isn't very noticeable, but that has also developed the past couple of years.

Since using this skin cream I have noticed a slight difference in the redness in my face, although I do still have some acne on my cheeks, the redness on my nose especially seems to have lightened a bit. Also my wrinkle is starting to disappear! I know..your thinking really Amber..you probably never had a wrinkle in the first place. But I showed my mom my "wrinkle" when I first started using it and I said I hope this cream will make this go away..and I showed her again today and she agreed it was defiantly less noticeable. Obviously this isn't a deep wrinkle like comes with old age..but hey if it can do my little wrinkle in a week... Its supposed to help with larger deeper wrinkles in 4 weeks! My mom is currently using it too and I took before pictures of both of us, I can't wait to see the outcome..in 2, 4, 6 weeks time! When I feel like there is enough noticeable difference to post I will. My camera doesn't take super close detail so its hard to tell the difference in some pictures I have taken already. So what do I think? I am excited for skin care WITHOUT CHEMICALS!

-Amber

ELF 100 shadow palette

2011-01-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, its been a long time. I took the pictures for this blog post...ooooh probably a MONTH ago. Oh well life gets busy right?! anyhow, before thanksgiving I was able to pick up this little beauty

The E.L.F (eyes lips face) 100 shadow palette, for only $10 !! Wahoo! It has so many great colors and is super cheap!

I did my best to swatch most of the colors, I did leave out a few that I felt were similar enough to another color. Thats ALOT of swatching!! I have rainbow skin.. ha ha ha!

Here is the more neutral colors

(sorry with the flash the light colors don't show up well, I tried but I am not a photography expert nor do I have a professional camera..so it is what it is...)

And the colored side of the palette..

Here is a last close up view of some of the colors, you can notice the texture and amount of shimmer is different in the shades.

I am really loving this palette! I think it was a great purchase and am continually finding new looks I can wear with it. I like that it has neutral and colored shadows in one place so really I can do anything...
If you think some of the colors are to "bright" its always nice to do a slight pop of color by only barley using the desired shade as a liner, or only using it on the lid and blending it out with a complementary neutral color.

If you would like to watch my video on how this compares to MAC and the Urban Decay Naked palette...then click play :)

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010/2011 Inspired Hair Tutorial

2010-12-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

This video or another video is most likely playing in my side bar...please pause that video so you won't have sound overlay. Thanks and enjoy!
This video or another video is most likely playing in my side bar...please pause that video so you won't have sound overlay. Thanks and enjoy!

-AMBS

Fuller hair for fine hair gals?

2010-12-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hey just wanted to do a quick post. I got a brand new product system yesterday called Full. It claims to make fine hair look act and behave like thick hair. Well of course I had to try it!!! Comes with shampoo, conditioner and thickening cream. It's sulfate free too...will it give pureology a run for it's money? Well I am going to try it now! I'll let you know what I find!!
Ambs

BIG SEXY HAIR VOLUMIZING DRY SHAMPOO vs. BASTISTE DRY SHAMPOO

2010-11-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Are you one of those people with the mid-day droopies? You know..not the energy, "I need a nap kind of droopies". The "Why does my hair look so flat already?!" kind. If you have fine thin hair, hair that gets oily easily or you want to be able to skip a shampoo or two than you would benefit from dry shampoo. I did a post probably a year ago about dry shampoo and comparing more professional brands vs. a drugstore or sallys brand. If you would like to see my original post about the benefits of dry shampoos click HERE. If you would liked to see my post on Sally's brand Batiste Dry shampoo click HERE. Anyways So a month or so ago I had a beauty supply haul where I picked up some Big Sexy Volumizing Dry Shampoo. I was excited to see a dry shampoo from a regular salon brand and I also loved that it was called volumizing.

So I waited till the next day when I had second day hair.

Yuck!

So how I used the product was I parted my along my part on both sides and also directly on my part and where my hair starts to go back and sprayed a stream of product along the part. I did as the directions said and waited two mins.

Then I brushes through my hair, although I did not see any powder residue on my hair when I sprayed I could see fine bits of powder coming out of my hair. I brushed with my head upside down until that stopped.

Next I flipped my head over and...walaa! Nice refreshed and Volumized hair.

I also added some big sexy powder play for added volume. Here is my hair about 3 o clock that day. Still looking great!

Before and After

You can definitely see the hair is lifted, and not matted down to the scalp. I could definitely tell a difference in the bang area, which always seems to get oily first.

So now how did it differ from the Batiste Dry Shampoo?
Here is how I rated these products in different categories.

Categories are as follows:

1. Price: Sally' s around $8 vs. Sexy at $14 ---Winner: Sally's
2. Amount in can: Sallys is a 5 oz. can vs. Sexy 3.4 oz ---Winner: Sally's
3. Absorbing Oil: Sally's 7/10 vs. Sexy 9/10 --Winner: Sexy hair
4. Volumizing hair: Sally's 4/10 vs. Sexy 9/10--Winner: Sexy hair
5. Long lasting results: Sallys 4/10 vs. Sexy 8/10 Winner: Sexy hair
6. Refreshing smell: Sallys 8/10 vs. Sexy 8/10 Winner: TIE!

So overall I would choose BIG SEXY HAIR over Sallys BATISTE Blush dry shampoo on performance, but for price for you dollar and product amount Sally's win. On long lasting results I felt like the sally's brand got greasy about mid day in and the Big Sexy still looked good by the time I went to bed.

Any how if you can splurge the money go for the Big sexy if not, Sally's is a good alternative.. :)

What Every Girl Wants For Christmas 2010: Affordable Makeup Brushes From Sigma!

2010-11-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone are you needing a good idea for what to get that lovely lady (or yourself) for Christmas? For anyone who's into makeup, brushes are a necessity! But the problem is that they are always so dang expensive! Most people can't afford to spend $40 on ONE brush from MAC. There are lots of other drugstore brands that even me myself have been caught up in thinking..but its only $5 !! Only to be disappointed when the bristles fall out all over my face and the handle comes off (insert disgruntled look of your choice here). Well if you are an avid reader of my blog you may have remembered I did a whole post on a fabulous foundation brush from Shu uemura and all about how to take care of your make up brushes. You can find that original post here. Well my friends since that time I have made an AMAZING discovery, SIGMA make up brushes. I first saw sigma brushes on some you tube make up tutorials. The beauty "guru's" as they call them raved that they were just as good as MAC for a fraction of the price. Well OF COURSE I had to try them. So the two brushes I received were

The ss224 Blending brush (left) and the

ss187 Duo Fiber brush

I like to use the blending brush obviously for blending my colors out and in my crease area.

The Duo Fiber is great for Foundation (especially when I need to blend down my neck) powder and I also will use it for bronzer or to blend out contouring.

My first impression were how soft and nice the bristles were. I liked that the brush did not appear to be shedding at all even new fibers, and I can't really recall it shedding any fibers at all..maybe 1? So next it was time to put them to good use. I received these brushes a few months ago and I am still loving them. They are such great quality and they have tons of brushes on their website to choose from! Liner brushes, foundation brushes, blushers, powder, pencil brushes they even make cute little travel sized brushes!

Recently Sigma launched their new brush collection SIGMAX a line of synthetic brushes that can be used for foundation, contouring blushes etc..

As read from the Sigma website:

The new Sigmax brush line for high definition, flawless makeup application. The brushes in this collection feature exclusive Sigmax filament, specially designed to apply powder and liquid products without absorption into the fibers. The shape, density and height of the filaments were carefully engineered to perfectly buff products onto the skin, resulting in a high definition effect.

F82 - Round Top Kabuki

The F82 Round Top Kabuki brush simplifies precise makeup application under the eyes and around the nose. This brush is also perfect for achieving flawless coverage using liquid and powder products. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

F80 - Flat Top Kabuki

The F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush is perfect for applying and blending liquid, cream, and powder products onto the skin. The flat surface allows perfect buffing with flawless results. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

F84 - Angled Top Kabuki

The F84 Angled Top Kabuki brush is the perfect brush for precise, yet blended application of products on the cheeks. It seamlessly applies cream, powder and liquid products. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament.

I was so excited to see these new brushes! So remember how I bought that foundation brush I mentioned earlier...? for $40? Well the new rounded top Kabuki is a similar brush for less than 1/2 the cost without compromising quality!

The rounded top Kabuki sells for only $16!!! I couldn't even believe it! You can get the whole sigmax collection of the three brushes for $42.00! This is seriously such an awesome deal I couldn't help but share it with you!

So Happy Holidays and get SHOPPING! Buy Sigma Brushes Here.

Pictures of Sigmax brushes are from the sigma website found above.

Asymmetrical Bob Hair Cut/Color Before and Afters

2010-11-09T23:12:00.000-07:00

So I do a lot of great hair all the time, but I always forget to take pictures! For this transformation I did remember because I had a lot in store for her. Aerielle Started with her natural brown base with some red highlights and brown lowlights weaved in. We had cut her hair into a classic shoulder length bob with some choppy layers that had grown out. She had been talking to me for a weeks... A month maybe? About going shorter...a LOT...shorter and also she had seen a TV show with this girls who's hair she loved. So I did what I always do pull up google images and search! We decided to go for a softer more wearable red than the girl in the show but the final look was fantastic! I loved it and so does she!

Here Is Aerielle before:

And here she is after!

You can see how the asymmetrical cut really frames her face and gives this low matience gal a lot of sass with having to do a lot of fuss. For her hair cut I really took the bulk out of her hair and gave her hair a loose free flowing hair, I also gave it a slight stack and layered it throughout. I love how the really textured nature of this haircut comes out in her longer side, we did not want that to be too bulky! For her color I did an all over reddish copper brown and added peekaboo's of a bright red. The look is amazing, her color looks subtle but when she shakes her hair around that bright color really pops out, but it doesn't give her the maintenance and re growth that a typical all over red color gives.