Smooth Legs for Spring

With the weather warming up you’ll be breaking out the shorts and skirts, so you’ll want your legs as smooth as possible!  Use these tips for great legs:

Exfoliate- Gently exfoliate your legs before shaving.  This will remove rough, dry skin and allow you to get a closer shave.  (It’ll also soften the hairs so if you miss any it won’t be as noticeable!)

Shave in the direction of hair growth- Do this first, then go back over in the opposite direction.  The different angles will give you a better chance of catching all the hair.

Rinse the razor in cold water- When rinsing off your razor between strokes, use cold water.  The cold on your legs will make the hairs stand up and make them easier to shave.

Apply lotion to damp legs- Don’t let your legs fully dry before applying lotion; the moisturizer will soak into slightly damp skin better.  And definitely moisturize!

If you’re using self-tanner- Only apply a moisturizer to rougher areas such as the knees and ankles.  This will allow for a more even tan.

For a special occasion- Apply a shimmery lotion (or mix a neutral shimmery powder into your favorite lotion!) to the center of the front of your calves.  This will draw attention to your legs and make them appear longer and thinner!

~Alyssa

April Favorites

Here are our favorite spring products so far this year!

Bath and Body Works: Love and Sunshine Collection- When I went to Bath and Body Works one day, someone who worked there recommended this collection to me after she saw me pick up the French Lavender and Honey body soap. After smelling it, I fell in love immediately! It smells like flowers in a field, mixed with lemon zest. The whole collection (lotion, soap, and body spray) is fantastic and it screams spring! It's perfect for this season.

Garnier Fructis: Full and Plush and Sleek and Shine Brazilian Smooth Shampoos- These are the newest shampoos from Garnier, and I just had to try them because they smelled amazing. The first one promises to make your hair fuller and softer, which it did definitely make mine soft! But I really didn’t notice it making my hair look fuller. This could be because I have very thick hair. But overall I was pretty satisfied with this product. In my opinion, the Sleek and Shine shampoo has worked a lot better for me. It promises to make your hair look straighter without the use of a straightener. This product did as it was promised! Both of the shampoos cleaned my hair very well and I would recommend both of these.

Garnier Fructis Root Amp Mousse- This product is amazing for adding weightless (yes!) volume to your hair.  Alyssa did a full review of this product recently!

bareMinerals READY 8.0 Power Neutrals Eye Palette in The Posh Neutrals- The Power Neutrals palettes have eight shadows (mostly shimmery, but not too glittery) in neutral tones for everyday wear, however The Posh Neutrals are all softer, more romantic colors in pink and purple tones, neutral browns and a light blue.  This selection is perfect for spring as you can easily create a sweet, floral-inspired look.  Plus, the compact palette fits in your bag perfectly to take with you!  It has a huge mirror and a double-ended brush included, and the packaging comes with a few guides on how to create a great look with your chosen palette.  And the palettes are metallic (The Posh Neutrals is rose gold!) which is so cute!

Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat- This nail base is thick and strengthens your nails.  It makes them instantly appear a lot shiner and healthier, so you could wear it on its own if your going for a natural look!  The product is a light pink (so of course we love it!) but it goes on completely clear.  It's a great base coat and adorable for spring!   

~Katrina and Alyssa

Garnier Fructis Root Amp Mousse Review

The new Garnier Fructis Full & Plush Root Amp Root Lifting Spray Mousse is a mousse that you spray directly on your hair, promising precision and lots of volume.  I tried it out!

I started out by washing my hair as usual (I don’t use any volumizing products regularly) and letting my hair air dry for just a little while.  (Long enough for me to do my makeup and pick out an outfit ;-) )  Then I applied a heat protectant all over and parted my hair down the middle.  The mousse says to section your hair multiple times and spray the product onto your roots from 4-6 inches away, and then work it in all over the head.  I sprayed it onto about six sections overall.

The first thing I noticed is that the spray splatters quite a bit.  It isn’t nearly as precise as it claims to be, and I’m not sure the spray aspect of this product is a huge improvement over the application of traditional mousse.  It also doesn’t come out evenly; I had a few huge clumps of mousse then a few small, more liquid-y spots.

The mousse smells nice, slightly fruity but not overwhelming.  (I didn’t notice the scent in my hair later on.)  I also noticed this product isn’t as sticky as many other volumizing products I’ve tried, which is great.

After working in the mousse I roughly blow-dried my hair, without a brush.  (First with my hair flipped upside down for a couple minutes, then with all my hair pushed to one side then the other, focusing on the roots.  Then I just used my fingers to finish a rough blow-dry for the rest of my hair.)

As soon as I had applied the mousse in my damp hair I noticed it became crunchy.  This lasted throughout the process of drying it; however, one dry I was able to comb through my roots, which softened them without losing volume!  Immediately after drying my hair there was a noticeable amount of volume I don’t normally have, but nothing too crazy.  I finished by curling my hair with a large curling iron and adding some hairspray.

The volume fell slightly but pretty much lasted all day!  (It definitely never went flat, even when faced with a ton of wind.)  I never experienced any greasiness or oiliness at my roots.  My hair was very light and had a bounce that I don’t usually experience with other volumizers.

Overall I like this product!  It’s volumizing without weighing the hair down or making it greasy, the hair is soft to the touch (if you brush the roots out), and the roots stay lifted all day.  I’d recommend it!

~Alyssa

Guilt-Free Citrus Green Sun Tea

An amazing drink that screams spring! Easy to make and healthy and refreshing to drink. If you don’t have green tea, this will also work with regular black tea.

Ingredients:

Sun Tea:

1.75 quarts approximately of cold water

5 tea bags

Lemony Sugar Syrup:

1/3 cup of white sugar

1/3 cup of water

¼ cup of lemon juice, which is approximately the juice of one large lemon

The zest of one lemon

Directions:

Find the sunniest room/window in your house. Fill a pitcher with the cold water and add the tea bags.  Put the pitcher in the sun and let it sit for approximately 24 hours. Then you can make the simple syrup. Place the water, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a pot. Heat this on medium low til the sugar dissolves. After the 24 hours is up, mix the tea and remove the bags. Pour in the simple syrup and mix again. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and enjoy.

~Katrina

Pastel Dot Nails

This look is light and fun for spring, and takes no time at all!

Start with a clear base coat, then paint your nails a neutral color.  (You can do anything from white to a light pink to a brown.  Whatever you prefer!) 

Use a dotting tool to add pastel dots of any color (I started with light blue) on the bottom outer edge of your nail.

Then keep adding more pastels!  Place them randomly in that area, and play around with the size of the dots if you want.

You can do any colors you’d like, and as few or as any as you’d like.  I went with light blue, baby pink, mint green and lavender.  (Another fun color scheme would be to pick different shades of all the same color.)

Finish with a top coat!

~Alyssa

Strawberry Tarts

Another easy dessert using up the rest of the pie crust from the calzones!

Ingredients:

½ 9 inch pie crust, cut in half

9 strawberries

Sugar

Brown sugar

The egg wash from the calzone recipe

1 tbsp of whiskey

Directions: Cut the strawberries into thin slices and mix with 3 tsps of white sugar. Put in the fridge and let sit for about an hour. Then take the strawberries and 1 tsp of brown sugar and cook over medium low heat. Once the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries start to soften, add the whiskey and cook to evaporate the alcohol. Line the strawberries in the middle of the pie crust sections. Fold over again, making it look like a cannoli, and close the ends with the egg wash. Cover the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle a mixture of brown sugar and white sugar. (A one to one ratio of each.) Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy with some whipped cream or ice cream!

~Katrina

Wide, Everyday Eye Look

This eye look is simple, quick, and gives the illusion of bigger, brighter eyes!  It looks great with a natural look all over or a bright lip.  (Use a matching pink blush and lip color for a sweet look!)

Start with an eye primer and some concealer over dark circles.  Sweep a nude shadow all over the lid then add a brown that is 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone to the crease.

Place a thin line of brown shadow that is 3-5 shades darker than your skin tone in the undereye area, along the curve of your eyeball.  (You’ll kind of outline the bottom edge of your eye here.)

Blend gently and very well!  (You definitely don’t want any harsh lines here.)  Add some of that darker brown to the crease as well.  Then use a light cream/white liner to highlight your inner corners and waterline. 

Add a thin line of black or brown liner (I prefer a liquid black liner for precision) to just the top lash line, winging out slightly.

Curl your lashes and apply volumizing mascara!  (Two coats for the top lashes if you want a little extra ;-) )

~Alyssa

Easy Calzones

An easy and healthier way to enjoy the pizza you love!

Ingredients:

-1 box of pie crust (containing two nine-inch pie crusts per package)

-1 jar of sauce that you like (or make your own, it’s even better)

-1 block of mozzarella cheese (shredded)

-One egg white

-1 tsp of salt

-1 small stick of pepperoni, cut into thin slices

-Some flour

Directions:

Cut up the pepperoni. Bake it at 400 for ten minutes to crisp a little. Separate an egg. Put two pinches of salt in the egg white and whisk. (This will now be known as the egg wash.) Take each pie crust and cut it into fourths. Put a light dusting of flour down, and put it on your hands and each section of dough. In the center put a little sauce and spread it around. Then place 5 or 6 pepperoni on top and cover it with cheese. Then add a little more sauce. Finally, fold it over, one flap down and then the other on top of that. (Almost looking like a cannoli.) Brush the egg wash on it to lightly coat the outside of each calzone and use it under the top flap to keep it closed. Repeat until all the dough is used up. (At least making six of them.) Bake these at 375 for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

~Katrina

Disney Princess Nails: Tiana

Down in New Orleans…  These nails are inspired by the princess Tiana from the movie The Princess and the Frog (2009).  Each month I will bring you a new set of nails based on a Disney princess, in the order of their release.

You’ll need:

Base coat

Top coat (I prefer Seche Vite)

Striper brush

Lime, mint and medium green, black, red, purple, white, gold, and yellow nail polishes  (I used: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in 02 Green With Envy; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in 340 Mint Sorbet; OPI Nail Lacquer in Don’t Mess With OPI; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in 880 Black Heart; Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in 89 Honeymoon Red; Sephora by OPI in Stop Stocking Me!; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in 110 Hard to Get; Love My Nails in Gold Dust; and Pure Ice in Excuse Me)

Start with a base coat then paint every nail lime green.

On your pinky nail, use the striper brush dipped in black to create a small top hat then add a red stripe.  Dip the striper brush in white to create skull and crossbones on the hat and add a purple feather to the right side.

On your ring and index fingers, use the striper brush dipped in mint green to create Tiana’s leafy headpiece.  Dip the brush in medium green to outline the headpiece and add definition in the middle of the leaves.

Use the striper brush in medium green to outline the head of the frog prince on your middle finger.  Add two small eyebrow shapes in medium green and white eyes directly beneath them.  Make a large white grin, and then dip the brush in gold to finish the eyes and add detail to the smile.  Add small medium green smile lines at the corners of the mouth.

On your thumb, use the striper brush in yellow to make a small trumpet then outline and define the shape with gold.

Finish with a top coat and you’re done!

~Alyssa