Beach Waves Hair Potion! 

With summer approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to delve into the beachy/ wavy hair style everyone lusts after in warm, bikini donning season :) 


While numerous brand name products are out on the market, I always like the DIY concoctions as it cuts down on cost and allows you to control what goes into your hair scrunch as well as choose what types of products/scents you want to include :) !   


The following products will be required:

• An empty spray [bottle so as to store the homemade product]
• 8 oz Water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of conditioner
• 1/2 teaspoon of hair gel

** This recipe was taken from Livestrong.com (click to see) **

I added the Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Hair Serum (1/2 teaspoon) so as to make my hair scrunch a triple threat:

1. The conditioner works to lock moisture into the hair as a salt hair spray may dry out your hair.

2. Hair Gel enhances the hold that is provided by the salt.  Those with wavy hair, like myself, should note that salt helps to lock that wave in place... the hair gel adds an extra "umph" to make sure the waves stay put. 

3. After all that, I thought to myself "what about the shine?!" Even if it's supposed to look effortless and messy ... I personally wanted to add some lustre to my hair ... it will also serve as extra protection against drying out caused by salt. 

~ NOTES ~

* For those of you who have really thick hair or hair that goes past your shoulders (I just happen to have both) - DOUBLE the recipe .... 16 oz water ... 2 tsp of salt etc... 

* I found it easier to combine all the ingredients in a glass measuring cup with a spout, 

a) You will probably use one to measure the water anyways

b) The spout allowed for easy pouring into the spray bottle afterwards

* Also note: shake well to combine.  Remember that the ingredients will never fully combine, and you will need to shake it again before each use...

Hope this helps :)

Go embrace the summer waves ...

Steph

xxoo. 

Holy Busy Weekend! 

Hey friends, I have been non-stop since Thursday!  I finished my take-home exam at 5, and Adam then came over and took me out for ice cream at one of my fav parlours: Marble Slab!  I had Birthday Cake and Swiss Chocolate mixed with Nestle Crunch bits, YUM! :) 

Happiness

Kisses! I look overly excited ... Baha who wouldn't be having finished third year AND having an amazing boyfriend ;) ? 

Friday night was then spent with the bestie at her Uni house.  We shared great homemade hamburgers, fries and conversations.  We also went to Dirty Phils.  That's not it's real name, but in all honesty it should be LOL.  Free drinks and British accents were some minor highlights of the night ♥ 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Product reviews will resume shortly :) 

Steph

xxoo

Hi Friends :) 

I know, I've been slacking.  I have been so busy with finals lately, haven't had time to update.  I have some shopping haul videos lined up, miscellaneous stores and items really.  However, those won't be up until after Thursday (9pm I submit my take-home exam and I am DONE-ZO FOR THA SUMMER! Woooo).  

Anywhos, for now, I decided to snap some shots last night (I took a little break at 8 and went out to run errands with my man)....

Note: I styled my hair last night to give somewhat of a side-bang effect.  I haven't had side bangs since high school (as styling is made a little easier that way what with a hectic Uni schedule) however ... I do miss the side bangs ... hmmm...

This is definitely my Leah Miller face, (post plastic surgery where she seemingly sucks in her cheeks and sometimes looks like a cat in photos ... STILL LOVE HER). 

SIDE BANGS 

Eye Makeup: 

I really enjoyed this look.  The black eye shadow was really the defining point, even allowing me to skip the eye-liner as it produced such a "pop."

The rest of my lid was lightly brushed with a shimmery white eye shadow, and I put a thin layer over the black so as to reduce harshness. 

Overall, it was just a simple and fun experiment. 

Hope everyone is doing well!

Happy "Hump Day" a.k.a Wednesday! hehe

Steph.

xxoo

Tip of the Day

Attention acne haters.  Which I'm assuming is everyone ... 

Who the hell wants zits, right?  I have been put onto so many different acne regimens ... don't even want to go there.  However, I do want to share with you a snazzy secret my sister taught me years ago.

Let's say a lovely pimple sprouted on your face.  Before going to bed, make sure that you wash your face, very gently because we don't want to aggravate our acne and upset the skin more.  

Then, with clean hands, squeeze a bit of toothpaste (yes, toothpaste) onto your finger and apply to the zit.  

Toothpaste has this wonderful 'hardening' property.  I'm sure if you've ever gotten some onto your clothing, you might have noticed, later on in the day, it hardened and perhaps even turned a white-ish colour (depending on the toothpaste, of course)

I have found that the toothpaste will do two things.  One, as a it hardens, sometimes it can draw the infection to the surface, which speeds up the healing process.  The other thing, which will happen even if number one doesn't happen: is that it dries out the pimple, which is essentially what we want. 

Please note: this is not going to be an instant pimple remover.  Trust me, nothing ever is.  This is just a tip to help speed up the healing process and to stop the zit from looking ginormously ugly come morning!

Hope this helps :) 

Steph

xxoo

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter 

In Strawberry Shortcake (080) 

What better way to begin my reviews then with one of the market's hottest grabs at the moment?

In fact, when I picked this baby up, I ran into a girl who had been to 4 different stores, each of which had run out! 

After minutes of contemplation, I grabbed this very soft shade ...

Honestly, my experience with this product has been absolutely wonderful.  I love the cute packaging.  But even more then that, it feels amazing on my lips.  It is very smooth, almost with a texture that reminds me of lip-gloss without the sticky, gooey-ness!  

As you can see, the colour I picked is very light.  It has a nice hint of colour, not too dark, so it's perfect for an everyday, much more simple look.  The formula allows for a nice, smooth application; it's simple and fun!  I have a feeling this will be a summer favourite!  

I picked mine up at Walmart for $7.97.  Might seem like a bit much, but hey, I'm looking forward to soft lips this summer!  It's easy enough to apply an SPF Lip Balm prior to applying the Lip Butter. 

Another thing to note for those of you who might be wondering: it is scent free.  Which is absolutely PERFECT for me, considering my step-mom is allergic to anything that smells too sweet or fruity.  

Overall, satisfied customer :) 

Steph.  

xxoo

Steph's Latest Baking Attempt...

Hey friends!  The above was my easter treat, it's a brownie cupcake with a creme egg in the middle topped off with homemade butter cream frosting. 

Honestly, I didn't even follow a recipe. 

I made the brownie batter, filled the cupcake liner and then placed the creme egg in the center.  Of course, not all the egg was fully submerged but, what with the rising aspect of cupcakes, it was all nearly covered at the end.  

The frosting then hid it completely, displaying no signs of the treat that was to be discovered inside!

Too bad creme eggs only come out at easter...

Steph.

xxoo

My Inspiration

At some point, every blog owner said to themselves "today is the day I will blog about my passion."  That day, for me, was when I discovered Sam Schuerman.


If I could give you a hug, and thank you for everything you do, I would. 


I came across her video one day on YouTube, as I was searching for a tutorial that would enlighten me on how to make blues eyes "pop."  Sam's was the first one I watched,  but it certainly wasn't the last.  I loyally wait for her to release videos, just to see what spectacular share(s) she has lined up.  She is such a joy to watch.  She is so bubbly and fun.  You can tell she really enjoys what she does.  And oh how she makes me laugh. 


She also managed to dig at something quite personal for me: my self-confidence with regards to my acne.  I am very uncomfortable in my own skin.  And to see her sit in front of the camera, with a "naked canvas" as I so call it, was an unreal moment for me.  It really got to me, and made me feel better about myself.  Watching this woman who has so much confidence and poise.... 


You changed my life Sam. 
Not only have I taken many tips from your videos - my Sigma F80 came in the mail just last week - I have also been able to walk away with a bit more confidence in myself, knowing that it's okay to be comfortable in your own (sometimes imperfect) skin. 


I just had to dedicate a post to her. 
I will probably refer to her a lot.


Bless you Samantha! 

 If you click on her name above, you will be directed to her page. 

Best, 
Steph.
xxoo

Introductions are in order...

Hi friends! 

My name is Stephanie Elise.  I'm a 20 year old English Lit Major who, apart from reading books, loves loves loves makeup/beauty products.  My mother did not allow me to wear makeup until I was 16, as she believed I should embrace my 'natural beauty.'  I respect that decision, and I think my appreciation for makeup - the art of beauty as opposed to the slop-show - has only enveloped over the years.  


As one can only imagine, I am still in University and, ergo, am quite poor/broke.  I usually save up for the really expensive products that I have been lusting after.  I dream of having a makeup room all to myself one day ... aren't I just the wishful thinker!  

Anyways, this was just supposed to be a short introduction.  You will get to know so much more about me along the way.  I plan to be a beauty guru/blogger for quite a long time... and this is just the beginning.

Have a great night.

Steph.

xxoo

P.S. My hair doesn't always look this silly/bad.  I just liked my make-up yesterday ... so focus on that ;)