Operation Momshell: Groupon Edition

February 4, 2013 by 5 Comments

OK, So you guys know my plan to become a “Momshell” by the end of the year – and stay that way – ….OMG is it possible to be a pregnant momshell? Well, we’ll cross that bridge if/when we come to it….

Anywaaaay… I’m getting in gear and Groupon’s helping me. Well, not just Groupon, I’m using Yipit, which is a social buying site aggregator, so it’s got groupon, living social, google deals, gilt…. all of em.

So far I’ve found groupon deals for:

Invisalign:

So ready to get these and get my teeth straight again. It’s kinda pricey, so I’m using my business earnings to pay it off. It’ll hurt seeing the bank account drop, but the pain will be eased as I watch my teeth shift back to awesome.. ($6k usually, $3k w/ groupon)

Teeth Whitening:

I want to do this before and after invisaligning. I love my dentist to death, she’s the bestest, but charges 500 for whitening. these deals are just $99!

Bally’s Gym:

I got a month for $9! I already told you about this and my dreadmilling. ($39 usual, $9 w/ groupon)

Laser Hair Removal:

I’ve wanted this for ever, but was nervous because I hear mixed things about it on black skin. My two cousins got this done using the gentle YAG laser and boht of them couldn’t be happier. So I’m psyched! ($600 for 6 sessions usually, $99 for 6 sessions w/ groupon)

Gel Mani/Pedis:

I’ve done this only once (actually it was the day I found out I was really pregnant, October 1, 2011, so I’ll never forget it) and now I hear all these bad things about the light they use so I’m not sure I’ll do it again. I gotta research because I loved how long it lasted. ($40 mani $30 pedi usually / $29 mani/pedi combo with groupon)

Hot Yoga:

On the hunt for a place that’s close by cuz real talk, I know I won’t be dragging my behind to manhattan just to bend and sweat. I did find some yoga and pilates programs on demand so I’ve been trying those. I love classes more, but it’s good for now…and FREE! ($300/mo usually, $99 or $129/mo with groupon)

Lashes:

I may get this done while in Florida actually. My cousin’s look amazing, natural and gorgeous…but it’s pricey. there’s a place by my house that does them for $20…but I just feel like it may not be….up to snuff. I refuse to look like those chicks who wear those thick doll lashes…do you know what I’m talking about? How creepy are those?! ::shudder:: ($90-300 usually, $60 with groupon)

Facials:

I wanted to do one of these a month, but I think I’ll do once a quarter. My mom got me this cool thing, and I have this brush thingy so I’ll do this on my own and try to get my skin in order. (varies, but it seems to save about $30-70 depending on the spot)

I haven’t purchased them all yet, but I’m stalking yipit daily for good deals in locations that are near me.

Have you gotten any good groupon deals lately? Have you tried any of the services I listed above? How’d it work out for you?

 

Filed Under: Beauty, Momshell, My Life

5 Tips to get Holiday Glam

December 4, 2012 by 83 Comments

can you believe I used to actually get paid to have my photo taken. seems so foreign now

Building on yesterday’s glamorous post….you guys know I’m not exactly a glamour-ista, I’m more of a barely-keeping-it-together-ista now that Rohan’s here. But, I do have some tricks up my sleeves for getting glam when I need to. I should’ve titled this post: How to fake glamour when you’re a tired new mama that just needs a nap. :)

#1: Do the opposite of normal with your hair

Instant glamourfication for me comes from wearing my hair out. Day to day, my hair is usually up in a bun, ponytail or messy updo of some sort, so when it’s time for me to get cute, down comes the hair!

Doesn’t matter if it’s curly and big or hanging straight and long. What matters is that it’s not the same old bun. The opposite-of-normal-ness makes it transform me from “I’ve given up” to “Ok, I can work with this.”

Bonus points if it’s super sleek. If curly, I make the curls frizz free by twirling some of the outer layer of curls around my finger with a little styling product. If straight, I’ll use a bit of serum and/or coconut oil to slick the strands down and make it all smooth.

If you normally wear your hair down, haul it up to the top of your head in a sleek bun to instantly glamourize your look.

#2: Be trendy on a small scale

I can’t afford to spend money keeping up with every trend that comes along. I stick to the classics, but I keep as current as I can on a small scale. How small? Fingernail size! I usually wear a clear or nude color on my nails (to disguise chips as long as possible) but when getting glamourous for a date night or a party, I go for color. Trendy colors, and definitely trendy nail styles. I love things like this:

And now I save time by using COVERGIRL® Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss that just takes one coat and doesn’t need a base coat or top coat to stay put without chipping. So I can have nails that are on trend and look good all week long…even if my outfit is plain Jane and I don’t have to spend a million years doing my nails. Unrelated to how awesome the nail glosses work, I love how high end esque the packaging is:

#3: Go with what works

Speaking of outfits. My glamourous tip here is more practical than anything. Go with what works for you. I’m good for wearing the same outfit to multiple events, and I’m also good for wearing the same type of outfit. Skinny jeans and flowy top anyone?!

For me, I’ll feel more confident and sexy if I’m wearing something I know works for me. So for now it’s something that camouflages the post-baby belly bulge without looking like a muumuu. I do wear dresses, and will likely shop from my closet this holiday season for party attire. You already saw my outfit ideas yesterday.

However, for date nights and dinners out with friends I will go with what I know works best on my body right now.

#4: Makeup has magical powers

I’ve told you guys about my lack of makeup skills in the past. Since I walk around barefaced almost all the time, putting on a bit of makeup ups my glamour rate about 46,000%. I take it easy though; I use a tinted moisturizer, liner, mascara, blush, powder and lip gloss. That’s about all I can handle without getting hives of anxiety. I recently got to try COVERGIRL® Clump Crusher Mascara and loved it. I kinda felt like it did enough to bring my eyes out by increasing my lash volume that I didn’t need liner. It must crush clumps before they leave the bottle, because I didn’t get any clumps to be crushed!

#5: Heels, dammit.

How tall are you? I’m 5’4.5″ ;) 5’5″ (on a good day) and wear flats most of the time, so the easiest way to add a little glamour to an outfit for me is with some heels.

Granted, my feet start hurting about an hour in, depending on the shoe. But hey, it’s only once in a while that I’ll glamourize so I used to just grin and bear it. Now, using those gel inserts makes a world of difference! With those cushy pads in my heels I can walk, stand, and most importantly, dance, without any pain!

So there you have my top 5 tips….

Visit COVERGIRL on YouTube for more great ideas on how to get red carpet ready!

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Filed Under: Beauty, Fashion, Hair Stuff, My Life Tagged With: , , , ,

From Mess to Yes for the Holidays!!

December 3, 2012 by 15 Comments

Oh girls!! It’s my first Christmas season as a mommy! I am going to be taking so many photos in the next few weeks. I want to have good memories of this time of year, and I want to look good in those photos!

My everyday uniform is leggings and a hoodie or sweats and a tee. Hair=bun or two little girl braids. NOT sexy. So, although from day to day I’m usually looking a hot mess:

I’m excited for the holidays so I can do a bit of glammification. I’m sure John will be happy about that as well. I’m talking makeup, nails, cute outfits, but most importantly…good lookin’ hair!

For thanksgiving I didn’t get as glam as I expected, we were rushing to get out of the house, but I did whip my hair into this updo:

It was just a bun w/ a side braid, but it was the beginning of me getting my butt back in gear hair-wise. (we’ll talk about my funky color later)

Christmas is coming and I’ve got to look cute for a party on Christmas eve and a dinner on Christmas day.  My outfit ideas are:

For the Xmas eve shin dig, and the outfit below for Xmas day:

I’m definitely straightening my hair for Christmas. You guys already know I have my straightening technique down to a science:

Wash, condition, moisturize, airdry, oil, flatiron.

This is the only way to get my curly hair bone straight and have it stay that way. Once in a while I’ll throw a serum or a heat protectant in the mix, but usually I stick to that basic regimen.

  1. First I wash with a sulfate/paraben free shampoo. I prefer shampoos that don’t suds up and leave my hair feeling clean and moisturized at the same time.
  2. Then I will either condition with a moisturizing conditioner, or if I’m not feeling lazy, I’ll do a deep conditioner with heat.
  3. I let my hair dry as much as possible with a towel on my head, then I moisturize my hair with a water based moisturizer that’s nice and light so it doesn’t weigh my hair down and then I braid it up in two to 4 braids so it can air dry.
  4. After it’s dry (either several hours later, or the next day) I will loosen the braids and apply my beloved coconut oil to each section.
  5. Then I just use my flatiron and go very slowly down small sections of hair to be sure the hair gets bone straight with only one pass of the flatiron. The less exposure to direct heat, the better off my hair is.

Once it’s straight I may experiment with updos like this bow bun:

But, I’m not sure what I’ll do yet. I always plan to do one thing, and end up with a totally different style or outfit before leaving the house. Do you do that too?!

What are your hair/fashion/beauty plans for this holiday season?

This post is part of BlogHer’s Get Noticed This Holiday Season editorial series, made possible by Cover Girl.

 

Filed Under: Beauty, Fashion, Hair Stuff

It’s a WAR…On Stretchmarks!!

January 10, 2012 by 24 Comments

I refuse to have a tiger striped belly from this pregnancy.  I refuse.

Everyone’s saying stretchmarks are hereditary, but I refuse to believe it.  I REFUSE!

I’ve heard that if you scratch your belly you increase the likelihood of getting those evil little bastards and that if you don’t moisturize regularly as your belly grows those demons will pop up…so I’ve declared war.

I’m combating stretch marks by lubing up my belly, butt, thighs, back, sides, boobs with anything I can get my hands on! OK, not ANYTHING…*puts crisco back on shelf*

Now, ya know I’m trying to do the all natural/organic thing from now on so my options are slimmer.

My ammunition for this war is as follows:

  • coconut oil – my fave!
  • raw cocoa butter – great!
  • olive oil – never used alone! (The link isn’t to the brand I use, I buy whichever is cheapest for skin/hair, only use quality olive oil for food)

*Warm and melt/mix these 3 together and let set in the fridge for a nice body butter!

I started out using my regular old Jergens with shea but I’d be dry tight and itchy really soon after. (Plus I’ll have to drop this once I use it up since it’s far from all-natural.  So I started sealing with coconut oil (like I do w/ my hair) afterward.  That works well at night, but I don’t want to be a slippery oily mess in the mornings for work.

I may try whipping up some of my shea mixture I used on my hair in the past for my ammunition stash.

I’ve heard great things about this product too:

Bio Oil

But I’ve never tried it.  Have you?

A friend of mine is getting a nice mix made for us of cocoa butter, vitamin e, olive oil, and coconut oil….and some other ingredients I forgot.  So I’ll be slathering that on as soon as I get it.

What did you use to avoid stretch marks? How’d it work for you? Any all-natural ideas for me?   Did you avoid scratching?  Anything you know of to prevent the itchies?!

Filed Under: Beauty, Pregnancy

No More Dirty Looks!

December 2, 2010 by 6 Comments

This post is not about what you may think it’s about…..I haven’t been giving the judgey bitch face to people…

It’s a book I read.

No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products--and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics

No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products–and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics

Have you read it?

Amazon says:
It started with a harmless quest for perfect wash-and-go hair. Every girl wants it, and Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt finally found it in a fancy salon treatment. They were thrilled—until they discovered that the magic ingredient was formaldehyde.



Shocked, O’Connor and Spunt left no bottle unturned. If it went on their body (and thus, was absorbed into their skin and bloodstream), they researched it. As it turns out, many of those unpronounceable ingredients in your self-tanner and leave-in conditioner are not regulated and the “natural” on your face wash doesn’t mean what you think it does.
Now, with the help of top scientists, dermatologists, and makeup artists, the authors share their compelling findings and the easy way to detoxify your beauty regimen. No More Dirty Looks also reveals the safest, most effective products on the market and time-tested home recipes. Finally, you don’t need to sacrifice health for beauty—because coming clean is the best look yet.

I say:
This book was an eye opener.  I’m not all green and crunchie (but I can totally see myself slowly going in that direction) and didn’t know what to expect with this book.  It gave a just-enough-sciencey-detailed look at the ingredients and byproducts used in beauty products, as well as a not-boring-at-all education on the FDAs rules about the beauty/cosmetics industry.  It’s actually quite scary that carcinogens are allowed in our beauty products, and in baby products too. (creepy!)  Hey, it’s known to cause cancer, but you’ll look pretty…for now!

I recently started looking for natural sulfate free shampoos and natural conditioners totally for vain reasons.  I didn’t want to use super drying products in my already dry hair.  I picked this book up thinking it would give me some good options and brands to buy.

Boy did I get a whole lot more.

After reading this book and learning about the carcinogens in a lot of the products we use and learning how companies get around the FDA’s rules, I think I’m going to go a wee bit further into natural territory.

I really got to thinking about what I put on my skin, and why.  For example the drying soap, which leads me to then be forced use a thick moisturizer. (All of which are chock full o bad crap)

I’m not going to get all deep into it and start making my own makeup or anything (if you’re into that, the book gives a few recipes) but it would be very easy to swap out some of the cancer-causing “bad guy” products for good ones. 

I already use coconut oil like it’s God’s gift (which it totally is) so I’ll just swap my body moisturizer for coconut oil or another natural moisturizer.

I love that my soap is called Dudu! hehe

I have recently changed from using the Irish Spring that John loves to using african black soap, but I’m going to look for an even “cleaner” soap next time I’m in Whole Paycheck Foods.

As for hair products, I’m going to purchase the natural ones “okayed” by the book and I’ll definitely be checking out other “green” beauty books to see what else I can learn.


Do you use natural products? What are your fave brands?  Have you read this book and what did you think of it?  Any other natural health/beauty/wellness books you would recommend?

Follow me on Twitter @OKDani
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