You better believe I'm BACK! Back in the New York Groove!

Hey guys! ٩◔‿◔۶

Its great to be back after a long summer hiatus. I took a few summer courses to get ahead in my graduate program and now I finally have some time to sit back and relax. Did any of you do anything interesting this summer? Let me know below in the comments!

I also recently decided to change up my hair a bit- I can never keep the same thing for too long so I decided to go with some honey-blonde ombre. So far I'm really loving it, but give me a few weeks, I'm sure I'll change my mind! ^‿^

Anyway, I thought I'd kick off fall with my current wish list!

1) The Urban Decay Smoked Palette


Image credit: Sephora.com

I've eyed this every single time I've gone into Sephora and talked myself out of picking it up. I really love that its got neutrals in the top row and a beautiful mix of jewel tones on the bottom. Needless to say, I think I'll be caving soon.

2) Living Proof Restore Recovery Regimen

Image credit: livingproof.com

It has a price point I'm still wavering about, but it promises miracles that my hair needs; its also the recipient of the Allure Best of Beauty 2012 award.

3) The Balm Nude 'Tude Palette



Image credit: thebalm.com

I've also talked myself into putting this down every time I go to Sephora but the palette as a whole is very versatile with its mix of shimmer and matte and the colors are pigmented and buttery soft.

4) MAC lipstick in Sunny Seoul

Check out this link for some great swatches

This was literally love at first swatch. However, its been a conspiracy trying to find this color as it seems like every MAC in the tri-state area is either sold out or keeping it from me (lol) I may have to order this online.

5) Statement necklaces

Image credit: zappos.com

Whereas in the past I'd usually shy away, I suddenly can't get enough of statement necklaces.

What's on your wish list for fall?

::We interrupt Fashion Friday's regularly scheduled programming::

to share the experience I had with Keratin straightening! (regularly scheduled Fashion Fridays will resume as normal next week.)

I've been perming my hair curly since I was 12. Yeah... I know I know. My hair is stick straight naturally- the kind that won't hold a curl or have any volume whatsoever. After years of perming my hair though, I felt that I was finally ready to move on and embrace my natural texture. I had a little problem though- my hair is chemically processed in every which way imaginable and I was not about to look like a fool growing out a perm on my long hair. So what now?
A friend recommended Milady Beauty Salon's Keratin Treatment. This post will be a review on the salon (helpful if you live in or will be visiting the NYC area) and a review on the keratin treatment for my processed hair. I was concerned about doing a keratin treatment because my hair is not naturally curly but after some research online, I felt comfortable giving it a try.
The technician I worked with was Nilsa, and she was very friendly, professional, and understanding of my concerns. She gave me a full consultation where the whole keratin treatment process was explained and a hair diagnostic free of charge, and set up an appointment with me.
On the day of the service, she washed my hair and did not add any conditioner. She discussed the benefits of the brand of treatment she used, Rio Keratin, which you can read more about here if you're interested. After my hair was completely dry, she added the keratin treatment into my hair and straightened with a flat iron at 450 degrees. This was an extremely scary process for me, just because I never ever heat style my hair and if I do, I always add a ton of heat protectant (definitely more than necessary!) After the treatment was complete, she advised me not to wash my hair for a total of 4 days (EEEEKKK!!!) My hair gets extremely oily, so even with the use of dry shampoo I have to wash it every other day or else it looks awful. Nilsa also advised me that I should not use any products in my hair... including dry shampoo. Oh well, gotta take one for the team!

This is what my hair looked like before the treatment:

This is after the flat ironing:

The 4 days without washing my hair was excruciating for me. The day I could final wash, I swear I was like the old school Herbal Essences commercials- I was never so happy to wash my hair!! I was also partly terrified of what it would look like after I did wash.
After it dried completely, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was completely silky, smooth, and straight with no product and no styling- just wash and go.
This is after my first wash: (yes, I am totally rocking Hello Kitty PJ pants- love them!)

Overall, I had a very positive experience with both the salon and the keratin treatment used. For my long hair I was charged $125 which is a stark contrast to the $350+ charge of other salons. If you are interested in making an appointment, I highly suggest you request Nilsa. For more information on the salon, click here.

Feel free to leave questions or comments about either the salon or the treatment. Also, if anyone is interested in updates on the status of my hair, I'd be happy to do it so let me know!

Flattie Flat Iron

I abuse my hair like its no one's business, I admit it. Its not something I'm proud of, but it seems like I can never leave my hair alone. Perm, highlight, get sick of highlights, back to dark, need another perm, and the cycle continues. What I am great about, is hair hair- deep conditioning, Moroccan oil, all that jazz. Also, I never EVER heat style my hair.
Today though, I decided to style my hair differently for a change. I used a ton of heat protectant, but I actually straightened it. What I used was an adorable 1/2" iron- a Flattie.

teeny tiny flattie!

This flat iron is literally the smallest iron I've ever seen. Its also extremely light-weight and would be GREAT to stash in your purse, at work, locker, etc. for touch-ups or emergencies (because we all know that happens!) It's also great for taming that "chick frizz" (aka baby hairs) around the hairline. While it doesn't have any heat settings or on/off switch (you plug it in and its turns on) it does heat up rather quickly.

Here's what the ceramic plates look like up close:

If you have a a lot of hair, this iron may not be ideal for you just because it would take forever to straighten your hair. Also, as it doesn't get super duper hot, it may not be ideal for ladies who have hair that is tough to style.

I thought it gave wonderful results and for the price I paid ($12.99), I'm really happy with it.

Here's what my bangs look like after I used the Flattie to style them (easy-peasy and great results!)

I purchased this product at my local beauty supply store (I swear they love me in there!), but if you're interested, you can pick one up here.

What's your favorite way to style your hair? Are there any tools you absolutely cannot love without?

It's a 10

After I wash my hair, I secretly dread styling it because styling means I have to detangle it. While some conditioners are more helpful than others at making the situation better, its still always an uphill battle. I stumbled upon a brand I had never seen before while at my local Rite Aid- It's a 10. One of their products, the "Miracle Leave in Product" caught my eye. After all the stuff I put my poor hair through, I need a miracle and a half to restore the life back into it. I was more than happy to plunk down the $9.99 for this hair miracle and run home to test it.

This is what the product looks like:



Apologies for the weird lighting, it was really dark by the time I was able to take a picture of the bottle so I had to use some artificial lighting. It looks like its descending from the heavens or something but hey, its the miracle hair product!
Because of the lighting, you can already tell I've used quite a bit of it. After about 5 weeks of use, I'm ready to tell you what I think about it. After I shower and my hair is wet, I spray about 6-8 sprays all over the middle section and ends of my hair. I let it sink in for a few minutes while I do my makeup, pick out my outfit, play with the dog, whatever and then I brush through my hair with a paddle brush. This product truly is the miracle product for my hair. It helps the brush glide through my strands easily, deeply hydrates my hair, and prevents it from looking crispy or dry. I do notice that if I spray too close to my roots, it will weigh down my hair and may make it look a bit greasy, so I really keep this at the ends of my hair. I use it religiously and it will definitely be a product I will repurchase.

What are your miracle hair products?