Glow Your Way Into Summer, With Healthier Skin

With summer being here most of us are going to be spending a lot more time outdoors.

The days are longer and the sun seems to shine brighter than ever. Most of us are ready and willing to soak up the happiness….and the sun. But as you well know, the more time we spend soaking up the rays, the more at risk we are of skin damage.

It isn’t just sunburn that you’ll have to worry about if you forget to protect your skin from harmful rays. There’s skin discoloration, dry skin, wrinkles and worse.

Now that the bad news is out of the way, let’s talk about the good news: Valentia’s Even Glow Serum. Made with 98% natural ingredients, this serum is packed with extremely powerful antioxidants that reverse the signs of aging and protect against environmental pollutants. Not only will you help to protect your skin but you can lock in extra moisture due to the super skin oils included in the ingredients.  

Never forget to use your trusty hat and SPF, but this serum will help to repair and renew your skin so you are a step ahead before you step outside. Your skin will look amazingly radiant, smoother, younger and flawless.

Sounds like a great way to start and end the summer, right?

Our friends at Valentia, are having a Glow Your Way Into Summer promotion where you can get 40% off this must-have skin revitalizing serum.

In anticipation of summer you can get your bottle at 40% off! 

Use the coupon code *SUNNYGLO* for 40%!

The team over at Valentia are always adding new products and I am excited for what’s to come this year.

Here’s to a happy summer and a gorgeous complexion!

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Bring The Spa & Salon Home In 4 Easy Steps

Taking time out to pamper yourself is a must in my book. With all that I have on my plate, I need a spa day, an escape… some me time.  This is why I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to try out Conair’s latest hair and skincare products; the Infiniti Pro by Conair 3Q Styling Tool & True Glow by Conair Sonic Skincare Solution!

Having a relaxing day of pampering, doesn’t have to cost an arm & a leg! Especially now that I can enjoy this experience more so in my own home, with two new Conair products!

So, if you would like to know how to bring that spa experience to you home in just 4 easy steps, continue reading.

My 4 Easy Steps To Bringing The Spa & Salon Home

STEP 1: A Bath..My spa routine will start with creating a calming bath. And nothing relaxes me more than soaking my stresses away with some aroma oils, while listening to some relaxing music, and let’s not forget about enjoying a glass of wine!

STEP 2: Skincare...Once you have soaked your stresses away, it’s time to cleanse & exfoliate that skin! This time around I was able to treat my skin with the True Glow® Sonic Skincare Solution brush, (while I was still in the tub as it Waterproof and safe for use)! This little bad boy has two brush heads, for the face & body making it very handy!  So, without irritation, it unclogged pores and washed away the embedded dirt and oil that can cause breakouts, blackheads, and dull, patchy, old-looking skin. It left my skin looking radiant as a professional spa treatment would!

Some additional benefits to the True Glow® Sonic Skincare Solution brush:

• It is dermatologist-tested, so it is gentle enough to use as part of my everyday skin cleansing regimen.
• 3 speeds, and with an automatic even-cleanse timer, so you don’t have to think! As it lets you know to move another area of your face or body every 10 seconds.

STEP 3: Hair... Treating my hair to an invigorating shampoo & deep conditioner, to keep my tresses healthy is a must. 

• First,  I start with a good scalp soaking; you want to make sure that you get all the areas ensuring you are removing all the dirt!
• Next, I use a Sunday Shampoo, to detox my hair and rid any product residue, build up, etc.
• To get the full spa experience, you want to scrub your scalp gently in small circles, this will also help to loosen any styling products or loose skin. Rinse with luke warm water for at least 1 minute.
• A Deep Conditioner:  Restoring your hairs moisture is important, and it isn’t that difficult. There are a lot of great products out there that you can use for an at home treatment, just make sure your get one that will fit your hair needs. 

 How To Apply:

• You want to apply the conditioner near the halfway mark of your hair first and then move towards the ends of your hair.  
• Apply the rest from your roots to your tips.
• Put your conditioned hair in a shower cap or wrap it in saran wrap, this will help to set the product in.
• Let the conditioner sit for about 10-30 minutes 
• Apply heat.  This is where I used the Pro by Conair 3Q Styling Tool. (3Q™ stands for Quick, Quiet, and Quality).   Using a hair dryer to heat up the conditioner will allow it to absorb into your hair more easily.  I used the Conair Pro dryer on a low setting as you don’t want to get the shower cap to hot, as it could melt.
• Lastly, remove the shower cap and rinse your hair with cool water.  After this, you want to gently towel dry your hair, add a heat protectant and then blow dry your hair.  

STEP 4: Drying & Styling My Hair

Step 1: I don’t always fix my hair, but when I do, I like it curly! So, to make sure that my hair looks voluminous I always start off with a great hair dryer, like the Pro by Conair 3Q Styling Tool.

On Sale Now For only $119.00

Step 2: Minimize heat damage by spritzing your hair with a heat protectant. But keep in mind the  Pro by Conair 3Q Styling Tool, reduces drying time by up to 70%* with lower temperature and faster airflow to minimize heat damage, now that's HAIRtastic!

Step 3: Add a volumizing spray and some tea tree oil to the hair.

Step 4: Section your hair, to blow dry. Depending on your hair's style or length the way you dry it can vary.   Therefore, I am not going to go into how to blow dry the hair.

More about the Hair Dryer: The Pro by Conair features a brushless motor with a combination of magnets & electronics to drive the motor (no carbon brushes), up to 5000 hours of life - 10x longer than dc motor dryer! Plus...

• Ionic technology for smooth, shiny hair and up to 75% less frizz.
• Professional quality line cord for extra durability.. 

Lastly, when I curl my hair, I set the curls with cool air, so it was a bonus when I was able to use the locking true cold shot button to set my curls in place. My tip, you always dry with heat and set with cool!

So there you have it beauties.  As you can see having a relaxing day of pampering, doesn’t have to cost a fortune! So go treat yourself to some BEAUTY today!

Bonus: WIN COOL STUFF... From now until July 2nd you can enter the Conair Do It YourSelfie Photo Sweeps: Entering is as simple as snapping a selfie either using your favorite Conair hair styling tool or an “after” look from using a Conair styling tool, and uploading it to the official giveaway site with the official giveaway hashtag #ConairDoItYourSELFIEsweeps. You can also enter via Twitter or Instagram!  Five winners will be randomly selected to win prizes, including gift cards and the latest Conair styling appliances.
 

For more information about Conair's full line of styling and skincare products, visit Conair at www.conair.com, and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for great beauty tips, tricks, and giveaways!
This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. I received the Infiniti Pro by Conair 3Q Styling Tool and the True Glow by Conair Sonic Skincare Solution for my own personal use. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.

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Virtual Shopping With Trendage

Shopping just got easier with Trendage, it’s like a virtual dressing room! With the Trendage app.  You can build fashion looks using products from top retailers.  It is very easy to mix & match between different looks, to express & build your style and wardrobe!

The Trendage App. gives you the chance to pick a top, bottom, shoes, and accessories, to create your perfect outfit. Additionally, every clothing product in every look you create is available for purchase!

You can shop directly from your iPhone or even your tablet by visiting. http://www.trendage.com.

I had fun creating looks, I did a few different summer looks see them below! 

My Looks:

Final Thoughts: This program is relatively new so I anticipate that they would allow some more customization in regards to the model.  Personally, I would like them to add the ability to upload an image of yourself or a least a model with similar features!  Overall, I had fun with the app and you can too! Happy Shopping! 

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Top 5 Tips To Selecting The Perfect Summer Hair Color & Maintaining It

With the change of the season, comes time to change up my hair.  This season, I’ve taken it to another level as I have gone from long hair to the trendy haircut, the WOB, aka the wavy BOB.

In addition to cutting my hair, early summer is when I redo my highlights.  I’m a big fan of burgundy/auburn highlights in my dark hair, as I love the way my hair looks when the sun hits it.  See my before & afters below.

While I look forward to changing up my hair for summer, this can be a daunting task for some. Whether your want to change up your look by adding some highlights, sombre or even changing your color completely, you need to have a hair checklist!  So, if you want to find out how to pick the perfect summer hair color & maintain it, continue reading!  

Hair Checklist: 

Tip 1 
Ideas:  It is important to have some ideas in mind of what you want.  If you don't, why not seek some ideas from a magazine, TV or a professional,?  But keep in mind, picking a new hairstyle from some of these inspirations isn't the only prepping you need to do before you plunge into some new locks of color!

Tip 2 
What Color:  Before you pick a new color there are some things to consider to help in selecting the best one.  The most important thing to think about is your skin's undertones.  Knowing your skin's undertone will help you to pick the color that will best suit you.  As selecting the wrong color can make you look washed out, tired and worst yet, older.  On the other hand, if you do choose a color that best fits your skin's undertones, your skin tone will appear more radiant and bright.

Tip 3
How To Determine Your Skin's Undertone: Determining your skin's undertone isn't always as easy as some make it out to be.  First off, what does this mean?  Your skin's undertone is the color under the surface of your skin.  This is why some end up with a hair disaster because while their skin color may be similar to an actress you've seen on TV, the actual skin-tone could be different.

Warm Vs. Cool

• Warm or Cool Undertones:
• Warm: Golden, yellow, and peachy
• Cool: Reddish and pink

• How To Determine Which Undertone Category You Fall Into: 
• Option 1: The easiest way to determine this, is to look at the inside of your wrist.  You want to take a look at your veins to see if they are green or blue.  
• Option 2: If you are having difficulty with option one, you can look at the color of your skin.  

• You Are A Cool If... 
• The color of your skin: If you have medium skin color with a faint pink or pale skin with no color in your cheeks, you are cool.
• Veins: If your veins are blue, you are a cool person.
• Best Hair Color: According to my stylist, if you are a cool person, the best colors for you are Ash blonde, Sandy Blonds, Violets, Auburn, Black. Mahogany, and Coffee Brown, just to name a few.
• Hair COLORS to Avoid: Bronze, red or yellow pigments.

• You Are Warm If...

• The color of your skin:  If you have pale skin with peach or golden you are a warm person. 
• Veins: If your veins are green, you are a warm person. 
• Hair Colors:  If you are a warm person, colors that will look best on you are shades of golden blonde, honey browns, dark browns, copper, strawberry blond, orange-based colors, and reds.   
• Colors to AVOID:  Blue, violets, and jet black pigments.   

If you still need some help in determining your perfect hair color. Madison Reed has an excellent Hair Dye color guide. 

Tip 4  

Products: If you don't want your hair color to wash down the drain (and your money too), you need to make sure that you are properly taking care of your hair!  You want to be using a color safe shampoo & conditioner.  These products are designed to maintain the hue, prevent fading while keeping your hair soft and healthy. Why do these work better? These unique products are made to seal your hair cuticles, so your hair holds onto the dye longer.

Tip 5  
Maintenance: You need to make sure you refresh and upkeep your hair. This step is one that I take plenty of precautions because the color red I have in my hair quickly fades.  According to my stylist, red pigments fade the quickest because the molecules are larger, which sit on the outer layer of the cuticle.  Hair pigments with smaller molecules are best as they penetrate deeper into the cuticle layer of the hair shaft. The deeper the color, the longer it will stay.

Upkeep:

• Don't Overdo Shampoo. You should wait at least 48 hours after you color your hair before you wash it.  Washing tips after this; keep in mind the more you wash your hair, the quicker the color will fade.  Even if you are using the correct products, water, unfortunately, is the biggest contributor to fading color! Dry Shampoos work wonders!
• Protectors: Make sure if you are using any heated device, that you apply a heat protector on your hair. You should also invest in a UV protector along with some Moroccan or argon oils.
• Stay Out Of The Sun: Yes, with summer it is hard, but the sun can cause your color to fade. So, if you are outside for an extended period, I suggest a hat. Hats are really big this season, so you'll fit right in with the trend while protecting your tresses.

Refreshing the Color: There are root touch up products you can use if you are in a pinch. You can also use a color enhancing rinse between coloring's. But overall,  you to want you want to make sure that you are keeping your roots & color up to date!  Depending on your growth, you will need to do this every 4-8 weeks.

Bonus Tip:  I know I said only 5 tips, but YOU DO deserve the perfect color!  If you are still not sure about what color will work for you, Madison Reed has made it simple for you to find it! Their online Color Advisers will guide you through a few simple questions to present you with the shades that will be perfect for you, your hair, and your skin tone. You can go to their website, chat or better yet you can call them at 1.888.550.9586!

So HAIR there you have it beauties, my Summer Checklist To Selecting The Perfect Hair Color & Maintaining It!

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