Ipsy Favorites

It took me a while to decide whether or not I wanted to write reviews on my ipsy glam bags I receive each month. January was my fourth month and I have been very impressed with my bags! I have decided, however, not to write a monthly review. Instead, I will make one post every few months of my favorite items I have received. My main reasoning is because everyone is different. What I like and dislike will most likely be different from what you do, but I would rather share what I like in hopes that you will like it as well, rather than sharing what I dislike and swaying you away from a product that you could actually love without my review. So here we go!

October//The Art of Beauty

Eco-Beauty Facial Cleanser Wipes - I absolutely loved these facial wipes! One reason is because, since it has been cold out, my faucet takes forever to heat up, so these were perfect for the mornings when I didn't want to waste water. They have a scent, but it was very subtle, so it didn't bother me. They are 100% biodegradable which is pretty cool, and can double as a light make-up remover. Find them here.

November//Glam It Up

Pixi Beauty Bronzer - I was kind of nervous about this because I have never used bronzer before. I didn't really know how or where to apply it (I know, that's embarrassing, what kind of girl am I?) but after looking it up I tried it out, and loved it! Since I don't have anything else to compare it to, I really can't say that this is the best bronzer ever. But I loved how it looked on me, and found myself putting it on almost daily. My color was Summertime, but it also comes in After Beach Glow and Subtly Suntouched. Find it here.

December//Glam It Up

Pop Beauty Naturally Bare Eye Shadow - So I'm actually obsessed with this color combo. It is so perfect for my skin tone; it's not too dark that I look like a raccoon when I put it on, but not too light that you can't even tell I'm wearing make up. It's just a sample pack but these three colors are perfect together. I put the gold (middle) as the base color, the grayish color (right) as the "smoky" effect on my outer corners, and then the white sheer (left) as the highlighter under my brow and in the corner of my eyes. When applied with the Mirabella Eye Blender Brush, which also came in this month's bag, it goes on and blends perfectly! Find the full size product here.

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick - I am not a big lipstick fan. Actually, I don't think I had ever put lipstick on since my red Belle lipstick from when I was 6. And you know what happened to it? A boy who came to my mom's daycare ate it. Yes...ate it. So I was wary to try it, but I ended up loving it!! I got the Goddess color, which was so perfect. It was a very subtle shade and is true to the name, going on very creamy and beautiful. Find it here.

January//19 Reasons

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave in Conditioner - Geez that's a mouthful! I have a leave in conditioner already but don't use it too much. But I was really impressed with this product. It smells really good and doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy or anything unnatural. And it definitely helps detangle my hair! Find it here.

And that is that! My five favorite products I have gotten so far from my ipsy glam bags! That's not to say I didn't like the rest of the things I have gotten. So far, there really hasn't been anything I didn't like. But these are definitely my favorite and the ones that I find myself reaching for to use again and again. And if you are interested in getting an ipsy subscription yourself, you can sign up here!! It is probably the best purchase I have made for myself.

My New "No Poo" Routine

A few months ago I made this post about how I was going no poo, and why you should, too!

I admittedly didn't go completely no poo, and still haven't. However, in the time since I made that post I have changed my weekly routine quite a bit - all thanks to one amazing product.

BIG Shampoo is made by Lush Cosmetics. I randomly walked into their store in Tucson and started looking around. It was during the time when I was trying really hard to treat my hair better, so when I saw all of their hair products, I couldn't help but take a look.

BIG was the first shampoo I saw and after reading the description I knew I had to have it.

This is the description about the shampoo taken from their website:

"Over half the base of Big shampoo is made with sea salt, giving massive volume to hair in need of a boost. Sea salt is also full of minerals and de-greases hair, removing dead skin cells and dirt without stripping natural oils for a fresh, squeaky clean feeling. We balance the sea salt with seaweed infusion, extra virgin coconut oil and avocado butter for soft, nourished locks. Finally, fresh citrus juices are squeezed in for incredible shine."

The only reason I almost didn't buy this is because it's a little pricey. Well, honestly it's not...it is worth all the money it costs, however I am cheap and spending $27 on a thing of shampoo nearly gave me heart attack. But buy it I did, and I have never regretted it for a second. It works incredibly, allows me to wash my hair without feeling guilty since it isn't stripping my natural oils, and smells amazing.

So here is my weekly routine:

Sunday.// Wash my hair with regular shampoo (the cheapest I can find on the shelf).

Monday&Tuesday.// If needed I use dry shampoo, but I usually don't need it.

Wednesday.// Wash my hair with BIG shampoo (and relish in its awesomeness).

Thursday-Saturday.// Use dry shampoo when needed, usually on Saturday and Sunday before I wash my hair.

The reason I only use the BIG shampoo once a week is because it's expensive, and I'm trying to make it last as long as I can. Also, it is a little hard to make sure it lathers my entire scalp, and therefore my scalp still gets a little itchy, but using regular shampoo just once a week fixes that problem! There are definitely more natural fixes to itchy scalps, such as a this one, and maybe once my shampoo is all gone I'll consider changing my routine again!

Currently in my medicine cabinet is TRESemme's Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo but honestly I don't really like it. I got it just to see if I would like it more but I definitely still stand by Suave's Dry Shampoo! It works better for me and is also cheaper, which is always a plus!

*This is not a sponsored post, it's just an amazing product that I couldn't keep to myself!

Go No Poo!

First off, you may be wondering what the heck no poo even means. I promise it's not gross (well, you may think so)! No Poo is when you no longer use shampoo to wash your hair. I stumbled upon this post quite a while ago and found it astonishing. As you can read, she has been shampoo free for over a year!

The thing about shampoo is that it's not good for your hair. From what I have read, it eliminates your hair's natural oils, and then your scalp tries to overcompensate, which is why your hair gets so greasy so fast. I used to wash my hair every single day because if I went any longer than that, I felt really uncomfortable and insecure because of how noticeably greasy my hair was.

Despite all that, I am not completely "no poo." I could not stand my hair being that greasy for that long. Instead, I decided to compromise. For a little over two months now I have washed my hair with shampoo a maximum of two times a week. On the days that my hair is getting greasy, but I know I shouldn't wash it yet, I use a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with a tiny bit of water to wash my hair. This cleans my hair without stripping my scalp of the natural oils. On the days I use baking soda, I use a leave-in conditioner spray.

I can honestly say that it has been working! The amount of greasiness my hair would get after one day now takes about three days! I also just recently (yesterday) bought Dry Shampoo. I used it today and WOW does it work wonders! Another quick fix for oily hair is baby powder (but only if you're a blonde!).

I use:

The Cheapest Shampoo and Conditioner on the Shelf

Baking Soda

TRESemme Leave-In Conditioning Spray

Suave Dry Shampoo

Baby Powder

Use tea tree oil if your scalp gets itchy, and try different home-made hair treatments like this one for more natural ways to keep your hair healthy!

Do you do anything special to your hair? I am definitely not an expert in all of this, but I'm always looking for more ways to improve!