{ " got2be ~ Guardian Angel ~ Flat Iron Balm " }

For quite some time I had been using the TRESemme' Heat Tamers Spray, but after going through three bottles I decided to try something new. I had a coupon for $2.00 any got2be styling product. I would never have tried this product if I hadn't gotten the coupon.

The directions are to hold the bottle 8" - 10" away from hair. Spray dry hair in sections prior to flat ironing.

It protects up to 425 degrees, and claims it will make your hair sleek, and frizz-free.

I use it when blow drying also, and it gives my hair a great amount of texture! got2be does have a spray specifically for blow drying, but I haven't seen that one in Walmart yet.

So, let's start out with the normal (somewhat) categorized review!

SCENT: 
This product has a scent I can't really put my finger on. It doesn't smell good, but it doesn't particularly smell bad either. It is quite "perfumey" which you can take any way you want. I preferred the scent of the TRESemme' Heat Tamer. This one smells a little bit old... a little more flowery, and chemically. It's an interesting scent to say the least, but it's bearable. It does not really linger too much on the hair, and after about an hour there is no scent left.

TEXTURE: 
It is a spray... so it's liquid. It is not sticky, and very lightweight.

PACKAGING: 
The nozzle is amazing. I actually like it better than the TRESemme' bottle, which I didn't think was possible. It sprays in nice strong, even sprays, and the button is easy to press. The shape of the bottle is cute, and easy to hold in your hand as it's not bulky. My small hand fits around it great, and it's quite comfortable to hold.

OVERALL: 
I absolutely love this product overall. I love the way it makes my hair feel, as it doesn't make it sticky, but it gives it texture. I have very fine, and rather thin, hair, which makes it difficult to style. The way this coats my hair gives it just the right amount of texture, and helps to keep my style in longer. I don't see that it makes my hair very glossy, but I do love it anyways. Having fine hair, my hair is almost always soft, or smooth, so that isn't usually my goal when styling. I don't know if it's protecting my hair... but, I guess it is? How do you actually know if a heat protectant is working? I dunno.... Oh well! Use it anyways!

I'm trying to figure out a new way to write out my reviews, but I'm a little OCD so sorting things out has always been something necessary to me... I know I am not the best at reviews at the time, but I'm also thinking about setting up my tripod at some point and attempting a video review. I can explain things more successfully when I am actually talking about them... We'll see how that goes!

Thanks for reading,

{ " Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish " }

**I did decide to return this product, as it was not worth the amount of money spent, in my opinion.***

CLICK HERE TO SEE FIRST IMPRESSION

So, it has been three days since I put on my gel nails, and I am super pleased with the results. 

I know, three days is nothing, but be aware that I would already have reapplied regular nail polish. So, this is exciting to me! There are absolutely no chips, and no tip wear.This is going to take some getting used to, because I am used to just changing my nail polish color when I feel like having a new color on! I have read online that you can use regular nail polish with the gel base and top coat though. Hopefully that actually works, because their selection of colors is very limited at the time. Hopefully they come out with new colors sometime soon. But, until then I'll try it out with regular nail polish. It is supposed to last longer than regular nail polish (with a normal base & top coat), but not quite as long as the gel polish. So, we'll see what happens! 

Color: Troublemaker 

Of course the application is not perfect, but it was my first time doing the gel nails, so it was a little different than regular polish.

*** I did go to CVS and return everything I had bought the other day, because Walmart was having a much better deal on the kit with the full sized LED lamp. I was very pleased, because CVS refunded me more than $10.00 more than they should have. I got the money back from the coupon I used too. So I got the money from the coupon on a money card for CVS, but that means I can go buy another color of gel polish with that money. It was a little strange, but pretty awesome nonetheless. ***

I will do a 5 day update as well, and as many updates as I can until I have to remove the gel!

{ " Sally Hansen Gel Polish - First Impression " }

**I did decide to return this product, as it was not worth the amount of money spent, in my opinion.***

I made a dash into CVS today to pick up the Sally Hansen gel manicure kit! I had a 25% coupon for my entire purchase, which was the only reason I even looked into buying this kit.

I read review on it, and on most websites it has almost a 5 star review, which is excellent! I did not get the huge kit with the larger LED light. I actually bought several things separately, because it was cheaper. I ended up getting the InstaGel Strips kit (that came with lacquer strips, the gel top coat, and a little tiny LED light), the gel base coat, and a gel polish. It ended up being quite a bit cheaper than if I had bought the $70 kit.

Of course, I was curious as to how this turned out. Most people raved about how easy it was, how fast, and how long it stayed on. So far I've seen how easy it is. It really is just like applying nail polish, as long as you remember which coat you did last! Obviously since I just did it about five minutes ago I don't know about the staying power yet. As far as I read it stays on up to two weeks with no chips! That information came from reviews too, not just product claims. The color went on smoothly and was opaque in two coats, but I can imagine that would vary with colors. I chose a darker color called "Troublemaker" which is a dark purple color. It is exactly the same color as shown on the box when cured. I am very pleased with the color, and as I said the application was smooth. My thumb nails are very short right now, which made it hard to seal off the ends without getting the gel polish on my fingertips. Thankfully that is easily cleaned off.

On my pinky finger on my left hand (the first finger I did) I got a bit on the side of my finger, and didn't notice. I did not clean that off, and now I think it will probably peel off a little sooner. The only reason it should peel off is if you get the polish on your skin, allowing it to lift up and then peel off the nail. So, hopefully the rest stay on well, because I was extremely careful with my other nails.

The curing time is 30 seconds for four layers on each nail. So about two minutes a nail. Which makes it about 20 minutes all together for your complete manicure. The little LED light is actually timed too, so you don't even have to time it yourself, which is very exciting!

So far I have noticed that my nails are not shiny. They are almost matte. They have a slight shine to them, but not a "mirror like shine" in the least! I don't know if that is, because I used the top coat from the InstaGel Strips kit, or what. But, I wanted them to be shiny like the product claims. Anyways, I'm hoping they'll just magically turn shiny when I'm not looking. ;)

After you cure the nail it is very tacky, so you need to wipe the nail with 99% isopropyl alcohol to take the tacky feeling away. It does take the tackiness away, but it also takes the shine away. After you wipe the nail they are completely hard, and you can tap them together, tap them on other things, and you won't get any smudges or dents. You just have to make sure you "cleanse" them afterwards, or you'll have a sticky, tacky mess!

I am hoping they last quite a while, without having to be reapplied. If they do not last more than 5 days I am returning the whole kit. I know that sounds horrible, but I am not going to pay for something that doesn't work!

So yes, that is my first impression of the product! So far, so good, besides the fact that they are not shiny.
I will keep updates on how long they last, and if they start to become shiny!

Thanks for reading!

{ " Burgundy Infinity Scarf " }

As the weather gets colder, the crocheter in me comes out. I absolutely love to make cozy things such as scarves, and hats. I have never been very good at making anything that isn't simple, but I love to experiment. So, this scarf is basically the outcome of an experiment. I started out following a pattern, and then ended up completely changing it and going my own way. I absolutely love how it turned out, and it took about 300 yards of yarn. I bought the Red Heart Super Saver yarn, and so the scarf only cost $2.47. I obviously put time into it, but I mostly worked on it at night. I will probably make this same scarf in a couple of different colors too, but for now I'm going to start on some finger-less gloves, because taking photos in the winter is absolutely bitter! 

I'm excited to make some other things, and find some new patterns. 

Thanks for looking! 

{ " Inexpensive Organization " }

I am all for inexpensive, but then again, who isn't?

So, here are some simple ways I like to keep organizing my little things inexpensive.

This adorable little bird dish cost me $0.79 at Michael's Craft Store. I thought it was perfect for storing my earrings, and a couple of other little jewelry pieces. 

I got this little cup at Michael's Craft Store for $0.79, and I just love using it to store pens and pencils, and of course scissors! It's so pretty, and matches my other decor perfectly. 

I got this basket for my birthday it came with some nail polishes in it. I used it for a while to store nail polishes, and then decided to use it to keep my many lip products in. It has worked out well so far, I just keep my least used products at the bottom, and the ones I use the most at the top.

This box was actually an Amazon(.com) box. I cut it down, and covered it with pretty paper to make it a little more appealing. Right now I'm storing my nail polishes in it, but who knows what I'll store in it next!

As you can see I love using glass jars. All of the jars came with something in them, so I didn't pay for any of them. You could even glitter them up if you wanted to, which is what I will probably do soon!

Not quite sure if everyone would call this organizing... but, I do! 

Anyways, those are just some of the little ways I save money and organize my things. 

Thanks for looking! Hope you get some ideas! 

{ " Desert Essence Green Apple & Ginger Shampoo/Conditioner " }

I have only been using this product for about a week and a half, but I figured I had my opinion on it, so it was about time to share it! 

I was using a different sulfate free shampoo called, Not Your Mother's Grow Long and Strong or something of that sort. I have been using sulfate-free shampoo for about the last year. It started with Organix (And, I have used about three of their different "scents"), then went to Not Your Mother's, and now to Desert Essence. The difference with Desert Essence compared to the others is well... it's better. 

Let me list the "No's" and the "Yes'" according to the website: 

NO:

Parabens
Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
Phthalates
Artificial Fragrances or Colors
Silicones
EDTA
Glycol or Petroleum-based Ingredients
Phosphates
Animal Testing

YES: 

Vegatarian/Vegan

Wheat/Gluten Free

Recyclable 

Biodegradable

Renewable Sources

Cruelty Free

Well isn't that cool? The reason I looked into this line was, because of looking at a website called Vitacost. A girl I watch on YouTube also has Celiac disease, and she uses products from Desert Essence, and buys them through www.vitacost.com. Not all of Desert Essence's products are gluten free, but they have a section on their website that specifies the ones that are, and a ton of them are gluten free! 

So, let's get on with the show! 

SCENT:

The scent of products (especially for my hair) is extremely important to me. I have tried a couple of shampoos, and conditioners that have smelled so awful I had to stop using them. Then I have tried a few that smelled so good I wanted to eat them. Since this product is all natural, and has no artificial fragrances, it basically smells like all of the products. So, it smells like apples, and ginger. The scent kind of reminds me of dish soap for some reason... I'm not quite sure why, but it really does. The conditioner doesn't remind me as much of dish soap, but the shampoo is like full on dish soap!

TEXTURE: 

Texture? Would you call it the texture? I dunno, I'm trying to figure out which word I meant... but, anyways! The shampoo is very watery, and a little goes a long way. Which is a good thing, because it's not exactly cheap (we'll get to that later). It kind of just pours out onto your hand, and you don't have to squeeze the bottle at all. The conditioner is a little bit more thick, but not luxurious in the least. I use the conditioner only on my ends (the little ends that I have that is), so I can just use a little bit. The shampoo obviously does not produce a super intense lather, but it's all natural... so I didn't expect it!

PRICE: 

Each bottle on www.desertessance.com costs $8.99, but on www.vitacost.com the shampoo was $4.67, and the conditioner was $5.06. So, of course I ordered off of www.vitacost.com. You can also get Desert Essence products at Wegmans, or probably Whole Foods, maybe even Trader Joe's? I'm not sure, but I think the best place to buy their products is definitely www.vitacost.com! 

OVERALL: 

I love this shampoo and conditioner so far. It is the first gluten free volumizing shampoo and conditioner I have found. Also, it actually works. I don't know if it's actually, because of all of the natural oils, plant roots, and what not... or if it's, because it is just a very lightweight product. My hair is very "floaty"... can you use that word with hair? I don't know, but I'm going to. When my hair dries it does not try stuck to my scalp like normal. It has more body, and more volume for sure. I love how it dries, and usually the next day it looks even better. I don't actually have to use dry shampoo every day anymore to give it more volume. I can go four days without washing my hair (not four days without showering, don't worry), and it still looks very fluffy, and bouncy. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is gluten-free and looking for a good volumizing shampoo and conditioner. It is an excellent product, and I can't wait to try out more Desert Essence products. 

Thanks for reading, if you have any questions, feel free to comment! 

{ " Ulta Haul? " }

Not sure if you would call this a haul... seeing as it is only five products, but whatever!

I was out shopping on Saturday, and I decided to pop into Ulta, because I had a coupon for $3.50 off a purchase of $10.00 or more. I was planning on spending exactly $13.50, and in turn spending only $10.00 after using my coupon. Well! All of the Ulta brand products were buy-two-get-two-FREE! I hadn't known that, so that was quite exciting. Each of their nail polishes are $6.00 a piece, so I was planning on buying two nail polishes, and ending up getting two for free, and spending a bit less than I had originally planned. When I was waiting in line I was intrigued by a travel sized Batiste dry shampoo that was scented like cherries. So of course I grabbed that as well.

First of all let me tell you, if the nail polishes had not been B2G2. they would have costed $24.00 all together. Then adding the little bottle of dry shampoo would have made the total $27.99, then you have to add tax onto that as well. So it would have been about $30.00 for the five things I purchased.

With the BOGO for the nail polish it would have been $12.00 for four nail polishes, plus $3.99 for the dry shampoo, which would have been $15.99 total. Then I had the coupon which would have made the total purchase $12.49. Which was a bit more than I had wanted to spend, but it wasn't too bad.

So when I got up to the register she rung everything up, and then scanned my coupon. The price was $12.49, until she hit a button that brought it down to $6.90.

SIX DOLLARS AND NINETY CENTS?! 

How did that happen?! I think I might have squealed when she told me the total. The nail polishes I had chosen ended up being already 50% on top of the B2G2. That was absolutely insane. So, I basically got three free nail polishes, and a free dry shampoo. Totally excited! I painted my nails with one of the polishes yesterday afternoon, and today there are no chips, and no signs of wear. Hopefully it holds up pretty well, and then I'll keep watching for more deals just in case I'm out that way again.

I just thought I'd share my awesome deals!