Belle Belle Beauty

Ouidad Curl Recovery Whipped Curls Daily Conditioner & Styling Primer

Whipped Curls might sound good enough to eat, but it is really quite something special for those ladies with curly hair. This luxe formula has a triad of functions: styling primer, daily conditioner and leave-in hair mask. The rich, thick cream melts into your hair, hydrating a variety of curly hair types.

First, I gave it a whirl on my naturally wavy locks. I made the mistake of using too much product, but the result was a great hydration treatment. After trying to coax my natural waves out, I gave up and put my hair in a bun. My hair was a little crunchy and greasy. But…. when I rinsed the product out, it was supple, soft and shiner than it has been in … well, a long time. The triple Olive Oil blend with Shea Butter and Glycerine moisturize, strengthen and nourish. Green Tea provides anti-oxidant and environmental protection.

Next, I enlisted Lisa from Elembee. She’s got those enviable, bouncy, ringlet style curls and had mentioned she wanted to try Ouidad a few months ago. She didn’t make my same mistake – she just used a nickle-sized amount of product (see below for what Lisa calls the “Ouidad Flower”). She loves the product as both a styling cream and conditioner. Wait, let me correct that… she “LOVES” it as a styling cream! Once the proper dose was established, Lisa reports “ringlets that were soft to the touch, not frizzy, and hair that doesn’t look or feel greasy.” Her curls looked relaxed, natural and bouncy.

Bottom line: Curly haired curls, take note! Lisa gives this her seal of approval. To those with dry and breaking hair, I would also recommend this as a hydrating hair mask. Other Ouidad favorites include:

Clear & Gentle Essential Daily Shampoo makes for a great clarifying shampoo, but with a low-pH, low-foam formula that doesn’t strip hair and works on color-treated hair
Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner is an intensive conditioner that is a savior for dry, winter hair. The formula is lightweight but deeply hydrating (also can be a leave-in).

Ouidad Curl Recovery Whipped Curls is available at Ouidad.com, salons and ULTA.

Make sure you check out Lisa’s blog here. She has great blogging tips and a fabulous series coming up in 2013 for those who adore travel as much as I do.

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AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Happy New Year! Top 5 Posts of 2012

Happy New Year! I loving turning the calendar page, looking forward to what the next year holds in store. I also love taking stock of what a wonderful year we have had. To celebrate, here are my top five most popular posts from 2012 (one was from 2011 but continues to be a classic!)

Hope you are celebrating with loads of love ones and champagne today – cheers!

Winter Drugstore Hits

Happy New Year’s Eve! I’ve been trolling the drugstore aisles this holiday season have some finds to report. This round-up has goodies that will hydrate and cleanse gentle, dry winter skin without leaving it irritated or stripped.

1. Baudelaire Large Wool Sponge: I am a foam fanatic and this natural sponge gets my shower gel all in a lather. Showering just became a lot more fun.

2. Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar Soap (also comes in fragrance-free): If Jen Aniston loves it, I had to give it a whirl. You know? She was right. The smell is irrisistable and it removes makeup and cleans skin throughly. The bar is actually perfect for my Clarisonic habit – I just rub the brush head on the bar and suds away.

3. Yes to Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes: These gentle towlettes are must-haves to remove the celebratory makeup from the season. Also helpful if you are just too darn ~~tired~~ tipsy to wash your face.

4. CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM & PM: This duo is a straight-forward, no-frills way to clear, even skin. You don’t even have to think: just use AM in the morning for sun protection and moisture and PM in the evening for improved skin tone and hydrated skin.

5. J.R. Watkins Foaming Hand Soap: This natural, dye-free hand soap comes in four scents and is delightfully foamy. Not to mention, I love the vintage packaging. The formula is free of all that yucky stuff and still gets your hands clean from those pesky germs.

Nutrisystem Week 5

I survived the holidays on Nutrisystem! Actually, it was pretty easy. I did allow myself some cheats on Christmas Day but otherwise was healthy through and through. My savior has been my love for fresh seafood. Shrimp cocktail, oysters and grilled fish are festive and still incredibly healthy. And with my lack of a sweet tooth, dodging those cookies wasn’t hard. The celebritory glass of champagne wasn’t the same story. But…. amazingly, a glass of the bubbly is only 90 calories so I cheered away with minmal guilt.

But next up is a real challenge. This weekend I will be in San Francisco for the wedding of a close friend. And then it is onto temptation city in Napa to see friends. Wedding cake, wine, and rehearsal dinner indulgences will all be a challenge to navigate. On the bright side, this part of the country is literally the best place for fresh fruits and veggies (even in the winter). So I hope to fill up on the “good stuff” and avoid cheeses and breads. I also have a stash of Nutrisystem bars to help me out. Wish me luck!

I lost 1.4 pounds this week bringing the total to a 11.8 pounds. Not too shabby for smack in the middle of Christmas.

Check out last week’s Nutrisystem post here.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

Disclosure: As part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program, Nutrisystem has provided me with complementary meals in exchange for my honest thoughts on the Nutrisystem plan. The opinions expressed in my posts are strictly my own. No other compensation is being given.

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Birchbox + Color Club Nail Art Kit

Birchbox does it right. I’m already hooked on the sample delivery service and now they have introduced a nail art kit with Color Club that is just too good (and for only $30). The kit contains:

Nail Art Duo Pens in White and Black with a skinny striper brush on one end and a pen on the other end for precise designs
Mini French Tip Polish, a pure white lacquer
Mini Look Book Polish, a deep, true red hue
Gold Flakes, real gold leaf that can be applied to nails with tweezers
Sealer, a top coat that prevents chips

You can do any of the above designs just using the detailed how-to on Birchbox here!

And remember, shopping at Birchbox means:

Free shipping on all products from December’s sampled brands.
Free shipping on all orders over $25 until 12/31.
Free returns within 90 days of purchase

bareMinerals Remix Collection

Here’s a little holiday sneak peek for you! bareMinerals is releasing a new Remix collection in January and I’ve been test driving some of the products. The 11 piece color collection, despite the vibrant appearance above, is actually very wearable and fresh. The cool shades work great now in winter, but would be fabulous for spring as well.

There are some old favorites in the collection including Warmth (a bronzing finishing powder) and Secret Radiance (also found here). The bronzer gives a nice finish to my winter complexion while Secret Radiance is a beautiful shimmery highlighting powder.

bareMinerals Remix Collection Loud & Clear Lip Sheers // Belle Belle Beauty

The highlight for me might be these sheer, glossy balms – aka Loud & Clear Lip Sheers. I love the way these shades give a great wash of color without being too bold, but giving such a great lip tint. Tangerine Trance, Berry Remix and Amped Pink will be in my purse for the foreseeable future. The fruity scent and hydrating formula make these such a pleasure to use.

bareMinerals Remix Collection READY Eyeshadow // Belle Belle Beauty

Shame on me for not reviewing the bareMineral’s eyeshadows sooner. I’ve been hooked on these for months and the new versions don’t disappoint. I was immediately drawn to The Next Big Thing (right). I wore these shades on Christmas Eve and loved the festive shimmer effect. One thing to note about these formulas: the powder is creamy and super blendable in to a buildable but initially sheer color. So while the shades can look dark, they are quite neutral unless you build them. Don’t discount my love for The Wild Thing (left)! The bottom left shade is a beautiful shimmery taupe. Layered with the top right makes for a golden shade that looks great with the ice blue. Bottom line, these shadows are perfect to play around with and are more neutral than they appear. The creamy powder formula makes for a real treat.

Why yes, that is an aqua mascara. I hadn’t used Flawless Definition Mascara and was very pleased with the volume and length I achieved. The wearability was superb with zero fall out. Blue mascara is something you either are drawn to or you aren’t. I understand. But it is worth a try. The slight blue effect brightens eyes and is actually a great way to soften a look. I’ve been wearing it on bottom lashes for just a suggestion of blue to play off my hazel eyes – trust.

The bareMinerals READY Blush in The Natural High is a high shimmer pink – I’m into radiance these days so I love it. Beware, it is far from matte. Lastly (not pictured), bareMinerals Round The Clock Eyeliner is a creamy, easy-to-use, waterproof eyeliner that I love to recommend. All in all, bravo, bareMinerals on a great collection!