Tag: tools

Ferrum Professional Hair Styler

ferrum-professional-hair-styler-416x416

After finally mastering a round brush blow out this summer, I actually enjoyed the process of drying and styling my hair. Unfortunately, the novelty wore off and I’m saving that round brush for special occasions only. For now, I rough dry my hair. Then I flip my head upside down and use a paddle brush to work out the waves in the back of my hair. Overall, it does a decent job and I look presentable. But my locks definitely could benefit from a little flat iron touch up.

My main beef with flat irons is that they so often leave hair artificially straight and my fine hair is left totally flat. Enter the Ferrum Pro, specifically designed to create straight but natural-looking hair. Truly innovative, this flat iron has the traditional ceramic plate on one side and a breathable static-free fabric on the other side. Together, they create more volume and less damage.

The fabric plate actually allows hair to retain moisture and this in turn prevents strands from drying out. Moisture is key for volume. Dry hair is more prone to breakage. And like tradition irons, the tourmaline plate adds that shiny finish.

The Ferrum Pro is a great size, portable but not too small at 9 inches long and about one inch wide. It also offers adjustable temperature. I recently read that anything over 350F can damage locks, so I love that this iron offers temps from 140-450F. And for those of you always running late, this thing heats up in a jiff.

Available at folica.com.

And some news about steals and deals: BaubleBar is having its friends and family event, offering 10% off orders of $50 or more (enter FRIEND10), 15% off orders of $100 or more (enter FRIEND15), and 20% off orders of $150 or more (enter FRIEND20) till Oct. 13. Some of my favorites:

 

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN 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.

New SimpleSense Tool from Simple Skincare

New SimpleSense Tool from Simple Skincare // Belle Belle Beauty

I am a total sucker for personalization. If your skin is anything like mine, it doesn’t just fall cleanly into one category. It can be dry, sensitive and even break out. Beyond that, I’ve come to focus more and more on routines like nutrition, sleep and exercise – outside of products – and how they affect my complexion.

Simple Skincare must have heard my tune, because their newest tool looks not only at your skincare regimen, but also your diet, exercise, lifestyle and stress levels to determine a routine for better skin. The Simple Sense questionnaire only takes about five minutes, but is a great way to take inventory of how you are treating your skin.

After answering questions, I had an ah-ha moment. Of the three focus areas Simple suggested I hone into, one was sleep. It really needs to be more of a priority for me. Another was “Polish”, so important for that radiant skin I crave. Swing by the Simple Skincare website and take Simple Sense and let me know in the comments if you had any ah-ha moments with your results!

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Influencer in the Simple® Skincare Program.  Visit www.facebook.com/SimpleSkincare to share your story on sensitive skin.

Drybar Lauches Hair Care Line

Have you heard of Drybar? If not, where in the world have you been? Drybar was started by Alli Webb, after being frustrated with the high price of blowouts at traditional salons. Drybar locations offer only blowouts – no cuts, no color and prices start at $35. Right now, Drybar has 24 locations in New York, LA, San Francisco, Dallas, Scottsdale, San Diego, Atlanta and DC. I confess to having visited more than a handful of them. It is probably a good thing I don’t have a store in my home town because I would literally be there every single week (not kidding one single bit).

But now I can have a little bit of Drybar at home. During my visit to Drybar Dallas last week, I got to experience their brand new product line, exclusively sold at Sephora and Drybar locations. Just like the crafted experience at Drybar (think champagne and chick flicks in girly decor), Alli’s product line was thoughtfully developed and named.

The line was developed in collaboration with Drybar board member and investor Janet Gurwitch, who is also the founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics. “Alli’s clear vision and passion to create a line of products and tools for the perfect blowout has been impressive to watch,” says Gurwitch. “She has identified a real niche in the market and the performance of these products is truly like nothing I’ve ever experienced in hairstyling products.”

Drybar Lauches Hair Care Line // Belle Belle Beauty

The initial product lineup:

Drybar Lauches Hair Care Line // Belle Belle Beauty

The initial tool lineup:

Drybar products are cruelty-free.Shop the Drybar products here:

The Wet Brush

The Wet Brush // Belle Belle Beauty

I’ve always heard combs are best for wet hair, especially my fine, long locks prone to breakage. Literally, since high school, I’ve been vigilant about combing, not brushing post-shower. Once again, the industry I love – beauty – is shaking up my routine with their latest and greatest.

I’ve heard rumblings about the Wet Brush. And I’ve spotted it on visits to the Dry bar where I loved the way it glided through my hair. After hearing it wouldn’t damage and was actually good for my strands, I had to make one mine. Now, with the purple shade in my hot little hands, I’m firmly on the bandwagon. This isn’t just any brush – the fine bristles efficiently and gently move through my wet strands, detangling and prepping hair with ease.

The Wet Brush can be used on dry hair as well and feels insanely good. This brush will reign supreme in my book for dry hair styling, but the Wet Brush’s bristles massage and stimulate the scalp. This promotes blood flow to the cuticle and stimulates hair growth. Put this on your drugstore shopping list or pick one up at Folica.com, drugstore.com and Sally Beauty Supply.

Shiseido ‘Perfect’ Foundation Brush

During a pit stop at the Cle de Peau counter, I was trying out their amazing foundation.  More coming on that later.  As the artist was expertly applying, I was enthralled with this strange looking brush.  “Tell me more!” I pleaded.  Very quietly, he said, “you MUST have this brush, but it isn’t sold here” and flashed the “Shiseido” logo.

Didn’t take me long to scour the internet and place my order.  Be advised that this brush can be hard to find, but good ole HSN has it in stock.  I don’t know about you, but I feel kinda naughty when I buy something on HSN, like in a good way.  As if I am lounging on the couch, eating bonbons and shopping on television.  Anyway, back to brushes…

The beauty of this odd-looking foundation brush is its ability to work with liquid, cream or powder formulas.  The flat surface, along with a full brush, create the perfect foundation finish – no streaks, no cakey coverage. Gently tapered strands create an angled slant that best allows bristles to reach all facial contours. Short handle allows for precise control during application and portability for travel.

I tried this brush with MAC Studio Fix (a dryer cream), NARS Sheer Glow (a less viscous liquid foundation) and the Cle de Peau Silky Cream (more of a cream than liquid) and coverage was precise, even and flawless.
 

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Beauty Blender

I never really embraced using a sponge for makeup applications.  Mostly because I didn’t want those little wedge buggers taking up space on my vanity.  Plus those sharp edges don’t give a very pretty application. But then I heard about the non-disposable. beautyblender, and was smitten with its cute little pink, ergonomic shape.

Over the past years, I have mastered all sorts of foundation application techniques (fingers, brush, kabuki, etc.) so I was prepared to be underwhelmed with the finish from the beauty blender.  Cue pleasant surprise: the finish was unbelievalble smooth, natural and streak-free.

The beauty blender was invented by MUAs Rea Ann Silva and Veronica Lorenz, with the goal of achieving  a perfect blend. The shape lends itself to reaching all the nooks and crannies on your face, without creases or clumps.

I feel like the blender gives the most even coverage of all avaialble application methods.  I love the ease of cleaning – I am definitely more likely to clean this guy after every use than I am a brush.  And for those with allergies, no fear: the beauty blender is non-latex and hypoallergenic.