This hair treatment oil does everything it says it will – controls frizz, increases hair strength, smooth flyaways, etc. I am a huge fan and can’t imagine my morning hair care routine without it. It smells earthy and warm and although the bottle has a golden color, the oil itself is colorless. I especially love what it’s made without: Namely, parabens and phthalates, mineral oil and petrolatum.
I bought my bottle at Sephora – around $24.
Who wants to buy me this necklace? This is jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
I found this on Etsy today and it made my heart stop for a moment. Made by divadeals2004 and available for $65.
In my lifetime, I may have had hundreds of trips to nail salons, nail spas, salons and spas that offer nail services, cosmetology schools that teach nail services, etc. but I can honestly say that on New Year’s Eve, I had the best manicure and pedicure of my life! Let’s back up a little: A few weeks ago, I was actually able to have a latte “for here” at Ghostlight Coffee with my sister. As we were looking around at all the cool stuff to look at in Ghostlight, I found a card for an organic spa called Dual Expressions: an Organic Salon for Faces, Hands, and Feet. I was impressed that this spa offered any organic services at all but that they also perform nail services? I wasn’t expecting to ever see that on a card on a coffee shop community board – in Dayton. So I called and scheduled an appointment for a mani/pedi on New Year’s Eve before a big party my husband and I were throwing in hopes that I would look great for the evening and maybe get some me time to relax before the shindig.
Arriving at Dual Expressions, I met Kelly and some of her helpers and I was immediately struck by how well they had worked with a small space to create a calm and relaxing environment without making the customer feel claustrophobic. They accomplished this by utilizing smaller furniture and making the pedicure stations perpendicular to the front door. Speaking of the pedicure stations, Kelly made the bold decision to do away with the traditional ultra-shiny glitter, chrome, and plastic throne of most nail salons, opting instead for a lush wicker swing. Basically, rather than feeling like you’re getting your nails done, you end up feeling like you’re just enjoying a glass of wine on the veranda on a summer day. The services are personalized to you based on your preferences – I chose grapefruit oil for my pedicure to help get me energized for the party.
I left Dual Expressions feeling completely calm and relaxed and my nails looked amazing, I can’t wait to go back!
I apologize for the fuzzy iphone photos, I was trying to be stealthy. Except for the last one, I was trying to show how awesome the glitter looked for NYE.
Dual Expressions 931 A Shroyer Road Dayton, OH 45419 937-298-3825This product is embarrassingly under Pevonia’s SpaTeen line of products, which doesn’t make me feel great considering I’m a few years removed from being a teenager and still suffering with acne. It’s actually called Blemish-B-Gone. My aesthetician at Shear Joy had me try this product and I must say, despite the emphasis on teen acne, it works very well on my adult acne. One stick will last you a very long time, even if you use it frequently. Priced at $20, it’s not as cheap as the drugstore brand equivalent but works worlds better without drying skin. I promise, it doesn’t even sting.
Vanilla has always been one of my top favorite fragrances, flavors, colors, etc. When I went to Preen Apothecary one day, I found this lotion with its hypnotically light vanilla bean fragrance and fell instantly in love. Ecoya is an Australian brand devoted to conservation and using natural ingredients. I use this vanilla bean lotion whenever I know the day will be a difficult one and it gives me a welcome bit of relaxation in the morning before heading to work.