♡My Favorite Hair Products for Dry & Damaged Hair: Hair Extensions, Hair Treatments & More!♡

I haven't done a hair care routine or favorite hair products post/video in a very long time, but now that I have a solid base of favorites I figured I would make a post! (This might be long so bare with me).

My hair is VERY dry, damaged, over-processed, color-treated, and the list goes on. I am not nice to my hair but have managed to repair most of the damage and get it back to healthy and growing with these products, so I hope this helps!! :-)

Favorite Hair Extensions:

So to start off with my most important hair accessory; extensions. My all-time favorite brand of extensions are My Fantasy Hair. I have done a full review on them in a previous blog post so be sure to check that out, but you can find My Fantasy Hair extensions on their site;

http://www.myfantasyhair.com

This hair is amazing and I have been buying it for about 3 years now, and all of my sets have held up so well and are such great quality even after being dyed, heat styled, and washed. In any post you see me with long black hair (and other colors, but especially the black, I am wearing these extensions). I will forever recommend My Fantasy Hair to anyone looking for a great set of hair extensions!

They come in a 10pc. set & they also have thicker sets as well, plus a separate quad weft you can purchase for extra thick hair! I have a couple of the quad wefts and would really recommend them if you love thick hair, they are amazing! The 10 pc set comes with:
1 - 4 clip weft
2 - 3 clip wefts
5 - 2 clip wefts
2 - one clip pieces
-1 hanger to hang up the extensions

Here is what a new set looks like right out of the package (14 inches, 150 grams, jet black):

 

Shampoo & Conditioner:

For shampoos & conditioners I have a couple that are my favorites:

 

• The Sauve Keratin line & the Joico K-pac are my absolutely favorite go-to's! They work so well on my hair, make it soft, and help reverse damage. They also really help to smooth out my hair and make it super soft! 
• The Herbal Essences cleansing conditioner is great for the days I don't want to shampoo (I shampoo usually twice a week). This helps cleanse but is SOOOOO softening! It does have a slight foamy texture, but it doesn't lather. It really just works through the hair a lot better than other cleansing conditioners I have tried. I LOVE this stuff!

Deep Conditioners & Treatments:
I have just a couple favorite deep conditioners and treatments:

 

• I love organic coconut oil as a pre-shampoo treatment! I scoop out some oil into a bowl and warm it up just a few seconds until it becomes a liquid, then I completely saturate my hair with it from my scalp to my ends. I leave it on for at least an hour, if not longer, then shampoo condition as normal. This really helps to strengthen and fix my damaged hair and REALLY helps it to grow!! I cannot live without it! 
• The Loreal Total Repair 5 is my favorite deep conditioner. I have tried others but nothing compares to it for my hair; it is amazing with reversing damage and restoring life to dead hair. Love it!

After Shower Treatments/Heat Protectants/Serums:
These are my favorites to mix after I towel dry my hair. I never blow dry but let it air dry instead, and these combined make my hair super sleek and soft and manage frizz while protecting it from heat when I use my hot tools the next morning:

 

I use a combination of the oils/serums in my damp hair. 

• I always use my One n Only Argan oil and then mix the others in with it, usually resulting in a quater sized or bigger amount (I never skimp on oils) I just avoid the roots. Each of these works great on their own, I just love what they do to my hair when I use them together. 
• The Chi silk infusion I also use on my dry hair right before flat ironing if I don't feel like using my Nexxus pro-mend heat protection spray, or feel that my hair needs a little more hydration. 
• The Nexxus heat protection spray is really great and does make your hair soft! The smell is also really amazing and lingers in your hair. I actually feel like it protects as well, unlike some other spray heat protectants.
• The Organix coconut milk serum is absolutely amazing by itself and I love it for my extensions, both wet and dry! 
• The John Freida Frizz-Ease extra strength is great for really giving me smooth hair, and although it's heavy silicone, my hair responds well to it and protects it from the elements. 

But that is all I use in my hair. A lot of products but the all really help to prevent breakage, fix damage, make my hair really smooth and soft, and I keep repurchasing them all. I have tried other things but these are my holy grail items. 

Give them a try, especially if your hair is thick, coarse, dry, or overprocessed! You can't go wrong! 

If you have any questions please feel free to leave them on here, or email me:
samyrae7@yahoo.com 


xoxo

Samy Rae


*Disclaimer: I have been purchasing My Fantasy Hair extensions for years now, and all sets have been purchased with my own money aside from this particular set of extensions, which was sent to me complimentary from My Fantasy Hair. I may receive sets in the future complimentary from My Fantasy Hair for being a partner with them, but this will not change my opinions about their hair and the quality. I would only ever speak about products I truly love, whether they are free or I buy them myself. :) 

♡My New Partnership with My Fantasy Hair♡

Hi everyone!

So I wanted to make this quick post talking about the amazing opportunity I have been given from My Fantasy Hair! 

If you don't know about My Fantasy Hair Extensions I will link my full review right here so you can know more about the brand and check out their site:
Blog Post: http://samyrae7.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-fantasy-hair-review.html
Youtube Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O35B8ap1J4


http://www.myfantasyhair.com
Use code "samantha" for 5% off of your purchase!

So I have been purchasing My Fantasy Hair hair extensions since 2012, and have about 4-5 sets from them. I have always loved their extensions and have always repurchased anytime I wanted to change my hair color, because I knew I could trust the quality of their hair, and I love their customer service. 

I posted that review a while ago after really knowing about the hair and feeling that it was time to do one. At this time My Fantasy Hair didn't know that I was going to do the review but had me on their site in their "Before & After" section, because I had sent in my picture to them. I didn't get anything from sending in my picture, it was just a customer appreciation type of thing.

However, I had ordered a set of extensions a few weeks ago and they had noticed that I had done a review for them on my Youtube channel along with my blog post, and of course recognized me from being a long-time customer. I then received an email and they had asked if I would like to be partnered with them, and of course I had to say yes!! Because I have been promoting them on my blog and in my videos, etc. and have been a customer for such a long time, they wanted me to now work with them to continue a journey together. I will of course keep promoting their brand because I love them, but now they will also work with me to help give me exposure as well (AWESOME!). 

I will never get paid from My Fantasy Hair, but might get sent free extensions in return from promoting and posting about their brand and helping them out. :) They wanted to choose someone who they knew loved the company and had already purchased from them for a while, which I think is really great, because you know you can trust opinions when they only choose valued, long-time customers to promote their brand!

I am so very excited to be working with one of my favorite brands! So be on the lookout for future posts, and feel free to post any questions to me as well if you have any! 

Also, they have great customer service and always respond to emails pretty quickly, if you would like to ask them any questions as well. Their customer service link is on their website:
http://www.myfantasyhair.com

That is the exciting news I have been wanting to share, and you all know as my long-time followers that I would of course never keep anything from you! So I wanted to write a full post talking about this amazing opportunity. I was not asked to do this post, or required to, but I of course wanted to so that you all would know that I was partnered. I want you to be able to trust what I say, so the only way to do that is for me to be honest about any company I am partnered with. :)

Thank you all for reading, and thanks to My Fantasy Hair for this absolutely AMAZING and great opportunity they have given me!

xoxo

Samy Rae

♡Favorite Makeup Brands (Top 5): Future Posts & Videos♡

I've decided to get back into blogging (I always say that and then end up forgetting to do so), but wanted to start with mentioning some of my favorite makeup brands. I will make future posts and videos on my Youtube Channel about specific products and mentions but just wanted to start with the basics of my faves. 

My Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/GlitterInMyVeins7

So here are my top 5 high end and drugstore brands:

Top 5 High-End Makeup Brands:
-NARS: I love their blushes! I also love their Radiant Creamy Concealer, it is HG for me
-MAC: Love their shadows & blushes, but their lipsticks are my fave!
-Too Faced: Can we just love the packaging?! Their shadow palettes are amazing, and the Chocolate Soleil bronzer is one of my staples
-Urban Decay: Love all of the "NAKED" line. I have all of the eyeshadow palettes, the highlighter, a blush trio: I just love that line!
-Benefit: Again, majorly cute packaging! The boxed blushes are so good, and so so cute!

Top 5 Drugstore Makeup Brands:
-Wet n Wild: Their $1.99 matte lipsticks are heaven! So affordable with such great pay off. Love their eyeshadow palettes as well: the 8 pan & trio palettes!
-Rimmel: Love their moisture renew lipsticks, the Lasting Finish foundation which is HG for me, and their retractable lip liners! obsessed!
-Maybelline: I can never go wrong with a Maybelline lipstick or mascara!
-Revlon: I love their balm stains and lip butters! They have amazing lip products all around, and you can't forget the popular Colorstay foundation!
-Physician's Formula: a brand I have always liked, but am loving more and more! I am obsessed with their bronzers and the blushes are pretty too! They have really amazing affordable 4 pan matte eyeshadow palettes as well that I love!

So those are my top 5 favorite brands, both high-end and drugstore! Always forever changing too of course but I hope you enjoyed reading a little blurb of my faves. I want to make more posts like this that are smaller that would really just be me rambling if I were to do a video on them. Favorite products will be up on my channel though so be sure to check that out and subscribe to stay up to date!

Love you all xoxo

Samy Rae

♡Tips for Being Bikini Ready!♡

A quick post I figured I would make for all of you wanting to be bikini ready for the last months of Summer!

I'm heading on vacation in 2 weeks to the beach, and although I don't have the most buff bod ever, there are little things you can do to make yourself more comfortable and confident to rock a bikini!

My tips:
-Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water and even green tea, it can help boost your metabolism and give you energy!

-Speaking of energy: take your vitamins! also, be sure to eat lots of healthy foods before your bikini outing, it can help prevent any bloating. If you're into energy drinks, try something else that might be a bit healthier:
Bikini Ready Energy Gummies! Check out their Facebook page: http://facebook.com/BikiniReadyLifestyle
to see what their product is all about! I received mine complimentary from Influenster (check out my previous post) and they really area an easy way to get energized!

-Stay protected! Be sure to wear SPF all over, even if you're big into tanning! SPF 30 at the least will help keep you protected but still allow you to tan. Don't think you have to burn in order to tan, you don't! Keeping up with your SPF and moisturizing after will help you keep your summer glow and your skin will thank you for it later!

I hope you liked these quick tips all! Rock that bikini and enjoy these last couple months of warm weather! :)

xoxo Samy

♡Influenster Unboxing: Vitality Voxbox♡

Hi my loves!

I'm back with another Influenster box review! This one was geared more towards wellness, which I have to admit is not my favorite box but nonetheless has some good products in it!

Here is what the box came with:

-First Degree Advanced Burn Cream
-Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons
-Elizabeth Arden FLAWLESS FUTURE: Powdered by Ceramide Caplet Serum
-Pure Leaf Iced Tea
-Softlips Cube
-Bikini Ready Energy Gummies

Overall, this isn't as exciting for me personally because I'm a big hair and makeup product junkie, and only get these kinds of things when I run out. However, I was excited about the Soflips lip balm, and my hubby trued out the energy gummies and really liked them! lol Everything else I will definitely get use of eventually and it was fun unboxing everything!

To see a full review, be sure to watch my video on my channel! : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30xAdt29oqg


xoxo Samy

* I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

♡Influenster Vow Vox Box Review♡

Hi all!

I'm back with another review from a box I received complimentary from Influenster! They sent me another box to try out which was the vow vox box full of wedding related goodies! This box is catered not only to brides, but to bridesmaids, mothers-of-the-bride, wedding guests, etc which is great!

This box had some items that I feel really fit the "wedding" theme and some that I wasn't so sure about but still love regardless and can't wait to try! Stay tuned for my video review on my Youtube channel as well!
http://www.youtube.com/user/glitterinmyveins7

Here is the box I received:

Here's what's in the box:
-Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polish: barracuda:
I love this polish! It's such a pretty color, especially for Spring and Summer. I personally don't feel that it fits the "wedding" theme as I would expect a light pink or nude, but that is just a personal preference. I'm not getting married as I already am, but love the color regardless and can't wait to try out the formula! :)

-Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream
I am so so excited about this!! It's a full size moisturizer!! WHAT?! :D I love Olay and have been thinking about purchasing a new cream I can use for preventing aging, but this one not only helps with that but combats dark spots! So exciting, because I have acne scars I'd like to fade. Can't wait to try this out for sure!!

-Riley & Grey
This box came with a Riley & Grey card which features the Riley & Grey website which is catered to those who are getting married and allows you to keep track of guests addresses and RSVP's. Such a cool idea! It came with a coupon code discount for the website too so you can create your own website page. Awesome!

-Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream: Raspberry Mist
I personally don't use shave cream (I'm lazy) but I thought this was nice for the box! What bride and maids don't want to have smooth legs for their wedding day? Anyway, I might take it for travel! It's a full size but I may use it just because the smell sounds like it's gonna be good!

-EcoTools Pure Complexion Sponge
Okay, so this one is neat! This is a konjac sponge, you know, those nifty antibacterial, natural sponges everyone is raving about lately! I'm kind of intrigued! Although I have my set skincare routine, I might use this to wash my face and see how it works! I'm very interested to see what all it can do!

-Tide-to-Go Pen
What can I say about this? It's a great idea and everyone can use a Tide-to-go pen! Great to stick in your purse, and especially great to have on hand on your wedding day! No bride wants stains on her dress!


Overall I love this box and I'm so grateful to Influenster for sending me these products to test and try out! So excited especially for the Olay moisturizer and nail polish from Sally Hansen! :)

Hope you enjoyed this post and got some ideas on what to possibly get your bride-to-be best friend or other wedding person! lol Thanks for reading!!


xo Samy


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

♡Influenster Rimmel Moisture Renew Voxbox Review♡

Hi all!

Back to share with you a sneak peak at my first impressions of the new & improved Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick! Influenster was so kind to send me this lipstick to try and test out for free, so I'm super excited to share my thoughts with you!

Here is what I got in the mail!

Super pretty color for spring!!! I have not tried it on me personally, because I have a color similar! But I am going to be giving it to a friend. I do have some good things to say about it though! First thing I noticed was the packaging. I have some of the older Moisture Renew Lipsticks from Rimmel and I love them! The packaging looks a little different but is still the same great sturdy quality! It's also really pretty :)

 The color looks super saturated as well, and very vibrant! And also, the smell is really good! It has a slight fruity scent which is super nice!

 I'm so glad I got the chance to try this out though! I plan on purchasing from the new line and getting some colors I don't already have! I love the old formula and there is no doubt that this isn't just the same amazing quality, but even better!

Thanks again to Influenster for letting me try this new lipstick out!


xoxo
Samy



I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.