♡NARS Contour Blush "Paloma" Dupe♡

Hi loves, 

I wanted to make a quick post on a dupe I found tonight while going through my collection!

I have the NARS Contour Blush in "Paloma" and picked up a Wet n Wild Contouring Palette a couple months back, and realized tonight that they are basically identical!

Here is a picture (I posted this one on my Instagram - link on the side of my blog):

So in the swatch picture; the Wet n Wild Contouring Palette in "Caramel Toffee" is on the top, and the NARS Contour Blush in "Paloma" is on the bottom. (In the other picture, the Wet n Wild is the round pan, of course).

So the lighter colors were a bit harder to get to show up, but the NARS as you can see, shows up a tiny bit, where as the Wet n Wild didn't at all even with a heavy swatch. 

Texture wise, they are both pretty similar, although the NARS feels just slightly more smooth to me. Both pretty pigmented, but the lighter color in the NARS is a tad lighter. 

Overall, I think this is a great affordable dupe if you've been wanting to try the NARS Contour Blush in Paloma!

Hope you liked this, and I will post more dupes as I find them! 

xoxo

Samy Rae

♡Planner of the Week: March 8-15, 2015♡

Hi loves!

So this is my planner for the week. I figured I would start doing weekly posts just to go over how I organized for the week. I might combine weeks if I feel like I don't have much to show but wanted to post this week because I added a new meal plan feature which has helped me a lot!

I like to focus on my tasks for the week, usually consisting of beauty routines, errands, school, and home tasks such as cooking, cleaning, etc. 

However, I have started writing down my meal plans for each day, or the possibility of meals I can make. This really helps in utilizing all of the food I already have, and narrowing down my grocery lists to make sure I'm not going over budget. I don't do anything special, but I do make a list outside of my planner on meals I can make, then I decide what days I can make what then write them down. 

This has really made my weeks easier in terms of eating out, cooking, cleaning, etc. I can fit my meal planning around my other plans so that I can make sure I have plenty of time to prep, cook, defrost anything from the freezer, and so on. 

So here is a break down of this week's planner and how I decorated. I hope this helps give you some ideas on organizing your time and having some fun while doing so! :)

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram to be the first to see my planner each week!
http://instagram.com/heyitssamyrae

xoxo

Samy Rae

♡All About My Planner♡ | Planner & Scrap-booking Ideas♡

So this week's post, at least the first one, I wanted to focus a little on something home/life related! I wanted to show my planner and explain it, and how I organize each week. 

If you want weekly pictures of my planner and full shots of each week's layout and monthly pics, follow me on Instagram! I post a new one every Sunday or Monday!

https://instagram.com/heyitssamyrae/

After everyone started talking about the Erin Condren planners I really wanted to get one! But after seeing the price of one, I was just not going to invest that into some paper in a notebook! So I looked around and really only having Walmart as an option, I ended up with a planner from there! It is a bit bigger, but I actually like it (the standard size of a normal spiral notebook)

Here is the planner (They had one other color choice, and the price was around $7)

 The brand is "mint green" and it is 60% recycled with soy-based ink, which is always a plus! It has plenty of room for notes in the front and back, plus extra features like; contact information, yearly goals, a world map, and more!

Here is how I have mine decorated so far, for January, February and March! I use an array of washi tape, decorative duck tape, magazine cut-outs, metallic pens, sticky notes, sticky paper, and really anything I can find that is in the color scheme I want for the month!

 I absolutely love my planner and planning for each week! I write down all of my errands, "to-dos", meal plans, shopping lists, and other ideas before I put it into my planner. I just make a small list according to each day, then put it in my planner in a way that I like. I like to leave some space as well in case I need to add anything. 

The last picture which is this week for March, is my favorite set up I think! I thought I liked the more busy look, but I find that leaving more white space but using metallic hearts as bullet points makes it look more organized and pretty. 

I buy all of my stickers/tapes, etc. from places like Dollar Stores and discount stores such as Big Lots. I basically look everywhere I can to find new things. I had a ton of old magazines that I cut up into monthly cut-outs to fit each months color schemes. It took forever, but it was worth it, and I just keep the cut-outs in labeled envelopes. 

The planner is fun, it helps me un-wind at the end of the week, while also keeping me organized for the week ahead. I definitely recommend if you are an artsy person but lazy, to get one and start planning! It has really helped me to stay on track with my weekly and monthly goals!

xoxo

Samy

♡My Curly Hair Routine | How I Achieve Heat-less Curls | How to Enhance Natural Curls♡

So to start, I don't have what most would describe as "curly hair", because my natural texture is mostly wavy, although I do get ringlet curls around my hairline when my hair air dries. However! My hair is very coarse and thick, and I do like to enhance my waves, making them into curls without heat!

Anytime I wear my hair using my heat-less "curls" method, I always get complimented on my "natural curls" which is why I am calling this a curly hair routine. lol

I am going to go over my routine of how I do my heat-less "curls" and the products I use in my hair along with my extensions. Whether you have straight dry hair, or very curly/kinky hair, most of these products should work for you, along with the technique I use! I'm still experimenting to try and find the perfect products, but I love what I have found so far. 

I hope this can help some of you out that deal with any hair that is not pin straight, that is frizzy, dry, and just unmanageable!

My Natural Hair Texture:
To start, I want to show what my hair does when it is washed and it air dries, along with what my extensions do when they dry naturally. (I am wearing My Fantasy Hair extensions in all pictures in this post)

My natural hair texture like I said, is thick, frizzy, and naturally wavy like you see here. This is just with some product in it. 
















How I Achieve Heat-less "Naturally Curly Hair" + Products I Use
So this is where it gets tricky. So I am going to be explaining this in steps:

•  I wash my hair like normal (for a list of products I use in and out of the shower, see my previous post on my favorite hair products). I then towel dry my hair and let it air dry for a bit. If I had washed my extensions, I also let them air dry.
• Next I use a spray bottle of water to dampen my hair, and my extensions separately. I then put these products in my hair and in my extensions:

I like the Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie to start out, because it gives hold without crunch. The Suave sleek anti-frizz cream adds softness, and keeps frizz away even with humidity! 

• I then braid my extensions in medium sized braids, or smaller depending on how tight I want my curls: this is the size I normally go for though:

I leave the braids over night to sit and completely dry. 

I braid my hair in two french braid pigtails, and leave them over night as well.

• The next day I really don't have to do anything with my hair besides add a little product to piece together or add definition/shine if I want any. I usually use these two products when I need a little bit of shine and softness:

 

Here is the result I get from an overnight braid-out, if you would like to call it that. lol

 

How I Touch-Up Second/Third Day Curls:

So now comes the time when I have slept on my hair, and it hasn't been brushed. Mind you this whole time, I never brush out my hair besides out of the shower and right after a wash, & before the braiding just to distribute product (I only use a wide tooth comb, or a wet brush)

If my curls have lost definition, have gotten frizzy, or have lost their curl, here is what I do:

• If my hair has lost its curl, it normally goes back to looking like this (this is one of my extensions after being braided, worn, and on its 3rd day, being sprayed with detangler and combed out.

 

 As you can see, there is still some wave but if I want it curly, I just re-spray with water or these spray products, and re-braid over night again:

 

The Herbal Essences Spray Detangler smells great and helps re-moisturize, and the Mane n' Tale helps prevent breakage, so I like to combine both to get the hair damp if it already has product from the previous days, then I re-braid.

•  If my hair has plenty of curl but just needs some taming, I use these products to re-enforce curl and fight frizz/add shine/add softness:

 

I usually will add the One n Only argan oil spray if I just need a little bit of help, but always use it as a topper with any product to boost shine and add a nice scent. If I feel like I need more definition or to fight frizz, I will add the Organix coconut milk serum, along with the Herbal Essences "Tousle Me Softly" styling cream and "scrunch" with my fingers. If I need even more definition or feel like I don't want to use the styling cream, I will spray a little de-tangler in my curls and add just a little bit of the Herbal Essences "Tousle Me Softly" mousse, which does the trick!

A LONG post, I know! But getting perfect and tamed curls does often take product. I do like using different products when touching up as opposed to when I start right after I wash my hair, because it seems to keep my hair a lot softer. 

Let me know what your favorite curly hair products are and I really hope this helped you out some! Leave any questions below, or email me or follow me on my social media! (Links on the side of my blog page).

Thanks so much for reading loves!

xoxo

Samy Rae


Extensions I am wearing:
http://www.myfantasyhair.com
Jet Black: 16 & 14 inches

Use code "samantha" for 5% off your purchase!

*This post is not sponsored by My Fantasy Hair. Some extensions have been sent to me in the past for promotional purposes, but I also own sets that I purchased myself. Just showing you my hair loves and sharing my favorite brand with you all! :)

♡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