♡Influenster YSL Voxbox Unboxing - #YSLToucheEclat♡

Hi loves! I just wanted to share with you what Influenster sent to me to test out! MY FIRST YSL PRODUCTS!!!

I posted this picture on my Instagram of my box when I first opened it:

http://www.instagram.com/heyitssamyrae

They sent the full size YSL Touche Eclat Blur Perfector, which is a "balm to powder" touch up product you can use under makeup, to set makeup, or to mattify throughout the day! And a deluxe size of the YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer, which is a radiance boosting primer. It has flecks of shimmer in it and it blurs the look of pores, and leaves skin soft, more even and luminous. 

I am excited to try these out!! I will feature them in a haul on my beauty channel and let you know my thoughts, so follow my channel and subscribe to stay tuned on that!

http://www.youtube.com/user/glitterinmyveins7

Let me know if you have tried these and what you think of them!! 

xoxo

Samy

*Influenster was kind to send me these products complimentary, to try and test out! Sign up for Influenster at http://www.influenster.com

♡How I Keep My Hair Extensions Soft & Shiny♡

Hi Loves!
I know I just posted a products for dry & damaged hair and extensions post (see link below):
http://samyrae7.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-favorite-hair-products-for-dry.html

But I wanted to share the one main product that is holy grail for me in keeping my hair extensions soft and shiny!

I wear human hair extensions and have tried many different brands. All hair extensions have a life span and over time can get pretty dried out with constant heat styling, coloring (if you choose to dye them), every day elements like the wind, and just every day wear. Also, they don't have the oil production and nutrients that our normal hair gets which is why you really have to take care of them.

I have been wearing my My Fantasy Hair extensions for a long time now. I have a newer set that are amazing but because I like a lot of hair, I wear some of my older sets as well, including a quad weft that I love (because it is a super thick piece). All of my older sets of extensions are still in decent condition however, they can get pretty tangled if I don't keep them properly moisturized, especially my quad weft since it is so used and abused, and thick hair which can tend to get tangled more quickly!

I don't want to wash & condition my extensions all that often because washing dries them out, so for over about two years now I've incorporated the One n Only Argan Oil spray into my daily hair routine!

I love spraying this in my natural hair and my extensions everyday before and after styling! When I feel like my extensions are drying out, I just spray some of this in them, brush them through, and they feel amazing, are very shiny, and also smell really great too (which is a plus if you don't want to wash them all of the time). 

I highly recommend stopping and getting this if you see it! (I get mine at Sally's Beauty Supply). It's super affordable and works wonders on extensions!

(Wearing MyFantasyHair extensions in 18 (cut to 16) & 14 inches, Jet Black)

I hope this helped and thanks for reading lovlies!!

xoxo

Samy Rae

http://www.myfantasyhair.com

Use promo 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! :)

♡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. :)