Battle of the Drugstore Dry Shampoos

I'm sure most of us have heard the benefits of not shampooing your hair daily by now, which leads to dry shampoo becoming every oily haired girls BFF.  So on my quest to find the perfect dry shampoo I discovered that the drugstore had quite a few options so I put a few to the test.  Here is what I thought:

• Herbal Essences NAKED Dry Shampoo: This is probably my least favorite of the bunch.  It has a bit of a wetter formula compared to other dry shampoos and it didn't do a good job of soaking up the oils in my hair or adding volume. 

• Garnier Fructis Volume Extend Instant Bodifier Dry Shampoo: If you like a bit of volume or use dry shampoo for texture, this is your guy!  I found this to be good for first day or second day hair that just needed a little lift.  

• Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo: I found this one to be the most bang for your buck since this is a fairly large can.  It lasted me quite a while, especially for someone who goes through dry shampoo like water.  It did a fairly decent job at soaking up all the oils in my hair, but I did find that it left quite a bit of build up on my scalp.

• Dove Hair Therapy Refresh + Care Volume Dry Shampoo: Love the smell of this dry shampoo! It did a good job of soaking up the oils.  It does leave a white cast on my black hair, and I found that this made my scalp itchy when I used it consecutively for a couple days.

• Batiste Dry Shampoos: My absolute favorite dry shampoo I've ever tried.  This stuff really makes my hair look like I just washed it.  I don't find this leaves any kind of white cast or residue. I did like the one for deep and dark brown hair a little more than the other two just because it blended in a lot more effortlessly into my hair, but when I can't get my hands on that one the other ones work just as well.

Recap of my month: January 2014

January definitely made me feel like I brought the new year in right.  It's been a great month from celebrating new years with my best friend who I hadn't seen in months, to adventures like Big Bear and Disneyland!  

First off I'd like to give a shout-out to the weather in California this month... Is it Winter or Summer? So much sunshine, I'm loving it. Anyway back to what I did this month...I had a family friend visiting from out of state so me and my family made it a point to do as much fun things as possible this month with her.  We went to Big Bear for a weekend, Disneyland another weekend, and a lot of shopping in between.  So much fun!  I also went to Medievil Times this month... I was surprised with tickets and it was SO cool! I've always wanted to go as a kid since I used to live around that area and would pass by it all the time, so it was pretty amazing. 

Sad to see such a fun month go, but here's to hoping for more fun memories in February!

Love yours truly,

Lahini

YSL Le Teint Touché Éclat Foundation

As my hunt for the perfect foundation continues, I thought I would try Le Teint Touché Éclat by YSL ($55).  

For a girl like me, who likes her foundation to look natural and radiant this seemed like the perfect match.  It claims to be an illuminating foundation that evens out your complexion and conceals imperfections while enhancing your skins natural beauty.  

I'm in love with the finish this gives my skin, it looks so radiant without being shiny.  The weightless formula of this foundation blends into your skin like a dream.  It definitely evened out my complexion, however I don't see this totally concealing all imperfections.  The coverage kind of reminds me of a tinted moisturizer, but better.  The shade range is great, which I totally didn't expect since most luxury makeup brands don't have many colors suited for darker skin.  I wear the shade B40 and it's almost a perfect match for my skin.  I can totally see this becoming a new favorite of mine for an every day foundation because of how natural it looks on me. 

Definitely check out this foundation if you are in the market for a new foundation to give your skin a beautiful natural radiance.  

Love yours truly,

Lahini

Review: Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Mouisturizer

Say hello to my new morning moisturizer!  The Origins Ginzing Energy-boosting moisturizer ($26.50) is like a cup of coffee in the morning but for your skin.  Although I don't drink coffee (gasp! I know I know what is wrong with me? Maybe one day...), I imagine it does the same thing after watching my friends who can't function without their morning coffee.  It really makes your skin look awake and radiant!

What it claims to do:

"This lightweight, oil free, skin energy drink, fortified with legendary skin-boosters like Panax Ginseng and Coffee Bean, jumpstarts hydration levels.  Lackluster-looking skin is rapidly refreshed and revitalized to create a healthy, vibrant glow."

Does it live up to the claims?  Yes!  This moisturizer has a gel formula that is definitely lightweight and gives your skin a healthy glow.  Oh, and did I mention it smells like oranges?  That citrus scent definitely wakes me up in the morning!  My skin just looks so healthy after applying this I'm totally in love.  It has replaced my Clinique gel moisturizer (sorry Clinique!) that I had been using for the past couple years.  

This is my very first Origins product and I have to say I'm more than pleased with it.  If you aren't familiar with Origins, they are a line of natural skincare products that are formulated without parabens or phthalates, and are cruelty free!  I'll definitely be trying more products from them.  

Love,

Lahini

Recap of My Month: May 2013

Lunch date at a cute cafe 

Event with my roommate and sister from another mister

Mr Fluffy Pants living the good life

Pool day at the cousins

Running a hill in LA 

A day at Venice

Cut 8 inches off my hair

Santa Monica Beach view from the Pier

May was definitely a better month to me than April... I had so much fun this month exploring, hanging out with friends, and getting out of my comfort zone. I took every opportunity to make every day a good day... and it worked!  Amazing how things take a turn for the better when you just learn to be positive.

I did so much this month from going to the beach a couple times, going out with friends and having a date at the movies.  I started watching Grey's Anatomy this month (I know I know, where have I been!?).  It's so good! I can't stop watching!  I feel like so much happened this month that I can't even collect all my thoughts.  It was definitely a good one.

Summer is right around the corner and I hope June brings even more good times.  Have a good June everyone (:

Love Always,

Lahini

My Everyday Makeup Look

On an every day basis I typically wear little to no makeup, or the least amount of makeup needed to look put together and sometimes let's face it... I just have no time to put anything on my face when I'm trying to rush out the door so I can make it to class on time.

Recently however I've noticed that whenever I actually do my makeup I always grab the same products, so I thought why not share it with the blogging world?  So here it is...

Face:

• Benefit Porefessional Primer (creates the silkiest base for foundation)
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 5.0 (flawless lightweight foundation)
• Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NW35 (full review here)
• Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in Medium Dark (such a finely milled powder it doesn't look cakey whatsoever)
• Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro (such a gorgeous color)
• Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips in Vegas Strip (not pictured, but gives your cheeks the prettiest glow)

Eyes:

• Milani Liquid Eye Pencil in Black (creamiest eyeliner ever)
• L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara 
• L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

Lips:

• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Hazlenut (love the formula gives me a "my lips but better" color)

Let me know if you want a review of any of these products! 

Love Always,

Lahini

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in #29 Teddy Bare: My Perfect Nude

I have been searching for my "perfect nude" lipstick for so long that I can't believe I finally found it!  Teddy Bare by Milani is a mauve brown color (lip swatch below) that is just my perfect "my lips but better" shade. If you are darker skinned like me and have been trying to find a good brownish nude then you definitely need to give this a try!  I've always had trouble finding something that suits my skin color and shows up on my already dark pigmented lips, but this certainly did the job.  I've been wearing this as my every day nude for a couple months now and still can't get enough.

Milani never lets me down... the Color Statement line comes in such a variety of colors that I guarantee there's a color for everyone!  I'm definitely going to get my hands on a couple more of the colors because I'm super impressed with the quality of these.  Oh... And they smell like watermelon, but the scent doesn't linger after you apply it so if you're not a fan of watermelon or fruity scents it all works out.

I hope you try it and love it as much as I do!

Love Always,
Lahini