hair products

Colleen Rothschild New Years Sale!

December 27, 2019

Favorite Colleen Rothschild Hair Products | Style Blogger Lauren Meyer shares Colleen Rothschild 20 off New Years Sale!

Happy Friday friends! We are back home & cuddling with our boys. Felt SO good to be with family the last few days! The last few Christmases have been so busy, but we spent an extra day in WI this year just to have more time, and it was the best decision. We spent the beginning part of the week with Kevin’s fam in Wauwatosa and ended the week with mine in Madison. After breakfast with my mom & sister yesterday, Kevin and I went downtown. Ate at our all time fave restaurant (Tipsy Cow), saw the Christmas tree at the capitol and walked all the way down to the Union. It was fun revisiting campus – it’s been WAY too long! About 76% of you think the study cages at Memorial Library are insane, and I can’t say I blame you – haha!! Saved everything to my Q&A highlight along with our Q&A from Monday!

Anyway, after Christmas/New Years Sales are in full swing! I updated my list of 40+ sales yesterday in case you have some gift cards to spend! Colleen Rothschild, the haircare & skincare brand I’ve been sharing recently on Instagram stories, is 20% off site-wide right now (code: BYE2019) !! I actually picked up this hair mask, hair serum, body wash and exfoliator last Spring when I was at rStheCon. Colleen Rothschild herself was there, which was SO cool. I became quickly convinced I needed everything on their site, lol!

What I love so much about her brand in particular is how effective yet affordable the products are. They last FOREVER (literally have the same products I picked up in April) because a little goes a long way! Everything is made with high quality ingredients free from nasty chemicals like sulfates and parabens, which is something I LOVE! I talk more about how harmful these chemicals are in a blog post from back in 2018.

I recently re-shared this hair mask and serum combo with you all in stories. Both have been a GAME CHANGER for my dry winter & color damaged hair. After going brunette in November, I realized how damaged my hair was from a decade of dying it blonde. Dry, brittle and broken. Previously, I had used the mask 1-2 times a month. Now, I use it every time I wash my hair, and it’s essentially replaced my conditioner. What’s nice is that you can use it as a mask or conditioner so you’re essentially getting two products in one. It contains a blend of different butters (like Shea) with oils (like Argan) to smooth hair, replenish moisture and give it amazing shine!

And, if you’re looking for a daily product to reduce frizz and add shine, I highly recommend the Hair Serum. I actually have been using the travel size of this serum almost every day since April and still have some left. Wasn’t kidding when I said these products last forever! This serum in particular is my fave because it helps smooth my dry/brittle ends and give a nice shine without leaving my hair greasy or weighed down. I always apply this after using heat and share more about why it’s great for those gals with short hair in this post from June!

I also recently started using the Cleansing Balm once a week. This product is SO luxe – the smell, the texture and the application seriously makes me feel like I’m in a spa! And, I love that the ingredients are formulated with level E3 so they adapt and work for exactly what your skin needs. You can use it daily, but I’ve been loving it for a little bit of extra me-time once a week. It’s a bit pricier (got mine full price, it’s on sale now!), so I want to make it last by using it sparingly. With daily use, it’ll leave your skin even more luminous + soft! It would be great to use daily for my gals who have very dry skin because it leaves mine buttery soft when I wake up in the morning. I follow it up with their Intense Hydrating Mask to round out my spa experience!

These products don’t go on sale very often so I would definitely take advantage now! The sale code for everything here is BYE2019. Sharing all of my faves in the “Shop the Post” click through below!

xoxo

**Thank you Colleen Rothschild Beauty for sponsoring today’s post. As always, all products were selected & tested by me and all opinions are my own!**

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5 MUST HAVE Hair Products + Tools for Short Hair

June 17, 2019

Affordable Summer Outfits + Father's Day Weekend Sales! Style Blogger Lauren Meyer shares an Instagram Round Up + Weekend Sales!

An alternate title for this post could also be “MUST HAVE hair products for fine hair” because, lets be honest, your girl has a head full of fine hair! But, regardless, everything I’m sharing today are my tried and true hair products for my short hair gals! I’m also sharing a bit about what my stylist does to my hair in the salon!

As someone who’s had short hair on and off for over a decade, I like to think I’ve been through the gamut of “volumizing” and “texturizing” hair products. Drugstore to high-end, I’ve probably tried them all. And these are the ones I can’t live without!

I’ve really challenged myself to keep this post about products that would best benefit short hair, not just hair in general. So, if you’re looking for more of my basic hair tips head here! And, if you want all of the products I use, you can find those here.

Also, one last thing about my cut in particular since this question frequently pops up in my Instagram messages – I get a lob (long bob) with internal texture and long layers. My color is primarily foils with my natural color (dark blonde/light brown). If you’re local, I see Gina at Suite Spot Salon Spa! You can save $$ by mentioning I sent ya!

5 MUST HAVE Hair Products + Tools

The right tools – If I could give each of you $500 and tell you to get my curling wand (which comes with a separate detachable base), my straightener and blow dryer I’d for sure do that. Because the trifecta of all three working together is truly magical. But, if I had to narrow it down to one, I’d say the blow dryer is a MUST HAVE for short hair. Does that surprise you? It did for me since it’s the newest addition to my collection of tools! But it’s the only hair tool I use that gives you insane volume and lift while leaving your ends silky-soft. I was getting so annoyed with how limp and lifeless my hair felt before getting it – it quite literally breathed life back into my hair!
Lanza Styling Mousse – I picked up this bottle last August when I chopped may hair and the same bottle is still going strong! A little goes a long way. This isn’t technically a volumizing mousse. I use this spray for volumizer. What this does though is add volume and texture, which makes your bob a bit more piecey as it defines the layers.
Klorane Dry Shampoo – Bed head is a short haired girl’s worst nightmare. Random kinks all over the place AND half of it always ends up flat to your head. Seriously, what did we do before dry shampoo? You ladies know I am a die hair drugstore dry shampoo gal. But, considering I use a bottle every two weeks (I know, I know), I figured it would be good to invest in one that had more natural ingredients. I tried this dry shampoo and am HOOKED. I’ve been using it for over a month and it works SO well! I can go a full week without washing and still wear my hair down at the end. Truly a miracle. I use it both day and night.
A Smoothing Serum – there’s two products I would recommend for this. I use both but you can definitely just use one or the other too! First is Alterna’s CC cream that you apply to damp hair. It helps smooth your hair while providing UV/Heat protection as well as anti-aging protection! When I’m done styling my hair, I’ll use maybe a dime size amount of this serum. A little goes a long way. This is hands down the best smoothing serum I’ve ever used! It leaves your hair so silky and smells amazing! Both of these products will help keep your hair smooth and silky without sacrificing volume as both are so lightweight! I apply both from mid-shaft down (on the ends of my hair).
Living Proof Full Dry Volume – This is another product that I firmly believe is magic in a bottle. After I’m done styling my hair, I’ll take random sections and spray this into the roots. It helps create insane lift and volume as well as provides some texture. This one is a great, drugstore, alternative!

What’s one hair product you can’t live without?

xoxo

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Sephora Fall VIB Sale Picks

November 2, 2017

**UPDATED**

Sale Dates: 11/10-11/15

ROUGE: 20% off 20FORROUGE

VIB: 20% off 20FORVIB

Beauty Insiders: 15% off INSIDER15

I know everyone always says October is their favorite month (leaves changing, pumpkin everything etc), but mine has always been November. November always signals the start of the holidays for me, which begins with my birthday mid-month, Thanksgiving shortly after followed by LOTS of shopping then Christmas and New Years! It really is the best time of year.

November also marks the Sephora Fall VIB Sale for Beauty Insiders. The Sephora Beauty Insider program is a rewards program that’s free to join and allows you to gain a point for every dollar spent at Sephora. It also gains you access to weekly deals, and their twice yearly sales site wide. There are different tiers to the program – Beauty Insider, VIB and VIB Rouge. Your tier depends on the amount spent in a calendar year. If you guessed that I’m a VIB Rouge you guessed right. Please don’t look up how much that means I spend there in a year and PLEASE do not tell Kevin! LOL. To be fair, I buy everything from Sephora. From makeup, to skincare, to haircare almost my entire bathroom is from Sephora.

During their twice yearly sales, I stock up BIG time. I mean, it would be silly not to with how good the sales are (talking 10-20% sitewide depending on your tier). The exact dates for the November sale are still up in the air, but it typically starts the first or second weekend with the VIB Rouge, then moves down the tiers until the end of the month. If you’re wondering what to buy, I’ve sorted out my top pics for different categories below! My post from Tuesday on holiday lipsticks also has a ton of products that will be on sale as well! Happy shopping (and saving!)

I. GIFT SETS:

‘Tis the season right?! One of the best things about Sephora is that year-round they have a “gift” section separated into different price categories. These are some of my top picks (most below $60). A lot of these would be great as a whole gift or even separated out into stocking stuffers/smaller gifts for different people. Endless Options! My top 3 picks in this section are below!

Fresh Sugar Lip Beauty Box: You get 6 of these tinted lip balms at $45, which is a crazy good deal considering they normally retail for $24 individually (and this is without an extra % off!). This is a great present to get and then divvy up into stocking stuffers or individual gifts!
Beauty Blender Gold Mine: This is very similar to a gift set I got for my sister last year. Again, another instance of saving crazy money considering one beauty blender alone retails for $20 and this set of 2 + a cleanser and blotting papers comes in at $40. It’s the perfect gift to introduce someone to beauty blenders. Wondering what these are? Read more about how you use them in my post here.
Too Faced Best Year Ever Collection: This collection of 3 mini eyeshadow palettes is great to separate out into individual gifts at a very affordable price. It also comes with a variety of shades so is likely to have something everyone likes.

II. MAKE-UP:

These are my must-have sale picks for makeup at Sephora. A lot of these are staples in my beauty regime, and some are palettes I’ve been dying to try! Again, my top 3 picks are below!

Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette: I received this palette as a gift from a friend a few months ago and use it almost every time I wear makeup. I barely touch my other palettes because I’m so obsessed with this one. It has all warm-toned colors with enough for both summer and winter looks, which makes it great to use all year-round. It’s also highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. With the sale, this palette will be below $50, which is a seriously good deal!
Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude Cushion Stick: This is a recent purchase for me that I’ve been using the last few weeks. In my foundation post, I talked about using the regular Double Wear Stay In Place foundation, which is also an amazing product. However, sometimes with the Stay In Place foundation I would find my skin looking really dry when in fact I have normal – oily skin most of the time. Lately, I’ve been feeling like I need something lighter and not so full coverage. So enters the Nude Cushion Stick. The Stick has the same shades as the Stay In Place original with the same staying power (in my opinion) just without the heaviness. I’m obsessed with the glow this foundation gives me and how buildable it is! 😍
Ready to Roll Brush Set: This set is perfect for the beginner make-up enthusiast or for someone looking to re-vamp their brush collection. For 10 brushes, this is already a good deal, but with the sale it’ll be even better!

III. SKINCARE:

Sephora carries some of the best skincare products out there. In my opinion, their skincare products already come at pretty affordable prices, but I always like to stock up during the sale. Make sure to check out my 3 essentials and snag yours at the lower price!

Origins Checks and Balances Face Wash: This is hands down one of my favorite skin products of all time. A Sephora sales rep introduced me to it last year, and I use it almost daily. It’s perfect for normal or combination skin as it will literally balance out your oily/dry areas (hence the name Checks and Balances). It has a foamy texture when wet and works well with a brush like a Clarisonic if you have one.
Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment: This acne treatment works wonders on blemishes. It almost always eliminates blemishes within a day or two. However, it is very drying, so make sure to use a good moisturizer before applying it and use it once a day! Also, mine typically lasts 6 months with sometimes daily use so you get a lot for what you pay for!
Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Cream: A gift from the anti-aging gods! I bought this eye cream last Spring during the VIB sale and have used about half of it. A little goes a long way and it’s one of the most effective products out there. Definitely worth the money!

IV. HAIRCARE:

Haircare products are some of my most purchased items from Sephora, which might surprise you. But, they have SO many quality brands at good prices. I’ll be highlighting my favorite go-to products that I’m planning to stock up on during the sale. You’ll notice most are from 3 brands – Alterna (personal fave!), Living Proof, and Amika. And, I’ve actually included 4 must-have products below because I’m really that much of a hair-lover 😜

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo: Hands-down the BEST dry shampoo out there. And trust me, for a girl who washes her hair only twice a week, I’ve tried the gamut of products. This dry shampoo is a step above the rest because it actually cleans your hair when you spray it on your roots. What?! I know! After a sweaty workout, this product eliminates oil and grease to allow you to style your hair any way you want. I’ve actually been running super low on this dry shampoo for a few weeks and have been using my travel size to get me through to the sale LOL #hardlife. If there’s one thing you pick up from this post, let this be it!
Amika Bombshell Blow Out Spray: This spray is perfect for us fine-haired ladies. It’s a spray so it won’t weigh your hair down like a mousse would. Also, it works when you both blow dry and air dry your hair. I use mine every time I wash my hair!
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo + Conditioner: Alterna products are a step above the rest. I discovered this brand largely on accident after using my Beauty Insider points to purchase a few samples of their shampoo. After I used the samples, I was hooked, and this is now my go-to shampoo/conditioner. I even got my sister hooked. We’re also convinced this makes your hair thicker over time. This stuff is MAGIC you guys! Cannot rave about it enough 💕
Alterna Caviar CC Cream 10-in-1 Complete Correction: This is another product I use every time I wash my hair. You only need a little so you can make even a sample size last months. Just as the name says, it protects your hair in 10 different ways from anti-breakage, heat protection, UV protection, smoothing, etc. yet is still light enough for fine hair. This was a game-changer in my hair routine, and I think is another reason why my hair feels thicker and healthier than it has before!

Whew! Didn’t realize this post would be so long! But there are just SO many good products I didn’t want to miss one! Make sure to stay tuned for the Sephora Fall VIB Sale, and I’ll be sure to update this post once they release the official dates. 🤗

Kev and I had a great time at the Minnesota Wild Hockey game on Tuesday! Unfortunately, they lost, but it was still a really fun experience. Tonight, we’re going over to my sisters to have dinner since my Dad is in town for a workshop. My Dad is a donut aficionado so tomorrow I’m taking him to Bogart’s for a morning treat before he leaves for home. I’m excited to see his face once he sees all their flavors!