Summer Beauty Faves

I haven't done a beauty product post in a while (okay really I haven't done any posts in a while - nothing exciting going on here except I've been on a few first dates, zero second dates [yet], it's hot here and I love it.) I've got some recommendations for you girls - some of these may be repeats from a past post, but that just means I really love it.

So y'all are going to be out in the sun this summer right? Temps are pushing 90 all along the east coast right now, so I know you babes will be sitting by the pool at some point, and you've GOT to protect your hair color! 

First up, you need a beach hat. I can hear you now, "But I hate hats!" You only think you hate hats. Anyone can pull off a beach hat. Plus, if you're at the beach/pool... who cares. Just put it on. It will cover your hair, and save your face from getting burned.

Hat, Forever 21

Speaking of getting burned, YOU NEED TO WEAR SUNSCREEN (Alexis). I am horrible at remembering to put sunscreen on every day (my moisturizer is SPF 30, but I only use that on my face) but I am a nazi about putting sunscreen on when I'm at the pool. I reapply often, because I don't enjoy being scorched and itchy/hot/peeling later. And if you're using less than SPF 30, what is the point? I use SPF 50 just about all the time. If you've got tattoos, I recommend getting one of those sunscreen sticks (Coppertone Baby makes them - they're like big chapsticks) and covering all of your tattoos with it. It will keep them from fading in the long run.

On to the hair products. Start your color protection in the shower with shampoo & conditioner. I use Redken's Color Extend (in the red bottles).

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I follow that up with Pureology's Colourmax (I use this year-round, but especially in the summer.) I also keep a travel size bottle of this in my beach bag and reapply at the pool - every time you get your hair wet, spray it on again.

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Redken just came out with a new product called Duo Shield 07. It's a cool product - cream in the middle of the nozzle, and a gel on the outside, so you get two products being cocktailed together. This protects your hair from the heat (blowdryer, flatiron etc) and also protects your color.

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One more beauty product - this one has nothing to do with hair or color protection, but there is nothing I love more in the summer than a pure white nail. Katrina was raving about her Ulta nail polish the other day, and I desperately needed a white polish, so I picked up Ulta's Snow White. It's very opaque, and while I felt it went on kind of thick, it dried just fine and I have no chips after 2 days of not really taking care of my nails. ("Two days?!" Yeah. I paint my nails twice a week. What of it?)

Ulta's Snow White
(ring finger) OPI Rainbow Connection

This link has been floating around Facebook all day today and I wanted to share - guaranteed to put a smile on your face. 21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

Also, iPhoners (and lucky Droid users) - are you on Instagram? Find and follow me! @helenthefabulous

We are also all obsessed with this new music app - Songza. It's like Pandora, but better. It has just about every playlist you could imagine - you can search by activity, mood, location, etc. (They even have a Stripping option in activities. I mean, you never know...) Oh and its FREE!

Hope everyone has a fab week and stays cool - or not cool, but dang, please protect your hair color (and your skin!)

Weekend in Maine

Wow did I need a weekend at home or what. I haven't been home since October, so 4 days in Maine was exactly what the doctor ordered. I flew in and out of Logan (and lucked out on both flights that the middle seat was empty) and took the bus to Portland, which gave me plenty of 50 Shades of Grey reading time. (Where is my brooding billionaire hiding anyway? The first book was awful, but the second was much better and I'm liking the 3rd so far. I'd recommend them. They are raunchy, and strangers will judge you if you are reading them in public. You've been warned.) And this is going to sound so Southern of me, but DANG Maine is cold! 63 degrees when I got off the bus at 5pm. It barely gets to 63 here at night!

View out my bus window

Wedding manicure - OPI Pink Flamenco

Trash can coolers in the hotel room. Classy.

me & the bride!

This weekend was a crazy whirlwind though. I only saw my dad for about 10 minutes Thursday night because every second of the rest of the weekend was booked solid. Visited with my grandparents, did a little bridesmaiding and a lot of drinking and dancing, spent a few hours with my salon girls (while getting beautified and a much needed haircut!), visited with Gina & Tyler and met baby Brody! While I am not a baby person AT ALL I am going to fully admit that that little baby is stinkin' cute.

Saturday night... oh Saturday. We stayed in a haunted mansion in Portland and hit up Foreplay - a much needed girls night out. We let loose and danced our asses off, and I only had to pull The Face once. I'm going to take the same route as Katrina and say that I am so thankful for all of the great women in my life. I had friends drive for hours in the pouring rain to come see me, even if it was just for a little while, and I could not be more grateful. The girls that I have in my life here in NC and the ones who are (too) far away in New England make up the best Net of Support I could ask for. Love you girls!

Went on a date last night. This guy seemed promising. Thirty four, good job, doesn't want kids. Winning, right? So we went out for drinks (and I had the best raspberry martini I've ever had) and the conversation flowed pretty well, he was very complimentary to me, things seemed to be moving in a good direction. I mention something about Bailey. He counters with the fact that he smokes pot daily and that his "last 3 shrinks have all agreed that pot is the only way for me to calm my OCD and anxiety." I'm sorry, what? Sir, that is a gross overshare of information and something you should probably keep to yourself until the 5th or 6th date. We call that "word vomit" around here. He walked me to my car, asked if I wanted to do dinner on Friday. I said I'd have to check if I was free. I woke up this morning to two text messages and a message on OKC. Done. Denied. Creeper.

Looking forward to a weekend of doing absolutely nothing except sitting by the pool this weekend - I am still exhausted from Saturday night's shenanigans (and my voice still has that somewhat husky "I drank too much and screamed/sang too much at the club" sound)!