Product Review: Remington Ceramic Elliptical Styling Wand

My hair is naturally stick straight and pretty flat. It also doesn't work very well for updos :/ So I'm always looking for ways to switch up my look. Last month I bought the Remington Elliptical Wand. It's basically a clamp-less curling iron with an oval barrel instead of the usual round shape. It comes with a glove to protect your hand from the heat. The barrel is silk ceramic and heats up to 410 degrees. I have used it a few times now and I am pleased with the results. It does give more loose waves instead of the tighter curls of a traditional curling iron. It heats up very quickly, and I can wave all of my hair in about 10-15 minutes, which is nice because I usually am running short on time. The only con I've found with it is that while I have it wound up on my head, sometimes my hand hits the buttons on the side and accidentally changes the temperature or turns it off...so I kind of wish they had put the buttons in a different place. Anyways, here is how I use it: 

1. First I spray my hair down with a heat protector.

2. I separate my hair into two sections, bottom and top, and pin up the top half with a jaw clip.

3. I start with the bottom half, wrapping each 1-inch strand around the barrel and holding it there for around 10-12 seconds. I catch the curl as soon as I remove it from the wand and hold it there for a second or two to help the curl set a little better.

4. Repeat the same process for the top half.

5. Gently separate the waves with my fingers and mist lightly with some hairspray. 

Here is what it looks like when I first finish before I've separated the waves:

And here's after I've finished styling:

And here is 8 hours later (after being in the humidity all day): 

And there you have it. It doesn't make huge, dramatic curls or anything, but for me it's a nice change to have a little extra body. It's less than $20 on Amazon.com, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone else looking for a way to change up their 'do :)

My Favorite Clean Eating Snacks

Sometimes you just need a quick, no-fuss snack to hold you over until mealtime, and it can be SO temping to reach for cookies or chips...but, since I've been gradually making over my lifestyle to be a healthier one, I've found a few favorites that you don't have to feel guilty about. They are easy to take on-the-go as well!

Fab Etsy Finds

Had to share some of the pretties from Etsy I've been swooning over lately!

Moon Phase Dress by graciechai

Hanging Planter by PotteryLodge

Cat Pillow by robinandmould

Swan Print Girl's shorts by swallowsreturn

Miniature Cob House (would be so cute for a terrarium!) by mymindsattic

Flower Crown by Eterie

Toddler craft: name painting

I picked up some cheap canvases from Hobby Lobby the other day and had to find a special project for them. This was a lot of fun for the little one and now we have some personalized art for her room :)

Materials:

1 8x10 canvas

Adhesive letters (mine are from hobby lobby, 50mm helvetica)

Washable crayola paints

Instructions:

Arrange the letters of your child's name in desired position on canvas. It's ok if they don't stick super well, I found they still stayed in place well enough even with a little toddler roughness. Have your little one pain the canvas. Let it dry, could take 3-4 hours depending on how thick the paint is. Peel off the letters. If they moved around a little during painting, you can touch up with white paint or just leave as is like I did, doesn't have to be perfect! 

vegan lunch idea: creamy avocado garlic pasta

                                

Sometimes I run out of ideas for lunch, and I get tired of the same old thing all the time, so I decided to get creative with the ingredients I had on hand. This recipe turned out to be super simple and delicious! 

Ingredients:

8 oz dry pasta (I used quinoa/rice fusili)

1 avocado

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Handful baby carrots

Handful kale leaves

1/3 cup olive oil or more, depending on what consistency you want

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring pasta water to boil, add pasta and unpeeled garlic cloves. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, peel and chop your avocado, and wash your other veggies. When pasta is done, drain it and remove garlic cloves. Add the avocado, kale, carrots, cooked garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper to your blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and toss with pasta immediately. Enjoy! 

My favorite beauty products

Sharing what's currently in my makeup bag!

face:

1. Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral foundation in Light. This has moderate coverage, keeps your face matte, and provides SPF 15. 

2. Physicians Formula Mineral 3-in-1 Corrector + Brightener + Bronzer, Light Bronzer This gives a warm bronze glow without being to dark or harsh. I use this in the summer time to give my face a little color instead of tanning from the sun (skin cancer, yikes!).

3. Pur Minerals pressed mineral blush in Diamond Rose. I use this rosey color in winter time on the apples of my cheeks so I don't look quite so pale :)

lips:

4. Beridan Naturals lip balm in clove. This balm is made with all natural ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter, etc. and is my go-to overnight lip moisturizer. Also, the smell is AMAZING!

5. Burt's Bees tinted lip balm in hibiscus. I've been a fan of Burt's Bees for years. This balm goes on smooth and is a very natural looking hint of color. 

scent:

6. Tokyo Milk's Ex Libris This scent is warm and earthy. It really does remind me of old books! I normally wear it in autumn and winter.

7. Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange I have a slight obsession with blood oranges. This helps me get my fix :) Great scent for summer, and made with pure grain alcohol with essential and natural oils. LOVE. 

nails:

8. Essie's Carousel Coral. A lovely coral color for spring/summer. 

9. Essie's Mint Candy Apple. Mint green is definitely one of my favorite colors of all time and this is the perfect shade. 

moisturizer: 

10. Everyday Coconut daily face lotion. SPF 15 moisturizing lotion made with fair trade coconut oil. Feels light and protects me from the brutal summer sun. I wear this under my pressed foundation. 

11. Organic virgin coconut oil. Yes, you read that right. Just straight coconut oil is what I like to use for my nighttime moisturizer. Also works well for removing eye makeup. 

eyes:

12. Bare Minerals brow kit. Apparently this product is no longer in production, which is a shame because I love it :( I'll have to look into alternatives for when mine runs out. 

13. Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 in The Happy Place. A great quad of neutral earth tones. 

14. Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 8.0 in The September Issue. A lovely palate with a mix of neutrals and a couple fun pops of color. Very pigmented. 

15. Rimmel Exaggerate felt tip liquid liner. Inexpensive, and works great. I love the fine point felt tip for the cat eye effect. Much easier than the brush type in my opinion. 

16. NYX Doll Eye mascara. I use Extreme Black. Goes on clump-free and has microfibers that add length and volume. 

17. Covergirl Perfect Point Plus eyeliner in Black Onyx. Smooth and easy to apply. I like it for my lower lash line. It comes with a smudge tip at the end, which comes in handy for a smoky eye look. 

What are your beauty must-haves right now? 

Europe trip part 2: Paris

day 6 continued: we arrived in Paris, checked into our hotel and strolled around Montmartre, which was where our hotel was located. We had a gorgeous view of the city from our room. Next we headed over to Champ Élysées and window shopped, and of course picked up a crepe from a street vendor to hold us over til we made it to LaDuree for the best macarons ever! I had pretty high expectations and they did not disappoint! It was really hard to choose with all the lovely colors/flavors available, but I managed to narrow it down to: Marie Antionette (a lovely aqua blue), pistachio, orange blossom and rose. At dusk, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower and hung out there for awhile and got to see the light show, sooo pretty!