Recent Fave Beauty Products + Tools

I'm so excited about this post because when I find a good thing -- be it a recipe, a hairdresser, or a new blog -- I like to shout it from the rooftops!

Here are just a few beauty products and tools that I've been loving lately.

First things first, this awesome nail polish.  It's called Jaded and it's the Revlon Top Speed line.  I love the minty green color, and it really does dry quickly.  Only thing to add: I find that a lot of quick-dry polishes aren't as shiny as I'd like, so this polish definitely looks best with a shiny clear top coat.

I am a big believer in leave-in conditioner and I had a bottle that I was working off of that I LOVED.  Unfortunately, I couldn't locate it anywhere to get a replacement bottle.  Cue Katie of Keep Calm & Carry On to the rescue with her well-timed blog post that introduced me to It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In.  Just like the spritz I'd been using before, this one contains keratin.  I purchased mine from Ulta for $18 and I really do like it.  I realized I can't use too much or my hair gets easily weighed down.  But three or four spritzes on towel-dried hair, and I'm good to go.

And my hair isn't the only thing that needs a little moisturizing in this cold weather -- I'm a huge believer in slathering on body lotion right out of the shower.  St. Ives has me covered (literally).  Their coconut milk & orchid extract scent is to die for.  I wake up Ian after I'm done showering, and when I lotion up and then go lean in over him, he always groggily says "You smell sooooo good."  It's an inexpensive large bottle but I think it smells just as good as some of the spa brand lotions that I have.

And I'm still totally in love with the L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen mascara that I introduced you to in this post.  I swear I need to take some before-and-after pictures of it just so you can see how amazing it really is.  I do feel like it gets clumpy quicker than other tubes I've owned, but at the drugstore price, I'm fine with that.

A few weeks ago, I picked up the Neutrogena Wave from our Nordstrom Rack.  I'd been eyeing a Clarisonic Mia -- which I'd still love to get someday -- but this does do a really good job of exfoliating my skin.  I use it every Sunday night, and my face feels baby-bum-smooth afterwards.  It comes with these disposable pads that foam up really well while it's spinning around quickly.

Recently I was having some hair dryer woes.  I had an old Revlon hair dryer that was an inexpensive Target purchase, and when the motor stopped working unless it was held at a 45* angle (I wish I were kidding....) I knew it was time to step up my game a bit and purchase more of a salon brand.  I found a Chi hairdryer at TJ Maxx and was so excited to try it, but UGH.  Not good.  If I had it on a warm/hot setting, sometimes it would just switch itself to cold air.  No bueno. 

And then the hair dryer gods smiled on me.

I was contacted by Misikko to give one of their hairdryers a whirl.  Not any old hairdryer, ladies -- a HANAair Professional hair dryer.  This is, by leaps and bounds, the best blow dryer I've ever owned.  It's 2300 watts which makes my old 1875 watt dryer seem like it was running on little batteries.  Drying my hair, which used to take a full 15 minutes, is now done in 8-10 minutes. 

There are multiple heat settings and fan speeds, but my favorite option is the cold shot button at the very top of the picture below.  The reason why I love this is that when you push it in, it stays in -- to release, you just give it a quick push in again.  All of my previous hairdryers had cold shot buttons that had to be held down the entire time, which made holding the dryer awkward and tough.

Without a doubt, my hair has been shinier than ever, and the volume I get is just great.  I have been wearing my hair straight a lot more often and giving the hot rollers a rest just because I'm not needing them as much anymore to get the big Texas hair that I love.  Here's my hair this morning after using the hair dryer:

Shiny and smooth with lots of volume at the crown -- the best combo.  Product-wise, I use a few spritzes of the It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In and then I use a small amount of the Hana Shine Shield.  This Hana product is also available for purchase on Misikko's site.  



Now, the hairdryer normally retails for $334.99, but Misikko has it on sale for $194.99.  I know it's quite an investment, but I do believe that if you're ready to step it up to an amazing hairdryer, you won't be let down by this one.

What beauty products or tools have you been loving lately?  Have you tried any of my favorites?