#LOVINGLATELY: HAIR TEXTURIZERS + SHEET MASKS

two things I can't live without: 

1. hair texturizing spray 

2. sheet masks 

I use a texturing spray every morning & I wear sheet masks as often as life lets me, which I'll admit is not as frequently as I'd like. it's not every day that I have 10-20mins to sit w/ a mask full of serum on my face peacefully.

I'm all about "naturally messy" hair, so I depend on texturizing and/or finishing sprays. I was enough enough to receive bumble & bumble's dryspun finish spray (c/o influenster), and tbh, I have mixed feelings about it. while the spray did provide the advertised "airy" texture, it didn't hold throughout the day. so, I'll consider this a great hair refresh product to keep in my purse, but not depend on for all-day wear.

#LOVINGLATELY: LANEIGE + MARIO BADESCU

we are in the height of summer in the metropolitan area and my skincare routine has taken a drastic change...and so should yours—everyone's should change w/ the seasons, for that matter.

I'm the first person to get in the sun w/o applying SPF. (I know, I know. how ignorant of me?) sometimes it's just absentmindedness when I'm packing my beach bag, but whatev. with that being said, the laneige water bank moisture cream is my life saver. fun fact: it was an allure best of beauty award winner in 2016!

#LOVINGLATELY: MARC JACOBS + NARS

my last trip to sephora was a complete success! 

(except for when I had to check out & spent 20x more money than I told myself I would...)

after finding what worked for me in the skincare dept., my face has cleared up a lot, so I've been shopping for products that enhance my 'natural' look. I was recommended to nars' velvet matte skin tint for my oily skin over a bb cream which was what I originally wanted to buy. because I use a daily moisturizer, adding a bb cream would be duplicative & non-beneficial for my skin type. (bonus: it has 30SPF in it.)

MY BLONDE JOURNEY

finally, after a year of dying my hair, it's blonde!

around this time last year, I started the process of going blonde. it was long and frustrating, but also super exciting. it took a 3-hour hair appointment every few months to achieve this look & I'm still not done yet. *covers eyes*

I've colored my hair for the last 10 years so it reacts differently to chemicals each time it gets done. the whole process of bleaching my hair was kind of a nightmare and that's why I'm so thankful for my longtime bestie/hair dresser. (see jaclyn's ig here.) each appointment led to a surprise-—once, my hair was so brassy, it looked like ketchup & mustard...another time, I ended up w/ hot pink strands all over my head.

not once did my hair stylist let me leave looking like that! she always knew what to do to properly color & tone my hair by the end of the appointment. 

now, let's see how long 'til I get the white/ashy tone I've been gunning for the last year... 

✩ hair by: jaclyn @ salon o - point pleasant, nj 

MY GO-TO FACE MAKEUP

I'm proud to say that more often than not, I wear very little makeup. my daily look is usually just a fresh, 'natural' face w/ mascara—sometimes lipstick, depending on my mood. I'm very particular about what products I use though, especially when it comes to ones for my face. my skin is by no means sensitive, but I'm very quick to break out so this is something I always keep in mind while shopping for and applying makeup.

#LOVINGLATELY: SKINCARE

I wouldn't necessarily say I struggled with my skin, but I have had a hard time finding the right products to care for it. this has been a hunt I've been on since high school and at 26 years old, I can finally say I've found what I'm looking for. (took forever, I know.)

So, I wanted to share my go-to skincare products that I was turned onto my one of my best girlfriends, thank god — mario badescu. the products are light, effective, affordable and long-lasting.

SHAGGY VIBES

making dramatic hairstyle changes has been in my nature since I was about 13. I can thank my mother for her constant encouragement to get different haircuts, always telling me, "it's just hair...it'll grow back."

well, what she failed to mention is how loooong it takes for it to grow back.

over four years ago, I jumped on the pixie cut bandwagon. I even took it one step further and bleached it white. only now am I finally passed the length I was before I decided to chop it all off and I am beyond excited to have hair that's style-able. *cue the shaggy vibes!* 

what I love most about people's hair is that from a superficial standpoint, it defines them. the color, length and style says more about a someone's character than their outfit. (or so I think.) much like any other realm of fashionable expression, you need to know what works for you. my hair isn't pin straight, nor is it incredibly curly - it has this unkept wave to it, making it perfect for a shaggy lob.

my hairstylist threw some in some more blonde, an ashy toner & wah-lah, new fall hair!

---

hair by: jaclyn bench @ salon o // lipstick: temptu // necklace c/o mirina collections

#LOVINGLATELY: NYM PRODUCTS

my hair has gone through this weird evolution as I've gotten older. when I was younger, I had pin straight hair and the older I get, the wavier it's getting. if I style it properly, it's the perfect beachy look.

now, I can't achieve any good hair days without the right products so I've been experimenting with a few. my favorite so far? not your mother's. I'll admit it, I was originally drawn to the brand based on its packaging/branding (naturally), but I was happy to learn that their products are actually really awesome.

my go-to's as of late: double take dry finish texture spray, clean freak refreshing dry shampoo & beach babe texturizing seasalt spray--a real winner. 

in case you were wondering, this is by no means a sponsored post, this is strictly just opinion...and one that I'm very excited to share with you. try it & lemme know what ya think! share it in the comments. x