Maui Babe

Yesterday, being my first day at the beach this season, I decided to try a tan accelerant that I've heard my best friend talk about for years. It's called Amazing Maui Babe  Browning Lotion. 

At first I was sketchy. The label looks a bit generic and the color of the bottle is actually the color of the lotion! I read the back of the label which assures you that it is not a self tanner and is not a stain. 

I personally thought it smelled pretty good. Like a nutty coffee, which is about right since its made with ingredients such as: Mineral Oil, Kukui Nut Extract and Kona Coffee Plant Extract (coffee is also good for cellulite. [so I hear]) and a few more natural ingredients. I slathered it on, sat back and relaxed.

The formula looked gross going on and really made my fingernails look dirty and unkempt. It also got brown smudges on my towel which I'm really hoping comes off in the wash. It tends to be a bit streaky going on and if you're not thorough, it could leave a brown blob that will have people staring I'm sure. 

After a couple of hours in the sun, I checked to see if there were any results... Nothing. I was pretty disappointed. I packed up and headed home. 

Holy Tan Lines! When I got out of my post beach shower, I was shocked by the amount of sun I actually had gotten! I left the beach thinking that I had wasted my money but shortly after, my mind was definitely changed. Not only did this "magic" tan reveal itself after my shower, but it seemed to continue to increase for hours after. I will definitely be using this one again. This summers goal? To look like a Maui Babe!

Thanks for stopping by The Messy Vanity,

Kat

Well isn't that just beachy.

I have been dying to try this new "beach hair" spray that I saw on Pinterest. I absolutely love my hair after leaving the beach and I thought it'd be awesome to use in those rare occasions in the summer that I'm not lounging at the beach. So I picked up a spray from the Not Your Mothers line of products. I read the back of the bottle.

**Description

It adds sexy, tousled waves and a light matte finish to any hair type. Infused with natural dead see salt and sea kelp this salon formula has you and your hair on the boardwalk all year long.

Directions

Mist generously onto clean, damp or dry hair. Comb through evenly and style with fingers or a brush to create random texture, waves and body. Air dry naturally, use a diffuser or lightly blow-dry. Oh and don't forget your sunblock (wink).**

As always, I followed the directions to a T. I chose to air dry instead of use my diffuser because I wasn't sure if the spray would leave a stiff residue. I didn't want a stringy look.

I hoped to look something like this:

The Good: 

•The mist was fine and the nozzle really made for easy spraying. 

•When dry, my hair was soft enough to run my fingers through. Didn't feel dry or stiff. 

•I felt no residue at all 

The Bad:

•While I was spraying, the plastic labeling on the bottle began to creep upwards which made for a not so easy grip. I scooted cover back down and continued. After a few frustrating label replacings, I ended up taking the whole label off and now have a plain white bottle that is driving me nuts!

The No-So Ugly:

Did I get the beach hair look I was going for? No. But that won't keep me from trying it with the diffuser before giving it the thumbs down. Plus, I really liked how my hair felt after it air-dried. It's a great product to keep around for those wash n go days. The OCD in me is probably gonna go crazy if I have to keep looking at the blank bottle though....I'm sure I can fix that in some way. 

Thanks for stoping by The Messy Vanity, 

Kat

Psori Assist Phase 1: Patchwork

Picture this... Its January. I'm in the car on my way to work. Hair in a high bun. Make up on point. Suddenly, I feel a slight tingle in the back of my head. I reach back to give it a little scratch and BOOM! I notice that this is not just a little tingle, this feels like a little patch of dry skin. (Ok. No big deal.) I decide to stop at my best friends house on the way to take a quick look. She confirms it! I have a dry patch on my scalp. I didn't panic. She said it was small and not noticeable.

Yes. There are bigger things to worry about in life than a stupid dry patch, I know this, but this damn patch has almost literally consumed my thoughts every morning, noon and night of each day for the past 4 months! I have been so self conscious about it and now its to the point that the "little" tingle I was talking about has turned into what I would imagine a hot spot feels like for a dog. Its itchy, bigger, embarrassing and annoying! What could it be and why the hell is it there?! I take good care of my hair and scalp and since this little tingle began, I have been rubbing oils on it and making sure that its well moisturized. I've been drinking water like a camel in the hopes of getting my skin out of its winter funk.

I have become obsessed with figuring out what this is! Like every other normal human being... I went straight to the source...THE INTERNET. Because as we all know "They can't put anything on the internet that isn't true." What I found was scary! Hair loss! Ring Worm! Psoriasis!... Luckily, I haven't lost any hair in that area and this patch can easily still be covered by my hair. Also, it is definitely not ring worm (phew) that would have freaked me out. That leaves just one thing.. PSORIASIS. I'm not 100% sure about this so before pulling out the big guns and going to the dermatologist, I've decided to try a few more at home remedies.  I started on Saturday with a few key items to healing dry scalp.

1. A dry scalp shampoo. I went with Selsun Blue. Its a shampoo and conditioner in one. (not a huge fan of combination shampoos but a dry scalped girls gotta do what a dry scalped girls gotta do) I also was unimpressed with the fact that not only did the blue coloring stain everything that it touched in my shower, but more importantly, it didn't seem to lather well and actually made my hair feel the driest its ever felt. I rinsed thoroughly and moved on to item number 2.
2. Coconut Oil. I slathered... and I mean slathered this stuff all over my hair. Root to tip, I left no follicle uncoated. I massaged it into my scalp, paying special little attention to "the area", combed it through, waited 45 minutes and went back into the shower to rinse it all out. While in the shower It donned on me... "Oh crap! Oil and water don't mix. This is not going to be easy." I ended up shampooing with my normal shampoo 2 times before getting it all out. It was frustrating but it was over. I got out, gently towel dried my hair and moved on to the final ingredient in Phase 1.
3. Argan Oil. I used the one I received in my Ipsy bag a couple of months back by Josie Maran. Rubbed a little on the scalp and finished styling as usual.

I must say, for a while there I thought my remedy had worked. I had no itching all day and my hair was delightfully soft. (Hellzyeah! Mission accomplished!) No itching the next day either. Then came the dreaded Monday. The tingle was back with a vengeance. Maybe it was just me? Maybe I've just become so accustomed to having that tingly sensation that I'm just over-thinking it? I ran into my good friend and hair dresser this morning and had her take a peek. She thought it looked like psoriasis. (Gosh lets hope not.) 

I think for now, I will stick with Phase 1 of my plan and give the Selsun Blue a chance to do its job. In the mean time I will be looking all over and seeking the advice of others to help form a Phase 2. I Invite you all to help me in my journey. Suggestions and advice is not only appreciated but really REALLY encouraged. (Mama needs some help. [old southern voice])

Here's to hoping that Phase 2 is a success story. Stay tuned to find out.

side note: If you're in the Virginia Beach area and are in need of some hair TLC, head over to Dimensions Hair Studio. Everyone there does an amazing job. Whether its hair, nails or waxing. I can assure you, you won't be sorry. And no. I was not asked to say this, I honestly suggest them to everyone!

Thanks for stopping by The Messy Vanity,
Kat

Aprils Ipsy Bag Reveal

Ok guys, I am super excited yet super nervous about posting my first real video. Here it is! I hope you like it.

 I have just gotten off work and definitely have not touched up my hair or make up...Hey. That's life.
Also, It's a good thing I don't claim to be a video editor... YIKES!

Thanks for stopping by The Messy Vanity,
Kat

Wax on! Wax Off!

I'm assuming that for most ordinary women in America (maybe even everywhere else) shaving is the most used method of hair removal. Other women are in a position to wax regularly or even laser the hair off. Maybe one day I will be in a position to do that but for now...shaving it is!

 The truth is, most women I know hate it. The nicks, the cuts, trying to get around those knobby knees and the rash burn that comes with it if you're legs are dry or you moisturize too soon after. Its all a nightmare.

One day, while getting some online Christmas shopping done, I came across a do it yourself waxing kit that was affordable and seemed like something I could try. I've had my legs waxed at a salon once before and was kinda of unimpressed with the results. I thought to myself, "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself!" So I pressed that famous 'Add to Cart' button and made it an official Christmas gift to myself. Thank You and You're Welcome.

The timing was perfect because it was a time of year when my legs aren't shown often and being that I've had my legs waxed before, I knew I'd have plenty of time to grow the hair on my legs out. Truthfully I probably could have done this a month or so ago but I'll admit, laziness got to me. WARNING: Some photos shown here are a little "hairy". 

In the box of Surgi Wax were 3 things: A jar containing the wax, multilingual directions and 2 popsicle sticks. The box states that no muslin strips are needed. Hmmm. Seems easy enough. 

The directions say to heat the wax up in 10-15 second intervals, mixing with the popsicle stick as you go so that the wax heats evenly. This step took almost no time to get to the right consistency.(It took a total of 1 minute in my 1000 watt microwave) The result was a creamy baby poop green wax which reminded me of pureed peas. Bluhh! OK so yeah, It's not the most appealing to the eye but who cares right? All it needs to do it remove this jungle that I've grown on my legs.

After mixing it thoroughly, I gave it a little dab with my finger to make sure that I wasn't going to scorch my skin off. Yes. Its happened before which is why I prefer to tweeze my own brows rather than get them waxed but that's a story for another day. 

Yep, there it is, the hairy leg, Don't judge me.

OK so here it goes... Consistency? Check! Temperature? Check! All that was left to do was spread a smooth layer of wax in the direction of the hair growth, wait for it to dry and.....

RIP!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhh! That was not as easy as I imagined it would be. Yes, it ripped the hair off but not all of the hair came off and neither did all of the wax. I had to gear myself up for the next go round, which did not go smoothly either (pun intended). Was there something I was doing wrong? I looked at the directions again. Apply in direction of hair. Grab bottom of wax (which dries like melted plastic would) and quickly pull up in the opposite direction of the hair growth....Nope nothing was wrong. This, I suppose, was just supposed to feel like torcher. Soon after that second try, I decided that home waxing was definitely not my cup of tea. Needless to say, I quit (call me a quitter if you want to). I left my legs hairy, with a bald spot and residual wax until that night when I showered and went back to the good ole fashioned razor. 

On a side note: I did suffer from nicks and cuts but the pain was nothing compared to my at home waxing experience. Also, I've been using Josie Maran Argan Oil from head to toe (literally) after I shower and it leaves my skin and hair silky smooth. If you haven't tried it, you definitely should.

Thanks for Stopping by The Messy Vanity,
Kat

Sassy Steal!

Once again, I received 2 amazing new necklaces from SassySteals.com at a great blowout prices!

On the left:
An elegant gold bar necklace appropriately titled "Touch of Class"
Only a mere $2.99!

On the right:
A super cute pewter owl necklace.
Only $3.99

You know me... I refuse to buy anything at full price.
I swear! If I didn't have a little self control, I would buy everything on this site.

Iconic Brunette Women in History

My Idols: Vivian Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren.