You too can score a *FREE* sample of L’Oréal®Advanced HairCare here! Choose among different selections depending on your hair type & needs ~ endorsed by celebrities (such as Ryan Reynolds wifey Blake Lively)
double-duty edibles ~ such as coconut oil to substitute fatty oils in recipes plus is my favorite hair conditioner and also moisturizes skin, as well as removes makeup (according to The Sweet Life)
handy healthy snacks (not fast food) ~ such as apples, grapes (I dig mine fresh or frozen), pears ~ the pear or apple crisp can trigger brain juice flow, don’t ya know #DISPObustAFlow
chill your coffee ~ since I don’t drink as much for heartburn prevention, I store the rest in the fridge until the next day
tote reusable containers ~ mine from Starbucks saves me 10-cents per use and conserves resources (great for my next craving, this flavor-of-the-day: the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino to redeem my latest Gold Card Reward*)
My everything store is Target because it offers decent prices on clothing ~ including my designer collablimited editions ~ as well as home goods, some groceries, and is my personal fave place for gift registries
You too can check out these Target en Vogue** photos by scoring a copy and scanning with your Shazam app
Lately, my pleasure reading getaways have been simpler to prevent brain burnout (i.e., pictures for eye candy) ~ so no information overload in this rotation
stay fit as you suds up ~ stretch (with caution) as you reach for body parts to clean, and if you’re seated during a bath, I strongly suggest doing water pilates (think table top position with head and feet raised for resistance as you move)
No believer is ever too busy to †pray† ~ even if we can’t take a ½ hour or full hour to meditate, at least devote a few to several minutes or even †pray† before, during and/or after your activities (my Rosary begins my days, and playing the ♪song♫ jump-starts it!)
* Rewards = another way to $ave (discount$ & FREEbie$)
These guidelines will save you in the long one ~ not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also from embarrassment (i.e., killer breath, B.O.) if you run into someone later… We don’t want to be Finch from the American Pie movies who had to go home from school every time he had to release his macchiato! You’re welcome. ✌
S is for …Simple * Sample * Smile (: Thanks to my sample & coupon + CVSExtraCareBeautyBucks$, I scored this Simple cleanser that doesn’t call for water for practically nada! It removes makeup & oil effectively + is simply refreshing! 💸💰🏆💧💦😅☺️😍
Restore your hair💁🏻 and keep your feet👣 in tip-top shape this season!
Head’s Start: Our Hair💁🏻
Effortless look: Hair up (yet always time to take hair down [more to follow below]) * flawless make-up * statement dress … Impress = Success#DISPObustAFlow
💁🏻Any hair breakage or loss probs? Look no further; Dr. Oz😷 and yours truly to the rescue!
As someone who’s had healthy hair and has attempted to revitalize it after chemically-treating it (color and curl), I swear by coconut oil and now Marvelous Oil to moisturize it!
💁🏻On 📺The Dr. Oz Show, a professional guest who appeared introduced a pre-treatment
*Pre-Poo ~ comb through approximately 20 minutes before shampooing💆🏻
Thin Hair: Coconut
Medium: Ampro
Thick: Castor
👦🏻Now as someone who’s been more self-conscious about receding hairlines, I’m all about this
Thinning Hair Breakthrough
*Color Powder ~ hides bald spots and grays👴🏽
I personally use the dry shampoo from my Birthday Birchbox to cover up
*Change the part to cover the spots👸🏻
➕Plus, I’d like to pony … I mean, point out the obvious (thanks, auto-correct/subliminal message in my subconscious):
🚫DON’T always pull your hair back in tight buns🍘 or ponytails🐴
👧🏻It may be common sense that these up-dos tend to impose damage on hair follicles, as well as loosening from the scalp. However, for some of us who have long 💇🏼hair, we need to wear our hair up for daily activities (i.e., work, workout) to keep it away from our face.
👧🏻Just like our diets, we may wish to consider that our hairstyles🙆🏽 (chemicals, heat, etc.) must be done in moderation to prevent long-term effects, like losing it. #YOLO
Finish with Our Feet👣
Now that we’ve hit more ☼sunshine☼ past our lingering snowy & rainy seasons, I’m storing my boots at the very top tier of my dress/accessory closet, but they’re still easy to access if I occasionally need them!
👣I read this article that addressed how to exercise good foot and shoe hygiene, especially with the sweat that accompanies the summer heat. It reminds me of how I adopted a practice from my AF wife bestie, who’d at the very least wash her feet before bed (especially after a ladies’ night full of dancing at the club) ~ that way, we don’t stink up our bedtime sheets and wake up with the stench in the air!
👣Similarly, our shoes👟 ~ especially those open-toed ones (flats, flip flops, sandals, stilettos) that we don’t wear with socks ~ need loving too! When I’d work at shoe stores during h.s. and college, I’d always stock up on mint balls to freshen up my footwear. Due to some stains on the insides of our shoes actually coming from dead skin, we must clean and spray those off (I typically pre-treat them with water repellent to prevent marks)! Also, upon removing those shoes, I go back to the above guideline: wash my feet!
🌅Since I’m about to teach my ☼summer☼ speech class about **persuasive speaking, I’ve used two types of testimonies to sway you:
Cornrow Care: Bandanas & scarves + dry shampoo ~ including this one from my Birthday/B2SBirchbox and from my fave raves ~ come in handy for my braided hair andAsia!
Mo’ Cornrow Main(tenance) for my Mane: Annie backs me on more bandanas & scarves!
S is for …☼Sunday☼ Skin Care/Face Mask Selfie ~ Clean in 2015 * NO Makeup * Bare Face * I Woke Up Like This … It also stood for Superbowl-bound ~ until my *DALLAS COWBOYS* were defeated
Both mi comadre y mi amigo suggested this skin care mode for me ~ so I noticed the effectiveness when I spot-treat! When I compared ingredients between my toothpaste and my astringent, it made sense:
Benzoic Acid!
Well, we all need to make time out of our busy schedules to take care of ourselves! In the midst of serving my Church, working on my dissertation, teaching and tutoring, photographing, I must be mindful of my own maintenance in order to keep up my mood and momentum plus stay effective.
Therefore, ridding of itch and irritation doesn’t have to smell like chemicals!
Before I lather up, I apply this to my hair…
Coconut Oil can “condition my color-treated hair and moisturize my skin” ~ Welcome to My Kitchen
While I say the Pretty Fit Way must practiced from the inside out, coconut oil
makes a great alternative in lieu of more fattening oils ~ WIMK
More Mane Management Tips from root to tip:
Massage your head ~ to stimulate scalp for hair growth, as well as to soothe the brain for headache prevention (I swear by these, in particular from my student, a licensed massage therapist)
Now that I’m doing Spring Cleaning during this Spring Break, I shall share my favorite beauty products, as well as a few reviews…
Since I love to stimulate my senses, I tend to stock up on stuff that is visually-appealing ~ you know, eye candy ~ and smells good to yours truly.
Matrix® BiolageHydrathérapie & Smooththérapie
Biolage by Matrix® is my #1 brand of hair care because I feel like I’m in a spa whenever I use it! It’s a sweet treat for my hair since I always experience an enticing scent and a smoothing effect.
However, I also rely on TRESemmé and Pantene Pro-V styling products when using my Conair and Revlon hair appliances.
TRESemmé Fresh StartWaterless Foam Shampoo when I don’t have time to wash ~which is a quick fix from sweaty hair at the gym ~ and America’s #1 Mousse for volume
Pantene Pro-VAnti-Humidity Hairspray for staying power and Repair & ProtectOvernight Miracle as a serum while I sleep [I also lavish in the Ultimate 10 BB Crème to condition my hair throughout the day, among many other functions]
Dove®Clinical ProtectionVisibly Smooth to reduce shaving (I haven’t shaved in five years since I started laser hair removal anyway) ~ especially when I wear sleeveless or strapless tops
SecretOutlast ~ my personal favorite due to the soft glide that lasts all day
EucerinAquaphor ~ this was recommended to me to aid in healing my fresh ink (new tats at the time), but now I have other reasons: petroleum-based to delay aging in under-eye skin plus to moisturize lips and chapped skin
NiveaSoftRefreshing Soft Moisturizing Creme as my sweet-smelling night moisturizer after I use the fragrance-free Neutrogena with sunscreen during the day, plus the Lip CareKiss of Protection with SPF 30, Recovery with SPF 15 and Smoothness with SPF 10 [not pictured yet also recommended: Kiss of Moisture with jojoba oil and shea butter plus Kiss of Cherry with cherry red tint]
M•A•C Limited Edition (2009) makeup bag and lipstick bag, plus Beauty Powder in Pretty Baby, Eye Shadow Palette in Too Dolly, Lustre Lipstick in Most Popular and LipGlass Lip Gloss in Sweet Strawberry
Signature Fragrances for Each Season
These are just a few of my favorite fragrances, in rotation by season.
SephoraHello Kitty Pink Bow roller ball when on-the-go
What’s in My Purse?Coach Handbags for Each Season + Bare Essentials I Don’t Leave Home Without
I should have enough scent samples to fill all of my handbags, including a couple of my classics and a couple of my seasonal
Coach [counter-clockwise, from bottom right]: Madison Maggie Shoulder Bag in chocolate-doe/gold hardware with matching wristlet that I change out with larger bags, Poppy Denim Whipstich Hippie with matching wallet that has Legacy Stripes lining, Signature C Tote in tri-color, Poppy Pop C backpack in pastel/gold hardware
As you already know, I also keep deodorant in handy
A first-aid kit, or at least Neosporin and bandaids (like in this keychain container) aid in the event of a boo-boo
My generous students have gifted me with other beauty needs worth mentioning: blush and eye shadow palette and manicure set from one plus Breast Cancer Awareness compact mirror from another!
Miniature lotions and fragrances (such as those that appear above) ~ including this JuicyCologne in Sprightly Sparkle from the Philippines ~ help my body smell nice
Last but most definitely not least: gum freshens my breath, and floss picks are a must-have between meals!
Bath & Body Works® Aromatherapy & Fragrances to Get Through the Day
Certain scents are perfect for the senses at a specific time
This B&BW®P.S. I Love You Spring Fling Lotion and Body Spray is great for the upcoming spring days and sunny rays!
Orange for energy ~ such as B&BW®Orange Sapphire or Aromatherapy Energy with Orange + Ginger upon awaking
Eucayptus for destressing ~ such as B&BW®Aromatherapy Stress when relieving anxiety [I also apply the aforementioned VicksVapoRub to tense muslces]
Jasmine for romance ~ such as B&BW®Night Blooming Jasmine or Aromatherapy Sensual with Jasmine + Vanilla at bedtime [I also use vanilla to relax, such as from the Summer Vanillas collection ~ Berry, Lemon and Coconut]
Lavender for rest ~ such as B&BW®Aromatherapy Sleep with Lavender + Vanilla at bedtime
NOTE: None of these aforementioned rants and raves are endorsements; they all simply come from my own opinion [other similar product mentions appear in brackets].
I had a beautiful hair day on this Sunday fun day ~ well, more like this whole weekend, actually!
First, I started with braiding my hair and pinning it up. Like my new Coach Gabrielle glasses?
[Dress by Peter Pilotto-Target Collaboration]
Then, when I went to church this morning, I took my hair down… & voila!Bouncy curls is where it’s @ (spritz mane w/holding spray or volumizing mousse, if desired).
[Top by Prabal Gurung for Target]
Now I know that this isn’t a brand-spankin’ new hair tip, but I just wanted to share 1 way of how a great hair day can lead into the next bombshell hair day =D
Welcome/Mabuhay/¡Biénvenidos! I am a USAF brat who was born in Germany and grew up State-side while celebrating my Catholic and Filipino heritage. ☼Sunny☼ DISPOsition Elaine’s Eye Candy/DISPhotos ~ I love GOD & His creations, so I take photos @ any given opportunity. Elaine DISPOrts ~ I am passionate about sports, which is my research focus on my ... Continue reading →
The Elaine Dispo Journal 