Curly Hair Care

Hey y'all,

Since I am visiting my parent's currently that means it was time to see my favorite hair dresser. Yes, I drive two hours to have my hair cut but it can be hard to trust anyone with your hair. I have been going to the same salon for over 10 years so it is nice to go in and let the hairstylist do whatever she wants since she knows your specific texture.

Today I went in wanting to chop off my hair and came out with shoulder length hair. Here is a picture of my new look:

Curly hair can be a bit of a hassle to take care of so I thought I would share some of my current favorites. Yes it is nice to get out of the shower and not spend hours messing with your hair but we will not discuss the fact that all summer the humidity in North Carolina and I are not friends.

curl care by postgradprep featuring TIGI

Now I use a lot of products since I have some pretty thick hair that is always in need of moisture. Here is a list of my current favorite products:

I typically rotate shampoo and I am not brand loyal. I always look for moisture or curl care shampoos especially since my hair is no longer color treated. I am currently loving the Pantene Pro-V Curl Perfection line.

After the shower, I apply Aussie Hair Insurance leave-in conditioner to detangle my hair and then use Macadamia Nut Oil's Healing Oil Treatment on my ends. Once that is all done I tend to flip my hair over head and scrunch in my curl products. I start with Bed Head's On the Rebound Curl Recall cream, then add in some John Frieda Frizz Ease Take Control Curl-Boosting Mousse and if I want some more defined curls I will add in some Pantene Pro-V Curl Shaping Gel.

Every two weeks I take the time to deep condition my hair with either the Macadamia Nut Oil Deep Repair Masque or the Aussie Three Minute Miracle. I typically will apply the masque and then put my hair in a bun and watch an episode of TV before rinsing it out. To keep my ends looking well every day I have started to use Pantene's Overnight Miracle. 

My favorite hairspray is the Tresemme Tres Two hairspray. It is great and very inexpensive. I also love the Sebastian Shaper (and Shaper Plus) hairsprays but the pricepoint makes them more of a splurge and since I don't use hairspray daily I tend to stay with the drugstore brands.

I have yet to find a dry shampoo that I love but I have tried the Suave Dry Shampoo Spray for those in-between wash days but it is not a favorite yet. What is your favorite dry shampoo?

What are your favorite hair care products?

Any products you have tried and hated?

Book Club Friday, On Saturday

Hey y'all,

While I doubt I am going to make my original goal to read 113 books this year I was bit by the reading bug recently and have been able to finish quite a few books! I can't remember the last time I did a book update so here are the books I read in November!

One Lucky Vampire. I love the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands and this book was suprising that it did not involve the family directly but I am glad that some minor characters we had been introduced to in the past finally have some backgrounds and stories. I really enjoyed the book, as I do all of Sand's writings and can't wait for the next book in the series as usual.

Luck be a vampire tonight . . .
When Nicole Phillips agreed to hire a housekeeper, she pictured someone a little frumpy and almost certainly female. Instead, she gets gorgeous, unmistakably male Jake Colson. The man is proving indispensable in the kitchen—and everywhere else. Except Jake might not be a mortal man at all.\
. . . and every night
Who wouldn't want to be a tall, dark, powerful vampire? Jake, for one. He's barely had time to adjust to his new state before he's roped into a family favor. Still, secretly playing bodyguard to sweet, sexy Nicole is turning out to be the wildest ride of his life. First he'll put a stop to whoever's targeting her. Then he'll prove that this kind of love, and luck, happens only once in an eternity.

I have been generously given a lot of book copies by Netgalley recently and I have enjoyed the following:


In Pursuit of a Princess. I enjoyed the mystery of who was causing all the problems with the Princess. The book is by Love Inspired Suspense but I think it was mainly a suspense story with the romance taking a back burner.

A PICTURE-PERFECT CRIME

Princess Lara Kincade returned home to New Orleans to continue her late husband's humanitarian work. She also hopes to force his killer out of hiding. But a priceless painting has put her plans and life at risk. Embroiled in a deadly art scandal, Lara must depend on handsome photojournalist Gabriel Murdock to help her expose a murderer. Gabriel's determination to keep her safe has softened her heart to love's possibilities again. Somewhere among his photos lies the identity of the murderer, but can they uncover the killer before this heist turns deadly?

Colton by Blood. While actually the second book of the Coltons of Wyoming series I really enjoyed this Harlequin Romantic Suspense. While there was a lot of the story between Dr Levi and Kate in regards to flirting, the mystery of who was causing all the accidents and the murder that must have occurred in the first novel.

An unsolved murder haunts those who live and work at Dead River Ranch. When called to care for the ailing Colton patriarch, Dr. Levi Colton must face the father who never claimed him. He's not looking for distraction, but he finds it in Kate McCord, the irresistible pastry chef. Beneath her sweet smile are scars from her own tragedy and a determination for justice. 
As a wildfire forces them together with an unknown killer, Levi and Kate must confront an attraction that flares hotter than flames. They edge closer to the truth, discovering that the secret that links their pasts could lead them straight into the killer's trap.

Conveniently His Princess. Book two in the Married by Royal Decree book is a quick book about misconceptions and discovering the meaning of home and family. 

Only one thing stands between Aram Nazaryan and the high-powered position he craves: the proper wife. Although this billionaire would do anything to return to Zohayd, the desert kingdom he considers home, marrying Princess Kanza Aal Ajmaan is too high a price to pay. Or so he thinks—until he meets Kanza…and she turns his world upside down. 
After claiming Kanza as his princess, everything falls into place. But then she learns the truth. She may have married for love, but his vows are tainted by ambition. Will doubt, betrayal and mistrust end this too-convenient union?

Pawn. The Blackcoat Rebellion #1. Ok y'all, I am obsessed. I began this book since I loved Aimee Carter's Goddess series but this book was so engulfing. I started it Wednesday this week and finished last night before the movies since I had to know what was going to happen next. While it is another dystopian teen novel it had so many twists and turns and while there is a bit of a love triangle the focus was more on a girl and a family running the country.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 
There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

The Marquess Who Loved Me. Muses of Mayfair #3. This was an interesting romance story about two former lovers and all the anger, revenge, longing, etc. that comes from being separated over ten years due to their families. It reminded me a bit of Jane Austen's Persuasion of the two lovers whose familes keep them apart and the need to punish oneself in the interim and the thought of coming back together and not really knowing the person that is their former love today. I liked it but I wasn't in love with the story.

A not-so-merry widow…
The widowed Marchioness of Folkestone is notorious for her parties, her art collection, and her utter disregard for the rules. But Ellie Claiborne knows her destruction is near. The new marquess is her first lover – the man whose sculpted body and sardonic grin haunt her every time she picks up her paintbrush. If he ever returns to claim his inheritance, her heart won’t survive seeing him again.
A man determined to destroy her...
Nicholas Claiborne hasn’t stepped foot in England since watching Ellie marry his cousin. He has no use for the gorgeous, heartless girl who betrayed him, or the title she abandoned him for. But when his business in India turns deadly, Nick must return to London to uncover a murderer – and take revenge on the woman he couldn’t force himself to forget.
A love they can’t escape…
Nick hates Ellie’s transformation from sweet debutante to jaded seductress. Ellie despises him for leaving her behind. Still, the sparks between them reignite the passion that should have been their destiny. As their demands of each other turn darker and a potential killer closes in, they must decide whether to guard the fragile remnants of their hearts — or find a way to fall in love all over again.

What have you been reading?

Book Club Friday {August 30}

Hey y'all,

I have to start this post off with the trailer of the upcoming adaptation of Divergent. I am obsessed with the series and can't wait for the next book to come out this October but in the mean time I am going to drool over Four. There is even a Buzzfeed Article called "12 Things In The Divergent Footage That Will Make You Freak Out." You can read my Book Club Friday on Divergent and Insurgent here.




Now that I am done fangirling over a book let's get to what I read this week.

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Ella and Micha have survived tragedy and heartbreak. When they're together, anything seems possible. But now they are thousands of miles apart, and managing their long distance relationship will put their love to the test.
Ella is back at school, trying hard not worry so much about her future. But with her father in and out of rehab, she's having a hard time making it through the days. All she wants is Micha by her side, but she refuses to let her problems get in the way of his dreams.
Micha spends his days touring the country with his band, but deep down he knows something is missing. Being away from Ella is harder than he thought it would be. He wants her closer to him-needs her with him. But he won't ask her to leave college, just to be with him.
The few moments they do spend together are intense and passionate, but it only makes it more difficult when they have to part. They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever?

A sequel the Secret of Ella and Micha I loved hearing more of their story. These are not your typical romance novels but stories of broken, dark people and the power and connection of love.

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.
During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.
In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.
With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.
Even if it costs her eternity.

This was not my favorite of the Goddess Test series. It felt like it dragged on for a long time and unfortunately I was not as hooked as I had been with the others.

I am hoping to read these books over the long weekend. I have no big plans besides cleaning and a possible Disney movie day with some sorority sisters.

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What are you reading this weekend?

Trilogies: Book Club Friday

Hey y'all,

So this week I have been reading the final books of two really great trilogies. I finished off the Matched series with Reached and the UnEarthy Series with Boundless. I also just began the series Delirium.

Description:

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this last instalment. While I loved the first book this was a great conclusion and really explained some of the lingering thoughts of the last two books. It was good, not amazing but I did not despise the ending which occurs with a lot of trilogies. I am content with this novel.

 

Description:

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.
Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.
As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.
In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

My thoughts:

I am upset at the ending of this novel. I got completely obsessed with these books this fall and the second one had me bawling through the entire thing so this one was a let down. I really wanted a different outcome after all this time. Also some things were never really resolved. What happened with Clara's dad and her brother? The epilogue I felt was kind of lacking. But that's just my opinion and what I would want out of the characters.

 

What are you reading?

 

Peace and Blessings,

jDl

Book Club Friday!

Hey y'all,

I am back from a quick few days in Wilmington! I will update you tomorrow on my adventures but since last week I have read a whopping 4 books and thought I would share with the great Heather's link-up! It was a nice relaxing vacation and right now I am enjoying watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies(and tweeting away).

So without further ado, since last week I have read....

4/5 stars

Goodreads description: Twenty years ago, when they were teenagers, Holly and Nicola were the outsiders at summer camp. Holly was the plump one, a dreamer who longed to be an artist. Nicola was the shy, plain one who wanted nothing more than to be beautiful. Their cabin nemesis was Lexi. Rich, spoiled, evil Lexi. One night, Holly and Nicola team up to pull one, daring act of vengeance. But they never dream that this one act will have repercussions that will reach into the future, even twenty years later. And they never realize the secret pain that Lexi holds very close, and how their need for revenge costs Lexi a great deal. 
Today, Holly is a successful gallery owner, who has put her own artistic dreams on hold. She struggles with her weight and for approval from her constantly-criticizing boyfriend. Nicola, is an almost-famous actress who believes that one little plastic surgery fix is just what she needs to put her over the edge into fame. And Lexi…Lexi is down on her luck and totally broke. 
Holly will do anything to be thin. Lexi will do anything to be rich. And Nicola will do anything to be pretty. Thin, Rich, Pretty is the story of three women who believe that happiness is the next dress size down, the next dollar figure up, or the next appreciative glance from a stranger. But mostly it’s the story of how three women save each other, and show each other the path to true contentment. Told with Beth Harbison’s knack for thirty and fortysomething nostalgia, and heartwarming humor, Thin, Rich, Pretty will strike a chord with any woman who has ever got on the scale, looked in the mirror, or the bank, and said, “if only…” 

I loved the mix of past experiences and current struggles in this novel which reminds us that even though we think "what if" and "if only" we all have amazing things that make us unique and "us" that we should embrace and celebrate.

4/5 stars

Goodreads description: As far as Gemma is concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it’s her job to cater other peoples’ dates, and that’s just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full and secure. She’s got six steady clients that keep her hands full. 

There’s Lex, the fussy but fabulous department store owner who loves Oysters Rockefeller and 1950s comfort food; Willa, who needs to lose weight under doctor’s orders but still believes butter makes everything better; a colorful family who may or may not be part of the Russian mob; an überwealthy Georgetown family; the picture-perfect Van Houghtens, whose matriarch is “allergic to everything”; and finally, a man she calls “Mr. Tuesday,” whom she has never met but who she is strangely drawn to. 

For Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life, on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma’s takes an unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a lot of courage, and---oh yes---butter.

I loved the thought of a personal chef story since I love cooking/food. The main character is hysterical as she relates to everyone's struggles of finding love, balancing career and money and the demands of an employer.

3.5/5 stars

Goodreads description: In 1897 England, 16-year-old Finley Jayne is convinced she's a freak. No normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch. Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special . . . that she's one of "them."
I was very surprised that I enjoyed this teen novel. I am not that big of a science fiction fan but love the time period of London/England in the Victorian era and some paranormal. The main character Finley is struggling with finding a balance between good and evil within herself as well as finding other individuals that have special abilities as well as herself. I can't wait to see where the series continues.

4/5 stars

Goodreads description:  In "New York Times" bestselling author Hester Browne's delightful new novel, a fading English finishing school is about to get a twenty-first-century makeover. Out with white gloves and flower arranging, in with managing mortgagesand do-it-yourself manicures Behind this remarkable transformation is business-savvy Betsy Phillimore, with her own unique connection to London's esteemed Phillimore Academy for Young Ladies....

Twenty-seven years ago, an infant turned up on the Academy's doorstep, with a note tacked to her blanket by an elegant golden brooch -- "Please take care of my baby. I want her to grow up to be a proper lady." Loved by Lady Frances Phillimore and her kindhearted staff, Betsy grew up aspiring to be an Academy girl. But when Franny and her husband, Lord Phillimore, advise Betsy to instead hone her considerable math skills at college, she brokenheartedly leaves behind the only family she's known.

Now, on the sad occasion of Lady Frances's memorial service, Betsy comes back to find the school in disrepair, the enrollment down, and Lord P. desperate to save his legacy. Enter Betsy, the numbers genius, and her business plan -- to replace dusty protocol with the essentials girls need today: "cell phone etiquette, eating sushi properly, handling credit cards, choosing the perfect little black dress, negotiating a pre-nup, " and other lessons in independent living.

But Betsy may have bitten off more than she can chew. Can she win over the school's snobby headmistress and its handsome but risk-averse treasurer? Returning to London also means facing her own unfinished business, as she crosses paths with her sexy girlhood crush...and blowing the dust off clues to a lifelong mystery: who were her parents, and why did they abandon her? If knowledge is power, Betsy is on the brink of truly becoming her own woman, and embracing the one thing she's wanted all along: a place to call home.

A bittersweet journey of laughter and tears, "The Finishing Touches" will have you gleefully turning pages through dinner with elbows on the table -- bad manners, perhaps, but excusable for one utterly irresistible read.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I love Hester Browne's other book The Little Lady Agency and this book of British finishing schools, a girl finding her family and realizing that your family are a part of you but do not completely define you was great.

I can't wait to hear what y'all have been reading! Don't forget to sign up for my school supply swap to get a great office/school supply package!

Peace and Blessings,
jDl