Hey friends, so in case you haven’t noticed we’re doing something here and it’s called “Sweet Picks.” Every month we will each share something awesome that we love (like a beauty product, book, gadget, etc., you know, our “must haves”) and then we will give one away to YOU. Think Oprah’s Favorite Things, but cheaper (no cars here). So stay tuned each month for your chance to win!
Retro Hair Dry Clean Dry Shampoo: Alarm goes off…BEEP.BEEP.BEEP. Snooze. Blissful 9 minutes. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. “9 minutes gone already?” I ask myself in a sleepy stupor. Enter negotiation mode. “I don’t really need to eat breakfast.” Snooze. And 9 more minutes of happiness. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. “I’ll do my makeup in the car. There are always lots of red lights.” SNOOZE. Nine more minutes of sleepy, dreamland. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. “Forget washing my hair. I’ll wear a ponytail.” SNOOZE.
If you know these irrational sleep negotiations like I do, you need some dry shampoo in your life. It will soak up that bedhead and give those roots some spring in their step—all without washing your hair, saving you precious time in the morning. And you know, experts say you shouldn’t wash your hair everyday anyway (every beauty blog and even WebMD). So obviously this is a win-win. I know what some of you are thinking though, “Yeah, but I NEED to wash my hair everyday.” No, you don’t. You really don’t. I promise. Here’s how.
Enter Retro Hair: Dry Clean, dry shampoo. Grab the can (kiss it first because you’re about to fall in love). Then tip your head upside down and spray your roots, making sure to get those greasy bedhead cowlicks extra well. The spray will hit you with a cold burst of air and leave your hair with a damp, powdery feel (however, it will NOT leave a white, powdery residue behind like some other dry shampoos. This is key if you have darker hair). Next, key tip here (learned from one of my favorite bachelor alums via snapchat—don’t judge), with head still upside down take blow dryer and meet those cold roots with a blast of hot air for just a minute—moving blow dryer around entire head. Flip your head up, give your roots a little lift and poof with your hands and blow dry again if needed. Then brush out that wild mess the blow dryer left behind and style. Entire process takes 3 minutes and you didn’t even have to get it wet. I get more compliments on my hair on a dry shampoo day than any other day. Like cheese and fine wine, I feel like my hair gets better with time. Yours will too.
Image Source: Amazon
Glam Glow Mud Mask: I was introduced to this little gem on a summer getaway with my best gal-pals. We rented a lake house in Cape Cod and spent the days lounging in swimsuits and yoga pants and ate M&Ms and kettle chips all day. It was a glorious time. One of my favorite parts of that trip though, was our “favorite things” exchange. We each brought everyone a product that we love (cue sweet lemonMADE sweet picks) and exchanged them. This is where GlamGlow mud masks came into my life. My NYC BFF, a compulsive beauty junkie (that’s a compliment), was the one to introduce us to them. She always knows the best beauty products and isn’t afraid to try them all—and I think the fact that she lives in NYC gives her extra street cred. But just incase you aren’t ready to trust my reviews you can rest assured that Sephora reviewers (all 1,684 of them) loved this stuff.
So what’s so magical, you ask? I think the magic is in the tingle, or maybe it is the volcanic pumice rock or the French sea clay…whatever it is, it’s awesome. It is pretty simple to use, just cover your face with the concrete-colored mask (don’t be alarmed by the bits of green tea leaves mixed in), spare your eyes, and wait for it to dry. As the mask is drying your face will start tingling and your skin will get tight (boom…take that wrinkles!). You’ll notice when the mask is dry because the color will change to a light seafoam color, but you can leave it on for 5 to 20 minutes. When you’re ready to be done just get warm water on your hands and start scrubbing (circular motion is what the beauty Nazis recommend) and rinse it all off. Then touch your face. It will feel like a baby’s bum. You’re welcome.
P.s. We are giving this away on Instagram, so go enter. I hope you win. You want this stuff.
Image Source: Sephora
Fujifilm Instax Share Printer: If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to instantly print photos from your smartphone or tablet, the Instax Printer is the way to go. The printer fits in the palm of your hand, so it’s easy to store and the only requirement (besides buying the Polaroid film) is to download an app to retrieve your pictures. You can even get creative by adding templates, fonts and other icons to your picture. This printer is so much fun, but it will cost you a pretty penny. Be prepared to spend $129 and an extra $20 for a pack of film. This “toy” doesn’t come cheap, but it’s the perfect way to get the vintage feel of a Polaroid while using modern technology.
Image Source: Amazon
Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don’t Stray Eyeshadow Primer: The Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don’t Stray Eyeshadow Primer is a life saver and one of my makeup go-to products that I can’t live without. If you are like me, and have a problem with oily eyelids this stuff is amazing! Before I started using this primer, my eyeshadow and eyeliner would just melt off an hour after I’ve applied my eye makeup and make my eyes burn. I like that the primer is tinted (to give your eyelids an even base color) and the doe foot applicator is nice to keep the product clean by not having to put your fingers in the product. Even though it is a bit pricey at $26.00 a bottle, it’s worth it and it lasts quite a while since you use a small amount each time.
Image Source: Benefits Cosmetics