Sunday Steals

Holy COW! I have been so busy lately between teaching an evening makeup certification class at my work, as well as my day teaching, plus the salon and of course shopping at ULTA I haven't had a second to stop! Let me just fill you in on a few of the goodies I recently picked up!

• Everyone has been going crazy over my newest obsession... NYX Roll on Shimmer ($3.99). These come in a variety of colors and are so easy to put on. When in a rush you can't beat this, just a quick roll over each lid and you are all set, no brush or applicator needed. The glittery reflections will be with all day and I promise you at least 3 people will stop you and ask you what your wearing! One of the reasons I love ULTA so much is that most of the time you can get NYX buy one get one 50% off!





here is a few of the ones I have picked up



seriously don't we all leave Ulta with our hands looking like this?





•  LAURA GELLAR Ready Set Glow Collection ($39). I have to say I am a huge fan of value kits and I try really hard to pick the ones that will be worth it for you to spend an extra few bucks on.  I truly cant get enough of the Baked Body Frosting that comes in this kit. It is an ultimate bronzer that has been done in an oversized container so you are getting a real bang for your buck! What I love most about it is that it can be used every where, I have been putting it on my face neck chest and shoulders to give that just off the beach glow! They also chose to include just the right sun kissed Baked Blush- Bora Bora. It really is a good pairing and can be all your wear on your face.  The kit also includes a large body puff and a double sided brush.

• I grabbed an amazing eye kit while I was there as well, this would be great for someone who is looking for an instructional kit on how to get the perfect eye. LORAC'S Close Up Pro Eye Tutorial ($39). This kid includes, an eye shadow trio, black cream eyeliner, behind the scenes eye primer, pro mascara in black (which I have grown quite fond of), a double sided brush and of course your tutorial booklet.  The amount of product you get in this kit is well worth the money because a good mascara can cost you at least $20.

• I could not complete a blog without talking about my favorite cosmetic brand as of late- Benefit! I picked up a kit they had in store called The Benefit Besties Set ($12). Unfortunately, this kit does not  seem to be available online. But it is totally worth the trip. It includes a mini "That Gal" brightening face primer (great for the undereye!) and a mini Some Kind a Gorgeous which is a 'foundation faker". It gives the face the apperance of full coverage without the heavy coating of product, it has a smooth translucent finish. The fact that you can sample these two products that when purchased seperately in full size portions total $59.00 for the small price of $12, makes this an easy buy that you will not regret.

 As a follow up to a previous blog I have to tell you how much I am loving the Not Your Mothers Way to grow shampoo and conditioner ($5.99 I told you guys about. It has added strength and length to my hair as it promised. I am strongly endorseing this product and have purchased it again for a second time! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading and Stay Beautiful,

Scissor Hands Jill

Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @scissorhandsjf 

Saturday Shop Talk

 Let's talk about everything from my Walmart pool to the Royal Baby! I'll give you the topics, you can talk "amongst" yourselves... or with me!

•   North West- I know this is coming a little bit late and it is old news but, Yikes....  Kim, what were you thinking.... or weren't you? Enough said on that one.

• My Walmart pool!- I can officially blame my lack of weekend blogging on the $350 backyard oasis that me and Frankenstein treated ourselves too. If you have the space I highly recommend it! It is literally all you need to keep cool and really is quite nice for the affordable price.
  

•  Wolverine- Holy Hugh Jackman, seriously how hot is he? Me and my  main squeeze went to see the new Wolverine movie and it was an afternoon well spent. Lots of shirtless scenes and an interesting storyline made for a great show!
  

• Movie and popcorn/soda- We spent $32.50 to see a matinee and grab a medium popcorn and soda. If we waited for this movie to be on demand the total cost would have been about $9.50. How is it that they can get away with charging $8.00 for old popcorn??

•   Highlights- I changed my hair.... what else is new right? Went from face framing highlights to a partial. Summer time just makes me want to bust out the sun in and become a blonde again! What about you? Have you made any seasonal changes to your style?

• What's for dinner?- Tonight I made one of my favorites found on Pinterest, a Ravioli Bake. I use only P&S ravioli and I add an Italian dressing dry seasoning packet as opposed to the actual dressing to help thicken up the sauce. Check out the recipe here. It is super easy to make and only takes about 10 mins to prep. You will love it and I enjoy that I always have some left over for later in the week!

 

• Chinese Food- Looking for a great Chinese/ Asian Bistro in the South Jersey/Philly/Delco area? Look no further.... Sang Kee Asian Bistro/Noodle House has to be the best by far! Me and my Frankie can't get enough of this place!  I have to recommend the Chinese Pizza and the Chicken Skewers... YUM!

•  Last but not least the Royal Baby- I was on baby watch. Were you? I could not wait for this little HRH to get here. HOW awesome is it that Kate's not getting a nanny or nurse to help her. I mean come one women have been taking care of their babies all by themselves for years so why shouldn't she! Good for her for being seemingly down to earth! On a side note little Prince George has the hottest uncle ever...Harry you wild child you are my favorite ginger!

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=19743280&sid=75&ts=true

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/prince-harry-flirts-with-pussycat-dolls-ashley-roberts-parties-with-princess-beatrice-and-made-in-chelsea-cast-2013162

 

 

 

 Well that pretty much sums it up I hope you all had a fantastic Saturday! I know I have!

Thanks for reading and Stay Beautiful,
Scissor Hands Jill

Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @scissorhandsjf

 

Tuesday Tips Link Up

Hello Everyone! O how I have missed all of you! I took a brief break from blogging because of having my wisdom teeth out and YIKES I was not feeling beautiful, more like a chipmunk! But, I am glad to be back without my teeth but maintaining my wisdom.

Today on the blog I am linking up with Just Jacq . She is doing this awesome Tip Tuesday edition of her blog and this week I am her co-host. What else would Scissorhands talk about besides beauty, so today I am sharing my TOP 3 hair tips on beating the summer hair blues.
Friday, I took my Frankenstein to meet his favorite wrestler... the very sexy CM Punk, for his 31st birthday. This included standing outside all day in line in the blistering heat. I kept thinking about how my hair was holding up so well and it is probably all do to a combination of these 3 tips below. See for yourself!

after 4 hrs

after 6 hrs

Not to bad right??

TIP 1:

Have you ever had two parties at once on a busy and hot July Saturday? Even worse an outside afternoon wedding then evening reception? I know without a doubt that I have and normally my big concern is how crappy my hair will look by the second party.  Well fear no more ladies, I have perfected the method for good hair all day! 

First, complete your normal styling routine whether its curling, blow drying or flat ironing. Second -HAIRSPRAY. Which one your probably thinking? Any anti-humidity is good but my personal favorite is Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray-Strong Finish ($22.20). It has a great hold but doesn't leave the hair feeling crunchy like so many other sprays out there and helps fight frizz!

 Once you have gotten yourself together you are going to pack a small to go bag, include in there a brush, your hairspray and the sercret weapon to all day great hair.... Sauve Professionals Dry Shampoo($2.88).

 

After party Number 1 hold the dry shampoo can about 10 inches from your hair and spray it ONLY at the roots. I primarily spray at the nape of the neck were sweat loves to build up and at the front hairline. The dry shampoo is great for grabbing oils and drying them up. Rub in any excess with your fingers and the brush through your hair to have a just styled look. 

TIP 2:

Do you have beautiful curly hair but find yourself looking more like a Chia Pet as the day goes on?? Frizz can be so hard to manage and even tougher in the summer. Before styling when your hair is wet  try adding one of my favorite products, Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin .($14.46-AMAZON) 

It adds shine, detangles, replaces keratin, protects against heat, gives moisture but most importantly it closes and seals your cuticle layer making it more difficult for your hair to frizz! It will act as your first level of protection, hopefully what ever gel or mousse you are using is also an anti-frizz/ humidity product making beautiful, shiny curls a possibility all day! 

This is also great to help restore the hair after a long day of water activities. Helps to smooth and condition  the hair so that the chlorine won't leave it feeling like straw!

 

TIP 3: 

This is really one of my number one tips! If you are looking to curl your hair, wave it with an iron, or even flat iron, are you blow drying it first?? Well, stop it! Let your hair dry naturally first!  When your hair is wet add in the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Spray, and just let it dry on it's own. Normally, I will wash and spray at night and  let it dry to help cut down on my prep time in the morning. 

Why is that ? Well, how often do you realize that after you have finished blow drying, especially in the summer, that you need to go over your hair with a flat iron anyway because of the frizz?  When blow drying your own hair one of the hardest things to do is smooth out the cuticle- or outside layer of the hair strand. It is so hard to blow the air down the hair strand, which is necessary to close that cuticle, as opposed to up  the hair strand which roughs it up, because our arms just do not bend in away that it is comfortable to stand there and do it for 20 plus minutes. 

So, by letting your hair air dry prior to styling with an iron, you are protecting you hair from excess heat and helping to prevent additional frizz.  Once your hair has dried then go in and start styling it. This is also great because one of the worst things about summer is being under your blow dryer when its 90 degrees out side!

That pretty much sums it up! Do you have a summer styling problem? Ask away I'd be happy to help!

Thanks for reading and Stay Beautiful,
Scissor Hands Jill




Now link up your tip! Remember, we want all kinds: videos, short tips, tutorials, ideas, anything! And please remember to link back to justjacq or your link will be deleted.

How It Works:

Tip Tuesday is a linkup party where you will have the chance to share your tips and advice on that week's theme. I will post the themes for the next month towards the middle/end of the previous month so that you have time to get your posts ready. This is a relaxed linkup-- if you have a past post that you're particularly proud of and follows the theme, feel free to use it! I only ask that you still create a new post to link back to this linkup. The following Tuesday I will choose my top 5 favorite tips and share it with you. If you are one of the top 5 chosen, I will email you by Monday letting you know so that you can brag about it to your readers!

Requirements:

Your post has to be a tip or advice related to that week's theme. Be creative! All kinds of tips and advice are needed, from beginner to expert and simple to easy. Wordpress and Blogger blog tips are needed too! Remember, we don't all use the same platform. I do ask that you follow justjacq and the week's cohost in order to link-up. And don't forget to post a link back to justjacq and the cohost so that people can come visit!

Why should you link up?

Who doesn't love finding new blogs to read and forging friendships? It's pretty much why we all blog, am I right? But Tip Tuesday is more than finding new blogs. It's a collective of tips that we all spend time searching the internet for! Imagine all of your favorite and much needed tips collected in one space! Could anything be better?

Need help?

No problem! Always feel free to email me with anything! I remember being very confused the first time I saw a link up and then again the first time I decided to join one!

Grab a button and link up!!

 

 

<div class="Grab button for Tuesdaytip" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://www.justjacq.com/tag/tip-tuesday" rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y506/thejustjacq/77077bc3-191e-4ec4-b85b-8fd9eb955104_zps5142177f.jpg" alt="NBD" width="250" height="250" /> </a></div>

Sunday Steal: Fathers Day Special

Looking for the perfect gift for Dad? Well Ulta has a great selection for you! The current circular runs from June 9th until June 29th and has a bonus $5.00 off coupon included on the back cover.


There are several important beauty products for men that I want to let you know about:

Face Wash- I am obsessed with Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel ($32). I started using this in January and my Frankenstein started using it every day as well, that first bottle lasted me about 3 weeks. I now purchase the larger size for $52. This is a soap free foaming gel that has lavender extract and a balm mint that helps smooth and cool the skin. It is not super girly it is just face wash so men can totally jump on board with it. This also includes a free gift with purchase! 

 

Shampoo- I'm pretty sure most men use whatever is in the shower, but they really should be using something that will help them prevent hair loss! In this months circular they feature one of the greatest loss prevention shampoos on the market: Nioxin. Nioxin is best used in a 3 step process and it works out since it is buy 2 get 1 free. Nioxin 1 Scalp Cleanser ($12) is obviously to cleanse the scalp it removes dirt and oils and helps the sooth the scalp without being to harsh on the hair strand. It helps minimize breakage . Nioxin 1 Scalp Therapy  ($15) is to give the hair resilience and leave the hair with shine and luster. Nioxin 1 Scalp Treatment  ($25) which will help clean away pore clogging residue that works against new hair growth. What man doesn't want to prevent hair loss? Seriously?

Hair Styling Products- Ulta Men Shop has a variety of products that are designed just for men. My favorite line American Crew. I prefer using their styling balms on my male clients.Just so you know if you are online shopping this brand is only available in store. But there are a ton of brands that are included in the buy 2 get 1 free special so I am sure you can find one just right for the Dad in your life.

Cologne- Who doesn't like to smell good? Right now Ulta has a TON of mens fragrance specials and most of them include some type of free gift. The best buy I think, is Burberry Brit ($43-$73) or Touch. It smells amazing and comes with a free toiletry bag. On top of that Ulta has either a free cooler or foldable chair with any fragrance purchase of $30 or more! Can you beat that? Even if you bought the cologne for Dad and kept the chair or cooler for you it is a total win win!

 

comes in blue/green combo as well

Well whatever you decide to get for the Dad's you know just make sure you make them feel special. I would like to take a minute to shout out my Dad who is great and always there for me however he has not one hair on his hair so I know I am not getting him shampoo! 

This is one of my favorite pics with my Dad- Me and Frankenstein and my Sister Lauren and her husbands Ken on New Years Night 2011

Hope you all celebrate your Dads, Baby Dads, Husbands, Godfathers, and I can't leave out your Doggy Dad's (I know I won't forget mine)!

Thanks for reading and Stay Beautiful,

Scissor Hands Jill

Coming up this week... the 411 on BB cream and CC cream, Hump Day Hairchat : Layers
and a Super packed Sunday Steals next weekend.

Hump Day Hair Chat: 411 on Keratin Treatments

I LOVE the summer but I hate the frizzy hair that accompanies it. I can't stand styling my hair and getting it just right and then walking out the door to have it pouf out all over the place. This is one of the reasons why I think Mother Nature is really a Father because no woman would force humidity on us knowing the horrible ramifications on our hair!

So, with that said are you looking to beat the summer frizz? Cut your blow-dry time in half? Even better, have it air dry straight and stay that way? Then let me tell you about my miracle product, Keratin Complex by Coppola. Now, I am well aware of all that is in the news about the keratin treatments having harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, but I'm going to tell it to you straight. There are several brands, Brazilian Blowout in particular that were claiming to be "formaldehyde free" but were actually 10% formaldehyde which is quite a bit. The product was causing soreness in the throat and burning in the eyes... YIKES, and I am speaking from personal experience! Until the Occupational Safety and Health Administration stepped in and pulled the majority of these products until they were reformulated and relabeled. Keratin Complex by Coppola has never been pulled it has a low level of  only 2% formaldehyde. (ref) 

This is a safe product to use and is highly effective in reducing curl pattern and minimizing frizz. I am a huge fan of it and am not saying you have to run out and get a treatment but I thought it might help you be more open to the service if I explained it to you a little further.

Pricing on this service can vary by salon, you most likely will not find it cheaper than $150 but it can be as high as $400. 

Below are some before and after pictures:

The transformation really is amazing and one of the greatest things about it is that it lasts a minimum of 12 weeks. You can hop out of the shower and finger dry your hair and within 10 mins its straight and smooth no muss no fuss. 

Special considerations- You have to shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo (which you should be doing anyway!) Also your appointment time will vary from 2-4 hrs depending on the amount of hair, but please give yourself enough time when or if scheduling it. You will not be able to shampoo or wet your hair for 72hrs so keep that in mind as well when scheduling. Last, but not least, understand that this treatment can be addicting, it cuts your prep time in half and gives you low maintenance but perfect hair!

Nervous about the commitment of having your hair like that for 12 weeks? Try an Express Blowout - much more reasonable in price and lasts for only 6 weeks and is only a one hour service.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have on this. Also, check out the Keratin Complex  Q & A section on there website it is very informative!

Thanks for reading and Stay Beautiful,

Scissor Hands Jill

Check me out on the Friday 5 over at LifeAccordingtoSteph.com where is talk about the 5 beauty products I can not live without!

Sunday Steals

On this weeks Sunday Steals I want to tell you about something that I love and cherish. I had a slight addiction to it at one time and had to literally rehab myself off of it.  I was using it sometimes twice a week.

How many of you have ever gotten a gel polish manicure? Did you love that glossy finish? When you got it done you probably paid $25 and that's on the lower end. What if I told you that you could do that right at home in your living room? (I love pretending like I am hosting an infomercial) Well, if your nail polished obsessed like me you probably are thinking tell me more!! My students told me about this awesome gel manicure kit($79.99) from Red Carpet Nails available at Ulta.

At first I was a little hesitant because of the price but once I saw all that it included I couldn't resist the desire to buy it! It has everything you need to get started. A super quick lamp, purify (your pre nail dehydrator),your adhesive, base coat, top coat, cuticle oil, gel polish remover and of course Red Carpet Red polish. Plus, if you think about how much it costs to get a gel manicure every two weeks this pays for itself after 4 uses!

It was so easy to use and it came with very clear instructions, if you can paint your nails you can do this! One of the best things about it is you do not have to sit around waiting for your nails to dry its a quick minute under the lamp and then your all set!  

Be sure to remove it correctly by soaking the polish off, peeling it or picking it will damage the nail. *I am speaking from experience.

Ulta is also having a sale starting today until June 8th on the Red Carpet Gel Polish($9.99) is all buy one get one 50% off!

Next up, I have to bring your attention to a great special running at one of my favorite spots that BH Cosmetics. They have 3, 88 color eye shadow palettes on sale for only $25.00! That's a total of 264 colors regularly priced for all 3 at $60.85. It includes 

• 88 matte colors- great for everyday use
• 88 cool shimmer colors- awesome for adding a little pop and making your eyes really sparkle
• 88 tropical colors- great for summer and being more dramatic

I can't tell you enough how much I love their products, great quality, great pigmentation and great prices. I ordered a set for myself and can't wait to use it!

THIS great deal ends tomorrow however at Midnight so shop quick!!

Lots coming up this week on the Blog. So check back in with me! 

Thanks for Reading and Stay Beauitful,

Scissorhands Jill

Holiday Special Edition of Saturday Shop Talk with Ms.Fran

WOW! What a busy weekend I have had! I worked this Saturday to get all my clients looking right for their weekend festivities! Then yesterday I went to a barbecue! So with the busy weekend ahead of me, I asked my fabulous co-worker Fran to help me give this blog a little extra meat!

Fran was one of the educators at the school when I was a student and although I personally never had her, boy do I look up to her! She has such an incredible understanding of this business and I value her opinion on styles, color and cuts more than I think she knows. When I was a student everyone was always buzzing about what Ms. Fran had planned, fun and exciting activities and no matter what always a smile and positive reinforcement. I'll never forget when I was a student, she paid me a compliment that really helped give me the confidence I needed to be a stylist. I had just finished a vintage formal design on a live model for a competition we were having at the school and she came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and said "we need to stay in touch with you, you have to come back, see this, this is amazing." I think about that so often now that I am a teacher, how much our words can mean to these up and coming stylists.

Ms. Fran with her contagious smile!

So lets get to it, here's what we are chatting about this week:

1.    Paulie D- Have you seen his new hair cut? IS this actually news? I kinda feel like he cut his hair so that he could get his name out there again. I saw him once in Atlantic City. He was "DJing" and to be quite honest I DJ better with my car radio.   

• FRAN SAYS: First off, I'm embarrassed to say I had to look up who Paulie D is! He isn't my type, but it wasn't the haircut I noticed, but the body did catch my eye! The man could be bald as far I'm concerned!

2.    Plans for the summer?- I hate vacationing in the summer, most places are overcrowded and crawling with little ones, although they are cute, I prefer to vacation when they are seated in classrooms. I am headed to Disney and on a Disney Cruise this September and I can't wait! Other than that I plan on a few weekend trips here and there starting next month with a quick trip to Gettysburg.

• FRAN SAYS: Summer getaways will be pretty local as far as I'm concerned with the cost of gas and food being so high. I'm thinking of just hitting the Jersey Shore. They are Sandy strong and strong after Sandy!  Before you go, stock up on food and fill up on gas, but don't forget the liquor store! Word is, their thinking about changing the amount of legal alcohol consumption for drinking and driving. So, I don't see many people wanting to spend a lot of money dining out if the limit becomes one drink!

3.  Yard Sales- It seems to me that as soon as the weather warms up people are selling their unwanted belongings on their lawns. I absolutely love them!  Working Saturdays in the salon would always make it so hard to get them but now that I am off most Saturdays I am stopping the car every time I see them and adding to my pile of junk at home.

• FRAN SAYS -Yard sales, I love them! Someone elses junk is my treasure! Better yet I've trashed picked treasures and they were free!                 

4.) BBQ go to foods: Did you ever notice that a barbecue is just not a barbecue without potato salad, pasta salad and deviled eggs? I can't help but eat two or three deviled eggs, they're my absolute go to at a summer time party. My cousin Patty always made the most delicious ones and I think of her each time I grab for one and probably always will.

• FRAN SAYS: Whether it's potato or pasta salad, I enjoy them both unfortunately. But don't be making it with miracle whip!(YUCK!)  Real mayonnaise girl over here...why would anyone use miracle whip???- Fran, I couldn't agree more!

5.)   Stiletto nails- I have to admit when these things started popping up I couldn't stand them. There was just something that looked so fake to me. Celebrities have jumped on board with this and now they're everywhere. Like most trends do, this grew on me. I prefer them to be on the rounder side though not filed into a sharp point. What do you think?

• FRAN SAYS- I think its amazing how trends decide what people will or will not be caught dead wearing. However, the pointy nail like all trends was in the past and is making a comeback! I'm personally always 3-5 years behind the trend so with that said, I will probably be getting a little point to my nails within the next few years!

6.)   Which Sex and the City character are you? - I have been re-watching Sex and the City lately. It is one of my all time favorite shows. It got me thinking, do you have a group of gal pals? Which character do you relate to most? Personally, if you asked my friends they'd probably say Samantha but less promiscuous. I am loyal and will always come through in the end. I give honest opinions and tell it how it is. I am also always good for an inappropriate comment or two. Which ever character you are I am sure you know how important you are to your group, the great thing with friends is we all bring out something special in each other.

• FRAN SAYS: I always compare the salon I work in to Steel Magnolias. I love people of all types, having the differences is what makes everything so fun! I can't say I am the prettiest or even the smartest. sometimes one of the funniest but most importantly I would like to be known as the one who brought everyone together.

Well that's all I have for you today. I hope you had an amazing weekend. Remember Memorial Day is about more than BBQing. It is about remembering the service men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice so we can all live free and safe!

  Fran thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us! Your a gem!

Thanks for reading and Stay Beautiful,

Scissorhands Jill

Check back in on Wednesday for this weeks Hump Day Hair Chat: How to beat the summer frizz!