how i curl my hair

Yesterday I talked about my outfit details from Saturday, and today I'm explaining how I curl my hair. Sometimes I curl it the night before using the Sultra curling wand, but when I curl it the day of an event, I prefer to use a regular curling iron. Here's how to achieve the look...

The tools: 

1. Hot Tools 1 1/4 inch curling iron

2. Tresemme Platinum Strength Heat Protectant 

3. Kenra Volume 25 Hairspray

4. Suave Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil

The steps: Let's see how good I am at giving hair styling directions through writing!

1. First, I spray the Tresemme heat protectant all through my hair, especially the ends. 
2. Then, I part my hair all the way down the back of my head, diving it into two sections. 
3. Clip the right side up and away from the other section so it doesn't get tangled. 
4. I take the left section and divide it evenly into two sections (top and bottom).
5. Pin the top half up. 
6. Starting from the back, I take about a 1-2 inch piece of hair, and clamp the curling iron about 3/4 of the way up my head. (The point is to NOT start at the end and curl up. When you do that, you are focusing all the heat on the ends of the hair, and you're not distributing the heat evenly, which can cause the curls to fall faster, and that method isn't great for the ends of your hair.) Remember to also curl away from your face. 
7. With my hair clamped, I curl up a little bit until hair is wrapped around once, then loosen the clamp (don't release the hair), then pull down a little bit, and curl up again. Repeat this all the way down to the end of the hair, until that piece is completely curled. 
8. I just repeat this all the way around my head for each section until it's all finished. 
9. Then you have some kinda tight curls. I run my fingers through it to loosen it up and gently twist them until they look relaxed, but still uniform. 
10. Then I spray the ends lightly with Kenra Volume 25 hairspray. Any aerosol hair spray will work! Just don't weigh it down with too much hairspray. Less is more.
11. Then I try to tame those flyaways. I have a few different oils/serums for this, but right now I'm trying out this Suave Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil. I focus the oil more on the ends first, and then using whatever leftover product is on my fingers, I'll smooth down the top of my head. 

So that's basically it. I have thick, mostly straight and hard to curl hair, and this method works great for me. My curls last all night, and even look great the next day. 

Hope you found this helpful. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post! xo

summer wedding: what i wore

This past weekend I attended a wedding in Ben's home town of Monroe, Louisiana. I don't know what it is, but I just love weddings. I had a blast. I've had lots of questions about where my dress is from that I wore. So I figured I'd dedicate a post to this dress, because quite honestly, I loved it! 

I'm no fashionista by any means. I swoon over other bloggers who can effortlessly put together chic outfits seven days a week. For me, that magic happens once in a super blue moon. So I thought I'd share my outfit details today, and hair and makeup over the next two days. 

Dress: It's from Target! And, it is still in stores. I saw it yesterday when I was grocery shopping. Online it says it's currently unavailable, but I would hope they re-stock it soon. {mint + lace + mesh = love}

Quilted mint clutch: It's from a local boutique, Blink. Similar style here. I've also seen similar styles at Forever 21. 

White chandelier earrings: These are also from a local boutique, Apricot Lane. Again, you can find similar styles pretty much anywhere. Check places like Forever 21 or Francesca's. 

My heels {not shown}: I wore nude Jessica Simpson (open toe) pumps I bought at Shoe Station years ago. Best investment ever. You're bound to find some great nude pumps from places like Dillard's and Steve Madden. 

Bangles {also not shown}: I stacked some gold bangles on my left wrist that were from Francesca's. 

I'll share how I curl my hair tomorrow; and makeup details {mainly what I depend on to make sure my makeup lasts all night long} on Thursday! xo

happy friday, y'all!

Helllooooo weekend! Not a lot on the agenda this weekend, but that's a good thing!

1. Visited Jefferson Island last Saturday. We had a great lunch on the lake and a tour of the grounds and gardens, it was nice! It was interesting to learn about Ben's family history. I had no idea that place existed until we started dating, but I wouldn't mind visiting more often! 

2. I had an awesome dinner on Sunday with these ladies. I miss our wine nights, but margaritas were just as good! 

3. New Nikes! Now that I'm sticking with my workout routine, I've rewarded myself (or maybe I just found a really awesome deal at the Nike Outlet). While these are not the ones I've been stalking, these were half the price, the exact same color, and supported my arch the best. I'm excited about this.

4. A fresh mani + new summer purse = total instagram moment.

5. I miss my Carter bear so much. I've been depending on Facetime, since I really don't know the next time I'll see him. Thank you modern technology. 

See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! Have a good weekend!! 

four favorites

Going along with the beach theme for favorites this week, I've picked some of my favorite items that I own, and you'll definitely see me with at the beach come July! 

Aldo Wayfairs: I'm definitely an aviators girl, but I decided to try out wayfairs and I'm in love with these from Aldo. 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray: I think sea salt sprays are great for the summer time, especially at the beach. I shared how I use this surf spray to get "beachy waves"  in a post from last summer, which you can see here. 

Smashbox BB Cream: I don't know how many times I can feature this stuff or how many different ways I can say that I love it. Basically, it's my face sunscreen (SPF 35),  provides a little bit of coverage, and is very lightweight. Click here for a more in-depth review. 

C. Wonder Neon Stripe Tote: Any kind of tote is necessary for packing all of your necessities for the beach. I love that this one is neutral, but still summer-y with the neon stripes. 

What are some of your essentials for the beach or a summer getaway? 

nail polish favorites

There are many times throughout the week when I feel like this girl. But if that's the biggest stress I have, then it's a good week. As I sit here typing away with my nude nails (Sand Tropez by Essie), I'm contemplating removing it and applying one of these ASAP! There's something about pastel and neon colors that just makes me a happier person. I'm itching for a bright color change! So today I just wanted to share some of my favorite nail polishes for the spring and summer months. Pastels, neons, glitter-- it's just too hard to choose. 

from left to right: 

L'oreal: Macaroon Me Madly: This is a really pretty creamsicle-peachy shade for when you just want subtle color. 

Essie Mint Candy Apple: This is more of a mint blue than a mint green. It's so pretty on the nails and it's one of those that I can never really get sick of. 

Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac: I'm just obsessed with this line of nail polish. It's the absolute best formula for the price, which is around $2.50. Can't beat that. 

China Glaze Shocking Pink: This is my go-to neon hot pink color. It's currently on my toes and it looks best on tan feet.

Essie Fiji: This is a classic pale pink that goes on perfectly in 1 or 2 coats. When all else fails, just apply this.

Urban Outfitters After Hours: You'll rarely see me sporting an all glitter manicure, so when I'm feeling a little frisky I just do the glitter accent nail thing. This one is perfect. 

Is it still spring? Did we switch to summer yet? The calendar says summer doesn't "officially" start until June 21, but the weather says otherwise... 

What colors/polishes do you reach for the most during the spring and summer?