Video Tutorial: {How I Curl My Hair}

As promised last week, I filmed a video tutorial of my hair curling technique for you ladies. Nothing fancy, just a basic video of me...well...using a curling iron.

A few things before you watch:

1) As I say in the video, I think the way my finished style looks has more to do with the way my hair stylist cuts my hair than anything. If you have long hair, (my length or longer), I'd suggest asking your stylist for some long(ish) layers to help lighten up the weight of your hair in the front, which will help in the styling process.

2) It's all about the iron. If you haven't shelled out the $40 for a Hot Tools curling iron yet, do yourself a favor and make the purchase. Hot Tools just makes a better iron.

3) I'm not a fan of the curling wands. I tried a friend's a couple of times and I prefer the old style with the clamp. This would work just fine with a wand, though.

Products mentioned in the video

CHI Turbo Paddle Brush (Large)

Hot Tools Professional Rainbow Gold 1-1/4" Barrel Curling Iron 

Tigi Catwalk Your Highness Firm Hold Hair Spray

You can find a complete list of the other products I use on my hair, including shampoo and conditioner, on this page.

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Another email topic that frequently comes up: baby bangs and baby sideburns and how I dealt with this strange postpartum phenomenon.

I'll start by saying, I didn't avoid it, (and am still dealing with it a bit), but I didn't get it too badly. I think one thing was instrumental in that: Davines MELU Heat Protecting Shield. I used this stuff religiously both before and after Caroline was born. It helped to put a halt to breakage and speed up the re-growth process.

Davines MELU Shield Heat Protecting Spray

(A lot of people think the short postpartum baby hairs are from breakage alone, but it's actually new hair coming in and, sometimes, subsequently breaking off due to heat styling. See? Learning new things daily. That's what we do here on this highly educational blog.)

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Thanks for watching me curl my hair and thanks for reading this blog. It shocks the heck outta me at how many of you take the time to read this little piece of the internet daily and I sincerely appreciate that.

Buy This - Not That: {October Edition + Blanket Scarf Video Tutorial!}

Lipstick I'm wearing is here. I also use a 1-1/4 inch barrel Hot Tools curling iron. 

I'm loving the bargain hunting aspect that comes along with this monthly post series. I've scored so many designer look-alike items through research for these posts. Not sure my bank account is thrilled, but my closet is way happy ; )

Behold (!!) My picks for October:

Jessica Simpson Beagan Boot in Bourbon Fudgie ($99) vs. Frye 'Shirley' Over-the-Knee Boot ($478) 

3.1 Phillip Lim Medium Pashli Bag ($825) vs. Ann Taylor Pebbled Signature Crossbody Bag in Taupe Latte ($98)

Tinley Road Pleated Fit-n-Flare Dress ($89) vs. Milly Fit-n-Flare Textured Dress ($450)

Via Spiga Quilted Trapunto-Stitch Leather Jacket ($269) vs. Maurice's Quilted Faux Leather Jacket ($69)

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Finally, I wanted to show y'all how I tie my blanket scarf. These babies can be a little bit daunting because, well, they're massive. Hopefully, this will help if you're struggling to tie yours!

Also, I mentioned in the video that I got mine from Heart & Home Collection. Unfortunately, it looks like they're sold out : ( (They do have it in a very pretty red color, though!) CORRECTION: Megan says she still does have some - yippee!! Looky here!

My girls at Riffraff also stocked this scarf, the Mad for Plaid scarf in Multi, last week and, though it's currently sold out, they will be getting more. Simply enter your email address on this page to be notified when they have arrived.

Also, can we please take a minute to appreciate the incredibly moronic look on my face in the still shot of this video? Thanks, YouTube. 

(The lipstick I'm wearing in both photos and the video is called Plum Velour by Revlon and can be found here.)

I'll see you back here tomorrow for Confessional Friday!

P.S. - If anyone else knows of stores that have the blanket scarf in stock, leave a comment telling where! I know lots of ladies that are still looking to get their hands on one, so I thought that might be helpful!!

Lion King Flash Mob

You've probably seen this flying around everywhere today, (no pun intended), but just in case you haven't, I wanted to share. If you're as big a fan of The Lion King as I am, you'll appreciate this.

Apparently, the Aussie castmates of the famed Broadway show boarded a plane yesterday and gave passengers the impromptu performance of a lifetime.

So beautiful and powerful and joyful that it gave me goosebumps.

Humidity-Proof Hair: {Vlog}

I had a couple folks ask after last week’s Ulta Super Blender Sponge Tutorial if I could do one on straight hair (or better yet, how the heck to achieve smooth locks during summer’s crazy humidity.)

As many of you know, I live in Arkansas and WOAH MOMMA…the humidity will straight up wilt a girl during the summer. We’re talking 80-90% humidity during the hotter parts of July and August. Fun stuff.

I thought it'd be fun (and less boring than a novella-sized blog post) to tell you girls what products work for me to achieve a smooth 'n straight hair do' that stays in tact, even in our terrarium-like climate .

Here are the products I mentioned in the vlog that keep my locks nice and tidy during the blazing summer months:

1. CHI Silk Infusion - here

2. CHI CA1084 Ceramic Hair Dryer - here

3. Redken Blonde Glam Shampoo - here

4. Kenra Color Maintenance Conditioner - here

5. Tigi Catwalk Series Work It Hairspray - here

6. Moroccanoil Treatment® - here

Link to the Remington Flat Iron - here

P.S.- That other Redken shampoo/conditioner I couldn't remember the name of (for non-blonde hair)? Yeah, it's called Extreme. And you can get it here. 

Click on the items below to purchase for yourself!

Foundation Sponge Tutorial

A few weeks ago, I sang the praises of the Ulta Super Blender Sponge. For a lot less money than Sephora's Beauty Blender Sponge, this equivalent product beautifully smooths out icky foundation lines around the jaw while also getting into the nooks and crannies of your face, (i.e. around the nose and eyelids.)

The Pros
-Easy to maneuver, once you get the hang of it.
-It's pink. Duh.
-It blends things a little more smoothly around the jawline than a traditional cosmetic sponge or foundation brush.

The Cons
-It eats a lot of make-up. Typically, a bottle of foundation lasts me anywhere from 6-8 months, if not more. The sponge soaks up quite a bit more make-up than a regular foundation applying tool.

*Update: A couple folks suggested wetting the sponge to prevent some of the foundation from being "eaten". I did try that trick when I first purchased the sponge, but for me at least, it didn't work and kind of made my foundation a little thin. It might work for some of y'all though, so give it a shot!

Behold, the Ulta Super Blender Sponge tutorial. You can purchase the additional products I mention at the following links: Primed and Poreless powder and the Nars blush in Angelika.

*This is not a sponsored post. I purchased the sponge at an Ulta location near my home and all opinions expressed are my own. No compensation was provided by Ulta or other third party entities.

View the products featured in this tutorial and others I love by clicking on the photos below!

A Pep Talk

Because we could all use a little "lift" now and then...

You've just been pep talked.

Kids of the 90s

I was born in 1984, but most of my fondest childhood memories are from the early 90s. A friend posted this on FB on Friday, (Ty, if you're reading, thank you!), so I thought I would share with the rest of you.

Cheers to one fabulous decade.

Happy Monday.

Holiday Style Video!

Greetings, gorgeous girls! Today is a special day on the bloggity blog! The above, as some of you may remember, is Lindy. Lindy has been helping out with this blog for over a year now and has truly been a God-send with keeping this blog running smoothly. She's also a published columnist and author of her own fabulous blog, A Pirate's Prevailing Taste!

Lindy is a hottie patoddy.

Anywhozit, Lindy has been working her tail off on a video for A Blonde Ambition that will hopefully inspire some holiday looks for y'all! What's even better is that every look  featured on the video is LESS than $100
total...ah-may-zing.

You'll see three looks:
#1- The Holiday Spent with Family
#2- The Holiday Spent with Friends
#3- For New Year's Eve

Watch and learn, lovelies.

And here are the deets on the outfits featured on the models:


Look # 1 Kristyn: The Holidays Spent with Family

Sweater: $13- Old Navy
Belt:         $3- Charlotte Russe
Top:         $4- T.J. Maxx
Boots:    $60- Steve Madden from Famous Footwear (Look-a-likes at Target for only $35)
Earrings: $11- Che Bella
Scarf:       $9- Aldo Accessories
Total:   $100– (Excluding jeans, because I know skinny jeans are an ESSENTIAL in a fashionista’s closet, but just in case you were wondering, they were $20 from Target)


Look # 2 Ashlei: The Holidays Spent with Friends

Top-    $23- Target
Skirt-     $6- Forever 21
Tights-   $4- Marshalls
Boots- $64- Aldo
Total:   $93  (Fabulous hairstyle- FREE! Put your hair in a ponytail and then split it in half and flip the ponytail through the gap. Pull it through and tighten it. Easy, and chic!)


Look # 3 Sarah: New Years Eve

Dress-     $15- Charlotte Russe
Blazer-    $25- Forever 21
Shoes-    $40- DSW
Bracelets- $4- Forever 21
Ring-        $4- Charlotte Russe
Earrings- $10- Claire's
Total:      $98   (Fierce attitude and endless compliments- not included)


Don't forget that tonight will be the VERY FIRST installment of New Year, New You. Follow the eating plan we'll reveal tonight, and you'll be well on your way to that bikini : )

If you haven't already, take a sec to read the Introduction post before tonight!

Be blessed, lovelies-

Hair Curling Tutorial Video Blog!

A lot of y'all have asked how I curl/fix my hair and, on a whim yesterday, decided to make a video blog showin' ya! The style is inspired by Erin Andrews' hair; kind of flowy and curvy and full of body : ) It's fairly easy to accomplish, even if you aren't really skilled with a curling iron.

Stay tuned for a special announcement toward the end of the video about something cool I get to do this week...it's worth it : )

Behold, how I curl my hair. And on ONE video, nonetheless:

Be blessed, lovelies-

Video Blog: {How I Do My Eye Make-up!}

The eye make-up that launched a thousand emails...(Ok, more like 5 emails)

Y'all asked, I'm delivering : ) I did this on a whim yesterday after work following a few emails from you lovelies, asking about my eye make-up application. The quality isn't perfect, but I think you'll get the just of it.

A couple things to note:
1) It's split into four videos because my camera refuses to take more than 3 minutes of video at a time. Sorry.
2) Bobbi Brown, I am not. I've never claimed to be a pro, so take my advice for a grain of salt. Or a swipe of mascara.

If you watched all four of those, I commend you!

Also, don't forget to check out Blinc mascara, my new fav and what I'm currently (seriously) obsessed with. Blinc's Mascara Lasts! Won't smudge, flake or run! Click here and get FREE SHIPPING!

Until next time...

Be blessed, lovelies-

Stir Crazy: A Photoshoot and A Video

Collage by A Blonde Ambtition; photos via We Heart It

Gracious be. Thankfully I was able to make it to work today, because after two days of being snowed in, I was pretty stinkin' ready to get out of the house . I'm all about a light dusting of beauteous, winter snow, but good Lord- we got a whopping two feet!

Anywho, you guys took a poll last week about what you'd like to see more of on A Blonde Ambition. An overwhelming 90% of you said you'd like to see more personal pics and posts of moi. I heard you loud and clear, so consider this the start of an attempt to blog more personally.

I was postively bored yesterday, so I did a little video for y'all. I know I always wonder what you guys look/sound like, so I thought I'd let you guys hear me.  Plus I wanted to tell y'all thanks for the amazing support lately rather than write it in words. Let me preface this by saying I HATE the way I sound on camera.



I also decided to take some random photos in my super awesome snow-day workout apparel (sans the actual workout part.) Remember my thought about doing an Outfit of the Week post. Yeah, this would be the first "outfit", haha.

Zip-up by New Balance, cropped running leggings by Old Navy, socks by Hanes Her Way. Hair and make-up by Leslie.

Got some new lipstick last week and L-O-V-E it. It's from Lancome and the shade is Crushed Rose. Thought I'd show you.

Being redonkulous.

I think my efforts at the gym are paying off! Notice my trim(ish) midsection. Sort of. Eh??

Anywho, Wednesday morning I got some snow pics of my boys. You can see just how deep it was! Oh and another video where I sound like a complete hillbilly : )



Mr. Ari

...with his fav toy

So deep!

My fiance is 6 ft. tall. The snow hit his knees. You do the math.

So as you can see, we've been up to a lot of nothing. Which, in essence, really isn't all that bad. I can think of worse ways to spend a couple of weekdays. The Kate Walsh interview will be up here on Monday in its entirety, so come by and sit for a bit.

Have a good weekend.

Be blessed, lovelies-