Five Things Friday

Happy March!  Now, come on Spring Break... get here PRONTO! Here are five things I am loving today!
Drinking And Tweeting and other Brandi Blunders I am loving the tragic car wreck that is this book!  Do yourself a favor and grab your kindle and a glass of wine and devour this easy read!

ASOS Curve Shift Dress in Animal Print I have been toying with buying this dress for over a week now! It is a great style, print, and color.  The best news came Tuesday when Gwynnie Bee added it to the inventory!  I can rent it before I buy it.  Check out more Gwynnie Bee fabulousness here, here, here, oh and here.

Embryolisse Lait- Creme Concetre (24-Hour Miracle Cream) I got this great goodness in my October Birchbox, but did not get around to using it until recently and I. LOVE. IT.  It soothes this ridiculously dry face skin I have to deal with until winter decides to leave me alone.

The Minty Dog Cocktail

I have acquired a newfound affinity for gin and grapefruit juice lately!  Adding a tad of mint sugar and giving it a fancy name just makes it more fun!

(Gin, Grapefruit, & Mint Sugar)

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Sea Salt Texturizing Spray

I am testing out this product for Influenster and I love the way it adds a unique hold to my hair.  Adding some dry shampoo and NYM spray helps give me great hair on day 2 AND 3 after shampooing! Woohoo!

Books, booze, and good beauty products are a guaranteed merrymaking combination. It's definitely the best way to relax this Friday!  What are you chickens getting in to this weekend?

Product Review: Oscar Blandi Texture & Volume Spray

In last month's Birchbox, I was super lucky to receive the product pictured above, aka miracle spray.  It adds just the right amount of texture to my hair!  After flat-ironing, my hair can be a little, well... flat.  A few sprays of this prodcut and it looks like I actually know how to tease my hair.  (BONUS: Without the damage!)  If I am feeling fancy, on good hair days, I like to make waves with a curling iron and this stuff works magic.  It has a DRY texturing formula that gives that is hard to achieve with hairspray without the crunchies.  It sells for around $25, but at Ulta you can use their coupon they send out once a month!  I think a month of good hair days is TOTALLY worth the splurge!  Have you tried this product?  Thoughts?

Is there a product you would like to see reviewed on Matters of Merrymaking?  Leave the name in the comments below! Happy Hump Day!

Misikko HANA Air Hair Dryer Review

If you have been around this little blog for any period of time, you may have noticed that I am a beauty fanatic as well.  I am always game to try a new trend, product, or styling device.  When Misikko.com asked me to review their premier hair dryer, the Hana Air, I was completely ready to accept the challenge.  It's rated as their best hair dryer and was voted the as the Premier Hair Dryer in 2010 and 2011! 

Preface: It is important to note that I have naturally curly, unruly hair and like (almost) every curly headed lady out there, I have always coveted sleek, silky straight locks.  I have long been searching for products and tools to make my hair that way for the longest time now.  The hair drying process used to be a mundane step that I loathed daily! Not anymore...  
First Impressions:  The packaging on on a product from Misikko.com makes you feel like a kid at summer camp getting a care package from Mom.  I mean, they go the extra mile to make you feel special!
Product: It's lightweight, it's sleek, and it's got a long cord. CHECK CHECK CHECK!I plugged in this baby and it blew me away, literally. The power and wattage is truly impressive.  It has many different settings from cool, warm, & hot.  This is honestly the first dryer I've owned that truly blew cool air when you wanted it.  I like to blast my locks with cool air after blowdrying and this dryer really did it!My hair felt softer and there was ZERO static.I can honestly say that the HANA air hair dryer passed every curly hair ---> straight hair item on the check list.Best of all, I was frizz free :)
(Pic on right: After using the dryer, very smooth hair with my natural wave)(Pic on left: after straightening, my hair has never been this sleek and smooth!)

Even for those not hair care obsessed (like me), this product will simplify your beauty routine and make you feel and look lovely!Check out the other amazing styling products available from Hana, I know I have my eye on the Hana Elite Ceramic Flat Iron.Check out Misikko.com and check out their wide variety of products (including CHI Hair Products!!!)

Want to have your product reviewed on Matters of Merrymaking?send me an email at mattersofmerrymaking(AT)gmail(DOT)com

current obsession: {hair products}

So it's been a hot minute since I reviewed some products! I have been buying cosmetics and drugstore products like they are going out of style, but today I am going to strictly stick to my new favorite hair products.

I have naturally curly hair that you will 99.9% never see in it's full curly glory, unless we are swimming or camping, and let's be honest-- I don't do camping.So that being said, I use many a heat tool and the stress and damage can leave your hair feeling frizzy, broken, and dry as straw.  I was doing my weekly stroll down the aisles of Walgreens, my own little method of therapy, when I spotted this new product by my dear, old friend John Frieda.  What a gem, that guy.1. John Frieda FULL REPAIR shampoo and conditionerRevives overworked hair without sacrificing full body.  I really like the smell of this shampoo/conditioner, but then again I don't normally splurge on salon brands known for their smells! I felt like the quality of both products was well worth the $6.99 sticker, BOGO too!

via

Just with the shampoo and conditioner, I noticed my hair truly felt softer. But I think the golden ticket really came with this little bottle:2. John FriedaFULL REPAIRsheer mist

via

The sheer mist is just added to the ends of your hair, and is advertised to make the brittle and damaged ends of overworked hair softer and more manageable. It makes blow drying a BREEZE, and I can't stress how much softer it made the ends of my hair.  I literally made everyone feel it.  Everyone!**If you prefer creams to sprays, this comes in a cream as well!
Final Say: I think this is the perfect new product for thick, unruly hair or hair that gets hair dryer/flat iron everyday.  Maybe not for the thin and fine haired gals out there.  Have you tried it? Been interested in it? Let me know.  Comment it out, merrymakers.