Not Your Mother's Hair Care: Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

Happy Monday!!!

I know it's quite hard for us to go back to our daily routine after the weekend... and especially after Thanksgiving break. But hey, on the bright side, Christmas countdown is officially on! :D

I am super excited for Christmas, but I do miss the beach.
How fun would it be to have a beach bonfire right now?! Haha.

Another thing I love about going to the beach? Beach-y, wavy hair!

It's a hairstyle that screams a California carefree and relaxed vibe.
It's a hairstyle that is perfect for everyday -- not too formal, but still fab!

One product that will really help you achieve that effortlessly cool hairstyle is

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray.

Now everyday can be a day at the beach... minus the sunburn. BEACH BABE™ has everyone fooled into thinking you just left the beach (you little liar!). It adds sexy, tousled waves and a light matte finish to any hair type. Infused with natural dead sea salt & sea kelp, this salon formula has you and your hair on the boardwalk all year long.

I love this product!
Although it's not perfect, I can honestly say that it's pretty close to it.

Lightweight. Not sticky.
It has a faint scent -- kinda like an infusion of salt and coconuts -- just like the beach!

The design of the bottle and nozzle makes it really easy to use.
It has an open/close lock -- you can be sure it won't leak.

So affordable! It's only $5.99!

I tried taking a photo of my hair when I used it... unfortunately, it was so difficult to capture the texture with my brown hair. I was very lucky that my friend came over that day, and she was happy to give Beach Babe a try.

Directions: Mist generously onto clean, damp or dry hair. Comb through evenly and style with fingers or a brush to create random texture, waves and body. Air dry naturally, use a diffuser or lightly blow–dry. Oh and don’t forget your sunblock (wink).

Here is a picture of my friend's hair pre-spray, just right after a shower:

I sprayed Beach Babe on, scrunched her hair a bit, and then used a diffuser while still scrunching (until her hair dried).

Here is her hair after:

I edited the saturation of the picture in order to show you guys the texture achieved after using Beach Babe.

She loved it! She described her hairstyle as "messy cool". ;)

I have to remind you guys though that it does take some work and effort to get a beach-y hairstyle. Simply spraying Beach Babe on and scrunching your hair a couple times won't really do the trick -- that's the mistake I made the first time I used my spray. I realized that it's not magic and I have to do my part, haha.

I've learned to think of ways to make my hair extra wavy -- like putting my hair up in a bun or braiding my hair after spraying Beach Babe on...

If you think of other ways, please let me know. ;)

Anyway, final verdict is this is an amazing product!

You won't regret getting Beach Babe because it works well, it won't damage your hair, and it is super affordable!

I think every girl should have one. :)

Have you tried Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray?

Thoughts? Opinions? How did it work for you?

Other Not Your Mother's hair products include:

She's A Tease Volumizing Hairspray, All Eyes On Me Shape & Shine Hairspray, Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo, Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray, Beat The Heat Thermal Styling Shield Spray, Rise & Shine Sexy Smooth Shine Mist, Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream, Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream, and Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder (A review coming soon!).

They are available at college bookstores, Ulta, Walmart, and www.customnails.com/nymstore.html.

Learn more about Not Your Mother's by visiting www.nymbrands.com.

You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Have you tried any of Not Your Mother's hair products?

Which of these would you like to try?

I wish everyone a wonderful week ahead!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Shopbop gift card!

It is open internationally. To enter, please click here.

Happy (Black) Friday! :)

Happy (Black) Friday, everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing Thursday, and a wonderful Thanksgiving to those who celebrated yesterday. :)

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Black Friday is in.
I know a lot of people who are either a) currently braving the Black Friday crowd or b) will wake up a few hours from now to go and participate in this shopping madness.

I, on the other hand, will go to bed right after this post... and probably wake up late tomorrow... and eat leftovers for lunch, haha!

Online shopping sounds really good to me right now! ;)
What about you?

Shopbop has special deals right now, as shown above...

While you're at it, come and join my giveaway... who knows, you might be the lucky winner of a $100 Shopbop gift card!

This giveaway is open internationally and it will end on December 23rd.
To enter, please click here. :)

I wish all of you a wonderful weekend!

P.S. One month 'til Christmas!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!! :D

I'm probably gonna be quite busy tomorrow... or really, later on today (as I'm sure everyone else in the United States will be), so I just wanted to wish everyone a

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! :)

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you can take some time to give thanks for all the good (and even the not-so-good) things in your life. :)

"As we pause to thank Him for the blessings of the past year, we must not forget to thank Him for the lessons we have learned through our difficult times. We are not to be thankful for just the pleasant, easy things, but ALL things."

-- Millie Stamm

I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thanks for being such amazing blog friends, I really appreciate each and everyone of you. :)

Have fun eating and spending time with your family and friends!

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P.S. I am so glad to have a $100 Shopbop Gift Card Giveaway as a thank you to all of you.

Please do join in. It is open internationally. :)

Question: How do you keep yourself fit?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Win $100 to spend on Shopbop.com! :) ***CLOSED***

Happy Wednesday!!!

I've been spending a few hours each day for about 4 days now just looking through Net-A-Porter, Shopstyle.com, and Shopbop.com -- looking for stuff to add to my Christmas wishlist (and gift list for my family and friends too, of course!).

I've never bought anything from Net-A-Porter or Shopstyle.com (I would love to, though), but I can honestly say that I love Shopbop -- it is an amazing site for online shopping!

I've bought quite a few items from Shopbop and I love each one. The last thing I bought was a necklace, and that's why it's no surprise I've been spending the most time looking through the "Accessories" tab. ;)

I think it's safe to say all girls love accessories, and we can't go wrong with giving them as gifts.

I actually found a lot of gift choices for my Mom, my sisters, my friends, and me (haha!)

I looked through CC SKYE for some gold bracelets/ bangles for my sister:

Feather Bangle ($60)

Metal Screw Bracelet ($110)

I looooved Juliet & Company's many choices!

There are definitely pieces from them I just know everyone on my list will love.

Plus, I love the wide price range -- their pieces are priced between $16 and $150.

Long Wrap Necklace ($36), Dos Papillon Necklace ($80), La Bonne Vie Necklace ($85), and Quatre Parties Necklace ($108)

Bouton De Noel Bracelet ($43), Bouton Classique Bracelet ($44), Chandelier Sally Earrings ($32), and Deux Dates Earrings ($35)

One of my sisters is so into avant-garde designs, so for her, Noir Jewelry is perfect!

Knot Ring ($104.50)

Modernist Arrow Earrings ($99)

*Sigh* How I love shopping!

And I'm sure you guys do too...

And that is why I am so happy to have been given the chance by Shopbop to host a $100 gift card giveaway for you, my lovely blog friends! :D

To enter:

Mandatory entries -

1. Follow What Mimi Writes via GFC -- let me know you follow in a comment and include your email address. (+1)

2. Follow @WhatMimiWrites on Twitter. (+1)

3. Follow @Shopbop on Twitter. (+1)

Extra entries -

4. Visit www.shopbop.com and tell me what you would buy using the $100 gift card. (+2)

5. Tweet about the giveaway, linking to both @WhatMimiWrites and @Shopbop -- leave me the link to your tweet. (+2)

6. Mention this giveaway on your blog, either on a post or on your sidebar -- let me know and leave me a link. (+3)

A total of 10 possible entries!

Please leave one comment per entry or if you choose to put them all in one comment, please clearly list how many entries you have -- either way would be easier for me, thanks! :)

This giveaway will end on Friday, December 23rd at 11:59pm PST.

It is open internationally! :)

However, I am sorry to say that Pennsylvania bloggers are not eligible. :/

Good luck!!! :D

How do you keep yourself fit?

Happy Tuesday! :D

Sooooo, Thanksgiving is only two days away... actually, technically one day away since it's almost Wednesday, haha!

I am going to be eating quite a lot on Thursday, I'm sure... and Christmas is just around the corner.

That can only mean one thing = more food!

I don't obsess so much over my weight and although I could lose a couple pounds here and there, I'm pretty happy with my weight (plus, I love food too much to say no to it!). ;)

With that said, I do try to keep an active lifestyle -- I would love to be one of those people who can stick to an exercise routine, but it's just not working for me, I get bored and lazy. So now, what I do is I go walking (sometimes when I'm feeling really energized, I run... sometimes, haha!).

Here is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago while out walking:

It was such a beautiful California day!

Clear blue sky, sunny but not sweltering hot. :)

How do you keep yourself fit?

Any tips for me and other bloggers who don't like to go to the gym or follow an exercise routine?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

2011 American Music Awards

Hey, guys! :)

I just finished watching the 2011 American Music Awards.

Awards = Red Carpet.

Ready? ;)

There weren't very many jaw-dropping looks tonight, if anything it was pretty blah with almost everyone wearing metallic colors... and that is why number one on my list is:

Sara Ramirez -

I can't find the details of this look, but all I know is she looks beautiful!

Her hair, makeup, earrings, and dress = perfect!

And I think it was pretty smart of her to wear a long-sleeved dress... it is freezing over here (well, according to L.A. standards, haha!) -- it's raining and it's soooo cold!

Jenny McCarthy -

Yay for color!

I love this eggplant-colored Victoria Beckham sheath.

Her black booties give this look a fun and edgy vibe.

Okay, here we go with a medley of short and metallic dresses:

Julie Bowen -

I think she looks pretty.

And I've already explained why I like this dress before... remember this dress from my Dress Up: 5 Trends to Love post? It's the same dress Camila Alves wore. ;)

Heidi Klum -

I am not crazy about this metallic Giles Deacon mini-dress.

I'm not sure if I like the cut-out details, either.

But nevertheless, Heidi Klum is beautiful!

Jennifer Hudson -

It's not extraordinary or anything, but she looks good in this metallic jersey drape front Jenny Packham cocktail dress.

Sarah Hyland -

This Amen cocktail dress is fun with its stone and sequin detail, but Sarah, what happened to your hair?

Vanessa Minnillo... oh, I mean Vanessa Lachey -

She looks good in this embellished ivory mini-dress paired with suede Jimmy Choo platform heels.

Not the best, but not too bad either.

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber -

Sorry, not a fan of this pewter Giorgio Armani gown... I feel like she is one tug away from a wardrobe malfunction. And is it just me or does she seem to ALWAYS wear dresses like this?

And ummm, why does Justin Bieber look like a girl? And what's up with the velvet suit?!

Taylor Swift -

Her sequined Reem Acra gown is beautiful... but at this point, what's new? It's pretty standard -- Taylor Swift = sparkly dresses. I like her jade Lorraine Schwartz earrings, though. And yay for straight hair!

***I also just have to say, I know Taylor Swift has accomplished a lot and yeah she is talented, but I think Katy Perry or Adele should've won Artist of the Year because come on, I think everyone had Last Friday Night or Someone Like You stuck in their head at least once. What do you guys think?***

Lady Antebellum -

Love these three! :)

Hillary Scott looks beautiful in her Swarovski-studded Rani Zakhem strapless column gown.

Jennifer Morrison -

She looks so pretty!

I love how well her loose waves and braids go with her Temperley London dress.

Katy Perry -

A classic Katy Perry look.

I won't ever wear this Vivienne Westwood couture dress, but that is because only Katy Perry can pull this look off. ;)

Sarah Drew -

I don't know whether or not I like this lacy floral dress - but hey, she's pregnant, radiant, and beautiful!

And I am liking Dr. April Kepner more and more each episode! ;)

Alanis Morissette -

I think this belted black gown would've been better without that weird slit.

And I love her fishtail braid, but I just hate how her hair is on her face. :/

Audrina Patridge -

She looks great, but perhaps a dress a size bigger would've been better?

I think her Boulee mini-dress is a tad too "mini", especially at the top.

Plus, I am not a fan of her platform shoes.

That is it for my American Music Awards fashion recap.

Whose look did you like the best? Whose look did you not like at all?

***images from Yahoo! and Google***

I wish all of you a wonderful week!!!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Concentrated Cream

Happy Friday!

Since I started blogging, I noticed that I've acquired quite a number of lotions and moisturizers. It's actually funny how a girl who couldn't care less to put lotion on before now has different kinds and brands of moisturizer!

But then again, you can never have too much of that stuff! ;)

I try to rotate what I keep on my bedside table, and right now one of the creams I have is:

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Concentrated Cream

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream, made with Pure Cocoa Butter and enriched with Vitamin E in a soothing emollient base, heals and softens rough, dry skin, smoothes marks and scars and tones skin. It is an excellent all-over-the-body moisturizer and after tanning butter and is especially ideal for hands, elbows and knees. Apply immediately following exposure to the sun and wind.

Available sizes:

3.75 oz

2.1 oz

Price: around $4, depending on where you buy it

I think we all know that cocoa butter works wonders on skin. And when you say cocoa butter, Palmer's is definitely one of the best brands out there.

I love this lotion. It goes on smoothly and skin absorbs it quickly. It makes my skin soft and smooth. It moisturizes really really well! Use this on your dry spots -- it works great!

You can use this to moisturize your whole body or just save it for stretch marks, knees, elbows, hands, feet... it's up to you.

I use it before I sleep to soften my hands and feet. And of course, to lighten stretch marks.

It is concentrated, so make sure to not get more than you need.

It is affordable and handy -- keep it on your bedside table or toss in your bag and bring it with you anywhere.

I don't think there's anything negative I can say about this except maybe to not use it when it's extremely hot because you will sweat, haha! ;)

Have you used Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Concentrated Cream?

What lotion/moisturizer is on your bedside table?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Pie: What's your favorite?

Happy Thursday!

I hope I'm not boring you guys with all this talk of Thanksgiving (it's in a week!), I am just really excited because it means family, friends, food, and fun!

Speaking of food, pies are an essential part of Thanksgiving dinner.

I am thinking of baking a pie, but I don't know what kind, all I know is...

My favorite is apple pie!

What's your favorite kind of pie?

P.S. Check out my Polyvore: Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas! :D

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Polyvore: Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas

Happy Tuesday/Wednesday!

Last night, I asked you guys if you've already planned your Thanksgiving dinner menu.

Now, my next question is: Is your Thanksgiving outfit ready? ;)

Mine isn't... so I decided to make some Polyvore outfits for inspiration.

Our family plans aren't quite solid yet -- I think we're going to my sister and brother-in-law's place for Thanksgiving lunch, and then perhaps to another relative's house for dinner. Since I'm not sure, I went ahead and made two sets of "Day-to-Night" outfits that I would love to wear (and hopefully can recreate with the stuff I already have, haha!):

Mustard Pants -

I have yellow pants, but not the perfect mustard-y shade like the one here -- for the first set, I decided to have the pants as the main piece in this Day-to-Night outfit. Although I am going comfy with a slouchy v-neck pullover and a scarf, I still think it would be nice to dress up the look with oxford platforms and those beautiful stud earrings. I would put my hair up in a high ponytail -- to showcase the earrings (and to keep hair out of my face while I eat, haha!). ;)

At night, I would go for a pretty pink blouse, change my earrings to those beautiful blue dangling ones, and then go comfy with ballet flats. For this look, I think a nice and sleek bun would be best -- show off those gorgeous earrings and pretty blouse!

I love dressing up, but of course there are days when I want to dress down a bit while still being stylish:

Sequined Tee and Black Blazer -

A sequined tee is a good way to "stylishly dress down" -- for day, I would pair the tee and a black blazer/jacket with cropped jeans. And as with the first outfit, I would add a bit of sass with lace up booties, a bright colored bag, and pretty earrings.

For a dinner get-together, I'd keep the tee, blazer, and bag -- I would go for black skinnies and those beautiful green suede slipper loafers. Keep the flower earrings or switch to a more fancy pair.

I am quite torn between these 4 possible outfits -- help me choose?

Which of these would you wear for Thanksgiving?

What are your plans for November 24th?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Read a magazine and relax! :)

Yup, that's what I'll be doing right after I watch Hart of Dixie. ;)

I just subscribed to Food&Wine magazine, and I got my first issue today!

I am excited to read my magazine -- I'm sure I'll find a lot of ideas for Thanksgiving dinner!

Have you started planning your Thanksgiving dinner menu?

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The Hunger Games trailer and OPI nail polish collection
Chocolate cake
Food Network Friday: Giada De Laurentiis

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

May the odds be ever in your favor...

It's finally here... the official trailer for The Hunger Games was released this morning!!!

I am sooooooo excited!

This is gonna be good! :D

What do you think of the trailer?

And of course, OPI has a nail polish collection inspired by The Hunger Games:

I love how clever the names are!

I like them all, but the ones that stand out to me are Joined at the Seam, Fight to the Finish, We Could Runaway, Cinna-mon, Fire in Flight, and Heat of the Moment.

What about you?

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

I want...

chocolate cake!!!

You?

Have a fantastic week!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Food Network Friday: Giada De Laurentiis

Happy Friday!

Actually, I should say Happy 11-11-11!!! :D

I haven't done a Food Network Friday post since the first one I made (haha!)... and since I am in the mood for some delicious Italian food, our Food Network chef for today is Giada De Laurentiis!

Giada is a chef, writer, television personality, and the host of the current Food Network program Giada at Home. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's Today. De Laurentiis is the founder of the catering business GDL Foods.

Giada graduated from Marymount High School, got a degree from the University of California Los Angeles, and studied at Le Cordon Bleu Paris -- quite an education there!

In 2005, she published her first cookbook, Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes, which was followed by Giada's Family Dinners, released April 4, 2006; Everyday Pasta, released April 3, 2007; Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites, released September 30, 2008; and Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California, released March 30, 2010.

She also has a range of products made only for Target. Her products consist of stainless steel pots and pans, a wide range of utensils and cooking tools and stainless steel counter-top appliances such as a Panini Press, Coffee Maker and Food Processor.

Giada is often called "a petite powerhouse".

She also recently made headlines when she catered an event at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club -- an event attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

What was on the menu?

A "light and colorful" pea pesto crostini, featuring pureed peas on toast, topped with half a cherry tomato, California chopped salad with a mix of grilled lettuces, grilled corn, grilled shrimp, zucchini and crispy tortillas in a light lemon dressing, and Chicken Milanese, which features breaded chicken cutlets in a creamy tomato fennel sauce.

Yum!

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My sister has been a fan of Giada De Laurentiis ever since I can remember, and she would always try out her recipes. And man, they were good!

Here are three of Giada's recipes that my sister has made for us:

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

Total Time: 15 minutes

Level: Easy

Oh my gosh, this is just perfect!

Salmon paired with pesto and eaten with a puff pastry is just delicious!

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto and Seared Jumbo Shrimp

Total Time: 25 minutes

Level: Easy

Jumbo shrimp? Sold!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Ravioli

Total Time: 30 minutes

Level: Intermediate

I don't think I have to explain how good these are! ;)

What do you think of these three recipes?

I wish all of you a wonderful weekend!!!

***images from Google, information from Wikipedia, and recipes and photos from www.foodnetwork.com***

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)