6 Easy Ways To Hide Your Inner Garbage Person

Ditch the ponytail/messy bun for a side bun. Spray your side part with dry shampoo, then pull all your hair loosely to one side, secure the non-bun side with a single bobby pin to keep from having fly-aways, and do the usual messy bun on the other side, just below your ear. Add dangly earrings. Quick. Chic. Wear it on a date. Wear it to work. Wear it to church. Go crazy.

Same amount of time and effort. Perfect for those of us in denial about our root situations.

 

 

Put self-tanner on your face, neck and chest. It’s fast, makes your skin look healthier, your teeth look whiter, and you can get dressed right away. My favorite.

 

Line your lips. This is a must for me, but I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends don’t bother with it. TRUST me. Lipliner is the new eyeliner. I buy the cheap ones in nude tones so I can keep one in my makeup drawer and one in my purse and they will work with any color lipstick or gloss (think Rimmel, Wet’n’Wild, etc.) Resist the temptation to buy the ones that don’t need sharpening. They’re convenient, but they don’t last nearly as long as the ones you have to sharpen.

 

That’s a scab in my nose from having to blow it so much due to allergies. But I love you so I’m keeping it real and posting what appears to be a picture of me with an enormous booger. Could I go back and crop it out? Yes. Do I have the time or energy for that? Nope.

 

 

Don’t rely on your workout clothes as a go-to if you’re not actually working out. It’s so tempting to put on yoga pants and a zip up when we’re feeling blah, but that’s actually when you should toss on your favorite jeans, a button down, and some booties. I own exactly two button downs. One is from Old Navy and one is from Forever 21,  both are older than my 2nd daughter.

 

Add a scarf. It makes you look instantly put together. Stella and Dot scarves are THEE best scarves ever. You can wear them tons of ways, including as a dress or pool cover up. True story, once I was wearing a beautiful silk white shirt with a scarf and I spilled red wine all over my white shirt so I just took it off in the bathroom and wrapped my scarf around me like a top. (This also allowed me to rinse the shirt before the stain set. Bonus.) Shop my favorites HERE and HERE. Wear them all year round. (Don’t forget you can always shop with me through http://www.StellaDot.com/emilykuhlman – DM me if you’d like my two cents!)

Rethink baseball caps. I have tons of them. You will most likely find me in my KC Royals cap. When I got it my bestie had blinged out the logo with crystals, but they fell off over the years so now it’s just my plain, perfectly-broken-in, goes-with-anything, covers-my-greasy-roots, makes-me-look-like-I-care-about-the-sports cap. *I prefer hair-down to ponytails. Efficient on windy days, and doesn’t require ANY hairstyling.

I urge you to resist the workout clothes and messy top-knots and tell me if it improves your day! There’s no need to feel frumpy just because you haven’t washed your hair in five days or gone shopping in five years. It might even boost your mood or score a compliment. Just know that no matter what you wear, you’ll always be the same beautiful garbage person in my eyes.

(You can find me on IG @MrsKansasMommy)

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Product Review: Not Your Mother’s (Not for me.)

Last time I was at Ulta, they were having a buy one get one half off sale on Not Your Mother’s hair care products. The packaging was cute and since I was out of my trusty Suave Dry shampoo I decided to try their line called Clean Freak. I’ve only had it for a few weeks and I’m only slightly sad to say it has already run out.

1.The “refreshing” smell they are going for is, in my opinion, not unlike the scent of SPF 50.

Beachy + Bleachy (and a quick thought on #Selfies) (Updated)

I don’t know if it’s just the fact that I’m turning 30 next month or what, but lately I’ve been feeling a little older and bolder. After I got my long hair cut off and ditched the extensions, I decided it was time to get the blonde turned waaaay up! Even though it’s fall and most people are getting low lights, I have always thought there is something so chic about a girl in all black rocking a fierce shade of beached blonde.

Enter Silver Shampoo. My natural hair color has a lot of red in it so when I go blonder it tends to pull that gold color out when it starts to fade. Which used to drive me crazy until I found THIS at my local Ulta:

After using it just ONE time it completely got rid of the brassy tone that was bothering me in certain light, especially at my roots. Here is a picture that I loved but I had to use a filter on it because I didn’t like how golden my hair was looking. This is without the filter. A little too Pam-Anderson-In-The-90’s. 

Here are some pictures after I used the Silver Shampoo ONE time. Major difference! The best part is that it only costs about $10 which is way cheaper than going back to the salon to have it re-toned.

Another trick I like to do is spray dry shampoo directly onto the roots at your part. It adds just enough of a dusting that it tones down any difference between your roots and the pre-colored strands. As everyone knows, my favorite dry shampoo is Suave and they totally rock because they randomly sent me a free case of it after I posted about it on the blog one time. I have no idea how they even found it. I’ve tried all varieties now and to tell you the truth, the only difference I notice is the smell. They all smell good, just have distinctive scents. Regular old yellow-cap is still my favorite.

And one final thought. This morning I was watching the Today Show and they did a segment on the University of Georgia conducting a study on Selfies. The possible reasons people take selfies were mentioned as things like vanity, narcissism, social validation…um, what about convenience? A lot of us taking selfies aren’t doing it because we are vain (that’s just a coincidence in my case) we just have really short, uncoordinated kids. Back me up, Moms.

UPDATE: I didn’t anticipate how many of you would contact me about actually want to go out and buy/try this Silver Shampoo. Just as an FYI, when I applied it, I applied it to the roots of my DRY hair like you would a color and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then I got in the shower and lathered it up. Hope you get the fantastic results I did!

Less Barbie, More Jackie

So this right here, my friends, is the quintessential self-indulgent blog post. (Trumpets play to signal a grand announcement) I got my haircut, y’all!

Not like a major chop or anything, really just a clean up of the dead ends, maybe an inch or so and a restructuring of the layers with the help of a little razoring. The result is a lot fresher, cleaner and classier cut. I have to say it looks much shorter today all whipped up with my teasing comb, Suave Dry Shampoo, and beach curls and I think I am going to put away my hair extensions for a while and just rock the modern Jackie look like my current fave housewife Kristen Taekman.

What do you guys think??? Rock it or bring back the extensions?

New Pop Geo Chandeliers from FALL Stella and Dot! 

(You can always shop through my online boutique at http://www.stelladot.com/emilykuhlman and if you’re in the KC area and want to do a trunk show, let me know! I love a good excuse for a girl’s night!)

 

 

Maskcara/Marissa Miller Hair Tutorial Day

Hey y’all! It’s a BIG HAIR DAY. Even for me. My kids were being unusually unclingy while I was getting ready today so I decided to try this Marissa Miller hair tutorial I watched yesterday on Maskcara’s blog. You can see what I was going for HERE. Maskcara is my. favorite. blog. ever. Unlike a lot of blogs I follow or recommend, I don’t actually know her personally, I just found her on Pinterest one day and got hooked. If you are not reading her blog you are probably only rocking up to 80% of your full potential because she is an EXPERT and gives amazing, easy tips that anyone can do. 

Let’s start with a lowly mirror selfie, shall we? (I was just glad to get one where no kids were naked in the background.) So, first thing was add hair extensions.

I have a lot of hair anyway so when you clip in extensions it becomes massive. I feel like it actually photographs smaller than it looks in person.

Then I followed her bombshell makeup tutorial only I didn’t have fake lashes. I like how it turned out though! As always, these are just iPhone pictures in natural daylight. No other filters or touch ups. (Do I sound like Zoolander by saying that? To be like, oh I know you all are thinking this is photo shopped because I look really really really ridiculously good-looking, but no… now I feel the need to be like, I’m actually a horrible troll, but thanks to Maskcara’s make up techniques I can show my face in daylight! Blogging is so awkward sometimes. Or maybe it’s me.)

Um, anyway… I have a few meetings today and a party tonight so I hope it holds up in the heat.

 

Blue Magic, cheap sunglasses, and other happy things.

Swimming laps is my all-time favorite way to stay in shape, but it wreaks havoc on my hair. Add to that, the other day I forgot my hair products so I had no choice but to use my gym’s “J.R. Watkins Naturals” all-purpose foam soap. Note to my gym: no need to list the fancy “natural” brand like you’re doing us a huge favor. It’s just foam soap. Anyway, the girl getting ready next to me happened to be using a jar of this Blue Magic Coconut Conditioner and she let me use some. She also saved me from looking like a greaseball because it’s for African-American hair and I would have put waaaay too much on if she hadn’t stopped me! One tiny bit took my hair from brittle, tangled and straw-like to soft, bouncy and manageable with just a blowdryer…no other heat styling! (Random gym girl: “Thank you for bein’ a friend!”) She said she gets it at Wal Mart.

Cheap Sunglasses!

Next time you are at the Dollar Store, check out their sunglasses! I used to have really nice sunglasses. Honestly I don’t know what happened to ANY of them. They are like phone chargers, they constantly disappear when you need them and show up in droves when you’re looking for something else. My new rule is that if I have to spend more than $8 on Sunglasses, they are a bad investment so I have been getting mine at the Dollar Tree and Forever 21 and it’s like the best kept secret, because even the “cheap” Target sunlasses are like $12. Here are some cute ones!

Forever 21 Oversized Rounds for $5.80

This sign!

Saw this at Nebraska Furniture Mart yesterday and couldn’t help but think it would make for hilariously chic Nursery decor.

These kids!

We spent the weekend in the sun at the pool and it was divine. Summertime with kids is the greatest. They play hard all day, wear adorable dresses and swimsuits, eat popsicles outside and then crash early so I can watch Orange Is The New Black until I fall asleep reluctantly because that show is just SO GOOD.

 

Beauty Queen: SkinCare and Haircare and Weightloss, OH MY

 

You’re so vain…oh wait no, that’s me.

 

 

 

 

So after reading my 30 by 30 post on the regular MKM blog, a girlfriend messaged me to find out what anti-aging skin products are my favorite and I thought, YELLO! Blog post! So here’s the stuff I’m currently using. Note: these are the most expensive products that I own. I know for some people department store or “designer” products are normal, but I’m a CVS kind of girl. If you’re a regular reader you know I use Suave dry shampoo and Wet n Wild nail polish. No shame in my game!

Skincare. Loreal Youth Code: Takes off the LOADS of black eyeliner and mascara I wear with minimal effort from me.

Arbonne Cellular Renewal Masque : You KNOW it’s good because it’s a Masque…not a mask. This stuff is the real deal. I have three favorite Arbonne products and none of them are makeup. This is my top favorite product. I wear it when Avery and I do our mommy-daughter spa days and let me tell you, it BURNS. I feel it’s the burn of old skin being dissolved allowing more youthful skin to glow through, but if you’re not into extreme skincare, this product is not for you. It makes you look like you have a sunburn for half an hour after you use it.

TrueScience Anti-Aging Cream: I use this multiple times of day and I also use it on my kids. I probably never would have tried it but my step-aunt Marisa (see related posts on Marisa: Kentucky Derby Shower, My Best Friend’s Wedding Festivities and Marisa’s Wedding ) is a rep for the line so she gave me some to try and now I adore it. It smells like vacation and it’s the perfect consistency for face lotion. It’s formulated to fight the free radicals that cause aging so it’s a very high end product. If you are at all curious to find out about the science behind it, ask Marisa. She’s a nurse. And she loves to talk. (Also, just for the sake of saying it, she in NO WAY has anything to do with this post. I am just sharing the products I really use on a daily basis. She gave it to me to try well before I started a blog. #2Legit.)

 

Haircare. Where do I even begin. My hair is my thing. I brought a set of hot-rollers to college just to ensure I would be perfectly coiffed for class.

My mom got me into Redken. The All Soft line is my favorite. It smells like heaven and it works for every hair type.

Guts: I have a sign in my bathroom that says “Higher the hair, closer to God” and HOLY volume, this Redken Guts stuff is great. (This is teetering on sacrilegious but I’m gonna just go with it.) (Also I googled the spelling of the word “sacrilegious” and I feel would make more sense spelled “sacreligious” but I digress…)

The Umberto Blow Dry Lotion was actually a Target Clearance purchase that I now can’t live without. It is a magic potion that makes your hair smoother and lessens the time it takes to dry. It also smells and feels oh so luxurious.

Kenra is my secret weapon from my pageant days. I think all of the products are wonderful, but this is a good all-purpose one. If you’re going to buy only one Kenra product, buy the Hot Spray.

So onto that ever-mythical magic weightloss pill. I posted in December about trying to drag my kids to the gym because I had been on kind of an eating spree (See: There was No Cat). A while back I bought an Arbonne product called Metabolism Boost and I kind of forgot about it until recently. About a month ago I started taking it in the mornings and I can really tell it’s made a difference. Since I’ve been taking it and drinking more water I’ve lost 8 lbs. I think it’s one of those things like, okay is it the water and the fact that I’m paying attention? Or is it the ingredients in the pill because I generally eat healthy and work out a few times a week and that has not changed at all. In fact I’ve incorporated pasta back into my diet which I used to avoid completely and I’m still not gaining weight back.

Anyway, I guess you never really know with these things, but I am definitely going to keep taking my them because I had tortellini for lunch (or as my old DDD housemom spelled it “Trotline.”) and I’m not stressing over it.

I hope everyone has a gorgeous weekend! Live it up, because you’ll never be younger than you are right now! 🙂

 

Next-Day Hair

 

I have ALWAYS been a big hair girl. Even when I was in college I would get up early to set my hair in hot rollers before class. (Um, no I did not go to college in the 1980s, and yes, everyone thought it was weird.) I used to go for the perfectly-bouncy-pageant-hair look in my every day life, but lately I’ve been kind of bored with that so I’ve only been half-curling each piece. The result is that even if you just washed your hair it has that cool beachy glam texture. It also gives you lots of volume without having to use a teasing comb. (And this is huge for me because I do not leave home without my teasing comb. I’m actually shocked that I have gotten onto so many airplanes post 9-11 because the one that I use has four long sharp metal prongs on one end and a triple row of teeth on the other end. More on teasing later.)

 

For now, this is my simple routine for Next-Day hair. It can be washed or unwashed to start. It doesn’t matter because you add a lot of product either way. I pictured what I actually used in the photo. My pageant hair guy got me hooked on Kenra products. I always buy them at Beauty Brands.

 

 

 

Step 1. Flip your head over and spray alllll over your roots with the dry shampoo. Spray a lot because this is what keeps you from having to use a teasing comb. Volume is key. Otherwise your hair will look stringy.

 

Step 2. Spray your entire head/hair with thermal spray.

 

You should now look like Catherine O’Hara in Waiting for Guffman. (50 extra cool points for anyone who gets that reference.)

 

Step 3. Take random 2-3 inch sections and spiral curl away from your face, leaving out the bottom inch until you don’t have anymore straight pieces.

 

It should look like this:

 

 

Step 4: BEFORE you separate your curls, flip your head over again and spray your whole head with hairspray.

 

When you flip your head back over you should have a HUGE mane of hair. You should then be able to use just your fingers to tame it into place without deflating the volume or separating the curls too much.

 

Then just add a statement necklace and you are a good-to-go-glam Mommy!

 (Pictured here is the Mae with the Somervell from my Stella and Dot)

 

Now go watch Waiting for Guffman!

Catherine O’Hara as Shiela Albertson

 

 

 

 

Channeling Lydia

Until recently, I don’t think I have worn a headband since about 4th grade, however, I have a new favorite Housewife, Lydia, who wears them like they are going out of style. Which maybe they are. I have waited like a year to finally jump on this bandwagon. However, I am loving the extra sparkle for fall! I also love this look for when I don’t have time to wash and dry my hair. I just use a little dry shampoo (this one smells amazing), put on my headband and have an instant cute bohemian mommy look to wear to storytime at the library. Yay-Uh!

Inspiration: Lydia McLaughlin from RHOC

Day-Later hair