HANAair Blow dryer review

A couple weeks ago Misikko sent me a HANA blow dryer to try out and review. I was really excited because I know how important styling tools are to your hair routine and one of the best investments you can make regarding your hair is a good blow dryer. I've been using a CHI blow dryer for the last few years, which I really like a lot, but I was eager to try something new, especially since HANAair is considered one of the best blow dryers on Misikko.

I should probably tell you that I don't wash my hair everyday, so I don't blow dry my hair everyday and even when I do wash it (about 2 to 3 times a week) sometimes I just let it air dry-- so it took me a little longer to try it out and form an opinion about it.



The first time I used it, I noticed it had two separate switches on the handle, one blue and the other red, which I assumed was to control the cold and warm temperature settings, which is easy enough. This is where it got a little tricky-- only the blue switch actually turns the blow dryer on, once the cold switch is on, you can turn on the red switch and control the heat temperature. But then it got even trickier! I turned the heat switch on, but still only cold air was blowing out. So I tried pushing the top button, that is normally a "cool shot" button on other dryers, and to my surprise hot air started blowing out! And it isn't a regular button that you have to keep your finger pressed down on it, it just clicks in and out, so you can keep it clicked in to get automatic heat. It didn't take too long to figure it out, it was just a bit different than other blow dryers I've had, but once I got the hang of what switches did what, it was pretty easy.

It isn't as quiet as my CHI is, but it doesn't really bother me. It still makes my hair feel soft, and that's really what's important. I like that it has ionic heat and tourmaline technology-- I find that dryers with those qualities tend to give my hair the best results. I also like that it doesn't just have a one temperature setting with a cool shot button-- but the option of controlling the heat with low, medium and high settings-- which is especially nice in the summer when it's already as hot as it is.

Misikko also sent me some HANA Shine Shield that I put on my hair before I blow dry it-- and it's amazing. It made my hair really soft and shiny, which is what I need for how much I curl/tease/wrap/pin/whatever to my hair. This is the first time I've used any HANA products, but I'm really impressed with what I've tried so far and will most likely try other things from their product line in the future.

You guys can find all these things on Misikko.com along with other products like professional flat irons and curling irons. Have you tried any of these products? What did you think about them?

Makeup Bag: Summer Vacation Essentials

While getting ready for my stay on Catalina, I decided I wanted to pack really light, like, only a backpack light. I didn't want to deal with a big suitcase on the boat or the walk to the hotel, and a backpack seemed like the perfect travel bag. That meant that I had to downsize everything, including my makeup. I couldn't bring a caboodle worth of stuff (yeah I just referenced a caboodle). But then I figured, it's summer (not technically, but it feels like it) and I'm going to an island, I don't really need a face full of makeup. So here's a peek into what I brought in my makeup bag, and what I consider to be summer vacation essentials.

Note: I did not include my Aveeno sunblock or Josie Maran moisturizer, but they were most definitely packed.

1. UVSunSense wrist bands: I think these are the coolest things ever. They're UV-activated wrist bands that tell you when you need to reapply sunscreen (and when you need to get out of the sun) by changing colors. Usually people make the mistake of putting sunscreen on in the morning and think they're protected the rest of the day, so I wore these all weekend as a reminder to reapply.

2. Urban Decay Skyscraper mascara: No, it's not waterproof, but it's my favorite, so I brought it. Plus, I wasn't planning on going in the water (Did you know Catalina harbor is the second dirtiest water in California? yuck.)

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface: I love this. It's a bubblegum pink blush that looks amazing on all skin tones, and it's made of natural ingredients so you don't feel like it's too heavy or that you're clogging your pores when it gets hot out.

4. Covergirl lipstick in Fairytale: I brought a coral lipstick just in case I wanted something bright on my lips since I brought zero eyeshadow.

5. BareMinerals compact face brush: I think this one's self-explanatory.

6. NARS Illuminator in Copacabana: I mix this into my foundation or moisturizer to give my face an amazing dewy glow.

7. MAC Eyeliner in Smolder: A black eyeliner for night, since I didn't bring eyeshadow, I wanted something to make my eyes stand out.

8. MAC lipstick in Myth: Perfect nude lip.

9. Covergirl tinted moisturizer: lighter than foundation, it moisturizers while still giving you a bit of color and coverage. And a bonus is that it has SPF in it. Perfect for a beach vacation!

10. Laura Mercier secret camouflage concealer: I only wore this under my eyes at night, but it's always good to have a concealer in your makeup bag for emergencies.

So there's my list of summer vacation essentials. What's in your makeup bag this summer?

November Products

Here's a round-up of all my go-to products for the month of November. I've been wearing these pretty much everyday this month and they haven't let me down.

1. EOS lip balm in summer fruit. This stuff is absolutely uh-maz-ing. Not only does it come in an adorable little egg, but it's 100% organic and it's the best lip balm I've ever tried. My lips get nightmareishly (real word) chapped and this makes them so moisturized and so soft. I actually think everyone's getting one of these in their Christmas presents this year.

2. SJP NYC Perfume. I love this perfume. It's my new staple scent. I've had it in my purse this entire month. It smells sweet and vanilla-y, and the packaging is so cute. I have it in a .5 oz, but I'm definitely going to get a bigger bottle when I repurchase it.

3. MAC eyeshadow in Woodwinked. Ever since I dyed my hair darker, I've been able to get away with darker eye shadows and woodwinked is the first one I grab for. It's a bronzey brown shimmery gold. So pretty on. Instant sultry eyes.

4. Benefit Cream Shadow in Tattle Tale. This is one of my favorite things to highlight with. Occasionally I'll use it as a primer for my eyes, but the majority of the time I'm putting it on the tops of my cheek bones, down my nose, on the brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes. I like that it's a cream so it blends really well and makes it look like the highlight is your skin and not a shimmery powder sitting on top of it. Instant dewiness.

5. Clinque Cream Liner in True Black. I can't remember life before this cream liner. I'd usually go for a more brown eyeliner because I always thought black was too harsh for me, but lately I've been obsessed with darker eyes and this makes your eyeliner flawless. I apply it with an angled brush and then set it with a black eyeshadow, usually carbon or beauty marked from MAC.

6. Burt's Bees Peach & Willowbark deep pore scrub. I've been extremely loyal to this exfoliator. I've repurchased it probably about 10 times. I love that it's 98% natural, it's mild and not abrasive (I use it every other day) and it doesn't leave my skin dry. It feels like it actually moisturizes your skin after you rinse it off. As you can see, I'm almost done with this bottle... I was contemplating sticking with this one or maybe trying out something else, any suggestions?

7. My favorite lipsticks this month have been Revlon Colorburst in Grape and MAC lipstick in Russian Red (obviously. how many posts am I wearing it in?) Again, the darker hair, layers of clothes and colder weather has made it so much more easier to get away with dark lip colors. Deep purple and bright red, two colors I've been so reluctant to wear are now my two favorites. Go figure. It might be my new trade mark.

And now that I've showed you my favorite tried-and-true products, here's the products I'm going to try out for the month of December:





1. Fusion Beauty illumifill, Lipfusion Infatuation in In The Flesh, and Lipfusion XL. I got these deluxe Beauty Fusion samples as my 500 point gift from Sephora (it also came with some mascara which I've already started to use and already really like). It's the infamous lip-plumping products (or in the case of the illumifill, line plumping). I'm excited to try them because who doesn't want plumper lips? but I'm also a little scared because my lips are so sensitive, and get irritated so easily (ie. I can't wear any lip product with menthol in it or my lips will blister. yikes.) So I'm crossing my fingers that it's mild enough to not irritate my lips while still getting the job done.

2. Clinque color surge eye shadow trio. I think what I love most about this is the diagram of the huge eye on the mirror (it's just a sticker that peels off, but I can't get myself to take it off haha) Still, I really love the colors of this trio. Neutral, everyday colors that seem like they'd be a staple in my makeup routine.

3. Urban Decay glide on eye pencil in Zero. I'm really spoiled with my cream liner, but sometimes when I'm running late and am strapped for time, it's faster just to use a pencil eyeliner. I feel like "glide on" means it goes on really easy. Let's hope.

4. MAC Sassy Pink Lassies Lipglasses in: Sassy Lassie, The Wee Coquette, Fab Fun, Electro Lush, and Frozen Dream. You may have already seen my tweet about how excited I was when this kit arrived at my house. I love all these colors. As much as I'm raving about dark lips, I'm still a nudish pink lipped girl at heart.

and lastly, I'm going talk about the products I was going to try during the past month and what I thought about them. So here we go.





1&2. I've been using the Bare mineral powder and Laura Mercier powder every day and I love both of them. They actually give really great coverage while making it look like I'm not wearing anything. I think I might like how the Laura Mercier powder looks after a couple of hours more though, maybe because of how it mixes with my skins natural oils, but my skin always seems dewier and a bit more, shall I say, radiant? I think I like when my skin looks like that because I have such dry skin that anything that makes it look moisturized and hydrated I love. I'll probably repurchase the Laura Mercier one again, just because it comes in a bigger size than what Bare Minerals comes in, but I do love the Bare Mineral bronzer. I don't like the primer though, it's greasy and slimy like Smashbox's. All in all though, both are fantastic products.

3. I didn't try the Sugar lip scrub because I'm going to send it back. Someone (coughCarliecough) talked me out of it and for good reason: natural sugar and honey would probably would just as well for a fraction of the cost. So therefore, I can't give a review because I never used it.

4. Benefit Boi-ing concealer has been a lifesaver. While Bare Minerals evens out my skin, Boi-ing covers up the spots and blemishes. I dab it only where I need it with a sponge wedge until the spot almost completely disappears. I also like that it's a bit lighter, so if you use it under your eyes it almost makes your eyes look more bright and highlighted. I've only had this a month and I've already almost hit pan, that's how much I use it. Benefit's concealers never disappoint.

Whew, that's a lot of products! Congratulations if you made it this far and didn't fall asleep. And if I still have your attention, what are your favorite must-have products? Any suggestions of what I should try? I'd love to hear it!

and if this wasn't enough for you, you can check out my October products.

October Products

I thought I'd highlight some of my favorite products for the month. Things that I'm loving, use on a daily basis, or would just highly recommend. I'm also including a list of the new products that I'm going to try out for the next month. Thoughts, comments, reviews, or suggestions are welcomed!



1. Aveeno Ultra-Calming Cream Cleanser and moisturizer. I got this combo out of pure desperation. I had bought some Benzoyl peroxide in an attempt to clear up my breakouts. Rather than just dabbing it on the specific spots that needed it, I applied it rather generously around my face. Bad. Idea. My skin was so dry it started peeling and felt like it was burning anytime I tried to put makeup on. I couldn't even think of washing my face that had even the slightest hint of exfoliant without cringing. So that night I tried looking for the creamiest, most moisturizing cleanser. That's when I came across these. Ultra-calming, moisturizing AND cream all on the container? It sounded like a dream in a bottle for my tortured skin. It really did help. and I've continued using it at night since then and I love it, especially the moisturizer. It makes my skin dewy and fresh-looking. I'd highly recommend both of these, especially if you have sensitive skin.

2. My "Coffee in New York" palette from the Color Play from Sephora Palette. I have to say that I love all 5 of the individual palettes from this collection, and I love it even more that it comes with a traveling compact so you can just pop out whichever palette you want to take with you. These neutral colors of browns have been my best friend this month. This is the only eye makeup I took with me to my sister's house a couple weeks ago. I used it as eyeshadow, eyeliner and eyebrow filler. It even comes with a nice peachy blush, too.

3. Pond's Evening Soothe makeup removing wipes. My sister got me hooked on these. I normally just take off my makeup with some cheapy wipes, but these ones are 100x's more fantastic. First of all, they are textured wipes, so it exfoliates your skin while you remove your makeup, and secondly they smell HEAVENLY. They have chamomile and white tea in them and it's the most relaxing scent to smell when you're taking your makeup off for the night and climbing into bed. They're my new favorite.

4. I've been going back and forth between Oyster Girl MAC lipglass and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle. I don't know what to say about them other then they're both really light and super pretty... and they look great over MAC lipstick in Creme De Nude and Myth aaaand I'm obsessed.

So those are my stand-out items for October. and with impeccable timing, my package from Sephora arrived on my doorstep this morning. So I'll be trying out a few new things in November:



1. Bare Minerals starter kit. I've wanted to try Bare Minerals for awhile now. I've heard really good things about it, and I thought maybe giving my skin a break from heavy liquid foundations might do it some good.

2. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder. I also got some mineral powder from Laura Mercier since I couldn't decide which mineral powder to try, and I've heard good things about both. I thought I'd give myself some options to see which I like better.

3. Sugar Lip Polish. I have chronically chapped lips. It's awful. Any sort of lip product dries my lips out and leaves them either filmy or flaky. I just can't win. I thought maybe if I start using a sugar polish on them, it will leave them smooth and flake-free. We shall see.

4. Benefit Boi-ing concealer. As you may or may not know, I'm on a continuous search for the World's Greatest Concealer. I remember getting Boi-ing as a duo with Eye Bright. The Boi-ing side is completely scraped out gone; so obviously I really liked it. I decided to get it in a regular size and try it again.

So those are some of the products I'm trying out for November. I'll keep you updated and let you know how they work out. Have any of you tried these products? What are your thoughts?