I’ve been taking a break from blogging recently, but I wanted to write a quick post about a few beauty products I’m absolutely obsessing over and could not keep just to myself!

1. Kevin Murphy’s Damage Manager Instant Heat Shielding Spray. I bought this at my salon in NYC but you can also buy here. For around $25 this is the perfect protectant to save your hair from daily heat damage. I rarely blow dry my hair so I didn’t think I needed a protectant, but my colorist told me the opposite (especially for color treated hair)! I still use a straightener and curling wand and it’s drying out my ends and causing my hair to get tangled extra easy. This spray has a scent to it, but it dissipates quickly. Best part is, it dries SO fast, so when I spray it on my air dried hair in the morning, I can almost instantly start putting heat in my hair. For anyone that uses ANY heat (like literally even once a week), protect your hair!

2. Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection at Sephora. I’ve been debating neutral shadow palettes for awhile but it wasn’t until I found this one that I needed to purchase. It’s thin, and compact, so you can throw it in even a clutch to transform your look from day to night after work. The colors are really pigmented and fun to mix and match. I love using the lighter looks for daytime, even at work, and then amping it up for dinner or a night out. So easy to travel with!

3. Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara at Sephora. I’ve been a drugstore mascara girl FOREVER. But I finally gave in to try this after reading raveeee reviews and I’m so glad I did. No clumps, and serious length. I am addicted to mascara and won’t even go to the gym without it, so I wear this everywhere. It’s very intense, and actually does semi-look like fake lashes, so if you don’t wear eye make up to work, skip this for night!

4. Beautisol Tea Tan Glow Wash Off Bronzer, here. I’ve used Beautisol for over a year now and absolutely love it. But this new product is my absolute favorite. It’s a mousse with color so you can see exactly where you’re applying it on your body. It dries within a minute and I haven’t had any streaks, rub off on sheets, or bad self tanner smell. It will wash off in the shower that night (or if you make a mistake). OFFER: Get 20% off the product here with the code fabboglow (expires).

5. Swedish Dream Sea Salt Soap at Anthropologie. I randomly picked this soap up for my boyfriend at a boutique in Chicago and now I’ve fallen in LOVE. The slightly gritty texture from then salt gently exfoliates and the creamy texture won’t dry skin out like normal bar soap. The best part is the scent, it will stay with you for hours, subtle but super clean and delicious. I plan on buying them for all my guy friends but I won’t lie, I sneak it myself all the time too.

What are your favorite new (or new-to-you) beauty products?!

Note: All products were purchased by me except for the Beautisol product which was provided c/o. All opinions are my own!

So I haven’t done a video tutorial in awhile and I wanted to do a SUPER quick how to on the “sock bun” or in my case, the mesh donut bun. All summer in New York, the heat and humidity were so brutal and I ended up throwing my hair up in a bun all the time. OR, I didn’t feel like doing my hair after a wash so once again, quick easy hairstyle in under a minute. It’s the perfect to work-to-going-out hairstyle.

I bought my “donut” for $3 at H&M, but you can get one at any beauty supply store.

The basic how-to is that you quickly tuck hair underneath the mesh donut, and keep tucking until you hit the top of your head. I love a high bun but just start with your hair lower if you want a medium bun, or lower (and to the side) if you want the final bun to sit at the base of your neck.

Super easy! If you have any other questions, tips, or tricks you’d like to see just comment below!

One of my favorite beauty trends from the Fall 2012 runways was Rodarte’s “Starry Night” hair pins. The look is whimsical and can look just as elegant with an updo as it is casual with loose, messy waves.

I love the feminine look of the stars like below, but you could also do bows, lace, any design. Solid metallic is elegant but play with the look to make it work for your life. If the style like Rodarte’s below is too big for the office, choose a thinner pin on the side for a simpler style.

In case you can’t afford the $600 Roadarte pin, here are a few other options that you can layer for this look:

Shopbop has a whole selection of hair accessories to chose from, or you can DIY it yourself. Get some plastic stars, bobby pins, gold spray paint and a hot glue gun and get ready for a crafternoon.

Photo via Refinery29.

Obviously gel nails are nothing new in the beauty world but they are new to me! As someone who owns over 80 polishes I never understood being committed to one color for two to three whole weeks. But with fashion week coming up, the events per week are increasing, and chips are not cute. I got a standard “barbie” pink with refined silver shimmer, a basic that is both fun but also classic, so I wouldn’t get sick of the shade. Many places in NY charge upwards of $45-50 for gels, plus extra for glitter, or art, or soaking the color off if you are ready for a change. In my opinion, two weeks is not a lifetime, and spending $50 is not a reality. My salon in the financial district uses the famous gel brand CND, won’t charge extra for glitter, and will soak off your shade if they’re re-doing your gels, so for $30 all in, I figured it was worth a try!

My pros: the lack of drying time post-paint, I’m the WORST at keeping still. Also, the lack of chips (duh), made my life easier when I had a work meeting scheduled and my blue nails weren’t half chipped off.

Cons: the limited color options, my salon only had about 20 options total. Having to use UV light and acetone, not the most natural method. Lastly, the way the color grows out is a little awkward, but if you re-do them regularly, it isn’t terribly noticeable.

So for those of you debating gels, do you research, find a price point that is right for you, and try them out!

It may be only three weeks till the end of summer, but I just couldn’t help this beauty buy. I’ve heard about Bobbi Brown’s Beach line for awhile but had yet to test it myself. The fresh scent smells like the perfect mix of salty water, leftover sunscreen, and a bit of just outdoor-ness. It instantly brought me back to Montauk earlier this summer, laying out in the sand from sun up to sun down. It’s the way you smell after a long summer day by the ocean, but all bottled up so you can take it with you anywhere.

I’ve never been happier with a purchase for the pure fact that the perfect scent brings back the best memories. Scientists have said that scent can be one of the strongest connections to memories and this demonstrated that theory perfectly. I recommend it to anywhere who loves the beach, and would like to bring that summer scent back into the city for Fall…

Bobbi Brown Beach, 1.7 oz, $67.50.