What I loved in January 2012

Well we can officially tear the January sheet off the calendar - we are moving full speed ahead. I've finally gotten over the heartbreak over the 49ers loss to the NY Giants but thankful for an awesome season. The team didn't get a whole lot of love from the critics but they are winners in our (Bay Area 49er faithful) hearts and they surpassed everyone's expectations this year.

Top of my love list for January and 2011 Football season:

Coach Jim Harbaugh, you did a tremendous job and I hope you are voted coach of the year. The team wouldn't have made this far without you - here's to an awesome future ahead!

Dear NY Giants, please take care of the New England Patriots so Tom Brady won't tie Joe Montana's winning Super Bowl record!

Okay enough football talk. On to my January beauty loves.

I didn't do a whole lot of beauty shopping this month, a huge SHOCKER seriously, so my lineup is pretty small.

1. Moroccan Oil Hairspray - $21/USD
2. Oribe Impermeable Anti Humidity Spray - $38/USD
3. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray  $39/USD
4. Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray - $48/USD
5. Laura Mercier Lip Glace - Blush - $24/USD
6. L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Shadow Solo Smooth Latte - $4.99/USD

Moroccan Oil hairspray gives great flexible hold. The first time I tried this was at my very first visit to The Dry Bar and it held my curls really well. My hair DOES NOT hold curl very well at all. As the name implies, Argan Oil is listed in the ingredients and adds light shine without weighing your hair down and it smells great, too! I have finally perfected the messy, poufy ponytail and this holds in place very nicely!

I have recently reviewed Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray here and Royal Blowout here. I'll give you a few thoughts about Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray. This spray adds texture and some volume to your roots and hair. It is also a great alternative to dry shampoo - it soaks up the oil and sweat in my hair without any powdery residue after strenous lunchtime sessions. This spray does not contain any parabens or sodium chloride. It is safe for color treated or keratin treated hair. Ingredients also include aloe barbadenis leaf juice to smooth and treat hair. Kiwi and passion fruit extracts act as anti-oxidants to protect color and maintain moisture. Ginger root and Sunflower seed extract to promote shine, circulation and soften hair. Mango extract also rich in antioxidants and vitamins adds hydration, and smoothness. A unique copolymer blend allows hairstyles to hold longer - I'm assuming that means it gives your strands memory. Hydrolized wheat protein conditions and renews damaged hair, adding body and shine. Pro Vitamin B adds strengthens, thickens and moisturizes.

Phew, that was quite the list!

I don't have time to do my hair over again during my lunch break so this has saved my hair many times. It also has a great fragrance - I've also used this freshen up any food odors that may have been lingering in my hair (food- love to eat it just hate having my hair smell like it!).

Plus, I trust the fans of this spray:

Zooey Deschanel

Oribe.com

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Blush, medium brownish pink. This isn't the most pigmented gloss in my collection but one of the easiest to wear. My lips are uneven and naturally dark, this gloss evens out the natural tone of my lips. Sometimes, I run out of the house forgetting to put on lipstick and I can easily just slick this on and I'll feel polished.

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Shadow Solo reviewed here. I can't tell you anymore just how much I love this shadow. It has been such a lifesaver on weekday and weekend mornings when I really don't want to spend more than five minutes doing my eye makeup. The fact that this was around $5 just makes it that much more awesome!

Sorry, if January's faves were uneventful. If anything, I rediscovered playing with my hair and I loved it - pricey but I am having fun experimenting with products and looks!

Impermeable: Anti-Humidity Spray

I have successfully refrained from purchasing makeup for the rest of the month and what did I do instead? I bought expensive hair products of course!

I have been currently obsessed with Oribe's hair products - I reviewed one of my favorite styling sprays, Royal Blowout:

Reviewed here for missomnimedia.com. It is not cheap but I am happy to report that it's worth every penny. It does take work, you need to dry section by section, but it is worth the soreness you'll experience in your arms by holding that hairdryer in one hand and brush in the other!

I was recently talking to my coworker that although I did well by not getting carried away by the latest Spring cosmetic collections, I did fall prey to pricey hair styling products. She asked me if it was Oribe I had purchased. Before I could say yes, she offered to give me a spray for free that she bought and did not love.

How could I say no?

Meet the latest in my Oribe collection:

Touted as a finishing spray that will shield your hair from humidity and is 'Miami-tested'. I have been to Florida, not in the Summer but it can get humid there even in late Fall, so I was interested. The texture of my hair is course and even though it straightens easily any sign of humidity or mist in the air and it will wreck the work I put in with blowing out and flat ironing!

This spray contains unique copolymers that enhances and extends longevity of hairstyles in any climate. Your stands are given free radical treatment with tocopheryl acetate and retinyl palmitate while adding nourishing treatment.

This spray also adds body and thickness with Pro-Vitamin B5. While this is marketed as a finishing spray, I used this as a heat protecting setting spray before using my flat iron. I used this on second day hair and I still felt that it didn't weigh my hair down.

I am happy to say that my hair stayed straight from my eight minute walk from the train station to the office. Then again the weather was nice - no mist or humidity in the air. Another test it passed - lunch time Spin class. My hair still looked awesome and I was a total sweaty mess. I did spray some dry shampoo on my roots to soak up some oil, I blasted cool air though my hair and roots. My hair looked as good as it did right after I flat ironed.

I was so impressed with this spray that I would have actually paid for it. I'm currently trying to figure out what to give my co-worker in return for this gift.

Need more inspiration? Check out the how-to video from the Oribe site:

Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray
$38/USD
Found online and in department stores and salons that carry the Oribe collection