Christmas Tree, My Christmas Tree!
New Favorite Conditioner
Today I tried a new hair conditioner. "The Hair Growth Botanical Renovation Paraben-free Conditioner restores damaged frizz-prone hair and prevents hair breakage by coating and penetrating the hair shaft to create a protective barrier that restores hair and prevents further damage. By smoothing the hair surface it reduces hair knotting and breakage, so hair looks healthy, shiny and easy to manage because of improved elasticity. This Deep Conditioning Formula is based on the understanding of human hair structure and characteristics. It creates a protective barrier, increases mechanical strength of the hair fibers, detangles & restores elasticity, softens dry damages hair, returns shine and enhances thickness, nourishes and defrizzes, and improves color vibrancy with gentle treatment as it helps preserve the brilliance of hair without weighing it down. This deep treatment works to repair and to revitalize the surface of the hair for instant detangling, softness and shine. Designed for weak dull thinning hair, this conditioning treatment leaves hair smooth, healthy and strong with bounce, volume and shine. This ultimate hair conditioning treatment, specially formulated with essential oils and royal jelly extract, intensely replenishes vital moisture while reducing frizz and breakage, and leaves hair supple and free-flowing for ease of styling. The conditioning of this treatment forms a protective layer over the cortex where the cuticle cells have broken away, which provides a secure layer of coating over these rough edges."
I like to do a weekly deep conditioning earlier in the morning before I get the day going, rather than do it at night and getting it all over my pillow. This is going to come across rather strange, but I love the smell your pillow develops from the hair products you use, and call me a weirdo - I do not care, I just really enjoy the scent while sleeping! I do it before the day begins to give the products some time to wear in, so to speak.
This picture (they're all self-portrait by the way) cracks me up because this is how I typically look in the morning before coffee - makeup free and aloof. I'm that girl who NEEDS her first cup of coffee before having a conversation. I'm not a morning person! Sorry! Ha ha!
I literally jumped in the shower, shampooed my hair with my regular shampoo, then to the fun part, trying the new conditioner! Most conditioners will tell you to leave it in for no longer than 10-15 minutes, but my secret? 30 minutes for any deep conditioning. After snapping a few photos for you to see it in use, I ran to the kitchen, poured myself my first cup of coffee and sat on the couch checking my emails and responding to messages with CNN in the background. My Instagram addiction will also tend to get in. Those 30 minutes went by quick! ;)
The scent of Rose geranium and cinnamon are lovely. The touch of floral with the heavy accent from the spice are complementary to one another. The conditioner is light but coats well into the hair. I liked the fact that it wasn't goopy like some products I've tried in the past.
After 30 minutes, I rinsed the conditioner out before blow-drying my hair, and then finally straightening it. Check out the results! Even after all the heat, my hair still felt and looked hydrated and silky smooth. And with some volume! Mind you - I haven't gotten my hair cut or colored since June! I'm really happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone, but especially those who may be prone to weaker, thinner hair.
Interested in learning more about this conditioner? Click here to direct you to the product available on Amazon. And if you make a purchase, use my 20% Discount Code: 6FI8TI6V
Have a great rest of your Tuesday!
* Please note, I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.
LOVE & XX'S,
#HairGrowthConditioner
FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ
Sunday Hiking Adventure
To close the long holiday weekend, I took the liberty to stop everything I was doing and to escape the city, even if only for the day. Life has it's unexpected twists and turns in every chapter of a person's story, and since we haven't been able to get away for a while, we just wanted, and more importantly, really needed the break.
Yesterday we went to Harriman State Park, the second largest state park in New York. With over 200 miles of hiking trails, it is a haven for hikers and paradise for dogs! We've been up to Bear Mountain last year and wanted to mix the trail up with a new path, taking the Blue Disc Trail.
The trail climbs two mountains (!), Almost Perpendicular and Pound Mountain, and passes two major rock formations, Elbow Rush and Claudius Smith Rock. It's crazy, the trail dates back to the 1920s! It wasn't the hardest hike I've ever done but it was steep and all together we trekked around 7 miles! We played with MaQ's Hawaiian Flyer Frisbee, and of course, he chased around one of his Chuck It balls, his ultimate favorite toy. All the exercise was a great way to burn off all the turkey from this weekend. :)
Take a look at our photos from our hiking adventure below! I love when my hubby and I go somewhere because the photo results always speak for themselves, but the making of memories are what are instilled within us forever. And for every day I'm alive, I'm am utterly grateful. And, any time spent with those two hooligans is always a plus! At least to me it is! ;) ♥
How 'bout it, New Yorkers? What are some of your most memorable scenic trails in New York? There's so many to choose from, I know! What are some of your ways of staying fit with all the Holiday food ready to entice you?
Love & xxs,
maQ + suz
Inner Katie Girl // OOTD
WEARING: WET SEAL GRAY SLEEVELESS JERSEY DRESS | BERGDORF GOODMAN BLACK CASHMERE CARDIGAN | RALPH LAUREN RIDING BOOTS
“Hello! C-C-C-Curly!!”
If any of you gals are huge fans of SATC, you'll know what I'm referencing to. How many of you are Katie girls? We're talking about the ones with that 'wild curly hair'. When I was in college, and also when SATC was still airing on TV, I had become quite infatuated with the character, Carrie Bradshaw's Boticelli-esque, ever-flowing ringlets. (Not to mention her all-around adorableness.) And I had begun a new hair cycle.
But I stopped doing this regularly because quite frankly, I don't have the time! It takes me about an hour to complete curling my hair! Sometimes I'll straighten it because it isn't as time-consuming as it is with the curling iron but for the most part I just leave my hair all-natural. Since I haven't really done my hair like this in many years, I was really in the mood to have some big hair today! What's even better? The morning-after hair! The curls will still be intact, but looser and more bedhead. Which is my favorite because it's carefree yet rebellious. What do you think of my curls? Are you into this style?
I have a confession to make on top of secretly crushing on Ms. Bradshaw. The cardigan I'm wearing from Bergdorf's belongs to my husband! It's my favorite cashmere piece and I'll admit that I stole it! He barely ever wears it because I always do during this season! Ha ha ha! It's so soft and comfortable, plus the lil' after smell of the hubs is always a plus.
I've had this jersey dress since I first moved to New York City! That's nearly 10 years ago! I love the versatility of it. You can wear it all four seasons and playing around to mix and match the dress with different pieces is always so much fun. I love that you can even wear it off the shoulder, making it a bit more romantic and sexy.
Last but not least are the riding boots I'm wearing from Ralph Lauren. I love wearing these during the Fall. They pair perfectly with leggings, mid-skirts or dresses. Tights too! I love boots that aren't too high-heeled. I have a ton of running around to do and need something that won't kill me by the end of the day. I know some of you ladies only wear heels, and I have to say, I don't know how you do it!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my outfit of the day along with my new C-C-C-Crazy do! ;) In case you're wondering, all photos were taken by me. Self-portrait, all the way baby!
We'll be back on Halloween, in costume! All 3 of us. Me, my boo, and my other boo, MaQ! I'm so pumped for you to see! I think it's gonna be a hit this year! Stay tuned... you're going to love it! Until then, check out my other blog posts on fashion & beauty, food recipes, photography, street art, and more!
Love & xx's,
maQ + suz
SHOP THE LOOK
A Day in Central Park
Last week's Fall Mini Session left me inspired to shoot more of this glorious Fall weather before everything becomes bare and brittle. Did I mention frigid? We lucked out yet again today, here in New York City, with 70°F+ temps. So, with my rollerblades intact and MaQ by my side, I ventured the nearly 3 mile-trip uptown to Central Park. The workout wasn't exactly easy, given the backpack I was carrying which included my camera, a change of clothes, my boots, treats, a large bottle of water, his ball, and then some! Phew! I would say it was about an extra 20 pounds on my back during the trek! To say the least, we did it and it was totally worth it!
Isn't that just a spectacular view?! I was so glad to visit there today. It reminded me why I live here again. The hustle & bustle of the streets; the competition, the raw honesty in it's purest form; the smells of every kind of food you can imagine; the beauty within the park; and those wondrous skyscrapers that can't help but make you dream big. Live big. Love big. This is my city and I'm so proud to call New York my home. It ain't always pretty, but it's undeniably f*cking real to me! So is life.
When we first entered the park, MaQ was really excited about the horses! I remember when my husband and I got married in Strawberry Fields he totally went bananas over 'em and desperately wanted to make friends. Regardless, he's quite the stud muffin, isn't he? Plus, Fall makes for the best pictures! And trust me when I say this folks, the foliage is looking pretty groovy at this point! Y'all need to go for a stroll before all the beautiful colors are gone!
I really wanted to do a nice Fall portrait with the both of us, so I brought my little remote and snapped away. The light is a little harsh, but I only have my distraction to blame from the magnificent beauty Central Park holds! It just makes you think you have all the time in the world, I almost forgot I wanted to photograph us! Ha ha ha!
I tried to take several shots in many forms of light. The park is perfect for that, at some point, (being a hardcore perfectionist) I wasn't ready to leave because it was just too enjoyable! But there are only 24 hours in a day and I only have a zillion things to do! I love the little lens flare from the light in the shot above. He looks like Rainbow Brite! Plus I'm still that young rebel who doesn't like to follow the rules so yeah, I like to shoot against the light sometimes. ;)
MaQ is adored everywhere he goes, like today when I was right in the middle of shooting (on a non-sturdy rock of all places) and this sweet maybe 12-year old Eastern European kid bravely walked up to me, and shamelessly asked if he could pet my dog. At first, I was kind of annoyed since he didn't seem to care that I was in the middle of trying to take a shot (of MaQ unleashed all the while), but when I looked into his piercing blue eyes, there was something so familiar and peaceful at the same time, I couldn't help but say yes. I wanted him to meet MaQ. And it made him so very happy, where it, in return, made me so happy!
We also visited The Pond, which is also where the first crime scene takes place in my debut novel, 'The Fisherman's Lily'. It's nice to go back to places where you've researched, and this being one of the very first chapters I wrote in the very beginnings of writing my book, I of course had to stop by and pay homage to my special place. I took a shot of MaQ on the bridge (right above The Pond) to encapsulate the feelings I had with the initials ideas of writing fiction many, many years ago.
Toward the very end of our photo taking, we played a long, rewarding game of fetch. We played out in an open field, and it was such a pleasure to watch him at full speed. I think the day completely wiped him out because he's been asleep for the past 5 hours! He really did a lot, so it's good he's resting. I seriously had the best time up there today! I wish we lived closer to Central Park, because we'd go there everyday!
We hope you enjoyed in taking a glimpse into our adventures! We love sharing them with you and the world. Would you like to do a Fall photo of some kind in the park? Please feel free to contact me about any inquiries you may have!
Thanks so much for reading! Please pass on & share! Happy Thursday! ♡
Love & xx's,
maQ + suz
