Tip Tuesday: Haircare Edition

We're starting off another tiring week so we thought it would serve as a nice pick-me-up to offer you our top tips for the week. We've compiled our favorite hair care tips packaged up nicely in this edition of Tip Tuesday!

My first tip comes from years of my mother begging me to "stop those hot showers!" At the time I thought she was merely worried about the electric bill, it wasn't until I was in my late teens that she explained that hot water strips our body (and our hair!) of its moisture. While I wasn't prepared to give up my steamy showers, especially approaching the winter months, I discovered that it actually benefits my hair if I do a final rinse in cold water! Just like rinsing your face with cold water closes your pores, rinsing your hair the same way seals the cuticle. This prevents that flyaway look and makes hair appear shinier. What more could a girl ask for?

This next tip comes from missglamorazzi (check out her YouTube channel, it's seriously amazing) and is something I have just recently tried and am currently loving. She suggests to switch up your shower routine by changing the way you wash your hair. How you might ask? By lathering your hair up from the base of the neck up to the roots! This creates crazy volume and gets hair extra clean as this is where a lot of hidden oil and gunk builds up. I can seriously feel the volume in my hair as I rinse the shampoo out (with cool water of course!), this might just change my shower routine for life!

I hope you've enjoyed these helpful tips and plan to try them out soon, they're life changing, I promise!

until next time,

xo

aFm

Freaky Friday: DIY Halloween!

We are officially less than a week away from Halloween.

I repeat, there is less than one week before Halloween, people!

I am a huge believer in DIY costumes. It just seems like that's Halloween at it's greatest and reminds me of when my mom would put a costume together for me when I was little. It doesn't take a craft fanatic to create a DIY costume, sometimes you can even throw one together from things you already have in your closet!

Here are a few costume ideas I pulled from my "Halloweentown" Pinterest board, so if you want to see any of these costumes or find their original pinners just head to my Pinterest!
(click the follow button while you're at it.)

Pan Am Stewardess

I loved the show Pan Am, however short lived it was, so of course I love this idea of throwing on a blazer, skirt, and little white gloves to go as one of the it girls of the 60s. Super easy and super cute!

Minnie Mouse

Classic and super easy, what could be better than Minnie Mouse! Add some cute little ears to a red skirt and black shirt and you've turned yourself into everyone's favorite mouse's girlfriend. 

Get some girls together this Halloween and go with some of these fantastic group looks.

Flo and the Orbit Girl

We've all seen the commercials and we've all fallen in love with these icons so who wouldn't want to step into their shoes for a night. It's all white for these looks, just add a few touches and don't forget your insurance and chewing gum!

Pocahontas

These girls look so put together and like they are having a blast. Whether you're going with a whole tribe or just putting your own spin on a favorite Disney princess this is a go to look for sure.

The Great Gatsby Flapper Girl

These costumes are about as easy as throwing cat ears on with a LBD (see Karen from Mean Girls!). Grab some pears and a head piece and you've got yourself a Roaring Twenties look that would tear Gatsby's eyes away from Daisy in a flash!

I hope you've enjoyed these super easy DIY looks and maybe found some inspiration for any last minute costumes for those Halloweekend parties!

till next time

xo

aFm

Follow Friday!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

We've finally made it to another fun filled weekend and to celebrate we're doing a Follow Friday featuring a fellow blogger from our own university!

Trend. Style. Josh.

A new blog with a new perspective, this fashion forward fella has got everything you need to be in "the know." From his own opinions of seasonal trends to his adorable and classy Outfit-of-the-Day posts you can't go wrong with this blog. Also, we share a common love of Lauren Conrad (see this LC inspired Cat Eye Tutorial) and have hopes of doing public relations as a career someday so what's not to love?

Be sure to check out Josh's blog over at trendstylejosh.blogspot.com, you won't regret it!

xo

Merisa & Danielle

What We Love Wednesday!

We've decided to turn this dreary, cold day around and deem it,

What We Love Wednesday!

On Wednesdays we'll take turns showcasing things we've absolutely fallen in love with this week, from beauty and hair care to tv shows and new music we've got products across the board. 

Here is what I'm loving this week:

Beauty Products

My beauty favorites this week both just so happen to be sample sized products that pack a huge punch. 

I scored the Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up! in my Sephora Beauty Insider's birthday gift! Which is just the greatest thing ever because it included this amazing highlighter! I've used this for everything, a highlighter on my cheeks and brow bone as well as an eyeshadow and under my lipstick. This is an amazing product and I can't wait to find even more uses for it!

I'm a girl that just can't find the right moisturizer for my face...that is until now. I found this Pond's Crema S Nourishing Moisturizing Cream in the travel size products at Walmart for like $1 something. It's 1.75 oz. of amazing moisturizing power! It leaves my skin hydrated but not oily and I can put it on at any point during the day and be good to go. 

Hair Products 

I've just been obsessed with my hair lately so that can definitely be added to the list of things I love. This is going to sound like a shameless brag but here we go: it's been so soft, easy to style, and has reached a really good length as of lately but I'm betting the products I'm using are probably why I love it so much so we'll get to those instead. 

I am obsessed with the DryBar VIP Pack and when I say obsessed I mean it. Every product in this pack from the Southern Belle Volumizing Mousse (how perfect!!!), Detox Dry Shampoo, and Money Maker Flexible Hairspray is to die for and gives instant, big hair results! My hair has never looked better and I will most definitely be picking up these products in a larger size very, very soon!

Remember that shameless brag? Well, I thoroughly believe it was possible because of the L'Oreal Paris Advanced Haircare Total Repair-5 Damage Erasing Balm. That's a mouthful but it's also insanely worth it because this product seriously does what is says it will. I've only used this hair mask/balm twice and I've already seen a dramatic difference in my hair. That's right, results after just two uses! My hair is silky smooth, shiny, and practically damage free seriously. This product is at the very top of my list of recommendations.

The Randoms

Paramore: Grow Up

As weird as it sounds, this song just says so much about my life lately. I definitely suggest listening to it simply for the fact that the lead singer, Hayley Williams is the epitome of girl power!

Lupe Fiasco featuring Ed Sheeran: Old School Love

I just recently discovered this song and I am already obsessed with it! It's fantastic and you should go listen to it right now! 

Ed Sheeran has the voice of an angel...and I would know because I saw him live with Taylor Swift on the Red Tour last year! He's amazing and so is this song so be prepared to fall in love.

Scandal

As I am a History/Political Science major it should come as no shock to you that I am a political junkie. This show revolves around a public relations/communications expert who works in Washington, D.C. (she may have slept with the President too) and helps to solve and spin serious issues for some seriously high profile clients. I started this show on Netflix and finished the season in record time so now I'm watching it on ABC Thursday at 10pm so you should check it out!

Magnum Gold Ice Cream

I am an ice cream addict and have fallen in love with this particular brand. 

Aside from the ice cream literally being gold even the packaging makes it sound absolutely delicious. I mean who could resist "vanilla bean ice cream with a sea salt caramel swirl dipped in a golden chocolatey coating."

No one, that's who! This stuff is amazing and you need it in your life now!

Happy Wednesday, lovelies, you've made it halfway to the weekend!

xo

aFm

Mascara Monday: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly!

Happy Monday, lovelies!

It most definitely is a very happy Monday, mostly because it is almost over but also because it's time for a new beauty review from your favorite duo! 

While going through our makeup bags, Danielle and I decided that we were both dying to do a review on the many mascaras we had acquired over the past few weeks so we wanted to turn today into Mascara Monday for the time being! What a better way to celebrate this day than with a review on not one, not two, but a whopping 7 mascaras! 

Danielle's picks!

Merisa's picks!

I'm doing this totally out of whack but I'm the type of person to take my bad news first so let's just get right to it, shall we?

The Ugly

About a month ago I ran out of my L'Oreal Telescopic Original Mascara and instead of going with the same brand, like I really should have, I went for a brand I had never tried but had heard amazing things about. Well, I let my adventurous side get the best of me because I went against the reviews I had heard and tried something within the same line but not the same thing, it's complicated. Anyway, I picked up Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Waterproof Mascara and have regretted it ever since!

This mascara is probably the worst mascara I've ever tried! 

First of all, I hate the brush! I liked the idea of having a wand with two brushes in one, for both upper and lower lashes, but I ended up using the lower lash wand for my upper lashes and just not even worrying about the lower lashline. I found that the big brush actually hurt my eyes when using it and the formula drys hard and chunky. I didn't even like the color of this product, I felt like it dried a grayish color even though it was suppose to be Very Black. Definitely not picking up this product again but I still want to try out the original The Falsies so there is still hope to redeem yourself, Maybelline. 

-aFm-

Maybelline The Falsies Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara

I really thought that this mascara would be great because of the pretty leopard print bottle, needless to say since it is in the ugly category it wasn't too pretty. 

It didn't volumize my eyelashes at all like the bottle and the commercial advertised. I have tried the regular colossal mascara and loved it but the volume express was not worth my money. I like the curved wands the best but it seems that the actual mascara in the bottle wasn't very good quality. It had a funny smell and tended to be a bit runny. It also clumped my eyelashes up, which is a BIG no no!

-dSl-

The Bad

I have tried nearly all of the bareMinerals mascaras and the Flawless Definition Mascara is definitely my least favorite. It was okay, but it wasn't worth what I paid for it. It didn't separate my lashes as well as I wanted it to nor did it lengthen my lashes like mascaras I've tried in the past. It is comparable to a cheaper mascara but didn't do the job I had excepted from one of my favorite brands. Definitely a disappointment.

-dSl-

While I was shopping in Sephora for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly remembered that they have this great program for Beauty Insiders where you get a free gift on your birthday! Score! 

I was so excited when I learned the gift package was from Benefit Cosmetics and even more excited when I saw that it featured two of their most talked about products, Watt's Up! and They're Real! Mascara!

I have heard so much about this mascara online and couldn't wait to try it out. Well, now that I have tried it, I just don't get it. I didn't really see a dramatic difference in my lashes and found that the "custom-domed tip" that was suppose to separate this mascara from all the rest actually hurt my eyes. I found that I would end up stabbing myself with the bristles on the end, definitely not worth it. So while I was comparing this mascara to other brands I had tried I got to thinking, 'What if I'm dissatisfied with these mascaras because my other mascaras are just really good?!' Hmm, that brings us to our next category...

-aFm-

The Good

I actually have two mascaras that I'm incredibly happy with at the moment. I am absolutely in love with the Buxom Sculpted Lash Mascara and even more in love with the fact that I got it for free by using my Sephora Beauty Insider Rewards Points from my birthday shopping spree! This product is amazing and features an 'S' shaped brush that really does what the product description says. I definitely recommend this product if you are looking for great higher-end mascara that really creates that false eyelash look. I didn't see a clump in sight when using this mascara and loved how easy it was to put on, the special brush really did grab onto my lashes. 

My next favorite is a more affordable drugstore brand that brought close to the same results, which is always a good thing! Like I mentioned before, I really like the L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara and after the failed attempt with Big Eyes, I decided to stick with old faithful but with a twist. The L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara has quickly become one of my favorite drugstore mascara simply because I can see instant results from this mascara. I'm not a big fan of multiple coats of mascara and this products works with just one! I love that I can just glide this formula on my lashes and have bold, voluminous lashes. 

-aFm-

This has to be my all time favorite mascara. the Eyeko London Black Magic Mascara has it all, it helps lengthen your lashes and curls them up with it's slightly curved wand! It's also excellent for an all day wear because it holds up until you wash it off. This is an item I was able to try in my Birchbox and I am definitely going to be buying a full size version very soon. 

-dSl-

till next time, lovelies

xo

Merisa & Danielle

Saturday Shop: Gameday Edition!

What would a Southern girl be without a little football in her Saturday! 

In honor of our university's Homecoming today we've decided to start off this Saturday Shop post with a look into some of the best online shops for all of your gameday gear! Whether you're cheering on your favorite SEC team from your couch or hitting up a tailgate in your school parking lot we've got you covered!

Now as you can probably tell, we're suckers for a good monogramming opportunity (we are Monogrammed Magnolias, after all) and nothing makes a Southern girl happier when she can mix her football with her monograms!

 

The Pastel Peony on Etsy  has the cutest mix of vinyl decals and in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month the shop is donating 10% of costs on all orders to Making Strides for Breast Cancer! Our favorite piece from their selection is definitely the 4 inch Gameday Football Monogram Decal shown above for $7 (be sure to check out their State Circle Monogram Decal while you're checking out the shop).

Combining one of the biggest trends of fall with your school colors is definitely a Southern girl's dream so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to include SewEMG's school spirited Chevron Infinity Scarves in this post. 

 At just $15.50 these scarves are super affordable compared to many other Etsy shops and come in a variety of color combos, I will definitely be adding this to my shopping cart in the near future!

Our next gameday essential comes from the experts, The Gameday Girls themselves! Home of "The Original Collegiate Pearls", the Gameday Girls handmade pearl earrings were such an obvious choice for this particular post that there was no way we were going to pass them up. 

 You can even get them monogrammed!

Their store is totally customizable and features even more gameday goodies such as necklaces, koozies, and headbands.

This post just wouldn't be complete without at look at Southernly Stated and the 

oh so amazing Game Day Tee!

Loving God, Sweet Tea, and our University is pretty much the basis of a Monogrammed Magnolia so of course this long sleeve tee is perfect for our Southern football Saturday!

May whatever team you cheer for kick-butt, as long as they're not up against our's! 

"Go CATS!" - Danielle

"Roll Tide!" - Merisa

till next time

xo

aFm

Fall Beauty Tutorial: The Cat Eye

The Fall semester is jam packed with events from Homecoming to Halloween and everything in between. If you're like me, you're done with the smoky eye/lip gloss routine and ready for an upgrade. Well that upgrade you're looking for just so happens to be a classic look that will take you through this Fall's festivities in a glam and updated way.

The Cat Eye

For this look, we turn to the Queen of Winged Liner, Miss Lauren Conrad!

I grew up with Lauren, or "LC" as she was known as back then, from the time she was in high school on Laguna Beach all the way through to her role on The Hills and her recent engagement (eek!). Not only has she become one of my role models in life but she's also one of the first people I go to when in need of some beauty advice. See her book Lauren Conrad Beauty or her work with The Beauty Department.

I've been doing this look since I first saw Lauren rock it on The Hills so I can say from experience that practice really does make perfect. Don't stress if you don't get it right on the first try, just grab a makeup wipe and try again!

There are probably tons of ways to pull this look off but I'm going to show you my way...two different ways. The first being a dramatic line fit for a night out such as a Homecoming dance (which just so happens to be this Saturday for our university! Go Bears!) and the second is an everyday cat eye you can fit into your normal makeup routine or if you just want to dress up your look a little.

The Dramatic Look

Step One: Prep your eyes! 
I just recently picked up this tip from a friend and it has become one of my go-to tricks. Primer on your eyelid will do wonders for your makeup look! She suggested putting a little face lotion on your eyelids before doing your makeup, I've upgraded to Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion since but both have similar results. 
For a look like this, I usually go without shadow but for extra sparkle I suggest taking a highlighter such as Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up! and adding it to your inner corners or using a highlighting shadow in the same area. Remember to stay neutral, otherwise you will overpower the look!
Be careful with the amount of primer you use if you choose to go shadow-less across your lids, if you're not using a waterproof liner things could get smudgy.

Step Two: Line your eyes!
For the more dramatic look you want a defined line and a bold black, so reach for a liquid liner that has a fine tip and easy to hold handle to steady yourself. I use the super affordable Wet 'n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner! 

The trick to this is to take your time, rushing will just lead to a sloppy look. Start with your liner at the inner corner of your eye and lightly drag it across your lash line toward your outer corner. That practice I mentioned early makes this step easier with time but if you're having trouble getting a steady line I suggest making 3 dash marks at the inner corner, middle of the lash line, and outer corner then connecting them to keep the line straight and bold.
Staying as close to your natural lash line as possible will lead to the perfect wide-eyed look we're going for, no one likes raccoon eyes!

Step Three: The Wing!
This is part of the line that creates the cat eye effect. For this dramatic look we're going to do a dramatic line. I start by dragging the line out and up from the outer corner then going from the top of the line started on my outer corner and make a small triangle. Fill that in and you've got your look. 
Be sure not to drag your line too far out or too far up. It shouldn't go further than the end of your eyebrow or the top of your lashes.
I'm no LC but here's the dramatic look on me (ahh!).

Everyday Look

For this look, follow steps one and two exactly the same except for a softer look I like to use a waterproof kohl pencil liner. 
Step three consists of just dragging the line slightly beyond your outer corner, just a flick. 
Finish with a coat of mascara and you've got the look, just like Lauren!

I hope you enjoyed it, for more tips on how to achieve the perfect cat eye look check out the links below.

VMA Cateye via The Beauty Department

until next time,
xo
aFm

Follow Us on Bloglovin!

It's super easy and a great way to keep track of all the blogs you follow. The perfect way to stay up to date on all the need to know info without going to multiple sites too. 
Just click the link below to follow us! I hope you do!

Follow Monogrammed Magnolias on Bloglovin

xo

aFm

Manicure Monday: Ruffian Nail Lacquer - Delirium

There is no doubt about it that this Ruffian nail polish is anything but runway ready, but why not let the people off the runway experience this wonderful polish too?

That is exactly what Birchbox and Ruffian, a New York-based fashion label, did with this fabulous nail lacquer. 

I was extremely excited to find this polish in my September Birchbox. I am a nail polish fanatic anyway so it was kind of like a mini bonus when I received the polish in MY box! 

Here is a picture of the polish they call Delirium, excuse the glare.

If you're not familiar with Birchbox, it's a subscription based company that sends a different set of 4-5 high-end products to your doorstep for a low price of $10 a month. 

When watching a surprise video on YouTube about the September box, the first thing I had my eye on was the nail polish. I am one of those girls that every time I go to Walmart to pick up something like school supplies or groceries for my dorm room, I come back with beauty "must-haves" and usually one of those "must-haves" is a bottle of nail polish I've just gotta try. 

It's a fun surprise every time I open a new bottle just to see how the quality of the polish is, how the color looks on my nails, and how long it last! 

Well, after trying the Ruffian nail polish from my box, I immediately saw a difference in the way that the polish went on my nails compared to the Essie or OPI products I have tried (don't get me wrong, I love those brands though). The bold purple color was from the fashion label's first lacquer collection. I thought this was kind of cool because I am all about originality! After I opened my box and tried the polish for the first time I was in love! 

This is one of the first nail polishes I've tried that didn't chip in the first 24 hours of applying the polish! I was extremely impressed by that in itself. The color was perfect because I really think purple is going to be a big hit this fall. I definitely recommend their polishes and will be purchasing some more from them very soon!

-dSl-

PS: Head over to Birchbox brands to purchase your own Ruffian nail lacquer or check out any of the brands offered in Birchbox's monthly subscriptions.

 Oh, and this is Danielle's first post to the blog as our new contributor so snaps to her! :)

Our New Edition

There are a lot of changes in the works for Monogrammed Magnolias.

 One of them being our lovely new contributor, Danielle! 

Not only is she one of my absolute best friends but she is the epitome of a monogrammed magnolia. Southern-born and bred this Kentucky cutie is going to bring all kinds of fabulous to our blog with beauty reviews and tips like you've never seen before.

If you couldn't tell by now, I'm super excited about this and can't wait for her to start working her magic! 

Be on the lookout for plenty of reviews and recommendations for tons of products in the very near future. We're also working on some great theme days so you guys can keep coming back week by week to find your favorite posts and new surprises too!

xo

AMF

PS: here's a little inspiration for the week...