Alert the press! I'm actually talking about hair! (...plus a Formulate + Co. Giveaway)

You read that right. I, Andrea Fontana, am talking about hair today. Why is this weird? I don’t know much about hair. I know I work in the beauty industry, but I’m an esthetician which means I am NOT licensed in hair, and honestly don’t know much about hair because it really doesn’t interest me.

I’m excited to be collaborating with a haircare company that is changing the game and making shopping for shampoo and conditioner easy for even the hair incompetent like ME! I personally have very straight and easy to manage hair. I can take a shower, let it air dry, and not have to straighten, de-frizz, curl, or any of the other things so many women do. I know how lucky I am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have areas I want my hair to improve. My hair can be dry in the winter, have dandruff issues, get staticky (is that a word? haha), get greasy at the roots, lie super flat, and more.

I was so excited when Formulate + Co, emailed me and wanted to do a collaboration, mainly because I never know what I’m looking for when I’m shopping for new shampoo and conditioner. I love how the process was completely custom yet super easy…there’s even an app for it!

Either download the app, or visit their website and you can begin the process. I told them where I live (genius if you ask me, since weather can be so determining in hair health), the current status of my hair, whether I colored it (I have never), and what improvements I’d like to see. I even got to pick my scent and decided how strong I wanted it to be (yes! it’s THAT custom).

So here’s what I chose for my hair goals:

• Prevent thinning (I mean doesn’t hurt right? haha)

• Lengthen

• Oil Control

• Volumize

• Hydration

Then, I chose to the scent Freshly Squeezed (a sweet orange delicious citrus scent) and chose to have it strongly scented because I looooove citrus smells!

Overall, I’m obsessed with my shampoo and conditioner. I try to only wash my hair every few days and ever since I started using these custom products I’ve been able to wash about every 3-4 days which is great! I do use dry shampoo sometimes if I’ve worked out and want to ‘clean’ my hair, but I really feel like I’ve noticed help with my oil control, yet my hair has felt hydrated. I honestly haven’t noticed much static in my hair which could be that it hasn’t been extremely cold yet this winter, but who knows!

Here are some other details that I love about this process:

• All shampoos/conditioners are always sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, & cruelty-free. They are technically not vegan because they source their keratin from wool, but if you want it formulated vegan you can get it that way!

• If you want to make changes to your next bottle, it’s really easy to control your settings in the app or on the website.

• If you want to omit certain ingredients because you’re vegan, allergic, etc, you can ask them to not add them! (Super cool)

• The packing is beautiful in your shower and I love that they have pumps! This made transferring to my travel bottles really easy for showers at my gym.

Now for the exciting part… Formulate + Co is giving away a free custom Shampoo & Conditioner set to one of my readers! All you have to do is click the link below to enter! (The giveaway closes on December 26th at midnight so hurry up and enter ASAP!) Even if you don’t win, you will receive a $5 off coupon for entering, so I highly encourage entering!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

I purposely wanted to end this giveaway around Christmas to be able to gift one of you an extra gift this year! Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and supports Andrea Fontana Beauty all year long. You guys are the best and I am so grateful!

Have a beautiful day and GOOD LUCK!

Andrea

January Favorites

I'm back with some favorites from the month of January! As you know, I had a rocky start to the new year but I'm happy to say that things have turned around and the second half of the month was amazing! The thing I am most proud of this month is that some of my friendships have grown tremendously and I feel like I went through a lot of self growth. One of my favorite YouTubers mentioned that she often finds that the greatest things come out of challenges and I feel like my January was a great example of this. What was your biggest accomplishment this past month? Leave a comment below and let me know! I'd love to congratulate you on your journey!

Now for the favorites! I'm trying a new style this month as I've become an Amazon Associate recently. This means that if you buy products through these links I will earn a small commission. If that bothers you, feel free to find the products separately. If you choose to buy, THANK YOU for supporting Andrea Fontana Beauty! You are awesome! Let me know how you like this format!

I don't have a Trader Joe's by me but had heard quite the buzz about this seasoning all over. Luckily a store opened up recently in the city I'm from so when I went home for Christmas I made sure to pick up two bottles because I knew I would love it. I put it on everything; hard boiled eggs, avocado toast, homemade bagels, and more! I highly recommend trying it out ASAP!

If you follow me on Instagram, this first favorite probably comes as no surprise! I received a cookbook (Bobby Flay Fit) that I wanted SO badly, from my beautiful friend Sammy! I have made so many recipes already from it and have loved them all. I highly recommend if you are looking to eat a healthier way but don't want to sacrifice flavor. I use it so much that I even burnt an imprint of the coil from my stove burner into the cover by accident (haha!). Be sure to follow my Instagram (www.instagram.com/andreafontanabeauty) to laugh with me at my daily adventures!

I've already mentioned this next favorite a few posts back, but I finished it in only 2 weeks and I CANNOT recommend it enough. Don't let the almost 600 pages scare you away from this amazing story of the life of Cyril Avery growing up in Ireland. It's written well and I couldn't put it down; sometimes getting lost in the pages for hours at a time. 

I received a sample of this facial oil a little while back and when my coveted Rosehip oil ran out and I didn't have any on hand, I grabbed this one and have loved it all month! It's a dry oil made up of Vitamins E and B, apricot kernel oil, coconut oil, and wheat germ oil. I love how it sunk into my skin quickly and didn't leave me feeling greasy which is nice for day time. I love to put on oils with Anti-oxidants to help combat free radicals and pollution throughout the day! You only need a few drops to apply so this bottle would last a long time!

This is my favorite hair product of the moment. It was recommended by a friend Ashley, who is a cosmetologist (as you know I know nothing about hair and rely on friends for help in that area haha). I love this finishing spray because it smells awesome, gives my hair some shine and a slight hold. It's definitely not as strong as a hairspray, but I love it to tame my style when I actually do my hair. It doesn't leave any crazy residues, which I love. 

Love, love love this moisturizer. I've mentioned it before, but it's my go to in colder months or when I've been sick. I had a cold at the beginning of the month and blew my nose so many times that the skin around it was raw and red. This moisturizer saved me (due to the colloidal oatmeal). I highly recommend it for dry skin that can be sensitive. It's one I always keep on hand in case I'm feeling dry.

This one's a classic that I always go back to at least once a year and apparently January was that time. It's great for thick, voluminous lashes and always makes my lashes look amazing. I'm not sure why I ever get away from it haha. Why do we always have to try new mascaras as women? 

I contemplated writing an entire post devoted to these babies, but I couldn't hold off on telling you about them any longer. They are heaven sent if you get blemishes. Always keep them on hand. They are little nude/clear stickers that you put over a blemish at night when you go to sleep. I like to do it before I put my moisturizer on so that they stick well and then apply moisturizer around it afterwards. The trick with these is that you have to wait until there is a white head, then it pulls everything out as you're sleeping and you'll see the white color change in the morning on the sticker. The blemish will still be red in the morning, but it is always so much flatter if not completely flat from pulling everything out. I can't recommend them enough! 

Another favorite worth mentioning is the product that I did a First Impression on in my most recent YouTube video! Click here to watch it! It's the Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan. I love this product for everyday makeup use! Also while you're at it subscribe to my YouTube channel 'Andrea Fontana Beauty' to stay notified when I post new videos for you!

As usual, leave a comment below sharing any new products you loved this month so we can all learn from each other!

I hope you have a wonderful February,

Andrea

Dre Does an Amika Review

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to this brand, so let's just begin with how I discovered it! When I was at America's Beauty Show in Chicago a few weeks ago, we kept seeing people walking around with bags that had this beautiful flower print. I noticed that they said Amika and since many booths were giving out free bags, I told my friends we needed to find the Amika booth and get our hands on these beautiful bags! When we found the booth we were greeted by a beautiful eye catching display and really friendly Amika representatives. All of a sudden we were offered free stuff and the opportunity to try out products and get our hair done. We obviously jumped on the offer and I immediately fell in love the products and the styling tools. The Obliphica line is centered around the Sea Buckthorn Berry (aka Obliphica) which grows in Siberia, one of the harshest climates, and is loaded with antioxidants, essential amino acids, beta-carotene, Omegas, flavonoids, and Vitamins C and E. I ended up purchasing a dry shampoo, texture spray, heat protecting hair serum, hairspray, and straightener. 

Perk Up Dry Shampoo

This is the product that initially drew me into the line. I am so picky about my dry shampoos and before this one I was never happy with what I was using. As a brunette I hate the white cast that they generally leave, but the thing I hate most is the dirty feeling that is left after spraying them into your hair. This dry shampoo however is amazing! I will never use anything else. The clear formula makes it a breeze to apply and work with and I'm being 100% honest when I say you can't feel anything in your hair. This is because this dry shampoo, unlike most that are out there, contains no aluminum shavings so your hair still feels clean after you use it! They use a rice starch to absorb oils instead, leaving your hair feeling soft and clean instead of heavy and dirty! This also helps you get more volume which is something I am always trying to achieve.

Undone Texture Spray

I've never been a fan of adding any product to my hair when I curl it because it typically weighs my hair down, dries it out, or makes it feel dirty. This texture spray is a serious game changer. With no salt in it, it definitely won't dry your hair out. It also uses zeolite, a natural mineral, to build serious volume. Once again you can't feel this product in your hair which is my favorite thing about the line. I really like adding this to day two curls because it refreshes them and makes them look put together again. I also love spraying it in before I do a top knot bun to give my hair that extra texture to make a bigger and better bun! 

Heat Defense Serum

We should always use a heat protectant before heat styling and I love this one. It's light and doesn't make my hair greasy. Free of parabens and artificial colorings, it is 95% silicones to protect your hair from heat damage. It's also great at taming frizz, which is necessary as we're approaching summer! I apply it when my hair is still damp, even if my hair is just going to be air drying. Sometimes I'll even use the tiniest amount to smooth random fly always or frizz if I'm wearing it straight or curly. 

Touchable Hairspray

If you like a strong but flexible hairspray that doesn't feel crunchy, this is it! It doesn't dry your hair out and does a great job of holding styles. The Obliphica is not only great for your hair but it helps give your hair shine as well. It goes on dry, which is really unique and awesome too. 

All of these products have the amazing Obliphica smell which is to die for. Your hair will smell amazing even going into day two. I couldn't be happier that I tried all of these products out! I would recommend all of them for everyone but if I had to pick two favorites I would definitely say the dry shampoo and the texture spray. They are life changing for someone who wants good smelling, good for your hair, clean, and light products. 

Digital Titanium Heat Styler

This is a miracle straightener! I can completely curl my entire head in 10-15 minutes with curls that will last at least 2 days! I've never been able to do this before so this has made getting ready in the morning quicker and more fun! The negative ions seal the hair cuticle creating smooth and silky curls. It also heats up in about 5 seconds which is insane. I got a ridiculously great deal at the hair show, so I paid less than half the price for this, but even at its original price I recommend it if you're looking for a new styling tool!

Overall, these products and the styling tool have made my hair look amazing. Now I don't have extremely damaged hair because I've never dyed it and don't normally heat style it that often, so my hair is healthy to begin with. However, the Amika products have taken my hair to the next level, making me look like I just got a blowout at the salon, when in reality it took me 20 minutes at most in my own bathroom. You can visit the Amika website at www.loveamika.com to learn more about the products and tools. You can also use a salon locator to find where you can purchase products near you! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre