Teen Mom 2 star Chelsea Houska chats beauty with the Bargain Blonde

When I recently received an e-mail from Chelsea Houska's PR Team asking me if I'd like to interview her, I couldn't type "Um, duh" fast enough. Were my eyes deceiving me? Was this really an e-mail asking if I'd like to interview Chelsea Houska from MTV's Teen Mom 2?  No friends, my eyes were not playing tricks.  This was real life and last night i had the opportunity to speak with this pretty mamma all about her favorite beauty and hair products.

via Chelsea's Instagram (@ChelseaHouska)

As a huge Teen Mom fan (I've never missed an episode), excited was an understatement. Chelsea has always been a favorite of mine because of what an amazing Mom she seems like and on a personal level, I can relate to her relationship woes with Aubree's father. 

Plus, I've always thought she was beautiful with great style, and since she is currently enrolled at Black Hills Beauty College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she studies the art of make-up application and hair design, I couldn't wait to chat all things hair and beauty with her.  

In case you are wondering, I'm happy to report that Chelsea was just as sweet and down to earth as I expected.  In fact, I totally felt like her and I were long lost besties just chatting away. You could even hear little Aubree running around in the background.  Speaking of Aubree, is she not the cutest ever?

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Enough of my rambling. Check out our interview below and let me know what you think in the comments! 

Did you always know you wanted to be involved in beauty/hair?  What made you decide to go to beauty school?

My mom went to beauty school and she did it for a little while when I was younger. And when I was growing up, our house had a room that was like a salon. I was always in there playing with my friends' hair so I've always known this is what I wanted to do.

You are running late and only have time to put on three make-up items before leaving the house, what are they and why?

Mascara because you always need mascara, a little powder or bronzer and lipstick or chapstick. I feel like that covers a little of everything.

I have long hair as do you, so how do you keep yours healthy?  Any tricks of the trade learned in beauty school?

Before beauty school I never used thermal sprays, but ever since I started school, I learned how important thermal sprays are. I use Kenra Thermal Styling Spray, which you can get at salons.   

I always curl my hair, and the products I use are mousse, a spray leave-in conditioner, thermal spray and I finish with a silkening gloss. 

Chelsea's Curls via

Favorite hair product you swear by? 
There is this stuff that I use that makes my hair really big. It’s called Dust It by Osis. You put a little bit in at the roots and then you tease it. I love it!

*Editors Note: We started talking about how we both have fine hair and I told her it is impossible for me to tease my hair because of this. She swears Dust It is a miracle, so I am ordering it online here and I will report back.  It has great reviews online!

How many times a week you wash your hair?

My hair is really fine and if I don’t wash it often, it looks greasy so I wash it every day or every other day.  I have used the Kenra Dry Shampoo between washes. 

Whenever I'm babysitting my 4-year-old nephew, my beauty routine goes out the window.  How do you find the time to put yourself together as a single mom enrolled in school raising a young daughter?   

It’s so hard!  But, I always wake up early before her to get ready and then once I'm ready, I'll get her ready.  We have a great routine down.  If I try to get ready while she's awake, it's so hard because she loves to play in my make-up. 

Chelsea and Aubree via

What is your favorite drug store foundation and mascara? 

I've used Revlon Colorstay Foundation for forever and my favorite mascaras are by L'oreal. I just try to find the mascara with the thick brushes on the end because I like my eyelashes really big!  

  

Do you use pencil, automatic or liquid liner?  What is your favorite brand? 

I use pencil and automatic.  I am obsessed with all MAC make-up, so their eyeliner is probably my fave. 

Name a makeup crime that you hate.

I hate this but I know I’m guilty of it sometimes. I hate when people have foundation lines all down their chin. I hate it, but I know I’ve been guilty of it! 

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What celebrity beauty style do you admire the most?

For hair I admire Lauren Conrad because she does a lot of how-tos on her blog that I like to follow.  I love the Kardashian girls for make-up.

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Do you feel like you have to get "done up" before filming? Do you have stylists that help you or is what we see hair and make-up wise done all by you? 

I wish we had people who did our hair and make-up but they definitely don’t!  At first, when I first started filming, I would always try to get ready, but now I don’t always and I always regret it if I don't. 

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There you have it bargainistas. My Guiliana Rancic "red carpet moment".  Except I was sitting on my couch in sweats on a cell phone.  Story of my life.

So, what do you think? Do you love Chelsea as much as me?  I cannot wait to try out the Dust It hair product she recommended.  Huge thank you to Chelsea for taking the time to chat beauty with me! 

Is this thing on? Checking in via Instagram.

Just when you think your week can't get any worse or more hectic, your air conditioner goes out in your house Friday when it's 106 degrees outside.  You get a hotel room Saturday evening, which turns out to be sketch.  Soggy, soaking wet carpets and dirty feet aroma included at no extra cost.  The dog barked and whined at the door all night.  It was a lovely Saturday night.

 It got up to 93 inside before I booked a hotel room / Bear guarding the door in the sketch room

The hotel did give us a cute little Milk Bone package for Bear, which I thought was presh / Continental breakfast included a Texas shaped waffle that the dog wouldn't even eat. At least it was a good photo op! #silverlining

Sunday I switched to a CLEAN, extended stay hotel complete with a mini kitchen and living room.  Have never been so happy to have a pristine, pleasant smelling room to call home for the night.

I relaxed in the room and watched romantic comedies, spent 30 minutes brushing my ratty hair and started this at home teeth whitening system. Excited to see the results.

Monday I picked Bear up from the Pets Hotel at PetsMart since I wasn't able to bring him with me to the new hotel and he had a great time at Doggy Day Camp.  Check out his "paw"gress report!  So cute. 


Before all the air conditioning drama happened, I met a girlfriend to see Magic Mike again Friday night. 

Wore my new Lilth Fringe Earrings / View of Dallas from the movie theater

Thursday night we took our Santiago work visitors out to Top Golf.  It's been so hot, my hair ended up in its usual messy Summer bun.  Wednesday I took Reese to an indoor trampoline park, and I had so much fun. Maybe more than him. I was definitely the oldest person in there jumping and flipping around.

And to end this little life update on a happy note, I present to you the bouquet of flowers I put together for myself for only $10 and the sunrise on the way to 6 a.m. boot camp.

How is every one else doing?  I hope staying cool.  Is it Fall yet?  My favorite season!

3 hair products I can't believe I ever lived without

Ever heard of the women's magazine Allure's Best of Beauty Awards?  If you have not, then you should know that according to Wikipedia (Wikipedia is all-knowing), Allure began its "Best of Beauty" awards program 14 years ago to help readers choose among the vast array of makeup, skin-care, and hair-care products on the market.


If I'm ever looking for new products to try, I go online to check-out the Best of Beauty winners, make a list and buy.  That's how this happened during a recent trip to Target:

I'll talk about the Almay make-up eraser sticks and Boots No. 7 Beauty Serum in a separate post because today's post is all about hair. 


The Dove Nourishing Oil Care Detangler, which was actually brought to my attention via my bloggie bestie Raven (not the Best of Beauty), the John Frieda 3-Day straight semi-permanent styling spray and the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner have all been added to my hair care routine. It's true love.


I'm going to talk about these products in the order in which I use them, so first up is the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner.  This stuff is priced right.  Less than $5!  It's a thick cream and it smells so fruity and yummy.

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You shampoo as usual, put in the Aussie conditioner and let it sit in your hair for at least 3 minutes while you continue showering.  It made my hair reallllly soft and I use it a few times a week now.  You can read it's Best of Beauty review here.


Next up is the Dove spray.  After towel drying your hair, shake the bottle up to blend the oils and spray generously. For me, that means a lot of sprays.  I have a TON of hair and it's ridiculously long and wavy so it tangles like nobody's business.  Legit, it takes me upwards of 20 minutes to brush my hair. I absolutely hate brushing my hair after a shower. Woe is me. 


After coating your hair with as many sprays as you personally need, comb through. I promise it will not make your hair oily.  I have enough oils in my hair so the last thing I need is more.  The argan oil and almond oil give your hair a great shine and make it much easier to brush through.

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As with all Dove beauty products, this is also priced right at around $5. As if I'd be blogging about something that wasn't budget-friendly ... pshhh


Last, but not least, we have the John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight which might be my favorite of the three.  It's a spray with heat protection that blocks frizz out as you blow dry/flat iron. Seriously it works wonders. I have used this several times now and my hair is easier to blow dry straight and actually stays straight, smooth and shiny for at least a few days. Read the Best of Beauty review here.

via (around $8.99)

The Best of Beauty Awards do not lie.  Here is my hair the night before I left for Charleston all natural aka ratty (Reese insisted he brush my hair like Repunzel) and then after using all 3 of these products. Sorry I look creepy and it's not the best picture of my hair, but you get the idea.

What are your favorite straightening products?

Review: Hana Titanium Flat Iron!

Way back in January the kind sirs at Misikko sent me the Hana 1.5 inch Titanium Flat Iron to give a whirl and review for all of you bargainistas.  Five months later (I needed to give it a proper test run, okaaaay), here I am to dish ....

I think it's important you know that prior to owning the Hana Flat Iron, I religiously used my hot pink Chi Flat Iron.  In fact, the Chi and I were in a pretty serious relationship and we were even approaching our 10-year anniversary.  That's a long time if you ask me, so I feel bad that I haven't so much as thought about touching my Chi since my introduction to the Hana.  I'm sorry Chi, but I'm not sorry.  

It's hard to see everything that came in my package, but Misikko hooked this bargain blonde up! In addition to the Hana Titanium Flat Iron, my box was complete with several heat protective travel flat iron cases, thermal protectant Serum, a silicone mat for your counter top, e.l.f. goodies (how'd they know?), hair towel, sleep mask, nail files, etc.  Seriously, it was Christmas in January when this box arrived.  Being a blogger does not suck.

So what's so great about the Hana? A flat iron is a flat iron is a flat iron, right?  Wrong.  My hair is really wavy (especially in the back) so I absolutely cannot get away with an average, run of the mill flat iron. The shiz has to be legit.  The Chi works great, don't get me wrong (or else I wouldn't have used it for 10 years), but the Hana works better IMHO.  

The titanium plates are the real show stopper here.  This particular model has a 1.5 inch plate, which means I can grab more hair at a time.  The more hair I can cover per stroke of the flat iron = less time to get ready.  Wam, bam, thank ya mam!


I also love that the Hana has an adjustable heat setting.  I use the highest setting (450 degrees) when straightening my entire head of hair, but if I just need to smooth out a kink or two to touch up, I can lower the setting to save my hair from unnecessary extreme heat.

They say the proof is in the pudding, so here's my proof.    

I wouldn't be singing the praises of the Hana Titanium if I didn't love it so much.  I had my Hana with me in the "getting ready" rooms during my friend Courtney's wedding as well as my friend Kristina's wedding back in January and February, and all my besties tested the Hana out. I'm happy to report that they loved it just as much as me.

If you want to get a Hana for yourself, it's on sale right now for $174.99. It's regularly $239.99, so you can save some major dollars!  It ships same day, comes with a free 2-year warranty and you'll get these goodies for free:

If you have any additional questions about the Hana, I'm happy to share my experience using this flat iron. Just leave your questions in the comments or e-mail me!  Happy Thursday ladies.

Calling all Blondes. Purple shampoo: why and how it works!

Sorry my non-blonde beauties, but you'll have to sit this post out.   Hugs and let's reconvene tomorrow?

Friends shouldn't let friends let their blonde get brassy, so today we explore the brilliance that is Purple Shampoo.  If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about then you are probably wondering two things:

I used purple shampoo in high school, forgot about it during college and started using it again about two years ago when I came back to my senses.  In between highlights my locks inevitably loose their luster, so to breathe life back into my hair, I use a purple shampoo a few times a week (do not overuse purple shampoo. A few times a week is ideal.).  I was curious how and what purple shampoo actually was so I asked my stylist the last time I was in the salon.  Here's what I learned.

Hard water, air pollution, too much sun and clorine are some of the culprits that will turn your blonde a brassy or yellow color.  Purple shampoo revives brassy tones in your hair between a fresh color sesh and below is how.    

Two words: color science.  The general theory is that opposing colors on the color wheel neutralize each other out.  Exhibit A:

As you can see above, purple and yellow are directly across from each other on the color wheel.  Thus, the purple color in a purple shampoo/conditioner will effectively neutralize all the yellow tones in your hair.

Any questions class? Maybe you don't know where to find purple shampoo?

Go to your local Ulta.  Don't have an Ulta? Try Target or Sally's Beauty Supply.

Want my personal recs?

Currently I'm using AG Sterling Silver Toning Shampoo (33.8 oz size = $40).  

Don't freak.  I did not spend $40 on shampoo.  I purchased it during an Ulta promo when it was on sale for $12.99. I also had a $3.50 off $10 coupon I used, so my bottle was less than $10.  btw - I only remember this because I blogged about it. 

I  go through conditioner faster than shampoo, and I recently ran out of my AG purple conditioner. I wasn't about to spend $40, so I picked up the budget friendly John Frieda Sheer Blonde Color Renew Tone Restoring Conditioner ($5.99).  That's a mouth full.  

Now go forth, buy some purple shampoo and say see ya later to your yucky brassy blonde.  I promise that after about 3 uses, you and those around you are going to notice a difference.  Bargain Blonde out. 

Friday Favorites!

We made it!  'Tis Friday aka my favorite day of the work week.  I apologize for my absence the last two days, but I've been a busy lady and I have some very exciting news I will be announcing on Monday.  No, I'm not with child.  No, I'm not wifed up.  Something way more exciting, I promise.  

Until then, I am sharing my favorites from the week.  And I need your help deciding a "favorite of my favorites" dress so be sure to help a sista out by commenting below.  Thank ya kindly!

OMG y'all.  Practical jokes are quite possibly my favorite thing ever.  Like I will laugh so hard I can't breathe.  Imagine my delight when I discovered these 4 life-long friends who have an entire TV show devoted to practical jokes on TRUtv.  Please, please, please watch them.  If they don't make you laugh hysterically, we cannot be friends.

1 / 2 / 3

As I mentioned recently, I am traveling to Charleston, SC in about a month.  Thus, I need some new cute beachy, summery dresses.  Which one of these three dresses do you like best?  They are all from my favorite (because it's affordable) online boutique KiKi La Rue.  I'm sort of leaning toward numero uno.  Thoughts?