Erika with a K

We are all dreaming of warmer days, myself included. It's become so difficult to figure out what to wear in the mornings. Will it continue to snow tonight? Will it be sunny in a few hours? I literally don't know.  Even my work schedule has been completely thrown off because of Mother Nature and her unpredictability. So I thought I'd dedicate this post to jackets and coats that make the transition from cold to warmer weather, perfectly. These coats are an excellent addition to your wardrobe as they will effortlessly bring you from Winter to Spring and even Fall! We can't predict the weather but we can certainly build a wardrobe that prepares us for whatever Mother Nature has in store! Plus Size Short Black Peacoat Houndstooth Coat with Black Sweater Sleeves Red Jacket Charcoal Wool Jacket Black Military Style Jacket Black Swing Coat Red Swing Coat Cheetah Animal Print Cropped Faux Fur Coat I hope you enjoyed this post and/or found it useful! To con...

After months of using the $400 Dyson Blow Dryer, I am here to put it to the ultimate test... A brand new Dyson VS a used babyliss . Is the dyson worth the $400 price tag? Check out the video for my full, honest review! I hope you enjoyed this post and/or found it useful! To continue to show support for me and my efforts, check out my cruelty-free, woman-owned small business, made in the USA!  https://www.roxdollcosmetics.com/ It's the hair, scalp, and skincare you DESERVE!

I’ve always wanted to teach cosmetology/ makeup. I love the industry so much that I always come home from work and talk my husbands ear off about formulas and applications. I’m sure he’s tired of hearing about stuff he has no idea about but I can’t help myself. To me, my career is like being in love, I just want to shout it from a roof top. So long story short an opportunity to teach my friend how to do makeup came up and I jumped on it. She reached out to me about going to a makeup school and I thought, I want to teach and you want to learn, let’s make this happen. She was on board making the commute from Long Island to Mahopac, once a week for about a 4-5 hour class. First class was about the fundamentals of makeup. In order to break the rules, first we must know and understand them. The class was mainly a lecture and then I asked her to do a basic makeup application on me. I walked her through the steps and added in a few little critiques but besides that, there was no demo. My goa...

So you found THE perfect ball gown skirt but you have no idea what in the world to do with it?! You're thinking, how do I wear it and where do I wear it to? You've come to the right place! First lets start with the story behind my high low ball gown skirt, because this wouldn't be a post of mine if there wasn't a story to go with it. My mother in law pointed this skirt out to me, on a clearance rack, while we strolled the streets of Saratoga Springs. She asked me if she should get it for her youngest daughter. I agreed it was really pretty but questioned where would she wear it to? We kept walking and my husband told me that his mom thought I should try it on. I was secretly obsessed with it when she originally showed it to me but I honestly didn't know where I, my sister in law, or anyone would wear it to. Besides I had just convinced my mother in law not to get it for my sister in law, I didn't want to take it from under her nose! I went back to the clearanc...

Are serums worth the pricey price tag? Are they even a necessary step in your skin care routine?  Before we can decide this we need to understand exactly what a serum is and what it is used for. A serum is a lightweight moisturizer that penetrates deeper than a traditional moisturizer, to deliver the active ingredient(s) to your skin. Serums only moisturize to a certain extent therefore they should be used with a moisturizer. Serums should be applied twice daily. First application should come after cleaning and toning your face, preferably on damp skin. When it comes to serums, less is more for not only your skin care routine but also your budget. After applying your serum, wait a few minutes to give the active ingredients time to work their magic and then apply a sunscreen or moisturizer of your choice. A serum should be applied again at night, after you wash the day off your face. Again, wait a few minutes for the active ingredients to work their magic and then apply your fa...

I recently had a huge TJMAXX Haul on my YouTube channel . During that haul, I embarrassingly had no idea what "NYDJ" stood for. Then a kind viewer informed me, "NYDJ" is Not Your Daughter's Jeans. Oops. Where have I been? Certainly not spending $114 on NYDJ!  The other night I finally got around to wearing them. After a few minutes of wear I thought, I NEED to review these. I purchased the dark enzyme wash, straight jeans with the "original slimming fit" that boasts, "look a full size smaller" with "lift tuck technology". The pants also have a disclaimer on them, "NYDJ cannot be held responsible for any positive consequence that may arise due to your fabulous appearance when wearing our apparel." Great, I literally could not wait to fall in love with the look and feel of these jeans. I should have everyone know that when I fall in love with jeans, I fall HARD. Now lets talk fit. From the second I put them on th...

The most common question I get asked as a hair dresser is, are ombre and balayage the same thing? Second most common question, what is the difference between ombre and balayage? I know I've mentioned this briefly in a post before but lets be serious, who can find that post? I certainly couldn't, so here we are with an entire post dedicated to ombre and balayage. Can I have the origin please? Ombre is a French work meaning "shading" or "shaded". Balayage is a French word meaning "sweep" or "handpainting". Great Erika, what in the world does that even mean in relation to my hair? When you think of ombre you most likely think darker roots faded to lighter ends, with a select few pieces lighter by the roots... think shading. When you think of balayage you probably also think darker roots faded to lighter ends, with a select few pieces lighter by the roots... think technique, think placement. Great Erika, so what's the difference ...