Yesterday the girls and I were getting ready to go out to lunch and see a movie with my sister and nephew. Sam walked out of her room and stopped in her tracks, looking at me intently. “Oh! You did your hair,” she said, satisfied that she realized what was different about me before continuing on her merry way. Ouch.

But she was right. It’s been so hot and humid here in New York that I’ve resorted to throwing my hair up, clipping the droopy bits, and pulling my bangs away from my face. Pieces in the back inevitably fall down. Short pieces of my bangs flop forward and within a half hour I look like a general mess. Not cool or attractive or desirable in any sense of the word.

In short, momma needs to get it together. So I decided to collect a little arsenal of ideas to keep in my back pocket for days when I’m feeling less than inspired. Each of these easy summer hairstyles can be done in a few minutes and can work for a variety of hair lengths (sorry in advance to my shorties!).

I’ve been on the hunt for a good brown eye shadow palette for awhile now. The problem? I want high quality on a budget. I’ve seen plenty of pretty quads and trios at Sephora, but I’ve been a little leery to drop a lot of money on something I’m not quite sure about.

When BA STAR offered to send me a sample of their smoky eye shadow palette, I was seriously excited. I hadn’t heard of them before–probably because they’re billed as performance makeup–but I was definitely looking forward to playing with it.

I’m a big fan of simple steps that make a big impact. Whether it’s throwing on some accessories so that you don’t look like you were getting dressed with a child hanging from your torso or using coconut milk to make you feel like you’re on a tropical getaway, I’m all for it.

And I have to tell you, there are not many things that are simpler than slapping on some lip color. I absolutely love the idea of changing up your color to fit whatever mood you might be in that day (as long as they work with your skin tone, of course).

So I went on a little treasure hunt and picked out five different shades that will tell your friends what kind of mood you’re in before you say a word.

Oh Sephora. I love you and I hate you all at once.

My friend Janine and I can (and have) gotten lost in Sephora for hours. Between the range of beauty products they have there and the gorgeous packaging so many of the brands have (two of our faves are Benefit and Bliss), it’s our own personal heaven.

The last time we snuck out for some big girl shopping, I realized that I was somehow not signed up for their little Beauty Insider club. What the heck? So I signed up on the spot. I’m totally down for building reward points and getting free products for getting my shopping fix.

I managed to control my spending during that trip even though I really, really wanted to try Josie Maran argan oil. I walked out with nothing but eye shadow, but the universe had different plans for me. I hit up the Sephora site later in the week for a birthday present and, holy shiiiiiit, one of the free samples they were giving away was Josie Maran argan cleansing oil. Hollerrrr. I totally checked that little box and went on my merry way.

And let me tell you: it’s amazing.

It smells good (I seriously want to lick my own face after I use it), it feels good (even though it’s an oil it’s not greasy), and it leaves your skin glowing. Those three things right there would normally be enough for me. Add to it the fact that it’s 100% organic, environmentally friendly and empowers women in male-dominated rural Morocco and you’ve got a lifelong fan.

Now, it is a little pricey for this drugstore beauty queen. As in $32 for 6 ounces. But–and listen carefully because you won’t hear me say this too often–it is totally worth it.

First of all, it’s an oil and a little bit of it goes a long way. Second, it kills a couple of birds with one stone: it’s a cleansing oil, makeup remover and anti-aging moisturizing treatment. And–I don’t know if you’ve gotten the gist of this yet–it’s amazing!

In fact, I love it so much that I plan on treating myself to the 100% argan oil–which can be used everywhere from your face to your hair and cuticles and is even more expensive.

To learn more about argan oil, check out Josie Maran’s website.

What’s your favorite beauty product to splurge on?

I need a haircut. For reals. I haven’t gotten one since just before my friend Aimee’s wedding in November of 2011.

I bring it up from time to time and am all “Hmmm, I should really got a haircut. It’s been awhile.” But it hasn’t been until this week that I feel like I need one. It’s just getting in my way all day long.

The worst is in bed. One of the occupants of whatever bed I’m sleeping in inevitably rolls over and pulls my hair in the process (keep your head out of the gutter, people. I play musical beds with my kids all week long).

There’s also the fact that my new easy breezy go-to is clipping it up on top of my head as soon as I wake up and not thinking about it again. There are usually wild strands hanging everywhere and it sometimes slips into a sideways 80s look unbeknownst to me. My 6 year old has compared me to Medusa.

Honestly, it’s not that terrible. But I’m definitely in a rut. I need something new and Karlie Kloss is calling to me.