Shark Flexstyle Review

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes. 

I am taking a tiny break with my Mexico recaps to write about my favorite new item....The Shark Flexstyle. I have wanted a Dyson Airwrap for a very long time. It has appeared in basically every gift guide for the last year or so. But I can't fathom spending $600 on it. I won't. 

About two months ago, my friend Erika sent me some photos and info on the Shark Flexstyle. She has extensions and blond fine hair just like me. She told me the combo that she purchased and how much she loved it. She said it has a learning curve as it took her the same amount of time or a bit longer to do her hair than normal, but as she used it, it was faster. I was hooked. I checked out the price, $249.99 for the main piece and three attachments. Not bad at all. And if you want all 5 attachments, it is $269.99. Plus if you sign up for emails, you get 10% off which you can (and should) use on it. That brings it down to $229.99. So much better than the Dyson Airwrap. 

I watched a bunch of Youtubes on comparing the products. The Shark Flexstyle wins in almost all categories (price, favored attachments, power, lasting hairstyle, etc.) other than Dyson recently came out with the curler that you just change a button instead of changing the curler from right to left or vice versa. Also it comes in a beautiful carrying case, but I can find one of those on Amazon for cheaper.

Now I took these the day I got it and used it. So this was my first time. Each time has gotten easier. Also, read the little guide it gives you. It tells you the best temperatures and fan speed. Plus it gives tips that most people didn't give in the Youtube videos that I watched.

Shark Flexstyle

I chose the Curlers (you get a right and a left one), the paddle brush and the styling concentrator. I have fine hair and these are the best for that. I didn't think I needed the round brush and after seeing Youtubes, I am glad I didn't get it. It is just too bulky it seems and not for my fine hair.

So easy to tell which one goes for which side.

So first I blow dried my hair using the style concentrator. You only blow dry it to about 80%. There is a button on my back that shows a circular arrow. You push that and turn the top and it looks like a blow drier.

Shark Flexstyle

Then I took the paddle brush attachment and put it on by pushing down the lock button and pulling the styling concentrator off. Be careful as they get hot. I did the top of my hair using the paddle brush for smoother hair.

Then I took off that attachment and put on the right curler. Now I will tell you the tip here, so you don't have to look it up. But grab a 1/2 inch to 1 inch chunk of hair and hold it about 4 inches from the ends. Turn on your Shark Flexstyle and put it behind the hair. The Shark Flexstyle should grab the hair and start wrapping it around the barrel. Then I turn it like I would a curling iron until it is close to my head. I hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds and then push the cold shot button. It is a blue circle. Hold that for 10 seconds, turn off the Shark Flexstyle and pull down. The curls are tight and amazing. Don't brush it. Move on to the next piece. Once one side is done, put on the left curler and do the same. I also put my hair that I wasn't doing either behind my back or in a loose ponytail. 

It worked amazing and my hair had so much volume. I have been using it ever since and love it (so basically a week and a half ). 

This was right after I was done the first time.

This was after I brushed my fingers through it.

I did buy a continuous spray bottle on amazon so I could make my hair damp and refresh my hair on non hair washing days. Once my hair has cooled (5 to 10 minutes) I spray in my dry shampoo, let that rest for 30 seconds and then run my fingers through my hair and work the dry shampoo into my scalp. It looks great on non hair washing days too!

This the spray bottle I got ($6.99).

Continuous Spray Bottle

So all in all, this was a great purchase and a great gift idea. Do you have the Dyson Airwrap or the Shark Flexstyle?

Smile Brilliant cariPro Water Flosser Review

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes. 

Three years ago I worked with Smile Brilliant. I tested out their Teeth Whitening Kit and I loved my results. Here is my big change.

So much brighter.

Smile Brilliant’s oral care products are custom-formulated with the latest research to improve oral care through real science and innovation. Their lab-direct process makes achieving professional results at an affordable price easy. In the last few years, they've taken this model and expanded their line of oral health products to include something for everyone - from the newest in the cariPRO line - a cordless water flosser that allows for easy and effective cleaning, to a custom night guard system to protect the teeth from nighttime grinding.

They have also added a Plaque Highlighter which both kids and adults can use. The Plaque Highlighter is an oral dye that highlights the areas where you have plaque present. I have had this done in the dentist office, but now you can do it at home.

Another product they have added is the Custom Night Guard System. This is great for people who grind or clench their teeth at night.

And then they added the Oral Probiotics which replace healthy microbiome after brushing to repopulate with good bacteria.

This time I tried out the new cariPRO Water Flosser. Now if you have been following me for awhile, you know that after I had my kids, I have had some teeth issues. The girls sucked out all the nutrients from my body and changed the ph balance of my teeth. That means I have to brush at least twice a day, floss and use a protective mouth wash.

And who really likes flossing? Not me. But I still do it. Using the new cariPRO Water Flosser has made daily flossing so much easier. The flosser/water pick uses a long tip to shoot water between your teeth, so I'm able to easily reach the back of my teeth and the water is super gentle on my gums.

Here are some great highlights about the cariPRO Water Flosser:

• It has been shown to be 50% more effective than string floss
• Using the water flosser results in 99.9% less plaque in the treated areas
• Ergonomic slim design that easily fits on the bathroom sink (which is optimal if you don't have a lot of space on your bathroom counters)
• 3 floss modes (normal, soft, pulse) with 4 specialty floss tips for even those with braces, restorations such as crowns and bridges, as well as periodontal pockets 
• Easy interval timing 
• Waterproof for shower or bath (because sometimes you have to floss and brush your teeth in the shower)
• 60 day easy return & 2 year manufacturer warranty 

To get 20% off any Smile Brilliant products, you can use my code: sparklesandlattes20

best electric toothbrush

Thank you Smile Brilliant for sponsoring this post. I received this product in exchange for my honest review.

Keepsake Framed Photos

I am constantly taking photos of my girls, my dog, my husband, sunsets and my friends, but many of them don't make it onto IG and almost all of them don't get printed. I don't know why because there are so many easy ways to print your photos, especially from your phone.

When the girls were first born, I was constantly printing photos for their baby books and to hang up all over our house. But then life got in the way and they seem to be printed less and less.

Keepsake contacted me to try out their picture framing app and I knew this was the perfect opportunity to print our our professional photos we had done for our Christmas cards. I downloaded the app, found the photo we used in our Christmas card (because I am obsessed with it and wanted it for our new gallery wall) and got to work.

It was so easy to use. I chose the size I wanted, large, grabbed the photo I wanted and started looking at frames. I went back and forth between the Sydney and the Montana, but the Montana won because it had a more rustic look and matched the scenery very well.

The framed photo shipped very quickly and came packaged very well. Once I opened it, I was so happy with the results. The picture is very clear and did not lose any resolution. Plus it already had the wire attached to the back to hang up my picture.

Note: Do you know how hard it is to get a picture of a framed photo? It's hard because there is always a shadow.

I picked my spot on our gallery wall and promptly hung it.

Keepsake ships for free and all products are handmade in the U.S. Just download the app and use the code <> to get 15% off your purchase.

Thank you Keepsake for sending me a framed photo in exchange for my review. All reviews and opinions are my own.

Book Reviews

I get into big reading kicks and I knock out two to four books in a month and then a month passes and I hardly touch a book. It comes and goes along with the season of life. Recently, I went to Europe (September) and I had a bit of a lull at work before that, so I read quite a few books. Here are a few that I read recently and my review of them.

The Girl You Lost

Eighteen years ago, Simone and Matt had a baby girl not long after they were married. Matt's mother took her to the park and Helena went missing. They searched and searched for her, but she was never found.

Fast forward eighteen years and a woman by the name of Grace appears in Simone's life telling her she may be her long lost daughter. Grace fears for her life and needs help from Simone. Simone brushes it off and moves on with her life. But the small details about Grace's story reveal that maybe Grace really is Simone. But by the time Simone finds this out, Grace has gone missing.

Is Grace really Helena? What happened that night Helena disappeared?

This story had a lot of twists and turns and kept me wanting to read more.

I would rate this 5 out of 5 stars.

No One Knows

This book came recommended by Emelia at Dream Big and Buy the Shoes.

Aubrey goes to a bachelorette party at a hotel while her husband attends the bachelor party at the same hotel. Aubrey takes a little detour and ends up in a different bar at the hotel. Someone sends her her favorite drink and she knows it must be her husband, but he never shows up. She sends him a text and later tries to find him. But she finds out that he never made it to the bachelor party and he is missing.

After checking their house, she and Josh's friend find a large amount of blood there. Josh has been missing for five years and they have declared him dead. But as she moves on, signs point to him possibly being alive.

I really enjoyed this book. I saw some of the mystery coming, but not all of it.

I would give it 4 out of 5 starts. Maybe even 4 1/2.

The Good Girl

This book came recommended by a few bloggers. It has a Gone Girl feel to it.

Mia is kidnapped by a man named Colin after she goes home with him after a night of drinking. You really feel sorry for Mia as she is taken to a remote cabin in Minnesota. She is losing weight, they are stuck in the bitter cold all the while trying to figure out who paid Colin to kidnap her.

Mia comes from a wealthy family, but is an outcast from them as she went the course in life as a teacher. Mia is well liked by everyone and no one knows why she would be kidnapped. Well maybe her father, the judge in town, has some enemies.

The book grabbed me and I didn't expect the ending.

I would give it 4 stars out of 5.

The Luckiest Girl Alive

Ani went to a public school, but was transferred to a private school where she had to make new friends. Ani was a smart girl. She was befriended by the popular group at school and the boys humiliated her after a party at one of their houses.

Ani spent the rest of her life re-inventing herself to be "the best". This comes off as very egotistical in the book. To the point, I didn't like Ani at all. I wanted to stop reading the book, but I had to know what the mystery was. So I read on and the book does get better.

The book goes back and forth from present day back to high school. Something big happened during Ani's high school days because her and her classmates are being featured in a documentary. It is Ani's chance to show them what she has become (engaged, successful and beautiful) and set the story straight.

Once the book got to the mystery, it got a lot better. So if you do read this book, just hang in there until the end or email me and I can give you the condensed version of what happens.

I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

And there you have it. I am still trying to read Pretty Baby which is the same author as The Good Girl. It isn't because the book isn't good because so far it is. It is just been a lack of time with kitchen renovation projects. But I am in Las Vegas for work part of this week, so I am tackling my book. Any good recommendations for when I finish this one?

I am linking up with Jenn and Jessi.