i decided to try something new to my hair tonight, since i have been cowashing and wet bunning consistently for a while now. i had already decided to DC my hair tonight, and somewhere between writing out my regimen for tonight and applying it, i decided to make a small tweak. i ran across a thread the other day on oil rinses, and i decided that since i have SO MUCH OIL, i would go for it. well let me put it like this: i started doing it because i wanted to use up my stash, but i will keep doing it because it makes my hair feel fantastic! here's what i did:
*DC under plastic cap with matrix biolage conditioning balm for about an hour, no heat
*rinsed with warm water
*applied oil mixture (for this go-round, i used EVOO, castor oil, and my new nutiva EVCO)
*covered hair and left on for about 15 minutes
*hopped in the shower, rinsed with HOT water
*cowashed with HE HH, detangling with fingers and shower comb
*final rinse with cold water
*t-shirt dried for a few minutes, then added kimmaytube leave-in
*set hair on satin-covered sponge rollers
i simply thought that doing an oil rinse would make my hair shiny, or maybe even define my curls. in all truthfulness, i had no idea what to expect....i was just experimenting in an attempt to use up product. what i quickly discovered is that oil rinsing made my hair so easy to detangle -- while my hair never really gets super tangled, i always have to be gentle since SSKs + fine strands leads to breakage. not only did the comb glide through my hair, but even finger combing was effortless -- my fingers ran through my hair so smoothly i almost couldn't believe it! coupled with the fact that the nutiva smells positively delicious and my hair is super shiny, i definitely think we have a keeper with this one. i only wish i had discovered it sooner!
as for the impromptu rollerset, i am not really expecting much -- i just wanted to stretch out my hair. it would be nice if i woke up and was able to fluff out a curly fro, so we will see. as long as my hair is feeling this good tomorrow, i really don't care! *grin*
Thursday, August 12, 2010
beauty fix: my top ten skincare products
i know i promised to come back a little sooner with my top 10 skincare products, but i've been kinda busy lately. the move to NC and the subsequent job search have had me a little stressed lately, but i have faith that things will fall into place. my skin has taken a beating, but i'm finally at a place in my life where i have a set regimen and i can troubleshoot skin problems, sort of like what i do when i'm having a bad hair day. some of these are relatively new to my regimen, but a few i have been using for a year plus now. they are ALL repurchases in my book. unfortunately, for every product i have tried and liked, there are three more that didn't work for me. needless to say, i've experimented a LOT! i've broken them down into three categories: cleanse, treat, and moisturize. this way, i can use different combinations of products depending on what i need....or how i'm feeling.
cleanse
1. desert essence thoroughly clean face wash ($8, amazon.com/the vitamin shoppe)
i first purchased this cleanser back in 2008, when i discovered the skin care boards on LHCF. it came highly recommended by user Divine Inspiration, and since i ate up pretty much everything she said at the time, i ran out and bought it. i stuck with it not only because it's 100% vegan and i am making an attempt to roll with a mostly natural/organic regimen, but because it WORKS for me. it dries up my blemishes without drying out my face, and it feels really invigorating. i used to use it on its own, but now i use it with my clarisonic and i still love it. what's more is you can get the 32 oz bottle for roughly the same price, if you buy online.
2. extra virgin olive oil (various prices, supermarkets)
the thing i love about this oil is its versatility. i've spoken about my hair's love affair with EVOO, and i was ecstatic when i learned about its benefits for the skin, too. i read a few threads on the oil cleansing method and was hooked -- i mean, getting rid of nearly every skin problem there is with something you can find in your kitchen (or in my case, the hair cabinet)? my main thing was just like most people's, getting over the fact that i assumed oil-free was the best way to go when dealing with oily skin, but i was wrong. since oil absorbs oil, it only makes sense that cleansing with oil would be so good for your skin. EVOO makes such a great base for OCM, and can readily be mixed with grapeseed oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil, or whatever you wish. in addition to being a great cleanser, it is a superb makeup remover -- so good that i no longer buy commercial makeup removers. i tried almost everything to take off my stubborn eye makeup, but nothing does it like EVOO. i always keep a bottle in my bathroom.
3. clarisonic ($149-225, sephora)
i can truly say that this is the one tool that has taken my skincare to the next level. although i have not seen some of the almost miraculous results some users claim to see, i do love and frequently use my clarisonic plus. i purchased it on ebay since they had the best price on the plus, but honestly i could have done without all the extras, such as the included cleansers and the body brush. i am glad i got the three different face brushes though, because without them, i never would have known which i needed (the gentle blue brush). while it did not fade my hyperpigmentation or completely rid my face of blackheads/whiteheads, i see a major difference in my face when i go without using it for a few days. it can be used with so many different cleansers, and it really holds a charge. i routinely go for weeks on end without setting it on the charging dock, and it always works perfectly. i love the different timers on it, as well as the different speed settings. i hope i'm never without my clarisonic!
treat
4. stridex daily care alcohol-free acne pads ($3, CVS/walgreens)
i picked up this tip from the lovely ladies at makeupalley. they are semi-gurus on skincare on the board there, and someone once put it so plainly that if you want an effective acne-fighting medication, it shouldn't be a wash, but something that stays on your skin. i like to use products that multitask, and since i like my moisturizer to not only be that, but also a sunscreen (or a fade cream if using it at night), i decided to add this third product to my regimen. i have been through two boxes now, and i really like them. they provide me with a steady dose of salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that works great as an anti-acne medication. (why do you think it's in so many products? it WORKS.) my skin is consistently clear, except for a few stubborn hormonal pimples that get through during that time of the month. even better is the price point on these pads....they are only $3 a box, and if you look inside the flap before you get to the register, you will find a $1 off coupon that drops the price even more.
5. aztec secret indian healing clay ($7, the vitamin shoppe)
this is another great multitasking product. i purchased it back in 2008 for use on my face, and hated it for the longest time -- it may have been because i was using retin-a micro at the time, so my skin was already super sensitive. i recently revisited it, mixing it with organic ACV this time instead of water, and i liked it a lot more. it really deep cleans, getting out what my other cleansers can't: blackheads and whatever gunk happens to be clogging my pores at the time. i love the tightening feeling it produces when drying, and try to use it at least once a month, although ideally i would use it once a week. what i mean by multitasking is that you can use it as a hair paste to clarify and make your curls pop; i did a blog entry on this back a few months ago. this one pound jar has lasted me forever.
6. makeup artists' choice 40% lactic acid peels ($17.75-48.75, makeupartistschoice.com)
i purchased this at the end of 2009, hoping to find something to fade my acne scars. instead, i found a product that brightens and smooths my skin, making it look almost flawless. (now only if i could get rid of the marks, i'd have dream skin!) i used to rotate it weekly with glycolic acid peels, but they are also good alone. during weeks where i do strictly lactic peels, i do them about once every three days. they are really simple to do, and the savings are phenomenal when compared to how much they would cost at a spa or derm's office. i am currently out, but will repurchase this week -- enter code august2010 for 20% off your purchase! (ends 8/16/10)
moisturize
7. grapeseed oil ($5, grocery stores) + lily of the desert aloe vera gelly ($8, the vitamin shoppe)
another great find from Divine Inspiration. i started using this once i heard that grapeseed oil contains vitamin e, and aloe vera is wonderful for healing purposes. as a recovering skin picker, i put this on to soothe my blemishes and scars, and it really does help to make them less noticeable (although unfortunately the marks never completely disappeared). i do not currently use this, but when i did use it, i loved it. i may return to it in the future.
8. eucerin everyday protection moisturizer with spf 30 ($10, walgreens and CVS)
i began using this when i was on retin-a, as i needed a soothing moisturizer with a built-in sunscreen. this moisturizer definitely handled that -- no matter how raw my skin was, it never irritated it, and the sunscreen kept my hyperpigmentation from getting darker. what's best is that this bottle lasted months! i continued to use it after i got off RAM, and as a matter of fact the only reason i stopped is because i am now using a fade cream with a built-in sunscreen. i would definitely return to this moisturizer in the future.
9. cold-pressed castor oil ($5 and up, whole foods and health stores)
i originally bought a bottle of regular drugstore castor oil for my hair, but at the time found it too heavy and greasy. (since then, i have started using it differently, and now i love it!) i also added this to my OCM mix, and found success with it like that. however, recently i have been using it as a moisturizer right after washing my face before bed. i now use the cold-pressed hexane free version from whole foods. it helps to absorb oil, and thus leaves my skin less oily. castor oil's benefits as an anti-acne treatment and as a scar treatment are also widely discussed (see here), and for that reason it has become a staple in my skincare regimen. i will soon switch to JBCO for my hair, and i may try that on my skin as well. if not, i will continue to purchase and use cold-pressed, hexane free castor oil.
10. nadinola extra strength fade cream ($5, drugstores and wal-mart)
i was highly skeptical for the longest time of using fade creams, despite the fact that my mom raved about what wonders they did for her skin when she was younger. i have heard a lot about hydroquinone and how dangerous it can be, but that was foolishly before doing my own research. from what i have determined, it is perfectly fine in small doses, and i do not plan on using it for more than three months anyway. from what i have seen in the three weeks that i have been using it, this fade cream is fading my hyperpigmentation faster than anything else i have tried. of course i took "before" pictures, and even my unofficial "after" photos show a marked difference in my skin. what's even more remarkable is that for the first two weeks i was using a jar that i have had sitting in a drawer for at least two years, so it wasn't even full strength. now that i am using a brand new jar, i am continuing to see results. i am hopeful that by my birthday, my marks will have largely disappeared. moral of the story? listen to mom next time!
cleanse
1. desert essence thoroughly clean face wash ($8, amazon.com/the vitamin shoppe)i first purchased this cleanser back in 2008, when i discovered the skin care boards on LHCF. it came highly recommended by user Divine Inspiration, and since i ate up pretty much everything she said at the time, i ran out and bought it. i stuck with it not only because it's 100% vegan and i am making an attempt to roll with a mostly natural/organic regimen, but because it WORKS for me. it dries up my blemishes without drying out my face, and it feels really invigorating. i used to use it on its own, but now i use it with my clarisonic and i still love it. what's more is you can get the 32 oz bottle for roughly the same price, if you buy online.
2. extra virgin olive oil (various prices, supermarkets)the thing i love about this oil is its versatility. i've spoken about my hair's love affair with EVOO, and i was ecstatic when i learned about its benefits for the skin, too. i read a few threads on the oil cleansing method and was hooked -- i mean, getting rid of nearly every skin problem there is with something you can find in your kitchen (or in my case, the hair cabinet)? my main thing was just like most people's, getting over the fact that i assumed oil-free was the best way to go when dealing with oily skin, but i was wrong. since oil absorbs oil, it only makes sense that cleansing with oil would be so good for your skin. EVOO makes such a great base for OCM, and can readily be mixed with grapeseed oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil, or whatever you wish. in addition to being a great cleanser, it is a superb makeup remover -- so good that i no longer buy commercial makeup removers. i tried almost everything to take off my stubborn eye makeup, but nothing does it like EVOO. i always keep a bottle in my bathroom.
3. clarisonic ($149-225, sephora)i can truly say that this is the one tool that has taken my skincare to the next level. although i have not seen some of the almost miraculous results some users claim to see, i do love and frequently use my clarisonic plus. i purchased it on ebay since they had the best price on the plus, but honestly i could have done without all the extras, such as the included cleansers and the body brush. i am glad i got the three different face brushes though, because without them, i never would have known which i needed (the gentle blue brush). while it did not fade my hyperpigmentation or completely rid my face of blackheads/whiteheads, i see a major difference in my face when i go without using it for a few days. it can be used with so many different cleansers, and it really holds a charge. i routinely go for weeks on end without setting it on the charging dock, and it always works perfectly. i love the different timers on it, as well as the different speed settings. i hope i'm never without my clarisonic!
treat
4. stridex daily care alcohol-free acne pads ($3, CVS/walgreens)i picked up this tip from the lovely ladies at makeupalley. they are semi-gurus on skincare on the board there, and someone once put it so plainly that if you want an effective acne-fighting medication, it shouldn't be a wash, but something that stays on your skin. i like to use products that multitask, and since i like my moisturizer to not only be that, but also a sunscreen (or a fade cream if using it at night), i decided to add this third product to my regimen. i have been through two boxes now, and i really like them. they provide me with a steady dose of salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that works great as an anti-acne medication. (why do you think it's in so many products? it WORKS.) my skin is consistently clear, except for a few stubborn hormonal pimples that get through during that time of the month. even better is the price point on these pads....they are only $3 a box, and if you look inside the flap before you get to the register, you will find a $1 off coupon that drops the price even more.
this is another great multitasking product. i purchased it back in 2008 for use on my face, and hated it for the longest time -- it may have been because i was using retin-a micro at the time, so my skin was already super sensitive. i recently revisited it, mixing it with organic ACV this time instead of water, and i liked it a lot more. it really deep cleans, getting out what my other cleansers can't: blackheads and whatever gunk happens to be clogging my pores at the time. i love the tightening feeling it produces when drying, and try to use it at least once a month, although ideally i would use it once a week. what i mean by multitasking is that you can use it as a hair paste to clarify and make your curls pop; i did a blog entry on this back a few months ago. this one pound jar has lasted me forever.
6. makeup artists' choice 40% lactic acid peels ($17.75-48.75, makeupartistschoice.com)i purchased this at the end of 2009, hoping to find something to fade my acne scars. instead, i found a product that brightens and smooths my skin, making it look almost flawless. (now only if i could get rid of the marks, i'd have dream skin!) i used to rotate it weekly with glycolic acid peels, but they are also good alone. during weeks where i do strictly lactic peels, i do them about once every three days. they are really simple to do, and the savings are phenomenal when compared to how much they would cost at a spa or derm's office. i am currently out, but will repurchase this week -- enter code august2010 for 20% off your purchase! (ends 8/16/10)
moisturize
7. grapeseed oil ($5, grocery stores) + lily of the desert aloe vera gelly ($8, the vitamin shoppe)another great find from Divine Inspiration. i started using this once i heard that grapeseed oil contains vitamin e, and aloe vera is wonderful for healing purposes. as a recovering skin picker, i put this on to soothe my blemishes and scars, and it really does help to make them less noticeable (although unfortunately the marks never completely disappeared). i do not currently use this, but when i did use it, i loved it. i may return to it in the future.
8. eucerin everyday protection moisturizer with spf 30 ($10, walgreens and CVS)i began using this when i was on retin-a, as i needed a soothing moisturizer with a built-in sunscreen. this moisturizer definitely handled that -- no matter how raw my skin was, it never irritated it, and the sunscreen kept my hyperpigmentation from getting darker. what's best is that this bottle lasted months! i continued to use it after i got off RAM, and as a matter of fact the only reason i stopped is because i am now using a fade cream with a built-in sunscreen. i would definitely return to this moisturizer in the future.
9. cold-pressed castor oil ($5 and up, whole foods and health stores)i originally bought a bottle of regular drugstore castor oil for my hair, but at the time found it too heavy and greasy. (since then, i have started using it differently, and now i love it!) i also added this to my OCM mix, and found success with it like that. however, recently i have been using it as a moisturizer right after washing my face before bed. i now use the cold-pressed hexane free version from whole foods. it helps to absorb oil, and thus leaves my skin less oily. castor oil's benefits as an anti-acne treatment and as a scar treatment are also widely discussed (see here), and for that reason it has become a staple in my skincare regimen. i will soon switch to JBCO for my hair, and i may try that on my skin as well. if not, i will continue to purchase and use cold-pressed, hexane free castor oil.
10. nadinola extra strength fade cream ($5, drugstores and wal-mart)
i was highly skeptical for the longest time of using fade creams, despite the fact that my mom raved about what wonders they did for her skin when she was younger. i have heard a lot about hydroquinone and how dangerous it can be, but that was foolishly before doing my own research. from what i have determined, it is perfectly fine in small doses, and i do not plan on using it for more than three months anyway. from what i have seen in the three weeks that i have been using it, this fade cream is fading my hyperpigmentation faster than anything else i have tried. of course i took "before" pictures, and even my unofficial "after" photos show a marked difference in my skin. what's even more remarkable is that for the first two weeks i was using a jar that i have had sitting in a drawer for at least two years, so it wasn't even full strength. now that i am using a brand new jar, i am continuing to see results. i am hopeful that by my birthday, my marks will have largely disappeared. moral of the story? listen to mom next time!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
beauty fix: my top ten products
one of my new favorite blogs is tamerri zamaih's "astro fashionista", and i was inspired by a post she did a while back to list my favorite beauty products. i've done lists like this in the past, but i've changed lots of things i now have in heavy rotation since then, and i think i have finally gotten to a good spot not only in my makeup application, but also in my skincare regimen in general. this is the makeup list....i will probably do a skincare list later this week.
1. make up for ever HD foundation - 153/golden honey ($40, sephora)
i became intrigued by this foundation quite a while ago; in fact, i think i remember trying it out in early 2009, before i graduated and left charlottesville. at the time, i couldn't find a match, but i recently returned to sephora and tried again, this time finding a perfect match. prior to finding this, the ONLY makeup company that could match my undertones was MAC, and even with that i would have issues with the makeup feeling cakey, looking unnatural in pictures, or breaking me out really bad. this foundation does NONE of the above....it provides great wear, feels light on my skin, and doesn't cause breakouts (for me, at least). it's a little more expensive than either MAC studio fix fluid or mineralize satinfinish, but it is worth it to me. the satinfinish always required two pumps, so i went through it rather quickly, and the SFF was heavy, almost like stage makeup. i can mix this with my eucerin moisturizer with spf 30 to make a tinted moisturizer, or i can just dab it on lightly, stipple it into my skin, and blend it effortlessly. i do want to try MUFE's mat velvet, as i have heard good things about its oil-controlling capabilities, but for now this is definitely my HG foundation.
2. make up for ever HD microfinish powder ($30, sephora)
this is the cherry on my proverbial sundae -- the HD foundation works well without this, but when applied on top of it, my skin GLOWS. of course i was thinking, like a lot of you, that putting a white powder on top of my foundation would make me look ashy. it most definitely doesn't....as i have heard it put frequently, it serves as a "soft focus" to minimize any flaws and even imperfections. i even use it on my bare face from time to time. i actually got this in a kit with some other HD products, as i didn't think i would need the larger one. i was right....since it requires so little for an entire face, this thing will last forever. side note: the other two products were the MUFE HD elixir and the MUFE HD primer. they are alright, but not "must haves" in my book.
3. MAC matte lipstick in honeylove ($14, MAC stores and counters)
i discovered this a few months ago, when i went into MAC to buy a new foundation. (she sold me mineralize satinfinish in NC42, which i returned for MUFE HD a few weeks later.) i asked for a nude lip recommendation, and the makeup artist gave me this to try. i immediately fell in love, and wear it quite often, considering the only other lippie i have and have actually kept up with is 2N. as a pinky nude color, i usually pair it with a bold eye.
4. MAC cremesheen glass in boy bait ($18, MAC stores and counters)
this is another item i picked up during my MAC haul. it goes great with the honeylove when i need more shine, but it also rocks on its own. it's described as a "light neutral beige with pearl", which i think is just code for NUDE. anyway, i use it as that...something to give my lips a gloss without all the glitter of other lipglosses i own.
5. MAC beauty powder blush in eversun (discontinued)
i have been using this blush for a while now, and even though it was re-released last summer as part of the style warrior collection, i had it before that...way back in 2008. in any event, i absolutely love this color...it's a pinky brown that just makes my skintone really POP when i apply it. i love it so much that without it, i feel completely monotone and pale. i don't know what i will do when i run out of it.
6. MAC MSF natural/shimmer in medium dark ($26, MAC stores and counters)
although i have changed foundations over the years, this is one thing that stays the same. i love the way this makes my makeup less shiny, and i also love wearing it alone on days where i don't feel like being bothered by liquid makeup. much like the HD powder, it blurs my imperfections, so over a bare face i have a more even complexion.
7. dior diorshow iconic mascara ($27, sephora)
a few years ago, diorshow blackout became my favorite mascara. the tube is ultra luxe, and the applicator gave me the biggest, blackest lashes i had ever seen. i was super excited when they came out with iconic, but i didn't rush out to buy it since i was convinced i had my HG mascara. as time went on, i began to notice that it gave me a severe case of raccoon eyes, and as much as i loved the false eyelash look i had going on, i had to let it go. i tried a few more brands, like fresh firebird (which gave me big doe eyes), but tried the iconic on a recommendation from a sephora MUA when i said i wanted definition and length all in one. this mascara "lifts, curls and separates" according to the package, and it definitely delivers on that. i still get the blackest lashes, but it doesn't flake and removes easily with my olive oil-based makeup remover. some may swear by drugstore brands like great lash and lashblast, but this will forever be one of my top, if not THE top, mascaras.
8. MAC 187 ($42, MAC stores and counters)
great makeup is nothing without great application skills, and this brush makes applying my makeup so effortless. there are many dupes of this brush out there, and i feel as if that lets me know the original must be really great. i was first interested in this brush because i was told it's great at multitasking, and it is definitely one of my most-used brushes. i use it to stipple on my liquid foundation, use it again to blend, use it again for blush, then AGAIN for my MSF and powders....you get the idea. in fact, i love it so much i am considering getting another. tip: to save a few bucks, try scoring it from the CCO instead of the full-priced MAC counters.
9. essence of beauty makeup brushes (assorted prices, CVS)
while i have a pretty sizeable makeup brush collection, my MAC 187 is the only truly expensive one i own. i invested in a few EoB brushes a few years ago now, and they have held up really well over time. as a matter of fact, they actually shed less than the 187 and my loew-cornell brushes. they are easy to clean, i can beat the crap out of them since i don't have to worry about the cost of replacement (they are often BOGO 50% off), and they are durable. my favorites are the concealer brush, the dual-ended blush and powder brush, and the contouring eyeshadow brushes. the eyeshadow brushes are perfect for both packing on color and "cutting the crease" when i am using multiple shades. i am actually thinking about getting another powder brush, and if i don't get the ELF one (simply because it's only $1), it will be this one.
10. MAC Fix+ ($18, MAC stores and counters)
i have owned the same bottle of fix+ for about two years now, and i don't think i will have to get another until sometime in 2011. this is the ultimate in multipurpose tools, although at first glance it just looks like a fancy bottle of water. this stuff is great for wetting my brush before applying MSF on a bare face -- this helps it look more natural and blend into my skin better. i also use it to set my makeup, especially on really humid days. it can be used on a bare face before applying anything, as well. i have found that it is especially helpful on an eyeshadow brush, especially when i am applying not-so-pigmented shadows. fix+ has allowed me to purchase really inexpensive shadows and get better color payoff out of them: i simply pack the eyeshadow onto the brush, spray it, and apply to my lid. i really think this is one of the most underrated beauty tools out there.
========================
i am now in the midst of compiling my list of top ten skincare products. most of them are relatively new to my regimen, but i am seeing the best skin i have had in a very long time, so needless to say they are keepers. the list will be up soon!
1. make up for ever HD foundation - 153/golden honey ($40, sephora)
i became intrigued by this foundation quite a while ago; in fact, i think i remember trying it out in early 2009, before i graduated and left charlottesville. at the time, i couldn't find a match, but i recently returned to sephora and tried again, this time finding a perfect match. prior to finding this, the ONLY makeup company that could match my undertones was MAC, and even with that i would have issues with the makeup feeling cakey, looking unnatural in pictures, or breaking me out really bad. this foundation does NONE of the above....it provides great wear, feels light on my skin, and doesn't cause breakouts (for me, at least). it's a little more expensive than either MAC studio fix fluid or mineralize satinfinish, but it is worth it to me. the satinfinish always required two pumps, so i went through it rather quickly, and the SFF was heavy, almost like stage makeup. i can mix this with my eucerin moisturizer with spf 30 to make a tinted moisturizer, or i can just dab it on lightly, stipple it into my skin, and blend it effortlessly. i do want to try MUFE's mat velvet, as i have heard good things about its oil-controlling capabilities, but for now this is definitely my HG foundation.
2. make up for ever HD microfinish powder ($30, sephora)
this is the cherry on my proverbial sundae -- the HD foundation works well without this, but when applied on top of it, my skin GLOWS. of course i was thinking, like a lot of you, that putting a white powder on top of my foundation would make me look ashy. it most definitely doesn't....as i have heard it put frequently, it serves as a "soft focus" to minimize any flaws and even imperfections. i even use it on my bare face from time to time. i actually got this in a kit with some other HD products, as i didn't think i would need the larger one. i was right....since it requires so little for an entire face, this thing will last forever. side note: the other two products were the MUFE HD elixir and the MUFE HD primer. they are alright, but not "must haves" in my book.
3. MAC matte lipstick in honeylove ($14, MAC stores and counters)i discovered this a few months ago, when i went into MAC to buy a new foundation. (she sold me mineralize satinfinish in NC42, which i returned for MUFE HD a few weeks later.) i asked for a nude lip recommendation, and the makeup artist gave me this to try. i immediately fell in love, and wear it quite often, considering the only other lippie i have and have actually kept up with is 2N. as a pinky nude color, i usually pair it with a bold eye.
4. MAC cremesheen glass in boy bait ($18, MAC stores and counters)this is another item i picked up during my MAC haul. it goes great with the honeylove when i need more shine, but it also rocks on its own. it's described as a "light neutral beige with pearl", which i think is just code for NUDE. anyway, i use it as that...something to give my lips a gloss without all the glitter of other lipglosses i own.
5. MAC beauty powder blush in eversun (discontinued)i have been using this blush for a while now, and even though it was re-released last summer as part of the style warrior collection, i had it before that...way back in 2008. in any event, i absolutely love this color...it's a pinky brown that just makes my skintone really POP when i apply it. i love it so much that without it, i feel completely monotone and pale. i don't know what i will do when i run out of it.
6. MAC MSF natural/shimmer in medium dark ($26, MAC stores and counters)although i have changed foundations over the years, this is one thing that stays the same. i love the way this makes my makeup less shiny, and i also love wearing it alone on days where i don't feel like being bothered by liquid makeup. much like the HD powder, it blurs my imperfections, so over a bare face i have a more even complexion.
7. dior diorshow iconic mascara ($27, sephora)a few years ago, diorshow blackout became my favorite mascara. the tube is ultra luxe, and the applicator gave me the biggest, blackest lashes i had ever seen. i was super excited when they came out with iconic, but i didn't rush out to buy it since i was convinced i had my HG mascara. as time went on, i began to notice that it gave me a severe case of raccoon eyes, and as much as i loved the false eyelash look i had going on, i had to let it go. i tried a few more brands, like fresh firebird (which gave me big doe eyes), but tried the iconic on a recommendation from a sephora MUA when i said i wanted definition and length all in one. this mascara "lifts, curls and separates" according to the package, and it definitely delivers on that. i still get the blackest lashes, but it doesn't flake and removes easily with my olive oil-based makeup remover. some may swear by drugstore brands like great lash and lashblast, but this will forever be one of my top, if not THE top, mascaras.
8. MAC 187 ($42, MAC stores and counters)
great makeup is nothing without great application skills, and this brush makes applying my makeup so effortless. there are many dupes of this brush out there, and i feel as if that lets me know the original must be really great. i was first interested in this brush because i was told it's great at multitasking, and it is definitely one of my most-used brushes. i use it to stipple on my liquid foundation, use it again to blend, use it again for blush, then AGAIN for my MSF and powders....you get the idea. in fact, i love it so much i am considering getting another. tip: to save a few bucks, try scoring it from the CCO instead of the full-priced MAC counters.
9. essence of beauty makeup brushes (assorted prices, CVS)while i have a pretty sizeable makeup brush collection, my MAC 187 is the only truly expensive one i own. i invested in a few EoB brushes a few years ago now, and they have held up really well over time. as a matter of fact, they actually shed less than the 187 and my loew-cornell brushes. they are easy to clean, i can beat the crap out of them since i don't have to worry about the cost of replacement (they are often BOGO 50% off), and they are durable. my favorites are the concealer brush, the dual-ended blush and powder brush, and the contouring eyeshadow brushes. the eyeshadow brushes are perfect for both packing on color and "cutting the crease" when i am using multiple shades. i am actually thinking about getting another powder brush, and if i don't get the ELF one (simply because it's only $1), it will be this one.
10. MAC Fix+ ($18, MAC stores and counters)
i have owned the same bottle of fix+ for about two years now, and i don't think i will have to get another until sometime in 2011. this is the ultimate in multipurpose tools, although at first glance it just looks like a fancy bottle of water. this stuff is great for wetting my brush before applying MSF on a bare face -- this helps it look more natural and blend into my skin better. i also use it to set my makeup, especially on really humid days. it can be used on a bare face before applying anything, as well. i have found that it is especially helpful on an eyeshadow brush, especially when i am applying not-so-pigmented shadows. fix+ has allowed me to purchase really inexpensive shadows and get better color payoff out of them: i simply pack the eyeshadow onto the brush, spray it, and apply to my lid. i really think this is one of the most underrated beauty tools out there.
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i am now in the midst of compiling my list of top ten skincare products. most of them are relatively new to my regimen, but i am seeing the best skin i have had in a very long time, so needless to say they are keepers. the list will be up soon!
Monday, July 26, 2010
attitude adjustment
for some reason, i got a burst of re-motivation in my HHJ this past week. after i took down the sew-in i had wanted so badly, i took a few days and rocked strictly WNGs. my super-supportive boyfriend had missed my hair so much when it was hidden....as a matter of fact, he was the one who (slowly and carefully, of course) took my tracks out! all i have been doing since then is cowashing with HE HH, detangling every few days, and maybe using a bit of aloe vera gel when i pull my hair back to keep my edges tame. even with this pretty simple regimen, i was wondering what else i could do to promote growth and be more low-manipulation.
here enters the castor oil: my same super supportive boyfriend just happened to mention an article he read about the benefits of castor oil on your hair and skin. he mentioned a bottle of cold pressed castor oil that he had purchased from whole foods a while back, and of course i was more than happy to rave about how i use it in my oil mixture to remove my makeup. when i returned to NC, we both started using castor oil on our faces before bed at night. i then decided that i would take the same EVOO/castor/coconut oil mix and use it on my ends to seal, which i have never really done consistently since beginning my natural journey. although my hair seems to grow well now, i presumed that maybe sealing in *that* much more moisture could help me retain even better.
in addition to sealing my ends, i came across kimmaytube's now famous leave-in conditioner video and decided to adapt it for my own use. i was intrigued by the idea of pH balance affecting moisture levels in the hair, and i figured if nothing else it would allow me to stretch my leave-ins by adding additional products to it. the only problem with cowashing and simply leaving in my HE HH is that by bedtime, my hair is not only dry from having airdried, but is also dry from all the moisture having left my strands. i figured that closing the cuticle, as kim says the acidic nature of her leave-in aids in doing, would help "trap" the moisture much like sealing or an ACV rinse. i went to whole foods to search for the whole leaf AV juice and kinky-curly knot today, but they were out of the KCKT. i then remembered i have some giovanni direct still on hand from 2008, and used that in its place. later, i was pleasantly surprised to discover that GD itself has a low pH. i have only been using it two days, but i really like how my hair feels at the end of the day. as a matter of fact, i was stunned this morning when i woke up (my hair conveniently twisted into two flat twists) and my hair was still soft and cool to the touch, what i have heard described as a marker of well-moisturized hair. i will use this for a while and track the changes in my hair -- but i already think i have a keeper here.
on top of sealing and this new leave-in, i have also incorporated (drumroll) WET BUNNING into my regimen. of course i know how to make a bun, and i love the stories i hear about consistent wet bunners who have crazy retention rates, but i can never stick with it long enough to see ANY kind of results, much less miraculous ones. i have challenged myself to a mini-bunning challenge, and my goal is to wear a bun everyday until september 1st. i may not necessarily cowash everyday either -- i'm thinking my hair will stay in this bun for at least 3 days, and to remoisturize i will simply remove the hair tie, spray water on my hair, add leave-in and re-bun.
hopefully, a month straight of incorporating these three changes will cause me to adjust the way i think about my hair in the summer. my goal is to have moisturized hair at all times, and thus promote an optimal environment for growth and retention. as a byproduct, i hope that keeping my ends saturated and hidden will keep the split ends at bay, and by the time i do my next length check in september, i will have ends nearly as healthy as (or just as healthy as) they were following my june trim. only 5 weeks to go!
here enters the castor oil: my same super supportive boyfriend just happened to mention an article he read about the benefits of castor oil on your hair and skin. he mentioned a bottle of cold pressed castor oil that he had purchased from whole foods a while back, and of course i was more than happy to rave about how i use it in my oil mixture to remove my makeup. when i returned to NC, we both started using castor oil on our faces before bed at night. i then decided that i would take the same EVOO/castor/coconut oil mix and use it on my ends to seal, which i have never really done consistently since beginning my natural journey. although my hair seems to grow well now, i presumed that maybe sealing in *that* much more moisture could help me retain even better.
in addition to sealing my ends, i came across kimmaytube's now famous leave-in conditioner video and decided to adapt it for my own use. i was intrigued by the idea of pH balance affecting moisture levels in the hair, and i figured if nothing else it would allow me to stretch my leave-ins by adding additional products to it. the only problem with cowashing and simply leaving in my HE HH is that by bedtime, my hair is not only dry from having airdried, but is also dry from all the moisture having left my strands. i figured that closing the cuticle, as kim says the acidic nature of her leave-in aids in doing, would help "trap" the moisture much like sealing or an ACV rinse. i went to whole foods to search for the whole leaf AV juice and kinky-curly knot today, but they were out of the KCKT. i then remembered i have some giovanni direct still on hand from 2008, and used that in its place. later, i was pleasantly surprised to discover that GD itself has a low pH. i have only been using it two days, but i really like how my hair feels at the end of the day. as a matter of fact, i was stunned this morning when i woke up (my hair conveniently twisted into two flat twists) and my hair was still soft and cool to the touch, what i have heard described as a marker of well-moisturized hair. i will use this for a while and track the changes in my hair -- but i already think i have a keeper here.
on top of sealing and this new leave-in, i have also incorporated (drumroll) WET BUNNING into my regimen. of course i know how to make a bun, and i love the stories i hear about consistent wet bunners who have crazy retention rates, but i can never stick with it long enough to see ANY kind of results, much less miraculous ones. i have challenged myself to a mini-bunning challenge, and my goal is to wear a bun everyday until september 1st. i may not necessarily cowash everyday either -- i'm thinking my hair will stay in this bun for at least 3 days, and to remoisturize i will simply remove the hair tie, spray water on my hair, add leave-in and re-bun.
hopefully, a month straight of incorporating these three changes will cause me to adjust the way i think about my hair in the summer. my goal is to have moisturized hair at all times, and thus promote an optimal environment for growth and retention. as a byproduct, i hope that keeping my ends saturated and hidden will keep the split ends at bay, and by the time i do my next length check in september, i will have ends nearly as healthy as (or just as healthy as) they were following my june trim. only 5 weeks to go!
weave update
after all that hoping and praying, i seriously underestimated the fact that 1) when i wear a protective style, i usually have to STRUGGLE to make myself keep it in even 6 weeks and 2) i haven't worn a weave since 2007. i feel like you already know what's coming next: i definitely took out those tracks! to be specific, i removed my sew-in after 4 weeks. the verdict is still out on the hair itself.....i mean, although i cowashed and detangled daily (more than i do to even my OWN hair), it was so matted and tangled at the end of those four weeks that even if i had wanted to go three months, i couldn't have. maybe if i do this again, i will bump up to AAMH.
although i didn't reach my goal of keeping it in for 3 months, it did help me get over that trimming setback from june, and for that i am happy. i am not sure how much growth i got, but the fact that i stayed consistent with my megatek and cowashing lets me know i probably got at least the 0.5" expected to grow within a month. my growth rate seems pretty much normal, and even if the megatek helped me get ANYTHING extra it will put me back on track to be BSL by new years. i'm not doing any official length checks until september, and now that my hair is loose i am trying to keep myself from doing any unofficial ones as well. luckily, i have a game plan that i will detail a little later.
although i didn't reach my goal of keeping it in for 3 months, it did help me get over that trimming setback from june, and for that i am happy. i am not sure how much growth i got, but the fact that i stayed consistent with my megatek and cowashing lets me know i probably got at least the 0.5" expected to grow within a month. my growth rate seems pretty much normal, and even if the megatek helped me get ANYTHING extra it will put me back on track to be BSL by new years. i'm not doing any official length checks until september, and now that my hair is loose i am trying to keep myself from doing any unofficial ones as well. luckily, i have a game plan that i will detail a little later.
Friday, June 18, 2010
back into hiding
after that whole setback thing, i was ready to just put my hair back up. it was kind of depressing thinking about what happened, and it was really hot outside anyway. i took a trip to north carolina to visit a friend, and while there, i went curly again. my friend told me a number of times how much he loved my curly hair, and that made me feel so great. (sidebar: his mom makes this really great blend of oils and butters for your hair and skin that he introduced me to....this stuff is GOLDEN!) when i got back, i decided to go ahead and get my bobraz installed. i sealed it and called around to find a weaveologist, and i quickly found someone talented (and budget friendly) to help me out. without going into too much detail, i'll just mention that she was unprofessional....but she did a great job on my hair, and that's the important thing. i got it put in on june 15, two days after my natural anniversary, and i plan on keeping it until sept 15 or so. to recap, it's only one pack, i did not split the wefts, and it is sealed with dritz fray check to minimize shedding.
here is the hair after i sealed it, but before i washed it:
she used a zigzag braiding pattern, and i left out my perimeter:
i washed and dried it before she installed it, and since it had very little product in it, this stuff got HUGE!
after wetting it and adding cantu, it looked a little better:
overall, i'm happy with the finished product. i could have left out more perimeter, but it is manageable.
it is long though...almost to my waist when wet, and BSLish when dry. i am toying with cutting it, since it is a LOT of hair, but i haven't yet. i am also thinking about coloring it since my leaveout is still hanging onto that demi-permanent, but i am hoping that will fade to its natural color and match the bobraz by july. it may happen sooner, since i cowash every day just about, but we shall see.
here is the hair after i sealed it, but before i washed it:
she used a zigzag braiding pattern, and i left out my perimeter:i washed and dried it before she installed it, and since it had very little product in it, this stuff got HUGE!
after wetting it and adding cantu, it looked a little better:
overall, i'm happy with the finished product. i could have left out more perimeter, but it is manageable.it is long though...almost to my waist when wet, and BSLish when dry. i am toying with cutting it, since it is a LOT of hair, but i haven't yet. i am also thinking about coloring it since my leaveout is still hanging onto that demi-permanent, but i am hoping that will fade to its natural color and match the bobraz by july. it may happen sooner, since i cowash every day just about, but we shall see.
setup for a comeback....right?
So basically....all my hard work over the past 6 months, all the hiding my hair, all of that ANTICIPATION went down the drain in a matter of minutes. At the time I was really upset, but the less I look at my length, the more content I am.
The first week of June, I went and got a Dominican blowout so I could have straight hair for my two-year natural anniversary, and it was beautiful. Every time I did my hair the previous week, I stretched it out just to make sure I was BSL, and I was -- wet and dry. I was so excited to take my progress pictures once it was all blown out. At the salon, once my hair was straight, I felt how long it was on my back and smiled. (As you guys may know, I have serious hair anorexia, and I was excited for it to FINALLY feel "long".) Then I made the ultimate mistake -- I got a trim. Apparently it didn't matter that I always take great care in getting the same girl to do my hair, because she is the one who did this to me. I asked for a trim, and she showed me what she was going to cut, as she ALWAYS does -- but she had to have moved her hand up higher once she got to the back where I couldn't see. They say hindsight is 20/20, and now I realize I got too comfortable with her and didn't watch what she was doing after that first cut OR look on the floor when she was done. I just got her to wrap it (since it was so humid, plus it was late and I wasn't going anywhere but home) and got up. I gave her a huge tip, on top of that. I just wanted it to stay straight for a bridal shower I was going to the next day, so I didn't unwrap it and discover what was going on until the next day. I felt so stupid (and bald), and all I wanted to do was wear it in a bun. As bad as I wanted to go back and curse her out, I couldn't. Number one, the damage is done, and number two, she barely speaks English. Number three, she'd deny it anyway. *sigh*
Anyway, my hair is back to the length it was at the end of last year -- not even close to BSL anymore. Just full APL, where I've been stuck for so long now. Here is where I was in March, almost BSB -- versus where I am now:
I'm going to have to abandon chasing MBL in 2010 and hope on a wish and a prayer I make BSL before December. I'm just at a loss between thinking about how she pulled the wool over my eyes and what I want to do in the future. All these shouldawouldacouldas -- I shoulda bought my own trimming shears, I couldn't because I know I would have been a perfectionist and cut too much of my OWN hair off, and what was the point since I had a seemingly "perfect" stylist? One thing's clear -- I'm never letting anyone trim my hair ever again.
Since then, I've washed my hair to curly again (let's be real, it was too hot in VA for straight hair anyway) and bought my own trimming shears. I take comfort in the fact that I won't need a trim now for a while, since I did kinda need one before. I'm trying to tell myself that my hair looks better, and the point IS health over length, but it sucks to be that close to a goal then lose it all. I'm just hoping that when this sew-in comes down, I've gotten at least close to where I was.
The first week of June, I went and got a Dominican blowout so I could have straight hair for my two-year natural anniversary, and it was beautiful. Every time I did my hair the previous week, I stretched it out just to make sure I was BSL, and I was -- wet and dry. I was so excited to take my progress pictures once it was all blown out. At the salon, once my hair was straight, I felt how long it was on my back and smiled. (As you guys may know, I have serious hair anorexia, and I was excited for it to FINALLY feel "long".) Then I made the ultimate mistake -- I got a trim. Apparently it didn't matter that I always take great care in getting the same girl to do my hair, because she is the one who did this to me. I asked for a trim, and she showed me what she was going to cut, as she ALWAYS does -- but she had to have moved her hand up higher once she got to the back where I couldn't see. They say hindsight is 20/20, and now I realize I got too comfortable with her and didn't watch what she was doing after that first cut OR look on the floor when she was done. I just got her to wrap it (since it was so humid, plus it was late and I wasn't going anywhere but home) and got up. I gave her a huge tip, on top of that. I just wanted it to stay straight for a bridal shower I was going to the next day, so I didn't unwrap it and discover what was going on until the next day. I felt so stupid (and bald), and all I wanted to do was wear it in a bun. As bad as I wanted to go back and curse her out, I couldn't. Number one, the damage is done, and number two, she barely speaks English. Number three, she'd deny it anyway. *sigh*
Anyway, my hair is back to the length it was at the end of last year -- not even close to BSL anymore. Just full APL, where I've been stuck for so long now. Here is where I was in March, almost BSB -- versus where I am now:
I'm going to have to abandon chasing MBL in 2010 and hope on a wish and a prayer I make BSL before December. I'm just at a loss between thinking about how she pulled the wool over my eyes and what I want to do in the future. All these shouldawouldacouldas -- I shoulda bought my own trimming shears, I couldn't because I know I would have been a perfectionist and cut too much of my OWN hair off, and what was the point since I had a seemingly "perfect" stylist? One thing's clear -- I'm never letting anyone trim my hair ever again.
Since then, I've washed my hair to curly again (let's be real, it was too hot in VA for straight hair anyway) and bought my own trimming shears. I take comfort in the fact that I won't need a trim now for a while, since I did kinda need one before. I'm trying to tell myself that my hair looks better, and the point IS health over length, but it sucks to be that close to a goal then lose it all. I'm just hoping that when this sew-in comes down, I've gotten at least close to where I was.
Monday, May 17, 2010
under wraps
i signed up for a membership on BHM waaaaayyyy back in june 2008, but for some reason it kept telling me that my membership had not been approved yet. FINALLY it's working, and i've been posting like a madman in the weaves/extensions section that i've been stalking for so long. like i said, i was toying with the idea of getting a kinky curly install for the summer months, so i can WNG as much as i want without wreaking havoc on my ends. i have been doing a lot of mystery shopping with EPMS this month, and i have a check for $320 coming in at the beginning of june!! i'm going to take this money to get some hair that will last and last, and that way, if all goes well, i can repeat this process next summer. being the product junkie that i am, i have an extensive list of other styles i want to try, and my "hairpics" folder on my laptop is brimming with pictures of cute styles i want to duplicate with some virgin remy hair -- wags NC, indian curly, IH.net wavy, kinky straight, maybe even virgin straight -- so i foresee a winter under a weave as well.
i was SO intent on getting some bohyme brazilian for this summer install, and all was going well until the other day, when i ran across a kinky curly thread on BHM and fell in love all over again with AAMH kinky curly. ediese had it back in 2009, and i love the way it looks -- i am just not sure about it since i heard some things about it shedding and shrinking up a lot. see, the thing about bobraz is they are really generous with the lengths, while AAMH seems to be the opposite, from what i have heard. then there was a thread on some vendor who turned out to be a BHM member, and all this unnecessary drama came out of it (so glad i'm a newbie and didn't care)....which basically led to me looking for a CV (Chinese vendor) to get my hair. The plus about CVs seems to be that they can duplicate any kind of hair you want, and it's way cheaper -- i'm taking about $100-ish for 8oz of KC as opposed to AAMH, which charges that amount for 4oz of hair. i did find a site that has bobraz on sale for less than $60, and i am notoriously bad with decisions. i may just get that since it's what i've been lusting after for so long....i seriously don't know why this is so hard!! in any event, i need it soon, since i am taking these twists out in about 2 or 3 weeks and getting a blowout for my two-year. that means by june 24th i need to make a final decision on not only the hair i get, but also who i'm going to get to put it in. i found a few ladies on craigslist who are very inexpensive, but i need more photos of their work and a consultation before i decide for sure who i'm going to give my hard-earned money to. it's going to be interesting to get used to having tracks in my head again, especially since i was so hair-ignorant the last time i had a sew-in. here's to great growth!
i was SO intent on getting some bohyme brazilian for this summer install, and all was going well until the other day, when i ran across a kinky curly thread on BHM and fell in love all over again with AAMH kinky curly. ediese had it back in 2009, and i love the way it looks -- i am just not sure about it since i heard some things about it shedding and shrinking up a lot. see, the thing about bobraz is they are really generous with the lengths, while AAMH seems to be the opposite, from what i have heard. then there was a thread on some vendor who turned out to be a BHM member, and all this unnecessary drama came out of it (so glad i'm a newbie and didn't care)....which basically led to me looking for a CV (Chinese vendor) to get my hair. The plus about CVs seems to be that they can duplicate any kind of hair you want, and it's way cheaper -- i'm taking about $100-ish for 8oz of KC as opposed to AAMH, which charges that amount for 4oz of hair. i did find a site that has bobraz on sale for less than $60, and i am notoriously bad with decisions. i may just get that since it's what i've been lusting after for so long....i seriously don't know why this is so hard!! in any event, i need it soon, since i am taking these twists out in about 2 or 3 weeks and getting a blowout for my two-year. that means by june 24th i need to make a final decision on not only the hair i get, but also who i'm going to get to put it in. i found a few ladies on craigslist who are very inexpensive, but i need more photos of their work and a consultation before i decide for sure who i'm going to give my hard-earned money to. it's going to be interesting to get used to having tracks in my head again, especially since i was so hair-ignorant the last time i had a sew-in. here's to great growth!
megatek....the sequel
i reinstalled my senegalese twists on the 3rd of this month....long story short with the sew-in, the hair tangled so badly and it was so damn HEAVY that i snatched it out after two days! well, i guess that's not technically right....i installed 4oz on a sunday, put in the rest of it (3 more oz) that thursday, and took it out the next sunday. i'm in a comfort zone with my senegalese twists, and although they aren't the best looking set i've had, they only took 6 hours and don't feel like my neck is breaking. i just bun them and moisturize maybe once a week.
so i have a hair growing buddy on LHCF, nakialovesshoes. we realized maybe about a month or two ago that our goals are similar (BSL by june, MBL by october) and so we are going it together...well, as together as two people can over the internet. we check in with one another, encourage each other, and share advice. the other day, she approached me with this great idea to have another HYH challenge. you guys may know that i'm doing a personal one right now, and it runs from january 1st of this year to june 13th, my two-year BC anniversary. i was really looking forward to not having to hide my hair anymore, since i really want to ENJOY my BSL, but then i thought about two things: one, i was kinda gonna hide it this summer anyway, since i'm planning on getting a sew-in so i can WNG with no problems, and two, it will help me speed my way to MBL, since it will be MUCH more fun to flaunt that length. this one will run from june 24 - sept 24, and if i complete it, that will make almost 8 or 9 months this year that my hair will have been out of sight, out of mind. it doesn't feel like it, which is the good thing. the other part of the challenge is using a growth aid, which will naturally be megatek. i feel kind of bad since i was so excited about it back in 2008 and it's been sitting in my closet for two years now, but i think it is still okay to use. tonight i got my sister to apply it to my scalp, and to try to avoid that scary shedding that i got with it last time, i will just be using it twice a week, on the days that i moisturize. i have no measurements to track my growth, but i did tighten a few braids and hopefully i can gauge my growth using those. i don't do too much experimentation with my hair these days, but i sure do hope i get the growth i got back in 2008 from an equine product....
so i have a hair growing buddy on LHCF, nakialovesshoes. we realized maybe about a month or two ago that our goals are similar (BSL by june, MBL by october) and so we are going it together...well, as together as two people can over the internet. we check in with one another, encourage each other, and share advice. the other day, she approached me with this great idea to have another HYH challenge. you guys may know that i'm doing a personal one right now, and it runs from january 1st of this year to june 13th, my two-year BC anniversary. i was really looking forward to not having to hide my hair anymore, since i really want to ENJOY my BSL, but then i thought about two things: one, i was kinda gonna hide it this summer anyway, since i'm planning on getting a sew-in so i can WNG with no problems, and two, it will help me speed my way to MBL, since it will be MUCH more fun to flaunt that length. this one will run from june 24 - sept 24, and if i complete it, that will make almost 8 or 9 months this year that my hair will have been out of sight, out of mind. it doesn't feel like it, which is the good thing. the other part of the challenge is using a growth aid, which will naturally be megatek. i feel kind of bad since i was so excited about it back in 2008 and it's been sitting in my closet for two years now, but i think it is still okay to use. tonight i got my sister to apply it to my scalp, and to try to avoid that scary shedding that i got with it last time, i will just be using it twice a week, on the days that i moisturize. i have no measurements to track my growth, but i did tighten a few braids and hopefully i can gauge my growth using those. i don't do too much experimentation with my hair these days, but i sure do hope i get the growth i got back in 2008 from an equine product....
Sunday, April 18, 2010
back to black (-ish)
the tracks that i bought for my sew-in ended up being wayyy too dark for my head. i always get a #4 since no one can match my hair color (or skin color, but that's another post) and this time i decided to just dye my hair dark brown so that my leaveout matches. well it came out great....except the color is a *bit* dark. hopefully it will just lighten with a few washes.
in any event, my crazy cousin has been MIA for the past few days, so i didn't get to install my sew-in on tuesday like i had hoped. my mom told me she will try to cornrow my hair today, so hopefully all goes well. the other day i cowashed my hair for a date and decided to rock a puff. i don't know whether it was the garnier, the noodle head, or the hair color....but my ends did this weird clumpy thing that i really liked. instead of being a whole bunch of frizzy-ish curls, they came together in a few well defined coils. i need to find out what caused this, because i like it!
as of now, i am deep conditioning with a new product i picked up -- a fortifying deep conditioner by garnier. it was very creamy, which kind of made up for the fact that the tube is so small. instead of getting one use out of it, i may be able to get two whole uses....joy! (can you sense the sarcasm?) next i'll rinse out and probably go ahead and pull out my perimeter in order to make it a bit easier for my mom....because i know the whole concept of doing that will just confuse her. she acts so hair illiterate that i can't help but laugh and shake my head. ah well, this way i can make sure it looks the way i want it. wish me luck!
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