Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Even though our snow hasn't shown up yet my winter skin has; my dry, itchy, alligator bumps that I'll hide in long sleeves all the way through April because nothing will keep me moisturized. (So maybe the Hempz body butter does, but that fits into my college student budget right after "buying a new house".)
That was just the way it was, until I tried making a sugar scrubs. Not only does it smell delicious (perfect for Christmas cookie season), but the olive oil is a great skin (and hair) moisturizer. Plus, sugar scrubs always seemed more appealing to me than salt scrubs because you won't feel the burn if you find a cut you didn't know about. So without further adou:

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Body Scrub

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

4 tbsp olive oil.

Mix together the dry stuff really well first. If it looks delicious, you did it right.

Then add in the olive oil. The original recipe called for only 2 tbsp of oil, but since that's where all the moisture comes from and I desperately need it more is better. Plus, the mixture is much easier to work with once the extra liquid was in, but it's up to you.

This is also a great time to show off the cute measuring spoons my mom picked up for me. =] Yay ladybugs! 

Mix that all up reall well, and that's it!

Make sure you store in a watertight container and don't get a bunch of water in when you use it, and this stuff'll last. 
Don't get weird if you use it and realize you're repelling water in the shower; that's a good thing. If water isn't getting in that means water isn't getting out either, which means more moisture stays in you skin where it belongs. 
Make sure you rinse out the shower well too when you're done, bacteria loves sweet things if you don't clean up well.
All in all, I think it's worth it. I went a whole day without itching, which is a huge accomplishment for me this time of year.

The Miracle of Dry Shampoo

I’m convinced that dry shampoo is a gift from the Gods, despite the fact that I smell like I grabbed a baby off the street and rubbed him all over my face (more on that later). Working at the salon, I’ve had people laugh at me when I tell them that I wash my hair approximately every three days; many women told me that they have to wash their hair twice a day because it’s too oily to handle for 24 hours straight. Before I get any further, let’s go over the basic concept of not washing your hair:

1.       When you wash your hair, you strip the natural oils from your scalp that you hair needs to stay healthy.

2.       The more you wash your hair, the more oil your scalp will produce to compensate for the oils you’re losing. Therefore:

3.       The more you wash your hair, the oilier it will start to get.

4.       Use dry shampoo to absorb some of the oils, extend your style by a day because you’re lazy like me.

That being said, a lot of people still don’t like how their hair feels if they skip one shampooing on a day when they’re in a rush. Enter the miracle of dry shampoo. Flip head over, spray at roots, tousle your hair around with your fingers, finish styling, and done. On days that I use dry shampoo my hair is a little bit flatter than usual, and with the brand I’m using right now (Ojon’s Rub Out) I smell like straight up baby powder for the beginning of the day, but you’d probably never guess that it’s been 4 days since my hair has been shampooed. 

Although you can probably tell that my hair hasn’t been colored since late September. =/

Speaking of color, it’s a great way to make your color last longer because you’re washing it less. And to make your hair a tad healthier since you’re letting your scalp’s natural oils have time to work.  Just don’t try using it for more than one day in a row; for whatever reason it starts to look really obvious at that point. Also, don’t try styling with products that make your hair a little greasy (e.g. serums) because it’s completely counterproductive.

So far I’ve only tried out 4 different brands, and here’s what I think of them.

Big Sexy Hair: By far my favorite. It uses clay (instead of talc like most) to absorb the oil, so it’s better for darker hair if you’re worried about overdoing it and having a white coating on your strands. The smell is a little funky like most of their products, but it goes away in no time.

Rockaholic by TIGI: Smells like orange cleaner. Again, the smell goes away but you can tell that the fundamental makeup is a little different from the Big Sexy. It doesn’t work quite as well, but it still definitely gets the job done.

Kenra Platnum: The only one that I’ve used that has been advertised specifically for color-treated hair (that’s what their whole Platnum line is about). A very tropical scent, and tied with the Rockaholic in my book as far as getting the job done.

Ojon Rub Out Dry Cleanser: Smells like baby powder to the max. However, the purse-appropriate size bottle I got in one of their starter kits is a must have, especially if you’re not sure whether or not you’ll be able to get a wash in when you’re staying over somewhere.

I know there’s also other brands you can get and try at a drugstore if you wish: Tresseme recently came out with a spray as well as a foam for curly hair, Psssst, Sally’s has a few cheaper ones that come in different scents as well.

Need a fix immediately and don’t have the time to run somewhere and get a bottle for yourself? Follow my grandmother’s instructions and VERY CAREFULLY sprinkle some baby powder on your roots, and tousle like you would with dry shampoo, and continue on with your day. If you use non-aresol hairspray and are constantly fighting oils try out an aresol. They generally have a higher alcohol content and are a little more drying. I’ve sprayed my whole head down before and brushed it out when I didn’t have my dry shampoo with me and it does an okay job. Just make sure that you don’t have a spray that it prone to flaking or you’ll just look like you’ve got major dandruff problems.

And there you have it! (I’m too lazy for a witty closing statement since I need to leave for class the second I finish this. The only reason I had time to write it was because I used dry shampoo and gained a half hour of free time.)

P.S. The instructions on the bottles will actually tell you to spray it in then brush to distribute. I tousle because I like my hair messy, it gives a bit more volume, and because the only time I ever touch a brush is when I’m back-combing my hair. If you’re more comfortable using a brush, by all means brush away.

Bang, bang!

The craziness known as my life hasn't allowed me to add anything for a while. Hopefully I can get a few more posts in before school starts back up and things get even crazier. So without further ado, your guide to a try-it-at-home bang trim... If you're daring enough.

As a starting tip, you should try to buy a pair of scissors and use them for nothing but hair. If you can't or don't want to commit to that, at least use a pair that is extremely sharp so they don't damage your hair. I used to always use a razor tool my mom picked up for me at Walgreens, but I just read recently that using razors on thick, coarse, or curly hair just makes it look damaged. As reluctant as I am, I have converted fully to scissors, even though it seems a lot scarier.

So first of all, here's my starting point. I've never tried this to make bangs that didn't already exist; I just do it for trims in between when I actually get my hair done.

Alrighty then, let's get started.

Step 1. As obvious as it may sound, I feel like I probably still need to say it: pull back anything that you don't want to accidentally cut. If you chop something you didn't mean to, there is no going back. Make sure you leave out a good chunk of hair too, not just the stuff in the very front. Unless you want to look those 6 year olds that cut their hair with safety scissors, then by all means go ahead.

Step 2. Take a comb and divide what you left out in half and clip the top half back. This is crucial! Cutting a straight line will be easier with less hair. This is also going to be your safety net in case you cut something too short or decide that it was a bad idea; while the stuff underneath is growing back everyone will just see the untouched layer on top.

Step 3. The grip: decide where you're going to start and grab a piece of hair between the pointer and middle finger of your nondominant hand so that the hair is in a single layer. I start off on the right side because that's where I part my hair. Just be careful not to start to far over because you need to leave room for facial framing.

Step 4. Take a deep breath and snip. Just not too fast or the hair will run away. It may take a few tries to get the line straight, but it's more than worth the time. Once you finish with the section you're on, drop half of it and then add hair from the uncut section to it, like so:

The idea is that you're using part of each section you finish as a template for the next chunk.

Also, now might be a good time to tell you not to wear a tank top or anything with a slouchy neck. Trying to get out all of those itchy little piece sucks big time.

Anyways, keep working your way across until you're the same distance from the end as you started. Then take your scissors diagonally (with the tip pointing downwards) and slowly build a frame from where your bangs end and the rest of your hair starts. You can try holding the scissor upwards if it feels too awkward, but it's easier to take off too much at once.

Step 5. Once you're happy with the length and framing it's time to drop your safety net.

 Trim it across to match what you've already done. Once you've done that you can stop... Or you can keep going if you don't like such a harsh straight line.

 Step 6. (You can either do this to everything, or just the top layer if you want to take out some of the bulk.) Hold the scissors vertically and take SMALL snips, spacing them out slightly.

All this does is breaks everything up a little bit. It's also a really good technique to keep those split ends that love to knot up with each other in line in between haircuts. Just make sure you are still holding your hair in between two fingers like I know you've been doing this whole time. If you let the hair sit in anything other than a straight line you risk taking out a huge chunk when all you wanted was to take a little snippet.

Once you're satisfied with it all, you're done. Restyle and see what you think. You may have to spend the next few days trimming stray hairs here and there, which is perfectly fine. Just keep in mind that if this is the first time you're attempting to cut your hair yourself you won't have salon quality results.

Also, just another quick note: I NEVER cut my bangs wet. Your hair shrinks a little bit as it dries, meaning what may ahve been the perfect length right out of the shower will be too short later. I've been there, and it's not fun, so I suggest just not trying it.

Why You Should Buy Salon Brands From a Salon

    Have you ever wondered why your favorite hair products have "sold only in professional salons" on their labels even though you can find most of them and drugstores now-a-days? The answer: diversion. Basically people get hired to go into salons and buy obscene amounts of one product while it is on sale. Then, they get sent to wherever they're going only to be sold to drugstores and supermarkets. These products can be old and expired, or not even what is marked on the packaging. When I got the diversion talk at work my manager told me about someone he knew who had run out of his favorite Paul Mitchell hair spray. Being a stylist, he was hesitant to pick up the spray at the corner store, but since he desperately needed he went against his better judgement. And he woke up to a horrible rash all over his scalp, although he had never had a problem before. The contents of the bottle, whatever they were, were not the spray he needed and he was now out $10. When I'm out shopping myself I check out the prices of products we carry at the salon I work at, and the drugstore "everyday low prices" are consistently $2-$4 more expensive than ours.
    I'm not trying to say that everything in the drugstore is dangerous, but check the labels. If it's something simple like Suave or the drugstore brand you'll be perfectly fine; if the label says something like "only available at professional salons" trust your instincts. One-stop shopping isn't always as convenient as it likes to make you think, and with one or more salon in nearly every mall, there is no reason to take a little detour and pick it up where you can be sure it's what you're looking for in that bottle.

Using Manic Panic or Color Jamz Dyes

Bright unnatural hair colors are an idea that I like to think everyone flirts with at least once in their lifetime. For those of you ready to take the plunge, here are some tips and tricks I have learned after experimenting for the last six years:

-Ask your boss or parents first. Some companies do allow it, some don't. It's better to know before you have to get sent home from work without pay. Or grounded.
-Do not bleach hair to white or anything close to it. If it ends up anything lighter than the pale yellow that the packaging suggest you have it may not take in any of the color.
-Do not expect it to drastically change the color of dark hair. It works by staining so although some shades can tint brown hair, you're not going to end up pink without some bleach. This is a good alternative to using boxed dyes for darker shades of red since the color will fade out before a root touch up is necessary.
-Do not try to bleach out one color to move on to the next: it doesn't work. If there's a big difference between the two, say green and red, just wait for the ugly fade-out period to pass.
-Do take the time to use a brush to apply around your part and hairline or you will end up with stained skin. For this same reason, always wear gloves when applying.
-Rub/comb the dye though your hair until it starts to get frothy. This way you know you're not missing any sections, and for some reason it just seems to work a little better.
-Ignore the recommended 30 minutes on the package. Because these dyes only work by staining your hair you aren't ever in danger of over-processing. So wrap your head up in tin foil, but a bag on your hair and a towel on your pillow and sleep in it.
-If you don't have the time or the patience to sleep with it in, at least blast it with a blow dryer every few minutes for however long you leave it in. It makes the colors a little more vibrant, they stay a little better, and if you do want to sleep with them in it dries the dye up a little bit so it's not such a sloppy mess.
-Cold showers are your friend. Warm water opens the cuticle allowing the color to escape.
-Touch up as often as you like. Again, there is no chemical processing unless you're bleaching, so feel free to touch it up as soon as you aren't happy with the vibrancy.
-Don't be afraid to be bold. Mix and match colors, do fades or tips, whatever you want! Need ideas to get a start? Go here!

Stellar: Green Grind

Manic Panic: Purple Haze

Color Jamz: Wildfire Red

Color Jamz: Candy Apple Red

 

Styling Oils/Serums

     Gone are the days of plastering down flyaways with pomades, putties, or spray. Thanks to brands like MOROCCANOIL  styling oils and serums have been in the spotlight lately, and honestly they are a great addition to your beauty regimen if you know how to use them properly. Since it is easy to go overboard and look like you haven’t washed your hair in weeks (which doesn’t look good on anyone, I promise) let’s take a look at these products.

    There are two main categories: the clear formulas and the amber-colored ones.

 Clear formulas: Enjoy Shine and Smooth, Silk Sexy Hair Frizz Eliminator, Biosilk Silk Therapy, Biolage Smooth Therapie Smoothing Serum, Matrix Essentials Sleek.Look Sealing Serum, and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.

Amber-Colored Formulas: Enjoy Hair and Skin Treatment Oil, Enjoy Intensive Hair and Skin Treatment Oil, Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal, Orofluido Beauty Elixer for Your Hair, Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil, and CHI Silk Infusion.

    Besides the obvious color difference the biggest difference between the two types is that the clear serums contain silicone, while the amber ones contain ingredients such as Argan oil and safflower oil so they’re more natural (not to be confused with “all-natural”). Personally, I have found it easier to overdo it with the clear formulas since they seem to sit on your hair more, while the amber formulas absorb into the hair itself. Both groups give you the same frizz fighting power, amazing shine, heat protection, and can reduce drying time when used on wet hair.

     So now that you’ve been introduced it’s time for the application. Start off with a small amount, such as a dime size or less; you can always add more but the only way to take it away is to completely wash and start from scratch. Rub it around to coat your hands evenly and then begin finger-combing it through, always starting at the ends and working upwards. The idea is that by the time you get to the top of your head you have much less product on your hands so you’re less likely to overdo it. Continue working until you’ve made it through your whole head, and there you have it. You use the same application for wet and dry, and most certainly can do both; for instance, I wash my hair every few days so when I wash I apply it to wet hair, and then do a dry application every day until I wash again.

Before:

 After:

 

*End note: some brands have shine sprays. I avoid those at all costs because whether in an aerosol or pump bottle it is much too easy to go overboard. If you’re still afraid of using something with oil right in the name on your hair, Bed Head makes a cream version called After Party that does the same job.

First Post!

Hello! Please bear with me as I try to figure this whole thing out. I've wanted to start a beauty blog for a while and just never followed through with the plan. However, I have enough posts already together that this should all start to pull together fairly soon. Thanks for your patience! =]