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Time is totally slipping passed me. I had no idea it's been over a month since I've last blogged. I know every blogger's excuse is "I've been busy" but seriously, I have been so caught up in work and life's curve balls that blogging totally slipped my mind. Once again, I'M SORRY for those of you that actually read my posts. I'll leave you guys with a quick update for now.
My two favorite holidays are coming up.. this is THEE happiest time of year for me. I've been dying for a Christmas tree since the beginning of October. It's almost time!! =D I haven't been shopping as much as I'd like because now it's all about having money for Xmas gifts! I've been on the broke side so far this month(lmaoo) but it's okay because this is the perfect time for me to give back to the people who have been there for me throughout the year and nothing makes me happier than seeing them happy! Time to put my selfish shopping habits aside. My Mom's birthday is at the end of this month too. Lucky her, she gets double the big gifts. =D She's way more than worth it.
But, enough about the holidays because I can go on forever. Let's see what I have coming up for you guys... HMM? I have two reviews that I can finally do. One is for a natural hair care book that I JUST finished reading last night! Pretty great read, I learned quite a bit, but I'll go more into that in a later post. The other is a nail product that I've been using that has worked miracles on the growth of my nails. The nail biter in me/my nerves butchered my growth this passed week, but that's ok.. they'll grow back fast and that I know for a fact!
I'm still in the process of finding what works best for my hair. When I ordered the book I mentioned earlier, I decided that I was gonna braid up most of my hair and sew in a weave, and so, I did! I feel like my hair needed a break from me as much as I needed a break from it..but I miss it now, and I'm ready to take it out after a week and two days. smh. I'm gonna keep it in until atleast friday, but im anxious to start my NEW journey with all of the things I've learned. I'm gonna start hair a book for myself to track what I'm doing.. to see what works, what doesn't and fill it with pics so I can see my own progress. Hopefully I can help atleast ONE person the way youtube and this book has helped me! I'm still excited about this natural thing. I can't wait to have no more straight ends.
If you guys are at all interested in keeping up with what I'm doing and get tired of waiting for me to blog..Again, check out my twitter: @miizvalentine ! I'm on there at least once a day, usually more.. and I babble about my hair, nails, and everything else quite often.
I'll definitely get those reviews to you on the fly! lol. But until then...
XOXO
I heard rave reviews about this oil from ladies with natural hair, so, I decided this would be the first of many products that I'd try throughout my transition. As far as I know, this oil is only available at Sally Beauty Supply(I shop there a lot, huh?)and it retails for $7.99($7.89 with Sally's Beauty Club Card).
WHAT IT CLAIMS:
Wild Growth Hair Oil is made of 100% natural ingredients that work together to condition, detangle and help you achieve longer-lasting presses.
Turn dry, tangled and hard to manage hair into softer, healthier hair without split ends and reduced breakage. Wild Growth Hair Oil will keep your tresses healthy from root to tip by conditioning the scalp and this will lead to longer, fuller hair that grows.
MY OPINION:
This oil makes my new growth soft and manageable for sure! That in itself is a WIN for me. I always read, and watch reviews for a product before I buy. The reviews for this one scared me a little. People were totally butchering the smell of this oil, and I almost didn't try it because who wants to walk around with stink hair? But, when I got it and smelled it for myself, I realized they were being really dramatic. I read "oh, how it smells like fish." "It makes me nauseous smelling it" all types of things, but truthfully, the smell really isn't that bad! And on top of it not being so bad, after about an hour or so after application, you can't even smell it anymore. It does smell like food. NOT fish, but food. But, it's a bareable smell, and for what it does for my hair? I can easily get over it. This oil is a bit heavy, so a little definitely goes a long way. If you use too much, your hair WILL be greasy. The bottle suggests using 5-15 drops. I've never really counted how many I use, but I have a lot of hair and I use about a nickel sized amount. I recently tried it for straightening my hair since it claims to work for longer lasting "presses". I'll have to get back to you guys on whether or not my straight hair lasted longer than usual because its only been 3 days. But, I have to say, for me to be 3 months and change post relaxer, my hair look and feels amazing. The bottle gives instructions on how much to use for different hair types. If you have dry, brittle hair, this is definitely going to be a life saver for you!
SO. I made the decision to no longer relax my hair about a month ago. It had already been 8 weeks since I'd last relaxed, and it was almost time for another.. But, I was totally inspired to throw my relaxer in the trash when I reunited with my big sis(yes, my blood sis! check out her blog =) ->> http://blaquebettyboop.blogspot.com)and saw how gorgeous her natural hair was! I mean, it was full, healthy, just plain beautiful so I mad the choice to finally see what my natural hair is like.
I've been getting relaxers since a very young age. I started out with the kiddie kits..I really don't remember what my hair was like before it, and felt like I couldn't survive without a relaxer. I've blogged in the past about my love, hate relationship with my hair. But, now it's all love and I'm ready to dive in head first on this journey!
Today, I am officially 3 MONTHS POST RELAXER!! =D My last relaxer was 07/06/10! I'm excited, and even more PROUD of myself. I was one of those girls who relaxed her hair as soon as my new growth felt the least bit unmanageable! I KNOW, it wasn't healthy for my hair, but I didn't care because I didn't know what to do with it without it being relaxed. BUT NOW!! I realize there are so many possibilities and hairstyles to try, and taking care of my hair has become my new hobby. It's SO much fun to me now that I've embraced what I felt like was so much trouble in the past. And now, I'm SO anxious to see what my natural hair is going to be like, and I can't wait to be free of my relaxed ends!
I'd be more than willing to take you guys with me through the ups and downs of my transition. Maybe share hairstyles that I come up with, and I've already began sharing my hair care products. If you're going natural also, or even if you're not and you're interested, let me know. I'll MAKE more time to post these things. =)
XXOX ;)
This is a line of shampoo and conditioner that I wanted to try once I decided to go natural(I'll speak more about my decision in a later post)! This line is sold at Sally Beauty Supply, and it retails for $9.49($8.49 if you're a Sally's beauty club member) each bottle. They were buy two get one free when I purchased!! Really great deal!
I originally went to Sally's to purchase the whole collection but, at the time they didn't have the oil treatment.
I ended up getting the Moisture Repair Shampoo, Conditioner and the Restorative Mask. The shampoo and conditioner are both sulfate, phosphate, and paraben free, which is awesome! I plan to go back to see if they have the oil in stock very soon. Right now, I'm using a different oil so I wasn't SO sad that they didn't have this one.. but I'm definitely going to try it!
WHAT IT CLAIMS:
One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo
One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo is a gentle cleansing formula that hydrates and restores moisture levels, improving the overall health and appearance of the hair. This formula is Sulfate, Phosphate and Paraben free, which makes it safe for chemically and color treated hair. Helps repair damage caused by chemicals, excessive heat from styling, and environmental factors.
One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Conditioner
One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Conditioner is a daily conditioner that helps reconstruct, detangle and replenish moisture levels, instantly nourishing dull, weak, and damaged hair. Helps repair and smooth the cuticle and helps improve the structure of the hair. Improves shine and manageability. Provides color protection.
One 'n Only Argan Oil Restorative Mask
One 'n Only Argan Oil Restorative Mask is formulated to help improve texture and manageability. Leaves hair looking healthy with incredible shine. Provides color protection and helps reverse damage caused by environmental factors, heat stress, and chemical color treatments.
____________
My Opinion: These products are definitely true to claim when it comes to providing moisture. The shampoo gives a GREAT lather and when it rinses out leaves your hair feeling so smooth and healthy.
The conditioner definitely makes it a breeze to detangle (which is a relief for my transition).. But, I find that with the conditioner, the front portion of my hair (which is bleached blonde) was a little harder to detangle. I'm thinking it has something to do with damage that the bleach caused because it's only harder to detangle that one part of my hair!
I didn't really see much difference in results between the Moisture Repair Conditioner and the Restorative Mask. My hair pretty much felt the same after using each one. The Restorative Mask is more of a deep conditioner, but they both give MY hair the same result.
I absolutely adore this line, and it has officially become a part of my hair care routine. I've been searching and searching for a shampoo and conditioner that I could stick to using and this is definitely it. It's perfect for someone like me who doesn't like greasy, weighed down hair because I don't have to use very much oil, or moisturizing products after my wash. Also, I forgot to mention how good it smells! I'm very satisfied with these products, and hopefully I'll love the oil just as much.(I will do a review on it once I've used it for a while.) This line is for all hair types, so I recommend it to anyone whose looking to try a new, great hair care line!
I've decided that I want to come to you guys every Tuesday(my day off), and review a product that I've tried. I'm not turning this into a beauty blog, but that's what I'm into(hair, nails, makeup), so I will blog about it every now and then! Let me know if you guys think this would be a good idea or not. And if you have more things that you want to see from me, feel free to drop a comment! ;)
__________________
The first product I'm bringing to you guys is Claire's "Mood" color changing polish.
Price: $5, buy on get one 50% off when purchased! I purchased two of them about a week ago, and so far I've only worn the pink one!
The pink polish changes from a Barbie pink(mood being "silly") to a darker pink(mood being "awesome")! And the "orangy coral" one changes from the "orangy coral" color(mood being "excited" to a very pale orange, almost beige(mood being "bored")! A lot of you know that I'm a nail polish fiend, so when I saw these I had to see what they were about!(they're both cream finishes, although the pink one seems as if it has shimmer in the bottle)
Now, I'm sure everyone has had a mood ring at some point in their life and you know its supposed to change according to "how you feel"! Whether you believe that there's truth behind the rings or not is up to you, but these polishes DON'T work that way! After wearing the pink one for a day, I realized that it actually changes according to temperature! When my hands were cold I got the darker pink color, and when they were warm, I got the Barbie pink color.
[cold, dry hands =X]
[warm hands, hopefully you can tell with the different lighting! I'll post better pics when I try out the orange one!]
My Opinion: I absolutely love the polishes and I'm going to get the rest of the colors that they offer. Of course it doesn't change according to your mood, but I find it pretty cool that the color changes period!! I recommend them to anyone who into nail polish like me! =D
I came across this little gadget on youtube(of course) and I thought to my self "I NEED THAT IN MY LIFE"!
(these pics were taken w| my cell phone. Excuse the quality, guess i'll use the digi next time!)
It's the Emjoi Soft Caress Epilator. An epilator is basically a bunch of tweezers that electrically rip hair out from the root. I know that sounds harsh but, that's what it does, in a nutshell.
(it comes with the actual epilator, a cleaning brush because you CANNOT put this model in water, a protective cover for the tweezer heads, a "finger massage" attatchment, a small loofah for exfoliating before and after epilating[not shown in picture because it's in my shower. ;)], a bag to carry it in, and a charger!)
My first question when I first saw this thing was "Omg, How bad does that hurt?" and let me tell you.. I'm not gonna sugar coat it the least bit, it hurts like HELL! BUT, so far, it is true to claim..it does remove the hair much longer than shaving. I can't exactly say that it lasts 4-6 weeks like the package says yet because I haven't had it that long, but I can say that the hair I did epilate hasn't grown back yet! With all of that said, I absolutely LOVE this thing! Yes, it hurts, but the pain is bearable. Especially if you're tired of shaving every 2-3 days like me!
I should also say that the pain will be different for everyone depending on your tolerance. If I had to compare it to something I've experienced, I would say it hurts more than getting a tattoo.. if you're really curious, yank out a hair, and imagine that pain multiplied because with this it pulls out more than one hair at a time! Word on the street is that the more you use it, the less it hurts..but again, I can't co-sign because I'm still waiting for the hair to grow back! (&that's a great thing!)
I ordered mine from beautychoice.com . It was $69.95 and shipped in about two weeks because it was on backorder. =/ They have a bunch of different models to choose from. Cheaper and more expensive. Go check it out if you're interested! I'm thiking of upgrading already, and I haven't had mine a month yet! ;)
Summer seems to be coming a little early this year! & of course, I can't wait!!
On May 27th, MAC will be launching a new collection called "To the beach"!
Lot's of bronzy and bright colors in this collection! I've already picked out what I'm getting[everything with a ♥ by it!], now, I'm interested to see what's on your wishlist!
The collection includes:
Eye Shadow – $14.50 U.S.|$17.50 CA
Sand & Sun: Light Peach (Matte)
Firecraker: Frosted Mid-Tone Red Orange (Veluxe Pearl)
Sweet & Punchy: Bright Yellow Green (Veluxe Pearl)
Shimmermoss: Green with Green Pearl (Veluxe Pearl)[♥]
Humid: Intense Green with Shimmer (Frost)[♥]
Lipstick – $14.00 U.S.|$16.50 CA
BeachBound: Sheer Frosted Pale Peach (Glaze)
Lazy Day: Light Dirty Blue Pink (Lustre)[♥]
Thrills: Rosy Copper with Gold Pearl (Frost)
FunBathing: Mid-Tone Bronzed Plum (CremeSheen)
Lipglass – $14.00 U.S.|$16.50 CA
Easy Lounger: Light Baby Pink with Multi-Dimensional Pear [♥]
Flurry of Fun: Sheer Sparkly Peach [♥]
Splashing: Mid-Tone Blue Pink with Soft Gold Pearl [♥]
Lip Pencil – $13.00 U.S.|$15.50 CA
Life’s a Breeze: Soft Pink [♥]
Temperature Rising: Loudmouth Orange [♥]
Eye Kohl – $14.50 U.S.|$17.50 CA
Float on By: Dark Green Turquoise [♥]
Rosemary & Thyme: Mid-Tone Olive Gold with Shimmer
Powder Blush – $18.50 U.S.|$22.00 CA
Hipness: Intense Coral with Soft White Pearl (Frost)
Get-Away Bronze: Mid-Tone SunTan (Frost)
High-Light Powder – $26.00 U.S.|$32.00 CA
Marine Life: Multicolour Pressed Powder [♥]
Nail Lacquer – $12.00 U.S.|$14.50 CA
In the Buff: Muted Taupe Avocado (Cream)
Scorcher: Creamy Bright Coral Red (Cream) [?]
MAC To The Beach Bag – $49.50 U.S.|$59.50 CA [♥]
Available at MAC Stores only.
Cream bronzer – $25.00 U.S.|$30.00 CA
Beach Bronze: Golden Glow with Soft Gold Finish
Weekend: Mid-Tone Deep Orange Brown with Soft Pink Pearl
Luster drops – $18.50 U.S.|$22.50 CA
Pink Rebel: Blue Pink with Gold Pearl
Sun Rush: Peachy Bronze with Gold Pearl
Bronzing Powder – $22.00 U.S.|$27.00 CA
Golden: Muted Golden Tan-Beige with Golden Shimmer
Refined Golden: Finely Spun Golden with Soft Pearl Finish
Bronze Body Oil – $22.00 U.S.|$27.00 CA
Glowing Tan with multidimensional Golden Shimmer
Brush 130 Short Duo Fibre – $38.00 U.S.|$45.50 CA
A short, round dual fibre with flat head composed of both natural bristles and synthetic fibers ideal for application with creams, emulsions & various powder products.
Brush 131 Short Duo Fibre Powder/ Blush- $34.00 U.S.|$41.00 CA
Flat, tapered face brush that contains a combination of short, natural, fibers and longer, fibre optic fibries ideal for light application and highlighting/ shading with various face powders; Ideally suited with mineralize skinfinish powder products.
XXOX
Source(photos&product list): chicprofile.com
