Friday, June 6, 2014

Should I Switch Up to a Sulfate Free Shampoo?

So you've heard the hype about how much better sulfate free shampoos are for your hair. At first only higher end brands made sulfate free shampoos, which meant your wallet health weakened so your hair could get stronger. But now even drugstore brands are starting to offer the sans-sulfate option. So what should you do? While that choice is ultimately yours, I can offer you my experiences to help you make your decision.

If regular shampoos seem too harsh for your hair, you may want to seriously consider switching. Most shampoos are good at cleaning hair, but they aren't gentle about it. Many of the cleaning agents used in shampoos strip your hair of the natural goodness it needs. This can make hair dry, weak, and brittle- giving it an overall unhealthy look. A sulfate free shampoo helps ease up the stress your hair takes during cleansing.

NOTE: sometimes dry brittle hair can be a symptom of a medical condition, so please keep track of your symptoms and speak with a doctor.

If your hair has been put through the ringer, it may also be a good idea to switch up just to give your hair a break somewhere. Harsh hair styles, hairsprays, hot tools, teasing... it all really takes a toll on the fragile strands of hair. If you have a nice damage repairing shampoo that works for your hair, there may be no need to switch up what you are doing.

Of course, you should always use a heat protectant to help prevent the damage in the first place.

A moisturizing shampoo may help your hair situation. It is my experience that moisturizing shampoos don't dry my hair out, but they also don't add any moisturizing benefits. (I believe this is because the moisturizing properties are
cancelled out by the harsh detergents that they share a shampoo bottle with.) I have notice moisturizing and sulfate free shampoos do improve the softness of my hair.

So if you have weak or dry hair, I recommend the switch. Personally, I have had an amazing experience after making the switch. Spending a few extra bucks per bottle is more than worth it. I have been experimenting with which sulfate free shampoo/conditioning pair that I like best. But I have loved each type that I have tried, something that I cannot say about standard shampoos. My hair is so much healthier than it used to be, and every time that I have to use regular shampoo again, I feel a little pang of guilt towards my hair.

*I do not own the pictures on this page. I found them on Google. If these are your pictures and you would like me to take them down, please let me know and I will gladly do so.*

Sunday, May 25, 2014

How To Make Your Shave Last







So in my last post I spoke about exfoliating. This got me thinking about shaving. Whenever the stubble decides to reveal itself (which is annoyingly often), a little part of me groans and thinks, "ugh not again." At this point some of you might be thinking, "why doesn't she just get a wax?" Well, I am a very busy person who doesn't want to put the time, money, or pain into waxing. So if you are like me and are simply looking to get the most out of each shave, let me share with you some things that I have learned along the way.

1. Exfoliate. By getting all of the dead skin out of the way, your razor can get closer to the root of your hair, giving you a smoother shave. If you aren't quite sure about exfoliating, my previous post goes over the basics. If you're really in a pinch, just wash your legs with a loofah.





2. Shave gel/lotion. I have yet to be able to get my hands on it, but Noxzema makes a shave gel that has helped to extend the period between shaves. So if you can find it in any brand, I suggest finding a hair minimizing/ shave extending shave gel. The one that I use is Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel, and I absolutely love it.





3. Keep your razor clean. The better you take care of your razor, the longer it will give you a good performance. Dull or nicked razors will not only be uncomfortable, but will also not give a good close shave.





*If you use an electric razor, still exfoliate, it will help you get a closer shave as well.

Don't forget to moisturize when you are done. Your legs will thank you. And while to some these may seem like simple steps, when I was first shaving I certainly didn't follow them. I had no idea what exfoliating was and I never moisturized after. It got to the point where if I shaved in the morning, I would feel like I needed to again that night. By employing these steps I can now go about 2- 3 days between shaves.


*I do not own the pictures on this page. I found them on Google. If these are your pictures and you would like me to take them down, please let me know and I will gladly do so.*

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Exfoliating for Beginners





If you are thinking of self-tanning or just want to get a closer shave, exfoliating is an essential step. Exfoliating gets all of the dead skin cells off and leaves you with a smooth skin surface. So how might one go about exfoliating? Body scrubs are the way to go and there a few types to choose from. These vary from the kind you find in jars that are very grainy to body wash styled mixtures that are much more lotion than grain.
So how to choose?

More Grain the Lotion: This scrub takes a bit more effort, though it is still fairly low maintenance. Just be careful if you have sensitive skin when you are shopping. Smaller grains are more likely to work with sensitive skin. Though if your skin is very sensitive, you may want to go with the more lotion filled kind of exfoliator.


More Lotion than Grain: This can still be extremely grainy, but varies from the first style. This style is easier to spread and apply because there is also the lotion mixed in. Of course, typically the lotion consistency is made up of body wash and possibly oils for moisturizing.




A Lot More Lotion than Grain: This style is typically a body wash infused with exfoliators like micro beads or other more natural ingredients. This is the most low maintenance style because it happens as you wash off in the shower. This type is also usually the most delicate for those who have sensitive skin.




The exfoliator that I personally have been loving for the last handful of months is Skin Below The Chin's Vanilla Body Scrub that contains Moroccan Argan Oil. It is of the body wash variety, but is very densely packed with exfoliators.




*Pictures were sourced via a Google image search. I don't own them. If an image is yours and you would like me to take it down, just let me know and I would be happy to do so*

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Are Your Age Rewind Sponges Breaking?

So I have heard a lot of complaints about the Maybeline Age Rewind Concealer sponges breaking. This can
be particularly annoying because of how the product is built: you need the sponge tip to be able to use the product.While I cannot help you once your sponge has come off, I do have some advice about preventing it from ever breaking:

-Tap Don't Swipe: When applying the product it is easy to want to swipe the sponge across the areas that need the concealing. Try to avoid this. Just tap and dot on the product, this puts less strain on the sponge tip. The swiping motion can pull at the sponge and cause it to fall off.

-Be gentle: If you do feel the need to swipe the product on if you are using it as a highlight or covering a large area, be gentle. Applying minimal pressure will also help to lessen the strange on these sponges.

I have been using my particular Age Rewind for a few months now and I have had no troubles with my sponge tip, so if you find that you like the formula, but are having issues with the packaging, try tapping on the product.

*I do not own the pictures on this page. I found them on Google. If these are your pictures and you would like me to take them down, please let me know and I will gladly do so.*

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog. I have finally decided to get serious about blogging so that I have another platform to use so that I can share my information. Currently I share information with fellow makeup lovers through my Youtube channel. If you have stumbled across this blog, please stick around for what's to come. I plan on bringing you reviews and tutorials and anything else that has to do with makeup that I can share with you.

So why stay tuned to this blog and listen/read this person's opinions? What makes her worth listening to? Well, my reader, let me tell you... and I promise I am not doing this to brag:
I have lots of experience playing around with makeup. From junior high on my allowance has jumped right out of my pockets and into the hands of the makeup companies. Even now, past the age of allowance, I'm still losing my money to that magnetic force. Although now that money isn't just a hobby. I am currently getting certified as a makeup artist. So while my opinions are not the end all be all, pure fact, right way to do things, I feel that you will value what I have to say. Most of makeup is mastered through trial and error, and I am going to share with you my trial and error so that you can learn from my mistakes and whatnot.

So until this blog gets up and running, please take a look at my youtube channel to see some work that I have done and reviews that I have uploaded.
My channel