All About Hair: To Trim Or Not To Trim

(source) I love her hair

Trimming Of The Ends

So, the age old question is: does trimming your ends make your hair grow faster?  Some swear by regular trims and some swear them off.  I've done tons of research and have come to my own conclusion; I do not believe that trimming your ends will make your hair grow any faster.

Hair grows from your scalp, not from your ends.  Nothing you do to the ends of your hair will make your hair grow any faster.  I will be careful in making this statement, because there is indeed some benefit to keeping your ends trimmed.  Trimming your ends keeps a neater appearance and prevents split ends from splitting higher up the the hair shaft and and causing additional damage.

With that being said, it's not necessary to trim all of your hair on a regular basis for hair growth.  If you're not so concerned about neatness, you can bypass regular trim sessions and go for the "seek and destroy" method.  This method consists of locating only the hairs that are split and snipping them off.  This method prevents you from unnecessarily snipping of healthy hairs and retaining more of your length in the long run.

How To:  Section your hair into small sections. I usually part down the middle and then section each side into 4 smaller sections.  I check each section for split ends and cut only the ends that are damaged.

For those of you that live by trims, this post isn't meant to discourage you from your routine.  Everyone is entitled to do what they feel works best for them.  This is just another trimming option.

Fashion Fun: Thriftstore Finds

If you've perused my Youtube channel, you will have come across a few videos dedicated to my vanglorious (I made that word up) fashion finds that I found while shopping at Thrift Stores and Good Will.  I can't tell you how many quality, brand name things I find that are in good condition and at a fraction of the price!

I am now a seasoned vet when it comes to these places.  When I find something that I really like, I make sure to check the item for any tears, stains or fading.  I look mostly for brand name quality items so that I know they won't fall apart when I get them home to wash them.  I find all types of designer brands for insane prices.

Thrifting isn't for everyone.  Believe me, when I'm looking for a thrifting buddy, I hear things like; "I don't like wearing other people's clothes", "I hate looking for things in those places",  "it smells weird".  My response is to just give it a try!  After a couple of trips, and a couple of awesome finds, I can almost guarantee that any reservations you have about thrifting if not completely eliminated, they will at least be diminished.

For those of us that love thrifting, there's nothing like the rustic smell of used clothing, trinkets and accessories. You step inside the building and a feeling of euphoria washes over you.  It's not just because of the savings.  A real thrifter knows, it's the thrill of the hunt that entices you.  There's nothing like finding an extremely unique, vintage, or designer item of which you know you will pay less that anyone will every believe.  So exciting!  If that's not a good enough reason for you to give thrifting a try, hey, it's recycling and it's good for the environment :)

For those who are new to thrifting, I attached one of my thrifting vides below to give you and idea of some of the things you can find.

Fashion Fun: The Art Of Accessorizing

These photos are from one of my favorite magazines, Elle.  I picked out these photos in particular because of the things chosen as accessories.  

Accessorizing an outfit is somewhat of an art. Accessories can essentially make or break an outfit.  If you do it correctly, it can add so much more definition and style.  The chose the top photo because it shows,  by simply adding a long strand of pearls and pearl embellished earrings, it can give a plain white shirt some glamor and sensuality.  Try to imagine this same outfit with a gold necklace or even a black string of pearls and it completely changes the look and feel of the outfit.

If you're new to accessorizing, I suggest you start out by picking up a few fashion magazines just to get an idea of things you can do, and after that, start experimenting!  Try different colors, textures and patterns and see what works and what doesn't.  You'll be surprised what colors and patterns end up looking great together.

Accessorizing Tips:
*Mix different patterns  (e.g. stripes & flowers, bold & plain, animal prints & bright colors, etc.)
*Play with different textures (e.g. corduroy & silk, lace & denim, leather and feathers, etc.)

Overall, just be a little more daring and have fun with it!  Instead of making your shoes match exactly with your bag, and your bag match exactly  with your jewelry, try adding a pop of color to an item that you're wearing that doesn't necessarily "match" with your color scheme.  This gives you a more fashion forward look and can give a regular looking outfit a little more boom bang  baby! :)

Shea Butter: What Are Its Benefits

What Is Shea Butter Anyways?


I get lots of question about shea butter and its benefits.  Questions like: What is shea butter? Is it good for my hair and skin?  Can I moisturize my hair with it?  I will attempt to answer some questions you may have about shea butter and its benefits.

What is shea butter?
Shea Butter is extracted from the nuts of the Shea-Karite tree. It can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid.  Most Shea butter comes from West Africa although East Africa has began harvesting shea butter as well.  Shea Butter is solid at room temperature and becomes liquid at body temperatures. This type of butter would be considered unrefined or raw.  Shea butter is a natural product, therefore the color and consistency can vary depending upon where and how it is harvested.

What does it look like?
Unrefined (raw) shea butter looks like the picture above. Refined shea butter looks pretty much the same but white in color and little more solid in consistency.  Raw shea butter has a mild nutty smell where refined shea butter has little or no smell at all.

Can I use it on my hair and skin?
Shea butter has proven healing and moisturizing properties that are a benefit to both hair and skin. 

• For Skin- It has been shown to relieve skin conditions like eczema, rashes, dry skin, sun burn, acne, minor burns, evening out skin tone, stretch mark prevention and softening dry skin and much more.
• For Hair- shea butter itself is not a moisturizer, however it does help to retain moisture in the hair and has an excellent source of vitamin A, E and F.

*When using shea butter for your hair, I would suggest applying a water based leave in conditioner or water based moisturizer of your choice and using the shea butter to seal in the moisture.  In my opinion oils and butters on their own are not "moisturizers" because that would imply that they contain water, therefore you should use a true moisturizing product prior to using it in order to get the maximum benefit.

Should I use Unrefined or Refined?
This really is a preference thing.  If the nutty smell of the unrefined butter isn't a problem for you, I'd recommend using the unrefined butter because the unrefined butter will have retained more of its vitamin and healing properties where as the refined butter's properties will have been compromised during the refining process.

Where can I buy it?
I buy my shea butter from a vendor at a local store in my area.  If you don't have access to local vendors, you may want to try Amazon.com or Ebay.com.  I've heard that there are some reputable dealers for shea butter there.  I suggest that you browse the customer reviews to get a feel for the quality of the product and the seller.

Skincare: Healthy Skin Is Always In

(source)her skin is gorgeous! 

Sometimes we neglect  what is the largest external organ of the human body, the skin! Our skin is exposed to so many different elements on a daily basis.  Between sun exposure, showers, baths, swimming and so much more, we really need to make sure we have a regimen to protect our skin and keep it looking younger, longer.

Cleansing Tips
Hot showers and baths strip our skin of its natural oils.  These oils gives our skin a thin layer of protection from our environment and help preserve the youthfulness of our skin by retaining moisture.  It's best to take your shower in warm water and minimize your shower time to 10 minutes.  If possible, avoid baths all together!  This is especially hard for me, because I love a long bath.  On occasion I do treat myself to a bath, however, I see the difference in my skin by limited the number of baths I take.  If you have hard water, you may wanter to purchase a water softener. Culligan makes an inexpensive shower filter that appears to have received good reviews.  I do not have hard water in my area, so for those of you that do, a link to the filter is here.

Cleansers
Harsh soaps and detergents used to cleanse the skin strip our skin of its oils.  "Soap cleansers are alkaline, which are damaging to the skin," says Dr. Christina Steil, a dermatologist with a practice just outside Chicago.  Try using a mild soap, particularly one designed for sensitive skin, or replace your traditional soap with an oil-infused shower gel.  After showering, gently pat—don't rub—the skin partially dry with a towel. Then apply a moisturizer to seal the water into the skin before it can evaporate.  Me personally, rather than lotion, I prefer something with a thicker consistency.  I like to seal my skin with natural body butters.  They leave my skin extremely soft!

Sun Protection
So you love the sun?  The sun is a wonderful source of vitamin D and is just fun to play it, however its rays are extremely damaging and aging.  If you have dark skin and think that this doesn't apply to you, you are wrong.  Sunscreen is a MUST for all ages and skin tones.   If you are going to be in the sun, apply sunscreen to any part of your body that is exposed to the sun, including your face.  If you have sensitive skin, you may have to try a few products to see what works best for you.  To be on the safe side, you'll want an SPF of at least 30 and it should be applied every 2 hours or so.  Use things like hats and sunglasses for additional protection.  

My Product Favorites (can be found at your local drugstore)
  *Shower Gel  -Nivea Sensual Beauty Cream Oil 
  *Body Butter -Burt's Bees Therapeutic Honey Shea Butter Body Butter
  *Sunscreen   -Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF-30 (for my face)
                        -Aveeno Continuous Protection, Sunblock Spray SPF 50 (for my body)

Overall, just love the skin you're in.  Remember to protect it so that you can reap the benefits of healthy, younger looking skin!

Drugstore Makeup: Top 5 Mascaras

Top 5 Drugstore Mascaras

#5  Maybeline-Lash Stilleto
Pros- The s-shaped brush allowed me to grab each and everyone of my lashes with ease.  It seperated my lashes well and it didn't clump and my lashes did appear to be a lot longer. 

Cons- My lashes were really stiff.  The product didn't make my lashes as thick as I like them to look.

              

#4  L'oreal Hip-High Intensity Pigment  

Pros- Thickens lashes really well and lengthens. seperates lashes well and leaves lashes with a little flexibility.

Cons- After a several coats, it will clump a bit, so you just have to be careful with the application.

 #3  L'oreal-Original Voluminous
Pros- Thickens and lenghtens lashes. Leaves lashes with flexibility. Seperates really well. 

Cons- Product seems to dry out kind of fast, but that could be becaue I use it so often too!

 #2  Rimmel-Extra Super Lash
Pros- Lenghthens, seperates, thickens, and leave lashes flexible. The brush picks up every lash.

Cons- None

#1  Maybeline-The Falsies Volume Express
Pros- The unique brush allows you to brush your lashes in a way that no other brush does. It lengthens, thickens and seperates.  The shape of the brush makes application super easy and is also what gave it a slight advantage over the Rimmel brand.  I picked this up as a recomendation from one of my favorite bloggers Living Fly On A Dime.

Cons- None

Home Remedies: The Wonders Of Green Tea

Green Tea To The Rescue

The benefits of green tea have been known to not only do wonders for the body,  but also for the skin and hair.  It's been found to help prevent certain cancers, assist with flushing harmful toxins from the body, assist with weight loss, hair loss and so many more benefits.  Not only can you drink it, but you can place it directly on your skin and hair to reap the benefits of its rich antioxidants!

As A Refresher/Toner for your face
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tsps. of organic green tea leaves

Bring the water to a boil.  Place the tea leaves in a clean glass or ceramic bowl, pour in the boiling water, and allow them to steep for  2 to 3 minutes.  Strain the tea leaves and allow to cool.   Pour the tea into a mister bottle and spritz onto your face.  Do not rinse off.
Your face will feel super refreshed and your skin will be more tight and toned.  you can purchase green tea from a tea store or a whole foods store. I purchase online at Choice Organic Teas, found here.

As A Face Mask
-1  egg
-3 drops of fresh lemon juice
-3 tsps of green tea powder

You want to start by first mildly washing your face.  In a glass bowl, add the egg, the powdered green team, and three drops of lemon juice. Stir the ingredients well with a spoon. Slowly add honey to the mixture to form a thick paste.  Apply the green tea mask to your face using your fingers. Cover all areas of your face with the exception of the eye area.  Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing the mask off with cold water. Apply a light moisturizing cream after rinsing.
This stuff leave your face feeling amazing!!  I can't get enough of it!  You can purchase powdered green tea at the same places mentioned above.

For Shiny/Healthy Hair
Simply drinking green tea daily,  along with using hair products that contain green tea, can make a big difference in the health of your hair.  Give this a try: Start drinking a cup of green tea daily, along with giving yourself a 5 minute scalp massage daily.  For an added boost, add one of my favs to you regular hair care regimen, which is Aubrey Organics Green Tea Finishing Cream Rinse, here.  You should start to see some improvements in the overall health of your hair.
I hope this helps, and if you give any of these a try, I wanna hear from you!  Be sure to come back and comment with your results!
Note:You should consult your physician if for some reason health issues prevent you from adding teas to your diet.