My Plan B Hair Products

I recently did a post on my staple hair products and they are the Komenuka Bijin Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner. However, there are times when I run out and have to refer to other products that achieve similar if not the same results. I call these products my plan B hair products.

One thing that is a must for me is that the smell has to be light. I don't like my hair products smelling like a fruity tropical punch. So, the products I mention in this post are not only pleasant for the nose but does a wonderful job on my hair as well. I use the Jason Natural Cosmetics Shampoo with Grapefruit and aloe. It is amazing. It smells wonderful and it cleans my hair without stripping it.The consistency is creamy and it's not as opaque as the Komenuka Bijin. It's important that you only wash your hair with this once because if you shampoo twice with this, your hair will feel stripped. However, if you like that stripped feeling (some do because that's how they are certain their hair is clean) go for it!










I condition my hair with a product called Soo-Ae if I run out of the Komenuka Bijin hair treatment (conditioner and treatment are synonymous). It is from a Korean based company and the smell is so pleasant. I get it at my local Asian Market so I never worry about not being able to find it. It's not readily available online but there is another conditioner I use too: Aussie Moist. Aussie Moist doesn't achieve the same superior result like Soo-Ae but it's close. Most people know of how awesome Aussie Moist is. For the price, it does a wonderful job at moisturizing hair. All products that I have mentioned help to detangle my hair--even the shampoo. I think it's so essential that everyone finds what works for their hair. These products work for my hair. Try them out: they may work for you too!

Find out more about Soo-Ae here.

It's Such a Good Feeling...

This came in the mail for me and I'm so excited!!!! I love talking about fashion, hair care, and skin care but besides music, one of my biggest passions is ending the New Slave Trade. Slavery still exists unfortunately but there is a way you can help. There is a company called Hello Rewind that has found a unique way to fund the recovery of former sex slaves. You send in an old T-shirt (or in my case, beautiful gold fabric) and they sew a custom laptop sleeve for you!

"You're super awesome.
 With this sleeve you're making a difference in the lives of international sex trafficking survivors in New York City."

 "Sex trafficking isn't solely a third world or developing country issue. Over 17 thousand people are sex trafficked into the U.S. each year. Even when women are rescued from trafficking, the journey to rebuild their lives is a difficult one. In response, Hello Rewind supports Restore NYC to provide language training, job skills and financial opportunity to survivors in New York City. All profits further our mission to help trafficking survivors achieve economic freedom."

The sewing is impeccable and durable.

The inside is made with soft felt-like material to protect your laptop.

"Hello Rewind"

I'm so happy. I get such a good feeling everytime I look at this laptop sleeve. It's so beautiful but the cause is even more beautiful.

There are people with an overwhelming amount of need out there and this is one little way to help!

http://www.hellorewind.com/

Make Your Own Hair Tie!

Step 1: Get an old pair of stockings you won't use anymore. Just because you have a run in it doesn't mean the whole thing is ruined.

Step 2: After cutting off the toe, cut a strip of the pantyhose with the width of about half an inch.

This is what it will look like. With this strip you can also wrap individual pieces of your hair to achieve amazing heat-free curls. (More on that later...)

Step 3: Because the strip is so stretchy it will be super wide. You'll have to wrap it around your ponytail about 7 times. Instead: double it up so it's half the length.

It will look like this!

There you have it! Easy breezy hair ties that are gentle and effective.

My Pre-Shampoo Homemade Hair Mask

Instead of buying a hair mask, I make my own and it's only TWO ingredients. Just two! Simplicity. Simplicity. Simplicity.








Section off hair in small manageable sections. In a medium bowl, add two tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then add the flesh of half of an avocado. Mash very well. You may need to play around with the portions depending on your hair length.

The consistency should be like thick yogurt. Begin applying it to your hair section by section. Make sure to apply it throughout the entire shaft especially the ends. Once applied to all sections, I like to release all the sections and use the remainder of the mask to my ends, edges, or wherever I missed. I then tie my hair up in an Odango bun (high bun) so it stays off my neck and leave it on for about 30 minutes to an hour. It will harden--that's ok, it's suppose to. :-)

Afterwards, I wash my hair as usual. With one use, my hair feels so silky and smooth. Hope you all get the same results. Enjoy!

Eye Baggage?

Hi all! Sometimes stress or lack of sleep can contribute to under eye troubles including bags and discoloration. My skin isn't perfect but I did have bags underneath my eyes and after doing two things, they have reduced. From what I read about eye baggage; there is usually fluid packed in there and so the fluid needs to be redistributed. I lifted my eyebrows, then tried to close my eyes, and held it there for about five seconds. It will feel a little odd after you release. I did this three times each night for about ten days and I noticed a huge difference. In conjunction with this little exercise, I also used two products:

I use the Korres Wild Rose Firming and Brightening Serum for both my face and eyes during the day to protect my skin from the elements outside. I love that this product is not just for eyes. I use it on my face and neck as well. It is packed with vitamins and minerals. I've been using it for a few years now and I'm very happy with the results! I'm obsessed with Korres and have fallen in love with their entire natural skin care products. They are based in Greece and I'm so happy their products are available here in the USA. I can't wait for them to expand and have stores all over the country!








I also use the Komenuka Bijin Eye Moist Jell. I just started using this products a few months ago and I have to say I'm very impressed. A little goes a long way which is very important and economical. You can also use this product on any lines you have or future lines you may have. I use it on my potential laugh lines as well. I prefer using this at night because it's really slippery and greasy. By morning, it's fully absorbed and I'm always pleased with waking up to a moisturized face.

My Hair Obsession: Komenuka Bijin!!!!

I am NOT a product junkie! I am a firm believer in less is more; living a minimalist life is best in my opinion. I am done searching for a shampoo and conditioner. The Komenuka Bijin Moisturizing Shampoo and Komuneka Bijin Hair Treatment (Conditioner) is phenomenal for my curly hair. Both the shampoo and conditioner detangle my hair and leave it feeling clean and moisturized. What I love about them is that they are paraben free and sulfate free and rely primarily on Rice bran. (Even their skin care products contain Rice bran but for now I'm a Korres skin gal!) There is even Ginseng and Seaweed in the ingredients. The shampoo has the ability to be clarifying depending on how long you keep in your hair. If you do a quick scrub and rinse, it definitely cleanses your hair but it isn't clarifying. However, if you scrub and then leave it on your hair for three minutes you feel the difference. It will remove ALL build up on your hair. I use it on both my scalp and hair and before I apply the conditioner, my hair is clean yet soft.


The conditioner has the ability to function as a deep treatment as well. So, I leave it on for about three to five minutes and once I wash it out my hair is moisturized, supple, and left with a sweet scent that remains for days. It is moderately priced and I believe it's worth every cent! Plus: you do not need a great deal of product to get the job done so it will last a long time. Komenuka Bijin has a sample pack which usually includes this shampoo and conditioner and, of course, their other products. For four dollars, how can you not try it out? :-) Also: if you're a student, make sure to sign up for the student program with Amazon.com because you get amazing deals on textbooks and a year of two-day shipping. Woohoo!!! Check it out and tell me what you think.

Why I Went Natural

I have grown to love my natural hair but there was a time when I didn’t love it so much. During my high school years I would blow-dry and flat iron my hair every week. To make matters worse, my hair was relaxed. It wasn’t until I entered college I decided to go natural but not because I wanted to live a natural and organic lifestyle: I became exceedingly fed up with paying so much money to have it relaxed and spending so much time with my hair. I felt like I was enslaved by my own hair. I didn’t want my hair to dictate my lifestyle. I didn’t cut off all my relaxed hair like a great deal of newly naturals usually do; instead, I just stopped getting a relaxer. I wanted my natural curls to be long enough to pull back in a ponytail so I waited about ten months until I let my hairdresser chop off every relaxed and damaged hair. I was so pleased!!! If it rained, I didn’t have to run for cover for fear my hair would curl back up. I spend much less time with my hair these days and I’ve discovered how versatile my hair always was. I’m glad that I’ve finally let my hair be what it always wanted to be: itself.