Out & Curly: New Hair Regimen

Side note: I'm wearing one of my favorite BB creams. A review coming soon! .-_-

I've been wearing my hair out and curly more often the past few months and I love it. Before, I would twist my hair or where my hair in updos. However, I didn't want to hide my hair anymore and I wanted something more easy and breezy. I currently implement a modified curly girl method which was first developed by Lorraine Massey.

I wash my hair with a gentle shampoo and conditioner. (Jasons Biotin Shampoo and the Jason Biotin Conditioner or Soo-Ae Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner).

I then apply the Giovanni Leave-In Conditioner to my hair in about four to six sections and then apply the Eco Styler Krystal Styling Gel by smoothing it into my hair without too much scrunching.

Once it dries, I use a little of the Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Anti-Frizz Serum to fluff and soften my hair. I flip my head and this is when I scrunch and this gets my curls extra bouncy!

To maintain my curls throughout the week, I wear a high odango type bun to bed. In the morning I apply a quarter size amount of the Rusk Brilliance Grapefruit & Honey Leave-In Cream Conditioner to my hair especially the ends, fluff a little, and go. I'm all about low manipulation but keeping my hair moisturized.

That's it! It's so simple. I never thought styling my hair could be so easy! .-_-

Another side note: the BB cream I'm wearing has an spf of 75. Woohoo! .-_-

French Alternative Braid

Watching cerinebabbyish's hair tutorials on youtube is such inspiration for growing out my hair. I want to have long curly hair and not long straight hair so I have awhile until my curly hair is at the length I desire. This youtuber has invented the alternative braid which I'm LOVING. In the tutorial below she demonstrates how to do a french alternative braid. This style is based on a hairstyle in a k-drama called Love Rain. I think she did a very fine job. Enjoy! .-_-

Seashell Bun

As I've mentioned previously, cerinebabbyish is one of my favorite hairstyling youtube gurus. She is amazing. This is one of my favorites from her channel so I had to share it. I can't wait for my hair to be long enough to try it. I could do this hair if I blowdried it straight but I think I'll wait until my hair is curly AND long. Enjoy! .-_-

Hair and Sun Damage

Yes, you can suffer sun damage in the Winter. My favorite weather is when the sun is shining and there is snow on the ground. Beautiful! It's possible for your hair to suffer sun damage! Though my hair is curly and not colored treated, sun damage can make the hair appear dry, brittle, and the sun can actually fade the natural color of your hair. I LOVE my black hair. If I could get it blacker I would but that isn't possible as it's already a deep black. It doesn't matter what season it is because UVA and UVB rays can still damage your hair. Here are three ways you can reduce sun damage on your tresses:

• Wear a hat. This is the best protection against the sun. Shielding your scalp and hair from the sun will keep it protected and moisturized.

• Apply sunscreen. When I apply sunscreen on my face I use the excess left on my hands and apply it to my strands especially the sections which will have direct exposure to the sun. If I'm doing a wash-and-go, I apply the sunscreen all over my hair and scrunch scrunch scrunch! The sunscreen I usually use on my face is the UNT sunscreen with spf 55. I also use the Oil of Olay sunscreen for sensitive skin spf 15 and Shiseido Ultimate Protection sunscreen with spf 55.

• Apply a good leave in conditioner. Extra hydration will prevent dryness and dullness. I use the Giovanni Direct Leave in. This is the best leave in conditioner I've ever used. A product review coming soon! .-_-

 Photo by graur razvan ionut

Grapeseed Oil: Nectar From Above

Grapeseed oil is my number one favorite oil. Checkout all the benefits this oil can do for you!

Fun Facts

• Full of antioxidants which help to slow down the aging process
• It helps to stop some of the enzymes that destroy collagen, elastin and other connective tissue
• Packed with vitamin E as it's good for topical use and ingesting
• Natural heat protectant for your hair
• Cholesterol free
• Has linoleic acid and omega-6 acid
• Has one of the lowest levels of saturated fat 
• Helps to clear up acne! It won't clog pores and is great for sensitive skin and oily skin
• Locks in moisture for both skin and hair
• Grapeseed oil is a great undereye "cream" and anti-wrinkle "cream"
• Good for the circulatory system and  helps to reduce varicose veins and spider veins
• Can be used to fry, bake, lubricate a squeaky door, etc. 
• Can be used to remove make up

How I Use Grapeseed Oil

• I use grapeseed oil to moisturize my hands after I wash them with handsoap. While it's still wet I rub it all over my hands and then pat dry. Who needs lotion? 

• Sometimes I store it in the shower and apply it to my wet body. Layering lotion or a body butter afterwards will provide amazing moisture especially in the winter months.

• Oil in the shower can be dangerous so a good alternative is to add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil to your lotion or body butter (per application) for extra hydration.

• When I'm removing my makeup I slather grapeseed oil on my eyes and wipe away with a soft tissue. Like magic, my heavy eye liner melts away.

• I add grapeseed oil to my leave in conditioner when I detangle my hair when it's wet. I also use it to lubricate my hair when I'm unraveling braids or twists. It adds great shine and softness.

• Because it's a natural heat protectant, I add a little oil before blowdrying and before flat ironing. It's also fabulous at taming flyaways. Check out my post on how I straightened my hair.

• At night, sometimes I seal all of my eye creams and eye serums with a dab of grapeseed oil . When I wake up my eyes seem more perky and definitely hydrated. 

Grapes:  Photo by Dan

Bottle of oil: Photo by m_bartosch

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.

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 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.