Hair Heaven!

Maybe I'm a bit late getting on the bandwagon, but I have to say that I'm in LOVE with CHI hair products! A couple months ago I won a makeup competition at Sears Department Store and resieved a $100 gift card to pretty much blow on anything. After buying two pairs of Betsey Johnson sunglasses that I managed to destroy in two weeks, I figured it was time to take a chance on something a little more durable.

I'd been having a huge hair crisis, my pink dye really wasn't lasting more than a week and it was driving me crazy. Though I was using a combination of different colour-safe shampoos and conditioners, I wanted to test out CHI's colour system to see if they were really worth the hype (and since it was essentially found money, I figured why not?).

Nothing but Facts..

• Wasn't a huge fan of the smell, to be honest, it kind of comes off as a men's deodorant. I didn't think I was too picky about my product smells, but this threw me off. All in all not terrible, just something that would have been nice to know.
• The shampoo's texture might be average, but the conditioner is on a level all it's own. It's so thick and silky, easy to see how this product is able to seal your cuticle. (think cream, but a ton heavier. Almost like liquid latex).
• You'll notice less frizz related to damage in your hair. Since the cuticle is being sealed, hair should be less knotted, frizzy, and dry. Really, it's a miracle for anyone who bleaches their hair consistently.
• Lastly, your colour is going to stay at least twice as long at the current vibrancy. My problem was I coloured some human extensions and the colour took really well, but they would only match perfectly for the first three washes. After using the colour system, my hair was going strong for two weeks before fading, and then another three weeks of a less vibrant pink (pretty good considering the frequency at which I wash my hair).

New Years Resolutions!

Sorry lovelies for not posting all that regularly, but for the new year I'm going to make a real effort to get you as much information as I can! In fact, I'm making it one of my new year's resolutions to you. I know a lot of people make goals that are pretty all consuming, thus making them harder to reach. So instead, I'm challenging you to pick a resolution that's simple, easy to stick to, and above all good for your general well-being!


This year I start makeup school (in eleven days to be exact), so I really want to push myself harder to work on the little things I should be doing regularly, that we all might tend to slack on.


This year I will...

Properly clean my face every night
Dabbing a bit of water isn't enough when you're wearing a face full of makeup. It's important to remember to cleans and tone, as well as exfoliate one to twice a week. Some makeup is waterproof, and thus needs a real makeup remover to get it off your face. Remember, it's important to look for 'alcohol free' toners if you have dry skin, as the alcohol will almost completely dry out your skin. Also, a light moisturizer overnight will keep your skin looking soft, fresh, and glowing for the next day.


Keep my brows in shape

For about four years I was plucking my eyebrows out, and then drawing them on, so getting back into the swing of regular shaping has been a bit hard. We all slack from time to time, and for those who go get their brows shaped professionally, it can get harder to have regular grooming done (be it a lack of money or time). However, your brows are one of the biggest tells about yourself, looking clean and tidy above the eyes lets people know (even if you don't spend a lot of time on makeup, hair, or clothing) that you're a competent and put together person. Eyebrows are often neglected, so let's take the time out to do them right this year!

Drink my water

Getting your daily recommended amount of water (about eight glasses), will do so much for your overall health. Water is SO important for our bodies, it helps nourish your skin, as well as clear out any unwanted bacteria internally. Plus, keeping yourself well hydrated will ensure you have that extra energy to actually accomplish all of your other activities and resolutions.

Keep my brushes clean

For those that use makeup brushes, regardless of the quality, brand, or shape, a lot of people do not clean their brushes as regularly as they should be. Hygiene is so important, you wouldn't re-use the same underwear for a month, so why are you going to reuse a dirty brush? Brush cleaner is available at a number of places such as Mac, Sephora, Etc. personally though I use the "Quo" brand by Shopper Drugmart, as I find it to be very effective, and not too expensive. Ideally brushes should be cleaned once a week, just to get rid of residue and bacteria. However if you're doing someone else's makeup, your brushes should be cleaned before and after use on their face. To clean your brushes, simply spray the cleaner onto a double layer of toilet paper, and stroke the brush back and forth until nothing comes off.

Get regular trims
This is a good idea for anyone who wants to have healthier hair, but is even more important for anyone trying to grow their hair out. As the ends of your hair split, the strand becomes weaker, causing breakage (and the illusion of no growth). Instead of letting this happen for months, try getting your hair trimmed every six to eight months. This way, less has to be taken off to ends, and your hair won't have very long to split. I guarantee your hair's health will improve, and you will definitely see more growth!

Compliment myself every day

Okay, so I kind of already do this, and have been for a while. On those days you're really needing some self esteem, this is the best boost and will leave you feeling so much better about yourself. Simply look in the mirror and find five things you like about yourself, that make you feel beautiful. The key here is building up your confidence, and knowing that no matter what anyone else says, you know you're "hot shit". A lot of us get too wrapped up in whether others compliment us on our hair, outfit, skin, etc. and then get sent into a dithering fit if not one person says anything. I know in my early highschool days, a lot of the time I would wonder if I looked stupid on days I tried to think out of the box and put together something completely new, just because no one said a word. A confident smile should be your best accessory this year, so go ahead, tell yourself what you need to hear.

Get organized

I often forget to get rid of the things I can either no longer use, or no longer need/want. Therefor this week I am dedicating a day to 'early spring cleaning', where I'm going to be tossing out or expired makeup (aka mascara that's over three months old!), and putting a couple bags of clothes together for the Salvation Army. I'm basically a pack rat, and have so many things floating around my room that I'm sure other people could use more. It's a new year, which for me means a new start, so I really am going to make an effort to get my stuff together and organize my room in hopes my mind will follow.

So those are my resolutions and resolution recommendations, leave me a comment letting me know what yours are! I hope you guys take some of the ideas, you really can't go wrong by doing little things to improve your life. I wish you all a safe and happy New Year, with many more posts to come in 2011!

I Can Haz White Hair??

Recently I've been getting a bunch of people asking me how I managed to get my hair white, and not just how to get that colour, but also for tips on maintaining it.

First of all, if you've read my first blog you may be a bit scared off, and I wouldn't blame you. White hair is REALLY hard to take care of, and the smallest mistake can set you back pretty far. Fortunately you have me to serve as your guinea pig and tell you what to avoid (wish I'd had that).

Do not attempt if you have thin hair, i would avoid going super light. Why? Well if your hair is already thin, stripping down the layers is just going to weaken it further and you WILL experience mass amounts of breakage sooner than others. Also, if your hair has a rougher texture to it, bleach is just going to make that problem worse and cause breakage as well.

That being said, I was told my natural hair was too light to be bleached that colour by at least three salons and i defiantly proved them wrong.

      From This...

(Excuse the obvious cliche, i was fourteen xP)

      To This!

(All unedited just so we can avoid any photoshop colour jobs)

The Steps....

• So I started using the lightest colour I could find in a box bleach (which due to monetary issues I am still using), which was the Garnier brand '100% Colour' and i believe the exact name was D01 bleach blonde (I'll include a picture though, for some reason I only remember what the girl on the cover looks like, versus the name). When it comes to all over colour, the application is pretty straight forward, just follow the included instructions and you should be fine. (An alternative bleach would be using a more reliable professional 40 volume bleach purchasable at most hair and beauty stores, 30 volume wouldn't achieve 'white').

• Depending on how fast your hair grows, you're going to want to wait a minimum of six weeks before hitting it with another dye application. In the in between time, using a restorative treatment like 'Frizz Ease: Overnight Serum' (retails for about $9, available at most drug and value stores) and 'Macadamia Healing Oil' (product information in my last blog) about two times a week to help repair any damage and maintain moisture. After the second bleach application (I would advise waiting for your roots to get noticeable before the second bleaching session, this way you can cover them AND lighten the rest of your hair) you'll want to get your ends trimmed because as the bleach strips away the colour layers, the ends will begin to break. Otherwise your hair may start to break from the bottom as your hair grows, causing it to stay the same length.

• After the second application (to the WHOLE head of hair, not just the roots), you should be left with a very pale blond. To get out that last bit of yellow and those brassy tones, you will need a purple toning shampoo (bare minimum) and even a conditioner if you can afford one. My favourite would be the Lush brand's 'Daddy-o' (you can find the purchasing information in my previous blog). Be careful though, some toning shampoos can leave a blue stain in your hair, and other toners may not work at all (such as 'Manic Panic Virgin Snow Toner', I bought three bottles online and it did NOTHING as far as toning goes).
• Getting your ends clipped every two to three months, as well as using deep conditioning treatments and toners (occasionally) will all help to keep your hair bright and white. To avoid further damage, I really can't stress enough that you should get someone else to do bleach your roots. After the initial bleach applications to the whole head, prolonged bleaching of already processed hair will cause mass amounts of damage (Re-bleaching over top of drastically lightened hair while doing roots in highly likely).

My final word on this would be to find a colourist that you can trust, who is comfortable and willing to help you achieve this colour. I'd also like to put out the disclaimer that I can't guarantee this will work for your hair, my stylist has marveled many times at how strong my hair is to have put up with all of this bleaching and still be so resilient.

Hope this helps, happy bleaching<3