On a mission to better hair!

I have recently been following my friend's fairly new blog Hair Envy by Alicia, which is all about her transition from relaxed hair, to natural hair.  She is documenting her journey, sharing tips along the way regarding styling and treatment.  She also delves into the 'science' behind some products, and our hair itself! Very interesting regardless of your hair type, go read!

http://byalicia.blogspot.com

Her posts have inspired me to take better care of my own hair! Particularly with regards to the use of treatments.  She has blogged about different oils we can use to treat our hair (natural Coconut Oils, Castor Oils etc.) and methods of washing (co-washing).


To get the ball rolling on my new 'better hair mission', I have ordered 2 hair oils from Amazon:  100% pure cold pressed Almond oil and Pure Peppermint essential oil.  I intend on creating a oil mask to use weekly, by mixing the Almond Oil (to nourish and moisturize my hair), with a few drops of peppermint oil (to stimulate my scalp).  I will update you on how this works out for me after I do this for a few weeks



I also picked up a new Shampoo and Conditioner whilst browsing in TK Maxx (you can also find this on Amazon US).  The set is by the Italian brand Phytorelax; and is from their Olio di Argan range. 

They say it:

Deeply restructures hair

Protects hair from external agents

Softens and nourishes hair

Performs an anti-aging action

Performs an anti-frizz action & protects against humidity 

Gives extreme shine to natural reflections

I have really been wanting to use an Argan Oil based shampoo/conditioner; so although I haven't heard of these products before, I have high hopes!  The products contain no Sodium Sulphates or Parabens. 

 

"Argan Oil is extracted from the Argan tree "Argania spinosa", which grows only in southern Morocco. For thousands of years, Berber women have used it as an elixir of beauty. It's one of the best known remedies for ageing of the skin, and is specially prized for its anti-oxidant, emollient and hydrating properties."

 

 

Following the 'beautiful insides make beautiful outsides' mantra, I am also determined to start drinking more water during the day and have started taking a 'Skin, hair and Nails' supplement, which contains a range of vitamins and minerals to improve the health of your hair and skin. You can find this type of supplement almost everywhere; mine is from Holland & Barrett

 

 

So to summarise, as of now I will be washing my hair every other day (or every 3rd day if I can get away with it) with my Olio di Argan set, followed by applying a small amount of leave in conditioner (either Morrocan Oil or Uniq One: all in one hair treatment).  Then once per week I will apply a oil treatment (as above), wrap up my hair in clingfilm or a towel and leave it on for a few hours (or overnight if I can).  Let's see if this small change in my routine will show any improvements to my hair! 

 

After I have been doing this for a while, I will post a more detailed routine and review of the products mentioned here, and let you know how I get on!

 

Megan xxx

 

 

 

Magazine Freebies - April/May 2013

Hey all!

Here we are again with an update of some great magazine freebies floating around! (think I will do this post regularly to update you on what you can snap up).

InStyle (£3.80) comes with a free 50 ml Cowshed Extra Firming Body Butter (worth £7)

Cosmopolitan (£3.60) is offering a 50 ml Phil Smith Argan Oil Treatment Cream with this months Cosmo (worth £5.50)

Marie Claire (£3.80) offers two freebies with this edition: A Ciate Nail Polish (worth £9 - a choice of two shades: Sand Dune, a shimmery gold and Pocket Money, a dark nude) and a sample of Jergens Ultra Healing Body Moisturiser.

Red magazine (£4) comes with 3 different Aromatherapy Associates sample size products (1 with each magazine) - the Hydrating Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser, a Hydrating Rose Face Mask and a Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser.



Sainsbury's supermarket is also doing a 'buy 2 save £2' offer on all magazines!  Which 2 will you get??

Megan xxx
 

Ebay Wishlist!

I am quite a sucker for Ebay, I love it!! Recently, I have gathered quite a lot of things that I am itching to buy! 




1-Acrylic make-up storage.  2-Gold cuff gladiator sandals.  3-Collar tips.  4-Pro 88 eyeshadow palette

5-Calendar block.  6-Passport cover.  7-Claw bracelet.  8-Neon pink jumper.  9-Swirl sunglasses

 

 

Anything in your Ebay basket?

 

Megan xxx

 

Body Brushing!

Hey guys!

A few years ago, my aunt gave me a body moisturiser set as a present, which included a body brush.  I of course didn't touch it for months, until one day when I noticed a dry patch on my forearm near my elbow.  I then started to scatch at it with my fingers before remembering the forgotten body brush shoved to the back of my bathroom cabinet.  Since that day, I have been using a body brush almost daily!

What is a body brush?

A body brush, on first glance, looks like a typical floor scrubbing brush! It is literally a brush for your skin and is typically made from natural bristles (goat, boar or plant).  The brushes are usually handheld although you can purchase ones with long handles to allow you to brush your back or other hard to reach areas.

Why body brush?

Body brushing is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of benefitting your skin.  Our outter most skin is covered with a layer of cells which are 'damaged' by the weather and our daily activities and die.  These dead cells remain on the surface of our skin until the newer cells below basically push them out of the way and replace them!  These dead cells on the surface of our skin is what causes dullness and dryness.

Body brushing helps to speed up this natural process, exfoliating your skin to get rid of the dead cell, stimulating circulation and your lymphatic system which helps to eliminate toxins. The elimination of toxins also helps to breakdown fatty desposits, responsible for cellulite. By body brushing, you're not only benefitting from an improved appearance of your skin but also an improved level of your health - such as better blood circulation.

When and how to body brush?

I aim to dry body brush every day, in the morning before I shower.  I start at my feet, making short upward sweeping movements (upward movments is important for encouraging blood circulation). I go all the way up my legs to my stomach.  I personally find that I can be quite 'rough' on my legs, but have to be more gentle on my thighs and stomach as this area seems more sensitive. I carry on to do my arms, concentrating on my elbows. After I have finished brushing, I shower as normal and apply a good moisturiser.

 

For me, this is not painful at all, however I know that when you first start dry body brushing some people find it a little painful, especially if you have sensitive skin.  In this case, you can use the brush in the shower, as water and soap will reduce the friction (this of course will also reduce the results you get).  Remember, if you wet the brush you need to ensure it dried thoroughly after.  If you start body brushing and really do not enjoy it, you can also use a firm loofah or scrubbing mitt in the shower.

 

For some people, body brushing daily can be too harsh on the skin. If you notice that your skin is actually becoming drier from body brushing, this means that you are losing too many skin cells daily and so you should reduce to only a couple of times a week.

 

 

 

I know this may sound quite laborious to do daily (i found it such a chore when i first started!), but it soons becomes like a second nature and will fit easily into your daily routine.  You can buy body brushes almost everywhere now, from supermarkets (e.g. ASDA) to specialist stores such as the body shop.

 

Let's get brushing!!!

 

xxx

 

 

'Impress' Press on manicure

I have seriously been neglecting my nails for the last couple weeks! Truly shameful and they have gotten so bad that I couldn't stand to even see them!

This all tempted me into trying the Impress press on manicure! Amazing!

I got mine from Boots (they're currently on offer: 2 for £7.99!). They were so quick and easy to apply. I was amazed!  Instead of using the typical harsh nail glue that is difficult to use and can damage your nails and surrounding skin, the Impress nails use a type of double-sided-sticky-tape. All you do is peel off the covering layer of the tape, revealing the sticky part and press the 'impress nail' onto your own nail.  Done! On top of that they look really natural and are a manageable length, perfect for me!They come with 24 pieces that cover 12 sizes and a nice range of colours.

They claim to last 1 week -  I've had mine on for 4 days now and still going strong! Lets see if I get to a week!

 

 

Overall I am thoroughly impressed by 'impress' press on manicure! Haha :-D

For more information about the colours and patterns available, see their website http://impressmanicure.com. You can buy them from Boots, Superdrug, amazon and direct from their website.

Have you tried Impress?

Xxx

Valentines

Happy Valentines Everyone! Whether you celebrating the day with a special someone, with friends..or not celebrating at all; I wanted to share some sweet Valentines Inspired photos :)



Lasting Love..

Sea Otters holding hands whilst sleeping so they don't get separated

 

xxx

Mobile blogging & my new best friend

Woohoo I can now blog on the go! (Hopefully that will mean I can actually post more regularly). I'm using the 'blogger' app- so far so good!

Also wanted to share with you a little gem I'm currently obsessed with. It's the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream lip protectant! It's in a new much more user friendly little tub! Definitely my best friend in this cold weather! Amazing stuff!

Xxx