Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Keep Your Head Up!
As I sit here listening to the song Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer...I'm reminded of the great need of cheer and perseverance in this world. Everyone is always so quick to give up and give in to discouraging words. I myself am guilty of this at times, but I just have to remind myself of all the times I've gone through times of worry, fear, pain, anger etc. and how God always brought me through completely unscathed and even better than that, He has brought me out as a better person each time. I've finally learned that life, for the most part, is all a matter of how you decide to look at it. If you don't have enough to eat, at least you won't be obese! If you already are obese, well, at least you don't know what it's like to starve! If you don't have a whole lot of clothes, at least it doesn't take you long to decide what to wear in the morning! If you do have a wide variety of clothes to wear, then at least you have a good selection to choose from! If you're married, you always have a person to talk to and someone to always be by your side! If you're single, you've got time and space to do what you want to do before you eventually do settle down with the right one for you! You get the point, right? This is how I always try to look at things...note, I said "try"...not always successful. But hey, I'm human...Nobody's perfect. Just keep looking up and remember that no bad situation lasts forever. There is a bright side to just about every situation. Purposefully decide to look for the good in every situation...and in every person for that matter...and you will most likely find it! God bless!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Abolitionist Society of Oklahoma: Take Action on Behalf of the Prenatal Population i...
Abolitionist Society of Oklahoma: Take Action on Behalf of the Prenatal Population i...: The Oklahoma State Senate recently passed SB 1433. More popularly known as the Oklahoma Personhood Bill, this piece of legislation will exte...
Saturday, October 29, 2011
New Things!
Wow! Things are really changing. Not just the weather and the physical seasons, but also the atmosphere. Have any of you noticed it? I know I have. It's a new and fresh atmosphere and I can just sense the change. The old is passed away and the new has come!!! The old ways of doing things are gone and done with. The old people (not meaning elderly) in your life that have weighed you down with discouragement are being pruned away like old leaves off of a plant. Just like the plant, when the dead things are pruned, new and larger blossoms come forth.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Today...
So, today was pretty good. I went to the mall and walked around and tried some stuff on. Came home and uploaded 3 new videos to Youtube. The best part of my day was when my bf called me, because he and I haven't been able to talk on the phone for like 2 months because he didn't have long-distance on his home phone! It has sucked only being able to see eachother like once a month and only being able to communicate via text messaging, so needless to say, it is such a wonderful relief to be able to hear his voice again! I also talked to my friend Marina about some girl things and relationship stuff. And I'm currently texting my friend Gingie...well, that's what I call him, anyway. LOL. I'm hoping my mom will make something to eat while I tidy up my room and get ready to settle in for the night. I will be going back to the town my dad lives in (where I just moved from) on Sunday! I am so excited...mainly because I get to see my bf whenever I go there! I also get to hang with my friends and see the cats. I've started reading another book...this one is called The Everyday Visionary by Jesse Duplantis. I love watching this guy on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) because he is like seriously the funniest preacher you will EVER see on tv!...EVER! I'll let you know what I think of the book after I get done reading it. You know what I miss? Baking and writing poetry. I should do both of those more. But in a way, it's sort of a good thing that I'm not doing either of those things currently. Why, u ask? Well, the more you make baked goods, the more sugar you'll eat (or the more sugar you'll be giving others to eat) which ain't that great for ya. And, it seems like the only time I write poetry is when I'm in pain. So, not doing either one means that I'm eating less sugar and that I'm not in that much pain! Yay for less sugar and less pain! I gotta get some more Christian friends. Not that I don't love my friends that I have already...it's just that, well, it's hard for Christians and non-Christians to relate about alot of things. Well, my neck and butt hurt, my mouth's dry and I'm hungry so I'mma go now. See ya next blog!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Damaged Hair???
I don't know about you, but my hair has certainly had it's share of damage. From color to chlorine, my hair has been through the ringer and back! Here are a few things you can do to protect and repair your dry damaged hair, or, if your hair isn't dry and/or damaged (you lucky duck!), a few ways you can protect it and prevent damage.
Let's get started:
First of all, I wanna touch on the subject of chlorine damaged hair, simply because that is what did the most damage to my own hair. The best cure for chlorine damaged hair is PREVENTION! So here are some steps to take BEFORE you get into the pool.
1. At the very least, if you don't have conditioner on hand, wet your hair with regular water before you get in the pool. Make sure it is cold water. The reason I say to wet it with cold water is because cold water seals the cuticle. I'll explain why that's important in a sec, but right now I want to just tell you why it's important to wet your hair at all before you jump in for a splashing good time. When your hair is dry, it will be SUPER absorbent to whatever it is exposed to. This is great if you're doing a deep conditioning treatment (which should always be done on DRY HAIR), but it's terrible if you're jumping into a pool because your will soak up TONS of chlorine! Simply wetting it will help quite a bit because your hair will absorb the regular water and wont have much room for the chlorinated water. Now, the reason it's even better to use COLD water on your hair is because cold water seals your hair's cuticle. Why is that important? Because when the cuticle is closed that means that it cant absorb much of anything in general. It's similar to how the pores on your face close up when you use ice on it or just splash ice cold water on it.
2. Put conditioner and/or extra virgin olive oil (E.V.O.O.) on your hair BEFORE you get into the pool. This is even better than just wetting your hair because the conditioner and/or E.V.O.O. will add moisture, vitamins, emollients etc. to your hair. I like the idea of putting E.V.O.O. in your hair before you get into the pool because (and you already know this if you've ever used it in your hair before) oil is water resistant and will not rinse off in water; as opposed to conditioner which is water soluble (dissolves in water). Of course if you use both you get the extra benefits of the conditioner along with the enrichment, vitamins, minerals, moisture, conditioning and staying power of the E.V.O.O. I recommend mixing up equal amounts of your favorite conditioner and the E.V.O.O. and applying it evenly all over your hair while it's dry and to your scalp. Pay special attention to the ends because it is the driest part of your hair. Now, you can either just leave it as it is, or you can jump under the cold shower water for a minute or two so as to seal the cuticle of your hair and lock in the moisture that your hair has just soaked up. Don't worry about it all rinsing out, because as I said earlier, oil is water-proof so it wont come off. Plus, your hair only soaks up what moisture and vitamins it needs at the time. Just give it a few minutes to soak in before you jump under the shower water, if that is what you so choose to do.
3. Swim Cap. This is a sort of controversial issue because some believe that, even though you're protecting your hair from chlorine, you are doing a different form of damage because the cap is made of rubber and therefore, when you take it off you are breaking and snagging your hair. I personally would rather never swim again than to wear one of these, simply because I think that I'd look silly with one on! (No offense to anyone who wears them, just my opinion.)
Now, we've covered all the steps that you can take to PREVENT chlorine damage, now we are going to cover steps you can take to repair your hair if it is already damaged. This is not just for people with damage from chlorine, this covers all sorts of damage. There are some in here specifically for chlorine damage though.
1. Get regular trims about every six to eight weeks. This will keep the split ends from splitting any further up the hair shaft and therefore it will keep it from breaking off, since that is what happens when your hair gets split too far up the hair shaft. When you are at the salon or barber shop, just ask for a "dusting", they will know what you're talking about. A dusting is just where they only take off about a quarter of an inch of hair.
Although, if your hair is already damaged, you may want to go for a consultation to asses the damage first because, like in my case, you may have to get an inch or more taken off right off the bat to just get rid of a good bit of the damage and prevent it from splitting up the hair shaft any further. I had to get about an inch and a half taken off because I hadn't been for a trim in probably over a year and I had been swimming and had died my hair earlier in the year. But after you get the bulk of the damaged hair taken off, you should only come in every six to eight weeks to get a dusting and that should to the trick.
2. Take Biotin. What is Biotin? It's a natural B vitamin found in your digestive system that promotes skin, hair and nail health and growth. I have been taking it for about a month now and I have noticed a positive difference in my nails and hair. You can get it basically anywhere that vitamins are sold. I get the Nature Valley brand from Wal-Mart and it's like six bucks. I take 5000 MCG (5 MG) which, to my knowledge, is the highest potency of Biotin you can get. They also come in lower MGC levels that, I believe, start out at 1000 MCG (1 MG). You may want to start out with a lower dose first and see if you're seeing a difference after about a month. If not, just up the dosage. I did not do this, I just went ahead and bought the highest dosage I could find and began taking it right away and it seems to be working quite well for me.
3. Do a deep conditioning treatment once a week. You don't need to spend tons of money on expensive deep conditioning (also called "hair masks") for your hair. You can use your regular conditioner as a deep conditioner by simply applying it to clean, dry hair, putting it up in a shower cap and leaving it like that for an hour, then rinsing it out with cold water. Do this once a week. If you love all things natural, here are a few things you probably have right inside your own kitchen that you can use as a deep conditioner/hair mask:
1. Eggs. They are full of proteins that can strengthen chlorine damaged hair, damaged hair in general, or even just keep perfectly healthy hair perfectly healthy! Just crack an egg or two in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water per egg and beat it with a wisk or fork. Apply to hair and let the eggs soak in for at least 15 mins. Rinse out thoroughly with cold water.
2. Mayonnaise. Mayo has eggs and oil in it which are both great for conditioning and repairing your hair! Heat the mayo up in the microwave for about 30 secs. Apply the mixture to your hair and let soak for at least 10-15 mins. Shampoo and condition as usual.
3. Vinegar. It not only cleanses your hair but it also conditions it as well! Add some vinegar to a spray bottle and spray it onto your hair before shampooing and conditioning. This will help remove chlorine from your hair.
4. Coconut Oil. It has been used for centuries as a natural moisturizer for skin and an all natural conditioning treatment for hair! It comes in solid form, but will melt as soon as you rub it between your hands because of its low melting point. Apply a generous amount to your hair and put it up into a shower cap for an hour. Shampoo and condition.
5. Olive Oil. Apply to your hair liberally and allow it to soak in for an hour and then shampoo and condition as usual. Note: you may need to shampoo twice because olive oil can be a bit stubborn when it comes to removing it from your hair!
6. Asprin. It can help with removing the green-ish tint that blonds get after their hair has been exposed to chlorine. Crush about ten uncoated asprins and mix with an 8 oz. glass of water. Apply it to your hair and let it soak in for a good ten minutes and then rinse out. Note: you may need a larger quantity of the mixture depending on how long/thick your hair is.
7. Banana & Avocado. Smash or blend an overly ripe banana with an overly ripe avocado and apply it to your tresses. Put your hair up into a shower cap and let the mixture sink into your hair for about an hour. Rinse out thoroughly and if you cannot get it all out by using only water, feel free to use shampoo and conditioner.
Now that we've covered how to repair your damaged hair/how to keep your healthy hair healthy, let's move on to the final few tips.
1. Do not shampoo your hair every day! Most people know this, but at one time, I didn't. The more you shampoo your hair, the more you are stripping it of it's natural oils which your scalp produces to protect and nourish your hair all on it's own! I only wash mine once every five days. For those of you who think that this is a bit extreme for you personally, at least only shampoo every other day.
2. Use a leave-in conditioner after every wash. My routine is, I shampoo and condition my hair then I wait for it to air-dry. Once it's completely dry, I apply a regular conditioner to it, put it up in a shower cap and leave it to soak in for an hour then rinse it with cold water. Then I apply my leave-in conditioner. I recommend this routine to everyone.
3. Sleep on a satin pillowcase. I've not tried this one myself yet, but I plan to. I heard that the satin doesn't rough up your cuticle or absorb your hair's natural oils like a regular cotton pillowcase would.
Well, that's about it! I hope this was helpful and I may very well do a Youtube video of my own personal haircare routine and what products I use. Happy haircare!
Let's get started:
First of all, I wanna touch on the subject of chlorine damaged hair, simply because that is what did the most damage to my own hair. The best cure for chlorine damaged hair is PREVENTION! So here are some steps to take BEFORE you get into the pool.
1. At the very least, if you don't have conditioner on hand, wet your hair with regular water before you get in the pool. Make sure it is cold water. The reason I say to wet it with cold water is because cold water seals the cuticle. I'll explain why that's important in a sec, but right now I want to just tell you why it's important to wet your hair at all before you jump in for a splashing good time. When your hair is dry, it will be SUPER absorbent to whatever it is exposed to. This is great if you're doing a deep conditioning treatment (which should always be done on DRY HAIR), but it's terrible if you're jumping into a pool because your will soak up TONS of chlorine! Simply wetting it will help quite a bit because your hair will absorb the regular water and wont have much room for the chlorinated water. Now, the reason it's even better to use COLD water on your hair is because cold water seals your hair's cuticle. Why is that important? Because when the cuticle is closed that means that it cant absorb much of anything in general. It's similar to how the pores on your face close up when you use ice on it or just splash ice cold water on it.
2. Put conditioner and/or extra virgin olive oil (E.V.O.O.) on your hair BEFORE you get into the pool. This is even better than just wetting your hair because the conditioner and/or E.V.O.O. will add moisture, vitamins, emollients etc. to your hair. I like the idea of putting E.V.O.O. in your hair before you get into the pool because (and you already know this if you've ever used it in your hair before) oil is water resistant and will not rinse off in water; as opposed to conditioner which is water soluble (dissolves in water). Of course if you use both you get the extra benefits of the conditioner along with the enrichment, vitamins, minerals, moisture, conditioning and staying power of the E.V.O.O. I recommend mixing up equal amounts of your favorite conditioner and the E.V.O.O. and applying it evenly all over your hair while it's dry and to your scalp. Pay special attention to the ends because it is the driest part of your hair. Now, you can either just leave it as it is, or you can jump under the cold shower water for a minute or two so as to seal the cuticle of your hair and lock in the moisture that your hair has just soaked up. Don't worry about it all rinsing out, because as I said earlier, oil is water-proof so it wont come off. Plus, your hair only soaks up what moisture and vitamins it needs at the time. Just give it a few minutes to soak in before you jump under the shower water, if that is what you so choose to do.
3. Swim Cap. This is a sort of controversial issue because some believe that, even though you're protecting your hair from chlorine, you are doing a different form of damage because the cap is made of rubber and therefore, when you take it off you are breaking and snagging your hair. I personally would rather never swim again than to wear one of these, simply because I think that I'd look silly with one on! (No offense to anyone who wears them, just my opinion.)
Now, we've covered all the steps that you can take to PREVENT chlorine damage, now we are going to cover steps you can take to repair your hair if it is already damaged. This is not just for people with damage from chlorine, this covers all sorts of damage. There are some in here specifically for chlorine damage though.
1. Get regular trims about every six to eight weeks. This will keep the split ends from splitting any further up the hair shaft and therefore it will keep it from breaking off, since that is what happens when your hair gets split too far up the hair shaft. When you are at the salon or barber shop, just ask for a "dusting", they will know what you're talking about. A dusting is just where they only take off about a quarter of an inch of hair.
Although, if your hair is already damaged, you may want to go for a consultation to asses the damage first because, like in my case, you may have to get an inch or more taken off right off the bat to just get rid of a good bit of the damage and prevent it from splitting up the hair shaft any further. I had to get about an inch and a half taken off because I hadn't been for a trim in probably over a year and I had been swimming and had died my hair earlier in the year. But after you get the bulk of the damaged hair taken off, you should only come in every six to eight weeks to get a dusting and that should to the trick.
2. Take Biotin. What is Biotin? It's a natural B vitamin found in your digestive system that promotes skin, hair and nail health and growth. I have been taking it for about a month now and I have noticed a positive difference in my nails and hair. You can get it basically anywhere that vitamins are sold. I get the Nature Valley brand from Wal-Mart and it's like six bucks. I take 5000 MCG (5 MG) which, to my knowledge, is the highest potency of Biotin you can get. They also come in lower MGC levels that, I believe, start out at 1000 MCG (1 MG). You may want to start out with a lower dose first and see if you're seeing a difference after about a month. If not, just up the dosage. I did not do this, I just went ahead and bought the highest dosage I could find and began taking it right away and it seems to be working quite well for me.
3. Do a deep conditioning treatment once a week. You don't need to spend tons of money on expensive deep conditioning (also called "hair masks") for your hair. You can use your regular conditioner as a deep conditioner by simply applying it to clean, dry hair, putting it up in a shower cap and leaving it like that for an hour, then rinsing it out with cold water. Do this once a week. If you love all things natural, here are a few things you probably have right inside your own kitchen that you can use as a deep conditioner/hair mask:
1. Eggs. They are full of proteins that can strengthen chlorine damaged hair, damaged hair in general, or even just keep perfectly healthy hair perfectly healthy! Just crack an egg or two in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water per egg and beat it with a wisk or fork. Apply to hair and let the eggs soak in for at least 15 mins. Rinse out thoroughly with cold water.
2. Mayonnaise. Mayo has eggs and oil in it which are both great for conditioning and repairing your hair! Heat the mayo up in the microwave for about 30 secs. Apply the mixture to your hair and let soak for at least 10-15 mins. Shampoo and condition as usual.
3. Vinegar. It not only cleanses your hair but it also conditions it as well! Add some vinegar to a spray bottle and spray it onto your hair before shampooing and conditioning. This will help remove chlorine from your hair.
4. Coconut Oil. It has been used for centuries as a natural moisturizer for skin and an all natural conditioning treatment for hair! It comes in solid form, but will melt as soon as you rub it between your hands because of its low melting point. Apply a generous amount to your hair and put it up into a shower cap for an hour. Shampoo and condition.
5. Olive Oil. Apply to your hair liberally and allow it to soak in for an hour and then shampoo and condition as usual. Note: you may need to shampoo twice because olive oil can be a bit stubborn when it comes to removing it from your hair!
6. Asprin. It can help with removing the green-ish tint that blonds get after their hair has been exposed to chlorine. Crush about ten uncoated asprins and mix with an 8 oz. glass of water. Apply it to your hair and let it soak in for a good ten minutes and then rinse out. Note: you may need a larger quantity of the mixture depending on how long/thick your hair is.
7. Banana & Avocado. Smash or blend an overly ripe banana with an overly ripe avocado and apply it to your tresses. Put your hair up into a shower cap and let the mixture sink into your hair for about an hour. Rinse out thoroughly and if you cannot get it all out by using only water, feel free to use shampoo and conditioner.
Now that we've covered how to repair your damaged hair/how to keep your healthy hair healthy, let's move on to the final few tips.
1. Do not shampoo your hair every day! Most people know this, but at one time, I didn't. The more you shampoo your hair, the more you are stripping it of it's natural oils which your scalp produces to protect and nourish your hair all on it's own! I only wash mine once every five days. For those of you who think that this is a bit extreme for you personally, at least only shampoo every other day.
2. Use a leave-in conditioner after every wash. My routine is, I shampoo and condition my hair then I wait for it to air-dry. Once it's completely dry, I apply a regular conditioner to it, put it up in a shower cap and leave it to soak in for an hour then rinse it with cold water. Then I apply my leave-in conditioner. I recommend this routine to everyone.
3. Sleep on a satin pillowcase. I've not tried this one myself yet, but I plan to. I heard that the satin doesn't rough up your cuticle or absorb your hair's natural oils like a regular cotton pillowcase would.
Well, that's about it! I hope this was helpful and I may very well do a Youtube video of my own personal haircare routine and what products I use. Happy haircare!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Another Halloween Makeup Tutorial
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Fashion Show
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