♥ My Daily Hair Care Routine ♥

Helloooo, my friends.
Sorry I haven't been on in a while, but school is getting crazy because it is exam time (AKA: ALMOST SUMMER!).

Anywho, I've changed a few things in my beauty regime and I wanted to let you guys know what I'm doing now!

First thing, I stopped using my Desert Essence shampoo because I read that coconut derived sulfates are JUST AS DAMAGING AS NORMAL SULFATES. Which I guess makes sense, but I just figured that if it was made from a natural source it couldn't be that bad, right? Wrong. Apparently, MOST sulfates are coconut-derived. Who-da thunk? (I watched this video...it was quite enlightening).

So anywho, I have made my own Coconut Milk Shampoo...and I am in love with it. And it was easier than I thought it was going to be... I WILL be making a post on it, I promise :).

So here is my routine for my hair care right now (find out why I do each step below the routine):

STEP ONE: Pre-poo. I apply coconut oil to DRY hair (water will reject it; you can also use argan, olive, avocado or jojoba oil) to the roots, shaft and ends of my hair. I wrap that shit up in a plastic bag and let it sit anywhere between 20 minutes to like 24 hours.. (I'm usually about 1-3 hours). I just do stuff to keep busy. I will workout, do some homework, make lunch/dinner...Also, I have taken the bag off, braided my hair and ran errands and it just looks like my hair is wet. So keep it on as long as you can. THEN I....
STEP TWO: Shampoo. I get into the shower and rinse my hair with luke-warm water and apply my Homemade shampoo and shampoo as usual. You really need to massage for at least 5 minutes to ensure that the oils are being soaped out. Sometimes I will just leave it in my hair for a few minutes as I do other things. And then of course, rinse with as cool/cold a temperature of water as you can stand.
STEP THREE: Condition. I use my own, homemade conditioner as well (I haven't named it, or perfected it yet, but there will be a post coming). I squeeze out the excess water in my hair and spray on my conditioner-rinse. Then, I either shave, wash my body, wash my face.. etc etc, until I have left it on for 5-10 minutes OR I get out of the shower and clip or wrap my hair up while I wait, and go about doing other things. Either way, after those 5-10 minutes I...
STEP FOUR: Rinse. I rinse it with as cold a water temp as I can stand. I do suggest getting out of the shower and just using the shower head manually, that way your body doesn't get a super not-nice shock from the freezing water.
STEP FIVE: Air dry. This is a normal step for me, I always let my hair air dry. I feel no need for a hair dryer usually, unless I am in a hurry to go out somewhere where I have to look presentable (and no, class does not count for me..).

Now, some of you might be wondering, "Emma, why do you go through this hassle?"
Well, because I want healthy, strong and balanced hair.
Here's whats up. My hair has been driving me nuts. I have a super oily scalp and veeerry dry/brittle ends. And I have tried a whole bunch of "natural" products (cough..coco-sulfate..cough) that were decent, but clearly weren't doing the job. And quite frankly, you can't trust companies to tell you exactly what is in their products or how they are processed.

So basically, here's the rundown of each step:
Pre-poo. Pre-poo with one of the oils mentioned allows for the hair shaft to retain moisture and doesn't get stripped by too much water and shampoos and what not. By allowing the oil to sink into your scalp and hair, you are keeping the shampoo and water from expanding and contracting the strand, which would result in dryness and breakage. So when you use the oils, they create a moisture barrier that allows your hair to retain moisture and still be properly cleansed.
DIY Shampoo: As stated before, I got sick of companies and chemicals, so I made my own. And guys, you could aaaall do this. It is so easy, and actually works.
DIY Condtioner: I made a conditioner-rinse for the same reason I made the shampoo. I made this one specifically though, because my shampoo is more alkaline than hairs natural pH, so I made this conditoner to balance the pH back to normal.
Cold Water: Cold water is actually super important to hair care. And it seems like something you would never think about. But don't we all know that heat causes damage? Yet, we don't think that that idea relates to the hot water we use on our hair...but it does. Cold water strengthens hair against damage and closes the "pores" of our scalp and hair so that moisture is retained and thus we get bouncy, light, and SHINY hair.
Air dry: I feel like this is self explanatory BUT, I don't use heat/heating tools on my hair to keep it from being damaged. Thus, I allow the wonderful air to take the place of my blow-dryer.

ALSO: I DO NOT WASH MY HAIR EVERYDAY. Omg. If you do...stahp. Stahp it, right now. There is no need. Sorry pet peeve. I wash my hair every two-three days, depending on how sweaty I get from my workouts and what-not. I use a dry shampoo whenever I feel my hair is out of control, but I don't like doing that all that much either (I plan on making my own dry shampoo too. hehehe)

That is all for now, but I encourage everyone to try this method!

Sweet Dreams ♥♥ Updated (Winter) Night Routine

I just did my morning skin-care routine, so I figured I might as well do my nightly one while I'm at it! So here it is:

REMOVAL (EYE MAKEUP)

I start my nightly skincare by removing my eye makeup with coconut oil. It is the only thing that removes EVERY trace of eye makeup (waterproof and all), without drying out and stinging my eyes. It's a miracle product. Also the picture on the far right shows what it looks like as a solid, but if you rub it between your fingers for a couple seconds it turns into oil (you can see it's starting to melt). 

REMOVAL (FACE MAKEUP)

Not too long ago I was having a debate with myself over what to do with my Purity face wash because I have SO much of it, but I didn't want to use it because of the chemicals. However, nothing has removed my face makeup as well as this stuff, and quite frankly, everything else I have used (ie: face wipes, etc) have a buuunch of chemicals in them too. So I've decided to suck it up, and continue to use this stuff to remove my face makeup.

CLEANSER

The cleanser I use is Dr. Woods Shea Vision African Black Soap. I LOVE THIS STUFF. It does such an amazing job of cleaning my skin. I apply it to a face brush and lightly exfoliate for about 1-2 minutes total.

TONER

To tone my skin, I use the same toner as in the morning with my conveniant little spray bottle.

MOISTURIZER

 To moisturize my skin at night I use my own little concoction of oils. In this one I have avocado oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. I use this while my face is still damp from my toner and massage it all over my face. I do this while my face is damp because oils are emollients which means that they hold water into the skin to hydrate and moisturize...so basically, they work best with water..

NIGHT TREATMENTS/MASKS

 I love this stuff. I have used maaany different spot treatments (natural ones included) and this is one of the only ones that I have noticed actually gets rid of my pimples. I use it after my moisturizer has sunk in.

This mask has become another favourite nightly treatment as well. I have used it as a spot treatment and what I tend to do is use this on the tiny little rash like bumps I get on my forehead. After a couple of days they will be gone and I will be left with the larger, under-the-skin pimples where they dirt is starting to rise up and turn into white-heads, etc. This is when I use the salicylic acid treatment above.

So that is my nightly skin-care routine for the winter. Hope you guys enjoyed it/found it helpful!

Bright and Early ♥☼ Updated (Winter) Morning Skin CareRoutine

Hey guys! So here is my updated skin-care routine for the morning!

CLEANSER

The cleanser I use in the morning is Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream. It is super creamy, and doesn't foam up (which I like). It smells very lemony and has a menthol-ish type feel to it because it makes your face tingle, which is a nice pick-me-up in the morning.

TONER

 To tone my face is use Witch Hazel with lavender to keep redness and irritation at bay. I keep it in a spray bottle and spritz 2 or 3 sprays onto my face and allow it to dry before putting on my moisturizer, etc. The spray bottle is super conveniant and I feel like I'm not wasting any product because it isn't getting absorbed into a cotton pad.

MOISTURIZER

 

This is an all-natural product with an all natural zinc sunscreen, which is nice because I don't have to worry about any sketchy chemicals in the product and still know it's getting the job done. The only problem I have with this product is that it is a bit tacky after it dries (but this doesn't matter once makeup is on), which I think is due to the aloe vera. In the grand scheme of things though, a little stickiness is not a big deal when a products works for my skin.

TREATMENT/MASK

 

  I use raw honey interchangeably between morning and night, everyday. I apply it all over my face and let it sit for anywhere between 10-60 minutes, depending on how much time I have. I do this step right after cleansing, before putting on my toner. If I don't have time in the morning, I will do this step at night.

So, that is my winter skin-care routine for the mornings. It is fairly quick, and uses natural products with simple ingredients.  

Dance The Night Away ♥ Club Makeup

Here's the look!

And here's how to get it (using drugstore products!):

Clubbing Look/Tutorial [YOUTUBE]


ALSO: Here are some pictures from the night out (it was a lot of fun!)

Me and the birthday girl (LLLLLL)

the ladies

we get loud haha

these two are my world

 

Empties No.1 ♥

It's finally that time!
I don't go through things too often (y'know, shopaholic thing), so the fact that I have 11 THINGS is pretty wicked sauce.
So let's just get right to it, shall we?

HAIR

  
  Here I got some shampoo's and conditioner. And you may notice a theme here...(coconuts anyone?) 
First two that I will talk about are the Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner. First, they are all natural ingredients; no sulfates, no parabens, no GUNK. Second, they smell like how paradise/heaven smells like (aka coconuts). Third, they really moisturize your hair. I noticed a significant decrease in my hair fall-out and an even bigger decrease in my dryness/split ends. The only thing was that it was perhaps a touch rich, and I would sometimes be a little oily the next day.

Would I buy again? Yes. I am addicted to the smell and I love how soft my hair is...not to mention they are natural.

   Next shampoo that I have here is from Organix, and it is the Nourishing Coconut Milk shampoo. This one is not all natural, but it is sulfate free. First thing about this one, is that it smells amazing (doesn't anything coconut smell amazing though?). Second thing, is that it is super thick and doesn't do too much lathering (I don't like when shampoo's over lather...I like to massage with creaminess, not foam). I did notice somewhat of the same thing as with the other two; the next day my hair would be a touch greasy. And perhaps this is just because I have fine hair and I shouldn't be using a thick, moisturizing shampoo on my head...*sigh*. 

Would I buy again? No. I really do like this stuff and if you are looking for a sulfate free shampoo/conditioner for dry hair, it would probably be worth your while, but I have moved to natural and there are just too many other chemicals. I can find products without them.

Then of course some hair care products.

First I have Got2B Smooth Operator Satin Drops. Great stuff. Smells amazing and makes your hair so silky smooth and shiny. Helps with detangling too.

Would I buy again? Yes, yes, yes. I have been using this stuff for like...6...years? So it's fairly obvious to me that this has become a staple to me and I will buy it forever.

Next I have Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo. First, this has such a lovely fragrance. It's floral but not an icky floral. I typically hate floral scents but this just is amazing. Second, it actually works. It gets rid of oil in my hair. No matter how many days in a row. Third, it's volume central over here. Seriously, if your hair is oily and flat, this stuff is a pretty good remedy. However, I can find that it leaves my hair kind of dry and leaves a powdery residue on my hands when I rub it in. Also, it doesn't do anything for the texture of my hair.

Would I buy again? Maaaaaaybe. I have found another dry shampoo that works just as well and doesn't have the cons that this one has. However, this Dove one is like 1/3 of the price. So I probably won't buy it again right away but if I'm short on cash and I need a dry shampoo I'm not opposed to picking this one up. It will be my second in command.

SKIN

Alrighty, so first products I have I use in and/or around the shower.



First I have Daily Smooth Body Butter from Soap & Glory. This body butter is part of their 'Mist You Madly' fragrance line. I love the smell so much, it is definitely one of my favourite scents. However, I wouldn't call this a "body butter". It is hard to get out of the tube because it is pretty thick, and it doesn't soak into the skin very fast; all typical body butter issues. But I just didn't notice that it moisturized my skin..really at all. It smelled nice, and felt nice, but after an hour or so I found myself putting on more. Which made this product run out preeetty fast.

Would I buy again? No. The price is too steep for the quality of the product, no matter how much I love the smell.

Next, I have a Golden Sugar Scrub from Bath and Body Works, and this one is scented with Cashmere Glow. I. love. this. scent. It smells...like wonder and dreams. I love it. The scrub itself is pretty good too. I really like how the sugar dissolves as you scrub and it leaves a film of light and scented oil on your skin and makes your skin SO SO SO soft. The only thing I have a problem with is, of course, the ingredients. It's a sulfate/paraben soup. 

Would I buy again? Maybe as a treat for every once and while, but not for regular use. I just can't get over the ingredients.

Last, I have a body wash. This is the Super Rich Shower Cream with Shea Butter from Bath and Body Works. And it is what it says. It is the richest, smoothest, creamiest body wash ever. And I really like the smell (kind of almond-y). This is the only body wash I have found that has worked on my super dry winter skin. It's luxurious and makes my skin feel great. A con, is (you guessed it), the ingredients. It is also a sulfate/paraben soup.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. If I'm truly in a rut and I can't find a single natural thing that will help my dry skin, MAYBE I would repurchase it. But the chances of that are pretty slim, seeing as I have JUST started looking for natural products for my body. I just can't put those ingredients on my skin anymore. 

Next, I have more "treatment" type products. 

  First I have the Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment. It is a gel consistancy and is veeery light. It absorbs into the skin in a matter of seconds and leaves no residue. It doesn't smell like the inside of a shoe either, which is a plus.

Would I buy it again? Definitely not. I have dry skin and I bought it in hopes that it would help to hydrate my skin while it fought my acne. It did neither. I used an entire bottle of it and there was zero difference in my skin. 

  Next, I have Tanwise Self-Tanner. It is an almost green-looking tanner and is definitely an instant colour. It goes on fairly smoothly when you wear gloves and soaks into the skin quickly (so make sure you get it right the first time). It leaves a bit of a gray-tint until you rub it in (which means it isn't an "orange" tanner). Also, it smells like cherry-almonds...which is phenomenal.

Would I buy it again? Uhhhhh YAH. This stuff is my favourite tanner I've used. It shall always be in my arsenal. Also, I used it on my face and had no crazy breakouts. #yay

MAKEUP

First, I have the Revlon Colourstay foundation in 110 ivory. I have had this stuff forever and finally finished it. I did a review on this product here, but basically it is a pretty great, full coverage foundation for a drugstore price.

Will I buy it again? Not right now. I have so many foundations right now that I love just as much, if not more, and I need to finish what I have before I purchase anything else.

Lastly, I have Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara. Loreal voluminous mascara is a classic. It is a basic, volumizing mascara and the wand is great, the formula is great. You can't go wrong with this mascara.

Will I buy it again? This one specifically? Don't know. I don't know why I picked this one up because I always use Loreal Voluminous mascara, I guess I just picked up the wrong one. It is exactly the same as the original in blackest black, so I will probably just keep picking up the original formula...

Super-quick, filling meal...that's healthy?

Okay, so I made this "tuna salad" for lunch because I am suffering from broke student syndrome and I only have a few things I can pick and choose from.

Here is the delicious food:

It was probably the easiest thing I've ever made.

To make it:
Cut up 3 onion stalks (not the round ones)
Cut up an avacodo
Put a cup of tuna in the bowl with all these ingredients
Mush it all together (especially the tuna and avacodao)
Add some pepper and other spices you like.

Even for you people who really hate tuna...you might be able to down this! I hardly notice the tuna taste.

I don't know how many calories are in it, but I know an avacodo are like 200, and 1 can of tuna is 170...so you can assume that this is less than 400 cals. But it is all super heart healthy fats and takes great. And you don't use the extra calories you might if you needed to add condiments!

It's so noms, I had to share.

☼ My Summer Goals ☼

Because Spring is here, I have been thinking ahead to summer...a lot. I've been thinking of what I want to do, what I want to look like...what I want to be capable of.

So here is me spit-balling about all the things that have crossed my mind.

 ☼ I want a job I enjoy. The last few years I have HATED where I work for the sake of money, but I really want to find a place I wouldn't mind coming back to year after year. (Although, I might have to find a few jobs in order to get the amount of money I need)
☼ I want to be taaan. I know, it's superficial. But I really do. The only thing is is that I am very pale naturally with pink undertones, so I burn easily. But I plan on gradually laying out for small amount of time everyday (I hear you are supposed to have 20 minutes of uncovered, no sunscreened, UV rays everyday for vitamin D...). And of course I will be using an SPF 8 on my body whilst doing this, and my normal SPF 30 on my face. I will probably even cover my face because I can put makeup on it and make it look tan anyways...
☼ Diligently use moisturizers and tanners. During the summer I let my beauty routine go pretty quickly for my body. But I plan on using my moisturizer everyday, and pick up another Tanwise (or I might splurge on Fake Bake..) and use it religiously so I can still look tan while I work on my real tan.
☼ No makeup. I really want to go barefaced a lot this summer. I want my skin to look great and sunkissed, and I just want to be able to go from the beach to camping without worrying about my skin.
☼ FITNESS. First off, I am aiming to reach my goal weight by May, but during the summer I want to start and finish P90x. I know that if I don't get summer lazy then it is quite possible, and I will look great. I am so done with feeling down on myself for how I look.

☼ Experiencing things. I want to camp. I want to do some small road trips. I want to jump off a cliff into water. I want to spend lots of time with friends. I want to sleep outside in a blow up pool with pillows and blankets. I want to have a BBQ. I just want to actually DO things this summer!

☼ I want to own cute clothes. Especially cute bikinis...
☼ And of course, horse shows. I reeeaaally want to do well. Not that I didn't do well last year, but this year will be my last most likely for a while, and I owe it to Rozee (and my coach, who has asked me to show her horse) to make it to champs. I have worked TOO HARD to let it slip through my fingers a second time.
 ☼ I just want to do things when I want to do them, and live my life and just enjoy it while I can because school comes eventually and I just need this time off to do me.

:)

Burts Bees Swatches and Reviews ☼♥ Youtube

Hi all! So today I filmed a new YouTube video reviewing a lot of Burt's Bees lip products but I wanted to show the swatches to you guys here as well! So here are the swatches:

Ocean Gloss

Sunny Days Gloss

Autumn Haze Gloss

Summer Twilight Gloss

Peony Lip Shimmer

Guava Lip Shimmer

Fig Lip Shimmer

Caramel Lip Shimmer

Champagne Lip Shimmer

Hibiscus Tinted Lipbalm

Tiger Lily Tinted Lipbalm

Pink Blossom Tinted Lipbalm

Honeysuckle Lipbalm

That's that for the swatches...you can tell some of them are very similiar. Check out this video for the review of each line:

CLICK HERE FOR REVIEW VIDEO :)

Skin Care Journey

As you guys know (or even if you don't), this started off, first and foremost, as a natural skin care blog. I was using the OCM method for about 5 weeks, and it did help my skin. It helped make my skin more even and stopped the development of huge white head pimples that I was getting all too often. However, I reached a point where my skin was no longer getting better. I wouldn't say it was getting worse, but it just had reached a plateau. No matter how diligent I was with the OCM, my skin was not reacting. So that is when I decided to switch up my skin care. This post is a bit of a progress diary and I will be updating it until my skin is completely clear.

Starting from the beginning.

************************************************************

This is the pictures from when I started my natural skin care routine (when I got off the OCM). My skin is not bad...in fact it is faaar better than it was. However, I have many cystic acne spots under my skin that are painful and a new one seems to be popping up each day. I am getting them around my jaw and hairline, and on my neck...places I have never had acne before! Also, my skin just looks dull and sad.

And the dreaded purging begins. I knew because I had so much cystic acne that it would have to come to a head eventually...so this week is bittersweet for me. I am glad that my skin care if working enough to actually purge my pores of the acne, but also hating my skin because it looks worse. But at least I'm getting somewhere. My skin is a bit irritated, but also looking more alive.

 Heeeey, I'm getting some results here. As you can see the heads of the pimples are pretty much gone, or atleast on their way out. My skin is looking much more radiant and even, and the redness and size of the pimples has gone down. My forehead and chin are going to be the toughest to clear I reckon.

 I am starting to love my skin again. It's even and toned, and the pimples that I do have are smooth and not red at all. I still have three pretty large ones on my forehead but they seem to be going down. One side of my face is completely clear, and the other cheek is 80% there. My chin is also clear except for a small blemish, but I'm not too worried about that one.

I don't know what happened here. I think I got lazy with my skin-care, or maybe slept with my makeup on or SOMETHING, because my forehead is going crazy again. Atleast 3 very large cystic acne bumps on my forehead. Ugh. Maybe my skin is not done purging? Side of my face is still clear, and the side shown is now clear except for one small blemish. My chin is completely clear now. My skin seems a bit irritated/red around my eyebrows and forehead, which I guess it to be expected because it's going through a rough time at the moment.

Skin is slowly getting better from my last breakout. Forehead went a little crazy, but the big cystic pimples are gone (except for one, but it doesn't really hurt so it's on it's way out)...now I'm just left with pesky little blemish-bumps. Chin also broke out pretty heavily, but is now almost clear again. Have a rather large pimple by the side of my mouth and a small one right in the middle but they are going down. Right side of my face broke out, only a little bit, but still broke out. Left side of my face is okay other than some teensy blemishes and some scars.

I don't know what is going on. I am so frustrated and kind of sad too. My face isn't "breaking out" per say, but I cannot for the life of me clear it up. I thought it was going so well and I just have no idea what happened. Part of me wants to cry looking at my skin. It just doesn't make sense. I have little bumps every where and some hard, red, pimples on the sides of my face. My forehead is what is especially upsetting me, because it is relentless. I am going to keep going with my normal routine because it WAS working, but I am going to go back to mint julep mask for spot treatment. Also, I think I need to dissect my diet and my emotions to figure out what kind of imbalance could be causing this...

Ugggggggghhhhhhh.
My forhead is still broke out like mad. And the sides of my face are too. And my chin. And also beside my nose which was NEVER happened before. I have been using Burt's Bees spot treatment and it is not an overnight miracle product but I have noticed a gradual difference, specifically in my nose pimples..because they used to be huge whiteheads.
I really need to work on my internal issues now though because that is clearly what is the issue. I have had perfect skin for most of my life and then this year (a year that has easily been the most stressed I've ever been in my whole life) it just broke out like crazy. I need an emotional overhaul. I've done some research and what seems pretty consistant with me is stress, too much carbs/sugar, and build-up of toxins specifically in my liver. SO my plan right now is to start getting my eating and excersining back on track, and I'm going to be doing a liver cleanse for about a month, starting pretty soon.