a new eye liner

I am traditionally a cream eye liner gal; however, the other day when I was purchasing my mascara I noticed that there was a "matching" eyeliner. So, I decided I should check it out.

My new eye liner is a liquid liner; Voluminous L'Oreal Mistake-Proof Marker Eyeliner. I love it! I have worn it now for the 5th day in a row, and I must say, I really like it. What makes this eyeliner so unique is the marker chisel tip. I prefer a very thin line applied to the lash line, with this marker tip, I can do just that very easily, without mess.

I do miss being able to smear my cream liner to make a more smoky look, however, I like how clean a line this marker creates. I have a feeling I will be switching to this for a little while, however, my cream liner will continue to hang out in my makeup bag, because some days you just need a different look.

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2147089&productId=xlsImpprod560120&navAction=push&navCount=1&subdoc=209lorealb1g1wk49&categoryId=cat80042#sku2147091

An added bonus, when I wash my face it removes very easily, unlike the cream liner, I usually have to do a second wash to remove smudges from the delicate under eye skin.

Baking Soda as shampoo

Image courtesy of babble.com

This weekend, I had to do a sleep study, required by my doctor after my nose surgery. I refused to take a picture of myself at this study because I was loaded down with sensors all over my body most of which were placed in my hair! yuck! Every time I touched my head I was just disgusted.

When I was about to leave I asked the sleep technician if she had any recommendations on how to remove the waxy substance from my hair. Her recommendation; stand in a warm shower and let it melt out. Internally I thought, I have a 19 month old, I can't remember the last time I got to sit in the shower for a prolonged period of time... That is not going to work. I figure now would be a great time to try out the baking soda as shampoo technique.

I grabbed my baking soda and what I thought was my olive oil, a few days later realized I had actually grabbed canola oil. I headed to the shower to get this mess out of my hair. I put the baking soda in my hand added a little bit of water and made a paste. This mound of soda in my hand did not go very far at all. I decided I need to mix it with my shampoo so I could get some distance out of this mixture; after all I have a LOT of hair! It is not only extremely thick, it is also fine, and is considered a long length. So, I got at it again. I am really working the mixture into my waxy areas, it is working!!!!!! the Waxy substance is starting to slide down my hair and "melt" away! Wonderful! So I grab more shampoo and add more baking soda, because wow, the baking soda really absorbs the shampoo. About five minutes later I have the wax out of my hair! Amazing! However, my hair feels really stripped of its natural oils. I do not like this feeling, the hair feels dry and brittle. So I grab the oil, and go to town on the ends of my hair, wow, it did not go very far.... Or my hair is just that dry after the baking soda. So I grab more oil... go for more oil... then after five attempts to put the oil into the ends of my hair, I give up, and reach for my conditioner.

I rinse the conditioner out of my hair pretty quickly because I did not want to overdue it and weigh down my hair. I get out of the shower and start to dry my hair. It is so dry, I am sad. So after stressing my hair out enough for the day, I pull it up into a bun and go on my mary way. I was out in the elements all day that day and so on Sunday I figured it would be ok to wash my hair again. This time, no baking soda, first I didn't like the results and second, I had to use the whole blasted container! Back to my trusty Redkin shampoo and conditioner! My hair is almost back to normal.

I personally do not like the baking soda shampoo techqnique. I did find it effective, if you have a serious buildup going on, give it a whirl, be prepared for your hair to freak out for the next few days. I personally think it would be way to expensive to do it everyday. It stripped my hair which I had already gotten to a really great place by not washing it everyday, and my redkin shampoo helps remove buildup so my hair is pretty healthy. I did however discover that baking soda as an exfoliator, not to shabby! I would recommend being extra gentle with your rubbing technique, do not overdue it, and be conservative, max I would do it is twice a week.

My bottomline opionin - use the good stuff that is made specifically for your hair!

Dry Shampoo

The oils your body produces is dependent on how much your body feels like it needs to make to balance the skin.

If you are one of those people that say, "My hair is just too oily to go a day without washing" - YOU my friend should actually skip a couple of a days so your scalp can recover! When you wash your body, face or hair too much it makes it over dry which then signals to the body, hey we need more moisture over here, stat! So the little oil glands go to work trying to balance their home. This is why if you wash your hair everyday, by the end of the day you feel like you are dripping in oil, it is because you are!

My recommendation the next weekend you get, go as long as possible without washing your hair. If you need to, pull up you hair in a pony tail or put on a sweat band, but let that scalp breathe and balance itself. If it becomes to much, rinse your hair with cool water. Not hot, you do not want to undo the work that you have done. Cool water will get rid of the excess oil but will not hinder your scalps current mission. You can also use baby powder to absorb the excess oil, do not over use the baby powder as this will dry out your hair. And keep this process going, do not go back to washing your hair everyday. Every other day is just fine, you can rinse with water on those in between days.

I do not like to wash my hair everyday, in fact, I try and aim at every other day or even every two days. Depending on if I have worked out or not and the sweat factor; for example, I did yoga, I may have gotten hot and broke a small sweat, but a water rinse will do the trick instead of harsh shampoo. I am a fan of dry shampoo! My favorite is Rene Furterer Naturia, it has a fresh sent and is not too overwhelming.

Here is a recipe for a dry shampoo mix - feel free to change up the essential oil for a fragrance you prefer.

Dry Shampoo
Adapted from Natural Beauty by Aldo Facetti

5 ounces (150 grams) coarse-ground cornmeal, semolina or couscous
30 drops essential oil of lemon
20 drops castor oil

Mix the ingredients in a blender for a few seconds. Working over the sink, a large towel, or spread-out newspapers, bend your head forward and distribute pinches of the mixture over the hair and scalp. Gently massage the entire head, slowly and methodically, working in sections.

Keeping the head bent forward, comb and then brush out the meal. Continue combing and brushing until the hair is shiny and free of all traces of the shampoo.

Here is another idea - I am going to give this a go in the future!

How to No 'Poo

Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in just enough water to make a paste. Apply this to your roots only; work it in and let it sit for a minute.

In order to stimulate blood flow, clean your pores and get off built up grime, use your finger tips to scrub your scalp. Start by making a circle on the top of your head in the area you’d wear a crown. Focus on the back of this circle to begin with. Next, fill in the circle. This is where your part will be; grease here affects the way your hair looks. Trace while still scrubbing with your fingertips around the bottom edge of the circle. Keep making scrubbing circles underneath each one, drawing lines in circles around your head.

Lastly, scrub the back of your skull and your temples/sideburns. This will result in less grease and more growth. After doing this, your scalp will feel alive. Many women swear their hair grows faster after a visit to the salon — it does, and this massage method is why.

When scrubbing, you’re actually rubbing your fingers back and forth in short movements. Be gentle; you don’t want to break your hair. Next, pour about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a cup and add water. (I keep two plastic 12-ounce cups in my shower and just mix when I get in.) After you rinse the baking soda out, pour the apple cider vinegar over the ends of your hair, let it sit for a minute and then rinse it out. That’s all there is to it!

No 'Poo Troubleshooting

Remember, there is a transition period from two weeks to two months depending on the person. Here are a few tips:

• If your hair becomes frizzy, try using less baking soda or leaving it on for a shorter period of time. Adding honey may also help.
• If your hair becomes greasy, try using less apple cider vinegar, switching to lemon or lime juice, leaving out the honey, and/or using a comb instead of a brush. Also, make sure you’re applying the apple cider vinegar just to the ends of your hair.
• If your scalp itches, try the following essential oils; tea tree, lavender, rosemary. If your hair becomes dry, try a tiny bit of oil (any oil, I use olive) smoothed on bottom of hair.

Ready to make the change? Sure! Don’t be afraid to go no 'poo. You know how to do it! Enjoy the journey – you’re on your way to a healthier you!