Review: TRESemmé Heat Tamer Protective Spray

I can honestly say that for me, this is the most important product when it comes to heat styling. Heat proetection should always be used no matter what! I cannot stress this even more but yeah it's like using sunblock when you go out in the sun kinda thing. You get the jist. My favorite heat protector is this one from TRESemmé :) I have been using this product for years! So let's talk about this magical product:

How to use it:

Well simple... Before heat styling of course! You can spray this on dry or damp hair. Spray liberally as the more you spray, the shinier and more protected your hair will be after styling - well I am not suggesting you use up the whole bottle in one go. Spray it all over.. your hair that is. Go nuts!

PROs:

• Let's start from the top: I like that the nozzle and the red thing that you push down is easy to use. The spray that comes out can cover half of your hair. It's a fine mist and it goes on lightly. 
• The nozzle has an open and close twisty knob that allows you to put it in your bag without it spraying all over your things. Handy!
• It doesn't weigh your hair down even if you've sprayed it like more that 10 times. Seriously. It's so lightweight like that.
• It smells nice and clean!
• It makes my hair super shiny that when the sun shines on it, it shines like little diamond crystals ;)
• It has a hold effect so that your hair style, may it be straight or curly will last for the whole day!
• It's cheap :)

CONs:

• I can't think of any.

So if I were you, and you still don't have this product in your beauty routine then go go go to the supermarket and snag one!

Homemade Beauty Part 2: Eggs, mayo and olive oil hair mask!

This easy three ingredient hair mask will give your hair the nutrients it needs with its protein packed kapow-chow combo. The properties of egg create a needed impact on your dull and dry hair. It helps to recreate itself and maintains the texture of your hair by the presence of proteins. Mayonnaise is a traditional treatment for dry hair due to the fact that the three main ingredients: eggs, vinegar and oil, are all great for restoring your hair's moisture. Olive oil can nourish, condition, and improve the strength and elasticity of your hair.

 It is super easy to make and also very inexpensive as all the three ingredients can be found in your kitchen :)


What you'll need:                                                                                  

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 heap tbsp of mayonnaise (it's your choice, low fat or fat fat.. as long as it's mayo)

Beat the eggs first in a bowl, then add the olive oil and then the mayo - easy right? Okay so make sure that the mixture is well blended and there are no lumps to be seen especially from the mayo part. Right, apply the concoction to dry hair (remember, do this before you have a shower), and I advise that you only apply this to the lengths of your hair if your hair usually gets oily easily. Apply as much as you can. Leave it on for 30 or more minutes to make sure that your hair has soaked up all the nutrients from all these natural (chemical free) products! Rinse with water and shampoo and if you want, you can skip your conditioner.

Et voila! Nice and shiny hair with all the added benefits from the ingredients.

 Remember to always use a heat protector when styling your hair using heat ;)

DIY Ombre Hair

Ombre! No, I am not speaking Spanish or some other language, this is the new hair trend that everyone is raving about. Last year, it was all about the dramatic blond-blue-pink-yellow-whatever combo, but now it is all about the gradual change from brown to light brown to blond tips or from the black to brown to light brown tips. This look is so low maintenance because you don't have to keep visiting the hairdresser for your monthly touch-ups, but rather, this hair trend will only cost you a couple of dollars if you do it yourself + maintenance (every 4 months or so).

So, I have been wanting to get my hair dyed this style for ages and I've been asking salons how much it would cost me and they are not cheap.. costing more than $200 for the length of my hair.. SIGH!

But not to worry.. DIY Ombre is doable! So doable that even non-professional hair stylists can do it with their eyes closed (as long as they don't leave the solution on their hair for too long :P).
So I ventured into the local supermarket and grabbed me a box of lightening kit from Schwarzkopf called Nordic Lightening Creme L1 Ultra Intensive Lightener, which comes in a box like this:

I have really black hair and hair dyes don't usually work when I use them. One of my biggest fears when I was lightening my hair was that it might turn ORRRAAANGE! I knew this was a possibility but I still decided to go through with it. 

Here are the steps to achieve DIY Ombre:

1. Make sure your hair is dry and all the tangles have been brushed through.
2. Decide the gradient mark to know where to start applying the lightener.
3. So what I did was, I only lightened half-way through the lenthgs of my hair, although you also have the choice to start 3/4 from the tips to the roots or leave a couple of inches from the roots to start. 
4. Apply the lightener to the chosen length of your hair and distribute it evenly right down to the tips.
5. Keep on applying it till its all gone and make sure it is more concentrated down at the ends of your hair for that sun-tip bleach look.
6. Leave on for about 30-45 minutes if you have dark hair like mine or 20 minutes if your hair is already light.
7. Rinse and blow dry using the lowest heat setting (and don't forget to use a heat protector before blow drying, as your hair is now more prone to breakage and damage caused by the chemicals).
8. If you're not happy with the result, if it's not lightened enough, you can repeat the whole process again but this time lessen the time you leave it on since its already bleached).

I love the result I got and I will definitely be doing it again when it needs retouching.

Ombre Hair Care Tip:


Now that your hair is bleached/lightened, it is now more prone to breakage and damage, make sure that you condition your hair regularly using shampoos and conditioner rich in protein to keep your hair looking beautayfull!

L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo and Conditioner

I've been really busy this year with my studies and with that thing they call life and as a result, at the start of the year I have been neglecting my hair of the care it needs such as deep conditioning and heat protection when I'm styling it using my GHD or whatever. I noticed my hair become very dull, dry and lifeless which were all warning signs that I have to do something before it gets even worse. So I searched and searched in the pharmacy for what seemed like ages and found................... L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo and Conditioner!

Finding the right shampoo for your hair is very important if you want to have luscious shiny locks. What I love about L'Oreal Elvive is that not only do they create shampoos and conditioners that actually works, but they also smell super nice :) The smell stays in your hair until you need to wash it again (promise!).

These are my favorite L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo and Conditioner:

Elvive Anti-Breakage

I came across this product when my hair was breaking easily probably due to styling and all that crazy rituals I do with my hair. The shampoo claims to "Help repair brittle, damaged hair and split ends by replenishing the hair's natural cement." 

Now, I for one agree that ever since I started using the shampoo and conditioner, my hair has been noticeably shinier and healthier than ever. As I have recently lightened my hair (ombre hair), I know I will need to take extra good care of it due to the bleaching process. So far, I am satisfied with the result :)








Elvive Re-Nutrition

This product I love also, but not as much as the previous one. This gets the second prize for revitalizing my damaged hair from root to tip! I am a sucker for awesome smelling hair products and this one I must say is like the milk and honey of all the nice smelling shampoos and conditioners ever made (no exaggerations intended..haha).

This shampoo and conditioner contains "Royal Jelly + 10 regenerating nutrients". What's Royal Jelly you may ask? According to the internet, "Royal Jelly is considered by many a potent anti-oxidant. Produced in the beehive for the nourishment of the queen bee, it is a complex substance that cannot be recreated by man. When examining its properties and considering the source of its documented benefits, many conclude that it is its high amino acid content that make it such a special rejuvenating substance."

Enough said.


Hair tip:

When washing your hair, always use cold to luke warm water - never hot, as this can damage the cuticles of your hair making it look dull and dry.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review - L'Oréal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Restoring Masque

This hair product is my new obsession!
I love to take care of my hair and I love it especially when the product smells really nice. L'Oréal has lived up to its standards with this one.. It makes my hair smell expensive, eventhough it only costs $12 NZD.

I like how it is packaged with the maroon/red, white and gold theme, it'll definitely look good on anyone's bathroom :) The hair masque is suppose to be left in your hair for about 1-2 minutes, but as you know, when it comes to hair conditioning, I don't follow the rules so I leave it in for another 5 minutes to soak in the full nourishment.

How many times do I have to emphasize the smell..sweet sweet fragrance that stays in my hair for days. Lovely.

As for the results, it leaves my hair shiny from root to tip, soft and very manageable. I recommend this product and I will definitely buy it again and again and again!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

tips to get silky hair without your weekly visit to the hairdresser

So for all you hair fanatics out there, here are some tips on how to achieve glossy looking hair without visiting your hairdresser. It'll save you money, time, and maybe petrol if you're driving there. Haha :P

• After shampooing and conditioning, only wash your hair with cold water, as it seals the hair cuticles which makes your hair oh so sparkly ;)
• Always, and always use heat protection for your hair whenever a hairstraightner, blowdryer, or hot rollers are involved as it can help prevent your hair from getting fried and frizzled from all that heat overtime.
• Make sure that when you blow dry your hair, point the nozzle of the blow dryer down towards the lengths of your hair and not against the growth of your hair as it can give you a frizzy/fuzzy look unless you're going for the "bed head look," but otherwise, always point it downwards.
• Use shine serum to finish off your look after styling.
• Use the L'Oreal Glossy Rich Hair Color as it has natural ingredients that can make your hair look glossier than normal. If you only want glossy hair without the color, then choose the same shade as your hair color.
• Most importantly for a shiny healthy looking hair, girls, don't starve yourselves as proper nutrition has a huge effect on how you look on the outside. So, if you want naturally beautiful hair, eat healthy and get a dose of your fave fruit and veggies daily :)

Hair Tips and Tricks.

Okay, so most of you by now would have noticed that I am obsessed with styling hair. So, as a nice person [haha], I would share to you my hair tips and tricks to help you guys achieve a healthy, shiny, looking hair in minutes.

• To make your locks look extra-shiny, rinse your hair with cold water as this seals in the cuticles which prevents "fly-aways" resulting to a dryer looking texture of the hair.

• To add shine after styling the hair, spritz some shine serum and quickly run the straightening iron thru it.

• Avoid hair damage by using heat protection for your hair before straightening, blow drying and curling.

• Try to air dry your hair as much as possible.

• Only use styling mousse to the roots of your hair as it can add heaviness and prevent natural movement of the hair.

• Do not use a hairbrush while your hair is still wet as this can easily break wet tangled hair. Use a wide toothed comb.

• Do not wash your hair everyday, as frequent washings can strip off your hair's natural oil leaving it dry and lifeless.

• Trimming your hair will not make it grow faster. This is a myth.

• Deep condition your hair at least once a week to maintain a healthy look.

• If your hair is greasy and you don't have time to wash it, use translucent powder over the roots as this will absorb the grease of your hair leaving it looking clean.

• If your having a bad hair day, tie your hair up in a stylish up do leaving some hair strands at the sides of your face for a softer look.

Hope you enjoy it,