Paul Mitchell Curls Line Review

Sorry about the sound, YouTube don't respect me.

http://youtu.be/-UUQ5K4Mwds

Staple Alert

I've said before on the blog i don't have many staples. My hair changes often, and therefore, so do my products. However, one thing has always been in my arsenal. Jamaican Black Castor Oil.

I have been using this product for years for multiple purposes. Its known to thicken hair. I use it as a night treatment on my eyelashes. I have thin hair so therefore thin eyelashes. It cause my eyelashes to clump no matter what mascara I used. However, whenever i put a drop on my finger and rub on my lashes at night before bed, noticed a significant change in the shine and thickness of my lashes…

But on to the hair. I love a bun. Thats my staple protective style (yea, I am a lazy natural). A sleek bun can have some serious side effects, i.e.: thinning edges. I refuse have no edges. RE-FUSE. So, I bought this bottle to rub on my edges at night, and got a chance to discover all the great things it can do.

So here is my list of benefits with this one bottle of Jamaican Black Castor Oil!

• Stimulates and increases hair growth
• Reduces and prevents hair damage
• Eliminates dry hair
• Prevents dandruff
• Wards off infections that causes hair loss
• Thickens hair that is starting to thin out
• Thickens eyelashes and eyebrows
• Boost your hair’s overall health!
• Softens thick calluses and removes corns
• Cures skin infections like athlete’s foot and ringworm
• Prevents stretch marks
• Removes moles and warts
• Removes age spots (liver spots)
• Cures acne
• Keeps the skin looking smooth, youthful and unlined
• Breaks up external and internal scar tissue, and prevents new scars from forming
• Soothes shingles

So, when you buy this oil, use it as a hot oil pretreatment. Use it to moisturize ends during winter months after they get brittle from rubbing on wool coats and thick cotton scarves. Dip a clean eyelash brush in it and run through eyelashes. Use it as a sealant. Add it too your deep conditioner for a boost of moisture. At about $5-$8 a bottle… don't care what you use it for...JUST USE IT.

Keep It Cute.

Is your Birth Control making you BALD?

Hope this post meets everyone in good spirits. I’ve said before this blog was born from the labor pains of my own experiences, and this is one I noticed recently and went into heavy research on. Birth Control.

I had been on birth control (pills and ring) for 7+ years. My hair didn’t grow as long as quick as it used to when I was in high school but I thought that it was from the excessive coloring and perming (which I am sure was a BIG factor). However, even after going natural, I wasn’t seeing the results I had hoped for, and nothing close to my high school days length. Last January, I made the decision to get off birth control. Currently, my hair has been the longest it’s been in the past 7 years. It’s flourished! I do attribute a lot of it to my hair care regimen, but I always said in the back of my mind, something had to be different.

Low and behold, the birth controls gods started to reel me back in, and during my research for the best brand for my body, I noticed the side affects hair loss…

Wait… * BBM Confused Face *

Hair loss, by this little pill? No. Couldn’t be. But sure enough, right there in front of me, on the world wide web… pages upon pages upon pages of research and studies saying that birth control is a factor in hair loss with women.

Did you know that? Because I didn’t.

Hair loss triggered by the pill varies. In some cases, the loss is minimal. Other times, it can be drastic. And here is a little wrench in the plan… Hair loss may not occur until after a woman has stopped taking the pill. SMH.  While the pill is safe, women whose family histories include hair loss need to be prepared that taking the pill could cause them to lose their hair. Knowing this, women can make better and more informed decisions about how to approach birth control.

So now the question is posed… What the hell can I do?

There are DOZENS of brands and types of oral contraceptives on the market. Those with what is called a low androgen index are less likely to cause hair loss. Women concerned about the possibility of hair loss as a side effect of using The Pill should ask their doctors about low-androgen index.

For a quick reference, here is a list of pills from the lowest androgen to the Highest (taken from http://www.americanhairloss.org/):

Desogen, Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Micronor, Nor-Q D, Ovcon-35, Brevicon/Modicon, Ortho Norvum 7/7/7, Ortho Novum 10-11, Tri-Norinyl, Norinyl and Ortho 1/35, Demulen 1/35, Triphasil/Tri-Levien, Nordette, Lo/Ovral, Ovrette, Ovral, Loestrin1/20, Loestrin 1.5/30.

If you don’t see you brand on there, its probably because its has an even higher androgen index. If you have notices a change in your hair, you might want to reconsider changing brands.

The following hormonal contraceptives have a significant potential of causing or aggravating hair loss:

Progestin Implants- Implants, such as Norplant, are small rods implanted surgically beneath the skin, usually on the upper arm.

Hormone Injections- Progestin injections, such as Depo-Provera.

Skin Patch- The skin patch (Ortho Evra).

Vaginal Ring- The vaginal ring (NuvaRing).

NOTE- Any medication or therapy that changes a woman's hormones, not just birth control, can trigger hair loss in anyone who takes them.

If you are on birth control, make sure you take the time to research, and observe your hairs reaction. Changing the pill’s brand wont cause any problems with preventing pregnancy (IF done exactly as laid out by direction and your OB/GYN). However, a small change may make a big difference!

You don’t have to choose between being bald or being pregnant! Unless you Amber Rose who looks amazing as both.

Hope this gave you ladies something to think about! Stay informed so your hair can stay on your head!

“A Girl Should be two things, Classy and Fabulous”- Coco Chanel

Keep it Cute Ladies!

-Sioban 

Sweet Kisses…(Mary Kay Nourishine Lipgloss review)

So, Ive said this before. I am a lip color addict. Especially a gloss. Lord knows I love a gloss. Mac glosses are my favorite and its like Christmas every time a new collection comes out.

However, Ive also said before… I. Am. Broke!

So I am always looking for lip glosses that are good quality and can save a bit of money. I had the PLEASURE (yes… this is a positive review) of stumbling across Mary Kay Nourishine.

*Note- I was NOT paid or even given anything free for this review. I paid for this product and this is my honest opinion*

 Yes! Mary Kay. This is definitely not the Mary Kay I remember my mom and grandma searching through those catalogues searching for bug sprays and face lotions. I was given a Mar Kay facial for free and the Nourishine was brought to my attention. I was looking for an everyday lipgloss in a neutral yet impacting color. I was immediately was drawn to their Cafe Au Lait. Its very close to my tone but it looked great on and was very visible and not too sheer.

Cafe Au Lait (please ignore the wet poodle hair, I'm doing a hair product review at the same time)

So, the important stuff:

Pros:

I LOVE the way this product feels. My only gripe with Mac glosses are that they are so damn sticky. I remember I went to go visit this guy I used to date. My makeup was ON POINT. I had on one of my favorite Mac glosses which he had mentioned before randomly that made my lips look luscious (yes I was gassed, and the lip color was Culture FYI). He leaned in with his sexy self, and gave me a kiss on my lips… in public which was completely unexpected. I was floating on air… until he then stepped back… AND WIPED THE KISS OFF WITH THE BACK OF HIS HAND LIKE A FOUR YEAR OLD!!! I was so confused… standing there with the dumb face like O_O. He goes… "Why your lips so damn sticky?" I. Was. Mortified. I vowed then I needed a solution.

I use a lip balm underneath my Mac glosses to counteract some of the stickiness (when I say lip balm I mean the hood blue blister from the corner store). That is absolutely not needed with this product. It goes on smooth and is not sticky at all. The colors are visible and they have a good variety of color. I tired on other colors and liked almost all of them i tried, but settled on this since I was on a budget.

Cons:

Speaking of budget… the only con to this product is that it only saves you a dollar per tube. Its is $14 while Mac glosses are $15.

Is it worth it though? YES. The comfort of the gloss and the opportunity to avoid another sticky situation (yes, i actually laughed at that joke), makes the $14 very very worth it.

Info:

If you are not sure where to even start to buy MaryKay products, feel free to reach out to Seriah at seriah@gmail.com. She is very helpful and will definitely make sure to answer any questions you have (plus she is a Temple alum!)

“A Girl Should be two things, Classy and Fabulous”- Coco Chanel

Keep it Cute Ladies!

-Sioban