Mini Hair Haul+ Beauty Salon Visit

I went to walmart this past weekend to pick up some stuff and decided to get a blow dryer. Can yo believe through almost entire 3 year hair journey I have not owned or used a blow dryer? Well I finally got one. I'm not much of a blow dryer kind of girl mostly because of the major heat damage it can cause. But at times after rollersetting I may use it to get rid of those indents rollers tend to leave along the roots.

So I got this ionic conair blow dryer for $20. Along with that I also got Nexxus's Heat protectant for $12. I've been doing some major heat styles this past month so I needed to amp up my heat defense.

Along with everything else I picked up these clips for $2. I tend to like these better for my hair wraps as opposed to the regular bobbi pins which ten do snag on my hair. I'll do a review on the dryer and Nexxus Heat protectant soon.

Speaking of heat defense I went to the salon this past weekend. My regimen has been mostly all natural this past year and so far my hair has thrived. I'll be reintroducing my regular favorite dominican hair products along the way since my hair seems to like either regimen.

Amethyst and Carnelian

As mentioned, I've been working with stones most of this year.  Not only are they fascinating to look at and display but can be used for many things be it meditative, health or spiritual.

I use my stones in various ways and for many reasons depending on my mood. Each week or so I tend to alternate stones to help familiarize myself with them a bit more.

When I first started with stones I preferred to start with direct skin contact with each stone. The best way for me is to keep them in my bra along my breast. This way I have it with me at all times throughout the day. Each week starting Mondays I pick a new stone with a specific goal/intent in mind for that week. My overall goal is to interact with each stone individually by familiarizing myself with it on a consistent basis.

~Carnelian~

Builds self esteem

Inspires Creativity

Promotes personal power

Gives Courage to take charge

Improves communication

Balances anxiety and depression

  I've just recently started working with Carnelian. I'm mainly working with this stone to help enhance my social skills. My job requires me to work with lots of people mostly clients for the company so it's important I'm able to convey a professional attitude with confidence especially in meetings and presentations.

What I've come to learn about carnelian is that it promotes individual growth. Instead of trying to be as good as the next person I try to be my own best.  It also encourages me to believe in my self.  Ever been in class and the teacher asks a question and you have the answer but your fear of being wrong stops you from raising your hand? Well with carnelian you can use it to help you build confidence and self assurance.

Carnelian is associated with boldness and self assurance which is ideal for those who tend to be a bit shy or nervous when around new people. So if you feel you need a little boost in self esteem try carnelian and see how it vibes with you.

Amethyst

Promotes peace, serenity, tranquility

Enhances spirituality, Intuition

Heals, balances and protects against low energy

Promotes mental concentration especially during meditation

Amethyst is an oldie but a goodie. It's one of the first stones I started with several years ago.  Recently I reunited myself with Amethyst mostly for it's calming and balancing properties.  Sometimes when I feel my mind is scattered I hold on to amethyst and try to center myself by visualizing and calming my thoughts. I also like to use it to help me sleep and remember my dreams. I stopped meditating for sometime because I had issues trying to concentrate but I may get back into it again using amethyst as my focal point.

There are many books and sources online that can not only describe stones and their unique properties but also show how you how to care and use them. One of the main things when caring for stones is making sure you keep it clear of stagnant energy. One way I like to clear my stones is by smudging it with incense. I visualize the smoke taking all the energy the stone may be holding on to. When I first started with stones I noticed they would get lost for periods of time. When stones are overly charged they tend to get lost in an effort to renew itself among other interesting things they do.

Hopefully soon I'll have some serious R&R time and compile a list of the many ways I clear and recharge my stones in another detailed post. In the mean time check out the sources below to help you get to know more about stones.

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham

The Book of Stones: Who They Are & What They Teach By Robert Simmons, Naisha Ahsian, Hazel Raven

The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall (or any of Judy Hall's books on crystals!)

Darcy's Botanical Madagascar Vanilla Styling Cream....

I finally got my hands on the much raved about Darcy's Botanical hair products. It's been well over two months since I first started using these two products and thought it was due for a review. To start off the  Madagascar Vanilla Styling cream cost me $12. Smells divine more like rice pudding, simply fabulous! However, I was using it as a daily moisturizer which my hair did not like much. It's more of a butter consistency than a creme, so it tends to sit in my hair as opposed to absorb into my hair.

 The only time my hair would react to this would be with damp hair as a sealant. Once my damp hair would dry with the styling creme in my hair, it would dry very soft, leaving me with ultra soft hair.

Although I did not have much luck with the styling creme, I did fall in love with the Deep Conditioner. It cost $20, but well worth it. So far I've gotten 7-8 Deep conditioning sessions out of it. It has a very light lemony scent and it's very thick. So  a little goes a long way.

Overall I like this line. It's all natural and for the most part the products deliver. I will be repurchasing the deep conditioner, the styling creme won't be repurchased though. I also got a styling gel sample and liked it so may purchase it for my curls.

 

Here's the result after using the deep conditioner and styling creme.

Very soft and shiny hair.

Prosperity Offering for the New Year

2011 is soon coming to an end. Usually this is the time of year when we tend to set out goals for ourselves whether be it diet, exercise, personal or work this season typically exudes a feeling for change and renewal for a lot of people.

Throughout the years I've come to know of many rather unique New Years Eve rituals such as 12 grapes at midnight, running around the block like a mad woman with luggage to travel, yellow underwear to attract luck and the list goes on.  In this post I will show you a much more intimate and unique way to bring in the new year with peace and prosperity without all the hassle.

 

First you will need intent. Visualize in your mind what you will be doing in 2012. Not what you may be doing but what you WILL be doing. Think it. That is perhaps the most important ingredient to any goal. Believing in yourself and having a clear enough view of what exactly you want your life to be can make a world of difference.

Secondly, use the many interesting and versatile elements of nature. There are so many living things in nature that work with our spirits and truly come to life when given the opportunity to be used for it's naturally intended purposes.

Once you have clearly set your vision it's time to ignite it and set it in motion:

What you will need:

1 Red Apple

7 Bay Leaves

7 Pennies

Gold & Silver Glitter

Rice

1 White Candle

1 Round White Plate

Cloves/Clove oil (optional)

Apples represent abundance, health, love and knowledge.

Apples are associated with the goddess Venus and the element water. Apples also represents death and rebirth which is ideal if your goal for the new year is to renew and kick bad habits away.  In this offering the apple will represent Love, Happiness and Abundance.

Once you have cleaned your apple put your apple in the middle of the plate and surround it with 7 bay leaves. Bay Leaves are used for protection and purifies against negativity and low energy. You can keep a  bay leaf in your purse, car etc to help enhance protective energy and keep negative vibrations away.

On top of the 7 Bay Leaves, place 7 pennies on top of them. Pennies are also represented by Venus which promotes prosperity and abundance. Pennies are used in this offering to represent abundance with work, imagination and prosperity.

Next you will add a light sprinkle of gold and silver glitter onto the pennies, alternating with each coin. Silver is associated with the moon and female intuition. Gold is associated with the sun, representing longevity, abundance and happiness. Being that silver is feminine belonging to the moon and the sun masculine to me it represents balance. The coins are meant to represent copper as well as fortune.

The next ingredient is rice.

One of rice's interesting magical uses is to protect from misfortunes and accidents making it another great protective ingredient. Rice is traditionally known to be thrown at wedded couples to increase fertility. To me the rice here represents abundance with food for my family and self.

And to add your finishing touch you can add a few cloves onto each coin.

Clove oil is optional, but if you can get it, it would be a great addition. Clove attracts money and abundance. And it's also protective and promotes love as well. I used clove oil to lightly "dress" my candle with the oil. Which is lightly oiling the candle with a q-tip. This step is optional but it can certainly help enhance the offering.

In a quiet space in my living room I leave my offering to Peace, Love, Prosperity and Abundance and appreciate all of my blessings in this year and the many more to come.

 

I've been very busy as of late! But will be updating with more recipes soon.

Stay tuned.

Mini Haul + A Manicure

Last March I received a sample of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion with the purchase of a blush.  I've dabbled into Clinique's shadows and blushes, but not so much into their skin care line. My skin these past 2 years has been going haywire. And lately I've been dealing with a lot of dryness and irritation. During my skin's moody episodes I tried this lotion and found my skin was instantly soothed.

 

After trying it several times and getting the same results, I decided to shell out the $25.50 for the full version. I like this moisturizer overall and it's light enough to keep my sometimes greasy skin balanced while at the same time keeping dryness at bay. Yes, at times it's oily then it'S dry! I just can't win.

 I've also been on a 2 week Honey facial cleansing challenge which has dramatically improvedmy skin, more on that in another post, in the mean time clinique's moisturizer is part of my regimen day and night.

Before that I was using Olay's facial moisturizer but I noticed my skin was not liking it as much...

 

Although it's much thicker than clinique's moisturizer, I felt like my skin was prone to more irritations than usual.

 

I also included  2 Lipsticks inmy haul, one was a refill of Revlon's Black Cherry and the other Revlon's Smoked Peach.

Left Smoked Peach
Right- Black Cherry

I also got my nails did! On a whim I decided to get a deep wine red.

Yes these are my real nails! Still taking care of them with Coconut Oil and Argan at times....

The Beauty and Health Benefits of Turmeric

Here is something I've been meaning to share with you guys. Turmeric caught my interest while browsing my favorite hair board Black Hair Media. I was looking for inspiration in the skin section when I came across a thread sharing a recipe for a facial, turmeric powder being the main ingredient. I was intrigued by the mention of turmeric and the feedback this spice was getting.  After some research

I was curios, so I went to my natural health store and got this jar on sale for 3 bucks.

Turmeric Powder

Turmeric is a spice mainly known throughout Asia especially India.

It's usedfor a variety of uses especially to add color to some foods and it's also one of the main ingredients that makes up curry powder. Turmeric has been known for it's medicinal uses for thousands of years. Incorporating turmeric into you diet can provide a variety of health benefits thanks to it's chief component known as curcumin:

• Lowers Cholesterol
• Detoxifies Liver
• helps prevent prostate cancer
• Antioxidant
• Rich In iron helping improve anemia
• Strengthens the immune system
• Relieves gas, gall stones, menstrual conditions
• Antinflammatory/ Natural Pain killer especially treating arthritis
• Stimulates metabolism helping with weight loss

How I use Turmeric Powder:

In tea of course...

While reading about the many possibilities in which you could benefit from turmeric, adding it to tea was one of the choices. I added a little turmeric to my all time favorite Oolong tea and fell in love with my tea all over again! It truly gives my tea experience an ultra smooth and almost extra sweet taste.

Adding turmeric to green tea boosts it's antioxidant levels which helps delay a variety of cancers and delays premature aging. I'm mainly focused on boosting my immune system as well as maintain clear skin.

Turmeric Facial.....

I must admit I have not been indulging in my weekly facials as I would like.

But I was able to use turmeric in a few of my most recent facials and have been truly pleased with the results.

Here are some skin uses Turmeric can be good for:

• Treats Eczema
• Treats Acne thanks to its Antiseptic & Antibacterial properties
• Helps with pigmentation related to hormones, sun damage etc.
• Lightens Stretch marks and Burn marks
• Improves circulation improving skin tone
• Wounds and cuts
• Evens skin tone

I decided to give my self a cleansing facial using:

Turmeric

Whole Milk

Sweet Almond Oil

European Clay

I mixed all the ingredients together....

and mixed until my desired consistency.....

And applied the mask

Left it in for about 20 mins...

I was left with very soft and very bright skin. Something I don't get too much out of most of my masks. I;ve been using turmeric a lot and have noticed my skin tone is much brighter and less breakouts.

Before moisturizing I always use some toner to pick up what's left. Overall I'm simply impressed with all the benefits this spice provides. I'll also be adding it to my cauliflower salad. So far it's a win with my tea and facials!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all the witches, gouls and the unknowns!

Thrift Store Find: Outfit of the Night

My first thrift store shopping experience was pretty good, I found some pretty cool accessories, along with this sweater dress and purse. The really fun part was the entire bill was $9.

What caught my eye about the sweater dress was the belt detail. And not to mention the sweater dress was in very good condition, practically new.

I was a bit hesitant because of the ruched puffy sleeves. But I was won over by the belt and price, $5! 

Along with the sweater dress I got this really cute purse for $2. I can fit a lot of stuff in there and the purse  goes with many of my outfits.

Late last August I stumbled upon some clearance items at my local shoe store and was able to snag these  Madden Girl beauties for $10! Usually I never find any good stuff in my size so I was happy to get these. I've been meaning to get a pair of nude heels and these peep toe are just perfect with a touch of orange.

I'm also not much of an outfit of the day person mostly because my outfits are rather boring but I had to share my outfit of the night from last night.

So the boyfriend and I headed out for a night out of dancing and food. I decided to put this outfit together. I was hesitant about the stockings and peep toes, but it actually worked out. It was very chilly out last night, but the sweater dress kept me warm. I went with a high bun and purple smokey eye.
 

I'm thinking about pulling this outfit out for thanksgiving...unless I fall for something else of course.

Frivolous Hair Shopping for Fall..........

I must confess I have succumb to online shopping!

Not only that but I feel the product junkie in me resurfacing!

 I recently won a $100 gift card at a raffle and the majority went to my gas tank. I've been kind of bored with my hair regimen so I decided to spice it up by introducing my hair to some new products.

I did not have much left in my gift card and really wanted to try some products before buying the full versions. Major mistake as far as Qhemet's Burdock Root moisturizer. I should have bought the full version because I truly love it in my hair.

I've tried it daily for a couple of days to moisturize my regular curly hair sealing with castor oil. But my hair would soak it up quickly. I originally wanted the Amla and Honey but thought it would be too heavy. But as far as curly hair it would be the best bet to try the amla and honey cream. I find that the Burdock Root would work best for straight hair since it tends to be light. My roller set straight hair loves burdock root because it does not weigh my hair down. So definitely getting full versions of both Amla & Burdock.

So with the last 9 bucks I had left on the gift card I went for the 1oz sample of oyin's Burnt Sugar Pomade. Don't have a clue on how to use it as of yet. But so far it gives my ponytail a lot of shine mid day when looking dull and frizzy. I also read some hair bloggers mention they use it to massage their scalps when dry and itchy.

So when my scalp was acting up recently I used the pomade to moisturize my scalp and it felt really soothed and stopped the itching. It also surprisingly did not make my hair feel greasy since this can be a bit greasy if you are not careful.

This Burnt Sugar Pomade simply smells heavenly and super sweet. It can be very strong for my sinuses but nothing I can't handle.

Texture is a bit gritty but when rubbed vigorously it just melts into your hands. I may try to melt this since I've also read it can be beneficial that way too. I'll play around with it a bit. So far it's a go to for my scalp massages.

So earlier last summer while in Atlantic City I stumbled upon Lush's hair moisturizer. My cousin offered to buy it since nothing else at the Lush shop caught my attention. And since I was just about out of my Bee Mine daily moisturizer it sort of ended up being an impulse buy.

Despite the impulse buy, it ended up being rather decent. However the scent is rather difficult to tolerate and describe. It smells like the whole lush store in this darn jar.......

I've been to the Lush store several times and the scent always confuses me, so  I never end up buying anything. This moisturizer is pretty decent if you can get pass the scent. My hair liked it and as usual I'd seal with castor oil.  If not careful it can be a bit greasy so I had to be careful since I tend to be heavy handed.

It cost $20 and no, I will not purchase this again. On certain days my sinus can't take it. But if you are not too sensitive then perhaps this can work for you since it works very well on super dry thirsty hair.

And last but not least this gel for my edges. I've heard good things about it and although I'm staying away from most Silicones and what not, I decided to try this for my high pony tails and buns.

It holds pretty well and does not dry out my hair or flake. It providesa decent shine and when I want a nice slick bun and need my edges to cooperate I reach for this. However if you will be dancing and sweating a bit I recommend trying Eco styler.

I have a few more new things I've purchased. Still trying them out and will have a review soon.