Baking Soda Changed My Life Forever

For quite a while now, I have been struggling with something: greasy, heavy hair that never ever feels clean. The moment I would come out of the shower, I would already feel like I have product in my hair, especially at the crown of my head. Even when I would double wash my hair, the situation did not improve. I can't believe I didn't see it before--the problem was staring me right in the face--but a few days ago I finally came to the realization that I had product buildup in my hair. 

What is product buildup?

Essentially, it is what it sounds like. Every time you use hair spray, gel, mousse, wax, and even dry shampoo, you are slowly accumulating these products in your hair. The buildup causes your hair to look heavy, dull, dirty, and greasy, even if it is freshly washed. It can make styling your hair extremely difficult (something I can surely attest to) and it can also give you an itchy, flaky scalp.

How do I get rid of it?

Of course the moment my revelation hit, I turned to the internet for some solutions. Aside from a detoxing or clarifying shampoo, which was not an option for me because I wanted an immediate result, I found apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and even hand soap as a solution. The most appealing and well-received home remedy seemed to baking soda, so I gave it a try. 

Photo credits: femiology.com

What you need:

1/4-1/2 cup of baking soda

Water

1. Rinse your hair with water and massage the baking soda into your scalp. 
2. Divide your hair into sections, like you would do if you were using dry shampoo, so that you can place scoops of baking soda directly on your scalp, and do that all over your head. 
3. Add a tiny amount of water and massage the baking soda into your scalp really well. Then leave it in for 5-6 minutes. 
4. Once you have waited a fair amount of time, rinse your hair and shampoo and condition as usual (try to use natural, sulfate-free products). 

You will immediately feel how light and clean your hair is after this clarifying treatment. 

If you thought the baking soda hair fix was merely a rumor, think again. It actually does work, and it works extremely well! My hair is now light, bouncy, strong, and easy to style again. You don't need to spend your money on a fancy clarifying shampoo, just go to your pantry and you will find a quick, affordable, and effective solution. I plan on repeating this process every week or two because it truly did change my hair care forever.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Nails Of The Week

After about two weeks of nasty chipped nail polish, I finally changed my nail polish yesterday. I was browsing the interwebs for cool designs and this one stuck in my head.

I am not a nail master, please excuse the edges :)

From left to right: Revlon Colorstay Gel-Smooth Base Coat, Circus By Andrea's Choice in Reverso,
Sephora by O.P.I in Dark Room, Revlon Colorstay Gel-Smooth Top Coat

Steps

1. Apply base coat.

2. Base color (2 layers), wait at least two minutes between each coat of polish for it to dry.

3. Use a dried out ballpoint pen or other dotting tool to make dots using your accent color. Start by dotting a line across the tip, then gradually make the dots smaller and smaller towards the middle of your nail.

3. Wait at least 30 minutes for the polish to dry, then apply top coat.

Tips

- Be patient! It took a lot of self-control for me to not apply my top coat a few minutes after I was finished dotting, but it was worth it in the end. You want to wait for each layer to dry to prevent smudging.
- You don't need an actual dotting tool. I just used a dried out ballpoint pen, but you can also use toothpicks, the back of a pin, etc.
- Use colors that contrast to make the design stand out (such as black and white).

Touching Up Your Makeup

I will begin by saying that apart from blotting, I don't actually touch up my makeup at school. Yes, I do check to see if I have mascara smudging under my eyes, but I don't go out of my way to reapply anything. The reason is that I don't have that much time at school between classes, and makeup isn't really my number one priority when I am at school. However, if I do want to touch up my makeup before I go out somewhere, this is what I do.

TIPS

• In the bathroom, use a toilet seat cover to blot (also, if you find it embarrassing to blot in public, just use the toilet seat cover while in the stall, no one will see). The material is as absorbent as blotting sheets so it works perfectly!
• Other than concealer, steer clear from adding more liquid makeup to your face, it can get cakey very quickly. Instead, blend in your existing foundation to bring life back to it.
• Make sure that you gently wipe away any mascara or eyeliner smudged under your eyes.
• Use a light hand with powder, only in the areas where you need it (T-zone for me).
• If your blush has faded throughout the day, add some more to bring back that healthy flush to your face. If you don't have blush on hand, just use your lipstick as a cream blush.
• Reapply your lip color on clean lips so that it doesn't look blotchy and uneven. Use your finger to blend it in for a more natural look.
• If your don't want to add more lipstick, put on some lip balm and blend it in for a smooth and polished finish.