The Adventures of Co-washing!

Thanks to the lovely Danielle, I frequent a great site called, "naturallycurly.com". While looking at my Facebook news feed (I'm a fan of their page), I saw something called "The no-poo method". I thought, what the heck?! Upon clicking on the link and reading the articles, I realized they meant "no shampoo" and "conditioner washing (co-wash)". This is something I had heard of before - many years ago, thanks to Chaz Dean and his Wen cleansing conditioner info-mercials. I did some research and apparently Australians have been doing this for ages. It's nothing new.

The whole thing behind NOT using shampoo, and instead washing your hair with conditioner is...shampoo has tons of harsh detergents that dry and frizz out your hair. Makes sense. Conditioner on the other hand, still has detergents, just not harsh enough to dry out your hair like shampoo does.

A few weeks ago, I decided to try it. I said, why not? What do I have to lose? I have super dry, damaged, frizzed out, sickly hair. I've been trying my best to avoid putting another relaxer in it. I've managed not to do it. I thought I had to at least nurse my hair back to life before I do anything like that (but I think I'm just going to grow it out and embrace my natural hair).

I'm telling you. Wow. It's amazing. Obviously, if your hair gets greasy and dirty really quickly, this is not for you. This is how you co-wash:

#1 Get your hair REALLY wet. I mean thoroughly.
#2 Squeeze a GANG of sulfate-free conditioner in your hands and start at your scalp. Work it into your scalp in circular motions, massaging it into your scalp. Do this for a couple of minutes!
#3 This is very important...RINSE all of that conditioner out of your hair. If you don't do this, all the oils in your scalp remain on your hair and will leave your hair greasier than before you did this.
#4 Apply another LARGE amount of conditioner into your hair. This time, do it as you normally would (smoothing it on, instead of working it through and massaging).
#5 After you leave that in for the duration of your shower...rinse it off, but if your hair is super curly and/or super dry, leave a little bit behind - don't wash it completely out.

Viola!

I did this for a couple of weeks and my hair had never been smoother, shinier or softer. I recently had a Cosmetology student straighten my hair (blow dry & flat iron) and she insisted on Shampooing it. She is not yet a convert of the co-washing method for my hair type. But it's ok...she made up for it by getting my hair so straight and smooth with just a blow dryer and flat iron! Although, my hair is full of static. My guess is because she used that harsh shampoo on my hair. *tisk *tisk

Anyways, I'm sticking to the co-washing method from now on and I will try really hard to convince the professionals to do it as well. But I guess shampooing once a month isn't too bad. But I'd rather give it up for good!

Beauty School Beginnings

It's been two weeks since I started beauty school. I have to say, the school I've chosen is better than I thought. And it has an excellent reputation for getting its graduates to pass the California State Board Exam. That is what I want. But I'm also hearing things like, beauty school (this one in particular? or all of them?) is not really meant for educating the professional to enjoy a rewarding career. I am responsible for that on my own after I graduate, I suppose. That's ok.

I feel that my instructor has extra knowledge, that she is gracious enough to share with us (even though she doesn't have to). She graduated from this school and she has enjoyed a successful career as an esthetician for 8 years (prior to teaching). She even said she misses having clients and such! That's good to hear.

But I've also heard a couple of bad things. Like, one of the recent graduates (graduated a few months ago) has not found a job yet! But, maybe she's not trying hard enough. And maybe it's going to be really difficult for anyone living in the slums of the Inland Empire (like me). I'm kind of worried about getting a job after this, because I will have to pay back $5,000 in student loans when I'm finished. Another bad thing I heard is that a recent graduate did get a job...at Boots. A job I had and got hired for easily WITHOUT being a licensed esthetician. That really, really scares me.

*Sigh*

When I entered, we were just finishing the "Facials" chapter. I caught the tail end, and will go over it again in the coming months. Cool. I passed the quiz with 100% on the "Waxing" chapter. The test was super easy though.
Now we're on "Make up". My favorite.

These are some pics of the Russian girl's make up looks on me!

Purple Evening Eye:


Red Rose Eye:

Mini-guide: Get gorgeous lazy girls!

I wanted to write this mini-guide for procrastinators like me, who wait until the last minute to do things and still want to look gorgeous dah-ling! Hehe.
I noticed that the night before my niece's 1st birthday party that I looked a complete mess! (I'm one of those girls that puts off shaving, tweezing, etc. until the last minute when I REALLY need to)

The night before you need to look good, follow this simple guide:

1. Wash your face
2. Exfoliate (I'm tellin' ya, baking soda & water works the best!)
3. Pat face dry and apply your favorite mask, wait, then rinse with cool-ish water
4. Use a toner and apply treatment, moisturizer or retinol cream (it's good for acne AND wrinkles!)
5. Tweeze your eyebrows and remove any other unwanted facial hair
6. Apply eye cream
7. If you have a crazy hair regimen, do it now!
8. Remove old nail polish
9. Apply new nail polish, if you wish
10. Viola! you're done

Kind of like a mini-spa treatment.
Ok, if you think this blog entry was a cop-out (sorry! haha) then stay tuned for next week when I write about my first day at beauty school - otherwise known as orientation, where I receive my esthetician kit!

Battle of the beauty schools!

Since I got back from Santa Cruz, I've been procrastinating a little about which beauty school to go to. I guess I've decided that I'm going. I've also decided just to stick to an esthetics program. I couldn't be bothered to do hair and nails - I'm just not passionate enough about them (to do other people's hair & nails, that is). That choice limits me, I realize. But with that said, there are two schools in contention. ::School A:: is closer to me and it only takes 4 months to complete the program. ::School B::, I feel (and fear) is the better school for what I want to do, but their program is 8 months, and I would have to live with my mom to attend. Booooo!

It looks like ::School A:: is the one I'll HAVE to go to. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I want to go to the best school. But there is an option to take "Master Classes" at ::School B:: after I get my license later down the line, making ::School:: A a "wise" choice for the short term.

I have an appointment with the director of ::School A:: next Tuesday and after that I should be making my final decision. Then I'll be starting the program in October! That's next month!

Obviously most of my coming blog posts will be about what I'm learning...it should be interesting! Also, I'm planning to start my own make-up artistry business.

In the next blog:
Lazy Girl Get Gorgeous (mini) Guide!

My Beauty Product Wishlist (UPDATE Part 2)

I tried the rest of the products on my wishlist...

Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-puffing Eye Massage:

This really does what it says! I put it on right after I wash my face, and just before I use my toner. After a night of crying (I'm a big baby, I cry over everything!) I roll this serum over my eyelids and under my eyes and the puffiness and dark circles seem to diminish! I put the All About Eyes Eye Cream over it (I love that stuff). I thought it was quite pricey and would have been mad if it didn't work! Haha. But I think it's worth the money for something that actually does what it says.

Infiniti By Conair You Curl Curling Iron:

I like it. But I think it would work better on longer hair. If I could ever stop putting chemicals on it and causing heat styling damage all the time, it would get longer - and then I could see if it would curl even better.

In the next blog...
I'll write about my experiences visiting potential beauty schools!
Stay tuned!

Beauty School?

I'm contemplating something big for me. Beauty School!

It makes sense right? For someone so obsessed with hair and make-up. I always have been. Even as I was being fired from my previous day job...all I could think of was "I wish I could teach my boss how to put her make-up on right - it looks terrible."

I think that means I am meant to be in the beauty industry. I'm more interested in make-up and skin care than I am in hairstyling BUT it is a smarter move to learn how to do hair as well. So, I'm thinking about starting the Cosmetology program at Marinello Beauty School. As soon as I get back home from Santa Cruz, I am going to schedule an appointment to check it out and to get a free haircut from one of the students. Haha! That should be fun. My hair looks like crap right now, anything would be an improvement.

If I do end up going, this blog will get a lot more interesting. I've been neglecting it lately because of all the crap that's been going on in my life. Some of the crap is good though, so it ain't no thang.

I'll try to write another REAL beauty blog post sometime soon.
Hey, I'd be happy to hear your opinions about this bold new decision I have yet to make :-)

My Beauty Product Wishlist (UPDATE!)

So I've tried two things from my current beauty wish list...

Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo:
This stuff is awesome! I love it. It works just like the brand I'm used to, but it's cheaper and it smells quite nice. Very fresh and citrusy. I might be getting the foam version of this as well. You see, the spray is good when I wear my hair straight. When I wear it curly and I don't want to wash it, the foam will work better.

Mark. Break Out Plan Anti Acne Gel Lotion:
I just tried this today! I actually like it. I feel like it's making my face less shiny. Granted, I've only used it for one day...but I'm diggin' it so far. It smells nice, it's very light - yet moisturizing. I also tried a sample of the Purifying Gel Cleanser. I think I'll be buying the full size bottle soon.


Stay tuned for the rest of my (summer) beauty wish list!

My Beauty Product Wishlist

Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-puffing Eye Massage
I've used the eye cream and I'm a big fan. I plan to stick this roller ball in the fridge and put it on first thing when I wake up in the morning. My eyes are usually really puffy when I just wake up. I have confidence that this will work because Clinique is a brand I trust.

Infiniti By Conair You Curl Curling Iron
Been looking for this in the stores - can't find it! Maybe because it's so new. I want it because it doesn't have a clamp. I've been curling my hair the “professional” way by holding the iron vertically and wrapping my hair around the barrel. I think getting this will facilitate the technique that I'm already using.

Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo
I love dry shampoos. They are for lazy girls like me that want their hair to look freshly washed. (I don't wash my hair a lot for many reasons – one because my hair is so dry!) I used to use 'Psssssst Dry Shampoo' but it's really expensive and hard to find. I like the fact that Psssssst is unscented though. This one that I want to try has a fragrance and I'm hoping it's not strong and unbearable.

Mark. Break Out Plan Anti-Acne Gel Lotion (Coming Soon!)
This is new and not available yet, but I'll tell you why I want to try it...
I'm using a powerful Benzoyl Peroxide acne system right now and it does the job. But do you ever notice that if you use a product a lot, it doesn't work as well as it did when you first started using it? After a while, I have to use different products and then switch back to the powerful stuff. This gel lotion is made of mostly natural ingredients, so sadly it won't work as well as B.P. does for cystic acne. But it's worth a try. I like Mark. products. I sell them. That link takes you to my online store ;-)

Evian Mineral Water Spray To Go
In the summer it gets all sticky and hot. Spraying this fine mist on your face (if you're wearing make up or not) feels like HEAVEN! These are TSA approved so you can travel with them. I'm tellin' ya after you try this, you won't be able to stand another summer without it.

(More to come!)
To Be Continued...

The Bare Minimum Make-up Bag

Ideally, you want a tiny clear make-up bag that has only what you "need" and can fit in one of your smallest purses. This can change...but for the most part, stick to these bare minimum essentials.

Mascara
That's right. My face just doesn't seem to look right without this. My favorite right now is Clinique's Lash Power Mascara. It's waterproof right...but you don't need anything special to remove it! Just warm water. It's brilliant, I don't know how they came up with this. It makes your lashes look pretty natural.

Mineral 'Powder' Foundation
I'm sold on mineral foundation. I use the most popular one Bare Escentuals. I like it because it's one of those coveted multi-tasking beauty products. It's a foundation, powder, under-eye and blemish concealer all in one, and it doesn't feel heavy or slide off my face when it's hot outside.

Blush
I'm not faithful to blushes...I like to stick with rose colored or peachy colored blushes though, because they make you look young, fresh, awake! The one I'm using now is nice: Benefit Coralista

Lip Gloss (or balm)
I mentioned before that I like Burt's Bees...but if you want some color to your lips, a non sticky lip gloss is nice.

Eyebrow Pencil
I don't really have eyebrows. It's not because I want it that way...they just don't seem to grow! They've always been that way. Oh well. I use Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil to fill them in. It really pulls your look together - even if you have naturally full eyebrows.

This is all you need to look naturally beautiful. And it won't take too long!

In the next blog...
My current Beauty Product Wishlist!

10 Must Have Beauty Products

1. Mascara

Unless you are pale blond, black mascara works best. It's a quick, LM beautifier.

2. Eyelash Curler

Yes these are necessary! They really do make a difference. They make your lashes look longer. You don't need expensive ones either. As long as you know how to use one, a cheap one will do.

3. Lip Balm or Lip Gloss

My favorite is Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil.

4. Sun Protection from your Moisturizer, or Foundation!

I don't use a moisturizer with sunscreen. Because they tend to be too heavy on my skin. But I use a mineral foundation with an SPF 15 in it. Don't get skin cancer and wrinkles!

5. Deep Conditioner

Like a hair mask. Or you can use a super triple oil formula. Jojoba oil, Olive oil and Coconut oil. Leave it on for a few hours and shampoo it out.

6. Wide Tooth Comb

Don't brush your hair when it's wet! Just don't.

7. A double duty flat iron (straightens & curls!)

8. Coconut Oil

I use this everywhere. When I'm treating my face with harsh, drying benzoyl peroxide (because of my awful acne), I use it on my face. I use it on my body, hair and anywhere else I can think of!

9. Exfoliator

I won't buy them in the tubes anymore. Baking soda mixed with water is the best. Try it!

10. Face Mask!

And if all else fails, just buy a paper bag, cut some holes in it, put it over your head and call it a day. HAHAHHA! Just kidding.

A natural one for dry skin is greek yogurt with a little brewer's yeast mixed in. For oily skin, sulfur masks work wonders. My fav is DDF Sulfur Mask. University Medical makes another good one too (AcneFree).

In the next blog...
The Bare Minimum Make-up Bag!

Intro: Beauty Mission Statement

So, I seem to be attracted to guys who think I look "just fine" without make-up. That's great, I know. But most of my girlfriends (and girls in general) would say putting a little on doesn't hurt you, it helps you!

It's funny, one guy even told me I look BETTER without make-up (Ha! Yeah right! Most of us need a little bit.) And I want my boyfriend to think I'm cool. So, I try to get ready in 15 minutes or less when we go out together. But I found that's kind of difficult if you don't have naturally gorgeous, behaving hair and skin. I personally have oily/acne prone skin, frizzy-CRAZY-curly hair and the skin on my body is terribly dry. I have special conditions, so if I want to look good - I have to work hard at it.

The trick that I've been trying to figure out ever since I discovered the wonderful world of beauty products (Sephora = the holy grail for me) is being a H.M. girl and coming off as an L.M. girl (every man's dream, right?).

So in this blog I'll review products, make beauty lists, write out my beauty experiments and share my tips on how to get you looking gorgeous and not looking like you tried (and being speedy about it too!).

Oh and I'll always welcome your ideas and opinions!

-In the next blog...
My top 10 Must Have Beauty Products List
(which varies, so I'll have many more!)