Monday, January 31, 2011

Yummy Homemade Facial Treatments

As spring approaches, I am definitely focusing more on my skin. As should you!
Valentine's day is creepin' up on us and most of us want that flawless glow to set our lover's heart a-flutter. Here are some all-natural treatments that you can try at home to treat your skin.


A drop of grapeseed oil + drop of aloe vera gel = a great balancing facial serum for irritated skin. The grapeseed oil tones and evens the skin while the aloe vera gel moisturizes and soothes.


A drop of coconut oil + drop of honey + a dot of amla powder = A wonderfully nourishing facial scrub that softens and brightens the skin. Wet skin first, and apply the scrub in gentle, circular motions, then rinse with warm water. You may also leave this on the skin for 5-10 minutes as a masque.


A dot of shea butter + a dot of olive oil = A fabulous night time moisturizer that reduces fine lines and wrinkles while keeping skin supple and hydrated throughout the night. I like to use this around my eyes to keep laugh lines at bay.


A dot of brown sugar + a dot of almond oil = A lip scrub to die for! Apply to scrub to dry lips and scrub gently in a circular motion for 1 minute. Rinse with warm water and blot excess water with a soft cloth. Use your favorite lip balm to seal the moisture in. I like to use this before I know I am gonna be lovey-dovey with my fiance. Works every time!

All of the ingredients mentioned above can be purchased at your local grocery store. The amla powder can be purchased online at ayurnaturalbeauty.com or at your local Indian grocery store.

Happy Monday!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Bonus Post:The Evolution of My Bun

F%^K YEAH!

I am sooo excited. My bun has finally grown up. lol.

Products I used to straighten for 2011 Bun:

Shampoo - Goldwell Kerasilk Ultra Moisture Shampoo (Thanks Moptop Maven!)

Deep Conditioner - Silk Elements Mega Moisture Treatment

Leave-in - GVP Concentrated Leave-In Treatment (Sebastian Potion #9 knockoff)

Sealant/Heat Protection - Creme of Nature Argan Oil Serum with a little bit of Vatika oil mixed in.

I am almost a year creamy-crack (aka perm) free! Natural hair rocks! That is all.

Observe:

October 2009..Couldn't even make a bun.
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September 2010 Bun



January 2011 Bun
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You can find the products mentioned above at the following stores:

Serum, Leave-In and Deep Treatment- Sally Beauty Supply

Vatika Oil- Local Indian grocery store or online at Ayurnaturalbeauty.com

Shampoo- Drugstore.com or your local beauty supply

Color- Reshma Henna found at your local Indian Grocery.

Happy Hair Growing!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Vegas Pictoral


Hey!

I just wanted to share some pics from Vegas while they are still hot. The trip went smoothly, but the weather was strangely similar to the Bay Area. I wanted it to be HOT so that I could at least show a little skin. I might make another trip up there to see my mum before she moves to Mexico...Yes, Mexico. I'm so jealous.

Without further ado, here are some pictures. Yup. You could tell I had some fun.


The "KISS" man and I. He hit on me after this picture was taken. lol.


My best friend on this trip: My wig! This is the token bathroom pic. Observe the TP in the background.


This is a necklace! I wanted one, but it was $20. Hayll no. Not even after 2 Heinekens.


This is the awesomeness that is the light show on Fremont Street. Aka The Fremont Street Experience

Hope you like! It's good to be back.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Sin City



Well folks, I am headed to Las Vegas tomorrow and although it is a business trip I will try to sneak a little party time in for myself because I deserve it. Between interviews, packing, and getting ready for my first day of school, life has been a whirlwind...in a good way though. I am roller setting my hair and will let you all know how it turns out...in picture language of course!

Totally off topic, has anyone been watching the Bad Girls Club? This show is my guiltypleasure.com. Once upon a time I used to be a bad girl, but I'se darn near married now, and I had to put my good girl shoes on. It looks like it is going to be a RAW season.

These girls are not afraid to act a damn fool.

Hopefully they learn something from this experience Some of my favorites so far:

Sydney - I like her. She doesn't give a f*ck and seems to be a real chick.


Jessica- Ghetto as hell, but she seems like a strong contender for "top bitch" in the house.


Char - Grounded and funny, she is too pretty and successful to be in that house. She keeps the girls in line though.


If you are tuning in (and I know you are), who is your favorite Bad Girl?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Blog Love: Hell Notes for Beauty Giveaway!


Fabulous Blogger Giveaways are in full effect this New Year and I just thought I'd share the deets!

The gorgeous diva at Hell Notes for Beauty is one of my many makeup/beauty inspirations in the bloggerverse. She has a recipe for a coconut cream deep treatment that I have been dying to try! She is having a drool-worthy giveaway and I hope to GOD that I am the winner, but if you win, I will be proud that I led you in the right direction.:-)

The prizes include colorful Wet and Wild eye shadows, cute little "evil eye" earrings, and other goodies.

Check it out!:
Hell Notes for Beauty: I'm Back.... with a Giveaway and Haul#links

Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Never Give Up


Trying to find a job during the recession sucks. Sometimes, it sucks so much that I feel down, even worthless. Yet amidst all of the tough ish, there is still a small flame in me that stays lit...always. No matter what you are going through, keep your little flame going.

Fan the hell outta that m$%@#!($*&@r.



Here is an amazingly inspirational sites to keep your little flame going:

Pick the Brain
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/22-reasons-to-never-give-up/

Diggy, you are the best for writing this...

1- As Long As You Are Alive Anything Is Possible
The only valid excuse you have to give up is if you are dead. As long as you are alive (and healthy and free) you have the choice to keep trying until you finally succeed.

2- Be Realistic
The chance of mastering something the first time you do it is almost non-existent. Everything takes time to learn and you will make mistakes. Learn from them.

3- Michael Jordan
Arguably the best basketball player of all time. He attributes his success to all his failures. He just never gave up even when he knew he had missed over 300 shots and had missed the winning shot of the game many times. Every time he got knocked down he got back up again.

4- Lance Armstrong
Lance was diagnosed with serious cancer that had spread throughout his entire body. He had cancer cells the size of golf balls in his lungs. Despite all odds he overcame the cancer and set out to win the Tour de France 6 Consecutive years in a row.

5- Muhammad Ali
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”. Muhammad Ali is one of the best boxers the world has ever known. He suffered only 5 losses while having 56 wins and was the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times. This is a guy who literally knows how to get knocked down and get back up.

6- The Man Who Created The Marathon
Very long ago an Athenian herald was sent to Sparta to get help when the Persians landed in Greece. It was said that he ran 240km in 2 days and after that he ran 40km to announce the victory of the Greeks only to collapse and die on the spot from exhaustion. If you ever feel like things are difficult, imagine what it would be like to run 240km in 2 days. (Don’t try that because you might die from it, but use it as an inspiration).

7- Chris Gardner – The Pursuit of Happiness
Have you seen the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness”? It is based on the life story of Chris Gardener, a man who went for the lowest of the lows in an environment where most people would give up (no money, no job) to the highest of the highs (A millionaire with his own investment firm). If you ever think about giving up, watch this movie!

8- Kanye West
I’m pretty sure you have heard of the rapper Kanye West. Read his story. He is a big inspiration for me and proves that you can go from having very little to being among the most famous and respected people in the world.

9- Nelson Mandela
Campaigned for justice and freedom in his South Africa. Spent 20 years in jail for his opposition to apartheid. On release he healed the wounds of apartheid by his magnanimous attitude toward his former political enemies.

10- You Are Strong
You are stronger than you think. One little setback is not enough to stop you from achieving your goals. Neither are 10 or 100 or 1000 setbacks.

11- Prove Yourself
You don’t want to be known as someone that is weak and gives up. Go out there and prove yourself to the world and to yourself. You CAN and WILL achieve what you set out to do. The only time you fail is when you give up.

12- Has It Been Done Before?
If someone else can do it then so can you. Even if it is only one other person in the world that has achieved what you have set out to achieve, that should be reason enough for you to never give up.

13- Believe In Your Dreams
Don’t sell yourself short. In life there are going to be many people who will try to bring you down and tell you what you want to achieve is not possible. Don’t let anyone destroy your dreams.

14- Your Family and Friends.
Let the people you love and who mean the world to you be your inspiration to persist and persevere. Maybe you need to try a different angle, study more or practice more but don’t give up!

15- Because I Tell You To.
Not that I am any sort of guru or Godly figure, but if you want to give up then don’t. Just because I’m telling you not to.

16- There Are People Worse-Off
Right now there are many people who are in a worse situation and environment than you are right now. Are you thinking about giving up running 5 miles a week? Think about the people who are unable to even walk and how much they would give to be able to run 5 miles every day.

17- Improve Our World
When you achieve whatever you set out to achieve you can use your success to make a difference to the world or other peoples lives.

18- Get Rich or Die Trying
Like Fiddy (50 cent) says, “Get rich or die trying”. 50 Cent is rich, he made it (although he did get shot 9 times). Face your fears and don’t take the easy way out by giving up.

19- Let The Haters Hate
There will always be haters. There will always be plenty of naysayers and people who try to tear you down. Don’t pay attention to them and don’t take what they say to heart. Let the haters hate and you keep believing in yourself.

20- You Deserve To Be Happy
Don’t ever let anybody tell you otherwise. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to have success. Keep that mindset and never give up until you reach your destination!

21- Inspire Others
Be an inspiration to others by refusing to give up. Who knows what someone else can achieve because you never gave up and in turn inspired them not to give up.

22- You Are So Close
Often when you feel like you want to give up and you are about to give up you are so close to making a huge break-thru. Seth Godin has written an awesome book about this called “The Dip” – a riveting read that teaches that at any given time you are always just a heartbeat away from success.

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Monday Hair and Using a Deep Conditioner as a Moisturizer



Happy New Year!

My hair has been dry as the Sahara lately and I needed a moisturizer with extra oomph for my 4a/b transitioning hair. I will be a year post relaxer in February and these tresses needed some love, so I pulled out the heavy duty ish.

In a moment of genius, I whipped out the Silk Elements Mega Moisture Treatment and got to work on my braid out. I started with damp,clean, co-washed hair and made ten braids. After sealing with my castor/shea mix, I noticed super-soft and shiny braids. Mind you, I used only a LITTLE of the deep conditioner because I have fine hair. I like using this conditioner because it has ceramides (to protect the hair), glycerin (for moisture), and adimethicone (for sealing in moisture).

I left the braids in overnight and pulled the resulting braid out into a fierce and funky puff.

The Results:

Back shot


Braid Out Texture


Natural Light


Products Used:
Co-wash- V05 Kiwi Lime
Deep Conditioner- Trader Joe's Nourish Spa w/coconut milk and grapeseed oil
Styler- Silk Elements Mega Moisture Treatment
Sealant- Castor/Shea Mix (w/essential oils of rosemary and lavender)

Happy Monday!