Sunday, November 22, 2009

Egg olive oil hair conditioner

My hair has been looking less healthy than usual.. probably because I have been washing it everyday after the beach. I have also finished my Omega 3 capsules and am in an air conditioned environment all day and night long... not so great for the follicles.

A quick remedy for limp dull hair is a hot oil massage. When I was growing up mum would give me an oil massage twice a week with a homemade oil made out of coconut oil and boiled red hibiscus. Now, I prefer using plain old extra virgin olive oil for my hair. But this time my hair needed extra conditioning so I made the dreaded smelly egg hair oil mixture.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
Extra virgin olive oil
vinegar/lemon juice
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Basically I whipped up the eggs like I was making an omelette with two tablespoons of olive oil and added a teaspoon of vinegar.

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Then with some cotton wool I covered my hair from root to tip and then let it dry till my hair went stiff (around 45 mins). Then I rinsed my hair out with luke warm water (do NOT use warm/hot warm as you might cook the egg) and then shampooed it as usual. I use some conditioner on the tips of my hair only.

Why does this work? Apparently eggs may strengthen hair follicles due to its high protein content and also add volume, shine and texture to hair.

Still skeptic?


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Before: Dull and limp


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After 1 use: Hair looks much more healthy and is now shiny!

* Both pictures taken with flash. Please excuse the many fly-a-ways after picture :)

PROS: The pros are pretty obvious from the pictures. My hair feels alot softer, has more volume and bounce, is shinier and generally alot healthier than before.

CONS: From experience, if you don't wash out the mask completely and shampoo well enough, hair can smell like you have put eggs in it. Inevitably, the bathroom you use to wash your hair will not smell that great either. I put up with these minor cons as I have used many hair masks before (both commercial and natural) but have not yet found one that does wonders for my hair like this one!

What do you use to remedy dull hair?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Simple purple smokey eye

So this is from a few months ago.. As you can see I really haven't honed into my picture taking skills but I'm still trying. This is the first smokey purple look that I have ever tried. Was inspired by Temptalia's and XinaRox purple smokey eye looks. I should have packed more shadow on, extended the eye shadow above the crease and darkened the outer V and smoked out the lower lash line.

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Used:
Blacktract fluidline as base
Parfait amour on lid
Nocturnelle on crease
MUFE 92 in outer V
MUFE eyeliner 11L (purple) on waterline
Lancome Hypnose mascara (quite clumpy since it was nearly over in the tube)

Simply fabulous dahlings




Pics from MAC cosmetics website


Remember my pigment dilemma?

Well, the very generous new blogger Mommy Fabulous is offering a super giveaway including a choice of MAC Mischief Makers holiday sets including my current loves - the piggie sets and with more followers she is getting more generous! For details on this giveaway visit: http://jeanicejoi.blogspot.com/2009/11/welcome-to-blog-world-giveaway.html NOW!

Also, she blogs about her life as a mum in Las Vegas and her own little mischief maker!

Animal instincts

Spring trends 2010
Photo credit: NYMag.com

If I had to choose a print that I'm most fond of it would have to be animal print. I know it is considered a "trend" but I don't really pay attention to that! I have almost every body part covered.. from gloves, scarves, sun glasses to shoes, clothes and even makeup!

I thought it would be fun if I shared some of fav "wild" things so here they are...


Style warriors Refined golden bronzer

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What better way to start off than with MAC. Amazing bronzer that does not look muddy.. I do not reach for this that often though but I should!!

SHOES
Black peep-toe shoes with animal print lining from H&M. I really like the cut-out detail on the sides

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    My leopard print stilettos from Steve Madden - These are most probably a rip-off of Loubutins but I love them anyway!


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Jewellery
The hoops from H&M and the other was a gift from an aunt who visited SouthAfrica


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I wore this dress when I graduated with my Bachelors degree. Ahh.. memories

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

Blog Love

I read ALOT of blogs.. usually my google reader unread posts are more than a 100 a day. Some of my fav non-beauty blogs in no particular order are:


Postsecret - exactly like it sounds.. I am pretty sure everyone is familiar with this one
Link: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

Style arena- Streetstyle Japanese blog
Link: http://www.style-arena.jp/en/

Desire to inspire- An amazing interior decorating blog, features beautiful inspiring pictures
Link: http://www.desiretoinspire.net/

Karla's closet
Links: http://www.karlascloset.com/

Couture Carrie- Who needs Vogue when CC brings it all to your inbox
Link: http://couturecarrie.blogspot.com/

Picky Piggies

Well, its 2 am and I'm now officially twitter obsessed! Speaking of the O-word: MAC pigments.. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding which MAC holiday pigment set will be mine... I'm basically torn between Cool capers --> love fuschia, grape and deep blue green but I think I will get more wear out of sexpot smoky --> love naked, sunnydaze and chocolate brown pigment. I could always get both though! :)

Oh- Sea foam eyes was the "chosen one" for a friends 21st birthday on Saturday night. I wore it with NARS torrid blush with my love Albatross as a highlighter and mixed MAC Freckletone and Lollypop Loving on my lips with MAC lustreglass in Love Nectar.
My outfit was a strapless mini coral dress from Forever21 with a bright yellow cotton cashmere cardi with snakeskin (fake) gladiator heels. Unfortunately did not have the foresight to snap a pic but will remember the next time!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My MAC imagination

Sometimes during work (doing a PhD is work!) I find myself drifting away into a MAC dreamland while waiting for reactions to occur. Often this involves coming up with an idea for a look in my head. I still consider myself a makeup novice and have not tried all these looks as yet but here are some. Oh, I also name them like I know what I'm doing :)

Sea foam eyes
Rubensque pp
Goldmine in inner corner
Teal pigment on the rest of the lid
Shimmermoss on middle lid
Deep truth on crease
Carbon/Club on outer V
lower lash line - goldmine and club


Fiery Gold
Rubensque pp
Cocomotion pigment foiled 2/3rd lid
Coppering e/s 1/3rd lid
Fuschia (88 palette) in outer crease
lower lash line- woodwinked

Fairy floss
On a black base (NYX black bean/blacktrack fluidline)
Silver ring e/s near tear duct
Parfait Amour all over lid
Nocturnelle outer V
Mufe 92 in crease

I might just do one of these looks this weekend!

Duty free shopping list

To stop thinking about all the fabulous cosmetic related sales now on in the US (namely the Urban decay and sephora ones) I have decided to make a list of all my cravings for the end of 2010. I am going to be going home in 4 weeks (yay!) and will be passing through the duty free heavens of both Singapore and Dubai. Did someone say "Put that on my credit card please!"

From the MAC holiday collection:
Smoke and Mirrors eye kit (for mommy)
Models misbehaving lip kit
Cool capers pigment set
Sexpot smokey pigment set

For swatches: http://www.specktra.net/forum/f217/mac-magic-mirth-mischief-holiday-kits-part-i-oct-09-a-146301/index2.html


From Clinique
eyecream

If I were able to buy stuff from the US sales I would get:
UD book of shadows II
UD set of 24/7 liners
NARS blushes in luster, cactus rose, gilda
No harm in wishful thinking right? :)