Some Products That Your Hair & Skin Will Thank You For..

Do you shower? Do you bathe? If yes, keep reading. If no, take a moment because you may need to re-evaluate your hygienic practices. However, If you’re like the most of us, depending on your preferences, you either start your day with a warm bath/shower, end you day with it or do both. Whatever contents your soul err, body. The end result is always the same – happy, healthy, supple skin. Now, there are many contributing factors that lead to healthy skin such as diet & different beauty products. But in this post, I will only be tackling skincare & hair care products. While you read this, keep in mind that each individual is different. What may work for others may not necessarily work for you. The biggest skincare/hair care mistake most people do is purchase products solely based on its popularity without considering their skin/hair type. Do not do that! If it makes you breakout, you develop an allergic reaction or have other negative reactions, it is not worth it. Let it go. Believe me, you do not want to break out in hives especially in God forbid, your face (happened to me. I looked like a balloon for several weeks so trust me on this). So, go ahead ask me, “How will I know if it’s the right product for me?” well what a good question! The answer to that is, simply test out the product you wish to purchase on a small portion of the back your hand, give it 24 hrs and see if anything happens. I know sometimes we panic that this "out-of-this-world" product might get out of stock but girl, the chances of that happening is only 10.9999%. I’m pretty sure they carry TONS of that in their storage room especially if it’s in demand. Even if let’s say, they do run out, I guarantee you they will resell it at some point. So don’t panic; Risk outweighs popularity.

To give you some comfort, you will never go wrong with hypoallergenic products. If a product says “hypoallergenic”, chances are it most likely is. The product will not claim to be something it isn’t because the company can get sued for that! If companies put themselves at risk regarding this, then they are very very stupid. I shake my head at them. Additionally, when purchasing a new line of product, it would do you good to look at the ingredients. Why? It may contain an ingredient(s) that you had a negative experience to before. Personally, I tend to play safe with skincare products and I came up with these products that I mainly use. 

I tried other products as well but I find myself repurchasing these babies right here & they work better for my skin. Therefore, I’m only going to talk about them since it doesn’t really make sense to talk about products that I haven’t tried now, does it?

To start off, if you refer to the photo above, the products I use are Bath & Body’s Stress Relief, Freeman’s Foot Lotion in the scent of Peppermint & Plum, Lush’s Roots, Lush’s face & body scrub, Ocean Salt and The Body Shop’s Shea Body Butter.

Twenty min. before hopping into the shower, I massage Roots onto my scalp working through to the ends of my hair. It’s supposed to add volume to your hair (you can never have enough oomph). About 5 min since application, you will immediately feel a menthol-y (is that even a word?) feeling on your scalp which is very soothing. Texture-wise, it has a thick, smooth consistency and the smell will make you siiing! 

Once a week, when I’m in the shower, I lather Ocean Salt on wet skin then rinse. Just like other scrubs, it has exfoliating beads in it so texture-wise, it’s rough and a little goes a long way (well, depends on how tall you are). If you don’t know what scrubs are, their main purpose is to remove dead skin. Thus, making your skin softer. It says you can also put it on your face, but I did not want to risk it. 

After I bathe/shower, I moisturize my body with Shea Body Butter. I especially like this around winter time because it’s thicker in consistency and has a warm, calming smell to it. Not only that but it does an excellent job of moisturizing as well! If you haven’t tried Body Butters before, I highly recommend you give them a try. They’re different than lotions in a way that they do a better job in moisturizing and you will get addicted to the feel of it. It’s very smooth and just like it’s name, you’ll feel like you’re sticking your hand in butter teehee =) Who doesn’t want that right?  

At night before I go to bed, especially after I’ve had a long & stressful day, I like to lather Antistress relief lotion on my skin. This is a must try! One of the ingredients is eucalyptus, so it has a very therapeutic effect. It calms me & helps me sleep better. I sleep like a baby with this on. Also helps sore muscles. 

Lastly, for my feet I don’t use regular lotion to moisturize it. I use this foot lotion because I find that this does a better job in soothing my feet. Does it do a better job in moisturizing feet as a regular lotion? Not necessarily. But it definitely makes my feet happier. I usually put this on before going to bed as well. 

There are millions of skin & haircare products out there and I wish I could say I have tried them all, but nope, nada, not even close (unfortunately my budget doesn’t allow me to).So, if there are any products that’s working great for you, you’ve found your holy grail or absolutely cannot stop talking about them, please feel free to share them with me & other readers. Sharing is caring. This is not an endorsement (I wish it was so I actually get paid for this) so feel no pressure in reading this post, though I don’t know why you would. This information is purely based on personal experience and I am the type of person that does not lie about these things. If I like it, I will say good things about it. If not, even if you pay me a million dollars, I will say zilch, non positive comments. Okay, who am I kidding; we all know that’s bullshit. Of course I will, as long as they don’t go beyond ethical standards or impose health risks. Nevertheless, it will still come out as rehearsed or fake.

With all that said, I will share with you a website that is worth looking into: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. It’s a database of different cosmetics & skincare products that tells consumers about a certain product's overall hazard based on its ingredients. This will influence your product purchasing a whole lot so go check it out!

Final Note: As Audrey Hepburn once said, “True Beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.” Even if you’re the most gorgeous person on earth, if your personality is crap, you’re still crap. Your outward appearance means nothing if you don’t have the personality and attitude to go with it. Where am I going with this? Work from the inside out. True beauty emanates from the inside.

That’s it for now lovelies =) I hope I didn’t offend anyone with this post. Happy Bathing!

Purses: Are You Packing the Right Things?

Purses are our best accessory, don’t you agree ladies? It completes our whole look. Regardless of the size, or the style of handbag – be it hobos, totes, satchels, whatever you want to call it, we gotta admit, we cannot go anywhere without it. Just let it coordinate with your outfit, then voila! It seems simple enough, no? Sorry to burst your bubble if this is how you think, but it’s not that simple. The most challenging & time consuming part is choosing what to pack wherein it includes all your basic necessities without causing it to overflow. We all think that we are good at this but in reality; most women either carry their entire house with them or pack less than necessary. So, in this article I will be enlisting some of the most essential things to bring. When it comes to purse packing, it’s important to consider where you’re going, how long you’re going to be, and the accessibility of your destination.

The items on this list will vary on the occasion and the size of your purse of course. If you’re one of the lucky ones you may have a purse that looks small but has lots of space/compartments inside. If not, well you got to work with what you have right? Unless you’re filthy rich that you can purchase any bag you want anytime you want then this doesn’t apply to you (we’re incredibly jealous of you by the way). If you’re the latter, you can always use a small pencil or makeup bag to put some of your more personal or small stuff in. This way, it’s easily accessible and mess-free especially if you choose to bring some makeup (this happened to me & believe me you’d rather not clean up spilled liquid liner in your bag.. fun times).  Anywho, I always say, it’s better to bring more then less! Always be prepared. I cannot stress this enough. The last thing you want to do is make unnecessary expenses on things that you already have.

Without further ado, let's talk about the definite must – brings:

1

* * Gum/mints

No matter where you are, it’s important to have minty, fresh smelling breath especially if you were adventurous with food that day. Unless you’re one of the rare ones that carry a toothbrush & toothpaste wherever you go, you don’t want to risk it! You could be in a job interview or meeting the love of your life for the first time and as we all know first impression is important (or first smell in this case). Furthermore, it not only makes you feel good & fresh but other people will notice it to, or smell rather, which will in turn make them feel comfortable with you.

2

* *  Lotion

Be kind to your hands. With winter coming up, keep your hands soft. We all know this season is especially brutal on our skin. Don’t let it win. Dry hands = problems (you can hurt easily, too!), not to mention that it’s unattractive and ages your hands quickly. Just like you moisturize your face, don’t forget your hands too.

3

* * Tampon/Pad

As much prepared as we think we are when it comes to our monthly visits (and yes we are OCD when it comes to these things), Mother Nature do tend to surprise us at times. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it. Be prepared. You do NOT want to look like you got shot in what your mama gave ya. Must this really be explained?

4

* * Wallet

This is self-explanatory. You don’t want to seem like a loser and ask people for change (if you take transit or for parking). Or suck up your self-reliant, independent attitude & forcibly turn your charm on so someone will buy you lunch/dinner (unless this is your style, nothing against that). But I’m just warning you that the odds might not be in your favor on this one. Also don’t forget your Driver’s license/id as well. 

5* Cell phone

In this day & age, no one forgets their cell phone, right? It’s the first thing we check in the morning, every 5 min of everyday and last thing we see before we sleep at night (If you do this, good luck to you). However, if you’re one of the few who begs to differ (there’s some hope in humanity after all), cell phones are indeed very useful tools (if used wisely, and no wisely does not include playing candy crush or stalking your crush on social media). For one thing, in case of emergency, 911 is one call away & it keeps creeps away as well. In addition, you could even go as far as use it to sabotage your boring – as - fuck date. Tip: Text your friend to call you during a bad date & when she does, pretend there’s an emergency that needs your physical & mental attention asap! There, you got rid of your date without it seeming obvious. Thank me later.

6* Phone Charger

If you have one of those phones that quickly drain your battery life or you’re completely obsessed with your phone, bring a charger with you! You might not be able to use it at a time when you actually need it. This happens more than we’d like to admit, doesn’t it?

7* Chapstick

Just like the hands, be kind to your lips. Dry, chapped lips feels & looks awkward. Not only that but dryness of lips will cause it to crack & bleed as well. You’re not going for that look like you just got punched in the mouth, are you?

8* Sanitizer

Keep the germs at bay. Keep hands clean, and sticky-free.

9* Napkins

Who knows, the washroom you’re in might’ve run out of tissues & paper towels. This does happen. We all know tissues are a must after we do our business! This also comes in handy for spilled drinks & food and also sticky messes in your bag.

1* Band-aids

It's one of those nights where you've had too much to drink & showed your wild side which included you tripping in your stilettos and LBD which then led you to fall flat on your face. Inevitably as a result, you get an open wound. Keep that closed up girl! Nobody likes to see blood trickling down your body parts.

* House Keys

Last thing you want is to get locked out of your house after a night out & you cannot call a locksmith since everything is closed for business. But then again, there’s that option where you can sleep over at a (cute) neighbor’s house ;)

1* Tide pen

Mess-free is stress-free. This will come very handy when you’re going to a job interview or a date and those unexpected stains & messes occur. It does work! 

These Items are Optional Depending on the individual’s Preferences/Life Situation:

1

* * Perfume/cologne

If you‘re the type that likes to wear perfume/cologne, and you’re at a non fragrance-free place, go ahead give yourself a good spray. This can be beneficial when you’re on a date; at a club and you’re sweating like a pig because you kill the dance floor every time; or you just came from a place that just plain STANK. It’s sexy when used moderately but don’t overdo it, nobody likes to suffocate in your artificial scent. Note: Perfume is not an alternative for showering. Please do all of us a favor and shower. Good hygiene lasts and most importantly, be kind to other people’s nose.

2* Some makeup, mirror, blotting sheets

Good to bring when you’re going to have a long day. Bring a compact mirror & some makeup products (that you can put in your pencil/small bag) for those quick touch-ups. But please do NOT bring your entire makeup collection. You think you’ll need it but you will NOT have time to put on all the shit you brought. Only bring the necessities i.e., blush, loose powder, lipstick, mascara. Remember the keyword is “retouch”. You already put on your makeup, no need to add another layer or else you will look like a clown. And oh! Do not forget your blotting sheets especially if you have oily skin otherwise you’re going to look like a ball of grease.

3* Pen & paper

For those awesome people who still prefer to write (just about anything – random info, planner, etc.) instead of punching letters on their smartphones.

4* Mace/pepper spray

We are beautiful creatures & as much as we hate it, don’t be surprised if once in a while we do encounter creeps & sometimes even stalkers! Don’t risk your safety. If you feel unsafe or if someone is making advances towards you, and if all else fails, tsh tshh tshhhhh, pepper spray that shit out of them, run and call the police! Hope it doesn’t get to this though.

5* Medications

Don’t jeopardize your health. If you’re on prescription pills, take those at the recommended times, no exception!

No matter what you decide to bring, bottom line is to consider comfort, convenience and accessibility. The items on this list just serve as a guide. Ultimately, the final decision will be up to you. You’re the one who will carry that purse, not other people (except your boyfriend of course ha ha) so pack whatever you feel comfortable bringing. Regardless of where you’re going, good luck and stay safe. Remember that the best accessory is no not the purse, but your smile and personality! Keep smiling and be confident (even if you’re clueless & nervous as hell). 

One more thing, don’t forget to clean your purse often. This is a place where germs & bacteria can accumulate. It is NOT a trash bin so don’t put your junk & old receipts in there. Clean your purse with a wet sanitized wipe inside and out and it’ll be good as new! And for it to smell good, you can leave a pack of gum in there (I use Take 5 - "rain") and every time you zip it open, a wave of fresh minty scent will greet you.

You’re welcome.

P.S: If you have any additional tips or comments, don’t hesitate to give me a holler! I don’t bite, I promise :)