My Current Obsession - Innisfree Camellia Shine Hair Essence

Anyone who knows me knows that I still have very long, virgin hair. The reason for that is because I am looking to donate my hair, but I am so obsessed with taking care of my hair that I did a mini blog on Hair 101 and how to prevent split ends when I first started the blog. For the most part, I really care for my hair and have minimal heat damage as well as minimal combing. 

I recently found a product that I have been obsessed with because it promotes healthy hair. The Innisfree Camellia Shine Hair Essence is one of the best sellers in Korea for hair care. It is enriched with camellia oil from Jeju island. It's for all hair types and promotes a healthy shine which can be used daily. Simple run the product through your hair (I suggest running it through your ends only if you are on a budget). After doing so, you can simply pair with your regular products. Because I do not use any, I just use this as a nutrient to keep my hair healthy.

Like many other products that claim to help keep the hair healthy, the Innisfree Camellia Shine Hair Essence is one product that actually works. It keeps my hair healthy and reduces the number of split ends. Although it claims to provide the hair with some kind of shine, there isn't great shine behind the product, but it works in maintaining. For those who do not have the time to care for your hair by conditioning and using olive oil to soak the hair, this would be a great product thats quick and easy to use. 

DIY - Hairspray

I am big on DIY items, especially those that are less damaging for the body. Hairspray is full of chemicals and such, therefore I finally decided to blog about the DIY hairspray. Simply use a misting spray bottle that you have sitting around. Boil 1/2 cup of water and when bubbly, add a minimum of 2 teaspoons of sugar. For those who wish to have a stronger hold, go for a tablespoon of sugar. This hairspray will last for a week. If you wish to double the shelf life, you can add a bit of alcohol and it will last for two weeks. 

After the sugar has fully dissolved, pour into the spray bottle and store it into the fridge for 20 minutes or so. When spraying, be sure to spray in thin layers because it is not your typical hairspray. You can maximize the hold by spraying more layers after waiting for the previous to dry. 

Food Goods - Strawberry

Recently, I've hopped on Beach Body Insanity and started a new diet which includes a great amount of strawberry. Being in Korea, strawberries are extremely fresh and a lot sweeter than those in America. Although it is a lot more expensive than those back in America, the taste definitely overrides the price. In addition to the great test, the variety of beauty uses for strawberries support why strawberries are my favorite fruit!

For starters, strawberries have an extremely high concentration of Vitamin C which helps to also act as a carbohydrate, protein and even fat. With just one cup of strawberries, you are receiving a great amount of vitamins, water, and even your daily fiber. In regards to skin, strawberries are a great anti oxidant which helps to clean your body from waste. It also helps to boost the immune system and help your skin glow. Therefore, it should be incorporated in your daily diet, even with these few simple ways to help your skin.

• Smooth skin in just a few minutes! There are two ways to do this, one is to cut a strawberry in half and rub it all over your face, just the same as you would with a kiwi. Another is to mash it up and scrub in circular motions all over your face and let it sit for a few minutes. This quick strawberry scrub will leave your  glowing after rubbing off those dead skin cells. 
• Acne remedy with 1/2 of sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Mash, combine and apply on the face for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat every few days. 
• Reduce puffy eyes by placing a few slices of strawberry under your eyes for 10 minutes and relax in bed, just that easy. Remember to moisturize after!
• Pedicure scrub with just a handful of strawberries, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to give that scrub texture. Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl, massage into the feet and rinse. 
• Hair shine can be achieved with just a handful of strawberries and a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Sounds disgusting almost to put mayonnaise in your hair, but it acts as a hydrating oil just like extra virgin olive oil. Mash to combine, apply into damp hair so that it glides easily, cover with a shower cap and warm towel. Rinse after a minimum of ten minutes and you will see a healthy head of shine. Remember to wash your hair as your normally would!
• Tooth whitener like the lemon, but all you have to do is mash up some strawberry and brush away. Your new toothpaste will even taste delicious! 

Beauty Splurge - Korean Beauty Products

First off, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEARS! For those of you who celebrate this special day, I wish you and your family the best of health and a prosperous new year. Because it is the week of the new year, I have been busy prepping and planning for the year. Best of all, there's been a lot of shopping included.

I haven't be sharing my beauty splurges in Korea which is a constant thing. Therefore, I decided to share this week's shopping splurge! For starters, I had to pick up a lemon scented bar soap from Lush along with their bar conditioner for the hair. I thought it would be great to finally experiment with the bar conditioner that I have been dying to try. 

For the more Korean brands, The Face Shop is one of my favorite stores back at home with my constant splurges. Finally visiting the Korean Face Shop, I picked off where I left in America with the blemish treatment. Four items to help my random break out here in Korea: the Blemish Zero Bubble Foam Cleanser, Anti Trouble Healing Spot, Anti Trouble Blemish Patch, and the Pomegranate face mask.

Next, I made a stop at Skin Food, an extremely popular organic store that uses a bunch of food goods to develop beauty products from head to toe, literally. Just to experiment, I picked up the Green Tea Boots Fresh Spray, Lychee Essence Mist and Cherry Tomato Wax.

Last stop for this weekend is Holika Holika where I picked up a few of their top sellers which includes the Honey Canola Overnight Mask, the White Wine Therapy Sleeping Pack, the Baby Silky Foot Treatment packs, and a face mask with one of the cutest boys ever. Talk about a great marketing tactic!

Stay tuned for the many beauty reviews on these products! I am definitely excited to try them all out and share my hones opinion. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to win the New Year Giveaway which will include a few of these products as well!

DIY - Oscar Blandi Pronto Colore Root Touch-Up & Highlighting Pen

A new product on the market that is safe enough for pregnant women is a plus on my books. The Oscar Blandi Pronto Colore Root Touch-Up & Highlighting Pen is a great DIY at home to touch up roots that are always a no no and to provide highlights. It is a plus on my books because the amount of time it saves dropping in and out of the salon and the best part about it is the price. For a little over $20, you will have your roots colored in the comfort of your own home. 

Hair 101 - Less Split Ends, Less Tangle

Building off of my blog about Hair 101, I’ve got a few inside tips on less split ends and tangle. I threw a few tips on that blog, so do a little recap before reading this one! This blog is meant to compliment that one :]

I recall my grandmother yanking my hair so hard with a comb when I was younger because I had so many knots in my hair. Being that I have fine straight hair, I didn’t think it was possible to have so many problems, but it sure was. A few daily tips when caring for your hair:

Run your fingertips through your hair when conditioning. After conditioning your hair from the bottom up, with the leftover conditioner in your hands, run your fingertips through your hair from the top down with a constant motion to separate any knots. Its best if you section off your hair in three or four parts.This will separate your hair and provides a better condition.

Sleep with your hair up. I don’t know how many girls have complained about waking up with a messy head because of the way they sleep. My mother’s doing since I was younger was to pull your hair as if you are tying a pony tail on the top of your head (where Alphalpha’s hair sticks up), lay down on your pillow and let go of the hair over your pillow. Your hair will stay out of your way as you sleep and won’t be as crazy in the morning. This has got to be the best thing for preventing knots and tangle in the hair. It's also a way to keep your hair from getting in your way while you sleep, especially if you're cuddling with someone.

Hair 101

A woman's hair is a crucial aspect of her beauty. Based on the natural flow and color of one’s hair, you are able to tell how healthy your inner organs are. I don’t know about you, but the healthier my hair is, the more confidence I have in myself. I feel that working out gives my hair a healthy shine, less split ends and even is a darker tone. Working out isn’t on everyone’s schedule, so I have a few tips that can help you achieve a healthy head of hair.

• Try to wash your hair with cold water. If you can endure a cold shower, you are on your way to healthier hair. Hot water is not good for your hair because the heat from the water will only damage your hair, causing more split ends. This is even worse when you have colored hair because it will lighten your color quicker than just using cold water. Of course I don’t suggest you to use cold water throughout your whole shower, try switching your water to be cooler than normal and if you can, pull off the showerhead and run the cold water through your hair.
• Wash your hair every other day. Try not to wash your hair daily because you are washing away a lot of nutrients in your hair. This prevents your hair from becoming thick and strong. I know it may be hard to not wash your hair every day because of the summer sweat, but you should try! Plan around your schedule and organize activities that require you to wash your hair in order to refrain from washing daily.
• Condition your hair. Conditioning your hair will prevent split ends and reduces tangling in your hair which makes it easier to take care of. Be sure to use the same conditioner as your shampoo. Many people do not think it makes a difference and tend to use a different conditioner because they haven’t finished a bottle. Try not to do this because when you use the same shampoo and conditioner, you are throwing more goods at your hair which will keep your hair balanced. If you don’t have conditioner or not the same kind, soak your hair with olive oil and use a shower cap to condition for 30 minutes or so prior to washing.  
• Condition from bottom up, not from the top down. When you condition your hair, you do not want to pop a blob of conditioner on the head of your hair. Being that I have long hair, I use a heck of a lot of conditioner and when I used to condition my hair starting at my scalp down, I ended up losing a lot of hair as well. I thought I was stressed, but it turns out that I was just washing my hair the wrong way.
• Do not comb your hair when wet. In general, a comb isn’t good for your hair because you are forcing knots to separate and tugging on your hair. When you run your comb through your hair, it may not be smooth and that is where the problem is. After you shower, your hair is sensitive when it is wet so combing your hair will only cause more split ends. I suggest running your fingers through them if you really want to straighten it rather than using a comb. If that doesn’t work, remember to use more conditioner at the ends next time—just remember to condition at the ends.
• Let your hair air dry. It is much better to let you hair dry naturally than running a blow dryer through it. Like I mentioned before, heat is extremely damaging to your hair which will cause more split ends. Therefore, it is important to not blow dry you hair too much. I don’t really blow dry my hair anymore, maybe once or twice in the winter because I’m dying to go to sleep and it’s just so cold that my hair takes forever to dry up. Yes, I don’t even blow dry in the winter. Just plan enough time to hang around before you sleep for your hair to dry up, sleeping with a wet head will only lead you to have severe headaches later on.
• Use cool wind to blow dry your hair. If you want your hair to dry quicker, I suggest using the cool option on your blow dryer. This will take a little longer to dry your hair, but it is better than the air dry method. Be sure to wipe your hair as dry as you can with a towel before blow drying. If it gets too cold for you, you can switch over the heat to low for a few seconds and switch back to cool air.
• Use a thermal protector before applying heat. If you must blow dry, straighten or curl your hair, remember to use a protective spray or gel that you can run through your hair to prevent any further damages. Heat is bad for your hair and when you’re constantly throwing heat at it, it will only damage your hair more and kill any life in your hair.
• Wear a hat. When you’re outside for a long amount of time try to wear a hat to protect your hair from the sun. If you have a scarf around your neck, throw it on your head. You may look like a fool, but it’s worth the look for flawless hair—especially the compliments. 

My Current Obsession - TRESemme Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner

We all know how damaging the sun and salt water is for our hair, yet we still dunk our heads in the water and soak up the sun. I'm not going to lie, I do not have a hat or a scarf protecting my hair when I leave the house on a sunny day. My head is way too big for hats so I look like a clown. Although I face severe sun damage, I found a great solution!

I was at the beach with my girls and I tried really hard to keep my hair out of the salt water. That is until I got smacked with a wave. Then I figured that I shouldn't let my hair get in the way of me having a good time. So I basically dunked my head in, not caring about a thing-until I got back. I did not have shampoo or conditioner with me to wash off the damaging salt water. It lingered in my hair for quite a while, long enough to see the damage. 

Being that I decided to stay over my cousins, I did not have any of my products with me (which is a good thing here). I saw her bottles of TRESemme shampoo and conditioner, but I was reluctant to use it since it had avocado in it and I'm allergic to avocado. I used her organic shampoo that she had laying around and couldn't find a complimenting conditioner so I used the TRESemme. THANK GOD I did not have an allergic reaction! Best part is it worked miracles. I did not pay attention to how smooth my hair was until it was dried. I could not stop touching it. I It was so soft and the best thing about it is it lasted me at least three days before another wash. 

Okay, it sounds a little nasty that I didnt wash my hair for three days, but I learned my lesson about washing my hair everyday-no good. It is so damaging to your hair so the best is to wash it every day. I don't know why I waited until the third day to wash my hair, probably because I was stuck in the house doing nothing that I didn't even notice my hair bother me. Usually I feel the oil start to build up, but I did not feel anything. I still had silky soft hair as if I just washed it! 

I did a little research after using this product and it is a cheap, organic line. Shampoo and conditioner contains aloe and avocado. There is also an orange line, but I have yet to try that, I was just too obsessed with this one. The TRESemme website says it makes your hair ten times stronger after one use, I don't know about that part, but I do feel a healthier head after one use. Moral of the story: you know I'm on my way to the drugstore to pick up a set, and the best part about it is Rite Aid is having a sale on them, just $3.50 each! It doesnt show up online, but go to your nearest Rite Aid!

Hygiene 101

Health and Hygiene tips

I usually try and keep my blogs as short as possible, but I cannot stress how important health and hygiene is. There are so many things in this world that we should do, but we don’t do. Why? We say because we are human, there is only so much we can do and so we tend to forget to do things or take the easy way out on things because we simply don’t have enough time. However, it is crucial that we remember certain hygiene and little tips to make our future healthier.

• Wash your face daily. It is suggested that we wash our face twice a day, in the morning when we wake up and before we sleep (or when we get in from outdoors). When washing your face in the morning, it not only wakes you up in the morning but starts you off with a clean fresh face for the day. It is extremely important to wash your face with a cleanser because it will clean off dirt and oil better; if you have a washcloth or face sponge I definitely suggest using that to remove even more dirt from the face. If you’re feeling lazy and want to wash your face once a day, wash it when coming home before you sleep. It is the most important and best time to wash your face because as you sleep, your face is absorbing all the dirt on your face so you do not want it to absorb all the germs and pollution from outdoors.
• Use the sun to kill germs. If you have the space, the sun is the best and the most green way to dry your clothes. Aside from drying your clothes, the sun can kill a number of germs so the next time you decide to wash a pair of shoes, leave it in the sun to kill the rest of the germs while simultaneously drying. My ultimate favorite is using the sun to kill the germs on my down feathered comforters after a winter of sleeping in them, yes germs add up!
• Remember to wear a sunscreen with at least a 15 spf when leaving the house. It is important to protect your skin against damaging rays that the sun gives off. No one wants skin cancer and it can happen at the most random times without you knowing. Remember to put a sun protector on your neck and décolleté area because you do not want to have uneven sun damage as you age.
• Drink water. Water is not only good for your skin, but it is good for your body. You should definitely stay hydrated so the sun does not absorb all you energy. For a lot of Vietnamese people, we consider water a medication. Water flushes out the germs in your body and therefore, the more water you drink, the less toxic your body is. Of course, try not to mix it with drinking soda as well because one can of soda takes almost thirty cups of water to flush out all the toxic.
• Wash your hands frequently. There are a number of germs surrounding us daily and the last thing we want is to get sick. We have to stay active and energized to tackle many jobs throughout the day so it is extremely important to wash your hands with soap. Yes, you must use soap—running your hands through water does nothing.
• Have hand sanitizer handy. Guys, it is not always a girl’s job to have sanitizer. If you live in the New York City area, you are encountering millions of germs everyday when taking public transportation and just going out. You don’t necessarily have to carry hand sanitizer with you, but keep it on your desk and use it to limit the amount of germs you encounter. Always remember to sanitize before you eat!
• Replace your toothbrush every three to six months. If you use a regular toothbrush, depending on how hard or soft you brush your teeth, you should change your toothbrush when the bristles start to wear off. There are many toothbrushes that have a faded color change to alert you as to when you should change your toothbrush. If it does not, use your best knowledge and remember to change your toothbrush. After a while, your bristles are so worn out, it is less effective when brushing your teeth and therefore, it will not remove plaque and dirt that’s deep down within. For most people who keep it in a bucket or don’t have a toothbrush holder that covers the head of the toothbrush, you are only collecting more dirt in your toothbrush by having it out in the open.
• Alternate the type of toothpaste you use after finishing a tube. Many people like me, have a tendency to stick to one kind of toothpaste that we absolutely love. This is not good for the teeth. After a certain amount of time, your teeth grow immune to the toothpaste you use and therefore, it will not be as effective on your teeth and you may complain about not seeing any changes. Try to rotate at least between two toothpastes at the minimum and find another that you absolutely love!
• Rub your toothpaste all over your teeth before brushing. If you’re like me, you probably are uneven with your toothpaste. I usually start at the left side of my mouth and work my way over which means the right side of my mouth probably isn’t as strong and clean as my left side. A trick in the old book is using your finger or toothbrush to lather toothpaste all over your teeth before brushing.
• Remember to floss after brushing. If you think brushing is enough, it definitely isn’t. There are so much leftover foods that you “save for later” and stay stuck in your gums when you do not floss it out. To be honest, flossing is nearly not enough for your teeth. If you have a water flossing machine, that’ll help dig out more than you can imagine!
• Switch over to a new shampoo and conditioner after finishing each bottle. Unless you are using a Costco size or value size shampoo and conditioner, change it after finishing a bottle. Like the efficiency of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioners work the same way. It would be best if you alternate between two shampoos and conditioners and decide which is better for your hair on the day that you are washing.
• Remember to cover your toilet bowl before flushing. Toilets are not the cleanest thing in the world, I am pretty sure I do not have to go into detail as to why. This is why it is important to cover your toilet before flushing because as you flush, germs rise up in the air, grabbing onto whatever is around (especially your toothbrush). Therefore, it is extremely important to cover before flushing, especially if you’re going number two.
• Change your contact solution daily. This is pretty much a no brainer, but you have no idea how many people I know who does not do this (mostly guys, sorry it’s the truth). It is important to wash your contact lenses daily before placing them in your contact case, so how important do you think changing your contact solution is? It’s pretty important. When washing and changing your contact solution, you are limiting the dirt and infections you can get. More importantly, you can wear your contact lenses longer and save yourself money in the end.
• Change your set of undies every 6 months. Let’s admit it ladies, most of us (including myself) do not change our underwear draw every six months. Yes, you should take everything in that drawer and throw it out every six months and replace with a new set. We are facing periods, nasty weather, and many other disgusting things everyday and these germs only build up as time goes back. I know most of you ladies have a heck of a lot of undies, but it just makes it easier to have enough for a week or two (depending on when you do laundry) and rotate for the six months until it is time for a new set, especially if you are a thong gal.