Wednesday 11 May 2011

Hair Tutorial: Side Spike and American Crew Tea Tree Styling Cream Review

 

This season Im really loving the American Crew-esque clean, sophisticated slanted spike cut. Its simple yet edgy and classic with a twist.

This tutorial will be using the American Crew Tea Tree Styling Cream Firm Hold product. Ive never been a fan of American Crew's hair products as I usually hate the smell, its often overbearing and rather off for my taste. However I have quite thick individual hair strands and needed to find a product that would hold. Also as I have dark hair it was vital that the product did not leave any white marks. So I asked my hairdresser to recommend me a product and he had me try this one.

At first after he put it on I didnt like the smell at all, but as the day went on I started getting used to the smell and daresay even liked it. In need of a good product combined with my growing love for the smell and light feel of the Tea Tree Styling Cream, I bought it before the days end.

So anyway enough review bable and onto the tutorial.

1. On damp hair, blow dry your spiking area so that by the time its dry it is standing. (I think this is particularly important for me to achieve longevity of the style due to my thick strands)
2. Rub a coin size amount all over your hands and using your FINGERTIPS dig in to the roots of the hair area you want to spike. Make sure you get a good amount on your roots as this is what will be keeping your spikes up.
3. Then using the rest of your hands rub all over your hair.
4. Spike the area you want spiked and manipulate it to one side according to your natural fringe line (the side your hair naturally falls on). Play around with it to get the style you want.
5. Pat down the sides and back of your hair. I find this part rather important in finishing your look and I never used to do it but it just looks SO much better. Otherwise you'll have a nicely spiked top with dry looking sides and back.

Dark Circle Eye Cream Reviews




1. A'kin Ginko and Chamomile Revitalising Eye Cream
2. Biore Rejuvenate Cooling Eye Gel
3. Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll-On

Let me start by saying that none of these products worked for me. I have dark circles around my eyes and have been trying hard to get rid of them. The Biore was one of the first products that I tried and instead of my dark circles dissapearing, I felt discomfort around my eye area the next morning. After about 2-3 applications I immediately stopped using it.

The Garnier eye roll on is a nice, convenient and efficient concept however again I didnt really see a difference. However I had no reaction to it and several members of my famiy actually continue to use this product. Its worth a try and you can get it at Priceline and most major grocery stores for under $15.

I was a little more opstimistic when trying on the A'kin product. I wasn't very worried about getting a reaction as it is an organic product. Furthermore it was the most expensive item I had bought for my eye, costing me about $40 at Priceline. However to my dissapointment it again didnt work.

Perhaps I will try more male directed eye care products as mens skin is a lot tougher than women's and it is apparently best to use products oriented towards us. Share some of your experiences with eye care products directed for dark circles and puffy eyes.

Dark Circle Eye Cream Reviews















1. A'kin Ginko and Chamomile Revitalising Eye Cream
2. Biore Rejuvenate Cooling Eye Gel
3. Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll-On

Let me start by saying that none of these products worked for me. I have dark circles around my eyes and have been trying hard to get rid of them. The Biore was one of the first products that I tried and instead of my dark circles dissapearing, I felt discomfort around my eye area the next morning. After about 2-3 applications I immediately stopped using it.

The Garnier eye roll on is a nice, convenient and efficient concept however again I didnt really see a difference. However I had no reaction to it and several members of my famiy actually continue to use this product. Its worth a try and you can get it at Priceline and most major grocery stores for under $15.

I was a little more opstimistic when trying on the A'kin product. I wasn't very worried about getting a reaction as it is an organic product. Furthermore it was the most expensive item I had bought for my eye, costing me about $40 at Priceline. However to my dissapointment it again didnt work.

Perhaps I will try more male directed eye care products as mens skin is a lot tougher than women's and it is apparently best to use products oriented towards us. Share some of your experiences with eye care products directed for dark circles and puffy eyes.

Sunday 24 April 2011

Going Organic

I recently went organic in my morning and night face cleansing routine. I've been using products by A'kin - note: A'kin and Alchemy are NOT certified organic but do use a lot of organic ingredients and are paraben and sulfate free.

Here's the reason why and also why I think you should try going organic:
- Safer for the planet as harsh chemicals aren't used
- Don't do animal testing (though check according to brand but most wont)
- Safer on your skin
- Won't aggravate pimples like some chemicals can
- Considered a healthier choice as we are reducing the amount of chemicals coming inside us

I heard a story today in Health Magazine about a woman who was battling cancer and her body did not respond well to the chemicals used in her treatment apparently because her body had gotten used to all the chemicals she's been exposed to in her life.  So give your body a break for a bit and try going organic, whether its with food or skin and hair products.

The following are my favourite A'kin products:

1. Pure Alchemy Cellular Radiance Cerum - a really good serum I used overnight whenever I feel I need a little pick-me-up. I wake up with smooth glowing skin. Cons: quite heavy and oily. (Rate 4/5)

2. Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil - this product is certified organic and is a really good product to use every day before moisturization. Rosehip Oil is brilliant for evening skin tone, moisturizing your face, nourishing skin and preventing damage. I prefer to use this product only at night (even though it says morning and night) because it makes my face look a little to oily to go out in.




Product Review: Morroccanoil

Hey friends, welcome to my new blog! Lets get straight into it. Most men have short hair and often we never think about taking care of it. I recently tried a product called Morroccanoil and must recommend it to you guys! Its an oil which nourishes, moisturizes and leaves your hair feeling soft and shiny...and it smells AMAZING!

I'm not sure if its because of this product or the fact that I recently started taking better care of my hair (using coconut oil shampoo, conditioning my hair and treating it with an organic hair mask every now and then) but my hair looks healthier and shinier after a few weeks.

I use the product after washing my hair at night. Apply a very small amount to damp hair and spread evenly. You only need to apply a small amount so a 25ml bottle should last you quite a while.

If you're in Australia you're in luck, previously Morrocanoil were limited to being sold in certain salons as its imported from the U.S but now you can practically find it in any salons.
A 25ml bottle cost me $24.95.