Faves Beauty Products – I’ve just hit the pan!

As everyone may know by now, I’m constantly trying out new products, to the point that sometimes you might wonder do I ever finish up what I was using? Honestly, I would try my very best to finish up the products I buy or sponsored to me. Because a penny spent should not be a penny wasted. And hitting the pan seems like a really good accomplishment! And this can only happen when the products are REALLY GOOD.

Recently, three of my most raved products have hit the pan!
From left to right – Marc Anthony Bye Bye Frizz Keratin Soothing Blow Dry Cream, Diora Keratherapy Keratin Infused Argan Oil, Ciracle Powder Wash

The Blow Dry Cream is something which I got for my frizzy hair ever since my keratin was completely washed out from my hair. I applied a 20 cents amount of the cream to my entire hair starting from the roots before I blow dry my hair. This product claims to transform curly or straight frizzy hair into smooth, frizz-free styles with shine.

And OH.MY.GOD, this has since then became my holy grail product. It removes up to 70% of my frizz and protect my hair from humidity. Whenever I use it, my hair looks so much better and feels softer as well. However, your hair will be weighed down if you use too much of the product. It happened to me a few times when I applied too much. :p

Diora Keratherapy Argan Oil needs no introduction in my blog. I cannot believe that I actually used up the argan oil. This has not happened before. Usually hair oils are the products that will never be used up. It is light-weight and not oily, helps give my hair the shine it needed.

As for the Ciracle Powder Wash, it is suitable for sensitive, greasy and dry skin due to its soft cleansing material and natural anti-inflammation ingredients. (Ciracle is a Korean Brand)

The first powder wash I’ve tried was Fancl and it was a good experience except that I find the bottle a tad too small. This was the second powder wash I’ve tried. As compared to Fancl, Ciracle’s powder are coarser but it doesn’t matter as I still have to rub it against my palm with a little water to foam it up. The end texture for both is a very foamy wash that feels good on the skin.

While Fancl washing powder is good, I feel that it only gives my skin a good cleanse. But for Ciracle, the claims that were stated on the bottle scores more points. It seems to be an ideal wash for my combi, sensitive, congested yet dehydrated skin. It also contains Vitamin C to brighten up my complexion.

All in all, I’ve re-purchased the two hair products and I’m definitely re-purchasing the ciracle powder wash once I’m done with my current Biore Face Wash.

*All products are purchased and not sponsored. 

Review: Selsun Blue Anti-dandruff shampoo

 

I’ve been looking for a good anti-dandruff shampoo recently as I’ve lots of dead cells on my scalp which needs to be treated before it gets worse! Hence, I readily accepted the sponsorship by Selsun Blue. Their packaging looks like a detergent which seems to be really potent. As I read the instructions, it says to remove all jewelries before use as it may damage them. Again, this double confirm the “potent” factor of the shampoo. None of the anti-dandruff shampoos I tried work, so I was skeptical but at the same time excited to find out if it works.

The shampoo dispenses out a yellow liquid which looks a little like conditioner. It was difficult to lather during the first wash but it was pretty foamy during the second wash. I have no problem with the shampoo. In fact, I enjoyed using it. Unlike other dandruff shampoo, this one doesn’t sting and neither does it leaves behind a minty feeling, but still, my scalp felt refreshed and clean from the wash.

As it leaves my hair pretty dry, I definitely have to use my conditioner thereafter. It didn’t bothers me since I use conditioner everyday. I also alternate this shampoo with a hydrating shampoo once every two days. I noticed my hair doesn’t itch as much as before and the flakes have since then reduced in size as well. I got my sis to help me check my scalp and she said the flakes weren’t as big as the past.

Selsun blue is formulated with Selenium Sulfide. It not only attacks the root source of the dandruff, but laboratory tests have also shown that Selenium Sulfide is one of the most effective ingredient to treat dandruff and control recurrence.

Overall, I am satisfied and will repurchase it.

Try it out if you are facing dandruff issue as well and let me know if it works for you!

Should I chop off the fringe?

Fringe is getting so so long though it hasn’t reach my desired length! And the fringe is not as 飘逸 as I would love it to be since I have thicker and stiffer hair by nature. lol. So now I have the urge to cut it short again esp when I know keratin treatment would just leave my hair flat for awhile. The question is … should I?

Final thoughts on Keratin Hair Treatment

Recently I just tweeted about my Keratin Hair treatment and I get a comment asking me whether I would recommend this hair treatment now. So today I am going to do a last review on my thoughts about Keratin Hair Treatment.

I did this treatment back in May…so it’s been a good 6 months since the treatment. I had really frizzy and dry hair before I did the treatment. It was smooth, silky and shiny right after the treatment. I have to admit I was really elated and thrilled over the results. I have never have such great hair not even after I did my rebonding. In fact rebonding was the main reason why my hair turns out worse than before.

Although the treatment was very expensive, I have seen very visible results. With proper care, this treatment lasted me for a good 5 to 6 months instead of the stated 3 to 4 months. I wash my hair with good shampoo that do not contain SLS and I mask weekly, apply conditioner everyday and apply argan oil on my hair every night. I try to wash my hair every other day to preserve the keratin as keratin will be washed out with every wash.

In the beginning, I find my hair oils up very quickly. It was the first time I had to deal with oily hair. So to combat this problem, I bought dry shampoo to clean my hair and scalp on days when I cannot wash my hair.

Subsequently after one to two months, as the keratin washes out, my hair became normal again, except that it was smooth and naturally straight with only slight frizz. I started to wash my hair daily as I couldn’t stand the weather.

Now it has been 6 months, and I presume the keratin is more or less gone now. My frizz are back but it was kept at a minimum. My hair still feels smooth when I touch it and they are still naturally straight.

If you ask me, I would DEFINITELY recommend this treatment to anyone who faces the same problem as me…having thick, dry and frizzy mane. It is really tiring to be constantly facing the problem especially when I live in a tropical climate. This could be a temporary solution and while you enjoy having your good mane, start taking care of it properly. You will notice the great difference of your hair texture and quality even after the keratin washes out. In fact, I am going to do it again in December!

For great deals, visit deals or groupons website as I got my treatment at $188 instead of the normal $500. : )

Name of treatment: Keratherapy
*Free from formaldehyde

Back to school: week 1 outfits and hair

I don’t think anyone should fuss about what to wear for school. Because this is the time where you can wear anything you want, unless you have some sort of school dress code or something. If not, have fun dressing up and even dressing down. ^^

I personally am in love with easy to wear and comfortable outfits.

#Look 1: Mini flowery dress with attached cardigan

Speak about convenience! This cardigan is attached to the dress. Many of my friends didn’t notice it until I told them this. lolol. This dress always makes me happy because of the colours!

Hair style: did nothing to my hair but I made sure I applied hair products to tame the flyaway and frizz.
Makeup: Very light base makeup with eyebrows drawn. Oh and I had my glasses on! I don’t wear my lens everyday.

#Look 2: Cropped tee with shorts

I really love wearing cropped tee because it is like the perfect size for me. lol. Did you notice the prints of my cropped tee is actually a skull? I didn’t realized it until I wore it and stood in front of my mirror.

Hairstyle: kept my fringe away with braided fringe.
Makeup: Au Natural. no makeup as I was late for class. :p

You might be thinking how can I possibly have the time to braid my fringe when I’m running late? Actually it’s because it’s not the traditional braided fringe I was doing. This is called the quick 2 stranded twist. This can be done in just 30 sec or even lesser! Even if you have short fringe you can also do this!

1. Take two strands of hair from your bangs, just like how you would normally do a braid. But instead of 3 strands, you take two strands.
2. Cross the second stand over the first one.
3. Take some hair together with the first strand and cross over the second strand, just like french braiding.
4. Repeat the steps till the point you wish to end at and pin it up with a bobby pin.
5. Spray some hair spray to tame the flyaway.

I won’t be doing any video tutorial on this as there are many youtube videos out there showing you how to do this simple french twist. Anyone can do it.

You can also make the braid fuller by pulling some out after you are done with it. This is definitely a great way to keep your fringe away!

Check out some of the youtube tutorials here and here.

Organic Hair Dye

Sponsored

Recently I was invited to Komachi Hair Cult to try out organic hair dye! This hair dye came just at the right time cos my roots are growing out and they are ugly! It’s been more than 6 month since I last dye my hair. The Secret really works! ^^

This Organic Hair Colour System comes in 54 mixable colours, so you can definitely find a colour that suits you.

Why organic hair dye is a better choice?

First it is ammonia free, which means your hair will be smelling good immediately after the hair dye job. No more nasty smell and worrying if people might be able to smell your hair on the train! Ammonia can damage the hair’s natural protein resulting in the hair being unable to hold on to color. This is also the reason why hair is often VERY DRY after a hair dye. Of course, I’m sure you know ammonia can cause both short and long term damage to the respiratory system when inhaled over an extended period.

With organic hair dye, you can dye as many times as you want without worrying about over-processing your hair! Also, since it does not strip off hair’s natural protein, it means the colour will not fade as fast as normal hair dye. Why?? This is a little science here. But I will explain. This is because the cuticle of the hair is not open, and colour molecules won’t come out that easily. I hope you understand that I did my keratin treatment 3 months ago simply because I want to infuse my hair with proteins so that the cuticles can close. It is the same theory.

Hehe I have a Japanese hair designer doing my hair for me. I’m in safe hands. She is Rie Kanai, Komachi Creative Director Stylist!

Rie Kanai applied the dye layer by layer carefully and constantly checks my hair to make sure every strand of hair is covered with the dye. She’s very meticulous!

Anw, I chose a pretty subtle colour this time round – medium copper blonde. Maybe I will go a little bit lighter next time. But for now, this colour is great for working ladies, a soft subtle brown.

Check out the spaceship above me! lolol. Oh and I have to say I really love how they pile so many towels on me just to make sure the colour doesn’t drip onto my shirt. ^-^ I think I have at least 3 towels on me.

Check out my new hair colour! BYE BLACK ROOTS. hehe. The stylist together with another colleague blew dry by hair and now Rie Kanai is going to style my hair!

I don’t know what to expect but it seems like she’s braiding my hair.

Hi. This is the Mona Lisa smile. My hair looks so beautiful from this angle!

CHECK OUT MY BACK VIEW. PRETTY RIGHT?! SO GORGEOUS!

And my front view. I think this hair styling looks pretty korean! I like!

If you know french braiding, you may try to re-create this hair style? I just learn how to do french braid! I might try to see if I can do this hair style again. Hehe.

My stylist Rie Kanai and me! ^^ Her piece of art work.

The hair colour seems more obvious after a few washes. Here’s picture of my hair a few days later…

Another one …

Did you notice how smooth my hair is?

I took my sister’s camera for some close-up shots. I dono why her camera picked up the red(copper) that much so my hair looks reddish but it really isn’t. Anw, the point is my hair looks really shiny.

It is indeed quite silky!

I really love the dye. It doesn’t irritate my scalp and neither does my hair feels dry. In fact, my hair seems a little straighter after the hair dye.  I would most probably go back again to do my hair next time.

If you do go to Komachi Hair Cult, look for my stylist Rie Kanai! She’s good!

You can also look for Mr Matsunaga. I think he’s the one who did my sister’s hair! Quite awesome too!

Price list for your reference. I think $100 for full-head dye is quite cheap!

And also 20% discount for the month of August! Do get rid of black roots this month! Hehe.

Please do go over and “like” Komachi Hair Cult Facebook page here

360 Orchard Road
#02-03/04 International Building
(next to ANZ Bank)
T:6339 9432

How to: Curling mid-length hair

It’s been very long since I last used my curler. Decided to take my curler out and play with it!

My hair isn’t very long to begin with; it’s slightly above my chest area. I used an 1 inch curler for this look.

The trick to this look is not to curl too much length of the hair, only concentrate on the ends. And since I am using a relatively small curler with a small barrel, take big pieces of hair to curl for a more natural look.

Here’s how the back looks like! Only curls at the end but it is still very bouncy and lively!

To achieve this look, here’s what you have to do: 

1) Prep your hair by spraying a styling mist/heat protectant to the ends of your hair. I’m using Fuwarie Hair Styling Mist and it works great to give me bouncy curls!
2) Heat up your curler. My babybliss curler has a total of 25 heat setting and I usually use the number 23 setting. The hotter your tool is, the faster you take to curl your hair.
3) Divide your hair into two sections; upper and lower. Clip the upper layer up first.  If you have more hair, you might need to do divide them into more sections.
4) Take about 3 inch of hair and put it inside the clamp of the curler. Make sure the clamp is facing outwards if you want to do inward curls like mine. If you do it in the wrong direction, you will end up with funny curls with a bent on the hair.
5) Slide the curler all the way down to the bottom and roll it up. For my look, I only rolled it up two to three rounds.
6) Make sure that the curler is 45 degree away from the face.
7) Repeat it until all the hair has been curled.
8) Let the curls cool down first. Always remember not to touch the curls when they are still hot or the curls will die off faster.
9) Run your fingers through the curls to soften the look.
10) Spray the curls with your favourite hair spray for the curls to last the whole day!

Check out my video tutorial here.

PS: This is my new hair colour! Not very obvious cos I asked for a subtle dye this time round. Goodbye to black roots!  But my hair quality is still surprising GOOD after the hair dye! Will share with you more on this next time. 
 

Short hair?

I have a sudden urge to snip off my hair! And my inspiration comes from Rainie Yang.

She used to have super long hair, sometimes shoulder length sometimes as long as the picture above. She sometimes had them curly and at times straight and everyone calls her a cutie!

It is not long after that she had her hair cut and she looks totally different!
She’s still cute, but she exudes more personality now which I love it so much!

 

I think she really looks good in short hair.
To be honest, I haven’t had my hair cut so short since I grad from secondary school?  A part of me wish to cut my hair short but another part of me is afraid that I may not look good in short hair. Afterall, it’s been so long since I last see myself with hair this short. And you definitely can’t compare it to the past since I’ve changed a lot in terms of look.

I would really love to try out something new. Should I take the plunge?
Hmmm….

My current hair products

It’s been almost a month since my Keratherapy Renewal System Keratin Hair Treatment!
So far, my hair has been a lot more natural looking than the first wash but still relatively straight without much frizz! I won’t say my hair is completely frizz-free but the amount of frizz now is completely countable! My hair is a lot more manageable, able to comb through without tangles and feels smooth and strong! I also experience fewer hair drop which is a good news! lol.

Based on some photos of my hair you’ve seen in this one month, I reckon you can tell how huge a difference my hair is now as compared to before I had the keratin treatment.

So lemme share with you on how I took care of my hair after the treatment to prolong the keratin hair treatment.

1. Sulphate-free + keratin-infused hair care

These are the hair products I’m currently using and it is all from the brand Diora Keratherapy, the brand of my keratin hair treatment.
I have purchased the shampoo, conditioner, masque and its argan oil.

They are all sulphate-free and keratin-infused!

Using shampoos that contains sulphate will strip off the keratin hair treatment faster and although sulphate shampoos lather and foam well, it strips off the hair from its natural oil and makes the hair dry! If you have dandruff (which I do), sulphate shampoo can make it worse!

Now that I’ve changed my line of shampoo, I’m a total convert! I will not use shampoos that contains sulphate anymore. I would rather pay a little more to have a better shampoo.

Here are some affordable sulphate-free shampoo which I just discovered and you may like to try (Note: I’ve not tried them before):
Loreal, Marc Anthony and Organix

I would most probably want to try out Marc Anthony or Organix once I’m done with my current shampoos.

Now, back to my Diora Keratherapy Review.
This line of products are super nourishing and moisturizing. Although it does not foam well, it does lather up with enough water. My hair feels super smooth just using the shampoo and conditioner. And like I mentioned, my hair does not tangle so yay to easy combing and brushing!

However, because it is super moisturizing, I feel that my scalp has turned oilier than before. I do not know if this is the result of the shampoo or the result of keratin hair treatment. I believe my scalp has always been dry and my manes are forever dry. But now, my hair oils up at the end of the day which can be quite annoying at times.

Other than that, I really enjoyed using these products. The Keratin-infused argan oil is also one of my favourite!! If you google argan oil, you would know how miracle this oil can be. This is one of the best hair oil I’ve ever tried! I swear. Unlike other oil that can feel greasy and oily, this one doesn’t! It makes my hair shiny, frizz-free without any greasy feeling! Two to three pumps are generally enough for my entire head.

Also, I like to use it when my hair is damp to prepare for blow-drying or just leave it like this to air-dry. Once the hair is dry (after blow-drying only), I will apply a thin layer again to soothe the cuticles.

Here’s a flash picture to show my hair ends …

No split ends and it looks so healthy and strong!

Overall, I would give Keratherapy a 4/5. If not for the high cost, I would honestly buy it again and again.

We do so much for our face, now it’s time to do something good for our hair too!

My hair is now FRIZZ-FREE

Judging from the above picture you can tell how badly damaged my hair is. I mean my hair structure belongs to the thick and frizzy group in the first place but I made it worse by giving it lots of chemical “treatments”.

I dyed my hair countless times, permed my hair twice and rebonded my hair once. My hair cried for help when I decided to highlight my hair (hair colour as light as bleach) and went for soft rebonding. The ends were totally fried and I had friends telling me that my hair is spoiled!!! Really depressing moment for me.

I tried to get my hair back in shape and kept trimming my dead hair ends away. But there’s only this much that I can do. I wanted a quick solution to my problem and found out about Keratin Hair Treatment!

It’s a hair treatment that infuses your hair strands with lots of Keratin (a protein found in hair) so that your hair can once again become smooth and frizz-free. But this treatment is freaking expensive, it cost from $300 – $500 and it only last from 3 to 5 months. Imagine the struggle in me deciding if I should just burn a hole in my pocket for the sake of beautiful hair.

I then told my boyfriend about it and he said he saw Groupon offering it at a cheaper price. I immediately went to purchase it!! It’s $180 instead of the usual $550!! I TOLD MYSELF I HAD TO GET IT

I finally went to do it a few days back. The whole treatment process took about 4 hours but I was prepared for it so the time didn’t bothers me much.

Note:

1. This is not a chemical treatment. It does not do damage to your hair like rebonding. It contains all the ingredients good for your hair!

2. Always check if it is Formaldehyde free. Cos apparently breathing in too much of Formaldehyde may cause cancer and it may be irritating to your eyes during the process.

3. This is NOT HAIR REBONDING; please do not expect pin straight hair from this hair treatment. It is only a hair treatment that leaves hair straighter and smoother and frizz free. If you have curls, most likely you will still have the curls except that it is gonna be FRIZZ FREE! How awesome?!

4. After-care is very important. You have to use shampoos and conditioner which is SLS and sodium free as these will strip off the keratin faster than usual.

This is the application process of mine …

And viola!! This is how my hair turns out after the treatment. LOOK AT THAT AMOUNT OF SHINE! I’ve never seen my hair so beautiful before that I’m gonna cry!! :’(

My hair is so sleek and smooth! The sleekness is due to the flat-ironing done. They had to flat-iron my hair to seal the keratin in.

Just look at the vast difference in my hair’s quality!!

I had to leave my hair as it is for 48 hours. No washing of hair for 48 hours which meant my hair is gonna get really greasy!

Here’s a picture one day before I get to wash my hair. lol.

Here’s my hair AFTER THE FIRST WASH!!
It is so NATURALLY STRAIGHT with slight wave and my hair is FRIZZ FREE!! OMG. IT is so smooth that I have to kept touching my hair!! I want to cry again! lol.

How do you like this naturally straight hair?? I LOVE IT PERSONALLY!

I still cannot believe that this is my hair!! If you want pin straight hair, you can still run your flat iron over it. I haven’t tried it yet but it should be fine! Do remember not to overload your hair with products in the first week as your hair is still quite heavy from the Keratin.

Here’s the side by side comparison.
Hair has MORE SHINE. LESS FRIZZ. SMOOTHER and STRAIGHTER too!

I think I did a good deed to my hair. lol. I seriously can’t even contain my excitement! I bet you can feel it just from reading it! LOL.

If you have frizzy hair like I do and wanted to have an easier time managing your hair, I strongly recommend this treatment!

I will share with you some of the products I’m using now in another entry and also, I’ll keep updating about the progress of my hair after a month’s time! : )

*The name of this treatment is called Keratherapy