Category: BEAUTY

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Winter Skincare with Murad

Naturally flawless skin is not something I was blessed with and it’s been an effort even to maintain my far from perfect skin over the years. Having suffered from acne throughout my teenage years well into early adulthood I was left with damaged, uneven skin tones in my t-zone area that never quite went back to normal. While I get that some may never have perfectly flawless skin without having to break out the makeup arsenal, it would still be nice to have skin that looks decent enough to wear outside without cover up whenever you just don’t feel like putting make up on.
 
Having said that, with all the advancements in skincare technology nowadays I knew there had to be a product out there that could potentially minimize my redness and even out my skin tone to a realistic expectation. An opportunity presented itself to try Murad skincare, and seeing as how I had only heard good things in the past, I was excited to try the line. I ended up using an assortment of products from different lines for my three-step routine.
Step 1 to achieving my near perfect skin was to replenish my dry skin with the Renewing Cleansing Cream. Needed now more than even in the winter. The cleanser smells like papaya tea to me and is quite refreshing in the mornings. The cleansing cream feels really good on the face and you can actually feel the silkiness and moisture as you’re using it. It’s loaded with papaya enzymes and apricot oil. The cleansing cream is very concentrated; a pea size amount is enough to wash your face and effectively remove all makeup.
Step 2 is the Luminous Essence. Umm…I didn’t even know there was an essence until research time for this post. Essence is a concentrated formula that treats on a cellular level targeting wrinkles, fine lines and dull/uneven skin tone. The Murad light enhancing essence is infused with skin-illuminating botanicals to help restore youthful texture and luminosity. Some of the extracts include red algae and indian fig which work together to support natural renewal. Which enhances smoothness, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while increasing firmness and elasticity. The essence smells pleasant and feels quite refreshing on the skin – think thirst-quenching hydration but for your face.
 
Step 3 hydrates with the Skin Perfecting Lotion. This lotion offers shine-free hydration without clogging pores in a lightweight oil-free formula. As someone who usually has to reach for a blotting paper right around noon, this is a must. The lotion kept my pores clear and minimized, a benefit of the retinol and queen meadow extract I’m sure, which reduce oil production, tone and tighten pores.
I’ve been using the products for over 2 weeks now and am starting to notice that the rosy areas of my face have become more subtle and are blending in better with my natural yellow undertones. My skin is also less oily. If anything, some of the dry areas could use more moisturization. And that’s actually another thing I love about the lotion, it is compact enough to throw in your clutch. I am very pleased with the results and am thankful to Murad for letting me try their skincare line. While in the process giving me better skin. For what I was after – naked skin that is beautiful enough to run errands with, I sure got it. I look forward to using this regimen over a longer period of time to see if my skin improves further – I have a feeling it will.

This post was written in partnership with Murad, however all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

 

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#BiolageGoesRaw

Matrix Biolage RAW

 
I had the pleasure of attending the Matrix Biolage R.A.W. product launch in Toronto last week to learn about the new line as well as sample some of the new products. Matrix challenged their labs to come up with a professional salon product that is made as highly natural as possible without reducing standards of high performance. The result is Matrix Biolage R.A.W.: shampoos and conditioners that are up to 95% of natural origin and made without parabens, colorants, or silicones. Real, authentic, wholesome. Kinda like a really good smoothie – but for your hair. Which is essentially what this product looks like!

The concept is about being raw. As such, Matrix Biolage sourced ingredients from some of the world’s most exotic locations. For instance, including rich lava clay from Morocco and white beeswax from Africa in the line. Coconut oil is used instead of silicones and the line has a deep commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. Further to that, yucca is grown in North America by traditional farmers and the super cute bottles are not only made of post-consumer plastic but are also 100% recyclable while the formulas are 99% biodegradable. Now that you know a little bit more about the brand, let’s have a closer look at the line.

NOURISH
The shampoo contains quinoa husk and honey making it perfect for dry and dull hair. The shampoo creates a great lather, smells wonderful, and leaves hair feeling soft after washing. The conditioner contains ingredients like coconut oil and kaolin clay while having a nice light scent. The conditioner maintains the softness and leaves hair feeling nourished and moisturized. Creating shiny, touchable and more manageable hair. The conditioner also leaves your hair scented with a light touch of honey.

Matrix Biolage RAW

UPLIFT
The shampoo contains black sesame and grapefruit to purify fine, flat hair. The shampoo gives hair a nice wash without stripping too much of its natural oils. Conditioner for fine hair is tricky; fine hair still needs nourishment but a lot of times conditioners or moisturizing products will weigh it down too much. This is where the blend of kiwi and kaolin clay come into play, they condition for increased body without weight. Afterwards, my hair felt clean, had body to it, and smelled great!

Matrix Biolage RAW

RECOVER
This line is for anyone who has abused their hair. Whether it be from too much bleach, chemicals, or heated styling, this line works to restore shine to sensitized hair. The shampoo contains yucca and goji berry to restore shine and the conditioner which is made up of coriander oil and kaolin clay helps to improve strength, shine and bounce.

Matrix Biolage RAW

Matrix Biolage RAW

The best thing about the Matrix Biolage R.A.W. line (aside from them looking like cute cold pressed juices) is that it gives you the salon style results you’re after while being good to you and the environment.

#LiveRAW

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How to Care for Purple Hair

How to Care for Purple Hair

Never in a million years did I think that I would have purple hair. But being the spontaneous spirit that I am I just decided to go for it. While I had always wanted a fuschia pink ombre in my hair instead I went with a trending look for Fall. One hair colour on trend this season is colour bleeding purple into the locks. So I went for it and had a purple balayage bleed into my blonde.

Having absolutely loved the result of my purple hair my new goal became to maintain the vibrant hue for as long as I could. For instance, bright colours like pink, lilac, purple, blue, and red tend to fade fairly quickly. In spite of much warning from my hairdresser that purple hair and longevity don’t go too well together, I still decided to go for it. And so here I am putting this post together sharing some tips I learned on how to maintain and care for purple hair.

First things first, some basics on bright hair dyes. When it comes to bright and bold colours like purple, the more washes the quicker the colour fades. This applies to temporary, semi-permanent, and yes, even permanent dyes. Hands down the quickest colour to fade is red.

Not having know this a while back I spent over $300 getting the most beautiful vibrant red put in my hair. I loved it soo much. But by the time one week had passed….so had my vibrant red (cue sad face here). I could not believe that within a week almost all of the red had washed out. Leaving me with a not so hot auburn. And I was using professional (salon) product designed to keep the colour in might I add. So just know going into it that the results will not last very long and it is quite timely and costly to maintain this kinda hair. But it sure is fun while it lasts!

Shampoo / Conditioner
Opt for a shampoo and conditioner that is made specifically for chemically treated hair. Preferably going with a (salon) professional brand. I am currently using the Redken Color Extend Magnetics line and am happy with the results so far.

How to Care for Purple Hair
Washing
Wait at least 48 before washing your hair for the first time. This helps the colour set.  Also know that chemically treated and dyed hair becomes a lot more drier. Therefore the hair needs more moisture than what you may be used to. The Redken color extend shampoo and conditioner is infused with moisturizers making it a great way to care for purple hair.
Every hair wash strips away your hairs natural oils, so try to avoid washing your hair every day. You’ll also need to step up the conditioning on your newly dyed hair. Conditioning is a great way to care for purple hair.  Also, every wash strips some of the colour away, so try to go as long as you can in between washes.
When washing, use cool or lukewarm water (as cool as you can stand it). Warmer water opens up the cuticle of the hair, allowing that precious colour to seep out. So the cooler the temperature you can stand – the better! 
Don’t be alarmed if you see purple running down the drain the first (and every) time you wash your hair. This happened to me the first time I washed my hair after dyeing it and it freaked me out. So much purple dye had come out that I was scared to look in the mirror after I got out of the shower for fear it had all faded out – but Redken did not let me down. My purple hair was just as vibrant as the day I got it dyed! Just know that it will eventually start fading out and the more often you wash your hair, the faster it will fade. (This is where the dry shampoo comes in handy!)


Dyed hair also tends to be more brittle so make sure to use a lot of conditioner. Also, instead of brushing your hair when it’s wet, try spraying in a detangler first. Always use a wide tooth comb working your way from the bottom of the hair to the roots gently to avoid breakage.

How to Care for Purple Hair
Dry Shampoo In Between Real Washes
If you can’t go more than a day without washing your locks, use a dry shampoo in between. There are SO many dry shampoos out there on the market today. As I prefer a more natural-based one (with as little chemicals as possible) I use a dry shampoo from Klorane.

Purple hair tips

And last but not least, just an overall tip on dyeing your hair a bright colour. If you’re iffy try a temporary dye first. There are so many temporary products out there which will give the same vibrancy while letting you try out that purple or bright pink without the commitment. My personal favourite is a semi-permanent dye. The dye eventually fades out as opposed to having to wait for an awkward shade of faded colour to grow out.

That’s all I got – I hope you found these tips on how to care for purple hair useful! Have any of you dyed your hair in any funky colors or planning on it? Or do you have any tips on how to care for purple hair? Let me know!

xo

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