Tag: Beauty

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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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Abotaniq Skincare

For the past week I’ve been trying a few products from Abotaniq’s skincare line; toxin free skin care that offers rejuvenating and  brightening benefits while combating the effects of pollution. Having noticed a degradation of skin quality over the last few year, I was intrigued by such a line. Here is a recap of my experience.

Vitamin C serum
This lightweight serum contains, you guessed it, vitamin C. The serum helps to protect skin against free radical damage.  Unfortunately pollutants are everywhere nowadays so it’s beneficial to add a detoxifying product to your daily regime. It has a nice, subtle hint of citrus scent and warms up very nicely when being rubbed into the skin. I have combination skin so I was better off using this at night as it made my skin a little on the oily side during the day. But a great detox moisturizer for night, or if you have dry skin I’m sure your skin would appreciate this in the morning.

Skin Transforming Serum
This serum leaves my face feeling the silkiest it’s ever been, and lasts for hours. After using the serum + night cream for 2 days I noticed an improvement in overall skin tone complexion and my face had a radiant glow. The serum reduced the appearance of pores along my T-zone and kept my face moisturized the entire day without feeling greasy. It’s got a nice scent too.

Reparative moisture cream
This night cream helps to repair and replenish skin damaged by ultraviolet light, which is just what this sun worshipper needs. Since using it, I have noticed that it toned and even firmed my skin in certain spots, and the fact that it provides my skin with potent antioxidants while I sleep is just a bonus. 
 

Having never tried repairing/brightening products before I was pretty impressed at the improvements the Abotaniq line made to my complexion, and with such few uses. At times I’ll catch myself feeling up my face because I can’t get over how smooth if feels now.

This post was written in collaboration with Abotaniq, however the views expressed are entirely my own.

 

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How To Use Your Coconut Oil

how to use coconut oil

Coconut oil…So what’s all the hype about anyways? Read below to get the scoop on coconut oil as well as some uses for it.

But first, to refine or not to refine?
That is the question. And completely up to your own preference. But if you are a health nut like me, you might want to go with the unrefined aka ‘virgin’ or ‘extra virgin’ coconut oil. What’s the difference you may ask? Typically, virgin and extra-virgin coconut oils are made from fresh and raw coconuts that are pressed without the use of chemicals. Refined coconut oil has been processed and is typically tasteless and odorless. Hence if you want that coconutty smell, unrefined is the way to go.

Cooking
Coconut oil is great in the kitchen. Many oils (even the healthy ones) tend to break down and release harmful toxins when they are heated beyond their “smoke-point.” Coconut oil fares better at higher temperatures making it one of the healthier alternatives to other cooking oils. I’ve heard that the secret to this is to warm up the oil slowly, not letting it bubble. When oil bubbles that is usually when it starts breaking down and releasing the harmful stuff.

If you are going to use the unrefined coconut oil for cooking note that your food will have a hint of coconut flavour in it. It is a bit of an acquired taste on eggs for example, but it’s a trade off I am personally willing to make in order to get the raw benefits of the coconut. If you prefer a tasteless/odorless option then opt for the refined.

Ok, so besides cooking, what else can you do with it?

Hair Mask
For a deep conditioning, scoop out some oil and rub it in between your hands, you’d be surprised at how quickly the solid coconut oil melts. Once the oil has melted apply it to the hair and scalp. Make sure to work the oil throughout your locks paying extra attention to the ends which usually require a little more moisture action. No need to overdo it, just enough to coat the hair. You can tie your hair back or braid it, leaving the oil in for about 20-30 mins. After that wash or rinse it out. (This will vary based on your own hair texture). Afterwards your hair will have a nice shine to it and feel silky smooth.

Hand + Body Moisturizer
Coconut oil contains fatty acids (triglycerides) which help the skin retain moisture by preventing moisture loss through the pores. Think of it as a healthy and natural antibacterial coating of moisture. As opposed to (non-natural) body lotions which are made from mineral oil or petroleum. Which also coat the skin but with an impenetrable coating that does not allow the skin to breathe.

For very dry skin you could probably get away with moisturizing with the coconut oil directly. However, if you find that too greasy just mix half and half with an unscented body lotion which can be purchased from your local health food store. The 1/2 to 1/2 ratio can be tweaked depending on just how much moisturizer you actually need.

For nails and cuticles, apply the coconut oil directly and massage into your nails.

Lips
Apply directly to the lips as required. I like to scoop some out of the jar and keep it in an old lip gloss container for ease of use.

Make Up Remover
If it’s in a solid state, liquify first (which I do by rubbing between my palms) then apply to a cotton pad and wipe away! I have heard that this will also remove waterproof mascara however I have yet to try this one.

Massage Oil
Self explanatory. When you’re done you will not only feel soft and smooth but you’ll also smell yummy like you just stepped off a tropical beach somewhere.

Tips
Unrefined = least processed (as close to natural as you can get)

Storage: Store coconut oil at room temperature, no refrigeration required! In fact, if refrigerated the oil will solidify and become quite difficult to work with. I keep mine in the pantry all year round. Although in the summer it tends to be more liquid like (like you would expect an oil). In the winter it’s in a halfway liquid-solid state (think Nutella) at which point I scoop it out with a butter knife. In the summer the oil will liquefy and separate, if that happens just be sure to mix it prior to use.

Coconut Oil Popcorn Recipe
Next time you’re making popcorn, try this to spice things up a bit. Instead of butter or cooking oil, pop the kernels using coconut oil. We have a popcorn maker at home so we’ll melt our coconut oil on the side and then drizzle over the freshly popped kernels. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and paprika (to your liking), and that’s it. Just be careful with the cayenne pepper, a little bit goes a long way.

That’s all that I’ve used my coconut oil for…so far. Let me know how it goes or if you know of other uses for it.

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

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