Hair Diary No. 2 - CASTOR OIL WEEK 2

In my desperate attempt to quickly grow back my hair, I've looked all over youtube, MUA, and the internet for how to grow hair faster.

Then I found out about Castor Oil.  A lot of girls on youtube posted videos of their thoughts on it and how it helped their hair grow.  Most of the reviews were done by Black women, and there were hardly any done by straight-haired or asian people with asian type hair.  It didn't really matter because I was SOLD already!

Castor Oil claims to grow back eyebrows, lashes, and hair, and if you already have thick hair it will make it strong and healthy.

So I went out to my local Organic health food store and bought a bottle, 200ml for around $5.

My routine for the past two weeks was putting it on my eyebrows and lashes every night, and in my scalp every 3 or 4 days or so.

Brow + Lash Routine:

I first pour a little oil into a small dish, like a soy sauce dish, then use a Q-tip to apply it on.  For my lashes I put it on my lashline like I would with eyeliner, and then again under my lashes, sort of in the tightline area :P (Does that make sense?)
And I also put it on my lashes directly sort of like how I put on mascara.
I leave on the oil and sleep for the night, then in the morning I wash my face as normal and whatever residue that wasn't absorbed will come off. :)

Results so far:
I can see baby lash/brow hairs growing! It's crazy! If I look at my face normally it isn't a dramatic change yet but I can see some growth.  My bottom lash line definitely got longer and my top lashes seem more filled in and thicker, but not longer.

There are cons about this, and it's that it could give you some pimples.  And it did around my brow.  But the little pimples are worth it for thicker brows and lashes!

Now for Hair on my scalp:

This one doesn't require much technique or rules, all you need to do is get the oil in your scalp and massage with love.  I personally start on the side of my head, then the other side, then the top, then the back, but it honestly doesn't matter.

The massaging is really good because it helps with blood circulation = more growth!  The oil will also work to keep a good bacterial environment on the scalp so hair can grow.

I either do this in the early evening, then wash my hair 3-4 hours later, or if I'm at home that day, I will put it on and leave it until the evening to wash off.  I personally don't like leaving it on over night because it's troublesome and I'd have to wrap my hair in a towel and the trapped moisture isn't good for the scalp.

Results:

Haven't seen any yet! I see some baby hairs growing, but then again I'm pretty sure they grow no matter what? So I'm not sure, but I will keep trying the castor oil for several months to see.

Overall I DEFINITELY recommend Castor oil, it is a lot of extra work, but hey, beauty comes with a price! :)

Love, Marianne

October Favourites! (Photo Heavy)

Hey hey:) This is my first favourites posts and I'm so excited to share with you. :)

So without further ado, let's start!

Covergirl natureluxe Gloss balm. I've already done a long review on this here. Check it out!

I love this balm and it's so moisturizing for my lips but the only bad thing is that it's expensive! I'm glad I finally tried it though, because ever since I saw the first taylor swift Covergirl ad, I was so curious about the Natureluxe line.

This is the B-Complex I've been taking which has been helping my hair grow fast fast fast! That just makes this bottle so loveable :') Here's the review.

Now the next items are part of the rest of my drugstore haul with Mom recently. (oh the gloss balm was part of it)

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover: $8

Saw a million ads for this so finally bought it.  Funny story, my mom and I were at the drugstore picking out stuff and she put the L'oreal eye makeup remover in her basket and I was like MOM WHY. Because I have been silently trying to finish up that damn bottle for months and she almost bought it again?!? It is not non-comedogenic and it's sooo greasy and I just hate that product. 

Here's the link if you want to see a pic: Don't buy this!

(http://www.lorealparis.ca/cosmetics/eyes/eye-makeup-remover-waterproof.aspx)

Now, back to this. I like this so much more and I definitely think it is somewhat moisturizing.  It lists some sort of Aloe Leaf Juice and Cucumber Extract in the ingredients which makes me happy.  However, it does leave residue (but it is not oily residue).  The only other bad thing about this is that it's made for cotton balls, so the mouth is huge and if you drop it the whole thing will pour out in a millisecond.  I have no choice but to dip my q-tips in there and soak them which I don't prefer.

EverSleek Conditioner - Sunflower

This product is one of my FAVOURITES of the favourites!  I am glad my mom likes this line too but she doesn't know the details of why it's so great.  I've previously used the green one and also the purple one, and simply loved them.  They're just on the expensive side (I got this for $6.99 -which is ON SALE) 

Why is the Ever Sleek line so awesome? It's that there are NO sulphates or Silicones and it's also NOT tested on animals!  I'm going to do a detailed post on the effects of SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) and its prevalence in Skincare and Beauty products.  

So to sum it up, this conditioner smells amazing (like all the other ones in this line), it is very moisturising, and it's formulated without many harmful chemicals.

Softsoap Black Orchid & Velvet Hibiscus Body Wash: (Sale for $4)

haha, so there's a story behind this.  I finished looking at beauty products then found my mom with her shopping cart, and I saw 6, SIX of this body wash in the Pomegranate version.  I said to my mom, "um, why are you buying so many of the same one?" She said, "Because Dad and I used the pomegranate one and we like it." I had no words. My family and I are polar opposites, I slowly discover.  I love variety and trying new things but my family, once they find something they like, they'll stick to it forever and ever and not get bored.

Anyway, after that I exchanged three of the pomegranates for this one (Black Orchid/Hibiscus), a Honey one (i forgot the name), and a Coconut one with scrub beads. I'm so excited to try those, which also smell AH-MAZING but this one I have tried and I can say that I love it. I love the smell and how it's so luxurious and foams up to an amazing lather.  The foaming means there is SLS in it which isn't good but it's my body, not my face, so I can easily compensate by putting on lotion after. (nb: will discuss and explain SLS more later!!)

Olay Total Effects 2 in 1 Anti-Aging Cleanser ($?)

I was going to buy a neutrogena cleanser instead but my mom bought an Olay Day cream which came with this so I just decided to use this one. To make things clear I am actually way too young to be using to be using anti-aging products but I can almost guarantee that all the promises printed on this pretty bottle are LIES, LIES and LIES.  So why is it a favourite? Let me explain.

I have oily/combo skin, which gets even greasier after a day with foundation.  Therefore I need a stronger/harsher cleanser to make sure the makeup comes OFF.  This product has SLS in it, which probably helps dissolve the grease, but unfortunately, the oils on my face as well.  To compensate, I turn to my trusty Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, This product gives my face so much moisture and love it makes me so happy. I suggest everyone to try it! I honestly am not particular about cleansers, I use whatever that will clean my face, but moisturisers, I make sure I get a great one, and this Laneige product is my all-time favourite.

On sale for $5.99? I think

Lastly it's the Live Clean Pink Fire Shampoo. Its for colour protection but I didn't colour my hair; I just picked it because of the smell.  I've already used the blue one before and really liked it, and my mom uses the Argan version (which I tried and smells EVEN better!!)

I love this line of shampoos and conditioners because like the EverSleek line, there are no sulphates, parabens, silicones, or any sort of thing like that, which is great because the less chemicals in your hair the better. Especially when you're like me and I wish my hair every day. (it's so greasy) Overall it's a great product but if you're choosing between EverSleek and this I recommend the Eversleek because it seems to be more moisturizing than this one.