Quarantine Hair Don’t Care

cousin it

Welcome to my world!

I’m just going to go ahead and say it:  After months of staying at home we all look like Cousin It.  It’s been challenging to look presentable, I sympathize with you all.  I took it upon myself to not only color my hair with God knows what from CVS, but to cut it as well.  I cut the front pieces completely wrong.  I pulled what needed trimming over the front of my face past my nose then cut in a straight line. That turned into a complete disaster!  I’ve watched enough YouTube videos to know that was an awful idea but it didn’t seem like an awful idea in my time of desperation. So now I have “curtain bangs”?  Supposedly that’s a hair style, but I think it’s a fancy name that people use to feel better about themselves when they screw up their hair.  After that, I got cocky because you know I cut myself some curtain bangs- which makes me some sort of hair genius – and I added some long layers in the front.  Those actually look good probably because I did the opposite of what I did the first time.

I’m not sure what was in the CVS color that I used since my hair has been fragile, dry, and frizzy, but I’ve been using some great products that help with that.  The first is Olaplex No. 3, which I ordered from Sephora during a sale (click the link to read about it).  It’s supposed to re-link the broken bonds in your hair, give it strength and reduce further breakage.  Honestly, I’ve been using this once a week since I’ve become my own hairstylist and it’s made such a huge olaplexdifference in the texture.  My hair looks less damaged, somewhat healthier, and is happy.  I’ve also read about some celebrities who’ve used it, plus it got 2,700 really good reviews on Sephora, so when I gave it a try I had high expectations; it didn’t disappoint.  To use this, wet the hair and apply a generous amount onto the wet hair.  Leave on for a minimum of 10 minutes, then wash with shampoo and condition as usual.  I’ve heard of people who put on a shower cap and keep it in all night then wash the next day.  That’s a little too much for me, but hey if you can tolerate sleeping in a shower cap, go for it.  It’s probably easier to apply and wear a shower cap around the house all day then shampoo/condition at the end of the day rather than what I do, which is to find things to shave in the shower for ten minutes.  I’ve shaved things that probably never needed shaving, but how else am I supposed kill 10 unproductive minutes in the shower when no one wants to hear me sing?

Another product that combats my dryness is the Verb Ghost Oil.  I tend to stay away from hair oil because my hair is very fine and it usually ends up looking like wet angel-hair noodles, but this stuff is amazing.  I really love that it’s lightweight and without a weird smell.VGO  I don’t like hair oils that make my hair look like the floor of an oil change station but this one doesn’t make my hair look like that at all. To me, It feels like it soaks into my strands rather than coat my strands like other oils do.  One teeny tiny drop is all it takes and I also like that I don’t have to wash my hands after application because it makes my palms soft with all the leftover goodness.

 

One thing I absolutely can’t live without are the Goody spin pins because they’re fool proof, and they don’t pull your hair whatsoever.  I know it looks weird but all you do is twist your hair into a bun and then screw the spin pin right into the bun.  Ladies: if you spin it in the right way, your hair won’t move!  I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve used two to make two smaller buns on the top of my head and didn’t take them out for five days.  I had a little flyaway hair, but that was easy to fix with some hairspray and a comb, not bad for five days of laziness.  goody hair screwI love to use the spin pin right out of the shower when my hair is wet, I twist my hair into a bun, spin it in, and go about my day while my hair dries. The number one reason that I love the spin pins are because they don’t tug at the hair like hair ties do, especially when sleeping. And those telephone cord looking things? I’m not really sure who thought those were a good idea, but they’re not.  They pull hair and create dents, that’s a huge NO from me! I’m not a hair guru but sleeping with something that pulls at the hair is definitely not the best idea, not to mention the huge hair headaches they cause. No thanks! With dry hair, the spin pin also works wonders because you can create the nicest sexiest messy bun that doesn’t move!  It’s hard to picture that little coil working wonders but somehow it does. You can find them on Amazon, and they also come in a lighter color for all the beautiful blondes in the world.  If you need inspiration, go on YouTube, type in “hair screws” and you’ll find dozens of tutorials.

Hopefully my hair will withstand the rest of the abuse I give it until salons are open and I can see my hair stylist again.  I’m pretty sure she’s going to give me a lecture along with some serious side-eye, but desperate times called for desperate measures and I delivered!

 

Quarantine Self Care 101

self care isn t selfish signage

Photo by Madison Inouye on Pexels.com

The past few months have been very awkward, scary and unfamiliar, but in the spirit of trying to find the good in all things, I’ve been using this time to work on and update my blog since it’s been well over a year since I’ve posted anything!  I’ve tried many new products which I’ll soon post about,  I’ve perfected my smokey eye, I’ve done a peel, I micro-needled, and I even cut and colored my own hair!  Self care is a very important part of my life, but it’s not all about the physical.  For me, mental health is essential to feel balanced and centered because when I’m balanced and centered, I’m my best self.

I’ve tried to rearrange my priorities and put my mental health first, so in evaluating my life, I had to change a few things.  I’ve learned that it’s important to surround yourself with positive like-minded people who encourage you and love you for who you are.   Removing all negative and toxic people from my circle has made me calmer and happier.  Like purging your closet or basement, it’s okay to purge your people if they just don’t suit you anymore.  Wishing them love on their own journey and letting them go in peace is okay if that’s what YOU need.

Setting boundaries with people was scary for me, but I’ve mastered this over time.  One quarantine boundary for my extended family has been “two phone calls a day only” because, as I’ve told them “I’m not trying to go crazy at home because you all are going crazy at home”  It’s empowering to ignore a phone call because that third call from the same person was crossing my boundary.  I used to feel guilty setting boundaries with people but I don’t feel guilty anymore because this is what I need to be my best self.  It’s okay to say no to people, and you don’t need to explain your no, it’s just no.  A person who respects your boundaries won’t question your “no”.

I’ve learned that who you chose to spend your time with is very important.  You have the right to be picky about who gets your time and attention.  When reevaluating your circle, ask yourself: does this person’s words and actions match up?  If not, that’s a major red flag to me because I tend to believe what I see rather than what I hear, I call it my bullshit detector.  Along with listening, pay attention and really look – see things for what they are – because you might see things differently.   You have the power to chose your own squad, make it a great team!

Lastly, I appreciate when women encourage and promote other women, that’s always been a big deal to me.  No one understands a woman’s struggles except another woman. Women just know.  We all need good girlfriends, not just acquaintances, but honest and REAL girlfriends.  The kind you can roll up to their house in with no makeup on and fuzzy slippers and drink all their wine.  The kind you call up laughing when when you make an ass out of yourself in front some cute guy.  The ones you take road trips with while eating junk food the entire time and listening to really good music.  The kind you FaceTime to ask what shoe looks better with the outfit you’re wearing.  The ones you change in front of, the ones who don’t judge you, the ones you cry with, who know your weaknesses but don’t hold them against you.  THOSE friends.

So welcome back to my blog, I’m excited to start it up again and take you through my world of trying to look forever 29!  I am going to try to post as much as I can because I have a lot to share, I hope you like it!

In the meantime, I hope you’re finding your best self during the quarantine and taking good care of YOU. What kinds of things are you doing for self care?