source: Google Images
Lately, I cannot seem to get away from women commenting about other womens' hairline. It's quite annoying because *leans in* NOT EVERYONE HAS A THICK HAIRLINE!!!
When lace fronts were really popular around 2006-08, people were learning to "thin hairlines" on their wigs so that they resembled a natural hairline. I was born with a thick hairline, but it came with the 4 Z very coiled, wig like hair. I hated it, and thinned it as much as possible. If I didn't my hairline would blend into my eyebrows. I was thinking about my hairline the other day and wondered how many people think I have a love lorn possum or wig on my head. It's so thick it sometimes feels like I look like those cut outs at theme parks that you put your face in the whole and take a photo as someone else. Like a painting of Popeye and Olive Oil, but if you put your face in the hole it's you as the caricature. I walk around like that 24/7 so I have been looking into laser hair removal. It's expensive, but I'm so insecure because of the rise in sensitivity towards the care and density of women's hairline.
I understand the discussion about the supermodel with a balding hairline and I sympathize because her photos are splattered on social media, unlike when they used to put the black rectangle to hide the identity of the fashion, hair or whatever faux pas victim we just put people on blast.
There are things that can be done to regrow the hairline but if it's not in one's genetics, you're most likely buying snake oil.
Here are a few things that don't work. I would go so far as to say these are things that may be exacerbating the problem.
  1. Stop laying your edges! I know that it's the in thing to do, but why are all my naturals trying to have smooth relaxed looking edges? You see women tying their hair down to the point they cut the circulation. Leave them alone, stop putting products, brushing, and tying them down.
  2. Baby hair! We are bringing back 2009, and obsessed with baby hair again. I know of a few women who relax their edges to get the baby hair but how can you have baby hair and thick hairlines? 
  3. Stop the braids! You need to ease up on the braids, this is called traction alopecia. If you must wear a protective style, then get a wig or wear a turban or wrap long enough to allow the circulation or you may cause follicular damage to your hairline and that's not easy to undo.
There are some things that are easy, inexpensive and will help to recharge your hairline and, with patience, a few suggestions, you can have a thicker hairline by next season.

  1.  Massage your scalp! Scalp massage will stimulate circulation and help the blood flow back in the areas that were obstructed. You can do this in the evening prior to going to bed and if you can't find or afford a massager, use your hands. I've known some people to get success buy putting their head down and massaging whilst upside down.
  2. Massage Oils! Tea tree oil is said to be good if you have any follicular damage, infections, or scalp issues; however, there are oils that stimulate circulation such as cinnamon, pumpkin, avocado and other oils. Do research oils for hair growth/stimulation and understand it's trial and error so what works for some may not work the same for you.
  3. See a dermatologist or trichologist. There's nothing worse than trying to fix something that is broken. It's like when someone has a headache and they take aspirin only to find out they have migraines, or other serious head trauma. It's wise to see a specialist rather than play doctor. I cannot stress that enough! All the tips and tricks won't work if there is a serious underlying issue.
  4. Get a full check up! Have some tests run. I am severely anemic and require iron transfusions and medical shots because supplements don't work for my levels. You may have an hormone imbalance or something that causes your hair to fall. In addition, you can catch any illness early on if you choose to have a check up, and your body and mind will thank you.
  5. Hydration and silk. Water, water and more water. If you drink coffee, you're depleting your body of water, so for every cup of coffee have two waters or double the amount of water to whatever diuretic such as beer, alcohol etc. Protect your hair with silk as you replenish your body with water.
The process may seem  futile and there will be days that seem hopeless, but the construction and rebuilding of any foundation should be strong, sturdy and short of quick fixes. You can go the Minoxidil or Nioxin route, or take supplements like B Complex, Biotin, or whatever vitamin cocktail popular on the hair forums, but you will still need to modify your current habits to preserve any repair/regrowth.

Please let me know how you get on, this is something I am quite passionate about. For centuries black women have been lead to believe our hair was inferior, nappy and won't grow; we've been fed a lot of fallacies, but our hair grows, it has various densities, curl patterns and growth rates, but it's good and when taken care of, it's beautiful!

xoxo
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
There's nothing worse than when I get clients that have been given misguided information and it results in their face looking like they let a child colour on their face. We'll call her Jane Q. Citizen. Jane comes to me with her makeup done stating she wants to look "more polished." I often ask clients to bring a photo that captures the look (not the model) they're going for. For instance, is polished, natural as in little make up or clean as is minimal but bold blips? "Like this girl" she says pointing to a well known Instagram makeup poster. "Huh.... so you want to look like you're wearing makeup?" She looks perplexed so she shows the video that she followed to obtain the look she's currently wearing. As we watch, I hand her a makeup wipe to remove the Spackle so we can start fresh faced.
I ask her if she brought her products which she did and we start. What people say isn't always what we hear. Jane didn't realise that many terms aren't synonymous. For instance, if you are concealing something, you never get a shade two lighter than your own complexion. You want your complexion and depending on what you are concealing you will have a peach tint if it's a dark spot. The only time you want to get any foundation that is lighter than your skin tone is to HIGHLIGHT!!!! Most people walking around don't need a highlight. If you want your features to stand out, you can play them up but you don't need a highlight to accent your eyes, lips or any feature. Great brows? Leave them alone a la Cara Delivigne. Nice Lips? Exfoliate and moisturise and experiment with lip colours. Nice eyes? Mascara! Nice eyes, no lashes, demi lashes and a kitten flick!
I understand the trends but they are simply that. Trends! The only time contouring and highlighting makes much difference is in photographs or low lights. Having dinner with someone special? Of course the highlight will look major when it's reflecting from candle or dim lights. Taking a head shot? Highlight will look like the sun just kissed you there, but if you don't know what you're doing, you're going to have a face full of streaks.
Take what they say online like you would a rumour. There may be truth to it, but don't count it as fact or a scholarly source depending on the person. There are a lot of things like, "clean up my brow" or "conceal my eye bags with a concealer two shades lighter than my face" You clean your brows when you pluck the hair that's stray or you conceal your bags by using a salmon based concealer and then applying your regular foundation. When a person says anything and it ends with "like a pro" don't be fooled. All the "pros" do things differently and it's based on skin tone, texture, elasticity and purpose. You can watch "How to get a flawless face" all day every day but no one has a flawless face, so if you want a one dimensional face with no textures or tone, be my guest.
Just because people have a large following, does not mean they have what it takes to make you look your best. They don't know your skin, your undertones, your trouble spots so the most they can do is give general direction.
Jane and I spent a long time working on her look. Not because she was in need, I rarely advocate the need for makeup as opposed to the love for experiment. It's not good or healthy to feel one needs makeup to be attractive. Jane simply needed to learn about her face so she could have more knowledge when selecting products to enhance her natural features. Cool undertones with warm makeup shades can make her look dirty. Her hair is too warm for the pink in her porcelain skin so that's the beauty of makeup. You experiment, and by that you learn. What didn't work today, a few tweaks and tomorrow she can wear that colour but effortless is always the goal.
If you have beauty questions, aren't sure about a product, drop me a line, I love to help!!

xo
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
The beauty world didn't seem fun. I went from a starving student, a working professional, and now just starving.
I used to love coming home and wasting time watching people enjoy the same things I enjoyed on YouTube. Makeup, fashion, hair, dating the whole lot. Then things changed. It wasn't just money and sponsorship but a lot of information I didn't want to know but partook in.
It was tempting to get gossip from forums about social media personalities. But now it's making looking and feeling good a source of negative.
Back to just having fun, making mistakes and living.

Back to Basics

by on 11:40 AM
The beauty world didn't seem fun. I went from a starving student, a working professional, and now just starving. I used to love comin...
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,
Here we go again...I'm going to just post "ditto" when this happens. I don't like to blog like before...it's like being in a cult. The level of animosity, cattiness and backstabbing I see at events makes me less interested in sitting down and having fun posting photos of all the cool goodies.
Not only that, I'm really struggling with being in the beauty field now that I'm a bona fide adult. I will always enjoy primping, and looking at magazines for inspiration but when I look at social interest I feel vain, egotistical and .... UGLY!
I never knew I was unattractive until I saw all these beautiful women who were giving advice on how to be confident, how to look good when you're sick, how to pose for pictures and I don't feel comfortable posting on Instagram because I don't use all the filters so I see every single flaw. Each flaw that I don't really focus on is x1000.
I like to practice different looks and techniques to do hair, nails, eyeliner, and diys, but posting them feels vain. It feels like I'm saying "Look at me aren't I pretty?" but how do you enjoy writing about beauty and share your experience if you can't get past it?
Honestly, it's hard to feel good when your world is falling apart. I guess I just have to force myself to do it anyway, so hopefully, you will join me on this journey of getting out of our comfort zone! We got this! Right?

Anybody Home?

by on 9:11 PM
Here we go again...I'm going to just post "ditto" when this happens. I don't like to blog like before...it's like be...
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Core Blimey!I don't understand people sometimes. The struggle is real. I don't know what to do with this blog. I like beauty, fashion etc. but my life has been about deeper issues later so I've been confused. I'm sort of scared to let go, but I am not into the "beauty culture" as its gotten so shady that it's not fun. It's a business to blog/vlog, so I feel like a twat. I enjoy writing, I really want to write so many stories, but this was just where I could document things I enjoy. I go through products like mad, and I wanted to be able to chart the progress of how my "X" reacted to product "Y" when I moved on. For example, I have forgotten that I bought something, stashed it away, and then repurchased it. I've also tossed out things like most of my As I Am products, but then I'll read reviews and think maybe I got a bad batch, and buy it again, but if I get the same result, then my hair, skin or whatever, doesn't like said product.
Now, the things happening in my life are so intense, that makeup is rare for me to experiment with. If it's not for a job, it's not happening for me. I'm not going out, I don't wear it to work,  and I'm tired of putting it on others and talking about it. I guess I'm coasting and need to get in the fast lane.
Now that I peek out and see what's up, it's all about the "show reel" and not keeping it real. I love looking at things on Instagram, but I wonder about people who feel the need to always take their picture. There's a woman who posts several photos of herself a day and people in her comments are fawning over her and admiring her life, but if her life is so great, why is she online and not living it? Same with the videos, no one wants to make videos to help others, it's all about numbers, sponsors, adverts, etc. and it's made people disgusted. The link in the description will be a novel with lists of codes and links to products under the guise of providing a link so you don't have to search for yourself.
It's so bad that if you post a link or mention a product, your guilty until proven innocent of having something sinister in your post. Well, unless you're me because I don't sit with them. I'm not about that life, I'm just musing over here not making a dime, or giving a uh-huh.
What is the point? Keeping up with the current custom would have me broke, depressed and competing with a facade. Trust me, if someone's life seems so great online, then they most likely aren't enjoying themselves offline. I don't blame them, it's an ego boost having people want to be you, but when the clothes, shoes, makeup, hair come off, you will find one vulnerable insecure person because the person the internet loves is not who they are when they're in their own skin.


#xo
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
I've been watching Celebrity Big Brother, UK and there is a woman called Alicia Douvall and she really made me think.I look at her and wonder if she sees what I see. I see a woman who can barely move her face and whose eyes seemed surprised as a result of extreme cosmetic procedures. It made me really think when she revealed she had 18 breast augmentations and still needed and wanted more work done.
I wanted lipo for my thighs, and breasts but in the time it took for me to gather the courage, I realised that I was being selfish. Right now there is a woman who's just been told she has breast cancer and I'm worried about looking perky whilst naked. My breasts are small and they don't sit like they used to but I'm getting older every day, I've lost and gained weight and the elasticity in my skin has played a major factor in my flabby bits. If saggy breasts, loose skin and all my other flaws are my greatest problems, I am very blessed and shall quit whilst I am ahead. Sure I may not attract a celebrity or even someone physically good looking, but in the experiences I have had, high profile people and I don't work. All that glitters isn't gold and I would take a simple, humble relationship with comforts of simplicity, than the "you're only dating them because..." That's another post.
What worried me, was when Alicia stated she could not live without her breast implants. She wants to walk in a room and have people want to "f*ck her" rather than be powerful and "fear her" and that is really sad. She has to realise she's more than that; however, have you watched YouTube videos? The beauty gurus used to speak about confidence, embracing flaws, and using makeup to create new looks and feel pretty. Now there are so many young vloggers who are having several cosmetic procedures such as: nose breast, fillers, Botox, and rhinoplasty. There are predominately young gurus under age 30 and have a following of girls as young as ten who look up to them. It's not their job to parent other people's children, but it's hypocritical to promote natural beauty, embracing imperfections and partake in these procedures. If you are blessed with a platform where others are stating, "you're my role model" because you accept your flaws but in reality, you don't it's not fair to misguide others. There's no shame in owning your flaws and having cosmetic procedures, sharing that helps prevent deceit. It's fine to say imperfections are a  part of life, but I had a procedure on my nose because I had been telling myself I was okay with it, but in reality each day it makes me feel self conscious. It isn't going to make me perfect, but I want to feel less preoccupied about my nose when meeting people or having interviews and not feeling like my nose is the focal point. I guess that women are our worst critics. We expect others to accept themselves but we comment on their flaws to feel relate-able. Then when they alter their appearance we call foul.
We can't stop ourselves from aging; but, the duck lips, frozen face, and encapsulated breasts make the process  more difficult. It seems that it becomes its own addiction and women can't see how they really look. Think about what Big Ang would look like if she left herself alone.
Accepting flaws still has to be done in order to prevent this obsession from becoming a lifestyle. Not one of these women seeking fuller lips have obtained that Angelina Jolie bee stung lip. The more one aims at perfections the further their goal as it's a moving target. All the procedures in the world won't help until one accepts they will never be perfect and we all get old if we're blessed to live long enough.


xo
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
I wish there was a way to discern whether or not products work prior to purchase.  There are samples such as those in magazines, or offered when purchasing online. Sephora do this often; however, there isn't time enough for you to judge the quality and efficacy with a pea sized amount
Recently, I saw an advert on telly about the "beauty graveyard" which is similar to the "products I regret purchasing" for everyday people.
I'm struggling with dry hands right now and it seems that nothing I do is enough. I drink loads of water to the point it's disrupting my sleep; however, I've been using Vaseline, nursing creams, water resistant lotions, etc. They work, but I don't like that my hands look old. I know it's shallow and superficial, but I have long, thin fingers with visual veins, I am happy to have hands, but they look like they belong on someone else's wrists.
I was looking at a quite popular bloggers photos where she was showing her beautiful and luxurious handbag; however, I didn't realise that the hands holding the Celine, were hers! I was shocked as she's quite young, but her hands looked like they were those of the Queen.
Back to the point of this post. I have so many skin care products that made promises to plump, hydrate, minimise pores, eliminate sag, and I've got cleansers which proposed the same.Why not use these on my hands?
Think for a moment, they are mostly meant to be good for the face so they can't be too harsh, and if they are supposed to be meant to assist with the superficial problems with my face, why not try them on my hands?
So many people are using the fillers, injections, etc, but they aren't doing anything to their neck or hands which are tell tale signs of sun damage, dry skin, aging skin and other issues in the beauty realm.
I'm going to give it a go tonight by exfoliating my hands and then using one of my skin creams on my hands and checking back in a few.

xo
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
I hate myself for participating; however, there "might" have been a viewing party. For all the seasons, there has yet to be someone of colour to be holding the roses.
To be fair, the producers have stated a lack of interest. I don't buy it, but I do think they are avoiding the pink elephant in the room. Is America ready to see an Asian, South Asian, Black, et al Bachelor/Bachelorette? Probably not, hell there was Flavor Flav right?
The show is absolutely ridiculous. I mean people go on telly to meet their husband/wife on a reality show? That alone tells me I wouldn't be interested. Seriously, even if the opportunity arose and I met someone having drinks and a chat, I don't think it would lead to an engagement. These men and women are like dogs in heat. You have the alphas, the terriers, king of the jungle and the other creatures of the wild.
I could not stop staring at the current season with Chris Soules. He's the farmer from the mid-west, who resembles a cross between Matthew McConaughey and Tim Tebow.
The women were about as interesting as a can of paint, but I was so interested in the drunkard. I'm sure they didn't eat all day, and then with the red carpet and almost Hollywood premiere party nerves were probably high. A wee bit too much champagne and I'm pretty sure she feels like a nob. What a way to make a first impression, but she got a rose.
Isn't it amazing how big and white their teeth are? Like piano keys all bright and shiny. Their hair and those gowns are a nice touch. I just don't follow the process. They're locking lips and professing their love and don't know a thing about the person. I am geeked when I see them rejected in the limo sobbing uncontrollably for not making the cut. It was the first night, surely there are other chances to meet someone and fall in love over a drink right?
I'm doubtful this crop will turn into marriage but it's fun to see how it folds. I seem to lose interest after the premier; however, I rarely find the contestants interesting.

xo
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , ,