Beach waves...

Hello and how's your hair today? Mine is doing great - I recently did a hot oil treatment with castor oil on it, and it feels so soft and nourished it's unbelievable. I recently came back from a two month holiday (lucky me!) and my topic of discussion today will be protecting your hair from the elements, mainly sea water.

I spent one month in the U.S. and one month in Jamaica visiting family. We went swimming in the sea every other day (and if not the sea, a river) and it was paradise. Unfortunately for my hair, constant sea water isn't good for it and I had to take extra good care of it to stop it drying out and breaking. Here are the methods I used.

1) Soaking hair in fresh water before entering the sea - it's not an incredible method, but it does limit the amount of salt water that gets into your strands for a little while. Salt dries your hair out, so give it a bit of work to do before it can get to your precious shafts!

2) Combing conditioner through hair - I would wet my hair, then spread my favourite conditioner through it (currently Aunt Jackie's girls) and combing through to get an even distribution. It creates a barrier between your hair and the sea water until it gets properly washed off (after about an hour of splashing around)

3) Swimming cap - Not the most fashionable accessory but it does a good job. My sister used one and it actually kept her hair quite dry. I couldn't fathom the look though.

4) Rinse hair out - As soon as there was a shower near by, I would rinse out the salt water even if I had no conditioner with me. This limits the damage the salt water does.

5) Deep condition - I deep conditioned every single time we went swimming (so every two days). I went through a lot of conditioner but my hair is grateful for it.

The sea can be good for your hair too. It clears a multitude of scalp problems and I found that my hair was thicker after sea swimming. It can also lighten your hair (combination of the salt and sun). As long as you condition, salt water is great!

I really miss the island and my family there so hopefully I can go back soon! Due to internet problems, I didn't have any way to post. Here are some pictures I took though!

Moisturize me daily... [Cantu shea butter]

Hello and how's your hair today? I recently watched a youtuber called PhillyzJamPoet, who has a really good video on growing your hair. I really recommend watching her, especially if you have curly hair and her suggestions apply to all hair types. I personally don't wear wigs or weaves which she does suggest but I still think her care regimen is quite good so check her out!

I was recently shopping with one of my friends and she recommended a product to me, Cantu shea butter leave in conditioning repair cream so I bought a tub and decided to try it out.

As I currently have braids, I used it to moisturize them and honestly, as I was putting it on I could feel my hair softening. Not only that but the smell is amazing! I grabbed one of my younger sisters and decided to moisturize her hair and then put a sleeping silk cap on her overnight. When she woke up, her hair was soft, more managable (smelt awesome) and healthier. I totally recommend this product, as its also quite cheap and can be bought online or at a beauty store.

I wouldn't use this daily as I have quite porous hair that absorbs product quite easily so I'd apply this after a wash whilst my hair is still wet if I wanted to do a wash and go. Leave it to set for about half an hour before blowdrying or heat styling so your hair can really absorb it. I also think I'd use this to refresh a wash and go in a style such as a twist out so I wouldn't have to wet my hair again, but only a small amount.

I really think this product will aid me in getting to my hair length goal so we'll see with that!

Love y'all! xxxxxxxxxxxx

MOSAS

(make others stop and stare)

Vo5 me...

Hello and how's your hair today? I have to admit, I've become such a Vo5 junkie over the past months, and I want to share the products which I liked and will continue to use. I've struck up a nice balance between being curly and straight, and I'm even thinking of buying a new pair of straighteners of really good quality, that will be better for my hair. I'll let you know which ones I choose.

Back to the original topic, I used to use Vo5's shampoo and conditioner pair, 'Smoothly does it' and it was so good, my hair loved it. Then the shampoo started becoming more scarce in stores, until it was discontinued completely (so typical of a product that I like -_-), and the conditioner is becoming more scarce too.

So in my sadness I turned to another shampoo and conditioner pair of Vo5's, because I had come to trust the brand. 'Give me moisture' is a nice couple which my hair likes, but I think is slightly more concerned with moisturising quickly (5 minutes in the shower y'know). However the only let down with the conditioner is that it doesn't smell that great - not horrible but it could be a lot better.

Just really plain.

However, I like it when my hair smells good, especially when it's a curly mass and I shake my hair and the smell drifts out or when people stick their noses in and whatever. But I do compensate for the lack of nice smell with the moisturiser, serum and curl defining mousse I put in my hair whilst wet which all smell really good. They do the job, but could do it better.

I'll be back next week with the other Vo5 products I love, and perhaps a new pair of straighteners!

See ya,
MOSAS
(make others stop and stare)
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Epilate my hairs...

Hello and how's your hair today? I hope you all have had a fantasic Christmas! As you may have been able to tell by the title of the post, today's post is about epilation :D. (That shouldn't be a smiley face actually).

So, for Christmas I asked for an epilator (amongst other things), and I didn't want an expensive one to start with in case I really didn't like it. I got a Remington corded one, and it's quite cute, very lightweight, inexpensive etc. I like the fact that its corded, because it means that it won't slow down making the sensation more painful as it as has constant power. Also, its small, and easy to hold, making it better for moving against the curves of your legs, etc. However you can't use it in the bathroom if there are no plugs (this is common in England).

My experience

Right, onto the actual plucking. Epilators have lots of little tweezers that pull out the hairs as it goes around, and so as you can imagine, is quite painful for the first time. When I did it, boy did my eyes water. Mine has two settings so if you want it to go even faster to lessen to time, you can. I can't lie, the first time was really painful, but as you epilate over again, its supposed to get better.

I shaved half my legs and let the rest grow long so I could see whether it would work better with short or long hair. I found that the long hairs were easily plucked out, whereas the machine found it harder to grip and pluck out the shorter hairs, and missed most of them (even though the instructions said it could pluck 0.5mm hairs).

All in all it was worth the pain, my legs were silky smooth but were a bit red after. My advice would be to do it the night before or a day before the first few times till your skin gets used to it. Also have a cool cloth nearby to place on your skin because it might need cooling down.

After I have gotten used to epilating with no hitches, I will probably invest in a more expensive one like Bruans, but until then, I will make do. Also, have cream or light oil for after epilating, but not something too thick or it will clog the holes that your hair is supposed to go through. Something like coconut oil or olive oil is good because they are easily absorbed and light.

Another very important thing is to exfoliate regularly (wait at least a day after epilating) so you don't get ingrown hairs (when the hair doesn't go through the hole and instead curls under the skin surface - causes red bumps). This is to clear dead skin and old creams that might be blocking the pores, so the hair can grow straight out. An advantage is that the hairs will take a good while to grow back, maybe 2-4 weeks and after a long time even stop growing back.

Hope you enjoy! (the pain *evil laugh hehehe*)

MOSAS

(make others stop and stare)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
#NoPainNoGain
#BeautyIsPain

Night nurse...

Hello and how's your hair today? I know I said I wouldn't post till after my exams, but I couldn't keep this to myself - I would feel so terribly selfish. My post title is inspired by my topic today: DEEP OVERNIGHT CONDITIONING. When I tell you this method works like magic, believe me.

So it's self explanatory - you leave conditioner in your hair overnight, and the next day you wash it out. But the trick is what you are using to condition. Here were my ingredients;

A tablespoonful of avocado
3 tablespoons of honey
10 tablespoons of sunflower oil (we had run out of olive)
5 tablespoons of baby oil
1 egg

Because it's an overnight condition, you want it to be oil based as a watery one (more avocado and less oil) would evaporate in the night, leaving you with dry, crusty hair. I talk from experience.

Rub the mix into your hair very well, and try and use as much of it as you can. The more of it you rub in, the better it will be!

Wrap your hair with cling film, but use no hair bands or clips, then put a shower cap over it. Then wrap a light scarf around your head to secure everything in place.

The next morning your hair will be greasy, but well moisturized. Wash out in the shower, DO NOT USE SHAMPOO, you can use conditioner to wash out if you must. Try not to scrub out the oil.

Blow dry hair before straightening (I've learnt that straightening your hair from wet isn't good for it at all, your hair becomes brittle, but the blow drying softens it).

VOILA.

You have beautiful hair!

This is perfect for occasions such as parties, prom, etc. You can also do this during the day for a few hours, and if you prefer more of a water based mix, then this is the perfect time to do it. Also, I have another exciting post coming up about hair growth! I actually think I've cracked it!!!! 

LOVE Y'ALL
MOSAS
(make others stop and stare)

Grow Like Magic...

Hi and how's your hair today? After some extensive research, I've found some interesting ways to make your hair grow - by the end of the year we should all be Rapunzels.

Hair Massages:
I've heard (read) that massaging your scalp can increase the rate at which your hair grows by 3/4 of an inch per year! Yeah, it isn't a lot, but yes. There are many reasons why, but it has something to do with natural hair oil, and stimulating the scalp can increase the rate at which the hair is pushed out or something... But every little helps.

Sea Kelp Supplements:
Lots of people claim this makes your hair stronger, and personally I haven't tried... I've looked around, and apparently it makes your hair stronger and therefore more resistant to split ends. This then means you don't have to cut your hair as often... aka longer hair, faster!

Protein:
Eating a BALANCED amount of protein can make your hair grow, since your hair is largely made from protein. Note how I've capitalized the word BALANCED. Remember to eat other vitamins (such as zinc and iron and calcium - biology student right here) because I can't be running away from nobody's mama, asking me why their child is sick. Back to topic, since your hair is made from protein, it's good to give your body what it needs to literally make your hair grow.

Stress and Sleep:
Stress can make your hair look dull, unhealthy, break, and not grow. One of the ways to combat this is to get enough sleep. No matter how young you are, you can get those grey hairs... and that's just awkward.

Styling and Brushing:
I know we all want to look hot, but too much heat and overuse of chemicals (perm, hair dye) can be destructive. Don't use rubber hair bands, because that can rip your hair at the root - even in the middle. Oh and don't brush your hair excessively, as this can actually strip your hair strands of the nutrients that surround it and pull out hair hair at the roots.

Hope this helps, the most important thing to take is away is that you must be patient. Don't expect it to work overnight but over a few months, and be consistent!

Oh yeah, and I did my nails :) WHO IS THIS???? (Brits should know this)

 

ITS MR TICKLE :DDDDDDDDDD

Love y'all

MOSAS

(make others stop and stare)