Basic Hair Care Tips: Do This, Don't Do That

Hi Ladies! I thought I would just do a really quick basic hair care tips post for you today. I know when I was first researching how to properly care for my hair a lot of the information I was looking for was all over the place, and I also read some conflicting information. So let's get to it...

Don't  use a bath towel on your hair. Bath towels are made of terry cloth, which you can see when you look at it, has loops and a generally rougher surface. All of that texture on your towel is just awful for your hair. Your hair cuticle is basically like a roof; layers overlap layers, and the cuticle is delicate. All those loops on your bath towel "catch" on your hair cuticles and rough them up and damage them. I highly recommend using flour sack towels or an old soft t-shirt, which both have very smooth surfaces and are much more gentle on your hair.

Don't wash your hair daily. This is a huge one, and is hard to manage for some of us, believe me I know. When I wear my hair natural, i.e. curly, I cannot, no matter what I do, get decent second day hair. So I basically just have to pull it into a messy bun, it's literally my only option. Washing your hair too frequently is just awful for your hair, it's drying, it strips hair of protein and moisture. The less often you can wash your hair, the healthier it will be, and the longer it will grow.

Use your heating tools on the lowest setting you can. The more heat you use on your hair, the more damaging it is. You're essentially baking your hair every time you use your curling iron or flat iron, so turn down the heat as low as you can. All that high heat use on your hair dries your hair out, makes your hair strands brittle which in turn makes your hair more prone to breakage. High heat styling tools can also literally melt your hair off, I know we've all seen the video on YouTube of the girl accidentally melting off a chunk of hair. Don't be that girl.

Don't overdo it with the hair color changes. I am personally guilty of this offense, I used to change my hair color monthly. It's really hard on your hair, and just leads to more problems. The more damaged your hair becomes from all the dye jobs, the more difficult it is to get it to "hold" a color. When you dye your hair, the dye molecules basically insert themselves under your hair cuticle. Remember our roof analogy? Well imagine under each roof shingle, dye molecules are pushed under there. The more you damage your hair with dye and heat and all the things we put our hair through, the more shingles start breaking off. Well if you're missing roof shingles, the dye molecules aren't being held in place, and that gorgeous chocolate brown hair you wanted just washes away. This is especially a problem with red hair dye, as red has the largest color molecule. So ladies pick a hue and stick with it for a while.


What's your biggest piece of advise on properly caring for your hair???

Review: Monat Renew Shampoo

It's time for another product review! Today I'm going to be reviewing Monat Renew Shampoo. Renew Shampoo is part of the Monat moisturizing line.

First things first, when you use Monat Shampoo, you essentially need to relearn how to wash your hair. These products are highly concentrated, and contain ingredients to remove buildup from your scalp, and ingredients to promote new healthy hair growth. With all of the Monat Shampoo's, you use a tiny amount, between a dime and a nickel sized amount, and wash your hair. Now most of the time, the first shampoo will not lather, this is totally normal and to be expected so don't fret. Now leave the shampoo in your hair for 2-3 minutes. Rinse it out and repeat the process; tiny amount, scrub a dub dub, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and rinse. The second shampoo should lather like crazy. Once your done with the second cleansing, you can move along to conditioning.

Okay now that we've got the how to use business outta the way, lets get on to the actual review. I use Monat Renew Shampoo every single time I wash my hair. I love it! I will admit the first time I used it, I was skeptical because #1 it didn't lather the first wash and #2 I'm just skeptical by nature, especially of any product making amazing claims. But I was pleasantly surprised when after shampooing my hair 2 times, it felt really good. My hair didn't feel stripped or dry and gross, it felt really good, and soft., and this was before I had even conditioned. I'm not usually a shampoo gal, since I have naturally curly, dry hair, but Renew makes my hair look great. I have body now, and my hair is ridiculously shiny, and crazy soft. Like my hair has never been this soft, ever.

For all my scent sensitive ladies, Monat Renew Shampoo has a very faint fragrance, so it shouldn't be bothersome to anyone.

Monat Says No To:

• Phthalates
• PEG
• DEA/MEA
• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Harsh salt systems
• Harmful colors
• Harmful fragrances

 You can order Monat Renew Shampoo HERE.

Becoming a Monat Market Partner During October...

       

Now is a great time to sign up as a Monat Market Partner if it's something you've been thinking about. Throughout the month of October all new Market Partners who purchase a product pack will receive a Glam Pack as well. What does that mean? Well you will receive $656 worth of products for $299 if you purchase the cheapest product pack. That's a huge savings! The Glam Pack includes; the Champ Dry Shampoo, Rejuvabeads, Refinish Control Hairspray, and Blow Out Cream.

What does it mean to be a Monat Market Partner? Well it means you will receive a 30% discount off of retail for any products you purchase, and if you decide to sell Monat to other people you can receive up to a 30% commission on their purchase. There are no minimum order requirements to be a Monat Market Partner, no quota's you have to hit, you simply sign up, purchase a product pack and voila your a Market Partner. There is a $20 yearly fee to remain a Market Partner, and if you'd like to earn money selling Monat you need to have a $200 monthly personal sales volume. Don't have the sales volume? You're still eligible for the discount.

Have questions about becoming a Monat Market Partner? sarawiththegoodhair@gmail.com
Ready to sign up? www.smbokc.mymonat.com

Review: ColourPop Super Shock Blush

Annnnddddd I'm back again, with a review for you ladies. This time it's on to makeup with ColourPop Super Shock Blush. I'm not going to review a specific color, cause I have 3; Holiday, Flush'd, and Aphrodisiac. I have the same feelings towards all of them so....

I love them, like really, really love them. I have tried all kinds of cream blush and have never really liked them, but ColourPop Super Shock Blush gets two thumbs up. Since I use an airbrush to apply my foundation, I generally speaking avoid anything that isn't a powder to go on top of it, as any product that isn't a powder runs a high risk of making my foundation look awful. Not ColourPop, it blends beautifully, looks natural, is easy to apply and lasts all day.

What's my favorite thing about ColourPop? As you all know if you've been a longtime reader, I love a good deal. The ColourPop Super Shock Blush is only $8, and it lasts forever.

I will tell you, if you're not really into blush and want a natural looking flush I would highly recommend starting with Aphrodisiac. I know it looks really brown on their website, but in real life and on my face it looks like perfection; not too much, not invisible, just right.

Have you tried any of the ColourPop Super Shock Blushes? What color should I try next?

All About Monat - Products I Use & Love

Hey Ladies!
I'm back, I know I've been MIA forever, the truth is I got outta the never ending product hopping. I had certain products I liked, and enough of them to rotate them around and keep my hair looking decent. So there really wasn't much to share with everyone.

Well, that's all changed. I recently started using Monat products and holy crap my hair is awesome.
If you haven't heard of Monat, or maybe you have but aren't fully sure of what it is and what it isn't, well I'm gonna fill you in today.

Monat doesn't use:

• Phthalates
• PEG
• DEA/MEA
• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Harsh salt systems
• Harmful colors
• Harmful fragrances

All Monat products are naturally-based, vegan and cruelty free.

So what do I use? I use the Hydration System; Renew Shampoo, Replenish Mask, and Restore Leave-In Conditioner, I also use the Revitalize Conditioner, the Rejuveniqe Oil and Blow Out Cream. I have some of the Curl Cream on order as well.

I wash my hair every 2-3 days. With Monat products you sort of need to relearn how to wash your hair. The products are super concentrated so a tiny amount is all you need. I use maybe a nickel size amount of shampoo, wash my hair, let it sit for 2-3 minutes then rinse it out and repeat. I then condition my hair. After I've towel dried my hair, I apply a small amount of the Restore Leave-In and a pea sized amount of the Blow Out Cream. After I've dried my hair, I apply 1-3 drops of the Rejuveniqe Oil to my hair and voila, I've got smooth, shiny bouncy hair. It really is that simple.

I cannot say enough about the awesome other ladies who introduced me to Monat, and my own experience with both the company and the products.

So how do you buy Monat products? Well there are 3 different ways to purchase; Retail, VIP and Market Partner. Retail is fairly self explanatory, so I'll just explain the other two.

Monat VIP:

• 15% Discount off retail pricing
• One-time $19.99 Membership Fee
• Commitment to placing 3 qualifying Flexship Orders

Monat Market-Partner:

• 30% Discount off retail pricing
• Purchase either the Starter Kit ($99) or one of the Product Packs (starting at $299)
• No minimum orders
• No quota
• $19.99 Annual Membership Fee

  So if you're not interested in selling anything, you can become a Market Partner just for the discount if you want.

I personally started as a Retail customer, than upgraded to VIP and am now a Market Partner. It just made sense for me. I know I'm going to be buying these products, so I want the discount, and if anyone chooses to purchase Monat through me that's great, if not, that's fine too.

Well that's about all for now, I will have more posts later about Monat products and pictures of my hair, I promise.

If you have any questions about the products or company, feel free to shoot me an email:
sarawiththegoodhaiir@gmail.com

If you'd like to take a look at the products and company, or if you would like to purchase anything, my site is here: https://smbokc.mymonat.com/

Review: Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Magic Potion

I’m always looking for products that multi-task, if I can save time and streamline my routine, I’m all for it. I use my rinse out conditioner as a leave-in, I use my rich rinse out conditioners as deep treatments, and root lifters as hair spray. I don’t see the point in buying/using different products for everything, when so many products can be used for more than one thing. So, when I was given to opportunity to check out Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Magic Potion, I was happy to give it a go.  

My Routine: Oils I Love

I’ve mentioned several times that I use oils, as a part of my hair regime. I love oils, and highly recommend them, if you have dry hair, or scalp issues.  I thought it might be helpful if I told you ladies what oils I use, what benefits I notice from them, and how I use them. So here goes…

Review: SixThirteen by Chaz Dean Daily Cleansing Treatment

Hey gals! I’m back for another product review. If you’re a frequent reader, you know I love Wen by Chaz Dean. I’ve tried multiple products from the line, and I’ve liked every single one. So…I’ve been eyeballing the SixThirteen Daily Cleansing Treatment since it was introduced, last year I believe. Well, love from afar no more, I got it, and I LOVE it. Let’s get to it.

Products I'm Loving....

In an an effort to streamline some posts, I thought I'd just do a Products I'm Loving. I have so many new products to review for you ladies, but I get so busy with life and I procrastinate. Once again, my apologies for a long absence. Let's get to it...

Smashbox BB Cream Video Contest

•           Visit bbcreamapp.smashbox.com and answer a few basic questions about yourself: describe your skin tone, what city you live in and then upload five photos of yourself (make sure they’re your favorite camera-ready moments).

•           Click “View Your Video” to create your personalized video, which shows your visit to the Smashbox studios – from your pick-up at the airport to your Flawless Face BB Photo Shoot.

•           Share your studio experience with your friends via Facebook, share the link in an email or even embed the video into your own personal blog.

•           Each week through the end of May, a winner will be selected based on whose video receives the most votes.

Review: Joico K-Pak Professional Cuticle Sealer

I’m all for enhancing what you’ve got. I do a ton of things to my hair to make it look and feel as good as possible. Two of the things I do on a regular basis are protein treatments and vinegar rinses. So when I found a product that would combine the two, I jumped all over it. I’m talking about Joico K-Pak Professional Cuticle Sealer.

Battle of the Hard Hold Gels: Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee vs. Beyond The Zone Bada Bing Extreme Hold Gel

Any curly girl, who wants definition, and the smallest amount of frizz possible knows the importance of products with good hold. I love a hard hold gel, they seem to be the only thing that will give me the hair I want. So what is it that I want? Definition, low frizz factor, volume/body, shine, and curls that will last through the day. I realize that’s asking a lot, especially living where I live. So, on my latest Sally’s excursion I decided to pick up a gel that I’ve read about on NC.com, Beyond the Zone Bada Bing Extreme Hold Gel.

Review: Yes To Carrots Nourishing Shampoo and Pampering Conditioner

Dare I say it, I think I found a new HG shampoo (low poo) and conditioner. Now I’m not one to profess my undying love about a product unless I’m serious. When it comes to my hair, I’m serious, dead serious in fact. The most shocking thing is, they’re a drugstore product! Don’t get me wrong, I think there are plenty of great products at the drugstore, but I’m a sort of hair snob sometimes. Anywho, ladies brace yourselves, I’ve fallen madly in love with Yes To Carrots Nourishing Shampoo and Pampering Conditioner.

Review: Vanish Color Remover

I'll be the first to admit, I change my hair color like some women change their handbag. It's a lot, probably every 2-3 months. Now I'm talking about actually changing the color, not doing root touch-ups. My hair has been more colors than I can count, and the only color I can honestly think of that it's never been is black. Most of the time if I'm going from dark to light I'd just bleach and start over. As you can imagine, this takes quite a toll on my hair, and it's certainly been healthier. So a couple months ago I ran across a product called Vanish Color Remover. It has literally changed my hair-coloring life!

Review: L'Oreal Evercreme Cleansing Conditioner

If you’ve read any of my posts about hair in the last 2 years, you probably know I don’t do sulfates. My hair + sulfates= utterly craptastic hair days. I’d been seeing the new L’Oreal Evercreme Cleansing Conditioner all over the place; drugstores, supermarkets, blogs, message boards, etc. I passed it on many of my excursions, I kept telling myself, You don’t need it, you have enough hair stuff. You’ve run out of room, use other stuff up before you buy anything. Of course, being the product junkie that I am, I caved and bought it.

Review: Wen Winter Vanilla Mint Cleansing Conditioner

Spa-like shower experience? Check. Delicious smell? Check. Cleans effectively without stripping my hair? Check. Conditions my hair, leaving it soft and moisturized? Check. The newest addition to the Wen Cleansing Conditioner lineup, Winter Vanilla Mint is my absolute favorite Wen product to date.

Smoke & Smudge

With and Without Diffusing...

This is my hair after air-drying 90%.

This is after diffusing. See the difference?

 

I Love My Makeup Finishing Spray...

What’s my makeup style? I like my face, my skin to be more specific, to just look like great skin, not makeup. Which is the biggest reason I bought my Dinair kit. I don’t want you to see makeup if you look at my skin, and as we all know, all makeup goes through makeup meltdown at some point during the day. Whether it’s an hour after application or 10, it’s never a good thing.

So what’s a girl to do to combat makeup meltdown? Use a makeup finishing product. Personally, I’m in love with Skindinavia products. They’ve got a spray for every skin type, and they actually work.

In the interest of full disclosure, my makeup lasts an incredibly long time, airbrush is designed for long wear. But with Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray it lasts even longer. And to really test it out I’ve used my old Everyday Minerals Foundation, concealer, blush, etc. to really put Skindinavia to the test. While the mineral makeup didn’t hold up for as long as my Dinair, it did last several hours longer than it would’ve without Makeup Finishing Spray.

One of the things I noticed when using the Skindinavia with my mineral makeup, once I set my makeup with it, the makeup sort of blended with my skin and didn’t look powdery at all. I used to use MAC Fix+, but it never helped with longevity.

So how do you use a Makeup Finishing Spray? After you’ve applied all of your makeup, except mascara, simply shake the bottle, and mist your face in an “X” pattern, then a “T”. Done! It’s really simple, and quick.

Another thing that I’ve found the Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray to work really well for, as a mixing medium for loose shadows. I have a bunch of loose shadows and pigments, but I avoid using them because of fallout. But if I just mist my shadow brush, or spray a little into the lid and mix the shadow in, it works really well.

Do you use makeup finishing spray? Have you tried Skindinavia? Leave me a comment. :)



Disclaimer: The product mentioned was sent to me for review consideration. The opinions are 100% my own.

Review: DevaCurl Frizz-Free Volumizing Foam

Hey ladies! It's that time again, my favorite time I might add, review time. Today's lovely concotion? The newest styler from the folks at DevaCurl; Frizz-Free Volumizing Foam. So let's get right to it!

Normally when I'm at the drugstore, or wherever and I'm checking out the hair products aisle, I just avoid mousse/foam products altogether. I never seem to get the hold I need or want and my hair always feels dry afterwards. So in short, usually mousse/foaming stylers are a total failure.

This is not the case with DevaCurl FFVF!