Split Ends

This post is related to tips in minimizing split ends. I am a sufferer of these unsightly things because I do like to heat style my hair especially in winter. There's nothing more bothersome than nice hair everywhere but the tips that look dry and damaged.



My first tip for reducing split ends is Minimize the amount of hot styling tools you use. Constantly using hot styling tools on your hair will cause damage to your ends. It fry's and breaks your ends. The easiest way to stop the amount of split ends will be to stop using so much heat on them.

2nd Tip is related to the first as well, use a heat protectant. If you must heat style your hair then it is EXTREMELY important to protect your hair beforehand. Using a heat protectant at least creates a slight barrier to coat your hair so that the heat will not be directly applied to the hair follicles.

3rd Tip, get regular trims. This is also very important to do for your hair. Trimming the ends every couple of months will get rid of any breakage you may have and so stop it from moving up the hair shaft and getting worse. Years ago I did not follow this at all but I have learned that it is important if I want healthy hair that grows. It might seem like the last thing you want to do is cut off those precious few inches if you are trying to grow your hair out, but you must. Trims about every month to 3 months is going to help keep your hair healthy. At the beginning of my hair journey it hurt me to cut any inch off but I'm glad I did consistently.

4th Tip, reduce the amount you comb your hair. Constantly brushing out your hair especially when you start from the roots will cause breakage. If you must detangle your hair start from the ends then slowly and gently work your way up to the crown. Naturally your hair looses hair every day but if you are constantly combing it you can break knots and cause split ends higher in the hair shaft. Also it's best to use a paddle brush or a wide toothed comb.
If you have curly hair it's best to skip combing your hair in general. When washing my hair with conditioner I gently finger comb my curls and that is the only time I comb through my curls. Combing dry curly hair causes frizz and since curly hair tangles you are more likely to break some hair while brushing.

5th Tip, use cold water. When washing your hair with warm water you are opening the hair shaft so to close it and lock in moisture you should also rinse it with cold water afterwards. This is something that I always do when I wash my hair. It reduces frizziness and because it's closed it isn't as delicate which will reduce breaking.

6th Tip, add moisture to your hair. Your hair is dead keratin so the problem some people may face is dry hair, there's nothing more important than making sure your hair is properly hydrated. Person's with curly hair tend to have the thirstiest hair which is why using a moisturizer is important. Anyone can benefit from moisturizing their ends with serums or olive oil (whatever you choose) especially if you heat style it often. It won't get rid of the split ends if you don't cut them but they will help make them more hydrated and a bit stronger.

*Another thing that I have also heard helps split ends (but I have not used myself) is English tea. You are supposed to soak the ends in it and it helps repair it.


Hopefully these tips were informative, give them a try and take the necessary steps to healthier hair. 

HoliSeries: Look 3

So this HoliSeries Look is inspired by the beautiful Cyrine Abdelnour. If you do not know who Cyrine is, she is a lebanese singer, actress model. I was instantly drawn to this photo as it seemed a little different to pair a red lip with a blue smokey eye. Nonetheless I love the look it's different yet still Holiday appropriate.

Tutorial for this look is here:

HoliSeries: Look 2

As part of my new series on youtube I will be doing several looks for the holiday season all inspired by different people. This look is number two in the series and it is inspired by the beautiful and talented Haifa Wehbe. If you do not know who Haifa Wehbe is, she is a Lebanese Egyptian singer.
The picture I got my inspiration is included as well as mine and the video to my tutorial on it. The flash makes my makeup look lighter but it definitely is darker than it shows. Still it's such a pretty look. Very feminine and soft definitely one that I will be wearing often.

I didn't want to pair it with a darker lip only because I already did a similar color for the first look but it would still look pretty with it. I really like Haifa's hair here as well, I will be trying out her hairstyle soon.

Video on this look here:

HoliSeries Look 1

So I am starting a new series on youtube that deals with makeup looks for the holidays. Each look is inspired by a different person and are different looks in themselves. To kick off the series I started with an artist that I like, Atiye Deniz. If you don't know who she is, she is a Turkish singer. Here is the picture I was inspired by and my look.

I love her purple lipstick in this picture, I am definitely going to get one similar. Also how gorgeous is her hair in this pic?

Tutorial is here:

DIY Earring Holder

Even though I already put up a video on youtube I decided to make a blog post on it as well. Its a DIY Project to make an earring holder for your wall. Super simple and cheap you probably wont have one of the items but will have everything else. You will need:

Stapler

Scissors 

Push Pins/ Tacks

Cardboard/Shoe Box Panel

Tape

Burlap

The only thing you will most likely have to buy will be the burlap, which you can find at any fabric store. It's inexpensive.

Step one: Cut out the cardboard to the size that you want the earring holder to be

Step two: Cut the burlap to fit the size of the cardboard you cut

Step three: Put tape double-sided on the side of the cardboard that the burlap will lay on

Step four: Put the burlap on top of the side of the cardboard with the tape on it

Step five: To secure the burlap further staple all around the box to pin the burlap to the cardboard. 

Step six: Put the Earring holder wherever on the wall you wish and pin it in place with some push pins/tacks.

And you are done!

I am going to get a picture frame to put around the earring holder that way it has a nice border. As you can see I also pinned my hair flowers to it which helps keep them out the way.

If you want to check out my video you can see it here:

OOTD: Laid back Stripes

I decided to start doing an OOTD (Outfit of the Day). This is my first one it's a very relaxed look for like running errands. It wasn't too cold out and I recently found my trench coat so decided to wear it. I taped an OOTD video and while filming realized that all the clothes outside of the shoes and scarf are from Old Navy. The coat is a couple of years old as is the bag. The boatneck shirt was bought earlier this year as were the shoes. The navy blue jeggings were bought last year. Accessories are also old and gifted so I don't know where they were bought.

Finding your Undertone

Figuring out what is your undertone is important in picking out the right foundation, lipstick and even hairdye. No one has the same coloring and coupled with the undertones of your skin what works for someone else might not work for you.

Your undertone are the colors that lie underneath your skin, while your skin color can change your undertone is always the same. Your undertone can either be cool,warm or neutral. Knowledge of the color wheel and where the colors are on the spectrum helps a bit.


There are several ways that people suggest for you to figure out your right color, some being more effective than others. I am only going to talk about what helped me figure it all out.

1. Figure out what colors look best on you. This perplexed me at first because It wasn't something that I really thought of and then when I did think of it I only came up with colors I liked not ones that necessarily flattered me. Think about the colors that you get complimented on from clothes to makeup.

2. Do you have any redness in your skin? Do you have blue or green veins visible? Is your skin tone sallow,yellow or pink? Taking these kind of things into account are also important as they help indicate towards your coloring.  Blueish colored veins tend to fall under the cool category, while green veins fall under the warm and if you can't really see vein color you are neutral. Pale, pink, ebony and dark red coloring end up falling into the cool category while warm yellows, pale peachy and golden colors tend to fall under warm. If you fall neither wholly into one category then you are neutral. Corals and reds like apricot,orange, tawny and brown red are flattering to neutral and warm but fall more so on the neutral side.

To see vein color look at the underside of your wrist in natural daylight to see veins. If you want to find it by looking at your face make sure you are in natural daylight with no makeup on. Also pulling hair back and draping a white towel around shoulders is a good way to see what your undertone is. You will be able to see your undertone with a neutral background.

3. What shade of red lipstick makes your teeth appear whiter? One shade of red isn't universally flattering, you have to pick the right shade for your coloring and it so happens that this can help you figure it out. Cool Red lipsticks with a blue undertone flatter Cool skin tones the best and make teeth appear whiter. Where as warm red lipsticks with orange, yellow or golden hues will make Warm skin tones teeth appear brighter. Wearing a lipstick shade that isn't flattering to your undertone will wash you out and accentuate any discoloration in the teeth.


Hair


If you want to find your undertone a good way is to figure out what your hair undertone is. I struggled with figuring out what my undertone was for quite awhile. I now know what it is and so what colors work best for me and you can also.

Once you know what your undertone is, picking a hair color to flatter you will not be a problem again. Luckily on most hair dye boxes you can find the words cool, warm or neutral which helps make it easier. If you are looking to go blond for instance and have a cool undertone your best bet would be to try champagne or Ash blondes colors. While if you have a warm undertone your best bet is to try golden or honey blonde colors. If neutral you are lucky enough to try either or and still have it flatter you.

Want to try a red color? Brighter reds have a blue undertone which suits cool undertones best. A darker warmer red is best for the warm undertones. Neutrals can experiment with either one.

Having the wrong shade of hair dye is a sure way to wash you out, so picking the right one is very important in looking your best.

Hopefully this gave you a little insight into figuring out your undertone and that you understand how important it is to find yours.