The Rundown

Quickie update and things to come - November edition

Fiend — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:46:07 -0500

you may have noticed that i have an obsession with this symbol "~" and i have no clue what it is lol. If someone knows please tell me because in my mind i think of it as a representation of my saying a word in a goofy way.

Anyhoo~

I hope you all have been well, and let me take a moment to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING beleatedly!!! I did not stuff myself but we had some good turkey today.I even used the turkey gravy which i normally do not do as i do not like gravy, don't ask me why, i grew up eating it but now i dont. But i hope everyone who is celebrating had a good one, got stuffed, and is ready for black friday! :)

As soon as i get my camera (can't wait till tomorrow whoohoo~) i have alot of haul posts to do. And i wanted to kinda make a little cheat sheet for myself so that i remember what i have to do.

Essie mini haul
Old Navy Haul
Avon Haul
Elf brushes haul

I am not sure if i will combine the hauls into one massive post, i am thinking that will be much so i will probably combine Essie & Old Navy, and Avon & Elf together. Plus i still have my hair posts to do, which i must get my butt into gear for. So all in all, lots for me to do, and this long weekend will be a good chance for me to get started on things.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hair Terminology

Fiend — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:37:37 -0500

Ok this post may be alittle boring and seem like a lecture, but its just quick reference for hair care terms. I'll put the most common ones in a widget on the sidebar for quickie reference. I found these terms very helpful to me and although i have seen them on alot of forums i took this information from my fave forum, Hairlista Inc.

Hair Length Terms:

EL – Ear Length
NL – Neck Length
SL - Shoulder Length
APL – Arm Pit Length
BSL – Bra Strap Length
BSB - Below Shoulder Blade
MBL – Mid Back Length
WSL – Waist Length Hair
NG – New Growth
BC – Big Chop

Definitions:

Pre-poo – Preparing your hair prior to shampooing. You do this by adding a moisturizing conditioner or natural oils into the hair . You can do this overnight or 30-40mins before you shampoo. This helps keep the moisture in your hair after you shampoo or clarify. Prepoo-ing helps keep that moisture in.

Co-washing - Washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. This helps to put moisture back in the hair without stripping the hair of its natural oils.

(Check out fellow onsugar blogger brownsuga's post on co-washing here)

Protective Styling – Wearing your hair up in a style that doesn't put strain on your edges/nape and keeps your ends off of your back & protected from outside elements i.e Buns, Clips, Pony Tails etc.

Low Manipulation - Leave your hair alone! So barely manipulating your hair. The less manipulation the better which leads to less shedding and breakage which eventually leads to healthier hair. For example, Buns, Wash n Go's, Twist outs, Braids, Braid outs, Afro's etc.

Baggying – Putting on your moisturizer and then applying a plastic bag over the hair to trap the moisture in. You can either baggy your ends with a small sandwich bag or you can full head baggy with a plastic shower cap. This is very helpful treatment for those with dry damaged hair and dry ends.

Deep conditioning – Deep conditioning is a nice treat for those with chemical relaxers, colored, dry, brittle, damaged hair. Deep conditioning with a conditioner specifically formulated for conditions similar to the ones already listed will help revive dull lifeless hair thus giving it more strength, elasticity, moisture, softness, and shine. It is a really good way of replenishing lost moisture leaving it less prone to breakage. It's good to deep condition at least 1x per week.

Moisturizing – Applying a moisture based product to dry hair without washing it out. You can use a water-based or cream based moisturizer 1-2x per day. This helps to prevent breakage and increase elasticity in the hair.

Sealing – Using a natural oil to lock in the moisture after you've moisturized the hair i.e. Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil. By using an oil over the moisturizer will allow your hair to stay moisturized longer.

Leave-in Conditioner – A quick way of adding moisture back into the hair after shampooing/conditioning. It helps to detangle the hair leaving it soft and manageable. Most leave-ins provide thermal protection for styling afterward.

Braid-Out – Braiding your hair in sections while hair is still damp after deep conditioning/co-washing. Air dry the braids. Once dry,unravel the braids and style. You can wear this style up to 3-4 days with little to no touch ups.

Stretching – Prolonging the time between relaxers. Instead of relaxing at 6 wks, relax every 8, 10, 12 wks.

Humectants – Attract and retain moisture from the air i.e Glycerin, Honey, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol.

Line of Demarcation - Where the natural hair and relaxed hair meet. This location can be very delicate so be very gentle when stretching.

Dusting - A very light trim. Cutting only 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Good idea if you don't want a full blown trim.

Texlaxed/Relaxurized - Not letting the relaxer take completely to the point of being bone straight . Basically under processed on purpose. Gives your hair some thickness.

Shedding - Strands of hair with white bulbs on the root. Hair goes through a natural shedding period, so if you're taking care of your hair and it suddenly starts shedding a bit, don't be alarmed. If you are worried, try using Garlic. It helps to stop the shedding.

Breakage - Broken pieces of hair without the white bulb. This can be caused by too much moisture or protein. It can also be the cause of poor hair care.

Carrier oil - Known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute essential oils i.e. Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil etc. These oils can also be used to seal/trap moisture in the hair.

Clarifying - Clarifying your hair is always a good idea to remove the build-ups some products leave on your hair which can make your hair dull and lifeless. Clarifying can remove the chlorine swimmers get on their hair. A Simple clarifier i.e. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons shampoo. Lather, wait 5 minutes, rinse and condition. OR you can use 2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed into 2 cups of warm water, pour it on your hair, wait 2-3mins, rinse and condition.

Slip – When the comb easily glides through the hair

EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
EVCO – Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

HHG – Happy Hair Growing

HTH - Hope This Helps

Source

Review: Neutrogena Healthy Defense Moisturizer SPF45

Fiend — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:49:20 -0500

I know it has been a long long time since i posted, but since my camera broke i have been feeling somewhat lazy~. BUT since Black Friday is only a week away and i wil be picking up a camera then i have no excuse to continue my laziness and i decided to do some "easy" posts until i get my camera. I don't like to call them easy posts but basically they are posts that i can do without taking pics so easy is the best word i can think of.

Anyhoo on to the review; I recently purchased Neutrogena Healthy Defense moisturizer SPF45,

it is available in tinted and untinted formulas, i bought the untinted because usually tinted is not dark enough for my complexion. The first thing i thought when i saw the tube was "this looks like a sunscreen product". I prefer pump bottles to tubes and jars when it comes to my morning moisturizer just because i am usually in a rush and i know 2 pumps covers my whole face nicely. When i squeezed the product out the first thing i noticed was the texture and smell. Definitely feels like the texture of sunscreen, and a couple of seconds later the smell reconfirmed that thought. I personally do not like the smell of suncscreen, it smells like chemicals to me and although it is not a offputting smell i just dont like it. So i went ahead and applied it to my face, and let me tell you, i seriously think that this product is nothing more then Neutrogena's sunscreen product but in different packaging. It did not feel moisturizing to me the way a moisturizer should feel. I felt like i was applying sunscreen. You know how sunscreen goes on and it's not sticky but it doesn't moisturize even though it absorbs into the skin and disappears? Thats how this felt. I was very disappointed and i had to add baby lotion on top of it so my face could feel moisturized they way i wanted it to.

Packaging: 2/5 ( note: i am biased against it because i prefer pump bottles)

Performance: 2/5 I felt protected from the sun however it did not feel very moisturizing.

Cost: 1/5 - This product cost $12.99. The neutrogena sunscreen is $3 cheaper at $9.99 and they feel like the same product. Plus the Neutrogena sunscreen can be used on the face as well as body.

Overall Product Grade: 2/5

Which Hair type are you?

Fiend — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:34:46 -0500

Hi Lovelies!

So in order to get started on a healthy hair Journey (HHJ from now on) the first thing you need to know is which hair type are you?

Now the information i am listing is just generals, you may find that you fall inbetween categories or that you may have section of your hair that fall into 2 totally different categories all together. For example: The front of my hair is less kinky the the back of my head and usually stays straighter and doesnt tangle as much as the back. As far as i have determined the front of my hair (in it's natural state) is a 4A and the back is close to a 4B (to find out what 4A and 4B means see the below pictures for reference of the textures and descriptions).

type 1: Straight hair - If your hair is straight, won't hold a curl no matter what you do it then you fall in this category. People in this category tend to have oily hair that needs to be shampoo'd on a daily basis.

Type 2a: Big Loose waves - In a natural un styled state your hair is pretty straight at the top of the strands and tends to have loose big waves towards the ends, is easily straightened and can hold a decent curl. Your hair may be mildy oily, but you do not have to wash you hair on a daily basis, every other day or three times a week is good enough for you.

Type 2b: Smaller tighter waves - The wavey pattern will start higher up on the hair strand and will be much more defined then type 2a. Your hair also holds a curl well. As with type 2a, shampoo'ing 2-3 times a week is best for this hair type.

Type 3: Curly Hair - Now type 3 has alot of sub categories. I won't post every single type of curl but i will post a few so you get the general idea but girls in this category may find it hard to fit into one group

Type 3a: Loose Curls - You have big loose curls, that are pretty defined, your hair is easily straightened and since your hair is already curly any curls you create will enhance your natural look and will have excellent staying power. Shampooing 2 times a week is enough for this hair types as it does not get oily quickly

type 3b1: Big loose curls - The curls are larger, but more defined

type 3b3: Spiral curls - tightly defined spirals, easily seperated and easily detangled

type 3b8: tightly coiled curls - The hair is a kinkier texture, harder to detangle and has a definite defined corkscrew appearance

type 4a: tight curls - the curl pattern is visibly tighter there may be wavy areas of the hair that will also be visible. This hair type usually is fine and while drier then the above types, still has some moisture. Shampooing 1-2 times a week max for this hair type as it needs to retain moisture and shampooing strips moisture from the hair

type 4b: tight coarse kinky curls - This type has tight curls and kinks. This hair type is usually considered coarse, and contrary to popular belief, is the most fragile of all the hair types. 4b hair is usually very dry and needs constant moisturizing and gentle handling. This hair type should be shampoo'd once a week

Pheww! I think i just about covered a good range of people. If i missed out on your hair type and you would like me to try and find some information for you just leave a comment or shoot me a DM.

If Only...

Fiend — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:23:26 -0500

If Only...RIhanna did more of these cute laid back looks!

Don't get me wrong, i love edgy fashion and all but lately some of her looks seem as if she is trying to top herself in how "edgy" she can be. These easy going outfits really let her pretty face shine.

Kawaii Sweetz Giveaway Celebrating 50+ Followers

Fiend — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:14:59 -0500

First off:

On hitting 50+ followers!

Here's a link to the giveaway, (Click here) follow Kawaii Sweetz for a chance to partipate in the giveaway!!

November Wishlist - E.L.F. Brushes Bonanza!

Fiend — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:01:00 -0500

E.L.F Kabuki Brush $5

Large Brush holder $15

E.L.F Studio 11 piece Brush set $30

E.L.F Professional 12 piece brush set $12

So as the title says, this is an E.L.F bonanza featuring all E.L.F products. I have been surfing the E.L.F. site for awhile now and while i am not familiar with their makeup products, i have heard such good things about the brushes i decided to indulge myself this month. For the prices these brush sets go for i can't go wrong, and i had to throw in the sexy sleek looking brush holder(not sure if i would spend $15 for a brush holder though). And you all know i have a mini obsession with buki's ^_^ they are just soo cute!!

Links to Love

Fiend — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:58:41 -0500

Cute underthings make me smile - Beautyandthebudget

Goth Alice? awesome! - dafashionist

Blackground Paintpot Swatches - Everbluec

NARS Sin is to die for~ - Adorebeauty

Suede never looked better - Ceeme

Healthy Hair Journey: The Beginning

Fiend — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:08:28 -0500

So i must admit i am extremely lazy when it comes to my hair. You could actually call the polic on me for how abusive i am to it. But i have decided to turn myself around (ok truthfully, i am tired of my hairstylist asking me what the hell i am doing to my hair inbetween my visits lol), and i know the best way to do this is to chronicle my journey and keep track of what i am doing, what works what doesn't, and hopefully get some feedback from you lovelies that can help me have healthy hair.

Now if you follow me on twitter you might have seen my tweet the other day about me driving over my camera.yeah.crazy right? Long story short, my camera dropped out of my pocket and i didn't notice and my tire must have passed over it because the next day a good samaritan came to my door with the camera they said they found by my car. The camera lense is smashed and the camera body is squeezed together. Thankfully the card is not damaged as it was alittle expensive. I was planning on buying a new camera in a few weeks anyway but it sucks because i had hoped to sell this one and at least get something back for it.

Well enough of that, this post is just a quick briefing (well supposed to be quick but i have rambled as usual) and i guess you could say introduction of the hair care posts to come. I will be posting about hair care in the following order:

Which hair type are you?

Hair Care Terms: Definitions and abbreviations (widget for quick reference will be created).

What does your hair need: Protein or Moisture

Creating a Hair Routine

Hair Products: Moisturizing

Hair Products: Protein

Hair tools & Accessories

Black Friday Wishlist

Fiend — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

For anyone who doesn't know what Black Friday is, its is the day after thanksgiving and it is the official start of the holiday shopping season. As a way of celebrating practically every single retailer opens up super early (some open at 4am!) ad offer knockout discounts. This day is a big deal, i mean Walmart, and Target even do wakeup calls featuring celeb voices to get you up in time for the early riser sales which offer additional 10% if you come in before a certain time like 9am for example.Can you tell i freaking love this day? Sorry for the whole lecture on it but i don't think it's a worldwide event so i want to make sure anyone who is unfamiliar understands the excitement :)

Anyhoo the whole point of this post is that usually the best deals that everyone gets hyped for is the deals on electronics. Alot of electronice are up to 40% off during this day so people usually wait until Black Friday to make any big ticket purchases like last screens or pcs. With that in mind, I will besaving up to get the following items, *hopefully* deeply discounted:

Sony "walkman" starting at $109 for the 8gb.

Sony DSC-H20 $279.99

Seagate 1TB external hard drive $250

And just so you can get an idea of how crazy Black Friday is, here are some images of shoppers on Black Friday:

Crazy huh?