Everyday Cleansing/Moisturizing Routine!

          For whatever reason, girls are incredibly interested in what other girls use in their pre-getting ready routine, the stage before you do your hair and makeup and figure out what you're going to wearing for the day. I suppose this is because it's such critical part of the daily routine, and people just want to know what works. And seeing as I haven't done anything of note lately that would be of any interest to blog about, I will show you what I have been using!         

Even though I do switch up my shampoo and face wash a couple times a week, this is what I grab on a regular basis. I try to only shampoo and condition my hair every other day, as it is bleached and can be quite dry. I would have to say that all of Bed Head's Products are amazing for putting strength and nutrients back into your hair. The Colour Combat Dumb Blonde Shampoo is no exception, and feeds my bleached hair extremely well! As mentioned numerous times before, I wash my face twice a day with my lovely Biotherm Hydra-Mineral Cleansing Toning Mousse in the Biosource range. Then for my body wash, I use Dove Visible Care Toning Creme Body Wash. I actually like to shave my legs with this as well, as it leaves your skin incredibly soft. You barely even need to moisturize afterwards. This will definitely be a continued favourite, especially for the price.

I try to use a treatment on my hair at least once a week, and leave it on for as long as I have the time to. Lately, I've been using my Bed Head Self Absorbed Mega Nutrient Conditioner and it gets the job done beautifully. You do need to use quite a lot of it, as it's not as thick as it seems, but it's worth it. Also, the citrus scent is amazing!

When I get out of the shower, I moisturize with my Coconut Body Butter by the Body Shop, which is my favourite in their selection. I can't get over how soft it makes your skin feel! However, I'm really not crazy about having to dip my hand into a pot, I find it a little unsanitary. If they come out with this same formula in a squeeze tube, I will be a happy, happy person.

After brushing my teeth, the last part of this routine is applying my L'Oreal Paris Ideal Moisture Radiant Tone Day/Night Cream! Although it could be a tiny bit more moisturizing, this has worked well for me so far, and I have been applying it both morning and night.

GOODNIGHT!! xx

High End Drugstore Products: Why You Don't End Up Spending More

                As you may have been able to tell from my previous posts, I am a big fan of drugstore products. I buy almost all of my hair and skin care products from Shoppers Drug Mart on a regular basis. It wasn't until a couple years ago that I ventured over to the "high end" section of hair care, and it was only this year that I discovered high end skin care. Now when I say high end, I mean anything that is over a certain price point. In Shopper's, they generally have these products separated into different sections. However, drug store high end is still only high end to a degree, as they try to keep these products below a certain price point as well. I think I only started checking out these products when I left home, as I was always discouraged from spending too much on anything. 

Having said that, there's something I've noticed since I began to purchase these products. I'm actually not spending more money. The large majority of drugstore users shop at these stores for deals and affordable products. Nothing wrong with that. Spending much more than $10.00 at a time on pretty much anything is a no no, and that's just how it is. And these products generally work perfectly fine, they do what they're supposed to. This year, I started to want to REALLY take care of my skin, and transform it from just okay to really nice, clear and radiant. Many will just say to cut out this and that, don't drink caffeine or diet pop, drink lots and lots of water, blah blah. I'm a student, realistically none of that is going to happen right now and I'm good with that! I have watched all kinds of beauty tutorials and reviews on YouTube for years now. As there are a multitude of beauty gurus out there, you can always find someone with your same hair or skin type. This has lead to me getting it right almost every time I've purchased a product that they've recommended. 

Countless reviews on YouTube have led to me purchasing my beloved Bioderma Sensibio H2O for the first time. I have never seen or heard a bad review on this stuff, and that's coming from girls of all skin types. Great, great stuff! Having said that, this cleansing water is more expensive than what I would typically buy. I had never tried a cleansing water before Bioderma, and would never really have thought to. However, from the first day I started using it, I noticed that it did amazing things for my skin. My skin felt softer, produced less oil and looked more clear. It also eliminated the need for another drug store product I was using on top of my makeup remover, to get a similar softening effect. I haven't repurchased this other product since. Interesting.

Oh Biotherm....how I love you. I just started using this product, and I'm obsessed! This is the Hydra-Mineral Cleanser Foaming Mousse by Biosource for normal to combination skin. I noticed a difference in my skin after using this product twice. I have to say, through all my years of buying Clean and Clear, Garnier, L'Oreal and even Neutrogena, there has never been a time where I've noticed such an amazing difference, especially in such a short period of time. I actually bought this product on a whim, as I have not seen it mentioned in a YouTube video yet on my usual subscription channels. This cleanser eliminated the need for a toner, as well as cutting down my use of Bioderma to only once a day.

Last but not least, another recent purchase, my Bed Head Self Absorbed Conditioner. After using this product for the FIRST TIME, my hair was so lovely, full of moisture and frizz free that it eliminated the need for any other product I would normally spray or scrunch into my hair after it was dry. It also did the job better!

All 3 of these products are in the "high end" category of the hair or skincare section of the drugstore, and all three have eliminated the need for at least one other product for me. The prices are not outrageous, they are all $20 or under. Don't get me wrong, there are so many great drugstore products that cost less than this. However, if you're going to end up spending the same amount anyway for 1 versus 2 or 3 products, do some research on what would really work for you. You may be surprised how much better your skin or hair gets from one amazing product.

TIME TO HAVE A NAP! xx

Mini Drugstore Haul!

        It's official.....fall is here, and winter is creeping up right around the corner. And both my skin and hair know it. This is the time of year where the products I use during the spring and summer officially stop working, and I need to put them aside and double up on moisture. I've witnessed the first dry patches of the season on my face, and I am not happy. It was definitely time for a trip to the drugstore.

I've actually never tried any of these products before, and they range from somewhat high end to the very cheapest you can get. 

I am really looking forward to trying the Biosource Hydra-Mineral Cleanser Toning Mousse I purchased from Biotherm, because I've never tried a product like it. This one is for normal to combination skin and has 150 ml of product. It's supposed to have a 70 mineral complex and balances your skin with zinc. It says that it will tone without drying out your skin, and that within 7 days your skin will radiate with a healthy glow. I nearly bought the same cleanser in the pink tube instead, which is the dry skin version. However, the sales girl told me that even though I'm getting dry skin now, it doesn't mean I have a dry skin type, and should stick to the cleanser for combination skin. I hope she's right, as I really need hydration right now! It seems to come out almost like a light clay mask, which is interesting for a cleanser. It spreads smoothly and feels nice on the skin.

Next, I needed to pick up something heavier than my Neutrogena Natural's Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer, as I'm currently not using any sort of a night cream. So instead of picking up the corresponding night cream, I chose the L'Oreal Paris Ideal Moisture Radiant Tone Day/Night Cream for all skin types. I'm a little concerned that this one may not be heavy enough for my skin right now. However, I decided to try it because it's meant to smooth the texture of your skin and reduce imperfections. Texture is something that I seem to have an issue with, especially on my forehead and around my nose where my pores are large. I also don't like the feeling of anything too heavy on my face, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to go for a full on night cream. So, we'll see if this works for me. I think I only like the smell of L'Oreal's face creams because they remind me of my mom. Otherwise, they don't do much for me! Anyway, it was on sale, so let's try it out and see if I like it!

There are SO many bloggers who go on and on about Wet and Wild, and how amazing it is for the price. There have actually been quite a few comparisons to brands like Urban Decay in terms of eyes shadows. I decided to just pick up a new top coat, so I got the Wet and Wild Wild Shine Clear Nail Protector for under $2.00. What I was most excited to see, was the collection that Wet and Wild created with Fergie, called Fergie Nail Colour. I've heard good things about it, so I chose the colour Gold Album. I've been wanting a gold nail polish for a while as I don't have any. Even though I love my Butter London, I don't necessarily think the more expensive the nail polish, the better it is. It would be great for me price-wise if I could get into these!

Lastly, I purchased Bed Head's Self Absorbed Mega Nutrient Conditioner. Lately I've only been buying products that are specifically for colour treated hair, but on the back it does mention that it's great for out of shape, chemically treated hair. My hair isn't as out of shape as it used to be, but it still definitely needs the extra hydration. It's meant to add body and shine, as well as work out tangles and feed dry ends. You can use this as a regular conditioner, or as a treatment that you leave on for about 3-5 minutes. I've only ever seen this conditioner in this size (250 ml) so hopefully a little goes a long way. It has a refreshing, citrus-like scent to it. I have high hopes for this product!

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT! xx

Growing out Bleached Blonde Hair (Things I wish I had done a long time ago!)

           If you have bleached blonde hair like me, you'll know that it's nearly impossible to grow out long, thick hair. It's no secret that bleach damages your hair, along with heat styling and frequent washing. So if you REALLY want long hair, you're going to have to put in the work. And by put in the work, I really mean significantly reduce the work you're putting into styling your hair, and let it be.

This is easier said than done, and it took forever for me to be willing to stop using heat on my hair and to not wash it every day. The primary reason I was washing my hair every day, is that when I would sleep on it it wouldn't hold it's shape at all no matter what I did to it, and it wouldn't look the same if I tried to restyle it. This was especially true if I slept on my naturally wavy hair.

I decided months ago to take a look at what I was doing to my hair and what I was using on it, and make some serious changes if I really wanted to grow out my hair. Here are 3 tips to get your hair in better condition and start seeing it grow longer!

1) USE PRODUCTS THAT HELP REPAIR YOUR HAIR

From left to right: L'Oreal Everstrong Thickening Tonic, CHI Keratin Mist, Dove Colour Care Leave-On Conditioner, Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum, TIGI Bed Head Colour Combat Dumb Blonde Shampoo, Rusk Sensories Bright Chamomile and Lavender Colour Shampoo, L'Oreal Vitamino Colour Masque, Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Conditioner

Bleached hair needs tons of moisture in order look healthy and shiny, as well as keratin to put protein back into your hair. In it's natural condition, your hair contains about 10% moisture and 90% keratin. When we bleach our hair, it affects both our natural amounts of moisture and keratin, which often results in our hair becoming brittle and breaking off.

Each of the products shown above are products that I alternate using every time I wash my hair. These are all products that benefit bleached blonde hair in some way. In terms of both moisture and protein, the top 3 products I would recommend are the Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum, the TIGI Bed Head Colour Combat Dumb Blonde Shampoo and the L'Oreal Vitamino Colour Masque. However, all of these  products work for me and are definitely work taking a look at. With the exception of the Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Conditioner, these can be found in your local drugstore and occasionally Winners or

TK Maxx 

2) GO LONGER IN BETWEEN BLEACHING

This was hard for me to do in the beginning, as I used to get my hair dyed a solid blonde colour, and then was convinced to start letting some of my natural colour grow through. I'm glad I finally listened, as not only does the colour suit me a million times more, but I can go longer in between getting my hair done. I used to have to get my hair bleached every 5 weeks in order to keep my colour maintained. Now, I go every 3 to 4 months and that works fine for me. Get some headbands to cover up those roots in the last few weeks before you get your hair done, and you'll look fine! Make sure you get the tiniest bit cut off each time you do get it done, as split ends do not work when growing long, thick hair.

3) CUT OUT HEAT STYLING ALTOGETHER

I won't pretend that I NEVER use a curling iron or straightening iron on my hair anymore, but it is very rare. I really don't feel the need to unless it's a special occasion. This is because I have started to realize that my natural wavy hair looks much healthier and nicer than when I heat styled it on a daily basis. Also, I was completely behind on discovering how to do a top knot with my hair, which is now a style I constantly use, especially on second day hair. If you don't think you can cut out heat styling altogether, only use heat tools every other time you wash your hair. Scrunch it with a curling product, use a beach spray or just let your hair completely do it's own thing. Honestly, it probably looks a lot better than you think it does, and it definitely looks healthier. 

My hair after scrunching it with Organix Coconut Anti-Breakage Serum and letting it dry naturally

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT! xx