OK, so now that I have managed to grow my hair nice and long (I'v come a long way since my days of a shaved head!) I need to find things to actually DO with it! Being a mom, I don't get out much. Lo and behold an opportunity arose and I was so excited to go out and PARTAY with friends, that I decided THIS would be a great time to try a new style.
How do celebs look so glamorous with their big, luscious hair and locks??
They curl it!!
So I used my trusty ol' friend Google to see just how this was done.
Steps: (long story short)
1. Wet hair and separate into sections
2. Roll sections over large rollers, and secure in to place.
3. For best results, sleep with curlers in
4. Wake up refreshed and ready for a great day with big, volumous hair!! (no, that was not actually said!)
I followed steps 1 - 3.
However. Have you ever tried to sleep with eight 3 inch curlers in your hair?!!
This is one of those times where I decided (on my many times of waking with the pin sticking into my scalp) that beauty is pain, and I shall endure.
And endure I did. Excited to see my new hair, excitedly I jumped out of bed to unroll and untangle my hair. Not. I had to pry my lids open and force myself out of bed. Sleep? Bah!!
My curls looked good, but the dark shadows under my eyes did not!
And just to let you know. I did not make it to the party but fell asleep at 7pm!
Conclusion:
Do NOT attempt to sleep with extra large curlers in your hair if you wish to make the party! :)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Protein Feed Shampoo & Conditioner
Shampoo!
I usually use Treseme, but thought I would give another product a bash.
Onto the cheap (but I had heard was quite decent) Protein Feed.
I noticed that my hair became oily more quickly. I also noticed that my husband's hair was looking oily. And being a man, I hope that he washes his short hair daily!!
What stood out about the conditioner is that it was really tricky to get out of the bottle!!
The conditioner is quite thick, so for one I struggled to actually get it OUT. Usually a good upside down flick will aid with this prob, but it did not work in this case. I finally realized that to get the conditioner out required Muscle Attack! Squeezing the bottle, holding it upside down. Which was no easy feat! The bottle is hard, heavy (when new) and big. I actually gave up on using it as it was too much effort.
Will pass these on to my poor hubby and try something new!
Conclusion:
If you're needing a hand workout and enjoy washing your hair two times a day, this product is for you! If not, stick to Treseme :) (for now, til I have found something better)
I usually use Treseme, but thought I would give another product a bash.
Onto the cheap (but I had heard was quite decent) Protein Feed.
I noticed that my hair became oily more quickly. I also noticed that my husband's hair was looking oily. And being a man, I hope that he washes his short hair daily!!
What stood out about the conditioner is that it was really tricky to get out of the bottle!!
The conditioner is quite thick, so for one I struggled to actually get it OUT. Usually a good upside down flick will aid with this prob, but it did not work in this case. I finally realized that to get the conditioner out required Muscle Attack! Squeezing the bottle, holding it upside down. Which was no easy feat! The bottle is hard, heavy (when new) and big. I actually gave up on using it as it was too much effort.
Will pass these on to my poor hubby and try something new!
Conclusion:
If you're needing a hand workout and enjoy washing your hair two times a day, this product is for you! If not, stick to Treseme :) (for now, til I have found something better)
Lancome Genefique
OK, now onto skin care.
Looking for a new product to use on my skin, I approached the super friendly skin care expert, Robin, who works at Edgars.
What I was looking for:
Something to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and give my skin and over all better appearance.
What she sold me:
Lancome Genefique
At R500 a little bottle, this product is quite pricey and I was very sceptical. It is highly concentrated, and a little goes a long way.
Robin promised me that within in ten days I would see visible results.
So, for ten days I actually managed to take photos of myself. And documented the results. You can decide for yourself.
(These pics were taken first thing in the morning, with NO MAKEUP) Eeeek!
Conclusion:
I definately did see visible results with this product.
The overall appearance of my skin improved, getting an inner "glow". The tone also improved. HOWEVER. I did not see any improvement of fine lines.
I spotted the rep for this product in store and asked her a couple of questions.
She said that this product will lessen the signs of fine lines, but should be used in conjunction with the eye-serum, as well as another product. At R500 each, that totals R1500 for the skin care products. Which may last up to three months.
Personally, I can't imagine that these products would actually make the fine lines disappear, so would stick to ONLY this serum (gives a good glow) and use a filler or botox for the wrinkles. Sorry if thats an unorthodox response, but they WORK. 100% guaranteed. I still have to try a chemical peel. Believe the outcome is also fantastic.
Will keep you posted!
Teeth Whitening - Contrast PM Plus 20%
I went to the dentist for a checkup and he suggested that I do teeth whitening.
He sent me home with a self-whitening kit with a custom fit mouth piece. Product: Contrast PM Plus 20%. Cost: R1500.
I was sent home with 4 syringes of whitening gel and told to use half a syringe of the gel for the first night, and then the other half the second night. And repeat.
After night one I could not see much of a difference. I had piercing pains of my teeth for the first couple of minutes but managed to get through them, and they subsided (I think there may be a numbing ingredient in the gel).
The next day I used the other half of the syringe for 2 1/2 hours. The pain was really severe. After I took out the mouth-piece and rinsed my mouth, my teeth started aching and paining to such an extent that I couldn't talk and was feeling in dire need of a hard-core painkiller. I don't take meds, so had to bare it. By the following morning, the pain had subsided, but for about a week following that I had tooth sensitivity.
I can notice a difference, but I am not yet satisfied. Ideally I should use another syringe. But for the first time in my life, I have to say that..
Beauty is NOT worth the PAIN of using this product.
I will have to see if I can save up for the light bleaching method used in-office at the dentist (cost R4000) and whether I have to pay that in addition to this home bleach method.
Some other irks:
The actually teeth whitening gel which the dentist gave me costs R100. Therefore the custom fit mouth piece cost R1400. Which seems a bit excessive in my books. I would rather buy a home bleach kit from Clicks. I believe you can get a set for about R150 - WITH a mouth piece which can mold to the shape of your mouth.
Conclusion:
I would NOT recommend a take home bleaching kit from the dentist. Save up for in office treatment.
He sent me home with a self-whitening kit with a custom fit mouth piece. Product: Contrast PM Plus 20%. Cost: R1500.
I was sent home with 4 syringes of whitening gel and told to use half a syringe of the gel for the first night, and then the other half the second night. And repeat.
After night one I could not see much of a difference. I had piercing pains of my teeth for the first couple of minutes but managed to get through them, and they subsided (I think there may be a numbing ingredient in the gel).
The next day I used the other half of the syringe for 2 1/2 hours. The pain was really severe. After I took out the mouth-piece and rinsed my mouth, my teeth started aching and paining to such an extent that I couldn't talk and was feeling in dire need of a hard-core painkiller. I don't take meds, so had to bare it. By the following morning, the pain had subsided, but for about a week following that I had tooth sensitivity.
I can notice a difference, but I am not yet satisfied. Ideally I should use another syringe. But for the first time in my life, I have to say that..
Beauty is NOT worth the PAIN of using this product.
I will have to see if I can save up for the light bleaching method used in-office at the dentist (cost R4000) and whether I have to pay that in addition to this home bleach method.
Some other irks:
The actually teeth whitening gel which the dentist gave me costs R100. Therefore the custom fit mouth piece cost R1400. Which seems a bit excessive in my books. I would rather buy a home bleach kit from Clicks. I believe you can get a set for about R150 - WITH a mouth piece which can mold to the shape of your mouth.
Conclusion:
I would NOT recommend a take home bleaching kit from the dentist. Save up for in office treatment.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Recipe: Healthy chicken patties / wrap / fold-over
So today I decided to branch out from my (what has now become the norm) meals of stirfried chicken with cabbage and spinach (done in no oil, of course).
This is what I came up with.
Ingredients:
chicken mince
grated onions
grated carrots
finely cut spinach
finely cut cabbage
fresh coriander
garlic
salt & pepper to taste
ground flaxseeds
*lettuce
*sweet chilli sauce
* raw, unsalted peanuts
I have not added quantities, as I usually just do a hit and miss. If you particularly like spinach, add more. If not, add less. I add flaxseeds where I can as I believe them to be super good for you. Be sure to grind them though, otherwise your body cannot digest the goodness.
I just mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl, then shaped into little patties. Myself, I enjoy food to be close to their natural state, so I did not pre-cook anything. You may choose to pre-cook your onions or other veg here.
You can vary the mixture as you wish. Perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper (I kept mine simple as I want my baby to eat them).
Adding crushed nuts to your mixture would probably work very well, but I chose to keep the calories down, thus avoiding that.
I sprayed my nonstick pan with a thin coating of "weighless cook and spray". Then cook your patties at a low heat until golden brown, and cooked through. This took about ten minutes.
To serve I took a large lettuce leaf, added a dollop of Sweet Chilli Sauce, placed the patties on top. Sprinkled some of the raw peanuts on top (couldn't resist). Fold the lettuce leave over to create a nice little "packet" and voila! Super healthy, low fat, delicious chicken fold-over!
Will add pics soon (my daughter has hidden the card for my camera!)
This is what I came up with.
Ingredients:
chicken mince
grated onions
grated carrots
finely cut spinach
finely cut cabbage
fresh coriander
garlic
salt & pepper to taste
ground flaxseeds
*lettuce
*sweet chilli sauce
* raw, unsalted peanuts
I have not added quantities, as I usually just do a hit and miss. If you particularly like spinach, add more. If not, add less. I add flaxseeds where I can as I believe them to be super good for you. Be sure to grind them though, otherwise your body cannot digest the goodness.
I just mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl, then shaped into little patties. Myself, I enjoy food to be close to their natural state, so I did not pre-cook anything. You may choose to pre-cook your onions or other veg here.
You can vary the mixture as you wish. Perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper (I kept mine simple as I want my baby to eat them).
Adding crushed nuts to your mixture would probably work very well, but I chose to keep the calories down, thus avoiding that.
I sprayed my nonstick pan with a thin coating of "weighless cook and spray". Then cook your patties at a low heat until golden brown, and cooked through. This took about ten minutes.
To serve I took a large lettuce leaf, added a dollop of Sweet Chilli Sauce, placed the patties on top. Sprinkled some of the raw peanuts on top (couldn't resist). Fold the lettuce leave over to create a nice little "packet" and voila! Super healthy, low fat, delicious chicken fold-over!
Will add pics soon (my daughter has hidden the card for my camera!)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Cabbage Soup Diet
OK, so lets get started with some diet news.
I recently completed the Cabbage Soup Diet. I chose this diet because:
1. It sounded nice (as in yummy) and therefore easy to do.
2. I love the fact that you can eat as much as you like of certain foods daily
3. You are supposed to lose a vast amount of weight fast
How it went:
The actual cabbage soup was really good. For the first 4 days I managed good amounts of it, but after day for I struggled to get any down.
I stuck to the diet, but did not actually lose any weight! Looking at reviews, I see that there are many people who do not actually lose any weight on this diet. Others, however, get very impressive results.
Conclusion:
Although I did not lose any weight on this diet, my eating habits have really changed since I have been on it. I am eating far more vegies, and am most surprised by my fruit intake. (I have been making many delicious smoothies. Prior to this diet I would hardly ever eat any fruit.
So basically, I would give it a Thumbs Up.
Time will tell whether my new eating habits will cause me to lose weight.
Either way, am definately feeling much healthier and am enjoying experimenting with healthy cooking :)
And I DON'T COOK!!
I recently completed the Cabbage Soup Diet. I chose this diet because:
1. It sounded nice (as in yummy) and therefore easy to do.
2. I love the fact that you can eat as much as you like of certain foods daily
3. You are supposed to lose a vast amount of weight fast
How it went:
The actual cabbage soup was really good. For the first 4 days I managed good amounts of it, but after day for I struggled to get any down.
I stuck to the diet, but did not actually lose any weight! Looking at reviews, I see that there are many people who do not actually lose any weight on this diet. Others, however, get very impressive results.
Conclusion:
Although I did not lose any weight on this diet, my eating habits have really changed since I have been on it. I am eating far more vegies, and am most surprised by my fruit intake. (I have been making many delicious smoothies. Prior to this diet I would hardly ever eat any fruit.
So basically, I would give it a Thumbs Up.
Time will tell whether my new eating habits will cause me to lose weight.
Either way, am definately feeling much healthier and am enjoying experimenting with healthy cooking :)
And I DON'T COOK!!
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