From Category: BEAUTY
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
A couple years ago, spin brushes were a sensation on YouTube and beauty bloggers were reviewing all kinds of expensive ones. Eventually, I found a good spinbrush at an affordable price from Ulta Beauty. The Dual Action Cleansing Brush was the tool that lead me to really think twice about using antiperspirant deodorant. How? Just keep on reading.
The Dual Action Cleansing Brush comes with one brush head and one foam pad for moisturizing. There was a promotion going on when I purchased this spinbrush, so I grabbed a set of two extra brush heads to use them on my face, neck, back, and eventually my underarms. Just after a few uses, I saw the benefits of exfoliating my skin. My skin was softer, less dry, and looked more alive.
To make a long story short, one day I decided to use my spinbrush to exfoliate my back, as I was dealing with a few breakouts. In the process of doing so my underarm got itchy and I scratched the itch away. Now, I had showered the day before and did not wear deodorant to bed, nor had I applied any yet. Immediately after scratching my underarm, I noticed a thin layer of gunk under my fingernails. I was thrown off because as I mentioned I had showered the day before. I certainly cleaned my underarms to the best of my ability while I was in there, and I didn't wear deodorant to bed. So, what was this waxy, gray, rubbery, gunk that was underneath my nails? You guessed it, deodorant. After I made that discovery, I put my spinbrush to work in my underarm regions and let me tell you, I had no idea how much buildup I had sitting in my underarms from previous applications of deodorant. The crazy thing was that my skin appeared to be smooth on the surface and the buildup wasn't evident at all. I guess this explains why you can see deodorant stuck in-between your razor blade when you shave your underarms, although you scrubbed the area clean prior to shaving.
This made me think back to some of my high school days when I would go to bed late and tell myself I'd shower in the morning. Consequently, I'd wake up late for school, couldn't shower because I had to catch the bus, and in the process of getting ready in a rush I'd forget to wear deodorant. I was bummed the first time this happened to me, and I was scared that my underarms were going to smell funny throughout the day. I asked my friends if they had any deodorant to lend me, but they didn't have any on hand. So, I was forced to face the day deodorant free. However, through that experience I realized something and that was that the layer of deodorant I applied the day before still had some lasting power and it got me through the day without smelling crazy. That really got me thinking, if my deodorant isn't wearing off after a single use, is still on my skin even after I shower, and is only effectively removed through either shaving or abrasively cleaning my underarms, are my underarms even breathing? In my opinion, deodorant should wear off. Our bodies are meant to sweat and yes it's necessary to prevent our underarms from smelling, but deodorant should not be so difficult to remove either. I'm convinced that the only time my underarms were deodorant free while using antiperspirant deodorant was when I either shaved my underarms or exfoliated them. Other than that the day-to-day layers of deodorant were still on my skin, though I'd shower and scrub the area clean because I knew in my experience that gentle cleansing wasn't enough.
Antiperspirant deodorants contain aluminum, a chemical that is used to plug your pores in order to prevent you from sweating. Aluminum has been linked to very serious health issues, but because there isn't enough scientific evidence to support the claims they are considered "harmless". At the end of the day everything we apply onto our skin is absorbed into the body and makes its way into the bloodstream. Not every product I use is natural or chemical free but my main issue with antiperspirant deodorant is the fact that it builds up and plugs my pores with the use of chemicals. I for one hate buildup, and I certainly don't want chemicals sitting on my skin for long periods of time especially in an area that has lymph nodes.
For quite some time, I searched and searched for natural deodorants. I tried the TOM'S brand but it didn't work for me. As a result, I reverted back to the use of antiperspirant deodorant sprays and gels versus stick deodorant to reduce that residual buildup. As time passed, I still felt uncomfortable using antiperspirant deodorant because I knew my pores were being congested with the use of chemicals. So after a couple of years, I started looking for options once again. I just wanted to find something natural that worked and be done with it. In my search, I learned that most of the options were pricey and there was no way I was going to spend money on a pricey product, considering the last natural deodorant I had tried didn't cut it. However, I'm happy to say that I found two natural deodorants that work for me, are affordable, and can be found at your local drugstore (most natural deodorants can be found online only). I've dedicated an entire blog post regarding these two deodorants. If you are interested you can read my review on them here: Affordable natural deodorants that work.
Love,
Des.
Saturday, April 14, 2018
After the worst blonding experience with a previous hairstylist, I refused to let another stylist touch my hair. Over the course of a year, my roots grew in leaving a sharp contrast between my natural color and the rest of my pale-yellow hair. I grew so tired of my hair that I began watching hair dyeing tutorials on YouTube in hopes of somehow fixing this yellow mane. I knew that doing this myself was far too risky and I didn't want to make matters worse. With that being said, I turned to Google and came across a few salons, but one in particular stood out.
You can find them here: @Privesalon_orlando
In all of my search, Privé Salon Orlando was the most socially active salon I had come across. They frequently post pictures and videos on Instagram which allowed me to see what they were really about. Through the pictures and the videos I was able to see some amazing hair transformations. I also discovered that they have hair stylists that specialize in cutting and styling curly hair which was a HUGE plus for me being that I have curly hair.
So, what did I do? Gave them a follow and stalked them for months. In March of this year, I finally felt ready to let someone work on my hair; so, I called and scheduled an appointment. The receptionist that I spoke with kindly answered all of my questions and was very informative. As the day of my appointment approached I received a text message from the salon reminding me of my appointment, and asking me to confirm my attendance which was really neat. When the day of my appointment came I checked in at the front desk and within seconds I was being assisted. Shortly after, I was given a salon gown and guided to my colorist's chair. I was highly impressed with how prompt and smooth my check in experience was.
A few minutes later my colorist approaches me, introduces herself, and begins the consultation. Gabriela was very thorough and listened closely to my hair wishes. She asked to see a reference picture of my desired hair color and gave me her suggestions on how to achieve just that. My main concern was my budget, but she worked with me and made sure that I was fine with the estimated price before starting to work on my hair. If that's not a perfect example of how consultations should go, I don't know what is.
While washing my hair, Gabriela informed me on the products she was using. She also shared the benefits of each product with me, and took the time to teach me how to properly style my hair with the products used. This was the first time EVER that a stylist took the texture of my hair into consideration and used products specific to my hair type. Stylists that have worked on my hair in the past, quickly jump right into blow-drying and flat ironing my hair.
I was at the salon for a total of six hours, and I was taken care of the entire time. After getting my hair styled with the necessary products, my colorist lead me to the stylist who was going to give me my very first deva cut. Prior to getting my haircut the stylist introduced herself and consulted with me about my desired haircut. At the end of it, she thanked me for trusting them with my hair and I'm so glad I did. I definitely look forward to my next hair appointment at Privé Salon Orlando, and I know that it will be an enjoyable one.
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See more of Gabriela's work: @Gabrielathecolorist
I was treated so well, and I was so impressed with the professionalism of this salon that I wanted to share my thoughts and honest experience. I definitely recommend Privé Salon Orlando or any salon you have done your research on. If the salon you are interested in visiting has a social media page, check it out and see what they're about. Getting your hair done is an investment. With that being said, you want to make sure that you're investing in a salon that is going to take good care of you and your hair, and give you the results you want not dread. Take it from someone whose been there. Love,
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