Tea Tree Oil Scalp Treatment

So somewhere along the way I learned about the holistic wonders of Tea Tree Oil for skin conditions like acne, fungal infections, bacterial infections and it's also a great way to keep your scalp healthy.  Since tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial disinfectant sort of product it's not wonder that my favorite use for Tea Tree Oil was applying a tiny bit with a Q-Tip to a pimple to help shrink it down and clear it up, but now I've been adding a drop or two to the water for my pre-poo sessions and I'm loving it.  Not only does the steam smell great but I've heard that breathing in steam with tea tree oil in it can help with asthma, bronchitis, etc.  Anyway, I have neither of those conditions but I have a funky scalp that can act up sometimes so I figured adding Tea Tree Oil to my pre-poos can also serve as a scalp treatment.  So I'm not only giving my hair a treat by pre-pooing with steam, I'm giving my scalp a treat by steaming with tea tree oil.  

Steaming alone can help with dandruff so adding tea tree oil to the steam gives dandruff a real one-two punch!  Which brings me to another reason why the Huetiful Hair Steamer is such a great steamer, you can add essential oils to your water and it does not harm the steamer.  With my big steamer, I could only use distilled water with NO additives which was really a bummer so not only did I buy this large steamer I have to keep on buying distilled water to add it?  The Huetiful safely takes tap water which is awesome!  


The Tea Tree Oil Scalp Treatment Steps: 


1. Give your scalp a really good massage to loosen up anything on your scalp 
2. Apply Coconut Oil or whatever oil you like to the length of your hair and clip it up very loosely
3. Add 2-3 drops of Tea Tree Oil into your Huetiful Steamer, start steaming, and ENJOY! 

Lifestyle Leak: Disney Couture Jewelry

I'm a big fan of Disney Couture but since I look rather young I steer clear of 'young' looking t-shirts, meaning things with characters on them.  Even though, the Disney Couture line is not super youthful looking, Disney characters + a young face leads people to underestimate my age and it's annoying.  Anyway, I've found a new way to sport the Disney Couture line - through the jewelry.


Here are some of my favorite pieces:

"Believing Is Only The Beginning" Gold-Tone Locket ($50.00) This quote is just awesome and inspiring.  

Disney Couture Enamel Leaves And Floral Charm Bracelet ($90) is another cute bracelet featuring a tiny little ladybug (they are good luck!) and Tinker Bell!  

Then who doesn't love Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland? Now you can show off your love with this Disney Couture by Tom Binns "Alice in Wonderland" Cheshire Cat Necklace, ($70). The unusual gold-toned pendant is made in the shape of the Cheshire Cat's devilish smile--just the smile--with an etched zigzag design representing his wicked teeth.

Deep Conditioning For Fall/Winter

Deep Conditioning is the one hair care ritual that I never ever skimp on.  You might catch me using a little too much heat, not sleeping on satin or silk, skipping my roller sets, or even forgetting to do my Jamaican Black Castor Oil scalp massages, but skip my weekly deep conditioning sessions?  NEVER!


Deep conditioning is more important during this time of year than any other for me because my hair gets super dry during the winter months and I feel like deep conditioning restores the moisture to my hair on a deep level than just moisturizing with a leave-in type of product.  


Check out a few of my favorite deep conditioners of all time! 

1. Miss Keys 10 en 1 Conditioner, (under $10).  This was the very first dominican hair care product I ever used and I love it.  The scent is amazing, the slip is great, and I love the way my hair feels after every single use.  Other great Dominican conditioners I've tried and love are Silicon Mix Hair Treatment and Universal La Bomba Deep Treatment . 

2.  Creme of Nature Professional Nourishing & Strengthening Treatment (about $10.00) is the one conditioner I turn to if my hair ever feels hard or needs extra TLC.  This is one product that delivers instant gratification, as soon as I apply this to my hair, my hair feels better.  This is the conditioner I always use after henna treatments because my hair can be especially unruly after henna.  I always keep at least one extra tub in my beauty closet!  

3. Inova Professional Silk Keratin The Miracle Mask (about $50) is a pretty pricy product but it delivers just enough protein for my protein sensitive hair.  It is formulated with avocado oil, keratin protein, silk protein, and white carnation oil that works together to moisturize and strengthen your hair.  I use this conditioner when I feel like my hair could use a hit of protein.  This conditioner smells really good and comes in a large bag style container and you get 17.6 oz. for your 50 bucks so it's well worth it.  

All of these conditioners plus more can be found at our Amazon Storefront. 

Beauty Break: Keeping Skin Moisturized

The colder months have a way of sucking all the moisture right out of everything that goes outside.  I'm sure you guys are keeping your hair moisturized, sealed, and tucked away but what about your skin?  Since I'm so bundled up sometimes I contemplate skipping body lotion and oils all together in an effort to save time, but really it does nothing but lead to dry itchy skin.  So I'm being 100x better about keeping the skin on my body thoroughly moisturized with these awesome products.

SpaRituals Infinitely Loving Oil, ($20.00 amazon.com) a massage therapy blend of Chinese Jasmine extract and essential oil energizes the heart chakra. This massage oil for body, hands and feet conditions the skin, leaving it soft, smooth and glowing.  Plus the scent is lovely and relaxing.

St. Ives Naturally Smooth Body Lotion (available at your local drugstore) features a natural, fruit-derived AHA complex, the dual-action, non-greasy formula absorbs quickly to provide intense hydration while a multi-fruit blend with alpha hydroxies gently exfoliates skin by promoting cell turnover.  So this winter you can work on getting amazing skin that you can show off this summer!

Bio Oil ($15.00 amazon.com) is a speciality oil that is supposed to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, scars, and wrinkles. I've been using the Bio Oil to reduce the appearance of stretch marks with no luck, but I do like the way it seals in moisture in my skin.  It's a bit pricey but for some reason I really like this oil.  When I use it my skin just feels softer and more moisturized than when I use a baby oil type product.

Uncle Funky's Daughter

I have a confession, I love using products meant for natural hair (read: no relaxer) on my relaxed hair.  Usually, products meant for natural hair focus on restoring moisture to super dry hair.  My relaxed hair needs all the moisture it can get, moisturized hair is easier to manage and is less prone to breakage so you can understand why I love moisturizing products. The newest natural hair care brand that I've tried out is Uncle Funky's Daughter.  I absolutely love the name of this hair care line, plus they also have a salon out in Houston Texas.   


I had the pleasure of trying out Rich & Funky Moisturizing Cleanser and Midnite Train Leave-In Conditioner.  Keep on reading for the product descriptions and review!  

Easy Relaxed Curls

I saw this photo and I was reminded how I make my easy relaxed curls.  Basically, I take my already straight hair and roll it up using two fingers and then pin it in place.  I do this all over my head until it looks like the above photo.  I leave it like that while I get ready to go out, think shower, get dressed, do makeup.  The last step before I go out is to take each clip out and finger comb my hair into place.  Afterwards, I have big relaxed looking curls.  

This works so much better if you use a little bit of heat first.  So if you are blowdrying your hair in sections, once you finish a section roll it up, or if you are flat ironing - after you finish a piece roll it up while it's still warm.  But of course you don't have to use heat, you can just roll up your hair and then give it a very little mist of leave-in conditioner, followed by a light hair spray.  The objective is to set it, not make your hair wet.  

AHS TV: Easy Blow Out How To

Just thought I'd share a quick video (under 5 minutes) showing how I blow dry my hair.  Typically, I get roller sets because it's gentler on my hair and I think it's healthier, but sometimes I go ahead and blow dry so I figured I'd share the how-to.  Plus, it also shows how I do the easy relaxed curls.    

Products used: 

Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Express Ion Dry V.1

Brushlab Fresh Ceramic Thermal Nylon Bristle Large Hair Brush

Diane Double Prong Slide-in-clips * 80 Clips *

Salerm 21 B5 Silk Protein

Redken Real Control Slim Supreme Slimming Serum


From start to finish it usually takes me about 20-30 minutes to blow dry my entire head of hair.  I really focus more so on getting the roots straight over the ends because the ends of your hair are the oldest and most vulnerable.  Hope this helps you guys!  

Beauty Break: My At Home Facial Treatment

Facials are an essential part of a healthy skin care regimen.  I always talk so much about hair care here, but I'm also really into skin care.  Sure makeup can cover flaws, but the best makeup looks start with a flawless canvas.  Before the Huetiful Steamer came into my life I used to fill up the sink in my bathroom and add boiling water from my tea kettle to the sink, throw a towel over my head, and allow the steam to hit my face.  It was just a ghetto way of doing it, I though it worked well until I got a real deal steamer.  Don't get me wrong, it'll do but this is so much better.  Anyway, here is how I go about doing my at home facial treatment.  


Step 1:  Cleanse skin thoroughly using my Clarisonic Pro Sonic Skin Cleansing Brush and my favorite cleanser.  Which cleanser I use depends on what my skin is doing at that moment.  For breakouts I like Proactiv Solution Original Renewing Cleanser and for normal skin I like Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.    
Step 2:  Steam skin to open pores.  If you want to add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil into the Huetiful Hair and Facial Steamer you can do that.  I steam my face for about 15-20 minutes and then I apply an exfoliating treatment to my skin and steam a little more.  My favorite is Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Exfoliating TreatmentStep 3: Rinse off the exfoliating treatment and massage on a mask.  My favorite mask is MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Hydra Masque.  Let that sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse.  
Step 4:  Moisturize thoroughly.  After I do this facial treatment I usually use a heavier moisturizing cream because I want to help my skin stay supple.   
    

AHS TV: Henna for Hair - How I do it

As some of you know, I did not henna my hair at all this summer.  I really didn't feel as though my hair needed the extra strength and I was happy with the color I had.  Fast forward and now it's the beginning of Fall and I relaxed my hair about two weeks ago, the color is not as vibrant and I'm ready to start using henna again.  


So last night I took the plunge!  Plus, I made a video for you guys.  It shows how I apply the henna to my hair.  The video is less than 4 minutes too!  After I wrapped it all up, I watched TV and then headed to bed.  The henna was on my hair for about 10 hours before I rinsed it out this morning.  Currently, I'm steaming my hair with a deep conditioner.  I'll keep you posted on the results.  


The Henna Recipe: 
Punjabi Prime from Mehandi.com 
6-8oz. Green Tea
Large dollop of honey 
2 squirts of lemon juice 
Generous amount of EVOO 


Items mentioned in the video: 
Product used for protecting skin - Mizani Butter Blend Butter Base
Plastic Cap & Gauze for sealing the edge of the plastic cap 
PrettyWrap as the scarf (quick note on the prettywrap, it's unavailable for purchase currently, I'm trying to find out what happened with the company) 
Metal Clips and a Fishtail comb for sectioning

Innovative Beauty: Samy Icing Hair Care

Technologically advanced Samy Icing Shampoo and Moisturizer feature a two-chamber dispensing system for optimum product preservation. Featuring plant cell botanicals and lush ingredients including chamomile, yarrow, sage, white birch and witch hazel to cleanse, revitalize, strengthen and condition the hair and scalp. Sulfate, salt and preservative free, Icing can be used with Keratin and color treated hair.

There is nothing I like more than a brand new innovative beauty product.  After testing the shampoo and conditioner, I have to say I really like these two products.  I was pleasantly surprised too because Samy is not a brand that I've really experimented with.  


First off, the two-chamber dispensing system is pretty cool.  I've heard of it with skin care products, but now it's featured in a hair care product.  I was expecting a foam type of shampoo but Samy Professional Icing Continuous Spray Shampoo is very creamy.  The lather can only be described as a creamy thick lather, which I loved.  It smells great and it's not stripping at all.  There is no sulfates or salts always makes my hair happy.  The Samy Professional Icing Continuous Spray Moisturizer is a great conditioner that provides lots of slip and also smells great.  The conditioner is not the type of conditioner where you have to leave it on to see results.  As soon as you apply the Spray Moisturizer (which is basically conditioner) it makes you hair softer and easy to detangle right away.  Baring in mind that this is an 'instant' conditioner, I would still use a deep conditioner afterwards because I do that anyway regardless of what shampoo/conditioner set I use.    


Secondly, it's environmentally friendly.  Two-chamber dispensing system inside Icing Shampoo and Moisturizer keeps the product ingredients separate from the propellant. This system also prevents the propellant from being released into the atmosphere.  Contains fresh (not aged or synthetic) extracts, unlike conventional bottled shampoos or conditioners where contact with air can degrade fresh plant extracts.


**product received for review ... see full disclosure here**

Beyonce rocks a Side Braid + more sequins

Beyonce is not letting a little thing like pregnancy slow her down (or shorten her hemlines)! 

She was spotted at the launch of her new fragrance Beyonce Pulse rocking MORE SEQUINS!  I told you guys, Pregnant Beyonce Loves Sequins.  

The hair looks is super easy to recreate at home.  All you need to do is make a side part, gather your hair to one side and start braiding.  Even non-braiders like me can do it, even though it looks way better with longer hair.  

Lifestyle Leak: Fall Inspired Home Scents

Let me start off by saying I love having a place of my own.  The freedom to decorate and do whatever your heart desires is great.  I'm sure you agree!  One of my favorite decor items is candles.  Candles just add a feeling of warmth and the right candle gives off amazing scents.  I love switching up scents based on the seasons or just my moods.  But I always keep the same candle accessories around.

This Jonathan Adler Squirrel Match Strike is not only cute, it's totally functional.  The best of both worlds, especially when space is limited.  The squirrel holds your matches and then you can use the base to strike them.

Fall scents for me are all about pumpkins and scents that compliment pumpkins like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.  I know it sounds like I'm baking but truthfully those are my favorite fall scents.  For my birthday, one of my fabulous friends gave me candles because she knows me so well.  Guess what scents!  Slatkin & Co. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin and Autumn.  


Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin features spicy pumpkin puree with sweet butter and vanilla cream. While the Autumn is completely different yet screams fall with dark pomegranate with red delicious apple and juicy fig, with notes of fir balsam and rich cedarwood.  


If you are looking for Fall Inspired Home Scents Bath & Body Works has you covered!  They have all the Slatkin & Co. scents, from the two I mentioned to Leaves, Autumn Apple, Creamy Pumpkin, and much more!  

Jewel Toned Hair - Yes or No?

Aside from Miss Rainbow Brite aka Nicki Minaj celebs are being spotted with Jewel Toned Hair.  I mean first there was the rainbow ombre, then Katy Perry took the plunge and now it's popping up everywhere.  

It's even on the runways of NY Fashion Week.