We all have things that bug us out, but wanna know what really gets under my skin? The thing that grinds my gears and drives me bonkers? Bad teeth! And not just any bad teeth... I'm talking about celebs that have tons of money and the access to world class dentists, yet due to whatever reason insist on having their mouths resemble a highway pile up. More specifically, those that have neglected bottom rows that look like urban warfare.
Some of the top offenders of this are Matt Lauer and Will Ferrell. Those 2 have bottom rows that give Jaws a run for his money... they're awful! I don't understand why people that have the $ to perfect their smiles consistently avoid the dentist. It's not enough to have a nice top row... when you're speaking people can focus on the bottom as well.
Sometimes you can't just smile with your eyes you actually need to rely on, well... your smile! If you're looking for something to splurge on why not start with your mouth. There's no better investment than your grill.
Pictures of my blown out locks are nice but let's face it - - everyone wants to know what my curls are doing. Below you'll see the state of my hair prior to both Brazilian Blowouts. The picture on the left was a month after my big chop in March, while the photo on the right was my hair last week.
When I previously blogged about the results from my 1st Brazilian Blowout, one of the top questions I received was regarding my curl pattern and if it would be permanently changed. I'm here to tell you and show you that the August 2010 pic is proof that your hair does return to it's original state.
Again, the blowout is a smoothing (not straightening) treatment that coats your hair shaft with a protective protein layer. This helps to smooth and reduce frizz. I must stress to everyone your curls are not going anywhere. This isn't a relaxer, texturizer or anything harsh and permanent. Since there is no chemical change to the composition of your hair there is no line of demarcation or permanent change to your curl pattern. This is a conditioning and smoothing treatment that gives you fabulous results lasting anywhere from 12 weeks to 4 months. Over time as you wash your hair the protective layer around the hair shaft fades away.
*I must advise everyone that your curl pattern will be temporarily loosened. If you are someone that does not want to see any change in your curl pattern this is definitely not the treatment for you
As for my results: The Brazilian Blowout helped to smooth my hair, make it softer, less frizzy and WAY more manageable. My curls were still there just more defined. Take a look below and you can see the difference for yourself. The picture on the left was taken the morning of my blowout before I went to the salon. On the right is a picture I took Saturday night (flat twists).
One of the pros of the Brazilian Blowout is the absence of any wait period after the treatment is done. You can choose to leave the salon with your hair styled curly or dry, as well as do whatever you'd like immediately after. No 72hr wait period or need to avoid hair ties and scarves.
This isn't just a treatment for those wanting to rock their hair straight. Based on the pic above you can see that your curls will be in full effect.
I haven't traveled internationally since I was a kid but that's about to change. This month my goal was to get my new passport and a few days ago it finally arrived! Just as the brochure says, "With your U.S. Passport, the world is yours." My husband and I intend to make 2011 our year of travel. I also have a few great ideas I'm in the process of working on so I'll be thrilled when it's time to share them with my blog family. In the meantime, operation "get some stamps on this passport" is in full effect!
What kind of mileage have you put on your passport?
Last week I headed to Apricot Lounge Salon for my 2nd Brazilian Blowout and once again I was blown away by the results. Since everyone loves a good photo comparison, below you'll see the progress my hair has made since my 1st blowout in March and the 2nd blowout I received last week, in August. Both photos were taken the same day after my blowouts were done.
I'm not someone that is length obsessed but it was pretty cool seeing how much my hair had grown. More than the growth, I was impressed at the actual health of it. I hadn't had my ends trimmed since my 1st blowout in March and I didn't need to have much taken off. Before I even get into the whole process again, let me just say that this really did inspire me. Why? When I decided to go natural last year (or just stop relaxing) it was mainly because I didn't want to cough up the $ for a touch up and re-up on my summer weave lol. I planned on being a long term transitioner and cutting my hair wasn't on my radar. In February while my husband and I were on his Air Force Base I found myself feeling irritated with the 2 textures (and slightly spontaneous) and had him cut the relaxed ends off in the bathroom... with basic, dull scissors you keep laying around the house lol. Yes, it was a mess but in that moment it was exactly what I wanted to do. I'm going on a bit of a tangent... but this is all to say that when I cut my hair and saw how short it really was, I NEVER thought it would grow out. Adding to my frustration, I remember seeing tons of pics online of curly heads that were full and gorgeous and fighting the urge to have curl envy. It sounds ridiculous but I thought it'd take forever for my hair to grow back.
When I was younger I had hair all the way down my back, but when the relaxers started the length disappeared and as an adult I never thought my hair would grown longer that 6 inches or so. The idea that ALL of the hair in the above picture is from growth I've experienced since May 2009 blows me away. Maybe some people don't find that cool, but for someone that never thought their hair would grow for real, the proof is in the photos. In the past 14 months my hair has grown out to the length that it was when I would get it relaxed and I'm in heaven. I think I was thrown off because in it's curly state my hair grows out and not down so I was always clueless to the length. I know some naturals swear by it, but measuring my hair seemed a little intense so comparing these photos was the first time I realized how much progress I had made.
I have so much info to cover regarding the Brazilian Blowout that I'll be breaking it into various postings this week. Stay tuned!
You don't have to wait for Spring to get started cleaning and organizing your home. This month I decided to tackle the mess that was brewing in my panty drawer. I don't know when it happened, but I looked at my drawer one day and was shocked at the chaos I saw. I was definitely in need of an underwear intervention, stat!
On top of tossing out some underwear that were no longer making the cut, I added a bunch of new ones into the mix! Call it my "period panty makeover" because I had cotton full bottoms everywhere and that's not a good look. Yes, this may be TMI for some folks out there but I like honest dialogue and women know that during that time of the month sexy panties are the last thing on our mind. Period panties don't have to be fruit of the loom or jockey... throw some cute styles, colors or even lace into your drawer!
Some of the top offenders of this are Matt Lauer and Will Ferrell. Those 2 have bottom rows that give Jaws a run for his money... they're awful! I don't understand why people that have the $ to perfect their smiles consistently avoid the dentist. It's not enough to have a nice top row... when you're speaking people can focus on the bottom as well.
