When asking celebrity hair stylist Chaz Dean if there were any flat irons he'd recommend using on her hair, he simply responded "No" (1:50 mark). He explained that it's the high heat that's so damaging and if the flat iron would burn our skin it'd also burn our hair.
Of course there are safer ways to use heat on our hair but I feel like most people are looking for a magic wand response. A magical flat iron they can use consistently without experiencing any damage... a conditioning treatment that makes their locks brand new again... a secret serum that grows hair out faster... our society is obsessed with quick fixes... but I think we get better results when we make the investment in learning how to care for our hair properly and yield the long term results we'd like.
*sidebar: Jeff Lewis (my favorite ocd interior designer/real estate guru) redesigned Chaz's California salon. It's really nice.
Curly Nikki shared her results with the Aussie Moist + Garnier Fructis Curl Sculpting Cream Gel and I'm happy to share mine too! Currently the Garnier Fructis Curl Sculpting Cream Gel is on sale at Target for $2.50 (5 oz) and worth a try. I've had mixed results with Garnier gel type products in the past but was eager to try this one out as it had a cream base. I co-washed with Aussie Moist (leaving a minimal amount in), applied the Garnier Fructis Curl Sculpting Gel, and sealed my ends with organic coconut oil.
*I want to point out that I no longer towel dry my hair but have started using an old t-shirt. This method cuts my drying time down by a million percent and leaves my hair just "slightly" damp. I love this method.
After applying the products I do my standard flat twists and allow my hair to air dry. Since I dry my hair with a t-shirt, air drying is done in under an hour.
I want to stress how SOFT my curls were using this product combo. The more my hair grows out the more in love I fall with my texture. I love that my curls are looser in the front because it creates this fake bob I'm obsessed with. I get to rock short hair on a daily basis and blow it out for a longer look whenever I like!
Back in June I blogged about Zofia Falconi, an amazingly talented, self-taught artist and ASU student. Her work is really good and I'm thrilled to share this beautiful custom piece that she did for me!
The inspiration photo Zofia's Painting - 20 x 20 canvas
Zofia was a pleasure to work with and I'd highly recommend her to anyone that is interested in getting custom art done. If you'd like more information feel free to visit her site or send an email to zofia.falconi@gmail.com. Tell her that I sent you :)
Rick Fox opened the show this week and he didn't disappoint. Can I just take a moment to acknowledge (once again) how grown man fine he is!!! He could probably read the dictionary and I'd tune in but he's still showing folks that 6'8" doesn't have to look awkward dancing. Brandy did an alright job but I still think her performances are forgettable. Aside from being "Brandy" her dancing isn't really anything spectacular. Audrina put some more life into her quick step performance this week, but I enjoyed looking at her sickeningly superb abs over her dance skills. Jennifer Grey is still a pleasure to watch. Her body is AMAZING!!!! This is why you take care of yourself so you can make 20-somethings jealous when you're twice their age! Margaret Cho is so funny and I love her energy. She's someone that I'd actually want to hangout with in real life and she really improved this week. Kyle Massey is STILL my frontrunner favorite. I think he'll make it to the top. On top of him being so fabulous, his partner Lacey is one of my favorites from So You Think You Can Dance.
90210 (7p CW)
First off... Teddy got drunk and had a gay experience! Never saw that one coming. Annie's internship took a turn for the uber strange. I was convinced her boss was a swinger and trying to recruit Annie to get it in with her and her husband, but it turns out they want to pay her $20k for her eggs. Adriana's shit is about to hit the fan as she continued to pass off Javier's material as her own. Looking forward to seeing how that storyline develops. Ivy's houseguest Oscar is getting more annoying by the second... He's a constant cockblock in her relationship with Dixon (which still isn't believable) but I love his accent. Mr. Cannon is still a creep and Silver almost got herself caught up. Watching documentaries at your teacher's house isn't a good idea. Poor Naomi is dealing with the aftermath of being raped and having trouble sleeping. She's officially a pill popper.
The Big C (1030p Showtime)
Cathy is getting it in with the painter at her school (Idris Elba) and I never understood the sex appeal this man oozed... but again, the accent!!! My god... and it's real! Even better. I love this show and think it has a great cast. Their natural chemistry and flow works for me. An interesting (and entertaining) look at what life with cancer is like.
When I was younger I was obsessed with Lil Kim. It wasn't so much about her lyrics, but just the fact that she was cute, petite and full of energy! I loved her and wanted her to be my big sister. Maybe it was the fact we were both vivacious cancers, but I was team Kim all the way in the 90s.
Nevertheless, I was very disappointed to see her transformation over the years. There were times I thought that she had f*cked up her face beyond recognition... but when I came across recent photos of Kim at her salon opening I rejoiced!!! Somehow she worked a bit of magic and got her cute look and cute face back. I'm thrilled... and can I just add that her body looks great!
This is one of my favorite shows!!! I'm all about the vampires... and guess what? They've added werewolves too. While the Salvatore brothers are the mysterious, sexy vampires in Mystic Falls, The Lockwood family is starting to ooze HOT werewolf sex appeal. The Lockwood family uncle has come back on the scene and boy oh boy, this guy looks good. I'm obsessed with vampires but I'm torn because while vampires have this bite your bottom lip kind of appeal to me, the bodies on werewolves BLOW.MY.MIND! Well, that is until the full moon hits and they transform. I'll take a neck bite over a hairy beast any day... but pre-transformation? I'll have to stick with werewolves... I'm a sucker for a thick neck and they don't get thicker than werewolves. Umm... I apologize for that tangent but if you're into vampires you'll like this show.
Nikita (8p CW)
If you love sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation of what's to come next Nikita (featuring knockout Maggie Q) is the show for you. I'm so infatuated with her look I could probably watch her read the dictionary... but lucky for everyone she does most of her own stunts in this fast paced, action packed show. She's a former assassin that goes rogue and has a vendetta for her old company. Watch as she foils all their plots.
Grey's Anatomy (8p ABC)
I haven't watch in a few seasons but I caught the season 8 premiere last night. I was quickly sucked back into the world of Seattle Grace Hospital and all their craziness. Can I just say that I love this show and I actually missed it. When all that drama went down with Burke (I don't know their real names lol) it bugged me and I stopped watching. This show is the epitome of the greatness that can occur when you have an exceptional ensemble cast working together. It took some time, but I'm back!
Ones to Watch:
Project Runway (9p Lifetime) - I preferred this show on Bravo, but I have a weakness for Tim Gunn and all his big words!
Jersey Shore (10p MTV) - This show is now mainstream enough that it doesn't have to be classified as a 'guilty pleasure'... I mean, "The Situation" is on this season of Dancing With the Stars lol...
Watch What Happens Live (830p Bravo) - Andy Cohen hosts this weekly live talk show on Bravo. They dish on all the latest in reality TV news going on with the Bravo network and please believe they have tons of it. Home to all of the "Real Housewives" shows they're never short of drama and special guests.
