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“Low Maintenance Blonde”: Is Fall’s Ombre Hair Trend Here to Stay? posted on November 11, 2011
I Searched for a ‘Signature Scent’ and Her Name was Lola posted on February 22, 2012
5 easy hairstyles for medium, long, wavy, curly or straight hair posted on April 12, 2011
GUEST POST: How to wash your hair
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In The Confessions of a Product Junkie’s first-ever guest post, my friend and co-worker Sarah Cargill shares what she learned last time she went to the salon about washing her hair the “right way.”
And you should listen to her. After all, she has great hair.
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So you think you know how to wash your hair?
I thought I knew how to wash my hair too. I mean – how hard could it be? I’ve been lathering up shampoo in my palms, scrubbing it through my hair, rinsing and repeating with conditioner since I was four years old. That was until my stylist on trendy 23rd in Northwest Portland kindly told me – I had it all wrong. So straight from the expert, here’s some tips to set us all straight!
Washing Your Hair is Not an Herbal Essence Commercial
We’ve all seen these commercials (and likely all practiced looking as glamorous in the shower when we were in our early teens). These women were shown washing a frothy mass of bubbles through their hair piled up high on the head. And this – probably along with Barbie’s figure dimensions – set as all astray.
Error number one is washing shampoo into the ends of your hair. When you lather, you only want to scrub at your roots. Your hair produces oil at the scalp. This is really the only place that needs a good cleaning with shampoo to gently remove all the natural oils. After you’ve rinsed, you’re ready to condition!
Say Goodbye to Daily Washes
If you’re like me, you were one of those daily washers – that good salons frowned upon – to keep your hair from looking oily. The problem was, I was putting all the good product oils in the wrong place.
Error number two is applying conditioner to your roots. Ring all the water out of your hair before applying conditioner. Otherwise, you’re literally washing all the money you spent on the miracle cure for your dry ends – down the drain. Then apply your conditioner to all the hair you can gather in a ponytail. You’ll want to really work it into your ends, but avoid the roots! This will help keep your oil build-up low in the following days.
Trust Me It Works
Maybe you’re thinking: Not washing your ends with shampoo is gross! If you’ve just spilt your morning coffee, splashed a game of beer pong or managed to cover your hair with some other unwanted substance, then by all means wash it! Yet for the daily upkeep, conditioner is usually enough to keep the smell of fajita out of your hair. Depending on how long your hair is, your ends could be years old weathering many seasons. So give it a break by not making it brittle and prone to breaks by drying it out with over-shampooing.
Another thought that may have crossed your mind is: No conditioner on my scalp is going to dry it out and make my hair frizzy on top! If you’re using a good shampoo and only washing every few days, your scalp won’t mind. Also, try some styling products like a thickening spray, heat resistant or shine inducer to cut back on the frizz.
So take it from me – a girl who was a daily washer from the age of four. Once I adjusted my hair washing habits, I found that I could last three to four days without a wash. Plus all in all, my hair is healthier and my ends are lasting. So try shampooing only your scalp and conditioning only your ends!
If you’re in the market for a new hair stylist, I highly recommend Caitlyn at Au Salon. Check out the salon’s website at ausalon.com or call 503-228-8363 to make an appointment.
Thanks for reading and happy washing!
Sarah Cargill
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Sarah Cargill is a University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with emphasis in Public Relations and a Minor in Economics. She now works as Inspiration Software‘s Social Media Specialist, managing all things social media for the company. In addition to being a social media maven (my words, not her’s), Sarah is a wonderful writer, great person, and a girly-girl at heart. Learn more about Sarah at sarahcargill.com.
Polished Perfection
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Every now and then I discover a nail trend or combination that is just too fabulous not to devote an entire blog post to. Last night was one of those times.
In an effort to salvage my paycheck for this month, I settled for a DIY (do-it-yourself) manicure at home instead of going to the salon. Because I was in the comfort of my own home with no one around to judge me (except Carter – complaining about the smell of nail polish filling our apartment), I decided to try something festive and fun.
Did it involve sparkles? Naturally.
First, I applied two layers of navy blue polish (American Apparel’s Passport Blue), followed by two thick layers of a top coat with gold glitter in it (Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat, as seen here). Sure, my nails look a little bit like disco balls, but I love them! The polish ended up nice and thick, so I don’t foresee it chipping any time soon.
I kept the polish on for work today, but I paired my flashy nails with a not-so-flashy outfit (jeans, white t-shirt, black blazer and camel pumps, as seen here). I wouldn’t wear this polish to an interview, meeting, trade show, or anything else considered “business formal.” But for my casual office, it was just want the doctor ordered!
Camel is the new brown
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Brown is the new black. And camel is the new brown. And the nice thing about camel is that is actually goes with black, unlike brown.
However, unlike black, camel doesn’t really look great with MORE camel. I love to wear black with more black, but if you apply that logic to camel you may end up looking like, well, a camel.
One thing I do love about this color is that it’s classic and mature. It looks expensive (even when it’s not) and it can be dressed up or down.
Camel Couture
In this collage: Camel belted dress, Rick Owens Shearling biker jacket, America shoe boots camel, GLITZ Camel Suede Bow Point Court Shoes, Chanel Handbag, Alvina Abramova Beige Crystal-Drop Reese Earrings, BCBG Fringe-collar necklace, Cord And Chain Wrap Bangles, Classic Camel Check Umbrella, Camel Suede Bow Gloves, Oasis Workwear Pale Camel Shoe Print Silk Square Scarf
I actually just purchased some camel colored BCBG pumps from Marshall’s the other day. I’ve worn them practically every day since I bought them because they go with most everything. I especially like to pair them with black skinny jeans. Unfortunately, one of the few things that camel doesn’t go very well with (other than more camel) is snow, which is what’s outside today!
Sunglasses for small faces
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The right sunglasses add a stylish flair to an unmade-up face or a causal outfit. But I have such a small and narrow face that I never seemed to be able to pull them off. I’ve always been envious of the girls who can throw on a pair of oversized sunglasses and suddenly look like movie stars avoiding the paparazzi. When I try that, I always look like a kid playing dress up.
Enter: Size SMALL Ray Bans. I’m obsessed! Not only do they come in the classic aviator style that I love, but they fit my narrow face! Unfortunately, most stores don’t carry Ray Bans in size small. But online they’re easy to find and you can get the best deals. I own two pairs:
♥ Ray Ban model RB3025 (Small) Large Metal with a powder green frame
♥ Ray Ban model 3044 Aviator Small Metal with a gold frame
Laser Hair Removal Diary: Treatment #1
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Welcome to my second diary entry about laser hair removal! If you haven’t read about my consultation and learned the basics about laser hair removal, check out my first diary entry: Laser Hair Removal Diary: Consultation.
As most of you know, I’ve been keeping this blog pretty regularly for over a year. I talk about beauty products, treatments, fashion, and really whatever else pops into my head. And overall, I’ve made the decision to disclose some fairly personal information here. Posts such as these laser hair removal diaries are not for the faint of heart. Anyone who has known me in the past and feels weird about hearing me talk about my bikini area should probably stop reading now.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
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Background: A few months ago, I took advantage of one of the LivingSocial deals you probably saw me tweet about and purchased six laser hair removal treatments for one area for $79 from Body Sculpt MD in northeast Portland. The deal seemed too good to pass up, considering single treatments are usually hundreds of dollars.
I don’t know how much you know about laser hair removal (I knew almost nothing before this), but to my dismay, hairless-ness is NOT guaranteed. The best candidates for laser hair removal are people with light skin and dark hair. And they recommend having at least six treatments in order to yield maximum results. You’re also supposed to wait eight weeks in between treatments, so the whole thing takes about a year.
Anyway, I decided to just go for it and the area I choose to have my treatments done on is my Brazilian area.
Because these diary posts will have months in between them, you can search for all of them in the Tags on the right side of my blog. Look for “Laser Hair Removal Diary.”
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What to expect after your first laser hair removal treatment: I’ll start this out by telling you what my doctor told me I could expect from my first laser hair removal treatment. She said that after this first treatment, I could expect about 20% less hair. After six treatments, I could expect about 80% less hair. But 100% hairlessness is not guaranteed after any number of laser treatments.
I’m not a particularly hairy person, so I figured I could live with these results.
Apparently, there are three hair cycles (or did she say four??) total. The laser sessions target the hair cycles individually, which is why they need to be so spread out. She told me that I wouldn’t see any difference in the hair growth until two weeks after this first treatment. But after two weeks, the laser will have worked it’s magic on this hair cycle and hair will start to, um, fall out. Or I can pull it out. Grossed out yet?
So, that’s what she said to expect after this treatment. Now on to the treatment…
My experience: Thirty minutes before my appointment, I took an Ibuprofen and applied numbing cream, like Doctor Sarah had advised.
I walk in to the doctor’s office to see an irritated woman who was, unfortunately, 15 minutes late to her appointment. The receptionist is not letting her go in to see the doctor so the frustrated woman storms out of the office.
I then come to the realization that the office has scheduled these 30-minute appointments back-to-back with no time in between. After the woman leaves, the receptionist explains to me that 1600 people bought the Living Social package that I purchased, and the doctors are booked solid. She suggests I don’t hesitate to schedule all 6 of my appointments up front. I take her advice and book appointments through September.
Right when the clock strikes 5 pm, Doctor Sarah is ready for me. Sarah can tell that I’m nervous so she tells me to relax and hands me a “skirt” and sunglasses to put on. I lay down on the table and she gets to work.
I’d like to say up front, thank gosh for numbing cream! I don’t think I could have gone through with this without it.
All in all, I actually thought the laser was less painful than getting a Brazilian wax. But then again, I’ve always had allergic reactions to waxing, so maybe I’m not the right person to be making that comparison. The nice thing about laser is that although it hurts when you’re getting it done, the pain is over immediately after. I experienced zero soreness or discomfort leaving the doctor’s office, which was a relief.
Sarah starts with the “top area” of my Brazilian region, which she says is less painful than the lower area. She distracts me during the procedure by telling me about the trip she is taking with her boyfriend to Seattle, and about her new apartment. Although she’s a master of distraction, the laser still hurts.
She goes over the upper area twice and I’m squirming and swearing the entire time. By the time she’s ready to do my lower area, I’m considering telling her to leave it alone. If it was really going to be more painful than what I just experienced, I didn’t think I could take it. But luckily, the numbing cream really took in that area, and the laser wasn’t that bad.
I’m sure you’re all dying to know about the pain, so I’ll tell you. I’ve heard laser compared with a rubber band snapping on your skin, but I wouldn’t describe it like that. I think it felt more like little stabs of needles. It’s different than getting a tattoo because a tattoo is a constant stream of pain. This is more like stabs. It’s interesting. And it feels really different on different parts of your body.
So, I survived my first laser hair removal treatment! My next treatment isn’t until March 31at, but I’ll update you guys soon to let you know if I really did experience a 20% decrease in hair from this treatment.
Laser Hair Removal Diary: Consultation
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Background: A few months ago, I took advantage of one of the LivingSocial deals you probably saw me tweet about and purchased six laser hair removal treatments for one area for $70 from Body Sculpt MD in northeast Portland. The deal seemed too good to pass up, considering single treatments are usually hundreds of dollars.
I don’t know how much you know about laser hair removal (I knew almost nothing before this), but to my dismay, hairless-ness is NOT guaranteed. The best candidates for laser hair removal are people with light skin and dark hair. And they recommend having at least six treatments in order to yield maximum results. You’re also supposed to wait eight weeks in between treatments, so the whole thing takes about a year.
Anyway, I decided to just go for it and the area I choose to have my treatments done on is my Brazilian area.
This is the first post in my diary of my laser hair removal experience. Because these diary posts will have months in between them, you can search for all of them in the Tags on the right side of my blog. Look for “Laser Hair Removal Diary.”
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Today I went in for my consultation for laser hair removal at Body Sculpt MD. The purpose of this appointment was to: 1) Inform me about the laser hair removal process. 2) Make me aware of what I need to do to prepare for it. 3) Use the laser on a test area to find out how I react to it. 4) And for the doctor to get a feel for whether or not I’m a good candidate for this treatment.
What I didn’t consider before going to my consultation was that what I’m about to get is an actual medical treatment. I get to Body Sculpt MD and realize that I’m at a major hospital in Portland. After asking numerous people in the oh-so-confusing lobby where Body Sculpt MD is located, I get my answer: room 511. I go up to the fifth floor and when I look around and see all the “before” and “after” pictures filling the lobby that I’ve entered an actual plastic surgery office.
The woman at the front desk was polite and knew who I was right when I walked in the door (they were expecting me). I filled out some paperwork and was immediately admitted into my appointment by a nice (but very young-looking) doctor who was also named Sarah.
Sarah sat me down and asked me where I wanted to get hair removed. I said the Brazilian area. She told me that was a popular choice. She handed me a piece of paper titled Laser Hair Removal Patient Care Guide (see image).
It told me what I should expect pre and post treatment. Here are some highlights from the handout.
How to prepare for laser hair removal:
+Clean shave the area prior to coming in
+Don’t pluck or wax before
+No tanning two weeks prior to the treatment
+Feel free to take painkillers before treatment or use a topical numbing cream
I immediately asked Sarah if the treatment would hurt. She said, “I’m not going to lie to you, yes it hurts.” But then she explained to me that I’m a really good candidate for this procedure because I have light skin and dark hair. Apparently this is ideal because there is more contrast between my skin and hair, which makes it easier for the laser to detect the hair follicles. It’s possible to do laser hair removal on people with less contrast, but it’s not as effective and their risk of scarring is much higher.
After this conversation and a few more chats about the whole procedure, she had me pull down the top of my pants so she could do a test laser on a strip of my skin. She showed me the laser, which is about half the size of a penny, but shaped like a rectangle. I’d imagined something more needle like, so this was reassuring to see.
It’s difficult to describe the pain from the laser. I’ve gotten tattoos and body parts pierced, so I guess the feeling of the laser is fairly comparable to that pain. In other words, holy #@%& it hurts!
But… it’s bearable. Then again, at this point she has only done a tiny strip of my skin. When she gets down into my extremely private areas, I don’t know how excited I’ll be about this whole procedure. But only time will tell.
She recommended my buying a numbing cream called Plum Numb for $20 for tomorrow’s appointment, which I did with zero hesitation. (See image below)
Tomorrow is a big day for me – I’m taking half the day off from work to get my hair done and then to go back to Body Sculpt MD for my first official laser hair removal session. Wish me luck! I’ll keep you posted!
Staples and Statement Pieces: A Perfect Pairing
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A couple of weeks ago I talked about fashion staples and discussed three of my favorite things hanging in my closet right now: a leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and a gold watch. I told you how I’ve caught myself wearing each of them with everything else in my closet lately, which is a testament to their versatility!
Although these pieces are not necessarily common to own, they are classic and tasteful enough that they can be paired with other more eccentric pieces to make chic and unique outfits. My philosophy is that staples such as these are worth spending a little extra money on, whereas I leave more trendy articles and accessories for less-expensive stores such as Forever 21 and H&M.
I thought it might be nice to do a short post today with a few examples of the staples I talked about paired with some statement clothes and accessories. So I created a few fashion collages for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
Hopefully this post answered some of your most pressing questions: What do you wear with a leather jacket? What looks good with black jeans? And how do you accessorize a gold watch?
Ta ta for now!
