A blast from the past: last February on BWB
Hello ladies,
fancy a trip down memory lane to see what we were talking about this time last year? Yes? Good. Let’s get started then and enjoy!
7 ways to wash your hair: did you know that, apart from using regular or dry shampoos, there are other ways to wash your hair? Find out what they are, as well as their pros and cons.
Dark circles: causes and cures: dark circles are ugly-looking areas of pigmentation under your eyes. Find out what causes them and what you can do to remove or hide them.
Interview with Toma from Makeup Masala: last February I’ve had the pleasure to interview Toma from Makeup Masala about her blog, online shop and beauty habits. Click on the link to find out more about this sweet lady.
The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Foundation SPF 25: a pure mineral makeup foundation that provides light to medium coverage with a natural and long-lasting finish.
22 beautiful uses for vaseline: vaseline is one of my beauty staples. This inexpensive product is very versatile: it moisturizes skin, removes makeup and it can even be used to make your own cream blush.
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How to remove black hair dye
Are you tired of your natural hair color and thinking of dying it black? Or maybe you already did it and now hate the result? Black is a beautiful and dramatic color, but dying your hair black at home, especially if your natural shade is much lighter, is not a very good idea. Black hair dye is so saturated that it penetrates deeper into the hair shaft and, because of that, it so much harder to remove.
That’s why, before dying your hair black, you should always consult your stylist and if you can, have it done professionally. If the damage is already done, however, the best thing to do is to wait for your hair to grown out again and then cut it off.
But if that’s not an option for you and you already hate your new hair so much you can’t stand it a minute longer, you can try it and remove the dye, but the process can be long, frustrating and damaging to your hair. Again, your best bet is to go to your salon and let your stylist take care of it, but if your hair is newly dyed, you could try and fix it at home too. Here’s how:
Chemical Color Removers
Chemical Color Removers are special products that remove color from hair without bleaching it. Instead, they shrink the oxidative color molecules present in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes so that they can be washed out of your hair. Although you can find some of these products at the drugstore, it’s a lot safer to have it done by a professional.
Bleaching
Do not try and bleach your hair at home, especially if you have never done it before. Bleaching can remove black dye, but the process is so harsh, you can end up damaging your hair even more. Bleaching peels away the outer layer of your hair, making it weak and fragile which can lead to thinning and breakage. Not only that, but bleaching can lighten up your hair unevenly, so that you can end up with your strands being of several different hues! Again, if you need to have your hair bleached, always go to the salon and have it done professionally.
Shampoo
The safest, less harming thing you can do at home to remove black hair dye is wash your hair with dandruff or clarifying shampoos. These are harsher than regular shampoos and will strip some color off your hair with every wash. But this method doesn’t work straight away: it may take days or even weeks before all the dye is completely removed from your hair.
How long it will take depends on the type of dye you used (permanent takes the longest to fade), how many times a day/week you wash your hair and how soon you started shampooing after the dye was applied. If you just dyed your hair and decided you don’t like it, you have better chances of removing a lot of the color straight away, which won’t happen if you wait a couple of days.
Keep in mind though that washing your hair often with such harsh shampoos will also strip natural oil from your hair, making your hair dry and brittle. It is very important to always apply conditioner afterwards to avoid that from happening and make sure your hair will remain in good condition.
Have you ever dyed your hair black and regretted it? What did you do about it?
Source: size8jeans
3 Tricks to Hide Roots
When I was in high school, I used to dye my hair blonde. I thought I was really cool back then, but now when I look back at the pictures I cringe. Blonde hair made me look so washed out! I wish I had realized that at the time, but back then the only problem I had with my hair was the outgrown roots.
Being a student meant that I couldn’t afford to dye my hair as often as I needed to so I had to resort to other tricks to hide my natural hair color growing back again. These same tricks can also be used by people who are battling with gray hair and want to cover it up. Here’s what you can do:
1. Use mascara
Hair mascaras are useful, yet less known products, to touch up hair roots. They come in different shades and all you need to do is swipe the wand on your roots and wait till it dries. If you have brown or black hair, your regular brown or black mascara will do the trick too. Just be careful not to get your hair wet or the mascara will smudge and make you look a right mess!
2. Baby powder
If your hair is light-colored, applying some baby powder on the roots can help to disguise them. If you don’t have baby powder at home, dry shampoo will work just as well. In addition, these powders will also help absorb excess oil and are therefore great for days when you don’t have time to wash your hair.
3. Wear some hair accessories
If you don’t have time to retouch your roots with any products, you can always hide them with a stylish headband or scarf. There are many types available on the market in any color and design, so you’ll surely be able to find something that you’ll love. If you’re spending time outdoors, you can choose to wear a hat instead. The result will be the same: covered roots and a polished look.
How do you cover up your roots?
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Best Posts of 2009
Well, 2009 is almost over so, while we are getting ready to celebrate it tomorrow, I thought it’d be nice to take a moment to relax and have a look at some of the topics we talked about this year. Enjoy!
Cosmetic ingredients
How to read a cosmetics ingredient list: being able to read ingredient lists is important to make sure that we’re using well-formulated products without ingredients that could cause allergies or irritations to our skin. But how do we read them?
Vitamin C in skincare: this powerful antioxidant, available in different forms in skincare products can provide great benefits for the skin but has some downside too.
What ingredients are comedogenic?: some of the ingredients used in skincare and cosmetic products can clog pores and cause breakouts in some people. Click on the link to find out who the culprits are.
Why are preservatives used in cosmetics?: preservatives are a controversial topic in the beauty world. Some of them release formaldehyde, some have potential safety issues while others don’t work too well. Yet, they are necessary in beauty products.
Haircare
7 Ways To Wash Your Hair: did you know that there are several ways of washing your hair without using shampoo? Find out what they are, as well as their pros and cons.
How to Create Volume for Thin Hair: professional hairstylist Giles Lever shares some tips on how to create volume for fine and thin hair.
Interviews
Interview with Jami from Bionic Beauty: last April, I was thrilled and excited to have got the opportunity to interview Jamie, the brainy beauty behind Bionic Beauty, about blogging and beauty.
Interview with Toma from Makeup Masala: in February, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Toma from Makeup Masala about her beauty secrets and her own makeup shop, The Makeup Mix shop.
Makeup
Are you addicted to lip balm?: is it possible to be addicted to lip balm? If so, what causes it and is this addiction physical or psychological?
Why does my foundation turn orange on me?: we all have experienced foundation turning orange or just darker on our skin, but why does that happen? And how can we prevent it?
Product reviews
Chanel Exceptionnel De Chanel Mascara: this smudgeproof mascara provides volume, length and curl. If it weren’t for the high price and that it takes too long to apply, this would be my HG.
LipFusion XL Lip Plumper: does this expensive lip plumper really works or is just a hyped-up, gimmicky product? Read the review to find out.
Sleek I-Divine Original Eyeshadow Palette: you are all probably very bored to hear me rave about the Sleek palettes, but I can’t help it. Gorgeous, highly pigmented and longlasting shades at a cheap price. What more could a girl want?
Skincare
Are hypoallergenic products really safer?: more and more products are being labelled as hypoallergenic, but what does that mean? And are these products really gentle and less prone to cause negative reactions?
Effects Of Smoking On Skin: smoking doesn’t only cause cancer and heart diseases, but also premature aging, yellowish complexion and teeth and dry skin. The effects aren’t always reversible, so the sooner you quit, the better for your body.
How to care for dry skin: a brief explanation of what causes dry skin and some tips to treat it.
How to care for oily skin: a brief explanation of what causes oily skin and some tips to deal with it.
What does alcohol-free mean?: why do some products labelled as alcohol-free still contain some form of alcohol? And aren’t all alcohols bad for the skin?
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3 Tips to Survive a Bad Hair Day
We have all had bad hair days. We wake up in the morning, realise our hair is a complete mess and try our best to make it look good! But no matter what we do, nothing seems to work! And the worst thing is that it always seems to happen when we have an important work meeting or a date with someone we like. What can we do to look good on days like that? Here are a few tips:
1. Wear your hair up
If I’m having a bad hair day and no time to wash it, I usually wear my hair up. I like to throw it in a ponytail or a messy bun and sometimes, I jazz it up by wearing a headband or some other cute hair accessory. This way, no one will notice that my hair is having a bad day and people will simply think that messy but chic is the look I was going for.
2. Dry shampoo/baby powder
Another trick for when I don’t have time to wash my hair is to use a dry shampoo. These contain ingredients like cornstarch or talc that absorb excess oil. I just spray it on my hair, brush it and I’m good to go. My hair may still feel dirty but it’ll look good until I have time to wash it properly. If you don’t have dry shampoo, you can use baby powder. Just rub it on your hair and it will absorb oil while giving you some volume too.
3. Wear a hat
I’m not a hat person but when all else fails or I’m in such a rush that I don’t even have the time to style my hair in a ponytail, I’ll just grab a hat and run out the door. There are lots of different types of hats out there, in different colors and styles, so you’re sure to find a cute one that’ll look fantastic on you. And in the cold winter months, a hat won’t only cover a bad hair day, but will keep your head warm too.
What do you do when you’re having a bad hair day?