Rye Flour as a Shampoo

So I have been no poo now for over 3 months, I love it. I seriously will not be going back to using shampoo and conditioned ever again. So up until now I have been a regular user of baking soda and either distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. While that was working for me, I felt like changing it up a bit and I have heard some amazing things about Rye Flour.

I picked it up in my local Holland and Barrett for £1.69 for 500g but you can get it cheaper elsewhere it was just easiest for me. So what do you do with this lovely stuff I hear you ask? It's really simple, you can use one of two methods.

Method 1
Take 3tbs of Rye flour and sieve with a very fine sieve or tea strainer to get most of the bits out (or you will be picking them out of your hair all day)
Add just enough warm water to make it a Shampoo consistency

Method 2
Put 3tbs into a sock and tie it off
Soak overnight in about half a cup of water, squeezing a few times in the morning to get all the good stuff out
(with this method you get a Shampoo like consistency, no lumps, but some people say it is less effective at cleaning without the bits in).

Currently I use method 1 but will be trying method 2 soon just for comparison. You just use the Rye flour shampoo as you would normal shampoo, and just make sure you scrub around the roots very well. It's not too important to use on ends as as you rinse it will run through to ends.

Now, some people like to follow with ACV/DWV for detangling and dry ends, but it is not necessary. Because Rye flour is totally pH balanced at 5, it makes it a perfect match for your hair. It also contains lots of amazing minerals and vitamins. I did use ACV on my lengths but only a very small amount to prevent dry ends.

So there we have it, a pH balanced all natural no poo alternative to shampoo. Here is a picture of my hair after washing with Rye flour. Bear in mind that I went 12 days without washing my hair at all before using it so it did an amazing job at removing all the oil and gross stuff out of my hair. The only draw back was combing out the bits that were left behind but it's livable.

So, yea, the picture. Happy no pooing folks. Have you used Rye flour? Let me know!

DivaCup Review!

So as any of my regular readers know by now, I am a monthly user of the Femmecup. The Femmecup menstrual cup served me pretty well for the last few months apart from when on my heaviest day. Many of you told me that you use the Divacup as it has a higher capacity, so I wrote to the guys over at www.divacup.com and requested a sample. They graciously accepted my offer to review it for them and so that brings us to today. First off, let me state, I was not paid for this review. I received a cup to trial and give my honest opinion on it for you, my readers, so let's get down to it.

As I am already a menstrual cup user I am already familiar with the different folds and techniques that come with being totally comfortable with your *ahem* inner lady workings. The cup itself is fairly similar to the Femmecup in the fact that it has a small stem and is roughly the same shape. It is bigger, and it has a firmer rim than the Femmecup. If you want to have a look at the Femmecup review I did a little while ago feel free to head over here to check that out.

Here is how the product looks in the packaging: 

And upon opening the box there is a pleasant surprise, a lovely little satin bag to keep it in and a small lapel badge to proudly wear stating what I already know, that I am a Diva!

The Divacup itself has a capacity of 30ml which is actually more than large enough, most women only lose 30-40ml throughout their whole monthly period! What makes the Divacup more convenient to use is that the company state it can be left in for up to 12 hours at a time, meaning you only have to change it once in the morning and once before bed. Gone are the days of having to change a tampon every few hours ladies.

Another great point to note is that it is recommended to change once a year, that means in total your yearly period allowance is around £21.99 a year! 

It is important when choosing a Divacup to choose the right size for you. If you are under 30 and have never had a baby then size 1 is the right one for you. If you are either over 30 or under 30 and have given birth either vaginally or by c-section then choose cup 2.

So far I have only had the chance to use the cup for a day or so, but I can say that it is comfortable and you genuinely can forget it is there. With tampons I was always told you cannot feel them if they are in right, but I always could, so this is a great plus for me. My biggest love with using the Divacup is the fact that you can leave it in all day. This means no more struggling in the ladies room with changing a tampon or even nasty uncomfortable pads. Just pop it in in the morning before you leave the house and you should be fine until you get home in the evening and empty it. I will update this post once I have used it for a few cycles but so far so good.

If you are thinking about using a menstrual cup and you feel that the Divacup is right for you then check out Divacup's handy Storefinder to find out where you can buy near you, or if you prefer, check out their E-tailer page for buying online.

Also, like them on Facebook and Twitter for more reviews by users and handy advice.

If you have any questions regarding this blog please feel free to comment below. Have you used the Divacup? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

*UPDATE* after using the divacup this cycle I can view confirm, I don't think it's for me. The cup itself is one of the long-standing in the market and it may just be too long for me. The end (trimmed off) sits very low, almost at the entrance which I find quite maddening when I am out of the house as it feels like it's falling out. I turned it inside out to shorten it, which  has helped slightly though. I also find it is much harder to get it to pop open inside, this is challenging xompaews to my softer femmecup. If anyone can recommend a high capacity, shorter cup please let me know. I have heard good things about the mooncup. 

62 days no poo

So it's been 62 days since I gave up shampoo and conditioner for good so I thought it was time for an update. Since going no poo I have tried egg, coffee, Apple cider vinegar, baking soda, soapnuts, distilled white vinegar and tea as shampoos and rinses. Quick run through.

• Egg was beautiful at getting rid of the oil. My hair looked gorgeous the day I washed it but the next day it was absolutely soaked with grease. Not good. 
• Coffee was used as a WO rinse. It was messy and my hair smelled like coffee for about a week. No visible difference between this and water only. 
• Apple cider vinegar is a popular one to be used as a rinse after a wash. I liked it, the smell didn't bother me but my hair was still getting greasy around day 3 so tried DWV instead. 
• Baking soda is a wash. It's great at cleaning hair and is my main wash method that works for me. I wash every 10 days with this. 
• Soapnuts is a wash. It's used as a liquid but for me I found it too good at cleaning. It stripped every last bit of moisture out of my hair and left it brittle and dry. 
• Distilled white vinegar is a rinse alternative to Apple cider vinegar. I use this alongside baking  soda and it doesn't leave my hair greasy. I also use with a water rinse in between washes. 
• Tea is used as an acid rinse but again, no difference between this and water for me. 

So here I am now using BS as a shampoo and DWV as a conditioner around every 10 days and occasionally doing an acid rinse a few times in between. I can honestly say my hair is shinier, healthier and certainly thicker and stronger. If you are reading this considering no poo I suggest you jump in and try it. The worse thing to happen is toy can't stick it out through transition so you go back to poo but for me transition wasn't too bad. Oh yes, here's a picture of my hair today after washing.

The one thing I wasn't expecting was how my hair would actually change the way it feels. It no longer feels soft and smooth but feels kind of thicker and rougher. Not tangly or itchy but just different. It's really hard to describe. The individual hairs actually seem thicker now than they were before.

Have you ever gone no poo? Are you considering it? Any questions? Let me know in comments :)

Moa The Green Balm

Sorry it's been a while folks I have been a little busy as of late, we have two new members to our little family... guinea pigs! So now it's Me, Mr Grumpy and Mini plus Pansie and Drum the Piggies and Walter and Jesse the Goldfish. So it's no wonder my eczema has been acting up...

I only really suffer with one skin problem, and only ever when I am stressed. So it suits me well that I have managed to get my hands on this little beauty. The Green Balm. Head over here to find out where to buy this beauty and for all of its uses. 

This is what it looks like

and it retails at around £15 for the size I have which is 50ml. 

Now the first thing I will say is that I used it on my inner elbow fold for eczema. Before using it my skin was dry and cracked but at the same time it was moist and unpleasant. Oh god it hurt. I could hardly move my arm because of the pain. Unfortunately I do not have a before picture because I was in too much pain to worry about taking it. Immedi after using it my skin felt soothed, it didn't hurt as bad and around an hour later it stopped hurting all together. It was no longer sticky and gross but just smooth and had a nice protective barrier over it. 

Here is the picture just so you can see how bad it is, the redness has really gone down substantially and the soreness has disappeared. 

Sorry guys I know it's not pretty but there you have it. I will keep you updated as to how it heals but so far so good. 

Have you tried the green balm? Let me know! 

*Update* 3 days later and it's totally gone. This stuff is amazing. I'm going to use it for everything. EVERYTHING

Soap nuts on hair Results

As promised here is my review of the soap nut liquid on my hair. You all saw the picture of my hair yesterday it was fairly gross after 12 days of not washing it and a month of no poo.

So what you do is take the soapnut liquid in the shower with you in a plastic bottle or container. Please don't use glass in the shower guys, safety first. Then just use in place of normal shampoo. Really work it into the roots and lengths and you will get a lovely squeaky clean feeling. I also followed up with a quick spritz Of ACV as I have heard soap nuts can make hair tangly. The acv did it's job so there were no tangles.

I then blow dried and straightened my hair. This is a must for me as I am currently only washing my hair every 10-13 days.

Here is the results

Grease be gone! It is so clean it's actually a little too clean tbh and feels slightly dry but I know my sebum will sort that out in a day or two. To those of you with dry hair you would probably need to use an oil such a coconut oil just for moisture as it really sucks the moisture right out.

I am very pleased with the results! What do you think? Have you tried soapnuts? Tell me about your SN experience in the comments.

Home Made Deodorant (that REALLY works!)

Before going no poo I was pretty much a chemical war zone. I estimate I probably used well over 200 chemicals a day on my body and hair including but not limited to:

• shampoo
• conditioner
• face wash
• body wash
• toothpaste
• deodorant (applied twice a day at least)
• face creams
• nail polish
• face masks
• perfumes

God, that list is disgusting. Ever single day I used almost ALL of those products. Come on!

So, since going no poo I have been awakened to the uses of chemicals (good and bad) in the products we use every single day. The word CHEMICAL is overused in the crunchy society as being anything bad so excuse me if I over use it... by chemical we pretty much mean sulfates and parabens and other carcinogens. Pretty much all the nasty stuff you really want to keep away from your body.

In our house we now use soap-nuts on our hair, soap-nuts for laundry, home made MP soap and natural deodorant. On top of that I now no longer use 80% of the products listed above. I do still use toothpaste and perfume but I am looking in to a healthy homemade alternative to that. (I have heard oil pulling is great alongside natural toothpaste so if any of my readers have tried please let me know in the comments.)

So anyway, bla bla bla. On to the deodorant...

I was extremely fortunate to already have all the ingredients for this and I'm sure 99% of people will also as it is so basic but it really really does work. I used to apply deodorant twice a day at minimum and it had to be antiperspirant. This IS NOT an antiperspirant, it doesn't stop you from sweating, what is does do however is make your sweat smell nice. I have had zero B.O since using this. Yes I have had people check... (thanks Pete and Mum...) I also only have to apply this once a day after a shower. It's amazing.

So... the recipe.

• 1/4 cup cornflour (cornstarch) or arrow root powder
• 1/4 cup baking soda (bicarb) 
• 5 TBS of coconut oil
• 4-6 drops of essential oils (I use rose)

Here is how it looks:

And that is literally it, nothing else. There are other little bits you can add to make it more tailored to you, for instance Zinc stops you from sweating so you could add a bit of Zinc powder or something but I really don't need to. Also, aloe gel is antibacterial, that might work... just experiment.

The first thing I noticed when first making it is how easy it is, you just add all the ingredients together and stir until combined. It will quickly turn thick and lovely and it will feel exactly like a cream stick deodorant. 

At this point you can either fill an empty stick applicator or put into a little pot or jar. I usually put in the fridge for an hour to harden up a bit more and then I just take it out and leave it on my dresser.

Not sure about the shelf life but I cant imagine it would go off as none of the ingredients have a short shelf life. I would maybe throw out if not been used in 6 months or so but I reckon it would be well used up by then.

Happy making guys and if you try and love/hate let me know!

*UPDATE*

My Mum used mine and then immediately asked me to make her some which she is now using in place of shop bought deodorants. We have a convert!

The great Unwashed - 11 days

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted, I have been busy making my own soap, my own deodorant, cooking up batches of soapnuts and generally being a stay at home mum and human being. That being said I certainly feel more human... One month no poo!

It's been 11 days now since I last washed my hair. The last time I washed it I used BS AND ACV but tomorrow I will be using soapnut liquid so expect an update on that.

If I wasn't leaving the house tomorrow I wouldn't even bother washing it but mini me has his post op checkup and I would like to look clean as his surgeon is a bit yummy... Oops ;)

So yeah, here's the picture. 11 days Unwashed but a WO rinse yesterday. Looks  and feels OK just slightly clumpy and wet look but while up it looks totally normal.

Soapnuts

Upon my no poo journey I keep hearing one word crop up: soapnuts. So after a bit of Googling and talking to the lovely ladies on the no poo/low poo Facebook Group I decided to give them a go. Here is a little bit about them:

Soap nuts are a completely natural fruit that grows in India, they aren't really edible so the locals dry them out and use them for cleaning. Because they contain saponin, a sort of natural soap, they make a great great cleanser. They can be used for :

• Washing clothes
• Washing hair
• Dish washing 
• Washing body 
• Bubble bath 
• Nappy cleaner for reusable 
• Baby bath
• Household cleaner 
• Hand wash

And much more, they really are fabulous.
So here is what they look like:

 They are slightly sticky to touch which apparently is the saponin. Now, you can use these on their own as they are in a muslin wash bag. You need about 6 for a load and all you do is put them in the drum with your washing and away they go. If it's a cold wash though you do need to soak them first. The best thing? You can reuse a bag of soapnuts around 5 washes, or until they look pale. Once they look pale you can then make them into a liquid (how to underneath) and use to water plants/wash car. Then, when you are done, compost them or distribute the shells into your plants.

Here's the best bit, you can make these bad boys into a liquid to use all around the home, you can do freeze it into ice cubes trays and use in the washing machine too (use 2 per load into the drum) or you can store in an airtight container in fridge for about a week.

You use about 2 nuts per 1 cup water and all to you do is boil for around 30mins or until it's a nice amber colour. Some people suggest to boil until they are almost white to get the most saponin but be super careful because it boils up quickly and will froth over if not watched. Here is how it looks boiling:

Out of 6 shells I managed 48 ice cubes, a full jam jar plus 200ml left over for cleaning with. I am truly amazed at the power of these little nuts of joy. Have you tried soap nuts? What do you think? 

Black tea hair rinse

So it's been 7 days since I last washed my hair (arghhhhhhhhh) I did a quick water only rinse out 2 days ago not because my hair felt gross but because of the high humidity I just needed to feel fresher. I want to go until hopefully Friday without doing a wash as I'm not really leaving the house much until then (reclusive or what) but today, like Monday, I really needed to feel water on my head. It's so hot!  

So I did a bit of googling and found that whole water only is great it's always good to follow with an acid rinse.

Let me explain, the definition of WASH when going no poo is using something that will cleanse your scalp and break down dirt. Something like Basking soda or rye flour or egg. An acid rinse acts as the conditioner so it's fine to use this early everyday if you wish to.

Back to today. Black tea, which is normal tea you drink brewed with without milk or sugar and left to steep for a while in the water is a great acid rinse to use as the caffeine can stimulate hair growth and also it can help to cover greys by staining them. I wouldn't recommend using black tea if you are blonde but there are other types of tea you can use such as peppermint.

So as with a normal wash you scrub your scalp with the hottest water you can stand then add the tea, I use a small spray bottle to spray on lengths and then just rub a small amount in to roots to freshen up.

Unfortunately, it isn't a cleansing wash so it isn't going to get rid of the sebum but it does help you go a few extra days without washing by making you feel fresher and it'd given me much more volume. I have had to kiss goodbye to a partening for the next few days though but I'm still wearing my hair down!

What do you use to wash or rinse your hair with? Let me know in comments! 

Femmecup

First of all I would like to apologise to any family/friends/men or squeamish people reading this... This is your warning. Leave now if you do not want to read about my use of a menstrual product that collects bloods/fluids from my body...

All gone? Good. Lets continue...

These products are becoming increasingly popular with people who are sick of filling up landfills with tampons and pads full of their own fluids every single months and also people like me who hate using pads but have no choice because I find tampons so damn uncomfortable that my body just general rejects them...

I do alot of researching different products and reading reviews of products before purchasing and this product crept up a few times, I have been pretty intrigued by the prospect of something that can stay in your body for 12 hours at a time thus eliminating the need to change in a public restroom or leaking through onto your clothing.

Here is what it looks like, the femmecup. It retails as one of the cheapest reusable cups available at around £13 and will last for up to 10 years! Think of the money saved in those years by not having to buy disposable products!

Ok so here are my pro's:

Reusable (think of the environment, man)

Putting it in and forgetting about it for a minimum of 6 hours and maximum of 12 hours 

Can be used overnight

Has little measuring lines so you really get to know how much blood you lose a month

Are known to shorten cycles because the blood is less likely to clot inside your body

No odor as blood only smells once oxygenated

Con's:

The stem is shorter than most so makes it very difficult to grab and reach easily

You really do get to come to... ahem... know your body... and your cycle

I feel like I should put a small disclaimer here, the first time I used the product it felt fine, could hardly feel it in there. It sits much lower than a tampon so it is easier to insert and know its in the right place. However, and this is a big however, the first few times it is very challenging to get out. I'm talking one leg up on the bath with the other bent, bearing down and having flash backs of labouring my child before hearing an audible pop followed by giving birth to a slightly blood filled silicone cup...

After a few attempts its *APPARENTLY* easy to remove. I do have very short fingers and there was a moment of panic where I felt like packing my bags, leaving the country and starting afresh...

Would highly recommend though ;)

What are your experiences with the reusable cup of uterus fluid? Let me know in the comments!

*UPDATE* I have now inserted the cup 4 times over the day (not because I needed to but because I'm sort of fascinated...) and removed it 3 times. With each Insertion and removal it gets easier. I can now insert in a matter of a minute or so, and can remove in a few minutes. Something else to note is the strange feeling you get when the cup pops open once in position. Not painful or uncomfortable just strange. Like a small air punch to the cervix. I am NEVER going back to pads or tampons. Period. :P

Enjoy ;) 

12 days no poo

Well not too much go report along the hair front today, I washed my hair with bs and acv 5 days ago and today got a bit annoyed with the heat so gave it a quick refresh with hot water only wash and it seems to have done the job. It's still slightly greasy around front but nothing a bit of cornflour or an updo won't fix. I don't plan on washing my hair until maybe Friday with bs and acv so hoping this little refresh has helped.

Still going strong no poo and will be sending some product reviews your way soon!

Day 3 Hair

So it's been 3 days now, Wednesday I washed my hair with bs and acv and wore it down, Thursday I wore it down and did absolutely nothing with it not even brushed and today, well today it's still down and still looking great! All I have done is brushed and tipped fingertips into cornflour and rubbed into roots as a natural dry shampoo and it's worked wonders. Here's the pic :

Now before you think ugh that looks greasy, it really isn't! My hair is so incredibly shiny from roots to tips it looks amazing even my grumpy manly partner has noticed how awesome it looks.

9 days no poo and never looking back!

Second day hair

OK so I washed my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar yesterday. It's been 8 days since I last used shampoo on my hair and I'm sorry to say it my hair looks fucking fabulous.

I washed with an egg 3 days ago and then yesterday used the bs and acv. Normally on day 2 it would be a dry shampoo day to wear my hair down or a bun, but I am proudly wearing my hair down and no product. I am hoping to go a week without washing at this point already! My plan is to wear hair down today, headband Curls tomorrow with a bit of dry shampoo in the form of cocoa powder rubbed into roots tomorrow, and then up in a bun the rest of it.

Now, how does it feel so wash your hair in bs and acv? Well, different. The bs doesn't lather so that's something you have to get used to, also, it feels kind of slippery on your head. You have to put this mixture mainly on the roots and I found it easy to do by using a small bottle and just pouring it on and rubbing it in, really massaging scalp at the same time.

The ACV is quite different too. It's the conditioner part of the routine and it stinks! I literally felt like a salad when I was in the shower. I applied it with a small spray bottle and just sprayed around the lengths. You have to try and not get it on the roots but it's OK if you do apparently it just makes it a bit greasy or heavy. I had no problems.

My hair, as I said, feels incredible, looks incredible and I am feeling very very optimistic. I don't think I will be going back. Anyway, picture. This is the morning of waking up!

Happy no pooing :)

Egg Wash for No Poo Hair

Oh. My. God. I cannot recommend this enough. 

Bit of background: up until yesterday I was washing my hair once a week with a paraben free shampoo. Yesterday I decided after 4 days without washing to just jump in and go WO washing. Water. Only. Washing. Wow.

So my hair felt disgusting right away. After washing with hot water and scrubbing I blow dried and straightened my hair and it just felt like candle wax. I couldn't even cope. Today, after brushing with my boar bristle brush it literally felt wet and my fingers felt that same greasiness after you play with a candle (oo err).

So, I did a bit of googling and with some help from the ladies on the no poo low poo forum I decided to go for an egg wash.

Here's what you do: you mix one egg with a bit of water and then apply to wet hair in shower. Really try and get to the roots and scrub scrub scrub. Leave for any thing between 5 minutes and 20 minutes then rinse. I must stress use COLD WATER. If you use hot water the egg will COOK IN YOUR HAIR.

Unfortunately I don't have a before picture but it was literally like candle wax, literally. My mum came around and said my hair looked wet. It wasn't wet. Yuck. The after picture shows my hair is nice and clean! It feels ALMOST like I used shampoo! Some of the hair underneath does still feel a bit waxy and heavier but I think I should have used more eggs as some people say they use 3 eggs. 

No it doesn't smell like eggs, or anything actually just like hair. I'm so happy with this and think I will be able to go a few more days without doing anything to it. Sigh of relief.

What is your story? Let me know in the comments.

Oh yes, and the picture 

Balm Balm Detox Bath Oil

*Makes uncomfortable noises of pleasure* this is AMAZING. I am running off to buy a big bottle after receiving this product to review in a 5ml bottle. They retail at around £24.99 for 7 sample bottles oil and one bottle will last 2 baths... I know. But they are so worth it!

Since moving into our own place nearly a year ago I am extremely partial to having a relaxing bath when my toddler goes to bed and this stuff beats the rest. You hear that Mr Grump? This is what I want for Christmas!

You pour into the bath, and then slip in and relax into the warm oily goodness. It literally coats and clings to your skin, making it unnecessary to use any creams or lotions after.

It really does feel like I have just applied oil to my skin.

Seriously, go buy some! I am!

No poo Water Only

I caved in today!  After 4 days of no washing and humidity I couldn't go on, my hair genuinely looked wet and gross.  Now I didn't want to set myself back by washing so early on with shampoo so I thought, fuck it. Why not just jump in, and go WO!

WO is a method used by some extreme no pooers where instead of using BS and acv you use just water. JUST. WATER.

Here are the results, as you see from the photos close up it does look slightly greasy. It certainly feels greasy and much heavier than my hair normally feels. It is however much shinier (duh) and more manageable. It took less than 10 minutes to blow dry and quickly whizz with the straighteners. I have also added a front facing picture, what do you think?

What is your story? Let me know in the Comments :)

4 days without washing

OK so it's now been 4 days since I washed my hair, let me clarify. I have showered, just wore a shower cap and kept my hair up in a top knot while sleeping. On the day I washed my hair (Day 1) I blowdried and straightened. Day 2 I went swimming, day 3 I went to my mums and pretty much did nothing and day 4 I have been baking. The weather here is horrible and humid at the moment and averaging around 20 degrees so it's not ideal weather to not be washing hair... But nevertheless I am a stubborn one.
So... What you are waiting for... Pictures.

So while my hair is down it does look greasy and feels not too good, this is without dry shampoo however. I think with a bit of dry shampoo and a bit of sorting out in terms of styling it would be go-out-able. R

While up though it looks fine and feels fine. Again, no dry shampoo or any product.

So I am hoping to go another 2 days without washing my hair. This is the 4th week of trying this and it's definitely improving. With the help of the boar bristle brush, dry shampoo which I will probably use tomorrow and lots of willpower!

What is your no wash story? Comment below!

So...Sinful Perfume

£5.99 a bottle?!? This is by far one of my favourite perfumes of the moment. It has such a nice floral scent but also very sweet. I would say it was a youngish scent but hope I can pull it off at the spritely age of 24. Here is how it looks:

The packaging is fairly simple and the bottle is pretty standard but I urge you if you like youngish floral sweet smells to give it a go. It reminds me of something...

Do you like this perfume or have you tried and not liked? Comment below :)

Melvita Milky Cleansing Oil

Retailing at around £20 a full size bottle this product is fairly high end on the cleanser scale. Here is how the sample looks:

 I received it to review today and I can certainly see why the price tag is heavy. It's a really nice oil which comes out nice and slowly, you only need a few drops of it. You dab on face and rub in similar to a moisturiser and then use warm water to work it into a "milky texture" and then rinse away.

I have to say, I really really like this product and if it wasn't for the heavier price label I would definitely buy a bottle of this to use as my everyday cleanser. It smells unusual which when using nest on my face I wasn't too keen on but after rinsing it definitely smelled better.  It feels so silky and luxurious and once rinsed off my skin looked instantly more even and glowing. Big thumbs up from me but I personally wouldn't spend £20 on it, although I do think it's worth it, it's slightly above my comfort zone. Although maybe I could justify it to Mr Grump... "but honey, it matches my..."

Magnifibres Brush on False lashes

OK so I received this product to review and I am pretty big on mascara. Unfortunately I have not been blessed in the lash department and after believing a stupid myth when I was a child about CUTTING your lashes to make them grow (this does not work BTW!!!!) I now am always on the lookout for wonder products. Here are my lashes before using the product and after. I used a random Mascara to go with it and here are the results. 

This product retails around £16 and personally I do think it is worth it.

Basically what you do is put one layer of said random Mascara on, then immediately apply Magnifibres, leave to dry for a little while and then use more Mascara. I am moderately pleased with the results and used with a better Mascara I think will heed better results.

Have you used this product? What did you think? Comment below and let me know.

Sibel Boar Bristle Brush

As promised, I bought a boar bristle brush to help me along with my hair journey (and eventual transition into WO.) SO, it arrived today and I couldn't resist, being that my hair is now on day 3, to see if it really does help distribute sebum through to the hair and off the scalp.

Now it's important to remember that these brushes are soft and are not intended to detangle hair, they are purely there to give hair a sleek, shiny appearance and to help sebum distribution. It is equally important that you wash your BBB frequently, ideally after each use.

So, after detangling my hair with my tangle teezer it was on to the BBB. I won't lie to you, I really didn't like it. It was difficult at first to get through my hair and into the scalp and my hair really isn't that thick. After a few brushes I found a knack to it. You must pick your hair up in sections and brush through, the brush goes through lovely and really feels nice on scalp. It did a wonderful job of smoothing out my frizzy ends and my hair generally felt softer after.

So the result: it made my hair softer, sleaker, far easier to put up in a bun without the use of products to stop fly aways, and actually did distribute sebum down the shaft. Normally when hair is greasy it sort of sticks to the scalp at the top then loosens up down hair, this made my hair sleek all the way down to about my ears and then relax. I feel after a few days of brushing like this, my hair will be less oily and definitely sleaker and softer.

Try one out for yourself I purchased mine from Amazon for about £7

The picture added is after brushing with the BBB unfortunately you can see a little flakiness which is the dreaded transitional period mentioned in previous posts. Happy no washing!

Do you have an oily hair story to tell? Let me know in the comments!

No Poo, Do You?

I have recently been in awe of the ladies out there who call themselves No Poo'ers. Have you heard of them? It is a trend that is gaining many followers out there where it is simple, you no longer wash your hair. By no longer wash it means you don't use Shampoo (hence, no poo) or any harmful chemicals on your hair and the results are all seemingly spectacular! Many of the followers opt for a Baking Soda mixture on their hair as the shampoo and use an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse which acts as the conditioner. I am trying to pluck up the courage myself to use a more extreme version of this trend called WO, which is simply Water Only washing. Just as it says on the tin (or lack of) you just rinse your hair with water. Why on earth would someone do this, I hear you ask. Well it's simple. The chemicals in the Shampoos and Conditioners most of us use everyday are crazy harmful to your hair and skin and the lack of rules and regulations in the cosmetic industry make it extremely easy for these companies to get away with it, not to mention those who use animals for testing.

Now here is the difficult part of the movement: Transitioning. Because your hair and scalp are so used to you using these harsh chemicals to strip away the oils, they go into a crazy supply and demand cycle. You wash away, they replace with more. So not only do you have greasy hair all over again the next day but its just going to be replaced the next time you wash it out! So, transitioning can take anything from a few weeks, to a few months of greasy and dull hair, which can also accompany a flaky scalp while the scalp tries to unclog the sebum producing glands in the first place.

I am really dying to jump in, and seeings as I wash my hair only once a week these days I am hoping for a quick transitioning period. So what I want to know is, what is your experience with No Poo? Have you tried it? Would you try it? Comments below folks!

My Quest To Healthier Hair

Ok folks so my hair has finally had enough. I guess the years of ironing (yes, ironing, with an actual IRON) straightening, dying, perming, bleaching etc on my hair have finally given up the ghost. Not only is my hair now dry and brittle but its prone to tangling... and hair loss. Lets not forget the hair loss. So that is why I pledged around 3 weeks ago to find healthier aleternatives in hair management. Since then I have officially stopped washing my hair everyday and have managed at this point to wash it ONCE A WEEK. Yuck, ew, gross, I hear you. But my hair really does feel clean(ish) and at the end of the 6 day stint between washing you would swear it was second day hair.The only product I use on it in between is Batiste dry shampoo, if you haven't yet discovered this product you really need to because it is a God send.

 My hair since making the pledge is far healthier (and this is week 3) and much more manageable. Not to mention that the oiliness of my hair has definately depleted over the weeks and now doesn't feel greasy until day 3 (in the beginning it was day 2.)

So, I hear you ask, what is my new routine? Simple.

I now wash my hair once a week, around the 6-7 day mark with shampoo and conditioner, then I blowdry and straighten as normal (it really helps to get your hair looking the best it possibly can on day 1 as the better it starts out the easier it is to not wash) and thats it. At night I brush my hair up into a very high twisted top knot and then in the morning brush again. As my hair starts to get greasy I use a technique called Scritching and Preening favoured by those No Poo'ers we are all quite jealous of (post about that to follow) where you gently scratch and rub your scalp to loosen any clogged pore etc then you gently pull the oils down your hair shaft with your fingers. This helps your hair not look as greasy as it normally would and is an amazing natural conditioner. Another method favoured by the No Poo community is using a Boar Bristle Brush, mine is on order so I will review that when it comes. This type of brush helps to brush dirt away from the scalps and also distribute Sebum (the natural oil) straight down the hair shaft with ease leaving hair feeling healthier and less greasy.

I will keep my journey up to do with you guys but yes, its as easy as that. It starts off hard but get through it and you will be so much happier, as a stay at home Mum I am so greatful for not having to wash my hair every day!