Friday, November 28, 2014

The Secret to Being Hot at Any Age by PETA's Hottest Vegan (In Her 70s)

This is Mimi Kirk. She is in her 70s, and looks absolutely beautiful. She shares some of her secrets in these interviews.

 
 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Mason Pearson: Mixed Feelings About the Best Brush in the World

My Experience with a Mason Pearson Brush

I finally caved in and purchased the best brush in the world, the Mason Pearson brush. I purchased the Sensitive Boar Bristle brush (according to the seller, no boars were hurt in extracting the bristles) from Amazon. The brush set me back $145. It shipped from London, and arrived two weeks early. My first impression of my brush was that it is a beautiful, handcrafted piece of art, and a small part of British history. Each brush is handmade, and the company has been around since the late 1800s. Even Princess Diana had one!

How Did it Mesh with My Hair?

For the most part, it went well. It really did a great job at making my hair look shiny, glossy, smooth, and truly beautiful. Even my husband was impressed. He said I looked like I had just come from the salon! So, where are the mixed feelings coming from? I ordered the sensitive brush, because I have thin, fine hair, and I feel that a lot more hair was falling out with the brush. Maybe these strands were just weak, and were going to fall eventually, but it still left me feeling uneasy. Also, shortly after I noticed some monster/scary split ends. They were frayed, and really damaged.

To help counteract this negative outcome, I bought a Mason Pearson detangling comb ($16), and made sure my hair was completely detangled before I brushed it (not an easy task with my waist length hair). This helped tremendously. I also started using my Argan and Safflower oil mixture that I make (and will be listing soon on my website: velvetbotanicals.com). I stopped using it, because you're not supposed to apply oils to your hair when you use this brush, since it can damage the pad. This helped a lot, but I still found some new split ends. I know split ends are just part of life, but I've never seen split ends like these.

The Verdict

I gave my hair a two week rest, and only used my wooden wide-toothed comb and my new detangling comb, with my Argan Hair Cream, and my hair has been great. I'll probably continue to use my brush more often, because it did cost my an arm and a leg, but I still have mixed feelings about it. Let me know if you've ever bought a Mason Pearson Brush, and what you thought of it!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Sulfate-free Shampoo is the Way to Go!

Hi Friends!

I know everyone is talking about Sulfate-free shampoos, which is wonderful, because going sulfate-free is the best! I did a good amount of research when I embarked on my sulfate-free adventure. I wanted a shampoo that was natural, inexpensive, and great for my hair. I'm so happy that I discovered Aubrey shampoo and conditioners! Their product is excellent!

Sulfates create suds, but they also strip your hair of its natural oils. These oils (also known as sebum) protect your hair, and shouldn't be stripped away. Some of the complaints by some of the reviewers on Amazon were that the shampoo doesn't lather well, and it doesn't, because it is sulfate-free. I found that it took me an extra 30 seconds or so to get a decent lather, but my hair eventually was clean, and it felt super soft and shiny!

I have acquired a large number of shampoos over the past years that I didn't find to my liking, and I just ended up giving them away. I'm happy to mention that not only have I bought my second bottle of Aubrey's Biotin Repair Shampoo, I've bought the conditioner, as well. I found a good deal this time with Swanson's Health Products, which was about $5 less than Amazon, because of a deal. Do your own research, and give Aubrey shampoos a try!

Bella