Hair today....

How forgiving is your crowning glory?



Mine deserves a medal, or a knighthood or even a sainthood for putting up with what I've done to it over the years.

Born a light blonde, the descent into mousiness during my early teens sent me into shock and despair...but not for long, because I discovered the wonder of hydrogen peroxide.  So began my love affair with all things lightening for my hair.  I was warned by hairdressers how bad this could be, but the ever elusive return to those carefree childhood days of super blondness ever beckoned.

There may have been some rollers involved with this particular "do".
Mum, what were you thinking?

 

With spiral perms, super blonde mixtures, curling tongs, the red hair phase and the rest, only once did my hair just plain old give up on me, and snap off, so the hairdresser could wash it down the plughole.  I remember it very clearly because he stopped mid rinse (I had perming solution in my hair), muttered some expletive, called over the manager, and the both of them studied the contents of the basin for a very long, and silent time - wondering how they were going to explain the plastic, melted mess that was now my short, spiky look.  I had to roll with it because...you see...I may have been less than honest about the naturalness of the blondness while getting a perm.  Yes...I was in love with a hair lightening product you could just spray in your hair...AND NOT RINSE OUT!  It was a product that, if you were into giving yourself that "sun kissed" look during the decade that fashion forgot, would have been hiding in your bathroom cabinet.   I'm sure it was the nightmare of all hairdresser during the 1980's.  Bleach + Perming Solution....never a good mix.



Check out the attitude the red hair gave me!



I think I was channeling Dynasty...or something! 
That was one heck of a perm...

 

My last perm was obtained at the age of 28, when I finally decided to embrace the straightness, but not the mousiness, never the mousiness!!   Because in the choice of curl versus colour, colour was always going to win.

As I matured, so did my taste in haircuts and salons, until I was seeing one of the most expensive hairdressers in Christchurch at that time.   With some successes and some disasters, and always an expensive bill at the end (I was blessed with quite a mop of hair), I took to colouring it myself.   This was a little bit about putting my salon disasters behind me, and a lot about having to pay a mortgage.  Yes...my fancy free days of having my hair coloured at the hairdressers every four weeks was over.  

While there have been some hits and misses over the years, the colour I get most complimented on is one of the less expensive brands - good ole Nice'n'Easy. 

Things were going along swimmingly with the home colouring until the grey started appearing.  Just a couple to begin with, then a few more, then a lot more.  And (love you mum...but sorry - it has to be said) if I do take after my mother, which I appear to, each of those grey hairs will be twice the thickness, twice as wiry. and pretty much impossible to colour.  But the good news is, no more mousy roots - just plain old grey.

So am I ready to give up the dye and let the natural grey take over?  Not a chance in....well, you get the gist.  I will succumb someday, but not just yet.  Thank goodness for the supermarket home dye kits.

Now, if home colouring is something you want to try, the most important thing you can do is check out whether or not the product is going to suit your hair.  I've been doing this for years, and through trail and error, have found the best products for me.

 

Before you start...always...always...ALWAYS read the instructions and follow the allergy test first....then after you have waited the allotted time...you are ready to go!  If unsure, check with your hairdresser first. 

 

First grab the tools you need - including old clothes and towels - I hate to think how many tops I've ruined over the years...

 

 

Prepare the product as per the instructions then start applying (to the roots only for a retouch)

 

 

Work down one side...and don't forget behind the ears and your neck line...

 

 

Work down the other side

 

 

Check out yourself looking glamorous - maybe this is a good time to remind you to lock the door, and pull the curtains...you do not want surprise visitors today!

Check the time you have to wait until the colour processes - then blitz your housework...

 

 

Apply the colour to the rest of your hair (if this is a retouch) - wait the allotted time then rinse thoroughly, and enjoy your colour

 

 

Check out my "how to" on the link below

 

https://youtu.be/DcGMSA5dhYo

 

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Time poor or master procrastinator?

One Hour Challenge - 1

What is the one thing I always seem to need more of?  Money?  Well, a bit more would always be nice.  Clothing? Well, I am trying to wean myself off that particular obsession?  Food?  Well, heck no!!!  What I need more of is time…or a kick in the pants.  I will let you decide.

The truth is we do live in a time starved world where everyone is so busy, they are running from one task to another without finishing any job fully, and not being able to enjoy the process or the outcomes. 

I can’t believe how my friends with children manage to do it…I think I would be a basket case trying to manage a home, job, organising school holiday care around that job, after-school errands, kids homework projects and the rest. I can barely get myself to work – trying to choose what I’m going to wear and making my own lunch feels like a monumental task some days.  Having to do it for more than one?  Incomprehensible.

I know there are evenings I do blob, but more often than not I’m pottering around, seeing to those endless tasks that never seem to go away.  So when it comes to the less pleasant jobs, it is often easier to just walk on by/over/around/through and ignore the issue…until you have unexpected guests arrive…and then you think…why didn’t I get around to doing that?  Probably because I was busy doing something else a little more pleasant…like ironing, or vacuuming or dusting – it’s amazing how those tasks can seem so much more palatable compared to others, you know, the real fun ones like cleaning the oven, weeding the garden, cleaning out the guttering, getting around to painting those window frames (which should have been sorted some weeks ago) or facing the horror of the garage.  Suddenly scrubbing the toilet is not that bad!

I remember when I was studying, my home would be sparkling but the assignment would remain unwritten, because cleaning the fridge was way more fun than cracking a book.  Is this procrastination?  Maybe…but it certainly got the curtains washed, the blinds dusted, and the skirting boards wiped.  Maybe I am the master of putting off the most unpleasant tasks, but there comes a point when the unpleasantness of the task is outweighed by the unpleasantness of the sight of that task not done!

That’s why I came up with a challenge – that is to set myself some one hour jobs around the house that I have been procrastinating over and see what I can achieve in that time frame.  And time can be relative – an hour of your favourite programme can be so short, whereas an hour in the dentist chair can feel like a lifetime.  Maybe by cataloging the event, and putting such a short time limit on some of these tasks will hopefully make that hour fly.  And filming it means I have to do it…so you see, by reading this (or watching the clip) you are doing me a service by getting me to stop procrastinating and start tackling some of those nasty jobs.  The state of my home depends on you…but no pressure!

My first task was the outside courtyard, including my pots of colour.  Now I know I covered those a few blogs back, but I travel away a lot for work (excuses, excuses) and there was a lot of rain all over the country (not my fault/an act of mother nature) and lots of wind (stuff fell over and I didn’t pick said stuff up because I was away…and then I was tired…and then I just stopped looking at it) so my tidy courtyard from the summer had rapidly taken on the appearance of a mossy, leafy, dirty and just generally grotty area.  As this is my main entrance, it was not much of a joy to be greeted by the sad little patio, where my newish flowers had been left to drown in impractical, non-draining (but they looked so pretty when I brought them) pots.

 

 

So I visited the local hardware store and grabbed some more pots of colour – this time some poor, unsuspecting polyanthas (you may have already worked out that I missed the “green thumb” gene), grabbed out the gardening tools, changed into my gardening clothes, set the timer and went for it.

 

 

And in that time frame, I managed to give the fluffy buxus hedging a quick “de-fluff”, scrape the moss off most of the concrete tiles (using some interesting tools of the trade), spray-paint a couple of flaking pots, repot the trembling polyanthas, tidy up the herbs and generally make the area a little bit more lovable by the end of the hour.  Plus, it was a flippin’ good workout. 

 

 

 

I was pretty impressed by what I achieved in that relatively short period of time, and the amount of happiness experienced from looking at my tidier courtyard definitely outweighed the hour I put in.  The changes may be subtle (almost non-existent) to you but they made all the difference to me.  Suddenly grotty, sad and tired had transformed into clean, tidy and fresh.  How quickly did the hour go by?  It flew. 

Would I do this again?  Heck, yes…I have some window frames to paint…when I finish washing the floor!

Watch the clip...
 

https://youtu.be/BVQIlWFEpBs


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My 30 x 30 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge

And why I failed it in the first week....

 

 

Here I am at the end of week six...and not a new item of clothing has entered this house since I started my initial challenge.  Although that might not be a big deal for most people, for me it is, because....

 

"My name is Ginny...and I'm a shopaholic!"

 

By making a conscious decision not to shop, I notice how much I miss it -

• When I'm bored
• When I'm down
• When I'm happy
• When I have something to celebrate
• When I have something to commiserate
• When I have some extra cash
• When I haven't...but find that must have item
• When I need something for a special event
• and even when I don't...

 

There always seems to be some excuse to head to the local mall and hunt something down, whether it suits the rest of my wardrobe or not, and even whether it suits me or not.  I see something in a catalogue that I love on the model and imagine that it will look exactly the same on me.  Something happens in the dressing room, and I can't always blame it on the "skinny" mirrors that retailers know how to angle in exactly the right way to create the perfect illusion.  I think a kind of shopping blindness overtakes me - I try on the outfit - I twist and turn in the mirror...and think...if I lost of few pounds, if I added the right shoes, if I put on some makeup, then I am going to look just like that 6 foot tall, slightly "skinny-on-it", flawless, 18 year old model.  I waltz out that shop on a high - heading home to lovingly hang that item in the wardrobe.

What happens next?  I put on said item of clothing one morning...and think "nah, not with what I'm wearing today" and hang it back up.  Then I put it on another morning...and think "hmm...maybe the weather's not right today" and hang it back up.  Then I try it another time...and think "it's probably not suitable for the occasion" and...well, you get the idea.  Before you even know it, six months has gone past, and that same item is hanging in the wardrobe, labels still attached.

When I think of every clothing mistake that has passed through my wardrobe over the years, adding up the costs, I could probably have been well and truly on my way to paying off my mortgage.

This six month ban on clothing is not just about budget, it's also about a reset of my thought process when it comes to buying items, and being mindful about what I do need and what will work well with the rest of my wardrobe.

Which is why I really wanted to try the next challenge - the 30 x 30 Capsule Wardrobe.  30 items of clothing for 30 days.

If you look at the many blogs and clips posted regarding this capsule wardrobe, there are various ways of carrying it out.  Many bloggers work from home, so they don't have to think of including both casual and office wear, as well as something a little dressier for an evening out.  So those bloggers may have chosen to include accessories (such as shoes, jewellery and scarves).  Some add only clothing, and not shoes.  But for the most part the capsule does not include underclothing, gym or active wear (the new term for my sad, should never be worn in public track-pants and polyprop tops - those lovely additions to the wardrobe I crawl into after a day at work, and a weekend spent in hibernation).




For my capsule I decided to include shoes with the outerwear, but no other accessories.  I thought the challenge would be tough enough trying to ensure I had sufficient corporate wear and weekend casuals to see me through the month.

Another mindset change for me was seeing my wardrobe as a whole, not segmented into work and non-work clothing.  I needed items that would look suitable in the office but which I could also team with a pair of jeans, because my attractive "active wear" was only going to get me so far (I'm wearing it now)!!!






So what did I end up with? 



Four pair of pants (two jeans/two trousers)

Nine Shirts/Tops

Seven Items of Knitwear

Three Dresses

Three Jackets

Five Pairs of Shoes/Boots


So what was my failing?  Well...if you do the math, this adds up to 31.  I had left a gap in the capsule at the beginning for an extra item just in case (as was suggested by many devotees to this project).  And there was an "in case" - which was a dirty great cyclone that headed to our shores.  While we got the tail end of it (just a huge amount of rain) it did show me very quickly that I hadn't really though through the consequences of the changeable weather we experience down our way in Autumn.  I added another merino jersey during the week, taking my count up to 30, then out of necessity I added some boots.  But I can live with 31 items as this is my challenge and I can set the rules.

I tried to make sure that everything worked with at least three or four different items in the collection and that meant colour and tones were similar or they blended.  For the most part my capsule is black, cream, beige and blue.  That includes the footwear and scarves (although the scarves are not part of my final count).

I'm into week two - and all is right with my wardrobe world - however the next two weeks I know will see its own challenges - that of repetition and boredom.

So what are my thoughts?  If you like wearing different items every day, then this is not the challenge for you.  But if you want to be really thoughtful about your wardrobe, think about how pieces fit with each other, try new combinations, and see what items you love and feel great in?  Then this could be the challenge that changes your attitude towards shopping for your wardrobe.

Link to video:
https://youtu.be/OBqyH3z_oJU


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Essano Skincare Review and why I'm making changes to my skincare regime...

Are we ever happy with the skin we are in?

 

I have always had a love/hate relationship with mine.  Let me explain the hate side of that relationship...which started around the age of 11 or 12 when that first pesky break-out occurred.  At first it was a spot or two, around the t-zone, common at that age....but that was my hormones lolling me into a false sense of security because when the acne kicked in, my oh my, did it kick in.

 

I suppose the only saving grace for me was that my face was not the worst hit, that was saved for my back. 

 

My teens were years dotted with visits to the doctor for topical or oral antibiotics, along with every lotion and potion known to man...and lots of well meaning advice from everyone (that is everyone with beautiful skin who never knew what it was like to wake up to blinder of a spot that would oh so carefully position itself somewhere down the centre of your face...just to make sure no-one would miss it). 

 

And what about those pimples which would love to make an appearance at the most inopportune time, like the high-school dance, or when I was bridesmaid at my sister's wedding, and let's not forget about my 21st birthday.  That was an extra special number on my chin because my hormones obviously knew it was an extra special occasion.

 

So that well meaning advice?  It's your diet...it's your skin care...don't lean your face against your hand....change your pillow cases every day...wash your hair more often (once a day wasn't enough???)...it's hormonal and you will grow out of it.  Well guess what, I'm 49 (only just) and I'm still waiting to grow out of it.

 

Finally, after three courses of Accutane (a nasty little drug which I will talk about at a later date) my skin seems to have finally cleared up, well at least my face has because those pesky hormones have decided to have a final onslaught at my back!!

 

So if that's my hate relationship with my skin, what is the love?  It's not too lined (but that's starting to change), it hasn't scarred through the continual breakouts, and it has been very forgiving of everything I've thrown at it and on it over the years.  Apparently methylated spirits isn't a recommended toner...but yes...my desperate teenage self even tried that.

 

One thing that has been constant for me is my "no oil" policy in any skincare regime.  My friend has always been the oil-free product, and I was certainly told by my dermatologist not to use any oily or greasy moisturisers and body lotions when on Accutane.

 

But here in lies the rub - oily skin does not mean wrinkle free skin.  It does not save you from dehydrated skin, it does not free you from that crepiness that one day snuck up onto your neck and chest and refused to leave its new home.   I mean, seriously, what's that about?  As if I didn't have enough stuff to worry about like chicken wing arms, middle age spread and cellulite. 

 

You see, it's hard to find skincare products that cover all needs for me which is to reduce the crepe, and not exacerbate the breakouts.  I'm caught somewhere between my teenage self and the crypt...and it ain't fun.

 

And then, a few months ago, I decided to change my skincare regime overnight all due to a plastic bead and the thought of a suffering Flipper (or Nemo...or insert the name of any cute sea creature from your childhood memory).  You see, I had been reading articles about different countries banning the use of microbeads in skincare products such as facial and body scrubs.  Why is this? you ask.  Well...the many articles tell me that they never break down, they get into our waterways and eventually end up in the ocean with all the other plastic rubbish, and New Zealand is behind the eight-ball in getting on board with this ban, but apparently it is coming. 



So when my facial scrub containing microbeads finally ran out, I went to my local supermarket and looked for a better option...all set to do my bit for the environment...and was frankly quite astounded when there was only one product I could find that contained an alternative.  For an extra bonus, it was a New Zealand product, and for an extra, extra bonus, it was a cruelty free product.  Essano Rosehip Gentle Facial Exfoliator.

 

Essano Rosehip Gentle Facial Exfoliator

On visiting the web-site for Essano, I discovered this product replaces the microbeads with ground down rosehip seeds.  Do I like it as much as microbeads? Probably not as much but I think that has more to do with the sensation of microbeads on my skin.  When you have oily skin, you tend to crave that texture that feels like it is removing old skin cells, dirt and oil.    Does the Essano do the job?  I believe it does, because I see the same results.  Will I continue using the product?  Absolutely, because the end of microbeads is nigh.  And now that I know about the environmental impact, I just can't bring myself to go back to using said product.  Plus I was going to have to wean myself off that type of facial scrub eventually.

 

Then my day time moisturiser ran out...so back to the Essano range.  And there I found it, Rosehip Pure Defence SPF15 Moisturiser.   Hmmm...rosehip oil and vitamin E (very rich for oily skin) but the site said this particular moisturiser was recommend for my skin type, so I decided to try it...and I liked it.   The web-site also says that the rosehip oil is very mild and should replicate the natural PH balance of your skin.  I have found it does not leave a greasy residue...so I am happy to continue using this product as I like the way my foundation goes on over top.  No separating, no patches.

 

Essano Rosehip Pure Defence SPF15 Moisturiser

 

Then my night time moisturiser ran out...so back I went to Essano, but unfortunately all their night time products are noted as not being suitable for my skin type.  However, remember that crepiness I mentioned?  I made a bold move to purchased a product recommended for normal to dry skin - a collagen repair serum which is not only cruelty free but also vegan (if that is something that is important to you).  I'm using Rosehip Collagen Repair Serum at night...and love the silky feeling.  Is it working?  To soon to tell.  I am using my daytime moisturiser over this at night...but the combination is not moisturising enough so I'm still on the hunt for a more hydrating product.  But I would continue using the serum underneath as I do love the sensation of the product on my skin.

 

Essano Rosehip Collagen Repair Serum

 

Then my facial cleanser ran out...so hello Essano...what have you got?  Quite a bit actually, but there was one product that really interested me.  Micellar Water...used by the French for years and everyone else for the last two or three.  Where have I been that I have not heard of this wonder product?  What is Micellar Water? I hear you ask (or maybe not if you were more up with the play than I was).  It is Soft Water with Micelle molecules that are meant to attract dirt and oil away from your skin.  I use this with a cotton pad, and when it comes to removing my pesky water-proof mascara, I just soak the pad in the product and hold gently against my eye for a short period of time, and the makeup comes off really well.  Do I like it?  Yes.  Will I continue using it?  As long as my skin doesn't react! So far, so good but it's early days since I've come off the Accutane and I am only a few weeks in with this product.

 

Essano Rosehip Gentle Facial Cleansing Micellar Water

 

So why Essano, especially as every product contains the dreaded "oil" word?  Well, for one thing, my skin is reacting really well to this skincare - maybe the oil is light enough to hydrate and not clog my pores.  I like that it's New Zealand made, that it's cruelty free and that it's affordable.  I can buy it at my local New World, but it's also available in Pak'n' Save, Countdown, The Warehouse and pharmacies.  It's available in Australia (you would have to check out the web-site for those stockists).  I can pick up these items for a very reasonable price when my supermarket has occasional in-store promotions on the products.  And many of the products are made of natural ingredients (plant based) so it's good to know what I'm putting on my skin and down the sink.  Now this is not a paid advertisement...but I am having a wee bit of a love affair with this product at the moment and wanted to share the love...

 

Now if I could only get my night time moisturiser sorted out.  Any recommendations?

 

Have you used any products from the Essano range?  What did you think?

https://youtu.be/9wJd-cVUn0E
 

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