http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/curlformers-styling-kit-giveaway.html#comment-form
Kamis, 15 Juli 2010
AWESOME Curlformers Giveaway!!!
You will absolutely LOVE this blog! I am always inspired by her fantastic hairstyles! And right now she has an incredible giveaway going on for Curlformers... And I know you all want some; I sure do! ;) It will be worth your while to visit, because she has so many wonderful ideas!
http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/curlformers-styling-kit-giveaway.html#comment-form
http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/curlformers-styling-kit-giveaway.html#comment-form
Guess What Came in the Mail Already?!?
Guess what came in the mail already?!??! WOOOOOOOOOO!!! I can't wait to try them out! (Wouldn't you know we just washed hair last night? Sigh. That's the way it goes, I guess!)
I couldn't wait to get home to open them! So I opened the box in the post office parking lot! lol All I could do at that point was smell them, and I have to say my first thought was that the shampoo and detangler smelled very Clean! and fresh. :) I think they have the same scent. And I couldn't really smell the conditioner at all. It just didn't have an aroma! (But then my nose is a bit stuffy, so maybe I'll need to get a second opinion!)
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that even though I had only paid for 3 items I received 6! I knew I had "qualified" for a free 4 oz gift - I could pick between two, and I picked more of the Leave In Conditioner. And then I also (surprise!) received a sample of the sunscreen and a Cradle Cap Comb! Cool!
Curlformers Styling Kit Giveaway!
Enter to win Curlformers:
- You must follow Beads, Braids & Beyond. To follow the blog simply look to the upper right column. There's a little button that says "Follow". Easy peasy!
- Visit Curlformers and let me know which styling kit you will choose if you win! There are 6 to choose from.
That's it! This will get you two entries in the giveaway. Leave a separate comment for each entry!
Additional entries: (optional)
- Become our friend on Facebook
- "Suggest friends" on Facebook. For every 10 friends you suggest, that will get you one extra entry.
- Subscribe to our Youtube channel
- Follow us on Twitter
- Blog about this giveaway on your blog.
- Facebook/Tweet about this giveaway.
- Add one of our buttons to your blog/website.
You have 9+ chances to enter. However many entries/comments you have is totally up to you. You can do one, or you can do them all. Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.
Examples:
Entry #1: I follow BBB!
Entry #2: I would choose the Long & Extra Wide Styling Kit!
Entry #3: I'm a facebook friend!
Entry #4: I suggested 10 friends!
Entry #5: Suggested 10 more friends
Entry#6: Following on Twitter
You get the idea! All separate entries! I will be using Random.org to choose two winners.
This giveaway will run from July 15th until July 29th. Good luck!
What Shampoo Should I Buy for Curly Hair?
Or should you even use it?! Well that's another topic altogether, now, isn't it?! :) One that promises an interesting conversation, I'm sure.
But for today, let's assume that the product of choice is shampoo - now, what do you do from here?! Where do you look? What do you look for? What do you avoid at all costs??
First, I'm obviously going to answer all these questions from my own perspective (lol) so take what you will - this is my opinion! It is all based on researched fact, but then, I'll let you do your own research if you want - you don't have to take my word for it! :)
Where do you look?
In my town (Middle of Nowhere, USA) we have 2 grocery stores and Walmart. And that is all, my friends! :) So I took a gander. (should have taken a picture, that would have been much more interesting!) Of course I found all the usual stuff. Suave
, Herbal Essence
, Tresemme
, Aussie
, etc.
Then I looked online and found Bee Mine Products, Kinky Curly
, Curly Q
, Original Sprout
, Suki Skin Care
, Aubrey Organics
, Jason Naturals
, Giovanni
, etc, etc. (Many of which I've heard great things about, by the way!)
What do you look for in hair products?
* Well, I am shopping for Q, so I am looking for products that say they'll do something for curls!
* I am curious about "detangling" shampoos.
* I like it when they say "adds definition" or anything to that effect. I liked the idea that the product was specifically made with curls in mind. It wasn't a requirement, but I liked it.
* Marketed toward babies and kids was a selling point, too, Q is still young enough that I would like to get something that won't burn if it gets in her eyes.
* I, of course, was interested in a pleasant smell!
* and a person can't help but look at the price tag...
and then... What to avoid at all costs?!
oh boy. This is where I almost decided to throw in the towel!! Do you know how bad most of this stuff is for you?! Us? Babies, kids, teens, adults - the chemicals in most hair and skin care products are ridiculous!
First, I went to THIS list of ingredients to avoid. I just kept the page open and kept referencing it as I found a new product to try. There are some pretty obvious things, but then there are some surprises, too! Like, "fragrance: highly allergenic. contains large quantities of toxins & chemicals not disclosed. fragrance-free means that fragrance chemicals have been added to the product to mask the natural aromas of the ingredients"
and "grapefruit seed extract: synthetic preservatives triclosan, methylparaben & benzethonium chloride are usually added to preserve, however, companies do not have to list this ingredient since it is contained within the extract"
and although not from that website we also need to be aware of PhytoEstrogens - which come in many forms, natural and synthetic, and are linked to gynecomastia, early puberty, hormone disruption & fertility problems.
Then I also checked each specific ingredient of each product I wanted to buy against the cosmeticsdatabase.com also known as the EWG (Environmental Working Group) They have a rating chart that shows the toxicity levels of many different ingredients and chemicals. Keep in mind that many ingredients haven't been tested very much, or have "Data gaps" as they call it.
At first this was terribly daunting - but the more I did it, the more I started recognizing things and not having to look each and every one up again! That was kinda of exciting :) and a lot less work!
After looking long and hard and throwing some options right out the window by the second or third ingredient - I decided on this ...
from their site - "Worry Free Luxury means no natural or synthetic ingredients associated with estrogen enhancement, hormone disruption, cancer & autism such as: Lavender or Tea Tree Oils, Citrus Oils, Clove, Soy, Phthalates, Dioxanes from Sulfates, Parabens, Formaldehyde, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetaldehydes, Styrene, Toluene, Glycol Ethers, Ethylene Oxide, Musks, Nonylphenol, Mineral or Petroleum Oils, Triclosan, Eurethane, 1-2 Propylene Oxide, Placenta or Synthetic Colors"
I put in my order (pricey though it was - but then I got free shipping and a free sample for spending over $35! woo!) and I am sooo excited to try it out! If it's possible, I think Original Sprout
has even less questionable ingredients than Aubrey
!
In case you're wondering, common ingredients that you DO NOT want to see on your shampoo's ingredient list are as follows:
SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) - all sulfates (as far as I know) are just really really bad for hair. Curly hair especially. Yet it's a foaming agent so it is VERY common! Head over to naturallycurly.com to learn more about avoiding sulfates and -cones.
Anything that ends in -cone - see above comment about SLS!
parabens - petrochemicals, estrogenic, carcinogenic, allergenic
petroleum (petrolatum, mineral oils, vaseline) - acne producing, may be carcinogenic, causes long term dry skin, respiratory toxin
propylene glycol - linked to Cancer, developmental reproductive toxicity, allergies, irritation of the skin, eyes or lungs, enhanced skin absorption, and more!
Cocamidopropyl Betaine - Known human immune system toxicant
... just to name a few!
Of course, we really don't know the amount of each ingredient in our products (except that they are listed in order from most to least on the label). I just try to make sure that each ingredient in the product has a low rating from the EWG and that the overall rating of the product (when added together in my head) doesn't get higher than about 3 or 4. -- But that's just MY system! :)
For more resources and articles sharing the dangers of common hazardous ingredients found in our hair care products and other cosmetics follow these links:
Articles Database -Ingredients in Hair Care Products: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Ely Organics - Children
Original Sprout - List of health studies!
Mercola.com - STOP using your shampoo until you read this! (in my opinion, he undermines what he says by ending it with trying to sell his own product, but then, I guess they all are, really. This one is just more obnoxious to me.)
UPDATE --- I'm on a roll! What I thought was going to be a very limited selection of products has actually increased at an incredible speed! Since ordering from Original Sprout, I have found 3 more companies I'm interested in trying products from! WOW!! I would love to do some reviews for you - but we'll see what happens. :) The new-found companies are - Just Natural Skin Care (and Hair!), Ely Organics, and Beija-Flor Naturals.
But for today, let's assume that the product of choice is shampoo - now, what do you do from here?! Where do you look? What do you look for? What do you avoid at all costs??
First, I'm obviously going to answer all these questions from my own perspective (lol) so take what you will - this is my opinion! It is all based on researched fact, but then, I'll let you do your own research if you want - you don't have to take my word for it! :)
Where do you look?
In my town (Middle of Nowhere, USA) we have 2 grocery stores and Walmart. And that is all, my friends! :) So I took a gander. (should have taken a picture, that would have been much more interesting!) Of course I found all the usual stuff. Suave
, Herbal Essence, Tresemme, Aussie, etc.Then I looked online and found Bee Mine Products, Kinky Curly
, Curly Q, Original Sprout, Suki Skin Care, Aubrey Organics, Jason Naturals, Giovanni, etc, etc. (Many of which I've heard great things about, by the way!)What do you look for in hair products?
* Well, I am shopping for Q, so I am looking for products that say they'll do something for curls!
* I am curious about "detangling" shampoos.
* I like it when they say "adds definition" or anything to that effect. I liked the idea that the product was specifically made with curls in mind. It wasn't a requirement, but I liked it.
* Marketed toward babies and kids was a selling point, too, Q is still young enough that I would like to get something that won't burn if it gets in her eyes.
* I, of course, was interested in a pleasant smell!
* and a person can't help but look at the price tag...
and then... What to avoid at all costs?!
oh boy. This is where I almost decided to throw in the towel!! Do you know how bad most of this stuff is for you?! Us? Babies, kids, teens, adults - the chemicals in most hair and skin care products are ridiculous!
First, I went to THIS list of ingredients to avoid. I just kept the page open and kept referencing it as I found a new product to try. There are some pretty obvious things, but then there are some surprises, too! Like, "fragrance: highly allergenic. contains large quantities of toxins & chemicals not disclosed. fragrance-free means that fragrance chemicals have been added to the product to mask the natural aromas of the ingredients"
and "grapefruit seed extract: synthetic preservatives triclosan, methylparaben & benzethonium chloride are usually added to preserve, however, companies do not have to list this ingredient since it is contained within the extract"
and although not from that website we also need to be aware of PhytoEstrogens - which come in many forms, natural and synthetic, and are linked to gynecomastia, early puberty, hormone disruption & fertility problems.
Then I also checked each specific ingredient of each product I wanted to buy against the cosmeticsdatabase.com also known as the EWG (Environmental Working Group) They have a rating chart that shows the toxicity levels of many different ingredients and chemicals. Keep in mind that many ingredients haven't been tested very much, or have "Data gaps" as they call it.
At first this was terribly daunting - but the more I did it, the more I started recognizing things and not having to look each and every one up again! That was kinda of exciting :) and a lot less work!
(I had used Aubrey Organics Baby Shampoo previously and was very pleased - but I wanted to try something different this time - just for variety :) )
After looking long and hard and throwing some options right out the window by the second or third ingredient - I decided on this ...
from their site - "Worry Free Luxury means no natural or synthetic ingredients associated with estrogen enhancement, hormone disruption, cancer & autism such as: Lavender or Tea Tree Oils, Citrus Oils, Clove, Soy, Phthalates, Dioxanes from Sulfates, Parabens, Formaldehyde, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetaldehydes, Styrene, Toluene, Glycol Ethers, Ethylene Oxide, Musks, Nonylphenol, Mineral or Petroleum Oils, Triclosan, Eurethane, 1-2 Propylene Oxide, Placenta or Synthetic Colors"
I put in my order (pricey though it was - but then I got free shipping and a free sample for spending over $35! woo!) and I am sooo excited to try it out! If it's possible, I think Original Sprout has even less questionable ingredients than Aubrey! In case you're wondering, common ingredients that you DO NOT want to see on your shampoo's ingredient list are as follows:
SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) - all sulfates (as far as I know) are just really really bad for hair. Curly hair especially. Yet it's a foaming agent so it is VERY common! Head over to naturallycurly.com to learn more about avoiding sulfates and -cones.
"Not only does it [SLS] act as a penetration enhancer (allowing other potentially toxic ingredients to slip into your bloodstream), but according to the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews”, research studies on SLS have shown links to...
- Irritation of skin and eyes
- Organ toxicity
- Development / reproductive toxicity
- Neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes
- Possible mutations and cancer
If you visit the SLS page on the Environmental Working Group’s (a non-profit public-interest research group known for making connections between chemical exposure and adverse health conditions) website, you will see a very long list of health concerns and associated research studies. In fact, you will also see their mention of nearly 16,000 studies in the PubMed science library (as well as their link to that list) about the toxicity of this chemical.
So look for it in your hair care products. It also goes by a
number of different names including sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laurel sulfate, sodium dodecylsulfate, sulfuric acid, sodium salt sulfuric acid, A12-00356, Akyposal SDS, Aquarex ME, and Aquarex methyl." - From the Mercola article mentioned below.
number of different names including sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laurel sulfate, sodium dodecylsulfate, sulfuric acid, sodium salt sulfuric acid, A12-00356, Akyposal SDS, Aquarex ME, and Aquarex methyl." - From the Mercola article mentioned below.
Anything that ends in -cone - see above comment about SLS!
parabens - petrochemicals, estrogenic, carcinogenic, allergenic
petroleum (petrolatum, mineral oils, vaseline) - acne producing, may be carcinogenic, causes long term dry skin, respiratory toxin
propylene glycol - linked to Cancer, developmental reproductive toxicity, allergies, irritation of the skin, eyes or lungs, enhanced skin absorption, and more!
Cocamidopropyl Betaine - Known human immune system toxicant
... just to name a few!
Of course, we really don't know the amount of each ingredient in our products (except that they are listed in order from most to least on the label). I just try to make sure that each ingredient in the product has a low rating from the EWG and that the overall rating of the product (when added together in my head) doesn't get higher than about 3 or 4. -- But that's just MY system! :)
For more resources and articles sharing the dangers of common hazardous ingredients found in our hair care products and other cosmetics follow these links:
Articles Database -Ingredients in Hair Care Products: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Ely Organics - Children
Original Sprout - List of health studies!
Mercola.com - STOP using your shampoo until you read this! (in my opinion, he undermines what he says by ending it with trying to sell his own product, but then, I guess they all are, really. This one is just more obnoxious to me.)
UPDATE --- I'm on a roll! What I thought was going to be a very limited selection of products has actually increased at an incredible speed! Since ordering from Original Sprout, I have found 3 more companies I'm interested in trying products from! WOW!! I would love to do some reviews for you - but we'll see what happens. :) The new-found companies are - Just Natural Skin Care (and Hair!), Ely Organics, and Beija-Flor Naturals.
Norwegian Hairstyles - From Traditional to Present!
Boy oh boy, it's hard to find "Norwegian Hairstyles" online! Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. Anyway, I found a bit anyway! (and also realized that the traditional costume, the Bunad, has a head covering, so maybe that's why there isn't much for "traditional hairstyles"!)
Well, maybe that, but also maybe they just like their hair down! :)
But, like I said I found a couple -
So of course I tried them on Q as well! :D Doesn't her hair look funny being so straight?! Her dad even commented on it this morning! (Technical note: As her braids dried, they curled! LOL Not just the ends, mind you, but the whole braid!)
Resources!! ... (if you can't read Norwegian, use Google Translate! lol)
BUNAD (Magazine, I think)
and their FACEBOOK page.
My Little Norway (you won't need google translate for this one)
(too cute!)
Well, maybe that, but also maybe they just like their hair down! :)
But, like I said I found a couple -
So of course I tried them on Q as well! :D Doesn't her hair look funny being so straight?! Her dad even commented on it this morning! (Technical note: As her braids dried, they curled! LOL Not just the ends, mind you, but the whole braid!)
Ponytails, like the dancer on the left in the first picture!
And braids like the little girl on stilts!
(yeah, I wasn't being too concerned with getting the part straight.)
Resources!! ... (if you can't read Norwegian, use Google Translate! lol)
BUNAD (Magazine, I think)
and their FACEBOOK page.
My Little Norway (you won't need google translate for this one)
Bye-Bye Norway! Thanks for the memories!
Yep, that's me up there :D
Surfer Girl Simple 'Do
It was Wet'n'Wild Days at our Zoo again, so Alex needed an out-of-her-eyes-do. However, she asked to leave her hair down, and even with bangs, it still gets in the way when she plays in water. So, I gave her a classic surf girl style.
These first two pics are after she had played in the water... twice. So her hair had been soaked and dried again two times and was still out of her eyes and, I thought, looked cute. ;)
Okay, to start, we had some wavy hair left over from her style the day before- a french twist on each side. You don't have to have waves/curls, but I think it's cute for this style.
Brush the hair straight back and let it fall into a natural part. Next, make a braid on one side, leaving out bangs or a small strand near the face, if desired. I think this makes it look more natural.
Have your little one hold up the top half of her hair and secure the bottom of the braid to a small section underneath, right against the scalp. This is commonly done for "hair-headbands". You can then let the rest of the hair fall back down.
Do the same for the other side. Alex still has some very short pieces from her brother's styling attempt, so I started hers as a french braid just at the top and then switched to a straight braid. (I know, I talk about the hair fiasco with Alex's bangs all the time... probably because it drives me nuts EVERY time I fix her hair! ;)
So you let all the hair fall where it might, which will at least be out of her eyes thanks to those braids. ;) It would be pretty to add a few spirals throughout, and I might have had we not been heading to get soaked by a fire engine! ;)
Rabu, 14 Juli 2010
Baby Mermaid's Swim Hair
We have swim lessons for our 2 youngest kids this week! So you know what that means! Swim Hair! I think that if I am paying that much for lessons, I don't want them to worry about their hair in the eyes flipping hair around etc. so get ready for a couple of posts on braids messy buns and updo's.
I did three dutch braids back and forth across her head
Then I pulled the rest of her hair up into pigtails and then messy bun loops
I really wish I would have made big bows to go swimming with! then I could tell what kid was mine from across the pool, but I haven't yet! LOL only I would want swim bows but y'all know me!
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