OPI Silver Shatter Nail Polish

This nail polish was a steal, only 99p!

This polish dried matte so a coat of seche vite brought out the contrast. I can't wait to try other colour combinations.

Cheaper Than Lanolips - Lansinoh Lanolin

It's been a long while since Lanolips have hit the scene in the UK. The ointment is amazing for dry winter weather and I use it all year around. It's the most comforting and long lasting lip balm and I always carry it with me. There's no scent, just soft moisturising shine and a little goes a long way. However at £11 or more for a 15ml tube is overpriced for pure lanolin. Lucky Lanosinoh is the same pure lanolin as Lanolips and it's much cheaper.

Lanosinoh is sold as nipple cream, which is why it comes in bigger tubes. I managed to buy two tubes  on Ebay (I paid less than £6 for both tubes including postage.) A 40ml tube is £10 which is much better value than Lanolips and the product is exactly the same. It even comes from Australia also.

The texture is exactly the same, thick clear and a bit sticky. No scent, just lots of protective and soothing lanolin for ultra dry hands or chapped lips. I love it! 

The Cheapest OPI and China Glaze Ever

At the 99p store! The varieties are limited to crackle polish but it's the cheapest OPI and China Glaze ever. Looks like these brands are clearing out their crackle stock. These were found in the 99p store in Camden Town.

The OPI were of course 99p each and there are a range of colours, purple, gold, pewter and red. The China Glaze was an absolute steal. But it only came in white and black crackles. You get a box of 3 of the same colours for 99p. Great stocking fillers.

My New Blog: My Hair Growth Story

Announcing a new sister blog-My Hair Growth Story.

I've been working on a new blog about my hair growth journey. Since using oils and herbal powders, I've become increasingly interested in alternative haircare techniques. 

There are not many asian-oriental based hair care blogs. Hopefully Ayurvedic and other natural hair products will recieve the attention they deserve from anyone looking to choose all-natural for their hair.

Therefore all related hair posts will be found at My Hair Growth Story. I hope you enjoy and can benefit from my experiences! 

The Pros And Cons Of Shikakai Powder

It's been a few weeks since I started only using all natural powders like shikakai, aritha and alma to wash my hair.

So far I'm loving it. It seems from my internet research that using powders is often used on Indian and black hair however I think it can benefit all hair types. There are so many benefits and I don't think I'll go back to normal shampoo anytime soon.

I have unusual Chinese hair. It feels brittle and I don't even heat style it. It's fine, wavy and when it's really dry, it's curly and frizzy. It also gets oily quickly.

From what I've read, herbal powders are beneficial because they are chemical free and won't overly strip oil from hair. Shikakai is good for gentle cleaning and imparting shine. Aritha is used to boost the oil removing properties of shikikai. I've only tried the alma once and was'nt too fussed about it. Perhaps I need to use it more often but I'm pretty happy with this current routine.

So I'm only using herbal powders for shampoo, silicone free conditioner and pure unrefined coconut oil, argan oil as hair moisturisers. To wash, I mix 1 tsp of shikakai (and 1 tsp of aritha if hair is really oily) with 1/4 cup of warm water in a recycled squeeze jar. I give a good shake and squeeze it on wet hair, just on the crown where most of the oil is. I massage it into the scalp, apply conditioner on the ends and leave it in on for about 3-5 minutes. Then I give it a thorough rinse. If I'm in a hurry and need to blow dry, I do it on it's lowest setting and just dry long enough for the hair to be damp. While hair is drying but still damp I distribute 4-5 drops of coconut oil or argan oil on the ends. I reapply the 2-3 drops everyday until my next wash.

The results so far are amazing. First of all my hair is not as dry as it used to be. I can tell because it takes longer for my hair to air dry. It's noticeably shinier than any other shampoo and conditioner I've used. And best of all, my hair feels healthier. It has more volume than before, a big plus!!!

From my experience here are the pros of using Shikakai:
Shinier, softer hair
Hair feels stronger at the roots, feels like there's more body
Gentle cleaning-won't overstrip oil from hair
Exfoliates scalp/no dandruff
100% natural, no chemicals
Cheap
With continued use, hair becomes less oily

And the cons:
No suds
Messier to use
Takes longer to rinse out than normal shampoo
It has a muddy smell when wet
You have to prepare it everytime (although you feel like a chemist, mixing your own concoctions, adding the right proportions of alma, aloe vera gel, aritha, etc)
If you don’t rinse it out well, hair will feel grubby (feels like there’s build up)

What it won’t do, contrary to what I’ve read is make you shed less or condition your hair. I found that using a conditioner on the ends and applying oils after is a must.

I will do another progress report in a month or so!