Attack of the Dry and Damaged Hair

Summer, what a beautiful word to hear! When I hear "summer", I think of fun, sun, the beach, water...and very dry and damaged hair. But this summer, I’m going to attack damaged hair before it attacks me. Here are some of my favorite products to use in the fight against dry and damaged hair and some tips in order to keep your hair nice and moisturized.

One of the most common reasons why ladies have dry hair is heat damage. I use my hair straightener, curling iron, blow dryer etc. often and that can really put a toll on my hair. I suggest that you limit yourself to your hair styling products this summer. Try only using your heat styling products every other day or so. When you do use them, apply some heat damage protector. TRESemme’s Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray is what I use. It’s really light and it smells great too.

Ladies who normally have dry hair need to have a nice shampoo and conditioner that helps add and lock moisture in. I use Herbal Essences Hello Hydration for my hair. I wash with Hello Hydration shampoo and then use the Hello Hydration conditioner. I let the conditioner sit in my hair for five minutes and then raise it out.

Afterwards, I put in Pantene Pro-V Split End Prevention, Leave-In Cream Moisture Protection. It helps add a bit more moisture to your hair. I do not put it in my hair after every wash. I do it about every other or four times a week.

After going to the beach or swimming a lot, I will use Redken’s Extreme Rescue Force. It strengthens your hair and helps protect from future damage. Plus, it smells AMAZING! I absolutely love it.

Here is a list of some other great products to help add moisture back to your hair.


TRESemme Moisture Vitamin E Moisture Rich Shampoo and Conditioner


Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner


Neutrogena Triple Moisture® Cream Lather Shampoo and Conditioner


Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner

Graduation

       

    

GRADUATION!!! The time is FINALLY here! It’s one of the biggest moments in our lives. It's when us girls are thrust into a world with no rules, no parents, and college and/or career responsibilities. And as we all know that with this comes the hunt of a graduation dress…dun dun dunn. We all want to look great on last day of being high schoolers or college students so what kind of dress would be a modest way to go out in style (and not sweat to death). So here’s some tips to help with the search process!

For most of us graduation can be very hot especially if it’s outside so it’s very important to pick a dress that’s light weight and won't cause you to sweat in your cap and gown. The best breathable materials would be a silk material, an Egyptian cotton, or thin linen. You should stay away from any stretchy latex or polyester material or any stiff crinoline. I found some really nice dresses at forever21.com and CharlotteRusse.com. They are light-weight, cute and of course, modest! The top left one would need a white/cream cami under it though! I hope you guys can get some ideas from what I posted! (I know some schools require you to wear all white but mine does not so I’m going off what my school would require)

Spring 2010 Fashion

Spring has arrived, and so have two funky new trends: “bold colors” and “patterns and prints”! Sound a little intimidating? Fear no more! In this post, I’ll be discussing how to wear both of these trends.

Colors for this season are bright electric shades of yellow, orange, pink, tomato red, green, and blue. Lighter pastel shades of turquoise, purple, and light coral are also in.

Pants and skirts are being sold in these bold, electric colors, as well as tops. So how do you wear these bright colors?

Be Bold. If you’re wearing bold colors, you might as well go all out! It will keep the intensity of the color palette the same and create fluidity. Use the color wheel to make bright matches.

The colors across from each other (complimentary colors) always make appealing matches.

  

Match the same color. Wearing matching tops and bottoms not only looks bright and beautiful, but it can also create a slimming affect. You can even try layering with a camisole that matches with the shirt you’re wearing it under:

     

Use the color wheel. Besides colors across from each other, you can try colors right next to each other, too. You can hardly go wrong with side-by-side shades.

     

Beauty Trends you can go BOLD with!

*Free Tip*
You can use the color wheel for makeup, too! Choose the complimentary color to your eye for the color of your eyeshadow and it will make your eyes pop!

Try using bright polish on your nails, using one of these tricks with the color of you clothing. Bright red lips are also in. If you choose to do this, use natural eye shadow colors instead of the “free tip” above so you don’t overdo it. You don’t want to look like you just came out of the 80’s!

If you aren’t the type to go so bold, choose a bright colored top to pair with trusty jeans. And let me tell you, I’m loving this boyfriend jean trend! If you can find some without holes and tears in them, they’re a great alternative to the leg-compressing, curve-hugging jeans.

Another idea would be to wear bright leggings and accessories with a simple knee-length black dress. It’s a great way to give that classy conservative dress a whole new funky look!

The next new trend is patterned/printed clothes. How on earth can you wear these? What matches with it? Can you really mix patterns?

Yes, you really can mix patterns! However, don’t overdo it. If your pants are a large, bold print, like in the photo above, pair it with a top that has a smaller, neater print. If you’re not into printed bottoms (as in it reminds you too much of the 70s!), you can try this trend with skirts instead of pants. For example, you can wear a smaller print striped top with large print floral skirt (like the picture below), or you can wear a large checked plaid top with smaller animal print-ed skirt.

Keep it around the same color. If you contrast the colors with this trend, it can look like WAY overkill. An easy way to avoid this problem is to match colored prints with black and white prints.

If you’re not sure what you can wear with your new patterned pants, balance it out. Wear a solid top that matches with one of the colors in the pattern. This tip can save you from making a huge fashion boo-boo. So remember, when in doubt, balance it out. But don’t let that keep you from having fun with this trend!

Interview with the Ladies from Modest is Hottest Blog

This past month I was privileged with the opportunity to interview two wonderful, Christian girls who you may know as Sal and Me. They are ‘two best friends who live 2,000 miles apart’ who write a modesty blog known as “Modest is Hottest”. They have happily agreed to do an interview with us and I am honored to share their wonderful story and testimony with you lovely ladies! Let us begin!

1) What does modesty mean to you?
~ Me “To me, modesty means dressing and acting in a way that deserves respect. When you do that, people respect you for who you are. When you dress inappropriately people don’t respect you because the way you dress shows that you’re not looking for respect.”
~ Sal “Modesty means not only covering your body appropriately, but also your attitude. There are girls who dress modestly, yet do not have an attitude and heart that is sending the same message. This contradicts your way of dressing. Modesty does not mean wearing long skirts and loose, home sewn shirts. You can have fun when you dress modestly, and people will notice that you are dressing nicely and yet you don't show skin! Some girls think it is impossible. It is a challenge. I love to make an immodest item of clothing modest, but let me warn you, it's not possible with everything!”

2) What do you think the secret to modesty is?
~Me “Living it! Don’t just say you want to dress modestly. Live it with all your heart and make it one of your biggest goals in life. Picture yourself as an example to others and dress how you want your little sister or daughter to see you. Don’t judge others just because they dress outside your opinion of where the line should be drawn. If you do that, people won’t respect your opinions.”
~Sal “Your attitude. Your heart. If you dress modestly because you know that its right but you don't really want to, people can see that and you can too. You can slip into a way of dressing that is not flaunting skin, but still immodest because of an attitude like that. Wanting to dress modestly is a key to success. Making it an everyday thing is a key to success also. Something that I like to think about is that I am a princess. I need to dress in a way that shows that. I am not flaunting skin to attract a guy. I am waiting because my Father, the King, has a prince for me. I dress modestly knowing that when I do, I am helping a guy save his eyes and mind for his princess someday.”

3) What are some verses that you have discovered that help you with your modesty? How have they helped you?
~Me Psalm 139:13-16 “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” (KJV) This verse really helps when you need to know that someone cares. God loves us so very much that He planned it all way ahead of time. You are no mistake. He already has my days planned out ahead of time and I am of worth to Him. I don’t need to dress to get attention because I don’t need it. I already know He loves me. I already know that someone cares.”
~Sal “Matthew 6:30, Psalm 45:13, Proverbs 31, Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 45:13 “The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.” (KJV) I need to trust God to bring me the clothes that I need and desire, and when I do, He does. (Matthew 6:30) I am a princess and I need to dress and act like one. (Psalm 45:13)I need to be the woman God created me to be. (Proverbs 31- I (Haylie) highly suggest you read this chapter.) I need to show the world that there are youth who choose their way of dressing with wisdom, because many people out there think we are all thinking about drugs, money, guys, etc. We need to show them we are more than what they think. We are more than just youth. (Jeremiah 1:4-10)”

4) What is your definition of fashion?
~Me “Fashion isn’t about what all the celebrities are wearing even though that’s how people distort it. Fashion is about what YOU think totally rocks!”
~Sal “Fashion? What's that? Seriously, I don't care what is in style. If something is in style and I wear it, it's because I really like it. If I buy something that is “in" it is because I have liked it and it was never available but now that it's “in" it is available to me. I don't keep up on the latest trends. I think a lot of them are ridiculous. I have my own style, and there is no way I am going to dress like everyone else just because that's how everyone else is dressing. For me, fashion is not at all on my mind. I just don't think about it.”

5) What encouraged you to write this blog?
~Me “...I went through a long period during the ages 10 and 11 where I was a total tomboy who wouldn’t wear anything pink LOL! It was then that I realized how distorted everything was! I was hit by the shock of people dressing to get attention and I just wanted my voice heard among all the confusion. Sal is a perfect example to me of someone who lets her voice be heard. After I started the blog, I asked [Sal] to join forces with me... It has proved to be a total success and something very influential to my life in the past few years.”

6) How did you girls become friends?
~Me “Our families have both known each other since before we were born. We spent our first several years of life seeing each other on a regular basis. Our parents were traveling together a lot in ministry when we were toddlers.”
~Sal “We have known each other our whole lives. Literally. Me's family and my family knew each other before we were in the picture.”

7) Are you girls really best friends 2,000 miles apart?
~Me “Oh yeah! We both have been best friends ever since we were tiny little girls! Just because we live so far apart doesn’t mean we can’t be best friends. No matter how far apart we are, we will always be close. Sal and I are so much alike, yet so different. Our friendship is very special to both of us and means more to me than just about anything.”

8) What made you girls 2,000 miles apart?
~Sal “Once upon a time, which we can barely remember now because it was so long ago, we lived next to each other. Off and on through the years since then, we have lived in the same state, though still hundreds of miles apart, and not for very long. It's hard to arrange sleepovers at these kinds of distances. LOL!”

9) What is your favorite thing about fashion?
~Me “My favorite thing about fashion is that I can make it mean anything I want to me. Whatever I like is in style to me! I don’t have to follow anyone’s rules because I’m the boss of what I like!”
~Sal “My favorite thing about fashion is that I don't have to follow it. I don't need to memorize its do’s and dont’s, other than don't pair gold with silver or black with brown. (Some people can actually pull them off; just usually one of those people isn't me). I make up my own rules about what I am going to wear. I do love how, because of fashion, new things come onto store shelves and I get to have a variety of things in my wardrobe. I also love how, because of fashion, people get rid of clothes that are like new because they aren't "in" anymore and then I get to discover them!”

10) What are your favorite stores to shop in and why?
~Me “I like ‘Wal-Mart’ because you can get really low clearance prices on super cute stuff. I like ‘Claire’s’ because they have so many cute accessories, and ‘Deb’s’ because they have awesome stuff for low prices. ‘Maurice’s’ is great because they have cute jeans/shorts, and I like Ross because of their prices…the list goes on forever!”
~Sal “I like ‘Wal-Mart’ because of the low prices. I like ‘Christopher and Banks’ because of their skirts. ‘Kohl’s’ is great because of their shoes and great sales. Thrift Stores are fun because of the great, almost new, and sometimes new clothes to be found there for low prices. I also like any store that sells fabric so that I can make some of my own clothes!”

11) If you could tell girls ONE thing, what would it be?
~Me “I want everyone to realize they’re beautiful. I want people to know that they’re of worth. Don’t spend all your time worrying about what people think of you or wondering if anyone cares. Accept yourself for who you are and know that God does care and he loves you. He made you beautiful.”
~Sal “Girls, you are so beautiful, and you don't even know it. Stop looking at the mirror. Look to Jesus because He is the very reflection of His Father, and do you know how beautiful He is? He wants His beauty to reflect off of your face so others can see it. Don't try to flaunt skin to get a guy. God's got one for you and all you have to do is wait, pray, and trust God. Don't let peer pressure get you down, do what you know is right. Love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and body.”