Today’s hair: Knotted braids

Continuing my experiments with knotted updos.

Dual French braids knotted together and tied off. I once tried this without braiding it first and it turned into a slippery mess. With the braids knotted, it had some staying power.

Funny how short it ended up being though: Not even BSL.  

I like it! My hair isn't "up", but it's still very much out of the way for me.

Q&A answers

For some reason Blogger decided to eat up my answers. Huh. How odd.

So, here goes… Again.

What made you want to grow your hair? 

Helene Sørensen

Short answer: Because I like it.

Long answer: It just sort of happened.

After I shaved my head, I found short hair got boring really, really fast. So originally I just wanted to regrow it long enough to whip it up in an emergency ponytail (Like, a bit past shoulder length/flip length).

When it was finally long enough to do that, I wanted it long enough to properly braid (Like, BSL ish).

When it was finally long enough to do that, I wanted it long enough to bun (Like, waist ish).

When it was finally long enough to do that, I wanted it long enough to do a figure 8 bun (Like, classic ish).

When it was finally long enough to do that, I wanted it long enough to make a cool crown braid (Like, mid thigh ish)

So it sort of became a “More wants more” kind of thing…

If you would encounter a wizard, who could magically transform your hair to any length, what would that length be? 

indi500fan

Hah. Could be fun to have below floor length or something really long. But only if I could get the damn taper down. No fun having only 14 hairs reaching floor length.

What would you change about the following: 1. your hair 2. body (height/figure, ect) 

Buchfreundin

1: I’d like my hair to be a natural copper blonde/ strawberry blond.

Thicker and less taper. Yea, more wants more.

Also, some sort of natural parting/cowlick, thank you very much. My hair falls flat down in front of my face, so I always need to restrain it in some way or another if I want to see.

2: Ooooh boy… This will be a long list and probably makes me seem really insecure.

• Better skin. I have super sensitive skin and it seems it’s always mad at me no matter what I do.
• I have hooded eyelids and I’d like them not to be. It runs in my family and yes, I considered surgery.
• Larger eyes.
• Better eyesight. Minus 4,25 and minus 5. It’s a lot.
• Straighter nose. Broke it twice, so now it has a slight bump. Yes, I considered corrective surgery.
• My jawline is slightly asymmetrical. Yes, I considered the Korean jaw shaving surgery.
• Smaller boobies.
• I could stand to lose a few kgs.
• Change where my fat deposits go to: It pretty much only goes between my navel and top thighs. A little more distribution would be nice!

If you could live anywhere, where would you pick? 

Buchfreundin

Hmmmm. How about Réunion?

If you could become you favourite character from a book, whom would you be? 

Buchfreundin

Okay, this is a difficult question. I mean, favourite books and favourite characters and all don’t equal a universe I would want to live in, you know?

If we took some of my recent favourites like the Game of Thrones series, the Metro 2033 series and the World War Z book… Yea, I would not want to live in those universes. I don’t have a death wish.

But to pick a character I both like and would want to be: Asimov’s Dr. Susan Calvin.

Have you ever considered going from being a serious amateur hair and beauty blogger to being a professional one? What would influence your decison one way or another? 

Andi

No, never. I like blogging as a hobby, but I simply have no interest in going pro even if I could.

Do you like turtles? or any other animals for that matter? I'm a big fan of friendly affectionate ones. Best pets I ever had were Rats. Any pets? 

Nightgerbil

I haven’t had pets since I moved out of my parent’s house, but when I lived at home, I always had animals around me. We will get animals again once we move to a larger place.
Never thought of getting a turtle as a pet though!

My best pet was my peach faced lovebird Bølle. The most affectionate, intelligent and cranky little old fluffball in the world. He’s been dead for 14 years now, but I still miss him every day.

I would have had a pet mallard too that we found motherless where my parents have their boat, but Bølle refused to accept him in my room, so he had to be more of an outdoors-duck than a pet. Bølle flew into a screaming fit and would probably have murdered the little babyduck, so…

We had a budgie before I got Bølle and my parents have a dog.

I had a bunch of animals, not pets:

Chickens

Horses

Pigeons

And oh, so many injured rescues of tits, sparrows, pigeons and swallows though the years.

And since the duck had to be an outdoors duck, we got him a lady friend and they had a bunch of duckbabies themselves.  

Q&A answer session

Q&A

Anyone up for a Q&A session?

I'll post the answers in two days.

Just remember this: 

Double standards, maybe?

I know that to the vast majority of people out there, the thought of not washing your hair with shampoo is really disgusting. Strangely though, using dry shampoo seems almost normal. You shake a powder in, massage it around and brush it out.

I honestly find that a bit disgusting, no matter how much they claim it really, truly, honestly absorbs the grease. Ick.

I guess I’m in the school of “Do wash your hair, but find the least damaging method that works for you”, when it comes to hair. Dry shampoo (Or talcum or baby powder or cocoa powder or whatever people substitute it with) just doesn’t feel “washing” for me.

It’s like I feel with hand disinfectants, no matter how cute or clever or portable they are, I will still prefer at least wiping my hands in a moist towelette or something. No matter how much I’m told that hand disinfectants are really, really effective, I still prefer wiping or rinsing off my hands.

Anyways. I’m getting out on a tangent here.

My point is; dry shampoo is something that I should like because it’s hair friendlier than regular shampoo. But I don’t.

Which is partly why an amusing (I hope?) print like this is pretty disturbing to me.

It’s a flowchart to decide on whether or not you should wash your hair and it features options like:

Well how bad is it? => On a scale from carrots to pepperoni pizza, its melted cheese. This option still doesn’t lead to “Wash your f**king hair!”

It also features options such as “Can you wear a hoodie?” and “Will it be dark where you are going?”

Still. People pay for this?

I really hope this is a joke so clever it went over my head... 

Indigo revisited

First thought of the day: Crap, I overslept!

I had slept for 11 hours with the indigo in my ends. Crap.

Literally blue?

But once I had rinsed it clean, I’m not sure I can actually tell I did anything to the colour. How odd.

The henna did the perfect “barely there” effect, but the indigo seems to escape me and be so barely there I myself isn’t even sure I have done anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I would rather have that than it becoming too dark.

But it also irritates me: I wouldn’t have added indigo if I hadn’t wanted an affect.

It worries me a bit because now I’m tempted to add more indigo and maybe then it will turn out too dark.

Seems like an appropriate reaction :)

Is the problem maybe my henna-dose being so low that the indigo can’t even bind to my hair? 

Henna revisited

It’s been about a month since last I henna glossed, so I figured it was time to try again.

When I received my henna and cassia from hennabutiken, I split the two Indian henna samples and the jamila henna in four small portions that I then added water to and froze.

So my intended henna treatment would be:

• 100 g cassia
• 2,5 g Indian henna
• 1,25 g jamila henna
• A ”syringe” of  60 ml HairSalon Protein Clinic-1

I bought the same Tressemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture conditioner and my plan was to use half of it. So 375 ml for a henna treatment and I would be able to use a bottle for two treatments.

But as soon as I started mixing the mud up, I could tell it was way too thick. Like, way, way too thick.

So I ended up adding more and more conditioner the bottle was almost empty.

I ended up pouring out a portion of about 50 ml to go with the indigo and emptying the bottle in the mud.

Then I added water to the almost-empty bottle and shook it up for some good foam to help get the mud out.

No wonder the first treatment got so thick and difficult to handle when I needed this much conditioner!

I had everything planned out for a henna treatment:

• Schedule was cleared.
• Couch was set with pillows, blankets and towels.
• 4 seasons of Metalocalypse DVDs and my laptop ready to go.

But as soon as I started wrapping the cling wrap around my hair and putting pressure on the mud, the horrible dripping started. The horrible, awful, maddening dripping.

It’s like Cthulhu himself wraps his cold tentacles around your face, neck and shoulders and drag you into a screaming, spitting madness.

Rawr.

Okay, I exaggerate. A bit.

Well, I suddenly got a good idea. The dripping is awful, but it literally dries up after about an hour, so maybe the solution would be to get in the bathtub for about an hour or so?

So I did just that: Filled the tub and brought my laptop with the entertainment into the bathroom.

Then I spent about 5 11 minute-episodes of Metalocalypse in the tub while the water slowly turned green from the mud dripping down.

I found myself pondering which one of the guys in Dethklok would have the best hair if they were real. Silly thoughts, but entertaining. I guess I would have to go with Nathan, especially since he is described as white/Native American. That should make for an amazing head of hair right?

Agreed.

Then I wondered why I have never dated a guy with long hair. Hmm?

Getting in the tub worked absolutely perfectly!

With the initial dripping going into the bath water instead of driving me crazy, I’d say I cut about 90% of the total dripping.

It made it so much better and easier to continue the henna treatment afterwards. I got on the couch as planned and managed to keep the henna mud on for a grand total of 8 hours!

I’m very happy with that. It’s like twice as much as last time and it was so much easier and nicer!

When I went to rinse, the mud had almost dried out on my hair. Henna needs moisture to work, right? I guess that would mean you shouldn’t leave it on for too long since it eventually dries out.

I used the last bit of Tressemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture conditioner foam to loosen up any leftover mud I hadn’t gotten out.

Hair felt a bit dry and cranky afterwards, but it usually does after cassia. This is where I would normally do a deep conditioning, but instead I applied my indigo treatment.

I’m trying a simple, cassia-free treatment this time:

• The 50 ml Tressemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture conditioner from earlier
• Half a sample package of indigo

Wrapped it all up in a Nodosaurus from about waist and down, and went to sleep on it.

Good night :)

Glam Up Brilliant Steam Hair Pack

I received this in a Memebox back in July. 

This is definitely the dumbest and most gimicky thing I’ve ever put my hair through.

According to the pack, it had 30 gram of conditioner in it, so I figured I couldn’t get a lot of effect. Still, I followed the instructions and wrapped my hair up in it, stuck the sticker around to tighten it and massaged it around like instructed.

After rinsing, I couldn’t tell I had done anything to my hair.

Meh.

I do like the idea of wrapping conditioner up, but I prefer my trusty cling wrap.

However, I do wonder who is the target consumer for this. I must be someone with very short and/or very thin hair? Maybe it would work better if I had put some regular conditioner in my hair and put this over to keep the steam and moisture in?

No matter what, I’m not sorry I only had one of these available.

Same product, different countries

Last time I was I Denmark I bought a Cien conditioner from Lidl. When I came home, I found I had one in my stash already.

Then I noticed the difference between the Danish and Swedish versions. I found it pretty funny!

Danish version on the left, Swedish on the right…

The Danish version has translated almost all the text on the front, expect “Colour & shine” which I suspect is the product name?

The Swedish version has the front all in English for some reason.

In the back, the Danish version has two little pictures to illustrate how the hair should get healthier from use. You know, some fluff about provitamin B5 and such.

The Swedish version has a single little picture with the same stuff about provitamin B5, but in English as opposed to the rest of the back.

The Swedish version shares the back with the instructions in Finnish. That’s kind of funny because Danish products usually share their instructions with Norwegian too, since the languages are so similar you just have to substitute a word or two.

Maybe the Danish version was supposed to share the description with a Norwegian like the Swedish shares with Finnish? Since Lidl haven’t been in Norway since 2008, I guess they just stuck a nice pseudo-science picture on the back and inflated the text a bit to fill up the blank space.

All in all, nothing too major in the differences. But still I found it interesting and slightly amusing how one country would change a detail or two from the other version. 

More Memeboxes

I received four boxes in one pack today (!) Unfortunately I think I have a serious case of “Memebox saturation” and they more or less failed to interest me much.

In fact, just sorting my stuff managed to annoy me and feel like work.

Only a single product was put into my shoulderbag where I know it will be used soon.

Some of the makeup went into my makeup drawer to be used “Some day”.

A few things are going to a friend. Some, I need to put up for sale/trade.

But the vast majority is going into my storage to be used whenever I run out of the stuff I have in use at the moment.

Memebox special # 56 K-style 4

• Revecen Volumizing mascara

What a strange brush! I thought it had been squished or the product somehow managed to clump the bristles together, but I guess it’s supposed to look like it does?

• Shara Shara Petit friend matte lip crayon

I think this is the neon orange, or maybe the salmon orange? I can’t find the number for the colour anywhere. Not a colour that will work for me.

• Shara Shara Triple shine colour shadow in 03: Cobalt blue

Doh! I was happy to receive an eye shadow, but blue doesn’t work for me. It ends up being blue in blue and that’s no good. Any other colour would have worked for me.

I will give this to a friend of mine: Her two daughters are in that age where they have the first interest in makeup and this is the perfect, cute little compact for that.

• Revecen Face control foundation #002 violet

The violet colour is for livening up dull skintones. My skintone has a tendency to get too… “Lively” (aka. Red) so I have no use for this. Sell/trade.

• Beauty People Miss 100 auto gel liner in Glam brown

Card says “glam brown”, package says “gleam brown”. Eh?

I unenthusiastically stuck this in my makeup drawer.

• IdeeB Real Triple Rouge 02 shine pink

I might actually keep this and use it! It has a good coral/pink-ish colour and isn’t really shiny nor matte. It has the feel like it wants to rub off on everything, but it doesn’t. Which is weird.

Memebox superbox # 71 My cute wishlist 4

• TonyMoly Apple red tox honey cream

Haha. I’ve seen this one so many times in other bloggers reviews, but now I finally own one. This is a seriously, seriously cute packaging and it really smells like yummy juicy apples.

• Etude House sweet recipe candy stick in 01 Seedless strawberry candy

Again a product I’ve seen in other bloggers reviews. Cute! And the colour is good for me.

Yadah Vita-whitening aqua gel + Puregreen moisturising cream

Ah, Memebox. Are you inflating prices again? How are these two little 5 ml creams supposed to be $ 24? Good little sizes to stick in your bag though.

• DDung liquid eye liner

I honestly find that almost featureless, bug-eyed little chibi-character that ddung uses for their mascot to be creepy. Not sure.

• Holika Holika Pig-nose clear head steam starter

It’s a blackhead specific cleanser? Maybe? Contains aloe vera, so sell/trade.

• Pure Smile Choosy lip pack milk

Eh. Not really cute. But I’m happy to get a lip moisturising patch. Mine are really feeling the season.

• Pure Smile Snail hand cream milk

Awesome! I have this line in lip treatments so this is a product I’m looking forward too. I have another good handcream from the Honeybox in use at the moment, so this goes into storage.

• TonyMoly Egg pore nose pack

Okay, there’s a bunch of these products where I question the cuteness of them, but this one takes the price. It’s an anti blackhead nose pack and although I’m very happy with it, it’s just not very cute. For Korean packaging, this is distinctly “blah”.

Memebox special # 55 OMG 4

• Nadu Skin The first love pack

Okay Memebox, I give. This is very, very OMG. It took me a while to figure out what this thing actually was (Also had to google what a “Y-zone” is) and yea, this is for your private parts. There’s a male and a female sheet. The female one has that nice little cartoon thing for how it’s used. The male one just has the schematics for the essence sheet.

Hubby now thinks Memebox is perverted and refuses to cooperate in couples night with weird sheet masks.

• Pureplus+ Coccoon returning toner

It’s a toner with extracts from… cocoons? Uhh?

• Abalone Crystla double EX cream

$ 78! This cream is $ 78! Somehow this “Wow!”s me more than the fact that its made with fermented abalone.

• Shara Shara Secret magic lipstick in 03 Yellow to mango

It’s one of those lipsticks that changes colours when you put them on your lips. Meh.

• Dr. MJ Moisture bounce aqua memory BB SPF 30 PA ++

It’s a BB cream, supposedly with a funny texture. Yea sure, the texture is a bit funky, but for me the “OMG” is in how it isn’t in a nice, hygienic tube. The colour doesn’t match my face though.

• Purebess Hot styling hair fixer

Some sort of styling product in the shape of a mini comb. I think I may actually use this to fix those 10 stupid hairs at my neck that always curls up and stick out. How is this OMG though?

Memebox special # 57 For dry & sensitive skin

• Zamian Trouble skin handmade soap Ac’xxii

I really dislike bar soaps so this goes into sell/trade.

• The Yeon Jeju hallabong energy mild all-in-one serum

Nice. A serum specifically for sensitive skin. I will put this to use when I’m through the one from the citrus care box.

• Pedison Nutritive infusion cream

Body cream for sensitive skin. Another “Nice, I will put this in the queue and use it when I’m done with the other product”.

   

• Anacis Triactive dermatis intensive cream

This looks like it came from a pharmacy. I will also use this at a later time.

• Migabee Botanical moisture mist

I tried this and it’s a very light and nice moisturising mist. This will also go into storage though.

• Pureplus+ Lip treatment in Honeybee

This looks a lot like the Puresmile snail lip treatment in honeyI received about a month ago.

It has less of the tingly effect though, so this is the only product I put to use directly.

Everything put together, minus packaging

Verdict

Well, it’s obvious by now I have too many products from Memebox and I need a break from it. Use up some products and build an interest in getting more boxes again.

No more boxes until after my birthday in April, maybe?

(Except for hair-boxes. I could still use some of those)

I think for this 4-pack, my ranking will be:

1. For dry & sensitive skin for the most, nice products I am looking forward to try and only one product I won’t use
2. My cute wishlist 4 for the second most, nice products I am looking forward to try, but also some products I feel very “Meh.” about
3. OMG 4 for the toner and the cream, but the BB cream and the lipstick I will never use
4. K-style 4 for the mascara, eyeliner and lip thing that I will probably use, but aren’t very interested in and for 3 products that will go directly to sell/trade