9 Problems that People With Curly Hair Have (And How to Solve Them)

Photo Credit to Gavin Bobo on Flickr

I’ve always had curly hair, and I’ve always been jealous of people that have straight hair. They don’t know what curly-haired people go through to take care of our hair! The list below shows the top 9 problems we curly-heads go through, and how to fix them.

 

1: Your conditioner bottle is always 2 times less than your shampoo.

Curly hair is naturally drier than other types of hair. When you have curly hair, it tends to either frizz or become dry easily, due to the need of moisture for the curls. Whenever you take a shower, you need to condition it to make sure your hair stays moisturized. If you have curly hair, you should only shampoo once or twice a week, since shampoo generally can add oils or frizz to your hair. For conditioners, I recommend TRESemme. My curls always look healthy when I use that conditioner, because of the high levels of keratin in the conditioner. Keratin is a protein that your hair needs to grow.

 

2: Taking two hours to straighten it.

If you have curly hair, everyone always asks you to straighten it, because you’d look like a different person, right? Well yeah, but do you really want to wake up at 5 in the morning to straighten your hair? Didn’t think so. An option is to straighten your hair the night before, and then straighten it again in the morning. When picking a straightener, try looking for one that has a built-in comb teeth or steam functions that can tame the curls. Always spray your hair with a heat-protectant before putting any kind of heat on it. The heat-protectant will help keep your hair from being heat damaged.

 

3: Frizz.

People always ask you to leave your hair down, but you know best that its going to look like a lion’s mane at the end of the day. To tame frizz, try rinsing your hair with cold water after you condition it in the shower. This takes out any excess shampoo, tames the frizz, and gives the hair a shiny look. Also look for shampoos that say “for dry or damaged hair” instead of “frizz controlling”.

 

4: Hair ties snapping regularly.

Since your hair has A LOT of volume, plus the added frizz, hair ties can easily stretch out and break. Always carry a minimum of two on you. Personally, I like to buy Goody hair ties. Goody hair ties are very durable, and can last up to 1 week if you use them right. They reduce snags and breakage of the hair.

 

5: Your hair taking all day to dry, and never being able to blow dry it.

Blow-drying will just make your hair frizz, and you know how much we curly haired people hate frizz. Never use a brush, you will destroy your hair. “ Bristles fray the hair, disturb curl formation, and create a cloud of frizz,” says Lorraine Massey of Devachan Salon for Allure Magazine. Instead, use wide-toothed combs, but only when your hair is wet. What I do to dry my hair is put it in a topknot, or a high bun, after I take  a shower and take it out when I go to bed. This helps your hair dry naturally, and makes it even curlier!

 

6: Tangles.

Your hair is always getting caught on things like back of chairs right? This is because of the tangles in our hair. When one of them snags on an object, and you feel a sharp tug on the back of your head, you can thank the tangles. To prevent tangles, try looking for a detangler. I recommend Herbal Essences. Their detangler have built in conditioner and keratin in them, so they give your hair the repair it needs.

 

7: Having minimum hairstyle options.

Since your hair is so big, sometimes leaving it down isn’t the best idea. It’ll frizz, and you’ll look like a lion. The most common (and easy) hairstyles are bun, ponytail, and braid, because you can sort-of tame your hair. A half-up/half-down ponytail is also common. If you want, you can try other variations of these hairstyles to mix things up sometimes such as the French braid, braided bun, and or side-ponytail.

 

8: Having to do a full on FBI-scale inspection on hairstylists before you get your haircut.

You do not want to end up with a triangle shaped haircut. Also make sure to only get either a trim or 1-2 inches off depending on how short your hair is. You do not want to end up with an accidental afro (hello my third-grade haircut all over again!) Curly hair is harder to cut, and hair schools don’t teach how to cut it either. “You can’t cut curly hair accurately,” Jonathon Torch, founder of Curly Hair Solutions says. “Learning to break the rules and to cut hair unevenly is foreign to hairdressers. You have to change your whole thought process.” When you go to a hair salon, either ask for someone that cuts curly hair only, or someone that has curly hair themselves.

 

9: Spending A LOT of money on hair-care products.

How you take care of your hair makes or breaks you. You don’t want to look like you were just caught in a thunderstorm in July. But if you buy wisely, your hair can look both happy and healthy. Buy a good conditioner and defrizzer.

 

Love it or hate it, we curly-heads are lucky to be born with our beautiful hair. So embrace it, and make sure to treat it right!

Where the Moose Really Comes From: Abercrombie’s Use of Child Labor

Has anyone really thought about where Abercrombie’s clothes come from? Sure, people know that factories make the fabric and other factories turn them into shirts. Later, they’ll appear on hangers in dark stores blasting music with hefty price tags of over fifty dollars. Most people shop themselves into oblivion, unaware of what really happens “behind the scenes.”

According to Compassion International, one in six children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labor throughout the world today. Although numbers may not appeal to anybody’s sense of morality, hopefully the image of a six-year old sitting next to a sewing machine wiping sweat and dirt off of his forehead with a bruised arm instead of at a desk learning the times tables will help you put down the shirt in your hand.

Take the Alta Mode factory in the Philippines, once a major producer for Abercrombie and Fitch. The factory is crawling with children working in dank, rat-infested areas with rusty machines bigger than they are. From early in the morning to very late at night, children sit on hard benches with sparse meals of stale bread and dirty water, working under barely one bulb of light.

The International Labour Organization defines child labor as a minor employed in a business or industry and being paid little to nothing, almost similar to slavery. It can cause critical problems to a child’s mental and physical health and growth and tear families apart. According to The Child Labor Education Project, in the long term, a child can end up dropping out of school, having sleep and additional health problems, and even underdevelopment of their body and brain.

The use of child labor goes completely against Abercrombie and Fitch’s Code of Conduct, which requires its factories to follow a set of rules, including a paragraph about child labor: “Abercrombie will not tolerate the use of child labor by its vendors.” It later states the standards of health and safety that their factories must comply with. However, the many instances of violations found linked to Abercrombie, as stated in the IHS article on Child Labor, such as living quarters infested with rodents, broken toilets, and no access to clean drinking water, have followed none of such requirements, leaving innocent children to be deprived of their childhood.

Abercrombie’s attitude toward child labor is enough to repel many people from the store. However, the business continues to thrive despite the many immoralities that have occurred. But why does Abercrombie deserve any business at all? How can you proudly wear the moose symbol across your chest when children slave away each day for hours, earning only a few cents?

There are many ways for Abercrombie to right itself. They can start by removing all factories that involve children in the process of making the clothes and then help improve living and working conditions in those factories. They need to use their money toward something beneficiary, not to increase the boss’s already inflated salary.

To you, the shoppers: By resisting the urge to walk into Abercrombie, you are speaking volumes for those who can’t say anything. You are simply stating that you won’t support the immoralities they are involved with, helping to stop child labor, one store at a time.

And now you know where the moose really comes from.

Sneakers: Are They Really Worth It

To most people sneakers don’t mean anything but things you put your feet in. But to some people they mean much more. I wouldn’t hesitate to spend $250 on a pair of sneakers, but some people consider that crazy. To me and other sneakerheads out there, it would be worth every penny. The reason why I got into this craze is that it makes you feel elite. To me it is like getting a fancy new car. Everyone notices and immediately thinks that this person has class. Most of the time I judge people just by what kicks they have. Although collecting shoes is expensive, it is a fun hobby. The sneaker that got me into shoes were the Lebron 9 Breds. When I wore them I felt amazing. Even though they don’t do anything, you feel like you have purpose. I knew I needed more. The issue was, and still is, convincing my parents to let me buy them. For some reason, they feel sneakers are a waste of money, and I’ll always be interested in getting the next new pair. Although they are right about the later, to me sneakers are everything. It’s a sign of class, personality, and style. Whenever I buy shoes it comes right of my own pocket, so I don’t see why they would have an issue about it.

 

Shoes are not worth their price tags, but how much they mean to you. Most sneakerheads have a “Holy Grail” pair of sneakers, that they would give an arm and a leg for. Personally, mine would have to be the Galaxy Foamposites, but those are pretty much unattainable unless you are willing to pay $800. The main issue in the sneaker game is the crazy resale prices. If you aren’t willing to camp for a pair of sneakers, you will only be able to get them for double the price at a third party store. Sneakers mean a lot to me and lots of sneakerheads around the world.

How to – Water Marble

Water marbling is very cool and new way to paint your nails. It is difficult the first time you try it but after a while it is easier. I learned how to water marble from multiple videos on Youtube.

The materials you must use to complete your nails are….

• A plastic cup you can throw away after (I prefer a Solo Cup)

• The nail polishes that would go well together

• A bottled water or you can use tap water

• Some scotch tape to place around your cuticle

• A cotton swab to pick up nail polish

• Nail polish remover (optional)

• Some paper towels if you spill the water like I do (optional)

• A needle or toothpick for the design

 

Here are the steps on how to water marble your nails are..

 

1. Gather all your materials

2. Fill the plastic cup with water about 3/4 of the way full

3. Scotch tape your skin around your nail (the cuticle and edges) so the nail polish doesn’t touch your skin.

4. Twist off the caps so they are loose and you can quickly use your nail polish.

5. Quickly take each color and let it drip into the cup (make sure it spreads out and work fast because the nail polish dries quickly).

6. Each time you put more nail polish in the cup it should look like a bullseye.

7. Take the needle or toothpick and move it around in the nailpolish to form a cool design.

8. Once you have made your design place your nail in the water and on that design.

9. Do not move your nail out of the water and don’t hit the side of the cup with your nail.

10. Wait about 15 to 20 seconds for the nail polish to dry

11. Then take the cotton swab and pick up the nail polish in the water (while your nail is still in the water).

12. Next once all the nail polish is out of the water slowly take the scotch tape off

13. Repeat all the steps until you are done.

This is how you perform water marbling nails. It is a lot of fun to do and can also be a little messy. Make sure you have paper towels in reach in case you do spill the water. You can also teach your friends how to do it when you get the hang of it.

WANELO

WAnt NEed LOve. That’s the motto of Wanelo, the new internet craze. Wanelo is a website where you can go through all your dream fashion choices, save them, and then get the links to buy them. But Wanelo isn’t just for your favorite store’s fashions, it has everything from wedding dresses to funny t-shirts and water trampolines to ice-cream makers. It takes 5 seconds to make an account, and then you can enjoy all of the fun on Wanelo. This includes making your own wish lists, following your friends and favorite stores, and even adding your own products to the site. Wanelo is so much fun because you see things you never would have thought of buying in a store. Or if you saw something in the store but didn’t buy it, you can search it and buy it online. Anyone who likes shopping should make a Wanelo account. And just warning you, it’s addictive!

Watches: Time Will Always Tell

Watches are an essential part of many people’s wardrobe, and the favorite part in my case.  Watches have been around since about the 15th century, and their rich history has been growing ever since.  Everyone has heard of watch brands …

Nail Art 101, Part I

Trying and trying again to get your nails just right, only to be rewarded with an empty bottle of polish remover can be one of the most frustrating things in the world. I should know. I’ve made myself late for …

Pandora Charm Bracelets

Photo Credit:
ThePandoraCharms

What’s the perfect accessory to go with any outfit? A Pandora charm bracelet! Pandora is a jewelry brand with over 600 charms to put on sterling silver bracelet bands. The choices are endless, and you can get anything from a pure gold carriage to a yellow duck. The best part is that you can personalize your bracelets that represent you. The only downside is that Pandora is really expensive. Do you really want to pay $295 for a 1 in. flower charm? I know I don’t. That’s why most of my charms are from either Kay or Littman Jewelers. There you can get an equally as pretty charm for about $40. And if that’s too much, you can also get charms like these at Kohl’s for about $25. Or do what I have and mix and match with a few from each store. Pandoras are fun because they are more than just pretty bracelets. They are also a quirky and fun way to express everyone’s unique personality.

Pink by Victoria Secret

One of my favorite stores to shop at is Pink by Victoria Secret. I like Pink because of their stylish designs of clothing, good sales, and kind employees. Their stylish designs of comfortable yoga pants and warm sweatshirts are the …

Sally Hansen: Stick On Nails Review

Sally Hansen’s products are known to be one of the top selling beauty lines. Their products range from nail polishes to skin & body products. I recently received the Sally Hansen stick on nails, the Tye-Dye For, as a present from a close friend. The “stick on nails” aren’t stickers at all. It is real nail polish without the drying time!

I really liked this product because it is very dummy proof to apply and there is no drying time. The package included a nail file, a stick to push back your cuticles and the stick on nails. Putting the nails on were extremely similar to putting on fake nails. You find the nail sticker  that fits closest to your nail size, peel off the back and apply it to your nail. You then take the nail file and file the ends of your nail and you’re finished!

A negative about the product is that it doesn’t stay on for very long, approximately 10 days  and chips easily. Other than that I really liked the product. It removes easily with nail polish and fits all nail shapes and sizes. I have also received numerous amounts of compliments on my nails while wearing them. You would never be able to tell that they are stickers, they look so real and definitely look salon quality. There are 40 stick on nail patterns and designs available on the Sally Hansen website and can be found in the beauty section of local drugstores. I recommend you buy them!