Goodbye My Long Hair (chop chop)

It’s a sunny day today in Ireland, and here in Ireland we don’t have the privilege to enjoy the sun much around the year and now its coming the summer season, yorky weather with heavy rain, dark cloud, “crazy” wind has been still haunting us…So at least today we have a break from them and hopefully it’s a long one 🙂

Well let’s get the story short, last month i decided to cut my hair short, the shortest hairstyle i have ever had in my entire life. Yes, 29 years old to-be this year and this is the first time i have short hairstyle. Do I regret it? NO. Do I love it? HELL YEAH. This hairstyle will stay with me for a very long time for sure 🙂

 

 

I always wanted to have short hair when younger, the thing is my mom didn’t like that idea. Like other traditional Vietnamese women, she likes me having long hair because it not only symbolised Vietnamese women, it suited my my “big round” face LOL and my mom was right for a long time, she has a good taste of fashion, I have to give her that. When i was in schools in Vietnam, my mom used to braid my long fine hair before i went to the classes, she braided it so hard that it stayed in place all day long. My school friends back in Vietnam, they still remember my “unique appearance” as a student: tomboy clothes, a backpack and long hair braid. It was cool at the time, you know, i was different from other Vietnamese girls, i was a lot bigger than them and my style of fashion wasnt like any others either.

Then since i moved to Finland to study and reside in Ireland after, my mom was no longer my stylist, finally I had a chance to dress myself the way i wanted to, i put on makeup and had my own decision on my long hair 🙂 However, i was never brave enough to chop my hair over the shoulder, the perception about having long hair made from my mom was still around my mind. I was afraid that short hairstyle may make my face look bigger and it would ruin my confidence. So for the past few years, the shortest length of haircut i got was just a bit above my chest, and i was till loyal to the braiding hairstyle until…last month 🙂

It goes without saying that people cant stay the same forever, and changes in appearance can positively affect the personalities and the confident level of an individual, and risk is always taking place. To be honest, im fed up with my long hair care routine big time, extremely time consuming really, i used to spend nearly 2 hours washing, blow-drying and then styling, too much for my busy life 🙂

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Then i did a bit of research online about having short haircut for long round face like myself. It worked 🙂 Miranda Kerr was one of the first celebs I came across in my mind, and she recently chopped her long hair to go with the bob hairstyle, then its Selena Gomez also changed her hairstyle into short style. They both have round shape faces except for Miranda whose face is bit edgy from the cheekbones. But they all gave me the idea of me having a bob hairstyle. I knew the haircut may not work out well for my face shape but i was ready to take the risk, my hair grows very quick so i have nothing to lose haha.

And the result was beyond my expectations (thanks the Buddha :)), i felt literally relieved and fresh after the hairdresser chopped off my hair, great feeling in general. My friends love it, my mom was bit shock at first, then she agreed with me that the new hairstyle suits me (Thanks the Buddha, again!). But the main point is that the short hairstyle’s saved me so much time regarding the haircare routine and my hair has the best volumes than ever before. Im now able to style whatever way i like to with my hair, my favourite style so far is the wavy beachy one, its easy to do and makes me look younger and more stylish (OK enough of self-promotion lol)

So that was a bit update on my hairstyle and hope you’ll like the post and hope it’ll give some kinda motivation to girls out there who are thinking to get a short hair cut like myself 😉

Now im off to the park enjoying the sun while it lasts 🙂

Lucy xx

 

 

SMASHBOX WATER PRIMER | FIRST IMPRESSION

OK… I know its been forever ages since I abandoned my WordPress. My last post was done exactly 3 years and 2 months ago LOL Where have I been? Why did I stop writing blogs? What happened? Bla Bla Bla

Well, for the past 3 years my life has been significantly changing and until now, it’s been an up and down journey living and working away from home country, Vietnam. I’d love to share highlights of the past 3 years of my disappearance but they’ll be in another post. Today, let’s just focus on the beauty session 😉

Well as you may have known, I love wearing makeups and playing around with them. They not only make me feel prettier and more confident, they also give me a chance to discover the creativity inside me. When it comes to makeup products, I usually pay more attention to primers and foundations, i mean i’d be willing to spend extra bucks on them. This is because they are applied directly to your skin and can decide your whole makeup look, and the last thing you want to do on your skin is to damage it by using cheap make-up products.

It is recommended to use primers before applying foundations on your skin as they’ll keep the makeup products last longer and protect your skin as well. I used to use the Benefit pore minimal primer for a long time until i found out about the Smashbox water primer. The main reason why i made a switch was the Benefit one gave my skin bad pimples over the last few months i used it; by the way, my facial skin type is combination but bit over oily side so it’s very acne-prone (according to my experience). Then i went online and searched for primers that are friendly with combination skins, and this Smashbox Water Primer received a bunch of positive feedbacks from online beauty gurus and websites, plus i also heard a lot of good things about Smashbox primers in general, so all of those excuses make me purchase this bad boy and so far it hasn’t failed my expectations.

PROS:

1. Extremely light-weight, it’s literally like you spray mineral water directly on your face.
2. It does make the make-up look fresher.
3. Multi-task, can be used either setting spray or refresher during the day, it actually makes the makeup last longer (roughly 7-9 hours)
4. The product lasts very long time, so if you are looking for an high-end makeup products that dont run out quick, this is the one 🙂
5. Last but not least, because it’s sillicon, alcohol and oil free, it suits my skin perfectly and hasn’t made my skin irritated or gettng pimples, BIG PLUS for this bad boy 🙂

CONS: So far the only downside of this product is that you have to wait for roughly 30 to 45 seconds  before you apply the foundation as the primer takes its time to dry out 🙂 But it doesn’t really bother me.

I also make a first impression video about this primer on my YouTube YouTube Channel, check it out. I hope this post and the video will give you an idea about this product if you are thinking to get one. I got mine here 

 

Stay tuned for more beauty tips and beauty products reviews 🙂

 

6 key beauty benefits from lemon

Good day, everyone!

Hope you had a relaxing weekend, and a great working week ahead. I’m at school now and sitting in the library waiting for the next lesson…it sucks! Anyways, at least i have some times to update my website 🙂

If you follow my recent posts, you will notice that i wrote about my coffee allergy last week, in which i mentioned to switch to another healthier drink. Indeed, I’ve been drinking a glass of lemon juice without adding sugar every morning since last Tuesday, and i feel good so far, so sign of allergy but it gives me better mood, better digestion and much more! so in today’s blog, i will highlights 6 key beauty  benefits that lemons can offer you. I hope you will find my blog useful somehow…

Abolish Acne:  Lemon contains citric acid, which can be effective in treating acne. The vitamin C found in citrus fruits is vital for that healthy glowing skin while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne. You can drink the lemon juice without sugar every morning before or after breakfast (i prefer drinking it after breakfast cos the lemon can give you a fresher breath :))

Cure Corns and Calluses: Lemon poultices applied overnight are a good home remedy for corns and calluses. Place a slice of lemon approx 5 mm thick on to the corn, bandage and fasten. Dabbing the affected area with lemon essential oil also helps accelerate the healing process. Take care to only use the undiluted oil on the callused area using a cotton ball or Q- tip, as it is too strong for un-callused skin.

Energizes You and Enhances Your Mood: The energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

Aids in Weight Loss: Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. Studies have shown people who maintain a more alkaline diet, do in fact lose weight faster. I personally find myself making better choices throughout the day, if I start my day off right, by making a health conscious choice to drink warm lemon water first thing every morning.

Dandruff removal: Lemon is a good for your hair too, as it helps in removing dandruff. Rubbing or massaging lemon juice on your hair regulates the blood in your head helping in hair growth. The glands are regulated too which help in producing oil to have a beautiful and shiny hair.

Hydrates Your Lymph System: Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can definitely feel the side effects, which include: feeling tired, sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed, just to name a few.

 

Savonia UAS | Varkaus Campus
Finland

Trimming your own hair yourself :) CreaClip product review

Yes, this is it. I did trim my long hair myself for the first time ever in my whole life. It was thrilling when i layered my hair with the scissors, but everything went quite well to me with a big thank to my “assistant” CreaClip tool. Before i went ahead and trimmed my hair, i googled some techniques cutting your own hair at home, and i came across with that fantastic solutions.

CreaClip is basically clips that guide you through a haircut. My first thought after watching the demo video on Youtube is that i would help me cut down the cost for going to the hair salon, which normally i had to pay not less than €20 for a trimming section. Now with that cool DIY hair-trimming gadget, i could trim my long hair at home anytime i want, and the rest of my family member can use it as well! So i decided to order a CreaClip pack on Ebay in Germany, which i paid €31 in total (it was a bit cheaper compared to order it from the company’s website).  I got the pack 2 days later and i experimented the cool Creaclip straight away! Usually it was awkward to cut my hair even the hair dressers told me that at one stage because my hair is long and thick (that’s why they charge me much), but with CreaClip the my problem is well-sorted. It was absolutely easy to use and the result was just tremendous! (well at least to me who hasnt trimmed her own hair herself before!). It’s also time-saving too as it only took me 5 minutes to get my hair trimmed perfectly.

So from now i dont have to worry about booking with a hairdresser for hair trimming anymore, which is excellent! I can trim my own hair and even for my husband and my little cutie Brooklyn at my own convenience. I highly recommend this cost-saving solution anyone and especially for overseas students like me right now who want to save the hair cutting expenses over for something else more important.

It was a pity that i forgot to snap my hair before trimming it with CreaClip, i just took photo of my hair after i did it. but at least i have something to show ya 🙂 Enjoy and good luck!

Lemmikinkatu 1A 3A
Varkaus, Finland

Using Rosemary essential oil for hair treatment

The story about my unruled hair seemed to be never ending, it broke so much that i have to limit washing my hair and be extremely gentle when brushing it. I’d been searching for natural solutions and treatment shampoo to treat hair breakage, and i came across with Rosemary essential oil which is meant to be good at hair treatment in general. A friend of mine also recommended it for me, as she used to deal with hair breakage and rosemary essential oil solution had solve her problem perfectly. 

My partner sent a bottle of Rosemary essential oil to me by post and i got it 2 days ago (purchasing the Rosemary oil in Finland is quite costly in comparison to buy it in Ireland, so i asked my partner to buy one and post it over to me). I’ve been using it for 2 days and the result is tremendous! I love its smell and the oil actually instantly softens my hair from the 1st time i apply it on my hair. What i did is to mix a few drops of Rosemary oil with my current shampoo, and just wash my hair as usual. You will see the difference instantly…

I’ve collected some information online about the rosemary itself and how it can be used for hair treatment.I hope those who are experience the same situation like me will find it useful. 

 

Rosemary at a glance:

Rosemary is very common and easily accessible herb. It grows on a small evergreen shrub belonging to the Labiatae family that is related to mint. Its leaves look like flat pine-tree needles, deep green in color on top while silver-white on their underside. Its memorable flavor and unique health benefits makes it an indispensable herb for every kitchen.  

History of Use for Hair Care:People of the Mediterranean countries, such as France, Spain and Italy, have been using rosemary for centuries for hair care; they often use rosemary in a hair rinse to condition the hair. In addition, many people believe that rosemary oil is capable of stimulating hair growth, due to the properties rosemary possesses.

Here is a brief list of its uses and benefits to hair:

• Stimulates and improves circulation to the scalp thus encouraging hair growth
• Due to it’s antibacterial quality it gently cleanses hair
• Increases shine
• Fights premature greying
• Relieves irritated, dry, flaky, dandruff ridden scalps

How Rosemary Oil Stimulates Hair Growth:
Patrica Davis, in her book, “Aromatherapy: An A-Z,” debunks the use of rosemary oil for hair growth as a “myth”; however, Valerie Ann Worwood, in her book, “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy,” recommends the use of rosemary oil for hair growth. According to Worwood, rosemary oil stimulates cell division and dilates blood vessels and, in turn, stimulates hair follicles into producing new hair growth. Rosemary oil is not the only essential oil credited with stimulating hair growth.

How to use rosemary oil for hair care:

Add rosemary oil to shampoos, hair conditioners, rinses, oils and lotions. Rosemary oil can be used in these mediums to wash and condition hair, or rubbed into the scalp on a regular basis to stimulate hair growth. Combine rosemary oil with other beneficial essential oils such as tea tree to treat other scalp problems, or replace with other hair-growth stimulants such as cypress, lemon, geranium or sage essential oils.

References: 

http://motherhood.modernmom.com/rosemary-essential-oil-hair-loss-3346.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/75577-rosemary-oil-hair-growth/

Lemmikinkatu 1a 3A

Varkaus, Finland