Hair Care Routine for Curly Hair

I have super curly hair that I get mostly from my mother. When I was younger, I used to hate my curls. I would straighten them, tie them up, and downright abuse them all the time. As I got older, I realized what a blessing it is to have curly hair. Some people would kill to have curly locks! I began to accept my super curly and frizzy hair and started to maintain it the right way. It did take me a while to figure out what products worked well and which didn't. I've had SO MANY PEOPLE come to me and ask, "Is your hair natural? What do you do with it? How are your curls so maintained??". Yes, my hair is naturally curly and this post is all about how I control these locks :)

Step 1: I shampoo and condition with Head and Shoulder's Smooth and Silky 24-hour Frizz Control. Curly hair is ALWAYS frizzy and poofy. This shampoo/conditioner work together to tame my hair and make it soft and silky!

Step 2: Do not blow dry or towel dry. Adding heat to curls only causes them to become more frizzy and towel drying your hair - especially if your hair is super dry - causes natural oils to strip. I always air dry - I know, life is hard.

Step 3: While my hair is wet, I spray It's a 10 Miracle Leave In to untangle my hair, calm frizz, and give it shine. I comb through it, not styling it quite yet.

Step 4: I spray Fructis Garnier's Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil because I have a dry scalp and dry hair. This oil helps lock in moisture so my hair will stay frizz free. If you have oily hair, you definitely need to skip this step.

Step 5: I begin styling it and combing out my bangs/face frame. While I'm styling, I spray in a bit of Aussie's Leave In Conditioner to combat humid days and poofiness.

Step 6: After my hair is all set in the way I want, I finish it up with a dime-size blob of mousse specifically for curly hair. I use Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls Hair Lotion because this stuff makes my hair so soft and makes sure my curls don't fall.

Extra Tips:

- I never brush through my curly hair with an actual brush - I only comb through when it's wet. I use my fingers to brush through because a brush will poof your hair up and cause triangle hair.

- Don't use too much of any product you put in your hair. Sometimes, multiple products can severely weigh down your curls, giving you flathead.

- I wash my hair every three days because three day hair is the bessssst.

- I have super short bangs that look really weird when completely curled. I use a straightener on low to lightly go through my bangs and give them a wavy look.

- If you have tons of baby hair, Aussie's Leave In Conditioner will fix that.

- Always tie your hair in a loose bun when you go to sleep.

- I do shampoo/condition my hair once a week with Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil because this does wonders for curly hurr.

This may seem like a long process but it only takes me about 5 minutes, 10 minutes if I'm having a bad hair day.

~Misbah

Top 2 Facial Cleansers + Review!

Over the years (especially those awkward years), I've experimented with tons of cleansers trying to find some that not only work well with my skin, but also do what they claim. I've gone through the really awesome and the really bad and I know how hard it is for many of you to find a good facial cleanser that will suit you! After years, I was finally able to narrow my search down to two really awesome cleansers. These two do wonders for my skin! Hopefully these two suggestions will work for you, and if they do, let me know in the comments below! Also, if you have any suggestions for me, leave me a comment or message.

Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser: I've heard all the hype about this cleanser and finally decided to try it out. After using it, I cannot stress to all you girls out there how much you need this cleanser in your life. It contains natural charcoal which is known to lift out impurities and lemme tell you, it sure does! The product comes out charcoal-colored, but once it foams up, it becomes white and smells just like any of the other Bioré cleansers. When you massage it on, you can feel your skin begin to tingle and there's this really awesome heating and cooling sensation. It feels so calming! After you wash it off, your skin is noticeably brighter. I could feel my skin cleaner and so refreshed! It really cleans out all that gunk because I used a toner afterwards and there was nothing there! This is a must for everyone!

Noxzema Anti-Blemish Daily Scrub: I don't normally have acne, but when those pesky spots do appear, I need a quick way to get rid of them because who loves spots? Whenever I see even the tiniest spot, I use this cleanser (usually at night) and when I wake up the next morning, I wake up to clear skin! All those little and big spots are gone! Noxzema works miracles for my me, but it does definitely dry up my skin due to the high amount of Salicylic Acid. To fix this, I just slather a good amount of Vaseline over my face. If I use it in the morning, I slather moisturizer! Also, sometimes it's that time of the month and those spots just do not want to go away, even with this cleanser. I first use this cleanser and then afterwards I rub on elf's Zit Zapper. The Zit Zapper has Tea Tree Oil which is known to fight spots!

I hope this might help some of you with your facial issues because we all have them and girl, do not be ashamed.

~Misbah

Face Mask Review + Favorites

I absolutely love face masks because they not only nourish and refresh my skin, but they also give me some relaxation time. I use them at least twice a week, three times at the most to remove any dead skin cells and rejuvenate my skin. Every time I use a mask, my skin glows!

Claim: Soaks up unnecessary oils, without drying out your skin too much, and it exfoliates your skin to remove dead cells.

Perfect for: all skin types

Verdict: Yes it does! I have very dry skin so I need something that will suck out all the dirt after a long day without flaking my skin. When you first apply the mask, it begins to feel warm on your skin - a very soothing feeling. When you exfoliate, you can feel your skin already beginning to become refreshed! It does not dry my skin and it definitely does remove the dead skin because my face is so much more brighter and uplifting after I use this.

I do recommend you apply this over the sink because sometimes the product doesn't entirely stick to your face due to the grainy nature of it.

Claim: Takes out dirt and oils from pores. The infused avocado and oatmeal moisturizes skin for lasting skin softness.

Perfect for: normal to combination skin

Verdict: It's alright for my skin type. I do believe the mask rids your skin from dirt and oils, but not so much on the "lasting skin softness". Because my skin is dry, I expected that my skin would need additional moisturizing. However, my sister who has oily skin uses this and loves it! It keeps her skin fresh and moisturized! It also helps a lot with small breakouts!

Claim: Purges dirt and excess oil from face for a cleaner, refined surface. Also, the 8-antioxident blend of fruits guard against free radicals and environmental stress.

Perfect for: all skin types

Verdict: It's very different, but I kind of like it! This was my first peel-off mask I've ever used because I other peel-off's have been known to do quite a bit of damage to your skin. When you apply the product, it goes on clear and stays clear! It's the weirdest thing ever when you begin peeling it because it looks as if you're peeling off your skin. However, I feel that the infused fruits do calm my skin down after a long day and it does strip away dirt and oil - not too much though.

Claim: Delivers relief from inflammation caused by breakouts. Clay absorbs oil to minimize shine and large pores.

Perfect for: breakout prone and oily skin.

Verdict: YES. My skin is not breakout prone or oily, but I do use this mask whenever I have a couple of small breakouts here and there. Regarding the breakouts, this mask not only calms down the inflammation but it can also remove white heads! I do have large pores in my T-zone. I didn't really see a difference with my pores. My sister uses this for her oily skin and it seems to work fine with her!

Claim: Tones skin and diminishes the appearance of large pores and moisturizes for smoother, softer skin.

Perfect for: normal to dry skin.

Verdict: YES! What I love about this mask is that it does tone your skin. Sometimes, my skin can get irritated during the day and becomes a pinkish tint around my cheeks. After using this mask, the tint does go away and it does moisturize! Aside from all the great benefits, the mask smells EXACTLY like chocolate and strawberries which makes my mouth water.

Claim: Effective pore cleanser, tightens loose and sagging skin,  and relaxes tired facial muscles to soften lines and wrinkles. 

Perfect for: mature skin

Verdict: It's okay. This was one of my first facial masks ever and my mother and I would share this. I don't believe it relaxes tired facial muscles, but it does clean pores. My face was brighter after I used this mask! 

Claim: Absorbs excess oil and minimizes the appearance of pores. 

Perfect for: any skin type

Verdict: I LOVE. Not only is aroma of this mask refreshing, it does wonders for my skin. I use this at the end of the day on the hottest days of summer. After my skin has taken in all the extra oil and dirt, I leave this mask on. When I wash it off, my skin looks visibly cleaner. My pores seem to disappear too! 

You can probably tell which ones are my all time favorites, but if I were to pick three it would be the charcoal, strawberry, and mint julep masks. They work best for my skin and in my opinion, are the best facial masks to exist.

~Misbah

Summer Colors

Summer is here and everyone, literally everyone, talks about the new colors they should wear for the brightest season. I typically don't change the themes of my outfits or makeup like everyone else, but I do like to switch around my nail polish colors. So here's what I've been wearing on my nails for the beginning of summer!

Yes, I was indecisive on whether to use red on my fingers or toes.

After contemplating through my semi-extensive nail polish collection, I decided to go with my all time favorite: essie's Miss Fancy Pants. I love this color because it's a very subtle grey and it actually goes along with any outfit. It's very neutral and professional, for you receptionists out there. It's definitely not attention grabbing and freakish, but rather elegant. Normally, this color wouldn't be considered a summer color, but I think it is. It's fresh and bright and not too out there for work.

After experimenting some more, I decided I wanted to go with a different color on the toes. A bright red from Ulta was the way to go. When paired with bright summer sandals, your feet will shine against the sun! As always, make sure to pair any of your summer nail looks with Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Hardener for not only strong nails but also a great base coat! The bottle says to use the hardener even as a top coat, but I don't recommend that. When I used it as a top coat, the look became a foggy matted color. It wasn't very cute. So just use a fast drying clear top coat and you're finished! 

~Misbah