A year ago I wrote a postabout my experience having IPL (intense pulsed light) hair removal treatments, and it feels like time for an update about how it’s going. I had been having treatments on my underarms for nearly 3 years, and to be honest, I was fed up. My hairs were much softer and lighter…but they were mostly still there which is not what I wanted. I had raised my frustration with the clinic a few times and they did do their best for me, but it just wasn’t quite good enough. Then one day I saw on facebook that Off Wax, a waxing bar that I used to go to before I started to get IPL/and still sometimes get my brows done at, is now Off Wax and Laser. I went for a consultation there, and embarked on my first laser hair removal session! In this post I’ll explain the difference between IPL and laser hair removal, and write about my experience getting laser hair removal.
Last weekend, I went for a haircut which is a pretty routine activity for me. I went to the same salon I’ve been going to for like five years, and although the hairdresser I’ve been seeing recently was away on holiday, I thought it would be fine to see someone else there since I’ve always loved my hair I’ve had done there. WHAT A CRUCIAL MISTAKE.
I explained to the hairdresser what I wanted, which was a bit shorter, thinned out, and shaped around my face – the same thing I’ve had for ages now. The experience started off well, and the head massage was actually so amazing I texted a friend about it. The haircut seemed like it was going well, nothing to arouse my concerns, until the blowdrying/style part began. I asked for waves…and what I got was the ugliest curls I’ve ever seen. I also realised that my hair was MUCH shorter that I wanted. I was in shock, and I just paid and left before bursting into tears once I got in my car. I rushed home and tried to straighten my hair, and fixed my makeup (although I kept ruining it with tears!). I was meeting some friends for dinner and drinks, and they all assured me that my hair looked great but I was just so disappointed and unhappy.
Shampoo and Conditioner are products where I like to change it up regularly. I currently have four different pairs in my shower, and the ones I’m talking about today are the OGX Vitamin E Shampoo and OGX Vitamin B5 Conditioner. I was sent these products, along with the OGX B5 Weightless Oil Mist, to share my thoughts with you all. Read on to see what I thought of them!
A little while ago, I received an email from Far Botanicals, asking if I would like to try their handcrafted, silicone-free natural hair serum, Far Botanicals Verde Oil Supreme. I was very interested, as I love using oil in my hair and have ranted about ‘hair oils’ that are mainly silicone many times (including in a blog post). Shortly afterwards, I received this package on my doorstep, all the way from the USA. This is the Far Botancials Verde Oil Supreme 8 scent sampler set, and is made of a blend of botanical ingredients that are good for hair such as Cassia Auriculata, Indian Gooseberry and Bhringraj extract and various oils including Peach kernel oil, tea seed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil.
The eight scents are: Cocoa & Rum, Vanilla Narcotique, Lavender Absolute, Rose Rapture, Temple Hymn, Blood Orange & Patchouli Musk, Lilikoi (Passion Flower), and Low Scent – so it’s more like seven scents plus no scent but lets not be picky here!
The lipstick I’m wearing Silly from the MAC is Beauty collection
If you’re following me on social media, (and you should be! Links in the sidebar), you might be aware that I’ve recently had a hair transformation. I had about 15cm cut off, and I also dyed it darker. For the last couple of years I’ve been getting blonde highlights, but I didn’t feel like keeping up with the the expense and inconvenience of the maintenance. It’s been funny seeing peoples’ reactions – people who have know me forever aren’t too fazed by it, a couple of people have said it’s like the old Lena, whereas newer people are like ‘wow it’s so different!!’
Since it’s been shorter, I’ve been wearing it out a lot more as opposed to just twisting it up into a top knot. This meant I’ve started to make use of some styling products, and one of them is the Schwarzkopf Styliste Ultîme biotin+ volume Soufflé* that I was sent. This is a mousse type product that adds body and texture without weighing it down or being sticky.
My mum has been taking a six month trial of Viviscal Hair Growth supplements, kindly provided by Viviscal, and sharing her updates with us here at Lena Talks Beauty.
Having just popped my last Viviscal pill, Lena suggested I write the six month review update. (The truth is I finished 3 days ago but who’s gonna know!) I guess photos speak louder than words… so here it is – a bit posed and to be honest, this was taken around a month ago – so just 5 months into the Six Month Viviscal trial but you can see how pleased I am with myself….
I can’t believe I have been writing this blog for 10 months, and I haven’t properly written about my hair care routine – well that is changing today, my friends! I’m going to tell you all about what I do to my hair to keep it looking so great. Does that sound vain? Maybe, but it’s a reality – I get a lot of compliments and questions about my hair. I’m going to write about the basic products I use, such as the shampoo and conditioner, as well as some treatments and things that I make use of a bit less frequently that nonetheless contribute.
My mum Lulu has been taking Viviscal hair growth supplements* for 3 months now, and time has come for an update on her progress. When she started taking these supplements, her hair was thinning and generally lacklustre. It had been damaged by bleaching and too many chemical treatments, and she was also experiencing the natural thinning of hair that comes with aging. Halfway through the recommend six month period of Viviscal supplements is usually when users start to see an improvement in their hair – and is this the case for mum? Let’s see!
Ribbon elastic hairties are very ‘on trend’ at the moment, but they can be pretty expensive. Some stores are charging $2 each which is more than I’m willing to pay. Today, I’ll be showing you how to make your own ribbon elastic hairties, for around 50c each.
Today we have a guest post from my Mum! It’s the start of a bit of a series about thinning hair and what she’s doing to improve hers:
While I was at the hairdressers recently, lamenting my thinning, damaged lacklustre hair, I turned the page of the Marie Claire magazine I was reading and saw an article about ways to improve thinning hair! What are the odds?!
Now, I’m a bit of a sceptic, and most of the suggestions were to put expensive lotions and potions on my hair. I know that magazine people get sent loads of free stuff to try and in return, they write articles about how good they are. Plus, I’ve tried many products over the years and have decided that whether they’re cheap or expensive, it doesn’t necessarily mean whether they’re any good or not. I’ve paid big money for sub-standard results, and little money for great results. (Same with skin care products too for that matter.)
As I was reading the article I laughed as there was the suggestion to take “hair thickening tablets” and my hairdresser asked about it and he laughed too. This was because, barely 20 minutes earlier I’d been telling him about all the lotions and potions I’d tried on my hair eg using coconut oil, emu oil and even making a duck fat intensive conditioner. He nearly died when I said that! Yes – good old duck fat out of the fridge that my husband uses to cook with! (Note from Lena – gross!!! Mum has not convinced me to try this) The thing is, when you have blonde hair you have to be careful of what you put in it, so darker coloured oils such as olive oil or argan oil, can turn your hair darker or worse – orange! Another thing that made my hairdresser balk, was telling him that I take a tablespoon of gelatine powder every day figuring that it might help my hair! (I later found out he was a vegetarian, so as well as being disgusted with the idea of it – he didn’t like the fact that animals had been a part of my treatment regime)
So when we saw the article mentioning Viviscal hair treatment tablets I said I’d google them (what else does one do whilst stuck in the hairdressers chair besides that and drink coffee). I discovered they were $199 for three months and I exclaimed $199!!! I then laughed and said “I’ll probably buy it though” and we both cracked up.
I thought about this Viviscal treatment on and off for a few days, and went on their website to read more. It seems the main ingredient is shark cartilage and when I googled that, I discovered it is mostly promoted as being good for joints – arthritis and that kind of thing. I read a lot of reviews about it, and people seemed pretty positive, so I was feeling quite tempted. They also have a few clinical studies that showed good results.
Now – this is where it gets really weird. My daughter Lena, who writes this blog, contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in trialling these new hair tablets she’d found out about – and guess what?? They were Viviscal! I jumped at the chance and now can’t wait to get started.
Here’s a couple of “before” photos so you see what I’m dealing with…. which is basically over-processed, thinning, dry, lacklustre, straggly, dull, lifeless hair. My hairdresser is constantly trying to get me to cut my hair short and dye it brown but I said I want to persevere with my long hair to see if I could get it looking any better. As I mentioned earlier, I feel like I’ve tried everything with my hair but despite that it’s still thinning! I try to style it in ways that give it more volume, but they all tend to involve heat which also isn’t great for the hair – there’s no winning with this!
Sad face at thinning hair (plus she said it was a classic “before” shot) – poor Mum!
I have learnt recently that aging (my least favourite topic) also contributes to thinning hair – great! Not only that, but I was watching television recently and there was an ad that started “we all know that once we hit our 40’s our eyelashes start thinning” … double great! (sarcasm intended) (and no, we don’t all know that!). I looked in the mirror, and sure enough, what used to be thick, full, eyelashes – were indeed thinner.
The six months supply of Viviscal tablets for me to review arrived in all their glory along with special shampoo and conditioner – very exciting! The tablets are quite large which I’m sure could put off some people (size doesn’t worry me though), and the packaging of the tablet sleeves is such, that even though they will be thrown in my handbag to fend for their life with all the other rubble – I’m sure they will survive intact due to the thickness of the foil.
So now, as I have just taken my first tablet (I’m to take one in the morning and one in the evening), and am looking fervently in the mirror for signs of hair growth and improvement, I am also hoping it will help my eyelashes. My other half, who is even more sceptical than I am about such things, is laughing as I write this – mouthing the words whilst shaking his head “it’s not going to do anything” – so we’ll wait 3 and then 6 months to see who is right (I soooo hope it is me).
Stay tuned!
3 month review up now – read it here and 6 month review here
By Lulu
Product provided by Viviscal for purposes of review.
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