Ramblings: Revisiting Tea-Washing and Now Trying Catnip Tea!

I used to wash my hair with green tea- in fact, it's still my most popular post on this blog. 

However, I don't know if I ever really got it down to an art, and eventually gave up on it and just returned to CO-washing. It was very cleansing for me- it left my hair squeaky clean, but it was not moisturizing enough on its own for me to use it without conditioner.

Nowadays, though, I've found how much I love mineral oil- the often-vilified cosmetic ingredient that I feel could totally replace conditioner in my routine (yes, seriously! I love it. Lightweight, performs better than silicones, non-comedogenic, and virtually no buildup? YES PLEASE!). So why not try switching up my routine some more and see if I find new ways to make my hair happy?

Green tea has loads of antioxidants and has numerous benefits to the body. But what about using other forms of green tea? I've wondered about whether something like matcha could give more benefits than regular green tea? (Luckily I have some lower grade food quality matcha that I might just be willing to part with to give it a shot.) 

Additionally, since I started growing catnip in my garden, I've read up more on the benefits that catnip can impart onto the hair. I have tons of catnip at my disposal now and, as I write this, I'm brewing up my first catnip tea to try as a rinse to see if I receive any benefit from it. I'll give it a shot tomorrow and report back! Maybe it can be a new staple in my haircare regimen?

Catnip contains natural oils and can be moisturizing for hair, and it imparts a yellow stain that can brighten up the hair. According to ktani, it can help prevent split ends and works as a very mild cleanser. (Check out ktani's blog- seriously, good information there about catnip and some other really cool methods)

I think I might be willing to give my old tea washing methods another go, provided I can figure out a way to tweak it so that I can derive the most benefit from it. 

I'll be sure to write more about my tea adventures!

Hairtracker Part 14: April 2015

Hello, everyone!

I just wanted to pop in and say, yes, I'm still growing strong! (Or long, as it would be)
Here's an update on my progress-

I'm at about 32.5"! Just about an inch away from being solidly hip!

My routine's slightly changed since I read up on the wonderful properties of mineral oil (Thanks to the fantastic blog, ktani's hair sense) and how it can provide superior detangling, defrizzing, and smoothing benefits. I lightly apply a couple of drops onto slightly-damp or dry hair, then go about my day! I like it so far- still trying to see if it's going to be a permanent fixture in my routine or not. But so far, so good. Less tangles, less breakage, and my hair's more manageable. I can actually wear it down sometimes! (Not that I want to- it's getting too hot, heh)

See you next time! Thanks for reading! :)

Hairtoy Haul: Kiev Giftshop

Hello, hello!

Today I thought I'd shine the spotlight on a lesser-known hairtoy maker- one that only popped up on my radar thanks to the LHC. That seller is kievgiftshop on etsy.

I looked through as was impressed by the beautiful painted wooden forks and combs (and headbands!) for sale in their shop. I've never really had a hairfork- for the most part, I've mostly limited myself to sticks and clips.

However, one day, I found this fork for sale and knew I wanted to give it a shot- they're not particularly expensive, even with shipping from Ukraine, I figured I could pick up a little gift to myself and see how I liked it.

Hair Fork

After receiving my little present in the mail, I was impressed, to say the least. The comb is strikingly beautiful in my hair. I am absolutely enamored. It is just my style- I love flowers and I love blue. I love black hair accessories that stand out in my hair, so I feel like I made the right choice.

Now, one thing I saw mentioned in its respective  thread on the LHC was the concern over the curvature of the fork. Some people were worried that the curvature would make the fork difficult to work with- here's a picture of what I mean.

When I saw it, I was surprised at how curvy it was, but I have had no trouble whatsoever with this fork in my updos. In fact, this fork holds amazingly well- better than my Ficcare hairclips, I'd say. I'd wager that it has something to do with the curvature.

Fork's curvature

The flowers are beautiful- absolutely gorgeous in person! They're hand-painted with oil paint, as is the rest of the stick, and they are amazing. They are very striking and really stand out. The stick is slightly glossy, as seen in this photo.

Hand painted flowers! Pretty!

I'm definitely going to repurchase. I have since actually ordered a few more forks. They're inexpensive, lightweight, beautiful forks that are unique and hold very well. As someone with frustratingly slippery hair, that is a godsend.

The fork in action

I hope you guys enjoyed the pictures! Once I receive my new forks, I'll be sure to post some pictures of those, too. Have a great day!

Hairtracker Part 13: December 2014 + Happy New Year + Hairtoy Haul

Hello, everyone! Long time no see.

First, thanks as always for stopping by my blog and taking a look! Secondly, hope you all have a Happy New Year! :)

I'm a bit late, but better late than never with my December 2014 length shot! Here's a side-by side comparison between the beginning of this year and December.

I measured at 24" in January, and just a little bit over 30" when I took the last picture. As expected, I hit waist length this year! YAY! I'm really happy- this is about where I was when I cut my hair back in 2012. I'm very happy with the condition and color of my hair overall. In fact, it's so healthy and happy that I haven't trimmed in months, and it doesn't look like I'll need to trim for a while yet. Wow!

My hope is that for 2015, I will be able to reach 36", which, if I'm not mistaken, is around hip or tailbone length for me. I don't think this is going to be an issue unless there's a catastrophe with my hair.

Also, I want to invest in a nice camera so I can take pictures of my horde of hairtoys. It's small- for now, but growing at a rather alarming pace. Since my last TT post, I've acquired 3 more sticks and 3 Flexi-8's. Here's a nice shot of my little hairtoy family while it's still in its infancy.

Yup, I'm up to 4 TT sticks. The two hairsticks on the left next to each other are from the wonderful HairJems Etsy store. Those are some of my favorite "going-out" sticks.

Speaking of which, here's some shots of my latest acquisition- that beautiful TT holly stick on the far right.

Pictures never do these sticks justice. They're so beautiful in person.

And, of course, the obligatory TT family picture....

Hard to say which one is my favorite. They're all really unique and cool. I think I still favor my first stick, but this new one is quickly becoming my most-worn treasure. It just looks so fabulous.

I'd like to do a write-up on Flexi-8's, too. I hope you all will stick around and look forward to it! Until then, have a wonderful day and a Happy New Year! :)

Hairtracker Part 12: October 2014

Hello, everyone! I'm posting to update on my growing progress!

Sorry for the poor quality- nothing was cooperating 

29"

Just one more inch to go and I'll be at waist!

I also have another stick I'd like to review soon- so be on the lookout for that post! :)

Hair Tracker Part 11: August 2014

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a lovely day. I thought I'd update everyone on my growing progress!

I measured in at 28"!
I had a few stragglers that measured in at 28.5" but I'm just going to call it 28".
Hooray! My goal of waist by the end of the year looks more and more realistic!

Have a great day!

Hairtoy Haul: Timberstone Turnings

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a lovely day.

Today, I thought I'd showcase a hairstick that I'd recently purchased, because, let's be honest, what's a long hair blog without some hairtoy action shots?

This particular stick comes from Timberstone Turnings. When I first came upon this etsy shop, I was taken aback by how beautiful- and expensive- the sticks were! I debated and turned it over in my mind lots of times, checking up on the shop and trying to find something I liked. I am an extremely picky shopper, especially when it comes to anything for my hair, so I ended up not purchasing anything for months.

Until, one day, I saw this stick for sale and I knew instantly it was the one for me.

I ended up purchasing it, hoping that it would be worth the fairly hefty price tag. I received it a few days later, and let me just say, no photos do this amazing stick justice. It is a true work of art.

 First off, the paua shell inlays are incredible. They catch the light so beautifully- they shimmer this beautiful almost-turquoise color. The wood is polished and incredibly smooth, yet this stick manages to hold my extremely slippery hair in place just fine.

And of course, the resin topper- wow! It is fantastic. It's got gold leaf, and clovers (and mine has a couple of blossoms in there!) along with sparkly pearl essence. It is SO pretty.
I'm happy to know that I'm supporting a very talented artist, and I feel like these sticks are absolutely worth the money. Yes, they are pricey, but I haven't found too many hairstick crafters whose quality really stands up next to the sticks from Timberstone Turnings.

The only drawback is that this stick is sort of short. That's not really TT's fault so much as it is my own, as I didn't realize that my hair is thicker than I thought. Its total length is 6 1/4", and my hair eats a lot of that, making it somewhat difficult to show off the designs (especially the inlays) in most buns that I do, like my preferred braided buns. It seems to look best when  it's in center-hold buns like the nautilus bun or lazy wrap bun.

When I purchase from them in the future, I'll have to consider a custom order for a longer stick.

It holds my hair well, though, which was surprising considering that I have difficulty with my updos sliding around because my hair is very slippery.

I hope you enjoyed my review! I'll definitely be back in the future with more posts about my hairtoys! :) I hope to turn this into a regular feature of this blog. Thanks for reading!!

:)