Tag Archives: hair

Tuesday Tip – Dry Shampoo

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This is our weekly section, Tuesday Tip. No matter where you work, Tuesdays tend to be the dullest day of the week. So to combat the general “meh”-ness, we bring to you a quick tip to perk up your day!

Also, if you do happen to try out our Tuesday Tip, send us a photo and we’ll feature you in our column!

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Tuesday Tip – Issue 8 – Dry Shampoo

Last weekend was a long one but also happened to be an extremely busy one.  I had booked myself on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night and hence didn’t have time for some hair TLC until Saturday. I don’t like washing my hair more than twice a week but multiple night-outs leave my hair looking greasy and smelling of acrid cigarette smoke. So what to do?

Stock up on dry shampoo! Think of dry shampoo as a deodorant for your hair.  Flip your hair over and spray liberally.  Let it settle for a few minutes then brush out any residue with a natural bristle brush.  Your hair will look freshly washed with all signs of oil residue gone leaving behind a light, fresh scent.  It will take a few tries before you figure out how much is “just enough” for your hair type.

I’ve tried a few different brands of dry shampoo.  Ojon comes highly recommended but didn’t work too well for me, so I prefer Boots Expert Dry Shampoo, which is easily available in Dubai. Although, In a pinch regular old baby powder will also work.

Just a heads-up, don’t let dry shampoo replace your regular shampoo/conditioning routine since you still need to ensure you properly cleanse your scalp. Think of this as an emergency back-up.

boot dry shampoo Tuesday Tip Dry Shampoo

Healthy Hair

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A few days ago, I got complimented about my hair and asked what I do to take care of it. I wish the answer was simple but the reality is that our lifestyles and environments mean that our hair goes through a lot of stress and hence requires a little more TLC.  A few months ago I noticed my hair was in pretty bad shape and decided to take a few steps to improve the quality of my hair.

1. Get a haircut
Long hair has always been a part of my identity and hence I shy away from salon appointments, especially since I haven’t been able to find the “perfect” hairdresser. However, if you straighten your hair every so often, your hair becomes susceptible to split ends. Once your hair is split, there will be no new growth and the lengths will look dead and unhealthy. I normally cut my hair every 6 months but was told that the ideal intervals for trims is every 2 months. So make sure you schedule those regular trims.

2. Watch your diet
We spend a fortune on hair products, but it is equally important to nourish your hair (and skin) from within. Upon a recommendation, I’ve started taking Omega 3-6-9 tablets, along with daily multivitamins. They take time to show their effect, but I’ve definitely noticed more shine and life in my tresses.

3. Take some time for some TLC
Some people are blessed with gorgeous hair but that doesn’t mean those less lucky can’t achieve beautiful hair as well. It just requires finding the right hair regimen that suits you. Every weekend I set aside time for some hair pampering:

  • Oil your hair a minimum of 4 hours before you are ready to wash it. I use a mix of castor, almond, and coconut but feel free to grab your favorite bottle of oils, but preferably stay away from anything synthetic.
  • 30 minutes before washing, apply a hair mask. This can also be store-bought but I whip up a quick mixture of yoghurt and honey. Mix it into your hair and tie-up in a bun and into a shower cap. If you can, pop into a steam room for extra nourishment.
  • Before shampooing, rinse your hair thoroughly with water. Minimize your shampoo usage and try limiting yourself to a herbal/mild/baby shampoo when using herbal remedies. I like to alternate between a salon shampoo like Kérastase and a mild shampoo like Himalaya Herbals.
  • After conditioning, make sure you rinse your hair extra well to remove any excess product. As a final rinse, use a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water. Vinegar is a great clarifying ingredient and will give an added shine to the hair. And even though vinegar has a strong scent, it will disappear once the hair is completely dry.pbbw1 8027545v275 e1305399370874 Healthy Hair

These are just a few things that work for me so play around a bit and find what works for you. And share your recommendations!

P.S. Dollz Tip: If your hair is frizzing up and you don’t have any styling products in your handbag, use a small portion of hand cream. It will tame fly aways and leave a nice scent in your hair. My current favorite is Bath & Body Works Black Amethyst Shea Cashmere Hand Cream.

I’m LUSHing it!

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Call it Indian Mum’s influence or living in LA for 4 years, but I’m an absolute sucker for anything natural or organic.  So it isn’t surprising that one of my favorite stores is LUSH!

One of the best things about Lush (especially the Mercato Mall, Dubai) is the helpfulness of the store attendants. They will gladly assist you or let you explore on your own. Also I’ve never walked out of there without a few samples. As a matter of fact, most of my purchases have been thanks to an amazing sample recommendation I took home. Their most popular product are the deliciously scented bath bombs. However don’t let the strong scents scare you, as Lush has a great range of products.

1. R&B – Hair Moisturizer

That isn’t a typo because there is such a thing as a hair moisturizer.  This is a godsend for us girls (and even guys) with wavy, curly and rebellious hair. On days that you might require some extra control, it tames fly aways and helps makes styling much easier. It also has ingredients like oat milk, avocado butter, orange blossom and jojoba oil which are nourishing and smell amazing.

2. Tea Tree Water

I’ve mentioned the benefits of Tea Tree Oil before and I absolutely love this toner from Lush. It’s great for combination skin and helps regulate the oily T-zone problem.

3. Shangri-La Moisturizer

I asked the ladies at Mercato for a thick night cream and they recommended this. Admittedly, it’s an anti-ageing cream, but it’s so stupendously rich, that a few dots of this works brilliantly at night and protects you from the over-drying effects of the AC. It has a rich mixture of coconut and almond oil without being greasy.

4. Mint Julip Lip Scrub

Dubai has an obsession for collagen-filled lips with even the ladies at Saks pushing their lip-plumping glosses. While I appreciate the bee-stung look, I think natural is better. The lip scrub is great for exfoliating your lips and brings a natural plumpness to your lips. It’s also a delicious product that you can’t help but lick your lips.

5. Angels on Bare Skin Exfoliator

This was another discovery via sample. I’m a big fan of apricot/walnut scrubs from St. Ives or Himalaya Herbals and Angels has the same consistency. It’s a little messy to apply but it absolutely works magic on your skin. I just picked up my full-sized jar.

Dubai Lush lovers have some good news because it seems like they’ve recently changed franchise owners. For years, the only Lush shop was in Dubai City Center. However, they’ve recently opened up in Mercato and will soon be opening in Dubai Mall giving everyone an easier way to look Lush!

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Kérastase Day Out

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The lovely folks at Kérastase invited myself and a few other bloggers out for a day of hair pampering in Physiomins Institute in Abu Dhabi. Kérastase is a well known professional brand in this region but this was my first experience with them and it definitely won’t be the last.

Kérastase works differently from the other upscale salon brands because instead of just applying the treatment or buying their products, they insist on a consultation with their trained technicians prior to their treatment. So the lovely Pamela from Kérastase started the treatment by asking me about what I wanted from my hair, followed by an examination of my hair and scalp.

I told Pamela that my major issue with my hair was the frizziness. I have what I call extremley moody hair. On a good day, I’ll get controlled, soft-curls. On a bad day, or about 90% of my life, I’ll get this frizz ball which resembles what The Addams’ Family’s Cousin Itt would look post-electrocution. With the heat and humidty rising as summer arrives in Dubai, my hair was looking drier and crazier than usual and needed some desperate TLC.

Pamela checked out my hair and scalp and suggested the Kera-Hammam Slim treatment to relax my frizzy curls.  She also mentioned that my dandruff issues were due to not rinsing out traces of shampoo and conditioner, as well as from tying my hair up before it was completely dry. Even after reading numerous magazines and beauty blogs, Pamela was able to better instruct me to take care of my hair which immediate instilled in confidence about the upcoming treatment.

My treatment started with Bain Nutri-Thermique where my hair was steam-washed after which the Kera-Hammam Slim treatment was applied in a two-step process with a cream followed by oil. Unlike most salon treatments, the Kera-Hammam treatment didn’t have a strong smell. It was comforting to see the technician apply the product with her bare hands suggesting that the product was safe and wouldn’t have a long-term damaging effect on my hair. As a final step, the conditioning masque Nutri-Therimique was applied and allowed to work it’s magic under a steam bath.  The Nutri-Thermique range is great because it is heat activated.  Hence, if you tend to blow dry/straighten your hair often, the products will end up working better.

The final step of the treatment was applying Elixir Ultime oil to my hair prior to blow drying. Elixir Ultime is a lightweight oil that gives your hair a shine and controls frizz.  Once the blow dry was done, the light application of the oil was used to tame any flyawyas and bring out the shine. And the result were there for me to see!

Last week I had gotten a haircut and blow dry the week before and had something to compare with. Post the Kérastase treatment, I noticed an added vibrancy to my hair color. It was much easy to get through the blow dry and there was no frizzing in the drying step. Upon a closer look, I noticed all the strands looked healthy and uniform and while touching the hair, I noticed there was more volume but less frizz.

I admit I’m not one to indulge in salon treatments often.  Stylists often find a thousand things wrong with your hair and suggest six different take home products which end up being covered in dust on your shelf.  Kérastase suggested a simple 3-step salon treatment and sent me home with a bath (shampoo) and a fondant (conditoner) from their Nutri-Thermique line and the Elixir Ultime oil. The shampoo and conditioner have already been incorporated into my routine and I’m additcted to the Elixir oil which has replaced all the serums/gels in my routine.  Elixir Ultime works into my hair routine easily whether glossing up my straightened hair or taming my natural curls.  Considering the Kera-Hammam treatment takes less than an hour, I’ll be making my way to the salon once a month to keep giving my hair a new lease of life.

To learn more about Kérastase, visit them on Facebook, Twitter, or their website.  I was extremely satisfied with my Kérastase experience and I’m sure so will you.

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