How I Took My Hair From Auburn to Lavender: Part 1

I haven't blogged in such a long time but I'm happy to finally sit down and get back to it! This was my second year going through this color transition and I have DEFINITELY learned some things the hard way. I want to warn others about some of what I experienced and how they can achieve pastel hair successfully!

Please keep in mind that I am NOT a licensed or trained professional! I wouldn't recommend doing this at home alone but if you're stubborn like me, I would strongly advise doing your research and learning from my mistakes!!! I'm going to be breaking this into two separate posts; this one which will be about how I processed my hair and the products I used, and the second one will be how I upkeep and maintain it.

THE #1 PIECE OF ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE ANYONE ATTEMPTING THIS: BE PATIENT AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY!!!

It is entirely unrealistic and frankly unhealthy to try and achieve this in one day. Even salons don't recommend it but if they agree to do it, you'll be sitting in the chair for well over 6 hours. Therefore, do not plan to do this the night before an event or a day where you need to see a ton of people. My biggest regret both times around was rushing the process and trying to complete it in day and a half. If you have a long weekend coming up, that would be your prime time.

Here are the products I used:

1. L'Oreal Quick Blue Powder Lightener
2. Olaplex
3. Salon Care 20 Volume and/or 30 Volume Creme Developer
4. Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids in Violet, Silver, and Clear

*Note: Olaplex can only be purchased by licensed professionals. A 3-piece kit is $65 but is often sold for about $120 on Ebay and Amazon. I luckily had a friend who got it for me and I highly suggest using it for minimal damage; the technology and science of it is amazing and well worth the money. The same goes for Pravana- it's about $5 a tube BUT BE CAREFUL BUYING ONLINE! A lot of people counterfeit it online.

Here is what I did, what I should've done, and what I would recommend:

• I followed the package directions for mixing the bleach and the Olaplex. My biggest mistake was thinking Olaplex is a miracle worker. Just because it's designed to lift your hair faster with less damage doesn't mean the rule book goes out the window! I used a 30 volume developer which is the max you should go with bleach and left it on for nearly an hour, with a cap on, and without watching it closely. DO NOT DO THIS. Caps process hair faster and I was thinking I'd be doing it perfectly so that I'd only have to bleach my hair once and I'd have less damage. This is not how it works. LOW AND SLOW IS THE BEST THING YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO! Accept that it is a process and mistakes you make during it could ruin your hair for years. As a result, I wound up losing CHUNKS OF MY HAIR- see the picture below! My hair was snapping and falling out like crazy, the texture turned to what looked like shredded spaghetti noodles, and it was unbelievably fragile. I have never done anything so stupid with such detrimental results.

Here's what I should have done and what I would advise:

• Use a 20 volume creme developer. It may end up taking longer but it is 150% worth it. I still needed to bleach my hair again after the first process because it was a brassy-yellow and you need your hair close to platinum. So no matter what, know that it will take more than one time, and that's why you need more than a day. Also, if you have Olaplex, it's working to protect you, so if you have to bleach it 3 times, it still won't come close to being as harmful as what I did. I always lose my patience having to do multiple processes but as I've said, it is absolutely worth it in order to keep the integrity of your hair- THERE IS NO CUTTING CORNERS!

After I finished the bleach, I used about three tubes of Pravana Clear and mixed about 3 drops of Silver with 2 drops of Violet to get a customized shade of lavender. I would recommend this because Pravana's pastel purple has really bad reviews and I believe was either recalled or is being reformulated. Not to mention, if you begin with pastel color it's going to wash out so much faster.

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don't recommend diluting color with conditioner. Girls all over the internet are doing this and I think it basically sets you up for a loss. The color will apply much more unevenly and it will wash out so fast you'll be dying your hair once a week- no exaggeration. I'm so happy my friend recommended the clear because it dilutes the purple but with a base that is actually formulated like a professional dye. My hair color lasts for weeks and not to mention Pravana is the only dye I have ever used that actually makes my hair feel BETTER after using it. So if you don't have a license, start hunting someone down who does!

So to summarize my experience, be patient and set realistic expectations. Find someone with a license or save up and buy Olaplex. Do your research on it and follow all package directions. Use a lower volume developer and process your hair in shorter sessions while monitoring it closely. Get *real* Pravana color and don't mix hair color with conditioner. If you follow all of these steps I think you'll get really amazing results and won't have to go through the trauma that I did. Good luck!

*all pictures are my own and this post wasn't sponsored*

Current Foundation Routine

So for those of you that actually read this blog, you may have noticed I've never reviewed a face product before. The reason being that I have very difficult skin; it's oily and acne prone and changes almost every single day. As a result, my foundation routine kind of tends to change as my skin does and I test out new products all the time. However, I've been working hard to get my skin to calm down and stick to a few products for weeks at a time so I can get a true well-rounded opinion of them. Foundations can be really complicated; first opinions aren't always lasting opinions, and so many factors can change up how they wear and how long they wear. I've been using this routine for a couple of weeks and I'm happy to finally share my thoughts!

 

*Sigh.* Here's my skin without makeup. I'm extremely pale right now, I've had dark circle since I was in elementary school, and I've been fighting hyperpigmentation for years now. Luckily, I don't really have any active breakouts right now, and here's the routine that's been working well for me!

1. Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer: Light
First and foremost, Sunday Riley is an up and coming brand and EVERYTHING they make is expensive. The quality is definitely amazing but it sucks loving this brand. The primer is $48, and had I not received it as a gift I probably would have never tried it. Of course, now that I've been using it and I love it, I'm going to have to suffer the cost of repurchasing it again.
It comes in three shades: light, medium, and deep. What I love about it is I don't feel worried using it. All of the silicone primers out there always give me anxiety that they could be clogging my pores and breaking me out, but the ones that aren't silicone based never feel like they're working. This one is right in the middle; it feels like a serum but smooths and mattifies the skin like a silicone primer. I don't think the tint adds very much to my skin or really evens out the tone very much, but I definitely feel like it makes any foundation go on better and last longer.

2. Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: 102 Shell Beige
This foundation was hard to buy because it's pricey for the drugstore; it runs for about $12-$14 depending on where you get it. It's extremely hard to tell what your shade is based on the packaging, but I lucked out and Shell Beige happens to be a really good match for me. I also get really good coverage and can build it up in certain spots if I need to. It's a demi-matte finish, but for my skin, that doesn't last all day. It depends on the weather and what I'm doing for the day, but some days I 'm oily after 4 hours and some days it looks good all day. It's kind of a toss up that's been hard to track, so I usually keep powder with me to touch-up my t-zone. For the drugstore, it's one of the best coverages I've gotten in a foundation, I just wish it wasn't so expensive! One other note, I think it smells like straight up PAINT! I've seen a couple of reviews on it and I feel like no one ever mentions the smell but it seriously potent. I don't notice it after I've applied it, but from time to time it does bother me.

3. AliExpress Flat Top Kabuki Brush
AliExpress is such an awesome website. They have the cheapest prices I've seen on so many products and so far I haven't noticed anything I've ordered being crappy quality. I bought this brush set a few months back and it's been amazing. BH Cosmetics came out with an identical set but it's significantly more expensive. If you don't mind waiting a few weeks to get it in the mail, I'd definitely without question recommend this brush set. The flat top is my favorite way to apply the Loreal foundation because I find that my Beauty Blender just makes it a little too dewy and a little less coverage.

4. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer: NC15
I'm probably one of the last people to jump on the hype of this concealer, but so far it's totally worth it. I think I grabbed a shade that's really light for me but I've been able to make it work. A little bit goes a VERY long way which is why I don't love the packaging-one full pump is almost wasteful. I get full coverage and brightness under my eyes and then I use the remainder on my lids because it covers redness, veins, and acts as an eyeshadow primer! I was really skeptical when I heard people used this as an eyeshadow base, but to my surprise I've yet to experience any creasing and I use it as a primer every single day.

5. Beauty Blender
I love the Beauty Blender. I don't know what else to say, I know everyone is skeptical about taking the plunge because it is a $20 sponge, but it'll change your life so just do it. It's amazing for so many things but I love it for undereye concealer especially because it prevents a lot of creasing and the product sinking into lines.

6. Bare Minerals READY Foundation
I usually hate BareMinerals but this powder foundation is pretty great. It some of the best coverage I've seen from a powder in a long time, so when I want a little more coverage (which almost always) I add this and it gives me a perfect finish. It's not an all-day mattifying powder, but it still looks great every time I touch up without ever looking cakey. The only thing I'd advise to check on is the color; mine looks extremely dark in the pan but it applies almost my exact skin-tone, so test it out on your face before you buy it.

*This post wasn't sponsored and all photos are my own*

Walmart Beauty Box (Winter)

For those of you who don't know this exists, you need to go get it...like right now. I know many people are familiar with Ipsy, Birchbox, and various other beauty subscription boxes but the Walmart Beauty Box is actually fairly new one on the market.

Let me start with the fact that it's quarterly, so you get a new box for every season. For junkies like myself, I'd prefer more frequent boxes, but that's exactly why this is a perfect box for the non-committal or for those who may want to add it in conjunction to another subscription box. Each box is only $5. Yes, FIVE DOLLARS! I easily got $20 worth of product in my first box which makes this one of the first subscription boxes I can completely vouch for on the value!

Heres's some of the basic background information:

• I can never find the beauty box on Walmart's website. This is because you make a separate account on an entirely different URL: https://beautybox.walmart.com/ 
• They divide the age groups into two and you may receive a different box based on which group you fit in.
• Obviously they only include products that can be found in Walmart, but you also get manufacturer coupons that can be used almost anywhere! 

I received my first box back in August before I had my blog so I don't have all of the pictures for it :/ BUT I am going to list every product I got in my Fall box and the links for each product at the end of this post! Here's the list of what was included in my winter beauty box:

• L'Oreal OleoTherapy Travel-Size Shampoo & Conditioner (retail value is about $2 each) click here

• Maybelline Color Sensational "The Buffs" Lipstick in the shade "Maple Kiss" (retail value is about $5) click here

• Jergens Travel-Size BB Body Lotion (unknown retail value, the full size is about $12) click here

• Olay Fresh Effects Everything Off! Makeup Removing Wipes Sample Size (unknown retail value, the full size is about $4) click here

• Nivea Cocoa Butter Sample Packet with $1 off coupon (full size retail value is about $5) click here

• Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder Sample with $1 off coupon (full size retail value is about $7) click here

I love that this is the second time they've given me full size lip products! This is one of the biggest points that prove the box is worth it for me because most lip products are $5 and up alone and that's the cost of the entire box. Of what I've tried in my box I've loved pretty much everything! My only complaint is the color of the Maybelline lipstick; it's too dark for my skin tone and just doesn't work but I do think it's an excellent match for the Marsala Pantone Color of the Year!

FALL BOX:

• Full size Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant (retail value is around $8) click here 
• Full size Covergirl Glosstini Nail Polish *no longer available in the teal I got but the average retail price was about $2-3) click here 
• Full size L'Oreal Glossy Balm in the shade "Pink Me Up" (retail value is around $7)           click here 
• Dove Oxygen Series Travel-Size Shampoo & Conditioner (retail value for each is about $2 each)  click here 
• Dove Pure Care Dry Oil Travel-Size (unknown retail value, the full size is about $12)         click here 
• Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Perfume Sample (unknown retail value, the full size is about $20) click here 
• L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher Sample Packet (unknown retail value, the full size is about $20) click here 
• Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup flyer with 8 shades of sample packets and a $2 off coupon (unknown retail value, the full size is about $14) click here

*this post was not sponsored and all pictures are my own*