Converse Gorillaz Launch at Luxe Studios

Last Thursday, I headed down to the Converse Gorillaz Launch with my friend Adeline. It was at Luxe Studios, Darlinghurst. It was quite a hip soirée, packed with more cool kids than an Apple product launch.

Pretty canapés & Hip Party People 

Oh! We met Rochelle Fox there! She is SO PRETTY!

Adeline making nice with Rochelle Fox

The new Gorillaz line is quite understated and super cool. A definite must have for the die-hard Gorillaz fan. However, you must beware, you’re going to have a hard time deciding on which design you buy. The Gorillaz line is available today from the Converse Site.

Buy ALL the Shoes!!! 

After party, we had an after party. Our mission was to have a drink at every bar we walked past on the way back to the city. First, we hit Shady Pines Saloon (one of my favourite bars), then we headed to the Colombian. Before I knew it we were in a cab to Scary Canary, which is of course we all know is Adeline’s most frequented bars.

Adeline and I getting up to some mischief. 

Have you heard the new track yet? I am such a fan of the 3D Gorillaz! The CGI looks amazing!!

Thanks to Sweaty Betty for throwing a fabulous party!

 

Try it Tuesday: Henna Hair Mask

Have you ever wanted to try Henna and had no idea where to start?

Here is a post on my first time using Henna and this is what I learnt.

Feel free to request anything for Try-It-Tuesday in the comments below.

What is Henna?
Henna is the powdered leaves of a tropical plant. It has been used for centuries as body art for rituals. Henna stains the skin and sometimes can be used as a natural hair dye. The intensity of the henna colour will vary depending various factors, such as the brand, quality of the Henna, how long you leave it to dry for… etc.

Where do you buy it? Which one should I look for?
You can buy it from your local Indian grocer. Make sure you buy cosmetic-grade henna, which usually is ‘pure’ henna. Due to lack of regulation other types of Henna, especially Henna labelled for hair is sometimes diluted with nasty mystery chemicals.  Always check the ingredients, it should read Lawsonia inermis.

Before you Begin…

• Do not use metal implements to mix or contain the henna as the metal may chemically interfere with the dye.
•  If you’re that messy, try to do it outside or else cover everything in newspaper.
•  Clean Spills up immediately or it will stain.
•  If you’re unsure, always do an allergy test. Test a small amount of  henna behind your ear on the hair line. Wait 24 hours for a reaction.
• You can roughly test the colour result by doing a ‘Strand’ test.  To do this, take some hair from your hair brush and add it to the Henna. Longer you leave it in, the more intense the colour will be.
• Do not use Henna if you have already chemically coloured hair, it may react badly. Please consult a hairdresser first or wait for your chemical colour to grow out.
• If in doubt, do more research!! Google is your friend.

So you want to Henna your hair ….

Materials
Henna- Lawsonia inermis
Lemon Juice- This ‘activates’ the Henna.I used half a lemon. I’ve seen it mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar as well.
Water or Black Tea. I used Black tea to tone down the ‘red’
Non-metal utensil & Bowl
Old shirt
Cling Wrap/Plastic bag
Gloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cotton Balls

Prepare the Henna
- You will have to prepare the Henna 6-8 hour before hand this allows for the colour to develop. Preparing the night before is ideal.
- The measurements of the Henna & Water/Tea will vary due to how long your hair is so just eyeball it.
- Add Hot Tea/ Water, Lemon Juice (I used half a lemon) and to the Henna powder and mix with a non metal utensil.
- It’s better to start with smallish amount and mixing in more. If it is too watery, add more powder, if it is too thick, add more water/tea. You’re going to want to do this until the consistency of yogurt/paste/mud.
- Set aside overnight for the colour to develop.
- Make MORE than you will need. (I’m just speaking from experience…)

Now, let’s get Jiggy with it…
1.  Use a Cotton ball soaked in olive oil to coat around the hairline and ears. This is so you don’t end up staining your hairline/forehead/face.

2.   Use gloves to apply the Henna to your hair. Apply in small sections. You can just ‘glob’ it on but make sure you coat every strand. Once the section is completely coated, twirl the section into a ‘mini bun’ on top of your head and gradually add to it as you go.

3. Wrap in cling wrap your hair and wait for it to set 3-6 hours. The longer you leave it in the more intense the colour will be.  The idea is that you want to keep heat and moisture in the hair as the Henna dries.

4. You can blow dry your hair every now and again to speed up the process a little.

5. Once time is up, rinse out your hair with warm water, until the water runs clearish. Shampoo and condition was usual.

Before  and After:  Here are the results. No significant difference in colour (however, a few days later I did notice subtle colour change in certain lights). I did notice my hair looks slightly less dry in the picture in the far right.  Please excuse the flannel ……… or embrace it (like a boss bogan).

(Sidenote: I just added the middle picture so that you guys don’t think I’m Samara from ‘The Ring’ and  get freaked out….lols jkz …………………..7 days…. )

Final Thoughts
It’s a great Hair Mask, my hair feels stronger and smoother. I did notice a subtle colour under different lights ( looks like a million bucks in sunlight. I only noticed a week after I tried this….I don’t get out much). Next time, I might try it with water instead of black tea next time to see if I can get a richer colour. I have to warn you, it is time consuming and a messy, but I think the end result worth it. Think of it as a natural spa treatment. And it really does make your hair healthy and strong. I do plan on doing this treatment more often.

Pros	Cons
It’s natural, no chemicals It strengthens hair It’s cheap The colour looks natural It fades out, no need to fret about regrowth	It’s messy Time consuming You can’t exactly control the colour Strains random things Smells like confused dirt..(you know when dirt has an identity crisis.)

I hope this was helpful to you and please leave a comment on your experiences with Henna below…

Let me know if you have any requests for Try-It-Tuesday!

Enjoy your day! And don’t get into any fights that you cannot win

READ THIS Before Buying an Clipless Iron..

So you want to buy a Clipless Conical Curling Tong Iron Curler Wand….

Going through the brands and deciding which one is the right one for you can be a bit frustrating, and getting sucked into PR/Marketing gimmicks is kinda like falling into a giant pile of …..

So, I have devised this Guide to help assist you on your journey…

Things to consider
Clipless Irons aren’t for everyone and if you’re a beginner, you might want to go for a Traditional Spring Curling  Iron. But clipless curlers aren’t hard to use, but it takes some time getting used to. If you’re a seasoned pro at curling irons, You might want to look at Marcel Irons.

In addition, if you already own a straighter/flat iron you can use that to curl hair,  but you’re limited to one or two types of curls.

Barrel Size
Length of your hair OR the type of curls you want, should determine the barrel size you buy.

1. Length of hair
Longer Hair – Bigger Size Barrel
Shorter Hair- Smaller Size Barrel

2. Type of desired curl
Tight ringlets- Smaller Barrel (anything smaller than 25mm or 1 inch)
Soft Curls- Medium sized Barrel (25mm or 1 inch)
Loose Waves- Bigger Barrel ( anything bigger than 25mm)

* Sidenote: Apparently, using a clipless iron advance users are able to change the size of the curl, by adjusting the tension/temperature/ how to hold the hair against the curler... meh 

How often you would use it?  How much you are willing to spend?
If you’re not going to use it as often an el cheapo iron will be fine. If you’re going to be using it often then you might want to invest a bit more in Ceramic/Tourmaline irons.  Cheaper irons are coated in Ceramic/Tourmaline so as you use it the coating will eventually wear away.

Price/Budget
When it comes to the beauty industry you don’t always get what you pay for. It’s really hard to tell if you’re paying for the product or the brand. If you look closely at the specifications, expensive doesn’t always mean ‘best’.  Try to choose one that suits your usage.

Temperature
Everyone’s hair is different which means that some types of hair and withstand more heat without getting damaged when compared to others. Finding an iron with an adjustable heat setting is favorable.

Thick/Coarse Hair: most of the time would be hard to curl, so you probably will use a higher heat setting.
Fine/Thin Hair: High heat will damage your hair, so using it on the lowest heat will be ideal.

 

Barrel Material
From a consumer perspective, I’m not entirely sold on the importance of the material (I’m sure that salon professionals may tell me other wise). In my opinion, I don’t believe that there is not enough of solid and scientific evidence to support the claims of  ionic technology, etc.

Titanium heats up evenly and quickly. Supposedly creates negative ions** which is good for the hair. It’s in the mid-to-high price range.

Ceramic/ Tourmaline are the most expensive on the market and claims to be the ‘healthiest’ way to curl your hair*. It is the most recommended by salon professionals. It supposedly creates negative ions**, which seals the cuticle of the hair and makes it look more shiny. Recommended for people who use their iron more regularly.

Others Materials include Metal, Chrome and Gold which are cheaper and do not produce ‘negative ions’. These types of irons are not evident on the Australian Market of clipless irons, so I’m not going to go into them.

*however if you do you’re using heat on your hair on a daily basis, it will damage it. Regardless of what these companies tell you. Common sense bro. 

** from my research ‘ion’ technology used in hair care are based around blow dryers not curlers. The arguments are based around water molecules on hair have positive ions. Ionic hair dryers creates negative ions to cancel out the positive ions which is supposedly better for your hair.  I have not found any scientific evidence to support these claims. (Take from it what you will, personally I’m still unconvinced.)

Bottom line: Which ever material that you choose, make sure that the barrel is not just ‘Coated’ in the material, because that coating will wear away with use and give you an inferior product.

Brands
Clipless Irons are relatively new to the Australian Market, So there are only a handful of products available.

Here are the few that I’ve found and I’ve summed up the specifications in the table below…
(…..yeah I know.. I’m awesome..)

	VS Sasson Curl Magic	Remington Tribal Tong	Modiva Professional Curling Iron	Wahl Cutek Ceramic Conical Tong	Babyliss Pro Ceramic Conical Curling Iron	Muk Curl Stick	Cloud 9 Wand
RRP (AUD)	$49.95	$53.95	$89.95	$89.95	$89.95 $94.95 (wide)	$99.95	$270
Availability	Leading Electrical Retailers.	Leading Electrical Retailers	Online Only	Online (I think)	Salons, Other Retailers and Online	Salons, Other Retailers and Online	Salons and Online
Adjustable Heat	✓	✓	x	✓	✓	✓	✓
Material	Ceramic Coated	Titanium Coated	100% Tourmaline	Ionic Ceramic	Tourmaline Coated Titanium- Tourmaline (Wide)	Titanium	Ceramic Coated
Maximum Heat	140-200°C	140-200°C	210°C	120-200°C	110-200 °C	130-210°C	125- 175°C
Warranty	3 years	2 years	1 year	1 year	1 year	1 Year with optional extended warranty	2 years
Available Sizes	One Size 13- 25mm	One Size n/a	Three Sizes 13mm 25mm 32mm	One Size 22-32mm	Two Sizes 13-25mm (Reg) 19-32mm (wide)	Changeable Barrels 9-19mm 19-25mm 25-25mm	One Size  n/a- 35mm
Barrel Shape	Conical	Conical	Rod	Conical	Conical	Conical/Rod	Conical
Comes With Glove	✓	✓	✓	✓	x	✓	✓
Salon Quality	x	x	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Extras	LCD digital display Auto Shut off	Comes in pink or purple Automatic worldwide voltage Auto Shut off	Free shipping in Australia	3m Cord Cool Tip Auto off safety	Regular Size  comes in Pink Cool Tip Auto Off Heat Mat 2.7m Cord	Changeable barrels Looks sexy	Heat Guard Case Auto Off Safety ID Chip

So yep.. That’s it. I hope it was helpful to you!

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!!

Let me know in the comments below if this was helpful to you and I would be interested in which clipless iron you decided to buy !!

CAUTION MINI RANT: Beauty Industry Marketing Bullsh*t 

I personally found it really difficult to find any ‘real’ information about the actual product and it was a complete disaster trying to navigate the bullsh*t. All the websites and so called ‘product information’ were just regurgitating sales pitches and throwing around buzz words . In addition, making claims such as ‘Rare Korean Rock Mineral’ and ’Ionic Technology‘, and backing it up with technical nonsense pseudo-scientific jargon instead of solid, empirical, scientific evidence is really just a scam.

And it makes me think ..How dumb do these companies think we are ?

I don’t mean to sound so cynical (and in some rare cases expensive sometimes can mean better).

But really  ”Korean rock mineral coating” ’??!  B*tch Please…

Broke Girls Guide: DIY Unii Palette

I’ve had my eye on the Unii Palette for quite sometime. But honestly, I just can’t justify paying $38 just to store the makeup that I don’t need/use/really should not own. Other alternatives include, Z palettes but they look cheap and same as the Do-it-yourself CD/DVD makeup palettes, which look as trashy as the combined cast of the Jersey Shore.

Soooo…. Here’s my Broke Girls Guide alternative! I hope you like it!

The Depotting 

There are plenty of depotting tutorials on Youtube but for your convenience, I’ve attached two of the most popular methods below because you’re probably as lazy as I am:

• Courtesy of frmheadtotoe: Without using Heat here
• Courtest of Pertilude: Using Heat here 

The Palette

This method is cheap and easy (just like the cast of Jersey Shore), but you might need to buy the magnets from a dollar store/craft store, (it’s funny because the Jersey Shore aren’t attractive… Get it? … Magnets … attract.. ah nevermind). {insert awkward silence/pity laughter/lame chuckle here}  

You will need:

- Makeup (depotted)
-Metal pencil case
-Rubbing alcohol
-Magnets
-Super Glue or Hot Glue

Instructions:
1. Carefully depot your makeup with chosen method.

2. Use the rubbing alcohol to clean off the excess glue.

3. Glue magnets using your preferred adhesive.

4. Bask in the glory of your ingenuity.

….Finished!

Uni Palette: $ 29 Shipping: $ 9 (to Australia) Total= $38.00

Pencil Case: $ 0 Glue: $ 2 Magnets: $ 2 Total= $ 4.00  Being Awesome when you’re broke: PRICELESS

What is the most awesome thing you’ve done/made while you were broke??

Not So Secret Diary of a Not So Iron Chef!

Do you ever have the urge to bake random ingredients together and see how it turns out?

Well that’s what I did today…

Instead of googling a recipe which contained ingredients that I didn’t have. I decided to make use of what the pantry gave me…. which turned out to be:

Coconut-Chocolate-Bran-Coffee

Here were the challenges that I was faced with…

Challenge #1- Use the Natural Bran (which impulsively I bought from woolies for no apparent reason)
Challenge #2- Make use of the  Shredded Coconut because has been sitting in my pantry for a while.
Challenge #3- My father is diabetic, so I needed to use as little sugar as possible.

I came up with a lamington/ bounty inspired creation. And the result was better than expected; they came out pretty well for something I randomly threw together. However, they were a tad bit denser than what I would have preferred but I’m pretty happy with the result (I probably will add an extra egg next time).

Caution: Bake at your own Risk
… I wouldn’t recommend this recipe , but for those who are interested, here’s the recipe I came up with:

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup natural bran
1/3 cup raw cane sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of espresso
1/3 cup coconut oil (room temperature)
Handful of raw oats (optional)
Handful of bittersweet dark chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven 180 degrees Celsius
2. Sift the flours and the cocoa together. Lightly toss the shredded coconut and chocolate chip in the flour mixture.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar together until thick and pale
4. Fold in the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.
5. Add the Bran and the Oats
6. Mix in coconut oil until moist.
7. Gradually add Espresso to achieve batter consistency.
8. Scoop batter into greased muffin tin or muffin papers.
   Optional: Sprinkle oats and shredded coconut for decoration.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when you poke it.

TA-DA!!

CocoChocoCoffBran Muffins……………… hm, yeah I might need to work on the name.

But they’re not half bad when I realize there’s only 1/3 a cup of sugar and no butter in it!!
And when I say they didn’t turn out ‘half bad’ what I really mean to say is… they’re not really great.

Do you guys have any tips on making these muffin a bit softer/lighter?