Hazel's Top 10 After-Wash Hair Care Picks

I am a girl of Asian heritage with many exceptions, one of which is having thick, coarse hair – everywhere – and wavy on my head. Having this kind of hair has easily become a bane of my existence, but it's nothing impossible to be dealt with. I've compiled a list of my top 10 hair care recommendations (5 from high-end brands and their 5 dupes from more-affordable drugstore brands). If you happen to struggle with the same issues as I am, I hope this list can provide you with some sort of guidance in helping you to find the right hair care products to untangle those knots and tame that frizzy lion's mane.






HIGH END:

1. Moroccanoil Oil Treatment (available at professional salons licensed to carry this brand)
If you are looking for an excellent, basic oil treatment for your post-wash hair, go for the original formula. The difference I've noticed in my hair since I've been using it is that my hair has gotten a lot softer, smoother, silkier, and it feels healthier to the touch overall. I've gone through about 1.5 bottles of this (I'm on my 2nd full-sized bottle now), so I think it says quite enough of how I feel about it.

2. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin (available at Glamour Secrets at Niagara Outlet Collection in Canada)
There was a time when this leave-in conditioner had so much hype around it and so many YouTube beauty stars were raving about how good it was. I'm only writing this to tell you that they were right – it was and is THAT good of a product. It smells amazing and it makes your hair amazing. What more can you ask for, really? Tangles, be gone! **I'm not sure where else you can get this in Canada other than the Glamour Secrets at the Niagara Outlet Collection. If you have any idea, please let me know!

3. Kérastase Nectar Thermique (available at professional salons licensed to carry this brand)
This product is your ultimate best friend if you often blow dry and/or style your hair with heated tools. Although it claims to protect your hair from the unforgiving heat of our styling tools, it's impossible to actually check each strand of your hair and evaluate the results that way. Suffice it to say, you can bid adieu to unruly frizz and say hello to super smooth and soft locks.

4. Caviar CC Cream 10-in-1 Complete Correction by Alterna (available at Sephora and Glamour Secrets)
This is another leave-in conditioner that I like, though it's rather on the thicker side. It does leave a bit of residue in your hair after application and styling, so make sure you only apply this product to the ends of your hair!

5. Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum (available at Sephora)
To me, this is one of those luxury hair care products that you want to use, but at the same time don't because it's VERY expensive – at $42/50 mL. I like to use it after styling to get rid of the static in my hair – which is a huge pet peeve of mine – and to make my hair smell jasmine-y and expensive. You can use it on damp hair too, if you'd like, but I've found that it's less effective on me.


DRUGSTORE:

6. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Treatment (available at Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart)
I feel that this is a pretty good dupe for the original Moroccanoil oil treatment. They're definitely comparable, and if you're on a budget, you can certainly give this one a try.

7. L'Oreal Kids Tangle Tamer (available at Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart)
This spray brings back so many memories! First of all, it smells sooo yummy (like peachy pears), which is why I loved using this as a kid. I actually bought another bottle a couple years ago just so I could relive my childhood memories. The bottle I used at the time didn't have the added moisturizing and protectant benefits that the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In has, but it does a good job of untangling your knots. I would use this on damp hair right after getting out of the shower and it would make my hair smell oh-so-delish!! **I think the new formula now contains conditioning benefits and is paraben-free.

8. got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm (available at Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart)
I bought this because I thought it smelled so, so good. Once I started using it, sure enough, I was satisfied with my purchase. It gave me such silky smooth hair, especially when I styled my hair with a flat iron. If you're not prepared to cash out $40 on a heat protectant lotion, this balm is your drugstore go-to.

9. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum (available at Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart)
Many years ago (when I was about 12 years old), I had my hair cut at a privately owned local salon. The hairdresser applied a hair serum called Zero Frizz after she styled my hair (just a side note, the one she used on me was the original formula and not the exact same one linked here). It smelled so good and I resolved to buy myself a bottle once I had my own money. A few years later when I finally had my own money, I went to the drug store to buy this serum, only to be devastated to find out that they had stopped distributing this product to drugstores (and Walmart, but I'm still not sure why). I noticed this John Frieda serum because of the similar packaging and decided to give it a try. It doesn't smell as nice in my opinion, but I think it works just as well as Zero Frizz. For around $10, it also serves as a good dupe for the Alterna Caviar CC Cream!

10. CHI Silk Infusion (available at Winners and Shoppers Drug Mart)
I was first introduced to this product when I received a sample-sized bottle in my Luxe Box a few years back. The first thing that caught my attention was the scent. It smells a bit masculine like a man's cologne/aftershave, but with a feminine undertone. I absolutely loved using this as a "finisher" product to get rid of the static in my hair and to make my hair look and feel incredibly soft. Don't feel like "wasting" another 40 bucks for an unnecessary luxury hair care product? Go with the CHI.


I hope this helped you in one way or another. If you have anything to add, as always, feel free to voice your input in the Comments. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Stay chic and I'll see you in the new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015!!!!!

LOL - Lotsa love,
xox Hazel

New [Additions to My] Skincare Routine!

Hello hello! I've been to Sephora a couple of times in the past few weeks to pick up some new products to incorporate into my current skincare routine. If you care to see what I've recently added to my skincare shelf, well let's get on reading! :-)

It all started with dry skin.....

In late November/early December, I started noticing white patches around my nose area and that my skin had become oilier throughout the day. I thought, I moisturize well in the morning, so it couldn't be that. Then it hit me that I don't moisturize at night, let alone wash my face! I figured since washing my face with a cleanser twice a day would dry my skin and break me out more, I would just use my Balea makeup cleansing wipes to clean my makeup + cleanse + moisturize simultaneously. Little did I know that you don't always have to use those harsh, basic-chemicaled cleansers to get rid of makeup. That's when I had an epiphany - OIL CLEANSERS!
I actually tried to stay away from oil cleansers after being traumatized from using Kose's oil cleanser (that so many people seem to love, but I'd rather pass on). Although it seemed to do the job of removing my makeup efficiently, it broke me out ever so terribly. Nevertheless, when this realization occurred to me, I decided to give oil cleansers another chance and I went with the Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Skin Purifier. Long story short, let's just say it was the best skincare decision I've ever made and I will never look back.




Naturally, after I started to cleanse my face at night, I'd want to find a night-specific moisturizer that's different from the one I've been using in the morning. This prompted me to pick up this little bundle of a miracle by Ole Henriksen from Sephora. Oh. My. Goodness. I have a newfound love in Ole Henriksen skincare products! I have been using their Vitamin Plus moisturizer in my current skincare routine for about a month and the Truth Serum (from my Sephora haul here) for a few weeks. The Invigorating Night Treatment serum (green bottle) is heavenly, as is the Sheer Transformation moisturizer. For my nighttime routine, I apply the INT serum and then ST moisturizer to seal it off. They have been working so wondrously well on my skin and I am so glad I took the jump to try out something new without any recommendations!



In my daily skincare routine post, I briefly mentioned the OH Vitamin Plus moisturizer. I have since grown fond of it and now it's a skincare staple. I can't get through the day without applying it! It moisturizes my skin so well without making it greasy, even though it's lacking in the oil control department – all the pros definitely overpower the cons. Perhaps I should do an extensive review on this moisturizer someday?


Continuing on... when I went to Sephora to get the trio, I also managed to snag a new cleanser. I find that the Shiseido cleanser I have been using in the morning stings my eyes so badly. I've been ignoring it all this time, but I reached a point where I just couldn't tolerate it anymore. And I've found that it's been making my skin drier each time I use it. So I when I went to Sephora, I had this on my agenda as well - to find a good, effective cleanser that works well with my Clarisonic and doesn't dry out my skin. I went over to the AmorePacific counter and contemplated my bids. I had only done limited research, but at the same time I was kind of prepared to cash out $60 for this 120 ML cleanser. I had heard great things about this brand, so I just shrugged my shoulders and ended up cashing out that $60 on this little gem. Yep, excellent decision. I've noticed such a huge difference in the texture and appearance of my skin ever since I started to use these products.






And of course, no skincare routine would be complete without eye creams. While I love my current eye cream from TheFaceShop, I've had it for a while and am running out of it. So during the 20% promo at Sephora (you can see this from my Sephora Haul post), I decided to buy another eye cream by a different brand - Origins! I really like it so far. It's moisturizing and has anti-aging properties. Sounds good to me. I would apply this eye cream at night right after I cleanse my face and before I put on serum.




IN SUMMARY, here is a step-by-step of what I do in my skincare routine, day and night:

A.M.
- Cleanse face with Clarisonic and Shiseido/AmorePacific cleanser
- Apply Flebote eye cream by TheFaceShop
- Apply Truth Serum serum by Ole Henriksen
- Apply Vitamin Plus moisturizer by OH
- Makeup routine!

P.M.
- Remove makeup + cleanse face with Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
- Apply Origins anti-aging eye cream
- Apply Invigorating Night Treatment serum by OH
- Apply Sheer Transformation moisturizer by OH

And voila, I'll have the smoothest skin like a baby's bottom. I currently swear by this routine, so I guarantee you I'll be sticking to it for a while.

If you'd like me to do a review on any of these products, I'll be more than happy to do so! Thanks for reading this post. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Much love xox
Hazel

DIY Treats: Candied Pecans

Hiiii! I am back today with a quick and simple recipe! And not to mention delicious ;) This candied pecan recipe is special because it has a kick to it! It's not super spicy, just sweet, buttery and warm! So let's get started! Woo hoo!

 

Before you do anything, you will want to preheat your oven to 350°C.

Next, you want to take a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil for easier clean up. Take your pecans (or whatever nut you please) and line them in a single layer. Once your oven is done preheating, you want go ahead and toast your pecans for 10 minutes. (keep a close eye on these babies because you do not want to burn them, okay? okay.)

You will then want to take your butter and honey and microwave it, in increments (20 seconds is good, to prevent burning) Also, make sure your bowl is big enough to prevent the mixture from boiling over AND to contain all your nuts. (duh, that's an obvious one right? I hope so..) 

Once your sweet buttery goodness is all melted, you will want to add the rest of your ingredients! Stir, stir, stir! You'd want to give this a taste to see if you're cool with the flavour, if you want it sweeter add more sugar, saltier... add more salt, spicier.. add more cayenne and so on, okay? Trust your palate. At this point, try your best to NOT eat the delicious mixture, because well.. its sweet, its buttery and its addicting. So stop.. self control man..

 

After 10 minutes is up, dump your hot nuts into the mixture and stir to coat it evenly. Ouh la la.

 

Again, don't eat it yet, it ain't done, mmkay?

 

Spread it evenly on the baking sheet, once more. Single layer people, single layer. Put this back in the oven for another 10 minutes, and we are almost done here! :)

 

A small tip here to know if your nuts are done is.. take whatever metal utensil you've got (preferably nothing sharp, I've got a fork here.. lol) and dip it in the sugary mixture while it's in the oven. (Becareful here, don't burn yourself) You then can either run it under cold water or just let it chill for a couple seconds to see if the mixture hardens. It shouldn't be chewy. If it has fully harden, then your nuts are ready! Almost anyways...

 

Here it is straight from the oven! Now the hardest part of anthing is waiting, yes, you will have to wait for this to cool down to room temperature. It will no longer than 25 minutes.

 

Once cooled, you can either plate them or pack them up! Tada! easy peasy right??

They also make great gifts and stocking stuffers!

I hope you enjoyed this easy recipe and give it a try! Don't hesitate to change up the spices according to your preference! Let me know how it turns out! Ciaooooo!

Sylvia ♥ 

Measurements:

2 cups Raw Halved Pecans

2 1/2 tbsp Butter

2 tbps Honey

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

a dash of cayenne pepper (as spicy as you wish, master)

CHRISTMAS – Favourite Candles & Other Things

It is less than 3 weeks shy of C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!! I've got my Christmas jingles and holiday spirit on! If you haven't, maybe these Christmas favourites of mine might just help you get there. I will be talking primarily about my current favourite scented candles for Christmas, but will include some extras of the few things I love doing/having at Christmas time. Let's jump into it!

WARNING: Dark photos ahead

SCENTED CANDLES

My current favourite candles are from Bath & Body Works (go figure) in the scents Vanilla, Chestnut & Clove No. 2, Cotton, and Mahogany Teakwood. Keep in mind that I carried over these candles from last year as I have not purchased any this year (saving is good ;-)).

You know, all this time I thought the vanilla scent was called "Vanilla Vetiver", but just as I was writing this blog post, I realized that 'Vetiver' is French for Vanilla. WOW. I also realized, all of a sudden, that I am a genius. Genius. I digress.

I'm not usually a huge fan of vanilla-scented things, but I love this candle. It's my second favourite out of this bunch. It doesn't smell as vanilla-y or milky as other vanilla scents. In fact, it has a faint woody undertone, which I'm a fan of.

My next favourite candle is THE number 1 on my list and it's called Chestnut & Clove No. 2. It's the Christmas-iest scent you will ever smell!! It's a tradition that I light this candle in my room a few weeks/days before Christmas day and it just gets me into the spirit right away. I lit this last year and stocked up on another jar for this year.

My next favourite isn't as seasonal as the others, and it's Cotton. Yes, cotton. When lit alone, it gives you the crispiest, freshest scent ever... as if you just took your laundry out of the drier and dumped it all on your bed. I love combining this with my next favourite candle –

Mahogany Teakwood. I've been through a couple of this. At first I bought it because it smells like Abercrombie & Fitch (as everybody else would agree). I don't know what it is about that store or that particular perfume of theirs, but it's got everyone hooked to it, including me. I thought the woody and musky scent was super attractive and holiday-ish. I think BBW initially released this as one of their limited edition candles, but due to its popularity, they decided to bring it out again. I haven't been to the store in a while, so I don't know the current situation, but I hope they still have this scent available.

I recently experimented combining Cotton and Mahogany Teakwood together. To my surprise, the two created a harmonious blend, well, to my nose at least they did. The fresh, crisp scent actually balances out the woody and musky scent of the latter.

Once I have my candles lit, I jump back into my bed and have a little snuggle in my fluffy white throw that I bought from Indigo/Chapters. It's so fluffy......

There's also this pretty nifty thing that I almost forgot to share with you.

I'm not exactly sure what this is, how it's supposed to work, or if I'm using it correctly, but it's this round pillow sort of thing with a hole in the middle that goes all the way to the other side.



I am ASSUMING it's kind of like a gigantic glove for your hands when they're cold, but it can also be used as a pillow...? If you have any idea on what this is/how to use it, please let me know. I've been using this as a pillow/glove/pillow-glove, though, and I think it works great. It's darn cute, too (FYI I'm the biggest Hello Kitty maniac).

And then I either journal, read, or watch something on Netflix/my laptop.

The Power of Why by Amanda Lang is my current read and favourite at the moment. Whether or not you're from a business background, give this book a read. It offers great insight about our innate curious disposition.

I also like to watch Christmas movies on Netflix or my computer.

MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES:

1. Home Alone 1&2
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. Miracle on 34th Street
4. Elf
5. Love Actually
6. A Christmas Carol (1984)

Whilst I'm reading/writing/writing a blog post, I like to play some Christmas music in the background. I love to listen to anything classic, ex. Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis's Christmas music, etc.

Some of the more contemporary Christmas albums that I like:

1. Michael Bublé Christmas
2. Winter Songs (by Hotel Cafe)
3. These Are the Special Times - Céline Dion
4. Dream a Dream - Charlotte Church



Last but not least....

THE CHRISTMAS SNACKS!!

I usually prefer savoury snacks to sweet ones because I like to indulge in the tongue-twisting tang (-> this is unintentional) of monosodium glutamate. But when the days are a bit gloomy or chillier, then I'd opt for something more comforting like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, tea, or almond milk, and some chewy cookies.

And then to top it all off (if you don't have easily sweaty feet like me), you can put on a pair of cute fuzzzzzzzzy socks! Bath and Body Works usually has some really adorable ones that are infused with shea butter. You might as well get the full experience, right?? Check them out by clicking on this link! Also, I'm not sure if it works the same way online, but a lot of the time, when you shop directly at the store in person, you can score some really good deals (with coupons or without, depends on the promo). Sign up to receive emails and you won't miss any of the sales that are going on.

That's it for my Christmas favourites! If you'd like to share your personal faves or have anything to add to this list, or whatever it may be, as always, feel free to comment or leave your thoughts somewhere on this blog. I will definitely read it and reply :-).

Have a safe and wonderful holiday, everybody!!!

xox Hazel

My Daily Makeup Routine: Hazel

When it comes to makeup routines, I'm probably the worst because I'm such a boring person. I could also be the only makeup enthusiast who puts on the LEAST amount of makeup daily. Partly, I blame myself for being lazy, but at the same time I don't like the idea of packing on so much chemical on my face on an everyday basis. To be honest, I have never really been that good at putting on makeup on myself, even less on others. This considerable lack of skills simply overpowers my diligence.

Nonetheless, I still LOVE the notion of putting on makeup to boost your confidence and enhance your already-beautiful natural features. For that reason, I wear makeup to make myself feel good in public and not having to worry about other people focusing their attention on my 2AM dark circles, spots of hyperpigmentation that are taking ages to disappear, or how ridiculously and embarrassingly thin my real eyebrows are. So long as these "banes" are out of sight, I wouldn't mind going out, having only put on the least amount of makeup or made the slightest effort of putting it on.

Having said all that, I'm all about the "no-makeup" makeup look – how generic, I know. I'm not sure if it's my face or my makeup application skills (or lack thereof), but the more makeup I put on, the less good I look. Anyway, you get the point. Without further ado, here's my daily makeup routine! I've included links for the products if you are interested in checking them out.


Note: I apply my makeup after I do my skincare routine. To see my post on that, click here! :-)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Step 1. Applying natural skin makeup as a base. I have been on the Laura Mercier TM bandwagon for about 2 years now. Normally I don't use a brush for this because it eats up too much of the product. I simply dot each area of my face and blend with my fingers.
APPLICATION TOOLS: MY FINGERS

Step 2. Concealing my dark spots, ex. acne scars, hyperpigmentation, etc. I don't conceal the dark circles underneath my eyes only because I think they look fine without a concealer and the tinted moisturizer is sufficient to even out my skin tone around that area.
APPLICATION TOOLS: MY FINGERS

Step 3. I always like to keep my skin looking tanned and a bit glowy even in the winter. I love the idea of healthy, glowy skin.
APPLICATION TOOL: BOBBI BROWN BRONZER BRUSH

 Step 4. Blush. Adding some life to my skin! I adore this blush by MAC because it gives me the most natural blush colour in between pink and coral. Definitely a staple.
APPLICATION TOOL: MAC #129 BLUSH BRUSH

Step 5. Filling in my brows is an essential step in my makeup routine – even if it's slight. I'd look like a completely different person without having them filled in.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION TOOL: NONE

Step 6. Fake-dyeing my brows with my beloved Anastasia brow gel in Brunette. When I'm too lazy or don't have time, I skip this step, but it's rare. The brow gel keeps my brows groomed and in place, PLUS, it gives the illusion that my brow hairs are brown. Totes cool.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION TOOL: NONE

Step 7. I top it all off with a good coat or two of mascaraaahh!! The current mascara I'm using is this Maybelline Falsies, which is super okay and is not the best. I'll be busting out my sample-sized Marc Jacobs mascara that I got as a points perk in a week or two.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION TOOL: EYELASH CURLER (if you'd like)



Pretty boring, huh?? If you'd like to share yours, feel free to do so in the comments. I will definitely be reading them and join you in the discussion.

Stay chic and beautiful!! xoxox - Hazel