The Princess Fusion: Beauty

I consider myself to be a firm believer that the darker the look, the better. Just like my coffee; I like everything as black as possible. For a couple of months now I have been toying with the idea of using henna to dye my hair. If you have curly hair you'll probably understand that dying hair can sometimes be tricky. Not only is it hard to apply hair dye to the curls, but it is also hard for dyed hair to be seen with curls (due to the fact that it's bunched up like a slinky). So on a hot summer afternoon, my sister and I decided to see to put Lush's henna to the test.

I'll be honest with you about this product. It smells really bad. Almost like cow manure in fact (which made me worry even more when I was applying it to my hair). Let's not go into jokes as for why this product is named CACA because I have way too many guesses. The preparation process for dying was pretty simple. Simply cut your desired slabs, add hot water, and mix! Once you have mixed the content well together apply sparingly before letting it sit for 2-3 hours. If you want to watch an instructional video on how to apply the product to your hair watch the video below.

It was probably ridiculous for me to see any results from using this product. As a brunette hair dye does little to nothing to my hair color. After impatiently waiting, the time had come to wash my hair out (which I failed at miserably seeing that I still had chunks of henna in my hair the next couple of days). Sure, my hair color remained the same but my hair definitely thanked me for doing this treatment. Not only did my hair become silky smooth after applying henna (it's been over a week and it still feels as if I just left the hair salon), but it has also shockingly become even more curly. Though I don't know if I'll be using henna anytime soon in hopes of darkening my already dark hair, it might come in handy when I need to give my hair a good R&R. In case you are interested, I used Caca Noir Henna which is supposed to have a 'blue' hue to the hair (which has yet to appear). The product can be found at Lush for $27.95. It is advised by Lush in the instructions to continue the treatment every 4-6 weeks in order to get the best results.

Before

After

Sometimes being an adult can be kind of stressful. From opening bank accounts to cleaning, I thought it was necessary to treat myself and go for a walk into Lush. Now mind you, I've tried several of Lush's products before. I have a friend who use to work at the store in Minnesota and is a junkie to their products to this day. As a vegetarian, I try my best to be conscious of what I not only eat, but also what I buy. So when I heard that Lush had great hair products (especially for girls with curly hair) it was a no brainer to treat myself to some R&R.

I should probably explain to you guys how my hair is. Thanks to my curls, my hair seems to be changing almost every day. Some days my curls are very tight and curly. Other days, my hair is longer almost wavy like (and sultry?). Point of the story is- I never know what I'm going to wake up to. Having curls, I take certain precautions when it comes to products and maintaining healthy hair. I don't blow dry it (and in the rare occasion that I do, I use a diffuser) and believe that condition air is my best friend.

My hair before using the product: Curls are'clumpy' with little definition for each individual curl.

Having moved to the south of France hasn't been the best for my hair. With the humidity and wind, my hair turns into a frizzy mess pretty much two hours into my day, leaving me with only one option: to leave my curls in a bun. Mind you this is 100% a first world problem, but living in France comes with some 'responsibilities' per say. One has to present themselves in a certain manner here compared to that in the United States. The days of wearing sweatpants out in public with disheveled hair even for a 15 minute walk are now a thing of the past, and every occasion (even if it is just going to the post office) requires proper etiquette. This by no means is a written rule for France, but I truly believe that appearance can make a difference.

But I digress.... as I walked into Lush in my city of Montpellier, I explained my hair dilemma in hopes that they would have the right product for me. I winced as I bought a tub of shampoo (which I admit I don't use too much of, having been a former Wen user) and strutted back to my apartment excited for what the results would look like. Though I am only on my first week of trying out the new product, I am complexly in love with the Curly Wurly solution. I can feel that my curls are holding in water and that they feel light and airy (something that I never thought was possible before). Sure there is still a bit of frizz in my hair (I'm trying out the complementary conditionairs to see which one suits me best at the moment), but so far this shampoo has done wonders for my hair in France. I'm excited to see how this product's shelf life will last and if it will continue to make my curls look as stunning as they deserve to be.

After having used the product: more definition per curl and volume

Have you tried Lush's beauty products? If so which one?

Until next time,

According to the University of Texas, the average size of a woman in the United States is a size 12-14. As a fashion blogger and someone who fits into this 'average size' category, it can sometimes be discouraging to write about fashion. The business is harsh. Where the average size for woman starts is considered a scarce place on the racks at clothing stores, leaving woman like myself out of clothing options. I'm not the only one that has this problem either. Over 50% of woman in the US are over the size of 14. Yet somehow the majority of retail stores only contain size 0-12, leaving woman like myself left with little to choose from and sometimes even downright depressed.

What can make matters worse is that there are very little options for woman like myself who are considered on the 'plus' size range at times to have people in the media to look up to. Think about it- when was the last time you saw on a magazine cover a model that wasn't a size 2? Now don't get me wrong- I am by no means trying to shame woman that are of a smaller size than me. I understand that everyone is born with different body types and sizes. I get that. So if there are just as many woman in the world (or more) who are over a size 2, why aren't they presented in the medias? I can think on my hand of the number of plus size models and actresses that have had love interest, been campaign models. or even had a shed of light shown on them.

Model Ashley Graham featured in DNCE's latest video "Toothbrush" as Joe Jonas' love interest

I don't technically consider myself a plus size girl and I have one reason why - I am 100% ashamed of the notion of being so. I work out every day, eat a healthy diet, yet still somehow can barely fit into size 12 jeans. You see it is possible to be healthy and be a size 12, 14, or even 20. No, I am not a doctor by any means. But I do know that society does create a stigma of plus size woman being considered lazy and unhealthy, and this isn't always the case. Society has pretty much shamed plus size woman since the beginning of the 21st century. What was at one time seen as the ideal body type has now become the opposite. I cringe when saying the word 'plus' and turn my head several times in fear that someone might notice me shopping in the plus size section.

Plus size model Whitney Thompson looks beautiful in a Versace gown:

Whitney Thompson of America's Next Top Model

Fortunately society is changing about the perspective of plus size woman. Finally in movies the plus size girl is having a plot in story lines. We are no longer just the funny girl or the bets friend. Finally models are showing up in all shapes and sizes on the runways and magazine covers allowing for all to be represented. So yes, maybe I'm still ashamed of being in the awkward middle section of being plus size- and well- the other side of the aisle. But with societies views changing day by day within the media my perspective and acceptance of my body and others is changing day by day. And I hope for others like myself they too will be able to appreciate and understand that this body revolution is an important and necessary step.

Until next time,

Almost every blogger I know has had difficulties writing and creating original content. There's a reasons why the phrase 'writers block' exists, and it happens quiet often for bloggers too. For myself, creating weekly or even daily content for the blog can sometimes be a struggle. Now I'm not trying to complain about having a blog by no means. Instead, I'm writing this post in hopes of helping other writers and creating a reminder as a blogger of what not to do as a blogger.

#1) Become Inspired. Check out the blogs that you look at daily and really ask yourself why you love coming back and looking at this blog. Is it because they post about local events happening in your area? Do you love their style? Does this writer have great advice or travel tips? Each writer is going to get inspiration from different places. For myself, I not only try and get inspiration from bloggers but also from magazines and what is happening around the world around me. Sure I'm not perfect yet about becoming super profound, but I'm slowly opening up to the world on my blog about certain aspects of my life to readers. Create something that you would be proud of and that is an accurate reflection about yourself. The biggest complement that I have received about my blog has been how closely it fits with my lifestyle.

#2) Don't post just to post. One of the great things about blogging compared to other forms of writing is that you don't have any deadlines. You are essentially your own boss. This means that you can create as much or as little content as your heart desires. That being said, you shouldn't sell yourself short though. Over creating posts that are only halfway done or that were created just 'to be created' shouldn't be on the blog. Again, this is a representation of yourself. You don't want people to get the wrong impression.

#3) You are a complex person. People change throughout time and with that taste levels and hobbies might change as well. It's natural- and you shouldn't be ashamed of it. One of the reasons why I called this blog a 'Fusion' was because I couldn't set myself down into one category of blogging. Yes, it can be nice to have one main focus on your blog but for some people this can be limiting for them. You have more than one passion- so show the world it and be proud! You never know where it might go.

#4) Don't embellish the truth. Be proud of who you are. Each person is at a different phase in their lives, and this will reflect in their blogs as well. It is important to be aware (especially in fashion blogs) that sometimes the truth is embellished when it comes to what people are wearing. Yes they look fabulous, but is that really the look that they are going to wear to go out and do their grocery's in? Probably not. There is this pressure in the fashion blogging world to have your pictures look JUST RIGHT as if you were coming right out of a magazine. Sure sometimes you might be lucky enough to snag a great photographer, but that doesn't always happen . Roll with the punches that you are given and as Tim Gun says 'make it work'!

#5) Have fun! Blogging shouldn't feel like a chore. It should be almost theraputic for you as a writer to journal out you daily life to the world. Do what makes you feel happy. If that means making your blog into a business or posts pictures of your cat that all power to you. The only thing that matters is your happiness.

Until next time,

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