20 Struggles Of Fine Haired Girls

1) Hair gets trapped in your watchband and you don't realise until you accidentally yank it out.
2) Strands of hair stick to your face and you can't find it without checking a mirror.
3) Your pony tail constantly falls out.
4) You need to wash or dry shampoo your hair every day.
5) Your goes limp after it's been curled or straightened.
6) You can see your scalp through your hair.
7) There's not enough hair to conceal a hair donut/sock bun.
8) Long hair must be tied up or it will catch onto things.
9) A haircut costs the same as someone who has more hair and takes more time to cut than yours.
10) After a few rounds of GHD, split ends appear.
11) You feel raindrops hitting your head hard.
12) Your scalp is extra sensitive to hairdryer heat.
13) You can't have bangs or you'll have hardly any volume in your hair.
14) Plaits or braids look like rats tails.
15) Hair appears glued to your head after it's been slept on.
16) Hair gets caught in your mouth or pasted over your sweaty forehead during a workout.
17) Brushing out knots causes more hair loss so sometimes you don't.
18) Any static causes flyaway strands to stand up on end.
19) You can't grow your hair beyond your armpits without it look straggly.
20) Watching your fine hair get even finer with age.

Gel Nails Hack - Clear Gel Glitter Gradient

This is a trick I learned when I had gels nails done. To prolong the effect, pick a transparent base with a glitter gradient from the tips. You can go an extra two weeks or more without having to remove them. Also you can clip and buff the nails if you feel the nails are too long.

Regrowth is practically invisible. You could grow out the gel so there's less of it to soak off when it eventually gets removed. Works great for my nails because they grow so quickly and I don't like the soaking and scraping. Some salons charge a little extra for the gradient effect but it's worth it.

Romwe Review - What You See vs The Reality

I was enticed by the cheap fashionable clothes from the website Romwe and made my first order. I bought the sweatshirt below, taking note of the measurements given. I even used a tape measure to make sure I was getting the right size because I knew returning it would be a hassle, or rather, not worth it. I bought a size Small, although the sleeves might be too long for me.

Two weeks later (that's with expedited shipping) I received this. It was tiny, looking more like a shrunken thermal top. The sleeves went as far as my mid forearms. I could barely stick my head through the neckhole! The measurements on the website were completely wrong. 

Not only was the sizing off, the material stated on the website was wrong. Instead of "cotton", the top was made from a cheap synthetic material, not far off from polyester from the 70s. This was so disappointing. The website's product descriptions are inaccurate and the clothing is hardly like how it's pictured. It's not worth getting partially what I bargained for, especially if I can't even wear it.

With their inbox-only style of customer service and returns at my own cost, I didn't bother to deal with Romwe again. But I didn't let it all go to waste. I re-fashioned the top into these two snazzy zip up pouches. Not bad huh?

Testing The Accuracy Of Hair Straightener Temperatures

I used to take the temperatures on hair straighteners as a given but after this test with a infrared thermometer, I understand more about how my straighteners work. 

The thermometer I used has an accuracy variance of + or - 2 degrees Celsius. I firstly checked the temperature of a travel straightener without heat settings. It got as high as 190 degrees which is too hot for my fine hair. 

I bought my Berta straightener because apparently it's lowest setting is 120 degrees as seen on this dial. I turned it on and waited for the "ready to use" green light.

The temperature surged to 150 degrees. 

But it dropped back to 122 degrees before the temperature crept up again. 

I noticed a similar variance with the hotter settings. The highest at 210 degrees, set the temperature as high as 229 degrees. This was the maximum heat before dropping to 210 degrees. 

Therefore the numbers on the dial shows the minimum temperature with a variance of  up to 30 degrees. The straightener doesn't keep heat at a constant temperature. 120 degrees on the dial can be actually be 150 on the plates. 

The test was important because my hair feels damaged at temperatures at 150 degrees and above. Heat control is a useful function but it's better to know the actual temperature, especially if you have hair that is prone to damage. 

Fermented Rice Water Hair Rinse

I was making organic brown rice flour and thought it was a shame to pour the soaking water down the drain. Surely it could be used for something? I googled and the most popular method using it as a hair rinse. Other uses were as a facial toner and for watering plants.

I was intrigued by the hair rinse because use as you may know, I'm obsessed with natural hair care. There were blog posts about it, referencing it's use with Chinese villagers who grow their hair super long. Apparently they cleanse their hair with fermented rice water. I'm not one to readily believe stuff from the internet but since I had the rice water, there was no harm in trying it.

I had a litre of water from rice that was soaked in it for 24 hours and let out to sit. There was foam on the top and it looked carbonated when it was shaken. I kept the bottle on the counter with the lid on and decanted a cup or two everytime I used it on my hair. To make the fermented rice water, you have to leave it for a few days. Allegedly the method the villagers use requires the water to be boiled before using and couldn't find an explanation as to why. I don't see the point of boiling it so I skipped that part.

After a day of letting the water sit, I poured a few cups on my head and let it run through my hair. This was done after it had been washed and conditioned. It smelt wonderful like fresh rice. I had feel-good vibes letting it sit in my hair for a few minutes. I rinsed it off although it smelt so good I didn't want to. After my hair had dried I noticed it felt shinier and softer.

Even my friend mentioned it, saying my hair looked glossy and healthier. I wasn't convinced it was because of the rice water. I intended to make a judgement after all the rice water was used up.

For the next wash which was two days later, there was a definite pong in the rice water. I was weary so I kept the bottle in the fridge at that point. I tested the pH with a test strip and it was at 7, which is neutral. Not acidic as I expected after fermentation.

When I poured the rice water through my hair, I started to regret it because it smelt a bit like horse poo. The bad bacteria had gotten to it and it was going rancid. The smell remained in my hair until it dried. The results on my hair were similar to the first time.  Although I noticed my hair strands felt not as weak or stretchy when I combed it.

I used the last of the rice water the third time and the smell was much more pungent. The pH was the same at 7. I was at the gym when I used it and I wish I hadn't because the person using the shower next to me must have thought I'd done something very nasty! The smell was revolting, like a fresh steaming cow pat. Again I got soft and shiny hair but no way would I ever use rice water that old again.

So the conclusion is that I think rice water is beneficial for hair. It's a mystery as to how but it worked for me. From now on I'll retain the rinsing water when I cook rice and store it in the fridge.  If you make rice, don't let the water go to waste-give it a try and see if it works for you too!