Rachael’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Healthy Long Hair (Part 2)

I hope you’ve all had success so far in your endeavor for those lush, rapunzel locks! I’m here with a few more tips to help you along 🙂

There ain’t no doubt about it. Braided hair is hot. Alexander Wang,  Emilio Pucci, Miu Miu and Prada are all unanimous, styling their models with braids season after season – milkmaid, fishtail, messy  –  you name it, they’ve done it.

The simplicity of this trend has caused it to leap off the catwalks in a heartbeat, with on-trend girls donning braids all over the world. But there are a few things to keep in mind when styling your hair with braids.

1. When your hair is braided, make sure it isn’t tied too tight – or else it could cause breakage or hair loss (ouch!). So if you like to braid your hair on a daily basis, it is best to stick with a messy braid that’s a bit loose.

2. Use metal-free hair bands to prevent snags and breakage of your hair. These can be bought easily in all pharmacies and even most supermarkets (and can be super cheap if you buy a large pack  – you can even go halves with a friend if you don’t think you need hundreds). In the same vein, try limit your use of clips, bows and other accesories that can tangle and snag your hair.

MYTH: The more often you cut your hair, the faster it will grow.

I’ve heard this one so many times. This statement does hold some truth to it, but it’s just over-simplified and really badly worded. It is important to have regular trims at the hairdresser, even if you are trying to grow out your hair. Like health check-ups at the doctor – but for your hair.

I know many of us doubt the expertise of hairdressers  – since the majority seem to like to experiment cuts and colours on themselves (and thus tend to look a little wack). And then there’s their shocking inability to understand the phrase “don’t cut it too short”; but all that aside, hairdressers do know their haircare better than we do. They only cut as much as they need to in order to nix our split ends. Otherwise, split ends can cause your hair to break off – which really isn’t good for your hair; and after awhile your hair will start to look dull and unhealthy.

TRUE STORY: I had a friend with ridiculously long hair, who hadn’t had it trimmed in years. By the time she did go, the hairdresser said that a lot of her hair was really, well, “dead”. She ended up having to have it cut to shoulder length to get rid of all the unhealthy hair. It was pretty depressing for her.

Yeah, yeah. I get it, “Cool story Hansel” and whatever – but hey! Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

HOWEVER, it’s important that you don’t take this to the extreme – the problem with this myth is that it suggests that if you cut your hair every hour, your hair will start growing at super speed. Which, come on – just logically isn’t true. If you’re aiming to maintain or grow your length, have a trim once every 4 weeks. If you cut it any more frquently than that, the only thing you’re doing is making your hair shorter. Duh.

No matter your weapon of choice – curler, straightener, hair dryer or crimper – I’m willing to bet that all of us have heat damaged our hair at some point in our life. And I’m pretty sure you can tell from the term ‘heat damage’ that it ain’t good for your hair – no matter what “ionic”, “floating ceramic plates”, “frizz smoothing” crap they tell you on the box. Long term heat damage will make your hair drier, more brittle and lose that natural healthy shine.

Now, I know a lot of you, like most of my friends are the “OMG NO I COULD NEVER LIVE WITHOUT MY STRAIGHTENER WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY RACHAEL NO I REFUSE YOU CAN’T MAKE ME” types, and I get it. But it’s important to remember that those sprays your hairdresser recommended for you to buy weren’t just part of a shameless profit scheme (surprising I know XD) – it really is important to always apply product before you heat treat it. Most hairdressers will agree that if you’re a straightener junkie, it’s in your hair’s best interest to invest in a heat protectant product (usually in the form of a spray). But really, any product is better than none – so if your budget is tight, just run some leave-in conditioner through your hair before you curl, straighten or blow-dry.

Personally, I would recommend that if you can, next time you’re buying your shampoo andconditioner, choose products specifically for heat damaged hair – TRESemmé has a thermal recovery range that would do the trick. Also, try to let your hair dry naturally as often as you can, instead of always resorting to your dryer.

So that’s all from me for now, folks 🙂

Rachael

xx

Rachael’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Healthy Long Hair (Part 1)

So another year has passed, as many of us stay up til the wee hours of morn and party hard to celebrate the new year. And like many of you, when I awake groggily (some more than others) on the 1^st of January 2012, I will resolve that this will be the year that I learn Italian, stop spending so much, start saving and go to the gym everyday (and not just to check out the hot guys). A new year for a new and improved me. I don’t know about you guys – but for me, it’s really not all that different to what I said I would do on January 1^st last year…and possibly the one before. For all said above, I can only hope I fare better this year. However, if your new year’s resolution is to grow some seriously enviable, lusciously long locks OR to grow out those (let’s be honest) completely unflattering home-cut bangs; that far-too-short, spur-of-the-moment bob; or that Emma-Watson-esque pixie cut you thought you could pull off… then I am here to help, with some tips and tricks on how to care better for your hair, and encourage it to grow healthily.

FACT: on average, hair grows ½ inch each month – so that’s 6 inches in a year.

Although this figure varies from person to person (based on factors such as genetics, age and health), for most, it is generous, if anything. This is the natural growth rate of your hair, and it is not possible to naturally make your hair grow any faster. Sadly, we can’t do anything to change our genes or age. So our job is to ensure our bodies and our locks are in optimum health to make sure by the 1^st January 2013, we have that extra 6 inches!

General Health

Cliché, I know, but incontestably true: if you’re healthy on the inside, your healthy glow will be reflected on the outside (hello glossy locks!).

So, this year, resolve to start drinking plenty of water. You may have doubted your biology teacher’s knowledge and competency, but they weren’t actually kidding when they said water makes up about 60% of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water, so it is essential for good health. It is recommended that we try to drink about 2 litres a day – that’s 8-9 glasses of water.

Try to establish a healthy, regular sleeping cycle (minimise those all-nighters) to ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep a day; and incorporate a variety of colourful fresh fruits and vegetables. You could also start eating a “hair, skin and nails” supplement, which can be found in the multivitamin and supplements sections of most pharmacies. Whichever you choose, the idea is to give your body the nutrients it needs to support healthy hair growth.

How to Properly Care for Your Hair

I know. You’ve been washing your hair all on your own since the age of 3, but think of these tips as a refresher course to check you’re caring for your hair as best as you can.

Using warm water for shampooing your hair is best – it helps to open up the hair cuticle so that you can clean out all the trapped dirt and oil. But not too hot, otherwise you might also risk stripping away all the natural oils of your hair, leaving your scalp dry and prone to dandruff. Another tip to avoid drying out your scalp is to only wash your hair every second day.

When lathering your hair, be gentle, you already naturally shed hair each day, but you don’t want to lose any more than necessary! When conditioning, take the time to comb the conditioner through your hair to ensure your hair is conditioned thoroughly from root to tip, and massage it into your scalp. This will not only help to moisturise your scalp, but the massaging action will also stimulate blood flow to your scalp, and therefore encourage hair growth. Leave the conditioner in for up to 5 minutes if possible. But, I know we’re busy people and not everyone (I know I can’t) can always afford to wait 5 minutes before rinsing your hair; so just leave it in for as long as you can. I suggest shampooing and applying conditioner first when you hop into the shower. Then after you’ve applied conditioner, twist your hair and pile it on top of your head to keep it out of the way while you wash the rest of yourself. Then, rinse out the conditioner lastly, just before you get out.

Conversely, it is better to rinse out conditioner with cool water – this will rinse out excess product without completely stripping all the moisture from your freshly-conditioned hair. It will also help to close the hair cuticle – giving you nice shiny hair (score!).

Well, I can’t give all my secrets away all at once! So that’s it for Part 1 of my new hair care series; look out for Part 2 in about a week. Until then, I wish you all the best for the year ahead, and good luck especially with your hair 🙂

Rachael

xxxx

WHAT ROSIE LIKES: An Ode to Bill Cunningham…

‎”Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life. I don’t think you could do away with it. It would be like doing away with civilization.”  

-Bill Cunningham, in the documentary Bill Cunningham New York 

As an often fashion-deprived poor soul living in Wellington, New Zealand, the number of people wearing puffer jackets constantly depresses me. They belong in the same category as ugg-boots, ie. not to be worn outside the house unless your dog has just died and you are incapable of doing anything other than clutching the bag of dog food and bawling your eyes out. After seeing the movie, Bill Cunningham New York, (which I highly recommend by the way) about an on-the-street fashion photographer who takes photos of anyone who catches his eye, I was even sadder at the contrast between your average New-Yorker and your average Wellingtonian:

  vs 

While puffer jackets may be warm, convenient, and comfortable, they are not in any way flattering, fashionable or interesting. I just wish people would try a little harder! Is that too much to ask?

BUT: that doesn’t mean to say that I am going to give up on fashion and become a puffer-jacketed, Supré-wearing clone. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – hearing Bill’s story I’ve realised that you never know who might be watching…

…And that is WHAT ROSIE LIKES. 

Love,

Rosie

 

WHAT ROSIE LIKES: An introduction of sorts.

Hellooo everyone! I am ever-so-sorry that it has been far too long since anything was published on Perdu Dans L’armoire so to reward your faithfulness I would like introduce you to my friend and thrifty fashionista Rosie.

The following post was penned by the affable Rosie Marsland… Welcome to a new series on the blog: WHAT ROSIE LIKES. 

Hey anyone who’s out there, I’m Rosie, a 17-year-old Wellingtonian with a fetish for op-shops and Darren Criss.  Forced into a floor-length hideous uniform Monday to Friday, my fashion sense is ready to explode by the weekend.  I always try to be creative with my outfits, because you never know who’s watching…

Dress, scarf, belt, boots: Opportunity for Animals. Hat: Harry J White. Socks: Glassons. Bracelet: Gold Ore Silver Mine.

I spend every Saturday volunteering at the secondhand shop, Opportunity for Animals. Admittedly, this involves working all day in a mothball-y, dingy shop, wading through sacks of pilled Supré cast-offs and dealing with occasionally creepy customers…

BUT the rewards are great. Namely, bags and bags of vintage, preloved clothes. Oh, and I get to spend all day with one of my best friends, talking about general life and laughing at aforementioned creepy customers. At 3pm, Lucy and I close the doors, pull in the sign and bring out our pile of garments that have “potential”, collected throughout the day. What ensues is like a speeded up shopping spree that takes place in just one shop, Lucy and I pull clothes on and off at high speed, making ruthless and brutal comments about the other like, “you look middle-aged” and “way too Big Fat Gypsy Wedding”.

(Not a look either of us wants.)

By 4pm, we’ve each created a “yes” and a “no” pile, which then get hauled home in plastic bags (Lucy generally goes for a rubbish bag while I have a supermarket bag or two).  And while admittedly a fair amount of the garments get taken back the next week upon reconsideration and our mothers’ opinions (often even crueller than our own), it’s not like we had to pay for them, right?

This weekly process allows me to keep my outfits fresh, steer clear of same-dress-chain-store dilemmas and have an ever-expanding wardrobe, at no cost at all. I can’t believe how lucky I am sometimes, and I’m pretty sure my situation is once-in-a-lifetime. But even if you don’t work there, your local op shop is always a good place to drop by every now and then, because you never know what you might find. Some of my finds need a bit of DIY-ing (the dress I’m wearing above was originally floor length) and I supplement my wardrobe with accessories and such from mainstream stores, but even so, 99% of my wardrobe is proudly op-shopped (testified by the above outfit, 5 out of 7 items are preloved). Anyway, welcome to my series on Perdu Dans L’Amoire: WHAT ROSIE LIKES.

5(00) Days of Sydney: Strayed Sightseeing

Rachael and I arrived in Sydney yesterday so I decided to compile a list of my top 3 highlights of the day. Enjoy!

1. Getting Lost: Okay, so most people *coughrachaelcough* don’t enjoy getting lost, I on the other hand relish the opportunity to discover hidden parts of a city. On our way to Circular Quay we somehow ended up near The Rocks causing us to suffer enjoy a lengthy walk to our desired destination. However, positives of this included walking under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and having a fantastic photo opportunity of the Sydney Opera House

 

2. Shopping: What would a trip to Sydney be with0ut hitting the shops? Rather depressing. After our “lengthy walk” Rachael and I decided to do some retail therapy to sooth our aching feet. And yes, posing with mannequins is an essential part of the sydney shopping experience. I love the quotes on the stairs in the first photograph… “anyone who thinks sunshine is pure happiness, has never gone shopping.” 

3. The Cupcake Bakery: If you ever visit Sydney The Cupcake Bakery is most definitely a “must visit” eatery, the bakery has a small and homy feel, is easy to locate (it’s in the city centre – George Street!) and has millions of different cupcakes to choose from (well almost :P) Rachael brought a Sticky Date Cupcake for her mum (which she lost at a later point, that girl never ceases to amaze me :P) and I purchased a Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake for myself my dad of course. Unfortunately due to transportation issues I had to do the nobel deed and eat the cupcake. After getting large amounts of Vanilla icing in my hair I can attest that “the devil tastes like vanilla”.

 

And that concludes my highlights from yesterday. 🙂

WHAT I WORE. 

Top, Country Road. Jumper, Survival. Shorts, Valleygirl. Beret, Sportsgirl. Shoes, Converse.

I hope everyone is having amazing holidays!

With Love,

Tapiwa

xxx

The face of 1966

“At sixteen, I was a funny, skinny little thing, all eyelashes and legs. And then, suddenly people told me it was gorgeous. I thought they had gone mad.” – Twiggy

Yesterday was the birthday of Lesley Lawson née Hornby, more popularly known as ‘Twiggy’. This style icon, famous for her pixie haircut, large eyes, long eyelashes and slight physique, has graced the covers of famous magazines such as Vogue. Her modelling career lasted four years, when she retired in 1970 she was quoted as saying, “You can’t be a clothes hanger for your entire life!” After Twiggy retired she went on to become an actress and started her series, Twiggy’s people where she interviewed various celebrities. She is currently a judge on the popular reality tv show America’s Next Top Model. 

The following pictures show Twiggy during the height of the her modelling career, she was most definitely the epitome of mod fashion:

   

Personally I love the 60’s mod look and if you’re keen to give Twiggy’s look ago here is a fantastic tutorial on how to do Twiggy-esque makeup:

In terms of clothing you need not look past the clothes in shops around town for elements of mod fashion.

With love,

Tapiwa

xxx

2011 Emmys

Just wanted to share with you the Top 3s on my Jaw-Droppingly-Gorgeous and Most Tragically Dressed  lists. Let’s begin!

Best Dressed

LOCK UP YOUR HUSBANDS – and heck – LOCK UP YOUR WIVES. Nina Dobrev is red hot in a Donna Karan gown and Brian Atwood pumps, with a simple (yet glamourous) smokey eye and nude lip – not that you can look past that dangerously hot dress, that fits her amazing physique like a glove.  That’s it. It’s official. My boyfriend is banned from watching The Vampire Diaries.

We all know that Kelly Osbourne has had her share of fashion mishaps, and body woes – but she looked breathtaking in a spectacular floor-length gown by J Mendel, with an elegant French roll to flatter her gorgeous drop earrings. Bravo Kells – you look amazing.

Another girl who embraced the red frock was Glee‘s Lea Michele, in a  fitted Marchesa gown, cutting a striking silhouette. The rosette sleeves are darling, as is the entire ensemble – if not a tad simple and safe.

Worst Dressed

You know, it’s a special type of skill to be able to fake a muffin top. We all know health-freak  Gwyneth Paltrow has one of the fittest bodies in Hollywood, but this Pucci gown just isn’t working for me. The phrase ‘deranged belly dancer’ comes to mind. I’m sorry Gwyn.

With a face and body like Heidi Klum‘s, it’s true – you can pull of anything. But that’s no reason why you SHOULD. Wearing a Christian Siriano dress, it’s good to see her supporting the past Project Runway winner… but critics agree that they miss the days when she used to grace the red carpet in exquisitely divine floor-length gowns. And for goodness sake, make your man button up his shirt! Please!

Oh Christina. There is no doubt that busty redhead of Mad Menfame, has a great figure, with va-va-voom curves – which she flauts in a custom Johanna Johnson gown. But really, just once – I’d love to see Miss Christina Hendricks on the red carpet with something not V-necked. With her look-me-in-the-eye cleavage on display, you can hardly notice the amazing beadwork of that gown. Such a shame.

Honourable Mentions

Just because they’re awesome 🙂

Rachael

xxxx

tavi, tavi, tavi

“[I’m a] tiny 13 year old dork [who] sits inside all day wearing awkward jackets and pretty hats” – Tavi Gevinson

Firstly, I feel I must admit that I spend so much time on Youtube, that I practically live on it. 

Secondly, I have a MASSIVE girl crush on Zooey Deschanel. I honestly believe she is the most gorgeous gal in Hollywood, if not the world.

She and two other ladies, have created the site Hello Giggles (http://hellogiggles.com/), described as a “lady- friendly entertainment destination for smart, independent and creative females” on their corresponding Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/hellogiggles).

They have na ‘series’ of what they call Videochat Karaoke, featuring some truly amazing musicians (including Zooey herself):

Now, the Videochat Karaoke video with the highest view count is – surprise surprise – Zooey’s! But second highest? No, it isn’t Rozzi Crane, with the amazing jazz vocals. It’s this weird-looking chick by the name of Tavi Gevinson lipsyncing to T-Swizzle’s ‘You Belong With Me.”

I’ve got a soft spot for jazz singers, so I was completely floored to discover that this video that is – lets be honest – completely devoid of musical talent was more popular that the amazing Rozzi Crane.

The conclusion: it must be something to do with this strange little girl, Tavi. Now, I’m not right very often, but BOY was I on the money this time!
Tavi Gevinson is the very young fashion blogger behind the infamous Style Rookie blog. She began at the age of 11 in 2008; and since has grown in popularity and success. Her fame peaked in 2010, when the Fashion Industry itself decided to catapult Tavi into the spotlight – inviting her to go to the biggest fashion shows, and meet amazing designers.

Having discovered what an intelligent, inspirational and influencial person she is; I’ve now become a huge Tavi fan. I love her quirky outfits, her bizarre-coloured locks and peculiar make-up choices; and I find her ‘awkward adorable’ demeanor absolutely endearing. Her fashion knowledge is amazingly impressive, and I encourage you all to support her 🙂

Rachael

xxxx

a touch of rouge

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.’ – Gwyneth Paltrow

Although the advice of this B-list-actress turned ‘so-called’ lifestyle guru is understandably questionable – it is undisputed in the fashion world that the good ol’ red lippie is a truly timeless classic. Women throughout history have been painting their lips red; trends come and go – plums, pastels – but, feminine and sexy, red’s the showstopping hue that always gets a second glance.

A Brief History

Even in ancient times, Egyptian Queens stained their lips with colour made from henna and crushed beetles. Ladies of the Elizabethan era painted theirs red with poisonous mercuric sulphide (yikes!); and those of the Queen Victoria’s time stained their pouts with red crêpe paper.

It was not until the 1870’s that the first wax-based lipstick in a refillable tube (the bullet lipstick we know today, in it’s primitive form) was released by Guerlain – catapulting the trend into the mainstream, where it has stayed for centuries.

The Perfect Shade

 The elusive ‘perfect’ red for you is said to do a whole host of magical things:

1. Brighten your complexion, giving a radiant glow to your skin

2. Blue-toned reds are said to make your chompers appear pearly white.

3. Make your peepers pop – especially for blue and green-eyed gals.

So how do you find yours? Reds are generally divided into ‘warm reds’ (firetruck, orangey-reds) and ‘cool reds’ (‘blue-toned’ reds). If you have warm skintone – with golden, yellow undertones, warm reds will suit you better. If you have pink undertones, you have cool skintone and cool reds are the way to go. Lancôme’s online make-up artist Michelle Phan (of Youtube fame) demonstrated this in one of her videos:

So how do you know if you’re warm or cool toned? One method is the ‘Jewellery Test’. If you look better in gold, rather than silver, you are warm toned. And if silver suits, you’re cool toned.

You could also try the ‘White Clothes Test’ – get an item of clothing that is off-white, and one that is true-white. If you look better in true-white then your skin has a cool tone. If you look better in off-white, you’re warm toned.

Another method is to go out into the sun (must be observed under natural light) and look at the veins on your wrist. If they appear blue, you’re cool toned. If they’re green-ish; you’re warm – because the yellow undertone of your skin mixes with the blue of your veins so that they appear green from your perspective.

HOWEVER: if you can’t tell, and you tend you look good in both silver and gold jewellery – it means you’re neutral toned, and you can wear both cool and warm reds. Lucky ey?

My Advice

I can honestly say that I have tried each of these methods – and I was still left in the dark. It’s possible that I might be neutral toned, but I think if you’re unsure, the best way is just to try it out.

Head to your nearest department store or drugstore even, and just go nuts with the testers! Whether you go to a Chanel, MAC, Revlon or Maybelline counter, a make-up artist or even just sales rep can give you advice and an opinion. But really, the important thing is that you love it – and trust me, you can tell when you’ve found the right one. It truly is instant confidence, Hollywood glamour and beauty in a tube.

Quick Application Tips

1. If you use a lip liner that is similar to your natural lip colour, and use it not only to line your lips, but to colour them in completely before you wear your lipstick, it’ll make the colour last longer.

2. In my opinion, with any lipstick, but especially those with bright hues (like red), you should always apply it with a lip brush to keep it neat.

3. After the first coat of lipstick, blot the excess with a piece of tissue, before reapplying a second coat. This makes the lipstick last longer.

4. If you aren’t blessed with an Angelina Jolie pout, you can dab a little of your favourite gloss in the centre of your lips – both top and bottom. This creates the illusion of fuller lips.

Fun Fact

Madonna’s favourite shade back in her Material Girl days was ‘Russian Red’ by MAC, still one of their top sellers. It’s also my best friend’s shade of choice. Mine is ‘Ladybug’ by MAC. What’s yours? 🙂 Leave a comment telling me below!

Rachael

xxxx

delightful dresses & dirty dancing

Okay, so picture the scene: It’s the holidays, you’ve indefinitely decided that studying is nothing short of “lame” and all your friends live a bajillion miles away so catching a train to see them is “just too hard”. The pool is filthy and you’re too lazy it’s too hot to go for a walk, so what do you do? The answer is simple. Watch a movie. 

Yesterday evening I decided to plunge into the world of sixties mayhem – the summer of ’63. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey I’m quite obviously talking the oscar-winning film Dirty Dancing. The film is a classic coming-of-age story from the perspective of ‘Baby’, a girl who goes to a holiday camp with her family and falls in love with the dance teacher. The film not only strives to show the antithesis between the affluent vacationers and staff of the camp but provides viewers with a solid romance and a generally entertaining plot-line. The film also displays the cyclical nature of fashion trends as I couldn’t help but notice that many of the styles can currently be seen on girls all over town. For this reason I decided I’d do a post on fashion inspiration from Dirty Dancing. Enjoy!

Dancing away to the mambo

(Photo credit: http://www.wallpapergate.com/wallpaper26482.html; https://shop.sportsgirl.com.au)

You can find several dresses which are similar to the one worn by Baby while dancing the “mambo madness” from Sportsgirl. Prices for these dresses range from $89.95 AUD to $149.95 AUD.

I’m having the time of my life and I’ve never felt this way before

 (Photo credit: http://www.wetseal.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=47926; http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat3270002&productId=1332_3686&mr:trackingCode=70A9C379-0624-E011-B690-001517384909&mr:referralID=NA&cid=AEO_AFF_k118166; http://www.keds.com)

The above pictures show my casual interpretation of Baby’s little white dress. Try pairing a Wet Seal Tiered Lace Tank with American Eagle Denim Mini Short and original Keds.

Who’s that? Oh, them. They’re the dance people.

(Photo credit: http://www.forevernew.com.au/; http://www.ray-ban.com/australia/products/sun/RB4105?var=601) 

For a more ‘Johnny Castle’ look go for all black with dark wayfarers.

And that concludes my post on fashion inspiration from Dirty Dancing, it is an absolutely fantastic movie and I would encourage you all to watch it if you’ve never seen it.

With love,

Tapiwa

xxx