Bad Hair Year - Part3: L'occitane Soothing Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Two shampoos into my bad hair year but I still had not found one that really helped. By this point, the hair loss had eased a tiny bit but the itching and flaking continued. A very dear friend who knew about my hair woes promptly went and bought me the L'occitane Soothing Shampoo and Conditioner to try. (Thank you so much dearie!). There were many great reviews on this product range and I was thrilled to have received this wonderful gift.



Shampoo description:
"Formulated with a natural origin vegetable complex of 5 essential oils, this shampoo helps soothe sensitive or irritated scalp. It also adds a genuine softness to hair, delicately cleanses and purifies the scalp and immediately eases irritations and aggressions. The scalp returns to a healthy and comfortable state, for stronger, beautiful hair"








Conditioner description:
"Formulated with a natural origin vegetable complex of 5 essential oils (chamomile, mandarin, cedar, basil, and lemongrass) and sweet almond oil, this conditioner helps soothe sensitive or irritated scalp. It immediately eases irritations and aggressions and helps to protect the scalp against the damaging effects of environmental stresses. Hair is detangled, soft and shiny"





My verdict:

Like all L'occitane products the scent of the shampoo and conditioner were heavenly. It felt calming and soothing every time I washed my hair and inhaled the delicious scent of the essential oils. In my book when it comes to scent, this reigns champion. Apart from having to use a slightly generous amount of shampoo to work up a good lather, both shampoo and conditioner worked well, leaving my hair feeling wonderfully clean, soft and light. However, in terms of helping the scalp and immediately easing irritations and aggressions, they did nothing for me. The itching and flaking so frustratingly continued on and so did my search for a shampoo just right for me. 

Falling in love with Interior Design - Inspiration by Abigail Ahern

I came to read about Abigal Ahern by chance really.

She was featured in the March 2013 issue of Australian Home Beautiful which I happened to pick up at that time. I loved the article but didn't think much about it until seeing a picture of her loft again online.

Image from deardesigner.co.uk

I knew I had seen that aesthetic somewhere before. A little more digging after that led me to her website and on to her blog. Then on, I just fell in love.

Maybe it is her easy to read and candid style of writing or the stunning and unique photos but it all just seemed to resonate with me. Full of ideas and inspiration, Abigail's blog is a gem. Most importantly, she offers fantastic tips and honest advice on interior decoration (the Abigail Ahern way).

Her interiors are extraordinary - at the borderline of over the top, quirky and on the "dark side" (as she puts it) but undoubtedly captivating . I know it's not the definition of my decorating style but all the same Abigail's little tips resound in my head...

"Don't be afraid to play with scale"

"Add texture"

"Experiment, play with colours"

"Forget the rules"

"Baby steps"

"It will turn out well, I promise"


Abigail has really inspired me to be much bolder than I'd ever though I'd be when working on the new house. Just last week, I convinced my husband to buy this over sized wall sconce for the stairway leading to our rooftop patio. Something I know I would never have done otherwise.

My husband and I took a leap of faith and painted all the bedroom doors dark grey (instead of keeping them white). Baby steps........the doors turned out fantastic and we absolutely love, love, love them.

I'm now working on a very bold look for the foyer and I just know it will turn out well.

Weekend Project: Customized Wedding Gift

I spent a weekend crafting a wedding present for my baby sister's friend. Such is the un-glamorous life I lead. Sigh.........

We got the inspiration for this project from a specialty store we chanced upon while in Singapore last year. Ink was in wedding gift heaven trying to choose between several beautiful wedding themed china, stationery and loads of cute typography pieces for D's wedding. I didn't mind owning half the things in the shop either.

But, as usual, we hit that point where we looked at each other and said "Meh...we could make something like that, too!"

After the trip, I came home and decided to do a customized piece of my own. Handmade and personalized items are always the best wedding gifts!

And so here it is,  the "Mr & Mrs" plaque, customized for D's wedding.

Bad Hair Year - Part2: Burt's Bees Pomegranate Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner Review

After having the Kheil's shampoo work not so well for me, I went on to try yet another volumizing shampoo. This time I picked up Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner with Pomegranate. Again, great reviews online. I know volumizing does not equal hair thickening but I was willing to try anything to ensure my hair loss didn't become too apparent. 

Shampoo description: 
99.6% Natural

Turn up the volume and body of your hair with our Very volumizing shampoo. This gentle shampoo easily rinses and adds super shine while leaving your hair feeling thicker and looking oh-so fuller. Formulated with antioxidant-rich pomegranate seed oil and jojoba protein, a natural moisturizer. It’s the nourishing shampoo that gives you beauty-FULL healthy looking hair.

• Moisturizes with pomegranate seed oil and jojoba protein
• Add shines to hair
• Smoothes and reduces frizz
• Sulfate-Free

Conditioner description:
98.8% Natural
Show your hair how much you care when you naturally boost its volume with our Very Volumizing Conditioner. Lightweight and amino acid-rich, this gentle conditioner not only rinses easily but also leaves your hair looking fuller and feeling thoroughly thicker. Formulated with nourishing pomegranate seed and avocado oils, it helps detangle while adding softness and body every time you use it

• Nourishes with pomegranate seed and avocado oils
• Rinses easily and detangles
• Adds volume and body to hair
• Leaves hair looking beautiful and healthy
• Sulfate-Free

My verdict:

Being sensitive to smell, the scent of the shampoo is usually the first thing I notice. This was not love at first sight (first smell in this case). I initially thought it to be a bit weird. I could smell the pomegranate but it was very faint and muted. I kind of wanted the scent to be a stronger. I guess being 99.6% natural there is no added perfume. Certainly different from what I'm normally used to where the scent jumps right at you and is an onslaught to the senses. In the conditioner however, I thought the scent was a bit stronger.

However, as I used the shampoo again and again, I got used to it and began to really love it. Both shampoo and conditioner were lovely. They helped with volume and my hair felt great overall. Also rather surprisingly, itchiness of my scalp reduced a bit although the flaking did not stop all together.  

I finished the set and have kept both the empty bottles.  I definitely plan on buying the Pomegranate Shampoo and Conditioner again and will return empty bottles to Burt's Bees to get a discount the next purchase.

Make It Yourself (and in this case...Myself)

There is no doubt that "picky" is my middle name. Strange as it sounds, I've just been unable to find the perfect throw pillows for my living sofa. All I wanted were two pairs of throw pillows with geometric patterns in a soothing neutral colour. They would have to be cotton of course, soft and comfortable enough to hug and put my face on. But it has just been one thing of another, wrong design/pattern, wrong size, wrong material, wrong colour, wrong price...oh don't even get me started on the price...70+ Ringgit for a throw pillow? I think not!

Photo & design by Ink

I ended up making my own. It was a bit a an accident really....I chanced upon this great light brown upholstery grade cotton fabric (love the fabric) with the simple chequered pattern I wanted, bought a meter of the fabric and went to work making my own pillow. It turned out surprisingly well and I bought more fabric in a different pattern, this time the octagons, and made more.
 

 Here they are on my sofa. A simple layered neutral look for the apartment living room.

 

Then mum saw the pillows and requested for them in red. I was glad they turned out nice as well. She particularly loves the octagons. I know what pillows I'll be having on my sofa next Chinese New Year!

Finding Inspiration

Its been months since we got the keys to the new house. I remember walking around for the first time excitedly...it was finally ours!!! (well, technically it belongs to the bank but lets ignore that tiny detail). The next big challenge is to turn the bare, dusty, cobweb filled space into a home.

Since then I have spent all my spare time (whatever little of it) scouring through magazines, books, catalogues, interior design websites and blogs and Pinterest (of course!) looking for ideas, inspiration, expert tips and advice for the house. So many stunning interiors, so many interesting pieces of furniture, so many styles...I want to have them all in the house.

Here are some gorgeous images from Pinterest that have become inspirations for the new house... 

 

Quote of the Month: June 2014