I rarely regret my decision to avoid shampoo, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t occasionally miss the scent of freshly-washed hair. Hair that smells like nothing can get pretty boring, and without that just shampooed look/feel/scent, I often forget when I last used baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Because of this, I tend use baking soda more frequently than is necessary. This is both wasteful and not so great for my already dry hair.

Amber, my talented hairstylist, often mixes a few drops of peppermint essential oil with the water she uses to spray my hair.  I’ve taken note of how awesome it makes my hair smell when she does it, but it didn’t occur to me until very recently that this might be a solution to my problem. When I saw an unused spray bottle in my bathroom cabinet and realized that I also had peppermint oil, I decided to give it a try the next time my hair needed a little freshening up.

It worked so well that I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner!

Do you have any other tips for making hair smell great without shampoo?

What’s a girl to do when she can’t justify splurging on henna but her hair is looking especially mousy? Well, this girl buys the cheapest box of ammonia free dye she can find and puts it to good use. I know, I know. The ingredients are pretty gross, and dying at home is risky. I don’t plan to make a habit of it, though, and I did manage to skip the included conditioner (which was full of parabens) and follow up with argan oil instead.

Also, I’m pretty happy with the results:

I know, I’m the worst…but I do have some fun posts on the way, including:

• Five Finds for Valentine’s Day
• the next installment of Nearly Natural
• several product reviews
• a stupidly good hummus recipe, concocted by yours truly
• a super secret and awesome giveaway (look for it some time next week)!

• I’m excited to try this natural hair colour mask to hopefully make mine a little less dull.
• Need a reminder of which ingredients it’s most important to avoid? This article made me realize that I definitely need to update/add to my ingredients to avoid page.
• This story about fragrance that a reader shared with Alexandra and Siobhan is both scary and inspirational.
• I need to take a page out of Rachel’s book and simplify my home.
• Caitie’s top makeup products of 2011 post is full of cosmetics I’d like to try!
• This infused witch hazel seems extra fancy.

Amber is a hair magician. My hair never looks this shiny when I fix it!

 So I didn’t get bangs or all my hair chopped off, but I’m feeling better about my long hair than I have in months. Amber at Intricid Salon tells me that I can easily achieve the long, lovely locks that I want with the help of a daily mutivitamin and less razoring. Oh boy! Until then, maybe I’ll just pretend to have short hair occasionally with the help of this sweet tutorial.

A small part of me wants to leave the salon with a cute bob, similar to the one above.

Katie’s sweet bangs make me wish I hadn’t even decided to grow mine out.

But I’d also love to let my hair grow into something that would hopefully eventually resemble this beautiful mane.

Ho-hum. Decisions, decisions. What do you think?

Remember the promise I made to myself to avoid tweezers until my eyebrows returned to their naturally full state? Well, somehow I’ve managed to keep that promise, and I think my eyebrows are looking better than ever!

Also, while using Hipstamatic to snap the above picture, I was bombarded with so many old, cute pictures of myself sans bangs. I’m not sure why I repeatedly put myself through this cycle of wanting bangs, having bangs, hating bangs, and then spending several torturous months growing out bangs…but I’m currently in the last, awful stage of this cycle. I can’t wait to be rid of them.

See? This girl knew how to live life (I will never again photograph myself while driving, though. That was plain reckless).

Does anyone else have a love/hate relationship with bangs? I’d be willing to bet that anyone who has ever had them does.

I couldn’t make my hair look quite as cute as Maria’s beforehand. Actually, I think Friar Tuck is a more accurate comparison.

It was totally worth it, though! The results were lovely.

I’d been contemplating chopping off all my hair before discovering such an easy way to deal with it, but now I think I’ll keep it long for a while. You guys should definitely check out the video if you’re in a similar hair rut!

My dogs are basically like furry children to me, so taking care of them is something that comes pretty naturally. Still, sometimes baths are more trouble than they’re worth. If Clementine and Winston aren’t smelling their best and I don’t have a lot of time to spare, then dry shampoo is kind of a life saver.

Ingredients (provided at eco-me.com)- “Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Zea Mays (Corn Starch), Grapefruit, Clary Sage essential oils.”

I couldn’t locate this product in the Cosmetics Database, so I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above. I was pleased to discover that all of the ingredients have hazard scores of 0.

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens, dyes, chemical preservatives, synthetic fragrances, surfactants, and detergents.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

3. It comes in a #1 plastic container, which can easily be recycled in Lake Charles.

Product Description(provided at petco.com)- ”Natural formula is safe and gentle on your pet’s skin and coat. Eco-Me Grapefruit Sage Natural Dry Dog Shampoo will leave your pet’s fur smooth, soft and clean. Simply sprinkle the dry shampoo on your dog’s coat and wipe away residue with a damp towel. A great solution for keeping your dog’s fur clean and smooth between grooms. The grapefruit sage scent will keep your dog smelling fresh and clean. Our chemical free formula is made with natural, safe ingredients so you can feel good about using it on your pet.”

Price-around $9.99 for a 16 oz. tub, but I got mine from T.J. Maxx for $5!

Performance- This product can be a little messy, but it’s definitely worth the clean-up since sweeping up the leftover powder takes all of 30 seconds. The holes in the lid make shaking the shampoo onto your dog’s coat as easy as possible, and once their fur is coated you simply rub or comb it in and then wipe off the excess! Your dog/dogs will be smelling fresh for days!

Scent- Kirby says this shampoo smells like fruity pebbles. Danielle says it smells like hominy. I say it smells like a little of both.

Rating- 9/10. I subtracted 1 point since it isn’t exactly cheap at full price.

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Silly hats are the only worthwhile items Ron Jon Surf Shop has to offer.

Hey guys, I hope you’re all having the best week. Here are a few links to some summer/beach related articles I’ve recently come across. Enjoy!

• Several of these casual updos could easily be recreated for a relaxing day on the beach or just a hot day in the sun.
• This sunscreen infographic is so informative! I love arming myself with useful information.
• Parts 1 and 2 of Eco Stiletto’s Eco Bikini Feature are very promising. Bikinis made from recycled water bottles and organic cotton? I can’t wait for parts 3-4!
• Get a bikini wax this month and kill two birds with one stone.  Be swimsuit ready and support cervical cancer and HPV research.

Along with my delicious sample of Arbonne Vanilla Protein Shake Mix, I received several other Arbonne samples to try out. Today I’ll be reviewing the Fortifying Hair Mask, a product that is a real treat for hair that needs a little extra love.

Key Ingredients (provided at arbonne.com)- “Botanical blend of chamomile flower extract, rosemary leaf extract, sage leaf extract, soy protein; spirulina extract, shea butter.”

None of the current formulations of Arbonne’s products are in the Cosmetics Database, so I’ve linked to each of the key ingredients above. None of the key ingredients have hazard scores above zero, but the key ingredients certainly are not the only ingredients used to make the product. Check out Arbonne’s Ingredient Policy; it eased my mind a little.

Some great things about this product:

1.  Like all Arbonne personal care products, it’s free of petroleum-based ingredients (like Benzene, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Phthalates, and Toluene). It’s also free of PABA and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.

2. It’s cruelty-free and there are no animal products or animal by-products.

Product Description(also provided at arbonne.com)- “Contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals with a superb, hydrating formula that helps strengthen, con­dition, repair and revitalize the hair shaft for a lustrous, healthy shine. It’s perfect for a scalp massage and safe for chemically treated hair. Mask can be used on newly colored hair to help seal and protect the cuticle, which helps maintain color.”

Price- Around $30.00 for 4 fl. oz.

Performance- This product didn’t weigh my hair down like hair masks I’ve used in the past, which was great. My hair was soft and manageable after adding a little Jonathan Straightening Lotion and blow drying it, and I thought it looked so pretty I didn’t even straighten it! When using this product, I’d suggest combing it into your wet hair with a wide tooth comb and completely saturating the ends. Wait at least 10 minutes before rinsing. That’s what I did, and I was way into the results:

Scent- This scent of this product isn’t very strong, and it smells fruity and slightly medicated. I might also describe it as smelling a little yeasty. I’m into it, but don’t worry if the scent doesn’t sound like your cup of tea. After rinsing, there’s no trace of the scent left at all.

Rating- I’m subtracting 2 points because hard to track down ingredients can be a bit frustrating. 8/10 it is.

Would I purchase this item again? I’d definitely like to see this product’s entire ingredient list before committing, but the performance is fantastic, so most likely!

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*Samples were provided by an Arbonne representative; opinions were provided by me.