Using Fenugreek for Strong, Healthy Hair

As you read in my last post, Moringa is a nutrient-packed plant that not only treats and prevents many ailments but can help your hair reach its ultimate growth potential. Of course, using this product along with a proper diet and regular exercise can help you to get the most out of it.

Speaking of amazing natural products, I purchased a bag of Fenugreek, or methi, seeds to incorporate into my hair regimen and diet as well. After doing my research on its benefits I quickly learned that it can be used for a number of problems. These seeds are an anti-inflammatory, and full of antioxidants, amino acids and fiber, which: helps with digestion, controls blood sugar levels, soothes acid reflux, improves skin problems, reduces the risk of heart disease, increases breast milk production, soothes menstrual cramps, relieves a sore throat, and of course, prevents hair loss and promotes healthy hair! 

Several months ago, I had never even heard of Fenugreek. And while I knew a little bit about Moringa, I did not learn about its amazing hair benefits until I began watching a YouTuber named Ife. In fact, the products that I made for my hair using Moringa and Fenugreek were concoctions that she came up with. My subscriptions aren't filled with many naturalists for the simple fact that many of them do not have the same hair type as me. It was hard to find a YouTube channel with someone who I could relate to in terms of hair maintenance and who also had very useful information. And this girl is doing something right because her hair is #goals! 👐 Check out her channel ife360TV because there's something there that you're bound to find useful.

The first mixture that I made was the Fenugreek spray. It's pretty simple to make. All you do is soak about 2 tablespoons of Fenugreek seeds in a cup of water overnight. 

Then you just strain the seeds and put the Fenugreek-infused water into a spray bottle and you're good to go! I  personally added a few drops of Peppermint oil and a little leave-in conditioner for extra moisturizing benefits. It's recommended that you keep the mixture in the refrigerator, and I use it first thing in the morning and right before I go to bed. I also plan to add Fenugreek seeds to my skincare routine, so you'll definitely see an update on that soon enough. 

Here's the link for the original recipe from Ife's channel. 

Going back to the hair growth oil, I also got this recipe from Ife, but I used what I already had to mimic the recipe because I didn't want to have to buy more hair products. I did not start this recipe yet because it requires you to toast some Fenugreek seeds. Apparently, it will make your house smell like curry for about a week and because I have guests coming over on Sunday, that recipe is on hold until Monday. And of course, you'll get to see how I create the oil using ingredients I already have. Here's the true recipe for this hair growth oil.

She also did a hair growth challenge with this mixture which I'll probably do one of these days, but with my own twist of course. Anyway, I hope you all try adding Moringa or Fenugreek into your hair care regimen and/or diet because the overall health benefits are amazing. I think I'm going to start recording my progress while using these products, so that should be interesting. Thanks for reading and have an awesome day!

Moringa and My Past Hair Growth Methods

Based on my own experiences in my past hair journey, I am an advocate of using vitamins and oils that encourage hair growth and nourishment such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Peppermint oil or Grapeseed oil. I'm also a firm believer that one should not expect growth by slapping on these oils on their hair and doing nothing else. With a proper hair regimen, a healthy diet, you will most likely see the benefits of these growth aids much quicker. I first learned that lesson when I started my relaxed hair journey several years ago. I was obsessed with gaining growth and I remember immediately purchasing a 3-month supply of Hairfinity vitamins hoping to achieve the incredible results that I saw posted all over social media. 

I went through the first two bottles unsure whether I got results. My hair was still growing because of my developing a hair regimen, but it wasn't until I adopted the best regimen for my hair that I began to see results as I started the third supply of Hairfinity. Once the supply was complete, I did not buy Hairfinity again for two reasons: It was expensive and I found a much cheaper alternative to Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails vitamins. 

At the time I did not realize it but using both the hair vitamins and my hair regimen at the time was the dynamic duo that helped me to quickly grow my hair. 

Hairfinity and Nature's Bounty actually have the same amount of Biotin (2,500 mcg) but I preferred Nature's Bounty because they were--at the time--$7.99 and so yummy! I took these vitamins religiously along with massaging my scalp every night using Jamaican Black Castor Oil and sticking to my hair regimen. 

My hair regimen itself has not changed much, but somewhere along the line, I realized that a healthy diet was the third and most important key to unlocking my true hair growth and health potential. As someone who loves to eat, it has been a huge challenge to adopt healthier eating habits. I'm still not quite there but slow progress is better than no progress. If you read my first Smoothie Saturdays post this past weekend you'll know that I've been adding healthy yet delicious smoothies into my diet. This is where the Moringa comes in. Moringa is actually grown here in the Virgin Islands, and while it would've been beneficial for local businesses to purchase my Moringa here, my busy schedule had me turning to buying it online. 

I bought this one pound bag of Moringa leaf powder from eBay and I can't wait to use it because of the amazing benefits of Moringa. It's full of antioxidants that keep your organs functioning at their best by treating and preventing diseases. It's also rich in vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, E, Protein, Potassium, Calcium, Copper, Iron Magnesium, and Zinc. It's great for your overall health, pretty much. But what Moringa does for your hair is why I will be incorporating it into my hair regimen. It increases hair growth, prevents hair loss and dandruff which is exactly what I have been looking for. As I adopt healthier eating habits, I'm looking towards more natural products to use on my hair and body. I actually added some Moringa powder into the smoothie that I made yesterday but I'll give you the details in my next Smoothie Saturdays post. 😉

In Thursday's post, I'll be showing you how I make my updated hair growth oil using Moringa and Fenugreek. Thanks for reading and I hope this post inspires you to try Moringa. Of course, if you've never used it before just be careful. Use it in small quantities and if you're not sure I recommend consulting your doctor. Everything in moderation! Take care and have a great Tuesday night!

Welcome to Smoothie Saturdays!

Good morning, all. Welcome to my weekend series, Smoothie Saturdays! Just like my Fitness Fridays series I'll be sharing how I make my delicious and healthy smoothies every other week. I am so excited for this series because it revolves around my favorite past time, eating. 😄

As I'm slowly adopting healthier habits, I find that I still crave nourishment that tastes good. I love eating fruits, and where I live, mango is where it's at! Us Virgin Islanders love our mango, and I'm constantly craving anything mango-flavored. But even though mango season isn't for another few months, I recently got the idea to make healthy smoothies to supplement my junk food cravings. Instead of eating processed sweets I decided that eating fruits or blending them into smoothies would be a much better replacement. 

Either I got my fruits from the freezer aisle at the store or from someone who had picked them for my family to eat. Because I'm still experimenting with different smoothie combinations, my base is quite simple: fruit, a bowl of spinach and some honey for sweetness. 

What made starting these smoothies especially awesome was getting to finally use the NutriBullet that my aunt purchased a long time ago but never got around to using. This machine is WAY better than a regular blender because it's so quick and compact, and it pre-portions your smoothies with the different cup sizes that come with it. 

 

What I also love about the NutriBullet is that it comes with handles that can be screwed onto the cup and lids for storage. The set actually didn't come with a spout attachment for drinking, so I ordered two from online for about $6. I didn't take a picture of all of the parts but this is what the entire set looks like. 

To make each "smoothie session" run smoothly, I like to portion out all the fruits that I buy into sandwich bags and store them in the freezer. 

All of the fruits in the picture above that you may not be able to see include pineapple, watermelon, cherries, banana, apple and avocado. Every time I make a smoothie, the very first ingredient that I add is a huge helping of spinach. I never do a smoothie without adding greens or vegetables because it would defeat the purpose of making healthy smoothies. Then I add at least a cup of water because as I add the fruits, I don't want the mixture to become too thick. 

I give the spinach a blend by itself to make room for the fruit. I always love watching the vibrant green come through as it blends! 😍 

After blending the spinach I add my fruit. Pictured here is a mixture of mango, mixed berries and a whole diced apple. Lastly, I drizzle some honey for a little added sweetness and blend that all together. Look at that color now! 

And my smoothie is done! This process takes me less than ten minutes to complete and the cleanup is even better. Another advantage of using my NutriBullet instead of a regular blender is that I don't have to transfer the smoothie into a smaller cup because it's already in a cup. I just screw on the drinking spout and store it in the fridge. I like to either drink my smoothie from the spout or from this cute little mason jar cup my sister gave me. Every smoothie lasts me about three days and I usually drink it with my breakfast or as a snack.

I began experiencing the benefits of these smoothies almost immediately! Let's just say my digestive system really needed the nutrients. They also gave me more energy and kept me fuller longer, which made me feel less hunger between meals. It's a great way to get my daily helping of fruit in a much more convenient way.

As spring approaches and brings other fruits into season, I'll be looking forward to coming up with even more yummy and healthy concoctions. I hope this post gave you some inspiration to create your own healthy smoothies, and feel free to share what ingredients you use to make your own smoothies.

Thanks for reading and I'll be back with another recipe on the next Smoothie Saturdays. Have a great weekend everyone!

Fitness Fridays

Push-ups and Printables

Happy Friday, all and welcome back to Fitness Fridays! I'm extra excited for this post because it contains a freebie! Keep reading to see.

If you read my first Fitness Fridays post, you'll know that I started with an overview of the Complete 10 Week No-Gym Workout Program. Have you personally decided to start this challenge? If so, let me know how it's going so far!

As for the two workouts, I downloaded from Popsugar, I feel very different about each workout. I quite enjoyed the Lean and Fit Full-Body Workout because the intensity was just right for me but it still yielded great results in terms of my upper body strength. My arms are probably the weakest part of my body and I would eventually love to be able to hold my own body weight through yoga training. I just need a yoga teacher first... 

This particular workout was the best thing to happen to my arms because not only does the circuit contain regular push-ups, but side planks and tricep pushups. Because I usually struggle to complete 10 push-ups, I noticed that each day became less of a struggle for me. And because I want to keep it real with you guys, I did have a few days where I just could not bring myself to work out. However, to avoid losing progress in my arms I would do ten pushups in the morning and ten in the evening. 

Last night I even considered purchasing a doorway chin-up bar. 

 

Unfortunately, I quickly found out that it would physically impossible to use the chin-up bar because, for some reason, ALL of the doorways in my house doesn't have the brackets where the chin-up bar is supposed to hook onto. 🙄 If there were extra space in my house for a power tower, I would have ordered one in an instant. 

Since this is the case, I will just find other ways to increase my upper body strength.

Now, after doing the At-Home Cardio workout, I realized that cardio is no joke. This workout left me panting and wheezing and burning. It was a little too intense for me. (Either that or I need to exercise more often.) I will say that I did feel accomplished when I completed it. I honestly did the Lean and Fit workout more than this one but I'll occasionally go back to this one whenever I need an extra boost of energy.

This week I'll be doing two more workouts that I downloaded from Popsugar, which is the Full-Body Stretching Routine and the Strong Abs & Toned Arms Bodyweight Workout. You can do these as well and I can't wait to read what you think about them. But you probably stayed for the freebie, am I right?

It is a free monthly workout log that I made myself and you can download it here. I personally didn't want to start my workout log in the middle of this month so I'm saving it for the first day of April. 

This is the first of many free printables that I'll be posting on this blog, some of which include shopping lists and weekly agendas. Creating printables is just so fun and therapeutic for me, so you'll be seeing quite a lot. Tomorrow I'll be launching my Saturday series, but you'll find out what it is soon enough. Have a nice day and thanks for reading! ✌

My Current Skincare Routine

Since I've already shared my makeup routine with you, it only made sense to share my current skincare routine. I'll admit that I am still actively trying to find what works best for my skin, which is normal but very complicated. Except for an occasional pimple, I have never had a problem with acne. 

However I have noticed that I do have difficulties with hyperpigmentation. Dark marks on my face take a long time to fade away, and I've had a particular dark spot on my left cheek that hasn't completely faded for more than two years. I've suspected that part of the reason comes from the fact that the area between my nose and my cheeks has huge pores, which means I need to keep up my search of finding something that will work for my skin. 

Recently I've been having small breakthroughs from the products I'm currently using. I also re-adopted my mother's method of occasionally cleansing my skin using pure Rosewater. On days when I don't wear makeup and there's nothing to remove, I simply put a few drops of Rosewater onto a cotton pad and wipe my face. It's great for removing dirt and oil from the day and Rosewater is great for giving the skin a nice, quick cleanse.

On days when I do wear makeup, I thoroughly remove all product from my face before cleansing. I've been using these Almay Clear Complexion 4-in-1 Makeup Remover. 

I thought that these wipes would be good but I'm kind of disappointed by them. While it does a great job of removing makeup, I really don't like the greasy layer it leaves on my skin. Also, it sometimes burns my skin a little. No bueno. Until I find the makeup remover wipes I usually use, I'll just have to settle with these but I'll probably throw them out before the end of the month, to be honest. 

The facial cleanser I'm currently using is the Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. Although I haven't been using it very long, it's a great product! This has contributed to the small breakthroughs my skin has been experiencing. It cleans my skin so well and leaves behind a refreshing tingle after washing. I purchased it at Walgreens for about $8 so the price isn't too bad for someone on a budget like me. 

 

My favorite part of my skincare routine is another gem from Vanity Planet, which is their Ultimate Skin Spa Cleansing, Exfoliating and Massaging Face Brush System. 🙌 I discovered this system after seeing Nikki Perkins use it and was instantly hooked! I purchased it on sale last summer but did not really use it until months later, and I still have no idea what took me so long to use it.  The brush comes with three attachment heads: the Daily Cleansing Brush, the Exfoliating Brush, and the Silicone Brush.  

I prefer to use the silicone brush because it's the most gentle on my skin yet gives it a deep clean. There's also two speeds but I typically use the lower speed. If I want an extra deep clean I use the higher speed. Vanity Planet's skin products are top notch and I'm seriously tempted to buy their exfoliating body brush during their next big sale.

After cleansing my skin I like to pat my face dry if I'm using a towel. Rubbing a towel on your face is abrasive to the skin, but patting is better because it's a lot more gentle. I do the same with my wet hair. If I use a towel to dry my hair I just squeeze it between the towel to avoid further harm. Because my skin will quickly dry out after washing, I have been using my Jāsön Age Renewal Vitamin E Moisturizing Crème combined with my Revive Rosehip Seed Oil to moisturize.

This is where the other breakthrough came from. Even though I've only been using this combo for less than two weeks, I can see that it's helping to finally fade my 2-year-old dark spot. While I always knew that Vitamin E oil is great for clearing up marks on the skin, Rosehip Seed oil does this as well. I also use the oil on my hair as well because it promotes growth. Like I mentioned in my makeup routine, I use the smallest amount possible because I want to avoid clogging my pores. I'll be sure to update you on how these two products work out for me in a few weeks. I'm pretty excited to see the results of my usage because so far, it looks very promising. 

Another thing that I feel is very important for my skin is protecting it from the sun. It's easy to forget about applying sunscreen to my face since I'm so used to applying it when going to the beach, rather than going outside on a daily basis. But it's a habit that I must adopt if I want to keep my skin healthy and protected. That's why I use my Avon Sun+ SPF 40 Sunscreen Face Lotion. 

Even if it's not sunny outside or even if it's snowing, I still recommend using a facial sunscreen because as long as you're outside, you're exposed to UV rays. This goes for sunscreen on the body as well. While getting a sunburn is a risk I take every day, skin cancer is a risk that I am not willing to take. 

I'll be back on Fitness Fridays to give you an update on my current workout. Stay safe and fabulous, guys, and thanks for reading! 😘

My Makeup Routine

There will be no eyebrows "on fleek" in this post. This is my almost daily makeup routine because on a typical day I can't be bothered to put on makeup every day. I wear makeup at least twice a week, and none at all if I'm feeling extra lazy.

If you were to go back a few years on my Instagram, however, you'd quickly find out that I was obsessed with makeup. This was all thanks to YouTube makeup gurus. I became inspired to experiment with different makeup and color schemes and proudly displayed them on my Facebook and Instagram. For someone who had never applied makeup on my own, I quickly picked up skills like winged eyeliner, smokey eyeshadow, and blending. I even considered launching my own YouTube channel dedicated to makeup tutorials. 

Although it was extremely fun, it was time-consuming and very expensive. I was dropping money on brands link M.A.C, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Sigma Beauty (brushes) and BH Cosmetics, which aren't particularly expensive brands, but as a sophomore in college with hardly a dime to her name, it was a lot of money. This is another reason why I now prefer wearing less makeup. 

I still own these brands for special occasions. so if I'm going to a wedding, a show or if I just want to look fabulous for absolutely no reason, these are my staples pictured below! (Face: M.A.C Pro Longwear Foundation SPF 10 IN NW43, M.A.C Select Sheer Pressed Powder in NW43. Eyes: Rimmel London Glam Eyes Quad Eyeshadow in 002 Smoky Brun, Maybelline New York Master Precise by Eyestudio, NYX Doll Eye Mascara. Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown, M.A.C Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Brown Ebony. Lips: M.A.C Rebel and M.A.C Lickable.)

This is the makeup that I use on a typical day. (Face: Milani Conceal+Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer in 13 Chestnut, Black Radiance True Complexion Soft Focus Finishing Powder in 9203 Milk Chocolate Finish, Milani Retouch+Erase Light-Lifting Concealer in 06 Deep Honey. Eyes: Rimmel London Glam Eyes Quad Eyeshadow in 002 Smoky Brun, Wet n Wild Megaliner in Black, e.l.f Mascara in Black. Eyebrows: Jordana Brow Powder Duo in 03 Dark. Lips: Black Radiance Lipstick in 5010.)

And this is the makeup I wear when I'm feeling particularly lazy but still feel like wearing just a little bit of makeup.

The brand I am currently enjoying is Black Radiance. Their products are super affordable yet very high-quality. And I obviously had no trouble finding the right shade for myself. The next brand I'd love to try is Iman's makeup line. Whenever I make the purchase I'll be sure to post a review.

I start my makeup routine using a primer but since I currently do not have a primer I use either the Avon Sun+ SPF 40 Sunscreen Face Lotion or the Reviver Rosehip Seed Oil mixed with the Jāsön Age Renewal Vitamin E 25,000 I.U. Moisturizing Crème to keep my skin protected and moisturized. I use these oils/creams very sparingly.

Then I apply my foundation and concealer with a damp beauty blender.

Next, I apply eyeshadow, eyebrow powder, and eyeliner in that order. By the way, this eyeshadow palette is the Wet n Wild Au Naturel in 753A Bare Necessities.

After applying the majority of my makeup I lightly brush on some pressed powder, put on some mascara (which I actually forgot to apply 😑) followed by my Burt's Bees Mango Moisturizing Lip Balm. If I feel like wearing lipstick I go for my Black Radiance in 5010.  

And that's pretty much it! I hope you enjoyed this post and look out for my skincare routine tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

Hick's Edges: The Best Edge Control?

After biting the bullet and spending $20 dollars on a jar of Hick's Edges recently, I realized that I have finally found the best edge control for my stubborn edges. It actually works! While I'm not someone who slicks down my edges every day or even every week, I sometimes like them to look neat depending on my mood or the occasion. I started using edge control gels when I still had relaxed hair, and even in straight form my edges refused to stay down. I used everything from Eco Styler Gel, Creme of Nature Argan Oil edge control, OR Monoi Oil edge control, Got2B Glued Spiking Glue, ORS Olive Oil edge control, Murray's Edgewax Extreme, and last but not least, Gorilla Snot. 

When I first bought the regular Got2B Glued, I thought that it was the final replacement for all the failed edge controls I used to own. This was last March while I was still transitioning, and I eagerly shared my approval on Instagram without realizing that my replacement would soon be replaced.  

March 21, 2016 (I thought I found the one but boy, was I wrong!)

There are a few that I still use in combinations that I've found gave me a decent hold, such as Got2B Ultra Glued with Gorilla Snot or Murray's Edgewax with Got2B Ultra Glued. These combinations can last me a few days as long as I keep my edges tied down with a satin scarf. However I like the idea of not having to mix different edge controls to get the results that I want.

It was my cousin who first recommended Hick's Edges to me in the summer, and I had never heard about it before. Initially, I rushed to the hair store to see if I could find it, with no such luck. I was told that it was constantly selling out. So I turned to Amazon hoping to purchase it online. Because I was so used to the idea of buying an edge control between 4 and 8 dollars, I gave the $20 price tag the side eye and decided that I would buy it when I had money to splurge. I contemplated buying it throughout the rest of my transitioning journey and into my TWA stage, but I just couldn't get past the price. 

Meanwhile, I continued to struggle using the edge controls I already owned. It wasn't until last week when I returned to the hair store to buy a protein treatment, that I caught a glimpse of someone buying a jar of Hick's Edges. I was already late for work trying to find a protein treatment, so I cut my losses and rushed to work, determined to purchase my own jar of Hick's Edges once I was finished. When I returned to the store after work to buy the edge control, I'll admit that I cringed when I had to drop $20 for this product. 

But when I returned home and tried it I was instantly satisfied with the results. If you haven't tried Hick's Edges, go to the store and buy it NOW! Not only has setting my edges become almost effortless, but the hold lasts up to two days. The first day I used it all day I needed up falling asleep on it, and when I woke up my edges were still slicked down. What I really like about this product is also the fact that one of the ingredients is Castor Oil, which we all know promotes growth. After applying this edge control I enjoyed the nice tingle it gave off. I could talk forever about this wonderful product but you will see for yourself. 

This product is good enough to use just my fingers to apply but I also tend to use a baby toothbrush to slick down my edges. Either or works for me with this edge control.

I simply just brush my edges in my desired style and use a satin scarf to hold them down while the edge control dries. With my other edge controls I have to wear the scarf for about an hour for my Edges to stay all day. But when I use Hick's Edges, I only wear the scarf for about 10 minutes for it to hold all day. 

Look at these results! 

Thank you for reading and I really hope that you try this product if you have stubborn edges like me. It's well worth the money and you'll never need another edge control, trust me! If you do use Hick's Edges, let me know how it works for you or if it doesn't work for you at all. I'm curious to know because we're all different and what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. 'Til tomorrow, guys! 😆