Castor Oil

I have been researching products and remedies that increase hair growth for a while now and most every where I look castor oil is recommended. So I decided to try it yesterday! 

I purchased this little tup of castor oil from my local grocery store for about $3. 

The tub I purchased contained a lotion-y substance. It was far from what I expected after my experiments with olive oil and coconut oil! I applied the castor oil with my hands only to my roots. I spent about 3 minutes massaging the oil into my scalp by moving my fingertips in a circular motion. I left the castor oil in my hair for about 2 hours (give or take) before washing it out. 

Here's my feedback:

The castor oil stinks! And the smell does not go away after washing your hair. I feel like I've sat by a castor oil camp fire! So be prepared to have the smell follow you...

Like I said earlier, the castor oil is a lotion-y consistency. It's very thick and because of that, the application is super easy. No drips, no mess. But to get the castor oil out of your hair is another story! I rinsed the castor oil out as much as possible, applied shampoo and was surprised when my shampoo wouldn't lather. So I shampooed a second time with better results. After my wash, I braided my hair and slept on it for the night. When I woke up I STILL felt some oily reminense so I shampooed again. Third time is the charm! BUT even with three shampoos my hair still smells...

On the positive, my hair looks and feels like it's headed toward Victoria's Secret model status! It feels thick and looks great after curling it. It's not as soft as I expected but "soft hair" was not a result I read during my research so I guess I can't complain.

I've read that it is recommended to use the castor oil treatment 3 times a week. For my next use, I plan to dilute the castor oil to help reduce the amount of shampoos needed to get it all out of my hair, to hopefully reduce the smell, and to increase the softness of my hair after each use. 

I'm thinking I'll mix in some of my personal favorites. Egg. Olive oil. Apple cider vinegar. 

Hair Growth Tracking Day One

I've been obsessed with finding products or home remedies to help stimulate my hair growth for, oh maybe two months now. My last "trim" was in March and I've avoided the scissors since then. I've seen increased hair growth just by looking at my roots but haven't done much to actually document the length. So here is the first documentation of the current length! Let's see how these products and home remedies work moving forward. 

The Devastation...

Have you ever experienced the devastation of getting your hair "trimmed" too short? For some women, they embrace a new hairstyle with no regrets. I, on the other hand, cannot handle change. Anyone who knows me know that I am basically obsessed with growing my hair out. I will go as long as possible without a trim simply to avoid that period of devastation. 

My last "trim" was in March 2013 and I am still, STILL trying to get over the sadness. I use the word trim very loosely. I tell the lady to cut off AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE and I walk away with an inch or two gone. My hair grows slower than a 3-toed sloth so an inch or two inches is a big deal!

I've been experimenting with hair products, vitamins, hair masks, and home remedies to boost my hair growth and bring back the long locks I had at the beginning of 2012 (pictured below).

My current hair length is a good 3-4 inches away from where I want to be. And this is where my obsession with hair products, hair masks, and vitamins that stimulate growth and healthy hair comes into play. 

So far there have only been two things that I have noticed to stimulate my hair to grow: 

1. Biotin, biotin, biotin! I take 7,500mcg a day. 

2. Massage, massage, massage! Massaging the scalp roughly 3 minutes a day helps stimulate the scalp. 

I've become fond of home-made hair masks. I particularly like using 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and one cup of water. Mix the ingredients all together and apply an even coat on all your hair. I start at the roots and work my way down. My hair is incredibly soft after this mask! This can be down once a week.

I've also used a home-made apple cider vinegar spray and a coconut oil mask. I've used both only once so I can't really judge either of them. The apple cider vinegar spray is used to strip all the bad stuff (product build up, etc.) from your hair. The coconut oil is suppose to accelerate hair growth.

Here are some other products that I dabble with, in hopes to find something that makes my hair turn into Rupenzel's hair. 

Not Your Mother's Way to Grow Shampoo and Conditioner 

Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner 

Aussie 3-minute Deep Conditioning Treatment

Tree Tea Hair and Scalp Treatment

Redken Heat Glide

For the sake of not boring anyone, if anyone has made it this far, I'll include thoughts and reviews of the products in their own blog. Ha!

Blog One!

Well, where do I start?

I have always considered joining the blogging world but could never decide what to blog about. I've watched my parents blog about their two years of living in the Philippines and my boyfriend blog about literally anything that comes to his mind (he's a great writer and cracks me up with every random blog he makes). I feel so inspired by the people around me but in the end, my life is not that riveting that I would grab the attention of hundreds of readers.

So I began thinking to myself, what are topics that I love that I think a ton of other women will love too? There is an obvious answer to my question... Fashion, beauty, and hair! And tips, reviews, products, and instructions to match!

Hence the reason I've titled my blog "Sinema's Not So Secret Tips to Feeling Like You've Stepped Out of a Bruno Mars Song".

I know what you're thinking... What a long name! Where's the alliteration? Where's the catchy, 'rolls off the tongue' name? Here is my thought process behind the AWESOME blog title:

1. The tips, reviews, products, and instructions I plan on sharing are definitely not some ultra exclusive tips that no one has ever heard of. I'm a huge Pintrest junkie and love to try home remedies, hair styles, products galore, fashion tips, or anything that catches my eye. My blog will detail what I find, what I try, and my results.  I've also developed an addiction for Ipsy and a disappointing addiction to Birchbox (first tip of the blog... IPSY ALL THE WAY! Skip Birchbox and save yourself the disappointment) and plan on detailing my great finds that I receive each month.

This explains the 'Not So Secret' part.

2. What woman doesn't want to feel amazing just the way they are? Or feel like a treasure? Or look at their man, smile and say "Daddy, it's yourrrrrssss!"? I don't know of it's just me, but when I listen to Bruno Mars sing his heart out, I feel like he's singing just for me. Don't get me wrong... I love me some Justin Timberlake, Zac Efron, and Ryan Reynolds! Bruno Mars is not my "type" but when he sings his many songs dedicated to women, it gives me a boost, a high if you will. I can be having a crappy day and once I hear Treasure, I have a smile from ear to ear. What woman doesn't want to feel like they've stepped out of a Bruno Mars song? Like Bruno is belting out his amazing voice just for you?

What I love most is that the feeling of stepping out of a Bruno Mars song can be different for each woman. A woman can feel best all dolled up with the hair, the heels, and the makeup, a woman can feel best looking natural and rocking some flops, a woman can feel best after leaving the gym, or a woman can feel best just waking up (psh, I wish!). A woman has the freedom to feel beautiful in any way she pleases!

That explains the 'Feeling Like You've Stepped Out of a Bruno Mars Song' part.

My goal for this blog is to document fashion, beauty, and any other finds I want to remember (hoarding them on Pinterest, in my closet, my bathroom, my bookmarks, my photos, and where ever else I store all this crap is just a tad bit exhausting and unorganized). And my hope is that other women can find something useful out of this that will help them feel like they've stepped out of a Bruno Mars song as well!

Here we go!...