Summer Skin and Hair Ready With Palmer's

Some people are night owls and others are early birds. Some bask in the glory of the summer's glistening sun while others wait patiently for the breeze of the winter season. I'm the latter and I really can't stand the harsh, unforgiving heat that the summer season brings to the country. I speak for more than a handful when I say the season is unbearable. Hey, if you keep a tube of sunscreen or forgot a chocolate bar in your parked car for about 15mins, you can kiss both of them goodbye.

It's not just lotions or the food the heat plays havoc on. It's skin and hair too. Girls will relate to this when I say, Hello Summer, Hello Frizz. Or hair takes the brunt of the heat and no matter how gorgeous blow dried hair looks once you step out of the salon, a short walk to the parking lot is frizz guaranteed. Let's talk about how nutritionists/doctors advise us to drink more water in the season. I still end up with patches of dry skin (it aggravates in the winter, but I'm cool with that season).

So, when Palmer's sent across a summer ready kit I was quite intrigued by one particular product.

Color Your Hair Without Hair Color

It seems like an oxymoron but when I discovered this I wanted to drop everything I was doing and get the tips of my hair colored. I mean, if you can color your hair without the chemicals found in hair dye...you got a winner! Before Katy Perry made it made popular, I've always wanted to color my hair a cobalt blue but never got to it. I need a friend to color her hair in an awkward (hair) color so we can both be laughed at.

Image credit: Joanna G

Anyway, on to my discovery! So how do you do it without hair dye? One word: Chalk. Let me say that again- c.h.a.l.k. The same thing teachers used years ago to write on black boards in schools. How super is hair coloring with chalk? It is temporary- the color washes away once your hair comes in contact with water but this is just amazing.

Image credit: Joanna G

All you need is chalk and a little water. Wet the chalk a bit and rub it against your hair and voila! Colored tresses. Wait until your hair has dried and then you can show it off. The color doesn't show up that well on hair that has a darker pigment as opposed to lighter colored hair.   

More info on Joanna's blog. I can't wait to try this!

How To Get Softer, Frizz-Free Hair

The other day my mom  read this hair mask recipe in the magazine and asked me to try it. I'm not a hair mask fan...I just can't stand such things. I usually want to wash my hair quickly and be done with it. So I applied the mask anyway and it turned out to be a total miracle mask.

The mask not only made my hair SOFT but also happened to straighten my slightly wavy hair to some extent. It also added SHINE to the hair (unfortunately, it wasn't the glossy shine you see in the ads but there was visible shine). And all this happened in one use! At work, one of my colleagues asked, "Did you do something to your hair? It looks healthy".

DIY Hair Mask: How To Get Softer Hair

I hate my hair. I really do. I try to tame them but noooooo! They got a mind of it's own. I don't have poker straight hair but wavy to straight. I also don't have enough volume in my hair and like all the girls, I experience hair loss. Blame the stress and extreme weather conditions of Dubai.

While at a beauty event, my friend and fellow blogger Ekta suggested I try an avocado+egg hair mask. So I went home, did some research and mixed together in a bowl the following ingredients:

1 mashed avocado (if you have really long hair, use 1.5 avocados)
1 egg yolk
A few tablespoons of honey (this is optional)

I slathered this paste all over my hair avoiding the roots because I was told it would make the top part of the hair look oily. I then covered the hair in a shower cap and waited for an hour before washing it off with shampoo.

I saw the difference in the first wash. My hair were really soft to touch- the frizz was gone! No more fights with the hair- yay! My hair isn't that great so I didn't notice the shine but I'm sure with regular application, I can reap the benefits.

These ingredients work immediately because they are packed with vitamins and proteins. Honey is the best thing when you are experiencing dryness either on your face (make a yogurt and honey mask!) or body (make a sugar and honey body scrub) or hair (either this mask or a mayonnaise and honey mask!).