luvrin

Fickle Friends

2015-08-30T17:43:00.000+10:00

People are fickle. You are led to believe that they adore you, they like to spend time with you. That they will be there for you when you need them to be there. But it's not actually like this with a lot of the people in your lives. They need you there, but on their terms. If you can do something for them, they will be around. If they don't agree with your choices, they will stop being there for you. They will disappear... until they need you again.

What Insomnia Does To Me

2014-06-30T06:15:00.000+10:00

Insomnia sux, yes. Usually I'm up in the wee hours of the morning doing nothing but ruining my eyesight further by staring at my phone screen 2 inches away from my face. Sometimes I'll be reading or browsing but mostly I'll just be watching pointless YouTube videos.

Tonight's (this morning's?) insomnia attack actually scored me a huge bargain. I'm in need of (ok ok, WANT of) a new pair of runners so I decided to check out all the sports stores online. Adidas was one of them. I'm not a huge fan of Adidas but hey, in my insomniatic state (is that even a word?!) I was running out of ideas.

So it turns out that they have 55% off select items so I ended up buying stuff for the entire family. And yeah, I make it out like there's soooo many in my family but there's only 3 of us... but anyway. I believe I scored a massive bargain so while I'm delirious, I'm also happy. Go, me :)

... love

2014-01-28T07:42:00.000+11:00

When you're in love, the world just knows it :)

Maccas on the train

2013-02-03T00:04:00.000+11:00

I took my boys out today to Melbourne city via public transport. I really hate the public transport system because it's almost always extremely packed and never running on time (today was a good day, though). With the new Myki ticketing system it's also tricky to take out both my boys as having three cards scanned is such a hassle. I feel like I'm holding up the line and I can hear the impatient sighs from the other commuters.

We had maccas for lunch. My kids had a 3 nugget happy meal with apple juice each, and I had a fillet'o'fish meal with a frozen coke. I have never seen a frozen coke filled up to the brim before - I had to start drinking it right away as it was expanding and would've dribbled out of the hole if I hadn't! We ate on the train, to save time.

I went to a Guess store to pick up some shoes that were on hold for me. I also tried on a dress that I really liked but I think I'll wait for it to go on sale before I consider purchasing it. I tried to take a few photos in the store but my younger boy can't keep still and my older son is always pulling silly faces.

My outfit today was a pink shirt by Ralph Lauren, skinny jeans by True Religion, ballet flats from Forever New and a crossbody bag from K-Mart. Below are the latest additions to my shoe collection. I can't wait to wear them!

Sunday in pictures: ice-cream & Harbour Town

2013-01-21T03:22:00.001+11:00

Today the boys and I spent half the day out. We went to Brighton for some ice-cream and a spot of shopping before heading to Docklands for some more shopping and fun in the sun.

The boys have to share their ice-cream because they will never finish it if they get their own. Even then, they don't finish a shared small cup!

I usually don't like to eat ice-cream but I figured I probably could do with the calcium. I chose hokey pokey and while it tasted exactly like it was supposed to, there were no honey comb bits! The whole reason why I choose hokey pokey was because I wanted to eat those crunchy balls of sweetness... grrr! On my nails is Chanel rose exuberant - review here.

Dante being the little poser that he is.

Harbour Town - the most boring shopping "center" in my opinion as they don't have any stores I like. But at least it's outdoors and my kids enjoyed themselves as they got to run around in the sun and play games at the EB Games store.

The boys and I inside a store.

The boys mucking around in Rebel sport. Guns are bad, I know! The shops closed at 5pm so we headed to the wharf for a scenic walk. And no, I did not buy anything! What a surprise.

A little boat we saw along the pier. And my boys posing under the sculpture thingy.

More posing under sculptures.

Two particularly bad photos of us, but it's the only one I got of all three of us without me taking it in the mirror! In the first one, the kids look great but I look terrible with my wind swept hair. In the second, I look decent but my kids aren't focusing. *sigh*

Dante thought he could move the sculpture. After a good five minutes of pushing, he finally gave up. Hehe!

After our walk, we headed back home and had a greasy dinner of fish and chips (and potato cakes and dim sims).

How was your Sunday?

Apologies in advance...

2013-01-18T01:16:00.000+11:00

For those currently following me for beauty, I would like to apologize to you because from here on, this will be turned into more of a lifestyle/dear diary blog. If you would like to see beauty related posts, please head over to www.makeupdownunder.com and hopefully you will follow me there instead.

Formalities out of the way, I will now introduce myself. I am Rin. Currently I am on holidays from study, although I most likely will not continue my course. I have two boys, aged 10 and 4 who have been diagnosed with autism and PDD-NOS, respectively. They are the reason I wake up each morning (albeit begrudgingly) and try to live life like a normal person.

I am probably as far from normal as possible. Two boys with different fathers yet both have some kind of "disorder", well the common denominator would be me, wouldn't it? Perhaps I am autistic myself and was just never diagnosed... *stares into space for 5 minutes*. Kidding aside, who really knows, huh?

I've decided to share bits and pieces of my life. I have always blogged and I don't think that's a habit I can ever change. Not that that's a bad habit to have... although I have always been a camwhore as well, and that didn't change even though after having two kids, it should have!

Anyway, welcome to my life! *cue MTV Cribs music* Come on in, you can even leave your shoes on if you like ;)

New Blog Posts

2011-08-09T22:42:00.000+10:00

Hey guys! If you haven't already, please visit my new website www.makeupdownunder.com. All my beauty related updates will now be going there. I have posted about 5 entries since last week, so I promise you that I haven't been slack. Nor will I get slack... I just have so much to share! Here are my most recent posts from the past few days:

Does What you Wear Really Matter?
NARS Sweet Disposition Mini Multiple Set
The Benefits of Coconut Water
!00% Pure Coconut Hydrating Body Wash

I hope to see you on the other side! Ciao xo

MakeupDownUnder (in the works)

2011-07-29T01:16:00.001+10:00

In the next few days (weeks, knowing me!) I will be exporting this blog to a new address. Follow me there if you want to know what's going on in my life (in terms of gaining qualifications in beauty therapy & makeup).

My course begins in October this year and I will be blogging all about it: mainly sharing what I've learnt but I also plan to do more fashion posts as I believe I have a unique style and would like to share it with the world.

And of course there will be the usual product reviews, hauls, makeup looks etc.

I know I have been MIA for the longest time, but those that know me, know that my life hasn't been the smoothest sailing. I am finally starting to pick up the pieces and I am looking forward to creating the best possible future for my family and I. It all begins here...

http://makeupdownunder.blogspot.com

So come along and join me on this personal journey! I hope to see you there :-p

The Brazilian Wax

2011-07-02T11:53:00.001+10:00

Since the age of 19 I've been getting regular brazilian waxes and I just thought I'd share my opinion and experience of them. I first wanted to get a brazilian because I wanted to "clean up" down there. Prior to that I was all natural, I never did a thing to it. As you can imagine it was quite the bush.

My first ever brazilian wasn't as painful as I had anticipated. From the horror stories I had read, I had prepared myself to be in extreme pain during the procedure. But it really wasn't too bad. The worst part was the strip down the middle (yes, I get it ALL off!) As for my dignity, I wasn't embarrased at all to be lying down half naked with my legs splayed open. It's all business to me. The beautician does this day to day, what is there to be embarrased about? Usually you're too busy chatting to be worried anyway!

The feeling afterward is amazing. It feels really nice to have nothing there. I feel all clean and pornstar like, even if I don't look it from head to toe (remind me to get a boob job!) Most boys appreciate it. And you can wear a tiny white bikini without any worries!

The only con to getting the brazilian, besides the pain, is that you'll sometimes get nasty ingrown hairs which your waxer will need to extract for you. Some people may not get any ingrowns, but the majority do and I have had a few really bad episodes. But as long as you exfoliate and moisturise, you'll keep it to a minimum. I also rely on a product called Ingrow Go which works wonders!

It's recommended that you get a wax every 4-6 weeks. Initially I would get one every month but because of ingrowns, I reduced it to every two months and I think that's the perfect waiting time. There is less ingrowns and because I don't get it as often, it means I'm saving money too!

It's important to go to a good salon with a resonable price. I'm lucky that I was introduced to a wonderful waxer through a friend who only charges $30 AUD. The usual price for a full brazilian is $40-$70 AUD! And she's hygenic too. You don't want to go to a place that doesn't care for your hygene. Yuck! And if the salon uses strip wax, forget it! You really need to use the wax that hardens which you peel off to get rid of the hair.

I got a brazilian wax today because it's been two months and I'm planning on going for a swim at a la-de-da place. I don't want to be self concious the whole time, like I was at the local pools when I took my son just the other day. The whole time I kept wondering if I had any stray hair poking out. TMI, I know. Sorry! Just keeping it real. If you're contemplating getting a brazilian done, I say yes! Do it!

Oh, and if you're curious about the picture... yes, that's me! Ho-ing it up for the camera, as usual. Tsk tsk! (Sorry, this post has been published before but I accidently deleted it so I'm trying to fix it up to how it was before).

Beauty School

2011-06-25T05:11:00.003+10:00

Apologies for my MIA status. I have been... lazy. At least I'm honest! But I have some very exciting news to share. I am enrolling into a college, I suppose you could call it a beauty school (but they also offer business and floristry). I will be studying for a diploma in beauty therapy!

I will be starting in October and doing a full time course. I'm actually really excited, even though I'm not officially enrolled yet. I need to first come up with the administration fee, student kit and full course fee. I have applied for government funding but I'm not sure yet if I'll be eligible. It would be great though, I would save about $14,000 in fees. I need to save for a car as well, before the course starts because it's about a 20 min drive from my place. Public transport is not an option (for me, anyway)!

Studying a diploma of beauty therapy will enable me to work in a beauty salon, spa, cruise ship etc. Anywhere that offers beauty services. I could even manage or own my own salon. I know a few girls who have studied the diploma and are now running their own salon from home or have great jobs in a salon. For me, the main reason I want to study it is because I have a yearning to learn more and therefore teach what I know to others, or help them physically.

Like I said before, I am looking forward to doing the course and I will definately be updating on my progress and what I've learnt :-). If you're interested in beauty therapy like me then take a peek at these books! PS- I apologise if this page looks messy, I am blogging from my phone!

Search Amazon.com for beauty therapy

If Only I Had Time...

2010-05-02T21:23:00.003+10:00

... I would get to brush my hair more often. I could use a deep conditioning mask on my hair every week and my nails wouldn't grow so long that they'd weaken and break.

Welcome to the life of a mother! Before I had kids, I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted or needed to. After the birth of my first child, I put the focus on him and not on me... not until he was several years old. Then I started looking after myself agian. Giving myself manicures and pedicures and taking the time to shampoo my hair properly.

Then I had my second child, and suddenly I have no time for me agian. These days I am sporting unwashed hair in a bun and only get to wash my face when I'm in the shower. *sigh* I wish I had more time to focus on me agian!

Breast Implants... Should I?

2010-04-24T17:44:00.004+10:00

I've always wanted bigger breasts but never really thought about it seriously. I always said that if I were to get breast implants, I'd wait until after I had kids. So now I've had my kids, who were both breastfed, and now that I'm totally lacking in the breast department, it's time to give it some serious thought.

Pros: you can wear a bikini with confidence, you'll fill out your tops better, you'll have more shape and confidence. Cons: cost, having to go through surgery. Hmmm! I'm sure there are more pros and cons, I just can't be bothered typing them in.

I guess I've already made the decision to get them done, my only major hurdle now is money, finding a good surgeon and actually setting up a consultation. The reason why I want them done is because I breastfed my first son for two years and four months, and my second son is turning two at the end of June and I'm still breastfeeding him. Suffice to say, my boobs are somewhat non-existent. I'm very self concious of the fact that I no longer have a bust. Push up bras are my best friend. But there are certain tops I have that no matter what, you still look as flat as a surf board. I know my confidence will improve a great deal if I had a chest to speak of!

I'm very envious of girls who have a nice bust. I believe that I deserve to feel confident, so I will be getting mine done. I just need to do my research and get my hands on some cash. Although I must admit, cash won't really be a problem as my bf said he'd pay for them (lucky me)! But I will pay him back, so I'll need to eventually get a job. But for now, my focus is on finding a good surgeon and getting the process started.

Sorry this post is a little messy, I'm just writing it for my own benefit. I guess this is my way of getting the ball rolling! I will update on later developements :-)

Update

2010-04-24T17:24:00.002+10:00

It has been a very long time since my last update, I can't even remember when it was... or what it was about! Ever since I got my iPhone I just stopped using my laptop, which meant I couldn't do posts. Well, technically I could but I couldn't be bothered setting it up to blog via email.

So here I am, finally updating. Not much has changed, except for adding to my closet. I used to buy inexpensive knits which looked nice but didn't last very long, now I've discovered new brands that will last me many seasons. I've gotten several Tommy Hilfiger knits which I love. I've gotten a few Guess tops (my fav brand) and a Gant hoodie which is actually mens, but I love hoodies and it was the one I wanted so I didn't let that stop me from getting it.

Also I got a pair of G-Star boots which I can't wait to wear. They're black and super comfy. The weather just needs to get colder for me to be able to wear it.

I've been so lazy in the looks department lately. I go out without bothering with make up and I can't remember the last time I styled my hair. I've just been wearing it in a bun everyday! I think this needs to change, because I'm feeling super frumpy and while I hate going out without getting done up, I do it anyway because I'm so lazy! Must get motivated to get hot again!

Anyway I want to talk about something I'm considering, breast implants. But I think I'll do that in it's own post because I have a lot to say on the subject. Watch out for it next!

My Makeup Brushes

2010-01-20T21:46:00.005+11:00

I have a somewhat small collection of makeup brushes that I use regularly, but I have found that they work well and I don't really need any other brushes. Here's my collection:

MAC 150: I use this brush for setting powder or mineral powder. It's large and fluffy but I find that it can be a bit scratchy. It does the job, however.

MAC 187: This brush is a foundation brush but I use it for blush as I don't have an actual blush brush. It works really well for blush though, I can't imagine using anything else for it! This brush ensures that I don't put too much blush on and feels really soft. I've never tried using this brush to apply foundation... maybe one day when I'm sick of using the 109 for it!

MAC 109: I love this brush for foundation! It's perfect... very precise and applies evenly with no streaks (I use MAC Studio Sculpt foundation). I also use it for contouring along my checkbones.

MAC 224: This large fluffly blending brush does the job perfectly for my eye makeup. I mainly use it to blend out my eyeshadow, apply highlight under my brows or sweep colour into and above my crease.

MAC 219: This is mainly used to add colour to my outer v and line my lower lashline with colour. I also use it to add a crease colour then blend it out with the 224.

MAC 217: This brush is pretty versatile. I use it to put colour on my lids (sometimes), blend out colour, sweep colour into and above my crease or use it to add depth with a darker colour on my outer V.

MAC 239: I only ever use this brush for applying colour to my lids. Boring, I know.

MAC 210: This super tiny brush is perfect for lining my lids with Blacktrack Fluidline. That's all I use it for. I think that's all it can be used for!

MAC 195: I use this brush to apply my concealer to my under eyes and around my face, but it's not as good as using your fingers. I always end up using my fingers anyway, although if you want a more opaque finish then using the brush is good.

I store all my brushes in a MAC brush roll, and it all fits perfectly! I would keep them stored in a container but I heard that it collects dust and I don't want to be dusting that stuff on my face! So that's my brush collection and what I use each one for. Not a very big collection, but I don't really need any other brushes. In the picture I'm missing the MAC 210, btw. So I hope this was helpful to someone!

My Braces Are Coming Off!

2009-12-05T12:26:00.007+11:00

I'm so excited, I just got back from an orthodontic appointment and I'm told that my braces can come off on the 15th of December. Yay! I've been wearing braces since January 2008, it has been just under two years since I got them on. In the beginning they used to hurt so much everytime I got an adjustment and I wouldn't be able to eat for days, but now when I get adjustments they don't bother me as much.

It's kind of ironic, my sister is going to be getting braces on the 8th of December, and I'm getting mine off soon after! It would've been nice if we'd had them on at the same time. I'm really looking forward to seeing what I look like without braces. It seems like I've had them forever! I got braces to fix my overcrowding problem and I never had them in my teens. Now my teeth are straight and I'm looking forward to flossing without wires in the way!

Here's a pic of me with braces, I usually don't smile in pics because of them but in this one you can see the wires. I wear clear on the top and regular metal on the bottom. My friend Khem on the left also wears braces. Horray for not being the only adult in braces!

Christmas Wishlist

2009-11-23T15:00:00.010+11:00

Dear Santa, I've been a good girl, but I can turn on the bad if you like... *wink*! Here's my xmas wishlist...

Philosophy Travel Agent set, $69.00 AUD. Great to take on a weekend away! Nars Limited Edition I Want You gloss set, $110 AUD. For tons of pretty pouts.

Frederic Fekkai Travel Faves Gloss, $68.00 AUD. Another weekend getaway must have.

Nars Love Me set, $98.00 AUD. It contains the popular Orgasm and Albatross, as well as the Orgasm lip gloss. I need it... right now!

Black Loius Vuitton Lunar GM bag. It's not "show-offy" and is similar to my everyday bag, so I would use it a lot! Not sure how much it is, though. A lot, I expect.

Limited Edition Pink GHD set. About $300ish AUD. Yes, I still want this even though I already have a limited edition purple set that came with a hairdryer. I want this because it's PINK!

My Eyebrow Musing

2009-11-21T22:26:00.004+11:00

Do my eyebrows look a little... scraggly to you? I dunno. I've never really cared much about my eyebrows before. But now when I look at it my mind starts ticking over. Is it too bushy? Is the shape a good shape? Does it look normal? Are they starting to thin?! In all honesty, I don't even know what makes a good eyebrow!

I know that too thin is out, because it makes you look old. And I know that if they're light, they're not gonna look very good on you, especially if you have dark hair. So, how are my eyebrows? Should I shape them differently? When I wear make up, should I fill in my brows so there aren't empty patches? Should I brush them and apply gel to keep them in shape? Maybe it's time to consult the beauty bible! Or, YouTube. Hehe!

Currently all I do is pluck the stray hairs that grow randomly on my lids. When I was very young, ten or eleven, my sister plucked my eyebrows for me and ever since then, I've just kept the shape. I don't get much hair growing back, so I rarely have to pluck. I think my sister did a pretty good job, because no one's told me how awful my eyebrows look... or maybe they've just never mentioned it? Hmm! Let me know what you think.

Jericho Purifying Mud Mask & Twitter

2009-11-20T13:31:00.007+11:00

I'm going to start posting my outfit of the day on twitter, so if you're not already, start following me! I recently got an iPhone so it's so easy to upload photos to twitter. I also tweet pretty regularly. Follow me here: twitter.com/luvrin.

Now onto the review... I've had this mask since March 2008 but I stopped using it after I gave birth in June. I thought it'd have expired by now, but the expiration date says May 2010, so I've started using it agian. It is the best mud mask I have ever used, but it's pretty damn pricey. I think they were selling this for $100 AUD, which is A LOT for a mask, but I got it at a discounted price because I managed to talk the guy down.

I bought it from a Jericho stall. They don't have stores. I was hesitant to buy it but I'm glad I did. This product uses all natural ingredients, like avacado oil and honey, and dead sea mud. I got the normal to dry skin formula, as at the time I had dry skin. It's very thick and feels a little grainy when you apply it. If you apply it in a thin layer it dries pretty quickly. You leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes, then you wash it off with warm water. It washes away easily and omg, my skin is so smooth afterwards. Even if I don't moisturise straight away, my skin doesn't feel dry at all. Usually, mud masks are a little drying but this one leaves my skin soft and plump. Love it!

Colour Tag: Green

2009-11-17T16:22:00.009+11:00

I've been tagged by Anne to do this fun colour tag. What you have to do is find 7 items of the colour they pick. Anne choose green, so here are my 7 green items!

My green hand towel that I used to dry my make up brushes on. It's a soft, pale green so you can't really tell, but I assure you it's green!

Tea tree oil blotting paper by The Body Shop. My saviour when I'm out and a little slicked up.

A green hair brush and comb set I've had since my first son was born... over 7 years ago! And I still use it to brush his hair, and even my other son's hair!

A pretty bikini top that I bought a few years ago... I don't wear this anymore because I lost the bottoms but I still keep it in storage. Just in case I want to mix and match.

My green eyeshadow palette by YSL.

Green make up bags I got free with a purchase from Estee Lauder. It had sample size stuff in there.

Kids nightlight we got in a set of 2. The other one is blue. They were so expensive! And we don't even use them anymore...

So those are my green items. I thought it'd be hard finding green stuff in the house but it managed to find them all in the space of 5 minutes. I think I'm meant to tag others, but I've seen this tag floating around and it seems everyone's done it! So I'm not tagging anyone. But if you want to do it, I tag you! And the colour I pick is... PINK! My fav colour!

OPI On The Same Paige

2009-11-13T15:18:00.004+11:00

This is from the OPI BrightPair collection, and to be honest, I'm just not loving it. It says that it's an orange-red, but to me it just looks orange. Only in certain lighting does it appear the slightest bit red. I don't really wear bright nail polish so this orange colour is very... well, colourful for me, but it's good for summer. Adds a pop of colour to your outfit!

This is a good colour for toes. I wouldn't recommend it for your nails, unless you specifically need orange. Great to wear with sandals. Yes, I know. I have ugly toes. And yes, I know. I have hairs on my toes. So gross. Am I the only girl that plucks hairs from her toes? I don't even think I should be posting this! LOL. Oh well.

OOTD & FOTD

2009-11-07T13:37:00.006+11:00

Here's the look I'm wearing today: an absolute minimum with just a little bit of tightlining and mascara (Estee Lauder MagnaScopic). No foundation or powder of any sort (as you can tell with all the spots!), just moisturiser. It's such a hot day today, I didn't want to wear any make up!

As for my outfit, it's also simple and minimal with just shorts from Supre (non skanky, of course) and a loose fitting tee from Lolita. Oh, and the bow hairband from Aldo Accessories. Nice and mumsy. No skanks here today... LOL!

Today we're just going to do the family thing, maybe take Dante to a park or the beach, and spend some time at the shopping center (for the air conditioning!) My other son is at home with his nanna and grandpa. He loves them!

K.LO Dot Com Giveaway

2009-11-01T10:57:00.004+11:00

Katrina has just got a new domain (katrinalomidze.com) and to celebrate, she's having a giveaway! One lucky reader will get everything in the picture. It's worth over $100 USD and they're great prizes, including Lancome bronzer and a Mac lipstick! To find out more, click here. The giveaway ends on thanksgivings day.

My YSL Eyeshadows & Swatches

2009-10-28T17:52:00.005+11:00

Ok, so I don't have a lot but I thought I'd show you my Yves Saint Laurent eyeshadows that I'm rather proud of. The first one is the Ombres Quadrilumieres, or 4 Colour Harmony For Eyes in number 5. I'm sure they have names but I don't know them. The second is the Ombres 5 Lumieres, or 5 Colour Harmony For Eyes in number 4, and the third is the Ombres 5 Lumieres, or 5 Colour Harmony For Eyes in number 6. The one up the front is a pigment that my sister gave me, the Eclat de Givre in number 3.

All the eyeshadows are so smooth and silky, and really easy to work with. They blend well, all the colours go well together and they have good colour payoff. Expensive, yes, but worth it in my opinion. I got all the eyeshadows at a reduced price so for me they weren't too pricey. My fav palette is the purple one, it's fun to wear and you can create a few different looks with the one palette. I want the blue one but I can't afford it at the moment. Haha!

Organix Coconut Milk Leave In Nourishing Milk

2009-10-28T11:12:00.007+11:00

This stuff is so good. I really just bought it make my hair smell yummy, as an alternative to perfume which is drying to your hair. Organix Coconut Milk leave in nourishing milk claims to "indulge your senses with this exclusive blend of organic coconut milk to nourish your hair, while ultra whipped egg white proteins add strength and elasticity, along with weightless coconut oils to add hydration and balance".

So does it? Well, I know for sure it does two things. One- it makes your hair super yummy smelling, and two-it leaves your hair silky and so so shiny. My hair only really gets shiny if I straighten it, but I've been using this product for over a week now and I've noticed that there is a natural shine to my hair. So it must be doing something!

I will continue to purchase this as I love the scent. I spray it into my hair after blowdrying it and also before I go out. I use it every single day and I love what it's doing to my hair. If you like your hair to smell nice but don't want to dry it out with perfume, use this! It has benefits to your hair on top of making it smell yum! A great product. I lurve it!

Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin & Nutridefense

2009-10-26T14:47:00.008+11:00

This is my current shampoo and conditioner. The nutridefense is really a treatment that you leave in for 5 mins, but if I'm rushed for time I'll use it just like a regular conditioner.

My current hair care regimen is comprised of the following: washing hair twice a week, using a mask (nutridefense) once a week (I try to anyway!) and minimal styling and products. My hair is really thick and dry. I used to wash my hair every single day until I figured out that it was probably making my hair really oily and flaky. So in 2007 I stopped washing every day and my hair is now normal and I don't get flakes anymore!

I love using the Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin because it has a really fresh, clinical smell to it. I'm sure there are people out there who hate it, but I happen to love it. It's just a clean, crisp smell. Reminds me of the hospital, actually! Lol. I don't think it's a bad smell. It's nice and fresh. The shampoo lathers up nicely and you really feel like you're giving your hair a good clean. I don't need to shampoo twice as doing it once is effective enough.

Kerastase Nutritive Nutridefense is such an awesome product. It's a treatment that really works. My hair is dry, but after using this my hair feels so soft and silky. It's amazing! What I do is wash my hair with the Nutritive Bain Satin, towel dry my hair, apply the Nutridefense, clip my hair up in a bun, pop a shower cap on and continue showering. The heat of the shower really helps your hair to absorb the product. I leave it in for 5 to 10 minutes then rinse it out. Seriously, my hair feels so amazing afterward. Like silk! I love, love, love the stuff!

If I don't have time, I just wash my hair with the Nutritive Bain Satin, then use the Nutridefense as if it were a regular conditioner: I just apply it to my hair, leave in for a few minutes then rinse out. Still makes my hair feel silky!

These two products together are amazing. Usually, I switch shampoos and conditioners every year but I think I'm going to stick with the Kerastase Nutritive range. The Bain Satin comes in a 250ml bottle and the Nutridefense comes in a 200ml pot. Both products have lasted me for a long time, I bought this back in March 2009 and I don't think I'm even halfway through it yet! So I think it's safe to say that Kerastase Nutritive is my HG shampoo and conditioner (treatment)!