Review: Dr. Mist Deodorant Spray

Dr. Mist Deodorant Spray

I know, I know, I said I would review hair products. But I just had to review this product first. You'll see why.

Natural deodorants...they suck, right? Most of the ones I've tried do. I've tried several brands (which I won't name here, because that's not nice and I'm not reviewing them), and all of them left me stinky, wet, and sometimes worse off than wearing nothing.

I got a little bit of a scare at work the other day when my boss showed me an expensive silk blouse that had had anti-perspirant stains in the underarms. After washing the blouse, the anti-perspirant had actually eaten away at the fabric! The ingredients that help you stay dry are natural fabric-eating monsters. I wondered what it was doing to my skin. I also found my underarms to be itchy when I sweat and sometimes have red bumps. Not razor burn bumps, but ones that looked like pimples. I asked my doctor about it and she suggested I switch to a deodorant rather than an anti-perspirant. Preferably one without alcohol, which can be drying to skin.

After work, I hopped the bus to the health food store. On this particular street, there are two side by side. I visited each one and stared at the selection. Priced anywhere from $3.99-$7.99, I was terrified of spending my precious cash on something that didn't work (yet again). I asked the cashier if he had any recommendations, and he polled 3 of the staff. They all mentioned the crystal rock. It's basically a mineral salt rock that is supposed to neutralize odours. I tried it many years ago in my natural deodorant forays, but it gave me a red rash. I used my phone to frantically Google each brand to see reviews and they were all disappointing.

Until I noticed Dr. Mist on the shelf above...

Dr. Mist had been on Dragons Den (click the link to watch the video), and was a Canadian company. The mother-daughter duo from Quebec were one of the only contestants I've seen accept a deal on the show: $100,000 for 20% of the business, plus 5% royalties from every sale to the investor.

The bottle claimed it won the Geneva International Award for Invention. I Googled the award and apparently it's pretty significant: one can only submit their invention once in a lifetime. The reviews of this product were astounding: 4 or 5 out of 5 stars and many commenters saying they purchase by the case. Read reviews here and here.

There were lavender and fragrance-free versions. I chose lavender, just in case it didn't work and I needed something to cover up the smell. It was $8 CAD, a little more pricey than the other deodorants, but I thought it must be worth it.

I took a shower that night (3 days ago), and applied it. I read it could be drippy, since it is a spray-on, but didn't find that. I used 3 sprays to cover the whole armpit area and rubbed it in like the bottle instructed. It took a few minutes to dry and felt like I had sprayed water on my pits. However, it dried to a powder-y like finish, which is apparently the secret of the deodorant spray: the water evaporates, leaving the mineral salts on your skin which neutralize the bacteria. And voila! No smell!

Usually in the morning I smell funky. Not so after using Dr. Mist! I even went out for the morning without showering and smelled just fine until I took a shower at 1 pm. I used Dr. Mist again and did several covert sniff checks throughout the day. Nothing noticeable. Not even the lavender scent. And I was pretty dry to boot. Even with my regular anti-perspirant, I get wet under my arms. The other bad thing about anti-perspirant is that it makes your clothes yellow in the underarms and it's hard to get out. (Bleach makes it worse; the only thing that's worked for me is OxiClean).

It lasted all day and into the morning. I took a shower this morning and applied again. And whaddayaknow? No smell, no funk, no wetness. Even after a typical weekend of running errands, walking for exercise, and even sitting in the 12 degree (C) sun wearing a hoodie and jacket and scarf for a couple of hours. 

I have to say, Dr. Mist rocks so far. Tomorrow I'll test it in my hot, humid work environment and let you know how it goes via an update to this post. I have my fingers crossed.

Edit: You can purchase Dr. Mist at many health food stores, London Drugs, and Superstore.

Edit 2: The day has come! I have applied Dr. Mist and I'm good to go. Oh yeah, the bottle and website also say you can use it to treat a number of other ailments like cuts and athlete's foot. It also states it works as a fabric refresher. One reviewer on Amazon said he used it on his bruises and it helped them fade. I squirted it between two of my toes where there is a cut. It's drying up already! I'm going to try a spray in each of my boots next. Yeah, Dr. Mist!

Important Update

So, I tested Dr. Mist with just one application in the morning in a hot, humid environment. I'm talking steam fogging up the windows and condensation running down. We keep the door open in the winter. I'm surrounded by gigantic irons, pressing machines, a steam tunnel...so yes, it gets hot where I work. Not only that, but I'm running around serving customers. I sweated. A lot!

I forgot to spray my boots since I got home late last night, but I will spray them this morning and see how they fare at the end of another work day. 

The results: some wetness (normal with my anti-perspirant), clear (not yellow), and no smell. The sweat smelled like nothing - like water. And I wasn't itchy at all! And no bumps when I checked at home.

I declare you, Dr. Mist, a win in my books. Yay!

The Whole Kit and Caboodle: A Review of all things Face

Oh boy, where to start? 

Well, I've been obsessed with having healthy, glowing skin and perfect, bouncy ringlets so I've been on an (expensive), never-ending journey to find the right products for me. I think I've got it! It's working so far - for me, anyway. It does mean that I've given up the Curly Girl method (for now), and have been using a couple of products with silicones. I've also tried to save some money now that I don't have any more Optimum points to redeem. Here are the reviews of the face products I'm currently using. The hair products will be in the next post.

I'm still using Aveda Kinetics Gel Cleanser to wash my face and I've added Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion as a toner/BHA (beta hydroxy acid) topical product twice a day. Clinique's website states that it's for "Very Dry to Dry" skin, but I read about it on BeautyPedia where it was touted as an effective BHA (salicylic acid) product for oily/acne-prone skin. The BHAs actually cut through oil and get inside the pore to kill germs that cause breakouts as well as exfoliate skin.

Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion

So, after I wash my face (3 times a week I use a scrub or masque), I use a cotton pad to swipe the Clarifying Lotion over my face and neck. Then, in the morning I use Olay's Regenerist Serum in the fragrance-free version and at night instead of the serum, I use Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. I ran out of the Vichy night cream sample I had and was starting to feel it was a little thick and rich for my acne-prone skin. The Cetaphil is much thinner and fragrance-free, which is a huge plus. (I started to become not-so-fond of the smell of the Vichy products.) It's also $12 for a huge bottle of it and I use it on my arms and legs too. 

I can't find an adequate picture of the serum to display, but I'll talk a little more about it. I at first liked the feel of the Vichy serum I talked about in my earlier post. It felt more moisturizing and "dewy" and dried more matte. It was much more liquid: the consistency of a thin shower gel or conditioner. The Olay serum is silicone-based so it is thicker and has a more dewy finish. I thought that would be an oily hell under my makeup. Boy, was I wrong. My makeup goes on smoother with the Olay serum and stays longer. It fills in all my pores for a nicer finish. It's also $20 cheaper than the Vichy serum and almost twice the size!

I've already said as much as I can about the Cetaphil Moisutrizing Lotion: it's a basic, cheap, moisturizer that doesn't irritate skin and doesn't contain any weird ingredients or fragrances. I'm pretty pumped on it. It moisturizes adequately in our rainy, cold-ish weather.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion

Now, for a product I tried and hated. It was Nivea's Aqua Effect Nourishing Night Care for Dry to Sensitive Skin. It was $17 (on sale!!!) for a 50 mL jar of the stuff. It smelled horrendous, kind of like their basic skin cream in the blue tub, and was very thick and rich. I have sensitive skin that breaks out easily, so I thought this would be a good bet. I applied it before bed and woke up with a huge breakout. I tried two more nights, but I noticed I broke out about one hour after applying it. And the smell! Cloying isn't the right word. Of course I chucked the receipt and recycled the box, so I put it away for things my Mom might like to try (she has very dry skin and appreciates thick, rich things for her face). 

So onto bigger and better things: foundation and powder. Oh, and blush! All Clinque this time. I ran out of BB Cream and while I enjoyed using the Maybelline Dream Fresh, I wanted more coverage and better oil control. I stopped at the Clinique counter to look for some eyeshadows, but they were out. So I started browsing the foundations and explained my concerns to the cosmetician: I work in a very humid environment (a veritable sweat-box), and get really shiny during the day, so much so it's embarrassing. Since I use a loose powder at home I can't exactly touch-up during the day. 

The cosmetician recommended their Stay Matte Oil Control Foundation. It's a bit thicker than the BB Cream I was using and $10 cheaper than Clinique's BB Cream. I was sold! It offers Light to Medium coverage and the shade I was given (4) looks natural on me and blends well. I actually have to be careful not to use too much or else I get that "made up" look. I want natural-looking coverage; I don't mind if a few blemishes are show through as long as the redness is covered up. I also believe the skin has a natural glow that too much makeup can mask.

Clinique's Stay Matte oil Control Makeup

To touch up during the day, I chose the Stay Matte Oil Control Pressed Powder in Invisible Matte. It's colourless, so I can blot it over my existing foundation and blush and have it look natural. I do a quick touch up and lunch and I'm good to go for the rest of the day. If I go out in the evening, I might do a quick blot of my t-zone.

Clinique's Stay Matte Pressed Powder

And, the blush! Oh, the blush! How I love blush these days! I used to hate it (I thought it looked unnatural) but since being shown how to correctly apply it and given a couple complimentary shades, I'm sold. The cosmetician at Clinique helped me choose two: Blushing Blush in Precious Posy and Smoldering Plum. They are gorgeous! Precious Posy (below) is very pink and I love wearing it at work. It really brightens up my complexion. Smoldering plum is a deeper shade, which I wear out at night. It feels professional, without that "too made up" look.

Clinique's Blushing Blush in Precious Posy

And let me go on about their new Chubby Stick! I wear lip colour occasionally, when I wear only mascara. I have a couple of Clinique lipsticks that were either given to me or a free gift with purchase. I like them a lot. The Chubby Stick is a moisturizing lip colour balm, shaped like a crayon with a twist-up bottom. The cosmetician showed me Pudgy Peony, a bright fuchsia. I was like, "No way, Jose!" Wayyyyy to bright! But, I tried it on and it looked fantastic. I wore it to work the next day paired with basic black mascara and Precious Posy cheek colour and my coworkers complimented me all day on how nice I looked. I even had one coworker ask me to buy her the same shade because she liked it so much! I find the Chubby Stick to be amazingly long-wearing for a lip balm and very moisturizing. Overall, it's a rockin' product and I will buy it again.

Clinique's Chubby Stick in a variety of shades

Lastly, let's talk mascara. I reviewed a few mascaras here, and my fave is still Lash Blast from CoverGirl. I was given 2 Clinique mascaras as gifts with purchase. One was High Impact Mascara and the other was half lipstick, half Lash Doubling Mascara. Both were okay. The Lash Doubling was a very "wet" formula and smeared a lot. It definitely did not "double" my lashes. I was disappointed with it. I liked the High Impact better, it gave good definition to my eyelashes and wasn't too wet. I use it on occasion, but I still love my Lash Blast.

Alright. I think that's it for my face. I'm feeling so pretty now that I've explained all of this to you, dear reader. Next up, hair!

Book Review: Heart of the Revolution

Noah Levine's Heart of the Revolution

I admit it: I'm a "Noah Levinian". I've been to a few of his retreats and talks and generally love the guy. I also love his trained teachers (two of whom live in Vancouver and who I am honoured to call my friends). 

I first read his book Against the Stream in 2007. I was looking for more in my life and a way out of the constant battles and struggles I found myself in. Relating whole-heartedly to his writing, I dove into meditation right away. My "monkey mind" wouldn't sit still. I expected I would flip this switch and my mind would be clear and serene. It wasn't until I went on one of his retreats that I learned this was false. There is no magic switch. There is no such thing as a blank mind. The thoughts will never stop. It's just a matter of letting them arise and fall away with a friendly attitude towards yourself.

I found meditation very difficult at first. I had pain in my legs and I didn't want to sit upright. I thought it was more spiritual to sit on a cushion, legs crossed in a half-lotus position. Years later, I would finally succumb to sitting in a chair and not give a shit about being "spiritual". I just wanted to be comfortable and able to focus on my meditation than constantly shifting my position every minute. 

I found out about a local group called D.I.Y. Dharma from a participant at one of the retreats. After I returned from my retreat, my best friend and I tried to find the "Dharma Lab", located in the industrial part of the city. We walked around and around the block, finally interrupting a man working on a car in the back alley who told us the entrance was around the front. I recognized a lady from the retreat opening a non-descript green door. She invited us in. About 10 people showed up for the meditation. Having had a little instruction from the week-long retreat I was just at, I felt ready to meditate without guidance. Boy, was I wrong. I felt panicked and restless. All I could think about was that bell ringing, signalling the end of the meditation. 

It's been an interesting six years since then and I have kept up with the group, forged relationships, and my own meditation practice. I've gone deeper than just focusing on my breath and expanded my practice to having compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance for others.

That's why I was so excited when Heart of the Revolution came out. It explains the Buddha's teachings on forgiveness, compassion, and kindness in great detail. Noah calls it being "1 %s of the heart" (like the biker gangs). It's less of a memoir like Dharma Punx and more of a practical guide like Against the Stream. 

Heart includes the metta (loving kindness - universal love) sutta and breaks it down. Noah explains each verse practically in a way you can apply to your own life. He talks about personal love: love we have for our friends and family, and romantic love: love we have for our sexual partners. He talks about the clinging that accompanies each, how each type is conditional, and with expectation. It seems pretty grim: love brings pain. But a solution is presented! There are practical meditation guides for everything from forgiveness to metta. You can sit on the cushion and apply these techniques and get results. Noah says it took him 10 years of meditation practice to feel like he'd forgiven everyone everything and that it's still a struggle at 22 years. 

I especially liked the chapter "Hurt People Hurt People". Apparently it's a line from a movie that stuck with Noah. It's true: people who are suffering hurt others. I know I have. This chapter talks about having compassion and forgiveness for those who have hurt us. It also includes the forgiveness meditation. I practiced one at a retreat and cried. It felt good to forgive and let go. 

This book also tells you to question everything you hear. Question your teachers and only trust  your own experience. It also talks about the trap of religion and not getting caught up in "Buddhism" and not being that person who stares into others eyes proving how serene and meditative they are. 

Overall, this is a sweet book. It's a quick and easy read and Noah writes very eloquently and with a sense of play and humour. He also relates his own experience of pain and how meditation has given him real results in his life. Also included are experiences of his own folly; ways that he hurt others and how he amended it. 

I highly recommend reading this book if you want to learn more about your own capacity for forgiveness, compassion, and kindness. This is a way out of suffering. This is a way to help others and be of service. What better life could there be?

My Own "Skinscription"

I've gotten one facial in my life. It was at Aveda and it was very nice. It was also very expensive and I will probably not get one again for a long time. In the meantime, though, I can take care of my skin and do my own mini-facials at home.

I have friends who go to Skoah and get facials every season. They also use their products. The products aren't any more expensive than Aveda or even any high-end drugstore line like Dermalogica. One of the features of the website is that you can get a "Skinscription": you fill out a form that asks you questions about your skin type and concerns and then a Skoah representative emails you with a list of products and a regimen for you to follow. I decided to try it out. 

The person who emailed me back (let's call her Sally) said that I was doing a great job with my Aveda products (cleanser, toner, scrub), but that I needed more exfoliation and moisture. She recommended 3 products: their Face Kream, Skin Boost Serum, and AHA Mask. In total these would cost me $145 plus tax. That's a little rich for my blood right now. Especially because Sally told me I needed to use the mask 3 times a week, 2 squirts of serum a day, and the cream twice a day. The mask is only 60 g...not a lot. And the serum is $75 for 50mL. Two squirts a day would go fast.

So I decided to do a little research on Makeup Alley and find similar products for at least half the price. I also had 60,000 Shoppers Optimum points at my disposal. I asked the cosmetician at Shoppers Drug Mart for her recommendation of an AHA mask. She pointed me in the direction of Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Mask with glycolic and salicylic acids. It can be used as a cleanser, scrub, mask, or all three. The directions say to put it on dry skin for a few minutes and then use wet fingertips to activate the exfoliating action and rinse. It can also be used straight-up as a cleanser. It was only $20 for 125 mL. Score!

I then asked her recommendation on a serum. I had done some research and read good things about Olay Regenerist Serum ($33 for 50 mL) and was all set to purchase that. I asked her about it and she said she preferred the Vichy one (Vichy Lift-Activ Serum 10), which had won a few awards from beauty magazines. We tried both on the back of my hand and I definitely preferred the feel of the Vichy serum. It dried more matte. We also tried a Vichy moisturizer for the same price and I didn't like it as much as the serum, which I planned to use in the daytime under makeup. My BB Cream is already quite slick and I didn't want to add any more shine to my face. 

The serum was $10 more than the Olay one but because it's the end of the holidays, they were clearing out gift sets and I managed to snag a box of the serum, a cleanser, and a night cream for the same price. So that takes care of the cream and serum and I got a bonus cleanser! I tried the cleanser (Purete Thermale), but did not care for it. It contains mineral oil and left a film on my face. A boon if you have dry skin, but I'll stick with my gel cleanser for my acne-prone/sensitive skin. 

The total for the mask, cleanser, serum, and cream came to half of what I would have paid at Skoah. After redeeming my points, I paid $15 for the whole kit and caboodle. Not bad!

I immediately rushed home to cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. I had a nice bath, deep-conditioned my hair, and tried out the products. The Tri-Activ scrub is not as abrasive as my Aveda skin refiner, but still did the trick. It is also clay-based, so it absorbs oil and is mattifying. 

After blotting my face dry with a towel, I use a pencil-eraser size of the serum on my face and neck. It felt smooth and silky and dried quickly. I used a small amount of night cream on my face next. My skin felt soft and not greasy or sticky.

I had a little redness in my cheeks from exfoliating, like I always do, but that calmed down in half an hour. 

The results are awesome and I'm really happy with my purchases. I'll update you a little further down the road on how the products are benefiting my skin, since I can't tell much from just one use. I'll also see how the serum works under makeup and if I break out from the night cream. But, so far so good.

More to come! 

Review: Spanx Higher Power Briefs

Spanx Higher Power Brief

Alright. Let's talk about our unmentionables. Well, they're not so unmentionable anymore - we see bras and panties everywhere: on mannequins, hanging in store windows, on TV, and in catalogues. But we don't see shape wear hanging around. There's some sort of stigma attached to trying to look 10 lbs thinner - you just don't want people to know your secret. Spanx is #1 on the market in shape wear. They have an array of products from leggings to briefs and full-body shapers. They're designed to be durable and comfortable for everyday wear and most importantly, invisible. They come in different shades, like nude and black, to be camouflaged underneath whatever you're wearing. 

Most of my friends wear shape wear on special occasions only: when they squeeze into their little black dresses. Most of my friends are also of average weight and height and have maybe a bit of a tummy they don't want poking out of their evening wear. I'm more than your average weight for my height and my tummy pokes out of everything I wear. Short of actually losing 10 lbs, I felt like it was high time to do something to look a bit more sleek and shapely.

I bought my first shaper panty at Penningtons. It was $30 and served me well for 2 years. It gave me a smooth figure, but the nude colour got discoloured from my favourite dark wash jeans. It also rolled down in the back and I was constantly hiking it up. I tried to tuck it under my bra, but it would just slide down. However, it allowed me to wear pants one size smaller and that felt good.

I got sick of always fussing around with it, so I decided to ditch it for a couple of years . When I met my boyfriend, I was embarrassed wearing it. I had someone once mention it after a hug because they could feel it under my shirt. I was mortified.

Fast forward a year and a half. I was shopping at London Drugs with my Mom and we found a display rack of Spanx products next to the pharmacy. My Mom picked up a pair and I thought, "why not?". I had heard good reviews of the Higher Power panty and had specifically read a story in a magazine about a woman who felt more confident and sexy wearing it under her clothes. It was $50 - $20 more than the generic Penningtons brand. It promised not to roll down and to be comfortable and invisible. They only had black, but I decided to give them a try.

I wear them every day (with panties underneath) under my work clothes and I no longer have a roll over my jeans. My blouse that was pulling on the bottom button now fits smoothly. The bottom part is cotton and very comfortable. Panty lines are non-existent. The elastic top has a thick band around the top that fits under my bra and doesn't roll down. I hand wash them several times a week and they have held up great and have no runs or tears.

Overall, I give this product a great rating. It was well worth the $50. I feel more confident and sleek. I also feel more professional at work - not sloppy with my un-tucked blouse pulling at the bottom.

I thought long and hard about my motives for wearing Spanx. And I've basically come to the conclusion that I don't know if it's not feminist to wear them. I think whatever makes you comfortable is okay. I'm not wearing them to impress the patriarchy or my boyfriend or my boss or anyone else. I wear them to feel comfortable and confident. My pants fit better and I can breathe easier. That's worth $50 in my opinion.

3 Reviews: Maybelline Mascara and BB Cream and Down Under Naturals Conditioner

I used 3 new products today: Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream, Maybelline's The Falsies mascara, and Down Under Naturals Hypo-allergenic Conditioner. All 3 were part of an early Christmas gift, so I decided to try them all in one day and write one big review.

First, the BB Cream.

I first tried BB cream when I was given a sample of it at the Clinique counter when I purchased some other makeup. BB cream ("beauty balm" or "blemish balm") has exploded on the Western markets. It hails from Asia, where it's been touted as the "secret weapon" of Korean actresses. It's supposed to be a sunblock and light foundation in one, covering blemishes and imperfections and leaving your skin looking flawless.

I liked the Clinique BB cream - I found it similar to their foundations, just a bit lighter. It's quite liquid-y, unlike my Aveda tinted moisturizer which is thick. 

Since I had run out of the sample and was nearly out of my tinted moisturizer, I decided to give the Maybelline version a try. I read promising reviews online and was tempted by the 8-in-one benefits: everything from sun protection to acting as a serum and primer to concealing imperfections.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

The price was definitely right: $9 for 30 mL of goop. I chose the medium shade out of the 5 available. This BB cream is liquid and only a small amount is needed. I dotted my chin, cheeks, and forehead and blended with my fingertips. The cream felt smooth and had no odour. It felt a bit dewy after, like I had applied sunscreen. The medium shade blended perfectly with my skin tone. I covered it with a light dusting of setting powder because my skin is a bit oily and I work in a hot, humid environment. I wasn't sure if I believed the BB cream could stand up to a full working day and a visit to a friend's after.

Fast forward 14 hours: my skin is dewy and slightly shiny. I still have a polished look and imperfections are still covered, but my face is oily to the touch. Not bad for a sheer tint that's supposed to do 8 things. 

Overall, I would give this product a good rating. It's definitely easy to blend, covers well (more than a tinted moisturizer), and stands up to a 14-hour day. However, I did use a setting powder with it and my skin was oily at the end of the day as it is with most of the foundations I've used. There are also only 5 shades available, some which might not be suitable for all skin tones.

Maybelline's The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara

I decided to give this mascara a try because I came up to the 3-month cut off of my Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion. A former coworker of mine had long, dramatic lashes and used this one as a base (she used 2 or 3 different mascaras; I'm only interested in using one). It was also $6 on sale, which is hard to pass up when my usual mascaras are around the $11 mark.

The first thing I noticed about this mascara is that the wand is flexible. It was bouncy! It was a little strange to put on. You can see in the photo that there is a gap in the wand; that's where it bends. I don't know the purpose of this - maybe to glide the mascara onto your lashes more effectively?

It did the trick though and I quickly built up 3 coats on each eye without drying between coats. One more and I would have had tarantula eyes. 

I did indeed have long, luscious lashes. They definitely didn't look "false", but they looked nice. Just as nice as the Cover Girl mascara. 

My only gripe is that this is harder to take off than the Cover Girl. I don't use any makeup remover (just cleanser) and I was left with raccoon eyes even after paying extra attention massaging cleanser into my eye area. I improvised by using olive oil on a tissue to remove the excess. It worked great.

Overall, a nice mascara and I will use it for the next 3 months. 

Edit: I used Lash Blast Fusion again today and I find it's a much cleaner mascara. Meaning there's less mess to clean up after applying, it doesn't flake, and it's much easier to remove. The wand is also much steadier and easier to apply. I'll go back to it after I finish with The Falsies in 3 months.

Down Under Naturals Hypo-allergenic Conditioner

I picked up this conditioner because it was CHEAP! $2.48 for a full litre. Amazing! It usually costs me $12 for a third of that. And to boot, this conditioner is silicone and sulfate free! Score!

I used it twice today because I ended up showering both morning and night. I used 3 pumps for my shoulder-length hair. It felt thick, but not rich. Smooth, but not slippery. It smoothed through my hair nicely and I was able to detangle with my fingers. I left it in for a few minutes and it rinsed out clean without any residue like some of my other conditioners. It had a nice, light tropical scent. Nothing overpowering and nothing at all like the coconut on the front of the bottle, but nice nonetheless. 

Today wasn't the greatest day to review a conditioner because A) it was raining heavily and B) I had to leave the house with wet hair (I have curly hair that I don't blow dry, except in emergencies).

I tucked most of my wet hair into a knitted cap and my hair air-dried at work. It was frizzy and I had to use water and a little finger-styling to get it back into shape. My coiff was quite voluminous, but it was soft to the touch and not sticky or waxy. By the end of the day my hair was full and glorious. I had finger-combed it into ringlets and it looked gorgeous. 

My hair is drying right now from shower No. 2 and I have pretty ringlets. I declare this conditioner a super duper WIN! 

If you don't like silicones or sulfates in your conditioners, check this out. I wouldn't use this as a deep treatment, but as an every day conditioner this stuff kicks ass. 

Edit: A friend of mine pointed out that this conditioner is biodegradable and not tested on animals. WIN!

That's it for now, friends. Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll find something around here to write about in the upcoming weeks.

Book Review: When Things Fall Apart and Peace is Every Step

So I have a lot of "self-help" books. Books on love, books on Buddhism, books on maximising your time and achievement, books on martial arts and Taoism, and even a book called "How To Wash Your Face" (Barey J. Kenet, M.D.). 

I've read all or most of these books and have come away from each a little more inspired and with a little more knowledge on how to be a compassionate, wise being. My last read was When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron. It shook me to my core. I mean literally shook me up. The book describes no security in anything, to abandon hope, and to embrace fear. I was afraid. I cried, knowing all the constructs I had put up, my neat little life: all of that could fall apart at any moment. I could be left by anyone, I could lose my job, I could lose face; all things that terrified me. She talks about 6 kinds of loneliness and embracing them. Just being willing to be there, to be lonely, with no resolution. And in that, you will find a vast open space where there can be peace, compassion, and wisdom. I tried to meditate, but I was afraid. My heart felt like a clenched fist, scared to let anything or anyone in or out lest I be strewn apart by the winds of life. 

Well, "fuck that", I thought. I cling tightly to my constructs and the people in my life. I have a job, an apartment, and a boyfriend. I have good friends and family relations and a network of support. I'm not going to throw it all away to be alone and lonely and happy about it. But that's not what she's talking about. She's talking about detaching with love so in the difficult times, it's not so hard. We can still have our life - just without attachment. She's right: there is no security in other people, in our constructs, in our ideas about who we are. The book stirred something in me so aggressively that I sought out help from a friend who is a meditation teacher. I'm calming down now and meditation isn't so scary anymore. 

The latest book I'm reading is Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a short little paperback that I picked up from Chapters for $15. The dandelion on the front intrigued me and so did the foreward by the Dalai Lama. 

Thay (pronounced "tie" and meaning "teacher" in Vietnamese"), writes simply and in short, concise sentences. I first encountered this in Old Path White Clouds, his story of the Buddha's life. The book is written in parts consisting of a few short paragraphs on every subject from doing the dishes to anger and hatred. Thich Nhat Hanh describes useful and practical techniques for dealing with every issue: irritation, anger, disappointment, grief. He talks about turning your anger into compassion, which is hard to do. 

He describes meditation as a calming of the body and mind and recommends smiling as you breathe out. I tried it and felt happy. He says if you smile while doing anything, you can be very happy doing simple work like chores around the house. He says everything you need to be happy is in the present moment.

This book inspires me and hasn't shaken me to my core like Pema's. Both are telling the truth; Thay just in a more gentle way. If we practice mindfulness in every day life, we can transform ourselves into compassionate and wise beings and offer kindness to others and help transform them. In the foreword, the Dalai Lama speaks of world peace starting with the individual. If we can not be kind and compassionate ourselves, how can we expect others to be? He says it is our job to liberate ourselves and to help benefit others. I can jive with that.

Practice extends far from the cushion. Sure, you can take a long retreat in silence and everything will be nice and neat, but real practice happens out there in the big, bad world. I was on the bus yesterday and found it hard to look a homeless man in the eye. I relaxed and smiled at him, and he smiled back. It felt good. 

I look forward to reading the rest of the book and will write an update when I am finished. So far, so good. If you want a short and inspiring read, check it out!