Bondibands – Review

I recently chopped about 10 inches off my hair and I can no longer pull it into a ponytail.  I’m still getting used to it – I had been growing my hair out for about 4 years! but I was ready for a change and I thought summer was a great time to do it.  A lot of people don’t realize how high-maintenance long hair is, and mine was badly damaged from a hard winter and constant blow-drying and flat-ironing.  I’ve seen these BondiBands around on the blogosphere a lot lately, mostly with great reviews, so I decided to give them a try myself when I saw that they were running a 5/$25 special (coupon code: FIVE).

BondiBands come in tons of different colors and styles, you can get them with sayings, symbols, patterns/designs, or just plain colors.  I ordered 4 for myself and 1 for Andrea as part of her birthday present.  I’ve been wearing mine during workouts (running, yoga, and walking) for the past couple of weeks and I really like them.  They stay on my head just fine (headbands normally slip off the back of my head) and I like that they are wide at the top and taper to a narrow width towards the bottom.  They can also be folded over or tucked under at the top to make them narrower.  They are lined with a barely detectable non-slip material of some kind, they wick away sweat and you can just throw them in the washer with your workout clothes.  They also sell hats, kids headbands, and even kerchiefs for dogs.  Check them out!

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Things I’m Loving – Argan Oil

Have you heard about this stuff?  Argan oil comes from the nut of the Argan tree, which is native to Morocco.  The oil has a rich history in Morocco, where people have been eating it and using it on their skin for centuries.  It’s rich in Vitamin E and contains several essential fatty acids.  I had no idea you could eat it!

You’ll find a lot of websites touting Argan oil as a miracle product.  I’m not so sure about that, but I’ve been using this Josie Maran Argan oil on the ends of my hair, which tend to get extremely dry this time of year.  After I’ve styled my hair (dried and flat ironed) I rub about three or four drops of it around between my hands, and then gently apply it to the ends of my hair and whatever is left on my hands, I use to lightly smooth down any fly-aways or frizzy bits of hair.  Then I massage the rest into my hands and cuticles.  It doesn’t seem to have a smell to me, it absorbs quickly and is not greasy at all.  This little jar has lasted me a couple of months already.  Other uses purportedly include: reducing fine lines and wrinkles, reducing the appearance of scars, a baby oil, as a facial and body moisturizer.  I like the Josie Maran Argan Oil because I trust that it is the real thing (apparantly there are a lot of impostors – sites selling cheaper oils at a big markup) and I trust that it is ethically sourced.  You can read more about Argan Oil and specifically this brand at Josie Maran Cosmetics.  I got my .5fl. oz. jar at Sephora for $14.

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Make me up make-up

I love make-up. I find this very amusing now because for the first 25+ years of my life, I would never wear make-up, ever. Well, that’s not true. I was in theater in high school, so I’d wear theater make-up. But, every day make-up? No way!

Flash forward to now where I actually become giddy like a school girl when I watch youtube tutorials of make-up looks. Or feel like the mother ship is calling me home every time I walk by Sephora or MAC. Why? Where did this come from? I have a theory. And again, it always goes back to being the funny awkward “fat” friend. I didn’t concentrate on my appearance because in my own head I thought I wasn’t attractive. I worked on being funny and having fun with people. I love to make people laugh. If I could make someone laugh, then I was loved. That’s my deal and it’s always been my deal. Why concentrate on being attractive by using make-up if you’re not attractive? I know, horrible logic.

Fast forward to today. I’m confident in myself. Sure, I have issues with my wobbly bits, but who doesn’t? But, I love make-up now. I love how it makes me feel good about myself. Now, don’t get me wrong…I’ll rock the bare face like nobody’s business…but, I take pride in how I look. I’m not the prettiest pickle in the bunch, but I can get by…So, I think that with weight loss came more self confidence. When you feel good about yourself, you want to put your best foot forward. And for that, I’m really grateful for my weight loss. Because it’s given me a confidence boost. And now I want to try to look as good as I can.

So, you know how they say dress up for a speech even if it’s not required? Or wear fancy underwear even if no one else will see them? Because when you feel good about yourself then you tend to act in ways that make you more confident. The whole “self-fulfilling prophecy” concept. That’s how I feel when I put more effort into my appearance…I find myself making better choices food wise and health wise.

This short little post was not to suggest that people where make-up…not at all. But more, take pride in what you’re doing for yourself. Find something that inspires you and makes you motivated. Because when you feel good about yourself, you’re more likely going to act in ways to keep that positive feeling going. So, you’re probably find me posting a few tutorials here and there or reviews of my favorite make-up/beauty related products…just sayin’…haha

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Viva la Revolucion! Will there be punch and pie?

I was scrolling through my feed of The Frisky today and this piece got my attention.  It’s a preview for the “size issue” of V Magazine.  It features several “plus-size” models and is super hot.

Who could forget when, back in August, Glamour magazine “shocked” (oh my!) readers by publishing a photo of a gorgeous woman with a little belly.  Lizzie Miller, who became known as “The Woman on page 194,” told the magzine:

I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn’t perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it’s not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too.”  [source]

The image created a whirlwind of women crediting Glamour with starting a Body Acceptance Revolution.  You can read the magazine editor’s thoughts on the subject at the link above.

I recently finished reading Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves by Crystal Renn [amazon].  It’s a memoir of her journey from being a 165-pound girl living in a small town to a 98-pound model in New York City.  When Renn rejected this forced ideal, for which she was starving herself and exercising sometimes 8 hours a day, she returned to what she believes to be her body’s “set weight” (around 170 pounds) and her modeling career took off.  She went on to become the only plus-size model to ever appear on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar, she walked the runway for John Paul Gaultier, and has since appeared in Vogue and countless other campaigns.  Here she is modeling the same clothes alongside a “straight size” model (size 2 or 4), in another V Magazine feature.  I think she is absolutely stunning.  I highly reccommend the book if you have ever felt bad about your body.

I’m glad models of different shapes and sizes are getting more attention and becoming closer to mainstream.  I hope it will stick.  I still think it’s kind of crappy that even a “plus size” model is not a true average size.  And I can’t imagine how long it will be until we start seeing people of different heights, or even larger people, in magazines.  But I do think it’s a good start.

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