Rowena Francis

Summer Essentials | 2018

Published on June 20, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

The weather here in Canada went straight from freezing to boiling, pretty much in the snap of a finger. We have been experiencing a heat wave and all of the peeps who complained about the cold are now doing the same about the heat.

Not me.

I love the heat. I feel like I’m no longer blending in with the milk bag (yeah, we have bags of milk in Canada) and I’m starting to get some colour back to my skin. I have even been able to wear my Too Faced Born This Way foundation!

Nonetheless, it makes me think of summer and all the essentials I will be stocking up on for this beautiful season.

Let’s get down to business. I need a pool in my backyard. I’ve been working on convincing Brian that this is an absolute summer essential, but so far it’s a no-go. Until then, I will have to make do with other avenues this summer.

Here are the items I will be bringing with me to the pool.

Sun Care

If we’re going to be out in the sun and water, a good sunscreen is in order. I always seem to gravitate toward Hawaiian Tropic and it’s probably because it smells like vacation in a bottle. I absolutely love the Silk Hydration after sun lotion.

This year I will also be trying something new – Sun Bum.

sunscreen Pictures — Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

Swimwear

Over the years I’ve been a bit of a swimsuit hoarder. However, every year I find it harder and harder to find a well-fitted suit that is cute, modest and comfortable. I have a long torso so it has always been a hassle to find a one-piece. Some places I have found decent swimsuits are la Vie en Rose and Target. I tried ordering from Asos, but even though I ordered the DD size, they were still about 2 sizes too small. If you know some great places for long torsos, comment below, I need to know.

swimsuit Pictures — Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash

Sunglasses

Having blue eyes have turned sunglasses from a cute accessory into an absolute necessity in my life. I just can’t function without them. I also have categories now as well, because, well, if you let the ocean try on your $500 pair of Fendi sunglasses, you might not get them back. Also, don’t let the ocean try on your swimsuit.

I now have a pair of Prada sunglasses that are kept safe and other less expensive pairs that I bring to the ocean with me. Aldo has some great finds and when I’m really desperate, there’s always Dollarama.

Sunglasses Pictures — Photo by Joseph Greve on Unsplash

Hydration

There’s no point in being in the sun if it’s going to drain you and leave you with a headache.

Insert water here.

Yes, this is the time where you need to be super careful not to overheat or dehydrate. My favourite way to stay hydrated is with sparkling water. My kids call it rich people water. Maybe I do feel a bit fancy when I drink it, but it gives me the fizz I crave without draining the life out of my skin. Some of my favourites are Perrier, La Croix, and San Pellegrino.

hydration Pictures — Photo by Ashley Whitlatch on Unsplash

Entertainment

Whether you love to crank the tunes or dive into your favourite novel, you’re going to need some form of entertainment. I mean, kids are a great form of entertainment too, so go with what you’ve got.

Here is my current Spotify playlist (by jm5y). I throw this on anytime I’m working out, driving my Jeep, hanging with the cool kids or when I’m lounging by the pool.

Don’t forget to grab a speaker for your tunes. We have a speaker named Big Blue. He’s biting the dust, so this year we are bringing home Big Blue Party X. These are great because they are portable and water-resistant.

As far as books are concerned, my favourite authors are Richard L Mabry, M.D., John Bevere and this summer I’m going to read the If I Run Series by Terri Blackstock.

entertainment Pictures — Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Pool

I’m totally adding this in because I’m fairly certain that my backyard is missing this vital part of my summer plan – a pool.

Yes, my parents have a pool. Yes, you’ll most likely find me there. No, that doesn’t excuse me from needing a pool.

Like I said, I’m working on convincing Brian that this is the absolute summer essential that we need, but so far he hasn’t seen it quite the same. I’m currently presenting him with the idea that he will no longer need to cut the grass (since it would obviously be cement).

Let’s just be real, although summer is officially starting tomorrow, I probably won’t be lounging by my own pool, in my own back yard. I will, however, probably be in my swimsuit, lathered with sunscreen, sipping my rich people water and working on writing while the kiddos jump and splash in my parents’ pool.

lounging Pictures — Photo by Anna Demianenko on Unsplash

Good times. Summer memories. I love everything about it. What are your plans this summer? Will you be lounging by the pool or heading to the beach? Comment below.

The Secret to Soft Lips

Published on June 16, 2018June 16, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, its dry lips.

I mean, I obsess over this kind of thing. You can ask my friend Sarah, she’ll tell you that if my lips are dry, everyone will hear about it. As a matter of fact, a few months ago I had some sort of something happen where it felt like I was wearing slivers and shards of glass as lipstick.

I wasn’t.

Everyone around me heard about it. Sorry about that.

Needless to say, it made me think of the things that I do to keep my lips from resembling the Sahara Desert.

Tip #1 – Exfoliate

I wasn’t entirely sure where to start for the first tip because it’s kind of like trying to figure out what came first, the chicken or the egg. Regardless, this is where I’m starting, with a lip exfoliator.

I will usually apply a lip scrub (I love this one by E.L.F) and leave it on my lips while I get ready in the morning. I leave it on for around 15 minutes, pressing my lips together periodically. I don’t actually time this step, but my lips are quite willing to tell me when they’ve had enough. Maybe they feel suffocated after a while? I don’t know, but when that feeling happens, I scrub them lightly with my finger and wipe the excess of with a tissue.

Tip #2 – Lip Gloss

I only first learned about matte lipstick late in the game, but when I found out about it, I loved it with everything in me. Except…it was literally at the end of the craze. I always seem to jump on the trend wagon as it’s ending. I’m a hard sell.

Needless to say, glossy lips are in and that is the best news for soft lips. When you apply lip gloss (my current favourite is Tarte H20 in Zipline) it locks in whatever moisture you have and keeps your lips soft and plump.

Now I just have to figure out how to wear lip gloss and drive my Jeep without my long hair trying to steal the show from my lips. Comment below if you have some tips for me!

Tip #3 – Ditch the wipes

I’ve tried a lot of different types of wipes – baby wipes, feminine wipes, flushable wipes, moisturizing wipes, makeup wipes, sensitive skin wipes – but every time I use any kind of wipe, my lips are crying over drying the next day.

Not cool.

If I’m switching lip colours or if I’m taking off my makeup for the day (if my lipstick hasn’t already worn off) I will usually put on a lip balm or some coconut oil and let it sit in for a moment before using a tissue to gently wipe it away.

Tip #4 – Lip Mask

One day I walked into Sephora and I was offered a sample of a lip mask. I said sure, but when I saw her squeeze it out of the tube into a sample container, I cringed. I thought, ‘there’s no way I’m going to use that. For sure my lips will suffocate.’ I set it aside at home and left it for a few months. Then one day I couldn’t find my lip balm and I remembered about this. I put a dab on (a little goes a long way) and went to sleep. In the morning, my lips were so soft and plump and applying my lipstick was a breeze.

I find this works best when used overnight. The results are fabulous. The other time I will use it is if my lips have had a rough go with things, I will use it between the lip scrub and applying my lipstick in the morning.

Tip #5 – Drink Water

Yes, I had to put this in there because if your body is dehydrated, you will have a hard time keeping your lips hydrated. Our bodies respond to what we put in. Garbage in, garbage out. Water in, water out. Wait, no, ok that’s true, but didn’t work in this case. How about this, what is on the inside will reflect on the outside. This can be applied to so much more than just water.

This, my friends, is how I keep my lips happy and far from having a rough day.

Weekend Getaway | Niagara Falls

Published on June 13, 2018June 12, 2018 by Rowena Francis3 Comments

Ok, I admit that I watch superhero movies as well as comic book films (are they the same thing?). Except, I couldn’t tell you anything about anybody in any of the films as I’m apparently not fanatic about it.

Sorry, but not entirely.

Nonetheless, we decided to take a trip to Niagara Falls and experience Comic Con for ourselves. Normally when we head there, we spend time visiting family as opposed to doing ‘touristy’ outings, but this time, we decided to switch things up a bit.

Friday after school, we drove 3.5 hours to a place called Fonthill. Imagine the hilly countryside with farms and small towns. A place where you wave to people, just because. We grabbed some pizza and settled in for the night at our dear friends’ house.

Saturday morning we packed up a cooler and headed to the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls. We got there just before 11am and the line to get in was wrapped all the way around the building and then folded around the back side once more. We were told it would be an hour and a half wait – but, you know, we’re hard-core gamers and such, so yeah, we stood in that line and owned it like a boss.

The line actually moved faster than anticipated and within an hour, we were inside and exploring. Forgive me (all you actual gamers/comic lovers), but my first impression was that it was a big flea market of comic book knick knacks and such. There were a few booths that were pretty cool, like the board game one, but it didn’t have the game I’m looking for, so that kinda burst my bubble. The other cool booths were the arcade games and the picture ops with characters.

The picture ops all work on donations, so although it’s not a requirement, you may want to bring smaller bills for donations. The only one that was a bit sketch for me was the batman one. They waited until the kids were standing on either side of batman in front of the bat mobile, then, as I lifted my phone to take a pic, they told me it was a mandatory $10 donation for the photo-op. What am I going to say to my kids at that point, no? No big deal, I just made sure I got a good pic.

Besides the big flea market type expo, they also offered some sessions and panels, which I thought were pretty cool. I went to a special effects session, which was fun to watch since I’m a graphic designer. I can’t say I learned anything (probably because I already knew the basics they taught), but it was fun to hear their backstories on how they got into graphic design and visual effects. I also went to a makeup demo that was quite intriguing. It makes me want to try to do some Disney or comic inspired makeup looks (comment below if you’d like to see that).

We went to two panel sessions. The first was with The Big Show. Now, I’m not a fan of wrestling, but I really enjoyed his session since he came across so caring and compassionate and like a genuinely good guy. Plus, I could follow some of what he said due to my cousins forcing me to watch wrestling when we were kids.

The second panel was with Michael Rooker (Yondu) and Sean Gunn (Rocket). This panel was probably worth buying a Comic Con ticket all on its own. Michael Rooker is absolutely hilarious. They captivated the audience and the time flew by. We laughed almost the entire time.

When we left the convention, we headed down to the Falls. After scoring some ice cream, we walked to the bottom of Clifton Hill and stopped for some pics in front of the Falls. All of a sudden, someone grabbed me from behind (I thought it was Violet). As I turned around, I realized it was a friend of mine! What are the odds?! Such a great surprise!

After taking in the glorious majesty of the Falls, we walked back up Clifton Hill and stopped at the Great Canadian Midway for some games. We played Ghost Blaster, rode the 6D virtual roller coaster and played arcade games for an hour.

We can’t be in Niagara Falls without spending time with Brian’s brother and sister-in-law. So, we stopped by their place for dinner and a visit. It always makes me wish we lived closer.

On Sunday morning, we decided to visit Jubilee Community Church. Pastor Ralph delivered an amazing message in a series called ‘Read the Book.’ It was such an honour to be a part of their service and see what God is doing through them in Dunnville.

Sunday proved to be a leisurely drive home to Windsor. We had an amazing time in the Niagara Region with many friends and I’m grateful for this little weekend getaway.

The Sweet Truth | Hershey’s Crunchers

Published on June 9, 2018June 5, 2018 by Rowena Francis2 Comments

***Disclaimer: These products were sent to me free of charge for testing purposes. Although they didn’t cost me anything, these are all our own opinions.

Who doesn’t love getting packages in the mail? I know I do. It’s like Christmas morning when I get to the mailbox and see that large red key in my slot. I know that means something was too big to fit in my slot.

Before we left for Niagara Falls, I decided to check the mail.

Sure enough, Christmas came.

This time it was chocolate. Hershey’s Crunchers, to be exact.

Sometimes companies (like Influenster) send out free products to be reviewed. I mean, twist my arm. Chocolate is a hard sell for me to review.

Ok, true, I haven’t really had sugar over the last 7 years, but I’m not opposed to eating some chocolate occasionally. You know, for testing purposes. Plus, I’m trying to learn how to do things in moderation. Quite possibly, this may be the best place to start.

This time around I incorporated my kids in my taste testings. It may have had a bit to do with the fact that they kept bringing me the bags to ask if they could have some.

Let’s just say, they know how to wear me down. Also, let’s be real here, kids have no problem giving their brutally honest opinions.

That being said, here are our reviews.

Cookies and Cream Crunchers
170g Bag
Per 15 pieces (40g)
200 Calories
9g Fat
17g Sugar
150mg Sodium

Vincent
Score 7/10
Straight up a seven out of ten. Nothing more, nothing less.

Violet
Score 10/10
It kind of tastes like smores, but without the marshmallow and with white chocolate. It tastes good. *said in a lingering giggle*

Reese’s Crunchers
170g Bag
Per 14 pieces (40g)
200 Calories
11g Fat
17g Sugar
95mg Sodium

Vincent
Score 10/10
Those are good, but they make me drink a lot of water.

Violet
Score 9/10
They taste like Ferrero Rocher, but I think I like the cookies and cream better.

Overall, Violet loved the Cookies and Cream Crunchers the best while Vincent loved the Reese’s Crunchers the best. Obviously, I needed to see who was right. Although, I admit, I’m a bit biased to anything with a peanut butter and chocolate combo. I was kind of shocked at my findings.

The sweet truth? I loved both of them. The Cookies and Cream Crunchers probably took the lead on it, though. Then, when I read that you could use them as ice cream toppers, that was it, I was sold on the Cookies and Cream ones.

Literally my only negative thing to say is that when they came, we were going through a heat wave and they melted. Although that may have taken away from the look of them and made it hard to determine the nutritional value (maybe that’s not a problem), it didn’t take away from the taste by any means.

Have you tried Hershey’s Crunchers? Let me know your thoughts below in the comments.

May Empties | 2018

Published on June 6, 2018June 5, 2018 by Rowena Francis4 Comments

May Empties 1 Pictures — Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

May has been a long month for me. Summer is just around the corner and soon the kids will be home. I’m interested to see how my schedule will work once they are out of school, but I’m fairly excited to spend some quality time doing some new adventures with them this summer.

Because of the busyness that May dumped in my lap, I didn’t have many opportunities to try new products. However, when I looked in my ’empties’ basket, I realized that I used up a few really great products. Some of them are samples, but I loved them enough to barrel through them in May.

Biore Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub
$7.97 CDN (Walmart)

I bought this originally for my trip to Israel, because I wanted to pack in a carry-on and was limited with my liquids. It quickly became my absolute favourite for removing my makeup. It evicts every particle of dirt or makeup from my pores and my face feels so fresh after cleansing. The odd time it leaves me a bit dry, so if you have dry skin, you might not want this as a daily cleanser.

Tatcha The Water Cream
$82 CDN (Sephora)

Skin care has been a big priority for me this year and Tatcha does not disappoint. Yes, I’ve talked about this before, but it is an amazing moisturizer. I was quite sad when I ran out. That being said, I think I would like to try some more moisturizers before deciding if I would repurchase this again. Leave me some suggestions in the comments, I’d love to know what you’re using.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter
$46 CDN (Sephora)

This probably doesn’t come as a surprise for you since I’ve already talked about it in other posts. I absolutely love this primer. It just makes you glow beyond complexion. I decided not to buy it for summer because I thought it might be too heavy in the heat, but I really miss it and so I’m sure I will break down and buy a full bottle of it soon.

Briogeo Rosarco Milk reparative leave-in conditioning spray
$26 CDN (Sephora)

This was a product I received in my FabFitFun subscription box last year. At first, I wasn’t sure about it. I had never heard of the brand and the first time I used it, I wasn’t sure it was anything special. Then, I had an issue where my hair was so dry and damaged that I was sure I was going to have to chop it off and start fresh. I remembered about this and dug it out of hiding. I started using it and all I can say is WOW. Not only did it help me brush through my long locks after a shower without any breakage, it also began to restore my damaged ends. I usually don’t love leave in conditioners, but this one never leaves my hair feeling greasy or heavy. I can spritz this on my hair after a shower, brush it and let it air dry with minimal frizz. I was a bit worried about going through this because I was afraid I was falling in love with an expensive product, but let me tell you – WORTH EVERY PENNY! I absolutely will be repurchasing this for summer!

That brings me to the end of my May Empties. I’d love to know some of your favourite products to try.

Puppy Love | Charles Whitford

Published on June 2, 2018June 1, 2018 by Rowena Francis3 Comments

(Photo Credit Kenrick Mills on Unsplash)

I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but the thought of having a puppy seemed super cute. My emotions couldn’t help but be sucked into this whirlwind of puppy cuteness overload!

Then, I’d have this small sense of logic pop in my mind. Puppies are like babies and you are out of the baby stage.

Just like that, my decision was made.

Until…

Until my daughter dog sat (is that even a thing?) little Mya. She absolutely fell in love and her mind was made up. We were getting a dog.

I figured it would pass, but with every passing moment, her desire got stronger and stronger. She would go to my brother in law’s and pick up dog poop for him.

After 2 years of her persistence, I told her that if we could all agree on a breed, we would get a dog.

**My suggestion was a little sketch because I knew Brian and I disagreed terribly about dog breeds. So, I figured it would never happen.

One day, I was cooking dinner and I saw my daughter sneak downstairs with paper and a pen. I didn’t think much about it until she proudly marched up the stairs 15 minutes later and announced that we were getting a dog.

Confused, but not wanting to immediately burst her bubble, I sternly asked my hubby to join me in a friendly conversation in the bedroom.

Apparently, she did her research and found a dog she knew I would approve of. Then she put together her logical argument for her father in which she got him to say he approved of the dog.

It was finished.

We were getting a dog.

Coton de Tulear, to be exact.

Most people make me repeat it over again because they don’t recognize the breed.

The first breeder I talked to kept me on the phone for an hour grilling me about how I would care for the dog. It was the most intense interview I have ever had.

So, I kept looking. I didn’t know a lot about caring for a dog, but I did know that we had a promise to keep and that this was the only breed acceptable.

I’m so glad I kept looking because I found an absolutely amazing breeder just north of Toronto – Strawberry Cotons.

I fell in love with the pictures of the puppies and I put a deposit down.

This was really happening.

We were able to pick up the puppy and surprise our kids entirely.

It’s now been 2 years since Charles became a part of our family and I can’t imagine how life was without him.

He is the most playful, energetic, loving and caring pups. On days when any of us are having a rough go, he will literally nudge you until you pick him up so he can hug you.

If I had to do it all over again, I would choose him every time. I love my daughter and her persistent logic, because without it our lives would be missing this piece.

She’s since started working on her logic for us having another baby…

Do you have a dog? Comment below on your favourite breed.

Le Petit Marseillais Body Wash

Published on May 30, 2018May 29, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

When I was a kid, I gave my baby-sitters a run for their money – specifically when my aunt baby sat us. She was the most patient and loving woman, but I would push the limits with her.

Every. Single. Time.

My parents would give us the ‘talk’ before they’d leave for their bowling league. We would put on our cutesy smiles and agree like the little angels that my aunt portrayed us to be when they got home.

I specifically remember this one time my mom told me that I absolutely had to take a bath while they were gone. I told her I would, but when my aunt told me it was bath time, I straight up refused. She literally chased me around the house, grabbing me one piece of clothing at a time until I was in my birthday suit and dodging her every move. When she finally decided it wasn’t worth it and retreated to her bedroom (I’m literally cringing), I relented. I walked proudly into the bathroom and rub a dub dub, I was in the tub.

**To my Aunt, if you are reading this…you are a superhero. Anyone who can endure what I put them through as a child, deserves a medal. Thank you for not killing me. I’m sure that would’ve been hard to explain, given the fact that I had everyone convinced I was an angel. I’m sure once you had your own kids, it was probably a breeze. I’m also beyond grateful that my ‘angelic’ childhood didn’t trickle down and make an appearance in my own kids. So, if you’re reading this, I’m still so sorry and I owe you BIG TIME!**

Thankfully, I’ve grown a bit since then and although I can still be stubborn, I love my shower time.

This week I received a Vox Box* from Influenster and lo and behold, it was a body wash sample. Influenster is a company that sends you products for free in return for reviews or product exposure, etc. Although I’m not required to blog about the product, I thought it might be nice to share my experience with this one.

Le Petit Marseillais
Mandarin and Lime Body Wash
$4.97 (walmart.ca)
400ml

Product Claims:
(As written on the website)
“LE PETIT MARSEILLAIS® Mandarin & Lime Body Wash gently cleans your skin. Its light and easy to rinse foam releases a zesty and citrus fragrance. Skin is left feeling soft, moisturized and refreshed.
The extra gentle pH neutral formula makes this body wash suitable for everyday use.
Paraben free. Phthalate free.”

Ingredients:
Water (Eau), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Yellow 5, Blue 1

My Review:
First things first, packaging. I don’t have a full-size bottle in front of me, but I’m a bit disappointed at first glance of the pictures. It reminds me of something I would find at the dollar store. However, after trying it, I loved the smell. It reminded me of when I used to buy a bunch of bath products from Fruits & Passion when I was a teenager. It brings back some good memories. It lathered nicely, which is a big deal to me. I like a good lather. It also felt nice on my skin and didn’t dry it out after my shower. I would’ve liked the scent to linger on my skin after my shower, but it didn’t. Overall I was fairly pleased with this body wash. I will buy a full bottle of it since Influenster sent me a coupon for $2 off, but since the full price is more than my current favourite body wash, I probably will only buy it again if it goes on sale.

Rating: 4/5

Have you tried Le Petit Marseillais Body Wash? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Rowena’s Reviews | The Etherealist Foundation by Kevyn Aucoin

Published on May 26, 2018May 26, 2018 by Rowena FrancisLeave a comment

One of the great things about ordering online with Sephora is that you get to pick samples that ship with your order. I recently received a sample of The Etherealist foundation by Kevyn Aucoin with my most recent order. I decided to try it out and let you all in on my thoughts about it.

Kevyn Aucoin
The Etherealist Foundation
$70 (CDN)/$58 (US)
Shade Range – 16 shades

Packaging
I can’t really comment on the packaging as I used a sample packet I received with a Sephora order.

Consistency
The consistency is fairly thin and ran down the back of my hand when applied.

Application
I used a damp beauty sponge to apply the foundation. It blended ok, but it looked a bit patchy. The first layer I used the shade Light EF 02, but it was too light, which could be why it was patchy. When I applied the second layer with the shade Medium EF 06, the colour matched well and it blended better.

Coverage
This is definitely a medium coverage foundation. I didn’t find that it evened out my skin tone in my chin area, but it covered well for the rest of my face.

Finished face
After my makeup was finished, my foundation looked a bit cakey up close, but from a step back it looked flawless – almost airbrushed. I’m curious to see if the cakey finish had to do with the fact that I applied two layers (see my final thoughts).

First Impressions Wear test (9am)
This foundation feels smooth and light on my skin, maybe even like it turns to a light powder. It doesn’t feel heavy or thick.

5-hour wear test (2pm)
After a few hours, my foundation was still in tact. It seemed to be wearing off near my lips and chin area. It still felt light and airbrushed.

10-hour wear test (7pm)
10 hours was too long for me. Even though I set it with the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray, by the time it hit the 10 hour mark my foundation was separating, settling into the lines around my nose and chin, and the coverage seemed light at best.

Final thoughts
After writing my first impressions down, I went to Sephora’s website and checked out the claims this foundations makes. As I read the claims, I realized that my review was fairly consistent with the claims – medium coverage, airbrush finish, etc. I tried wearing the foundation again, this time using one layer of the medium shade and using a foundation brush. It looked flawless and not cakey at all. That being said, I liked the foundation and would absolutely use it for shorter days, like a Sunday morning at church. Also, since it feels so light on the skin, I think it could possibly be a beautiful summer foundation. However, it’s definitely on the high end for pricing, so I’d really have to think about whether it would be worth buying for only a day each week.

My Final Score 7/10

Have you tried The Etherealist foundation? Did you love it or pass? Comment below.

Battle of the Blondes

Published on May 23, 2018May 19, 2018 by Rowena Francis9 Comments

When my son was born, his hair was so blonde that it actually looked like he was sporting a halo, straight from above.

It wasn’t surprising as I was a bleach blonde baby as well. Over the years my hair started darkening to a dirty blonde.

When I was 12, all my friends started colouring their hair and I was intrigued. My sister and I convinced my mom to bring us to the drugstore and let us pick whatever we wanted.

Black. I picked black. It had a bluish hue to it, kind of like Veronica in the Archie comics.

Apparently that wasn’t a good choice. Or so my mom said.

So, I went with blonde.

We went home and started the process.

Guess what?

It came out orange.

Why in the world would my hair not turn out as beautiful as the one on the box?

My hair pulls red. That’s why.

Over the years, I’ve been from bleach blonde to orange to red, back to blonde, dabbled with black and I have now settled back in with the bleach blonde.

I’m not one to go to the salon to get my hair done. My hair grows so fast that it would cost me an arm and a leg to keep up with the blonde professionally.

So, I have learned to perfect (or at least manage) the at-home blonde locks.

Here lies the Battle of the Blondes.

I have managed to find two products that bring my blonde to the colour I love.

L’Oreal Paris Superior Performance (Les Blondissimes)
LB01 Light Ash Blonde
$$ – under $15

This one is my absolute favourite and the one that I gravitate toward because it doesn’t tear my hair to shreds while it lightens it. My scalp is super sensitive so I blister every single time I colour my hair, regardless of the colour, brand or product. Out of every product I’ve used, this one leaves me with the least amount of blisters.

Because my hair pulls red, this leaves my hair in a more natural golden blonde state. I can usually tone this with a purple shampoo and it works great.

Garnier Nutrisse Cream
D+ – Extra Bleach
$ – under $10

Ok, this is a product that I can put right on my hair and within 30 minutes my hair is the absolute perfect platinum – no toning needed. The red undertones in my hair don’t stand a chance with this. I love it. The only downfalls of this is that the resulting blisters are so intense that I can’t wash or brush my hair for at least a week.

That’s where dry shampoo and an Elsa braid come in handy.

I recently used the Garnier colour because I wanted to even out my locks. I had one too many comments about the ‘cool’ way my hair went back and forth from platinum to golden.

One of the battles with being blonde is keeping my hair from frying. My hair is long and so it needs some tender loving care.

Although these next products aren’t specific to blondes, they are things that I use to keep my locks in check and my strands strong.

Infusium Conditioner
I may be partial to this because it was the very first conditioner I fell in love with, but there’s just something about it that works. My hair can feel like the Sahara, but after using this, the texture becomes so much smoother. I also love that I can use this every single wash.

Redken No Blow Dry Cream
I was originally using a drying cream from Schwarzkopf, but they discontinued it and it left me in search of something just as good. I decided to try a sample of the No Blow Dry Cream and to my extreme pleasure, I found it to be exactly what I was looking for!
You see, my hair is straight, but if I let it air dry, it poofs out to another galaxy. However, I don’t love using too much heat on my hair. The alternative? An air dry cream. This not only cuts down on drying time, but it also keeps your hair tame while it air dries – without the feeling of a greasy product in my hair.

Olaplex
I first tried this unintentionally. My stylist wanted to give me some purple shampoo and all she had was an almost empty bottle of Olaplex. Mind you, when I tried it, it was mixed with that shampoo, but let me tell you! Baby soft! This treatment transforms your hair into commercial-worthy hair. I may or may not have been walking around tossing my hair off my shoulders into the air in slow-mo. We’ll never know. Nonetheless, I ran out of this and it is on my list to repurchase.

Do you colour your hair a lot? Comment below with your favourite hair colour brands.

A Royal Wedding

Published on May 18, 2018 by Rowena Francis1 Comment

Tea crumpets — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

I bolted out of bed this morning, thinking I just missed the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Royal Weddings don’t come along all that often and although I believe people should have their privacy, I may be a teeny bit obsessed with anything Royal.

I was grateful to find out that I wasn’t late to the viewing, but rather a day early. So, with that I decided to plan a fantastic viewing party with my daughter where we will use words like crumpet and drink our tea with our pinkies in the air.

I might have to bribe her to get out of bed at 4am, but she’ll soon learn that it’s so worth it!

First things first.

We need a royal name.

I used this website to generate our royal names. I will absolutely expect anyone who interacts with us tomorrow to address us as follows:

Sedona Calhoun, Countess of London

Voila Calhoun, Lady of Windsor

Since it will be super early in the morning for us, I only have plans to stay snuggled in our pyjamas. However, if it wasn’t so early morning, we would be donning our Sunday finest complete with fascinators and five inch heels.

I will break out our treasured tea cups and saucers. I will steep the earl grey tea in the teapot and set it on a tray over a stunning white tablecloth. The scones will be arranged perfectly on a china plate.

Table set — Photo by Carli Jeen on Unsplash

Half of our living room will look like a bedroom.

Half of our living room will look like we are having high tea.

We are going to “ooh” and “ahh” over all the beautiful guests and mostly, we are going to watch an incredible vow of love between two people beginning an incredible journey.

It’s almost Wedding Day!

I know I’m just a small voice in a small town, but I want to extend my best wishes to the happy couple. May their years be blessed and their time together be cherished.

From my heart to theirs, Congratulations!

Will you be watching the Royal Wedding? Comment below.