I'm talking about my hair. If you've seen my posts here and here a few months back, you'd understand that I've been struggling with my uber-frizzy and rebellious hair for so long. I didn't want another rebonding session as it always turns out that my hair is super straight for a few months and then when curls start to appear, I look weird--unat na unat ang aking buhok pero may curls dun sa roots! hehehe :) I even considered getting a perm when I thought it would solve my problem. Kulutin na ng totoo tutal kulot naman talaga, lol :) Pero hindi natuloy dahil dito.

Since we'll be leaving by next week, and knowing that in Dubai going to the salon is such a luxury, I decided to get a relax treatment yesterday. I cannot possibly endure another year of frizz. One thing I hated about rebonding is sitting on a stool for hours and hours while three pairs of hands fuss over my hair, tugging it left, right, front and back. And that's another reason I opted for relax treatment. I didn't know it was almost the same ordeal, though.

Imagine the session started at 230pm and lasted until 8! Ganun kakulit ang buhok ko! And yes, there were three persons who attended to me. Ang tagaaal, grabe. I initially planned on getting a haircut but decided against it since super late na. Anyway, my hair is tamed at last. At least no more frizz and the curls are indeed "relaxed". I hope it will see me through till I can save up for another treatment.

I could only imagine how terrible a girl must feel when she wakes up in the morning and finds a swollen red spot right on top of her nose. Suddenly, the day's planned activities had to be cancelled! Because who on earth would have the confidence to go out and face the whole world when one is passing from girlhood to adolescence in the most obvious and disgraceful way?

I've always been thankful of the fact that as a teenager, I was never subjected to the shameful experience of having breakouts. While some teeners spent every waking hour figuring out the best acne treatment so they could make it clean and clear to the upcoming JS Prom, I was busy choosing a pretty dress to wear, **wink**.

But this is not to say I never had my share of vanity troubles. Though pimples were never a problem, they still appear occasionally. Like right now, I'm nursing two red bumps right under my nose! And they sure hurt.

Goodness, I hardly noticed that we're almost halfway through April, which means that in two months' time I'll be turning a year older. I still don't feel like I'm 30-something already, though I'm constantly reminded that I'm really not getting any younger by the fact that I now have a toddler. And the fact that I have a family to take care of is enough to motivate me to live a healthy lifestyle.

I'm now conscious about the food I eat. I used to love meat, but now prefer mostly vegetables, especially those that are good sources of antioxidant. I strictly follow my personal beauty ritual of cleansing, toning and moisturising and I limit my exposure to the sun as much as possible. Sadly, gone are the days when people can enjoy the outdoors without worrying about the sun's rays causing health problems. The good news, though, is that there are hundreds of products in the market to help prevent these problems. Though I never wish to use anti-ageing products soon, I'm thankful that they are available if in case I need them.

I'd say I'm one of those people fortunate enough not to have much facial skin care issues. I've had my share of problems during adolescence but it was never worse than one or two pimples over a period of years. I've always had normal skin that gets a bit dry or oily sometimes but that is esily remedied. And I've only had a skincare ritual when I was in my 20's.

I'm happy with my recent discovery of RevivaLabs and The Body Shop products.

I'm currently using Reviva Labs Light Skin Peel which is made from all-natural ingredients that gently exfoliates the skin. I made this discovery while shopping for Miguel's food at Healthy Options. Saw the product at the cashier counter and thought of trying. I like how my skin feels after every application. After I finished my bottle of Olay, I thought I'd like to try a different moisturiser so I went to the Body Shop and got the Vitamin E toner and moisturising cream. I like it better than Olay. It's light and is easily absorbed by the skin and it doesn't make me feel oily afterwards.

How about you? Care to share your beauty rituals?

...despite the fact that I went to the salon really early on Saturday. Yeah, I showered early and headed on to visit David's Salon as planned only to be told that my hair isn't at the right condition for a perm. Hay... The length is not ideal, it's way to short for big curls, and it's really dry which means curling will make it even worse. As the hair designer was telling me all this, my mind was screaming to just go ge it done, but after a while, a picture of dry, curly hair flying all around suddenly flashed to my memory and I imagined myself sporting the most buhaghag hair ever, hahaha! :) It scared the hell out of me that I agreed to just get a complete repair treatment instead to bring the life back to my hair. I still need to go for a regular hair spa at least once a month and wait for another 2 months before I get those curls. Tagal...

Since my initial attempt at getting a new hairstyle didn't push through, I wasn't able to find time to pursue it anymore. Today I have a simple description of my hair. It's a disaster! I really couldn't stand the sight of it any longer. I've been having regular rebonding treatment eversince I can remember and I couldn't recall now how my natural curls look. The world to me is split into women who have nice, straight hair and those who have rebonded straight hair. Period. But man, I'm tired of enduring hours of painful misery while the stylist is seriously pulling my hair straight only to wake up 3 months later that I've grown another inch of curls. Is it time for another round of treatment?! Not again, please! Surely, there must be something good about curly hair too.

I googled up "curls" and found myself reading a lot of stuff about digital perm, the latest trend in hair fashion. Or isn't it the latest now? I told you I'm lagging in terms of fashion! lol:). I was giddy. I didn't know a lot of women with straight hair are dying to have nice curls. People are just plain weird. Now I wanted to rush to the salon to inquire if my hair qualifies for a digital perm, or perhaps something similar. I want big curls but I'm afraid my hair's not yet long enough to get a good perm. It only goes a few inches below the shoulder. And I want big curls, did I mention that already? :) Anyway, I'm off to the salon tomorrow to see if perm is doable. I'm a bit anxious, though, as this will be my first time to get one, if ever. Can't imagine how I'll look with serious curls haha :) But with the current state of my hair, I don't think anything could be worse.

Guess what I'm up to today?! I'm glued to the net searching for the perfect style for my unruly hair! It's been 5 months since my last rebonding treatment so you can just imagine that the curls have grown a bit long already. Another round of treatment doesn't appeal to me at the moment; God knows how many straightening and rebonding sessions I've endured just to tame my fuzzy hair. Oh the pains of having curly locks!

Since I am just usually at home, I never bothered to go for a regular trim and treatment. And I would normally just pull my hair back and tie with a band so it won't get in the way when I need to go after my restless toddler. But for days now, I've been pissed whenever I see myself in the mirror. You see, I'm wearing a shoulder-length, layered cut (though it doesn't seem like it when you see me, lol :)). The curls are beginning to show and the frizz is also getting worse. I have good reason to believe my mood is affected by my outer appearance, lol :), therefore, I have decided it's time for a makeover.

I have set myself to look in the net for a new hairstyle. I've set a few parameters, though. I want it short this time in preparation for summer. I've always wanted a wash and wear style but couldn't imagine how it can be done with curls like mine. I want to let go of blow-dryers and straightening irons; I don't have time for them now. Here's one hairstyle I'd love to have though I'm almost sure this can't be done with curly hair, sigh...

softwedge haircut

So the task now is to go find a salon that could do wonders to my hair, giving me a short, wash&wear cut without having to rebond my locks. Quite a challenge, I know. If any of you knows of a good salon (that won't cost me an arm and a leg for a haircut, please!) or perhaps an idea on how to best take care of my curly hair, or even a hairstyle that would suit my curls, I'm open to ideas. Would love to hear them. Meantime, I'd go back to my research and see if I could find another one I like. If I'm lucky, I could just be sporting a new do on saturday! :)