THE How To On Healthy Hair: Extraordinary Oil BRAND NEW From L'Oreal Paris

If you skim through my blog, you might notice a common theme. XO Beauty Addict has a very clear-cut niche, which is a resounding passion for makeup. But as a beauty addict, I felt I should expand my horizons a little more to discuss other beauty and fashion related products I have been trying out as well. So when I was chosen by Influenster to review a new line of L'Oreal hair care products, it could not have been a more perfect opportunity.

L'Oreal was kind enough to send me three out of four of the products from their new Extraordinary Oil hair care line, which they claim is intended to transform dry, lifeless hair into the soft and lustrous manes we all lust over in television ads. The formula boasts an "Oil Complex" containing Argan, Chamomile, Coconut, Amla, Soja, and Sunflower oils. However, to my oily-scalped friends, do not let that fool you, this formula is anything but greasy.

Finding one's holy grail hair products is something I've been conditioned (pardon the pun) to understand would never happen. After trial and error with so many shampoos, conditioners, and treatments, I felt that all hair care was one and the same. They always left my roots oily, my ends dry and damaged, and, worst of all, my hair hung extremely limp. So when I saw immediate results within two uses of the Extraordinary Oil system by L'Oreal, you could say that my hair finally met its match in hair care heaven.

Before (Left) & After (Right) Using The L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil Hair Care Line

After making the awful decision to chop my long, beautiful hair two years ago, my hair has never been the same. I developed the weird dilemma where my roots were flat and greasy after a few hours and my ends were as dry as hay. However, since using the Extraordinary Oil line religiously, I have noticed a drastic change in the look, feel, texture, and overall health of my hair. Two months of use later and I feel like my hair is on its way to becoming its healthy, beautiful self again. It has truly become softer, shinier, and so much more manageable and voluminous.

If I could describe this hair care line in any way, I would have to say that it is a simple, yet extremely effective system of products. The Nourishing Shampoo is very silky, which allows it to cleanse your hair, but not strip it of the necessary moisture that it needs. After shampooing I like to take a healthy dollop of the Nourishing Conditioner and slather it on my ends and hair shaft, placing whatever is left over on my roots. To allow my hair to retain the most moisture, I let the conditioner work its magic on my hair for the remainder of my shower. Lastly, I apply the Lustrous Oil Serum to my damp hair. It not only acts as a heat protectant for when I blow dry my hair, it also adds even more softness, shine, and smells amazing.

Whereas people used to point out how damaged and noticeable my dead ends were becoming, now I receive an overwhelming amount of requests for hair care recommendations. All I can say is if your hair needs as much of a revival and revamp as mine did, the L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil line will certainly be your best, affordable bet. The line is currently available online and in some drugstores for purchase. Go get you some!


XO♥

*The products in this post were sent to me for review, but all opinions are my own. 

The Power Of Makeup

Last year the amazingly talented NikkieTutorials broke the internet and started a phenomenon that has overtaken the beauty community and social media. The phenomenon I'm talking about is known as "The Power of Makeup". Too often makeup artists and enthusiasts are shamed for being incredible at transforming and bringing forth the most beautiful aspects of women around the world. It breaks my heart every single time I see someone's art degraded, knowing full well that all of the ugly and hateful comments that people make solely represent an inner self-loathing that is being projected outward.

But more than that, I blame social media for spreading so many unrealistic images of perfection, brainwashing people into thinking they're not perfect just the way they are. Worse than that, it gives everyone unrealistic expectations of each other so that they can't see true beauty if it was looking them right in the face. If you have any gifts or talents at all, you shouldn't be ashamed of them. Express those talents to the best of your ability and don't waste them.

"Do you ever not wear makeup?," I've heard this phrase countless times, especially from men. My response? Actually, I don't wear makeup every day, mainly because my skin and eyes are too sensitive to bare it. And yet, I'm blessed with this talent for doing it -- kind of ironic if you ask me. But so what if I did wear makeup everyday? That's the troublesome question that has been bothering me lately. So what? Would it hurt anyone if I did wear makeup everyday? Does it cause world hunger and poverty? Is it really that bad of a thing?

Personally, I think that anyone who makes you feel bad for who you are and what you love, doesn't deserve a spot in your life. These words are easier to type than they are to live by; trust me I know. I have first-hand experience with what it's like to feel ashamed that I was artistic. I hid it from friends, family, and coworkers for the longest until not being myself got to be entirely too much to handle. Unfortunately there's quite a few hard truths you'll have to swallow in life, a couple of which are: People don't like what they don't understand and You can't please everybody. Once you accept those facts, I think the road to self-love becomes that much easier.

And that's what I think "The Power Of Makeup" is all about. It's not just about the negativity and hate that has crept its way into the beauty community. Regardless if you do makeup or not, the message is about self-love. Whether it means you want to find a cure for something, become a pro athlete, or like to cake that makeup on, you be you.


XO♥