Category Archives: beauty

My Blonde Transformation

You may have witnessed my blonde transformation if we are friends already on various social media outlets (ie. Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook). If not, do not worry you are on the right blog, A Compass Rose, I just have a new look for summer! About a month a go I decided to take the plunge and I have not looked back since. I could not wait to finally share with you on the blog about my blonde transformation and this post will now be part of a ‘Going Blonde’ series. Through this post and the rest to follow in this series I will be your resident hairstylist and share with you the following topics:

How to prepare your hair before you go blonde
The steps I took to go from brunette to light blonde
How to talk to your hairdresser/hairstylist/haircolourist
The cold hard truth about colouring your hair
How I continue with a nopoo regimen at home (see: I broke up with my shampoo and conditioner)
The upkeep it will take to stay blonde
How lighting can be a blonde’s best friend or enemy
Why I went blonde and what had held me back before
Answer the question if blondes really do have more fun
Plus I’ll answer any questions you send my way!
- Got a question? Send it to me via twitter using @the_bonnierose and add #blonde or/and add a comment below!

I want to give you a brief glimpse into my hair before. Above is a look at my hair before I went blonde. My natural regrowth is a level 5 on the ashy side of the scale. Think of a level one as jet black and level 10 as platinum blonde. The older lengths of my hair appear warmer than the newer growth.

HAIR COLOUR | I stopped using hair colour and grew out previous hair colour from July 2012 to January 2015. About four months before I went blonde my coworker used a glossing product from Sebastian on my hair. Unlike a traditional hair colour or lightener it contained no ammonia and no peroxide. therefore no colour lifting and no hair damage. It left my hair with a deposit of a dark brown colour and a glossing shine that would eventually all wash out. As I do not use shampoo at home and go at least a week between cleansing my hair, the colour gloss lasted well.

HAIRSTYLE | As far as my hairstyle I have had the right side of my head shaved for about a year with grown out layers. My hair is naturally curly. The shorter is more curly and the longer it is more wavy. I tend to wear it naturally curly and with brushing and/or braiding it will drop into loose waves. I have thick hair so when it is parted in the center you cannot tell I have a substantial amount of hair missing from one side.

Here is a look of my blonde transformation four weeks after I went blonde initially. This was after my new growth touched up for the first time since going blonde. As an important note my hair has gone through various stages of lift and toning from the before to the after photos included in this post. I will explain the whole process with a vlog to come along in this going blonde series.

Here we have it: My blonde transformation! I have tried various types of blonde in the past but this was the first time I went about it in the smartest and healthiest way for my hair. In the end it has paid off because my mum has given me her seal of approval. Thank you mum!

GOT A QUESTION? I look forward to sharing with you more. Let me know your questions by commenting below and/or sending me a tweet on twitter. Also if you have any friends wanting to go blonde share this series with them. As a hairstylist I have had to do far too many colour corrections on blonde gone wrong or have had to chop inches of hair to get the hair to look healthy. Just because you want to go blonde does not mean you have to also cut your hair short. I have yet to buy any blonde extensions, so any photos you see of me on social media is all my own hair. I would like to get some in the future as I like to add more thickness when it comes to updos and braiding. For now I love my blonde transformation.

Going blonde is possible.

No Poo: I Broke Up With My Shampoo & Conditioner

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Do you remember that post where I talked about coconut oil, baking soda, and how I Broke Up with my Facial Cleanser? This is the next post in the beauty series of how I broke up with my shampoo and conditioner. It all began back at Christmas when we made a costly move within England from Brighton to Bath. Since then I had been trying to stretch out my shampoos to save on product. It got to be May and I had read a post on my friend Amanda’s blog where she stated I STILL don’t use shampoo. Back then she had been no poo (shampoo free) for three months. I had heard about this before from my sister and had half attempted it myself. However, I had not researched how to do it well and had only been using the baking soda. This time I armed myself with the knowledge on Amanda’s blog and after a twitter conversation with her went to the store to get what I needed. Being in England I ran into some problems as baking soda comes in either small individual packets for baking or a small container. So if you are attempting this I recommend buying in bulk! I am now four months in and I am not looking to switch back to shampoo.

Things I learned from breaking up with my shampoo and conditioner:

The transition period is frustrating. I heard that it would be and I will not lie and say that it is a breeze. The trick is to keep your hair back and just stick with it. I ended up going with a french braid and keeping my hair in a plait, instead of wearing it down. It also benefited that I work mostly from home. If I was working in the salon still, I am not sure how it would have gone down with my coworkers to be honest. Just remember that it is a transition and will not last forever.
One size does not fit all. In this case what may work for one person may not work for you. This could also apply to your journey with no poo and you may find you have to switch it up a bit. The tricky part of breaking up with your shampoo and conditioner is to find the right mixture and ingredients for you. I initially started with using the paste method of baking soda because it was what I tried before. However it was making my scalp very itchy, no matter how well I tried rinsing my my scalp. I switched it to the baking soda wash method and went from Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to White Vinegar (WV).
I needed a new brush. As a hairstylist I have a gazillion brushes but oddly enough did not own an all natural Boar Bristle Brush (BBB). Since my goal is to grow my hair out long I have been trying to not touch my hair if possible. That means if I needed to brush my hair I used a wide tooth comb and if I needed to use a comb I tried to just use my fingers. However I realised from trouble shooting online that I needed to use my BBB. Ever heard of how women used to brush their hair a hundred times every day? I use to discredit that and say how horrible that was for your hair as a stylist. Upon research I now actually think it is a good thing. One you need the right kind of a brush. The natural bristles of a BBB will help distribute the natural oils from your scalp down the hair shaft to make it soft and shiny.
I lose a lot of hair every day. This is something I know for a fact. I knew this back when I gave birth to my first son eight years ago. Along with the knowledge that after you give birth you shed even more hair. I kid you not, I was still bawling my eyes out in the shower as I saw how much hair I was ‘losing’. So with not brushing my hair very much I started to freak myself out with seeing all the hair in the brush when I did use it. However all those hairs that were going to come out anyways have just added up. I am not going bald, nor is my hair thinning. I am just overreacting to the number of hairs we can lose every day. If you are wondering that could be up to 130 hairs a day! Wash your hair once a week and do not be sad if you see around 700 hairs coming out in your hands.
I need to change things up. At my 3 month mark I noticed my hair was almost reverting back to what it was like during my transition stage. Except I felt that it was almost worse because I was already three months in. My hair was not just oily near the scalp, but really sticky. It also seemed like my BS wash and vinegar rinse were not helping. After doing some research I tried an egg and honey wash. I used two egg yolks, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of vinegar, and 1/2 tbsp of baking soda. It made a frothy mixture which I rubbed on my scalp for three minutes. I left it on for another five and then rinsed really well. I sprayed my ends with my diluted white vinegar mixture. I could tell my hair felt better immediately but after my hair dried it was confirmed. So just know that sometimes you may need to change up your routine.
There are many different ways to be ‘no poo’. You do not have to rely on just baking soda and vinegar. There are so many other ways to go about it and you just have to find what works for you. I also tried using a mixture of honey and aloe vera fresh from the plant to help when my scalp was itchy from the baking soda paste. There are so many tea rinses out there that I have been meaning to try out sometime too.
I spend less time on my hair. When I was using shampoo (which strips your hair of natural oils, which makes your body then overproduce) I would have to wash my hair every few days. If I used product or straightened may hair I would have to wash every day. Now that I can go seven and ten days it has really cut down on how much time I am spending washing my hair. But it gets better than that! My hair now dries so much faster on its own. I do not need to be outside in the sun either. Just being in my house my hair dries on its own in just a few hours. I have not really timed it, but I know normally my hair would still be quite wet and not fully dry as it is now. Which means I do not spend tons of time blow drying hair, flat ironing, or using my curling iron.
It can work! Since going about it this time I realised it can work and that has been the best lesson of all. I can go seven to ten days between washing my hair. Between that time I will use water only (WO). Which means yes I still bathe regularly. However I will wear a shower cap to keep my hair out of the way. Especially if I am going 10 days between my ‘no poo’ wash I will use water only every four or five days. The trick for me is using hot water and scrubbing my scalp.

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HOW I STYLE MY HAIR NATURALLY.

Since I have showed you how I wash my hair with out shampoo, I thought it only nice I follow in post with how I style my hair.

PRODUCTS. I am a product queen. Plus as a hairstylist I was always coming home with new products and samples. However since I broke up with my shampoo and conditioner I have realised my hair acts much differently. I do not need tons of products. I am not using heat tools so I do not need heat protectants. Honestly my bathroom full of products has been replaced with one: coconut oil. A little bit goes a long way. I put a small amount in my palms, rub them together to emulsify and the us sparingly. It is the best product for my hair! We use this product for so many things in my house we are always running out! Which ignore any frizzies in the photos of this post as we are currently out of coconut oil until our next delivery. Coco powder has been great as a ‘dry shampoo’ and along with the coconut oil makes me smell like a cookie.

DRYING. I do not use the hair dryer. I will say I have used it on a couple of occasions, one being the day of my vow renewal. Otherwise I squeeze the excess water out in the shower and blot well with a towel. I then air dry and as stated before my hair now dries very quickly. Which I equate to not having used shampoos and conditioners that are filled with chemicals and silicones.

STYLING. Normally I do not do much. The less I mess with my hair the better condition it will be in as I grow it out longer. I will take sections starting from my hair line and twist it to help aid my wavy hair into curling nicely away from my face. I will pin a section back from each side of my face if I am going to be out and I do not want hair in my face. My favourite thing to do now is curl my hair with a headband. I have previously done this with the ‘sock bun’ technique and found using three sock buns helped give me even curls. However with three it was a bit awkward to sleep on. Plus I will leave the house with my hair in the headband, so its a great way to curl your hair during the day, if you want to let your hair down that night.

The above photos were taken on the same day. I wore my hair that morning curled up around my headband. We spent the day out kayaking along the river and canal near Bath and it was perfect for keeping the hair out of my face. Normally had I put it in a bun or a pony tail I would have had to fix it or would have kept playing with it. That night I took my hair down to reveal beautiful curls with no heat!

How to Curl Your Hair with No Heat!

Bonnie Rose’s step by step approach to styling your hair.

What You Will Need:
You will need either a circular stretch headband or you can use a scarf. I found the headband creates tighter curls, wear the scarf will give you looser curls. If you are going straight to bed you can wet down your hair slightly with water. Do not do this with very wet hair or your hair will not dry fully. Also your hair can stretch longer when it is wet compared to when it is dry which can cause breakage.

1. Comb out your hair with your fingers or a comb and determine your parting. Now that my hair is long I am keen to use a center part. Put your headband or scarf around your head like a halo and position accordingly.
2. Start with one side and take a section of hair in your hands. You will hold it up rap it around the headband and down. Take the same size section and add it to what you are currently holding and repeat. You will be working your way all the way to the back of your head. The trick is to take the same amount of hair each time. Do not feel you have to match the amount of hair that you have accumulated, otherwise your curls will get bigger and looser the farther back you go.
3. Once you have finished one side continue wrapping your end around the headband until the end is secured.
4. Repeat on the opposite side.
5. You should now have a Princess Jasmine looking hair do. Enjoy your beauty rest or your day if you happen to do this as a day up style.
6. When you are ready slowly take your hair down. If you used the scarf technique the easiest way is to untie it from the back and then slip the scarf out from your hair.
7. Using your fingers comb through the curls gently. You can re curl sections with the direction they are curled to help refresh the look.
8. Use hairspray if you prefer or just use a little coconut oil to tame any fly-a-ways and add shine.

Questions You Asked

“Is your hair naturally wavy?”

Yes. It can also be very curly if I kept my hair chin length. However, with the length of my hair it has weighted down my curls into waves.

“I notice you have an ombre look with your hair colour. Are you still colouring your hair with no poo?”

No I stopped colouring my hair about fifteen months ago and wanted to grow out my natural hair colour. So while I have always loved different variations of the ombre look, mine was not exactly intentional. I have noticed that the very ends of my hair are prone to not curl as much my virgin hair so I am wary to colour my hair again until covering up grays is a need. My natural hair is being so much nicer now that I am on poo so really working towards keeping the chemicals away.

“You worked in the salon. How did you ween yourself off of using heat tools and hair products? I cannot live without mine.”

The way my reacted while using shampoos I would not be able to live without my range of hair tools and products either. My hair really does react better without the chemicals. I will still use my hair dryer or other heat tools sparingly for special occasions but it works against my main objective. Long hair. Anything you are do to your hair is going to damage it, including twirling it around your finger. I just try to work at doing what I can to promote healthy hair growth.

“Do you have a favourite homemade hair mask?”

I use to swear by my monthly coconut oil masks. They really promoted shine and helped my ends. I did it once with my new routine and found it was very difficult to get all the coconut oil out of my hair. There are many natural ingredients that are great for hair masks like raw honey, raw aloe, non-fat plain and organic yoghurt, avocado, and egg yolks. I have not tried every combination yet but so far have tried two which both have included raw honey. My first thought was ‘honey, will that not make my hair and scalp sticky?’ but it really works! Raw honey works as a humectant and is amazing on your hair for moisture, shine, and softness.

Raw Honey & Aloe

I used the aloe straight from the aloe leaf and mixed with honey. Make sure you are using all natural organic ingredients.

Egg Yolks & Honey

The benefits of egg yolks are that they reduce breakage and support strengthening your hair. I used the following as a ‘moisturizing wash’ to help my hair at the 3+ month mark. I would definitely use it again as a mask. Two egg yolks, 1 Tbsp of honey, 1 Tbsp of vinegar, and 1/2 Tbsp of baking soda. It will make a frothy mixture.

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That is my story about ‘No Poo': I Broke up with my Shampoo & Conditioner.

Feel free to ask me any questions!

Hair Growth Myths & Growing Long Hair

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Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something.

Long hair. Some of us crave it. My hair is now longer, but in this photo I wore extensions to get my shoulder length hair to be the look I wanted.

I began my hairdressing career in 2004 and from that time I feel like I have heard it all. As a licensed professional there is nothing better than being told by clients a) how to do your job or b) that they know better than you (and your mentors, instructors, textbooks, licensing exams) or that your knowledge is incorrect.

From my time working in salons I have heard quite a lot of myths from misinformed clients. There is one type of client I have had in my chair that confuses me the most. The girl who believe her hair can grow to a certain point and stops growing. Those people you know who you are.

‘Who me?’ Yes. You.

The thing you should know about hair growth is that your hair is in a continual cycle of phases. About 90% of your hair will be in the Anagen or growth phase. The other 10% will be either in Catagen or regressing phase and Telogen, the resting phase. On top of that there are many different factors that can affect your hair growth and the health of your hair. Things like your health, age, medicines, your diet, and how much sunshine you are exposed too. Ever heard of a Vitamin D deficiency? Its very common in England. Then of course theres alway the factor of heredity. I have known a few friends who were blessed with always having very strong and very long hair and nails that grew like wildfire. It is in there genes.

So back to the client who is telling me her hair touches her shoulders and then it all stops growing. Though there are many kinds of hair loss, including after pregnancy, this is not one of them. If it was I was I would have heard about it. It is also not a disorder, which I have gotten most recently from a woman as part of her defense for my ignorance in hair growth.

Your hair does not have eyeballs. So it cannot say ‘hey I am now to her shoulders, we must all stop growing now. Heaven forbid she gets long enough hair to do this!’ (See image directly above). If you were to shave your hair at that point you would see that your hair is still growing a week later. It works just the same as the hair on your legs. If you dont shave it, it will keep growing.

Aside from what was mentioned earlier there are other factors that can affect your goal of getting longer length of hair. This includes how well you take care of your locks.

1) SHAMPOO: If you are using a really harsh shampoo and using it every day you have higher risk for less than awesome looking hair. I honestly believe that washing your hair with shampoo should happen no more than twice a week. The in between times you use really warm water in the shower and scrub your scalp well. I suggest natural shampoos free of chemicals, but to go the ‘sulfates free’ route if you are choosing a shampoo from your stylist or salon.

2) TRIMS: This can go both way. If you skip your regular trims because you want to ‘keep all your length’ you risk losing more length in the process. Why? Split ends. The truth of the matter is split ends can split faster than your hair can grow. So chew on that for a while. However if you are getting regular trims and you do not see your hair getting any longer it could be a case of too much of a good thing. Either you are getting your hair trimmed too frequently and/or your hair stylist is cutting off too much in the trims. If you wait forever to get your hair trimmed and then do it just twice a year you probably see less growth because more has to be taken off due to the health of your ends.

3) TOOLS: Basically anything you do to your hair affects the growth. It is sorta like how people say ‘everything will kill you’. Everything can damage your hair, including twirling it around your finger. Your hair is dead once it leaves the follicle, despite the snazzy advertising campaigns of shampoo and hair product companies. Heat can be the worst. So if you are a slave to your hair dryer and other heat tools you may want to second think that if you want to grow your hair longer.

4)WET TO DRY: Do you brush your hair when its wet? Your hair can stretch so much longer when it is wet than when it is dry, which means breakage. You honestly should never let a hairstylist use any sort of brush in your hair until your hair is 70% dry. A wide tooth comb and your fingers is good enough until your hair gets to that point. Then switch to brushes.

Honestly there are so many factors that can affect your hair it may take a little time to tweak things in your life and see how it changes things over time. I do not blame you if you were under this assumption that your hair can only grow so long and then it just stops. But lets be real.

Image found from Tumblr not sourced.

If you are feeling a bit bummed about this shocking truth, here is a funny image I found about how girls react to getting their hair cut. It is funny because it is true.

So if you want long hair and you cannot wait you can always go the extensions route. It is what I did and I am not ashamed to say it. I only wish I had known about it before. 😉 I currently do not wear them now because my hair has caught up with them so its kinda pointless. Even if you do not wear them daily, it can be fun for special occasions and nights out on the town.

PS. COCONUT OIL. I swear by it. Best thing for your hair and for growth.

Q: Hit me with your hair and beauty questions, what do you want to know?

#BlogEveryDayInMay
*photographs found here belong to Bonnie Rose of Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk

Never Have I Ever…

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With my friend from our time in Hawaii, Evette, out on the town in London

Shortly after my 29th birthday in November of 2011

I shaved the side of my head in the tiny bathroom of our flat outside Brighton, England.

I had been thinking and talking about doing it for sometime.

Fueled by the idea that I would be turning 30 in a year I took the impulse and shaved away.

If you feel to watch I highlighted the moment with a video on youtube.

I had a whole bucket list of items to do before turning 30 and some were achieved.

Others are still life dreams that I would like to do while I am alive.

Today I saw that Ashela with an A did a Never Have I Ever post.

Since I leave Sundays open for posting about anything,

this felt like a perfect time to come up with a list.

Easier said then done.

Its not that I have done everything

because I most certainly have not.

Not even close.

But now that I have put myself on the spot…

Reds and Brunette with the shaved side look in 2011 – 2012

Let me digress for a moment.

Once I shaved the side of my head I got it touched up a couple of times

by a barber in Brighton, England.

The shaved star design was my favourite.

However with my busy home life and work schedule

I finally decided it was best to just grow it out.

That and I kept thinking about how long my hair would be

in time to come if I let it grow it out then.

I believe it was March 2012 that I decided to just grow it out.

A year later and my hair is now two inches below my chin.

It may be a bit annoying to grow out.

But in the end well worth it and I am glad I did.

So now on to my ‘Never Have I Ever’.

Or the things I have yet to do

(and some may never. See item number #2)

NEVER HAVE I EVER

…been to Canada. Having not spent much time in the USA growing up, it just has become a place I’ve not yet travled too though many Americans have. Having loved the Anne of Avonlea as a child, I would love to see such beautiful scenic locations like the films pictured.

…seen the Sound of Music. My mum disliked the film and I never had an inkling to watch it. Ironic perhaps since Austria is one of my most beloved places from childhood. I cannot wait to go back with my family and could see retiring there.

…owned an iPad. I almost feel lame to add this but I now finally feel like one of the few who has not yet bought into this device at least from those who love Apple products. I love Apple products. But so far my iPhones and laptop have sufficed. There are usually other things that take higher precedence in items needed for purchase.

…been to a wine tasting. I have however been to a whiskey tasting for the Balvenie Rare craft roadshow in Los Angeles. But with a sister who is a sommelier I really need to pay more respect to the vino. Especially with having grown up in Italia.

…been to Japan. I wrote this for my husband because he got to go before finishing up his tour in Hawaii with the USAF. I have been in the airport in Japan many times with traveling to Australia, Thailand, and Cambodia. But I have yet to leave the airport and see the real Japan.

…driven in England. Or Europe for that matter. I was never old enough while we lived in Europe and to this day I have yet to get my drivers license in England. It has been about two years since I have even driven a car since moving back here.

…made a wedding cake. Which I am going to attempt to do for this August for our 10th Anniversary vow renewal. I almost made my own wedding cake ten years ago. I had a cake lady all set up whom had been referred to me by a friend at University. I met with her and she told me she did not do red velvet or fondant…two things I really wanted. A week before my wedding my father found an amazing cake shop that could help a poor bride out last minute. I love watching Cake Boss, it cannot be that hard? (famous last words…)

…been to a Zumba class. While I have tried a lot of fitness programs and classes (including step aerobics with my father as a teen) Zumba has not been one of them. I am more a Crossfit or Yoga sort of girl.

…let my boys drink soda. They may have had a sip or have been snuck some by my in laws but I do not plan on letting them have it for quite a while. If they want something fizzy they can live up to their European sides and drink S. Pellegrino. I used to be addicted to soda to the point that if the drive through of McDonalds was still open I would drive through with my kids just to get an XLG soda with no ice. After going cold turkey in England I do ont even like soda anymore. My brain lapses and I think I want one and I will buy one. But after a sip, and deeming its too sweet, I just set it aside. I’ve used this story with my boys to educate them on the issue of addiction and why starting to drink soda is probably just a bad idea.

…gotten into Fresh Prince of Bel Air nor do I know the theme song. I was at a church camp in Australia and I was the one American who could not sing a long wile all the Aussie kids knew all the words. I grew up in Europe and moved to the USA at 17. Consequently there are quite a bit of Pop Culture references for two decades in the US history of which I am not aware of nor understand. On that note I never had a favourite New Kids on the Block. I dont even know a single song.

…liked Haunted Houses. I hate being scared and I really dislike Halloween aside from the dressing up part. Which makes sense since my mum never liked Halloween and had a rule we could never be anything scary or evil. A rule I have kept in our family traditions. Somehow I have slowly started like to watch scarier programmes with my husband like Dexter. Recently we have started watching Hannibal the Following, and the Bates Motel. Still no pleasure in going to be scared at a Haunted House though. Unless its the Haunted Mansion at Disney. That ride is my favourite.

So what is on your ‘Never Have I Ever’ list? Link below!

My favourite Hairspray: White Sand’s Liquid Texture

25 Weeks and Counting Down

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Looking for date night outfits, I was inspired by the dress I wore at a wedding five years ago.
Keeping with the blush and pinks with the fascinator for the English in me.

Sweetheart Floral Dress | Nude Heels | Swarovski necklace | Rouge Coco Shine | Fascinator

On the second of August, 2013 my husband and I will have been married for ten years. This weekend will be eleven years since we had our first date. A third of my lifetime has been married to Ryan. So much can happen in ten years. We have been through more than I would wish on anyone to have to experience. So much thrown at us that it almost tore us apart irrevocably. Sadly in our military community we witnessed so many divorcing and calling it quits. Yet having come through it all it has made us closer and stronger than ever before. So in twenty five weeks time my husband and I will be reaffirming our love as we renew our vows. Every week I will be blogging a ‘Wedding Wednesday’ post as we count down to the big day.

My husband and I in Paris last summer for our 9th Anniversary in the city of Love.

Though not taken on the day, we had been married 5 years at this wedding we attended.
This was my ‘Sex and the City’ Carrie inspired ensemble.
The fascinator was a DIY that I made myself out of a broach and feathers.

‘He wore black and I wore white’ – Nancy Sinatra ‘Bang Bang’

I have set a new years resolution for myself and though it be February, I do not see it too late to start one. I aim to take so many more photographs where Ryan and I are both in the frame together. Looking back through old photographs to post for this blog I realized that we have so many of just one of us, while the other person took the photograph. My goal is to better document our love for us to cherish and look back on when we are truly ‘old and gray’.

The lack of couple photographs aside there have been many anniversaries and huge chunks of time where we have not been together due to the military and other circumstances out of our control. I do not like missing important dates or being apart for long time, let alone an evening. I really do cherish every moment we have together for life is uncertain and far too short.

One thing that I have definitely learned in the last ten years is you cannot let the words and actions of others come into your marriage and break you apart. You have to be team. If you let other people, be they acquaintances or family, speak ill of your partner or do things that could cause friction and stress you have to block them out. What I love so much about Ryan in this moment in time where we are today is that he blocks out the toxicity of others and holds me close with so much love.

* Photographs belong to Bonnie Rose and cannot be used without written consent.

** Wedding photography by Angela Alexander.

*** Fashion & Beauty images from polyvore.com

I broke up with my facial cleanser

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Tuesdays Tips & Tricks
“Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?” – Monty Python and the Holy Grail

In the last several years as a Beauty Therapist and Hairstylist, my bathrooms in all the places I have lived have been littered with a vast array of beauty products. Though some have come and gone, others made reappearances through out the years.

Coconuts. I grew up thinking they were funny. I also grew up with monty python and if you did too you can connect the dots. On my honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico I realized just how yummy coconuts can be. A few years later my husband and I had the pleasure of living in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, for four years. My youngest was born there and my kids grew up with the sweet pleasures of island life. Though we no longer live on the island, you cannot take the island out of this girl.

Coconuts for cooking? Yes, please!

I love to try new things and a couple of years ago we tried coconut oil in our coffee for health benefits. This went on to be used in replace of other oils in a lot of our cooking. Thanks to sites like Pinterest the many uses of coconut oil has been revealed to so many. To be fair since we began buying it by the jar fulls, I feel like I am a constantly finding new uses for this miracle oil.

When it comes to facial cleansers I am a hopper. I will try this one for a while and then try something else. Maybe perhaps because my skin is never normal. It may be beautiful and perfect for a few days then the next week its broken out and then the next its really dry.

What is a girl to do when she is unhappy?

Break up.

Since 2003 I have been using a little bit of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) mixed in my facial cleanser of choice a few times a month to exfoliate the skin. So when I heard I could mix it in with coconut oil in lieu of my facial cleanser it made perfect sense.

Here are my tips for breaking up with your facial cleanser with a DIY option:

What you need:
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Bicarbonate Soda/Baking Soda
Baby hair brush
Water
Facial towel

Steps:
1. Flush your face with warm water to open up your pores.
2. Mix a small amount of bicarbonate soda in with the same amount of coconut oil. My oil tends to be in a solid state. Make sure to warm it up in your hands to cause it to liquify.
3. Once the two ingredients are mixed together well you can apply it to your face.
4. Rub gently in circular motions with the pads of your fingers.
5. Using your baby hair brush which you have warmed up under hot water, continue to rub your skin in soft circular motions. Only do this step once a week for extra exfoliation.
6. With your hands rinse your face with water.
7. Use really cold water at the very end, flushing your face a few times.
8. Pat, do not rub, your face with a clean facial towel.

Advice:

It is advisable to try using the bicarbonate soda every other day and use just coconut oil for washing your face the days in between.
Your face will appear oily as soon as you are finished but the coconut oil will absorb into your skin within minutes.
Use extra coconut oil (small amount works wonders) on any spots as an acne treatment.
Consult your doctor if you are unsure about any sensitivities you may have as I speak just from my personal experiences from using this on my skin. It works GREAT!

My final thoughts after breaking up with my facial cleanser: Why didn’t I do this sooner?!

My skin has been clearer and I have not had any new breakouts since trying this out. My skin is also getting moisturized so well by the coconut oil that my makeup goes on a lot smoother. Since the coconut oil cleanses, tones, and moisturizes I have a lot of extra space in my bathroom cabinets that is much needed! But the best part…

…I smell like coconuts and cookies all day and night long. 😉 Yummy.

* Photographs belong to Bonnie Rose and cannot be used without written consent.