JenMajBeauty

In my last post , I talked about how a skincare routine is not limited to the skincare products you use but also depends on how you're treating your body and what you entertain in your environment. As with my hair products, I switch up my skincare products all the time. Although I find myself leaning towards more DIYs these days, I will be sharing the skincare products that I've been using so far. CLEANSERS.- My current face cleanser A few years ago, I used to use Clean & Clear and Neutrogena . I loved how they left my skin feeling fresh. I'm currently using this generic brand from Jean-Coutu Pharmacy. But I've gotten my best cleansing results from a mix of water and baking soda. I would mix 1 part of baking soda with 3 parts of water. I'd pour some of the solution on a flat cotton pad to gently rub my face with, then rinse my face with warm water. My face is never left stripped or dry. TONER.- The only toner I've ever used in...

Believe it or not, a clear skin starts with what you put in your body and basic hygiene, not in using countless of expensive skincare products. They can be used to enhance what you already have and complement how you're already treating your body. I understand some conditions may require more attention than others - for example, some skin conditions may require prescriptions, or the skin conditions are hormonal thus require different treatments - but the basic principle remains the same: eating clean and basic face hygiene are the first steps to a seamless skin. You may find that you don't need to use complex ingredients on your face if these steps are taken. At the start of my hair journey, I switched my diet from eating takeouts and processed food almost every day to eating home cooked meals 95% of the time, leaving takeouts as a last option. I've been eating more vegetables and fruits, drinking more water, eliminating stress and exercising (I'm still trying to f...

Relaxer I'll be using this weekend :) I must say that I feel grateful for the confidence I have gained since the beginning of last year in how I touch up my relaxers, which enables me to write on the subject today. Self-relaxing was one matter that terrified me at the beginning of my hair journey, fearing that I would lose all of my hair if I’ve ever dared do it myself. Fast forward to 2017, now it’s a different story! I still get a little nervous, but I just shake it off and process to prepare my hair for the process. One may have a negative experience if the hair is not prepared correctly for this chemical treatment. It’s basically about modifying the structure of the hair to make it appear straighter. In order to reduce the risk of damage, it is encouraged to replenish the hair with protein, since protein bonds will be broken down during the relaxer touch-up. I make it a point to relax my hair every 10 to 14 weeks, to minimize unnecessary breakage. To prepare my hai...

Product : Vatika Naturals Enriched Coconut Hair Oil. Claims : Vatika is premium coconut hair oil with Henna, Amla, Lemon and six other trusted herbs. Vatika's unique natural formulation ensures oil penetration to give your hair and scalp extra nourishment for problem free, healthy hair. Ingredients : Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil,  Phyllanthus Emblica extract, Terminalia chebula fruit extract, Terminalia bellerica fruit extract, Azadirachta indica leaf extract, Centella asiatica extract, Hedychium spicatum extract, Lawsonia inermis (Henna) leaf extract, Lecithis, Parfum, Aqua, Milk, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf oil, Tocopheryl acetate, Citrus medica limonum (lemon) oil, BHT, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Saliculate, Linalool, Limonene. Directions : Apply Vatika hair oil regularly on your scalp and hair. For best results, leave it on overnight. ************ You will notice a lot of product reviews on this site because I tend to get bored easily with hair products. So ...

Product description: Garnier Fructis Grow Strong Fortifying Mask Claims: For stronger, healthier, shinier hair Injects strength deep into hair to fortify from the inside out Every inch is 10x stronger when used with the Garnier Fructis Grow Strong system Deeply replenishes with lightweight moisture Creates lightweight barrier to protect hair against weakness Ingredients : Aqua, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Quaternium-87, Stearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Behentrimomium Chloride, Cetyl Esters, Niacinamide, Saccharum Officinarium Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Phenoxyethanol, Trideceth-6, Triethanolamine, Chlorhexidine, Dihydrochloride, Limonene, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Candelilla Cera, Linalool, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Alcohol, 2-Oleamido-1, 3-Octadecanediol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Pyridoxin HCI, Citric Acid, Cetrimonium chloride, Citronellol, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Parfum. Directions : After shampooing, apply the mask from...

I am back to blogging again and am starting with a relaxed hair "tag"... not really a tag since I wasn't tagged to do this. But since I've been away for about three months, I thought it would be a good way for my readers to get re-acquainted with the blog by answering those questions relating to my relaxed hair. So, here we go! 1. How long have you been relaxed? I have been relaxed since 2004. I had an unplanned transitioning period in 2013, which ended in 2014 when I started my hair journey. 2. What length was your hair when you first relaxed it? My hair was shoulder length. But you would never know as my hair was in a ponytail most of the time. 3. Why did you start relaxing your hair? Relaxing my hair was kind of a rite of passage. It made me feel grown and I got to do my hair in less amount of time. My natural hair used to take me two days to wash and style. My relaxed hair only takes me a few hours. 4. When did you start your hair journey? ...

After spending a couple of hours at the park last Saturday, I met a lady who was advertising her hair care services on my way home. Normally I don't go out on Saturdays, but the weather was so nice that I had decided to take a walk. I had my hair in two ponytails (one on top and the other at the bottom). I didn't either moisturize and seal my hair all week or do any scalp massages, but my hair still looked decent (at least it did to me). Nonetheless, it must have been looking dry for as the lady and I were making small talk, she stated that she could deep condition my hair for me... to which I quickly reply: "I deep condition my hair at home." I was waiting for the green light when she struck up the conversation so when the light turned green, I greeted her politely then crossed the street to go home. I know the lady meant well and was only advertising her hair care services, but her words confirmed what I didn't want to face: that the hair care routine that I h...

Product information/Claims: Deeply smoothes & helps eliminate frizz & flyaways. Our luxurious silkening formula, blooms with an exotic fragrance of coconut oil & cocoa butter. It absorbs instantly to deliver strand-by-strand softness, long-lasting smoothness & shine without greasiness.  How to use: Apply a dime-size amount to damp or dry hair and distribute through hair and at the ends. Do not rinse. Ingredients: CYCLOPENTASILOXANE DIMETHICONOL ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL COCOS NUCIFERA OIL / COCONUT OIL THEOBROMA CACAO SEED BUTTER / COCOA SEED BUTTER PARFUM / FRAGRANCE LINALOOL COUMARIN LIMONENE CITRONELLOL  ************ As you can see from the picture above, I've been using this oil for quite some time now. As much as I raved about the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment , me being me, I got bored with it (I do get bored easily). I was also looking forward to using this oil when it first came out. So my boredom hit at th...

As I have (almost) mastered my hair care routine, I have started a whole new journey: my skin care journey. I’ve been wanting to improve my makeup application, among other things. Since primer was non-existent in my makeup routine, and after watching a lot of Youtube videos, I decided I should probably get one. Coincidentally, the Smashbox primer has been buzzing online and its free sample became available on canadiancoupons.net site. I jumped on the opportunity and requested one. It took about 2 -3 weeks to arrive, but I didn’t mind. I’ve never used a primer before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was taken aback by the way it feels on my skin the first time I used it because I thought it was going to absorb into my skin. I’ve since learned that the primary purpose of a primer is not to moisturize your skin. Depending on the primer you use, you will notice one (or all) of those benefits: Smoothing your facial skin Correcting your complexion and/or skin color Minim...

This relaxer touch-up was different from the previous ones. I hadn't touched my hair for three weeks prior to last Saturday: no deep conditioning, no moisturizing and sealing, no detangling, no scalp massages... I would only wrap my hair at night and pass a comb over my hair in the morning, just to make sure there are no strands of hair out of place. In the meantime, the new growth just recoiled on itself during those three weeks. I actually wanted to do the touch-up on Saturday, but considering how dense my new growth was, I concentrated on loosening it with my fingers - taking my time doing so - and based my scalp with Vaseline. I parted my hair the usual way - 3 big sections, then 5 to 6 smaller sections in each part - then loosened the new growth and finger-detangled as I went along. The next day, I mixed the relaxer , based my hairline and ears, and proceeded with the touch-up. I must say I'm getting more comfortable with the self-relaxing process as it took me onl...

Last year, I have purchased a few shampoos in search of the next Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture shampoo . But after I’ve found the Garnier Whole Blends Legendary Olive shampoo, I didn’t want to keep those other shampoos around for they were taking up too much space in my bathroom cabinets. At the same time, I didn’t want to just throw them away. So I’ve come up with ways to re-purpose them. 1. Clean hair tools I’ve always cleaned my combs and brushes with any shampoo I might be using at the time. But now instead of washing my combs, brushes and scarves with my current shampoo , I’m using shampoos that I no longer use on my hair. 2. Clean bathroom I found a DIY on Pinterest where you can make a shower cleaner with vinegar and dish soap. So I thought to myself “why don’t I make one using some shampoo instead?” So I diluted 2 tablespoons of shampoo in about 2 cups of white vinegar, poured it in a spray bottle, and used that mixture to clean the tub and the sink. I use...

By my own definition, Faith: when nothing seems to work after all the hard work and the right moves, doing all the right things at the right time, but you're still working hard, believing for results. Recklessness: taking the riskiest route and hope to get "lucky" without any hard work, and keep taking those unnecessary risks even when there's little to no return. Too many times, people choose to be reckless thinking they're acting out of faith. They take on projects or have these beautiful dreams for their lives but they don't have neither a plan nor a guideline to follow. Life IS unexpected. Having something to refer to from time to time doesn't diminish our faith. As a matter of fact, it keeps us on track, so we don't lose or compromise ourselves in the process, nor lose sight of our goals. Be discerning and know the difference. I'm not saying to not take any risks - faith without work is vain -, but calculated risks will always bring ...

I've discovered a lot of beautiful quotes on Instagram last year. This post would be too long if I were to share them all. This is the reason why I'll share a few favorites, the ones that came to me at the right moment: My personal favorite for 2016 is from @memyquoteand_i because it spoke to me personally. I was reluctant to pursue blogging because there are already thousands of beauty and inspirational blogs on the web; did I really need to create one? But this quote reminded me I have indeed a place on this planet, with EVERYTHING that I have to offer, even if it’s just another blog: “N’hésite pas à produire quelque chose juste parce que tu penses qu’il y en a déjà trop. Si l’univers a eu de la place pour toi, il en aura aussi pour ce que tu créeras."   @memyquotesand_i Translation of the quote : do not hesitate to create something just because you think there are already too many. If the universe has room for you, there will be room for your creations too. ...

Who would have thought that something as trivial as growing out my hair would be one of the most powerful accomplishments in my life? So I grew my hair out from a pixie cut to my shoulders in two years... big deal, you might say. But it is a big deal to me, considering my background. I came from a place where I had to be given permission to do - or be - what I wanted to do or who I needed to be. Friends were no help and I didn't have access to the information that I have now - I didn't know such information even existed on the internet! But I'll say, negativity is a very dark and scary place! It holds you down and cripples you to the point of paralysis. It promotes what I call an internal handicap. You're crippled inside. That was me. But once I stopped believing that my contentment (and access for information) depended on other people, the chains of fear that were holding me down simply dissolved. Concerning my hair, I've heard for too long that I needed so...

That’s something I used to tell myself a lot in the past. Knowing that fact has made going through life easier, nurturing the hope that everything always works out, one way or the other. This couldn’t be more evident today. It snowed non-stop for two days until the day before yesterday. There were little hills of snow everywhere on our street, even in front of our house. The snow piled up so high as to reach half the length of my balcony’s fence in most corners. Nonetheless, it was beautiful to see, glistening white snow everywhere in the backyard! So imagine my surprise when I woke up yesterday, to see the streets’ bare concrete as if it had never snowed! The temperature had risen, creating puddles in the streets. The balcony was still covered, so I thought maybe it’d take a bit longer for the snow to melt. I woke up this morning, the temperature higher than yesterday, and now my balcony is almost bare! I could only think “wow! That was fast!” Then I thought: it’s the...

I’m always excited when I get to use new hair products. I’m even more excited when those products have my favorite ingredients like the Garnier Whole Blends Legendary Olive. I discovered this line at my local drugstore on January 1 st and purchased the shampoo based on the smell alone! I fell instantly in love! After seeing a short mention of this line on this Youtube video (starting at 1:38), I went back to the store the next day and bought the conditioner and leave-in conditioner too! Garnier Whole Blends Legendary Olive Replenishing Shampoo, Conditioner, and Transforming Leave-in Conditioner I’ve been using the leave-in conditioner when moisturizing and sealing since my last relaxer touch-up and my hair just loved it! The smell is almost an elegant smell and it lingers. For some reason, my hair has been particularly dry this winter so my hair has been very happy with this leave-in. For wash day, I did my hot oil treatment with my oil mix as usual. But because of t...