Healthy Hair

At this point in my life, I've probably had more bad hair days than I've had good. Growing up with thick, frizzy hair was always difficult for me. The texture has always been extremely coarse and until recently, completely unmanageable. It takes a lot of love to tame my mane but I know that I'm not alone. I've been getting a lot of questions lately about how I take care of my long hair and keep it looking healthy between trims. The short answer would be "trial and error-- a lot of it." but I love my readers so I compiled a handy list of the products that I use in my hair.

1. I color my hair with Henna. It's all-natural, safe, and WON'T fry your hair. It'll work with your hair's natural oils to condition your hair and leave it soft, smooth, and frizz-free. Since my knowledge of henna is fairly limited, check out this article. It has some great Q&A's as well as some resources. As far as which brand I use, it's called Rainbow Henna (in black) and I buy it from a local health food store.

2. Scrunchies are not only totally coming back (hello Kimmy Gibbler) but they work wonders for tossing your hair up in a bun before bed. If I must fall asleep with my hair wet, I'll tie it up in a scrunchy because a scrunchy doesn't get tangled in wet hair the way that a regular hair tie would. 

3. You can't be an adult without a decent hair dryer and you can't have a decent hair dryer without a diffuser attachment. Trust me, I rarely use mine without it anymore. It's ideal for curly hair because it evenly distributes air flow so that the hair's natural wave isn't moved around too much while drying. One thing to keep in mind when using a diffuser attachment is to keep the heat on low. 

4. Carrot oil is a miracle worker for skin and hair. It helps to strengthen and protect hair follicles against things like chlorine and other harmful chemicals. It also happens to be great for combatting dandruff, especially when combined with Tea Tree Oil. 

5. Boar bristle brushes are a lot better for your hair than plastic because they're less harsh and the small fibers help to evenly spread your hair's natural oils. 

6. Whether you get something fancy like Goldie's or just stick with good 'ole Apple Cider Vinegar, it's a good idea to do a vinegar rinse every few weeks. Vinegar is a gentle natural shampoo and will help to restore your hair's pH levels to normal while also getting rid of the residue that other shampoos may leave behind. 

7. I rarely visit the hair stylist but when I do, he yells at me for using an iron on my hair. I know that it's not good for it but sheesh, I love the way that the styling wand makes my hair look! (It's what I used in the photo above.) As long as I don't use it too often, I can't see what's so bad about it. Just make sure that if you're using any kind of heat on your hair, you keep it on the lowest (but most effective) temperature possible. 

8. Here's the most valuable piece of advice that I will give you in this blog post: dry shampoo. Embrace it. It will become your best friend. Find one that you like, this one is my favorite. Washing and styling your hair is actually not too great for it. I only wash mine once a week or so and have no shame whatsoever-- just healthy hair. As long as you have something to take care of any potential oiliness, it's not gross. Trust me. 

9. Coconut oil treatments are a monthly thing that can become sort of a nuisance but work wonders. I buy solid coconut oil, spread it all over my head before bed, wrap it in a silk scarf and a shower cap, and then rinse it out in the morning. It's the only deep-conditioner you'll ever need.

10. LUSH Sea Spray is an absolutely wonderful invention. It adds texture and smells fantastic. It's particularly helpful if, ya know, you're not washing your hair too often. (If you skipped it, go back to #8.)

11. Lastly, never underestimate the power of some good old school hair curlers. They'll give you mega volume and you'll feel like a Hollywood starlet while you're getting ready. If you don't know where to begin, this video is very helpful.

As far as shampoo and conditioner go, I use Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Castile Soap as shampoo and LUSH's Veganese Conditioner. How about you guys? I'm always interested in finding new products and you guys always give me great advice. 

xo,

e.m.

A Moment of Honesty: Behind the Instagram

It's been a while since I've shared a "Behind the Instagram" with you all so here's the next installment. I figured that after my last post about being "real" on the internet, it was only appropriate. It's easy for beautiful images to be taken at face value when really, photos succinctly say more than words can. Before every moment, there is a moment. Here's a little bit from my heart and my life. 

News is an intense business. I worked overnights this weekend and while it can get pretty rough at 3AM, that sunrise makes it all worth it. I love looking up and seeing the sun all of a sudden. It just sort of appears. Whereas there is no sunset beautiful enough to necessitate me willingly waking up early enough to see it, if it happens to be there and I happen to be there, I'm all about it. (Even if I have to watch it in the reflection of the Wells Fargo building.)

I love living in the city. All of the city-dwellers out there can agree with this though: it's nice to get away every once in a while. Philly built this pop-up park on Spruce Street by the river and it is one of my favorite places in the city. I had "one of those days" and went for a bike ride there. I got me some vodka iced tea lemonade and sat in a hammock over the water. I did some people watching, basked in the cool breeze, and felt at peace with the world. If you're feeling suffocated by the sheer madness of life going on around you, here's my advice: find a place to escape to for a little while. It's a game-changer for sure. Isn't mine so cozy? 

I rarely go by my REAL name anymore, I made the decision to embrace my initials (E.M.) as a business move. Doesn't make me any less an Erika though, and as an Erika with a k, I was overjoyed to see that my name was spelled correctly on a bottle of Coke. If you have a fairly uncommon name, you understand my pain. This caught my eye just as I was complaining about how my name is never on anything. Not going to lie to you, I gasped when I saw it. I don't even drink soda but I had to have it. 

This one isn't particularly significant. It's neither ground-breaking nor interesting. Have you ever listened to Black Sabbath? If you haven't, you should. I don't think I've had a more triumphant moment in recent times than when I was record-shopping with my family and I happened upon this gem. It's my go-to "getting dressed in the morning" album. It's the little things. But seriously. If you've never listened, get on that.

Something that no one knows about me (until now, that is) is that I LOVE going to Lowe's. I could walk around for hours and dream about owning a home. Yes, it's incredibly dorky but we all have our quirks. Lately my jam has been the gardening section but I will always and forever be a huge fan of the paint samples. I swiped a sizable amount of these for a craft that I plan on making in the near future... shhhhh. 

Being on my vacation with my family was bliss because I missed Eisley so much. Now before you get all weird like "whoa, she loves her dog more than her family," I can talk to my family on the phone and text them any time. Can't do that with Eis boo. We had a good few days and Danielle snapped these photos of us hanging out on the dock. They're absolutely among my most prized possessions. 

My sister and I have six years between us so we've never really "hung out" until recently. It's fantastic to be able to have sister time. She's just as cruel as I am when it comes to people-watching and she's always down for some ice cream or a smoothie. We laugh a LOT when we're together. Now that I'm finally "growing up," I cherish these moments that I would have taken for granted not long ago. They're super important. 

xo,

e.m.

Les Garçons

After an intense day filled with breaking news and flaring tempers, it was nice to escape to Penn Treaty Park for a little bit with Danielle and Juno. Nothing more, nothing less. 

xo,

e.m.

top/ U.O. (it's sold out at the moment but this one is similar!), skirt/ H&M (similar), necklace/ J.Crew (similar), shoes/ YSL (a few seasons old, here are similar ones.)

*photos by Danielle Conyers, my amazingly talented roomie 

A Moment of Honesty: You Do You, Girl

Sometimes I scroll through my Facebook timeline and I want to bang my head against the wall until blood spills out of my ears.* It can be downright unbearable yet I can never manage to pry myself away. It's always "oh look, so-and-so is angry about something" or "what's-her-face just got #engaged™." It's never anything useful and most of the entertainment value comes at the expense of others. (You know what I mean.) It's a constant battle to have the loudest voice, the most outrageous opinion, and the last argument. What's worse is that it's easier than ever to manufacture some kind of persona. As we delve deeper into ourselves as internet entities, face-to-face interaction becomes a lost art. Vulnerability becomes a rare gem. We're losing touch with reality and it's just no good. We have the ability to pick and choose which traits and moments we will wear like a badge of honor and which we want to tuck away in some forgotten corner. I take a look at my friends list and I think, "who ARE these people?" If you've never thought it, it's a legitimate question. These people will be able to ascertain a varied amount of personal information about you. Because of this common-knowlegde, we pander to them more often than not. It's not a good thing. In fact, it can be dangerous. 

Real life is a very ugly thing. I wish I could un-tag myself from the memories of those who witnessed that time I pulled a Rachel-at-Barry's-Wedding coming out of the bathroom in church. Sadly, it's not that simple. With the modern luxury of being able to subscribe to a personality instead of truly "finding" yourself, it's easy to pick and choose what makes you, you. Do you ever find yourself making Spotify private so that you can listen to Hilary Duff without the fear of ridicule from your peers? Ask yourself this: why? Just because the digital age has made it incredibly simple (and quite convenient) to be privy to the lives of others does not mean that you have to be. It also doesn't mean that you should be selective about what you tweet/'gram/listen to/watch. It all comes down to this mind-blowingly simple concept: WHO CARES? 

You're a mess. A beautiful, crazy mess. Your life is not picture-perfect. It does not come with a built-in Instagram filter. Chances are, you're a twenty-something just meandering through the labyrinth of life. It's really easy to become closed-off to other human beings aside from a tweet or a photo here or there. You need to realize though that the more accessible communication becomes, the less meaningful it is. The less meaningful you are. Instead of putting on a charade for everyone else, challenge yourself to become a better person starting from the inside. Once you're okay with yourself, you won't care how anybody else sees you. It's a little thing called confidence and it's tough to come by nowadays. I've been trying to purge my life of those influences and those toxic ideals. Sometimes I have to back away from my blog and social media and realize that I shouldn't be dressing, acting, going anywhere just for content, I should be dressing the way I want to dress. Doing what I want to do. Make sense? We all have our vices. What are yours? Once you identify them, you're halfway to a happier, simpler life. 

 - Go an entire day with little or no interaction on social media.

 - After detoxing, make a list of what you enjoy. Not what you think others around you enjoy. What you enjoy.

 - Identify the people in your life who live for the internet. Cut them out. They're not worth it. Time is precious and face-to-face (or even voice-to-voice) interaction is worth more than words. 

 -  Practice self-love. If you love yourself flaws and all, others should as well. If they don't, they should at least respect you. If they don't respect that, they're not worth your time.

 - Harness the power of the almighty unfriend button. Think to yourself, "would I sit down and have a cup of coffee with this person?" I've calculated a little set of criteria for whether I should push the button when the answer is "no." First of which is, "am I related to this person?" Hell hath no fury like that one aunt who didn't quite make the cut for friends list privilege. Chances are you're probably already learned this the hard way. Next, ask, "is this person helpful to my career, etc.?" I try to make contacts everywhere I go. You never know when you might need a favor, plus it's extra motivation to always see those people on your feed. Most of my friends list is now comprised of folks who are involved in the Philadelphia local news scene. It's incredibly helpful! Last, think of those people who are constantly getting angry and saying ridiculous things. Yes, it's funny but it's also infuriating. You should probably get rid of them. As soon as possible. 

What do you think? It's all about living simply, loving yourself, and adjusting to this scary new world. I want to hear your thoughts and how you "do you" in this ever-more-digital world. 

xo,

e.m.

*After typing this little bit, I had to read it back to myself. I didn't want the point to get lost amidst a gross hyperbole but I realized that is it, indeed, quite accurate. 

Hey Lolita, Hey

“It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight.” - Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

xo,

e.m.

romper/ U.O. (similar)