Natural hair colour lightners.

Hey Dolls,

Since I was a child I have been obsessed with haircare, I always boasted about my long perfectly straight hair but secretly always despised my pitch black hair colour, especially because my sister had brown hair. But I still never had the courage to just colour them and face any sort of damage. Therefore even now when I'm 21 years old, I still have untouched hair, but sometimes I use these tricks to make my hair colour almost brown. These tricks work for virgin as well as treated hair, also on any hair colour & type, so do let me know how these worked for you.

Lemon Juice

I heard about this tip first in the conversation between Skylar White & Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad. Being the curious kid that I am, I read up on this on Livestrong & found out that this natural beauty remedy has been around for forever, which is a testament to the fact that it actually works! According to Livestrong, when the citric acid in lemon juice heats up in the sun, it opens hair cuticles and lifts out the pigment. Just squeeze some lemon juice into a spray bottle, dilute with water (3 times the amount of  lemon juice), and then spritz into your hair before you head outside. (P.S. If you’ve ever used lemon juice to keep a cut apple from browning, you’ve already witnessed its amazing bleaching properties!)

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is another natural hair lightener, said to be more gradual than lemon juice and therefore better for brunettes. It can be applied directly or added to shampoo or conditioners. Click here for more information.

Rhubarb

Instead of bleaching, rhubarb and rhubarb root bring a yellow that gives medium-light brown or dark blonde hair a lighter hue. Some recipes use just the rhubarb stalk (boil in water, then use the liquid to rinse through hair), others combine it with the powdered rhubarb root or even chamomile, and some use wine to steep the rhubarb. Click here for recipe

Honey

I’ve never tried this one myself, but if anything I’m sure that honey would be deeply conditioning. As Livestrong explains, honey contains the enzyme peroxide, which is an effective lightener when mixed with distilled water to activate it. Plus, your hair will smell yummy and feel soft post-honey treatment. please also view this article for more information.

Beer

Yes, beer. Beer is another method that I’ve tried & I can swear by its lightening properties (Refinery29). Use a light beer of course, and just keep in mind that you might not want to try this method right before you go to a family get-togethers. Bonus: The B vitamins and proteins in beer will repair damaged stands too.


None of these methods are a true replacement for salon highlights of course. But if you’re just looking to add a little extra brightness to your mane, these all-natural methods are pretty impressive considering the ease, availability, and low cost. Also, keep in mind that you may not see dramatic results immediately. I recommend repeating these DIY beauty treatments frequently to gradually lighten your locks over time.

Hope you use these tricks & do let me know if you have ever tried any of these or any other DIY hair highlighters? 

XOXO,
Anshika Agarwal

Valentines Day Gifts For Him

* This video is not sponsored

Being forever alone has saved me for a long time but when the other day my friend asked me to help her out with V day gifts for her boyfriend, I literally couldn't come up with anything. Being a girly girl all my life kept me away from having knowledge about the football teams and all other stuff guys do or like. I'm sure we all drool over Chuck Bass & Harvey Specter in their suits but I don't even know about the outfit in the Men's section.

So to save all my dear viewers and subscribers from all the trouble I made a list of some general gift ideas to make him adore you even more.

• Beer Dispenser: This little baby comes in all different varieties from all plastic to fancy kegerator and in different sizes, hence a suitable gift for any budget, Replace this with a Whisky dispenser if required. I'm sure your boyfriend/ fiance/ husband will love you even more after he's done showing it off in the next house party. Shop.

• Scrap book - You'll be amazed how many guys find love letters and scrap booking really cute, even if they are all tough at the outside. You can also write him a poetry or a song, add humour to it. Attach a bill or a photograph from a memorable day to increase the value of it. A perfect example is this journal I found on pinterest.

• Varsity Jacket- Don't we all just love the cosy and warm feeling we get when wearing our boyfriend's jacket? Why don't gift one to him this Valentines. They are available across the stores and are not very expensive (depending on brand). Whether he is more of a shirt or a T-shirt person you just can't go wrong with this one!

         I found this on 64% sale here

• Cap - I haven't met a guy who doesn't like caps, no matter how many of them he already has, he will never mind owning another one.. I think the same rules of never having enough lipsticks for us applies to this one! I personally love the New York Yankees caps. Buy this one here

• Board game- Don't remember the last time you played board games? This Valentines is the perfect opportunity. It guarantees you a good time especially if your boyfriend is not all that cheesy. When you are shopping for romantic board games, you will encounter many different options. Some games foster a stronger emotional connection, while others are geared toward enhancing physical intimacy. Obviously the one who loses buys dinner!

• Lighter - For all the smoker boyfriends/ husbands and non smokers who like collecting lighters just go online and search for nice one, it doesn't involve a lot of confusion and is an easy option. A customized lighter from his favourite sports player or artist will make his day! Zippo has a large variety and they customize it for you too!

• Cook for him - They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I don't think that only applies to men, food makes everyone happy! This is a super adorable gift especially if you've never cooked for him before. If you're not a cook, a simple meal is enough as I'm sure he'll appreciate your efforts but if you are good in cooking try walking an extra mile and make his favourite cuisine or anything that he enjoys, put a little efforts in presentation as its important part of cooking especially if this is your only gift! This is a good option for a last minute gift.

• Laptop/Phone/Ipad accessories - The safest way to make sure your money and efforts are not go waste. There are many varieties to choose from! Briefly a good gift if you want to keep things not too cheesy or low key. Just came across these minuskull speaker, aren't they adorable? 

• Lip balm and Sunscreen - A guy will never really take care of these little things by himself so take charge, its important for him too, buy him a lip balm, sunscreen and a moisturizer (add a handcream if you think he'll agree to use). Make sure of the brand you're buying him, avoid unisex products that might make him embarrassed to use it, there are many brands selling men product, go choose from there.

• Gym Gear- Which guy has ever said a no to a gym accessory?
  Whether he is a runner, basketball player, muscle freak at the gym or a tennis player. This can be a highly useful item in his closet. It may also act as a new motivation to hit the floors too.
  If loose on pockets, club it with a matching towel and water container to increase the value of the gift aesthetically

Hope you like it, do leave a comment and tell me about your favourites, you can also send me requests for my next post!

XOXO,

Anshika Agarwal.