Haircare is definitely not one of my top priorities. My hair is not amazing, but honestly, I am just too lazy to do much of anything with it. The usual haircare routine is literally just shampoo, wrap in towel, let it soak up some water, and then leave my hair down to air dry. I only comb through my hair when I feel it is very knotted (usually after I wake up).
Air drying hair takes forever. But a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do for healthier hair! (Especially after years of Japanese perming that I did in my middle school & early high school years.) For reference, I have mid to long length and relatively straight, yet sometimes poofy, hair. If I am just at home it can take a good 5+ hours for my hair to completely dry. When I go outside with wet hair, of course, it dries much quicker because of the wind.
Goody Quikstyle is a paddle brush with anti-bacterial microfiber bristles in between the standard knobbed plastic bristles. The product is supposed to help speed up the drying of hair and detangling of knots.
I was not expecting anything from this brush but it never hurts to try something out right? I used the Good Quikstyle exclusively after I washed my hair.
It did help take out tangles a lot easier and quicker than when I was using a comb. However, I really do think that any type of hairbrush in general would probably detangle well. (I haven't used a brush in years so there may be some terrible brushes out there.)
As with the quicker drying time? Ehh...I personally did not experience my hair drying any faster than it normally does. The microfiber bristles did absorb some water though because when I laid it on a paper towel it did leave a wet spot on the paper towel. It's just that compared to the amount of water my hair holds, even after having wrapped my head in a towel for half an hour or more, the Quikstyle's absorption just cannot compare.
This is definitely something I would never have even considered getting because I really didn't have a need for a new comb or brush. After having the opportunity to try this out, it is still a product I probably would not repurchase if for whatever reason the one I have is broken or lost. I will continue to use it interchangeably with my comb but I don't think this product is anything to rave about.
What are your haircare routines like? Did anyone else try this brush out? How did you like/not like it?
Disclaimer: I received this product through the Influenster VoxBox program to try. I do not receive any extra compensation for posting about this product (other than getting to keep the product). I am not obligated at all to write positive reviews either.
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I know no one really wants to see cake photos, let alone a cake and frosting recipe, at the start of the new year but just wait before you click out of this page! Maybe it'll come in handy when you're craving something sweet.
There are just three words I have to say about Pinterest: I LOVE IT! There are only so many blogs and recipes I can find by myself. But now there is a place where everyone shares their finds and makes searching for things myself so much easier. See something you like, pin it for yourself, and go back to it when you're up for a challenge! Now I literally have a gazillion recipes, tutorials, outfits, and other inspirations I'd love to try. Since jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon, the next two are the first recipes I have tried and had successful results with.
I've never tried to make frosting from scratch before. But the photo on Pinterest made it look very fluffy and delectable. The plus of homemade frosting is being able to control the sweetness. Here's a link to the actual recipe if anyone wants to explore the website some more: CLICK HERE.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
- 2 sticks of room temperature (soft) unsalted butter
- 2 cups of powdered or confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
Blend the butter and sugar until combined.
Add the Nutella in and blend.
Add the salt and vanilla extract and blend.
Add heavy whipping cream and blend.
I followed the recipe for the most part because this was my first time making frosting. I'm not sure what the difference is in adding the ingredients separately makes but I did it that way anyways just to play it safe. However for the next time, I will probably experiment with the powdered sugar levels. The only thing I did differently this time around was add a smidgen more heavy whipping cream because I thought the frosting consistency I had was just a bit too thick. In the end I had more than enough to give my cake a light layer of icing, add flowery/spiky decorations, and still had frosting to spare. I don't have any special gadgets for icing or decorating. I just use a good o' butter knife, a plastic flower icing tip, and a Ziploc bag.
The actual cake recipe I followed was pretty simple. I was contemplating whether or not to make it from scratch but remembered I pinned something rather interesting a while back. The photo description had something along the lines of "box of cake mix & Greek yogurt". Need I say more? I knew I had to try it! The recipe comes from the website Hungry Girl. I'm not too familiar with her but I've heard the Hungry Girl name here and there. I think she gives tips on healthier eating options? (Don't quote me on that.) She recommended to use a Devil's Food Cake mix but my family isn't too big on chocolate or dark looking desserts so I opted for a yellow cake mix instead. The directions are pretty simple. Just ignore the ingredients the box says you'll need.
Yellow Cake Recipe
- 1 box of cake mix (your choice on what flavor)
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt (unflavored)
Mix the cake mix, yogurt, and water together until all of it is combined.
Bake according to the box instructions or until a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean.
The end result was very delicious. I used Fage Total 0% for the recipe and that's the type Hungry Girl recommended as well. I'm actually not a big fan of yogurt. Surprising surprising. Please don't judge! I just haven't gotten past the tangy flavor of it . But this cake didn't taste anything like yogurt at all. Instead, the cake itself was just very moist. I don't think I'm ever going back to using oil, eggs, and water for box cake mixes...ever!
These make pretty good and sort of healthy snacks don't you think? Of course definitely not the icing part. But if you just make little cupcakes sans the frosting, it makes for an awesome treat. If anyone plans to make this cake and icing and end up putting any leftovers into the fridge, I'd recommend microwaving your slice of cake or cupcake for a bit to soften the frosting and cake. The frosting gets much sweeter when it is cold and hardened. Plus cake just tastes much better when it's soft! Hope I didn't destroy anyone's keep fit/lose weight/eat healthy New Year's resolutions already. But I personally think this is a great alternative for those sweet-tooth cravings. Would anyone be interested in seeing how other Pinterest experimentations turn out?
