Perfume, Is It Never Too Much?

Hey Dolls,

Have you ever walked pass someone and they had on some enchanting perfume? As women we love to smell great, no we love to smell fantastic. Many times we bathe ourselves in fragrances to invigorate our senses and our male counterparts. Our smells are what are so attractive about us. On the other hand have you ever walked pass a woman and her perfume was overwhelming? Then there are some of us that spray on our perfume all day long, sort of like a re-up. Some of us spray on so much perfume, that after we wash our clothes they still smell like that perfume. Guilty? Well you don't have to be. So what do we do to satisfy our love to smell great and not irritate others? Well it is simple, we apply perfume to smell good and it also makes us feel good to smell clean, fresh, and pleasant. A great way not to use so much perfume is to use the layering technique. First wash your upper torso with a fragrant body wash of your choice, I say wash your upper torso only because if you use it on your lower torso you may irritate some important areas. Next use a similar fragrant body lotion, this will enhance the fragrant smell and give you another layer to help your perfume last. Perfume also last longer on oily skin. Finally spray your perfume, you must apply your perfume on the right place to have the best effect. Spray your perfume on pulse points, like the folds of your elbows, the backside of your neck, your cleavage and wrists. Do not rub the perfume on any of your body parts with your hands, this will crush the scent and wipe out the effect. 

Here are some great fragrances to try if you have not already:
Dolce & Gabbana (Light Blue)
Marc Jacobs (Daisy)
YvesSaintLaurent (YSL Parisienne)
M.A.C. (Turquatic)
Hello Kitty
Flower Bomb (Viktor&Rolf)
Marc Jacobs (Honey)

Perfumes can change your moods and moments, so smelling good is always the option, just don't over do it. Here are some great perfumes that are worth buying. If you are not sure if you would like to purchase an entire bottle, you may purchase some perfumes in roller balls, they cost approximately $19.00 & up, you can find them at Sephora and Ulta they are 0.33 ounces.


Stay Fabulous,

Nikki

Hey Dolls! 

With weave and hair extensions being the "it" thing nowadays, so many of us forget to take care of our REAL HAIR.  While it may not be convenient and can be time consuming, growing long and strong hair is achievable. Below are a few tips to help you grow stronger and longer NATURAL HAIR!

• LET YOUR HAIR BREATHE!  A seed cannot grow into a flower if there is always something on top of it blocking it from the sun.  The same goes for your hair.  If you always have weave or braids in your hair, you are not allowing your scalp or your hair to breathe or soak in some Vitamin D from the sun.
• EAT RIGHT AND EXERCISE:  You get out of the body, what you put into it.  If you starve the body of proper nutrients and vitamins, it cannot function properly.  Hair and nail growth is included in that.
• MASSAGE YOUR SCALP (OR HAVE YOUR BOYFRIEND DO IT): Just like exercise increases blood flow throughout the body, scalp massages do the same thing for your hair follicles.  Massages help to increase blood circulation to your brain and your scalp which promotes healthy hair growth.

So do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a nice scalp massage after a 30 minute workout... hey not only will you have great hair, but a great body too! 

Till Next Time Dolls

XOXO,

Paper Doll 

• Brush before bed and before washing to ensure there are no natural occurring tangles caused by wind or friction
• Do not brush wet hair as that is when hair follicles are at their most vulnerable.  
• Use an Organic and sulfate free shampoo. Sulfate strips hair of natural oils, as there is no direct supply of nutrients from your scalp into the extension strands, its vital that you use a no sulfate shampoo to avoid drying the hair out. 
• To avoid damaging the extensions, the cuticles and your scalp, only wash with warm water.  
• Wash the hair gently in a downward motion with your palms, do not scrub or bunch the hair together as this will cause open cuticles to rub against each other causing friction. 
• Rinse between each wash, and wash only 1-2 times.
• Whilst wet, add 2-3 drops of natural oil such as Almond or Coconut by gently applying it evenly over the hair, these oils will penetrate the cuticles and add moisture to hair extensions.
• Natural oils do the work of most conditioners without the added chemicals and silicons, natural is always best.
• Finally, lower the shower head and rinse your hair (not scalp) with cold water, this is known as an 'Arctic Rinse'  it will close the cuticles to lock the moisture and nutrients in, leaving you with nutrient rich extensions. 

• Let your hair air-dry at home, take 2-3 hours to wash and naturally dry your hair - Do not use heat as this will swell and dry your strands. 

• Apply a small amount of Almond or Coconut oil 2-3 times a week or when required. Argon oil is a great finishing oil for styling and frizz for nights out, however its a dry oil and does not moisturize the hair as well as Almond or Coconut.

• For long lasting hair extensions, moisturize your hair (with a natural moisture rich oil) as you do your skin, it makes perfect sense. 

Hey Dolls,

I've noticed that most of us feel a certain way about braids. I've overheard and I'm actually guilty of it myself, that braids are made for comfort, not sexiness! Braids are comfortable. When we are planning to go to a warm vacation spot the number one thing we think about is "What am I going to do with my hair?" The first light-bulb that goes off in your mind is braids. Why? Because we know that we won't have to deal with our natural hair or have to worry about styling and etc. The braids serve as a "coolant" to the scalp. We know that our natural hair won't get damaged due to excessive heat. The braids serve as a protection style for the hair.

While braids serve many purposes for us, they can also be worn many different ways! It's all about "creativity" and setting statements with your style! Here are a couple of styles suggestions to help get you started.

Box braids or individuals use a large hair tie to put the braids in a ponytail. Then take the loose braids and rap them around taking them in circular motion to create a beautiful big Nubian bun. With a little make-up,  accessories, and edge control for those "baby hairs" you'll be styling and profiling in no time.




 For zillions, since much hair is left unbraided, use a hair tie to put your braids in a ponytail. Split the braids into two sections. Take one section bend it back towards the right side and one section towards the left. Yale a small section from one of those sides and pull it back towards the middle to create an elegant fashionable bow bun. With some dangling ear rings and a little make-up you'll be good to go!

There are three different techniques to braiding. The original technique is known as the "three- strand braid in which you split a section of your hair into three parts and intertwine the sections of hair together to make what is known today as braiding. The second kind is "fish braiding" in which you take four sections of hair and intertwine them together to create a much larger creative braid. Lastly we have the "under braid" in which you take a section of the hair split it into three parts and intertwine them under each other which creates for you a strong rooted braid! Although many styles have been created today, all of them have originated from these three techniques. Think about it... Goddess braids, box braids, zillions, plaits (another word for braiding) all are or can be made up of three or more strands of hair being woven together.

Hello Dolls!!

I have received tons of questions on feminine hygiene problems and I thought I would share a few tips I have learned over the years. As we go into the spring and summer months, a women's hygiene only becomes more important and equally becomes harder to maintain freshness.  So here are a few easy suggestions to help any woman combat vaginal infections and odors.

 Hello Dolls!

I wanted to discuss a very important issue in regards to hair extensions and their quality, as well as, pricing. Nowadays, everyone and I mean EVERYONE is selling what the industry has coined as "virgin" or raw/unprocessed hair extensions and quite frankly the quality is not that great.  Hair often sheds or bunches/ tangles in the back and does not last as long as it should.    I began to wonder how could I really find some quality hair that will not break the bank, so I began doing research into the different types of weave available on the market and came across an alarming discovery.... Around 80% of all weave/hair extensions on the market is from INDIA. 

Hello Dolls!