Archives for March 2015

13 Mar 2015

Health and Wellness: Why I Am No Longer Taking Biotin…

I wasn’t seeing any improvement with my hair, skin, and nails and it was making me gain weight.

I was a faithful biotin user over the years. I would take the maximum potency pills everyday for about two or three months then I would stop. Then my hair, skin, and nails would start acting crazy and I would go back to my biotin.

Now let me tell you, those pills are expensive. If they were ever on sale at a drugstore I would buy two, or buy them in bulk at BJs to get somewhat of a deal. So in addition to my multivitamin, I was taking biotin, and hair, skin, and nail vitamins, which is just biotin and other a few other vitamins.

I wanted to achieve the hair results that were promised by Hairfinity and Manetabolism. Again, this goes back to my issues with my hair. So I just randomly stopped taking the biotin and hair, skin, and nail vitamins in early February. This was unintentional at first. I just stopped. I still have a bottle of vitamins in my desk drawer at work. I think my subconscious self realized they weren’t working.

I was taking the pills faithfully, but I have not seen improvement in my hair, skin, or nails. I’m thinking that maybe in the past I was being a little delusional because everyone else said it worked. Maybe it did work, but it definitely stopped. It just made me hungry. This year I realized that when I would take my biotin my appetite was crazy! I was just eating constantly. Since I stopped last month I have noticed that my appetite has changed. I cannot attribute all of my weight gain to these little pills, but they definitely played a part. I have heard of biotin making your hair thin and causing acne, but I started doing research about weight gain and although there is no research that supports it, many of the reviews by people who have taken the vitamins have said it made them gain weight. This may not be everyone’s experience, but it has been mine.

So now that I am free from taking the biotin pills, I have to make sure that I eat a healthy diet instead of taking supplements. I’ll get my vitamins the old fashion way, fruits and veggies.

Have any of you ever had issues with biotin? How did you deal with them?

Categories: Beauty Bubble, Health and Wellness Tags: biotin, vitamins, weight gain

11 Mar 2015

Hair Chronicles: No More Drama!

By Jai 4 Comments

*Disclaimer* I wrote the following post on January 15, 2015. There is a March 2015 update.

As of January 2, 2015 I unfollowed 97% of the hair pages that I was following on Instagram. I was trying to “Keep up with the Jones’” and try styles and products that really did not suit my hair type or preferable style but I had just had to follow them because they were “popular.” I’m officially done. On December 30, 2014 I was so hyped to get crochet braids because they were the new “It” hairstyle. I did some research, bought some hair, and went to the salon Tuesday at 9am. I showed them the hair and they said it wasn’t suitable for the style I wanted. I went back to a beauty supply store and bought the proper hair and spent 4 hours getting my hair done. Although I have a small head, I have a lot of hair. The process wasn’t as painful as box braids or senagelese twists. Everyone that came into the salon kept complimenting the hair and how the style was coming out so I was excited to see it.

So around 1:30 I was done. I looked in the mirror and I was not happy. I managed to smile, paid the money and kept it moving. I was miserable. It was way too much hair and did not look like the styles that I see on the gram. I met up with my mom and sis and did not want to take my hat off. Once I did there was a lonnnnngggg pause…then my sister said “It’s not that bad.” I said, “But it is bad though?” It was a mess. I tried to restyle it, but on headbands and I just wasn’t happy. Usually when I like a hairstyle I like it and you know it. I was not feeling confident at all. My boyfriend wasn’t a fan, my line sister said “Fix it Jesus” lol. I wasn’t upset with them because I hated it too.

Yeah…my hair did not look like this…

I went to a game night on Friday January 2, 2015 and some people didn’t even recognize me. So Saturday January 3, 2015 around 12pm I cut the bulk of the hair and took out the crochet twists. I needed help because of the “closure” the stylists did at the top. It was a mess.

I went to my salon got a wash and set and now I am back to square one.

My hair is the thinnest that it has ever been. It’s not crazy thin, but I’m used to having thicker hair. The front stops around my cheeks and the back grazes the shoulders. The front of my hair is so thin and short because my ends were badly damaged and fuzzy, so they had to go. Remember a few years ago I didn’t relax my hair for about 6 months and then started to texlax for a few months, then I went back to my regular relaxers. I had 52 different textures, mainly in the front. My hair dresser did perm my ends, but did not want to over process them, so she would trim my ends often. That’s why I have two different lengths. I am going to go back to what I was doing before I was encapsulated by all of this blogging stuff: protective styles, co-washes, marley buns, texlaxing, relaxer stretches, etc. That stuff works for some people, but not for me. I’m going back to my old regimen. Wash and sets and deep conditions every week and a half or two weeks, relaxers every 8-10 weeks, trims, moisturize and seal when necessary. All of that in addition to having healthier diet and taking my vitamins.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. So I’m going back to my old ways.

*UPDATE March 11, 2015*

I. AM. LOVING. MY. HAIR. Based on how my year started off, I did not expect to be saying that so soon. I stopped doing what I saw and did what was best for me. Being a blogger I would often get invites to various events and get tons of products that really weren’t for me. I would see results on other bloggers, but they were natural and it worked for them. Instead of trying to keep up with that lifestyle I went back to what I knew worked; my Dominican wash and sets and deep conditions. Spare me with the heat damage and all of that other stuff. My hair is the healthiest that it is has been in years. I am retaining length and my hair is much fuller. Most importantly, I’m happy with the results and progress.

What are your hair goals and regimens?

Categories: Beauty Bubble, Hair Chronicles Tags: hair goals, hair progress, healthy hair, Relaxed Hair

09 Mar 2015

Style Files: What to Wear in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

By Jai 4 Comments

Next month I will be on a plane headed to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I must say I’m super excited. I haven’t really traveled and forever, so I am definitely looking forward to this trip. Our hotels are booked and the itinerary is almost finalized.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are known for their richness in Arabic and Islamic culture, so there are customs that they follow and as a sign of respect, visitors should follow as well.

Knowing a little something about culture it is important to dress and act accordingly. I’m sorry, but I’m not about that jail life and if you do not research and understand where you are going, you are risking your freedom in a foreign place. Yes it can be that serious. With that being said, I’ve come up with a list of things you should pack when visiting places in the UAE.

The key here is modesty, so leave the booty shorts home. Most places that you may visit require your legs and shoulders to be covered up. If you visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, men must wear long pants and women must have their head, legs, and shoulders covered. This is a non-negotiable.

I know some may ask, “How do you dress modestly when it is extremely hot?!?” Although this place requires women to be modest in public places that represent the culture, you don’t have to forsake your style in the heat.

Here are some key items to pack if you are traveling to these places to show your style and remain cool

What to Wear in Abu Dhabi and Dubai by janiquehgb featuring a red maxi dress

Now the nightlife in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will give way to more leniency when it comes to clothing. Most of the places have been “westernized,” so finding a cute party dress shouldn’t be that difficult.

I plan on packing all of the above. We plan on doing a lot of sight seeing, eating (yummm), and safaris, so I need to be comfortable. I will probably pack more printed pants than anything. I lived in light weight printed pants over the last few summers. They were low maintenance, but very stylish. So pack according to the activities you will be doing as well.

Special shoutout to my friend Kim. When I was in a blogging rut, she gave me an idea to do this post. That was back in December/January lol. Better late than never.

Have any of you traveled to a place with specific cultural norms when it came to clothing? What did you wear?

Categories: Fashion, Style Files Tags: Culture, modest clothing, Travel, What to wear, what to wear in the UAE

04 Mar 2015

Make It Happen! Weekly Health Goals

By Jai Leave a Comment

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment- Jim Rohn

In December I set my goals for 2015, and I have to admit, it has been a rocky start. It is the first week of March and I am not where I thought I should be at this point in the year. I can’t cry over spilled milk. I just have to keep it moving. On Instagram I constantly see people meeting their goals and seeing results. I am super happy and proud of them all, especially the people that I actually know like my bestie Erica who is a meal prep goddess! I see everyone making progress and I’m just scrolling and double tapping on IG, which is not helping me meet my goals at all.

On one of those posts from the IG_Weightl0ss page was of a woman who was my height and roughly 7-10 lbs pounds heavier than me said something that clicked with me…

“It wasn’t until my 5’4” frame hit 160 lbs that it really clicked- our bodies are a direct reflection of our lifestyle. So I changed mine- I started exercising, eating clean, and laying off the cocktails. I started goal setting, 5 lb milestones at a time…The process has taught me the ability of the body to transform when you train and feed it with the right foods. Patience and perseverance are key in any transformation.” Source

OUR BODIES ARE A DIRECT REFLECTION OF OUR LIFESTYLE!

Boy did that resonate with me. In order for me to see change, I have to truly change my lifestyle.

She started small with goal setting. Usually when I get on this fitness and healthy lifestyle track I try to go all in at once. That was my first mistake. Humans are creatures of habits and it takes a lot to break those bad habits. We have to make a conscious decision to break those habits by setting Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely goals. Yes SMART Goals. I need to set goals that I know will require discipline, but I will have a greater chance of success.

So my first set of goals is to increase my water intake (At least 6 glasses daily-It is a struggle for 4) and minimize the amount of times I eat out per week. Last week I ate out at least 4 times, and I want to bring that number down 1. Sometimes I get lazy and don’t want to cook, or I don’t want to eat what I did cook. I need to get over that. Also, I just need to increase drink more period. It’s not like I’m drinking juice or soda, I’m just not drinking anything at all, and that is a problem.

Next week I’ll report back on my progress. Do you set fitness and health goals?

How do you stay on track?

Categories: Beauty Bubble, Health and Wellness, The GOOD Life Tags: fitness, health goals, healthy lifestyle, lifestyle change, Motivation

02 Mar 2015

Fab Under $50: Transform Your Look with these Accessories

By Jai 2 Comments

Since I moved into my new apartment last August, my accessories game has taken a turn for the worst. With the exception of a few pieces that my mom bought me for my birthday, I have not updated my accessories in forever. I have lost tons of earrings and only wear a few pairs now, because that’s all that I have left.

I had an accessory cork board before, but the way my new bedroom is setup, there isn’t enough wall space for it, and it would look awkward in any other place other than my bedroom. So I barely wear the necklaces that I do have, and when it is time to “dig in the boxes” I just get lazy and do not feel like searching. I’m not going to even talk about bracelets and rings. SMH.

I’m just not inspired by what I currently have anymore, so I’m on the search of new pieces to update my look. Accessories can make or break an outfit so I like to have multiple options. I want to do a wardrobe update for the spring (whenever it decides to show up) and new accessories are a top priority.

Here are a few pieces that I am currently scouting all under $50: