Henna Ahoi!

Due to my being utterly bored by my brown, short, fine curly hair and really missing some red on my head, I decided to go back to it and bring some colour into my life. As mentioned, my hair is really thin and fine, which does not go very well with chemical hair colour packs. I have done this for about a year and it left my hair dry and damaged. Therefore I decided to research other means to get the job done and came across Lush's Henna range. They have four different ones, and I went for the Caca Rouge, which is supposed to be the reddest of reds. They also have the Caca Marron, which  is supposed to give your hair more of an auburn colour. However, not to forget, we all have different hair types, so we all get different results.

Before I set my mind to it, I decided to have look at how it turned out for others. So, as I sat there, lurking on Instagram and scavenging blogs, I decided that I absolutely HAVE to try this. Fellow bloggers and instagrammers reported how great their hair felt an how shiny it was afterwards, and how there was no burning (like you experience with the chemical colours). But they also said how it is super super messy and amost impossible to do on your own. And since I really did not want to burden anyone with beautifying my hair, and because I have always dyed my hair by myself, I took on the challenge. This was my last resort to have some variety with my locks, no matter how messy it is, I was determined. 

So off I went, purchased a block of Lush's Caca Rouge Henna and traversed back hometo do the deed. Colouring your hair with Henna takes some preparation. Everything you need to know is already listed on countless other websites and blogs, so I will keep it simple. I did the whole routine, cut up the Henna, put it in a bowl and covered it with boiled water. This bowl is put in a separate pott with some more boiling water, like when you melt chocolate. Since I have quite short and fine hair, I used half a block (three cubes) and the amount was perfect for me, nothing was left over. The rule is to make more, just in case you run out mid-application. 

Because I did it by myelf, I prepped accordingly: I vaselined my hairline on forehead, ears and neck, so you won't look like you had a mud facial afterwards. I set up a really old, half-broken chair outside in the garden, because I did not have any newspapers around to cover the bathroom floor with. This is definitely necessary if you decide to do this inside and if you like your tiles. Cover anything you hold dear in old sheets or newspapers, because it will get dripped on, especially if you go about this by yourself. Even if you do it outside in the garden like me, if you or your parents like the paving, cover it. I put a little mirror on a ledge in front of the chair, put on some old clothes and draped my shoulders with an old towel. I put a roll of cling film next to the chair, as you will need this to cover your head afterwards. 

I took the pot with the bowl in it outisde, and a water boiler with boiled water in it to pour into the mixture if it gets too cold. Basically you need to try and apply it as hot as possible (without burning your scalp of course). This hurt a little at the beginning, but if you scoop up smaller portions, it should be fine. I started in the neck ( and burned myself a little) and worked my way up to my forehead. Luckliy I don't have a lot of hair so it didn't take too long. I waited three hours.

Maybe I should have waited longer, as - disappointingly - nothing much had happened on my head. It was ever so slightly brighter, but only if you really wanted to see it. Because I don't take defeat easily, I repeated the whole procedure again two days afterwards. This time it was perceptively lighter, however, not really enough to see a big difference.

I will not give up completely on Henna though, as I am determined to try the effects of a different colour (caca marron). Also, one big plus is that my hair felt amazingly soft and nourished, as so many other users can confirm. 

International Women's Day 2016

Let's take the opportunity today and celebrate the hard-working, inspiring, strong and beautiful ladies in our lives, all over the world.

Since I was raised in a Russian-German household, International Women's Day had a strong significance. I first became aware of this when I got my first bouquet of flowers from my dad on 8 March when I was 13 years old. As I grew older and reflected more on this topic, I learned to appreciate the fact that this day was special in my family, as this wasn't the case in my friends'. 

We shouldn't take for granted what women are capable of doing these days and how far we've come. Generations before us have worked hard for the rights we have today and paved the way for strong female voices like Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton, who are the top entries of Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. Let's hope we're lucky and will be able to witness the first female American president soon! 

But not only politics brings forth powerful women, but also science and economics. Leading Forbes' America's Richest Self-Made Women list, Elizabeth Holmes is the world's youngest self-made billionaire. At the age of 19 Elizabeth Holmes founded her company Theranos, after developing a cheaper method for blood diagnostic tests which also only needs a few drops of blood from a finger prick. 

My personal heroine is much less rich and powerful, but to me she is an inspiration and an important woman in today's media: Lena Dunham. She is my heroine because she doesn't mince matters and speaks her mind. Watching GIRLS, I felt affirmed and comforted  to see the real struggle of things women have to deal with in their lives. Was I a bit grossed out about the sofa sex-scene in season 1 where Adam casually tries anal sex on Hannah without a warning? Hell yes. But it also felt absolutely great, like having one of those reassuring conversations about weird sex or periods with someone for the first time, where you feel like you found an ally and you're not alone in the world. [Journalist Emily Nussbaum said it quite beautifully in a NY Magazine article about GIRLS: It's about four friends "adrift in a modern New York of unpaid internships and bad sex on dirty sofas."] I love Lena Dunham for being my ally in all the awkward situations I find myself in. I love her for being an inspiring artist, even though not everyone agrees with her work. I love her for working towards a more equal world. 

On this note, celebrate your personal heroines and don't forget yourself.