Not much!

Quite a bit, surprisingly… or not?!

PAUL MITCHELL TEA TREE OIL & LAVENDER SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER – $30

I went to go see an amazing hairstylist, and she told me that my dandruff was a result of my scalp drying out and my itchier scalp was the result of the oil and bacteria building up on my scalp.

Ick.

Anyway, she recommended this Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner (I’ve heard this recommendation a number of times already), and I hunted down where to buy them in a salon. You can also buy them on Amazon here.

In the past 3 weeks of using it, I am surprised.

My dandruff has pretty much disappeared and it smells great. I feel as though my scalp is still a bit itchy, but I have a feeling that’s more psychological than true.

THE GOAL: WASHING MY HAIR WEEKLY

A nice bonus of this shampoo and conditioner, is that I’m starting to go longer in between washing my hair.

My hairstylist says that you can train your scalp to use less shampoo and conditioner (she washes her hair weekly), and my attempt to wash my hair less was part of the reason WHY my head was itchier as well, but she said I was just going about it the wrong way.

Washing it daily, is something she and many hairstylists advocate against. It really destroys your hair.

HOW TO PROPERLY WASH YOUR HAIR & WASH IT LESS

The trick is to drag it out slowly by adding 6 hours in between washes every week, rather than trying to do it all at once.

You have to use a very small dollop of shampoo about a quarter-sized shape, rub it into your hands, and then when your hair is damp, pat it on top of your head, and underneath your hair at the base of your head.

Slowly rub and massage the shampoo onto your scalp itself, getting right to the roots until you are sure your scalp has been massaged with the shampoo, otherwise the grease will still stay in your hair.

She also said not to freak out about it not lathering a lot (it doesn’t mean it’s cleaning any better), which I already knew.

Then rinse, add a dime-shaped dollop of conditioner at the ends and lightly on the top, and away you go.

After 3 weeks, my hair now feels good enough to wash every 72 hours, and I’m aiming for once a week now, as long as I don’t feel like my hair is greasy or too icky to bear.

(I still shower every other day, but with my hair tied up).

I am not loving the ingredients, but she basically told me that my hair would not accept anything more simple or “natural” like castile soap from Dr. Bronners, because it is too drying for me, and it would make my dandruff return with a vengeance, and perhaps cause my hair to start snapping and falling out again.

*sigh* The price we pay for beauty. I’m consoling myself with the fact that I will be washing my hair less, and therefore using less product in the long run.

LULULEMON YOGA MAT STRAP – $16

I wanted something simple to carry my yoga mat. Nothing fancy, and no bags where I have to cram the mat in there. I also didn’t want to waste time looking for something.

I went to Lululemon and picked up the no brainer mat strap.

It kind of sucks that it’s velcro (seriously!?) and I’ve been frantically brushing my clothes away from it just in case it catches on the fabric and causes it to pill.

Otherwise, it’s a strap. What more can I ask of it?

WORKOUT OUTFIT – $80

I also realized that all my workout gear got tossed because it was just too big on me and I wasn’t about to get them tailored.

Enter: Nike.

Step: $80 spent on Dri-Fit capri pants and fitted Dri-Fit top.

Result: Savings of $66 because Lululemon (yoga-specific gear) would have cost me about $146.

Here’s the outfit, in case you’re interested:

I find it very comfortable, no weird strings, or strange poky bits like tags and seams where they shouldn’t be, and it’s all very covered and perfect for yoga.

MUSE BELTS (BOUGHT 4) – $176

I found THE MOST amazing design for a belt. No buckles!

They are not cheap, but they’re handmade in the USA by independent artisans (yes, I bought them on Etsy).

This is perfect for traveling (security scanners will not require you to remove the belt), and although I find the design slightly unwieldy in the sense that I have to hold a part of it closed while I tie the belt, it is a small price to pay for something so cool.

It won’t slide out of the loops either. Once it’s in, you can sit down, breathe, eat and move without having to worry about the belt loosening.

This WAS on my Wardrobe Wants list — a red belt. I wanted something interesting but not flashy or too trendy.

I also picked up the same belt in different widths in black, cognac and espresso. I’ll probably only use them around dresses and tops, but if they can fit around my waist for my pants as well, score!

I was tempted to pick up navy blue and plum too, but I thought that would have probably been too much.

A.L.C. TRAVIS STRIPE TOP — $88

It was on sale, but I was more interested in that I FOUND IT!

I had been searching for this exact style of striped top for about a year now, and it’s even in my Wardrobe Wants image.

Thick wide navy bands with thin white stripes. I found the perfect top — ALC Travis White Stripe — but it was sold out everywhere, until on a whim I found it online again.

I snapped it up immediately.

The cotton is thin, beautiful, not at all sheer and lightweight. This is definitely a delicate wash top.

RED AND WHITE POPPIES SOSETSU SILK SCARF – $55

I am a sucker for beautiful art, especially Japanese prints.

I purchased this Japanese Poppies silk scarf from The Met for $55, which is a print of one of my favourite pieces in the museum.

Red and White Poppies, a hanging scroll painting by Kitagawa Sōsetsu

 I just hang it up to look at how pretty it is. What’s nice is I can also wear it.

My wardrobe wants list looks like this now:

I should probably revise it, but I am still only looking for that white blazer, a simple black long-sleeved top and those mid-calf boots.

Other stuff I bought:

• Tailored 3 pants and 2 skirts — $145 (ouch)
• Adobe Acrobat Pro Software for $500
• Steak knives for $230 (exciting, I know..)
• Increased my cellphone plan to 4GB so that I could FINALLY use my iPhone as a wireless internet tether instead of sneaking into Starbucks to steal WIFI – $20 a month or $120/year
• Cheese — Does this count?