I’m vain. There, I said it. I blame it on Barbies and the media. Even before I started vlogging, I wanted to travel hard and still look glamorous. Ah the complexity of the modern woman.

I hesitate to write these “beauty” posts because, though I am vain, I am not pretentious. My style is my style. I dress for my body type and taste and I don’t assume it will ever apply to another woman. There is no one-size-fits all unless you are the biological twin of someone. Still, I do get asked about beauty and style stuff, so without further adieu, these are my secrets!

Get a Brazilian (no, not that kind!)

Now that I’m in my thirties, I have amassed a litany of beauty “issues” (and I thought my teens were bad!). The foremost being, as Mindy Kaling so eloquently wrote in her new book, “The hair on your head is basically trash.” I have thick, wavy/curly hair, but the most appropriate adjective is frizzy. My hair has been the subject of debate and gentle joshing among my friends for years. I’m not mixed (unless Sicilian/Hillbilly is an accepted designation), so I don’t have an afro, but this ain’t regular white people hair and it’s certainly not Asian stick straight like I’ve always fantasized it could be. Pomade jokes have been made; friends have vowed to see my “morning hair” if it’s the last thing they do; but here I am with difficult hair that’s even worse “travel hair.” Okay, it’s not all bad. I mean, I wash it like four times a year and it never turns into a terrarium. It’s thick so I never worry about volume. And, it… Well, I could only think of two positives. Sue me.

The humidity and wind on Guam have basically been a death sentence to any style I’ve tried. Much of Asia is basically the same. But guess what? The days of feeling like a troll are over — I just had my first Brazilian Blowout! In case, you’re confusing the blowout with the other Brazilian (as the Hubs did when he asked me if it hurt), it’s not a hair removal process for your lady bits, it’s a hair conditioning process for the stuff that sprouts off your noggin. If I spent more time learning science, I could explain it to you. I cannot. I’m basically an idiot when it comes to science. I can tell you that my I put the Brazilian Blowout to the most rigorous test I could — I went running with my hair down. You won’t believe it, but… zero frizz! I didn’t even have to straighten it after that. My style looked fresh the next morning (see below)!

I also got a cute new cut and color so I feel like a Russian goth geisha right now. I never want this feeling to end! (Go see Skye at Entre Nous Salon in Tumon if you’re on Guam!)

I should probably insert a bunch of pep talks about loving yourself as is, but I’ve read too many women’s magazines to accept my hair au naturel. I’ve tried everything to tame it over the years — from chemical relaxers to Halle Berry-ing the heck out of it. It’s not that I mind the thickness or the curl, I just can’t deal with the frizz.

The Brazilian Blowout promises zero to little frizz while not completely flattening hair like a chemical straightener does. That means I can leave my curling iron at home (I curl it to get rid of the frizz) and travel without the hassle of fixing it every time I want to take a freaking photo of myself! (For the record, I don’t enjoy taking selfies, but if it inspires you to travel, dear reader, I’ll do it.)

Eighties Madonna

Okay, here’s another hair secret and your best friend in the accessory department: a scarf. Keiko Lynn that junk and get out the door! No reason to fuss when you can wrap any hair type in a scarf and get on with your life, because, yes, there is more to life than your appearance. If you end up looking like Rosie the Riveter, you’ve done it right. If you’re my age, it’s perfectly okay to look like Desperately Seeking Susan as well.

Oh yes, scarves also keep you warm, shield dust (hello, China!), and can be worn inside mosques and temples if so needed! Browse scarves in my shop.

Lashing Out

My next beauty secret is lash extensions. My stylist, Skye at Entre Nous Salon, encouraged me to try them and once I did, I got hooked. I don’t wear them all the time, but I love that I can travel and not bring mascara.The lash extensions look way better than mascara and make my tired eyes look a lot brighter. The extensions are safely glued to my eyelashes and I can wash my face as usual. They stay on for 7-14 days and because they’re applied to individual lashes, I don’t look like a drag queen. The only thing I don’t like is when they grow out a bit and poke me in the eye, but it’s really not too bad. They can be removed with oil, but I usually let them fall off. You can get touch-ups to maintain the look. Watch the video below for proof. Maybe she’s born with it; maybe it’s totally fake!

What are your travel beauty secrets?