Wednesday, July 7, 2010

L'Oreal Eyelash Boosting Serum



While at the Walgreens a few weeks ago, I came across this Lash Boosting Serum. Although I do use Latisse regularly, I have found that my eyelashes fall out quickly and break off.

I thought, what the hell. I'll give it a shot. It was only $14.99, anyway, so at least it's not a huge loss if it doesn't work!

Basically, you just put the stuff on like you would mascara, and the drag the applicator across your upper lashline. You are supposed to use it before bed and under mascara. I tried only this for about three days before I went to get my new bottle of Latisse.

To my amazement, this stuff actually worked pretty well! I noticed a difference in my eyelashes almost immediately. They were longer, and stronger within three days. It also made my mascara go on much more smoothly.

I started back up with the Latisse and I've noticed a HUGE difference in the way it works. My eyelashes seem more moisturized, and have stopped falling out when I take my makeup off. They don't seem to fall out at all, really. They are more even than when I was only using the Latisse, and they are growing longer as well.

This serum is a great supplement to the Latisse, or even just a great product by itself. I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking to improve their lashes.

Sunlabs Tanning Lotion



I have been using Sunlabs for a few years, on and off. I love this lotion, because it gives you a great, long lasting color.

It is pretty expensive, though, as far as tanning lotions go. It is NOT a gradual tanner, it is a self tanner that is meant to be applied and left on for at least 3-4 hours to develop, and then washed off. It will make you look like you smeared mud all over your body, which means that you can't wear it and go to the store or anything.

This tanner smells really strange, so it's a good thing it isn't supposed to stay on.

It is great if you are going on a vacation or something, though, because it doesn't wash out every time you bathe or swim, like a spray tan. It just kind of wears off on it's own time. It doesn't ever really become blotchy, either, and I love that.

It's a great self tanner if you are patient enough to sit around being smelly for a few hours. (Hence, my on and off again relationship with it.)

It can be purchased at Ulta, or online. I usually get mine through Shimmer Skincare

Fake Tan Tip

TIP:
If you get unwanted color on your skin (like palms), WINDEX works amazingly well! I use windex with a nail brush and a bit of soap, and it removes unwanted color from ANY fake tan, as long as you get it pretty soon after applying the tan.

Salon Bronze Airbrush Tanning System



I was getting models ready at a fashion show, lately, and one of them whipped out this handy little airbrush tan gun. As a particularly pale person, naturally I was intrigued by such a fabulously easy solution to my pigment problem.

I went on down to trusty ol' Sally's and found that it was a very reasonable $12.99. The refill is only $8.99, so I grabbed one of those, also.

The kit is basically just a little gun that you insert the bottle of color into, and then you squeeze the trigger to spray. It comes with a few makeup sponges, as the directions recommend spraying the color onto a sponge and then using that for your face, hands and feet.

It is very easy to use, but it will definitely come out better if you can get someone else to spray it on you. Make sure you shake it a lot, for a more even spray. It is messy, so doing it in the shower or bath works the best.

I really like this little airbrush system. It's very quick, and dries very quickly. It isn't orange, lasts for awhile (mine lasts up to 2 weeks!), doesn't rub off everywhere, and doesn't smell.

I love this stuff! You can buy it at Sally's website, HERE.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Simply Smooth Keratin Treatment



I can't say enough great things about this stuff! I originally heard about it from a stylist who told me that it would make my hair more managable. I have extremely curly, crazy hair, and have never been able to just shower and walk out the front door.

I started doing research on it, and found their website: Here

I decided to just order the products myself and do the treatment at my house, rather than pay a salon a buttload of money to do it for me.

I found all the products at Sleekhair.com and even googled their site for coupons and found several good ones. The total for all of the products was about $235, and I got a coupon for free shipping.

The Process

Well, first of all, this treatment is supposed to lock in color. The information I found online suggests dying your hair immediately before applying the treatment. I painstakingly did my roots and then a semi perm over that.

When I washed the dye out, I rinsed it, then used the purifying shampoo three times. My hair was squeeky clean!

The next step is to blow dry your hair 100% dry. I used a brush to help straighten it while I dried. It took forever, but finally it was done.

Next, I got out a tint brush and bowl and put the treatment in the bowl a bit at a time as I worked. You need to coat all of your hair from root to tip in the keratin treatment. It takes a long time, but you need to make sure you get all of it. My very sweet boyfriend helped me with the back. The treatment doesnt smell too bad, kind of like vanilla. Not unpleasant, since it doesn't contain formaldehyde.

Finally, it was all coated. I put a processing cap on (you can get them at Sallys for really cheap!), and waited for about 20 minutes.

Next, I began blow drying the keratin treated hair. I used a paddle brush to make sure it got as straight as possible. My hair felt gunky, even though it was compelely 100% dry.

After that, I turned on my flat iron. You need to iron your hair with a 450 degree iron to seal the treatment in. I bought a Hot Tools iron, which isn't terribly expensive, and has temp. settings up to 450 degrees.

I went over every bit of my hair up to 5 times with the flat iron, curling the ends under a little. I was hoping my hair would feel less gunky, but it was still there when I finished. My hair looked kind of flat and greasy.

You are supposed to go 96 hours without washing your hair or getting it wet at ALL. You can't put your hair up or back or wear hats at all, any creases can become perminant. It was HARD! I HATED walking around with gunky, greasy looking hair for days. I made it abour 3 and a half days before I caved in and showered.

You are supposed to use the special x tend shampoo and conditioner to maintain the treatment, as it washes out and doesn't grow out. The less you wash your hair, the longer it lasts.

I noticed a difference immediately! Instead of getting crazy and curly, it was pretty and wavy and NOT frizzy at ALL! For the first time in my entire life, I washed it, air dried it, and walked out of the house without looking like a mad scientist!

It is SUPER soft, too, and shiny! It feels amazing! I was able to curl it and the style stayed all night without frizzing at ALL! It's amazing, I can't believe how wonderful my hair looks! The best part is that even though I washed my hair, the color still looks as good as it does immediately after I dye it. I have super bright red hair, and it fades very fast.

I LOVE this stuff, I really can't express that enough. It was SOOOO worth the price of the products and the 4 hours it took me to apply it and even the 3 and a half days of walking around looking like a grease ball without being able to put my hair up. This stuff is amazing, and it should last about 3 months.

Seriously, if you struggle with frizz, GET IT! I'm not joking.

UPDATE:
7/7/10
The treatment lasted for about 3 months, as promised, and I can't wait to get another treatment. It really did change my entire hair life. It was so much more managable, and it looked amazing! My hair was SOOOO soft. I really love it!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Braun Silk Epil Xelle Epilator



I have a new love.
Her name is Braun.

I'm sure if you are a woman you, too, have experienced the hardships of body hair removal. We've tried the Nair, only to get rashes. Razors give us razor burn. Wax works, but it takes forever for the hair to grow long enough.

I was feeling pretty hopeless at this point. I had resorted to waxing my bikini area and armpits, and shaving everything else. Until I heard about the Braun Silk-Epil Xelle.
I read countless positive reviews online and finally went down to Ulta to see if
they carried it. They do! I picked mine up for $69.99 plus tax. (Make sure you keep your reciept for anything you buy at Ulta, btw. You can return ANYTHING you buy there as long as you have your reciept and if its a bottle of something it has to be more than half full.)

I came straight home, took it out of the box, hastily read the directions, and plugged it in. I was using it on my bikini area, on more of those pesky little strays that always seem to grow back too soon after you wax.

It's pretty easy to use, no batteries required. You just plug it into an outlet, choose which head you want to use and switch it on. It comes with a shaver head, and two epilator heads. (One with "soothing rollers" and one without) I chose the head without the rollers, snapped it on, and switched on the epilator.
It has two settings, and a neat light on it so you can see the hairs better. I turned it on high and rolled it across my skin. You are supposed to roll it against the grain of the hair, and at a 90 degree angle.

Ten minutes later, I was hair free! This thing was incredible. It stung a bit, in some places more than others, but any girl who has ever waxed before can handle the pain. Since I wax bi-weekly and tweeze strays already, the pain of the epilator was definately tolerable. You do have to hold your skin tight, though, because it will try to suck in loose skin on occasion.
I even tried it on my leg, and it worked like a charm. It hurt like hell, though, so I don't see myself doing legs anytime soon. I'm a weenie about leg waxing, too.

Long story short, I LOVE this thing! It is so efficient, so quick, it even removes tiny little stubble, and the pain isn't even that bad, especially compared to waxing. I definately recommend it!

UPDATE:
7/7/10
I thought I would update on this one. I sucked it up and did my legs after writing this review. It HURTS. BAD. I cried like a little girl.
HOWEVER, it is totally worth it. I do my legs once a week or so, and the hair is noticably thinner and easier to remove every time. It is much less painful after a few times, as the hair is not all growing back at once, and now I have smooth legs almost all the time! I shave with EVOO if I have any stubble in between epilating sessions, and it makes a HUGE difference.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Feria Color Moisturizing Treatement



As a girl who depends heavily on hair dye, I am always searching for the best conditioner out there. Most are all right, nothing to rave about. During a trip to Sally's, I discovered this wonderful Feria conditioner hiding on a bottom shelf.
I remember using Feria dye way back in the day when I was a brunette, and this stuff was always my favorite. It just smelled so good and made my hair amazingly soft.

I grabbed a tube of it and used it after my next hair dye. I am in love. My hair is amazing after I use it! I've never seen it so shiny and vibrant, not to mention SUPER soft and it smells like heaven. It even makes my hair more managable to straighten and curl. I actually mix this with my normal conditioner for every day use, and it still makes my hair amazing every time.

It's a whopping $8.49 at Sally's, but IMO it is well worth the cost. (I'm not the only one, look at the reviews on the website!Definately give this stuff a try if you color your hair, or even if you don't!