Not sure if you have seen lately that there have been a lot of different brands coming out with a cleansing conditioner or a conditioning cleanser for your hair. It basically is a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner but not the ones that we are used to seeing when we were growing up. This is something that conditions your hair more and the ones that I've tried so far don't leave your hair feeling like yarn. If you read my post from yesterday, you know I received this product in the May Test Tube container.
I saw the Macadamia brand and automatically thought 'crap, I'm not going to like this because it will make my hair all gross and greasy'. I had to wash my hair so I decided to use this instead of my regular shampoo and conditioner. First of all, the instructions aren't really clear and I had to Google how to use it first. I wanted to make sure that I was actually doing this correctly.What you are suppose to do is wet your hair just like you would if you were going to wash your hair with shampoo and instead of using shampoo and conditioner, you use this. It says to use 2 pumps and just make sure that you rub it in your hair. It says to massage your scalp to make sure that it has a chance to cleanse from the root to the ends. You can add water just to make sure that you have enough to make sure it saturates your hair. I didn't leave it in for long, it says to massage it in for about 3 to 5 minutes. I probably did 3 and then went under the shower for about 10 minutes just to make sure I didn't have any residue left. I wanted to make sure that I didn't have any greasiness left. I was reading some reviews and some people said that it was greasy. For me it wasn't greasy.
So this Flawless 6 in 1 cleansing conditioner is suppose to refine hair texture and optimize the styling process. It claims to cut the blow drying process in half. I can tell you that I don't think it cut my blow drying process in half not even a quarter. It usually takes me 20-25 minutes and I think it took me about the same amount of time. Now it did give my hair a nice shine to it. The ends don't look as frayed even though they aren't really frayed but since I don't really spend a lot of time blow drying my hair sometimes the looks a bit rough. I do blow dry my hair at night so I figured once I slept on it, my hair in the morning would be greasy but to my surprise it wasn't at all. Actually, today is probably one of the best days to try this out since its 93% humidity today and I have to say that my hair isn't weighed down nor is it frizzy. I honestly wanted to hate this stuff but I can say that this is definitely a good buy.
One thing I want to bring up is that I didn't buy this separately. I got it in the Test Tube May edition so I didn't know how much it retailed for until I researched it. I saw that the little bottle that I got retails for $15 and the bigger bottle retails for $30. Now thats a lot of money but if you think about it, its really replacing your shampoo and your conditioner. I haven't used this enough to see how many uses I get out of the $15 bottle so I can't really say if its REALLY worth it but I do like the product.
You've probably heard about the different monthly subscriptions that are out there. I noticed that there are so many that one can definitely get either overwhelmed or carried away. I always like Ispy so I get that one every month. I recently started following different groups on Facebook that were dedicated to all types of monthly subscriptions. One of the good things is that they post promo codes so you can get your 1st month free. So this is exactly what I did. It couldn't hurt to try it for free. This monthly "box" its more of a tube is called New Beauty Test Tube. It retails for $38 a month and honestly I would never subscribe for it if it weren't free for one month. I got the box and cancelled my subscription.
I did get some cool stuff. I wanted to share some of the products that came in the May month.
First thing was a full size TanTowel in Classic. These are found in Sephora but I've never really tried them. They are like face wipes but they are for tanning. So basically you take one out of the packet and then you rub it across your body and face. I only use them on my legs and arms. Just always remember to always wash your hands after using any type of sunless tanning products. I am not big with putting a tanning wipe on my face. The shade I got in the box is for Fair to Medium skin so I might need 2 or 3 uses to even see a result since its made for paler skin. This retails for $24 so if you think about it, its already a good deal within the box.
Next is the Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless cleansing conditioner. I really did like this product. Again, this is one that I've never tried but I have seen this in drugstores or Target and places like that. I did notice that its on the pricier side. So basically what this does is its a conditioner that cleanses your hair too so its like a 2 in 1 shampoo but conditioner. It doesn't leave your hair stringy feeling or anything. It comes in a pump foam and all you have to do is while showering, you wet your hair and then you dispense a few pumps in your hand and put it on your wet hair. I like to put it in the middle of the back of my head. A little bit lower than my crown. This helps it distribute to the roots since I have really long hair and also get my scalp. Massage in your hair for about 5 minutes and then rinse. Your hair is soft and you definitely see it shinier. More of a review on this tomorrow. This is a smaller than full size and this retails for $15
Next product is an Evercolor Shadow stick by Mally Cosmetics. Its a full size sample so
thats good. The color says it s violet and I tried this. I always go in with a bad perception for any cream shadows. I just don't like them. I think they crease too much and its just too heavy on my eyelids. This was no different. The color doesn't look purple at all. It was a bit crumbly which now to think of it, I am going to report that to Test Tube to see if this is actually suppose to happen. Its a good concept and I was stoked to try a product from her line since she has been my makeup idol since I was a child but I don't like this. I was really disappointed with this eyeshadow stick. This retails for $25
Next product was Revision Skincare Intellishade Broad Spectrum SPF 45. Its like a BB or CC cream. The size samples are extremely small. Probably 2 uses each which sucks because I think I would have liked this product more than any of them. I haven't used it yet but it says that this is suppose to brighten and even skin tone and also help fight aging. The normal size bottle retails for $52.
The next product is Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair. Its a deep conditioner for your hair. I've gotten a sample of this before I believe from Ipsy and I loved it. Again, the sample size is microscopic so I honestly have enough for either 1 good use or 2 uses if I use it on my ends only. This stuff is definitely worth buying. It helps increase your hair's elasticity so that it won't break as fast. It also has biotin in it which is great for your hair. It makes your hair shiny and just overall hydrated. The avocado and almond and argan oils in this will give you that shine and hydration. The normal size of this stuff retails for $26
Next up is Jergens BB Body perfecting skin cream. I have attempted to buy this but this stuff retails for about $15 and honestly I cannot see myself paying $15 for drugstore body lotion. I've heard great things about it. It helps color correct your skin just like a BB or CC cream does for your face, this is doing it for your skin. If you are older and you have uneven skintones on your legs, I'd definitely recommend you give this a try, other than that I don't think its worth it.
The test tube sample that I got was the Yu-Be moisturizing skin cream. This sample is very small. Almost as small as the Revisions BB cream. Its kind of like a Japanese vaseline. Or at least thats what it reminds me of. It does have more of a menthol feel to it but all in all you can use it the same way you would Vaseline. One good and major difference is that this stuff isn't greasy and doesn't sit on top of your skin. This actually seeps into your skin leaving it grease and oil free. The smaller tube retails for $16 and the large jar retails for $25
Those were the main part of the samples that you got in the May box to "test" but within the box you also got a smaller baggie of more samples and the samples that I got there was Cotz Face Sun Screen. Its a small sample packet and it says that its Silky soft lightly tinted and sheer matte finish. It was an SPF 40 so its definitely good for summer. The next sample is Dan Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths. These are like face wipes but these are suppose to help you refresh during the hotter months if you sweat a lot. It is better than just usual wipes because it has a silky powdery finish. I've read a lot about these so I am glad I got one to sample. Another sample is a little bottle of Tuscan honey hand therapy lotion. Its a good purse size sample which I love. I like to always have lotion on my hands to make sure my cuticles don't get dry looking. The last sample was a sheet face mask. One that I had reviewed a while back. Its the Avocado & Vitamin E one which is a great mask so its never bad to have more.
These are all the things I got and now to think of it, it is worth the $38 just because I did get 2 full size products that retailed for $25 each so those 2 products alone, its worth it. I might think about it again but for now I am opting to not get this.
Do you have a monthly subscription box that you like? Let me know! Send me your referral links!
After a whole lot of skincare and makeup reviews I like to move into some haircare products. If anyone knows me personally, they know I am very anal about my hair. I try to get it cut every 13 weeks per what I've read in articles. I usually just get half an inch taken off because if you do more that that, your hair doesn't really grow since you'd be cutting off the actual growth. I am very simple with my hair meaning I've had a classic look for a long time. I might dabble with some hair color but nothing really with the cut of my hair. I like it long, a little bit of layers and then the shortest layer would be my "bangs" that have to be long enough to go behind my ears.
I take a shower and wash my hair probably every other day or every 2 days. My hair is greasy so I usually have to wash it if I want to wear it down but I can put it up if I wanted to not wash it one night. Being that my hair is greasy, I do not like putting product in it. I only put conditioner on the ends because of this. Sometimes when I feel my hair is a bit stringy I use the CHI Silk Infusion which is a serum for your hair. It is suppose to protect your hair from the heat of irons and blow dryers. Since I usually just blow dry my hair, I usually use this when I want to go out that night and I need my hair to blow dry nicer than usual. It doesn't make my hair greasy that night but after using this, I usually have to wash my hair the next day. This is whenever I use anything other than shampoo and conditioner in my hair. I do like this product because it does cut the frizz and it helps when blow drying my hair, I don't have to spend that much time blow drying it since this usually gets my hair just right.
This silk infusion has silk molecules that grab on to your hair and it protects your hair from heat which over time is going to give you shinier hair and less damaged hair. It not only protects your hair from future damage but it also reverses the damage that you've already done to it. It has natural pure silk, whey and soy protein which are all good for your hair and this is really why I use this. My hair isn't that frizzy and I have naturally straight hair but this stuff really helps bring out that shine and it conditions it especially if I use a flat iron or a curling iron. This usually retails for $25 for the 6oz bottle but I've had the smaller bottle that I got in Marshalls years ago and I still haven't gone through the whole bottle yet. You use very little bit at a given time. All you have to do is wash your hair and then after you towel dry your hair you can use a dime size amount and I usually concentrate on the ends and not too much on the roots since my hair is oily.
I recommend this for people that have curlier hair or just hair that is harder to manage and you will see that when you blow dry your hair this stuff will really make a difference for you!
Do you have something that you use and love? Let me know I am very interested in hearing about new hair products. This one is an oldie but its definitely a cult favorite and a must buy to anyone who applies heat to their hair on a daily or even weekly basis.
Back to skincare! You always need to make sure you are taking care of your skin the best way you can. Surprisingly my dad +Hector Rodas told me that if I really was serious about taking care of my skin to make sure it doesn't age as much, I really need to worry about collagen. Once he said that I started looking into different collagen products and I had recently fell in love with Dr Brandt skincare products so it was a no brainer when I saw that this one had 4.5 out of 5 star review on +Sephora.
The product is called Dr Brandt Collagen Booster and this is a serum with concentrated amounts of age fighting amino acids. This is the key component to anti-aging. This customized blend goes into your skin and it helps to stop the loss of collagen in your skin. Not only does it stop the loss of collagen but it also helps produce more collagen. This will increase elasticity in your skin which will ultimately minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Everything in the product screams 'HELL YEA I WANT THAT' and I was all for making sure to use it in my daily routine asap. Woman that has used this said that after 4 weeks they already saw improvement in their skin's resilience and the elasticity. Now for all of you out there that aren't anti-aging obsessed like I am-- elasticity is that something you have in your skin when you are a teenager. When you skin was just nice and plump. You know when you see a baby's face-- there are no lines and its just all gorgeous? That is what elasticity. It makes your skin plump so that wrinkles don't have enough time to sink in. Therefore, the more elasticity you have in your skin, the less wrinkles you have.
I've been using this on and off for about 4 months now and I love it.I go on and off of it
because I just have so many different products and I want to make sure that I use everything before they all expire. This one I've noticed usually makes my skin glow. My skin feels very soft in the mornings and its just very youthful looking. And I can say that after a couple of weeks of not using it, when I went back to it, I saw results immediately. I am not sure if my skin just gets used to it after 2 weeks which is probably why I went on to something else but this stuff is amazing. It retails for about $78 in +Sephora which is a pretty penny and I honestly understand those who do not want to spend that much money on a serum but if you do splurge, I'd try to see if you can get it on another website like SkinStore which you can usually find coupons for like 20% off and then you can at least get a little bit of a discount. Or you can always go to Sephora and ask them for a sample of it and there at least you can try it and see if you like it and if you can see a difference.
Do you have an anti-aging product that you swear by? I'd love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below.
I recently got makeup organizers for my vanity so everything that I have is nicely
organized. Easy to access and since everything isn't on top of each other I am able to find things easier. This helps me rediscover makeup that I have that I forgot about. I recently started using other mascaras just to say I use all 10 of the ones I currently own. I had received a Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara I think as a birthday gift from +Sephora and I saw the wand and it was a bit intimidating. It is shaped as a 'v' so its very pointy at the end and then very fat at the other side closest to the wand. The brush was something that I've never seen before and it was a bit intimidating. I always heard good things about the Make Up For Ever brand so I was happy to get this as a gift to try it.
This mascara is suppose to add volume, length and curl your lashes. This is a bold claim for a mascara. I've been using it for about a week now and I thought it would have been a different experience. The formula isn't bad. I hate trying new mascaras because the product is just everywhere. I hate to have so much gunk on my wand that it just makes my eyelashes clump up and it just turns into a huge mess. I usually have to go in with a eye lashes separator and clean it up and then clean my eye lid. Its just a mess over all. This mascara didn't have that which was amazing but I did feel that I didn't get enough product or maybe the brush was too hard and didn't really separate my lashes as much as I wanted. The angled brush was a bit weird in applying. Also I am right handed and usually just apply mascara with the same hand but this one since it has a specific angle to the brush, it was like you had to use the specific hand for the specific eye and honestly I don't have time for that. It didn't do anything that it claimed to do. It simply just put product on my eyelashes. I needed to curl them, separate them and it didn't add more length that what I already have. It wasn't too bad but its definitely not a mascara that I would purchase and rave about like its the best thing since sliced bread. I think I've fallen in love with other mascaras that are drugstore purchases. This mascara retails for $24 and you can find it in +Sephora. For that price, I definitely do not recommend it, unless you are a person that likes wasting your money.
Do you have any mascaras that you had high hopes for and were disappointed? Let me know! I'd love to hear what to stay away from!!!
If you've been following my blog posts you know that lately I've been complaining about how my face has broke out recently. Not sure what the reason was exactly but it can be one of many things. The weather is changing, hormones, stress, eating habits are all different factors that can cause your skin to break out. I've been all of the above. So when my face started to break out, I wasn't surprised. I already knew what I needed to do. I changed my skincare routine a bit to fit in more of acne fighting regimen.
Since I have a lot of different skincare products, I don't always go through the whole bottle before acquiring something different. I also try to give my skin a break from the same thing since after a while a specific routine usually becomes ineffective for me. So once something happens to my skin, I start looking through my stash and I came across this Clean & Clear Advantage Daily Soothing Acne Wash. I decided to give it a whirl. Honestly, I forgot how good this cleanser was. It isn't drying at all. Thats the main thing that I have to say I like about this cleanser. It dispenses in a foam way and it doesn't feel like it is over-drying your skin. Actually, once you wash the soap off your face, your skin feels really smooth. It really does sooth your skin per the claims. This cleanser has salicylic acid in it so it is a really strong acne but since it also has aloe and avocado, it's really soothing to your skin and won't over-dry it while clearing your blemishes.
Since I don't have acne per say I guess some of you might be thinking, why don't I just use
an acne spot treatment? Okay so I wanted to give you my rundown of spot treatments-- they don't work! I honestly have never found an acne treatment that works the way it claims. I've used the Kate Somerville drying lotion which is that pink milking cream liquid that looks like calamine lotion and people say that they put this on a blemish and overnight it goes away. I used this for about a week on a blemish and I felt like this stuff made the blemish stick around longer. It definitely didn't clear the blemish any faster than if I didn't use anything at all. I've used other drugstore brands and I have the same thing happen. None of them really clear up the blemish any quicker than if I didn't use anything at all. Its like I use them to make myself feel better and make me feel like I am proactively taking care of the blemish but its not really doing anything. This is why I usually opt for the cleanser which covers my whole face also masks. I am a huge fan of clay masks. I think they are the best for oily skin and for me they are the most effective treatment to blemishes.
This cleanser retails for $7.99 so its a great deal. I honestly have had it for about 3 months since I don't really use it all the time. I still have a lot left and after another 2 or 3 weeks I will probably go ahead and store it in my stash again.
Do you have any tricks or tips that you use to clear that pesky blemish? Let me know! I would love to try new things.
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