June Favorites!

Hey guys! Can you believe it's almost July? Summer is going by too fast! Well since it's the end of June, here are my favorite products. What are yours? Comment and tell me, I'd love to know!! XOXO

Shampoo: Redken Extreme - The best for chemically damaged hair.Conditioner: Redken All Soft - For ultra soft hair, this stuff is great! The scent might turn some of you off slightly, but it's not over-powering and the results are worth it.Treatment: Redken Real Control Intense Renewal - Intense is right, it's a great deep conditioner for dry hair.Smoothing/Shine: Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff - The best! Not just for dumb blondes, but for all the sassy redheads and buxom brunettes who need some extra shine in their hair.

Volume: Bed Head Cocky Thickening Paste - Thin hair? Get thick, cocky hair with this paste!Straightening: S-Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray - For mirror-like shine and great thermal protection, this is your best bet.Texture: Sebastian Xtah Twisted Taffy Free Former - Gives great funky texture! Twist into spikes or get that 2nd day messy look.Hairspray: White Sands Stuck Up Mega Hold Hairspray - Your updos will never fall with Stuck Up. This hairspray gives insanely crazy hold, yet it's still easy to comb through. It's revolutionary!
Goodbye June, it's been an interesting month. We said good-bye to Ed Mcmahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays. Rest in Peace everyone. Hopefully July will be a better month. Take care of your hair!

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You tell me

Lately I've been having some bloggers block, so I'm sorry that I haven't posted more. : \ But I'm curious, what do you wanna see? I'm gonna do a post on blowdrying, and one on the different types of home haircoloring & why you should avoid them, but you tell me what you want to see! Really, I'd love to hear it. =) Comment and let's talk about it. I love you all! ...read more ⇒

Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff Review

My 3rd review of the day! Now I'm reviewing one of my favorite shine products EVER! Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff! Seriously you guys, this stuff will be in my product arsenal forever. It's so light, provides fantastic shine, and has the most delicious, intoxicating scent. Everybody needs this! :D

The description says: "Shine, defrizz, and add the perfect finishing touch every time you use Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff. Created by blondes for blondes and all the colors in between, Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff makes hair smooth, frizz-free, soft and hydrated. Just apply some stuff to your just finished hair, and watch those frizzy fly-aways disappear."

The main ingredients are Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, and Polyacrylamide. As I said in Cosmetic Chemistry Tidbits #2, Cyclopentasiloxane is one of my favorite ingredients, and it's also becoming more and more popular. It's a watery emollient that makes hair smoother and easier to comb through. It's also used to break up other silicones, like Dimethicone. Propylene Glycol (yet again) is an emulsifier. Dimethiconol is a light silicone derivative, and Polyacrylamide is a thickening and suspending agent. The next ingredient is Fragrance, and what a yummy fragrance it is! <3

Since Smoothing Stuff comes in a small pot, I only use it on dry hair--but no one I've used it on has said it was too heavy for their hair. Just take a little dab (usually I use what's on the lid), emulsify it in your hands, and run it underneath your hair, and then the top. That way your frizzies and fly-aways will be tamed, and all of your hair will look healthy and shiny!

Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff comes in a 1.69 oz./50 ml pot, and retails for around $15. You should seriously consider buying this, I don't think you'll regret it. ♥ Take care of your hair everyone!

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Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Review

Hey guys! Now I'm reviewing Frizz-Ease by John Frieda Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme. The label says "Exceptional creme works instantly on dried hair to camouflage imperfections by smoothing away dullness, puffiness, and frayed split ends. Immediately restores 'silkening' moisture to 'quench' parched hair. Replaces natural oils lost to blow-drying and daily styling stress. Creates ultra-glossy, supple hair with an incredibly healthy-looking finish. Use anywhere, anytime. Contains sunscreen." Hmm... this isn't my favorite shine product, but it's not bad. It says apply on dry hair, but I think you could get away with putting it on wet hair too. ;-)

The ingredients include Water, Avocado Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Propylene Glycol, and Glycerin. Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima) is a precious, natural oil derived from the flesh of the avocado fruit that is rich in Vitamin A, C, D, E, protein and amino acids. It is also an emollient and can penetrate hair and skin quite well. Phenyl Trimethicone, if you've read Cosmetic Chemistry Tidbits #2, is a silicone derivative that is resists water, adds shine, elasticity, and flexibility to hair. Propylene Glycol (yet again) is an emulsifier. It keeps all the ingredients from separating. And Glycerin is a humectant, which draws in moisture from the air, and lubricates hair and skin.

The thing I don't like about Secret Weapon is that it feels kind of greasy/sticky when it's in your hands. It's also very easy to use too much, which will make your hair feel heavy and look dirty. I'm not really a fan of John Frieda products, I actually inherited this from my mom who felt it was too heavy for her hair. So like I said, it's not my favorite, but it's not bad for someone on a budget.

Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme comes in a 4 oz./113 g tube, and retails for around $5-$6. If you use this, or have used it, comment and tell me about it. I love feedback from my followers! Take care of your hair! :-)

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Bed Head Hook-up Mousse Wax Review

Hello hello! Today I'm reviewing three different products, the first is Bed Head's Hook-up Mousse Wax. Personally, I love this stuff! The consistency is great, it's not heavy, and it can be used in wet or dry hair. Here's what the label says: "Get the hook-up and rock your hair! Way out texture, hardcore style. Use in wet or dry hair. Shape and reshape. Shake well before use. A little goes a long way. You must have a sense of humor to use our products." Curly haired girls, I suggest you give this stuff a shot! It provides texture, separation, shine, and smells awesome! Kind of like cherries.

The main ingredients are: Water, Petrolatum, Isobutane, Polymide-1, and Cetearyl Alcohol. Petrolatum is an emollient that is derived from petroleum, and acts as a lubricant on hair and skin. It's what gives Hook-up its creamy texture. Isobutane is a naturally occuring gas. In cosmetics it's used as a propellant which is how aerosol hairsprays and mousses come out of their cans. Other propellants are butane, hydrofluorocarbon, and propane. Look at your hairspray and mousse cans and look to see if any of these are on there! =P Polymide-1 is a film former, and gives the hold in Hook-up. Cetearyl Alcohol is an emulsifying wax made from a mix of different fatty alcohols. Usually they are made from cetyl and stearyl alcohol, which together form a film that keeps moisture from evaporating. Cetearyl Alcohol gives hair and skin a luxurious, velvety feeling. Not a bad mix if I do say so myself.

However, there is something annoying about Hook-up. Sometimes the product is really hard to get out of the can, and you have to push hard to get it to come out... but to me it's worth it.

Bed Head Hook-up Mousse Wax comes in a 5 oz. /150 ml can, and retails for around $14-$16. If you've used this, comment and tell me about it. Take care of your hair, and spread the word about my blog! ♥

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Redken Extreme CAT Review

Hello boys and girls! Sorry for not posting sooner, I've just been super busy lately! I got all my shaggy hair cut off, lightened it to super blonde, and I started my final semester of cosmo yesterday. However, since the salon at the school I go to is being renovated, I'll be spending half the time at the main campus for theory work, and for clients I'll be at another campus that has a (much nicer) salon. Anywho, off to the review!

Today I'm reviewing Redken Extreme CAT, a product that I've heard SO many good things about but I always forgot about it whenever I went shopping. So the other day I went to Marshall Salon Services in Villa Park and I got it! That was also when I bought Blown Away 09. I've used it a few times already and I really like the results! Let me tell you all about CAT, straight from the bottle: "CAT protein restructuring treatment reconditions distressed hair. It provides combability, body, and shine to help prevent further damage." I think CAT really does do what it says, but you have to use it correctly. Note: CAT is a protein treatment, NOT a deep conditioner!! Protein treatments work inside the hair shaft, while deep conditioners work more on the outside to smooth the cuticle. I highly suggest using conditioner with this product, because it won't condition your hair.

Now what makes this stuff work? Actually, compared to other treatments like this, there aren't very many ingredients. The first five are: Water, Magnesium Sulfate, Laureth-23, Taurine, and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein. Magnesium Sulfate has many different uses: It's used in IV's to delay or stop labor, it's known as Epsom Salts when it's in a crystalline form, and it's also used as a mild surfactant, just to name a few. My guess is it's used as a surfactant to make sure there are no impurities in your hair... but I will definitely look into this more. Laureth-23 is an emulsifier. Taurine is an amino acid that has benefits in the human body... but I'm not quite sure what it does for your hair. It might be possible that Taurine could help strengthen your hair, but again more research is needed-and until there is I'm remaining skeptical. Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein is a protein made from wheat that was turned partly into water through hydrolysis. It replicates the elasticity and strength found in healthy hair.

There is something annoying about CAT--the bottle. When I try and use it in the shower, the bottle gets really slippery and hard to hold. I have to use both hands just to spray it, so that's really inconvenient. But other than that I have to say CAT really is a good protein treatment. Especially if your hair is as... unhealthy as mine. =P

Redken Extreme CAT comes in a 5 fl oz./150 ml bottle, and retails for around $16. Have you used this? Comment and tell me about it, I'd love to hear your experiences! Talk to you guys later and take care of your hair!

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Cosmetic Chemistry Tidbits #2

Happy June everyone! I'm kicking this month off with another episode of Cosmetic Chemistry Tidbits. Today's post is all about SILICONE. What is it? Why are they in my hair products? What does it do to your hair? What are the different kinds of silicone? And more!

Gee, where do I start? I guess I'll start with explaining what-in terms of haircare-silicone is. Silicone comes from silica, which is actually sand! Crazy right? It gets better. Silicone is a slippery, water-binding emollient. It has great conditioning properties, and leaves your hair and skin feeling soft and silky. You can tell if a product has silicone by looking at the ingredient list; if you see a word with the suffix -cone, it's a type of silicone.

Why are they in hair products? Because they work! Silicones are very effective in shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners, leave-ins, detanglers, smoothing serums, glossers, and shine sprays. They are also commonly found in makeup--primarily in foundations, concealers, primers, etc, because they leave the skin feeling smooth and supple. People talk a lot of smack about silicones, but the bottom line is: THEY WORK. They make hair soft, manageable, shiny, and can actually strengthen your hair.

Now let me talk about a few of the most commonly found silicones:

• Dimethicone: A silicone derivative that adds shine, locks in moisture, and gives a product a very smooth creamy texture. However, dimethicone can be too heavy for some people, so keep that in mind. It can be found in mostly in smoothing creams and deep conditioners.

• Cyclomethicone: A lighter silicone that is an emollient. It is slightly more common than dimethicone, and is used in more products, like conditoners, aerosol hairspray, shine spray, glossing serums. As with anything, be sure to use shine products sparingly.

• Phenyl Trimethicone: A water-resistant silicone that adds a lot of shine, as well as flexability, elasticity, and heat resistance to hair. It can be found in a lot of professional shine reflecting & color correcting services, and thermal protectors.

• Cyclopentasiloxane: An increasingly popular emollient that makes hair easier to comb through and less susceptible to breakage. It's very watery and good at breaking up other silicones, so it is often used in conjunction with dimethicone to thin it out. I personally love Cyclopentasiloxane, it's so useful and always leaves hair feeling healthy and shiny.

• Amodimethicone: Has good conditoning properties, leaves hair feeling soft and reduces fly-aways. I see it mostly in conditioners, sometimes in leave-in detanglers too.

So I think I've covered the most common silicones, but if you have a question about something I didn't cover, please feel free to comment and I'll get back to you! I really hope this will help put your fear of 'cones to rest, because they really do help your hair. Be on the lookout for the next episode of Cosmetic Chemistry Tidbits and take care of your hair! : D

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