Redken Blonde Glam Crystal Flash Review

Hey everyone! Gosh can you believe January is almost over?! It seems like New Years was like, yesterday! LOL! Oh well, with another day comes another review! Today I'm reviewing Crystal Flash, a shine treatment for multi-tonal blondes from Redken's Blonde Glam collection. It's a neat little finishing product I picked up on a whim a few months ago (as seen in this HAUL!), but it kinda got lost in my sea of products so I never got a chance to review it until now!

Here's what the label says: "Leave-in shine treatment creates a lasting barrier against frizz while infusing multi-tonal blonde highlights with iridescent, multi-dimensional shine." Leave-in treatment is an interesting choice of words, considering that it's not a mask or deep conditioner - but it does make your hair shiiiiine. The directions tell you to use it in dry hair, but almost anything you can put in dry hair you can put in wet hair - but never the other way around!

Let's take a look at the main ingredients: Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Triethanolamine, Acrylates/Beheneth -25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Carbomer, (fragrance, extracts, preservatives, etc).

So, this product is pretty strong with dimethicone being the second ingredient. Dimethicone is one of the heavier silicones, and even though cyclopentasiloxane is in here to break it up, it's still a bit heavy. Calcium sodium borosilicate is kinda like - liquid glass - hence the name Crystal Flash. They're basically these teeny little shine particles that help reflect the light and make your hair really sparkle. It's commonly found in products like sparkly makeup and glitter hairspray, fun stuff like that. It's actually hard to see it in the actual product (tried taking pics = fail), because it's so subtle - but you can see it on your hands after you put the product in your hair, it's kinda cool! Triethanolamine is used to adjust the pH along with carbomer (which also increases the viscosity). Acrylates/Beheneth -25 Methacrylate Copolymer gives a slight hold to keep the frizzies away, but barely noticable.

Do I like it? Yes. Am I in love with it? Not really. I like it because it does smooth hair, and it does bring out blonde highlights really well, but it's easy to use too much and ends up weighing down your hair. And even though the directions say to use it in dry hair, I think it works better when you use it in wet hair. I definitely will finish it all, but I don't think I'll be getting it again. Honestly, if I want a product for blondes, I think Bed Head's Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff is way better. But, if Redken ever reformulates this, I'll definitely give it another shot - because I so wanted to love this! Hmm, oh well.

Redken Blonde Glam Crystal Flash comes in a 50 ml / 1.7 fl oz. bottle and retails for around $15.

Another review done! Have a good weekend pretties, and take care of your hair! XOXO ...read more ⇒

Scruples Direct Volume Spray Foam Review

Hello! Happy Wednesday! :-) Today I'm reviewing my first Scruples product - Scruples Direct Volume Spray Foam. This product claims it "adds unbelievable body and shine to hair directly where it needs it most. Hair feels thick, manageable and loaded with volume." I actually won this product in a giveaway from http://www.thefashionablegal.com - and so far, I'm liking Scruples! I had never heard of Scruples before I got into cosmetology and started going to pro stores, so it was actually kind of exciting trying a product from a brand that I knew nothing about. On the Scruples scale of 0-3, this product is a 3: Extra Firm. But don't let that scare you - cos while it does have a nice hold, it won't be tornado-proof... if you catch my drift. ;-)

One of the interesting things about this product, is that it literally is spray foam. It's not like a lot of other products that say spray foam, but it's basically mousse with a nozzle - if you try and spray this in your hands, it will immediately dissipate and turn to liquid. In my opinion, this is MUCH easier to use than typical root lifting/volumizing products. I just find them to be messy+ sticky, and it usually gets everywhere in your hair, except for where you want it! This product sprays a fine mist that goes right where you point it - I love it!

Now, on to the ingredients: Water, Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Acrylates/C1-2 Succinates/Hydroxyacrylates Copolymer, Butane, [lots fluff ingredients], Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans [Mucopolysaccharides]*, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein*, Benzophenone-4*, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone*, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polysorbate 20, etc... The * means it's part of the product's "Protective Barrier Complex" AKA marketing gimmick. It's a neat name though.

Most of these scary sounding ingredients are just emulsifiers (Polysorbate 20, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone) stabilizers (Aminomethyl Propanol), and propellants (Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Butane). Propellants are ingredients that shoot the product out of the aerosol can, whether it's hairspray, mousse, root lifter, shine spray, etc - they all have them. Acrylates/C1-2 Succinates/Hydroxyacrylates Copolymer is an obscenely long name for a film former. It protects against humidity, and adds volume and hold, along with hydrolyzed wheat protein. Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans [Mucopolysaccharides] are glycosaminoglycans that have been partially turned to water by hydrolysis. Naturally, glycosaminoglycans are very hygroscopic - which is the ability to attract water from the surrounding environment - however, since they've been hydrolyzed, their ability to bind water has been greatly decreased. Basically, in either form, they enhance the texture of products that are water-based. Benzophenone-4 is a UV filter in the mighty Protective Barrier Complex! Basically it's a sunscreen. Did I miss anything? After a while, the words kind of start to blend together. I don't think so though.

Overall, I would strongly recommend my fine-haired readers to give this a shot. Depending on your needs, it may be a bit too much for someone who just wants light volume in their hair. But like I said in my 2009 Favorites post, if you like a firm (not crunchy) hold in your hair + lots of volume - this may be for you!

Btw, I feel the need to tell you - if you're going to use this, don't layer it with other volume enhancing products. They might not mix well. Of course you can use hairspray to set your style once it's dry, but don't put any other volume product in your hair when it's wet. Just a heads up.

Scruples Direct Volume Spray Foam comes in a 250 ml / 8.5 oz can, and retails for around $13. I honestly really like this product, and I definitely will purchase another one when I run out of this can. Thanks again Fashionable Gal! And thank you all for reading and following my blog, it means a lot to me! Take care of your hairrrr! XO ...read more ⇒

Rusk Being Smooth Cream Review

Hello all! Today is my first time reviewing a Rusk product - Rusk Being Smooth Cream. Being is a collection of texture products from Rusk, and I actually got this in a duo with Being Wild Paste - as seen in my HUGE HAUL! post. Being Smooth is a very concentrated smoothing cream that silkens, softens, and polishes. When I say very concentrated, I mean very, verrryyy concentrated. A pea sized amount is seriously all anyone needs. Let's take a look at the ingredients, shall we?

Water, Mineral Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Olive Fruit Oil, Petrolatum, Polyquaternium-37, fluff ingredients, preservatives, etc...

Honestly? Not the nicest ingredient list. Mineral Oil and Petrolatum are both petroleum derivatives and can be kind of heavy on your hair. Obviously this product is for people who need like, heavy duty smoothing in their hair (i.e. very coarse, thick, damaged hair). Emulsifying Wax NF, or polawax, is used in oil-in-water emulsions, lotions, and creams. It keeps the two from separating, along with Polyquaternium-37. Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters are water soluble emollients that provide excellent smoothing and conditioning with pretty much any product. Olive oil is actually really good for your hair; it's one of the few natural oils that can penetrate the hair shaft and condition from within.


Below are pics of the actual product. The consistency is pretty smooth, like conditioner, and it's a minty green color in contrast to the bright pink packaging.. However, the scent is... odd. It doesn't smell bad... and I don't hate it... but I can't put my finger on what it is. It's kind of, I don't know, earthy I guess? It almost kinda smells like pine, but not quite. Gosh I just don't know... if anyone's ever used this (or even smelled it) comment and tell me what you think it smells like. I'm stumped.

So anyway... it's not my favorite smoothing product in the world, because the hair types you can use it on is pretty limited - but when it works, it works! If you've got some super rough, coarse hair and you're shopping for a new product, give this a shot. Fine to normal hair... there are other products out there that aren't so heavy, but will still give you smooth hair. But like I said before, a teeny bit goes a very long way! Even the amount in the pic is a bit much, so remember that!

Rusk Being Smooth Cream comes in a 150 g / 5.3 oz tube, and retails for around $10. Well, that wraps up this review! I hope you all have a happy Friday, and a great weekend! Take care of your hair! =) ...read more ⇒

HAUL!

Hey guys! So, I love how I've been talking about all these products that I've gotten lately, especially in my 2009 Favorites post, and totally forgot to make a haul for you. I swear, I don't know WHAT I was thinking. I actually got most of these products from CosmoProf's 12 Days of X-Mas promotion, which was so awesome! I hope they do it again next year! Oh, and NONE of these products were Christmas presents, I got them for myself. I personally don't like Christmas hauls, they're just... I don't even really know what to say. I just don't like them, and would never do one. Anyway, on to the haul! Sorry if the pic's kinda dark.

• Top row from left to right: S-Factor Diamond Dreams Shampoo + Conditioner, S-Factor Vivacious Hairspray, S-Factor Silky Smooth Moisture Serum, Sebastian Drench Shampoo, Wella Blondor Lightening Powder.
• Bottom row from left to right: Nioxin Volumizing Reflectives Bodifying Foam, Nioxin Volumizing Reflectives Spray Gel, Sebastian Trilliant, Sebastian Whipped Creme x 2, Rusk Volumize Designer Collection (includes W8less Plus Hairspray, Shining Sheen and Movement Mist, and Thick Body and Texture Amplifier), Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Harder, Bed Head Maxxed-Out Hairspray, Bed Head Control Freak Serum, Bed Head Dumb Blonde Reconstructor, Bed Head Creative Genius.
• The three little ones are: Bed Head Hard To Get Texturizing Paste, Sebastian Microweb Fiber, and Nioxin Defining Pomade.

The bold items are repurchases, and the italic items were from the 12 Days of X-Mas promotion. Just thought I'd share that. :)

See anything you like, or want me to review? OR do you see something you have and love/hate? You should totally be awesome and leave a comment telling me all about it. ;-) Also, I think it's time for me and Recessionista to do another tandem review, what do you think?! Those are always so fun, hehe. Well, I hope you all had a good Monday, and if you didn't - there's always tomorrow! ♥ Take care of your hair! ...read more ⇒

Proclaim Glossing Polish Review

Happy Friday! Today I'm reviewing one of the few decent products from Sally Beauty Supply - Proclaim Glossing Polish for Color & Heat Protection. I bought this on a whim because it was on special one day when I was checking out. I forget what I was buying... but I figured, what the heck - I'll give it a shot. Turns out... it's pretty decent! The label says: "Proclaim Glossing Polish Color & Heat Protection is formulated with a unique blend of aloe, natural oils and silicone to help seal in hair color while providing lustrous shine and helping to eliminate frizz." Aloe and natural oils? Not so much, but they're right about the silicone part.

The main ingredients are: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Amodimethicone, Ethyl Ester of Hydrolyzed Silk, Tocopheryl Acetate, etc.

This product has a lot of heavy duty silicones in it, so if you're someone who's anti-cone - stay away! The aloe and natural oils really only make the product sound nice, it's the silicones (cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, amodimethicone) that do the job. They coat the hair and protect against heat, breakage, humididty, and help condition hair. Ethyl Ester of Hydrolyzed Silk is silk protein that has been partially turned to water by hydrolysis. It's best used on dry, damaged hair, because it forms a film that protects the hair shaft against damage. It also helps keep moisture in, and improves hair's manageability. Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E) is an antioxidant & emollient that's used to keep moisture in hair and skin. It's also widely used to treat burns and other skin problems because it protects against free radicals and prevents the moisture from evaporating out of your skin.

Overall I think this product is best for very thick/coarse hair that's dry or damaged & best used in wet hair, or a drop on dry hair. It's a heavy product - one of the heaviest silicone drops I've used. Just a few drops in wet hair before you blowdry, then another drop if you're using thermal tools. I know it seems like nothing, but once you feel the consistency - you'll know it's all you need. Normal hair could use this, but there are better/lighter options out there. Fine hair: move on. While this is a good product, it's way too heavy to be used on fine hair.

Proclaim Glossing Polish comes in a 6 fl oz. / 177 ml bottle and is available at Sally Beauty Supply. It retails normally for $6.79, but with a Beauty Club Card it's $6.49.

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Comment! =) I hope you enjoyed my review, and I hope you all have a great weekend! Take care of your hair! ...read more ⇒

Nioxin Smoothing Reflectives Defining Pomade Review

Hello, hello! How's everybody's first week of the new year going? Sticking to your resolutions? Hopefully it's going well! Today I'm reviewing my very first Nioxin product, their Smoothing Reflectives Defining Pomade! I twittered about this a few weeks ago when I got it (for free thanks to CosmoProf's 12 days of X-Mas promotion), and said I would review it for Michael K. - one of my favorite people in the world + the cutest pop culture blogger ever! Visit his blog here: http://popbytes.com/ It's seriously like, the only pop culture blog I read.

The box points out that the pomade is unlike conventional pomades, as the formula is "water based and PVP-free, providing control without buildup on the hair or scalp." It also claims to provide hair with added texture, style, and shine - which I agree with! =)

The product itself is quite pretty! It's kinda clear with kinda the same texture as vaseline, and has the prettiest blue/violet metallic/sparkly/duochrome to it, but has the most masculine scent! If you read my 2009 Favorites post, I said if it was a cologne I'd totally buy it - and I would! Here are a few pics, but it's hard to capture on cam! Oh well, I tried:

Can you see? It kinda shows! Well, it's prettier in person, trust. Anywho, let's get on to the ingredients: Water, Isoceteth-20, Polyurethane-14, AMP-Acrylates Copolymer, Mineral Oil, Propylene Glycol, Oleth-2, etc. Isoceteth-20 is a synthetic compound derived from fatty acids - it's used as an emulsifier, along with oleth-2. Polyurethane-14/AMP-Acrylates Copolymer did require a bit of research, but from what I found - polyurethane-14 AMP-acrylates copolymer is efficient in both higher and lower VOC formulas. It also has a low viscosity, which means it's easy to spray out in spray formulas. It can be also used in clear products, because of its appearance - AND because the particles are so small, it dries a lot faster & has noticeably less tack than traditional ingredients. Cool stuff eh? Mineral oil, even though it's pretty rough on the skin, it really doesn't harm your hair when it's in a finishing product like pomade - so chill out. Propylene Glycol is a common humectant. A humectant carries moisture and improves spreadability, if you're new to my blog.

Overall opinion? Great for shine and definition, but minimal hold. If you like your hair to have a piecey look without weighing it down, and your hair doesn't seem to respond to smoothing/anti-frizz serums - give this a shot! If your style needs some hold & control to it, this may leave you wanting. I personally love it, it's perfect for my hair right now (I'm trying to grow it out) and I'll probably buy more when I run out!

Nioxin Smoothing Reflectives Defining Pomade comes in a 50g / 1.7 oz pot, and retails for around $10.

What do you think? Will you be picking some up for yourself, or for the man in your life? Or, maybe it's not quite for you? Whatever you think, COMMENT! Reading comments makes me wanna post more! It's actually one of my new year's resolutions, what are yours?!

Well, that's all for now. Expect much more posting than I have lately, and take care of your hair! ♥

...read more ⇒

S-Factor Dream Drops Review

My first review of 2010! What a better way to kick off the new year than by reviewing one of my absolute favorite products in the WORLD! S-Factor Dream Drops - forever a staple in my collection. These shine drops add amazing shine, and protect against heat and humidity. They're so light - yet so effective - they can be used on any hair type!

Amazingly enough, Dream Drops have very simple ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Avocado Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Jojoba Seed Oil, and Dimethiconol are the main ingredients here. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know how much I love cyclopentasiloxane, it's good stuff! It's a light emollient that makes hair very manageable and less susceptible to damage; it's also good for breaking up other silicone's, like... Dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, and dimethiconol are all silicone derivatives. They add shine & elasticity, condition hair, and help fight thermal damage. Avocado oil (persea gratissima) is a very precious natural oil that comes from the pulp of the avocado fruit. The oil itself is very penetrating and rich in Vitamins A, C, E, and amino acids. Jojoba seed oil is cold-pressed from the jojoba bean. It helps your skin and hair retain moisture and elasticity. Dry hair benefits from it greatly.

I find it's best to use a few drops on damp hair, before you blowdry it. It makes your hair super silky and soft, and helps buffer the heat from your blowdryer. A drop when it's dry, or before you use your heat tools, and you'll be all set! Try mixing it with other products too - like another smoothing cream, or a texture product like wax or gel. I do it all the time! Usually with S-Factor Spun Satin, like I said in my 2009 favorites post.

S-Factor Dream Drops come in a 75 ml / 2.53 fl oz. bottle and retails for around $25-$29 BUT right now on the TIGI website you can get them for FREE, just pay the shipping!

Here's the link: http://www.tigistore.com/pc-134-12-dreamexperience.aspx

As always, comments are loved and appreciated! I hope you all get to try this product and love it as much as I do! Take care of your hair loves! XOXO ...read more ⇒