Catwalk Your Highness Thickening Gel Creme Review

Oh my Westopher, I know how you've been mourning the loss of the classic Catwalk products... even though I absolutely hated their packaging. I mean really, they just used the Bed Head font, and the bottles looked so plain.

They went from this:

To this:

Don't you all think it looks WAY better? But, I mourn with you, as they no longer make Fast-Fixx, one of my favorite leave-in conditioners/de-tanglers. It was also one of my first reviews ever. Thankfully I got a Biggie size of it last summer, so I still have about a half a bottle (plus ya know... all my other stuff), but still... it won't last forever. Then once it's gone, it's gone... up in hair product heaven. I suppose if I really wanted, I could get more online, but buying hair products online scares me. Plus, I don't know if I could pay retail for it... I'm so spoiled now.

But alas, there's hope! A light at the end of the tunnel! An end to my melodrama! It's called: Your Highness. Isn't that what you like to be called in bed? LOL, kidding! Anyway, aside from the gorgeous and well needed new packaging, the products are a hit! Today I'm reviewing the Thickening Gel Creme For Luminescent Fuller Hair. The new Catwalk has been divided into three categories: Prep It (Elevating Shampoo + Nourishing Conditioner), Work It (Thickening Gel Creme + Root Boost), Perfect It (Firm Hold Hairspray + Weightless Shine Spray).

I've been using the Thickening Gel Creme for a while, and I've come to adore it. By itself, it gives a nice touch of volume with a healthy shine, and combined with other products it can really make some massive hair! Since my hair is so thick already, I usually find volumizing products to be kind of drying and feel like I have a case of Product OD - not the case with this. It conditions and adds body without making your hair feel like straw... know what I mean?

Also something I've decided to start doing is giving you all the full ingredient list, and then de-fluffing it by taking out the ingredients that have little to no effect on the product (botanical extracts, fragrances, preservatives, etc) and explaining what really makes the product work. So, here's the full ingredient list:

Water, PEG-17 Dimethicone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, VP/DMAPA Acrylates Copolymer, Methyl Gluceth-20, Fragrance, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Panthenol, Linalool, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Methylisothiazolinone, Limonene, Citric Acid, Sunflower Seed Oil, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Jasmine Flower Extract, Viola Odorata (Sweet Violet) Leaf Extract, Lavender Flower/Leaf Stem Extract, Wisteria Floribunda (Japanese Wisteria) Extract, CI 60730 (Ext. Violet 2), CI 17200 (Red 33).

The de-fluffed ingredient list:

PEG-17 Dimethicone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, VP/DMAPA Acrylates Copolymer, Methyl Gluceth-20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol.

PEG-17 Dimethicone is part of a group of polymers that come from polyoxyethylene + dimethicone. Specifically, it's used as a conditioning agent. PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil and Hydrolyzed Soy Protein are emulsifiers, basically they help the other ingredients get along and mix well. VP/DMAPA Acrylates Copolymer is a film former that gives a slight hold. Methyl Gluceth-20 is made from glucose and methyl alcohol. It's a very effective humectant; it's also used as a foaming agent + an emollient. Hydroxyethylecellulose is a thickening/gelling agent. Panthenol (vitamin B5) works to strengthen the hair shaft, condition, and add volume and shine. Glycerin and Propylene Glycol are humectants used to add moisture to hair and lock it in.

I've used this in a lot of different ways... like if I want a just little bounce to my hair I'll use about two pumps of this and add a couple S-Factor Dream Drops to it in damp hair (I mix Dream Drops in like, everything lol), then blowdry. My hair feels full and looks really smooth + shiny. Or If I wanna wear my hair natural and let it air dry, I'll use a pump of this and my KMS HairStay Style Boost or Sebastian Volupt Spray (both of which I'm reviewing next) or even Rusk Thick, or Bed Head Superstar Blowdry Lotion. You could even try mixing this with a straightening product (like Bed Head Control Freak) or with a curling product (like Catwalk's new Curlesque collection). I think this product is made to be used with other products, but it's useful by itself too!

So Wes, I know how hard it is to move on when you've found something you love, I've been there many, many times. Fortunately, I still see places with the old Catwalk products all the time - you better stock up! The new Catwalk is here to stay, embrace it! You might even like it. If not, there's 5 other TIGI brands out there... I suggest S-Factor - it is my haircare holy grail right now.

Catwalk Your Highness Thickening Gel Creme comes in a 215 ml / 7.27 fl. oz bottle, and retails for around $15-$18.

Have a good weekend everyone! Enjoy Spring, and take care of your hair! ...read more ⇒

Catwalk Root Boost Review

Hey loves! Today I'm reviewing Root Boost by TIGI's Catwalk line. I've had this for a long time, and I've used it quite often, with very nice results! The bottle claims Root Boost is "A spray for texture, lift and style support for all types of hair. Precision application allows you maximum design control." Well said! I've tried a few other brands of root volumizers, and I'm going to try more, but I really like this stuff! That being said, I actually still prefer to use a blow dry gel (like Redken Blown Away 09). Though, if I want even more volume, I'll grab Root Boost and get to settin'!

The main ingredients in Root Boost are: Water, Hydrofluorocarbon 152A, Dimethyl Ether, VP/VA Copolymer, PVP, PEG-45 Palm Kernel Glycerides, etc. Hydrofluorocarbon 152A and Dimethyl Ether are fairly common propellants used in aerosol sprays. A propellant is something that shoots the product out of the can, like whooosh! VP/VA Copolymer and PVP are what give the light hold and texture that make this product so good. PEG-45 Palm Kernel Glycerides is a fatty acid that comes from palm kernels. It's used as an emulsifier. The rest of the ingredients are pretty much just propellants, hold agents, fragrance, preservatives, yadda yadda yadda.

A quick tip? Root Boost is GREAT for getting volume and height at your crown, but try spraying it all over your hair and blowdrying it in for amazing texture and fullness. After all, root lifting products like this... are basicallykindabutnotreallywellitsortofis mousse with a spray nozzle. ;-) Oh and the scent? It smells just like Fast-Fixx (aka amazing).

TIGI Catwalk Root Boost comes in a 8.5 oz / 250 ml can. It's also available in a Biggie size which is in like a 10 oz. can for like the same amount of money, usually paired with Fast-Fixx or another Root Boost. It's a great bargain if you ask me!

Stay tuned for more reviews, hauls, and craziness! Take care of your hair loves! xoXO

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TIGI Catwalk Your Highness Collection

Fine-haired divas rejoice! TIGI Catwalk's latest collection: Your Highness, promises to "pump up the volume and create flawlessly full styles." I am so excited for this collection! More so because I've never really been a fan of the Catwalk packaging, so I'm glad they gave Your Highness a facelift. :D

The Your Highness collection promises to "add body, fight frizz and give impeccable body and fullness. Ingredients like Jasmine, Lavender, Wisteria and Violet nourish each strand for soft, touchable hair with incredible volume." I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on these products.

What's in the collection? I'll tell you!

• Elevating Shampoo: Properly cleansed and flexible hair is the fabric essential to create beautiful volume. This decadent sulfate-free formula infused with Lavender, Wisteria, Jasmine & Violet imparts a fresh, lightweight finish.

• Nourishing Conditioner: Violet and Lavender Extracts prevent dry, itchy scalp while soothing and balancing hair. Wheat and Soy Proteins improve strength and manageability while adding fullness and shine.

• Thickening Gel Creme: This formula will promote impeccable fullness with amazing manageability and shine. A blend of Jasmine, Violet and UV filters helps protect hair while making it feel thicker and healthier.

• Root Boost Spray: This fine mist foam delivers the lift and support essential for a long lasting, dramatic style. The active ingredients add strength, elasticity and smoothness while thickening, moisturizing and conditioning hair.

• Weightless Shine Spray: The finishing touch for any voluminous style is healthy shine. This practically weightless spray eliminates frizz while adding luminous shine.

• Hard Hold Hairspray: The sheer, form-fitting finish keeps your style in place. Botanicals of Violet, Jasmine, Lavender and Wisteria, along with a UV barrier help protect hair “on location” and throughout the seasons.

So if you're lookin for a volume boost, go check out Your Highness by Catwalk! Treat yourself, and your hair like a queen... your highness. ;-)

Source: behindthechair.com

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TIGI Catwalk Fast-Fixx Review

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Today I'm reviewing TIGI Catwalk Fast-Fixx, a lightweight leave-in conditioner. I bought this in a 2-for-1 with Catwalk's Root Boost in "Biggie" sizes about a month ago (I tried to get a picture of the duo but I couldn't find one, sorry.), and I've been loving it ever since. Fast-Fixx is my go-to detangler because it's very light, conditions without weighing down hair, and smells quite delicious. The scent is actually very similar to Bed Head After Party. The label says Fast-Fixx is "A quick solution for unruly morning hair or changing your style from day to evening. Conditions, shines, and detangles between shampoos. Or use as a leave-in conditioner to control tangles and frizz after shampooing." Honestly, I don't think I've ever read the label before LOL! I've always used it as a leave-in, I never even thought to use it as a re-styler. I'll post an update after I've used it this way. So yeah, as a leave-in/detangler, it's really nice, and works on many different hair types so I highly recommend giving this a shot.

The first five ingredients are: Water, Amodimethicone, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Glycerin, and Polyquaternium-37. Amodimethicone is a silicone/amino compound, which conditions and adds shine to hair. I couldn't really find any helpful info on Distearyldimonium Chloride, but Left Brain from thebeautybrains.com says

"Distearyldimonium Chloride is a positively charged surfactant. It is typically used as a hair conditioning ingredient but it should have some moisturizing effect on the skin. Essentially, the positive charge interacts with negatively charged proteins on your skin, so the ingredient doesn't completely rinse off. This provides a nice feel to your skin's surface. It is typically produced synthetically but can also be made from animal by-products. (For PR reasons, producing it from animal parts is not really done in the cosmetic industry anymore.) It has a fine safety profile although some people may find it irritating to their skin."

Thanks Lefty! Moving on, Glycerin is a very commonly used humectant, and is used to lock in moisture to your hair and skin. Polyquaternium-37 is an emulsifier; it keeps all the ingredients together so they don't separate in the bottle.

The rest of the ingredients are mostly light conditioning agents and filler ingredients like Wild Cherry Bark Extract and Hops Extract. They also include Keratin Amino Acids, but at such a low dose I doubt it provides any benefit other than sounding nice. The consistency of this product is similar to watered down milk (it even kind of looks like it too), and while this is a very light product, it may be a little too light for thicker/coarser hair types, so if that's the kind of hair you have you might want to go to a salon that uses Catwalk products and have them try it out on you before you purchase it. If you do buy it, or already own it, I suggest using Fast-Fixx after shampooing and lightly conditioning your hair. Then dry your hair until it is damp and spray Fast-Fixx about 6 inches away from your hair, making sure you get underneath your hair as well, then comb it all through using a wide-tooth comb.

Catwalk Fast-Fixx is available in a 200 ml or 8 oz size, and usually retails for about $13-$15. I've never seen the Biggie size for sale on it's own, it's usually in a duo with a Biggie Root Boost or another product so keep your eyes open for those. Hopefully my review helped you guys, and if you do decide to try Fast-Fixx or already use it or have used it, let me know how it worked for you! I'll talk to you all soon and take care of your hair! =D ...read more ⇒