KMS Hairstay Style Boost Review

Hey everyone! Today I'm reviewing what may be the coolest hair product ever! It's KMS Hairstay Style Boost Weightless Style Foundation. It's a totally innovative product that can best be described as hair primer. Seriously, you put it in your hair and it makes your products last up to 3x longer, at least that's what the label says. I don't know what they base that on, but I could definitely tell that whatever products I use with this (especially volumizing products) last a LOT longer than they usually do.

But the really cool part is the way this product works: it comes out as a foam, then BAM! It starts crackling and cools in your hand, and when it's done you emulsify it in your hands and it turns into a clear liquid with kind of a lotion consistency. It's totally awesome! Okay, I know you're like... what the @#$% are you talking about?! But I'm serious, and to show you how cool it is, I made a little video demonstrating the product for you!

It's cool right?! I've seriously never seen anything like this before. Let's take a look at the ingredients of this awesome product:

Water, Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Dimethyl Ether, Trisiloxane, Polyquaternium-68, Pomegranate Extract, Black Pepper Seed Extract, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Benzophenone-4, Ammonium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sorbitol, PCA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Methylisothiazolinone, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Fragrance.

And without the fluff:

Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Dimethyl Ether, Trisiloxane, Polyquaternium-68, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Benzophenone-4, Ammonium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sorbitol, PCA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil,

Hydrofluorocarbon 152a and Dimethyl Ether are propellants. They make the product shoot out of the aerosol can - whoosh! Trisiloxane and Benzophenone-4 are UV filters. Polyquaternium-68 (Luviquat Supreme as it's known in the chemical industry) is a fascinating ingredient. It's a cationic film-former that smooths and conditions the cuticle, and adds body and hold. This is especially useful for curly hair, because the film will keep curls intact in extremely high humidity + the hold will not fade. When it's combined with Panthenol, it adds more shine and softness (so the hold isn't too firm), as well as elasticity. But don't worry, even with all that going for it, polyquaternium-68 is completely water-soluble. Now, do you see all those ingredients with the word "acid" in them? They're a group called Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA) Sound familiar? I've talked about them before in my KMS Makeover Spray review. Ammonium Hydroxide is used as a stabilizer. Glycerin and PCA are humectants, along with Sorbitol which is also a thickener.

So who would benefit from this product? Everyone! Especially curly hair and fine hair, trust me - you will LOVE this! It's even great used on it's own - but used with other products it totally rocks! I'm definitely buying another can or two of this, it's that good. Plus, it crackles! I've never thought a hair product could be fun to use... I wonder what they'll come up with next?

KMS Hairstay Style Boost comes in a 190 g/ 6.7 oz can and retails for about $17. I know I've been lacking reviews lately, but I'm really gonna try to put up some more! Oh and I have another tandem review with Recessionista coming up soon, so look out for that! Take care of your hair pretty people! XO

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CONTEST CLOSED

Thank you all for entering! The winner of the Hana Pink 1" Professional Flat Iron will be determined on 5/17 and notified ASAP. I'm so excited to see who wins! Hopefully this will be the first of many contests to come, so if you don't win, just enter the next one! :) Take care of your hair, loves!

Update 5/20: Congratulations Renee, I hope you love your iron! ♥

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Marrakesh Oil Review

Hey guys! Only 4 days left to enter the giveaway to win a 1" Pink Hana Professional Flat Iron, so go enter now and tell all your friends!!!

Today I'm reviewing Marrakesh Oil Hair Styling Elixir which promotes the use of Hemp and Argan oils. I've had it for a few months now and it's probably one of the best hair oils I've ever used! It makes my hair feel so soft and healthy, not to mention unbelievably shiny. Plus I love that it comes in a glass bottle. That's so rare these days, I really like it. I'll definitely be buying this again!

It's actually a simple product when you look at the ingredients:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Isopropyl Myristate, Aragan Kernel Oil, Hemp, Fragrance.

Really the only fluff in this product is the fragrance...which is interesting. It's like a mix of... well... honestly, it's hard to describe. The first thing that came to my mind (still does) is a pleasant mix of smoke and cookies. I know that's weird but it's the only way I can describe it! It kind of caught me off guard when I first used it, and I didn't think I liked it at first. But now, it's grown on me and I actually do like it. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't.

Look, I can sum this up easily: The first four ingredients are very effective conditioning silicones. Cyclopentasiloxane is great at protecting hair against heat and breakage, and it also breaks up other heavier silicones like Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, and Cyclomethicone. Isopropyl Myristate is the ester of isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid. It's an emollient that reduces the greasy feel of products by replacing other heavy ingredients. Argan oil and Hemp oil are both natural oils containing vitamins that are great for your skin and hair. Now they are in kind of low doses in this product (and a lot of other "natural" hair oils) but I think they do make a difference.

Who would benefit from this product? Anyone with dry or damaged hair, especially if you use heat tools a lot. I don't think this is really limited to a certain hair type; everyone can use it. Finer hair may need less then coarse hair, but that's true with a lot of products. Also, if you color your hair this is great for protecting your color and keeping it bright and vibrant.

Marrakesh Oil comes in a 2 0z. / 60 ml bottle and retails for around $15. Stay tuned for more reviews and another tandem review with Recessionista! Take care of your hair everyone! ♥

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Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum Review

Hey guys! Just to let you know that my contest for the Pink 1" Hana Professional Flat Iron is still going on until 5/16 so be sure to enter and tell all your friends!

Today I'm reviewing Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum with ThermalColor Complex to "Reconstruct, Restore, and Shine. Time-released Creatine and Keratin Protein Treatment. Provides Thermal Protection and Locks In All Hair Color" This is quite a versatile product, because you can use it as a conditioning hair serum, thermal protector, and color catalyst. Usually I'm skeptical of color catalysts, because a lot of them don't do anything, but I think this one works! What you do is add one drop of serum per mixed ounce of color (or lightener) and mix it in. For example: 4 oz. of color = 4 drops of serum. I've noticed that my colors, especially reds, have been depositing deeper and richer, and last a bit longer than normal. It's now a staple in my product menagerie.

Let's look at the ingredients:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, SD Alcohol 40-2, Fragrance, Jojoba Seed Oil*, Creatine, Keratin Amino Acids, Pear Fruit Extract, Cranberry Fruit Extract.

Without the fluff:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, SD Alcohol 40-2, Jojoba Seed Oil*, Creatine, Keratin Amino Acids.

A simple product, no? Towards the bottom of the label it says the asterisk (*) after Jojoba Seed Oil means Organic. It also says Pear and Cranberry are for aromatherapy purposes, it has food grade preservatives, no animal testing or ingredients, made with 25% PCR plastics, and uses soy inks! Wow, that's pretty cool!

So, by now you should know what the first three are, so I'll move on. Jojoba Seed Oil is an excellent emollient that adds a ton of moisture to dry hair and skin. Creatine is actually a protein derivative found in muscle tissue. Usually it's used in body-building supplements, but it appears that Loma has found a use for it in haircare as well. I talked about Keratin in my previous post about Rusk Keratin Smoothing Treatment, basically it's one of those ingredients that some people think works and some don't.

Who would I recommend this to? Everyone, especially if you're a home haircolor diva - and I know you're out there. Besides this being a great color catalyst, it's a great hair serum too. It adds a ton of healthy shine, protects against heat damage, and helps seal in haircolor. Plus it smells so good, like fruit punch! :)

Loma Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum comes in a 3.4 oz bottle and retails for around $17. There's also a bigger 12 oz bottle that retails for around $35.

Have YOU tried any Loma or Pearatin product? Or any other color catalysts? Comment and let me know!

Have a great weekend everyone, and take care of your hair!

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Rusk Pro Elements Keratin Smoothing Treatment Review+

Hey all! It's time for another review with my favorite beauty blogger Recessionista! If you're new to my blog, we've actually done this before. See our reviews on Sebastian Potion 9, and Joico K-PAK Reconstruct. I love doing stuff like this, it's so much fun! The product I'm doing this time is Rusk Pro Elements Keratin Smoothing Treatment and she's reviewing One 'n Only Brazilian Tech Keratin Smoothing Treatment, which is basically the knock off of this product. And I think it's brazenly obvious that this is a knock off considering the packaging is almost exactly the same...but whatevs! Anyway, check out her review, and YOU decide which one is for you!

This smoothing treatment is "a deep-penetrating treatment formulated with natural keratin, vitamins and proteins to help improve the strength of hair. Formulated for chemically or color-treated hair. Helps protect hair against heat during thermal styling. Keeps hair smooth and shiny." Interesting fact: both bottles say exactly the same thing. Even in the same font. Well anyway, that's mostly a bunch of nice words, but it is actually a great product. It smooths hair without leaving it feeling heavy or dirty. Let's take a look at the ingredients:

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Shea Butter, Grape Seed Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Honey, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol.

And the list de-fluffed:

Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Honey.

Before I say anything, let me just say I'm in looooove with how this smells. It's a coconut lovers heaven! Plus the scent lasts throughout the day without being obnoxious, I love that! :D

Okay so, basically what we have is some excellent conditioning silicones, emollients, and humectants. I've talked about a lot of these already, so I'll discuss some of the more uncommon ingredients. Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an emulsifier used to combine (emulsify) water and oil. Quaternium-91 is another excellent conditioning agent that softens hair and protects color. Keratin and Hydrolyzed Keratin are hair proteins that act like the same kind of protein found in human hair. There is some debate on whether or not they actually work, but they certainly don't hurt a product. And then there's honey. Not only is honey the only food in the world that doesn't spoil, it also has a myriad of uses - it's used in cooking, skin care, haircare, and more. In haircare, it's a humectant used as a moisturizing and conditioning agent, and as a thickener.

Who would I recommend this to? I think all hair types can benefit from this product, especially if you have a problem with smoothing and frizz control. Also, Recessionista pointed out that if you're having problems finding a leave-in smoothing product, try this! It rinses out of your hair and works just as well as a leave-in product! She also pointed out that the directions are extremely vague: "Apply to clean, damp hair. Massage in thoroughly. Leave in 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse and style." Yeah, THAT'S helpful. Well, if you want my opinion, I'd use this as a deep conditioner maybe every other time you shampoo your hair. You don't want to use it too much because it might over-condition your hair. I'd say when you use it, apply it in place of or after your normal conditioner and leave it in for the full 3 minutes (or more if you'd like). Personally I leave my conditioner in for the remainder of my shower, but that's just me.

Rusk Pro Elements Keratin Smoothing Treatment comes in a 150 g / 5.3 oz bottle and retails for around $16. Again, check out Recessionista's review and compare them for yourself. I'd say we both had similar experiences! How about you? Have you tried either the Rusk or the One 'n Only? Comment and let me know your experience!

Also, don't forget to enter my contest to win a Pink Hana Flat Iron! It's open for three more weeks, so tell all your friends! And take care of your hair everyone!

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HANA Pink 1" Professional Flat Iron Review+

*THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU ALL FOR ENTERING*

Hey everyone! Wellllll, I was lucky enough to be sent an awesome Hana flat iron to review, and I have to tell you... this iron is giving my GHD a run for its money. It's awesome! I was sent this iron from a representative at Misikko.com, one of the best retailers of professional flat irons I've ever seen. Misikko carries all the best flat irons: Hana, CHI, T3, GHD, you name it. They've got amazing deals, a ton of awesome products, and the best customer service I think I've ever come across. I've dealt with a lot of online retailers, and none of them have been as great as Misikko.

This iron (seen above, photo courtesy of Misikko) is in a lovely shade of pink and has 1" floating tourmaline ceramic plates with 5 different temperature settings ranging from 140-450° and it gets hot in like, 10 seconds - no joke. In case you don't know, floating plates mean the plates actually move with your hair, so you don't get those ugly creases typical flat irons can give. It also has an 8ft long swivel cord which I personally love because it's a lot less hassle, and the edges of the plates are curved! You can straighten, curl, or wave your hair with this iron! You all know how much I love versatility in my hair products. ;)

Okay, so while I was waiting for my iron to arrive, I decided to do some research on it... I can't help it, I just.. I have to. Haha, so anyway, a lot of the websites + people I've talked to who own it often compare it to the GHD IV Styler - saying it's just as good, if not better. This really made me skeptical because I L♥VE my GHD. To me, it is the best styling tool I've ever used. G H D = G O D. Can you tell I'm a fan? So when I got my Hana iron in the mail, I started using it/testing it/playing with it immediately, and I can honestly say that it is a serious contender with the GHD Styler.

So then I thought I should do some comparisons of my own with the Hana iron and the GHD. I discovered that though they are extremely similar, they both have certain strengths and weaknesses, in my own opinion, of course.

• First off, I love the way the Hana iron feels in my hand. It's very lightweight and ergonomically designed versus the very sleek look of the GHD, which isn't uncomfortable at all, but the Hana is designed better.
• A pro for the GHD, for me at least, is the constant heat setting. I think it's great because it prevents people from setting their irons to hotter temperatures than they need to.
• I think, after a LOT of testing, that I like the GHD for straightening hair a little bit better than the Hana. I noticed that the Hana requires a few passes of the iron to get it perfectly straight, versus like one or two with the GHD. But, I also noticed that the Hana works better with flat iron sprays than the GHD does.
• However, the Hana ROCKS at curling hair! You can do anything from tight sprial curls, to loose beachy waves with this iron. The GHD is good at it, but I think the Hana is better.
• As far as cost goes, I think they're both in the same league. A nice way to say it would be that these tools are investments, and they are, but to put it bluntly: they're expensive. But what I love about Hana and GHD is that they both have pretty awesome gift sets all the time, that are really worth your while, especially the Hana gift sets from Misikko. They've got a bunch and they're all really amazing deals!

In the end I was extremely impressed with my Hana flat iron. It works amazingly well on all hair types, and the price and quality is comparable with other professional flat irons. And if you're in the market for a new iron, there's good news!

I'M GIVING ONE AWAY!

ISN'T THAT AWESOME?!

My first giveaway! I'm so excited!!! The lucky winner will receive an amazing Hana 1" Pink Professional Flat Iron courtesy of Misikko.com! Just like the one in the picture! To enter, all you have to do is:

• Follow this blog using the Follow button on the right sidebar. (Required)
• Leave a comment with your name and a valid email address, and tell me what kind of iron you have now, if you do have one, and why you want the Hana Professional Flat Iron. (Required)

If you want extra bonus entries you can do any/all of these too! Please leave a comment for each individual extra entry, it's easier to count them that way.

• Follow @HeartStarBolt (me!) on Twitter! Comment this post with your username. (1 bonus entry)
• Follow @Misikko on Twitter! Comment this post with your username. (1 bonus entry)
• Tweet about the giveaway (one tweet per day): "Win a Pink Hana Professional 1" Flat Iron from @Misikko + @HeartStarBolt here: http://bit.ly/9pk55N" Comment with a link to your tweet! (1 bonus entry)
• Blog about this giveaway on your blog/website! Comment with a link to it! (3 bonus entries!!!)
• Join the Misikko Newsletter! Comment with the email you provided the newsletter. (3 bonus entries!!!)

You can enter from now until 5/16 at 11:59 PM CDT. The winner will be chosen on 5/17 via Random.org and notified the following day! I can't wait to see what happens! Good luck to you all and take care of your hair! XOXO

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Kenra Platinum Hot Spray Review

Hello, hello! Today I'm reviewing Kenra Platinum Hot Spray, ultimate thermal protection with long lasting, firm hold. On the Kenra Hold Index of 0 - 26 (none - super), Hot Spray has a hold index of 20. If I were to compare it to another product, I'd compare it to Redken Spray Starch 15... although I think I like Hot Spray more. Hot Spray is actually much more versatile than Spray Starch is: I can use it with any hot tool, the scent is more appealing (kind of fruity, maybe pineapple?) and I can also use it as a light hold hairspray. And when I use Spray Starch first of all I don't love the scent, and I find that it's a bit too wet when it sprays. I don't like using it with flat irons either - it just makes the hair too flat. I do like both Spray Starch and Hot Spray for curling and with hot rollers. But, if I'm gonna reach for one, I'd probably go for Hot Spray.

What's so awesome about Hot Spray? Let's take a peek at the ingredient list and find out. First the whole ingredient list:

SD Alcohol 40-2, Water, Vinyl Acetate/Crotonic Acid/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Polymer, Benzophenone-3, Fragrance, Disiloxane, Cyclomethicone, Aminomethyl Propanol, Potassium Hydroxide.

And when we take out the fluff, we're left with:

SD Alcohol 40-2, Vinyl Acetate/Crotonic Acid/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Polymer, Benzophenone-3, Disiloxane, Cyclomethicone.

Basically what we're left with is a bunch of long-winded ingredients that are hair fixatives (the first three), UV protection (Benzophenone-3), and silicone (Disiloxane + Cyclomethicone). I wish I could tell you why these ingredients have so many names, but I'm not a cosmetic chemist so I don't know. If any of my readers knows a cosmetic chemist and wants to ask them WTF is up with these names, that'd be great. :D

If you use any kind of hot tool on your hair, and I'm guessing most of you do because it's 2010 and freaking everybody does, then I strongly recommend giving Hot Spray a shot. It's rare that a product like this is so versatile that you can use it with any styling tool, usually if it's good for one tool, it sucks with the other. Curling irons, flat irons, rollers, whatevers, this product is great!

Kenra Platinum Hot Spray comes in a 8 fl oz / 237 ml bottle, and retails for $17 according to Kenra's website. If you really love it, they also make a liter refill size that retails for $45.

Stay tuned to see what I'll review next, and take care of your hair!

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