Rockaholic Rock My World Stellar Smoothing Cream Review

Hey guys! Today I'm reviewing a new addition to the TIGI Rockaholic line: Rock My World Stellar Smoothing Cream, because I just don't have enough smoothing products. Is there such a thing? ...No, there can't be! Anyway, this recently came out along with Dirty Secret Dry Conditioner. That sounds weird, right? I'll review that next. The label on Rock My World reads: "This stellar cream goes on wet or dry hair while protective barriers help prevent thermal damage. Light hold keeps hair smooth & sends good vibrations your way!" My first thought? I thought it sounded an awful lot like After Party, and to be honest they are pretty similar, but different. Mostly because this product looks much less phallic then After Party does. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just saying. Also, thank you to the person who pointed that out to me, and now that's all I can think of when I see it. No, but they are different aside from that. I'll explain after we go through the ingredients.

The full ingredient list:

Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, PVP, Polyacrylamide, Propylene Glycol, VP/VA Copolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Bismuth Oxychloride, C13-14 Isoparaffin, PEG-8 Methicone, Phenoxyethanol, Castor Seed Oil, Mica, Fragrance, Sodium PCA, Laureth-7, Dimethicone PEG-8 Meadowfoamate, Panthenol, Methylisothiazolinone, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, CI 17789 (Titanium Dioxide).

Without the fluff:

Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, PVP, Polyacrylamide, Propylene Glycol, VP/VA Copolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Bismuth Oxychloride, C13-14 Isoparaffin, PEG-8 Methicone, Castor Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Laureth-7, Dimethicone PEG-8 Meadowfoamate, Panthenol.

Water: the base of almost every haircare product. Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-8 Methicone, Dimethicone PEG-8 Meadowfoamate, are all conditioning silicones. Some are stronger than others, but they all balance out when you throw in cyclopentasiloxane. I think I've covered all of those in previous posts, so if you're wondering about a specific silicone, just use the search function on the top right of my blog. C13-14 Isoparaffin, and Polyacrylamide are thickening agents. Castor Seed Oil is an occlusive coniditoning agent, usually found in skincare products but it's not unheard of to be in haircare. It forms a barrier on the hair/skin's surface preventing moisture loss. Sodium PCA is an anti-static agent, and a humectant, which is perfect for a product like this. Laureth-7 is an emulsifying agent; it's used to blend everything together. PVP and VP/VA Copolymer gives a light hold, almost like you wouldn't know if they didn't tell you. Bismuth Oxychloride kind of threw me off, because I don't remember seeing it anywhere else. It's actually used to give products that pretty pearlescent effect. Apparently it's used in a lot of mineral makeup too, and some people are like allergic or sensitive to it. So if your mineral makeup makes you itch, this might be why.

Now, on to the differences between Rock My World and After Party. The biggest one is that RMW does give hold, however slight, and AP doesn't. This actually does make a difference, because RMW will smooth your hair and keep it together, while AP mostly just smooths and adds shine to your hair. There's definitely more of a "slippery" feeling with AP, because it's SO conditioning, and I don't really get that with RMW. However, some who feel that AP makes their hair "too soft" will probably like RMW, because it makes your hair a more naturally soft feeling. Something that's also interesting, AP directions say to use it on dry hair, when RMW says you can use it on wet or dry hair. I feel like AP got it backwards, because it works great in wet hair, but I feel like it's a bit heavy on dry hair... but maybe that's just me. RMW works great in either wet or dry hair, btw. So, it's not that one is better than the other, they're just different - but similar. Also, the scents are way different. RMW's scent is "blackberry amber" - it's delish! And AP's scent is "fruit medley" ...? I don't know, but it does smell fruity, and it's one of my favorite scents so.

Rock My World is probably best for fine/normal - normal/coarse hair. I don't think people with very coarse hair will get much out of it, and I think it might be a bit too heavy for people with fine hair. It's also a good product to cocktail with other smoothing/shine products.

Cocktail: (v) to mix two hair products together, to combine the effects of both. Most commonly done with conditioners.

Rockaholic Rock My World Stellar Smoothing Cream comes in a 3.46 oz / 98 g bottle, and retails for around $19.

That was kind of a long one! By the way, my birthday is this month. I'll be 21 - yay! Take care of your hair, and try to stay warm!

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It's a 10 Miracle Styling Serum Review

Hey everyone! In my huge hair product menagerie, the products I seem to have the most of are serums. Most of them are either good, okay, or not that great. But there are few that are truly GREAT! It's a 10 Miracle Styling Serum falls into that category. Seriously, I probably have over 20 "serum" type products, and I really only love a few of them.

As a brand, It's a 10 kind of annoys me with their overuse of the word "miracle." All their products are miracles... I mean, it's a great brand, but their products certainly aren't miracles... they're just effective. But somehow, I don't think "It's Effective" would have the same brand power. Also, the claim that every product "does 10 things instantly" is a bit bloated. So if anyone with any pull at the It's a 10 company is reading this, your products are great! You don't need all these fluffy claims! Seriously, It's a 10 could come in packaging a la Living Proof or evo, and still fly off the shelves. Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising: the kind money can't buy.

Am I getting preachy? Sorry. Moving on, let's look at the ingredients:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Argan Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit (Buriti) Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Fragrance/Parfum.

De-fluffed:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Argan Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit (Buriti) Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer.

See? Not a miracle, just a quality product. Cyclopentasiloxane conditions and protects hair, and as a base helps to break up other heavy silicones like dimethicone. C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is an emollient (moisturizer). Argan oil is in everything lately! I've reviewed I think three products that contain it! It's chock full of vitamins and it's great for your skin and hair. Buriti (bu-REE-chee) oil is insanely rich in emollients and essential fatty acids, not to mention it has more beta carotene than carrot oil! I've decided that Buriti oil is definitely not fluff. Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer moisturizes, and regulates consistency and viscosity of products.

Now just like I did with It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, I'll go through the 10 claims individually:

• 1) Adds shine: Definitely!
• 2) Controls frizz: Definitely!
• 3) Seals the cuticle: I'm sure it helps to smooth the cuticle, making hair feel softer and reflecting more light (#1).
• 4) Nourishes the hair: With both Argan and Buriti oil, I'm sure your hair will get some nourishment!
• 5) No build up: I'm not touching this one. Some say cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone are water-soluble, depending on the formula, but others say they're not. You decide.
• 6) Resists humidity: Kinda sounds like #2 + #3 combined to me, but I have to agree.
• 7) Smoothes the hair: See #3.
• 8) Protects color: Yes. The combination of natural oils and conditioning silicones will for sure protect your color.
• 9) Alcohol free: Definitely! Though that's more of a selling point, not a claim.
• 10) Creates slip: See #1, #2, #3, and #7.

See what I mean about some of the claims being... err... a bit "stretched." Doesn't mean it's a bad product, nor does it mean it's a bad company. I just think they try a bit too hard. Just a bit. Oh! And the scent! It's...divine...like some exotic Brazilian perfume. I wish I was better at detecting fragrance notes, so I could describe it better, but you have to smell this stuff! I think you'll agree with me. Let me put it this way: it's like a deeper, more sensuous version of the way the leave-in fragrance smells. That's like, the only way I can describe it while making any sense at all.

It's a 10 Miracle Styling Serum comes in a 4 fl oz / 120 ml bottle, and the MSRP is $25.

Another review... done! Take care of your hair, and try and stay warm! It's getting chilly out!

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Vavoom Design Pulse Glow to Pieces Shine Wax Review

Hi all! Today I'm reviewing one for the boys, or you know... anyone that likes shine wax. It's Glow to Pieces shine wax, from Vavoom's "Design Pulse" collection of cool, edgy hair products. I've used this product off and on since I got it, and I'm thinking this is definitely going to be a repurchase. It works, it smells nice, and a little goes a very long way.

Personally, when I reach for wax I don't always use shine wax. I usually like something with a bit more hold, and more of a natural/matte finish. But once in a while, I like to leave my hair in a touchable, almost natural state. Almost, because I don't like it when my hair has nothing in it. It feels too... soft. I need just the slightest bit of texture in it, and that's when I grab Glow to Pieces. It gives a soft hold, while adding shine and texture. I have it in my hair right now, and when I run my fingers through it, I can barely tell I have anything in my hair.

My personal opinion aside, let's take a look at the ingredients:

Water, Steareth-20, Isoceteth-20, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Oleth-5, AMP-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Oleth-10 Phosphate, PVP, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Metyhylparaben, Corn Starch Modified, Aminomethyl Propanol, Propylparaben, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Nylon-12, Polyurethane-6, Benzyl Alcohol, CI 19140/Yellow 5, CI 14700/Red 4.

The de-fluffed list:

Water, Steareth-20, Isoceteth-20, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Oleth-5, AMP-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Oleth-10 Phosphate, PVP, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Corn Starch Modified, Aminomethyl Propanol, Nylon-12, Polyurethane-6.

The whole product is basically water, a lot of flexible, pliable, film-formers with just a hint of hold and mineral oil. I'm not too crazy about mineral oil. To me, it's old fashioned and I think there are better substitutes for it... but mineral oil is cheap, so whatever. As long as it's in a low dose and not going near my face, I can deal with it. But that's just me. Oh, and when I was going through the fluff I noticed this product has geraniol, which can irritate people with fragrance allergies. Just a heads up.

On a scale of 1-5, (1 = barely there & 5 = cement) I'd definitely give it a 1, with the possibility of being a 2 depending on how much you use. A pea-sized amount works just fine for my short hair. Glow to Pieces can also be used on long hair, to add shine, control frizzies, and enhance the look of layers. Just remember, a pea. Use more if you want to get a funky, textured, straight outta bed look. Always try different things! It's just hair, have fun with it.

Vavoom Design Pulse Glow to Pieces Shine Wax comes in a 50 ml / 1.7 oz pot, and the MSRP is $17 I believe.

There's always more to come, so keep reading and take care of your hair!

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