Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo Review

As I have mentioned in the past, I have psoriasis…on my scalp. Womp, womp. This means that I sporadically develop red, irritated patches on my scalp that peel, flake, and are generally painful. I’ll spare you the gross side details (you’re welcome). Psoriasis flares up on many people as the weather turns drier and mine is no exception, which means that my scalp is a hot mess right now. A hot, itchy, flaking, painful mess.

I had heard good things in general about Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Special Shampoo, but also heard that it has the potential to work wonders for dandruff and other dry scalp issues. Naturally, I was intrigued.

Courtesy of Paul Mitchell

One or two customers (remember, I teach but also work retail) told me that they felt this shampoo “burned” their skin, but I was pretty sure that they were describing the tingling that was meant to occur. Undeterred, I purchased the liter.

Here are the details on the shampoo, courtesy of Paul Mitchell:

“Basics: Special ingredients and tea tree oil rid hair of impurities.

Benefits: Leaves hair full of vitality and luster.

Bonus: The refreshing tingle gives you a breath of fresh hair.

Details:  Natural tea tree oil, peppermint and lavender invigorate your scalp and leave hair smelling great. Color-safe formula.”

I used the shampoo multiple times with my Healthy Sexy Hair soy conditioner in order to get a true feel for the shampoo. I felt like I needed a little more of it than my regular shampoo, but I think that’s just because it doesn’t lather up as much. When I tried to use more one time, I ended up using too much and having gross hair because it couldn’t all wash out (so don’t do that). It has a clean, refreshing scent and tingles (not burns!) as it sits on the scalp. I find that it helps my psoriasis on days where it’s acting up some, but is certainly no miracle worker or cure. I can see this shampoo being a tad drying on regular hair/scalps if used daily, so I would suggest simply using it a few times a week for most people. I like the scent o f the tea tree, peppermint, and lavender, but my fiancé says it makes my hair smell like medicine. Pssh.

I got this on sale, so I can’t remember how much I paid for it. You can purchase the Tea Tree Special Shampoo and other Paul Mitchell products on the company website or at specialty retailers (salons, Ulta, etc.).

“Beach Beauty” July 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag Review & Swatches

Glam Bag time! I love coming home from work and finding that bright pink shipping bag propped up against my door waiting for me.  🙂  July’s theme is “Beach Beauty,” which is perfect because I’m heading to the beach soon (woohoo!).

As soon as I opened up the shipping pouch, I got hit with the smell of plastic. Ew. It turns out that the smell was coming from this month’s bag, which is a hot pink jelly plastic bag. No thank you! It’s not that cute and it stinks. I’m valuing it at only about $1 because it smells and I don’t like it. Good thing it was filled with fun goodies!

To be honest, I was a little mixed in feelings when I opened my bag. I had gotten an email saying Benetint (by Benefit) was a featured product of this month’s bag. I figured that, as such, it would be one of the products that ends up in every bag…nope. Scowl. I have wanted to try Benetint for ages! I’m not very skilled at blending out quick-dry liquids though, so not receiving Benetint could actually be an okay thing.

First up, another product I have been wanting to try – Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray. According to Ulta’s site, this “Soy Renewal Beach Spray provides body, fullness and light hold while helping to nourish, protect and heal hair damage with the power of Argan Oil.  It creates undone texture that looks and feels like you¿ve spent a day by the sea.” It’s listed as a texturizer but also has conditioning properties – snazzy! The full size bottle is 5.1 oz and retails for $19.95; my bottle is a third of the size at 1.7 oz, so I value it at about $6.65.

I was pleasantly surprised by this Beach Spray! That little nozzle packs a punch – the first time I sprayed it I was too close and had one very saturated spot of hair. Holding it at more of a distance gives a nice, even spritz. The bottle says that this product can be used on wet or dry hair. I shampoo and condition my hair and then let it air dry without products, so I’ve only used this on dry hair. Some reviews I’ve spotted have said that using this on wet hair can cause it to dry snarled and sticky. I had no such problems with dry hair. I spray a little on the underside of my hair and tousle it, then flip my hair over and do the same on the top. The spray gives my hair a tiny bit of volume (although it is not long lasting for me), gives me a little texture, and makes my hair feel and smell nice. No big, dramatic results here, but I still like it. Would I purchase it in full size? Ehhh…maybe if I had a coupon or something. I’m taking this little guy to the beach with me as one of my main hair products though!

The next item out of my bag was the Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt from Pop Beauty. This lip crayon comes in a pack of six on the Pop Beauty website, so I’d value my single product at $4.17.

According to Pop Beauty, “these extra-nourishing balms gently bounce onto lips, creating a plumped & pillowy pout and leaving them with luscious, long-lasting colour in a super-smooth texture.” I swatched this first on my hand, just running the crayon back and forth a few times –

The majority of balms I’ve tried have been sheer, with just a touch of color – this one packs a punch compared to most balms! I’d say it’s more like a lipstick than a balm. I like the color I received; although not an everyday shade for me, the bubble-gummy pink is a pretty one.

Natural light

Indoor lighting w/ flash

While I wouldn’t say this crayon “bounced” onto my lips, it did apply very smoothly and with fairly even pigmentation. I used a few swipes and the crayon made it easy to control where the product was ending up. I was a little concerned that I’d have to sharpen the crayon, but the end twists the product up out of the tube. The crayon didn’t moisturize my lips but also did not dry them out. The color also lasted longer than some lipsticks I’ve tried. Overall, I like this product but would like it more if it could be bought singly instead of as part of a six pack.

Ipsy also partnered with bh Cosmetics this month, which is a brand I had never heard of until I received my bag. bh has three California themed eye shadow and blush palettes – Hollywood, San Francisco, and Malibu. Instead of sending a single shadow or a full-sized palette, Ipsy met in the middle by sending a mini palette comprised of one shade from each palette.

Hollywood appears to be a deep purple shadow but is actually fairly sheer and not as deep as it appears. It took a lot of passes to build up the color with this shade. San Francisco is a light, sparkly brown shadow and is, like Hollywood, pretty sheer. Malibu is a golden shimmer, the most pigmented of the three shades, and my favorite of the trio.

Indoor lighting

Shade

These shadows were meh for me. The colors chosen from each palette for this sampler were good choices color-wise in that they form a pretty eye together. However, the pigmentation was less than I like and the shadows weren’t very easy to work with – they felt a bit dry and weren’t very smooth to apply. You can purchase the full-sized bh palettes online for $17.95, although they’re currently on sale for $9.95. I’d value the Ipsy trio at around $2 based on an average of the full-sized pricing.

Next out of my bag was a sample-sized Rose Essence Tinted Moisturizer mineral sunscreen by Coola organic suncare. Here is Coola’s description of this product –

Keep the sun and environment at bay with this SPF 20 broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen, a tinted, light Rose scented, Titanium Dioxide based formula (for those who are Zinc sensitive) made with 98% natural ingredients. Organic Acai Oil – high in Omegas-3/6/9, Vitamins B1/2/3, plus antioxidant Vitamins C and E – delivers a powerful defense against aging. Organic Sunflower Seed Extract promotes elasticity while organic Linseed Oil, containing Alpha-Linolenic Acids, reduces redness and irritation. The phyto-protector Plankton Extract rejuvenates, as organic Cucumber Extract calms skin.

• Hypoallergenic
• Paraben Free
• Ultra Sheer
• Anti-Aging
• Water Resistant (40 minutes)

This sample size is about 1/7 of the size of the actual product at only .23 oz. I am heading to the beach in a little over a week and decided to hold onto this until then to use in place of makeup in the early evenings. I did dot some onto my hand though to test the consistency, look, etc.

Dotted and blended out to the right

Dotted and blended out to the right

This product comes out of the tube tinted but does apply very sheer. I could tell where it was blended on my hand because it had a slight color difference and a little shimmer, but you’d have to know where to look to notice. The product smelled nice and felt smooth against skin. I really like that this product is hypoallergenic and free of parabens, making it more skin-friendly – plus it contains anti-agers and skin soothers! The SPF is a little low and its wear time isn’t very long so I wouldn’t depend on this for actual sunscreen if you burn easily or want maximum skin protection (hence my saving it for early evening instead of prime beach-time). The big downside to this product in my book? The price. A 1.7 oz bottle will set you back $36.00…yikes.

Last but not least is one of my favorite products from the bag – Nailtini’s Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Mai Tai, a shade described on the site as a “vibrant sunrise coral.”

I had never heard of Nailtini before (despite being a polish junkie), but knew I liked the brand as soon as I read their description online –

Welcome to the ‘Tini Bar, stocked with top-shelf cosmetics inspired by
“cocktailing.” Wear them alone or layered to create custom looks and colors …
whatever you feel like stirring up. Enjoy, and as always, apply responsibly.

Cocktail-inspired polish? Sounds good to me! I applied two coats of Mai Tai over a base coat for the swatches below.

Direct sunlight

W/ flash

Shade

I love this polish! It was smooth and a dream to apply. Mai Tai dried quickly to a beautiful shine – swatches above are without a top coat.  The polish wore well and the shade is beautiful! It’s a very orange-y version of coral, but the “sunset” description is spot on. Now if only I had a Mai Tai to drink while wearing this… This polish retails for $13.00.

“Beach Beauty” was a really nice bag full of great summertime products. Glam Bags are $10 a month – about $9 for me because I signed up for a yearly subscription. This bag retails at just over $31 total. I believe there is currently a waitlist, but if you sign up for Ipsy I’d really appreciate it if you used my recommendation link! – http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hfomrhebjvjd1ntm

 

Making Waves! Hair Waves, That Is

I have long, naturally stick-straight hair. For someone who has a lot of hair, I’m surprisingly low-maintenance about it. I wash it, condition it, air dry it, and brush it. My hair tends to annoy the living daylights out of me when it’s down, so it’s usually in a pony or bun. Sometimes a braid if I’m feeling motivated or fancy. I don’t dye, blow-dry, curl, straighten, or use any products in my hair aside from Biosilk Silkening serum or spray/leave-in conditioner. I only get it cut maybe two times a year and, when I do, my stylist gives up on trying to blow-dry it with volume after about twenty minutes because it’s so heavy and uncooperative.

When I’m feeling super motivated or extra bored with my hair, I use the only styling tool that my hair will agree to cooperate with – a waver. Years ago, I bought a big three-barrel waving iron so that I could fake that glamorous beach-hair you see on some people. To my surprise, my hair didn’t straighten itself out immediately like it does with curls! It turns out that with a little hairspray and a lot of patience, my hair will hold the waves all day before straightening itself out the next day.

Yesterday was one of those days where I hated my hair and just wanted it to hold a style. I remembered my waver buried deep in my bathroom cabinents and dusted it off. I divided my hair into a billion sections and got to work. As usual, I hated my life halfway through – I was hot, my arm was tired, and there was no end in sight. But I was interested in how I looked with my hair half straight, half waved because it really shows how different my hair and I look with just a little styling! So I snapped a picture so you could see too. Please ignore my makeup-free face and zebra bathrobe.

I was ready to just put my hair in a bun and call it a day, but it was too obvious when I pulled my hair back that half of it was wavy and half of it was not. I heaved a big sigh, wiggled my arms around a little, and finished the looonnng task of doing my whole head.

You can see the waves on my right side starting to lose some of the wave already, but it stayed like that for the rest of the day and night. I loved how my hair looked and kept flipping it around like “Look at my hair! I belong on a tropical beach!,” but still don’t think it’s worth doing often because of how freakin long it takes. How do people have the patience to curl their hair? I would stop with half my head done like I almost did yesterday, haha.

What do you think suits me best – wavy or naturally straight? Do you ever wave your hair so you can feel like a beach babe? What hair products help your style stay put?

Want Silky Hair? Biosilk Silk Therapy Review

If you’re a reader, you know how low-maintenance I am with my hair. If you’re a new reader, here’s the deal – I don’t really do anything with my hair. It’s long, fairly thick, and refuses to ever do what I want it to. It doesn’t even hold style for my hairdresser, much to her disgruntlement. Part of the reason is because it’s pretty darn healthy – I wash, air dry, and brush. Sometimes I deep condition. I don’t use color and rarely use styling products or heat tools. Still, all hair needs some extra lovin once in awhile.

Enter Biosilk Silk Therapy. According to the back of the bottle, this product is “a weightless, leave-in silk replenishing and reconstructing treatment to repair, smooth, and protect hair types.” This clear serum is designed for use on wet or dry hair – just shake the bottle, put some serum in your palms, and finger-comb through. Below are bottle shots, followed by photos of the product itself. I’ve been using this for a bit, hence the empty space at the top of the bottle.

5.6 oz bottle in hand for sizing

Poured into hand

Product remaining on hand after application

As you can see, this is an oily-looking serum. This means that a little goes a long way – I start with a little and add more as needed. I also only apply it on dry hair, although you can apply it while your hair is wet; I find that it’s hard for me to gauge how much I have on my hair when wet. Below are some before and after shots of my hair – check the captions:

Before, no flash

Before w/ flash

After

After

The pros:

1. It leaves my hair feeling silky and smooth. All my little flyaways calmed down.
2. It doesn’t weigh my hair down after application.
3. It has a light, salon smell. I don’t know how to describe salon smell, so I’m hoping you just know what I mean. If not, sorry.
4. You can apply to wet or dry hair, depending on your preference.
5. You just apply with your hands, which is great for a no-fuss hair girl like myself.
6. A little goes a long way (this may also be a con if you’re heavy-handed).

The cons:

1. Too much makes your hair look oily. The bottle suggests starting at your scalp, but it makes the top of my head look greasy if I do that – the main body of my hair absorbs the product much better.
2. It can take a minute to absorb, so you may think you applied too much initially.
3. A lot of the product seems to stay on the palms of your hands after application. You’ll probably want to wash your hands after so that you don’t leave little Biosilk handprints around your house.
4. The ingredients list alcohol (which can be drying – odd for a protecting product) and parabens (which some people like to steer clear of for possible health reasons).
5. You need to remember to shake it before use so that the product mixes and works the way it’s supposed to.

My verdict? I love this Silk Therapy for my hair  🙂   It says ideal for all hair types, but I’m not buying that – I think that this could be too much for fine hair unless used with a light touch. I also don’t think you should apply it to the scalp area so that you don’t look oily. For me though, this product is a nice way to fight any winter dryness and make my hair feel soft and manageable. The bottle says only for sale through professional salons, but I’ve spotted this at Walmart. You can also purchase through salons and beauty retailers. Price differs by store and bottle size; my 5.6 oz. bottle is labeled around $25, but it was a gift from my mom and I think she got it at Walmart for less. You can also buy Biosilk through online retailers like Amazon, but some buyers have reported receiving knock-offs, so purchase with caution.

Related articles

• Feeling Sexy? Big Sexy Hair Weightless Moisture Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner Review (wayfaringbeauty.com)
• Hair a Knotted Mess? Try Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Detangler (wayfaringbeauty.com)
• Got dry hair? Try this MAGIC OIL!!! (rachdela.wordpress.com)

Feeling Sexy? Big Sexy Hair Weightless Moisture Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner Review

I have long, stick-straight hair. It’s kind of thick and heavy, and essentially does what it wants without any regard for what I want it to do. I’ve tried many shampoos and conditioners in the past, hoping to find the miracle duo that would give me bouncy hair, full of volume and oomph. Alas, I have yet to find one. Today’s review is another step in that journey.

To be fair, I think a lot of the problem is just how much hair I have. A few months ago it was all one length and almost to my waist. I went to my hairdresser for a trim and she was like “You have SO much hair! We’re getting rid of some of this, and that’s that.” She went crazy with her scissors, chopping long layers in and taking length off; by the time she was done, it was like a hair murder scene around the chair – hair everywhere! My hairdresser (who has a pixie cut, I might add) was happy with the cut but still grumbling that I wouldn’t let her chop all of my hair off. She tried and tried to blow dry some volume into my hair with a round brush for at least half an hour; a curling iron also resulted in straight hair that looked the same as it had pre-styling. That’s just my hair.

Undeterred, I snagged liters of Big Sexy Hair Weightless Moisture Extra Volumizing Shampoo and Volumizing Conditioner on one of my last trips to Ulta. Why do prestige/salon items have the longest names in the world? I wish I could tell you. The liters are usually in the $20-something range and were on sale for like $16. Sold! I also got salon pumps for each liter because I didn’t want to waste product trying to squirt just enough product into one hand while trying to balance the liter in the other. Chances are that I’d drop a liter and lose half the bottle down the drain because that’s how graceful I am.

The shampoo and conditioner are made without sulfates, gluten, or parabens. Does that really make a difference? To some people, yes. Sulfates are chemicals that make your shampoo bubbly, or what are basically what give it a lather (yes, your head can get squeaky clean though without said lather). Sulfates have also been linked to drying out hair, making color not last as long, and irritation on sensitive scalps. Some dermatologists also suggest it can make your skin break out. Sulfates have been around a long time, including in baby shampoo, but “sulfate-free” has been cropping up more and more as people have moved towards more natural products. Both sulfates and parabens (a chemical used to inhibit bacterial growth) have been linked to the deterioration of the hair follicle, which means more dry, brittle hair for some. Some scientists also claim that parabens can cause cancer through its interactions with bodily hormones, although other scientists dismiss such claims. Lastly, people with Celiac disease/gluten sensitivity may have a bodily reaction to gluten products in general, not just from ingesting foods with gluten – hence the gluten-free label here. Phew! That was exhausting. Let’s move on.

The pros:

1. Both products have a fresh, almost citrus salon smell. Mmm!
2. My hair needs less detangler and is shinier after using the shampoo and conditioner together.
3. My hair is healthy because I wash it, let it air dry, and brush it later after detangler sits in it for awhile; I don’t use other styling products or heated tools. However, my hair looks a bit healthier after using these products, as though it’s more nourished or something.
4. The pumps make using the liters easy. That’s more a reflection of the pumps than the products, but I still wanted to include it so that you get the pumps if you purchase the shampoo/conditioner. Do itttt.
5. My hair feels smoother. Less flyaways = happy Jay.

The cons:

1. I know my hair is clean, but I’m not used to my shampoo not really lathering. I used a lot more than necessary the first few days because I was like what the heck, where are the bubbles?
2. I didn’t get any extra volume out of these products. None. Nada. Zilch. A little more movement, but no volume. Sigh. I think people with finer hair would have better results there.
3. I’m not sure if it’s because my hair is more moisturized or what, but I feel like I need to shampoo every day. With other shampoos, my hair would still look fresh the morning after a wash – with this, it starts to look a little oily by the next day. Not a lot, but a smidge. People with naturally oily hair may want to steer clear of these products.

My verdict? I like the shampoo and conditioner so far. I don’t find the volumizing claims to be true, but I’m not super surprised about that. I don’t buy into all of the hype going around about sulfate/gluten/paraben products, but my hair does look a bit different after switching – it’s hard to say whether that’s attributable to the lack of those chemicals or the product formula though. These liters will last me awhile, so I have time to decide whether or not I’ll rebuy. Chance are that I’ll try something else just because I’m a shampoo/conditioner jumper. You can buy Sexy Hair products on the company website, at certain salons, and at beauty specialty stores like Ulta; prices range depending on product size.

Have you gone sulfate/paraben free? Do you notice a difference? What do you think of Sexy Hair products?

Hair a Knotted Mess? Try Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Detangler

I’m a no-fuss hair person. I wash and condition my hair in the shower, let it air dry, and then brush it sometime later. Every now and then I put some silkening serum in it. Like I said, no fuss.
However, sometimes my long hair becomes a big, tangly mess after I shower and let it dry itself. And then I cringe and whine like a baby trying to pick the knots out. Or get impatient and end up yanking hair out. Eesh. It was time to look for my old childhood friend, detangler.

I didn’t want to spend a small fortune on a detangler when I already use high-end silkening serums, so I headed over to my local Walmart and started browsing. I finally settled on Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Detangler. According to the bottle, this product contains nutra-oils designed to lightly condition for smooth, manageable hair.

When it’s upright you can see the separation of the oil from the rest of the product

The directions say to apply to wet or dry hair – I decided to apply it to damp hair so that it could absorb and work through knots before my hair was already a snarled mess. You just shake the bottle to mix the oil back into the product and spritz. Easy peasy.

The pros:

1. My hair is easier to brush through after using this product. I went through a bottle in about 2 months and the photos are of my 2nd bottle.
2. The oil base conditions as it detangles (although lightly).
3. It’s cheap!

The cons:

1. I haven’t put it on dry hair, but I imagine that you would have to do so with a light touch to prevent your hair from looking too oily or greasy.
2. I’ve heard some people are put off by the scent but I haven’t noticed one. My guess is either my sense of smell is limited or they’re using a lot more product than I am.

My verdict? Well, I am on my 2nd bottle. It’s not some amazing miracle product that I can’t live without, but it certainly makes my long hair more manageable and brush-friendly. I snagged this at Walmart for a little under $4/6.1 fl. oz. It’s also available online for between $6-$10. If you live near a store that sells mass hair products, I’d suggest just popping your head in to see if they carry this product instead of spending more on it online (plus shipping!).