My Beauty Space : Product Reviews, Tips and Experiences

I just had a funny conversation with a friend at work about hair, you know as women do all the time when they are trying to decide what to do with their hair, whether it’s how to do it for a special event, getting it colored or styled a different way, or getting a dramatically different hair cut or going really short for example.

It’s a double review today!  I wanted to quickly review two hair products that I have recently used, one of which I have actually used before a few years ago and really liked and just recently repurchased and tried again still with high marks for performance, L’Oreal Color Vive Dry Defense 3 Minute Treatment, which is an uber-emollient and thick conditioner for those of us that color our hair, which quite often is anyone over the age of 35 or so since this is when we ladies tend to start noticing grey hairs.  For me, I was 32 when I noticed my first real grey hair.

I love L’Oreal hair care products, and usually theirs is the only home hair color I will buy and use because I think most other hair color products are inferior, but that’s just my opinion and personal taste.  The Color Vive 3 Minute Dry Defense Treatment is excellent for both right after you color, or also for the weeks following because it is so moisturizing and rich, but also because it contains a UV filter which helps to prevent against your color fading from the sun’s rays, one of the primary culprits of your hair color getting dull before it should.

It comes in a generous 6 oz. tube which lasts a long time because it is so rich and thick that only a small amount needs to be used at a time.  I remember the first time I used it I was amazed at how slippery it made the bottom of my shower because of it’s emollience, so be careful because it does make the shower floor very slick when using it.  It makes your hair so moisturized that you can comb right through it with no problem because it instantly detangles. 

I do notice a lot more shine after i use it to, and it seems to be manageable.  Now mind you, I have a thicker and more coarse hair texture, so this may not be the best product choice for those of you with thin or wispy hair because it may actually weight it down and be too moisturizing.

Now, for the review of Natural Instincts Hair Color by Clairol, which is not usually a hair care product line that I recommend.  However, I think they have a good thing in their Natural Instincts line, which is a non-permanent hair color that lasts several weeks, but does not permanently color the hairs on your head. 

It doesn’t contain ammonia, so while it is still slightly irritating to the scalp and still requires a little beating up of the hair to color it, it’s not quite as bad as those other permanent ones that have all the ammonia and other harsh ingredients in them so that they can be more permanent.  And honestly, I think it lasts quite a while, in fact, almost as long as the permanent ones, as long as you don’t wash your hair every day, like I don’t. 

It comes with an awesome after color conditioner that is better than L’Oreal’s after color conditioner in my opinion.  It imparts a great shine and makes your hair super manageable, so their conditioner is one of the biggest reasons to buy the color kit, because it really sets the color off nicely by making it stand out a lot more.  I bought the medium golden brown shade because I stay away from any browns with even a tad bit of ashiness to them, since I think this often washes a person out. 

For those of us with curly hair or even wavy hair like me, attempting the super straight sleek styles is often an exercise in futility.  If you can get your hair straight and sleek with a flat iron and hair dryer, it will be back curling with the first hot humid day or light mist of rain.  Also, you’ll see lots of flyaways on the top of your head the moment you step into any sort of humid environment.
It’s often easier and can look more natural to work with what nature gave you if your hair just has a tendency to curl.  When going with the curly look, you want to avoid dryness or frizz in your hairstyle.  There are some hair styling product that work for frizzy and curly hair, but they work with it, not against, trying to straighten out locks that just naturally were not meant to be super straight, and this can often result in a fried, burnt out look.  See the hair product reviews for info on all kinds of good products for this. 

You can start with a good stylist to get a cut that works well with naturally curly hair.  When drying your hair, pat it with the towel but don’t rub as the friction will increase frizz.
Try out different products meant for curly hair to see which one adds the right amount of moisture for your hair.  Paul Mitchell has a foaming pomade that can add both moisture and volume to enhance curly hair.
If you opt to use a hair dryer, choose an ionic variety to decrease frizz.  For a conditioner, a product called Brilliance by Aveda is meant to be left in your hair and you don’t rinse it out.  Therefore, it retains much needed moisture for healthy looking curls without the frizz.
Many people with naturally curly hair do not use a brush or comb but just finger their hairstyle in. 
Another fine product for curl is Pureology Real Curl- Curl Define Creme.   This product cuts down on frizz and adds shine to your curls.  Other combinations of products for curly manes are Heaven in Hair for a conditioner coupled with Deva Curl Set It Free as a spray to add shine and definition to your curls.
If you go to www. bumbleandbumble.com, you can get Bumble and Bumble’s leave in conditioner together with their Curl Conscious Curl Cream to tame and enhance your curly hair.  As I’ve talked about before, I’m a huge fan of Aveda’s Be Curly also.  A curly hairstyle can define who you are and look stylish and healthy when dryness and frizz are kept in check.

I wrote a review on the Sedu flat iron some time ago, and had to post again on that very same hair styling tool because I really think it’s one of the best hair inventions ever for hair that tends to go awry in the humid weather, which we’ve had an abundance of here in Northeastern Ohio so far this summer! 

I bought a Sedu flat iron about three months ago, and I’ve had nothing but great results every time I’ve used the thing so far.  I don’t flat iron my hair every day by any means, because I do believe that’s bad for it, no matter what instrument you’re using on it because of the intense heat required for a good, glossy finish, but I do use it a few times a week. 

And since I only wash my hair once every two to three days, I still have an amazingly smooth, sleek set of locks even two days after I’ve used the Sedu flat iron, with no refinishing or restyling.  I’ve especially noticed how humidity resistant my hair is when I use the Sedu and go out into the steamy weather, because it stays just as straight and shiny as it was before I got our in the weather, and it doesn’t expand enormously as my naturally curly/wavy hair tends to when it gets out in the humid elements. 

I like to use a straightening cream, either by John Frieda or by Aveda, or I sometimes combine the two, but I’d stay away from the Redken straightener as it made my hair as dry as a broom, and also there is another one by Chi called Silk Infusion that is heavily scented that a lot of people believe works well, but it contains so much alcohol it’s not even worth it, and sure it may flatten the hair, but it also leaves it look lacklustre and like a bale of hay, especially for people who do not have thicker ethnic hair types, as I believe it is more for use on hard to straighten hair and so may use more harsh striaghtening ingredients. 

When I use the Sedu hair styling tool, I take section of my hair, starting at the bottom when I have it clipped or otherwise flipped over my head (I’m lazy about sectioning it off and usually in a hurry, so I improvise, if I didn’t I’d probably have an even better result), and quickly and gently run the sedu down the shaft of the small section until I reach the top.  In about five minutes I have a pretty straightened head of hair, and it really does resist the elements, which is key especially in the summer months. 

I had long heard, years ago, that a boar bristle brush was better for the hair and made it look a lot better than a regular brush that is made with metal or plastic combination bristles.  Also, if you get one with a vented middle, you may also get an additional fast drying benefit if you go this route.  As far as worthy hair care products and tools go, I know that when I’ve used any kind of brush that’s a large round one with a vented middle, it does seem to dry my hair faster because of the additional air circulation that goes through the other end from the dryer.

Boar bristle brushes are made with the 100% natural boar bristle, and it will be marked that it’s 100% authentic, so don’t be fooled by fakes that try to look like a natura brown bristle if it’s not marked that way.  Supposedly the benefits you get from using a boar bristle brush as opposed to any other bristle is more shine, less static, and a smoother appearance to the hair. 

I have to say, after I bought mine, which by the way is not vented but I wish it was, at first I wasn’t a fan because my other brush, made with some sort of plastic composite stiff bristle, seemed to get through my hair more like a comb would, whereas the boar bristle brush - at least the one I purchased, seemed to just kind of drag through my hair, and get caught in it without really separating the strands like a more substantial “hard bristled” brush would.

But, once I realized that it did impart more shine to my hair and my boyfriend even started using it to control the flyaways and flipped edges of his longer hair he’s growing out, I am hooked.  Next step though is to get a better, salon quality vented boar bristle brush, and this way I’ll not only have the smoothness and shininess, but also it will hopefully dry much faster with my Sedu thermal ionic hair dryer (which I still love by the way, although the ionic smoothing action seems to be running low after about a year and it may need to be replaced soon which I’m not too happy about). 

Well, I bought a product that is technically for blondes, but I knew that it would work on anyones hair since it had no tinting or anything that enhanced color or shades or anything of that nature, so I went for purchasing this product online anyways.  The funny thing is, I only ended up with it because I had to order a certain dollar limit of products from the place I bought it from to get free shipping, and it popped up as a suggestion.  When I read the reviews from other users, I decided it sounded like one of those fun hair products for the summer, when my hair tends to get pretty big and frizzy anyways.

In the summer, I don’t really battle my hair’s natural waves as much because of the humidity, instead I like to play with the waves a bit and play them up, wearing looser, more fun styles rather than sleek ones where my hair ends up looking like a broom anyways if it’s straightened.  The John Frieda Tousled Tresses product is a fine mist wax that is supposed to help texturize and separate the waves in your hair.  It goes on like a hair spray, except it’s not an aerosol can, instead it’s one that uses forced air and behaves like aerosol.

I like the fact that you mist it on where you need it, whereas, with a pomade or a gel, you have to spray it out in your hand and then rub it through the sections of your hair, making it hard to get an even distribution, especially if you’re using it on dry hair, which is how you should use this fine misted wax.

This product imparts a TON of shine to your hair, however you have to be very careful not to over spray it, because your hair will look extremely greasy if you put too much product on it.  Instead, I would maybe start off with two or three squirts, misted in a large surface area, and go from there - it’s that concentrated.  I could see some people thinking it’s way too greasy, but that’s definitely because they used too much. 

It does what it says though.  It separates and defines, although it may weight the hair down a bit, which I think would be my only complaint.  It’s a very fun product for summer, and I’ll be using it on my dry hair when it just looks dry frizzy and borin, in hopes that this will add a little more shape and texture to it.  Only other complaint is, why isn’t this one made for brunettes too? We like to have a little fun! 

Summer is upon us, leaving many of us wanting to do something a little different with our hair.  For some of us, this means getting our hair cut a little shorter, or perhaps getting some buttery warm highlights added if we have darker hair.  For me, it’s actually going to be growing my bangs out, which I couldn’t be any more tired of right now.  I’m just over them, and I like to wear my hair completely back in the summer, so they are really getting in the way of me pinning my hair back into clips or a headband, since they tend to stick up if I do so.

I’m also thinking about going and getting some warm, caramel toned buttery highlights or reddish hues in my hair to spice it up for the summer, but am holding off since I’m not sure what I want to do yet about that one.  There are so many fun hair stylers in the hair accessory aisle of almost any store now.  I was just in Target the other day, and saw a ton of hair stylers that I had never seen before.  They were easy, stylish new ways to put your hair in a twist or a bun.

And the headbands have gotten really sophisticated.  There are some great options for putting all your hair back in a headband, and they’re pretty economical, usually ranging from four to seven dollars in the average store.  Many have a trailing length to them that sticks out below the hair that gives a fun, almost hippie chic-ish look to your more care free summer styles, and then there are more sleek options for headbands if you want to look more sophisticated for work or an evening out, with leather headbands, cloth headbands that hold the hair tight to the head, and even metal headbands that give an air of class to the style.

Personally, my favorite way to wear a headband is the scrunchy kind that stretch well, but also are tight enough to hold the hair for a long period without slipping off the head- one of my pet peeves with most headbands.  They look really great if you wear your hair loosely, in loose curls or a carefree wave, and leave just a few pieces of the hair out of the front of the headband to soften the look.

Of course, you can also go straight, as I’ve suggested in my recent Sedu hair straightener review, since the more sophisticated hair tools that straighten using ionic energy and ceramic plates that keep the smoothness in by smoothing the cuticle of the hair and sealing it against humidity.  If you have hair like mine though, you may be better off to let it go a little wavy in the hot summer months. 

Well, I finally did it. I broke down and bought an expensive flat iron. And it’s about time, as I realize now, after using my new Sedu Ionic Ceramic Pro flat iron a couple of times, since it far outperforms any of the lower end models of flat irons that I’ve had by Revlon, Conair and other lower priced brands of flat irons. I spent around $100 on my flat iron, and purchased it with another product that was designed to protect my hair and help keep it straighter longer, and get it straighter with the help of the flat iron.

Well, this is actually kind of a funny situation, but I had received a full size tube of Halo high gloss rinse from someone I work with over a year ago since her husband worked for a beauty supply chain and she would get some free samples periodically.  I took it home, used it the wrong way, and I think I may have even given it a so-so or negative hair care product review on this blog at that time.  Well, I used it again, this time as a free small sample that my mom gave me, along with their replenishing shampoo and conditioner, and I loved it.

The high gloss rinse is exactly that - a rinse.  You should use it after you’ve shampooed and conditioned your hair, and it’s supposed to help keep that just colored glossy look in your hair in between colorings as well as for at least a week or two after you use it.  Problem is, the first time I used it, I only used it as  a rinse, and did not heat my hair when I used it like I did this last time, which I think was key in getting it to work as it should. 

This time what I did was shampoo and condition my hair as usual, then I added around a quarter sized dollop of the Halo high gloss rinse to my hair and worked it through really well.  I then stopped the shower, got out and blew a hot hair dryer on my head for about two minutes.  I didn’t wrap my hair in a towel or anything, just applied the heat directly. 

I then got back in and started the shower back up (admitted a pain, but it was worth it for the results), and rinsed out the high gloss rinse.  When I blew my hair dry my hair was super bouncy and had a really nice lustre to it.  As a matter of fact, my friend commented on my hair after I used it.  It had a nice sheen to it, not at all like it would if I’d just used my normal routine, so I definitely think this stuff works as it says when you apply heat. 

And get this, I threw away the first bottle thinking it didn’t work.  Imagine what an idiot I felt like when I just reordered another bottle, when I could have saved myself some money!  Oh well, it’s always worth it when you find a good hair care product, even if it is in such a roundabout way, and this is a lesson to always use as directed for best results.

As you know, I’m a huge bargain hunter.  Often times, on the weekends, my boyfriend and I will head out to several different off price stores looking for deals, and many times I’ll run into close outs and things of that nature that are dramatically reduced from their retail cost.  Now, granted, these are usually not top of the line items, but rather things you’d find in your local drug store, but for about a third of the retail cost.

One such item I recently found was actually something I had already tried before, both when I was a blonde (I used to be blonde, now I’m brunette, my natural color), it’s the John Frieda line for brunettes called Brilliant Brunette.  I got two things, both for around three bucks, the Brilliant Brunette shine conditioner and the Brilliant Brunette hair glosser creme. 

I like both of them, except I do have one complaint about the conditioner, and that is that I don’t really care for the scent of it.  It has a scent that smells vaguely of a perm solution, and that’s kind of a turn off, although the product does not damage the hair, instead it moisturizes it.  It’s an extremely thick conditioner formula, and it does the job of enhancing shine, but I think that may be at the expense of sacrificing some moisturizing, which I’m not a huge fan of since the key to battling frizz in maintaining moisture so that excess moisture in the air has no where to go on the hair shaft if it’s all full of moisture already (am I making sense?)

The shine creme is very good, I mix this with a little of Aveda’s Be Curly and it adds a nice bit of moisture and shine to the hair, plus is has a very pleasant scent and it goes on easily without feeling heavy or too creamy.