One ‘n Only Brazilian Tech Review

As I shared with you in my last post about how I forgot how awesome my Sedu flat iron is, since I had just been too lazy to straighten my hair in a while, I am also using a product by One ‘n Only Brazilian Tech to help smooth my hair out during these humid days in early summer.

I bought my shampoo, conditioner, and intensive hair treatment by this line at Sally Beauty Supply. I don’t know where else it is sold, I just happened to stumble on this when I was looking for something else from them online and decided to give it a try since my hair was really annoying me with all our recent humidity.

For all three products, I paid almost thirty dollars.  Not too bad, but the bottles are not exactly large either, so I figured if it didn’t work I’d be more than a little disappointed like I am when a four or five dollar shampoo or conditioner sucks.

Turns out, I decided I liked them. I bought the One ‘n Only Brazilian Tech Keratin smoothing shampoo and Keratin smoothing conditioner. With all the hubub over the Brazilian Keratin treatments in the salons now, this was some brilliant marketing on their part. And the products do contain keratin, I checked the ingredients label, so I was comforted to know that at least I wasn’t getting scammed on that.

The shampoo is very thickly scented, as is the conditioner and the treatment. But I don’t mind the scent. It’s very over the top, like a lot of products they use at salons, but I didn’t mind this one as it didn’t offend my nose.

The products are listed as ok for chemically or color treated hair, so I was ok, since I do color treat my hair.  the conditioner and the treatment are both very thick, which is usually a good sign, at least for my hair, that it will work well.

I did end up liking this product  on the second wash and condition, although I wasn’t sure on the first one because it seemed to sort of weigh my hair down. But the second time, I did notice that my hair was much calmer in the humidity, and that my hair actually held the flat iron straight look I had given it the day before, into the next day.

I would recommend this to anyone who has unruly hair in the summer time. Combined with the Sedu flat iron, it gave me very manageable, minimum frizz hair for two to three days between washings.

Love My Sedu Flat Iron!

I must confess, I got lazy for a while, and stopped using my Sedu flat iron for a few months. I liked the look of my hair a little bit fuller and wavier, so I really was just going through a phase of being anti flat, anti straight hair.  I like my hair both ways, but sometimes you just like more body than others.

Oh, and don’t let me leave out the most important part. The “wavy” weeks or months are when there is little humidity in the air. That’s when my hair looks its best when it is curly of wavy, because the frizz is at a minimum and the overall size of my hair isn’t humungous.

But now, it’s starting to get into that humid part of the year here in Northeastern Ohio and I need something to smooth my hair down and make it look calmer. So, I’ve started using a shampoo and conditioner enriched with keratin that is supposed to help smooth it down. No, it definitely doesn’t smooth it like a Brazilian Keratin treatment, but I hoped it would.

I’ll review those particular products for you later.  I also decided to pull out the dusty Sedu flat iron from my bottom bathroom cabinet and give it a whirl. Surely, I would still have the hang of it, right?  Well, it took a little practice, but I was able to get my hair pretty much pin straight in about 7 minutes.

I have long hair, but it’s not ridiculously long right now. It’s probably a few inches past my shoulder blades.  You have to be mindful of taking your hair section by section when you do the flat ironing, because it doesn’t work as well in flattening the hair down and making it appear more shiny and less “big” if you don’t take the time and care to do this step.

So, I took smaller sections of my hair, and slowly ran the iron down them one at a time. You could see my hair getting smaller and smaller, skinnier and skinnier, and you could see an almost instant boost in shine as each section came off the iron.

I like Sedu because their clamps don’t catch your hair, and they’re made of ceramic, so they don’t burn the &*$% out of your hair like some of the metal ones can do when they get hot.  I will be getting a lot of use out of my Sedu iron this summer, if these last few days humidity readings have been any indication!

Keratin Earth Products – Anyone Tried and Reviewed Them?

I was browsing the internet and was looking at a clip from the Kathie Lee and Hoda morning show, where they were giving an overview of some of the most revolutionary beauty products today, that you can use in your own home.

Naturally, since the humidity has been insane this summer already, my eyes were drawn instantly to one of the products they were reviewing, by a company called Keratin Earth.

This is a keratin straightening and hair smoothing system that is supposed to last about thirty days ot three months, depending on your hair type and probably your lifestyle and how often you wash our hair. It is advertised as not containing any formaldehyde at all, so I’ll take their word for it.

You do need at least a 450 degree flat iron to use with this treatment though, I’ll tell you that right now, so if you bought this and don’t have one that goes up that high, you would also need to invest in a new flat iron.

The testimonials on the website are glowing of course, and I couldn’t really find any “real life” testimonials on a neutral site about it yet, although it does look pretty good from what I’ve seen and read.

Has anyone tried this product that can post their review of it? Of course, I’m sure I’ll end up trying it soon here, but I wanted to see if anyone else could offer an opinion or experience as well.  The whole system of the Keratin earth straightening and frizz removing contains four products. One is a clarifying shampoo, 2 is a protein conditioner, 3 is a straightening treatment, and 4 is a nourishing mask.

The process sounds pretty simple too. You wash your hair with the clarifying shampoo, which I’m thinking strips out any leftover residues so the straightening solution can set in well.  Then you put the straightening treatment in, which is recommended to stay in for 10 minutes for normal hair, and 20 (I believe, but read directions first) for really coarse or curly hair.

Then, you blow dry your hair as per usual. Then, you flat iron it as you normally would to straighten it, with at least a 450 degree flat iron.  I’m assuming that, like with the normal salon keratin treatments, this sets the proteins and straightening ingredients and helps seal the cuticle.

Well, if this Keratin Earth stuff works well without drying the hair out, it might be a great alternative to the expensive salon treatments!  Oh, and it costs $99 with free shipping as of the writing of this.

Aveda Leave in Conditioner Review, Organix Coconut Smoothing Serum Review

So, I have two products to review for you today. The reason I combined them into one is because I don’t have a WHOLE lot to say about each one.  My husband is actually the real reviewer for the Aveda Damage Remedy Leave in Conditioner, as I did not really use it. I just smoothed a bit into my dry hair on a whim. 

I did smell it of course, and it has that lovely mossy-oaky woodsy smell that Aveda products are so well known for now.  This is an intensive leave in conditioner that helps smoothe and soothe dry hair. This is a product that is really geared toward dry, frizzy and flyaway hair.  It is probably not great for fine hair that tends to be limp, as it is an intense conditioner.

My husband really liked it after he was given a small sample of it and it lasted for two weeks. It is a very emollient product, so you don’t have to use much to get good results. That’s the thing with Aveda, their products are expensive, but they usually do go a long way.  Honey, your hair looks great

My second review is for another hair care product, but this one is much more accessible as it is available at many grocers as well as department stores.  I know they sell the line at Target. I’m talking about the Organix line of inexpensive “naturally” based hair care products ranging from shampoos and conditioners to health hair sprays and other treatment products.

The product I tried this time is a coconut infused serum that is supposed to smooth and soothe the hair. It is supposed to enhance shine and help battle humidity. I like it.  It’s not badly priced either at about 6 bucks and some change for a decent sized bottle.

You may not like to use a lot of this as it can be sticky if you use too much.  I like to combine the Organize coconut infused serum with my other products (yes, I combined products).  I combine it right now with the L’Oreal smoothing creme by their sulfate free line, and I also add a bit of moisturizing spritz in there too, since my hair tends to be dry and frizzy looking if I don’t use enough product.

I’m giving the Organix serum a thumbs up. Not a huge one, just an “ok” one.  Not too heavy, but just don’t use too much!

L’Oreal Ever Sleek Humidity Defying Leave in Cream

So I went to an Ulta store for the first time during my recent visit to Pittsburgh PA, and boy was I blown away by the size and selection in that store!  That’s for a whole ‘nother topic of discussion, but I really liked it. It was different than what I had expected.

What I’m here to talk about today is the L’Oreal brand line of Ever Pure hair care products, which spawned this “Ever Sleek” leave in humidity defying creme that I bought at Ulta. It cost about eight bucks, which wasn’t bad, although it’s a little pricier than their products usually are.

It comes in a pump bottle, which I really like. Tubes tend to be a pain to use.  It is six ounce of product.  This cream is a very light, viscous cream, which is not what I was expecting since it is “humidity resistant”.  However, the white, milky cream has really proven to be a quite a nice hair cream and leave in conditioning agent.

I really didn’t have high hopes for the product since I have tried some of their other Ever Pure product line which boasts that it has no sulfates in it, yet still has a laundry list of other drying ingredients in it (that is just my opinion). I didn’t hate them, but they also didn’t leave my hair as silky as I thought they might.

This cream is the exception though. I like it as much as I like the Universal Styling cream by Aveda. I might even like it more, because it not only tames my hair like the Universal styling cream, but it also isn’t as thick as the styling cream is, so you don’t feel like you’lll look like a big greaseball if you put a little too much in your hair.

The Ever Sleek Humidity Defying cream says that it controls frizz for 48 hours, and I do believe that is true. Most products cannot control frizz and style for longer than that, because product does evaporate off of the hair, and the dirt that accumulates pretty much nulls out the effects of most products after this period of time.

I believe that this product is going to be a hair care staple at my house this summer. I’ll let you know how it controls frizz in the summer time. That’s the real test of a good frizz taming product!

Review : Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Conditioner

I’ve been quite a fan of the very reasonably priced, somewhat natural ingredients product line Organix, which can be found at most grocers, Target and I believe Wal-mart also (for sure Target though).  I’ve tried their Shea butter shampoo, their coconut milk shampoo, and their anti breakage serum with coconut in it as well. I’m a fan of all of them so far.

So, I decided to try their “Brazilian keratin” formula of conditioner for kicks. I figured, I knew it was all a gimmick in labeling because the Brazilian keratin treatment is a chemical treatment that is paid for at higher end salons.  However, I figured I liked a lot of their other hair care products, so why not.

I have naturally wavy, somewhat coarse hair.  All of the women in my family have hair that is on the coarser side, but we can definitely manage it with the right products, so it is in no way hopeless, although you might want to check with me on that statement again on a hot humid day.

The brazilian keratin conditioner advertised mostly natural ingredients like coconut oils, avocado oil, cocoa butter, nut oils and keratin proteins.  By the way, keratin proteins are generally not small enough to actually penetrate the cuticle of the hair, so they may be a useless ingredient. 

Although this product does have some very nice natural ingredients, it does also contain some of the common chemicals found in straightening and smoothing hair products like dimethicone.  I’m ok with that though, my hair products don’t need to be 100% natural, as I’ve found my hair actually doesn’t respond well to 100% natural hair care products anyways. 

Wish it did, but that’s just not a product that I’ve found works when it’s all natural for me. The Organix Brazilian Keratin conditioner has a lighter consistency. It’s not super thick, but it’s thick enough that it doesn’t drip off your fingers in the shower.

It has a brown color, but it is light brown, and beware because I have read that some blondes have had bad experiences with this product discoloring their hair, including the whole line of Brazilian Keratin stuff by Organix, so it may not be safe for blondes.

I liked the scent, and I liked the way my hair felt after I used it. My hair did come out straighter than usual, and it was shinier than usual as well. I wouldn’t say it looked well-moisturized though, as I felt I had to put some more moisturizing agents in it, but that is usually the price you pay with straightening products.

I do like this product though. I will use it in the summer on a humid day and see if it keeps my hair calmer throughout the day and prevents it from becoming “huge”.

The Pixie Cut : Coming Back In?

A few of the most adorable female stars today have decided to chop of their long locks and have gone with one of those cute pixie cuts that can also look a little shaggy, like the infamous look donned by Twiggy in the sixties, which spawned a trend that included huge stars Barbara Streisand and Goldie Hawn.

Now, we have younger starlets opting for this edgy, and low maintenance look. I have to say, I’m still a fan of longer hair on most women, but some women, like Halle Berry, actually look better with very short hair cuts.  I think you have to have great bone structure and high cheekbones to pull off a pixie cut, and some of these ladie do just that.

The first one is Michelle Williams. She first showed off her newly shorn do at the Oscars earlier this year, where she wore a sparkly, curve hugging yet demure Oscars dress. When the camera panned over to her, the dramatic and well arched brows and perfect eye makeup really set off the whole look, and by God, she really rocked the pixie look! 

Another young star who also happens to be a multi millionaire at a very young age, thanks to the uber successful Harry Potter series of movies, is the gorgeous and talented Emma Watson. This young brit started off as a waify girl with shaggy and frizzy hair as the character Hermone, the companion to Harry and Ron in the movies based off the books.

She grew up in front of the camera, and quickly evolved into her classically pretty looks.  Her face has grown into her body, and while she is still waifishly skinny in that young way, not malnourished way, she looks a lot more adult, yet youthful with her new groovy pixie do.

Does this mean the pixie cut has come back full force? Not entirely. There are still many starlets going with different looks that suit their face structure. You should never follow a hair style or hair cut fad just because it’s the “in” thing.

Hair is a very individual thing, and you have to figure out what types of hair cuts, shapes, colors and styles look best on you, and frame your face well.

Natural Hair Dye :My Before and After Pictures

Well, I’ve officially tried a natural, totally plant based hair dye for the first time.  I was really curious after reading about how women and men use henna and other plant based dyes like indigo to keep their hair darker and to cover grays, or just for a prettier, more intense hair color.

I was also tired of periodically dumping a bunch of foul smelling, burning chemicals on my head, and quite frankly, I was worried about these chemicals entering my body via my scalp. When chemical hair dyes hurt to even inhale, well then my friend, you have to wonder what they are doing to your body when they are inevitably absorbed through your skin!

Here are the before and after pictures of my experience with the natural hair dye I used, which I will tell you about in just a minute.

Before Picture :                                             After Picture:

After Picture, Natural Hair Dye

Natural Hair Dye Before Picture

As you can see, I had some color wash-out in my first picture, I was aiming to get a darker, richer, medium golden brown outcome, which is pretty much what I got, but not with as dramatic of a color change as I wanted. However, it did saturate that washed-out part where I had previously had highlights and was looking to go all one solid brunette color.

The color I used was by a company called Act Naturals Hair Products.  They make natural hair dyes that are convenient to use. They come in a box, with a full preparation kit, gloves, a cap, a mixing bottle, and a developer formula that you mix with the active colorant, just like a full hair coloring kit you would buy from the store.

Except of course the major difference is they do not use all the harmful chemicals like parabens, ammonia, peroxide, and another chemical called PPD.

The only difference in coloring with this hair color kit that makes it a little more labor intensive than doing a typical chemical colorant kit is that you have to use heat on it to get it to set properly, and to get the pigment to bond tightly with the hair shaft.

It wasn’t that big of a deal though, I just alternated blowing it dry with high heat with the cap on, and then taking 5 minutes off as instructed, and then doing that again until the 35 minute development time was up.

There was still a smell that came from the hair colorant, but nothing like the strong toxic smells that emanate from chemical hair coloring kits.  The hair dyes that are dark are very dark when they come out, so you have to make sure you protect your hair line and other areas from staining – they provide a protectant for that too.

The color kit runs $29.99 – with shipping it cost me $35 and some change.  Yes, this is a little more expensive than store bought hair dyes, but it’s worth it to not put all those toxins in your hair.  I noticed when I rinsed it out that my hair actually felt thicker.

It did need a ton of conditioner to get it detangled, but my hair actually looked better and felt thicker than usual when I had done all the rinsing and blew my hair dry.  I’d recommend using a very heavy, emollient conditioner afterwards to help seal in the color and to protect the hair against drying.

I felt like my hair was much shinier than after I use a commercial hair coloring kit, and the color was subtle but did cover my greys.  If you have stubborn greys, you probably will want to develop the color longer than the 35 minutes, I think up to 45 they said was fine.

I will use this product again, but next time I’m going for a darker color since this one did not change my existing color at all, which was what I wanted, but I chose a shade that was simply too light to notice any difference. I chose the medium golden brown one.

My color is the same, it just looks richer, more saturated. if you’re interested, check out the company. It’s called Act Naturals, and I really do like their natural hair dye.

Keratin Treatments for Smooth Hair

For someone who has been fighting frizzy and unruly hair with tons of different taming and smoothing products over the years, the keratin treatments offered at salons may be a very appealing option.

On the plus side, the keratin treatments featured at salons offer a 2 to 4 month “fix” for chronically frizzy hair.  The texture of the client’s hair will be softer, shinier and more manageable for quite an extended period or time.

Keratin is an extremely strong protein that is naturally occuring in the composition of our hair and nails.  For the keratin treatments done in salons, your hair is first washed with a special shampoo to remove all residue and styling products then it is towel dried.

Next, the keratin treatment is applied to your hair, a few strands at a time, and then you sit under a heat lamp for about 20 minutes.  The keratin treatment is dried with a blow drier.  After this, the keratin treatment is sealed into your hair with a very hot flat iron, very few strands at a time and straightened at the same time.

The entire process takes about 3 hours and the average cost ranges from about $250.00 to $350.00.  The cost may seem high, but it leaves the texture of your hair more manageable for quite a long time.

You can’t wash your hair for 3 days after this process.  The keratin treatment should create a protective layer to seal in shine and result in natural looking straighter hair.

You should still moisturize and keep your hair healthy between treatments.  Immediately after treatments, avoid headbands or ponytails so you don’t get a bend in your hair.  Also, glasses or sunglasses can cause this effect.

You must stay out of the rain and environments that will cause you to perspire excessively for the first 72 hours after the keratin treatments.

After reading reviews on the internet, most were favorable and found the keratin treatment worth the seemingly high price and inconvenience.  As with any product, some were not happy with the result.

With any product or procedure you are trying for the first time, you should ask questions about the chemicals in the keratin product your salon is using and check out the training and credentials in the salon of your choice to feel comfortable in your decision.

You can ask to read the label on your keratin product to see if it contains any formaldehyde or other chemicals that you would not want. For great straightening results, see Sedu reviews for reviews of the best, highest quality flat irons for a glass-smooth finish to your hair.

Cutting Your Own Hair at Home

That last few haircuts I’ve gotten have really left something to be desired. I think a lot of hairstylist over do everything you ask them for. I asked for long layers in the back of my head so that my hair would have some lift and some more body and movement.  Well, they cut the top layer so high that it was almost six inches higher than the bottom of my hair.

This almost left the impression of a mullet, since the bottom layer was so scant that the middle layer really stood out   I also think they over do the cutting of layers, and don’t make them so that they actually fall right. I like my hair too look natural, and the cuts they gave me looked very architectural in nature. And it took them a long time to grow out too, at least to the point when the bad hair cut look went away and my natural movement came back.

So, I decided to buy myself a nice pair of hair cutting shears at Target (they were twenty bucks, much less than going and getting a cut or trim at the salon where I go).  I figured I could at least trim my own hair or have my husband trim off the dead ends in the back that I can’t see, until it grew out into a hair style that I liked, that would weight down my cowlicks.

So far, I’ve gone eight weeks and already gave myself one trim and had my hubby give me another trim on the back. My hair is actually looking a lot healthier than it did when I got the butcher cuts from the salon.  It’s not their fault though, they were doing what they thought they asked me to do.

Here’s a tip too, if you’re going to the stylist and you really only want to have your tips trimmed off and don’t want to emerge with a lot of new layers or much shorter hair. Ask them to “dust” the ends.  This tells them that you only want them to take off the dead ends, and not give them any dramatic inch reduction.

Using great hair care products and also making sure you give your hair an intense deep treatment every week will ensure that your ends stay healthy longer too, so you may be able to go longer in between trims, even if you’re good at doing them yourself.