Styling Products -Nexxus - Exxtra Gel
Product_Junkie 5/24/2010 3:03:00 PM
Bought this gel @ Shoppers; returned it the next day. The scent is pleasant, along with the texture; the gel made my hair feel and look healthy, however, my curls were somehat limp and droopy...It also left buildup. I am glad I returned it-its quite pricey, but better than the other gels from Pantene, L'oreal, Aussie, herbal essences, etc. Will not repurchase.
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Shampoo -L'Oreal - Vive Pro Color Vive for Dry Hair
Product_Junkie 5/24/2010 2:58:00 PM
I got this shampoo as GWP when I bought a box of haircolor for someone;all I have to say is that I am glad I didn't pay for Vive-pro shampoo! At first, I really liked the scent of this shampoo, however, upon using it, it made my hair feel dry and parched and left a weird film on my hair (my hair is pretty healthy, too), my scalp also itched; luckily I deep conditioned afterwards. I didn't notice any shine or moisture with this shampoo--in fact, it just made my hair feel and look dull and dried out. This is so weird, considering the claims are to replenish moisture and preserve color. That being said, Vive-pro is definately a thumbs down in my book. Don't really like L'oreal's drugastore hair products anyway.
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Styling Products -Clairol - Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Scrunching Gel
Product_Junkie 5/9/2010 12:24:00 PM
Didn't like this product at all-smelled nice though. Will not repurchase.
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Styling Products -Bain de Terre - Firm Action Flaxseed Styling Gel
Product_Junkie 5/9/2010 12:21:00 PM
This gel is one of the best I've tried so far. Too bad its hard too find though:/ I just hope good styling products come back on d/s shelves! UPDATE: After trying jason hi-shine gel, I prefer that one to this, however I am not sure if I will r/p that one. I bought about 4 tubes of Bain de Terre firm action styling gel @ Winners. This is a very decent product but its discontinued--Thank Goodness, I didn't love it LOL! Pros:+ I liked the scent of this gel; + the ingredients are very moisturizing (flax, panthenol, sunflower, oat protein, henna);+price was good; +defined curls wonderfully. Cons:- although moisturizing, it was also drying; I think it had more alcohol than Jason hi shine; -caused buildup. Overall: Not a bad product at all, just not for me.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Balea Pro-Vitamin moisturizing shampoo for color treated hair
Product_Junkie 5/9/2010 12:18:00 PM
was not impressed with this shampoo;the only good things I found were that the consistency was good, along with the scent. Didn't notice any moisturizing properties or shine, though. Will not repurchase.
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Balea eXTRA HOLD STYLING GEL FOR CURLY HAIR (LIFE BRAND)
Product_Junkie 5/9/2010 12:14:00 PM
This gel is okay, nothing special at all-thankfully it wasn't expensive at all. I think this gel is a knockoff of Pantene or Alberto. The ingredients seem good but it made my hair hard and crunchy, however, I found this to be better than Pantene's gel which completely dulled my hair. Will not repurchase.
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Styling Products -ISO - Daily Shine Gel
Product_Junkie 5/9/2010 12:10:00 PM
Overall, I give this product 4.5 lippies. When I blow-dry my hair straight, this gel works very well at holding the sides together if I put my hair up in a ponytail, etc., w/out dulling or flaking; however, I mostly leave my natural (curly) and whilr this gel does impart shine, it does not hold my curls all that well, as it makes them somewhat limp. The texture is wuite runny, so alot comes out. The scent is quite pleasant. I paid $10 for this gel; it is much better than other gels but just not for my curly hair. Will not repurchase.
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Hair -ISO - color care conditioner
Product_Junkie 5/9/2010 11:59:00 AM
Fabulous conditioner!!! It does exactly what it says, thus lives up to its claims--my hair is moisturized, color is more alive, does not leave buildup, adds shine and smells wonderful. The price is also very decent. Will def. repurchase:)
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Smooth n' Shine Gellation Extra Hold styling gel
Product_Junkie 2/25/2010 3:36:00 PM
Pros: +alcohol free; affordable; available locally;pleasant scent; better than most other gels;gives good hold. Cons: leaves residue; works well at the beginning but makes my hair dry afterwards; heavy. Overall, I give this product 4.5 lippies; this gel, IMO, worked alot better than S&S curl activator gel, as I found that one too greasy and ineffective. I really wanted to like this product, but sadly it does not work very well on my hair; however, this gel is MUCH better than others I've tried (Dep, Dipitty Do, Alberto, Tresseme, Biolage, AG, etc). Will not repurchase.
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Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Home made Flaxseed Gel
Product_Junkie 2/6/2010 3:59:00 PM
First off, I would like to thank all who posted demos and articles online for this wonderful method! This is an affordable and wonderful alternative natural gel that works really well at keeping my hair in place, without flaking and drying out my hair. I have tried so many hair gels (both low-end and high-end) with unsatisfied results, as I needed a gel to keep my hair healthy, yet styled. After reading and seeing many articles,tips, and demonstrations online (naturallycurly.com, ehow.com,youtube etc), I decided to make this stuff at home. The process does involve trial and error-the gel that forms from the flaxseeds is thick, like egg whites,however if you boil them for too long, it becomes almost impossible to strain;if you boil the flaxseeds for less time, the consistency becomes too runny. Here are the standard instructions: 1) Boil 1 cup of water in a saucepan on high heat; 2) Add 2 tbsp. of golden whole flaxseeds (as per the info online, they say golden seeds are better for hair gel than brown flaxseeds) and reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly for 6-10 minutes with a whisk to ensure that the seeds do not stick to the bottom; 3) Keep stirring until a gel forms (i.e. the water is thicker and the seeds come to the suface;with the whisk, you can judge the texture of the liquid; a white-opaque gel should form-keep stirring; 4) strain Immediately with a mesh sieve on top of a bowl; 5) with the whisk, stir the seeds in the sieve, so that most of the liquid comes out into the bowl: the mixture should be like egg-whites, thus quite slimy; 6) In the bowl, stir the gel with a spatula once or twice; let it sit at room temperature for about half an hour; if you want to speed up the process, put the mixture in the freezer for about 15 minutes; 7) Pour into the funnel over a wide-mouth jar or squeeze bottle; store in the fridge for about a week or two. My results: This gel works really well in keeping my hair shiny, soft and healthy, while offering a medium-firm hold. You can add essential oil and other stuff to the gel once the gel is in the bowl (do not do this while the seeds are boiling!); I just stick to the plain recipe. However, I still use other styling products like serum, etc in conjuction with this gel, since it is all-natural, it doesn't have preservatives and other ingredients to prolong shelf-life, etc, and the outcome is great: my hair is so much softer and looks better. The gel does not have a scent per se, and does not contain alcohol which dries out the hair. Overall, I use this gel as a base for my other styling products-works great and is affordable. Here is what you'll need: 1 bag of whole Golden flaxseeds (they look like big sesame seeds;do not get the ground (powdered)form. These are available at healthfood stores, Wholefoods, etc; a funnel (again, easily available at the dollar store) a saucepan; mesh strainer with small holes ( I got mine at the dollar store-they are easily available there); whisk; spatula; measuring cup and table spoon. TIPS & WARNINGS: 1)This stuff dries very quickly to a gel, so wash the pan, sieve/strainer, spatula, etc soon after,otherwise you'll be washing for quite some time, LOL; 2)The texture is quite slimy, but it the gel does not make the hair flake, or cause buildup;this gel is pilable, in that you can reapply without flaking or drying out your hair; 3) Depending on your hair type, don't use too many protein products with this gel, since it may cause overconditioning; I tried using this in conjuction with leave in conditioner, but my hair went all "poofy" and fluffy. 4) I found this gel to be comaptible with other styling products. As mentioned above, I still use serum, but much less of it;otherwise my hair will get limp; I also use this gel in conjuction with another commercial gel (an alcohol-free one that I bought @ the dollar store); 5) Since everyone's hair is different, you can visit naturallycurly.com to see which type of hair you have. I found this very helpful, as some products are great for certain hairtypes, while others aren't, etc.For example, I need some silicones for my hair; if I use all natural herbal products only, my hair will be limp, while for others, it's the reverse, etc; 6) Again, as mentioned above, this process does involve trial and error: it took me about 5 times to get it right. That said, patience is required. On the upside, this process is quite fast, though. Hope this helps:)
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -New York Color - Smooch Proof Long Wearing Lip Color
Product_Junkie 12/22/2009 2:44:00 PM
Overall, this is a pretty good bargain. 4.5 lippies. The reson why I didn't give it a full 5 is due to the fact that I have to use lip balm before applying and the top coat after; if I don't, it pills and cakes. However, the color (I purchased the shade, 481-"Dreamer") is very pretty and natural.Will repurchase...I always make sure to have my medicated lip balm though to avoid the 'pilling' effect.
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Sunscreen -Coppertone - NutraShield Sunscreen Lotion 30 SPF
Product_Junkie 12/20/2009 4:54:00 PM
This is a great sunscreen-I was a little skeptical, however, because I could not find the previous SPF oil-free one (the one with the blue label), so I initially thought this would not be as effective.As luck would have it, this formula is even better due to its added anti-oxidants & moisturizers.It goes on smoothly, doesn't leave a white cast, smells pleasant, lasts a long time, and most of all does not clog my pores or break me out, yet it moisturizes effectively w/out leaving a greasy film, as it is oil-free. In all, I think this is a top-quality product. 5 lippies, will repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Biotherm - Eau D Energie
Product_Junkie 12/18/2009 5:10:00 PM
Love this scent! Very fresh, light and not overpowering in the least.Great concept! Will definately repurchase:)
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Les Karites Shea Butter Conditioning Mask for Dry/Damaged hair
Product_Junkie 12/18/2009 4:54:00 PM
Great &effective conditioning treatment! I bought it @ Shoppers Drug Mart for $8.99. It comes in a tube and contains panthenol and 5% shea butter. I wanted something that would moisturize my hair during these harsh winter months. I was pleasantly surprised after using this stuff; my hair was moisturized, but not greasy or weighed down (if I use too much then my hair will get greasy), healthy and shiny. As per the directions on the package, I applied to damp hair, combed my hair and let it sit for 5 minutes. I found this mask to be more effective than Kerastase's Oleo Relax masque that I prchased some years ago; that had great detangling benefits and provided great "slip", however, it made my hair "poofy" and slightly greasy. Les Karites is more effective, IMO/IME at a much lower price! Will be repurchasing.
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Gels/Soaps -Softsoap - soothing aloe vera handsoap
Product_Junkie 12/18/2009 4:35:00 PM
I totally agree with the reviews of this product!! It's wonderful at keeping my hands soft and hydrated, the scent is great and cleans thoroughly w/out leaving a tacky film. Price-wise, this is an awesome bargain. Will repurchase. 5 lippies:)
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