Styling Products -Suave - Professionals Captivating Curls Whipped Cream Mousse
SherryL 10/13/2011 11:46:00 AM
I'm surprised that this product has garnered so many rave reviews. I have 3A, medium, porous curls that reach just above my bra strap in length. I also live in very humid South FL. My tried and true products of choice are A/G Liquid Effect topped with a bit of A/G Re:Coil = fantastic, frizz-free shiny hair is 98% humidity! As much as I love the A/G products, it's always fun to try new things out and at $3, this Suave mousse was a steal! I loved the whipped cream consistency (put me in the mood for a hot fudge Sunday), but this product has NO HOLD! Seriously... zip, zero, zilch. When the reviews state that there is absolutely no crunch, they mean it... there is nothing at all to scrunch out... nothing. I could probably get away with using this if I still lived in New Jersey and definitely if I were in a dryer climate like Colorado, but this does not have the strength to bust through 95F/98% humidity Florida days. My curls ended up too fuzzy looking for my liking and not nearly as defined or "chunky" as with my A/G combo. My thought about this product is that if you have a fairly frizz-free curl pattern to begin with or live in a less humid climate, this product might be great. I think it would also work well better on curl types that have a stronger curl pattern (3B and up).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Violet Ink Long-Wear Gel Liner
SherryL 4/27/2011 10:29:00 AM
I have been a big fan of BB for many years and have even finished and replaced a few shades of her long-wear gel eyeliner (love espresso); however, this particular shade was a disappointment. I had to layer and layer AND layer to get the color to really show up. I "eventually" liked the purple tint, but c'mon, I shouldn't have to go over and over the same line 5x to be able to see it. I could have achieved this look more quickly by using the espresso gel liner topped with a quick swipe of MAC Violet pigment. I ended up returning this product.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Biolustre
SherryL 8/17/2010 10:10:00 PM
This review is for the Professional version of Biolustre. I've used many deep treatments & other "reconstructing" products over my many years here at MUA and this is one of the better ones. Like all "deep" hair treatments, this is just a "Band-Aid" product. Please don't ever expect any product advertised as "will return your hair to a virgin state" or "will repair your hair" as anything more than an overblown claim. There isn't anything (short of scissors) that can actually 'repair' your hair.
Keeping that in mind, this product seems to deposit a coating onto the hair shaft which smoothes the cuticle thereby adding gloss and smooth feel. The effect, at least for me, doesn't last more than a week or two weeks I begin to look/feel frizzy again. This product is similar to Sebastian Penetraitt and is used in the same manner.
The first step is to clarify your hair to make sure all product is removed. The directions then state to apply 3-4oz to towel dried hair. For very damaged hair, you can blow-dry out some of the moisture first and then apply the product (this is what I do). After applying, I run the blowdryer on HIGH over all my hair-- careful not to touch the strands. They will turn hard. Once the hair is hard, I jump in the shower and let the water flow over my hair. I do not touch my hair-- just let the water saturate and loosen the strands. After the hair is rinsed, I cleanse twice with clarifying shampoo (per the directions). A moisturizing conditioner should be used immediately afterwards.
INGREDIENTS: water, acrylates copolymer, hydrolized wheat protein, aminomethyl propanol, dimethicone copolyol, propylene glycol, diaz. urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrence, hydroxyethylcellulose.
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Styling Products -Kinky Curly - Curling Custard
SherryL 6/7/2010 8:50:00 PM
This products is the bee's knees! One of the best all-around hair products I've come across in the last few years and quite possibly the best frizz buster I have ever (EVER) used. Example: It was 93F today, with a heat index of 104F (high humidity). My curls remained defined and frizz free. Definitely not easy to do in these sort of ridiculously hot/humid conditions. When applied, this gooey gel will dry with a bit of a cruch; however, once curls are dry, the crunch will scrunch away and curls will be left super soft and conditioned. No dryness at all. I'm not keen on the scent (it smells like yellow cake batter and doesn't really match my shampoo/conditioner/body spray), but it's a small price to pay for good hair. I also wish it came in a pump bottle instead of a jar, but again, scooping with my fingers is worth it. $30 will get you a 16oz jar that will last at least 4-6 months, so in my opinion, it's a great value. Every day is a good curl day with Kinky Curly Curling Custard.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Moroccanoil - Intense Curl Cream
SherryL 6/1/2010 7:24:00 AM
This is a horrible product and not at all what I would call "intense curl cream." It has zero hold so if your curls are tight enough to hold a strong curl pattern on their own, this product is not going to help you at all. The smell is horrid. It smells nothing at all like the Moroccan oil hair mask or treatment oil, rather, to my nose it smells like old fashioned hair grease. I'm giving one very generous lipstick for the pump dispenser that it comes in. Would not recommend and would not repurchase.
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Styling Products -Moroccanoil - Intense Curl Cream
SherryL 6/1/2010 7:22:00 AM
This is a horrible product and not at all what I would call "intense curl cream." It has zero hold so if your curls are tight enough to hold a strong curl pattern on their own, this product is not going to help you at all. The smell is horrid. It smells nothing at all like the Moroccan oil hair mask or treatment oil, rather, to my nose it smells like old fashioned hair grease. I'm giving it one lipstick for the pump dispenser that it comes in. Would not recommend and would not repurchase.
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Conditioner -Aquage - Hydrating Mist
SherryL 6/18/2009 10:07:00 AM
I like Aquage products in general, but this item... scented water! It's a bore; there's nothing much to it and it doesn't seem to condition anything at all. It does smell nice. :o) I believe Aquage just released another leave-in that's a "cream"... that may be more hydrating. This spray is probably best used a "restyling" mist for 2nd day hair.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Double Extend Beauty Tubes
SherryL 11/2/2008 9:39:00 AM
I've been a fan of "tubing" mascaras for a few years now. Actually, they are pretty much all that I use. My favorite brand has always been the Blinc Kiss Me brand (used with Kiss Me primer for added fullness), followed by Philosophy and Too Faced. At $20 a pop for each of those (plus another $20 for the primer) they can get expensive.
I was THRILLED to see a drugstore release of tubing mascara, but wasn't sure if it would hold up to my favorite Blinc + Blinc primer. In a nutshell, it did! The overall look is actually much fuller than with the Blinc Kiss Me, although the removal is a bit more difficult. The Blinc product effortlessly glides off with warm water. This product requires a bit more patience. Just like with all tubing mascaras, there was no smudging, smearing, etc... even after use in a pool. I didn't notice the clumpiness that the poster below noticed, just that it is more of a volume building product than Blinc is.
I love that the primer and mascara comes all in one tube and for the $12 that I paid for it, well it really can't be beat if you are a fan of tubing mascaras. Will definitely repurchase!
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Styling Products -Aveda - Air Control hairspray
SherryL 9/10/2008 8:06:00 AM
I waited sooo long to try this hairspray... and I'm sorry that I did. I absolutely adore it! I'm a big fan of fine misting aerosols for their versatility and this one met every expectation that I had.
The hold is medium. Depending on your application technique, you can either 'feel' where you've placed the spray or it can feel completely 'invisible'. The scent... to die for. I love it. One of the best smelling hairsprays out there... and classically Aveda (if you enjoy the Aveda scent).
Expensive... definitely; however, it doesn't take a lot to produce the hold that you would need AND it smells terrific (unlike most). If you're on the fence about trying it, go for it!
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Styling Products -Paul Mitchell - Super Skinny Relaxing Balm
SherryL 6/2/2008 7:04:00 AM
This is a really terrific product! I have abundant, loosely curled hair that falls below my shoulders AND I live in an extremely humid climate. I'm not overly keen on wearing curls or super straight hair, but I love waves! This product helps me achieve that! I use about 12 pumps (yes, MUCH more than recommended) mixed with about 2 pumps of Super Skinny serum and distribute it all evenly throughout my hair. I then let my hair airdry overnight. In the AM, I can either go with natural, beachy looking waves OR I can smooth select waves into more defined waves. I love having BOTH options. This truly is probably the first relaxing balm that I've ever used that actually relaxes my hair a bit on its own... without applying added heat. Wonderful stuff! It's also very lightweight. Even with 12 pumps of the stuff, I do not ever worry about build-up... my hair always feels so clean and silky! Highly recommended!
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Conditioner -LUSH - Jungle
SherryL 3/22/2008 11:48:00 PM
Jungle was a very big disappointment to me. I liked the idea of "no packaging" conditioner, but the problem with Jungle is that it just doesn't condition AT ALL (or at least the hunk that I received doesn't). My hair is shoulder length, naturally wavy/curly, and minimally processed. It's actually a pretty healthy head of hair. I can rub and rub and rub my bar of Jungle on my strands and the texture of my hair never changes. It just feels like perfumed water. If Jungle provided the conditioning effect that American Cream does, LUSH might have a winner with this product; but alas, Jungle just doesn't perform. Interesting scent too- sort of Juicy Fruit meets Play-Dough. Not my favorite LUSH smell.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -LUSH - Angels on Bare Skin
SherryL 3/22/2008 11:30:00 PM
Angels on Bare Skin was my first experience with a LUSH facial cleanser. I chose it for my combo skin b/c it seems to be the most benign cleanser LUSH makes for combo skin types AND b/c it received many rave reviews on the LUSH forum and here.
I was suprised by the packaging when it was delivered to my door. I know that LUSH packages their items as eco-friendly as possible, but I really don't dig the clear, plastic container that my Angels on Bare Skin Came in. It looks like something that would hold freshly grated cheese from the deli department.
I'm also not overly keen on the scent which is basically lavender mixed with a bit of an earthy (clay) scent. The texture is neat thanks to the crumbles of clay and ground almonds and offers extremely gentle exfoliation. The mild exfoliation is probably my most favorite aspect of this cleanser b/c I'm also a Differin 0.3% user. I want to use a scrub, but most are too harsh. Angels on Bare Skin is perfect.
Angels on Bare Skin effectively removes ALL traces of face and eye make-up. A plus where natural cleansers are concerned!
I "believe" shelf-life of this product is only 3 to 4 months, but you don't receive all that much so going through the small amount should be no problem. I would probably purchase this cleanser again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Unlisted Brand - Sabino Moisture Block
SherryL 12/3/2007 5:50:00 PM
Perhaps my most favorite silicone serum for keeping my naturally curly hair styled in smooth waves (even in South FL humidity). I call this stuff "Frizz Ease on speed". It most likely will be the thickest silicone serum that you will ever use in your life... and that's why it works. This is absolutely NOT for fine haired ladies out there, but if you have normal/thick texture and are trying to control humdity wrecked bad-hair days then this may be the ticket for you! I use it on damp AND dry hair. You may have to go through a trial and error process to see exactly how much your own hair type needs, but it should be smooth sailing after that.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Classified Cosmetics - ERA Face Spray Foundation
SherryL 11/8/2007 9:13:00 AM
My review is the for the ERA Everyday spray foundation that is sold on the ERA website (along with the original formula) and HSN. I purchased my foundation as part of HSN's ERA Holiday Bag. It came with foundation, bronzer, and shimmer. I chose Y-5 for my MAC NC30, BB Beige skin. The color matches me well and from the reviews below, it sounds like I could also get away with the Y-3 shade.
Onto the guts of the review... I LOVE this stuff! I've always been very much a tinted moisturizer girl. I like sheer, but buildable when necessary color that doesn't look like a mask. I also live in Southern FL so wear is important to me. It needs to be able to withstand the humidity. Era Everyday Spray Foundation is quite possibly the BEST foundation I have used in years. Basically, the only fault that I have with it is the fact that it doesn't contain SPF.
I do not spray this directly on my face; rather, I use it the way that Carmindy uses it on 'What Not to Wear'... spray on palm, sponge on face. The coverage is indeed buildable and the finish is slightly dewy (without looking greasy). I actually feel like my skin looks very angelic (possibly b/c the formula 'may' contain mica according to the ingredient list). I do not use powder overtop... there is no need to as the finish of this product is lovely.
The color has been staying true throughout the day from what I can tell. I'm curious as to how this compares to the Original ERA formula, which I have read provides more of a full-coverage look. I may try that formula in the future and use it for special occassions. For daily wear, Era Everyday is MORE than perfect for the girl who just wants to even out skintone and tone down a few blemishes. Highly recommended!
NOTE: As the reviewer below me found out, you must shake the heck out of the can before using it for the first time! Shake, shake, shake... and when you think you've shaked enough, shake some more.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Aveda - Be Curly Curl Enhancer
SherryL 10/18/2007 3:23:00 PM
Okay... well, I've tried this product many times over the years and as much as I 'want' to like it (b/c I LOVE the Aveda salon that I go to), I just can't. It smells terrific, the packaging is great, and it's a nice creamy consistency... however, it always leaves my hair feeling (for lack of a better term) 'gooey'. It DOES enhance my curls (especially when used with a diffuser); I actually get huge, curly hair with this stuff! However, I want my curls to look shiny AND feel silky... not this sticky, gooey mess.
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