Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Coppola- Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy Treatment
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 10:55:00 PM
AMAZING, Seriously, for anyone thinking about getting this treatment, DO IT! I have endless thick, wavy on top, curly underneath, frizzy, poufy hair, a little longer than shoulder-length, that I can make look perfect, but that requires a 45-60 min. blowout followed by another 10 of flat ironing. Forget about air-drying my hair, it looks disgusting and unruly - embarrassing. I used some Christmas money to get this treatment after contemplating for months, and I can't express how happy I am. Air-drying my hair looks so good, with very little wave, if any. Blow-drying takes 7-10 minutes, and a blow-out takes 10-15, and requires little effort to get the same straight with volume results an hour use to take. I haven't used my flat iron since the treatment because I haven't had to. Keep in mind, this is a smoothing, not straightening treatment, which I like because I never wanted flat, pin-straight hair. So if your hair is extremely curly, this would probably make it wavy, but would take little effort to get straight results. My hair also looks and feels extremely soft and healthy. I used to wash my hair every 4-6 days, but now I do notice my hair getting oily after 2 full days so I've found myself washing every other day or every two days. Finally, some cons: -Treatment time is long: My appointment was at 2:45, I left salon at 6. You have to sit with treatment on hair for 30 minutes. -Treatment does contain formaldehyde so it does burn eyes and make it water, my stylist blow-dried my hair away from face to prevent this but it still happened some -Treatment smells, partially because of product and partially because of all the flat-ironing, and smell stayed through first two washes - Not washing my hair for 3 days after was torture. It was so pin-straight from each section being irons 7 times that it looked absolutely ridiculous, glad I got it on a Thursday so I could go into hiding on the weekend - I have a very sensitive scalp, and for most it will not burn at all but it did for me on some spots of scalp, so my stylist would blot off excess while she applied, and it caused a little flakiness for the 3 days after. However, most people would not have these problems I have read many reviews of women doing this themselves, and I would HIGHLY recommend getting the treatment in a salon before attempting at home. It is an extremely tedious process and does contain chemicals and done wrong, could severely mess up your hair. I don't think I will ever attempt this myself, partially because my arms would fall off due to four straight hours of blow drying, applying, blow drying, and straightening 1/2 inch sections of my never-ending hair and partially because it truly seems like it needs to be done by a pro. Finally, you must wash and condition with Coppola products (bottle of each is supplied w/ treatment) but you also can buy leave-ins with keratin that extend treatment time longer.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 9:37:00 PM
I've always loved gel eyeliners and this is no exception. Goes on very easily and offered in a great choice of colors. I think it lasts all day, and almost as well as Bobbi Brown and MAC versions, however can be set with powder for extra stay. I didn't find that it smudged or migrated, either. The brush that comes with it is also GREAT! I like it better than my Lancome brush I used with my other gel/creme eyeliners. Overall, the color is not quite as dark black as Bobbi Browns, but for the price difference, I do not mind setting with black eyeshadow when I want it extra-dark. This is an excellent sub for the more expensive products, as all other aspects are the same. Package lasts forever, too.
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Mascara -Revlon - DoubleTwist
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 9:31:00 PM
Terrible, flaky mascara! Very dry, doesn't build and the tube dries out quickly. Brush also gets hardly any product on it.
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Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - That Gal
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 9:28:00 PM
Typically love Benefit, but not this! I didn't notice any difference whatsoever with this product. I know I've read some use it alone and like it, but I haven't tried that. I used it under Bare Minerals and didn't notice any extra smoothness, brightness and it didn't make my makeup last longer as a primer should. I also found it very hard to blend and spread on, other primers I use a tiny dollop and it covers my entire face, a same amount of this barely covered my cheeks. Also, the packaging is not good. I had to turn it at least 50 times to get mine to send product up to the top and another 10 times every time I use it. Also it's impossible to tell when the package could be getting low. There are many great primers out there, and many cheaper, so don't waste your money on this one.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -L'Oreal - EverStrong Hydrating shampoo
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 9:20:00 PM
I love this line! I have thick hair that has never been dyed or processed, but I blow-dry two or three times a week and flat iron every day. It did a great job of moisturizing, and it suds up very well and feels rich so you don't need to use much. I have a sensitive scalp and this didn't solve any problems but it also didn't create any, so for me that is fine. The smell I loved, but could see how some wouldn't. Very earthy and reminds me of light aromatherapy smells, so if you like the typical clean "shampoo smell" or fruity, you might not like this. However, it is not overpowering at all and doesn't interfere with perfume. Smell fades throughout the day.I think it smells similar to Aveda products. Also, although some people complain it is expensive, my CVS often has L'oreal hair products BOGO or $5 ExtraBucks if you buy two.
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Shampoo -Paul Mitchell - Super Skinny Daily Shampoo
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 9:08:00 PM
I normally like Paul Mitchell products, but the Super Skinny set is awful! I bought it after using it a few times at a friend's when I visited, and luckily I got the conditioner on clearance and only paid full price for the shampoo. i have wavy on top, curly underneath, thick, frizzy hair, and the first time I used it I loved it. It made my hair easier to blow-dry and straighten. However, I don't think it has nearly enough moisturizers and it never made my hair feel really clean. I normally don't have to wash my hair more than twice a week, and I could probably even go longer without my hair getting flat or greasy, but that wasn't the case with this. I felt I needed to wash every other day but my ends were very dry. After several weeks of usage my hair just didn't look as good as it normally did before, so I discontinued using. Overall, I think it could work for someone possibly with extremely thick hair that isn't damaged or doesn't require much conditioning.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - salon effects
adriennemarie1188 1/8/2011 8:55:00 PM
These are so easy and look great! i bought these yesterday at CVS for $10, a little expensive for a one-time use product but seeing as these just came out last month, will surely go on sale. Also, I don't mind the cost as it is not something i would do often or it would lose it's specialty. I have never had Minx nails so I can't comment on quality similarity but I've always liked the look so when i stumbled upon these I thought, why not?! i got the leopard print, which is a shimmery gold base with brown spots and it looks SO nice on, not tacky or cheap at all! It took me about 20 minutes total, to push my cuticles back, buff, and file nails (comes with the needed tools) and apply. It was actually easier than I thought, and the sizes were perfect for me. I started with the second smallest on my pinky nail and used the four next sizes on each finger. For a few fingers the nail was slightly wider than the sticker, but once I placed the edge right at my cuticle I stretched it a little as instructed and then ran over the edges with the wooden stick as instructed and they stretched to the perfect size. Peeling them off and reapplying once or twice if the alignment is messed up was not a problem. More than 36 hours later mine look perfect with no chips! I think the key is to really run over the entire nail with the stick and seal it in place. I also had no problem with filing them to the correct length. After you press on the sticker and seal it, you bend the excess over the nail and crease it on the edge, then file with the soft side of the included filer until it cuts it. This only took a few seconds on each and didn't create any rips or tears like I thought it might. Another perk is because it comes with 16 strips, if you do happen to mess up a few there is extra and you can easily cut one, or after sealing it carefully tear the excess off with the file. Super fun, and honestly although they say they last up to 10 days, I'm not sure I would even want mine on that long, a weekend of leopard nails is probably enough for me!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No