Styling Products -Nexxus - Maxximum Super Hold Styling and Finishing Mist
mielr 6/12/2013 11:52:00 PM
Great hairspray, especially in the hot, humid weather. I love ALL of Nexxus' hairsprays for different reasons and I love this one because it has more hold than their Comb-Thru or Frizz Defy sprays. I also love this spray because (like their other sprays) it makes my hair shiny and does not flake! Highly recommended!
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Night Rider
mielr 5/4/2013 4:15:00 AM
*(UPDATE of 2010 review): Really pretty shadow...but you HAVE to use a base or primer of some sort under this, or you end up with a fairly sheer shadow with flaky glitter that doesn't stick where you put it. It's a muted, mid-toned mauve-plum (I don't see any taupe in this at all). I wish that this shadow had more pigment and that the silvery flakes were a silver microglitter instead, but having said that, I got pretty results by using a creme shadow as a base- I used Clinique's "Rock Violet" (*which is now discontinued) and then used a sponge applicator to sort of "pat" the Night Rider onto the creme shadow while it's still slightly tacky. I don't think using a brush applicator would work, since I don't think you could pick up enough product with one. *I first got this shadow in 2010 and I doubt I'll ever purchase it again. This is because to get it to apply well, it takes more effort than I care to expend most days (especially considering the high price). If they improved the formula a bit...maybe, but I doubt that will happen. Besides, my current HG eyeshadow (Prescriptives "Plum Smoke") is only $14 and a lot easier to apply, has great pigment and no flaky glitter. Why would I want to bother with "Night Rider" again as long as "Plum Smoke" is still available from Prescriptives.com?!
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Styling Products -Alterna - Caviar Age-Free Protectant Working Hairspray
mielr 4/10/2013 11:45:00 PM
Putting aside the "anti-aging" BS (please, do they think we're that stupid?!) this is a great hairspray. It has great hold while still being flexible on my long, curly hair. I got a free travel-size of this at ULTA, however I will never purchase a full size can, because it is EXPENSIVE! On sale- maybe. But otherwise, I just couldn't justify paying that much for a hairspray when there are so many good, reasonably priced sprays out there (like Nexxus' Frizz Defy and Comb Thru). If I win the lottery, I may splurge on this once in a while, though. ;-)
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Styling Products -Kenra - Volume Spray (aerosol)
mielr 4/10/2013 11:30:00 PM
This is the aerosol version with the "25" on the can. I got a free travel-size of this at ULTA. This a decent hairspray- but I don't think it's anything special, and the full-size cans are a bit pricey, so I probably won't purchase. It has good hold, but I like hairspray that's a bit more flexible (I have long, curly hair), but I guess this would be a good hairspray for up-dos or other hairstyles that require firmer hold. The scent is kind of nondescript, which is fine for me. The "no animal testing" policy is admirable.
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Styling Products -Nexxus - Frizz Defy Hair Spray
mielr 4/10/2013 5:05:00 AM
I decided to try this spray because Publix was having a half-price sale on it and I've had previous good experiences with other Nexxus Hair Sprays, like Comb Thru. The Frizz Defy has slightly less hold than the Comb Thru, but it's a good spray nonetheless. I use it on my freshly washed, wet hair, after applying a silicone serum (I have thick, curly hair) and even on frizzy, 2nd day hair, it tames frizz and makes my hair shiny! I like that the formula is water-free (many sprays aren't--check the labels) and it makes sense: why would you want to ADD water to your hair?! Isn't water that causes frizz? It does seem to help with the frizz and it has an excellent, yummy scent (kind of like apricots, a bit like the original Humectress scent). If you're looking for a good, light-hold hairspray, this one is an excellent one to try.
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Styling Products -Nexxus - Comb Thru
mielr 4/10/2013 4:50:00 AM
Really, an excellent hairspray. Nexxus really excels in this area. I first tried this spray when I got a travel-sized one bundled with other Nexxus products. I have thick, curly hair and I use it while my hair is wet, on top of a silicone serum. I apply the serum, then the Comb Thru, then I comb my hair to distribute the spray evenly and let my hair air dry. It, along with the serum, control frizz as well as can be expected. It's not a super hold, extra hard hairspray. Some have complained about the smell, but I think it's pleasant. It reminds me of the Adorn my mom used in the 1970s, which is not a bad thing. :-P I've also used Nexxus' Frizz Defy spray, which is also good. The Comb Thru seems to have only slightly more hold than the Frizz Defy.
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Gels/Soaps -The Body Shop - Papaya Bath & Shower Gel
mielr 4/10/2013 1:14:00 AM
I got this on clearance at The Body Shop for $4, which I assume means it's being discontinued. That's a shame, because it smells GREAT and like all other Body Shop shower gels, cleanses and softens wonderfully. I may go back to stock up before it's all gone. The scent isn't as strong as some of the other washes-- maybe that's why it's being discontinued, because it's great otherwise.
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Cleansers -Fresh - Soy Face Cleanser
mielr 4/10/2013 1:09:00 AM
I got a generous sample tube of this with my Sephora bonus points, and I'm glad I did. I liked it very much in terms of its gel-creme consistency, the gentleness & thorough cleansing. However, I didn't care for the rose scent much (especially for a product used for removing eye makeup) and it's just way overpriced to purchase. I'll stick with my CeraVe foaming cleanser, but I'm glad I got a chance to try this product.
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Jhirmack EFA shampoo & Conditioner
mielr 3/22/2013 2:57:00 AM
OK--- Jhirmack EFA is NOT THE PURPLE STUFF!!!! The purple stuff is Jhirmack SILVER PLUS....... Now that I've gotten that out of the way, the Jhirmack EFA was a great s/c line, unfortunately discontinued because of low sales.......but how did the company expect good sales when it was nearly impossible to find for years??? It had a great orange creamsicle scent, and the essential fatty-acid formulations were great for dry, frizzy, curly or color-treated hair. The shampoo was similar to Nexxus' Botanoil shampoo (also discontinued now). Sorry to see the EFA line go. :-( Maybe they will bring it back if enough people request it, since they still make Jhirmack Silver. Their website is: alleghanypharmacal.com/contacts
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Shampoo -Paul Mitchell - Shampoo One
mielr 3/4/2013 1:42:00 AM
This is one of my favorite shampoos. I rotate my shampoos frequently, and I only have about 3 or 4 that I really love, and this is one of them. I love the coconut scent, and I love that its gentle, yet cleans effectively. I have thick, coarse, curly hair, and this is a great shampoo for me, so don't pay any attention to the fact that it says "for fine to medium hair" on the label. I highly recommend this one.
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Shampoo -Nexxus - Therappe Shampoo
mielr 2/28/2013 9:33:00 PM
I fell in love with this shampoo back in the 1980s, when I started going to the salon with my mom on a semi-regular basis. I could never really afford it, or its companion conditioner "Humectress", but I always treated myself to a bottle of each, when I could, since they seemed to make my thick, curly hair more supple (and of course, they both smelled delicious in their own way). ;-)
Today I use Therappe on a regular basis, even though I know it's been reformulated at least 2 or 3 times in the past decade. The famous pina colada scent seems to be the same as I remember it, though I honestly can't say if it's a better or worse shampoo today than it was pre-reformulations.
Looking at the new/old lists of ingredients, it's clear that many of the shampoo's most touted ingredients have been moved way down to the end of the list, when once upon a time they were near the top. It's still a good shampoo, and it's much more affordable than it once was (is that because of the reformulations? I hope not) so I will continue to use it. I will NOT, however, EVER purchase Humectress conditioner again, due to the fact that the formula was completely changed and the once yummy apricot scent changed to something totally boring. So, can I recommend Therappe today? Maybe. It's not exactly the same Therappe I grew up with. But, excepting 5 or 6 ingredients, the ingredient list for the older and newest formulas are essentially the same; the ingredients are just in a different order! As with anything, your miles may vary, so try it. At least they didn't add anything bad to the new formula like Sodium LAURYL Sulfate, so that's something to be thankful for! NEWEST FORMULA? (2012?): Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Laureth 6 Carboxylate, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium 10, Cocamide MEA, PEG 6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium EDTA, Coumarin, Panthenol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Methylisothiazolinone, Magnesium Citrate, Honey (Mel), Allantoin (Comfrey Root), Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl 3 Diisostearate, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract (Nettle), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract (Rosemary), Quilaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Matricaria), Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids (Wheat), Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Glycene Soja (Soybean) Sterols (Soybean), Alpha Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ceramide 3, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E). OLDER FORMULA (PRE-2009): Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Matricaria (Chamomilla Recutita) Extract, Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Extract, Rosemary (Rosemarinus Officinalis) Extract, Quillaja Saponaria Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Keratin Amino Acids, Panthenol, Avocado (Persea Gratissima) Oil, Allantoin, Soybean (Glycine Soja) Sterol, Honey (Mel), Ceramide 3, Wheat Flour (Triticum Vulgare) Lipids, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Styrene/Methacrylic Acid/Itaconic Acid Polymer, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Magnesium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Polysorbate 60, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum).
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Conditioner -Unlisted Brand - Renpure Originals Brazilian Keratin Straightening Conditioner
mielr 2/26/2013 7:48:00 PM
First of all, this conditioner does not "straighten" anything, but it's an effective conditioner for my thick, coarse, curly caucasian hair. This was a very good drug-store find (Walgreens) and the price is very reasonable. I was feeling nostalgic for the old "Aussie" line, so I started browsing among the Redmond family's Renpure products (they created the old Aussie brand before P&G ruined it). I like that it's not tested on animals, and that it has a pleasant scent (vaguely tropical- it's supposed to be coconut, but is more banana-ish, to me). The conditioner isn't super thick; it has a somewhat thin consistency, but it seems to sink into my hair and makes my hair feel silky and slippery after I rinse it out.
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Primer/ Corrector -Physicians Formula - Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Primer
mielr 4/19/2012 12:36:00 AM
I've been looking for a primer with a pure mineral/non-chemical sunscreen of at least spf 15, and this one fits the bill. I've been using the NUDE shade, and fortunately, it's colorless on my skin- I can't see it at all after I've applied it. It has a nice, fluid texture which makes it easy to apply. It also works well with my powder foundation (Stila IPF) which is a must (other primers have not worked under IPF). As far as the brush goes..........I used a pair of pliers and got a firm grip on it......then tore it out. It pretty much came out in one piece. Now I just hold the bottle upside-down and click some out into a little jar or my palm, and apply with my fingers. This stuff works pretty well just as a facial sunscreen as well. Will purchase again.
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Eye Shadow -Prescriptives - Colorscope Eye Color in Plum Smoke
mielr 4/17/2012 1:38:00 AM
THE BEST TAUPE/PLUM EYESHADOW ON THE PLANET. PERIOD. I've been using this for several years, and I even tried searching (unsuccessfully) for a dupe when I thought that Prescriptives was going under, but fortunately, it looks like Px is going to be around for a while (on the internet, anyway). This e/s is just *perfect* if you're into complex, taupey, plummy, silvery shades, that have depth but also catch the light depending upon where the shadow is applied on the eyelid. I just use this all over my eyelid as a wash, and it looks darker in the crease, and has a lighter, reflective quality on the lid itself. Look no further if you're into smoky eye looks. It is a mid-tone (not too dark, not too light). This also makes a great lower liner- I just smudge a line of it under my lower lashes, concentrating on the inner part of the eye. I find this shadow applies better with a primer underneath (as with most satin/shimmer shadows, it needs something to grab onto). I can't recommend it highly enough! :-) (UPDATE 02/2013: My dental hygenist just complimented me on this e/s, LOL!!! I told her what it was and where she could buy it. More proof that this is an awesome e/s!!!)
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Gels/Soaps -The Body Shop - Sweet Lemon Shower Gel
mielr 4/3/2012 1:32:00 AM
This is now my favorite shower gel! I LOVE lemon-scented bath-products and I picked this up on a whim when I went in to purchase some Banana s&c. It smells GREAT and is a wonderful shower gel. It lathers well and leaves my skin feeling soft. I like this even better than the Satsuma, which was my previous fave.
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