Treatments -Aphogee - Two-Step Protein Treatment (formerly Treatment for Damaged Hair)
parrottheadmd 10/29/2010 4:54:00 PM
While my hair is not damaged from coloring/bleaching, it is extra fine and fragile and begins to break off badly after one use of a flat or curling iron even when coated with heat protective spray. My splits travel far up the hair shaft which makes them difficult to nip in the bud with a trim and they also tend to fray into many splits on one strand of hair. Enter Aphogee. This treatment, when used every six weeks, keeps my hair strong and able to withstand regular heat styling. I emphasize using it every six weeks because my hair will start to break down again if I miss my aphogee treatment by more than a couple weeks due to the protein restructuring properties wearing off. Because my hair is so naturally fragile, I really benefit from using the treatment on a regular, long term basis. My hair is just not strong without it. It really is amazing the difference it has made in my hair. I like to use aphogee just before going in for a trim because I can see that it is doing something when I don't have a mess of split ends within a week. It really means something to me when I can SEE results, not just feel them. I also love how aphogee helps my demi permanent color stay in my hair for much longer than normal and helps it fade out without it turning extra brassy, another annoying trait about my hair. Overall aphogee is a must for me, every six weeks! It makes my hair strong and my ends are thicker looking and not as wispy from broken ends. My hair can take regular heat styling with no problem, when supplemented with a good everyday heat protectant. I do still trim off splits when I see them but the reduction in the number of splits I have is dramatic. My hair used to be about 75% split ends to 25% healthy ends and Aphogee has switched those numbers for me.
When I use aphogee I begin with a moisturizing shampoo to keep tangles to a minimum. Next I blot my hair with a towel and very carefully comb out with a wide tooth comb. I apply the Aphogee to my hair (hair length is to middle of back) and wind it around my head like a wrap making sure that the hair is in place and will not move once heat is applied. Apply heat for about 10 minutes and then I let it sit on my head for another half hour to let it cool off and finish hardening. Rinse gently and apply conditioner. Let conditioner sit in hair for 30 mins. Rinse. Beautiful hair!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -SAMY - "0" calories thickening pomade
parrottheadmd 5/26/2007 2:21:00 AM
Retails for around $7.99. I found mine at Walgreens. In a red box with the other Samy "Fat Hair" products.
I have fine hair, but a lot of it, that tends to fall flat and not hold style very easily. It also gets greasy easily and gets slightly frizzy in wheather that even hints of humidity.
This pomade did what I've wanted every thickening paste I've tried to do; it provided the type of voluminous texture that holds a style but is still light, moveable, and soft. It isn't overly waxy or oily and doesn't weigh down my hair. It provides just the right type of hold and adds manageability to my hair. I was especially pleased with the way it disciplined my widows peak and finally made my sideswept bangs lay nicely without beating them into submission or plastering the underside down.
I applied this on towel dried hair and only to the roots, scrunching it in and really getting it onto the scalp. I did not apply it to my length.
It provides a slighty matte finish but does not make your hair look lifeless or flat. Just not overly shiny.
Comes in a 1.85 oz (50g) red tub which makes the product easy to dispense. I used about a dime size worth, a tad smaller, on my just below shoulder length hair.
The fragrance smells like....a barber shop, I think...but does not linger. I only noticed the smell when I stuck my nose in the tub.
I will update after a week or two when I've had the chance to use it more but this product really gave me a great first impression, especially for a drugstore product.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Kiss My Face - Peaches and Creme moisturizer with AHA
parrottheadmd 3/5/2007 10:14:00 PM
I might have found my HG moisturizer. Keeps my face nice and soft but not heavy feeling. I have persistent acne and the AHA's in this keep it under control even when I'm not using any topical acne medications. The smell is devine. UPDATE: I'm still really enjoying this moisturizer. The AHA is still keeping my acne nicely under control and I'm not using any topical acne medications. My skin is not perfect but it is in so much better condition without all the harsh topicals and it also makes my skincare routine super quick! I'm on my second tube now and plan to buy it again when I run out.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Ponds - Purely Polished Micro-Dermabrasion Anti-Aging Kit
parrottheadmd 11/21/2006 9:35:00 AM
Update: I'm still seeing this in stores so I believe Ponds just decided to re-package it. I still love it. On my second tub, plan to rebuy when I run out again. Update: I still absolutely love this stuff. However, I've only seen it recently with a "clearance" tag attached to it so I'm so worried that they are not making it anymore.
This is just my initial review. I bought this product 3 days ago and after 2 uses my skin is looking AMAZING! For the past few weeks i've had rough skin (even with chemical and manual exfoliation) and stubborn acne. I continually struggle with acne but I usually go through clear and not so clear times. Lately the not so clear times have been getting longer and longer.
I was at the drugstore trying to decide which microderm product to buy. All of the others were expensive but I was willing to try anything. I was also nervous because all of the drugstore microderm products had "meh" reviews in p'ville. As I walked away, Ponds caught my eye, and due to the price I decided to try it first. I hadn't seen it in the product reviews but decided that I would take a chance. I am so glad I did! Not only was I met with stellar reviews when I got home and checked it out on MUA, but the results have been so wonderful so far.
I'm planning on using this every other day and just using a good cleanser and moisturizer (juice organics also from the drugstore) otherwise. I'm so sick of piling all kinds of things on my skin.
I would also like to say that the amount of product you get is huge and the price is so much less than all the others.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Biore - Triple Action Astringent
parrottheadmd 9/11/2006 8:35:00 PM
Second update: After a few months of use I really wasn't noticing any difference in my acne so I've stopped using. I'm now using a simpler regimine of cleanser, moisturizer, and microdermabrasion with Ponds Purely Polished. My skin is looking amazing!
Update: Still loving this product. I'm using this as an all over treatment, spot treating with tea tree oil, and using a moisturizer with some SA in it. I'm seeing no new breakouts and my old breakouts are healing nicely. It's also not drying out my skin. Still love the fresh,clean feeling I get and i'm also suprised to see that it is not drying out my skin!
First impressions: A very refreshing astringent that doesn't burn or feel irritating at all. The bottle is great-easy to dispense the product and very clean looking. Smell is very fresh and clean. Overall a joy to use. Will update later on actual results.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -MD Skincare by Dr. Dennis Gross - Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel
parrottheadmd 6/28/2006 1:22:00 AM
update: the first time i used these pads (when they first came out) i had wonderful results. fast forward a year later and i decide to shell out the money again hoping for the same wonderful results. my skin did improve some, but not as drastically as it did the first time as i wanted it to. due to the price i've decided that the results were not worth it. if you can afford them, i would definitely give them a try. i have difficult skin with cystic acne so those with less problematic skin might really see some wonderful results.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - National Velvet
parrottheadmd 1/16/2006 10:54:00 AM
National Velvet is a lovely deep berry color with very fine shimmer. To me, it is INRAW's cousin-has the same shimmery base, but is a deep berry wine instead of a candy apple red. On a swatch card, National Velvet looks identical to Bagota Blackberry to me but I think National Velvet has more character with a better shimmer base. I haven't tried it on my tips yet, but my toes look very sophisticated in this deep, sexy color!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Redken - Extreme Deep Fuel [DISCONTINUED]
parrottheadmd 1/15/2006 7:47:00 PM
Product comes in a blue box filled with 5 single serve pouches. Retails for approximately $15 (or $3 per use). Before I used this product I shampood my hair (I used Vo5 Kiwi lime clarifying shampoo) because I had products in my hair that contained -icones or oils. If you have not used products that day or have not used ones containing -icones or oils, shampooing is not necessary. After shampooing I towel dried my hair by just blotting it a bit and finger combing it to get any tangles out. Then, I applied the product to my hair. It has a very nice texture and distributes evenly and easily. The single serve pouch actually had more than was really necessary to completely cover my hair (fine, below the shoulders but not quite bra band), but I went ahead and used all of it, concentrating the extra on the more damaged part of my hair. I decided to let it sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes was up, I rinsed and deep conditioned for another 10. It is VERY important to deep condition after using protein!!!!!!!!!!! Deep fuel is one of the more potent protein treatments (not as strong aphogee, but stronger than keraphix or k-pak) so please do not skip this step. If you do, your hair will be very dry and not so pretty-not the point of spending time on a protein treatment. After I dried my hair, it was noticeably smoother and felt wonderful to the touch. The damaged part also feels stronger and more resilient. Though I know that the only way to get rid of damaged hair is to cut it off, Redken deep fuel is a great product to use to keep healthy hair strong and damaged hair more even and smooth.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - I'm Not Really A Waitress
parrottheadmd 1/14/2006 8:43:00 PM
INRAW is a gorgeous candy apple red with a subtle and classy shimmer. Up close you can see the depth of that shimmer...from far away it just looks deliciously glossy. On me, one coat (and it covers well in just one coat!) gives a brighter red closer to a fire engine red (but not quite). I prefer 2 coats because I get that deep candy apple color that really compliments almost any skintone. I would probably tend to wear this during the fall/winter and not during the spring/summer unless it really complimented an outfit; not because it is dark, but just because brighter reds would probably look better during that season than this deeper, richer one.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -L'Oreal - L'oreal Kids shampoo - Cherry Almond
parrottheadmd 12/10/2005 10:53:00 PM
I have fine hair but lots of it. Ends are damaged and dry. Oily scalp. So far I am really enjoying this 2-in-1 shampoo but I definitely don't rely on it for conditioning. That being said, it cleans my hair very well without over drying it. The scent is wonderful-lovely without being overly cherry (like cough syrup). The smell does not linger which is fine with me. Hours later my hair just smells nice and fresh. In a pinch I also use this as a body wash because it is so gentle. If you are looking for a good, basic, no-frills shampoo this is a great one to try. It looks very cute in the bathroom and I like the soft-touch plastic bottle because it isn't slippery in the wet shower.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Matrix - Biolage - Hydrating Shampoo
parrottheadmd 4/23/2005 2:44:00 PM
Update: this shampoo actually dried out my hair after continued use. no longer using. I have just bought this shampoo and love it so far, but I will be sure to update after I have been using it for awhile. i never thought that a moisturizing shampoo would be good for my fine,thin hair but this is really great and allows me to just use a light spray in detangler instead of weighing my hair down with a heavy conditioner (especially during the spring/summer months).
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - Tropical Blush
parrottheadmd 4/19/2005 2:14:00 PM
Tropical blush is a very pretty and bright medium pink with some peachy coral. It is a bright color, but somehow doesn't look garish or flourescent on the nails. In the bottle it looks more bright pink, but on the nails you will get some of the peachy corals coming out. I think it can be bright, but not loud because the polish is not supersaturated with color. it is not a sheer polish, but after two coats I can still see just the tiniest bit of my whites coming through...you have to look closely and they are barely noticeable. i think with an additional coat it would start to get flourescent.
It is really lovely and I plan on buying a bottle when I can find it. I think you will have to go to an e-tailer to buy it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Forget Me Nots
parrottheadmd 4/18/2005 10:41:00 PM
Forget me nots is a lovely bright medium pink-a barbie pink without being too 80's. Not hot pink, but definitely bright. Creme, not frost or shimmer. I found that the first coat went on looking a little strange, but the second coat evened everything out and looks really nice. So glad I bought it!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Creative Nail Design - Lighten up Nail polish
parrottheadmd 4/11/2005 8:35:00 PM
A very pretty light pink that is translucent with 1 coat and builds to opaque with additional coats. No shimmer or glitter.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Maybelline - Shine Free [DISCONTINUED]
parrottheadmd 3/27/2005 4:34:00 PM
I found a good color match, Golden, in this product. I'm almost to the end of my first bottle and I don't think I will be repurchasing. The liquid gives me light coverage and didn't make me break out, but I feel that it just sits on top of my skin and I can easily wipe it off if I touch my face. Did not notice any oil controlling properties. I did like that it comes in a plastic bottle and the price is right if it works for your skin.
I have extremely oily/acne prone skin, MMM.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No