Product Review- It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in

Hello!

Over this past weekend, I went to go get a hair cut and deep conditioning treatment.  During the actual hair cut, my stylist recommended a product to use on my hair every time I wash it, because my hair is color treated and a little on the dry side.  She sprayed this product on my hair and styled it, and my hair felt like new!

What is this product? 

 It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Plus Keratin

This is a professional product sold in salons, and the price does reflect this. It retails at I believe $16.99, I got it on sale for $9.99.

Why is it called "It's a 10"? Because, according to the back label, it does 10 things instantly:

1. Maintenance of keratin straightening treatments

2. Increases styling and manageability

3. Perfect for all hair types

4. Replaces lost protein

5. Protects the natural keratin in hair

6. Protects against heat

7. Restores hydration balance

8. Detangles, defrizzes and adds shine

9. Strengthens hair structure

10. Seals cuticles for extra silky hair

I have used this product a few times since getting my hair done and I must say I am pretty happy with it.

My reasons for loving this stuff:

- Smells really nice

- Very little is needed- I have very long, midback length hair and 5-6 sprays throughout my hair is plenty

- My hair does feel softer after using it and is easy to comb

- My ends do not feel like dry grass

- My hair does look shiny and pretty, even after blow drying it

- Alcohol free

- Convenient little spray bottle container

The only con I can really think of is the price, but it is a professional product, so you get what you pay for in this case.

Speaking of haircut, I will post pics soon with the before and after!

How to save a little money at MAC!

Hello everyone!

As you all know, I am a total MAC addict- and being a MAC addict can be very costly! However, when I went to the MAC store today, I realized there is a way to save a few bucks on eye shadows.  No Pro  membership, coupons, etc needed, just this knowledge.

Buy your shadows in palette pan form. I'll explain how this can save space in your makeup kits and money in your wallet.  However, this can only be done through www.maccosmetics.com or purchasing from an actual MAC store, NOT the counter in a department store. They do not sell these items.

Step 1: Buy an empty MAC pro palette. These cost $14 USD and the eye shadow version holds 15 colors, while the blush version holds 6.

Step 2: Buy the colors you want- but ask for the palette refill pans. Eyeshadows cost $11 USD whereas the individual retail packaged ones will cost $14.50. 

Total Savings:

Eyeshadows:

Retail Packaging:

Shadows x 15 = $217.50

Palette version:

Palette: $14

Shadows x15 = $165

Total: $179 USD - Total savings of $38.50.

There is, however just ONE setback, you cannot "Back 2 Mac" the empty pans, meaning you cannot trade in used containers for free lipstick. However, the money saved is more than 2 lipsticks would be worth.

Palty Hair Color- Before!

Hello everyone! 

So, it's been about 3 years since I last touched any kind of color to my hair.   Last time I did, my hair was horribly damaged, dry, and it was like I had a dry blonde birds nest on my head.

For the year 2011, I am going to be changing my hair color for the first time in 3 years- Coloring my hair symbolizes (to me) the changes I plan to make for the next year. 

I decided this time I want to try Palty hair color, a Japanese brand that seems to be popular and work a bit better on dark hair (like mine).  I went to my local Japanese market (I have a Mitsuwa Marketplace nearby and the stuff is 10 bucks a box, not different from American brands you'd find at any drugstore.) and bought 2 boxes of a color called Milk Tea Brown.  This is what it is supposed to look like:

One thing I have heard about this brand is it tends to not do much within the 20 minutes that the instructions say to leave it on, I have heard of people leaving this color on for up to an hour, so I think that's how long I will leave it.   My hair is virgin (all natural) and in good shape so this shouldn't be too damaging. 

This is my current hair color:

I don't expect that my hair will lighten to that extent but we'll see. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised with hair color.

The dye kit is actually quite simple- it comes with developer, color, and a leave in conditioner. (I'll post pictures of what comes inside in my next post, as well as my version of English instructions because they are in Japanese ONLY)  It also has a nifty comb nozzle so you can just comb it into your hair. 

Well, I am probably going to color it today or tonight, and I will post pictures of the end result and a review next post.

We're getting revamped!!!

Hi everyone!!!

Long time no post!  This is just a little blurb about changes I am going to make for the new year. 

What to expect:

1. This blog will focus mainly on looks from Japan and Korea- both the mainstream styles and subculture styles (Gothic Lolita, Hime Gyaru, etc.) 

2. More tutorials!

3. New Layout!

4. New name- which is where YOU come in!

Send me suggestions for a new name for this blog! The winner will receive a tube of Lovely Girl BB Cream by Skin 79! (One of my favorites!)   I have some suggestions of my own but would also like my readers' input as well. 

Contest ends Jan 31, 2010 at midnight!

Haven't shopped in a while...

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I went out and got a haul of products. I am currently sitting here, thinking about which products I want to go purchase.

A list so far:

MAC

• Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick (tried this on, it looked great on me)
• Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass (also looked great on me!)
• Any MAC false lashes
• MAC Haute and Naughty Mascara

Urban Decay

• Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows (If I can ever find it for a reasonable price, it would be GREAT)
• Shadow Primer Potion- Professional size- in a squeeze tube! In the old bottle (that I have) when you run low it is very difficult to get the remaining product out.

Makeup Forever

• Any of their products, I am relatively unfamiliar with this brand but have heard a lot of good things.
• Eye shadow #92- a recommendation from a friend. A very pretty purple. ^^

If you guys have any other ideas, please suggest them!!!

Product Review- Olay Quench Lotion

Hello!

With cooler weather coming soon here in the USA, also comes drier skin.  A lot of lotions need to be reapplied several times throughout the day to keep skin moist but I came across a lotion which claims to keep skin supple for a full 24 hours- Olay  Body Quench Body Lotion (ultra moisture formula).

This lotion can be found at the drugstore, the smaller size is about $6.00 and the large size cost me $9.99. 

The lotion claims to contain shea butter and vitamins E and B3, and also says that it breaks the cycle of dry skin by providing longer lasting moisture.

When I first tried it, I found that (at least to me) it smells really good.  It has a vanilla/floral scent that I like but others may find it strong.  When I put it on, I was pleased to notice that it did not feel greasy after I put it on- another plus for me.

But the bottom line- did it keep my legs moist for 24 hours? Yes, it did.  I put my lotion on after my shower before bed, and my legs still felt nice when it was the same time the next day.

I recommend this lotion not only as a reviewer but also as a person who suffers from dry skim myself.  Also, a little goes a long way! You don't need to put a lot on, and the fact that you don't need to reapply during the day also makes the bottle last longer and save you money in the long run.

MAC Eyeshadows vs Coastal Scents

Hello!

Long time no post, I know. College has been keeping me busy... 

I am going to cover something people seem to ask me a lot- 

Which is better? MAC Eyeshadows or Coastal Scents?

Well it really depends.  I can't say one is clearly better than the other but I can give some similarities/differences.  I personally like both.

Similarities:

1. Cruelty-free- neither company participates in animal testing for either the final product OR the individual ingredients.

2. Both have a lot of colors to choose from and are highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way.

3. Both are versatile- can be used wet or dry (although certain colors of each brand are better at this than other colors)

4. Both are very popular among makeup gurus on YouTube and both get a lot of exposure this way.

5. Both companies also have the option of making your own custom palettes.

6. Both are very high quality shadows and are hypoallergenic. I have sensitive eyes and have never had problems with either brand in regards to irritation.

Differences:

1. MAC is more expensive.  For the price of one color (About 14 USD) you can get almost an entire palette of 88 colors from Coastal Scents (their 88 color palettes run about 25 USD)

2. MAC has a larger amount of color in each pot.  If you are someone who only uses a few colors regularly, MAC might be a better choice because there is a lot more and will last longer if you wear the same color every day.

3. Coastal Scents is a cheap way to experiment with lots of color if you are unsure of buying the more expensive MAC colors. 

4. MAC does get limited edition (and sometimes pretty cool) colors that Coastal Scents does not make anything close to sometimes. 

5. I believe Coastal Scents palettes are made in China (on the back of the box that my palettes have come in, it says Made in China), whereas MAC colors are made in Canada, USA, and Italy (so far as I have seen with the colors I already have.)

In conclusion, choosing between MAC and Coastal Scents is really a matter of preference.  For my regular makeup I do use MAC but when I try something with a wild color I normally wouldn't use, I use my Coastal Scents.