Project 3-Pan is Over

Well, I succeeded. I used up 3 products this month, although 1 of the products was not the one I wanted to use up. I used up my Maybelline mousse concealer, the Rimmel Glam'Eyes, and my Rimmel Fix and Perfect Face Primer. And... I didn't buy any makeup this month. Anyway, I wanted to use up my Coastal Scents foundation but it just didn't happen. I had too much of it. Oh well, I still used up 3 products so I'm happy.

I'm going to try and use up 3 more products in September as well. I'm going to use up the Coastal Scents foundation, my L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Primer, and something else. Haha. I'm not sure yet but I'll let you know. I will however be buying some new products because well, I just want to.

Curly Hair Series-Redken Fresh Curls Curl Boost

All righty, this is the final product in my curly hair series. This Redken product is an anti-frizz scrunching spray gel. I have tried 4 or 5 other products from Redken and I thought they all were very high quality and did a pretty much what they said they would do. That's why I was so disappointed in this product. I had really high hopes for this but I feel like this was the worst product in the series. I don't really like products that I have to spray into my hair because I feel like I don't get it evenly distributed enough. I really tried to be methodically when applying this, spraying in sections so that I got it everywhere. Also, like always, I applied a generous amount.

Here's how it stacked up:

1. This did not control my frizz at all. Once my hair dried it was a mess and I had to re-wet it and put more product in.

2. No. It did not keep my curls curly. They fell and frizzed.

3. It didn't make my hair crunchy or flaky, but my hair did feel really dry.

I kinda feel like "spray" products just aren't for me, but even if this formula was in a cream or something I don't think it's strong enough for me.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I feel like the Aveeno is a keeper! I think it did the best job out of the bunch. I might try mixing the Aveeno with the Catwalk. That would probably be an awesome combination.

Curly Hair Series-LaCoupe Perfect Curls Frizz Free Curl Shaping Mousse

Here is the 3rd product in my "Curly Hair Series". This product claims that it "Transforms hair into soft, perfectly defined curls". I used this product the same way I used the others. I applied a generous amount and focused on the hair line and the ends. No I did not get "perfectly defined curls" but it did a good job none the less.

Here's how it stacked up:

1. This product did a pretty good job at controlling the frizz in my hair. There were still some spots of frizziness but I think if I used even more of it it would have done an even better job.

2. This definitely kept the curls bouncy and didn't weigh them down at all.

3. While I didn't notice an flaking, the product did make my hair a bit hard. I kinda expect that from a mousse though.

Sephora Smoothing Primer

I received a sample of this on my last trip to Sephora. It is a clear gel primer. I've never tried the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, but I think this product is pretty similar to it. This primer is supposed to smooth makeup application, improve imperfections, and mattify the face. I put this primer on one half of my face and my L'Oreal Studio Secrets face primer on the other to see how well it stacked up. On a side note, the L'Oreal primer is my favorite at the moment. Anyway, my makeup went on smoothly and evenly. There was a bit of fading by the end of the day but nothing too bad. I would say this is a pretty good primer. I still like the L'Oreal better though because I like the feel of the primer on my face, it's less expensive, and it makes my makeup last a bit longer. It's worth a try though. It might work better for someone with oily or oily/combo skin.

MAC Dare to Dare

So the only thing I ended up picking up from the In the Groove collection was the Dare to Dare lipglass. It's a really pretty pink with blue glitter in it. The blue glitter gives the lipglass a purplish appearance. It's really pretty for day if you use it lightly and great for night when you layer it on.

2-Week Manicure Update

Well, my manicure chipped. It lasted 2 days. I did all the normal stuff I usually do and I didn't even do any dishes! On the plus side, it didn't chip as badly as it usually does so maybe if I used the specific topcoats that were mentioned in the article it would have lasted longer. Oh well. I've got another product I'm planning on testing out so I'll let you know how that goes. If anyone has any advice or tips please, please let me know.

2-Week Manicure

I mentioned in a previous post that I can’t get my manicures to last more than a day or two and I can’t figure out why. Well, I was reading the August issue of InStyle magazine and I came across an article that claimed to be able to tell me the secret of a 2-week manicure. Yes people, 2 WEEKS! Not only that but after reading the step 2, I discovered she tells you to do the opposite of what I’ve always been told to do. Well of course I had to try it out for myself. The manicurist who came up with this “secret” is Josephine Allen. InStyle breaks the secret down into 4 easy steps. Here they are (paraphrased):

1. “Do 1 ½ base coats” The 1^st coat just on the upper half of the nail, let dry for 1 minute. The 2^nd coat on the whole nail.

2. “Pile on the Polish” Apply 2 thick coats of polish. (I don’t know about you, but everything I’ve read or heard has always said to do 2 thin layers)

3. “Seal the Deal” Use 2 top coats. (The article suggests Nailtiques 2, followed by Seche Clear. This is the only spot in the article wear it suggests a specific brand be used. I didn’t have either of these so I substituted a “strengthening clear coat and a regular top coat)

4. Cool It! Dip your hands in and out of a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. “This helps to set the lacquer.

That’s it. I did this yesterday (08/09/10) and so far so good. I’ll let you know at the first sign of a chip. I hope this works though cause having a manicure that lasts more than 2 days would be awesome!

Curly Hair Series-Bed Head TIGI Catwalk Curls Rock Curl Amplifier

O.k., the 2nd product in my curly hair series is the Bed Head TIGI Curls Rock Curl Amplifier. Like Aveeno, this is the only Bed Head product I've ever tried. It comes out of a pump and has a thick, creamy consistency. It's also kinda sticky. If you rub your hands together then pull them apart the product will connect them together. (If that makes any kind of sense LOL). Also, it smells a bit perfumey, but not too strong. I like the way it smells. Again, I used a generous amount of product each time because I have a lot of hair.

Here's how it stacked up:

1. It kept most of my frizz at bay but not all of it. There were some parts of my hair that got frizzy after it dried.

2. This did not weigh my hair down at all. It kept everything nice and bouncy.

3. This did leave some parts of my hair a little stiff. It wasn't too bad though. It was mainly the front of my hair. It did not flake at all, which I kinda thought it would.

Conclusion: I really like this product and would purchase it again. If you've tried this product let me know what you think about it.

Project 3-Pan

I know, I know, 3-Pan!?! I must be joking right? Nope. I really don't think I can use up/hit pan on 10 products before I buy more makeup so I've decided I'm going to attempt to use up 3 products this month. I think that's doable. I was inspired because I ran out of my MUFE Smokey Lash Mascara. I'm focusing on my Rimmel Glam'Eyes mascara, my Maybelline Mousse Concealer, and my Coastal Scents foundation.

Wish me luck, LOL!

Curly Hair Series

So since it's summertime and I'm really tired of straightening my extremely curly hair all the time I've decided to try out a few products that are geared to curly hair. I have 4 different products and I'll be using each product for a week then doing a review on how well the product worked for me.

My hair:

Is extreme! It's extremely curly, thick, dry and frizzy! I use a ton of conditioner and deep condition often.

What I'm looking for in a product:

Here are the things I'm going to base my reviews on:

1. A product that is going to eliminate, or at least really control the frizz. This is probably the thing that will be hardest to do.

2. A product that will keep my curls curly. Some products leave the curl limp and I don't want that.

3. A product that doesn't make my hair hard, crunchy and flakey.

I don't think that's too much to hope for, do you?

O.K. on to the first product, Aveeno Nourish + Style Soft-Hold Gel-Creme.

This is the first time I've tried an Aveeno hair product and I really liked it.

It's a milky looking gel that feels slick but thicker than a gel. It has a bit of a perfumy smell, that isn't too strong or over powering. I used a very generous amount and focused mostly on my ends and my bang/hairline area. Those are the areas that tend to be more frizzy.

1. This kept the frizz in my hair at bay pretty well. I feel like it could have been a bit better though. I'm sure if I play around with mixing this with other products it will work even better and controlling my frizz.

2. This product did a great job at keeping my curls bouncy and tight.

3. This didn't make my feel at all crunchy or hard and didn't flake a bit.

All-in-all I really like this product! I'm not going to say I'll repurchase this just yet because I want to try the other stuff first but it's definitely a good product.

If you have any questions just leave a message.