Friday, August 19, 2016

Ouidad Climate Control® Heat & Humidity Gel






Price: $10-$70

Accessibility: You can purchase directly from the Ouidad website.  You can purchase from other authorized retailers such as Sephora and Ulta.  Please visit the Ouidad site for their locator to find an authorized retailer near you. 

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-28, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Lawsonia Inermis (Henna) Leaf Extract, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-25, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, VP/DMAPA Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum)

Scent: Don't laugh but it reminds me of curl activator.  

Claim to Fame: Prevent frizz, flyaways and unwanted volume.  

Overall Impression:  Due to the amount of hair I have this product isn't cost effective for me.  If I had less hair I might be inclined to make this a summer staple product.  I like the consistency of the product.  It actually reminds of Sebastian Wet.  It absorbs into the hair very well.  I couldn't have planned to review this product at a better time.  It's been raining frequently and extremely humid lately where I live.  My twists held up great. My twistout turned out great as well.  It held up for about five days and that was with me not twisting it up nightly.  I liked the way my hair gradually gained volume that wasn't frizzy over those five days.  I may have to bite the bullet and pick up a small bottle next summer. 


First day of twists.


Several days after initially unraveling of twists.


Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Evercalm™ Global Protection Day Cream by REN Clean Skincare

Price: $50.00 

Accessibility: You may purchase directly from the REN skincare website.  You may also find local retailers closest to you by going to the about us tab on their site.

Ingredients: Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Myristyl Myristate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triheptanoin, Oryzanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata (Kudzu) Symbiozome Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Linalloliferum (Ho Wood) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Tocopherol.
 
Scent: A very faint hint of chamomile
 
Claim to Fame: As per the packaging: "Hydrates and replenishes.  Skin feels calmed and soothed.  Protects against free radicals and environmental aggression.  Combats the signs of premature aging.  Trains skin to be less sensitive."
 
**Does not contain: parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colours, TEA/DEA, glycols, silicones, PEGS**
 
Overall Impression: I enjoyed the consistency of the product itself.  It wasn't too thick or thin...it was perfect.  You can barely smell the chamomile scent despite it being the first ingredient in the product.  The price is a tad pricey than the average moisturizer...however you get what you pay for and the product isn't majority water, chamomile extract is the very first ingredient which is good sign because that's the ingredient that makes up a great deal of the product.  It's fairly easy to find and it's available online.  It lives up to it's claim to fame in one aspect because it definitely hydrates and replenishes the skin.  I can't honesty say my skin felt less sensitive but it definitely felt moisturized.  I also like the fact that it doesn't contain ingredients like mineral and many other undesirable ingredients.  Overall it was a great product that I never heard of but thanks to Ipsy I had am opportunity to try it!

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Trust Fund Beauty: Nail Polish


Price: $15.00

Accessibility: You may purchase directly from the Trust Fund Beauty website.  

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Adipic Acid/ Neopentyl Glycol/ Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Acrylates Copolymer, Styrene/ Acrylates, Copolymer, May Contain: CI 77891, CI 19140, CI 15850, CI 15850, CI 15880, CI 77491,_CI 77499, CI 77510, CI 77163 Polyethylene Terephthalate, Aluminium Powder, Mica, Dibenzoate, Titanium Dioxide C1 77891, Iron Oxides C1 77491, C1 77492, Mica. 
 
*This is a non toxic and "5 free." This means it's free from: toluene, formaldehyde, lead, nickel, phthalates.

Scent: 

Claim to Fame: 
* 100% Vegan & cruelty free
* Paraben free
* GMO free

Overall Impression: I received the shade "elegantly wasted" which was a dark lilac.  It wears nicely and took a little over a week to start chipping away.  Applies smoothly with streaking.  The price is slightly higher than what I usually pay for a bottle of polish...however I do understand "healthier" products do tend to cost a little more that conventional products.  Although I'm not a vegan I do appreciate products that are cruelty free.  I checked their site and I did not see any authorized retailers listed so it looks like purchasing it from them directly is the best bet to ensure you're going to receive authentic product.  It looks great on fingers and toes.   I never heard of this brand until I received a bottle in my monthly Ipsy bag.  I actually would like to try more shades on the future.  

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Clean Sweep™ by Wet Brush®



Price: $2.99

Accessibility: You can purchase it directly from the Wet Brush website.  This particular item was purchased at Sally Beauty. 

Claim to Fame: I used this to not only clean my Wet Brush but to also clean my other brushes, combs, and styling clips.  Removes shed hair and product buildup with ease.  I simply presoak my hair tools in hot, soapy water...after a few minutes of soaking I use the clean sweep to effortlessly scrub away and residue and any shed hair I couldn't remove initially.  It gets into those hard the reach places like at the base of the bristles of a brush.  I will definitely purchase another one when the time comes. 

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

The Wet Brush



Price: $9.99

Accessibility: You can purchase it directly from The Wet Brush website.  You may also purchase it from retailers such as Target, Sally Beauty, and Ulta. 

Claim to Fame: The creators of The Wet Brush came up with the concept of Intelliflex™ bristles.  This is what allows the brush to glide through the hair without much effort to detangle.  Which means you should not be tugging excessively on the hair.  It's safe to use on wet or dry hair; curly or straight hair; thick or fine hair. 

Overall Impression:  I have mixed thoughts on this brush.  Detangling does take minimal effort...its the balls on the ends of the bristles that had a tendency to get caught up in my hair.  I have natural afro textured hair.    I did notice that it seemed to catch more towards the ends of my hair.  I'm half and half on this review.  I would totally like the brush more if the balls were not on the ends of the bristles. Also it's time to replace the brush when the bristles start shedding.  I may purchase another in the future.  Check out my review of the Clean Sweep™ by Wet Brush® cleaner tomorrow on the blog.