Tag: Redken


Mar
2017

Makeup Most Wanted February 2017: Alyssa’s Picks

categories: Makeup Most Wanted

I might usually say I can’t believe how fast a month went by but for some reason I feel like I completely missed February. Maybe it’s because Toronto’s weather was so unseasonably spring-like but it’s almost like it went from January to March in one day. Luckily I did actually use a bunch of new stuff during February and some completely blew me away.

Shiseido IBUKI Smart Filtering Smoother

Everyone is all about selfie filters (except me, I *might* have a total of 3 selfies on my phone) and this lightweight lotion is supposed to give you the appearance of a filter on your face. I don’t know how Shiseido came up with this but I’m going to need it in my life forever now. In the week or so I’ve been using it, my pores look smaller, my skin is matte and I have a little glow. While it’s mattifying, it doesn’t dry out my skin. I’ve used this on it’s own and as a primer under makeup and I absolutely know I’ll get another once I run out. It’s pocket size, so it’s great to keep in your purse or to travel with but I wish there was a larger sized option as well. I might start keeping these everywhere just in case.

Tarte Lifted Sweatproof Mascara

I might not work out as much as I should but I go to a lot of sweaty concerts and I’ve been looking for a mascara for years that won’t melt off but won’t be horrible to take off when I get home either. Tarte finally gave me what I was looking for. This sweatproof mascara only comes in brown-black and while I love my mascara blacker than black, I actually really like the shade of this. It’s a dark enough brown that it can pass for black without the harshness. It does a great job giving me a lot of volume and it doesn’t clump while I’m layering it on. I do find it can get a tad flaky but not enough to really bother me. Plus it’s actually sweatproof but comes off easily with makeup remover. I’m used to still seeing waterproof mascara the next day, after I’ve tried to scrub it off for half an hour, so this is a nice change.

Redken No Blow Dry NBD Airy Cream

I basically never heat style my hair so I’m a huge fan of the new air dry trend, mainly because I’ve been doing it that way for years. Redken’s newest release is three air dry stylers. Airy Cream for fine hair, Just Right Cream for medium hair and Bossy Cream for coarse hair. I’ve been using Airy Cream and I flat out love it. I wash my hair at night, add this cream, throw my hair in a braid or a bun and wake up to nearly perfect hair. It does a great job of getting rid of my frizz without weighing my hair down and you can’t feel it once it dries. Did I mention it smells amazing too?

Beautycounter Desert Sunrise Palette

Beautycounter is a fairly new brand for me and I love that they’re making great products while taking out things that are bad for you. Their spring collection is called Desert Sunrise and it was love at first sight for me and this palette. With six eyeshadows (two are brand new) and three blushes, I’ve done quite a few looks with this palette already. I don’t get any fall out with the shadows, but I wish they were a touch more pigmented, especially the lighter shades. But they’re fairly buildable and I’ve worn all the shades and can’t pick a favourite. The blushes on the other hand are amazing. I automatically gravitated towards Bloom (the middle shade) and I love the pink shade on my skin. It just screams spring to me. The blushes seem to be a lot more pigmented than the shadows and you really only need a tiny but. I’m definitely going to be using this palette a lot more and I can’t wait to try more from Beautycounter.


Jan
2017

Winter Hair Most Wanted

categories: Hair Reviews

These winter hair most wanted products will help you say goodbye to frizz, get smoother hair and manage those locks this winter.

l-oreal-professionnel-mythic-oil-shampoo

L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil Hair Collection – You’ve probably already tried, or at least heard of, the original Mythic Oil for hair. I didn’t know that there was a whole line of Mythic Oil products just waiting for my hair. I tried the Shampoo, Masque and Oil Detangling Spray all with the same Mythic Oil care for my locks. I found the whole collection very soft and moisturizing on my hair. After using the collection my hair looked because and was really easy to manage.

pureology-style-care-smooth-perfection-infusion

Pureology Style & Care Smooth Perfection Infusion – Lately I haven’t had great luck with pre-blow dry frizz products. It took my a long time to dare to use this product. I love that it’s a gel and cream combo – a styler and a leave-in conditioner. I think it’s that combination that helped it work to keep my hair looking great for longer. I did find that it made me have to wash my hair sooner than usual, because it got greasy faster. But that said it was great from wash to wash.

redken-pillow-proof-blow-dry-collection

Redken Pillow Proof Blow-Dry Collection – Redken wants to help keep your blow out for a few days longer with their new Pillow Proof collection. I tried the combo of the Express Treatment Primer and the Two Day Extender Dry Shampoo. The primer was supposed to help your hair blow dry faster than usual. I’m not entirely sure that it worked, because I don’t blow dry my hair enough to know the regular amount of time. But my hair did feel and look great afterwards, so I will call that a win. The dry shampoo is your average dry shampoo. It left my hair looking good for at least two more days. It’s also nice and cool and smells good! Bonus!

pantene-pro-v-intense-repair-collection

Pantene Pro-V Intense Repair Collection – I don’t really think that my hair is damaged, but you can never protect your hair too much can you? It smells and feels like something that you would get in a salon. It’s luxurious feeling and leaves your hair very soft. I don’t know about the damage, but I definitely have less frizz and more silky hair that i don’t have to throw in a ponytail to hide. It will be perfect for protecting my hair from those sub-zero temperatures.

invisibobble-hair-ring

Invisibobble Hair Ring – These little spiral hair ties have an interesting back story. They were inspired by phone cords, back in the day when people had home phones. They are meant to give you less headaches, stop that annoying hair crimp and be simple to use. I find them a bit clunky, but they are definitely softer on my hair. They don’t feel like they are hold my hair so tight it hurts. I kept thinking that they were falling out. It’s a weird feeling to get used to, but you just have to trust the Invisibobble. It could change your ponytails forever.


Aug
2016

Redken Frizz Dismiss Collection

categories: Hair Reviews

redken-frizz-dismissMost of us have at least a little bit of frizz to our hair and some of us have it way worse than others. But finding the right product that actually makes a difference is easier said than done. Redken have decided to make it a little easier with their Frizz Dismiss line. The first thing you have to do is find your Frizz Protection Factor, or FPF. The range goes from 10-40 and my hair is really frizzy but also really fine. According to the chart, I shouldn’t go over FPF 20. I love the idea of this because we all have different hair needs and when I ventured into the products that were FPF 30+, I definitely noticed they were too heavy for my hair.

My regular routine with the Frizz Dismiss line is the sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner (these are also sodium chloride-free) followed by the Smooth Force spray. The shampoo and conditioner have a relatively mild scent and the shampoo lathered up really nicely. The conditioner looks thin coming out of the bottle but once you use it, it’s much thicker than I expected. Before I got highlights, I had a good amount of moisturization going on from these products. And after, well…they didn’t hold up to the bleach. If you have severely dry hair, you’re probably going to want to use the hair mask as well.

My favourite product is the Smooth Force. I use it as a leave-in conditioner/styling product and let my hair air dry. I have to say, it does a really good job preventing frizz from forming while my hair is drying and an ok job once the frizz is already there.

Considering how humid Toronto has been this summer, it would take a miracle to completely get rid of all my frizz but Frizz Dismiss gives it a good effort.