Recent Empties: Hair Care

This is the final empties post I will be writing for a while. Luckily, I only have a few bottles left of shampoo and conditioner. This means I can finally move on from standard shampoo and conditioner and instead try some shampoo bars within the year.

I don't actually have anything else to ramble about, which is a first. Let's proceed!

• Nature's Gate Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner: These smelled like peppermint and cleaned my hair nicely. However, they didn't really do anything special for my hair, so I probably won't be repurchasing either.
• L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo and Conditioner: I loved this the first few times I used it, but once I had used the product for a few weeks, I stopped noticing results and my hair began to feel like straw. Even if I would have loved it, I probably wouldn't have repurchased because the ingredients aren't so healthy for hair.
• It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product: Remember the old Ulta Rewards system? Once upon a time, I wanted the Macadamia Oil, but it was sold up and the only other thing in stock that looked okay was this product. I know tons of people rave about it, but it just didn't work well for my hair. My hair felt heavy and dirty. The smell also bothered me, but that is simply a matter of preference. If you really want to try it, definitely get the travel-sized bottle. A lot of other people love it, so even though it didn't work for me, it is still worth trying.
• Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo: This shampoo was okay. It is meant to clarify your hair, but I never noticed much of a difference between this shampoo and a regular volumizing shampoo. It smelled masculine, but good. This shampoo does have sulfates in it, so I won't be buying it again. Since I only used it every week or two, it lasted an astonishingly long time.

And that is all I have for you! I'll probably end up having another empties post in a month or two, so keep watching for that if you would like to know what I am finishing. Also, if you would like me to post collections of what I am working on finishing (for example, my entire makeup collection, etc), then I am willing to do that so you can have a glimpse of how much I have to finish. I also have some products I might be donating, and I can post about that as well.

Super September Day 8: Empties Part One - Hair Care

The last time I posted an empties related post or video was toward the end of June. Yikes. As you can guess, I have finished heaps of products. This is why I am dividing this month's empties post into three parts. If I would have even tried to film a video it probably would have been 30 minutes long. I tend to ramble. I also don't have the best setup for pictures because my empties bag was at home and I went home to do some things and I had forgotten my digital camera. So we're back to iPhone pictures for the next few posts.

Anyway, shall I continue?

I finished 3 shampoos, two conditioners, two deep conditioners, and one hair treatment. Not bad, eh? I still have a can of Batiste from when I was in high school that I need to finish, but I never use dry shampoo, so it might be gone by the end of next year ;)

First, I finished the Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo. I also finished the conditioner. I like how these smell, I don't like the ingredients, but I do think they work well on my hair. I also really appreciated how inexpensive they were. If I wanted to stick with these products, I could have gotten much larger sizes for no more than $6-8 together, which is half the price of other drugstore hair products. I don't think I will buy these again right away, though. As a matter of fact, I really really really want to try Chagrin Valley hair products, so I'm trying to finish up everything I have. (Note: not an affiliate link, just wanted you to see what I am interested in buying once I finish what I already have!)

Next up is the TiGi Bed Head Epic Volume Shampoo and Conditioner. I bought these at Ulta sometime last year when they were having a buy one, get one free sale on select hair products. These were available in bulk, so I decided to take the plunge. I wasn't overly impressed, to be completely honest. I won't be buying these again.

I finally finished my L'Oreal EverSleek Renewing Deep Conditioner. the smell really bothered me, so I would not buy this again. It wasn't the most impressive deep conditioner, either.

I also finished the Organix Renewing Moroccan Oil Treatment. I did like the smell of this product, but again, it wasn't the best deep conditioner out there. I wouldn't buy it again.

It took me a long time, but I used the sample bottle of the Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo. I received this in a Birchbox. The ingredients were great and it worked well, but it is so expensive that I cannot justify buying it on a regular basis.

Finally, I have a sample of the Redken 01 Anti-Frizz Polishing Milk. I liked this, but I have so many other hair products that do the same thing and are cheaper.

Overall, I'm happy with everything I finished. I still have quite a lot of half-empty hair products, so I will let you know when I do get around to trying those Chagrin Valley products! What hair products have you finished lately?

Super September Day 6: My Hair Care Routine

I'm not sure if I have ever shared my hair care routine with you. I planned to in July, but as we all know, Glam July was a failure on my part. Super September isn't going quite as swell as I'd hoped, but I am still making more progress than I did in July, so that's good! But I should be talking about my hair ;)

I try to keep things simple because my hair doesn't need that much assistance. I do have dyed hair, but overall it isn't too dry. It can get tangled, but it's not horrible. My hair is medium to long, normal/fine, and straight with the occasional natural wave.

I tend to use products in the same line. As you can see, 3 of the 4 products in the picture above are from the L'Oreal Total Repair 5 line. The other is the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product.

It's not technically healthy to wash your hair every day, but I do it anyway. My hair lasts a day and a half before it gets greasy, but for the sake of keeping a regular schedule, I go ahead and wash it daily. Once per week I will deep condition my ends because I am probably doing a lot of damage by washing daily. After I am done showering, I always spray the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In product on my damp hair. Sometimes I blowdry it, but typically I just let it air dry. If my hair looks too crazy, I will straighten it. Otherwise I try not to use too much heat on it.

If you are interested in a detailed review of these products, please let me know in the comments!

Review: J.R. Liggett's Bar Shampoo

Have you ever had a moment where you were sure you did something, but then some time later (be it a few minutes or a few months), you realize you didn't do anything at all? Yeah, I honestly thought I had written a review on the J.R. Liggett's shampoos I featured in my iHerb haul a few months back, but it seems that all I did was snap a few pictures on my phone. Lovely ;)

I have the original formula and the herbal formula. The original formula is sitting in a soap dish at my mom and dad's house and the herbal formula is within walking distance. I've tried both formulas enough times to know how I feel about them.

I love the idea that these are meant to be used without conditioner and can supposedly last as long as a 24 ounce bottle of shampoo. Each bar is 3.5 ounces, so just imagine how much space that saves! Honestly it's pretty obvious that I am always determined to find the ultimate way to utilize my space efficiently, whether it's in the bathroom or elsewhere.

Although the J.R. Liggett's shampoos are (sort of) marketed as a shampoo and conditioner in one, I have noticed other reviews mention that they use these to clean their body as well. It makes a lot of sense considering the ingredients are similar to other natural bar soaps I have seen.

The formulas for both shampoos are very similar, but I do find myself preferring the herbal formula over the original even though the only additions seem to be rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood. Overall my hair just felt better with the use of the herbal formula. Neither made my hair feel stripped, but the original version left my hair a little more tangled than usual.

I love that these cost less than $7 (they are about $4 if you order them at Vitacost). I love that the packaging is minimal (it's just paper that can be recycled) and that the bar dries quickly.

Ingredients (Original): Olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, fresh pure New Hampshire spring water, sodium hydroxide (a binder) and essential oils for fragrance.

Ingredients (Herbal): Olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, fresh pure New Hampshire spring water, sodium hydroxide (a binder), rosemary-lavender-cedarwood and other essential oils for fragrance.

I would love to try the other formulas because they are supposed to be more moisturizing than the ones I picked up. For now, these are being used as weekly clarifying shampoos and an all-over soap. If you tend to be low-maintenance with your hair or if you want to feel good about what you are putting on your hair, I highly recommend trying one of these. For now, I am using a liquid shampoo again because I have accumulated too many for this single head ;)

Edit (October 2013): I'm nearly ready to re-enter the world of solid shampoo! Well, not quite. I have a few bottles of shampoo/conditioner that are 25% full or less. Once I place my Christmas Vitacost order, I will be selecting one or two different bars to try out. I still want to try the Chagrin Valley shampoo bars, but these are a little more accessible as I can find some of them at Whole Foods.

My Top 12 Products of 2012

I haven't written a favorites post for a long time because I've been working toward my goal of finishing more products and buying less. However, there are quite a few products that I've fallen in love with and can see myself buying again once I run out. These things are in no particular order, but let's get to it!

1. LaVanila Pure Vanilla Perfume: I have this in the small rollerball form and it has become my favorite fragrance ever. I don't wear it every day because I want to save it for special occasions, but I can see myself buying this again and again. The notes are: Madagascar vanilla, Freesia, Patchouli, Heliotrope, and Tonka Bean. You can buy the rollerball form for $19 at Sephora.
2. My Too Faced Palettes: I have three different palettes, the Naked Eyes palette, the Romantic Eyes palette, and the Glamour to Go palette. I personally love all of them and constantly find myself using them. My most used of the three is definitely the Glamour to Go palette.
3. NYX Butt Naked Eyes Palette: I didn't use this as much as I wanted to (since I have about five other neutral palettes), but I fell in love with it over Thanksgiving break. I love having all the blushes and eye shadows I need in one place.
4. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliners: These aren't necessarily a new discovery for me, but I did "rediscover" them this year when I was in search of a smudge-proof eyeliner. These can run dry, but they work well once you know how to work with them. Blackberry is my personal favorite.
5. Maybelline Color Tattoo's: I think a lot of people already know about these and if you've read my blog for any amount of time you'll know that I love these. My favorite color is Barely Beige, which was limited edition, but a similar shade has been released in the 2013 metals collection.
6. Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Skin Ointment: I had an allergic reaction to something I was trying to finish up a couple of months ago. This really helped my skin. Tea Tree Oil is supposed to help with cuts, burns, and acne. I've never noticed whether or not Tea Tree Oil really helps my acne, but this product really soothed my skin irritation.
7. Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup: I wear the shade Fresh Alabaster in this. I don't think I have ever mentioned this on here, but I always used it when I was "between" my other foundations that I have finished this year and I've come to realize that it is actually my favorite foundation that I've used this year. It doesn't actually treat my breakouts as far as I have noticed, but it also doesn't break me out and it is the closest match I'll ever find from a Clinique face product. Actually, I wish they had a lighter shade. It would probably be perfect.
8. Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder: I use this when I don't wear other makeup and I've been really happy with it. It calms my skin and seems to work well. It comes in a huge container and I don't use much, so I feel like I'm never going to finish it.
9. Sally Hansen Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-in-1 Treatment: This is a nice base and top coat. It's the only one I have used this year.
10. OPI Nail Lacquer in Just Spotted the Lizard: This is from the Spiderman collection and it is probably the most interesting color I've bought this year. I won't even begin to attempt to describe the color, but it does remind me of a lizard.
11. China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Smoke and Ashes: I'll admit that I loved the Hunger Games and I was really excited when China Glaze released a nail polish collection dedicated to the movie release. Smoke and Ashes looks boring, but if you look carefully it has greenish blue shimmer in it (forgive me if my description is subpar... I am terrible at describing scents and colors).
12. Tangle Teezer: My hair is very prone to tangles, so this has been a miracle for my hair. I'm so happy that I tried it and I hope to buy a couple more soon so I don't have to remember to take it back and forth with me when I am going home for a weekend.

I didn't really have any lip favorites in 2012 because I don't usually go crazy over lip products (although you'd never believe it if you could see my collection). What were your favorite products in 2012?

Review: My Lush Hair Products!

I posted my first Lush haul in July and since then I've really had a chance to try the products I bought. I was intrigued by the solid shampoo bars (and then shocked when I found three different shampoo bars from a brand at Whole Foods!) and I had heard some great things about the conditioners.

Before I get myself too off subject, I will mention what I do own: the Jumping Juniper solid shampoo and American Cream conditioner. I picked Jumping Juniper based on the recommendation of an employee at Lush and I picked American Cream over other conditioners because it was available in a small bottle so I wouldn't be stuck with it if I hated it and also because it's supposed to be more hydrating than Veganese (which is also available in a smaller bottle).

Jumping Juniper ($9.95) is specifically for oily hair. I actually wash my hair every day because of the oiliness of my scalp. I've tried skipping days before and the feeling just bothers me. Anyway, I use Jumping Juniper once or twice per week to remove any buildup from products (and buildup from my other shampoo). I enjoy the smell, but I'm terrible at describing scents. It is a bit strong, but to me the scent is pleasant and fruity and maybe has a hint of floral. I probably would repurchase this once I finish it.

American Cream ($9.95 for a 3.3 fluid ounce bottle) is supposed to be suitable for all hair types. I feel like this conditioner feels a bit too heavy for my hair, but it also isn't extremely moisturizing. It doesn't do much for my tangles. The bottle claims that it smells like strawberry vanilla cream, but I personally think it leans more on the strawberry side than the vanilla side. I actually don't think I'll be buying this again. I've found cheaper conditioners that work better for my hair. I will say since you can buy such a small bottle that it's still worth a try if you are curious.

I plan on trying the Seanik solid shampoo bar and once I do, I will post a review as soon as I have a fully formed opinion on it. I won't be trying it until I finish Jumping Juniper, though.

What are your favorite Lush hair products? Your least favorite?

My *First* LUSH Haul!

So I realize that I've promised not to buy makeup, skin care, hair care, or body products until September 1, but I had to break my promise once again and this time it was fair if I say so myself. I recently went on a mini-vacation and I do not live close to a LUSH store or counter, so when I happened to come across a LUSH store I had to at least check it out. I went into the store and pretended I didn't want anything (the store didn't even sell Honey I Washed the Kids soap and that is probably the main thing I have been curious about). The next day, I was regretting my decision to pass things up and I gave the LUSH website a lengthy visit. Since there was a LUSH counter at a Macy's we would be going by, I decided to stop in. The people working there were incredibly helpful and friendly and from what I have already tried, I know I will be ordering some more products online in the future since I have an idea of what some of the products smell like (I am very sensitive to smell and I have a difficult time trusting a description of a scent). But, on with the haul!

The most unusual products I came across were the "Toothy Tabs" - I bought them in the Sparkle (vanilla, lemon, and grapefruit) and Ultrablast (lavender, peppermint, and spearmint and I believe it also has wasabi in it) varieties. Toothy Tabs are just solid toothpaste and I think they would be perfect for travel.

I don't normally take baths, but I figured that a bath bomb would be worth a try. I purchased Honey Bee because it smelled nice.

I don't necessarily need a new conditioner, but I saw the bottle of American Cream and thought it would go nicely with the solid shampoo bar I bought since I can't convince myself not to buy a conditioner when I buy a shampoo.

The second strangest item I decided to try was Lovely Jubblies, which is a breast cream. I am only 20 so loss of firmness in my skin is not an issue I have, but I just thought the concept of this cream was interesting. The container of it is tiny, but a little goes a long way. It can be used anywhere, really. It is most commonly used on the breasts, butt, neck, and eye area. I normally have problems with 

As I mentioned before, the item I've always been eager to try from LUSH is the Honey I Washed the Kids soap because I love sweeter fragrances and I heard that this was one of their most popular soaps. I cut off a chunk in my hotel room and it is a nice product.

Another line of products I was intrigued by was the solid shampoo bars. I heard they tend to last anywhere from 50-80 washes and I love that they are so compact. The sales associate suggested that I try Jumping Juniper since my hair is oily at the roots. I also bought a tin for my shampoo so I could prevent it from melting away in the shower.

I will do my best to post some reviews of these items once I have used them for a while and once I am allowing myself to buy beauty products again, I will be trying some more products.

What are your favorite LUSH products?

EDIT: another thing worth mentioning about Lush is that the packaging is gender-neutral, which was one of my biggest gripes about the Bellaboo line. I showed my boyfriend my haul and then some other products by Lush and he said he would have no problem having some of the products stocked in his bathroom (particularly the Toothy Tabs, but I'm sure if he ever wanted to use a new shaving cream or try a new soap, he won't feel like he is low on options - Grass and Dirty are two particular scents marketed toward men, but none of the shower gels I sniffed in-store were overly feminine and were overall gender-neutral. The bar soaps are a bit different. I think Rock Star, Lust, Queen of Hearts, and The Godmother might be too feminine for MOST guys to want to use... but considering how many other soaps there are by Lush, this is far from being a problem). I'd also like to note that a lot of the products are not sulfate free, but I have learned to accept that if I ever wanted to go sulfate-free, my hair would probably have a long transition period and I would probably look like a hot mess for months.

That Time I Cheated on the Beauty Purchase Restriction Thing...

Alright, so in my last update on my beauty product restriction, I mention that I had a few slip-ups... I figured I might as well show you what I've purchased! Before I do that, I have to mention that it is pretty difficult for me to not buy anything because as a beauty blogger, I always see new things and want to try them out and write about them, but I have a budget and I honestly have no desire to let my makeup collection get out of control. But as always, I am beginning to digress.

So the BB cream craze has hit the US drugstores hard this summer. L'Oreal released two, Maybelline released one, and Covergirl repackaged their tinted moisturizer and called it a BB cream (yeah, that one made me mad... I'm honestly debating if I ever want to buy another Covergirl product again because of it, which may be an extreme reaction, but it makes me question their overall credibility). 

When I first heard about the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, I was intrigued. I shouldn't have been because aside from the Fit Me line, there is no such thing as a Maybelline foundation that isn't just plain orange on my fair skin (for reference, I would say my skin tone is probably a mix between N1 and W1 in the L'Oreal True Match line - W1 is too pale, W2 is too dark and yellow, and N1 is close to the right tone, but it is too dark). I'll admit that I have seen very mixed reviews on the Maybelline BB cream, but I had to at least swatch it for myself since every blog I have read reported that the drugstore displays had testers for each shade. From what I had seen in blog posts, I had a potential dupe for my Too Faced BB cream. I haven't formally worn this for more than a few hours because I truly am trying to finish what I have, but I am going on a mini-vacation soon and I figured that the weekend I am gone will be the perfect weekend to really test it out.

I am honestly not sure why I even bought the L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB cream... despite all the negative reviews, I still thought the idea was intriguing even though it is not a true BB cream. Back in the day (and by that I mean spring 2008) I tried the Almay Smart Shade makeup and it was a disaster. I have seen some Youtube videos saying that the L'Oreal BB cream has a similar concept, but is better. Color-wise, I tend to have great luck with L'Oreal products. I can almost always find a close match and I generally don't break out. My problem with L'Oreal products is really just lasting power. Just as it is with the Maybelline BB cream, I have not formally tried the L'Oreal BB cream, but I can say that this is a close match.

The other items I have bought that almost count as cheating, but have a reasonable explanation attached to them include:

• Bed Head Styleshots Epic Volume Shampoo and Conditioner: Ulta had the jumbo sized shampoos on sale, I knew I wanted to try a new shampoo when I went back to college in the fall (even though it will be over a month before I return), and the two products seemed to have promising reviews. I won't be opening these until I'm back at school and when I started this challenge I forgot to account for the money I would be spending on back-to-school personal care items (because to me it doesn't make sense to start off a new year at school with a half-full bottle of shampoo, especially if there's a chance I'll be coming home on a random weekend).
• Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes: as you may have seen in my June Favorites post, I had luck with one mascara and another mascara I owned was basically a flop. I haven't tried the original Great Lash in a few years and although it makes absolutely no sense to have several mascaras, I think it is fine to have two because I don't always want the same effect for my lashes. The Maybelline Mega Plush mascara gave me a natural look and my ELF 3-in-1 mascara gave me such a natural look that it did nothing. I heard great things about the brush for the Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes so I figured for $4.44 at Target it would be worth a shot (and for now, I would say it was!)
• Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cleanser: this is the gel version and it is far less drying than the original or grapefruit versions. I needed something with salicylic acid for a few reasons. The first is that something in the Bellaboo line did not agree with my skin and I had enough clogged pores that my skin looked frightening. The second is that my dermatologist has recommended that I use "any" salicylic acid cleanser I want in addition to the prescriptions I am on. The third is that if I use benzoyl peroxide, it will have an unpleasant reaction to one of my topical acne treatments (my dermatologist has me using Aczone and if benzoyl peroxide is used in conjunction with Aczone my skin could turn orange, which is not a pretty look for me). Honestly, I think I have been using this cleanser for about a month, so it has taken me too long to post about it. I've also gone back to some of the skin care products I was using before I switched to Bellaboo. But as a mini-review I will say that I am very happy with this cleanser and I plan to write a proper review soon.
• (Edit: later on 7/15): I forgot to mention that I also purchased the ELF Mineral Blemish Kit from Target the other day because I'm nearly out of my spot treatment and I wanted something I could wear day and night.

So there you have it. I think the problem with this challenge is that I set the bar too high. I probably should have gone for one month instead of two and a half. I also probably should have checked my calendar. Despite all the slip-ups I have made, I still plan to keep track of what I've finished and I will also do my best not to buy any beauty products I do not need, but it's pretty challenging when companies keep releasing products that intrigue me. I also think it's good that I posted this because I don't want to make my post in September and tell you I succeeded at the challenge when I didn't. After this challenge is over, I'll probably do it again soon, but I'll change up the rules so I can't get around them so easily ;)