Review: L'Oreal Color Radiance Hair Products

It's been a long time since I've used a drugstore brand's products on my hair.

Seriously, a long time.

I don't remember the exact reason for switching to salon products (oh wait, my sister and friend - both stylists - basically accosted me and explained that most drugstore products were terrible for your hair) but needless to say I switched years ago and never looked back.

Until today, that is.

See, I miss sulfates.  I know, I know, you can't believe I'm saying that right?  But I truly do.  They lather so well and really seem to clean your hair.  I missed it!  And the smell...there is just something so fantastic about drugstore shampoos and conditioners.

I was sent a trio of Color Radiance products from L'Oreal and Influenster and was so excited to wash my hair that I nearly knocked Allan and Benjamin down on my way to the bathroom.

The shampoo was all I hoped it would be.  It lathered so well, made my hair feel so clean and I had to use far less than I normally would have with my salon products.  Though the shampoo was nice, it was NOT my favorite of the trio.  That would be the lovely product in the middle - Color Radiance Instant Miracle.  Seriously, this is awesomeness all packaged up.  Not only does it perform just as well as my expensive color conditioners BUT it made my hair so silky and smooth.  Plus it smelled like watermelon.  Love it.  The conditioner is standard though I would say to use it sparingly as it can cause some additional build up.

All in all, I will absolutely be buying these products again if not for their pricepoint!  So much cheaper than what I am used to paying.

Have any of you ladies tried this line before?  What were your thoughts?

    

Review: Queen Helene Jojoba Hot Oil Treatment

 Aside from lipstick color, hair is one of those things I tend to notice on others.  I adore seeing other people's hair styles and color and am not opposed to asking anyone about their hair products, hair stylist or daily routine.  Because hair is this important to me, it probably makes perfect sense that I'm always on the hunt for great hair products.

I recently purchased a three-pack of Queen Helene Jojoba Hot Oil Treatment while cross-border shopping.  A long time ago I used to use VO5's Hot Oil Treatment and have been looking for a replacement ever since so decided to spend the $6.99 to try it out.  I am actually quite happy I did!

Pros:

Can be used on dry or wet hair

Nice thick oil that fully saturates hair

Makes hair extremely shiny

Repairs split-ends, breakage and brittleness

Leaves hair extremely manageable, stronger, and healthy looking

Easy-to-use packaging

Very quick - Only needs to be on hair for 3 minutes

Very inexpensive

Cons:

Have yet to find it in Canada

The packaging says to "shampoo hair and towel dry.  Place tube in a cup of hot tap water for one minute.  Holding top edge of tube, twist off tip.  Massage through hair and scalp, cover with warm, damp towel or plastic cap for three minutes.  Rinse thoroughly with warm water.  Towel dry and style as needed."  Instead, I applied to dry hair will in the bath and covered, with my milk maid shower cap, for about five minutes.  I rinsed it and went to bed with wet hair.  The next morning, my hair was absolutely gorgeous.  So, you can use this treatment however you'd like, as long as you warm it up first.

I am quite a fan of this treatment and would definitely buy it again.  Should you be on the market for a hair treatment, I highly suggest trying this one out.

XO Christina

PS - Two things have happened as of today and I desperately need to share them.  One, today my hair officially fits into little pig tails.  Yes, I have hit that stage of hair growing.  The second one, is definitely bad news.  My fabulous NP Hair Straightener broke!  I've had it for 4 years and don't know what I'm going to do.  Any suggestions of straightener brands is very helpful!!!

***If you haven't done so already, check out my Fall Favorites Giveaway HERE***

HerCut The Shag Styling Catalyst: A Review

I like hair products almost as much as I like eye shadows and lipsticks. Seriously, I really do. Which is why I'm always on the hunt for a hair product that actually prevents or smoothes frizz, provides texture and doesn't weigh my hair down.

While out and about one weekend with a friend, I found a new product line claiming to do all of the above. The line is called HerCut and it's taken hair care to a whole new dimension. (Well, according to their advertising it does.) The company explains that HerCut "redefines hair care by working with the form, shape and movement of your own personal haircut" and, since I'm always a sucker for beauty product claims, I purchased it. (Plus, it was also on sale for 50%.)

I purchased The Shag Styling Catalyst product because it's claim is to lift and separate, lighten my layers and give texture and dimension. However, if The Shag is not your thing they also have The Pixie, The Bob, The Curly Bob, The Blunt, The Long Layers and The Curly Long Layers. In terms of packaging, I think they actually hit the nail on the head. Most mornings I use an Argon Oil serum on my hair but dislike the way the product comes out of its container. This container works because of its well developed pump that pre-combines both the gel and cream together without the messiness of opening a lid and pouring the contents into your palm.

As you can see, this container contains two separate products: the gel and the cream. The first time I used this product, it took me 8 pumps before the cream would come out though the gel was having no problems at all. After that initial try I haven't had any issues with the pump. Another good thing about this product is the smell; it's not overbearing at all. In fact, unless you've pressed your nose against the product, you can't really smell anything. (A huge plus for me as I work in a scent-free building.) Once the product was in my hair, it was drying faster but made my hair less pliable. (In other words, it felt slightly crunchy from the gel.) After I blow dried my hair though, that crunchy feeling went away and my hair was full of volume. Once I finished flat-ironing and applying pommade, my hair looked like I'd just had a hair cut. (For a girl with short hair, this is a huge plus.) It seemed more dimensional but most of all, it looked like it had more texture.

During the day, my hair kept its style nicely and didn't fall flat, which is great. The next day, though, was a lot harder to style. I rely on a great dry shampoo for my second day hair styling but for some reason, my hair was a lot harder to style and the dry shampoo was not getting to my roots. (It took a lot more time than normal for me to re-style it.) I think this has a lot to do with the gel portion of the catalyst.

All in all, I think I'll continue to try this product (at least until the bottle is done) because it does have some great qualities. If someone else has tried this product line, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts...

Cheers