Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask Review

(This product was received in my May 2014 New Beauty Test Tube.)

How To Use: After shampooing, massage into hair, ensuring the conditioner is evenly applied. Leave in for three to five minutes before rinsing. For even deeper conditioning, cover hair in a plastic cap to retain moisture while sitting under the dryer for 10 minutes, then rinse. 

Initial Impressions: This sample is teeny, and so I didn't use much of the product the first time I used this, and was just okay with it. It didn't strike me as anything special- just another deep conditioner. 

Final Impressions:  The next two times I used this, I had better results. It didn't leave my hair feeling greasy, but did leave it tangle free. However, it didn't really leave my hair feeling moisturized, and actually felt a little drier than it had before using this product. I'm not sure why that is, since this says it's a repairing mask for dry, damaged hair. So it pretty much just seemed like a regular, nothing-special conditioner, and not a mask.
I won't be repurchasing this product, ever. There are a lot better deep conditioners out there for my hair type, and this just didn't really do anything for me.

You can purchase this product here.

FTC: This product was received as part of a subscription box service that was purchased by me with my own money. No affiliate links have been used, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What's In My Makeup Bag? (As of June 5th, 2014)

It's that time again!

Foundations- the same as last month. It's working for me!

I've been wanting to break all three of these babies out since the last time I used them, so here they are! I actually cheated and used the blush in the Lorac Pro palette twice last month. So I knew this month I needed it out.



I also really wanted this Tarte blush out- it will be PERFECT for summer! And the elf blush is staying out because I wore it probably 5 out of 7 days of the week last month.



I decided to keep the CKone mascara out because it's really been working this last month- I wore it on the day of my grandma's funeral with just a little of the lash blast on top, and there was no smudging at all. I think that's the sign of a pretty good mascara!
I also wanted to give the butterfly and the lash domination mascara another go now that their a little more dry.


That's everything in my makeup bag this month! I still need to do an update on what I use for eyeliners and such- I just need to get it scheduled and show you guys!

How I Grew Out My Hair

Something I've talked about a lot on this blog is my hair- how it's long, how it's oily, how it's color treated... you guys know the story. But what you don't know is how I grew out my hair, and my own personal recommendations for both growing and taking care of your hair once it reaches your desired length.

I started "officially" growing out my hair in 2008- that was the last time I really had a drastic cut, or cut off more than a couple of inches at a time. And, yes, it did take about 5 years to really achieve the length and health I have now. It is a process you have to be patient with, and every once in awhile you'll have to trim off more than you'd like.
If I had wanted instant results, I would have bought extensions. But I wanted my own hair, and for it to be healthy.




This picture was taken in 2008, my hair was red, and this is the shortest I had it. I really liked the cut, but I wanted long hair. I also wanted the red out, so....



I had to bleach it. (I cut my friend out of this pic because I wasn't sure how she'd feel being on the blog.)
I do miss being lighter blonde, but not this blonde. I think I had my hair this light for about a month, and then I started darkening it. 



My hair was a little past my shoulders here, and this was taken in late 2009.



No other really good pictures until 2010, bu you can see how long it got, and quickly! 



A better picture, this was in 2011.



A pic I found of me attempting a hairstyle I saw on pinterest.



And finally, this is the length of my hair today (though this was taken back in February and I had about two inches chopped off shortly after this, my hair has reached this length again)! 



So how did I do it?
Well, first, I paid attention to my hair. If it felt dry, I'd give heat styling a few days off. As a matter of fact, unless I'm doing something on the weekends, I will let it air dry. I always use some kind of heat protectant or leave-in.
I use a deep conditioner or hair mask about once a week, and sometimes twice a week if I feel like my hair needs it. 
I know my hair is oily, and I would try to stretch my hair to two day hair, but most of the time, I was washing it every day. This is what works for me, and also what I believe kept my hair healthy, because I noticed my ends would be so dry second day.

I read countless "how to grow out your hair" articles for weeks, and all suggested coconut masks, egg masks, aspirin in shampoo, and all kinds of other stuff. And I'm sure that stuff all works great- but for me, the above really did work for me just fine.

My biggest tip, though? GET REGULAR TRIMS. 
Every 6 to 8 weeks, I was getting at least an inch trimmed off my hair. I set reminders in my phone and planner, I'd ask my hair girl how my hair looked, and if she thought I needed a couple inches off instead, I did that. 
It sounds counter productive, but really you're just getting rid of all that dead length- the scraggly stuff that really weighs down hair and makes it look crappy.

And yeah, it took awhile, but now my hair is long, and beautiful. And it is all mine.

What's in my makeup bag? (As of May 8th, 2014)

It's a new month, time to change it up again!

(Old background- I wasn't in the mood (read: too lazy) to get out my photo studio.)

Foundations- pretty much the same as last month, but I'm adding the Revlon BB Cream. I really need to use this up, so I'm going to try to focus on that more than the others.



I hit pan on a couple of these blushes, as you can see, so they are well loved. Eventually I need to pick up a new Ulta blush in Exposed, because it's one of my favorite that I own. 
And I can't buy Pink Glow by Physician's Formula anymore (as far as I can tell, it's been discontinued), but I'm honestly sick of saying that to myself, and I should just enjoy it, so I am!



Time to give up being Naked and get out my Lorac Pro! To complement them, I am bringing two old Tarte Eyeshadows in Sweet Valley High (which is also discontinued and almost dead) and West Egg (which has some severe pan-hittage). Also I'm using a Too Faced Duo, and two Bareminerals shades. 



And mascaras- all really good staying power formulas, because it's starting to get warm here!



What are you all liking for this month??

Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes

Today I want to talk about what happens when a tried-and-true product fails you. Today I'm going to be reviewing the Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes.

Now, I'm not sure if my skin has changed, but these are no longer meant for my sensitive skin. I used them with no problem for years, and have repurchased these countless times. So many times that I can't even remember a time when I didn't use them, because I've pretty much been using them since they were first released in Target stores.
But something has changed. Whether my skin or the formula, these now irritate my skin. There is a scent to them that wasn't there before. I'm not sure why, but they just do not work anymore.

They still get my makeup off really well. They still feel very cooling and refreshing- before my skin starts to get red and irritated. And there still is a very calming, soothing scent, but it's different somehow.
I can't find anything online that says anything has changed, but there has to have been something. Generally sensitive skin products don't just make my skin become sensitive to them all of a sudden.


I am currently working through my very last full pack of these, and unless something changes, I'll be moving on to other wipes, trying to find something better. Or, I'll save them for swatch removal purposes.
Sorry, Yes To, your product is just no longer working for me!



(But if you want to try them, you can purchase them here.)

FTC: This product was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Target Beauty Box, March 2014

This is a little bit of a late post, but I got the Target Beauty Box!
This isn't a monthly box or anything, but every once in awhile Target puts these out for $5.00. I recommend following the blog My Subscription Addiction because it's her blog that alerted me to this being on sale. The only reason I got it is because it had a couple of products I wanted to try anyway!

On to the box!




It came like this! So cute!



And here are all the products. They're all what I would consider "deluxe" samples, but the smoochies and the mascara are full sizes!



The first product is a full size of the L'oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara. I've been using this on and off, and the formula is a little on the wet side, but I enjoy it! It really separates my lashes. I'm not sure it really does that butterfly thing where the lashes are longer on the ends, but as far as mascaras go, it's pretty good! And considering it costs more than this entire box? A definite win!




The second product is the Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo. I was going to be buying this the next time I needed dry shampoo, and now I don't think I will. So far, not impressed! 



The third product is the Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray. I've never used a Sea Salt Spray before, and I can't decide how I feel about it. I'll definitely do a review when I figure out how I feel.



And more of this Jergens BB Body! I received a sample of this in my March 2014 Birchbox, but this is actually a bigger sample than what I received. I actually am enjoying this lotion on my legs, but I'm not using it consistently enough to see if it actually does make a difference over time. I need to start doing that.




The last product is this smoochies gloss by Covergirl. It's not actually as glittery coming out as it appears in the package, and I'm surprised also by the fact that it's not an absolutely sticky mess like some of the other Covergirl glosses.



Overall, I'm glad I spent the $5.00 on this! I am repeating everyone when I say I wish Target would make these a regular thing- seriously an amazing deal with some great products!



FTC: I purchased this box with my own money, and I am in no way affiliated with Target. All thought and opinions are my own.

A What's In My Makeup Bag update!

So, remember my post from yesterday where I raved about that CoverFX foundation and powder?


Well, I write my posts usually the weekend before they go up. And at that time, I did really love the foundation. But I used it all of last week with no problems. Until I started breaking out. And the foundation started wearing funny.
I didn't do anything different, and I didn't change up a moisturizer at all. But it did start doing weird things, and considering I paid $72.00 for both of these? I really couldn't afford to just let the foundation sit there and me not use it.
(Today was the last straw- I sit at a desk all day for my job, and I went to the bathroom about 10am (which is about 4 1/2 to 5 hours after I put on my makeup, and my foundation was just gone. Melted right off my face. And it was just a little streaky. Not cute.)


So I decided to go to Sephora to exchange the foundation. But since I'm a genius, I didn't keep my receipt, so I had to do an exchange. And I decided to get the Naked 2 Palette, and Too Faced Glitter Glue.



I now own all the Naked palettes!



The casing is pretty much the same as the Naked 3, only a different shade.



And it also came with these primer pods, and a brush.



I never really wanted this before, but I have been looking at a lot of swatches and tutorials lately for it. And since I had to exchange the foundation for something anyway (and walked around for over an hour looking for something), I decided to just go ahead! And I actually really, really love the colors. So in my makeup bag it goes to play!



This is also a product I've been wanting to try!



I really, really hate fallout, so hopefully this helps!



It's a little thicker, and tackier, than regular Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and it does appear that it works! I tried it with Urban Decay's Sidecar from the Naked palette (infamous for it's fallout), and while it didn't help during application, after removing the fallout from under my eyes, there was no more fallout, at all. Usually with that particular shade, I get fallout all day long. But no more!



Not sure how you can see that, but it blends in extremely well!


So that's what's additional in my makeup bag now! Happy Friday!

What's in my makeup bag? (As of April 3rd, 2014)

New month, new makeup!





I got a new foundation and powder! I was hanging out at Sephora looking around, because I wanted to try a liquid foundation. The girl at my Sephora was super nice, and did one of those color matching things, and helped me decide on the CoverFX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation and the Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder. I've been using this for about a week, and I really, really like it! It's been so long since I've used a liquid foundation on a regular basis, and I'm surprised how much I am enjoying it. Definitely worth the price I paid.
(I also like that the Color thing matched me with a Dior and a Lancome foundation, and she steered me toward this anyway. I know they don't work off of commission at Sephora, but it's rare that they don't always recommend the most expensive thing.)



I'm also going to be trying to use these babies from Geek Chic more. 


Let me know if you guys like this way of me showing you what I'll be using for the month, or the old way. This way obviously takes me less time, but I'll definitely go back to the other way if you guys like it more.


FTC: All products were gifts or purchased by me with my own money. Everything else was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Eye & Cheek Palette Review

Today I'm going to be reviewing the tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Eye & Cheek palette! I purchased this palette for myself as kind of a birthday gift, because the second I saw it, I knew that I needed to get my hands on it! I've been having a serious obsession with matte shades lately!


(Blush shade is Elevated; Eyeshadow shades (Left to Right, Top to Bottom) are Sand Out From the Crowd, Peach for the Stars, Two Plums Up, Pink Outside the Box, Rose for the Occasion, and View from Taupe; as well as Dream in Chocolate and Don't Stand Black)



These swatches aren't the best, but I swear this palette has been worth every penny. I have been using it almost every day since receiving it in the mail, whether it is for the blush, the brown and black shadows which are used great as liners, or even just for a great matte color. The shadow quality is phenomenal, and they most blend extremely well. 
And the blush is just beautiful, and has great staying power. Now I know why the amazonian clay blushes get so much hype! I never would have purchased one on my own, and now I'm already looking at my budget to figure out when I might be able to invest in a couple more.
The mirror is also a really good size, and the palette will stay open on it's own if you set it on a table- perfect for travel or if you don't have a dedicated area to do your makeup.

As far as what I don't like, there are a couple of things- a couple of the shades aren't as pigmented as I would like for them to be, and the black and brown shadows are a little harder to blend. However, nothing in this palette is difficult to work with, and when I'm focusing on using just this palette, with the right brush, I can make any of the shades work. 

And speaking of brushes, this palette does come with a double-sided one. It's decent enough quality, but if you're looking for a brush that will be able to do everything, you're not going to get it with this. I have tried to make an eye look work by only using the brush with the palette, and I've had to grab another blending brush, as well as an eyeliner brush, to really do much. So if the brush is your selling point, I would definitely really take a look at more swatches and reviews before I base my decision to buy on that.
Some of the shades are also pretty similar to the matte shades in the Lorac pro palette. I was a little worried about that when I bought it, but ultimately, being able to have the blush was a huge selling point.

If you're looking for a good, matte palette, this is one worth your time, if you don't already have enough matte shades to you're liking. And also if, like me, you were on the fence about those amazonian clay blushes. 
This was a limited edition palette, but you can still find it from online retailers. 




FTC: This palette was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains an amazon.com affiliate link. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Lorac Pro to Go Review

Today I'm going to be reviewing the Lorac Pro to Go Palette.
I've been using this palette since the beginning of the year, on and off, and I've been really impressed by the versatility offered by it!



The palette itself comes with 6 eyeshadows- three shimmer shades on the top (Pearl, Chai, and Mink), and three matte shades on the bottom (Shell, Cafe, and Black). The Pearl shade can also double as a highlight shade.




It also comes with two blushes (Coral and Pink) and a bronzer (Bronze) as well as an eyeshadow and eyeliner brush. For a girl that loves neutrals like me, this is a great every day palette.
The shades are also super soft. If you can tell in the picture of the eyeshadows above, I've accidently hit the base of my brush into the Chai shade a few times, and because the shadow is so soft, it just takes a chunk out. Luckily, they haven't been very big chunks.


(Swatches with Flash, eyeshadows are from top to bottom, left to right, and the end shades are the blushes and bronzer)


(Swatches minus flash)

So, how does this compare with the regular Lorac Pro? The only shade that is the same is the matte black, which means you are getting 5 other completely unique shades, and you're also getting two blushes and a bronzer. So it's really a completely different palette.
It's also a really nice addition to the Lorac Pro- I've used them together multiple times, and can get so many different looks.


Do I think this is a must have? For someone that either loves Lorac, or doesn't have a lot of shadows, or is looking for a great travel palette, it absolutely is. And I constantly find myself wanting to go back to it when I put it away, mainly for that gorgeous coral blush. So it's a must have for me!





FTC: This palette was given to me as a Christmas gift. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains an amazon.com affiliate link. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

What's in my makeup bag? (As of March 6th, 2014)

I was so ready for a change!


So, I ran out of mineral veil, and got suckered into this pretty little thing when I decided to go ahead and get more foundation as well. 


Like... I'm not usually one for stuff like this, but SO PRETTY!



And for size reference, this is a standard size and the deluxe side by side. I'm not sure how long it's going to be available, but as of this post, you can purchase your own here.



For eye shadows, I decided to use my newest palette, the Tarte Be MATTEnificient palette, the Urban Decay Ammo Palette, and the Urban Decay Naked Palette.
I really love the Tarte palette, and I'm going to have a review up on it in next week.



I'm also breaking out color tattoos, and I got two new ones! From Left to Right: Bad To The Bronze, Audacious Asphalt (this is new to my collection), and Tough as Taupe (also new).



Because I'm a member of the Bare Minerals Friends and Benefits Program, I received a free birthday eye shadow in Queen Phyllis.





It's really pretty- very neutral, but nice. It's becoming a new favorite lid color!





I got the Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash mascara in my birthday order with Sephora (I also ordered the Tarte Palette), and this is becoming a definite must have!



And the other mascara's I'm using. One of the Lash Blasts is Black Brown, all the others are black or Very Black.



And of course I'm keeping this. I cannot live without it!



For blushes, one is included in the Tarte palette, but I wanted to use this one by ELF (the contouring blush and bronzer palette), and this one by Ulta called Exposed.


So this is what will be on my face for the next month!


FTC: All products were gifts or purchased by me with my own money. Everything else was purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.