I just got a fabulous package from Sephora! (At least my puppy thinks so!)
Looks like a big Sephora haul is coming up...
Stay tuned and stay Fabulous!
-Rachel
Saturday, August 17, 2013
A Fabulous Package
I just got a fabulous package from Sephora! (At least my puppy thinks so!)
Looks like a big Sephora haul is coming up...
Stay tuned and stay Fabulous!
-Rachel
Excellent Empties #1: Burt's Bees Super Shiny Shampoo and Conditioner with Mango
I've decided to start a new little section here at DWK called Excellent Empties. These are just as the name says, excellent (or not so excellent) products I've used all up and want to share with you. The format may change over time, depending on how this works for me and for you, but for now it will consist of a basic description, pros, cons, and a "bottom line" statement in which I'll simply state whether or not the product was worth buying. So, in the words of the famous red Nintendo plumber, "A-here-ah we go!"
The facts:
"Turn up your hair's shine naturally with our Super Shiny Shampoo and Conditioner system. Our gentle shampoo rinses easily and helps reduce frizz so that hair looks healthy and brilliant. Fortified with Mango Seed Oil and Fig Extract, this nourishing formula will leave your hair feeling soft, shiny, and silky." I picked these up at Wal-Mart for $7.97 each. I picked them up because I've been thinking a lot about trying to eliminate toxins from my life, even all the way down to my beauty products. But I've often heard the rumors that natural things just don't work as well, so I've decided to investigate. These are formulated without:
-Sulfate
-Paraben
-Phthalate
-Petrochemicals
Pros:
Obviously, these shampoos and conditioners being free of a lot of crazy bad stuff is definitely a plus, and the reason I picked these products up in the first place. To be completely honest, when I picked up these products I had no idea why sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and petrochemicals were bad, I just new everyone kept saying to stop using them. (Which, I might add is not the recommended way to do things, especially not here at DWK!) So, with that, I've decided to do some research. Honesty is something that's really important to me, so I promise to find out exactly why those things are bad and how they affect our bodies, and relay that information to you lovely people out there.
However, besides my rather inconclusive results on the "why should I buy natural stuff anyways" front, there's a few other pros to these that you might want to know about. Number one, they smell really nice, in my opinion. I love fruity mango-y smells! Number two, they work. My hair gets weighed down really easily, and these shampoo/conditioners didn't do that. They left my hair really nice and silky smooth, just like the bottle said.
Cons:
There are only two. The first being the smallest concern, and that is that this being a natural product, it doesn't foam up like a lot of other shampoos. Being basically a three year old and a huge fan of foam, I find that disappointing. The second con is a little larger, and that is the price. The bottles are about $8 for only 10 ounces, which translates roughly into about 80 cents per ounce. To put that into perspective, Clear Total Care Shampoo (a comparable non-natural shampoo in my opinion) is about $5 for 13 ounces (a bigger bottle), which is about 38 cents per ounce. So, if you're on a tight budget, this may not be the stuff for you.
The Bottom Line:
If having a natural (effective) product is important to you, I would say absolutely buy this set. Personally, since I haven't done the research as to why go natural yet, I'm on the fence. I'm using a different shampoo right now, but if I came across this one again I certainly wouldn't mind using it again. Repurchase? Maybe.
Stay Fabulous!
-Rachel
continue reading
The facts:
"Turn up your hair's shine naturally with our Super Shiny Shampoo and Conditioner system. Our gentle shampoo rinses easily and helps reduce frizz so that hair looks healthy and brilliant. Fortified with Mango Seed Oil and Fig Extract, this nourishing formula will leave your hair feeling soft, shiny, and silky." I picked these up at Wal-Mart for $7.97 each. I picked them up because I've been thinking a lot about trying to eliminate toxins from my life, even all the way down to my beauty products. But I've often heard the rumors that natural things just don't work as well, so I've decided to investigate. These are formulated without:
-Sulfate
-Paraben
-Phthalate
-Petrochemicals
Pros:
Obviously, these shampoos and conditioners being free of a lot of crazy bad stuff is definitely a plus, and the reason I picked these products up in the first place. To be completely honest, when I picked up these products I had no idea why sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and petrochemicals were bad, I just new everyone kept saying to stop using them. (Which, I might add is not the recommended way to do things, especially not here at DWK!) So, with that, I've decided to do some research. Honesty is something that's really important to me, so I promise to find out exactly why those things are bad and how they affect our bodies, and relay that information to you lovely people out there.
However, besides my rather inconclusive results on the "why should I buy natural stuff anyways" front, there's a few other pros to these that you might want to know about. Number one, they smell really nice, in my opinion. I love fruity mango-y smells! Number two, they work. My hair gets weighed down really easily, and these shampoo/conditioners didn't do that. They left my hair really nice and silky smooth, just like the bottle said.
Cons:
There are only two. The first being the smallest concern, and that is that this being a natural product, it doesn't foam up like a lot of other shampoos. Being basically a three year old and a huge fan of foam, I find that disappointing. The second con is a little larger, and that is the price. The bottles are about $8 for only 10 ounces, which translates roughly into about 80 cents per ounce. To put that into perspective, Clear Total Care Shampoo (a comparable non-natural shampoo in my opinion) is about $5 for 13 ounces (a bigger bottle), which is about 38 cents per ounce. So, if you're on a tight budget, this may not be the stuff for you.
The Bottom Line:
If having a natural (effective) product is important to you, I would say absolutely buy this set. Personally, since I haven't done the research as to why go natural yet, I'm on the fence. I'm using a different shampoo right now, but if I came across this one again I certainly wouldn't mind using it again. Repurchase? Maybe.
Stay Fabulous!
-Rachel
Thursday, August 1, 2013
ULTA First Impressions and Haul!
Recently I've been all up in the beauty community on YouTube, and I saw a ton of gabber about this magical place called Ulta that combines the affordability of drugstore products, the high-end glam of Sephora, and the convenience of employees who know their stuff. I had to visit this place! So, needless to say, when I spotted one on the way home, I jumped at the chance to spend a lovely Saturday with Mommy Dearest checking out a possible new beauty heaven.
My First Impressions!
Upon walking in, I was a tad overwhelmed at the sheer volume of products in the store. Since there was so much to keep clean and straight, I can understand that the place was a little bit messy (especially since their power had gone out earlier in the day, and the employees were frantically running around trying to fix their register system), but the cluttered shelves also added to the sense of not knowing where anything was and overwhelmed-ness. However, I rolled up my sleeves and delved into the mass of beauty awesomeness and ended up spending quite a bundle. Since it was only my first time, and since I found so much cool stuff with the help of the lovely lady that helped me, I'm totally going to cut them slack for the crazy mess. Everybody has their messy days, right? I will most definitely be returning, especially since I joined their Rewards program (more to come later on how it measures up to Sephora's).
My Haul!
1. Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: This is what one of the employees recommended for a drugstore under eye concealer. She said it's the only drugstore concealer she'll use, and the only one that even close to works. So I picked one up for me and another for Mommy Dearest. I'll put up a proper review for it later, but so far I think it's pretty great.
2. Ulta automatic eye liner in Rasin, Bronze, and Charcoal: They were on sale for $2 each so I figured I'd try something from Ulta's brand since I never had before. Just like with all these products, I'll put up proper reviews in the future, but my first impressions for these liners aren't good. I've only used Rasin so far, and I don't like it. The color isn't pigmented, so it takes forever to put on and it doesn't stay on at all.
3. Paul Mitchell Extra Body Daily Boost Spray: I LOVE THIS STUFF. Mommy Dearest had some that I borrowed to give my fine roots a little lift and I just HAD to get my own. So worth the price.
4. TIGI Bedhead 3/4 in. Ceramic Curling Wand: I've been wanting to try a wand, and I was recommended this one, and it's pretty and purple! I needed to get a smaller barreled one since my hair doesn't hold curl well. Hopefully it will just loosen out into what I want. I'm so not a hair person so lord only knows what it'll end up looking like. If anyone has any wand styling tips, let me know!!!
Stay Fabulous!
-Rachel
continue reading
My First Impressions!
Upon walking in, I was a tad overwhelmed at the sheer volume of products in the store. Since there was so much to keep clean and straight, I can understand that the place was a little bit messy (especially since their power had gone out earlier in the day, and the employees were frantically running around trying to fix their register system), but the cluttered shelves also added to the sense of not knowing where anything was and overwhelmed-ness. However, I rolled up my sleeves and delved into the mass of beauty awesomeness and ended up spending quite a bundle. Since it was only my first time, and since I found so much cool stuff with the help of the lovely lady that helped me, I'm totally going to cut them slack for the crazy mess. Everybody has their messy days, right? I will most definitely be returning, especially since I joined their Rewards program (more to come later on how it measures up to Sephora's).
My Haul!
1. Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: This is what one of the employees recommended for a drugstore under eye concealer. She said it's the only drugstore concealer she'll use, and the only one that even close to works. So I picked one up for me and another for Mommy Dearest. I'll put up a proper review for it later, but so far I think it's pretty great.
2. Ulta automatic eye liner in Rasin, Bronze, and Charcoal: They were on sale for $2 each so I figured I'd try something from Ulta's brand since I never had before. Just like with all these products, I'll put up proper reviews in the future, but my first impressions for these liners aren't good. I've only used Rasin so far, and I don't like it. The color isn't pigmented, so it takes forever to put on and it doesn't stay on at all.
3. Paul Mitchell Extra Body Daily Boost Spray: I LOVE THIS STUFF. Mommy Dearest had some that I borrowed to give my fine roots a little lift and I just HAD to get my own. So worth the price.
4. TIGI Bedhead 3/4 in. Ceramic Curling Wand: I've been wanting to try a wand, and I was recommended this one, and it's pretty and purple! I needed to get a smaller barreled one since my hair doesn't hold curl well. Hopefully it will just loosen out into what I want. I'm so not a hair person so lord only knows what it'll end up looking like. If anyone has any wand styling tips, let me know!!!
Stay Fabulous!
-Rachel
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