Showing posts with label conditioner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conditioner. Show all posts

Taming the Curly Beast: Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo and Conditioner

If something out there claims to help make my curly, nappy hair sleek, you know I'm going to try it. Not that I expect any hair product to magically straighten my hair, but I like to know that I'm helping out my flat iron by putting good product on beforehand.

The Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo/Conditioner duo does a great job at smoothing hair out and helping reduce volume. It's not going to make your hair straight or sleek, really. That part is up to you, but these products give you a great foundation to work with.

If you have naturally straight hair, this might not be the duo for you, but if you have curly hair that you're always working with, these realistically priced products might be what you're looking for.

Just As Good As I Remember: Aussie's Three Minute Miracle



Cue Purple Rain right about now, because I've rediscovered one of my favorite beauty products of the 80's.

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Treatment is simply as good as I remember. Shampoo hair well, then apply a goodly-sized amount of 3 Minute, and let it set for, well, three minutes. When you wash it out, you will be amazed at how soft, shiny, and manageable your hair is, especially if you're dealing with coarse, thick, curly, or damaged hair.

And the price is right, too, for my recessionistas: only $3.99 for 8 ounces of product, which will last you an incredibly long time. You can find Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Treatment at just about any mass reseller such as Walgreens, Target, CVS, and Rite-Aid.

I Have a Fairy Godmother!

Not too long ago, I reviewed Aussie's Opposites Attract line and I mentioned that I remembered Three Minute Miracle quite well.

Well, look what showed up in my mailbox today! I am so excited to see if it is as fantastic as I remember. You'll be seeing a review from me tomorrow, I bet. It will be soaked in 80's nostalgia. I might listen to Prince when I let it sit in my hair.

Thank you, Fairy Godmother! Thank you!

Looking for Curls? Charles Worthington's Big Waves Line Can Help

Charles Worthington London has come up with a new line to help curly, wavy, and textured hair more manageable.

It's no secret that we are seeing more wavy hair these days, which is good news for us curly/wavy/crazy haired girls. We can occasionally take a day off from the flat iron. Maybe. If you're like me, though, you'll be hitting those tresses with some sort of heat iron, even if you're just creating those smooth waves everyone is taking about.

But back to Charles Worthington London's line. It includes a shampoo, conditioner, enhance spray, and definition creme.

The shampoo and conditioner combo I have tried, and I really like it. I think it would be suited perfectly for those who are really looking to add some wave or curl to their hair, versus those of us who are trying to keep that aspect of our coarse hair down. It adds great volume (which I really don't need), and helps it smooth out (which I really do need). Both products claim to help fight against styling damage, which we all need. It also claims help with frizz, but I didn't see much of that. To be fair, when it comes to frizz, I need heavy artillery, so I never have high expectations of a shampoo/conditioner combo. I look to styling products and heat tools for that.

If you're looking to increase the curl/wave factor in your hair, give this line a try. If you already have crazy curly/frizzy hair I'm on the fence about it. Maybe it will work great for you. Either way, good luck with getting those gorgeous waves that you're seeing in all the fall mags. I'll be strugging with them myself!

You can find this line at Walgreens and most other mass retailers for about $5.99.

Remember Aussie Hair Products? They Haven't Gone Anywhere

I discovered Aussie's Three Minute Miracle back in the 1980's when I used too much Sun In in my dark hair. I don't see Three Minute Miracle in their offerings anymore, which kind of makes me sad and also makes me feel old.

But there isn't enough time in the day to feel sad or old, so let's talk about what is new over in Aussie-land, shall we? Their new line is called Opposites Attract and is supposed to give you naturally beautiful hair with "staying power." The collection includes a shampoo, conditioner, and three styling products.

Opposites Attract Shampoo
is formulated to help protect your hair while giving you a touchable style. I've tried this shampoo, and it is a very gentle formula which cleanses well while still helping to retain softness.

Opposites Attract Conditioner uses botanicals to help keep hair soft and smooth. Like many conditioners, this works best if you make sure you coat each and every strand of hair.

Opposites Attract Spray Gel is designed for all hair styles, curly or straight. It creates a strong hold that doesn't end up crunchy.

Opposites Attract Styling Mousse is another product I have tried recently. It works well for curly hair like mine and helps to detangle a bit and encourages shine (which is hard with hair like mine).

Opposites Attract Hair Spray
is an extra-hold spray that is touchable as well.

Each product in the Opposites Attract line retails for about $2.99. Yes, that's all, just $2.99, which is really pretty amazing. You can find it at all the usual suspects: most mass market retailers.

Rethinking Drugstore Hair Systems: L'Oreal Paris Vive Nutri Gloss Shampoo/Conditioner

I was a bit skeptical when I first tried L'Oreal Paris Vive Nutri Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner, as I've gotten used to my Paul Mitchell Super Skinny line. However, I have been using this for two weeks, and I am very, very impressed! Makes my hair super soft, shiny, and helps with the frizz factor that I am forever fighting. While it's supposed to be for medium to long damaged hair that is wavy or curly, I would think even short coarse hair will benefit from this system. It won't weigh your hair down, and it won't leave a build up that is hard to get off.

Seriously, my only complaint is that the conditioner bottle won't sit upside down in my shower, and what kind of lame complaint is that? But I like to not have to shake it up and down and fight to get product out - I like everything to be easy and handed to me on a silver platter. That's just how I roll.

But this line has made me seriously rethink how I have traditionally approached drugstore shampoos: I obviously didn't give them enough credit. My stylist will be crushed that I'm not getting my supply from him anymore!

Product Review: American Cream Conditioner by Lush


Yes, I know. I have written about my love for all things Lush before, haven't I? I can't help it. Their products are almost completely across the board fantastic, and they are certainly socially conscious, making sure to use eco-friendly ingredients, keep their products mostly vegetarian, and use free trade practices almost exclusively. I have not run into many items from Lush that I wouldn't purchase again, and I love to feature such a fantastic company.

American Cream Conditioner by LUSHis described as a sweet honey milkshake for the hair. Like all Lush products, it smells heavenly, and you'll find yourself catching a whiff of it every now and again, which is a good thing. Praised for it's softening abilities, it claims to help even frizzy hair calm itself.

If I was a person who wanted to use only natural products, American Cream Conditioner would be my conditioner of choice. I'd buy it by the gallon and use it every day. However, because my hair is so frizzy and wild, I prefer modern silicones in my hair products - as many as I can get. Because American Cream Conditioner is silicone free, I don't find it works quite as well as my other conditioners, although I can appreciate that it is due to it's mostly natural formulation. So for the type of product it is, it's excellent.

And, just for fun, here are a few of my favorite Lush products. Have you tried Lush? What do you think?

My love affair with Ojon

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment

Really, I had to write about these products because I heart them so much. Plus, while surfing QVC.com to see if Heidi Klum's new jewelry collection was online (it wasn't), I found that they sell this entire line. I don't think it's cheaper than Sephora, but I didn't look that hard. Anyway. There was this great "tips" page that has ideas for using each of the products, which I found incredibly helpful. If you're new to the line, I would start with the treatment. Here are some tips, courtesy of QVC.com, to help you out:
Tip #1
If your hair is ultra dry, damaged, or dehydrated, apply Ojon to dry hair and leave it in overnight, placing a towel over your pillowcase or shower cap over your hair. In the morning, use Ultra Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner.

Tip #2
Apply Ojon to hair before swimming in a pool or salt water. This will help protect your hair against the harsh chemicals, UV rays, and sea salt that dry out your hair and affect your hair color.

Tip #3
To keep curly hair hydrated and defined all day, emulsify a very small amount of Ojon between your hands (the size of a grain of rice) and scrunch into damp hair before diffusing.

Tip #4
For the ultimate rejuvenating repair treatment, shampoo with Ojon Detox Recovery Cleanser and dry hair thoroughly. Apply Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment and leave in for 20 minutes or overnight. Rinse and shampoo with Ojon Ultra Hydrating Shampoo. Condition with Ojon Ultra Hydrating Conditioner. Then, detangle and condition with Ojon Revitalizing Mist. Style as desired. Try this ritual every two weeks.

Tip #5
Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment makes a great massage oil for your body and scalp and is currently being used at prestigious spas. The Tawira have been using this moisturizing oil on their skin for over 500 years!

Tip #6
Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment can be used as an incredible nourishing cuticle/nail treatment.

Tip #7
Ojon users tell us that Ojon Restorative Hair treatment is a great grooming treatment for dogs and horses. It leaves their coats incredibly shiny and hydrated.

Enjoy!

NARS Cosmetics Spring 2010

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About Me

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Meredith Edwards-Cornwall is the founder of online lifestyle websites RetrodivasBeauty.com and RetrodivasCloset.com. She is also known as @retrodiva on Twitter. She specializes in drinking large amounts of espresso, shopping, and enjoying social media. In all of her free time she writes for StyleBakeryMom.com twice a week, and does various other freelance gigs involving writing, designing, and generally being awesome. While she believes that success is indeed a job in New York, she currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her husband, two children, and two cats and has hung on to her day job.

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