Dove Nourishing Oil Care Detangler

I've been itching to try Moroccanoil for a longgggg time.  I know it's so over-hyped, but I have dry hair, and anything that promises to fix that catches my attention.  It's pretty expensive though, and I haven't been able to justify buying it yet.  So when I saw that Dove had come out with a detangler spray with argan oil in it, I had to buy it.  Unfortunately it was harder to find than I expected!  I finally found it at Target, on sale, no less, and had to take it home with me.

The Dove Nourishing Oil Care Detangler is $5.69 at drugstore.com: You get just over 6 oz of product, which is pretty solid.  You can see that the product separates in the bottle, with a lighter fluid on top, and you shake it to apply it.  It sprays on lightly and very evenly, which I really like. 

Smell: I don't love how this smells.  I think it's the sweet almond oil in this, because it smells like marzipan.  I hate marzipan.  Luckily the smell fades, but I cringe a bit when I apply it.


Packaging: Like I said, the application process is very easy because the spritzer works really nicely.  I like the bottle--it's simple, but clean.


How it feels: I really like that this has oil in it, but doesn't feel oily when I apply it.  It really feels like my hair absorbs it right up, no matter how much I spritz on it.

What it actually does: I use this to detangle my hair and to give my dry ends some moisture.  It's really great at detangling.  My hair gets gnarly after I shower, and this prevents me from growing dreadlocks, which is always nice.  In terms of moisture, I've only been using it for a few days, but I can say that it does help give my hair more moisture.  My hair feels softer and healthier when I use this.  However, it's certainly not a miracle product.  The amount of argan oil in this is admittedly pretty small, so my hopes weren't sky high.


Awkward Chic rating: B+.  It's a good detangler and moisturizer that applies easily and is pretty darn affordable.  But the argan oil it totes is pretty far down the ingredients list, and I don't think it's a life-changing product by any means.

Review: Bumble and Bumble Texture Creme

WELL I JUST FAIL.  I'm struggling with the whole 'I have too many extracurricular activities and classes to have a normal life right now' thing.  I have iCal reminders telling me to eat lunch.  It is that ridiculous.  ANYWAYS.  Hopefully I will be able to get back on a normal blogging schedule now that my life is kind of figured out.  Here's something I've been waiting to review for forever!


Bb. Texture (Un) Dressing Creme, $26 at sephora.com: That name is a mouthful!  But the product is great.  This is the Bumble and Bumble spiel: "This product gives hair a hint of grit, some extra lift, and a tousled, shine-free finish. Its dry moisture finish leaves hair matte but not parched. It's made to mess with perfection and craft one-of-a-kind, freehand looks."

Okay, first some background on my hair--I have very thick (not coarse, just really thick), very straight, very heavy hair.  It needs texture and volume like I need cookies on the daily.  I used to use a volumizing mousse and a salt spray to give my hair texture and volume, but neither of those were particularly cheap products, and I have a LOT of hair, so I go through product really quickly. I air dry my hair every day and I curl it with my conical wand about half of the time, but my hair is awful at naturally holding a curl.


I saw great reviews of this gel/creme on all my favorite beauty blogs, so the last time I was at Sephora I picked it up (Sephora has Bumble and Bumble now! So exciting).  First off, this definitely isn't cheap.  However, you get 5 ounces of product.  This is a lotion-sized bottle, and it will definitely last you a long time.  The packaging is easy to work with, it's just a squeeze bottle with a twisting lid on the bottom.  The product itself is a white gel/creme hybrid.  It's thick and has a very sticky texture, with a pretty, soft floral/perfumey smell.  


I take a pea-sized amount of product, rub it between my fingers, and then scrunch it into my roots.  I then take a dime-sized amount of product, rub it between my fingers, and then run it through the length of my hair.  Then I put my hair up in a bun and let it air dry.  My hair normally dries stick straight, even in a bun.  However, this stuff makes my hair hold a curl so well!  If I let it air dry I get a lovely, lived-in texture with a hint of a wave.  If I use my conical wand, my hair holds the curl for the entire day without falling at all!  This is very exciting for me, guys.  It gives me volume in my roots, and gives my hair just the right amount of 'grit' to give it some texture and hold.  It doesn't dry matte on my hair, but it does make my hair less slippery, and easier to build volume into.


If you have thinner hair or a more normal amount of hair, I would use less product.  This is kind of like a liquidy hair wax, and it could definitely weigh your hair down and make it look greasy if you use too much.  But I do think this would work for all hair textures--I hear it's really nice if you have naturally wavy hair.

Awkward Chic rating: A+.  My favorite hair product of all time.  Seriously kids.  It gives me volume, texture, wave, and it works like hairspray to keep my curls intact!  It basically does everything.  It's borderline magical.

Review: Remington Pearl Ceramic Conical Wand

I'm in a constant battle with my hair.  I want it dark brown, it wants to be blonde, I want it curly/wavy, it wants to be stick straight.  I yell at the bathroom mirror a lot.  It's fun.  I've tried curling irons, curling with straighteners, putting my hair in a bun and braids, and nothing seems to work.  My hair does not hold a curl AT ALL.  I heard a lot of buzz about conical wands on YouTube--they're like curling irons without the clamp, so they don't leave that awkward kink in your hair.  I found one at Ulta for just $30, so I figured it was worth a try!

Remington TStudio Large Pearl Ceramic Styling Wand, $29.99 at ulta.com: First off, it's pink!  I love pink.  I got the large one, which is 1" at the top and 1.5" at the base.  It comes with a heat-protectant glove to keep you from burning your fingers (it works, I'm too lazy to use it) and the cord swivels around the base of the wand so you don't get all tangled in it when you're trying to curl your hair.  It has 3 buttons, one to turn it on and off (you have to hold it down for about 5 seconds to turn it on, which took me like half an hour to figure out of course), one to raise the temperature and one to lower it, which you hold down for a few seconds to lock the temperature where you have it.  It heats up from the low 300 degrees F to 410 degrees F.  There are about 5 heat settings between 300 and 410 degrees, so you can't have the temperature exactly wherever you want, but you do get a good number of options.  It heats up to 410 degrees for me in about 2 minutes (it tells you on the little LED screen when it's done warming up).  The smoothness of the barrel gives my hair a really nice, smooth finish, and my hair doesn't snag on it like it does on curling irons and straighteners.  In terms of how it functions in general, I think this is a really well designed tool.  I literally have no complaints about it.  It works really, really well, especially for a $30 product.  I've seen $150 conical wands that do the same thing, but at 5x the price.  It comes in a smaller size if you want a tighter curl, you can adjust the temperature for different hair types, and once you get the hang of it, it's really easy to use.  I'm in love with it.  To hear about how I use this little guy, keep reading!

Using the conical wand is kind of like riding a bike.  It takes some time to get the hang of, but once you get it, it's really easy to work with.  I hold the wand upside down, with the skinny end pointing towards the ground.  That way I can slide the curl off easily and the curl is looser at the top and tighter towards the bottom.  I take 1-2" sections of hair and wrap them around the conical wand from top to bottom, making sure to wrap the hair away from my face (you get a prettier curl), and then I hold it there for 10-15 seconds.  I have very thick, straight hair, so I use high heat and hold the curl for a while, but if you have thinner/finer hair you may not have to hold it as long.  Then I release the curl and let it fall into my hand so that it cools while still curled up (this helps the curl keep its shape).  Continue that around the whole head!  If you want a tighter curl, use a smaller section of hair and the skinnier end of the conical wand.  If you want a looser curl, use a larger section of hair on the wider half of the wand.  Then I run my fingers through my hair or brush it out to get the curls to meld together, and spritz on a little hair spray. Even without the hairspray, my curls last all day!  Given that my hair usually doesn't curl at all and if it does, that curl is gone in an hour, I'm pretty over the moon about this conical wand.   I know it sounds easy to use, but I really recommend watching some YouTube videos before you break it out.  I like this video from Pixi2Woo.  Play with it, figure out what size curl works for you, and you will LOVE this conical wand.  Promise.  Here are two pictures of my hair after I used the wand:

Awkward Chic rating: A+.  I LOVE THIS CONICAL WAND Y'ALL.  It's easy to use, it's cheap, and it actually works.  I couldn't ask for anything more.  If you buy one, make sure you get an American one.  Most of the ones I found were from the UK, and they need converters and adapters to work here, which is just a pain.


Image via amazon.com.

I'm in love...with a skirt

I miss my camera. Don't get me wrong, my iPhone has a nice camera.  For a phone.  Wahhhhh.  Anyways, I finally got my conical wand from Ulta in the mail.  FINALLY!!!!  I've been stalking in via UPS for days now.  I much prefer my hair wavy/curly to straight, so I was extremely excited to play with my new toy.  Here's my second attempt with it.  Happy bouncy hair!  I'll have a real review of it up next week.  Back to the main event: this new Madewell Tweed Belltoll Skirt, $98 at madewell.com.  I was casually online shopping a few weeks ago, and I came across this skirt.  I've been looking for a good daytime skirt for months now.  I have an hourglass-shaped body, so when I add a lot of volume to my bottom half, like an a-line skirt, I start to look really bottom heavy.  I really look best in a pencil skirt, but I'm not comfortable running around in a pencil skirt for errands and to class on a daily basis--it's not all that comfortable and I'm curvy enough that it looks too over-the-top for class.

That's why I fell in love with the shape of this skirt!  It's like an a-line skirt and a pencil skirt had a baby.  It hits at the low waist, has a bell shape, and has a few soft pleats at the waist with adorable little pockets in the front.  It's in a nice, thick grey/black/white tweed fabric with a generous hem and a black lining.  I bought this on Monday, and I've worn it every day since.  It's that great!  The shape is lean enough that it's flattering, but it's not so fitted that I'm constantly self-conscious about my stomach whenever I eat anything.  The color palette makes it easy to wear with just about any colored top, and the tweed and structured shape have a fun, retro feel that I really love, but the length makes it modern.  It's really easy to dress up or down, too--the tweed can transition from day to night really easily.  Anyways, the skirt is Madewell, the shoes are from Maripaz (like the Spanish Payless), the top is from Stradivarius (Spanish again), the necklace is vintage, the watch/bracelet is La Mer Collections, and the bag is from Etui.

Review: Nelly Biphase Conditioner

One of the tricks about studying abroad is that you can't pack your suitcases with multiple bottles of your favorite beauty products (unless you want to pay some crazy overweight baggage fees).  I've started to use up some of my US favorites, and I've been scouring the Spanish beauty shops for replacements.  I've struggled the most with hair products.  I have very thick, very shiny/slippery straight hair with no volume, no texture, and dry ends.  I usually use a mousse for volume, a salt spray for texture, and a serum for my ends.  However, I ran out of the last two and couldn't find an affordable European alternative...until I ran across this little guy:


Nelly Biphase Conditioner, about 3.50 euros in Spain: I've never used a leave-in conditioner before, but this was so much cheaper than all the imported Garnier Fructisse and Pantene products that I had to grab it.  Nelly is a Spanish beauty company, so if you want this in the States you have to order it online or scour TJ Maxx.  It's a biphase leave-in conditioner, with a watery layer on the bottom and a lotiony layer on top.  You shake the bottle until it's all one color, and spritz it a few times onto towel-dried hair (starting at your ears and going down to your ends).  Here's the PR copy: "Recommended for fine, fragile, or limp hair.  Detangles and conditions in one go, without overloading the hair or adding oil.  Acts on the hair both internally and externally.  The aqueous phase provides internal care with its active conditioning agents and proteins that nourish and repair the hair shaft.  Its marine extracts repair damaged hair like a 'hair bandage.'  Its silicone phase provides the external care, adding shine, softness and volume and making the hair easy to brush."  It smells like the beach in the most natural way possible and even though it's extremely light on my hair and seems impossible to overdo, it keeps my ends so moisturized!  I am absolutely in love with this.  It was so cheap, it isn't oily or heavy, and it packs a serious moisturizing punch and smells yummy.  I've dyed my hair like ten times this semester, and it's still looking crazy healthy--all thanks to this blue bottle!

A few days ago I ran out of my beloved salt spray, Blow Beach Blow, which I can't find anywhere in Spain.  Desperate for some hair texture, I had an idea.  The ingredients of this leave-in conditioner are very similar to those in Beach Blow, minus the sea salt.  So I added two teaspoons of fine sea salt to my Nelly conditioner.  I know.  I'm silly.  But it totally works!  It helps to give my hair a bit of grit and texture, and when I put it up in a bun after I spritz on some of this, I get nice little waves.  Not dramatic waves (I need me some 400+ degree heat styling tools for that) but not straight Barbie hair.

Conair Infinti You Curl, $29.99 on sale at ulta.com: Speaking of waves, one of the things I'm most excited to get when I go back to the US is a conical wand curler.  Conical wands are curling irons without the clamps, so they don't leave those awkward little dents on your hair.  I can curl my hair with my straightener, but it takes forever and gets a little wonky on the back of my head.  This curling iron from Conair seems basically foolproof.  You just wind your hair around the wand.  That's it.  It's perfect for beachy waves, which just happens to be my favorite.

That's all for now, guys!  Besos from Espana!



Images via nelly.es, drugstore.com.

Hair Dye and Sephora Hauls

I am a little blogging failure.  I've been so busy traveling and working and studying for midterms and dealing with my terrible internet that I haven't been able to blog.


But, on a plus note, that Chanel manicure I did in the last post lasted NINE DAYS.  It probably could have gone longer, but I had to go on a weekend trip and didn't want to risk beat-up nails.  So Chanel polish = totally worth the investment.


In other not that exciting news, I'm getting my hair dyed on Thursday!  Now, I know what you're thinking.  Megan, didn't you just do a drastic hair color job?  Yes, yes I did.  But the problem is that I have so much hair and the red I have underneath all the brown dye isn't taking color evenly.  So basically I have neutral brown hair on top and then a ton of medium-light reddish-blonde-brown hair underneath.  Literally.  Someone asked me if I got highlights.  No, I just fail at dyeing my hair.


Normally I'd just suck it up and dye my hair again, but at the salon right by my dorm they have a deal for wash+blow dry+color (with L'Oreal Inoa!!!) for 25 euros.  Um, what.  That's just under $40.  For professional hair color AND styling.  So that's happening.  What I want is a medium-dark warm brown, something like these two pictures below (Paz Vega and Leighton Meester): a little lighter and warmer than the dark brown I have on top right now, but much darker than my roots.  So hopefully that goes well and I'll have pictures!

So, sad news: Sephora does not ship internationally (except to Canada).  BOO.  This is especially sad because they just had their Friends & Family sale, where you get a 20% off discount code.  Sales on makeup are like sales on Christian Louboutins and double rainbows.  They never happen.  So I bit the bullet and made a little order, which should be waiting for me at home.  In California.  Until the end of December.  Sob.  Here's what I got:

Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish in Houses of Parliament, $16 at sephora.com, Sephora Brand BCA Pink Eyelash Curler, $16 at sephora.com: I finally cracked and got the magnetic nail polish.  I got the purple one, and I am so pumped!  I dismissed magnetic nail polish as a fad for years, but the Nails Inc. version has such a strong pattern from the magnet that I couldn't ignore it.  It almost looks like Minx.  The purple is a gorgeous, velvety color, and you get a ripple effect with the purple and a lighter, more silvery purple.  Gah so excited.  You put the magnet over the polish right after you paint your nail and the magnet pulls out particles in the polish to create the pattern.  Sometimes I love science.  I also picked up an eyelash curler.  I know, I don't have one.  I've never really seen the need, because my lashes have a bit of a natural curl, but I've been told time and time again by my makeup-loving friends to buy one, so I caved.  I'm thinking it will make my lashes pop more and look even longer.  Plus, it's pink and $1 goes towards breast cancer research!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 15 Taupe, $22 at sephora.com, Boyfriend 1.7 oz Perfume, $65 at sephora.com: I spent a really long time deciding what to buy on the Sephora site.  I ended up going back to my fail-safe--eyeshadow.  I saw this taupe cream shadow in an AllThatGlitters21 video, and it is so pretty--a shimmery taupe brown.  I usually go for powder or loose shadows, but cream shadows have such a pretty sheen and are so easy to use.  I'm thinking I can do a simple, but polished daytime eye with just this across the lid and a bit of an inner corner highlight with some gel-liner smudged into the lashes.  Easy-peasy.  I got a ton of samples with my order, but the one I'm most looking forward to trying (in like 100 years) is this Boyfriend perfume by Kate Walsh.  The notes are dark plum, myrrh, night blooming jasmine, benzoin tears, skin musk, golden amber, and vanilla woods.  I love oriental, woody scents with twists of vanilla and amber--heady and musky, but not too sweet or too girly.  I think the idea here is that it's the smell of your boyfriend's perfume mixing with yours, which I love.  The bottle, not so much, but still.

Images via: agirlnamedbong.wordpress.com, trendencias.com, sephora.com.

Hair Dye Adventures in Espana

I know, I know, I'm a bad little blogger.  To be fair, I have been traveling a lot and my internet is so slow it takes 3 hours to upload an album to Facebook.  Excuses, excuses, I know. (I also have to read all of Don Quijote, parts 1 and 2 for class.  Please, kill me).


I don't have that much news, but I did dye my hair!  Again.  So long story short, it's naturally a dark blonde/light brown.  Then I dyed it brown for year, and for about the first 6 months of the year it was red.  Like red-red-red.  But I got tired of it, and I wanted it to go back to brown.  So I dyed it medium-dark golden-brown literally 3 separate times.  It was still red, and worse than that, it was strawberry blonde on the bottom half because I have too much hair for one box of dye and the color on my ends had faded away.  This made me very frustrated.  So one day,  I freaked out and grabbed 2 boxes of a neutral dark brown and dyed my hair.


It's dark!  Dark dark dark.  It also looks like I have highlights because now my hair isn't taking dye evenly (damn you, red hair dye), but I guess that makes it more natural looking?  Either way, I really like the dark.  I had it this dark when my hair was way shorter--just over chin-length--and that felt a little harsh.  I think the extra length softens it up a lot, and I feel much more Spanish now!  Haha.  But no, really, the red hair + epic paleness was getting stares and comments from creepy old men on the street.  So.  Oh, and I slept with it in braids last night and attempted to make it wavy today.

I've been bouncing around Spain quite a bit since I got here.  So far I've been to Madrid, Toledo, Cadiz, Sevilla (obviously haha), Huelva, and Granada.  Here are some pics I took of the Alhambra in Granada--the last Moorish palace built in Spain in the last city conquered by the Catholic Kings.  Sigh.  Isn't it gorgeous?  It was abandoned by centuries and random squatters lived there before it was reclaimed and restored by the state. 

And on a totally random note, I've been doing a lot of online shopping in my downtown.  Being in Spain without being able to use my beloved iPhone and being stuck relying on my stupid little Movistar piece of junk has gotten me thinking about watches.  I'm normally that girl that walks around clutching her iPhone in a death grip so she always knows what's going on.  But not being able to do that has gotten me thinking, and honestly...it's a little obnoxious.  I'd like to be able to have a watch so I'm not constantly playing with my iPhone.  The one problem is that I HATE how watches look on me.  So when I found these bracelet-watch hybrids from La Mer, I got really excited.  La Mer Collections Moscow Braided Chain Wrap Watch, $110 at lamercollections.com, Brown Leather-Copper Motorcycle Chain Watch, $120 at lamercollections.com:

I know these are basically the same.  I really like the combination of skinny watch face, long brown leather straps, and chunky chains mixed in.  The watch face is so delicate and lady-like, the leather adds an equestrian/slightly preppy-aristocratic feel, and the chain brings it all back down to earth and gives it some grit.  The basic dilemma is between silver or gold.  I think I like the silver one better.  And all the rest of my rings/bracelets are silver too...hm...And momma, if you read this, I may or may not be asking for this for Christmas.  Love you! 

That's all for now, darlings.  Hasta luego!

Images via lamercollections.com.

Haircare Faves

I'm in a serious hair mood right now.  I just dyed it, I've been pulling it back (shockhorror) and trimming my hairs and testing out new hair products and all that fun stuff.  That got me thinking about my hair routine and my favorite products and I realized that I have two products that I've actually been using for almost 2 years with 100% loyalty, so I thought I'd share them with y'all.

Aussie Moist Conditioner, about $5-$7 at the drugstore, Pantene Flowing Body Mousse, $2 at amazon.com: This is the only conditioner I buy (I hope they have it in Europe next semester...ack!).  You get a GIANT bottle, as in twice the size of a normal bottle, and it comes with this handy pump that saves you from pulling a muscle trying to squeeze out the last drops from a squeeze bottle of conditioner.  It's full of aloe vera, sea kelp, and jojoba oil to keep your hair nice and moisturized, and it smells just like coconuts!  Which I love.  I get compliments on the smell all the time.  But what I really love about this conditioner is that it works.  It's cheap, so I can slather on a lot, and it always moisturizes my dry ends without weighing them down or making them greasy.  I go through maybe three bottles of it a year, whereas I go through about 1 bottle of normal-sized conditioners a month and they're the same price, so this is a great value.  As for the mousse, I love this stuff.  I have Asian/Barbie-type hair.  What I mean by that is that I have really, really thick hair that has relatively thick (but not coarse) strands, is pretty much bone straight, and is very slippery and shiny.  Which sounds lovely, but shiny/slippery hair has no texture, which means the hairs lie flat on top of each other, which means I have no natural volume.  So I use this lovely mousse.  I spray an amount about the size of a large egg onto my palm, when comb it through the two side and back of my hair up by the roots (where my hair gets the flattest).  That's it!  I don't blow dry my hair, but I imagine that if you used this with a blow dryer you would get even better volume.  It's cheap, it smells yummy, it works and it doesn't leave any residue on my hair.  It's perfect!

In other hair news, I dyed my hair back to brown.  It was red for about 6-7 months, and I really did like it, but a friend brought up the very good point that I'm going abroad next semester.  I'll be looking at those pictures for FOREVER and probably forcing my children/grandchildren to look at them, etc, and I don't really want bright red hair in those.  So I went back to my trust Clairol Perfect 10 in Medium Golden Brown.  It's a very warm brown (probably warmer on me with all that red underneath it) and it makes my hair so, so shiny.  I actually have too much hair to dye with one box so I end up with the accidental ombre effect, and I realized that the ends of my hair that didn't have the dye on them ended up so much drier and duller than the parts of my hair that got dyed. So the dye makes my hair actually feel healthier.  Unexpected, but true.

ALSO!  I got my hair to curl!  I know that sounds boring/silly to everyone else, but again, I have Asian Barbie hair.  It does not hold a curl.  It laughs at curling irons.  But maybe the humidity helped because today I got bored and tried to curl it with my flat iron and it WORKED!  So there's a vastly unflattering but hilarious picture of my attempt at doing that.

Images via: amazon.com.

LUSH Head Case

Confession: I am a total LUSH junkie.  If you don't know LUSH, it's an eco-friendly/natural body shop.  You'll be able to smell it down the block.  They're most famous for their soaps and ball bombs/bubble bars, but since I hate solid soap and I don't take bathes, I've been struggling to find something for me at LUSH.  I really wanted to like something from the store, since I love their brand mission and their products smell amazing.

Well, I found four new favorite things!  Right now, LUSH has 3 limited edition 'Head Case' sets for sale.  They're sets of 4 hair products, each with three sample size products and one full size solid shampoo bar, and they're all just under $24.  There's a Volume & Shine box (which I got), a Protect & Nourish box (meant for curly/frizzy hair) and a Balance & Repair box (for damaged hair).


The Volume & Shine box has a 3.4 ounce tub of Marilyn deep conditioner, which is about an $8.50 value (look at me doing math), a 1.6 ounce tub of Big shampoo, a $3.20ish value, a 3.3 ounce bottle of Veganese conditioner, a $5.25 value, and a full size Total Shine solid shampoo bar, which retails for $10.  So that's about a $27 value.  It's not an amazing deal, but it is a good chance to try out a ton of LUSH hair products and find out if any of them work for you.


So here's the Marilyn deep conditioner and the Big shampoo.  Marilyn was the one thing that I was least excited about.  It's a deep conditioner and brightening treatment for blondes.  I am a natural blonde, but I dye my hair for a reason.  I most certainly do not want a mask that makes me blonde.  So I did a little Googling, and it turns out that this can lighten you a little/add a few golden tones if you have actual blonde hair, but on my dyed dark hair it won't do anything.  It's packed full of chamomile, olive and linseed oils, and a bunch of citrus oils and juices.  It has a very thin, goopy consistency that made it hard to get out of the pot, and smells like olive oil with a hint of lemon.  Now, LUSH doesn't use silicones, which are what make your hair feel all slippery and smooth with normal conditioners and masks.  So this may not feel very effective--it really feels like runny lotion.  But once your hair dries it does add a lot of shine and softness.  The smell lingers pleasantly, and my hair feels happy, so I'm pleased with it.  I probably wouldn't purchase the full size just because I don't want lightening agents anywhere near my hair, but it is a lovely conditioner.  Big shampoo is my favorite product from this box.  It also looks the weirdest.  It actually looks like a salt scrub in the tub, and it honestly smells like laundry detergent to me (very cottony and clean).  I stared at it for a while in the shower before I could work up the courage to use it.  You need about a nickel sized amount, and you rub it vigorously into very wet hair.  It lathers up a lot, and the salt kind of melts away, leaving your hair and scalp feeling very refreshed.  I was a little scared of the idea of washing my hair with a shampoo that has salt and salt water and seaweed infusion in it, since my hair does not do beach hair well, but this stuff is MAGICAL.  It makes my hair feel so soft and look so shiny, and gives it a TON of volume.  I have thick, flat, normal/not-oily hair, and this manages to add texture while still making my hair feel clean but not dried out.  I imagine it would be wonderful for oily, thin or limp hair.  The only downside is that Big isn't cheap (the full size tub is $23), but this is a once or twice a week shampoo.  It would be very drying it used on a daily basis, since it's meant to strip all the product residue out of your hair.  That means even though it ain't cheap, it will last you a long while.

Here are Veganese conditioner and Ultimate Shine solid shampoo bar.  Veganese is a 100% vegan conditioner (no lanolin), and is full of rosemary, lavender, and seaweed infusion.  It's a pale creamy yellow with the consistency of thin lotion, and smells like rosemary and lavender.  The herbal smell doesn't linger long, however.  Again, since this has no silicones it doesn't feel like it's doing much in the shower, and it certainly won't work out any stubborn tangles.  This is LUSH's lightest conditioner, so it's great for keeping your hair from getting weighed down when you want a lot of volume.  I have dry ends, and this is a little on the light side for me.  It made my hair really soft and shiny and happy, but my ends were still a little parched.  I think Veganese could be great for girls with thin hair that's easily weighed down.  Ultimate Shine shampoo bar is my second LUSH shampoo bar.  They're these little hockey pucks of concentrated solid shampoo, and once you get used to using them they are AMAZING.  I like them for traveling, since you can put them in your carry-on, and they'll never spill all over your luggage, plus they're so much lighter than a bottle of shampoo.  Plus, they last forever.  My only issue is storage, since these need to dry completely before being put into any, or they'll basically melt onto whatever surface you put them on.  The Ultimate Shine bar has glitter (?!), violet leaf, gardenia extract, elemi tree oil, and smells just like eucalyptus to me.  The scent doesn't last, however, and neither does the glitter, thankfully.  Ultimate Shine lathers up really nicely, and leaves my hair feeling clean and soft.  It doesn't add texture or body, but it does get rid of any excess oil without stripping hair dry.  My hair is naturally very shiny, so I can't say if it adds shine.

You can only get these sets in store, so hop over to your local lush now!

Overall I'd give this set an A-/B+.  I'd give Big an A+, since it's possibly my favorite shampoo of all time, and Ultimate Shine a B+ for being a good, dependable (if not mindblowing) shampoo.  I'd give Veganese an A-, because even though it's not great for me I think it's still a great conditioner for most people, and Marilyn gets a B for being a decent deep conditioner.

Images via amazon.com, beautyjunkielondon.com.

Review: Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner, or The Post In Which I Eat My Words

If you asked me a week ago how I felt about Garnier Fructis, I would have trashed it relentlessly.  I used to use their shampoo and conditioner in high school because they smell great, and then I realized that they were completely trashing my hair and leaving a ton of build-up and I haven't gone near the brand since.


So last weekend (or last last weekend? Hm) I was at CVS looking for a new hair serum.  I have no loyalty when it comes to hair serums and creams, I really just want something that will condition my ends and keep them from being fried but also won't leak everywhere when I travel (such a pet peeve).  This stuff was on sale for like $2, which was so cheap that I got over my brand hatred and got it.  And I am so glad I did.  I think I tweeted a few days ago about how my hair was being weirdly shiny, and I realized that this is why.

So what this claims to do is use Acai berry and grape seed oil to condition your hair and then use UVA & UVB protectants (aka sunscreen) to keep your hair color from fading.  First off, I love, love, love that this has sunscreen in it.  Even though I have the biggest issues with fading on my roots, which is not a place that I'd put a serum, I like that my ends are getting some protection--and I feel like the sun can dry out your hair too, so maybe the sunscreen helps keep in moisture?  I really don't know.  My understanding of chemistry is amusingly limited.


The leave-in conditioner (it's really just a serum) itself is clear and has a really interesting texture.  It looks like it should feel oily, and it looks oily, but the texture itself is more lotiony.  It won't leave your hands oily, and it absorbs really quickly.  I really, really like it.  Also since it's not heavy, I think it will work nicely on thin hair textures too.  I use about a quarter sized amount on wet hair (and I have medium-long, VERY thick hair for reference), but you can also use it on dry hair.  It smells like generic tropical berries--nothing mindblowing, but it's yummy.


This stuff makes my hair so soft, even my fried ends!  I didn't buy this to make my hair shiny, as I just naturally have very shiny hair, but I think this stuff actually makes my hair shinier, which is difficult.  But it just really makes my hair feel so healthy and soft and easy to comb through.  I don't know if it's physically making my hair healthier, but it sure feels so much healthier.  I've gotten more compliments on my hair (including the smell!), and basically my hair loves this stuff.


I doubt that it's going to make my color last longer, but it definitely works as a leave-in conditioner, it smells yummy, and it was very, very cheap.  So overall, this is an A+ for me.  It's $6.99 at drugstore.com.



Image via drugstore.com.

Q&A and Pretty Things

Sooo today I got asked to answer some questions for Rebecca Minkoff's official Tumblr (if you aren't familiar with the brand, she makes adorable handbags and accessories), and since some of the questions were fun I thought I'd copy the post here.  It's mostly about things I like and LA in general (where I hear it's actually warm now.  Unlike Boston where it is the middle of April and still barely 50 degrees and raining.  Not amused).


Here's the post:


What are your top three…
LA spots: The Huntington Gardens, a huge collection of various themed gardens that are great for impromptu photoshoots, Pinkberry, cliche but still pretty amazing (and necessary in the LA heat), and Buster’s Coffee, a fab retro coffee shop tucked away in Pasadena where you always feel like a ‘regular.’
Things to see in LA with an out-of-towner: Rodeo Drive for the fun, stereotypical LA experience, Venice Beach Boardwalk for a more unusual but still quinessential look at LA culture, and the La Brea Tar Pits, because what other major metropolitan city has a bunch of tar pits with dinosaurs sticking out of them in the middle of its downtown area?
Cities: Los Angeles because it’s my hometown, Prague because it’s like a real life Disneyland, and London for the shopping.
Musicians: Florence + The Machine for when I’m feeling a little offbeat or ethereal, ADELE for her amazing voice and touching lyrics, and Taylor Swift for cliche, if catchy songs to sing in the shower (where no one will judge you for liking them).
TV shows: Secret Diary of a Call Girl: ridiculously trashy, but well-done and starring some amazing outfits.  True Blood: vampires, camp, and Southern culture.  What more could you want?  Mad Men: both for the nuanced story lines and the fantastic, period-accurate costumes.
Blogs: Cupcakes and Cashmere: the cutest combination of adorable clothes, recipes, and decorating tips, Garance Dore: the famous French street style blogger, and Temptalia: the best makeup reviews and swatches you’ll find on the Internet.
Things to do on a rainy day: Curl up with a blanket inside and watch Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version, of course), play dress-up in my closet, or bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie (my specialty).
Things to do on a sunny day: Drive around in LA with the windows down listening to obnoxiously loud and happy music, ride my horse, or sit outside with a giant glass of iced tea while reading a book.
Ways to relax: Painting my nails, watching trashy TV, and hanging out with my adorable fox terrier Sophie.
Books: Pride and Prejudice: who doesn’t love this book?  It’s got romance, drama, hilarious relatives and endearingly real characters who actually make mistakes.  100 Years of Solitude: whether you read this in English or in Spanish, this book is stunningly well-written and inspiring, in it’s own dark, mystical sort of way.  The Custom of the Country: the original Gossip Girl (Leighton Meester actually studied the main character while prepping to be Blair), this novel chronicles the rise of a sociopathic 20th century social climber.

One an unrelated but pretty note, here are 3 cheerful summer accessories I'm craving: Raffia Braid Sunhat by Hat Attack, $80 at hatattack.com, Emi-Jay Jewel Collection Hair Ties, $10.99 at emi-jay.com, Kenneth Jay Lane Enamel Branch Cuff, $187 at shopbop.com: I want a cute sun hat.  Of course, that would imply that I was living somewhere sunny (ahem, I'm bitter), but I've been watching a lot of Jane Austen, which always makes me want to frolic around in a sun hat and drink tea.  I have the tea part down, but I need a hat.  I like this one because it's not too wide as to be ridiculous, the raffia is a pretty natural huge, and the chain/floral detail give it a fun, edgy/girly twist.  I've blogged about these hair ties before, but I've never been able to justify buying them because, well, they're glorified hair ties.  But I've seen them on a lot of girls recently, and they just look so cute and pulled together in contrast with a regular elastic.  They come in different colors but my favorites are the jewel tones--they're still fun and bright, but they're a little more sophisticated than a neon.  How adorable is this coral shaped turquoise cuff?!  It's so great for summer because the coral itself is unexpected but perfect for summer since it's so beachy, and the bright blue is just such a fun pop of color.  I'd love this with a white sundress and some brown, cowboyish boots.

Images via: hatattack.com, emi-jay.com, shopbop.com.

Pre-Summer Cravings

The weather hit 60 degrees today, so obviously all I can think about today is summer, and all the things I want to wear for summer time.  Which is unfortunate, because there is actually still snow on the ground in Boston.  HOW DOES THIS EVEN WORK WEATHERWISE?  I don't understand. Bleh.  Here are some pretty summery things:


Kim Kardashian, Frye Catrin Trapunto Sandals, on sale fore $123 at zappos.com: I need to be more adventurous with my hair styles.  I have very, very thick, slippery hair that refuses to do much more than go into a ponytail (and a rebellious ponytail at that).  But I have a soft spot for cute little braids, a la LC from the Hills.  I love the bombshell waves Kim is working here, and the skinny braids poking out add such a fun, boho twist on the look that I'm going to have to try this look.  If these shoes came in my size still, I would have ordered them already.  I need more shoes, heels especially, and I love the idea of a casual heel.  The medium brown is so versatile, the platform and thick heel makes these practical, and the thick straps are so boho-sassy.  These with a little white sundress = heaven.

Ray-Ban Oversized Wayfarers, $145 at shopbop.com, MAC Freckletone Lipstick, $14.50 at maccosmetics.com: I promise I will stop blogging oversized Wayfarers.  Eventually.  Maybe.  I just love them so much but can't justify buying them because I 
have two pairs of Ray-Bans already...but I want them.  Cry.  I think oversized sunglasses with a structured shape like these are so flattering and so glamorous.  Plus (my favorite part) they are so great for people watching!  Nobody knows that you're looking at them in these.  I realize that sounds mildly creepy, but you all know what I'm talking about, right?  I've been searching for a good nude lipstick for a while now.  Lipstick in general scares me, because I literally only wear lip balm and the occasional pink lip gloss, but there's something so appealing in warm weather about a nude, natural peachy-pink lip.  Especially with the winged eyeliner that I like to wear--a red lip would be far too retro fab.

 Coconut Iced Coffee, Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder, $28 at sephora.com: Check out that recipe from Coconut Iced Coffee.  It looks SO GOOD.  I love me some iced coffee, and coconut seems like such a fun, tropical twist.  I need a tan like it's nobodies business, but my epic paranoia of skin cancer and fear of spray tanners leaves me with limited options.  I've been craving Benefit's Hoola for a while now (I may actually buy it this time kids!).  It's the perfect matte bronzer, just warm enough and not too orange, and it's ideal for contouring and adding an overall glow.

Images via glamour.com, zappos.com, shopbop.com, smartpoppy.au, sephora.com.

Foam Party!

I had a foam party last night.  No, it's not as scandalous as it sounds.  I dyed my hair with this John Frieda Precision Foam hair color that I mentioned yesterday.  Having only ever used Clairol Perfect 10, which is a normal, garden variety hair dye, it was an interesting experience.  So, without further ado, what it's like to cover your head in foam:


Here's the dye.  What you get in the box is a set of instructions, a pair of thick black gloves (thicker and sturdier than the usual latex gloves), the squeeze bottle the dye goes in, the nozzle for that bottle, the colorant, and conditioner.

So, step 1: you pour the colorant into the squeeze bottle with the developer (already in there) and gently tilt the bottle upside down 5 times.  Don't shake, tilt.  Mine turned purple.  I was a little scared.  The bottle was only about 1/3 full, which made me a little skeptical.  Then put on the gloves, and put the foam nozzle on the bottle.  Squeeze the middle of the bottle until you have a tennis ball sized amount of foam on your gloved hand--it'll turn right into this thick, slightly brown foam.  It was so odd.  Smear the foam across your roots, and work the product in.  Continue until you've used up the entire bottle worth of foam.  It's quite a bit of product.  Normally I don't get enough dye to cover my whole head, but here I had just enough (for reference I have very thick hair that's about 4 inches past my collarbone.  The dye didn't smell as nasty as Clairol does, but it certainly smells like ammonia.  


My one issue was that in the instructions and all the videos I've seen, everyone ends up with a head full of white foam at the end of this process, and you're supposed to keep rubbing the foam in for a while after that.  Well, the foam dissolved into my hair.  My hair was certainly saturated with dye, but was it white and foamy?  No.  I thought I was doing something wrong, but the foam hit my hair and just went poof!  Maybe if you have less hair it works better?  I got some dye on my forehead/neck, but it washed off relatively easily without staining.


Then I left the dye on for 20 minutes (30 if you have grey hairs).  Clairol Perfect 10 only takes 10 minutes, so I sat down to watch some Veronica Mars while I waited.  After a few minutes my head started to itch and tingle.  I don't have a sensitive scalp at all, so I imagine that if you did you might feel some burning, or maybe it was just me, but my head was itching like crazy!  Thankfully it went away once I got in the shower.  You rinse your hair out until the water runs clear, and then slather on some of the included conditioner and leave it on for 5 minutes.  My hair didn't feel as straw-like as it often does after the Clairol dye, and the conditioner worked pretty well.


Once my hair dried I assessed the color.  My hair before this round of coloring was a light, slightly brass reddish brown with light brown/blonde roots.  After this round of coloring it's a medium, warm chestnutty brown that verges on auburn.  I really, really like the color.  It looks very rich and natural on me.  HOWEVER, it's not the color that it should be as far as the box goes. The color it promised my hair would be was much lighter and redder.  I'm happy with the results, but just be warned, the promised results don't seem that accurate.  Also, my hair holds on to and soaks up red tones like nobody's business.  I've dyed friends with similar hair colors as mind with the same box of Auburn dye I generally use and on me, it's legit red, and on them, it's a slightly warm brown.  My hair loves red dye.  This makes me think that the red in this hair dye may not be that strong.  We'll see how the color wears over the next few weeks.  Why didn't I include pictures?  Well.  My hair changes color drastically depending on the lighting.  It's impossible for me to get an 'accurate' picture of my hair color because in some lights it's straight up red, or brown, or blonde.  It's not consistent at all, so I didn't want to throw people off with pictures.


Awkward Chic rating: B+/A-.  I really like the idea and I love the color.  But it's a little pricier than my usual dye ($13 instead of $10), it takes twice as long to develop, and it irritates my scalp. Will I use it again?  Probably.  I want to see how well the color ages before I decide.

Image via target.com.

Soft Joie and Foam?

How were everybody's weekends?  I spent the weekend in Vermont baking cookies.  No, really.  I'm such a cool kid, I know.  Love me some cookies though.  Speaking of cookies, here are some cozy clothes I'd wear while eating cookies.


Soft Joie: Duncan Deck Stripe Tank, $78 at shopbop.com, Klein Dress, $148 at shopbop.com, O'Dell Top, $68 at shopbop.com: I love Soft Joie.  It's all the coziness of KAIN tees with the style of Joie.  I can't wear horizontal stripes like this first tank but if I could I would totally wear this first tank.  I like the color combo of turquoise and charcoal grey, and it just hangs so nicely.  I'd do it with a pair of dark wash, slightly cropped skinny jeans, ballet flats, and some oversized Wayfarers.  I love interesting cutout details, like the one on the back of this dress.  It's so unexpectedly interesting and a flattering place for a cutout too--who doesn't have nice shoulder blades?  The front is very simple, so you could do a fun belt or statement necklace.  I may actually buy this last top.  I die for exposed shoulders, and the best thing here is that it highlights the collarbones and shoulders nicely but the actual sleeve part covers up the fattiest part of anyone's arm.  It's a win-win-win!  And it's a nice, basic black with a nice drape and a flattering length.

John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Color in Light Red Brown, $12.99 at target.com: I read about this foam hair color in Elle last month and since I am negative adventurous in terms of my hair dye purchases (in terms of brand, not color) I decided to branch out and do something fun.  It's like any old permanent hair color, but the dye itself comes in a foam formula and there is lots and lots of it (enough for even my hair!).  I'm trying it out tonight, so I'll let y'all know how it goes.  I got light red brown.  I'd really rather do medium red brown, but they didn't have it at CVS and dark red brown looked very purple.

Images via shopbop.com, target.com.

Cute Accessories + Some Fab Recipes

It's almost spring!  Almost.  It's so close I can taste it.  It's making me want adorable springy clothes and accessories in fun colors and prints.  I found a few accessories that would go nicely with my sundresses piled up in my closet.


Pour La Victoire Maressa Flat Huarache Sandals, $195 at shopbop.com, Eugenia Kim Serena Leopard Bow Headband, $88 at shopbop.com, Cynthia Rowley Soft Wrapped Chain Bag, $200 at shopbop.com: I love me some coral.  It's my favorite color of nail polish, and it would be SO cute in a shoe.  I think braided huaraches are a really fun alternative to gladiators, and the pop of color from the coral is just so cute and unexpected.  I wish I was the kind of girl that could wear a big hair bow without looking silly.  I actually had a long conversation about this with someone the other day.  My personal style does not mesh with hair bows.  It makes me sad.  But this oversized leopard print bow headband needs to be worn by someone, even if it's just me in the safety of my own room.  My craving for little shoulder bags is still going strong, and the lovely, rich purple hue of this one is so fab.  The tassel adds a cute, boho twist and the chain adds a fun amount of edge. 

In a few days I'm going to a sorority sister's house to hang out and basically be a bum.  My number 1 priority: Baking.  I will be baking like there is no tomorrow.  At home I stress-bake at least 3 times a week, but at school that's impossible, so all this baking impulse has built up in my brain and I need to bake for like 4 days.  Here's what I'm thinking:


Brownies: I love me some fudgey cocoa brownies.
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt: Chocolate chip cookies can be boring.  But when you add some sea salt--bam!  Crazy delicious.
Espresso Fudge Cookies: I don't think this needs explaining.
Coffee Cake: I usually make this without the rhubarb (although I love rhubarb) and at home it never makes it past two days before being entirely devoured.  It is SO GOOD.
Cranberry Scones: Best scones ever.  Including scones from fancy coffee shops and gourmet mixes.  Legit amazing.
Cinnamon Rolls: I have been craving cinnamon rolls FOREVER.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumble Topping: This is the biggest craving.  I love pie, and this strawberry rhubarb pie with that crumble topping (crumble beats crust any day) is basically the best thing ever.  No, really.  I've never been able to have more than 1 piece of this pie because I turn around and it's been eaten in minutes.

Images via shopbop.com.

This Hair. I Need It.

I need the hair from the Fall 2011 Chloe show.  It's to die for.  First off, that strawberry blonde color is covetable, but it's the combination of straight and wavy that's going on here with the bedhead thrown in.  It's an interesting, new take on beachy waves.  It looks like they just curled a few sections in the middle of the hair with a center part and lots of volume.

Image via allure.com.

Pretty Pretty

This reminds me of how much I want to see that new Red Riding Hood movie.  Which is a LOT.  As I love Amanda Seyfried because she is a fellow natural blonde with a freakishly large chest, so I relate to her.  Yay!


But the real point of this is that she looks fab here, and I love her hair texture.  I think matte/messy is going to be my new hair goal.  My hair's natural state is shiny and polished.  I know it's annoying of me to say, but I seriously wish it would be messier.  I love messy hair.  I'm going to (eventually) try this Redken treatment that I've heard really good things about and see what happens.

Image via designscene.net.