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Redken Intra Force Shampoo for Color Treated Thinning Hair ($16)
Couple of months ago I experienced a hair scare. In other words, after using a new and “improved” formula of my favorite shampoo from one famous manufacturer, my hair started falling out. The new ingredients turned out to be too harsh for my fine hair, which made me desperate for a remedy to kill that problem at its root. I went through a few product disappointments and was about to start feeling sorry for myself, when it’s so happened that Redken came out with their new Intra Force line, just in time for me to be willing to play a guinea pig.
Now I can report with confidence that this shampoo really works. It didn’t solve my problem with one use, it took me about 2-3 weeks of daily cleansing to get back to normal. But I’m sold now, and hoping Redken never discontinues this line (you can also get Toner and Scalp Treatment to combine with shampoo).
What’s in it: Zinc PCA (detoxifies), Arginine (stimulates), Vitamin E (nourishes).
The powerful formula reduces breakage, moisturizes, and gives you a fuller, thicker hair and a healthy scalp. And it also preserves the color. It has a wonderful minty scent which evaporates rather quickly and doesn’t clash with perfume. I’m a happy camper!
Some of us are still living knee-deep in the snow, but at least we have something to look forward to. Enter spring 2012 version of smokey eyes – and it’s a beauty – shimmery violet eye makeup from Cacharel runway. Now who says we can’t try it while sitting at home on a snow day? Especially when the color suits any complexion and makes us all dream of sunny meadows full of flowers.
The ‘how to’ is very simple: dip the shadow brush in violet eye shadow, then just swipe around the upper eyelids, extending it slightly at the outer edges. Don’t cover the lids over the crease. Then trace a thin line along the lower lashes, and make sure to connect the color at the outer edges. Blend well. When wearing such intense shadow you may not need mascara at all (Cacharel’s models weren’t wearing any), but I usually have to have some, so one coat of black works quite nicely for me. The rest of the face has to be matte and toned down. One more tip: violet eyes shouldn’t match any item of your clothing. The idea here is to have a shocking splash of bright color which makes your whole look unexpected and interesting.
Guerlain Noir G de Guerlain Mascara ($49)
This is Guerlain, so it doesn’t come cheap by definition. New Guerlain Noir G mascara looks like a chic piece of art, stunning in a shiny black case with mirrors and all. Guerlain claims that it’s formula is volumizing, lengthening and curling at the same time. And their black pigment is supposedly the blackest black out there. What else? “A fortifying agent helps to regenerate lashes by stimulating keratin for fortification and lash growth.” Let’s see how this wonder behaves in real life.
Noir G goes on smoothly and separates lashes at the same time. It gives a good volume with second coat, creates and holds a curl, but only when you know how to wiggle the brush to make one. It also lengthens lashes a little bit, but not to an extend to make a big difference. The black pigment is… well, black. It’s impossible to tell if it’s blacker than other black mascaras, all I can say is that the lashes look black, that’s it. But the good news is that the mascara doesn’t flake or smudge for the whole day, even in the windy conditions.
About that brush. It’s size is somewhere in the middle, neither too big, nor too small, in other words, just right. It’s comfortable to hold and easy to navigate through lashes.
Now back to the initial question: is this product worth $49? First of all, the mascara itself doesn’t cost that much. The separately sold refills are $26. It turns out that the rest of the money you are paying is for the mirrored case. Although it does look wonderful, I personally never care for the mascara case anyway. And I don’t find the little mirror comfortable to use. I usually apply my mascara at home, in front of the medium size mirror that can be seated on top of the table. And another thing – I didn’t see much of a difference in results between Noir G and, say, Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes. So in my case the answer to the question is ‘yes’, 49 bucks are too much for this mascara.
I love me some awards season. Usually I try not to miss any show with the Red Carpet, where I get better close ups of what everybody is wearing and how their makeup looks on camera. Although I haven’t seen any new makeup ideas this past Sunday, I thought that the majority of ladies looked fabulous. These are a few of my favorites:
Anjelina rocked a classic movie star look, and she was just head to toe stunning. Her makeup was flawless: black eyeliner on both lids together with fire-red lipstick are always a hit.
Hot blue smokey eyes, the latest trend from runways, look fresh, festive and daring on Emma Stone. She had eyeliner on the inner rims of the eyes and on both upper and lower eyelids. Then a combination of navy blue and lighter blue eyeshadow was added for a smokey eye effect that can be spotted from way afar.
I can’t quite figure out whether Evan Rachel Wood’s smokey eyes were done in olive or brown shade, but it works either way with her porcelain complexion.
Zooey Deschanel’s retro hair and makeup felt a bit unusual, but that’s what made her stand out in the crowd. She had heavily lined eyes, top and bottom, tons of mascara, false lashes, and natural pink lips. I think her makeup worked beautifully with dark brown hair and green sequence on the dress.
L’Oreal Sublime Sun Advanced Sunscreen SPF 50+ ($10-$11)
This sunblock is so new, it’s hard to find in stores at the moment. But I was lucky to score a bottle to try. The verdict: it’s a pretty good sunscreen, suitable for use under makeup, very similar to Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock. It has the same texture and milky color as Neutrogena, and the list of active ingredients is practically the same too:
L’Oreal: Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5%, Oxybenzone 6%
Neutrogena: Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 7.5%, Oxybenzone 5%
Both liquids are light, sheer and waterproof. They are also oil-free and don’t clog pores. They sink into skin in seconds without leaving any residue. But L’Oreal Sublime Sun also includes anti-oxidants – Vitamin E and White Grapeseed – in the formula for extra protection. It adds softness to skin, and layers invisibly under primer, foundation, and concealer. It comes in a 1.7 oz bottle, a perfect purse-friendly size. It has SPF 50+, which is my personal required minimum.
L’Oreal Sublime Sun Advanced Sunscreen can be found on the shelves of beauty supplies stores and drug stores.
Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil Eau de toilette ($90-$125)
Created by the legendary Jean Claude Ellena for Hermes, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is a very strange and controversial type of fragrance. It falls into what I call it “cilantro syndrome” category, meaning that you either hate its guts or love it more than anything. Hermes described their perfume as a scent of a garden on the banks of Nile river. My take – if I had a zen garden in the beautiful hills overlooking the Malibu Pier, that’s what it would smell like in the morning. I’m head over heels for this fragrance.
Notes: lotus, green mango, grapefruit, calamus, sycamore, incense.
Here’s what you get by throwing together the above mentioned notes: unusual, quirky, crispy, straightforward grassy-green floral, a distinct standout in the sea of numerous warm weather scents. It hits your nose with a splash of grapefruit and green mango, then sycamore and lotus join in, and it closes up with an incense. The interesting thing is that none of those notes fade by the dry down phase, they all stay with you throughout the day. And after a few hours of wearing the scent I can swear I even feel notes of pine tree and lime joining the party, even though they were not used in the concoction. The perfume seems crunchy, fresh, and outdoorsy, appropriate for spring/summer seasons. The heady lotus gives it a good doze of modernity.
It’s long-lasting and never boring, and I just can’t get enough of it. The shape of the bottle is very Hermes – simple and understated, with clean, classic lines. I love everything about it.
Sephora Prisma Chrome Eye Shadow ($15)
I’ve always loved eye shadow singles – you get your choice of color in a bigger package, with no nonsense add-ons that you may never use. So when Sephora came out with their new eye shadows collection, needless to say I was interested. Prisma Chrome eye shadows, according to the company, “deliver prismatic shine, lush texture, and lavish color payoff”. The new texture is a combination of baked, powder, and cream eye shadows. Sounds new and exciting, but is it? When I tried those shadows, they immediately reminded me of something else, like Estee Lauder Color Gelee singles. It’s practically the same product, but less expensive. There’s nothing wrong with the fact that different companies offer similar products in different packages and price ranges, it’s been that way forever. In these situations beauty junkies only win, because we have options.
Back to my review. I liked Prisma Chrome shadows a lot. They are soft, super blendable, crease-free, and can be applied both wet or dry. Wet application gives a more vibrant, brighter color, in which case you need to watch the amount of shadow you use not to overdo it. The shadows go on smooth and have a shimmery, silky, beautiful finish. And you get 10 colors to choose from:
My favorites are Shimmery Sand (light golden), Burgundy Gem (dark plum), and Moon Glow (silver gray). Light colors can be used as an every day shadow or a highlighter, darker ones are perfect as eyeliners or for creating smokey eyes. Overall, these shadows are a good bang for your buck – the combination of good quality, average price, and decent amount of product. Good enough for me.
It’s light, and soft, and smooth, and moisturizing, and I fell in love with it immediately. Exuviance Age Reverse Eye  Contour cream ($72) is a real deal. I’m on my 3rd week of using it twice a day, and I don’t want this to end.
Ingredients: peptides for skin firming; Maltobionic Acid/PHA (Polyhydroxy Acids) for wrinkle fighting; caffeine for deflating puffiness; chamomile and ginseng for soothing and refreshing skin; hyaluronic acid for softness and hydration; optical diffusers for brightening and illuminating skin.
The combination of all these goodnesses makes Eye Contour a standout product. The cream glides on and gets absorbed very quickly, so concealer can go on top of it right away without any problems. I apply it all the way around my eyes, up to the brows, and in 3 weeks noticed some tightening in my skin. I don’t have puffiness problem, but I do suffer from allergies every now and then, which sometimes result in weird pink circles under my eyes. Age Reverse gets rid of them for good. It also helps with tired eyes look when I don’t get enough sleep, by refreshing the skin and making me look rested. The hydration lasts all day long, which is especially helpful when the weather turns dry and windy. I like how this cream makes me look better by giving my eyes gleaming, wide awake appearance.
I also appreciate the convenience of pump dispenser the eye cream comes in. You get the perfect amount of product out without worries about germs. The cream has no smell to it, which makes it unlikely to cause any allergies.
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