Some backgroud info...until January I had completely virgin natural red hair. I hadnt colored it in over 5 years. Well, that got boring and therefore I decided to go for a bolder red. Mass chaos and purchasing of hair care products insued. So, here are some reviews of my trial and error journey to the perfect hair. Hardy har har.
And here are my reviews...for reference I have medium thick, mid-back length ,wavy, slightly dry and frizzy, red hair that I color and straighten.
Sulfate Free Shampoos and Conditioners:
Basically I really love Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner (~$20) because it is Sulfate free and supposed to be great at preserving hair color but decided to look for something cheaper. I try to get about 3-4 days between washes and Pureology, while it leans toward drying out my hair ironically enough, it gets it clean enough that it doesnt get oily fast.
L'Oreal Ever Pure ~$7 - didnt lather much even for a Sulfate Free and left my hair very weighed down
Biolage Delicate Care ~$15 - smelled super nice but also didnt lather much and left my hair weighed down
Hairtrition (Sally's Beauty) ~$8 - Im digging this a good bit. Smells very good, lathers pretty well and my hair stays clean a day or two longer than with the two above. Also got the deep conditioner and it made my hair really soft in the shower. I also shedded a lot less than I have been lately with this.
Dry Shampoos:
Baptiste (Sally's Beauty) ~$6 - this is my long standing favorite so far. While it is white and can leave lots of powdery residue on your hair, it drys super fast and doesnt feel filmy or weighed down.
Shampowder (Informercial, purchased at Target.com) ~$15 - I bought this in search of a tinted dry shampoo for my darker hair. I had read about Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder in red but its ~$30 so I tried this first. The application method is a pain in the ass. It comes in a hollow wand/brush applicator like some of the mineral foundations do. It took forever to get it open and working and then not much comes out at once. It does have a nice vanilla scent and does blend in better with my hair. Its only average on soaking up the oil and doesnt leave my hair filmy.
Tresemme Fresh Start Waterless Foam Shampoo ~$4 - I was really excited to try this b/c it sounded so strange and intriguing. The directions say to use 2-3 pumps and that was way too much! It was like a foamy mousse that you massage in. Well, unfortunately I didnt love this because it took forever to dry and then it left kind of a film on my hair.
Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo ~$4 - again, smells very very good and citrusy. But again, unfortunately it took forever to dry. Baptiste usually drys in about 30 seconds to a very powdery finish but this took over 2 minutes to dry and also left a dull filmy-ness to my hair.
Heat Protection products:
Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide ~$5 travel size - This is a serum type leave in that you apply while hair is still damp. Seems to be similar to Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum, but a little less greasy. So far I have been using it when I first wash my hair and I have no real complaints or comments. I guess I should notice it keeping my hair healthier eventually and not breaking off as much after flat ironing...
Tresemme Thermal Creations Instant Heat Tamer Spray ~$5 - I have been using this when I touch up my flat ironing on day 2 or 3. It smells nice and doesnt make my hair greasy or weighed down. Adds a little sheen too. Again though, it may take a while for me to know if it is working.
Curling Products:
Tresemme Curl Hydration Creme ~$4 - I wanted something to put into my damp hair to activate and tame my natural wave/curl. Again, as with all of the Tresemme products (Im on a kick lately!) it smells great. I do think I used too much the first time, probably about a nickel sized amount, and should have done about a dimes worth. In other words a little goes a long way! It definetely gave me soft controlled waves.
Tresemme Thermal Creations Curl Activator Spray ~$4 - Havent tried this yet, will update with a review once I have!
Hot Tools Gold 1 1/2 inch curling iron ~$30 - I got this to replace my *seemingly* old and worn out Conair Instant Heat 1 1/4 inch curling iron. Despite reading tons of good reviews I hated it! It had a funny plastic smell and the spring wouldnt clamp on my hair enough. My curls fell out in about an hour. I also think that it was slightly to big for my hair length and the desired medium loose curls instead od just waves. Back this went to Ulta!
Conair Instant Heat 1 1/4 inch curling iron ~$15 - Im not sure why I thought I needed to replace this orignally! I guess I should have headed "if it aint broke, dont fix it" because this thing is way better than the Hot Tools. Spring clamps down great on my hair and the curls last forever. I dont know why I thought it needed to be hotter because its perfect. It also heats up way faster!
Deep Conditioners/Treatments:
Joico KPAK Penetrating Reconstructor (Protien Treatment) and Joico KPAK Intensive Hydrator (Deep Conditioner) - Im reviewing these together because it was recommended on Makeupally that they work best together in this order. It was recommended that you do the Recon. for about 5 mins and then the Hydrator for 5 mins. This is supposed to be especially good *before* hair coloring, but should not be done right after or you will strip the color!! Just ask me how I found this out...So far, I have done this treatment 3x and it seems to be keeping my hair pretty healthy despite me coloring it a lot more lately. Im hoping it really helps improve me hair over time.
Hair Color:
Ion Demi Permanent Hair Color (Sally's Beauty) ~$5 - This was my first experience with Demi Perm. color. The smell wasnt too bad and this stuff make your hair SUPER shiney! Loved that about it...but it fades super fast too. For me, in about 2-3 works.
Ion Permanent Hair Color (Sally's Beauty) ~$5 - I decided to try this and see if it would last bit longer that the Demi...so far it mostly is. The level of shine is pretty close to the Demi. My hair is still pretty bold, but red still rinses out with every wash. Looks like I can get about 4 - 5 weeks with this.
That is all for now!!
Inglot eyeshadows (shade numbers listed below) in Z Palette - I am selling this as one item, please dont ask me to sell them individually! Retail to buy this all indivually would be $142 - asking $105.
426, 429, 126R, 420, 376, 448
16, 343, 59, 610, 44, 56
430, 495, 50, 366, 72, 52
Sugarpill @#$%! - LE shade only used 1x - $25
