(1/5)

The John Frieda Root Awakening Product line is unbelievably disappointing. I took a break from co-washing (washing my hair with conditioner) to try this system: the shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioner. The products left my hair oily (I do not have oily hair at all – it is actually quite the opposite, dry!), dull and unpleasantly scented.

I used this system routinely for several weeks hoping that it would benefit and “awaken” my roots like the name implies. However, I noticed little difference in my roots — in fact, they looked and felt the least healthy when I was using the John Frieda Products.

My advice: skip the John Frieda Root Awakening System, I know I will. The only benefit to this terrible hair product experience is that it will make avoiding other overpriced John Frieda products so much easier in the future! :)

x0 Katie

Hands down, the Deluxe Fragrance Sampler is THE BEST fragrance option at Sephora! Although, the Collector’s Edition Fragrance Sampler for Her, $75 is pretty awesome too!) Anyway, I have been waiting for this set to come out since last year! The Sampler includes a voucher (a coupon) for a full sized perfume, 12 tiny fragrance samples (a mix of eau de parfum and eau de toilette – I am partial to the eau de parfums), and 1 refillable rollerball (that you can fill with any fragrance for on-the-go). The idea is to try out the 12 fragrances, select your favorite one, and use the voucher to purchase the full sized fragrance at no extra cost. Basically, it is like a free perfume trial, so awesome! This is a great gift option because it provides the recipient with an opportunity to purchase a fragrance of her choice, and also with an excuse to go to Sephora! :)

This set includes little samples of: Dior Addict 2, Versace Bright Crystal, Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy, Dolce & Gabbana Rose the One, DKNY Be Delicious, Philosophy Amazing Grace, Prada Infusion d’Iris, and Givenchy Very Irresistable Givenchy.

At $50, this is a great item to purchase online because you get free shipping, and 3 free samples with every online order. Honestly, don’t put too much emphasis on the samples though. The samples usually prove to be disappointingly tiny and worthless!  In most cases I can barely experience a product because I am simply not provided with enough of it.

Keep in mind, the Sephora Deluxe Fragrance Sampler is limited edition, so if you want it get it now! http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P273901&categoryId=C19973&shouldPaginate=true

x0 Katie

These Stila Travel Girl Palettes were purchased at Sephora, for $10 a piece. Each palette contains 4 eyeshadows and 1 convertible color. In addition to the great products, each pot of makeup is housed in an adorable case that contains a mirror and a quotation. The image above displays 3 of the 5 palettes, “Trendsetting in Tokyo,” “Road to Radiance Across the U.S.A.,” and “Pretty in Paris.”

The U.S.A. palette eyeshadow are: snow bunny, valley girl, southern belle and city chick. The quotation reads, “The road to a friend’s house is never long,” and it is a Danish proverb. The convertible color in this palette is hibiscus.

The Tokyo palette eyeshadows are sake, kawai, shibuyo, and peace (or the peace sign, as it is posted on the back of the package). Sakura is the convertible color and the quotation by Miriam Beard reads, “Things anguish us when we travel, that surprise nobody else.”

Finally, in the Pretty in Paris palette, the convertible color is called rosebud. The eyeshadows are named crepe, cherie, jolie, and chocolat. Inside, the quotation by Margaret Lee Runbeck reads, “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.”

These palettes are wearable, portable and fun! I’m really enjoying these products and I’m so excited that I still have 2 more to purchase!

On stilacosmetics.com, you can purchase the palettes and also watch video tutorials on how to use them: http://www.stilacosmetics.com/beautytube.asp.

The 4th travel palette, “Made an Impression in Moscow” is now available and can be found at http://www.stilacosmetics.com/product_detail.asp?PMID=818&dept=6&cat=21. One more travel girl palette will be coming out next month! I cannot wait to see what it looks like and what travel destination is featured!

x0 Katie

(4/5)

Exfoliation is too often associated with summer, spray tans and sand. Exfoliating can make your skin feel luxurious, even when it is cool outside! Tree Hut sugar body scrub is an amazing, accessible scrub that is used to exfoliate the skin. The main ingredient in this product is sugar and the scratchy substance is a fabulous exfoliator. The prodcut smells sweet and has an incredibly thick consistency which makes it easy to work with. To use Tree Hut sugar body scrub: scoop some into your palm, rub in circular motions on your body, and rinse. Follow up with a moisturizer to complete the  treat for your skin! :)

Exfoliating the skin will improve the overall appearance of it. Keep in mind, it is unnecessary to exfoliate every single day but it is beneficial to do it 1-2 times per week. Avoid exfoliating by the skin surrounding your eyes – it is too sensitive and will not respond favorably.

I have purchased Tree Hut Sugar Scrub repeatedly throughout the summer and now into the fall…it is a shower staple that everyone should try! There are no parabens in this product, and it is formulated with organic shea butter and brazilian nut oil.I use about 1 tub/month but at less than $6, it is a luxury that anyone can afford. And of course, I got it at Harmon’s.

x0

Katie

The Goody Spin Pins are unfortunately handy. I didn’t believe they were going to work and since they were expensive, ($5.99 for two twisted pieces of metal? Lame!) I figured I would regret the purchase. It turns out that I really, really like the functionality of these pins. They are easy to use – 1. Twist your hair into a bun, 2. Twist in the two pins (if  you do not use both – one pin will not hold your hair in place), 3. Finish the look with a headband, hair spray or cute pin the front. To remove the pins, twist them the opposite way, gently and slowly.

*Just a note: You will probably not enjoy this product if you are not the type of person who likes a messy/carefree look. Also, I think that it works much better for people with medium – thick hair. Honestly, it seems like the spin pins would not hold very fine hair in place.

Although I enjoy this product it is honestly not worth the money. Regular bobby pins are quite cheap and can do the same trick (you might just need more than two, which is fine because they are easy to come by and inexpensive).  Additionally, the spin pins will be useless if you happen to lose one of them — which is likely because it is practically just a twisted bobby pin. I don’t know about you but I leave regular bobby pins everywhere and I also dispose of them after 1-2 uses. I am trying to keep the Spin pins in a place where I will not lose or bend them out of shape. If they were more reasonably priced I might not care as much but I definitely would not repurchase.

(2.5/5)

x0 Katie

Everyone needs at least a bottle of this stuff. Even guys. There are inevitably days when you probably should wash (or co-wash) your hair, but don’t. It happens! Now with dry shampoo as an option, no one should ever have to know that you are being a dirty slob. :) Just kidding!

Dry Shampoo is great for hair that needs a lift or has a bit of buildup (i.e. grease, hair products, etc.). To use dry shampoo – spray it from about a foot away your head at your roots. I like to lift up sections of my hair and spray generously. Then, let is sit and dry for a few minutes. Take a bristle brush (I bought mine at Harmon’s) and quickly but gently brush through the hair. Look at your roots – if they appear gray or white, you are not done brushing. When you cannot see anymore discoloring (which is nothing to fret about – it is only cornstarch!) – you are done. Try not to touch your hair now. Style it & go.

This process should take you less than 5 minutes once you get used to it. If it takes you longer than that, you should probably just jump in the shower and just wash/co-wash it! :)

I like to use dry shampoo 1 -2 times a week. In the fall/winter, I feel like I heat-style my hair too often (curling iron, straightener, blow dryer, etc.). The dry shampoo is a nice option because I can avoid heat altogether.

Tresemme FreshStart Dry Shampoo is inexpensive, effective and it produces results quickly. The only downfall with this product is the scent. Immediately after you spray the product, a little cloud of fragrance looms around your head. I like to spray my hair in the bathroom and then walk into my room to brush it or vice versa. Thankfully the scent does not linger on the hair so don’t worry about that. The packaging for this product is nothing special – just a typical can that resembles a hairspray can. Tresemme FreshStart Dry Shampoo is super accessible – I found mine at Harmon’s.

(3/5)

Get some dry shampoo. It is so cheap & accessible that it cannot hurt to keep a can around. It might come in handy and it could actually be beneficial to your hair (if you opt to skip heat styling every once in a while)!

x0 Katie