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Saturday, June 6, 2015

A whole ton of skincare/haircare reviews because I am slacker

Hello again my wonderful friends. I know you will not judge the fact that I am moving in a month and refuse to move garbage and that is the only reason I am doing these reviews presently. Life happens and fortunately my life has been pretty awesome lately. My relationship with my husband is growing and this gal right here now works at Sephora (hello dream job) and we are finally moving to a better location for my kids.... More space for them to create chaos!!! Over the course of all these exciting happenings I have been testing and trying out some great and not so satisfying things... When I am done I promptly throw the empty container into my "empties" and low and behold that is where they have remained until now....... now you will receive my reviews in all of their majestic glory and I will actually throw away my trash!





Philosophy Purity facial cleanser $11 3fl oz.
This is a natural one step facial cleanser. It claims to tone and hydrate the skin. I have pretty sensitive acne prone skin and this cleanser while it is not a miracle blemish fighter is very gentle and effective at cleaning my face at the end of the night. Overall I would totally suggest this to anyone who has normal to combo skin and doesn't have any major skin concerns. When I get my skin to a place where it is balanced and I have a skin routine in place that works for me I would definitely repurchase for use as my skin cleanser. In the meantime this sample size is a wonderful inexpensive brush cleanser and is readily available at Sephora!


Epice purifying exfoliant  $32 3.3fl oz.
This was an Ipsy bag sample that I receive in a glam bag. I have never previously used this brand but I am now intrigued to try more. This exfoliant is finely milled so much that is gentle enough to be used a few times a week in place of a regular cleanser. It does not have any strong odor and left my skin feeling clean. I would even say that after I finished the sample my skin looked smoother and more radiant. My skin type does not really warrant the use of this type of product and I probably would not repurchase but I look forward to trying other products from the line.


Aveda Green Science firming eye cream $47 .5oz
Little known fact about me is that I am an Aveda trained cosmetologist and obviously have a weak spot for the line of products. My integrity is of the utmost importance to me and on that note I have to say this was a miss for me. I used the product in its entirety as directed and although I do not possess many deep lines I did not see any of the other magnificent claims I was lured in with. My under eyes did not appear dramatically hydrated or darkness free. I will say that just because this did not work for me does not mean that it automatically will not work for others. I love the fact that Aveda is an all natural product with wonderful ingredients but overall my advice is to skip this one.


Dr. Brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner $45 1oz.
Although this product is not necessarily bad I would not call it any better than most mud masks out there. With the $45 price tag I am hesitant to tell anyone to run out and buy it. I did like the fact that my pores felt and appeared smaller and unplugged. In the end I know that it takes a lot to really WOW me and unfortunately this just did not do it


Glow by dr. Brandt $65 1.7 oz
I am sad that the sample I had wasn't a tad bit larger. It is hard for me to give a FULL review based on using it once or twice and I think that I may pick up another sample from sephora just to make sure I don't want to change my mind but based on the times I did use it I am on the fence. It is a glow enhancing moisturizer made with red crystal technology and retinol but without any of those nasty parabens or sulfates. All moisturizers are not created equal and if you are looking for a good one with retinol then I say give this one a shot but I myself haven't found that retinol is a good thing for me at this stage.


Aveda damage remedy daily hair repair $29 3.4fl oz.
This is actually a holy grail product for me. I know that is a strong claim but I do not even have to double think it. Not only is it all natural and formulated with things like Quinoa protein and soy oil but it has literally saved my hair more than once. As a hairstylist I change my hair so often it goes through multiple processes and therefore gets heavily damaged. This daily leave in replaces the missing protein and restores hair. If you are looking for a product to fix your tresses than run out and purchase this asap!


Moroccan oil treatment light $43 3.4fl oz.
This oil can be used to condition, style, or finish hair. It is made with Argan oil, vitamins, and proteins. Overall it is a great product especially if you have light colored hair or it is fin or limp.  This one can go either way by although it does what it claims and is a great product there are other ones on
the market that will work just as great for a more reasonable price.



Macadamia moisturizing rinse $24 10 oz.
The one redeeming quality about this product is that it provides uv protection, besides that I found it to be too fluid and thin and not that moisturizing. It is made with mostly natural ingredients and isn't going to do any damage but I would rather spend my $24 on a more hydration.


Macadamia rejuvenating shampoo $21 10oz.
This is formulated without sulfates or parabens and is a great basic shampoo for anyone with normal to oily hair. Made with Argan oil And doesn't create build up. I have other shampoos that I enjoy more but I don't hate it!


Caviar cc cream by alterna $25 2.5oz
This is a 10 in 1 leave in That apparently provides moisture, shine, smoothness, softness, anti breakage,  heat protection, light hold, Uv protects toon, manageability and strength. I would say that it does all of these things fairly well. If you are looking for an all in one leave in and don't have hair with a specific need this is a wonderful choice. I would buy it