Hello everyone! I hope you guys are enjoying this manic monday. I just got back from my oceanography final and it wasn't TOO bad. We had two hours to complete it but I finished in 50 minutes which scared me but I didn't want to over think anything. This post is going to be a little different from the rest. From the start of this blog, I knew that I wanted to do reviews of sorts. So this is my first 'Shoptimist' post. We can all thank Sean for the creative name. I wanted to review make up and hair products but I also wanted to review other things, like music and shows to make it more interesting. So check it out!
Here are the products mentioned:
Tigi S Factor Smoothing Shampoo
Tigi S Factor Color Savvy Moisturizing Conditioner
L'oreal Advanced Haircare Color Vibrancy Dual Protectant Spray
Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo
Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Hair Chemist Limited's Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque
Revlon Colorstay Foundation
Revlon Photo-ready Concealer
Maybelline's Color Whisper in Coral Ambition (35)
Maybelline's Color Whisper in Pink Possibilities (65)
Rimmel London's Kate in 10
Shirts turned into crop tops
Summer Vacation's Condition/New Songs
Tell Em Steve Dave Smodcast
So I've kind of become obsessed with crop tops. I love how cute and effortless they are. They literally take five minutes to cut. So I start by taking some old band shirts and cut the sleeves completely off. I then put the shirt on and mark where I feel is the appropriate length for a crop top. I usually pair these with high waisted shorts or leggings. I don't necessarily wear these with low rise jeans or regular pants because I wouldn't want my belly fully exposed. This is a cute and fun outfit for summer or late spring, so I highly suggest trying it out!
I've been using powder foundation since high school. I refused to use liquid because I hated the way it made my skin feel and I hated the cakey quality of it. Personally, I don't feel that powder is super heavy on my skin and liquid foundation can be a bit harsh. BUT, I really wanted to give it a try, so first things first, I did my research. I went online and checked all the blogs and vlogs and searched for the 'best drugstore foundation' out there and Revlon's Colorstay seemed to be all the rage. It was everywhere and everyone loved it. So I went out to CVS and spent an hour trying to figure out my color. I even did that stupid color wheel you place over your face as well as taking the color test. So I finally decided to get in 150 (Buff). Let me just say, this stuff is amazing. It feels like nothing. Not cakey at all and glides on. It promotes itself as being a 24 hour foundation which is pretty true. I mean, I wouldn't keep my make up on for that long but it lasts pretty much all day. I use this stuff along with a powder to kind of set the foundation in, and it's not heavy and I don't feel like it's too much. The ONLY con about this is that there is a slight amount of shimmer in it. And by shimmer, I mean glitter. It's not super noticeable but I'm a matte girl so I don't like any form of shimmer or gloss on my face but after applying a small amount of powder afterwards, it kind of eliminates that shimmer. So I highly recommend this product for anyone that wants to give liquid foundation a try or someone who is looking to change up their foundation routine.
I also tried the Revlon photoready concealer. I'm a girl that has never used a concealer because, honestly, I don't know anything when it comes to good concealers. I'm always afraid that the shade won't match or it won't blend well. So, I took a risk and blindly bought this one because it was right next to the foundation. It's good. It does it's job of covering up tiny blemishes or dark circles under your eyes. The trick to concealer in my opinion is having a good blending brush and being able to blend it flawlessly with your foundation. It's a small step but it could really change the look of your entire face. So, I do recommend this to anyone who is a beginner when it comes to make up (like me!).
So, ever since I dyed my hair, I was on a long quest in finding a new shampoo that doesn't strip my hair of oils or dyes. So, I asked around and my co worker recommended Organix Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner. I bought it at CVS for about 8 bucks each and it was okay. Nothing spectacular or amazing. Just a plain ol' shampoo in my point of view. It has a really strong musky smell to it and I'm not too fond of that. The conditioner has a milder smell but it's, again, nothing spectacular. So overall, this shampoo and conditioner combo was just average for me. My hair didn't feel too different afterwards.
When I first dyed my hair, I heard about purple shampoo and I didn't think that I needed it because I didn't have super blonde hair and I thought that it was for super blondes. The thing I didn't know was that purple shampoo helps tone your hair. It get's rid of the brassy tones and kind of neutralizes everything. For the first couple of weeks with my newly dyed hair, it was super brassy. After re-dying my hair (it took several times to achieve), I gave purple shampoo a try. After my last dye job, which was about 3 weeks ago, my hair was a bright yellow color. I used John Frieda's Sheer Blonde Color Renew purple shampoo and it worked fantastically. I only apply it to the ends of my hair because, that's wheres all the blonde is. I didn't want to buy a really harsh purple shampoo because, honestly, I was scared that I would have purple hair. John Frieda's purple shampoo is a lighter shade of purple compared to Shimmering Light's purple shampoo so it's not as harsh. I use it three times a week and I have noticed a major difference in the way my hair looks. I love it. The cons of this shampoo is the smell, there's this weird musky, lemon-y smell to it. I don't like it that much but at the same time, I don't mind it. Another con is that this shampoo kind of dries my hair out a little bit. I'm not sure if it's due to the sulfates but it's not so bad where I'm going to stop using this product.
Heat protectant sprays are insanely important when using hot tools of any kind. I never really used heat protectant sprays until this past month. My hair would get super damaged, especially the ends, due to all the heat that I was applying to it. So, I really wanted to give heat sprays a try so I went to Target and found the L'oreal heat protectant spray. It comes in this cute bottle and the actual spray separates from one another so before you use it, you have to shake really well. It's nice because it's not only a heat protectant spray but it acts like a conditioner too. So it makes your hair super shiny and soft, not crunchy or hard like a hairspray would. It also smells pleasant, it doesn't smell like chemicals, rather, a nice fresh smell.
This next product is probably one of my favorite purchases this month. It is the Tigi S Factor shampoo and conditioner. First, the shampoo. It smells like strawberries which is amazing and it does the job of making your hair super soft and super nice. I think the only con to this product is that it's a bit pricey for me. It's about 20 bucks each. I'm so used to the drugstore prices, I bought these products from a beauty store down the street from me. The conditioner is super amazing as well. It's not only really hydrating for your hair but it protects color, damaged hair which is perfect for me. It smells like sweet candy which is nice but if you're not a fan of sweet smelling products, I wouldn't recommend this for you because the smell does stay on your hair for about a day.
Another important step in maintaining colored hair or hair in general is investing in a good deep repair masque for your hair. I never believed in using hair masques, partially because I'm so lazy when it comes to my hair and it's an extra step that I wasn't willing to do, but, after trying it out, it completely changed my mind. I apply this once a week for seven minutes after shampooing my hair. The day after you complete the treatment, you notice a dramatic change in the feel of your hair. It is super soft, super silky and super healthy. I love this stuff. I got it for 10 bucks at my local beauty supply store and it comes in a huge jug like container, so it'll last you a while.
Next, my favorite red lipstick ever. I heard that Kate Moss had a line with Rimmel London, mostly red lipsticks, so I had to try it out. I read reviews online and watching a lot of vloggers rave about this lipstick. Let me just say, it is the most pigmented lipstick I've ever used. It's beautiful. I love it. I love that it has no shimmer whatsoever. There is no gloss to this lipstick and a lot of people think that since there is no gloss that this may dry your lips out a bit but it doesn't. It actually hydrates really well and it doesn't come off. I apply once and it's on all day, which I love. I highly recommend this to anyone that's looking for the perfect shade of red. They have about 10 colors but all of them are truly beautiful.
I also bought Maybelline's Color Whisper in Pink possibilities and Coral Ambition. Both colors are amazing. I'm barely getting into coral lip products but I've been told that coral is my color because it goes great with my skin tone. I think the color whisper products are great for spring/summer. They are super delicate shades, nothing too crazy or pigmented but they are super hydrating on your lips. They give off a nice shine like a lip gloss would but not as sticky. I know that I've said I love matte colors but this is a good exception.
Finally, music! I've been blasting Summer Vacation's Condition and a few of their newer songs in my car, to and from school this entire month. I can't help it. They're catchy and awesome and everyone needs to check em out! I know this album came out almost two years now but they're that amazing and I ain't just sayin' that! They're really good people that make fun, energetic music!
Another form of entertainment that I've been completely obsessed with is the Tell em Steve Dave podcasts. I literally have been listening to this in my car, at home, at work, at the gym and right before bed. I could listen to this at hours on end. It is that addictive. Why, you may ask? Because it is super hilarious. There'll be times where I'm by myself and laughing hysterically, it's quite ridiculous. This show stars Walt Flanagan (Comic Book Men), Bryan Johnson (Comic Book Men), Bryan Quinn (Impractical Jokers) and the occasional Ming Chen (Comic Book Men). If you guys are looking for a good laugh, I highly recommend!!! This show is insanely hilarious, they talk about anything and everything. I bought the app for the iphone and I've been obsessing over it ever since.
So I hope you guys enjoyed!
Ciao Bella!
