Best Beauty Tools

TONI AND GUY Sectioning Clips

These were the discovery of the year in 2014. I've always wanted sectioning clips, but I could never find more than a pack of 2 for a completely unreasonable price in our drugstores. Then I resorted to eBay and ordered these for a few euros not expecting much, but the quality of these blew me away. They are made from that "NARS" like rubberised, matte plastic and the spring is a really good one meaning it's not too weak, but neither too tight. I use these every time I blow dry or curl the hair to keep them out of the way as well as to  pin the just blow dried strands in a ring shape to let it cool and in that way create a loose wave. 

I bought mine from this seller.

Pot Nail Polish Removers

A trend that Bourjois started years ago with their Magic Nail Polish Remover and that has now spawned many "dupes", both more affordable and more expensive. The level of brilliance when it comes to these removers still astonishes me and I can barely imagine myself still using the old school remover and cotton pads to remove the nail polish from my fingernails. All you have to do is pop the finger in the pot, swish it around for a while against the foam soaked in remover and it's done. It shaved so much time of removing nail polish, which before was one of my most hated beauty chores. This is truly an amazing beauty invention and I hear some even make their own versions from common household objects. 

BENJABELLE Daisy Brush Tree

The days of putting just cleaned damp brushes on the edge of the table or on the radiator are long for me ever since I got this brush drying station. It's such a clever little thing and it does its job so well. All you have to do is put the damp brushes upside down in silicone grippers and wait for it do dry. It prevents the water collecting inside the ferule and dissolving the adhesive, therefore prolonging the life of brushes. This one is also collapsible, so it's easy to store in the drawer when you're not using it. 

Mine is from Glossy.si, but international readers can get it on the official Benjabelle site. There are also many versions of such racks sold on eBay.

 REMINGTON Ci6325 Pro Soft Curl Curler

The unsung hero of mine. In the four years of blogging I mentioned this curler only once and I yet I use it so much. Every time you see me with curly hair in my swatches pictures, this is the curler I used. I've had a few in my time and this is by far the best one for my type of hair. It's a 2.5 cm (1 inch) barrel curler with an adjustable temperature option, but it's still very basic and most importantly very affordable. I bought it in Interspar a long time ago for about 30 € (but I think I even used a nice discount at the time - the good thing about Interspar, am I right?). On my thick, long hair I find that the 200°C setting works best and if I use a lower temperature, the curls don't last nearly as long. I usually just simply curl the hair starting at the middle of my length and curl it away from the face, but leave the ends out and hold it for usually less than 10 seconds. I do that in sections and clip the hair that's already been curled in a loose bun, so it cools and keeps shape better. Once all the hair is curled and cool, I run through the curls with fingers and Orofluido, then finish with some hair spray and a texturiser. This way my curls last three or even more days, but they get quite loose by day three giving me that slightly wavy, but almost glam look. I just can't imagine my life without this curler.  

EBELINE Ionic Negative Round Ceramic Brush

60 mm

If you have unruly, frizzy hair like me and you're not using a round brush together with a hair dryer, you're seriously missing out. I find that a good blow-out makes my hair feel less coarse, makes it more manageable and less dry-feeling to the touch. See that orange strip on this brush? Well, by changing into yellow that little genius thing alerts you that the temperatures are so high they are damaging for your hair . Though I use a hair dryer once a week, I never use it at the highest heat setting and this brush also alerts me if I'm concentrating on one strand too long and causing unnecessary damage. I like the design of this brush a lot as it never got tangled in my hair and it manages to make my hair look sleeker. Quite a nifty thing. 

Ebeline is a brand sold in DMs and this brush cost around 10 €. I've seen a similar design from Műller's Body & Soul brushes. 

Tangle Teezer and its many dupes

While my hair isn't that tangly despite the length and thickness (it's all the conditioners/leave-ins I'm using, I guess), these type of brushes are so much better than any of those old school brushes I used to have. I particularly like the ones with some sort of a handle, especially if you have "baby hands" like me because the original Tangle Teezer is quite big to hold (but not the travel size). They glide through the hair so much easier and it takes a lot less time to comb the hair which if you have such long hair as me is a giant plus. Also there is almost none of pulling and tugging, so it reduces damage when combing. 

I saw my Ulala! brush sold for as little as 4 € in E.Leclerc, but such brushes are sold everywhere now. 

BRAUN Silk Epil Xelle Epilator

Another unsung hero of mine and one that has been my trusted companion for about 7 or 8 years. I paid a lot at the time (around 100 €) and it still works perfectly after all this time. TMI moment, I have very dark, strong hair and very pale skin, so you do the math, but I can tell you it's just one of those things that causes me great distress. Shaving lasts about a day or less for me, even so it never does the job completely as the dark dots are still clearly visible against my milky skin, so plucking is the most long lasting and better performing option. I'm not going to say that it doesn't hurt. This one has a massaging rollers attachment, which is supposed to help with the pain, but it's rather gimmicky to be honest, however, the "smartlight" is just brilliant (seriously, get one with the light). I have a high threshold for pain and even I feel a bit of discomfort, but mostly because my hair is so strong (it's a slight burning sensation if you're interested). I gave it to my cousin to try once and she can't even look at it since then that's how painful it was for her. But it's the best way of dealing with the problem for me and it gives me about a week of carefreeness and even in the later days the hair is more sparse. It takes about three weeks for all the hair to grow back, which is not bad, but as I said it's completely smooth for a lot less time because hair grows at different rates. Its main issue is the ingrown hair, but that's a story for another day. 

This version is discontinued, but Braun has many new versions of Silk Epil epilators. I think it's worth investing more into these as mine lasted amazingly long.

RIFFI Body Brush

Jana from Small Bits of Loveliness hooked me up on the whole body brushing business. As I've said before I have a problem with ingrown hair, so I had hopped regular brushing will help alleviate the problem. It turned out to be such a fun and pleasant beauty treatment at the end of the day. The bristles are so soft that the brushing is really pleasant. Apart from exfoliation, there are several other advantages to using a body brush, but you should investigate that yourself if you're interested.

My brush is from Müller for 5.5 €, but these type of brushes are sold in most drugstores.

What are your essential beauty tools? Have a great day! 

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat UV Protective Primer

I expected a lot from this. It's a high end product, which has gained some great reviews, though granted mostly from people who were sent the product, but I still trust most of them. However, I'm just not as impressed by it. My hair requires a great deal more care than an average individual's, so I'm sure this kind of product suits a lot of people, but still for the price I was expecting something exceptional, so in the rank of Kérastase products, but this isn't even close. 

First, I'd like to praise the ease of use. It's super simple to just spray this on the hair and have everything from heat and UV protection, an extra boost of moisture and pre-styling element of hair care sorted. Judging from the name as well as the claims, I expected something similar to Orofluido Sahara, but this is a completely different product. It's closer to a light milky lotion and it has none of the oil-like qualities. Due to that, you have to be mindful of how much you apply on dry hair as it does make the hair wet, so that means you shouldn't really go straight to curling or straightening your hair, but let it dry for a moment. Also on dry hair it has a tendency to get a bit heavy or maybe I should say that you notice a layer of product on the hair. But my real issue is not with its performance on dry hair, but on damp. It just doesn't deliver. Sure it provides heat protection, but that's it. There is no frizz control nor do I think that it's as effective as the much cheaper Sexy Healthy Hair leave-in when it comes to adding and sealing moisture into the hair. Even the scent is unremarkable and bland - as I've described it before, it's like a classic soap scent mixed with porcini mushrooms (SLO jurčki) and cream. Basically, it's the most simple heat protecting spray, but that's it. Though, the ingredients do look fantastic, since it contains grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, macadamia oil, coconut oil, argan oil and safflower oil as well as some proteins. So I'm a bit surprised that it performs so averagely when it comes to seriously nourishing the hair.

I know I may seem harsh in my hair care reviews at times, but I seek only brilliance and I'm not satisfied with run of the mill products. And this is the latter, which is a bit sad considering the price. If your hair is super dry as mine, I'd again like to recommend Kérastase Nectar Thermique or if you prefer to use heat protection on dry hair, I really love Tigi's S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray Heat Defender for the job. But if your hair isn't as problematic as mine, you should still give this a go if it interests you, but Tigi's Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out Balm is lovely and in my opinion better, though admittedly more expensive if you look at the price per ml (but no per bottle). Of course, I will use this up and I do use it a lot because it's so easy to use, however, I doubt I will repurchase it. Still the bottle is big with 250 ml of product, so I may change my mind about it when it'll be on its last legs.

Have a great day!

Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique + a GIVEAWAY

You may know that I'm a huge fan of Kérastase, especially of their Nutritive line which just suits my dry, coarse hair like nothing I've ever tried. Their products make my hair look and feel almost like from an ad, which I never though was even possible, but due to a high price tag, I tend to use these products mostly only on special occasions, when I need my hair to look its best, especially the Masquitense hair treatment, which is just beyond brilliant. I do, however, use Nectar Thermique regularly, since heat protection is something I take very seriously because I need a good blow-out to make my hair feel less coarse and dry-looking (I know it's quite the opposite for most people, but not when it comes to my hair). I've been using the old version of Nectar Thermique for about a year now and it's recently been updated, both formula-wise and the packaging. There wasn't much to improve from the original in my opinion, but they did manage to do some nice changes nonetheless.

As far as effect on the hair and results go, it is still the same Nectar Thermique, however, the texture of the product is a touch lighter and, what I find a huge improvement, it now comes in a squeeze tube. I still have a bit left in my previous bottle version and it's hard to get the product out now, due to the hard plastic (I admit, I'm a helpless little girl when it comes to hard plastic, especially Lush's bottles - the bane of my existence). It's a heat protection as well as a leave-in conditioner in one, designed for dry hair. It's a light cream, truly nothing too heavy, in fact I find it hard to overdo on my hair, but others whose hair aren't so dry might find it heavy if used too much. It's easy to apply it evenly on the hair and even a small amount can be distributed nicely. I use this before blow-drying the hair and it makes it feel more silky and look more shiny, however, not much less frizzy (I have Sexy Healthy Hair Leave-in conditioner for that. The combination of the two is amazing and of Potion 9). But what really makes me adore this product is how my hair looks and behaves in the following days. When I use this, I have, for example, a great fourth day hair. It just looks so healthy and shiny for days after washing, any tangles are easy to brush out and my curls look so polished for a long time. 

The scent is kind of a classic creamy one, similar to all those universal creams like Nivea. I like it.

The ingredients have been changed a bit from the original, but it's not a massive change and they certainly didn't ruin the product like so many companies do when they revamp their most popular stuff. You can see the new ingredients here and the old ones here.

I've said in my original review that if you have dry hair and you just want to try something from Kérastase for the first time or you can only afford one thing, I'd pick this in a heartbeat, especially if you use heat to style your hair. It is one of my favourite ever hair products, also featured on my All-time Favourites page and obviously, I would have repurchased it if L'Oreal Slovenia hadn't send me the new version to try, since my old one is running out.

Kérastase can be bought in hair salons or online (V Sloveniji vem, da imajo izdelke v frizerskih salonih Simple. So postavljeni v izložbi). The price of Nectar Thermique is set at about the 20 € mark, but it depends where you buy it. One bottle 150 ml lasted me a year and I have lower-back-length hair that I wash every 4-5 days. 

 Giveaway

I have another heat protecting milk to give away, which was generously provided by L'Oreal Slovenia (thank you again) and it is from the Discipline range designed for unruly hair called Keratine Thermique Smoothing Taming Milk. I must admit, I was terribly tempted to keep this one and give away Nectar Thermique, but I know most of you don't have dry hair like me and Keratine Thermique should fit a much wider range of hair types (fine, normal and thick). Keratine Thermique is designed to help fight frizz, especially one occurring due to humidity, as is the entire Discipline line of which I've spoken in one of my wishlist post, since I'm dying to get my hand on the entire line. It also contains keratin, which will make the hair stronger.

The same rules apply as in my previous giveaway. It's international, it will last one week (ends 13. November 2014 at 00:00/12:00 A.M. CET) and one winner will be chosen. After the winner is drawn, I will contact them through the e-mail address that they are signed up with on Rafflecopter (check out which it is. I hit a bit of a snag with my last winner, but it all turned out ok). If the winner doesn't respond in two days, a new winner will be chosen. Also those who are under 18, please ask your parents or guardians for permission.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

And just for the kicks, my growing Kérastase collection. I'm not even sorry. Most of the products were already reviewed, just search the Kérastase label or my directory.

*Both products were sent to me. Thanks to L'Oreal Slovenia for their generosity. 

VO5 Give me Texture Dry Texturising Spray

I am always curious about affordable drugstore brands available in other countries and when Boots finally started shipping to Slovenia, I placed this texturising spray in my virtual shopping basket simply to satisfy my curiosity. My previous experience with a texturising product, which was L'Oreal's #TXT version left a bad taste in my mouth, but VO5's is a completely different story. This is actually good! It contains sea salt and promises to create an effortless, undone look as well as give tousled effect to the waves.

Texture: It is exactly as I imagined texturising sprays to be - a dry shampoo on steroids. It's something like a dry shampoo/light-hold hairspray hybrid that gives that powdery texture but with some hold. There is absolutely no stickiness as at L'Oreal's or wetness and it definitely doesn't feel just like a can of lovely fragranced air as got2b Volumania styling powder does (which I still kind of like for some unknown reason). 

Effect: This deposits a light layer of fine powder on the hair which you can feel when you touch it, but it's not white, though you can see it on the strands of hair if you look closely enough. This layer of powder gives a very matte look, which I'm not terribly happy about, since I think the darker your hair is the shinier it should look, but I just spray a bit of got2b Öl-la-la over it and it's fine (although all of those whose hair gets shiny at the roots because it greasy will love the matte effect). This definitely gives texture as well as a tiny bit of hold. I really like using it just after I washed my hair and curled it. Spraying it on freshly curled hair, it just makes it look better by giving some volume and making the curls not so perfect, therefore creating a messy, bed head look. I use a hairspray after as suggested for better hold. But, I'm not sure about it as a re-styler on the following days. I just think that Batiste for example, does a better job because it absorbs oils better and gives more volume, though I think that VO5 doesn't perform all that well on me due to the long length and heaviness of my hair. Unlike as at L'Oreal's, spraying a lot of it doesn't make the hair feel unbearably dirty, but it can make it feel dry.

Scent: The scent is nothing to write home about. It's a mix between a stronger typical hairspray note with a more subtle touch of candy strawberries, but it doesn't last long.

Price and availability: £3.79 (4.7 €) in Boots.

I like it. It does what is says on the tin, giving the hair that tousled look and it's not too expensive. The only thing that bothers me is that my can is already feeling more than a half empty and I haven't even had it that long. If you have a chance to try it, give it a go and I think it'll work particularly well on those with shorter-medium length hair that lacks volume and texture.

Have a great day!

Sebastian Professional Potion 9

I'm rarely so impressed by a hair product as by this one. It's one of my favourite new discoveries lately and a new warrior in my war against the frizz and dryness. Potion 9 is a leave-in conditioner/styling product hybrid that promises to condition the hair as well as give hold, shine and tame it. It's been on the market for nearly 20 years and a best seller for much of that time. Now if that's not a sign of quality, I don't know what is. 

Texture: A light serum-gel that is bright orange. It applies evenly due to the slip it has. I can't feel it on my hair no matter how much I apply it and I think it might be appropriate for someone whose hair aren't as thick as mine and it shouldn't weight it down, but I haven't had the chance to try it on such hair. 

How to use: It doesn't actually say how much you should use on my bottle, so I just apply a few pumps on my waist-length hair. It can be used on damp hair before drying (with a hair drier or air dry) as well as on dry hair to add, as they say, texture.

Effect: I really like this! Applied on damp hair before blow-drying it really tames my hair, makes it much sleeker than when I just use my regular products, it feels moisturised and even a bit silky. It's very good especially in combination with Sexy Healthy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave-In conditioner, or as I call them - the golden team. I used it also on someone else who has the same type of hair as me, on who I usually do a blow out plus straighten her hair and the final result was much, much better than usual. The hair was sleeker, there was almost no more frizz and looked more healthy. This is a product that really makes a visible difference on rebellious hair.

The only problem with this is that if you want your hair curly as I do, the silkiness this gives means that the curls drop faster and it's more difficult to get volume because of lack of texture, however, if you like to wear your hair straight, the effect lasts longer.

There is this pin on Pinterest that I saw after I bought Potion 9. It's says "Apply to wet hair and your hair dries into long waves. Buy at Target." I kind of hate these random things people write under images. Anyway, I tried this on damp hair without using heat styling and let my hair air-dry. And I hated it. It's been a while since I let my hair air dry and I forgot how unkempt my hair looks naturally. I have natural messy curls that can't decide whether they are curls or waves (it's waist-length, so the weight of the hair is preventing it from curling nicely) and Potion 9 didn't make them any prettier or more defined (try Tigi's Curl Amplifier instead, it actually works because it has more hold). Also my hair gets super knotty and really dry if I don't use heat tools to tame it and then a lot of damage occurs because of that. This is a product that performs best with heat tools on my hair. 

On dry hair, it works like a mix of silicone serum with a very light hold gel. It tames the hair, makes it more shiny and also gives a bit of hold/texture due to the slight stickiness.

Scent: If you're familiar with Avon's hair serum this has the same scent. To me it smells exactly like a salon.

Packaging: An airtight bottle with a pump. It works great and I have no complaints, the only thing is that you can't see how much product is still in there, but that's the problem with most products anyway.

Ingredients: I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the ingredients. They are lovely and from what I can tell,  it's a very good leave-in conditioner with jojoba oil high on the list (one of the best oils for hair), safflower seed oil, panthenol (moisture and shine), a few proteins and etc.

Price and availability: I got my small 50 ml bottle on Look Fantastic for 12€, but there is a full size available with 150 ml for 22 €. I love that they offer a small size to try, every company should follow their example. 

This is a brilliant product that helps taming frizz and is a lovely leave-in conditioner. The light texture should work on most types of hair and shouldn't weight it down (though there is a light version available). I'll definitely buy a full size once my trial version runs out, but I suspect these 50 ml will last a while.

Have a great day!

Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-powder

I love trying new hair products, even if the product description doesn't completely fit my needs. Pret-a-powder really appealed to me from the moment I heard about it. It's an interesting concept of a dry shampoo, volumising powder and style extender in one that should extend the life of a blow out and give you one more day of presentable hair. 

Texture: It's a very powdery dry shampoo and since it also claims to be a volumising powder it has that more grip, but it's not sticky in any way like got2b Powder'ful. If you use too much it does leave the hair with too much residue and it can feel dirty, but in normal amounts it feels almost weightless. Though my hair doesn't really get oily, I can tell this absorbs oil well since it leaves my hair dry at the roots (but I can't say for sure that it's great on oily hair, of course). 

This is a nice product for those whose hair is really silky after being washed and their hair won't hold style. It's a great product to use all over the hair before doing a braid or an updo because it gives texture.

Volume: As it's described it's also a volumising powder and it works. I wouldn't say much better than a regular dry shampoo in a can or a volumising powder, but my hair has a lot of natural volume anyway so I can't really compare.

Is it white?: Oh, yes. My hair is dark brown and this leaves white/grey residue if I don't blend it in well or I use too much of it.

Scent: Beyond wonderful. This is by far my favourite scent of any dry shampoo. It's a light floral (cherry or peach blossoms) peachy scent. I know scents are subjective, but if a perfume with this scent existed, I'd be all over it.

Packaging: It definitely a different way of use and takes more time than dry shampoos/texturisers in a can, but I like the idea of a dry shampoo/texturiser in a shaker bottle. One bottle of Pret-a-powder, which holds 56 g of product, should last very, very long, especially compared to cans. It only has one small hole, but on my bottle it never clogged and the powder shakes out evenly. It's more time consuming to apply since you have to take care you don't apply too much in one spot, otherwise it looks white and it takes more time blend it in. It's a product for those with a bit more patience.

A voluminous fishtale braid made after using Pret-a-powder. My hair is a lot longer, but my (shaky) arms are too short and I couldn't capture it whole. You get a lot of texture to work with, so it ideal for making braids.

Price and availability: I paid 21.16 € with a code on Look Fantastic, while regular price is about 26 €. It's also available on All Beauty and Boots.

I think this is a product people with light, fine hair that has no natural texture would really love. I don't fit into this category and yet I still really like Pret-a-powder - mostly because of the gorgeous scent. I really love using this and I use it almost every day to freshen up my hair, even though I don't need texture or to use a dry shampoo. I go without washing for about 4-5 days then my hair start feeling too dry, but I don't have a feeling that my hair is terribly dirty on the first few days, but the product does build up after that. It's a cute product, however, expensive as a one time purchase (the quantity redeems it here, but I wouldn't buy it at full price) and it's not the easiest to work with. 

Have a great day!

Kérastase Forme Fatale Voluptuous Blow-Dry Gel

Not that I really need volumising products, but Forme Fatale caught my attention because it's a heat protectant and styling product in one. I didn't know exactly what to expect since there are almost no proper reviews for this online, especially from people who actually bought it themselves, but this video made it look so good and the girl actually styles the hair herself. So far I've only had fantastic experience with Kérastase product and Forme Fatale is not cheap so I expected a lot, particularly in the taming frizz department (as good as got2b Volumania mousse is, this is my only gripe), however, this is that one product from my favourite hair brand that left me cold when it came to my hair. Having said that, it was a completely different story when I used it on someone with thin hair.

Texture: a thick gel with soft shimmer. The video says to apply a chestnut amount on damp hair, but on the packaging it says to use a small amount, I just follow the video's instructions. It spreads evenly, not as easy as a serum does, but like any hair gel.

Effect: 

I used it on it's own after conditioner the first time to see how it performs. I've heard a few people say that this tames frizz well, so I tested it without Sexy Healthy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-in conditioner, which is in my experience the best at taming frizz. Forme Fatale feels super light on the hair, however, I find it dries it out, particularly the ends. I can run my fingers through the hair and it doesn't feel sticky or clumped up, but the hair does feel a bit harder (well obviously. How else would you get hold), however, it's still soft enough  The volume I was able to achieve by blow-drying my hair was phenomenal, in fact the biggest I was ever able to achieve and it exceeds even the got2b Volumania mousse. But this is the king of frizz. And I'm not saying the king of taming the frizz, but of making it. Due to drying out the hair, the amount of frizz was uncontrollable, it looked super frizzy compared to when I use Sexy Healthy Hair leave-in in conjunction with Nectar Termique. This by itself has no frizz control, not even when I use a curling iron over it. I needed a lot of extra moisturising/frizz taming product on the following days to control the dryness, which was like a blast from the past to me, since that was all I was doing before I found Healthy Sexy Hair.
I've since been using it in conjunction with Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-in and it is much, much better in the moisture levels and frizz department. Thought the frizz is still present, it remains in a much smaller and more manageable quantity. However, the dryness remains a problem.

Performance on thin hair:

I used it on a girl with thin hair which is shoulder length and with my usual volume making technique that I also use on myself (just watch this video), the volume I was able to achieve was amazing, especially for someone with such thin hair. It didn't make it greasy or heavy at all and you pretty much couldn't feel it was on the hair (and she has a hair type that most hair sprays make it feel crispy). On her hair, which is naturally poker straight, there was no sign of any frizz whatsoever. I managed to get beautiful sleek curls with lots of volume at the roots. This was designed for fine to normal hair and it shows, the performance on such hair is flawless.

Hold: On my hair that generally tends to hold curls very well they lasted a maximum of two days, so it's not as good as the got2b Volumania mousse with which I get at least three days of great hold. 

Scent: Very lovely floral, but lasts less than a minute.

Ingredients:

Price and availability: I paid 21.40 € on HQHair, but currently the cheapest place to get it that I know of is All Beauty where it's 18.93€. You can also pick this up at selected hair salons.

If you're the one with thin, volume lacking hair that is normal or oily, I wholeheartedly recommend this, however, girls with dry hair be warned this dries out the hair and makes it frizzy. A good conditioner and leave-in treatment or some sort of a defrizzer solves the problem to a certain degree, but on my hair the dryness is irritating and I have to resort to heaps of oil to fix the problem on later days. It's a great product and does what's it says on the box, but it's not ideal for my hair. Still I'll finish it, it was too expensive not to.

  

Have a great day!

L'Oreal Studio Line #TXT Excess Volume Texturizing Spray

I am in no need of extra texture or volume, actually it's exactly the opposite and I'm striving to make my hair look as sleek as possible by eliminating the perpetually annoying frizz and still keeping that bit of natural volume I have. But these texturising sprays exploded in the blogging world and normally I would disregard this trend even though I'm a hair junkie, but to my surprise I found the newest addition to L'Oreal's Studio Line called #TXT Excess Volume Texturizing Spray in Müller and curiosity got the best of me. I've read here that it's a drugstore version (won't say dupe) of a much more hyped Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish and if we're already talking about (overhyped) texturing spray, the obvious one comes to mind - the shockingly expensive Oribe Dry Texturising Spray. So how did the L'Oreal's version and I get along? Very badly, I'm afraid.

Texture: This feels different than I expected which was something that might be like a dry shampoo and volumising powder in one, but one that perhaps has some actual hold unlike got2b Volumania Volume Refreshing Styling Powder which literary feels like a can of nice smelling air. However, what you actually get here is a sticky hairspray-ish type of product with a very light hold. It even feels wet when you spray it a bit too liberally and it can make your hair sticky after use. 

Effect: It says you should divide dry hair in four sections an spray each one or just turn your head upside down and spray the hair, then create volume with your hands.  Sounds simple enough. And then the problems start. This feels like nothing on the hair - there is no hold and no "texture" as people call it. It doesn't even hold the natural volume I have after washing my hair. Similarly to got2b Styling Powder, this feels like an empty can of air, or so it feels on the first use except that it leaves your hands sticky. Of course I tried to actually achieve something by spraying more and suddenly my hair started to feel unbearably dirty and even a bit sticky. Don't even think about using this on dirty hair (like a few days after washing) because it will make it feel even worse. This is not in way similar to a dry shampoo and it doesn't absorb oils. So there are only two options at this spray: either it does nothing and feels like there is nothing in your hair, or if you use too much, it will make your hair feel dirty.  

Some of you may be thinking: Ok, but you have long, thick, wavy, dry, coarse hair and mine is completely different. True. So I have tried it on a girl with very thin, poker straight hair that gets greasy fast and it was just as rubbish. Any dry shampoo does the job a lot better, but that's just my humble opinion. 

Scent: The scent of it is strong, kind of a classical hairspray one and similar to Elnett hairsprays.

Price and availability: I paid 6.29€ in Müller.

I don't even know why I bought it. I have enough texture in my hair even when it's freshly washed. And sure, I can make volume on my hair by messing it up even without any products, but in what universe is that pretty? My definition of volume is sleek, wavy/curly hair with body and not (super) messy hairdos so many seem to be fond of and calling it "bed head" (no offence meant to anybody. Style your hair the way you want it). It's a failed purchase for me and I wish I could return it because I know it will be gathering dust in my cupboard for ages. I'm sticking to dry shampoos.

Have you tried it yet? Have a great day!

Lee Stafford Dehumidifier, Dry Shampoo and Hold Tight Hairspray

After a very positive experience with a mini size of Hold Tight hairspray, which I now purchased also in full size, two more sample/mini size bottles from Lee Stafford's Pink Range landed in my shopping basket. Neither blew me away as much as the hairspray, but lets focus on each individually.

 lee stafford Dry ShaMPOO ORiGiNAL

I said before that I don't use dry shampoos for it's original purpose because my hair almost never gets greasy. I use them to refresh the hair, make it smell nice and mostly to revive volume.

Texture: This doesn't leave the same powdery texture in the hair as Batiste does and it doesn't leave the hair super refreshed. I don't think this soaks up oils too well, but don't take my word for it since my hair never gets greasy. I noticed that the hair doesn't feel as light when I run my fingers through it as with some other dry shampoos I tried. As at all dry shampoos, my hair feels a bit dirty the next day after use.

Volume: Yup. On my hair I can revive the volume despite the lack of the "grip" from the powder (corn starch).

Is it white?: Mostly it's clear, however, if not shaken well, there might be some white patches on odd sprays, but then you just blend it in as any other dry shampoo. 

Scent: This has a very strong and perfumery scent. It's the type of heavy scent that won't appeal to everyone, which makes the samples size a good idea. The scent is a typical Lee Stanfford one, but more intense and less hairspray-ish than at Hold Tight. It's a heavy oriental scent, with flower notes and I definitely detect patchouli (some describe it as Angel like). 

lee stafford POKeR STRAiGHT DeHUMIDIFIER

It's described as an invisible umbrella for the hair that prevents curling of the hair due to moisture in the air and fights the evil frizz.

Texture: This feels exactly the same as got2b Öl-La-La Styling Öl-Spray . It leaves the same light oily-siliconey feeling and gives loads of shine. Basically it's a silicone serum in a spray. While girls with dry hair will probably like this, those with oily hair might not so much. Be careful how much you use it, those with super dry hair don't really need to, but normal-oily haired girls be moderate as this can make your hair look greasy.

Does it work?: In theory it certainly should. It feels like a silicone serum in spray that coats the hair and therefore should help prevent the moisture from the air to be absorbed by the hair which causes it to swell unevenly and become frizzy. It also feels like it should be able to combat the other major reason for frizz - dryness and brittleness, since it feels a bit oily. But how does this perform in a real life situation? For one it does tame frizz if you spray it on the hair and comb through (better if you do that with fingers). However, my hair was frizzy again at the end of my walk in post rainy weather. I also tested it on my mother (we have very similar hair) right after straightening her hair and again it tamed the hair whilst gave loads of shine, but she came with frizzy hair home form work (she walks). It's a good effort from Lee Stafford, but I fear it's not quite enough. Mixing it with hairspray might be of better help in the fight against the frizz (or with anything with some hold).

Scent: The same typical Lee Stafford one as at Dry Shampoo, but a touch less intense.

 lee stafford HoLD TiGHT HaiRSPRay

I already wrote that this is my favourite hairspray so far and that it works particularly well in combination with got2b Volumania Spray Mousse.

Texture: A light hairspray that doesn't feel crispy or stiff even if you apply it generously. I can barely feel it on the hair.

Hold: Nice flexible hold without being sticky.

Scent: A classical hairspray scent that is mixed with the typical lee stafford scent. It's not my favourite, but I can tolerate it much easier than L'Oreal's Elnett's.

Have you tried anything from lee stafford? Any recommendations?
Have a great day!

New In: Drugstore Hair (Styling) Edition

It's all about drugstore hair products today. Got2b had most of their product either 30% off in my local supermarket or 50% off in DM (via the points system valid for November and December) and I decided to try some of their stuff. I was planning to get some other styling products, but I'm really glad I bought these. I think I'll try their Glued hairspray next and perhaps even some other bits. By the way, I had their Guardian Angel heat protectant a few years back and I hated it. 

It'll be a colourful post - I love colourful posts!

got2b Volumania Volumizing Spray Mousse

Probably my favourite product in the bunch. A mousse in a spray form - genius! It's so easy to apply evenly and I can really control the amount I want. It's not sticky, doesn't weigh my hair down and holds style so well. Both the mousse and styling powder smell like a raspberry drink (Dana's Malinovec), so pretty much delicious. I apply it all over the hair, concentrating on the roots. The spray makes it easy to apply it evenly to the roots and the length of the hair, however, you can spray it in your palm if that is what you prefer. I then do my regular thing: blow-dry with a round brush and put my hair in a high bun. I had tons of volume in the morning, like always, but this time my hair didn't drop in the next hour. I then curled it with a 2,5 cm (1 inch) barrel curler. It holds volume for a day, but the hair needs to be "refluffed" in the morning, which is pretty much standard with any mousse I tried so far. I was even more impressed how well my curls lasted as they still looked great on the third day. Having volume brings the necessary evil, the ever annoying frizz, and yes, also with this mousse, but it looks much, much better than Balea's Power Volume mousse. This is the best styling mousse I've tried to date, but I only had drugstore ones so far. I highly recommend it.

Regular price is about 6 €. It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets.

got2b Volumania Volume Refreshing Styling Powder

I'm not completely convinced about this product. I bought another one of got2b's volumising powders called Powder'ful about a year ago and while it definitely gives volume, it makes your hair feel sticky and a bit dirty, but what bothered me most was the fact the volume lasted about 15 minutes. So I wasn't impressed.
I sort of expected Volumania Styling Powder to be a similar product, but improved and in a spray form. It actually feels closer to a dry shampoo, but without the freshness. It almost feels like I'm not using anything at all and at first I wasn't sure if it even works in any other way than making my hair smell deliciously raspberrish. So I tried to "fluff up" my hair with and without the Styling Powder on each side of my head and it actually does make a difference, which is odd since it feels like nothing on the hair, nor does it give any type of hold or texture. It's not a necessary product, I actually think it can easily be replaced by a dry shampoo, but I do like using it to refresh the volume every day.

Regular price is about 6 € (5.80 € in DM). It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets.

got2b Öl-La-La Styling Öl-Spray 
also called Oil-licious Triple Oil Dry Oil Mist

Healthy hair and shine in a can. That's how I would describe this product. But mind you, I mean it just cheats the appearance of having healthy hair, it doesn't actually nourish it much. It's an innovative concept - argan oil in a spray can, even though it's the last ingredient on the INCI list and there are two silicones high on the list. Orofluido has something similar called Sahara, but this is much lighter. It gives an amazing amount of shine, just like using any of the silicone-oil hybrids (Orofluido, Morrocanoil,...) and helps fight the frizz, but without the fear of ruining the hairstyle or curls because of touching (my curls always drop if I touch them). I'm impressed got2b! Another very likeable product.
The scent is a bit out of place, especially after trying the Volumania products. It's far from fruity and it's more like a generic soap or lipstick scent. I actually quite like it. I can spray a ton of it on my hair and it doesn't weigh it down one bit, build up or make it oily, however, my hair is dry and thick. It think it would work for fine hair, but maybe used in moderation. But this is the best way for any of such girls to use an oil product.

Regular price is 6.99 €. I found it only in Müller.

Lee Stafford Hold Tight Hairspray

I really like this hairspray. It has a nice flexible hold without being sticky, doesn't feel crispy or stiff at all and I don't even feel it on the hair. I find it similar to Tigi Mastermind (only that it's cheaper and easier to get) and L'Oreal's Elnett extra strong, but without the Elnett scent that so many people dislike (I actually find it very similar to Chanel n.5). In fact, I tried L'Oreal's and Lee Staffords side by side and I notice no difference whatsoever. Hold Tight Hold Firm has a musky and sweet scent, which is apparently a signature scent of the Lee Stafford products and it reminds me a bit of Thierry Mugler Angel if I remember that fragrance correctly.

50 ml can costs 2.45 € in Müller. I don't know the price for the 250 ml can, but it's about 7-9€.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner
also called Honey I'm Strong conditioner

I can't find the Hello Hydration hair mask anywhere (why?!), so I grabbed this instead. For the price it is actually quite good. It's thicker than the Hello Hydration mask and moisturises well even my dried up hair. Of course, I use it in a conjunction with a leave-in conditioner (Sexy Healthy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave In), which makes a massive difference by itself. It doesn't smell as amazing as the Hello Hydration line, but it's similarly fruity-floral with a hint of honey. It will be a part of my Top 5 drugstore conditioners post that I have ready.

Price 2.45 € in Müller.

I've used everything in this post on this pic. A rubbish pic of third day hair is in this post here. 

Have a great day!