Reviews and Other Stuff

FASHION & BEAUTY

IGK Haircare Review

IGK hair reviewย 

Raise your hand if youโ€™re the type that likes to check if your hair strands are in place before joining any Zoom meetings! True story, right? Even though our situations have changed (hopefully it’ll get better soon), it’s still very important to look our best (or at least presentable) in the virtual world. The products I like to reach for lately especially for Zoom-worthy hair are the ones from IGK. If you’re wondering what IGK means, itโ€™s actually the initials of the stylists/foundersโ€™ last names. This brand is known for their colorful packaging and eye-catching labels. Ever since having tried their dry shampoos which are truly hair-savers, I have been testing some of their other products, especially their new releases. So far, most of the stuff I’ve tried from this brand has been really interesting. Let’s take a look.

 

Dry Shampoo

 

IGK Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo

 

First Class Charcoal Detox (2-6.3 oz: 14-27 USD) โ€“ Thisย is one of the best dry shampoos I’ve ever tried. With minimal scent and less fume, this charcoal dry shampoo is perfect for those with somewhat oily to very oily hair. This can make your hair look clean and fresh even after two days without washing. You may have to use a lot of this though and this can make your hair feel gritty, but still, this works like a charm. I really like that this doesn’t leave any white residue on the hair and this can save you a lot of time when hair grooming.

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Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo (6.3 oz: 27 USD) – This dry shampoo is a toned-down version of the First Class Detox shampoo above. Thisย is meant for those with slightly oily hair the next day or for those who just want to add a bit of texture in their hair. For me, this only works to keep my hair looking fresh the following day. Other than that, this won’t work for those with super oily hair. Most of the time, I just use this as a texturizer or even to add a bit of volume to my hair.ย 

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Texturizing

 

IGK Beach Club Texture Spray

 

Beach Club Texture Spray (1.7-5 oz: 14-29 USD) – Thisย is probably one of the most wonderful and reliable texturizing sprays I’ve ever tried. If it wasn’t for the strong coconut scent, I would have made this as my most favorite hair texturizing spray because this really works well in creating or adding texture to your hair. This also gives that natural โ€œbeach hairโ€ look and this even adds volume. Also, this texturizer is salt-free, non-sticky, and this doesn’t dry the hair. For an overall well-performing hair texturizer with a very pleasing scent, the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is still my top favorite.ย ย 

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Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel (1.7-5 oz: 15-29 USD) โ€“ Thisย award-winning coconut-infused creamy hair texturizer has a lot of purpose. You can create an air-dried tousled hair, wavy-textured hair, or frizz-free beach hair with this styler if those are your style. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work well on my straight hair especially if itโ€™s very clean. This does tame the frizzies, but this also makes my hair look too textured and too scrunched. I find that this works very well on second-day unwashed hair to create that natural lived-in textured look that a lot of people especially on TV are sporting nowadays, and perhaps the kind of hair you may want to do when you need to be in Zoom ASAP.

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Straightening/Masks

 

IGK Antisocial Overnight Bond-Building Dry Hair Mask

 

Antisocial Overnight Bond-Building Dry Hair Mask (5 oz:ย 34 USD) – This color-safe bond-building dry hair mask which feelsย like a dry shampoo is meant to repair and strengthen the hair over time. To use this, youโ€™re supposed to apply this product at night as a hair mask, and that works really well. Also, for me, I like to use this whenever I feel like my hair has bents or has some waves that need to be straightened asap. What I noticed is that this really works in relaxing, softening, and detangling the hair. Most of all, the effect seems to be quite long-lasting and this seems to improve the hairโ€™s texture, overall look, and condition. The scent of this may be a bit too much for some, however, given that this really works well on the hair, I think this is one of my most favorite products from IGK and I definitely recommend thatย you try it.

 

Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray (5.6 oz:ย 32 USD) – This is a very interesting IGK product because this is a heatย protectant spray that can actually make your hair look like it just had a Keratin treatment. To use, you must first coat your hair with this product, blow-dry it in sections, then finish it with a flat iron to achieve that smooth, shiny, and straightened keratinized-hair look. Personally, I don’t use it as indicated because I noticed that it made my hair look too heavy and somewhat oily since this has a dry oil feel. I prefer to use this as a finishing spray because this gives my hair a nice shine while still retaining some of the volume. But, if you want to achieve that pin-straight hair and want your hair to look more tamed and definitely less frizzy, you must follow the instructions. You might actually love the result.ย 

 

IGK Offline 3-Minute Hydration

 

Offline 3-Minute Hydration (6.7 oz: 38 USD) – I haveย a new favorite hair mask and itโ€™s this quick 3-minute only Offline mask. I love the name of this mask and I love how this mask made my hair look hydrated, healthy, light, and shiny even after just a few uses. I feel like this has restored my hair back to its natural volume and vitality. On top of that, this mask works really well with any lightweight volumizing shampoo. The consistency of this very thick, so, you only have to use a bit. This though has a somewhat strong coconut scent, but will not be noticeable after rinsing. I definitely recommend this mask and I wish IGK will continue to make more interesting hair masks like this and with interesting names as well. The next one should be called โ€œQuarantine Hairโ€ or โ€œZoom Me Maybeโ€ lol ๐Ÿ˜ƒย .

 

IGK Haircare review

 

What do you think about IGKโ€™s haircare products? What are your tips for a good hair day, at least online?

 

 

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Ouai Shampoo and Conditioner for Fine Hair Review

ouai fine haircare

 

Hello. In line with taking care of ourselves during these quarantine times, it’s very important to take time to breathe, relax, stretch, exercise, and have a good soothing shower. Remember: “A sound mind is in a sound body”. So, speaking of baths and showers, I have a haircare line to recommend, that is if, you haven’t tried this line yet.

 

The Ouai Shampoo and Conditioner for Fine Hair is a surprise love for me. At first, I didn’t expect much from this line, thinking it would be just like any of those shampoos and conditioners that claim to add volume and bounce, yet most of them didn’t really work for me. However, I do love a lot of Ouai’s haircare stuff, so, I gave this a try. My first impression of these? I was blown away.

 

As a side note, my hair is quite flat, straight, and has mostly fine strands especially in the inner layers, however, I also have some sort of thick strands mixed-in. On top of that, it tends to get oily. So, I always look for a good volumizing lightweight shampoo and conditioner to help with the issue. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like moisturizing haircare products. It really all depends on the situation. In fact, I’m planning to review the Ouai Shampoo and Conditioner for Medium Hair soon to see if that will also work for me. For now, let’s take a look at these.

 

ouai shampoo for fine hair review

 

Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo (10-32 oz: 28-56 USD) – This shampoo has a nice light floral scent (taken from Ouai’s Mercer St. EDP) which has a bit of lemon, jasmine, and musk. This has a very very lightweight feel that is definitely formulated for fine hair that needs volume or body. Also, this shampoo is color-safe, has no harsh ingredients, and this has Hydrolyzed Keratin which tames frizzies and flyaways. What I really like about this shampoo is that this foams and rinses the hair very well without having to use too much. This makes the hair feel so clean without drying it and this gets rid of excess oil. Along with the conditioner for fine hair, this shampoo delivers what it’s supposed to be.

 

ouai fine hair conditioner review

 

Ouai Fine Hair Conditioner (10-32 oz: 28-56 USD) – This conditioner has a nice smooth feel that is quite fluid and totally light. This has the same ingredients as the Fine Shampoo which has Biotin and Chia Seed Oil but this is definitely not thick and this doesn’t weigh the hair down. The jasmine scent of this is quite more noticeable than the shampoo counterpart but still very very light. I really like that the effect of this conditioner plus the shampoo gave that right look of clean, soft, bouncy hair and with relaxed or tamed frizzies and flyaways.

 

Overall, I am utterly impressed with this Shampoo and Conditioner. I think these are becoming my holy grail haircare since there aren’t really many shampoos and conditioners out there that truly volumizes the hair and makes it look clean. On top of that, these make the hair look nice and still volumized even the next day, and with the sleek packaging along with the lovely light floral scent, I really recommend these for those with fine hair.

 

ouai fine hair

 

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Shiseido vs Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler Review

Shiseido vs Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler review

 

Ever since I started loving makeup, I have only used four eyelash curlers ever. The first one was the original Sephora Lash Curler which I ditched right away after a few uses because it simply didn’t work for my eye shape. The second one is the Japonesque Go Curl Curler which is a plastic curler that I still use but I mostly reserve it for traveling, and the third and fourth ones are these Shiseido and Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers which are the ones I reach out for most of the time.

 

lash curlers

 

For someone with short, straight, sparse lashes, and small hooded eyes, there aren’t a lot of choices for me when it comes to eyelash curlers. In fact, it can be daunting to find one, especially one that actually works. For some reason, I just can’t use a standard lash curler because I also have flat eyelids and most lash curlers tend to be very curved and wide. Both the Shiseido and Shu Uemura ones seem to fit the bill for what I want, but they’re not exactly the same, although both are cult-favorites.

 

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler review

 

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (20.34 USD) – This was love at first curl. This lash curler is quite flat compared to most standard lash curlers out there and a little narrower too. I like that this curls the lashes precisely and even accurately. I don’t have to put a lot of pressure on my lashes whenever I curl with this and most of the time I only have to do the curling process twice. Also, this catches most of my lashes most of the time and I never had any pinching issues.

 

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

 

Shiseido Eyelash Curler (22 USD) – This lash curler is almost identical to the Shu Uemura one in terms of flatness. However, this is a bit wider than the Shu Uemura and this costs a bit more. I like this a lot but I’ve had a few lid pinching issues with this and this doesn’t seem to catch all my lashes especially the tiny ones along the corner of my eye. This also tends to curl only after doing the process three times or even four. I do like the soft bouncy silicone pads that this lash curler came with.

 

Shiseido vs Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

 

Therefore, I tend to look for my Shu Uemura ones every time I curl my lashes. I still reach for my Shiseido’s but I have to be a bit more careful when using it because of the pinching. While both lash curlers don’t require force or pressure to curl the lashes (they also come with gentle pads) and both don’t cut them either, I have a strong preference for the Shu Uemura ones. It’s perfect for Asian eyes, small eyes, hooded eyes, and for those with short stick-straight lashes as well. I have yet to investigate the Surratt Beauty Relevรฉe Lash Curler (34 USD) that everyone’s talking about. Will report soon.

 

What’s your go-to lash curler?

 

 

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