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Favorite Haircare Tools

September 17, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello all! In this post, I’m going to be rounding up some of my favorite haircare tools of all time. A lot of these tools are sort of old, yet, they still work very well. And because they have such good quality, I haven’t been tempted to update them. Also, I’ll give you my two cents regarding what I think about the very popular Revlon Hot Air Brush that everyone seems to love nowadays. Excited much?

Read on.

SinglePass Compact Travel Styling Flat Iron – This is my favorite travel iron. I take this with me all the time because I really like its compact design and its lightweight ergonomic style. This comes with a dual voltage, and the plates heat up easily. This even has a safety plastic case for easy storage and to prevent burns or potentially melting other surfaces. For me, this is super reliable, and has used this in almost all my trips; both local and overseas.

BodyWaver 1.75” Professional Ceramic Styling Iron for Waves and Volume – This is another one of my T3 faves, although this tool takes some getting used to for it to work really well, at least in my opinion. And that’s because this may feel a bit bulky although still very light on the hands. I usually use this to curl the tips of my hair in a sort of outward motion while positioning the barrel vertically. I believe this works very well for medium to long hair. The really good thing about this is once you develop a technique on how to use this efficiently, your curling process goes really fast because this heats up quickly.

GHD Eclipse Styler (new version – Platinum+ Professional Performance 1″ Styler) – This is a prior version of nowadays’ GHD Platinum. I haven’t tried that one yet because I never felt the need to update this really solid styler. This has been working well for me for years and looks good as new. In fact, this is my main hair straightener, and the T3 one above is my go-to for traveling. This tool heats up easily and notifies you with a sound. The heat is constant all over the plate, so it distributes evenly on the hair. Also, this doesn’t get too hot, so as not to damage the hair. You can also use this as a curler.

Babyliss PRO Nano Titanium Bambino Compact Dryer – This very small hair dryer is so easy to pack, so cute, and totally packs a punch in power. This isn’t foldable though, but this is a lot smaller than most travel hair dryers I’ve seen out there. The really nice thing about this is even though this may look like a kids’ hair dryer in real life, this will still dry your hair in minutes.

Bestool Boar Bristle Hair Brush – I’ve always wanted to have a boar bristle hairbrush because it helps to distribute the natural oil all over the hair and prevents frizz and split ends. This brush from amazon comes with a detangler and this really works to massage my scalp and prevent oil buildup.

Cricket Technique Barrel Hair Brush 2 inch – If you don’t have a curling wand or curling wands are not your thing, use this big round brush with your hairdryer to create big luscious waves. This brush distributes heat all over the hair because of its hollow barrel style. All you have to do is wrap the tips of your hair around this brush (away from your head) and heat it using your blow dryer. Voila! I love this a lot and this is so easy to use. Also, very inexpensive too.

Harry Josh Ultra Light Pro Dryer – A favorite among celebrities, this very cute, mint green, compact, and lightweight hair dryer is so powerful that this really dries the hair within minutes. This may not be a dual-voltage dryer (unfortunately), but this will really hasten hair drying time for medium to long hair. This has ion technology to eliminate frizz, and in my experience, my hair looks silkier whenever I use this as opposed to using other hair dryers.

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush – Lastly, I couldn’t resist but write about this very interesting hair dryer+hot brush hybrid. This is that perfect 2-in-1 hair tool that you can use easily and can give you a polished look within seconds. This is not really a hair straightener, but your hair will look a bit straighter with this. I think this is more like a blow dryer that gives you a salon blowout in minutes at the comfort of being in your own home. This can create a nice wave but won’t be as defined as with a wand curler. Nevertheless, the waves that this will create are really beautiful, I would say a la Kate Middleton, lol. I love this a lot even though this is bulky to store. I also love the affordable price.

There goes my faves in haircare tools. What are yours?

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Kérastase Haircare Favorites

March 7, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello everyone. Happy Friyay and happy weekend soon. It’s been a while since I talked about my all-time favorite haircare brand – Kérastase. For me, Kérastase is my ride-or-die haircare brand. Regardless of what my day is going to be or what the situation may call for, this brand always seems to nail my hair goals. I find their products to be reliable and they really deliver in solving your haircare needs. However, Kérastase is a high-end haircare brand where not all of their products are made of natural clean ingredients and only a few are Sulfate-free.

Speaking of Sulfates. I try to avoid using haircare products that have Sulfates in them because even though Sulfate cleanses your hair thoroughly, it can also strip the natural oils from your strands and scalp, which can make them very dry in the long run. Also, it’s not advisable to use Sulfates on chemically processed or color-treated hair for the same reason that Sulfates are really stripping.

There are only a few Kérastase products that I love, but I love them very much nonetheless. They are mostly Sulfate-free.

Discipline Sulfate-Free Smoothing Shampoo & Cleansing Conditioner – These are the first-ever Kérastase products I’ve ever tried years ago, and they’re still my faves nowadays. These are what you’d call hydrating and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and they definitely make your hair frizz-free, soft, and super manageable. The shampoo itself feels light and it lathers very well with just one drop. It leaves a moisturized feel after rinsing. The conditioner is very lightweight yet very moisturizing at the same time. It does have a distinctive scent that is pretty hard to describe, but it’s not heady or anything like that. What I really like about this duo is that this really makes the hair look relaxed even on hot and humid days. I would say that these are perfect for any hair types, but also especially for those with dry or damaged hair, and of course for those with chemically-processed, colored, permed, or treated hair.

Another great Sulfate-free product from Kérastase is the Reflection line. This line is geared towards color-treated hair. I especially love the Reflection Sulfate-Free Shampoo and it has a very interesting light floral scent. I find the consistency of it to be not as thick as the Discipline line above, yet it still delivers maximum hydration. Since it’s designed for color-treated hair, it aims to preserve color, add shine, and vibrance. So, take note, if you color your hair, this will work very well for you.

For weekly cleansing, I use the Kérastase Aura Botanica Shampoo. This is a very lightweight Sulfate-free cleansing shampoo that has Micellar Water as one of its main ingredients. I don’t think this shampoo is meant for those with dry hair since this can be a little too drying for everyday use. It is made of clean and natural ingredients though and it’s definitely gentle. However, I would say that this is more suitable for once or twice a week use/cleansing only because this can remove impurities and product build-up from the strands, but the Micellar ingredient of this might be too drying for some.

Products not mentioned here that I also love from Kérastase is the Discipline Oleo-Relax Anti-Frizz Oil Serum. This lightweight dry hair oil can actually tame the frizz ASAP even with just a minute amount. I love using this on hot and humid days and it smells wonderful. I’ve read that this is also one of Jared Leto’s haircare faves. Now, judging from Jared’s/Jordan Catalano’s mane, he surely does have an amazing crowning glory.

Another product that I seem to love from Kérastase lately is the Ciment Thermique Resistance Blow-Dry Primer for Damaged Hair. I received a sample of this and even though I’m still currently investigating this product, I have nothing but good impressions so far. The scent of this is a lovely fruity one and it doesn’t weigh the hair down. I love that this protects the hair from constant heat styling (up to 450°F), and this also controls frizz and reduces breakage. Will talk more about this product soon once I’m done testing it.

That’s it for my favorite Kérastase products of all time guys. I don’t think I will be adding more to this roundup unless Kérastase will come up with something extraordinary or perhaps will launch another Sulfate-free line. For now, I’m very satisfied with these haircare products and I highly recommend them.

Are you a Kérastase fan?

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The Briogeo Scalp Revival Experience

February 12, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello there! Suffering from hair and scalp issues this Winter? This is going to be an exciting review because I teamed up with Briogeo to feature their full Scalp Revival Line. During this cold and dry season, our hair and scalp can suffer a lot. They can go awry due to fluctuating temps and unpredictable weather conditions. Which means they could overreact in different ways. For example, our scalp may get very dry, flaky, and itchy, while our hair could get very oily and sticky, sending our sebaceous glands in overwork mode.

Briogeo, a brand known for its clean natural haircare and scalp care, has some products to address the hair and scalp issues I mentioned above. Let’s take a look at them below.

Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-exfoliating Shampoo (8 oz: 42 USD) – This charcoal and coconut exfoliating shampoo is one-of-a-kind. First of all, I love the amazing peppermint scent of this that awakens my senses every time I use this on my hair. Second, this is a charcoal shampoo that detoxifies and removes excess oil from the hair without making the strands dry because this has coconut oil in it. Third, this is micro-exfoliating, which means this isn’t very gritty on the strands and on the scalp, and that helps to prevent extra dryness. This shampoo is not just a shampoo, this is also a treatment to restore the health of hair by removing product buildup, delivering hydration, and soothing the scalp. I find that this works really well in combination with the Briogeo Scalp Revival Stimulating Therapy Massager below in order to remove scalp flakiness and restore normal hair and scalp health. This product is made of clean ingredients and is an Allure Best of Beauty winner.

Scalp Revival Stimulating Therapy Massager (16 USD) – This massager is great for any hair type and this works really well for my straight hair without pulling any strands. This can be used on dry scalp or wet scalp and this helps to increase circulation on the roots, thus, making the entire scalp and hair more healthy in the long run. On top of that, the soft spiky rubber tips feel really relaxing on the head. I find that this scalp massager can be used with just about any haircare products, but this works really well in partner with Briogeo’s Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo for that complete relaxing hair and scalp treatment experience. Tip: When using this, try not to make large circular massage motions as you could tangle your hair. Just massage with medium pressure using semi-circular strokes especially if you have long hair.

Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment (1 oz: 32 USD) – This vegan, cruelty-free, silicon-free scalp oil treatment is another awarded product from Briogeo which aims to sooth dry itchy flaky and irritated scalp by delivering hydration and restoring normal scalp health. The ingredients herein are tea tree oil, peppermint/spearmint oil, witch hazel, aloe, and biotin among other things. This aims to soothe irritated dry scalp, normalize its oil production, and promote healthy hair follicles. This scalp treatment is great for all hair types and the scent is not overwhelming. I use this by parting my damp hair in sections and adding a few drops of this treatment to my scalp and roots. I noticed a slight tingling sensation at first, followed by a slight cooling effect on my scalp. Then I massage (using my fingers or the Briogeo scalp massager above) my scalp with this treatment (do not rinse) and so far, I haven’t noticed any flakiness or dryness on my roots at all. Also, this didn’t weigh my hair down, and even though this is an oil treatment, this doesn’t feel very oily at all, and my hair didn’t look greasy as well, not even the following day.

Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo (1.7 oz: 24 USD) – This non-aerosolized dry shampoo is very interesting to use and has a very pleasing scent. I love that this has charcoal, clay, tapioca, and rice starch that absorb excess oil and draw out impurities from the roots, thus, making the hair look more refreshed and clean. This also has witch hazel to soothe the scalp and biotin to promote healthy hair follicles. To use this, just shake the bottle first, then twist the cap to open. Aim it at least 5 inches away from your roots, and gently squeeze it to release the powder. Try not to squeeze too fast and too soon or else this product will release too much powder and smoke. I usually let this dry shampoo sit on my roots for about a minute or two before slightly massaging and brushing my hair until the powdery residue is gone. At first, this dry shampoo may look like this will leave a whitish residue on the hair, but once you let this settle and massage this on the roots, then the residue will go away easily. I love the slight lifting effect that this gives on my roots and the way this makes my hair look clean. This product is also made of clean ingredients and is great for all hair types.

These Briogeo Scalp Revival products really deliver to what they’re supposed to. I love all the products featured in this review and I think they will help in soothing any dry, flaky, and irritated scalp this season. I also love that these products not only try to repair hair and scalp issues, these also promote, restore, and maintain our optimal hair and scalp health.

Do you have any hair/scalp issues this season? What are your current remedies? Have you tried any of these Briogeo Scalp Revival products before?

*Lots of thanks to Briogeo for providing me these products.

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