Game Changer Beauty: My Amazing Blow Dry Secret Shake & Spray

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The Quick Dry Shake ‘n Spray by My Amazing Blow Dry Secret is one of those products where as soon as I tried it, I got really excited to tell you all about it. I was wandering around ISSE (seriously all you can REALLY do is wander – it’s so huge, lol) and saw a sign that said “cut your blow dry time in half!”

You have my attention.

I have hair down to my waist now. My natural waist, that is – not down on my hips where I actually wear my pants. Point being – REALLY long hair. And while it’s fine, I have a lot of it. Blow drying usually takes me 20 minutes or so with my HANA dryer, maybe slightly more with my T3. That’s a long time when you have to get up really early in the morning, or when you’re trying to get your hair dry before bed!

So I’m talking to the gal at the booth and she’s telling me about how this Shake ‘n Spray will cut my blow drying time in half. I was interested, but skeptical. I mean a lot of products claim to shorten blow dry time, but don’t really make a very noticeable difference. So she explained to me how it works. I’m about to blind you with science.

The magic ingredient in the Shake ‘n Spray is VCOH, or Virgin Coconut Oil Hydrosol. VCOH is natural fractionated cold-pressed coconut oil with super-fine molecules. These molecules are dispersed through the hair, which also disperses the water molecules on your hair. This dispersal makes the water evaporate faster. The coconut oil is left on your hair, which we all know is an excellent conditioner. What you’re left with is dried hair that is silky and shiny!

Oh one more thing – because of how this product works, it also makes your hair dry faster when you’re air drying it. Did I just blow your mind right now?

The reason it’s a Shake ‘n Spray is simple – you have to shake it. Similar to bi-phase eye makeup removers, the Quick Dry spray needs to be mixed in order to work. The clear half is the quick drying agent (VCOH etc.) and the pink part is all sorts of yummy-for-your-hair conditioners and UV protectants. When you shake it, the two halves combine into a sparkly lighter pink! It’s like magic.

Okay, so it seems legit. I received a couple little trial sizes of the spray, which the lady said would last a long time as a little bit goes a long way.

BUT HOW DOES IT WORK?

I towel-dried my hair as usual (just a little squeegee-ing), sprayed the My Amazing Blow Dry Secret Quick Dry Shake ‘n Spray about 4-6 times throughout my hair, and blow dried as usual. You know how long it took my hair to dry?

8. F*cking. Minutes.

So yes, it REALLY really works. It’s available for $25 for a 6.7 oz (200 mL) bottle from the My Amazing Blow Dry Secret website. They also have a shampoo and conditioner, but I haven’t tried those. I’d definitely want to try it after seeing how well this spray works even without the other products! I am impressed!!

Top Hair Styles for Fall 2013

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What are the top hair style trends going to be for Fall 2013? I got the scoop from stylist Mario Russo of Salon Mario Russo in Boston!

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Favorite Natural Beauty Products

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And so you have this Earth, kay…

It’s Earth Day! So even though eco-friendly/natural beauty isn’t the primary focus of this blog, I couldn’t let Earth Day just go by without talking about it. Thus, my favorite natural beauty products…ready, go!

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1. LUSH Lemony Flutter – How could I do a post about natural beauty products and not mention LUSH? Lemony Flutter is a faaaaabulous cuticle cream with an herbal-lemon fragrance. It just plain works wonders on cuticles. It’s also great for super dry skin like maybe on your elbows or heels. A little bit goes a long way, and the packaging is recyclable! ($16.95, LUSH)

2. LUSH Honey Trap – I walked into my local LUSH and pretty much said “I have super duper dry lips. HELP!” and the sweeties in there suggested Honey Trap. They said any of their lip balms are great, but that this one is the best. It’s compact (again, recyclable packaging), a great texture/consistency, smells nice, and most of all it moisturizes like a dream! It works well as an overnight treatment if you slather it on, too. I’ve had my little tin for ages and it doesn’t really show signs of getting used up OR turning bad any time soon, but when it does I will definitely replace it. ($7.25, LUSH)

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush – I have a lot of beloved products from Tarte but this one was my top pick. The Amazonian Clay Blushes are touted as a 12-hour blush. I rarely need to make my makeup last 12 hours but this blush definitely lasts all day. I love the texture of them (not too powdery, not too hard), the packaging, and all the fun shades! I have about half a dozen of these, but Exposed is my favorite. It’s a rosy nude shade that I think every pale girl needs in her arsenal. ($26, Tarte)

4. Korres Cherry Oil Full Color Lip Gloss – I actually don’t own any of these anymore, because my mom loves them so much I gave mine to her. ;) But they are really lovely lip glosses that smell good enough to eat thanks to the cherry oil. The formula is extremely non-sticky and lightweight with a nice amount of both shine and color. If you don’t think you’re a lip gloss person, try these. Mom did and was hooked! ($17, Sephora)

5. LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub – This post isn’t sponsored by LUSH I swear, haha. But it’s a delicious flavored, PINK colored sugar you exfoliate your lips with. It’s yummy (cmon, it’s SUGAR), so this is one of those products where not only can you eat it, you’ll actually want to. But save some for your lips please…! ($9.95, LUSH)

6. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque – Somewhere, Krissy from Addicted To All Things Pretty is reading this and nodding going “I TOLD YOU”, because she’s the one responsible for me trying this product. This mask smells amazing, and makes my hair feel like buttah. That’s because it has both macadamia and argan oils in it. I use it about once a week or so to keep my hair looking and feeling great. I have the small size pictured because that’s what I have, but I’ll definitely be getting a larger size once this is gone. ;) ($16, Macadamia)

7. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water – This stuff just rocks, simply said. It’s a luxurious, effective cleansing water that is extremely gentle. Its main ingredients (besides water!) are plant extracts. It really is a spa water and will leave you feeling pretty pampered. The herbs and minerals are highly soothing. Try it once and you’ll definitely want to come back for more. ($39, Sephora)

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo/Conditioner Review

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Sometimes it’s taking a break from a product that really makes you realize how much you love it. That has definitely been my experience with Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy shampoo & conditioner. [Read more…]

Amika Shampoo & Conditioner Review

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Well the image above kinda says it all, haha. I have a tough time writing about products I feel ‘meh’ about. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried a product I flat out hated, and because I am pretty good at picking stuff usually, I don’t have too many bad experiences. This wasn’t a bad experience per se, but… well let me get into it.  [Read more…]

My Most Beloved Beauty Products of 2012

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It is the time of the year when we pause to reflect back…blah blah blah, here’s the stuff I was most obsessed with over the past 12 months. :)

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November Favorites

It’s November favorites time!!! Woo woo! Since I started a new job in November I have been wearing a lot more makeup, but I’ve also been getting up super early and spending a LOT of time in my car, so I’ve just been keeping a few choice products in a makeup single makeup bag and “living” out of that bag (plus the various lip products in my purse…) [Read more…]

Rusk W8less Multi 12-in-1 Miracle Treatment Review

This product has possibly one of the longest product names ever. Its official name is Rusk Designer Series W8less Multi 12-in-1 Miracle Treatment. Yikes! What a name! But how does it perform? Find out by hitting ‘read more’. ;)

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July Favorites

Seeing as how it’s a week into August, and I’m now a week into being unemployed I’m taking the time to do an actual favorites post. I can’t even laughingly call these monthly anymore because they’re so…not monthly. But I feel like now that I have the time I might as well do a favorites post. Will they start being monthly? Nobody knows.  [Read more…]

OC Beauty: Sassoon Salon in Costa Mesa CA

Sassoon. Is there any name more associated with hair? We lost Vidal Sassoon this year, but after my visit to the Sassoon Salon in Costa Mesa, I know first-hand that his impact on the hair industry will never fade. The salon itself is a reflection of what you can expect your hair to be – chic, modern, tasteful, yet edgy.

I had the pleasure of having my hair cut and colored by the expert staff at Sassoon. Adriana Harrison, Color Director of the salon, was the one who would create my new color. Adriana is good. I brought in a photo of Kate Beckinsale’s hair and explained that I loved that it was definitely dark brown, but warm with dimension and still highlighted. That’s exactly what I got. Dark brown that still shimmers with some very subtle, pretty highlights. I *love* it. When it was time to wash out the color, I got one of THE greatest shampoos ever by David. I wanted to take him home with me and have him wash my hair every time. Best scalp massage ever. He also did a treatment on my hair – the Kerastase Pixeliste treatment. This magical treatment gives your hair WICKED shine. My hair was freaking glossy. 

After the magical color and divine shampoo experience, it was time for cutting! Tani Cole, Creative Director of Sassoon South Coast Plaza did my cut. I wanted something very easy to wear – side bangs and layers – that would look good both straight and wavy/curled. I love my cut. It’s again exactly what I wanted.

My favorite thing about my experience was Tani and Adriana’s attention to detail. Both my cut and color are extremely versatile. Since my highlights are subtle, it allows me flexibility– I don’t have to rush to the salon as soon as a little bit of root comes in. The placement of the highlights is such that I can part my hair down the middle or on the side and it doesn’t look uneven. And I was really impressed with Tani’s precision cutting. Even though I wanted a style I could wear wavy or curly, she and I talked about her flat ironing it out for me so that I could see the evenness. I told her I’d had styles in the past where I couldn’t tell until I straightened it but they were uneven and a mess, so I was glad she took the time to do that for me. And her cut is perfection! No weird lines or uneven layers to be found.

Overall I’m completely thrilled with my Sassoon experience! I would go back in a heartbeat and actually really look forward to it because everyone there is so nice and really take the time to listen to what the customer wants.