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HANA Air Dryer Review

Recently I was contacted by Misikko about reviewing the HANA Air Dryer. I’ve been using it for a little while and I’m ready to share my thoughts with you!

First let me just tell you a little about the dryer itself. This is a premium, top of the line salon tool! It has 2 speeds and 3 heat settings plus cold shot. They claim the tourmaline-lined ceramic heater will dry your hair up to 60% faster, and that the antibacterial ion technology conditions your hair and adds shine. The motor is extremely powerful– producing the equivalent of 2300 watts, and low noise. It comes with a fiberglass concentrator attachment, but I don’t see a diffuser that is made for it. That’s not a huge deal for me, but for you curly girls out there or for those of you who like to use one, that is something to consider. Here are my thoughts on the dryer itself up against what I expect/desire from a hair dryer:

Weight/Feel
I definitely don’t want a tool to feel cheap in my hand, but I don’t want it to feel like I’m holding a brick either. Let’s be honest, your arms can get tired if you’re stuck drying your hair with a massive beast of a hair dryer! This dryer is definitely bigger and heavier than my T3, but it’s not so heavy that it causes problems or discomfort. According to HANA it’s “gyroscopically balanced” – no idea what that means, but apparently it makes it easier to work with. It also has a very long (12′) cord that swivels.

Settings
This dryer has one of the coolest features of any dryer I’ve used – the cold shot button can be turned on and off without having to hold it down. I LOVE that. The speeds are good, nothing out of the ordinary, and the heat settings are perfect. The warm setting is a true warm. It’s not too hot. I’m kind of a sissy; if it’s too hot I won’t use it. This is comfortable. :)

Performance
This dryer is insane. It dries my hair really fast. Now I freaking love my T3 Pro, but this dryer is more powerful and dries my hair faster. However, it’s heavier and much louder than my T3. The product description for the HANA Air says it’s quiet, and that’s just not true. It’s loud. It’s very loud. Quiet compared to what I wonder?? The good qualities far outweigh the loudness for me, but your priorities may be different.

Bottom line is this is a BAMF hair dryer. It’s pretty amazeballs. I’m a fan. I’d never heard of HANA before being contacted by Misikko, but this is a great dryer and if their flat irons are anything like the dryer they’re probably wonderful too. I also received the HANA ShineShield serum, but I’ve decided I actually want to review that separately so that will be upcoming. I’m not completely sold on it yet so I want to play around with using it before I do a review. ;)

The price of this dryer is going to be a deal-breaker for some. Retail price is $334.99. It’s currently on sale for $194.99, but even at the sale price that’s still a large chunk of change. The HANA Air dryer is not out of the realm of normal prices for a high-end hair dryer, and performs well enough to stand up to the high price, however.

Misikko
My experience with Misikko has been great! My dryer arrived packaged very nicely with some sweet extra goodies. They generously included the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi shampoo & conditioner. I don’t know if this product line was handpicked exactly for me or if it was just selected at random, but after reading up on it I think I will really like it! *fingers crossed* According to the website these products are ideal for adding body to fine hair, safe for color-treated hair, and moisturizing. I have dry, fine, color-treated hair. So if these were picked at random, lucky me! And if they weren’t, well then Misikko gets big hugs from me, because that’s really thoughtful. Either way I’m super appreciative and look forward to trying it out when I finish my Redken Smooth Down, which will be pretty soon!

This experience with Misikko has definitely made a good impression with me, but it did not in any way affect my review of the dryer. If your aim is to invest in the best professional hair dryer, this one would be a great choice.

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The Worst Smelling Beauty Products Ever

I think I speak for a lot of us beauty product users when I say that a good product is the total package. It has to look nice, feel nice, and usually smell nice. But there are some products out there that…well, just plain STINK. And I’m outing them. Sooo hold your nose and keep reading for my Top 10 Worst Smelling Beauty Products…

[Read more…]

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Beauty Prep For Events

This is a post I have been meaning to do for a little while– beauty prepping for big events. Whether it’s the red carpet, your wedding day, or just a party you know is going to have lots of hotties in attendance, you want to look your best for an event. There are a few things I always do before a big event and I wanted to share those with you!
Skin Prep

  • Exfoliation – I make sure my skin is well-exfoliated for a good week beforehand, whatever that means for my skin. (Mr. Boyfriend and I are both using Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub. I like it! Exfoliates w/o drying me out!)
  • Breathing Room – I wear makeup as little as possible for a few days before the event to give my skin a chance to breathe and lessen the possibility of last minute breakouts.
  • Cleanse, Cleanse, Cleanse – Sometimes we’re lazy. I know that. We ALL are. But if you’re in “event prep mode”, be diligent about your regular skin care routine and for goodness’ sake WASH OFF YOUR MAKEUP.
  • Soothe – I use as many skin-soothing things as I can get my paws on before an event. Redness and breakouts are much harder to cover and make look good with makeup than clear skin, so I use gentle moisturizers, 100% pure aloe vera, and the occasional honey mask. (Product-wise I’ve been really liking Yes To Cucumbers cleanser.)
  • Spot Healing – If you have any open acne sores (…you pickers know who you are!), try neosporin or a similar product to help them heal faster and be less inflamed. 
Hair Prep

  • Clarify – Clarifying shampoos aren’t that great for colored hair but are still good to use every once and a while to really deep clean and get rid of any build-up from products & the environment. I always clarify my hair before an event to “detox” a bit. (I use Suave Daily Clarifying for this because it’s cheap and works fine for this purpose.)
  • Condition – This one is pretty obvious. I use deep conditioning treatments (especially on my ends if it’s been a while since my last trim!). (I really like Alterna’s Overnight Hair Rescue and Shu Uemura’s hair oil lately).
Okay so those are the things I do. Here are the things you should avoid– 

  • Don’t get a facial the day before your event. Often, the intense treatments of facials, and things like extractions etc. will make my face a little blotchy and red. Plan a facial for a few days ahead of time just in case. Same goes for any facial waxing you’re going to get. God forbid you get a burn or some other unfortunate incident.
  • Don’t blow dry and flat iron the shit out of your hair for a few days (I try for a week but it doesn’t always happen) before your event. Give your hair a break. You know heat isn’t good for it. ;)
  • Don’t panic-treat any issues that come up. If you break out before an event, resist the urge to throw everything in your acne-fighting arsenal on it and fry your face, and don’t pick at it! It’s easier to cover up a little red spot than it is to cover up an inflamed, pissed off dried out scab where your little pimple used to be!
  • Don’t try a brand new product the day of or a few days before an event. If you have an allergic reaction, find out it oxidizes like crazy/melts off your face/looks orange/is otherwise terrible the DAY OF an event, you’re kinda screwed! Save the testing for down time, not your big day (or night).
…and remember to get plenty of sleep and stay hydrated! ;)

Once upon a time I received samples of the Alterna & Shu Uemura products for editorial consideration.
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New Hair!

I got my hurr did! :) I wanted to share it with you because I’m in love with it. The cut/length is the same (minus a bang trim since my bangs were pretty much fully grown out) but I have awesome new color! :)
My new color is a dark brunette w/ some caramelly highlights framing my face. I absolutely love the way it turned out. The base is just a hair darker than my natural color, but much warmer. It was created using a level 4 with a squirt of level 5 and came out soooo rich and lovely! I was inspired by the color combo on the lovely Mila Kunis, but we made some adjustments to the color to make it work better for me.
Oh yes, who’s we? My colorist is Stephanie Gledhill of Salon Victoria in Irvine, CA. If you’re in the OC area you should definitely go see her. She’s super sweet and easy to talk to (great if you’re getting lengthy processes done!) and fabulous at what she does. Okay, I’ll admit I’m slightly biased since I’ve known Steph since we were 4 years old (*hee*) BUT even if she weren’t a good friend of mine, she is a wonderful stylist who really knows what she is doing! She taught me a lot of what I know about hair. ;)
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Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo

It’s not very often that I write negative reviews. Most often, I try a product and either like it (positive review) or just feel “meh” about it. Who wants to take the time to read my review of simply “meh”? I don’t like writing them (*snooze*) and they aren’t very interesting to read. 
However. Once and a while I use a product that I really don’t like. This is one of those products. Now, I’m kind of surprised and/or disappointed at not liking this, because some of my other fellow bloggers really like it! I feel left out of the Suave party. Oh well…
Why don’t I like this product. Well, I can explain it best by letting you know those photos above are the AFTER pictures. AFTER using the ‘refreshing dry shampoo’. EWW. My hair became greasier than it was before! This was sprayed the morning of the third day (I wash my hair on the evening of the third day). I do not have oily scalp/roots by any stretch of the imagination, and had not overloaded my hair with product. And this is the result? EWWWW. I was trying this out on a whim before work and hadn’t planned on taking pictures for my review, but it just was so bad I had to snap a few with my camera phone to document the experience. I still have the can, and I might give it another shot sometime, but wow. 
FYI my hair:
– fine, but lots of it
– color treated
– normal-to-dry
– is shampooed with Alterna
– is conditioned with Alterna and Sojourn 
Just. Ick. Ew ew. Maybe I got a dud, I don’t know. But this did NOT work for me at all. :( That makes me a sad panda.
Sample provided for editorial purposes.
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Tips for Voluminous Hair from Nexxus

What they don’t tell you is that the bird lives in her hair.

Okay, so the trend of having the biggest, poofiest hair possible may not be what women these days are going for, but nobody likes limp, flat hair either. My mom’s hair is baby fine, and she loves knowing anything extra she can do to give it some more volume.
So what does Kevin Mancuso, Nexxus’ creative director, recommend for voluminous hair?
1. Choose the Right Shampoo. Kevin recommends Nexxus Diametress to those looking for more volume for its high concentration of panthenol (a vitamin B derivative). What you want is a clear formula that can gently rid the hair of impurities, but won’t leave a residue behind to weigh down your hair. 
2. Condition Sparingly. I was shocked to read that Kevin actually thinks some women with especially fine hair may want to skip conditioning altogether. My mind = blown. He suggests skipping conditioner and opting instead for a conditioning styling product like Nexxus Mousse Plus. 
3. Pay Attention to Texture. Thick, curly hair stands up more at the roots. To get your limp fine hair to do this, creating more volume, Kevin suggests massaging your roots after applying a volumizing mousse. This roughs up the cuticle of the hair and causes more of the standing up action we’re looking for.

Bonus Tip!

This one just comes from my experience with hair. For more volume, we often blow dry our hair upside down. However, I have noticed that this often causes a little too much poof and frizz. So what I do is this:
1. Lean forward as if you were about to blow dry your hair upside down. 
2. Bring all your hair together (as if you were making a ponytail, or putting your hair up in a towel) and twist it loosely around your fingers (just one or two times). 
3. Hold this twist of hair loosely while blow drying upside down. Use your dryer to blow at the roots of your hair, and up and down the twisted length you are holding. Twisting the length of your hair helps avoid frizz.
4. Stand up and let go of your hair.
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Pamper Yourself on the Cheap

Everyone loves to be pampered every once and a while. It’s relaxing and indulgent; it makes us feel good. But let’s face it, a lot of people are struggling right now, or at least trying to get by without too many “extras”. Here are 10 tips to keep those extras in your life while spending less.
Tip #1 – Go With Groupon
I cannot stress this enough. Groupon rocks. Now in addition to the daily deal for your area, there are offers called “Groupon Now!” – offers from local businesses that are good for a very short amount of time. They’re designed for someone who wants to do something right now. Every time I check my Groupon app, there’s always special offers from salons and spas offering a deal for a little pampering. For example, here are some of the Groupon Now! deals in my area today:
  • $15 haircut
  • $15 Mystic Tan
  • $35 for wash, conditioning treatment, haircut, and blowdry
  • $25 deep conditioning/scalp treatment
  • $15 spa pedicure
  • $29 1-hour massage
Tip #2 – Say Yes to Yelp!
Have you been on Yelp lately? There’s more to it than reviews. Many businesses offer specials exclusive to Yelpers. One boutique I like to shop at offers 10% off your first purchase if you write an honest review of your experience on Yelp. 
Tip #3 – Cheapest Mani/Pedi Ever
If you really want a little sprucing up but don’t have the cash to spend on a full mani or pedi, duck in for just a polish change. You’ll still have nice, neatly polished nails (that you didn’t have to do yourself!) for a whole lot less. At salons near me this usually costs between $5 and $7.
Tip #4 – Craigslist
The beauty services section of Craigslist always has specials from local salons and individuals looking to build up more clientele, especially mobile beauty businesses. Because it’s more economical, many beauty professionals are opting to become mobile, coming to you rather than paying to rent a station in a salon. If that is something you’d feel comfortable with, it may be an opportunity to save some green!
Tip #5 – Take Advantage of Trims
Most salons I’ve visited offer free bang trims to maintain your style between cuts. Take advantage of this! When your bangs need a trimmin’, don’t pin them to the side and ignore them (I’m guilty!). Go to your salon for a bang trim. You’ll still get the salon experience, your hair will look better, and it was free! 
Tip #6 – Low Maintenance Highlights
Highlights are pretty and look awesome, but can be expensive to maintain. If you are looking for a little less maintenance involved, ask your stylist to do “peek a boo” highlights – highlights that won’t be on the very top layer of hair. The roots are hidden this way and you can get away with waiting longer between touch-ups.
Tip #7 – DIY Color
If you color your hair, you may be able to switch to doing it at home. I recommend not doing it yourself if you are going lighter, but for a long time I was faithful to my trusty Revlon Colorsilk. It’s ammonia free, and very frequently goes on sale at drugstores for 2/$5.
Tip #8 – Make it a Playdate
Remember when you used to sleep over at a friend’s house, stay up all night talking about boys and wishing you had D.J. Tanner’s life because she was so cool? Invite over a girlfriend or two for a grownup slumber party (pajamas optional). Make a pitcher of margaritas, have snacks, and paint each other’s nails just like you’re in jr high again. Better yet, have her bring some of her favorite polishes, so you can use each other’s. It’s like getting new ones! 
Tip #9 – Make it a Sexy Playdate
Have a quiet night in with your partner, and take turns pampering each other! Guaranteed good times. ;)
Tip #10 – Just Ask
If you’re not feeling adventurous enough to try a new salon or spa, it never hurts to ask if they have any specials. In addition to bringing in new clients, everyone’s trying to make sure they keep the ones they already have. Many beauty pros also have referral incentives to offer their clients, so if you have a great stylist or a favorite manicurist, tell your friends and ask them to mention you sent them!
Etiquette Reminders 

– If you are using a coupon, or requesting a special, always mention it when you’re booking the appointment to avoid confusion later on.

– When it comes to gratuities, remember to always calculate based on the full price of the service. 15-20% is customary. There are many great ways to save on beauty services; a lousy tip is not one of them. :)
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The Gloss Menagerie Testing Lab

In order to properly review beauty products, there are lots of different things we bloggers do that the average person may not necessarily do before deciding if a product is good or not. We try to take into account lots of different scenarios when approaching a product, and usually have our own standards for performance of various products, whatever type they are. I decided to give you a little peek into the products I’m testing out. I am calling this the “lab”. ;)
Right now in the lab I’m working with a brand that is new to me – ClickR skin care. ClickR is a 100% vegan skin care brand formulated for the needs of younger skin. What I am liking so far is ClickR doesn’t assume young = acneic. I’m actually using their Skin Polishing Kit, which is more of an exfoliating, breakout preventing type deal rather than a line chock full of acne treatments. However, for those who do have acne, ClickR has you covered too. I’ve only had a chance to use the kit once so far, but I enjoyed it! My skin is quite dry, but also very clog prone and it exfoliated without making my skin tight or uncomfortable. Hooray!
Also new to me right now is Redken haircare. I was introduced to Redken’s products at Images Salon when I went in for my highlights, and I have been trying out their Color Extend shampoo and conditioner to keep my new fab color looking good as long as possible (red is such a pain to keep in your hair!). I may decide to alternate with Smooth Down (especially on the days I air dry), which was recommended for my hair as well. I am also going to give their Blow Dry gel a shot the next time I take the time to actually style my hair. ;) 
I’ve been so into hair and skin the last few months because makeup is such a chore to wear in the hottest summer weather, but I am excited to share some new brushes by adesign with you very soon! I’ve been road testing these prototypes for a while now, and I think you’ll love them.
I haven’t posted a makeup look in a while. I hope to get one up soon using the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette. Any requests on what type of look?
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Nexxus Phyto Organics ChromaLife Reviews

The ChromaLife line from Nexxus Phyto Organics is made up of ultra-mild, sulfate-free hair products formulated with Fade Block Complex. Fade Block Complex is a special proprietary blend of ingredients that claims to keep your color up to five times longer than if you just used ordinary shampoo & conditioner. They are said to help replenish nutrients that are lost during the coloring process, formulated with blue lotus root. I have no idea about blue lotus root and its effects on hair, as my research only turned up that apparently the ancient Egyptians used it to induce an ecstatic, hallucinogenic state as well as remedy many illnesses. Um, interesting…
These bad boys will run you about $13-$17 each for a 10 oz bottle.  They are a little difficult to open in the shower if your hands are wet and/or soapy, but nothing that made me want to throw them against the wall or anything. The scent is fairly insignificant if not sort of generic; the point is it doesn’t bother me. The texture is pretty run of the mill as well.

What I found odd is that the conditioner feels watery once it’s in my hair. Normally conditioners feel creamy. Weird, but whatever. After using these on my hair I wasn’t that impressed as the conditioner is too mild and too lightweight for my hair. I felt like I needed to attack it with leave-in conditioners afterward because my hair felt really dry. But I decided to give these to my mom (also colors her hair, but very different hair!) and see what she thinks!

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To begin, I have baby fine hair and not much of it, so keep that in mind as you read. I use a very small amount of this shampoo, about 1.5 teaspoons of it. It has very little smell, which can be a plus for me, as I don’t want a lot of competing scents on me. I had to practically put my nose into my palm to smell the light pleasant scent. There is very little lather, which is also fine by me because it rinses out quickly, but there is a little residue on my hands after it has rinsed out of my hair. Hair felt very silky and healthy after the shampoo.

On the other hand, with the conditioner, which I also use very little of, there was no filmy residue at all; hands felt very clean. There is the same very faint smell in the conditioner. I like the conditioner because most conditioners leave my hair feeling weighed down and greasy before I even get out of the shower. This conditioner does not feel that way at all. It just feels healthy, silky, and tangle free. I put a very small amount in my hands and rub them together before rubbing them through my hair.

After towel drying a little, I use a very fine brush (actually it’s for babies) to separate the hair while blow drying, which is what I always do to dry my hair, about 2-3 times per week. Brush sails right through my hair with no tangles. Less frizziness while drying. It feels silky and salon healthy. I was able to run a brush through before it was completely dry, which is unusual.

In terms of drying time, I don’t think it makes a difference what I do, as my hair is so fine that it only takes a few minutes to blow dry no matter what. In terms of retaining the color, I hadn’t really considered that, which is a good thing because I colored it on Mother’s Day, and the review was done a week after Father’s Day, and I don’t notice any roots or need for re-dying the red at this point. That’s a huge plus. It does appear that the color is holding better.

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This was a classic example of why I always think reading as many reviews of a product as possible is a good idea – the same product often works really well for one person, and not so much for another. If you have fine hair like my mom does, you’ll probably love these products!

Samples provided for editorial purposes.
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July 2011 Favorites

So, it’s August. August rocks. Even though I hate the heat (I’ve been basically sweating for three months straight – TMI maybe? I’m miserable, people!). August rocks because it’s my birthday month. Duh. ;) But here’s what I was digging this past month. This month I was kinda all about hair. Being that I’m in a constant state of being super hot and sweaty and gross (this is a beauty blog, I swear) I have concentrated on my HAIR because makeup just sweats right off. In that vein, my favorites are more hair-centric. 
I have been just loving Sojourn’s Thermal Protection Straightener ($24) lately. Since my hair is fine, somewhat dry, and color treated, I try to take extra good care of it when it comes to thermal protection. I’ve been straightening my hair a lot more lately since I got it highlighted. For the first time, I really feel an improvement in my hair from using a heat protector. And it smells like coconuts! Bonus! Sojourn products can be purchased from their website, or from one of their authorized salons.
I also have a continuing love affair with Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray ($5.99 @ Ulta). I think I have mentioned this in a favorites post before, but it’s worth mentioning again because it’s 1) inexpensive 2) smells nice 3) gives me fantastically beachy hair. I’ve been thinking of doing a tutorial on how I do beachy hair. What say you?
Oh yes, highlights. I got them. Which brings me to a new love I want to share with all of you So-Cal readers: Images Salon in Corona del Mar. I was invited in to Images to experience Redken products (believe it or not, I never had!) and had my hair done by the fabulous and lovely Paige Cavender. I’m in-freaking-love with my hair and it’s all thanks to her! I let her have almost carte blanche with the color, and I’m thrilled. If you’re in So-Cal, definitely give her a try and let her know you read about her here, yeah? She’s so sweet (and talented!).
No makeup, chapped lips, and recovering from oral surgery, but still feeling gorgeous with my awesome new hair… ;)

Not everything I was crazy about in July was a hair product (almost!). I am also super in love with the Essie Resort Collection this year. Check out Scrangie’s swatches since I’m a failblogger and don’t have any of my own at this time (too busy frantically swatching Essie Brazilliant and Zoya Smoke & Mirrors). I got this little mini cube of gorgeousness very inexpensively on Amazon and I love all four colors so so much. Bonus: the green color (Da Bush – stupid name) is a dead-on dupe (with a better formula) of OPI Stranger Tides – see what I mean?

Samples from Essie and Sojourn Beauty provided for editorial consideration.
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