Who Loves Drying Their Hair? Yeah, me neither

It’s time to talk about my nemesis.  Wet hair.  First of all, NO ONE likes wet hair unless its 102 degrees (okay, maybe you do, but I don’t).  Long wet hair.. AH! When my hair is long I feel like I need a personal assistant to manage it on the reg, especially when its wet.  Since I prefer to hair to be clean, but not wet this means I spend half of my life drying it – which I hate only slightly less than sitting around with cold., wet hair dripping down my back.  Sometimes it seems like it takes hours to dry this mop, so when products claim to reduce dry time I’m first in line to give it a go.

A few weeks ago I raved about my free sample of Rapid Blowout by 12 Benefits.  Well I have another secret weapon that wasn’t bestowed upon me by BirchBox, actually this one came from (gasp!) Wal-Mart!  The Goody QuickStyle has become a permanent fixture in my hair-care lineup.  It’s a combo micro-fiber towel and hair brush that wicks water from your locks to reduce dry time whether you air or blow dry.  To restore the towelish-ness of the brush, remove excess hair and allow to dry.  You can hit the brush with a blow dryer for a quick dry so it isn’t hanging around wet all day.  I like to give it a little fluff now and again by using my hand since my bristles always seem to be pushed toward one side.

beautezine.com

WARNING!  The corners of the brush can grab some of your hair resulting in serious pain and bald spots.  Brush with care to avoid looking like a British man.

Sorry Miles…

Ooh La La Fresh

One of my biggest beauty offenses is not always or probably ever washing my face at night.  There I admitted it and no I do not feel better.  I remember in college my friends & I would agree to remind each other to wash off our makeup after a late night out before bed, sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t.  Over the years I have attempted and actually implemented a few routines; some of my more successful ones included washing my face using my regular face wash as soon as I got home from work, another involved something similar but with waterless face wipes.

Face wipes.  Some are alright, some are glorified paper towels; I however have stumbled upon individually packaged gold.  La Fresh (pretty sure its LA but La Fresh seems much more posh) Waterproof Makeup Remover actually works.  I try to strategically use each sample at that time when I feel like I’d get the most out of it; the wedding the other weekend would have been an opportune time considering RuPaul did my makeup – naturally I overlooked this opportunity until it was around 1am in Philadelphia and my sample was safe and sound with the rest of its friends at home.  Lucky for me (and you) opportunity struck again after my apartment’s Kentucky Derby party.

Charlie won Most Dapper Gentleman!

Usually, my makeup is undetectable within 2 hours of application, well not this past weekend.  I went downstairs for 4 hours of Lynchburg Lemonades, horse racing, and ham biscuits and came back with a hangover and a full face of makeup.  THEN I remembered, LA (La) Fresh.

Typically, with these products they do a decent enough job removing the foundation, blush, and bronzer; but don’t leave a mark on my eye makeup, which I have to mention is minimal at best.  LA Fresh wiped my face clean, I mean like bottom of the peanut butter brownies clean.  I was completely shocked and couldn’t believe my eyes.  The key here is that it’s a waterproof makeup remove – BINGO.  My face felt a little slimy after use and being half drunk and 100% lazy I just went with it, after all my face was clean as a whistle (ps. used whistles are disgusting and anything but clean).  The next morning I woke up and my face was perfectly clear and totally dry, which for me is definitely a good thing.  Unfortunately, I only had one towelette so my face has as expected become less dry and less clear so I can’t prove if this was just a friendly coincidence.

Buy me! I’m Eco-friendly

I have to share that I have no idea what this sample came from.  I looked online through my past boxes – can’t find it, then I thought maybe I got it in a race packet, but that just didn’t feel true.  It’s available for sale on BirchBox is that just a coincidence?  Then I remembered last time I placed a full-size order I got 2 free samples and I’m almost positive it was one of those samples.  Either way I am pumped I found it and just ordered a packet of 18 individual wrapped homies for $10/free shipping today.  I will provide an update hopefully of a clean, clear & dry face in the next few weeks!

Sidenote:  Did you guys notice my sick derby hat?  Yup, I made that.  The best part – Marjorie, the bird, she had her own hat.  If you ask me Marj should have won the hat contest, how the hell does a bird make their own hat?!?

Genie in a bottle?!? I hope so!

No you aren’t dreaming there is actually a new post on here without having to wait another month.  Somewhere pigs are flying and the devil is snowboarding.  Before my blogger’s block ensued I openly expressed my disappointment in the March box, there was however one tiny sample that showed promise.  I tried it once and immediately ordered the full size. Now it’s important to understand that I did not do this because I loved the product and needed more of it – it was because I saw something in it and in order to give it the true review I’m striving for I actually did need more of it.  I saw other bloggers got one use out of the sample tube, so being prepared I made that thing last 3.5 so-so uses.  I wanted the full size to really give it a go… What is it you may be asking?  Whish Shaving Cream… in BLUEBERRY!

Best Big – Little

This cream first of all smells amazing!  I think I was most excited to use it because I hoped I’d be able to smell it during hot yoga when I’m forced to put my sweaty face on my equally sweaty knee, didn’t work out as well as planned but that’s because I sweat any remains of Whish off before the instructor even walked in the room.

It doesn’t lather which is weird if you’ve never had a non-lathering shaving cream which I have not.  It goes on like a lotion or thin film so it can be a bit hard to keep track of where you have shaved, but I don’t have to fling shaving cream off my razor every 15 seconds – a trade-off I gladly accepted.

So here I am shaving my legs in a field of blueberry super excited for my legs to be silky smooth and ready for summer.  Then I rinsed my legs.  THEN I screamed.  The kind of scream that comes when you unknowingly nick behind your knee and water hits it for the first time, except imagine that for every single hair follicle. I’ve tried to troubleshoot: rinse my leg immediately before proceeding to the next, apply lotion after, don’t apply lotion at all, make sure the water is warm (scalding), etc.

I’m so attached to the idea that this shaving cream will revolutionize my summer legs that I keep trying and unfortunately I think I’d have better luck shaving in the middle of the desert using sand as my shaving cream.

So again I’m frustrated.  I’m pleased that I was able to try something over a period of weeks to give you a decent review.  I’m just less pleased that it wasn’t positive and that I apparently don’t have the skill to use this fancy schmancy cream.

I semi-recommend it, only because I want it to work and it smells AMAZING.

Has anyone else had any better luck with this Whish nonsense?

On Trial

Long time no see, huh?  I know it’s actually embarrassing how long it’s been.  Obviously it’s my fault, but I will blame some of it on a general lack of excitement over the samples I’ve been trying to review.  So get ready for a b*tchfest, because the B train has just arrived at the station.

I’m cute, but what do I do?!?!

See these guys?  I think I got them in my first BirchBox.  I’ve used them, every last one in fact.  I had no trouble reading the back of the package to find out what these little gems are supposed to do, so where did I run into trouble?  I couldn’t see any results.  I’m sure something happened.  Maybe the sample didn’t have enough capsules to allow a trial that shows the full benefits or I just have no idea what I’m doing.  Both are entirely likely.

Whelp, here is my review on it.  The serum is REALLY greasy (is there a better word? Slimey – No.  Slippery – Perhaps.)  I could probably get 2 uses out of each capsule.  And if you really want to freak someone out throw the capsule in the toilet when you’re done, then see what your roommate, boyfriend, maintenance man says when they see a tiny miscellaneous object floating around.  A word to the wise, don’t squeeze too hard or the whole thing will explode and shoot out the bottom.

I felt like I owed it to these vitamin capsules, BirchBox, and you (because wasn’t this really informative?) to share a review of this product, BUT I just avoided blogging entirely until I had the courage to say “I have NOTHING”.

So there you have it – I have NOTHING.

Luckily, Tuesday Trials have helped me go through my backlog of samples to try – GREAT SUCCESS. Perhaps we’ll see a few trials in our future, but this will be the last regularly (let’s pretend, okay?) scheduled one until the mood hits me.

Trials & Tribs

Howdy!

Yup, that is what you say in San Antonio – okay actually it isn’t at all, I don’t think I heard a single accent, but I miss it so.  I was fortune it enough to be sent to San Antonio for 4 days for a large meeting and while I didn’t get to see much or any of SA – I adored the time I had there.

As you have read so far my March BirchBox was full of  “goodies” – you can take those quotes however you’d like.  I was psyched when I got a fancy & floral nail file by Madewell for BirchBox.  I’m nail deficient.  I have gotten decent at painting my nails (only because I have a wonderful, super secret ((not for long)), fool-proof nail polish), but I am HORRIBLE at filing them.  Not only do I loathe the filing, but I can only file with my left hand – SO that means when I try to file my left hand it’s really my nails moving not the file.  NO GOOD.  I’ve tried some recommended techniques and have not gained any skill, however I’m still trying.  Needless to say, I figured BirchBox had finally sent me the magic file and from this point forward I’d be a nail maven.  Someone call Nail Trix  this girl needs a job.

Sping!

Not the case.  This file came from Madewell, which I’ve heard a lot of hype about.  Well I can tell you one thing, made well is NOT what this nail file was.  My pathetic, brittle, impossible to file nails ripped this thing to shreds – during ONE, count it one file.  I’m not even saying both hands, I’m talking about before I even finished my right hand (the one I’m good not terrible at).

I forgot to mention that it bent in half before I even used it.  Super soft, imagine filing your nail with a spaghetti noodle because that’s what I did.  Both sides of this file seemed to be exactly the same; and since I don’t trust my own nail knowledge I kept analyzing and switching to see if there seemed to be any variation in the roles of the sides of this thing.  There wasn’t.

Don’t even ask what that crusty bump is! Yuck-O

Did it file my nails?  Eventually.  Was it painstaking?  Yes.  Should I have gotten up to find my 99 cent nail file?  Yes, but then I’d have nothing to write about.

This review made me sad.  Especially since I got a seemingly sweet coupon for Madewell in my box as well, except I’m afraid whatever I get will tear into a million pieces.

All in all, March was a disappointing month for my BirchBox, I’m not really sure what has gotten into them.  Obviously, other products need to be reviewed so I won’t give too much away, but I am eagerly looking forward to April don’t eff it up BB.

We’ve Arrived!

About that exciting news!? Beauty & the Birch has officially arrived ladies & gents (are there gents here?)

A few weeks ago I received a comment on one of my posts from a new friend over at 12 Benefits admiring my love for their product and scolding me for losing it in Bermuda.  What happened next was the cause of MAJOR excitement for this girl – they offered to send me a new sample of the Instant Healthy Hair Treatment (IHHT).  My first official free sample – holy moly!  So I’ve been tight-lipped in hopes the sample actually arrived and that I wasn’t being mocked; well a number of days ago it arrived at my doorstep.

Holler!

Second round of HOLY MOLY – Beauty & the Birch got mail!  Not only did I get a new IHHT with a wonderful white paper explaining all the pros of the product in font that was large enough to read, the generous man at 12 Benefits also sent an additional sample – the Rapid Blowout Argan Oil Blow Dry Spray. Yippee!! I know this may not be such a big deal for the seasoned blogger, but WHATEVER it is for me.

This newest arrival meant I had to further contain my excitement because I wanted to give it a week of usage in order for a fair review.  I’ve used plenty of heat shielding products, like the Chi oil, and have only used them 1-2 times.  I don’t like to have a lot of product in my hair, it get’s super greasy super fast and ruins all the time I wasted doing it because I just have to wash it again.  However, this spray is great!  I’ve mentioned a few times how once my hair starts to grow it starts to resemble the hair of a certain Long Island stage mom, in efforts to grow my hair out without looking like a scarecrow I’ve started using both 12 Benefits products daily.

White Paper!

The Rapid Blowout spray is light and virtually scentless which is plus.  My hair has been drying a bit quicker and looks healthier all around.  It is breaking less, my already broken strands are less striking, and my mane is soft and shiny.  My hair does not get greasy or flat and it feels like it has zero product in it whatsoever.  From the research I’ve done, I appear to have gotten a full size bottle which retails around $20 depending on where you are ordering from.  I saw it for $15 on Amazon, but it wasn’t Prime eligible so the $5 in shipping brings it to about the same price as elsewhere.  You can also search via the 12 Benefits website to find salons near you, for now I think I’ll stick to ordering online unless of course my salon is already selling it.  Perhaps I’ll recommend it when I go in next week?

I 100% plan to order a full size IHHT and am hoping the Rapid Blowout lasts a bit longer than the tiny IHHT sample.  I’m really excited about 12 Benefits as a brand and can’t wait to see the long-term benefits (yup, all 12 of them) on my hair.  Which reminds me, do they have to come up with 12 benefits for all of their products? That could either be the easiest or most absurd job ever.  I wonder if they ever sneak joke benefits in for straightforward products.

So there it is – Beauty & the Birch is a real live blog.  I guess I better keep it up!

Trial Tuesday is tomorrow – hope you’re ready!

Skin of the Stars

Skin of the Stars, that sounds creepy doesn’t it?  Well, you’re welcome!

In my last post, I shared the super sweet 6 month anniversary gift from BirchBox.  Well to show my appreciation for their thoughtfulness, I used my 20% to give them a gift my hard earned cash.  I promptly ordered the super-hyped, award season must-have mask by GlamGlow.  To be honest, I REALLY wanted the GlamGlow Super Clearing Mud Mask, unfortunately BirchBox doesn’t currently (hint, hint) sell it, so I ordered the still much-talked about Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask.

Look, I sparkle!

It came within a day or two and I immediately cracked it open to give it a go.  The reviews were right – it is AMAZING.  Its the perfect green color a face mask should be, if I had access to the picture of my best friend and I wearing a random face masks pretending we were frozen in pompeii when we were 13 I ‘d post it, but sadly it is in my childhood bedroom in another state.  Maybe next time.

The mask went on pretty easily, had ZERO smell which I appreciate it.  I’ve used it a few times over the 2 weeks and I’ve noticed the tingling has gotten more intense as I get better at the application.  It says to keep on for at least 10 mins, it tingles and dries pretty quickly but I keep it on for a bit longer to let it sink in.  I have no idea how this science works, so  I figure the longer the better.  Once it dries and I’m looking like Elphaba from wicked, after I take a moment to terrorize my boyfriend, I wash it off using  circular motion.  My face is left glowing and soft like a baby’s bottom (do they glow? now they do).

Thoroughly impressed with the GlamGlow product, despite its hefty price tag of $69; I’m really looking forward to trying the clearing mud.  Word on the street is the that charcoal sucks EVERYTHING out of your pores, which could possibly be the best thing that has ever happened to my nose.  Hopefully BirchBox decides to sell it soon so I can use my review points to purchase it.

PS.  Did you know that you can earn points for not only buying full size items, but also for reviewing the items that come in your box monthly?  I didn’t and am super excited to receive my March box and publish some reviews.

Stay tuned, there is some super exciting news on the horizon!

 

 

To Protect and… Detangle?

Sad sad news, somewhere during my trip to Bermuda I lost my beloved 12 Benefits.  I’m not sure exactly when this could have happened since I looked for it the day we arrived, but nonetheless it is gone.  Perhaps the man who checked my bag at the airport and then asked me for a tip took it as revenge – if so that’s a hell of a lot better than sending my luggage to the wrong destination so I’ll take it.

Rest Easy
2012-2013

In the meantime, my February BirchBox came and it a little bottle of Beauty Protector.  As an avid user of leave-in condition I was excited to give it a try.  I’ve realized it’s not as easy you think to find a leave-in condition that isn’t a cream that will make my hair all icky.  I’ve spent many hours hunting for Biolage leave-in spray at retailers where I have found it before only to be left empty-handed.  I found one place in town that had it, but it was like $20 a bottle and the bottles seemed to run out a bit too quickly.  Which is when I switched to this guy…

Who wouldn’t trust him?

Yes, I’m fully aware this is a cartoon octopus AND that the bottle clearly says kids.  But it is only like $2 and he has 8 hands WHO WOULDN’T want his help doing your hair, I certainly would.  If you are looking for an inexpensive product that is easy to grab at virtually any store, Dexter the Detangler up there is your guy (yes, that is now his name – all hail Dexter).

I’ve been using the Protector for about a week now and I’m kind of into it.

To Protect & Detangle… their motto, not mine

I only need a few sprays to cover my head = PLUS.

It quickly takes action and allows me to brush out my hair with ease = PLUS

Left my hair soft and shiny = PLUS

The scent stayed with my hair throughout the day = GIVE OR TAKE

Here’s why, the spray has vanilla undertones (only am I using undertones because the description claims lies that it’s a floral fragrance) which I loathe.  I love everything else vanilla, so much so that I begin to question whether any of these products, colognes, perfumes, etc. are actually vanilla scented or if it’s a gimmick to get those who are smelling-impaired to purchase them.

Scent of spray = MINUS

So my give or take was because I did notice my hair was A. scented and B. smelled pretty at the end of the day.  When my hair is wet, the smell is just too much for me.  After a long drive home Sunday morning, I hopped in the shower and decided to be extra lazy go against everything I believe in and let my hair air dry.  Not only do I HATE wet hair, it makes me and my shirt cold, but this scent of the leave-in seemed to intensify over time.  If my hatred for wet hair didn’t supersede my feelings for the scent of fake vanilla I would have washed my hair again before bed.

Despite this I still used BP this morning and promptly blow-dried while breathing through my mouth.  I plan to keep using it, but I don’t think its one I’ll add to my ‘must order straight away’ list.  Besides I still have a missing persons out on my 12 Benefits.

In all honestly, why can’t we all just agree to wear wigs?

THIS JUST IN:  Since BirchBox is my mail-order bestie, they sent me a 20% off coupon for our 6 month anniversary! BOOM keep me wanting more BirchBox keep me WANTING more.

Young Love ❤