Beauty Product Reviews

I was using the original Moroccan Oil treatment for my hair when I came across this product in my local salon supply. Comparing ingredients, it had all the same as the Moroccan Oil and more and was priced competitively. Since I use the Joico K-Pak line for my daily hair care, this fit into my regimen perfectly. A dime-sized amount worked into towel-dried hair keeps it soft and manageable, ready for either further styling or silky-smooth air-drying. This has replaced Moroccan Oil in my hair care routine.

I purchased this shampoo along with the Hydrating Mask and original Treatment to see whether the Moroccan Oil products lived up to the incredible hype I was hearing. Used in conjunction with each other, they really did miracles for my dry, extremely processed hair.

My hair is incredibly dry from regular bleaching and coloring, so I need to use moisturizing and strengthening products whenever possible. The ingredients listed in this shampoo seemed gentle enough to keep my hair in good condition while still being able to wash out the styling products I often use. A small, quarter-sized amount seemed to spread evenly through my shaggy, pixie-length hair. However, after rinsing I felt my hair was too "squeaky clean" and not really moisturized at all. Following with the Hydrating Mask solved this problem, but on it's own I felt this shampoo was a little drying.

The entire system works very well together. If not for the problems I experienced with my skin as a result of regular Argan oil use, this would definitely be holy-grail material.

After hearing nothing but rave reviews for Moroccan Oil products, I decided to see for myself whether they lived up to the hype. I purchased this mask along with a moisturizing shampoo and a small vial of the original hair treatment to test out. Used together, they did absolute wonders for my dry, extremely processed hair.

This mask has a great consistency. It's thick and creamy with excellent slip to work through the hair. A half-dollar sized amount covered my shaggy pixie-length hair perfectly. I can't say I love the scent, which is very perfumey and "salon-fresh," but everyone else I've talked to likes it. After sitting 10-20 minutes, this rinses out like a dream and leaves my hair moist, bouncy, and refreshed. One jar lasted me about 3 months with twice-weekly use.

The BIGGEST drawback to this product was my skin. Argan oil is a known irritant to acne-prone skin, and after a month of using this product I noticed I developed painful acne cysts at my hairline and down my back (which I had never experienced before). Cutting the product out of my routine eliminated the problem. If not for this one setback, I would have said this mask was holy-grail material.

I've never had fabulous skin, but I'm definitely a mess in stressful situations. I get incredible redness and scarring on top of cystic breakouts and most foundations just don't cut it when it comes to coverage, or completely aggravate the situation. I trust Bobbi Brown with complexion products, and I thought the heavier coverage of the Foundation Stick would be just what I needed to get me through my rough spot.

This is like a giant cream concealer, housed in a sturdy twist-up metal tube. A little goes a long way, so dabbing this on my problem spots gives me enough concentration where I need it and still enough to blend out for full coverage. It does not seem to be fragranced and smells a little oily, but the scent does not linger once applied.

This does require a good setting powder and can look oily throughout the day. Regardless, this is definitely the best full-coverage foundation I have tried so far.

Hopefully, you've never put your hair in the places mine has been: stripped bare, completely lacking any integrity, snapping and breaking left and right. But even if you haven't, the Joico K-PAK system is a miracle. This hydrating conditioner is incredibly moisturizing, leaving dry hair smooth, silky, and soft. Used in conjunction with the Deep Penetrating Reconstructor, you're left with stronger, healthier-looking hair in as little as 20 minutes. I prefer to let this sit for a while longer--I'll apply it to damp hair, cap it, and then work or write for a while and rinse out later.

The Joico conditioners have a special place in my heart. The first time I used the K-PAK system (Hydrating and Reconstructing treatments), I fell in love: while I won't say it repaired all the damage I've done to my hair, it has made a major difference in the manageability and durability of my hair. I use the Reconstructing conditioner at least once a week, saturating my damp hair and then capping it. While the procedure says 5-10 minutes, I'll leave this (and other K-PAK conditioners) on for hours, working or writing while it's on my head. The extra time will not damage the hair, and my hair feels impossibly smooth and silky afterwards.

The Reconstructing conditioner is best used in conjunction with the Hydrating treatment, but anyone with over-processed, overly-porous hair can benefit from this amazing product. Really, it's worth it.

I managed to snag a sample of this product at a hair show and thought it sounded like a good leave-in option for my dry, colour-damaged hair. The product itself is very viscous and a little goes quite a long way--less than a dime-sized amount smoothed nicely into my short-bob-length hair. It leaves the hair feeling silky and preps it for heat styling--blow drying, flat ironing, though it doesn't really have the hold factor for curling--but works well enough on air-dried hair as well. It can be worked into dry hair to smooth flyaways and give shine too.

While using this, I thought it bore remarkable similarities to Biosilk, which was an old favourite of mine. Farouk Systems actually owns both CHI and Biosilk, and the ingredients appear to be exactly the same--at my supplier, both products retail the same as well.

I've heard this product called "over-hyped" before, and I can only assume that those people have never actually tried Lip Tar. Anything you hear is completely true: yes, the colours are brilliant; yes, they last all day; yes, a little goes a very long way!

At this point in time, I have about a dozen of these and desperately need more. It takes less than seed-sized amount to coat the entire lips with bold, vibrant colour. Once dry, they last me about five hours, even through eating and drinking. Since they contain peppermint oil, they don't seem to dry my out the way a lot of liquid lipsticks do but I often put a sheer balm over the top just to seal in moisture. They also function well as bases for lipsticks to really amp up the colour. Using my usual makeup remover (jojoba oil), they come off easily.

The best feature of Lip Tars, however, is the blendability. The colours are gorgeous on their own, but it's absolutely effortless to darken, lighten, cool down, warm up, or create brand new colours by mixing them together. It's particularly helpful when trying to match a lipstick colour that might apply a bit more sheer.

Photo shows Anime, a hot--almost neon--pink.

My skin is far from perfect. I've battled cystic acne and ridiculous contact dermatitis for years and my skin bears the scars, so when it comes to foundation I need medium coverage at the very least. Unfortunately, I'm also ridiculously sensitive to common ingredients in foundation, like silica and silicones. I've come to rely on OCC for cruelty-free, vegan products that deliver exactly what they say so I was thrilled to see OCC Tint hit the market. The ingredients are simple, and it is completely silicone free.

Although this is advertised as a tinted moisturizer, the coverage is much better than any other I have used. In addition to being well-pigmented, it's also buildable, allowing every flaw to be covered completely. I personally use a moisturizer with SPF underneath since this product does not offer any sun protection, but I don't find that to be much of a deterrent.

The bottle itself is equipped with a flip-up spout to squeeze out product, but I find it comes out a bit too fast and also tends to dry up in the spout itself. I understand the sanitary appeal, but I still end up unscrewing the cap and dabbing onto the back of my hand. Applies well with a brush, sponge, or fingers and blends out effortlessly.

I've been on the hunt for a summer perfume since April. And while the notes listed don't even hint at summer (except maybe mandarin and orchid), it's exactly what I was looking for. I honestly didn't set out to buy this perfume--what I planned on buying was its counterpart, Le Secret, thanks to it's jasmine tea theme. But Le Secret seemed like countless other perfumes I have smelled--this one is incredibly unique.

I love lilies. They're my favourite flowers and one of my favourite fragrances. However, I don't smell a single lily in this bouquet. I get piles and piles of saffron over vanilla, tonka, and beautiful woods. The effect reminds me of an oak-aged white wine, mature and mellow yet completely unique and a little mysterious. I only spritz a little on my throat and nape before leaving the house and I can still smell it by the end of the work day. I've worn it so often that even on days I don't wear perfume, it creeps into my senses--on my jacket, in my car, on a camisole, seemingly out of no where...

It is a bit expensive, but I definitely see myself buying a replacement if--more likely when--I use up the bottle. I do wish there was a way to refill the individual bottle since it's quite pretty and very sturdy. Such a shame to get rid of it!