OPI Honk if You Love OPI

I'm a giant sucker for dark purple nail polishes. 3 coats to opaque.

OPI

Lippie Love: Dolce & Gabbana Mandorla

Dolce & Gabbana

Pantene Breakage to Strength: Can Your Hair Suddenly Become Stronger?

Another day, another type of Pantene. Truly, I think this company makes products for pretty much every conceivable hair type/condition/problem. While I've tried out Pantene for Colored Hair in the past, I was recently asked to try out another form as well. I went for Medium-Thick, since that is my hair type. I was sent the Breakage to Strength products to try out.

The basic idea is that that fine hair likes to lie there aligned with itself, not really moving as much or rubbing. Medium/Thick hair is different. The cuticle is more likely to not be fully down, and then the hair shafts are also more prone to rubbing together with every little movement of your head. The end result isn't great: the damage to those little cuticle scales really can add up and the result is weaker hair that isn't as shiny and breaks much more easily.

To help combat this issue, Pantene created this duo. They contain "Anti-Breakage Complex to help moisturize and strengthen hair against damage from root to tip. The formula reduces the friction by smoothing out the cuticle edges. Hair is revitalized and left strong against future damage." So, basically there is something that coats your hair, protecting your cuticles from being damaged from all of this friction. Therefore, hair is protected, cuticles are actually present, hair breaks less and looks more healthy because it actually is more healthy. See how that works?

Overall, the experience of using this duo isn't all that different from other Pantene products that I've used. There's a good lather with the shampoo. Both products have a nice floral, perfume scent that I love in the shower but doesn't linger all day to mess up my perfume. They both rinse off easily without that squeeky clean thing that makes me cringe (I just imagine that my hair is turning to straw since everything has been stripped off, not a good feeling).

The end result is that my hair feels very hydrated. I have to be careful to only put the conditioner on the very ends of my hair, any higher than the distal 1/3 and everything is weighed down and flat. If I keep the conditioner to those bits, everything is soft, shiny and looks great! Styling my hair is easy and I have noticed few split ends. Is it the Pantene? I'm not sure, but it could be.

Pantene

Freeman Beauty: What Really Comes in those Little Packets at the Drugstore?

I'm sure that you've seen these little packages in your neighborhood drugstore. I fully admit that I've always looked at them, but haven't purchased them because I thought a one time use pack was a bit expensive at $2 when the whole tube was only $4. But, can you beat the little packet for portability? It is so easy to just throw one of these babies in your 3-1-1 bag. It takes up almost no room, gets thrown away after use... kinda perfect.

So, now that we've established I'm really excited about the idea of different face masks for travel, how are the actual masks?

Cucumber Peel Off Mask
I used this mask back in high school all the time, so this was a very nostalgic product for me to test! It is green, feels cool when applied and once dried it peels off easily. Peeling it off is a bit like using a pore strip in that you feel like things are being extracted from your pores, but really it is much less painful.

Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask
Yes, it really does smell like chocolate and strawberries! This is a thick clay mask with the same clays as most similar masks, including the super expensive Fango that I love so much. It does feel a bit tighter when it dries, but as you wash it off you'll reveal tightened and glowing skin.

Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask Travel Size
Just like the Chocolate mask except a bit more... avocado. I'm a big sucker for clay masks. I swear applying clay to your face is like just turning on a "glow" switch in the skin.


So, yes, a $2 face mask can do wonders. I'll be stocking up on those Goji Berry Facial Hydration Mask packets, they sound like just the thing to perk my skin up after a long plane trip!


Freeman Beauty

OPI I Brake for Manicures

This dark purple has quite a bit of red in it. Though it looks nearly black in this image, in alternates between this shade and even darker depending upon the ambient lighting. 3 coats to opaque.

OPI