Tresemme's Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

This is going to be a quick review for the Tresemme Dry Shampoo. I don't have a picture of the bottle but don't bother with it. You've probably seen a lot of these reviews so I'm just going to make it quick. Comes in a aerosol bottle for about $6 dollars and has a strong scent that seems to swamp you. It's not unpleasant but just so strong. The scent lasts a bit so I'd just skip on the perfume on these days.  Just telling you that I've never had a good hair day with this shampoo. I've always given up and have just worn a hat instead. This sorta defeats the purpose of a dry shampoo, so no thumbs up to this. 

Day after washing my hair:

Just a bit oily and I can see where the cracks on my scalp where hair just decided to take a vacation.

After a vigorous shake and few spritzes :

Holy Hell, I've just spritzed a little bit it looks like I've aged considerably in a few minutes. Ok, let that rest and it'll suck up the oil and disappear. *Crossing fingers*

After I've massaged it into my scalp:

It left my hair grey looking and I just have flakes of white everywhere. It looks like I have a bad case of the flakes. Shit, I'm pressed for time. I'll  just comb it out or something. Nope, my forehead's also flaky and white. Argh! I'll just wear my hat.

It also happened to leave my hair heavy and still a tad bit greasy looking. Could it be dry and greasy at the same time? There was also white reside left over my hands.

Damn, this stuff is not for me. It made my hair and forehead look white and diseased. I put only a tad bit last time but this still happened. Look Tresemme, we can't be friends. I'll probably never see you again for any other products since your shampoos also have quite a bit of sulfates. I'm also going to try out the no poo method when I have a long break and won't see you again. Bye.

Hi!

It's been ages since my last post and it's mostly my part. I also want to put out that I've been having major blue screenS on old yeller here, which a trip to best buy didn't fix. I have to go bring it back but ain't nobody got time for dat. I also tried doing reviews and put up pictures of my dry shampoo experiment but somehow managed to lose it. I have to start that review all over again. In short, life has just bitten and taken a huge chunk of my ass, so please excuse me. 

This would have been my opening comparison review but alas, it was not to be. 

Quick spoiler, get the Garnier. I also think that I'm going to do this review instead.

It's a knock off beauty blender. Cheap as hell from ebay, and you can get multiple of this.

I know I'm a bit late but also managed to find the perfect nude. If you have a slightly yellower complexion with a dark colored lips, then give this a try. It's Revlon's Soft Nude. I know I'm late but I own a couple of nudes that really didn't work for me and really didn't buy anymore nude colors. However, getting this on sale was a pleasant surprise for me. Love this color,

I also had a great trip to Colorado that I want to show you and really am looking forward to typing out random nonsense again. Let's hope that this writing outburst will last longer than the last. Gird your loins people, gird them well. 

Coconut Oil as a Moisturizer

I think That I last left off this blog with a part 1 of my sewing adventures and if you're waiting for part 2, it ain't coming. I received a sewing machine for my birthday and while it made little sewing jobs easier, all my clothes look a bit off. For instance, when you see a piece of clothing and you can tell it's homemade because something's not quite polished about it. Well, something is definitely off putting about my homemade clothing and I've relegated all of my projects as "in home only".

The weather has been steaming hot and while it's cooled off lately, summer feels like it's made it's grand entrance. My face is so greasy and hot that you can just crack and cook an egg on it. Now, I've had some coconut oil that I've wanted to try cooking with but my friends have advised against it because of the high cholesterol. I've had to come up with creative ides on how to get rid of it and I first tried oil pulling. I don't relish swallowing then throwing up a spoonful of oil so I've heard about it's benefits as a moisturizer before and had to try it.

*Started using this about a week ago and will update after a longer use. Got this from my local market for about $6 and it seems harmless enough. I've started telling the temperature by seeing how much the oil has solidified. Better than the weather channel.

It looks gross but this brand has no scent and while it's clear, it has a yellow tinge to it. I barely dip one finger into it and just warm it up by rubbing my palms together.

This is my freshly washed face with nothing on it.

This is the amount I apply on the face. You can barely see it on my palms because I just don't use a lot of it. Instead of rubbing it all over, I just press the oil onto my face. I try to avoid the upper eyelid and just tap the leftovers onto my under eyes.

Just after the application and you can't see the shine but the skin feels pretty smooth. You can feel the oil on the face and you will still grease up after a while but it was no different from my previous lotions. I was also worried about breakouts especially since I was mid cycle into a acne party but after applying this, my acne has calmed down and hasn't come back. This was quite the surprise but I've also heard of this oil having some anti fungal properties, so maybe that's what contributed to my acne clearing up. I've also stated to use this on my scalp once a week. I've always had itchy scalp and would scratch my scalp even in my sleep but I've noticed that the itchy sensation did decrease and it left my hair feeling smoother and thicker. I also have to mention that I use clarifying shampoo and always wash with warm to med. hot water so that I can wash off all of the oil. So far so good and while I am using this as a morning moisturizer, I still use my regular lotions for my nighttime routine. Really liking this and am giving it two whoops for the natural moisturizer. Whoop! Whoop!

My quick but soon to be unsuccessful foray into the world of seamstresses Part 1

Now before you cluck your tongues and judge, I have read a couple of books and blogs into skirt making but I ignored every advice due to my laziness. In my mind, making a dress was easy and all of this extra equipment was unnecessary. Boy, was I wrong. I'll take you on a journey into the method to my madness and tell you where I went wrong.

1. I didn't measure myself and just went to trace my best fitting skirt onto a piece of fabric that I bought. I don't know much and most of the books were recommending me cotton but I though that this was cheap (3.00 per yard) and thick enough so that it wouldn't be too sheer. Perfect sheath material. My sister said that it felt like curtain or table cloth material but whatever. 

2. Most recommend cutting the back and front separate but I totally ignored it and just folded that sucker up and traced it until I realized that I needed to cut it and cutting it separately might make it uneven. So i folded it up again (four stacks) and started to just ignore all of the starting doubts.

3. Here is my finished outlining and just realized that this fabric picks up all of the crap on the floor. I also heard that you need seam allowances so I just picked up some lined paper, instead of a ruler, and just approximated 2 in. all around. 

4. Now I realized that I needed cut out the fabric and just used my regular shears. Big mistake. I obviously am a crappy shearer and left jagged ends. Next time, if I do decide to continue, I'll be sure to pick up some fabric shears. I also needed to pin the back and front sides together but didn't have any pins. I know that they're somewhere around my room but couldn't find it. I remembered that I had some fabric glue from my last year's failed pant hemming project so bam, there went the glue.

5. Remember that this is part 1 so I am still waiting for the glue to dry before I start sewing. Seeing that I don't have a machine and my hap-hazardous ways has tainted my first attempt, I don't hold out much hope. Next time, I will be sure to follow the directions and not be so damned lazy and unprepared. 

Murad's Oil Control Mattifier

It finally feels like spring here and I am in heaven. Allergies are in check and I recently started enjoying the city again. During the winter I tend to like staying at home huddled under a blanket but this warm weather brings me out of my hibernation and into the wild. Recently went to Smorgasbord and unfortunately,and didn't get any pictures. I was to busy eating myself into a food induced coma. I also have vacation plans for this year and have to get into shape. Started this shake for two weeks but have been sabotaging myself with lots of junk food. Have you seen the ranch flavored Cheese Doodles? Not good but addictive as hell.

It's also been quite a long time since my last post and although I've promised a sponge review, I haven't used it yet. My most sincerest apologies. I have this for you instead. Murad's Oil Control Mattifier is something I received as a sample and have just started using it. 

This product is lightweight, goes on invisible and feels great under my makeup. Although I haven't broken out, I can see it irritating certain skin types. No real scent to this and I've used this a handful of times. Today was 70-80 degree weather and I usually sweat and grease up like a pig. 

 This is my forehead after a wash and lightweight lotion.

After application.

and after powder that has no oil control properties of its own.

This is my forehead approximately 7hrs later with no touching or blotting. It was good at keeping oil at bay because without it, it would be much worse. I'll place a picture with nothing applied at the end of a long day as well. It makes my makeup go on smooth and leaves no white cast tinge, despite the low SPF. Tried this with both liquid and powder foundation   I really do like this product and it's not a bad deal for $40 considering the small amount and selective places you might need to apply. I am afraid that this will break me out so I've used this on my T-zone only and I haven't seen any adverse effects yet. So far so good and I'll make sure to update once I've used this more often.

I've started a potentially dangerous hobby. Due to the ill fitting and frustratingly low hemlines when shopping for clothes, I've ventured into making my own clothing. Haven't made anything but have borrowed a lot of books on that subject. What makes this hard is the lack of a sewing machine. I have to hand sew everything and to tell you the truth, I can't sew for shit. I'l put up some of my progress for show and tell but have little to no expectations. Living in NYC makes fabric shopping a bit easier, so crossing my fingers for the best.

Quick Review for a Facial Sheet Mask

I was going to write a review for a beauty blender sponge like thing from e bay but I have yet to use it. Had this whole she-bang plotted in my head but I have yet to  implement any of my ideas for the review. Instead of the well planned one, I am going to give you this shoddy half-ass review. I ain't telling you nothing and I don't think a "review" is an apt word for this. 

I can't seem to find a name to this package but it looks like this. I think the name of it is ah sa mo based on the red letter next to the characters but not sure. I'm not sure if I even translated it correctly.

Do you want to know what's so weird? This whole packaging is translated into English and that might mean that it's made for English speaking customers but I have yet to see it distributed in the big asian markets. The only reason I got this was from my sister who received this as her birthday gift from my mom. I think I told you about this little boutique of asian skincare store she goes to. If you read the back, it's all comprehensible English. So if you're left wondering what goes into these things and was left with nothing but confusing Engrish from previous asian masks, then wonder no more.

It has a herbal, medicinal smell, not unlike the review for the herbal shampoo I posted before.  Come to think of it, I think they have similar packaging styles and may be related. Anyhoo, this mask came in two pieces. One for the top and one for the bottom. It came wrapped in to pieces of plastic each and was moist but not dripping. The mask also had an odd yellow tinge to it and felt a bit gelatinous to the touch. Wow, how off putting. 

See the two separate pieces? That was annoying. After applying the first top part, I was struggling to see and pick apart the plastic that the bottom part was enclosed in. That was annoying and would be better if left whole. Also the smell is quite strong but I don't mind it. For some reason, when I smell herbal and medicinal scented things, I automatically think that it's good for me and have no qualms about it. As for the quality of this collagen infused, guaranteed to restore youth without having to suck it out of a infant face mask, it's questionable  My skin did feel nice but I don't think that it made a dent in my daily, hard and downtrodden life. Sigh. I still think that the best mask is the Nature's Republic one that I reviewed before. I don't know about it restoring you or moisturizing my face but it really did brighten up my skin. Here is the list of ingredients and the instructions.

God, what a buzzkill was this review? I know father time waits for no one but come on! With my upcoming birthday month, I am in no mood to celebrate myself lately. This  lady complemented me and told me I looked 19 and I almost hugged her in gratitude. I was told that after turning 30, age becomes insignificant but I don't believe them. What a bunch of liars. I'm looking at that age and I just can't seem to stop hyperventilating. I always told my parents that I was turning old starting from age 11 and now I'm here deluding myself that I'm perfect and in the prime of my youth. But between you and me, that's a bunch of crock. Tell me the truth, does it get any easier? Is it because I'm unmarried and without kids? Because according to my mother, that's exactly why I'm panicking. The whole by the time I was your age nonsense. Screw that, I have an active imagination and will continue to reside in fantasy land until I can act in a mature and adult manner. Commencing thumbs in ears and humming elevator music.

Givenchy's Hydra Sparkling Velvet Luminescence Moisturizing Cream

Please excuse me for writing nothing about makeup and writing all about skincare. I just haven't purchased anything in a while. This is going to be a quick general review on the Givenchy's Hydra Sparkling Velvet Luminescence Moisturizing Cream for extra dry skin. I've used this once myself but the main prerogative comes from my sister. When I ask her about it, she just tells me that it's good and to stop bothering her. If she though that I was bothering her then, she has no idea what I'm truly capable of. 

This costs around $54 dollars at Sephora and is meant for dry skin. The packaging comes in a sturdy plastic jar and looks luxurious. It's a 50ml jar and only a pea sized amount is needed.

It's a strong scented, thick but lightweight on the skin, kind of cream that does a fairly decent job moisturizing.

Just mentioning the scent again because it is so strong and doesn't really fade. I put some around my dry nose and it was the only thing that I could smell. I tried applying it on the face and it was moisturizing but it broke me out on the chin. It settles in nicely and dries pretty quickly. Remember the Dior review when I stated that Dior left a nice sheen on the face? This doesn't do that. Once it dries, it dries. Look at my dry hands.

Application

Now, this is the final result. It takes care of the dry flakes but it still didn't feel refreshing and moisturizing.  It just didn't feel dry anymore.

I don't think that it was worth the price and honestly, I would spend my money on something else. My sister would defect back to Dior and wouldn't repurchase. I should also mention that the Christmas gift was a hit and now she's stuck between buying their essence or the Lancome's genifique.

It's been a while since I've written a review and I'll try to be diligent about it. I just wasn't interested in this product and didn't care for it. I would also write something witty or anger-filled but no. It's pretty dull here so far. I already have the idea for the next post and it's just a matter of testing and writing it. Lol. That's the whole thing.

Vacation Memories No Makeup

This is going to be a quick recap of what my vacation in Oahu, Hawaii was like. The weather was a bit temperamental and was quick bursts of strong wind and rain mixed with sunshine. I felt like such a tourist there because the locals were wearing long sleeved shirts and jeans while I was wearing everything short. Tried to blend in but it was too humid and hot to even try. I also couldn't zip up my fat pants by the end of the trip and had my jeans unbuckled during the flight back home. Why did I insist on wearing skinny jeans? 

Just to let you know, most of my time was spent with my aunt who lives in Honolulu and we really didn't do much. We went hiking and exploring the scenery more than anything else. I also didn't take many pictures, so bear with my quick recap.

There was a Japanese festival during my stay and since I knew that the Japaneses population is large in Hawaii, I decided to have a look. 

 These older ladies were dancing to choreographed music. I don't know much but they were so adorable. Do you know what's better?

Children playing drums to traditional music. The tiny child at the mid-end was so damn cute. 

Walked around Waikiki beach and saw the tail end of a hula show.

Saw a Nature's Republic and bought some face masks. I regret not getting anything else but honestly,  my skin was horrible and skincare and makeup were the last things on my mind.

Climbed up the horrible vertical steps to the endpoint of Diamond Head.

Also went driving and went past Hanauma Bay for some great sightseeing and pictures.

This was taken near the same spot and look at the difference in the color of the water.

I was planning to hike up to that lighthouse and we got lost. Instead, we ended up in some tiny beach that had a lot of people coming to surf. The water looked a bit too dangerous for us, the non swimmers, so we opted out and looked to hike up the lighthouse trail.

Finally made it to the top and saw some dude para-sailing  I'd be too scared because it seemed that there was no mechanism to help him get down. Imagine him being still stuck up there. 

We also went to the North Shore and drove around but instead of worrying about the pictures, I wanted to enjoy myself. Hopefully the brain won't putter out too early and I'll remember this in my old age. by the way, Look!

Tasted nothing like Spam. Lies and overpriced at the Dole Plantation. Will be back to more reviews later and until then, peace out everybody.

Quick Updates on posts

I hope everyone is starting off the new year with some great things. It hasn't felt so different for me yet. More like, more of the same. One thing that has changed drastically is the amount of waffles I've been eating.

A waffle maker! I've been eating waffles nonstop for the past couple of days and the frenzy has just worn off. This is't good for my diet. I've been topping these with everything from straight up sugar, honey, ice cream, bacon, nutella and whipped cream. Learned to make pretty bad compared to the pros but decent enough amateur liege waffles and started branching out into hash brown territory with these. I'm just so happy. People may think that it's a bit weird to get household electronics but I love to cook and love getting gadgets and things like this for the home.

Another product that I've been trying out is this Isa Knox skin care set that I've received from my mom. She once again haggled her way into my heart with this set. I've been using it for seven days, but it's been good so far.

I'll be doing a review after more thorough testing and just to let you know, I haven't forgotten about the Givenchy lotion. My sister's been using it but still needs more testing time before the review comes out.