Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

curlyincolorado.com revlon colorburst lip butter
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet #40
curlyincolorado.com revlon colorburst lip butter
I love this classic red tint

I am a fan of makeup but still tend to stay at the drug store level when I make a purchase.   I have a ton of glosses for my lips but recently decided to try the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters.

I had been hearing rave reviews about the line for a while on the web so I figured I would give it a go.  At first glance, the line has a lot of different shades to offer.  I’m always a little leary though because I don’t want to end up with a shade that is too light or ashy for my skin tone.  However, there was quite a range in color, so finding a shade for me was not very hard.

I first went for a pinky color called, Berry Smoothie.  This one is nice for when I want a wash of color and a little moisture for my lips on the go.  However, the shade that truly makes me gaga is the Red Velvet.  The color is pigmented enough to pull my whole look together without much effort but also helps with dryness.  I love red lips but this gives me a nice, understated red that still works for everyday.

curlyincolorado.com revlon colorburst lip butter
A swatch of Red Velvet
curlyincolorado.com revlon colorburst lip butter
Red Velvet on the lips 

The Lip Butter formula is hydrating to the lips thanks to the added “mango, shea and coconut butters”.  It also imparts a shine which I love.  I tend to reach for either of these shades now when I’m in a hurry because they give me moisture and color in one swipe.

I highly recommend the Red Velvet for any women of color who are looking for a lovely red to add 
to their stash.

Review-The Hair Stopper

The Hair Stopper
at Walmart for about $4.50
I recently bought an item that I thought would help with the shedded hairs that collect in our bathtub. This may not be very pleasant to discuss but I still thought I would share my experience with a product called, the Hair Stopper.  My husband has long straight hair and washes it almost daily.  I like to co-wash a couple times each week and also detangle my hair while under the running water of the shower.  I won’t go into detail but we were in need of something to help with the hair that kept building up in the tub.  I found the Hair Stopper at Walmart for about $4.50 USD and was really hoping that it would work for us. 

How it works is you’re supposed to remove the little grate that already covers the drain in the tub.  Then insert the Hair Stopper, which says it should fit most household drains, into the drainage hole.  It ended up fitting so I figured all things were a go.  Did it work you ask?  Well, let’s just say that it did stop. . . the WATER from going down the drain!  I felt like I started out taking a shower and ended up wading in bath water.  I mean what gives?!  I tried to tweak it a little but it still acted like a plug and not a catch-all.  I planned on returning it later that week, but of course, my crazy dog, Grover, thought it would make a great chew toy.  Needless to say, it’s back to the drawing board on this one.

Review: Shea Moisture Conditioning Curl & Style Milk

Shea Moisture’s Curl & Style Milk
for Thick, Curly Hair

I’ve been hearing so much about the Shea Moisture line and have been wanting to try it out.  All of the products are made from natural ingredients which is a plus.  The haircare items seem to be targeted mostly at people with curly or even kinky hair.  Since they carry it at my local Target store I thought I would finally give it a whirl.

Now remember, my guidelines are the following:

  • It has to be affordable (the amount vs. the price)
  • It needs to be easily accessible (if I can get it locally this is a plus)
  • It has to work for my hair (kinky, curly), my husbands’ straight hair (in most cases) and our kids’ 3b/3c curly hair

I most recently purchased the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk.  I paid $9.99 USD for an 8 oz./237 ml. size bottle.  The texture is a lightweight, creamy consistency and, in my opinion, has a strong pina colada fragrance.  Since this line is geared towards curly hair, I’m not expecting my husband to rave about it but he has been known to dabble in my products.  As for me and my kids, it worked differently for all of us.  My twins have fluffy, big curls that have a satiny feel (3b).  This product weighed their hair down and made it look a tiny bit greasy.  (I normally use Giovanni Direct Leave-In to moisturize their hair and will continue to do so once this runs out.)  My oldest son has longer (3b/3c) hair and, while this made his hair soft and easier to manage, it did not provide enough hold for his curls to last all day.  His hair tends to get really puffy without something to weigh the curls down. 

For my hair which is a 4a/4b texture, I was really happy with how soft my hair felt after using it.  My hair definitely felt moisturized and more manageable.  Another plus was how much softer my hair felt when I used it under my Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel.  The only thing I didn’t like is how fast I was going through the product.  We were already halfway through the bottle after a little over 1 week.  Once I saw this, I started to reach for my Palmers Coconut Oil Replinishing Hair Milk instead in order to save on this product.

Overall, I think the Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk is great as a leave-in type moisturizer that makes the hair soft and manageable.  However, I have achieved similar results by using my Aloe Vera/ Leave-in Conditioner spray and sealing with oil.  Follow that with the Palmer’s to make the curls pop and I’m good to go.  I probably won’t purchase this product again based on the little amount you get for the price.  I’m happiest with products that work for all of us and our different textures so getting more for less is a huge factor.  Still it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a good water based moisturizer and the price falls within your budget.

Review: Tresemme Naturals Conditioner w/ Aloe Vera and Avocado




 


Tresemme Naturals Conditioner
in Aloe and Avocado



I’m constantly on the look out for good conditioners that are budget friendly.  Since I co-wash, deep condition and detangle my hair on a weekly basis, I end up going through a lot of conditoner.  Thing is, it also has to be something that my husband feels comfortable using as well.  Let’s face it, his hair is way longer than mine and he is just as concerned about his tresses as I am (well maybe not that much).  This rules out anything that will leave him smelling like pina colada when he leaves the house.  We’re also picky about the ingredients so, no silicones. 
I was glad to find that Tresemme has a new Naturals line where the conditioners are silicone free.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid to use silicones.  I just prefer to co-wash with something that is silicone free for a nice clean rinse that doesn’t leave anything behind.  I picked up a 25 oz. bottle of the Tresemme Naturals Aloe Vera and Avocado conditioner for just under $5 USD.  I was surprised to see that it had a thick and creamy texture; not watery.  This has proven to work really well as creamy base for my moisturizing deep conditioning treatments.   It has a mellow citrus scent that doesn’t offend (I’m sensitive to scents that are overpowering).  Co-washing with it is similar to using a VO5 Moisture Milks in that I can feel it defining my curls while adding slip to each strand.  I would say that detangling with it is about what you would expect from any conditioner in this price range (i.e. Aussie Moist, Sauve Naturals etc.) 

Overall, I consider this an excellent value for the amount of product you get.  The fact that it doesn’t have a bad reaction when I use it as a leave-in under Eco Styler gel has put this on my staples list.  The Naturals line can be found at Target, Walgreens and Walmart.  We are currently workin’ on our second bottle of the Aloe and Avocado conditioner.  It’s a winner in my opinion and is definitely worth a try.

Braid-out Success with Palmer’s Coconut Oil Replenishing Hair Milk

Normally when I do a braid-out I end up with frizzy ends.  I always make sure to be very careful when taking the braids down but it just hasn’t been working out.  Another thing that I wrestle with is getting my hair to air dry completely.  I usually spritz my hair with my Aloe Vera juice spray mixture and apply shea butter or some other heavy moisture for hold.  By morning my hair is always damp and we all know what happens if you don’t wait until your hair is completely dry…frizzy, puffy hair.  

Now I’m learning to just start out with dry hair and apply moisturizer to set the style.  This is sometimes my current go-to Palmer’s Coconut Oil Replenishing Hair Milk, or just plain leave-in conditioner.  I like the Hair Milk because it also helps to reduce frizz and lists shea butter as one of the main ingredients.  I then seal the moisture with one of my favorite oils.  
For my most recent braid-out, I used small satin rollers on the ends.  Only this time I wound the last 2 inches of hair around the roller (like a corkscrew) instead of rolling it up flat like I normally do.  The end result was a fabulous, full style with waves and spiral curls.     
Here are some pics

Most recent with curly ends
My Braid-out before with
straight, frizzy ends