My Quest for Glossiness AND Volume! Part 2- Shampoo & Conditioner

My former HG conditioner was Terax Crema, but they stopped carrying it at Sephora and it is hard to come by in my neck of the woods. Recently I decided to just buy it online, only to learn that along with the redesign of the bottles, they changed the scent! The scent was one of the main reasons I loved it! I took the plung and boo! The new scent is 'eh'. But it still works as good, I just don't get that moment of pure joy when I rub it in my palms and take a big whiff before applying it to the length of my locks. So, I will try something new when I use up this big ole tube. It will probably take me several months to use it up.

I recently tried the Fekkai Glossing line and thought it was nice. It smells yummy- a little citrus-y. The shampoo/conditioner combo made my hair sooooo soft. Almost too soft, if that is possible. It is rather expensive and I just wasn't 'in love' with it... so it does not make the HG cut. bummer.

I used to use the Redken All Soft line, which smells amazing and has avodaco oil. But, my hair has gotten much finer and less 'unruly' as I've gotten a bit older, so now the All Soft is too heavy.

I think I may try Pantene. It gets such rave reviews all over the place and it is soooo cheap!

The quest continues...

My Quest for Glossiness AND Volume! Part 1- The Styling Products

I have longish (below my shoulders), wavy/curly, 'normal' (if that exists, but normal in that it is not particularly dry or oily or damaged, etc) hair. A few years back I cut my very long hair to chin length. I liked it for about, oh, a day. Then I regretted it and have been growing it back since then. I'm on a quest for the Holy Grail of shampoo, conditioner, and styling products that will leave my hair shiny and glossy without weighing it down. I want Texas hair- but with movement and modernness. Too much to ask for?


I have two HG styling products. One styling cream and one hairspray.


The first is L'Oreal Studio Line Hot Straight cream. I thought it had been discontinued and I was frantic, but they only re-designed the line and I was able to locate it on Drugstore.com and quickly snatched up two bottles that will last me for years (you need so very little of it and I don't use it daily). Hot Straight de-frizzes my hair whether I'm wearing it wavy or straight. It smells good, it's cheap ($4.99 for 5 oz!), and it works. Perfection.


I've recently been adding two other styling creams into the mix. I think the results are similar enough to the Hot Straight that I may just stick to the tried and true and use the extra $20+ towards a mani or brow wax! I received a sample of Phyto 7 "Or" daily botanical cream for dry hair. I loved it and swiftly headed back to Sephora to procure the full size (2 oz for about $26! steep!). You only need a tiny bit, though, so this tube should last a while. I have been a fan of Phyto for years, I like their packaging and their plant-y-ness. But, the effect of the Phyto 7 creme is so similar to the Hot Straight that the extra price seems almost obscene.

The second new styling cream I'm liking is Fekkai Glossing Cream. Smells good, works well, you only need a dab, hmmm sounds familiar? I have the travel size tube and it will probably last for the next decade (1.7 oz for $9). I literally use about the size of a 1 karat diamond solitaire on the length of my hair. It is less pricey than the Phyto as the 7 oz Fekkai is $27.

Clearly the L'Oreal Hot Straight is the beauty bargain, but I'm a sucker for packaging and the aura of luxury.... so I will continue to mix 'em up.

No matter which one of these products I use- or a combo of all three- I end of with smooth, frizz-less hair, that smells good!


The second HG is the ultimate classic bombshell product, Aquanet Extra Super Hold, unscented. It comes in a can that is covered in fishnet stockings! ;) And it's pink and silver- oh yeah- and it works! It holds your hair, it's not too sticky or stiff, it is good stuff, and a giant can is only $3.99.

Sometimes the drugstore products just can't be beat!

On the Juice

I had resisted, but this love affair was meant to be. I went to a Juicy Couture outlet in Las Vegas to check out a hand bag. I fell in love with it. I bought it. I carry it daily. I get lots of compliments on it's cuteness. It is the perfect size, it's black leather so it goes with nearly everything, and it has a gold chain across the front that has lock and key charms that are soooo precious.

Then I started falling in love with other Juicy things- NEVER the velour sweats with words across the bum, but other things- all their jewelry, their real clothes- like coats, dresses, blouses, sweaters. I went into the Juicy boutique in Santa Barbara. They had the most adorable displays of candy inside giant crystal urns. The sales staff was lovely. I was unequivocally smitten.

I recently went to the boutique in Pasadena. I bought two necklaces, one for me and one for my sister for Christmas. I have started wearing the necklace, which is a heavy-ish metal chain with a heart charm with a big toggle closure in the front, with my very special, delicate platinum necklace with a diamond pendant (I got from DH for Christmas last year) entertwined. I love the precious/rocker (bombshell/biker) combo.

And now-- ooooh-- I got an early Christmas present from DH yesterday-- a Juicy watch. It is a classic style but with fun, girly details and I just LOVE it.

I love the crowns and the doggies and the frivolity of the designs. And I justify my addiction by telling reminding myself that it is MUCH less expensive than Marc Jacobs!

Holiday Eyes- and Oh Yeah- I'm back...

Dang- it has been a year and 5 days since I last blogged! Sheesh, where has the time gone? Okay, enough about that and onto the fun stuff:

Holiday Eyes!
I am generally a minimalist when it comes to eye makeup (except mascara- you know my motto-stolen/borrowed from my beloved Tammy Faye- "Glob it on, Girls!"). Because I have dark eyes and dark lashes and fair skin, my eyes stand out enough on their own and I tend to forget that I have shadow on and rub them... so I generally skip it. But occasionally I like to play and I do have plenty of makeup in my train case to play with for hours, ok days... Especially around the Holidays- it's fun to play with sparkly eyes!

Today I had "Lazy Days" as DH and I call it when we just laze around on a Saturday or Sunday and watch TV, nap, snack, and never leave the house until time for dinner and drinks. I had Lazy Days alone as D had plans, so I watched multiple episodes of Forensic Files, napped for hours, surfed the internet, etc. Then I got some energy around 3 o'clock and showered, shampoo'd my freshly colored hair with my new fave- the Fekkai Glossing line (another blog on that to come), and decided to glam it up for my evening- even if I don't leave (it's 6pm as I type this and we have yet to decide on anything we may do tonight, I am sipping a delicious cocktail I just made up- 1 part Malibu Coconut Rum, 3 parts club soda, crushed ice, and one lemon slice in a highball glass- mmmmm- so whateve- I'm good either way...).

I started with my usual makeup routine:
Shiseido stick foundation applied with a Stila foundation brush, Tarte Tickled gel blush on apples, Sephora Blush Me Twice (just the pink side) over top, lashes curled with THE ONLY lash curler you should invest in (Shu Uemera), some smokey brown cream liner (Clinique) applied along lash line, and finally about 400 coats of L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara- Black Noir. (oh yeah, I also patted on Benefit Lemon Aid before all of this, which is not part of my norm, but I knew I would be playing with shadows so I applied. For me, a primer of some sort is a necessity because even though I have relatively dry skin, I have oily lids...)

Now the 'glam' part:
My sister-in-law who is also my sister-in-makeup-obsession, C, got me a super-fun Urban Decay eye shadow pallette for Christmas last year. It has about 15-20 sparkly, uber-pigmented shadows housed inside of a cool black mirrored pallet, with purple tattoo-y swirls coming out of a gun barrel on the front.
So- I took a slanted Sonia Kashuk eyeliner brush and dabbed it with water and then dipped it into the sparkly black shadow in the pallet called Oil Slick. I applied this like liner- directly on top of the cream liner I previously applied. Then I added a bit 'o Mildew, a pretty, sparkly army green shadow, in the center of the liner and feathered it out on either side. I applied Sin, a peachy shade to my lid, and then a dot of Polyester Bride, a sparkly white-ish shade to the brow. I finished with a grooming of the brows with the sephora brow wax/powder compact and voila- Holiday Eyes!