Curls Unleashed 'Take Command Curl Defining Creme'

Hi Beauties,

Here is a quick product review of a moisturizer from then Curls Unleashed line.

A few months ago I purchased the Curls Unleashed 'Take Command Curl Defining Creme' from Target for about $14.99. I was excited to try it becasue I have used and loved other products from this line.

Description on bottle:
This product is made with coconut, sweet almond and safflower oils and other ingredients. Helps shine, define and moisturize your curls without shrinkage. Great for twists, twistouts, coiling, freestyles, shingling and updo's.

• Perfect for curly and kinky textures
• Free of SD alcohol, parabens and mineral oil
• BPA free

First impressions:
I first applied the thick creme' to my 2 or 3 day old twist out for a little moisture boost. I distrubuted the Curl Defining Creme' throughout my hair, added a light oil, and slept in a bonnet. My hair did NOT feel moisturized in the morning, but instead still felt quite dry. Naturally I tried again adding a little more of the creme and light oil. The results were slightly better but still not great.

The next time I used the product was on damp hair. I applied the creme' over leave in conditioner and instead of using a light oil I used some heavy duty Jamaican Black Castor oil to seal in moisture for a twist out. The results were far better that time around. My hair felt soft and much more moisturized.

Pros:
My hair was more elongated and, after much effort, was adequately moisturized. Some people may appreciate the fact that it is a paraben free product, however this is not a deal breaker for me.
Cons:
When used alone it did not help with shine and provided little definition. It also took alot of trail and error and effort to have properly moisturized hair. Shouldn't a moisturizer just...moisturize?

Verdict:
I need to be quite heavy handed with this creme' (I feel like an asshole everytime I type creme' instead of cream) in order to get decent results. Also, for my thick, dry hair the creme' should be used in conjunction with a heavy sealant. This product costs about $15.00 in the drugstore which is a little to steep to require extra steps/products, in my opinion. The Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter retails for less than half of the price of this product and works amazingly well on my hair.

For someone with hair that is not as thick or dry this may work. Because I paid for it I will attempt to use the entire16 oz. bottle, but for future reference I will stick to what I know. I will not be repurchasing this product.

Creams, Butters, and Serum for Winter

Hi Beauties,

It's beginning to get very cold in my neck of the woods which, for me, means dry skin and hair. Every year with the change of season I change my products to accommodate for drier, colder air.

Face:
In the warmer months, I use an oil free cleanser with a gel-like consistency. This is meant to keep the skin matte/dry in more hot and humid conditions. For the winter months I've switched to Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser ($8.50 at Target). It does not strip the skin of moisture while cleansing which is a plus!
Instead of my usual oil free moisturizing lotion I opt for a heavier, creamier moisturizer -- I recommend Olay Complete all day UV moisturizer SPF 15. See comparison photos below. I also love Blistex Moisture Melts for the lips.
Quick Tip: You may also want to try a serum or moisture gel before you apply your moisturizer if you have very dry skin.

Top: Oil free face lotion; Bottom: Olay Complete moisturizer 

Makeup:

Instead of my usual under eye concealer and powder, I like to apply tinted moisturizer and set with powder. In the winter, powder alone can leave me looking a little cakey; the addition of tinted moisturizer eliminates this problem. I like MAC Studio Moisture Tint {not pictured} but the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream is a good drugstore alternative ($8.00 at drugstores).

Body:
I love Body Butter for the winter. My absolute favorite is Mango Body Butter from The Body Shop, however the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Eczema Therapy w/ Argan Oil & Extracts of Frankincense & Myrrh ($9.99 at Target in the baby bath section) is excellent for dry skin. It feels a tad oily upon application but settles into the skin nicely and provides moisture all day.

Hair:
To moisturize my hair I need something a little thicker in the winter. I LOVE Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer, but have recently purchased the Curls Unleashed 'Take Command Curl Defining Creme' ($14.99 at Target)...I haven't tried it yet, but I'll update you with my thoughts. For best results, top off moisturizer with a bit of oil to seal moisture into the hair. Quick Tip: For dry, itchy scalp try a hot olive oil treatment prior to washing your hair...works wonders!

What do you all use for in the cooler months?

Blemish Balm + Satin Taupe = FOTD

I cannot remember the last time I did my makeup for work. I had a little extra time this morning, so I though...'What the heck?'. I came up with a very simple eye look and a basic face using the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. Overall, I like the BB cream which looks, feels, and acts like a tinted moisturizer (my base of choice).

There are some skin enhancing properties associated with Blemish Balm (BB) creams which differentiate them from tinted mositurizers. For the record, I do not believe that this BB cream will make my skin better and brighter, but for $9 it's cool so far. I need to play around with it some more before I determine whether or not I like/love/could-care-less-about it.

EYES:
MAC Quite Natural Paint Pot - blended over eyelids with ring finger
MAC Satin Taupe - pressed onto the lid and slightly above with a flat shader brush
MAC Mulch - applied to outer corner with a blending brush
Urban Decay Zero - placed in outer corner and crease (bc Mulch did not show up!)
Wet N Wild matte white - tapped onto inner tear duct area
Milani black eyeliner - applied on top lash line and slightly smudged into a wing
Tarte emphasEYES inner rim brightener - placed on waterline

Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara in black = LOVE!

FACE:

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - applied very lightly with fingertips (so lightly that you can still see my freckles/moles and pimple!)

Lancome Maquicomplet concealer - blended under the eyes with a flat concealer brush

Cover Girl Queen Collection bronzer in Brown bronze - applied to the hollows of cheeks for contour

Wet n Wild bronzer - applied over CG bronzer as contour and blush

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural - applied lightly with a large fluffy brush to set BB cream

LIPS:

NYX Brown Cafe lip liner

Tarte Lip Surgence Lip Shine in 'Smitten'

Ulta Haul

 I hardly ever go to Ulta because of it's distance from where I live, however I was in the neighborhood a few weeks ago and was excited to grab some things.

Here is what I picked up:

NYX Xtreme lip cream in 08 Skin Tone and 09 Strawberry. I have a previous post about the NYX Soft Matte lip creams and these are just as wonderful PLUS they are very creamy and hydrating.  These lip creams are amazing!! Swatches below.

Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil. These pencils are very similar to the MAC eyebrow pencils but retail for half the price. I have been having difficulty finding them in drugstores lately, but if you can get your hands on them, I highly recommend. I purchased two!

Essence Clear Mascara/Brow set. This is your standard clear mascara - I use it to set my brows and keep them in place all day.

Katy Perry lashes in Oh, Honey! Haven't worn them yet, but they look promising. Each box contains 1 pair of lashes, 1 small tube of lash adhesive, and an insert with tips to apply lashes like a pro.

Essence gel eyeliner in 01 Midnight in Paris (black). For such an inexpensive brand, thus eyeliner works pretty well and stays all day.

NYX Eyebrow Shaper. This was pencil is supposed to groom browns into shape. I purchased this to use on clients with unruly eyebrows.

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone (obviously not from Ulta). Your pores will become invisible and your skin will be as soft as butta. This can also be used on non makeup days for a smooth, mattified look.

Have you tried any of these products? I think the NYX lippies may be my favorite so far!

What has your makeup done for you lately?

This post is super late, but I picked up the Tarte ‘What has your makeup done for you lately?’ set which was available as a QVC exclusive on July 13th. This set came with the full sized products listed below.

· Maracuja Miracle 12-hour Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

· 100% pure Maracuja Oil rollerball

· LipSurgence Lip Shine in smitten soft pink with built-in sharpener

· Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara in black

· modernEYES waterproof creaseless shadow/liner duo

· Retoucher bamboo foundation brush

· There was also an eye cream added to the mix as a ‘Sneak Peak’…nice touch, Tarte.




Photo courtesy of Musingsofamuse.com


Clearly everybody and their mama copped this set (or was gifted this set) and are raving about it
all over bloggerland. I’ll add my two cents in a series of brief posts, quickly detailing my experience with each product.

First up: the eyes. I have been using the Maracuja C-Brightener Eye Treatment religiously for the past several months and overall, I think it is a good product. It is not a moisturizing as I would like, but I have noticed a slight decrease in my dark undereye circles.
The modernEYES waterproof creaseless shadow/liner duo in plumberry and plum brown is a dual ended pencil with a plummy eyeshadow stick on one side and deep purple eyeliner on the other. I used this in the look below and got fantastic results. It applied easily, there was no tugging or unevenness, and it lasted all day with ZERO creasing even though I used it with a sub-par eyeshadow primer as an experiment. Needless to say, I am impressed.

And can we take a minute to discuss this mascara. The Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara is a gift from above. I am seriously in love and will repurchase this mascara as soon as I run out. It lengthens, volumizes, and adds some serious sexy to the lashes. Yes, ma’am!

Do any of you have this set? I was skeptical before purchasing because I have not used many Tarte products, but so far, so good. Up next we’ll discuss the LipSurgence Lip Shine.

I cannot believe I forgot about this lipstick!

My Christian Dior Rouge Dior lipstick in 752 Favori Red. This is a luxurious, moisturizing lipstick with excellent color payoff and longetvity. Let's not forget about the sleek packaging.

I purchased this SOOO long ago and completely forgot about it *hangs head in shame*  I dug her out of makeup drawer, dusted her off and gave her a go. Now I remember why I lover her so...

Maybelline Dream Matte - My Thoughts

Hola! Let's get right to it.

Ok, let me reiterate once again that I am not a regular foundation wearer, however on the occasion that I do wear it, I want it to last all day and look as fresh as possible throughout the day. Usually I have dry skin but due to the recent increase in temperatures and humidity I become oily and shiny in my t-zone after a few hours. The problem is that the foundations that I own for personal use (not to be used on clients) are formulated for dry skin and are intended to leave skin looking moisturized…not good for me during this time of year.

I decided that I needed blow some money and get a summertime foundation to control my oilies. Enter Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation. The website states:

• Revolutionary air-soft mousse provides perfecting coverage for 100% velvet-matte perfection
• Ideal for normal to oily skin
• Fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested, allergy-tested, non-comedogenic – won’t clog pores, safe for sensitive skin

First off, the texture is not something that I’m used to seeing or feeling on my skin. It’s a light mousse consistency that spreads over the skin like buttah. I’ve worn it a few times on the hottest of days and can attest to all the claims. It definitely kept me matte all day, did not cause breakouts on my sensitive skin, and did not look cakey or heavy at all. I really love this foundation for the summer months. I also love that there is a good selection of darker colors in the line.

Take a look below.

BEFORE:

8:00am

AFTER:




5:30pm and still matte with the exception of my cheek area

 As you can see, after almost 10 hours of wear with NO blotting or reapplying throughout the day, my face is still matte. As you can tell by the hair there was a considerable amount of humidity, and based on the sweat where my sunglasses were, it was hot as Haites. This foundation performed excellently.

Other products used on face:

MAC MSFN

Wet N Wild bronzer

NYX Terra Cotta blush

Buxom mascara

Revlon lip Butter in Sweet Tart