I think I gave myself plenty of time to experiment with the Ouidad products. So far, I’m kinda disappointed with the results. I really want to like it, I really do. But I find myself not liking it more for some reason. Please note that this is from my personal experience so don’t bash me if it worked for you.

Initially, I wanted to try the Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel, being that they’re Allure’s “Best Defrizzer” Editor’s Choice Award, so I went and tried it out myself. The results I got from it was not so “award-winning” when it comes to smoothing and controlling my hair. Oh, and it shines alright, if you’re looking to do the wet look. It did not hold my curls well the way Mixed Chicks does.

With Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner, I let my hair air-dry and scrunch every 10-20 minutes to help define my curls and within an hour or two, I get nice, big, chunky curls (think Shakira and Rebecca Gayheart) I use the same techinique with Heat & Humidity Gel, I get flyaways and the $26 pomade didn’t help either   It took forever to dry, flattens the top, and it did not give a nice curl formation. My hair came out stringy resulting in frizziness once my hair dried completely.

So the winner for best curly hair product is Mixed Chicks cuz I prefer a thicker, creamier consistency to curl my hair. I find better results with Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner than the Heat & Humidity Gel

I don’t want to leave you hanging with the other Ouidad products, so here are my thoughts on the rest of them:

Clear Control Pomade
This must be the most expensive 4 oz. of anything I’ve ever bought. It did control flyaways and frizzies for a while but not for long. I use it if I need to touch up on my curls. Would never buy again, it’s too costly.

Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
The consistency of the gel is similar to a serum, so I dunno why they called it a gel. I wouldn’t use this to curl my hair from start to finish, it just gave me weighed-down,  wet look and my curls came out thin and stringy as oppose to big chunky curls. I could use it for blow-drying my hair straight as a finishing serum to prevent frizz.

Botanical Boost Spray-In Conditioner
I never liked the spray-in application of anything on my hair, except for hairsprays. I’d spray this conditioner and some products just flies in the air and not on my hair. It might as well be an air freshener! I see no results when using this.

Clear & Gentle Shampoo
The thing about this shampoo is that it’s a low foaming shampoo, so I wasn’t sure whether I’ve washed my hair thoroughly or not. Don’t like it.

Balancing Rinse Conditioner
This product was okay. It helped detangled my hair and left it feeling soft but I get the same results with any other drugstore brand conditioners.

Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner
This part of the regimine is too time consuming so I haven’t had the chance to try it, so I can’t really comment on it.

Overall, they’re great products for what they are, but I would never buy their products again because of their price and you get the same results as any drugstore brands, so it’s not worth it. It may work for some people but not for me.

I’m currently experimenting with natural things, such as Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, aloe vera gel, glycerin, jojoba oil, and a whole lot more, but that won’t stop me from trying other products too. I have my eyes on Curly Hair Solutions products, especially the Curl keeper. Almost every curlies on NaturallyCurly.com swears by this product. So we’ll see what it can do for my hair. I’m on a journey to find the right routine and products for my hair. Call me Curly Girl for now on

I was checking out my stats on my site the other day and noticed that one of the popular keywords that got people to get to my site is NYX. So I better start posting I got the following lippies and gloss 2 months ago from NonpareilBoutique.com and I forgot to post swatches. Here ya go:

Top: NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Frosted Beige and Iced Latte
Bottom: NYX Round Lipsticks in Milan, Doll and Saturn

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Iced Latte
Sorry but I forgot to take pix of Frosted Beige

NYX Round Lipstick
L to R: Milan *my fave*, Doll, Saturn

I haven’t been ordering any NYX Lippies since this one. I have WAYYY too many right now and I have just about enough of my favorite shades to keep me happy. Same goes for anything makeup related. I don’t even go to the cosmetic aisle whenever I go to CVS or Rite Aid unless I really need something. Otherwise I have my sister pull me away… lol. It was a nice experiment though. Right now, I’m focusing on my hair, as you can see on my previous posts. I’ll be trying out different methods on how to make my hair naturally curly, frizz free and looking great.

Thanks for reading!

I discovered a website called NaturallyCurly.com, where they feature tips, suggest products and a forum where women can meet and discuss about HAIR and other topics. I learn something new everyday whenever I logon to their site. In the past few days, I learned how to “plop”, “pineapple”, and make homemade rinse called the Apple Cider Vinegar.

I spend alot of time in the forum where women share their tips and tricks on how to have nice healthy curls. I noticed that most women on there suggested a more cheaper brand, such as Suave and VO5, to wash and condition their hair. And some use KY Jelly for their curls. Yup, a personal lubricant. And you know what? It really does magic… LOL. And here I am spending $$$ on hair products. I wish I’d discovered this site weeks ago. Well, you live and you learn, right?

Soon I’ll be doing some sort of a review on the Ouidad products, I’m having a love/hate with this one… LOL.

Even though I LOVE the Mixed Chicks product for my hair, I couldn’t help but spend some $$$ on Ouidad products. The reason for my splurge: I had a gift certificate code for $5 off on my order of $50 or more (which you can receive when you sign up for their mailing list), their Love Your Curls Starter Kit is back in stock after being out for months, and they’re offering Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel trial size FREE with any purchase over $25. Great deal, huh!?!?

Here’s what I ordered:

Love Your Curls Starter Kit $30.00
Five essential products for all curl types. It’s a great way to try out our products, and makes a great travel companion too!
The kit includes 2-oz Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner, 2-oz Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel, 2-oz Clear & Gentle Shampoo, 2-oz Balancing Rinse Conditioner, 2-oz Botanical Boost Spray Conditioner

Ouidad Clear Control Pomade 4 oz. $26.00
A finishing touch pomade, made from vegetable proteins, that removes the stiff feeling styling products often leave and replaces it with softness and shine. This hydrating formula is a good choice to help thin, fine and dry hair to help form uniform curls.

Duckbill Clips $4.00
3.5″ Professional size metal clips are great for positioning and holding curls in place while hair dries. (pkg of 12)

Climate Control Gel 2 oz. FREE
A revolutionary design in styling gels. Climate Control protects curls from humidity by absorbing moisture from air to hydrate each strand of hair and help prevent frizz. Great for using in place of Tress F/X by all hair types in humid conditions, summer or winter. Winner of “Best Defrizzer” by Allure Magazine.

The starter kit is great way to try out their products before comitting to purchase something that’s full size, plus they’ve included some award-winning products in there and they’re only available for a limited time, so I had to have my hands on that. Oh, and the pomade… $26… ouch! LOL I think it’s a bit steep for something that’s 4 oz. For that much, that shit better be worth it!

After placing my order, I received an email for another gift certificate for 10% off my next order that’ll expire in 30 days. Makes me wanna go back and buy some more Can’t wait to have them delivered to me.

Update 8/29/2008 @ 3:00pm: WHOA!!! I just got my package! Can you believe it??!! Can’t wait to try it!!!

Of course, I had to buy bronzers and blushes to go with my new coastal scents brushes. I recently went to Rite Aid for Jane’s Blushing Cheeks in Blushing Glow and Blushing Baby Doll, and CVS for Milani Powder Mosaics in Honey Kissed. They all gorgeous colors!

left to right: Jane’s Blushing Glow and Blushing Baby Doll

left to right: Milani’s Honey Kissed, Sunset Glow and Sunset City.

Hey Guys!!! Sorry for the lack of post. I have a new position in the company I work for, so my focus has been mainly on work. I’ve been slaving my ass off at home in the past week and haven’t had time to do anything else during the day. But that didn’t stop me from shopping online and 24/7 CVS and Rite Aid at night. So I have alot of catching up to do

I recently bought two brushes from CoastalScents.com trying to get my hands on something natural.

Flat Mineral Bronzer Buffer Large - $4.24

The same brush sold by the nations leading retailer at an affordable price!
This brush will give you an ultimate application, use with foundation, blush,shimmer powders, especially works wonders with veil & bronzer.
Made with natural  pony hair, hand cut for precision application. Set in a seamless nickel ferrule with wood handle. Made to last a lifetime with proper care and cleansing.
Length from top to bottom 6 1/4 “

I LOVE how this brush is soooo soft!!! My intention on buying this brush was for applying my Everyday Minerals foundation but since I prefer bigger, more poufier brushes, I felt that this brush wasn’t big enough to apply my foundation. So I’m using this to apply blush or bronzer. The only thing about this brush is that it sheds like a mofo. See? How many can you count?

Prior to using this brush, I washed it probably about five times with anti-bacterial soap cuz it stunk like no one’s business. OMG, the smell *BARF* It smelled like a wet dog and it took forever to dry. Even at the last wash, the smell was still there but I let it dry hoping that the smell will go away and thankfully it did. I tested on the back of my hand to be sure that the smell won’t transfer to my skin and it didn’t smell. I’m just afraid for the next washing that the smell will come back to haunt me.

Pink Kabuki Brush – $4.99

Our pink essentials kabuki brush is an absolute girlie girl addition to your makeup tools set. The hairs are firm and supple allowing for a flawless application.
Pink Metallic Handle, goat and sable hair blend.

Not only does this kabuki brush give me great application with my mineral foundation, it’s small, cute and PINK! It doesn’t smell as bad when I washed it and it sheds too, but not as much. I got this to replace my stand-up powder brush from Essence of Beauty, which felt scratchy when applying my mineral foundation. The Pink Kabuki Brush is soft and I’m glad I got it! I just wish they have it with longer handles.

First off, let me tell you how much I love/hate my hair when it’s curly. On rare occasions, my hair is gorgeous with cascading curls, and other times, it would be frizzy as hell, dry and AARRGHHH. Wtf?? I hate using gel, cuz if I use too much, it would feel crunchy and stiff, but if I use less, it won’t be enough to hold and define my curls. Mousse? Forget about it. All it does is leave flakes in my hair. I’d use Frizz-Ease Hair Serum, but with my long hair, I’d probably have to use the entire bottle. I just wanna be able to wear my hair curly and touch its softness, let it flow in the wind like in commercials, na’mean? I can never find the right product for my hair.

For the past years, I’ve been wearing my hair straight, but lately it’s taking its toll. From the pulling with my flat iron, I’m losing hair. Sometimes I get a handful of hairball in the shower and when I run my fingers through, I’d find a few loose hair. It’s kind of scary if you think about it. Sometimes I don’t worry about that cuz I have thick hair, but it’ll catch up to me when I get older. I just hope the reason for my hair loss is the need for a trim, stress or whatever, other than the weekly use of my flat iron. So I’m cutting down on straightening my hair and start wearing my hair curly again.

courtesy of mixedchicks.net

With that said, I stumbled upon a site called Mixed Chicks. Upon entering the site, I assume they were selling hair products catering to African-American, Latina and bi-racial hair type. The name alone just threw me off. Do you have to be ”mixed” to use this product? Or can this product be applied to curly hair even if you’re not “mixed”? Anyhow, after searching and researching on all the hair products for curly hair I could find online, I kept coming back to Mixed Chicks and after watching the how-to video on the product, I was sold. I bought the Trio, which came with shampoo, deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner for $38.33.

Upon receiving my package, first thing I did was open the cap and took a whiff of the products. WOW… I never smelled anything like that! I loved how it smelled. It’s got a very clean scent, but very faint. I jumped in the shower the minute I opened the package!

Shampoo: I LOVE this shampoo, it worked amazing! I dunno how to describe it, I’ve never had a shampoo that cleaned my hair the way this one does. It removes build up and UV blockers to protect color. A quarter-sized shampoo is enough for my thick, long hair, leaving it soft and smooth. And of course, I desired to repeat

Deep Conditioner: I feel this is much lighter than my Pantene Daily Moisture but it does the job. It detangles and moisturizes, leaving my hair soft and I can already see my hair forming into nicely shaped curls as soon as I got out of the shower.

Leave-In Conditioner: I liked how this product defined my curls but it didn’t last long. My hair felt a little bit dry and frizzy towards the end of the day. So when it does, I apply a hair serum. I like to use Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum.

Would I buy these products again? YES! I LOVE what the shampoo and deep conditioner did to my hair. I’m not too crazy about the leave-in conditioner. Maybe I’m not using it correctly or I may need a trim. Yeah, I think it’s time for a trim. My hair is too long and I think it weighs down my curls. We’ll see after a trim, whenever that’ll be. Here’s a few result pics I’d like to share. Thanks for reading!

Gotta love curls! I can’t help but touch it all day long.
Smells great too!

Me in the evening. See how it’s a bit frizzy and dry?
Maybe I’m just exaggerating.

Armand after using Mixed Chicks. He gave it a two-thumbs up!
He’s a VERY Mixed Kid

Do you have curly hair? What other products have you used and what worked best for you? Have you tried Mixed Chicks? If so, what do you think about it?

I wanna update you guys on my MUA experience. So I didn’t get swaplifted Both MUA members were very nice and made it very easy with the whole proccess being that it’s my first time swapping. They both sent their packages as soon as they got mine.  I must say, it was fun and their xtras were very thoughtful too. Swapping makeup sure beats spending money… haha! Here’s what I got from Charnel.

Cover Girl Tru Blend Foundation in Soft Honey, Jane Eye-Zing in Hi Ho Silver & Enchant-Mint and Sephora Keep Khol Waterproof Liner in Black. The wrapped items were extras.

Extras: Back to the Earth mineral sample in Fireflies, sample conditioner & facial soap and an eyequad in different shades of blue.

This is the swap item from reenie42; Cover Girl Eye Enhancer Trio in Cafe Au Lait

I’ll be adding some items to swap, including some NYX Round Lipsticks that I know for sure I won’t be wearing anymore. So check my profile for my swap items, or view my wishlist if you want to swap with me. I won’t bite

I hope everyone’s enjoying their summer so far. It’s been too hot to be playing with makeup so I stay home and shop online… hehe. Today was pretty nice though, especially at home so I had the chance to take some pictures of the NYX Lipsticks I got a few weeks ago, along with NYX Nailpolish in Lingerie and Tulip (I’ll take pix of those the next time I get a mani/pedi). I got these from Nonpareil Boutique of course :) 

Top: Thalia, Mars, Circe, Frosted Beige
Middle: Perfect, Darling, Heather, Aphrodite
Bottom: Sierra

L to R: Thalia, Mars, Circe, Frosted Beige

L to R: Perfect, Darling, Heather, Aphrodite, Sierra

L to R: Lingerie, Tulip

My personal favorite out of the bunch is Heather, Mars, Perfect and Thalia. Circe looked too washed out on me, as if I was wearing a concealer. Sierra and Aphrodite didn’t compliment my skintone at all. I find that Frosted Beige and Darling too frosty for my taste, but I’ll definitely wear it over something that’s matte for added shimmer. I’ll take some pix with these lippies on as soon as my lips are not so chapped. I haven’t been wearing my chapstick lately… so spank me!

Btw, It’s my Mom’s birthday today, so my sis and I will be taking her to CCO out in Long Island tomorrow for some fun time shopping

I know it’s a bit late to announce but I was away and didn’t know about this until today. I go through my blogroll and read about your Cherry Culture hauls and the NYX Round Lippies you bought from them. I thought you might wanna know, I was reading Katrina’s blog and she mentioned that Cherry Culture had raised the prices on their NYX Round Lipstick from $0.99 to $2.00!!! Not sure why they would raise their prices, maybe to cover the cost of gas during shipment to their warehouse or maybe make more profit, who knows. I never liked ordering from them anyway, they take too long to ship and now they raised the prices on their Round Lippies…. two thumbs down!!!!

In case you guys didn’t know, there’s another e-store where you can buy NYX stuff @ Nonpareil Boutique. I placed an order twice from them so far and they shipped it the same day I ordered. And they have GREAT customer service. Once I had emailed them about a particular lipstick I was looking for and they responded within 48 hours. How cool is that? They’re very good people, so I highly recommend them. I can’t stress that enough.

So yeah… they’re having a sale that ends July 8th (again, sorry for the late announcement) Everything on their store is 20% off and use the code July4th during checkout. Go to Nonpareil Boutique you won’t be disappointed.

Update: I’m about to place an order when I noticed that some of the popular shades are out of stock… LOL