Xtava Allure Curly Kit Hair Dryer

Xtava company functions by 3 rules:

1. "It's Personal" - they take a “one size does not fit all” approach to hair tools. They provide tools to work with any hair type whether you have super-fine curls, thick or straight hair.
2. "Innovative at the roots" - the company has a team of engineers that design every product with their three core values in mind: "a dedication to hair health, powerful salon-grade quality, and sleek, intuitive design".
3. "Great hair, we care" - for this company "healthy hair is all about the right tool meeting the right technique". They are on a quest to help women find the best tips and tricks 'for achieving salon-worthy results at home, no matter your hair type".

The curly kit in question is Model Number XTV010017N (black) and XTV010018N (white). 

The package contains the following items:

• Xtava Hairdryer
• Black Orchid Difusser
• Concentrator Nozzle

This curly kit can be purchased from the following places:

• www.amazon.com  -  $42.00 - $46.99
• www.xtava.com   -     $59.00 (20% off all purchases plus free shipping until 2/28/2017 with the code HAIRGOALS) 

This dryer and diffuser are perfect for maintaining healthy hair resulting in frizz free curls. It protects the hair texture while defining and enhancing your hairs natural body.  The dryer and diffuser are lightweight and has ionic ceramic technology.  The dryer is 2200 watts and has 3 heat settings, 2 speed settings and a handy cold shot button for us curly girls. 

Final Thoughts:

My hubby purchased this dryer from Amazon for $42.00 as I was looking for a good curly hair dryer.  I have been using this dryer and diffuser for about 3 weeks now and I am loving this dryer as it dries my hair evenly and quickly.  The dryer offers a heavy duty cord and 360 degree airflow.  Each prong on the diffuser has a hole going through the prong which allows for the distribution of the air and quicker drying/styling time.

I was also able to maintain 3 day hair without any re-styling/re-wetting of my hair when using this dryer with the Black Orchid diffuser.  The process produced soft, defined and moisturized curls and it was easy to use.  

You can check out my video on YouTube for my full perspective on this product at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as8gFpKFqiI

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Wet N Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick

Wet n Wild is a cruelty free cosmetics company whose products are some of the lowest and best priced products in the drug stores.  If asked most makeup lovers will say that Wet n Wild were some of the first makeup products they ever bought.  The company launched in 1979 and is based out of Los Angeles California and is one of the most trusted brands in the drug store.  The prices in their products begin at $0.99 for several lipsticks and nail polishes, and they produce approximately 400 different versatile shades in their makeup line.

New to their makeup line now is the Megalast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipsticks.  They come in 14 different colors to choose from and sell for $4.99 a pop and can be purchased from Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS or KMart.  I purchased my two colors from Target on sale at $4.49 a pop.

Based on the description on the website they :

They glide on like butter, feels like a second skin and will not budge. They go on glossy yet transforms into a highly pigmented matte finish with some serious staying power. The big claim is that this color is going nowhere.

Lets get into the product:

Give Me Mocha - is a beautiful neutral brown that will work with any skin tone.  This color applied evenly but needed some build up to achieve the full color.  Never the less this color is absolutly beautiful once dried.

Berry Recognize - is a mauve/fuchia color.  This color also applied evenly and you get good color payoff with just one swipe.  The color can be built up but I found there was no real need to do so with this shade.

LIKES: This product comes with a dipped doe foot applicator (just like the applicator on their Metallic Liquid Lipsticks).  This type of applicator allows for precise, smooth application of the product.  The color selection was great and the price is affordable for a matte lipstick.

DISLIKES: For me I did not find that there was much staying power as the product claimed to have.  It did last a few hours, however once I started to eat and drink the color wore off quickly with the exception of the very outer part of the lip which left a strange looking lip line.  The product also felt very drying on the lips for about the first 30 minutes of wear, which was a bit uncomfortable.  Once you get past the first 30 minutes however the product was comfortable and the color payoff was amazing.

Final Thoughts: For the price of the product of $4.99, and the really nice color range and color payoff, I would say it is worth picking up a few of these lip colors.  

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Wet N Wild Metallic Liquid Lipsticks

Wet n Wild is a cruelty free cosmetics company whose products are some of the lowest and best priced products in the drug stores.  If asked most makeup lovers will say that Wet n Wild were some of the first makeup products they ever bought.  The company launched in 1979 and is based out of Los Angeles California and is one of the most trusted brands in the drug store.  The prices in their products begin at $0.99 for several lipsticks and nail polishes, and they produce approximately 400 different versatile shades in their makeup line.

New to their makeup line this spring is the Color Icon Metallic Liquid Lipsticks.  They come in 6 different colors to choose from and sell for $2.99 a pop. Please note that these are limited edition and can be purchased from Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS or KMart.   Based on the description on the website they are:

• Ultimate metallic finish
• Non-drying formula
• Perfect wear for hours

Let's get into the product:

Peony Express - metallic nude with flecks of gold. Applied evenly but needs to be built up.

Days of Fuchsia Passed - metallic barbie pink.  Applied evenly and one swipe does the job.

Chrysanthemum's the Word - lighter metallic pink.  Applied evely and requires minimum build.

Coming Up Roses - true metallic red that requires minimum build.

Indigo Your Own Way - true metallic purple that one swipe does the trick.

Let us talk about the actual product:

LIKES: The product comes with a dipped doe foot applicator which allows for precise application.  The color selection is great as it ranges from your nude, to pinks, to reds to purple.  The application is smooth and the product is super affordable.

DISLIKES: Color does not last very long, the product does however stain your lips a bit after eating and drinking.  The product feels heavy on the lips.

Final Thoughts: For the price of the product of $2.99 go out and grab some.  They are a fun, new type of lipproduct on the market and is worth the price. Check out my YouTube video on this product https://youtu.be/eefn0rSAIFA

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Ruby Kisses Maracuja Kiss Stick Rare Amazonia Soft Matte Lipstick

Based on their website - "Ruby Kisses was born from the love of beauty, makeup, and trending pop culture! Our passion lies not only in enhancing a woman's individual appearance, but delivering quality products at affordable prices. We take great pride in being able to provide a wide range of color cosmetics to women of all shades and ethnicities. Show yourself some love. Embrace your individuality. Be undeniably You."

Ruby Kisses offers a vast variety of products ranging g in products for the face, lips, nails and body.  Products can be purchased from your local beauty supply stores, from a vast number of websites like drugstore.com, amazon.com and ebay.com. Prices for products range from $0.99 to approximately $10.00. 

I was able to purchase four of these Maracuja Kiss Sticks Rare Amazonia  Soft Matte Lipsticks from my local beauty supply store for $3.49 each.  There is very, very limited information online for these products so I had to dive in and test, test, test.  I have owned them for over a month now and have been wearing them at least 4 times a week over the last two weeks in order to be able to provide an honest and tested opinion. 

Let's get into the product : 

Color featured her is RLC12 Take Me To Paris. It is a beautiful mauve read that applies very evenly.  There is no bleeding and can be used with or without a lip liner. The color is very pigmented and all it takes is one swipe to get beautiful color.

RLC10 Maybe Baby is an orange red.  This color also applied evenly and is very pigmented.  It is the perfect color for a night on the town.  

RLC03 It's Raining Men is a mauve color.  Also applies evenly.  There is no blotch in essence or bleeding.  You can apply one coat and get great pigmentation or build it up to get an even more opaque look.

RLC01 Lady In Red is a true red.  Like the other colors this color is very pigmented and glides on the lips.  Perfect color to take you from day to night.

My overall opinion:

The kiss sticks come in a twist up tube and the tube represents a true color depiction of what you will be purchasing.  The packaging is sturdy and comes with 2.5g/0.09 ozs of product.

The one con that I have is that they are very hard to find as at the $3.49 price I was only able to locate them at my local beauty supply stores.  They were more expensive to purchase them online.

I am a huge fan of the formula.  There are 10 colors to choose from and all of the colors are amazing g.  They range from browns, to reds to purples.    The application of the product is very precise and you get full pigmentation I one swipe.  The product is richly formulated, long wearing and glides on smoothly.

They are non drying matte finish that is very comfortable to wear.  The product lasted on my lips for approximately 6 hours before I had to touch up a bit.  The product did leave a stain on the lips after eating and drinking.  I was very impressed with these and will be purchasing a few more.

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L.A. Girl Matte Pigment Gloss

L.A. Girl has been producing high quality, budget friendly cosmetics since 1985.  Their product line offers a diverse array of products to meet any woman's need.  Their products are very pocket book friendly and made to high standards.

L.A. Girl offers a wide variety of products for the face (i.e. face primers, blushes, setting powders, BB creams), eyes (eyeshadows, eyeliners, eyeshadow sticks, mascaras), lips (matte glosses, matte lipsticks, lipliners, glosses) and nails (3D effect polishes, nail art kits, nail treatments).  A variety of product displays can also be purchased on their website.

Products can be purchased from a vast number of websites like drugstore.com, amazon.com and lagirlusa.com and from a number of beauty supply stores and Rite Aids.  I was able to purchase three of these glosses from my local beauty supply store for $3.99 each.  I have owned the glosses for over three weeks now and have been wearing them at least three times a week for the three weeks in order to be able to provide an honest, tested opinion.

Let's get into the product-:

Color featured here is Rebel.  It is a beautiful mauve color that applies very evenly and pigmented to the lips.  There was no bleeding with or without a lip liner.

Frisky is a bright, true red.  This color also applied evenly and very pigmented and is a perfect color for a night on the town.  It is a very sexy, sultry red.

Bazaar is a beautiful soft pink.  There was no blotchiness or bleeding however it did take two coats of this one to get a nice even color application.

My overall opinion-:

The description of this product on the website is that the shades are bold, rich and intense with a flat finish for all day wear.  I have to totally AGREE with this description of these lip glosses.  

Let me start with the two cons that I have. One of the glosses I bought, the packaging was defective.  The color in question was Bazaar, on opening the product the second time to use, a piece of the inside of the wand top became separated which makes the tube a bit difficult to close.  This causes a small issue with using the product as there is not that piece to limit the amount of product that comes out when the wand is engaged.  

The second con is that these are hard to find in stores.  There are no Rite Aid stores in my area and I was lucky to finally find them at one of the beauty supply stores close to my home.  You can purchase them online with ease, but if you are like me I rather purchase in the store as I can see the true color of the product rather than a picture online.  It would be nice to start seeing these in stores like CVS, Walgreens, Target and Walmart.

I am a huge fan of the formula.  There are 16 colors to choose from and the colors are amazing.  All of the glosses that I own applied evenly to the lips and are very pigmented.  The applicator picks up enough product for you to get full pigmentation in one swipe, with the exception as mentioned for Bazaar, this one took two swipes.

The gloss dried down to a matte finish very quickly and lasted for approximately 6 hours before I had to touch up a bit.  There was no bleeding or blotchiness.  As I mentioned in my previous blogs on the Milani mattes and the Ulta brand mattes, I am not a big fan of the matte fad, but these made me a true believer.  I will certainly be purchasing a few more of these to add to my collection.

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BH Cosmetics - 28 Color Eyeshadow Palettes

BH Cosmetics was founded in 2009 and has it's headquarters in Los Angeles California. Their products are developed to professional standards and are very pocket book friendly, so you can purchase the vast array of products they offer without breaking the piggy bank.

The product line offers a variety of products ranging from products for the eyes (eyeshadow palettes/primers/eye lashes/liners etc.), face (blush/concealers/bronzers etc.), lips (lipsticks/balms/lip gloss etc.), brows (brow palettes/brow pencils/brow gel etc.), brushes (brush sets/individual brushes) and various accessories (makeup organizers/mirrors/makeup wipes etc.).  Products range in price from $1.95 to approximately $50.00. 

Products can be purchased from amazon.com or directly from their website at www.bhcosmetics.com (there is currently a sale going on the site).  I have also been able to locate certain products at my local Ross; TJ Maxx or Marshalls.  The products I am going to be discussing were both purchased from my local Ross for $9.99 each.  They can be purchased now on the website for $12.00 (regular price $19.00) at 37% off sale.

I have owned both of these palettes now for about a month and have been using them both for about the length of time that I have owned them, so that I can honestly share my opinion on them with you so let us jump in.

Neutral Eyes - 28 Color Eyeshadow Palette

This is a beautiful palette containing 28 neutral eyeshadow colors.  The colors in this palette can be used by persons of every complextion and are very flattering.  The palette contains a mixture of shimmer and matte shades and range in colors from nudes to deeper browns.

The colors at first sight are beautiful and very pigmented.  They are soft in texture and very creamy.  When applying the colors you get great color payoff with one swipe.  The product is also very buildable and very easy to work with.  The colors in the palette can take you from your work life to your party life.  

Look accomplished using the neutral palette.

Smokey Eyes - 28 Color Eyeshadow Palette

This is a beautiful palette with a very nice broad range of 28 colors ranging in colors from pinks, to blues to greys and blacks.  The palette has all of the colors needed to create very seductive smokey eye looks.

Like the neutral palette, this palette also contains from shimmer to mattes.  These colors are also highly pigmented and the color payoff with one swipe is simply delicious. The product is smooth and creamy to the touch and applies and blends with ease.  The colors in this palette are also buildable, however there is little need to have to build these colors like you would need to with the neutral palette.

Pictures of the product courtesy the BH Cosmetics website.

My overall opinion:

The one thing I did notice is there is a bit of fall out in the pan (not on the skin) when using a brush to pick up the product, however a little tap of the brush resolves this issue. I have used the product with both an eyeshadow primer and without a primer and as mentioned in my previous blogs I live in Florida with the heat and humidity most of the year round, and I did not experience any creasing or fading when using this product.  

The packaging is sturdy and very easy to open and close.  The product is also sleek and although on the wider side, it is thin and very easy to travel with.  As previously mention their products are budget friendly

I was very extremely happy with both palettes and I am happy to report that I am in love with them both.  I give the palettes a B+ for the product, the product appearance and the packaging.  I will MOST CERTAINLY purchase more from this brand.

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Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave in Conditioner

Ouidad products are specifically designed for us curly girls.  Part of their mission is to empower us curlies to understand, enhance and love our hair.   Ouidad has been around for the past 30 years and have committed to "pioneering new innovations to meet the needs of our curl community".

This is the first time I have invested in this line.  I am an "It's a 10" or DevaCurl girl, but when I went shopping to replace my very empty DevaCurl Styling Cream, Ulta was out of the product so.......... I saw the Ouidad display and have heard a great deal about their products so I figured why not.  I went ahead and purchased the Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave in Conditioner and was not disappointed.

This product is created to infuse moisture into every strand of the hair.  The Moisture Lock In provides protein to the hair which helps to create healthy curls.  The product also contains Prickly Pear Cactus Extract, Antioxidants Green Tea and Vitamin B5 to protect the hair, promote shine and provide ongoing conditioning.  What interested me the most was that this Leave In Conditioner also contained Arnica Extract, "which is a healing agent and also helps to promotes long-lasting hydration which seals the hair cuticle layer to prevent frizz and encourage healthier hair and scalp".

I purchased this product from Ulta for $26.00 for an 8.5 ozs/250ml bottle.  Currently Ulta has two promotions for Ouidad products purchased - FREE sample Moisture Lock Leave-In with any $25 Ouidad purchase (offer valid 10/4/15-10/24/15 or while supplies last) or FREE Pink Travel Pouch with any $25 Ouidad purchase (offer valid 10/4/15-10/24/15 or while supplies last).

 

I am in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE with this product.   I have been using this product for approximately 2 months now.  I live in Florida where we have very high humidity most of the year round and this product helped to tame the frizz and helped me maintain control of my curls.  I was also able to get 3 days of my style without frizz.  My curls were defined, soft and smooth and my hair felt very healthy and shiney.


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