HERBAL ESSENCES SET ME UP HAIRSPRAY: REVIEW

Hello, My Pretties!

I haven't done a review in a long time. Have I ever done a review?? Well, any who, I have chosen to do a review on a hair product today. This featured review is all about Herbal Essences Set Me Up Hairspray.

I bought mine at Wal-Mart a couple of months ago. My hair is freakishly curly and frizzy so I always wear my hair up in either a braid or a bun. (Buns, ugh, I know!) Wearing my hair up and pulled back and out of my face is just a lot easier and faster for me. It is really hard to bust out the Chi and straighten my hair when I have a 1 year old tugging at my pant legs and crying for my attention. That's my everyday life.

DETAILS:

• By Clairol
• Cost $2.97 (Wal-Mart)
• 8 FL OZ LIQ. (236 mL)
• Lily bliss fragrance
• Extra hold (Level 2 out of 4)
• Convenient spray pump



Herbal Essences
Set Me Up
Hairspray




Directly off the bottle:
"Let me finish you up with a lush finish from my light
formula fused with extracts of cactus flower &
bamboo. I'm versatile to hold your style with
luscious shine. If you love your style, hold
onto it all day long."

 VERDICT:

OMG, this stuff smells so, so, so good! I love the scent. I love all the Herbal Essences fragrances. The scents are the basis of the appeal for me. I loved how I would spray this on in the morning and throughout the day, I would catch a whiff of my hair. So, so good. Major plus!

The hold was phenomenal. It worked for what I needed it to. This product was great at taming fly a ways. Did get hard and crunchy if too much was applied, of course. But the over all hold was excellent. Plus!

Price? Plus!

Ease of application? Plus!

Availability? Plus!

Packaging? Very pretty. Sleek. Never had a problem with a clogged pump. Dispensed hairspray evenly and easily every time. Plus!

So far so good...

Almost a perfect product. Almost.  So what was the downside for me? It made my scalp itch like crazy!! OMG, I cannot even tell you how bad it was. It was very bothersome. Really. My scalp did itch and flake more than with any other hairspray I have ever used. So, so sad. I really wanted to like this. And for the most part I did. My sister thinks it's the fragrance in the hairspray that caused the itching for me. Maybe. But the fragrance is what I adored about it.

I do have to say, I did finish all 8 fl oz of this stuff. Why? Because I had already bought it. Didn't want to see it go to waste. Oh well, I endured an itchy head for a while but my hair was always in place.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. I loved everything about it but the irritated scalp was the deal breaker for me. Scratching your head is not attractive.

What are your thoughts on this product? If you've tried it, tell me what you thought about it. Did your head itch too?? I'm really upset. I wanted this to work for me so bad.

SIDE NOTE:

Since finishing this hairspray, I have bought another one. A different brand. This new one has been working out a lot better. Stay tuned for a review on the new hairspray!

Here's to a good hair day,
XXOO,
--L.

AVON CAMPAIGN 26, 2010: HAUL

Where in the world have I been this February?!?! Seriously, where? What has been so important that I have abandoned my blog for over a week?? LIFE. I guess.

Oh my goodness, yes, life. So many things going on. Good and bad. I usually blog at the end of the day when the little ones are in bed but lately, I'm like, "forget that, I'm going to bed." So, so sad. I have been so exhausted that I cannot even think straight. Crazy, beautiful life.

So, since I'm on Project 5 Pan, I thought I would post some old hauls that I have. This is the oldest haul that I have. I got this back in December 2010. I have not used the products yet so no review just photos and swatches.

If you don't know by now, I do sell Avon and mark. so that is why you see a lot of Avon products on my blog. I have more Avon than anything else because 1) I sell it. I have to use it to know what I am selling and be able to recommend products. And 2) I get my purchases at a discount. Simple.

But since I started my blog, I have been buying a wider variety of brands of makeup. I mean, who wants to see a blog full of Avon products? It's not an Avon blog! In now way am I trying to get you to buy Avon. I'm just blogging about what I have. I like Avon, that's why I sell it. But honestly, I don't like all the products or colors or fragrances. I am not putting down the Avon company or name, I'm just being honest. I will not say I like something if I don't.

OK, with that being said, let's see what I bought back in Campaign 26.



Precision Glimmer Powder Eyeshadow
Dune



Precision Glimmer Powder Eyeshadow
Dune
Flash



Precision Glimmer Powder Eyeshadow
Dune
No flash




Glazewear Dimensions Lipstick
Nude Gold




Glazewear Dimensions Lipstick
Nude Gold
Flash




Glazewear Dimensions Lipstick
Nude Gold
No flash



Perfect Wear Extralasting Powder Eyeshadow
Coral Beat



Perfect Wear Extralasting Powder Eyeshadow
Coral Beat
Flash




Perfect Wear Extralasting Powder Eyeshadow
Coral Beat
No flash




Advance Techniques
Professional Hair Care
Intense Repair




"Formulated with Creatine plus a Repairing Polymer Complex to help
strengthen and repair brittle, damaged hair, this technologically
advanced leave-in lotion repairs up to 95% of damage from split ends
within a week of regular use."




Avon Nailwear Pro
Nail Enamel
Golden Wine




Avon Nailwear Pro
Nail Enamel
Golden Wine
Flash




Avon Nailwear Pro
Nail Enamel
Blue Flare




Avon Nailwear Pro
Nail Enamel
Blue Flare
Flash

So, there it is. Over all, I'm satisfied with the items I bought. The colors look nice to me. Is there anything here that you would like to see a review on?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have another blog post up tomorrow and get back in the swing of things.

Luv & Luk,
--L.

LOOK FOR INSPIRATION: VALENTINE'S DAY

♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, my Pretties! I do hope that this day has been a great one for you all. I hope that you got treated like the goddesses that you are and you also returned the favor by treating the love of your life like your very own Prince Charming. ♥

♥ Today I decided to do a quick LFI. I got to get back to spending time with my sweets! So any way, I saw on Twitter that a lot of you were saying that when you think of Valentine's Day, you think of the colors pink, red, and purple. And so those are the colors I chose for doing this look. ♥




Pretty simple, soft eyes...



looks more lavender when all blended together.



I rimmed my top and bottom lashes with a deep purple eyeliner.




I used a very pale pink on my lid, lavender in the crease and very lightly
added red above the lavender.
I used a matte white as my brow high light and a
shimmery white in my inner corner.




And pink lips, of course!

 ♥ So, what do you think? Did you "fall in love" with this look? It's simple, I think, and can easily be worn any other day of the year. I don't feel like it screams VALENTINE'S DAY but it might whisper it. ♥

♥ That's all for today, ladies. Just remember, if you are going to love one person for the rest of your life, make sure you love yourself. Treat everyday like Valentine's Day and tell those that you love that you love them every single day. It shouldn't have to be a holiday to express your love for one another. ♥

Luv & Luk,
--L.
♥♥XXOO♥♥

SUBBIE SATURDAY: 2/12/11

Another Saturday, another installment of Subbie Saturday!

I met this lady on Twitter. From the beginning she was a doll to me. So sweet. She's a really nice gal who I love to chat with. And when I found out she had a blog, I had to check it out.

You should too. It's a great blog.

So who is this week's beauty blogger in the spotlight??

AVI



Visit her blog at
Purple Eye Diamond

Avi has blog posts including FOTDs which everyone loves. She also does collection posts and posts on her top favorite items. Her blog also consists of product reviews and links to see her YouTube videos.

I like Avi's blog because she uses a variety of makeup brands. She uses higher end stuff like MAC, Urban Decay, Too Faced, MUFE but also utilizes the less expensive brands such as Avon, mark., NYX, and E.L.F. There's a little something for everyone!

Don't forget to check out her Tips n Tricks!, Nail of the week!, and Product of the week! pages.

On her blog, you'll find links to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Beautylish. I follow. I think it's a good idea if you do too.

I hope you take the time to check out Purple Eye Diamond if you haven't already. Show Ms. Avi some love. She deserves it for a wonderul blog!

Good luck to you, Avi, and here's to a successful blog!

Luv & Luk,
--L.



LOOK FOR INSPIRATION: WONDER WOMAN

Hello, My Pretties! How many of you are getting or planning on getting MAC's new collection featuring Wonder Woman. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on this collection. I guess avid MAC users aren't too impressed as they've seen these colors before. But as for me, I have very, very few MAC items and I just got them in December of last year for my birthday and Christmas. I guess I'm giving the Wonder Woman collection a little more slack since I'm not familiar with MAC and everything is impressive to me.

But, I am not going to buy anything since I am still on Project 5 Pan. (Update: I still have not finished anything. Not even the ones that were close to being finished!) So, to soothe my soul, I decided to try something fun. I used the primary colors associated with Wonder Woman--yellow, blue, and red--and I did a look that I think turned out quite fun!

Since I can't buy anything off the Wonder Woman collection, I used her as my inspiration for painting my face! I hope you will find this as an inspiration as well.

And whether or not we buy something from the MAC Wonder Woman collection or not, never forget that we all are WONDERFUL WOMEN!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

2/11/11 FOTD: BROWN BASICS

Yesterday I did an LFI using a basic brown eye look as my base and spiced it up with gold glitter. I was on the fence about the glitter but you ladies assured me that the gold was the best part of the look. So, then I was happy.

But, I do have to admit that I did like the look without the glitter more. I decided to do this FOTD because I was in love with the basic brown look. Honestly, I LOVE this look!

This is the same look as yesterday, without the glitter. I did it the same way. I used the same colors. Maybe you will love this one too.

Today's face ingredients.

FACE:

• Avon Smooth Mineral Makeup Powder Natural SPF 15 in Bisque (P5P item)
• Avon Smooth Mineral Blush in Golden Glow (P5P item)

EYES:

• E.L.F. Eyelid Primer in Sheer
• E.L.F. Beauty Book Smoky Eye Edition
• E.L.F. Beauty Book Eye Brights Edition
• Avon Color Trend Eye Liner in Black (waterline)
• Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara (1 coat, top and bottom lashes)
• Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara (1 coat, top and bottom lashes)

LIPS:

• Avon Dew Kiss Lip Balm
• Avon Color Rich Cool Bliss Lipstick in Glacial Brown



E.L.F. SMOKY EYE EDITION

Brow Highlight & Inner Tear Duct (row 1, column 1)
Upper Lash Line Eye Liner (row 1, column 3)
Lower Lash Line Liner (row 3, column 4)

E.L.F. EYE BRIGHTS EDITION

Eye Lid (row 3, column 1)
1st Crease Color (row 1, column 4)
2nd Crease Color (row 2, column 4)



Not to toot my own horn but TOOT TOOT! I am so happy with this look. I honestly think this is the best look I have ever done. So simple. I think this would look fabulous on anyone. I just might have to make this my go to look.

I hope you Pretties enjoy this one. Thanks for stopping by!

Luv & Luk,

--L.

LOOK FOR INSPIRATION: GOLD GLITTER

For some reason, this morning I got struck with a surge of creativity. I was just itching to do my makeup. More than usual. I had a little extra time today so I did everything at a slower pace and really enjoyed the entire process.

I did a very neutral look. White, cream, brown, and bronze. So where is the creativity, you ask? I just decided to throw on some gold glitter. I don't know why. I just felt like doing something unlike me.

Although, I will admit, I liked the look better without the gold, the finished product wasn't horrible. I send out a twit pic on Twitter and I got a lot of good feed back on it. So, I decided to share with you and get your thoughts of today's LFI.

And here are some pics.

I'm still on the fence about this one. I would rather have put silver glitter but I didn't have any. Maybe the gold would have looked better if I had applied it differently. Hmmm...

I'm thinking that I might to an FOTD on the look before the glitter because I really liked that look a lot. Would you all like to see that?

Oh well, at the end of the day, this is still an LFI. Do what you will with it. Use different color glitter. If you do your version of this look, link me to it. I would love to see it! You Pretties inspire me.

Luv & Luk,

--L.

A GIFT OF GOODIES FOR ME

One night while on Twitter back in January, I was talking to some of my gals on there when one of them, Cathy, sent me a DM. She asked me if I would be interested in receiving some makeup goodies for free. Cathy told me that she had makeup in excess and she didn't want to see these items go to waste. At first, I wasn't sure what to think. Was she for real? Why would someone who loves make up just give it away. And why would she give it away to me??

So, sweet Cathy, told me she wanted to give her stuff to someone who would appreciate it. I definitely appreciated it. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it. Thank you so much, Cathy. I don't think you will ever know just how much that meant to me.

I received my package, two boxes actually, on January 24th. I was expecting them that Friday but they showed up on Wednesday, I believe. Came on such a good day. It's fast delivery was unexpected. There was a knock on my door and when I opened it to see the mailman standing there with two boxes in his hand, I almost screamed! But I didn't. I didn't want him to think I was a crazy woman.

So, you dolls want to see what Miss Cathy sent me? I think you do!



OMG, my goodies have arrived!




Aw, this was so sweet. She sent me a hand written note...
on her own personal stationary. Too cute.




Box #1 opened up.




Wow! E.L.F. I love E.L.F!




Makeup Geek brush.
I love Marlena of Makeup Geek!
She's, like, famous to me :)



I just about died when I saw the Leishi and Lamei pigments.



This was in box #2.
The little black bag was super heavy.
I wonder what's inside...




What?? All of this was inside!




More E.L.F.!
So many colors and products I have never tried.
And the mini mascaras are awesome.



Sooo pretty but I didn't know what it was.
Clutch, maybe?



Nope. A set of Crown brushes.
Beautiful!

 I was thrilled when I received these gifts. I did want to blog about it but I didn't know if I should. I didn't want you ladies to feel like I was bragging. I'm not. Am I excited? Yes! Am I amazed by the amount of goodies she sent me? Yes! But I also am very grateful and feel very undeserving. I take this gesture to heart. She wanted to help someone out who was just starting. No one else has ever done anything like this for me before. I am still in awe.

That night that she sent me the DM and I agreed and I accepted her gift, I asked her how I could pay her for the shipping. She even declined me paying for that! Can you believe her? I mean, wow! This just seemed too good to be true. I told my sweetheart about it and even he was a little leery of it. All understandable but I had a feeling that Cathy was the real deal. And she is. I adore her!

When I say that I adore her, some of you might think it's just because she "bought" my feelings with gifts. Do the gifts have anything to do with it? Honestly, yes. I say yes because by her giving me these goodies, free and clear, it shows me what kind of person she really is. Like I said, who would give something away to someone they don't know all that well for free and not want anything back for it? Not a whole lot of people, that's for sure. And yes, maybe the stuff she gave me she had duplicates of or she just didn't like them. It doesn't matter. What matters is the intention which she gave them to me. She solely wanted to help me out.

I'm happy with my gifts and I have given them a good home because I love them and I appreciate where they came from, who they came from, and the good intentions they came with. It's kind of crazy how much a absolutely adore cosmetics and how I treat them like my little babies. Is that weird?

Any way, I just wanted to share this incredible gesture with you all. Honest and genuine people still exist. Cathy and I still chat when we can on Twitter and I visit her blog often. She is definitely someone I can see myself being friends with for a very, very long time.

Cathy, you are a true doll. You are a very sweet person and I appreciate the gift you have sent me, the support and advice you have given me, the :) and bahahas you have shared with me, and the kindness you have shown me. Take care, friend. I'll talk with you later!

Luv & Luk,
--L.