Hair | The Blush Brush

Oct 25, 2012

Haircare Fail: Joico Smooth Cure Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner

This Joico Smooth Cure Shampoo and Conditioner was such a disappointment for me. My hair is frizzy but not frizzy enough for this smoothing shampoo and conditioner. It left my hair feeling so heavy and greasy that it was almost impossible to style after using.

The smell of this stuff is wonderful and I’m a big fan of other Joico products but these two particular products don’t work well for me together or on their own. I knew there was a chance these might be too heavy for my hair but I was hoping that with the way shampoo and conditioner formulas have improved that I could get silky smooth hair without my hair feeling flat. This was not the case.

I realize my hair type might not be a right fit for this product so if yours is you’re lucky because this stuff smells so good!

Shop Below:

Joico

Jun 7, 2012

Posted by Holly | 0 Comments

Leave-In Hair Treatment Review (Great Drugstore Buy): Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream

This was mentioned in my May Favorites Post but I wanted to do a full review because this product has been so wonderful to my hair. As mentioned many times before I have very dry damaged hair from years of coloring and styling and I need to use products to counter act that or I end up with a super frizzy and brittle mess after showering. I love higher end masques and oils for my but I recently ran out of my Macadamia Deep Repair Masque and did not have it in my budget to buy a new jar. I still really love that product and plan on purchasing it again ( I think, this Cantu stuff is so good I might not have to?) but for now I wanted something cheaper. So I set off to Target to find something to use for the time being. I have tried some of Pantene’s deep conditioners and really wasn’t impressed so I decided to look for some brands that I’d never tried before. I didn’t do any research or anything before I left and decided I would just pick something out randomly. I came across this jar of Cantu Shea Butter leave in repair cream and had to buy it when I saw it was only 5 dollars. To be honest I thought this was a conditioner to use in the shower but after getting it home I realized it was a leave-in treatment that did not get rinsed out. I was disappointed at first because all I had in my shower was regular conditioner, which is never moisturizing enough for me, but after using this Cantu product one time my hair was so soft and silky it didn’t matter what conditioner I used in the shower.

So anyways, now that I rambled for a whole paragraph I’ll give you some more details about the actual product. I found this in the ethnic hair section and the jar says it is made with pure shea butter and will stop and mend hair breakage, leaves hair soft and manageable and is formulated for severely damage, dry or coarse hair. The product is a cream and you need very very little to get the desired results. This jar will literally last me 2 lifetimes. I use it on my damp hair and apply it mostly to the ends and then whatever residue is left on the rest of my hair, including my roots. I then brush through my hair to distribute it evenly. I worried that this would be heavy and make my hair greasy but it’s surprisingly light. I’ve been using this for about 3 weeks now and haven’t noticed any build-up with it. I don’t believe any hair products will stop breakage but this leaves my hair incredibly soft and full. I have no fly aways or frizz and a great shine to my hair. The scent of this reminds me of coconut but it isn’t over-powering.

Personally, I find this is blowing my Its a 10 leave-in conditioner out of the water in terms of results and I really liked Its a 10.

Texture of product

Now I probably wouldn’t recommend this is you don’t have super dry hair. I feel like any of the products I use would probably be too much for someone who has healthy hair. If your hair is brittle and coarse though this will just instantly absorb into your strands and make such a difference. Plus it’s so cheap! $5 dollars for all this product is crazy, but amazing if you are on a budget. If you are someone who is spending 30 dollars a bottle on salon brand leave-in conditioners I would give this a try.

This is the amount of product I use. My hair is very thick and the length is mid-way down my back. You do not need a lot of this.

If you can’t find this at the store you can buy it at the link below ( Try and find it at the store though so you don’t pay shipping, it’s such a good deal!) :

Apr 11, 2012

Posted by Holly | 1 Comment

First Impression/Quick Review: Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment

I received a sample of this Ojon Damage Repair Treatment with a recent purchase from Sephora and while I don’t normally like to write a review without testing a product for a few days/weeks I was so impressed with this stuff I wanted to get my first impressions out there after one use.

This was really easy to use, you applied some of the paste to your hands (They recommend 1-1/2 teaspoons) and warm between your palms until it dissolves into an oil. Then apply onto dry hair. Keep repeating this step until your hair and scalp is covered ( I have really long thick hair so I needed more than the suggested amount to cover all my hair) Next comb through hair and wait 20 minutes. I left this on for about an hour before I rinsed it in the shower then shampooed and followed up with my normal Macadamia Oil Deep repair mask.

I only used this one time and I saw an immediate improvement in my hair this morning. It was extremely soft and shiny but still had lots of volume. I was worried that since this was an oil it would somehow weigh my hair down but I didn’t have that problem at all. I was so impressed with the feel of my hair this morning that I’m going to purchase a full-size jar this week. Besides my macadamia hair mask not many other hair treatments have wowed me but I’m an instant fan of this even after just one use. I can only imagine how my hair will improve after a few weeks.

Now I have extremely damaged, dry, frizzy hair so I’m not sure if this would be too intense for someone with normal hair but my strands loved it. The only con I would say is the smell. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t great either. Just kind of blah. I would highly recommend getting a sample of this and trying it out for yourself.

Things To Know:

1. This is a weekly treatment

2. It can be left on overnight or used with heat for a more intense treatment

3. This washes out easily and should be followed up with a shampoo. This didn’t specify to use a conditioner as well but I used my normal hair mask and a leave-in conditioner

4. This is applied to dry hair

Mar 27, 2012

Posted by Holly | 0 Comments

Not Your Mother’s: Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo

This post is for one of my best friend’s Alana. I’ve known her since we were little babies and she is one of the most naturally gorgeous girls I’ve ever met. She’s this amazing natural looking version of Jennifer Aniston and I love her. Anyways, she recently asked me some advice on how to help her hair hold style and volume better and I suggested a dry shampoo. I’m a number one fan of dry shampoo and I think they work wonders for all hair. They absorb oil and dirt so you can wash your hair less ( washing hair everyday is a big don’t) and gives squeaky clean hair that second-day dirty hair texture so it will hold volume and style longer.

Recently I’ve been loving Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo. This costs 6.99 and can be found at Ulta, Wal-Mart and CVS. It’s a much cheaper version of my other favorite Tigi’s Dirty Secret and I think it works just as well.

This does have a powdery white cast but if you brush it out you can get it to look invisible. Personally I prefer the powdery versions of dry shampoos as opposed to the clear versions even though I have dark hair. I have no real reasoning behind thinking this it’s just my personal opinion. I feel like the powder absorbs oil better or something.

I also really like the smell of this product. It isn’t overpowering and it doesn’t linger all day. It makes your hair smell clean but then it dissipates and you forget you even sprayed it on.

I use this everyday before styling to add texture and volume to my hair. If my hair is clean it helps my hair hold style and if it’s clean it freshens everything up and adds volume. After I apply I either run a brush through my strands or just use my fingers to tease my roots.

Overall this is a great dry shampoo. It’s affordable, easy to find, and really good quality for a drugstore product. I highly recommend this brand and dry shampoo in general!

Hopefully this helps you Alana

Feb 11, 2012

Posted by Holly | 0 Comments

Not Your Mother’s: She’s A Tease Volumizing Hairspray

Not Your Mother’s She’s A Tease Volumizing Hairspray is one of my go-to hairsprays especially when I wear extensions or do a lot of teasing. I’m really picky about hairspray and I find no matter what other brands I have sitting in my hair products basket I usually reach for this one. I like this product because no matter how I much I spray my hair never feels crunchy when I use it. I love how it holds waves and curls and if you use it for teasing you can still brush it out easily later on if you have to. This is also my favorite hairspray to use when I wear my extensions. It doesn’t leave too much residue on them and I can brush them out super easily at the end of they day no matter how much hairspray I used. The only thing I’m not crazy about is this smell. It’s infused with apple blossom and bamboo and while the smell isn’t bad it is pretty strong.

Things To Know:

1. This hairspray cost me $5.99 at Ulta. While it isn’t the cheapest hairspray it isn’t the most expensive either and I think it’s worth the money.

2. If you have extensions I recommend this as a great hairspray to use when you’re wearing them.

3. This holds tease well but is easy to brush out if you mess up.

4. This is marketed as a firm hold hairspray. I agree, your hair will still have some movement when you use this and my curls and waves usually hold throughout most of the work day.

5. Since it doesn’t make your hair crunchy this is a great hairspray to keep in your purse for touch-ups throughout the day. Spritz the length of your hair and then scrunch or wrap around your fingers for a quick boost of texture if your locks are falling flat towards the end of the day!

6. Pass on this spray if you aren’t a fan of scented hairspray.

My overall opinion, this is a great everyday hairspray. Don’t pass this up if you are in Ulta and looking to try something new.

Jan 31, 2012

Posted by Holly | 0 Comments

GUD Vanilla Flame Natural Nourishing Shampoo

I’m a sucker for in-store displays and the last time I was at Wal-Green’s they had this GUD Vanilla Flame Natural Nourishing Shampoo set on the counter near the cash register so I picked it up. It seemed interesting and the packaging said it was from Burt’s Bees so I figured that was a plus. Unfortunately this was one of those last minute buys I wish I had passed on. It retails for $6.99 but that week it was on sale for 20% off. It’s marketed as an all-natural, parabens, phthalates and petrochemicals free.

The shampoo is supposed to have a “luscious foaminess” while being nourishing for your hair. This stuff did not get foamy for me and my hair felt extra dry after rinsing it out. The smell was pretty bland as well. I usually love vanilla scents but this fell flat for me. The only thing that saved me was using my Macadamia Natural Oil Repair Masque

I’m not sure how many others have seen this line in the drugstore and I couldn’t find any other reviews so I thought I would throw this up really quick. I definitely don’t think this would ever be worth 7 bucks and I think you are mostly paying for the gimmick of an all-natural product. Skip this and buy a shampoo you know you’ll like!

Jan 30, 2012

Posted by Holly | 1 Comment

My Holy Grail Miracle Best Hair Product I’ve Ever Found- Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Hair Masque

Anyone who watches youtube beauty channels or follows popular beauty blogs has probably had a few experiences where they spent big money on a product that was raved about online only to try it out at home and be more than a little disappointed. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Hair Masque was one of those products I felt would be mostly hype with little results. I’ve read and watched tons of glowing reviews but never wanted to shell out the 30 dollars to buy this product. However, I received a giftcard to Ulta over Christmas so I didn’t feel as guilty about picking this up.

*Cue the the trumpets, flashing lights, applause, drum roll and any other sound that signifies unadulterated joy*

THIS STUFF IS AMAZING.

Just to give you a little background on my hair, it’s super thick, long, color-treated, wavy/curly, frizzy and overall ridiculously damaged from years of styling, straightening, bleaching, redying etc. I just recently stripped the black out of it, bleached my ends, redyed it a chocolate brown and added caramel low lights. I’m also a big believer in teasing, ratting, hair extensions, and trying out new hair styles. Needless to say I’ve always had an extremely hard time finding products that can make my hair soft, shiny and smooth but still hold shape and style.

That’s where this hair masque comes in, after one use of this conditioner my hair felt like a new texture. It was softer, less frizzy and had a really beautiful natural shine. Now that I have been using it for over a month I feel like my hair has much more natural volume, holds curl longer and is smoother and shinier. This is not an exaggeration or hype, this stuff is just amazing. (Not to mention it smells delicious)

Personally I had never really used a higher end hair masque before this. I have used the Pantene deep-conditioner for medium/thick hair ( It comes in that little square jar and costs about 6 dollars) but there is no comparison. I also use leave-in conditioner and Moroccan oil serums but nothing has made a difference like this product. With other conditioners I always feel like no matter how long I rinse there is always a bit of a heaviness left on my hair but with this product I feel no build-up or residue. My hair is just light and soft but with lots of texture so it will still hold teasing, curls or wave.

Now obviously the one con is that this product is expensive but I will definitely repurchase this over and over again. A little goes a long way too, so I think the 8.5 fl ounces that comes in the jar will last me awhile.

How I Use it:

The first time I used this conditioner I shampooed, squeezed out the excess water and after applying the Masque I left it in my hair overnight. The next morning I rinsed it out and styled as usual. However my regular routine with this stuff is to apply it after I shampoo and then leave it on between 5-7 minutes. I just go ahead and do the rest of my shower stuff, shave my legs, wash my face etc. Since I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week I actually use this every wash and it has replaced my normal conditioner. As an FYI the jar recommends using it only 2 times a week.

Things To Know:

-You can try out a sample of this stuff at Ulta. They sell little packets of it for around 4 dollars.

- I’ve recommended this to my mom, her co-workers, my best friend and my sisters

- I still use a leave-in conditioner after I use this stuff, usually my Its a 10 or Hask Placenta Leave-In Conditoner ( Click the highlighted links for reviews on those products)

- I’ve seen this sold on amazon.com for around 13 dollars but I read a lot of reviews saying it was not the real product so be careful if you buy from those sites!

Let me know if you try this product and have the same great results!

Nov 2, 2011

Posted by Holly | 0 Comments

2 Hair Products I Wish I Hadn’t Spent Money On!

I have crazy hair. People always tell me how lucky I am to have curly thick hair but it’s hard to manage, hard to take care of and lots of days I wish I could just wear a wig or shave it off. Problems I have with my hair include, frizz, crazy unruly curls when allowed to dry naturally, TONS of breakage and an overall stubborness to co-operate with me.

Since I need to spend so much time battling my hair into shiny submission I’ve spent lots of money and time trying new hair products. Most of the time I can get a product to work for me some way or another but there are a few things I’ve purchased I just do not like. Now, I’m not saying other people can’t have success with them but I personally can’t stand using them.

First is the big sexy hair Spray and Stay hair spray. Luckily I bought this during Ulta’s breast cancer awareness sale so I only spent 7.00 dollars on it. I think the normal price is between 14-18 bucks. Now, I wanted to love this hairspray because I love big hair and if it can be sexy looking too that’s a bonus! I’m pretty sure I’ve tried the normal hair spray in this line and liked it but this all-nighter spray was the worst. It made my hair sticky and super stiff and I had zero time to play around and adjust my strands after spraying it on. There was no going back and fixing my hair style once I used this. I HATE that. Plus, the smell was too sweet for me and kept bothering me all day. I gave this more than one try and just couldn’t get it to work for me.

Second is the Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. This product smells sooo good I wish I liked it but it made my hair so dry. I’ve used other sea salt sprays and I know you’ll always have some dryness with them but I felt like this one made my hair look so lifeless. Also once I sprayed this in my hair I couldn’t get it to hold any extra wave or curl. It just made my locks kind of limp, greasy (yet dry?) and frizzy. It only cost 5 dollars but I was so excited to use it was definitely a let down. Overall I just kind of hated it

Nov 2, 2011

Posted by Holly | 1 Comment

Not Your Mother’s Girl Powder: Volumizing Hair Powder

I love big hair. I have been ratting and teasing since higschool and everytime someone calls me Snooki I want to scream at them I had big hair first (but I don’t because I’m polite)

I use alot of different methods to achieve my big hair but usually teasing and hairspray. However, I have discovered a powder that instantly plumps up my roots with barely any teasing or hair spray and holds it there all day. It’s amazing to me how fast and easy this powder is to use and how big I can get my hair with it. It’s from the Not Your Mother’s hair care line which I have had both hits and misses with. This volumizing powder is definitely a great find though.

What It Does and How I Use it: Basically I shake a tiny bit of this powder onto the roots of my hair right from the bottle ( a little goes a long way) and then with my fingers I push up on my roots working it in with my fingers. I don’t know how it does it but your hair instantly will gain fullness and height. I do a little teasing if needed but usually the powder works well enough on its own. Lastly I shake a little bit of the powder into my hands and tousle my fingers through the rest of my hair to get additional body. Your hair will look thicker and more texturized. Now, my preference is to use this on days I wear my hair wavy or curly but I’m sure it works on straight hair. You can use this throughout the day if your hair begins to fall flat.

Things to know: The bottle will seem empty when you buy it! Since it’s just a light powder it literally feels like their is no product in it, but there is! My bottle has lasted me almost a year now because you don’t need much when you use it. The powder itself is a shimmery white but it blends into dark hair without any problems. My hair is black and I’ve never had a problem with it. I don’t recommend using this as a substitute for dry shampoo. I’ve tried that before and it doesn’t do a good job of soaking up grease in oily hair. I think you’ll have the best results on first or second day hair. Also, I use this on days I wear my extensions and I have had no problems.

Cons: If you use too much it can make your hair a little stiff and hard to brush through which I hate so don’t go crazy with it!

I bought my bottle at ULTA for only 5 dollars but it is not available on their online store. I heard you can purchase it at Wal-Mart but I haven’t seen it yet here in Michigan. If you like big hair or just want some extra body I would definitely recommend trying this

Here’s some pictures of my hair after I used this product

Oct 21, 2011

Posted by Holly | 2 Comments

Beauty Mystery

So, I went to go use my TIGI Rockaholic Dry Shampoo this morning (which I love and got on sale for only 7 dollars at Ulta last Saturday!) and the entire bottle is gone!