Showing posts with label hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hair. Show all posts

LUSH Head Case

    Confession: I am a total LUSH junkie.  If you don't know LUSH, it's an eco-friendly/natural body shop.  You'll be able to smell it down the block.  They're most famous for their soaps and ball bombs/bubble bars, but since I hate solid soap and I don't take bathes, I've been struggling to find something for me at LUSH.  I really wanted to like something from the store, since I love their brand mission and their products smell amazing.

    Well, I found four new favorite things!  Right now, LUSH has 3 limited edition 'Head Case' sets for sale.  They're sets of 4 hair products, each with three sample size products and one full size solid shampoo bar, and they're all just under $24.  There's a Volume & Shine box (which I got), a Protect & Nourish box (meant for curly/frizzy hair) and a Balance & Repair box (for damaged hair).



    The Volume & Shine box has a 3.4 ounce tub of Marilyn deep conditioner, which is about an $8.50 value (look at me doing math), a 1.6 ounce tub of Big shampoo, a $3.20ish value, a 3.3 ounce bottle of Veganese conditioner, a $5.25 value, and a full size Total Shine solid shampoo bar, which retails for $10.  So that's about a $27 value.  It's not an amazing deal, but it is a good chance to try out a ton of LUSH hair products and find out if any of them work for you.


    So here's the Marilyn deep conditioner and the Big shampoo.  Marilyn was the one thing that I was least excited about.  It's a deep conditioner and brightening treatment for blondes.  I am a natural blonde, but I dye my hair for a reason.  I most certainly do not want a mask that makes me blonde.  So I did a little Googling, and it turns out that this can lighten you a little/add a few golden tones if you have actual blonde hair, but on my dyed dark hair it won't do anything.  It's packed full of chamomile, olive and linseed oils, and a bunch of citrus oils and juices.  It has a very thin, goopy consistency that made it hard to get out of the pot, and smells like olive oil with a hint of lemon.  Now, LUSH doesn't use silicones, which are what make your hair feel all slippery and smooth with normal conditioners and masks.  So this may not feel very effective--it really feels like runny lotion.  But once your hair dries it does add a lot of shine and softness.  The smell lingers pleasantly, and my hair feels happy, so I'm pleased with it.  I probably wouldn't purchase the full size just because I don't want lightening agents anywhere near my hair, but it is a lovely conditioner.  Big shampoo is my favorite product from this box.  It also looks the weirdest.  It actually looks like a salt scrub in the tub, and it honestly smells like laundry detergent to me (very cottony and clean).  I stared at it for a while in the shower before I could work up the courage to use it.  You need about a nickel sized amount, and you rub it vigorously into very wet hair.  It lathers up a lot, and the salt kind of melts away, leaving your hair and scalp feeling very refreshed.  I was a little scared of the idea of washing my hair with a shampoo that has salt and salt water and seaweed infusion in it, since my hair does not do beach hair well, but this stuff is MAGICAL.  It makes my hair feel so soft and look so shiny, and gives it a TON of volume.  I have thick, flat, normal/not-oily hair, and this manages to add texture while still making my hair feel clean but not dried out.  I imagine it would be wonderful for oily, thin or limp hair.  The only downside is that Big isn't cheap (the full size tub is $23), but this is a once or twice a week shampoo.  It would be very drying it used on a daily basis, since it's meant to strip all the product residue out of your hair.  That means even though it ain't cheap, it will last you a long while.


    Here are Veganese conditioner and Ultimate Shine solid shampoo bar.  Veganese is a 100% vegan conditioner (no lanolin), and is full of rosemary, lavender, and seaweed infusion.  It's a pale creamy yellow with the consistency of thin lotion, and smells like rosemary and lavender.  The herbal smell doesn't linger long, however.  Again, since this has no silicones it doesn't feel like it's doing much in the shower, and it certainly won't work out any stubborn tangles.  This is LUSH's lightest conditioner, so it's great for keeping your hair from getting weighed down when you want a lot of volume.  I have dry ends, and this is a little on the light side for me.  It made my hair really soft and shiny and happy, but my ends were still a little parched.  I think Veganese could be great for girls with thin hair that's easily weighed down.  Ultimate Shine shampoo bar is my second LUSH shampoo bar.  They're these little hockey pucks of concentrated solid shampoo, and once you get used to using them they are AMAZING.  I like them for traveling, since you can put them in your carry-on, and they'll never spill all over your luggage, plus they're so much lighter than a bottle of shampoo.  Plus, they last forever.  My only issue is storage, since these need to dry completely before being put into any, or they'll basically melt onto whatever surface you put them on.  The Ultimate Shine bar has glitter (?!), violet leaf, gardenia extract, elemi tree oil, and smells just like eucalyptus to me.  The scent doesn't last, however, and neither does the glitter, thankfully.  Ultimate Shine lathers up really nicely, and leaves my hair feeling clean and soft.  It doesn't add texture or body, but it does get rid of any excess oil without stripping hair dry.  My hair is naturally very shiny, so I can't say if it adds shine.


    You can only get these sets in store, so hop over to your local lush now!

    Overall I'd give this set an A-/B+.  I'd give Big an A+, since it's possibly my favorite shampoo of all time, and Ultimate Shine a B+ for being a good, dependable (if not mindblowing) shampoo.  I'd give Veganese an A-, because even though it's not great for me I think it's still a great conditioner for most people, and Marilyn gets a B for being a decent deep conditioner.

    Images via amazon.com, beautyjunkielondon.com.

Post Title

LUSH Head Case


Post URL

https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/07/lush-head-case.html


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Review: Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner, or The Post In Which I Eat My Words

    If you asked me a week ago how I felt about Garnier Fructis, I would have trashed it relentlessly.  I used to use their shampoo and conditioner in high school because they smell great, and then I realized that they were completely trashing my hair and leaving a ton of build-up and I haven't gone near the brand since.


    So last weekend (or last last weekend? Hm) I was at CVS looking for a new hair serum.  I have no loyalty when it comes to hair serums and creams, I really just want something that will condition my ends and keep them from being fried but also won't leak everywhere when I travel (such a pet peeve).  This stuff was on sale for like $2, which was so cheap that I got over my brand hatred and got it.  And I am so glad I did.  I think I tweeted a few days ago about how my hair was being weirdly shiny, and I realized that this is why.




    So what this claims to do is use Acai berry and grape seed oil to condition your hair and then use UVA & UVB protectants (aka sunscreen) to keep your hair color from fading.  First off, I love, love, love that this has sunscreen in it.  Even though I have the biggest issues with fading on my roots, which is not a place that I'd put a serum, I like that my ends are getting some protection--and I feel like the sun can dry out your hair too, so maybe the sunscreen helps keep in moisture?  I really don't know.  My understanding of chemistry is amusingly limited.


    The leave-in conditioner (it's really just a serum) itself is clear and has a really interesting texture.  It looks like it should feel oily, and it looks oily, but the texture itself is more lotiony.  It won't leave your hands oily, and it absorbs really quickly.  I really, really like it.  Also since it's not heavy, I think it will work nicely on thin hair textures too.  I use about a quarter sized amount on wet hair (and I have medium-long, VERY thick hair for reference), but you can also use it on dry hair.  It smells like generic tropical berries--nothing mindblowing, but it's yummy.


    This stuff makes my hair so soft, even my fried ends!  I didn't buy this to make my hair shiny, as I just naturally have very shiny hair, but I think this stuff actually makes my hair shinier, which is difficult.  But it just really makes my hair feel so healthy and soft and easy to comb through.  I don't know if it's physically making my hair healthier, but it sure feels so much healthier.  I've gotten more compliments on my hair (including the smell!), and basically my hair loves this stuff.


    I doubt that it's going to make my color last longer, but it definitely works as a leave-in conditioner, it smells yummy, and it was very, very cheap.  So overall, this is an A+ for me.  It's $6.99 at drugstore.com.



    Image via drugstore.com.

Post Title

Review: Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner, or The Post In Which I Eat My Words


Post URL

https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-garnier-fructis-leave-in.html


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Q&A and Pretty Things

    Sooo today I got asked to answer some questions for Rebecca Minkoff's official Tumblr (if you aren't familiar with the brand, she makes adorable handbags and accessories), and since some of the questions were fun I thought I'd copy the post here.  It's mostly about things I like and LA in general (where I hear it's actually warm now.  Unlike Boston where it is the middle of April and still barely 50 degrees and raining.  Not amused).


    Here's the post:


    What are your top three…
    LA spots: The Huntington Gardens, a huge collection of various themed gardens that are great for impromptu photoshoots, Pinkberry, cliche but still pretty amazing (and necessary in the LA heat), and Buster’s Coffee, a fab retro coffee shop tucked away in Pasadena where you always feel like a ‘regular.’
    Things to see in LA with an out-of-towner: Rodeo Drive for the fun, stereotypical LA experience, Venice Beach Boardwalk for a more unusual but still quinessential look at LA culture, and the La Brea Tar Pits, because what other major metropolitan city has a bunch of tar pits with dinosaurs sticking out of them in the middle of its downtown area?
    Cities: Los Angeles because it’s my hometown, Prague because it’s like a real life Disneyland, and London for the shopping.
    Musicians: Florence + The Machine for when I’m feeling a little offbeat or ethereal, ADELE for her amazing voice and touching lyrics, and Taylor Swift for cliche, if catchy songs to sing in the shower (where no one will judge you for liking them).
    TV shows: Secret Diary of a Call Girl: ridiculously trashy, but well-done and starring some amazing outfits.  True Blood: vampires, camp, and Southern culture.  What more could you want?  Mad Men: both for the nuanced story lines and the fantastic, period-accurate costumes.
    Blogs: Cupcakes and Cashmere: the cutest combination of adorable clothes, recipes, and decorating tips, Garance Dore: the famous French street style blogger, and Temptalia: the best makeup reviews and swatches you’ll find on the Internet.
    Things to do on a rainy day: Curl up with a blanket inside and watch Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version, of course), play dress-up in my closet, or bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie (my specialty).
    Things to do on a sunny day: Drive around in LA with the windows down listening to obnoxiously loud and happy music, ride my horse, or sit outside with a giant glass of iced tea while reading a book.
    Ways to relax: Painting my nails, watching trashy TV, and hanging out with my adorable fox terrier Sophie.
    Books: Pride and Prejudice: who doesn’t love this book?  It’s got romance, drama, hilarious relatives and endearingly real characters who actually make mistakes.  100 Years of Solitude: whether you read this in English or in Spanish, this book is stunningly well-written and inspiring, in it’s own dark, mystical sort of way.  The Custom of the Country: the original Gossip Girl (Leighton Meester actually studied the main character while prepping to be Blair), this novel chronicles the rise of a sociopathic 20th century social climber.


    One an unrelated but pretty note, here are 3 cheerful summer accessories I'm craving: Raffia Braid Sunhat by Hat Attack, $80 at hatattack.com, Emi-Jay Jewel Collection Hair Ties, $10.99 at emi-jay.com, Kenneth Jay Lane Enamel Branch Cuff, $187 at shopbop.com: I want a cute sun hat.  Of course, that would imply that I was living somewhere sunny (ahem, I'm bitter), but I've been watching a lot of Jane Austen, which always makes me want to frolic around in a sun hat and drink tea.  I have the tea part down, but I need a hat.  I like this one because it's not too wide as to be ridiculous, the raffia is a pretty natural huge, and the chain/floral detail give it a fun, edgy/girly twist.  I've blogged about these hair ties before, but I've never been able to justify buying them because, well, they're glorified hair ties.  But I've seen them on a lot of girls recently, and they just look so cute and pulled together in contrast with a regular elastic.  They come in different colors but my favorites are the jewel tones--they're still fun and bright, but they're a little more sophisticated than a neon.  How adorable is this coral shaped turquoise cuff?!  It's so great for summer because the coral itself is unexpected but perfect for summer since it's so beachy, and the bright blue is just such a fun pop of color.  I'd love this with a white sundress and some brown, cowboyish boots.

    Images via: hatattack.com, emi-jay.com, shopbop.com.

Post Title

Q&A and Pretty Things


Post URL

https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/04/q-and-pretty-things.html


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Pre-Summer Cravings

    The weather hit 60 degrees today, so obviously all I can think about today is summer, and all the things I want to wear for summer time.  Which is unfortunate, because there is actually still snow on the ground in Boston.  HOW DOES THIS EVEN WORK WEATHERWISE?  I don't understand. Bleh.  Here are some pretty summery things:


    Kim Kardashian, Frye Catrin Trapunto Sandals, on sale fore $123 at zappos.com: I need to be more adventurous with my hair styles.  I have very, very thick, slippery hair that refuses to do much more than go into a ponytail (and a rebellious ponytail at that).  But I have a soft spot for cute little braids, a la LC from the Hills.  I love the bombshell waves Kim is working here, and the skinny braids poking out add such a fun, boho twist on the look that I'm going to have to try this look.  If these shoes came in my size still, I would have ordered them already.  I need more shoes, heels especially, and I love the idea of a casual heel.  The medium brown is so versatile, the platform and thick heel makes these practical, and the thick straps are so boho-sassy.  These with a little white sundress = heaven.

    Ray-Ban Oversized Wayfarers, $145 at shopbop.com, MAC Freckletone Lipstick, $14.50 at maccosmetics.com: I promise I will stop blogging oversized Wayfarers.  Eventually.  Maybe.  I just love them so much but can't justify buying them because I 
    have two pairs of Ray-Bans already...but I want them.  Cry.  I think oversized sunglasses with a structured shape like these are so flattering and so glamorous.  Plus (my favorite part) they are so great for people watching!  Nobody knows that you're looking at them in these.  I realize that sounds mildly creepy, but you all know what I'm talking about, right?  I've been searching for a good nude lipstick for a while now.  Lipstick in general scares me, because I literally only wear lip balm and the occasional pink lip gloss, but there's something so appealing in warm weather about a nude, natural peachy-pink lip.  Especially with the winged eyeliner that I like to wear--a red lip would be far too retro fab.

     Coconut Iced Coffee, Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder, $28 at sephora.com: Check out that recipe from Coconut Iced Coffee.  It looks SO GOOD.  I love me some iced coffee, and coconut seems like such a fun, tropical twist.  I need a tan like it's nobodies business, but my epic paranoia of skin cancer and fear of spray tanners leaves me with limited options.  I've been craving Benefit's Hoola for a while now (I may actually buy it this time kids!).  It's the perfect matte bronzer, just warm enough and not too orange, and it's ideal for contouring and adding an overall glow.



    Images via glamour.com, zappos.com, shopbop.com, smartpoppy.au, sephora.com.

Post Title

Pre-Summer Cravings


Post URL

https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/04/pre-summer-cravings.html


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Foam Party!

    I had a foam party last night.  No, it's not as scandalous as it sounds.  I dyed my hair with this John Frieda Precision Foam hair color that I mentioned yesterday.  Having only ever used Clairol Perfect 10, which is a normal, garden variety hair dye, it was an interesting experience.  So, without further ado, what it's like to cover your head in foam:


    Here's the dye.  What you get in the box is a set of instructions, a pair of thick black gloves (thicker and sturdier than the usual latex gloves), the squeeze bottle the dye goes in, the nozzle for that bottle, the colorant, and conditioner.


    So, step 1: you pour the colorant into the squeeze bottle with the developer (already in there) and gently tilt the bottle upside down 5 times.  Don't shake, tilt.  Mine turned purple.  I was a little scared.  The bottle was only about 1/3 full, which made me a little skeptical.  Then put on the gloves, and put the foam nozzle on the bottle.  Squeeze the middle of the bottle until you have a tennis ball sized amount of foam on your gloved hand--it'll turn right into this thick, slightly brown foam.  It was so odd.  Smear the foam across your roots, and work the product in.  Continue until you've used up the entire bottle worth of foam.  It's quite a bit of product.  Normally I don't get enough dye to cover my whole head, but here I had just enough (for reference I have very thick hair that's about 4 inches past my collarbone.  The dye didn't smell as nasty as Clairol does, but it certainly smells like ammonia.  


    My one issue was that in the instructions and all the videos I've seen, everyone ends up with a head full of white foam at the end of this process, and you're supposed to keep rubbing the foam in for a while after that.  Well, the foam dissolved into my hair.  My hair was certainly saturated with dye, but was it white and foamy?  No.  I thought I was doing something wrong, but the foam hit my hair and just went poof!  Maybe if you have less hair it works better?  I got some dye on my forehead/neck, but it washed off relatively easily without staining.


    Then I left the dye on for 20 minutes (30 if you have grey hairs).  Clairol Perfect 10 only takes 10 minutes, so I sat down to watch some Veronica Mars while I waited.  After a few minutes my head started to itch and tingle.  I don't have a sensitive scalp at all, so I imagine that if you did you might feel some burning, or maybe it was just me, but my head was itching like crazy!  Thankfully it went away once I got in the shower.  You rinse your hair out until the water runs clear, and then slather on some of the included conditioner and leave it on for 5 minutes.  My hair didn't feel as straw-like as it often does after the Clairol dye, and the conditioner worked pretty well.


    Once my hair dried I assessed the color.  My hair before this round of coloring was a light, slightly brass reddish brown with light brown/blonde roots.  After this round of coloring it's a medium, warm chestnutty brown that verges on auburn.  I really, really like the color.  It looks very rich and natural on me.  HOWEVER, it's not the color that it should be as far as the box goes. The color it promised my hair would be was much lighter and redder.  I'm happy with the results, but just be warned, the promised results don't seem that accurate.  Also, my hair holds on to and soaks up red tones like nobody's business.  I've dyed friends with similar hair colors as mind with the same box of Auburn dye I generally use and on me, it's legit red, and on them, it's a slightly warm brown.  My hair loves red dye.  This makes me think that the red in this hair dye may not be that strong.  We'll see how the color wears over the next few weeks.  Why didn't I include pictures?  Well.  My hair changes color drastically depending on the lighting.  It's impossible for me to get an 'accurate' picture of my hair color because in some lights it's straight up red, or brown, or blonde.  It's not consistent at all, so I didn't want to throw people off with pictures.


    Awkward Chic rating: B+/A-.  I really like the idea and I love the color.  But it's a little pricier than my usual dye ($13 instead of $10), it takes twice as long to develop, and it irritates my scalp. Will I use it again?  Probably.  I want to see how well the color ages before I decide.

    Image via target.com.

Post Title

Foam Party!


Post URL

https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/foam-party.html


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Soft Joie and Foam?

    How were everybody's weekends?  I spent the weekend in Vermont baking cookies.  No, really.  I'm such a cool kid, I know.  Love me some cookies though.  Speaking of cookies, here are some cozy clothes I'd wear while eating cookies.


    Soft Joie: Duncan Deck Stripe Tank, $78 at shopbop.com, Klein Dress, $148 at shopbop.com, O'Dell Top, $68 at shopbop.com: I love Soft Joie.  It's all the coziness of KAIN tees with the style of Joie.  I can't wear horizontal stripes like this first tank but if I could I would totally wear this first tank.  I like the color combo of turquoise and charcoal grey, and it just hangs so nicely.  I'd do it with a pair of dark wash, slightly cropped skinny jeans, ballet flats, and some oversized Wayfarers.  I love interesting cutout details, like the one on the back of this dress.  It's so unexpectedly interesting and a flattering place for a cutout too--who doesn't have nice shoulder blades?  The front is very simple, so you could do a fun belt or statement necklace.  I may actually buy this last top.  I die for exposed shoulders, and the best thing here is that it highlights the collarbones and shoulders nicely but the actual sleeve part covers up the fattiest part of anyone's arm.  It's a win-win-win!  And it's a nice, basic black with a nice drape and a flattering length.


    John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Color in Light Red Brown, $12.99 at target.com: I read about this foam hair color in Elle last month and since I am negative adventurous in terms of my hair dye purchases (in terms of brand, not color) I decided to branch out and do something fun.  It's like any old permanent hair color, but the dye itself comes in a foam formula and there is lots and lots of it (enough for even my hair!).  I'm trying it out tonight, so I'll let y'all know how it goes.  I got light red brown.  I'd really rather do medium red brown, but they didn't have it at CVS and dark red brown looked very purple.
    Images via shopbop.com, target.com.

Post Title

Soft Joie and Foam?


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https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/soft-joie-and-foam.html


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Cute Accessories + Some Fab Recipes

    It's almost spring!  Almost.  It's so close I can taste it.  It's making me want adorable springy clothes and accessories in fun colors and prints.  I found a few accessories that would go nicely with my sundresses piled up in my closet.


    Pour La Victoire Maressa Flat Huarache Sandals, $195 at shopbop.com, Eugenia Kim Serena Leopard Bow Headband, $88 at shopbop.com, Cynthia Rowley Soft Wrapped Chain Bag, $200 at shopbop.com: I love me some coral.  It's my favorite color of nail polish, and it would be SO cute in a shoe.  I think braided huaraches are a really fun alternative to gladiators, and the pop of color from the coral is just so cute and unexpected.  I wish I was the kind of girl that could wear a big hair bow without looking silly.  I actually had a long conversation about this with someone the other day.  My personal style does not mesh with hair bows.  It makes me sad.  But this oversized leopard print bow headband needs to be worn by someone, even if it's just me in the safety of my own room.  My craving for little shoulder bags is still going strong, and the lovely, rich purple hue of this one is so fab.  The tassel adds a cute, boho twist and the chain adds a fun amount of edge. 


    In a few days I'm going to a sorority sister's house to hang out and basically be a bum.  My number 1 priority: Baking.  I will be baking like there is no tomorrow.  At home I stress-bake at least 3 times a week, but at school that's impossible, so all this baking impulse has built up in my brain and I need to bake for like 4 days.  Here's what I'm thinking:


    Brownies: I love me some fudgey cocoa brownies.
    Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt: Chocolate chip cookies can be boring.  But when you add some sea salt--bam!  Crazy delicious.
    Espresso Fudge Cookies: I don't think this needs explaining.
    Coffee Cake: I usually make this without the rhubarb (although I love rhubarb) and at home it never makes it past two days before being entirely devoured.  It is SO GOOD.
    Cranberry Scones: Best scones ever.  Including scones from fancy coffee shops and gourmet mixes.  Legit amazing.
    Cinnamon Rolls: I have been craving cinnamon rolls FOREVER.
    Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumble Topping: This is the biggest craving.  I love pie, and this strawberry rhubarb pie with that crumble topping (crumble beats crust any day) is basically the best thing ever.  No, really.  I've never been able to have more than 1 piece of this pie because I turn around and it's been eaten in minutes.

    Images via shopbop.com.

Post Title

Cute Accessories + Some Fab Recipes


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https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/cute-accessories-some-fab-recipes.html


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This Hair. I Need It.

    I need the hair from the Fall 2011 Chloe show.  It's to die for.  First off, that strawberry blonde color is covetable, but it's the combination of straight and wavy that's going on here with the bedhead thrown in.  It's an interesting, new take on beachy waves.  It looks like they just curled a few sections in the middle of the hair with a center part and lots of volume.




    Image via allure.com.

Post Title

This Hair. I Need It.


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Pretty Pretty

    This reminds me of how much I want to see that new Red Riding Hood movie.  Which is a LOT.  As I love Amanda Seyfried because she is a fellow natural blonde with a freakishly large chest, so I relate to her.  Yay!


    But the real point of this is that she looks fab here, and I love her hair texture.  I think matte/messy is going to be my new hair goal.  My hair's natural state is shiny and polished.  I know it's annoying of me to say, but I seriously wish it would be messier.  I love messy hair.  I'm going to (eventually) try this Redken treatment that I've heard really good things about and see what happens.


    Image via designscene.net.

Post Title

Pretty Pretty


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https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/02/pretty-pretty.html


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Surprise, Surprise

    Well, I'm finally doing it.  Dying my hair red, or "Medium Auburn" according to the box.  Why now?  Well, Target was out of my brown dye.  I am that pathetic.  And I've been wanting to for a while, which pushed me over the edge.  I'll be doing that later tonight (and hopefully putting up pictures tomorrow) but in the mean time I wanted to show you guys some of my favorite red heads.


    Emma Stone (until recently) and Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge.  I can't tell you how many times I've read the story of actresses and models who didn't make it until they dyed their hair red (case in point, Emma Stone, Karen Elson, Christina Hendricks, and Deborah Ann Woll).  You can't hide behind red hair.  It's a statement maker.  The reason that doesn't scare me is that a lot of people thought my hair was red before.  It's been "Medium Golden Brown" since high school, and I guess the warmth of that built up in my hair?  So the change isn't super drastic.


    What do you guys think?  Is red hair a do or a don't?


    Images via racheldozier.blogspot.com, filmpopper.com,

Post Title

Surprise, Surprise


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https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2011/01/surprise-surprise.html


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Shopaholic on Probation

    I need someone to stand next to me whenever I grab my MacBook and slap my hand when I start online shopping because it is a PROBLEM.  As of this morning I had four things in the mail.  I'm cutting myself off.  The last thing I bought was this Victoria's Secret dress.  It's the Sweetheart Corset Dress and it's on sale for $29.99.  It also comes in leopard, if that's your thing.




    Now, I know what you're thinking.  Dresses from Victoria's Secret?  Really, Megan?  I know.  But that post I did yesterday on dressing your body type got me thinking.  I know how to dress my body, but I usually cop out because of general laziness and because I'm not always comfortable with the attention I get.  My wardrobe is in serious need of a flattering, colorful injection, and the first thing I was craving was a retro-inspired sundress.  I have one or two of these, and I love them to death because they're really flattering and they're just really fun to wear, plus you can dress them up or down easily.  I remember liking this dress a while ago but not wanting to pay full price ($58) for it.  And then I checked it today and it was on sale!  Yes.  I love the shape, which the fitted underwire top and the full skirt, and I love the slightly abstract, festive poppy print.  It's just so happy.


    So that'll be here in a week or so.  I'm so pumped.  Of course I won't be able to wear it at school in Boston for about a million years--California is already getting warm.  Catch up, Massachusetts--but it's just so cute.  

    In other news, I got a haircut today.  I'm not gonna post a picture because unless you stare at me for hours on end every day you won't notice the difference, but I just wanted to know if getting a haircut was traumatizing for anyone else.  I hate getting my hair cut.  I dread it.  I've gotten it down to a twice yearly occurrence, and I still hate it.  I'm such a control freak about my hair that it pains me to lose even an inch, and my hair is so ridiculously thick that most stylists get excited and just keep on cutting until my 1/2 inch trim turns into a 3 inch chop.  Not cool.  I probably lost an inch today because I had terrible split ends, but it still irks me whenever I look in the mirror.  Is anyone else this OCD about their hair cuts?


    Image from victoriassecret.com.

Post Title

Shopaholic on Probation


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Review: LUSH Ultimate Shine Shampoo Bar

    I switched it up this weekend.  In a fit of post-finals induced retail therapy, I hit up LUSH and grabbed a new shampoo bar.  I usually go for the New! shampoo bar, which is red and cinnamon scented, but I felt like mixing it up and picked up this Ultimate Shine shampoo bar because I heard it gives great volume.

    The ingredients in this include ylang ylang oil, violet leaf, elemi oil, gardenia extract, and glitter.  You read that correctly.  Glitter.  It's a white shampoo bar with scattered flecks of glitter.  That really threw me off at first, but it definitely washes out in the shower, because I haven't noticed any in my hair.  It smells like faintly herbal and floral, but a hint of Eucalyptus--not nearly as strong as New smelt, and it's the size of a hockey puck.




    As for what it does for my hair, I've used it four or five times now.  It lathers really well, just as well as a liquid shampoo, and the smell fades even as I'm showering.  It keeps my hair very clean, but doesn't strip it of moisture and make it all dry and gross.  My hair feels great!  It usually gets oily throughout the day with liquid shampoo, but I've found Lush shampoo bars keep it clean all day.  It gives me really nice volume that doesn't quit throughout the day, and makes my hair feel nice and soft.  The only thing it doesn't do is make my hair shinier.  But to make my hair shinier you would probably have to literally pour glitter on it, so I'm not blaming the shampoo.  I think it would add shine if you have dull or damaged hair because of the ylang ylang oil, though.

    My one problem with these shampoo bars is storage.  I bought the shampoo bar tin that Lush recommends, but unless you wait til the bar is 100% dry to put it in the tin, it will melt and mold into the tin and be impossible to get out.  And waiting for hours to put the bar in the tin kinda defeats the purpose of the tin in the first place.  My last bar completely melted into the tin.  I've taken to storing it in the paper bag it came in, because it won't stick to that even when wet.


    Overall rating: A.  It's $10 at Lush, which seems like a lot for shampoo but it will last you months and months, so it's not a bad deal.  It gives me great volume, doesn't smell offensive, and keeps my hair clean without stripping moisture or color.  My only issue with it is storage.

    Image from lushusa.com.

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Review: LUSH Ultimate Shine Shampoo Bar


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https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-lush-ultimate-shine-shampoo-bar.html


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Review: Pantene Fine Hair Triple Action Volume Mousse

    My local CVS has been failing me.  They never have any of my usual hair products in stock.  Sob.  So instead of picking up my usual Dove Volumizing Mousse, which I love to death because it leaves my hair nice and soft and bouncy with zero buildup or crunchiness, I grabbed this Pantene Fine Hair Triple Action Volume Mousse (such a mouthful).  You get 6.6 0z of product for about $3.50 vs. the $6 for my Dove mousse where you get 7 oz.  So it's a better deal per ounce. 


    The bottle is very tall and skinny, probably about 9-10 inches tall and inch and a half wide.  I like the packaging--it's very sleek and polished, and I like that they have consistent packaging for all the products in their hair solutions line, all yellow for fine hair, green/blue for thick hair, etc.  Now, if you know me you're wondering why I got mousse for thin hair when I have enough for for about four different people on my head.  Well.  I figured that the volumizing mousse for thin hair would be more intense than the volumizing mousse for thick hair because thin hair is flatter (I feel like that logic is deeply flawed somehow, but whatever). 


    Here's what Pantene says about the mousse: 

    -Volume Particle Technology creates distance between hair fibers to help add volume.  
    -Gentle enough for color treated or permed hair.  
    -The result is all over volume that lasts all day.
    -Volumizing mousse contains maximum level hold to protect hair from humidity for style that lasts.

    It has 'maximum hold' at Level 4 (whatever that means).  As for the mousse itself, here goes.  It smells amazing, that mixture of florals and slight fruitiness that expensive conditioners have.  I don't think the smell lingers on my hair for all that long, but it's hard for me to smell my scalp.  The texture isn't as wonderful.  There are the mousses that have a great, thick, marshmellowy texture that don't collapse like a souffle, and there are the mousses that look nice and thick but collapse like whipped egg whites when you touch them.  This one collapses.  Which means that I have to use more product to feel like I'm putting anything in my hair at all, which means that the cheapness of the price doesn't end up being so cheap.  


    However, once I put it in my hair and brush it out, it all gets better.  It is one of those mousses that you have to brush out--I brush it out a lot, and sometimes when my hair dries it's still a bit crunchy.  If you brush it out once it's dried, however, it stays nice and soft.  This mousse leaves my hair soft and shiny--not as soft as my Dove mousse, but still pretty soft with minimal buildup.  The best part about this mousse is the volume.  It gives me great volume.  Even more volume than my Dove mousse, and I've even been getting comments on it.  The volume lasts all day, even in weird Boston weather.


    Awkward Chic rating: A.  I have to use more product because of the texture and it does dry a little crunchy, but the volume it gives me is fab, so it cancels out.  All in all it's a pretty good deal for the money, even if you don't have fine hair.

    Post Title

    Review: Pantene Fine Hair Triple Action Volume Mousse


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-pantene-fine-hair-triple-action.html


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    Emma Stone's New Look

      So.  Emma Stone dyed her hair blonde.  Just as a refresher, this is what she normally looks like.


      And this is what she looks like now.  Apparently it's for her new role in the Spiderman remake (really?  another one?), but I kind of makes me sad to see someone with such a unique (albeit dyed) hair color go plain old Hollywood blonde.  She pulls it off nicely and her eyes look fab her, but it just doesn't feel as special as the red hair did.


      Image from glamour.com.

    Post Title

    Emma Stone's New Look


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/12/emma-stone-new-look.html


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    Review: FX Silk Drops Hair Serum

      I'm so inconsistent in my hair routine.  I have some products--shampoo, mousse and salt spray--that I am fiercely loyal to and won't consider branching out from.  And then I have some products that I end up buying a different version of every time I go to the drugstore, usually my iron guard and whatever treatment I'm using on my ends.  I went to CVS this weekend to pick up some of this, which I've been loving, and CVS was out!  Boo.  So I picked up some of this serum. 


      FX Silk Drops Hair Serum, $5.99 at cvs.com: You get a good sized amount for the price--more than you do with the Organix serums--and it smells surprisingly nice, very subtle and lemony with a slight herbal twist.  The cap twists up and then you squeeze the bottle to get the product out.  That makes it easy to get the right amount of serum, but I can see this spilling all over during traveling really easily.  That's part of why I have a love-hate relationship with serums.  They can be so messy, and stain everything, and if you use too much they make your hair really oily.  But if you use the right amount they can be miracle workers for dry, split ends.


      As for this specific serum, I like it.  It's not OMG AMAZING, but it's pretty darn good.  I take a dime to nickle-sized amount on my palm, rub my hands together, and then run this through the bottom third of my hair right after I get out of the shower.  I'd definitely recommend using this on wet hair--using it on dry hair makes it much easier to overdo and take it to that greasy place.  Since it's a cocktail of different silicones, this serum does a great job at moisturizing and making your ends look shiny and healthy.  My ends feel nice and soft.  I really don't know why, but I'm not over the moon about this stuff.  It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not HG material.  I've heard it's a good alternative to the Chi Silk Infusion, and from the few times I've used Silk Infusion I'd have to agree.  They both have a similarly thick consistency and do the exact same thing to my hair.

      Awkward Chic rating: B+.  It's a very solid product overall, but loses a few points for packaging and a general lack of wow factor.

      Image from cvs.com.

    Post Title

    Review: FX Silk Drops Hair Serum


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-fx-silk-drops-hair-serum.html


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    Beauty Spotlight: Beach Blow Texturizing Mist

      If you've been reading my blog for a while, you're probably thinking "she already reviewed this product.  Lame sauce."  And yes, I did review it a year ago.  But that's just the thing.  I reviewed it 13 months ago, have used it EVERY single day, and just bought my new bottle less than five minutes ago.  This stuff is magical.  I figured it deserved a little beauty spotlight.


      Its the Blow Beach Blow Texturizing Mist, $21 at bathandbodyworks.com:

      I've been using the same bottle for the last 13 months.  I'd say for the first 6 months I did 4 spritzes a day and for the last 7 months I've been doing 2 spritzes a day, one on each side.  The cost per use on this is about half a penny.  The product itself smells fantastic.  It's a little salty, a little coconutty, a little floral--overall very beachy without being obviously screaming BEACH in your face.  It's a very thin, slightly milky looking liquid, which you'll probably never see through the adorable, opaque packaging.  Seriously, I love the packaging.  It's charmingly upbeat and eccentric, without being too cutesy.


      Now, the important stuff: what this does for your hair.  I've heard a lot lately about how buying salt sprays is a rip-off, and you can just make them at home yourself.  So I tried that over the summer.  I followed a recipe with a bit of salt, distilled water, a little bit of conditioner and some hair gel, and I spritzed that on one half of my head and the Beach Blow on the other.  The DIY salt spray took a lot more product to get any results, and what I ended up with was sticky, matte, dirty looking hair.  The Beach Blow, on the other hand, was fab.  


      I have basically Asian Barbie hair.  It's very thick, very straight and shiny, and refuses to hold any sort of curl or wave.  I know it sounds like a weird thing to whine about, but my hair strands are so smooth that they just lie flat on top of each other in a giant, heavy blob.  I love this spray because it gives some texture to my hair strands for them to grab on to, so my hair actually has volume, and texture, and awesomeness!  


      Conclusion: if you use this your hair will have supermodel beachy texture, and random people (in all seriousness) will creep on you to tell you how good your hair smells.

      Image from bathandbodyworks.com.

    Post Title

    Beauty Spotlight: Beach Blow Texturizing Mist


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/11/beauty-spotlight-beach-blow-texturizing.html


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    Hair Musings

      Kids, I have the hair doldrums.  I am bored out of my mind trying to grow my hair out.  IT TAKES FOREVER.  GAH.  It's down to about 2-1/2 inches below my collarbone.  I want it about 3 inches longer.  Ugh.  So I'm taking out my boredom with wanting to change my hair color.  Right now it's the usual warm medium brown, but I'm thinking I either want to go redder or ombre.  I have picture inspiration.  Woohoo!


      Emma Stone is 100% my red-headed hair inspiration.  Her hair color is naturally medium brown, and while she still looks pretty as a brunette, she looks even better as a red-head.  It's so warm and really livens up her whole look.  My hair is already on the reddish side, so it wouldn't be a big stretch.


      Or I'm thinking I could do ombre, which is where your hair gets lighter towards the ends like it's been highlighted by the sun.  I'd go for more Rachel Bilson than the girl on the right, just a subtle fade towards the ends and darker at the roots.


      Clairol Perfect 10 Dye, $11.99 at drugstore.com: This is my brand of hair dye, Clairol Perfect 10.  The color on the left is the one I usually do, Medium Golden Brown, and the one on the right is Dark Auburn.  What do y'all think I should do?  Are you feeling ombre, or is it too out there?


      Images from eayoyo.com, glamour.com, the-scenic-world.blogspot.com, drugstore.com.

    Post Title

    Hair Musings


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/10/hair-musings.html


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    Random Beauty Thoughts

      I'm thinking I want to go nude.  No, get your mind out of the gutter.  I mean nude lips.  Although subconsciously I may be thinking nude face entirely, because I completely forget to put on foundation today, even though the bottle was right in front of me.  Sigh.  Mondays.  My general lip product routine is basically lip balm.  Maybe a pale pink gloss.  That's it.  Crazy, I know.  I'm just not a colored lip person, and I usually do strong eyes, so I avoid strong lips.  But lately I've wanted to branch out a bit, and do a lipstick.  


      All my favorite YouTube beauty gurus have been doing these lovely pinky-nude MAC lippies, and I'm starting to crave one.  At the moment I'm thinking either Jubilee or Creme d'Nude.  I know they basically look the same here, but Jubilee is a naked beigey-pink and Creme d'Nude is a pale, muted pink-beige.  So Jubilee is a bit darker and a lustre finish, and Creme d'Nude is a bit lighter, more opaque, and a cremesheen finish.  I'm thinking I'll have to see them in person, but I just love the idea of a slightly glossy, muted lip.  It's just hard to walk that line because flattering nude and concealer lips/corpse nude.


      I see both of these get paired with MAC's Lipglass in Nymphette a lot.  Now, I need a new lip gloss about as much as I need to get bronchitis again (aka not at all), but it's just so purdy.  And I love the name.  And it's a nude, sheer pink with a ton of gold shimmer.  I'm such a sucker for gold shimmer.


      Also, in unrelated beauty news, Clemence Poesy of recent Gossip Girl fame, has gone back to her roots (pun intended) and dyed her hair a lovely deep blonde/light brown.  The funny thing is, it's my natural hair color exactly, and I totally love it on her, and totally hate it on myself.  I love that it's a little ombre, and faded towards the tips.  It makes it look so much more natural and lived in.  Isn't it crazy how such a small change in hair color can change someone's look so much?  She looks so much more foxy and mischievous with darker hair.


      Images from lolasgoodies.blogspot.com, polyvore.com, xbeanie.onsugar.com, luckymag.com.

    Post Title

    Random Beauty Thoughts


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/10/random-beauty-thoughts.html


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    Backstage at Roberto Cavalli

      There's no runway coverage today, gals!  I think we all need a bit of a breather, and time to stare at mindlessly pretty things.  Like the hair and makeup from the Roberto Cavalli show a few days ago.  Roberto Cavalli clothing-wise isn't really my style, but I'm totally falling for this offbeat beauty styling.


      So the makeup featured a navy blue liner on the waterline, a pale, warm matte beige on the lid, and a medium matte brown blended up from the crease all the way to the brow, and even used to define the brow.  The same matte brown shadow is smudged into the lower lashline.  What's interesting here is that the only real definition here is on the lower waterline, but the overall look is still so fierce and piercing.  The brown on the lid gives the eyes a bit of a hooded look, which is unexpectedly sexy.  I usually waterline the lower lashline, but I do most of my liner on the upper lashline.  I may have to try this look.  It's just so refreshing.  For a navy liner, I'd try MAC's Blooz, and for a matte brown shadow I'd go for MAC's Wedge or Cork.


      Clearly these are extensions, but there's something so fun about this long, straight but roughed up hair.  The overall look is very sleek, but the slightly matte/wavy texture keeps it from being boring, straight '90s hair.  I even like the center parts here!  I think the combination of slightly offbeat hair and makeup that looks a little more conventional from far away really works here.

      Images from style.com.

    Post Title

    Backstage at Roberto Cavalli


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/09/backstage-at-roberto-cavalli.html


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    A Flatiron with Built-in Treatment?

      So I picked up the October issue of Allure today (verdict: Blake Lively is much less annoying than I expected), and there was a whole section on beauty breakthroughs.  This little flat iron was featured, and it totally caught my eye. 

      The Remington Style Therapy Frizz-Resistant 1" Flat Iron is $49.99 at drugstore.com.  Now, I'm sure you're thinking that it just looks like a regular iron, what's the big deal?  Well.

      It has built-in silicone-based conditioner that disperses itself (in small amounts) onto your hair as you straighten it.  It's also a ceramic iron.  So, you have an iron that one, since it's ceramic it straightens quickly and for a long time, and two, actually makes your hair healthier as you straighten.  And it's less than $50.  I've been a devoted T3 fan for the last few years, but this...this intrigues me.  I was thinking of investing in a GHD, but this is so much cheaper and the reviews so far have been stellar.  Hm....

      What do y'all think of the idea of putting hair treatments INSIDE the straightener?

      Image from drugstore.com.

    Post Title

    A Flatiron with Built-in Treatment?


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    https://harahuruhairstyle.blogspot.com/2010/09/flatiron-with-built-in-treatment.html


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