Once You’ve Gone Black You *Can* Go Back – How to Remove Black Hair Color
Posted on | August 5, 2010 | No Comments
I totally love my hair when it is black. I don’t want that flat black either. I want blue black that shines. Matter of fact, I spent a very long day at the stylists once upon a time ago getting blue highlights put in, but that is a story for another time.
The downside to having black hair is that I am so pale that I tend to look washed out. Also, I have gray hairs, and in what seems like no time, they are glittering at my roots like a diamond displayed against black velvet. So I decided it was time to go back to something that was a little closer to my original color. Though truth be told, I am not even sure what my original color was.
When I am going for a multi-hued look, I will have my hair chick do the coloring. Otherwise, I am a DIY’er when it comes to hair color. My bathroom walls can attest to that from the blotches of color I have gotten on them. 
I told a friend that I was going to take the black out. She insisted that I needed to go into the shop and have the removed professionally. The competitive part of me took that as somewhat of a challenge, so I decided that yes, Virginia, I was capable of making the black go away all by myself.
I did a bit of research (which for me means that I googled it and scanned the first couple of pages) and found a product that I thought was worth giving a try. So I ordered Jheri Redding One ‘n Only Colorfix
Being someone who doesn’t really try to stifle my lack of impulse control, I dumped it on my head and waited to see what would happen. Here I am in my hair-coloring bathrobe, looking smashing with a plastic bag over my head.
I let it sit for the allotted time, took a shower to rinse it out, then got ready to blow dry my hair. Since I looked like Ronald McDonald at that point, I decided that perhaps I should have read the instructions before I started. This isn’t the clearest picture ever taken, but here’s a shot I took of the top of my head after the first application.
After a bit of web searching, I was glad to find out that my color was not an unusual one to have after an application. Although you can’t tell it from the picture, I still had a good deal of black in the front pieces that I use a flat iron on. So I decided Round Two was in order, and I used the rest of the One ‘n Only Colorfix.
After the shower to remove the Colorfix, it was time to apply color. I used Ion brand for the permanent, and I dumped a Color Gems brand demi-permanent color on top of it. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the shade name of either of them. I did catch some flash glare here, but as you can see, it is no longer black.
So, there you have it, ladies. If you’ve dyed your hair black and are ready for a change, rest assured that you don’t have to pay a salon tons of money to remove the color. Just buy your products, set aside a few hours to do it, and create your own hair masterpiece. I read several complaints about the smell of the Colorfix, but I didn’t find it to be horrifically bad.
Until next time, remember to Celebrate Beautiful You!
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Disclosure: I purchased this product. The links in this post contain affiliate referral codes. Want more information on that? Check out the FAQ’s.
Tags: bargain beauty > do it yourself > hair care > hair dye > removed black hair color
Clarisonic Mia Review
Posted on | June 3, 2010 | No Comments
I really tried to resist jumping onto the Clarisonic bandwagon. I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, pinky promise that I did. I read a zillion and two reviews, then would mentally smack myself and tell me how I did not need a pricey gadget to wash my face
As resisting really isn’t my strong suit most of the time…well, I gave in to temptation. I fired up the laptop, and I got my Mia from Amazon
I decided on the Mia over a full size Clarisonic because the Mia has a smaller footprint, and I have limited counter space. Plus I thought it would be nice to have something that was designed to be travel friendly.
I was curious as to how the Mia could be waterproof, yet chargeable. That question was answered by examining something that Clarisonic calls a “pLink® International Charger”. The charger has a standard plug on one end, and a round, slightly concaved disc on the end. That disc and the end of the Mia handle have a magnetic attraction, and current is passed through that way. I had to pause and have a geek moment in appreciation of the charger.
As part of the package, I received a trial size of the Clarisonic Gentle Hydro Cleanser
As mentioned above, the Mia is waterproof. It measures about 5 1/2 inches long, and is comfortable to grip. The Mia is one speed, and turns on with a single touch. I always use it the full amount of preset time, but you can turn it off by touching the button on the handle again.
You can use your Mia twice a day. My first brush head was for sensitive skin. I just replaced my brush, and I went with a standard brush this time around. So far, I don’t see any signs of this one being too harsh for my skin.
The brushes are $25 a piece. It pays to shop around for these as you can find them in twin packs
One minor note of disatisfaction is with the charge time. I am not known for being patient, and it seems like it takes forever for it to reach a full charge, which is good for about 20 minutes worth of cleaning time.
The Mia leaves your skin feeling incredibly clean. It’s like that wonderful feeling after your teeth have been professionally cleaned, but only for your face. I love, love, love this product! However, I have been rather bad, and have not used it 100% religiously. I am about to change that when I swing into a new skin care regimen that I will be posting about soon.
Bottom line, is the Mia worth the $150 price tag? For the way it makes my skin feel, the answer is an empthatic yes! If you’ve been sitting on the fence over this one, come on and jump on the bandwagon with me. Your face won’t regret it.
As soon as YouTube cooperates, I have a demonstration video to show you.
Update: After several hours, my Mia video finally uploaded. You can see it here.
Until next time, beauties!
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Disclosure: I purchased this product. The links in this post contain affiliate referral codes. Want more information on that? Check out the FAQ’s.
Tags: Clarisonic Mia > exfoliation > facial brush > facial cleansing system > makeup remover reviews > skin care > sonic skin care system
Shiseido The Makeup Luminizing Lip Gloss – Bellini PK303 Swatches
Posted on | May 12, 2010 | No Comments
Not terribly long ago, I got a little crazy shopping at Sephora online. I didn’t really mean to spend as much as I did, but I just cannot resist that store. I have not let myself even look at the site or any of the promo emails for over a month as a penance for my buying sins.
One of the things that I picked up was a Shiseido Luminizing Lip Gloss. This is the first thing that I have purchased from Shiseido, and if this lip gloss is any indication of the quality of their products, it will not be the last. I got Shade PK303 Bellini, which is described as “sheer warm rose shimmer” and it is gorgeous.
This gloss, from Shiseido’s Spring 2010 Collection, has a high wattage shine. It is lightweight, very silky, and applies wonderfully. It is not sticky or tacky, and the consistency is in the mid-range, which I find pleasant.
On my lips, the color stays pretty true to what is in the tube. There is a sheer wash of shimmery color, so the effect is a subtle, natural look. It’s perfect for a daytime look, and if you are looking for something more dramatic, it would go great over lipstick as well.
It feels great on my lips, and is moisturizing. There is no discernible scent that I can make out, which will be a bonus to those who prefer unscented products.
An improvement I’d like to see is for it to last longer. Compared to some of the other glosses in my collection, this one would fall toward the shorter lasting end of the spectrum.
I am not a fan of glosses with brushes; I would much rather have a doe foot applicator. I have never used a lip brush enough to be comfortable with one. I feel like I have better control of the product when I have a doe foot. However, this brush preformed well for my unskilled fingers, so perhaps I will have to practice up with a brush.
Shiseido Luminizing Lip Gloss. is $22 and can be purchased at Sephora, and Macy’s.
Until next time, pretty things!
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Disclosure: I purchased this product. The links in this post contain affiliate referral codes. Want more information on that? Check out the FAQ’s.
Tags: lip gloss > PK303 Bellini > Reviews > Spring 2010 > Swatches > X Shiseido
Bremenn Upper Eyelid Lifter Review – Final Verdict
Posted on | May 5, 2010 | 20 Comments
My apologies to those of you who thought I had forgotten about you. 
I just wanted to really give the product a fair shake before giving you my thoughts on it. So with that said, let’s get to it, shall we?
I want to start by saying that I really, really wanted to love the Bremenn Research Labs Upper Eyelid Lifter. I wanted it to work splendidly on me, so that I did not have my eyelids hanging down to my lashes anymore.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. I’ve used the product for over 2 months now. I can’t say that I have used it 100% religiously, but it’s really been pretty darn close. While I’ve read complaints in other reviews about the amount in the tube, I can’t add to them. After two months of almost 2x and sometimes 3x daily use, I still have a goodly amount left. So I would rate it well in terms of quantity of product for the price.
I also would rate the method of delivery well. I like the pump action tube, and I did not experience any wasted product with it. As mentioned in my youtube video, the tube is recyclable, which is a huge plus for me. I hate to shell out big bucks for a beauty or skincare item just to find out that they could not spend the extra cents per item to use environmentally friendly packaging. The tube also stores well, as the surface of the cap is flat.
The viscosity is great, and I love the cream itself from a moisturizing perspective. It’s got some great ingredients in it, and really does perform well in terms of hydration. But so do a lot of other products, and I did not buy this one to use as a moisturizer.
I bought it to see if Bremenn Research Labs had come up with a miracle in a tube. The final verdict is that for me, they did not.
Here are some before pics that I took after about 10-12 days of using it:
I’ve got some flash throwback on those, but I don’t think it effects the ability to see how the upper lids sag down appreciably.
Here are pictures taken today without any makeup:
As you can tell, I have serious sagging issues. So someone who is just beginning to experience lack of firmness or who has it to a lesser degree might do very well with Bremenn Research Labs Upper Eyelid Lifter.
As always, if you’ve got any questions, please ask. Until next time, beauties!
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Disclosure: I purchased this product. The links in this post contain affiliate referral codes. Want more information on that? Check out the FAQ’s.
Tags: anti aging > Bremenn Research Labs Upper Eyelid Lifter > eye care > sagging eye lids
Clarisonic Opal — I Want This!!!
Posted on | April 2, 2010 | No Comments
Not long ago, I bought a Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System
When you take that fact, add in that 49 is looming on my personal horizon, and I am really self conscious about my eye area, I got really excited when looking through this week’s Sephora mailers. If they don’t have it by the time you read this, they are soon to get the Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System.
In case you’ve not yet heard of this, here is a promo video that explains it a little.
Granted, that clip is a commercial, but I almost salivated when I saw the demonstration on one of the models. Could this thing really work as well as they said that it did?
At $245, if you live in my economic world, the price is downright scary. I just did a small amount of quick research to get some more information about the serum that they are using. It appears that this is not going to be a product where you can substitute another (insert cheaper) serum to go along with it. Math isn’t my strong suit, but if I am figuring it correctly, if you buy one and see good results, the serum is going to cost you $400 a year to use. That alone makes my bank account wince. However…if I tried it and it worked, I probably wouldn’t think twice about the serum cost.
If you live near any of these places, you can go check the Opal out for free.
What are your thoughts on this? I know I shouldn’t want something that costs that much, but I do anyhow. ~lol~ If any of you are able to go to one of the salon parties, or if you have seen the results of the Opal first hand, please let us know how it works.
Tags: anti aging > beauty tools > Clarisonic > Clarisonic Opal Infusion System > eye care > fine lines > wrinkles
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