Loving lately

In an attempt to make this blog somewhat useful or at least entertaining again, I thought I'd write a roundup of products I've tried lately and what I thought of them.

Revlon Lip Butter
I've mentioned this before as one of my favorite products and I haven't changed my mind. I am OVERJOYED that these are permanent (for now, anyway). Pink Truffle is still my favorite shade, but I've also bought Tutti Frutti, Red Velvet and Candy Apple. I love them all.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm
Let's call this a grown-up version of plain lip balm. It's in the same vein as Revlon Lip Butter, both products are excellent though I personally feel the Revlon is longer lasting. I have Caramel Comfort and Plush Plum - the caramel is much more sheer than the plum but both provide just a little bit of tint with good hydration and shine.

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo
Without going into a 10-paragraph dissertation about my hair and all my issues with it and all the things I've tried to overcome/subdue those issues, suffice to say it's fine and naturally curly. I wear it straight now and have for several years, but it's a fight and any BARE HINT of humidity means my hair turns into a wad of cotton candy.

There are several products I've used and loved over the years, among the best being the Kerastase Oleo-Relax serum and Aveda's Dry Remedy conditioner. Because I am at heart a cheapskate, I'm always looking for the lower-priced dupe for either of these and unfortunately I've come up empty (though I am a fan of Sally Beauty's Coloresse Smooth shampoo and conditioner). Enter this shampoo (and the conditioner, though I'm finishing up my Coloresse right now - like I said, I'm a cheapskate). Not only is my hair smooth as glass but it's incredibly shiny. WIN.

Ultra CHI Ceramic Flat Iron
I finally finally FINALLY replaced my old flat iron, which I didn't even buy but was handed down to me. I used coupons and sales to get the price down to about $70 and I'm very happy with it, it's so much better than the other flat irons I've used. It's an Ulta exclusive, whatever that means, but it works very well. (Can you tell I'm on a bit of a hair high?)

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo
I heard some good buzz about this and bought Tough As Taupe because I am nothing if not a huge sucker for taupe eyeshadow. It's...all right. I found it very difficult to apply to my eyelid - with a brush, with my finger tip - without the results being patchy and draggy and just generally...not good. I do, however, really like it as a liner. I apply it with a little liner brush and it's great (with excellent staying power).

Sally Beauty Favorites

I used to rarely set foot in a Sally Beauty. I always found the stores somehow overwhelming, I suppose because most of the merchandise is pretty unfamiliar to someone who typically only shops at mass market retailers. Then I got laid off and decided to forgo salon haircuts and highlights and do all that myself. I went to Sally and spent about $15 on scissors, color, developer and a little brush and mixing cup. I even got reasonably good at cutting my boyfriend's hair and I do still give him a touch-up from time to time.

Now of course Sally sells nail polish but I have to admit it's not my favorite place to buy polish. For one thing I don't like China Glaze and for another thing, you could go into a Sally on 20 different occasions and find all of the exact same colors every single time. Holiday is a special collection bonanza time at Sally but aside from that it's kind of a bust.

However there are a lot of products I've discovered at Sally that I truly adore, so I thought I'd babble on about them here.

Coloresse Smooth Shampoo

I recently went to Sally's to stock up on a different Coloresse product, but this caught my eye and there was a $2 coupon, so I bit. I love this shampoo! I noticed a difference in smoothness the very first time I used it. It lasted into the second day, too, and my hair smelled very clean and felt very soft. I am bonkers for this shampoo. At about $8 it's more than I would ideally like to pay for shampoo, but if you work your Sally's card and any available discounts you can knock down the price a little bit. (Coloresse is the Sally version of the Pureology line, if you're familiar.)

Beyond the Zone Turn Up The Heat Protection Spray

 
I bought a sample size of this product on a lark and it worked so well I picked up the full size a few weeks ago. I'll save the sample bottle for travel. This is a slick-feeling spray that I spritz on my wet hair before combing it out after a shower. Sometimes I put a little bit more on the ends after blow-drying and before flat-ironing. My hair has been much easier to manage and seems to suffer less from the effects of the flat iron, too. The one drawback of this is the faux-grape, Fruity Pebbles scent. It doesn't really bug me but it is a little cloying. However, I don't notice it in my hair once it's dry. This is also about $8, but the trial size is $2.79.

Palladio Fuse Nail Bonding Base Coat

I feel very strongly about this base coat, and I feel it gets approximately no love on the nail board. I like the consistency of this product, it's about $4 with my Sally card and I can typically get 5-6 days out of a manicure if I need to. Excellent product.

Palladio Flexi-Strong Ridge Filler

Another winner from the Palladio line of treatments is this ridge filler, which I use with any creme-finish polish. My nails aren't terribly ridged but this definitely helps prevent a good deal of staining and provides a nice smooth surface for the polish. I do the ridge filler first and then the Fuse base coat. Never had a problem with any brand of polish, regardless of the formula. The only time I wouldn't use this is with a glitter polish but that's only because any nail imperfections are less noticeable with glitters and foils.

Customer loyalty and the Sally discount

Naturally, Sally offers more significant discounts to professionals, but regular consumers like you and me can still get the Sally card. It costs $5 up front, but you receive a $5 coupon in return. You also get discounts on certain products - for example, without the card, the Palladio products I mentioned are $4.49; with the card they are $3.99. In addition, if you spend $25 during a given month, you'll get a 15% off coupon to use the following month. I also receive Sally mailings that often include a 15% off coupon. So the opportunity for discounts is there. I also look for the tear-off pad of coupons during promotions for different products - you can usually use them in conjunction with your card.

Are you a Sally fan? If so, what are your favorites?