Dry Shampoo Showdown

Hello everyone!

So I recently did a video on my YouTube Channel comparing 7 dry shampoos (ranging from drugstore to high end).

Click here to see what I had to say

I recently purchased 3 more drugstore dry shampoos so I could add a little bit more variety to my selections giving you -that's right - 10 dry shampoos! (Scroll to the bottom for the TL;DR lowdown if you're in a rush).

Now before I get into my reviews I want to give a bit of background so you understand why my dry shampoo expertise and opinion matters.

My hair is quite possibly the biggest pain EVER! Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it certainly isn't a walk in the park. When it comes down to it, I have a lot of hair, but the follicle itself is very thin so I'm left with a bunch of limp hair that has zero volume. As you can imagine, my hair gets knotted SO easily and it is the queen at getting really oily around the root, and incredibly dry at my ends.

So you're probably thinking that's the end of my woes, but nope! I decided to dye my hair red to add into this insane pickle. I now had to: maintain my red hair, give my hair volume, thicken my hair, control oil, and keep it hydrated. I mean, really?

So here's what my solution was:

1. Wash my hair as least often as possible
2. Use volume/thickening/colour safe shampoo/conditioner and styling products (but we'll get to that in a different post/video)
3. Use dry shampoo to keep my hair looking fresh!

So this might come as a shock to you, but dry shampoos aren't all the same. I've tried some that have made my hair look like I just got a blowout, and others that created such a disgusting mess that I had to wash my hair (and clarify it a few times with cider vinegar).

If you want to check my video where I review 7 dry shampoos you can click here. (Bumble & Bumble, TreSemme, Cake, & Batiste - to name a few).

But now onto the 3 new additions!

Herbal Essences Colour Me Happy Instant Clean & Colour Protection Dry Shampoo

So this dry shampoo has a 'luscious rose scent'. Kind of smells like hairspray at first (to be honest) but it definitely dies down. It claims to give a '1st day clean feel'. Don't let the name fool you, it literally has zero special ingredients in it to give you colour protection (i.e, UVA & UVB filters). The idea is that your colour will last longer if you wash your hair less by replacing shampoos with a dry shampoo. 

This product uses tapioca starch to soak up the oils and sprays on a bit wet. I found that you need to let the dry shampoo dry (haha - but seriously) and then you can brush it out. It does have a bit of a residue so you do need to work it into your roots. I found tossing my hair upside down helped a lot. 

The smell is fine - it matches the shampoo and conditioner from the collection, but it's kind of annoying that they say 'colour protection' when it's honestly a load of crap. I mean, yes, it's sulfate-free, and I might not be a scientist or anything, but are sulfates necessary in a dry shampoo? Don't sulfates give you that foaming effect in cleansers and soaps? I've studied & worked in advertising for 5 years now, so I'm onto you Herbal Essences! It's like advertising that sour patch kids are fat-free - really? But I digress. This dry shampoo is good if you are on a budget, but definitely not the best.

Pantene Pro-V Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

I'm going to come out and just say it right here, right now. I DO NOT like Pantene as a collection/brand. Most, if not all of their products are packed with dimethicone. For those that aren't sure what dimethicone is - it's a filler (like silicone). You know how some face primers have that kind of greasy/easy glide feeling? Well that's what you're putting in your hair. Some people like how it feels, but it's not doing any good, it's just a filler that is not penetrating or repairing the follicle. So it will 'prime' or block good things such as argan oil from penetrating the follicle and repairing it.

So now that I went on a ridiculous rant, let's get into this dry shampoo.

I was hesitant to try it due to my opinion of their shampoos, conditioners, and treatments, but I decided 'why not' after Elle Fowler (Allthatglitters21 on YouTube) suggested it. Keep in mind, Elle openly discusses that she is sponsored by Pantene, so I was weary of whether she liked the dry shampoo due to it being gifted to her/her being paid to use it, or if she sincerely actually liked it. I've always found Elle to be extremely upfront, honest, and transparent (in regards to her beauty opinions) so I decided to go for it.

Well, I love it! If there's one thing I do like about Pantene it's the fragrance in their products, and this dry shampoo did not disappoint. It also gave me volume, soaked up all the oil, and made my hair easy to style. My hair didn't feel dry or brittle (side note: there is NO dimethicone in this product, but there is silica). However, it did dry out my scalp and make it flake.

They use tapioca starch as the drying agent and I found that this definitely stood up to it's promise. Maybe this is a step in the right direction towards me trying Pantene products (that are not packed with dimethicone of course).

Aveeno Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo

I was actually shocked that Aveeno came out with a dry shampoo, I don't know why but it just seemed strange to me. I know packaging really doesn't matter, but this is my personal favourite (I'm a total sucker for green
though).

I love the smell, it's fresh and light- not too overpowering, but enough to trick you into thinking your hair is squeaky clean. They use corn starch as the drying agent, which definitely does a great job.

The product has seaweed extract, which claims to 'renew hair for a clean, fresh look'. Seaweed is known for repairing the hair follicle and soothing the scalp - but I'm a little skeptical about how much 'extract' is in this product (but that's just me).

That being said, I do find that this dry shampoo does not make my scalp flake or feel dry. This has been an ongoing issue with dry shampoos where it gives me some faux dandruff due to the excess of the product sitting on my scalp (and probably a hint of irritation too with all of the drying).

It doesn't give me the full amount of volume that I need so I do have to tease my hair a bit to give it that extra oomph, but it also isn't flattening my hair and making it feel like I dipped it in canola oil like SOME dry shampoos (you'll have to watch my YouTube video to get the full low down on that one).

Anyways, that's all for now! I hope you all have a lovely day, and don't forget to Put A Bow On!

Hillary

Put A Bow On's Twitter
Put A Bow On's Instagram
Put A Bow On's Tumblr
Put A Bow On's YouTube

TL;DR:
Go for the Aveeno dry shampoo if you aren't concerned about volume, go for Pantene if you aren't concerned about overpowering fragrance & drying scalp.

Amazing new products! Nars dupes featuring Vasanti!

Hello my lovely subscribers!

So it's a lovely Saturday afternoon and I was in the shopping mood. I recently ran out of my BareMinerals concealer and my Tarte amazonian clay concealer is a tad bit dark. I've been on a serious hunt for a new concealer (I love the BareMinerals one, great coverage but holy do I ever blow through that guy fast). I know this may come as a shock to you, but I've NEVER been in a Rexall drug store before. I know, I know, there's plenty of brands there such as The Balm, I mean, what am I doing with my life, right?

Anyway, so I decided to pop in. I went in determined to purchase Mary-Lou Manizer. I walk in expecting it to be a carbon copy of Target/Shoppers, but nope! I was overwhelmed with all of these brands that I've honestly never heard of.

So I quickly grab my Mary-Lou Manizer, but then I see this brand next to The Balm that I've never heard of called Vasanti. I died, not literally, obviously, or else I wouldn't be here. The first thing that caught my eye was the Face Base Powder Foundation. It looked really silky so I swatched it on the back of my hand.

the box that the Face Base comes in

Now I need to warn you that this is not an exaggeration whatsoever, so brace yourself. This face base, I kid you not, is a perfect dupe of Nars' powder foundation. It has the same creamy texture and great coverage. It literally covers seamlessly.

quick swatch of the powder 

So Nar's Powder Foundation runs at $65 CAD with 0.4 oz of product. Vasanti's Face Base Powder Foundation runs at $28 CAD with 0.38 oz of product. Pretty damn fancy, eh?

Now onto the packaging: it is in a sleek silver plastic compact with a large crisp mirror and a sponge for application. I personally like using my BareMinerals precision face powder brush, but to each his own.

packaging

I grabbed the shade V4. This shade has a yellow base (as I believe the majority if not all of the line has, so my apologies in advance if you have a beige or pink undertone). It is a perfect colour match, and I honestly couldn't be happier.

So the next Vasanti product that caught my eye was the Liquid Cover Up. It can be used as a foundation, under eye concealer, or complexion concealer. It is brightening, light weight, and oil-free.

packaging that the Liquid cover up comes in

It is in a tube, which is kind of strange, and there is a brush tip. I fell in love with this concealer because, much like the powder, it blends in seamlessly with your skin but gives great coverage.

Packaging of the product

brush tip of concealer

This concealer covered up my hyper-pigmentation with very little product. It was easy to blend and didn't cake up. Ugh, I'm just in heaven.

So I'm glad I took a chance on this Vasanti line. It's Canadian and run by women so WOOH for supporting a Canadian brand! I honestly bought these products based on how they looked in store, I didn't even look up on sites like Make Up Alley to see what others said. And I'm glad I did this because these are two really great products. I definitely will be trying more products from this line. If you're looking for an awesome powder foundation or liquid concealer then I highly encourage you to check out Vasanti!

Anyways, that's all for now! I hope you all have a lovely day and don't forget to put a bow on!

Hillary

Make Up Favourites in 2013

2013 was an amazing year on all fronts! I met a lot of great people, tried out a lot of awesome products, got to see a lot of great places, and made a ton of amazing memories!

So I decided to do a video summing up my favourite beauty products of 2013. I haven't been able to do a bunch of monthly favourites this year due to the lack of camera pickle - BUT! I got the camera I was going to buy for Christmas from my parents so there will now be regular videos twice a week - no excuses. 

Click here to check out the video

So I hope you guys enjoy the video! I have a ton of great videos coming up but let me know if you want me to make a video on a specific topic. I hope you all had an amazing New Years and I hope 2014 is off to a great start for you!.

Have a great day guys and don't forget to put a bow on,

Hillary

Benefit POREfessional Agent Zero Shine Setting Powder! *New Product Alert*

New product alert!

If you have oily/combination skin and love looking matte without the cake face that sometimes comes along with it then keep reading. 

I'm sure you've tried Benefit's POREfessional primer, I mean, who hasn't? Well that gorgeous little gem now has a sister! Introducing Benefit's Agent Zero Shine. You might be wondering, what the heck is it? AND Does it actually stick to its claim?

Well if you want a quick review that will answer those questions then you can check out my YouTube channel where I give a 2 minute review. But for now, let's break this bad boy down.

I know what you're doing - you're looking at this thing and wondering what the heck it is. To be honest, I thought it would be a stick similar to Benefit's 15 hour wear primer and would be like a glue stick kinda guy that would eliminate shine. But nope!

Twist the lid off and what do you see? Holes, you see holes...(but seriously). Are you confused yet? Well you shouldn't be because the title of this blog clearly states 'setting powder' so you're probably 18 steps ahead of me here. So let's just jump to the next step.

Okay so next step: dump the powder into the lid. You will notice that the powder does not look white, it has a nude look to it (much like it's sister- the primer, yupp, I just made a benefit family). 

Next step! Make sure you twist  the top so that you close the holes - or else  you'll end up with a hot mess. Twist the bottom of the container to unleash the kabuki brush.

Just in case you were a little lost, you give the bottom a twisteroo and this magical surprise comes out. It's like the kitty surprise of make up (except there's only one surprise so there's no risk of getting screwed over with only 2 kitties instead of 4, if you are totally lost then you're either 1. too young or 2. a boy but this Buzzfeed article will explain and is incredibly nostalgic if you're a 90's girl).

Hello Kabuki! Okay, so that little plastic sleeve? Pop that guy down.

Okay, now you're cooking with fire. Time to try the powder out!

Take the Kabuki and swish it in the lid. I suggest singing one quick round of Jingle Bells to ensure that all the powder is blended into the kabuki (yay Christmas spirit!). After that, you are ready to apply! I suggest rolling the powder into your skin rather than brushing it on. This is especially important for oily skin because it will ensure that the powder  gets into your pores to suck up the oil and will make it last longer. This will also keep the powder from moving or lifting your foundation and concealer.

And this is my lovely face after 4 hours in a sweaty night club. If I don't have a matte primer on (I had the POREfessional sisterhood on my face) then my face would be a disco ball right now. But as you can see, you do not see your reflection on my forehead. 

Case closed. Benefit was right - there is zero shine and an added bonus of zero cake face. Am I an oily hot mess? You will never know now! I somehow managed to dance the night away, sweating my everything off and managed to walk into my apartment at the end of the night with my make up still in tact. How many times can you say that? Because I've certainly had moments where I look in a mirror at the end of the night and say "Oh my god I'm a disco ball raccoon!" It happens, especially when you decide that having a couple glasses of wine while you get ready is a good idea (it's never a good idea). 

Anyways, that's all for now! Keep your eyes peeled for this product this January (2014). I have one more product that I will be reviewing in the next week that will also be coming out this January - can anyone guess what it is?

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate Christmas, and if you don't, then I hope you have a lovely New Year's, and if you don't celebrate New Year's then have a grand day!)

Don't forget to put a bow on,

Hillary

Naked 3 Palette & The Return of My Face!

Helllooo everyone!

Okay so real talk: I finally got a hold of my camera again which means you get to see this lovely gem twice a week again (yayyyy!)

OH EM GEE! Look! It's my face

But seriously, it's good to be back. And I hit the ground running with a little update AND a brief review of the Naked 3 (yupp, I bought it, but seriously, this is me we're talking about so yaaa...).

I also scored the Glinda palette that was released last January (ish) for the movie the Great and Powerful Oz (by Urban Decay of course). Do any of you remember it? I do because I was in love and it was bloody expensive - but nope, scored that bad boy for $24 - no joke. Go jump on urbandecay.com, it might still be there in the sales section!

Anyways, I have a few super exciting product reviews coming for products that - wait for it - haven't even been released yet! So if you want to be 'in the know' then I highly suggest that you keep your eyes peeled and subscribe to my lovely YouTube Channel by clicking anywhere here - oh look at me being hyperlink craz-ay. 

Other funzies are coming too - Naked 3 Tutorial? Yupp! Other surprises? Heck yes! Soo that is all for today! Hope you all are having a lovely Christmas break (and if you aren't on break yet then uh, ya, sorry...)

Don't forget to put a bow on!

Hillary

Lorde Royals Make Up Tutorial

So I'm usually a big fan of the 'no make up' look but I am completely and utterly obsessed with Lorde's liner in her Royals music video. I've worn it out a few times and I love how it reshapes the eye. It really lifts the eye up and opens it. I know it looks super intimidating but it's really easy to master once you get the hang of it. The best part? It's super easy to fix if you make a mistake.

Check Out My Tutorial Here

I personally like creating the look with a gel liner then going over it once I'm done with black eye shadow (then smoking it out a bit). I haven't tried it with liquid, a pencil or powder but I honestly just think gel is easiest when you want to create this shape.

Check out my tutorial here

I already decided to go as a deer (and minnie on another night) for halloween BUT I wish I was going as Lorde. All you need is this fancy eye look, some serious hairspray, a great curling iron, a white t-shirt, a gold statement necklace, and black leggings (or black jeans). BOOM! I just gave you the easiest costume ever, you're welcome.

Anyway, I'd love it if you would check out my eye tutorial. I'm thinking about doing some fun halloween tutorials (such as dr.jekyll/mr.hyde, 1920s flapper, minnie or deer). So let me know if you'd like me to do more make up tutorials!

& don't forget to put a bow on,

Hill

Important Update!

Hello my lovely readers!

So I haven't uploaded a video in 2 weeks and you might be wondering why. As a lot of you know, I'm a stinking poor university student (uhhh let's be serious, what else is new?) so I'm currently waiting on my smelly OSAP to be able to get a new camera (long story short - I had to give my old one back to my mom when I moved away). Well OSAP is being silly so it won't be in for another week which puts off the whole using the money that should be paying my tuition with to also pay for other things. Let's call it the Ontario Student Assist-me-in-buying-stuff-for-my-youtube-channel Plan. So yah, that is in the works. I was going to just do some lesser quality videos on my webcam on my new laptop that optimistically claims to be an "HD" webcam buuuut let's just say that HP overshot that promise. Soo I'm going to see how my point and shoot camera will do in regards to quality but I'd rather hold off and give you guys the quality you deserve rather than do a hack job.

That being said, I have a bunch of really fun ideas coming up. I have a few new make up techniques that I'm going to share with you guys in a couple tutorials that I'm sure you'll love. I also have a few DIYs (wow, I totally wrote DUI at first, I definitely do not have any DUIs, drinking and driving isn't cool), and a September favourites video (I was way too busy to do an August favourites so this will be exciting!).

Soooo hang in there! I will have a video up this weekend and then my next video should be back to Canon Rebel t3i quality.

Hope you're all doing well, and don't forget to put a bow on!

Hill