Monday, September 25, 2017

Maui Moisture | Thicken & Restore line





If you've hit the hair care aisle at the drug store lately, you may have noticed a new line. Chances are these unconventionally cool, square bottles stuck out to you. I wouldn't even be surprised if they ended up in your cart and on their way home with you.... but let's back up...

Not too long ago, a nice little PR package showed up at my door, stuffed with the Maui Moisture Thicken & Restore line, and I let out a squeal of glee. I'll be honest, I have so much hair stuff (most of which is sent to me) that I haven't needed to walk the aisles of Target or Walgreens to restock in ages. But if I did, I can guarantee you that I would've been sucked in to buying this stuff by the packaging alone. (Yes, I work in marketing. Yes, I still fall for good packaging). 

Maui Moisture isn't actually a completely new brand. This line was created by the makers of OGX, formerly Organix. You may recall I've reviewed a few of their products in the past. I happen to like a lot of OGX products, and this new line is maybe my favorite yet.  There are six different collections in the Maui Moisture family: Curl Quench, Heal & Hydrate, Nourish & Moisture, Smooth & Repair, Strength & Anti-Breakage, and what I was sent... the Thicken & Restore line.


The Thicken & Restore line is made up of three parts. The first two things are a shampoo and conditioner. The scent is "Bamboo fibers".... whatever that means... I have never smelled a bamboo fiber, but if it smells like this shampoo and conditioner, it smells simply amazing. The scent is soooo good; it's juicy and fruity and I can smell it lingering in my hair.

While these bottles say this line is for weak and brittle hair, I have neither. I do like to treat my hair to extra moisture and nourishment, though, and I found my hair was really soft and manageable after using this. If your hair is overprocessed or heat styled, or if you just need an added boost to kick your hair in to shape, give these a shot. 


The final item in the line is the Blow Out Mist. Spritz this on to damp hair and give your blow dryer a whirl. This will help boost your roots and give your strands volume. Given that I have about 6 hairs on my head, I'm all for added volume and it seems like it takes a miracle to make that happen. While this spray wasn't a godsend, I was pleasantly surprised by the extra boost this gave my hair. 

Overall, I'd recommend this line. It smells simply divine, it made my hair feel soft and manageable, and the styling spray actually gave my roots a lift. If you're interested in Maui Moisture, you can purchase it at Target, Walmart, and Ulta for starters. See a full list of retailers here. The shampoo & conditioner cost around $8.99 each, and the styling spray is the same price. Totally affordable and I'd definitely recommend trying out the line for yourself.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Fenty Beauty | Worth the hype?


Fenty Beauty ... it's ALL the hype lately. Rihanna's new makeup line has made a big splash in the beauty world, and it seems like everyone is talking about it. It appears PR packages were sent out to influencers in the beauty world, but fear not - I spent my own money on a couple key items from the line, so you can bet (as you always can, sponsored or not), that my opinions are entirely my own and I'm being 100% honest about these products.


Much of the hype around Fenty Beauty surrounds the foundation, and it is completely warranted. The foundation line has an unprecedented 40 shades to choose from.... yes, you read that right, 40 SHADES. How amazing is that? The beauty industry has been majorly lacking for way too long, offering a variety of beige and dark beige foundation shades, but nothing for those of us on either end of the spectrum... whitest white to darkest dark. I really, sincerely hope that the buzz around Fenty forces other cosmetics brands to up their diversity game.


I'm not sure what possessed me, but when I went to place my order, I meant to only pick up the foundation... but lo and behold, I ended up throwing a highlighter in my cart, too. There are four different highlighter duos, and I nabbed the Lightning Dust/Fire Crystal duo. The shades are buttery and soft, and great for pale girls. These duos are $34, which is pretty steep actually, but justifiable for me because highlighters last ages.


It was really tough to capture the beauty of this highlighter on camera, but you can see the left shade is not quite as creamy. It's a perfect highlight with a subtle glittery shimmer. The right shade is very buttery and could even be used as an eyeshadow. Both of these are pretty intense nude-colored highlights - you can glow like a disco ball if you don't use a light hand. After my initial swatching, I considered returning them, but after a couple uses I changed my mind and I really do like how they look on my skin. I think they look much better on than swatched on my arm.


I'm most excited about the foundation. The hype is SO REAL about this foundation, and it's more than just the 40 shades. You get 1.08 oz in a bottle, which is a little more than the standard 1 oz you get with most all foundations. It is a tad pricey, ringing in at $34, but I'm going to spoil the rest of my review for you and tell you it's completely worth it. 

This foundation is a DREAM. For reference, I have normal to combo skin that's acne-prone. I also have fine lines, on my forehead, underneath my eyes, and extending from my nose to my lips.


I purchased shade 110, the second lightest shade, and it's a perfect match for my very fair skin. A pump and a half covers my whole face using my preferred method -  a damp beautyblender. You can build the coverage, but I'd say you get medium to full coverage with one layer of foundation. As you can see above, it covers up my blemishes but not entirely.
It does have a slight fragrance, which I find pleasant, but something to consider if you're really sensitive to fragrance in your makeup. The finish is a satin matte, which is really quite nice. It's not quite as chalky and flat as say, L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Foundation, it's just skin-like and light with the same amount of coverage. The wear time is fantastic - it looks great after an 8 hour day of work, and like some black magic, it doesn't sink in to my fine lines the way so many other foundations do. I'm so in love - this is one of the best foundations I've tried recently.

I will say, if you have dry skin, this will cling to patchy areas, and I could see this being a bit too matte of a foundation for you. 


Overall - I think the hype really is worth it for the Fenty Beauty line. These two products are just a couple of the things available for purchase at Sephora. There are also brushes, lip gloss, cream color sticks and more. Look through the line here.
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