Hair

Beauty Fails of 2014

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Last week, I shared my favorites of 2014 – so why not do a fails of 2014, too?

Beauty Fails of 2014Beauty product fails of 2014

Benefit they’re Real! Push-Up Liner – I feel like I’ve talked about this product a lot. In reality, this product isn’t a total fail – the applicator truly is brilliant, but the gel liner inside makes me sad. No one wants wings that flake off. Here’s hoping Benefit improves their formula.

Elma & Sana Argan Oil – Admittedly, I wanted to believe I was just paying for a name with my Josie oils. I shelled out for a far less expensive variety and really got what I paid for. On top of that, the (English) label was written by someone who is not familiar with the language…and apparently there was no proofing or editing before being sent off to print. Unprofessional presentation, sub-par product. After the dropper-cap started acting up, I tossed it out of exasperation. I won’t even link to them or their product because it was so disappointing.

Glambot – Initially, I was impressed and thrilled. But when I found out that they don’t bother to check batches of received items to make sure they aren’t expired or nearly-expired, I was miffed. When I then brought that to the attention of their management, no effort was made to ensure my satisfaction as a customer. You can check them out if you’re dying to try something for less than retail but be warned: it may be expired.

More details after the jump…

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Worth it? Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

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I ran out of my beloved Psssst! Dry Shampoo. No matter, my local Walgreens carries it! Or, they did, at least. I spent at least five minutes scouring my location’s tiny hair aisle for it. Not wanting to leave empty-handed and not wanting to make a special trip elsewhere, I picked up this can: Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo.

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry ShampooPantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo is one of three of Pantene’s dry shampoo offerings. They also have one called, “Original Fresh,” in a similar can with a green band and one called, “Root Reboot,” packaged the same but with a purple band. Along with the stand-to-Pantene vitamin boasting, Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo contains tapioca as an ingredient. Why? I really couldn’t begin to tell you.

Because I do not live in a fictitious world in which people actually do get regular biweekly salon blowouts, I’m testing this against the conditions my hair normally faces. Typically, I wash my hair every other day (e.g., Mon, Wed, Fri). I don’t usually need dry shampoo on that second day, but sometimes use it anyway to stay ahead. Sometimes, I want to push it another day – so, wash hair Monday and then again on Thursday, for example. Last week was one such week.

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Ulta Salon Visit

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We interrupt this Wednesday’s regularly scheduled programming in favor of a review of my recent Ulta Salon visit experience. Monthly Favorites will run next Wednesday.

A couple years ago, a stylist did a shoddy job with some layering work – they were way too short in comparison to my overall length, placed awkwardly, and not at all the cut I sought despite showing pictures. I spent two years growing them out, ending up with hair past my waist for my wedding, getting trims here and there (surely not the recommended 6-8 weeks) to even it up. Shortly after the wedding, I hacked about four inches off (it was heavy and more hassle than I cared to deal with) but it was still veeeeeeeery long (middle of my ribcage). Although I like my hair long, I still found myself at odds with it at this length – drying took forever, styling was a joke, etc.

I had been wanting another cut for a while and decided to take advantage of a 30% off offer from the nearby Ulta Salon – I set an appointment for after work and scurried  right over over. I was greeted by an Ulta employee who let my stylist know I was there; the same woman offered to take my coat and get me a coffee. While I waited, I checked out the Spa Ritual polish display that sat in front of the salon area.

Ulta Salon Visit - Haircut Inspiration

My stylist led me back to a chair and asked what I was looking for. I presented her with the above photo and explained that I was looking to:

  • Stay long
  • Reduce some weight
  • Add some movement via LONG layers
  • Taper into a slight V shape (like the picture shows).

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Protein Treatments (Hair) – Revisited

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Neutrogena Triple Repair - Protein Treatments

Because I have yet to find my unicorn when it comes to shampoo and conditioner, I am on the hunt. I decided to try an offering from Neutrogena, recently, their Triple Repair line.

I am a fool, though, because when I skimmed the ingredients list I somehow missed that this line does include protein treatments. The clue-in should’ve been right in the name, “repair.” Alas, many, “repairing,” products fortify the hair with protein…but as I mentioned before, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Things were smooth sailing for two weeks and then took a dive; my tresses went psycho again, rife with dryness and tangles and rage.

When your hair is lower-ribcage length angry snarls are seriously no fun. I’d brush my hair our before bed, wake up with a horrific knotted mass (that is not normally the case for me).

The lightbulb flashes, I went to the bathroom and scoured the labels of the shampoo and conditioner, already realizing what I’d done. The conditioner…

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dimethylpabamidopropyl Laurdimonium Tosylate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Hydrolyzed Lupine Seed Extract, Amodimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance

Noooooo. My suspicions were confirmed; I made a mistake. My unreasonably protein-sensitive hair was having a tantrum again due to this innocuous-seeming ingredient. Not even halfway through the tubes!

The shampoo contains some oat and wheat components, which typically do indicate protein. As far as I know it is okay with wheat stuff (I really loved the Aveeno Nourish and Soothe [now discontinued]), unsure about oat though.

No sass about the products – they cleaned well, and were kind to my scalp. My hair was shiny, soft, and had an almost, “fluffy,” quality before it decided it was over the protein. Just a heads-up in case your hair is sassy like mine and doesn’t care for protein – pass this one up.

Agave Healing Vapor Iron

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Agave Healing Vapor IronAgave Healing Vapor Iron (via the Wayback Machine)

If there were ever a subset of beauty whose products were laden with gimmicks, it would be hair styling and care. I’m lazily looking for a flat iron (mine is on the outs, but I’m not in a rush because I don’t use it all the time), and I came across this one on Sephora. Overlooking the fact that it is $150 for a non-professional unit, the name alone got me: Agave Healing Vapor Iron.

Healing, huh?

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Wanted: Low-Scent Dry Shampoo

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Dear Haircare Companies,

Dry shampoo is a staple for me. In addition to saving me from situations where I don’t have as much time as I’d like, it is a regular part of my routine in that it helps me go a little longer between washing, especially when used my favorite way: before bed. This helps preserve the health of my hair in addition to saving me time, effort, blah blah blah.

Every one that I have tried, with the exception of my current favorite, is rife with varying strong perfume-y fragrance. Even my favorite is scented more than I’d like – though not as much as the competition I have tried. While I understand the goal of a scented dry shampoo in that it should help refresh your hair, I really don’t want to walk around smelling like my dry shampoo. So I ask this: please make a low-scent dry shampoo. Please.

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak, “Refreshing,” Dry Shampoo.
Not an example of a low-scent dry shampoo.

In a rush the other day, I didn’t take a good look at the state of my hair before I left to start my day. When I got to work (early, thankfully), I felt that I could use a quick blast to help my hair have a little more life. Fortunately, I have a travel-sized can of Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo (long name, sheesh) in my desk. Being as that I arrive eons earlier than my teammates, I sprayed a quick blast at my roots – and coughed. Mmm, aerosol perfume – now with powder particles!

I got up and went to one of the restrooms (which for some ungodly reason do not have fans) and finished the job, but I had to keep moving around to avoid a lungful of this stuff. Granted, most dry shampoo is aerosol and you could have this happen – but of all the ones I have tried and all the times I have used it, this was the worst. The spray is dense, the fragrance is dense; even aiming the product at your roots (as intended) doesn’t prevent some of the powder-mist from settling wherever it feels like (like your top). I hope it dissipated before the next person went in; but even after the dry shampoo cloud itself disappears, the fragrance of this one lingers.

Low-scent dry shampoos would definitely be adopted. A lot of your consumers already wear perfume or some other fragrance. Having their fragrance-of-choice compete with their dry shampoo is no good. On the other hand, I’m sure some of your consumers, or your would-be consumers suffer in the midst of strong fragrances – so they either suffer while using your product, or they forego it. In the interest of keeping happy customers–and gaining new ones–I suggest that you, like Expo did with their dry erase markers, make a low-scent dry shampoo.

Sincerely,

the Beauty Skeptic