IGK Mixed Feelings Leave-In Blonde Toning Drops

by
IGK Mixed Feelings Leave-In Blonde Toning Drops
IGK Mixed Feelings Leave-In Blonde Toning Drops, $29

If you’re blonde or have highlights, you’re probably no stranger to the concept of toning your hair. Whether you dabble in DIY toning like I do or leave it strictly to a professional, the battle of the brass is never far away. Last year, I came across IGK Mixed Feelings Leave-In Blonde Toning Drops ($29 at Sephora). In spite of previously talking smack about other products of IGK’s, I immediately bought them.

What Is It?

The of concentrated purple toning product that you can add to your hair during styling. You can apply the drops to your hair directly or cocktail them with a product. I usually use once a week and add mine to a leave-in conditioner or to my L’Oreal Thermal Balm or to Super Skinny when I’m heat styling.

This diminutive bottle contains one ounce which seems like a tragically small amount. It isn’t, though; using a bottom-button dropper like my Clarins facial tanner, a single drop does a lot more than you’d think. For my long hair, I usually go with 3-4 drops each time I use it. On a given day, it takes the edge off the brass/warmth – and it smells great.

Wow Your Colorist

I brought them along with me to the first balayage appointment I had after I bought them. When chatting with my colorist about them, she was blown away.. She had never seen them before! We ended up talking about them for a solid ten minutes, and she wouldn’t let me leave without writing down the product name.

Read more

Undertaking a DIY Haircut

by
Undertaking a DIY Haircut

In 2015, when faced with the, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question, my response would not have included, “pondering or executing a DIY haircut on myself.”

In a normal year* I get my hair cut maybe 4-6 times. Because my hair is long and otherwise well cared-for, it hides my negligence prioritization choices. That said, thanks to the scumbag pandemic making this not a normal year, I have gotten just one haircut this year before shit got real in the US. Normally, by this point in the year I’d have gotten at least two, perhaps three.

For me, this isn’t a catastrophe. As opposed to short styles, long hair can be lower maintenance than you think. Since I’ve been working from home, I’ve been heat styling less. As a result, my hair is in moderately better condition than it would usually be. This isn’t just an act of laziness, but of strategy: I’m on camera for a least half of a given workday. As long as what frames my face looks decent, its fine.

A DIY Haircut

But, regardless, next month will mark six months from my last (professional) haircut. I was getting ready to tone my hair two weeks ago and decided I needed a trim – and I did it myself.

Read more

L’Oreal Voluminous Deep Burgundy

by
L'Oreal Voluminous Deep Burgundy
L’Oreal Voluminous Deep Burgundy, $7

Like many mascara-wearing people, black is my go-to. To be precise, my perennial favorite is L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black ($9), is always in stock in my vanity. Last time I stocked up on mascara, though, I decided to try something a little different for me: non-black mascara. L’Oreal Voluminous Deep Burgundy ($7) comes in a washable formula and is a little different, but not shocking.

So Edgy Of You (Not)

We’re not talking Euphoria-level adventurousness, here, though; L’Oreal Voluminous Deep Burgundy does not excude drama the way bright yellow, pink, or blue do. Indeed: I would wear navy but not bright blue.

Burgundy is not generally considered a soft shade, but when applied to lashes it comes across as a neutral. It is just slightly more fun than brown and note even remotely loud.

To most onlookers, it looks like any mascara; for me, a little softer than my usual, but still definitely providing richness and definition to my lashes. To you, the wearer, and to those with an eye for detail, though, it is ever so slightly burgundy.

For those of you living in a video-conference-centric world, most webcams in use by us mere mortals aren’t going to betray your departure from the norm. If anything, L’Oreal Voluminous Deep Burgundy comes across a little softer – so I tend to reach for a black so I look more awake on camera.

Read more

Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel

by

It’s been a while since I’ve seen some exceptionally stupid beauty marketing, mostly because I haven’t been looking. During some idle browsing on a lazy Sunday morning, I came across Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel. It is a bit odd to see beauty retailers offering so many hand sanitizer products, but that’s the world we live in now. Tons of companies set forth to add hand sanitizers to their complement of products: chemical companies, spirits distilleries, beauty brands. Lo and behold, you can buy all manner of hand sanitizers at Sephora and Ulta now.

TL;DR Your Marketing is Bad

Sephora partnered with Nudestix to add this ethanol-based hand sanitizer, priced $10 for 16.9 fl oz, to their shelves. The listing says:

In partnership with proud Canadian company, Nudestix, Sephora Canada launched this good-for-skin antibacterial gel specifically for the global COVID-19 crisis. Unlike alcohol-based gels, the Nudestix ethanol-based gel hydrates and protects hands while banishing harmful bacteria.

You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me

K, few things. We’ll key in on the biggest chunk of stupidity right off the bat. I cannot believe I have to point this out, but ethanol is an alcohol. In fact, assuming you are not a chemist, it is the form of alcohol you are most familiar with. It is the type of alcohol that beverages contain. It is an alternative fuel. It has antiseptic properties, hence why it is used in hand sanitizers.

CoVid-19 Isn’t a F***ing Bacteria

Secondly, while properly formulated and used hand sanitizers are antibacterial in nature, their marketing focuses too much on this right now. CoVid-19 is not bacterial, it is viral. A high enough concentration of alcohol can kill it. That should be how Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel is positioned right now. Instead, the listing mentions that the product was prompted by CoVid and goes on to spout about it being antibacterial.

The Bottom Line

You won’t find a link to Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel in this post because I don’t want to encourage/support bad behavior. I frankly find it off-putting – if we have cosmetic companies producing product without the basic understanding that ethanol is an alcohol, how can we trust that their cosmetic formulations have safety and efficacy in mind? It makes me think of Sensationail’s claims about their gel nail cleanser (psst, you don’t need it).

I don’t know if this listing is the fault of some product marketing genius with Sephora or with Nudestix. I don’t know if they genuinely don’t know any better, or if they’re a little too at-ease with assuming their consumers are idiots. I’d sincerely hope at least somewhere in either org there is someone with enough basic chemistry know-how to discourage this sort of thing. Instead, if you want to buy hand sanitizer from a beauty brand, might I suggest Cinema Secrets with a 70% concentration?

Good Products from FabFitFun

by

Although I’ve canceled my subscription, I came away from my five seasons with many good products from FabFitFun that I think is worth sharing. Not all of it is explicitly beauty, but still ended up being neat.

West Elm Indigo Tie-Dye Bowls





This incredibly cute set of ceramic blue ikat bowls from West Elm. I would never purchase these on my own (both because 1) West Elm and 2) I wouldn’t typically reach for ikat prints or bowl sets) but they’re pretty. I keep bobby pins and Invisibobbles in them.

Avene Thermal Spring Water
Avene Thermal Facial Spray, $14

This is one of those things that I simply cannot bring myself to actively choose to spend money on, but it is pleasant to have if I end up with it as a gift/freebie/from a subscription box like this.

I’ve had the Evian ones ($14 for twice as much) in the past. they’re surprisingly nice in the summer if you’ve worked out or been outside.

Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask 6 Pack

Wander Beauty’s Baggage Claim eye masks, $25

I love eye masks, and these are really damn nice. They have a cult following for a reason I would never pay $25 for 6, however, so this was a big win in the box they came in. The bad thing is that I REALLY LIKE THEM – but I still refuse to pay that much for them. So, I’d repurchase if they were more affordable.

Instead, I tend to buy these from Amazon ($10) or any of the eight thousand just like them on Abra’s recommendation. They aren’t miracle workers, and I’m in the market for something that is a better value.

Read more

Off Topic: Period Care is Covered by FSA

by

A silver lining of this lousy year is that now, period care is covered by FSA I’ve shared before that FSA funds can be used to buy sunscreen. That is great, and I highly recommend doing so if at the end of the year you find yourself with an excess of FSA funds (and don’t need healthcare, spare glasses, etc). But this isn’t about sun safety.

Period Care is Covered by FSA (FINALLY)

This is about how finally, in 2020, prompted by the CoVid-19, Congress decided that, “oh hey, maybe menstrual care products are healthcare products and should be eligible for purchase with FSA funds,” via the CARES act.

Not Amused

Can we talk for a moment about how we could have purchased any number of ridiculous, frivolous, bullshit products with an FSA? We could buy a $25 lip gloss because it had some SPF in it, but we couldn’t buy some damn tampons with those same funds. This is on top of the absurdity that hygiene products like these are frequently taxed at a different rate (a quite literal pink tax, rather than the markup variety) than other hygiene and personal care necessities because some morons seem to think that’s a great idea.

Maybe some of them aren’t complete bullshit, like light therapy for acne. But why could we spend $200 in pre-tax dollars on some splurgey skincare gadget with questionable efficacy before we could spend those dollars on basic, routine hygiene that so damn important to our ongoing health. No one wants blemishes, but I dare-fucking-say that one is slightly higher priority in terms of, “shit we need,” than the other.

The Bottom Line

I’m happy that period care is covered by FSA funds now, but I’m simultaneously irritated as hell that it took so long, and took a global health crisis that not only threatened lives and safety but incomes and livelihoods, for tampons to be considered slightly less of a luxury.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.