DIY Hair Gloss – Updated

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This is a legacy post that I’ve given a facelift because who doesn’t want shiny hair? I’ve done this four times now, including on my highlights – and it looks great. Opinions are the same, but is formatted and edited for easier reading and flow.

I shared a tutorial on how to DIY Hair Gloss in May 2014. It’s been a while, and it’s time to do it again – mostly to refresh the shine, and partially to make the process easier.

DIY Hair Gloss SuppliesDIY Hair Gloss Supplies

Supplies

Supplies needed are the same as before, with a couple additions:

I picked up a lot of this stuff from Sally Beauty when they had some sales and I had a 20% of, but a lot of that stuff can be found on Amazon, too. Instructions after the jump.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Full vs Travel

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Last year, I won a travel sized Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (my post on it here) in Dim Light. I liked it so much that I splashed out for a full-size (on sale, of course). Sites obviously shares the volume of product in each, it can be hard to tell without a side-by-side. My local Sephora store, for instance, does not carry Hourglass – and when I have an idea that I think would have helped me, I like to share.

Side-by-Side

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Full vs TravelHourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Full vs Travel

The difference is pretty comical – so to put numbers to that picture, the left is 0.35 oz (for $46); the right is 0.04 oz (for $22). You’re getting over 8x the product for just over twice the price…and with how long the tiny travel size has lasted me (barely looks used), that is going to last me sometime into the 22nd century.

The Bottom Line

Unless you need the tiny size for some odd reason, skip it – the value just isn’t there. The price-per-ounce is already painfully high in the full size (I keep reminding myself of the fact that this stuff is going to last 2/3 of eternity) at around $131. The travel size comes in at a crushing $550 per ounce. It’s sheer (ha) lunacy.

Sonia Kashuk No 4 Synthetic Flat Top Buffer

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Sonia Kashuk No 4Sonia Kashuk No 4

Over the last two years years I’ve given my F80 quite the workout. It’s on its last legs, and could use replacing. I planned to. Then, Target offered 25% off all beauty products; I struck out and bought the Sonia Kashuk No 4 Synthetic Flat Top Brush (reg $16), which is widely suggested to be a dupe for the F80. I had my eye on it for a while, but with no reason to buy, I refrained.

Ergonomics

The No 4 features the same weird, ergonomic handle that many of the, “nicer,” SK brushes do. For some, that’s great – but unfortunately, this brush was awkward for my to hold and felt very unnatural. My hands are somewhat small, so your mileage may vary with the handle. I’m sure some people would find it comfortable to hold.

Bristles

This is the crucial part. So as you can see below, the bristles are different lengths (pardon the smudged eyeliner on my index finger)…

 

Sonia Kashuk No 4 Synthetic Flat Top vs Sigma F80

This isn’t a bad thing per se. Depending on the type of bristles and the rigidity with which they were bound, the length could be irrelevant. Here, however, it is not. Because more of the length is exposed, the bristles flex more during application. This impacts buffing and can, at worst, lead to streaks; at best, your application could take longer as you work to even out the product.

Like the Sigma F80, Sonia Kashuk No 4’s bristles are all synthetic (read: cruelty free). That said, there is a marked difference in texture. Compared to the F80’s Sigmax bristles, the Sonia Kashuk No 4 feels rough. It is not rough and does not irritate my skin; its bristles just seem so when compared with something softer.

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Blond Brilliance Conditioning Toner

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Blond Brilliance Conditioning Toner
For the first time in a decade, I colored my hair via balayage highlights – and now I need to care for those highlights. Research and a trip to my local Sally Beauty landed me on Blond Brilliance Conditioning Toner. This $9, house-brand toner is an indigo-hued conditioner suitable for DIY application (read: you won’t screw this up if you aren’t a professional colorist!).

Usage & Results

Flat out, is ridiculous. There’s something hilarious about dispensing This is an intensely pigmented purplish-blue conditioner. By itself, it is not ultra-hydrating, so I like to make a conditioner cocktail of it and whatever conditioner I planned to use that day. I focus this where it is needed; for me, it has been OK to get it all over, but I try to apply it where it will do the most good. Then, I leave it for five minutes while I tend to other aspects of my showering routine. Rinse and you’re good-to-go.

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TAG: My Husband Explains Makeup

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My Husband Explains Makeup

Every now and then I’ll come across a fun tag (read: NOT 100 Layers of… whatever) and want to join the fun. I first came across it on Minimalist Makeup and thought it could be a bit fun.

I’m grabbing a bit from here and there and adding my own questions.

My Husband Explains Makeup

“Can you name five makeup brands?”

  • Urban Decay – you like them and have a lot of their stuff.
  • Next, NARS – they have weird product names.
  • Maybelline
  • MAC
  • The independent one…you know, you watched a video about it. She was on YouTube then made her own company, uh… MakeupGeek!

“Give me a shady product name from NARS. Bonus points if you name more than one.”

“Orgasm. Orgasm…some more? (Super Orgasm) There’s another shady one but I can’t remember.”

“What is BB Cream?”

“Well it can’t be made with little projectile pellets…so I’m going to say a cleanser or exfoliant with those little scrubby beads?”

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2016 Holiday Gift Guide

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With Thanksgiving coming up, I’m adjusting my posting schedule for the upcoming week. There will be this post (Saturday evening), the normal Monday post, and the normal Wednesday post, but no Friday post.
We’re officially in holiday shopping season! In the interests of self-preservation, I completed my holiday shopping a month-and-a-half ago. Here’s the Beauty Skeptic 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for those of you still in the thick of it.

Before You Shop

eBates

If you aren’t signed up for eBates, go sign up now. Their commercials are weird, but they are absolutely legit. I’ve been a member since January 2012 and am just cents shy of earning $900 cash back over the lifetime of my membership. Here’s a screenshot from my eBates dashboard:

ebates

It is free to join, and just like not contributing to a contribution-matched 401k, to not do so is to throw away free money! Don’t leave money on the table, sign up and earn cash back on nearly all of your online shopping. They pay out quarterly via PayPal, Check, or gift card. Disclosure – I do get a referral credit if you use the link above and YOU get $10 in your eBates account, too.

Honey

If there’s a promo code, I find it. That said, finding them does take time; usually several websites and then time to apply them to check for validity. Honey makes the process easier via a browser plugin that auto-applies the best-available promo codes for you. It operates via user submissions, so you can add your promo code finds to help the community if you’re so inclined.

It’s also free, and you can sign up here. Disclosure – Like eBates, I get a small referral credit if you sign up with that link. Whether or not you sign up with that link, I use and recommend it myself.

Shop!

Skincare

biore aqua rich watery essence

It isn’t often that you can give the gift of health. I love sunscreen as a skincare gift particularly for those who may be a bit lax with their skin. If you’re interested in prestige options, Coola apparently makes some good ones; that said, when it comes to facial sunscreen I can’t be talked off the Biore AQUA Rich ($9) ledge. It’s SPF 50, suitable for all skin types, and not something you can just grab off the shelf in CVS or Target…but even being imported, it is really inexpensive!

Everyone can benefit from some Vitamin C, but especially if your recipient has expressed anti-aging concerns, this is a good pick. This duo from Ole Henriksen ($25) is a cute gift that can boost collagen production and make the skin appear more radiant.

Palettes

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