Today turned out to be quite an innnnteresting Wednesday. Remember a few days ago when I mentioned that I had a bout of hives on my left eyelid? It was just the left eye, and it went away on its own after a couple of hours, so I chalked it up to a minor allergic reaction to something (to be safe, I still changed my laundry detergent and fabric softener and laid off the makeup for the afternoon).
Well, wouldn’t ya know it? — the hives came back! Today! Right after my workout! And this time they were on both eyes, and much worse, like horror movie scary with huge, bright red welts.
Long story short, it is some kind of allergy. I went to the doctor this afternoon, which is why I’ve been incommunicado.
The doc said I’m fine but couldn’t pinpoint the cause. I asked him if he thought it could be caused by a beauty product because, yeah, I use a few of those, but he didn’t think so. The symptoms pointed to good ol’ fashioned hay fever. I guess I just gotta wait it out.
He did suggest that I “lay off the eye makeup for the next few days…”
“What’s that now?” I asked, after I regained consciousness, LOL!
I suppose there is a bright side to all this. I figure, if I’m gonna be tooling around town without a stitch of makeup on and these two cray-cray swollen eyelids, I might as well do something sassy with my hair.
As long as I can wear it down, which I did today, to sort of hide behind, but at least my waves were bouncy and (almost) frizz-free! 🙂
I’ve been using a few products for dry and damaged hair from Living Proof’s gentle, moisturizing Restore collection, which came out last spring (available now at Sephora). The shampoos, conditioners and styling products are supposed to make hair easier to manage.
The Living Proof brand has been around for a few years. They say they take a scientific approach to tackling beauty’s toughest challenges for “beautiful, head-turning results you can see from across the room.”
I have to say — after three solid months of using their Restore Shampoo ($28), Conditioner ($28) and Targeted Repair Cream ($28) — I’m seriously considering buying backup bottles of my backups. That’s how much I like the line.
Left to its own devices, my highlighted, wavy hair is prone to frizzing, but when I use Living Proof’s products (the Repair Cream is a leave-in product to moisturize and reduce frizz), my hair actually behaves. And bounces. 🙂
From Sephora.com…
- Restore Shampoo — Restore Shampoo is formulated with Living Proof’s moisture-controlling molecule, PolyfluoroEster, to restore the protective layer on dry or damaged hair and reduce hair’s porosity by 100%. Restore makes dry or damaged hair look, feel, and behave like virgin hair. It also increases hair’s resistance to breakage up to nine times while healing, protecting, and preventing further damage.
- Restore Conditioner — Restore Conditioner is formulated with Living Proof’s moisture-controlling molecule, PolyfluoroEster, to restore the protective layer on dry or damaged hair and reduce hair’s porosity by 100%. This conditioner also increases hair’s resistance to breakage up to nine times while healing, protecting, and preventing further damage.
- Targeted Repair Cream — This formula replaces lost ceramides to restructure, strengthen and seal the protective outer layer of the hair. It prevents 93% of new split ends and provides all-day protection from UV damage. Safe and effective on color or chemically treated hair, it can be used on wet or dry locks.
I just shampoo, condition, work in a dollop of the Repair Cream (and all of the products have a faint citrusy green tea scent that I like), and air dry.
I really, really 
this stuff. Finally, after all these years, I have wash-and-wear hair! — which is something I’ve always dreamed about.
The products are pricey, but they might be worth checking out if your hair tends to misbehave, or if it’s on the frizzy side.
PRICE: The Shampoo and Conditioner are $28 each for an 8-ounce bottle; the Repair Cream is $28 for a 4-ounce bottle
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora stores and online at sephora.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A- (expensive, but great results!)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Oooh! I am going to add this to my list of hair stuff to try. My hair is very similar to yours- wavy, dry, and color treated. I am always on the hunt for hair products that fight my hair’s worst nemesis….frizz! Thanks for the review Karen.
PS- I hope your eyes feel better!! It sounds painful!
Uh-ohhh….guess it’s best to stay off makeup till your eyes get back to normal..
So sorry to hear about your allergies, Karen! I hope they’ll go away soon! I have been disfigured by nettle rash attacks, so I know how that feels 🙁
However, bravo for the hair! Mine isn’t frizzy if I keep it moisturized, which means I could also check this range out 🙂
Oh no–feel better soon! Allergies are the worst. But hey, look on the bright side–you still look fabulicious! I’m not sure I’d ever pay this much for my haircare…shampoo and conditioner are typically things I don’t splurge on (along with body wash, body lotion, and mascara). But this sounds nice–my hair HAS been pretty dry lately…
I love your hair colour, wanted to add some highlights, too. But it took me forever to grow out my natural hair so I am not sure now…
Hi!! Just wondering would you recommend these products for split ends and hair thats breaking off?!! My hair is so dead!! I use Redkin Intensive repair treatment every time I wash my hair?
Thanks!!
Melodyfaith
http://www.melodyfaith.net/
Maybe its time to replace the eye primer? maybe in the heat its changed and thus you’re having hive issues? OR maybe you had Tabs outdoors and when you petted him you transferred something to your eye one day and both the next day.. maybe Tabs needs a bath.. let us know how that goes!! lol (my Emmy doesn’t make a peep and you can ‘hog tie’ her to hold her to rinse her off under running water with no reaction or meow.. she’s a tad obsessed with water)
Feel better soon! Ive been trying to get an Opthalmologist appointment (earliest is next week!) because my eyes have been bugging me – they kinda hurt and am often teary eyed. :-/
I am hoping its just allergies!
Ive used Living Proof … but its been a while. Might be a good time to revisit this brand!
I use the Living Proof Full Thickening Cream and really like that too. 🙂
On a more serious note, please have your doctor order bloodwork for a full-on allergy test. Long story short, I’d never had any allergies and after running one night (years ago) was covered with hives. I’d never seen them and the Hubs and I thought it was heat rash. A few weeks later, after running again, it was worse. I’d run many, many times in between with no problems. Again, though it was weird heat rash. The 3rd time it happened was anaphylaxis. Couldn’t breathe and got to ride to the ER in an ambulance. They found it was exercise-induced but due to a shellfish allergy. Eating a food that I was apparently sensitive to (though I’d eaten it forever) and then running made the reactions increasingly worse. The allergist said “next stop… death”. So, no more shellfish for me, whether before exercise or not. I’m not trying to scare you and maybe it is just hayfever but please be checked for other allergies, just in case. 🙂
A make-up ban?! Oh noes! Good luck 🙁 I had eye surgery in 2008. Doc told me not to use make-up for a month (srsly dude?). I had to wear sunglasses anyway, but I still broke down after a week, lol. Carefully started again with eyeliner. Then a little eyeshadow. Mascara. Felt so good.
Good to hear you found a line that works for frizzy/uncontrollable hair. I don’t need it, though. My hair falls straight no matter what I do. Love it and hate it at the same time!
Awww hope you feel better Karen! I think your eyes could use a break- we all know they’ve been working so hard! 🙂
Hope your eyes feel better soon! Allergies are no damn fun at all. (I’m allergic to kitties. Yes, I have two. Yes, running out of my medicine is a Big Deal. Totally worth it.)
At least your hair is ridiculously pretty?
Do you know if this stuff would work for thin hair? I have wavy hair that is prone to frizz and I get split ends like crazy, but a lot of shampoos and conditioners are just too heavy for my hair.
I hope your hives go away soon, it’s scary when things like that end up on your face! I could live without eye makeup, but I don’t want hives on my face! Good luck! 😉
Hope your hives go away soon, Karen! I somehow developed eczema on my eyelids after NEVER having it anywhere else or using any new products around my eyes! It’s gone now, and only flares up when I’m super stressed. At least your hair looks awesome 🙂
I usually use a cleansing conditioner and avoid shampoo, but Restore is an exception I gladly make on occasion. I tried the No Frizz line, but wasn’t impressed with the results and the smell was horrible. (I won’t go near their hair spray – it’s smells like a toxic chemical plant and the smell lingers.) Restore is really impressive. I’ve never before used a shampoo that left my hair feeling healthier and not dry and stripped. The conditioner was great, too.
Hope you feel better! I get weird skin reactions to things, so I have to keep an eye on rashes or bumps when I get them, too.
I think you and I have somewhat similar hair. Mine is very thick, got a wave when I hit my teen years, and got frizzy if I did my usual routine of shampooing and conditioning and didn’t use any leave in products (it was glossy, straight and had a reddish gold tint as a kid. As soon as I got to my teens, it got thicker, wavier, and turned almost a blackish brown). My new hairstylist is great – I’ve been to her twice now and my hair has behaved very well after her cuts even if I let the appointment go for longer than 2 months. Having a good cut that is well suited for my hair has really helped with the frizz problem, and I’ve also been able to use less product.
I really like your make up in these photos!
So sorry to hear about your hives, that sucks. I hope it passes as quickly as possible!!
Wow, considering the great effects that these products did to your hair, I’m planning to try them myself. I have the same problem with frizzy hair. I think my hair really lacks moisture and I’ve tried almost virtually everything in the market to cure my problem. I really hope Living Proof would do the same for my hair. Thanks for the advice!
I have fine, wavy hair which is hard to manage and gets frizzy in the summer (I live in DC. It’s literally a swamp). Any type of cream or oil I’ve tried has made my hair look like I haven’t showered in days, and most hairsprays have that effect too. Shielo Hairspray is different. I use the Shielo Firm Hold Spray and I can straighten my hair in the morning, brush it out, lightly spray it with this and voila; it looks like that all day.