Karen

Amongst the cameras and extra batteries and gum that I carried in my bag during SF Fashion week last month, there was also this save-the-date-card and a ticket to Justin Timberlake’s concert that my good friend Chris sent me:

(Chris, you’ll be happy to know that several models and makeup artists thought your JT artistry was top notch.)

You’ll notice that the card says September 12th. Unfortunately JT cancelled that concert date, but tonight is the rescheduled concert date, so WOO HOO! I’m going with a bunch of girl friends, so I won’t be the only over-30 woman in hizzy and admiring JT’s sexy back!

These days, we all know JT for his closely cropped hair. (And I have to admit that like my girl Toya over at Life of a Lady Bug, I am an admirer of the shaved head look.) But does anybody remember Justin during his curly haired days?

How do you feel about this version of Justin? More hot? Less hot? Honestly, I can’t really blame the boy for shaving all his Adonis curls off. I have wavy hair, and even though I love it sometimes it’s a big pain in the ass.

Sometimes I get tired of my hair too, girl, but you have to step away from the sheers until it passes

For many curly/wavy haired girls and guys, the mission to find holy grail hair products is unending. I have a few products that I am loving on at the moment, like Clairol Herbal Essences Set Me Up Gel, but I’m always game to try more because you just never know what your curly/wavy hair will like.

So when I got the chance to try a few products from the Curls line I was really excited. The line is formulated for curly haired, multi-ethnic customers. The products are made from natural oils, butters and botanicals. They also have a cute line for kids called Curly Q’s, which tugged at my heart a ‘lil bit because the information booklet included several pictures of cherubic looking multi-ethnic children of various shades of brown in their before and after pictures, awwww.

Anyway, here’s the skinny on three of the products I tested: Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, Curls Milkshake and Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks.

Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, $12.00 for an 8oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-

What it does:
– Clarifies product build up
– Infused with pineapple and grapefruit extracts

What I liked about it:
– Light citrus smell
– Nice texture

What I didn’t like about it:
– Felt like it clarified almost too well
– Had to use a lot to build up a good lather
– Cap on bottle is a screw cap, which I felt made me use too much product; wish it was a flip-top cap instead

You might like it if:
– You have thick curly or wavy hair that you don’t color
– You use lots of products on a daily basis

This shampoo smells yummy, and I like that it’s not too expensive. Plus, it’s silicone-free.

It does a great job of clarifying — almost too great! My hair felt super-squeaky clean, but I swear my highlights looked like they were stripped of some color afterwards. I won’t be using this shampoo again because of this.

I think for my hair clarifying shampoos in general are just too harsh. Right now I only shampoo once or twice a week and I only use gentle, moisturizing formulas.

However, you may like this is you use a lot of product – and for many of us curly/wavy haired girls that’s simply our reality- and need a uber-clarifier to remove it all. And if your hair is thick and doesn’t have any color then you may also like this as well.

Curls Milkshake, $17.00 for a huge 8oz jar
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C

What it does:
– Styling product that softens, hydrates, defines curls and defrizzes all curly hair textures
– Made from coconut milk and organic aloe leaf juice

What I liked about it:
– Delicious coconut smell
– Does a fantastic job of weighing hair down
– Didn’t leave my hair feeling crunchy
– You can really make this go the distance because you get a lot of product for the price and don’t have to use that much
– Thick texture that isn’t sticky

What I didn’t like about it:
– Delicious coconut smell became extremely overwhelming after a few hours
– After I washed it out I got a few pimples on my back and shoulders (but this could’ve also been because I started using a new medication)

You might like it if:
– You have very thick, unruly, hard to tame curls that need to be weighed down
– You like smelling like a coconut

I really wanted to fall in love with this stuff because at first whiff it’s delicious! I love tropical smells, so I happily applied it to my hair with thoughts of Hawaii and all the great memories I have associated with surfing and the beach.

Unfortunately the coconut scent stays strong and doesn’t fade at all. After a few hours I couldn’t smell anything else but coconut, and it made me nauseous. My nose is very sensitive though, so it might not bother you as much as it bothered me.

Two big plusses with this product: does a great job of taming unruly hair and doesn’t leave it feeling sticky or crunchy. These two factors unfortunately don’t outweigh the fact that shortly after I washed this out of my hair I got a few pimples on my back and my shoulders, and I NEVER break out in the those areas. I have to acknowledge that at the time I started a new medication so it could’ve also been that as well, but I didn’t love this product enough to take that chance again.

Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks – $22.00 for a 2oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-/C+

What it does:
– A hair restoration treatment that encourages growth replaces lost keratin
– Improves elasticity, flexibility and shine

What I liked about it:
– Light citrus smell
– Good texture that isn’t too heavy or oily
– Full of natural ingredients

What I didn’t like about it:
– Can’t really say if it helped my hair grow or if it improved its elasticity and flexibility

You might like it if:
– You need something to make your hair glossier

Like the other two products, the light citrus scent from Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks initially drew me in. The natural ingredient list also impressed me. The first three ingredients are Tahitian Coconut Oil, Sweet Almont Oil and Olive Oil.

I can’t really attest to this products’ claims of hair growth because I have thick hair to start with.

It does give hair a nice shine though. For me, this really isn’t a “must have” product, but if you want a silicone-free glosser then you might like this.

Unfortunately being a beauty blogger does not earn one a backstage pass Justin Timberlake concerts (DAMN!), and I’m pretty sure our seats are of the nosebleed variety for tonight’s show. I’m bringing my uber SRL camera though, so I’ll try my best to work the zoom lens to my JT-admiring advantage. Hopefully I’ll snap a few drool-worthy pictures, which you an admire for your, ahem, own personal use.

Have a fantastic rest of your weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. You know that your weekend isn’t complete without the Weekend Beauty Roundup![Continue reading…]