Tag: review

Review: Drybar Hair Dryer

I launched my YouTube channel a few weeks ago with an “unwrapping” video of Drybar’s “Peace on Earth Good Hair to All!” hair dryer kit. The kit was definitely a splurge, but I was hoping it would perform better than my ancient Conair dryer.

I have a lot of fine, long hair, and if I do not blow dry it completely  during the colder months, it either looks flat immediately or gives me a headache (neither of which is a good option).

Unfortunately, the Drybar Buttercup Hair Dryer did not seem much better than my ancient dryer. Although the dryer was light, had a good grip in hand, and was a little quieter than what I am used to, it did not seem to make much difference with drying time.

The kit included two products – Hot Toddy heat protectant and Triple Sec styling spray. Hot Toddy seemed fine – like any other heat protectant, and I did not notice a difference with the Triple Sec. If anything, it made my hair stick together in sections – giving a messier second day look to freshly blow dried hair – and made my blow out look slightly unkempt.

The large hair clips included with the set had many pieces on them that caught on my long, straight hair, and required extra time to untangle.

I actually liked the Drybar Round Brush more than expected. I remember buying a wooden round brush more than a decade ago to replicate a voluminous salon blow out. In real life, however, there is rarely time to do a full blow out and using a round brush on hair that is longer than shoulder length takes too much time and effort. It has sat in my drawer ever since.

The quality of the plastic bristles on the Drybar Round Brush seemed quite cheap, but it actually pulled through the hair nicely. Like the dryer, it had a good grip and felt lightweight in hand. The bristles held the hair well, in my opinion, and seemed to allow good tension for drying. The difficulty, however, is blow drying longer hair with a round brush. I have always had this problem, so perhaps it is an issue with technique, but it was not practical for me. I usually prefer to blow dry my hair upside down, starting at the roots, and then dry it with a large paddle brush – flattening pieces between the brush and the dryer.

In the end, the kit had some good things – the feeling and weight of the dryer, the length of the cord, the large barrel round brush for those who know how to use one, and the Hot Toddy heat protectant cream. Those benefits were not enough to justify the price of the kit, especially since drying time was roughly the same as my older hair dryer.

I sadly returned the Drybar kit and am still on the lookout for a better hair dryer. Do you have any recommendations for me?

 

Bite Beauty: Good Enough to Eat

I recently became a VIB Rouge member at Sephora (meaning I spent way too much money there throughout 2014). When my new card arrived, it was accompanied by a delightful deluxe sample of Bite Beauty’s Luminous Creme Lipstick in a custom brick red VIB Rouge shade.

Bite Beauty's exclusive lipstick for Sephora VIP Rouge customers. Luminous Creme Lipstick in the perfect shade of brick red.

Bite Beauty’s exclusive lipstick for Sephora VIP Rouge customers. Luminous Creme Lipstick in the perfect shade of brick red.

The lipstick was made in Canada, has a fruity yet non-overpowering aroma, and a wonderful smooth application. The creamy consistency moisturizes, has the perfect matte finish, and great staying-power.

Bite uses all food grade, non-GMO ingredients, no synthetic fragrances (great for those with sensitive skin), and no synthetic dyes. This lipstick also contains trans-resveratrol – the antioxidant-rich ingredient in red wine that helps reduce the appearance of lines.

Bite Beauty's Smashed Agave Lip Mask is a new favourite: hydrating and has sheer, buildable colour. A must-have.

Bite Beauty’s Smashed Agave Lip Mask is a new favourite: hydrating and has sheer, buildable colour. A must-have.

I was so impressed by the lipstick that I had to try another Bite product. During the day, I am very minimal with my make up and like using tinted lip balms. They are also especially useful at the gym where I do not wear any make up. I saw that Bite’s Agave Lip Mask had great reviews and decided to try the newest colour, Smashed Agave.

The balm, also made in Canada, smells like real vanilla bean and has a slightly sticky texture. On a cold day in Toronto, it may take a little warming it between your hands to get it to squeeze out of the tube easily, but that just means there are no synthetic stabilizers to maintain the texture (think about the difference of butter vs. margarine when they are kept in the refrigerator. Synthetic margarine is easily spreadable, whereas natural butter has to come to room temperature).

Demonstrating the buildable colour of Bite Smashed Agave Lip Mask: One, two, and three sheer coats lets you determine the colour intensity while always delivering incredible hydration.

Demonstrating the buildable colour of Bite Smashed Agave Lip Mask: One, two, and three sheer coats lets you determine the colour intensity while always delivering incredible hydration.

A little goes a long way with this mask. It is incredibly hydrating and long-wearing, and has a sheer wash of natural pink colour. For more colour, layer on one or two more sheer coats, or use your favourite lipstick on top. It is a great product for year-round, daily use. I am excited to try more products from Bite.

wen sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner

Is “Wen” Worth the Hype?

Infomercial-junkies everywhere have thought about trying Wen products at least once. The cleansing conditioner system replaces your shampoo and conditioner, and should provide exceptional results when used with their own styling products.

I have been using the original Sweet Almond Mint formula for more than three months and am constantly confused and conflicted about its performance.

You should read and follow the instructions before your first use, but you will quickly figure out what works best for your hair. For long hair, they recommend using 24 – 32 pumps of cleansing conditioner. They suggest using half the pumps (12 – 16) for the first wash, and repeating with the rest. I always wash and repeat, but instead of pumping all the product into my hand at once, I use 5 pumps to distribute over the sides of my scalp, another 5 pumps on the crown, add a little water to disperse the product, and then the final 5 pumps to clean the back of my head and pull through the ends (15 pumps total for the first wash). I rinse and repeat with 4 pumps for the sides, 4 pumps on the crown, and 4 underneath and through the ends (12 pumps for the second wash).

The most important thing I discovered when using Wen is that you cannot rush the final rinse. After trying to rinse the product out of my hair while standing upright, I flip my head over and rinse it again with cool water, focusing on the scalp. It is very important to wash all the product off the scalp and finish with cool water, otherwise it will leave your hair flat with an oily residue. They recommend applying one pump of product to the ends of your hair as a leave in, but I find that makes my hair look too heavy and needs to be washed sooner.

It takes some getting used to the feeling of applying conditioner to your scalp, especially when using so much product for one wash. The first time I used Wen, I pumped the full 12 pumps into my hand and felt like I had used most of the bottle. If you follow their directions, you will go through the bottles fairly quickly (around one bottle per month), but you will probably find that you can go an extra day or two without washing your hair.

I am conflicted about Wen because, while my hair feels very soft and has great shine, if you are in a rush and do not rinse everything perfectly, or do not rinse with cool water, you have to wash your hair sooner. I also feel like their styling products leave my hair feeling dry and brittle. Despite the rave reviews I have heard about Wen over the years, the cost does not justify the results, for me. I will stick to my all time favourite shampoo and conditioner, Pureology for colour treated hair.

wen sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner

Is Wen worth the hype? The original Sweet Almond Mint formula does not perform as well as it smells.