I need more lotion- Makeup Question &In The Theaters

Let me keep this short and sweet - I am reviewing a hand treatment by Fresh and yes it feels fine. It feels as good as any quality hand lotion should feel. It softens my hands and leaves behind a soft scent of sugar and lemons. It contains rose flower water as the base ingredients along with various oils like jojoba, apricot seed and wheat germ just to name a few.

But I feel totally ripped off because of the small amount placed in the tube. What you see pictured above is a 1 oz tube which sells for $15.oo. Now I know 1oz isn't a lot but why provide such a large tube. Where my index finger is on the bottle, that's where the lotions reaches. The tube happened to catch some the light and I was able to see through the tube which revealed the small amount provided. For $15.00 I would not but this size product again. I know some days I'm spending big bucks on products and other days I'm getting upset over $15.00 lol but it's just the principal of it all.

Message to fresh either provide a smaller tube so that your customers know how little they are getting or lower the price for that amount. After all this product does have parabens at the end of the ingredients list. ( I noticed that after my purchase- sometimes when I am in PJD mode I don't have the most discerning eye..lol).

I will end on a happy note, it's a good LITTLE product so if you buy it you probably won't be disappointed. They also sell it in a larger size which I will not purchase because who knows how little my tube would contain.

My Makeup Question

For those of you who use gel eyeliners please answer this- how soft/hard is the gel eyeliner. I made my purchase and I just need to know if I got a bad batch before I post my review or if this stuff is supposed to be this hard. Have you seen different consistencies between different companies that produce gel eyeliners? I want to be fair before I post my review. Also I will probably buy a gel eyeliner to do a comparative review.

On the Tube

Have you ever watched even an episode of Tough Love? Who is this man who tries to find dates for these ladies? No, really who is he? I think he is some guy who hooked up a few of his friends and now he is trying to make this a career. He hasn't said anything profound, I seriously could have given the advice he has already given.

If you ever watched BET J Short Film show, then you may remember Abiola last season as the host. I can't believe she's on that Tough Love show.

In the Theaters

I don't know what it will be like where you live but NYC this Friday- Tuesday will be warm and BEAUTIFUL. And where will I be on Friday? In the movie theater to catch The Soloist. I know many people are going to see Obsessed (which I will probably see too) but the Soloist is first on my list. Check the trailer here.

Drugstore Brand, Nails and The Hair Expert Answers Your Question

I decided to say HELLO to a drugstore item that had caught my eye a while back because of their colorful bottles and well scented products. Herbal Essences hair conditioners were staring back at me as I walked down the CVS aisle. I purchased the Hello Hydration Conditioner and Breaks Over strengthening conditioner they were priced at $4.69. Hello Hydration is a moisturizing conditioner that contains coconut milk while the Breaks Over conditioner has a special anti breakage formula. I can not say that the ingredients were wonderful because I didn't know what most of them were, but I purchased them anyway since they were paraben free. I was a little hesitant to just use this as my "go to" conditioner so I used it to pre poo with and I thought it worked out just fine, however I will not be leaving My Honey child and other products alone. It is good to know that reasonable store brands exist. I have to research those ingredients though.

Anyone out there using Herbel Essences products?

Nails

The nail color that I have on in the picture is the color Crimson by Maybelline Express 60 second finish. Maybelline has both 60 second and 50 second express finish polishes, and they really do dry that quickly. It is so helpful when I want a fresh coat of polish as I am heading out of the door.

Hair Questions
Hair Length- For those of you who do length checks on your hair what do you count as your real hair length- your hair when it is dry or when it is wet??????

Fellow blogger T asked for a dry scalp remedy and the Soft & Beautiful hair expert, Roslyn answered. If I recall T is a natural so that latter part of her response is probably what you need.

Here is her response:

“The most important element to a healthy scalp is keeping it clean and free of excess oil that would clog the pores. The scalp is most seriously affected by relaxers. Relaxers can leave a build up of calcium on the hair and scalp.. The Soft & Beautiful Relaxer with Triple Hydration Oil infuses moisture, conditioners and nutrients into the relaxer process to reduce calcium build up on the hair and scalp, as it straightens. The Soft & Beautiful Relaxer kit also contains a Decalcifying Shampoo which further removes calcium deposits as it gently cleanses the hair and scalp.”

Another great product is the Soft & Beautiful Botanicals 3-N-1 Dry Scalp Treatment, which is currently sold at Target. The product is formulated with aloe vera and menthol, so it both hydrates and soothes and irritated scalp."

Thanks Roslyn.

I posted my response under the topic "winterize your tresses" but please feel free to post your solutions here.

Kill those lines & Other News

Today I will resuscitate a series on this blog which I thought would never see the light of day again. “You said it” is where you the reader get an opportunity to post your personal review on a product. I can’t try everything out there, although I am trying very hard, so I appreciate your reviews.
Yesterday I received an all to common email from a woman who now has stretch marks after giving birth to her child. Reader L is looking for a way to reduce the appearance of her marks without laser surgery which can be very costly. Without a moment to spare, Just Wondering sent me a review of the Ambi Soft & Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Body Oil. Here is what she had to say about this $7.99 stretch mark reduction product:
“As I walked through the aisles at Walmart to pick up my Ambi Exfoliating Face Wash , I stumbled upon a new product from their collection called Ambi Soft and Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Body Oil. Now I have to admit that I do in fact have stretch marks, however they are not horrible and not as visible on my dark skin. The real reason why I picked up this product was because it had a great list of natural oils on the label. My eyes lit up when I read Soybean Oil - Glycine Soja , Sweet Almond Oil - Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis , Wheat Germ Oil - Triticum Vulgare , Sunflower Seed Oil - Helianthus Annus , Fragrance , Bisabolol , Rosa Canina Fruit Extract , Black Currant Fruit Extract - Ribes Nigrum , Shea Butter - Butyrospermum Parkii , Olive Oil. I was also prompted to buy it because I loved the fact that I could spray the mixture of oils right onto my body and it wasn’t super greasy when I tried some on my hand in the store. The product promised to minimize the appearance of stretch marks and it’s a fast absorbing formula that locks in moisture. It also states that it will improve the firmness and the elasticity of your skin leaving it softer and smoother. After reading all that on the label, I figured why not pick up a bottle. So the next morning I sprayed it on my entire body and like I stated before ITS SO NOT GREASY and it really just seeped into my skin and I noticed it was softer. The only down side to this body oil is the smell! I’d have to say that it really smelled like almonds above all else, which I’m really not into but I love how my skin feels. The weather in NY has become very bitter and cold and my aim is to really keep my skin moisturize. This product does meet up to all the expectations advertised on the bottle. I just don’t really know how well it works on the stretch marks since that isn’t a great concern of mine. So if you want soft skin pick up Ambi’s Body Oil. Just spray on some perfume or body splash to mask the smell if you don’t want to smell like almonds for an hour or so lol
Thanks for the opportunity to let be share my thoughts Product Junkie Diva!”
PJD speaks- I had an opportunity to communicate with Just Wondering regarding the specific results or lack thereof, that she received regarding the appearance of her stretch marks.
Just Wondering-“ To be honest the more I think about it I don’t think the Ambi product works for stretch marks." She used the product as directed for 4 weeks and has not seen a change in the appearance. However she credits pure cocoa butter (Not Palmers cocoa butter) with diminishing the appearance of her marks and the stretch marks of her friend.
PJD- I have to weigh in just to say that I too have sniffed the Ambi Soft and Even product and I think it stinks and smells nothing like almonds..lol I just had to throw that in the mix.

Please note that over time the skin on our bodies will gradually shed which will also diminish the appearance of any marks. Generally, the older the skin, the less visible the marks become.
Other products-
1)Strivectin was introduced to the market as a stretch mark cream designed to reduce the appearance of both old and new stretch marks. The cream was later credited as a wrinkle reduction product in addition to stretch mark killer. Here is a review that I found online of a woman who compared Strivectin to another stretch mark product I don’t know this woman at all so there is no way for me to verify whether or not her statements are true.

Strivectin is priced at $135.00

2)Mederma

3)Cocoa / Shea butter.

4)Carols Daughter scar butter which is suppsoed to help with cell regeneration $12.00

5)Carols Daughter Sexy Belly- $17
Even though reader L is avoiding laser surgery to remove her marks, for those of you considering the procedure please be careful. Laser surgery can lead to scarring if the dermatologist is not well versed in treating skin with a darker pigment. In essence you could be trading once scar for another.
Keep the stretch mark areas well moisturized, try to not gain or lose weight too quickly and drink plenty of water to keep your body and skin hydrated. A stretch mark is a literal tear in your skin, so look for products that claim to aid in the regeneration of cells. However, check the ingredients to see if anything listed actually helps in cell regeneration.
Please everyone who can help in this area, weigh in and post your experience with products that either worked or just didn’t deliver.
Thanks and I hope this is helpful reader L.

Other News

Housewives of Atlanta reunion tonght at 9:00 not 10:00.

There is a new blogger in the blogosphere, let's welcome Miss Young Fashion.

Finding a match & Q&A

On the lips

The next big topic for today is my new lip balm named Just A Kiss by Hpospatreatments I just have to gently slide this balm on my lips and it melts right into my lips. My lips feel hydrated and nourished and they don't look greasy just like the web site states. Check out the ingredients -shea butter, honey, virgin coconut oil and avocado oil. I'm not even done yet because this $5.00 balm also has spf which we spoke about earlier this summer. I love knowing that my lips are protected as they glisten. I will be reviewing more products from this natural company very soon.
Q&A
In the comment section yesterday Brownee mentioned that she is looking for a good protein treatment other than Aveda/Fekkai. I do like the MOP protein treatment but I have since moved on the the fortifying hair mask by Shescentit (smells good) as well as the Moisture Protein conditioner from Hairveda.com. I have heard great things about Methi Sativa Protein Tea (also from Hairveda) and I do own it but I have yet to use it. As described on the hairveda site "Methi Sativa, is a unique blend of infused herbs, botanics and wheat protein, was made to restore lost protein to your hair and strengthen it over time. " Another big one on the market is the Aphogee 2 minute Keratin reconstructor. I used this product once and I thought it was ok but I plan on trying it again which is why I didn't post on it yet.
Everyone please weigh in and list your favorite protein treatments.

Thanks for reading everyone.

(picture courtesy of hpospatreatments.com)

Q & A

Not long ago in one of the comment sections the always fabulous Frugalista asked if I would develop a Q &A section, so here it is. Please let me know what questions you have and I will do my best to answer your questions. If certain questions receive many responses, I will probably turn it into a separate post.

I know that some beauty professionals visit this site so I welcome your expertise.

Bring on the questions.......