Rusk MiraCurl Review and Demo

Rusk MiraCurl
Claims: "Effortlessly creates perfect curls everytime... Has a ceramic curl chamber which eliminates frizz while leaving hair full of body, volume and luster."
RRP: AUD199
Packaging/Design: 4.5 out of 5
Review: This curler is very quick and easy to use. It takes me only 15 minutes to curl all my hair (I usually take half an hour with a regular curling iron). It's also very easy to learn how to use it and get the hang of it. The only reason I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 for package/design is because it's a bit heavy. Otherwise, it's an excellent hair styling tool. I give a more in-depth review and demo of the product in the video below. Note: I believe this product is called Curl Freak in the USA.

What do you guys think? Game to try this method of curling your hair?

Fudge Urban Colour Chalk Review + Demo

Fudge Urban Colour Chalk in Pumped-up Purple
Claims: "creates vibrant, coloured hair instantly without commitment."
RRP: AUD9.99
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review:  I've been holding off reviewing this product because I love it to bits but I know that it's not perfect. This is the first hair chalk that I've come across that works on my black hair, which is the number one reason why I love it! All the other hair chalks say "only for blondes, brunettes and red-heads". I got really excited when I saw that an Asian girl with black hair was used in one of their promotional images. I will come back to this point later.

I like the packaging. For something that is very affordable, the plastic jar has a good quality feel to it. They have designed it such that the application is easy and mess-free. You basically hold the jar and run the chalk dome over your hair. The potential problem that I can imagine is that the dome will flatten as I use it and it will eventually become harder to apply. I'll keep you posted on that front.

Okay, now here comes the part that makes me sad. It applies beautifully on my hair and the colour is very vibrant... initially.

As you can see in the photo above the colour is bright and stands out against my dark hair. Sorry about the photo, I didn't realise that my camera was a bit out of focus.

Here's what the colour looks like after a few minutes. It's becomes dull and blends in with my hair. You may prefer it this way but I prefer it to stay bright and vibrant. Dark hair is a pain to work with! I've tried hairspray to make the colour last but I've notice that the vibrancy disappears the moment the spray hits the hair. Even though the instruction say to work the product with your fingers after you apply it, I find that it just takes a lot of the chalk off and I lose a lot of colour. I have a feeling that light-haired ladies don't have as much difficulty with this product as I do. Fudge never made any claims of this product being long-lasting (at least not that I am aware of). So I applaud them for their honesty.

I'm thinking maybe I should get one in Iced White to layer it under the purple.  Perhaps the colour would stand out for longer and not "seep into" my hair so quickly. Will post and update if I do so!

Have you ever tried hair chalking? Did it work for you?

P.S. I've made a slight amendment to my blog post regarding the nail polish that I'm wearing (in the photo).

Cedel Blow Dry Faster Heat Protector Review and How-to

Cedel Blow Dry Faster Heat Protector
Claims: two-in-one formula that reduces blow drying time while protecting your hair from the heat of your hair dryer.  
RRP: AUD7.99 
Packaging: 5 out of 5 
Review: I was very skeptical about this product when I first received it. It claims to reduce the blow drying time and I was dubious.  Normally, I take at least 15 minutes to dry my hair. The first time I tested the product, I shook the bottle, sprayed and proceeded to blow drying my hair. I did not feel any significant reduction in the drying time. The second time round, I still took 15 minutes to dry my hair. I started to think that this product was a total gimmick.

Despite my frustration and doubt, I decided to give the product another try. After all, as the saying goes, "third time's a charm". I picked up the bottle and took another look at the instructions at the back. Eureka! It finally hit me why this product wasn't working. I was skipping a vital step! I will get to that in a minute... 

Now, I am very impressed with this product. I used it again yesterday, following all the steps and it works. I took only 5 minutes to blow dry my hair. The best part is, it still leaves my hair smooth and soft (I was afraid that applying product to my hair would caked and crunch my strands up). Whoever invented it is a genius! I have a really heavy hair dryer. With this product, my arm no longer has to suffer every time I blow dry my hair. To me, this is the main feature of the product; the heat-protecting function is an added bonus.

I think the bottle is a very good size: easy to grip, hold up and spray at different angles. The price is reasonable and affordable. I recommend getting this product, especially if you're someone who leads a very busy/hectic lifestyle and need something that saves you time!

Here's how I blow dry my hair with Cedel Blow Dry Faster Heat Protector

 
Step 1 Shake the bottle. Then spray it all over your hair. 

 Step 2. The step I missed! The instruction says to take a comb and run it through your strands to evenly distribute the product. I don't own a comb, so I used a brush and ever-so-gently ran it through my hair. Remember, hair is weakest when it's wet, so please be gentle! 

Step 3 Proceed to blow drying! Note, this photo is only for show. That's not how I normally blow dry my hair. And you're done in 5 minutes! Well, for me anyway.

Before

After

  
Do you know if any other products or tricks that reduce blow drying time? Please do share!

Triple S: Formula 10.0.6 No Time To Shine Review

 I have been trying this oil-absorbing mud mask for quite a while now and I really like it! So I thought it'd do a review and a bit of a demo. Here it goes!

Formula 10.0.6 No Time to Shine  
Claims: Draws out impurities and eliminates excess oil, purifying and conditioning to balance and tone skin. Has cleansing, astringent, healing, soothing, moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties
RRP: AUD$1.99/AUD$8.99 for 9.4mL/100mL

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: I have combination skin. I'm oily, but not extremely, on my T-zone (my forehead, nose and chin). The rest of my face is normal skin. This product is really easy to apply. It is creamy and slightly mousse-like. It comes in a plastic squeenzable tube that makes dispensing the product really easy. The product has a slightly greenish tinge and can stain your fingers but don't worry, it comes off after a couple of washes with water and soap. And no it does not stain your face green at all.  I find that my skin feels fresh and oil-free (not dry), after using this mask. However, I always follow up with moisturiser; to put some moisture back into our skin. Otherwise, my skin will go into hyperdrive and produce even more oils to compensate for the loss of moisture. My whole face is then "normal" for the entire day before any oils start seeping out again. 

Now on with the demo! 

Before

 Here's a Before photo. As you can see, my forehead and nose is a bit shiny from the oil on my skin.
 

I applied the mask all over my face, avoiding my eyes and lips. I concentrated the product on my T-zone to absorb all the oil.

When I'm done applying, I usually set my timer to 15 minutes. While I wait for the mask to dry up, I usually read a book or a magazine or watch Youtube videos. The mask has a cooling effect initially.

15 minutes later

You will feel your skin tighten as the mask dries up. At the end of the 15 minutes, I could barely lift my cheeks to smile.

I then washed the mask off with warm water and pat my skin dry with a towel.

After

 Ta-da! Naturally matte skin; less oily, less shiny. Man, I sound like an ad. Sorry! 

After

I'm quite happy with this mask. I'm already eyeing the other masks by Formula 10.0.6. The next one I am keen to try is the Keep Your Cool Breakout Calming Mask! 

Do you suffer from oily skin? Have you ever tried oil-absorbing masks before?

Wicked Wednesday: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Demo & Technique

 If you can recall my review on LM Tinted Moisturiser, I did say that I would do a demo post and that I'd also teach you how to stretch your money and product further. So below is a photo of my (a part of) my cheek without anything on.

I use LM Tinted Moisturiser in Sand. So here's what the product looks like prior to blending. It has a foundation-like consistency. It's not thick like most moisturisers.

This is after blending it out with my fingers. As you can see, the product pretty much disappears. It's a perfect match for my skintone. You might say that it looks like it doesn't give any coverage what so ever. Well, that's because I've applied very little and a lot of the product probably ended up seeping into my fingers as well. I know it works because I've coverage some light pimple scars with it before.

So how do I maximise my usage of this expensive little product? I usually squeeze out some on the back of my hand. Then using my fourth/ring finger, I dab and dot the tinted moisturiser all over my face. I load my foundation brush up with a bit of regular moisturiser (so that it doesn't take up the tinted moisturiser) before blending the product out. If I feel like my foundation brush isn't doing a good enough job of blending it out, I use a Sigma Angled Kabuki brush to buff it into my skin, after having loaded it with regular moisturiser of course.

What foundation technique do you use? Please do share!