Shampoo and Conditioner For Copper Hair

I got some new products at the salon when I dyed my hair copper. I don't usually buy expensive hair products because there's good stuff at the drug store for cheap, but these are more unique products and I haven't found anything like them at the drug store.


Aveda Madder Root- I only got this in the conditioner but it also comes with the shampoo. My stylist said between the two, the conditioner is more pigmented so I just got it. This is a colour depositing conditioner, not a toner. It actually puts colour into your hair so your dye job lasts longer. I find that it lasts for about 2 shampoos so I use it about every 3rd shampoo or when I want some more red. It is very red and very pigmented. I didn't like this at first because it's the wrong shade. It is very red when I want my hair to be copper. It was also very blotchy. I would have chucks and streaks of red in my hair that would take a few shampoos to fade. I tried applying it evenly and combing through it but it still came out blotchy. I have since learned to just mix a little in with my conditioner. I use about 2/3 conditioner with 1/3 of the madder root, if not less. This dilutes it enough that its not as dark red and applies more evenly in the hair. And best of all it makes it last longer because it's quite pricey.

$35 for 250mls


Davines Alchemic Shampoo/Conditioner- I just recently got this shampoo and conditioner from my salon when I got my hair done. My stylist recommended this for my copper hair to keep the colour bright because she too found out (the hard way) that colour depositing products are streaky in my hair. This shampoo/conditioner is not colour depositing but just brightening. I don't know if it's true, but my stylist said you have to use the two products together. I love that its actually copper coloured and not red. Most toning shampoos/conditioners at the drug store are red or pink coloured. This shampoo is more yellow and the conditioner is copper. The shampoo doesn't lather a lot so I use 1/2 as much as usual in two separate shampoos because I find the second time lathers more and gets my hair cleaner. The conditioner is very thick and I don't need to use as much as I would with my drug store conditioners. It leaves my hair feeling nice and silky. It does brighten the colour and makes it look more copper. This saves time going to the salon for a toner every few weeks. The only downside is it smells like baby powder. I hate baby powder scented products. Why would I want to smell like a baby butt?! Apart from the smell and price, I really like this toning shampoo/conditioner for keeping my colour bright. This also comes in silver, golden, tobacco, red, and chocolate.

Shampoo $23 for 280mls and Conditioner $30 for 250mls (I think that's about what I paid, can't remember exactly)

Makeup Setting Sprays

I'm pretty new to the concept of makeup setting sprays. I've only tried out MAC Fix + and Urban Decay De-Slick. I feel like I just thought they were a bit gimmicky and expensive. I broke down and tried them after a friends recommendation.

 MAC Fix +

I bought this after my friend raved about it saying it kept her makeup in place all day. I tried it and I don't agree. I find that it sprays out of the bottle really heavily and leaves beads on my face that take a while to dry. I end up just blotting my face dry after. I tried holding the bottle farther away but it still does it. I also find it shocking when I spray my face, and not in the good, refreshing kind of way. As far as the finish, I think it makes me too dewy. I have to blot over my face again with powder to take the shine away. It does nothing for making my makeup last longer, and if anything, the dewy finish makes me oily faster. All this is is just vitamin and mineral infused water. It is described on the MAC website that it "adds radiance and finishes makeup". It doesn't say that it increases make up wear time anywhere. This is better left for dry skin.

Fix + has other uses though, such as dampening your beauty blender, wetting makeup brushes for applying loose pigments, before makeup for hydration or any other time your skin needs a pick me up. So I keep mine around and use it mainly for applying pigments.

$25 for 100mls

Urban Decay De-Slick

I was hesitant after trying the Fix + but I tried this out on the back of my hand and it felt really nice. This one sprays out in a nice, light mist. You barely feel it and it drys instantly. It immediately takes the powdery finish away and leaves your skin looking natural but not shiny or dewy. They have some pretty bold claims on the website saying it "controls oil, deflects surface shine, and keeps skin looking beautifully matte" and "this groundbreaking, clinically tested formula features patented Temperature Control Technology that actually lowers the temperature of your makeup to help it stay put and keep skin looking smooth, but never shiny."  Pretty fancy stuff. As far as oil control goes, I still get a bit oily so its hard to say. I find the foundation I'm using controls oil more than anything but this maybe adds to it. The combination of the two keeps my make up from breaking up even after a 13 hour day. I couldn't decide between the De-Slick or All Nighter so I'll get the All Nighter next time to compare. 

The only downside is that it's expensive. I bought it during the 15% off sale but I find products like this tend to run out quickly so I've been using it selectively.

$36 for 118 mls

Do you like using setting sprays? Do you like De-Slick or All Nighter better?

My Favourite Summer Perfume

I don't really like posts and reviews about perfume because they're so subjective. Everybody has their own opinion on what scents they like, but sometimes it's nice to hear about a perfume that you've never heard of or smelt before. So that being said, I'm doing a review of my favourite summer scent because I love it so much I thought I'd share (I almost didn't want to so I could keep it to myself!).

Bobbi Brown Beach

This perfume straight up smells like sunscreen. I personally love the smell of sunscreen, it smells like summer and beaches. For that reason though, I only wear this perfume in the spring and summer. If you have smelt the candle from Bath and Body Works called "Poolside" it smells the same. I seriously can't get enough of it, I love it so much. I read some reviews that complained that it didn't last very well on, but I find the scent lasts all day on me. It cost $90 for 50mls which is crazy because it's sunscreen, but I love it so much that it's worth it and I'll buy it again and again.


                                                 What is your favourite summer perfume?

My New Hair- Going Red

I just wanted to do a quick post to show you my new hair! I tried to go red in February, but it ended up looking more browny/auburn. I went to a different stylist and she did just what I asked. A natural, copper, red-head red. I don't know exactly what colour she used but she put in blonde highlights and did a red toner.
I'm super happy with the results. If any of my readers are from Calgary, I have a good stylist to recommend!

Any ginger readers? I'll maybe do a review on some products for red hair.

Empties and Repurchases

I'm bad at saving my empties but these are just a few of the things I remembered to save. I remembered to save these as they are mostly products that I like and repurchased. I love trying new products so it takes a lot for me to repurchase something. Even if I like a product, there are just so many other products I need to try!


It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in- I have already done a post on this stuff so you know I like it. It's been my favourite leave in product I've tried. I don't like the price but it works so well I got the bigger size which was a better value ($35 for 10oz). This detangles so well and leaves my hair feeling so soft and silky. It is easy to use too much though which weighs my hair down and makes it feel like its a bit greasy. I only need a few sprays of it which also makes it last a bit longer than cheaper products. I also saved the little bottle and refilled it so I can use it as my travel one (because I can't wash my hair without it).

Blistex Lip Balm- I had to include this because I was so proud that I used up an entire lip balm before losing it! I always have to bring a lip balm to work because it's so dry, and I always forgot to empty my pockets so most of my lip balms get ruined in the laundry. I like these because they're affordable. I get an 8 or 10 pack from Costco for like $8. They're nothing special but I find they moisturize well. They're small so they fit in my pocket. I like them better than the EOS because they're too bulky to keep in my pocket and I honestly don't find they moisturize my chapped lips well.

MAC MSF Natural- I have gone through a bunch of these. I remember to save them because of the MAC recycling program. I was debating between getting another one of these or the Rimmel Stay Matte powder but I think the talc in the Stay Matte foundation is what was breaking me out and the powder has talc too. It's just hard to pay $36 for setting powder but I justify it because they last me like 6 months. I used to use the Studio Fix powder because I liked the extra coverage but switched to the MSF about a year ago. This has a nice finish to it without looking powdery or too matte. I think I'll always buy MAC powder.

L'Oreal Shampoo/Conditioner- I recently tried the L'Oreal Repair 5 line and really liked it. After colouring my hair I got the colour radiance line instead and find it to be very similar. As far as colour preservation goes, my hair colour faded a lot so I don't know how well that part works. But I kind of wanted the colour to fade so I wasn't complaining. The shampoo cleans well and the conditioner leaves my hair feeling soft. I'm not super picky with my shampoos/conditioners and usually stick to drug store brands such as L'Oreal, Pantene, or Tresemme. I went through two bottles of this stuff (threw out the bottles) but have since bought Pantene to shake things up. It's also good to change your shampoos/conditioners up every so often.

Maybelline Vivid in Pink Pop- I lost this one on vacation so it's not really an empty but I like this colour so much I repurchased it. I love bright pink lips and this one is a nice, fun colour for summer.

Dove Dry Shampoo- I have only ever tried 2 dry shampoos, the other being the Tresemme dry shampoo. The Dove one is much better. It doesn't feel like hair spray with baby powder in it like the Tresemme one does. It is easy to over do it which leaves a bit of a film in the hair but a few sprays does the trick to refresh my bangs. This does leave a white cast though. When I was blonde it wasn't that big of a deal, but now that my hairs darker, I have to make sure I just use a small amount and rub it in well.

Benefit The Porefessional- I've already done a full review on this if you're interested. It's not exactly a repurchase but the little sample actually lasted a really long time and I purchased the full size when it was empty. I don't think this primer is a miracle worker like everyone seems to think. I feel like it's all psychological, but I just feel better when I use a primer. Of the ones I have tried, this is my favourite.

                                     

                                           What are some products you will continue to repurchase?

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows- Swatches and Comparisons

I've been really excited about this post. I got these in the mail a few weeks ago and started writing up my review but held off on posting it so I could try out more of the colours in different looks.

Left to right. Top: Vanilla bean, shimma shimma, peach smoothie, creme brulee, latte, hipster, gold digger
Bottom: Cocoa bear, brown sugar, mocha, prom night, wisteria, sensuous, corrupt

I bought 12 pans, one pigment, and the large Z palette. I don't know why I didn't look these up sooner. I just assumed they were $10-12 each so when I found out they were only $5.99 I got really excited. The quality really is as good if not better than MAC. They are so creamy, velvety, and pigmented. Best of all, they blend like a dream. Its so easy to get an airbrushed, blended look with these colours because they are so soft and blendable. I wear urban decay shadows everyday (Naked palettes) and these are so much better. Some colours initially didn't swatch well but when applied on the lid they are very nice. I describe each colour below because some colours looked different in person than the online pictures.

                        ~All swatches have NYX Milk on the top row and UDPP on the bottom row~

Left to right (indoor lighting). Vanilla bean, shimma shimma, peach smoothie, creme brulee, latte, hipster, gold digger, cocoa bear, mocha, prom night, corrupt

Vanilla bean, shimma shimma, peach smoothie, creme brulee, latte, hipster

Hipster, gold digger, cocoa bear, brown sugar, mocha, prom night, corrupt 

Wisteria, sensuous, sweet dreams (pigment)

Vanilla Bean- Satin, neutral light beige (less yellow than it looks online). When I swatched this colour I was dissapointed and was going to tell you to skip it because it didn't seem very pigmented or show up on the skin at all. It's a satin finish so it's not shimmery but when applied as a highlight it looks beautiful. Subtle but very noticable still. My new fav highlight.

Shimma Shimma- Neutral, champagne frost colour. It is gorgeous! This is maybe my favourite colour. I used it as an all over lid colour like I do with Naked Lunch. It is so creamy and soft. Could also be used as a more dramatic highlight.

Peach Smoothie- Matte, light orangey-beige. This colour is deceiving because it looks dark orange online (and even in this picture...) and if it wasn't for the fact that I've seen it used in tutorials and it looking beautiful as a transition colour I probably would have skipped it. This colour looks beautiful on the brow bone and warms up any look. This one initially swatched poorly too (off to a bad start) and was very dissapointed because I wanted to love it, but when applied in the brow bone it was very pigmented and blended really well.

Creme Brulee- Matte, warm beige. This colour is said online to be a dupe for soft brown from MAC. I don't own soft brown so I can't compare them myself, but this colour is quite warm. It doesn't look quite as dark as it does online and is a perfect transition colour for the brow bone. Pairs nice with peach smoothie. 

Latte- Matte, medium brown. On my pale skin, this is a colour for darkening the crease. A shade darker than creme brulee and pairs nicely with it.

Hipster- Satin, light browny-grey. Not too metallicy but a nice, light shimmer. A little too brown to be called a straight taupe. A nice lid colour for darker looks. A little less brown than how it looks online.

Gold Digger- Frost, gold. This is a straight up yellow gold. Not a champagney-gold like Half Baked by Urban Decay. Would look beautiful on the lid. Really nice finish. I was debating between this one and Bleached Blonde (this I preferred from the pictures) but I read one review online that said it was their least favourite colour and not very pigmented so I went with Gold Digger instead. I wore this colour over a champagne to make it less yellow and it didn't really show up well.

Cocoa Bear- Matte, Reddish Brown. I almost passed on this colour because it looks really dark, but so many reviews online mentioned this colour and how it was their favourite. It is a beautiful warm brown for the crease. I got a lot of warm colours so they all pair well together. I looks beautiful in the crease for a smokey, brown look.

Brown Sugar- Dark brown with gold shimmer. I got a bunch of matte brown colours so I felt I needed a more metallic one for the lid for darker looks. Pairs nicely with cocoa bear.

Mocha- Matte, dark brown. This is more a neutral brown than the rest, a bit cooler. Its a darker shade for the outer V.

Prom Night- Frost, brownish taupe. I got this colour to replace my broken Satin Taupe by MAC. It is described by Marlena as a dupe for satin taupe. I swatched them side by side and satin taupe is a bit more pigmented (however its broken which makes it more of a pigment) and more grey. Prom night is just a bit more brown. This is a beautiful lid colour.

Corrupt- Matte black. This is describes as matte but mine definitely has shimmer in it. It could just be on the top though. It's described as more pigmented than carbon, but I don't have it to compare. It is very pigmented and easy to blend.

Wisteria- Matte, pale purple. I saw this colour used in a youtube tutorial by jaclynhill and I've been wanting it ever since. She used it as a transition shade on the brow bone for a smokey purple look and it pulled the look together beautifully. Because it's a pale purple, it's subtle and can be used on the brow bone for many looks. I really like using this colour for looks with my Naked 3 palette.

Sensuous- Dark plum with gold shimmer. A dark purple for smokey looks. Can be used all over the lid for a darker look or in the crease to deepen a purple look. It is described online as having silver shimmer, but I thought it was more gold.

Sweet Dreams Pigment- Metallic champagne, slightly pink. I couldn't decide between Sweet Dreams and Afterglow but went with Sweet Dreams because it looked a bit more neutral. This is obviously very pigmented but the colour is fairly neutral. It is very similar, if not the exact same to shimma shimma so in hindsight I probably should have gotten Afterglow for some more variety.

Favs- Shimma shimma, Cocoa bear, peach smoothie

Least Favs- Gold digger, hipster

MAC Naked Lunch beside shimma shimma

Left to right- Naked Lunch, shimma shimma, MAC Grain, Sweet Dreams pigment. Naked lunch and grain are not quite as frosted as shimma shimma and a bit more pink/warm.

MAC Satin Taupe beside Prom Night

Left- Prom night. Right- Satin Taupe. Prom night is just a bit more brown.

Comparing the neutral shades with the Naked 1 palette. Left to right- Peach smoothie, vanilla bean, creme brulee, latte. The MUG colours are a bit warmer.


 

I'm a terrible blogger. I forgot what these are lol. I THINK it's Buck (UD), creme brulee, latte, peach smoothie 

These eyeshadows are my new favourite thing and I recommend them to everyone. There are so many more colours I want (all of them!). In particular Frappe, chickadee (both were sold out), Cinderella, beaches and cream, cosmopolitan, cupcake, glamourous, homecoming...the list goes on. Word to the wise, I don't know if I'm blind, but some colours I couldn't for the life of me find but came up in the search. So if you can't find a colour you've heard of, search for it!

The Z palette is nice. I wasn't sure what the quality would be like but it's pretty solid. It looked like it would be cardboard but it seems sturdy. It comes with extra magnets so you can use any brand in it (MAC pans need the magnets). Coastal scents has magnetic palettes too for $10, however, I think I like the Z palette better because you can see the colours, the pans are easier to get out, and I think it is smaller. I can use my coastal scents quad for taking just my fav four colours when I go on weekend trips. I will definitely be placing another order and filling up my palette!

What are your favourite Makeup Geek colours?