(ｏ￣∀￣)ノ{CL2425!!) -

Monday, April 22, 2013

Happy as a clam :D - Eyelash extensions Part II

Hi everyone,
Just a quick update -

I was so upset with my previous lash extensions, I actually ripped them all out (it wasn't hard at all, because the glue was barely there and it was lumped in the middle..) and got another set done just after a week of the disastrous experience.

Here's a macro shot of what was causing so much misery.. The lashes used were soooo thick and fake looking, it was worse than having multiple layers of false lashes on. Just look at how thick the lashes were compared to my natural lash.
It was such a shoddy workmanship, I was angry every time I looked at my lashes.

This time, I met a person who knows how to do the job right- so I'm happy as a clam! :)

As you can see the re-done lashes are much much more natural than the previous set. The lashes are Nova Lashes: they are thinner and curl better, opposed to the oddly straight and rigid last set.

I asked my aesthetician to have them at 13-14mm, naturally done and she recommended to go a bit shorter as my natural lashes are brittle and weak. I just let her do what she does best and the result was very very satisfying ^___^)

The difference seems subtle, but it's actually huge to the wearer! I can't believe how stressed I was with the previous mess and how comfortable and happy I am with the current set.

It's already been a full week, and I haven't had one fall out yet. They hang on really tight and are as light as a feather.

Now I'm happy with my extensions :)
I can't really say cheap cost = cheap results since both sets were exactly the same price.

The first failed set was $89.00 on groupon. I usually don't like disclosing store names as I don't have any associations with them - but I do want to let you guys know what salon to avoid. The shop that completely failed is 'Sublime eyes' in West LA.. Angel (shop owner) is nice and all, but that doesn't give you a reason to go and waste your money on shoddy extensions. He just doesn't have the skills period and he should stick to what he's good at - eyebrow threading.

The second set that I currently have on is from B.B Wax & Aesthetique in Studio City. They also charged $89.00 groupon for a full set. A full set is scheduled for 45 minutes, and that's about the time the technician uses to apply all the lashes. I didn't feel rushed, but I did notice that she was very fast with applying lashes.

Yelp reviews are always mixed, so please take my reviews with a grain of salt. I don't like posting reviews on Yelp as most businesses censor reviews and tend to get rid of negative reviews.

Anyway- I thought I'd keep you guys posted with what's going on with me.

Much Love,

Catalina

Friday, April 5, 2013

Eyelash Extensions... AGAIN!

Hi All,

I was hooked on extensions last year, kinda of got tired of all the maintenance, quit.. and now here I am again with new extensions.

Instead of going to my regular salon, I decided to go the more economic route - groupon deal. I paid 89 (87? confused) dollars for a full set of extensions + 1 fill. The lesson I learned is - you get what you paid for.

Well.. the procedure lasted only 45 minutes, compared to the two hours my previous salon took. The experience wasn't as professional as my usual place, and here are the results.
This time, I went with 15mm (last time I had a mixture of 13mm and 14mm). I asked for a mix of 14mm and 15mm so it could look dramatic and natural at the same time, but I think the person just used all 15mm.

I feel a bit "ugh.." about the extensions being all the same length. The lashes are thicker and have an obvious "fake" look to them.

Anyway, here's some alternative views of the lashes.

As you can see, the left side was done in a pretty shoddy manner.
The lashes are pointing all over the place, while the right side fans out in a pretty manner.

I don't even know if it's worth going for a fill, but anyway - just wanted to let you guys know that I'm back with lash extensions.

I'm probably going to trim the front part a bit and go back to my usual place after these fall off.

Have you guys had bad lash experience?

I'm a bit bummed right now -

Catalina

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Shea Moisture Review - I went dark brown

Hi Everyone,
So I'm on this mission to give myself a makeover. The first step is cleaning up immediate aspects of my life, such as hair, nails or the way I wear my clothes and shoes. I've been feeling pretty low about myself lately and came to a realization that I don't really have to live with problems I can easily solve. Out of the many things I've planned out, the very first step was cleaning up my hair.
The state of my hair was.. well.. hideous. I've dumped a ton of auburn/blonde colors on my hair a couple of times and the result was brassy bleached out frizzy hair.

I was flipping thorough InStyle April 2013 - trying to figure out the right hairstyle for me - and noticed how nice Zooey Deschanel's hair looked on her. I always thought her hair was lush and cute so I decided to go dark brown like her!! It's a lame way to decide one's hair color, but it's a nice color anyway.

I went to target to pick up some hair dye and came across this product.

Shea Moisture

The artwork on the box really pops and I liked the fact that it had no ammonia or sulfates in the product. Judging by reviews and the artwork, I figured this product was targeted towards African-American women. That made it a even a better reason for me to get this product! It's the demographic that puts a lot of effort and research into hair, so it's almost guaranteed to work (no offense)!

So for the $14.99 price tag, there's a lot in the box.

The usual gloves, developer, color cream, shampoo, conditioner, bottle + leave in conditioning oil and a brush for professional application.

The application bottle is huge and I had no problem covering a full head of color. The only thing was, when the color cream and developer is mixed it starts to heat up.. and that was a bit weird for me. Also, the rinsing process reminded me of old school hair dye: the water wouldn't run clear for the longest time! I stood under the water rinsing out the product for 10 minutes and I still had some colored water coming off.

Also, on the side note the instructions are VERY helpful.

Anyway - here's the before photos.

As you can see, my hair was an orange-aubrun color, disguised in weird blonde.

And here's the after.

The tips came out darker than the middle area, which is a bit obvious in natural sunlight, but in indoor settings it's not that noticeable. With the flash on, the reddish old color comes out a bit..

Overall, I love this box dye. The massive quantity is great and the color applies very well, even on overly-processed hair like mine. The shampoo and treatment that comes in the box is pretty nice too. I'm not crazy about the finishing elixir, but other than that everything justifies the price.

Of course my hair dried out a bit after the process, but I don't have the weird synthetic feeling in my hair when I'm trying to detangle my wet hair.

Will I use it again next time? Of course!

I think this box dye is worth a try for people who are seeking drastic color change or have tough colors to cover up.

Catalina

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Tarte LipSurgence - What survives in the purse

An indication of a good product (for me) is whether or not it survives in my purse. I hate having to fumble through my purse, so most of the time unnecessary items get left at home. Recently, I've been carrying all of my lipsurgences. I regret not giving this product a chance when I was hoarding it. For the weirdest reason, the minty smell of the products repelled me - so much that I sold away some colors without even trying AND having these stored for the longest time..

Anyway, long story short - I'm loving my lipsurgences!!

Here's a quick review of the colors I have.

Frisky

My favorite "swatched on hand" color. Like the tube, it's a sweet pink color with a ton of glitter to it. It looks so pretty when swatched on the back of your hand. I'm always a bit hesitant about pinks because they make my teeth and skin look super yellow, but this one is moderately okay on my lips. Not as glittery as it seems on the stick but it's a very versatile product.

Sweet

Sweet screams "baby lips" with its soft pink color and silver glitters. In real life it's a bit hard to see the color on the lips unless you layer the product. Unlike the other colors, this one doesn't stain the lips after the initial application, so you have to re-apply every now and then.

Elite

Elite is a coral matte liptint. Elite is very pigmented so I swipe actually does the work. The longevity of the product is better than the glittered ones and the stain actually lasts quite well. If you apply too much, the color can look a bit too harsh. A little goes a long way!

Enchanted

Enchanted is a dark cherry color that I've been using the most. It brings intensity without overkill and keeps my lips stained all day long. I don't re-apply or worry about my lips. My bare lips are really dry and pale so having it stained all day long is great news for me.

All of the products have a minty smell to it. I'm not a huge fan of the scent, but I love the products nonetheless. The other big problem is the price tag. One lipsurgence is $24.00, which is really hefty for a lip product in my opinion.

Do you guys have a favorite shade?

Let me know if you do! ;)

- Catalina