reviews

Review: Cibu For Hair

- Sarah 1 Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hair Cuttery Salons. All opinions are 100% my own. 

For someone who doesn’t have ridiculously unruly hair, I still find it an absolute pain to style it. My main issues? My hair is naturally thin and wavy, but I deal with both frizz and oiliness (ugh). I also hate devoting too much time for styling, so I usually just let it air dry or use mousse after washing. Because my hair gets dirty fast, I used to shampoo every other day, with my second-day hair almost always up in a ponytail. I could probably do better, right?

When Hair Cuttery reached out about trying some of Cibu products, not only was I excited about trying salon products for the first time (my hair products have always always come from drugstores/Target), but I was also excited about having someone pick products for me. I explained all my hair issues and anxiously awaited my hand-picked products. This is what I received (it was a surprise):

I feel super silly admitting this, but I’m 95% sure I’ve never used a smoothing shampoo and I have no idea what I was doing. (I tended to buy volumizing, moisturizing or color-safe shampoos instead.) The shampoo and conditioner really helped when it came to frizz though! I’m also pretty obsessed with the dry shampoo — there’s no white residue and I can now go up to three days before washing, without my hair looking like a dirty mess. It’s a huge time saver.

As for the foaming volumizer and the volumizing mousse (both are alcohol-free and don’t dry out your hair!), besides the texture, I’m not quite sure what the difference is. Both enhance my hair’s wavy texture, but I prefer the lighter touch of the foaming volumizer.

I hadn’t heard of Cibu before, but I’m definitely interested in trying more of their products, like the detangler (I need a clarifying shampoo though!) Another cool thing abut Cibu products — which were actually developed by stylists — is that they are color-safe and sulfate-free. For the quality — Cibu shampoo/conditioner is seriously the best I’ve tried — it’s definitely on the affordable side. Want to try for yourself? You can find Cibu products online or you local Hair Cuttery, Salon Cielo, or a Bubbles Salon.

~ Sarah

Hooked on Phonetic (Eyewear)

- Sarah Leave a comment

Each year, it seems as though I’m spending more and more time in front of a computer or smartphone, and I know I’m not the only one who gets headaches from all of this screen time. So when Phonetic Eyewear asked me if I was interested in trying a pair of their computer glasses, my curiosity was definitely piqued.

Computer glasses sound super nerdy (and a quick Google Images search confirms that), but Phonetic Eyewear’s options are decidedly cool, and aim to prevent eye strain. I picked out a few frames I liked and polled my friends before picking out the Caitlin frames in black blue raspberry (currently out of stock, but the Harper were my runner-up!).

Phonetic Eyewear

I choose to get regular computer glasses instead of a prescription pair for a couple reasons. One, I find my eyestrain (digital and otherwise) are worse when I wear contacts all day. Two, I can’t be bothered switching between three glasses (regular, computer and sun) on the regular. A note on prescription computer glasses: they’re doable, but if you have a strong prescription (🙋), additional charges are likely to add up real quick. #thestruggleisreal

Phonetic Eyewear Computer Glasses

Glasses – c/o Phonetic Eyewear; Blouse – LOFT.

So do computer glasses really work? I had the best results when I wore my glasses to start the day, instead of waiting until a headache (my most common eyestrain symptom) kicked in. I also felt like I don’t have to tone down the brightness of my devices as much, which makes things easier to read as well. There is a blue reflection (it’s all the blue light), so I do not recommend these glasses for selfies. As a wearer, there is a slight yellow tint, but I mean slight. I don’t think it’s noticeable for others, but if you take off your computer glasses for lunch, for example, it’ll take a second to adjust. The best way I can explain it is it’s as if you’re wearing the weakest of sunglasses indoors while on the computer. The adjustment was minimal for me.

If you experience eyestrain and are curious about computer glasses, I would definitely recommend trying out Phonetic Eyewear. Non-prescription glasses start at under $50 (remember, they’re stylish too!), and they can make the workday that much easier for a small investment.

Have you heard of or tried computer glasses before? I’d love to hear your experiences!

~ Sarah

I received a free pair of glasses from Phonetic Eyewear in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Summer Beauty: Fresca VoxBox Review

- Sarah Leave a comment

I received these samples to test and keep from Influenster and the participating brands, but the opinions in this post are honest and entirely my own. Besides the product, I was not compensated in any other way. Read my disclosure policy here.

Fresca VoxBox

Can you guys believe it’s almost July?!?? To prep for the season, Influenster sent me a Fresca VoxBox, full of potential summer beauty essentials. Here’s what I thought about the new goodies (from left-to-right-ish):

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser

I loved this! Easily my favorite product in the VoxBox, and I already used up my whole sample. I loved the way this cleanser made my face feel refreshed, not dried out. I’m trying my best to make cruelty-free beauty purchases though, so I won’t be adding this to my beauty stock.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Lotion

I don’t normally use sunless tanner or bronzing products, so I may have been over my head here. Or maybe I was just in a real rush when I tried this, but I ended up with streaky, orange-y legs! The formula is water-resistant, which is awesome except when you mess up like I did. Currently too scared to try again, but if I do, I’ll report back!

Pure Silk Shave Cream in Raspberry Mist

I actually use Pure Silk shaving cream on a regular basis, so it was cool to find it in my VoxBox! It foams a decent amount, and my legs feel soft and smooth after shaving, with little to no irritation. Oh, and I can definitely vouch that this can will not leave rust on your tub.

JAFRA Blends Fragrances

I’m not really a perfume girl. I actually tend to really really dislike most fragrances (cue to me waiting an hour for my family during a perfume factory tour in France). Anyway…these scents (I received one regular-sized scent, violet pomegranate, and three mini-samples) aren’t that offensive. Definitely not part of my everyday, but probably something I wouldn’t mind using for a special occasion.

NYC New York Color Expert Last Lip Lacquer in Rockaway Ruby

This lipgloss is the perfect classic red. So naturally, I wore it to see Taylor Swift on tour. The color payoff is huge, and I think the shade would be flattering on most people. However, it will probably smear everywhere, and stay there. Lip liner might help combat the smearing problem, but I’m not a fan of products that require other products to work well. Still a fun choice for a girls’ night out, but maybe not so much on date night.

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Shampoo & Conditioner

These were the products I was most excited to try in my VoxBox, but they were total duds. I’ve always wanted to try this brand (it’s eco-friendly), and I love the mint scent of the shampoo and conditioner but man. Everything was fine after my first use, but after that, my hair was left greasy and heavy, instead of light and clean. Total bummer — I’m always looking for something that will keep my fine, frizzy hair looking…presentable.

~ Sarah