Schauma Cotton Fresh Dry Shampoo

Thanks to a reader of mine I found this shampoo and continued my long quest to find the best on out there, preferably, from a drugstore range. If she didn't tell me about it, I would have never seen it. I am not sure when Schwarzkopf launched them on the market but I didn't notice them at all. Now, I see them in DM and Müller here in Croatia. I am talking about this little guy.

Schauma cotton fresh dry shampoo

It comes in a 150 ml spray bottle and costs 24.90 kunas (about 2.76 GBP/$4.26/3.25 Euros). It wasn't easy to find at first but now I see it all the time at DM.
It promises an extra day of freshness and volume and is ment for normal and greasy hair.
Application is the same as for all the other dry shampoos. Comb out your hair than apply dry shampoo on smaller sections from a 20 cm distance, leave for a second and then comb out again. It is recommendable to put a towel on your shoulders while doing that to prevent staining your clothes but I didn't have any problems like that with this one.

Ingredients:
Isobutane, Oryza Sativa Starch, Alcohol Denat, Butane, Propane, Parfum, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Citronellol, Citral, Geraniol.

And now me:
- this is definitely a good quality product which adds freshness and volume; that one extra promised day will come true; but there was a difference when my hair got rained on, then it only helped so much to put my hair in a ponytail, and when I had a tipical second day hair as a person with hair which tends to get greasy quickly, then it allowed me to have my hair down looking fabulous!
- it does have a light white cast but nothing major, especially becuase it is easy to get rid of it by combing it out; and as I said, it won't stain your clothes
- I am not crazy about this smaller packaging (they usually come in a 200 ml bottle) because it gets empty really quickly, at least for me; I get five wears out of it and that is if I am saving it, it really gets empty in a blink of an eye but that makes it great for travelling
- the price is as others from a drugstore; it is cheaper than Batiste blush dry shampoo but you also get less product from Schauma so it evens out (the brown version for dark hair is more expensive)
- it has a smell of dry shampoos which I don't like but it is not as strong and long lasting as in Batiste one

Would I buy it again?
Yes, for travelling.

When I first tried it I was in love but when I went to get a new bottle, I couldn't find it so I tried another one and loved it! So, this one goes in a Batiste range which is not bad at all.

Which is your HG dry shampoo?

Tell me...

Love beautyandbrains007


My own list of best dry shampoos, so here it is (I've already reviewed them):
1. Batiste blush dry shampoo and Schauma Cotton Fresh dry shampoo- two best ones from my list, Schauma is even better but I don't like the size of the bottle and the fact that it gets used up quickly so I am putting these two to share their first place
2.Balea Trend it up dry shampoo- it is OK but not good enough to tell you that you just have to try it out; you get an extra day with it but just for a "clean" ponytail and its smell is less irritating than Balea blue dry shampoo and Syoss anti-grease one
3. Syoss anti-grease dry shampoo- hated that one; so so freshness, no volume and a horrible scent; I am putting Balea dry shampoo- the blue one in the same category because it will also fail its task if you don't put your hair in a ponytail but it doesn't stink as much

Dior Diorshow waterproof mascara

Today I am back again with a new post, this time makeup related. Let me present you the Dior Diorshow waterproof mascara in the shade 090- noir/black.

I heard and read many raves about this mascara so when I was in the market for a new one before my wedding, I chose this one.

It has an old school brush which I love, and it seemed to me that it will be very volume friendly. Since I was getting married I decided to buy a waterproof version in case of any tears. After all this was my first time getting married ;)! I can't really say that I ever had problems with mascaras smearing on me but safe is safe.

The only thing I wasn't impressed with at first, was its price. It costed 229 kunas (about $39, 30 Euros, 25 GBP) for a 11,5 ml/0.38 fl.oz. tube which in Croatia you can buy in Douglas, Martimex, Iris, Limoni...everywhere where high end makeup is sold.  But, because I am used to drugstore mascaras (my favorite mascaras are Maybelline One by One and Essence I Love Extreme) this was a new, expensive moment for me.

And now I must warn you! If you love this mascara and get mad or offended by other opinions, stop reading right here. Because I didn't like it at all!

First, let me start with the price. It is really expensive for mascara and the quality is non existant. Fortunately, I tried it out before my wedding day.

Application wasn't easy at all because of the big brush so I got some mascara on my lid. But that wasn't my biggest problem with it. Although it is waterproof, it smeared on my like crazy within one hour from application and that isn't my problem with any mascara. What was left on my lashes was horrible to remove. And that wasn't the end with it, either. My lashes were falling off. That freaked me out! I must say that I am never harsh when removing mascara. I remove my eye makeup using Lisa Eldrige method, holding pads on the eyes and then lightly removing any makeup residue.

I tried it a couple more times after that but the results were always the same. The effect of it wasn't anything special at all, although it promises to lenghten and curl your lashes with buildable volume. So, I pushed it in the back of my makeup collection and ended up using my drugstore mascara for the wedding.

ingredients

I don't have any pictures of it on my lashes because I hated it, haven't used it that much and now, when it got old, it wouldn't be fair from me to post pictures.

It had a bit dry consisteny at first but now it is creamy and sticks my lashes together.

I didn't like it at all and wouldn't buy it again!

Have you tried it? Liked it? Hated it?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo and conditioner

" Is it alive?
Check its pulse.
Is it moving?
It's....
It's....
It's...ALIVE!!!"

Yes, my blog is still alive and so am I.
I am not going to say I am sorry for being absent that long (although I missed my little blog) but I really had so much work that I just couldn't find the time or strength to write something with sense. And now I am back with hair products.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo and conditioner.

As always I was seduced by the packaging. This beautiful blue colour with golden cap...Ugh... I loved it. They were calling me from the DM shelves in Brežice. Could it be possible that something so pretty can be bad? I certainly didn't think so.

Both of these products should add volume (hense the name) and my long, straight, dense but greasy hair coluld use some volume.  They both come in a 250 ml tubes and each tube costed me 6.50 Euros (about $9). They were marked down a little but in Croatia John Frieda products can be found anywhere (in drugstores and in highend stores).

I'll start with shampoo. "It will start adding volume to your hair even during your shower. Of course it will be even more efficient if you use it continuously and combine it with luxurious volume conditioner."
Those are the words of the manufacturer.

shampoo ingredients

And now me...
Yeah. I don't think so. This shampoo isn't the worst shampoo that I came across but it is not by any means special.  It will not get your hair squeaky clean and for this one, that would be a better option. I have a feeling that it leaves a film on your hair which makes it heavier and more prone to greasiness. Which in translation means that you can forget added volume, at least from my experience.

And now....conditioner. Or as they say at John Frieda...especially light conditioner which starts the process of adding volume at the????????? You guessed it! At the bathroom while you are showering, leaving your hair volumized and shiny.
Sounds amazing. Right?

And my answer to that is. YOU WISH!!!

This conditioner will not do anything for your hair if you are looking for added volume. Your hair will be clean the next day (well you freshly washed it) but not volumized. But your second day hair will be in need for a wash up or  favorite dry shampoo. I must say that I have greasy hair to begin with but these products weigh it down even more and I don't experience that with my Macadamia mask which is more like a deep conditioner. For combing out your hair it is so so. I've had better ;).

conditioner ingredients

The smell of both products is irritating non existent with a hint of something chemical. I don't like it!!!
But did I use it up? Of course ;). It lasted me for 5 months but I finally used it up.

Would I buy any of these products again? Not in a million years!

I am sorry for all the negativity in this post, but since this is not a really affordable product I thought you should know my experience with it.
I also tried John Frieda Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner and, although they didn't lighten my roots, they were better products, as plain shampoo and conditioner, than these two.

What is your experience with John Frieda products?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

Wet n Wild trio- Knock on Wood

You don't know how good it feels to write again... I missed my blog but my schedule is so busy that I just can't find the time and strength to write something smart, or just interesting. Is there a  better way to make an appearance than writing about a trio that I am obsessed with?

It is a small but worth mentioning trio by Wet n Wild called Knock on Woods.

As with all the Wet n Wild palettes, this one also helps you with applying makeup by saying which colour goes where (eyeshadows have imprints- browbone, crease and eyelid).  If you peel the back you also have instructions how to apply them.

The lightest colour in this palette is browbone colour. It's a pale pink that looks matte but has small silver glittery particles that can't be seen all the time, but in some lighting and angles they appear which makes your makeup even more interesting. This shade is nice, pigmented, soft and applies beautifully. In my opinion, it is a great lid colour. I prefer lighter colours than this one for my browbone highlight and inner corners of the eyes. Of course, it can work as an eyelid colour if you are going for a true smoky eye that is gradient in a way that the darkest colour is by the lashes and on your lids and it lightens by the browbone. I prefer a darker V for daytime.
The crease colour looks darkest in the palette but it is not too dark. It is not like it is badly pigmented but it is much softer than it looks in the pan. It is a brown colour with a light sheen but I don't think that it would age more mature eyes. The sheen is visible but still very subtle and fresh. It is also very soft, pigmented and nice to work with.
The eyelid colour is very pigmented and the darkest one when swatched. To me this is a beautifull dark wine/plumy shade. You have to be careful while applying it because it has fallout. But I LOVE IT!!!

without flash

with flash

It comes in a small plastic palette which doesn't look like much but it is sturdy. The quality of the shadows is remarkable and that is what is more important to me. You also get a sponge tip applicator and a small brush. The brush is horrible, don't even try to use it! The applicator is OK but if you have other brushes, use them. Your fingers will be better tools than these two that you get with the palette.
I play with this palette all the time and I really like it!

Wet n Wild is a drugstore brand of great quality that unfortunately can't be found in Croatia. You can buy it on Ebay or order it from nonpareil boutique. That is where I get it. It costs $3 but they often offer coupon codes. Of course, you also have to pay shipping, which is about $7 to Croatia but if you order more items, it is not that bad. They offer PayPal (which is a must for me). I am not affiliated with them in any way and all the items were bought and paid by myself.

swatches without flash

they look very shiny with flash

You get 0.12 oz/3.50 grams of product.

ingredients

So... I really like this shadows. They are nicely pigmented, long lasting (8 hours with no primer, with primer- until you take them off) and reasonable priced, especially if you live in the US.
They blend well and with an exception of eyelid colour, don't have a lot of fallout. But if you tap off excess before applying colours to your lids, you will not have a problem.
The packaging is small but sturdy, good for traveling but I would take an even lighter colour with this palette to use it as a highlight.

Have you tried Wet n Wild? Are you interested?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

I've been busy....(my finished products for February 2013.)

OK. I haven't been busy as last month but- Hey-February has fewer days. You probably know how it goes. One month you use up loads of things then start fresh which results with less products to show in my I've been busy section. Still, there are some products in my finished pile. Here they are.

Again. I divided them into groups and I am starting with hair and body care.

You can see that there is a Batiste Blush dry shampoo on my list again. I like this dry shampoo. It freshens second day hair and adds some volume. The only thing I am not crazy about is its smell. It is not stinky but not really nice, too. That is why I am still on a hunt for my HG dry shampoo. But, this is the best dry shampoo that I found on Croatian market (in this price range) until now. I would try another versions of Batiste dry shampoos and buy this one again (this is my second bottle) until I find a better option. If you're interested in this product, you can read my review here.

I also used up a bottle of Palmolive Aroma Therapy Absolute Relax with Ylang Ylang shower gel. It comes in a 250 ml bottle and I liked it. It lathers, cleans and smells nice but I must admit that I usually like everything with ylang ylang. I would buy it again and as far as I know, this product doesn't contain parabens which is also good. I would buy it again.

There is a Lush bubble bar in this pile, too. I guess that you know which one?! My favorite Christmas eve bubble bar (that I reviewed). I told you that I stocked up. It is released every year around Christmas and I always buy it in bulk, especially this year when they had 50% off. You'll see them again in my posts.

And the last product in this category is a Nivea roll on- Fresh Natural. I love this deodorant. I love its smell, it holds the whole day and although they claim that it holds for 48 hours I can't vouch for that because I can't imagine not to take a shower before going to bed but it will go through your day with you for sure. I went through many bottles of this and will definitely buy it again.

In my face care pile there are only three products.

Bioderma Sebium micelle solution that I reviewed a couple of days ago so for more in depth information click here. But I can say that this is a nice product if you are looking for a toner for oily or combination skin. Just for removing your makeup, I suggest to use Sensibio version. It is much lighter and gentle for your eyes (it is not like Sebium burnt my eyes but it wasn't as gentle).

After you clean your face it is nice to apply a face mask. This month I was testing out Balea face masks and I used up Balea face mask with Dead sea mud. Since I plan to do a full review on masks that I have tried, I am going to stop here but be on a lookout for that.

And another product that I raved about is Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Eyes Time Complex Capsules. I used up all three bottles that I had (90 capsules) and I loved them! I am using a cream right now just to switch up my routine but I already bought a new pack to have in stock after I am finished with the cream. If you are intersted, I have a review on them here.

It is not like I don't use tooth paste but I don't have the habit to put used up tubes in my finished bag. Probably because I am not the only one who uses them in my household. But people, it is very important to floss. Your oral hygiene is important for your whole organism. Lots of inflammations and diseases can start in your mouth so I suggest to take good care of your teeth. Floss them at least twice a week. I use DM's DontoDent floss. It is cheap but does a good job. I buy it all the time and would and will buy it again.

I have just one makeup item this month. L'Oreal True Match powder foundation in the shade Golden Beige (W3). It is not bad but I wouldn't buy it again. It can't compare to my MAC Mineralized skin finish. It has a medium coverage but it can't handle oily skin. You will have shine in your t-zone in two to three hours after applying it. But for dry or normal skin, this wouldn't be a bad powder.

The last used up product for February is Seche Vite top coat. I love this top coat! It dries your nail polish quickly and adds an amazing shine. It gets gluey quickly but you can buy a Seche Vite Restorer. In every case I used mine up. I would and have bought it again. My next bottle is ready for use.

That is all from me for now. Which products did you use up?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007