Review: Neo Hair Tools Twister Curling Iron 25/32 mm

I learned the hard way over the years that when it comes to heat styling tools for your hair, it pays to pay. Meaning: cheap hair tools suck.

I'm a HUGE fan of saving money where possible and getting a lot out of a cheap item, but all my experience with heat tools showed me that even the priciest curling iron or flatiron from the drugstore would barely curl my hair, and even if I unloaded half a can of hairspray on it, and then tried my best not to touch it, it would all flatten out and straighten within an hour or so. If I was lucky.

After noticing how much better the style would stay after a hair stylist in a salon did my hair, with presumably far superior tools than my cheapy $40 Revlon curling iron, I decided it was time to invest a bit. So first, last year, I bought my first "big girl" flatiron. It's a Sephora Collection Tourmaline Flatiron, hot pink, and it set me back about $60-$65 or so. Still not expensive really, but WOW what a difference! The girl at the store warned me that this wasn't the greatest hair straightener they had (appreciated her honesty!) but I knew even the cheapest one there would work for my almost straight hair anyways. And boy, did it! The difference was night and day! I can see this not working for girls with wavier hair than me, but if your hair is mostly straight anyways, this is all you need!

So next on my wishlist was a proper curling iron. I am the biggest sucker for that Victoria's Secret, big loose curls, bombshell look. But damned if I could get that going on with my cheap curling irons. If I managed to make anything even approximating that look, it collapsed within hours. But then, as luck would have it, HauteLook had an awesome sale...

I picked out the Neo Hair Tools Twister Curling Iron 25/32 mm. It's a clampless iron (essential for creating big, loose wavy curls as opposed to ringlets) that tapers a bit at the tip. The iron is normally $280, but thanks to HauteLook I got it for the amazing price of $49! I know I sound like an infomercial, but seriously, that's good. Also, it comes with a handy glove to protect your hands from the heat. But I don't like wearing those, so I burned my hand several times! Hehehe, oops....

It arrived a couple days ago, and when I tested it out, once again, I was floored at the difference between it and cheaper models. It curled faster, and it held WAY longer. And I used far less hairspray than I normally would. I even slept in my curls, and woke up with them still looking quite formed and defined, maybe a couple rumpled spots where it needs a touch-up but still obviously curly - never happened before, usually sleeping in curled hair=waking up with straight hair again for me!

There were some cons about this iron though, which you may want to know about. For one thing, there is no dial to adjust the temperature. It doesn't bother me since I usually don't anyways, but it's worth knowing.

 Also, you have be careful because for some strange reason, there is no indicator light to show that it's on. You can look at the on/off switch of course, but just being able to quickly glance to see if there's a light on would be an easy feature for them to have added. Other than that, I really love it and can see myself curling my hair a LOT more now! Whoooop!!

New hair!

I have this compulsion where every few months, I need to fiddle with my bangs. Usually it's just a very minor trim, maybe a bit of a part change... nothing crazy. But this time, I knew I wanted something more! I went a little crazy with my scissors and although there were some points where I thought, "Uh oh.... I've really gone and done it this time..." I kept fussing with it and moving it around until it looked right, and here I am!

'

One thing I reeaaally love about them is how they look when my hair is up! I love wearing my hair up but before it just never looked right... I couldn't put my finger on it but I always felt like my hair looked a little off. Now the bangs give it enough visual interest that even a super quick messy bun looks soo much better!

Review: Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse

This is one product that really hits the nail on the head! You may have heard of it before. It has won awards, including Allure's Best of Beauty Breakthrough. Here's a couple descriptions from the experts.

From Sephora:
"What it is:
A weightless mousse that gives even the finest hair thickness, fullness, and touchable body.

What it does:
This mousse contains a revolutionary technology developed by Living Proof scientists-Poly Beta Amino Ester-1, a proprietary ingredient that creates a soft pattern of thickening points on hair to increase texture, body, fullness, and volume. The weightless formulation is flexible and lasts until you wash it out, so you can play with your style without it collapsing.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates "

From Allure:
"Most body builders help hair defy gravity with a gluelike ingredient—called PVP/VA copolymer—that suspends hair off the scalp. But an encounter with a brush, wind, or your restless hands breaks down this brittle coating, and hair sinks like a fallen soufflé. Living Proof scientists ignored the traditional target (roots) and instead created a flexible polymer that adds volume through the length of the hair and stays effective—through mussing and fussing—until the next shampoo."

And from me! The thing I love about this mousse is obviously, how well it volumizes. I have fine hair, but LOTS of it. So volumizing becomes difficult because of the sheer weight of how much hair I have. This stuff plumps me up like a pro! But it's also fantastic as a styling aid. Bangs (or fringe, depending on what part of the world you call home!) are notoriously difficult to style. This stuff makes them SO easy to manage and style, it's really a lifesaver. You also need quite a small amount for it to be effective - too much actually gets a little sticky, so you get the best volumizing effects from a small amount, making it even more cost effective!

I'm currently using a mini bottle of this, but I'll be upgrading to a full size very soon!