Traveliztera: Randomly Entertaining!: REVIEWS: Beauty

Shinka Salon Gave Me Short 'Amor Powers Bob Curly Hair' with Balayage

Sunday, December 13, 2015Traveliztera

Chopping your hair off can sometimes be drastic and really scary to do. I remember chopping my hair off in 2012, and I regretted it within minutes. It took me a year to grow my hair back to how I wanted it.

This time around, a person inspired me to love short hair for a change. That's Ms. Amor Powers.

Credit: ABS-CBN

If you're not residing in the Philippines, Ms. Amor Powers is a character played by Jodi Sta. Maria in a remake of the classic Filipino Teleserye, "Pangako Sa'Yo". Her character is fierce and I must admire Jodi for giving justice to this character. It was once played by Eula Valdez, who also brought this character justice, and she was very memorable in portraying Amor.

This year, as Jodi embodies Amor Powers, I must say that she definitely made us all root for her and love her. I love her and she should really win "Best Actress of the Year". I never saw Jodi portray a very difficult and strong character, so yes, I applaud you Ms. Jodi. AND, of course, you are owning your short hair well!

Anyway, as I have mentioned, Amor Powers inspired me to love my new short hair.

What better way to have it than to make sure you go to the right place.

SHINKA.

Shinka is this salon I stumbled upon while I was Googling for hair salons. I've never been to a Japanese salon, so I wanted to try this for a change.

I booked an appointment for a trim 3 months ago, and asked for any stylist, and I was so glad I met Mika.

Credit: www.shinka.com.au

It has been years since I had a hairstylist whom I considered someone I can trust. Usually, I come in, get it done with whoever is available, then that's it.

But here, you get to easily know and establish a good relationship with their staff, and that's what I truly love.

Shinka has the feeling of true Japanese hospitality, and I felt pampered even though I was just sitting and waiting for my turn. And can I say that they are exactly on time? I'm a time freak, so I loved that.

Anyway, I've been going to this salon for hair treatment. My haircut with them was mostly for my fringe, and a little trim here and there. I would ask for my hair to be blowdried so that it would be straight, just so I can sport this temporary straight hair look (as per first photo).

But yesterday, I decided to go have a major change.

I'm naturally curly, so I missed the effect it does when I have short hair. I also wanted a balayage.

So Mika told me she will try her best.

And I loved it.

We started at 12:30 PM and we finished at 3:30 PM, and within 3 hours, I had my haircut, bleach, hair colour, and hair treatment. Overall, I paid around $250, which I think is okay when you live in Sydney. Plus, if you become a member, you get discounts. Good perks! ;) Tell them I recommended you to them, and you'll get extra benefits.

Check out the pretty colour!

Straight versus Curly Version

Anyway, alongside Mika, some of her team assisted her in the process, and all of them did pretty well!

So yes, I am happy with my Amor Powers look (lol), and Mika and her team definitely made it happen for me! I am totally recommending this salon.

Check out the cozy interior!

from www.shinka.com.au

If you live in Sydney, Australia, visit Shinka! They have two salons here in Sydney.

1. Clarence Street
289 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000
02-9283-0023

2. Galeries Victoria
Level 2, The Galeries
500 George St.
Sydney NSW Australia
02-9283-3220

They also have two salons in Japan.

For more information, check out their page: www.shinka.com.au.

For prices, check this link out: http://shinka.com.au/clarence-en/prices.php

Shinka, thanks for being such a trustworthy place. I love your team so much! Good job!

BEAUTY: General BEAUTY: Hair REVIEWS: Beauty

Garnier OLIA Very Light Ash Blonde 10.1 for Black, Dark Brown, and Blonde Hair with Results

Saturday, April 25, 2015Traveliztera

This is the second time I'm using Garnier OLIA to colour my hair. I usually use L'oreal in colouring my hair, but I felt like trying this brand again, because I saw my old review about this brand with the Beige Dark Blonde shade.

Anyway, I always use Ash Blonde shades to turn my hair into a very light brown shade, or a dark blonde shade. Thus, I wanted to try the shade that Garnier was offering, especially with the fact that I had a good experience from a past usage.

Well, in this post, you'll see how it colours black, dark brown, and blonde hair, because my black hair has shown up, and I originally had a dark brown to blonde ombre, but the colours have turned yellowish and brassy. 3-in-1!

So first of all, let's look at the box and what's inside:

Garnier Olia has 60% oils to keep your hair soft while colouring.

The back part of the box has a cutout to create a hole for your bottle to stay upright.

1) Developer Cream
2) Colour Cream
3) Post-Colouring Treatment/Conditioner
4) Bottle
5) Gloves
6) Instructions

Based on the instructions, I mixed it all in and kept it on my hair for 45 minutes, even though the instructions said 30 minutes. My hair is really thick and stubborn that it has to be more than 30 minutes.

During the process, I was surprised that I didn't smell any harsh or strong scent. I'm so used to other dyes, wherein the smell really irritates the lining of my nose, and it just goes straight to my head, and I get a headache from the smell. This brand just didn't have that smell. There might have been a subtle one, but I didn't notice it until I started washing it off.

Since there was no harsh scent, I definitely didn't feel any sting on my scalp.

The consistency is that of a conditioner. It's not too thick, and it doesn't make your hair sticky and difficult to brush through once it's on your hair, unlike other brands.

After the process, I washed it off with the included conditioner, and it left my hair soft and combable. I was honestly surprised and impressed, because like I said, I'm used to other hair dyes that I know would dry my hair right away.

So what was the result?

As you may have noticed, in the BEFORE photo, my hair is just... a mess. The dark areas in my hair are basically my black hair showing up, and then I have these varying shades of yellow ombre. Originally, I had a dark brown-blonde ombre.

In the AFTER photo, my black hair has turned into a dark brown shade, and you can see that the yellow shades have been toned out to create a shade of beige brown/beige dark blonde. The dark brown areas stayed dark brown, but it's more chocolatey in terms of the shade.

Now, despite not meeting the expected hair colour that I got from its counterpart in the L'oreal range which is the Extra Light Ash Blonde colour, I'm happy with the outcome.

Just to compare, I once fully coloured my black hair with L'oreal's Extra Light Ash Blonde in 2011, and this was the outcome:

As you may have noticed, the shade it did to my black hair is really light, compared to the effect that Garnier Olia did to my black hair.

However, I must say that this time around, I like how it helped me in my ombre. It may not have lightened my hair like how L'oreal did, but it helped in toning my ombre.

Overall, I enjoyed the Garnier Olia experience, especially with what it did to my hair. Here's my summary for this review:

PROS:

No harsh scent.
Doesn't sting your scalp.
Leaves your hair soft and combable.
Good as a toner to yellow/brassy shades.
Easy to prepare.
Consistency is that of a conditioner, and does not stick your hair together.

CONS:

Does not dramatically lighten black/dark hair like another brand's similar shade.
Pricey in Australia ($17.00)

BEAUTY: General BEAUTY: Hair REVIEWS: Beauty

Palty Bubble Hair Lemon Tea Hair Dye Review

Tuesday, April 22, 2014Traveliztera

I've been dyeing my hair since 2011. I somehow enjoy the process of doing it and seeing the results of my hardwork (LOL.)...

I know that when it comes to hair dyes, most girls would like to have an outcome that matches their expectation, but for me, the excitement is to see if the hair dye will give a good colour to my hair, regardless of what the box says.

Yes, I look forward to how the dye will colour my hair--will it be good or bad? Yeahhhh... My hair always gets risked for hair colours ( I'm so sorry, hair!!!)

I do not bleach my hair before colouring it with dyes, because I don't want further damage. Thus, I already know that the outcome of the hair colouring process will not be the same as the one that is shown on the package.

Anyway, for this review, I will be reviewing Lemon Tea by Palty Hair Color. This is a product from Japan, that is so famous among Asian women, due to the fact that it works well on Asian hair.

You know how some hair products promise to deliver brown colour, but basically blends in to the dark side because you got black hair? Yeah...

Palty, on the other hand, was designed for Asian black hair.

This Palty product is in foam form, and contains the following stuff:

(I didn't get to take photos of the stuff inside this box, so I'm gonna use the photos I took when I colored my hair with Palty's Marshmallow Ash. They have the same contents anyway...)

1) Base Water

2) Cream

3) Mixing Cup

4) Mixing Spoon

5) Gloves

6)Hair Solution

7) Instructions (including English)

STEPS:

1) Shake the base water up and down around 20 times, then pour this into the mixing cup. The package has a cutout at the back for the mixing cup to fit in.

2) Add the hair colour cream into the mix.

3) Use the tip of the spoon in making a tapping motion within the product. Do this around 5 times.

4) Make a circular motion inwards around 20 to 40 times until the bubbles start to foam. Once it reaches the line on the inside of the cup, it's ready. Do not stir some more because it decreases the foam.

5) Apply to hair and leave for about 20-30 minutes.

6) Rinse off and apply the hair solution that is included in the package.

RESULT:

Here are the before and after photos:

Sorry for the messy hair... Both photos were taken after washing and drying my hair.
FYI, my hair colour for my BEFORE photo was Palty's Marshmallow Ash.

I must say that it somehow reached the second shade, based on the packaging's shade guide at the back. I am happy with the results, and I enjoyed the mixing process. I am also happy that they now have an English translation for their instructions. Back then, they didn't have that, and I had to rely on internet translations.

My hair did not feel dry after colouring. The hair solution that came with it was good, but was not enough for my hair.

The disadvantage of this product though is that it didn't last long. After a few months, my hair turned brassy orange. But it was good while it lasted. The only thing I noticed was that the cream counterpart of this foam dye was more vibrant. However, for this shade, I'm totally fine with this.

PROS:

Easy to mix.
Easy to apply and great coverage.
Doesn't have a strong and harsh smell.
The hair solution left my hair soft.
Reached the colour I somehow expected.
English instructions.
1 package of the product was enough for my medium length and thick hair.

CONS:

Doesn't last long.
Small amount of the hair solution.
Expensive (depends on which store, but price range is around $14-25).
Less vibrant than the cream dye.

Do you have any questions about this product? Let me know through the comments section below!

BEAUTY: Cosmetics BEAUTY: General REVIEWS: Beauty

The Face Shop Aqua UV Color Control CC Cream (Face It) - 01 Radiant Beige

Saturday, April 19, 2014Traveliztera

I have never been interested in BB (blemish balm) or CC (colour control) Creams, because I have never really appreciated their wonders, despite trying a BB cream on a few years ago. Maybe it was because of the fact that I chose a brand that did not deliver well, so I didn't see some awesome results.

A month ago, I was my friend's bridesmaid, and she married a wonderful Korean gentleman. Her Korean friend, who was her Maid of Honour, booked our makeup appointment at Kim Sun Young, which happened to be my favorite hair salon here in Sydney.

Though I can do my own makeup, I wasn't that confident that it will be perfect for a wedding day. I decided to try and see how it will be done by a Korean makeup artist.

She applied a primer, and then a cream that made my face go really white. At this point, I was panicking deep inside. I've had bad experiences from other makeup artists a few years ago, wherein they applied a really light foundation, and when I got photographed, it was really obvious how unnatural my look was.

Anyway, everything went well, and the end result was amazing. It turned out that she used a BB cream after that primer, and then a loose powder foundation after the BB cream.

The Maid of Honour and the Bridesmaid

A week later, I decided to go to The Face Shop store in Sydney CBD to buy a BB Cream. I ended up buying a CC Cream instead, due to my curiosity.

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PACKAGING

The packaging was unique. It was in the usual compact face powder packaging, but instead of a pressed powder inside, you will find a button. The button basically dispenses the product from the middle.

You also have a sponge that perfectly distributes the product on your face, and a mirror for convenience.

THE PRODUCT ITSELF

I decided to get 01 Radiant Beige, and it is lighter than 02 Natural Beige. The reason why I chose this shade is because I like its "radiant" dewy effect.

The product on my bare face. See how it illuminates my skin? I know it's super light, but this is just a base for my foundation which perfectly matches my skin.

You only need to do 1 - 2 pumps of the product, and even with just a small amount, surprisingly, it can cover my whole face well.

The product has a really gentle and calming smell, which basically is a good start when you're doing your makeup before work. You need that extra pamper (yes, the smell does it well for me lol).

Speaking of pampering, the product has ice flower water that cools the skin. The smell and the skin effect did wonders for me.

This product is really good as a base before your foundation (whether liquid or powder). It basically creates a clean slate for your other makeup products to show better.

In addition, the product claims to "keep the makeup on even from sebum and sweat". I would have to agree with that. After work, my makeup is still intact.

Lastly, the product has SPF 50+, which is a good feature for the ladies who are into UV protection.

OVERALL

I highly recommend The Face Shop's Face It Aqua UV Color Control CC Cream!

It works well when used before foundation as it effectively locks in your makeup for hours. It also illuminates your face to give you that fresh and brightened look.

Additionally, you get the benefits of getting pampered by the smell and its cooling effect, as well as getting protected from the sun by its powerful SPF formula.

This is definitely my favourite product at the moment!

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If you have questions about this product, let me know through the comment section below!

BEAUTY: Cosmetics REVIEWS: Beauty

Benefit "They're Real!" Mascara Review - Awesome Lashes!

Saturday, August 10, 2013Traveliztera

BEAUTY: Cosmetics BEAUTY: General REVIEWS: Beauty

L'oreal Shine Caresse Review - Juliet Shade

Monday, June 03, 2013Traveliztera

Drugstore lipsticks time!

Today, it's all about L'oreal 's Shine Caresse!

According to L'oreal, this product is: "The next generation lip colour, that combines the texture & shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain. Delivering a lasting colour with a subtle glossy shine."

The reason why I'm starting to like this product is because I used to like long-wearing lip colors. However, the problem is, they leave my lips dry and flaky, which makes me apply lip moisturisers every now and then, and reapply the lip color in-between as well, since the colored lip skin bits would peel off (ewww too much info? lol!).

Of course, the main reason why I like long-wearing lip colors is because I am not really a fan of retouches. So, knowing that I still have to retouch due to the intense drying effect of long-wearing lip colors, I decided to just stay to tinted lip balms, since it's going to end up with retouches anyway.

Hassle much for a girl who dislikes retouches!

Yes, I rarely retouch, so by the end of the day, you'll see my haggard face.

Look, I know it's good to be real, but... there's a difference between looking real and looking fresh. LOL. So yes, I know, I know... I should opt for the latter.

Well... L'oreal saved the day! I found an awesome product that is long-wearing, and absolutely kept my lips soft and looking fresh throughout the day.

L'oreal Shine Caresse is basically of lip gloss consistency with the combined power of a lip tint and a moisturiser.

So far, my lips haven't gone dry yet. Compared to other brands and kinds of long-wearing lip colours I have used, this one kept my lips moisturised for the longest period of time--for now. If they do dry in the future, at least I know that the effect took some time, unlike other brands which would dry my lips by the end of the day. I heard that it's similar to a certain line of products by YSL, so I would have to try that out too some time later. For now, let's stick to this.

I love the range of colors of this product, but Juliet is my favorite, because the shade is natural and innocent.

In the picture below, I didn't really get to dab on a lot of the product, but still, it gave a really nice shade of pink. If I placed some more, it would have turned more red.

My favorite part of this product is the wand. It makes applications easier, and has greater lip coverage.

Overall, Shine Caresse is a good alternative to expensive lip products. Here are the reasons why I think so:

It has long-staying power, while keeping the lips soft and shiny.
Retouching will be decreased, but in my case, I doubt I'll still retouch since I did mention I dislike retouching.
Beautiful range of colors.
Wand offers easy application and wide coverage.
Shades can be adjusted by the amount applied.

Australian Price: $20 - 24.00

US Price: $ 7.00-10.00

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CREDITS:

L'oreal Product Photos from http://www.lorealparis.com.au/

BEAUTY: General REVIEWS: Beauty

Dove Pure Anti-Perspirant Deodorant - Nuffnang Product Talk

Friday, April 26, 2013Traveliztera

Dove is ever so perfect in timing! I'm already about to finish my Dove deodorant, when suddenly, I received an invitation from Nuffnang to do a product talk about Dove. I received two Dove products, which of course, I was excited to use and blog about!

So yes, I have been using Dove's deodorant and body wash since college, thus, I am happy that I was given the opportunity to talk about their amazing product called Dove Pure. It is an anti-perspirant deodorant, and this is my first time using this line, because I usually use Dove Original.

Dove Pure Aerosol

We all know that Dove has been campaigning since the early years about how their products contain 1/4 moisturising cream to keep the skin looking healthy. I have a sensitive skin, and I found my skin feeling softer than ever with Dove.

Dove Pure Roll-On

Now let's go back to Dove Pure. I received a deodorant roll-on and an aerosol. I always use roll-ons because I had a bad experience with an aerosol deodorant of another brand. My skin got irritated. Obviously, it was in the ingredients of that product, and most likely, it was because of its ethyl alcohol content. Though I know that Dove claims to have no ethyl alcohol in their product, I was still hesitant to try the aerosol due to the past experience.

Of course I still did. You just got to try and change your perspective, right? So I tried the aerosol first, before the roll-on...

Dove Pure Aerosol

I am definitely impressed. NO FRAGRANCE (which is a huge factor for me, since some brands have a strong scent, which really overpowers everything) and NO IRRITATION at all.

And since it is an antiperspirant, it kept my underarms dry all day (in a healthy way).

Dove did it again. Their ingredients kept the product's promise of keeping underarms feeling dry and healthy, while removing the unnecessary ingredients that cause what I have personally experienced before with another brand-- irritation.

Dove Pure delivers what we only need.

No Parabens.

No Colourants.

No Fragrance.

No Alcohol (ethyl alcohol).

For people who want 48-hour protection without having to go through a feeling of discomfort, or unsightly signs of irritation, the unique formula is perfect.

And again, Dove Pure -- like all other Dove products-- contains 1/4 moisturising cream to keep your skin young and healthy. How's that for a new addition to your skin care? =)

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This post is for the Product Talk by Nuffnang. Thank you DOVE and Nuffnang for letting me review this wonderful product!

Check out www.mydove.com.au for more info!

Shinka Salon Gave Me Short 'Amor Powers Bob Curly Hair' with Balayage

Garnier OLIA Very Light Ash Blonde 10.1 for Black, Dark Brown, and Blonde Hair with Results

Palty Bubble Hair Lemon Tea Hair Dye Review

The Face Shop Aqua UV Color Control CC Cream (Face It) - 01 Radiant Beige

Benefit "They're Real!" Mascara Review - Awesome Lashes!

L'oreal Shine Caresse Review - Juliet Shade

Dove Pure Anti-Perspirant Deodorant - Nuffnang Product Talk

About me

Steph

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