Pantene Medium-Thick Hair Solutions: Detangler : REVIEW

This product is labeled as a Detangler, but I actually use it as a leave in conditioner. I don't have, personally, a problem with my hair getting tangled. My little sister however, I bought her one of these also, and she has big problems with tangles and it works wonders for her tangles! I love this product, it works wonders as a leave in conditioner also. It adds shine, managability and also PREVENTS tangles in advance. It makes your hair softer, smoother, and shinier. All around this is a pretty affordable, great product I would suggest to anyone! 10 stars(:

XOXO, Manda Mae

got2b guardian angel: 425*F Heat Protect 'N Curl : REVIEW

This is a review of Guardian Angel 425*F Heat 'N Curl from got2b. It's a "curl iron spray + gloss finish." It's supposed to protect from heat, help structure your curls, add shine, and help the heat do more while damaging less.

 I really love this product. I use it as a heat protectant when I plan on curling my hair. It does add shine, it also helps keep your curls smooth and natural looking. Also it smells delicious!!! The only thing I have a problem with is it makes your hair feel a little bit stiff. Not the kind of frozen solid hair spray stiff, but it just feels a bit thick after you are done styling. Other than that I love this product and I would definitely recommend this to anyone I know (: I love that it lists the temperature it can protect up too, lots of products don't and they leave you wondering if it is REALLY doing it's job like it says!

XOXO, Manda Mae

John Frieda Collection: Frizz-Ease Creme Serum: REVIEW

This is a review of the Creme Serum Overnight Repair Formula from John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Collection. It's kinda a very long name, for a very little product. But this little baby really does work!

I applied it on dry and damp hair many, many times before bedtime and also a few times I applied a tiny bit to my ends in the mornings. I can't say if it minimizes frizz, because I don't have very frizzy hair. But I can say that it helped my split ends wonderfully! I could really tell a difference, especially the first few times I used it on the smoothness, softness and moisture of my hair. It did help my hair look shinier, but be careful: if you use too much especially around the roots, it WILL make your hair look greasy! I would suggest keeping it mostly mid shaft and down to avoid that "greasy" look.

This product isn't too expensive. I bought mine on amazon.com, here's the link: Amazon.com: John Frieda Frizz Ease Overnight Serum

 It is listed for $8.99, but I didn't pay that much for mine. Amazon is great about having sales. Right now as I write this it's on sale for $3.49, so as you can see, if you watch it, sales come and go and you can usually get a good price.

 This product worked great for me at taming my waves, moisturizing my dry hair, and adding shine and manageability. I would give this product 9 stars! The only con is the greasy issue that can occur.

 Good Luck (:

Xoxo, Manda Mae

Stretching Your Conditioning Buck

When it comes to buying Salon Hair Products, it's a love hate situation. You love the results they give, but you have the extra dollars they take. For me, my favorite salon product that I couldn't live without is Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Milk Conditioner  ! I love it to death, I love everything about it. The way it applies, the way it smells, the way it makes my hair unbelievably soft, the way it rinses out, everything! The only thing I don't love is the price tag it comes with.

The Problem: Too much money, not enough product. 

What I do to help with this is, I take about a quarter sized droplet of my Healthy Sexy Hair conditioner, and then use whatever else amount I want of my Suave Professionals conditioner. And I've found that I am getting the same exact results as if I was using my Healthy Sexy Hair conditioner on its own.

The Solution: Mix with cheaper, more economical conditioners.

 Good Luck Ladies!

Make It Easy On Your Man: Gift Giving 101

It's getting to that time of the year when we have to think about giving people (and our significant other) gifts. Of course, the main gift we are focused on giving is the one to our baby. And of course, we want them to love it. Now, we all know that men usually have more troubles picking out gifts for their girls. So... make it easy on you, and your man, and send him this post. Guys, if you're checking this out- keep reading! I'm gonna try to make this as short and sweet as possible for you. This will help you so you can put that beautiful smile and get that cute blush you're wanting to see from your girl.

Before we start, I want to de-code a few things for you. I live with guys, so I know that you don't always know what products are used for, especially when it comes to makeup. Here's the quick run down.

Eyeshadow: Looks like colored blush. It's powdery, and you use it on your eyelids mainly.

Mascara: For eyelashes. The little wand and tube.

Eyeliner: Like a pencil, you use it to line your eyes.

Blush: For the cheeks.

Lip products: Gloss- liquid. Stick- will be in a stick, like chap stick. Stain- will look like a Sharpie.

We aren't going to go into things like foundation, moisturizers or primers, because that would be the worst cosmetic gift you could give. Women are very picky about what products they use on their face, so if you are gonna give her a cosmetic gift, you want to give her an eye product, cheek product, or lip product. We want to make sure she can use it! Women typically aren't as picky about cheek, eye or lip products as face products.

Picking Colors:

Now, this is probably the hardest thing for guys. What color does she want? It can be a little overwhelming, there are literally BILLIONS of colors and shades of cosmetics. We are gonna start with basic colors, like for blush (cheeks) and lips. Here's a little guide you can follow:

If she has...

 Red Hair:

Girls with Red Hair may be more rare than blondes and brunettes, but they have the most commonly RED HAIR features. Very light, very whitely pigmented skin, typically freckles, and usually hazel or brown eyes. If she has blue or green eyes- don't freak out. These colors will go well with all colors of eye with a red head.
 COLOR SWATCHES: You are gonna wanna stick to Corals or Peaches.
  Think of a orange pink. Or, the color of a Papaya Fruit.

 This is a peachy pink. You can go a little more orange than that. Usually, a peach or coral shade will have a hint in the name, look for words like "Beach", "Tropical", "Peach" or "Shell". (Each Cosmetics Shade Will Have Their Own NAME, just like paint.)


If she has...

Blonde Hair:
 Blondes are one of the hardest people to buy cosmetics for. There is such a vast array of hues and shades of blonde hair. The WORST color you can get for a blonde is Peach or Coral. The Best Color You Can Get Would Be: PINK

 Think of a baby shower. Look for words like, "Baby" "Candy" "Girl" or "Petal" in the name of the product.

If she has...

 BROWN HAIR:

You're lucky! Brunettes are one of the easiest people to pick colors for! Seeing how they have brown hair, they will most likely look good in any natural shade or hue. Think out door-sy. Like trees, grass, water, fire.


COLOR PICK: RED 


Don't freak out! Just cause she looks good in red, does not mean you have to buy her stop sign red lip stick or stop light glowing red blush. There are lots of nice, calmer reds that are much easier to use. Reds are hard to find, because red pigments are so tricky, they sometimes turn out looking like pink or purple. The WORST color you can get for a brunette is pink. If you aren't digging the red colors, go for a coral or peach like the red hair picks.

HINT: Watch out for and stay away from hot pinks or dark purples!



 Now that we've gone over her color scheme, it's time to put some eyes and real color in the mix.

Here's a guide to picking out the best eye make up for her that will make her gorgeous eyes sparkle!


If she has:

 BROWN EYES:

Once again, you're in luck. You can pick the most common colors to you; Browns, Charcoals and Bieges. Once again, think out-door-sy colors. Like tans, browns, and greens. You're pretty much set! With eye liner think browns, dark, dark browns. When it comes to brown eyes: Just don't get Greys. Get black before grey, but try to stick to Browns.



If she has...

Green Eyes:

You're gonna want to get her: Purples and Greys.
 You want to stay away from BROWNS. NO BROWNS! Brown shades are harder to pick out for ladies with green eyes. You're gonna want to get her deep purples, bright purples, even sheer purples. And greys... light greys, dark greys, any color of grey or purple really. Think PLUM. When it comes to eyeliner, go for very dark grey or an ONYX. (Onyx is like a black pigment, but water down with grey.)

If she has...

Hazel Eyes:
 You're gonna want to go with: Naturals. 

Naturals are gonna bring out the brown in her eyes, making them look better. Go for ONYX or BROWN eyeliners, as Black eyeliners can dampen her eyes, or even hide them. Don't go for too dark colors- because her eyes are most likely not very STRONG- so you want to go for softer, natural colors. (Think of sand, the inside of trees, or even sheer shimmers.)

If she has...

BLUE EYES:
 Most people think that if you have blue eyes, you can never wear blue. That's not true at all! I've found, that lots of times, if you have blue eyes the most STUNNING color you can wear IS INDEED BLUE. For her, you're gonna want to stick to colors like:

BLUES, GREYS, AND SMOKES.

 Think of blue, like the ocean or your favorite T shirt, and grey like Hanes boxer briefs or custom truck rims. For smokes, think of coal, tires, or actual smoke. For blues, try to get a palette that has multiple shades of blues. Like, a graduation from light to dark blue. When it comes to eyeliner: Get Black. Don't go with brown or grey. Black makes blue pop and will also make the white of her eye appear whiter, which will contrast with the blue, making her eyes look amazing.



 IF YOUR GIRL HAS A MIXTURE OF COLORS IN HER EYES:

The most common color mixture is: GREEN AND BLUE.
 If she has a mixture, just take the two obvious colors, (I'm using green and blue as an example.) and you can use any of those two selections. For example:
 If she has blue and green eyes, get any of the blue OR green shades. Purples, Greys, Blues or Blacks.


 Does picking out all these select products seem like too much work?

Well, there's a solution to that problem too.

1. Go to your nearest Sephora store. They have them in most larger malls. Specialist work there and can help you pick out the perfect cosmetics for her. Also, if you're thinking of getting PERFUMES, which is ALWAYS a big hit. At Sephora, they have a computer, (like Call Of Duty: Black Ops for women.), and you just click the categories of what she typically likes, and it tells you what scents would best fit her and what she would like best. Can't get any easier, right?

2. If you want to do this all on your own, you can do it from your coach. If picking colors seems too complicated, and you are worried about not getting something she will like. Get her one of the below palette options. Any girl I know would absolutely die for one of these palettes. Or all 3 of them!

 (Just click on the name, it's a link and it will take you to amazon.com where you can view and/or purchase it.)

~BH Cosmetics 120 Color Palette: 3rd Edition

~Coastal Scents 88 Color Palette, WARM

~Urban Decay NAKED Palette



 If you're having troubles, don't freak out. She will love it because she loves you! I know gift giving can be a hassle, especially for her, with us dropping hints you can't figure out, and being all complicated about what we want. If a guy got me cosmetics or perfume, I would be impressed just because he went there. Most guys wouldn't even GO THERE. Good luck boys and have fun!

 XOXO, Manda Mae

~CoverGirl Liquiline Blast: Review!~

I have been using this eyeliner for a year+. Ever since the first time I applied this eyeliner I was completely awestruck. It is the best eyeliner, liquid, gel or pencil I have ever used in my entire life. 

 ~The Consistency is fantastic! It is so incredibly smooth- you have to apply no pressure whatsoever for it to go on perfectly! 

~Great for sensitive eyes! It is not drying at all, and doesn't irritate one bit. PLUS: With no pressure needed when applying, that's another thing you won't have to worry about irritating your eyes with. 

~Last all day and night! It doesn't rub, transfer, smudge or budge! I have applied this in the evening, and when I woke up in the morning it was still on and looked perfect. Even on my lower waterline! 

~Removes Very Easily! It comes off in the shower with just water- with a little makeup remover there won't be one speck left! 

~Pigments are vibrant and true! The colors are amazing, and will last and stay true. No primer needed here!

The only downside of this product is it's a little bit pricey for a drugstore eyeliner. But then again all eyeliners are starting to creep more and more towards the $8 range, so it's not that much more than others. 

 I love this eyeliner and will NEVER find anything better! I'm convinced! 

10 STARS

Xoxo, Manda Mae(:

Click on the below links to see a few tutorials that feature the CoverGirl Liquiline Blast in Black Smoke: 

The Day~To~Night Look: Tutorial Feat. CG Liquiline Blast

The Angel Look feat. CG Liquiline Blast

My Favorite Mascara!

 

This Mascara rocks beyond words! It's the Almay One Coat Dial Up! There really is a different between 1, 2 or 3 coats on the dial. I thought it was all just going to be kind of pointless, but it really does affect your lashes. I think it lets less or more of the actual mascara onto the brush for a thicker or lighter coat. My favorite thing to do is do 2 coats on level 1. Because multiple thing coats is ALWAYS better than one thick coat when it comes to mascara. I love this stuff so much I don't I will EVER switch over to using anything else. 

-It's extremely pigmented, the color is great and holds all day.

-It doesn't run, smudge or smear.

-It dries very fast, but not too fast so you can't apply it before it dries!

-It's pretty affordable and available more everywhere!

10 stars all the way! So hyped about this product! 

 Click on this link to view and/or purchase on Amazon.com:

    Almay One Coat Dial Up on Amazon.com

John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo & Conditioner; Review!

I can officially say that I have tried every single shampoo and conditioner in the John Frieda Root Awakening Line. Yes, all 6. (Normal Hair, Breakage Prone Hair, & Dry Hair.) And I can also, officially say that I hate them all...

 Except for one.

The shampoos are all EXTREMELY breaking. They break your hair like crazy- even the breakage prone ones!

The conditioners seem to be not very moisturizing and a lot of them even have SLS's in them. (What are SLS's? Click here to find out: Soaps By Nature on SLS's

I do not like any of the products in this line...

 Except for one.

 Root Awakening Conditioner for DRY HAIR. This is the best conditioner I have ever used before! No doubt in my mind! I love this to death. It makes my hair feel amazingly soft, silky smooth, perfectly shiny, and just all around amazing! I have long hair, about waist length, and this is the best conditioner I will ever use. I have no doubt in my mind that this conditioner has worked wonders on my hair and I will continue to use it until the manufacturers run out!

 I will commend John Frieda on making this amazing coniditioner! 10 Stars for the Dry Hair Conditioner!!

 But 1 star for the others. Because the only thing they did was clean my hair and make the condition of it worse!

Almay Smart Shade Concealer: Review!

 I would like to start out by saying that I have been using this concealer for a couple months now and so I have seen all the cons and pros of this product.

 Secondly, this is my favorite concealer of all time! This is absolutely perfect in every way!

 1. The consistency is perfect! It absolutely is! It's not thick and pasty, which I thought would be bad- but I was wrong! This is so easy to blend in and it doesn't draw attention to spots at all! I love how easily this blends in and how little product you have to use!

  2. The effectiveness of this product is amazing! It has such amazing coverage it's crazy! It should be illegal! It works so well at covering everything! Under eyes circles, dark circles, acne, blemishes, discolored areas, un even skin tone, little spots or bumps, everything and anything! The coverage is great, and like I said above it looks completely natural!

  3. 'Smart Shade' I must say that I really don't like the Smart Shade foundations. I HATE them actually. So I wasn't too eager about trying this product! But it really does blend perfectly into your own PERSONAL skin tone and really does look completely natural and feels and also appears like it's made just for you, completely custom color.

  4. I can say that this product will not clog your pores! I have friends who have extremely acne prone skin, and I also have very sensitive skin, and they have tried this from me before and I use it almost everyday, and none of us had experience break outs of any kind.

 Overall, this is the best product I've ever used before for concealer. 10 Stars at the least!

The Autumn Freebie

I personally can't wait for Autumn! It's my favorite season of all. I love the crackling of leaves, the smell in the air, the cool weather, just everything about it!

As usual, the terms for my Autumn Freebie are the same as all my other Freebie's.

~You don't HAVE to be a subscriber, friend, or follower but that is ALWAYS appreciated!

~You don't have to be 18 years or older, but parental permission is appreciated.

~US only: Sorry to anybody outside of the states!

~All you have to do to sign up is send me an email with the subject "Autumn Freebie." You will automatically be entered, and I will respond to your email.

~If you are randomly selected as the Winner, you will be notified immediately by email, and you have 72 hours to respond to that email to claim your prize. If you don't claim your prize within the proper time frame, you will forfeit and the next person will be chosen.

~Upon winning the only information that will be asked is your Full Name and Address. If you can not provide me with that information, you can not claim your prize. I respect my supporters, and will ALWAYS keep this information private. I value your confidentiality greatly and would never sell or give out your personal information. (i.e. Address, Name, Email, etc.)

 Here's a list of the prizes:

~Physician's Formula Twins Concealer. (Your choice of natural/yellow or natural/green.)

~Physician's Formula Mineral Powder. (Your choice of Creamy Natural or Soft Ivory.)

~Rimmel Clarifying Foundation. (Your choice of 100 or 200.)

~Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Highlighter & Blush in Rosy Glow.

~Jane Be Pure Mineral Eyeshadow Palette in Pure Platinum.

~NYC Eyeliner in Blackest Black.

~Physician's Formula PlentiFull Mascara in Black.

~ELF Lucious Liquid Lipstick in Bark


You can watch the video talking about the Autumn Freebie, the winning process, and the prizes here:

!The Autumn Freebie: Cosmetic Giveaway 2011!

 Good luck to all of you fabulous ladies. I love you guys!

 Xoxo,

                   Manda Mae

New Favorite Pressed Powder

I have recently fallen in love with the Jane Be Pure Mineral Powder! The pressed one. Which is very unusual for me, because I really don't like pressed powders. I love this one! This goes on so smooth, and it's so soft! It feels very light and refreshing. It works wonderfully as a setter for foundation, or just a lone it looks awesome too and very natural. It's very movable, blend-able and build-able which are two great qualities. It has amazing coverage, amazing consistency, and amazing pigments! My only complaint is that it doesn't last all day:( But if you have time to reapply more towards evening, it's no big deal and this little powder will keep sharing the love all night! If you haven't had the chance to try this powder, you are really missing out! Love it to death!

 10 Stars!

Sally Girl Line Review! (Sally Beauty Supply)

Sally Beauty Supply has their line of cosmetics called "Sally Girl." Most of them are like miniature cosmetics, most cost .99 cents.
 I have bought many of these cosmetics.

 What I really like about their cosmetic line is their eye shadows! Their baked shadows, regular shadows, and fun shadows. (i.e. glitters, creams, shimmers, etc.) They are all very pigmented and stay very well! In my opinion they are the best cosmetics you can buy for .99 cents! Their cosmetics work better than a lot of Clinique products I have used in the past. Personally, my opinion is why would you pay hundreds of dollars of make up that doesn't even work better than the cosmetics you can buy at your local drugstore or even Wal Mart?! Seems crazy to me! I am always looking for awesome makeup that is cheap, and won't break my piggy bank. The Sally Girl Line definitely cuts it! Love these things, they're like little packages of love!

 If you want to see some Sally Girl in action, I used the glitter (in the picture posted at the top of this article,) in the Glamorous Look tutorial. Click on this link to watch:

The Glamorous Look: Quick Tutorial!

Desert Essence Organics Review!

 I have used the Desert Essence Ogranics Green Apple & Ginger Shampoo off and on for years.
 I must say that I am so impressed with this product. I can tell a huge difference in the health of my hair when I'm using this product and not! When I use this shampoo it really improves the smoothness of my hair. It makes it feel much softer and silkier. It also makes your hair smell wonderful!

 How I came across this product:

 I always wanted my hair to smell like green apples! So, I went looking for shampoo that smelled like green apples. This was about one of the only ones I could find, and I really wanted something organic. This was definitely a great smelling, and working, product!

 Bottom Line:
 I love this product. It's so healthy for my hair, improves the healthy of my hair, makes my hair smell delicious, and makes me feel healthier all around. Also, I don't feel guilty about putting engine cleaners on my beautiful mane. I love this so much! 10 Stars!

Favorite Hair Sprays!

I HATE using hair sprays that make your hair feel crunchy, stiff, sticky, or anything except my natural soft smoothness.

 I have tried so many hair sprays, and here is what I have found to work the best for me!

~Aussie Sprunch Hair Spray~

I absolutely love this hair spray! It doesn't make your hair feel stiff or crunchy, but it has amazing hold. Even though it usually comes in a flexible hold, it will last your do all day!

~Suave Professionals Touchable Finish Hair Spray~

I love this product! I actually tried it because I had coupons, plus sales, which made it free. It advertises a "Sheer Mist" and it really is! It sprays the tiniest, finest spray I've ever seen. It like mists over your hair, leaving it perfectly UN crunchy! Love this to death! 

~Aussie MEGA Hair Spray (Flexible Hold)~

I love everything about this hair spray! Aussie has some really great hair sprays. This will make your hair look like Barbie's, but definitely not feel like it! We might all want our hair to look like her's, but in reality her's isn't very soft! This also makes your hair smell amazing, I get compliments on how my hair smells every time I use it! (Plus it's a great value sized can!)

NYX Glitter Cream Pallet- REVIEW

07- Royal Violets

I absolutely love these pallets! I have heard some bad reviews, but i honestly don't understand who couldn't love these! I paid $6.94, which isn't too bad seeing how long this will last you.

 The glitter is pretty pigmented, and stays put very well. If you set it correctly it will last all day (Or night!) through, and still look good. These have an amazing reflecting power! The light catches on these and they look amazing! They shimmer with gorgeousness. I love my pallet, just looking at it makes me happier!

 I would give this 9 out of 10 starts!

 The only negative thing about this product is that the glitter can be slightly difficult to apply before you get the hang of it, it doesn't always go on perfectly even. But it's very easy to fix, because before it sets it is very movable!

What Brush Are You Using?

I thought I would talk a little bit about hair brushes.

 Personally, I prefer to use Paddle Brushes. I own both synthetic and non synthetic brushes that are the paddle variety. I prefer them because I have long hair, and they don't tangle your hair. I have used so many brushes that tangle your hair when you're brushing it, and for me, I have never had a problem with a paddle brush tangling my hair. Ever!

 I would never go back to using any other kind of hair brush other than my paddle!

Aussie Catch The Wave + Leave In Conditioner Mousse: Review!

I struggle finding Mousse for my hair that I actually like. The other day I bought this Mousse from Aussie, it's the catch the wave "Mousse and Leave In Conditioner". This is so light! I hate it when mousse makes your hair feel crunchy or stiff, and this doesn't at all. Also, when you're putting it into your hair it doesn't make your hair OR HANDS feel sticky at all! Also, you can use tons of it and it will not make your hair stiff. I love this and it's the only mousse I will use. Plus it's super moisturizing!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Line Review

I would like to point out that at this point and time this is my absolute favorite line of cosmetics!
 I love the Dream Matte Mousse foundation, (I talk about it a little bit in my Spring Favorites 2011 video.) It says it leaves a Matte finish but I have found it to be quite dewy. The company markets this to girls with oily skin, however I have dry skin and I find this to be very protecting and moisturizing. It has amazing coverage but will not look cakey! It's so easy to apply too. Very smooth, and the colors are the best I've ever seen.

I have also tried the Dream Smooth Mousse, and the Dream Liquid Mousse and the results are about the exact same as I posted above. The Liquid Mousse is a tad bit thicker, so it's a bit more sticky. But once it is rubbed in it doesn't bother me at all because you can't feel it on at all!

 I love the blushes and bronzers also. The colors are gorgeous, and they are extremely build-able so anyone can wear any of the colors they have. They feel great on, and they have a slight shimmer to them also, which is pretty for summer. I just love this whole line! Use it everyday! I don't think I will ever stop using this product.

 Maybelline Dream Mousse line is the only line that has a foundation that matches my skin tone perfectly. All other companies foundation are always slightly the wrong color- but with this it fits my tone perfectly. They seem to have a more yellow base & tan base which is the major pigments in my skin. For some reason it's very hard for me to find make up that matches perfectly, but this was an amazing fit! Love it. 10 stars.

**The only products from the Dream Mousse line that I haven't tried would be:

~The Dream Mousse CONCEALER
~The Dream Mousse Eye Shadow

Two Products Till Soft, Shiny, Lustrious Hair!

I am have experimenting using different products on my hair for shampoo and conditioner. This morning I used two products:


~St Ive's Oatmeal & Shea Nut BODY WASH (I used this as shampoo)

               Then I followed up with
~Suave Professional's Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner.

 I have been trying to use some moisturizing body washes & creams in place of my shampoo and see if it makes a difference. As you all know, my hair is about waist length, and tends to run dryer. I of course use very moisturizing products, to try and keep the moisture in my hair to maintain it's healthy and shiny state. I loved this as a shampoo. It worked really well and after I rinsed it out my hair felt like how it usually feels after I rinse out conditioner.


 I love this conditioner. I never expected a lot out of it when I first tried it, because it's a 'Suave' product. However, it is my second favorite conditioner in the world! I use this all the time, and it really moisturizes! It makes your hair soft and shiny and helps to fight against splitting ends.

  The over all effect of using these two products in conjunction was fantastic! I will definitely be using these very regularly.

  When my hair is happy, I'm happy.

Here's A Few Pics I snapped for ya so you can check out the SHINE: I did not use a flash. Taken with webcam.