Revlon Triple Action Ultrasonic Conditioning Ceramic Straightener Review

Recently I was given the opportunity to try out a new flat iron from Revlon that can be used on wet or dry hair, and uses ultrasonic technology to deep condition your hair!

This straightener has three settings that you can use depending on your hair needs.  

The first setting is the ultrasonic wave setting.  You can use this on wet hair to help leave in conditioner penetrate your strands- no heat involved.

The second setting is heat only.  This setting is for dry hair only and basically acts like a normal straightener to smooth out and defrizz your hair.

The third setting is a combination of both heat and ultrasonic waves.  The packaging says that this works best on dry hair, but it can also be used on wet hair to dry and straighten in one step!  The ultrasonic waves help conditioners and styling products to penetrate the hair shaft for super silky results! 

Here are some packaging shots:

I am loving this flat iron, and have used all three settings with great results.  When using the ultrasonic settings, the iron hums a little, so you can hear it working!  I have really fine hair, so I sometimes worry about using too much heat, but the ultrasonic options on this iron make it a lot less damaging to the hair, and even help condition it!  

My favorite way to use it is: 

 To use the ultrasonic-only (no heat) setting on wet hair to let my conditioner penetrate.

Then I use a blow dryer to dry my hair to add volume.

Finally, I use the ultrasonic + heat combo to smooth over the top layer and smooth my bangs.  

My one complaint about this iron is that it does not allow you to change the temperature- it heats up to 400 degrees, which is pretty hot for someone with fine hair that doesn't need a lot of straightening.  But, I just make sure to pass it over each section quickly and not let it linger in my hair at all, and that seems to work great!  

This iron is available at Walmart for about $35.

Have you tried this iron yet?  I'm interested to hear from you guys to find out what you think!  

Disclaimer: This product was given to me free of charge in exchange for my review.  I was not paid to post this review, and all opinions are my own. 

Essence of Beauty 6-in-1 Manicure Tool Review

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try the Essence of Beauty 6-in-1 Manicure Tool, which is sold at CVS stores for $6.99.  It was perfect timing, since I was heading out on my vacation to the beach, and it saved me so much space when packing my bag.  

The tool includes: 

 Nail File

 2-Sided Nail Buffer

 Cuticle Pusher

 Cleaning Stick

 Nail Brush

 Nail Clipper.

When folded up, this tool fits right in the palm of your hand.  I was also surprised at how weighty it was- it feels really substantial and expensive in your hand.  The outside grip on the nail clippers is a soft silicone which I love, because you can really hold on to this without it slipping out from between your fingers like the all-metal ones can.  

Having so many tools in one was a lifesaver on vacation, and I'll also keep this in my purse from now on, for touch ups because it hardly takes up any space.  I was really impressed by the quality of the Manicure Tool in general, and I've found myself pulling it out of my bag this week at work to file a jagged edge or push back my cuticles.

Has anyone else tried this?  What did you think?

***Disclosure-The product featured in this review included products sent for consideration by a company or PR agency. This in no way influenced my experience with the product- all opinions are my own, and I was not paid to write this review. ***

L'oreal Youth Code BB vs. L'oreal Magic BB Review and Swatches

I was really excited to see some more BB Creams hit the drugstore, especially after Garnier's BB Cream was a miss for me. I've never tried one of the original BB Creams from Asia, but friends have told me that they are amazing skin perfectors.  So I was hoping that one of the new L'oreal versions would be a hit for my skin.  

So here's a quick comparison before I get into the specifics of each one.  

                                             

The Youth Code BB Cream Illuminator is a lot like the Garnier BB Cream.  It has a similar consistency and the same dewy finish.  It reminded me of a tinted moisturizer, with little to very sheer coverage (not enough for me).  It is supposed to improve the look of your skin over time (more on that later), but I haven't been using it that long, so it's hard to say whether it does or not.  

The Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream is way different than any I've seen so far.  In fact, I'm not even sure it's an actual BB cream, since the back of the tube says that BB stands for "Beautifying Beads".  This one comes out of the tube white and has tiny little beads that when rubbed into the skin, release the color.  It has a matte finish, which is nice for summertime, and smooths the skin nicely, although the coverage is pretty sheer on this one as well.  

So, on to the specifics...I'll start with Youth Code. 

The active ingredient is sunscreen, which is a good thing.  It has SPF 20.

Here, you can see the texture- it's very much like Garnier's BB Cream.  The Garnier version is a lot less expensive, than L'oreal's cream, which is around $17. Even though I chose the "Light" shade, it was a tiny bit darker than my normal skin color, but not as far off as Garnier's so in that aspect, I'd say light-skinned girls will find a better color match with the L'oreal Youth Code BB Cream.

As you can see, it does a decent job of evening out my skintone but it doesn't cover up much.  Don't expect it to cover any significant blemishes, undereye circles or redness.

On to the Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream:

This one starts out as a white lotion that's sort of runny in texture, and has tiny little beads inside it.

It stays white until almost completely rubbed in, when the color starts to come out.  I purchased this in "Light" but they do have a lighter shade called "fair" which is what I actually should have gotten.  The "light" shade comes out really dark on my skin and has a reddish-orange cast to it.  If you look closely at the last picture, you can see where it doesn't quite blend with my skin- the bottom half of my hand has an orangy cast to it.  While I like the matte finish of this one better, the color matching is not great.  I'd like to try the fair shade next and see if it's any better.  Still, this one does a pretty good job of making my skin look smooth and evened out, but again, doesn't cover up much.  I might consider using this as a primer under foundation.  This one costs quite a bit less than the Youth Code BB at around $10.  

What are your thoughts on these two creams? Have you tried one or both?  If not, are you likely to?

L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Lipstick Review and Swatches

I just started my vacation at the Jersey Shore and before I left, I spotted the new Loreal Caresse lipsticks. I originally purchased the Rose Taffeta shade and liked it so much, I went back and got Sheer Linen (a beige nude) and Blushing Sequin (a bright pink). Blushing Sequin was a brighter shade than I normally would choose but it looks so fantastic on the model in the ads, I figured I'd be brave and try it. 

So I brought all three down to the shore and here they are! 

I apologize for the brief post but I have no internet down here and am posting via my phone. 

Here are the swatches from left to right: Sheer Linen, Rose Taffeta, Blushing Sequin. 

In short, I loove these lipsticks. They're a hybrid lip balm and lipstick & are super lightweight (you feel like you have nothing on). The glossiness wears off after an hour or so but they stain your lips for hours with no dryness. 

The Sheer Linen is a your-lips-but-better shade, Rose Taffeta is a medium rosy shade and blushing sequin, although it looks shockingly neon in the tube, is a gorgeous wearable bright that I am actually comfortable wearing! 

Have you tried these yet? Whats your favorite shade? I find them much more pigmented and smoother than Revlon's Balms that came out over the winter. These seem to lean more toward lipstick than balm or gloss. 

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ II Skyrocket™, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone.