Great hair products for taming frizz

Purchased by me 

I thought of this post yesterday afternoon while blowing out my hair. I realized my beloved anti-frizz hair cream is ending on me and got into full panic. I know I dont write as often as I should here, but my researcher try-it-all personality when it comes to beauty stuff is never off. And although I love trying a lot of different products, I have some others that I would never dare changing because the lack of them is disastrous in me. That said, most of them are hair stuff. 

On a little note about my hair: We were dared enemies for the first 27 years of my life. It was always tied, always in a knot, a bun. It was shiny and bouncy mostly because I have never colored it, I didnt know (in that time) how to use a blow dryer, not even a curling iron. 

We became friends, but we were in the process of knowing each other: like coffee dates or using messenger. Slow but steady, we were falling in love with the other. It started to get loose and as it was long ( far beyond my half back ) it was gorgeous and glance-stealing. I still didnt use any tool to manage it,  I used to let it air dry and I became a pro at it. There was when my love for anti-frizz products began: my hair is wave-prone, but frizzier and as it is thin, it can get messy and tangled. It was still in the works. 

Then one winter it was so cold I couldnt manage to go to work with my wet hair ( the next thing you need to know is that I have really really greasy scalp, the one you notice after a day of washing. And my hometown is always past 90F, so, going without washing it is kind of not possible) so I started to use the blow dryer. And when I got the groove of it, everything changed again. 

After that awful winter, I decided to chop it to a just-at-my-chin bob. I love it beyond words. I feel sexier and beautiful and everything. The drying time is shorter, sometimes is curly, sometimes is flat, volume on the top, at the back, you name it. Its so versatile. And, it has helped me to notice which anti-frizz products work best, because the difference is obvious when I use the wrong one. 

So, the thing you need to know is that if you need any product for taming frizz, LOreal is your safe bet. There are easily five different products that I can name, that will work for you, depending on what kind of hair do you have, how many time are you planning to spend on it, how much frizz you are dealing with. So lets go. 

1. Shampoo / Conditioning
There are some good choices here, depending on price, and your region. Any one of them will work for you. If you only need a little help, this is a good start, so you wont need to bring the other guns.

Smooth-Intense-Polishing-Shampoo
EverSleek-Sulfate-Free-Smoothing-System-Intense-Smoothing-Shampoo.
LOreal Elvive-kera-perfect 

Conditioner is always needed. Specially if you use a lot of heat or products. Use it before shampoo and thank me later. Any of those line´s conditioners are awesome. 

2. Styling Creams / Serums
I rely on this particular one. I promise you, this will never fail: 

Smooth-Intense-Xtreme-Straight-Creme-

I can not go without this one. I like it better than the Eversleek  ,although that one is better than most of other drugstore brands, just not as good as my loved one, because its not as effective: lets say the rest of them are 5 out of 10 effective, the Eversleek is 7 out of 10 and the Smooth Intense is 9 of 10 ( Im giving a point just because Im human and I havent tried the rest of the world´s products for taming frizz. I can be wrong )

Special mention to this serums: 

Suave moroccan-infusion-styling-oil
Organix Penetrating Oil 

Two pumps before blow drying will shorten the time and leave your hair shiny and smooth, and the frizz wont come. 

(If you see the John Frieda frizz serums, stay as far as possible from them, they are a mess)

Sometimes I will go with another kind of shampoo but the conditioner is essential to me. That and the styling cream. This products have made me love my hair for the first time in my life. They deserve a blog post. 

What are your favorite hair products?

NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color

***I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster.

First of all, you need to know, im not a lipstick wearer. 
I know, I´m not qualified to be a woman for this, but that´s the awful truth.
But, I´m a crayon-chubby stick-ish lover. 
Those Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains? Got them all. 
Ive tried a lot of brands, but between my addiction with napkins and biting my lips, I usually go for a tinted lip balm or a stain.

And then I got this product and thought: "Another one, already?" but I put it on and I fell in love with it. 
First of all, the color goes evenly and creamy, not patchy at all ( that happens with my beloved Revlon ones, sometimes, Im sad to tell) and it is so comfortable to wear. God, I love it. 
My problem with it is the shades. I think they aren´t as good as they could be. Im really pale and bright colors look good on me but the coral shade is a little too neon, so its not that wearable. I have 3, and that one belongs now to my sister. I would love to try them all.  

I am really impressed with these. I got biased by the brand ( Its not sold close to were I live and the things I have tried haven´t really impressed me ) but this is a SCORE in my book. Need them all. 

The price is 2.99 at the website, and there are 12 shades. I suggest you to go and find them all. Like Pokemons.

Photo credit: imabeautygeek.com

FInal Thought: Don´t let the price scare you. This are the bomb.

Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths

Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths

***I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes from Influenster.

I got my VivaVox Box  from Influenster this month with loads of excitement because inside were some products Ive been meaning to try for quite some time. And for this Cleansing Cloths.

So, I have fair, prone to scar, combo skin and also Rosacea, so my skin routine is a very important part of my life. Its tedious at times but necessary, specially If I dont want to look like a tomato all days. But going through the process at night is specially hard, when all one wants to do is hop in the bed and sleep.

I normally wash my face and then use a micellar water ( not Bioderma but some look-alike) to get it completely clean and then I use my products. Im not used to cleansing cloths because some of them have alcohol, some of them have strong scents, or "good ingredients" that arent as good as they should be (if we remember my affair with the witch hazel cloths, although I want to forget them ) and it was one of the things my dermatologist strongly suggested me not to use.

So, now I have this amazing cleansing cloths, approved for my skin, and now I have an excuse for not washing my face! Of course I still do it, but now I give myself one night of the week to indulge and not going through the whole process, just one.

They are gentle ( I believe the #GentlePower hashtag is really accurate ) even for my sensitive skin, they dont leave me red, which every other one does, and they leave my face really clean, or at least more that what I would expect for not washing my face. Im completely hooked. 

Final Thought: Love them, buying them, sharing them, making them comfortable in my home.

Sugar 'n Spice VoxBox

So, it took me all this time to come and write this post about the Sugar and Spice VoxBox that I got from Influenster. "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes." 

You can learn what Influenster is here 

My box arrived in early April, and contained products of 5 different brands. Now Ill try to explain my likes and dislikes about them:

1. Colgate Optic White 360° Toothbrush, Mouthwash and Toothpaste:
I've been meaning to try this brand, but as I'm used to my trusty Arm and Hammer Toothpaste I hadn't done it before. My very much favorite item of the whole box was the toothbrush. I feel completely different after changing to this brush. My mouth feels like heaven after I wash my teeth now. It wasn't bad before but it wasn't this gorgeous experience.

The toothpaste is great actually, love the flavor. I still use the Arm & Hammer one because I have a tendency to have sore cankers and the baking soda really helps to get them controlled, but now I use the Colgate toothpaste too. 

The mouthwash I didn't love as much but it is still a nice alternative. I think Im gonna give it a try later on this summer to grow to love it.

Final Thought: Thank you for opening my eyes to a great tooth hygiene experience.

2. Nectresse Natural No-Calorie Sweetener:
I'm always trying to be healthy so I try to take care of my calories, and I loved that it was included in the box. I'm not much of a fan of the taste, it felt different, maybe because I'm used to Splenda, but specially with coffee, the taste was too much to notice. I'm gonna stop using splenda for a while and try to use Nectresse instead to see if I can deal with the flavor a little better, because I love the concept of this.

Final Thought: Weird flavor, great idea. Hope I can get used to it.

3. Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer :
This has to be one of the cleverest ways of packaging a product. I cant believe it wasn't thought before. I'm not much of a fan of the moisturizer itself but the packaging makes it worth it. I will buy this for summer and leave my normal moisturizer for winter times.

Final Thought: Genius. Hope they patented it so they sell more. If they didn't, i'm sorry but i'm buying this packaging with my St Ives Moisturizer 

4. Belvita Breakfast Biscuits :
I thought they were OK. The flavor wasn't that bad, ( I got the apple-cinnamon ones) and the nutrition facts are true about them being good quality carbohydrates, but i'm trying to be healthier so, they aren't that good for my purposes. I would buy them if I weren't able to stick to my diet, i.e.  for a trip or something 

Final Thought: Not sure if they are that good, but for special occasions they might work.

5. Dickinson Original Witch Hazel Oil-Controlling Towelettes :
This is (in my opinion) a horrible product. I don't doubt the good qualities of Witch Hazel and it being a natural thing, but it was horrible to use them. The smell is awful. I know they purposely didn't put any pretty scents in the towelettes to keep them from being harsh and abrasive but it was a torment to use them. I had to stop breathing and use them, keep them away from my face, breath and then use them again.
Another thing that turned me off was that I experienced a reactivation of my rosacea while using them. I called my dermatologist and she recommended me to stop using them saying that even when it is labeled "For Sensitive Skin" and with "Organic Ingredients" it doesn't make it OK to use it in sensitive skin, which I think is disinformation from the label too, because I can see a lot of women who aren't diagnosed with rosacea ( as I was, a year and a half ago) who buy and buy stuff that are labeled as "natural" and "organic" and because of that they think it is gonna be good for the skin but it isn't. ( a thing I learned the bad way with Origins). 

Final Thoughts: I really hope someone loves them because I think they are evil. 

What do you think of these products? 

A little advice about your sex habits.

Before we start talking about pretty things I would like to give some advice about sex to all of you. Im a medical practitioner and very often I get really scared with a lot of girls who come to me with STDs and other infections related to sex, most of them because their sexual partner pushed them to take contraceptives so they wouldnt use condoms. 

Imagine the scene: you have been dating this guy for a reasonable time, and he asks you to start "taking care of yourself" with hormonal contraceptives     ( pills, injections, the new implant that is being used, patches.. ) so the physical protection ( aka condoms) wont be necessary for the purpose of not getting pregnant. He says he wants to be with you completely so the condom is unnecessary, and swears he will be faithful. 

Of course, if your main concern is not getting pregnant, the use of contraceptives is a good choice. But we as women should always be taking care of ourselves, and think of ourselves first. Men will always use the "It is not the same with a condom" excuse to get out of it but, we all girls know that we sometimes cant tell the difference. So this will only benefit your partner. 

Now, the condom not only prevents STDs, but it also prevents pH changes in your vagina and urinary tract, so without it, you are more likely to have vaginal and urinary infections, which of course, are painful and really annoying. So, using a condom will benefit you more than your partner, and that is something to fight for.

Remember also that many STDs like Herpes or PHV (which leads to cancer, on 50% of times) are completely invisible so, even when you trust your partner, an exam prior any decision should help. This is not about not trusting your loved one, its about taking care of yourself. 

So, pass this on to all your girlfriends. Lets fight against this. Information saves lives. And condoms do too.

All Things Women

   Well. I've been having this idea for a long time of doing a blog about things that all women worry about. A little bit about makeup, fashion, styling ideas, about relationships, about women's health, things that we talk among our girlfriends. If you are reading this, thanks for your time.