GARNIER OLIA Oil Powered Permanent Hair Color

GANIER OLIA Hair Color

Oil Powdered Permanent Color

I recently dyed my hair using the GARNIER OLIA Oil Powered Permanent Hair Color. I had seen the ads on television and in magazines and I had been instantly intrigued. Maybe because the technology was different, maybe it was the vibrant colors, or maybe it was just the fact that it had no ammonia!

I was desperately in need of dying my roots. I was about two weeks past the point, when I should have been sitting in the chair in the salon. I was started to show those pesky little white roots! Well in my eyes anyway! I was having a family tea this past week and I (of course) did not have a hair appointment. I always wait to the last minute! Gotta work on that! I could not bear the thought of going one more day without touching up my roots. I called up my salon and my stylist had the day off. I thought to myself "What is a girl to do?".  Aha, OLIA, I will do it myself!  Yes of course I was scared of a huge disaster, but I had done it before years ago. So I ran up to the store and picked up two colors Medium Brown 5.0 and Medium Golden Brown 5.3. I got both so I would have options. Options are good! I decided on the Medium Brown since it is still winter (I like darker shades if the winter) and if I liked the product, I would have the other for the next time I found myself in a bind. The Box came with the product, easy to follow directions and gloves.

I hated when I had to start dying my hair. I actually love my natural brown hair color because it has beautiful dimension to it and its own natural highlights that I hate to color over. But, alas, on my 28th birthday, I awoke to not even grey hairs but a few white hairs popping out of my head. I thought to myself "thanks dad"! I lived with it for a couple of years because it was so suddle, but than more and more came like an army. Now I don't know if actually others can see them, but what matters is, I can!

So I started having to dye my hair whether I liked it or not! I was not thrilled because it not only covered up my natural highlights, but I had to color my hair every six to eight weeks. Now going to the salon I do not mind, because I love to get pampered, I have to get my ends trimmed anyway and I get a fantastic blowout!

So now here I am with roots, no salon appointment and a box of Olia. I opened up the box and got to work. It was easy and one, two, three! I mixed together the developer and the colorant in the provided mixing jar. Shook the Mixing jar like I was making myself a cocktail and started applying it to my roots first where I needed it most. Since I was not sure what the color was going to look like after it developed, I applied it to my whole head. Even though, I usually only do my roots at the salon. I than waited the 30 minutes it said to leave the product on before hopping in the shower to rinse it out and use the after color conditioner. There was no smell, and no burning eyes or scalp!

I would consider myself to have medium brown hair, but the color came out maybe two shades darker than my own hair. So I am glad that I did my whole head. I would not call this color dark brown. But it is definately developed on my head on the darker side of medium brown.

I would have to say the best part of the whole experience was that the product did NOT DRIP! I mean at all! I remember the few times I have dyed my own hair years ago and just having to stand there on a towel till the timer rang and I could hop in the shower to rinse it out. Fearing, if I moved just an inch that dye would go everywhere. Than having to clean up all the hair dye that had got all over the sink from the application and what had dripped onto the floor. Nope, not when this one! I was so confidant of it not dripping that I ran downstairs, grabbed my swiffer sweepers, and started swiffering. I even touched up a nail that had chipped while sitting at my vanity in my bathroom. The product also promises a pleasant fragrance. That was another horrific memory I had of dying my own hair, the awful overpowering fragrance. Nope, no fragrance at all with this one! If fact, I dont even remember one enough to describe one.

A tip I wanted to share, the little bit of color that I did get around the edges of my hair line, I just wiped away with wet wipes.

Final Thoughts:

This product so far is everything that it promises. A permanent hair color that has a pleasant fragrance, a non-drip velvet cream, and optimal comfort during application. I absolutely love the color that developed and hope that it lasts at least a month. I would have to wait a few weeks however to see how my hair is after washing it, how long the color lasts and how my hair feels to know if I would use it again. It has been about four days since I dyed my hair (I usually wait about three days to let the color really set in) and I am about to wash and style it. Last night my hair felt very dry at the ends where my hair is the most over processed from styling. So I applied my JO HANSFORD LONDON ILLUMINOIL™ to the ends and to my scalp, and left it as an over night intensive treatment. My hair instantly became less dry and my scalp felt soothed when I applied the oil. I will wash, dry and style my hair today as usual and wait to see the color after the first wash. I will let you know how I like it. I will sent out a tweet and I will update this post!

Thanks,

Sik Glam

EURO CENTRALE Collection by OPI Spring Summer 2013

EURO CENTRALE OPI Collection

Kocham Mi Poland OPI Collection

Euro Centrale by OPI was created to celebrate one of the world's regions with the richest sources of creative talent for centuries. One of the cultural phenomenons that is emerging from this region is fashion and this collection was created to celebrate that cultural awakening! And what better way to do it, than with Nail Polish!

The collection celebrates four different countries from this region including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania. When I came across the Euro Centrale Collection by OPI, I just could not resist the Poland Collection considering I am of fifty percent polish decent. I had to have the entire Polish Collection! It consisted of the four Colors with clever Polish names shown below:

HANDS OFF MY KIELBASA!

A Beautiful Bronzed Tan Tone. This color will look so nice this Spring with a fake tan.

OY-ANOTHER POLISH JOKE

An Amazing Luxurious Shimmering Gold! I like to wear this shade on my ring finger to really bring out the yellow gold in my rings!

I SAW...U SAW...WE SAW...WARSAW

A Deep Midnight Blue. This is the perfect deep blue. Not too deep to be almost black. Just Perfect!

POLKA.COM!

A Combination of Blue and Violet Glitter. I see some pink tone glitter in it also. It is lovely alone or over another polish!

Here is a picture of the first two together. Such a perfect Match!

HANDS OFF MY KIELBASA! &
OY-ANOTHER POLISH JOKE!

Here is a picture of the second two polishes together that make a fabulous combination. The glitter polish also looks amazing over this blue.

I SAW...U SAW...WE SAW...WARSAW &
POLKA.COM 

Final Thoughts:

I absolutely love the new Euro Centrale OPI Collection. I wish I could have gotten the other countries too. They were all so beautiful for this spring and summer. I definitely might be going back for more!

Thanks,

Sik Glam

Elysée Cosmetics "Fab 5" Core Essentials Kit Initial Review

Elysée "Fab 5" Core Essentials Kit Initial Review

The "Fab 5"

I had wanted for quite some time to try a product from Elysée. During one of my late night HSN TV Shopping Extravaganza's, Elysée came on and I was instantly captivated! There right in front of me was all the products I had wanted to try, and oh how easy HSN makes it to buy with just the click of the remote! Now they had on the President of Elysée on and she had put together what she called the "Fab 5" Core Essentials Kit of their product line. I thought what better time to try the line, than with a kit put together by the President of their "Fab 5" products.

A Little about Elysée

Elysée believes that age is a fact of life and that truly healthy and lovely skin is a reality no matter what age you are. That you can intensify the look of youth with tomorrow's technology today. This really seems like an amazing company.  I would highly recommend checking out their website to learn more about them.

I will be using all of the products in the "Fab 5" kit for all of March. I will do an update mid march and than a final review at the end of March. I have been using the products now since March 1st, but did not want to start my initial review until I had at least four days of usage to see how my skin was going to react. There is no since on blogging on something I am not going to use or possibly recommend for someone else.

The Elysée "Fab 5" Core Essentials features five of their most technologically-advanced beauty treatment products to combat free radical damage, firm the skin, address lines and wrinkles, in addition to helping prolong the vitality of the skin and the look of youth through topical Sirtuin and Telomere technology.

Here is the Skinny on the "Fab 5" Core Essentials Kit including what it included, information from the insert that it came with, and my thoughts on the kit so far:

1.) Fountain of Youth™ - Soothing Line Diminishing Gel - Smoothes the Look of Lines & Wrinkles

Elysée developed this to counteract the appearance of expression lines. Those annoying little lines that we will all get eventually get as we age. Once our skin becomes less elastic and does not bounce back into place as it did when you were young. The key ingredients in this Gel is Argireline® and Matrixyl®.  Elysée was one of the first U.S. companies to use Argireline®, an ingredient that is a combination of six naturally occurring amino acids.

Matrixyl® was shown in a double blind study to be an effective alternative to retinol with less irritation potential. How Amazing is that?? Formulated in a hyaluronic-acid base, this lightweight gel is for those who want to have smooth younger looking skin while helping to diminish lines.

It states that this product does not deliver immediate results but is worth the wait!  I can wait!

Product goes on a bit sticky like a gel but goes away quickly!
Also, be careful not to get in your eyes!

I have been applying a light layer of this gel to my face and neck before a serum every morning and evening. Now it is specifically formulated for those concerned with deep wrinkles and lines. Now obviously being as a young as I am, I do not have deep lines and wrinkles. I have just begun to see lines these past couple of years. But as I always say, I strongly believe in starting early and being proactive.

YouthSpan™ - Facial Resurrection Serum - Features Topical Telomere & Sirtuin Technology

Elysée developed this serum to battle against aged trouble zones with a state of the art science based complex. The serum was formulated to optimize the longevity of youthful looking skin. The serum boosts moisture levels that lead to a visible improvement of the skin's surface appearance. The serum promotes facial volume through a unique lipo-filling like action, specifically for the appearance of the lip lines, nasolabial folds and the marrionette lines.

Very Fluid Like and Makeup Applies Nicely Over It!

I apply a small amount of this serum after the gel in the morning to my face and neck. I also use this serum on my decollete. Since I am still searching for something to address in that area, I am going to use this in the meantime. 

Firmance™ Pycnogenol®  Firming Serum - Antioxidant Rich Firming Concentrate

Elysée developed this Firming Serum to be a multi-action complex of antioxidants and botanicals to address the visible signs of aging. It contains the patented antioxidant Pycnogenol®, this serum helps to inhibits free radical formation helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  This benefit will lead to better elasticity and firmness.

Pycnogenol® is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the market and research has shown it to be twenty times more powerful than Vitamin C and fifty times more powerful than Vitamin E. It was shown to be dramatically more effective than Vitamin C, E, Lipoic Acid and Grapeseed.

This lightweight serum is in a Hyaluronic Acid base and is instantly absorbed into the skin. Once absorbed into the skin, it will provide an instant hydration boost to revitalize dry skin. The serum is designed to address visible sings of aging by improving the skins surface resulting in a more younger, radiant looking complexion. The complexion will appear brighter and more luminous.

With continual use of this serum, it promises to make your skin feel noticeably tighter and fine lines will be less visible.

The Serum Does Leave a Nice Radiant Glow.
I am going to switch it up one day and try it under my makeup!

Since the kit came with two serums. I have been applying this serum at night. Pycnogenol® is a pink to reddish brown very fine powder. You can see it in the serum but not at all on your face. I thought this serum might be better at night and the more fluid one during the day when I where makeup.

Fountain of Youth™ - Wrinkle Intervention Cream - Smoothes Appearance of Fine Lines & Wrinkles.

This Creme is specifically formulated for those concerned with the appearance of fatigue, characteristic furrows, and creases by helping the skin's firmness and tone. It features an exclusive peptide complex of Matrixy®l synthe'6™ and Argireline®. This treatment creme helps the skins own natural process of optimizing collagen, hyaluronic acid, fibronectin, and laminin. This optimization will lead to facial wrinkles looking smoother and to the appearance of wrinkles improving over time.

To make this creme even more powerful, they have added Chronodyn™, Revidrate™, and cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid. Cross-linked HA is 5x more powerful than normal HA in promoting moisture balance.

This creme can be applied during the day and at night. During the day, the creme responds to external factors like environmental aggressors. While at night, this creme optimizes the skin's natural rhythms.

A Little of this Goes A Long Way!

I apply a thin layer of this creme to my face and neck in the morning and at night after letting the serum sit for about five minutes. When I first compared the little amount used of this creme to the amount I used with my usual creme I had this thought; "This is not going to be enough to moisturize my skin, ugghh I am going to have that dry uncomfortable feeling all day." Boy was I wrong and wow did it moisturize. It also works great under my makeup! Another major factor when choosing my day cream.

YouthSpan™- A.G.E Control Gel Therapy Masque

This masque brings together ingredients in an age-defying complex to help address the visible signs of aging. It provides a boost of powerful antioxidants, along with other ingredients to help revitalize the look of the skin and to help fight against the appearance of aging on the skin as a result of oxidative stress.

It is formulated with a complex of cross-linked hyaluronic acid combined with an aquatic plant blend. This masque helps to improve tired, dull, lackluster skin by rehydrating the skin. It also contains vitamins, carbohydrates, and amino acids to fight the look of premature aging. It promised to make your complexion feel more hydrated, firmed, and tones, and instantly appear more youthful and resilient!

Nice Firming Mask.
Does not Make Uncomfortable Tight Feeling!

I used the masque for the first time this morning. I applied a light layer of the masque on my face and neck and applied what was left over on my hands of my decollete. I waited 15 minutes (barely even knew the masque was on, unless I thought about it) and washed it off with a warm wet cloth. My face felt soft and a bit firmer.

Final Thoughts:

This technologically driven skincare line is my dream so far! I love technology and oh how I love skin care. Combine the two and I am in heaven! I strongly believe only those who combine the two will survive in the future. Skincare technology will one day become so advanced that your normal basic hydrating moisturizer will become obsolete.

This is only my fourth day of using the line, but I am impressed. My skin does not feel dry or irritated at all. It feels soft, toned, firm and happy. My only fear is that it will work so well, that I will not know which of the products worked the best! But that can be easily fixed later on by process of elimination. I will update once I have used the line for two weeks. I feel very promising on this line. They have a Neck and Decollete Cream that I am dying to try since I am looking for a good one. I think that the kit has since sold out on HSN but they have similar kits. The products are also all available individually and don't blame me. I tweeted about it..:)

Thanks.

Sik Glam