Infatuated: Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner

Hi Lovelies -

I have always been one to constantly switch up my shampoo and conditioner routine. I get bored with products very easily, and like to buy new products before I use up the old ones... which is why you can typically find 5-6 different shampoos/conditioners in my shower at any given time.

I had been hearing a lot about cleansing conditioners, and I even tried out a few, but I just never liked them much - many left my hair feeling greasy and unclean. Then I discovered Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner, and my life has forever changed!

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I have heard amazing claims about this cleansing conditioner, and I really wanted to see for myself if it was worth the hype. The only problem was that $33 for an 8 ounce bottle of glorified shampoo is a pretty penny to pay to just try something. Lucky for me, Birchbox carries a 3 ounce travel size bottle for $15; after using $10 in Birchbox points, and having Aces free shipping, I  was able to try the product out for a total of $5! Let me tell you, it has been one of the best $5 I have ever spent!

According to the Macadamia Hair website, Flawless Cleansing Conditioner is "a revolutionary product that cleanses and conditions, provides style control and reduces blow dry time ALL in one product. Flawless recreates the perfect salon blow dry at home."

Not only is this product meant to cleanse and condition in one easy step, but it also claims to cut blow dry time, provide style control and be surfactant-free and paraben-free!

The first time I used this cleansing conditioner, I was not quite sure what to do with it. It comes in a bottle similar to a shaving cream can, with a dispenser that you press down on to release a mousse-like substance. You are supposed to apply the product to wet hair, starting at the crown of your head and running it through to the ends. You then rinse the product out, and voila - salon perfect tresses!

It takes a little trial and error to figure out just how much product you need for your hair type and length, but once you get it down it is just so easy! I use a quarter-sized dollop on my hair, which is a medium thickness and is a few inches past my shoulders in length. The cleansing conditioner is so creamy and smooth, and has an almost whipped texture, not unlike cake frosting. Just so there is no surprise in case you decide to try this product for yourself, I would like to warn you that this is nothing like your typical shampoo. It does not foam up or get sudsy in any way; if you are the type of person who needs a head full of froth in order to feel clean, this is definitely not the product for you. It is strange at first, but once you get used to it you won't even miss the bubbles!

The way I like to use it is to apply it to my wet hair at the beginning of my shower, massage my scalp a little (so stress-relieving, even if you are doing it on yourself), comb it through and clip it back, and then rinse the product out at the end of the shower. I feel like this gives the conditioner time to penetrate my hair shaft and allows my hair to get the most out of the product. After my shower, I blow dry my hair and I am left with soft, silky locks that feel nice and clean (not greasy), and look - dare I say - flawless.

I must admit that I was skeptical about the claim that Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner cuts blow-dry time, but I am very happy to tell you that it is true! My hair has a tendency to hold on to water, and usually takes forever to blow dry (25 + minutes on average), but after using this product, I can get my hair dry in less than 10 minutes! It is amazing, really and truly, I pledge the lives of my future children er, I kid you not!

There is only one thing I would change about this product, and that is the scent. It does not have a bad scent... in fact, it doesn't have much of a scent at all (maybe just a light, nutty scent?). Many people would not be bothered by that, or might even prefer such a light scent; however, for someone like me who is very scent focused, it is just a little disappointing. To remedy this colossal tiny little issue and give my hair the lasting scent that I crave, I simply use heat protectants and hairsprays that smell amazing, and the scent from those products lingers on the hair throughout the day, making me a happy camper. If you do not like strong smelling hair products, this will be right up your alley, no additions needed.

Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner  is pretty spendy, but for me it is so worth the cost! Not only is it an all-in-one product (a cleanser and conditioner - no need for two products), but I am just so pleased with the way my hair looks and feels when I use this that it has become my go-to hair cleanser! At this point, you may be wondering: "Why Jessica, wherever can we purchase such a seemingly amazing product for ourselves?". As much as I would like to keep it all for myself, I'll not be selfish; here's the scoop:   Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner can be purchased many a place, from Ulta to Amazon. It has also been featured on Hautelook,  where I was able to snag the 8 ounce bottle for $15 - that's more than 50% off!

Now that you know more about Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner, are you thinking of trying it for yourself? If you have already used it, what are your thoughts?

Thank you for spending some time with me today. Until next time, live a beautiful life!

~Jessica

Infatuated: NYX Dark Circle Concealer

Hi Lovelies!

Infatuated is a new series in which I will tell you about a product that I am either currently obsessed with, or that I use regularly and couldn't live without.

I've been having trouble with darkness around my eyes lately, and have been on the hunt to find a product that will cover up the blue tones without looking cakey or fading away. My darkness is not in the traditional under-eye area - oh no, nothing can every be "normal" when it comes to me - but in the inner eye area, where my eye meets the bridge of my nose. This is a tricky area to cover, as it is hard to reach and it is an area that is often in shadow.  At this point, you may be asking yourself: what's a girl to do? Enter: NYX Dark Circle Concealer.

NYX Dark Circle Concealer, $6.00

One day, when I was at Ulta looking at expensive solutions to my problem, my friend suggested I try the NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer. It had the main component I was looking for - orange/peach undertones that cancel out the blue tones of my dark circles. At $6 it was much better priced than the majority of products I was considering, so I figured I had nothing to lose, and lots of brightness to gain!

One of the many fabulous things about this product is that it does not have just one universal shade that is supposed to be flattering for all skin tones but really only works for one; oh no, the Dark Circle Concealer comes in 4 shades: fair, light, medium, and deep. This means that almost anyone with dark circles can get the help they deserve! I use the shade light, and it is a perfect match for me.

Before - note the blue discoloration on the inner corners of my eyes

After using NYX Dark Circle Concealer on the inner corners only - the blue is gone!

Now, there are many peach colored concealers out there developed to cover the dreaded under eye circles, such as It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector, $29 and Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer, $39. I've heard wonderful things about these products and I am sure that they are amazing (I do intend to try them out myself, just to compare, and I will let you know what I think); however, if it comes down to paying $6 or $39, and the $6 product does the trick, you know which product I'm choosing!

Fully concealed eye

My current eye concealer routine is to dab the NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer on my inner corners and pat in with my finger or a small brush (the E.L.F. Flawless Concealer Brush is awesome for this). Next I apply Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer in the shade light on my under eyes and blend, followed by Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil to set everything in place; this is a super fine, light powder that does not crease under my eyes, and I highly recommend it for this area.

Another example of a completed eye

 I want to note that I only apply the peach colored concealer to my inner eyes, where the darkness is the deepest. NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer is pretty thick, sort of like a creamy paste, and because of this it is able to fully cover the circles and last throughout the day. However, my dark circles are not too bad directly under my eyes, so if I can get away with a concealer that is lighter in coverage,  then that is what I do. I know people who use the product underneath their entire eye and get great coverage without the cakey look, so do what works best for you. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way with this product, so apply sparingly and build up to the desired coverage.

Eh, just one more example of what my eye looks like after I'm all made up!

I am loving NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer - I think just adding that little bit of brightness to my darkest area makes a huge difference! I use this every single day, and I would die  go into a black void never to return be so lost without it!

Do you have problems with dark circles? What do you use to keep the darkness at bay?

Thanks for reading - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica