Hair Care | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Jan 28, 2013

Croc Wet to Dry Flat Iron Review

January 28, 2013 By Carleenp 2 Comments

If you have thick, wavy hair or perhaps your hair gets unruly when there is moisture in the air, you more than likely understand how difficult it can be to straighten it. Enter the Croc Wet to Dry Flat Iron. At any beauty, department or large retail store, you can find a wide variety of straightening irons to help you get a super sleek look. However, not all straightening irons are created the same.

I love experimenting with my hair, and I spend a lot of time trying different styles and looks. Additionally, I certainly enjoy creating a super straight look on a whim. From much trial and error, I finally found a straight iron that not only gives me the look I crave, but it also helps it stay that way.

I do love trying out new hairstyles, but sometimes I am pressed for time. I noticed the Croc "Wet-to-Dry" titanium flat iron, and figured I would give it a try. I have thick hair, and it can sometimes take longer than I would like to dry my hair.
Well, I washed my hair, and decided to give it a shot. I simply towel dried my hair, and I wanted to see how it would work on my wet hair.

I turned the Croc on, and placed it at the highest setting. I know this isn't always recommended, but for my hair, it is necessary. I divided my hair into sections, and went over each section with the straight iron. My hair immediately began to dry and become stick straight. It seemed to take minutes to get my hair dry and sleek. As I went about my day, the style stayed, and I was extremely happy with it. Not only was it straight, but it looked much shinier too. After that experience, I was hooked. I had not found a "Wet-to-dry" titanium flat iron to compare.

If you want to try the Croc, I would suggest starting out with the mid-level heat setting. I usually like to go with the hottest setting, but not all hair types need that, it's just my personal favorite. Also, it helps to towel dry your hair a little bit before styling your hair with the iron. Dividing your hair into sections makes the drying time happen more quickly. The Croc is definitely one of the more unique straightening irons out on the market today.

Buy the Croc Wet to Dry Flat Iron

Note: This is a reader/guest review.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Filed Under: Beauty Tech, Hair Care Tagged With: Beauty Tech, Croc, Flat Irons, Hair Care

Jan 25, 2013

DermOrganic Argan Oil Hair Products Review

January 25, 2013 By Carleenp 1 Comment

If you have dry or color treated hair, you owe it to yourself to give DermOrganic Argan Oil products a try. I recently received a package with a bunch of DermOrganic products, and I am working my way through them. The ones I tried right off the bat were the Shampoo, Daily Conditioner, Intensive Repair Masque, and a Leave-In Argan Oil Treatment.

These products are unique in that they are sulfate free, gluten free, paraben free, cruelty free, vegan, and don’t contain sodium chloride, salts, dyes or other various things that you might not want in your products, such as glycol, which I find tends to cause build up on the hair. Then, they manage to make a great product that also adds in Argan Oil, which is a wonderful treatment ingredient.

I insist on sulfate free items since I have color treated hair, I do keratin straightening, which requires use of sulfate free items, and because sulfates can cause acne for me around the hair line. You can learn more about sulfate free items in my previous article on sulfate free shampoos.

DermOrganic Shampoo is a good basic moisturizing shampoo that, fortunately for me, is not over moisturizing. I have dry ends and an oily scalp, so for me it had just the right balance. The Daily Conditioner is also perfect for me, in that it detangles, and leaves my hair very soft with no feeling of buildup.

But what really shines from this line are the conditioning products, which I used primarily on the ends of my hair. The DermOrganic Intensive Hair Repair Masque is simply an incredible product. This deep conditioner does a wonderful job at smoothing and taming my dry ends and, as a bonus, it is formulated to lock in and prolong color. As a person who dyes my hair red, a color that tends to fade quickly, I really appreciate this aspect of the product. I tested this just as my my last keratin treatment was wearing off and my ends were starting to frizz again. After using this for a couple of weeks, I am back to almost where I was after my last keratin session. That is pretty amazing! This product very well might make my top of the year list for 2013. We will see come December.

The other really nice item is the DermOrganic Leave-In Treatment. This is an Argan Oil product that provides additional moisturizing and is great for shine. I use it in small quantities, and avoid my scalp simply because I am naturally oily there, so any oil products tend to make me look flat. I like to spread it lightly from the ends up, but not all the way to the scalp.

Overall, I highly recommend the DermOrganic line, especially if you have color treated, Keratin treated, or dry hair. It is particularly excellent for those hair types.

DermOrganic also sent me some styling products that I have not yet tried. I will report back once I have had a chance to test those!

DermOrganic is available from multiple sources. Here are a few:

Buy DermOrganic and Ulta

DermOrganic at Drugstore.com

DermOrganic at Amazon.com

Disclosure: This review is based on products given to me by a representative of the company.

Filed Under: Hair Care Tagged With: DermOrganic, Hair Care

Jan 22, 2013

Makeup Wars, Beauty Products I Repurchase

January 22, 2013 By Carleenp 15 Comments

Everyone has favorite products that they use over and over. When those people are beauty bloggers, it gets interesting. After all, if beauty bloggers use the same thing repeatedly, it must be good right? That is why I am excited to see what everyone comes up with for this edition of Makeup Wars: The beauty products we use over and over again.

Here is my list of the top six things I repurchase:

(1) L’Oreal EverPure Shampoo and Conditioner: This is an easy to find and generally affordable sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. I use sulfate free to help keep my color looking sharp, because I do Keratin straightening, and because sulfates in shampoo cause acne around my hair line. When I am not testing other sulfate free brands for the blog, this is what I buy over and over again. I use the volume version because I have an oily scalp and it seems to work best with that.

(2) Kate Somerville Exfoilkate: I have lost track of how many tubes of Exfolikate I have used. This is my absolute go to exfoliator. It has a gentle scrub and stronger enzyme ingredient that provides both manual and chemical exfoliation. I use it in the shower every couple of days and leave it on my face while I condition my hair. With regular use, it has kept my skin bright and it has helped with my acne. When I have run out without replacing it right away, I always noticed the effect of not using it. So now I always make sure to order more before it is gone!

(3) PCA Skin Care PHaze 13: I have battled melasma for ages and this is the only over the counter product that ever helped fade it. I do buy this one less now because, when I quit taking birth control pills, my melasma finally faded significantly, but I still use it every couple of days just to keep things at bay.

(4) Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation: This is my go to moisturizer. It includes anti-aging ingredients and skin brighteners. It also has a light feel to it, which works well with my oil skin. I like using it in conjunction with the PCA serum to help lessen hyperpigmentation from melasma.

(5) Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot Treatment: I have issues with adult acne and this spot treatment works better for me than any other I have tried. So, I buy it over and over again.

(6) Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm: I am a lip balm addict, and I test many different kinds, but when I am purchasing, I almost always grab Badger Balms. Their big cocoa butter balms feel great, taste great, and are oversized, so they last a long time. I do have a runner up here as well, Mission Lip Balm, which I repeatedly buy for running. It is a thicker, waxier balm, so it stays on longer and it has SPF 15.

Want to see more? Click through the links below to see what other beauty bloggers regularly repurchase!