Living Proof: Straight

I don't talk too much about hair.  This is for a couple reasons.  One is I don't like my hair feeling like it's been weighted down by excess product, and two is that I don't like the way my hair feels with product in it.

Much like my skin, my hair is very dry...and on top of that it's damaged from years of hair dye (I'm attempting to go September 2012 to September 2013 without putting dye in it (unless required for a show)...whether or not it happens remains to be seen...).

I don't heat style my hair often unless I need it to look a certain way.  But when I do, I make sure it's protected.  If I do heat style, I will blow dry and either flat iron or curl depending on the occasion...and if I flat iron, I need it to stay somewhat straight for the next day as well because I don't wash my hair every day.

Enter: Living Proof Straight Spray.

Using the amazing technology from their wildly successful No Frizz line - the molecule PolyflouroEster (also known as OFPMA) - this weightless spray can be applied to your hair wet or dry, before and after styling - and doesn't weigh the hair down with unnecessary silicones, resins, or chemicals.

For the photos below I applied the spray to my damp hair, applied heat from my blowdryer, finger raked, and achieved a massive mane of hair (that is pretty straight for me...I did not use a brush or a comb either - if you blow dry with a paddle or round brush, you will get a more sleek look than what I achieved here).

Another round of Straight spray applied, then flat ironed and here are the results!

I tend to finish off with a gentle mist of the spray after I'm done flat ironing (almost like hairspray but there's no hold to it...again, I hate feeling like I have a ton of product in my hair) and all I have to do the next day is remist and run a flat iron to get any pillow kinks out of my hair!

It sounds like you use a lot of product - and if you were to use it every single day as I use it you would most likely go through the can in a month.  I only straighten my hair around once a month so I've had my can for the better part of a year and it's only 1/3 gone.  If that gives you any kind of reference point.

I have to say I love it though...one of my favorite hair products I've used in a very long time.  Give it a try the next time you're looking for something life changing and you won't be disappointed :)

DEMO!

I did receive this product through my work but this has no bearing on my opinions on how the product functions...I am completely honest in all of my reviews.

Autumn Edit: Current Skincare Routine

I feel like I keep updating my skincare routine.  If I'm completely honest about it though I am a proud product junkie so I love using things up to try more! (and believe me, if you could see my bags of skincare I have waiting to be used, you'd understand why I'm so impatient!)

My big thing right now is minimizing the amount of products I actually have opened at any one given time.  I tend to get super excited about the next thing I want to try and (admittedly) sometimes I'll give in to the temptation and open it while I'm still trying to use up my current products.

All that aside - here's what I'm using currently as we transition into winter!  I've got a photo of the current skin creams and I'll list the rest :)

Cleanser (not pictured):  Still using my ever trusty Boscia Makeup Break-Up oil cleanser

Toner (not pictured):  Sephora Collection Instant Refreshing Toner

Serum:  Rexaline Hydra-Force Concentrated Hyper Hydrating Anti-Wrinkle Serum*

Eye Cream:  Rexaline Hydra EyeZone Hyper Hydrating Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Contour Cream*

Day Cream:  Beyond Belief Vita-C Nourish & Diminish Day Cream

Night Cream:  Lancome Primordiale Night Skin Recharge Cream*

Exfoliation:  I use multiple types of exfoliation and my skin can handle it.  Know your skin and what it likes when you exfoliate...and please don't over do it!

• Day:  F.A.B. Daily Radiance Pads
• Evening:  Philosophy Miracle Worker Pads
• Manual: Peter Thomas Roth Peel & Reveal Dermal Resurfacer OR Philosophy Microdelivery Peel (2-step)
• Chemical: Dr. Denis Gross Alpha-Beta Daily Peel Pads

* - Product has been discontinued

I'm so sorry to have so many discontinued products in my line up right now - especially for people who come to my blog looking for dry skin fixes (I will be writing a post on some of my favorite *not discontinued* hydrating products soon!)

In regards to the Rexaline products - Sephora manufactured them - and now they have their own collections of skincare dedicated to your specific concerns...which is why you won't find Rexaline on the shelves anymore!  Don't pay exorbitant prices for it online...it was replaced by the Sephora Collection Skincare which has many of the same ingredients and gives many of the same benefits!  Rexaline worked because of high doses of hyaluronic acid to hydrate - and the new Sephora Collection Skincare has Hydrosenn+ (a plant derived version of said acid)

Boscia Makeup Break-Up has been on my favorites list for going on a year.  I was a little wary of oil cleansers at the beginning (yes, even with my dry skin!) because I completely despise any greasy feeling.  However, it goes on creamy when massaged into dry skin (it doesn't feel greasy to me!) and turns into a lovely milk texture once you add water to it.  And it rinses completely clean!  It takes off everything from dry lash glue to waterproof mascara - all around it's a winner!

Sephora Collection Instant Refreshing Toner was a random purchase for me.  I don't think everyone needs a toner, and certainly no one needs an alcohol based toner!  I basically use toner to pick up whatever my cleanser missed - nothing more and nothing less.  I haven't yet joined the ranks of the Clarisonic users so until that happens, I will be happy to use this as a final sweep.

Rexaline Hydra-Force Serum has been a staple of mine since last winter.  I have really dry skin and for some reason last year it got a little out of hand and all of a sudden I had chapped and cracking skin ON MY FACE.  Painful doesn't even begin to describe it...but this serum helped my skin so much that I bought a bottle of serum, and then a kit that had the serum and a moisturizer when it went on sale (as it was being discontinued for the Sephora Collection Skincare).

Rexaline Hydra-EyeZone Eye Cream again is in my line up because of it's intense hydration.  It's an all around eye cream that packs a punch with hydration.  My skin eats it up!

Beyond Belief Vita-C Day Cream is something of an accidental discovery.  When Em was visiting over the summer we went to Sally Beauty Supply and the deluxe size samples were on 99c. offer at the register.  So being the junkie I am and not being tied to any one brand/company/etc. I decided I wanted to try one.  Am I glad I did!  It's an anti-aging day cream and because of the vitamin C it's a BLT (Brighten, Lighten, Tighten).  It's not too thick and it keeps my skin nicely hydrated throughout the day.   I can't wait to get a full size!!

Lancome Primordiale Night Cream - I can't say it enough...my skin...LOVES Lancome and for the life of me I can't figure out why.  This night cream is supposed to retexturize your skin as well as kick start your cell renewal over night and contains Biotin which is a water-soluble B-vitamin (B7 specifically...which is vitamin H).  My skin never feels greasy and it's so soft every morning when I wake up.  LANCOME WHY YOU DISCONTINUE GOOD STUFF (Collaser-5x?  Remember that? I LOVED THAT!)

My exfoliation is a long list.  Basically my skin is so dry I can exfoliate it to death and it doesn't hurt it.  Granted I still will only exfoliate up to 3 times a week (unless it's the dead of winter and sometimes I'll do 4x)...but in a nutshell here's what I like about these exfoliators:

• F.A.B. Daily Radiance Pads - Lactic and Glycolic acid gently exfoliates chemically.  Safe and gentle enough to use every day and even good for people with "angry" skin (aka skin that gets red very easily)
• Philosophy Miracle Worker Pads - high performance retinoids (HPR) boost surface cell turnover rate (which slows in your 20's from 30 days to 60 days...did you know that?) and the best part is...no irritation like you would get with a traditional retinol!
• PTR Peel & Reveal Dermal Resurfacer is a bead based manual exfoliator.  It peels with alpha hydroxy acids, exfoliates with pumpkin enzyme, and polishes with aluminum oxide crystals.  Leaves skin silky smooth AND it smells like pumpkin pie. 
• Philosophy Dual Phase MicroDelivery Peel - polishes skin with vitamin C/peptide crystals and a lactic/salicylic activating gel that warms on top of the polishing beads.
• Dr. Denis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads - this is quite possibly my favorite exfoliator on the face of the planet.  I'll give you a moment to process that.  ................. I LOVE THESE THINGS!  I'll have to owe you a legit post on them...but the short story is:  travel friendly packettes, no irritation, great for all kinds of skin concerns (helps complexion issues, balances oil production, tones skin, boosts radiance!) and just all around amazing.  Non irritating and great for use every day!

What have you been using lately that you are in love with for your skin type?


Some of the products contained in this post were obtained through my job and some were purchased by myself.  Any and all opinions are fairly based on my own experiences with the products and no one else has any bearing on what I say on my blog.