Charles Worthington Big Waves Enhance Spray, 8 fl. oz.

Charles Worthington Big Waves Enhance Spray is a product that I loathe. To me, the only good thing about this product is that it smells really good (which is one of the main reasons why I bought it, in addition to the claims on the label).

Product fail.

I am always looking for hair products that will make my wavy hair look good, but this spray is a complete failure. It is sticky on my hair and hands after I've sprayed it and scrunched it in, and when it dries it mattes my hair (on the underside; thankfully you can't see the mattes). It's like I have dreadlocks going on, and those mattes are so painful to brush out (I have to try to brush them out when my hair is dry, because when I've tried to wash them out in the shower it makes the dreads worse and then I have to try to get them out of my wet hair, which breaks more easily). I've tried using it a few times on the off-chance that it was a one-time thing, but no such luck;  I get the same bad result every time.

Overall: This is an awful product that will suck you in with its great smell and spit you out with dreads.

Re-buy?: No, not in a million years!

Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream, 10.2 fl.oz.

I discovered Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream while attempting to learn how to curl my hair using a straightener via a YouTube video - it must have been fate because I can't seem to find the same video now. Anyway, the girl in the video said she used this product to set the curl because when you use it you doesn't need to use hairspray or anything, and since it's a leave-in conditioner, it's good for your hair. Even though this product sounded too good to be true, I saw it work in the video so I decided to go out and get some for myself (no joke; I went out and got some that very night). Once I got a hold of it, I saw that this leave-in conditioner is actually for "frizzy, dry, unmanageable hair," which I have been known to have. Lo and behold, it works! I put this product in my hair when I want to define my waves, and it doesn't leave my hair looking and feeling greasy like so many other "anti-frizz" products do, plus it smells great. I even used it when I curled my own hair with a flat iron for my wedding (well, a friend helped me curl my hair in the back).

The magic bottle

Check out my hair on my wedding day

This product is not only great for curling your hair with a straightener, it's great for those days when you want to define your waves and give your hair some body without much effort. Here's how I do that:


Step 1: Work a quarter-sized dollop (depending on your hair's length) into your hair and dry your hair for about 5 minutes with a diffuser attached to your blow dryer until it's mostly dry but still slightly damp (most blow dryers I've seen come with a diffuser, so hopefully you still have it). Make sure to blow dry upside-down for at least half the time. If you don't have your diffuser, just blow dry on a lower setting and keep the blow dryer farther from your hair than usual (you should also blow dry upside-down at least half the time). When you're about done blow drying, finish it off by using the "cool" setting all over until your hair feels, well, cool (or at least not hot anymore) - this'll help set the style.

Diffuser on my blow dryer

Step 2: Work another dollop into your damp hair (I usually apply it to my hair upside-down) and put it up in one of those messy ponytail/bun-type things. Leave your hair this way for as long as you can while you continue to get ready (the longer you leave it, the more pronounced your waves).

Messy ponytail/bun-type thing

Step 3: Take the ponytail thing out and fluff your hair a bit by gently putting your fingers through your hair and taking them out again starting at the roots while your head is upside-down (hopefully that makes sense!). If it doesn't look de-frizzed enough, or defined enough, just use more product - seriously, I've never used too much of this stuff and some days I use a lot. After you like the way your hair looks, you can set it with a hairspray or finishing spray if you want; I usually will if it's going to be a long day.

Voilà! Wavy hair with minimal effort

If you want to learn how to curl your hair with a straightener, check out YouTube - I can't vouch for any of those videos because I haven't tried them, but I can recommend using Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream in place of whatever product they use!

Overall: This is a great product, and you get a lot for your money (I think it was only $3 or $4). It smells nice and doesn't leave my hair looking and feeling greasy like a lot of other "anti-frizz" products do, and it's versatile - I can use it to curl my hair with a flat iron, to give my wavy hair some definition, or even in place of a rinse-off conditioner in the shower when I use Neutrogena Anti-residue Shampoo (review for that coming soon). And honestly, you can't use too much of this stuff. If your dollop wasn't big enough the first time, try again with more. Some days I use more than others, but have never felt like I've used too much. It's awesome.

Re-buy?: Yes! I love this hair product.

Dude Review: Roku XD Streaming Player (From Guest Blogger Ethan Fox)

Even though I very badly want a decent 32" LCD for our bedroom that has the Netflix app built in, Larissa and I just don't have the funds and I'm not sure when we will. Did I mention it's dangerous to have a Best Buy credit card?? Well, it is! Anyway, we've been watching a lot of Netflix in our bedroom before we go to sleep, King of the Hill to be exact, and the way I was doing that is I brought my Blu-ray player into the bedroom (because it has the Netflix app) from the living room and I'd temporarily leave it there until we wanna watch a DVD or Blu-ray in the living room again. This got frustrating really fast because the way I have my gear setup, it's not easy to disconnect the Blu-ray player and hook it back up again.

You'd think since I work in the Audio Video industry, I would have thought of this sooner but I totally forgot about the Roku box. You can get them at Best Buy for $79.99 and it plays Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and a bunch of "internet channels." Since Larissa and I have a Hulu Plus account now (our Dish Network got shut off because we can't afford the bill), the Roku box made perfect sense. Of course I did the dumb thing and put it on my Best Buy credit card, but I had no other choice because I'm brokety broke.

They also sell a $59.99 version on Amazon but I don't think it has Hulu Plus. If you want something very small that streams all the good internet based apps, the Roku box is the way to go! This is of course if you haven't just hooked up your computer to your TV. I did exactly that in my living room. I got a dedicated desktop PC that I use for torrents, Hulu, web surfing etc. I recommend doing that because there is no limit to the content you can watch on your TV. Why buy "Google TV" or "Apple TV" when you can just have a full blown PC or Mac dedicated to your TV!? Think about it.

The Roku box has a really nice interface and remote as well. It even loads quickly and has a fast Netflix interface, which is a big deal! The picture is really good, and I'm not even using HDMI, which it has, I'm just using composite! That's right, our bedroom TV is super old school and doesn't even have inputs. I had to get an RF converter just to hook up ANYTHING to it, haha. The picture is actually better on the Roku than it was on my Blu-ray player, which actually makes sense because the Blu-ray player is meant for watching Blu-rays...

So, do I recommend the Roku box? Absolutely!! If you wanna be able to watch Netflix and Hulu Plus on ANY television in your house, or even take it to a friends house (it's tiny and easy to take anywhere), it's perfect! It can be hooked up WIRELESS OR WIRED!! I ran an ethernet cable to our bedroom for it though because it's definitely faster with it wired, but the wireless option is nice!

Essie Quick-E Drying Drops (.5 oz)

If you paint your own nails, you know that it sucks waiting for your nail polish to dry. Personally, I always end up smudging them because I thought I'd waited long enough to do something, but apparently didn't - and that is the worst! If I have time I'll take the polish off and do the nail(s) over again, but more often than not I have a few ugly smudgy nails.

This happens far less often now that I found Essie Quick-E Drying Drops at Target - they are seriously amazing. All you do is fill the dropper with the liquid and give your nails a drop or two each and wait a minute, and you're good! I've only smudged 2 nails using this product, and I think it was because I had too much nail polish on them so the formula couldn't do its job correctly.

Essie Quick-E Drying Drops

I've had this bottle for a couple of months and have used it for about 5 home manicures, so a little goes a long way. It has no smell, and it feels slightly oily if you get it on your fingers, but that goes away quickly. So far, it hasn't stained any of my clothes or hurt any furniture or anything so I think it's safe. Then again, I haven't specifically tested it on clothes or furniture either, so take normal manicure precautions with it.

Overall: I really like the Essie brand in general and have quite a few of their nail polishes, so I was pleased to find that these drops do exactly as advertised and do so effectively. For $7.99 plus tax, this product is worth the money.

Re-buy?: If I ever get through my current bottle, I'd definitely buy this product again!

Kindle 3 (Latest Generation), Wi-Fi, Free 3G, Graphite, 6" Display

I received my Kindle as a birthday gift from my fantastic husband, but later went to the different bookstores in my area and checked out the other e-readers on the market. Thankfully, I decided afterwards that my Kindle was the best e-reader for me. I am not a huge touchscreen person (my cell phone still has buttons and numbers), so what stood out most to me about the Kindle was the full keypad. The next thing that stood out to me was the texture quality of the "pages" - Amazon uses e-ink technology for these babies, so it really looks like I am reading a page from a book! As such, it works great in direct sunlight. Now, color would be great if I were reading a lot of illustrated children's books, but I read novels that don't have pictures so I am fine with the black ink-only situation. I didn't really care for the color display of some e-readers anyway, because then it's more like a tablet and less like a book, and I wanted my e-reader to stay as close to a book as possible (I hate that LED glare you see on the color devices). If I wanted a tablet, I'd just get an iPad or something (which has e-reader apps); why limit myself to just reading on a device like that?

Full Keyboard - yay, buttons!

E-ink handles black/white illustrations well

Okay. So I like how the Kindle looks (except the boring graphite - I jazzed that up with a skin showcasing Vincent Van Gogh's "Almond Branches"), but how do I feel about how it actually works? I love it!


* I love that I can read in direct sunlight without a glare.
* I love that I can adjust the font and size to match my preferences (I like my fonts slightly larger and sans-serif).
* I love that I can access the Amazon store and download books anywhere with the 3G capability, and I love how easy it is to search for books because of that full keypad. I love that it recommends other books by that author when I am finished with a book, which is quite handy when reading a series. 
* I love that I can highlight phrases that I like and store them for later reference (ahem, Facebook statuses?)
* I love the built-in dictionary - I never realized all the little details I was missing out on when I skimmed over a word I didn't truly have a grasp on and just tried to place it within context. And it's so easy to use! Just use the cursor to highlight the word you want to look up, and the definition pops up at the top or bottom of the page, depending on where the word is.
* I love that I can easily hold it in one hand - it's really lightweight! The one-handed thing is especially great when I think back to reading those 500+ page books and how tired my hand used to get after reading for 3+ hours. 
* I love that I can download free games! Sometimes I don't have a lot of time to read but I want to stay busy, so I'll play a little blackjack or a word game or two - it's so great.  
* I love that it holds up to 3,500 books (not that I'm anywhere close to filling it up).
* I love that the battery life is fantastic (I usually go a month or two without charging, depending on how often I turn on the 3G; I usually turn 3G off while reading to conserve the battery), and it only takes an hour or so to charge. 
* I love that it has experimental features such as music playback, web browser, and text-to-speech audio book listening. 

Thin/lightweight

Easy to hold in one hand

Speakers for music or audiobooks

While I love the music playback and web browser features, I haven't really taken advantage of the text-to-speech yet other than to make sure it works (it does). But just because I love these experimental features doesn't mean they're perfect. Here are some of my issues:

Music:
* There is no way to go back to a track, only skip forward. It would be immensely better to be able to use the page forward and back arrows to go from track to track, rather than only moving forward by pressing alt + F.
* It would be great if a menu containing our songs came up, similar to novels listed on the home page. 


Web browser:
* When I use the web browser on Facebook, 7/10 times it will freeze up, and the only way to fix it is to put it to “sleep” and wake it up again to make the Kindle work. None of the other buttons will de-freeze it.

Here are some issues that I have with the Kindle in general:
* I wish I could pick and choose which images I want to come up as screensavers. I LOVE the birds and fish (they make me happy), but could do without some of the author portraits.
* I would love to be able to delete books right from the home page, rather than having to plug the Kindle it into my computer to archive.
* It would be amazing if the screen could be gently backlit (with more of a golden light, not LED lighting). I am not sure if the e-ink technology would allow it though. I have a reader light, but still have trouble getting lighting just right at night. I know this is something an update couldn’t fix, but maybe something to hope for with Kindle 4?

Yes, that's right - the Kindle is so true to a book that you need a booklight to read at night! That is maybe a little too bookish for me - I kind of expected the e-reader to be backlit, because it's electronic. But then the accessories people would be out of a job, right? Oh, business politics. Anyway, maybe they'll incorporate backlighting someday. Either way, it's not a deal-breaker for me, just a (slight) disappointment.

Overall: I love my Kindle! After experimenting with other e-readers out there, this was definitely the one for me. I love the full keypad, I love the e-ink that gives it that "real book" look, and I love the features and ease of use. I do have a few suggestions (see above), but these are issues I can overlook because they don't compromise the functionality of my reading, which is what I primarily use my Kindle for.

Re-buy?: I hope that my Kindle 3 doesn't become obsolete almost immediately like many cell phones and other electronics tend to, but when it does, I will definitely upgrade (funds pending). 

Dude Review: Steel Kettle Light Original Brew (From Guest Blogger Ethan Fox)

What is one of the most consumed products on Memorial Day weekend? Ok, let's be honest,  EVERY weekend... yep, it's BEER! What else could be better for washing down BBQ'd meat!? Well, if you're like me, then you probably don't really care about the quality of beer you drink. I'm perfectly happy with a Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Keystone Light (brutal) etc. Of course, I might have white trashified myself but guess what, don't care. I'm on a budget here folks!

I recently started trying the EXTREMELY cheap side of the beer world. To join this club, you can't just go to a regular grocery store. The best place to find a drinkable budget friendly brew is either at Trader Joe's or Fresh and Easy. I was drinking this $2.99/six pack beer called "Simpler Times Lager" (genius name) and it has 6.2 percent alcohol content, and I'm not gonna lie, the taste is not bad at all! I was surprised! I don't consider myself a light weight and after TWO beers, I was feeling kind of buzzed. So, for $1 I can get buzzed!? Sign me up! I think this will be my new "go to" beer!

That is until I recently visited Fresh and Easy and saw a $4.99 TWELVE PACK called "Steel Kettle Light." I was reluctant at first because I didn't see how a beer that cheap could be any good. I had this other one from Fresh and Easy called "Taurino" ($9.99 for an 18 pack) and it just tasted horrible... but I wanted to get drunk and it was there at the time. Well, after taking Steel Kettle home and giving it a whirl, I gotta say...IT TASTES JUST LIKE COORS LIGHT! In fact, it tastes like ALL of the Light beers! Why would I want to spend double the money, for a watered down brew that tastes exactly the same!?

Now, I haven't had more than two, so I can't tell you whether or not it gives a throbbing headache the next day, but from what I've had so far, I don't see that happening. Unless of course you drank the whole twelve pack in one sitting. I recommend getting some pistachios to go along with it, always a good choice.

Overall review, a damn fine substitute for all the name brand light beers. We're not talking about the best tasting beer here, just one that will do the job for a BBQ, beer pong, or a poker game. If your friends make fun of you for bringing it to a party, just say "F U then, more for me!" I can understand if someone is drinking something delicious, like a Shock Top or Blue Moon Summer Ale, but if they're drinking Coors Light and they make fun of your Steel Kettle, then they should question their ability to save money.

"Marnie" Crocs (Espresso/Mushroom)

Before our trip to New York City in March, my husband and I went shopping for weather-appropriate clothes. We'd never been to New York before so we weren't sure what to expect, but we knew it wouldn't be similar to the weather we were leaving behind. You see, we live in Southern California so we don't usually need much more than a hoodie and jeans to keep us comfortable.

We decided to check out Bass Pro Shops to see if we could find anything good on sale... no such luck. I was ready to leave after scouring the sale racks and finding nothing, but we brought my mom with us and she is a wanderer, so I decided to go upstairs and check out the shoes while she looked at everything downstairs. I am so glad I did because I found an amazing pair of flats! I'd gone upstairs on a whim thinking, "I will probably be doing a lot of walking in New York... I wonder if there will be any good walking shoes here?" but I wasn't expecting to find anything beyond hiking boots and boat shoes. The ladies' shoe area is kind of small, so I found the most "fashionable" shoes rather quickly: Sanuks and Crocs. I know, I know - Crocs?! I was surprised too. I thought they only made  silly-shaped plastic shoes that you find on babies and old ladies in the garden. And let's be fair, that's how everyone knows of the brand, because that is what the first Crocs were. But it seems as though the brand has branched out. They even make heels now! But I digress. This post is about my new favorite pair of shoes - "Marnie" Crocs in the Espresso/Mushroom color (aka kind of a neutral olivey brown).

This pic is truest to color

I found them nestled in a back corner behind some not-so-cute Crocs. They are just a basic pair of flats, which fits my lifestyle perfectly, and they are brown, which goes with everything. And they are so comfortable! Sometimes I even wear them around the house instead of my slippers (which have a tendency to disappear under the couch). They are also very easy to clean - just run them under warm/hot water with an old soapy toothbrush and let them dry (although if you're in a hurry, you can blow-dry them to speed up the drying process).

They are definitely the trademark (plasticky) Croc material, but that's a good thing because they're super durable. Like I said, they can get wet! And the best thing is, they don't even look like plastic - they're slightly textured, and look like a faux suede. I've gotten a bunch of compliments on them and people are so surprised when I say, "they're Crocs!" There are a few downsides though: because there's no air in there, they can make your feet smell a bit after you've worn them all day. Luckily, since they're plastic, they don't retain the smell so they aren't stinky in and of themselves. Also, again because of the lack of air, sometimes my feet squeak in them on hot days. It's actually kind of funny walking around Target and hearing squeaky sounds coming from my feet, but it doesn't really bother me.

I went onto the Crocs website and saw that they even come in purple! They also come in black, but I tried on the black ones in the store and they were more of a dark grey and not a true black so I wouldn't recommend them.

Overall: These are great. I've had them for about 3 months and haven't had any real problems. The brown is a perfect neutral, great for most outfits, and I love that I don't have to worry about getting them wet or dirty. Granted there are a few quirky things like squeaky feet and a little stink after a long day, but you'll find that with almost any shoe. You should know that they run large - meaning, if you're normally a size 8, buy a size 7. They don't come in half sizes but going a full size down worked for me (they actually fit perfectly in a 7, and I am usually an 8 or 8.5, although once or twice I've worn 7.5).

Re-buy?: If anything happens to them, I will definitely buy them again. I might even get an additional pair in the plum color as soon as I can afford to!

Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

I got Fresh's Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment last summer from Sephora. A year later, I still have about 3/4 of the tube, so that should tell you something. While I really wanted to like this product (the tube is a pretty stainless steel-esque pink! The cap won't fall off in my purse because it twists onto the tube! It smells yummy! What a nice color in the tube!), it fell kind of flat for me.

Granted, I still like the color and design of the tube, but I am not in love with the texture or the tint once applied. The product feels very goopy and melty the instant it goes on my lips, and I hate that feeling. I even tried putting it in the fridge overnight to see if that would make a difference, and it still felt melty!

While it is tinted, it is a *very* sheer tint, and I'm looking for fuller coverage. It also looks darker on my bottom lip than my top lip, which is weird because I applied the same amount to both. I've tried applying more to my top lip, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Bare lips (in a warm room)

Wearing the tinted lip treatment (in a warm room)

Overall: The texture is melty, even after being in the fridge overnight. The tint is very sheer; nothing special. It does smell good though - kind of a sweet, citrusy smell.

Re-buy?: Not a chance. I can think of way better products to spend $22.50 (plus tax) on.

Clinique Almost Lipstick (Black Honey)

I came across Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey the other day at TJ Maxx. At first glance it's not a very appealing color - they aren't kidding with that color name! It really does look almost black.

However, once you put it on it's a nice rosy color. What's interesting about this product is that the pigment becomes more intense the more liberally you apply it. The thing is, once I apply a lot of it, I've noticed it settles in the lines on my lips which I don't like. I think I'll stick to one or two swipes for the more subtle look, which I prefer anyway.

Bare lips (in a warm room)

Two swipes (in a warm room)

Liberal application (in a warm room)

Settled in my lip lines (it's more profound in person)

Overall: The texture is good; not too creamy but not sticky either. It smells slightly waxy, but has no taste. I really like this product and I think it would look good on anyone, as it seems to adjust to everyone differently. It's not great in cold weather, but works really well when it's warm. It's actually very similar to Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose (except that one doesn't become more intense with liberal application) - read my review for that product here.

Re-buy?: Probably not, unless I find it at a discount store again (or get a job). I looked it up and this full-sized tube costs $25.50 on Amazon! But if you can afford it, it's definitely worth a try. I can't see it looking bad on anyone.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm (Honeysuckle, Hibiscus, Rose, and Red Dahlia)

As soon as I saw Burt's Bees new tinted lip balms at my local Target, I knew I had to try them. My lips are naturally devoid of color so I am always looking for products that will brighten them up without being too high maintenance (I'm lookin' at you, lipstick). Don't get me wrong, I like lipstick, but it can be impractical for everyday errands and relaxing at home - I want to look pretty, but don't want to have to consult a mirror to reapply my lipstick every time my lips feel dry. Since my former favorite tinted lip balm has been discontinued (R.I.P. Revlon's Beyond Natural in Neutral Pink) I went ahead and got these Burt's Bees lip balms in four different colors: Honeysuckle, Hibiscus, Rose, and Red Dahlia.

My lips, sans product (in a warm room)

Honeysuckle was the first one I tried and it was not right for my coloring - Burt's Bees categorizes it as a "neutral," but it came out kind of shimmery yellowish/goldish on my lips. I ended up giving it to a friend with a more olive complexion and it looked better on her (more natural).

Honeysuckle in the tube - I'm not wearing it because I visited my friend this weekend and she showed me that she still had this lip balm after I'd put on lipstick. Oops!

Next up was Hibiscus, which I think is the most pigmented of the four. It looks really good on my lips and seems to have a thicker, more solid texture than the other three, which seem more sheer. Because of its texture, Hibiscus is the closest to a lipstick of the ones I tried. If applied liberally however, I noticed it has a tendency to settle in the lines of my lips.

(Note: I don't have pictures of Hibiscus because it melted in the dryer last week. I hate it when that happens! I even checked my pockets, but I must have missed one - of course, I missed the only one with something actually in it)

While Rose is a more sheer color, I feel like I can apply it in more layers than Hibiscus without it settling in the lines of my lips. Burt's Bees considers it a "red" but it is a deep pink on my lips, which is exactly what I was hoping for. However, I wish it had just a bit more color; it can be too sheer in colder weather.

Wearing Rose (in a warm room)

Rose in the tube

Red Dahlia is another one of the "red" colors, but it isn't really red either. It is very similar to Rose, but it looks darker in the tube. When it's on my lips, however, it seems indistinguishable from Rose, except it somehow looks worse on me when it's cold out.

Wearing Red Dahlia (in a warm room)

Red Dahlia in the tube

Overall: I really like the texture of these lip balms, which is creamy but not sticky. They also smell and taste good (subtly fruity). Hibiscus and Rose are my personal favorites. Honeysuckle looked awful on me, and Red Dahlia isn't anything special. They're all really sheer though (even Hibiscus), so if you're looking for a lot of color to help pasty lips, these aren't your best bet for year-round coverage. While they're great in warmer months, in colder weather they just sit on my lips and look waxy and weird on me. However, if your lips are naturally flushed, these would probably be really good for you because they'll enhance what you've already got going on.

Re-buy?: Probably not. There isn't anything bad about them, and they actually look really good in warm weather, but I need something that can get me through all temperatures and still look flawless.