Review: Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo

There are those who will tell you that washing your hair every day is actually bad for it, and that you shouldn't do it. Whether or not you follow that credo is up to you, but personally I like having "fresh" hair every day. But in an effort to have healthier hair I've decided to give up washing daily and try out some dry shampoo.

The first product I used was the Dove dry shampoo based off the recommendation of GlamLifeGuru on YouTube. It doesn't have a bad smell, is super affordable, and it really works. But never content to have something just work fine I opted for a more expensive alternative. It happened really quite whimsically; I was running errands and itching to get a few items from Ulta, so I thought I'd search around for a dry shampoo. Well my first mistake was not doing some research beforehand. I walked around aimlessly looking for suitable options and trying to avoid any two-digit price with a 2 in front of it. Honestly, $20+ for a dry shampoo is silly, especially when the Dove dry shampoo is something like $3. Eventually an Ulta rep came over to ask me for help. I told her what I was looking for and she proceeded to look through the aisles with no more knowledge about the products than I possessed just minutes prior. Quite frankly I think she just picked up the first one she saw, and that was Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo.

My second mistake was not really glancing too long at the price and kind of brushing it off for fear of looking cheap in front of this incredibly made up Ulta worker, even though she didn't know any better than I did. It's $17.95, but for some reason I thought it was closer to $15. I mentioned that I didn't want anything that smelled awful and when she sprayed it on her arm I couldn't really smell anything bad. Now that I think about it, why the heck would you spray that on your arm for a customer to smell? If you're wearing perfume then it is completely pointless. Whatever. I bought it, went home and used it.

It smells awful.

Not only did it smell awful but it turned my hair into straw. All the effort I put into moisturizing my hair the days that I do clean it is completely gone with one spray of this stuff. It was like straw. And while it did volumize I felt like all I could do with it was put it in a bun and go about my day. I don't want to be limited to just wearing a ponytail or pulling my hair back similarly just because it's a dry shampoo day, and that really irritated me about the product.

But I didn't want to dismiss it after just once use so I decided to wait and use it again. That second time happened to be this morning, and sadly my opinion hasn't changed. While the straw hair feeling does diminish somewhat, my hair is still crunchy and dry; I don't even want to try to smell it.

I don't often return beauty purchases because I don't often spend too much money on them, but for $17.95 I think I'll return this and get my money back. My Dove dry shampoo will have to suffice for now until I find something better, but it's clear I need to do some research before I go back to the store to pick one up. And perhaps I'll avoid Ulta next time and head straight for Sephora, where I know the reps are much more knowledgable about their products.
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The Giving Girl's Handmade Hair Ties (Review & Giveaway!)

Shop The Giving Girl on Etsy.com!

If you're unfamiliar with these popular knotted hair ties then you're in for a treat. I'm kind of obsessed with them after seeing the plethora of colors and styles they come in. I'd heard about these and seen them on wrists once in a while but surprisingly never saw them in any store. I don't often look at the hair section of a drugstore because I find a lot of it to be generic. And apparently you can find these at more upper-end department stores like Nordstrom, but I'm telling you know you'll be overpaying for something almost as generic as what you might find at the drugstore. These are anything but.

They are made in a variety of colors and styles, including a very festive candy cane style!

Not my hair, but isn't it cute?

The owner and creator behind The Giving Girl herself, Jennifer, through our mutual love of all things JewelMint, asked if I would review her handmade hair ties and offer a giveaway just in time for the holidays. Having never done a giveaway before here on Apartment 54 and always on the lookout for something pretty to add in my life, I immediately said yes.

I've had mine for about a week now and I have hardly used anything else in my hair. What I find they are perfect for is securing my hair for bed every night without worrying that it will damage my hair. I like to brush my hair back in a braid and then tie it off with one of these so that it doesn't pull my hair or leave that ugly dent. That's another thing these are great for: not giving you that ugly crevice of a dent in your hair should you happen to take out your ponytail in the middle of the day.

Perfect dainty wrist accessory

I've seen some girls wearing these on their wrists like a bracelet but honestly my wrists are not dainty enough for that without looking almost like a sausage. And while that may not be good for my wrist self esteem I find that I don't care. I don't ordinarily wear anything on my wrists (though I need to invest in a good watch) so I'm not really missing out. But they're perfect for keeping handy in a makeup bag or in your purse. They get a bit folded over after use but if you just wrap them back around the packaging or around a bottle (I wrap mine around the top of a canister of Dove dry shampoo) they get back into form easily.

While these can be color coordinated if that's something you're into, I find you can just pick one and it will look good. Of course, that is all based on your preference. I have Jennifer's Etsy shop open in another tab right now and I love looking at all the colors they come in, especially these tie dyed Marleys, the Lilacs, and especially the Pink Giraffe set. Since they're super inexpensive I can pick up all of these for a great price. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for Valentine's Day!

Win your own set of The Giving Girl handmade hair ties!

As I mentioned earlier I was given an extra set of hair ties to give away to a lucky reader of Apartment 54. Entering (and winning) is super easy and I wholeheartedly encourage you to give it a go. One lucky winer will win the two sets you see pictured above. The first is a lovely holiday pack of red, green, and a glittery red/gold combo. The second is an every day collection of (cornflower) blue, lilac/pink, white/black, a brownish gold, and maroon.

Rules to Enter:

1. Like The Giving Girl on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheGivingGirl
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me how or where you would wear the handmade hair ties (be sure to comment with your current email address)
3. 18+ years old (or have parental permission)
4. Resident of the U.S. (not an international giveaway, sorry)

The giveaway will be open for the next week and a half, ending Friday, December 7th at midnight (PST). I will contact the winner at closing of the contest to collect mailing information. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours an alternate winner will be chosen and notified.

Good luck!

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Review: Bath & Body Works Candle in Leaves

Product Description:
A fragrance that embodies the richness of fall - with all of its colors and pleasures - featuring notes of golden nectar, ripe delicious apple and red berries. 

I really like this scent, and it is one I had heard really positive things about. It is really fresh and smells so homey. This is one I would definitely repurchase in the larger, 3-wick size and I can definitely see why so many people love it. I think I even tweeted that this was the candle I carried around with me from room to room so I could have it with me at all times.

Is this one of your favorites, too? Let me know in the comments! And be sure to check out my previous B&BW candle reviews: Autumn Day, Eucalyptus Mint, and Fireside.

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Review: Bath & Body Works Candle in Fireside

Product Description:
A cozy blend of cedar wood, leather and rich deep amber that warms your spirits like an evening by a crackling fire on a dark winter's night.

You know that sensation when someone walks you and you can just smell how much perfume/cologne they're wearing and it practically assaults the inside of your nose? That's this candle. I can barely stand to even smell it in the class, unlit. When lit it is just as bad, if not worse. I don't know what particular scent it is that is so over powering but it is just awful. And unlike the Eucalyptus Mint candle this one dispersed the scent very widely.

I just don't like it. At all. I burned as much of it as I could but it's not completely done and I think I'm just going to toss it in the trash. Definitely will not be repurchasing this one!

Have this candle? What do you think of it? Also be sure to check out my other reviews of Autumn Day and Eucalyptus Mint. Next review: Leaves.
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Review: Bath & Body Works Candle in Eucalyptus Mint

Product Description:
Fresh eucalyptus, spearmint and a dash of citrus create an exhilarating fragrance that evokes the beauty of a brisk walk in cool mountain air.

Well, I don't know about all of that. It smells great in the glass but didn't really perfume the room. Again, it was only a mini version (so only one wick) and that may have contributed (or not) to the scent dispersal. Maybe this would work nicely in a small room, such as a bathroom? I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't get enough of the scent in my home to really judge if it's good or not.

Have this candle? What do you think? Let me know in the comments. Also check out my review for the B&BW candle in Autumn Day. Next candle review: Fireside.

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Review: Bath & Body Works Candle in Autumn Day

Autumn Day was the first of the Bath & Body Works mini candles I purchased a couple weeks back that I have used up completely. I've only been doing one at a time so I can get a feel of what the scent is like and not confuse it with the other 8.

Product description:
A crisp, autumn medley celebrating the changing seasons and the beauty of the harvest with notes of fresh cut cedar, juicy fig, and sandalwood.

The woody layers are the most notable and memorable. In a lot of ways it reminding me of walking past an Abercrombie store in the mall with that super permeating smell of cologne. Only this isn't nearly as annoying. I think there is definitely something masculine to the smell, but also a feminine note that blend really well with the masculine.

As it was a mini candle it didn't scent my entire apartment, but it was nice to keep close while I was reading on the couch or just hanging out in my bedroom. The mini candle is only 1.3 ounces so it is pretty tiny. I actually didn't know how small they would be when I bought them but they were 2 for $5 so I guess it's a pretty good deal. I would definitely repurchase this candle in a larger size and enjoy it during the colder months.

The next candle from my Bath & Body Works mini candle haul will be Eucalyptus Mint, which I'm actually burning right now and should be done with soon!

What is your favorite candle scent this time of year? Let me know in the comments!

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