Hoots of a Night Al

5 Best Drugstore Dry Shampoos

April 27, 2018 No Comments

Regardless of your hair texture, I think dry shampoo is something that everyone should take advantage of! My hair isn’t thin, but it IS stick straight, which means I can always use a little help in the volume department. On top of that, I have naturally oily hair, so dry shampoo is a lifesaver for me! As you can imagine, I’ve tried TONS of dry shampoos, so I wanted to share five of my favorites with you.

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo (Unscented)

This is probably my most used dry shampoo! I have linked and pictured the unscented bottle, but I love the original scent as well. The price can’t be beat, especially considering that you get 7 oz. of product. It dries up all the excess oil in my hair while keeping it silky enough to run my fingers through. This is one of the first dry shampoos I ever tried, and I stay loyal to it because it works!

Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy Bodybuilding Dry Shampoo (Orange Mango)

I tried this dry shampoo specifically for the scent, and it smells amazing! I feel like a lot of dry shampoos have a distinct smell, and while it isn’t unpleasant, sometimes I don’t want the scent of my hair to announce to the room that it’s loaded with dry shampoo! This bottle definitely added a bit more volume than the original Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo, and I loved the results.

Dove Refresh+Care Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo

My mom actually bought this dry shampoo for me to try, and I’m so glad she did! According to Dove, this dry shampoo is “created especially for those with flat hair that can be oily, a little limp or weighed down between washes.” That is EXACTLY my hair type, and this dry shampoo definitely works wonders. It leaves my hair looking fresh and adds volume at my roots whenever I use it.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Sassy & Daring Wild Scent)

Batiste has a plethora of dry shampoos including ten different scents, different tones for hair colors, and one that even claims to strengthen your hair! My favorite scents are wild, tropical, and fresh, but I’ve yet to try them all! Batiste is extremely popular and claims to work well on all hair types, so if you’re wanting to try dry shampoo for the first time, this may be a good place to start.

EvaNYC Freshen Up Dry Shampoo

EvaNYC scent me this Dry Shampoo to try about a year ago, and I love it! According to them, “natural rice starch is gentle on hair and leaves no white residue, while Vitamin C & fatty acids enhance shine, nourish and repair.” I can attest to the lack of white residue, and it has a delightful scent. Plus, the packaging is darling!

Hopefully you find this list helpful if you’re on the hunt for a new dry shampoo, and please leave me your favorites in the comments! I’m a firm believer that I can never have too many options when it comes to dry shampoo. 😉

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick Swatches & Review

April 10, 2018 18 Comments

Who’s ready for the latest amazing drugstore lip product?? I wear drugstore brand makeup almost exclusively, so I was thrilled when Maybelline sent me some of their new SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks. I had previously purchased the shade Lover about six months ago, and I loved it right away! The colors Maybelline sent me are from their new Un-Nude collection, which includes shades that are supposed to bold, unconventional and “anti-nude.” Between the original collection and this one, there are 20 shades ranging from understated to bright.

According to Maybelline, these liquid lipsticks are supposed to “ink your lips in up to 16 HR saturated liquid matte. SuperStay Matte Ink™ features a unique arrow applicator for precise application and is available in a range of super saturated shades.” I will definitely agree that these lipsticks are both VERY saturated and VERY long-lasting. This product stays on flawlessly until I use some Garnier Micellar Water to remove it! Depending on the shade, I do tend to get some flaking near the interior of my lip, but otherwise they look amazing all day. Here is an example of how Ruler looked on me after 10 hours of wear (including eating and drinking!).

While they are labeled as matte, they tend to stay slightly tacky throughout the entire wear-time on me. They are easy to apply with the arrow applicator, though the formula is slightly drippy, so be careful!

I think that covers everything “important”…on to the swatches! I have ordered them from lightest to darkest. The shades I’m sharing are: Poet, Seductress, Lover, Ruler, Huntress, and Protector. Also…please excuse my messy arm swatches…it’s the first time I’ve ever attempted those and it’s harder than I expected! Haha!

Poet

Seductress

BONUS: Seductress with Poet layered on top for a highlighting effect! I loved these two combined.

Lover (MY FAVE!)

Ruler (MY 2ND FAVE!)

Huntress (Perf for anyone cosplaying as the Tin Man)

Protector (Brown 90s vibes)

There you go! Six shades from the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick line swatched on my arm and lips for you!

I wanted to include lip swatches because I always prefer those when trying to tell what a shade will look like on. I hope this was helpful; please leave any other questions you have below! Also, couldn’t resist including a “blooper…” 😉 Oh the things I do for y’all!

Thanks for sticking around! Have you tried the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks? Tell me your favorite color below, because I think I need to pick up a few more of these! What would you like me to review next?

Love y’all!

Primer: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Foundation: Covergirl 3-in-1 Foundation

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Setting Powder: Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Palette

Eyeshadow Primer: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational

Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Highlighter: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Palette

Bronzer: Physicans Formula Bronze Booster

I received this product for free to review, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Beauty

Best at Home Teeth Whitening! (+GIVEAWAY!)

February 12, 2018 No Comments

**Don’t forget to enter the $149 giveaway at the bottom of this post!**

One of the #1 duties of a beauty blogger is to take selfies. Hundreds and thousands and millions of selfies. Fine, I may be exaggerating (though not by much), but the fact remains that I spend a lot of time taking and looking at pictures of myself. This inevitably leads to me analyzing every inch of my face.

Do I need to tweeze by eyebrows? (Yes. Always yes.)

Did I blend my contour enough? (Nope. Never.)

Are my nostrils different sizes? (Left is definitely bigger.)

Are my teeth white enough? (ENTER SMILE BRILLIANT.)

Smile Brilliant provides dental quality teeth-whitening for a fraction of the cost you would pay your dentist (we’re talking less than $200!) for the Exact. Same. Treatment. AND, the exact same RESULTS! Even better? You get to whiten your teeth on your own schedule from the comfort of your own home. Let me back up.

The kindest, most helpful employee at Smile Brilliant reached out to me a few months ago to see if I would be interested in trying their whitening kit. A few days after filling out a quick questionnaire, I received a package containing everything I needed to create a mold of my teeth. This alone would have been worth the price of the kit. I felt like a mad scientist…er, dentist mixing the paste and creating my impressions. Such a fun experience!

I mailed back my impressions and received my custom whitening trays less than two weeks later. I loved that the trays were made specifically for my teeth unlike whitening kits you can buy at the drugstore. They really allowed the gel to cover every nook and cranny of my smile. Plus they came with a convenient case perfect for storage and travel.

The whitening kit came with several syringes of Teeth Whitening Gel and Desensitizing Gel as well as extensive instructions on how to use both. The process varies depending on your desired results and personal tooth sensitivity. For example, the recommended whitening session time ranges from 45 minutes up to 3 hours. A little goes a long way with the syringes as well; each one contains enough gel for three to four treatments!

The trays were comfortable to wear, easy to apply gel to, and simple to clean. I performed a few whitening sessions, but during one session, I began experiencing some gum sensitivity. My sweet Smile Brilliant consultant assured me that is totally normal. She also recommended many solutions, including a simple fix of applying vaseline or coconut oil to my gums to prevent irritation. The quick and helpful response time was actually one of my favorite things about Smile Brilliant. Every question I had through this entire process has been answered thoroughly and honestly!

After a few treatments, I realized that I was already pleased with the natural whiteness of my teeth, so unfortunately I don’t have any dramatic before and after pictures to share in this post. Luckily for you though, there are tons of real life results you can see over on Smile Brilliant’s Instagram account. Their review page is also full of incredible smiles and praise. Below is a before and after example from a fellow blogger, Nyema of Steps to Serendipity. See her full Smile Brilliant review here.

Pretty impressive, right??

I may decide to utilize my unopened syringes before they expire (they conveniently have quite a long shelf life according to Smile Brilliant), and, if so, I’ll update you with some “after” pictures then. Who knows what my incessant selfie analyzing will result in? 😉 Considering that seeing results generally only takes around 2 weeks (or less!), I may sneak in some whitening before my next big event! In the mean time, I wanted to share my positive experience using the whitening kit and receiving exemplary customer service from Smile Brilliant with you.

Perhaps the best news of all is that Smile Brilliant is giving you a chance to win your OWN whitening kit! Enter through the link below, and good luck! If you don’t want to wait to see if you win, use code hootsofanightal15 to get $15 off!

**SMILE BRILLIANT GIVEAWAY**

**This product was gifted for review by Smile Brilliant, but all opinions are my own.**

*Giveaway is open for two weeks. You MUST enter through the link to be counted. Giveaway is for $149 credit- and is open to USA, UK, Canada, and Australia residents.*

How to Whiten Your Teeth

Married Life, San Antonio, Travel

iFLEW at iFLY San Antonio!

May 29, 2017 2 Comments

Louis and I have been together for 11 years. Yes, over a decade! We’ve done pretty much every date night in the book, so we’re always looking for fun, different activities to try. Enter, iFLY. They reached out to me, and asked if we’d like to come in for some complimentary flights, and we JUMPED at the chance…get it? 😉

In case you’re unfamiliar with iFLY, they are an indoor skydiving facility. Yes, you read that right. They provide flyers with the thrill of skydiving, without the risk of jumping out of a plane! Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

In fact, anyone from ages 3 to 103 can skydive, according to iFLY! (Sorry, if you live to 104, you’re out. 😉 I kid, I kid. ) It’s as easy as filling out a waiver, checking to insure you fit within the other parameters, selecting your flight package, and you’re in! They’ll even let you wear bright red lipstick, so you can unintentionally match your flight suit! I know, it just keeps getting better.

The iFLY team greeted us immediately upon arrival, got us quickly checked in, and minutes later, we were getting our flight training from our amazing trainer, Dave. The training was quick, but thorough, easy to comprehend and remember, and entertaining (thanks to our great trainer!). Next, we got to suit up! Your flight equipment includes a jump suit, ear plugs, goggles, and a helmet. (Make sure you wear lace-up shoes, as well! No flats, flip flops, or bare feet in the tunnel, please!)

Then, BAM, we were flying!! I mean, we had to go into the tunnel, wait our turn, yadda, yadda, yadda, but our flights came up even quicker than I was expecting! Louis went first and looked like a pro! At 6’4″, I was worried the tunnel would be too small for him, but he fit perfectly and did such a great job!

I’m definitely a daredevil, but something about the tunnel had me scared at first. Thankfully, about 5 children flew right before me, so they put my fear in its place. Thinking, “If they can do it, surely I can!” I stepped/fell/leapt into the tunnel, and I was flying!

Okay, full disclosure, our instructor was helping/holding me every second of the way, but still! I did it! And it was so fun! The time FLEW by, and before we knew it, our flights were over, and I was staggering around jelly-legged from the adrenaline rush.

We checked out the kiosks for our flight pictures and videos, got our super official flight certificates, and grinned from ear-to-ear! I love that they take high quality photos and video of your flight, so you don’t have to worry about trying to snap a blurry, grainy phone shot!

Tips from a self-proclaimed pro:

If you have long hair, BRAID IT, SLICK IT BACK, SHAVE YOUR HEAD (kidding.). I braided mine, but the few tendrils of hair that slipped out got twisted up like dreadlocks in the tunnel! Thankfully, they were easily brushed out, with minimal-to-no hair loss ;), but I can’t imagine if I had left it down!
Wear lace-up shoes! Not flats, flip flops, or slip ons…lace-up shoes only! I wore my trusty Mickey & Minnie Mouse sneakers, and they worked great. Thankfully, there are tennis shoes on site if needed, but I’m sure you’ll fly more comfortably in your own shoes!
Don’t be scared! Try and relax in the tunnel. If you hate the feeling you get in your stomach when you go down a rollercoaster drop, don’t worry! You won’t experience that sensation at all in the tunnel.
Trust your trainer. They will be within an arm’s length from you (or in my case, constantly holding your flight suit) the entire time you’re flying, and they do everything they can to make your flight experience safe, fun, and amazing!

iFLY San Antonio was such a cool, unique, fun, original, thrilling experience! If you’re looking for a new date night, an awesome birthday party, a great team-building event, or just want to try an exciting experience yourself, definitely check out iFLY…you won’t be disappointed!

I received complimentary flight packages from iFLY San Antonio in exchange for this review, but, as always, all opinions are my own!

Beauty

wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation

March 29, 2017 4 Comments

wet n wild recently (ish?) released a new line of Photo Focus products, that they claim will help you achieve flawless, camera-ready makeup in any lighting condition. With the liquid foundation priced at only $5.99, I was anxious to try it out!

The wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation, has a wide range of 20 colors, so hopefully most people can find a matching shade. I debated on which color to try, and wound up purchasing Nude Ivory. It’s an excellent match for my skin! (I think, at least? Feel free to let me know if I’m way off. 😂)

The packaging is convenient, and has a sort of spatula wand that makes it very easy to distribute the product onto your face. I use about 2 spatula’s worth (if that makes sense), and blend out the foundation with my Beauty Blender or wet n wild’s flat top brush.

I think the coverage is medium to heavy, which I prefer. I did still go in with Maybelline’s Fit Me Concealer to brighten up my under eye area, but I was pleased with how well the foundation covered my natural redness.

I’ve been using this foundation off and on for a couple of months now, and I feel like I definitely need to set it all over with powder, or it makes my skin very greasy. I have combination skin, and usually setting my T-Zone with powder is enough to keep me oil-free all day, but that isn’t the case with this foundation. I use the highlighter side of wet n wild’s contour palette to set this makeup, and it works great. There is also a complimentary wet n wild Photo Focus powder, but I haven’t tried that yet. Just be warned that unless you have very dry skin, I would definitely set this foundation with powder.

Aside from the oiliness, the wear time on this foundation is pretty good. If you typically touch up your makeup, I’d guess you won’t need to do so until about four or five hours of application. If you’re naturally oily, one blotting sheet around that time and you should be good to go for awhile longer.

Another point I wanted to mention is that this product definitely has a bit of a chemical smell. It does fade once it dries on your skin, but if you’re sensitive to smells, maybe give this one a whiff in the store before purchasing.

The main claim of the Photo Focus line is to prevent flashback regardless of lighting conditions. I used natural light to take the photos above (as I usually try to do), and I definitely see pretty flawless results. I haven’t tested this makeup with a flash or in different lighting conditions, but in daylight at least, I’m very pleased.

At only $5.99 (or less if you can find a coupon at your store!), I would definitely recommend this foundation. If you want a medium to high coverage look, and you’re willing to put in the effort to set the foundation, there aren’t many downsides to this product!

wet n wild has definitely stepped up their game in the last few years, and this wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation is no exception! Have you tried any other products from wet n wild recently? Let me know!

Primer

Nivea Men’s Sensitive Post Shave Balm (Full Review)

Foundation

Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation in Nude Ivory

Concealer

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair 15 (Full Review)

Setting Power

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche

Contour

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche

Bronzer

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer