straight hair – Hoots of a Night Al

Custom Shampoo & Conditioner from Formulate (+ A GIVEAWAY!)

March 29, 2019 No Comments

ENTER TO WIN YOUR OWN CUSTOM SET OF SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER FROM FORMULATE HERE!

Does anyone else spend what feels like forever walking up and down the haircare aisles at the store trying to figure out which products to buy? Some products promise volume but don’t protect from frizz. Some are anti-dandruff but aren’t for color-treated hair. Some are great for curly hair but you hate the scent. Surely you can relate. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could have a shampoo and conditioner created just for your hair needs and mailed right to your door? Enter Formulate.

Formulate reached out to me a few months ago to see if I would be interested in receiving a set of products created just for me to test out. As someone who struggles with oily, straight hair AND lives in a crazy humid climate, I was psyched to try it out! They sent over a fun, simple quiz to determine my hair needs, and then they started creating my custom formula. I was amazed at how the quiz really nailed my hair concerns!

As I mentioned above, I have straight, fine, oily hair. The goals for my haircare were to volumize, prevent frizz and thinning, and add thermal protection. Basically, I was hoping my hair would look thicker but still remain smooth and shiny. Plus, I was so thankful to have the anti-frizz component because every Houstonian knows what its like to battle the humidity! They take so many factors into account to solve a myriad of hair issues! The questions covered whether or not my hair was color treated, hair texture and length, scalp sensitivity, hair thickness and moisture, and more! You even get to pick your scent and the strength you want it.

One of my favorite things about the creation process is the fact that Formulate has actual chemists and engineers working on their formulas to ensure they’re perfect for each client. They even include a list titled “ingredient insight” with your package, so you can see some of the ingredients in your shampoo and conditioner and exactly how they’re helping to improve your hair. My other favorite thing about working with Formulate was their customer service. They were consistently checking in with me to confirm that my formulas were working out for me and seeing if anything needed to be tweaked. At one point, I mentioned the scent I received was too floral for my liking, and they immediately reformulated my products and sent a different scented option over. The exceptional customer service wasn’t just because I was collaborating with them either. I truly believe this is how they treat all of their customers!

I have been using my Formulate shampoo and conditioner for a couple of months now, and I’m in love! They have made my hair feel healthier, thicker, and more voluminous with minimal styling.🙌🏻 I just wash and condition my hair according to the instructions they provided, blow dry it wth my favorite blowdryer, and I’m done!

I love that now I have the perfect hair products created JUST for my hair type, and I would love for you to have the same experience! Using the link below, you can enter to WIN your own set of custom shampoo and conditioner from Formulate! I just know you’ll love it as much as I do…plus, think of all the time you’ll save not having to wander up and down the hair aisles. 😉

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

This post was created in collaboration with Formulate, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Beauty

Herbal Essences bio:renew Naked Volume White Grapefruit & Mosa Mint Shampoo and Conditioner

January 10, 2017 No Comments

Herbal Essences bio:renew Naked Volume White Grapefruit & Mosa Mint Shampoo and Conditioner was recently sent to me to test out, and I can’t say enough good things about it!

Herbal Essences has been around forever, and I have always loved it. This new line is just the next step in making their brand even better. The bio:renew line is crafted with antioxidants, aloe, and sea kelp to help add new life and volume to your hair.

There are actually nine different collections in this line, but I need all the help I can get in the volume department, so I selected the Naked Volume shampoo and conditioner.

I was happily surprised with the results! It didn’t give me Dolly Parton hair (thankfully), but it definitely pumped up the volume! (Pump of the volume, pump up the volume, dance, dance.)

Any little bit helps with my hair, since it’s generally very flat. Like flat as a pancake flat. Even as I was rinsing out the shampoo and conditioner in the shower, I could already feel more volume. That may sound silly, but I promise, it’s true!

My favorite part is probably the scent. It’s a delicious layer of grapefruit, peach, and mint. I love mint-scented anything, but the addition of citrus really pushed it over the top!

I know I got this for free to sample, but I will definitely be buying it again in the future. I must mention that I generally don’t use this every time I wash my hair. I think it makes my scalp have itchy buildup more frequently (TMI? Sorry.). That said, it definitely lives up to its claims of increasing volume.

I don’t have color-treated hair, but it claims to be safe on color-treated hair, as well. If you’re looking for a volumizing shampoo and conditioner, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the Herbal Essences bio:renew Naked Volume White Grapefruit & Mosa Mint Shampoo and Conditioner next time you’re at the grocery store! Thankfully, it sells at drugstore prices, so if it doesn’t work well for you, you aren’t out much!

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!

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

Beauty

Blo Blow Dry Bar

April 8, 2016 8 Comments

Goofy snaps aside (I’m mrsalilang on Snapchat, by the way), this review is about my experience at the new Blo Blow Dry Bar in San Antonio. Blo’s whole mentality is “no cuts, no color,” meaning they strictly deal with washing and styling your hair.

I immediately loved Blo’s crisp decor, which was chic gray and white with fun pops of pink! Fresh flowers, instagram-worthy wall phrases, and bright, clean styling stations greet you when you walk in.

Once I checked in, I was greeted by my stylist who offered me a drink and asked what style I was looking to achieve. Blo offers 7 signature styles to choose from, but you can alter them to your liking or ask for something else completely. We talked about my hair type (mega straight and smooth) and what I wanted before she took me back to wash my hair.

After washing my hair, we returned to the styling station to get started. My sweet stylist (or “Bloer” as Blo refers to them), chatted with me as she combed my hair and began blowdrying.

During my style, she used a wide range of products, all from the Unite haircare line. She started with the 7SECONDS Detangler, aptly named because, you guessed it, it starts detangling your hair in only 7 seconds.

She used a round brush to completely blow dry and smooth my hair before curling it with a straightening iron after spraying each section with TEXTURIZA Spray. After all of my hair was curled, she went in with the EXPANDA Dust on my roots to tease and give me some volume. Finally, with some GO365 Hairspray, I was finished!

What do you think? Considering how naturally straight my hair is, I was amazed at what they achieved with the right products and tools! My hair had so much volume and curl, and it’s currently several hours later and still holding strong! My stylist told me some people come in once a week to have their hair washed and styled and don’t wash their hair until they return the next week! I think that’s a great testament to how well their styling techniques work, but I also think that’s sort of gross? My hair gets oily about 10 seconds after I wash it though, so I don’t think I’ll ever understand the magical mystery of people with dry hair!

The style closest to what I chose is “Pillow Talk,” and my stylist said this is one of their most popular styles. I can see why! I felt so glamorous all day, and I think a visit to Blo would be a relaxing treat for anyone.

If you’re looking for somewhere to get a fun updo, some beautiful curls for date night, or a pretty braid for Girl’s Night Out, I definitely recommend Blo! Here is the location I visited (which is having their grand opening this weekend!), but there are several across the United States.

Happy Saturday!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you 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!