Archives for August 2016

What to Know the HydraCap Conditioning Cap

August 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Here at StyleChicks, we love long, flowing hair. Courtney’s hair is long past her waist, and mine (Lyn) is almost to my waist. My hair is porous, colored, and I use hot styling tools, so it takes a great deal of deep conditioning to keep my hair in good shape.

CONDITIONING LONG HAIR WITH TRADITIONAL CONDITIONING CAPS
One of the best ways to deep condition hair is using a conditioning cap with a hot oil treatment or a liquid consistency conditioning treatment. This keeps the wet conditioner from seeping down onto the forehead and neck, as well as allows the heat from your head to maximize the treatment factor of the conditioner. Most look like cheap one-time use shower caps like you might get with your complimentary toiletries in a hotel. The problem with these conditioning caps is they can’t accommodate very long, thick, full, curly or unruly hair. Sometimes we end up using multiple caps together to completely cover the hair, and this still leaves gaps that let the heat escape, and at times, they still get messy and soggy because conditioning product can leak out.

HYDRACAP CONDITIONING CAPS

HydraCap Conditioning Caps

When we heard about Hydracap hair conditioning caps, we were excited to try them. The premise is it is a larger plastic cap but not with an elastic band. After securing on your head with your hair tucked in, you heat the cap with your blowdryer, and it sort of shrink-wraps onto your head and completely ensconces your hair in about a minute. This cap is much more secure than a traditional conditioning cap. The heat from the blowdryer stays within the cap to maximize the conditioning treatment, and the hot air from the hair dryer creates moist, hydrating heat within the cap.

HOW TO USE HYDRACAP
First I apply my hair conditioner, either oil or a creamy conditioner. For oils, I like Jojoba, Safflower, Grapeseed, or a combination. When my hair is really dry or damaged, I apply an oil, leave it on for an hour or so, and then apply a cream conditioner. I also like using HydraCap when I apply Coconut Oil as a conditioning treatment, as the contained heat helps completely melt the Coconut Oil without allowing it to get runny.

Another way I use the Hydracaps is for creamy conditioning masques such as the Kerastase Hair Treatments and Oribe Hair Masques, which when combined with heat, are so extraordinarily effective to make hair soft and shiny.

When I use the cap after applying the Coconut Oil, I leave it on my hair for about an hour, and for hot oils and hair conditioning masques, generally about 30 minutes. Both the oils and the conditioners stay put in the cap and saturate better with the moist heat of the cap.

HydraCap Conditioning Caps

It helps if you have a friend assist you the first time, but you can do this by yourself with a little practice. To apply the HydraCap, wrap your hair around your head so it will fit under the cap and place the cap over your head. The cap will be too large, so wrap and tuck it around your head, shape it close to the head as you aim your hairdryer at the cap. To hold longer hair, I scoop it up from the back of the cap and pull the front of the cap up, grasping the excess and wrapping it around as it starts to take shape until the cap is securely fit to my head. Start blow-drying on the bottom of the cap, gathering extra as you go and wrapping it, and move towards the top of your head until it is secured. Wait about 20 minutes, and remove the cap. Wash hair as usual.

Size of Hydracap vs regular elastic conditioning cap

RESULTS: There was no dripping conditioner, and my hair stayed warm for the 20 minutes, keeping my conditioner warm enough to deeply condition my hair and make it especially soft and hydrated. I could sit and watch TV or walk around the house without worrying about dripping conditioner or oil. It is also a nice treat to have conditioning hair up in a secure cap while taking a bath.

What I also prefer about the HydraCap to plug-in conditioning caps is the HydraCap is lightweight on the head, and I am not tethered to sitting in one place while conditioning my hair. Plug-in caps also generally only produce dry heat, which is less effective and can even break down conditioners.

CONCLUSION: Since we got the HydraCaps, it is much easier to schedule time each week to deep condition my hair, because I don’t have to stay put worrying about hair conditioner dripping all over the place, and it only takes 20 minutes or less since the cap retains the heat. If you are using Coconut Oil to condition your hair, using the HydraCap helps the Coconut Oil completely melt and stay put on the hair while conditioning. The caps come in a pack of six and are a worthwhile low-cost investment, especially if you are conditioning your hair before or after coloring or other chemical treatments. If you are conditioning your hair regularly in preparation for a special event, such as a wedding or a big hair color transformation, using HydraCaps weekly maximizes for hydrating and conditioning efforts.

Find the HydraCap at Treasured Locks.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh1JNJw6Q28[/embedyt]

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Cocktails On The Go Travel Flask Set

August 28, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Cocktails On The Go Travel Flask Set

This Cocktails On The Go Travel Flask set is a splendid idea that we wish we knew about at the beginning of the summer, but we sure are glad we tried it: Cocktails On The Go, sturdy “Travel Flask” drink packets to hold pre-made cocktails to transport to your destination. Remember Capri Sun packaging from when you were a kid? It is the same concept but improved upon: you fill these flasks yourself, with your own cocktails, wine or other mixed drinks. They are like deluxe, reusable, sturdier DIY Capri Sun cocktails for grown-ups.

ABOUT COCKTAILS ON THE GO TRAVEL FLASKS
A sturdy collapsible container that can stand up on its’ own which comes in in two sizes, (individual and enough to serve a group) they can withstand being in your bag without puncturing.

The caps have a secure seal wrap for the first time they are opened, and they screw on tightly, so you don’t have to worry about leakage in transit. The caps stay on securely, so you can drink at your leisure. The cap opening is the size to fit a medium straw.

The kit comes with a funnel that fits perfectly into the smaller cap mouthpiece (my regular drink funnel was too large) so pouring the contents into or out of the container packets is a snap.

The larger travel flask bag is clear, holds 32 ounces, and has colorfully imprinted all sort of cocktails that are suitable for carrying in a Cocktails On The Go container. The smaller travel flask bag in this set are individually sized at 16 ounces and holds enough to last for a long afternoon. The individual flasks are fairly discrete and look like regular lemonade or iced tea beverages for, ahem, covert cocktail occasions.

Cocktails On The Go Travel Flask Set

The travel flask packets both chilled well, within about 20- 30 minutes, and they stayed reasonably cool during use. I also tried the individual travel flask bags in the freezer for about an hour and got a nice light slushie amount of freeze, which melted down nicely on a hot day. The travel flask bags held up well and did not pucker or crack. Due to the alcohol content of most cocktails, The Cocktails On The Go contents will not freeze completely in a standard freezer.

Cocktails On The Go Travel Flask Set

We find these Cocktails On The Go items particularly useful for two reasons:

1) Cocktails On The Go individual packets are ideal for taking along to a picnic, tailgating, a day at the beach, BYOB occasions and restaurants, outdoor concerts, “glamping” camping or other outdoor activities that make bringing a full mini bar of glass bottles along is impractical if not a prohibited task. Do all your mixing in advance, and clean up is simple: roll it up (or lay flat) and put it back in your bag. They are reusable and when I used the funnel they were easy to clean out and air-dry before their next use.

Cocktails On The Go Travel Flask Set

2) Have specialty drinks pre-made for a party: We have two friends who make these AMAZING margaritas, but they spend almost the entire picnic, party or BBQ making them for all their guests instead of enjoying the event! We are giving them a set of Cocktails On The Go travel flasks, so they can pre-make their delicious concoction and have some fun at parties instead of just playing bartender the whole time. The larger Cocktails On The Go travel flask is intended for serving multiple drinks, so you can still pour the drink into each person’s drinkware and add garnishes as you desired.

RECIPE IDEA FOR COCKTAILS ON THE GO

Try this recipe in Cocktails On the Go Travel Flasks for delicious end-of-summer drink, suitable for your last days at the beach, by the pool, or taking in a concert on the green:

Limoncello Martini Recipe

1/2 ounce limoncello
1-ounce vodka

Shake with ice and pour. Chill until use.

In the video below, we do a “Hard Lemonade” variant on the Limoncello Martini to modify it to drink at a more leisurely pace. To compliment the Limoncello, add a good Lemon soda or sparkling drink, (here we used the French Soda brand Lorina), and add a simple syrup to taste, such as your favorite Raspberry syrup.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuiUEodiATM[/embedyt]

CONCLUSION: Reusable, sturdy, easy to use and easy clean up, these Cocktails On The Go travel flasks are a great idea to hold pre-made cocktails for a day at the beach, or to make individual cocktail recipes in advance and have more time at your party for socializing instead of mixing drinks.

Find these great drink holders at Amazon.

Health: Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics

August 28, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics

Most of the time, we think of digestive health when we think of probiotics, and they are great for that purpose. However, a lot of the other amazing effects that Probiotics have are often overlooked. For instance, probiotics can help with energy. Additionally, since probiotics assist your body in detoxifying, they are wonderful for skin. For these effects, I looked for a good brand of probiotics, and Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics seemed especially promising.

Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics is a quality formula. Many probiotic formulas only contain a few strains of good bacteria, but this formula contains eighteen high potency strains. Additionally, it contains prebiotics. I have tried using prebiotics and probiotics in the past, but they have been different pills at different times of day, so being able to take two pills once a day that contains both prebiotics and probiotics is nice. And since it is a time-release formula, it doesn’t wash through your system fast; it works to keep your system running well all day.

I have been kind of dragging in the past couple of weeks. I’ve been busy, and it has been taking its toll. After a few days of the probiotic, I noticed that I had more stamina. Not enough that I felt like running 10 miles every morning, but enough to be noticeable. I wasn’t doing anything else that could account for my extra pep, so I think it is likely the probiotics.

Likely due to being tired, my skin started looking a little dull before taking the probiotics. I tried all of my usual creams etc., but when you are tired, it shows on your skin. After a few days on the probiotics, I noticed the color started returning to my face. More impressive than that, I noticed that my skin was less congested. So, if you are a fan of facials, consider this probiotic as a nice add-on for achieving clear skin.

One of the things I like about Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics is that they are wheat-free. While I don’t have a gluten sensitivity, I do recognize that wheat is hard on the body, and I try to be moderate in consuming it in foods. However, it doesn’t make sense to ingest it in a probiotic! I never really thought about it until I saw that Ultra 50 Probiotics doesn’t have wheat, and then went and checked other brand’s probiotics, and sure enough, they do contain wheat. So if you do have gluten sensitivity, then this is definitely the brand for you! I am, however, definitely lactose intolerant, so the fact that it is also lactose-free is a definite help. It would make even less sense for me to take a probiotic that contained an ingredient that made me sick to my stomach.

As far as digestive help, I noticed that my stomach seems a little flatter this week, so taking this probiotic is a definite help there!

I am happy to have found a superior formula like Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics. It’s an easy way to add potent probiotics to your diet!

Find Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics at Amazon.

Islands Miracle Ultra 50 Probiotics

BodyHonee Wax Kit

August 26, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I have very pale skin. And I have very dark hair. This makes for a bad leg shaving combination. The sharpest razor, the best shave, it only results in still being able to see the hair under my translucent skin. So, pulling it from the root is the only option. I have tried using an epilator recently, but it doesn’t pick up all the hairs, so I end up touching up my legs with a razor. Which is the thing I was looking to avoid in the first place.

I’ve also tried home waxing in the past, and typically it has left me bruised, and my skin irritated. Not a great look, although the bruises did cover the stubble…

With those experiences behind me, I was excited to learn about the BodyHonee Kit System. There are different kits for different kinds of hair and the area you are looking to wax. Best of all, it works for sensitive skin. So I embarked on testing it out to try to get fuzz-free for the remainder of the warm weather clothing season.

I tried two of the BodyHonee Wax Kits, the Extra Strength Spa Wax Kit, and the Hard Wax Kit. Both are intended for thick, coarse hair.

BodyHonee Wax Kit

BodyHonee Wax Kit Spa Wax

First, let’s talk about the Extra Strength Spa Wax Kit. It is meant for anywhere on the body, but I tried it on my legs.

My leg hair was grown out about a half inch (seriously, sometimes I think all I accomplish in a week is grow hair and nails.) Of course, I typically attend to de-fuzzing way before my leg hair gets to half an inch, but for the edification of my faithful readers, I forewent shaving for a bit knowing that I had this review coming up. Prepping the wax is pretty easy – just pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and it is set. Now here is a key part: mix the wax, using the included spatula to mix it from the bottom to the top to achieve an even consistency. Then, using the same spatula, apply a THIN layer (and I mean thin) to your leg (or where ever you are applying it), in the direction of the hair growth. In most cases, this means going down from your knee to your ankle, but there are sections that grow in different directions, so assess as you go. Place the strip over the wax, and rub firmly (again, in the direction of the growth) several times. And then the fun part – rip it off against the direction of the growth, and marvel at the hair that is left behind on the strip. Repeat the process until the whole area is covered.

This kit comes with cleansing oil wipes to take off any remaining wax and soothe the skin. It is pretty easy once you get the hang of it – which will be within your first session. And my legs were soooooo smoothe!

The second kit I tried was the Hard Wax Hair Remover. This kit is meant for the face, underarms, and bikini line. It is the same premise as the Spa Wax Kit, but it is meant for short, coarse hairs on sensitive areas. It is microwaved for about three minutes. Additionally, since the wax is harder than the Spa Kit, you don’t need a strip to go over it, because as it cools it hardens to the point that you can just rip the wax off, and it will act as a strip. This is nice if you are dealing in small areas like the upper lip.

BodyHonee Wax Kit Spa Wax Hard Wax

I tried it on my underarms. I previously had laser hair removal on my underarms, which did a great job at permanently removing a lot of my underarm hair. For about a year, I only had to touch up a few spots every month or so. However, this year it seems a few follicles regenerated, plus the laser hair removal didn’t affect the blonde underarm hairs I had, so I still had to shave every once in awhile. This is another advantage of wax: wax is colorblind. While laser hair removal is absolutely amazing, it is still hard to truly tackle blonde hair. So a good waxing every few months is a good idea even if you have had laser hair removal.

The difference between my legs and my underarms is that hair grows in every different direction on your armpits, not like how sections typically follow patterns of growth on your legs. So I ended up working in smaller sections on my underarms. This is one of the reasons why I like that the hard wax serves as its own strip – I can work on fairly small sections at a time to make sure to get all hairs. I had some mild pinkness on my underarms after that quickly went away. The trick is to pull the wax off quick – don’t stop half way through pulling it off.

The big question: did it hurt? Well, you are ripping hair out of the follicle. It isn’t the most pleasant feeling. But it isn’t nearly as bad as standard waxing, and without the bruising I experienced in the past. I think this is because the wax shrink wraps around the hair before you pull it off, so it was more honed in on the hair as opposed to hair getting pulled off when the wax adhered to the skin. At least that is what it felt like upon pulling the BodyHonee wax off versus previous waxing experiences. The redness dissipated fairly quickly, especially after I moisturized. For me, waxing my shins is always far more uncomfortable than my underarms, but of the two, I found the hard wax to be a little more comfortable. However, I have more practice with working with hard wax in the past, so that could be part of it.

I’m happy to have found a line of wax that effectively removes even the shortest of hairs, and keeps that growth cycle of hairs at bay for several weeks. While my hair hasn’t grown back at all yet, I am curious to see how long my skin stays smooth, and I’ll update when I know!

Find the BodyHonee Wax Kits at http://www.bodyhonee.com

Here is a video showing the way to mix the wax:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=998ioz4MZVw[/embedyt]