I’m scurred of scarlet!

Hmmm…

I was rifling around my makeup yesterday and I found these two lovlies. That’s MAC Frankly Scarlet Powder Blush (bright rose-red matte) on the left and MAC Russian Red Lipglass (intense blue-ish red) on the right.

I put ‘em on my Christmas list last year and I just realized yesterday that I have no idea what to do with them! I don’t know what I was thinking, because I am usually very color shy when it comes to brights.

I am going to pair the Russian Red Lipglass with heavy black liner on the top lid, but what the heck should I do with the Frankly Scarlet? I don’t want to end up looking like a clown, yowza!

Any ideas?

Discovering the Bespoke Labs T3 Featherweight Hair Dryer was one of those rare life-changing beauty moments. Simply put, this hair dryer makes my hard-to-manage hair look fantastic, and gets the job done fast. I’m talking about clouds-parting-angels-singing-good!

(Oh, and for the record I’m no hair dryer blow out amateur. Before I started wearing my hair curly, I blew out my hair two times a week for seven years. Don’t even think about making me take out my round brush, because I can bring it.)

The marketing for the T3 hair dryer makes several better-hair-through-technology claims, which I initially thought was a bunch of broo-ha-ha. It’s made from “100% crushed Tourmaline jewels” which generate “Tourmaline negative ions” and “far infrared heat” which give you the benefits of both 1.) a quicker blow dry with at least “60% faster drying” and 2.) shiny hair because the “negative ions add moisture and sheen.”

Um…what? “It’s just a hair dryer,” I thought to myself. “I don’t expect it to take me to the moon.”

I’m usually skeptical of product marketing that tries to blind you with science, but after three blow outs with the Bespoke Labs T3 Featherweight Hair Dryer I have to say that this piece of equipment just might live up to its hype.

This is you before you the T3:

The Benefits of Ionic Hair Dryers

You’ll often see the key words ions, ionic, infrared heat and tourmaline. So what does all this mean to your sexy-maned self?

Apparently this new-fangled ionic hair dryer technology is everywhere, and there are several different companies that make and sell them at different price points. Some pricier ionic hair dryer brands include BaByliss, Sedu, and of course, the T3. Lower priced brands that you’ll find at Target, like Revlon and Con Air, make ionic driers too.

Ionic hair dryers are all about negatively charged ions. An ion is an atom or group of bonded atoms that have lost or gained one or more electrons, making them negatively or positively charged.

The presence of these negatively charged ions in your hair dryer supposedly make your hair smoother by both closing the hair’s cuticle layer to create a smooth surface and by sealing in the hair’s moisture.

I’ve also read that the T3 breaks up water molecules into smaller sizes on the hair surface, which make the water evaporate more quickly for faster drying and penetrate the hair shaft more easily for added moisture.

And this is you after:

How is the negative charge created?

Different brands have different ways to create this ionic charge.

Some dryers have an ionic spray coating inside of the dryer’s barrel, and others use ion generators. The T3 relies on tourmaline, a gem that occurs in nature, to generate the negative ionic charge. When tourmaline (pronounced tur-muh-LEEN) crystals are warmed they become positively charged at one end and negatively charged at the other. The T3 actually has the Tourmaline injected into its parts (like the fan and the motor mounts).

Why is the T3 different?

Over time, other dryers with an ionic coated barrel may lose their ability to create a strong negative charge, as the air speed and intense heat can eventually wear off the ionic coating, causing the dryer to lose its ionic and infrared power.

The T3 is supposed to be different because the injection of the tourmaline into its parts allows the dryer a continuous source of ionic and infrared “juice.”

What’s the deal with far infrared heat?

The T3 also is supposed to damage your hair less because it delivers far infrared heat deep into the hair shaft, as opposed to the surface of the hair, to heat the hair gently from within.

What I liked about it

There are so many pluses to this dryer, but the best part is that it gets the job done fast, and now I get an extra an hour and a half every week. It used to take an hour to blow dry my hair with my old hair dryer. With the T3 the time is cut down to 30 minutes. And a good blow out on Sunday means that I won’t have to bother with my hair until Friday – so ultimately, I save 10-15 minutes per day. That’s at least 50 minutes over the course of five days!

Also, the results I get from the T3 are far superior to my old hair dryer, which left my hair birdsnesty and frizzy. I definitely get a smoother, silkier blowout with the T3.

There are a few tiny touches that I really appreciate. The diffuser is shaped perfectly for use with a round brush. There are also rubber “stoppers” placed on both side of the barrel. This keeps the dryer in place and prevents it from falling into the sink, which is what my old dryer would do all the time.

And did I mention that it’s extremely lightweight? So even if you have no upper body musculature a la Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen you can still get your blowout on, girl!

What I didn’t like about it

Obviously the price of this dryer is a big fat pain in the ass. I am still having a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that I spent $200 on a hair dryer, although that was money that I had previously budgeted for makeup. Also, the last time I bought a hair dryer was in 2001, so it was due time for a replacement.

A minor caveat: at 1800 watts, this dryer requires a lot of electricity, so if you live in an older building you may end up blowing the electricity out. My building is old so I knew there was chance of this happening, so I decided to test it out before I started using it.

First I kept my receipt in a safe place, just in case I couldn’t use the dryer and would have to return it. The husband and I turned off all the lights and appliances, and made sure that any open documents on the computers (which are always on) were saved. I then went into the bathroom and waited for El Hub to let me know when to turn the dryer on and off as he tested turning on different lights and appliances in the house. I was relived that the T3 worked fine, although I did notice that the lights in the bathroom dimmed a little bit when I put it on high heat.

One last thing – I’ve read on a few forums and reviews of instances when the dryer spontaneously died out or did not work. The product comes with a warranty, so take advantage of that and register your T3 either online or by mail once you bring it home. And always, always, always keep your receipt in case you need to return it!

The final word

This is an expensive product. There’s no way of getting around that. Makeup and Beauty Blog realizes there are times in life when you gotta count every last penny. So if you don’t want to throw down the money for the T3 (and who can blame you, it’s hella expensive) then check out Revlon Tourmaline Ionic 1875, which is recommended by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute and a mere steal at only $29.99.

And although the T3 is an excellent dryer, the mere use of it alone will not get you sexy, silky hair. It’s a hair dryer, not a Christmas miracle. To get a great blow out you’ll still need the rights tools and products (I use a round boars hair brush and Phyto Defrisant) as well as good technique.

Despite the steep price, I still highly recommend this dryer, so start a T3 fund if you think that it could work for you. It’s one of those rare beauty products that actually delivered great results and changed made my life for the better by making it easier. A Makeup and Beauty Blog winner!

Oh! If you want to see the T3 in action, here’s a clip I found of it from the Home Shopping Network. Why they used a model with stick straight hair is a mystery (they should’ve done the demonstration on the girl with the bride of Frankenstein do’ that’s sitting next to her) but I guess there are some things in the universe that shall always remain unknown.

Last night I ended up going to bed late once again! It wasn’t because I was up watching bad reality television – it was ’cause I found my journal circa 2001 while I was looking for some old CDs. I stayed up and read the whole thing. It was weird, I found entries from September 11, my first day at my old corporate job which I held for five years, living with crazy roommates, and meeting El Hubby. There were so many things that I wrote about that I don’t even remember happening!

When I finished reading it I thought, “Wow, am I that much of a mess? I just might be nuts!” Seriously, if you want to have a free and everlasting source of amusement, try keeping a journal, even if it’s just for a few months in your life.

Anyway, we are now off to conquer Monday! Gird your loins, ladies!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Good morning! Grab your cup o’ joe and settle in for The Weekend Beauty Round Up!

A Touch of Blusher reviews Erth Minerals.

Beauty and Fashion Tech breaks down the Lumene Skin Product Line.

Lipstick, Powder and Paint reveals some Summer Bag Basics.

Face Candy extends the Smokey Eye Contest.

Life of a Ladybug test drives Smashbox and Tarte’s cheekstains.

Today my 30 days of obscene cardio begins. My goal is to make it through an hour-long spinning class at the end of thirty days at full tilt cardio (and to also earn a Lauren Merkin bag as a lil’ self reward!)

Have a fantastic weekend, and wear your sunscreen.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I don’t know if I’m just easily amused, but the light in the cap of Rimmel’s Light Beam After Dark Lip Gloss is the shizz! Got a dark, enclosed, space where you need to look cute (if perchance, you’re stuck in an elevator with Christian Bale, hello)? Light Beam to the rescue. Stuck on the dance floor with a gross guy with too much gel in his hair? Signal SOS (three short bursts, three long, three short) to your girls across the dance floor to rescue your ass, and Light Beam saves the day yet AGAIN. The possibilities are truly endless, ya’ll.

Lightbeam is designed to be used by lip gloss loving club ladies who don’t want to bother heading to the loo to put on some gloss. I don’t know about you but I am never without a tube of lip gloss while I’m on the dance floor. In addition to the light in the cap there’s even a handy mirror on the side of the gloss to help you beautify yourself with accuracy. And hey, that mirror might even come in handy when you’re sick of being stuck on that desert island paradise with Christian Bale and need to signal planes for help because you miss surfing the Internets. You never know.

What I liked about it
The color, Spotlight, looks a little scary in the tube because it’s hot pink and very, very sparkly. However, I was pleasantly surprised once I got it on my lips because the color looked natural and pretty. The consistency of the gloss is thin and lightweight, which I liked.

What I didn’t like about it
This product is designed to be taken out to the club, but the square packaging is entirely too bulky. I don’t like to dance with a purse and thus usually stick my lipgloss in the pocket of my jeans. I wish it was round, so it didn’t look as obvious. Staying power was average, but that’s expected for a lighter and thinner gloss. There’s also a weird smell and taste that’s mysteriously fruity. I’m not crazy about it, but it goes away after a while.

The final word
If you’re strictly a MAC Lipglass kinda girl you might not like the texture of this product. It’s not heavy or sticky, but that’s a big plus in my book. This is built more for club girls who carry purses because of the bulky square packaging, but on the plus side, at least you get a lot of product. Overall, a Makeup and Beauty Blog winner.

Yesterday I went to Spinning class at the gym for the first time in months. Sweet jeabus, I am way out of cardio shape. I barely made it through the first half of the class! To top it all off the cardio room is surrounded by mirrors from all angles, so if you so desire, you can watch yourself jiggle, huff and puff from all angles. Oh joy. I am now embarking on a 30 day mission to get back in cardio shape, and I need an end goal to work toward. I’m thinking about this super cute Lauren Merkin bag as motivation:

What do you think?

Anyway, I hope that your Friday is going great and that you have a fabulous weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I just found out that my friend Naaman just asked his girl to marry him. WOO HOO! Congrats Naaman and FINALLY!

You know that it’s probably time to start using anti-aging creams when you see teenage girls rockin’ the same outfit you wore to the eighth grade dance in 1989 (jean skirts with leggings, hello.) And when skinny jeans “came back” it occurred to me that my Guess/Bongo-acid-wash-jean-wearing-days were TWENTY YEARS AGO. These things, coupled with my recent discovery of my love for the local easy listening radio station, have driven me to worship at the alter of all things anti-aging. Enter Sensai Cellular Performance Lifting Cream by Kanebo International
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