Thursday, November 15, 2012

Amika Curling Wand

Amika Curling WandIn our last review we had a look at a single barrel curler, but now we are going to take a look at a something a bit more comprehensive. The Amika curling wand is a three piece set, and is aimed at creating a variety of styling needs. Does it manage to do this, and is it worth the price? Read our review below to find out more.
Product Features:Amika is a big name brand in the hair care industry, and generally their product lines are aimed more at professional users than home enthusiasts. This Amika hair wand is no exception, and it is aimed towards creating a multitude of styles and curls. First impressions of the wand are good, and the packaging is very stylish and eye catching. The wand itself is a very sleek black which seems to be something of a trend these days, but there is nothing wrong with that as it looks really good. Our curling wand comes with a silver plate around the buttons (as can be seen in the picture on the left), but I believe the new models are entirely black in this area. The set comes with three interchangeable barrel sizes of 19mm, 25mm and 32mm to help you make a large range of different styles. The barrels themselves are made out of tourmaline and infused with ceramic. Ceramic is a fantastic heat distribution agent, and tourmaline is a natural producer of negative ions which are beneficial to the health of your hair.
We had some fantastic results when we were testing out this unit, and hopefully this is due to the claimed benefits of the tourmaline/ceramic barrels. In other reviews we have been a bit skeptical about the practical benefits of these claims, but there could be some truth to it.
One thing that stands out on the Amika curling wand is the actual length of it, which we immediately noticed when it came out of the box. There is no mention of the larger size on the packaging, but given some of the advantages of this, there should be. The barrels themselves measure just over 6 1/2″ which is very long in comparison to normal curling wands. Most measure in the range of 5″, but that extra inch and a half really does make it easier to curl your hair if you have longer hair. In future reviews we may start measuring the length to compare against this one!
Each barrel has a little stand at the bottom of it, so you can leave the unit on without worrying about burning anything.
The unit itself is very lightweight to hold and handle. There is no mention of ergonomics, but it does have a “easy grip handle” which certainly lives up to the name! It is very comfortable to work with, and we didn’t notice any fatigue while using it at all. There are three buttons on the handle, one to switch it on/off and two to adjust the temperature. The good news is that these buttons recede into the handle, so there is no problem with accidentally changing the temperature or switching it off by accident when you are using it. There are also two buttons at the top and bottom of the handle that you use to swap the barrels. The temperature can be adjusted all the way to 410F, so even if you have super thick hair there shouldn’t be a problem curling it.  There is a small lcd above the temperature control buttons that displays the current temperature.
Something else worth mentioning about the Amika curling wand are two other features which aren’t immediately apparent. One of them is the built in swivel cord. These swivel cords would be standard on every curling wand if we had our way, but I understand that they cost a little more to implement than a ordinary connection.  They allow you to operate the wand without the cord getting in the way, which can be a major annoyance.
The other feature is dual voltage support. This seems to be a feature that is becoming more and more common on mid and higher end curling wands. It means it will work in any country without the need for a voltage converter of any kind.
Also included is a heat resistant glove for your protection. This is a pretty standard feature these days, but oddly enough this Amika glove seems to be a bit on the large size. It is a good fit, but the fingers are a bit longer than other gloves we have tested in the past. This isn’t really a problem at all, just worth a mention. After two or three goes with this you should have the hang of it anyway, and not need to use the glove anymore.
Pros:
  • Comes with three barrels to create different styles
  • Longer than standard barrels
  • Lightweight and stylish
  • Dual voltage
  • Swivel cord
Cons:
  • Pricey
Below we have 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Review: Gluta White and Firm Soap

How is everyone? Today was a busy day again as always. I hardly get any rest, oh yes I am a hard worker. Haha. Today I will be reviewing another soap in my to-review list. It has been about 3 weeks or so since I've started using Gluta White and Firm and I think I can give my opinion about it now.


I was in Puregold when me and my workmate this soap. It was on promo and I cannot remember the exact price. It was packaged as two 135g. soap with a free 90g. smaller soap. I remember reading somewhere that glutathione doesn't work unless taken orally so I was a bit hesitant to buy it. However after I read the promised benefits besides whitening, I gave in.



I am fair-skinned but just recently I had tan lines because of frequent exposure to the sun when going to my job. I am a big fan of whitening soaps because the result it gives is more visible rather than creams, lotions etc.
Gluta White and Firm has a complete line of whitening products the last time I've checked and they have lotions, facial wash, creams, deodorant and even face powders!  However if you just started out on road testing a whitening brand then I must say go for the soap! They are are almost always the star of the brand. :)

Gluta White and Firm Soap smells like a baby soap and it's super gentle to the skin. Unlike kojic soaps which I am used to, this soap is quite moisturizing. It's pretty bubbly for a whitening type of soap too, perfect to make an easy lather for massaging my skin for firming (which is included in the instruction).

Did Gluta White and Firm Soap stayed true to its promise?

* Progressively retexturizes skin for a fairer, firmer, well-toned look
 Maybe I still need a few bars to see a firmer look. I have stretch marks on my legs and I really want them to fade. This soap moisturizes (not the Olay/Dove type of moisture though) but it doesn't dry out my skin.

* Whitens in 2 weeks while preventing the development of freckles and age spots
I seriously don't have age spots yet but I'll keep in mind this soap when the time comes that I get some. I haven't seen visible changes in my skin tone but I figure out that this can be the soap I can use after kojic soaps for maintenance since the latter is too drying when used continuously.

How much? Less than P150 or P100 per 135 grams bar. (Please do comment if you know the exact price! I am yet to go in the supermarket to check the individual price per soap)

What I love:
  • It's Affordable
  • Product is accessible. You can find this soap in Watsons, Mercury Drug, Puregold and more.
  • Gentle to the skin and moisturizing.
  • Didn't broke me out.

What I don't:
  • Doesn't make much difference with one bar
Will I buy again? 
Probably, I'd love to see results with Gluta White. Now I am curious on the effectiveness of other glutathione products in the market.


This is my first glutathione product  and I am looking forward into trying out more. What soap are you using now? Share in the comments below and I'll see you in my next post!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Review: Etta's Compact Skin Whitening Powder

This post is long overdue. But anyway, since whitening is still all the rage now and I still can't find a review about Etta's then I'll publish this. :P

So what is Etta's?
Etta's Compact Skin Whitening Powder (also called Etta's bleaching powder) is:
A pre-mixed compact of skin beauty aids in a single white dry powder form. The effective skin whitening for dark skin or areas of dark skin - sunburn, thus preventing the formation of freckles, birthmarks, pimples and blackheads, prickly heat that gives baby skin results. No pre-washing needed. Economical and easy to apply.



I have high hopes with Etta's Bleaching Powder because of the raves I see in girltalk. How good can this powder really be? I gave in and ordered my Etta's online. It was not easily available in stores before. I also bought Etta's Mixing Solution for the mix sold separately. It is mentioned that we can use milk in place of the mixing solution though. Etta's Mixing Solution is 10 V Hydrogen Peroxide which can also used to lighten/bleach hair.

The product:

The bleaching powder is a finely milled plain white powder. It has no scent and the texture is the same with flour. One box contains 112 grams of product divided to 2 separate bags.

How to prepare?

  1. Put (1 tablespoon for face/ 4 tablespoon for body) Etta's powder in a bowl.
  2. Mix powder with the Hydrogen Peroxide until ice cream appearance is produced.
  3. Apply on desired area. Wait until it dries and wash with plenty of water.
  4. Apply moisturizer/ lotion after.

Recommended Schedule of Application for best results:
  • Once for 7 consecutive days
  • Twice for 1 week
  • Once for 1 week
  • Twice for 1 month
  • Then once a month regularly

*This regimen works the same as White Henna and Soap Chips which is also quite popular way to body bleach.*

Results?
Upon application you will feel your skin tighten, somehow itchy but do not fret as this is normal. I used Etta's Bleaching Powder hoping that it will even out my skin tone. However I didn't noticed any changes. I followed the schedule as hard as I can but I still didn't seen effects.

PROS
  • Cheap whitening regimen. It's only P180/ box and P30 for the Mixing Solution both available in Mercury Drug stores nationwide.

CONS
  • Messy routine and not for busy people. You can't walk around when you use this product as the powder will fly around and you'll leave white mess on your floor.
  • No ingredient list for the bleaching powder.

Final Verdict:
Despite the fact that I didn't noticed any effect, I still think that this product is still promising. Hydrogen Peroxide alone is already a wonder product. I am quite fair so I assume that bleaching powder is not enough to even out my skin tone. I will ask my sister to try this, who knows? It might work on her. After all, a lot of people already swears by this product. The effect of Etta's Bleaching powder varies so you need to try it out yourself to see if it works for you. *wink*