Frederic Fekkai Full Blown Volume Conditioner

After seeing such great results with its counterpart shampoo, I was expecting something impressive with this conditioner.

Since this is a conditioner, I don’t know how much it really contributes to “volumizing” my hair; conditioners are supposed to be applied to hair starting below the ears.  However, it does make my hair really, really soft.  Keep in mind that a little amount goes a long way.  This conditioner isn’t super thick/creamy like a lot of other conditioners, so I was fooled into pouring out a huge amount the first time I tried it.  I quickly realized my mistake.  Also remember that you should comb the conditioner through your hair with your fingers or a finetooth comb.  If you don’t, the conditioner will just sit in random areas of your hair and won’t moisturize it at all.

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Frederic Fekkai Au Naturel Gentle Shampoo

This shampoo is like a security blanket.  When my hair starts to feel gross, this is what I turn to to get my hair back to its soft, clean self.  If you want that really clean, fresh feeling, this shampoo does the job.  Its scent isn’t overpowering or full of perfumes like other shampoos out there.  As its name states, this is a natural shampoo without any sulfates and parabens.  It also has a “natural” smell so it does smell a bit like sulfur, but your hair does not retain that smell after you use it.  With this shampoo, my hair has a subtle clean smell and feels softer, lighter, and CLEAN.

After using this shampoo, my hair definitely looked healthier and shinier.  I also seemed to have more natural volume in my hair because the shampoo did such a good job of cleansing the scalp and purifying my hair strands of oil and product build-up.  If you have fine hair like me, it’s important to detox your hair with either a natural shampoo like this or a cleansing conditioner.  Too much product in our hair will weight it down and cause it to become flat and greasy.  Try this shampoo to revive the glamor and bounce in your hair!

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Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk – Aerosol Spray

The most important thing to remember is that dry shampoo can never fully replace a real shower.  Dry shampoo does not completely eliminate the oil in  your hair.  What it does is soak up excess oil, but the oil doesn’t magically vanish into thin air.

Out of all the dry shampoos I’ve tried, Klorane was a really good, neutral dry shampoo.  Other dry shampoos seem to “specialize” in one way or another, whether it be colored differently or smells better, but this dry shampoo just seems like your old fashioned baby powder engineered specifically for your hair.  It’s also really easy to blend in, especially with the spray nozzle.  Simply spray and tousle your hair a bit, or brush through.  I normally have to wash my hair every day, but with this dry shampoo, I can skip a day.  For those who don’t need this in between showers, you can use it for styling.  Spray this on when you need more volume or texture.  It’s the prefect product for beach hair or messy waves.

There have been issues though with the spray nozzle clogging and the quantity contained in the bottle.  People have noticed that it runs out really fast, while others don’t have any issues.  If you don’t want to risk it,  you can try the non-aerosol pump version, though it seems a little more difficult to use.  For me, the aerosol spray was perfect and easy to control.

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Frederic Fekkai Full Blown Volume Shampoo

I have fine hair that is really flat – it literally sticks to my head.  I’ve tried a lot of different “volumizing” products, but none of them have ever made significant changes.  This shampoo won’t magically give your hair volume, but it does a really good job of making your hair softer and less flat.  That means that it’s easier to style and easier to create volume.  Even without the use of a blow dryer now, my hair isn’t sticking to my head like tape.

The smell is a little strong and unique.  If you’re sensitive to this, you might not find the scent agreeable.  I personally love the smell.  I get a really good clean feeling after I use this shampoo, and my hair smells great throughout the day.  Your hair doesn’t retain the strong smell after you shower though, so if you’re worried about the smell sticking to you for too long, you have nothing to worry about.

If you want more volume, use this shampoo, and then dry your hair upside down with a blow dryer.  You’ll definitely notice a difference in your hair.

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DiorShow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil

If you have light eyebrows, or lack eyebrow hair, you will understand my woes as I struggle to give myself those two perfect arches every morning.  Not only do I lack the hair to make a remote arch, my eyebrows are too light to make any statement at all.  I used one of Dior’s eyebrow pencils to shade in what I could, but I have to admit, it wasn’t always satisfactory.

Until they released the DiorShow Brow Styler.

This is probably one of my favorite Dior products, a mere eyebrow pencil.  But I can not live without it, especially because I pretty much don’t have eyebrows!  Dior’s brow styler does an incredible job of filling in my eyebrows without making it look fake or like I tried too hard.  My eyebrows turn out so natural and full that most people can’t tell I drew my eyebrows that morning.

There’s one shade of universal brown that for some reason looks good on any complexion and any hair color.  It’s amazing!  It’s absolutely perfect for my dark brown hair, but I have seen people with blond hair who use it and it looks perfect on them too.  The brush that’s on the other end of this styler does a great job of taming my brow hairs and shaping them prior to using the pencil.  ”Pencil” is not the most accurate word, because it’s more like a soft crayon without the waxy feel.  It’s long-lasting and versatile.  A trick for first-time users is to make small feather strokes (almost like you’re drawing on little hairs) to fill in your brow line.  To create darker eyebrows, add more pressure to your strokes or simply draw more strokes.  It’s that simple and it will create a completely natural look.

Here’s a clip of how professionals use it on the runway: Dior Backstage

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DiorShow Maximizer Lash Pumping Serum

I was neither interested in lash primers nor knew how useful they were until Dior launched the DiorShow Maximizer Lash Pumping Serum.  This product totally babies your lashes, keeping them soft, conditioned, and amping up the power of any mascara.  With this primer, you won’t need those 5 extra coats, and your lashes will be protected.

I had some difficulty with getting an even application at first (probably due to my lack of experience, not the product itself).  It was alien to me, that white clumpy look.  But after a couple tries, I got used to it pretty quick.  Then I quickly how this primer really PLUMPED up my lashes!  I was getting smoother, voluminous lashes when I started using this under my Dior mascaras.  It’s also fabulous at holding the curl all day long.  A tip: Make sure you apply mascara right after applying the primer.  Caking on mascara after the primer dries will make it clumpy.  Do one eye at a time.

THE BEST PART OF ALL THIS is that my eyelashes grew.  I didn’t think to make note of it at first, but I looked closely at my eyelashes after two months’ use, and I noticed my eyelashes were definitely longer and had more volume.  Most people who have continually used this product over an extended period of time have reported longer, fuller lashes.  Some even apply this at night so their lashes will be conditioned while they sleep.  Personally, I don’t feel comfortable putting something that thick on my lashes while I sleep, but it might be worth a try for those who want serious conditioning effects.

For super dramatic eyes, try the Lash Pumping Serum with the DiorShow mascara.

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DiorShow Mascara

As one of the best-selling mascaras EVER, I was expecting a lot from the DiorShow mascara.  It performed well, but I don’t think it exceeded my expectations.  The DiorShow mascara does an amazing job of thickening my eyelashes and also holding the curl for a dramatic look.  However, it wasn’t the greatest at lengthening (even though I need volume more than length, I was expecting some lengthening action out of this).  If you’re looking for length over volume, you’ll probably want to try something else, or layer this under a lengthening mascara.  The good news is that it doesn’t clump or spiderleg – girls with fine eyelashes, this is what you want!!  If you already have pretty long lashes and you want something that will give amazing volume and really bring attention to your eyes, the DiorShow mascara is THE ONE.

p.s. The DiorShow mascara is also available in waterproof.  Make sure you have a good eye makeup remover on hand as the formula will be harder to take off than the original.

p.p.s. Dior’s other mascaras are: Iconic, Extase, 360 (click the name to read reviews).  They are all unique mascaras, and personally, I think they were all made to target different things while complementing each other perfectly to create beautiful lashes.  There is no “perfect” mascara really, but by layering 2 different Dior mascaras, you can easily achieve the false eyelash look.

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what to expect from beautycritic.com

I can’t say I’ve tried makeup and skincare products longer than most people, but I can say that I’ve probably tried more products (very thoroughly!) in a 2 year period.  I’m considered a ‘late bloomer’ when it comes to beauty products, but since I’ve started, I have avidly tried this and that to find the perfect combination.  Albeit, people will have different skin types and different needs, but everybody wants/needs good beauty product reviews!  Don’t you hate it when you’re shopping online for beauty products and you just can’t figure out which one will be best for you?  My goal is to provide detailed beauty product reviews, skincare product reviews, hair product reviews – you name it – to help you find exactly what you need.

If you have questions, I’ll answer them.  If you have answers, feel free to share them!

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