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reviews

rainbows in my home

by Kaylah Stroup March 1, 2017

I’ve been thinking about getting a rainbow maker for a while now. Both my last apartment, and my current one get lots of direct sunlight. Watching that light move across the wall throughout the day is one of the most relaxing things ever. The only thing I could think of that could possibly make it better was a rainbow! I had seen a solar powered rainbow maker by Kikkerland that I was interested in getting but it had such mixed reviews that I held off. Looking back at it now, it has four stars out of five but for the price too many people were mentioning it died within a month. I wasn’t really sure what options I had, everything seemed too expensive or was too hokey looking.

Fast forward until a few weeks ago when Jeff and I were at a local toy store when he spotted a prism and mentioned how he’d like to get it for photography. I told him to hold off, Valentine’s Day was approaching and I figured I’d be able to get a much better one online. I ended up deciding on this one since it had such awesome reviews and claimed to be made specifically with photography in mind. As soon as it came, and before I wrapped it up for him, I gave it a little test run.

I held the prism up to my living room window, which is where we get the most direct sunlight, and BAM instant rainbow! I ended up falling back in love with the idea of having rainbows in my apartment so much I decided to try another product. My second purchase was a sun catcher. Instead of just sitting in the window like I had the prism, it hangs on the window from a little suction cup. It’s not exactly my decor style but the rainbows it produces are AMAZING!

the rainbow sun catcher in my window

I decided to write this post for two reasons. One being I really love the photos I’ve gotten so far, and wanted an excuse to share them. Ahem. And two, when I was looking into how to have rainbows in my home I couldn’t find very much information. There didn’t seem to be many solid reviews, and there definitely weren’t any good photos. I wasn’t sure what product would be best for what I wanted so hopefully this post will help someone else who would like a little color in their life!

Prism
▴ Makes shorter square rainbow, like in the photo below.
▴ Can either sit in window or be held in your hand.
▴ Best if used while being held since the rainbow is smaller, and correct angle needs to be hit with light.
▴ You have more control over the resulting rainbow than with the sun catcher, as in you can move it around the room, and change the shape and size slightly.
▴ Your cat is probably going to love to chase the light it produces.

Sun catcher
▴ Makes many long skinny rainbows that fill the room with no effort on your part.
▴ Attaches to window with suction cup.
▴ While you can remove it from the window its probably best to just leave it be so you really don’t have any control over where the rainbows go.

For me, the clear winner here is the sun catcher since it produces SO much more color. That’s not to discredit the prism though. It’s definitely a fun little toy to play with, and like I mentioned above, Professor loves it. Either way, both of these items make for fun photos.

Had to post this one because it looks like he’s producing those rainbows and that it takes a lot of effort on his part.

You don’t even have to say it, I agree, it’s a liiittle bit tacky but I can’t help myself. The rainbows make me smile every time I walk into my living room. So much so that I bought a second sun catcher for my kitchen as well.
xoxo

Updated 8/17 – It’s been over a year since I originally wrote this post and in that time I’ve only fallen more in love with rainbows, and purchased even more items to make my home magical. Check out the rainbows these crystals make! Also, I bet you didn’t know your home was missing a disco ball!

six things I started using in 2016 that rule!

by Kaylah Stroup December 8, 2016

Can you believe it’s time to start writing end of the year round up posts? Me either! I have no idea where the year went but I do know that I started using some really awesome things over the last twelve months. I’ve never really done a round up post quite like this one but there was a handful of items that I really wanted to blog about because they made such an impact on my life. So, in alphabetical order, the six best things I started using in 2016 are…

Aveda Hand Relief Moisturizing Creme. THE best lotion, ever. Not only does it leave my hands so soft and moisturized, it also smells heavenly. Shortly after getting this I got my hands on another Aveda lotion, their candrimā™ body lotion, which is equally as amazing. So maybe it’s just Aveda? Either way, I have literally never used a better lotion! My skin gets incredibly dry in the winter (because I really reeeally love hot showers) so this lotion has been a godsend!

Digit. I already shared my love of Digit here. Nothing has changed since then except for the fact I’ve saved even more money! I really don’t think there is any one who wouldn’t benefit from using Digit!

Diva Cup. I’m sorry if you’re flinching already. This has been something I’ve wanted to write about since I first bought it earlier in the year. I know a lot of people are really grossed out talking about periods but I’m not and I honestly consider my diva cup LIFE CHANGING. Seriously. I used to constantly stress about leaking so my period was a nightmare. SO much anxiety. But with my diva cup, I know I have nothing to worry about! I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to get one but I will never ever ever go back to tampons. Paired with a period tracker, I use Flo, you will never stain your favorite undies again! I love it so much that I could probably ramble on and on about my diva cup forever. I absolutely encourage you to look into getting one.

obsessed with my rose gold Fitbit band. sooo pretty!

Fitbit Alta. I actually had this post almost finished before I realized I forgot to write about one of my Fitbit. Ahh! Whoops. While, I admit, I’ve fallen a little bit and don’t hit 10,000 steps every single day like I did when I first bought it its still a huge motivation to move more. Since getting my Fitbit I, without a doubt, get so much more exercise.

NuMe Curling Wand. I can’t believe how beautiful my hair looks when I use my curling wand. It helps me achieve my dream hair. For the longest time I was a fan of using foam curlers but after getting my curling wand the curls I get from the foam curlers just don’t cut it anymore. You can read my post on my curling wand here.

Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner. Back in October I made a list of my favorite beauty products. In that post I mentioned how I loved Stila eyeliner but always went looking for a cheaper alternative when I ran out. I FINALLY found an eyeliner I like more. For $3.99 you’d be crazy not to at least try what I now consider the ultimate eyeliner. It’s so easy to get nice, crisp lines and this stuff stays on so well! It comes out solid solid soliiiid black in one swipe. I can do a perfect cat eye in no time flat with this eyeliner. There is no need for me to ever purchase a different product now that I’ve found this one.

Also, it’s not really along the same lines as the things listed in this post but Professor in a bow tie is a pretty darn fabulous thing that happened this year. Pets by Carvas rules. I really didn’t think it was possible for me to think that cat was any cuter but somehow he is. It makes me smile every single time I see it. Every kitty needs a bow tie.

Did you find any products this year that are off the hook? I wanna hear all about them.
xoxo

digit review / how I saved $500 in four months

by Kaylah Stroup November 2, 2016

case by Valley Cruise Press

2024 UPDATE: Digit is now called Oportun. I’m leaving this review as is though because I still stand by it. All these years later, I’m still using the app.

One of my goals for 2016 was to save money… which next to “get fit” is probably one of the most popular goals in the world that no one ever actually accomplishes, right? Yeah, well this year I DID IT, all thanks to Digit! Hilariously enough this post, which is not sponsored, sounds more like a sponsored post than ones I’m paid to write. Hang with me here though because this simple app may have been one of the best things I started using this year.

It was around this time last year that my friend Jake told Jeff and I about Digit, a money saving app he used. He really liked it because it was an easy way to save money without even thinking about it. I think Jeff signed up right away but I just kept forgetting. Whatever, it was just another app to take up space on my phone, or so I thought. Eventually, on the last day of May of this year, I signed up. Within no time at all I realized what an awesome app it was. In my midyear goal update I mentioned it and said how I’d probably end up doing a review if I still liked it a few months later. Since then I’ve been trying to think of a way to bring it up without it seeming super out of place. While I blog about a wide range of things, from cemeteries and abandoned buildings to hair tips and my favorite bath products, money saving tips some how just seem a little too unrelated to my normal content. Until Digit saved my butt and I couldn’t help but shout praise from the rooftops…

Not too long ago I noticed that my car, which I bought at the very very end of last year, was a little bit louder than normal. I asked my dad about it and he said it was no big deal and they we’d fix it next time I came over. I continued to drive my car, even taking a few hour trip to check out a some cemeteries. (These ones!) When I started my car at the last stop of that trip it was WAY louder than normal. Something was definitely wrong. At stop signs and red lights it was rattling so loud that I was embarrassed to be sitting there. I pulled over the first chance I got and tried to identify where the noise was coming from but it honestly sounded like it was coming from everywhere. I decided to just drive home, no matter how noisy, and immediately call somewhere to get it fixed when I got back.

Long story short, my bill which I presumed would be well under one hundred dollars for some sort of muffler repair ended up being just over $500. I was heartbroken. I bought this newer, more expensive car because I didn’t feel like dealing with the repairs I’d most likely have to do on something cheaper with more miles. Then BAM! I get hit with this bill. Adulthood, woooo!

After sulking, fighting back the tears, and even trying to convince myself I didn’t even really need a car I remembered how I had just been so excited about reaching $500 in my Digit account! While I still wasn’t stoked to have to pay that much, I mean who would be? I was super happy to be able to afford the repairs without digging into my savings or even touching my rent/grocery/bill money.

Digit sends you fun GIFs when you reach certain savings milestones!

So, what the heck is Digit? Digit is a money saving app. It’s very, very straight forward and takes no time at all to set up. You simply connect Digit to your bank account, it checks your spending habits and if you can afford it, takes a little bit out of your account to save. How often they save depends on your “unique financial situation” but the average is 2-3 times per week. The amount also varies. Their FAQ says the average is $10-30 which from my experience sounds about right.

There isn’t much to do or see in the app, other than how much you’ve saved but what else do you need? If you feel it’s taking too much money from your account you can type “save less” or if you’d like it to take more type “save more”. You never have to worry about Digit taking more than you can afford though. They even have a no-overdraft guarantee! I’ve definitely noticed that at the end of the month when I pay all my bills the amounts digit takes are much smaller. They’ve never transferred more than they should have from me. In the four and half months I’ve been using it I saved five hundred dollars that I know for a fact I wouldn’t have saved otherwise. It’s safe (FDIC insured!), it’s free, it’s easy, and in my opinion ITS THE BEE’S KNEES.

I’m decent with money. I don’t have any debt outside of my car payment but I know I could be better with savings. It’s like I’m greedy with myself. I never move all that much money to my savings account. Instead it stays in my checking where after all my bills are paid I end up treating it as bonus money (AKA money I’ll spend on dumb things I don’t need instead of saving it for the things I really want, like to travel!) Since signing up for Digit, I still transfer money to my bank savings account but Digit has become my second savings account that I don’t even
have to think about.

So yeah, maybe you’ll end up saving enough for a family vacation or maybe it’ll just be enough to buy that fancy overpriced candle you want, either way it’s savings without any effort! I’m super excited to start getting my account back to where it was. I can’t recommend Digit enough!
xoxo

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NuMe curling wand review

by Kaylah Stroup October 10, 2016

A few weeks ago the professional styling product brand NuMe emailed me to ask if I’d like to try out one of their curling wands. I’ve never really used any sort of heat styling on my hair. Its incredibly resistant to style, it just wants to be straight so it kind of seemed like a lost cause. I’d heard lots of good things about curling wands though so I happily accepted the offer figuring worst case scenario would be me having to email them to explain it just wasn’t working for my hair. Spoiler alert: I end up LOVING this curling wand…

NuMe has a variety of different wands available. I was a little confused at first just because they sell two main kinds, magic and classic, and they don’t make it abundantly clear what the differences are. The big thing is that they are made from different materials, one is titanium and the other tourmaline. From my research (a response on their facebook page) I gathered that the classic wand is better for fine hair, and the magic for thick or hard to curl hair. Either way, both types of wands claim to offer damage free styling. I ended up choosing the 25mm classic wand, which for my desired look was the perfect choice.

The curling wand comes with a heat resistant glove, that as you can see from the photo up there, I don’t use. I tried using it the first few times but realized that it made separating my hair into small sections
too hard. The wand is incredibly hot, 400°F, so you have to be careful – even if you do choose to wear the glove. So far the only burn I’ve gotten was on my shoulder …yeah, I wasn’t wearing a shirt so I probably deserved that one.

In my recent how I style my hair post, which I finished writing just as I got this thing in the mail or else it would have been included, I listed my daily hair products. When I’ll be using the curling wand I just use Pantene Pro-V Smooth Heat Protecting Spray and Hask Placenta with the addition of argan oil. The first two products go in my hair while it’s still damp and get combed through the whole length. The argan oil oil gets smoothed only on the ends after it’s dry and right before I begin to curl. The photo above is actually a really good example of what it looks like when you use too much argan oil. It’s not greasy but it is piece-y. Figures I’d do that on the day I took these photos, right?

Starting with dry hair (the directions on the packaging make it very clear your hair cannot be damp!) I separate my hair off into two main sections, top and bottom, and start curling. I curl the bottom layer of my hair first then the top which I let down in small sections. Despite never having used a curling wand before I found the whole process super simple to pick up on. I’ve been getting quicker and quicker each time I use it so now it takes approximately the same amount of time to use this than it did for me to put my hair up in curlers. You don’t even need to hold the hair on the barrel very long at all, like ten seconds!

After I get my whole head of hair curled and it’s cooled down, I run my fingers through the curls just to separate them a bit and shake my hair out. I spritz a little hairspray on my bangs (which I still curl with this curling iron) and I’m good to go! The curls last all day!! The funny thing is that in the past when I shot outfit photos I had to make sure I had done my hair within a few hours of when I wanted to shoot or else my hair would be too flat. It was one of those things you’re self conscious about despite knowing it’s not a big deal, you know what I’m talking about? Now I don’t even have to think twice about my hair if I’ve used the curling wand. My hair looks voluminous all day. It’s seriously the best feeling!

Look you can see through my nose! Hah!

So final thoughts? I’M OBSESSED. I try not to use the wand every day simply because heat styling makes me nervous but it’s hard to resist. With this wand, I have my dream hair. For me to be able to have curls that last all day, and are still there when I wake up the next day is really something! I honestly have no complaints at all, I just wish this thing came into my life sooner!!

NuMe’s curling wands are available in a variety of different places including Ulta (online only), Amazon, and their official website. Prices vary greatly, for some strange reason, with their website being the most expensive. As of right now, Amazon is the cheapest if you want to give one of these bad boys a whirl. Don’t forget to grab some argan oil as well!
xoxo

ColourPop Lippie Review

by Kaylah Stroup June 29, 2016

Colourpop Poppin’

As someone with a fairly unique wardrobe, brightly colored hair, and nearly half my body covered in tattoos you probably wouldn’t think I’m shy about self expression but it’s only recently that I’ve gotten brave enough to begin experimenting with make-up. My mom has never worn much make-up and I have two much older brothers so needless to say I didn’t really grow up around it. Photographic evidence shows I’ve done some regrettable things with eyeliner but lipstick has always kind of been a no-go for me. I felt so obnoxious in it, like everyone was definitely looking at me. Nope, it wasn’t the tattoos or green hair. It’s definitely lipstick people are going to stare at. Yeah, I don’t understand that logic either. I always loved the way it looked on other people and wanted to wear it for myself.

A really long time ago my best friend wrote a post about wearing crazy colored tights or maybe just crazy outfits in general, I don’t recall, and her number one tip was that she liked to wear these things around the house so that she could get used to the idea of it instead of immediately going out in public in it. I took that advice and applied it to lipstick. Eventually certain colors became no big deal at all, even in public. I may or may not be obsessed now. I love buying new colors and trying out different brands.

I would normally buy a new lipstick every other trip to Target or so. I like just picking up a little present for myself here and there. Since I wasn’t really sure what I liked in terms of lipstick colors, finishes, etc I was open to any and everything. Sometimes I’d come home and look up brand reviews or photos and for some reason, I kept stumbling across ColourPop even though they only sell online. I was instantly intrigued. They have a really great vibe, and the whole internet seemed to be in loooove with them. I liked their photos, and I liked that they had an active social media presence. Lots of photos to compare colors on instagram! Oh, did I forget to mention the best part? They’re super affordable! I finally decided I was ready to try them out a few weeks back. For $32 I was able to get six lipsticks, and one lip liner! Score!

top l to r; Back Up, LBB, Contempo, Poppin’

bottom l to r; Bumble, More Better

So, did they live up to the hype? Uh, yes!!! I am in love. I honestly cannot wait to buy more. I’ve never felt so comfortable in lipstick as I do in these ones. Let me tell you a little bit more about my experience…

I bought two different kinds of lipstick, the Matte X, and Ulta Matte Lip. The Ulta Matte Lip is liquid but claims to dry completely kiss-proof. (Bumble seemed to be, but More Better transfers color.) I found that my lips would feel moderately dry and like they were flaking after a few hours but much to my surprise they still looked beautiful! No flakes at all. I love how long this stuff lasted, although as I’m sure anyone would agree, I could do without the flakey feeling. It did take some trial and error for me to apply it nicely as well. A little bit goes a long way. There were a few times in the beginning when I definitely over applied and ended up with a mess. I have no complaints what-so-ever with the Matte X lippies though! They apply easily and never left me feeling dried out.

Both the Matte X, and Ultra Matte Lip had a staying power that required the use of coconut oil for me to remove which I found pretty impressive. Coconut oil for errrrything!!! All of the colors I tried were super pigmented. I didn’t have to worry about building coverage either, they’re opaque.

Even though I spent a ton of time comparing swatches and looking at photos of people who I thought had a similar skin tone wearing each shade I was still a little bit surprised by what each color looked like on my lips. Two of the shades – LBB + Back Up – I bought were, without a doubt, too dark for my tastes. At least for now, maybe someday I’ll be into that look. But I did find two colors that I’m just crazy for, Poppin’ + Contempo. Seen below.

Poppin’ above, Contempo below.

colourpop lippie, matte x, green hair, lipstick review

colourpop lippie, matte x, review, the dainty squid

More Better above, Bumble below.

Everything I bought from Colourpop lasted nearly all day before I felt like I needed to touch up which for someone super self conscious about their makeup is a really really awesome thing. For five or six bucks per color you really can’t beat it! I almost feel like I need to clarify, I don’t only like these because they’re cheap. It certainly adds to the appeal but I’d be happy with them if I had paid triple the price! I feel confident in them. Out of everything in my lipstick collection so far, these are the ones I find myself reaching for over and over!

Are these the absolute best things in the whole wide world? Probably not. Will someone find some sort of silly issue with them? Of course! But right now I can’t think of a way these could be better (…unless they were like hair dye, except for your lips because I think that’s a really fun idea. I’m only half joking too. I would love something slightly more permanent than lipstick.) Colourpop is super awesome, and affordable. I have definitely found my signature color for the summer in Poppin’!

Have you tried Colourpop yet? What do you think? What color is your favorite?! I’m going to have such a hard time choosing which to buy next.
xoxo

Lomo’Instant review

by Kaylah Stroup June 9, 2016

lomography, instant photo, instant photography

My passion for instant photography runs deeeeep. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love it! There really is nothing that beats the thrill of an immediate physical photo you can pass around to all your friends. So when Lomography reached out to ask if I’d like to review their Lomo’Instant Honolulu Edition, a camera I had been admiring for a while, I was more than excited. On top of that, they offered to host a giveaway for y’all but more on that in a bit. First, lets talk about this nifty camera!

What is it? The Lomo’Instant was designed by the fine folks over at Lomography and brought to life by kickstarter backers in 2014. They wanted to build the ultimate instant camera! The Lomo’Instant uses Fujifilm Instax Mini film, which is readily available not only online but in lots of stores, including Target! With this camera you can shoot long exposures, unlimited multiple exposures, or add color gels to the flash. There is even a front mirror for selfies! Basically, the possibilities for what you can do with the Lomo’Instant are endless!

There are three extra lenses available for this beauty including fisheye, portrait, and close-up. The kit includes directions for not only the camera but each of the three lens, as well as sample photos. The sample photos are true to the size your actual photos will be. On the back of each photo there are some tips on how to replicate a similar shot as well as the settings used. I found this to be super handy, especially considering the fact this camera has a bit of a learning curve.

The bottom of the camera even has what each symbol on the camera means and when you should use that setting! It’s incredibly useful when you’re on the go and seem to have forgotten everything you just read up on in the instruction booklet. *Ahem*

So far I’ve shot through two packs of film with my Lomo’Instant. I’ve found the camera to be a bit of a challenge – a fun challenge though! You definitely have to plan your shot (against the rules of Lomography!) Even then, despite all the different controls, the photos do remain fairly unpredictable. I don’t think I would recommend this camera for people who are impatient, who aren’t interested in experimenting or who expect to get the perfect shot every single time. You definitely need a bit of patience here.

If you’re open to playing around, and possibly shooting some things that aren’t exactly what you imagined when you composed the shot then by all means, get yourself a Lomo’Instant! While not everything that I shot turned out very nicely, the ones that did came out even better than expected. You can’t use this camera expecting to take photos that will rival your DSLR, or even your iPhone for that matter. What you can expect are lots of happy accidents! The bottom line is that it’s a super cute camera that is a blast to experiment with.

Below are some examples of what I shot. The one of Klaus (my puppy dog, if you’re new here) and the abandoned building ended up being my absolute favorite despite the fact I did not even plan that shot. Just turned the camera on and released the shutter without looking through the viewfinder.

lomography, lomo instant, instax mini film

lomography, photography, camera review, instant photo

xoxo

my 6 favorite bath products

by Kaylah Stroup December 17, 2015

This post might seem totally random but winter is bath season for me. As soon as the weather starts to cool the bathtub suddenly becomes one of my favorite spots in the whole apartment. Sometimes I take one first thing in the morning to wake up, other times I take one right before bed. Doesn’t matter what time of the day, nothing is more relaxing to me than sipping tea, reading a book, and soaking my stress away. It’s my favorite way to warm up if I have a chill… which is basically always. I consider myself fairly well-versed in bath products so I thought it’d be fun to share some of my favorite things that make baths even more relaxing.

1. Village Naturals Therapy Foaming Bath Oil. This, surprisingly, is one of my favorite bath products. It contains menthol so it’s the perfect thing to clear out your sinuses (because winter means I inevitably get sick at least once!) It also comes in a bath soak. Using both the oil and the soak at the same time is heaven. The foaming bath oil is also a great multi-use product because not only can you take a bubble bath in it, it lathers really nicely if you’d like to use it as a shower gel. The smell is super energizing, and perfect for those early morning baths or showers.

2. Lush bath bombs are obviously going to be on this list. I’m pretty cheap so I totally understand not wanting to spend $6+ per bath product but they are absolutely worth the splurge. I don’t use them every single bath but they are an amazing pick my up when I’m feeling blue. If you haven’t tried Lush yet, quit stalling and go buy a sex bomb. I swear, there is nothing better!

3. A bath pillow. Do I have to explain why having a bath pillow rules? I don’t think so but I’ll tell you one thing, it’s so much cozier than laying your head on the tub or just putting a towel behind your head. It also makes it easy to keep my hair dry!

4. Overflow drain cover. Having one of these is a must if you’re over a certain height. Bathtubs that are long enough that I don’t have to decide which part of my body – feet, knees or boobs – has to be cold are few and far between. While having an overflow drain cover doesn’t completely solve the problem it gives you a few extra inches of water. Once you have one you’ll wonder
how you went without it all these years! I feel like a dork for not having mine pictured in this post but after a few years and a lot of different hair colors, it’s not very pretty. Trust me, you don’t want to see it.

5. Candles, candles, and more candles. I am a verified candle addict. They make relaxing in the tub so much nicer. Recently I got a few from P.F. Candle Co. from Moorea Seal and holy smokes, they’re amazing! They smell wonderful, and last for quite a while. My current favorite is Gardenia & Coconut. If you’d rather purchase candles in person, I recommend hitting up TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. They always seem to have an awesome selection. I could spend forever just sniffing candles there.

6. Herbivore’s Coconut Milk Bath Soak. This stuff had been on my radar for quite sometime. I finally got my paws on it and let me just say – I was missing out! The other day Jeff came out of my bathroom and exclaimed “Wow, that coconut stuff smells amazing!” Not only does it smell great, it leaves you so so so soft.

Also, if you need a new tea for bath time… or all the time – try Bigelow’s Salted Caramel. It’s easy to accidentally over-steep but when you time it just right it tastes like candy! It’s my current favorite. I haven’t had it for all that long at all and I’ve devoured almost a full box.

Are you a fan of bubble baths? What are your favorite bath products? Any recommendations for something that produces lots of bubbles?!
xoxo

oVertone haircare review

by Kaylah Stroup April 1, 2015

Last month I was contacted by oVertone haircare. They have a line of color depositing conditioners made to fight fading. Cool enough, right? What really sold me is that you can rinse with hot water and heat style as much as you want without worrying about your color fading. They actually encourage you to use warmer water. For the past eight years, I have been washing my hair in cold water to fight fading. It is not fun. It’s my least favorite part about having dyed hair. So when you tell me that using warmer water, to open the cuticle and let the product in, will help keep my hair color brighter I am sold!

oVertone currently has seven different colors in three intensities so there is something for everyone no matter if you’re rocking pastels, vibrant colors or suuuuper bright colors. It doesn’t lighten your hair so if you have very dark hair it’s not going to change much but it can still be used to deposit color on hair that isn’t already an unnatural color. Obviously, the color won’t be as bright but it will still be colorful.

The above photo is what my hair looked like on February 28th, the day before starting to use the conditioner.

Since my hair was/is a mix of blue and green they sent over their daily conditioner in extreme teal and extreme green as well as the deep conditioner in both colors. The daily conditioner is meant to be used anytime you’d use regular conditioner. Some days I use a mix of both colors, and other days I just used one color applied all over my hair. Since it does deposit color it tends to stain my hands. Good news is I’ve found that the staining is gone by the time I finish washing and shaving which is basically how I time how long to leave in the conditioner every day.

This photo was taken on March 9th after using the conditioner for nine days and the deep conditioner once.

The deep conditioner was made to be used on a weekly basis or as needed whenever you’re looking for an extra jolt of color and moisture. I used it right before I got my hair cut so that it would be super bright when meeting a new stylist. I applied it to wet, towel dried hair and left it on for around a half hour. I used the green was tickled pink to see what a gorgeous green my hair was when I rinsed.

(March 21, after using the daily conditioner for 21 days.)

As you can see, my hair is actually brighter now than it was when I started. I’m not even halfway through either bottle of conditioner. Obviously, my hair is also a totally different color but that’s because I was using two different colors of conditioner. That led to a huge variety of shades which is essential to making the color look natural so needless to say I’m totally into it. I absolutely adore my hair right now.

In my years of dyeing experience, I’ve found blue to be the absolute biggest pain in the butt to keep vibrant so for my hair to look like this after so long I am pumped! I am currently considering changing my hair color but only because my roots are so darn long. Normally hair fading is my sign that it’s time to touch up my roots but this color just isn’t stopping anytime soon! My hair is incredibly soft and vibrant right now.

Final thoughts ///
▴ For single color hair, or multiple shades of similar colors (like mine is now) this stuff is amazing – a must have especially if you struggle with fading.
▴ Unless you have a mirror in your shower and want to spend time separating sections of colors daily these conditioners probably wouldn’t be ideal if you’re sporting more than one color. Is it doable? Yes, totally but realistically I don’t see many being that committed. If you are, then by all means, buy this stuff.

You can read more about oVertone and purchase their conditioners on here.

Update May 2018 – If you’re unconvinced by oVertone but are still looking for a color depositing conditioner the good news is there are lots of new ones on the market these days. Keracolor comes in 13 different colors + has tons of excellent reviews.
xoxo

If you’re looking for some tips on bleaching and dyeing, check out my hair master post!

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