Holy Grail Items- In Categories

I decided to make a Holy Grail post and tried so hard to narrow my list down to just 10 items but there was no way! So I split it up into different categories:
Eyes, Face, Lips, Nails and Skin, & Hair.

1. Too Faced Shadow Insurance: for my oily lids
2. Physician's Formula Color Eyes Cream Shadow Stick in Champagne: the best $1 I've ever spent; great base
   
3. Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Brunette: the most natural-looking brow filler for me
   
4. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black: lasts all day (except on the waterline but great for tightlining)
5. Maybelline Intense XXL Waterproof Mascara in Very Black: surprisingly does not clump; volume + length (*NOTE* I still love Max Factor 2000 Calorie Waterproof)
   
6. Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black: not waterproof but doesn't flake like #5; smooth formula
   
7. NYX Brown eyeshadow: I practically use this everyday in the crease or just above it to warm things up
8. NYX Barely There eyeshadow: light creamy golden highlight
9. Sally Girl Espresso eyeshadow: for the outer V or crease
10. MAC Satin Taupe eyeshadow: for the lid, crease, or outer V
11. e.l.f. eyeshadow brush: a staple
12. Sonia Kashuk Large Crease brush: for the crease & blending
13. Everyday Minerals Intensive Foundations in Winged Butter, Golden Medium & Olive Medium: right now I use a custom mix of Saffron Olive, 3:1 Winged Butter to Olive Medium
14. Everyday Minerals Tinted Silk Dust (discontinued): as a primer
15. Everyday Minerals Spring Concealer: works for anything
16. Everyday Minerals blush in Swimming Pool: an everyday brownish-pink
17. MAC 187SE: for blush
18. Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki: essential for undereye concealer
19. Everyday Minerals Flat Top Buffer brush: plush, lush & soft
20. Ulta Flesh lipliner: it's the exact color of my lips
21. Softlips in Vanilla: smells so good and has an SPF of 20
22. NYX lipgloss with Mega Shine in Natural: mauvy-pink with no shimmer
23. NYX Round Lipstick in Rea: to neutralize the lips or to tone down other lipsticks
24. MAC Clear Lipglass: yup it's sticky but this makes your lipstick last so long with a high shine finish
25. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Modesty: neutral-pink with a wonderful feel & finish
26. MAC Colorforms Lipstick in Naked to the Core: my fave nude lippie
27. NYC Liquid Lip Shine in Sungold Pink: dirt cheap; pretty pink with a gold sheen
28. TRIM nail buffer (I only use steps 4-7): for my ridged nails; don't buy the Revlon one because it wears out after 2 uses! To keep steps 4 & 5 gritty, just wash it after each use
    
29. Revlon Sapphire Blade nail file: don't ever use emery boards!
30. Clinique Take the Day Off: for removing eye makeup
31. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing GEL: light, refreshing moisturizer
32. Aquolina Pink Sugar perfume: vanilla & cotton candy
33. CHI 1" Flat Iron (GF1001): for my wavy hair
34. CHI Silk Infusion: for silky hair
35. Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Frizz Serum: to smooth, shine & defrizz my hair
    

That's it. Whew! I could have narrowed it down more but I really do NEED ALL these things. =)

Now that I think of it, I could have added my Italian Badger pencil brush and my Conair Instant Heat spiral curling iron. LoL. Another pic to come...

Bye Bye Dry Hair & Frizzies

Recently I've been using the Garnier Fructis Melting Masque and Instant Melting Conditioner (not pictured) about every other day. They are both conditioners for your hair but the Melting Masque is for over processed, extremely damaged hair and is categorized under their "Strength & Repair" line while the Instant Melting Conditioner is for dry, frizzy hair and is categorized under their "Sleek & Shine" line. They are very affordable at only $2.99 each but there's almost always a $1 off coupon in the Sunday paper on any Garnier Fructis hair product so it's a steal.

I've really been noticing a difference in my hair since using these conditioners. It's less dry, smoother, silkier and shinier. So far both of these have given me the same results. And every Garnier Fructis product smells so wonderful. They have fruity or citrus scents and the conditioners smell like papaya, at least to me. When I rinse it off in the shower, it feels like it's actually melted on a layer of silk goodness onto my hair. LoL.

As for shampoo, I use any Dove shampoo for dry hair that I find at Costco in those huge pump bottles. I really like Dove and prefer it over Pantene, which dries out my hair and makes it feel like straw. I haven't tried any GF shampoo yet.

Also pictured above is my favorite frizz serum which goes for about $4.50. It's called the Anti-Frizz Serum and is part of their "Sleek & Shine" line. It has a citrus scent and is a light oil which is not greasy and thick like Baby Oil. It does not contain alcohol so it won't dry out your hair and it also does not contain water. Some frizz serums have water in them and when you apply it to your hair after flat ironing, it will wave it up. It's because of the water in it. The GF frizz serum contains no water so it won't mess up your freshly straightened locks. I like to smooth it on after using my Chi flat iron or my curling iron and it tames my frizzies, smooths the cuticles of my hair, adds a little bit of shine and a pleasant scent. It's also a good refresher to finger comb through your hair throughout the day. I go through bottles of this stuff since I have long hair. I'm due for a cut! =)

Whoops, I forgot to add that I also like the Anti-Humidity Hairspray. I've given up on flexible hold hairsprays because they don't hold my curls or keep my flat ironed hair from frizzing. It has an ultra hold but it doesn't make my hair hard and crunchy.

Do you have any hair care recommendations?

To Chi Or Not To Chi?

That is the question. It's been a long time comin' since I've wanted to try out a Chi flat iron. After seeing a few videos about it on YouTube, it was time to get one. I bought the cheapest, plainest but most reviewed Chi on BeautyChoice.com and it's model number is CHI-GF1001 for $78.95. But by using the code "lauren555" (expires after the 31st of Oct), you get $10 off any order over $50. Shipping is free for purchases over $50 so I thought that was a good deal. The grand total was about $75.

By the way, I have wavy, frizzy, dry, color-treated hair.

CHI PROS

• Small, sleek, lightweight (1" wide plates)
  
• Power switch on the inside of handle to avoid accidental shut off
• Ceramic plates and coils
• About a 9' long swivel cord
  
• Super fast heat up
• Straightens, flips, curls
• Adds SHINE; makes my hair more silky and smoother than my old flat iron
• Easy to clean
• Cools down quicker than my old flat iron
  

CHI CONS

• No case/pouch
• 9' long cord can get in the way if you don't need it
• Cheap quality plastic; it's like a matte plastic that scratches easily
• Cord quality is flimsy; not like a regular, normal, stiffer cord
  
• May pinch your palm/hand at the back end of the iron (that really hurt too!)
• Unstable base; tips over easily (the most annoying thing to me)
• Can only do small strands at a time; slow-going
  
• I have to go over my hair about 3 times
• No adjustable heating

What I'm comparing the Chi to is my old flat iron. A couple years ago I was up really, really late and was engrossed in an infomercial that featured the Maxiglide. I know, it sounds like a feminine product, right? Haha. This retails for around $80.

Picture A.1

Picture A.2
Picture A.3
Picture A.4
Picture A.5
MAXIGLIDE PROS

• Comes with a zippered case and DVD
• Comes with 2 different removable (picture A.1) plates: 1. detangling pins; 2. smooth/flat
• Adjustable heating
• Steam feature (picture A.5) adds moisture and helps "tame" frizzies (use only distilled water to prevent calcium/lime build up)
  
• Large 2" wide detangling plate holds more hair at one time; quicker straightening
• Non-slip rubber strip (picture A.4) at the base (the best freaking thing!)
• Two passes through my hair is good enough compared with 3 passes with the Chi (I think the detangling pins help with that)
  
• Straightens, flips, softens (I tried curling with the smooth plate but couldn't get it to work)
  

MAXIGLIDE CONS

• Heavy, big and bulky
• Plates are ceramic COATED (picture A.2); that was not specified in the infomercial; I thought they were true ceramic plates
• Detangling plate will get dirty like a hairbrush over time (picture A.3); hard to clean
• Slow heat-up; takes at least 2 minutes
• Takes forever to cool down
  
• Straightens and softens but does NOT add shine; Chi smooths and shines better
• No swivel cord
  

FINAL GRADES

CHI: 4 out of 5 stars
MAXIGLIDE: 3 out of 5 stars

FINAL THOUGHTS

I wish I could take the pros of each and magically make my own flat iron. But back to reality. I would definitely recommend the Chi GF1001 for straight, smooth, shiny hair at an affordable price. The number one thing I hate the most about it is that it's very unstable and it tips over easily. I have to take an extra 2-3 seconds making sure that thing won't fall over each time I put it down. But overall, I like it very much.

As for the Maxiglide, I definitely would NOT recommend it. Since trying out something better, I know this isn't worth buying because although it straightens hair, it does not make it shiny and silky.

What's your favorite flat iron? Please share your recommendations. Maybe I should of spent a little extra money and tried out a T3 or a Kyoseki. But I'm still happy! =)

Oh yeah, I was up another night watching yet another infomercial (LOL) and saw another very interesting "flat" iron called the InStyler. You guys have to check out the link and see this crazy looking thing but it probably works really well! =P