Worth it? Pantene Split-Fix

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I am the fortunate owner of a pretty awesome head of hair. It is long, healthy, generally cooperative, and free of processed-nonsense (color, perms, etc) that can cause it to be ornery. Although seasonal changes generally do not wreak much havoc on it, a couple months ago it started misbehaving. Split ends. Frizz. Breakage. Ridiculous tangles. Static. I hadn’t changed anything in my routine in terms of care, I hadn’t changed my diet, and I did not start heat-styling more often.

Like our skin, our hair changes as we age; I simply assumed my hair was experiencing such a change and was becoming more sensitive to the changes in humidity. My conditioner was doing a pretty good job (as far as I was concerned) and I deep-conditioned once weekly but in spite of my efforts, the situation continued to worsen. It was making me crazy; I like my hair low maintenance but because of the monstrous tangles I continued to get, I decided to toss another product in to help me out. Contrary to my usual obsessive pre-purchase research, I picked up a bottle of Pantene Split-Fix ($10 for 2 on Amazon + $3 off e-coupon, or $6 in drugstores) when I was out one day.

Pantene Split-Fix Front

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Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

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I developed an interest in taking care of my skin before I was particularly interested in makeup, hair, etc. I’ve had a routine for ages; it has changed over the years, and I periodically look for ways to improve it. After all, your skin does not indefinitely remain the same, so taking care of it should change along with it.

I heard about Clarisonic several years ago, but was astonished (and offended!) by the price tag. At that time, they did not have the Mia and Mia2 models, so it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $200-$250 … for a face brush. My mind was blown – bloggers who I felt were otherwise trustworthy sang its praises. I honestly thought they had lost their minds.

Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

Then, Olay came out with the Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System (always with the long product names…). Smaller than any Clarisonic on the market (still!) and at a much less frightening price-point ($30), I grew interested in it. Better cleansing than my hands can deliver? Gentle exfoliation? Hot damn! A friend picked one up before I did and expressed happiness with its performance so my interest was piqued.

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December 2013 Favorites

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December 2013 Favorites

December 2013 Favorites

1. Walgreens Dry-Touch Sunscreen Sheer, SPF 55, $10 / 2. Ponds Original Fresh Wet Cleansing Towelettes, $5 /
3. EOS Sphere Balm, Strawberry Sorbet, $3 / 4. bdellium tools 760, $8 / 5. Daisy by Marc Jacobs rollerball, $20

I am hopping on the, “Monthly Favorites,” bandwagon, and will try to post a handful of them each month. My December 2013 Favorites are listed after the jump.

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Skincare Basics

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Splash Rinsing. No one actually does this.

I wish there was a study or survey with data regarding average budgets or amounts allocated to beauty expenses. Unfortunately, it would never be accurate because we, as people, do not want to admit our own vanity. Or perhaps you’re willing to admit to it, but not to its extent.

Many people dole out for cosmetics to cover up and hide what they perceive to be imperfections. I would be willing to bet, however, that most spend more money on things to hide what they feel they need to rather than improve it. Skincare is neglected because, unlike slapping concealer on your face when you feel you need it, taking care of your skin is a daily effort. No amount of makeup is going to, “fix,” poorly cared-for skin – not even high end ones, don’t let the girl at the counter suggest that (be a skeptic!). Clean, well-cared for skin looks and feels better, ages better (who can argue with that?) and takes less effort to, “dress up,” if you will. I have also found that there is this thought that taking care of your skin = huge expense – not so. You don’t need to go drop cash at the Clinique counter or on Murad. My entire routine is readily available online, in various drugstores, and in mass merchants.

After the jump is a peek into my skincare basics and current routine. It isn’t costly, it isn’t very time consuming once you establish a routine. For reference, my skin is normal/combination T-Zone/non-sensitive.

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Beauty Arsenal

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The Basics

Everyone – whether they know it or not – has a group of favorite, staple, or go-to products. These things don’t necessarily apply to beauty, it could be anything – technology, of which I am also a fan, cleaning, etc. These don’t necessarily have to be products you use every day, but they will be ones you find yourself reaching for over and over again…and repurchasing when they’re out – these items comprise my Beauty Arsenal.

Here’s what I’m currently using that I have re-purchased or plan to – after the jump.

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Remington Pearl Curling Wand

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Pearls?! In MY Curling Wand?

If you’re shopping Remington products, it is more likely than you think!

I have a cheap, low-end tapered curling wand (unlike a traditional curling iron, no clip) that is on the way out. It was only OK at best, and I did not have plans to repurchase. Thanks to YouTube Beauty Vlogger Jaclyn Hill, I am very much so intrigued by the siren song that is the NuMe Titan 3; however, even with a good promo code it is still more than I’m looking to spend at the moment.

I realized that I really have no idea what the latest and greatest things are when it comes to styling tools, so I decided to do some homework and some e-window-shopping when I came across this Remington Pearl Curling Wand on Amazon. It is also a tapered wand and comes in two sizes – 0.5″-1″ and 1″-1.5″. Its full name is a bit of a mouthful, take a deep breath:

Remington T-Studio Salon Collection Pearl Digital Ceramic Curling Wand.

Pearl is my birthstone. I’m quite enamored of them, in fact, so long as they’re tasteful. I cannot imagine any way that combining pearls with a 410 degree (Fahrenheit) hairstyling appliance would be practical or tasteful. “Maybe they mean the color of the wand,” I thought. It is a pearlescent pink, after all–but usually when things have silly names, they have silly claims. Remington says this product:

Combines advanced technology and high-performance ceramic coatings with real crushed pearl to create a curling wand that delivers professional, salon-quality results. It quickly reaches a temperature of 410 degrees and has a high-tech, 1.5-inch barrel with ceramic coating to help you effortlessly achieve super sleek, high definition curls–without snagging or catching. Remington’s luxurious Pearl collection harnesses the precious power of pearl and Advanced Ceramic technology to create hair you can’t help but touch.

It also says:

Gorgeous salon-created curls are a breeze with the new T Studio Pearl Ceramic Professional Styling Wand. Featuring a high-tech ceramic wand infused with real pearl, this patent-pending technology provides the most advanced ceramic surface for the smoothest glide on the market. Your hair is left smooth and silky with a luminous luster.

What advanced technology? Tell us more! Nanomachines that manually hold your tresses in luscious curls? Until I have a hair appliance with Android OS or some science fiction in my hair, I don’t want to hear about your non-existent advanced technology.

A few times, it mentions high-performance ceramic coatings. This is not a solid ceramic iron. Many irons are manufactured this way including some high-end models. It is most likely a cheap metal alloy with a few very thin layers of ceramic plating. Ceramic more evenly distributes heat – a thinner, lower quality coating is not going to allow you to reap the benefits as thoroughly. The metal center makes them more (physically) durable, but the ceramic coating has a tendency to wear, chip, or peel over time. None of this makes this a bad product – but it certainly isn’t high-tech or high-performance.

My favorite part – it is infused with real pearl. You infuse teas, tinctures, and meats. Not hair appliances. A coworker of mine recently pointed out that when companies feel the need to stress that a product contains real something – cheese, chocolate, or in this case pearl – they’re being ridiculous. It is pearl or it isn’t. It is one thing to specify that a product has an imitation or artificial component, but they could definitely just say that it is, “infused with pearl.” This is marketing claptrap. “Infused,” sounds fancy and sophisticated. It is not. If the coating does have any pearl content, they took some reject cultured pearls, crushed them, and blended them with the ceramic. This isn’t magic. This is marketing.

I have not purchased or tried this iron for science to determine whether or not the pearl stuff makes any difference in how shiny your hair is or how easy the appliance is to use (regarding glide), but my money is on the fact that it doesn’t. That said, both sizes have overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon (4.5 out of 5 stars with over 1,200 reviews!) and has a very wallet-friendly price-tag of only $25. Skimming the reviews, only 4.8% of them were negative and most of them were to the tune of, “It doesn’t even have a clamp!” (aka people who had no idea what they were purchasing), “It is hard to use (because it does not have a clamp)” (Fair enough, there IS a learning curve), and the odd infrequent electrical short. Based on the abundance of good reviews, I would say it is worth trying – buy if you’re on a budget or if you are new to the world of wands.

Have you tried this wand? Leave a comment!

Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a tiny percentage should you choose to make a purchase. See the About page for more info.