Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel Review

I bought the new Just Dance over  the weekend..which is a little bit early for me since I usually wait until Black Friday to buy it. But I saw it available to purchase and decided to just go for it. The new adventure mode really reminds of the story mode in Dance Central Three..with dancing through the decades. They really ripped it off...and you would think they would have made it better. But NOPE. I played all the way through it and it was struggle because it was so boring. As are most of the songs. They should have just kept the same concept or went back to how they did 2023. I'm currently playing through the songs again. But so far..definitely my least favorite. I guess that will clear me up to purchase Grand Theft when it drops next month- I already pre-ordered it for my sister as her birthday gift. I've just been debating on whether I want to buy it when it drops for myself. 

But...we are here to talk hair gel.

Aunt Jackie claims: 

Aunt Jackie’s Curls & Coils Don’t Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel gives beautiful stretch to shriveling curls without flaking or caking. This special blend of moisturizing conditioners, flaxseed, shea butter, and extra virgin olive oil will give dry, shriveled up curls and twists a nice, elongated stretch. With nourishing omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has been widely used as a natural remedy for hair growth, anti-thinning, and overall scalp health. Regular use leaves hair soft without a crunchy, tacky feel. 

Helps achieve beautiful stretched and defined curls

Prevents dryness and flaking  Won't weigh hair down

•  For wash-n-go styles, apply as needed, raking through hair with fingers, then finger-styling hair into place. Air dry or use a diffuser on a light setting. 

  
  
  For twist and coils, apply to sections of hair, distributing to each area and combing through from roots to ends (use more for thicker/longer hair). Prepare each section according to desired style (twists, braid outs, Bantu knots, etc.). Allow hair to completely dry, then take down each section. Style as desired.
  
  
  
  
• 
  

Most of Aunt Jackie's products I would avoid for one ingredient or the other. I try to avoid micro-plastic ingredients. It is hard to avoid them because most ingredients are up for debate whether they are micro-plastics. From what I can tell- this doesn't have any.

Another thing I like to look up when purchasing hair products from the "ethnic" hair aisle is if the products are black owned. This is not. The founder and creator of the line is a black woman however. 

This line kinda reminds me of Miss Jessie's. The curl la la curl custard just looks like a Miss Jessie's product- especially being that it is called a "custard" and the product is purple. Of course the price point of Aunt Jackie's is cheaper. 

Also...Aunt Jackie has a LOT of product. I didn't realize quite how many until I went to their website. 

I thought I would start with their best selling hair gel. 

One of the most important things to me in a hair gel or any hair product is the scent. Scent can make or break a product and luckily this one smells nice. It's a fresh scent- not terribly unique. I feel like I have smelled this exact scent in other hair gels. But it's pleasant, it's fresh. I like it. It's not strong though and I don't notice it lingering around.

It doesn't dry my hair out. Some gels you use can literally feel like they are drying up your hair as you are applying and I have not had that problem. Even when it dries my hair doesn't feel crispy and dried. I do usually use a leave in conditioner with it though.

As for curl definition. Sometimes. Sometimes I use it and the curls are stretched out and defined. Which is nice. Most gels encourage extreme shrinkage. I can see the elongation with this and I appreciate it. On the other hand- there are some days I apply this and it doesn't do much of anything. You really have to get the foundation right. What you did beforehand matters. I'm sure I would get consistent results if I sectioned the hair and combed it through with a curl defining brush. But...I rarely ever do that. 

I've had some decent hair days with it though. And then some not so great hair days. 

I havne't noticed any flaking- which I did watch reviews from other people and they did have problems with that. It might make a difference what you are using underneath it though. It may call for some experimentation. 

Another thing I've seen people point out- if you are expecting a real flaxseed gel this isn't it. You probably need to get in your kitchen for that. This just has flaxseed oil  in it. It's not the same. 

Ingredients: 

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, PVP, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Polysorbate 20, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Orange) Peel Oil, Hexamethylindanopyran

Overall, it's not bad. Not bad at all. Especially for the price. I see it right now on Amazon for under $7.00 and I am positive I paid less than $10.00 in my local store. Definitely worth trying!

Molton Brown Neon Amber Bath and Shower Gel Review

 I was off today so I thought I would take another ride around to see if I could find the new iPhone in Burgundy. This is the second trip I've made out and I have had no luck whatsoever. I'm so tired of looking at my cracked phone screen at this point and I am so ready for an upgrade. Hopefully I can get my hands on one before Christmas. In the meantime -I got through another Molton Brown shower gel from my sampler kit.

Molton Brown claims:

Add intriguing warmth to your bathing ritual with our dynamic opulentbody wash, distinct with bright elemi, a sensual overdose of tonka absolute and contemporary twist of salty ambroxan.

Usually you can tell what a Molton Brown scent will be from the name- but Neon Amber doesn't really tell me a whole lot. So I had no idea what to expect. There is a descirption- but you can never really get a sense of what something will smell like based on the description. At least not in this case. It's supposed to be elemi (I have no idea what that smells like), Tonka, and ambroxan. Ambroxan is everywhere and in everything and I don't think it's a note that does anything for me. 

What this actually smells like is a men's cologne. Not a generic men's cologne. It's unique- at least to me. I don't have a lot of experience with men's cologne. I'm not sure how to describe it. It just smells like a nice men's cologne with a little dustiness to it (not in a bad way.)  

It's a nice scent. And very intoxicating in the shower but doesn't really hang around afterwards. It's not for me at all. I like a unisex scent in the shower...but not really so much into cologne type scents. But that's OK. Not everything has to be for me. It's a good quality scent and I imagine it would make a nice gift for those that love these type of scents. 

Other than that...it's Molton Brown. So it's pricey. But it works well, lathers nicely and rinses clean. It also sticks to the skin a little bit which most soaps do not.

I have the tiny size which is good for about 2/3 uses since I bought the sampler pack. It's the perfect way to try a bunch of their scents without committing the cash on the scent I may or may not like. I really like the size and the bottle has the same feel as the full size- just at a better price.

Ingredients: 

Water/Aqua/Eau, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance/Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Laureth-7 Citrate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Polyquaternium-7, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopherol, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Ppg-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Blue 1/Ci 42090, Caramel, Red 4/Ci 14700.*

Overall,  nice quality. The scent is nice...it just isn't for me. 

Maybelline Great Lash Classic Mascara in Very Black Review

 I really thought I had reviewed the most classic and iconic mascara of all time. But recently discovered I hadn't. I've reviewed remix versions..but never the OG . Maybelline Great Lash was the very first mascara I ever bought. I think I was in the 6th or 7th grade. I faithfully applied it every day and had no idea what the point was. I didn't know what mascara was supposed to do. I think I only bought it once though and then...I guess at some point I moved on to other brands. 

Maybelline claims:

After 40 years, Great Lash is still America’s favorite mascara.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara is your timeless go-to for natural-looking volume.

Small brush, big control. The small mascara brush is easy to control to target hard-to-reach corners and long and short lashes alike for buildable volume for every lash.

Lash-doubling formula. Our lash-doubling mascara formula lengthens and conditions lashes for an easy, everyday makeup look.

Hypoallergenic mascara. The hypoallergenic formula is ophthalmologist tested, allergy tested, and safe for contact lens wearers.

4 natural-looking mascara shades. Choose from Dark Brown, Brownish Black, Very Black, or Blackest Black for a volumizing mascara shade that suits your natural lash color.

Once you swipe on Great Lash Washable Mascara, you’ll see why there's been billions of Great Lashes since 1971.

Made in USA

I have used tons of mascara from Maybelline. They make great mascara.  But Great Lash is not one of them. You can get much, much better for the price. It's a water based mascara that's supposed to be easily washable, It's been around since 1971...though I'm sure the formula has been changed and it's not what you might have bought in 1971. 

It comes in the easily recognizable pink and green packaging. Classic. Although I think the old tubes look better than what is being sold now.

Before Great Lash- there was Ultra Lash from the 60's which I just found out about. I thought Great Last was the first mascara in this format. And even before that the brand was responsible for the world's first mascara all the way back in 1913.  

But I think this is the worst mascara I have ever tried and it's going in the trash after I review it. I think a better name for it would be Bad Lash. Or Sad Lash. Even Make You Mad Lash.

It's so wet. It doesn't build up. It never dries. It does a whole lot of nothing for my lashes. No volume, no length. My main issues with this is it always seems to get in my eyes and then my eyes HURT for days after. It stings my eyes for the rest of the day and causes so many problems. Happened to my eye the first time I used it. And then again yesterday-  so now I'm over it. 

It's so easy to get into the eye due to how wet it is. I like to start at the roots but with the problems this has caused me I am scared to start at the roots and it's pretty much guaranteed to drip into my eyes. Usually I hate throwing anything away and will try to work with products and find other ways to use them. But this is not worth it. 

Usually with this mascara type- I would try to wait until it dries out but I can't keep messing up my eyes.

The only positive thing I have to say about it is how black it looks. It's also a bit more on the "glossy" side which I don't normally notice in any other mascara I have bought. 

I almost forgot to take about the brush- which is so tiny. I really don't like the brush. Nor the way the handle feels when I'm applying it. 

So into the bin it will go. 

And now a look at some of the ads- which I always find fun. 

Also a commercial- the very obviously fake lashes are taking me out.

This was a fun post for me. But I really hate this mascara. I haven't disliked a product this much in quite awhile. I guess there are some people this might work for- and so maybe it's still worth trying. It just was not for me.

Trouble Funk

Quick music post today. Of a group that i feel everyone has heard their music but most people are not familiar with the group. And if you haven't heard the OG song- you have definitely heard it sampled somewhere especially if you listen to a lot of old Hip Hop.

Gotta keep the classics alive! 

Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail and Cuticle Oil Review

Less than two weeks before Halloween so I am just now starting a Halloween movie marathon. I just googled a random list and I'm gonna try to make it through as many movies as I can in the next two/three weeks. While the movie is playing...figured I would knock out a review or two. 

Sally Hansen claims: 

Instantly makes nails and cuticles look healthier, restored and rejuvenated.

Treat your nails to the ultimate in therapy! Sally Hansen's Color Therapy Nail & Cuticle Oil™ instantly restores nails and cuticles, with our exclusive moisturizing, nourishing Argan Oil formula.

When you want strong, resilient, healthier-looking nails, finish your Color Therapy™ manicure with Color Therapy™ Nail & Cuticle Oil™ .

Overall, cuticle oil is kind of a waste of money. That doesn't stop me from buying it though. I keep at least one and another back up on hand.Usually I only use this particular one when I do my nails. I like to feel like I am spoiling and pampering myself sometimes. 

This product doesn't really feel that luxurious though. Really you can use just about anything to hydrate your cuticles. My choice is usually whatever hand cream I am using. When I put on hand cream I try to remember to massage it into my cuticles too. Usually that helps with nail growth and prevents my nails from splitting as much. These days I only really reach for a cuticle oil after I have done my nails. Mostly because I don't really love this one.

It has a strange smell. It smells like it's supposed to smell better but just doesn't. Now that I've done this review I will probably add some essential oils to it to make it smell better as I use the rest up.  Easy enough. But since it is on the higher end of Sally's cuticle oils- I expected that it would have smelled better as is. 

Next up- it feels a little strange. It feels like it's coating my skin rather than sinking in. It really reminds of me of fractionated coconut oil. I prefer other oils as my cuticle oil like jojoba, almond, apricot. This one does eventually sink it...but I just don't really love the way it looks/ feels going on.

It looks hydrating enough though. I wouldn't say my cuticles feel any softer overall. But I guess maybe it's better than nothing.

The packaging it really nice though. Comes in a nice thick glass bottle. Seems you get a ton of product. And I like the brush much better than any other brush I've had in similar packaging. I even like it better than the Essie cuticle oil brush. 

I do feel like it helps to dry my nail polish a bit quicker. It reminds of drying drops. I am using a really quick dry top coat though...so not sure if it's actually drying the nails quicker or just placebo effect. 

It has a LOT of ingredients. I think unnecessarily so. I think simple ingredients like pure jojoba or shea/cocoa butters really make the best cuticle oils. 

Ingredients:

BUTYL ACETATE, ETHYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE, TOSYLAMIDE, EPOXY RESIN, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, SILICA,SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, TRIPHENYL PHOSPHATE, ADIPIC ACID, TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL, CAPRATE, ISOSORBIDE DICAPRYLATE, STYRENE, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, RICINUS COMMUNIS SEED OIL (CASTOR), CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, ETOCRYLENE, DIACETONE ALCOHOL, HEXANAL, KAOLIN, AQUA (WATER), PHOSPHORIC ACID, STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, OENOTHERA BIENNIS OIL (EVENING PRIMROSE), EUTERPE OLERACEA FRUIT OIL, N-BUTYL ALCOHOL,HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OII, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA EXTRACT (KELP), HYDROLYZED CONCHIOLIN PROTEIN, TOCOPHEROL, METHYLPARABEN, TIN OXIDE, -: MICA, MAY CONTAIN +, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007), DC RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE (CI 15850), MANGANESE VIOLET (CI 77742), BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE (CI 77163), DC RED NO. 7 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15850), FDC YELLOW NO. 5 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 19140), DC RED NO. 34 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15880), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE (CI 77510), ALUMINUM POWDER (CI 77000), FDC BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 42090), DC VIOLET NO. 2 (CI 60725), DC BLACK NO. 2 (CI 77266), DC YELLOW NO. 11 (CI 47000).

Overall, I wouldn't buy it again. I just don't like it much.

Raisin Spice Bread and Feta and Tomato Baked Pasta

 I did it. I ordered the newest Danessa Myricks palette. I feel like I was waiting all year for the palette to drop. Visiting her Instagram for a sign of the colors to come. Now that's it's dropped- I have some opinions. I'm not sure I'm thrilled about the pinks- I just feel like the past releases have a lot of pink or pink leaning purples. But maybe they will be a different tone and look different in person. I'm also not excited about the neutrals. What drew me to her palettes were they were all special colors- and now she is throwing in neutrals. Bummer. But I am excited because there are new finishes. But before I go on and on about eyeshadow- here's what I made in the kitchen this week.

I was excited for this raisin bread- it had potential but overall it was a meh for me. I think I'm just a simple girl when it comes to raisin bread and the only spice I really want is cinnamon. It was overly spiced to me. And I don't think it had enough yeast. Also mind stuck to the loaf pan. I ate it...but it wasn't my favorite and has me considering making a batch of raisin bagels to make up for it. But I'm also feeling kinda lazy so I probably won't. 

Doesn't look very appealing. But it is what it is. 

Next up a feta baked pasta. Kind of inspired by the pasta recipes I saw on Tik Tok- and also kinda inspired by a Harry Potter recipe that I don't really want to make. I just bought some feta and grape tomatoes and let them bake with some seasoning, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Once it was all melty and the tomatoes were roasted I just added chicken and pasta and dinner was served. I don't think feta makes my favorite pasta cheese sauce but it was edible. 

And that's all. Very easy week in the kitchen for me. I think this coming week I am going to be ready to really cook something.