If having great hair was as easy as what celebrity stylists told us, no one would be walking around with frizzy or lackluster locks. The real problem is that no one has the time to devote. They need wowing ingredients in basic products.

Even so, I’m not willing to fork over $20 a bottle when it goes down the drain. I’ve always had good results with drugstore hair care, so why stop now? Read on for my thoughts on the Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Collection!

First off, the Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Shampoo ($8.79 US) has no real standout scent like Herbal Essences, but I like the thicker texture. Because I have long hair, I use a silver dollar-sized dollop.

I don’t feel the shampoo does anything special alone, but with the conditioner, I can feel the effects. The shampoo is not as creamy as Dove’s but that’s fine since I get more lather as a side-effect.

I always use a generous amount of conditioner and leave it in for a while before rinsing, so I like the dense, rich texture of the Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Conditioner ($8.59 US) because I feel like it’s moisturizing my hair cuticles.

I can’t vouch for those who have extremely damaged or dull hair, but since mine isn’t, I can feel the difference already. My hair feels smoother and silkier. Although I wouldn’t say it shines like ice, there is a subtle glossiness.

I’ve recently started to do a lot of hair curling, and realized that hairspray was required for keeping curls intact. I’ve never tried one before though, so I’m not quite on board with the Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Maximum Hold Hairspray ($4.99 US).

I  like the strong hold for this hairspray, but I feel the nozzle doesn’t distribute the product finely or evenly enough. Crunchiness is also a little too much, but shininess is superb so check this out if you’re willing to work with spraying in even sections.

To give you an incentive to try their line, Pantene has an interesting offer. If you are unsatisfied with their products, Pantene will switch you back to your old brand (up to $20) with receipts. Read the details here.

In conclusion, I was so happy with the results of the Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine shampoo and conditioner, that I recently purchased, of my own volition, a shampoo and conditioner from the Pantene Nature Fusion Line which I will review.

Do you use Pantene products? Are you planning on participating in their offer? Share your thoughts!

This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR.   We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.

When I wasn’t as obsessed with beauty as I am now, I remember playing with my little Hard Candy Take Out Makeup Kit…the packaging was just so cute! Unfortunately, Hard Candy disappeared from the market…

Well, there’s no reason for me to be sad any longer, Hard Candy is back at Wal-Mart with a price point of less than $10 each for the Recessionista in all of us!

Hard Candy Take Me Out Eyeliner ($5 US) in Soy.  These eyeliners are just the cutest pencils in their chopstick packagaing! Soy is a dark black with charcoal-blue undertones.

It’s very smooth but the texture is a little too hard for the waterline -I’d keep these on the lashlines. The eyeliners are very long, however Soy smudged quite a bit on me by the end of the day.

Hard Candy Take Me Out Eyeliner ($5 US) in Geisha.  This is the most amazing royal, grape purple! It pops on my lower lashline, but doesn’t make me feel like a clown.

The texture is harder than Urban Decay’s 24.7 Glide on Eyeliners, but I love the pigmentation for this shade. Weirdly enough, Geisha smudged very little on me, unlike Soy.

Hard Candy Take Me Out Eyeliner ($5 US) in Rice. I don’t like blue-ish, silver eyeliners, thanks to a certain bad experience with a  Wet ‘n’ Wild Eyeliner. Rice, changed my mind.  It’s very smooth, despite the hard texture, and smudged minimally on me.

It’s not as pigmented on my lashline as I would like, but it looks great smudged along the top lashline for a day-time smokiness.

Hard Candy Mouthing Off Lipgloss in Piglet ($6 US).  I love my pink lipglosses, but sometimes I want to experiment. Piglet gives me a chance to play a little with a sheer blue toned fuchsia that has tons of shimmery pink.

On my lips, it translates into a lilacy lip with lots of fuschia shimmer – totally wearable. The only gripe I have is that it smells too sweet like creme brule; I prefer mint or non-scented please!

Hard Candy Eye Candy Sparkle Cream Eyeshadow & Glitter Eyeliner in Flashy ($5 US) is a little too much for everyday, but when you really want to rock out  -maybe for a party – disco silver cream shadow is the way to go!

I love the flecks of sparkle and glitter in Flashy, but it can be sheered down for the glitter shy. The eyeliner itself is not at all glittery, sadly, and reminds me of Rice.

For this party-worthy eotd, I just patted on a thick layer of Flashy with my finger onto my lid and applied Take Me Out Eyeliner in Soy on the lower lashline. As you can see, Soy is a bit smudgy, but it could work for you, if you’re going for the smoky, rockstar look!

What do you like so far from Hard Candy’s Makeup Line? Any major hauls being planned out?

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This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR. We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. We promise to remain truthful in our editorial content in an effort to provide honest reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure page.

I’ve tried a fair amount of cleansing wipes in the past.  But I love none more than Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes.

Here are three reasons why:

1. They Work – Like most other cleansing wipes I’ve used, they get deep into my skin and take away all the makeup on my face after a long day.

I first used these on a day I had a thick, smokey eye on and I couldn’t believe how easy it all came off, better than even the beloved MAC wipes.

2. The Price – You can’t beat drugstore prices, especially when you find deals on sale. You can buy a bunch and keep ‘em in your gym bag, travel bag and definitely bedside (which is when I use them).

Because they’re so affordable, I’m starting to use these to clean my makeup brushes too, alternating between my MAC Brush Cleaner.

3. The Way They Make My Skin Feel – Other cleansing wipes I’ve used have been on the wet side compared to these.  I always feel like I need to towel off my face after I use them and usually loosely put the lid back on the dispensers so they dry out a little.

But these have the perfect amount of moisture from the get-go, which I like better.  They also leave my skin feeling a little tingly and cool – makes me feel like it’s really working to get all the yucky bits out.  And in the morning, my face is as soft as a baby’s bottom.  What more can I ask for?

What are your favorite makeup removing wipes?  Have you tried these new Deep Clean ones from Neutrogena yet?

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I’ve always been envious of ladies with thick and wavy locks.  Since my hair is thin, fine and won’t hold a curl even if my life depended on it, I’ve gracefully accepted that my hair will never be any of these things.

But that doesn’t mean that I can’t strive for healthy, shiny looking hair.

I went through a little bit of a rough patch a couple of weeks ago when I hadn’t had a chance to unpack from relocating yet and was using a shampoo and conditioner combo that just happened to be in the house but that wasn’t made for my hair type.

For more than a week, my mane felt heavy, flat, and the premature grease factor was the final straw for me.  I finally threw in the towel and went searching for the Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Shampoo and Conditioner I had stowed away in a box somewhere.

After just a couple of washes, I could almost hear the sigh of relief from my hair afterwards. 

Tousle Me Softly Shampoo and Conditioner ($2.99 US each) worked well to cleanse without stripping away essential oils, keeping my hair feeling moisturized and soft – yep, healthy and shiny again.

It seems that pomegranate is the buzz ingredient in a lot of beauty products lately, and but so far everything I’ve tried with it, including these, has delivered favorable results so I’m jumping on the band wagon.  But while I like Herbal Essences new Tousle Me Softly collection so far, I’m definitely not riding off into the sunset without testing out their “wet to set” product claim until I try it.

As I mentioned earlier, my hair doesn’t like to keep curls but I’m hoping that styling with Tousle Me Softly Mousse and setting with Tousle Me Softly Hair Spray ($2.99 US each) will do the trick.  Stay tuned for more on that..

Have you tried this new hair collection yet?  Let me know what you think of the styling products and if you have any tips for me when I test it out!

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I wish I could say that I’m super confident and bold, but I have to admit I’m the quiet, shy girl. With tons of people crowding the hallways, how am I supposed to be noticed at school?

To stand out in the crowd, I let my makeup speak volumes instead of my lips! For a great conversation starter, turn heads with an amazing makeup look that’s teacher-approved.

The easiest way for me to do this is by making my eyes look more bright and awake. White gold shadow, brightening navy liner, and lifting mascara; there’s nothing better.

I start off this budget-friendly look by applying Prestige Eyeshadow in Glisten ($3.99 US) all over my lid.  This pale gold highlighter with gold sparkle opens up my eyes, making them look bigger.

The shadow is impressively pigmented and looked great on my sister too, who’s about 2 shades darker than me.

For a bit of a twist, I line my lower lashline with CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eyeliner in Radiant Sapphire ($7 US). The deep navy makes the whites of my eyes look brighter. The eyeliner itself stayed on me for 6 hours without fading or smearing, which is more impossible than getting me to run 3 miles for fun!

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Lift and Define Mascara in Jet Black ($7.99 US) helps lift my lashes up so that my eyes look even more large and alert. I like the flirty curl I get, but a thumbs down for the slight clumpy factor with more than 2 coats.

The rest of the face is finished off with a cream rose gold blush, Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petal ($6.89 US), for an innocent air of mystery. I love the whipped texture and gold shimmer laced through; it makes this blush seem more expensive.

Natural looking lips with Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm ($7 US) taste yummy and feel moisturizing.

My finished look got me two compliments from strangers at the mall, yet looks totally appropriate for school. It’s a classic with navy and white, with a slight twist of gold shimmer in the eyeshadow and blush.

I’m really loving this look, and can’t wait to sport it some more!

What’s your go-to look for school? Any moms out there with teen daughters? What kind of looks would you like to see on your daughter?

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