The New Gym Bag Essential: Colab Active Dry Shampoo

colab active dry shampoo

A new, magnificent racehorse of a product joins the Colab Dry Shampoo* stable: Colab Active. I’ve been very excited about this one, not least because it will give me some motivation to do some exercise; a dry shampoo that has been formulated for gym bunnies, sports heroes and people who generally like the outdoors. In actual fact, even if you hate the gym, are useless at sport and rarely set foot out of the front door (hello fellow people who work from home!) you will love this: it’s the same brilliant Sheer & Invisible formula that is already so popular around the world, but with added Moringa Seed Extract. Not only is the Moringa nicely conditioning (the dry shampoo has a sort of silky feel, I think, despite it still being brilliant at absorbing oil), it offers the hair some protection against UV damage and pollution, so if you’re regularly running through the city or walking to work, this is like a spray-on haircare helmet.

HA! Where do I come up with these things? Thank God I’m not a copywriter. Spray-on haircare helmet. Seriously, though, this is sort of a “dry shampoo ultimate”; more oil-absorbing than the original Sheer & Invisible (a little more residue, as a result, but still very minimal in comparison to most other dry shampoos) and with the added Moringa benefits, it’s brilliant for pre-workout protection and post-workout freshen-ups. Or just for getting rid of oiliness and plumping your roots throughout the day, which is generally what I tend to do. Though I am definitely starting my exercise routine properly this week. Definitely…

Colab Active is scented with my favourite Colab fragrance, Monaco: it’s fresh and cologne-y, but with a warm and sexy undertone. Lemon, bergamot and neroli; amber, musk and vetiver – it’s like a chic, expensive seaside resort in a can. Hence the name Monaco. There are also notes of driftwood, seaweed and oak, which gives it a beautiful beachy smell – people are always asking which perfume I’m wearing. I’m like my very own walking billboard! Except a sort of scratch and sniff billboard, not a visual one. And you don’t have to scratch me, I just kind of waft the smell about when I move my head. Like a gigantic reed diffuser.

colab active dry shampoo

If you’re using the Active dry shampoo when exercising then I’d recommend spraying it liberally into your roots before you do your work out. Afterwards, you can simply brush out the dry shampoo, along with any oiliness, and then reapply to your fresh-feeling hair if you want to give an extra bit of jazzing up in the roots department. You can do this before bed, too, if you’re using dry shampoo between hair washes. I wash my hair every two or three days, but my roots get lank after around twelve hours. (Oh joy.) If I spray a bit before bed and brush out in the morning then I can keep my hair looking relatively bouncy and nice – prolonging whatever style it’s in so that I don’t have to re-do it.

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Benefit Brow Genie FAQ

  1. What platforms does the Benefit Brow Genie work on?
  • The Brow Genie is accessible on desktop, tablet, and mobile (responsive site).

  1. I can’t take or upload my photo… whenever I try, I just get a black screen…  
  • It could be that you need to allow access to your camera under “privacy” in your settings. Here are the steps to fix this:
    • Go to your settings
    • Go to privacy
    • Go to camera
    • Make sure Safari is enabledUnknown

  • It could also be that your browser is in “private” mode. 
    • You can disable private mode by tapping “private” on the bottom left hand corner of the safari browser screen. Unknown-1

  • NOTE: for security reasons, there is no way to circumvent a browser or operating-system-enforced setting like this. Private Browsing should be disabled in general anyway, to ensure the site can store temporary session data. If people do not want wish to disable this, they can upload a photo rather than take one directly from the tool/browser.
  1. I can’t take or upload my photo… whenever I try, it just takes me back to the “Give Us Your Best Shot” pop-up screen. 
  • Unfortunately, this is an issue due to Apple/iOS 8.0.0 that was fixed by Apple in their iOS 8.0.2 release. If you upgrade to iOS 8.0.2, you shouldn’t run into this issue!
  1. I can’t take or upload my photo… whenever I try, I get an “ error” pop-up message.  
  • It could be that the photo you are trying to use is getting returned or denied because it is too tricky to map. Try again and make sure you follow the tips below:
    • Take a selfie (portrait)
    • Look straight into the camera
    • Don’t tilt your head
    • Pull hair back behind ears
    • Good lighting is key
    • Relax your pretty face
  • Please make sure of the following and then try again:
    • Less than 10MB
    • At least 2 in. x 3 in.
    • In JPG, IMG or PNG format
  1. Can I save my results and my Brow Genie recommendation? Can I create an account to save your photo and results?
  • The only way to save your results is by emailing them to yourself. To do this, scroll down below your custom recommendation to the “Save & Share” section. Not only can you email the results to your self, but you can share them with a friend by inputting your email into the form (see screenshot below)!
  • Untitled
  1. Can you create an account to save your photo and results?
  • At this time, the Brow Genie does not allow anyone to create an account to you’re your results to. As mentioned above, the only way to save your results is by emailing them to yourself. We are hoping to include this in a future feature release.
  1. Will you share my email with a third party?
  • No, your email is safe with us gorgeous. We will not share your email with a third party.

 

  1. Does the Benefit Brow Genie work outside of the US?
  • At this time, the Benefit Brow Genie only works in the US.
  1. How can I delete my image?
  • We take your privacy very seriously. All photos are uploaded to our secure cloud server and are assigned random identifiers. Therefore, no photos can be traced back directly to a user and are not linked to any user’s personal information (such as their GPS location, name, email, device, etc). Every photo will be deleted from our server 3 months from the time the image was taken, uploaded or posted.
  1. When you revisit the site from the same device, does it remember you?  Or do you need to take a new picture?
  • The Benefit Brow Genie does not remember you when you revisit. The Benefit Brow Genie uses one-time cookie based sessions that one-time use session that expire when you close the browser.

 

  1. Is my image stored in connection to my location?
  • The only reason location-based services are involved is to show the user their 3 nearest brow bars/locations (pulled in from our global store locator API). No user location information is stored on the site back-end.
  1. What Facial Recognition software does the Brow Genie use?
  • Face++

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My Filming Equipment, Moka Mascara and some Crazy Animal Close-Ups…

ruth crilly makeup videos

1) I have a new background for shooting my makeup videos against; a chic, blue-ish mid-grey. This will be of limited interest to most of you, but a few people asked on Instagram for details – it’s a Lastolite background and you can get them from photography shops. They do all kinds of colours. Quite pricey, but probably more long-lasting than the cheaper versions and they fold around themselves in a kind of figure-of-eight so that the whole thing fits into a little circular bag. (I say little, it’s just over two feet across.) So there you go, curious people – the rest of you can wake back up again. Just as an FYI, I shoot most of my stuff on a Canon 650D with an STM lens (you need to get the quiet lens, otherwise the autofocus makes a constant noise on video. Unfortunately the good lens costs more than the actual camera, but it’s a necessary evil!). The lighting here is just daylight from a window – I’d say that 90% of my filming is done in natural daylight. I like to give a true representation of how the makeup looks – it’s not very forgiving, but hey. (I’m also lazy and can never be bothered to set my lights up!)

guerlain maxi lash mascara in moka

2) Get this mascara before it goes; it came out last year and there can’t be very many left in existence, but it’s one of the best brown mascaras I’ve ever found. I love Guerlain’s Maxi Lash anyway, the original is just supremely good, but the Moka shade is the creamiest brown and it manages to still retain the “oomph” of a black mascara whilst being really flattering on blondes and the very fair-skinned. Find it online for around twenty quid – it’s at Escentual.com here.

mr bear british shorthair cat

3) Crazy cat and dog close-ups. You’re very welcome. Have a wonderful Sunday! You can read all of the Sunday Tittle Tattle posts by clicking here.

dexter the cockapoo dog

The post My Filming Equipment, Moka Mascara and some Crazy Animal Close-Ups… appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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Make an Instant Comeback!

Long work days and long summer nights can really get us feeling tired. Not that we’re complaining! You know better than anyone we’ve got a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude, but we’re also not 18 any more so making a quick comeback from a long night out doesn’t happen as soon as we’d like.

Luckily for you (and us!) we’ve created a new face serum that has the perfect solution to turn on your bright side to make an instant comeback!

InstantComeBack_Bottle

This age-defying booster serum, instant comeback, instantly boosts the youthful look of skin—did we say in an instant? The fast absorbing formula with tri-radiance complex helps protects against visible signs of aging. No more tired skin! Instant comeback will plump up those cheeks (in a good way) and make your skin feel firmer, smoother…oh, maybe even energized!? Hehe, just kidding. You may need a nap for the energy part.

Pair this with your other Benefit skincare faves and you’ll have the most hydrated this summer!

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Don’t Worry About It: 8 Beauty ‘Mistakes’ You Shouldn’t Be Getting In A Flap Over

Every single day us women are told off for the beauty ‘mistakes’ we’re making and unsurprisingly can be left feeling like a naughty schoolchild (or a female failure) as a result. There are so many beauty rules and regulations set by the media (including us bloggers!) but realistically none of us will ever be able to follow them to the letter – be it time, energy, understanding or finances preventing us from doing so. Although there are certain things I would recommend either avoiding or adopting, there’s also a tonne of stuff that’s really not worth getting in a flap over; you’re not going to ruin your body if you skip a step, forget to take off your makeup effectively or use a touch of sulphate-enriched shampoo on your head, but it is important to be aware and informed so you can choose what’s right for you. Here are the eight ‘mistakes’ many of us make, and why you shouldn’t get in a flap over them.

1. SKIPPING SERUM AND/OR EYE CREAM
Don’t get me wrong, I love a complicated skincare regime as much as the next beauty obsessive, but sometimes it’s ok to skip that extra step. I understand that adding four layers beneath your makeup can cause more problems than it helps if you don’t get it right (the key is to only apply a touch and not coat your face in a light layer of goo,) so if you feel like serum or eye cream isn’t for you then that’s cool. Just make sure you have a regime that works for your needs.
2. REACHING FOR A FACE WIPE
Yep, still hate them, but face wipes do serve a purpose: to help remove the superficial layer of dirt we see in the mirror after a long night out/the day that felt like it was never going to end. Although they will only ever remove the top layer of makeup and offer nothing in the way of a deep cleanse, something is better than nothing. Just don’t make it a regular occurrence as the alcohol can dry out skin, while the remaining grime on your face will inevitably cause breakouts.
3. NOT DOUBLE CLEANSING
Us bloggers have got a tendency to preach about double cleansing, when in actual fact it’s not right for everybody. If you wear heavy makeup and/or SPF you should definitely be cleansing twice in the evening to ensure your complexion is squeaky clean, but if you suffer with dryness or irritation, wear only a little or no makeup, or simply have a tendency to over scrub, then a singular cleanse may be all you need. If you’re prone to breakouts, acne or rosacea, then definitely stick to a gentle single cleanse.
 
4. TURNING UP YOUR STRAIGHTENERS
I come from the generation of women who had to turn their straighteners up to full wack to get them to do anything; but that was before GHDs and scorching temperatures that could practically sever a finger. I’m sure we’re all guilty of using our appliances on the hottest setting, but the most important thing is you apply a heat protection spray so you don’t burn off your tresses – and that you regularly embrace putting down the tools.
5. USING TOO MUCH DRY SHAMPOO
Dry shampoos are designed to draw out moisture from the hair and scalp, removing the ‘lank’ feeling that can often occur between washes; however, when overused they can actually remove too much moisture. (Find out more here) Despite that, dry shampoo is one of the biggest must-haves and is used so often that we can’t really remember a time without it. Rather than ditching it or feeling guilty, opt for a lighter and more natural version that won’t clog the hair follicles – your head will be happy, plus you can get those extra minutes in bed.
6. FORGETTING A BASE COAT
One of my biggest beauty hates is that inevitable staining when you’ve removed your dark nail polish; what is is about deep reds that leave a mark on your fingers for days to come? We’re told we should always use a base coat in order to provide protection and help to strengthen the nail, but in my experience it really doesn’t make that much difference – especially now many polishes are enriched with ingredients that are supposed to offer a base coat effect anyway. Take my advice and skip this extra step in favour of applying a top coat; at least that may help with longevity!
7. DYING YOUR WHOLE HEAD (NOT JUST THE ROOTS)
Every single time I open a new box of hair dye, I whimper at the thought of having to apply it in a two-phased approach; it doubles the time and effort, when all I want to do is chuck it on and get rid of those greys. Although it is better for your hair to apply to the roots for the majority of the time, topping up the rest of your locks in the last few minutes, realistically you won’t overly damage your barnet by chucking on more dye – especially when most of the time it’s already saturated with the same colour. If your priority is those annoying greys, get on with it and then get on with your life.
8. NOT CARING ABOUT INGREDIENTS
There’s so much information online about parabens, silicones, sulphates and so on – and even more so about opting for organic or embracing the natural. Although I’m a firm believer in being informed and making purchasing decisions that work for you, you’re not going to die from a bottle of shampoo. (If you think you are, please stop reading the Daily Mail.) If you care passionately about what you put on and in your body, that’s great – but equally if you really couldn’t give a toss that’s absolutely fine too.

Do you worry about any of these beauty ‘mistakes’ creeping into your daily life? Are you fed up of being made to feel like a rubbish woman because you don’t use seven products on your face every morning, or because you go through a bottle of dry shampoo a fortnight?

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