Ojon Review, BPAL Hoarding and WTF is up with Stila Glamour Galore sets?

I've been bitten by the haircut beast again.

My hair is now much shorter and that gives me an excuse to switch hair products again...

Here's an unlikely change: Using Ojon.

I reviewed the Ojon restorative treatment a while back and I really hated it. I have stacks of samples of it piling up around the house, so I thought I might as well give it another try.

The smell is really, uh, interesting. It smells like incense, burnt coffee and cigarettes. Oddly enough, I'm actually starting to like it.

Last time I tried Ojon I had really long hair. Now my hair is chin-length in the front and nothing in the back.

When I had long hair it made my hair limp and flat and not really all that shiny.

Now all the hair I have is virgin hair, so it's shiny already, but the Ojon treatment really makes it gleam. I leave it in overnight and wash it out in the morning. I have to be really diligent about washing it all out or it makes my hair greasy. It seems to lessen the amount of damage I do to my hair, it makes it soft and very shiny and keeps the ends looking nice.

What I like even more than the restorative hair treatment is the Shine and Protect Glossing Mist. It's easily the best smelling hair product I've ever used. It's a coconutty-sandalwoody beachy yet rich sort of scent. It's amazing. The scent isn't the only great part of the product. The way it sprays is perfect. It makes a fine mist and it's really hard to overdo the application, and it lands lightly on my hair and makes it shiny, not greasy.

I've also been using the Shine and Protect shampoo and conditioner and I really like them. They smell great and keep my hair shiny and moisturized. I'd definitely recommend them if you can get past the fact that the conditioner is the color of bile.

Ha!

I'm going through a Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab rediscovery phase. I'm in love with everything they send me- from the things I ordered to the free imp's ears that they so generously include with every order.

My problem with collecting is my tendency to hoard things. I can't wait to get my order and then the day it comes I eagerly rip open the package, smell everything and then obsessive-compulsively sort it. I sit the bottles all in a row in their boxes and I sort the imp's ears into their alphabetically organized ammo boxes, carefully weeding out duplicates. I gaze at the humongous pile of perfume I've collected. And then, when everything is perfectly organized, put it away and I forget I have it.

So, I've decided to start to love my "stash." I'm going through everything and testing and wearing and actually enjoying the unloved items in my collection. I'm paying more attention to the general catalogue items that I usually ignore, now that I realize they could be discontinued at any moment.

Black Phoenix oils are really works of art. I know I've said it before, but there's really nothing else like them.

On a less positive note, WTF is going on with the Stila Glamour Galore sets?

I splurged and ordered one for myself for Christmas, and when it arrived it was missing two items and one of the All Over Shimmer compacts was broken! I called Sephora and they sent me another one, and, wouldn't you know it, the same thing! The replacement is missing an item and both the compacts are broken!

The set is out of stock now, so I don't know if I'll be able to get another one. I really want the items that I have, but I'm not paying full price for a set that's missing $40 worth of product, on top of $40 worth of broken but still usable product. I can't be the only one this has happened to. I wonder how Sephora is going to fix the problem?

I emailed them about the second incomplete set, but lately they're taking a very long time to respond. I don't feel like calling them again. I should be able to order something and have it be complete and not broken.

I'm not giving up my Spiced Ginger lip glaze.

LUSH Skincare Sucks Anus but L'Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine doesn't.

Yeah, uh, about that LUSH skincare.

I had to add an extra day because I cheated one day. I just had to get the grease off.

The verdict: OMGWTF!!!!1

The first few days it seemed okay- my skin was clear, didn't feel stripped, no dry patches.

Now it's a whole different story. My skin is more pissed off than it has been since I took all those caffeine pills in '04. It's broken out in the worst possible way. Not little bitty bumps that I can cover with concealer and be on my merry way. Oh no, no. It's the kind that let you know you screwed up by hurting every time you move your face.

I should have known better than to wash my face with a bar of bacon grease cocoa butter.

I've found a new favorite fragrance! L'Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine. It's so interesting! It's woody, it's flowery without smelling floral, it's almost powdery, and it has this hint of flour that I keep picking up...

Another love at the moment- Comptoir sud Pacifique Vanille Pitahaya. I can't quite place what exactly it reminds me of, but it's a beautiful scent. Of course, I love anything Comptoir sud Pacifique....

Okay, time to go back to applying ice to my freakin' face...

Trying out LUSH Skincare: Sweet Japanese Girl and Gorgeous

Just out of pure curiousity, I've decided to see if LUSH's skincare really lives up to its claims.

If you've ever read the product descriptions, you'll know that they either a) don't describe the product at all or b) claim that the product can cure AIDS, cancer and global warming with just one use.

As afraid as I am to use it on my face, I can't help but be lured into trying it...

This week, I've used nothing but Sweet Japanese Girl to cleanse, and Gorgeous to moisturize.

My skin looks okay, not really any different. It feels... it feels like it's coated in an inch of wax. Ugh.

Gorgeous is absurdly expensive for such inexpensive ingredients, and it feels like rubbing candle wax on your face. It smells nice, though. Kinda like orange blossom.

I ordered some toner, and as anti-toner as I am (or used to be after trying Shiseido's amazing toner), I feel like I really need it after using Sweet Japanese Girl. You're supposed to rub the bar on your face- dry bar, dry face. It melts and scratches, and you rub it in. Then you're supposed to wash it off with a wet washcloth. It doesn't really ever come off.


Well, I'll give it until Sunday and report back.