Nexxus Heat Effexx Sleek N Style Brush

Let me preface this with - I hate 'N' in names and titles.

So I should have seen the 'Sleek N Style' and put this brush down. I also should have taken my time and waited because when I looked from my phone while in CVS to see if there were any reviews on this brush and saw none, I should have waited until I saw some feedback before I spent $16 on a brush when I can go to the Professional store and get a non gimmicky one for $6.

But I did it anyways.

According to Nexxus -

This fusion of tourmaline, negative ions, ceramics and nano silver was professionally engineered and customized to meet all of your hairstyling needs. Nexxus Heat Effexx was created to provide you with the right brushes for optimal thermal styling. These are the ideal styling tools for achieving your perfect style using heat. Our brushes use the latest technologies to heat up faster and stay hot longer for the best thermal styling results. Tourmaline eliminates frizz and seals the cuticle, locking in moisture. Ions tighten cuticle layer and seal in natural oils. Ceramics evenly distribute and hold heat longer so hair dries faster, minimizing damage. Nano silver helps eliminate hair pollutants that makes hair dry, brittle, frizzy, and eventually break.

• Use to blow dry hair straight
• Dryer warms thermal plates on inside of brush, allowing for faster drying time
• Boar bristles grip hair, smooth cuticle and distribute hair's natural oils for vibrant shine

It is basically two boar bristle paddle brushes set up so you can put the hair between them like a flat iron and then use the blow dryer on the outside to heat the plates up. I have been wanting a Hot Air Brush and the one at CVS was $50 and I thought maybe this might work just as well for a lot cheaper.

I have thin, fine, curly hair that gets very 'poofy' when blow drying and I have only had a few of stylists ever be able to straighten my hair without a flat iron. I just have tough hair to straighten, so I wasn't expecting perfection. I was however expecting a decrease in drying time. To be fair, I have only used this once, so perhaps it has a learning curve. I felt my hair didn't look as good as when using a round brush, but once I went over it with a flat iron it looks great.

But it just took forever, and ever to do my whole head. I will use this a few more times, and will update if I have much better results. But for now....meh.

Packaging - Nothing Special  3/5
Value - Gimmicky, just get a round brush 2/5
Repurchase - Already Returned! 1/5

Since I was last here...

A lot has changed in my life and my skin. Back when I started this blog, I was working for several high-end skin care lines and cosmetic lines being sold at retailers like Sephora, Ulta, Nordstroms and many Medi-Spas. Since then I have gotten out of the industry for a few reasons and been a house girlfriend, equine photographer and worked for a magazine. I miss the cosmetic and skin care world, but for some reason I keep getting railroaded here in Las Vegas. I think if I moved to another state, I might start back up.....until then, I will just love cosmetics, beautiful colors and skin care from a consumer standpoint.

As for my skin...What a nightmare!

I have always had the driest skin; I would use my Grandmother's night creams in High School because I needed the extra moisture! I would only break out here or there, but nothing major. When I was in Aesthetics school I was one of the few who didn't break out from the constant facials we got in class and the experiments we all did on our skin. My teachers exclaimed how extraordinary it was considering I have health problems and am on many medications. I learned how most chronic patients have poor skin tone and clarity due to the chemicals being put in their body from medications, not to mention break outs. But not me!

Two years ago, I switched some of my medications and was put on Methotrexate, which is a cancer medication, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus (SLE) medication and it works for Lupus (which is what I have) by lowering the immune system. The side effects of this medication are insane and it is one of the most dangerous out there, and pages and pages long - ranging from hair loss and red eyes to liver damage and lung damage. It also causes acne. Nasty acne. Life altering acne. Ok...maybe not life altering, but I am pretty self conscious.

I now have acne on my chest, my back, neck and my face. Gross icky acne. What is different about Methotrexate acne is I will get a 'spot' and even if I don't pick at it, it will become almost a boil in some cases. It will also cause scabbing and flaking around it once it has started to heal. My Doctors say that Methotrexate doesn't cause acne, but it is even on the drug information the pharmacy gives me that it does. I now also have very oily skin at age 30, which is never fun.

So now that I am no longer affiliated with any skin care companies I will be posting my reviews of the many many products I have been trying over the past two years to deal with my never ending internal acne. I have been on the search for the Holy Grail of products for years now and have had many hits and misses!

Two Years!

The other night I was unable to sleep and I remembered this blog and how I started it and never really got off the ground and then I forgot about it!

I hope to start it up again, and this time - actually keep going with it!