Sparkle and Fade

I've been feeling the pinch over here on the Hill...maybe all the talk of appropriations and budget cuts have seeped into my beauty budget. I'm also trying to save up for some new summer products and maybe even that Serge Lutens Datura Noir I sniffed in LA. I'd consider selling my soul, but somehow I doubt that would cover it.

So, I've been beauty shopping at Target since I can walk there (saving on gas! and eco-friendly!) and it is, how do I say...cheap.

After reading a blurb in The Express (the free daily version of the Washington Post which is handed out near every Metro stop and bus station in the District and becomes extremely handy on those days where I have run out of magazines and my attention span is way to short for a book) I picked up a bottle of Dove Advanced Color Care Leave-In Luminizing Mist for Lightened Hair. Sweet God, that is the longest cosmetic product name ever. It's like the executives at Dove read "Naming Your Beauty Product" by James Joyce.

I'm not really sure what I expected from this product, but I don't think I got anything from it.

The liquid inside has all of these shimmery sparkles, and I guess I thought that they would translate into sparkly hair, but no. Also, it doesn't smell that great. I actually used up most of my sample of Oscar Blandi Jasmine Serum to cover up the smell. (Have I told you how good that stuff smells?? Yes? Several times you say? Well, it smells awesome. So there.)

Once I had it in my hair and then covered up the smell, I had forgotten what it was supposed to do. So I refered to the handy-dandy press release from the Dove website: Advanced Color Care for Lightened or Highlighted Hair leaves lightened hair noticeably soft, smooth and luminous, without weighing it down. New Dove Advanced Color Care Leave-In Luminizing Mist detangles lightened hair instantly, improving manageability for easy combing. Just apply it from roots to tips after your daily shampoo and let it work — there's no need to rinse it out. The lightweight mist leaves hair silky and adds shine without weighing it down.

Ummm...thanks. That's supremely unhelpful. My hair doesn't usually get that tangled and it felt just as soft as when I don't use the sparkly spray.

So, my verdict here is that my experiment in bargain beauty was a small disappointment. Maybe I'll peel the label off of the bottle and pretend it is a really small lava lamp.