Currently Craving : Oribe Volumista

Personally, I like to puMp up the vOluMe when styling my hair.
Just used Volumista from Oribe while visiting a friend and now it must be mine!!!! It's $29.99 at www.Oribe.com

Sometimes shopping at your friends house is better then the mall (especially when "your friend" is a hair stylist) just saying....

Loreal's Showering us with Spring goodies

Common brands that provide great results are few and far between. Loreal stands alone, always raising the bar by providing luxuriously affordable-products that everyone can afford. This spring there is a delightful array of goodies to keep you looking gorgeous.

Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfection -

The first and most likely to cause an instant grin is this little jar of preparation.

It can be worn alone or under makeup, it's a base that fills lines and minimizes the appearance of pores. Soft light weight powders within the formula provide and instant mattte look.

I've used it both alone and with make up. My forehead was the test, because lately there have been some fine lines appearing that I'm not too please about. It worked wonders and filled in with out caking and lasted all day.

As far as color discrepancies are concerned, Loreal has three moisturizing formulas to keep your face all one hue! One to combat redness, one to illuminate and add warmth to light skin tones, and one that adds glow to mediums skin tone.

Age Perfection Hydra-Nurtition

Remember that forehead I mentioned? I've been slathering this on it.  This cream penetrates deeply to hydrate and moisturize, just a couple things on the list to fight aging. I enjoyed the silkiness of the cream, definitely non-gooey.

Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum and Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara

Prior to applying mascara, the serum acts as a conditioner to protect lashes. This was my favorite. We underestimate the wear and tear caused by daily application from mascara. But who wants to by-step amazing lashes? I adore the idea of conditioning first, and the mascara went on smoother as well.

Go 360 Clean

OK, so I got a kick out of these! The cleansers feature the first ever Scrublet tool, containing 500 super soft and tiny bristles. It's reusable and there a cute storage spot for it on the cleansing bottle. It's not harsh like those disposable scrub pads and yet does a much better job cleaning out pores with out looking like your cat scratched you. I like popping the Scrublet in and out of its storage place, it's such a neat idea. And it's the perfect product for traveling too!

Colorist Secrets Shine Gloss

Sure you have colored your hair on your own at some point. But have you given yourself a shine enhancement? In ten minutes an amonia-free vibrant flow of tresses can be yours! 
The claim is that it lasts up to four weeks. It's been two weeks and my shine is still pronounced! If you don't try it now, definitely try it mid summer when your hair begins to feel the effects of sun, sand, and dryness.

If you are in the market for affordable beauty enhancing this spring (and I know you are) march down to CVS or Walgreens or Walmart or your local Supermarket or....you get the picture.

Sally Hershberger on HSN

That little HSN network continues to bewilder me. Once again they have a great new line to showcase. Sally charges about $800 a hair cut! She decided to compliment her status by creating a Luxury Line called Salon. It consists of 5 styling products that are so light in formula that they won't leave residue on hair or hands.

It's quite different then the mass market Hershberger products and HSN provides a great new outlet so that the Coiffure genius can demonstrate how to use the products on air! Check HSN for more deets!

Spread the love

Bio-Ionic has changed our hair. Let's face it, we love them. I mean, if drying your hair without major damage isn't your thing then I guess your in the wrong place. 

The temptation of over frying your hair to Perfect the "come hither" style for V-Day has hopefully deflated. Nothing says "come hither" like scrappy strands and the scent of burnt tresses.

Over frying is unnecessary since Bio-Ionic is on the cutting edge of teChnolOgy. Always looking out for us, Bio-Ionic provides the most tools that cause the least amount of damage.

And....available for a limited time, it the ruby red “I ♥ Bio Ionic” NanoIonic™ FreeStyle™ Iron: it straightens, curls, creates sexy waves and.......fights enemies? Well sort of.

Bio-Ionic is offering this  limited edition iron that is seductive and fashionably coordinated with a matching pouch and brush.

 A portion of the proceeds will be going to "Until There's A Cure Foundation", a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness to fight HIV/AIDS.

Justin in time for Valentines Day too! Get your sexy hair while feeling sexy. Who doesn't feel like a vixen when holding something as sensual as this? I liked how it did the job a bit faster then with other irons. The pouch was a plus as well, no worries about burning anything when laying the iron down. 

The Limited Edition Red “I ♥ Bio Ionic” NanoIonic™ FreeStyle™ Iron, Brush & Pouch is available at finer salons for a limited time. Trust me, you'll have your hair did before cupid can even get to his arrow. Visit Bioionic.com for more details.

Tis’ the season to glitter, shimmer and shine

Want to look your best for all your upcoming holiday festivities and New Years Eve?

Celebrity Makeup Artists Sandy Linter and Celebrity Hairstylists Eugene Toye, Ryan Cunningham and Eddie Ngai from the Rita Hazan Salon are sharing the latest trends of the season and how to achieve the perfect holiday look:

MAKEUP

All That Glitters:

* When using a glitter-based shadow, make sure to apply your eye makeup before applying your foundation. This way any residual glitter that falls will not ruin any previous applications. Any remaining glitter can be wiped away with a gentle eye makeup remover and Q-Tip.

* A trick to making glitter shadows stick is to apply a crème eyeshadow all over your eyelid. Than with your fingertips or a sponge applicator, pat on the glitter. The crème shadow helps the glitter adhere to your eyelids

Add A Little Length:

* To transform your eyelashes for a more dramatic look, try Shu Uemura’s False Eyelashes. When applying lashes, be sure to bend the lashes back and forth so the band is not stiff. After applying the false lashes and once the glue has dried clamp you lashes with an eyelash curler to set the look.

* When wearing fake lashes, do not use colored shadows. Instead use a neutral gold shadow on the lid, such as Lancôme Filigree and contour the crease of your eye with a brown taupe shade, such as Lancôme Chic; making the eyes look big and festive but not (cheap!)

Bright Idea:

* Brighter shades of lipstick always work for the holiday season. Check out Lancome’s new lipstick, La Laque Fever in Raze Red or Electric Pink. Designed to have a high potency of color and unprecedented shine; this full cover lipshine will offer you up to 8 hours of vibrant color.

HAIR

The Ponytail is a classic yet fun style for the holiday season. To achieve this look:

* Start by blowing out your hair using a volumizing spray.
* Once the hair has settled, slick back your hair and wrap a rubber band around the pony leaving a few chunks of strands.
* Wrap strand around rubber band to hide the band, and tuck leftover piece into the rubber band.
* To glam it up wear a jeweled headband

Finger Waves, classy just like the 40’s. This style works best on naturally wavy hair although these waves can be re-created on any hairstyle.

* To glam it up wear a jeweled headband
* In order to achieve this look you will need some gel, hairpins and some curlers.
* Once hair is curled under, you will want to pin the curls in place at the nape of the neck.
* Long straight pins are the key to securing your locks and holding this updo in place. Make sure to insert pins in opposite direction.

Classic Chignon (Messy Version), perfect for holiday rushing and party hopping. To create this look:

* To give hair just the right amount of movement and keep it from being too close to the head, use a volumizing cream and apply to freshly washed and well-towel-dried hair.
* Comb product through hair and put a deep side part in hair.
* Blow dry hair with a medium round brush for added body.
* Then, brush hair back into a low ponytail and fasten just above the nape of the neck.
* Begin winding the hair around the base of the ponytail, securing it underneath and on top with bobby pins as you go. Leaving the ends out.
* It’s more modern to have pieces out for a look that’s slightly undone. Use gold or colored bobby pins to spice it up for the holidays.

Attitude: Scope out the nearest mistletoe and drink in moderation. Who am I kidding? Drink lots of champagne and push the nearest hunk under the mistletoe....Don't let all that lip gloss go to waste!

Holiday Gfit Ideas #2 Hairfreé™

Lets face it. Fashionistas and Beauty Junkies have a major time deficit in their day. All the primping of hair, perfect eyeliner application, and deciding what to wear, have us running for our second cUp oF joE before 9 a.m.!

My detour usually involves leaving one step out of my routine....the straightening iron. It takes too much time,  then I have the rest of the day sans that silky sheen and sharp edged tresses, not too mention the natural wave that I only like to appear on command. It's a no win situation.

There is a new time saver, though. It's a line of brushes from hairfreé™. While these ceramic brushes will not completely replace a straightening iron, they achieve many of the benefits in little time, with out damaging your hair. My best advise would be to alternate it every other day, in-between iron use. Available in flat and round brushes, they are also self cleaning. No need to worry about all the goop adding up.

How do these mysterious brushes work, you ask? They are coated with ceramic plates and an adjustable knob, that double up as vent brushes. As the air flows through, and the ceramic heats up, hair drys in no time with out damage. The result is silky hair and if you have a natural wave, hairfreé™ will scare those strands straight! I was pleasantly surprised how the brush heated up to a precise temperature and how it was simple to clean afterward. hairfreé™ is a keeper in my vanity. Click here for video for a detailed video showing how the brushes do their magic, and visit hairfreé™ to purchase.

I usually don't talk about prices 'round here, but since our economy is still in the toilet....I can't help but mention that hairfreé™ brushes are under $20 and make a great stocking stuffer!!!

Breast Cancer Awareness

While some of you are busy taking our Beauty Poll, others are still trying to give back by making conscious purchases. Some of our favorites below may guide you!

Sweet Grass Farm Hope, Courage & Faith Fragrance Stick Set  $29.95…like a beautiful bouquet of flowers--your eye is drawn to this ensemble.  Sophisticated and charming, Carnation and Pink Peppercorn Fragrance begins with a heady burst of spicy carnation, with light notes of pepperberry.  The top notes are balanced out with the exotic and grounding notes of pink peppercorn along with green notes of cedar.  

Long lasting, yet soft and steady, the fragrance is a gentle reminder of hope for those touched by Breast Cancer.  Year round Sweet Grass Farm will support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by donating 10% of the proceeds for each sale of its Hope, Courage & Faith Fragrance Stick Set to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  www.sweetgrassonline.com    

 

DecorativeThings.com Keep Calm and Carry On Poster – $20.00 ($124.00 framed) –   Available in Red/White, Sea Green, Baby Pink, Sky Blue, and Charcoal.  

Poster Included. 1/2" wide, wood frame with Plexiglas. Screen printed by hand on high quality 170gm fine paper with a matte finish.  Imported from England.  Framed poster: 17 1/2 x 24 3/4.  Frame available in black or white. $5.00 of each poster sale will be donated to the Israel Cancer Research Fund.  www.decorativethings.com  

 

CURLS™ is proud to help the fight against breast cancer by introducing an exclusive breast cancer awareness package for October 2009.  20% of sales for the month will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  The package contains two of CURLS™’ best selling “cocktail” inspired products in a special pink CURLS™ bag ($34.00) to show support for the cause.  www.curls.biz

·         Quenched Curls Moisturizer ~ Give your curls just what they need…moisture! Use daily or alone as a second day curl refresher or under any CURLS™ styler for curl prepping. It’s “underwear for your hair.” 

·         Curl Gel-les’c (Curl Jealousy) ~ It isn’t a gel, and not quite a serum, it’s Curl Gel-les’c (pronounced Curl Jealousy). 

Hopefully these goodies will satisfy the charitable side of your gorgeous selves! 

Nano Beads Indeed!

Didn't think it would happen so soon did you? Well girls, my tresses were blessed by the arrival of the PowerLight™ Pro-Dryer from Bio Ionic®. 

In case you missed the last post explaining this magnificent invention, go back in time HERE. For the rest of you, here are the dirty deets on my review:

So it usually takes me an hour and half to freak out dry my hair. Two to three breaks are taken as well. This is a true and unfortunate fact. But necessary. My plentiful browns tresses extend way past my shoulder blades and are as thick as thieves. My arms get tired and that is why I usually take breaks. 

Then....In flies the PowerLight™ Pro-Dryer from Bio Ionic® and my life has changed forever. This gadget is all sorts of awesome. I only needed one break and it is safe to say that my drying time was cut down more then 50%!!!!

Fast drying. Check. Light weight. Check. Visible nano beads. Check. Super Soft hair with no trace of frizz? Check ++

I was asked twice if I had just had a blow out from a salon and was delightfully excited. So if it has cut down my absurd drying time, just think how quick it will dry your hair!!! Another thing i liked is that i never felt like I was burning my hair. With my other hair dryers it feels like I'm actually frying my hair and when it gets too close to the scalp...kind of burns. This didn't happen. Can't wait to use it on really cold day when I'm in a rush!

The PowerLight™ Pro-Dryer from Bio Ionic® is available at salons nationwide. For a directory of a salon near you visit www.bioionic.com. and while your on their site check out their selection of styling tools and brushes.

At lightning speed

Have you been lucky enough to try the lightning speed hair dryer: PowerLight™ Pro-Dryer from Bio Ionic® at your salon, or have you purchased it? It's available for $200 this month at salons. As soon as I get my glossy paws on it, there will be a review. In the mean time here are the deets:

The PowerLight™ uses 1875 Watts to propel excess water away from the scalp while delivering ionized & micronized molecules deep inside for deep, intensive hydration. Basically it sounds like this could be a possible God-send-time-saver for us Grecians with long thick hair. The real test would be trying this out on a briskly damp October day.

The breakthrough technology from Bio Ionic® has allowed them to create a light weight dryer with air-force needed for thick, coarse hair - as opposed to other models that give you your morning work out sans the gym membership.

One major difference is that with other heavy dryers, they may get your hair dried quickly but they also draw out all the moisture leaving it frizzy. Inside the end of the dryer barrel there are 8 white visible Nano Beads. These patent-pending beads contain NanoIonic™ Mineral –the same one that’s found elsewhere in the dryer to emit Natural Negative Ions and Far Infrared Energy. The result is double the negative ions found in other ionic dryers out today, and double the conditioning power!

I'm insanely intrigued by this product, I mean... look at its stunning silhouette! Hopefully a review will follow shortly. Check out their website at www.bioionic.com

Get Julia's Coiffure

Julia-Louis Dreyfus had a classy no-fuss coiffure at the Emmys Last Night....with the help of Oscar Blandi that is!


You can get this look too, follow these steps:

HOW TO GET THE LOOK:

STEP 1: Prep damp hair with Oscar Blandi Jasmine Protein Mist.

STEP 2: Apply Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray from roots to ends to add volume.

STEP 3: Apply Oscar Blandi Wave Enhancing Spray from mid-length to ends to create a foundation for natural looking waves.

STEP 4: Blowout hair focusing on lifting the roots for volume, accentuating the natural side part.

STEP 5: Take a 3 inch barrel curling iron and hold it vertically. Starting just above the chin, curl the hair in small sections, keeping the crown smooth so waves cascade around the shoulder.

STEP 6: Finish entire look with Oscar Blandi Lacca Hairspray for volume and hold.

All of these Oscar Blani products are available at Sephora.com

Hangover not included

There are times when I call in the troops to help me review a product. By troops, I mean two friends of different heritage (a sweet African and vivacious Italian). Both have curly hair that is hard to manage, I have very course hair (not dry) that needs extra attention sometimes, although it is straight.

The product - Curls Organic hair care for multi-ethnic women and girls. Curls brings you to the flirty moments of happy hour with the scent of each product, right down to the design. And flirting became easy for our United Nations of Coiffures once we felt our healthy hair parading around town. Cocktails for your hair!

Curls is created with certified organic ingredients and exotic oils that are hand pressed in Bali - and contain an exclusive blend of natural oils, and other yummy ingredients that your follicles will be drunkenly blissful over: aloe leaf juice, panthenol, mango, shea and murmur butter.

What's a cocktail with out a shot? Curls has a new patent pending ingredient that is a derivative of the lipids found on the hairs surface - that protects from environmental stress.



Curls offers Shampoo, conditioner, moisturizers, and styling products.


We tried the Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream and the Curl Ecstasy Conditioner. The girls with the curls in their hair loved both products and both commented separately that they had a little more body then usual with out using any extra products. The highlight was the Curl Ecstasy conditioner - that gave the right amount of nourishment to their tresses with out weighing it down.

After comparing notes, I stated the same thing! I usually only use conditioner once a week since I find it to be a little heavy. My hair was not weighed down either and I was able to style it with my usual regimin. I also loved the Cleansing Cream but it was the Curl Ecstacy that I'll be buying the next round for.

Curls can be found in salons or you can visit www.curls.biz to purchase as well.

Summer Hair

I bet you thought that my time away was going to be all play and no work. Not so! It’s been quite the opposite the last couple days and I was able to catch up with hair stylist, Anita Papatsoukis, for a quick interview. She is a super chic hair stylist outside of Athens and works out of her home near the beach, so she gets several tourists along with those bummin it for the summer. Lots of shiny manes walk through her door and others, with grim tresses. We sat on here balcony drinking coffee and I asked her just a couple of general questions.



Q. What is the biggest mistake women make regarding their hair during the summer months?

A. Well this time of year is tricky. Girls (especially Athenians) don’t want to compromise looking their best. Because of this their hair becomes dry and brittle due to over sun exposure, over washing, over use of heating products, salt water, and in many cases not wearing a hat. This is the time of year when you should take a more natural approach to styling. I’m personally amazed when I see girls with long hair, who obviously spent an hour curling and spraying, only to have a sticky gross mess on top of their head. It’s 98 degrees, and uncalled for!

Q. What is the best style for the beach or for every day?

A. For the beach, depending on length, if you can braid it and pin it up, do it! It’s the best way to preserve hair from the salt and wind. No need to get fancy, just swoop it up and wear a hat or a chic scarf on your head. It does not matter what part of the globe you live in. I’ve traveled far and wide and the girls with the healthiest hair keep it covered at the beach! If your hair is short then wearing an elastic head band to keep it out of your face with a hat on top will do the trick.

Also, if you plan on getting your hair wet, saturate it in fresh water before you go in the ocean or a pool, and add a little leave in conditioner. When hair is already wet, it can’t absorb chlorine and salt water. As far as every day goes, it’s good practice to only wash every other day. If you can, try every three days! Leave styling for the weekend and add a little anti frizz serum to keep your mane looking smooth. If you want some extra body, braid hair the night before and let it loose during the day. Or while it’s wet, add just a tiny bit of mousse and scrunch it. However the idea is to keep product usage at bay, so you don’t have to wash it.

Q. So women should forget about heating tools altogether in the summer?

A. Like I said, leave styling for the weekend. If you can deal with drying hair and not straightening it or letting it dry naturally and straightening or curling it, your better off. We underestimate how much damage the sun and heat, in general, can cause. One last thing; leave in conditioner is your best friend during the summer (coincidentally in the brutal winter as well)! Use it at the beach and a couple times during the work week.

Also once a week, use a heavy oil based conditioner or just plain olive oil. Put a plastic shower cap on and circulate a hair dryer over the cap for five minutes (this is when the heat works in your favor). Leave it in for an hour or so. Then wash normally. Getting a new stylish cut in Mid-June is also a great idea. It keeps a fresh look and takes some weight off the head.

Q. Do you have a favorite product?

A. I only use Kerastase on my clients. It’s pricy; however their line is the crème dela crème of hair care. (I couldn’t agree with her more on that one)

Jonathan

Paraben Free. Check . Vegan formulated. Check. Protection against sun rays. Check. Jonathan hair straightening lotion is something to keep in your travel bag this summer. Straightens and keeps frizz at bay so that you can enjoy the view of the bay and be camera ready for all your vacation photos. I'm liking that it's not super gooey and you really don't need to use a lot.



Available at Sephora

Beach hair

Sea water. Friend or Foe? When it comes to hair.....foe. Summer time hair can go in only one direction. Straight to frizz town via the dehydration expressway. Jane Carter comes to the rescue!

To protect your locks, the Revitalizing Leave-In conditioner creates a barrier against harmful rays. Also, Aloe Vera, a key ingredient forms a protective film on you mane that also promotes hair growth.

And with us stylish heat hording girls floating about town, Jane Carter also has a Nutrient Replenishing Conditioner. This fabulous act of nature is at its best when used stimulated with heat! It contains Green Tea that bonds the cortex of hair long term, making it stronger!
The Jane Carter Solution consists of a collection of healthy, homegrown hair care products that were created to nurture all hair types from all textures.
I'm hooked for sure since I am in a love triangle between the Sun and the Ocean with an occasional affair with swimming pools. My hair feels great after straightening and I have to say that when I did jump out of the pool and into the shower the other day, having used the leave-in conditioner prior to my personal pool party made a huge difference. It was much easier to comb through and style.

The JCS collection uses the highest quality, naturally-based ingredients that penetrate deep beneath the surface to replenish and nourish the hair and scalp from the inside out. The lovely collection consists of shampoos, conditioners, spray gels, serums, creams, and a finishing spray.

You can purchase The Jane Carter Solution at www.janecartersolution.com or at your local health food store.

Its a Wonder

As we move forward into wide spread vacation mode, it gets tricky finding the right products to take along.
All Terrain's Wonder Wash is mainly used by campers since it's mild ingredients can be used on face, body, and hair. It's biodegradable as well.

The peppermint scent is what sold me along with the under 4 buck price. It can be purchased in a 4oz bottle and a little goes a long way.

All Terrains Wonder Wash can be found at your nearest REI.

Pump up the volume

When it comes to a night-out-seeking-hairstyle, I've been using Aveda's Pure Abundance ($15) and Kerastase's Resistance Bain Volumactive ($32) shampoos for a couple years. They work wonders and make my crazy thick here even more crazy thick.
Since the credit crunch crisis has been looming over my thick hairy head, I thought that it was time to find a product that worked just as good but didn't deplete my bank account. Well, I did just that.

Loreal (who also makes Kerastase) makes Vive Pro Glossy Volume. It works just as well & I can pick it up at CVS for about 6 bucks and is 13oz compared to 8 oz. So I now alterate between the three.

Olive that and more

Yet another breakthrough in finding natural products for sensitive skin!

Mount Of Olives Soap, a Michigan based company is responsible for some very down to earth products; price wise and their ingredients as well. Most of Mount of olives soap's products are made with vegan oils, vitamins, extracts, herbs, and pure essential oils. None of their products contain rendered animal fats (tallow, lard, suet, etc.). The do use beeswax, honey, and lanolin. They don’t use any petroleum by-products like mineral oil or petroleum jelly, either.

What I've been searching for was a good toner. And boy did they deliver. My skin gets bright red and sometimes itchy with most toners. But with Mount of olives soaps face toners, I had great results and it will now become a staple in my Kaboodle.

The most impressive product for me, had to be the Glory shampoo and conditioner. With Coconut oil listed as one of the main ingredients it frightened me a bit (i'm not into oil on the hair and face). Much to my surprise it did not weigh down my hair at all and I was able to style it as usual with out any set backs (gals I know u know what I'm talking about when new products come into play).
A couple of my other favorites were the oil tree body cream and carrot vitamin soap. You can purchase all the natural and lovely items and learn more about Mout of olives soap at
www.mountofolivessoap.com