Hair

High-End Heat Styling for High-End Hair With the ghd Curve Soft Curl Curling Iron

February 17th, 2015 by Karen 21 Comments

The new ghd Curve Soft Curl Iron, $245, available now at Neiman Marcus stores and online at neimanmarcus.com

Oh, heavens…

Is it a curling iron or a high-performance race car? It’s hard to tell based on the specs for the new ghd Curve Soft Curl curling iron.

Check it:

1 ^1/4” large ceramic barrel for volume and soft, smooth tumbling waves
Six quick-thinking sensors set in three zones of the barrel ensure an even internal curling temperature of 365 °F for fast, long-lasting curls
A thermo-protective tip at the end of the barrel provides a safe, cool place to hold the iron
A built-in safety stand keeps the iron secure so it won’t be rollin’, hatin’, patrolling or otherwise riding dirty when you set it down
A swiveling professional-length cord prevents tangling
Convenient illuminated power button
Makes a sound when powering on (it sounds like a chorus of hair angles singing, “Ahh!”)
Automatic sleep mode powers off the iron after 30 minutes of inactivity
Universal voltage regulator allows it to be used all over the world
Quickly heats up after powering on; ready to use in about 30 seconds

Seriously, that’s some fancy sh*t! 🙂 It might even be able to do your taxes.

Soft Curl comes with all the bells and whistles…as it should, considering that it costs $245!

Yes, that’s right. All of the curling irons in the new Curve line by ghd are priced like that.

And all of them are designed for specialized jobs, like this one, the Soft Curl model, is the one you want if you have long hair and want big curls and big volume.

So is it worth the price?

Yes, it just might be if you curl your hair often (at least a few times a week) and have some very specific hair-curling pet peeves or needs (like an extra long swiveling cord and a quick heat-up time).

If not, you’re probably better off getting something for $20 from Ulta.

Wow, though. This bad boy works fast! I have what my friend/stylist Alis jokingly calls “vampire hair,” meaning that I have a good amount of it, and it usually takes me anywhere from 20-40 minutes to use a curling iron, depending on the style I’m going for, but curling with the Soft Curl takes half the time.
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For Messy, Choppy, Loose Waves, There’s Alterna Perfect Texture Finishing Spray

December 9th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Alterna Caviar Perfect Texture Finishing Spray ($28), also known as “a perfectly acceptable alternative to Oribe’s bomb-diggity (but much more expensive per ounce) Dry Texturizing Spray.”

I spray it on after curling to get the choppy/messy/loose waves thing I like sporting. You can use it as a dry shampoo, a root lifter or a light hold hairspray.

I like it…but I think I prefer Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray a little more overall. That stuff’s the Jay-Z to my Beyonce.

Awesome, it’s Broken!

I can’t remember how I came across it, but have you seen Broken? I caught it last night on Netflix and really enjoyed it.

It’s a quirky (and sometimes very grownup) coming-of-age story about a young girl, probably around 12, named Skunk (played by Eloise Laurence), who’s right at that in-between stage before becoming a full-fledged teenager, and she’s precocious and adorable and awkwardly sweet. One of those girls who’d be a great friend.

The movie also stars Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy, who both turn in great performances.

Just as a heads up, there are some pretty intense, emotionally charged scenes in the movie, where you might want to cover young eyes if you’re watching with the kids.

Now I’m looking for something new to watch. Have you found anything good lately on Netflix?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It Keeps Getting Shorter…

December 8th, 2014 by Karen 36 Comments

As in my hurr!

It keeps getting shorter…and darker!

My latest hair adventure was inspired by this shoulder-length ‘do on Megan Fox.

My friend Alis at Fox + Stone salon in Corte Madera took off about three inches from the bottom and added more layers around the front of my face.

She also did a darker base with warmer highlights.

I’m still trying to figure out how to do the super loose and choppy waves Megan’s wearing in this pic…but I’m working on it. When I tried today I ended up with bouncy curls instead of loose and choppy waves.

Getting closer though…

Give Your Hair a Hand Fighting Frizz in High Humidity With Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste

December 3rd, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set — That’s Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste hair, yo!

Try to ignore for a second the bright lips in this pic (it’s Kat Von D Bachelorette), and focus instead on the hair.

The hurr!

Note how well-behaved it is…like a previously unruly child who gets suddenly very still and quiet when you mention taking her to Baskin-Robbins if she stops misbehaving.

It’s been raining more or less non-stop here for more than a week, and that means high humidity, which in turn usually means horrendous frizz.

But a few products from Kerastase’s new Discipline Bain Fluidealiste anti-frizz line are helping to keep my hair from throwing any wild fits.

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Kerastase Carre Lissant Hairstyle Touch-Up Sheets for Hair Do the Dryer Sheet Dance to Fight Frizz

November 26th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Tonight, in Urban Legends of the Beauty World…

Long, long ago in a town, far, far away, a girl did something unfathomable!

It was the night of the big winter semi-formal, and she was getting ready at home. Her date — a cutie, of course — was on his way to pick her up, but her hair was a frizzy mess.

Ding-dong! The doorbell rang downstairs.

In a moment of random panic/fortuitous kismet, the girl grabbed an old dryer sheet from the trash and ran it over the top layers of her hair.

Miraculously, her wild, wayward strands were smoothed! Huzzah!

Or so the story goes…

Well, Kerastase is taking that idea and making it less MacGyver-ish, and more hair-friendly, with their new fancy-schmancy Carre Lissant Hairstyle Touch-Up Sheets ($28.50 for a box of 50).

They’re basically the same idea. Each sheet contains a waxy-feeling, smoothing product to fix fly-aways and frizz, but instead of scenting your mop with Eau de Snuggle Bear, they leave behind a soothing lavender fragrance.

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When You’re Suddenly Struck by an Urge for Pink Hair, There’s Redken Color Rebel Temporary Hair Makeup in Punked Up Pink

October 30th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Redken Color Rebel Punked Up Pink — Good morning!

This morning, shortly after my second cup of coffee but before I put on any makeup, this happened.

Yes, I’m rocking pajamas, and I have not yet filled in my brows (wassup, Raul?!), but I so overtaken by the pink power of Redken’s Color Rebel Hair Makeup in Punked Up Pink ($25) that I couldn’t wait to take pics.

With a low mess factor, it’s a super-easy-to-use temporary hair color. I did this in about 20 minutes.

This color, Punked Up Pink, leans a little more magenta than pink on my dark chocolate brown hair.

The thick, water-resistant formula starts out like a lotion but dries to a fine powder, which, I’m learning right now, lasts through blow drying and styling with a round brush. It’s also supposed to stand up to flat ironing, curling and other kinds of styling, but I haven’t tried those yet.

Twisting the applicator dispenses the product, which comes out through a sponge at the top.

You apply from the sponge directly to dry hair, comb it through, and either wait for it to air dry, or use a blow dryer to speed things along. Apply additional layers for more color intensity.

Redken says that after it sets, the color can last up to two shampoos, depending on how porous your hair is and how much of the product you use.

A couple things though…

Use gloves. The product doesn’t come with a pair, but I wish it did. I thought I’d be able use it and just walk away without pink fingers if I washed my hands between layers (I did two or three for each section of hair), but even with washing and trying to be careful, I have a couple of bright pink freckles on my fingers.
Wait until you’re done applying the color before you style your hair. The lotion-y formula starts wet, so any heat styling done before using it will go bye-bye.
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I Like Big Buns, and I Cannot Lie: The $5 Mia Beauty Bun Ease Subdues Savage Strands and Sends Scrunchies Scurrying

October 24th, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

These days, I have about this much patience for my hair…

Seriously, I just can’t freaking deal! Even the curling iron feels like too much work.

So lately I’ve been all about #thatscrunchielife, because it only takes about 10 seconds to either corral my mane into a low side pony…

…or put it up into this haphazard ponytail/bun number I lovingly call my “crazy cat lady hair.”

I have come to the realization, however, that as tempting as it is, woman cannot live on scrunchies alone. Eventually, we have to leave the house, and when we’re out there in the big, bad world, it really does help to look like a responsible citizen. It makes strangers less likely to run away when you say things like, “I’m looking for a velvet king or princess costume for my 20-pound cat.”

In that vein, and to expand my hair style horizons, I’ve started using the $5 Mia Beauty Bun Ease.

I grabbed it primarily because of the instructions on the box, which make using it sound so easy (“Just tuck and roll!”). The six-piece kit comes with everything you need to whip up a large four-inch diameter bun — one bun-holder thingy, a ponytail elastic and four large bobby pins — so you don’t have to buy anything else.

Before using it, my major worries were 1) that it would give me a headache, 2) that it wouldn’t stay in place, and 3) that it would be a chore to use, but since it was only $5 ($6 at Target), I figured that I wasn’t risking too much if it didn’t work out.

I’ve been wearing it pretty much all week long, and I’m happy to report that it’s great! It stays in all day, doesn’t make my head hurt, and it’s a cinch to use.

With it I can knock out a casually messy bun in one or two minutes. I’ll just gather my hair into a ponytail, slip it into the bun contraption, spread the ends of my hair over the edge, and roll the bun down. Then I secure it with the four bobby pins that come with the kit.

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Get Lazy Waves in a Minute With Shu Uemura Art of Hair Texture Wave Dry Finishing Spray

October 3rd, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Apparently, I can no longer be bothered to spend more than 60 seconds doing my hair because I have bigger, badder, more ferocious beauty fires to put out, like FREAKING BLACK CAT EYELINER THAT IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE.

This morning was rough, man. I couldn’t get the outer wings to line up evenly (for my makeup here), and then the liner just kept getting thicker and thicker… *shakes head*

Silly me for thinking, “Oh, this will only take five minutes.”

And don’t even get me started on the red lipstick. I mean, when a big red lipstick splotch ends up under your right eye and you have no idea how it got there, the makeup gods are telling you in their own twisted way that sh*t has officially hit the fan today.

Since I was running epically late, I had to ditch my original hair plan of curling my hair with the 1-inch Conair curling iron I picked up at Ulta a couple weeks ago. I needed something quicker, so I went with wild, messy waves using the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Texture Wave Dry Finishing Spray ($38).

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