Hair

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray Is the Stuff of Hair Helping Legend

September 11th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

Oh, fudge!

Oops! There goes another quarter into the beauty product-related swear jar (I don’t actually have one of those, but sometimes I think I should).

Seriously, Oribe, why’d you have to make me fall in love with your Dry Texturizing Spray when you knew the last thing I needed in my life right now was another bank-breaking hairstyling product?

How rude!

Cue Beauty Wayback Machine. Destination: one month ago…

Spinning.

BAM! Bright light, aaaaaand, we’re here. 🙂

It’s mid August, 2014.

I’m just about to haul my cookies out of the salon after getting my roots touched up when I realize that I need (“need,” air quotes) a small travel-size bottle of dry shampoo to bring with me on my upcoming trip to LA (it was still upcoming at the time), so I ask mini Stevie Nicks (which is my inside voice nickname for the gal who works behind the front desk counter, on account of the witchy, floaty outfits she’s always wearing) for a recommendation. She points me to Oribe’s Dry Texturizing spray with the following caveat: “You gotta be down with grit. If you want smooth and silky, you’ll need something else.”

Since I am down with grit (I think), I grab the small 2.2-oz. Purse Size for $21.50.

As I hand mini Stevie Nicks my credit card and the bottle, I hear my penny-pinching mother’s voice in my head. “Hooey, put that down! Let’s go to Rite Aid instead and get an extra large bottle of Aqua Net for $2.”

I do my best to ignore her. “I cannot get addicted to this,” I tell myself, walking out the door. If the little bottle is $21, I don’t even want to think about how much the big bottle costs (side note: it’s $42).

Sadly for my wallet, it’s love at first spray.

Fast forward to today…

Volcanic volume at the roots, tremendous texture, legendary lift, and UV filters

This stuff is kinda magical. It does a little bit of everything, too, and it does it all well.

As a dry shampoo — I use Dry Texturizing spray between washes to absorb oil and refresh my janky-smelling roots. Like the other Oribe products I’ve tried, it smells elegant and expensive, like a light yet complex jasmine floral perfume.
As a finishing spray — Whenever I curl my hair, I spray Dry Texturizing on the middle sections and the ends for shine, hold, bounce and texture.
As a root lifter — When I spray it on my roots, ERMAHGOD! The volume is volcanic. Its lift is the stuff of legends. I’m talking big frickin’ hair, man.

On top of everything else, it also includes UV filters to protect color-treated hair against sun damage.

[Continue reading…]

What’s Your Hair Texture (Relaxed, Straight, Wavy, Curly, Super-Curly), and What Products, Tools and Techniques Work Best for You?

August 6th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

My wavy hair used to be a chore until I got a haircut that worked for me. Now, I always have some level of layers. Sometimes, my friend who cuts my hair (Alis at Fox + Stone in Corte Madera, CA) will do different things to cut down on some of the bulk and weight but keep it voluminous (I have “vampire hair”).

In terms of products, I like moisturizing shampoos and conditioners because my hair tends to get very dry, partly because of the texture, I think, and partly because it’s colored (I have highlights, and it’s a few shades lighter than natural right now). I also use some sort of leave-in hair oil or conditioner on my ends, again, because of the whole dryness issue.

For techniques and tools, my biggest thing is that I use very little heat styling. I get split ends when I blow dry frequently or use flat irons or other heat styling tools on the regular, so I’ll blow dry maybe once or twice a month now at the most (back when I did it every day in the ’90s, my hair was so dry that it was like a bale of hay growing out of my head).

Usually about once a week, around the beginning of the week, after I wash my mane, I’ll let it air dry and use a large-barrel curling iron to add more curls and waves where I want. Then, I’ll spray a beachy waves spray on it, and let it do its thing.

After that, I usually won’t wash it for ~~as long as I can stand it~~ a few days, and will just use dry shampoo at the roots to absorb the oil and cover up any hair funk. I do that to 1) save time, 2) extend the life of my color job, and 3) because I think my hair just looks a little better when it’s more “lived in.” 🙂

Products I’m currently using for my wavy hair

Shampoo — Rene Furterer Acanthe Curl Enhancing Shampoo or Kerastase Bain Elixir Ultime
Conditioner — Oribe Conditioner for Beautiful Color or Intense Conditioner for Moisture & Control
Leave-in conditioner — Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil or Kerastase Touche Perfection Replenishing Balm for Dry Ends
Beach wavy spray — Kerastase Spray a Porter or Shu Uemura Art of Hair Texture Wave Dry Finishing Spray
Dry shampoo — Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo or TRESemme Fresh Start Renewing Dry Shampoo

How about you? What’s your hair texture (relaxed, straight, wavy, curly, super-curly), and what products, tools and techniques work best for you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Hair Heroes: $6 Tresemme Fresh Start Renewing Dry Shampoo

June 18th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Second-day hair don’t care!

Err…make that third-day hair don’t care.

OK, fourth-day hair. 🙂

Yes, fourth-day hair. Last week I ran three days in a row without washing my hair (no judgment) and, dude! — by the last day my roots were janky to the Nth degree.

I was only able to tolerate myself thanks to Tresemme’s new Fresh Start Renewing Dry Shampoo. I was actually kind of shocked by how well it worked.

Now I’m thinking I might’ve even been able to make it to five-day hair…

Maybe.

Since I got my hair chopped a couple weeks ago, I’ve actually had to — gasp! — style it in the mornings (because I can’t just put it up in a ponytail anymore and forget about it), so to save a little time between shampoos, I’ve been spraying Fresh Start on my roots after my morning shower.

It contains oil-absorbing mineral clay and sucks up sweat and funk like a root-sucking hair vacuum!

After using it, my scalp definitely feels less greasy, but doesn’t feel thick or packed with powder, which happens sometimes when I use other dry shampoos. My roots actually feel less dirrrrty when I use this stuff — not as clean as real shampoo, obvs, but all things considered, it’s pretty great for two- or three-day hair.

[Continue reading…]

Go Big With Kerastase Mousse Bouffante

May 16th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

First question I have: what’s a bouffante?

I looked it up. 🙂

According to wikipedia, it’s from the present participle of bouffer: “to puff, puff out.”

It’s where we also get the word, “bouffant.”

Second question I have: why bother with a hairdryer when Mother Nature’s hairdryer, also known as the heatwave we’re having pretty much throughout California right now, works perfectly fine, and also happens to be completely free?

After showering this morning I worked Kerastase Mousse Bouffante into my damp, wavy hair, starting at the ends and making my way down to the roots.

Compared to other Kerastase hair styling products I’ve tried, this one smells pretty tame, which I like. There’s just a faint jasmine scent.

Designed to embiggen hair (I know that’s not a real word… I just really wanted to use it. 🙂 ) and provide structure without weight, so it gives me the volume I crave. I’m using it buy myself time before my next haircut in about three weeks (my mop has been pretty heavy and kind of flat).

I apply it to my hair when it’s damp, and you can either blow dry or air dry. Since it’s been — to quote Nelly — hot in hurr, I’ve been air drying lately. I usually sit in my oven… I meant “office” upstairs, and wait.

[Continue reading…]

Kerastase Lift Vertige Root-Uplifting Gel Inspires Roots to Greater Heights

May 8th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

**WARNING** Bathroom Alert! **WARNING**

You may find yourself so moved by the lovely lift in yo’ hair after using Kerastase’s Lift Vertige Root-Uplifting Gel that you suddenly break into dance in the middle of your bathroom while singing “La cucaracha! La cucaracha!” and shaking the bottle and your round brush like a pair of maracas.

It happens.

Seriously, Kerastase, you’re doing it right. My hair is overdue for a trim (and, thus, really heavy), but somehow, some way, your Lift Vertige still manages to pump up the volume at the roots.

The gel formula elevates roots without a “cardboard” feel for volume right at the crown.

Provides volume and lift at the roots

Long-lasting root support

Enhances shine

Provides UV and heat protection

— kerastase.com

After shampooing and conditioning, I work a few pumps of Lift Vertige, which smells faintly of jasmine, into my hair while it’s wet from the roots to the mid-shaft.

[Continue reading…]

A Tiny Bottle of Kerastase Spray A Porter, and a Mini Meow Day

April 10th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Cutest mini ever! — the Kerastase Spray a Porter Travel Size ($18 for a 1.7-ounce bottle)

How’s it going, babe? How is your afternoon coming along? I just got back from the salon (got my roots touched up).

Today I took sort of a mini “meow time” half-day, and I really needed it. I’ve been feeling a little run down lately because I’m just not sleeping well, and my allergies are in full effect.

And then after the salon, I swung by Blue Barn, my favorite salad place in Corte Madera.

Nom! Tell me that this doesn’t look like one of the greatest salads ever.

It was a relaxing few hours… I almost feel like a normal girl again.

Almost. 🙂

While I was at the salon, I picked up the cute little travel-sized bottle of Kerastase Spray a Porter up there at the top.

Cute, yah?

I saw it sitting on a shelf next to the full-sized Spray a Porter, and I couldn’t resist.

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned/gushed about this stuff before, but basically it’s a potion of glittering unicorn tears, powdered rainbows and fluffy blue-eyed kittens that comes in a spray bottle.

I’m sure those are the ingredients. 🙂

It’s kind of magical. I use it almost daily for beachy waves — think messy, but not too messy. Like Victoria’s Secret runway model hair with lots of volume.

So, so good.

[Continue reading…]

The Hello Kitty Cosmetic Headband by Earth Therapeutics Cutely Keeps Your Fur Out of Your Face

April 9th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

I’m fairly sure this headband is for adults…

Not 100% sure, mind you, but maybe 75%.

LOL! It was like when I saw those Hello Kitty gardening gloves at Target last week. It was only when I looked closely that I realized, “Oh! These are for kids. Crap.” 🙂

So, yeah, it is distinctly possible that this terry cloth Hello Kitty Cosmetic Headband by Earth Therapeutics ($7) was made for kids, but you know what?

I don’t care…’CAUSE IT’S DOPE.

First, it’s only $7, which, hello! — isn’t bad at all for something this practical (I could easily use it every day).

It’s basically just a headband to keep your hair off your face while you’re removing your makeup, applying your makeup, giving yourself a facial or doing anything else where you want to keep your hair out of your face.

But it’s, like, the cutest headband ever. That red Hello Kitty bow is adorable! And there’s an embroidered Hello Kitty patch next to the Earth Therapeutics logo on the back — perfect for when someone is standing behind you wondering why you’re wearing an oversized headband with a red bow… You could just point to the patch and be like, “It’s Hello Kitty, b*tch.” 🙂

Besides the high cuteness factor, it’s also technically a very effective headband. I could spend hours rubbing the terry cloth against my face, ahh…

It’s incredibly soft and plush — like how I imagine the real Hello Kitty’s fur feels in real life.

Uh…not that I’m in my 30s or anything.

[Continue reading…]

Wavy Hair Don’t Care! Say Hi to the Bed Head Making Waves S Waver

April 8th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Yo, VIP…let’s kick it!

Last time I used a hair crimper — and that’s pretty much what the $34.99 Bed Head Making Waves S Waver is, albeit updated and newfangled — Ice Ice Baby was playing (nonstop) on the radio, and the 90210 Dylan-Kelly-Brenda love triangle was sending shockwaves through my high school. Snickers Bars were a bonafide food group, and I harbored dreams of Keanu Reeves asking me to the prom.

Oh, yeah. And wavy hair ruled the land.

So, this doohickey is much cooler than the crimping irons I used back in the day. The surface area is markedly wider, so it doesn’t take anywhere near as long to get lots of great texture in your hair as you move down the shaft. Plus, I think the bigger waves look more modern.

The marketing mumbo-jumbo: the S-shaped waver barrel uses tourmaline ceramic technology!

In non-beauty jargon, that just means that it’s coated with crystals that help eliminate frizz. The waver also has multiple heat settings and a handy tangle-free swivel cord.

It does not, however, have an auto off switch.

Basically, all you do is slip a 1-2 inch section of hair into the waver, clamp down, then let it heat up your hair for…however long you want to keep it in there. I usually do from 30 seconds to a minute.

When you release the iron, that section of hair will have a deep S-shaped wave. Then you move the iron down the shaft, lining up the outermost wave from the previous section as you work your way down.

My hair falls past my shoulders and already has a little loose, natural wave to it, so I use the Bed Head S-Waver on the upper layers and a few sections of inner layers, but I don’t use it on every section because I prefer it when the texture doesn’t look overly uniform.

I guess I like having a bit of chaos both in my hurrr and my life. 🙂

First, the pros. It heats up quickly — just a few minutes — works fast, and the waves it creates last for days. If I “wave” my hair on Monday (and refrain from washing it), the style lasts till Wednesday or Thursday.

[Continue reading…]