Tag: hair

Drybar Lauches Hair Care Line

Have you heard of Drybar? If not, where in the world have you been? Drybar was started by Alli Webb, after being frustrated with the high price of blowouts at traditional salons. Drybar locations offer only blowouts – no cuts, no color and prices start at $35. Right now, Drybar has 24 locations in New York, LA, San Francisco, Dallas, Scottsdale, San Diego, Atlanta and DC. I confess to having visited more than a handful of them. It is probably a good thing I don’t have a store in my home town because I would literally be there every single week (not kidding one single bit).

But now I can have a little bit of Drybar at home. During my visit to Drybar Dallas last week, I got to experience their brand new product line, exclusively sold at Sephora and Drybar locations. Just like the crafted experience at Drybar (think champagne and chick flicks in girly decor), Alli’s product line was thoughtfully developed and named.

The line was developed in collaboration with Drybar board member and investor Janet Gurwitch, who is also the founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics. “Alli’s clear vision and passion to create a line of products and tools for the perfect blowout has been impressive to watch,” says Gurwitch. “She has identified a real niche in the market and the performance of these products is truly like nothing I’ve ever experienced in hairstyling products.”

The initial product lineup:

Happy Hour Shampoo – Blowout Shampoo: leaves hair free of product buildup, prepped and lightweight for styling
Happy Hour Conditioner – Weightless Conditioner: ultra-light but still smooths and softens
Hot Toddy – Heat Protector & Frizz Fighter: conditions hair while leaving in shiny and bouncy, not flat
Southern Belle – Volumizing Mousse: adds volume without being stiff
Cream Soda – Smoothing Cream: no stiffness associated with this cream, great for thicker hair
The Chaser – Shine Pomade: increases texture for those illustrious beach waves
100 Proof – Smoothing Oil: adds shine but is weightless, even on my fine hair
Money Maker – Flexible Hold Hairspray: brushable and controls frizz, just like my beloved Elnett
Detox – Dry Shampoo: I wasn’t able to try this one, but I hear rave reviews (currently sold out at Sephora.com)

The initial tool lineup:

Buttercup – Blow Dryer: How cute is this pop of yellow?
The 3-Day Bender – Curling Iron: This iron with a rotating barrel gets the wave right every time – this one is high on my wish list.
Smooth Operator – Flatiron: made with silicon and heats to 450 degrees
Lemon Drop – Wet Brush: see Wet Brush review here, I need not say more
Full and Half Pint – Round Brushes: ceramic barrel heats up from the blow dryer, for big, loose curls and shorter drying time
Hold Me – Hair Clips: these guys make portioning hair during a blowout a sinch without damaging hair
The Morning After – Shower Cap: Kinda kicking myself for not picking up one of these while I was there, because my blowout lasted four days!

Drybar products are cruelty-free.Shop the Drybar products here:

Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘Hypercolor’ Brow & Hair Powder

I’ve been eying the bold streaks on the runways the past couple of seasons. I was particularly swooning over Peter Som’s multicolored neon accents (above) in his Spring 2013 show last month. The problem: my hair is dark dark brown. I just figured nothing would show up on my strands and resigned myself to boring single tone hair.

Well, I was wrong. And I’m okay with that. Because I’ve been playing with Anastasia Beverly Hills Hypercolor Brow and Hair Powder and am happy to report it looks just as vibrant on my dark locks! Below, I am wearing Electric Blue, Ultra Violet and In The Pink. I was so thrilled that the pigment-rich oxides were robust enough for dark hair.

The formula is designed for both hair and eyebrows. You can use a brush, but I prefered holding a small peice of hair inbetween my finger and the pot and sliding the strands you want to color in between. Then, flip sides. Silicone makes the powder ultra smooth and soft so it slides on but also stays in place. I haven’t tried it yet, but word is this can also be used as eyeliner. How fun is that?

While these swatches above were on my regular styled hair, it is recommended you set with hair spray or brow gel. The color will rinse out in one to two washes. Available at Nordstrom and Ulta.

The Wet Brush

I’ve always heard combs are best for wet hair, especially my fine, long locks prone to breakage. Literally, since high school, I’ve been vigilant about combing, not brushing post-shower. Once again, the industry I love – beauty – is shaking up my routine with their latest and greatest.

I’ve heard rumblings about the Wet Brush. And I’ve spotted it on visits to the Dry bar where I loved the way it glided through my hair. After hearing it wouldn’t damage and was actually good for my strands, I had to make one mine. Now, with the purple shade in my hot little hands, I’m firmly on the bandwagon. This isn’t just any brush – the fine bristles efficiently and gently move through my wet strands, detangling and prepping hair with ease.

The Wet Brush can be used on dry hair as well and feels insanely good. This brush will reign supreme in my book for dry hair styling, but the Wet Brush’s bristles massage and stimulate the scalp. This promotes blood flow to the cuticle and stimulates hair growth. Put this on your drugstore shopping list or pick one up at Folica.com, drugstore.com and Sally Beauty Supply.

Brand Spotlight: Oscar Blandi

You’d think I’d won the lottery. I was positively giddy when I scored a travel size of Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Voluminizing Dry Shampoo back in September. I was already devoted to their Jasmine Oil Hair Serum. But people just raved about their dry shampoos. Alas, it did not disappoint I love the feather-light weight and instant volume is provided. It contains Vitamin E and wheat proteins to strengthen and protect the hair shaft. Plus, it did not show up one single bit on my dark brown hair.

I’m sure it doesn’t shock you that I had to dive deeper into the world of Oscar Blandi. The Naples native with family roots in haircare came to the United States 20 years ago to share old Italian methods. With a New York salon buzzing, he launched products in 2005. Today, stars like Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Faith Hill and Kelly Ripa credit their hair to Oscar. After trying out some of his more notable products, I almost feel like the Italian has done my hair. My favorites:

Jasmine Oil Hair Serum: I ordered this eons ago from Birchbox just based on a fabulous scent. I couldn’t get enough of the Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Eucalyptus. But I was also happy to find it provided a whallop of shine. I use just a very small bit mostly on ends to hydrate and tame fly-aways. It also makes for a great heat-protectant.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Voluminizing Dry Shampoo: As mentioned above, it adds instant volume, revives day old hair and is clear! No white residue on my dark hair. Side note: did you know Oscar Blandi makes three dry shampoos!? For more of a heavy duty oil absorption, try Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Powder on your strands while you sleep for an overnight refresh. It also helps combat dandruff. If you want a slightly more amped version of the Invisible, try Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray (this might be ideal for those with a slightly oilier scalp).

At Home Salon Glaze: To wrap up every hair color service at the salon, clients are treated to a shine enhancing, color-preserving glaze. Oscar wanted to share it with us who couldn’t make it to the salon and wanted the treatment at home. Thanks to my new found blowout skills, my hair has been a little dull and dry. So I couldn’t tear this open quick enough. The three minute treatment socks hair with moisture and nutrients. Natural plant emoillients help maintain vibrancy while Olive Oil & Macadamia Oil provide instant shine. Soy & Wheat proteins with Panthenol & Vitamin E add nutrition and healthy appearance. You can do the glaze weekly or add a bit to your conditioner for a daily shine boost.

Pronto Texture & Volume Spray: My hair prefers to be straight with zero volume. I got to the point where I didn’t fight it because nothing seemed to work. Well now… hold the phone. This Texture and Volume Spray added that much desired “undone” look to my straight blowout. For the first time, my hair actually held a decent curl. The natural mineral, zeolite, is the key to this volume and hold. Plus, a dose of keratin strengthens hair. The formula is very similar to a hair spray – dry and light-weight. It also comes in handy for extra hold in updos.

I’ll be keeping my eye out for the newest from Oscar Blandi: Dry Teasing Dust and Dry Sculpting Pomade. What can I say? I’m hooked! Shop my favorites here:

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Brand Spotlight: Amika: love your hair and GIVEAWAY

Amika’s tag line is “heathy, easy and stylish”. Um, sounds about perfect to me. I’ve been imersed in the world of Amika for the past two weeks and my hair is softer, happier and healthier than ever before. I was able to try out quite a few products so, today I am featuring a little brand spotlight.

I’ve been trying out the Color pHerfection Shampoo, Hydrate Conditioner and Nourishing Hair Mask in the shower. My hair is super fine and been a little dry this winter, so I was angling to improve that situation. While my hair isn’t colored, the Color pHerfection Shampoo is chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, healthy fatty acids, Omega 3, 6 & 9, and the rare Omega 7 (usually only found in fish oil) to heal my drier hair. All these goodies come from Amika’s signature ingredient, the Obliphica Berry (Sea Buckthorn Berry), known for centuries renowned for its healing powers.

Hydrate Conditioner and Nourishing Hair Mask notched up the moisure element in my routine significantly. Both of these rich formulas infuse hair with fatty acids, proteins, anti-oxidants, and other nutrients. Somehow they are both ultra-creamy but leave hair balanced and voluminous. The Nourishing Hair Mask takes it a bit further than the conditioner with extra penetration, nourishment and repair. Both have a vaguely tropical scent. And I am not sure you’ll ever find me without one or the other again.

Amika Obliphica Oil Treatment might be the center piece of the brand. I was slightly concerned about the Obliphica seed oil for my fine hair, but it managed to deliver hydration without weighing my hair down or making it oily (this goes for all Amika products I tried). I was especially impressed I could use the Oil Treatment fairly liberally and I still had volume with loads of shine. It also helped on next day hair for a little boost at the ends. It also provides UV protection from environmental and sun damage. The treatment has that delicious and amazing argan oil while being free of parabens and artificial colors. Like the Oil Treatment, the Leave in Cream also surprised me by not weighing my hair down. I applied the cream and then slept on braided, wet hair. My waves were shiny, bouncy and healthy. I have a sneaking suspicion curly-haired girls would go nuts over this stuff.

Lastly, I’m embarassed to say I never use a heat protectant. Now that I a have mastered the blowout, I use heat tools much more often and I knew I needed to step up my game. Amika’s Obliphica Heat Defense Serum uses their signature ingredient’s omega 7 and vitamin C to protect strands. It revitalizes and forms a protective barrier. This layer also helps fight frizz. All three styling products have that tropical oil smell that I go bananas for, but it is very subtle.

And now for the juicy part… a GIVEAWAY. I am thrilled to be sharing one of Amika’s hottest tools with one of you lucky readers. I’ve been using a similar clip-less rod with four interchangeable barrels for the ultimate in styling flexibility. We are giving away Zebra Triple Barrel Pro Curler Set – it also includes a curling rod with interchangeable barrels and one of their famed ceramic irons. Guys, this set is valued at $300!

Enter using the widget below. Open to US Only and GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ouidad Curl Recovery Whipped Curls Daily Conditioner & Styling Primer

Whipped Curls might sound good enough to eat, but it is really quite something special for those ladies with curly hair. This luxe formula has a triad of functions: styling primer, daily conditioner and leave-in hair mask. The rich, thick cream melts into your hair, hydrating a variety of curly hair types.

First, I gave it a whirl on my naturally wavy locks. I made the mistake of using too much product, but the result was a great hydration treatment. After trying to coax my natural waves out, I gave up and put my hair in a bun. My hair was a little crunchy and greasy. But…. when I rinsed the product out, it was supple, soft and shiner than it has been in … well, a long time. The triple Olive Oil blend with Shea Butter and Glycerine moisturize, strengthen and nourish. Green Tea provides anti-oxidant and environmental protection.

Next, I enlisted Lisa from Elembee. She’s got those enviable, bouncy, ringlet style curls and had mentioned she wanted to try Ouidad a few months ago. She didn’t make my same mistake – she just used a nickle-sized amount of product (see below for what Lisa calls the “Ouidad Flower”). She loves the product as both a styling cream and conditioner. Wait, let me correct that… she “LOVES” it as a styling cream! Once the proper dose was established, Lisa reports “ringlets that were soft to the touch, not frizzy, and hair that doesn’t look or feel greasy.” Her curls looked relaxed, natural and bouncy.

Bottom line: Curly haired curls, take note! Lisa gives this her seal of approval. To those with dry and breaking hair, I would also recommend this as a hydrating hair mask. Other Ouidad favorites include:

Clear & Gentle Essential Daily Shampoo makes for a great clarifying shampoo, but with a low-pH, low-foam formula that doesn’t strip hair and works on color-treated hair
Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner is an intensive conditioner that is a savior for dry, winter hair. The formula is lightweight but deeply hydrating (also can be a leave-in).

Ouidad Curl Recovery Whipped Curls is available at Ouidad.com, salons and ULTA.

Make sure you check out Lisa’s blog here. She has great blogging tips and a fabulous series coming up in 2013 for those who adore travel as much as I do.

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