Jonathan No-Frizz Hydrating Balm- Taming Of The Shrew

My biggest issue with styling products of the balm variety might have come to an end. Most leave-in conditioners, shine sprays and silicon drops that are good for the dry parts of my hair tend to make my scalp itch. On the other hand, gels and anti-frizz creams that keep things in place are fine to use near my face and hair roots, but can make everything else sticky and/or stiff.

Jonathan Product No-Frizz Hydrating Balm is a serious multitasker. It does a very decent job in the anti-frizz department even when I'm not using a styling iron. It just makes things ever so smooth, gives them a little shine while keeping the rest of the hair soft and fluffy. It opens my curls and makes them more wavy, but hair remains bouncy and not weighed down or limp.

I was happy to see that shea butter is a star player in this balm. The ingredient list has quite a few chemicals on board but also many essential oils and plant extracts to make me feel less toxic. The product is vegan and I loved the little "celebrity tested" label. It makes one think that maybe Heidi and Spencer were put into good use after all.

Jonathan Product No-Frizz Hydrating Balm ($26 for a 5.1 oz tube. It also comes in a 1.7 oz size) is available from beauty.com as well as from Sephora in store and online, which is where I bought mine.

Photograph by Charmante -Sterling, Inc, NYC

Beauty and the Heat

The temperatures here are touching the triple digit zone, and it isn't pretty. Even the best intentions and beauty routines melt when confronted with a scorching and muggy reality and we need all the help we can get. Here are a few of things that help me survive days like these:

• A little color that goes a long way: I use a dab of concealer only where (and if) needed, line my eyes with a thick pencil in a rich color that does double duty as a shadow (my favorite has always been Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier in Gold Reef, but all the other colors are just as lovely. Look at the khaki one, Bangalore), black waterproof mascara (I only use them for a few days this time of the year, and the drugstores are full of good ones. I usually buy Max Factor), and finish up the look with a dark colored lip gloss (I love Chanel Glossimer in Force). Only three or four products, but it looks well put-together.

• It's the only time of the year I'm going places with my hair pulled back into a tight bun. Jonathan's Silky Dirt is keeping it shiny and in place. I'll need to write a full review soon (and probably try other products from this line).

• My flat feet can be the bane of my existence, if I let them. They get swollen in the heat which makes wearing shoes a painful ordeal. I keep my regular shoes or sandals in my beg and put them on before getting anywhere, but until that moment, I live in J. Crew's wedge flip-flops. They're much more comfortable for me than regular flat flip-flops, because they provide support and insulation from the ground, two things that the flat-footed among us know to appreciate.

• Perfume. I like to wear something that takes me away to kinder places. Reverie au Jardin from Tauer Perfume is my choice of escape. It takes me to cool, green gardens. This fragrance comes from Switzerland, which helps with the Alpine fantasy.